Painting the Mists

Martial cultivators, flying swords, and magic talismans. Life for Cha Ming is a daily grind. A rat race where people don't make any real decisions. When he asks the universe for something more, fate itself answers his prayer. A talisman brush older than time itself sends him to another world, where magic, fortune, and danger await. Now, the world is at his fingertips. He has a new life, a new body, and can wield the five elements. It's too bad his new home is a place where might makes right, and immortal cultivators and demons fight at the drop of a hat. But where the divine brush goes, danger follows. As its wielder, Cha Ming can't stay out of trouble. There are many who seek the Clear Sky Brush, and they'll stop at nothing to find it....

The kindest hearts make the cruelest villains. The perfect tools if you know where to buy them.... Cha Ming's new brother is a demon fox. He's cute. He's naughty. And he's always hungry. If only Godbeasts didn't grow so damned quickly. When the duo joins their classmate Gong Lan on an expedition, they soon discover that not everything is as it seems. It's not rebels they're fighting, but devils wearing human skins. Can they disrupt an evil merchant's soul trade without the help of the army? Gong Lan's techniques are driving her mad, and it's only a matter of time before she turns on them.

Cha Ming and Huxian have faced the heavens and lived.... Crippled and broken, Cha Ming finds himself in an isolated village. Only the efforts of a mortal doctor are keeping him alive. His qi pathways are ravaged, and his organs are failing. It's only a matter of time before his wounds claim him. Meanwhile, Huxian finds himself in his natural environment - a mountain crawling with powerful demons. To survive, he'll need to eat or be eaten. It's a good thing eating is what he does best. One man. One fox. One shared life. If one fails, so does the other....

He'd like to forget, but the pain runs deep.... After fighting off a group of bandits, Cha Ming helps a people rebuild. His heart is heavy with guilt, but he can't stay long. To face an inevitable foe, Cha Ming must journey to Quicksilver City, where he'll meet the man who once enslaved him. Will he find the courage to face him? Meanwhile, Huxian, the two-tailed fox, is enjoying his new role as the ruler of a demon mountain. The perks are great, but the position comes with heavy responsibilities. When Cha Ming's friend Wang Jun finds an immortal-jade mine on his doorstep, he has no choice but to defend it. It's Huxian's pride against Wang Jun's ambitions. Cha Ming must find middle ground. If he doesn't, he'll lose one of his friends. Forever.

Some debts are never forgiven. Even in death... When Cha Ming goes to help his friend Wang Jun's ailing business in the capital, the last thing he expected was to compete with a seer. Their opponent is always one step ahead, and it's sink or swim in this devil-infested marketplace. To make matters worse, the king has been poisoned. Cha Ming is barely keeping him alive. If they don't find a cure, a fight for succession is all but certain.... But the Song Kingdom's issues run deeper. Evil spirits have sown deep seeds of resentment. Cha Ming and his friends must pull them out by the roots, because if they don't, a civil war will be the least of their worries.

On a Jade Moon between the stars, Cha Ming finds true love. But can he save her? Cha Ming's qi core is broken. Practicing martial arts is difficult and painful. But the Monkey King is fading fast, and he'll need something stronger than mortal medicine to recover. To that end, Cha Ming must cross the Bridge of Stars. The competition is stiff, and it will be hard to pass, even with the three-tailed fox Huxian by his side. It's a good thing he meets a pretty lady who's only too happy to help. Yu Wen is kind, intelligent, and everything Cha Ming could ever hope for. Their bond grows every day. But a great evil has been following her for as long as she can remember, and now it knows exactly where to find her....

Not all wounds heal. Some scars, you keep forever. Cha Ming has returned from Jade Moon Planet stronger than ever. The Monkey King is back. Huxian's demon collection is up an ugly toad. They even took back an entire garden. But life is far from perfect. Yu Wen, the love of Cha Ming's life, is dead. He has vowed to find her in the cycle of reincarnation. To do that, he must journey to Haijing City to heal his core. Little does he know that the ancient underwater empire is a linchpin in the struggle between angels and devils. Meanwhile, Wang Jun has returned from his long exile. His influence in Gold Leaf City has waned. He must rebuild it to fight his corrupted family. It could cost him everything; even his soul.

Sabotage is an art. Cha Ming plans to paint a masterpiece.... A war between angels and devils is in full swing, and it's a war Cha Ming can't avoid. To deal a pre-emptive blow, he journeys to the South. His mission? Infiltrate the Wang family. Incriminate it. Then break it. Back in Gold Leaf City, Wang Jun is in a neck-and-neck competition with his brother. He's given up on fairness and will use any means necessary to win. Hong Xin and her courtesans are helping him from the shadows, but as head of the Red Dust Pavilion, she has her own worries.... Meanwhile, a dark creature has escaped its ancient prison. It devours everything in its wake. Feng Ming and the old Sea God Emperor fight to buy everyone precious time, because this time, the plane itself is at stake.

The Clear Sky Brush painted the world. Will one of its creations destroy it? Gears have been turning for centuries, and war has broken out. Cha Ming and Feng Ming rush to shore up the North's meager defenses before devils from the South overrun them. No country can escape. In Gold Leaf City, Wang Jun has betrayed the North. He loathes his own actions, but he will do what he must to protect his beloved. He weaves a deep web while walking on the edge of a razor. A single misstep will cost him everything. Meanwhile, Huxian rushes to complete the Candle Dragon's trials. He fights with his life on the line because he alone knows the strength of their true enemy: a fiendish hunger that devours worlds....

Cha Ming and Huxian are back at the bottom of the food chain. Emperors and immortals would kill for their secrets. The Inkwell Plane is a magical place. Daoist arts and technology work hand in hand, and transcendents are on friendly terms with demigods and demons. But not all is well. As a new ascendant, there aren't many people who are weaker than Cha Ming. He must fight to prove his worth and carve out a place for himself in this dog-eat-dog world. To succeed, he may need to share more secrets than he's comfortable with. Huxian and his friends find themselves surrounded by strange new customs and powerful demons. Why toe the line when they can start breaking rules the moment they land? It's too bad demonic society doesn't take kindly to thieves and scoundrels. They'll need to adapt if they ever hope to be reunited with Cha Ming. One man. A pack of rowdy demons. A world that's falling apart. It's rotten at its core, and no god, demon, or immortal can save it.