Xihe Sect, the second-largest sect in the cultivation world, follows the Dao through calligraphy and painting, inherently refined and elegant.
Disciples often gather with their respective Soul Marks to chant with the wind, admire the moon, brew tea, and discuss the Dao.
Some possess sharp brushwork—a single character worth a thousand strikes, every stroke as fatal as a blade.
Others paint with washed ink, where a single flower or leaf can serve as a conduit to the Dao.
Those who paint summon fluttering butterflies and dancing flowers; those who write encircle themselves with grand, sweeping text, radiating an imposing aura.
…
Such a breathtaking scene, noble, lofty, and ancient.
Until one day, a certain disciple lazily strolled in, bringing along her Panda Memes and Stickmen.
Disciples present: ?
Xihe Sect Elders: ??
Long-lost old acquaintances: ???
Yu Jiaxue, an anonymous “soul artist” (terrible drawer), looked up numbly and instantly pulled a salted-fish giving-up combo:
“It’s hopeless. Don’t look. Just kill me.”
*
Transmigrating in an instant, Yu Jiaxue became the abused female lead of the original novel.
After causing a storm of chaos, she bought a standing-only train ticket overnight to run away, but accidentally ended up joining the Xihe Sect.
—A magical sect whose primary weapon is the writing brush.
As everyone knows, those skilled with swords are called Sword Immortals, and those skilled with the zither are Zither Immortals.
So, for brush cultivators like them, being top-tier means they would be…
Yu Jiaxue: “Help! I don’t want to be a Pen Spirit (Bixian)!”
That sounds like an immortal who lives a terrified daily life!
(Translator’s note: In modern Chinese folklore, Bǐxiān refers specifically to a popular spirit-summoning game (similar to a Ouija board or Charlie Charlie) where players hold a pen together to invite a spirit to answer questions. Because of this, it is almost universally translated as “Pen Spirit” or “Spirit of the Pen” in horror contexts.).
*
At first, Yu Jiaxue refused to become a “Pen Spirit.”
Until she realized that brushes weren’t just for writing and painting.
They could also… be used to draw emojis and memes.
A victim being chased over eighteen mountain bends by a giant panda: “Woe is me!”
Yu Jiaxue, sitting bolt upright from a near-death sleep: “!”
“—Wuhu, off we fly!”
