Chen Xing

* Novel
* Audio Drama

Baili Lun - *Shifu* (Deceased)

Wang Meng - *Shixiong* (Deceased)

Xiang Shu - lover

Chen Xing, courtesy name Tianchi, is the 16 year old protagonist of Dinghai Fusheng Records, holder of the Heart Lamp, and the sole remaining Exorcist, thus the Great Exorcist of his generation. After his master's death, he descended Mt. Hua to find his Protector and restore the missing spiritual *qi* of Heavens and Earth.

## Personality

Having only recently descended the mountain at the beginning of the novel where he lived alone with his master, Chen Xing is a rather curious, trusting, and naïve teenager. He was born with Iuppiter being part of his natal chart, thus making him unimaginably lucky and allowing him to escape unfortunate circumstances with ease. However, this luck comes with the caveat of his lifespan being only 20 years.

Chen Xing is also a bit of a nerd, liking to recite encyclopedic definitions and telling long drawn-out stories, sometimes annoying others partaking in the conversation. Despite that, he is a very good and learned conversationalist and debater, who can twist his words to mean several things at once, leading his opponents into a confused spiral. Though overall optimistic, he is burdened by the knowledge of his short lifespan, and is sometimes hesitant about forming deep relationships as a result, not wanting to make those people even sadder by his inevitable early death.

## Appearance

Chen Xing is described as having "pure, beautiful rosy lips and a high nose bridge".

On his first appearance, Chen Xing wears an all black, brocade Han robe embossed with dark patterns, as well as a pair of Cloud Wading Boots and is carrying a gold plated hand warmer in his arms and a small medicine bag that is hung by his waist. Chen Xing also wears a black cloth over his eyes, seemingly posing as a blind man. However the blindfold comes off as soon as he finds his Protector Martial God.

## Abilities

Chen Xing is an excellent talker, and has an open heart. As such, he is often the one dealing with the talking, such as when they reached the Xie residence and were faced with Han scholars wary of Xiang Shu, and when purifying people corrupted by the Devil God's Blood.

### Heart Lamp

As the person born with the Heart Lamp, Chen Xing is able to emanate its light, which can purify resentment and exorcise it. However, in the Silence of All Magic, that power is at the cost of burning his *hunpo*, thus leading to some weakness in the heart and physical toll if he overextends its powers.

## Background

Chen Xing was the only son of Chen Zhe, born after the man was past the age of forty. As such, he was beloved, though he was not spoiled.

During the massacre of his family enabled by Yuwen Xin, Chen Xing was taken away by his *shifu* and lived the next half of his life on Mount Hua. This was also where he learned medicine and exorcism matters, including details about the Exorcist Department and various magical weapons. As his *shifu* was an assassin who received the grace of the Chen family, he did not have the life skills to have a proper job, and thus they amassed a considerable debt just from daily needs. Xie An later came to the mountain to find Baili Lun in his attempts to find someone who could teach him how to be an exorcist, and gave Baili Lun 3000 taels of silver. Afterwards, Baili Lun praised Chen Xing a lot, emphasizing the luck Iuppiter entering his fate granted him, which left a deep impression on Chen Xing.

Born under Iuppiter, he only has 20 years to live. This causes tension for the first half of the novel, given the 4 year deadline he has to solve the problem of the missing Heaven and Earth *qi*. However, Iuppiter also gave him incredible, logic-defying luck, resulting also in his general tendency to trust most people.

## Story

### Book 1: Wanluo Sanxiang

#### Into Xiangyang City

Chen Xing entered Xiangyang City during its encirclement and siege by 200,000 Qin troops, with the intentions of finding his Protector Martial God by using the heart lamp he possesses. He first visited the manor of the governor of Xiangyang city, Zhu Xu, to request for his assistance for official business. He proved his "official business" by showing a document by the Great Jin Minister of Appointments Xie An. Seeing no reinforcements that he had requested, Zhu Xu and the others started to question Chen Xing about his abilities.

Although disheartened when Chen Xing revealed the purpose of his visit and his inability to help, Zhu Xu decided to grant Chen Xing's request and gathered the soldiers in the city, from which Chen Xing attempted to find his Protector Martial God. However, the Heart Lamp led him instead to the manor's dungeons, where Xiang Shu was kept imprisoned after supposedly killing thousands. Zhu Xu initially did not allow him to take away the prisoner, but the walls of the city was breached not long after, leading Chen Xing to need to take the immobile Xiang Shu out of the city.

#### Travel to Chang'an

After having escaped, Chen Xing decides to stay in an abandoned village only to end up being robbed by now-cured Xiang Shu who strips him off all his belongings including his horse. Without a way of transport, he joins a caravan of refugees fleeing south where he serves as a doctor, solely accompanied by a dog he recently adopted.

Once he arrives at Mai City, he reencounters Xiang Shu in an awkward scene– he’s seemingly robbing a bank which only infuriates Chen Xing further and prompts him to shout for guards to inconvenience his fated protector. It is in this spectacle that he meets Feng Qianjun, a self-proclaimed assassin who also happens to be heading to Chang’an and is willing to be Chen Xing’s travel partner.

The two camp together on the mountains but wind up ambushed by drought fiends (walking corpses). Xiang Shu, who was following them closely and already aware of the dangers lurking, helps Chen Xing fight and leave the battle safely alongside Feng Qianjun. The events of the night prompts the three of them to travel together to Chang’an, where they all agree to go their separate ways once reaching the destination.

#### Stay in Chang'an

Feng Qianjun entrusts Chen Xing to Xiang Shu which prompts the latter to follow him around the city despite his previous refusal to be his fated protector. Chen Xing ends up being unsuccessful in finding accommodation with his past acquaintance Yunwen Xin, so Xiang Shu takes him with him to infiltrate the imperial palace; it is then revealed that Xiang Shu is the long-awaited Great Chanyu much to Chen Xing’s surprise.

Wanting to look for the ancient exorcist department in Chang’An, Chen Xing accidentally ends up discovering a conspiracy against the emperor led by Feng Qianjun and his older brother Feng Qianyi. This creates a big misunderstanding with Xiang Shu which ends up with the two of them fighting. The two later end up being trapped alongside Feng Qianjun on the *Ying Yang mirror* world by Feng Qianyi, barely escaping with the help of Chen Xing's the heart lamp.

Chen Xing and Xiang Shu then find themselves incriminated of murdering princess consort Qinghe after escaping, prompting them to hide with Chen Xing’s newly made acquaintance Tuoba Yan.

## Relationships

### Xiang Shu

Chen Xing's Protector martial god.Though they had rocky beginnings, Chen Xing and Xiang Shu found themselves mutually attracted to each other over the course of the story. Chen Xing was the first individual to offer Xiang Shu a choice concerning his responsibilities.

### Xiao Shan

chen (ma) xing (ma) --

After Xiao Shan was entrusted to Chen Xing by Lu Ying, Chen Xing spent some time bathing him and teaching him how to talk as they stayed with the Xiongnus. Chen Xing saw Xiao Shan as "a son when he thought he would die before he could experience having one", and Xiao Shan had rather quickly developed an attachment to him, saying that "[Chen Xing] didn't want me anymore" when Chen Xing was kidnapped by Sima Yue and brought to Goguryeo, then reunited at Kuaiji.

### Feng Qianjun

Feng Qianjun had helped Chen Xing out early in his escape from Xiangyang city, and the two struck out an easy friendship soon after.

### Xie An

Chen Xing first saw Xie An in his childhood, where the latter went to Mt. Hua to find his shifu to learn how to be an exorcist, and ended up paying off their debt and giving Baili Lun 3000 taels of silver. Later, before his death, Baili Lun also sent a letter to Xie An asking for his support; this support came in the form of a letter Chen Xing later uses to convince the governor of Xiangyang City.

### Lu Ying

Dying, Lu Ying asked Chen Xing and Xiang Shu to take care of Xiao Shan for the time being.

### Chong Ming

Chen Xing named Chong Ming. Some of the names he'd contemplated then included Xiaoliang, Liang Liang, Da Liang...

## Gallery

### Novels

Chen Xing and Xiang Shu on the Simplified physical book coverChen Xing and Xiang Shu on the cover of the 2nd Simplified physical novel volumeChen Xing and Xiang Shu on the cover of the 3rd Simplified physical novel volume

### Manhua

Chen Xing and Xiang Shu under the Lovers' Tree in Chi Le Chuan for the manhua coverChen Xing manhua character introductionManhua promo art

## Adaptations

In the audio drama, Chen Xing is voiced by Qian Wenqing. His character introduction is done together with Xiang Shu, where they introduce each other and banter.

## Notes and Trivia

* Chen Xing shares the nickname Xing'er with Kong Hongjun.
* He knows how to play the Guqin (something that surprises Xiang Shu).
* Chen Xing served as a doctor during his time at Chi Le Chuan.
* He is notoriously bad at holding his alcohol and has a rather low pain tolerance resulting from his extreme luck.
* Chen Xing owns a dog which he named after Xiang Shu.