Xialun Qing

"I'm afraid choosing the life they wish to lead is a luxury... that is only afforded to the fortunate."

―Xialun Qing to Shimazu Saito, 1725.

Xialun Qing (died 1725) was a Chinese woman who worked as a tea waitress aboard Sun's floating gambling hall in Macau in the early 18th century.

After meeting and falling in love with the Dutch navigator John Young in 1725, Qing was saved by him during the gambling ship's destruction by Sun's enemies. She subsequently joined the Zhang Wei Union, an organization founded by John's friend, the Assassin Edward Kenway, and used her medical knowledge to help the organization's members as a doctor.

Qing eagerly accompanied her fellow Union members on their travels across Southeast Asia, where they searched for a set of three Pieces of Eden. However, after finding one of the artifacts—a crescent amulet—the Union members were imprisoned in the Sultanate of Sulu. Following their escape, Qing volunteered to recover the amulet, only to end up sacrificing herself to save John from the Chinese Assassin Xiao Han.

Biography

Early life

"As a child, I always felt like a ghost... never seen or noticed by anybody."

―Qing on her childhood, 1725.

A young Qing on the streets

Qing grew up an orphan on the streets of Macau. In her own words, she felt like a ghost because no one ever paid attention to her, forcing her to survive on her own. Eventually, she was able to find work aboard the floating gambling hall operated by Sun, the head of the Hualien Trading Company, as a waitress, though she would also occasionally tend to the customers' other needs.

At some point during her work aboard the gambling ship, Qing served as an aide to a doctor, allowing her to pick up some medical skills that would prove useful in her later life.

Meeting John Young

John: "Only a fool of a man would fail to see your delightful charm. My dear, I do declare you've ignited a passion within me."

Qing: "B-but, sir... are you sure you want to be with a girl like me?"

John: "You'll break my heart with such modesty. Come, tell me your name at least."

Qing: "My name... is Xialun Qing."

—Qing introducing herself to John, 1725.

One night in 1725, while working aboard the gambling ship, Qing met and fell in love with John Young, who had infiltrated the ship to serve as Edward Kenway's decoy. After John got drunk, Qing gave him a hangover cure of her own creation, which she modestly described as a "silly old trick" she had picked up ages ago. However, John was impressed and began to flatter her, calling her the brightest woman he had ever met.

John telling Qing to hide during the ninja's attack

Qing was embarrassed and questioned what John could possibly see in her, to which he admitted that Qing had ignited a passion within him and asked for her name. As Qing told John her name, the two closed in for a kiss, but were interrupted by a commotion outside their room. Seeing that the Shimazu ninja Edward had allied himself with were killing the ship's staff, John told Qing to hide and remain quiet if she wished to survive, before leaving to find Edward.

However, the ship later began to be bombarded with cannon fire by Admiral Zheng, forcing the civilians and staff to evacuate it. In the resulting commotion, Qing was accidentally thrown overboard but was rescued by John, who had stolen a gunboat. Qing then joined him in picking up Edward and Shimazu Saito before the group was rescued from Zheng's fleet by the Zhang Wei Union's flagship, the Fenghuang.

Joining the Zhang Wei Union

Edward: "I know all too well how difficult voyages can be without a doctor or medicine at hand! I'm glad to have you on board, miss!"

Qing: "Likewise! I look forward to the journey, sir!"

—Edward and Qing, shortly before sailing to the Philippines, 1725.

At the Zhang Wei Union's headquarters, Qing treated an injured Saito and helped her get dressed up afterwards. She later tended to a seemingly asleep John while the other Union members came together to decipher a sea log containing encrypted information on the location of Angkor.

Qing tending to a sleeping John

After the Union members resolved to travel to the Philippines to pick up on Ferdinand Magellan's trail and find Angkor, John decided to bring Qing along for the voyage. Before their departure, Qing created the poison darts for Edward's new blowpipe built by Yun Pyeong-Gyu, which made Saito question why someone with her talents had been working aboard Sun's gambling ship. Qing simply told her that choosing the life one wished to lead was a luxury afforded to few, causing Saito to apologize.

Edward was impressed by Qing's medical skills and, believing a doctor could prove useful on the journey, welcomed her into the Zhang Wei Union. Once all the preparations were complete, Qing boarded the Fenghuang alongside John, Edward, Saito, Yun, and Rupiya as the group left Macau and sailed towards the Philippines.

Journey to the Philippines

Soldier: "Listen here, young lady. We're not here to amuse ourselves."

Qing: "Oh, of course! You're protecting the ship for us, isn't that right? That's why I thought it would be nice to bring you some tasty treats and a drink to wash them down with... Just a little drink is all. What do you say?"

—Qing distracting a group of Spanish soldiers, 1725.

En route to the Philippines, the Fenghuang was attacked by Zheng's fleet and the Chinese Assassins Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan, who also sought to find Angkor. Although the ship's crew repelled the attack and lost their pursuers by sailing into a storm, many sailors were injured during the battle. Qing treated as many of them as she could before the Fenghuang was again attacked by one of Zheng's ships. Fortunately, the enemy vessel was sunk by a Dutch East India Company ship captained by Edward's ally Jan van Aert, who had decided to join the Union members in their quest for Angkor.

Qing and the others being arrested in Manila

Not long afterwards, both the Fenghuang and Jan's ship came under attack by two Spanish Men O' War, forcing them to surrender. The crews of the two ships were subsequently brought to Manila, where they were arrested by the Spanish authorities due to Jan's alleged involvement in Governor-General Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda's assassination six years prior.

While Jan and his men were imprisoned in Fort Santiago's dungeon, the Fenghuang's crew was forced to remain inside their ship, under heavy guard. During their imprisonment, John managed to learn that Governor Bustamante had been killed in a riot by Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta's supporters, and relayed this information to the others. Edward then decided to take matters into their own hands and had Qing distract the guards by bringing them food and drinks, allowing the rest of the crew to escape the ship.

After Edward and Saito rescued Jan's crew and the other Union members retrieved their confiscated weapons and supplies from a warehouse, the Fenghuang sailed away from Manila, followed closely by Jan's ship. When the Spanish Navy gave chase, Jan volunteered to distract their pursuers to give the Union members time to flee.

Once they had escaped from the Spanish fleet, Edward told Qing and the others about his and Saito's encounter with a monk who wielded a Piece of Eden in the shape of a crescent amulet. As Saito was still recovering from the amulet's effects, Qing tended to her while Edward ordered the crew to set a course for Cebu.

Excursion to Monkey Island

John: "I swar, if those scoundrels laid a finger on you—"

Qing: "I-I'm perfectly fine, my love. If anything, the people here treated me like an honored guest. In fact... I'm more worried you've scared these poor people half to death."

—Qing and John after being reunited on Monkey Island, 1725.

Qing and Yun attempting to reproduce the formula for Greek fire

Following their escape from Manila, the Union members discovered that the Spanish authorities had confiscated all of their food rations and attacked two passing Spanish schooners to take their supplies. Afterwards, the Fenghuang docked at a nearby village to resupply, where the natives instantly recognized and greeted the Union members, as Zhang had recently begun trading with them.

While Edward recruited several of the villagers into the Union, Qing and Yun attempted to recreate the formula for Greek fire. However, they were interrupted by the screams of John, who had been attacked by an unseen creature. Rushing to his aid alongside Edward and Rupiya, the group found John struggling to get rid of a baby monkey, much to their amusement.

While the others laughed at John's predicament, Qing calmed down the agitated monkey and cradled it until it fell asleep. As she pointed out that the monkey must have lost its parents, John suggested that they adopt it and Qing agreed. Afterwards, the Fenghuang departed the village and began its voyage to Cebu.

That night, Qing continued to assist Yun with his experiments, but they were interrupted once again, this time by the Fenghuang being bombarded with mortar fire. Rupiya was able to steer the ship to safety and Edward instructed him to take cover behind some rocks on the nearby Monkey Island.

With the crew trapped and unaware of where the mortar fire had come from, Qing offered a solution and revealed her and Yun's latest invention: a hot air balloon, which they dubbed the Celestial Chariot. After Yun suggested using it to survey the island, Qing volunteered to be the pilot, claiming that she wanted to be the first human to experience the miracle of flight. John opposed her decision due to being concerned for her safety, but both Qing and Yun assured him that she would be unharmed.

Qing surveying Monkey Island

After taking flight in the Celestial Chariot, Qing briefly admired the view before focusing on her task at hand. Surveying Monkey Island, she was able to determine the locations of all enemy encampments and mark them on a map, which she sent back to the Fenhuang, allowing the crew to fire on them. However, the Celestial Chariot then suffered a malfunction due to a sudden gust of wind and caught fire, with Qing still inside.

Remembering Yun's instructions on how to proceed in the event of an emergency, Qing jumped out of the burning balloon and deployed her parachute, landing safely on Monkey Island. However, her parachute ended up getting caught in a tree, leaving Qing stuck. Not long after, a group of natives found the stranded Qing and approached her, causing her to scream in terror.

Fortunately, the natives meant to harm and brought Qing back to their village, where she used her medical knowledge to treat their sick and wounded. Not long after, Qing and the natives were taken by surprise when an expedition led by Edward and John arrived in the village in search of her. Mistakenly assuming the villagers had kidnapped Qing, the group attacked them, only to realize their error of judgement when they saw Qing carrying a box of medicine.

After Qing explained that the natives had rescued her from the jungle, her fellow Union members felt remorse for having attacked them, especially when the village's chief allowed them to stay as guests. Qing later told Edward and John about the village's recent history and how most of its inhabitants had been forcefully recruited into a native resistance fighting against the Spanish colonists, which operated out of Monkey Island's fort.

Qing treating the villager

However, the conversation was interrupted by the sudden screams of a woman outside, who was pursued by what appeared to be a manananggal. After the monster was incapacitated and unmasked as one of the missing villagers, Qing brought the man inside, insisting that he required immediate medical attention. While Qing treated the villager, the chief informed the Zhang Wei Union members that others like him roamed the island's jungles, prompting Edward to come up with a plan to capture them.

After the successful capture of several brainwashed warriors, the Union members decided to use them to storm Monkey Island's fort and rescue the prisoners held there. Qing joined the others in their assault and jumped into the water after John planted explosives to destroy the fort. The group was soon picked up by the Fenghuang, and Qing was reunited with Yun, who immediately apologized for nearly getting her killed, but Qing revealed that Yun's parachute had saved her life.

Following this, Qing suggested rebuilding the Celestial Chariot and using the lessons learned from their failed prototype to improve the balloon. While Yun excitedly agreed, John was opposed to the idea, as he did not want to risk losing his lover again. After Qing told John that she knew how much he cared about her and that being a member of the Union was the first time she ever felt loved, John promised to find a place to call home and asked for Qing's hand in marriage, to which she excitedly accepted.

Confrontation in Cebu

"We'll build on the lessons of our failure and build an even better machine! A safer Celestial Chariot capable of soaring several people at once!"

―Qing coming up with the idea of a second Celestial Chariot, 1725.

After the Fenghuang departed Monkey Island and sailed to Cebu, Qing and most of the crew stayed behind on the ship while Edward and Saito went to the city to look for the next clue to Angkor's location. When the native resistance's fleet reached Cebu, John decided to attack it, and the Fenghuang easily sunk the enemy ships before picking up Edward and Saito, who had failed to prevent the resistance's leader Rajah from escaping with their prize: another sea log.

Qing and the others watching Edward, John, and Saito board the Celestial Chariot

The crew followed Rajah to Fort San Pedro, which the rebels had taken over, but could not think of any way to infiltrate it without getting within range of the fort's cannons. Yun offered a solution and revealed an improved Celestial Chariot he had built, which could carry up to three people at once. Edward and Saito subsequently volunteered to board it, with a reluctant John joining them, and the trio took off in the balloon while Qing and the others remained on the Fenghuang.

Following a naval battle against Zheng's fleet, which had also arrived in Cebu, the Fenghuang went to pick up Edward, Saito, and John, who had landed in the water after their escape from Fort San Pedro with the crescent amulet. However, the Piece of Eden proved to have negative effects on Edward, making him largely unresponsive. Qing examined the Assassin and concluded that, while physically stable, he appeared to have completely withdrawn into himself.

The crew was at a loss without their leader until John recalled that Jan van Aert had asked them to reconvene with him in the Sultanate of Sulu. The navigator subsequently ordered Rupiya to set a course for Sulu so that they could meet Jan while Edward was taken below deck to recover.

Showdown with the Shimazu clan

Qing: "Are you sure this will work, Lady Saito?"

Saito: "Knowing Fuma, yes. Even in the heat of the battle, he won't pass up a chance to take a valuable hostage."

—Qing and Saito discussing their plan to lure Fuma Sukuna into a trap, 1725.

En route to Sulu, Qing treated the crew members who had been injured during the fight in Cebu, including Edward, who was still recovering from the crescent amulet's affects. When the crew decided to dock on an island to resupply, Qing did not accompany Saito and the others who went ashore to gather resources, electing to remain on the Fenghuang.

Qing and Wukong playing with the children

After the crew secured an alliance with a group of native villagers by protecting them from a raid by Japanese mercenaries, Qing accompanied Edward to their settlement. There, she briefly spoke with John, telling him that Edward had yet to make a full recovery and was in a state of near-constant suffering. Afterwards, Qing went to play with some of the native children while her fellow crew members discussed strategies against the Shimazu clan, which was on their tail.

While John, Yun, and most of the crew ambushed the Rattan Shield Company, which was working with the Shimazu clan, Qing collected several medicinal herbs for Edward, easing his pain and allowing him to fight again. Qing, Edward, and Saito then spotted smoke in the distance, indicating that their explosive trap had been activated and that Yun and the others had faced more resistance than they had anticipated.

The trio immediately decided to go help them, but before they could leave, they were approached by the Japanese mercenaries Saito had encountered earlier, who had come to negotiate with her. After securing an alliance with Nagamasa and his men, Edward left to rescue Yun and the other crew members who were being pursued by Shimazu ninja, while Saito decided to set a trap for the ninja's leader, her former mentor Fuma Sukuna.

Knowing Sukuna could not resist the opportunity to take a valuable hostage, Saito had Qing serve as bait by standing in an open field while she hid behind a rock nearby. When Sukuna and several of his ninja arrived to try and capture Qing, Saito revealed herself and confronted them. She then signaled Nagamasa and his men, who emerged from their hiding spots and surrounded the ninja.

Qing and Edward regrouping with Yun and the others

The standoff was broken off by the arrival of Yun, Edward, and the other Zhang Wei Union members, causing the ninja to retreat and regroup with the Rattan Shield Company. Saito then devised a plan to trap and defeat their enemies while Qing and a weakened Edward fled to safety, as both of them were unable to partake in the upcoming battle. They were soon joined by Yun and the other Union members, and the group proceeded to make their way to the island's shore, where the Fenghuang would arrive to pick them up.

While waiting atop a cliff, the group was attacked by the Qing Empire's Special Cavalry Unit, but Edward protected Qing and the others and single-handedly wiped out the cavalry unit. However, the Assassin then began to be corrupted by the crescent amulet in his possession, just as Saito and Nagamasa arrived, having killed Fuma Sukuna and his ninja.

After Saito took the amulet away from Edward and placed it in a chest, the group decided to swim to the Fenghuang, which was unable to dock due to the Rattan Shield Company's presence on the beach. Parting ways with Nagamasa and his men for the time being, Qing and the others jumped off the cliff and managed to board their ship. Qing then joined an unconscious Edward below deck in order to look after him while the Fenghuang resumed its voyage to the Sultanate of Sulu.

Escape from Sulu

"If only I can bring back this artifact safely... I'll be back aboard the Fenghuang before long with John, Kenway and the others... We'll all be united once more..."

―Qing, after retrieving the crescent amulet, 1725.

Qing and Edward imprisoned in Sulu

In Sulu, the Union members were betrayed by Jan van Aert, who had made a deal with Sultan Badarud-Din I, promising to deliver him the crescent amulet in the Union's possession. With the Sultanate's fleet threatening the Fenghuang, the crew did not believe they had much of a choice and reluctantly accepted Jan's proposal. After surrendering the chest containing the amulet, the crew was imprisoned in Sulu, where Qing was made to share a cell with the unconscious Edward so she could continue to look after him.

When Edward woke up, Qing quickly brought him up to speed with everything that had happened, and handed him a eunjangdo knife that Yun had made for her. After Edward promised her that he would rescue all of their companions, Qing staged a distraction by banging on the cell's door and shouting that the Assassin was dying. When two guards entered the cell to investigate, they were swiftly killed by Edward with the knife, allowing him and Qing to escape.

Edward told Qing to stay behind for her own safety, but she insisted that she come along, arguing that she had proven herself more than capable of being helpful. The two then made their way to the cell holding John, Yun, and Saito, which was heavily guarded. Qing again offered to stage a distraction and approached the guards, claiming she had been sent to check on the prisoners. While the guards allowed Qing entry into the cell, her pet monkey Wukong knocked down several lamps, blinding the soldiers and allowing Edward to kill them.

John protecting Qing from the guard's attack

However, one of the guards realized Qing's deceit and tried to attack her in retaliation. John protected her, taking the hit instead, before the guard was knocked out by Saito. With John injured, Qing asked for Yun's help carrying him and the group began making their way to the Fenghuang. Outside, they ran into Rupiya, who was preparing to rescue them himself, and witnessed the arrival of Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan.

Unwilling to let the Chinese Assassins seize the crescent amulet, Edward decided to face them alone and ordered his allies to head to the Fenghuang. After Qing ripped a part of her dress to bandage John's wound, the navigator, refusing to let Edward risk his life, went after him. Following several moments of consideration, Qing also decided to follow her fiancé, to ensure no further harm came upon him.

Despite John's insistence that she head back for her own safety, Qing refused and helped John look for a way into the warehouse holding the amulet, which had been partially destroyed by cannon fire. When the pair were confronted by Xue Yan, John held off the Chinese Assassin while Qing found a small passage among the warehouse's debris. As she was the only one that could fit in, Qing decided to go through the passage and recover the amulet.

Inside the warehouse, Qing was attacked by Xue Yan, but after revealing that she was just a doctor, the Chinese Assassin let her go, not wishing to harm a non-combatant. She commended Qing's courage and warned her to stay out of her way, but while the Assassin had her back turned, Qing ran through an open door, moments before the path was blocked by falling debris.

Qing escaping from the warehouse with the amulet's chest

Now alone, Qing found herself in front of the chamber housing the amulet's chest, but the door was locked. While the doctor took a moment to rest, Wukong, who had accompanied her, found a set of keys on the body of a guard crushed by the falling debris. With the keys, Qing unlocked the chamber's door and retrieved the chest, before spotting a small passage leading outside.

As she crawled through the passage with the chest, Qing stopped halfway through. Although exhausted and scared, she motivated herself to carry on, telling herself that, once she brought the chest to Edward and John, they would all return to the Fenghuang and be reunited with the rest of their friends.

Sacrifice

Qing: "John... I'm so glad... that you're safe and sound... I only ever had one wish... To see as much of this world as we could together..."

John: "No! Don't talk like that!"

Qing: "You loved me... for the woman I am... Thank you... John."

—Qing's final moments, 1725.

After making it out of the warehouse, Qing spotted Edward and John fighting against Xiao Han and Liu Qing in the distance. As she prepared to join them, however, she was suddenly grabbed from behind by Xue Yan, who seized the chest and held a knife to her throat. With Qing as their hostage, the Chinese Assassins attempted to strike a deal with Edward, promising to release the doctor if he allowed them to leave with the amulet.

Qing sacrificing herself to save John from Xiao Han

However, the negotiations were interrupted by a volley of cannon fire striking the beach. In the resulting chaos, Xue Yan dropped the chest and released Qing. After Edward retrieved the amulet, he used its powers to defeat Xiao Han, but hesitated to take his life. This allowed the Chinese Assassin to break free from Edward's grasp, prompting John to intervene and knock him down. Furious, Xiao Han lunged at John with his sword, but Qing jumped in and took the blow instead.

As a devastated John asked her why she had done that, Qing told him that she was relieved to see him safe and that she had only ever wished to see as much of the world as she could with him. She then thanked John for accepting and loving her for who she was, and passed away in his arms. Moments later, John and Edward were forced to escape as soldiers arrived to confront them, reluctantly leaving Qing's body behind.

Legacy

"One day, when this voyage is done and our thoughts turn to home... I wanted nothing more than to build a family with my love Xialun. Let me ask you this, friend. If there is some way to bring back a loved one... would you not move heaven and Earth to make it so?"

―John to Edward and Saito, expressing his desire to bring back Qing, 1725.

John mourning Qing

Qing's death affected all of her fellow crew members, who each mourned her in their own way. Yun, devastated by the loss of his assistant, decided to focus on his work, building a third iteration of the Celestial Chariot. Meanwhile, Edward blamed himself for Qing's death, leaving him initially despondent as he believed that all his efforts to protect his loved ones were in vain, until a conversation with his wife Tessa helped him regain his resolve.

John was the most affected by Qing's death and held onto the piece of her dress she had used to bandage his wound as a memento. When the Templars later approached John and offered him a chance to resurrect Qing using the Pieces of Eden's power if he helped them acquire the artifacts, the navigator accepted, betraying the Zhang Wei Union and all of his friends.

Personality and traits

"In this endlessly wide world of ours... Perhaps I might find some kindred souls who need me as I need them. And what's more... There's no delight in life quite like spending time with someone who cares."

―Qing to John Young, 1725.

Qing was a kind and modest woman who did not think very highly of herself, in part because of her difficult upbringing, being forced to grow up alone on the streets. Although she became enamored with John the moment she met him, she believed that he was too good for her and as such was embarrassed when the navigator confessed his own feelings for her.

Qing embracing John

In the end, however, Qing agreed to give their relationship a try, especially after John saved her life. Although she would still be occasionally embarrassed whenever John became overprotective of her, she came to enjoy the positive attention she received from him, and excitedly agreed to marry and settle down with him.

Having been forced into a life of servitude aboard Sun's gambling ship, Qing saw joining the Zhang Wei Union as an opportunity to escape her old life and put her skills to better use. She enjoyed being in the company of people who treated her as an equal for the first time in her life and was excited to join them on their adventures. She also felt a moral obligation to help other people find their place in the world, just like how the Union had helped her find her purpose.

Qing possessed a love of science which allowed her to work well alongside Yun Pyeong-Gyu, assisting him with his various inventions. As Edward Kenway once said, when the two put their minds together, it was typically for "something that could save [their] very lives".

Qing was shown to be brave in certain situations, readily volunteering to pilot the Celestial Chariot despite the possible danger, and agreeing to serve as bait for the Shimazu clan. She also insisted that she join Edward in rescuing their imprisoned companions in Sulu, arguing that she had proven to be more than capable of looking after herself. In her final moments, Qing proved her love and devotion to John by bravely sacrificing herself to save him, valuing John's safety more than her own life.

Skills and equipment

"And crafting poisons is the least of it! She can heal ailments and treat wounds as well! Isn't she just extraordinary?"

―John telling Edward about Qing's abilities, 1725.

Qing treating an injured crew member

While working as an aide to a doctor aboard Sun's gambling ship, Qing picked up some medical knowledge, allowing her to treat wounds and heal various ailments. She was also a skilled chemist as she assisted Yun in creating the poison darts for Edward's blowpipe, and reproducing the formula for Greek fire.

In addition to her medical skills, Qing also appeared to be a talented actress, easily deceiving a group of Spanish guards into taking a break from their duties and accepting the food and drinks she had brought them.

As the lightest and shortest member of the Fenghuang's crew, Qing was able to fit in small spaces most people could not. This proved useful in Sulu, where she went through a narrow corridor to infiltrate a demolished warehouse and retrieve the crescent amulet. Her pet monkey Wukong was another valuable asset, as he could help Qing by staging distractions or fetching items for her.

Behind the scenes

Xialun Qing is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. Although in Chinese naming tradition, a person's surname comes before their given name, most characters refer to her as "Xialun" rather than "Qing".

There is some inconsistency regarding Qing's eye color, with certain episodes depicting her as having brown eyes while others show her with blue eyes.

Gallery

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  Qing with a disguised John aboard the gambling ship
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  Qing and John closing in for a kiss
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  Qing falling overboard during the evacuation of Sun's ship
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  Qing with John
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  Qing holding her pet monkey, Wukong
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  Qing stuck in a tree on Monkey Island
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  Qing serving as bait for the Shimazu clan
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  Qing being held hostage by Xue Yan
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  John holding a mortally wounded Qing
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  Qing's body being left behind in Sulu
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  Qing's body in her coffin

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple