History Characters / BewareOfChickenCrimsonPhoenixEmpire

[[folder:Zang Sheng]]
Young Master of the Shrouded Mountain Sect, eldest son of Elder Zang Zeng and older brother of Zang Li. A cultivator in the Spiritual Realm, he embodies his Sect's motto of "[[MightMakesRight Strength Above All]]" in everything he does.

* BigBrotherBully: Frequently subjected his younger brother Zang Li to his body-breaking training, eager to beat the weakness out of him and make him stronger. This only made Li resentful and drove him away from his brother.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Like his father, he is named after his ancestor and sect founder, Zang Zengsheng. [[spoiler:He is completely floored when he sees that Zengsheng was a DirtyCoward.]]
* TheSocialDarwinist: Lives and breathes his Sect's motto of "[[MightMakesRight Strength Above All]]". He desires combat and challenge as it means he'll be able to grow stronger, disdains anyone who breaks and stays broken, and hates that he is ordered to withhold his strength during the Rising Fist tournament as he views it as an insult. And he's completely honest about it too; when Yushang and her Qi-assisted ExcellentJudgeOfCharacter sees him, she can tell that he is eager to beat her and break her down, while holding no ill-will towards her and ''not meaning her any harm''.
* WorthyOpponent: Hold Bi De in good esteem after their fight, [[spoiler:even after Bi De reveals himself to be a chicken, ascends to the Spiritual Realm, and then beats him]].

[[folder:Zang Wen]]
An old member of the Shrouded Mountain Sect, who defected to the side of their old enemy, the foxes, when she realizes the treachery the sect was founded on. She was Su Nezan's old lover and Shenhe's aunt.

* DefectorFromDecadence: Was one of the more zealous and loyal members of the Shrouded Mountain sect, until she discovered the truth of the sect's origins and that the sect's Patriarch and Inquisitors were covering it up. She escaped their clutches and joined the foxes, and from then on, she was known as the "Arch-Traitor" in the sect's ranks.
* GoodCounterpart: To Zang Zengsheng, her sect founder. Both of them ended up falling in love with fox spirits, but while Zengsheng used that romance as a means to his own power [[spoiler:and ended up killing his lover when she stood in his way]], Wen saw his treachery and defected to her sect's mortal enemies, and remained loyal to them to the end.
* PosthumousCharacter: Is long dead when the story begins.
* PrecursorHero: To Yun Ren, as the previous (seventh) wielder of Summer's Sky.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zang Zhong]]
A Inner Disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.
----

!!!Other members
[[folder:Zhou Yingwen]]
A disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.

* ExcellentJudgeOfCharacter: Has a Qi-assisted knack of knowing which people are trustworthy and will look out for her, and which are only out for themselves - which is why when she joined the Shrouded Mountain sect, she gravitated instantly towards Bi De and his companions.

* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out Yun Ren looks "foxy" for a reason--Su Nezan is actually one of his ancestors.]]

* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.

* GoneHorriblyRight: After his own son fell to evil because growing up rich made him arrogant, Shen Yu's stated goal in raising and training the young StreetUrchin Jin Rou was to create "[[SelfMadeMan a man who forged a path that was truly his own. A man whose every advancement in cultivation was because of reagents that he gathered himself. A man who learned from others, but did not fall into their dogma... A man that was the purest expression of their own will]]". And by only giving him the minimum of cultivator support and making sure the Cloudy Sword sect didn't coddle him, Jin Rou did indeed forge a path that was ''truly'' his own... as in, [[DisobeyThisMessage it isn't even leading to the same place as every other cultivator's path]].

* RedBaron: "The Unconquered Blade", a truncated name of his SignatureMove.

* GoodOldWays: He espouses the virtues of the Cloudy Sword sect's Honored Founders in all his actions, from following protocol to deliver honorably-departed sect members their mail, to listening to mortals who prove wiser.

* UnstoppableMailman: For one, Jin followed procedure when leaving, and thus he's entitled to receiving mail delivered to the sect; and for two, his mail was sent by a very, very important character. So come hell or high water, he's receiving his mail. This results in Lu Ri deciding to create the Phoenix Empire's first dedicated postal service.

An old member of the Shrouded Mountain sect, who defected to the side of their old enemy, the foxes, when she realizes the treachery the sect was founded on. She was Su Nezan's old lover and Shenhe's aunt.

!!!Other members
[[folder:Zhou Yingwen]]
A disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.

* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:The real Zang Li was killed shortly before the story's start. The person who Jin meet is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator who [[KillAndReplace took control of Zang Li's body after killing him]].]]

Zang Li is a cultivator of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Haughty, callous, and self-centered, he is the very image of a standard issue [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Young Master]]. [[spoiler: His real name is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator who [[KillAndReplace took control of Zang Li's body after killing him]].]]

* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:The real Zang Li was killed shortly before the story's start, and his body was possessed by a demonic cultivator.]]

* SternChase: After Zang Li was revealed to have been possessed by a demon, she was tasked to track down all remnants of the demonic cultivator cells and root them out.

An old member of the Shrouded Mountain sect, who defected to the side of their old enemy, the foxes, when she realizes the treachery the sect was founded on. Su Nezan's old lover, and Shenhe's aunt.

* OhCrap: His reaction when he discovers Zang Li got them in trouble with the far stronger Cloudy Sword sect.

* TheBusCameBack: [[spoiler:He is one of two confirmed survivors of a demonic cultivator ambush, alongside Zhou Yingwen. [[FacialHorror Half his face was flayed down to the bone]], and he [[AnArmAndALeg lost one of his legs]].]]

** When Jin's response to his letter was a message tube that sprayed Shen Yu with horse dung, the two observers to this event are horrified. Shen Yu roars with laughter.

Two powerful cultivators of the SHI sect who appear in the sidestories. Often noted by other characters and the comments to share a single brain cell. Commonly referred to as the Storm Wings of Soaring Heaven's Isle.

* PowerfulButIncompetent: They possess immense destructive power, but very little self-control or intelligence to make use of them. The Soaring Heaven's Isle sect sends them on missions where collateral damage is a non-factor.

* ImplacableMan: Downplayed. Once he has his mission, nothing in the Azure Hills will stop him from locating his target and... delivering his mail.

[[folder:Zang Li / [[spoiler: Lu Ban]]]]

Zang Li is a cultivator of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Haughty, callous, and self-centered, he is the very image of a standard issue [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Young Master]]. [[spoiler: His real name is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator and BodySnatcher.]]

* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler:The demonic cultivator Lu Ban took Zang Li's body to indulge in violence and sex.]]

* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. He despaired both times when Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth.

* WhatsUpKingDude: He's both a close enough friend and powerful enough to be casual with Fengyan, ''TheEmperor of the Phoenix Flame Empire''.

* AffablyEvil: Downplayed; he's not truly evil, but he remains upbeat and humourous despite carrying out the morally questionable orders of his Young Master. He bursts into a bar with a smile on his face [[spoiler:when attempting to capture Yun Ren]].

* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler:Lu Ban took Zang Li's body to indulge in violence and sex.]]

* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:The real Zang Li was killed shortly before the story's start.]]

* UsedToBeASweetKid: Admittedly by [[WorldOfJerkass cultivator standards]], but according to Shrouded Mountain Elder Zang Shenhe (cousin to his father), young Zang Li was a quiet boy who wanted to [[ToBeAMaster develop his strength]] and [[WellDoneSonGuy please his father]]. He struggled with a developmental bottleneck and left on a journey once he'd had a breakthrough. [[spoiler:Then Lu Ban ate him and wore his body like a coat. We, the audience, never met the man.]]

* WhiteSheep: In comparison to pretty much every other living member of her family seen thus far, she is seen sympathizing with Zang Li's previous struggles to grow stronger, and is fully committed to destroying the demons over the foxes. [[spoiler:It might be InTheBlood, as unlike the other family branches which are descended from [[DirtyCoward Zang Zengsheng]], she and her aunt are descended from the more noble First Patriarch of the Lightning Brigade, [[IdealHero Zang Yong]].]]

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Like his father, he is named after his ancestor and sect founders, Zang Zengsheng. [[spoiler:He is completely floored when he sees that Zengsheng was a DirtyCoward.]]
* TheSocialDarwinist: Lives and breathes his Sect's motto of "[[MightMakesRight Strength Above All]]" in everything he does. He desires combat and challenge as it means he'll be able to grow stronger, disdains anyone who breaks and stays broken, and hates that he is ordered to withhold his strength during the Rising Fist tournament as he views it as an insult. And he's completely honest about it too; when Yushang and her Qi-assisted ExcellentJudgeOfCharacter sees him, she can tell that he is eager to test her, beat her and break her down, while holding no ill-will towards her and ''not meaning her any harm''.

An old member of the Shrouded Mountain sect, who defected to the side of their old enemy, the foxes, when she realizes the treachery the sect was founded on. Su Nezan's old lover.

* TokenGoodTeammate: Is a ReasonableAuthorityFigure in comparison to most of the other sect Elders. He is less focused on the sect's grudge against the foxes in favor of the more serious threat of the demons, [[spoiler:assists Bi De in spreading his demon-purifying herbs throughout the sect]], and [[spoiler:after the sins of Zang Zengsheng and the Inquisitors are revealed, he rallies the rest of the sect against them to try and preserve some part of their honor]].

* CuddleBug: She's a very huggy person, much to her roommate Ri Zu's chagrin.

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: As one of the preeminent cultivators in the setting, this is practically a given. He's a LivingLegend that can master everything from Jin's curveballs, to Biyu's crystal carving formations, and go on to [[spoiler: snuff a Sect Master's Qi with his own]] with such ease it's described as almost ''gentle''.

* TheSocialDarwinist: Lives and breathes his Sect's motto of "[[MightMakesRight Strength Above All]]" in everything he does. He desires combat and challenge as it means he'll be able to grow stronger, disdains anyone who breaks and stays broken, and hates that he is ordered to withhold his strength during the Rising Fist tournament as he views it as an insult.

!Crimson Phoenix Empire
The empire that comprises the entire land, of which the Azure Hills are a province of.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zang Li / [[spoiler: Lu Ban]]]]
Zang Li is a cultivator of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Haughty, callous, and self-centered, he is the very image of a standard issue [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Young Master]]. [[spoiler: His real name is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator and BodySnatcher.]]

[[folder:Zhou Yingwen]]
A disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: ''Immediately'' backs down and offers submission when [[BigDamnHeroes Jin]] arrives at the fight at Dueling Peaks.
* [[MyCountryRightOrWrong My Sect, Right Or Wrong]]: He finds some of the orders given to him by his Young Master distasteful, [[spoiler:such as kidnapping Tigu, who at least physically appears to be a teenage girl]], but holds obedience to his sect as a virtue and [[JustFollowingOrders proceeds with the tasks anyway]].
* OhCrap: His reaction when he discovers Zang Li got them in trouble with the far stronger Cloudy Sword sect.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: When a furious Jin states he had thought Zang Li was an imposter he, wishing to avoid escalating and risking to get himself and the group killed and shame his Sect, latches on it and claims it's most likely the case, with a demon or a fox having replaced the real one as a real member of Shrouded Mountain would never do what he did and cause the situation that aroused Jin's anger. [[spoiler:Turns out that his young master really ''was'' an imposter: Zang Li is long dead and is being worn by Lu Ban like a coat, and the ''real'' Zang Li was a much better person that wouldn't have tried to rape Meihua to begin with]], and Yingwen didn't expect Jin to return with proof.
* ShockAndAwe: [[SignatureMove In common with the rest of his sect]], he throws lightning bolts around as a primary means of attack.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Quick enough on the uptake to note the physical resemblence between Rou Jin and Rou Tigu, not to mention Jin dropping the name outright:
-->“You may call me Rou,” the powerful expert stated.
-->''Rou''. Rou Tigu. Yingwen closed his eyes. Family. This powerful Expert’s daughter, most likely. They were all going to die this night, weren’t they?

[[folder:Fenxian]]
One of Zang Li's entourage, a tall and jovial fellow.

* AffablyEvil: Downplayed; he's not truly evil, but he remains upbeat and humourous despite carrying out the morally questionable orders of his Young Master. He bursts into a bar with a smile on his face [[spoiler:when attempting to capture Yun Ren]].
* JustFollowingOrders: Sees no problem with the moral issues inherent in following his Young Master's commands, even when they extend to things like kidnapping innocent people and children.

[[folder:Che "Fat" Han]]
A new disciple to the Shrouded Mountain sect, joining alongside Yushang, Bi De, Ri Zu, and Yun Ren/Biren. Is determined to break the family curse of rising to greatness inside the sect.

* AppropriatedAppellation: Took the name his detractors gave him with pride.
* BigFun: On the large side, but rarely drops his cheer and fun. He also has a habit of smuggling food to his fellow disciples.
* MagicalWeapon: His signature "Spirit Sword Formation" is designed to create artificial meridians in an object, allowing more effective qi reinforcement. Over time, it theoretically could cause a blade spirit to form.
* UndyingLoyalty: His family of "Che" is unwaveringly loyal to the Shrouded Mountain sect, to the point that many of them join their Fulmination squadrons and die in every engagement the sect is involved in. [[spoiler:[[SinsOfTheFather This is not a coincidence.]]]]

[[folder:Liao Yushang]]
A village girl from the Spine Mountains who became a new disciple to the Shrouded Mountain sect, joining alongside Fat Han, Bi De, Ri Zu, and Yun Ren/Biren.

* {{BFS}}: Her sword "Ascending Mountaineer" is a Heavy Sword of the Howling Sword Arts Academy, made of Lode Iron, is as long and heavy as she is, and with a bit of Qi, can increase its weight a hundredfold.
* BoisterousBruiser: [[GenkiGirl Is very loud and energetic]], and loves brawling as much as the next person.
* CuddleBug: She's a very huggy person, much to her roommate Ri Zu's chagrin.
* ExcellentJudgeOfCharacter: Has a Qi-assisted knack of knowing which people are trustworthy and will look out for her, and which are only out for themselves - which is why when she joined the Shrouded Mountain sect, she gravitated instantly towards Bi De and his companions.
* TheTease: Constantly makes jokes about providing encouragement and repaying favors with her body. None of her friends take her seriously.
** And when Bi De needs to distribute/sell spirit herbs, she helps him by getting his friends to act as salesmen [[SexSells dressed in revealing uniforms]].

[[folder:Shao Heng]]
A member of the Shrouded Mountain sect's Outrider Squadrons, who got gravely injured during a mission. Ri Zu had to destroy his cultivation to save his life, and now endeavors to help him rebuild it.

* AffectionateNickname: Yushang calls him "Uncle" due to his advanced age compared to the rest of the group.
* DePower: The injuries inflicted by the King Frost Wolf sent his internal Qi into a self-destructive frenzy, and Ri Zu had to destroy his cultivation before it took his life.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Is initially furious with Ri Zu for destroying his cultivation as death would be preferable to being a cripple, but Ri Zu eventually talks him around into the prospect of quickly rebuilding it with her help.
* HeroicResolve: [[{{Determinator}} Shao Heng doesn't quit.]] Perseverance was the first lesson he learned from his personal hero, and he sticks to it, even when his father argues with him, even when he devotes more attention to his cultivation than his duties, even when he faces certain death in the form of a King Frost Wolf, and though it falters briefly, ''especially'' when he is given the chance by Ri Zu to rebuild a destroyed cultivation from nothing.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: When he spells out that his focus on his cultivation led to him neglecting his own duties, including covering for his TraitorouslyAmbitiousSubordinate, which directly led to a King Frost Wolf getting by their patrols and becoming strong enough to cripple him, he begins to wonder if he is worth Ri Zu's healing.
* MotiveDecay: He joined the Shrouded Mountain sect because he wanted to join their Outrider Squadron to protect the villages just like the hero who saved his village, but after his father, the rest of his sect, and said personal hero said that a cultivator's main goal should be to challenge the heavens, that goal faded away to match. It was probably why his own personal cultivation stagnated, and him choosing to focus on improving his cultivation by slacking off on his Outrider duties was probably what led to the Frost Wolf that attacked him becoming as strong as it did.
* OldSoldier: Is in his 60s and an experienced cultivator and Outrider, and though his cultivation means he can keep his youthful looks, he likes his weather-beaten skin as it shows experience and ruggedness.

!!"Fox Mountain"

[[folder:Su Nezan]]
A Huli Jing (fox spirit) who has been living in a cave in the mountains for centuries. [[spoiler:Distantly related to the Xong brothers.]]

* AsianFoxSpirit: Su Nezan is one of the Chinese variation, known as a Huli Jing.
* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out Yun Ren looks "foxy" for a reason--Su Nezan is actually one of his ancestors.]]
* CunningLikeAFox: Both a fox spirit and very clever with illusions and tricks.
* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.
* IncestSubtext: Leading to an in-universe {{Squick}} moment, Nezan tries to seduce Yun to find out more about him, but it turns out "Fox + attractive female" looks really similar to Yun Ren's mom, which is a huge turn off for him. (When the Fox finds out, it remarks that many nobles don't seem to care.) [[spoiler:It turns out the resemblance is because they actually are related to each other; one of Nezan's relatives and one of the Xong ancestors were lovers and had children together]].
* ItsPersonal: Hates the Shrouded Mountain Sect for their massacre of the foxes living around the Howling Fang Mountains.
* MasterOfIllusion: Uses shadows [[spoiler:and after working with Yun Ren, light]] to weave complex and realistic illusions.
* {{Shapeshifting}}: Can shift between a fox or human form, of whatever gender.
* TricksterGod: Is a phenomenally powerful spirit and enjoys messing with Yun Ren (playfully) and others (not so playfully).
* TricksterMentor: Once he decides Yun Ren is worthy, he begins to teach him new illusion and image techniques, but takes every opportunity to tease and mess with him. [[spoiler:Like when he makes a spirit clone of himself to tag along with Yun Ren after he leaves the cave and secretly replaces Yun Ren's sword with Summer's Sky]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: When first meeting Yun Ren, he makes assumptions about what Yun is about to do based on his knowledge of what Cultivators are like... and then Yun Ren completely ignores all those standards. Nezan finds this so entertaining that he allows Yun Ren to stick around for a while.

[[folder:Summer's Sky]]
A sapient sword wielded by Nezan's lover centuries ago.

* EmpathicWeapon: Actually a quite friendly one. It is interested in new and unusual experiences, such as helping to teach a new and inexperienced wielder how to fight with a sword, cutting things besides people (e.g., wood and meat), and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking tasting tea]].
* InevitablyBrokenRule: When asked by Yun Ren, it explains that, despite sensing the weakened spirit of Sun Ne, it did not attempt to communicate, since as far as its experience goes, blades do not speak to each other unless locked in combat. [[spoiler:Yun Ren inevitably asks why not, prompting Summer's Sky to request such [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind an attempt]] after reminiscing about the clashes it has had in the past with other blades. It manifests in Sun Ne's world in the form of its previous wielder, and for the first time in its existence, peacefully interacts with Sun Ne, another blade.]]
* InsistentTerminology: When Summer's Sky begins training its new wielder [[spoiler:Yun Ren]] in swordsmanship, it insists on using the terminology for various techniques that he's familiar with. Embarrassingly for [[spoiler:Yun Ren]], he's mostly self-taught and he doesn't have any names for his techniques... just the FunnyBruceLeeNoises he made to himself when practicing alone.
* ShockAndAwe: Is capable of absorbing lightning attacks and redirecting them at will.

!Cloudy Sword Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world, and Jin Rou's original sect. It is located just east of Crimson Crucible City, where Jin grew up.

[[folder:Shen Yu]]
An immensely powerful and ancient cultivator who took Jin Rou off the streets as a boy, and informally adopted him as a grandson, before being called away to fight a demon invasion. An ally and former disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny:
** When Jin's response to his letter was a message tube that sprayed Shen Yu with horse dung, the two observers to this event are horrified. Shen Yu roars with laughter.
** Shen Yu lets out a chuckle when Meiling not only takes it in stride that he just mistook Xiulan for Jin's wife, but reveals she's keeping a tally.
** When Bi De, the titular chicken, [[spoiler: defeats a Young Master from the Shrouded Mountain Sect in front of the entire Sect and surrounding countryside]], it has him in stitches.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: As one of the preeminent cultivators in the setting, this is practically a given. He's a LivingLegend that can master everything from Jin's curveballs, to Biyu's crystal carving formations, and go on to [[spoiler: snuff a Sect Master's Qi with his own]] with such ease it's described as almost ''gentle''.
* DirtyOldMan: He greatly enjoys female company, whether cultivator or mortal. While traveling with Lu Ri, he drags him to a brothel.
** Goes into ChivalrousPervert territory, as his first words of advice to those he drags along are "Be a gentleman!" and he's capable of being quite charming to common courtesans and legendary Icy Beauties in equal measure.
* DisappearedDad: Dropped Jin Rou off at the Cloudy Sword sect when he was 12 and disappeared for three years to handle a request from the Emperor. In that intervening time, Rou was beaten up by his seniors and decided to leave the path of cultivation entirely.
* TheDreaded: Su Nezan is ''terrified'' of the man, since he's eaten plenty of Spirit Beast cores and is the subject of lots of stories, most of which go something along the lines of "There was an impossible to defeat threat located somewhere utterly inhospitable, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable and then Shen Yu stepped in and curb stomped it]]."
** [[spoiler: He scares the bejeezus out of the Shrouded Mountain Elders when he invites himself into their box at the tournament and effortlessly shows them who's top dog]]. [[note]] SMS Elder Chongyun notes the situation is ''far'' worse than he expected, [[EntertaininglyWrong having thought]] they were being checked by the Cloudy Sword Sect, who are famous for their fairness and LawfulGood demeanor. Shen Yu, on the other hand, is ''legendary'' for never letting an insult slide, and an SMS member (Zang Li) had previously assaulted Shen Yu's grandson Jin.[[/note]]
* EccentricMentor: He behaved this way for a young Rou.
* GoneHorriblyRight: After his own son fell to evil because growing up rich made him arrogant, Shen Yu's stated goal in raising and training the young StreetUrchin Jin Rou was to create "[[SelfMadeMan a man who forged a path that was truly his own. A man whose every advancement in cultivation was because of reagents that he gathered himself. A man who learned from others, but did not fall into their dogma... A man that was the purest expression of their own will]]". And by only giving him the minimum of cultivator support and making sure the Cloudy Sword sect didn't coddle him, Jin Rou did indeed forge a path that was ''truly'' his own... as in, [[DisobeyThisMessage it isn't even leading to the same place as every other cultivator's path]].
* HandicappedBadass: His last battle with the demons left his body wracked with demonic Qi and his cultivating a full realm lower than what it would be otherwise, and even Meiling's best medicine cannot fully cleanse the demonic Qi. He's still stronger than almost every other cultivator in the Empire.
* KingIncognito: In his "crazy old man" guise, he gives no indication-not even to his protégé Rou-that he is one of the oldest and most powerful cultivators in the world.
* LivingLegend: Nezan knows a lot of legends to Shen Yu's name, mostly along the lines of DefeatingTheUndefeatable. Probably part of the reason Shen Yu has taken to going incognito as an old drunk most of the time.
* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. He despaired both times when Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth.
* MasterSwordsman: His epithet is "the Unconquered Blade" for a reason. Just a single read of a swordsmanship scroll he wrote himself increases Xiulan's own skill by leaps and bounds.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Him raising Jin Rou is this, after his own son Shen Bu, whom he coddled and gave everything he wanted, went so bad and caused so much destruction that Shen Yu had to kill him. However, as he acknowledges later, he went too far the other way and gave Rou so little support that when things got really bad, Rou decided to abandon the cultivator life altogether.
* NoBadassToHisValet: To anyone who knows who Shen Yu is, he is a legendary cultivator who crushes demon armies, slays Spirit Beasts and changes the course of history. To Jin Rou, he is his demented "gramps" whom he pranks with horse piss and horse dung.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: When he first took Jin Rou off the streets, he played as if he really was an impoverished, slightly demented old man, when he is actually one of the strongest cultivators in the Empire who fights demon armies on the regular.
* OffingTheOffspring: Shen Yu had to put down his own son [[AntagonisticOffspring when he went power-mad and caused a lot of damage]]. [[LegacySeeker It's why he's so obsessed with crafting a new legacy to leave behind.]]
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Shen Yu had to [[OffingTheOffspring put down his own son Shen Bu]] after he went power-mad, and has a lot of hang-ups about [[LegacySeeker creating a new legacy afterwards]]. Part of the reason that he tries to hard to get Jin to renounce his chosen cultivation path is that Jin explicitly refuses to become immortal and chooses to die at the end of his life, meaning that the immortal-seeking Shen Yu might have to bury ''another'' (grand)son.
* ParentsAsPeople: Cares dearly for his adopted grandson Jin Rou, and wants nothing more than for him to become a powerful cultivator with nothing but his own grit and talent, craft the next stage of his legacy, and eventually join him in heaven through enlightenment. He therefore can't fathom Jin's own wish of abandoning the cultivator path altogether, giving his Qi back to the earth (meaning he'll never ascend), making his own heaven on his farm, and eventually dying after a life well lived. After a confrontation that almost escalates, the two eventually reach an understanding, though Shen Yu seems to have missed the point and now thinks that Jin is trying to ascend ''the whole province'' along with him.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Guy single-handedly incinerates an army of demons with as much apparent effort as scratching an itch. It's accepted by people who would know that him threatening to annihilate a powerful sect and crush the mountain they live on to gravel single-handedly is perfectly within his capabilities.
* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope. The growth of Jin's disciples is impressive but nothing unheard of; the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused he's ever had, but still special and nostalgic; he has no idea what the Qi-rich root that Jin found is; and the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting and fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing unfamiliar, urgent, or world-shattering.
* SelfMadeMan: Elder Ge remembers Shen Yu disclosing to him his origins as a StreetUrchin, and is now one of the strongest men in the world through nothing but his own hard work. He decides to adopt and raise Jin in the same way he grew (by giving him the bare minimum in guidance and resources and making sure the disciples of the Cloudy Sword sect do not know Jin's connection to him).
* RedBaron: "The Unconquered Blade".
* WaxOnWaxOff: Some of his early lessons to Jin took the form of sweeping or other cleaning.
* WhatsUpKingDude: He's both a close enough friend and powerful enough to be casual with Fengyan, ''TheEmperor of the Phoenix Flame Empire''.

[[folder:Xiao Ge]]
A ruling elder of the Cloudy Sword Sect and ancient ally of Shen Yu.

* ExactWords: Elder Ge hands out his punishment as an invitation for the guilty disciples to "trade pointers", i.e. spar, with him. In ''exactly'' the way they were accustomed to "trading pointers" with their juniors, AKA he beats them nearly to the point of death.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Elder Ge administers several to the disciples responsible for abusing the junior disciples of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Elder Shou blames the irascible Shen Yu for giving the Seven Fragrance Jewel Herbs the IronicName of "Lowly Spiritual Herbs" and having that name stick, when it was actually Elder Ge who named them because of how annoying Elder Shou was shouting their praises all the time.
* OminousClouds: When his temper starts to fray, the sky starts to blacken.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu, can summon black clouds around him, and can fill them with so much sword intent that any demon that enters them is instantly shredded.
* PsychoactivePowers: When his temper starts to fray, [[OminousClouds his signature black clouds start to darken the sky overhead]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: For a cultivator. He is absolutely incensed when he finds out how badly the Inner Disciples have been treating the junior disciples and how far his sect has fallen in general. He [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown immediately takes steps]] to [[WhatTheHellHero correct some misapprehensions]] about what's expected of upstanding members of the Cloudy Sword.
* RedBaron: His epithet comes from his SignatureMove, "The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky".
* SignatureMove: The Cloudy Sword Sect's signature technique is the Raging Cloudy Sword Formation, and he has his own personal variation of it, The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky.
* WhatTheHellHero: He asks this of all those who failed to live up to the Cloudy Sword's good name, such as those that nearly killed Shen Yu's grandson, or those who "exchange pointers" to the point of crippling younger students, or even [[AccompliceByInaction those that stood by and allowed it all to happen]].

[[folder:Lu Ri]]
A powerful cultivator and Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Diligent, disciplined, and determined.

* AchievementsInIgnorance: Shen Yu views the creation of the Plum Blossom's Shadow as this. Even if Lu Ri claimed it wasn't much that he created the Plum Blossom's Shadow, forging a province-wide intelligence network in three months is ''not'' something easy, no matter how much Lu Ri claims to have been guided by the writings of the Honored Founders.
* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Upon meeting a sect member capable of manifesting an aura of oppressive Intent, took it as an opportunity, and successfully persuaded her to let him experience it randomly throughout the following month until he could keep his composure. It serves him well when dealing with upset elders about Jin's departure.
* AffluentAscetic: He adheres to the Cloudy Sword Sect's philosophy that architecture and fashion for cultivators should serve to assist their cultivation and advertise their affiliation, and nothing more, despite the sect being among the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. He is disgusted at the [[ConspicuousConsumption gaudy opulence]] on display when he visits the Shrouded Mountain sect.
* BenevolentConspiracy: In his search for information on Jin's whereabouts, he winds up co-opting and welding together all of the underground criminal gangs and societies in the Azure Hills into one big secret society, The Plum Blossom's Shadow. In the process he purged any members he deemed too malevolent or disruptive, and largely instilled moral and honorable principles in them, basically turning them into a legitimate intelligence agency instead of TheMafia. [[spoiler:Once he finally locates and meets with Jin, he re-tasks them to look out for threats to Jin and the Azure Jade Trading Company.]]
* EnragedByIdiocy: A more minor example, but one of the last straws for him before turning all the petty gangs and info brokers into one organization was him looking for information on a powerful cultivator, and getting multiple reports... about himself.
* GentlemanAndAScholar: Wa Shi outright calls him this when discussing the intricacies of boiling tea.
* GoodOldWays: He espouses the virtues of the Cloudy Sword sect's Honored Founders in all his actions, from following protocol to deliver honorably-departed sect members their mail, to listening to mortals who prove wiser.
* ImplacableMan: Downplayed. Once he has his mission, nothing in the Azure Hills will stop him from locating his target and... delivering his mail.
* NervesOfSteel: Thanks to some practice delivered by his sister disciple, Lu Ri has learned how to withstand and keep his composure in the face of KillingIntent, to a degree where even the Elders are impressed. Although inwardly rattled when faced with Shen Yu's attention, he is still able to drink his tea with a straight face.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Is completely unflappable even when Shen Yu drags him to a brothel. He admits that he has little desire for female attention, and while he will do his duty if his betrothal to Elder Ge's granddaughter goes through, he prefers focusing on cultivation and the words of the Cloudy Sword's Founders.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Jin makes it ''much'' harder for Lu Ri to deliver the mail, because he fears his old sect tracking him down. Meanwhile, Lu Ri just wants to deliver his mail, nothing more.
* PowerLimiter: Lu Ri finds it difficult to move and breathe as he's used to while visiting the low-Qi Azure Hills until he intentionally restricts his own Qi.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While disappointed at Jin's choice to leave the sect, Lu Ri accepts his decision (especially since he followed protocol). He even returns Jin's severance payment out of pity, justifying that it's a pittance compared to the Sect's resources.
* SweetTooth: Admits to Shen Yu his weakness is well-made tea and sweets. [[spoiler: We later see him snacking on tea and maple fudge at Fa Ram.]]
* UnstoppableMailman: For one, Jin followed procedure when leaving, and thus he's entitled to receiving mail delivered to the sect; and for two, his mail was sent by a very, very important character. So come hell or high water, he's receiving his mail. This results in Lu Ri deciding to create the Phoenix Empire's first dedicated postal service.

[[folder:Tang Shuren]]
A Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Once diligent and reliable, he lost sight of the sect's principles and his responsibilities (e.g. not allowing fellow disciples to rob and brutalize each other) when his personal development stagnated. Following Elder Ge's house cleaning episode, he was placed into confinement to reflect on his actions. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone It worked]]. Point of view character for the short interlude ''9413'' [[note]]near homophone for ''jiǔ sǐ yī shēng'', "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin nine die, one lives]]."[[/note]]

* TheAtoner: Upon considering his course of inaction and negligence, Tang Shuren is deeply mortified with himself. He offers no resistance to Elder Ge's corrective beating, and willingly chooses a draconian punishment.
* ThatManIsDead: After surviving the first part of his ordeal, the spirits of the sect's founders give Shuren a new name: Yun Shu, [[MeaningfulName the virtuous stray cloud]].
* TradingBarsForStripes: The second step of his chosen ordeal is to face off against the [[LegionsOfHell invading demons]] as part of the Imperial Army for nine-thousand, four-hundred and thirteen days (close to twenty-five years) while upholding a strict code of conduct. Historically, this has killed nine of every ten penitents that undertake the ordeal.
* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Tang Shuren's story helps to illustrate how even a well-intentioned man in a righteous sect can fall into patterns of selfishness, sloth, and indifference.

!Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world. An [[LadyLand all-female sect]] that lives in the floating isles of the same-named Soaring Heavens Archipelago.

[[folder:Tianzhe Minyan]]
The Second Lady of the Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect, and an old contemporary and paramour of Shen Yu.

* BelligerentSexualTension: Shen Yu makes frequent jokes that although she swears to rend him limb from limb, she never does, and describes her as a tigress he knows how to and has tamed. Indeed, after they finish fighting a demonic battle, they are seen trading lines of poetry, though she still calls him a bastard.
* LadyOfWar: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu and Xiao Ge, while still retaining her icy, regal air.
* NeverMessWithGranny: One of the oldest and strongest female cultivators introduced thus far.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Like fellow cultivators of the Imperial Realm. During the battle against the demonic army, she pulps an entire battalion of enemies with a look and [[BlowYouAway sheer air pressure]].
* RedBaron: "Divine Falcon of the East".
* SilverVixen: She still retains her icy jade beauty even in her age ([[OlderThanTheyLook most likely due to her advanced cultivation]]). She wears a veil lest mortal men around her go mad from seeing her face.

[[folder: Bailu and Seiyu]]
Two powerful cultivators of the SHI sect who appear in the sidestories. Often noted by other characters and the comments to share a single brain cell. Commonly referred to as the Storm Wings of Soaring Heaven's Isle.

* BigEater: Seiyu. Prior to becoming one half of the Storm Wings, her epithet was "Seiyu the Maw" for her eating habits.
* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: "Drunken-Fist" Bailu, who was actually thrown out of her old temple for getting drunk and beating up the head priest. To this day, the easiest way to her good side is with a good bottle.
* TheDreaded: They didn't earn the nickname "the Storm Wings" for nothing. [[DitzyGenius For all of their quirks]], these ladies are devastatingly powerful compared to all but the SHI Elders.
* UndyingLoyalty: to Rou, who they nearly killed - and who then went on to bargain for their lives to be spared and treated them with respect, kindness and a great deal of patience when they were remanded to him afterwards as slaves. [[spoiler: He tore up the contract keeping them as such when they all left SHI to seek out adventure.]]

* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused he's ever had but still special and nostalgic, he has no idea what the Qi-rich root that Jin found is, and the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing unfamiliar, urgent or world-shattering.

** Goes into ChivalrousPervert territory, as his first words of advice to those he drags along are "Be a gentleman!" and he's capable of being quite charming to common courtesans and legendary [IcyBeauty Icy Beauties] in equal measure.

* DirtyOldMan: He greatly enjoys female company, cultivator or mortal. While travelling with Lu Ri he drags him to a brothel.
** Goes into ChivalrousPervert territory, as his first words of advice to those he drags along are "be a gentleman!" and he's capable of being quite charming to common courtesan and legendary Icy Beauty in equal measure.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Jin makes it ''much'' harder for Lu Ri to deliver the mail, because he fears his old sect tracking him down. Meanwhile Lu Ri just wants to deliver his mail, nothing more.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While disappointed at Jin's choice to leave the sect, Lu Ri accepts his decision (especially since he followed protocol). He even returns Jin's severance payment, out of pity and because it's a pittance compared to the Sect's resources.

* TheDreaded: They didn't earn the nickname "the Storm Wings" for nothing. For all of their quirks, these ladies are devastatingly powerful compared to all but the SHI Elders.

** He scares the bejeezus out of the Shrouded Mountain Elders when he invites himself into their box at the tournament and effortlessly shows them who's top dog. [[note]] SMS Elder Chongyun notes the situation is ''far'' worse than he expected, [[EntertaininglyWrong having thought]] they were being checked by the Cloudy Sword Sect, who are famous for their fairness and LawfulGood demeanor. Shen Yu, on the other hand, is ''legendary'' for never letting an insult slide, and an SMS member (Zang Li) had previously assaulted Shen Yu's grandson Jin.[[/note]]

* PersonOfMassDestruction: Guy single-handedly incinerates an army of demons with as much apparent effort as scratching an itch.

* NervesOfSteel: Thanks to some practice delivered by his sister disciple, Lu Ri has learned how to withstand and keep his composure in the face of KillingIntent. Although inwardly rattled when faced with Shen Yu's attention, he is still able to drink his tea with a straight face.

!!"Fox Mountain"

[[folder:Su Nezan]]
A Huli Jing (fox spirit) who has been living in a cave in the mountains for centuries. [[spoiler:Distantly related to the Xong brothers.]]

* PsychoactivePowers: When his temper starts to fray, his signature black clouds start to darken the sky overhead.

!!"Fox Mountain"

[[folder:Su Nezan]]
A Huli Jing (fox spirit) who has been living in a cave in the mountains for centuries. [[spoiler:Distantly related to the Xong brothers.]]

* AsianFoxSpirit: Su Nezan is one of the Chinese variation, known as a Huli Jing.
* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out Yun Ren looks "foxy" for a reason--Su Nezan is actually one of his ancestors.]]
* CunningLikeAFox: Both a fox spirit and very clever with illusions and tricks.
* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.
* IncestSubtext: Leading to an in-universe {{Squick}} moment, Nezan tries to seduce Yun to find out more about him, but it turns out "Fox + attractive female" looks really similar to Yun Ren's mom, which is a huge turn off for him. (When the Fox finds out, it remarks that many nobles don't seem to care.) [[spoiler:It turns out the resemblance is because they actually are related to each other; one of Nezan's relatives and one of the Xong ancestors were lovers and had children together]].
* ItsPersonal: Hates the Shrouded Mountain Sect for their massacre of the foxes living around the Howling Fang Mountains.
* MasterOfIllusion: Uses shadows [[spoiler:and after working with Yun Ren, light]] to weave complex and realistic illusions.
* {{Shapeshifting}}: Can shift between a fox or human form, of whatever gender.
* TricksterGod: Is a phenomenally powerful spirit and enjoys messing with Yun Ren (playfully) and others (not so playfully).
* TricksterMentor: Once he decides Yun Ren is worthy, he begins to teach him new illusion and image techniques, but takes every opportunity to tease and mess with him. [[spoiler:Like when he makes a spirit clone of himself to tag along with Yun Ren after he leaves the cave and secretly replaces Yun Ren's sword with Summer's Sky]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: When first meeting Yun Ren, he makes assumptions about what Yun is about to do based on his knowledge of what Cultivators are like... and then Yun Ren completely ignores all those standards. Nezan finds this so entertaining that he allows Yun Ren to stick around for a while.

[[folder:Summer's Sky]]
A sapient sword wielded by Nezan's lover centuries ago.

* EmpathicWeapon: Actually a quite friendly one. It is interested in new and unusual experiences, such as helping to teach a new and inexperienced wielder how to fight with a sword, cutting things besides people (e.g., wood and meat), and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking tasting tea]].
* InevitablyBrokenRule: When asked by Yun Ren, it explains that, despite sensing the weakened spirit of Sun Ne, it did not attempt to communicate, since as far as its experience goes, blades do not speak to each other unless locked in combat. [[spoiler:Yun Ren inevitably asks why not, prompting Summer's Sky to request such [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind an attempt]] after reminiscing about the clashes it has had in the past with other blades. It manifests in Sun Ne's world in the form of its previous wielder, and for the first time in its existence, peacefully interacts with Sun Ne, another blade.]]
* InsistentTerminology: When Summer's Sky begins training its new wielder [[spoiler:Yun Ren]] in swordsmanship, it insists on using the terminology for various techniques that he's familiar with. Embarrassingly for [[spoiler:Yun Ren]], he's mostly self-taught and he doesn't have any names for his techniques... just the FunnyBruceLeeNoises he made to himself when practicing alone.
* ShockAndAwe: Is capable of absorbing lightning attacks and redirecting them at will.

!Cloudy Sword Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world, and Jin Rou's original sect. It is located just east of Crimson Crucible City, where Jin grew up.

[[folder:Shen Yu]]
An immensely powerful and ancient cultivator who took Jin Rou off the streets as a boy, and informally adopted him as a grandson, before being called away to fight a demon invasion. An ally and former disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect.

* SilverVixen: Even in her age, she still retains her icy jade beauty. She wears a veil lest mortal men around her go mad from seeing her face.

[[/folder]]