Su Wanyue

Biodata

Background / History

Su Wanyue comes from the Northern Frontier and practices gu arts. She and her companions entered Great Li’s Imperial Capital for an undisclosed mission that required approaching powerful noble lineages. Her position as a courtesan at the Thousand Beauties Pavilion is a disguise, not her true occupation 14 23.

According to her account, her group investigated the attempted assassination of Gu Chenfeng at Great Wilderness Ridge after learning that a Gu Master had been involved. They were nearing the mastermind when someone deliberately exposed their hiding place to Great Li’s authorities. Other attackers exploited the resulting chaos: her subordinates were killed, she suffered serious injuries, and her Lifebound Gu went missing. She suspected the attack was intended to frame her group and turn the Gu Lineage against them 14.

As Lady Su, she maintained an unusually independent public image. She refused invitations from influential patrons, including an offer of ten thousand taels for a single performance and an invitation from the emperor’s brother-in-law. Ouyang Cai regarded her as a woman who would not yield to wealth or power 13.

Appearance

Su Wanyue is tall and graceful, with a slender waist, pronounced curves, pale skin, finely proportioned features, and an elegantly raised nose. She usually conceals part of her face beneath a light veil 13 14 34.

• Eyes: Clear, slightly upturned eyes compared to autumn waters; described as pale blue when she dresses for Gu Chenfeng’s pill-refining visit 13 24.
• Usual clothing: Flowing moon-white or snow-white robes, a simple sash, and a smoky-purple or light veil 13 14 34.
• Alternative outfit: A deep-crimson gown with a gauzy outer layer and gold-woven sash, emphasizing her long legs and narrow waist 24.

Personality

Su Wanyue is proud, calculating, and confident in her charm. She resents being treated as Gu Chenfeng’s servant and uses flirtation, feigned vulnerability, and emotional intimacy to pursue her goals. After direct hypnosis fails, she decides to win his heart so that she can recover her Lifebound Gu and use his connections for her mission 14 23 24.

Her composure does not make her indifferent to others. She wants justice for her slain companions, is deeply moved by Gu Chenfeng’s poem, and develops genuine sympathy during his staged confession of loneliness. His later defense of her leaves her grateful and flustered, although she continues to interpret his behavior as proof that her manipulation is succeeding 14 15 24 42.

Abilities & Skills

Gu Arts

• Appearance alteration: Uses a gu insect to transform Gu Chenfeng into a burly, bearded man with a facial scar. The disguise allows him to leave the pavilion without his watcher recognizing him 18.
• Remote observation: Watches Gu Chenfeng’s pill refining through a gu insect 24.
• Lifebound Gu surveillance: Plans to use her Lifebound Gu, held by Gu Chenfeng, to gather information about him 23.
• Blood-linked vulnerability: Harm to her Lifebound Gu causes her immediate, severe pain. Gu Chenfeng uses this connection to restrain her and enforce cooperation 14.

Hypnosis

• Uses subtle hypnotic techniques during close conversation, attempting to persuade Gu Chenfeng to return her Lifebound Gu 14.
• Her approach carries no killing intent, making it difficult for his protectors to recognize the danger beforehand 15.
• Gu Chenfeng resists her hypnosis and pretends to succumb before confronting her 14.

Formations and Energy Sealing

• Sets up a formation around the pill-refining chamber that prevents sound and energy disturbances from escaping 24.
• Offers to seal the source qi inside a Tiger Demon heart to preserve it, identifying it as probably belonging to a Source Sea Realm Origin Beast 23.

Martial Capability

• Possesses a powerful reserve of energy in her dantian and nearly unleashes it against Imperial Uncle Xiao 41.
• Detects the danger approaching Gu Chenfeng’s carriage and moves quickly enough to vanish from it when leaving for help 43.
• Her exact cultivation realm is not disclosed; her unhealed injuries constrain her actions during both incidents 41 43.

Music and Social Performance

• Zither: Her Golden Kylin Gathering performance silences the audience and receives enthusiastic applause 34.
• Public influence: Commands a large following; at the gathering, her fame and followers exceed those of Shangguan Bingxin and Princess Yaoyin 34.
• Persuasion: Uses romantic insinuation and verbal counterattacks to defend her position beside Gu Chenfeng against Princess Yaoyin 35.
• Tea preparation: Prepares whisked tea during private meetings 14 17.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Lifebound Gu — Blood-linked gu insect held by Gu Chenfeng. Its return is her central bargaining objective throughout their partnership 14 23 43.
• Embroidered sachet — Gives Gu Chenfeng an exquisitely crafted sachet as a keepsake to support their public relationship 14 15.
• Paulownia-wood zither — Used for her public musical performances 13 34.
• Brass Pill Furnace — Originally used to process feed for her gu insects; she supplies it for Gu Chenfeng’s alchemy 24.
• Fire crystal — Provides heat beneath the pill furnace in the concealed refining chamber 24.

Relationships

• Gu Chenfeng — Investigative partner and pretend lover. He controls her Lifebound Gu, while she tries to gain emotional control over him. Their mutual scheming becomes complicated by genuine sympathy, gratitude, and concern 14 23 24 42 43.
• Princess Yaoyin — Rival during the Golden Kylin Gathering. Su Wanyue counters the princess’s attacks on her courtesan status with pointed remarks and declarations of devotion to Gu Chenfeng 34 35.
• Shangguan Bingxin — Invites her as the gathering’s finale performer. Su Wanyue subsequently regards her closeness to Gu Chenfeng as a threat to her own plans 34 41.
• Imperial Uncle Xiao — Unwanted suitor who repeatedly pressures her through his status. She refuses him, and Gu Chenfeng intervenes when he attempts to force her to drink and grabs for her 41.
• Gu Yanshuang — Gu Chenfeng’s eldest sister, who mistakes their cover relationship for a genuine affair and urges him to redeem Su Wanyue as a concubine. During the ambush, Su Wanyue leaves to alert her 27 43.
• Ouyang Cai — An admiring patron who considers Lady Su beyond ordinary entertainers and is astonished when she privately receives Gu Chenfeng 13 15.
• Her slain companions — Their deaths motivate her determination to uncover the mastermind who attacked and framed her group 14.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Partnership and *Drunken West Chamber*

• Invites Gu Chenfeng into her private chamber and denies responsibility for his attempted assassination. They agree to investigate together, but he refuses to return her Lifebound Gu until the truth is established 14.
• Exchanges keepsakes with him to make future visits less suspicious. His poem, initially dismissed as the work of an uneducated wastrel, moves her to tears 14 15.
• Publicizes the poem as Drunken West Chamber, establishing him as her intimate guest. She explains that his protection will deter troublesome admirers while she investigates; Gu Chenfeng also suspects retaliation for his treatment of her 16 17.
• Supplies the disguise he uses for secret excursions to Great Wilderness Ridge 18.

Concealed Alchemy

• Agrees to store the Tiger Demon heart and arrange a private refining chamber and supplies. His unusual accomplishments make her question whether his wastrel reputation is an act 23.
• Offers herself as a confidante, hoping to exploit his supposed loneliness. Gu Chenfeng recognizes the scheme and feigns emotional dependence, drawing real sympathy from her 24.
• Secretly observes his rapid improvement in alchemy and faints after witnessing him produce a supreme-grade Essence Pill 24.

Golden Kylin Gathering

• Performs as the finale guest, then publicly acts intimate with Gu Chenfeng to discourage Princess Yaoyin and Shangguan Bingxin from approaching him 34 35.
• Defends his authorship of Drunken West Chamber, testifying that he composed it in front of her 36.
• Refuses Imperial Uncle Xiao’s demand that she remain and drink with him. Gu Chenfeng shields her and strikes him when he attempts to grab her 41.
• Thanks Gu Chenfeng afterward. His promise to protect her—even within their temporary pretense—leaves her heart racing and disrupts her confidence that she alone is controlling their relationship 42.

Gorge Ambush

• Senses danger alongside Gu Chenfeng and initially insists on taking him away with her 43.
• Accepts his request to seek Gu Yanshuang’s help because her injuries may prevent a safe escape together. Before leaving, she tells him to be careful, then disguises her concern as a demand that he survive to return her Lifebound Gu 43.

Notable Quotes

“After all, my companions cannot have died for nothing!” 14

“First I’ll understand him, then control him, and then... toy with his feelings!” 23

“If you die, who am I supposed to get my Lifebound Gu back from?” 43