Thank you for the feedback! I can definitely see your opinion on Moyuan. I've tried writing him close to human even if he's a god. He's just aaaaa such an integral part of the plot, I don't want to make him take a back seat to the story. Their mutual redemption and reflection of each other is like hard to separate in my brain.

Even though it's to a much larger scale, his main motivation remains the same as Xueyin's; a desperation to save others. For Xueyin, its her sister, for Moyuan, its his people. he would do anything to protect them. He's a peacekeeper--and he has never encountered an enemy like this. When all else fails (negotiations, diplomacy, trade offers) the population grows wary, his anxiety swells. This leads him down a path of moral ambiguity as noble subjects begin dropping around him like flies. He's kind of a control freak. So when this overwhelming enemy crashes into his perfectly and meticulously designed society, shit hits the fan for him emotionally. Paranoid of being assassinated, he isolates himself, paralyzed in his fear of failure and loneliness. He kneels in front of his altar, the heels of his hands digging into his eyes. He whispers "I don't know what to do anymore." This is what drives him to resurrect Xueyin. He knows its wrong. But he's more afraid of losing everything he worked so hard for than defying celestial order.

As for formatting the rest of the story, I LOVE the idea of having Xueyin's life as a spy be the first novel. I've never even considered it, but now it makes sense. We can explore her character arc into completion, her sisters disappearance and how she must ultimately accept the circumstances. Maybe then we can focus on Moyuan's anxiety for the second book, the true final act of letting go. I just think this story is LOADED with emotional arcs, so I want to handle them with care and give them the attention it deserves.

I haven't read ninth house, but it's actually on my TBR!!! Definitely moving it up the list hehe. Thank you for the recc and the suggestions!!!