Ye Jingtang

Biodata

Power Progression

His early growth consists of learning qi circulation and advanced techniques, rather than ascending named cultivation realms. His physique and internal force are compared to an ordinary grandmaster’s, but this is not a formal rank promotion 11 14.

Background / History

Pei Yuanfeng found Ye Jingtang abandoned while transporting a shipment and adopted him. He named the child for his loud, ringing cries. Ye’s memories of his previous life gradually awakened when he was two or three; he initially hoped to prosper through such ideas as copying poetry, brewing liquor, and making soap 1.

Instead, Pei Yuanfeng’s harsh training made him the frontier escort agency’s strongest fighter. His father built an exceptional physical foundation but withheld the deeper martial instruction needed to understand qi circulation. Pei Xiangjun later explains that Pei Yuanfeng did not want his son to repeat his disastrous martial-world career 1 2 12.

After Pei Yuanfeng died following a drinking binge, Ye honored his will despite receiving no inheritance for himself. He sold the agency for roughly a thousand taels, escorted twelve willing employees and their families to the capital, and delivered the proceeds to the Pei family. He also insisted that the former escorts be treated properly 1.

Initially determined to remain independent, he refused Pei Xiangjun’s offer of money and a capital escort agency. Unable to find suitable work, he rented a neglected courtyard in Twin Osmanthus Alley and eventually accepted paid employment with the Pei family 2 4 6 8.

Appearance

Ye Jingtang is tall, powerfully built, and well-proportioned rather than visibly bulky. His looks repeatedly attract attention from household servants and palace maids 6 20 47 50.

• Usual clothing: Appears early in black clothing, with his inherited saber concealed beneath his outer robe 1 3.
• Build: Broad enough to shield Dongfang Liren completely while standing in front of her 47.
• Eyes: Described as clear, with his initial uncertainty briefly showing through his otherwise carefree manner 1.
• Frequent companion: Often travels with Niao Niao perched on his shoulder 1 12 14.

Personality

Ye places loyalty above financial advantage. He obeys his adoptive father’s will because he considers being rescued and raised a debt worth honoring, even without blood ties. His loyalty is not blind obedience: he tells Red Flower House’s elders that he will fulfill his responsibilities regardless of their approval, but will not agree to wrongdoing merely because they trust him 1 35.

He values independence and prefers earning his place to accepting large gifts. He also refuses to move into the Pei residence because he believes a man with a different surname living among the household’s women would invite gossip 2 36.

His composure coexists with a mischievous, flirtatious streak. He maintains elaborate disguises with Luo Ning, teases her repeatedly, and secretly kisses her after treating her wound, provoking an angry confrontation. With Dongfang Liren, he conceals his blunt judgments behind carefully worded compliments 9 16 29 49.

Encounters with capital experts make him increasingly cautious. He recognizes superior opponents, attempts deception or escape when outmatched, and avoids unnecessary exposure to counterattacks. Even after gaining the upper hand against Blood Bodhi, he withdraws rather than gamble on an uncertain follow-up 4 14 26 48 49.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Foundation and Comprehension

• Physical conditioning: Pei Yuanfeng’s training gives him the physique and internal force of an ordinary grandmaster by eighteen, despite his initially poor advanced technique 12 14.
• Weapon reflexes: Draws his saber almost instantly when Wang Chihu attempts to take it, stopping the blade at the constable’s neck 3.
• Rapid learning: Understands Luo Ning’s palm technique within three repetitions and reproduces the Overlord Spear’s movements after seeing them once 11 43.
• Technical reconstruction: Works backward from inherited stances and finishing positions to discover qi pathways and linked saber strikes 12 17.
• Limits: Fast comprehension does not immediately grant polished execution, combat timing, or the ability to explain a technique to another student 33 43 45.

Cloud-Touching Fourteen Hands

• Learns a palm technique and the basic relationship between movement, qi circulation, and force from Luo Ning 10 11 12.
• Can destroy material beneath an apparently intact surface, leaving a palm impression more than two inches deep in an earthen wall 11.
• Uses an internally powered palm strike to disable Guo Yuanlong’s right arm during their pursuit 26.
• Has not been shown learning the complete art; Luo Ning promises further instruction if he secures Qiu Tianhe’s full freedom 37.

Reconstructed Eight-Step Mad Blade / White Slash

• Develops the technique from Pei Yuanfeng’s inherited opening stance rather than receiving the complete art directly 12.
• Opening strike: A left-handed, reverse-grip draw and horizontal slash capable of breaching She Long’s defenses 14 17.
• Second strike: Transfers the saber into his right hand and advances into a powerful follow-up 17 26.
• Third strike: Adds a spinning overhead slash that links directly to the preceding attack 48.
• Refers to his developing technique as the self-created White Slash when explaining it to Dongfang Liren; only three strikes are documented 49.
• Early use requires returning to the opening stance between attacks. Forcibly halting the technique can cause internal-force backlash 14 15.

Tianhe Blade

• A rare internal saber art learned from Qiu Tianhe, emphasizing sensitivity to an opponent’s slightest changes and preemptive counters 32 33.
• Allows him to intercept concealed projectiles while protecting Dongfang Liren, even without locating the attacker 47.
• His incomplete mastery cannot reliably distinguish Blood Bodhi’s close-range intentions when the assassin’s whole body is poised to attack 47.
• Attempts to teach it to Dongfang Liren expose a gap between his intuitive understanding and his ability to communicate its essentials 45.

Overlord Spear

• Learns from Pei Xiangjun using a bamboo pole as a practice weapon 42 43.
• An external martial art built from seven basic spear moves, including Yellow Dragon Reclining, with combinations producing many variations 43.
• His physical foundation lets him progress rapidly, but he still needs better force control, timing, footwork, and strategy 43.
• Pei Xiangjun warns him not to use it openly except as a last resort: its fame could expose Red Flower House’s identity and attract government scrutiny 43.

Lightness Skills

• Learns basic qi-guided lightness from Luo Ning 29.
• Can reach elevated branches, but his landings lack the delicacy of Dongfang Liren’s 46.
• Cannot yet skim across water successfully 46.
• Possesses Lu Jieyun’s advanced insights, but admits he has not yet studied them; they require a grandmaster’s foundation to begin 46.

Practical Skills

• Investigation and deception: Helps devise a false-theft rumor campaign to draw Wingless Owl into the open 21 23.
• Business experience: Recognizes extortion tactics from his escort-agency background 6.
• Literacy: Says his handwriting is decent and that he can keep accounts 46.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Chi Dragon Ring-Pommel Saber — Inherited from Pei Yuanfeng. Three feet three inches long, with a straight edge, black-cord hilt, and brass fittings carved with hornless dragons. Its scratched blade shows extensive prior use 3 19.
• Dragon-Mingling Diagram — Golden sheet recovered from Wingless Owl. Ye begins deciphering its qi-circulation imagery and carries it over his chest; it prevents Blood Bodhi’s iron cane from penetrating, though the impact still injures him 27 44 48 49.
• Lu Jieyun’s Martial Arts Insights — Recovered lightness-skill booklet; Dongfang Liren permits him to keep it 27 31.
• Prince Jing’s Manor token — Marks him as an honored guest and provides access to Dongfang Liren, while carrying the obligation of her patronage 14.
• Registry Token — Official hometown identification recording his birthplace, occupation, and age 3.
• Dragon Pool Tourmaline — Recovered from Wingless Owl and initially handed to the Black Bureau; Dongfang Liren later gives it to Ye, who passes it to Luo Ning as her share of their capture 27 31 33.
• Bamboo practice pole — Used while learning the Overlord Spear from Pei Xiangjun 42 43.

Relationships

• Pei Yuanfeng — Adoptive father and childhood trainer. Ye honors his final wishes despite being left penniless and reconstructs saber techniques from the foundation he left behind 1 12.
• Pei Xiangjun — His father’s junior martial sister, martial aunt, employer, and spear instructor. She tests him as the masked Red God of Wealth and appoints him Red Flower House’s Young House Master 2 4 35 42.
• Luo Ning — Housemate, martial instructor, investigative partner, and object of his romantic interest. Their repeated married-couple disguises develop into genuine attachment amid frequent arguments 9 23 29 37 41 43.
• Zhe Yunli — Temporary housemate and companion in teasing, household repairs, and martial practice. He helps pursue the release of her blade instructor, Qiu Tianhe 12 17 33.
• Dongfang Liren / Prince Jing — Patron, prospective saber student, and the royal he protects. She offers support for Qiu Tianhe’s release in exchange for his service and treats his injuries after Blood Bodhi’s attack 14 20 45 49.
• Qiu Tianhe — His adoptive father’s friend and rival, later his Tianhe Blade instructor. Qiu mistakenly interprets Ye’s connection to Zhe Yunli as evidence that he is a Sky-Pacifying Sect infiltrator 19 31 32.
• Niao Niao — Pet bird and constant companion. Scouts opponents, signals suspicious activity, and carries the Dragon-Mingling Diagram away before Ye’s medical examination 13 23 49.
• Yang Chao and the former escorts — Longtime employees whom Ye brings safely to the capital and places with the Far-Reaching Escort Agency; they remain concerned for his welfare 1 5.
• She Long, Shang Jianli, and Wang Chihu — Black Bureau contacts. Their initially suspicious encounters develop into cooperation, with She Long later asking Ye to help support an investigation 3 14 18 44.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Establishing Himself in the Capital

• Resolves the Pei family’s dispute with the Green Lotus Gang by overwhelming Yang Guan and demonstrating that continued harassment will have consequences 6 7.
• Accepts the young master position with a salary of one hundred taels per month 8.
• Shelters Luo Ning from searching constables, beginning the household arrangement that also brings Zhe Yunli into his life 9 12 17.

Prince Jing’s Bargain and Wingless Owl

• Agrees to learn Qiu Tianhe’s saber art and teach Dongfang Liren, with the aim of securing Qiu’s release through legitimate means 20 21.
• Uses Black Bureau informants and a false fencing operation to lure Wingless Owl, posing as Luo Ning’s husband 23.
• Kills Guo Yuanlong and recovers the Dragon-Mingling Diagram, but must then care for Luo Ning after she is struck by a poisoned needle 26 27 29.

Red Flower House Succession

• Answers the Incense Masters’ doubts by defeating Li Sanwen with one saber strike, securing their acceptance as Young House Master 35.
• Begins learning the Overlord Spear for forthcoming disputes involving the Watercloud Sword Pool and other martial-world powers 35 42 43.

Blood Bodhi’s Assassination Attempt

• Shields Dongfang Liren from hidden weapons and holds a defensible position outside a bookshop 47.
• Uses the Diagram’s protection and his newly developed saber follow-up to overpower Blood Bodhi at close range, cutting away half an ear 48.
• Withdraws because his limited repertoire leaves him without a reliable continuation; Blood Bodhi escapes, and Ye receives medicine and a physician’s examination 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“I'm not a member of the Pei Family. I'm helping them out of affection and loyalty alone. Even if you don't trust me, I'll still do what I should. Even if you do trust me, I won't agree to do what I shouldn't.” 35

“I understand. I'll study diligently and practice hard, so I can wield it as naturally as my own hands as soon as possible.” 43

“She'll come back.” — Reassuring Niao Niao after Luo Ning’s departure 43