Shu Qing is a butterfly spirit who cultivated into an immortal and served as a minor steward on the Immortal Mountain. His life unraveled when he acted out of jealousy and malicious intent toward a little rabbit who had offended the Immortal Lord, the mountain's master and Shu Qing's secret romantic interest. The rabbit possessed a powerful backer, and Shu Qing's scheme failed catastrophically. As punishment, he was sentenced to three years in the Underworld. Rather than enduring menial labor, Shu Qing used his spiritual power and ruthless ambition to climb the social hierarchy, eventually securing a position as the King of the Underworld's chamber servant. This role, however, was one of profound humiliation, reducing him to a plaything for the tyrannical ruler who dominated the underworld.
The King of the Underworld is a powerful, capricious, and cruel figure who enjoys breaking Shu Qing's pride. Their relationship is defined by a cycle of torment and submission. Shu Qing endures the King's physical and psychological abuse with the goal of completing his three-year sentence and returning to the Immortal Mountain to confess his feelings to the Immortal Lord. He clings to a jade pendant given to him by the Immortal Lord as a symbol of his hope and motivation. Despite his outward submission, Shu Qing harbors deep resentment and a fierce desire for power. He refuses to accept his status as a mere object and begins to manipulate the political landscape of the Underworld to establish his own authority.
Shu Qing demonstrates his cunning by punishing servants who disrespect him, using the King's name as a shield while exploiting loopholes in the palace rules. He establishes a reputation for ruthlessness, beating subordinates and forcing them to drink sugar water as a form of psychological torture. His actions draw the attention of the King, who warns him against abusing private punishment. However, Shu Qing continues to assert dominance, revealing a personality that is cold, vain, and scheming. He is not a passive victim but an active participant in his own survival, using his beauty and wit to navigate the dangerous court politics.
A significant turning point occurs when the Mountain God, the King's brother and a rival, harasses Shu Qing in the garden. The Mountain God makes inappropriate advances and insults Shu Qing's status. In a moment of uncontrolled anger, Shu Qing slaps the Mountain God. The King of the Underworld intervenes, not to punish Shu Qing, but to protect him. The King dismisses the Mountain God's anger, reframing the incident as the Mountain God's fault for provoking a subordinate. This act reveals a complex dynamic where the King, despite his cruelty, claims exclusive rights over Shu Qing and rejects outside interference.
Following this incident, Shu Qing faces temporary exile from the King's favor. He is confined to his quarters and stripped of resources. However, he uses this time to consolidate his power base, punishing the Head Butler and other officials who had turned against him. He kills two minor stewards who mocked him, using the guards as witnesses to justify his actions as self-defense against provocation. The King returns, furious at Shu Qing's continued defiance and violence, but Shu Qing remains unyielding, maintaining that he acted within his rights. The story highlights the ongoing tension between Shu Qing's desire for freedom and his entanglement in the King's web of control, set against the backdrop of a dark, political underworld where power is the only currency.
