Secondary Sects Index
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Main Characters
Zhou Zishu (周子舒)
Click here to see Zhou Zishu's disguise
Played by: Zhang Zhehan (adult), Yang Chengjin (young)
Voiced by: Gu Jiangshan (Mandarin), Akira Ishida (Japanese)
The former leader of Tian Chuang and the current leader of Four Seasons Manor.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Downplayed, compared to the novel, Zhou Zishu is much meaner, less visibly affectionate and has fewer regrets over his actions during his Tian Chuang days. Zhou Zishu in the novel was a case of Jerk With A Heartof Gold.
- Affectionate Nickname: He's referred to as A-Xu by Wen Kexing, which he's quietly annoyed by at first.
- Wen Kexing takes offence to anyone who calls Zhou Zishu by this nickname, as shown with Gu Xiang.
- Ambiguously Bi: Even with censorship, there is more than enough subtext to suggest that Zhou Zishu likes Wen Kexing, a man. Jing Beiyuan, Zhou Zishu's old friend, comments on how he tried to bring women for Zhou Zishu for engagement, hinting that Zhou Zishu swings both ways.
- Ancestral Weapon: The White Clothes Sword was passed onto him after his Master died.
- Big Brother Bully: Played for Laughs, he is shown to be teasing Jiuxiao about the hairpin he's crafting for his lover, he expresses his happiness afterwards though.
- Brought Down to Badass: Throughout the story, Zhou Zishu fights with only a third of his power, yet manages to both win and outsmart multiple fights.
- Brutal Honesty: Zhou Zishu doesn't hesitate to say what's on his mind nor soften his harsher statements no matter the person or the situation. This attitude slowly changes through the series though.
- Character Tics: Taken from the novel, Zhou Zishu tends to cast his eyes down when he's thinking or during a conversation with someone.
- Color Motif: Blue to signify his core aspects, where it's associated with coldness, calmness, loneliness and royalty. Dark blue for his Tian Chuang robes can signify his authority, elegance and intelligence.
- Covered with Scars: Zhou Zishu's body is covered in many scars, excluding the ones caused by the nails. What seemingly stands out the most are the burn scars covering his entire upper back.
- Defector from Decadence: Zhou Zishu leaves Tian Chuang (And the Imperial Court by extension) because he couldn't bear to do any more actions that were against his beliefs.
- Drowning My Sorrows: After leaving Window of Heaven and disguising himself as a beggar, he started to drink his remaining days away. He still drinks even after washing off his disguise. However, he starts drinking less after a while due to his senses slowly fading away.
- Everybody's Dead, Dave: The generation of the Four Seasons Manor used to have eighty-one sect members, when Zhou Zishu was appointed leader at the age of sixteen, he failed to lead it well which caused the death of the clan one by one until he was the last of his sect, driving him into depression and guilt.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Changing from the up-tied bun to a more traditional half ponytail, considerably softening his features.
- Family Man: Zhou Zishu values who he deems family quite deeply, his love for his Master, Qin Jiuxiao and all of the Four Seasons Manor runs deep, later he finds family in Zhang Chengling and Wen Kexing.
- Five Stages of Grief: Zhou Zishu goes through all stages of grief when Wen Kexing dies.
- Denial: When he wakes up in the inn, he prefers to think that it was all just a dream until he's snapped out of it by some gossip talk.
- Anger: Not shown clearly (But one can notice his expression of anger in some shots) until he sits on the White Deer Cliff.
- Bargaining: Until the very last moment, Zhou Zishu thinks this is some sort of plan that the Ghost Valley orchestrated, asking Beauty Ghost if "he's in there".
- Depression: He cries and mourns on the White Deer Cliff where Wen Kexing died, drinking all of his sorrows away.
- Acceptance: Coming to terms that Wen Kexing is truly dead, albeit in the worst way possible, as Zhou Zishu decides to pull out all of the nails in his body to restore his martial arts to avenge Wen Kexing, while also accelerating his death because a life without his Zhījǐ is meaningless.
- Full-Name Ultimatum: Whenever he and Wen Kexing argue, he'll drop any sort of titles or nicknames (Lao Wen) and say Wen Kexing.
- Go Through Me: When Ye Baiyi plans to kill Wen Kexing after he knows of his true identity, Zhou Zishu attempts to stop him and tells him he'll enter the Four Seasons Manor over his dead body. When Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu lay defeated and Ye Baiyi is about to strike Wen Kexing down, Zhou Zishu puts his arm over Wen Kexing to protect him.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Zhou Zishu might be a cold-hearted assassin or a careless beggar, but this does not prevent his heart from showing to be quite the opposite, particularly with who he sees as family.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: To the point that it becomes a running joke among the characters.Zhou Zishu: Who's soft-hearted? You brat, speaking nonsense.Zhang Chengling: Master, I know, your heart is softer than anyone.
- Physical Scars, Psychological Scars: The nails in his body scarred his skin, while also continuing to damage Zhou Zishu's overall physical and mental health.
- Professional Killer: He founded and lead Tian Chuang for the sole purpose of aiding Prince Jin in his goals.
- Ice King: A cold-blooded assassin with royal blood who is more than familiar with the imperial court. This doesn't go on for too long though.
- Last of His Kind: He is indeed supposed to be the last of the Four Season sect's members since he killed many people as well as the 81 members of the Four Season sect except him died during his task as Tianchuang leader, makes him as the Sole Survivor. Averted, fortunately, he accepts Zhang Chengling as his disciple after the latter knows his former past yet he still wants him to be his master no matter what the bad of him. Automatically, Chengling inherited his legacy, and becomes the next leader of the Four Season sect (also inherits his own Mirror Lake sect and Longyuan Cabinet sect) as he is an adult.
- Leitmotif: Gū Mèng (孤梦: Lonely Dream) is sang by Zhou Zishu's actor himself, Zhang Zhehan. The song's lyrics focus on Zhou Zishu's past with the Four Seasons Manor and Tian Chuang, particularly about his current loneliness and how the ghosts of his past stand witness to his actions.
- Master-Apprentice Chain: The Four Seasons sect chain: Qin Huaizhang → Zhou Zishu → Zhang Chengling.
- Master of Disguise: For a decent portion of the story, he wears a fake face skin to hide his true identity. However, this doesn't hide his skill as a martial artist from a prominent sect, which is one of the reasons Wen Ke Xing becomes so interested in him.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Looking back at his life, Zhou Zishu is very remorseful and depressed at his actions, both as the leader of Four Seasons Manor and Tian Chuang. He was the reason that Four Seasons Manor had declined in its name and number, as well as the ruthless reputation of Tian Chuang.
- What was truly the last straw was Qin Jiuxao's death which has driven him into depression, reflecting on the person he had become.
- Not Afraid to Die: Zhou Zishu has long since accepted that his days are numbered, much to Wen Kexing's devastation.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
- Reset Button: Zhou Zishu restores all of his martial arts by Episode 32 to avenge Wen Kexing, however, this also means that his death has been accelerated, and he has only a few days to live.
- Tell Him I'm Not Speaking to Him: When Wen Kexing asks for Zhou Zishu's bottle, he gives it to Chengling while telling him to give it to Wen Kexing. Chengling figures out that both of them argued.
- Self-Harm: He purposefully puts the nails into his body, as a form of penance for all the people he killed.
- Stern Teacher: Being both a sect leader at the age of sixteen and the leader of an assassination group, it's no surprise that he's extremely strict with Chengling, and no persuasion from Wen Kexing can ever change that.
- Strong and Skilled: Zhou Zishu displays both of those traits, skilled where he uses strategy against the Beggers and can hold off against three professional assassins at once with only a third of his power. Zhou Zishu takes down five guys effortlessly when he restores his power, a mere glimpse of what he's capable of.
- Tall Darkand Handsome: He checks off all the boxes.
- The Dead Have Names: When Prince Jin waved off the death of Han Ying who had sacrificed himself in vain due to being in the way of Prince Jin's ambitions, Zhou Zishu replied with anger.Zhou Zishu: He's also one of the people! He was only twenty-two.
- Tranquil Fury: Zhou Zishu's anger is often a cold one, but this trope, in particular, applies to when Wen Kexing dies, He goes to the second Heroes Conference where he plans on avenging him, he is all calm but gives quite a look at Zhao Jing when he approaches him.
- Worth Living For: Zhou Zishu starts as a man who wants to die, when he meets Wen Kexing and Chengling, he finds reasons to live and seeks out a solution for the nails to stay with his new family.
- Would Hurt a Child: As a leader of Tian Chuang, Zhou Zishu has no issues killing whoever gets in the way of Prince Jin, even if they were a toddler.
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl: While Zhou Zishu faces an enemy with the same ruthlessness regardless of gender, this is mainly played for laughs with Gu Xiang, repeatedly telling her that if she wasn't a girl, he would beat her multiple times a day.
- Your Days Are Numbered: He has seven nails implanted into his body, and has three years to live as they slowly deteriorate his physical and mental health.
Wen Kexing (溫客行)
Click here to see Young Wen Kexing
Played by: Gong Jun (adult), Xiaoli Zhenzhen (young)
Voiced by: Wang Kai (Mandarin), Jun'ichi Suwabe (Japanese)
The master of Ghost Valley.
- Adaptational Backstory Change: In the novel, Wen Kexing was thrown into the Ghost Valley and from that point, he had climbed his way up, in the show, however, They gave him backstory where his name was Zhen Yan and he was taken into the Four Seasons Manor when his family was hunted down for the Armoury Key.
- Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed, in the novel, while Wen Kexing was the Ghost Valley Chief, he clearly distinguished between the Ghost Valley and the human world, never crossing the line, in the show, however, he is shown to bring chaos and pay no mind to the consequences.
- Adaptational Dumbass: Because of plot changes, making the wedding episode slightly altered, Wen Kexing lets in Mo Huaiyang and his men with no caution whatsoever, not even checking the boxes they came with, this may be a result of the budget limit.
- Affectionate Nickname: Zhou Zishu calls him Lao Wen.
- Ambiguously Gay: Due to censorship, the show couldn't display Wen Kexing's explicit attraction to men only, instead, they tried to show this through Wen Kexing flirting with Zhou Zishu only and never with a woman. In the scene where he was in a brothel with women, he showed complete disinterest in them.
- Amnesia Missed a Spot: While Wen Kexing may have lost some portions of his memory due to the Soup of Oblivion, his deep hatred has retained enough memories to kill the initial Ghost Valley circle.
- Anti-Hero: Due to his past, he has an extremely negative view of martial arts, including the Five Lakes Alliance, most of his actions hinder the "heroes" rather than help them.
- Beware the Nice Ones: The Five Lakes Alliance should have been wary of Wen Kexing, who only appears as an educated man with some martial arts skills.
- Big Little Brother: Precisely, Big Little Shidi, since he is younger than Zhou Zishu, even he was tinier than the latter when he as a child alongside his parents were accepted into Four Season Manor, but in their adulthoods, he is the taller and bigger one than the latter. Even with no help, the actor himself, Gong Jun, is only 1-2 years younger than Zhang Zhehan (Zhou Zishu's actor) but he is taller 5 cm than the latter.
- Broken Tears: Wen Kexing breaks down into tears and sobs loudly when Gu Xiang dies in his arms.
- Color Motif: Red to signify his core aspects, where it's associated with danger, anger and vengeance.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: Wen Kexing seems to be cynical, unaffected by bloodshed and death. It was due to seeing what human greed has done to his family, which caused him to be raised in the Ghost Valley while being personally trained by the former Ghost Valley chief.
- Combat Hand Fan: He carries a fan around that he uses as his main weapon in fights. He can even throw it.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Manages to beat an entire group of men on his own, with his only reaction afterwards is to go wash his hands off.
- Cute and Psycho: Wen Kexing presents as a scholar gentleman with good martial arts at best. He often jokes with Zhou Zishu that he is Philanthropist Wen and that he's a helpless man who doesn't like violence. Considering his identity as the Ghost Valley Chief, he is anything but innocent.
- Dark and Troubled Past: This is what motivates Wen Kexing after all, a nine-year-old kid who had to witness what his parents called family hurt them, become very traumatised to the point where he tries to hit whoever touches his dad and saw the entire martial arts world turn a blind eye to them, this does not even include the death of his parents and his upbringing in the Ghost Valley. His father even comments on it:Wen Ruyu: It's just... that he's already miserable, please don't loathe him.
- Defiant to the End: Always has been, in front of the Former Ghost Valley Chief, and front of the entire martial arts world.
- Excessive Evil Eyeshadow: As the Ghost Valley chief, Wen Kexing wears dark red eyeshadow, it gives the intended effect with his widened eyes.
- Full-Name Ultimatum: Whenever he and Zhou Zishu argue, he'll drop any sort of titles or nicknames (A-Xu) and say Zhou Zishu.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Nobody bothered to remember Zhen Yan until he started wreaking havoc in the martial world.
- Give Him a Normal Life: Give Her a Normal Life. While Gu Xiang can hold off on her own and see the horrors in the Ghost Valley, Wen Kexing has gotten her into the mortal world for her to have a chance at a normal life, after all, had protected her in the Ghost Valley as much as a teenager could, so she wouldn't go through what he had gone through.
- Gotta Kill Them All: Wen Kexing kills every single one of the former Ten Ghosts. Except for Luo Fumeng, because she was the one to save him.
- In Vino Veritas: During two instances when he was drunk, he opened up to Zhou Zishu concerning his feelings.
- Kling On Promotion: Wen Kexing was the one to overthrow the Former Ghost Valley Chief by himself, declaring himself to be supreme.
- Leitmotif: Wú tí (无题: No Question/Untitled) Wen Kexing likens himself to a travelling bird, and the song talks about a weary bird that is tired and should return to its home.
- Light Is Not Good: He wears light coloured robes, but is not afraid of killing others who get in his way.
- Love Martyr: After the scene of Wen Kexing as the Ghost Valley Chief, it's rather shocking to see him so broken and scolded by Zhou Zishu in Episode 14 during their conflict.
- Madness Mantra: "It's too late.'"
- Makeup Is Evil: In his Ghost King persona, he has red eyeliner on.
- Meaningful Rename: The name Kexing (客行) comes from the division of the characters in the name Yan (衍). Signifying how his past had broken him and turned him into a new person.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Happens twice, the first time is when he realises that he had caused the deaths of the Four Sages of Ainji indirectly, and the other was when he caused Han Ying's death indirectly by also the same reason.
- Papa Wolf: Since he raised Gu Xiang since she was an infant, Wen Kexing had to fend off himself and Gu Xiang in the Ghost Valley considering it was a kill or to be killed world they were in.
- Please, I Will Do Anything!: Only for Zhou Zishu and Gu Xiang, when there is hope for Zhou Zishu to live for a little bit longer, he doesn't mind Ye Baiyi's request of him shouting in the streets that he's a blind idiot for three days, even going as far as to say he can do it for three months. With Gu Xiang, when she was held hostage by Mo Huaiyang, he begged him to let her go and do anything he wants.
- Promotion to Parent: To Gu Xiang, Wen Kexing considers her as a sister and even a daughter.Wen Kexing: A Xiang is like a little sister to me. She, if I may say so, is a daughter to me for I brought her up.
- Real Men Cook: Being self-independent in the Ghost Valley, he had learnt basic survival skills, including cooking, this skill provides to be useful during the time in the Four Seasons Manor because neither Zhou Zishu nor Chengling can cook.
- Real Men Wear Pink: One of Wen Kexing's many bright robes is a pink one patterned with blossoms.
- Slasher Smile: He exhibits this multiple times as the Ghost Valley Chief, it's often proceeded with someone begging for their life, or dying.
- Stepford Smiler: Especially in the first episodes, Wen Kexing's smiles always seemed off and more of a mask than genuine emotion.
- Sweet Tooth: Wen Kexing kept "buying" all sorts of sweets at the Marketplace.
- That Man Is Dead: Wen Kexing's reaction to when called Zhen Yan, it's no wonder considering what the Zhen family had done to him.
- The Dreaded: Nobody dares to look Wen Kexing in the eye in the Ghost Valley nor breath towards him in the wrong way, any scene with the Ghosts shows all of them (except for Luo Fumeng) terrified of him. Considering that Wen Kexing had skinned the previous Ghost Valley Chief alive and threw that skin at the other Ghosts, the reason is obvious.
- The Tease: Right when he first sees Zhou Zishu, he immediately gains a habit of teasing the other, trying to figure out who he could be and what his real face is like.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Walnuts, which he's often seen munching on. In the novel, this contrasts with Zhou Zishu, who loathes them.
- Trauma Conga Line: At the age of just eight years old, he had to witness his family's friends abandon them, the Master of the Immortal Physician Valley placing righteousness over bond and breaking his father's tendons, excluding all the trauma he had endured from this ordeal, he was the one to accidentally reveal his parents' hideout to Zhao Jing, which caused their deaths. It keeps going as Wen Kexing was taken into the ghost Valley and survived while raising a toddler while being a teenager himself for almost fourteen years until he ascended to being the Ghost Valley Chief. He then ruled ruthlessly for eight years. In current time, he had to find out that the only light in his life was about to die in two years, and later, see the little girl he raised himself die in his arms.
- Vengeance Feels Empty: After Wen Kexing had climbed the ranks and killed all of the top ten Ghosts, he still felt unsatisfied and empty, this doesn't make him stop however and instead, targets the entire martial arts world.
Gu Xiang (顧湘)
Played by: Zhou Ye
Voiced by: Xu Jiaqi
Wen Kexing's servant and adopted little sister/daughter.
- Action Girl: A female martial artist who can hold her own and doesn't need saving.
- Affectionate Nickname: Wen Kexing affectionately calls her A-Xiang.
- Bitch Slap: Gives a couple of them to the creepy guys harassing a musician's daughter in Episode 7.
- Bully Hunter: Precisely, harasser hunter, Gu Xiang doesn't like it when either Lovelace Ghost or random men prey on women, she takes action on both occasions.
- Color Motif: Purple to signify her core aspects, where it's associated with power, mischief and fierceness. Gu Xiang slowly shifts into softer tones where the colour is associated with love, kindness and overall softness.
- Cute Bruiser: Gu Xiang looks like a cute cheeky girl, however, she outmatches many of the characters in the series and proves many times to Cao Weining that she doesn't need saving.
- Dead Guy Junior: The name Gu comes from Wen Kexing's mother's name, Gu Miaomiao.
- Go Out with a Smile: Gu Xiang dies with a smile on her face as Wen Kexing tells her that her brother will kill Mo Huaiyang for her.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: At any given comment, Gu Xiang would bristle and take a stance, even if the comment had no ulterior intentions.
- Happily Adopted: While she never says it aloud, she is happy to be taken under Wen Kexing's wing with him even referring to her as his surrogate daughter.
- Hot-Blooded: She has quite a short temper and can get frustrated very quickly.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Gu Xiang cries loudly like a child when she realises that she loves Cao Weining, but her identity as Heartless Amethyst Fiend will ruin it all.
- I Owe You My Life: Wen Kexing says that the reason Gu Xiang serves as his "servant" is that she is grateful for the fact that he saved her when she was a toddler.
- Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: After Cao Weining's death, Gu Xiang goes on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge while wearing her wedding dress.
- Last Request: Before she dies, she tearfully asks Wen Kexing to kill Mo Huaiyang for killing both her and Cao Weining. Wen Kexing fulfils said wish shortly after.
- Like Father, Like Son: Like Father, like daughter, Gu Xiang takes a lot from Wen Kexing, from being childish to desensitise to violence.
- Living Emotional Crutch: For Wen Kexing, she was the only tie to his humanity and the only thing to live for during the Ghost Valley days.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Gu Xiang displays this with Wen Kexing, always following him without hesitation and rarely questioning his motives. She doesn't seem to mind the idea that he can lose control and kill her one day.Wen Kexing: A Xiang, do you think I'm crazy?Gu Xiang: Nods.Wen Kexing: Aren't you afraid that I will go crazy someday and kill you too?Gu Xiang: I'll follow you even if you go crazy. If you kill me, I'll even follow you in death.
- Pitbull Dates Puppy: Gu Xiang, the Heartless Amethyst Fiend, falls in love with Cao Weining, the gentle boy of the Qing Feng Sect.
- Purple Is Powerful: She wears purple robes and in one of her first scenes, demonstrates she's a powerful martial artist.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Taking after Wen Kexing, her vocabulary is vulgar in comparison to the girls in the series— let alone everyone.Zhou Zishu: Did that Young Master Cao piss you off again?Gu Xiang: If he dares to, I'll castrate him!
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Cao Weining.
- This Cannot Be!: Gu Xiang accuses Zhou Zishu of being a liar when he tells her that Wen Kexing has died. She tells him that her Master being dead is impossible because he's too powerful.
- Weapon Specialization: She has a whip that she uses in her fights quite effectively.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: When she started to have feelings for Cao Weining, she got visibly distressed and started to cry to Wen Kexing, pleading with him not to kill his sect in his revenge plan.
- Widowed at the Wedding: Cao Weining is murdered during his wedding to Gu Xiang. She outlives him... by a few minutes. Then she's killed too.
Zhang Chengling (張成嶺)
Click here to see Adult Zhang Chengling
Played by: Sun Xilun, Zhao Xiaokun (adult)
Voiced by: Xing Chao
Last of the Mirror Lake Sect and Zhou Zishu's disciple.
- Affectionate Nickname: Called "little idiot" constantly, an insult turned into a term of endearment later, where he does not seem to mind it.
- Cuddle Bug: Chengling never hesitates to hug either Zhou Zishu or Wen Kexing.
- Determinator: Even when belittled, left behind and rejected many times, Chengling never stops asking Zhou Zishu to take him as a disciple, never giving up and encouraged further by Wen Kexing to keep on persisting.
- Family of Choice: Finds this with Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang.
- Incompletely Trained: In contrast to his two brothers, Chengling wasn't the brightest of the bunch in the martial arts aspect or educational aspect, and is often looked down upon for this. Even Zhou Zishu takes every chance to belittle Chengling on that matter.
- Kid Hero All Grown-Up: In the final episode, we see Chengling as an adult and the new sect leader of Four Seasons Manor.
- Last of His Kind: After the complete wipeout of the Mirror Lake sect, it is up to Chengling to save his sect from completely vanishing.
- Legacy Character: Chengling not only has to carry out the legacy of his sect but also the Four Seasons sect and the Longyuan Cabinet sect, surprisingly, he manages to boulder all of this.
- Orphan's Ordeal: The plot of Word of Honor kickstarts this way. Zhou Zishu crosses ways with Chengling who in return gives him a room to stay in for the night, conveniently when the attack on his sect happens, causing him to lose his family and home overnight. This forces Zhou Zishu to help the kid and from that point, their relationship develops.
- Patricide: Downplayed. During the orchestra of Wen Kexing's death, it was Chengling who gave the final blow, "killing" Wen Kexing with the self-defence weapon that was given by Zhou Zishu. Needless to say, Zhou Zishu was far from happy.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Chengling says this to Zhou Zishu:Zhang Chengling: No! Master, I won't listen to you, when my dad talked to me the last time, he had the same expression as yours now. I'd rather die with you than live alone!
- The Pollyanna: Despite being orphaned and treated badly, he still smiles at the face of Zhou Zishu whenever he sees him and keeps an upbeat attitude with most of his friends.
- Prone to Tears: He tends to cry a lot, which the others make note of.
- Spoiled Sweet: Chengling was a very mediocre but sweet child raised to only take care of his parents after they grew old. Although he was pampered throughout his childhood, he treats everyone nicely and with respect.
- Smarter Than You Look: Many assume Chengling to be a sheltered, naive boy but during the burning of his home, he was still quick-witted enough to hide the letter sent by Ye Baiyi. This same letter would later play a role in Zhao Jing's downfall.
- Tender Tears: Chengling has no problems in expressing his emotions, let it be tears of sorrow, sadness or joy. Despite being told multiple times not to, he never hides his tears.
- The So-Called Coward: Chengling may be the weakest character in the series at the start, however, he has proven over and over that he is far from a coward, from shielding a stranger with his body from an incoming stab to withstanding torture by two assassins.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Chengling's meridians are actually wider and smoother than the average disciple. His mediocrity isn't simply for lack of trying, his body genuinely needed more time to fill itself with the necessary strength.
Cao Weining (曹蔚寧)
Played by: Ma Wenyuan
Voiced by: Su Shangqing
Disciple of the Qing Feng Sect.
- Amazon Chaser: Is immediately enamoured by Gu Xiang after she beats up a group of men harassing a musician's daughter and does whatever he can to stay close to her.
- Blue Is Heroic: Cao Weining's sect colours are light blue.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Naive he may seem, he doesn't hesitate to be the first to step forward to defend his friends, capable of holding his own against Beggar Couples and Scorpion assassins.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: His dead body is held by Gu Xiang as she tearfully weeps over him.
- Distressed Dude: Unfortunately, he sometimes bites off more than he can chew and ends up injured/knocked out in a fight.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: Unlike Master, Zhou Zishu comments on how Mo Huaiyang is a sly fox yet Cao Weining is a sweet kid.
- Love at First Sight: With Gu Xiang, he was immediately awestruck by her at first sight when she had beaten a couple of men who were harassing a girl and her father.
- Nice Guy: He's kind and polite, only wanting to help others.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: All Cao Weining did was help people and fall in love with Gu Xiang, and what does he get for it? A neck snap.
- Shipper on Deck: For Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing, he feels emotional for them and saddened by the fact that Zhou Zishu doesn't have much time to live.
- Skilled, but Naive: For a disciple his age, Cao Weining shows remarkable skill, though, in worldly matters, he is not as remarkable.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Gu Xiang.
- The Heart: Cao Weining is quite gentle and is the most soft-spoken person in the cast, he tries his best to solve any sort of problem and help when possible.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Since he is a Nice Guy, he helps some people and loves Gu Xiang, accepting to marry her despite knowing her identity as a member of the Ghost Valley. But in the end, he is being like this by his own master, right in front of Gu Xiang who soon goes on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge toward the latter.
Five Lakes Alliance
Gao Chong (高崇)
Played by: Hei Zi (adult), Zhang Jiahang (young)
Voiced by: Yang Mo
The older brother and the head of the Five Lakes Alliance and leader of the Yue Yang Sect
- BFS: One of the two characters in the series who wield a noticeably big sword.
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: Gao Chong is a big man, the oldest of the Five Lakes Alliance and seemingly harsh especially with Zhang Chengling. However, his love for his brothers is real as shown by his crying for Shen Shen, and he prioritizes his daughter and Zhang Chengling's safety above all else.
- Frame-Up: Gao Chong has been accused of poisoning Rong Xuan, which later led to his madness. When it was Zhao Jing who set the whole thing up
- Good All Along: Most people doubted Gao Chong, in the past and in the current time, Wen Kexing insists that Gao Chong has ulterior motives for everything he does. Turns out, all of his actions were sincere and he never had underlying motives.
- Percussive Prevention: Does this to Shen Shen when he was about to sacrifice himself for Gao Chong.
- Redemption Equals Death: at the Heroes Conference, when everything seemed to be lost, Gao Chong committed suicide as a last resort to prove his innocence
- Slipknot Ponytail: Happens during the Heroes Conference when he blocks a blow to the face.
- Take Care of the Kids: Gao Chong says this to Shen Shen, as he already had made up his mind of killing himself as redemption.
Zhao Jing (趙敬) — Warning: Walking Spoiler
Played by: Wang Ruolin (adult), Tian Muyang (young)
Voiced by: Guo Haoran
The second brother of the Five Lakes Alliance and leader of the Tai Hu Sect.
- Bad Samaritan: At first, he seems to be genuinely concerned about Zhang Chengling’s health and safety, assisting Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing in keeping him safe. However, he only wanted to know the location of his glazed armour, sending the Scorpion Assassins after Chengling to kidnap and torture him. Additionally, he says that the more harmless and virtuous he seems, the fewer people will suspect him and the better others will think of him.
- Big Bad: Responsible for countless deaths over the past 20 years in his scheme to become the leader of the Five Lakes.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Zhao Jing was the only brother out of the five to comfort Zhang Chengling and tell others to go easy on the kid, making it seem like he was the only one with sympathy for him. During the Heroes Conference, he falls to his knees and begs Gao Chong to stop everything for his safety. This all turns out to be an act.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: What ultimately motivates the Scorpion King to foil his plans.
- Crocodile Tears: At first, the audience may feel pity for how easily Zhao Jing cries, but it turns out it was all fake.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Is disgusted by the Drug Men that the Scorpion King uses, finding them to be contrary to nature.
- Evil Laugh: The most noticeable one is when Zhou Zishu jumps with Wen Kexing, laughing at the display of devotion.
- False Friend: To his sworn brothers.
- Faux Affably Evil: One can be forgiven for initially thinking that Zhang Chengling has at least one caring uncle.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: In a flashback where Zhao Jing attempts to get the key from the Wen family, Zhao Jing seizes the opportunity that the "man of the house" is too weak to fight, and he gets too close for comfort to Gu Miaomiao.
- Last Disrespects: During Lunar New Year, Zhao Jing proceeds to spill wine on the memorial tablets of his dead brothers, going as far as to pee on Rong Xuan's memorial.
- Laughing Mad: When Zhao Jing gets cornered in the Second Heroes Conference, he laughs hysterically before attempting to kill Gao Xiaolian.
- Long Game: Zhao Jing has been planning since almost two whole decades ago, slowly climbing his way to the top and becoming the Leader of the Five Lakes Alliance through trickery and patience.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: The affluent owner of Sanbai Manor.
- Near-Villain Victory: Zhao Jing became the leader of the martial arts world and seemed to prove himself against Mo Huaiyang. In the end, though, his plans backfired as Scorpion King betrayed him by allying up with Wen Kexing to expose him. This would have been entirely avoided if Zhao Jing stayed loyal to the person who helped him rise.
- Symbolic Mutilation: Since Zhao Jing is good at talking and persuading, Scorpion King made him mute so he would never manipulate him — or anyone with his words.
- The Only One I Trust: Eventually forced to, as Scorpion King had him muted alongside being disabled. Zhao Jing can be seen leaning onto Scorpion King's shoulder during the hug.
- Walking Spoiler: Zhao Jing appears to be the good guy at first until Episode 16 that is.
Shen Shen (沈慎)
Played by: Guo Jiahao (adult), Chang Yuanjia (young)
Voiced by: Qi Sijia
The fifth brother of the Five Lakes Alliance and leader of Da Gu Shan Sect.
- But Now I Must Go: To find Gao Xiaolian back, he leaves the Five Lakes Alliance in search of her, and if he fails, he'll never return. So either way, he's leaving.
- Blue Is Heroic: He's oftentimes seen wearing blue clothes and despite his flaws, he's a well-intentioned individual.
- Good All Along: His actions since the start seem to be very dubious, especially when he was hesitant to give his piece of the Glazed Armour to Gao Chong. Turns out that he never had any ulterior motives and wants the best for the alliance and his brothers.
- Heal the Cutie: From the start of the series, Shen Shen is rarely seen smiling, in his last appearance, he is smiling a lot.
- Hot-Blooded: Shen Shen's first response to anything is to draw his sword and threaten, or shout.
- I Take Offense to That Last One: Shen Shen can admit to turning a blind eye to Rong Xuan's death and Wen Ruyu's suffering, but to even imply that he would hurt his brothers is outrageous.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: See Nice Job Breaking It, Hero. Attitude-wise, he's not the most amiable person among his brothers. But at the end of the day, he only wants what's best for the alliance and genuinely cares for his brothers and the children unwittingly pulled into the conflict.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: It happens twice, The first with Shen Shen yelling at a traumatised scared Chengling about the Glazed Armor. The second is when Shen Shen didn't back off from pressing on Wen Kexing about his parents, and calling him Yan-er.
- Never Say That Again: During the second Heroes Conference, Shen Shen shouts this at Zhao Jing when he started to deflect the claims against him.Shen Shen: Shut up! How dare you call Big Brother by his name? You aren't qualified!
- Seriously Scruffy: After the Heroes Conference, Shen Shen's state is messy, to say the least, sprouting a stubble.
- The Mole: Becomes one when for Wen Kexing when he comes to Shen Shen for assistance to expose Zhao Jing.
- Undying Loyalty: Until the end, Shen Shen's loyalty to Gao Chong doesn't waver, even with strong evidence against him.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: After Episode 34, Shen Shen is not heard of again or shown how he reacted to Wen Kexing's and Zhou Zishu's disappearances, they were Chengling's masters and Wen Kexing was the only son of his brother.
Zhang Yusen (張玉森)
Played by: Chang Jin (adult), Zhou Taiheng (young)
The fourth brother of the Five Lakes Alliance and leader of Jing Hu Mountain Pavilion (Mirror Lake Sect).
- Heroic Sacrifice: Instead of telling the Ghosts where the Glazed Armour is, he is willing to die before he speaks, even going as far as to watch his sons die in front of him for it.
Gao Xiaolian (高小憐)
Played by: Jin Le
Voiced by: Nie Xiying
Gao Chong's daughter.
- Adaptational Wimp: In the novel, she's shown to be capable of taking care of herself, this is not the case in the series.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: She tries to give one to Zhang Chengling, unintentionally upsetting him as he feels embarrassed by being coddled.
- Arranged Marriage: Gao Xiaolian was supposed to get married to Deng Kuan, however, due to the circumstances, Gao Chong saw it fit that Zhang Chengling to marry her instead, so he can rebuild his sect and become the next Fives Lakes Alliance leader. Her Feelings are barely taken into account in this matter.
- Big Sister Instinct: She views Chengling as a little brother despite her father's wishes to betroth her to him. Fortunately, the betrothal was annulled and she got to marry Deng Kuan.
- Cool Big Sis: As the senior of Yue Yang Sect, she seems to have taken this role up to many, including Zhang Chengling, Gu Xiang and Cao Weining.
- Cycle of Revenge: When she realised why the Beggars held so much hatred towards the Five Lakes Alliance, she pleaded with Shen Shen to let go of Tao Hong and Lu Liu, saying that this cycle of revenge should end.
- Happily Married: It is implied that she eventually marries Deng Kuan and had a kid with him.
- Nice Girl: Gao Xiaolian is noted for her kindness and gentle nature.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She's a nice girl who doesn't partake in martial arts. However, during the second Heroes Conference, she was the one to personally step up and lay out Zhao Jing's wrongdoings to her father, committing to her word, she didn't resort to unnecessary violence, instead, she resorted to unravelling the truth and letting justice take its course.
- Through His Stomach: She was the one to make food for Chengling when she tried to give him the message that they are arranged to be married.
- You Killed My Father: She was devastated by her father's death and furious at Zhao Jing for framing and slandering his name. She plays a crucial role in revealing his treachery and clearing her father's name.
Ghost Valley (Mountain Qingya)
Luo Fumeng (羅浮夢) — Matrimonial-Funerary Ghost (喜喪鬼)
Played by: Chen Zihan
Voiced by: Zhang Xinyu
Also known as the "Master of the Annals of the Scorned" (薄情簿主) for her punishment towards unfaithful men.
- Affectionate Nickname: Gu Xiang calls her "Luo-yi" (Auntie Luo).
- Benevolent Boss: See We Help the Helpless.
- Color Motif: Wearing Red is often associated with marriage, given her story with Zhao Jing and the purpose of the Manor, this is rather ironic.
- Damsel in Distress: For most of the show, Luo Fumeng is in a bad state unable to defend herself or Liu Qianqiao.
- Defiant to the End: Luo Fumeng has no intention of submitting to the Five Lakes Alliance, always provoking them into killing her already.
- Gender Flip: In the novel, a Matrimonial-Funerary Ghost is a man named Sun Ding; although both incarnations of the character share the same role of targeting men who cheat on their spouses/lovers.
- Going Down with the Ship: Even when presented the chance to leave the Ghost Valley, Luo Fumeng chooses to stay in the doomed place until her death.
- I'm Not Afraid of You: Where all Ghosts tremble in fear at Wen Kexing, Luo Fumeng is the only one who dares to stand against him and challenge him, even Liu Qianqiao is unsure whether that's bravery or madness.
- Lady of War: She's a beautiful woman who's a capable martial artist and one of the Ten Devils.
- Mama Bear: She tried to act as a Parental Substitute to a young Wen Kexing but could only do so much considering the circumstances. Nonetheless, she genuinely cares for him, Gu Xiang and all the other girls in the Department of the Unfaithful.
- My Greatest Failure: Luo Fumeng laments two things. First is her inability to save Wen Kexing's parents. Second is her failure to protect Wen Kexing from the Ghost Valley horrors, where he became consumed with revenge.
- Mystical White Hair: She has white hair which further complements her alluring beauty.
- We Help the Helpless: Luo Fumeng is arguably the least evil Ghost, considering her entire Manor is built on the purpose of helping women who were betrayed/abused by their lovers, something she experienced herself. However, she has no qualms dragging innocents into her punishments of unfaithful men due to her penchant for the theatrical.
- Liu Qianqiao also says that the girls of the Unfaithful Manor rely on Luo Fumeng's strong martial arts.
- Wrong-Name Outburst: When brushing Wen Kexing's hair, she accidentally calls him A-Xing, which is a very affectionate nickname. Wen Kexing says that she hasn't called him that since he became the Ghost Valley Chief.
Liu Qianqiao (柳千巧) — Glamorous Ghost (艷鬼)
Played by: Ke Naiyu
Voiced by: Qiao Shiyu
Luo Fumeng's subordinate.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Liu Qianqiao supposedly got disfigured, with how good her disguises can get, looking like the opposite gender flawlessly, it was anticlimactic, to say the least when the scar turned out to be a mild one.
- Cool Big Sis: She is this to the other girls in the Department of the Unfaithful.
- Undying Loyalty: Towards Luo Fumeng.
- Villain Has a Point: The way the Unfaithful Manor handles cheating men is questionable, especially since they often drag in men who didn't cheat on any women and have them killed, but when Liu Qianqiao says that a man can cheat all he wants and won't be punished for it and the woman is most likely to get the backlash too, but if a woman does it, she'll be harshly punished.
Impermanence Ghost (無常鬼)
Played by: Xue Fei
The leader of the Ten Evil Ghosts.
- Character Tics: Impermanence Ghost's hands are constantly moving, most notably he moves his fingers as if he's counting or recalling.
- Faux Affably Evil
- Green and Mean: He wears dark green robes and is The Starscream.
- Makeup Is Evil: Impermanence Ghost wears dark green lipstick.
- The Starscream: From the start, Impermanence Ghost is shown to be working with others and bending to their needs, all in hopes to try to overthrow Wen Kexing and take his place. He still tries to do so even when Wen Kexing caught on and gave him a warning by killing White Grim Reaper.
Lovelace Ghost (急色鬼)
Played by: Zhou Yao
Voiced by: Sun Lulu
A Ghost is known for preying on young women.
- I'm a Man; I Can't Help It: Lovelace's entire purpose is to be a creep, and borderline rapist, he enjoys tormenting women and saying that whoever cries will tempt him to act on his urges.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Even in a place filled with criminals, most of the scenes where Lovelace is present are enough to make him the most hated Ghost. There is no rape on screen, but there are enough hints that he isn't above doing such a thing. Nobody was upset when Scorpion King killed him for this reason.
Happy Ghost (開心鬼)
Played by: Yang Chaoran
Voiced by: Zhang Zhankun
A Ghost is known for his uncontrollable laughter.
- Glasgow Grin: Happy Ghost has stitches that make it seem like he's constantly smiling, that with his giggling make him live up to his name.
- The Hyena: Due to chaotic qi in his body, Happy Ghost laughs uncontrollably no matter the situation.
Hanged Ghost (吊死鬼)
Played by: Unknown
Voiced by: Zhang He
A Ghost who fled after stealing the Ghost Valley's piece of the Glazed Armor. He is known for using razor-sharp wires and trapping unsuspecting victims.
Corpse-Eating Ghost (食屍鬼)
Played by: Li Baoer
Voiced by: Guan Shuai
A Ghost is known for eating human flesh.
- But Not Too Evil: He may be a cannibalistic Ghost, but compared to others, he's one of the lesser evils, saving the girls in the Unfaithful Manor till his last appearance.
- I'm a Humanitarian: As his name suggests, his defining trait is being a cannibal.
Long-Tongue Ghost (長舌鬼)
Played by: Qiu Bin
A subordinate of the Impermanence Ghost.
Black Grim Reaper (黑無常)
Played by: Sun Zihang
A subordinate of the Impermanence Ghost.
- Dark Is Evil: He wears all black and works for one of the Ten Devils who are The Starscream.
- Sinister Scythe: He's seen holding one.
White Grim Reaper (白無常)
Played by: Sha Zixuan
A subordinate of the Impermanence Ghost.
- Light Is Not Good: He wears all white and works for one of the Ten Devils who are The Starscream.
- Red Shirt: His death serves only as a threat to the Impermanence Ghost, nothing more.
- We Barely Knew Ye: The audience knew very little about him before Wen Kexing decides to off him as a warning to Impermanence Ghost.
Former Master of Ghost Valley (老谷主)
Played by: Ye Xinyu
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Who knew that the child you trained and whipped like a dog to become the next Ghost Valley was going to skin you alive as soon as he got older and powerful enough to do it?
- To add insult to injury, in the novel, The Former Ghost Valley Chief demands Wen Kexing to eat his father's corpse to show that he is qualified enough to enter the Ghost Valley. During the uprising, Wen Kexing eats the Former Ghost Valley.
- Sadist Teacher: As seen with Wen Kexing, he says he wants to raise Wen Kexing as a disciple worthy to become the Ghost Valley Chief, and by doing so, he whips a nine-year-old and kidnaps infants for this very purpose.
- Would Hurt a Child: As seen with Wen Kexing.
Scorpion Sect
Prince Xie (蠍王)
Played by: Li Daikun
The head of Scorpion Sect.
- Braids of Action: One of Prince Xie's prominent features is his hair.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: His relationship with his godfather isn't explicitly romantic, but Scorpion hates Zhao Jing spending time and energy on anyone else, to the point of murdering the competition.
- Didn't Think This Through: Prince Xie was shocked to learn about the death of Liu Qianqiao and seemed affected by it for a moment.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: All he wants is Zhao Jing's affection and approval.
- Instrumental Weapon: Prince Xie controls the drug men by his qin.
- Psycho Supporter: Does that dirty work for Zhao Jing so that the latter can appear honourable. Zhao Jing is anything but, and only disapproves of Scorpion's actions when it reflects poorly on himself.
- Yandere: He's not the most stable at the best of times, but well and truly snaps when he finally realizes Zhao Jing doesn't care about him.
Du Pusa (毒菩薩)
Played by: Zhao Qian
Voiced by: Cai Haiting
One of the four assassins under the Scorpion Sect, good at using poison.
- Evil Laugh: Occasionally gives one.
- Female Misogynist: Inverted. While she may seem like that at first, flaunting her beauty at Liu Qianqiao and taunting her for her disfigured face, she stands up for Liu Qianqiao when Yu Feng tries to sweet-talk his way back into Liu Qianqiao's heart, pushing Yu Feng away from her by her leg and retelling the story of how he cheated and betrayed Liu Qianqiao.
- Femme Fatale: She's known to use her beauty against other women or take advantage of that fact with men, she's attractive and she knows it.
- Kiss of Death: One of her attacks is blowing a kiss towards someone that is contaminated with poison.
- Meaningful Name: Du means "poisonous" or "malicious", which befits Du Pusa's speciality in poison. On the other hand, "pusa" is the Chinese equivalent of the term "bodhisattva", which means "enlightened being" or more specifically, "someone who can achieve enlightenment but has refrained from doing so to help others". Considering the kind of character she is, this also counts as an Ironic Name.
- Sexy Slit Dress: Du Pusa's outfit has slits on the side which help her show off her legs and Scorpion tattoo.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Is the girly girl to Qiao Luohan's tomboy.
- Would Hurt a Child: Has no issues torturing 14-year-old Zhang Chengling.
Qiao Luohan (俏羅漢)
Played by: Yu Naijia
Voiced by: Qiao Su
One of the four assassins under the Scorpion Sect.
- Meaningful Name: Qiao means "pretty", "good-looking" or "charming". Luohan is another translation of the word arhat or arahant, which is a term used in Buddhism to describe someone who has reached nirvana. While Qiao Luohan is attractive, her name is also an ironic one due to her cold-blooded and sadistic nature.
- Torture Technician: Qiao Luohan seems to have a wide variety of torture methods, even Du Pusa requests to see some of them.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Is the tomboy to Du Pusa's girly girl.
- Would Hurt a Child: She's all too eager to torture Zhang Chengling, and has a completely twisted expression of glee on her face when she waterboards him.
Qin Song (魅曲秦松)
Played by: Liu Yuetao
One of the four assassins under the Scorpion Sect. He uses an instrument as his weapon of choice.
- Dream-Crushing Handicap: While he doesn't live for long, Wen Kexing breaks Qin Song's arm that he uses for playing and renders it useless, if he were to survive, he would have been completely useless.
- Instrumental Weapon: His weapon is a qin that sends hypnotising waves.
- Reused Character Design: An assassin who wields a musical instrument (specifically, a liuqin) wears eyeliner, has braids and wears rings, the main difference between Qin Song and Prince Xie is that Qin Song is a minor character who is pretty disposable.
Jiang Laoguai (金毛蔣怪)
Played by: Pan Jian
One of the four assassins under the Scorpion Sect.
- Big Eater: Shown in his introduction scene, where he is eating massive chunks of meat.
- Eyepatch of Power: Wears one on his left eye.
- Mighty Glacier: While his weapon seems to hit heavily, he lacks the agility to avoid attacks compared to Da Pusa and Qiao Luohan, which causes his death eventually.
Imperial Court and Tian Chuang
Prince Jin (晉王)
Played by: Wang Dong
Voiced by: Miao Zhuang
Owner of Tian Chuang, Zhou Zishu's cousin.
- Adaptation Name Change: Prince Jin's name in the books was Helian Yi. The reason for this change is that the character has been changed so drastically that he can't be called Helian Yi.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the book, Prince Jin only appeared at the start when Zhou Zishu announced his department from Tian Chuang, his reaction was mild and he never appeared again. In the series, however, he serves as one of the main antagonists, emotionally manipulating Zhou Zishu into returning and hunting him down with no care, even going as far as to kidnap him.
- Gaslighting: Whenever Zhou Zishu calls him out on his self-centred greed and paranoia, he dismisses him, claiming it's for the best and that sacrifices are necessary.
- Manipulative Bastard: Suffice to say, Prince Jin would cry crocodile tears and throw himself at Zhou Zishu to maximise the chances of Zhou Zishu complying and helping him.
- We Used to Be Friends: He pulls on a similar line when Zhou Zishu expresses his anger at Prince Jin burning down the Four Seasons Manor, his home. Of course, Prince Jin keeps dismissing him, wallowing in self-pity on how he was going to be so forgiving to Zhou Zishu when he comes back. Zhou Zishu rejects his "kindness".Prince Jin: I always thought that you were my Zhījǐ. But it turns out that you're no more than an ordinary person.
- Why Did You Make Me Hit You?: To drive Zhou Zishu out of hiding, Prince Jin follows his quote by saying to make a man leave his sword, break it, and to make a man leave his home, burn it down.
- He does those two things precisely, Wen Kexing had exhausted himself trying to save Han Ying, forcing Zhou Zishu to leave him in a critical condition where he might have died, then Duan Pengji burnt down the Four Seasons Manor right in front of Zhou Zishu's eyes. Prince Jin does this for the "greater good".
Duan Pengju (段鵬舉)
Played by: Guo Yunfei
Voiced by: Cai Zhuangzhuang
Former deputy leader of Tian Chuang who later became the current leader.
- Adaptation Expansion: Considering that the role of Tian Chuang ends in the novel's first chapter, all of Duan Pengju's appearances and actions are purely new.
- Burn Baby Burn: Even if it was Prince Jin's order, Duan Pengju took delight in burning down the Four Seasons Manor.
- Casanova Wannabe: As seen with Da Pusa, trying multiple times to get it on with her while she teases him, but eventually rejects him.
- Didn't Think This Through: Torturing someone who can't feel much pain and has nothing to lose is something Duan Pengjiu probably forgot in hindsight.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Towards Zhou Zishu.
- Jerkass: He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and relishes tormenting Zhou Zishu.
- Psychotic Smirk: He occasionally gives one, but one that stands out is when Zhou Zishu is putting the nails into the last elder of the Four Seasons Manor.
- The Resenter: Duan Pengju's jealousy doesn't go unnoticed by the audience or Zhou Zishu, he craves Prince Jin's approval and attention, and the Prince only has his undivided attention on Zhou Zishu even after his department and betrayal.
- This can be noticed more in the scene where Prince Jin dismisses all security during his meeting with Zhou Zishu, Duan Pengju's expression is sour at this.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Slightly subverted as he's still the leader of Tian Chuang. Nonetheless, he's subpar compared to Zhou Zishu.
- Undying Loyalty: To Prince Jin, even if it wasn't acknowledged.
Han Ying (韓英)
Played by: Wang Rong
Voiced by: Wi Yifan
Commander of Tian Chuang.
- Adaptation Expansion: Considering that the role of Tian Chuang ends in the novel's first chapter, Han Ying is a completely new character in the series.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Upon the discovery that someone duplicated the Glazed Armour to spread chaos, Han Ying was so appalled and said that this person must be evil at heart, a heavy statement considering that Tian Chuang doesn't mind killing children.
- Heroic Suicide: Seeing that Wen Kexing will not let go of him until his last breath, he commits suicide so he can leave him and rescue Chengling.
- I Owe You My Life: To Zhou Zishu, this is because Zhou Zishu had saved his life from being a slave war orphan.
- Last Request: Before his suicide, Han Ying had entrusted Wen Kexing with 19 disciples whose loyalty remained to Zhou Zishu to take into the Four Seasons Manor.
- Longing Look: He gave this look to the white flower representing Zhou Zishu while promising to find the Glazed Armour, even at the cost of his life.
- Undying Loyalty: Han Ying's loyalty stays restricted to Zhou Zishu even after he had stepped down from being Tian Chuang's leader, he shows extreme loyalty until the very end of the series:
- Upon recognizing the Swift Steps of the Four Seasons Manor, he stops his squad from attacking, once Zhou Zishu takes his mask off, Han Ying immediately kneels and turns from a leader to a subordinate.
- At every given chance, he asks Zhou Zishu about his injures, and always offers to find the Glazed Armour to cure him.
- When Zhou Zishu was lamenting about Wen Kexing's actions and doubting their connection, Han Ying was standing nearby and looking out for him. When Zhou Zishu got drunk without a thought and not in his disguise, Han Ying was the one to escort him and hide him despite the risk, saving him from being found out by Tian Chuang.
- Even with Zhou Zishu continuously asking Han Ying to not follow him and not look for the Glazed Armour, Han Ying still tries his best to find Prince Jin's piece.
- When Han Ying's squad caught a gust of his betrayal, he did not hesitate to kill them all and injure himself while pinning it on the Scorpions.
- Sneaking into Prince Jin's room, not only did he find the Glazed Armour piece (albeit it was a fake) he had also found a letter that reveals crucial info about the the truth of the death of Zhou Zishu's father.Unfortunately, at this point he has been compromised, while on his way to the Four Seasons Manor, he had been ambushed, but he managed to reach his destination and deliver the information while on the brink of death.
- With the knowledge that Chengling was Zhou Zishu's disciple, he had tried to persuade Wen Kexing to go and save him, when Wen Kexing did not comply, he committed suicide by breaking his meridians.
Unaffiliated
Ye Baiyi (葉白衣)
Played by: Huang Youming
Voiced by: Jin Xian
Sword immortal of Chang Ming Mountain.
- BFS: One of the two characters in the series who wield a noticeably big sword.
- Big Eater: Ye Baiyi eats so much that an astonished crowd gather to watch him eat.
- Brutal Honesty: Due to being isolated in the mountains for so long, Ye Baiyi's social skills aren't exactly the best, which leads him into falling into this trope constantly.
- Black-and-White Morality: When he knew that Wen Kexing was the Ghost Chief Valley, he was bent on killing him despite the circumstances, let alone the fact that his parents tried to protect his disciple.
- Deadpan Snarker: Whenever Ye Baiyi speaks, it's either a sarcastic comment or a jab at someone.
- Gasp!: Ye Baiyi gives one when Zhou Zishu tells him that he doesn't deserve to be Qin Huaizhang's friend.
- Incompatible Orientation: Ye Baiyi fell in love with Rong Changqing, who was a straight married man, but this didn't stop Ye Baiyi from taking care of him and his son.
- Makes Us Even: If someone helps him or is a victim of a problem he unwittingly had a hand in, he offers to grant them a favour, no matter how big or small, with no strings attached.
- Meaningful Name: Baiyi means white clothes, which suit his white heavy robes.
- My Greatest Failure: He feels partially responsible for the mistakes Rong Xuan has made and by extension, feels as though he failed Rong Changqing in raising him.
- The Ageless: He is well past the age of 100, yet still retains the appearance of a young man.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: With Wen Kexing.
- Who Wants to Live Forever?: The main reason Ye Baiyi gets out of isolation and starts eating normal food again, despite it breaking his immortality, is because he's tired of living and seeing everyone around him die.
Jing Beiyuan (景北淵) — Lord Seventh (七爷)
Played by: Wei Zheming
Voiced by: Ling Fei
A former prince and Zhou Zishu's old friend.
- Due to the Dead: Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi take care of carrying the bodies of Gu Xiang and Cao Weining. They went as far as finding a serene place to bury them.
- Everyone Can See It: Everyone drops hints about Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing's relationships, but it's Jing Beiyuan who outright affirms it with others smiling cheekily, Zhou Zishu? not so much.Jing Beiyuan: I remember someone asked me to find him a girl with a great figure. I found a lot, but he...
- Pretty Boy: In the novel, there are many descriptions of how beautiful Jing Beiyuan is. Many would agree that the live adaptation didn't disappoint in the casting.
Wu Xi (烏溪)
Played by: Fan Jinwei
Voiced by: Zhang He
A shaman of Nan Jiang and Zhou Zishu's old friend.
- Brutal Honesty: When Jing Beiyuan didn't believe that Zhou Zishu could be dead, it was Wu Xi who was firm with him and was logical about why Prince Jin would kill Zhou Zishu.
- Carry a Big Stick: Wu Xi's most unique physical trait, he carries it around as a cane and wields it as a weapon.
- Combat Medic: Wu Xi is very expert in the art of medicine as much as he is an expert in martial arts.
- Hates Being Called Cute: The second Zhou Zishu teases him for being cute, Wu Xi pouts and looks away in anger as Jing Beiyuan laughs too, not helping at all.
- Tender Tears: Upon the reveal of Zhou Zishu pulling out the nails and having only a few days to live, Wu Xi is grief-stricken and tears up as Jing Beiyuan tries to find solutions, but Wu Xi as the great shaman, even knows that it's far too late for anything.
- The Comically Serious: Everyone gets amused whenever Wu Xi tries to act serious.
