Shen Huo is the city closest to the Bekhai. It translates to City of the Divine Flame.

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Tong Family

Tong Da Fung

The son of the Magistrate of Shen Huo and a friend of Rain.

Birds of a Feather: Both he and Rain train much more than many of their contemporaries, have strong morals, like to drink, and enjoy having fun with beautiful women.
The Chains of Commanding: He feels responsible when the people who are charged with protecting him or who are under his command die in battle.
Determinator: Fung has to be this when he becomes Akanai's Disciple.
Handsome Lech: He's good looking and is infamous for sleeping around with many women.
Hero of Another Story: He's a handsome young man who has to deal with enemies who want to usurp his father's position and has ties to powerful figures, in addition to having a familial connection to at least two Ancestral Beasts, one of whom works as his manservant.
Ladykiller in Love: After falling in love with Ryo Seoyoon, the only time he visits prostitutes is when he's heartbroken to hear that she has been engaged to someone else.
Master Swordsman: He is very skilled with the sword, one of the best of his generation.
Red Baron: The Unstoppable Tempest.
Reluctant Warrior: After experiencing the reality of warfare, he has come to dislike war and fighting in general.
True Companions: Is a good and trustworthy friend of Rain.
Weapon Specialization: In addition to his superlative sword skills, Fung learned how to wield a spear from Akanai, as a spear is a more useful weapon on the battlefield.

Tong Da Hai

The Magistrate of Shen Huo and the father of Tong Da Fung.

Badass Bureaucrat: As the Magistrate, he is in charge of the entire city of Shen Huo. He also helps lead the defense of the city when it is sieged by the Defiled.
Benevolent Boss: He is kind to his subordinates, even those who aren't Martial Warriors.
Entertainingly Wrong: He thinks that the Bekhai confronting the DuGu family was All According to Plan, when it was actually caused by a series of unfortunate coincidences.
Good Parents: He loves Fung and does what is best for him.
Playing with Fire: He Awakened to the Element of Fire.
Red Baron: His skill with Fire led to him being called the Wildfire Virtuoso.
Took a Level in Badass: In his backstory. He was an insignificant third son of his family, and a low ranking soldier in the Imperial Army. Then he led a successful defense of a stronghold when massively outnumbered. This led to him being promoted and being named the successor as the Magistrate of Shen Huo.
Undying Loyalty: To the Bekhai, for all they have done for him.

DuGu Family

DuGu Ren

An arrogant youth who tried to bully Rain.

Blatant Lies: He tries to claim he has nothing to do with the Carnugator attack on Rain and his friends. Akanai points out that no one had even said anything about Carnugators he before mentioned it.
"Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Rain notes that the deaths of the DuGu family could have been avoided if he had been more careful, or if Ren had just been a little more polite.
Crippling Castration: As part of his Cruel and Unusual Death, his penis was removed and put in a box.
Cruel and Unusual Death: His punishment for trying to get Rain and Fung killed.
Dirty Coward: He was planning on fleeing the city after his failed assassination attempt of Rain put Fung's life in jeopardy.
Mercy Kill: Rain does it to him.
Tongue Trauma: He gets his tongue cut out as a starter for his Cruel and Unusual Death.
Too Dumb to Live: His reaction to his brother being legitimately killed and his father being disgraced is to try and get the people he considers responsible killed in a way that makes it obvious that he was responsible.

DuGu Ang

The older brother of DuGu Ren.

Curb-Stomp Battle: He and his guards are massacred by Husolt.
Smug Snake: He has no idea who he was threatening when he picked a fight with Husolt.
Underestimating Badassery: He thought he could kill Rain and Husolt and take Mila as a slave with no consequence. This promptly gets him killed by an angry Husolt.
Your Head A-Splode: His head explodes from being slammed onto the ground.

DuGu Tian Yi

The father of Ren and Ang.

Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: This is how Rain defeats him.
Outliving One's Offspring: Both of his sons end up dead before him.
The Worf Effect: Seen In-Universe against Rain. Tian Yi is an accomplished soldier but is basically toyed with and defeated by a child.
Worf Had the Flu: Due to his anger and grief over his dead son, Tian Yi is unable to maintain Balance during his duel with Rain and bring his full might to bear.

Fu Zhu Li

A loyal half-weasel retainer of Fung.

Almighty Janitor: Officially, he is just a servant of Fung. People in the know are aware that he is a formidable Martial Warrior and an effective torturer. This is even more apparent once he is revealed to be an Ancestral Beast.
Praetorian Guard: He is Fung's manservant, the one in charge of assisting him in everyday life and protecting him when things go sideways.
Torture Technician: He is a master of "Death by a Thousand Cuts".
Undying Loyalty: To the Tong family.