Main Characters (Shen Qiao, Yan Wushi) | Sects of the Jianghu (The Three Demonic Sects, Daoist Sects) | Nations and Kingdoms
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Tujue | 突厥
Hulugu (狐鹿估)
Voiced by: Wang Wei (audio drama)
- Adaptational Early Appearance: In the Animated Adaptation, where The Stinger of the first season finale reveals that Hulugu is alive. In the novel, the aforementioned reveal doesn't happen up until the Sword Trial Conference, which happens fifty chapters later.
- The Dreaded: Almost no one mentions his name without an undertone of fearful respect or just plain fear.
- A Father to His Men: When Hulugu sees Shen Qiao, he's immediately set on killing him to make him answer for Kunye's death.
- Graceful Loser: When he is defeated by Yan Wushi in their duel, Hulugu's last words have him acknowledge that Yan Wushi won the fight before dropping dead.
- Green-Eyed Monster: As they duel each other, the narration takes note of Hulugu feeling envious of Yan Wushi for still having endless potential to improve his martial arts even at his age.
- Not Quite Dead: Duan Wenyang claims that Hulugu died while cultivating in seclusion, but that turns out to be a lie once Hulugu shows up around a hundred chapters into the novel.
- Pragmatic Villainy: He may be ruthless, but he is far from a savage character. When Yan Wushi rescues Shen Qiao from getting killed by Hulugu, Yan Wushi assures Shen Qiao that Hulugu's pride would not let him stoop so low as to kill everyone else in Qingcheng Mountain out of anger.
- World's Strongest Man: He's a master of all forms of both weapon and martial arts, and he's powerful enough to go toe-on-toe with the likes of Qi Fengge and Yan Wushi.
Kunye (坤邪)
Voiced by: Zhao Yang (animation), Bian Yunpeng (audio drama)
- Adaptation Expansion: In the novel, while he's mentioned rather often, Kunye doesn't officially appear up until he pays a visit to the Bixia Sect, during which he and Shen Qiao engage in a duel where he is defeated and eventually killed. He shows up more in the audio drama and the donghua, especially in the latter.
- The audio drama actually shows Yan Wushi encountering Kunye and challenging him to a duel, which is only described for a few paragraphs in the novel.
- In the donghua, he shows up in several episodes as he plots with Duan Wenyang to find their clan's holy relic, hunt down Shen Qiao, and conquer all the sects of the jianghu.
- Combat Pragmatist: He's not afraid of fighting dirty or employing other underhanded tactics to deal with his enemies. This is best exemplified when he had Shen Qiao poisoned prior to their duel.
- Disc-One Final Boss: He beat Shen Qiao at the start of the story only because he gave Yu Ai the poison to cripple Shen Qiao, which left Shen Qiao's reputation in shambles. However, the two enter in a rematch where Shen Qiao ends up victorious, but Kunye is not the main villain for the story, especially since Shen Qiao kills him.
- Enemy Mine: As Yu Ai was willing to conspire with Kunye to poison Shen Qiao so in his defeat, Yu Ai will become the next leader of Xuandu Mountain, Kunye fits into this role.
- Victory Is Boring: While Kunye needed to win against Shen Qiao in their duel to advance his people's goals, he wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the battle. This is because he knew that Shen Qiao only lost because he was poisoned beforehand.
Duan Wenyang (段文鸯)
Voiced by: Luo Piliang note (animation), Zhang Pei (audio drama)
Kunye's shixiong and one of Hulugu's disciples.
- Adaptation Expansion: In the donghua, he takes Li Yue's place as the other person besides Bai Rong who tries to kill Yan Wushi when the latter recuperates his injuries in a cave after his duel with Ruyan Kehui. His attempt is still foiled, and he decides to cut his losses and make a break for it when Shen Qiao dares him to fight him again.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Hinted. Kunye and Duan Wenyang are still working together in the novel, but they're never seen interacting on-screen, and the novel mentions at one point that Duan Wenyang internally sneered at his shidi for being defeated by Yan Wushi, hinting that they do not exactly get along and aren't particularly close. In the Animated Adaptation, they're shown to have a more amicable relationship and Duan Wenyang is even enraged at Shen Qiao for killing Kunye.
- Half-Breed Discrimination: Duan Wenyang is half-Han and half-Tujue, which makes him have a lower status than what's normally expected from someone of his age and skill among his people.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Moments after he took the time to mock Shen Qiao and drag his name through the mud in front of so many people, Duan Wenyang gets fought to a standstill by the same person. The narration even describes him regretting underestimating Shen Qiao.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: While ambitious and ruthless, Duan Wenyang always gauges the situation and carefully determines if he should either persist or if it's better to cut it and run.
- Number Two: He serves as Kunye's second-in-command, even though he's the latter's shixiong.
- Undying Loyalty: Duan Wenyang is loyal to Hulugu due to the man noticing his talents and taking him under his wing when he was otherwise overlooked and ignored due to his Han heritage.
- Weapon Specialization: Duan Wenyang fights mainly with a whip in battle.
Pu Anmi (蒲安密)
Voiced by: Xiu Yuan (audio drama)
Kunye's eldest disciple. He assists Ruan Hailou in massacring almost all the disciples of the Bixia Sect.
- Bullying the Dragon: Pu Anmi taunts Shen Qiao for his loss to Kunye and thinks that Shen Qiao is being too arrogant by refusing to draw his sword when they first exchange blows. The moment Shen Qiao gets serious, he's able to overpower both him and Ruan Hailou in a minute.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He's last seen being taken into custody by the Bixia Sect after he's defeated by Shen Qiao, but there's no mention of what happens to him afterwards.
Zhongyuan (The Central Plains) | 中原
Northern Zhou | 北周
Yuwen Family
Yuwen Yong (宇文邕)
Voiced by: Liu Yuxuan note (audio drama)
The emperor of Northern Zhou. He is a controversial figure in the jianghu for outlawing Buddhism and Daoism as well as weakening the influence of Confucianism in the nation.
- Adaptation Name Change: His name is changed from Yuwen Yong to Yuwen You in the donghua.
- Adapted Out: The Animated Adaptation has Yan Wushi mention that Yuwen Yong (Yuwen You) is hated by many of the sects because he banned them from his nation, although it's never explained why he drove them out in the first place. It's not even mentioend how he is specifically infamous for outlawing the Three Schools.
- Honor Before Reason: Yan Wushi points out that Yuwen Yong's greatest flaw was his traditionalist ways, which made him insist that the crown must be passed over from father to son instead of having a more capable candidate inherit his position.
- Properly Paranoid: Yuwen Yong never has any physician check on him after one of his brothers was poisoned to death by a court physician. The reason Yan Wushi even asks Shen Qiao to visit the emperor is so he can check how ill Yuwen Yong is from the sound of his voice.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- In spite of his position as emperor, he never abuses his wealth or uses it to engage in a lavish lifestyle and prioritizes the welfare of the common folk, which is why he's viewed as an effective ruler. Even when some of the martial arts masters claim that he's incompetent as an emperor, both Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi know they know that they're lying and their real grievance with Yuwen Yong is how his reign doesn't align with their ambitions.
- His conversation with Shen Qiao shows that in spite of his outlawing of two of the Three Schools, Yuwen Yong has nothing but respect for those who truly believe in Daoism and Buddhism and don't see religion as simply a means to an end or a tool for personal profit.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Although his ban of both Daoism and Buddhism seems extreme, Yuwen Yong provides a solid explanation as to why he did so. Even Shen Qiao, who is a practitioner of Daoism, does not find his actions to be unreasonable.Yuwen Yong: Common people who blindly follow Buddhism and Daoism are prone to idle away their time. They take what little they have and donate it all to temples in the hopes that their next lives will be peaceful and happy. Buddhist and Daoist temples do not contribute any of their earnings nor their land; instead, they take in peasant families under their name and evade paying taxes. If I allow this to continue, then the imperial court will not reap even a single grain. The common people will become lawless. In the end, it would become a source of chaos.
Yuwen Yun (宇文贇)
Voiced by: Feng Xiu (audio drama)
Yuwen Yong's son.
- Ax-Crazy
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Before he murdered his father, Yuwen Yun was careful to not reveal his depraved and violent nature to anyone. Once he usurped the throne, his true colors eventually showed, with wife receiving the brunt of his two-faced nature.
- The Caligula: He prefers a life of pure hedonism and pleasure, doing what he wants whenever he wishes it.
- Domestic Abuse: He's not kind to his wife at all, hurling insults at her and beating her whenever he can.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Yan Wushi describes Yuwen Yun as a "muddle-headed idiot" and thinks that he would make a piss-poor emperor. Once Yuwen Yun ascends the throne, Yan Wushi's suspicions are proven to be more than correct.
- Killed Offscreen: While it's never detailed how Yuwen Yun dealt with, he's confirmed to be killed when Puliuru Jian announced to the public that Yuwen Yun officially died from an illness.
- Mood-Swinger: He can switch from one mood to the complete opposite of said mood the next moment. The novel describes that where Yan Wushi's erratic behavior could be explained by his arrogance, Yuwen Yun's drastic changes in his behavior can already be chalked up to outright insanity.
- Patricide: He murdered Yuwen Yong by smothering him to death.
- Would Hurt a Child: He held two of Puliuru Jian's sons hostage to keep Puliuru Jian from acting against him, and he gave the order to have Yuwen Xian and his children killed.
Yuwen Xian (宇文憲)
Voiced by: Meng Xianglong (audio drama)
The imperial prince of Northern Zhou.
- Fatal Flaw: His reluctance to take immediate action in the aftermath of Yuwen Yun's rebellion proved to be his undoing.
- One-Steve Limit: Invoked example; his title is the "Prince of Qi", which isn't to be confused with the country of Northern Qi. This may have been done deliberately as an attempt to claim the latter's territory.
- Universally Beloved Leader: Yuwen Xian is well-beloved in the political circle due to both his morals and his military skill. Yuwen Yun tries to have him and his whole family killed because he sees Yuwen Xian's presence as a threat to his rule.
Yuwen Song (宇文诵)
See more information about Yuwen Song in this page.
Yuwen Qing (宇文庆)
Voiced by: Sun Ye (audio drama)
"However, it's just like how the saying goes, 'Rumors are powerful enough to melt metal.' The mass spreading of them can obscure any truth."
The ambassador of Northern Zhou. He's sent to Southern Chen to convince the kingdom's emperor to ally with Yuwen Yong and attack Northern Qi.
- Ambiguously Bi: While he's known for being a womanizer, the novel's narration makes it obvious that he's also enraptured by Shen Qiao's natural beauty.
- Demoted to Extra: Yuwen Qing doesn't get to talk to Shen Qiao when they arrive in Chen (Dongkang) like he did in the novel. Additionally, while he is the Hehuan Sect's main target in their assassination mission, in the Animated Adaptation he's only the cover for their real target: Yan Wushi.
- The Social Expert: Yan Wushi describes him as being extremely eloquent with words, and is such a skilled diplomat that it's hard to replace him.
Su Family
Madam Su (苏老夫人)
Voiced by: Yang Ou (animation, audio drama)
The matriarch of the Su family. Her birth name is Qin Shuanghan.
- Cool Old Lady: While she's already of age, it shouldn't be forgotten that she once studied under Hulugu, one of the strongest fighters ever known.
- Deceptive Disciple: Years ago, she offered to be taught by Hulugu, and earned his trust and favor... before stealing one of his most treasured keepsakes and fleeing back to the Central Plains. Madam Su explains that she did it to protect China from being plundered by Tujue and its allies, since China was in greater political disarray at the time and thus was far more vulnerable to outside attacks from other nations.
- Hidden Weapons: She's always seen walking with a cane, which conceals a sword that she can use to defend herself.
- Implied Love Interest: From the way she sounded when she mentions that times have changed even if the people don't before surrendering the keepsake she stole, her sons suspect that her relationship with Hulugu may have been more than just that between master and disciple, but nothing is ever confirmed.
- Mama Bear: When Duan Wenyang was about to attack Su Wei, the only one in the family who doesn't have any fighting experience, Madam Su immediately yells at the former to get away from her son.
Su Wei (苏威)
Voiced by: Zhao Yang (audio drama)
The Duke of Meiyang District, and the eldest son of the Su family.
- Adapted Out: Su Wei doesn't appear in the donghua.
- Brains and Brawn: Su Wei is a scholar while Su Qiao took up martial arts.
Su Qiao (苏樵)
Voiced by: Bian Yunpeng (animation), Ke Muqing (audio drama)
Su Wei's younger brother, and a disciple of Chunyang Temple.
Puliuru/Yang Family
Yang Jian (楊堅) né Puliuru Jian (普六茹堅)
Voiced by: Liu Beichen (animation), Xuan Yuan Jing Ri (audio drama)
"Although the saying goes that those who would accomplish great things must not be overly concerned over the trivial details, how can one easily forsake and repudiate the relationships shared by blood and bone?"
Yuwen Yun's father-in-law via the man's marriage to his daughter.
- Adaptation Name Change: In the Animated Adaptation, Puliuru Jian is renamed to Huangfu Jian instead.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He's first introduced as one of the many guests invited to Madam Su's birthday banquet, and by the time of the finale, he's on his way to becoming the next emperor and the founder of the Sui dynasty.
- Everyone Has Standards: Puliuru Jian is a believer of Buddhism. But unlike Xue Ting, he's not keen on supporting a tyrant like Yuwen Yun just so that the Buddhist sects may attain political influence once more.
- Foil: To Yuwen Yong. Both are capable rulers who care about the common people but are scorned by others due to being of Xianbei heritage. During his reign, Yuwen Yong greatly suppressed the influence of the Three Schools, while Puliuru Jian — who holds Buddhist beliefs — also respects the ideology of Daoism and Confucianism and believes that the Three Schools should coexist in peace.
- Meaningful Rename: Just like in Real Life, once he's set to succeed Yuwen Yun as the emperor, he starts going by his Han name instead of his Xianbei name, and is since then referred to as Yang Jian.
- Nice Guy: He's polite and considerate to Shen Qiao, and even defends him when Li Qingyu lambastes Shen Qiao to his face.
- Papa Wolf: He is protective of his children and loves them deeply. When three of them are held hostage by Yuwen Yun, Puliuru Jian is reluctant to start a siege against the emperor without ensuring that his children are safe first.
Dugu Qieluo (獨孤伽羅)
Voiced by: Vila (audio drama)
Puliuru Jian's wife.
Yang Lihua (楊麗華)
Voiced by: Wen Xiaoyi note (audio drama)
Puliuru Jian's daughter and the wife of Yuwen Yun.
- Ungrateful Bitch: Yang Lihua was abused by Yuwen Yun, and both she and two of her younger brothers were held hostage by him. However, Wushuang reveals that Yang Lihua grew to resent her father for taking over Yuwen Yun's position as emperor. This, in spite of the fact that Puliuru Jian was overthrowing a hedonistic tyrant who treated his daughter poorly and threatened to harm some of his children. This is based on Real Life, however, since Yang Lihua was also said to have held a grudge against her father after he took over as emperor — although the reason behind her resentment is never really explained.
Yang Guang (楊廣) né Puliuru Ying (普六茹英)
Voiced by: Wan Suwan (audio drama)
Puliuru Jian's second son.
- Parental Favoritism: It becomes obvious that both Puliuru Jian and Dugu Qieluo dote on their second son more so than they do their first-born.
- Royal Brat
- Ungrateful Bastard: Even though Shen Qiao helped save his life after he got taken hostage by Chen Gong, Extra 12 details that Yang Guang doesn't feel any gratitude towards Shen Qiao since he feels that all the favors his father have given the Daoist priest counts as more than enough repayment.
Other Officials
Dou Yan (窦言)
Voiced by: Wan Suwan note (audio drama)
- Mr. Exposition: A gender-inverted version; she's the one who tells Shen Qiao that Yuwen Yun murdered his father.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Downplayed. Although she's young and scared out of her wits, she knows how to keep her calm even in moments of great peril.
Dou Yi (窦 毅)
Voiced by: Zhang Pengfei note (audio drama)
Yan Ying (颜英)
Voiced by: Wang Yuhang (audio drama)
Yuwen Xian's aide.
Liu Fang (刘昉)
Voiced by: Zhang Pei (audio drama)
Zhangsun Sheng (长孙晟)
Voiced by: Liu Yuxuan note (audio drama)
Northern Qi | 北齐
Imperial Court
Gao Wei (高緯)
The emperor of Northern Qi. He is infamous for being an ineffective ruler as the people in the nation suffer in poverty under his reign.
- The Caligula: He's content living in pleasure in the palace while his subjects and people suffer.
- Depraved Homosexual: Mu Tipo would give some of his favorite boytoys to Gao Wei once he's satisfied himself enough, and Chen Gong himself becomes the emperor's favorite consort.
- Killed Offscreen: Nothing is explicitly mentioned of what happened to Gao Wei after Yuwen Yong launched a full-on attack on Northern Qi, but it's strongly hinted that he was killed off during the war — which is exactly what happened to him in Real Life under the same circumstances.
Officials
Chen Gong (陈恭)
Voiced by: Ke Muqing (animation), Shen Dawei (audio drama)
"I am well aware that someone with my own background would never be acknowledged by those large clans and prominent old families. But I don't need them to acknowledge me. There are only two things you need to control human will, and neither of them are especially different from the other. The first are words, and the second are weapons."
A Street Urchin who helped Shen Qiao take shelter in Funing District. In time, he gets captured by Mu Tipo, and he soon claws his way up the political hierarchy, becoming the official of Pengcheng District.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Even prior to his encounter with Mu Tipo note , Chen Gong has shown to be more quick to turn on Shen Qiao on more than one occasion as soon as things are looking south for him, which was not the case in the novel.
- Age Lift: Implied. The novel introduces Chen Gong when he was sixteen, while the donghua seems to make him appear in his twenties.
- Ambition Is Evil: After reading Chen Gong's hand, Shen Qiao says that the boy had potential for greatness and is likely to have a prosperous life if he works hard towards his goal. After becoming the emperor's new favorite, he's given the title of Duke of Pengcheng District, and starts using his authority to bully others and keep himself in power.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: He initially treats Shen Qiao as a means to get food, but after the other saves him, he tries to have the other teach him and even calls him master. This ends up being subverted later on when he turns Shen Qiao over to Mu Tipo's group just so he wouldn't become their Sex Slave.
- Berserk Button: Chen Gong quickly gets irritated every time Shen Qiao tells him in detail why Chen Gong has not repaid the kindness Shen Qiao showed him before like he would believe.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He'll turn on anyone just to keep himself in power or fed, which he does to Shen Qiao even after the other had protected and looked after him multiple times.
- Determinator: He's willing to do anything to give himself a better life.
- Eidetic Memory: He's capable of remembering everything he sees and hears.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When Shen Qiao fights him, Yan Shou, and Bao Yun at the same time and Shen Qiao kills off the latter two, Chen Gong realizes that he might end up joining them in the underworld if he continues to fight and decides to flee instead.
- Pet the Dog: Some time after his ascension to power, when Chen Gong sees Shen Qiao once again, he orders his servants to give Shen Qiao a chest full of donkey meat burgers to express gratitude for giving him food in the past. Unfortunately, his servant ended up spoiling the gesture out of sadism and cruelty.
- Pretty Boy: While he pales in comparison to Shen Qiao where appearance is concerned, he's commented to have decent looks on his own right a few times.
- Rags to Riches: He started out as a Street Urchin who would carry sacks of rice to make a living. After meeting Shen Qiao and running into Mu Tipo, he was soon made the emperor's new favorite and acts as the duke of a district.
- Sex Slave: He became this to Mu Tipo after the latter captured him. Even after his Rank Up, he serves as the consort to Gao Wei to remain in his good graces.
- Tattooed Crook: He has tattoos on his right shoulder in his donghua counterpart.
- Took a Level in Badass: He evolves from a Street Urchin who only knows the most basic form of bare-handed combat to a high-ranking official who has developed a powerful enough martial arts for him to be a considerable threat.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: When Chen Gong was first introduced, he was just a proud and temperamental Street Urchin who had enough heart to stick with Shen Qiao and spend money to look after him even when he could have just easily ditched the other man at any time. After being captured by Mu Tipo, he becomes more ruthless, cruel, and self-serving.
- Undignified Death: Combined with Karmic Death. In the end, Chen Gong's core is destroyed by Shen Qiao shortly before he's stabbed to death by a child.
- Ungrateful Bastard: In spite of the kindness and lenience that Shen Qiao showed him, Chen Gong just brushes it aside and actively acts as a thorn on the other's side several times.
- Villains Never Lie: Subverted. More often than not, he assures someone of something but at the end he will renege his statement either for personal benefit or because he never had any intentions of making any honest deals in the first place.
- Would Hurt a Child:
- He allied with the Hehuan Sect in their attempt to murder Yuwen Song so that there would no longer be anyone left in the Yuwen family to threaten Yuwen Yun's reign.
- He was willing to take a child hostage to force Shen Qiao to tell him everything he knows about the Zhuyang Ce.
Murong Qin (慕容沁)
Voiced by: Zhang Pengfei note (animation), Luo Piliang note (audio drama)
The leader of the Murong clan, and an imperial agent of Northern Qi. He's also known as the most skilled martial artist of the kingdom.
- Uncertain Doom: After he's defeated by Bian Yanmei during the palace infiltration, the last time he's mentioned is when Bian Yanmei reports that Murong Qin is being detained and is to be interrogated later. How he's dealt with afterwards is never even hinted at.
Murong Xun (慕容迅)
Voiced by: Lu Shujun (audio drama)
Murong Qin's cousin.
- Adapted Out: He doesn't show up in the donghua, and Tuoba Liangzhe takes over his role alongside his own.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The last time he's mentioned is when Yuwen Yun launches an attack on Yuwen Xian's family, where both Murong Xun and Tuoba Liangzhe are busy fighting against Madam Su. However, nothing is mentioned of Murong Xun's fate afterwards.
Tuoba Liangzhe (拓跋良哲)
Voiced by: Zhang Pei (audio drama)
A servant of the Murong family.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The last time he's mentioned is when Yuwen Yun launches an attack on Yuwen Xian's family, where both Murong Xun and Tuoba Liangzhe are busy fighting against Madam Su. However, nothing is mentioned of Tuoba Liangzhe's fate afterwards.
Mu Tipo (穆提婆)
Voiced by: Wang Yuhang (animation), Zhang Pei (audio drama)
The Commandery Prince (Junwang) of Chengyang Province. He's notorious for his habit of hunting down people like wild game, as well as capturing any attractive men, young or otherwise, and making them his Sex Slaves.
- Adaptation Deviation: In the novel, he wanted to capture Shen Qiao to keep him as his plaything. The Animated Adaptation changes this to him going after Shen Qiao due to his knowledge of the Zhuyang Ce.
- Fate Worse than Death: Considering Mu Tipo's sexual depravities, being given a castration or a penectomy is certainly this for him.
- Groin Attack: After knocking out Mu Tipo, Shen Qiao made sure that a certain part of him would no longer be able to harm anyone else nor give him any children. In the audio drama, Shen Qiao castrates Mu Tipo while the latter is awake and clearly aware of what's going to be done to him.
- Hate Sink: As soon as he's introduced, the novel doesn't spare any details in showing how much of a sick and disgusting bastard he is.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: Downplayed. The worst that's said about him in his records is that he was "exceedingly corrupt and wasteful in his lifestyle, although he was also praised for being kind and not malicious to others". The novel, however, spares no detail in showing just how deplorable, sadistic, lustful he is, with no redeeming traits to him whatsoever.
- Karma Houdini: Zigzagged. When Mu Tipo ends up at Shen Qiao's mercy, Shen Qiao doesn't kill him only because he's pragmatic enough to realize that doing so may result in the entire kingdom of Northern Qi going after his head. However, he makes sure that Mu Tipo won't be able to have his way with anyone again by cutting off his "offspring-maker".
- Serial Rapist: Chen Gong confirms that Mu Tipo has a history of keeping several men as his "pets", some of whom he would offer to Gao Wei for the hedonistic emperor to have his way with.
- Uncertain Doom: Yuwen Yong eventually succeeds at annexing Qi midway through the story, but it's never mentioned if Mu Tipo is a casualty of the war that ensued from the invasion. Though if Real Life history is to be believed, Mu Tipo was eventually put to death by the Zhou emperor.
Bailong Temple
Zhu Lengquan (竺冷泉)
Voiced by: Ji Hehong (animation), Wang Yuhang (audio drama)
The abbot of Bailong Temple. He was previously an elder of the Bixia Sect but he left for unspecified reasons. He is Zhao Chiying's shishu (martial uncle).
- Grumpy Old Man: Downplayed. He's rather gruff, but he's far from mean.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Despite knowing that he may not make it back alive, he fights the Hehuan Sect and refuses to tell them where Shen Qiao is, even though it's what gets him killed.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may act like a grouch, but he's undoubtedly a good man who won't hesitate to put his life on the line for his disciples and for kind strangers.
- Last Request: Zhu Lengquan tells Shen Qiao to look after Shiwu and take him to the Bixia Sect in case he doesn't make it back alive.
- Properly Paranoid: When Shen Qiao attempts to turn himself in to the Hehuan Sect so that they'd leave the members of Bailong Temple alone, Zhu Lengquan warns him that the people of the Hehuan Sect are sadistic and cruel, and they wouldn't leave the others be even if he surrendered. Shiwu also notes that even if Shen Qiao wasn't with them, the Hehuan Sect would have killed everyone in Bailong Temple nonetheless.
- Sacrificial Lion: He's killed by the Hehuan Sect, which hammers in just how cruel and murderous they are.
- The Unreveal: Zhu Lengquan left the Bixia Sect years ago some time after Ruan Hailou was expelled from the sect, but the reader never gets to learn why the former left in the first place.
Shiwu (十五)
See more information about Shiwu in this page.
Chuyi (初一)
Voiced by: Li Haorui (audio drama)
- Sacrificial Lion: He gets killed off to show how ruthless and bloodthirsty the Hehuan Sect is.
- Saying Too Much
Southern Chen | 南陳
Chen Xu (陳頊)
The emperor of Southern Chen.
- The Good King: He's capable enough of a king that Southern Chen has done well under his rule.
Liu Jingyan (柳敬言)
Voiced by: Yang Ou (audio drama)
Chen Xu's wife, and the empress of Southern Chen.
Tuyuhun | 吐谷渾
Banna (般娜)
Voiced by: Wen Xiaoyi note (audio drama)
A local of Tuyuhun who helped provide shelter to Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi after the latter was nearly killed in an ambush.
- Precocious Crush: She takes a liking to Shen Qiao and hopes that she would be able to win his heart. Shen Qiao gently turns her down and points out that all things aside, he's more than twice her age despite not looking the part.
- Put on a Bus: Because she lives in Tuyuhun, and majority of the plot takes place in the Central Plains, Banna stops making an appearance after Yan Wushi has recovered enough for him and Shen Qiao to continue their journey to Chang'an.
Yin Chuan (殷川)
- Cassandra Truth: No one is willing to believe that his family does not hold any secret wealth and that his father had already long squandered their riches.
- Cowardly Lion: He does his best to keep moving forward no matter what, and even when he's thrust into a situation where he knows that he's helpless and cannot fight back, he still tries to stand his ground.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Although Shen Qiao rejects his request to be accepted as a disciple of Xuandu Mountain, Shen Qiao suggests that Yin Chuan can study under Zhan Ziqian instead due to his interest in the arts. This is an offer that Yin Chuan is nevertheless happy to get.
Jushe (俱舍)
- Chekhov's Gunman: In the main story, his name is only mentioned once during the announcement of the newly ranked top ten in the Sword Trial Conference, to which he is ranked eighth. Yuan Zixiao also mentions that most people wouldn't know of him because he is from Tuyuhun. He eventually makes an appearance in the extra from the Simplified Chinese edition, where he hunts down Yin Chuan in an attempt to take his (supposed) wealth.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When Yan Wushi shows up alongside Shen Qiao, Jushe immediately flees since he knows he doesn't stand a chance against two powerful martial artists fighting him at the same time.
- Terms of Endangerment: Yan Wushi calls Jushe an "old bald donkey", the same insulting moniker he gives Xueting.
- Took a Level in Badass: He was strong enough to be ranked eighth in the Sword Trial Conference, but Yan Wushi off-handedly mentions that in the years that passed, Jushe managed to climb his way into fifth place.
- Would Hurt a Child: Indirectly, at least; he does not bat an eye to letting his disciple physically torture a teenage boy.
