In the latest twists of Fate Chooses You (佳偶天成), a curious decision shakes the foundation of its cultivation world. Futian (伏天), a mortal who runs the Qinghong Sect (青虹教), needs a Nascent Soul cultivator’s spiritual root to heal the wounded Nian Kong (念空) Venerable. He bypasses the obvious choice—Bai Zongying (白宗英), a far more powerful and established Nascent Soul master—and instead targets Xin Mei (辛湄), who has just barely broken through to that level and lies badly injured.
At first glance, the logic seems flawed or even cruel. But beneath this act lies a web of hidden loyalties, old grudges, and a secret underground trade that turns cultivators into livestock. This is not a random attack. It is a calculated move shaped by fear, hatred, and a dark pact between the Qinghong Sect and the very sects that pretend to uphold justice.
The Master’s Silent Command
Futian does not act alone. His choice reflects the unseen hand of the “Venerable Master,” a mysterious figure behind the throne of the orthodox sects. Earlier in the story, Zuo Yingying (左盈盈) hints that Bao Ri (宝日) Venerable—a subordinate of Li Mofu (李莫负)—is planted by those sects. And Li Mofu himself runs Tianyuan Sect (天元派), a powerful force in the Central Plains. Who benefits most from the Qinghong Sect’s dirty work? That same mastermind. When Bao Ri sees that Nian Kong needs a spiritual root, he makes sure Futian spares Xin Mei—because she is Li Mofu’s prized disciple. He would never sacrifice his boss’s favorite student unless absolutely forced.
Futian understands this unspoken rule. He might run the Qinghong Sect, but he still bows to the Venerable Master’s wishes. So his first target is not the stronger cultivator but the one who belongs to the right faction. That is why he goes after Xin Mei. Her injury and her new, unstable level make her a convenient scapegoat—but only because the real power above him says so. He is not a free agent. He is a tool holding another tool.
Yet the moment Xin Mei’s body activates its own protection—making her spiritual root impossible to extract—Futian’s face turns cold. He must now look elsewhere. And the only other Nascent Soul cultivator in the room is Bai Zongying. The switch seems forced by circumstance. But in truth, it was always an option Futian kept on the table, waiting for permission—or the absence of it.
A Wound That Never Healed
Futian’s hatred runs deeper than duty. Years ago, he was bought as a slave to serve Lu Qianqiao (陆千乔), a gifted rogue cultivator. Together they killed the evil practitioner Duan Xianyin, but their bond never became friendship. Lu Qianqiao refused to let Futian follow him, fearing his own dangerous path would destroy the younger man. That rejection still burns. Futian wanted a brother. He got abandonment instead. Now, trapped in the Qinghong Sect as a mortal commanding stolen cultivation power, he sees Lu Qianqiao’s face everywhere—especially in Xin Mei, who is Lu Qianqiao’s beloved partner.
By tearing out Xin Mei’s spiritual root, Futian does more than obey his master. He strikes at the one person Lu Qianqiao loves. It is a twisted revenge: “You left me. Now I will leave you with nothing.” He cannot defeat Lu Qianqiao in a fight—no mortal can. But he can destroy what Lu Qianqiao cherishes. That thought gives Futian a dark satisfaction. He murmurs to himself, “Even a Nascent Soul cultivator falls to a mortal like me.” This is not arrogance. It is the scream of a man who had no control over his life, finally grabbing the wheel and steering it into someone else’s heart.
But when Xin Mei’s protection kicks in, the revenge fantasy shatters. Futian cannot touch her. So his rage turns to Bai Zongying—not because Bai personally wronged him, but because he is available, vulnerable, and worthless to the Venerable Master. In that moment, the hatred for Lu Qianqiao mixes with a cold, bureaucratic cruelty. Any cultivator will do. They are all the same to him: symbols of a world that used him and threw him away.
The Cultivator as Currency
Some viewers ask: why does Bao Ri Venerable not protect Bai Zongying? After all, Bai is also a disciple of Li Mofu. The answer lies in the ugly deal between the Qinghong Sect and the orthodox sects. The Qinghong Sect refines spiritual roots into a golden liquid that allows mortals to break through cultivation barriers. They dilute it into Yangyuan Pills (养元丹), which supply the entire Central Plains’ sects. The sects need this dirty resource, so they tolerate—even encourage—the Qinghong Sect’s kidnapping and killing of their own kind. In exchange, they hand over their unwanted disciples.
Li Mofu sent Bai Zongying to Bei Xiang (北襄) fully aware of the risks. He did not send a warning or a protection order. For ten days after Bai’s capture, no message arrived from Tianyuan Sect. That silence speaks louder than any command. Bai Zongying is not a beloved disciple. He is a pawn. Useful enough to be placed in danger, expendable enough to be left there. When Futian finally turns on him, he is not betraying any promise. He is simply following the unwritten rule of their transaction: the sects provide the bodies; the Qinghong Sect does the dirty work.
And what of Bai Zongying himself? Even as they pin him down to extract his spiritual root, he does not understand. He only screams about losing his status as a “heavenly prodigy.” He never once asks why his master abandoned him, or what happened to the noble path he thought he walked. The tragedy is not just the loss of his cultivation—it is that he never saw the chains around his own neck. Futian, for all his cruelty, at least knows he is a puppet. Bai Zongying dies a second death before the first one lands: the death of illusion.