The Tribulation of the Love Demon
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Summary
Bai Yiyun, daughter of "Jade-Faced Divine Dragon" Bai Shoude of Meishan, Sichuan, has been confined since childhood to the family's private garden; yearning for freedom and awakening to first love leaves her restless. On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, she goes with the old maid Shang Cui'e and her younger sister Bai Fengxian to bathe in Peach Blossom Pool, where the handsome young man Qin Zhong accidentally spies on her bathing, and the two secretly develop feelings for each other. Qin Zhong breaks into the garden at night to meet Bai Yiyun and is gravely wounded by Shang Cui'e; later Lu Yu comes forward to propose marriage, but the suit is blocked because Bai Yiyun bears a karmic debt and the monk Wuchen has warned that she must not see men before she turns twenty. As Bai Yiyun searches for Qin Zhong, murderous intent gradually grows in her, and she mistakenly kills the maid Tianxiang. Although Monk Wuchen uses a miraculous elixir to temporarily suppress her desires, her missing one bath in Peach Blossom Pool leaves the root of disaster.
Editor's review
This is a costume romance novel with a fatalistic flavor, set in Meishan, Sichuan, and centered on the meeting, love, and obstruction of Bai Yiyun and Qin Zhong. The author advances the story layer by layer through the confinement of the private garden, the accidental spying at Peach Blossom Pool, and the thwarted marriage proposal, while introducing Monk Wuchen's warning that she must not see men before twenty and the elixir that suppresses desire, weaving the emotional line together with karmic debt and the root of disaster. The section in which Bai Yiyun gradually develops murderous intent while searching for Qin Zhong and mistakenly kills the maid Tianxiang pushes the character from a simple young girl into a more complex psychological state, heightening the tragic tension. The narrative rhythm leans toward the traditional serialized chapter style and emphasizes plot twists and character entanglements, making it suitable as light reading for romance readers who prefer a classical legendary atmosphere. Note that the book places heavy emphasis on desire and fate, and some plot handling is rather dramatic; readers should approach it with the expectations of genre fiction.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy costume romance and stories of fateful entanglement
- Casual readers who prefer serialized chapter narration and densely packed plot twists
- Those interested in a traditional legendary atmosphere and martial-arts world characters
- Readers who want light reading for relaxation and do not demand realistic logic
Not a good fit for
- Readers of historical fiction seeking rigorous historical research and realistic style
- Those sensitive to or averse to fatalism and descriptions of desire
- Readers who prefer modern urban themes and fast-paced narratives
Reading tips
- Clarify the relationships among Bai Yiyun, Qin Zhong, Shang Cui'e, Lu Yu, and others before entering the main plot for smoother reading
- Pay attention to Monk Wuchen's warning and the elixir setting; they are key foreshadowing for understanding later conflicts
- At turning points such as the mistaken killing of Tianxiang, pause to feel the character's psychological changes rather than rushing after the plot
- Read it as light genre fiction and do not measure every character action by real-world ethical standards
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一章 桃花潭，戏水泄春光
- 第二章 迷因难测，恩怨千端
- 第三章 居心叵测，后果堪忧
- 第四章 多情丐，垂怜多情郎
- 第五章 花容突变，杀心陡起
- 第六章 狂用灵丹，难逆浩劫
- 第七章 慨赠奇珍，俗眼难识
- 第八章 凤巢在望，怪事又生
- 第九章 护凤毛宁，败甘具伤
- 第十章 夤夜私访，暗探隐情
- 第十一章 计诛凶恶，接木移花
- 第十二章 成全好事，无心铸错
- 第十三章 风雪在望，所谋难成
- 第十四章 掌捆凤仙，籍此吓彼
- 第十五章 阴错阳差，禁制尽除
- 第十六章 悟尘僧，显露伽南功
- 第十七章 赌脚程，白依云失踪
- 第十八章 怨女怀春，痴慕虚凰
- 第十九章 仗奇珍，侥幸脱死难
- 第二十章 巧计安排，妖妇应誓
- 第二十一章 旧事重提，法本归心
FAQ
What type of novel is this book?
It belongs to the costume romance genre with a fatalistic and legendary flavor. The story follows the emotional ups and downs of Bai Yiyun and Qin Zhong, interspersed with elders' obstruction, a monk's prophecy, and the intervention of martial-arts world figures; overall it has a traditional serialized chapter style and is suitable as light reading.
Will not having read the author's other works affect my understanding?
No. The story is relatively self-contained, and the character relationships and causes and consequences are gradually explained in the narrative, so new readers can enter directly. Just pay attention to the opening setup about Bai Yiyun's karmic debt and the monk's warning; these are the basis for understanding later conflicts.
Is the fatalistic setup in the book hard to understand?
Not at all. The core setup is that Bai Yiyun cannot see men before she turns twenty, and the connection between the number of baths in Peach Blossom Pool and the root of disaster; the author repeatedly makes these clear through character dialogue and plot development. Readers can grasp them by following the main line and need no prior background knowledge.
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About the author
Gu Shangjiu
Author · Taiwanese (China)
Gu Shangjiu was an early wuxia novelist from Taiwan, China. Publicly available information about him is limited: his real name, dates of birth and death, and similar details remain unverified and await further research. He first made his name in a "fantastic immortal-chivalry" style, and his writing later shifted in direction, giving his work a distinctive character within the field of wuxia fiction. Six of his works are known, including Twin Ying's Revenge, The Twin Sword Tombs, Romance of Gratitude and Enmity Across the World, Rivers, Peaks, Drifting Clouds, The Radiant Sword of the Clouds, and The Tribulation of the Love Demon. His themes often revolve around Jianghu grudges, revenge, and tangled bonds of love and loyalty. Some of his works were issued by booksellers under Jin Yong's name without authorization; this unusual publishing history has earned him a notable reputation among fans of old wuxia fiction and makes him a noteworthy case for studying the early wuxia publishing scene in Taiwan.
