Xue Chou

Xue Chou's last memory of his father is the man's retreating figure, now faded and indistinct in his mind. The Sogdian merchant had given Xue Chou half his blood, but nothing more. He only vaguely recalls reaching out to grab the sash hanging from his father's robe, but failing as it slipped through his fingers, just like everything else he'd tried to hold onto. That year, Xue Chou was six. With constant wars plaguing the Central Plains, the Sogdian merchant finally abandoned hope, deserting his wife and child to return home, leaving behind the "Great Tang prosperity" he had once fantasized about. In that sense, he was every bit the merchant. Through lean years of natural disaster and social upheaval, Xue Chou clung to his mother. Or so he thought. For she had struck a deal with another refugee: to eat each other's children to survive. It would take years for Xue Chou to name that feeling in his chest: betrayal. But what right did he have to feel that way back then?Before parting, Xue Chou stared at her in silence until he saw a tear fall from her eye. This is enough, he thought. This is enough. You will live, and so will I. But from now on, we are strangers who pass without recognition. This farewell would repay her for giving him life. The boiling water gurgled merrily in the rusted iron pot. Xue Chou kicked it over, scalding the refugee's skin and triggering a mad scramble. He turned to flee, but he was too weak. The man grabbed him. In the struggle, his left cheek was pressed against the searing pot bottom, leaving a grotesque scar."A scar? But..." "Snort. What, did you think I was a ghost? I'm very much alive." "Ugh, it's hideous... I care about my appearance, you know." By some stroke of luck, Xue Chou's cries drew the attention of Zhu Yousheng, a passing swordsman. After being rescued, Xue Chou looked up at the dashing young hero, then lied glibly about being an orphan with nowhere to go. At least, he told himself it wasn't a lie, just omitting the truth. Zhu Yousheng took him to Xue Lao'er, an illusionist in Ghostlight Market. Thus, he gained a new name: Xue Chou. The day he followed his master to the Entertainment District, Xue Chou turned to Zhu Yousheng and said earnestly, "When you become the Dao Lord, I will return to help you." Zhu Yousheng laughed and agreed, not taking the boy's words seriously. But Xue Chou did. He always did.

In the fourth year of the Kaiyun era of the Later Jin Dynasty, Zhu Yousheng led the Ghostlight Market heroes against the Liao invaders. Amid the chaotic street battles, a familiar figure appeared, one he never expected to see. Eighteen-year-old Xue Chou, honoring his vow. With Xue Chou serving as strategist, the Nine Mortal Ways scored repeated victories. Xue Chou boasted he could "make those Liao dogs howl in rage." But youth clouded his judgment: while his tactics were flawless, he underestimated human betrayal. Hong Si, once a brother, betrayed Nine Mortal Ways. The word betrayal, long buried, resurfaced to strike a mortal blow. This oversight became a lifelong regret—Li Xia died, Zhu Yousheng was transformed into a grotesque half-human horror, and the Nine Mortal Ways they'd built teetered on collapse. But the Nine Mortal Ways could not fall. To fulfill Zhu Yousheng's last wish, to honor the fallen, and to protect the living, Xue Chou installed Zhu Yousheng's young third son as both Ghostlight Market Dao Lord and Nine Mortal Ways Leader, stabilizing the crisis. From then on, the world knew the Sect's head as "Dao Lord" Zhu Xiaojia. For over a decade, Xue Chou raised the three brothers like a father, secretly guiding every decision, the true power behind the throne. As the brothers grew, Xue Chou planned to finally live freely. But old grudges resurfaced. Hong Si founded the Unbound Cavern, vowing to destroy the Nine Mortal Ways. "So many damned problems. What would this Nine Mortal Ways do without me...?" Whether vengeance or hatred, it all ended here.