Su Xin

Biodata

Appearance

• Features: Beautiful, delicate features, clear eyes, and a cool, aloof bearing when not maintaining a disguise 29 42.
• Usual clothing: A plain white dress, with her long hair secured by a simple wooden hairpin 29.
• Infiltration attire: Close-fitting night clothes and a black cloth covering her face 30.
• Musician disguise: A plain green robe, no makeup, and a pipa; she later appears at the street ambush in elegant blue robes 39 46.

Personality

Su Xin is calculating and ruthless, treating other people's safety and reputations as tools for the White Lotus Sect. She calmly explains her intention to have Li Rong'er sexually assaulted, then uses the princess consort's fear to secure her cooperation. Her outward elegance contrasts with her indifference to the consequences for her victims 29 30.

She strongly dislikes circumstances she cannot control. After an apparently ordinary guard recognizes her disguise, she orders a thorough investigation and then his assassination. Her confidence also leads her to underestimate opponents: Li Zhong's concealed reinforcements catch her by surprise during her counter-ambush 40 42 46.

As a commander, she combines intimidation, rewards, and reassurance. She checks her followers' premature celebration of Li Zhong's death by outlining the stronger enemies ahead, then restores their confidence by promising support from higher-ranked sect experts. Despite her authority over local followers, she behaves humbly before the Fifth Grade elder sent to assist her 47 48 50.

Abilities & Skills

Seventh Rank Martial Arts

Su Xin can fight Li Zhong directly and gains the advantage during their encounter at the Courtyard of Red Delights 39.

• The aftershocks of their clash force the Ninth Grade Chen Fan back seven or eight steps 39.
• She crushes a porcelain teacup into powder in her hand 41.
• Her advantage does not make her invulnerable: Li Zhong injures her during their first encounter, and she suffers severe injuries in the later ambush 40 48.

Pipa Combat and Sound Attacks

Her pipa functions as both a close-combat weapon and a means of producing ranged sound attacks 39 47.

• Uses the instrument to block saber strikes and alternate between defense and attack 39.
• Produces invisible blades of sound and a visible white sound wave 47.
• Directs a sound attack toward Li Rong'er during her duel with Li Zhong; he makes no move to intercept it 47.
• Li Zhong can shatter her sound blades with his saber 47.

Movement and Stealth

Her movement method emphasizes speed, lightness, and elusive changes of position 30 39.

• Passes Black Wind Mountain's sentries so quickly that they mistake her movement for a blur 30.
• Climbs a stone chamber silently to observe its occupants through a ventilation opening 30.
• Uses roof beams, windows, and rapid leaps to evade pursuit or disengage from battle 39 47.

Disguise and Infiltration

Su Xin changes her appearance between identities and convincingly performs vulnerable or frightened roles 29 39.

• Infiltrates the prince's household as Li Rong'er's trusted personal maid 29 38.
• Hides among musicians as a seemingly terrified pipa player 39.
• Chen Fan recognizes her because he encountered her current appearance while inhabiting Black Wind Baleful Intent—not because her disguise was generally known to the residence's guards 39 41.

Poison and Covert Tactics

Su Xin supplements direct combat with poison, drugs, diversions, and coordinated ambushes 31 46 47.

• Uses a potent aphrodisiac on Li Rong'er as part of the attempt to frame Black Wind Baleful Intent 31.
• Escapes the Courtyard of Red Delights under cover of a black smoke bomb 39.
• Strikes through a gap in Li Zhong's armor with a poisoned finger attack; he dies after returning to the residence 47.

Equipment & Items

• Pipa — Her principal demonstrated weapon; she abandons it immediately before delivering the poisoned strike against Li Zhong 39 47.
• Smoke bomb — A black sphere that releases dense smoke, allowing her to escape capture 39.
• Fragment of the Record of the Grand Progenitor's Ascension to Immortality — The imperial text stolen from the prince's residence; she passes it to a black-robed associate for inspection 38 40.
• Medicinal bottle — Given to Chen Jinzhong as a reward and treatment for his injuries after the ambush 47.

History

Undercover Maid and the Black Wind Mountain Plot

While posing as Li Rong'er's personal maid, Su Xin arranged for the princess consort to fall into the hands of Black Wind Mountain's bandits. She expected Black Wind Baleful Intent to assault Li Rong'er, after which Su Xin would stage a rescue and use the scandal to force him and his followers into rebellion under the White Lotus Sect 29 31.

Chen Fan, inhabiting the bandit chief, instead protected and released Li Rong'er and refused the Yellow Robe Army's recruitment. Su Xin revised her plan: she would place the drugged princess consort in his bed and draw the prince's guards to the scene, provoking an attack on Black Wind Mountain 29 30.

The trap brought imperial troops to the mountain, but Chen Fan knocked Li Rong'er unconscious rather than exploit her drugged state. Black Wind Mountain was destroyed, and the bandit chief was imprisoned. The turmoil also provided cover for the theft of the prince's imperial secret text 31 33.

Theft and Escape from Qinghe County

The residence's investigation identified Su Xin as the organizer of the abduction, framing, and theft of the Record of the Grand Progenitor's Ascension to Immortality. Zheng Xian dispatched Li Zhong and an elite squad to capture her and recover it 38.

At Qinghe County's Courtyard of Red Delights, Chen Fan—now inhabiting the guard Lin Shou—recognized her musician disguise. Su Xin fought Li Zhong, gained the upper hand, and escaped using a smoke bomb, though she sustained an injury 39 40.

At a ruined mountain god temple, she revealed that the stolen text was only a fragment. Because the complete version was kept in the heavily defended imperial palace, she proposed collecting the fragments held by individual princes instead 40.

Retaliation and Li Zhong's Death

Puzzled by Lin Shou's recognition, Su Xin investigated him. Learning that he had executed Black Wind Baleful Intent, she concluded that the bandit chief had disclosed her appearance before his death. She ordered Lin Shou killed, unaware that the same person had inhabited both bodies 40 41 42.

The subsequent assassination attempt became bait for a larger operation against Li Zhong. Su Xin led a counter-ambush, but Li Zhong had prepared concealed reinforcements of his own. During the battle, Chen Fan died as Lin Shou and possessed his killer, Chen Jinzhong 46.

Su Xin poisoned Li Zhong and ordered a retreat. Fewer than half of the more than thirty participants returned to the dockside warehouse. Although badly injured herself, she survived, and a follower later confirmed Li Zhong's death 47 48.

Renewed Infiltration

Su Xin ordered her followers to undermine the prince's residence from within. She assigned Chen Jinzhong to investigate its defenses, the selection of a new captain, and personnel changes, while reminding him of his obligation to the sect 48 49.

A Fifth Grade elder subsequently arrived to confront the residence's own Fifth Grade protector. News that the Righteous Dao Alliance had also entered Xiushan alarmed Su Xin, but she continued presenting infiltration as a viable opportunity and reported Chen Jinzhong's intelligence to the elder 50.

Relationships

• Li Rong'er — Former mistress and principal victim of her schemes. Su Xin exploits the trust attached to her maid identity to abduct, threaten, and frame the princess consort 29 31.
• Chen Fan — Recurring adversary whose changing bodies conceal the continuity of their conflict. By the time he becomes Chen Jinzhong, he holds her responsible for his deaths as Black Wind Baleful Intent and Lin Shou 49 50.
• Chen Jinzhong — A subordinate personally devoted to her. His loyalty stems partly from gratitude to the sect but especially from his attraction to Su Xin; Chen Fan imitates that devotion after possessing him 47 48.
• Li Zhong — Enemy commandant and repeated combat opponent. His preparations disrupt her ambush, but her poisoned strike ultimately kills him 39 46 47.
• Black-robed subordinate — Investigates Lin Shou at her command and receives her order to kill him 40 41 42.
• Unnamed Fifth Grade elder — Senior sect reinforcement whom Su Xin treats deferentially and asks for guidance after learning of the Righteous Dao Alliance's arrival 50.

Notable Quotes

“Divert the flood eastward and kill with a borrowed knife.” 29

“Go. Kill this Lin Shou.” 42

“With Li Zhong dead, will the residence collapse? Will Zheng Xian surrender without a fight?” 48