Beating

Story context

This quiet interlude turns into one of the most gut-punching displays of *learned humanity* in *Dao Gui Yi Xian*. Li Sui, the child-like entity adopted by Li Huowang, wanders into a small town where an elderly blacksmith couple mistakes her for their long-lost daughter, “Ni’er.” Eager to learn the folk craft of “beating the tree” (splashing molten iron against a city wall to create a fiery waterfall), Li Sui plays along. But soon the past catches up: a thuggish husband appears, the one who originally sold Ni’er, and the violence he brings teaches Li Sui something no manual ever could—a raw, baffling anger that she has never felt before. It’s a chapter about family love, societal cruelty, and a monster learning to be human through the most painful lessons.

Why it matters

*Get your heart ready, Daoists.* This chapter is a masterclass in emotional misdirection. You walk in expecting Li Sui to learn a fun trade secret, and you walk out with your chest hollowed out by the casual cruelty of the real world. The old couple’s desperate joy is so earnest that it hurts to watch, especially knowing the real Ni’er is long gone. The gangster’s appearance isn’t just a villain moment—it’s a trial by emotion for Li Sui. She doesn’t understand “love” or “loss,” but she *feels* the injustice. The classic *Dao Gui* trick: let the horror of human evil speak for itself, while our inhuman protagonist slowly, bewilderingly, picks up the pieces of what it means to be wronged.

Quick facts

Appears in chapters

Jump back into the novel from the exact chapter references used to build this glossary page.

Related terms

Explore connected lore, concepts, and glossary entries from the same novel.

Source novel

Dao Gui Yi Xian