Ye Xingge

Biodata

Power Progression

• First Rank remains a goal, not a confirmed attainment. The Emperor of Yan wants him to reach it within six months; later assessments place his chances at better than even with continued support 62 121.

Background

Ye Xingge retains memories and ideas from a previous life. Recognizing the dangers of his new world from early childhood, he began preparing to protect himself long before most children would seriously consider martial training. His discipline, rather than a discovered miraculous treasure, became the foundation of his strength 21 58 127.

His parents and second uncle supported his training. When he was six, his family sought out Sun Wang, the Earl of Remaking, for a body-tempering prescription and followed it carefully. Ye Gucheng provided regular sparring, while Magistrate Shen and Chief Constable Wang Shouyin gave him practical experience pursuing criminals 21 22 58.

His family’s martial inheritance carried political risks. Ye Yuanshan concealed his own and his brother’s abilities because displaying the Twelve Stances Art could lead Great Yan to suspect them of being Western Shu spies. He supported Xingge’s training for self-defense while trying to keep him away from court and jianghu struggles 32.

As a child, Xingge also learned cooking to ease his family’s financial burden. His inventive meals initially helped the Wujian Inn prosper. By nineteen, however, his reputation for killing bandits frightened away travelers. His family left him to manage the original inn while they established a branch in the capital 8 129.

Appearance

• Build: Tall and strongly developed, with a broad chest and sharply defined abdominal muscles 87 133.
• Face: An amiable appearance that surprises officers expecting a notorious killer; closer descriptions emphasize a full forehead, clear, deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and a broad nasal bridge 74 126.
• Usual clothing: Introduced in a grayish-white robe; later wears a grayish-white brocade robe 1 59.
• Combat equipment: Sometimes wears a conical hat and carries the Fate-Robbing Saber as a nine-foot crescent blade 111.
• Artificial identifying mark: Hongyu temporarily needles a dragon pattern onto his lower abdomen to support their false Western Shu crown-prince identity 120.

Personality

Xingge combines extreme self-discipline with irreverent humor. From childhood, he trained exhaustively while using spare time to learn useful skills and help his family. His private thoughts frequently turn dangerous situations into jokes, but his preparation is methodical 1 127 129.

He is willing to confront powerful people over wrongdoing. After investigating the killing of waiter Chen Miao, he kills General Cao’s retainer and defends the decision despite the political consequences. The Lady of Anyang’s household recognizes that his refusal to overlook injustice could be used to turn him against Great Yan’s influential families 62 71 72.

His courage often takes the form of calculated risk rather than a desire for a fair fight. He uses deception, terrain, hidden equipment, and even deliberate injury to secure a kill. Against Ye Jianxing, he accepts a shoulder wound to end the fight quickly; against five Third Rankers, he rejects a simultaneous confrontation and plans to separate them 56 79 83.

He is openly flirtatious and fond of teasing Hongyu and Luo Xuanqing, especially through food, gifts, and wagers. He can also be tactful: after killing Li Wangchao, he exaggerates his own difficulties to spare Luo Xuanqing and Wen Zhuohua embarrassment over their escaped targets 73 95 104 111.

Abilities & Skills

Practical Martial Arts

Xingge’s strongest foundation is his ability to apply techniques under pressure, developed through early training, family sparring, and repeated fights 127.

• Combines strikes, elbows, knees, body checks, saber attacks, and improvised defenses rather than adhering to a single rigid style 5 35.
• Uses Erlang Shoulders the Mountain, a Single Form Rising Strike, and a Pigua strike in his defeat of Zhang Qing 5.
• Adapts continuously to an opponent’s attacks, displaying a level of technical skill that astonishes First Rank observer Cao Xiong 132.
• Makes so few mistakes in combat that the corrective effects of the Butterfly Twin Sabers offer him little benefit 113.
• Can reproduce details of force application after watching another fighter demonstrate them, provided he possesses the necessary internal foundation 134.
• Initially lacks broad knowledge of unfamiliar schools and famous weapons, leaving him vulnerable despite his exceptional fundamentals 132.

Internal Cultivation

• Eight Extremes Gang-Piercing Force: Receives the Eight Pillars Hall manual from Luo Xuanqing. Later uses it as the foundation for a powerful spinning crescent-blade attack 13 67.
• Great Nine Yang: Luo Xuanqing orders him to master it within three days; later court discussion confirms his thorough mastery 95 121.
• Twelve Stances Art: Studies the family-associated art while preparing for the emperor’s birthday matches 32 127.

Filth-Severing Whip

One of the Twelve Divine Weapons, the Filth-Severing Whip primarily supports survival and cultivation rather than serving as a dedicated main weapon 8.

• Changes length and stiffness in response to his thoughts; he uses it to bind limbs, pull opponents off balance, and alter his movement 8 20 111.
• Reversing Life and Disrupting Death preserves his life and provides a means of escape 8.
• Offers doubled cultivation speed and life-prolonging benefits 8.
• Blissful Illusory Body nourishes his physique as his cultivation increases. Sun Wang detects acquired strengthening of his Ren and Chong meridians 58.
• Connects him to Hongyu through the bound Flower and Moon Pendant, enabling remote communication and a transformed likeness of her 7.
• Its transformations consume his internal force 7.

Fate-Robbing Saber

The saber accelerates Xingge’s cultivation by rewarding dangerous victories and can transform to suit different fighting methods 49 52 53.

Combat Tactics and Investigation

• Uses feints to provoke an expected response, including pretending to activate the Ravine-Leaping Tiger when he cannot actually use it 83.
• Coordinates with Hongyu’s reconnaissance and real-time instructions 79 111.
• Combines the Wind-Traveling Talisman, Immortal Rope, and Filth-Severing Whip to redirect himself in midair 111.
• Recognizes northern jianghu techniques during the masked intervention in Han Zhongwu’s case 124.
• Builds investigations around documentary evidence, witness identities, and concealed payments 13 62 124.

Cooking and Board Games

• Prepares dishes remembered from his previous life and tailors meals to individual guests, including Luo Xuanqing 13.
• Makes hotpot and undertakes the lengthy preparation required for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall 73 96 120.
• Plays a close board game against Wu Yi, who wins narrowly and is left eager for another 127.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

In addition to his two divine weapons, Xingge carries an extensive collection of famous weapons and ordinary protective equipment 79.

• Ordinary supplies: Uses chainmail and later soft armor with protective inserts, along with limb guards, smoke bombs, Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers, and medicine 49 67 79.
• Mount: Owns a large white horse trained to respond to his whistle and lead another horse by its reins 8 22.

Relationships

• Ye Yuanshan — Father. Supports Xingge’s martial development while trying to shield him from political conflict 32.
• Liu Ping’er — Mother. Becomes deeply worried during his disappearance and urges the family to demand news from the Heaven-Observing Pavilion 59.
• Ye Gucheng — Second uncle and longtime sparring partner. His mocking celebrations after winning motivate Xingge to improve; he later warns his nephew that his growing reputation is too conspicuous 27 60.
• Wang Shouyin — Elder acquaintance, trainer, and chief constable. Watched Xingge grow up, taught him to handle multiple opponents, and regularly brought him along to catch criminals 1 22.
• Shen Songnian — Magistrate and early patron. Recognizes his childhood discipline, provides opportunities for practical experience, and later writes a recommendation to the Heaven-Observing Decree 21 122 129.
• Hongyu / Mantanghong — Closest field partner and developing romantic attachment. Their first encounter ends with him throwing her out over an unpaid bill; shared danger leads to intimate trust and an explicit kiss 1 79 88.
• Luo Xuanqing — Superior, martial mentor, protector, and flirtatious companion. Gives him cultivation resources, treats his injuries, and repeatedly worries about his risk-taking 13 31 95 104.
• Chen Xuance — Senior Judicial Review Bureau officer who encourages his recruitment and proudly introduces him to the bureau’s officers 8 74.
• Sun Wang — Physician responsible for his childhood body-tempering formula. Later treats him and identifies the changes in his meridians 58.
• Lady of Anyang / An Yurou — Initially clashes with him during covert activity near the escort agency. Later offers lodging and takes an interest in his political future and rumored identity 17 59 122.
• Shen Yueyao — Remembers his recognition of her abilities and grieves when she believes him dead. Later lends him a mechanical tassel 55 59.
• Cloud and Rain Tower — Hongyu’s master, involved in arranging his cultivation partnership and treatment. Possesses Hongyu’s body to perform acupuncture, provoking his suspicion 74 87 89.
• Chen Xiaobao — Addresses him as “Godfather”; Xingge tells him to use “my lord” instead 137.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Qingxi and the Divine Weapon

Hongyu’s arrival disrupts Xingge’s quiet work at the Wujian Inn. She claims that a divine weapon has chosen him and that he has only three days to live. Unable to reconcile her identity with her apparent lack of martial power, he treats her as a fraud and confiscates her pendant for the meal bill 1.

After learning more about the weapon and Hongyu’s circumstances, Xingge conceals her presence from officials lodging at the inn. He impresses Luo Xuanqing by defeating Zhang Qing, then obtains permission to leave Qingxi and begins investigating leads connected to Yang Tuyan 2 4 5 8.

He eventually pursues Yang Tuyan and two accomplices alone. Despite being wounded by the Ravine-Leaping Tiger, he kills all three and secures the dagger and wristguard. Luo Xuanqing brings him home for treatment and orders the dagger’s exposure kept secret 19 20 22.

Assessment and the Fate-Robbing Saber

Xingge undertakes a three-day solo assessment to capture wanted criminals. His pursuit of Winnowing Basket Water Leopard leads into a theater occupied by more than thirty Return to Origin Cult members, followed by a fight through the burning building 31 34 35 36.

His subsequent pursuit of Gold-Chasing Gentleman culminates on Green Snail Island. He kills the saber’s wielder, gains its acknowledgment, and escapes with Hongyu through the lake to a transport vessel. Meanwhile, the authorities mobilize thousands of Embroidered Robes amid the martial factions gathering to search for him 49 52.

Court Investment and the Shangjin Bounty

Possession of the Fate-Robbing Saber makes Xingge a potential answer to Wu Chenglie, whose divine weapon blocks Great Yan’s southern ambitions. The court considers investing in his development if he can demonstrate a credible path to First Rank within six months 61 62 71.

His fame also brings a five-million-coin bounty. Rather than wait for assassins to reach him, he travels to Shangjin Ferry and coordinates with Hongyu to attack the assembled hunters during a storm. He separates the opposition and kills successive opponents, including Ye Jianxing and the Black Stone Twin Fiends 79 83 84.

Investigations and the Western Shu Deception

Xingge’s official work increasingly brings him into conflict with powerful interests. He takes up Chen Miao’s covered-up murder and later confronts Han Zhongwu and Meng Wanshan over Yang Chun’s death. The latter investigation is interrupted by coordinated masked fighters who extract suspects 62 71 124.

Alongside Hongyu, he cultivates the false impression that he is the Crown Prince of Western Shu. They first use the rumor as bait, then add a temporary dragon mark to encourage Later Zhou to believe the story and secretly support his rise. The supplied account presents this as a deliberate deception, not confirmed ancestry 104 120.

The Emperor’s Birthday Matches

The court arranges unarmed matches at the emperor’s birthday celebration to test whether Xingge’s accomplishments reflect genuine skill rather than hidden assistance. He prepares with martial manuals and a foundation-enhancing pill 121 127.

Under equalized power, he overwhelms Dugu Xuan and defeats Cao Ba twice, astonishing observers with his adaptability and precise control. He then faces Cui Zitang, while expressing a desire to test himself against the strongest fighters present 132 133.

During the final match, he explains that observing Cao Ba’s movements and force application allowed him to reproduce their principles. He demonstrates a seamless transition from elbow thrust to cannon fist to inch-force elbow strike 134.

Notable Quotes

“I don't want a wife, much less a divine weapon. I only want payment for the meal.” 1

“I already held back. I didn't strike his heart, and I didn't hit his temple either. If he were a bandit, he wouldn't even have had a chance to be saved...” 5

“Young Master Cao, are we still fighting?” 133