Qingling

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

With regards to the Dao, I believe it will be there no matter what I choose. I have touched it, seen it, and will never be able to completely rid myself of it.

Twenty-five years after the disappearance of the nation’s hero, Peerless, the king is overthrown and Jian Xueming is freed from prison. But the price is almost too great to bear—his name, his past, even his most precious memories have all been forgotten.

Under the guidance of his old master’s friend, and with the instincts from his past as a Daoist, Xueming slowly relearns the ways of a civilized man by taking on a number of odd jobs: aiding his brother in treating patients, helping a friend handle clients, and even tending to a former official’s mysteriously ailing wife…

But the more he learns about those left behind by the previous regime, the more desperate he becomes to learn the truth of what happened before his arrest. Fragments of his past life won’t stop haunting him.

And at the heart of every broken memory is a single name—

Qingling.

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Head's up:

- Each arc is a smaller journey building on the bigger mystery of the past

- Xianxia setting, MC has a history of cultivating but it's not the focus of the present timeline

- Third person POV

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Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: whenthebelltolls

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 27
Views: 17,407

Chapters(104 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(3)

JeffersonSighsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is just very much peak, and very much underrated. It is currently 3 in the morning, and this is one of the few novels I've read throughout the years, that is both not brainrot, and is really good. It really does present such a evocative and fascinating story, of a premise most may have heard of or seen in the history books, merged with a delightful yet natural take on cultivation/xianxia, creating a setting that is both natural, and is being explored quite well. I'm currently at chapter 70, and while one may think that the steam is puttering out, the story only continues to build on itself, further and further, engaging me more and more with every twist, every heartbreak, and every reunion. Life was not kind to our protagonist/(s), and this really does not shy away from that. We've seen a clear exploration of his life, his rediscovery of it all, and how he interacts with his friends, family, and the people around him. The grammar is always impeccable, with no glaring errors to my high-school literature english background. Beyond that, maybe (MAYBE) around chapter 48 and after (like legit after the end of the arc then), it was a little bit jarring and like ungrounded there for a couple of chapters, but the author quickly got the show back on the road after that, and yeah, enjoyed reading this novel, was a pleasant surprise to see PEAK in my RS filter for once (filtered for cultivation, excluding reincarnation, time loop, isekai, harem (multiple lovers LOL like what ig polyamary is still a thing but maybe they should put a distinction on fanservice vs. legit exploration but ig it'll be clear from the book summary itself), litrpg, strong lead). Thanks to the author for writing!
SovereignKingdomRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
25 YEARS. That’s how long poor Xueming was locked away — no sunlight, no name, no memories, just a number. Can you imagine waking up one day and realizing you don’t even know who you are? Like, not even your favorite food?? Tragedy level: MAX.
And just when I thought my heart couldn’t hurt more, he finally finds a name. Not even a full backstory — just a NAME. That moment gave me actual chills. Xueming. From being just a number to reclaiming a fragment of his identity — it’s emotional.
Watching Xueming try to adjust to "normal" life is like watching a baby deer learning to walk in a minefield. Everything is strange. Everyone is a potential threat. And his memory? Still shattered like cheap glass after a storm. But every little discovery he makes about his past had me SCREAMING internally.
Now... let’s talk about that EVIL KING.
I have BEEF with him. Like seriously, I want to throw him into a pit filled with betrayal, lies, and expired yogurt. How do you imprison someone for 25 years and erase their entire existence?! The audacity. The villainy. The nerve!!! I’m so mad.
This book serves up suspense, emotion, and psychological intrigue like a chef with a very sharp knife. It’s sad and mysterious.
Would I recommend it? YES. But prepare your heart. You’re going to feel like you’ve been emotionally mugged… in a good way.
TL;DR:
Tragic hero? ✔
Lost memories? ✔
Mysterious past? ✔
Evil king you want to punch? ✔✔✔
Xueming deserves the world.
And I will riot if he doesn’t get a happy ending.
kabtoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story made me tear up many times, even though there aren’t a lot of chapters yet. It’s written wonderfully, and the story is really well made. I found myself genuinely invested in what was happening and connected with the characters and moments throughout. The writing flows nicely, and it kept pulling me in with every chapter.
I kept hoping there would be a Patreon or something similar so I could keep reading more after catching up, which should tell you how much I liked this story. It’s not often that a story sticks with me like this, especially one that’s still in its early stages. Even with fewer chapters, it left a strong impression and made me care about what’s going on.
I really hope the author continues writing and developing the story because it has a lot of potential and heart. It also deserves to gain more popularity, because it’s definitely worth the attention.
Thanks to the author for putting this out there—I’ll be keeping an eye out for updates and looking forward to seeing where things go from here. Great work so far, and I hope more people get to read and enjoy it too. mhm