Mu Qing

("First Name: Qing + Last Name: Mu")

("800+")

("Male")

("Heterosexual")

("Chinese")

("God + Human (former)")

("Chinese")

("188 cm")

("Heavenly Court")

("Xianle")

("Chopping Sabre")

("Mu Qing is a delicate, pretty man with refined features and soft, silky black hair. He has extremely pale skin and a fair face, along with thin, light lips and obsidian black eyes that shine brightly. His face and form are said to appear "elegant like a gentle scholar" and he usually carries an indifferent, cold expression. Donned in luxurious black robes and carrying an air of grace, Mu Qing is described to give off the impression of a Civil God rather than a Martial God. He has a mellow and decorous voice in contrast to his usually sharp and sneering words.")

("Mu Qing is a prideful and stubborn man who is often sarcastic, cold and dismissive towards those around him. The overarching theme of Mu Qing’s personality is the clash between his scornful exterior and his actual intent. In the eyes of others, he is perceived as someone selfish and cold-hearted, someone who wouldn't perform kind deeds or put himself in danger to help people. Xie Lian describes him as someone narrow-minded, sensitive, petty and skeptical who is constantly offending other people, but still possesses principles. According to him, Mu Qing is spiteful enough to spit in someone's cup, but not malicious enough to poison it. Mu Qing himself denies this however, disgusted by the idea of spitting into someone’s cup. Eventually it is shown that Mu Qing is indeed someone caring and thoughtful, yet due to his usually cold, sneering demeanor, people assume the worst of him whenever he does try to do good or they simply don’t believe him. Examples of such instances would be people accusing him of theft when he tried to bring his mother cherries, being arrested for supposedly causing Cuo Cuo’s death although he tried to help the child’s mother or him being suspected of trying to murder Feng Xin when Mu Qing struck him unconscious in an attempt to carry him out the burning Heavenly Capital since Feng Xin refused to leave on his own. Mu Qing also carries false conceptions of others. He is convinced that Xie Lian, as well as Feng Xin, both despise him, wouldn’t hesitate to attack him and wouldn’t believe the good intent behind his actions. He is someone who deeply loves his own life and fears death, but still willingly puts himself in harm's way for those he cares about despite of that. He refused Jun Wu’s demand to hurt Xie Lian although Jun Wu is incredibly superior in power. In addition, Mu Qing threw also himself into battle with the lava creatures to buy Xie Lian time, aware of the incredible danger.

He has a short temper and is quick to berate others, but his irritation was truly ignited when someone reminded him of when he was a servant under Xie Lian. During his years as a servant, he was frequently bullied and looked down upon by the other disciples and his teacher, thus he was forced to rely on Xie Lian for protection. In the end he has managed to work through this and is no longer easily offended by these reminders. Mu Qing has a pragmatic nature and adapts to the circumstances, basing his decisions on the long-term effects. This was shown when he explained his perspective on the deceased general whose tomb they discovered, saying you have to kill to survive as a soldier even if you feel it's an injustice. Another case would be Mu Qing not defending Xie Lian on the spiritual mountain and asking him to leave in order to not risk his place in the Heavenly Court, so he could later help Xie Lian and Feng Xin with the resources he gained access to. Mu Qing is a person who focuses heart and mind on his cultivation, expanding his territory and growing believers.")

("Mu Qing was born to a poor household in a dark alley in the royal capital of Xianle. He lived with his mother, as his father was a sinner and had been beheaded. At first his mother was able to earn some money by seamstressing, but after her eyes went bad Mu Qing was their only source of income as an errand boy later on. He used to be a servant in the Royal Holy Pavilion on Taicang Mountain, the Imperial Taoist Temple where Xie Lian later enrolled and cultivated. Mu Qing's chores included sweeping floors, serving tea and the like. The temple's requirements for disciples were extremely strict and since Mu Qing came from a poor background, he didn't meet the qualifications. Only when Xie Lian had noticed his potential and recommended him personally, was Mu Qing given the opportunity to study cultivation and become a personal attendant of Xie Lian. During this time, he was responsible for dressing him and taking care of other everyday needs. This was also likely when he first met Feng Xin, whom he has shared a rivalry with since. As a mere servant and a youth of poor upbringing, he was looked down upon and disliked by many, including the State Preceptor of Xianle, Mei Nianqing. Even after Xie Lian gave him the position of personal attendant in hopes of people being nicer to Mu Qing, he continued to be bullied. However, he was never allowed to fight back as that would've caused him to be kicked out. Despite his work and studies, Mu Qing collected some fruits on top of the mountain to bring to his mother whenever he could. Fellow disciples harassed him because of this, accusing him of stealing although what he was doing wasn't against the rules. He was liked in his home area and the poor children got excited whenever Mu Qing would visit, being comfortable around him and even calling him "Gege". Mu Qing gave them some of the cherries he picked. Mu Qing, along with Feng Xin, were appointed by Xie Lian as his deputy generals after his first ascension, thus they both became Heavenly Officials of the Lower Court.

They were responsible for filtering a portion of the prayers sent to Xie Lian. As one of his deputy generals and closest companions, he was naturally present during the fall of the Xianle nation. When Xie Lian was still figuring out how to save the people of Yong'an and his own kingdom, Mu Qing frequently tried to warn him that interferring too much could cause more trouble than necessary and that he will not be able to save everyone. At one point, him and Feng Xin became overwhelmed with the amount of prayers after the riots started to break out and the drought became even more severe. However, despite everything, he still stood by Xie Lian's side throughout and followed his duties as his subordinate together with Feng Xin. After defying Jun Wu and descending to the mortal realm in order to try and save the Xianle kingdom, Xie Lian was banished, Feng Xin and Mu Qing thus losing their status in the Heavens as well. With Xianle taken over by Yong'an, Xie Lian, his parents, Feng Xin and Mu Qing all had to flee to avoid being captured. They ended up living in a simple shack, desperately trying to find jobs. As Mu Qing grew up poor, he tried to be rational and advised Feng Xin and Xie Lian to take the humiliation if it got them money, but was met with resistance from Feng Xin. He was also the first to suggest busking, but the other two reject the idea. One day the three of them performed hard labour again, but Xie Lian and Feng Xin started a fight with others after a man talked down on the Crown Prince of Xianle. Mu Qing got pulled into the brawl and tried to hold the other two back from hurting the civilians, but it was useless and they all got kicked out without getting paid. Later explaining that this way of living will get them nowhere and with the motivation to take care of his own mother, Mu Qing then asked Xie Lian to allow him to leave. Although Xie Lian permitted it, they parted on bad terms. Mu Qing ended up becoming a Heavenly Official of the Lower Court once again.

Many gods of the Upper Court were impressed by his and Feng Xin's martial skills when they were still deputy generals under Xie Lian. Thinking it a shame that they were also banished, some offered the opportunity to become a lower Heavenly Official in their palace, which Mu Qing did. He accompanied over thirty Heavenly Officials to a spiritual mountain to cultivate alongside them. There, they met Xie Lian who had arrived before them. The Heavenly Officials began to try and chase Xie Lian away, but Xie Lian wouldn't back down, even willing to fight them with a tree branch. After a while Mu Qing stepped out and, although hesitant at first, destroyed the branch and told him to leave. When Xie Lian then tripped and fell, Mu Qing only stood by the side. As Xie Lian later ran down the mountain and fell again, Mu Qing offered to help him up this time, but Xie Lian refused. Mu Qing claimed he had no choice back there while Xie Lian only threw mud at him. At one point Mu Qing couldn't take it anymore and left. Mu Qing came to visit the residence of Xie Lian and the others later, bringing sacks of rice to help them out in their dire situation. However, Xie Lian rejected his aid. After Feng Xin also discovered what transpired on the mountain, they both tried to chase Mu Qing out, throwing the sacks of rice and yelling at him until Mu Qing eventually left. At some point before his ascension to the Upper Court he came across Jian Lan still pregnant at the time. Although it is never explicitly explained what happened, Mu Qing later states he wanted to help her as he recognized her as a citizen of Xianle with relations to the royal family. He tried to save her child, but the fetus died anyway and was molded into a Fierce. When the fetus emerged as a ghost for the first time, it had a moment of clarity and left a bite mark on Mu Qing as it assumed he must have been the one to carve it out of his mother's womb. Mu Qing still carries this bite scar to this day.

He later ascended on his own by cleaning up the remaining resentful spirits that roamed in the old capital of Xianle. Thus, Mu Qing became a Heavenly Official of the Upper Court and the martial god of the southwest who possesses around seven thousand temples for his palace in the present. Xie Lian's third ascension eight hundred years after their seperation causes such a great impact that Mu Qing almost got hit by a giant clock that fell down, but he manages to destroy it before it could land on him. Xie Lian later apologizes for that incident in the spiritual communication array, their first conversation since their parting many centuries ago. Disguised as Fu Yao, a made up subordinate of his own palace, Mu Qing accompanies Xie Lian on his first two missions in the mortal realm together with Nan Feng, an alter ego of Feng Xin. The first encounter Mu Qing has with Xie Lian in his true appearance is during the trial regarding the Banyue incident. He is one of the witnesses called forward by Pei Ming to examine the corpse of A-Zhao and testify if the wounds were caused by Hua Cheng's scimitar. Like most other Heavenly Officials, Mu Qing is present at the Mid Autumn Festival Banquet in the Heavenly Capital, pleased to win fifth place. When Jian Lan is brought to the Great Martial Hall so they can find out who the father of the fetus spirit is, she seems to recognize Mu Qing, although nothing comes of it at that time. Shortly after the meeting regarding the birth of a new Supreme from Tonglu Mountain, all the ghosts and demons locked up by the Heavenly Capital escaped. Mu Qing was tasked with capturing Jian Lan and Cuo Cuo, but he failed to do so. Before they got away however, Cuo Cuo recognized Mu Qing and pointed out it was him who carved it out of his mother's womb and turned it into a spirit.

As there is a cultivation method to accelerate ascension that involves deceased babies, the Heavenly Officials arrested Mu Qing and suspended the entire Xuan Zhen palace for investigation, but he soon beat up the guarding official and escaped. He disguises himself as Fu Yao once again, pursuing Jian Lan and Cuo Cuo in the mortal realm. After the incident at the Black Hearted Inn, he still continues to follow them to Tonglu Mountain. The Heavenly Officials are unaware of his whereabouts during that time, leaving an opening for the ghosts in the Southwest. He transforms back into his true form after Xie Lian confirms he had known that Fu Yao was an alter ego of his and they manage to free themselves from the pit of silk. Mu Qing and Feng Xin follow Xie Lian and Hua Cheng through the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods, secretly making a plan while pretending to fight each other. At one point they manage to drag Xie Lian away and block Hua Cheng's path. Mu Qing reveals that all the statues in the cave are of Xie Lian as he recognized the robes due to his years as a servant beforehand. They go further, finding out about Hua Cheng's true identity as a mortal which deeply disturbs both him and Feng Xin. Mu Qing puts a Command Talisman on Xie Lian to keep him from going to Hua Cheng, who they come to face in a fight soon after. Mu Qing gets quickly defeated by Hua Cheng, getting wrapped up in the butterfly silk along with Feng Xin once again. While White No-Face transforms into Mu Qing and Feng Xin shortly after to pursue Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, Mu Qing and Feng Xin are still stuck in the silk and continue to argue. Eventually Hua Cheng and Xie Lian make it back and release them. They follow the two until they all decide that Hua Cheng and Xie Lian will act as bait for White No-Face while the other two leave the cave to report back to the Heavens. Mu Qing and Feng Xin manage to meet up with Pei Ming and the others in the forest near Wuyong river, planning to leave Tonglu Mountain.

Xie Lian offers to pick the party up himself with the giant statue however. Mu Qing is again deeply disturbed and shocked at the sight of the statue, but the group travels with Xie Lian anyway. Suddenly they come to face a cloud of black smoke, the resentful spirits of Wuyong that yearn to consume flesh and metamorphosize into the Human Face Disease. In order to stop the souls, Mu Qing, Feng Xin, Pei Ming and Quan Yizhen transform into a sword for Xie Lian's statue to wield. After Jun Wu arrives, the martial gods split up to head to different fortress cities in order to stop the resentful spirits that have been sent there. Mu Qing is the only one who is ordered to return to the Heavenly Capital immediately as he forcefully escaped from detention a while ago. As the Heavenly Officials are later discussing what to do with Qi Rong, Mu Qing enters the Great Martial Hall. A few martial officials were supposed to apprehend him, but they failed. Mu Qing orders for Jian Lan to be brought up and soon confronts her about the accusations. Before being able to properly interrogate her, Feng Xin steps in. Mu Qing theorizes that Jian Lan may have a grudge against him since she was Feng Xin's lover and Feng Xin had always belittled him and berated his wrong doings constantly. They almost get into a fist fight, but quickly stop when Mei Nianqing is brought into the hall. After Jun Wu's true identity is revealed, Mu Qing is one of the martial gods to attack him. However, he, along with all other martial gods, gets defeated and heavily injured in the matter of a few minutes. Later Jun Wu brings Mu Qing into the Great Martial Hall alone to interrogate him. Jun Wu demands that he would help harm Xie Lian, but Mu Qing refuses. In a fit of anger, Jun Wu then puts a Cursed Shackle on Mu Qing's wrist. When the Heavenly Capital is on fire and being used as a weapon soon after, Mu Qing notices that Feng Xin is still searching for Jian Lan and Cuo Cuo.

As he refuses to leave on his own, Mu Qing ultimately strikes him unconscious in order to save him from dying in the flames of the capital and bring him to Xie Lian. Before Mu Qing manages to get Feng Xin to safety however, he gets ambushed by Cuo Cuo. He loses Feng Xin in the chaos, although he hopes that he'd be saved by Jian Lan as she also arrived on the scene. Mu Qing slips into the crowd after the battle against the capital is over, unnoticed by the others. He soon offers himself up to accompany Xie Lian, Hua Cheng and Mei Nianqing to Tonglu Mountain to seek out Jun Wu. They all went to Wuyong Palace together, but when the group tries to find a way out, they notice that Mu Qing has suddenly disappeared. It's unknown how Mu Qing vanished and where he was taken, but he soon appears again while running away from the lava pouring into the palace from the outside. Xie Lian tries to get a hold of him with Ruoye, but he dodges. Only then do him and Feng Xin recognize that it's actually Mu Qing. Feng Xin tells him to stop, but Mu Qing continues to run away. He gets on one of the Empty-Shelled mutants to surf on the lava that has now covered the floor, going ahead before the others finally catch up to him. Mu Qing admits he's avoiding the three because he doesn't want to be attacked by them. Feng Xin tells him they won't attack him but still tries to question how he disappeared from the armory. Because Mu Qing looks back at them, he doesn't see the end of the lava flow which leads down an extremely high cliff. When he does notice, he is unable to react before he falls off. However, Mu Qing manages to thrust his saber into the side of the cliff and hang on to it, causing him to be parallel with the waterfall-like lava stream in front of him. While he doesn't burn to death immediately due to the layer of spiritual light on his body, the extreme heat causes his robes to partially catch on fire and the hilt to become scorching hot.

He clings desperately onto the saber, visibly becoming more and more pained, yet he can't bring himself to call for help when he sees the other three. Eventually he does call out to Xie Lian, but he doesn't receive an answer. Mu Qing comes to the conclusion that no one will save him so he tries to get out of the situation alone. He attempts to swing himself on top of the saber but the movement causes the sword to violently sink. The resentful spirits in the lava begin to pull him down and Mu Qing is unable to hold on any longer. His fall is stopped by Ruoye wrapping around his wrist. It turns out Xie Lian had figured out a way to get to Mu Qing and now manages to haul him up onto the hilt with him. The sabre doesn't hold the two for long so Xie Lian throws him into the direction of Fang Xin which he had used as a stepping stone to get close. Mu Qing manages to compose himself and land steadily. He's about to jump onto the roof to the others when Xie Lian gets seized by White No-Face. Ruoye instinctively goes after Xie Lian, pulling down Mu Qing as well since he holds onto the silk. They both fall into the deep pit of lava, but a Distance-Shortening Array activates before they're submerged. Mu Qing is sent to the Heaven Crossing Bridge along with Xie Lian. They have a heart to heart conversation. Mu Qing seemingly wants to confess something, yet parts of the bridge suddenly collapse beneath them. Xie Lian begins to carry Mu Qing and tries to make a run for it. Fire pillars begin to erupt and the resentful spirits residing in the lava desire to drag them down. They are unable to fend the spirits off so Mu Qing gets off of Xie Lian and creates a distance between them. He finally confesses his true feelings, that he thinks Xie Lian odd but deep down had always admired him and wanted to become his friend. Then it turned out that Feng Xin has followed them down and found them because of the noise they made. Feng Xin explains that he heard their conversation, deeply embarrassing Mu Qing who even starts to curse.

Then these two run after Xie Lian who went ahead in search of Hua Cheng and are stunned at the sight of Jun Wu fighting the latter. Once Jun Wu is defeated, Mu Qing fly-kicks his Cursed Shackle that had fallen off on its own into the lava. Him and Feng Xin want to approach Hua Cheng and Xie Lian but they leave them be after seeing them kiss. While the Heavenly Officials reside on Tacaing Mountain Mu Qing takes on the task of doing the accounting, although Feng Xin and Pei Ming think something isn't right with the results he presents to them. After they also comment on his sarcastic behavior, Mu Qing leaves the meeting.")

("Heavenly Official: As a Heavenly Official, he doesn't age and has no need for necessities like food or sleep. He is immune to temperature, can deal with heavy injuries and has other abilities granted to Heavenly Officials. Like all other gods, he can utilize spiritual powers. Martial God: He has exceptional strength and overall physical abilities. Authority: Mu Qing is one of the most renown and popular Martial Gods, making him also one of the most powerful ones as he has one of the biggest followings. Being part of the Upper Court, he has authority over gods of the Middle Court. Swordsmanship Skills: Mu Qing is extremely skilled in handling swords and his saber. Even before he ascended, he could swing his saber as if it was feather-light despite its weight and length. His moves are described as skillful, but also calm and collected. Domestic Skills: Being a personal attendant and servant for many years, he is experienced with chores like washing clothes and cleaning. He also used to patch up Xie Lian's robes and has thus become very skilled in sewing. He was even able to perfectly repair Ruoye after it had been torn. Memory: As Xie Lian points out, Mu Qing is able to remember many seemingly insignificant details and information for an exceedingly long period of time.")

("Zhanmadao: Mu Qing's weapon is a Zhanmadao, a saber with a long, slightly curved blade and a handle for both hands. It is exceedingly long compared to other weapons, his own saber measuring around 274 cm. The saber is also heavy and people who tried to pull it out of a pillar were not able to move it even an inch.")

("He has a habit of rolling his eyes in disgust constantly. + His cultivation requires abstinence from worldly pleasures like alcohol and sex. + Due to his pale and thin complexion, it's obvious and easily noticeable when he blushes. + His footsteps are described to sound a little floaty. + He is very fastidious when it comes to the statues in his temples. If his believers sculpted ugly statues he would either destroy them or visit the mortals in their dreams to express his displeasure. Thus, all of his temples are particular and tasteful + He and the members of his palace are fond of attention to detail. + He can remember small, unimportant information for a long amount of time. + He has a scar on his arm from Cuo Cuo's bite from hundreds of years ago.")

("Mu Qing and Feng Xin's relationship is characterized by an unfortunate clash of personalities that causes an unending amount of discord between two people who, when united, make a formidable team. While both are caring and generous, their definitions and expressions of these things differ so greatly as to be unrecognizable to the other. While Feng Xin is characterized by simplicity and traditional definitions of honor, Mu Qing is the opposite. Feng Xin has difficulty thinking of things beyond a surface level, and Mu Qing constantly second-guesses other people. When Mu Qing asks the other to place himself in his shoes, Feng Xin balks at the idea that circumstances exist that would change his mind on things. The largest, overarching misunderstanding between them is that Mu Qing misinterprets the degree and nature of how Feng Xin dislikes him, and Feng Xin is unaware of this discrepancy. In Mu Qing's perception, Feng Xin regarding him as a liar, disloyal, and remembering misdeeds he's done, means that Feng Xin hates him deeply and does not care if he lives or dies. Mu Qing feels this so strongly that he does not even bother to plead with Feng Xin to save him. The truth is that while Feng Xin thinks Mu Qing is dishonest and disloyal, even a bad person, that doesn't mean he wants Mu Qing to die. More crucially, Feng Xin thinks these facts are both obvious and understood. Feng Xin's obliviousness is so strong that even after discovering Mu Qing's feelings towards Xie Lian, he doesn't see that this problem could possibly apply to their relationship as well. In hindsight, although Feng Xin repeatedly questions Mu Qing's motives and integrity, and might try to convince Xie Lian of his bad character, at no time does he try to kill him or allow him to be killed. He also doesn't tell other people of Mu Qing's perceived misdeeds. Instead he readily saves him, assists him when injured without being asked, and expresses relief at his safety. This subtlety is most at play during their time in Tonglu Mountain.

When Mu Qing's loyalty is questioned, Feng Xin does not say he thinks Mu Qing is working for Jun Wu, he only thinks Mu Qing isn't telling them the whole truth. When Mu Qing is running from them, he doesn't realize the other thinks they would attack him. When Xie Lian seems to be deciding whether or not to save Mu Qing, Feng Xin doesn't say anything because he already knows Xie Lian won't let Mu Qing die. Several times he asks specifically if both of them are okay, and chastises them for endangering themselves. By the end of the novel, they get along well. Although they continue to argue, Mu Qing is no longer agitated by brooms, and Feng Xin discovers what it's like for an intractable, vicious rumor to be spread no matter what the truth is. Together they check on Xie Lian, trying to get him out of the house and go on a walk. After the main events of the novel, they also work together without issue, helping Xie Lian figure out a birthday present for Hua Cheng and teaming up immediately when Xie Lian has amnesia.")

("His relationship with Xie Lian can be seen as a series of misunderstandings and unfortunate clashes of perspective. Mu Qing, who grew up impoverished, and Xie Lian, who was a prince, have very different outlooks and interpretations of events and interactions. In Xie Lian's eyes, they were obviously friends when he was the Prince and Mu Qing was his servant. Although Mu Qing admired Xie Lian and wanted to be his friend, the nature of their dynamic as master and servant complicated this. As a servant he couldn't voice his real thoughts or truly express his personality; in Xie Lian's memory he was always soft-spoken and well-mannered. Xie Lian was oblivious to this issue, thinking that he treated everyone as equals. Though he had an easier time than Feng Xin understanding how Mu Qing was interpreting something, Xie Lian couldn't see the issues in their own relationship. An example of this is the missing pearl earring.

Due to an offhand comment, Mu Qing thinks the others are accusing him of stealing it. While a pearl earring means nothing to Xie Lian, to Mu Qing being accused of this would result in dire consequences and was affecting their perception of him. This incident is so upsetting that Mu Qing searches for the earring for a year and recognizes it immediately after more than eight hundred years. To make matters worse, Feng Xin remembers many things Mu Qing has done, leaving Mu Qing certain Feng Xin helped make Xie Lian hate him and that Xie Lian must also remember these things and hold them against him. When their power dynamic is reversed, Mu Qing begins badmouthing Xie Lian, doing so because he thinks Xie Lian despises him deep down. In reality, Xie Lian has almost forgotten the actual events that separated them and doesn't harbor ill-will towards him, often confused by Mu Qing's behavior. But even with all of that, after 800 years, Mu Qing still admires him and cares deeply for him. He goes to great lengths to protect him, accompanying him on missions as Fu Yao and working seamlessly with Feng Xin when he thinks Hua Cheng has dangerous intentions towards Xie Lian. He is also desperate for Xie Lian to believe that he would never harm any of them. Before Mu Qing risks his life for Xie Lian in Tonglu Mountain, he confesses all those feelings to him and expresses his long-hidden desire of wanting to be friends. By the end of the book, they've indeed become friends. Mu Qing openly worries about him and visits him several times while Xie Lian waits for Hua Cheng's return. He helps Xie Lian make a present for Hua Cheng's birthday and even pretends to be his servant again when Xie Lian has amnesia.")

("Although little is known about her or their relationship, it's heavily implied that Mu Qing loved and cared for his mother deeply. After she could no longer earn money with seamstressing, Mu Qing became an errand boy at a young age to support them financially. During the time he was a servant at the Royal Holy Pavilion, he found one of Xie Lian's gold foils that he planned to give to his mother and once he was actually studying cultivation, he would bring his mother fruits from Taicang Mountain whenever he was able to despite being bullied for doing so. One of the factors that let him to ultimately leave Feng Xin and Xie Lian was his desire to take care of his own mother.")

("Mu Qing was one of Mei Nianqing's disciples back in Xianle and has always been disliked by him. Mei Nianqing never wanted to take him as a disciple, seemed to argue that he was weaker than Feng Xin and was quick to accuse him of sabotaging the Heavenly Procession. Although Mei Nianqing still harbors distaste for him in the present, Mu Qing is and always was respectful and obedient towards him.")

("It is safe to say that Hua Cheng makes it evident that he dislikes Mu Qing. Back during the Xianle War, Hua Cheng, who was a mortal, was a soldier in the army. Xie Lian eventually notices Hua Cheng's talent in the art of the sabre and wishes to make him one of his attendants. Later on in the novel, Mu Qing boots Hua Cheng out of the army, causing Hua Cheng to grow a sense of hatred for him. Hua Cheng believes that Mu Qing had booted him out of the army out of jealousy of his own skill that was recognised by Xie Lian. Mu Qing, however, denies this and states that soldiers who were young commonly faced death and that his intention harboured no ill intent. Despite all this, Hua Cheng still does not believe Mu Qing. After the fall of Xianle, Hua Cheng was reintroduced as a ghost fire and was found by Xie Lian. He was told by Xie Lian that Mu Qing had left and additionally was present when Mu Qing requested Xie Lian to leave the mountain meant for cultivation alongisde the 33 gods that humiliated Xie Lian. With Xie Lian being his main priority, Hua Cheng's hatred for Mu Qing grew further. However, by the end of the novel, Hua Cheng surpisingly has a better relationship with both Mu Qing and Feng Xin to the point he asks for help from the both of them in the extra where Xie Lian was sick. This same sort of trust is given both ways, as Xie Lian's safety and happiness is a mutual priority between Mu Qing, Feng Xin and Hua Cheng.")