CompletedNight Marquis—a mysterious, enigmatic figure.
With black hair, phoenix-like eyes, and a monocle, he always wears a long gown, exuding an aura of calm detachment. He runs a tiny, secluded teahouse filled with priceless artifacts.
Guests come and go; some revere him, some despise him, some adore him, and some fear him. Yet no one truly understands him. He seems invincible and indifferent, but occasional glimpses into his past reveal cracks in the façade. Like the full moon marred by imperfections or a flawless jade with a chip, his past is a patchwork of sorrow and solitude. He is a relic from a forgotten time, guarding bleak memories.
—This is the impression readers of the comic Legends of Mountains and Seas have of Night Marquis: a striking, tragic, and powerful character.
Whenever he appears in the story, the comment section erupts:
“I love him so much, please don’t hurt him!! QAQ”
“Who can resist Night Marquis? No one!!! [screaming]”
“Why must he lose everyone he loves? This is emotional torture!!!”
Meanwhile, Yu Tu—the creator of Night Marquis—watches these comments with a single, slow question mark.
Is he cursed with some built-in tragic filter? Stop giving him extra backstory, people!
His occasional disappearances? That’s just because he’s busy with school.
Spacing out? That’s him genuinely daydreaming, not brooding over tragedies.
Red-rimmed eyes? That’s from eating spicy hotpot, not some “emotional depth.”
Please, wake up! Stop over-analyzing him!!
—
The comic Legends of Mountains and Seas became a breakout hit, topping charts and earning the title of "No. 1 Comic" among fans. Night Marquis’s character drove readers to tears over and over, their sorrow so intense it could drown Mount Everest and fill the Pacific Ocean. Every day, fans worried that Night Marquis might meet his end in the story.
Yu Tu, however, could only respond with six words:
...
Then, when the barriers between the real and comic worlds weakened, people discovered that the story was real!
Spiritual energy, cultivation, magic, sword flight—everything was real!
And Night Marquis? He was also real!
Yu Tu: “...”
Manually adding more concealment wards to his teahouse, Yu Tu thought with a deadpan expression:
“This is unlivable.”
Warnings:
Lighthearted, slice-of-life tone.
Both Yu Tu’s real identity and alter ego feature heavily, with a shift toward the alter ego in later chapters.