The novel "Three Thousand Weak Waters" features one male lead and three supporting male characters. Aside from one who's purely an innocent victim, the other three are each uniquely outrageous specimens of humanity. If you gathered them together, you could practically host an exhibition on garbage classification.
The male lead, Qi Yuxuan, is practically the textbook definition of a scumbag—but we'll set that aside for now.
Supporting Male #1 comes from a noble family, exuding grace and dignity, playing the standard "devoted but doomed" second male lead role. When the female lead is falsely accused, he defends her with unwavering conviction. When she loses herself to demonic cultivation, he guides her back to the righteous path with meticulous care. In the end, though the male and female leads reconcile, she is left grievously injured. Supporting Male #1 then sacrifices all his cultivation to prolong her life, his soul scattering into the earth—like spring mud nurturing flowers.
Shu Fu's annotation: You're a good person. May your next life be free of protagonists.
Supporting Male #2 hails from the demon realm, embodying the "domineering CEO" archetype with his signature line: "Woman, you've caught my attention." His treatment of the female lead is... intense, if nothing else, though his brand of dominance carries a distinctly rural flair. He has a habit of pinning her against walls, trees, and various pieces of furniture for aggressive kisses—an uncomfortable sight for onlookers. Later, after ascending as the Demon Lord, he wages war to claim her, plunging the world into chaos, leaving countless dead, and setting productivity back by five centuries.
Shu Fu's historical observation: History proves that leaders shouldn't be ruled by their love lives.
Then there's Supporting Male #3—Ling Xiyue, the Second Young Master of Lingxiao City.
Due to certain unspeakable childhood experiences, Ling Xiyue is calculating and profound in his schemes. Outwardly refined and courteous, he harbors a twisted, obsessive nature, fixated on fratricide and succession—a classic "throne usurpation" plot in a xianxia setting.
Yet, even as he schemes, he clings to a secret longing for light—someone who will accept him, understand him, even pity and love him. The female lead, Jiang Ruoshui, a gentle and saintly figure, naturally becomes that beacon, the sole redemption in his dark existence.
So, when he realizes this light was never his to begin with, he decides to destroy the source—dragging everyone down into the abyss with him.
Shu Fu's diagnosis: This one's got issues.
And now, this "deeply troubled" supporting male is sitting prominently at the head of the Qi family, wearing a refined and amiable smile as he converses with Third Master Qi.
Meanwhile, Shu Fu and her companions have infiltrated the hall ahead of them, perched side by side on the rafters like a proper band of "gentlemen of the beams."
Shu Fu notes with melancholy that even while sitting on a rafter, Jiang Xuesheng and Liu Ruyi maintain impeccable poise, their robes perfectly undisturbed—such is the composure of true masters.
By comparison, she feels less like a noble scholar and more like a monkey.
"I have a feeling that Second Young Master Ling will fall madly in love with me in the future."
"Miss Shu, you must be mistaken," Liu Ruyi can't help but laugh at her narcissistic remark. "Ling Xiyue is ruthlessly ambitious and has always scorned romantic entanglements. He's slaughtered countless people and eradicated entire sects, yet there's never been a whisper of him taking interest in any woman or dallying in affairs."
He pauses, then adds with visible disgust, "If you want a true degenerate, look no further than that elder from the Jiuhua Sect. Halfway into the grave, yet still practicing sinister dual cultivation techniques, preying on young female disciples."
Shu Fu: "..."
This pair—one old, one young—each excels in their own brand of scumminess. She isn’t sure which one to scorn first.
Liu Ruyi’s remark that the Second Young Master Ling "looked down on romantic love" wasn’t entirely wrong.
Based on her vague memories, Ling Xiyue spent his entire life scheming and striving for only two things: the world and Jiang Ruoshui.
He never dabbled in affairs with other women—because he spent his whole life fixated on Jiang Ruoshui alone.
Precisely because of this "devotion" and "self-restraint," even though Ling Xiyue was far from a decent man, he still garnered widespread sympathy from the masses.
After all, the male lead, Qi Yuxuan, not only married a supporting female character but also achieved the "great harmony of life" with her.
But in Shu Fu’s eyes, choosing between Qi Yuxuan and Ling Xiyue was like being forced to pick between "chocolate that tastes like shit" and "shit that tastes like chocolate," or deciding between Trump and Hillary for president.
What was the point of such a choice?
Both men belonged in the trash. Rather than waffling between them, she’d be better off studying garbage disposal regulations.
Fortunately, in the original story, Ling Xiyue’s heart belonged solely to Jiang Ruoshui. No matter how alluring or tender other women were, they might as well have been skeletons in his eyes.
He loved Jiang Ruoshui—what did that have to do with Shu Fu?
Still, the thought of the female lead’s million-word emotional entanglement made Shu Fu shudder. She couldn’t help but fear that one day, she might end up stabbed.
"Ah…"
She covered her face with one hand and let out a long, inscrutable sigh.
"Shu Fu?" Jiang Xuesheng turned his head to look at her. "Are you alright? I don’t know why you’re thinking this way, but if you’re wary of Ling Xiyue, it’s not a problem. Train hard, and when the time comes, just kill him."
Shu Fu: "…"
Sorry, but for a moment, I couldn’t decide who was scarier—you or the yandere.
Just then, Ling Xiyue’s smile in the hall abruptly vanished as he spoke in a low, serious voice:
"Third Master Qi, how has Jin Chuan’er been lately? My elder brother is deeply concerned and sent me to check on her."
His sudden shift to the main topic startled both Third Master Qi below the beam and Shu Fu above it.
Shu Fu, caught off guard, instinctively jerked backward and nearly tumbled off the roof beam. But she reacted swiftly—hooking her legs around the beam, she executed a perfect backflip, spinning 360 degrees midair before landing securely back in place.
At the same time, Jiang Xuesheng pulled her closer, his arm loosely encircling her shoulders in a protective yet respectful gesture.
"Be careful," he said gently, his tone devoid of the usual sharpness he reserved for others. "Earlier, when you were poisoned and injured, it was my oversight. I wanted to give you experience but didn’t account for your lack of familiarity. Let’s not repeat that mistake."
Shu Fu, usually fierce and independent, felt oddly flustered by such care. "I’m fine. You don’t need to worry so much."
Meanwhile, Third Master Qi below responded, "Second Young Master need not trouble yourself. The Vermilion Bird is an ancient divine beast, its bloodline incomparably precious. We naturally take the utmost care and would never neglect it."
"After the beast’s rebirth, its memories were lost—it recalls nothing of its past. Given time, once it learns the truth and descends into madness, it will undoubtedly make an excellent pawn."
Ling Xiyue scoffed. "Divine beast? The Vermilion Bird is nothing more than a second-rate monster."
The Kongtong elder's purplish face cracked into a smile, resembling a split sweet potato. "How pitiful and laughable—to serve one's own enemy without even realizing it. I thought he was something formidable, worth all your desperate pleas for me to set up an array."
Third Master Qi offered an ingratiating smile. "It's our incompetence that has troubled you, Elder. That beast is a fool, but the girl by his side is sharp despite her rough edges—quite the handful."
"Oh, I’ve heard Elder Brother mention this."
Ling Xiyue idly twirled a teacup in his hand, speaking with deliberate leisure. "The Honghu clan has had grievances with our ancestors. Years ago, when Elder Brother was traveling, he happened upon a stray branch of the Honghu bloodline—unawakened to their spiritual nature, living among mortals. Finding it amusing, he decided to toy with them and dosed the mortals around him. That’s how it went, wasn’t it?"
"Exactly so."
Third Master Qi replied with utmost deference. "Thanks to the Young Master's trust, he entrusted me with the task of dealing with the Honghu. Under the Young Master's guidance, that dim-witted beast indeed came begging to the Qi family for help. My father and elder brother paid no mind to such trivial matters, so I gave the girl a pre-prepared antidote and used it to coerce the beast into working for us."
Ling Xiyue gave a noncommittal hum before casually asking, "And what exactly did you have him do?"
Third Master Qi fawned, "We first laced the water sources with a certain drug. Those who drank it without falling ill were the most suitable candidates for medicinal trials. After screening them, we had the beast abduct them—killing two birds with one stone: securing test subjects and humiliating the Tong family. Over the years, we’ve devoted ourselves to refining these elixirs, all of which have been dutifully offered to Lingxiao City without withholding a single one."
"Your loyalty is well known to Father and Elder Brother."
Ling Xiyue nodded faintly, his narrow phoenix eyes thinning into slits. "However, forcing the Honghu to slaughter the Tong family back then, leading to mutual destruction, was hardly wise. The Jiuhua Sect fancies itself the pillar of righteousness and loves to meddle. If they were to come knocking, the losses would far outweigh the gains."
Third Master Qi hurriedly explained, "But this was on the Young Master’s—"
"Oh?"
Ling Xiyue arched a brow. "Elder Brother’s doing? What grudge did he hold against the Tong family to allow their extermination?"
Third Master Qi eagerly elaborated, "Second Young Master, you may not be aware. Twenty years ago, the Young Master attended the Dao Discourse Conference, where his brilliance and martial prowess left countless in awe. Yet that Tong Yao had the audacity to oppose him during the debates, and in the subsequent sword competition, she fought so fiercely she even struck off the Young Master’s ceremonial crown!"
"..."
Even Ling Xiyue, who prided himself on being ruthless and utterly devoid of conscience, was momentarily stunned. "For that?"
"Second Young Master, you misunderstand."
The Kongtong elder interjected disapprovingly. "The Sect Leader intends to bring the Qingcheng region under his rule. Since the Tong family refused to yield, keeping them served no purpose. A minor clan like theirs—what’s the harm in eliminating them while dealing with the Honghu and gathering test subjects? Second Young Master, you’re too quick to embolden others and dampen our own morale."
Under his breath, he added, "So timid. No wonder, with no true bloodline to speak of—utterly unfit for responsibility."
"Since it was Elder Brother’s decision, it must be sound."
After that brief pause, Ling Xiyue resumed his refined and amiable smile.
Only, the warmth never reached his eyes. His gaze plainly read: My brother is an idiot.
Unlike his cheap elder brother, Ling Xiyue was meticulous and deeply scheming. His thorough questioning was all about gathering leverage against his brother, preparing for a future betrayal.
This time, he got exactly what he wanted—though the "leverage" he uncovered struck him as downright idiotic.
He had always known his elder brother was arrogant, despising anyone who outshone him, but he hadn’t realized the extent of his pettiness. It seemed he owed his survival all these years to his brother’s mercy.
Third Master Qi, oblivious to his ulterior motives, spilled everything without restraint, even putting on a show of lamentation at the end. "Ah, that time cost us a great deal of effort. That beast was stubborn, constantly babbling about not killing people and how Tian Xin would be angry—absolutely refusing to help us wipe out the Tong family. We were at our wits’ end, so we had to rely on the eldest young master’s plan."
Ling Xiyue pressed immediately, "What plan?"
What else could it be?
Of course, it was to kill Tian Xin.
On the day the Qi clan leader secluded himself to undergo his tribulation, just as "Big Yellow" returned to the lakeside in the Hidden Wood Forest, the Kongtong elder used a water-mirror technique to project an image before him—showing Tian Xin’s head being crushed right before his eyes.
"Red and white splattered everywhere."
"Only a piece of her skull remained intact."
"Like a goddamn smashed watermelon."
Then, the already simple-minded "Big Yellow" instantly descended into a frenzy of madness.
His blank mind could focus on only one thing:
Leaping into the lake before him, using the teleportation array to return to the Qi family, and slaughtering everyone to avenge Tian Xin.
"But that day, the Kongtong elder had already altered the teleportation array in the lake," Third Master Qi stroked his long beard smugly. "When the enraged beast jumped in, he wasn’t sent to the Qi family."
Instead, he was sent to the Tong family.
"We had already infiltrated their ranks and prepared a receiving array."
"A frenzied descendant of the divine phoenix, combined with our hidden agents—no family, no matter how powerful, could withstand that. The Tong family was crippled in that battle. Afterward, with just a little more maneuvering, toppling them was effortless."
"Though we didn’t expect Tong Yao to be so ferocious. Even after taking a claw strike from the beast and three poisoned arrows, she still managed to wield her spirit sword and behead it. In her dying moments, she passed her lifebound artifact to her only daughter, Jiang Ruoshui, ensuring no one else could claim it. Quite the meticulous planning."
"But no matter. Jiang Ruoshui will eventually marry my naive nephew. What’s hers will belong to the Qi family, and what’s the Qi family’s will belong to Lingxiao City."
"The Qi family is utterly loyal to Lingxiao City. We hope the second young master will put in a good word for us and that Lord Ling and the other young masters will continue to favor us."
For a long moment, Shu Fu sat frozen, her mind and limbs locked in place.
She remained motionless for a while, breathing in the thick incense, listening to Third Master Qi and Lingxiao City’s shameless laughter, until she slowly realized one thing:
So, this was how Tong Yao died.
All because of an arrogant young man who couldn’t forget how she had knocked off his crown with a single sword strike twenty years ago.
As for the grudge between the "Honghu" and the Ling family ancestors—that probably traced back two hundred, two thousand, even twenty thousand years. And yet, they pinned it all on a half-blooded orange cat. The audacity of Lingxiao City was truly something.
She wanted to ask—was this really worth it?
Did Tian Xin and the Tong family have to die for this?
What a load of bullshit.
In Shu Fu's heart, that faint shadow of "injustice" took solid form, gradually filling her chest and stirring up towering waves.
She knew this was a novel's world, merely a background setting from the original story—nothing to be angry about.
In the world of "Three Thousand Weak Waters," all the grievances and vendettas, all the bitter and tragic setups, were just interludes in the male and female leads' anguished love story.
As a transmigrator, all she had to do was maintain the "Jiang Ruoshui" persona without breaking character, follow the original heroine's path step by step—forgiving, enduring, accommodating—and wholeheartedly focus on winning over the male lead to secure a safe and happy ending.
But—
Were the dead to be left unavenged?
Just because this was a transmigration novel, could she accept it with a clear conscience?
In her youth, when Shu Fu was obsessed with xianxia novels, her ideals hadn’t been like this.
Back then, she was filled with fiery passion—not envying lovebirds but immortals, not wanting to be confined by a mere romance, but longing to see the heroine wield her sword across the nine provinces, sweeping away all grievances and injustices in the story, ensuring the good were rewarded and the wicked paid in blood.
Now, she held a sword in her hand, and a sword in her heart.
Though tempered by experience, her passion had not cooled.
She thought—she knew what she had to do.
As Shu Fu's emotions surged, the solitary glow of her sword, thirsting for vengeance, let out a long hum before leaping from its scabbard with a metallic clang.
The hilt actively pressed into her palm, like a valiant warhorse lowering its head before its master, waiting for her to mount and raise her spear.
A thread of reason remained taut in Shu Fu's mind, binding her firmly to the beam overhead, steadying her as she turned to cast a calm gaze at Jiang Xuesheng.
"Senior," she spoke, her voice soft yet resolute. "I wish to draw my sword against injustice. But I also know I am no match for any of them alone."
"Lingxiao City's influence is vast. I dare not trouble you to lend me your strength—I only ask for your guidance in joining a sect. A hundred years from now, I will seek vengeance on my own, and the consequences will be mine to bear."
She knew she was a newcomer here, that she shouldn’t recklessly step forward, shouldn’t burn with righteous fury over tragedies that didn’t concern her.
But Tong Yao had shown her kindness, and the people before her had committed countless wrongs. If she did not avenge this, she feared she would never forgive herself for millennia to come.
From the moment she transmigrated, she was no longer an outsider. This was her story, and she had her own "path" to pursue.
Jiang Xuesheng studied her deeply, his ink-black eyes unblinking, as if trying to see straight through her heart, lungs, and soul.
In the end, his expression remained unchanged. He merely reached out to straighten Shu Fu’s collar, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and adjusting the slightly loosened hairpin.
He said only one thing:
"You are good. I will handle everything—rest assured."
"W-what?"
"You want revenge, don’t you?"
The corners of Jiang Xuesheng’s eyes curved, his plain features suddenly illuminated with an extraordinary glow. "As it happens, my hobby is helping others take revenge."
"You—you—"
The surprise came too abruptly. Shu Fu was momentarily stunned, her words stumbling on her tongue. "Senior, just who are you?"
Jiang Xuesheng smiled without answering, only gently resting his palm atop her head.
"I... am a god."
Shu Fu’s breath caught.
High above, the jade capital of heaven,
Twelve towers, five cities divine.
The immortal touches my crown,
Binds my hair, grants life unbound.
At that moment, as if receiving a signal, Liu Ruyi on the other side spun gracefully downward like a crimson maple leaf drifting in the wind.
He still wore women's robes, the wide skirt flaring with a sharp "swish" as the night wind caught it. When he landed, he dipped into a graceful curtsy, the hem of his dress unfurling like a blooming crimson lotus.
"Who's there?"
"Who goes there?"
"Audacious intruder! How dare you trespass into the Qi Manor at this hour?"
Facing the shocked and furious shouts of the crowd, Liu Ruyi's peerlessly handsome face broke into a smile. With hands folded, he offered an elegant yet mocking bow.
"This unworthy one holds the humble position of Peak Master of Yaoguang Peak in the Jiuhua Sect, under the tutelage of Master Tanhua. By my master's command, I have come to offer my congratulations to Third Master Qi and the honored guests of Lingxiao City."
"May you all—"
"Reap what you sow, suffer the consequences of your misdeeds, and meet a wretched end."
