Wū Sù is a demon born of primordial chaos. Because her magical power is too weak, she is often mistaken for an ordinary mortal. She is quite content living as a common person, hiding away in the most prosperous capital city of the mortal realm, working three jobs a day to support herself.
Later, due to a strange accident and one reckless night, she ends up, through a quirk of fate, with a mortal husband. Even though he is a mere mortal and the gap between their stations is as vast as heaven and earth, he simply refuses to let go of Wū Sù. Wū Sù knows nothing of love and romance, and figures she might as well just go along with this…
Translation Notes
{Note: 仙侠小说 (Xiānxiá Novels)} A major genre of Chinese fantasy fiction. Xian (仙) means immortal/celestial being, and xiá (侠) means chivalrous hero or swordsman. The genre blends Daoist cultivation mythology, martial arts, and romance. Characters typically seek immortality by cultivating spiritual/magical power (fǎlì). The closest Western equivalent would be something between high fantasy and mythology, but the genre has its own deeply distinct Chinese cultural identity.
混沌成妖 (Hùndùn chéng yāo — “Demon born of primordial chaos”)} In Chinese cosmology, Hùndùn (混沌) refers to the formless, undifferentiated void that existed before creation — similar to the concept of chaos in Greek mythology but rooted in Daoist thought. Beings that spontaneously gain sentience and power from this primal state are considered among the oldest and most mysterious types of supernatural entities (yāo 妖, loosely “demon” or “spirit”).
道 (Dào — “Dao/The Way”)} A foundational concept in Chinese philosophy and religion (Daoism). In xianxia fiction, “Dao” also refers to a cultivator’s philosophical or spiritual path — their core principles guiding their cultivation. “Heartless Dao” (无情道) implies a cultivation path that requires severing all emotional attachments, particularly love.
剑尊 (Jiàn Zūn — “Sword Venerable”)} A honorific title in xianxia fiction denoting an extraordinarily powerful master of sword cultivation. Zūn (尊) conveys deep reverence, roughly equivalent to “Lord,” “Venerable,” or “Exalted One.” Sword cultivation (jiàn xiū) is one of the most prestigious paths in the genre.
Note: 法力 (Fǎlì — “Magical/Spiritual Power”)} The supernatural energy a cultivator or spiritual being possesses, refined through practice. Analogous to “mana” in Western fantasy, but rooted in Daoist ideas of qi and spiritual refinement.
Note: 凡人 / 凡间 (Fánrén / Fánjiān — “Mortal” / “Mortal Realm”)} Fán (凡) means ordinary or mundane. In xianxia, the world is typically divided into the mortal realm (fánjiān) and various higher spiritual or immortal realms. Mortals lack cultivation and are considered fundamentally beneath immortal beings in social and cosmic hierarchy.
Note: 阴错阳差 (Yīn cuò yáng chā — “A quirk of fate”)} A four-character Chinese idiom (chéngyǔ) literally invoking yin and yang going astray, meaning a series of coincidences and misalignments leading to an unexpected outcome — roughly “by a strange twist of fate” or “through a comedy of errors.” Chéngyǔ are classical idiomatic expressions ubiquitous in Chinese literature.}
