I liked this fantasy in the style of ancient Chinese folklore a whole lot! There is a big chunk of info-dump in the middle, but that actually works very well with the style. Ai Ling is a wonderful character - not anachronistically wonder-gal, but brave and determined, and her particular spiritual powers are a delight.

Spoilers ahoy!

DISGUSTING MERCHANT: Ohoho, with your father off at the Emperor's Palace there is no one to protect you, Ai Ling! I will force your mother into making you wed me!
AI LING: I don't think so! ROAD TRIP TO FETCH MY DAD, YO. I wonder if I will meet any interesting people on the way?
CHEN YONG: I am the serious, bookish, older brother.
LI RONG: I am the flirtatious, joking, younger brother.
AI LING: Boys who practice martial arts with their shirts off are so much more fun than disgusting merchants.

VARIOUS HIDEOUS AND TERRIFYING MONSTERS: Rarr! Grrr!
AI LING: *stab* *spirit attack*
CHEN YONG: Goodness me.
LI RONG: I think you mean, HELLO, HOTNESS.

AI LING: Hey, have you guys ever noticed that in most of the old tales, women are just prizes valued for their physical beauty and often abandoned or doomed to life as possessions rather than people?
ZHONG YE: I am a centuries old evil and I want to possess you for your physical beauty.
AI LING: I SO don't think so!

CHEN YONG: Hello, hotness.
AI LING: Um, so we're just going to awkwardly look at each other and then you're going to take off to look for your dad in far off barbarian lands? AND WE WILL NOT EVEN KISS?
CHEN YONG: Well, there's a sequel.
ME: Oh, there better be. Wow, I am so hungry. These food descriptions make me wish I could do some cooking instead of, oh, READING FOR THE NEXT 46 HOURS.