Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order

First form

Mu Xiaokui, Young Mistress of the Order

“组织”少主：沐小葵

Mu Tianmiao’s only daughter and Soul’s childhood friend. Lively, straightforward, and self assured, Xiaokui has loved swordplay since childhood and shows remarkable talent for martial arts. With the slender sword Wild Oriole in hand, she fights with graceful speed, striking ten times in an instant as sword shadows scatter around her. Light as a swallow, she excels at aerial slashes and thrusts, her attacks carrying a sharpness and vitality all her own.

Then everything changed. The father she had always believed unshakable was murdered, and the killer was Soul.

Zuo Shang seemed to accept it almost immediately. He comforted her, promising to avenge their Shifu and give both her and the Order an answer. But Xiaokui wished he would tell her there had been some misunderstanding. Their happy days together still felt so close. Her father was always going on about his ideals, yet he would still indulge her excuses to drag Soul away for sword practice, while Zuo Shang stayed behind to keep him company.

They were all precious family to her. So what happened? Why did the person she had trusted without question, the one she had dreamed of roaming the Wulin with and righting wrongs beside, leave without a single explanation and head alone to Pangzhen with the Order in pursuit?

Second form

Mu Xiaokui, Queen of Iron and Jade

沐小葵：铁玉女王

Years ago, she and Soul made a promise: if they ever crossed blades, neither would hold back. In this fight, she moves like lightning, advancing and retreating without leaving an opening. Power gathers in both arms, every strike solid and controlled. The techniques taught by Jade Dancer and Iron Fiend come together in her, making her nearly unstoppable.

She carefully sorts through her grief over her father's death, the mystery of Soul's sudden departure, the changes brewing within the Order, and the concern of those around her. She forces herself to stay calm and make the right judgment.

Once the Order's affairs are settled, she resolves to meet Soul face to face and demand an answer. She will fight him with everything she has, so he understands just how angry and unsettled she is by his secrecy, his leaving without a word, and his self righteous insistence on carrying everything alone.

When blades clash and sparks fly, everything seems to freeze for an instant. In that moment, she finds her answer. The person before her is still the Soul she once knew. Like her, he has not changed.

Even if he refuses to explain, she will find the truth and the answers herself.

Fought alongside

Jade Dancer, Young Mistress's Guardian

少主护卫：玉妖

A woman of a cold face. A Fiend Saw long-blade under each foot; she drives the twin blades with supple legs, her movement like lightning, her cuts unmatched. Together with Iron Fiend she trains the Young Mistress Mu Xiaokui and serves as guard; they work as one.

Jade Dancer was an orphan, saved by the Shadow Sovereign in a moment of peril. Later young Mu Xiaokui called her "Sister," saying she would be her family—and something tender took root in this woman who had always kept her heart cold.

The duty of a bodyguard soon became a care and loyalty that came from the bone. On the training ground she is iron with the Young Mistress; off it, she patiently teaches her to press the right points, easing the ache in her ankles. Every gift from the Young Mistress she keeps in silence. The days she has spent at the Young Mistress's side may even outlast those of the Shadow Sovereign himself.

After old Sovereign Mu passed, undercurrents rose in the Order, and the Wulin too was full of sudden turns. No one knows better than Jade Dancer how heavy a load sits on the Young Mistress's shoulders. And more than the Order's fortunes, she fears for the Young Mistress's life.

Fought alongside

Iron Fiend, Young Mistress's Guardian

少主护卫：铁鬼

A martial artist who fights with Iron Gauntlets and the senior brother of Iron Fever. Hulking and stern faced, he stands firm as a mountain and strikes with tremendous force. Alongside Jade Dancer, he trains Young Mistress Mu Xiaokui in martial arts and serves as her guard, the two working seamlessly together.

Though the grudges of his sect had been settled, unrest still simmered throughout the Wulin. Iron Fiend had intended to step away from the turmoil, but the Order's invitation and the "rules" it upheld convinced him to join.

Within the Order, Iron Fiend took on the duty of guarding the Young Mistress. "Protect the weak and raise your fists against the strong" had always been the martial path he followed. Over time, his loyalty only deepened. In Xiaokui, he saw a clear and kind heart, and the strength to lead others. She was worth protecting with his life, and he would do all he could to help her grow.

Now the old Shadow Sovereign is dead, and Soul, one of the Shadow Edicts, has defected. The Order has been thrown into upheaval. Though Iron Fiend laments what has happened, he has no desire to pass judgment. The Young Mistress's decision is his own.