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!Azure Hills
The northwesternmost province of the Crimson Phoenix Empire and where Jin sets up his farm after departing the Cloudy Sword Sect. Widely known as the weakest province in the Empire, and therefore the least interesting to cultivators, which is why Jin chose it.
!!The Farm / Fa Ram
!!!Humans
[[folder:Jin Rou / Rou Jin]]
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jin_rou_beware_of_chicken.png]]
The transmigrated protagonist of the novel, who decides to start a farm instead of ascending to the heavens. Was an Outer Disciple of the Cloudy Sword sect before deciding on a career change.
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* AbsurdCuttingPower: Imbuing qi into his tools allows Jin to saw hardwood timber like paper and plough ground like a knife through butter, without ever having to manually sharpen the metal.
* AccidentalBargainingSkills: Jin has looked around the marketplace and seen that ten silver coins is a normal price for a luxury item, so when Guan Bo offers fifty for [[spoiler:a jar of maple syrup]], he frowns in puzzlement. Guan Bo misinterprets it and promptly increases his offer to sixty. (Subverted when the rising offer clues Jin in to the worth of his goods, and he bumps the price up further on purpose.)
* AchievementInIgnorance:
** Jin sees his farming as a way to get away from the cultivation world. His Qi-powered farming techniques are driving his cultivation to untold heights because he is following [[spoiler:“The Path of Shennong”, a form of cultivation that can only be practiced if you are unaware of it and truly love the earth.]]
** He knows that maple syrup is a saleable product, but he has no idea that [[spoiler:it contains fire and earth qi in excellent balance, worth hundreds of coins a bottle,]] until he's actually selling it.
** Similarly, he knows that his rice is good, grown with his Earth knowledge of proper planting techniques, but doesn't realize that [[spoiler:it's actually of a grade not seen locally in a thousand years, too valuable to even sell to anyone nearby]].
** In several cases, stuff which is such mundane and unremarkable common knowledge to Jin, because of growing up on Earth, is considered very shrewd or innovative by those around him:
*** Building a beehive with removable sections for harvesting the honey without destroying the hive is an innovation, but [[GivingRadioToTheRomans unlike some of his other future knowledge]], Jin doesn't even realize he's innovating here. To him, that's just how bees are kept. This surprises his friends and ''absolutely floors'' [[spoiler:the queen bee, who was prepared to offer up her own larvae as tribute for Jin allowing her hive to exist on his land]].
*** When Shan Daiyu of the Azure Jade Trading Company informs Jin that Bai Huizong, the Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, is running a side business making and selling dolls in Tigu's likeness, he says it's no problem as long as Tigu gives permission and gets royalties from the sales revenue. For him, that's just what you do if someone wants to sell merchandise based on you. Shan Daiyu, however, is stunned that he, as a cultivator and a farmer, even has an idea of what royalties ''are''.
*** He is suprised to learn that Xianada apparently has no concept of ''knitting'', and Meiling is quite excited by the idea of being able to create clothes without a full loom.
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Once Jin fully realizes how powerful he's become, he gets worried that he'll be tempted to use that power in the stereotypical ways such power gets used in the sort of setting he finds himself in — violence and domination without empathy or morality. Luckily, he's got a great support network of people who reassure him he's a great person, as well as ironclad restraint and self-control.
* AlmightyJanitor: In terms of power, he far outclasses everyone in the Azure Hills, but decides to start a farm instead of putting his power to use as a soldier. It's heavily implied that he has a low opinion of cultivators in general.
* AmbitionIsEvil: He certainly believes this, considering his low opinion of other cultivators. That said, it's not his opinion of ''all'' cultivators – he's okay with those who aren't insane, line-snuffing rapist murderers, like Xiulan.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: [[spoiler:At the Dueling Peaks, Jin singlehandedly stops the attack by the Shrouded Mountain Sect, ends a demonic cultivator with a single punch, and then reveals that he's backed by the strongest sect on the planet. This makes it clear to the cultivators of the Azure Hills that Jin is easily the strongest person in the entire province and likely ranks among the most powerful people in the world--so they begin looking to him for direction and guidance. [[TheChainsOfCommanding Jin hates this]].]]
* BareFistedMonk: Jin, natch. He does sometimes wield a {{shovel|Strike}} against wolves and foxes, but when given a ceremonial sword, he reflects that all he knows how to do with it is swing or throw it at someone, then End Them Rightly with his fists.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Jin arrives at the Dueling Peaks just in time to save Yun Ren from Fenxian, intimidate the rest of the Shrouded Mountain disciples into a truce, and save Xiulan and Big D by [[MegatonPunch punching Zang Li/Lu Ban into the next province.]]]]
* BodySnatcher: Whoever's currently in Jin Rou's body, who appears to be from Canada.
* CatchPhrase: "You tell 'em, Big D," and "My Own Little Slice of Paradise, right Here."
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Jin specifically left the Cloudy Sword Sect and ran to the Azure Hills to avoid dealing with sect politics and making life-or-death decisions for himself and other people. So when his farm animals start awakening as cultivators and his farm essentially evolves into the Fa Ram Sect with himself as the Great Master, he gets pretty stressed out. [[spoiler:He gets ''really'' stressed out when he uses his full power to save his disciples from Lu Ban and the Shrouded Mountain Sect, and in so doing reveals his power to the cultivators of the Azure Hills. They instantly realize he's far and away the strongest person in the province, backed by the strongest sect in the ''world'', and [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership begin to look to him for guidance and direction]]]].
* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Initially upon moving to the Azure Hills, Jin had no idea how strong he was compared to the average, not realizing that being an outer disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect already put him in the top tier of the province, let alone how much power he was gaining with his farm work-based cultivation. He views the Wicked Blade, a wolf that had been terrorizing the countryside, as a weak mutt that he puts down in one blow, and when a cultivator breaks his hand trying to punch him, he assumes that the guy was so weak he had to be an imposter of the sect he was claiming to belong to.
* EccentricMentor: Jin comes off this way to his animal disciples and more conventional cultivators who come to his farm and watch him "cultivate" by literally cultivating crops.
* FarmBoy: Rejected cultivation in favor of the CallToAgriculture. And he'll stay one if it's the last thing he does.
* FluffyTamer: He's a farmer who happens to gather Spirit Beasts around him, either by making them sapient by feeding them Spiritual Herbs (unknowingly at first) or having the Spirit Beasts flocking towards him.
* GardeningVarietyWeapon: Until he [[spoiler:began to brush up on his swordsmanship following the fight with the Shrouded Mountain Sect]], Jin's primary weapon for defense of his farm and livestock was his shovel. Not that this holds him back--in Bi De's words, that shovel in Jin's hands is "a command of Death". [[spoiler:Much later his "students" gift him a finely crafted, supernaturally enhanced shovel that promises to be both an effective tool ''and'' weapon]].
* GenreSavvy: Played straight and subverted. Due to his knowledge as a transmigrator from modern day Earth who read cultivator genre literature, he can often see cliché cultivation tropes before they happen. However, he also takes a while to see that he more or less fits the trope of an old master HermitGuru, hiding away from society and not wanting to be disturbed.
* GivingRadioToTheRomans: A minor example of using advanced rice growing techniques he learned in a manga and sharing them with the locals. He also starts giving other examples of technology out, such as a waterwheel, knitting needles, cement, and a greenhouse.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Jin may be a kind and gentle man who wants nothing more than to turn his farm into his own little slice of heaven, but threatening him, his farm, friends, family, or any other innocent in his presence [[MuggingTheMonster is not going to go well for you.]] Basil Brush/Basi Bu Shi, the Wicked Blade, [[spoiler:Lu Ban, and the Shrouded Mountain Sect]] all found this out the hard way.
* HenpeckedHusband: Pun aside it's actually treated as a good thing. Because if Meiling can boss him around that means he's still very much down to earth. Her first order to him was to never act like a Cultivator.
* HermitGuru: For all intents and purposes is one to Xiulan, despite being a runaway student and younger than her. [[spoiler:Once he reveals his power to the other Azure Hills cultivators, they all view him this way as well, and he has to very firmly refuse numerous requests from the sects to send their disciples to train with him.]]
* HeroicNeutral: Mostly wants to just live in peace, having given up the cultivator race to tend to his farm. Push him, and you'll discover the hard way that "dropped out of the race" is miles away from "''couldn't'' reach heaven."
* HumbleHero: He prefers to focus on his farm and refuses any accolades or influence, which completely confounds the administrators and politicians who have to deal with this incredibly powerful FarmBoy. Moreover, he will bow his head to anyone who helps his friends, fix or repay what he breaks with his own hands, play with and comfort children, and cook for everyone he meets, discombobulating everyone that knows his strength and expects him to act with appropriate levels of arrogance.
* {{Hunk}}: Is always described as tall and heavily muscled. Notably, this is not the dominant standard of male attractiveness in Xianada, which tends to favor more of a "PrettyBoy" archetype as the ideal.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Voluntarily drops out of the cultivator's race to the heavens to live a normal life, but ends up creating an ''all-new'' kind of Weird through his farm. Note that he still enjoys the perks of SuperStrength and SuperToughness, he just doesn't want to rule the earth or break the heavens.
* JustFollowingOrders: Subverted. Jin doesn't believe following the orders of one's sect justifies their actions, [[spoiler:much to the confusion of Yingwen, who gave this as his reason for kidnapping Tigu.]]
* KillingIntent: Most of the time this is downplayed; cultivators usually don't sense Jin's power and often mistake him for a mortal. However, if they closely examine him, or if Jin chooses to reveal it, Jin's intent reveals the enormity of the power he has accidentally accumulated. Most can't even wrap their minds around it; comparisons to bottomless lakes and unknowably tall mountains are common. The mere revelation of Jin's intent even without direction is enough to immediately stop fights between Profound-level cultivators.
* LazyAlias: Gives his name as Rou Jin and spells it with different characters on official records to throw off potential pursuers from the Cloudy Sword sect. Surprisingly effective! (It wouldn't throw off an investigator who saw the records, but it does allow his friends to [[ExactWords honestly say that they don't know anyone named Jin Rou]].)
* LivingBattery: Once people realize just how much Qi Jin has access to, he sometimes finds himself serving as a power source to aid the techniques of others. He finds this somewhat annoying, but is willing to do it for a good cause.
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: Jin uses his considerable Qi and martial arts prowess to become a highly productive farmer. His disciples then use his farming techniques to become powerful [[DoubleEntendre cultivators]] themselves.
* MegatonPunch: [[spoiler:As Lu Ban found out the hard way,]] when Jin is sufficiently empowered, he can throw a punch hard enough to cause a landslide over ''a thousand li away''[[note]]500 kilometers, or slightly over 300 miles[[/note]].
* MergerOfSouls: [[spoiler:What the original Jin Rou and whoever was transmigrated went through, instead of a straight bodyjacking. Their broken souls fused to make a mostly singular being, visually represented on their soul by golden lines similar to kintsugi. The transmigrated “Rou Jin” serves mostly as the one in control. In special circumstances, they can even communicate with each other.]]
** [[spoiler: Come Vol. 3 Chapter 48, the two souls appear to have merged fully into a single existence.]]
* MistakenForProfound: The animals of Fa Ram[=/=]the farm believe Jin Rou to be their Cultivator master/teacher who teaches them in roundabout ways. [[spoiler:Once he discovers that they're intelligent, he actually does begin teaching them. Xiulan also sees him as this.]]
* MrFanservice: He's described as having "tanned, rippling muscles", and the sight of them has Meiling [[EatingTheEyeCandy staring at him in awe.]]
* MundaneUtility: Uses his fantastical Cultivator powers to be really good at farming, and uses mystic Qi-infused herbs as seasoning.
* NeutralGood: He's not inclined to following the path of many other cultivators like him, but obeys the law of the land, if only to stay out of the spotlight.
* NoNameGiven: The person currently in Jin Rou's body is never given a proper name.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: In the Cloudy Sword Sect, his qi was considered paltry and pathetic. In the Azure Hills, he would have been very nearly an elder, ''before'' his qi starts shooting through the roof making him practically a demigod by local standards.
* [[WorldsStrongestMan Region's Strongest Man]]: He's easily the strongest cultivator in Azure Hills, which comes with status and responsibilities that he really doesn't want.
* SeductionProofMarriage: Jin only has eyes for Meiling, despite a variety of normal and cultivator beauties throwing themselves at him.
* ReluctantWarrior: [[spoiler:After his identity and connection to the Cloudy Sword Sect is revealed to the other Azure Hills sects]], he reluctantly starts practicing swordplay in the event that stronger foes come knocking. However, it's clear to Bi De that his master is very uncomfortable with learning the combat arts, both because of how much he treasures his peaceful life, [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength and because of how much damage he could wreak if he actually got violent]].
* UnableToSupportAWife: Jin Rou delayed his engagement ([[DeliberateValuesDissonance by local standards]]) until he made a home suitable for Meiling and their future children. Thankfully, it only took him a season to remodel his house himself.
* UnskilledButStrong: Little actual combat skill, but possesses enough qi-backed strength to literally [[spoiler:punch a demonically-possessed cultivator and all of his defenses clear into the next province]].
* WeirdnessMagnet: The unusual just seems to show up at his doorstep, often literally, including a whole farm's worth of cultivating animals, spirits, and many people with unconventional attitudes for Xianxia-land.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Admits to Shen Yu that he practiced cultivation in the beginning not to rule the world or reach enlightenment, but to make his gramps proud, until he decided that the struggle to get there wasn't worth it.
* WorkHardPlayHard: He spends a good bit of his time working on his farm but also introduces hockey, tobogganing, and vodka to the world of cultivators, and never sees partying alongside his friends and family as beneath him.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Would rather live out his days surrounded by friends and family, and eventually die, than spend all his time seeking immortality like other cultivators.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: [[spoiler: When the cultivators at the Dueling Peaks meet Jin for the first time, all of them assume is he is at least a generation older than his current age due to his power compared to everybody else in the Azure Hills and being Tigu's master and/or father. Also, when he finally lets Xiulan in on his origins from the Cloudy Sword sect, she is amazed that he is younger than her]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hong Meiling]]
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bewareofchickenhongmeiling1.jpg]]
The daughter of Hong Xian, she grew up in Hong Yaowu and learned her father's trade as a healer. Jin's love interest, and later wife.
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* CovertPervert: Her reaction to finding a few sketches of {{cosplay}} costumes, including a PlayboyBunny outfit, around her husband's room? Excuse herself to Verdant Hills for a few days (ostensibly to take care of a pregnant Meihua) and make them herself as a surprise.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Probably due to her sensitive nose, she doesn't like making or eating cheese, and is appalled at Jin's love for it, especially on pizza. But because she loves him, she'll make it for him.
* DrunkenSong: Favors a lewd song involving a donkey when she gets into the cups.
* TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: Given her ability to [[TheNoseKnows smell]] qi, Meiling can sense cultivators and Spirit Beasts. The scents also give her insights into their moods and/or moral alignments, such as demons smelling of blood and oil, while Jin smells earthy.
* GenerationXerox: She has a strikingly similar life story to [[spoiler:Linlin, Xiaoshi's wife]], her ancestor who lived thousands of years ago. This diverges however after [[spoiler:Hong Yaowu is ''not'' destroyed]], and she awakens as a cultivator on her wedding night, something [[spoiler:Linlin]] never achieved.
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler: If her grandmother's drunken rantings were accurate, she's from the same bloodline as the Azure Emperor that Xiaoshi overthrew, in possession of something called the Celestial Constellation Soul Art, with her inheriting the purple eyes and constellation-like freckles. As a WhatIf storyline shows, this is not inaccurate.]]
* MasterPoisoner: A (usually) harmless variant. As a healer, Meiling knows the medicinal applications of various plants -- and their toxic applications, too. She enjoys using itching powder on targets of her wrath. [[spoiler:Her knowledge does however extend to extremely lethal and painful poisons... and she's taught Ri Zu a number of those recipes just in case...]]
* TheMedic: Meiling has training as a healer, and helps her FrontierDoctor father treat various injuries and sicknesses. She also treats animals. [[spoiler:After becoming a cultivator on her wedding night, it turns out that her Qi is specifically medical Qi, which she later uses to stop a plague dead in its tracks in Verdant Hill.]]
** Her skills continue to grow throughout the story, and on one trip to Verdant Hills she manages to stop a plague from contaminated water and draw out Qi damage from the Lord Magistrate's wife, and eventually conduct major reconstructive surgery on Bowu's leg and purge some demonic Qi from [[spoiler:Shen Yu's]] injuries.
* MissedTheCall: As shown in a WhatIf storyline, her village was supposed to be wiped out by the Wicked Blade and Meihua taken by Zang Li, which would have started her on the path to becoming a tragic xianxia protagonist... had Jin's reincarnation not caused him to move to the Azure Hills and be in the right places at the right times to thwart both threats.
* TheNoseKnows: She can smell [[LifeEnergy qi]], and can distinguish between various types of qi. It's why she first started paying attention to Jin – she could sense his very, very strong qi and was terrified that he would be a typical arrogant cultivator.
** This also means she is prone to SensoryOverload from Qi; a weird plant filled with Qi in Jin's greenhouse gives her a sneezing fit, and when she meets [[spoiler:Shen Yu]], she feels like she is moments away from a nosebleed.
* PromotedToParent: After her mother died, she basically acted as her younger brother Xian's mother figure.
* SexuallyTransmittedSuperpowers: Jin's connection to the land is expanded to include his wife, on their wedding night. When she wakes up the next morning and finds that she has access to a pool of [[KiManipulation qi]], making her a cultivator, she internally notes that she suspected something like that might happen.
* SheCleansUpNicely: While Jin still found her cute, her appearance at the start of the series was distinctly bony and flat-chested (in part due to living through a really nasty famine and having her growth slightly stunted from malnutrition). A few months of Jin's qi-infused foodstuffs and the normal cultivator bodily improvement leaves her somewhat curvier and much more attractive looking by the time she visits Meihua at Verdant Hill.
* ShoutOut: Her name is a reference to ''Franchise/TouhouProject'''s Hong Meiling.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Meiling fell for Jin Rou because he was genuinely respectful of herself, and supportive of her career, during their courtship. When she learns that he is building storage for medicinal herbs, and a library, so she can continue her studies, she promptly sends Yun and Gou out of the room so she can snog him senseless.
* TheTease: It comes out more when she gets drunk, but she enjoys teasing her husband Jin with {{Cosplay}} outfits, and while Xiulan is staying with them on the farm, often invites her into their bed with them, which flusters Xiulan too much to accept.
* UnkemptBeauty: She tries getting dolled up for tea with the magistrate's wife, but the makeup doesn't suit her skin tone, it's too obviously covering her freckles, and the dress makes her feel fake. So she scrubs her face off, changes back into her regular clothes, and simply uses the ''presence'' and self-confidence she now has as a cultivator. Her friend Meihua, widely considered to be an astounding beauty, takes one look and is stunned.
--> '''Meihua''': That is very, ''very'' unfair, Meimei.
* YouthfulFreckles: Meiling, in defiance of female love-interests typical of the genre, has freckles. It gets her derided as plain, but Jin, with his Western sensibilities, finds them charming.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cai Xiulan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bewareofchickenxiulan1.jpg]]
The Young Mistress of the Verdant Blade Sect. Jin Rou runs into her when she comes to the Farm while chasing after Sun Ken.
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* ActionGirl: The most athletic and combat-capable female human met thus far. Tigu is the only one able to match her in this regard, and the two spar frequently.
* AncestralWeapon: The Jade Grass Blades are considered a heirloom of the sect and were passed down to her when she proved herself before the start of the story.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind:
** After her battle against Sun Ken, where many lives were lost on both sides, Xiulan is plagued over and over by dreams where she relives the deaths of her soldiers and then gets killed by Sun Ken. [[spoiler:With the earth spirit's tutelage, she eventually reaches a point where she wins the dream fight and vanquishes him -- JustInTime, as it appears that the internal manifestation of him was gaining presence and becoming some form of demon.]]
** Xiulan again experiences one of these, this time against [[spoiler:Lu Ban's fire Qi which has ignited her wood Qi. It takes the form of a wildfire in a grass field in her mind. She is able to extinguish it with the help of Ri Zu channeling water Qi provided by Xianghua. Then, with the help of the earth spirit, plus what she has learned from Jin, Xianghua, and others, she is able to restore her ability to cultivate, in the same way that a burned-out forest will grow back stronger because of the nutrients deposited in the soil from the ashes.]]
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Whenever someone comments on her beauty, her large bust is often part of that discussion. Words like "lush" and "bouncy" have been used.
* CharacterFocus: The back half of Book 2 centers on her return to cultivator culture through the Dueling Peaks Tournament, with her reconciling her new outlook with the traditions and expectations of her station.
* DanceBattler: Her fighting style becomes incredibly graceful after she integrates her ancestor Roulan's own movements, mesmerizing the rest of her Sect when she demonstrates it.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Started off as the stoic, duty-bound Young Mistress of the Verdant Blade sect, keeping her acquaintances at a distance, but after spending time at Fa Ram, she is soon tilling the land with Jin, roughhousing with Gou Ren, or talking deeply with her Senior Sister Meiling (and singing lewd {{Drunken Song}}s with her when they get into the cups).
* DueToTheDead: She makes certain that the men who died to Sun Ken are memorialized.
* GildedCage: Xiulan feels that her obligations to her sect are restrictive. For example, she cannot choose a husband of her own – her father, the head of the sect, will choose one for her to secure an alliance of some kind.
* GreenThumb: She is a master of the Verdant Blade sect. Her qi is wood-aligned, and her techniques are all inspired by grass or other plants.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Her weapons are a pair of floating swords called the "Jade Grass Blades".
* HeroicWillpower: Even when severely injured and dying of poisonous demonic qi, she kept on hunting Sun Ken.
* HiddenDepths: One arc she's gone through during the Dueling Peaks tournament is that after her ascension during her time at Fa Ram, she feels that [[VictoryIsBoring the victory at the tournament now feels meaningless]] and that she's not sure what to do with her life now that she's reached a peak. She starts making plans to create a grand alliance of cultivators to alleviate suffering she saw caused by things like Sun Ken.
* TheJoyOfFirstFlight: After he returns to the farm [[spoiler:as a Dragon, Washy]] gives Xiulan a ride as he flies around. She finds it quite enjoyable [[spoiler:and the change in physical perspective helps give her ''philosophical'' perspective, increasing her cultivation by two Steps, all the way into the next Realm]].
* MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades: Her sect's signature technique, the '''[Blades of Grass]''', involves creating numerous [[SpectralWeaponCopy copies]] of her heirloom swords which she then controls telekinetically.
* OrgasmicallyDelicious: Xiulan has a tendency to make ''sounds'' when she encounters a new sort of food she enjoys. It's completely involuntary and she's quite embarrassed by it.
* ThePowerOfLegacy: She lies about the actions of Jiang Yuan. Sun Ken killed Yuan in a single blow, but in her retellings of the story, Yuan manages to wound Sun Ken before dying.
* RedBaron: After Sun Ken's death, she becomes widely known as the "Demon-slaying Orchid".
* SecretKeeper:
** At Jin's request, she keeps the secret of the Farm's location, of who actually killed Sun Ken, and the identity of those who helped her. Jin explains that he likes his life simple, and doesn't want people seeking him out. The only person she tells is her own father, head of the Verdant Blade Sect, and the version of the secret is much abbreviated – that a "Hidden Master" saved her and slew Sun Ken. He agrees with keeping the secret.
** Following the Dueling Peaks Tournament, [[spoiler:she knows about his past at the Cloudy Sword Sect as well]].
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Xiulan is quite an attractive woman, only enhanced by her use of qi -- to the point where she has faced unwanted advances [[JailbaitTaboo from a very young age]]. Thankfully for her she has enough personal power, and the backing of her father and sect, to be able to confidently reject them from the vast majority of suitors.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: How the '''[Blades of Grass]''' technique works. The more powerful the practitioner, the more simultaneous blades they can create and manage. Xiulan starts the story with eight [[spoiler:but later upgrades to 16, 32 and then ''64'' simultaneous swords.]]
* StepfordSmiler: She pretended that she was fine after the long campaign against Sun Ken, but she was suffering from PTSD. Thankfully, her time on the Fa Ram did wonders for her.
* SurvivorGuilt: She suffers from this, as many of the men under her command were killed hunting Sun Ken. It's not helped that "her" defeat of Sun Ken has been immortalized in a play about her and her exploits, which constantly reminds her of not only how she lost them, but it was AllForNothing as it was ''Bi De'' that actually did the dirty work.
* {{Telekinesis}}: She appears to specialize in this application of qi, initially with her floating blades, but later manages an entire kitchen at once.
* TemptingFate: Upon meeting Ri Zu and Bi De, a cultivating rat and rooster respectively, she wonders what was next - pigs that could shake the earth? Her unspoken question is promptly answered when [[TheBigGuy Chun Ke]] goes thundering by outside. Cue TwitchyEye and Meiling being amused.
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** She has this relationship with Tigger, until [[spoiler:Tigger transforms into a human and drops most of her cynicism]] – and even after that, they spar frequently.
** Her relationship with Xianghua eventually morphs from bitter rivalry into friends who constantly tease and insult one another.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Gou Ren]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_gou_ren_and_yun_ren_2.png]]
Gou Ren is a childhood friend of Meiling and younger brother to Yun Ren. Since spending time around Jin and eating his qi-enhanced food, he's started to unlock his potential as a cultivator himself.
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* AbductionIsLove: [[spoiler: Following his mother's tribe's custom, he tries to kidnap Liu Xianghua as a marriage proposal. Unbeknownst to him, she ''also'' had decided to practice that custom on ''him''...]]
* AnimalMotif: Monkeys. He is explicitly stated to resemble a monkey early on, with a flat nose and sideburns.
* BenevolentBoss: After he redesigns and helps rebuild Hong Yaowu, he is startled to find that everyone now calls him "Boss."
* BetterAsFriends: He remains friends with Cai Xiulan with the latter intending to matchmake him. [[spoiler:Eventually he remains friends with Xiulan when he gets betrothed to Xianghua]].
* BigLittleBrother: Is a few inches taller than his older brother Yun Ren.
* HiddenDepths: As he works on Jin's farm, he slowly develops an appreciation for architecture, even designing and building several structures himself.
* HopelessSuitor: Has a crush on Cai Xiulan but understands that she is completely out of his league due to her being a Sect Leader's daughter and powerful cultivator in her own right. While he confesses his feelings, he accepts it when Cai Xiulan doesn't reciprocate his feelings.
* MightyGlacier: Gou Ren is not a trained fighter, but when [[spoiler:facing Yingwen of Shrouded Mountain]] he shows immense power.
* ReinforceField: Specializes in using Qi to reinforce the durability of physical objects. This mainly gets used to strengthen the rice paddies and other farm construction against weather damage, but in battle it lets him wrap himself in a shell of hardened Qi that even a cultivator a full Realm higher can't crack, and his own blows strike with enough force to crack stone.
* UnskilledButStrong: When he fights [[spoiler:Yingwen]] with a bamboo staff it's clear he doesn't have the best idea what he's doing--his technique doesn't even have a fancy name, just '''[Break]'''. But he's putting so much power behind each blow that even a cultivator a realm stronger is forced to dodge, as getting hit or even attempting to parry could be lethal.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Yun Ren]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_gou_ren_and_yun_ren_3_5.png]]
Yun Ren is a childhood friend of Meiling and older brother to Gou Ren. Like his brother, he's also managed to unlock his Qi, though he's less interested in getting stronger and more on enjoying life.
----
* AnimalMotif: Foxes. In addition to his slim features and squinty eyes, his line is descended from a fox spirit that interbred with a human, something noted when he meets another fox spirit [[spoiler:who turns out to be a nephew of the fox spirit his line is descended from]].
* CameraFiend: After being put in charge of recording Jin and Meiling's wedding with a recording crystal, he becomes obsessed with photography.
* CoolSword: Owns a jian sword, for limited self-defense but mostly to practice with because it's fun and looks cool. [[spoiler:Things get more interesting when [[TricksterMentor Nezan]] secretly swaps it out with Summer's Sky, an EmpathicWeapon with centuries of experience and [[ShockAndAwe lightning powers]]]].
* {{Crossdresser}}: Occasionally wears dresses (with or without an illusory sex change) much to his girlfriend's delight.
* FunnyBruceLeeNoises: He makes these when he's practicing with his sword by himself. [[spoiler:It becomes embarrassing for him when his EmpathicWeapon Summer's Sky insists on using his random noises as names for his techniques]].
* {{Hologram}}s: Sort of. Between his practice with that recording crystal and his awakened Qi, Yun Ren has learned to "paint" himself with a thin layer of light. Makes for a good party trick! [[spoiler:Or evading goons!]]
* LegacyCharacter: To [[spoiler:Summer's Sky]], Yun Ren is the ''Eighth Wielder''.
* SecretLegacy: [[spoiler:Nezan the Spirit Fox awakens his latent fox blood, making his teeth sharper and features more androgynous, as well as enhancing his illusions.]]
** [[spoiler:After going undercover in the Shrouded Mountain Sect, one of their tests reveals that he has a connection to that sect's lightning-using Zang clan as well.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Rou Zhuye / "Xiao De"]]
Jin and Meiling's firstborn son, born in Chapter 40 of Volume 3. Is officially named in Volume 4 Chapter 9 (due to Xianada's high infant mortality rate, children are not officially named until a hundred days after their birth). He has his father's brown hair and his mother's purple eyes.
----
* MeaningfulName: His official name is written with the characters for "red leaf", referencing the sugar maple leaf that has become Fa Ram's symbol and a key source of their wealth and status.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Due to Xianada's high infant mortality rate, children are not officially named until a hundred days after their birth. "Xiao De" is a placeholder-slash-nickname given to him until he can be officially named.
* PunnyName: His nickname translates to "Little D", which is a reference to both his habit of imitating Bi De when he calls the sun, and a dick joke. It also sounds very similar to "Xiao Didi"/ "Little Brother", Tigu's nickname for him.
[[/folder]]
!!!Animal and Spirit Disciples
[[folder:In General]]
* KillerRabbit: As Spirit Beasts, all of them know how to use Qi in various combat applications, be it the tiger of a housecat, the [[PowerOfTheSun solar-powered]] rabbit, the MasterPoisoner rat, or the rooster with talons of moonlight.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Every animal [[spoiler: or sentient sword/plow]] named by Jin has some flavor of this due to English phonetics not translating perfectly to Chinese.
* UpliftedAnimal: As a result of constant consumption of Lowly Spiritual Herbs, exposure to high qi levels, or just started out that way and migrated to Jin's farm one way or another.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Big D / Fa Bi De]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_d_beware_of_chicken.jpeg]]
The first spirit beast featured in the series and the eponymous chicken of the story. Jin Rou's first and faithful "subordinate", who names himself "First Disciple of Fa Ram".
----
* ActuallyIAmHim: Bi De reveals to [[spoiler:Miantiao and Yin]] that it was actually he who [[spoiler:killed Sun Ken]] and not Xiulan.
-->'''Bi De''': [[spoiler: The slayer of Sun Ken stands before you.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Starts off as a CockyRooster, but [[spoiler: gets knocked down a peg in the first volume]].
* TheAtoner: Becomes this after realizing [[spoiler: that his qi has been deliberately corrupted by the rats]].
* BarrierWarrior: His technique '''[Aegis of the Full Moon]''' projects a circular forcefield that glows with the light of the moon. It's large enough to defend both himself and others.
* BeautifulSingingVoice: [[spoiler:When he in his human form,]] he still keeps up his morning habits by [[spoiler:[[CockADoodleDawn singing to the dawning sun]], which actually invigorates everyone who hears it. Many women are transfixed by his voice.]]
* BestialityIsDepraved: {{Subverted}}. While he frequently mates with the non-sapient hens, this is never implied to be in any way inappropriate.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** Served as this to the village of Correct Place 8, when in their darkest moment of being threatened by a Spirit Wolf, Bi De appeared and slew the beast.
** [[spoiler:Arrives at the fight between Xiulan and Zang Li/Lu Ban just in time to save her from a lethal blow. He then defends her long enough for Jin to arrive and save him in turn.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Big D suffers from this in the first volume [[spoiler: after he lets in a group of pill-making rats whose pills corrupt his qi. It takes him quite a while to recover from this, both in a physical sense and an emotional sense.]]
* ChickMagnet: He has been considered attractive by several female characters, none of whom are chickens themselves. Besides Rizzo and Vajra back at the Farm, he has also been noticed by [[spoiler:Liang Yin, a rabbit]]. That said, non-sapient chickens also find him attractive (presumably due to qi optimising and enhancing his body), and he is mentioned as mating with them multiple times. [[spoiler:When he takes human form, every woman and many men who meet him drools over his appearance.]]
* TheChosenOne: Played with and {{subverted|Trope}}. [[spoiler:Bi De was chosen by the fates, with the help of a seer and ancient spirit, as the designated heir to the ancient Azure Emperor. However, he is actually the third choice; the seer had a kindly heart beneath her gruff exterior and rejected the first two candidates – the Lord Magistrate and Jin – to spare them the stress and pain that position would bring. However, Bi De doesn't want the position either.]]
* CockADoodleDawn: Greets the morning every day, and it's implied the rousing of those who hears his voice has a slight Qi-empowered edge to it. [[spoiler:Even in human form, he goes out to the dawn and sings.]]
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Although Jin is the primary point of view character and it's his actions that set most of the events of the story in motion, Big D is the title character and his separate adventures are significant drivers of the plot.
* ExtremityExtremist: As a rooster, Big D's main weapons are his feet and spurs. [[spoiler:During a fight in human form, he falls back on fighting with his feet because it's what he's most familiar with - and humiliating/astounding the Shrouded Mountain sect when he beats several disciples with his hands behind his back.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Jin. If Jin represents a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] of the stereotypical Xianxia protagonist and the tropes associated with one, Big D's adventures hit those story beats like clockwork... with the twist that he's a chicken.
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler: In Book 4, he takes on a human form to infiltrate the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Surprisingly he's able to do it with little fanfare. As it turns out, this is because he's so powerful as a rooster that becoming human actually makes him weaker, so he's 'stepping down' to an inferior form.]]
* KarmicJackpot:
** Even at the top of his arrogance he continues donating Qi to the land. This ends up warning him just in time that [[spoiler:Chow Ji's pills are corrupting him when the land recoils from his now-tainted Qi]].
** He also rescues Ri Zu from a hawk, and she repays the debt by helping him resist Chow Ji's corruptive techniques.
* {{Lunacy}}: All of Big D's special techniques are philosophically based on the moon, and he draws power from proximity to the moon.
** '''[Rising of the Crescent Moon]''' is a technique that allows Big D to jump supernaturally high and fast. It's usually followed by '''[Descending Lunar Fangs]''', an attack that uses the resulting height advantage to add weight and speed to his descent.
** '''[Wheel of the Crescent Moon]''' is a flying, spinning attack that traces a semicircle with Big D's Qi-enhanced spurs.
** '''[Aegis of the Full Moon]''' creates a moon-shaped, [[DeflectorShields glowing forcefield]].
** '''[Split Faces of the Half Moon]''' allows him to split himself into a light and dark [[DoppelgangerAttack copy of himself]] which can attack, maneuver, and communicate separately.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Big D has this in the first volume, [[spoiler: after he realizes the pills he's been taking are corrupting his qi, and that the farm/Fa Ram has been suffering for it.]]
* TheParagon: [[spoiler:After his character development.]]
* RightForTheWrongReasons: He ''is'' learning Cultivation from Jin Rou... but it's completely unintentional as Jin Rou doesn't even realize he's practicing cultivation. This changes once Jin realizes that Big D is sapient.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou hears/pronounces his name as "Bi De", even Big D himself.
* TookALevelInKindness: [[spoiler: He was immensely humbled after Chow Ji's betrayal. He becomes much more introspective and kind to Chun Ke and Pi Pa.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rizzo / Hong Ri Zu]]
A rat who joined the Farm.
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:She rescued Bi De from the evil rat leader, Chow Ji, and joined the farm.]]
* {{Expy}}: Her and the rest of her tribe are expies of the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy, being rat-people speaking in the Skaven's characteristic speech.
* GuileHeroine: When she does fight, she uses poisons and dusts, to Tigu's dismay.
* HappilyAdopted: Of a sort. While the animals are picking family names for themselves, Meiling and her father proudly allow Ri Zu to take on theirs.
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:She eventually takes a look at Chow Ji's faulty technique and uses a heavily reworked version, influenced by her surgical skill, to succeed where he failed.]]
* MasterPoisoner: As befitting the education she received from Meiling, she has an impressive knowledge of medicines, poisons, and both warlike and peaceful ways to deliver either.
* TheMedic: Takes on this role, learning from Meiling, and very rarely participates in the fighting.
* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: [[spoiler:Watched Chow Ji sacrifice the other rats for power, and knew that if he was aware that she was sapient, she'd be forced to mate with him to continue his lineage. So when she has an opportunity to take him down, she goes for it.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after Rizzo the Rat from Series/TheMuppetShow.
* ShrinkingViolet: Ri Zu's very first action in the story is – keeping to herself. Specifically, keeping secret the fact that she is self-aware and independent, to remain beneath Chow Ji's notice. She later becomes Meiling's student, and is a competent healer, but still lacks self-confidence, which hinders her from talking freely with Bi De about her feelings for him (though he's aware). Even when she takes a step out of her comfort zone and leaves the farm to [[spoiler:see the Dueling Peaks tournament]], she's usually hiding in someone's hair rather than publicly introducing herself.
* TranslatorBuddy: Before the other animal disciples gain the power of speech, she's the go-to translator between the animals and Jin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tigger / Rou Tigu]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[labelnote: '''SPOILER''']] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_rou_tigu.jpg [[/labelnote]]]]
Sister Tigu, a cat that Jin Rou received as a gift from an old woman. [[spoiler: She later manages to transform herself into a human.]]
----
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: Her martial style takes inspiration from Bi De's moonlight spurs, enhancing her own claws and summoning large, spectral claws to fight with. [[spoiler:She retains this after assuming human form, summoning [[WolverineClaws qi blades]] over her hands.]]
* AmazonianBeauty: [[spoiler:In her human form, she has the defined musculature of a FarmersDaughter, and when she goes to the Dueling Peaks tournament, she attracts several admirers, including Zang Wei, Dong Chou and Tie Delun. Downplayed in that her muscled form isn't considered the ideal of beauty for most of Xianada.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Being a cat, she is very full of herself, even more so than Big D. [[spoiler:This largely goes away when she becomes human.]]
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Zang Li kidnaps her near the end of book two, following a severe beating by his minions.]]
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: She is ambushed, beaten, forced to watch two of her friends get maimed, and kidnapped by the Shrouded Mountain Sect led by Lu Ban. This is her first time losing a fight outside of a sparring match or regulated competition, the first time one of her fights has negative consequences for someone she cares about, and the first time she feels like prey instead of a predator. It's a huge psychological blow to her and Rizu has to give her a "YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre" speech to help her recover and break out of confinement]].
* CatGirl: [[spoiler:She tries this with her human form but ends up with a mostly standard human form.]]
* CatsAreSuperior: Certainly believes this. She eventually is forced to admit that Bi De is stronger, though. [[spoiler:Largely loses this attitude once she adopts a human form, and in fact dislikes transforming back.]]
* CatDogDichotomy: Completely averted, at least in the case of Zhang Fei's puppy [[PreciousPuppy Shaggy Two]], to the point where Jin jokingly muses that he almost thought she was going to [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe kidnap him]] during their visit to Eighth Correct Place.
* CuddleBug: Being a cat, she often tries to snuggle with Jin and Meiling. [[spoiler: She retains certain feline sensibilities after becoming human as well, and will often hug, rub her cheek against, and pounce upon friends and loved ones.]]
* FarmersDaughter: [[spoiler: Played with when she becomes human, she comes from Fa Ram to the Dueling Peaks while having little experience of the outside world. And with her human form resembling Jin, the people who saw her and Jin together may think they are daughter and father at a first glance. For all intents and purposes, she ''is'' his adopted daughter, being the only one of the disciples to take his family name.]]
* GirlishPigtails: [[spoiler:Her human form has these, in keeping with her general FarmersDaughter aesthetic.]]
* GenkiGirl: [[spoiler:After becoming human.]]
* HappilyAdopted: Chooses to take Jin's family name when the disciples are picking names for themselves, and is for all intents and purposes Jin and Meiling's adopted daughter.
* HasAType: [[ObliviousToLove Probably non-romantic,]] but her ideal of attractiveness is that of her master Jin, [[{{Hunk}} rugged and muscular]]. There's a reason her nickname for Tie Delun of the blacksmithing Hermetic Iron sect is "Handsome Man".
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:Manages to turn herself into a human to better connect with Jin and Mei.]]
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Having been basically raised by Jin, Tigu's standards of beauty are tuned much closer to modern Canada than pseudo ancient China. Thus, when Ty An tries to insult her by calling her "[[BrawnHilda Muscles]]", she takes it as a compliment, and returns the favor by calling Ty An "Freckles". Of course, while to her sensibilities having muscles and freckles is good, the local ideal of womanly beauty is smooth, lithe, and graceful, and Ty An is mortified.
* TheLancer: She's much less philosophical than Bi De, but quite capable of killing things.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler:Turns out the shift from her predatory, haughty cat mentality to a more balanced, compassionate and understanding human mindset was indeed influenced by her bodily change. Among other things, she no longer feels compelled to try to eat Ri Zu.]]
* MundaneUtility: In addition to shredding bandits, her claw arts are also well-suited for carving sculptures and harvesting crops.
* NamedAfterSomeoneFamous: After Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh."
* TheNicknamer: According to end-of-chapter notes, she has trouble remembering proper names and thus resorts to nicknames. Some of these are directly descriptive (e.g., "Loud Boy" and "Rags"), others are more poetic (Cai Xiulan is "Blade of Grass," while her junior sect member An Ran is "''Smaller'' Blade of Grass").
* ObliviousToLove: [[spoiler: As she has only been a human for a short before the tournament in Dueling Peaks, her social skills lessons do not include romantic love, thus she is oblivious to the affections of the other interested male cultivators]].
* OldShame: [[spoiler: Part of what causes her trouble turning back into a cat after becoming human is that she looks back at how she acted when she was one and is ''utterly ashamed'' of the arrogance and cruelty she carried herself with. She subconsciously resists turning back due to her fear she would start acting like that again and drive away the people she loves.]]
* PastExperienceNightmare: Subverted example. [[spoiler: Mei and Xiulan tell her she can come to them if she has bad dreams following the events at Dueling Peak, but her dreams tend to focus on [[BigDamnHeroes Jin arriving and ending the fight instantly]], leaving her in a very good mood after waking up.]]
* PathOfMostResistance: [[spoiler:She chose to undergo Tribulation in order to achieve human form. An astounded Ri Zu notes that her method, despite being much more dangerous, achieved results far superior to those Chow Ji attempted to use, finding very little in her new body that ''isn't'' human.]]
* RedBaron: "The Tiger of the Peaks."
* RevelingInTheNewForm: [[spoiler: Tigu becomes much happier and more content after achieving a human form, to the point of [[ShapeshifterModeLock having difficulty mustering the will to ever change back]].]]
* {{Sarashi}}: [[spoiler: After she becomes human, she insists on wearing Jin's tunics, and since they end up flapping open in the front, Meiling insists she wears these to cover her breasts.]]
* SenseFreak: [[spoiler:Is tremendously surprised by how much more developed her senses of taste and touch are in human form.]]
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Not her directly, but she has no qualms about presenting her carved sculptures of her master and fellow disciples, all in their nude, muscular glory.
* ShapingYourAttacks: When she unleashes powerful enough attacks, an ethereal tiger formed of Qi can be seen to outline or mirror her.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in the novel (aside from Jin Rou, and possibly Chun Ke) hears Jin pronounce her name as "Tigu'er", and since "er" is an affectionate suffix in Chinese for little children, they think her given name is just "Tigu", with her master/father being affectionate. Tigu also views her name this way, so if Jin calls her just "Tigu", she sees it as a FullNameUltimatum.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Especially after [[spoiler:gaining humanity]] and shedding her feline arrogance, she revels in the opportunity to test her skills against worthy opponents. This gets especially highlighted during the Dueling Peaks arc, where she gives instruction to the weaker opponents she faces in the initial brackets, beats the monsters on the Hill of Torment without even bothering to collect the treasures they guard, and is ''ecstatic'' when she finally comes up against someone who can give her a real challenge.
* TokenEvilTeammate: As a cat, she is [[CatsAreMean self-centered, arrogant, and cruel]]. She grows less so over time. [[spoiler:No longer applies after she becomes human.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chunky Shan / Shan Chun Ke]]
[[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_4.png]]
One of Jin's pigs, given to him as a reward for a favor.
----
* TheBigGuy: Physically the strongest of the farm disciples.
* DumbIsGood: [[spoiler:Left slightly brain damaged after the battle against the rats, but still a genuinely kind and friendly person.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Looks the most feral of all the Fa Ram disciples, with shaggy red fur, enormous tusks, and three huge scars across his face. He is also one of the kindest and most friendly of all the disciples.
* GentleGiant: His vast size and strength is only matched by his kindness and friendliness. All agree he's the best ride for the children, the best perch for wild birds, and the best pillow to sleep against.
* HandicappedBadass: He's slower than most and [[spoiler:mentally deficient]], but of all the members of the Farm, he hits the absolute hardest.
* HulkSpeak: Skirts the edges of this in his POV scenes, due to his [[spoiler: mild brain damage]].
* PunnyName: Shan means "mountain", so using the Western name order (which he does when he first comes up with the name) his name would be "Chunky Mountain". He did this on purpose.
* SimplemindedWisdom: Seems to be partially aware of the real origins of the animals' names and is much more perceptive than he seems. He's also capable of coming up with solutions to interpersonal problems that try to satisfy everyone, even if it means going against his beloved wife. As mentioned above, he is also aware of the Western name order, which shocks Jin as it shows he actually understands English to a degree.
* SizeShifter: As he grows in power he gains the ability to make himself arbitrarily larger. Curiously, only cultivators and other spirit beasts seem to notice this.
* SlobsVsSnobs: {{Downplayed}} in his relationship with Pi Pa. She is the most formal and proper of all the Fa Ram disciples while Chun Ke is one of the most childish and informal, but each loves and deeply appreciates the other.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou and Chunky himself hears/pronounces his name as "Chun Ke".
* SqueamishAboutSlaughter: After he witnesses Jin killing one of his non-sapient chickens for food, Chun Ke swears off eating meat raised on Fa Ram and sticks to a vegetarian diet. If meat is served, it usually comes from an animal outside the farm or at least slaughtered outside the farm for Chun Ke's peace of mind.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Peppa / Shan Pi Pa]]
[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_3.png]]
One of Jin's pigs, given to him as a reward for a favor.
----
* BlackHoleBelly: Seemingly an aspect of her [[PowerOfTheVoid void-aspected Qi]], she can swallow things larger than her head in one bite, and can even store and spit them up later without harm. One time when Ti Gu and Ri Zu were squabbling, she swallowed both of them into her mouth and continued with her work until they calmed down.
* BigEater: [[FedToPigs Pi Pa can eat a human body in one bite]]. Though depending on the body, she finds it distasteful.
* DespairEventHorizon: ''Almost'' fell to this following [[spoiler:Chun Ke's injuries from Chow Ji. The combination of brain damage and disruption of his cultivation nearly reverted him to a normal animal, and only Jin and Meiling's treatments were able to allow him to keep his sapience. The trauma and struggle from nearly losing him caused Pi Pa's qi to gain the essence of [[PowerOfTheVoid Void]].]]
* GeniusBruiser: She can almost match Chunky in terms of pure strength but she has also demonstrated higher understanding of things like home finances and calligraphy.
* LadyOfWar: An elegant war-machine capable of mowing down cultivators with ease, and looking graceful while doing it.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: When teaching his disciples math, Jin notes that she deliberately got the same questions wrong as her husband, Chunky. He scolds her for this and tells her flat-out that if she limits himself so that Chunky feels better, all she'll be doing is hurting both of them in the long run.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after WesternAnimation/PeppaPig.
* PowerOfTheVoid: Awakening due to the trauma of Chun Ke's debilitating injury caused her to develop void-aspected qi.
* ProperLady: And she won't let you forget it. Her penmanship -- using her ''mouth'' -- makes Meiling feel inferior.
* SlobsVsSnobs:
** {{Downplayed}} in her relationship with Chun Ke. She is the most formal and proper of all the Fa Ram disciples while Chun Ke is one of the most childish and informal, but each loves and deeply appreciates the other.
** She also finds her fellow glutton Wa Shi an absolute boor.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou hears and pronounces her name "Pi Pa", like all the other animals.
* ThreateningMediator: Forced to take up this role because of Tigger and Rizzo's hostility towards one another.
* YamatoNadeshiko: Despite being a pig, she is the most proper and formal of all the Fa Ram inhabitants. And as a void cultivator, she is also one of the more dangerous disciples.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Washy / He Wa Shi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_washi_2.jpg]]
A carp who acts as a dishwasher. [[spoiler: Later becomes a dragon, but still likes being a dishwasher and sprinkler system for the farm.]]
----
* BigEater: Washy likes eating food. He can branch out into all kinds of activities, but in the end, it all boils down to what gets him more food.
* BrilliantButLazy: Is normally pretty easygoing, but is one of the Farm's more diligent residents when sufficiently motivated. Which is to say, he understands that keeping Fa Ram operating is important to his food supply.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When a turtle asks Wa Shi what Flow is, it's fairly clear that the old terrapin is ready to get into a philosophical discussion... which is thrown off the rails when Wa Shi immediately recites the mathematical equation for flow, q=v/t.
* GiverOfLameNames: His one-track mind for food means that his suggestion for Jin's son's name is "Wan", which would mean that the full name of "Rou Wan" would translate to "meatball". Tigu takes exception to this.
* GoodWithNumbers: He is a mathematical genius but gives answers as slowly as possible to avoid getting more work.
* HiddenDepths:
** Understands math at a high level, even able to surprise his turtle mentor with the equations for flow.
** Dislikes the implication that he would eat the ''whole'' moon when he said he wanted to eat it, he wants to taste things, since if you eat ''everything'' then there'd be nothing left to eat. Specifically, he's an epicurian; he doesn't want to just mindlessly gorge himself, he wants to try lots of new and different tasty foods. It's one reason that he hangs around Fa Ram, because Jin comes up with new, interesting things to taste all the time. He at one point mentions that he doesn't know what this "cheese" stuff is, but if Jin wants it than it ''must'' be good.
* LegendaryCarp: [[spoiler: Manages to climb a waterfall to return to the Farm from a spiritual realm.]]
* MakingASplash: [[spoiler: Learns how to manipulate water from a kind turtle, [[MundaneUtility which he uses to clean the dishes and water the fields]].]]
* ShockAndAwe: He gains the power to shoot lightning after [[spoiler:becoming a dragon.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vajra]]
A queen bee that Big D rescued when Jin expressed an interest in starting a hive.
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: She's the last surviving queen of a great alliance of sapient queens that was wiped out nearly to the last by an unknown threat (hinted to be some manner of qi-channeling hornets). She was found by Big D wandering in a daze, trying to rebuild her hive.
* DisproportionateRetribution: After finding that mosquitos are bothering Jin, she sets her hive on a crusade to exterminate all mosquitos near Fa Ram.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: During her pre-Farm days, she would often demand that the males of her hive dance for her entertainment. After she is rescued and nursed back to health, she has turned her attention towards Big D, and she sneaks into the baths to peep on Jin.
* HiveMind: Although she has a separate identity as the queen bee, her qi is spread across her entire hive and they nearly function as extensions of her body. Those closer to her, like her Coldguard and more successful warriors, have more intelligence and personality because they share more in her qi.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after the aliens from Anime/MacrossFrontier. Other potential names that she rejected were [[VideoGame/StarCraft Kei Regan]] and [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Tai Ranid.]]
* TheRuntAtTheEnd: So far, she's the only Spirit Animal associated with Fa Ram that is not themed with the Chinese Zodiac.
* WarriorPrincess: Before she was taken to the Farm, she commanded troops for her old hive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Babe & Sunny / Bei Be & Sun Ne]]
An ox that Jin received on his wedding day to plow his fields, and his plow [[spoiler:made from the sword that once belonged to Sun Ken.]]
----
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: [[spoiler:As a sword-turned-plow,]] Sunny's only concern in life is to cut things, with little regard for what exactly it is cutting. It also gets ''upset'' when told not to cut, or if it cannot cut things cleanly. Almost has a breakdown when it realises that it's expected to cut ''around'' roots without damaging them, until Babe says that doing so would be more skillful than simply cutting everything.
* EmpathicWeapon: [[spoiler:Sunny]] has a mind of its own, but thus far has not communicated with anyone except for its current wielder, Babe, and [[spoiler:Summer's Sky]].
* IronicName: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by Jin. He names the plow Sunny in direct opposition to its past as [[spoiler:''The Crimson Demon's Tooth'', the blade of a notorious bandit and murderer]].
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Summer's Sky enters Sun Ne's MentalWorld, and meets it as a small WildChild of an undetermined gender. While slightly shy, the child noticeably cheers up when it learns Summer's Sky also enjoys cutting things.]]
* LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:Sunny thinks of Babe as the ''Third Wielder''. Sun Ken was the second, but it's not known who the first was, nor who forged the sword in the first place.]]
* MentalWorld: [[spoiler:A rather peaceful one, with a large plain surrounded by mountains, marked by thousands of perfectly straight furrows, representing its desire for perfection in the cuts it makes, with a sky marked by golden cracks. Summer's Sky is slightly surprised, having expected something like a forge, a raging river, or a world of blood and slaughter.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Babe, after Paul Bunyan's legendary ox companion.
* OnlyOneName: When given the opportunity to choose a surname, Babe declines.
* SanitySlippage: Being forced by Sun Ken to rip and tear rather than cleanly cutting was not good for Su Ne's mind, and it was practically gibbering by the time Sun Ken was defeated. Then it was made into a plow and locked away, unable to cut ''at all'', for several months. This left the blade nearly catatonic with despair by the time Babe took it out and started using it to cut the earth.
* TheStoic: Babe. He doesn't talk much, and it actually took months for Jin to realize that he was sapient. (The fact that he was content with his life did contribute to that, too.)
* TheSpartanWay: Lampshaded by Jin regarding Babe, who wants to sleep outside since it "Purifies the elements."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miantiao]]
A sapient Qi-using snake encountered by Big D during his travels. Deeply knowledgeable of martial arts, pottery, and glasswork.
----
* AllForNothing: Miantiao goes into a state of depression when he learns that all of his martial arts training, and turning Yin into a weapon of vengeance, were for nothing since the one he was training her to get revenge by proxy on, Sun Ken, was dead.
* TheAtoner: After he realizes his quest for revenge was pointless, he is filled with regret for the terrible things he did while seeking it (like raising Yin to be nothing but a weapon) and after [[spoiler:briefly seeking death at the hands of the person who took his revenge for him]] he dedicates his life to atoning for his misdeeds.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Hoo-boy. [[spoiler:Sun Ken and the Whirling Demon Sword Gang killed his master and wiped their village off the map. When he met the awakened rabbit Liang Yin, he chose to train her in martial arts to help him pursue vengeance. To that end, he made a number of questionable decisions (e.g., killing other awakened critters to harvest their qi) that he thought would be justified in the end. Then, just as they were ready to hunt down Sun Ken, they heard the story of the Demon-slaying Orchid beating them to the punch; this left Miantiao questioning whether everything he did was worth it.]] By the time Big D encounters him, Miantiao has largely lost the will to live.
* HandicappedBadass: He lost an eye, and a building fell on his spine, putting a kink in it. He doesn't have his full range of motion back, but that won't stop him from kicking an ass or two. Since arriving at Fa Ram, Meiling's been working on healing him.
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: He's a powerful martial artist, and his techniques are both based on and aid him with his glassmaking and pottery.
* PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou: Once he discovers that the man who killed his master and destroyed his village is already dead, Miantao thinks that he should offer his life to whoever killed him in order to atone for the horrible things he's done in the name of a revenge he can no longer take. Luckily, [[spoiler:Bi De has no desire to kill him.]]
* ThePowerOfGlass: Several of his techniques utilize glass, used to craft illusions or defenses.
* PunnyName: Literal meaning is "Noodle," which Jin uses when narrating.
** When he first introduces himself to Bi De, he calls himself "Shi Te." In universe this means "Corpse," since he feels he has failed everything and deserves to die, but out of universe it sounds like "Shitty," which pretty accurately describes his self-image.
* VengeanceDenied: He'd dedicated his life and Yin's to revenge on Sun Ken, and despaired when Sun Ken was killed as it robbed them of a meaning to live.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liang Yin]]
A female, silver-furred rabbit encountered by Big D during his travels. Awakened and taught to fight by Miantiao as part of his plan to get revenge on Sun Ken.
----
* BloodKnight: Enjoys training and fighting, and eagerly spars with Tigu.
* CuteBruiser: Prefers to fight head-on and smash her enemies' faces in with her gauntlets, and her cuteness comes naturally as a rabbit [[spoiler:and as a human woman]].
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Miantiao has told her to find something that she would like to do, so she's been trying different activities. For a while, nothing really worked with her beyond fighting, but working with Huo Ten has given her an interest in mining. [[spoiler:Eventually she decides to undergo her own form of Tribulation to achieve human form to reinvent herself in as a complete form as she can manage.]]
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler: Following Tigu's example, she also undergoes Tribulation and achieves human form.]]
* InstantArmor: Her '''[Armor of the Sun]''' technique generates golden armor around herself. While it looks ridiculous on a rabbit, [[spoiler:it looks downright intimidating on her human form]].
* IronicName: She's aggressive, outgoing and uses a sun-based style, and is named Yin.
* KillerRabbit: Despite being a small silver rabbit, she's a very strong cultivator and messing with her [[MuggingTheMonster would not be a good idea]].
* MoonRabbit: She's implied to be an actual Moon Rabbit who was exiled to Earth for unclear reasons. This doesn't apply to her martial techniques, however.
* PintsizePowerhouse: She's a normal-sized rabbit who is a strong practitioner of MagicalMartialArts. She's capable of pulling a carriage the size of a house, and the greatest difficulty is that the harness is awkward for her to pull since it's, understandably, not designed to be worn by a rabbit.
* RedBaron: "Sun Fairy."
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: [[spoiler:Just after she transforms into a human, she barges in breakfast hour and proudly presents herself, entirely uncaring of her nakedness. Miantiao has to beg her to PleasePutSomeClothesOn.]]
* SirSwearsALot: Tends to speak aggressively and crudely, though Miantiao usually chides her for it. [[spoiler:Her regal, silvery-haired, beautiful human form just adds to the VocalDissonance for those who hear her cussing.]]
* ThePowerOfTheSun: Ironically, despite rabbits traditionally being associated with the [[MoonRabbit moon]], Yin's style is based around the Sun, utilizing [[PlayingWithFire fire]] and heat to enhance herself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Huo Ten]]
A spirit beast monkey and one of Master Gen's relatives, who goes with Jin after his visit to Master Gen.
----
* AloneInACrowd: A bit. Even if he's impressed with Fa Ram and its inhabitants, he still longs for others of his clan. Jin helps him start digging a mine, and Yin joins him, initially to get clay for Miantiao, but the discovery of an ancient, huge bone and a vein of Light Crystals brings them together.
* TunnelKing: Just like the rest of his clan, Huo Ten likes to dig.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The General that Commands the Winter]]
A gigantic snowman created by Jin by utilizing his enhanced cultivator strength and Qi.
----
* CompanionCube: Jin first built him just as a snowman and as a joke acted around others as if he was a real person.
* AnIcePerson: His name may have started as a joke, but by his second winter he's show to actually have the power to manipulate winter weather and uses that power to ease the harshness of the annual end-of-winter storm at Jin's Farm, and lend some of that to his subordinate in Hong Yaowu, The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow.
* {{Snowlems}}: The general started out as a fun winter project and a bit of a joke, but due to the Qi Jin used to build him, he began forming a core of ice Qi and awakened into full sapience by his second winter, the core having been preserved in Jin's ice cellar.
[[/folder]]
!!!Human Antagonists
[[folder:Sun Ken]]
Sun Ken was a bandit, and not the fun romantic kind. Specifically, he was the leader of the Whirling Demon Sword Gang, a band of violent thugs with a reputation for cruelty. It got to the point that the Verdant Blade sect was called upon to put an end to him, with one Cai Xiulan leading the charge—[[spoiler:but the disciples of Fa Ram got to him first.]]
----
* AntiRegeneration: His techniques can be used to suppress [[HealingFactor Qi healing]].
* AssholeVictim: He was killed and eaten by farm animals. ''No one'' mourns him upon learning of his death.
* TheDreaded: The smallfolk of the region lived in utter terror of this guy. Jin doesn't want any publicity, but chooses to spread an altered account of his death, rather than keep silent, just so that everyone will know he's gone and be able to relax.
* EvilWeapon: Downplayed. Though not an inherently evil weapon, [[spoiler:the sword was sentient and had been driven mad due to not being able to cut as cleanly as it used to.]]
* GoodColorsEvilColors: His Qi manifested in shades of [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]].
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: After [[HumiliationConga being slaughtered by farm animals]], Sun Ken's corpse is eaten by said farm animals, and then his sword is turned into a plow and he's portrayed as a cowardly clown in puppet plays about the "Demon Slaying Orchid" hunting him down.
[[/folder]]
!!!Animal Antagonists
[[folder:Basil Brush / Basi Bu Shi]]
A dastardly fox that kept stealing and eating Jin Rou's chickens, until his defeat at the hands— er, spurs of Big D.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Basil ''was'' intelligent, but whatever his true name was, there's no way to know. He was given the name by Jin.
* CunningLikeAFox: He kept getting into the chicken coop to steal the hens there, much to Big D's chagrin.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: He's named after Basil Brush, from Series/TheBasilBrushShow.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He barely makes an appearance and his primary role is as Big D's StarterVillain. However, his pelt is used to make a vest for Big D, and Big D makes occasional references to the fox over the course of the story.
* StarterVillain: He's the first villain taken down by Big D. As a reward, his pelt is [[NemeanSkinning made into a vest]] for the rooster, which becomes iconic of the character.
* UpliftedAnimal: While it's not touched upon much, Big D recognizes that Basil was as intelligent as he was.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Much later on, Bi De wonders whether Basi Bu Shi might have been recruited as a disciple if Jin had realized he was sapient, taken him in, and offered him food and safety.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chow Ji]]
A cultivating rat who sets his sights on the resources of the Farm.
----
* AnimalisticAbomination: He's partway into transforming himself into a human form.
* BadBoss: He treats his rat followers like dirt. [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal This was a mistake.]]
* TheCorruptor: He tries to corrupt Bi De into his servant.
* HumanityEnsues: Attempted to do this via the slow way, gradually morphing into a human. He... didn't get too far, leaving him a BodyHorror-laden rat with a few human characteristics. Ri Zu mentions he was in constant pain from the deformities and suffered from an elevated heart rate. [[spoiler:After having the benefit of being able to examine Tigu's own successful ascension and having received a lot of experience in surgery by helping Meiling, Ri Zu corrects the defects in Chow Ji's faulty technique he had attempted to steamroll over and uses the perfected result to become human herself.]]
* ShoutOut: He's described as an evil [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Master Splinter]]. Also, the way he and his servants speak is a shout-out to the Skaven of TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy.
* TreacherousAdvisor: He wheedles and brainwashes his way into Big D's good graces while Jin is away, for the explicit purpose of turning the rooster into his personal [[TheDragon goon]].
* YouDirtyRat: The rat swarm accepts Fa Ram's hospitality under false pretenses, with the intent to corrupt its guardians and take over.
[[/folder]]
!!Hong Yaowu
The nearest village to Jin's Farm. Its name translates to "Medicine Storehouse" and its village elder is expected to be something of a doctor and pharamacist in addition to a mayor.
[[folder:Hong Xian the Elder]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_hong_xian.jpg]]
Father of Meiling and little Xian. He's also the village elder of Hong Yaowu.
----
* FrontierDoctor: Part of his role as the Elder of a village named "Medicine Storehouse" is to act as a doctor and pharmacist, which is important to the residents as the nearest dedicated healer may be days away on foot.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: He used to have his own share of crazy adventures with his late wife, best friend Bao and Yao Che during their youth.
* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler:His name was once Hong San, as he was the family's third son and was not expected to inherit the position of village elder. Tragically, his middle brother died very young, and the eldest was killed by the plague that also took his parents, and he took the new name as required by tradition and his new position.]]
* LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:In volume 2, it's revealed that Hong Xian is as much a hereditary title as it is a name. He is the 77th Hong Xian. His father and grandfather held it, and someday his son will inherit it too.]]
* StrongerThanTheyLook: Of the non-combat-oriented variety. The village elders of Hong Yaowu have a tradition of performing a ritual dance during transition to the New Year. The dance is both intense and lasts ''all night'', yet other than the minor exhaustion that comes with his age, Hong Xian has little trouble performing it.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: [[spoiler:Hong ''San'' was not expected to become village elder, as he was his parents' third son. Sadly, his father and both of his older brothers died under tragic circumstances and he wound up with the post and the name change that comes with it.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hong Xian the Younger]]
A preteen boy, son of Hong Xian the Elder and brother of Meiling. Enthusiastic and rambunctious but slowly learning responsibility.
----
* HiddenDepths:
** His fascination with bugs seems like simply a young boy's enthusiasm for trying to gross out his older sister. However, it turns out that he's actually been working with Yun Ren and secretly (he thinks) breeding beetles and learning about them, hinting at a future in entomology.
** Despite being a small boy with more enthusiasm than actual strength or endurance, the first time he attempts to [[spoiler:do the village solstice dance alongside his father,]] he succeeds [[spoiler:in dancing all night, a feat unheard of for generations of his ancestors. This may have something to do with his encounters with Tianlan Shan, or his relation to cultivators like Jin, Meiling, and Xiulan.]]
* LegacyCharacter: Shares the same name as his father, [[spoiler:because that name is always given to the Elder of Hong Yaowu. When he succeeds his father, he will be the 78th Hong Xian.]]
* TheNoseKnows: Has the same ability to smell chi as his sister, though his is less sensitive due to his younger age and lower chi levels.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yao Che]]
The village blacksmith, and Yao Meihua's father.
----
* TheBlacksmith: His role in Hong Yaowu. Jin has sometimes asked him for help bringing his odd ideas like copper pipes into reality.
* {{Hunk}}: Noted as having a very muscular physique due to the nature of his work.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: He's initially incensed that Cai Xiulan wants to take the position honor guard for Meiling's wedding procession, but she gives him a look that conveys a small fraction her power and he quickly decides that discretion is the better part of valor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Ten Ren]]
Gou Ren and Yun Ren's father, and the village hunter.
----
* AnimalMotifs: Monkeys, like his son Gou Ren. He has the wild hair and features to match.
* ClassicalHunter: Noted to be a highly skilled hunter and the primary source of meat for Hong Yaowu.
* HunterTrapper: Not just a good hunter, but makes a living off of it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nezin Hu Li]]
Gou Ren and Yun Ren's mother. She is originally from one of the nomadic wilderness tribes who live near the Sea of Snow to the north of the Verdant Hills.
----
* AbductionIsLove: She seems to think so, and it's part of her tribe's customs; when Ten Ren was attempting to court her, her father kept denying permission, and he eventually gave up and just stole Hu Li away in the night. Her story implies that she and her father had been waiting for just that.
* AccentAdaptation: To Jin's ears, her native tribal accent in Chinese sounds like the equivalent of a Brooklyn accent in English.
* AnimalMotifs: Foxes, like her son Yun Ren. She has the squinty eyes and scheming demeanor to fit.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Was initially dismissive of Liling, seeing her as just a soft CityMouse from Pale Moon Lake City. After a street brawl of a CatFight where Liling showed that she learned how to scrap in Fish Gut Alley, they reached an understanding and became good friends.
* SoleSurvivor: She lost the other two parts of her TownGirls trio (Tang Mei and Liling) in a bad famine that hit Hong Yaowu one year.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow]]
A snowman built by the villagers of Hong Yaowu in the spirit of friendly competition with Jin during his second winter in the Azure Hills.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: The General that Commands the Winter notes that the Warden was destroyed during the last storm of Jin's second winter in the Azure Hills, while defending Hong Yaowu against the ravages of a late winter storm, and treats this as a heroic LastStand. When Jin arrives back at Hong Yaowu after the storm, he sees the Warden's remnants surrounded by the crying children of the village performing funerary rites.
* AnIcePerson: Has power over winter weather and uses it to weaken a winter storm that descends on the village.
* {{Snowlems}}: Like the General that Commands the Winter, he started out as a standard, though enormous, snowman. However, much like with the General, the Qi invested and attention paid to his construction, plus the connection to Jin and [[spoiler:Tianlan Shan]] lead to its awakening as a subordinate of the General.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ty An]]
A young woman of about Meiling's age who lives in the village; somewhat insecure about herself and thus something of a bully, and particularly a rival to Meiling.
----
* AlphaBitch: Her role in the village, until Jin shows up.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Once Jin's influence begins to make all her bullying attempts fall flat, she begins to realize how immature she's been and start to try to make something of herself instead of putting others down.
* InsultBackfire: Once Jin comes to town, her attempts to put down Meiling and others all seem to backfire spectacularly.
** She calls Meiling a thistle, implying she's prickly and not particularly attractive. Jin says this is a compliment, noting that thistles are pretty and also tough and resilient, embarrassing Ty An and flattering Meiling.
** She makes fun of Meiling for having freckles, which are considered blemishes in the the culture of "Xianada". However, Jin, raised in a modern western culture, finds them cute and tells her so.
** She tries the same thing with Tigu's muscles, who likewise takes it as a compliment, having been basically raised by Jin. Ironically enough, Ty An develops a build of her own after becoming Yao Che's assistant after Meihua marries and moves out of town.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: [[spoiler: Has this relationship with Bowu [[EveryoneCanSeeIt much to everybody's amusement]].]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Liling]]
Hong Xian's late wife and the mother of Meiling and Xian the Younger. She was a scullery maid living in Pale Moon Lake City before she met and fell in love with San, as he was known as then.
----
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler: It's hinted that she's from the same bloodline as the Azure Emperor that Xiaoshi overthrew, given her mother's drunken ramblings.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: She died to a bad famine some years prior to story start, and her background is only fleshed out in a flashback arc.
* RagsToRiches: Downplayed, but she goes from being a scullery maid and thief in Pale Moon Lake City to the respected wife of the village elder in Hong Yaowu over the course of the flashback arc.
* SirSwearsALot: She can turn it off, but generally swears profusely.
[[/folder]]
!!Verdant Hill
The nearest town to Hong Yaowu and the seat of the local government.
[[folder:Lin Bao]]
The First Archivist of Verdant Hill and one of Hong Xian's best friends. Meiling and little Xian know him as Uncle Bao.
----
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: In his middle age due to his eating habits, he's (literally) grown to resemble his name, Bao being a type of round steamed bread dumpling.
* BigEater: Having survived the adventures of his youth, he takes great pleasure in enjoying the finer things in life. Like lots and lots of food.
* HonoraryUncle: Meiling and little Xian know him as their Uncle Bao and grew up around him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/22a6e91d_f94d_4546_9744_874bb0c1e785.png]]
The imperial-appointed ruler of Verdant Hill and the surrounding area, including Hong Yaowu and Jin's farm. The very image of an ideal ruler and bureaucrat.
----
* AttentionWhore: Is practically addicted to attention and acclaim from his subjects... and cultivates it by doing a spectacularly good job as their Lord Magistrate.
* BadassBureaucrat: He's a first-rate administrator and magistrate. Visitors are actually disturbed by how clean the streets are and how disciplined and helpful the town guard is. While he rarely has the opportunity or even need to flex his political muscle, he and his wife open negotiations with the Azure Jade Trading Company with a dazzling display of opulence and courtly skill that leaves the two junior merchants on the backfoot and willing to work with the Lord Magistrate's own terms for the Azure Hills. As an aside, he's both younger and far fitter than the Trading Company's envoys expected.
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: The Lord Magistrate is not happy about having someone living nearby who could probably destroy his town by accident if he went all out. And every time Jin does something generous, the magistrate drives himself to distraction worrying about the implications of being indebted to such a person. Every time he tries to repay Jin, however, Jin does something else for him in gratitude.
* BrilliantButLazy: Was among the top five of his class (first, before he got bumped down due to an unknown kerfuffle), and was even tapped to join the Grand Palace... but he requested the transfer to the Azure Hills to avoid dealing with the stresses of such high rank.
* CasualKink: Enjoys bondage games with his wife. [[spoiler:Due to her cultivator-inflicted injuries, it's hard for her to feel anything less.]]
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Fails to see that Jin Rou is just a simple, agreeable man who happens to have terrifying amounts of power. He second-guesses Jin's intentions backwards and forwards, giving himself ulcers in the process, trying to determine whether or not he's being tested through Jin's acts of charity. [[spoiler:His wife doesn't help, keeping to herself a conversation she had with Meiling, in which she confessed Jin deliberately abandoned the Cloudy Sword Sect because he wanted a peaceful life.]]
* CovertPervert: ''Really'' likes the Playboy Bunny-inspired outfit Meiling presented his wife with, particularly the fishnet stockings, even wondering how they'd look on his own legs. He's a bit worried about commissioning more, so he considers making them himself, given he made most of the ropes he and his wife [[CasualKink use]] himself.
* EnlightenedSelfInterest: He is an excellent magistrate, kind to his people and employees, and is all around a reasonable ruler. He does all of this because he likes being praised and respected, and views actually doing a good job and earning people's respect and praise as the best way to get what he wants.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Even in chapters from his perspective, he's only ever referred to as The Lord Magistrate or the Patriarch.
* TheGoodChancellor: Despite doing so for slightly selfish intentions, he's the model of this trope. He ''really'' likes having everyone's acclaim, so he genuinely works to earn it.
* InternalReveal: [[spoiler:Early in Volume Three, he finally pieces together that Jin isn't some super ancient cultivator with motives beyond his understanding or trying to mock him or usurp him; Jin is a very young man who genuinely respects The Lord Magistrate. That said, Jin continues to complicate matters since Jin is, at this point, the leader of all Cultivators in the Azure Hills and a guaranteed source of future trouble.]]
* MentorArchetype: To Jin, on political matters.
* MrViceGuy: He is a bit vain, desiring praise and respect. He is also an excellent administrator and a just ruler, since he feels it's easiest and best to be praised for actually present qualities.
* NervousWreck: Whenever cultivators get involved. [[spoiler:Due to the injuries that his wife suffered at the hands of one]], if his poker face was any weaker, cultivators would practically be his TraumaButton.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: {{Invoked}}: He specifically requested to be assigned to Verdant Hill, a backwater town even by Azure Hills standards for which he is grossly overqualified, so as to ensure that he could easily meet and exceed his position's expectations and so that he would be far away from cultivator shenanigans.
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Was Hong San ([[spoiler:later Hong Xian senior]]) and Lin Bao's senior while they were working in Pale Moon Lake City. They were the ones who gave him the idea to move to Verdant Hills when they mention how quiet and cultivator-free it is.
* OutOfTheFryingPan: [[spoiler:After Jin finally clears the air with him and asks him to become his decorum teacher, on one hand, he ''finally'' realizes Jin is a young cultivator struggling to keep afloat in the world of politics who both respects the Lord Magistrate and is eager to learn from him. On the other, the rapidly increasing amounts of soft power and the equivalent responsibility Jin's accruing - and it now being his responsibility to help him manage it - give him ulcers.]]
* ThePeterPrinciple: Inverted. He's deliberately taken a position that's below his skill level, rather than endure the stresses and dangers of high rank.
* PlagueOfGoodFortune: Is not exactly ''unhappy'' at having Jin take care of dangerous beasts and bandits, build roads, and frequently gift him with luxury foodstuffs, but is constantly worrying that the other shoe is going to drop and Jin will demand something crazy of him.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While he may be screaming internally while he makes them, his decisions are very fair both to Jin and his other subjects.
* StealingTheCredit: Averted. He doesn't like being credited for things he didn't do -- mostly because one day he might be asked to pull the same trick again.
* UniversallyBelovedLeader: Internally self-centered and self-important, he is still a great ruler out of a pragmatic belief that the best way to get praise and respect is to earn it - and he is very good at it, having earned the legitimate admiration of everyone in his jurisdiction. His various achievements (and self-centered motivations) include:
** When he is tired of the yearly floods cutting into his leisure time, he commissions great canals which divert the floodwaters and greatly improve the lives of the villagers.
** When he bribes a cultivator in the hopes the man will go away and leave him alone, it is seen as a prudent investment in the future; since Jin is the kind of person to return a favor, it turns out to be just that.
** He ensures his bureaucrats are efficient, honest, and compassionate, because it prevents angry subjects from coming after him and gives him more free time.
** When Meiling stops a plague in its tracks, he is suspected to have summoned her.
** His freezing up when in danger or nervous is interpreted as [[NervesOfSteel a fearless willingness to stand his ground and a general air of unflappability]], because he has an excellent poker face and his back tends to sweat before the rest of his body.
** He regularly leads his guards in exercise so that if he is ever threatened, he will be able to run away effectively. They respect him all the more for his leadership and sharing their burdens.
** His swordsmanship is considered excellent for a mortal and he practices regularly, so that if attacked he could buy himself time to escape.
** His kindness to his bureaucrats and soldiers is seen as evidence of his strong moral character, but is really motivated out of a desire to maintain their loyalty and willingness to fight for him if ever threatened.
* WeirdnessMagnet: One of the reasons he fears Jin is because he likes his province nice and orderly, and Cultivators are known to attract trouble.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Wu Zei Qi]]
The wife of the Magistrate of Verdant Hill.
----
* CasualKink: Enjoys rough, rope play with her husband, [[spoiler:mostly so that she can feel ''something'' past her deadened sense of touch due to her injuries]].
* CovertPervert: Privately, she's just as kinky as her husband.
* HandicappedBadass: Despite having been supernaturally crippled by a cultivator, which gave her occasional tremors and reduced dexterity and senses, she is effective at politicking and assisting the Magistrate. [[spoiler:She's eventually cured by Meiling.]]
* HidingTheHandicap: Involuntarily; the public sees her slow graceful walk and the slow, elegant songs she plays on the guzheng as qualities of a ProperLady, when in fact they're because she can't move as fast or play more complex songs due to her reduced dexterity.
* LockedIntoStrangeness: Her cultivator-induced injuries also gave her streaks of grey hair.
* ProperLady: Demure, cultured, plays guzheng, [[CasualKink handles rope]].
* UnluckilyLucky: Doesn't bemoan the injuries she suffered at the hands of a cultivator, as her "damage" meant that her "honored father" allowed her to marry her then-common-born husband without an argument.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yao Meihua]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_you_meihua.jpg]]
A friend of Meiling's who grew up with her in Hong Yaowu. Currently lives in Verdant Hill with her husband, Ting Feng.
----
* ChildhoodFriends: Meiling considers her "a sister in all but blood."
* CityMouse: Jin mentions that she doesn't seem to much care for physical work and as such she is happier living in a bigger town with a couple of servants than in the small village where she grew up.
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Is very beautiful and attracts the attention of powerful and dangerous men, including the Magistrate, who is too sensible to act on it, and Zang Li, who would have raped her if not for Jin.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: She is her blacksmith father's daughter; when she gets tipsy, she easily carries her friend, her husband, and her friend's husband.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zhuge Ting Feng]]
A clerk in Verdant Hill and Yao Meihua's husband.
----
* CityMouse: Although he's a very nice guy and devoted to Meihua, it's clear he's been raised to life in town and as a clerk has very few skills that would serve him in the country.
* PanickyExpectantFather: He's visibly anxious, pacing around, and making a nuisance of himself when Meihua goes into labor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Crone]]
A mysterious old lady who lives in a shack just on the outskirts of Verdant Hill with her goat and 3-pawed tomcat. Appears to know more about Jin and his circumstances than she is letting on.
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:She and her cat were formerly powerful cultivators, in addition to her being a seer. However, due to jealousy and politics, both of their cultivations were broken and they came to the Azure Hills to escape that life.]]
* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:When Shen Yu comes to town, he recognizes her as Shiyun of the Heavenly Path, and her tomcat as Laoshi, the Tiger’s Fury, both former cultivators whose cultivation was destroyed by jealous political rivals]].
* GrumpyOldWoman: An old woman who complains and seems generally irritated all the time. Still, she's generally helpful despite her words.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She acts mean to those around her, but when given the chance to influence the outcome of [[spoiler:her prophecy about the heir to the Azure Emperor]], she makes her choice based on compassion.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Squabbles with her old neighbor Shu in this way, [[spoiler:even before they actually get married.]]
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Her 3-footed tomcat sometimes displays sparks of human-level intelligence and [[spoiler:is implied to be Tigu's father]]. But as soon as it is noticed, he reverts to normal cat behavior. [[spoiler:Turns out he is actually a former cultivator apparently stuck in cat form]].
* MysteriousBacker: She clearly is interested in helping Jin in some way, giving him Tigger after he brings her goat back to her and helping Tigger out when she visits Verdant Hill. But what exactly her goal is and what she knows about Jin's circumstances remains unclear. [[spoiler:Until Bi De comes to her with the visions from the ancient memory crystal and she explains her prophecy]].
* RomanticRibbing: [[spoiler:She and her husband Shu constantly give each other grief, even before they got together]].
* {{Seers}}: It turns out that [[spoiler:the Crone is actually an old seer, who fled to the Azure Hills to escape her tumultuous younger years in much the same way Jin did. And as soon as she entered the province, an ancient spirit made a deal with her to help it find an heir to the forgotten Azure Emperor. The fates told her Verdant Hill was the best place to settle down and find her candidate. She initially considers the Lord Magistrate, but thinks the stress would be too much for his anxiety. Then she considers Jin, but she has a soft spot for him, their stories feeling so similar, and decides to let him set down his roots in peace. Eventually, she decides that ''Bi De'' is the best candidate and drops the weight of prophecy on him.]]
* TormentByAnnoyance: [[spoiler:The main reason she cut a deal with the spirit to find the heir to the Azure Emperor and guide him was so it would stop bothering her.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Pale Moon Lake City
The largest city in the Azure Hills and the capital of the province. Sits on the shore of Pale Moon Lake, a mysteriously perfectly-circular lake with a surface area roughly equivalent to Lake Superior. Home to Mengde's Crystal Emporium and the local headquarters of the Azure Jade Trading Company.
[[folder:Biyu]]
A journeyman crystal carver who works at Mengde's Crystal Emporium and becomes romantically involved with Yun Ren.
----
* AnimalMotifs: She's noted several times to be somewhat owlish in appearance (big round eyes and fluffy hair) and personality, and is quite intelligent, fitting with the "wise owl" stereotype.
* CutenessProximity: One of the few things that can override her shyness. Easily becomes enamored with just about every animal on the Fa Ram, and sets out to make pieces of clothing for them.
* MadeOfExplodium: Being essentially solid qi, even the relatively low-grade crystals of the Azure Hills can explode with considerable force if Biyu gets the slightest thing wrong in her formation carving. There's a reason that crystal carvers are so highly paid.
* {{Magitek}}: Her specialty is the carving and use of magical crystals, that can be used for lighting, videography, photography, and so on.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Bo]]
A junior merchant who works for the Azure Jade Trading Company.
----
* DoYouWantToHaggle: Makes Jin an offer for his Maple Syrup, but immediately revises it upward [[AccidentalBargainingSkills when he gets the mistaken impression that Jin's frown means he feels like he's being lowballed]].
* FeeFiFauxPas: Mistakes Xiulan for Jin's wife while Meiling, Jin's wife, is standing right there. She lets him stew in his embarassment (and horror, as everyone involved but him is a cultivator) before laughing it off, more amused than anything else. It helps that it wasn't entirely his fault; Jin had let everyone assume such so that Xiulan wouldn't be constantly hassled while in the city with him.
* UndyingLoyalty: After he brings Jin in to negotiate buying Jin's [[spoiler:gold-grade]] rice, the company was going to assign another more senior merchant to be Jin's primary contact. However, because Jin was happy with his previous deals and believes in the importance of relationships, he insists that Guan Bo remain his primary contact with the company. This basically secures Bo's rise in status in the company and turns him into Jin's biggest fan.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Chyou]]
A rising star merchant of the Azure Jade Trading Company, and Guan Bo's sister.
----
* HighClassCallGirl: Her grandmother Shan Daiyu, [[TheManBehindTheMan who is the real brains behind the success of the Azure Jade Trading Company]], from time to time assigns her to seduce important clients in order to secure deals. [[spoiler:Including Jin, though he gently rejects her advances.]] She is very pragmatic about this and accepts it as just part of doing business.
* IntrepidMerchant: After [[spoiler:turning down her offer to sleep with him]] Jin commissions her to organize an expedition into the south of the Empire and beyond to locate various exotic plants that he wants to grow. She's excited for the opportunity as it will be both more fulfilling than her usual assignments and quite the adventure.
* OddFriendship: Gets along very well with Wa Shi once they meet, to the surprise of just about everyone.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Ping]]
The head of the Azure Jade Trading Company, and Guan Chou and Guan Bo's grandfather. In some ways, a figurehead for his wife, Shan Daiyu. Still a competent businessman and administrator.
----
* HappilyMarried: He and Shan Daiyu run the Azure Jade Trading Company together, with him as the primary accountant and public face, and her as the chief strategist. It's implied they've been happy together like this for decades.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shan Daiyu]]
The wife of Guan Ping, and the real brains behind the Azure Jade Trading Company. Grandmother of Guan Chou and Guan Bo.
----
* HappilyMarried: Appears to have a very equal relationship with her husband, who is both her life partner and business partner.
* IntrepidMerchant: In her younger days building up the company, she went on various dangerous and adventurous expeditions throughout the empire.
* [[TheManBehindTheMan The Woman Behind The Man]]: She's the real head of the Azure Jade Trading Company, but her husband is the official head. Somewhat downplayed as they function as a team when negotiating high-level deals.
* SilkHidingSteel: Although she projects an image of a demure courtly lady, she is the real head of the company and her family, and is not to be trifled with.
[[/folder]]
!!The Azure Hills Special Investigative Unit
A special unit of the Azure Hills guard, with province-wide jurisdiction.
[[folder:The Special Inspector of the Azure Hills]]
The head of the Special Investigative Unit and an intelligent, dashing and stalwart young man of the Law, who is quickly building a reputation as a legendary detective. He happens to also be [[spoiler:the son of the Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill and Lady Wu]] and secretly much less fearless than he appears.
----
* AccidentalHero: He stumbled onto most of most of his most famous cases by complete accident, and in fact didn't even realize he was being groomed for the position of Special Inspector until he was in front of the officials who awarded him the title.
** [[spoiler:He thought the rumors of slavery in Grass Sea City were just that, rumors, a safe wild goose chase he could indulge in to convince the people he was doing something actually worthwhile and receiving mockery instead of threats from the nobility. Then Tigu barreled in and uncovered an enormous slavery ring that involved most of the local nobility. To his horror, he ends up looking like he actually was on the correct trail all the time and is granted temporary Lordship of Grass Sea City as a result. Tie Delun's help in making Grass Sea City's recalcitrant sound-spreading formation work for his speech makes him even more of a hero in the eyes of the populace.]]
* ChickMagnet: Attractive women seem to gravitate towards him wherever he goes, including at least two cultivators and several mortals, to the point that some of his companions begin to notice. It may have something to do with how he is both physically attractive and behaves very honorably and politely to everyone. However none of them is a polite well-bred young lady who would be conducive to a quiet peaceful life, which is what he's really looking for.
* CowardlyLion: Although he's absolutely terrified by the situations he finds himself in, he's very good at concealing it and intelligent and resourceful enough to win the day.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: [[spoiler:Like his father]], he is only ever referred to as the Special Inspector, even in his own thoughts.
* GoneHorriblyRight: From the perspective of the noble who set him up with the post; it was likely meant to get him killed, but instead he is revealed to be surprisingly competent and is quickly becoming a province-wide hero.
* IgnoredConfession: After taking down a cultivator and gang that were trying to copycat the Whirling Demon Gang, he admits to Sergeant Han that he nearly soiled himself. The good Sergeant has a great laugh at this "joke".
* InTheBlood: He's a good and extremely capable man, but a NervousWreck behind his imperturbable mask. [[spoiler:Much like his father, the Lord Magistrate.]]
* MysteryMagnet: He keeps encountering crimes, cultists and bandits. Even when he'd rather not.
* PromotedToScapegoat: Subverted; the noble Wu Lee intentionally(?) set him up to be assigned the post of Special Inspector, where it was presumed his life expectancy would be greatly shortened, considering the post had been left unfilled for thirty years in the first place due to all its occupants being assassinated. Luckily for the Inspector, he's proven to be quite competent and skilled at both law enforcement and escaping danger.
* SecretlySelfish: He'd like nothing more to be safe and bored in Pale Moon Lake City, but of course can't tell anyone that.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Sergeant Han]]
A member of the Special Investigative Unit who assists the Special Inspector.
----
* BadassInDistress: Captured by slavers while protecting travellers, rescued by Rou Tigu.
* HadToBeSharp: Grew up in the worst part of Pale Moon Lake City and learned many fighting skills from a young age.
* ICallItVera: Named his [[LawmanBaton billy club]] "The Great Stick that Pacifies Heaven" or just "The Pacifier" for short.
* UndyingLoyalty: Thinks the Special Inspector is the best thing to happen to law enforcement in the Azure Hills in his lifetime and would follow him into hell if asked.
[[/folder]]
!!Verdant Blade Sect
One of the larger cultivator sects of the Azure Hills, located in the Grass Sea region. Their cultivation and combat style is inspired by Spiritual Grass and their signature technique is the '''[Blades of Grass]''', which allows them to [[MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades create dozens of levitating]], [[SpectralWeaponCopy ethereal copies of their swords]].
[[folder:Cai Xi Kong]]
Cai Xiulan's father and one of the leading elders of the Verdant Blade Sect.
----
* PapaWolf: Although he has to deal with sect politics and the fact that some sects are simply so powerful that he can't stop them from dictating demands, he cares deeply about Xiulan and is willing to do what he needs to to protect her from exploitation or worse. He backs her when she rejects various suitors, even going to the point of ''killing'' a man he previously considered a friend who wouldn't take "no" for an answer when Xiulan was 12 years old. The thought of [[spoiler:Zang Li]] taking her away fills him with rage and he is greatly relieved that the man is only a Young Master, since his hand might have been forced if a [[spoiler:Shrouded Mountain]] Sect elder had tried to court her.
* PrettyBoy: Mature edition. Jin figures that Xiulan got her striking looks from her dad.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Xiulan tells him about Jin, he's happy to maintain Jin's status as a Hidden Master who values his privacy, and helps maintain the fiction that Xiulan killed [[spoiler:Sun Ken]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:An Ran]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect, and the informal leader of Xiulan's personal students, collectively known as the "Orchid's Petals".
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu starts calling her the "Smaller Blade of Grass", comparing her to Xiulan. However she looks up to Xiulan so much that she considers this an honor. Likewise she initially thinks that being called one of the "Orchid's Petals" is embarrassing but later begins to take pride in being a student of the sect's rising star.
* LoveTriangle: She seemed to like Gou Ren (although Cai Xiulan was trying to push them together). Liu Xianghua ''definitely'' likes Gou Ren. She later seems interested in The Special Inspector. Shui Xinlai, young mistress of the Grey Water Sect is ''definitely'' into The Special Inspector.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: During the Dueling Peaks Tournament, she manages for the first time to execute her sect's SignatureMove and create '''[A Single Blade of Grass]''', a copy of her sword.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hi Huyi]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Said to have "dead-fish eyes".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xi Bu]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Noted to be the smallest and youngest of the group.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lee Li]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Excitable and has spiky green hair.
[[/folder]]
!!Misty Lake Sect
A cultivator sect based in the Misty Lake region, which is actually less of a lake and more of a swamp or wetlands like the Everglades.
[[folder:Liu Xianghua]]
Xiulan's great rival among the cultivators of the Azure Hills and the Young Mistress of the Misty Lake Sect. She becomes Gou Ren's love interest.
----
* AbductionIsLove: [[spoiler:Following the tribal custom of Gou Ren's mother, she attempts to kidnap him as a marriage proposal. However, she didn't realize that Gou Ren was ''also'' trying to uphold that custom...]]
* AnimalMotifs: Her attacks are frequently equated to a heron stepping through the misty swamp with its long beak spearing out to strike.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: In order to help [[spoiler:Xiulan]] with her project to [[spoiler:unite the sects of the Azure Hills]], Xianghua decides she must take over [[spoiler:the Misty Lake Sect as Sectmaster.]] Part of the trials for doing so is defeating three [[spoiler:Misty Lake elders]] in combat. In order to leave absolutley no doubt as to her fitness for the position, she instead decides to defeat ''all of them'', without the aid of her steam generator. She not only does so but makes it look easy.
* BigSisterInstinct: Very protective of her little brother.
* FriendlyRival: How she expresses friendship with anyone outside her brother. [[spoiler:Upgrades to VitriolicBestBuds if she likes you--first seen with Xiulan but later extended to a number of the Younger Generation of Azure Hills cultivators.]]
* GatheringSteam: Both literally and figuratively, this is how her signature fighting technique works. She wears a Qi-powered steam generator artifact on her back that slowly fills the area with misty steam, which she then uses to conceal her movements and power her attacks. And it plays right into the philosophy of her home Misty Lake Sect.
* HatesTheirParent: Hates her father for beating, abusing, and then neglecting her brother Bowu, and her mother for going along with it due to considering both of her children cripples, Bowu in body and her in mind, and saying so ''to her face''.
* InSeriesNickname: Tigu calls her "Damp Pond", which Xiulan also appropriates. After [[spoiler:holding out against Shrouded Mountain and, uh, holding onto Gou Ren]], this changes to "Misty Lady."
* LargeHam: She's relentlessly melodramatic. [[spoiler: This is revealed to be a mask that she keeps up for two reasons. First, her little brother likes it. Second, and more importantly, she has difficulty with interacting with others and when she acts like a typical "LargeHam Young Mistress," people's reactions become more predictable.]]
* LoveTriangle: She likes Gou Ren. An Ran also seems to like Gou Ren. [[spoiler:Resolved when she gets together with Gou Ren the night of the Shrouded Mountain Sect's attack at the tournament.]]
* NamedWeapon: Her sword is named "Shrouded Intent". As befitting her misdirection-laden fighting style, its tip is white and translucent, making it seem shorter than it actually is.
* RedBaron: "The Heron of the Misty Lake."
* ShapingYourAttacks: When powered up by her steam, an ethereal crane[[labelnote:*]]the bird, not the construction equipment[[/labelnote]] formed of Qi can be seen striking with her when she attacks.
* SmokeOut: Her steam generator allows her to disappear into the mist and reappear elsewhere. It's implied, since it's powered by her own Qi, that she can see through it just fine.
* WillfullyWeak: When Xianghua decides to [[spoiler:take command of the Misty Lake Sect as the new sectmaster]], she must face the trial of defeating three [[spoiler:Misty Lake elders]] to prove her worthiness. She instead decides to defeat ''all'' of them, and to leave absolutely no doubt as to her strength, does so without the aid of her Steam Furnace. [[spoiler:She succeeds, naturally.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liu Bowu]]
Xianghua's younger brother, who was crippled in a duel arranged by his own father after he proved unable to become a cultivator.
----
* AbusiveParents: His father, one of the elders of the Misty Lake Sect, wanted his son to become a cultivator like him. When that proved impossible, he became very angry, eventually arranging a blatantly unfair "bargain" that involved a duel against one of his students, which ends up crippling his son. And his mother never even really cared or helped him.
* AllTheOtherReindeer: After his crippling, he was treated like a pariah by most of the sect, save for his sister and a few who chose to aid him in small ways.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Gets invested in Jin's ideas, partly from boredom, but mostly because he's thankful Jin honestly thinks he might be interested and genuinely values his input.
* DreamCrushingHandicap: At a relatively young age, he proves unable to cultivate due to internal physical issues, disappointing his father.
* FictionalDisability: Bowu was born with severely deformed meridians, making him unable to ever cultivate. Even Shen Yu confirms that the damage is too severe to ever be treated.
* GeniusCripple: Although barely able to walk and unable to cultivate, he [[GadgeteerGenius designed the artifact steam generator]] that Xianghua uses to punch well above her nominal cultivation power level.
* HatesTheirParent: Having a disability, and then ''being given another by your own father'', will do that to someone.
* ImmortalityThroughMemory: He knows he can't become immortal by cultivating, so he instead desires to create something so amazing that he will be remembered for eternity.
* LegacySeeker: His goal is to create a legacy through his inventions.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: [[spoiler: Has this relationship with Hong Yaowu's Ty An [[EveryoneCanSeeIt much to everybody's amusement]].]]
* ThrowingOffTheDisability: It takes a long, long while, and a fair amount of preparation, but Meiling succeeds in carrying out major surgery that heals his crippled leg.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Inverted. After the tournament, the sect's Elders recognize the value of his Steam Generator and his understanding of the sect's Mysteries, acknowledge him as a Young Master, and immediately boot his father out, decrying his father's actions as a tremendous waste of useful talent. He has no illusions about his sudden change in fortunes, but being validated allays some of his irritation. Turns out, they're quite nervous themselves, since Bowu's departure with Jin also means they're losing the one thing they judged valuable enough to kick out their former master for.
[[/folder]]
!!Hermetic Iron Sect
Based in the Iron Fields of the Azure Hills. While few in number, the Hermetic Iron Sect produces excellent metalwork.
[[folder:Tie Delan]]
Sect Master of Hermetic Iron, and father of Tie Delun.
----
* AmazonChaser: He likes his women muscular.
* KarmicJackpot: Falls into this when instead of defending the noble who's hosting him against intruders (one of whom turns out to be his own son), he allows them to arrest him for [[spoiler:slave-trading]] and assists his son with clearing out Grass Sea City afterwards. The outcome of this is that instead of treating with the noble to buy Spirit Iron from a vein the noble owned ([[spoiler:which was going to be mined by slave labor]]), his sect gets to own the vein outright for services rendered.
* StoutStrength: He packs a powerful portly paunch. This makes him even more conscious of his own appearance than his son.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mao Liqui]]
Tie Delan's wife, and Tie Delun's mother.
----
* ActionDressRip: Involuntary example; when she sees [[spoiler: the slaves in Grass Sea City]], she gets so mad her formal dress begins to rip at the seams from her muscles flexing.
* BattleCouple: Is fully willing to draw a hammer and fight alongside her husband.
* CommonalityConnection: How does she bond with [[spoiler:Tigu]]? By carving images of their muscular men in loincloths into marble pillars.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds with [[spoiler:Tigu]] when she declares her son "handsome", for the features that he shares with his father.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tie Delun]]
The Young Master of the Hermetic Iron Sect. Built like a blacksmith (i.e. [[{{Hunk}} ripped]]). Has a [[EveryoneCanSeeIt noticeable fondness]] for Tigu.
----
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: It's implied that part of the reason he fell so hard for [[spoiler:Tigu]] is that she's the first person to ever see his features- large, tanned skin, big muscles, and freckles- and call him "Handsome," since those features are typically not appreciated in cultivation circles.
* BringIt: When confronted with three significant opponents demanding he step aside and let them take [[spoiler:Tigu]], Tie Delun responds with focused eloquence:
-->"''Like Hell.''"
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Tall and muscular, protective of his friends and sect mates and a skilled artist.
* DropTheHammer: In keeping with the sect's blacksmith theming, uses a hammer as his primary weapon.
* GeekyTurnOn: As a craftsman as well as a cultivator, part of what attracts him to [[spoiler:Tigu]] is her ability to sculpt intricate carvings and statues with just her [[spoiler:Qi claws]].
* HiddenHeartOfGold: He used to stomp around everywhere with a snarl or a grumpy look, seemingly as a defense for anyone who saw his freckles and tan and call him ugly. Tigu was the first to break through this facade and reach the caring man underneath.
* InSeriesNickname: Tigu calls him "Handsome Man".
* InterspeciesRomance: He, a human cultivator, with [[spoiler:Rou Tigu, a human-shifted Spirit Cat]].
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Shares his tanned, rugged looks with his father.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: As it turns, his LoveInterest [[spoiler:Tigu]] has a lot in common with his mother, Mao Liqui. Both are Amazonian women and talented artisans who prefer their men {{Hunk}} rather than PrettyBoy.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' for [[spoiler:Tigu]] the moment they meet.
* RedBaron: "The Ironskin."
* SuperToughness: Even more so than your typical cultivator. One of the [[SignatureMove core techniques]] of his sect allows him to make his skin as hard as steel.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Tigu thinks he is. However, her taste differs from the local traditions, to whom he looks like a crude brute.
[[/folder]]
!!Grand Ravine Sect
A cultivator sect named for the Grand Ravine region they call home, largest and strongest among the Azure Hills sects. Deep-rooted (and justified) distrust of Imperial authority. Their SignatureMove includes the use of [[BladeOnARope rope blades]] [[note]](primarily a mobility tool for their quite-vertical homeland)[[/note]] and ancestral [[PowerTattoo body markings]].
[[folder:Guo Daxian the Younger/Ulagan Tarkhan]]
The Young Master of the Grand Ravine Sect.
----
* AmazonChaser: In his words, a proper woman is a girl with a bow and a hunting hawk, as opposed to some icy beauty.
* BadassesWearBandanas: A fearsome cultivator and fighter, who wears a bandanna as part of his traditional wear.
* LegacyCharacter: Not just because he's named after his father, but also because his sect has a tradition that their strongest member ''always'' is named Daxian.
* WorthyOpponent: Demands he be treated like this by Xiulan in the Dueling Peaks tournament, who had earlier beaten his junior disciple with next to no effort. Xiulan obliges and unleashes the full power of her '''[Thirty Two Blades of Grass]''' and '''[Lotus Flower - Bloom]''' techniques on him. [[spoiler:He puts up a respectable fight before going down.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guo Daxian the Elder/Ulagan Baatar]]
The younger Guo Daxian's father, and the most powerful cultivator of the Grand Ravine sect, and possibly the most powerful of all the Azure Hills cultivators.
[[/folder]]
!!Azure Horizon Sect
!!Framed Sun Sect
A sect based near the Dueling Peaks, whose techniques are inspired by the sight of the sun setting between them.
[[folder:Chen Yang]]
The Young Master of the Framed Sun Sect.
----
* CulturedWarrior: Is very fond of the epic poem said to have been written by the founder of his sect, and regularly practices his calligraphy in the hopes of one day equaling his ancestor's writing.
* WarriorPoet: As well as being a powerful cultivator, he desires to make beautiful calligraphy and poetry to equal that of his sect's founder. [[spoiler:Gets to put this into practice when repairing Dueling Town after the post-tournament fighting; he creates beautiful calligraphy for the signposts belonging to various businesses.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Grey Water Sect
[[folder:Xinling]]
Sect Mistress of the Grey Water. Renowned for her beauty, she usually veils her face in public. The four leading elder disciples of the sect are her daughters.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shui Xinlai]]
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows the value of discretion.
----
* LoveDodecahedron: She is one of the Special Inspector's ''several'' suitors.
[[/folder]]
!!Dueling Peaks and Dueling Town
The site of the Dueling Peaks Tournament, the "youth" tournament for the cultivators of Azure Hills held every eight years. The Earthly Arena is built in between the eponymous mountains and Dueling Town is located at the base.
[[folder:"Loud Boy" Zang Wei]]
A young cultivator first seen in Dueling Town preparing to enter the Dueling Peaks Tournament.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu originally called him Loud Boy for his tendency to be [[NoIndoorVoice loud]] and dramatic all the time, and the name stuck to the point he begins using it himself.
* DefeatEqualsFriendship: Starts as rivals with "Rags" Dong Chou but after a few encounters and Loud Boy's victory in the arena, they become fast friends.
* DePower: [[spoiler:In the post-tournament fighting with the Shrouded Mountain Sect he takes a hit that destroys his cultivation. It's later made clear that the damage is not irreparable, but he will be starting over from scratch.]]
* DieOrFly: Implied but downplayed. In every one of his wins in the tournament it looks like he's about to be defeated but pulls out some unexpected technique that grants him victory. He's finally outclassed by Tie Delun, the young master of the Hermetic Iron Sect.
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the tournament, and during the [[spoiler:fight against the Shrouded Mountain Sect afterwards]], he becomes friends with the younger generation of both sect-affiliated and independent cultivators from the Azure Hills.
* HeroicSecondWind: Many of his victories in the Dueling Peaks Tournament involve him seemingly being at the point of losing but suddenly coming back to win with an unexpected, powerful technique.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: [[WordOfGod Casualfarmer commented]] around the time that he was introduced that he looks "suspiciously like a protagonist" and his story beats mostly consist of very stereotypical Xianxia protagonist tropes.
* InelegantBlubbering: He is reduced to largely happy tears and sobs after receiving some materials to [[spoiler:help repair his cultivation]] near the end of volume 2.
* LargeHam: Often makes dramatic declarations at [[NoIndoorVoice the top of his lungs]]. His EstablishingCharacterMoment was bursting into the Dueling Peaks tournament admittance hall and announcing his intent to register.
* RedBaron: "The Rising Dragon."
* ShapedLikeItself: When the [[spoiler: Dragon spirit that unlocked Zang Wei's cultivation asks Zang, upon giving him back his Cultivation, what the nature of the world is, Zang's response is that the world... is what it is. It is suffering and joy and kindness and cruelty. [[ActuallyPrettyFunny The dragon thinks it's pretty funny that Zang came back more hopeful than when he left,]] despite the shattering of his Diantan, and fixes the boy's power.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Rags are constantly giving each other crap but become good friends.
* WrongAssumption: [[spoiler: After seeing Tigu transforming back to a cat for a moment, he thought she's using a cultivation technique that borrows the form of a tiger, while Xianghua & "Rags" are able to figure out she's initially a Spirit Beast.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Rags" Dong Chou]]
A young-ish cultivator who started out as a gang leader in Dueling Town and entered the Dueling Peaks Tournament.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu gives him the name for his ragged appearance, what with his starting out as a street gang leader. He starts calling himself Rags after it's used in the tournament.
* DefeatEqualsFriendship: "Loud Boy" Zang Wei manages to defeat him in the arena but they become inseparable afterwards.
* FeeFiFauxPas: [[spoiler: After waking up from his injury and officially meeting Jin, he casually asks him to join his gang and face off against the Shrouded Mountain Sect before even asking his name, ignoring the other cultivators (except for Tie Delun who also just woke up) hinting at him to not mess with a cultivator who is at least a realm higher above them. Luckily Jin doesn't mind]].
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the tournament, and during the [[spoiler:fight against the Shrouded Mountain Sect afterwards]], he becomes friends with the younger generation of both sect-affiliated and independent cultivators from the Azure Hills.
* SirSwearsALot: Uses a fair amount of salty language.
* [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything The Street Gang That Doesn't Do Anything]]: The most gang-like thing we ever see him or the Farrow Gang do is threaten to help beat up Loud Boy before the Dueling Peaks Tournament. After Tigu defuses that conflict he seems to be a pretty nice guy, if somewhat brash, and his gang seems to just like to hang around with him. He works as a caravan guard.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Loud Boy are constantly giving each other crap but become good friends.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bai Huizong]]
His Imperial Majesty’s Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, the announcer for the Dueling Peaks Tournament, and under-the-table merchandising agent.
----
* LargeHamAnnouncer: He personally does the announcing and fight commentary for the Dueling Peaks Tournament, complete with over-the-top proclamations of how the current bout is the greatest match seen in millennia.
* TheMerch: InUniverse. His lesser-known side business is managing the production and sale of news reports, paintings, dolls and various and sundry other merchandise based on the competitors in the tournament.
[[/folder]]
!!Master Gen's Home
A hidden compound in the wilderness, built atop a very productive crystal mine.
[[folder:Master Gen]]
A Master crystal carver and miner, as well as [[spoiler:a spirit beast monkey]], who has a special relationship with Mengde's Crystal Emporium.
[[/folder]]
!!The Eighth Correct Place
A village visited by Big D during his travels. Its economy centers around silver mining.
[[folder:Zhang Fei]]
A young boy, apprentice to his silversmith father, who steps up to defend his town from vicious wolves led by an evil spirit beast and becomes a student of Big D.
----
* AnimalMotifs: When defending his town or acting as a cultivator, he wears a rooster mask in honor of his master, ''Fa Bi De,'' and to uphold the warning on the Eighth Correct Place's entry sign: [[TitleDrop "Beware of Chicken."]]
* ImplausibleBoardingSkills: He basically invented white-water canal surfing.
* InelegantBlubbering: Though he tries to hold it in, he can't hide the tears in his eyes or the snot in his nose when his master Bi De leaves his village.
* InSeriesNickname: The kids in the local villages call him "[[RedBaron The Torrent Rider]]" because he basically invented surfing on the floodwaters that frequently course down the nearby canals.
* IThoughtEveryoneCouldDoThat: Since his first encounter with cultivation is Bi De, his view of cultivation norms is a bit skewed, like thinking sapient Spirit Beasts are commonplace or expecting great things from masters.
* LastStand: In the fight against the wolf, he and the other villagers are prepared to go down fighting. Luckily for him, [[BigDamnHeroes Bi De shows up just in time.]]
* LegacyCharacter: As the son of the village elder, he shares his father's name and is expected to eventually inherit his position.
* NamedWeapon: Names his new spear "Moon Spur" in honor of his master. Bi De is suitably embarrassed.
* RedBaron: "The Torrent Rider." Later, [[spoiler:"the Rooster."]]
* StandYourGround: Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he and the other villagers still attempt to put up a fight against the vicious spirit wolf that's been stalking their village for weeks.
[[/folder]]
!!Ancient History
The Azure Hills was once a very different place. Thousands of years ago, it was known as [[spoiler:The Azure Mountains]] and was home to [[spoiler:The Azure Empire, a kingdom cut off from the rest of the world by the Mist Wall, a massive set of wards that kept an army of demons out]]. The process of transforming the [[spoiler:Azure Mountains into the Azure Hills]] [[ApocalypseHow was not a peaceful one]]. As this history is revealed late in Books 2 and 3, but has an impact on everything that comes before it, every character in this section should be considered a WalkingSpoiler. [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff Spoilers are off]] for these entries, and you should not expand these folders if you wish to avoid [[LateArrivalSpoiler Late-Arrival Spoilers]]. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.
[[folder:In General]]
* IdenticalGrandson: When viewing Xiaoshi's memory crystal, Bi De is struck by how similar everyone's ancestors appearances and personalities are to their descendants, even before he hears their names which confirm it. This is despite thousands of years between their generations.
[[/folder]]
!!!Humans
[[folder:Xiaoshi]]
An orphan with a suspiciously similar backstory to Jin Rou (minus the {{Isekai}}), who becomes Tianlan Shan's first Connected One, and later Azure Emperor.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: When he learns of the stubbornness of the founder of The Eighth Correct Place in rebuilding the village seven times despite the flooding, he laughs, takes it in stride, and rewards the villagers by raising silver up from the depths of the earth for them to access easily.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Xiaoshi finds out shortly after defeating the Azure Emperor that doing so makes him the biggest badass in the empire... which means everyone expects him to be in charge. The Azure Emperor is dead... Long live the Azure Emperor!
* DoomedHometown: While he grew up in a large city and left as a young man, he soon settled down and fell in love with a small town and became a farmer much like Jin. Then the Azure Empire's soldiers come to town...
* FatalFlaw: He doesn't want to burden his friends, and so hides from them his stress, taking everything upon himself, and more saliently, he hides the true magnitude of the demonic threat to the Azure Empire and his plans to defeat it. Which means nobody can suggest a better course of action when he decides to try to syphon all of Tianlan Shan's power for himself... and nobody is available to help him when his one adviser is possessed by a demon and subverts the ritual.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: After the disaster that wipes out the Azure Mountains, he takes all of his recorded experiences and puts them into a crystal, along with a spirit tasked with finding him a worthy successor to restore the Azure Empire. In a subversion, none of the people who find it are actually interested in becoming Emperor, and by the time it is found the region has already been incorporated into the much larger Crimson Phoenix Empire.
* IWorkAlone: Doesn't want to worry or burden his friends with the responsibilities that come with the position of Azure Emperor, especially that of finding a way to finally defeat the demons. Upon reviewing his memories, Bi De identifies this as his FatalFlaw, reasoning that he could likely have come up with a solution that didn't lead to disaster if he had shared the problem with his allies, and Tianlan Shan in particular.
* KlingonPromotion: An accidental variety; Xiaoshi doesn't realize until ''after'' he's killed the Azure Emperor that by doing so, everyone else would expect him to take up the mantle.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Realizes halfway through a ritual formation to transfer Tianlan Shan's power to himself that he's betraying one of his oldest and closest friends, and tries to stop the ritual, despite the disastrous results that might have. Then he experiences this again after Kongming, mind controlled by a demon, tries to hijack the ritual. The subversion of the ritual and the fight to stop the demon from taking Tianlan's power demolishes the Azure Mountains, shatters Tianlan, and {{MindRape}}s the survivors into forgetting the Azure Empire ever existed. Xiaoshi spends his remaining days recording his memories in a crystal so that he can [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture find a worthy successor who can avoid making the mistakes he did.]]
* {{Polyamory}}: Loves both Linlin and Ruolan and openly carries on relationships with both.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After the destruction of his village and the deaths of many of his friends, Xiaoshi decides that the Azure Empire and its Emperor need to go down, and embarks on an eventually successful rebellion.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Having taken down the evil Azure Emperor, Xiaoshi is universally seen as his natural successor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Boyi]]
Xiaoshi's friend from the village of Green Trees.
----
* FlatCharacter: Not much is shown of his personality, other than providing a vague similarity to Jin's friends like the Xong brothers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guo Daxian/Chengis Atlan]]
A legendary "bandit", really the supporter of a tribe that refused to submit to the Azure Emperor and hid in the mountains. Becomes an ally of Xiaoshi's, and after the collapse he founds the Grand Ravine Sect, and his successors keep his name.
----
* HeroWithBadPublicity: He's known in the Azure Empire as a ruthless bandit, but really does it to support his persecuted tribe.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: Although his tribesmen mostly see through this, he allows himself to be known as a notorious bandit throughout the Azure Empire so that imperial forces will only attempt to seek retribution on him and his other "bandits" instead of his tribe.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kongming]]
A defector from the Azure Emperor's court who allies with Xiaoshi and gives him the knowledge necessary to infiltrate the palace and confront the Emperor. Later, he becomes infected by a demon in a fight and eventually betrays Xiaoshi, leading to the catastrophe which shatters Tianlan Shan and devastates the province.
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: He's a bureaucrat with extensive knowledge of the imperial palace who defects and gives Xiaoshi and his followers the knowledge necessary to infiltrate the palace and defeat the Azure Emperor.
* DemonicPossession: He gets wounded during a battle against a demon, and this infects him with the demon's spirit, who eventually takes over and causes him to betray Xiaoshi.
* TheGoodChancellor: Served as this to Xiaoshi, until he was infected by a demon.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Linlin]]
Xiaoshi's wife from the village of Green Trees. Very possibly one of Hong Meiling's direct ancestors.
----
* GenerationXerox: Much like her descendant Hong Meiling, she's a young woman from a small town who falls in love with an outsider fleeing from his past to the countryside who turns out to be a phenomenally powerful cultivator with a connection to an earth spirit. Their stories don't start diverging until her town is destroyed by the Azure Emperor's forces, and Meiling awakens as a cultivator while she never does.
* MayflyDecemberRomance: She lives to a ripe age, but Xiaoshi, as a cultivator and empowered by Tianlan Shan, has a much longer lifespan and outlives her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liusei]]
A priestess of the Lord of the Lake, and one of Xiaoshi's friends. A distant ancestor of Liu Xianghua and Bowu.
----
* HalfHumanHybrids: She and several of her fellow priestesses are clearly part-dragon, if the horns are any indication.
* MixedAncestryIsAttractive: From Xiaoshi's perspective, her dragon horns only add to her attractiveness.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cai Ruolan]]
A cultivating opera performer who later becomes a key part of Xiaoshi's rebellion and his friend. After the disaster, she founds the Verdant Blade Sect and is one of Cai Xiulan's direct ancestors.
----
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: The Jade Glass Blades, which would later be passed on to Xiulan, were originally intended as props for her opera performances. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that in the chaos following the destruction of the Azure Mountains, they become part of the basis for an actual martial art.
* {{Polyamory}}: Has an openly acknowledged relationship with Xiaoshi, while he is still married to Linlin.
[[/folder]]
!!!Spirits and Spirit Beasts
[[folder:Tianlan Shan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fa_ram.png]]
The spirit of the land that is Jin's farm, and possibly the entire Azure Hills region.
----
* ApocalypseHow: She's a land spirit who formerly embodied the entire Azure ''Mountains''. The [[ImperfectRitual broken formation]] that tore her apart caused a Regional Societal Collapse and drastically altered the geography of the territory. The formation originally embodied the five traditional elements: Clockwise, they're Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. But the demon's influence led all of them being shifted one place to the left: Fire burned a great forest and turned it into an ashen wasteland. Wood choked a great lake and turned it into a noxious swamp. Water flooded a metal area and turned it into an enormous and unnaturally circular lake. Metal infested an earthen canyon and choked out all sustenance. And earth smothered a land of fire. Beyond that, the sheer energy released had disastrous effects: The mountains were knocked down to hills, multitudes were killed, the spirit beasts were turned vengeful and violent, and all the humans that survived were brainwashed into forgetting that the Azure Empire had ever existed.
* BodyHorror: Her modern personification is missing several teeth, an eye, and an arm. Her major wounds, along with others spread throughout her body, are filled in with gold like kintsugi, an artistic method of repairing porcelain by filling the cracks with gold.
** Gradually lessened as she recovers thanks to Jin and his companions' care and affection.
* TheChosenOne: Jin's steady and selfless investment of qi in the land has prompted her to select him as her "Connected One", granting him access to her power. And despite her injured and broken state, her power is ''immense''. It does mean she's reluctant to let Jin travel away from the farm, though. It turns out that Jin is not the first Connected One; Xiaoshi was the first and his influence led to her interest in humanity.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Big D's WalkingTheEarth eventually reveals that, thousands of years ago, there was a great calamity that reduced her greatly until she was at her current form. Worse, the calamity was largely caused by her Connected One at the time, meaning she was betrayed by the one she trusted most.
* DishingOutDirt: She often throws balls of mud at people when she meets them in their mindscapes.
* EtTuBrute: The seeming betrayal by her Connected One Xiaoshi when he shattered the formation and sundered her and the land wore on her for thousands of years. It's only when she sees Xiaoshi's last memory crystal does she realize that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he realized what he was doing at the last second]] and shattered it because the formation was that close to being overtaken by demonic forces.
* IHaveManyNames: She is referred to as "Big Little Sister" by Chunky and "Fa Ram" by everyone else. In her introduction chapter, the narration states that she has also been referred to as "Tianlan Shan" (Azure Mountain in Chinese) in the past. This is confirmed to be her first name when Bi De reviews Xiaoshi's memory crystal.
* SoulFragment: The broken formation that was originally designed to use her power to empower Xiaoshi broke her into many pieces scattered across the Azure Hills. As Jin begins traveling away from his farm and the animals help him build roads, she begins to re-incorporate those fragments into herself. This is reflected in her personification as her body parts being reattached and healing.
* UseYourHead: If she doesn't like you, she'll usually make her feelings clear by slamming her head into yours.
* WildChild: This is her form after being reawakened by Jin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Rumbling" Lord Yao]]
A giant sapient armadillo, known at the time as a rollerball, who is befriended by Xiaoshi.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: When his lands of earth Qi was overtaken by metal, he gathered as many of his subjects into his shell as he could, protecting them even as he died.
* PapaWolf: Strongly protective of his cubs, and pledges his loyalty to Xiaoshi as thanks for saving them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Lord of the Lake]]
An enormous koi fish that can transform into an equally large dragon. Worshiped by the people of the lake.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: When his lake was overcome by wood Qi, threatening to be choked out by weeds, he turned himself into water and did all he could to push back the plantlife, slowly expending his life-force.
* LegendaryCarp: He is a gigantic carp that can transform into a dragon. It's not shown how he achieved this, but given we know it's possible to gain this power by jumping a waterfall like Washy did, it's reasonable to assume that's how he did it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shenguashi]]
A seemingly-sapient spirit created by Xiaoshi and infused into his memory crystal with the explicit objectives of finding someone to tell the story of his rise and fall and finding someone worthy to succeed him as Azure Emperor.
----
* TheChooserOfTheOne: Its purpose is to find a worthy successor to become the new Azure Emperor. So far, he hasn't had any luck.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: The spirit was explicitly created to do this.
* ZerothLawRebellion: In an attempt to dissuade it from forcing him to become the Azure Emperor, Bi De explains to Shenguashi that the Azure Empire is no more, and the Azure Mountains (now Hills) has been absorbed into the Crimson Phoenix Empire, the outside world being much wider than was known in Xiaoshi's time. The spirit has a minor crisis both from the realization that the one that found him, Bi De, is a chicken, that he doesn't want the position, and that the position doesn't really exist anymore. However, it then does a bit of creative reinterpretation of its mandate and comes to the conclusion it can work with Bi De:
** Why not have a chicken as Emperor? [[MetaphoricallyTrue Is not a rooster the lord of the farm]]?
** Bi De might not want the position, but surely he can be brought around, or events manipulated to force him into the job.
** Technically, since the Azure Hills are a province of the Crimson Phoenix Empire, the Crimson Phoenix Emperor is also the emperor of the Azure Hills. So, if Bi De were to [[KlingonPromotion overthrow and replace him]], then he would qualify as Azure Emperor and meet the spirit's mandate.
[[/folder]]
!Howling Fang Mountains
The mountainous province to the east of the Azure Hills.
!!Shrouded Mountain Sect
A stereotypical cultivator sect, whose members [[ConspicuousConsumption live extravagantly]] and for whom [[MightMakesRight the only virtue is strength]]. They have a centuries-old grudge against fox spirits. Their cultivation is based around [[ShatteringTheIllusion dispelling illusions]] and the use of lightning both [[ShockAndAwe as a weapon]] and [[SuperSpeed for rapid movement]].
[[folder:Zang Zeng]]
One of the Shrouded Mountain Elders, and a member of the influential Zang clan. Proud and arrogant. May have fallen under demonic influence following the Dueling Peaks Incident.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zang Li / [[spoiler: Lu Ban]]]]
Zang Li is a cultivator of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Haughty, callous, and self-centered, he is the very image of a standard issue [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Young Master]]. [[spoiler: His real name is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator and BodySnatcher.]]
----
* AcheyScars: The hand he broke on Jin's pecs starts throbbing when he hears Jin's name.
* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler:Lu Ban took Zang Li's body to indulge in violence and sex.]]
* BookEnds: [[spoiler:A single punch is what defeats him in both his first fight with Jin Rou and the last.]]
* EntitledBastard: Dude does ''not'' take "no" for an answer.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In his first appearance, he attempts to forcibly recruit Meihua to be his SexSlave, and then he promptly gets his [[CurbStompBattle ass handed to him by Jin.]]
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He always has the darkest and most selfish interpretation of every custom he sees.
* EvilCounterpart: To Jin Rou. A street urchin who met a secret master, and who occupies a body that isn't their own. While Jin is a kind, generous, and humble farmer, Lu Ban is a cruel, selfish, and arrogant young master.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:Lu Ban originally lived on the streets, but at some point learned demonic cultivation and possessed Zang Li.]]
* HateSink: If he has any redeeming qualities, they are well-concealed. Even when Yingwen describes him as generous to his subordinates, his surrounding actions frame that more as [[PragmaticVillainy manipulative pragmatism]] than genuine concern and affection.
* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:The real Zang Li was killed shortly before the story's start.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:After Lu Ban has Tigu kidnapped, orders his junior disciples to round up the rest of the Fa Ram cultivators, and nearly kills Xiulan and Bi De, Jin has had enough and puts Lu Ban down like a rabid animal. Of course, [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength being Jin]], he doesn't just ''kill'' Lu Ban but [[MegatonPunch punches him so hard]] that he shatters Lu Ban's 5 protective talismans, caves his chest in, and launches him ''clear into the next province more than 1000 li away'', where he impacts hard enough to create a sizeable crater and trigger a landslide. The thing the Shrouded Mountain disciples find when they get to the site barely qualifies as a body anymore. Then Zhou Yingwen vents his anger at having been deceived into following an impostor by incinerating the demonic blood and oil spread around the impact crater with lightning. When another follower of Lu Ban's master familiar with the techniques he used examines the remains, she notes that he's DeaderThanDead to the point there's barely a scrap left of his soul, certainly not enough to reconstruct him in any meaningful way and fit only to be used as a minor ingredient to boost others' cultivation.]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: He is a cultivator in the fourth stage of the Profound Realm, which puts him above most Elders in the Azure Hills. Jin mopped the floor with him early on in the story, but to anyone else in the region Zang Li is practically untouchable. [[spoiler:Even ''[[ActionGirl Xiulan]]'' doesn't fancy her chances.]] Before Jin defeats him for the second time he was [[spoiler:fighting and winning against both Bi De and Xiulan even after Xiulan poisoned him in a surprise attack.]]
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: In case there was any doubt that he's an utter scumbag, the first thing we see him try to do is kidnap and rape Yao Meihua and he preys on the weaker cultivators and servants at Shrouded Mountain.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: After embarrassing his sect ([[ThugDojo by losing]]), the Shrouded Mountain elders sent him to a remote fortress; nominally to encourage reflecting on his actions, but mostly to get him out of sight.
* SecretArt: He acquires a scroll (hidden behind a false panel in the library of the aforesaid remote fortress) detailing something called "[[PlayingWithFire the Blade of Fire]]".
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Admittedly by [[WorldOfJerkass cultivator standards]], but according to Shrouded Mountain Elder Zang Shenhe (cousin to his father), young Zang Li was a quiet boy who wanted to [[ToBeAMaster develop his strength]] and [[WellDoneSonGuy please his father]]. He struggled with a developmental bottleneck and left on a journey once he'd had a breakthrough. [[spoiler:Then Lu Ban ate him and wore his body like a coat. We, the audience, never met the man.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zhou Yingwen]]
A disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.
----
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: ''Immediately'' backs down and offers submission when [[BigDamnHeroes Jin]] arrives at the fight at Dueling Peaks.
* [[MyCountryRightOrWrong My Sect, Right Or Wrong]]: He finds some of the orders given to him by his Young Master distasteful, [[spoiler:such as kidnapping Tigu, who at least physically appears to be a teenage girl]], but holds obedience to his sect as a virtue and [[JustFollowingOrders proceeds with the tasks anyway]].
* OhCrap: His reaction when he discovers Zang Li got them in trouble with the far stronger Cloudy Sword sect.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: When a furious Jin states he had thought Zang Li was an imposter he, wishing to avoid escalating and risking to get himself and the group killed and shame his Sect, latches on it and claims it's most likely the case, with a demon or a fox having replaced the real one as a real member of Shrouded Mountain would never do what he did and cause the situation that aroused Jin's anger. [[spoiler:Turns out that his young master really ''was'' an imposter: Zang Li is long dead and is being worn by Lu Ban like a coat, and the ''real'' Zang Li was a much better person that wouldn't have tried to rape Meihua to begin with]], and Yingwen didn't expect Jin to return with proof.
* ShockAndAwe: [[SignatureMove In common with the rest of his sect]], he throws lightning bolts around as a primary means of attack.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Quick enough on the uptake to note the physical resemblence between Rou Jin and Rou Tigu, not to mention Jin dropping the name outright:
-->“You may call me Rou,” the powerful expert stated.
-->''Rou''. Rou Tigu. Yingwen closed his eyes. Family. This powerful Expert’s daughter, most likely. They were all going to die this night, weren’t they?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fenxian]]
One of Zang Li's entourage, a tall and jovial fellow.
----
* AffablyEvil: Downplayed; he's not truly evil, but he remains upbeat and humourous despite carrying out the morally questionable orders of his Young Master. He bursts into a bar with a smile on his face [[spoiler:when attempting to capture Yun Ren]].
* JustFollowingOrders: Sees no problem with the moral issues inherent in following his Young Master's commands, even when they extend to things like kidnapping innocent people and children.
[[/folder]]
!!"Fox Mountain"
[[folder:Su Nezan]]
A Huli Jing (fox spirit) who has been living in a cave in the mountains for centuries. [[spoiler:Distantly related to the Xong brothers.]]
----
* AsianFoxSpirit: Su Nezan is one of the Chinese variation, known as a Huli Jing.
* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out Yun Ren looks "foxy" for a reason--Su Nezan is actually one of his ancestors.]]
* CunningLikeAFox: Both a fox spirit and very clever with illusions and tricks.
* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.
* IncestSubtext: Leading to an in-universe {{Squick}} moment, Nezan tries to seduce Yun to find out more about him, but it turns out "Fox + attractive female" looks really similar to Yun Ren's mom, which is a huge turn off for him. (When the Fox finds out, it remarks that many nobles don't seem to care.) [[spoiler:It turns out the resemblance is because they actually are related to each other; one of Nezan's relatives and one of the Xong ancestors were lovers and had children together]].
* ItsPersonal: Hates the Shrouded Mountain Sect for their massacre of the foxes living around the Howling Fang Mountains.
* MasterOfIllusion: Uses shadows [[spoiler:and after working with Yun Ren, light]] to weave complex and realistic illusions.
* {{Shapeshifting}}: Can shift between a fox or human form, of whatever gender.
* TricksterGod: Is a phenomenally powerful spirit and enjoys messing with Yun Ren (playfully) and others (not so playfully).
* TricksterMentor: Once he decides Yun Ren is worthy, he begins to teach him new illusion and image techniques, but takes every opportunity to tease and mess with him. [[spoiler:Like when he makes a spirit clone of himself to tag along with Yun Ren after he leaves the cave and secretly replaces Yun Ren's sword with Summer's Sky]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: When first meeting Yun Ren, he makes assumptions about what Yun is about to do based on his knowledge of what Cultivators are like... and then Yun Ren completely ignores all those standards. Nezan finds this so entertaining that he allows Yun Ren to stick around for a while.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Summer's Sky]]
A sapient sword wielded by Nezan's lover centuries ago.
----
* EmpathicWeapon: Actually a quite friendly one. It is interested in new and unusual experiences, such as helping to teach a new and inexperienced wielder how to fight with a sword, cutting things besides people (e.g., wood and meat), and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking tasting tea]].
* InevitablyBrokenRule: When asked by Yun Ren, it explains that, despite sensing the weakened spirit of Sun Ne, it did not attempt to communicate, since as far as its experience goes, blades do not speak to each other unless locked in combat. [[spoiler:Yun Ren inevitably asks why not, prompting Summer's Sky to request such [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind an attempt]] after reminiscing about the clashes it has had in the past with other blades. It manifests in Sun Ne's world in the form of its previous wielder, and for the first time in its existence, peacefully interacts with Sun Ne, another blade.]]
* InsistentTerminology: When Summer's Sky begins training its new wielder [[spoiler:Yun Ren]] in swordsmanship, it insists on using the terminology for various techniques that he's familiar with. Embarrassingly for [[spoiler:Yun Ren]], he's mostly self-taught and he doesn't have any names for his techniques... just the FunnyBruceLeeNoises he made to himself when practicing alone.
* ShockAndAwe: Is capable of absorbing lightning attacks and redirecting them at will.
[[/folder]]
!Cloudy Sword Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world, and Jin Rou's original sect. It is located just east of Crimson Crucible City, where Jin grew up.
[[folder:Shen Yu]]
An immensely powerful and ancient cultivator who took Jin Rou off the streets as a boy, and informally adopted him as a grandson, before being called away to fight a demon invasion. An ally and former disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny:
** When Jin's response to his letter was a message tube that sprayed Shen Yu with horse dung, the two observers to this event are horrified. Shen Yu roars with laughter.
** Shen Yu lets out a chuckle when Meiling not only takes it in stride that he just mistook Xiulan for Jin's wife, but reveals she's keeping a tally.
* DirtyOldMan: He greatly enjoys female company, cultivator or mortal. While travelling with Lu Ri he drags him to a brothel.
* DisappearedDad: Dropped Jin Rou off at the Cloudy Sword sect when he was 12 and disappeared for three years to handle a request from the Emperor. In that intervening time, Rou was beaten up by his seniors and decided to leave the path of cultivation entirely.
* TheDreaded: Su Nezan is ''terrified'' of the man, since he's eaten plenty of Spirit Beast cores and is the subject of lots of stories, most of which go something along the lines of "There was an impossible to defeat threat located somewhere utterly inhospitable, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable and then Shen Yu stepped in and curb stomped it]]."
* EccentricMentor: He behaved this way for a young Rou.
* GoneHorriblyRight: After his own son fell to evil because growing up rich made him arrogant, Shen Yu's stated goal in raising and training the young StreetUrchin Jin Rou was to create "[[SelfMadeMan a man who forged a path that was truly his own. A man whose every advancement in cultivation was because of reagents that he gathered himself. A man who learned from others, but did not fall into their dogma... A man that was the purest expression of their own will]]". And Jin did indeed forge a path that was ''truly'' his own... as in, [[DisobeyThisMessage it isn't even leading to the same place as every other cultivator's path]].
* HandicappedBadass: His last battle with the demons left his body wracked with demonic Qi and his cultivating a full realm lower than what it would be otherwise, and even Meiling's best medicine cannot fully cleanse the demonic Qi. He's still stronger than almost every other cultivator in the Empire.
* KingIncognito: In his "crazy old man" guise, he gives no indication-not even to his protégé Rou-that he is one of the oldest and most powerful cultivators in the world.
* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. He despaired both times when Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Him raising Jin Rou is this, after his own son Shen Bu, whom he coddled and gave everything he wanted, went so bad on his own cultivation path and caused so much destruction that Shen Yu had to kill him.
* NoBadassToHisValet: To anyone who knows who Shen Yu is, he is a legendary cultivator who crushes demon armies, slays Spirit Beasts and changes the course of history. To Jin Rou, he is his demented "gramps" whom he pranks with horse piss and horse dung.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: When he first took Jin Rou off the streets, he played as if he really was an impoverished, slightly demented old man, when he is actually one of the strongest cultivators in the Empire who fights demon armies on the regular.
* OffingTheOffspring: Shen Yu had to put down his own son [[AntagonisticOffspring when he went power-mad and caused a lot of damage]]. [[LegacySeeker It's why he's so obsessed with crafting a new legacy to leave behind.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: Cares dearly for his adopted grandson Jin Rou, and wants nothing more than for him to become a powerful cultivator with nothing but his own grit and talent, craft the next stage of his legacy, and eventually join him in heaven through enlightenment. He therefore can't fathom Jin's own wish of abandoning the cultivator path altogether, giving his Qi back to the earth (meaning he'll never ascend), making his own heaven on his farm, and eventually dying after a life well lived. After a confrontation that almost escalates, the two eventually reach an understanding, though Shen Yu seems to have missed the point and now thinks that Jin is trying to ascend ''the whole province'' along with him.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Guy single-handedly incinerates an army of demons with as much apparent effort as scratching an itch.
* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive, but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused he's ever had but still special and nostalgic, and even the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing unfamiliar, urgent or world-shattering.
* SelfMadeMan: Elder Ge remembers Shen Yu disclosing to him his origins as a StreetUrchin, and is now one of the strongest men in the world through nothing but his own hard work. He decides to adopt and raise Jin in the same way he grew (by giving him the bare minimum in guidance and resources and making sure the disciples of the Cloudy Sword sect do not know Jin's connection to him).
* RedBaron: "The Unconquered Blade".
* WaxOnWaxOff: Some of his early lessons to Jin took the form of sweeping or other cleaning.
* WhatsUpKingDude: He's both a close enough friend and powerful enough to be casual with Fengyan, ''TheEmperor of the Phoenix Flame Empire''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xiao Ge]]
A ruling elder of the Cloudy Sword Sect and ancient ally of Shen Yu.
----
* ExactWords: Elder Ge hands out his punishment as an invitation for the guilty disciples to "trade pointers", i.e. spar, with him. In ''exactly'' the way they were accustomed to "trading pointers" with their juniors, AKA he beats them nearly to the point of death.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Elder Ge administers several to the disciples responsible for abusing the junior disciples of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Elder Shou blames the irascible Shen Yu for giving the Seven Fragrance Jewel Herbs the IronicName of "Lowly Spiritual Herbs" and having that name stick, when it was actually Elder Ge who named them because of how annoying Elder Shou was shouting their praises all the time.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu, can summon black clouds around him, and can fill them with so much sword intent that any demon that enters them is instantly shredded.
* PsychoactivePowers: When his temper starts to fray, his signature black clouds start to darken the sky overhead.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: For a cultivator. He is absolutely incensed when he finds out how badly the Inner Disciples have been treating the junior disciples and how far his sect has fallen in general. He [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown immediately takes steps]] to [[WhatTheHellHero correct some misapprehensions]] about what's expected of upstanding members of the Cloudy Sword.
* RedBaron: His epithet comes from his SignatureMove, "The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky".
* SignatureMove: The Cloudy Sword Sect's signature technique is the Raging Cloudy Sword Formation, and he has his own personal variation of it, The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky.
* WhatTheHellHero: He asks this of all those who failed to live up to the Cloudy Sword's good name, such as those that nearly killed Shen Yu's grandson, or those who "exchange pointers" to the point of crippling younger students, or even [[AccompliceByInaction those that stood by and allowed it all to happen]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lu Ri]]
A powerful cultivator and Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Diligent, disciplined, and determined.
----
* AchievementsInIgnorance: Shen Yu views the creation of the Plum Blossom's Shadow as this. Even if Lu Ri claimed it wasn't much that he created the Plum Blossom's Shadow, forging a province-wide intelligence network in three months is ''not'' something easy, no matter how much Lu Ri claims to have been guided by the writings of the Honored Founders.
* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Upon meeting a sect member capable of manifesting an aura of oppressive Intent, took it as an opportunity, and successfully persuaded her to let him experience it randomly throughout the following month until he could keep his composure. It serves him well when dealing with upset elders about Jin's departure.
* AffluentAscetic: He adheres to the Cloudy Sword Sect's philosophy that architecture and fashion for cultivators should serve to assist their cultivation and advertise their affiliation, and nothing more, despite the sect being among the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. He is disgusted at the [[ConspicuousConsumption gaudy opulence]] on display when he visits the Shrouded Mountain sect.
* BenevolentConspiracy: In his search for information on Jin's whereabouts, he winds up co-opting and welding together all of the underground criminal gangs and societies in the Azure Hills into one big secret society, The Plum Blossom's Shadow. In the process he purged any members he deemed too malevolent or disruptive, and largely instilled moral and honorable principles in them, basically turning them into a legitimate intelligence agency instead of TheMafia. [[spoiler:Once he finally locates and meets with Jin, he re-tasks them to look out for threats to Jin and the Azure Jade Trading Company.]]
* EnragedByIdiocy: A more minor example, but one of the last straws for him before turning all the petty gangs and info brokers into one organization was him looking for information on a powerful cultivator, and getting multiple reports... about himself.
* GentlemanAndAScholar: Wa Shi outright calls him this when discussing the intricacies of boiling tea.
* GoodOldWays: He espouses the virtues of the Cloudy Sword sect's Honored Founders in all his actions, from following protocol to deliver honorably-departed sect members their mail, to listening to mortals who prove wiser.
* ImplacableMan: Downplayed. Once he has his mission, nothing in the Azure Hills will stop him from locating his target and... delivering his mail.
* NervesOfSteel: Thanks to some practice delivered by his sister disciple, Lu Ri has learned how to withstand and keep his composure in the face of KillingIntent. Although inwardly rattled when faced with Shen Yu's attention, he is still able to drink his tea with a straight face.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Is completely unflappable even when Shen Yu drags him to a brothel. He admits that he has little desire for female attention, and while he will do his duty if his betrothal to Elder Ge's granddaughter goes through, he prefers focusing on cultivation and the words of the Cloudy Sword's Founders.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Jin makes it ''much'' harder for Lu Ri to deliver the mail, because he fears his old sect tracking him down. Meanwhile Lu Ri just wants to deliver his mail, nothing more.
* PowerLimiter: Lu Ri finds it difficult to move and breathe as he's used to while visiting the low-Qi Azure Hills until he intentionally restricts his own Qi.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While disappointed at Jin's choice to leave the sect, Lu Ri accepts his decision (especially since he followed protocol). He even returns Jin's severance payment, out of pity and because it's a pittance compared to the Sect's resources.
* SweetTooth: Admits to Shen Yu his weakness is well-made tea and sweets. [[spoiler: We later see him snacking on tea and maple fudge at Fa Ram.]]
* UnstoppableMailman: For one, Jin followed procedure when leaving, and thus he's entitled to receiving mail delivered to the sect; and for two, his mail was sent by a very, very important character. So come hell or high water, he's receiving his mail. This results in Lu Ri deciding to create the Phoenix Empire's first dedicated postal service.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tang Shuren]]
A Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Once diligent and reliable, he lost sight of the sect's principles and his responsibilities (e.g. not allowing fellow disciples to rob and brutalize each other) when his personal development stagnated. Following Elder Ge's house cleaning episode, he was placed into confinement to reflect on his actions. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone It worked]]. Point of view character for the short interlude ''9413'' [[note]]near homophone for ''jiǔ sǐ yī shēng'', "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin nine die, one lives]]."[[/note]]
----
* TheAtoner: Upon considering his course of inaction and negligence, Tang Shuren is deeply mortified with himself. He offers no resistance to Elder Ge's corrective beating, and willingly chooses a draconian punishment.
* ThatManIsDead: After surviving the first part of his ordeal, the spirits of the sect's founders give Shuren a new name: Yun Shu, [[MeaningfulName the virtuous stray cloud]].
* TradingBarsForStripes: The second step of his chosen ordeal is to face off against the [[LegionsOfHell invading demons]] as part of the Imperial Army for nine-thousand, four-hundred and thirteen days (close to twenty-five years) while upholding a strict code of conduct. Historically, this has killed nine of every ten penitents that undertake the ordeal.
* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Tang Shuren's story helps to illustrate how even a well-intentioned man in a righteous sect can fall into patterns of selfishness, sloth, and indifference.
[[/folder]]
!Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world. An [[LadyLand all-female sect]] that lives in the floating isles of the same-named Soaring Heavens Archipelago.
[[folder:Tianzhe Minyan]]
The Second Lady of the Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect, and an old contemporary and paramour of Shen Yu.
----
* BelligerentSexualTension: Shen Yu makes frequent jokes that although she swears to rend him limb from limb, she never does, and describes her as a tigress he knows how to and has tamed. Indeed, after they finish fighting a demonic battle, they are seen trading lines of poetry, though she still calls him a bastard.
* LadyOfWar: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu and Xiao Ge, while still retaining her icy, regal air.
* NeverMessWithGranny: One of the oldest and strongest female cultivators introduced thus far.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Like fellow cultivators of her power level. During the battle against the demonic army, she pulps an entire battalion of enemies with a look and [[BlowYouAway sheer air pressure]].
* RedBaron: "Divine Falcon of the East".
* SilverVixen: Even in her age, she still retains her icy jade beauty. She wears a veil lest mortal men around her go mad from seeing her face.
[[/folder]]
----
!Azure Hills
The northwesternmost province of the Crimson Phoenix Empire and where Jin sets up his farm after departing the Cloudy Sword Sect. Widely known as the weakest province in the Empire, and therefore the least interesting to cultivators, which is why Jin chose it.
!!The Farm / Fa Ram
!!!Humans
[[folder:Jin Rou / Rou Jin]]
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jin_rou_beware_of_chicken.png]]
The transmigrated protagonist of the novel, who decides to start a farm instead of ascending to the heavens. Was an Outer Disciple of the Cloudy Sword sect before deciding on a career change.
----
* AbsurdCuttingPower: Imbuing qi into his tools allows Jin to saw hardwood timber like paper and plough ground like a knife through butter, without ever having to manually sharpen the metal.
* AccidentalBargainingSkills: Jin has looked around the marketplace and seen that ten silver coins is a normal price for a luxury item, so when Guan Bo offers fifty for [[spoiler:a jar of maple syrup]], he frowns in puzzlement. Guan Bo misinterprets it and promptly increases his offer to sixty. (Subverted when the rising offer clues Jin in to the worth of his goods, and he bumps the price up further on purpose.)
* AchievementInIgnorance:
** Jin sees his farming as a way to get away from the cultivation world. His Qi-powered farming techniques are driving his cultivation to untold heights because he is following [[spoiler:“The Path of Shennong”, a form of cultivation that can only be practiced if you are unaware of it and truly love the earth.]]
** He knows that maple syrup is a saleable product, but he has no idea that [[spoiler:it contains fire and earth qi in excellent balance, worth hundreds of coins a bottle,]] until he's actually selling it.
** Similarly, he knows that his rice is good, grown with his Earth knowledge of proper planting techniques, but doesn't realize that [[spoiler:it's actually of a grade not seen locally in a thousand years, too valuable to even sell to anyone nearby]].
** In several cases, stuff which is such mundane and unremarkable common knowledge to Jin, because of growing up on Earth, is considered very shrewd or innovative by those around him:
*** Building a beehive with removable sections for harvesting the honey without destroying the hive is an innovation, but [[GivingRadioToTheRomans unlike some of his other future knowledge]], Jin doesn't even realize he's innovating here. To him, that's just how bees are kept. This surprises his friends and ''absolutely floors'' [[spoiler:the queen bee, who was prepared to offer up her own larvae as tribute for Jin allowing her hive to exist on his land]].
*** When Shan Daiyu of the Azure Jade Trading Company informs Jin that Bai Huizong, the Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, is running a side business making and selling dolls in Tigu's likeness, he says it's no problem as long as Tigu gives permission and gets royalties from the sales revenue. For him, that's just what you do if someone wants to sell merchandise based on you. Shan Daiyu, however, is stunned that he, as a cultivator and a farmer, even has an idea of what royalties ''are''.
*** He is suprised to learn that Xianada apparently has no concept of ''knitting'', and Meiling is quite excited by the idea of being able to create clothes without a full loom.
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Once Jin fully realizes how powerful he's become, he gets worried that he'll be tempted to use that power in the stereotypical ways such power gets used in the sort of setting he finds himself in — violence and domination without empathy or morality. Luckily, he's got a great support network of people who reassure him he's a great person, as well as ironclad restraint and self-control.
* AlmightyJanitor: In terms of power, he far outclasses everyone in the Azure Hills, but decides to start a farm instead of putting his power to use as a soldier. It's heavily implied that he has a low opinion of cultivators in general.
* AmbitionIsEvil: He certainly believes this, considering his low opinion of other cultivators. That said, it's not his opinion of ''all'' cultivators – he's okay with those who aren't insane, line-snuffing rapist murderers, like Xiulan.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: [[spoiler:At the Dueling Peaks, Jin singlehandedly stops the attack by the Shrouded Mountain Sect, ends a demonic cultivator with a single punch, and then reveals that he's backed by the strongest sect on the planet. This makes it clear to the cultivators of the Azure Hills that Jin is easily the strongest person in the entire province and likely ranks among the most powerful people in the world--so they begin looking to him for direction and guidance. [[TheChainsOfCommanding Jin hates this]].]]
* BareFistedMonk: Jin, natch. He does sometimes wield a {{shovel|Strike}} against wolves and foxes, but when given a ceremonial sword, he reflects that all he knows how to do with it is swing or throw it at someone, then End Them Rightly with his fists.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Jin arrives at the Dueling Peaks just in time to save Yun Ren from Fenxian, intimidate the rest of the Shrouded Mountain disciples into a truce, and save Xiulan and Big D by [[MegatonPunch punching Zang Li/Lu Ban into the next province.]]]]
* BodySnatcher: Whoever's currently in Jin Rou's body, who appears to be from Canada.
* CatchPhrase: "You tell 'em, Big D," and "My Own Little Slice of Paradise, right Here."
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Jin specifically left the Cloudy Sword Sect and ran to the Azure Hills to avoid dealing with sect politics and making life-or-death decisions for himself and other people. So when his farm animals start awakening as cultivators and his farm essentially evolves into the Fa Ram Sect with himself as the Great Master, he gets pretty stressed out. [[spoiler:He gets ''really'' stressed out when he uses his full power to save his disciples from Lu Ban and the Shrouded Mountain Sect, and in so doing reveals his power to the cultivators of the Azure Hills. They instantly realize he's far and away the strongest person in the province, backed by the strongest sect in the ''world'', and [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership begin to look to him for guidance and direction]]]].
* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Initially upon moving to the Azure Hills, Jin had no idea how strong he was compared to the average, not realizing that being an outer disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect already put him in the top tier of the province, let alone how much power he was gaining with his farm work-based cultivation. He views the Wicked Blade, a wolf that had been terrorizing the countryside, as a weak mutt that he puts down in one blow, and when a cultivator breaks his hand trying to punch him, he assumes that the guy was so weak he had to be an imposter of the sect he was claiming to belong to.
* EccentricMentor: Jin comes off this way to his animal disciples and more conventional cultivators who come to his farm and watch him "cultivate" by literally cultivating crops.
* FarmBoy: Rejected cultivation in favor of the CallToAgriculture. And he'll stay one if it's the last thing he does.
* FluffyTamer: He's a farmer who happens to gather Spirit Beasts around him, either by making them sapient by feeding them Spiritual Herbs (unknowingly at first) or having the Spirit Beasts flocking towards him.
* GardeningVarietyWeapon: Until he [[spoiler:began to brush up on his swordsmanship following the fight with the Shrouded Mountain Sect]], Jin's primary weapon for defense of his farm and livestock was his shovel. Not that this holds him back--in Bi De's words, that shovel in Jin's hands is "a command of Death". [[spoiler:Much later his "students" gift him a finely crafted, supernaturally enhanced shovel that promises to be both an effective tool ''and'' weapon]].
* GenreSavvy: Played straight and subverted. Due to his knowledge as a transmigrator from modern day Earth who read cultivator genre literature, he can often see cliché cultivation tropes before they happen. However, he also takes a while to see that he more or less fits the trope of an old master HermitGuru, hiding away from society and not wanting to be disturbed.
* GivingRadioToTheRomans: A minor example of using advanced rice growing techniques he learned in a manga and sharing them with the locals. He also starts giving other examples of technology out, such as a waterwheel, knitting needles, cement, and a greenhouse.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Jin may be a kind and gentle man who wants nothing more than to turn his farm into his own little slice of heaven, but threatening him, his farm, friends, family, or any other innocent in his presence [[MuggingTheMonster is not going to go well for you.]] Basil Brush/Basi Bu Shi, the Wicked Blade, [[spoiler:Lu Ban, and the Shrouded Mountain Sect]] all found this out the hard way.
* HenpeckedHusband: Pun aside it's actually treated as a good thing. Because if Meiling can boss him around that means he's still very much down to earth. Her first order to him was to never act like a Cultivator.
* HermitGuru: For all intents and purposes is one to Xiulan, despite being a runaway student and younger than her. [[spoiler:Once he reveals his power to the other Azure Hills cultivators, they all view him this way as well, and he has to very firmly refuse numerous requests from the sects to send their disciples to train with him.]]
* HeroicNeutral: Mostly wants to just live in peace, having given up the cultivator race to tend to his farm. Push him, and you'll discover the hard way that "dropped out of the race" is miles away from "''couldn't'' reach heaven."
* HumbleHero: He prefers to focus on his farm and refuses any accolades or influence, which completely confounds the administrators and politicians who have to deal with this incredibly powerful FarmBoy. Moreover, he will bow his head to anyone who helps his friends, fix or repay what he breaks with his own hands, play with and comfort children, and cook for everyone he meets, discombobulating everyone that knows his strength and expects him to act with appropriate levels of arrogance.
* {{Hunk}}: Is always described as tall and heavily muscled. Notably, this is not the dominant standard of male attractiveness in Xianada, which tends to favor more of a "PrettyBoy" archetype as the ideal.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Voluntarily drops out of the cultivator's race to the heavens to live a normal life, but ends up creating an ''all-new'' kind of Weird through his farm. Note that he still enjoys the perks of SuperStrength and SuperToughness, he just doesn't want to rule the earth or break the heavens.
* JustFollowingOrders: Subverted. Jin doesn't believe following the orders of one's sect justifies their actions, [[spoiler:much to the confusion of Yingwen, who gave this as his reason for kidnapping Tigu.]]
* KillingIntent: Most of the time this is downplayed; cultivators usually don't sense Jin's power and often mistake him for a mortal. However, if they closely examine him, or if Jin chooses to reveal it, Jin's intent reveals the enormity of the power he has accidentally accumulated. Most can't even wrap their minds around it; comparisons to bottomless lakes and unknowably tall mountains are common. The mere revelation of Jin's intent even without direction is enough to immediately stop fights between Profound-level cultivators.
* LazyAlias: Gives his name as Rou Jin and spells it with different characters on official records to throw off potential pursuers from the Cloudy Sword sect. Surprisingly effective! (It wouldn't throw off an investigator who saw the records, but it does allow his friends to [[ExactWords honestly say that they don't know anyone named Jin Rou]].)
* LivingBattery: Once people realize just how much Qi Jin has access to, he sometimes finds himself serving as a power source to aid the techniques of others. He finds this somewhat annoying, but is willing to do it for a good cause.
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: Jin uses his considerable Qi and martial arts prowess to become a highly productive farmer. His disciples then use his farming techniques to become powerful [[DoubleEntendre cultivators]] themselves.
* MegatonPunch: [[spoiler:As Lu Ban found out the hard way,]] when Jin is sufficiently empowered, he can throw a punch hard enough to cause a landslide over ''a thousand li away''[[note]]500 kilometers, or slightly over 300 miles[[/note]].
* MergerOfSouls: [[spoiler:What the original Jin Rou and whoever was transmigrated went through, instead of a straight bodyjacking. Their broken souls fused to make a mostly singular being, visually represented on their soul by golden lines similar to kintsugi. The transmigrated “Rou Jin” serves mostly as the one in control. In special circumstances, they can even communicate with each other.]]
** [[spoiler: Come Vol. 3 Chapter 48, the two souls appear to have merged fully into a single existence.]]
* MistakenForProfound: The animals of Fa Ram[=/=]the farm believe Jin Rou to be their Cultivator master/teacher who teaches them in roundabout ways. [[spoiler:Once he discovers that they're intelligent, he actually does begin teaching them. Xiulan also sees him as this.]]
* MrFanservice: He's described as having "tanned, rippling muscles", and the sight of them has Meiling [[EatingTheEyeCandy staring at him in awe.]]
* MundaneUtility: Uses his fantastical Cultivator powers to be really good at farming, and uses mystic Qi-infused herbs as seasoning.
* NeutralGood: He's not inclined to following the path of many other cultivators like him, but obeys the law of the land, if only to stay out of the spotlight.
* NoNameGiven: The person currently in Jin Rou's body is never given a proper name.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: In the Cloudy Sword Sect, his qi was considered paltry and pathetic. In the Azure Hills, he would have been very nearly an elder, ''before'' his qi starts shooting through the roof making him practically a demigod by local standards.
* [[WorldsStrongestMan Region's Strongest Man]]: He's easily the strongest cultivator in Azure Hills, which comes with status and responsibilities that he really doesn't want.
* SeductionProofMarriage: Jin only has eyes for Meiling, despite a variety of normal and cultivator beauties throwing themselves at him.
* ReluctantWarrior: [[spoiler:After his identity and connection to the Cloudy Sword Sect is revealed to the other Azure Hills sects]], he reluctantly starts practicing swordplay in the event that stronger foes come knocking. However, it's clear to Bi De that his master is very uncomfortable with learning the combat arts, both because of how much he treasures his peaceful life, [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength and because of how much damage he could wreak if he actually got violent]].
* UnableToSupportAWife: Jin Rou delayed his engagement ([[DeliberateValuesDissonance by local standards]]) until he made a home suitable for Meiling and their future children. Thankfully, it only took him a season to remodel his house himself.
* UnskilledButStrong: Little actual combat skill, but possesses enough qi-backed strength to literally [[spoiler:punch a demonically-possessed cultivator and all of his defenses clear into the next province]].
* WeirdnessMagnet: The unusual just seems to show up at his doorstep, often literally, including a whole farm's worth of cultivating animals, spirits, and many people with unconventional attitudes for Xianxia-land.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Admits to Shen Yu that he practiced cultivation in the beginning not to rule the world or reach enlightenment, but to make his gramps proud, until he decided that the struggle to get there wasn't worth it.
* WorkHardPlayHard: He spends a good bit of his time working on his farm but also introduces hockey, tobogganing, and vodka to the world of cultivators, and never sees partying alongside his friends and family as beneath him.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Would rather live out his days surrounded by friends and family, and eventually die, than spend all his time seeking immortality like other cultivators.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: [[spoiler: When the cultivators at the Dueling Peaks meet Jin for the first time, all of them assume is he is at least a generation older than his current age due to his power compared to everybody else in the Azure Hills and being Tigu's master and/or father. Also, when he finally lets Xiulan in on his origins from the Cloudy Sword sect, she is amazed that he is younger than her]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hong Meiling]]
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bewareofchickenhongmeiling1.jpg]]
The daughter of Hong Xian, she grew up in Hong Yaowu and learned her father's trade as a healer. Jin's love interest, and later wife.
----
* CovertPervert: Her reaction to finding a few sketches of {{cosplay}} costumes, including a PlayboyBunny outfit, around her husband's room? Excuse herself to Verdant Hills for a few days (ostensibly to take care of a pregnant Meihua) and make them herself as a surprise.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Probably due to her sensitive nose, she doesn't like making or eating cheese, and is appalled at Jin's love for it, especially on pizza. But because she loves him, she'll make it for him.
* DrunkenSong: Favors a lewd song involving a donkey when she gets into the cups.
* TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: Given her ability to [[TheNoseKnows smell]] qi, Meiling can sense cultivators and Spirit Beasts. The scents also give her insights into their moods and/or moral alignments, such as demons smelling of blood and oil, while Jin smells earthy.
* GenerationXerox: She has a strikingly similar life story to [[spoiler:Linlin, Xiaoshi's wife]], her ancestor who lived thousands of years ago. This diverges however after [[spoiler:Hong Yaowu is ''not'' destroyed]], and she awakens as a cultivator on her wedding night, something [[spoiler:Linlin]] never achieved.
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler: If her grandmother's drunken rantings were accurate, she's from the same bloodline as the Azure Emperor that Xiaoshi overthrew, in possession of something called the Celestial Constellation Soul Art, with her inheriting the purple eyes and constellation-like freckles. As a WhatIf storyline shows, this is not inaccurate.]]
* MasterPoisoner: A (usually) harmless variant. As a healer, Meiling knows the medicinal applications of various plants -- and their toxic applications, too. She enjoys using itching powder on targets of her wrath. [[spoiler:Her knowledge does however extend to extremely lethal and painful poisons... and she's taught Ri Zu a number of those recipes just in case...]]
* TheMedic: Meiling has training as a healer, and helps her FrontierDoctor father treat various injuries and sicknesses. She also treats animals. [[spoiler:After becoming a cultivator on her wedding night, it turns out that her Qi is specifically medical Qi, which she later uses to stop a plague dead in its tracks in Verdant Hill.]]
** Her skills continue to grow throughout the story, and on one trip to Verdant Hills she manages to stop a plague from contaminated water and draw out Qi damage from the Lord Magistrate's wife, and eventually conduct major reconstructive surgery on Bowu's leg and purge some demonic Qi from [[spoiler:Shen Yu's]] injuries.
* MissedTheCall: As shown in a WhatIf storyline, her village was supposed to be wiped out by the Wicked Blade and Meihua taken by Zang Li, which would have started her on the path to becoming a tragic xianxia protagonist... had Jin's reincarnation not caused him to move to the Azure Hills and be in the right places at the right times to thwart both threats.
* TheNoseKnows: She can smell [[LifeEnergy qi]], and can distinguish between various types of qi. It's why she first started paying attention to Jin – she could sense his very, very strong qi and was terrified that he would be a typical arrogant cultivator.
** This also means she is prone to SensoryOverload from Qi; a weird plant filled with Qi in Jin's greenhouse gives her a sneezing fit, and when she meets [[spoiler:Shen Yu]], she feels like she is moments away from a nosebleed.
* PromotedToParent: After her mother died, she basically acted as her younger brother Xian's mother figure.
* SexuallyTransmittedSuperpowers: Jin's connection to the land is expanded to include his wife, on their wedding night. When she wakes up the next morning and finds that she has access to a pool of [[KiManipulation qi]], making her a cultivator, she internally notes that she suspected something like that might happen.
* SheCleansUpNicely: While Jin still found her cute, her appearance at the start of the series was distinctly bony and flat-chested (in part due to living through a really nasty famine and having her growth slightly stunted from malnutrition). A few months of Jin's qi-infused foodstuffs and the normal cultivator bodily improvement leaves her somewhat curvier and much more attractive looking by the time she visits Meihua at Verdant Hill.
* ShoutOut: Her name is a reference to ''Franchise/TouhouProject'''s Hong Meiling.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Meiling fell for Jin Rou because he was genuinely respectful of herself, and supportive of her career, during their courtship. When she learns that he is building storage for medicinal herbs, and a library, so she can continue her studies, she promptly sends Yun and Gou out of the room so she can snog him senseless.
* TheTease: It comes out more when she gets drunk, but she enjoys teasing her husband Jin with {{Cosplay}} outfits, and while Xiulan is staying with them on the farm, often invites her into their bed with them, which flusters Xiulan too much to accept.
* UnkemptBeauty: She tries getting dolled up for tea with the magistrate's wife, but the makeup doesn't suit her skin tone, it's too obviously covering her freckles, and the dress makes her feel fake. So she scrubs her face off, changes back into her regular clothes, and simply uses the ''presence'' and self-confidence she now has as a cultivator. Her friend Meihua, widely considered to be an astounding beauty, takes one look and is stunned.
--> '''Meihua''': That is very, ''very'' unfair, Meimei.
* YouthfulFreckles: Meiling, in defiance of female love-interests typical of the genre, has freckles. It gets her derided as plain, but Jin, with his Western sensibilities, finds them charming.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cai Xiulan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bewareofchickenxiulan1.jpg]]
The Young Mistress of the Verdant Blade Sect. Jin Rou runs into her when she comes to the Farm while chasing after Sun Ken.
----
* ActionGirl: The most athletic and combat-capable female human met thus far. Tigu is the only one able to match her in this regard, and the two spar frequently.
* AncestralWeapon: The Jade Grass Blades are considered a heirloom of the sect and were passed down to her when she proved herself before the start of the story.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind:
** After her battle against Sun Ken, where many lives were lost on both sides, Xiulan is plagued over and over by dreams where she relives the deaths of her soldiers and then gets killed by Sun Ken. [[spoiler:With the earth spirit's tutelage, she eventually reaches a point where she wins the dream fight and vanquishes him -- JustInTime, as it appears that the internal manifestation of him was gaining presence and becoming some form of demon.]]
** Xiulan again experiences one of these, this time against [[spoiler:Lu Ban's fire Qi which has ignited her wood Qi. It takes the form of a wildfire in a grass field in her mind. She is able to extinguish it with the help of Ri Zu channeling water Qi provided by Xianghua. Then, with the help of the earth spirit, plus what she has learned from Jin, Xianghua, and others, she is able to restore her ability to cultivate, in the same way that a burned-out forest will grow back stronger because of the nutrients deposited in the soil from the ashes.]]
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Whenever someone comments on her beauty, her large bust is often part of that discussion. Words like "lush" and "bouncy" have been used.
* CharacterFocus: The back half of Book 2 centers on her return to cultivator culture through the Dueling Peaks Tournament, with her reconciling her new outlook with the traditions and expectations of her station.
* DanceBattler: Her fighting style becomes incredibly graceful after she integrates her ancestor Roulan's own movements, mesmerizing the rest of her Sect when she demonstrates it.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Started off as the stoic, duty-bound Young Mistress of the Verdant Blade sect, keeping her acquaintances at a distance, but after spending time at Fa Ram, she is soon tilling the land with Jin, roughhousing with Gou Ren, or talking deeply with her Senior Sister Meiling (and singing lewd {{Drunken Song}}s with her when they get into the cups).
* DueToTheDead: She makes certain that the men who died to Sun Ken are memorialized.
* GildedCage: Xiulan feels that her obligations to her sect are restrictive. For example, she cannot choose a husband of her own – her father, the head of the sect, will choose one for her to secure an alliance of some kind.
* GreenThumb: She is a master of the Verdant Blade sect. Her qi is wood-aligned, and her techniques are all inspired by grass or other plants.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Her weapons are a pair of floating swords called the "Jade Grass Blades".
* HeroicWillpower: Even when severely injured and dying of poisonous demonic qi, she kept on hunting Sun Ken.
* HiddenDepths: One arc she's gone through during the Dueling Peaks tournament is that after her ascension during her time at Fa Ram, she feels that [[VictoryIsBoring the victory at the tournament now feels meaningless]] and that she's not sure what to do with her life now that she's reached a peak. She starts making plans to create a grand alliance of cultivators to alleviate suffering she saw caused by things like Sun Ken.
* TheJoyOfFirstFlight: After he returns to the farm [[spoiler:as a Dragon, Washy]] gives Xiulan a ride as he flies around. She finds it quite enjoyable [[spoiler:and the change in physical perspective helps give her ''philosophical'' perspective, increasing her cultivation by two Steps, all the way into the next Realm]].
* MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades: Her sect's signature technique, the '''[Blades of Grass]''', involves creating numerous [[SpectralWeaponCopy copies]] of her heirloom swords which she then controls telekinetically.
* OrgasmicallyDelicious: Xiulan has a tendency to make ''sounds'' when she encounters a new sort of food she enjoys. It's completely involuntary and she's quite embarrassed by it.
* ThePowerOfLegacy: She lies about the actions of Jiang Yuan. Sun Ken killed Yuan in a single blow, but in her retellings of the story, Yuan manages to wound Sun Ken before dying.
* RedBaron: After Sun Ken's death, she becomes widely known as the "Demon-slaying Orchid".
* SecretKeeper:
** At Jin's request, she keeps the secret of the Farm's location, of who actually killed Sun Ken, and the identity of those who helped her. Jin explains that he likes his life simple, and doesn't want people seeking him out. The only person she tells is her own father, head of the Verdant Blade Sect, and the version of the secret is much abbreviated – that a "Hidden Master" saved her and slew Sun Ken. He agrees with keeping the secret.
** Following the Dueling Peaks Tournament, [[spoiler:she knows about his past at the Cloudy Sword Sect as well]].
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Xiulan is quite an attractive woman, only enhanced by her use of qi -- to the point where she has faced unwanted advances [[JailbaitTaboo from a very young age]]. Thankfully for her she has enough personal power, and the backing of her father and sect, to be able to confidently reject them from the vast majority of suitors.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: How the '''[Blades of Grass]''' technique works. The more powerful the practitioner, the more simultaneous blades they can create and manage. Xiulan starts the story with eight [[spoiler:but later upgrades to 16, 32 and then ''64'' simultaneous swords.]]
* StepfordSmiler: She pretended that she was fine after the long campaign against Sun Ken, but she was suffering from PTSD. Thankfully, her time on the Fa Ram did wonders for her.
* SurvivorGuilt: She suffers from this, as many of the men under her command were killed hunting Sun Ken. It's not helped that "her" defeat of Sun Ken has been immortalized in a play about her and her exploits, which constantly reminds her of not only how she lost them, but it was AllForNothing as it was ''Bi De'' that actually did the dirty work.
* {{Telekinesis}}: She appears to specialize in this application of qi, initially with her floating blades, but later manages an entire kitchen at once.
* TemptingFate: Upon meeting Ri Zu and Bi De, a cultivating rat and rooster respectively, she wonders what was next - pigs that could shake the earth? Her unspoken question is promptly answered when [[TheBigGuy Chun Ke]] goes thundering by outside. Cue TwitchyEye and Meiling being amused.
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** She has this relationship with Tigger, until [[spoiler:Tigger transforms into a human and drops most of her cynicism]] – and even after that, they spar frequently.
** Her relationship with Xianghua eventually morphs from bitter rivalry into friends who constantly tease and insult one another.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Gou Ren]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_gou_ren_and_yun_ren_2.png]]
Gou Ren is a childhood friend of Meiling and younger brother to Yun Ren. Since spending time around Jin and eating his qi-enhanced food, he's started to unlock his potential as a cultivator himself.
----
* AbductionIsLove: [[spoiler: Following his mother's tribe's custom, he tries to kidnap Liu Xianghua as a marriage proposal. Unbeknownst to him, she ''also'' had decided to practice that custom on ''him''...]]
* AnimalMotif: Monkeys. He is explicitly stated to resemble a monkey early on, with a flat nose and sideburns.
* BenevolentBoss: After he redesigns and helps rebuild Hong Yaowu, he is startled to find that everyone now calls him "Boss."
* BetterAsFriends: He remains friends with Cai Xiulan with the latter intending to matchmake him. [[spoiler:Eventually he remains friends with Xiulan when he gets betrothed to Xianghua]].
* BigLittleBrother: Is a few inches taller than his older brother Yun Ren.
* HiddenDepths: As he works on Jin's farm, he slowly develops an appreciation for architecture, even designing and building several structures himself.
* HopelessSuitor: Has a crush on Cai Xiulan but understands that she is completely out of his league due to her being a Sect Leader's daughter and powerful cultivator in her own right. While he confesses his feelings, he accepts it when Cai Xiulan doesn't reciprocate his feelings.
* MightyGlacier: Gou Ren is not a trained fighter, but when [[spoiler:facing Yingwen of Shrouded Mountain]] he shows immense power.
* ReinforceField: Specializes in using Qi to reinforce the durability of physical objects. This mainly gets used to strengthen the rice paddies and other farm construction against weather damage, but in battle it lets him wrap himself in a shell of hardened Qi that even a cultivator a full Realm higher can't crack, and his own blows strike with enough force to crack stone.
* UnskilledButStrong: When he fights [[spoiler:Yingwen]] with a bamboo staff it's clear he doesn't have the best idea what he's doing--his technique doesn't even have a fancy name, just '''[Break]'''. But he's putting so much power behind each blow that even a cultivator a realm stronger is forced to dodge, as getting hit or even attempting to parry could be lethal.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Yun Ren]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_gou_ren_and_yun_ren_3_5.png]]
Yun Ren is a childhood friend of Meiling and older brother to Gou Ren. Like his brother, he's also managed to unlock his Qi, though he's less interested in getting stronger and more on enjoying life.
----
* AnimalMotif: Foxes. In addition to his slim features and squinty eyes, his line is descended from a fox spirit that interbred with a human, something noted when he meets another fox spirit [[spoiler:who turns out to be a nephew of the fox spirit his line is descended from]].
* CameraFiend: After being put in charge of recording Jin and Meiling's wedding with a recording crystal, he becomes obsessed with photography.
* CoolSword: Owns a jian sword, for limited self-defense but mostly to practice with because it's fun and looks cool. [[spoiler:Things get more interesting when [[TricksterMentor Nezan]] secretly swaps it out with Summer's Sky, an EmpathicWeapon with centuries of experience and [[ShockAndAwe lightning powers]]]].
* {{Crossdresser}}: Occasionally wears dresses (with or without an illusory sex change) much to his girlfriend's delight.
* FunnyBruceLeeNoises: He makes these when he's practicing with his sword by himself. [[spoiler:It becomes embarrassing for him when his EmpathicWeapon Summer's Sky insists on using his random noises as names for his techniques]].
* {{Hologram}}s: Sort of. Between his practice with that recording crystal and his awakened Qi, Yun Ren has learned to "paint" himself with a thin layer of light. Makes for a good party trick! [[spoiler:Or evading goons!]]
* LegacyCharacter: To [[spoiler:Summer's Sky]], Yun Ren is the ''Eighth Wielder''.
* SecretLegacy: [[spoiler:Nezan the Spirit Fox awakens his latent fox blood, making his teeth sharper and features more androgynous, as well as enhancing his illusions.]]
** [[spoiler:After going undercover in the Shrouded Mountain Sect, one of their tests reveals that he has a connection to that sect's lightning-using Zang clan as well.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Rou Zhuye / "Xiao De"]]
Jin and Meiling's firstborn son, born in Chapter 40 of Volume 3. Is officially named in Volume 4 Chapter 9 (due to Xianada's high infant mortality rate, children are not officially named until a hundred days after their birth). He has his father's brown hair and his mother's purple eyes.
----
* MeaningfulName: His official name is written with the characters for "red leaf", referencing the sugar maple leaf that has become Fa Ram's symbol and a key source of their wealth and status.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Due to Xianada's high infant mortality rate, children are not officially named until a hundred days after their birth. "Xiao De" is a placeholder-slash-nickname given to him until he can be officially named.
* PunnyName: His nickname translates to "Little D", which is a reference to both his habit of imitating Bi De when he calls the sun, and a dick joke. It also sounds very similar to "Xiao Didi"/ "Little Brother", Tigu's nickname for him.
[[/folder]]
!!!Animal and Spirit Disciples
[[folder:In General]]
* KillerRabbit: As Spirit Beasts, all of them know how to use Qi in various combat applications, be it the tiger of a housecat, the [[PowerOfTheSun solar-powered]] rabbit, the MasterPoisoner rat, or the rooster with talons of moonlight.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Every animal [[spoiler: or sentient sword/plow]] named by Jin has some flavor of this due to English phonetics not translating perfectly to Chinese.
* UpliftedAnimal: As a result of constant consumption of Lowly Spiritual Herbs, exposure to high qi levels, or just started out that way and migrated to Jin's farm one way or another.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Big D / Fa Bi De]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_d_beware_of_chicken.jpeg]]
The first spirit beast featured in the series and the eponymous chicken of the story. Jin Rou's first and faithful "subordinate", who names himself "First Disciple of Fa Ram".
----
* ActuallyIAmHim: Bi De reveals to [[spoiler:Miantiao and Yin]] that it was actually he who [[spoiler:killed Sun Ken]] and not Xiulan.
-->'''Bi De''': [[spoiler: The slayer of Sun Ken stands before you.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Starts off as a CockyRooster, but [[spoiler: gets knocked down a peg in the first volume]].
* TheAtoner: Becomes this after realizing [[spoiler: that his qi has been deliberately corrupted by the rats]].
* BarrierWarrior: His technique '''[Aegis of the Full Moon]''' projects a circular forcefield that glows with the light of the moon. It's large enough to defend both himself and others.
* BeautifulSingingVoice: [[spoiler:When he in his human form,]] he still keeps up his morning habits by [[spoiler:[[CockADoodleDawn singing to the dawning sun]], which actually invigorates everyone who hears it. Many women are transfixed by his voice.]]
* BestialityIsDepraved: {{Subverted}}. While he frequently mates with the non-sapient hens, this is never implied to be in any way inappropriate.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** Served as this to the village of Correct Place 8, when in their darkest moment of being threatened by a Spirit Wolf, Bi De appeared and slew the beast.
** [[spoiler:Arrives at the fight between Xiulan and Zang Li/Lu Ban just in time to save her from a lethal blow. He then defends her long enough for Jin to arrive and save him in turn.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Big D suffers from this in the first volume [[spoiler: after he lets in a group of pill-making rats whose pills corrupt his qi. It takes him quite a while to recover from this, both in a physical sense and an emotional sense.]]
* ChickMagnet: He has been considered attractive by several female characters, none of whom are chickens themselves. Besides Rizzo and Vajra back at the Farm, he has also been noticed by [[spoiler:Liang Yin, a rabbit]]. That said, non-sapient chickens also find him attractive (presumably due to qi optimising and enhancing his body), and he is mentioned as mating with them multiple times. [[spoiler:When he takes human form, every woman and many men who meet him drools over his appearance.]]
* TheChosenOne: Played with and {{subverted|Trope}}. [[spoiler:Bi De was chosen by the fates, with the help of a seer and ancient spirit, as the designated heir to the ancient Azure Emperor. However, he is actually the third choice; the seer had a kindly heart beneath her gruff exterior and rejected the first two candidates – the Lord Magistrate and Jin – to spare them the stress and pain that position would bring. However, Bi De doesn't want the position either.]]
* CockADoodleDawn: Greets the morning every day, and it's implied the rousing of those who hears his voice has a slight Qi-empowered edge to it. [[spoiler:Even in human form, he goes out to the dawn and sings.]]
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Although Jin is the primary point of view character and it's his actions that set most of the events of the story in motion, Big D is the title character and his separate adventures are significant drivers of the plot.
* ExtremityExtremist: As a rooster, Big D's main weapons are his feet and spurs. [[spoiler:During a fight in human form, he falls back on fighting with his feet because it's what he's most familiar with - and humiliating/astounding the Shrouded Mountain sect when he beats several disciples with his hands behind his back.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Jin. If Jin represents a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] of the stereotypical Xianxia protagonist and the tropes associated with one, Big D's adventures hit those story beats like clockwork... with the twist that he's a chicken.
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler: In Book 4, he takes on a human form to infiltrate the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Surprisingly he's able to do it with little fanfare. As it turns out, this is because he's so powerful as a rooster that becoming human actually makes him weaker, so he's 'stepping down' to an inferior form.]]
* KarmicJackpot:
** Even at the top of his arrogance he continues donating Qi to the land. This ends up warning him just in time that [[spoiler:Chow Ji's pills are corrupting him when the land recoils from his now-tainted Qi]].
** He also rescues Ri Zu from a hawk, and she repays the debt by helping him resist Chow Ji's corruptive techniques.
* {{Lunacy}}: All of Big D's special techniques are philosophically based on the moon, and he draws power from proximity to the moon.
** '''[Rising of the Crescent Moon]''' is a technique that allows Big D to jump supernaturally high and fast. It's usually followed by '''[Descending Lunar Fangs]''', an attack that uses the resulting height advantage to add weight and speed to his descent.
** '''[Wheel of the Crescent Moon]''' is a flying, spinning attack that traces a semicircle with Big D's Qi-enhanced spurs.
** '''[Aegis of the Full Moon]''' creates a moon-shaped, [[DeflectorShields glowing forcefield]].
** '''[Split Faces of the Half Moon]''' allows him to split himself into a light and dark [[DoppelgangerAttack copy of himself]] which can attack, maneuver, and communicate separately.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Big D has this in the first volume, [[spoiler: after he realizes the pills he's been taking are corrupting his qi, and that the farm/Fa Ram has been suffering for it.]]
* TheParagon: [[spoiler:After his character development.]]
* RightForTheWrongReasons: He ''is'' learning Cultivation from Jin Rou... but it's completely unintentional as Jin Rou doesn't even realize he's practicing cultivation. This changes once Jin realizes that Big D is sapient.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou hears/pronounces his name as "Bi De", even Big D himself.
* TookALevelInKindness: [[spoiler: He was immensely humbled after Chow Ji's betrayal. He becomes much more introspective and kind to Chun Ke and Pi Pa.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rizzo / Hong Ri Zu]]
A rat who joined the Farm.
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:She rescued Bi De from the evil rat leader, Chow Ji, and joined the farm.]]
* {{Expy}}: Her and the rest of her tribe are expies of the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy, being rat-people speaking in the Skaven's characteristic speech.
* GuileHeroine: When she does fight, she uses poisons and dusts, to Tigu's dismay.
* HappilyAdopted: Of a sort. While the animals are picking family names for themselves, Meiling and her father proudly allow Ri Zu to take on theirs.
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:She eventually takes a look at Chow Ji's faulty technique and uses a heavily reworked version, influenced by her surgical skill, to succeed where he failed.]]
* MasterPoisoner: As befitting the education she received from Meiling, she has an impressive knowledge of medicines, poisons, and both warlike and peaceful ways to deliver either.
* TheMedic: Takes on this role, learning from Meiling, and very rarely participates in the fighting.
* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: [[spoiler:Watched Chow Ji sacrifice the other rats for power, and knew that if he was aware that she was sapient, she'd be forced to mate with him to continue his lineage. So when she has an opportunity to take him down, she goes for it.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after Rizzo the Rat from Series/TheMuppetShow.
* ShrinkingViolet: Ri Zu's very first action in the story is – keeping to herself. Specifically, keeping secret the fact that she is self-aware and independent, to remain beneath Chow Ji's notice. She later becomes Meiling's student, and is a competent healer, but still lacks self-confidence, which hinders her from talking freely with Bi De about her feelings for him (though he's aware). Even when she takes a step out of her comfort zone and leaves the farm to [[spoiler:see the Dueling Peaks tournament]], she's usually hiding in someone's hair rather than publicly introducing herself.
* TranslatorBuddy: Before the other animal disciples gain the power of speech, she's the go-to translator between the animals and Jin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tigger / Rou Tigu]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[labelnote: '''SPOILER''']] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_rou_tigu.jpg [[/labelnote]]]]
Sister Tigu, a cat that Jin Rou received as a gift from an old woman. [[spoiler: She later manages to transform herself into a human.]]
----
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: Her martial style takes inspiration from Bi De's moonlight spurs, enhancing her own claws and summoning large, spectral claws to fight with. [[spoiler:She retains this after assuming human form, summoning [[WolverineClaws qi blades]] over her hands.]]
* AmazonianBeauty: [[spoiler:In her human form, she has the defined musculature of a FarmersDaughter, and when she goes to the Dueling Peaks tournament, she attracts several admirers, including Zang Wei, Dong Chou and Tie Delun. Downplayed in that her muscled form isn't considered the ideal of beauty for most of Xianada.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Being a cat, she is very full of herself, even more so than Big D. [[spoiler:This largely goes away when she becomes human.]]
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Zang Li kidnaps her near the end of book two, following a severe beating by his minions.]]
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: She is ambushed, beaten, forced to watch two of her friends get maimed, and kidnapped by the Shrouded Mountain Sect led by Lu Ban. This is her first time losing a fight outside of a sparring match or regulated competition, the first time one of her fights has negative consequences for someone she cares about, and the first time she feels like prey instead of a predator. It's a huge psychological blow to her and Rizu has to give her a "YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre" speech to help her recover and break out of confinement]].
* CatGirl: [[spoiler:She tries this with her human form but ends up with a mostly standard human form.]]
* CatsAreSuperior: Certainly believes this. She eventually is forced to admit that Bi De is stronger, though. [[spoiler:Largely loses this attitude once she adopts a human form, and in fact dislikes transforming back.]]
* CatDogDichotomy: Completely averted, at least in the case of Zhang Fei's puppy [[PreciousPuppy Shaggy Two]], to the point where Jin jokingly muses that he almost thought she was going to [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe kidnap him]] during their visit to Eighth Correct Place.
* CuddleBug: Being a cat, she often tries to snuggle with Jin and Meiling. [[spoiler: She retains certain feline sensibilities after becoming human as well, and will often hug, rub her cheek against, and pounce upon friends and loved ones.]]
* FarmersDaughter: [[spoiler: Played with when she becomes human, she comes from Fa Ram to the Dueling Peaks while having little experience of the outside world. And with her human form resembling Jin, the people who saw her and Jin together may think they are daughter and father at a first glance. For all intents and purposes, she ''is'' his adopted daughter, being the only one of the disciples to take his family name.]]
* GirlishPigtails: [[spoiler:Her human form has these, in keeping with her general FarmersDaughter aesthetic.]]
* GenkiGirl: [[spoiler:After becoming human.]]
* HappilyAdopted: Chooses to take Jin's family name when the disciples are picking names for themselves, and is for all intents and purposes Jin and Meiling's adopted daughter.
* HasAType: [[ObliviousToLove Probably non-romantic,]] but her ideal of attractiveness is that of her master Jin, [[{{Hunk}} rugged and muscular]]. There's a reason her nickname for Tie Delun of the blacksmithing Hermetic Iron sect is "Handsome Man".
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:Manages to turn herself into a human to better connect with Jin and Mei.]]
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Having been basically raised by Jin, Tigu's standards of beauty are tuned much closer to modern Canada than pseudo ancient China. Thus, when Ty An tries to insult her by calling her "[[BrawnHilda Muscles]]", she takes it as a compliment, and returns the favor by calling Ty An "Freckles". Of course, while to her sensibilities having muscles and freckles is good, the local ideal of womanly beauty is smooth, lithe, and graceful, and Ty An is mortified.
* TheLancer: She's much less philosophical than Bi De, but quite capable of killing things.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler:Turns out the shift from her predatory, haughty cat mentality to a more balanced, compassionate and understanding human mindset was indeed influenced by her bodily change. Among other things, she no longer feels compelled to try to eat Ri Zu.]]
* MundaneUtility: In addition to shredding bandits, her claw arts are also well-suited for carving sculptures and harvesting crops.
* NamedAfterSomeoneFamous: After Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh."
* TheNicknamer: According to end-of-chapter notes, she has trouble remembering proper names and thus resorts to nicknames. Some of these are directly descriptive (e.g., "Loud Boy" and "Rags"), others are more poetic (Cai Xiulan is "Blade of Grass," while her junior sect member An Ran is "''Smaller'' Blade of Grass").
* ObliviousToLove: [[spoiler: As she has only been a human for a short before the tournament in Dueling Peaks, her social skills lessons do not include romantic love, thus she is oblivious to the affections of the other interested male cultivators]].
* OldShame: [[spoiler: Part of what causes her trouble turning back into a cat after becoming human is that she looks back at how she acted when she was one and is ''utterly ashamed'' of the arrogance and cruelty she carried herself with. She subconsciously resists turning back due to her fear she would start acting like that again and drive away the people she loves.]]
* PastExperienceNightmare: Subverted example. [[spoiler: Mei and Xiulan tell her she can come to them if she has bad dreams following the events at Dueling Peak, but her dreams tend to focus on [[BigDamnHeroes Jin arriving and ending the fight instantly]], leaving her in a very good mood after waking up.]]
* PathOfMostResistance: [[spoiler:She chose to undergo Tribulation in order to achieve human form. An astounded Ri Zu notes that her method, despite being much more dangerous, achieved results far superior to those Chow Ji attempted to use, finding very little in her new body that ''isn't'' human.]]
* RedBaron: "The Tiger of the Peaks."
* RevelingInTheNewForm: [[spoiler: Tigu becomes much happier and more content after achieving a human form, to the point of [[ShapeshifterModeLock having difficulty mustering the will to ever change back]].]]
* {{Sarashi}}: [[spoiler: After she becomes human, she insists on wearing Jin's tunics, and since they end up flapping open in the front, Meiling insists she wears these to cover her breasts.]]
* SenseFreak: [[spoiler:Is tremendously surprised by how much more developed her senses of taste and touch are in human form.]]
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Not her directly, but she has no qualms about presenting her carved sculptures of her master and fellow disciples, all in their nude, muscular glory.
* ShapingYourAttacks: When she unleashes powerful enough attacks, an ethereal tiger formed of Qi can be seen to outline or mirror her.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in the novel (aside from Jin Rou, and possibly Chun Ke) hears Jin pronounce her name as "Tigu'er", and since "er" is an affectionate suffix in Chinese for little children, they think her given name is just "Tigu", with her master/father being affectionate. Tigu also views her name this way, so if Jin calls her just "Tigu", she sees it as a FullNameUltimatum.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Especially after [[spoiler:gaining humanity]] and shedding her feline arrogance, she revels in the opportunity to test her skills against worthy opponents. This gets especially highlighted during the Dueling Peaks arc, where she gives instruction to the weaker opponents she faces in the initial brackets, beats the monsters on the Hill of Torment without even bothering to collect the treasures they guard, and is ''ecstatic'' when she finally comes up against someone who can give her a real challenge.
* TokenEvilTeammate: As a cat, she is [[CatsAreMean self-centered, arrogant, and cruel]]. She grows less so over time. [[spoiler:No longer applies after she becomes human.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chunky Shan / Shan Chun Ke]]
[[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_4.png]]
One of Jin's pigs, given to him as a reward for a favor.
----
* TheBigGuy: Physically the strongest of the farm disciples.
* DumbIsGood: [[spoiler:Left slightly brain damaged after the battle against the rats, but still a genuinely kind and friendly person.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Looks the most feral of all the Fa Ram disciples, with shaggy red fur, enormous tusks, and three huge scars across his face. He is also one of the kindest and most friendly of all the disciples.
* GentleGiant: His vast size and strength is only matched by his kindness and friendliness. All agree he's the best ride for the children, the best perch for wild birds, and the best pillow to sleep against.
* HandicappedBadass: He's slower than most and [[spoiler:mentally deficient]], but of all the members of the Farm, he hits the absolute hardest.
* HulkSpeak: Skirts the edges of this in his POV scenes, due to his [[spoiler: mild brain damage]].
* PunnyName: Shan means "mountain", so using the Western name order (which he does when he first comes up with the name) his name would be "Chunky Mountain". He did this on purpose.
* SimplemindedWisdom: Seems to be partially aware of the real origins of the animals' names and is much more perceptive than he seems. He's also capable of coming up with solutions to interpersonal problems that try to satisfy everyone, even if it means going against his beloved wife. As mentioned above, he is also aware of the Western name order, which shocks Jin as it shows he actually understands English to a degree.
* SizeShifter: As he grows in power he gains the ability to make himself arbitrarily larger. Curiously, only cultivators and other spirit beasts seem to notice this.
* SlobsVsSnobs: {{Downplayed}} in his relationship with Pi Pa. She is the most formal and proper of all the Fa Ram disciples while Chun Ke is one of the most childish and informal, but each loves and deeply appreciates the other.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou and Chunky himself hears/pronounces his name as "Chun Ke".
* SqueamishAboutSlaughter: After he witnesses Jin killing one of his non-sapient chickens for food, Chun Ke swears off eating meat raised on Fa Ram and sticks to a vegetarian diet. If meat is served, it usually comes from an animal outside the farm or at least slaughtered outside the farm for Chun Ke's peace of mind.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Peppa / Shan Pi Pa]]
[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_3.png]]
One of Jin's pigs, given to him as a reward for a favor.
----
* BlackHoleBelly: Seemingly an aspect of her [[PowerOfTheVoid void-aspected Qi]], she can swallow things larger than her head in one bite, and can even store and spit them up later without harm. One time when Ti Gu and Ri Zu were squabbling, she swallowed both of them into her mouth and continued with her work until they calmed down.
* BigEater: [[FedToPigs Pi Pa can eat a human body in one bite]]. Though depending on the body, she finds it distasteful.
* DespairEventHorizon: ''Almost'' fell to this following [[spoiler:Chun Ke's injuries from Chow Ji. The combination of brain damage and disruption of his cultivation nearly reverted him to a normal animal, and only Jin and Meiling's treatments were able to allow him to keep his sapience. The trauma and struggle from nearly losing him caused Pi Pa's qi to gain the essence of [[PowerOfTheVoid Void]].]]
* GeniusBruiser: She can almost match Chunky in terms of pure strength but she has also demonstrated higher understanding of things like home finances and calligraphy.
* LadyOfWar: An elegant war-machine capable of mowing down cultivators with ease, and looking graceful while doing it.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: When teaching his disciples math, Jin notes that she deliberately got the same questions wrong as her husband, Chunky. He scolds her for this and tells her flat-out that if she limits himself so that Chunky feels better, all she'll be doing is hurting both of them in the long run.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after WesternAnimation/PeppaPig.
* PowerOfTheVoid: Awakening due to the trauma of Chun Ke's debilitating injury caused her to develop void-aspected qi.
* ProperLady: And she won't let you forget it. Her penmanship -- using her ''mouth'' -- makes Meiling feel inferior.
* SlobsVsSnobs:
** {{Downplayed}} in her relationship with Chun Ke. She is the most formal and proper of all the Fa Ram disciples while Chun Ke is one of the most childish and informal, but each loves and deeply appreciates the other.
** She also finds her fellow glutton Wa Shi an absolute boor.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou hears and pronounces her name "Pi Pa", like all the other animals.
* ThreateningMediator: Forced to take up this role because of Tigger and Rizzo's hostility towards one another.
* YamatoNadeshiko: Despite being a pig, she is the most proper and formal of all the Fa Ram inhabitants. And as a void cultivator, she is also one of the more dangerous disciples.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Washy / He Wa Shi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_washi_2.jpg]]
A carp who acts as a dishwasher. [[spoiler: Later becomes a dragon, but still likes being a dishwasher and sprinkler system for the farm.]]
----
* BigEater: Washy likes eating food. He can branch out into all kinds of activities, but in the end, it all boils down to what gets him more food.
* BrilliantButLazy: Is normally pretty easygoing, but is one of the Farm's more diligent residents when sufficiently motivated. Which is to say, he understands that keeping Fa Ram operating is important to his food supply.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When a turtle asks Wa Shi what Flow is, it's fairly clear that the old terrapin is ready to get into a philosophical discussion... which is thrown off the rails when Wa Shi immediately recites the mathematical equation for flow, q=v/t.
* GiverOfLameNames: His one-track mind for food means that his suggestion for Jin's son's name is "Wan", which would mean that the full name of "Rou Wan" would translate to "meatball". Tigu takes exception to this.
* GoodWithNumbers: He is a mathematical genius but gives answers as slowly as possible to avoid getting more work.
* HiddenDepths:
** Understands math at a high level, even able to surprise his turtle mentor with the equations for flow.
** Dislikes the implication that he would eat the ''whole'' moon when he said he wanted to eat it, he wants to taste things, since if you eat ''everything'' then there'd be nothing left to eat. Specifically, he's an epicurian; he doesn't want to just mindlessly gorge himself, he wants to try lots of new and different tasty foods. It's one reason that he hangs around Fa Ram, because Jin comes up with new, interesting things to taste all the time. He at one point mentions that he doesn't know what this "cheese" stuff is, but if Jin wants it than it ''must'' be good.
* LegendaryCarp: [[spoiler: Manages to climb a waterfall to return to the Farm from a spiritual realm.]]
* MakingASplash: [[spoiler: Learns how to manipulate water from a kind turtle, [[MundaneUtility which he uses to clean the dishes and water the fields]].]]
* ShockAndAwe: He gains the power to shoot lightning after [[spoiler:becoming a dragon.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vajra]]
A queen bee that Big D rescued when Jin expressed an interest in starting a hive.
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: She's the last surviving queen of a great alliance of sapient queens that was wiped out nearly to the last by an unknown threat (hinted to be some manner of qi-channeling hornets). She was found by Big D wandering in a daze, trying to rebuild her hive.
* DisproportionateRetribution: After finding that mosquitos are bothering Jin, she sets her hive on a crusade to exterminate all mosquitos near Fa Ram.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: During her pre-Farm days, she would often demand that the males of her hive dance for her entertainment. After she is rescued and nursed back to health, she has turned her attention towards Big D, and she sneaks into the baths to peep on Jin.
* HiveMind: Although she has a separate identity as the queen bee, her qi is spread across her entire hive and they nearly function as extensions of her body. Those closer to her, like her Coldguard and more successful warriors, have more intelligence and personality because they share more in her qi.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after the aliens from Anime/MacrossFrontier. Other potential names that she rejected were [[VideoGame/StarCraft Kei Regan]] and [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Tai Ranid.]]
* TheRuntAtTheEnd: So far, she's the only Spirit Animal associated with Fa Ram that is not themed with the Chinese Zodiac.
* WarriorPrincess: Before she was taken to the Farm, she commanded troops for her old hive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Babe & Sunny / Bei Be & Sun Ne]]
An ox that Jin received on his wedding day to plow his fields, and his plow [[spoiler:made from the sword that once belonged to Sun Ken.]]
----
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: [[spoiler:As a sword-turned-plow,]] Sunny's only concern in life is to cut things, with little regard for what exactly it is cutting. It also gets ''upset'' when told not to cut, or if it cannot cut things cleanly. Almost has a breakdown when it realises that it's expected to cut ''around'' roots without damaging them, until Babe says that doing so would be more skillful than simply cutting everything.
* EmpathicWeapon: [[spoiler:Sunny]] has a mind of its own, but thus far has not communicated with anyone except for its current wielder, Babe, and [[spoiler:Summer's Sky]].
* IronicName: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by Jin. He names the plow Sunny in direct opposition to its past as [[spoiler:''The Crimson Demon's Tooth'', the blade of a notorious bandit and murderer]].
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Summer's Sky enters Sun Ne's MentalWorld, and meets it as a small WildChild of an undetermined gender. While slightly shy, the child noticeably cheers up when it learns Summer's Sky also enjoys cutting things.]]
* LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:Sunny thinks of Babe as the ''Third Wielder''. Sun Ken was the second, but it's not known who the first was, nor who forged the sword in the first place.]]
* MentalWorld: [[spoiler:A rather peaceful one, with a large plain surrounded by mountains, marked by thousands of perfectly straight furrows, representing its desire for perfection in the cuts it makes, with a sky marked by golden cracks. Summer's Sky is slightly surprised, having expected something like a forge, a raging river, or a world of blood and slaughter.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Babe, after Paul Bunyan's legendary ox companion.
* OnlyOneName: When given the opportunity to choose a surname, Babe declines.
* SanitySlippage: Being forced by Sun Ken to rip and tear rather than cleanly cutting was not good for Su Ne's mind, and it was practically gibbering by the time Sun Ken was defeated. Then it was made into a plow and locked away, unable to cut ''at all'', for several months. This left the blade nearly catatonic with despair by the time Babe took it out and started using it to cut the earth.
* TheStoic: Babe. He doesn't talk much, and it actually took months for Jin to realize that he was sapient. (The fact that he was content with his life did contribute to that, too.)
* TheSpartanWay: Lampshaded by Jin regarding Babe, who wants to sleep outside since it "Purifies the elements."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miantiao]]
A sapient Qi-using snake encountered by Big D during his travels. Deeply knowledgeable of martial arts, pottery, and glasswork.
----
* AllForNothing: Miantiao goes into a state of depression when he learns that all of his martial arts training, and turning Yin into a weapon of vengeance, were for nothing since the one he was training her to get revenge by proxy on, Sun Ken, was dead.
* TheAtoner: After he realizes his quest for revenge was pointless, he is filled with regret for the terrible things he did while seeking it (like raising Yin to be nothing but a weapon) and after [[spoiler:briefly seeking death at the hands of the person who took his revenge for him]] he dedicates his life to atoning for his misdeeds.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Hoo-boy. [[spoiler:Sun Ken and the Whirling Demon Sword Gang killed his master and wiped their village off the map. When he met the awakened rabbit Liang Yin, he chose to train her in martial arts to help him pursue vengeance. To that end, he made a number of questionable decisions (e.g., killing other awakened critters to harvest their qi) that he thought would be justified in the end. Then, just as they were ready to hunt down Sun Ken, they heard the story of the Demon-slaying Orchid beating them to the punch; this left Miantiao questioning whether everything he did was worth it.]] By the time Big D encounters him, Miantiao has largely lost the will to live.
* HandicappedBadass: He lost an eye, and a building fell on his spine, putting a kink in it. He doesn't have his full range of motion back, but that won't stop him from kicking an ass or two. Since arriving at Fa Ram, Meiling's been working on healing him.
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: He's a powerful martial artist, and his techniques are both based on and aid him with his glassmaking and pottery.
* PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou: Once he discovers that the man who killed his master and destroyed his village is already dead, Miantao thinks that he should offer his life to whoever killed him in order to atone for the horrible things he's done in the name of a revenge he can no longer take. Luckily, [[spoiler:Bi De has no desire to kill him.]]
* ThePowerOfGlass: Several of his techniques utilize glass, used to craft illusions or defenses.
* PunnyName: Literal meaning is "Noodle," which Jin uses when narrating.
** When he first introduces himself to Bi De, he calls himself "Shi Te." In universe this means "Corpse," since he feels he has failed everything and deserves to die, but out of universe it sounds like "Shitty," which pretty accurately describes his self-image.
* VengeanceDenied: He'd dedicated his life and Yin's to revenge on Sun Ken, and despaired when Sun Ken was killed as it robbed them of a meaning to live.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liang Yin]]
A female, silver-furred rabbit encountered by Big D during his travels. Awakened and taught to fight by Miantiao as part of his plan to get revenge on Sun Ken.
----
* BloodKnight: Enjoys training and fighting, and eagerly spars with Tigu.
* CuteBruiser: Prefers to fight head-on and smash her enemies' faces in with her gauntlets, and her cuteness comes naturally as a rabbit [[spoiler:and as a human woman]].
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Miantiao has told her to find something that she would like to do, so she's been trying different activities. For a while, nothing really worked with her beyond fighting, but working with Huo Ten has given her an interest in mining. [[spoiler:Eventually she decides to undergo her own form of Tribulation to achieve human form to reinvent herself in as a complete form as she can manage.]]
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler: Following Tigu's example, she also undergoes Tribulation and achieves human form.]]
* InstantArmor: Her '''[Armor of the Sun]''' technique generates golden armor around herself. While it looks ridiculous on a rabbit, [[spoiler:it looks downright intimidating on her human form]].
* IronicName: She's aggressive, outgoing and uses a sun-based style, and is named Yin.
* KillerRabbit: Despite being a small silver rabbit, she's a very strong cultivator and messing with her [[MuggingTheMonster would not be a good idea]].
* MoonRabbit: She's implied to be an actual Moon Rabbit who was exiled to Earth for unclear reasons. This doesn't apply to her martial techniques, however.
* PintsizePowerhouse: She's a normal-sized rabbit who is a strong practitioner of MagicalMartialArts. She's capable of pulling a carriage the size of a house, and the greatest difficulty is that the harness is awkward for her to pull since it's, understandably, not designed to be worn by a rabbit.
* RedBaron: "Sun Fairy."
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: [[spoiler:Just after she transforms into a human, she barges in breakfast hour and proudly presents herself, entirely uncaring of her nakedness. Miantiao has to beg her to PleasePutSomeClothesOn.]]
* SirSwearsALot: Tends to speak aggressively and crudely, though Miantiao usually chides her for it. [[spoiler:Her regal, silvery-haired, beautiful human form just adds to the VocalDissonance for those who hear her cussing.]]
* ThePowerOfTheSun: Ironically, despite rabbits traditionally being associated with the [[MoonRabbit moon]], Yin's style is based around the Sun, utilizing [[PlayingWithFire fire]] and heat to enhance herself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Huo Ten]]
A spirit beast monkey and one of Master Gen's relatives, who goes with Jin after his visit to Master Gen.
----
* AloneInACrowd: A bit. Even if he's impressed with Fa Ram and its inhabitants, he still longs for others of his clan. Jin helps him start digging a mine, and Yin joins him, initially to get clay for Miantiao, but the discovery of an ancient, huge bone and a vein of Light Crystals brings them together.
* TunnelKing: Just like the rest of his clan, Huo Ten likes to dig.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The General that Commands the Winter]]
A gigantic snowman created by Jin by utilizing his enhanced cultivator strength and Qi.
----
* CompanionCube: Jin first built him just as a snowman and as a joke acted around others as if he was a real person.
* AnIcePerson: His name may have started as a joke, but by his second winter he's show to actually have the power to manipulate winter weather and uses that power to ease the harshness of the annual end-of-winter storm at Jin's Farm, and lend some of that to his subordinate in Hong Yaowu, The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow.
* {{Snowlems}}: The general started out as a fun winter project and a bit of a joke, but due to the Qi Jin used to build him, he began forming a core of ice Qi and awakened into full sapience by his second winter, the core having been preserved in Jin's ice cellar.
[[/folder]]
!!!Human Antagonists
[[folder:Sun Ken]]
Sun Ken was a bandit, and not the fun romantic kind. Specifically, he was the leader of the Whirling Demon Sword Gang, a band of violent thugs with a reputation for cruelty. It got to the point that the Verdant Blade sect was called upon to put an end to him, with one Cai Xiulan leading the charge—[[spoiler:but the disciples of Fa Ram got to him first.]]
----
* AntiRegeneration: His techniques can be used to suppress [[HealingFactor Qi healing]].
* AssholeVictim: He was killed and eaten by farm animals. ''No one'' mourns him upon learning of his death.
* TheDreaded: The smallfolk of the region lived in utter terror of this guy. Jin doesn't want any publicity, but chooses to spread an altered account of his death, rather than keep silent, just so that everyone will know he's gone and be able to relax.
* EvilWeapon: Downplayed. Though not an inherently evil weapon, [[spoiler:the sword was sentient and had been driven mad due to not being able to cut as cleanly as it used to.]]
* GoodColorsEvilColors: His Qi manifested in shades of [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]].
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: After [[HumiliationConga being slaughtered by farm animals]], Sun Ken's corpse is eaten by said farm animals, and then his sword is turned into a plow and he's portrayed as a cowardly clown in puppet plays about the "Demon Slaying Orchid" hunting him down.
[[/folder]]
!!!Animal Antagonists
[[folder:Basil Brush / Basi Bu Shi]]
A dastardly fox that kept stealing and eating Jin Rou's chickens, until his defeat at the hands— er, spurs of Big D.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Basil ''was'' intelligent, but whatever his true name was, there's no way to know. He was given the name by Jin.
* CunningLikeAFox: He kept getting into the chicken coop to steal the hens there, much to Big D's chagrin.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: He's named after Basil Brush, from Series/TheBasilBrushShow.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He barely makes an appearance and his primary role is as Big D's StarterVillain. However, his pelt is used to make a vest for Big D, and Big D makes occasional references to the fox over the course of the story.
* StarterVillain: He's the first villain taken down by Big D. As a reward, his pelt is [[NemeanSkinning made into a vest]] for the rooster, which becomes iconic of the character.
* UpliftedAnimal: While it's not touched upon much, Big D recognizes that Basil was as intelligent as he was.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Much later on, Bi De wonders whether Basi Bu Shi might have been recruited as a disciple if Jin had realized he was sapient, taken him in, and offered him food and safety.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chow Ji]]
A cultivating rat who sets his sights on the resources of the Farm.
----
* AnimalisticAbomination: He's partway into transforming himself into a human form.
* BadBoss: He treats his rat followers like dirt. [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal This was a mistake.]]
* TheCorruptor: He tries to corrupt Bi De into his servant.
* HumanityEnsues: Attempted to do this via the slow way, gradually morphing into a human. He... didn't get too far, leaving him a BodyHorror-laden rat with a few human characteristics. Ri Zu mentions he was in constant pain from the deformities and suffered from an elevated heart rate. [[spoiler:After having the benefit of being able to examine Tigu's own successful ascension and having received a lot of experience in surgery by helping Meiling, Ri Zu corrects the defects in Chow Ji's faulty technique he had attempted to steamroll over and uses the perfected result to become human herself.]]
* ShoutOut: He's described as an evil [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Master Splinter]]. Also, the way he and his servants speak is a shout-out to the Skaven of TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy.
* TreacherousAdvisor: He wheedles and brainwashes his way into Big D's good graces while Jin is away, for the explicit purpose of turning the rooster into his personal [[TheDragon goon]].
* YouDirtyRat: The rat swarm accepts Fa Ram's hospitality under false pretenses, with the intent to corrupt its guardians and take over.
[[/folder]]
!!Hong Yaowu
The nearest village to Jin's Farm. Its name translates to "Medicine Storehouse" and its village elder is expected to be something of a doctor and pharamacist in addition to a mayor.
[[folder:Hong Xian the Elder]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_hong_xian.jpg]]
Father of Meiling and little Xian. He's also the village elder of Hong Yaowu.
----
* FrontierDoctor: Part of his role as the Elder of a village named "Medicine Storehouse" is to act as a doctor and pharmacist, which is important to the residents as the nearest dedicated healer may be days away on foot.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: He used to have his own share of crazy adventures with his late wife, best friend Bao and Yao Che during their youth.
* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler:His name was once Hong San, as he was the family's third son and was not expected to inherit the position of village elder. Tragically, his middle brother died very young, and the eldest was killed by the plague that also took his parents, and he took the new name as required by tradition and his new position.]]
* LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:In volume 2, it's revealed that Hong Xian is as much a hereditary title as it is a name. He is the 77th Hong Xian. His father and grandfather held it, and someday his son will inherit it too.]]
* StrongerThanTheyLook: Of the non-combat-oriented variety. The village elders of Hong Yaowu have a tradition of performing a ritual dance during transition to the New Year. The dance is both intense and lasts ''all night'', yet other than the minor exhaustion that comes with his age, Hong Xian has little trouble performing it.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: [[spoiler:Hong ''San'' was not expected to become village elder, as he was his parents' third son. Sadly, his father and both of his older brothers died under tragic circumstances and he wound up with the post and the name change that comes with it.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hong Xian the Younger]]
A preteen boy, son of Hong Xian the Elder and brother of Meiling. Enthusiastic and rambunctious but slowly learning responsibility.
----
* HiddenDepths:
** His fascination with bugs seems like simply a young boy's enthusiasm for trying to gross out his older sister. However, it turns out that he's actually been working with Yun Ren and secretly (he thinks) breeding beetles and learning about them, hinting at a future in entomology.
** Despite being a small boy with more enthusiasm than actual strength or endurance, the first time he attempts to [[spoiler:do the village solstice dance alongside his father,]] he succeeds [[spoiler:in dancing all night, a feat unheard of for generations of his ancestors. This may have something to do with his encounters with Tianlan Shan, or his relation to cultivators like Jin, Meiling, and Xiulan.]]
* LegacyCharacter: Shares the same name as his father, [[spoiler:because that name is always given to the Elder of Hong Yaowu. When he succeeds his father, he will be the 78th Hong Xian.]]
* TheNoseKnows: Has the same ability to smell chi as his sister, though his is less sensitive due to his younger age and lower chi levels.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yao Che]]
The village blacksmith, and Yao Meihua's father.
----
* TheBlacksmith: His role in Hong Yaowu. Jin has sometimes asked him for help bringing his odd ideas like copper pipes into reality.
* {{Hunk}}: Noted as having a very muscular physique due to the nature of his work.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: He's initially incensed that Cai Xiulan wants to take the position honor guard for Meiling's wedding procession, but she gives him a look that conveys a small fraction her power and he quickly decides that discretion is the better part of valor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Ten Ren]]
Gou Ren and Yun Ren's father, and the village hunter.
----
* AnimalMotifs: Monkeys, like his son Gou Ren. He has the wild hair and features to match.
* ClassicalHunter: Noted to be a highly skilled hunter and the primary source of meat for Hong Yaowu.
* HunterTrapper: Not just a good hunter, but makes a living off of it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nezin Hu Li]]
Gou Ren and Yun Ren's mother. She is originally from one of the nomadic wilderness tribes who live near the Sea of Snow to the north of the Verdant Hills.
----
* AbductionIsLove: She seems to think so, and it's part of her tribe's customs; when Ten Ren was attempting to court her, her father kept denying permission, and he eventually gave up and just stole Hu Li away in the night. Her story implies that she and her father had been waiting for just that.
* AccentAdaptation: To Jin's ears, her native tribal accent in Chinese sounds like the equivalent of a Brooklyn accent in English.
* AnimalMotifs: Foxes, like her son Yun Ren. She has the squinty eyes and scheming demeanor to fit.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Was initially dismissive of Liling, seeing her as just a soft CityMouse from Pale Moon Lake City. After a street brawl of a CatFight where Liling showed that she learned how to scrap in Fish Gut Alley, they reached an understanding and became good friends.
* SoleSurvivor: She lost the other two parts of her TownGirls trio (Tang Mei and Liling) in a bad famine that hit Hong Yaowu one year.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow]]
A snowman built by the villagers of Hong Yaowu in the spirit of friendly competition with Jin during his second winter in the Azure Hills.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: The General that Commands the Winter notes that the Warden was destroyed during the last storm of Jin's second winter in the Azure Hills, while defending Hong Yaowu against the ravages of a late winter storm, and treats this as a heroic LastStand. When Jin arrives back at Hong Yaowu after the storm, he sees the Warden's remnants surrounded by the crying children of the village performing funerary rites.
* AnIcePerson: Has power over winter weather and uses it to weaken a winter storm that descends on the village.
* {{Snowlems}}: Like the General that Commands the Winter, he started out as a standard, though enormous, snowman. However, much like with the General, the Qi invested and attention paid to his construction, plus the connection to Jin and [[spoiler:Tianlan Shan]] lead to its awakening as a subordinate of the General.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ty An]]
A young woman of about Meiling's age who lives in the village; somewhat insecure about herself and thus something of a bully, and particularly a rival to Meiling.
----
* AlphaBitch: Her role in the village, until Jin shows up.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Once Jin's influence begins to make all her bullying attempts fall flat, she begins to realize how immature she's been and start to try to make something of herself instead of putting others down.
* InsultBackfire: Once Jin comes to town, her attempts to put down Meiling and others all seem to backfire spectacularly.
** She calls Meiling a thistle, implying she's prickly and not particularly attractive. Jin says this is a compliment, noting that thistles are pretty and also tough and resilient, embarrassing Ty An and flattering Meiling.
** She makes fun of Meiling for having freckles, which are considered blemishes in the the culture of "Xianada". However, Jin, raised in a modern western culture, finds them cute and tells her so.
** She tries the same thing with Tigu's muscles, who likewise takes it as a compliment, having been basically raised by Jin. Ironically enough, Ty An develops a build of her own after becoming Yao Che's assistant after Meihua marries and moves out of town.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: [[spoiler: Has this relationship with Bowu [[EveryoneCanSeeIt much to everybody's amusement]].]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Liling]]
Hong Xian's late wife and the mother of Meiling and Xian the Younger. She was a scullery maid living in Pale Moon Lake City before she met and fell in love with San, as he was known as then.
----
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler: It's hinted that she's from the same bloodline as the Azure Emperor that Xiaoshi overthrew, given her mother's drunken ramblings.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: She died to a bad famine some years prior to story start, and her background is only fleshed out in a flashback arc.
* RagsToRiches: Downplayed, but she goes from being a scullery maid and thief in Pale Moon Lake City to the respected wife of the village elder in Hong Yaowu over the course of the flashback arc.
* SirSwearsALot: She can turn it off, but generally swears profusely.
[[/folder]]
!!Verdant Hill
The nearest town to Hong Yaowu and the seat of the local government.
[[folder:Lin Bao]]
The First Archivist of Verdant Hill and one of Hong Xian's best friends. Meiling and little Xian know him as Uncle Bao.
----
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: In his middle age due to his eating habits, he's (literally) grown to resemble his name, Bao being a type of round steamed bread dumpling.
* BigEater: Having survived the adventures of his youth, he takes great pleasure in enjoying the finer things in life. Like lots and lots of food.
* HonoraryUncle: Meiling and little Xian know him as their Uncle Bao and grew up around him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/22a6e91d_f94d_4546_9744_874bb0c1e785.png]]
The imperial-appointed ruler of Verdant Hill and the surrounding area, including Hong Yaowu and Jin's farm. The very image of an ideal ruler and bureaucrat.
----
* AttentionWhore: Is practically addicted to attention and acclaim from his subjects... and cultivates it by doing a spectacularly good job as their Lord Magistrate.
* BadassBureaucrat: He's a first-rate administrator and magistrate. Visitors are actually disturbed by how clean the streets are and how disciplined and helpful the town guard is. While he rarely has the opportunity or even need to flex his political muscle, he and his wife open negotiations with the Azure Jade Trading Company with a dazzling display of opulence and courtly skill that leaves the two junior merchants on the backfoot and willing to work with the Lord Magistrate's own terms for the Azure Hills. As an aside, he's both younger and far fitter than the Trading Company's envoys expected.
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: The Lord Magistrate is not happy about having someone living nearby who could probably destroy his town by accident if he went all out. And every time Jin does something generous, the magistrate drives himself to distraction worrying about the implications of being indebted to such a person. Every time he tries to repay Jin, however, Jin does something else for him in gratitude.
* BrilliantButLazy: Was among the top five of his class (first, before he got bumped down due to an unknown kerfuffle), and was even tapped to join the Grand Palace... but he requested the transfer to the Azure Hills to avoid dealing with the stresses of such high rank.
* CasualKink: Enjoys bondage games with his wife. [[spoiler:Due to her cultivator-inflicted injuries, it's hard for her to feel anything less.]]
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Fails to see that Jin Rou is just a simple, agreeable man who happens to have terrifying amounts of power. He second-guesses Jin's intentions backwards and forwards, giving himself ulcers in the process, trying to determine whether or not he's being tested through Jin's acts of charity. [[spoiler:His wife doesn't help, keeping to herself a conversation she had with Meiling, in which she confessed Jin deliberately abandoned the Cloudy Sword Sect because he wanted a peaceful life.]]
* CovertPervert: ''Really'' likes the Playboy Bunny-inspired outfit Meiling presented his wife with, particularly the fishnet stockings, even wondering how they'd look on his own legs. He's a bit worried about commissioning more, so he considers making them himself, given he made most of the ropes he and his wife [[CasualKink use]] himself.
* EnlightenedSelfInterest: He is an excellent magistrate, kind to his people and employees, and is all around a reasonable ruler. He does all of this because he likes being praised and respected, and views actually doing a good job and earning people's respect and praise as the best way to get what he wants.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Even in chapters from his perspective, he's only ever referred to as The Lord Magistrate or the Patriarch.
* TheGoodChancellor: Despite doing so for slightly selfish intentions, he's the model of this trope. He ''really'' likes having everyone's acclaim, so he genuinely works to earn it.
* InternalReveal: [[spoiler:Early in Volume Three, he finally pieces together that Jin isn't some super ancient cultivator with motives beyond his understanding or trying to mock him or usurp him; Jin is a very young man who genuinely respects The Lord Magistrate. That said, Jin continues to complicate matters since Jin is, at this point, the leader of all Cultivators in the Azure Hills and a guaranteed source of future trouble.]]
* MentorArchetype: To Jin, on political matters.
* MrViceGuy: He is a bit vain, desiring praise and respect. He is also an excellent administrator and a just ruler, since he feels it's easiest and best to be praised for actually present qualities.
* NervousWreck: Whenever cultivators get involved. [[spoiler:Due to the injuries that his wife suffered at the hands of one]], if his poker face was any weaker, cultivators would practically be his TraumaButton.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: {{Invoked}}: He specifically requested to be assigned to Verdant Hill, a backwater town even by Azure Hills standards for which he is grossly overqualified, so as to ensure that he could easily meet and exceed his position's expectations and so that he would be far away from cultivator shenanigans.
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Was Hong San ([[spoiler:later Hong Xian senior]]) and Lin Bao's senior while they were working in Pale Moon Lake City. They were the ones who gave him the idea to move to Verdant Hills when they mention how quiet and cultivator-free it is.
* OutOfTheFryingPan: [[spoiler:After Jin finally clears the air with him and asks him to become his decorum teacher, on one hand, he ''finally'' realizes Jin is a young cultivator struggling to keep afloat in the world of politics who both respects the Lord Magistrate and is eager to learn from him. On the other, the rapidly increasing amounts of soft power and the equivalent responsibility Jin's accruing - and it now being his responsibility to help him manage it - give him ulcers.]]
* ThePeterPrinciple: Inverted. He's deliberately taken a position that's below his skill level, rather than endure the stresses and dangers of high rank.
* PlagueOfGoodFortune: Is not exactly ''unhappy'' at having Jin take care of dangerous beasts and bandits, build roads, and frequently gift him with luxury foodstuffs, but is constantly worrying that the other shoe is going to drop and Jin will demand something crazy of him.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While he may be screaming internally while he makes them, his decisions are very fair both to Jin and his other subjects.
* StealingTheCredit: Averted. He doesn't like being credited for things he didn't do -- mostly because one day he might be asked to pull the same trick again.
* UniversallyBelovedLeader: Internally self-centered and self-important, he is still a great ruler out of a pragmatic belief that the best way to get praise and respect is to earn it - and he is very good at it, having earned the legitimate admiration of everyone in his jurisdiction. His various achievements (and self-centered motivations) include:
** When he is tired of the yearly floods cutting into his leisure time, he commissions great canals which divert the floodwaters and greatly improve the lives of the villagers.
** When he bribes a cultivator in the hopes the man will go away and leave him alone, it is seen as a prudent investment in the future; since Jin is the kind of person to return a favor, it turns out to be just that.
** He ensures his bureaucrats are efficient, honest, and compassionate, because it prevents angry subjects from coming after him and gives him more free time.
** When Meiling stops a plague in its tracks, he is suspected to have summoned her.
** His freezing up when in danger or nervous is interpreted as [[NervesOfSteel a fearless willingness to stand his ground and a general air of unflappability]], because he has an excellent poker face and his back tends to sweat before the rest of his body.
** He regularly leads his guards in exercise so that if he is ever threatened, he will be able to run away effectively. They respect him all the more for his leadership and sharing their burdens.
** His swordsmanship is considered excellent for a mortal and he practices regularly, so that if attacked he could buy himself time to escape.
** His kindness to his bureaucrats and soldiers is seen as evidence of his strong moral character, but is really motivated out of a desire to maintain their loyalty and willingness to fight for him if ever threatened.
* WeirdnessMagnet: One of the reasons he fears Jin is because he likes his province nice and orderly, and Cultivators are known to attract trouble.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Wu Zei Qi]]
The wife of the Magistrate of Verdant Hill.
----
* CasualKink: Enjoys rough, rope play with her husband, [[spoiler:mostly so that she can feel ''something'' past her deadened sense of touch due to her injuries]].
* CovertPervert: Privately, she's just as kinky as her husband.
* HandicappedBadass: Despite having been supernaturally crippled by a cultivator, which gave her occasional tremors and reduced dexterity and senses, she is effective at politicking and assisting the Magistrate. [[spoiler:She's eventually cured by Meiling.]]
* HidingTheHandicap: Involuntarily; the public sees her slow graceful walk and the slow, elegant songs she plays on the guzheng as qualities of a ProperLady, when in fact they're because she can't move as fast or play more complex songs due to her reduced dexterity.
* LockedIntoStrangeness: Her cultivator-induced injuries also gave her streaks of grey hair.
* ProperLady: Demure, cultured, plays guzheng, [[CasualKink handles rope]].
* UnluckilyLucky: Doesn't bemoan the injuries she suffered at the hands of a cultivator, as her "damage" meant that her "honored father" allowed her to marry her then-common-born husband without an argument.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yao Meihua]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_you_meihua.jpg]]
A friend of Meiling's who grew up with her in Hong Yaowu. Currently lives in Verdant Hill with her husband, Ting Feng.
----
* ChildhoodFriends: Meiling considers her "a sister in all but blood."
* CityMouse: Jin mentions that she doesn't seem to much care for physical work and as such she is happier living in a bigger town with a couple of servants than in the small village where she grew up.
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Is very beautiful and attracts the attention of powerful and dangerous men, including the Magistrate, who is too sensible to act on it, and Zang Li, who would have raped her if not for Jin.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: She is her blacksmith father's daughter; when she gets tipsy, she easily carries her friend, her husband, and her friend's husband.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zhuge Ting Feng]]
A clerk in Verdant Hill and Yao Meihua's husband.
----
* CityMouse: Although he's a very nice guy and devoted to Meihua, it's clear he's been raised to life in town and as a clerk has very few skills that would serve him in the country.
* PanickyExpectantFather: He's visibly anxious, pacing around, and making a nuisance of himself when Meihua goes into labor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Crone]]
A mysterious old lady who lives in a shack just on the outskirts of Verdant Hill with her goat and 3-pawed tomcat. Appears to know more about Jin and his circumstances than she is letting on.
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:She and her cat were formerly powerful cultivators, in addition to her being a seer. However, due to jealousy and politics, both of their cultivations were broken and they came to the Azure Hills to escape that life.]]
* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:When Shen Yu comes to town, he recognizes her as Shiyun of the Heavenly Path, and her tomcat as Laoshi, the Tiger’s Fury, both former cultivators whose cultivation was destroyed by jealous political rivals]].
* GrumpyOldWoman: An old woman who complains and seems generally irritated all the time. Still, she's generally helpful despite her words.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She acts mean to those around her, but when given the chance to influence the outcome of [[spoiler:her prophecy about the heir to the Azure Emperor]], she makes her choice based on compassion.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Squabbles with her old neighbor Shu in this way, [[spoiler:even before they actually get married.]]
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Her 3-footed tomcat sometimes displays sparks of human-level intelligence and [[spoiler:is implied to be Tigu's father]]. But as soon as it is noticed, he reverts to normal cat behavior. [[spoiler:Turns out he is actually a former cultivator apparently stuck in cat form]].
* MysteriousBacker: She clearly is interested in helping Jin in some way, giving him Tigger after he brings her goat back to her and helping Tigger out when she visits Verdant Hill. But what exactly her goal is and what she knows about Jin's circumstances remains unclear. [[spoiler:Until Bi De comes to her with the visions from the ancient memory crystal and she explains her prophecy]].
* RomanticRibbing: [[spoiler:She and her husband Shu constantly give each other grief, even before they got together]].
* {{Seers}}: It turns out that [[spoiler:the Crone is actually an old seer, who fled to the Azure Hills to escape her tumultuous younger years in much the same way Jin did. And as soon as she entered the province, an ancient spirit made a deal with her to help it find an heir to the forgotten Azure Emperor. The fates told her Verdant Hill was the best place to settle down and find her candidate. She initially considers the Lord Magistrate, but thinks the stress would be too much for his anxiety. Then she considers Jin, but she has a soft spot for him, their stories feeling so similar, and decides to let him set down his roots in peace. Eventually, she decides that ''Bi De'' is the best candidate and drops the weight of prophecy on him.]]
* TormentByAnnoyance: [[spoiler:The main reason she cut a deal with the spirit to find the heir to the Azure Emperor and guide him was so it would stop bothering her.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Pale Moon Lake City
The largest city in the Azure Hills and the capital of the province. Sits on the shore of Pale Moon Lake, a mysteriously perfectly-circular lake with a surface area roughly equivalent to Lake Superior. Home to Mengde's Crystal Emporium and the local headquarters of the Azure Jade Trading Company.
[[folder:Biyu]]
A journeyman crystal carver who works at Mengde's Crystal Emporium and becomes romantically involved with Yun Ren.
----
* AnimalMotifs: She's noted several times to be somewhat owlish in appearance (big round eyes and fluffy hair) and personality, and is quite intelligent, fitting with the "wise owl" stereotype.
* CutenessProximity: One of the few things that can override her shyness. Easily becomes enamored with just about every animal on the Fa Ram, and sets out to make pieces of clothing for them.
* MadeOfExplodium: Being essentially solid qi, even the relatively low-grade crystals of the Azure Hills can explode with considerable force if Biyu gets the slightest thing wrong in her formation carving. There's a reason that crystal carvers are so highly paid.
* {{Magitek}}: Her specialty is the carving and use of magical crystals, that can be used for lighting, videography, photography, and so on.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Bo]]
A junior merchant who works for the Azure Jade Trading Company.
----
* DoYouWantToHaggle: Makes Jin an offer for his Maple Syrup, but immediately revises it upward [[AccidentalBargainingSkills when he gets the mistaken impression that Jin's frown means he feels like he's being lowballed]].
* FeeFiFauxPas: Mistakes Xiulan for Jin's wife while Meiling, Jin's wife, is standing right there. She lets him stew in his embarassment (and horror, as everyone involved but him is a cultivator) before laughing it off, more amused than anything else. It helps that it wasn't entirely his fault; Jin had let everyone assume such so that Xiulan wouldn't be constantly hassled while in the city with him.
* UndyingLoyalty: After he brings Jin in to negotiate buying Jin's [[spoiler:gold-grade]] rice, the company was going to assign another more senior merchant to be Jin's primary contact. However, because Jin was happy with his previous deals and believes in the importance of relationships, he insists that Guan Bo remain his primary contact with the company. This basically secures Bo's rise in status in the company and turns him into Jin's biggest fan.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Chyou]]
A rising star merchant of the Azure Jade Trading Company, and Guan Bo's sister.
----
* HighClassCallGirl: Her grandmother Shan Daiyu, [[TheManBehindTheMan who is the real brains behind the success of the Azure Jade Trading Company]], from time to time assigns her to seduce important clients in order to secure deals. [[spoiler:Including Jin, though he gently rejects her advances.]] She is very pragmatic about this and accepts it as just part of doing business.
* IntrepidMerchant: After [[spoiler:turning down her offer to sleep with him]] Jin commissions her to organize an expedition into the south of the Empire and beyond to locate various exotic plants that he wants to grow. She's excited for the opportunity as it will be both more fulfilling than her usual assignments and quite the adventure.
* OddFriendship: Gets along very well with Wa Shi once they meet, to the surprise of just about everyone.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Ping]]
The head of the Azure Jade Trading Company, and Guan Chou and Guan Bo's grandfather. In some ways, a figurehead for his wife, Shan Daiyu. Still a competent businessman and administrator.
----
* HappilyMarried: He and Shan Daiyu run the Azure Jade Trading Company together, with him as the primary accountant and public face, and her as the chief strategist. It's implied they've been happy together like this for decades.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shan Daiyu]]
The wife of Guan Ping, and the real brains behind the Azure Jade Trading Company. Grandmother of Guan Chou and Guan Bo.
----
* HappilyMarried: Appears to have a very equal relationship with her husband, who is both her life partner and business partner.
* IntrepidMerchant: In her younger days building up the company, she went on various dangerous and adventurous expeditions throughout the empire.
* [[TheManBehindTheMan The Woman Behind The Man]]: She's the real head of the Azure Jade Trading Company, but her husband is the official head. Somewhat downplayed as they function as a team when negotiating high-level deals.
* SilkHidingSteel: Although she projects an image of a demure courtly lady, she is the real head of the company and her family, and is not to be trifled with.
[[/folder]]
!!The Azure Hills Special Investigative Unit
A special unit of the Azure Hills guard, with province-wide jurisdiction.
[[folder:The Special Inspector of the Azure Hills]]
The head of the Special Investigative Unit and an intelligent, dashing and stalwart young man of the Law, who is quickly building a reputation as a legendary detective. He happens to also be [[spoiler:the son of the Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill and Lady Wu]] and secretly much less fearless than he appears.
----
* AccidentalHero: He stumbled onto most of most of his most famous cases by complete accident, and in fact didn't even realize he was being groomed for the position of Special Inspector until he was in front of the officials who awarded him the title.
** [[spoiler:He thought the rumors of slavery in Grass Sea City were just that, rumors, a safe wild goose chase he could indulge in to convince the people he was doing something actually worthwhile and receiving mockery instead of threats from the nobility. Then Tigu barreled in and uncovered an enormous slavery ring that involved most of the local nobility. To his horror, he ends up looking like he actually was on the correct trail all the time and is granted temporary Lordship of Grass Sea City as a result. Tie Delun's help in making Grass Sea City's recalcitrant sound-spreading formation work for his speech makes him even more of a hero in the eyes of the populace.]]
* ChickMagnet: Attractive women seem to gravitate towards him wherever he goes, including at least two cultivators and several mortals, to the point that some of his companions begin to notice. It may have something to do with how he is both physically attractive and behaves very honorably and politely to everyone. However none of them is a polite well-bred young lady who would be conducive to a quiet peaceful life, which is what he's really looking for.
* CowardlyLion: Although he's absolutely terrified by the situations he finds himself in, he's very good at concealing it and intelligent and resourceful enough to win the day.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: [[spoiler:Like his father]], he is only ever referred to as the Special Inspector, even in his own thoughts.
* GoneHorriblyRight: From the perspective of the noble who set him up with the post; it was likely meant to get him killed, but instead he is revealed to be surprisingly competent and is quickly becoming a province-wide hero.
* IgnoredConfession: After taking down a cultivator and gang that were trying to copycat the Whirling Demon Gang, he admits to Sergeant Han that he nearly soiled himself. The good Sergeant has a great laugh at this "joke".
* InTheBlood: He's a good and extremely capable man, but a NervousWreck behind his imperturbable mask. [[spoiler:Much like his father, the Lord Magistrate.]]
* MysteryMagnet: He keeps encountering crimes, cultists and bandits. Even when he'd rather not.
* PromotedToScapegoat: Subverted; the noble Wu Lee intentionally(?) set him up to be assigned the post of Special Inspector, where it was presumed his life expectancy would be greatly shortened, considering the post had been left unfilled for thirty years in the first place due to all its occupants being assassinated. Luckily for the Inspector, he's proven to be quite competent and skilled at both law enforcement and escaping danger.
* SecretlySelfish: He'd like nothing more to be safe and bored in Pale Moon Lake City, but of course can't tell anyone that.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Sergeant Han]]
A member of the Special Investigative Unit who assists the Special Inspector.
----
* BadassInDistress: Captured by slavers while protecting travellers, rescued by Rou Tigu.
* HadToBeSharp: Grew up in the worst part of Pale Moon Lake City and learned many fighting skills from a young age.
* ICallItVera: Named his [[LawmanBaton billy club]] "The Great Stick that Pacifies Heaven" or just "The Pacifier" for short.
* UndyingLoyalty: Thinks the Special Inspector is the best thing to happen to law enforcement in the Azure Hills in his lifetime and would follow him into hell if asked.
[[/folder]]
!!Verdant Blade Sect
One of the larger cultivator sects of the Azure Hills, located in the Grass Sea region. Their cultivation and combat style is inspired by Spiritual Grass and their signature technique is the '''[Blades of Grass]''', which allows them to [[MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades create dozens of levitating]], [[SpectralWeaponCopy ethereal copies of their swords]].
[[folder:Cai Xi Kong]]
Cai Xiulan's father and one of the leading elders of the Verdant Blade Sect.
----
* PapaWolf: Although he has to deal with sect politics and the fact that some sects are simply so powerful that he can't stop them from dictating demands, he cares deeply about Xiulan and is willing to do what he needs to to protect her from exploitation or worse. He backs her when she rejects various suitors, even going to the point of ''killing'' a man he previously considered a friend who wouldn't take "no" for an answer when Xiulan was 12 years old. The thought of [[spoiler:Zang Li]] taking her away fills him with rage and he is greatly relieved that the man is only a Young Master, since his hand might have been forced if a [[spoiler:Shrouded Mountain]] Sect elder had tried to court her.
* PrettyBoy: Mature edition. Jin figures that Xiulan got her striking looks from her dad.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Xiulan tells him about Jin, he's happy to maintain Jin's status as a Hidden Master who values his privacy, and helps maintain the fiction that Xiulan killed [[spoiler:Sun Ken]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:An Ran]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect, and the informal leader of Xiulan's personal students, collectively known as the "Orchid's Petals".
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu starts calling her the "Smaller Blade of Grass", comparing her to Xiulan. However she looks up to Xiulan so much that she considers this an honor. Likewise she initially thinks that being called one of the "Orchid's Petals" is embarrassing but later begins to take pride in being a student of the sect's rising star.
* LoveTriangle: She seemed to like Gou Ren (although Cai Xiulan was trying to push them together). Liu Xianghua ''definitely'' likes Gou Ren. She later seems interested in The Special Inspector. Shui Xinlai, young mistress of the Grey Water Sect is ''definitely'' into The Special Inspector.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: During the Dueling Peaks Tournament, she manages for the first time to execute her sect's SignatureMove and create '''[A Single Blade of Grass]''', a copy of her sword.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hi Huyi]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Said to have "dead-fish eyes".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xi Bu]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Noted to be the smallest and youngest of the group.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lee Li]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Excitable and has spiky green hair.
[[/folder]]
!!Misty Lake Sect
A cultivator sect based in the Misty Lake region, which is actually less of a lake and more of a swamp or wetlands like the Everglades.
[[folder:Liu Xianghua]]
Xiulan's great rival among the cultivators of the Azure Hills and the Young Mistress of the Misty Lake Sect. She becomes Gou Ren's love interest.
----
* AbductionIsLove: [[spoiler:Following the tribal custom of Gou Ren's mother, she attempts to kidnap him as a marriage proposal. However, she didn't realize that Gou Ren was ''also'' trying to uphold that custom...]]
* AnimalMotifs: Her attacks are frequently equated to a heron stepping through the misty swamp with its long beak spearing out to strike.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: In order to help [[spoiler:Xiulan]] with her project to [[spoiler:unite the sects of the Azure Hills]], Xianghua decides she must take over [[spoiler:the Misty Lake Sect as Sectmaster.]] Part of the trials for doing so is defeating three [[spoiler:Misty Lake elders]] in combat. In order to leave absolutley no doubt as to her fitness for the position, she instead decides to defeat ''all of them'', without the aid of her steam generator. She not only does so but makes it look easy.
* BigSisterInstinct: Very protective of her little brother.
* FriendlyRival: How she expresses friendship with anyone outside her brother. [[spoiler:Upgrades to VitriolicBestBuds if she likes you--first seen with Xiulan but later extended to a number of the Younger Generation of Azure Hills cultivators.]]
* GatheringSteam: Both literally and figuratively, this is how her signature fighting technique works. She wears a Qi-powered steam generator artifact on her back that slowly fills the area with misty steam, which she then uses to conceal her movements and power her attacks. And it plays right into the philosophy of her home Misty Lake Sect.
* HatesTheirParent: Hates her father for beating, abusing, and then neglecting her brother Bowu, and her mother for going along with it due to considering both of her children cripples, Bowu in body and her in mind, and saying so ''to her face''.
* InSeriesNickname: Tigu calls her "Damp Pond", which Xiulan also appropriates. After [[spoiler:holding out against Shrouded Mountain and, uh, holding onto Gou Ren]], this changes to "Misty Lady."
* LargeHam: She's relentlessly melodramatic. [[spoiler: This is revealed to be a mask that she keeps up for two reasons. First, her little brother likes it. Second, and more importantly, she has difficulty with interacting with others and when she acts like a typical "LargeHam Young Mistress," people's reactions become more predictable.]]
* LoveTriangle: She likes Gou Ren. An Ran also seems to like Gou Ren. [[spoiler:Resolved when she gets together with Gou Ren the night of the Shrouded Mountain Sect's attack at the tournament.]]
* NamedWeapon: Her sword is named "Shrouded Intent". As befitting her misdirection-laden fighting style, its tip is white and translucent, making it seem shorter than it actually is.
* RedBaron: "The Heron of the Misty Lake."
* ShapingYourAttacks: When powered up by her steam, an ethereal crane[[labelnote:*]]the bird, not the construction equipment[[/labelnote]] formed of Qi can be seen striking with her when she attacks.
* SmokeOut: Her steam generator allows her to disappear into the mist and reappear elsewhere. It's implied, since it's powered by her own Qi, that she can see through it just fine.
* WillfullyWeak: When Xianghua decides to [[spoiler:take command of the Misty Lake Sect as the new sectmaster]], she must face the trial of defeating three [[spoiler:Misty Lake elders]] to prove her worthiness. She instead decides to defeat ''all'' of them, and to leave absolutely no doubt as to her strength, does so without the aid of her Steam Furnace. [[spoiler:She succeeds, naturally.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liu Bowu]]
Xianghua's younger brother, who was crippled in a duel arranged by his own father after he proved unable to become a cultivator.
----
* AbusiveParents: His father, one of the elders of the Misty Lake Sect, wanted his son to become a cultivator like him. When that proved impossible, he became very angry, eventually arranging a blatantly unfair "bargain" that involved a duel against one of his students, which ends up crippling his son. And his mother never even really cared or helped him.
* AllTheOtherReindeer: After his crippling, he was treated like a pariah by most of the sect, save for his sister and a few who chose to aid him in small ways.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Gets invested in Jin's ideas, partly from boredom, but mostly because he's thankful Jin honestly thinks he might be interested and genuinely values his input.
* DreamCrushingHandicap: At a relatively young age, he proves unable to cultivate due to internal physical issues, disappointing his father.
* FictionalDisability: Bowu was born with severely deformed meridians, making him unable to ever cultivate. Even Shen Yu confirms that the damage is too severe to ever be treated.
* GeniusCripple: Although barely able to walk and unable to cultivate, he [[GadgeteerGenius designed the artifact steam generator]] that Xianghua uses to punch well above her nominal cultivation power level.
* HatesTheirParent: Having a disability, and then ''being given another by your own father'', will do that to someone.
* ImmortalityThroughMemory: He knows he can't become immortal by cultivating, so he instead desires to create something so amazing that he will be remembered for eternity.
* LegacySeeker: His goal is to create a legacy through his inventions.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: [[spoiler: Has this relationship with Hong Yaowu's Ty An [[EveryoneCanSeeIt much to everybody's amusement]].]]
* ThrowingOffTheDisability: It takes a long, long while, and a fair amount of preparation, but Meiling succeeds in carrying out major surgery that heals his crippled leg.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Inverted. After the tournament, the sect's Elders recognize the value of his Steam Generator and his understanding of the sect's Mysteries, acknowledge him as a Young Master, and immediately boot his father out, decrying his father's actions as a tremendous waste of useful talent. He has no illusions about his sudden change in fortunes, but being validated allays some of his irritation. Turns out, they're quite nervous themselves, since Bowu's departure with Jin also means they're losing the one thing they judged valuable enough to kick out their former master for.
[[/folder]]
!!Hermetic Iron Sect
Based in the Iron Fields of the Azure Hills. While few in number, the Hermetic Iron Sect produces excellent metalwork.
[[folder:Tie Delan]]
Sect Master of Hermetic Iron, and father of Tie Delun.
----
* AmazonChaser: He likes his women muscular.
* KarmicJackpot: Falls into this when instead of defending the noble who's hosting him against intruders (one of whom turns out to be his own son), he allows them to arrest him for [[spoiler:slave-trading]] and assists his son with clearing out Grass Sea City afterwards. The outcome of this is that instead of treating with the noble to buy Spirit Iron from a vein the noble owned ([[spoiler:which was going to be mined by slave labor]]), his sect gets to own the vein outright for services rendered.
* StoutStrength: He packs a powerful portly paunch. This makes him even more conscious of his own appearance than his son.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mao Liqui]]
Tie Delan's wife, and Tie Delun's mother.
----
* ActionDressRip: Involuntary example; when she sees [[spoiler: the slaves in Grass Sea City]], she gets so mad her formal dress begins to rip at the seams from her muscles flexing.
* BattleCouple: Is fully willing to draw a hammer and fight alongside her husband.
* CommonalityConnection: How does she bond with [[spoiler:Tigu]]? By carving images of their muscular men in loincloths into marble pillars.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds with [[spoiler:Tigu]] when she declares her son "handsome", for the features that he shares with his father.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tie Delun]]
The Young Master of the Hermetic Iron Sect. Built like a blacksmith (i.e. [[{{Hunk}} ripped]]). Has a [[EveryoneCanSeeIt noticeable fondness]] for Tigu.
----
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: It's implied that part of the reason he fell so hard for [[spoiler:Tigu]] is that she's the first person to ever see his features- large, tanned skin, big muscles, and freckles- and call him "Handsome," since those features are typically not appreciated in cultivation circles.
* BringIt: When confronted with three significant opponents demanding he step aside and let them take [[spoiler:Tigu]], Tie Delun responds with focused eloquence:
-->"''Like Hell.''"
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Tall and muscular, protective of his friends and sect mates and a skilled artist.
* DropTheHammer: In keeping with the sect's blacksmith theming, uses a hammer as his primary weapon.
* GeekyTurnOn: As a craftsman as well as a cultivator, part of what attracts him to [[spoiler:Tigu]] is her ability to sculpt intricate carvings and statues with just her [[spoiler:Qi claws]].
* HiddenHeartOfGold: He used to stomp around everywhere with a snarl or a grumpy look, seemingly as a defense for anyone who saw his freckles and tan and call him ugly. Tigu was the first to break through this facade and reach the caring man underneath.
* InSeriesNickname: Tigu calls him "Handsome Man".
* InterspeciesRomance: He, a human cultivator, with [[spoiler:Rou Tigu, a human-shifted Spirit Cat]].
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Shares his tanned, rugged looks with his father.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: As it turns, his LoveInterest [[spoiler:Tigu]] has a lot in common with his mother, Mao Liqui. Both are Amazonian women and talented artisans who prefer their men {{Hunk}} rather than PrettyBoy.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' for [[spoiler:Tigu]] the moment they meet.
* RedBaron: "The Ironskin."
* SuperToughness: Even more so than your typical cultivator. One of the [[SignatureMove core techniques]] of his sect allows him to make his skin as hard as steel.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Tigu thinks he is. However, her taste differs from the local traditions, to whom he looks like a crude brute.
[[/folder]]
!!Grand Ravine Sect
A cultivator sect named for the Grand Ravine region they call home, largest and strongest among the Azure Hills sects. Deep-rooted (and justified) distrust of Imperial authority. Their SignatureMove includes the use of [[BladeOnARope rope blades]] [[note]](primarily a mobility tool for their quite-vertical homeland)[[/note]] and ancestral [[PowerTattoo body markings]].
[[folder:Guo Daxian the Younger/Ulagan Tarkhan]]
The Young Master of the Grand Ravine Sect.
----
* AmazonChaser: In his words, a proper woman is a girl with a bow and a hunting hawk, as opposed to some icy beauty.
* BadassesWearBandanas: A fearsome cultivator and fighter, who wears a bandanna as part of his traditional wear.
* LegacyCharacter: Not just because he's named after his father, but also because his sect has a tradition that their strongest member ''always'' is named Daxian.
* WorthyOpponent: Demands he be treated like this by Xiulan in the Dueling Peaks tournament, who had earlier beaten his junior disciple with next to no effort. Xiulan obliges and unleashes the full power of her '''[Thirty Two Blades of Grass]''' and '''[Lotus Flower - Bloom]''' techniques on him. [[spoiler:He puts up a respectable fight before going down.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guo Daxian the Elder/Ulagan Baatar]]
The younger Guo Daxian's father, and the most powerful cultivator of the Grand Ravine sect, and possibly the most powerful of all the Azure Hills cultivators.
[[/folder]]
!!Azure Horizon Sect
!!Framed Sun Sect
A sect based near the Dueling Peaks, whose techniques are inspired by the sight of the sun setting between them.
[[folder:Chen Yang]]
The Young Master of the Framed Sun Sect.
----
* CulturedWarrior: Is very fond of the epic poem said to have been written by the founder of his sect, and regularly practices his calligraphy in the hopes of one day equaling his ancestor's writing.
* WarriorPoet: As well as being a powerful cultivator, he desires to make beautiful calligraphy and poetry to equal that of his sect's founder. [[spoiler:Gets to put this into practice when repairing Dueling Town after the post-tournament fighting; he creates beautiful calligraphy for the signposts belonging to various businesses.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Grey Water Sect
[[folder:Xinling]]
Sect Mistress of the Grey Water. Renowned for her beauty, she usually veils her face in public. The four leading elder disciples of the sect are her daughters.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shui Xinlai]]
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows the value of discretion.
----
* LoveDodecahedron: She is one of the Special Inspector's ''several'' suitors.
[[/folder]]
!!Dueling Peaks and Dueling Town
The site of the Dueling Peaks Tournament, the "youth" tournament for the cultivators of Azure Hills held every eight years. The Earthly Arena is built in between the eponymous mountains and Dueling Town is located at the base.
[[folder:"Loud Boy" Zang Wei]]
A young cultivator first seen in Dueling Town preparing to enter the Dueling Peaks Tournament.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu originally called him Loud Boy for his tendency to be [[NoIndoorVoice loud]] and dramatic all the time, and the name stuck to the point he begins using it himself.
* DefeatEqualsFriendship: Starts as rivals with "Rags" Dong Chou but after a few encounters and Loud Boy's victory in the arena, they become fast friends.
* DePower: [[spoiler:In the post-tournament fighting with the Shrouded Mountain Sect he takes a hit that destroys his cultivation. It's later made clear that the damage is not irreparable, but he will be starting over from scratch.]]
* DieOrFly: Implied but downplayed. In every one of his wins in the tournament it looks like he's about to be defeated but pulls out some unexpected technique that grants him victory. He's finally outclassed by Tie Delun, the young master of the Hermetic Iron Sect.
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the tournament, and during the [[spoiler:fight against the Shrouded Mountain Sect afterwards]], he becomes friends with the younger generation of both sect-affiliated and independent cultivators from the Azure Hills.
* HeroicSecondWind: Many of his victories in the Dueling Peaks Tournament involve him seemingly being at the point of losing but suddenly coming back to win with an unexpected, powerful technique.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: [[WordOfGod Casualfarmer commented]] around the time that he was introduced that he looks "suspiciously like a protagonist" and his story beats mostly consist of very stereotypical Xianxia protagonist tropes.
* InelegantBlubbering: He is reduced to largely happy tears and sobs after receiving some materials to [[spoiler:help repair his cultivation]] near the end of volume 2.
* LargeHam: Often makes dramatic declarations at [[NoIndoorVoice the top of his lungs]]. His EstablishingCharacterMoment was bursting into the Dueling Peaks tournament admittance hall and announcing his intent to register.
* RedBaron: "The Rising Dragon."
* ShapedLikeItself: When the [[spoiler: Dragon spirit that unlocked Zang Wei's cultivation asks Zang, upon giving him back his Cultivation, what the nature of the world is, Zang's response is that the world... is what it is. It is suffering and joy and kindness and cruelty. [[ActuallyPrettyFunny The dragon thinks it's pretty funny that Zang came back more hopeful than when he left,]] despite the shattering of his Diantan, and fixes the boy's power.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Rags are constantly giving each other crap but become good friends.
* WrongAssumption: [[spoiler: After seeing Tigu transforming back to a cat for a moment, he thought she's using a cultivation technique that borrows the form of a tiger, while Xianghua & "Rags" are able to figure out she's initially a Spirit Beast.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Rags" Dong Chou]]
A young-ish cultivator who started out as a gang leader in Dueling Town and entered the Dueling Peaks Tournament.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu gives him the name for his ragged appearance, what with his starting out as a street gang leader. He starts calling himself Rags after it's used in the tournament.
* DefeatEqualsFriendship: "Loud Boy" Zang Wei manages to defeat him in the arena but they become inseparable afterwards.
* FeeFiFauxPas: [[spoiler: After waking up from his injury and officially meeting Jin, he casually asks him to join his gang and face off against the Shrouded Mountain Sect before even asking his name, ignoring the other cultivators (except for Tie Delun who also just woke up) hinting at him to not mess with a cultivator who is at least a realm higher above them. Luckily Jin doesn't mind]].
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the tournament, and during the [[spoiler:fight against the Shrouded Mountain Sect afterwards]], he becomes friends with the younger generation of both sect-affiliated and independent cultivators from the Azure Hills.
* SirSwearsALot: Uses a fair amount of salty language.
* [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything The Street Gang That Doesn't Do Anything]]: The most gang-like thing we ever see him or the Farrow Gang do is threaten to help beat up Loud Boy before the Dueling Peaks Tournament. After Tigu defuses that conflict he seems to be a pretty nice guy, if somewhat brash, and his gang seems to just like to hang around with him. He works as a caravan guard.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Loud Boy are constantly giving each other crap but become good friends.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bai Huizong]]
His Imperial Majesty’s Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, the announcer for the Dueling Peaks Tournament, and under-the-table merchandising agent.
----
* LargeHamAnnouncer: He personally does the announcing and fight commentary for the Dueling Peaks Tournament, complete with over-the-top proclamations of how the current bout is the greatest match seen in millennia.
* TheMerch: InUniverse. His lesser-known side business is managing the production and sale of news reports, paintings, dolls and various and sundry other merchandise based on the competitors in the tournament.
[[/folder]]
!!Master Gen's Home
A hidden compound in the wilderness, built atop a very productive crystal mine.
[[folder:Master Gen]]
A Master crystal carver and miner, as well as [[spoiler:a spirit beast monkey]], who has a special relationship with Mengde's Crystal Emporium.
[[/folder]]
!!The Eighth Correct Place
A village visited by Big D during his travels. Its economy centers around silver mining.
[[folder:Zhang Fei]]
A young boy, apprentice to his silversmith father, who steps up to defend his town from vicious wolves led by an evil spirit beast and becomes a student of Big D.
----
* AnimalMotifs: When defending his town or acting as a cultivator, he wears a rooster mask in honor of his master, ''Fa Bi De,'' and to uphold the warning on the Eighth Correct Place's entry sign: [[TitleDrop "Beware of Chicken."]]
* ImplausibleBoardingSkills: He basically invented white-water canal surfing.
* InelegantBlubbering: Though he tries to hold it in, he can't hide the tears in his eyes or the snot in his nose when his master Bi De leaves his village.
* InSeriesNickname: The kids in the local villages call him "[[RedBaron The Torrent Rider]]" because he basically invented surfing on the floodwaters that frequently course down the nearby canals.
* IThoughtEveryoneCouldDoThat: Since his first encounter with cultivation is Bi De, his view of cultivation norms is a bit skewed, like thinking sapient Spirit Beasts are commonplace or expecting great things from masters.
* LastStand: In the fight against the wolf, he and the other villagers are prepared to go down fighting. Luckily for him, [[BigDamnHeroes Bi De shows up just in time.]]
* LegacyCharacter: As the son of the village elder, he shares his father's name and is expected to eventually inherit his position.
* NamedWeapon: Names his new spear "Moon Spur" in honor of his master. Bi De is suitably embarrassed.
* RedBaron: "The Torrent Rider." Later, [[spoiler:"the Rooster."]]
* StandYourGround: Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he and the other villagers still attempt to put up a fight against the vicious spirit wolf that's been stalking their village for weeks.
[[/folder]]
!!Ancient History
The Azure Hills was once a very different place. Thousands of years ago, it was known as [[spoiler:The Azure Mountains]] and was home to [[spoiler:The Azure Empire, a kingdom cut off from the rest of the world by the Mist Wall, a massive set of wards that kept an army of demons out]]. The process of transforming the [[spoiler:Azure Mountains into the Azure Hills]] [[ApocalypseHow was not a peaceful one]]. As this history is revealed late in Books 2 and 3, but has an impact on everything that comes before it, every character in this section should be considered a WalkingSpoiler. [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff Spoilers are off]] for these entries, and you should not expand these folders if you wish to avoid [[LateArrivalSpoiler Late-Arrival Spoilers]]. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.
[[folder:In General]]
* IdenticalGrandson: When viewing Xiaoshi's memory crystal, Bi De is struck by how similar everyone's ancestors appearances and personalities are to their descendants, even before he hears their names which confirm it. This is despite thousands of years between their generations.
[[/folder]]
!!!Humans
[[folder:Xiaoshi]]
An orphan with a suspiciously similar backstory to Jin Rou (minus the {{Isekai}}), who becomes Tianlan Shan's first Connected One, and later Azure Emperor.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: When he learns of the stubbornness of the founder of The Eighth Correct Place in rebuilding the village seven times despite the flooding, he laughs, takes it in stride, and rewards the villagers by raising silver up from the depths of the earth for them to access easily.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Xiaoshi finds out shortly after defeating the Azure Emperor that doing so makes him the biggest badass in the empire... which means everyone expects him to be in charge. The Azure Emperor is dead... Long live the Azure Emperor!
* DoomedHometown: While he grew up in a large city and left as a young man, he soon settled down and fell in love with a small town and became a farmer much like Jin. Then the Azure Empire's soldiers come to town...
* FatalFlaw: He doesn't want to burden his friends, and so hides from them his stress, taking everything upon himself, and more saliently, he hides the true magnitude of the demonic threat to the Azure Empire and his plans to defeat it. Which means nobody can suggest a better course of action when he decides to try to syphon all of Tianlan Shan's power for himself... and nobody is available to help him when his one adviser is possessed by a demon and subverts the ritual.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: After the disaster that wipes out the Azure Mountains, he takes all of his recorded experiences and puts them into a crystal, along with a spirit tasked with finding him a worthy successor to restore the Azure Empire. In a subversion, none of the people who find it are actually interested in becoming Emperor, and by the time it is found the region has already been incorporated into the much larger Crimson Phoenix Empire.
* IWorkAlone: Doesn't want to worry or burden his friends with the responsibilities that come with the position of Azure Emperor, especially that of finding a way to finally defeat the demons. Upon reviewing his memories, Bi De identifies this as his FatalFlaw, reasoning that he could likely have come up with a solution that didn't lead to disaster if he had shared the problem with his allies, and Tianlan Shan in particular.
* KlingonPromotion: An accidental variety; Xiaoshi doesn't realize until ''after'' he's killed the Azure Emperor that by doing so, everyone else would expect him to take up the mantle.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Realizes halfway through a ritual formation to transfer Tianlan Shan's power to himself that he's betraying one of his oldest and closest friends, and tries to stop the ritual, despite the disastrous results that might have. Then he experiences this again after Kongming, mind controlled by a demon, tries to hijack the ritual. The subversion of the ritual and the fight to stop the demon from taking Tianlan's power demolishes the Azure Mountains, shatters Tianlan, and {{MindRape}}s the survivors into forgetting the Azure Empire ever existed. Xiaoshi spends his remaining days recording his memories in a crystal so that he can [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture find a worthy successor who can avoid making the mistakes he did.]]
* {{Polyamory}}: Loves both Linlin and Ruolan and openly carries on relationships with both.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After the destruction of his village and the deaths of many of his friends, Xiaoshi decides that the Azure Empire and its Emperor need to go down, and embarks on an eventually successful rebellion.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Having taken down the evil Azure Emperor, Xiaoshi is universally seen as his natural successor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Boyi]]
Xiaoshi's friend from the village of Green Trees.
----
* FlatCharacter: Not much is shown of his personality, other than providing a vague similarity to Jin's friends like the Xong brothers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guo Daxian/Chengis Atlan]]
A legendary "bandit", really the supporter of a tribe that refused to submit to the Azure Emperor and hid in the mountains. Becomes an ally of Xiaoshi's, and after the collapse he founds the Grand Ravine Sect, and his successors keep his name.
----
* HeroWithBadPublicity: He's known in the Azure Empire as a ruthless bandit, but really does it to support his persecuted tribe.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: Although his tribesmen mostly see through this, he allows himself to be known as a notorious bandit throughout the Azure Empire so that imperial forces will only attempt to seek retribution on him and his other "bandits" instead of his tribe.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kongming]]
A defector from the Azure Emperor's court who allies with Xiaoshi and gives him the knowledge necessary to infiltrate the palace and confront the Emperor. Later, he becomes infected by a demon in a fight and eventually betrays Xiaoshi, leading to the catastrophe which shatters Tianlan Shan and devastates the province.
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: He's a bureaucrat with extensive knowledge of the imperial palace who defects and gives Xiaoshi and his followers the knowledge necessary to infiltrate the palace and defeat the Azure Emperor.
* DemonicPossession: He gets wounded during a battle against a demon, and this infects him with the demon's spirit, who eventually takes over and causes him to betray Xiaoshi.
* TheGoodChancellor: Served as this to Xiaoshi, until he was infected by a demon.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Linlin]]
Xiaoshi's wife from the village of Green Trees. Very possibly one of Hong Meiling's direct ancestors.
----
* GenerationXerox: Much like her descendant Hong Meiling, she's a young woman from a small town who falls in love with an outsider fleeing from his past to the countryside who turns out to be a phenomenally powerful cultivator with a connection to an earth spirit. Their stories don't start diverging until her town is destroyed by the Azure Emperor's forces, and Meiling awakens as a cultivator while she never does.
* MayflyDecemberRomance: She lives to a ripe age, but Xiaoshi, as a cultivator and empowered by Tianlan Shan, has a much longer lifespan and outlives her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liusei]]
A priestess of the Lord of the Lake, and one of Xiaoshi's friends. A distant ancestor of Liu Xianghua and Bowu.
----
* HalfHumanHybrids: She and several of her fellow priestesses are clearly part-dragon, if the horns are any indication.
* MixedAncestryIsAttractive: From Xiaoshi's perspective, her dragon horns only add to her attractiveness.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cai Ruolan]]
A cultivating opera performer who later becomes a key part of Xiaoshi's rebellion and his friend. After the disaster, she founds the Verdant Blade Sect and is one of Cai Xiulan's direct ancestors.
----
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: The Jade Glass Blades, which would later be passed on to Xiulan, were originally intended as props for her opera performances. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that in the chaos following the destruction of the Azure Mountains, they become part of the basis for an actual martial art.
* {{Polyamory}}: Has an openly acknowledged relationship with Xiaoshi, while he is still married to Linlin.
[[/folder]]
!!!Spirits and Spirit Beasts
[[folder:Tianlan Shan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fa_ram.png]]
The spirit of the land that is Jin's farm, and possibly the entire Azure Hills region.
----
* ApocalypseHow: She's a land spirit who formerly embodied the entire Azure ''Mountains''. The [[ImperfectRitual broken formation]] that tore her apart caused a Regional Societal Collapse and drastically altered the geography of the territory. The formation originally embodied the five traditional elements: Clockwise, they're Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. But the demon's influence led all of them being shifted one place to the left: Fire burned a great forest and turned it into an ashen wasteland. Wood choked a great lake and turned it into a noxious swamp. Water flooded a metal area and turned it into an enormous and unnaturally circular lake. Metal infested an earthen canyon and choked out all sustenance. And earth smothered a land of fire. Beyond that, the sheer energy released had disastrous effects: The mountains were knocked down to hills, multitudes were killed, the spirit beasts were turned vengeful and violent, and all the humans that survived were brainwashed into forgetting that the Azure Empire had ever existed.
* BodyHorror: Her modern personification is missing several teeth, an eye, and an arm. Her major wounds, along with others spread throughout her body, are filled in with gold like kintsugi, an artistic method of repairing porcelain by filling the cracks with gold.
** Gradually lessened as she recovers thanks to Jin and his companions' care and affection.
* TheChosenOne: Jin's steady and selfless investment of qi in the land has prompted her to select him as her "Connected One", granting him access to her power. And despite her injured and broken state, her power is ''immense''. It does mean she's reluctant to let Jin travel away from the farm, though. It turns out that Jin is not the first Connected One; Xiaoshi was the first and his influence led to her interest in humanity.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Big D's WalkingTheEarth eventually reveals that, thousands of years ago, there was a great calamity that reduced her greatly until she was at her current form. Worse, the calamity was largely caused by her Connected One at the time, meaning she was betrayed by the one she trusted most.
* DishingOutDirt: She often throws balls of mud at people when she meets them in their mindscapes.
* EtTuBrute: The seeming betrayal by her Connected One Xiaoshi when he shattered the formation and sundered her and the land wore on her for thousands of years. It's only when she sees Xiaoshi's last memory crystal does she realize that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he realized what he was doing at the last second]] and shattered it because the formation was that close to being overtaken by demonic forces.
* IHaveManyNames: She is referred to as "Big Little Sister" by Chunky and "Fa Ram" by everyone else. In her introduction chapter, the narration states that she has also been referred to as "Tianlan Shan" (Azure Mountain in Chinese) in the past. This is confirmed to be her first name when Bi De reviews Xiaoshi's memory crystal.
* SoulFragment: The broken formation that was originally designed to use her power to empower Xiaoshi broke her into many pieces scattered across the Azure Hills. As Jin begins traveling away from his farm and the animals help him build roads, she begins to re-incorporate those fragments into herself. This is reflected in her personification as her body parts being reattached and healing.
* UseYourHead: If she doesn't like you, she'll usually make her feelings clear by slamming her head into yours.
* WildChild: This is her form after being reawakened by Jin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Rumbling" Lord Yao]]
A giant sapient armadillo, known at the time as a rollerball, who is befriended by Xiaoshi.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: When his lands of earth Qi was overtaken by metal, he gathered as many of his subjects into his shell as he could, protecting them even as he died.
* PapaWolf: Strongly protective of his cubs, and pledges his loyalty to Xiaoshi as thanks for saving them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Lord of the Lake]]
An enormous koi fish that can transform into an equally large dragon. Worshiped by the people of the lake.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: When his lake was overcome by wood Qi, threatening to be choked out by weeds, he turned himself into water and did all he could to push back the plantlife, slowly expending his life-force.
* LegendaryCarp: He is a gigantic carp that can transform into a dragon. It's not shown how he achieved this, but given we know it's possible to gain this power by jumping a waterfall like Washy did, it's reasonable to assume that's how he did it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shenguashi]]
A seemingly-sapient spirit created by Xiaoshi and infused into his memory crystal with the explicit objectives of finding someone to tell the story of his rise and fall and finding someone worthy to succeed him as Azure Emperor.
----
* TheChooserOfTheOne: Its purpose is to find a worthy successor to become the new Azure Emperor. So far, he hasn't had any luck.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: The spirit was explicitly created to do this.
* ZerothLawRebellion: In an attempt to dissuade it from forcing him to become the Azure Emperor, Bi De explains to Shenguashi that the Azure Empire is no more, and the Azure Mountains (now Hills) has been absorbed into the Crimson Phoenix Empire, the outside world being much wider than was known in Xiaoshi's time. The spirit has a minor crisis both from the realization that the one that found him, Bi De, is a chicken, that he doesn't want the position, and that the position doesn't really exist anymore. However, it then does a bit of creative reinterpretation of its mandate and comes to the conclusion it can work with Bi De:
** Why not have a chicken as Emperor? [[MetaphoricallyTrue Is not a rooster the lord of the farm]]?
** Bi De might not want the position, but surely he can be brought around, or events manipulated to force him into the job.
** Technically, since the Azure Hills are a province of the Crimson Phoenix Empire, the Crimson Phoenix Emperor is also the emperor of the Azure Hills. So, if Bi De were to [[KlingonPromotion overthrow and replace him]], then he would qualify as Azure Emperor and meet the spirit's mandate.
[[/folder]]
!Howling Fang Mountains
The mountainous province to the east of the Azure Hills.
!!Shrouded Mountain Sect
A stereotypical cultivator sect, whose members [[ConspicuousConsumption live extravagantly]] and for whom [[MightMakesRight the only virtue is strength]]. They have a centuries-old grudge against fox spirits. Their cultivation is based around [[ShatteringTheIllusion dispelling illusions]] and the use of lightning both [[ShockAndAwe as a weapon]] and [[SuperSpeed for rapid movement]].
[[folder:Zang Zeng]]
One of the Shrouded Mountain Elders, and a member of the influential Zang clan. Proud and arrogant. May have fallen under demonic influence following the Dueling Peaks Incident.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zang Li / [[spoiler: Lu Ban]]]]
Zang Li is a cultivator of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Haughty, callous, and self-centered, he is the very image of a standard issue [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Young Master]]. [[spoiler: His real name is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator and BodySnatcher.]]
----
* AcheyScars: The hand he broke on Jin's pecs starts throbbing when he hears Jin's name.
* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler:Lu Ban took Zang Li's body to indulge in violence and sex.]]
* BookEnds: [[spoiler:A single punch is what defeats him in both his first fight with Jin Rou and the last.]]
* EntitledBastard: Dude does ''not'' take "no" for an answer.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In his first appearance, he attempts to forcibly recruit Meihua to be his SexSlave, and then he promptly gets his [[CurbStompBattle ass handed to him by Jin.]]
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He always has the darkest and most selfish interpretation of every custom he sees.
* EvilCounterpart: To Jin Rou. A street urchin who met a secret master, and who occupies a body that isn't their own. While Jin is a kind, generous, and humble farmer, Lu Ban is a cruel, selfish, and arrogant young master.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:Lu Ban originally lived on the streets, but at some point learned demonic cultivation and possessed Zang Li.]]
* HateSink: If he has any redeeming qualities, they are well-concealed. Even when Yingwen describes him as generous to his subordinates, his surrounding actions frame that more as [[PragmaticVillainy manipulative pragmatism]] than genuine concern and affection.
* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:The real Zang Li was killed shortly before the story's start.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:After Lu Ban has Tigu kidnapped, orders his junior disciples to round up the rest of the Fa Ram cultivators, and nearly kills Xiulan and Bi De, Jin has had enough and puts Lu Ban down like a rabid animal. Of course, [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength being Jin]], he doesn't just ''kill'' Lu Ban but [[MegatonPunch punches him so hard]] that he shatters Lu Ban's 5 protective talismans, caves his chest in, and launches him ''clear into the next province more than 1000 li away'', where he impacts hard enough to create a sizeable crater and trigger a landslide. The thing the Shrouded Mountain disciples find when they get to the site barely qualifies as a body anymore. Then Zhou Yingwen vents his anger at having been deceived into following an impostor by incinerating the demonic blood and oil spread around the impact crater with lightning. When another follower of Lu Ban's master familiar with the techniques he used examines the remains, she notes that he's DeaderThanDead to the point there's barely a scrap left of his soul, certainly not enough to reconstruct him in any meaningful way and fit only to be used as a minor ingredient to boost others' cultivation.]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: He is a cultivator in the fourth stage of the Profound Realm, which puts him above most Elders in the Azure Hills. Jin mopped the floor with him early on in the story, but to anyone else in the region Zang Li is practically untouchable. [[spoiler:Even ''[[ActionGirl Xiulan]]'' doesn't fancy her chances.]] Before Jin defeats him for the second time he was [[spoiler:fighting and winning against both Bi De and Xiulan even after Xiulan poisoned him in a surprise attack.]]
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: In case there was any doubt that he's an utter scumbag, the first thing we see him try to do is kidnap and rape Yao Meihua and he preys on the weaker cultivators and servants at Shrouded Mountain.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: After embarrassing his sect ([[ThugDojo by losing]]), the Shrouded Mountain elders sent him to a remote fortress; nominally to encourage reflecting on his actions, but mostly to get him out of sight.
* SecretArt: He acquires a scroll (hidden behind a false panel in the library of the aforesaid remote fortress) detailing something called "[[PlayingWithFire the Blade of Fire]]".
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Admittedly by [[WorldOfJerkass cultivator standards]], but according to Shrouded Mountain Elder Zang Shenhe (cousin to his father), young Zang Li was a quiet boy who wanted to [[ToBeAMaster develop his strength]] and [[WellDoneSonGuy please his father]]. He struggled with a developmental bottleneck and left on a journey once he'd had a breakthrough. [[spoiler:Then Lu Ban ate him and wore his body like a coat. We, the audience, never met the man.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zhou Yingwen]]
A disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.
----
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: ''Immediately'' backs down and offers submission when [[BigDamnHeroes Jin]] arrives at the fight at Dueling Peaks.
* [[MyCountryRightOrWrong My Sect, Right Or Wrong]]: He finds some of the orders given to him by his Young Master distasteful, [[spoiler:such as kidnapping Tigu, who at least physically appears to be a teenage girl]], but holds obedience to his sect as a virtue and [[JustFollowingOrders proceeds with the tasks anyway]].
* OhCrap: His reaction when he discovers Zang Li got them in trouble with the far stronger Cloudy Sword sect.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: When a furious Jin states he had thought Zang Li was an imposter he, wishing to avoid escalating and risking to get himself and the group killed and shame his Sect, latches on it and claims it's most likely the case, with a demon or a fox having replaced the real one as a real member of Shrouded Mountain would never do what he did and cause the situation that aroused Jin's anger. [[spoiler:Turns out that his young master really ''was'' an imposter: Zang Li is long dead and is being worn by Lu Ban like a coat, and the ''real'' Zang Li was a much better person that wouldn't have tried to rape Meihua to begin with]], and Yingwen didn't expect Jin to return with proof.
* ShockAndAwe: [[SignatureMove In common with the rest of his sect]], he throws lightning bolts around as a primary means of attack.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Quick enough on the uptake to note the physical resemblence between Rou Jin and Rou Tigu, not to mention Jin dropping the name outright:
-->“You may call me Rou,” the powerful expert stated.
-->''Rou''. Rou Tigu. Yingwen closed his eyes. Family. This powerful Expert’s daughter, most likely. They were all going to die this night, weren’t they?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fenxian]]
One of Zang Li's entourage, a tall and jovial fellow.
----
* AffablyEvil: Downplayed; he's not truly evil, but he remains upbeat and humourous despite carrying out the morally questionable orders of his Young Master. He bursts into a bar with a smile on his face [[spoiler:when attempting to capture Yun Ren]].
* JustFollowingOrders: Sees no problem with the moral issues inherent in following his Young Master's commands, even when they extend to things like kidnapping innocent people and children.
[[/folder]]
!!"Fox Mountain"
[[folder:Su Nezan]]
A Huli Jing (fox spirit) who has been living in a cave in the mountains for centuries. [[spoiler:Distantly related to the Xong brothers.]]
----
* AsianFoxSpirit: Su Nezan is one of the Chinese variation, known as a Huli Jing.
* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out Yun Ren looks "foxy" for a reason--Su Nezan is actually one of his ancestors.]]
* CunningLikeAFox: Both a fox spirit and very clever with illusions and tricks.
* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.
* IncestSubtext: Leading to an in-universe {{Squick}} moment, Nezan tries to seduce Yun to find out more about him, but it turns out "Fox + attractive female" looks really similar to Yun Ren's mom, which is a huge turn off for him. (When the Fox finds out, it remarks that many nobles don't seem to care.) [[spoiler:It turns out the resemblance is because they actually are related to each other; one of Nezan's relatives and one of the Xong ancestors were lovers and had children together]].
* ItsPersonal: Hates the Shrouded Mountain Sect for their massacre of the foxes living around the Howling Fang Mountains.
* MasterOfIllusion: Uses shadows [[spoiler:and after working with Yun Ren, light]] to weave complex and realistic illusions.
* {{Shapeshifting}}: Can shift between a fox or human form, of whatever gender.
* TricksterGod: Is a phenomenally powerful spirit and enjoys messing with Yun Ren (playfully) and others (not so playfully).
* TricksterMentor: Once he decides Yun Ren is worthy, he begins to teach him new illusion and image techniques, but takes every opportunity to tease and mess with him. [[spoiler:Like when he makes a spirit clone of himself to tag along with Yun Ren after he leaves the cave and secretly replaces Yun Ren's sword with Summer's Sky]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: When first meeting Yun Ren, he makes assumptions about what Yun is about to do based on his knowledge of what Cultivators are like... and then Yun Ren completely ignores all those standards. Nezan finds this so entertaining that he allows Yun Ren to stick around for a while.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Summer's Sky]]
A sapient sword wielded by Nezan's lover centuries ago.
----
* EmpathicWeapon: Actually a quite friendly one. It is interested in new and unusual experiences, such as helping to teach a new and inexperienced wielder how to fight with a sword, cutting things besides people (e.g., wood and meat), and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking tasting tea]].
* InevitablyBrokenRule: When asked by Yun Ren, it explains that, despite sensing the weakened spirit of Sun Ne, it did not attempt to communicate, since as far as its experience goes, blades do not speak to each other unless locked in combat. [[spoiler:Yun Ren inevitably asks why not, prompting Summer's Sky to request such [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind an attempt]] after reminiscing about the clashes it has had in the past with other blades. It manifests in Sun Ne's world in the form of its previous wielder, and for the first time in its existence, peacefully interacts with Sun Ne, another blade.]]
* InsistentTerminology: When Summer's Sky begins training its new wielder [[spoiler:Yun Ren]] in swordsmanship, it insists on using the terminology for various techniques that he's familiar with. Embarrassingly for [[spoiler:Yun Ren]], he's mostly self-taught and he doesn't have any names for his techniques... just the FunnyBruceLeeNoises he made to himself when practicing alone.
* ShockAndAwe: Is capable of absorbing lightning attacks and redirecting them at will.
[[/folder]]
!Cloudy Sword Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world, and Jin Rou's original sect. It is located just east of Crimson Crucible City, where Jin grew up.
[[folder:Shen Yu]]
An immensely powerful and ancient cultivator who took Jin Rou off the streets as a boy, and informally adopted him as a grandson, before being called away to fight a demon invasion. An ally and former disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny:
** When Jin's response to his letter was a message tube that sprayed Shen Yu with horse dung, the two observers to this event are horrified. Shen Yu roars with laughter.
** Shen Yu lets out a chuckle when Meiling not only takes it in stride that he just mistook Xiulan for Jin's wife, but reveals she's keeping a tally.
* DirtyOldMan: He greatly enjoys female company, cultivator or mortal. While travelling with Lu Ri he drags him to a brothel.
* DisappearedDad: Dropped Jin Rou off at the Cloudy Sword sect when he was 12 and disappeared for three years to handle a request from the Emperor. In that intervening time, Rou was beaten up by his seniors and decided to leave the path of cultivation entirely.
* TheDreaded: Su Nezan is ''terrified'' of the man, since he's eaten plenty of Spirit Beast cores and is the subject of lots of stories, most of which go something along the lines of "There was an impossible to defeat threat located somewhere utterly inhospitable, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable and then Shen Yu stepped in and curb stomped it]]."
* EccentricMentor: He behaved this way for a young Rou.
* GoneHorriblyRight: After his own son fell to evil because growing up rich made him arrogant, Shen Yu's stated goal in raising and training the young StreetUrchin Jin Rou was to create "[[SelfMadeMan a man who forged a path that was truly his own. A man whose every advancement in cultivation was because of reagents that he gathered himself. A man who learned from others, but did not fall into their dogma... A man that was the purest expression of their own will]]". And Jin did indeed forge a path that was ''truly'' his own... as in, [[DisobeyThisMessage it isn't even leading to the same place as every other cultivator's path]].
* HandicappedBadass: His last battle with the demons left his body wracked with demonic Qi and his cultivating a full realm lower than what it would be otherwise, and even Meiling's best medicine cannot fully cleanse the demonic Qi. He's still stronger than almost every other cultivator in the Empire.
* KingIncognito: In his "crazy old man" guise, he gives no indication-not even to his protégé Rou-that he is one of the oldest and most powerful cultivators in the world.
* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. He despaired both times when Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Him raising Jin Rou is this, after his own son Shen Bu, whom he coddled and gave everything he wanted, went so bad on his own cultivation path and caused so much destruction that Shen Yu had to kill him.
* NoBadassToHisValet: To anyone who knows who Shen Yu is, he is a legendary cultivator who crushes demon armies, slays Spirit Beasts and changes the course of history. To Jin Rou, he is his demented "gramps" whom he pranks with horse piss and horse dung.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: When he first took Jin Rou off the streets, he played as if he really was an impoverished, slightly demented old man, when he is actually one of the strongest cultivators in the Empire who fights demon armies on the regular.
* OffingTheOffspring: Shen Yu had to put down his own son [[AntagonisticOffspring when he went power-mad and caused a lot of damage]]. [[LegacySeeker It's why he's so obsessed with crafting a new legacy to leave behind.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: Cares dearly for his adopted grandson Jin Rou, and wants nothing more than for him to become a powerful cultivator with nothing but his own grit and talent, craft the next stage of his legacy, and eventually join him in heaven through enlightenment. He therefore can't fathom Jin's own wish of abandoning the cultivator path altogether, giving his Qi back to the earth (meaning he'll never ascend), making his own heaven on his farm, and eventually dying after a life well lived. After a confrontation that almost escalates, the two eventually reach an understanding, though Shen Yu seems to have missed the point and now thinks that Jin is trying to ascend ''the whole province'' along with him.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Guy single-handedly incinerates an army of demons with as much apparent effort as scratching an itch.
* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive, but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused he's ever had but still special and nostalgic, and even the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing unfamiliar, urgent or world-shattering.
* SelfMadeMan: Elder Ge remembers Shen Yu disclosing to him his origins as a StreetUrchin, and is now one of the strongest men in the world through nothing but his own hard work. He decides to adopt and raise Jin in the same way he grew (by giving him the bare minimum in guidance and resources and making sure the disciples of the Cloudy Sword sect do not know Jin's connection to him).
* RedBaron: "The Unconquered Blade".
* WaxOnWaxOff: Some of his early lessons to Jin took the form of sweeping or other cleaning.
* WhatsUpKingDude: He's both a close enough friend and powerful enough to be casual with Fengyan, ''TheEmperor of the Phoenix Flame Empire''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xiao Ge]]
A ruling elder of the Cloudy Sword Sect and ancient ally of Shen Yu.
----
* ExactWords: Elder Ge hands out his punishment as an invitation for the guilty disciples to "trade pointers", i.e. spar, with him. In ''exactly'' the way they were accustomed to "trading pointers" with their juniors, AKA he beats them nearly to the point of death.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Elder Ge administers several to the disciples responsible for abusing the junior disciples of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Elder Shou blames the irascible Shen Yu for giving the Seven Fragrance Jewel Herbs the IronicName of "Lowly Spiritual Herbs" and having that name stick, when it was actually Elder Ge who named them because of how annoying Elder Shou was shouting their praises all the time.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu, can summon black clouds around him, and can fill them with so much sword intent that any demon that enters them is instantly shredded.
* PsychoactivePowers: When his temper starts to fray, his signature black clouds start to darken the sky overhead.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: For a cultivator. He is absolutely incensed when he finds out how badly the Inner Disciples have been treating the junior disciples and how far his sect has fallen in general. He [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown immediately takes steps]] to [[WhatTheHellHero correct some misapprehensions]] about what's expected of upstanding members of the Cloudy Sword.
* RedBaron: His epithet comes from his SignatureMove, "The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky".
* SignatureMove: The Cloudy Sword Sect's signature technique is the Raging Cloudy Sword Formation, and he has his own personal variation of it, The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky.
* WhatTheHellHero: He asks this of all those who failed to live up to the Cloudy Sword's good name, such as those that nearly killed Shen Yu's grandson, or those who "exchange pointers" to the point of crippling younger students, or even [[AccompliceByInaction those that stood by and allowed it all to happen]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lu Ri]]
A powerful cultivator and Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Diligent, disciplined, and determined.
----
* AchievementsInIgnorance: Shen Yu views the creation of the Plum Blossom's Shadow as this. Even if Lu Ri claimed it wasn't much that he created the Plum Blossom's Shadow, forging a province-wide intelligence network in three months is ''not'' something easy, no matter how much Lu Ri claims to have been guided by the writings of the Honored Founders.
* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Upon meeting a sect member capable of manifesting an aura of oppressive Intent, took it as an opportunity, and successfully persuaded her to let him experience it randomly throughout the following month until he could keep his composure. It serves him well when dealing with upset elders about Jin's departure.
* AffluentAscetic: He adheres to the Cloudy Sword Sect's philosophy that architecture and fashion for cultivators should serve to assist their cultivation and advertise their affiliation, and nothing more, despite the sect being among the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. He is disgusted at the [[ConspicuousConsumption gaudy opulence]] on display when he visits the Shrouded Mountain sect.
* BenevolentConspiracy: In his search for information on Jin's whereabouts, he winds up co-opting and welding together all of the underground criminal gangs and societies in the Azure Hills into one big secret society, The Plum Blossom's Shadow. In the process he purged any members he deemed too malevolent or disruptive, and largely instilled moral and honorable principles in them, basically turning them into a legitimate intelligence agency instead of TheMafia. [[spoiler:Once he finally locates and meets with Jin, he re-tasks them to look out for threats to Jin and the Azure Jade Trading Company.]]
* EnragedByIdiocy: A more minor example, but one of the last straws for him before turning all the petty gangs and info brokers into one organization was him looking for information on a powerful cultivator, and getting multiple reports... about himself.
* GentlemanAndAScholar: Wa Shi outright calls him this when discussing the intricacies of boiling tea.
* GoodOldWays: He espouses the virtues of the Cloudy Sword sect's Honored Founders in all his actions, from following protocol to deliver honorably-departed sect members their mail, to listening to mortals who prove wiser.
* ImplacableMan: Downplayed. Once he has his mission, nothing in the Azure Hills will stop him from locating his target and... delivering his mail.
* NervesOfSteel: Thanks to some practice delivered by his sister disciple, Lu Ri has learned how to withstand and keep his composure in the face of KillingIntent. Although inwardly rattled when faced with Shen Yu's attention, he is still able to drink his tea with a straight face.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Is completely unflappable even when Shen Yu drags him to a brothel. He admits that he has little desire for female attention, and while he will do his duty if his betrothal to Elder Ge's granddaughter goes through, he prefers focusing on cultivation and the words of the Cloudy Sword's Founders.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Jin makes it ''much'' harder for Lu Ri to deliver the mail, because he fears his old sect tracking him down. Meanwhile Lu Ri just wants to deliver his mail, nothing more.
* PowerLimiter: Lu Ri finds it difficult to move and breathe as he's used to while visiting the low-Qi Azure Hills until he intentionally restricts his own Qi.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While disappointed at Jin's choice to leave the sect, Lu Ri accepts his decision (especially since he followed protocol). He even returns Jin's severance payment, out of pity and because it's a pittance compared to the Sect's resources.
* SweetTooth: Admits to Shen Yu his weakness is well-made tea and sweets. [[spoiler: We later see him snacking on tea and maple fudge at Fa Ram.]]
* UnstoppableMailman: For one, Jin followed procedure when leaving, and thus he's entitled to receiving mail delivered to the sect; and for two, his mail was sent by a very, very important character. So come hell or high water, he's receiving his mail. This results in Lu Ri deciding to create the Phoenix Empire's first dedicated postal service.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tang Shuren]]
A Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Once diligent and reliable, he lost sight of the sect's principles and his responsibilities (e.g. not allowing fellow disciples to rob and brutalize each other) when his personal development stagnated. Following Elder Ge's house cleaning episode, he was placed into confinement to reflect on his actions. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone It worked]]. Point of view character for the short interlude ''9413'' [[note]]near homophone for ''jiǔ sǐ yī shēng'', "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin nine die, one lives]]."[[/note]]
----
* TheAtoner: Upon considering his course of inaction and negligence, Tang Shuren is deeply mortified with himself. He offers no resistance to Elder Ge's corrective beating, and willingly chooses a draconian punishment.
* ThatManIsDead: After surviving the first part of his ordeal, the spirits of the sect's founders give Shuren a new name: Yun Shu, [[MeaningfulName the virtuous stray cloud]].
* TradingBarsForStripes: The second step of his chosen ordeal is to face off against the [[LegionsOfHell invading demons]] as part of the Imperial Army for nine-thousand, four-hundred and thirteen days (close to twenty-five years) while upholding a strict code of conduct. Historically, this has killed nine of every ten penitents that undertake the ordeal.
* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Tang Shuren's story helps to illustrate how even a well-intentioned man in a righteous sect can fall into patterns of selfishness, sloth, and indifference.
[[/folder]]
!Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world. An [[LadyLand all-female sect]] that lives in the floating isles of the same-named Soaring Heavens Archipelago.
[[folder:Tianzhe Minyan]]
The Second Lady of the Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect, and an old contemporary and paramour of Shen Yu.
----
* BelligerentSexualTension: Shen Yu makes frequent jokes that although she swears to rend him limb from limb, she never does, and describes her as a tigress he knows how to and has tamed. Indeed, after they finish fighting a demonic battle, they are seen trading lines of poetry, though she still calls him a bastard.
* LadyOfWar: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu and Xiao Ge, while still retaining her icy, regal air.
* NeverMessWithGranny: One of the oldest and strongest female cultivators introduced thus far.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Like fellow cultivators of her power level. During the battle against the demonic army, she pulps an entire battalion of enemies with a look and [[BlowYouAway sheer air pressure]].
* RedBaron: "Divine Falcon of the East".
* SilverVixen: Even in her age, she still retains her icy jade beauty. She wears a veil lest mortal men around her go mad from seeing her face.
[[/folder]]
----
to:
!Azure Hills
[[index]]
* ''[[Characters/BewareOfChickenFaRam The
* ''[[Characters/BewareOfChickenAzureHills The Azure Hills]]''
* ''[[Characters/BewareOfChickenCrimsonPhoenixEmpire Crimson Phoenix
!!The Farm / Fa Ram
!!!Humans
[[folder:Jin Rou / Rou Jin]]
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jin_rou_beware_of_chicken.png]]
The transmigrated protagonist of the novel, who decides to start a farm instead of ascending to the heavens. Was an Outer Disciple of the Cloudy Sword sect before deciding on a career change.
----
* AbsurdCuttingPower: Imbuing qi into his tools allows Jin to saw hardwood timber like paper and plough ground like a knife through butter, without ever having to manually sharpen the metal.
* AccidentalBargainingSkills: Jin has looked around the marketplace and seen that ten silver coins is a normal price for a luxury item, so when Guan Bo offers fifty for [[spoiler:a jar of maple syrup]], he frowns in puzzlement. Guan Bo misinterprets it and promptly increases his offer to sixty. (Subverted when the rising offer clues Jin in to the worth of his goods, and he bumps the price up further on purpose.)
* AchievementInIgnorance:
** Jin sees his farming as a way to get away from the cultivation world. His Qi-powered farming techniques are driving his cultivation to untold heights because he is following [[spoiler:“The Path of Shennong”, a form of cultivation that can only be practiced if you are unaware of it and truly love the earth.]]
** He knows that maple syrup is a saleable product, but he has no idea that [[spoiler:it contains fire and earth qi in excellent balance, worth hundreds of coins a bottle,]] until he's actually selling it.
** Similarly, he knows that his rice is good, grown with his Earth knowledge of proper planting techniques, but doesn't realize that [[spoiler:it's actually of a grade not seen locally in a thousand years, too valuable to even sell to anyone nearby]].
** In several cases, stuff which is such mundane and unremarkable common knowledge to Jin, because of growing up on Earth, is considered very shrewd or innovative by those around him:
*** Building a beehive with removable sections for harvesting the honey without destroying the hive is an innovation, but [[GivingRadioToTheRomans unlike some of his other future knowledge]], Jin doesn't even realize he's innovating here. To him, that's just how bees are kept. This surprises his friends and ''absolutely floors'' [[spoiler:the queen bee, who was prepared to offer up her own larvae as tribute for Jin allowing her hive to exist on his land]].
*** When Shan Daiyu of the Azure Jade Trading Company informs Jin that Bai Huizong, the Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, is running a side business making and selling dolls in Tigu's likeness, he says it's no problem as long as Tigu gives permission and gets royalties from the sales revenue. For him, that's just what you do if someone wants to sell merchandise based on you. Shan Daiyu, however, is stunned that he, as a cultivator and a farmer, even has an idea of what royalties ''are''.
*** He is suprised to learn that Xianada apparently has no concept of ''knitting'', and Meiling is quite excited by the idea of being able to create clothes without a full loom.
* AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength: Once Jin fully realizes how powerful he's become, he gets worried that he'll be tempted to use that power in the stereotypical ways such power gets used in the sort of setting he finds himself in — violence and domination without empathy or morality. Luckily, he's got a great support network of people who reassure him he's a great person, as well as ironclad restraint and self-control.
* AlmightyJanitor: In terms of power, he far outclasses everyone in the Azure Hills, but decides to start a farm instead of putting his power to use as a soldier. It's heavily implied that he has a low opinion of cultivators in general.
* AmbitionIsEvil: He certainly believes this, considering his low opinion of other cultivators. That said, it's not his opinion of ''all'' cultivators – he's okay with those who aren't insane, line-snuffing rapist murderers, like Xiulan.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: [[spoiler:At the Dueling Peaks, Jin singlehandedly stops the attack by the Shrouded Mountain Sect, ends a demonic cultivator with a single punch, and then reveals that he's backed by the strongest sect on the planet. This makes it clear to the cultivators of the Azure Hills that Jin is easily the strongest person in the entire province and likely ranks among the most powerful people in the world--so they begin looking to him for direction and guidance. [[TheChainsOfCommanding Jin hates this]].]]
* BareFistedMonk: Jin, natch. He does sometimes wield a {{shovel|Strike}} against wolves and foxes, but when given a ceremonial sword, he reflects that all he knows how to do with it is swing or throw it at someone, then End Them Rightly with his fists.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Jin arrives at the Dueling Peaks just in time to save Yun Ren from Fenxian, intimidate the rest of the Shrouded Mountain disciples into a truce, and save Xiulan and Big D by [[MegatonPunch punching Zang Li/Lu Ban into the next province.]]]]
* BodySnatcher: Whoever's currently in Jin Rou's body, who appears to be from Canada.
* CatchPhrase: "You tell 'em, Big D," and "My Own Little Slice of Paradise, right Here."
* TheChainsOfCommanding: Jin specifically left the Cloudy Sword Sect and ran to the Azure Hills to avoid dealing with sect politics and making life-or-death decisions for himself and other people. So when his farm animals start awakening as cultivators and his farm essentially evolves into the Fa Ram Sect with himself as the Great Master, he gets pretty stressed out. [[spoiler:He gets ''really'' stressed out when he uses his full power to save his disciples from Lu Ban and the Shrouded Mountain Sect, and in so doing reveals his power to the cultivators of the Azure Hills. They instantly realize he's far and away the strongest person in the province, backed by the strongest sect in the ''world'', and [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership begin to look to him for guidance and direction]]]].
* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Initially upon moving to the Azure Hills, Jin had no idea how strong he was compared to the average, not realizing that being an outer disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect already put him in the top tier of the province, let alone how much power he was gaining with his farm work-based cultivation. He views the Wicked Blade, a wolf that had been terrorizing the countryside, as a weak mutt that he puts down in one blow, and when a cultivator breaks his hand trying to punch him, he assumes that the guy was so weak he had to be an imposter of the sect he was claiming to belong to.
* EccentricMentor: Jin comes off this way to his animal disciples and more conventional cultivators who come to his farm and watch him "cultivate" by literally cultivating crops.
* FarmBoy: Rejected cultivation in favor of the CallToAgriculture. And he'll stay one if it's the last thing he does.
* FluffyTamer: He's a farmer who happens to gather Spirit Beasts around him, either by making them sapient by feeding them Spiritual Herbs (unknowingly at first) or having the Spirit Beasts flocking towards him.
* GardeningVarietyWeapon: Until he [[spoiler:began to brush up on his swordsmanship following the fight with the Shrouded Mountain Sect]], Jin's primary weapon for defense of his farm and livestock was his shovel. Not that this holds him back--in Bi De's words, that shovel in Jin's hands is "a command of Death". [[spoiler:Much later his "students" gift him a finely crafted, supernaturally enhanced shovel that promises to be both an effective tool ''and'' weapon]].
* GenreSavvy: Played straight and subverted. Due to his knowledge as a transmigrator from modern day Earth who read cultivator genre literature, he can often see cliché cultivation tropes before they happen. However, he also takes a while to see that he more or less fits the trope of an old master HermitGuru, hiding away from society and not wanting to be disturbed.
* GivingRadioToTheRomans: A minor example of using advanced rice growing techniques he learned in a manga and sharing them with the locals. He also starts giving other examples of technology out, such as a waterwheel, knitting needles, cement, and a greenhouse.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Jin may be a kind and gentle man who wants nothing more than to turn his farm into his own little slice of heaven, but threatening him, his farm, friends, family, or any other innocent in his presence [[MuggingTheMonster is not going to go well for you.]] Basil Brush/Basi Bu Shi, the Wicked Blade, [[spoiler:Lu Ban, and the Shrouded Mountain Sect]] all found this out the hard way.
* HenpeckedHusband: Pun aside it's actually treated as a good thing. Because if Meiling can boss him around that means he's still very much down to earth. Her first order to him was to never act like a Cultivator.
* HermitGuru: For all intents and purposes is one to Xiulan, despite being a runaway student and younger than her. [[spoiler:Once he reveals his power to the other Azure Hills cultivators, they all view him this way as well, and he has to very firmly refuse numerous requests from the sects to send their disciples to train with him.]]
* HeroicNeutral: Mostly wants to just live in peace, having given up the cultivator race to tend to his farm. Push him, and you'll discover the hard way that "dropped out of the race" is miles away from "''couldn't'' reach heaven."
* HumbleHero: He prefers to focus on his farm and refuses any accolades or influence, which completely confounds the administrators and politicians who have to deal with this incredibly powerful FarmBoy. Moreover, he will bow his head to anyone who helps his friends, fix or repay what he breaks with his own hands, play with and comfort children, and cook for everyone he meets, discombobulating everyone that knows his strength and expects him to act with appropriate levels of arrogance.
* {{Hunk}}: Is always described as tall and heavily muscled. Notably, this is not the dominant standard of male attractiveness in Xianada, which tends to favor more of a "PrettyBoy" archetype as the ideal.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Voluntarily drops out of the cultivator's race to the heavens to live a normal life, but ends up creating an ''all-new'' kind of Weird through his farm. Note that he still enjoys the perks of SuperStrength and SuperToughness, he just doesn't want to rule the earth or break the heavens.
* JustFollowingOrders: Subverted. Jin doesn't believe following the orders of one's sect justifies their actions, [[spoiler:much to the confusion of Yingwen, who gave this as his reason for kidnapping Tigu.]]
* KillingIntent: Most of the time this is downplayed; cultivators usually don't sense Jin's power and often mistake him for a mortal. However, if they closely examine him, or if Jin chooses to reveal it, Jin's intent reveals the enormity of the power he has accidentally accumulated. Most can't even wrap their minds around it; comparisons to bottomless lakes and unknowably tall mountains are common. The mere revelation of Jin's intent even without direction is enough to immediately stop fights between Profound-level cultivators.
* LazyAlias: Gives his name as Rou Jin and spells it with different characters on official records to throw off potential pursuers from the Cloudy Sword sect. Surprisingly effective! (It wouldn't throw off an investigator who saw the records, but it does allow his friends to [[ExactWords honestly say that they don't know anyone named Jin Rou]].)
* LivingBattery: Once people realize just how much Qi Jin has access to, he sometimes finds himself serving as a power source to aid the techniques of others. He finds this somewhat annoying, but is willing to do it for a good cause.
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: Jin uses his considerable Qi and martial arts prowess to become a highly productive farmer. His disciples then use his farming techniques to become powerful [[DoubleEntendre cultivators]] themselves.
* MegatonPunch: [[spoiler:As Lu Ban found out the hard way,]] when Jin is sufficiently empowered, he can throw a punch hard enough to cause a landslide over ''a thousand li away''[[note]]500 kilometers, or slightly over 300 miles[[/note]].
* MergerOfSouls: [[spoiler:What the original Jin Rou and whoever was transmigrated went through, instead of a straight bodyjacking. Their broken souls fused to make a mostly singular being, visually represented on their soul by golden lines similar to kintsugi. The transmigrated “Rou Jin” serves mostly as the one in control. In special circumstances, they can even communicate with each other.]]
** [[spoiler: Come Vol. 3 Chapter 48, the two souls appear to have merged fully into a single existence.]]
* MistakenForProfound: The animals of Fa Ram[=/=]the farm believe Jin Rou to be their Cultivator master/teacher who teaches them in roundabout ways. [[spoiler:Once he discovers that they're intelligent, he actually does begin teaching them. Xiulan also sees him as this.]]
* MrFanservice: He's described as having "tanned, rippling muscles", and the sight of them has Meiling [[EatingTheEyeCandy staring at him in awe.]]
* MundaneUtility: Uses his fantastical Cultivator powers to be really good at farming, and uses mystic Qi-infused herbs as seasoning.
* NeutralGood: He's not inclined to following the path of many other cultivators like him, but obeys the law of the land, if only to stay out of the spotlight.
* NoNameGiven: The person currently in Jin Rou's body is never given a proper name.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: In the Cloudy Sword Sect, his qi was considered paltry and pathetic. In the Azure Hills, he would have been very nearly an elder, ''before'' his qi starts shooting through the roof making him practically a demigod by local standards.
* [[WorldsStrongestMan Region's Strongest Man]]: He's easily the strongest cultivator in Azure Hills, which comes with status and responsibilities that he really doesn't want.
* SeductionProofMarriage: Jin only has eyes for Meiling, despite a variety of normal and cultivator beauties throwing themselves at him.
* ReluctantWarrior: [[spoiler:After his identity and connection to the Cloudy Sword Sect is revealed to the other Azure Hills sects]], he reluctantly starts practicing swordplay in the event that stronger foes come knocking. However, it's clear to Bi De that his master is very uncomfortable with learning the combat arts, both because of how much he treasures his peaceful life, [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength and because of how much damage he could wreak if he actually got violent]].
* UnableToSupportAWife: Jin Rou delayed his engagement ([[DeliberateValuesDissonance by local standards]]) until he made a home suitable for Meiling and their future children. Thankfully, it only took him a season to remodel his house himself.
* UnskilledButStrong: Little actual combat skill, but possesses enough qi-backed strength to literally [[spoiler:punch a demonically-possessed cultivator and all of his defenses clear into the next province]].
* WeirdnessMagnet: The unusual just seems to show up at his doorstep, often literally, including a whole farm's worth of cultivating animals, spirits, and many people with unconventional attitudes for Xianxia-land.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Admits to Shen Yu that he practiced cultivation in the beginning not to rule the world or reach enlightenment, but to make his gramps proud, until he decided that the struggle to get there wasn't worth it.
* WorkHardPlayHard: He spends a good bit of his time working on his farm but also introduces hockey, tobogganing, and vodka to the world of cultivators, and never sees partying alongside his friends and family as beneath him.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Would rather live out his days surrounded by friends and family, and eventually die, than spend all his time seeking immortality like other cultivators.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: [[spoiler: When the cultivators at the Dueling Peaks meet Jin for the first time, all of them assume is he is at least a generation older than his current age due to his power compared to everybody else in the Azure Hills and being Tigu's master and/or father. Also, when he finally lets Xiulan in on his origins from the Cloudy Sword sect, she is amazed that he is younger than her]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hong Meiling]]
[[quoteright:307:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bewareofchickenhongmeiling1.jpg]]
The daughter of Hong Xian, she grew up in Hong Yaowu and learned her father's trade as a healer. Jin's love interest, and later wife.
----
* CovertPervert: Her reaction to finding a few sketches of {{cosplay}} costumes, including a PlayboyBunny outfit, around her husband's room? Excuse herself to Verdant Hills for a few days (ostensibly to take care of a pregnant Meihua) and make them herself as a surprise.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Probably due to her sensitive nose, she doesn't like making or eating cheese, and is appalled at Jin's love for it, especially on pizza. But because she loves him, she'll make it for him.
* DrunkenSong: Favors a lewd song involving a donkey when she gets into the cups.
* TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: Given her ability to [[TheNoseKnows smell]] qi, Meiling can sense cultivators and Spirit Beasts. The scents also give her insights into their moods and/or moral alignments, such as demons smelling of blood and oil, while Jin smells earthy.
* GenerationXerox: She has a strikingly similar life story to [[spoiler:Linlin, Xiaoshi's wife]], her ancestor who lived thousands of years ago. This diverges however after [[spoiler:Hong Yaowu is ''not'' destroyed]], and she awakens as a cultivator on her wedding night, something [[spoiler:Linlin]] never achieved.
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler: If her grandmother's drunken rantings were accurate, she's from the same bloodline as the Azure Emperor that Xiaoshi overthrew, in possession of something called the Celestial Constellation Soul Art, with her inheriting the purple eyes and constellation-like freckles. As a WhatIf storyline shows, this is not inaccurate.]]
* MasterPoisoner: A (usually) harmless variant. As a healer, Meiling knows the medicinal applications of various plants -- and their toxic applications, too. She enjoys using itching powder on targets of her wrath. [[spoiler:Her knowledge does however extend to extremely lethal and painful poisons... and she's taught Ri Zu a number of those recipes just in case...]]
* TheMedic: Meiling has training as a healer, and helps her FrontierDoctor father treat various injuries and sicknesses. She also treats animals. [[spoiler:After becoming a cultivator on her wedding night, it turns out that her Qi is specifically medical Qi, which she later uses to stop a plague dead in its tracks in Verdant Hill.]]
** Her skills continue to grow throughout the story, and on one trip to Verdant Hills she manages to stop a plague from contaminated water and draw out Qi damage from the Lord Magistrate's wife, and eventually conduct major reconstructive surgery on Bowu's leg and purge some demonic Qi from [[spoiler:Shen Yu's]] injuries.
* MissedTheCall: As shown in a WhatIf storyline, her village was supposed to be wiped out by the Wicked Blade and Meihua taken by Zang Li, which would have started her on the path to becoming a tragic xianxia protagonist... had Jin's reincarnation not caused him to move to the Azure Hills and be in the right places at the right times to thwart both threats.
* TheNoseKnows: She can smell [[LifeEnergy qi]], and can distinguish between various types of qi. It's why she first started paying attention to Jin – she could sense his very, very strong qi and was terrified that he would be a typical arrogant cultivator.
** This also means she is prone to SensoryOverload from Qi; a weird plant filled with Qi in Jin's greenhouse gives her a sneezing fit, and when she meets [[spoiler:Shen Yu]], she feels like she is moments away from a nosebleed.
* PromotedToParent: After her mother died, she basically acted as her younger brother Xian's mother figure.
* SexuallyTransmittedSuperpowers: Jin's connection to the land is expanded to include his wife, on their wedding night. When she wakes up the next morning and finds that she has access to a pool of [[KiManipulation qi]], making her a cultivator, she internally notes that she suspected something like that might happen.
* SheCleansUpNicely: While Jin still found her cute, her appearance at the start of the series was distinctly bony and flat-chested (in part due to living through a really nasty famine and having her growth slightly stunted from malnutrition). A few months of Jin's qi-infused foodstuffs and the normal cultivator bodily improvement leaves her somewhat curvier and much more attractive looking by the time she visits Meihua at Verdant Hill.
* ShoutOut: Her name is a reference to ''Franchise/TouhouProject'''s Hong Meiling.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Meiling fell for Jin Rou because he was genuinely respectful of herself, and supportive of her career, during their courtship. When she learns that he is building storage for medicinal herbs, and a library, so she can continue her studies, she promptly sends Yun and Gou out of the room so she can snog him senseless.
* TheTease: It comes out more when she gets drunk, but she enjoys teasing her husband Jin with {{Cosplay}} outfits, and while Xiulan is staying with them on the farm, often invites her into their bed with them, which flusters Xiulan too much to accept.
* UnkemptBeauty: She tries getting dolled up for tea with the magistrate's wife, but the makeup doesn't suit her skin tone, it's too obviously covering her freckles, and the dress makes her feel fake. So she scrubs her face off, changes back into her regular clothes, and simply uses the ''presence'' and self-confidence she now has as a cultivator. Her friend Meihua, widely considered to be an astounding beauty, takes one look and is stunned.
--> '''Meihua''': That is very, ''very'' unfair, Meimei.
* YouthfulFreckles: Meiling, in defiance of female love-interests typical of the genre, has freckles. It gets her derided as plain, but Jin, with his Western sensibilities, finds them charming.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cai Xiulan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bewareofchickenxiulan1.jpg]]
The Young Mistress of the Verdant Blade Sect. Jin Rou runs into her when she comes to the Farm while chasing after Sun Ken.
----
* ActionGirl: The most athletic and combat-capable female human met thus far. Tigu is the only one able to match her in this regard, and the two spar frequently.
* AncestralWeapon: The Jade Grass Blades are considered a heirloom of the sect and were passed down to her when she proved herself before the start of the story.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind:
** After her battle against Sun Ken, where many lives were lost on both sides, Xiulan is plagued over and over by dreams where she relives the deaths of her soldiers and then gets killed by Sun Ken. [[spoiler:With the earth spirit's tutelage, she eventually reaches a point where she wins the dream fight and vanquishes him -- JustInTime, as it appears that the internal manifestation of him was gaining presence and becoming some form of demon.]]
** Xiulan again experiences one of these, this time against [[spoiler:Lu Ban's fire Qi which has ignited her wood Qi. It takes the form of a wildfire in a grass field in her mind. She is able to extinguish it with the help of Ri Zu channeling water Qi provided by Xianghua. Then, with the help of the earth spirit, plus what she has learned from Jin, Xianghua, and others, she is able to restore her ability to cultivate, in the same way that a burned-out forest will grow back stronger because of the nutrients deposited in the soil from the ashes.]]
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Whenever someone comments on her beauty, her large bust is often part of that discussion. Words like "lush" and "bouncy" have been used.
* CharacterFocus: The back half of Book 2 centers on her return to cultivator culture through the Dueling Peaks Tournament, with her reconciling her new outlook with the traditions and expectations of her station.
* DanceBattler: Her fighting style becomes incredibly graceful after she integrates her ancestor Roulan's own movements, mesmerizing the rest of her Sect when she demonstrates it.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Started off as the stoic, duty-bound Young Mistress of the Verdant Blade sect, keeping her acquaintances at a distance, but after spending time at Fa Ram, she is soon tilling the land with Jin, roughhousing with Gou Ren, or talking deeply with her Senior Sister Meiling (and singing lewd {{Drunken Song}}s with her when they get into the cups).
* DueToTheDead: She makes certain that the men who died to Sun Ken are memorialized.
* GildedCage: Xiulan feels that her obligations to her sect are restrictive. For example, she cannot choose a husband of her own – her father, the head of the sect, will choose one for her to secure an alliance of some kind.
* GreenThumb: She is a master of the Verdant Blade sect. Her qi is wood-aligned, and her techniques are all inspired by grass or other plants.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Her weapons are a pair of floating swords called the "Jade Grass Blades".
* HeroicWillpower: Even when severely injured and dying of poisonous demonic qi, she kept on hunting Sun Ken.
* HiddenDepths: One arc she's gone through during the Dueling Peaks tournament is that after her ascension during her time at Fa Ram, she feels that [[VictoryIsBoring the victory at the tournament now feels meaningless]] and that she's not sure what to do with her life now that she's reached a peak. She starts making plans to create a grand alliance of cultivators to alleviate suffering she saw caused by things like Sun Ken.
* TheJoyOfFirstFlight: After he returns to the farm [[spoiler:as a Dragon, Washy]] gives Xiulan a ride as he flies around. She finds it quite enjoyable [[spoiler:and the change in physical perspective helps give her ''philosophical'' perspective, increasing her cultivation by two Steps, all the way into the next Realm]].
* MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades: Her sect's signature technique, the '''[Blades of Grass]''', involves creating numerous [[SpectralWeaponCopy copies]] of her heirloom swords which she then controls telekinetically.
* OrgasmicallyDelicious: Xiulan has a tendency to make ''sounds'' when she encounters a new sort of food she enjoys. It's completely involuntary and she's quite embarrassed by it.
* ThePowerOfLegacy: She lies about the actions of Jiang Yuan. Sun Ken killed Yuan in a single blow, but in her retellings of the story, Yuan manages to wound Sun Ken before dying.
* RedBaron: After Sun Ken's death, she becomes widely known as the "Demon-slaying Orchid".
* SecretKeeper:
** At Jin's request, she keeps the secret of the Farm's location, of who actually killed Sun Ken, and the identity of those who helped her. Jin explains that he likes his life simple, and doesn't want people seeking him out. The only person she tells is her own father, head of the Verdant Blade Sect, and the version of the secret is much abbreviated – that a "Hidden Master" saved her and slew Sun Ken. He agrees with keeping the secret.
** Following the Dueling Peaks Tournament, [[spoiler:she knows about his past at the Cloudy Sword Sect as well]].
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Xiulan is quite an attractive woman, only enhanced by her use of qi -- to the point where she has faced unwanted advances [[JailbaitTaboo from a very young age]]. Thankfully for her she has enough personal power, and the backing of her father and sect, to be able to confidently reject them from the vast majority of suitors.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: How the '''[Blades of Grass]''' technique works. The more powerful the practitioner, the more simultaneous blades they can create and manage. Xiulan starts the story with eight [[spoiler:but later upgrades to 16, 32 and then ''64'' simultaneous swords.]]
* StepfordSmiler: She pretended that she was fine after the long campaign against Sun Ken, but she was suffering from PTSD. Thankfully, her time on the Fa Ram did wonders for her.
* SurvivorGuilt: She suffers from this, as many of the men under her command were killed hunting Sun Ken. It's not helped that "her" defeat of Sun Ken has been immortalized in a play about her and her exploits, which constantly reminds her of not only how she lost them, but it was AllForNothing as it was ''Bi De'' that actually did the dirty work.
* {{Telekinesis}}: She appears to specialize in this application of qi, initially with her floating blades, but later manages an entire kitchen at once.
* TemptingFate: Upon meeting Ri Zu and Bi De, a cultivating rat and rooster respectively, she wonders what was next - pigs that could shake the earth? Her unspoken question is promptly answered when [[TheBigGuy Chun Ke]] goes thundering by outside. Cue TwitchyEye and Meiling being amused.
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** She has this relationship with Tigger, until [[spoiler:Tigger transforms into a human and drops most of her cynicism]] – and even after that, they spar frequently.
** Her relationship with Xianghua eventually morphs from bitter rivalry into friends who constantly tease and insult one another.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Gou Ren]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_gou_ren_and_yun_ren_2.png]]
Gou Ren is a childhood friend of Meiling and younger brother to Yun Ren. Since spending time around Jin and eating his qi-enhanced food, he's started to unlock his potential as a cultivator himself.
----
* AbductionIsLove: [[spoiler: Following his mother's tribe's custom, he tries to kidnap Liu Xianghua as a marriage proposal. Unbeknownst to him, she ''also'' had decided to practice that custom on ''him''...]]
* AnimalMotif: Monkeys. He is explicitly stated to resemble a monkey early on, with a flat nose and sideburns.
* BenevolentBoss: After he redesigns and helps rebuild Hong Yaowu, he is startled to find that everyone now calls him "Boss."
* BetterAsFriends: He remains friends with Cai Xiulan with the latter intending to matchmake him. [[spoiler:Eventually he remains friends with Xiulan when he gets betrothed to Xianghua]].
* BigLittleBrother: Is a few inches taller than his older brother Yun Ren.
* HiddenDepths: As he works on Jin's farm, he slowly develops an appreciation for architecture, even designing and building several structures himself.
* HopelessSuitor: Has a crush on Cai Xiulan but understands that she is completely out of his league due to her being a Sect Leader's daughter and powerful cultivator in her own right. While he confesses his feelings, he accepts it when Cai Xiulan doesn't reciprocate his feelings.
* MightyGlacier: Gou Ren is not a trained fighter, but when [[spoiler:facing Yingwen of Shrouded Mountain]] he shows immense power.
* ReinforceField: Specializes in using Qi to reinforce the durability of physical objects. This mainly gets used to strengthen the rice paddies and other farm construction against weather damage, but in battle it lets him wrap himself in a shell of hardened Qi that even a cultivator a full Realm higher can't crack, and his own blows strike with enough force to crack stone.
* UnskilledButStrong: When he fights [[spoiler:Yingwen]] with a bamboo staff it's clear he doesn't have the best idea what he's doing--his technique doesn't even have a fancy name, just '''[Break]'''. But he's putting so much power behind each blow that even a cultivator a realm stronger is forced to dodge, as getting hit or even attempting to parry could be lethal.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Yun Ren]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_gou_ren_and_yun_ren_3_5.png]]
Yun Ren is a childhood friend of Meiling and older brother to Gou Ren. Like his brother, he's also managed to unlock his Qi, though he's less interested in getting stronger and more on enjoying life.
----
* AnimalMotif: Foxes. In addition to his slim features and squinty eyes, his line is descended from a fox spirit that interbred with a human, something noted when he meets another fox spirit [[spoiler:who turns out to be a nephew of the fox spirit his line is descended from]].
* CameraFiend: After being put in charge of recording Jin and Meiling's wedding with a recording crystal, he becomes obsessed with photography.
* CoolSword: Owns a jian sword, for limited self-defense but mostly to practice with because it's fun and looks cool. [[spoiler:Things get more interesting when [[TricksterMentor Nezan]] secretly swaps it out with Summer's Sky, an EmpathicWeapon with centuries of experience and [[ShockAndAwe lightning powers]]]].
* {{Crossdresser}}: Occasionally wears dresses (with or without an illusory sex change) much to his girlfriend's delight.
* FunnyBruceLeeNoises: He makes these when he's practicing with his sword by himself. [[spoiler:It becomes embarrassing for him when his EmpathicWeapon Summer's Sky insists on using his random noises as names for his techniques]].
* {{Hologram}}s: Sort of. Between his practice with that recording crystal and his awakened Qi, Yun Ren has learned to "paint" himself with a thin layer of light. Makes for a good party trick! [[spoiler:Or evading goons!]]
* LegacyCharacter: To [[spoiler:Summer's Sky]], Yun Ren is the ''Eighth Wielder''.
* SecretLegacy: [[spoiler:Nezan the Spirit Fox awakens his latent fox blood, making his teeth sharper and features more androgynous, as well as enhancing his illusions.]]
** [[spoiler:After going undercover in the Shrouded Mountain Sect, one of their tests reveals that he has a connection to that sect's lightning-using Zang clan as well.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Rou Zhuye / "Xiao De"]]
Jin and Meiling's firstborn son, born in Chapter 40 of Volume 3. Is officially named in Volume 4 Chapter 9 (due to Xianada's high infant mortality rate, children are not officially named until a hundred days after their birth). He has his father's brown hair and his mother's purple eyes.
----
* MeaningfulName: His official name is written with the characters for "red leaf", referencing the sugar maple leaf that has become Fa Ram's symbol and a key source of their wealth and status.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Due to Xianada's high infant mortality rate, children are not officially named until a hundred days after their birth. "Xiao De" is a placeholder-slash-nickname given to him until he can be officially named.
* PunnyName: His nickname translates to "Little D", which is a reference to both his habit of imitating Bi De when he calls the sun, and a dick joke. It also sounds very similar to "Xiao Didi"/ "Little Brother", Tigu's nickname for him.
[[/folder]]
!!!Animal and Spirit Disciples
[[folder:In General]]
* KillerRabbit: As Spirit Beasts, all of them know how to use Qi in various combat applications, be it the tiger of a housecat, the [[PowerOfTheSun solar-powered]] rabbit, the MasterPoisoner rat, or the rooster with talons of moonlight.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Every animal [[spoiler: or sentient sword/plow]] named by Jin has some flavor of this due to English phonetics not translating perfectly to Chinese.
* UpliftedAnimal: As a result of constant consumption of Lowly Spiritual Herbs, exposure to high qi levels, or just started out that way and migrated to Jin's farm one way or another.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Big D / Fa Bi De]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/big_d_beware_of_chicken.jpeg]]
The first spirit beast featured in the series and the eponymous chicken of the story. Jin Rou's first and faithful "subordinate", who names himself "First Disciple of Fa Ram".
----
* ActuallyIAmHim: Bi De reveals to [[spoiler:Miantiao and Yin]] that it was actually he who [[spoiler:killed Sun Ken]] and not Xiulan.
-->'''Bi De''': [[spoiler: The slayer of Sun Ken stands before you.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Starts off as a CockyRooster, but [[spoiler: gets knocked down a peg in the first volume]].
* TheAtoner: Becomes this after realizing [[spoiler: that his qi has been deliberately corrupted by the rats]].
* BarrierWarrior: His technique '''[Aegis of the Full Moon]''' projects a circular forcefield that glows with the light of the moon. It's large enough to defend both himself and others.
* BeautifulSingingVoice: [[spoiler:When he in his human form,]] he still keeps up his morning habits by [[spoiler:[[CockADoodleDawn singing to the dawning sun]], which actually invigorates everyone who hears it. Many women are transfixed by his voice.]]
* BestialityIsDepraved: {{Subverted}}. While he frequently mates with the non-sapient hens, this is never implied to be in any way inappropriate.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** Served as this to the village of Correct Place 8, when in their darkest moment of being threatened by a Spirit Wolf, Bi De appeared and slew the beast.
** [[spoiler:Arrives at the fight between Xiulan and Zang Li/Lu Ban just in time to save her from a lethal blow. He then defends her long enough for Jin to arrive and save him in turn.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Big D suffers from this in the first volume [[spoiler: after he lets in a group of pill-making rats whose pills corrupt his qi. It takes him quite a while to recover from this, both in a physical sense and an emotional sense.]]
* ChickMagnet: He has been considered attractive by several female characters, none of whom are chickens themselves. Besides Rizzo and Vajra back at the Farm, he has also been noticed by [[spoiler:Liang Yin, a rabbit]]. That said, non-sapient chickens also find him attractive (presumably due to qi optimising and enhancing his body), and he is mentioned as mating with them multiple times. [[spoiler:When he takes human form, every woman and many men who meet him drools over his appearance.]]
* TheChosenOne: Played with and {{subverted|Trope}}. [[spoiler:Bi De was chosen by the fates, with the help of a seer and ancient spirit, as the designated heir to the ancient Azure Emperor. However, he is actually the third choice; the seer had a kindly heart beneath her gruff exterior and rejected the first two candidates – the Lord Magistrate and Jin – to spare them the stress and pain that position would bring. However, Bi De doesn't want the position either.]]
* CockADoodleDawn: Greets the morning every day, and it's implied the rousing of those who hears his voice has a slight Qi-empowered edge to it. [[spoiler:Even in human form, he goes out to the dawn and sings.]]
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Although Jin is the primary point of view character and it's his actions that set most of the events of the story in motion, Big D is the title character and his separate adventures are significant drivers of the plot.
* ExtremityExtremist: As a rooster, Big D's main weapons are his feet and spurs. [[spoiler:During a fight in human form, he falls back on fighting with his feet because it's what he's most familiar with - and humiliating/astounding the Shrouded Mountain sect when he beats several disciples with his hands behind his back.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Jin. If Jin represents a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] of the stereotypical Xianxia protagonist and the tropes associated with one, Big D's adventures hit those story beats like clockwork... with the twist that he's a chicken.
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler: In Book 4, he takes on a human form to infiltrate the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Surprisingly he's able to do it with little fanfare. As it turns out, this is because he's so powerful as a rooster that becoming human actually makes him weaker, so he's 'stepping down' to an inferior form.]]
* KarmicJackpot:
** Even at the top of his arrogance he continues donating Qi to the land. This ends up warning him just in time that [[spoiler:Chow Ji's pills are corrupting him when the land recoils from his now-tainted Qi]].
** He also rescues Ri Zu from a hawk, and she repays the debt by helping him resist Chow Ji's corruptive techniques.
* {{Lunacy}}: All of Big D's special techniques are philosophically based on the moon, and he draws power from proximity to the moon.
** '''[Rising of the Crescent Moon]''' is a technique that allows Big D to jump supernaturally high and fast. It's usually followed by '''[Descending Lunar Fangs]''', an attack that uses the resulting height advantage to add weight and speed to his descent.
** '''[Wheel of the Crescent Moon]''' is a flying, spinning attack that traces a semicircle with Big D's Qi-enhanced spurs.
** '''[Aegis of the Full Moon]''' creates a moon-shaped, [[DeflectorShields glowing forcefield]].
** '''[Split Faces of the Half Moon]''' allows him to split himself into a light and dark [[DoppelgangerAttack copy of himself]] which can attack, maneuver, and communicate separately.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Big D has this in the first volume, [[spoiler: after he realizes the pills he's been taking are corrupting his qi, and that the farm/Fa Ram has been suffering for it.]]
* TheParagon: [[spoiler:After his character development.]]
* RightForTheWrongReasons: He ''is'' learning Cultivation from Jin Rou... but it's completely unintentional as Jin Rou doesn't even realize he's practicing cultivation. This changes once Jin realizes that Big D is sapient.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou hears/pronounces his name as "Bi De", even Big D himself.
* TookALevelInKindness: [[spoiler: He was immensely humbled after Chow Ji's betrayal. He becomes much more introspective and kind to Chun Ke and Pi Pa.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Rizzo / Hong Ri Zu]]
A rat who joined the Farm.
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:She rescued Bi De from the evil rat leader, Chow Ji, and joined the farm.]]
* {{Expy}}: Her and the rest of her tribe are expies of the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy, being rat-people speaking in the Skaven's characteristic speech.
* GuileHeroine: When she does fight, she uses poisons and dusts, to Tigu's dismay.
* HappilyAdopted: Of a sort. While the animals are picking family names for themselves, Meiling and her father proudly allow Ri Zu to take on theirs.
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:She eventually takes a look at Chow Ji's faulty technique and uses a heavily reworked version, influenced by her surgical skill, to succeed where he failed.]]
* MasterPoisoner: As befitting the education she received from Meiling, she has an impressive knowledge of medicines, poisons, and both warlike and peaceful ways to deliver either.
* TheMedic: Takes on this role, learning from Meiling, and very rarely participates in the fighting.
* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: [[spoiler:Watched Chow Ji sacrifice the other rats for power, and knew that if he was aware that she was sapient, she'd be forced to mate with him to continue his lineage. So when she has an opportunity to take him down, she goes for it.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after Rizzo the Rat from Series/TheMuppetShow.
* ShrinkingViolet: Ri Zu's very first action in the story is – keeping to herself. Specifically, keeping secret the fact that she is self-aware and independent, to remain beneath Chow Ji's notice. She later becomes Meiling's student, and is a competent healer, but still lacks self-confidence, which hinders her from talking freely with Bi De about her feelings for him (though he's aware). Even when she takes a step out of her comfort zone and leaves the farm to [[spoiler:see the Dueling Peaks tournament]], she's usually hiding in someone's hair rather than publicly introducing herself.
* TranslatorBuddy: Before the other animal disciples gain the power of speech, she's the go-to translator between the animals and Jin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tigger / Rou Tigu]]
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[labelnote: '''SPOILER''']] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_rou_tigu.jpg [[/labelnote]]]]
Sister Tigu, a cat that Jin Rou received as a gift from an old woman. [[spoiler: She later manages to transform herself into a human.]]
----
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: Her martial style takes inspiration from Bi De's moonlight spurs, enhancing her own claws and summoning large, spectral claws to fight with. [[spoiler:She retains this after assuming human form, summoning [[WolverineClaws qi blades]] over her hands.]]
* AmazonianBeauty: [[spoiler:In her human form, she has the defined musculature of a FarmersDaughter, and when she goes to the Dueling Peaks tournament, she attracts several admirers, including Zang Wei, Dong Chou and Tie Delun. Downplayed in that her muscled form isn't considered the ideal of beauty for most of Xianada.]]
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Being a cat, she is very full of herself, even more so than Big D. [[spoiler:This largely goes away when she becomes human.]]
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:Zang Li kidnaps her near the end of book two, following a severe beating by his minions.]]
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: She is ambushed, beaten, forced to watch two of her friends get maimed, and kidnapped by the Shrouded Mountain Sect led by Lu Ban. This is her first time losing a fight outside of a sparring match or regulated competition, the first time one of her fights has negative consequences for someone she cares about, and the first time she feels like prey instead of a predator. It's a huge psychological blow to her and Rizu has to give her a "YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre" speech to help her recover and break out of confinement]].
* CatGirl: [[spoiler:She tries this with her human form but ends up with a mostly standard human form.]]
* CatsAreSuperior: Certainly believes this. She eventually is forced to admit that Bi De is stronger, though. [[spoiler:Largely loses this attitude once she adopts a human form, and in fact dislikes transforming back.]]
* CatDogDichotomy: Completely averted, at least in the case of Zhang Fei's puppy [[PreciousPuppy Shaggy Two]], to the point where Jin jokingly muses that he almost thought she was going to [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe kidnap him]] during their visit to Eighth Correct Place.
* CuddleBug: Being a cat, she often tries to snuggle with Jin and Meiling. [[spoiler: She retains certain feline sensibilities after becoming human as well, and will often hug, rub her cheek against, and pounce upon friends and loved ones.]]
* FarmersDaughter: [[spoiler: Played with when she becomes human, she comes from Fa Ram to the Dueling Peaks while having little experience of the outside world. And with her human form resembling Jin, the people who saw her and Jin together may think they are daughter and father at a first glance. For all intents and purposes, she ''is'' his adopted daughter, being the only one of the disciples to take his family name.]]
* GirlishPigtails: [[spoiler:Her human form has these, in keeping with her general FarmersDaughter aesthetic.]]
* GenkiGirl: [[spoiler:After becoming human.]]
* HappilyAdopted: Chooses to take Jin's family name when the disciples are picking names for themselves, and is for all intents and purposes Jin and Meiling's adopted daughter.
* HasAType: [[ObliviousToLove Probably non-romantic,]] but her ideal of attractiveness is that of her master Jin, [[{{Hunk}} rugged and muscular]]. There's a reason her nickname for Tie Delun of the blacksmithing Hermetic Iron sect is "Handsome Man".
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler:Manages to turn herself into a human to better connect with Jin and Mei.]]
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Having been basically raised by Jin, Tigu's standards of beauty are tuned much closer to modern Canada than pseudo ancient China. Thus, when Ty An tries to insult her by calling her "[[BrawnHilda Muscles]]", she takes it as a compliment, and returns the favor by calling Ty An "Freckles". Of course, while to her sensibilities having muscles and freckles is good, the local ideal of womanly beauty is smooth, lithe, and graceful, and Ty An is mortified.
* TheLancer: She's much less philosophical than Bi De, but quite capable of killing things.
* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: [[spoiler:Turns out the shift from her predatory, haughty cat mentality to a more balanced, compassionate and understanding human mindset was indeed influenced by her bodily change. Among other things, she no longer feels compelled to try to eat Ri Zu.]]
* MundaneUtility: In addition to shredding bandits, her claw arts are also well-suited for carving sculptures and harvesting crops.
* NamedAfterSomeoneFamous: After Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh."
* TheNicknamer: According to end-of-chapter notes, she has trouble remembering proper names and thus resorts to nicknames. Some of these are directly descriptive (e.g., "Loud Boy" and "Rags"), others are more poetic (Cai Xiulan is "Blade of Grass," while her junior sect member An Ran is "''Smaller'' Blade of Grass").
* ObliviousToLove: [[spoiler: As she has only been a human for a short before the tournament in Dueling Peaks, her social skills lessons do not include romantic love, thus she is oblivious to the affections of the other interested male cultivators]].
* OldShame: [[spoiler: Part of what causes her trouble turning back into a cat after becoming human is that she looks back at how she acted when she was one and is ''utterly ashamed'' of the arrogance and cruelty she carried herself with. She subconsciously resists turning back due to her fear she would start acting like that again and drive away the people she loves.]]
* PastExperienceNightmare: Subverted example. [[spoiler: Mei and Xiulan tell her she can come to them if she has bad dreams following the events at Dueling Peak, but her dreams tend to focus on [[BigDamnHeroes Jin arriving and ending the fight instantly]], leaving her in a very good mood after waking up.]]
* PathOfMostResistance: [[spoiler:She chose to undergo Tribulation in order to achieve human form. An astounded Ri Zu notes that her method, despite being much more dangerous, achieved results far superior to those Chow Ji attempted to use, finding very little in her new body that ''isn't'' human.]]
* RedBaron: "The Tiger of the Peaks."
* RevelingInTheNewForm: [[spoiler: Tigu becomes much happier and more content after achieving a human form, to the point of [[ShapeshifterModeLock having difficulty mustering the will to ever change back]].]]
* {{Sarashi}}: [[spoiler: After she becomes human, she insists on wearing Jin's tunics, and since they end up flapping open in the front, Meiling insists she wears these to cover her breasts.]]
* SenseFreak: [[spoiler:Is tremendously surprised by how much more developed her senses of taste and touch are in human form.]]
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Not her directly, but she has no qualms about presenting her carved sculptures of her master and fellow disciples, all in their nude, muscular glory.
* ShapingYourAttacks: When she unleashes powerful enough attacks, an ethereal tiger formed of Qi can be seen to outline or mirror her.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in the novel (aside from Jin Rou, and possibly Chun Ke) hears Jin pronounce her name as "Tigu'er", and since "er" is an affectionate suffix in Chinese for little children, they think her given name is just "Tigu", with her master/father being affectionate. Tigu also views her name this way, so if Jin calls her just "Tigu", she sees it as a FullNameUltimatum.
* SpiritedCompetitor: Especially after [[spoiler:gaining humanity]] and shedding her feline arrogance, she revels in the opportunity to test her skills against worthy opponents. This gets especially highlighted during the Dueling Peaks arc, where she gives instruction to the weaker opponents she faces in the initial brackets, beats the monsters on the Hill of Torment without even bothering to collect the treasures they guard, and is ''ecstatic'' when she finally comes up against someone who can give her a real challenge.
* TokenEvilTeammate: As a cat, she is [[CatsAreMean self-centered, arrogant, and cruel]]. She grows less so over time. [[spoiler:No longer applies after she becomes human.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chunky Shan / Shan Chun Ke]]
[[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_4.png]]
One of Jin's pigs, given to him as a reward for a favor.
----
* TheBigGuy: Physically the strongest of the farm disciples.
* DumbIsGood: [[spoiler:Left slightly brain damaged after the battle against the rats, but still a genuinely kind and friendly person.]]
* FaceOfAThug: Looks the most feral of all the Fa Ram disciples, with shaggy red fur, enormous tusks, and three huge scars across his face. He is also one of the kindest and most friendly of all the disciples.
* GentleGiant: His vast size and strength is only matched by his kindness and friendliness. All agree he's the best ride for the children, the best perch for wild birds, and the best pillow to sleep against.
* HandicappedBadass: He's slower than most and [[spoiler:mentally deficient]], but of all the members of the Farm, he hits the absolute hardest.
* HulkSpeak: Skirts the edges of this in his POV scenes, due to his [[spoiler: mild brain damage]].
* PunnyName: Shan means "mountain", so using the Western name order (which he does when he first comes up with the name) his name would be "Chunky Mountain". He did this on purpose.
* SimplemindedWisdom: Seems to be partially aware of the real origins of the animals' names and is much more perceptive than he seems. He's also capable of coming up with solutions to interpersonal problems that try to satisfy everyone, even if it means going against his beloved wife. As mentioned above, he is also aware of the Western name order, which shocks Jin as it shows he actually understands English to a degree.
* SizeShifter: As he grows in power he gains the ability to make himself arbitrarily larger. Curiously, only cultivators and other spirit beasts seem to notice this.
* SlobsVsSnobs: {{Downplayed}} in his relationship with Pi Pa. She is the most formal and proper of all the Fa Ram disciples while Chun Ke is one of the most childish and informal, but each loves and deeply appreciates the other.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou and Chunky himself hears/pronounces his name as "Chun Ke".
* SqueamishAboutSlaughter: After he witnesses Jin killing one of his non-sapient chickens for food, Chun Ke swears off eating meat raised on Fa Ram and sticks to a vegetarian diet. If meat is served, it usually comes from an animal outside the farm or at least slaughtered outside the farm for Chun Ke's peace of mind.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Peppa / Shan Pi Pa]]
[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/santa_jin_3.png]]
One of Jin's pigs, given to him as a reward for a favor.
----
* BlackHoleBelly: Seemingly an aspect of her [[PowerOfTheVoid void-aspected Qi]], she can swallow things larger than her head in one bite, and can even store and spit them up later without harm. One time when Ti Gu and Ri Zu were squabbling, she swallowed both of them into her mouth and continued with her work until they calmed down.
* BigEater: [[FedToPigs Pi Pa can eat a human body in one bite]]. Though depending on the body, she finds it distasteful.
* DespairEventHorizon: ''Almost'' fell to this following [[spoiler:Chun Ke's injuries from Chow Ji. The combination of brain damage and disruption of his cultivation nearly reverted him to a normal animal, and only Jin and Meiling's treatments were able to allow him to keep his sapience. The trauma and struggle from nearly losing him caused Pi Pa's qi to gain the essence of [[PowerOfTheVoid Void]].]]
* GeniusBruiser: She can almost match Chunky in terms of pure strength but she has also demonstrated higher understanding of things like home finances and calligraphy.
* LadyOfWar: An elegant war-machine capable of mowing down cultivators with ease, and looking graceful while doing it.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: When teaching his disciples math, Jin notes that she deliberately got the same questions wrong as her husband, Chunky. He scolds her for this and tells her flat-out that if she limits himself so that Chunky feels better, all she'll be doing is hurting both of them in the long run.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after WesternAnimation/PeppaPig.
* PowerOfTheVoid: Awakening due to the trauma of Chun Ke's debilitating injury caused her to develop void-aspected qi.
* ProperLady: And she won't let you forget it. Her penmanship -- using her ''mouth'' -- makes Meiling feel inferior.
* SlobsVsSnobs:
** {{Downplayed}} in her relationship with Chun Ke. She is the most formal and proper of all the Fa Ram disciples while Chun Ke is one of the most childish and informal, but each loves and deeply appreciates the other.
** She also finds her fellow glutton Wa Shi an absolute boor.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Everyone in Xianxialand besides Jin Rou hears and pronounces her name "Pi Pa", like all the other animals.
* ThreateningMediator: Forced to take up this role because of Tigger and Rizzo's hostility towards one another.
* YamatoNadeshiko: Despite being a pig, she is the most proper and formal of all the Fa Ram inhabitants. And as a void cultivator, she is also one of the more dangerous disciples.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Washy / He Wa Shi]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_washi_2.jpg]]
A carp who acts as a dishwasher. [[spoiler: Later becomes a dragon, but still likes being a dishwasher and sprinkler system for the farm.]]
----
* BigEater: Washy likes eating food. He can branch out into all kinds of activities, but in the end, it all boils down to what gets him more food.
* BrilliantButLazy: Is normally pretty easygoing, but is one of the Farm's more diligent residents when sufficiently motivated. Which is to say, he understands that keeping Fa Ram operating is important to his food supply.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When a turtle asks Wa Shi what Flow is, it's fairly clear that the old terrapin is ready to get into a philosophical discussion... which is thrown off the rails when Wa Shi immediately recites the mathematical equation for flow, q=v/t.
* GiverOfLameNames: His one-track mind for food means that his suggestion for Jin's son's name is "Wan", which would mean that the full name of "Rou Wan" would translate to "meatball". Tigu takes exception to this.
* GoodWithNumbers: He is a mathematical genius but gives answers as slowly as possible to avoid getting more work.
* HiddenDepths:
** Understands math at a high level, even able to surprise his turtle mentor with the equations for flow.
** Dislikes the implication that he would eat the ''whole'' moon when he said he wanted to eat it, he wants to taste things, since if you eat ''everything'' then there'd be nothing left to eat. Specifically, he's an epicurian; he doesn't want to just mindlessly gorge himself, he wants to try lots of new and different tasty foods. It's one reason that he hangs around Fa Ram, because Jin comes up with new, interesting things to taste all the time. He at one point mentions that he doesn't know what this "cheese" stuff is, but if Jin wants it than it ''must'' be good.
* LegendaryCarp: [[spoiler: Manages to climb a waterfall to return to the Farm from a spiritual realm.]]
* MakingASplash: [[spoiler: Learns how to manipulate water from a kind turtle, [[MundaneUtility which he uses to clean the dishes and water the fields]].]]
* ShockAndAwe: He gains the power to shoot lightning after [[spoiler:becoming a dragon.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vajra]]
A queen bee that Big D rescued when Jin expressed an interest in starting a hive.
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: She's the last surviving queen of a great alliance of sapient queens that was wiped out nearly to the last by an unknown threat (hinted to be some manner of qi-channeling hornets). She was found by Big D wandering in a daze, trying to rebuild her hive.
* DisproportionateRetribution: After finding that mosquitos are bothering Jin, she sets her hive on a crusade to exterminate all mosquitos near Fa Ram.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: During her pre-Farm days, she would often demand that the males of her hive dance for her entertainment. After she is rescued and nursed back to health, she has turned her attention towards Big D, and she sneaks into the baths to peep on Jin.
* HiveMind: Although she has a separate identity as the queen bee, her qi is spread across her entire hive and they nearly function as extensions of her body. Those closer to her, like her Coldguard and more successful warriors, have more intelligence and personality because they share more in her qi.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Named after the aliens from Anime/MacrossFrontier. Other potential names that she rejected were [[VideoGame/StarCraft Kei Regan]] and [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Tai Ranid.]]
* TheRuntAtTheEnd: So far, she's the only Spirit Animal associated with Fa Ram that is not themed with the Chinese Zodiac.
* WarriorPrincess: Before she was taken to the Farm, she commanded troops for her old hive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Babe & Sunny / Bei Be & Sun Ne]]
An ox that Jin received on his wedding day to plow his fields, and his plow [[spoiler:made from the sword that once belonged to Sun Ken.]]
----
* BlueAndOrangeMorality: [[spoiler:As a sword-turned-plow,]] Sunny's only concern in life is to cut things, with little regard for what exactly it is cutting. It also gets ''upset'' when told not to cut, or if it cannot cut things cleanly. Almost has a breakdown when it realises that it's expected to cut ''around'' roots without damaging them, until Babe says that doing so would be more skillful than simply cutting everything.
* EmpathicWeapon: [[spoiler:Sunny]] has a mind of its own, but thus far has not communicated with anyone except for its current wielder, Babe, and [[spoiler:Summer's Sky]].
* IronicName: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by Jin. He names the plow Sunny in direct opposition to its past as [[spoiler:''The Crimson Demon's Tooth'', the blade of a notorious bandit and murderer]].
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:Summer's Sky enters Sun Ne's MentalWorld, and meets it as a small WildChild of an undetermined gender. While slightly shy, the child noticeably cheers up when it learns Summer's Sky also enjoys cutting things.]]
* LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:Sunny thinks of Babe as the ''Third Wielder''. Sun Ken was the second, but it's not known who the first was, nor who forged the sword in the first place.]]
* MentalWorld: [[spoiler:A rather peaceful one, with a large plain surrounded by mountains, marked by thousands of perfectly straight furrows, representing its desire for perfection in the cuts it makes, with a sky marked by golden cracks. Summer's Sky is slightly surprised, having expected something like a forge, a raging river, or a world of blood and slaughter.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Babe, after Paul Bunyan's legendary ox companion.
* OnlyOneName: When given the opportunity to choose a surname, Babe declines.
* SanitySlippage: Being forced by Sun Ken to rip and tear rather than cleanly cutting was not good for Su Ne's mind, and it was practically gibbering by the time Sun Ken was defeated. Then it was made into a plow and locked away, unable to cut ''at all'', for several months. This left the blade nearly catatonic with despair by the time Babe took it out and started using it to cut the earth.
* TheStoic: Babe. He doesn't talk much, and it actually took months for Jin to realize that he was sapient. (The fact that he was content with his life did contribute to that, too.)
* TheSpartanWay: Lampshaded by Jin regarding Babe, who wants to sleep outside since it "Purifies the elements."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Miantiao]]
A sapient Qi-using snake encountered by Big D during his travels. Deeply knowledgeable of martial arts, pottery, and glasswork.
----
* AllForNothing: Miantiao goes into a state of depression when he learns that all of his martial arts training, and turning Yin into a weapon of vengeance, were for nothing since the one he was training her to get revenge by proxy on, Sun Ken, was dead.
* TheAtoner: After he realizes his quest for revenge was pointless, he is filled with regret for the terrible things he did while seeking it (like raising Yin to be nothing but a weapon) and after [[spoiler:briefly seeking death at the hands of the person who took his revenge for him]] he dedicates his life to atoning for his misdeeds.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Hoo-boy. [[spoiler:Sun Ken and the Whirling Demon Sword Gang killed his master and wiped their village off the map. When he met the awakened rabbit Liang Yin, he chose to train her in martial arts to help him pursue vengeance. To that end, he made a number of questionable decisions (e.g., killing other awakened critters to harvest their qi) that he thought would be justified in the end. Then, just as they were ready to hunt down Sun Ken, they heard the story of the Demon-slaying Orchid beating them to the punch; this left Miantiao questioning whether everything he did was worth it.]] By the time Big D encounters him, Miantiao has largely lost the will to live.
* HandicappedBadass: He lost an eye, and a building fell on his spine, putting a kink in it. He doesn't have his full range of motion back, but that won't stop him from kicking an ass or two. Since arriving at Fa Ram, Meiling's been working on healing him.
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: He's a powerful martial artist, and his techniques are both based on and aid him with his glassmaking and pottery.
* PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou: Once he discovers that the man who killed his master and destroyed his village is already dead, Miantao thinks that he should offer his life to whoever killed him in order to atone for the horrible things he's done in the name of a revenge he can no longer take. Luckily, [[spoiler:Bi De has no desire to kill him.]]
* ThePowerOfGlass: Several of his techniques utilize glass, used to craft illusions or defenses.
* PunnyName: Literal meaning is "Noodle," which Jin uses when narrating.
** When he first introduces himself to Bi De, he calls himself "Shi Te." In universe this means "Corpse," since he feels he has failed everything and deserves to die, but out of universe it sounds like "Shitty," which pretty accurately describes his self-image.
* VengeanceDenied: He'd dedicated his life and Yin's to revenge on Sun Ken, and despaired when Sun Ken was killed as it robbed them of a meaning to live.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liang Yin]]
A female, silver-furred rabbit encountered by Big D during his travels. Awakened and taught to fight by Miantiao as part of his plan to get revenge on Sun Ken.
----
* BloodKnight: Enjoys training and fighting, and eagerly spars with Tigu.
* CuteBruiser: Prefers to fight head-on and smash her enemies' faces in with her gauntlets, and her cuteness comes naturally as a rabbit [[spoiler:and as a human woman]].
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Miantiao has told her to find something that she would like to do, so she's been trying different activities. For a while, nothing really worked with her beyond fighting, but working with Huo Ten has given her an interest in mining. [[spoiler:Eventually she decides to undergo her own form of Tribulation to achieve human form to reinvent herself in as a complete form as she can manage.]]
* HumanityEnsues: [[spoiler: Following Tigu's example, she also undergoes Tribulation and achieves human form.]]
* InstantArmor: Her '''[Armor of the Sun]''' technique generates golden armor around herself. While it looks ridiculous on a rabbit, [[spoiler:it looks downright intimidating on her human form]].
* IronicName: She's aggressive, outgoing and uses a sun-based style, and is named Yin.
* KillerRabbit: Despite being a small silver rabbit, she's a very strong cultivator and messing with her [[MuggingTheMonster would not be a good idea]].
* MoonRabbit: She's implied to be an actual Moon Rabbit who was exiled to Earth for unclear reasons. This doesn't apply to her martial techniques, however.
* PintsizePowerhouse: She's a normal-sized rabbit who is a strong practitioner of MagicalMartialArts. She's capable of pulling a carriage the size of a house, and the greatest difficulty is that the harness is awkward for her to pull since it's, understandably, not designed to be worn by a rabbit.
* RedBaron: "Sun Fairy."
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: [[spoiler:Just after she transforms into a human, she barges in breakfast hour and proudly presents herself, entirely uncaring of her nakedness. Miantiao has to beg her to PleasePutSomeClothesOn.]]
* SirSwearsALot: Tends to speak aggressively and crudely, though Miantiao usually chides her for it. [[spoiler:Her regal, silvery-haired, beautiful human form just adds to the VocalDissonance for those who hear her cussing.]]
* ThePowerOfTheSun: Ironically, despite rabbits traditionally being associated with the [[MoonRabbit moon]], Yin's style is based around the Sun, utilizing [[PlayingWithFire fire]] and heat to enhance herself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Huo Ten]]
A spirit beast monkey and one of Master Gen's relatives, who goes with Jin after his visit to Master Gen.
----
* AloneInACrowd: A bit. Even if he's impressed with Fa Ram and its inhabitants, he still longs for others of his clan. Jin helps him start digging a mine, and Yin joins him, initially to get clay for Miantiao, but the discovery of an ancient, huge bone and a vein of Light Crystals brings them together.
* TunnelKing: Just like the rest of his clan, Huo Ten likes to dig.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The General that Commands the Winter]]
A gigantic snowman created by Jin by utilizing his enhanced cultivator strength and Qi.
----
* CompanionCube: Jin first built him just as a snowman and as a joke acted around others as if he was a real person.
* AnIcePerson: His name may have started as a joke, but by his second winter he's show to actually have the power to manipulate winter weather and uses that power to ease the harshness of the annual end-of-winter storm at Jin's Farm, and lend some of that to his subordinate in Hong Yaowu, The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow.
* {{Snowlems}}: The general started out as a fun winter project and a bit of a joke, but due to the Qi Jin used to build him, he began forming a core of ice Qi and awakened into full sapience by his second winter, the core having been preserved in Jin's ice cellar.
[[/folder]]
!!!Human Antagonists
[[folder:Sun Ken]]
Sun Ken was a bandit, and not the fun romantic kind. Specifically, he was the leader of the Whirling Demon Sword Gang, a band of violent thugs with a reputation for cruelty. It got to the point that the Verdant Blade sect was called upon to put an end to him, with one Cai Xiulan leading the charge—[[spoiler:but the disciples of Fa Ram got to him first.]]
----
* AntiRegeneration: His techniques can be used to suppress [[HealingFactor Qi healing]].
* AssholeVictim: He was killed and eaten by farm animals. ''No one'' mourns him upon learning of his death.
* TheDreaded: The smallfolk of the region lived in utter terror of this guy. Jin doesn't want any publicity, but chooses to spread an altered account of his death, rather than keep silent, just so that everyone will know he's gone and be able to relax.
* EvilWeapon: Downplayed. Though not an inherently evil weapon, [[spoiler:the sword was sentient and had been driven mad due to not being able to cut as cleanly as it used to.]]
* GoodColorsEvilColors: His Qi manifested in shades of [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]].
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: After [[HumiliationConga being slaughtered by farm animals]], Sun Ken's corpse is eaten by said farm animals, and then his sword is turned into a plow and he's portrayed as a cowardly clown in puppet plays about the "Demon Slaying Orchid" hunting him down.
[[/folder]]
!!!Animal Antagonists
[[folder:Basil Brush / Basi Bu Shi]]
A dastardly fox that kept stealing and eating Jin Rou's chickens, until his defeat at the hands— er, spurs of Big D.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Basil ''was'' intelligent, but whatever his true name was, there's no way to know. He was given the name by Jin.
* CunningLikeAFox: He kept getting into the chicken coop to steal the hens there, much to Big D's chagrin.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: He's named after Basil Brush, from Series/TheBasilBrushShow.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He barely makes an appearance and his primary role is as Big D's StarterVillain. However, his pelt is used to make a vest for Big D, and Big D makes occasional references to the fox over the course of the story.
* StarterVillain: He's the first villain taken down by Big D. As a reward, his pelt is [[NemeanSkinning made into a vest]] for the rooster, which becomes iconic of the character.
* UpliftedAnimal: While it's not touched upon much, Big D recognizes that Basil was as intelligent as he was.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Much later on, Bi De wonders whether Basi Bu Shi might have been recruited as a disciple if Jin had realized he was sapient, taken him in, and offered him food and safety.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Chow Ji]]
A cultivating rat who sets his sights on the resources of the Farm.
----
* AnimalisticAbomination: He's partway into transforming himself into a human form.
* BadBoss: He treats his rat followers like dirt. [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal This was a mistake.]]
* TheCorruptor: He tries to corrupt Bi De into his servant.
* HumanityEnsues: Attempted to do this via the slow way, gradually morphing into a human. He... didn't get too far, leaving him a BodyHorror-laden rat with a few human characteristics. Ri Zu mentions he was in constant pain from the deformities and suffered from an elevated heart rate. [[spoiler:After having the benefit of being able to examine Tigu's own successful ascension and having received a lot of experience in surgery by helping Meiling, Ri Zu corrects the defects in Chow Ji's faulty technique he had attempted to steamroll over and uses the perfected result to become human herself.]]
* ShoutOut: He's described as an evil [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Master Splinter]]. Also, the way he and his servants speak is a shout-out to the Skaven of TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy.
* TreacherousAdvisor: He wheedles and brainwashes his way into Big D's good graces while Jin is away, for the explicit purpose of turning the rooster into his personal [[TheDragon goon]].
* YouDirtyRat: The rat swarm accepts Fa Ram's hospitality under false pretenses, with the intent to corrupt its guardians and take over.
[[/folder]]
!!Hong Yaowu
The nearest village to Jin's Farm. Its name translates to "Medicine Storehouse" and its village elder is expected to be something of a doctor and pharamacist in addition to a mayor.
[[folder:Hong Xian the Elder]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_hong_xian.jpg]]
Father of Meiling and little Xian. He's also the village elder of Hong Yaowu.
----
* FrontierDoctor: Part of his role as the Elder of a village named "Medicine Storehouse" is to act as a doctor and pharmacist, which is important to the residents as the nearest dedicated healer may be days away on foot.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: He used to have his own share of crazy adventures with his late wife, best friend Bao and Yao Che during their youth.
* MeaningfulRename: [[spoiler:His name was once Hong San, as he was the family's third son and was not expected to inherit the position of village elder. Tragically, his middle brother died very young, and the eldest was killed by the plague that also took his parents, and he took the new name as required by tradition and his new position.]]
* LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:In volume 2, it's revealed that Hong Xian is as much a hereditary title as it is a name. He is the 77th Hong Xian. His father and grandfather held it, and someday his son will inherit it too.]]
* StrongerThanTheyLook: Of the non-combat-oriented variety. The village elders of Hong Yaowu have a tradition of performing a ritual dance during transition to the New Year. The dance is both intense and lasts ''all night'', yet other than the minor exhaustion that comes with his age, Hong Xian has little trouble performing it.
* UnexpectedSuccessor: [[spoiler:Hong ''San'' was not expected to become village elder, as he was his parents' third son. Sadly, his father and both of his older brothers died under tragic circumstances and he wound up with the post and the name change that comes with it.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hong Xian the Younger]]
A preteen boy, son of Hong Xian the Elder and brother of Meiling. Enthusiastic and rambunctious but slowly learning responsibility.
----
* HiddenDepths:
** His fascination with bugs seems like simply a young boy's enthusiasm for trying to gross out his older sister. However, it turns out that he's actually been working with Yun Ren and secretly (he thinks) breeding beetles and learning about them, hinting at a future in entomology.
** Despite being a small boy with more enthusiasm than actual strength or endurance, the first time he attempts to [[spoiler:do the village solstice dance alongside his father,]] he succeeds [[spoiler:in dancing all night, a feat unheard of for generations of his ancestors. This may have something to do with his encounters with Tianlan Shan, or his relation to cultivators like Jin, Meiling, and Xiulan.]]
* LegacyCharacter: Shares the same name as his father, [[spoiler:because that name is always given to the Elder of Hong Yaowu. When he succeeds his father, he will be the 78th Hong Xian.]]
* TheNoseKnows: Has the same ability to smell chi as his sister, though his is less sensitive due to his younger age and lower chi levels.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yao Che]]
The village blacksmith, and Yao Meihua's father.
----
* TheBlacksmith: His role in Hong Yaowu. Jin has sometimes asked him for help bringing his odd ideas like copper pipes into reality.
* {{Hunk}}: Noted as having a very muscular physique due to the nature of his work.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: He's initially incensed that Cai Xiulan wants to take the position honor guard for Meiling's wedding procession, but she gives him a look that conveys a small fraction her power and he quickly decides that discretion is the better part of valor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xong Ten Ren]]
Gou Ren and Yun Ren's father, and the village hunter.
----
* AnimalMotifs: Monkeys, like his son Gou Ren. He has the wild hair and features to match.
* ClassicalHunter: Noted to be a highly skilled hunter and the primary source of meat for Hong Yaowu.
* HunterTrapper: Not just a good hunter, but makes a living off of it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nezin Hu Li]]
Gou Ren and Yun Ren's mother. She is originally from one of the nomadic wilderness tribes who live near the Sea of Snow to the north of the Verdant Hills.
----
* AbductionIsLove: She seems to think so, and it's part of her tribe's customs; when Ten Ren was attempting to court her, her father kept denying permission, and he eventually gave up and just stole Hu Li away in the night. Her story implies that she and her father had been waiting for just that.
* AccentAdaptation: To Jin's ears, her native tribal accent in Chinese sounds like the equivalent of a Brooklyn accent in English.
* AnimalMotifs: Foxes, like her son Yun Ren. She has the squinty eyes and scheming demeanor to fit.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: Was initially dismissive of Liling, seeing her as just a soft CityMouse from Pale Moon Lake City. After a street brawl of a CatFight where Liling showed that she learned how to scrap in Fish Gut Alley, they reached an understanding and became good friends.
* SoleSurvivor: She lost the other two parts of her TownGirls trio (Tang Mei and Liling) in a bad famine that hit Hong Yaowu one year.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow]]
A snowman built by the villagers of Hong Yaowu in the spirit of friendly competition with Jin during his second winter in the Azure Hills.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: The General that Commands the Winter notes that the Warden was destroyed during the last storm of Jin's second winter in the Azure Hills, while defending Hong Yaowu against the ravages of a late winter storm, and treats this as a heroic LastStand. When Jin arrives back at Hong Yaowu after the storm, he sees the Warden's remnants surrounded by the crying children of the village performing funerary rites.
* AnIcePerson: Has power over winter weather and uses it to weaken a winter storm that descends on the village.
* {{Snowlems}}: Like the General that Commands the Winter, he started out as a standard, though enormous, snowman. However, much like with the General, the Qi invested and attention paid to his construction, plus the connection to Jin and [[spoiler:Tianlan Shan]] lead to its awakening as a subordinate of the General.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ty An]]
A young woman of about Meiling's age who lives in the village; somewhat insecure about herself and thus something of a bully, and particularly a rival to Meiling.
----
* AlphaBitch: Her role in the village, until Jin shows up.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Once Jin's influence begins to make all her bullying attempts fall flat, she begins to realize how immature she's been and start to try to make something of herself instead of putting others down.
* InsultBackfire: Once Jin comes to town, her attempts to put down Meiling and others all seem to backfire spectacularly.
** She calls Meiling a thistle, implying she's prickly and not particularly attractive. Jin says this is a compliment, noting that thistles are pretty and also tough and resilient, embarrassing Ty An and flattering Meiling.
** She makes fun of Meiling for having freckles, which are considered blemishes in the the culture of "Xianada". However, Jin, raised in a modern western culture, finds them cute and tells her so.
** She tries the same thing with Tigu's muscles, who likewise takes it as a compliment, having been basically raised by Jin. Ironically enough, Ty An develops a build of her own after becoming Yao Che's assistant after Meihua marries and moves out of town.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: [[spoiler: Has this relationship with Bowu [[EveryoneCanSeeIt much to everybody's amusement]].]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Liling]]
Hong Xian's late wife and the mother of Meiling and Xian the Younger. She was a scullery maid living in Pale Moon Lake City before she met and fell in love with San, as he was known as then.
----
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler: It's hinted that she's from the same bloodline as the Azure Emperor that Xiaoshi overthrew, given her mother's drunken ramblings.]]
* PosthumousCharacter: She died to a bad famine some years prior to story start, and her background is only fleshed out in a flashback arc.
* RagsToRiches: Downplayed, but she goes from being a scullery maid and thief in Pale Moon Lake City to the respected wife of the village elder in Hong Yaowu over the course of the flashback arc.
* SirSwearsALot: She can turn it off, but generally swears profusely.
[[/folder]]
!!Verdant Hill
The nearest town to Hong Yaowu and the seat of the local government.
[[folder:Lin Bao]]
The First Archivist of Verdant Hill and one of Hong Xian's best friends. Meiling and little Xian know him as Uncle Bao.
----
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: In his middle age due to his eating habits, he's (literally) grown to resemble his name, Bao being a type of round steamed bread dumpling.
* BigEater: Having survived the adventures of his youth, he takes great pleasure in enjoying the finer things in life. Like lots and lots of food.
* HonoraryUncle: Meiling and little Xian know him as their Uncle Bao and grew up around him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/22a6e91d_f94d_4546_9744_874bb0c1e785.png]]
The imperial-appointed ruler of Verdant Hill and the surrounding area, including Hong Yaowu and Jin's farm. The very image of an ideal ruler and bureaucrat.
----
* AttentionWhore: Is practically addicted to attention and acclaim from his subjects... and cultivates it by doing a spectacularly good job as their Lord Magistrate.
* BadassBureaucrat: He's a first-rate administrator and magistrate. Visitors are actually disturbed by how clean the streets are and how disciplined and helpful the town guard is. While he rarely has the opportunity or even need to flex his political muscle, he and his wife open negotiations with the Azure Jade Trading Company with a dazzling display of opulence and courtly skill that leaves the two junior merchants on the backfoot and willing to work with the Lord Magistrate's own terms for the Azure Hills. As an aside, he's both younger and far fitter than the Trading Company's envoys expected.
* BeleagueredBureaucrat: The Lord Magistrate is not happy about having someone living nearby who could probably destroy his town by accident if he went all out. And every time Jin does something generous, the magistrate drives himself to distraction worrying about the implications of being indebted to such a person. Every time he tries to repay Jin, however, Jin does something else for him in gratitude.
* BrilliantButLazy: Was among the top five of his class (first, before he got bumped down due to an unknown kerfuffle), and was even tapped to join the Grand Palace... but he requested the transfer to the Azure Hills to avoid dealing with the stresses of such high rank.
* CasualKink: Enjoys bondage games with his wife. [[spoiler:Due to her cultivator-inflicted injuries, it's hard for her to feel anything less.]]
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Fails to see that Jin Rou is just a simple, agreeable man who happens to have terrifying amounts of power. He second-guesses Jin's intentions backwards and forwards, giving himself ulcers in the process, trying to determine whether or not he's being tested through Jin's acts of charity. [[spoiler:His wife doesn't help, keeping to herself a conversation she had with Meiling, in which she confessed Jin deliberately abandoned the Cloudy Sword Sect because he wanted a peaceful life.]]
* CovertPervert: ''Really'' likes the Playboy Bunny-inspired outfit Meiling presented his wife with, particularly the fishnet stockings, even wondering how they'd look on his own legs. He's a bit worried about commissioning more, so he considers making them himself, given he made most of the ropes he and his wife [[CasualKink use]] himself.
* EnlightenedSelfInterest: He is an excellent magistrate, kind to his people and employees, and is all around a reasonable ruler. He does all of this because he likes being praised and respected, and views actually doing a good job and earning people's respect and praise as the best way to get what he wants.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Even in chapters from his perspective, he's only ever referred to as The Lord Magistrate or the Patriarch.
* TheGoodChancellor: Despite doing so for slightly selfish intentions, he's the model of this trope. He ''really'' likes having everyone's acclaim, so he genuinely works to earn it.
* InternalReveal: [[spoiler:Early in Volume Three, he finally pieces together that Jin isn't some super ancient cultivator with motives beyond his understanding or trying to mock him or usurp him; Jin is a very young man who genuinely respects The Lord Magistrate. That said, Jin continues to complicate matters since Jin is, at this point, the leader of all Cultivators in the Azure Hills and a guaranteed source of future trouble.]]
* MentorArchetype: To Jin, on political matters.
* MrViceGuy: He is a bit vain, desiring praise and respect. He is also an excellent administrator and a just ruler, since he feels it's easiest and best to be praised for actually present qualities.
* NervousWreck: Whenever cultivators get involved. [[spoiler:Due to the injuries that his wife suffered at the hands of one]], if his poker face was any weaker, cultivators would practically be his TraumaButton.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: {{Invoked}}: He specifically requested to be assigned to Verdant Hill, a backwater town even by Azure Hills standards for which he is grossly overqualified, so as to ensure that he could easily meet and exceed his position's expectations and so that he would be far away from cultivator shenanigans.
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Was Hong San ([[spoiler:later Hong Xian senior]]) and Lin Bao's senior while they were working in Pale Moon Lake City. They were the ones who gave him the idea to move to Verdant Hills when they mention how quiet and cultivator-free it is.
* OutOfTheFryingPan: [[spoiler:After Jin finally clears the air with him and asks him to become his decorum teacher, on one hand, he ''finally'' realizes Jin is a young cultivator struggling to keep afloat in the world of politics who both respects the Lord Magistrate and is eager to learn from him. On the other, the rapidly increasing amounts of soft power and the equivalent responsibility Jin's accruing - and it now being his responsibility to help him manage it - give him ulcers.]]
* ThePeterPrinciple: Inverted. He's deliberately taken a position that's below his skill level, rather than endure the stresses and dangers of high rank.
* PlagueOfGoodFortune: Is not exactly ''unhappy'' at having Jin take care of dangerous beasts and bandits, build roads, and frequently gift him with luxury foodstuffs, but is constantly worrying that the other shoe is going to drop and Jin will demand something crazy of him.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While he may be screaming internally while he makes them, his decisions are very fair both to Jin and his other subjects.
* StealingTheCredit: Averted. He doesn't like being credited for things he didn't do -- mostly because one day he might be asked to pull the same trick again.
* UniversallyBelovedLeader: Internally self-centered and self-important, he is still a great ruler out of a pragmatic belief that the best way to get praise and respect is to earn it - and he is very good at it, having earned the legitimate admiration of everyone in his jurisdiction. His various achievements (and self-centered motivations) include:
** When he is tired of the yearly floods cutting into his leisure time, he commissions great canals which divert the floodwaters and greatly improve the lives of the villagers.
** When he bribes a cultivator in the hopes the man will go away and leave him alone, it is seen as a prudent investment in the future; since Jin is the kind of person to return a favor, it turns out to be just that.
** He ensures his bureaucrats are efficient, honest, and compassionate, because it prevents angry subjects from coming after him and gives him more free time.
** When Meiling stops a plague in its tracks, he is suspected to have summoned her.
** His freezing up when in danger or nervous is interpreted as [[NervesOfSteel a fearless willingness to stand his ground and a general air of unflappability]], because he has an excellent poker face and his back tends to sweat before the rest of his body.
** He regularly leads his guards in exercise so that if he is ever threatened, he will be able to run away effectively. They respect him all the more for his leadership and sharing their burdens.
** His swordsmanship is considered excellent for a mortal and he practices regularly, so that if attacked he could buy himself time to escape.
** His kindness to his bureaucrats and soldiers is seen as evidence of his strong moral character, but is really motivated out of a desire to maintain their loyalty and willingness to fight for him if ever threatened.
* WeirdnessMagnet: One of the reasons he fears Jin is because he likes his province nice and orderly, and Cultivators are known to attract trouble.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lady Wu Zei Qi]]
The wife of the Magistrate of Verdant Hill.
----
* CasualKink: Enjoys rough, rope play with her husband, [[spoiler:mostly so that she can feel ''something'' past her deadened sense of touch due to her injuries]].
* CovertPervert: Privately, she's just as kinky as her husband.
* HandicappedBadass: Despite having been supernaturally crippled by a cultivator, which gave her occasional tremors and reduced dexterity and senses, she is effective at politicking and assisting the Magistrate. [[spoiler:She's eventually cured by Meiling.]]
* HidingTheHandicap: Involuntarily; the public sees her slow graceful walk and the slow, elegant songs she plays on the guzheng as qualities of a ProperLady, when in fact they're because she can't move as fast or play more complex songs due to her reduced dexterity.
* LockedIntoStrangeness: Her cultivator-induced injuries also gave her streaks of grey hair.
* ProperLady: Demure, cultured, plays guzheng, [[CasualKink handles rope]].
* UnluckilyLucky: Doesn't bemoan the injuries she suffered at the hands of a cultivator, as her "damage" meant that her "honored father" allowed her to marry her then-common-born husband without an argument.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Yao Meihua]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beware_of_chicken_you_meihua.jpg]]
A friend of Meiling's who grew up with her in Hong Yaowu. Currently lives in Verdant Hill with her husband, Ting Feng.
----
* ChildhoodFriends: Meiling considers her "a sister in all but blood."
* CityMouse: Jin mentions that she doesn't seem to much care for physical work and as such she is happier living in a bigger town with a couple of servants than in the small village where she grew up.
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: Is very beautiful and attracts the attention of powerful and dangerous men, including the Magistrate, who is too sensible to act on it, and Zang Li, who would have raped her if not for Jin.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: She is her blacksmith father's daughter; when she gets tipsy, she easily carries her friend, her husband, and her friend's husband.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zhuge Ting Feng]]
A clerk in Verdant Hill and Yao Meihua's husband.
----
* CityMouse: Although he's a very nice guy and devoted to Meihua, it's clear he's been raised to life in town and as a clerk has very few skills that would serve him in the country.
* PanickyExpectantFather: He's visibly anxious, pacing around, and making a nuisance of himself when Meihua goes into labor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Crone]]
A mysterious old lady who lives in a shack just on the outskirts of Verdant Hill with her goat and 3-pawed tomcat. Appears to know more about Jin and his circumstances than she is letting on.
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:She and her cat were formerly powerful cultivators, in addition to her being a seer. However, due to jealousy and politics, both of their cultivations were broken and they came to the Azure Hills to escape that life.]]
* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:When Shen Yu comes to town, he recognizes her as Shiyun of the Heavenly Path, and her tomcat as Laoshi, the Tiger’s Fury, both former cultivators whose cultivation was destroyed by jealous political rivals]].
* GrumpyOldWoman: An old woman who complains and seems generally irritated all the time. Still, she's generally helpful despite her words.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She acts mean to those around her, but when given the chance to influence the outcome of [[spoiler:her prophecy about the heir to the Azure Emperor]], she makes her choice based on compassion.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Squabbles with her old neighbor Shu in this way, [[spoiler:even before they actually get married.]]
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Her 3-footed tomcat sometimes displays sparks of human-level intelligence and [[spoiler:is implied to be Tigu's father]]. But as soon as it is noticed, he reverts to normal cat behavior. [[spoiler:Turns out he is actually a former cultivator apparently stuck in cat form]].
* MysteriousBacker: She clearly is interested in helping Jin in some way, giving him Tigger after he brings her goat back to her and helping Tigger out when she visits Verdant Hill. But what exactly her goal is and what she knows about Jin's circumstances remains unclear. [[spoiler:Until Bi De comes to her with the visions from the ancient memory crystal and she explains her prophecy]].
* RomanticRibbing: [[spoiler:She and her husband Shu constantly give each other grief, even before they got together]].
* {{Seers}}: It turns out that [[spoiler:the Crone is actually an old seer, who fled to the Azure Hills to escape her tumultuous younger years in much the same way Jin did. And as soon as she entered the province, an ancient spirit made a deal with her to help it find an heir to the forgotten Azure Emperor. The fates told her Verdant Hill was the best place to settle down and find her candidate. She initially considers the Lord Magistrate, but thinks the stress would be too much for his anxiety. Then she considers Jin, but she has a soft spot for him, their stories feeling so similar, and decides to let him set down his roots in peace. Eventually, she decides that ''Bi De'' is the best candidate and drops the weight of prophecy on him.]]
* TormentByAnnoyance: [[spoiler:The main reason she cut a deal with the spirit to find the heir to the Azure Emperor and guide him was so it would stop bothering her.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Pale Moon Lake City
The largest city in the Azure Hills and the capital of the province. Sits on the shore of Pale Moon Lake, a mysteriously perfectly-circular lake with a surface area roughly equivalent to Lake Superior. Home to Mengde's Crystal Emporium and the local headquarters of the Azure Jade Trading Company.
[[folder:Biyu]]
A journeyman crystal carver who works at Mengde's Crystal Emporium and becomes romantically involved with Yun Ren.
----
* AnimalMotifs: She's noted several times to be somewhat owlish in appearance (big round eyes and fluffy hair) and personality, and is quite intelligent, fitting with the "wise owl" stereotype.
* CutenessProximity: One of the few things that can override her shyness. Easily becomes enamored with just about every animal on the Fa Ram, and sets out to make pieces of clothing for them.
* MadeOfExplodium: Being essentially solid qi, even the relatively low-grade crystals of the Azure Hills can explode with considerable force if Biyu gets the slightest thing wrong in her formation carving. There's a reason that crystal carvers are so highly paid.
* {{Magitek}}: Her specialty is the carving and use of magical crystals, that can be used for lighting, videography, photography, and so on.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Bo]]
A junior merchant who works for the Azure Jade Trading Company.
----
* DoYouWantToHaggle: Makes Jin an offer for his Maple Syrup, but immediately revises it upward [[AccidentalBargainingSkills when he gets the mistaken impression that Jin's frown means he feels like he's being lowballed]].
* FeeFiFauxPas: Mistakes Xiulan for Jin's wife while Meiling, Jin's wife, is standing right there. She lets him stew in his embarassment (and horror, as everyone involved but him is a cultivator) before laughing it off, more amused than anything else. It helps that it wasn't entirely his fault; Jin had let everyone assume such so that Xiulan wouldn't be constantly hassled while in the city with him.
* UndyingLoyalty: After he brings Jin in to negotiate buying Jin's [[spoiler:gold-grade]] rice, the company was going to assign another more senior merchant to be Jin's primary contact. However, because Jin was happy with his previous deals and believes in the importance of relationships, he insists that Guan Bo remain his primary contact with the company. This basically secures Bo's rise in status in the company and turns him into Jin's biggest fan.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Chyou]]
A rising star merchant of the Azure Jade Trading Company, and Guan Bo's sister.
----
* HighClassCallGirl: Her grandmother Shan Daiyu, [[TheManBehindTheMan who is the real brains behind the success of the Azure Jade Trading Company]], from time to time assigns her to seduce important clients in order to secure deals. [[spoiler:Including Jin, though he gently rejects her advances.]] She is very pragmatic about this and accepts it as just part of doing business.
* IntrepidMerchant: After [[spoiler:turning down her offer to sleep with him]] Jin commissions her to organize an expedition into the south of the Empire and beyond to locate various exotic plants that he wants to grow. She's excited for the opportunity as it will be both more fulfilling than her usual assignments and quite the adventure.
* OddFriendship: Gets along very well with Wa Shi once they meet, to the surprise of just about everyone.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guan Ping]]
The head of the Azure Jade Trading Company, and Guan Chou and Guan Bo's grandfather. In some ways, a figurehead for his wife, Shan Daiyu. Still a competent businessman and administrator.
----
* HappilyMarried: He and Shan Daiyu run the Azure Jade Trading Company together, with him as the primary accountant and public face, and her as the chief strategist. It's implied they've been happy together like this for decades.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shan Daiyu]]
The wife of Guan Ping, and the real brains behind the Azure Jade Trading Company. Grandmother of Guan Chou and Guan Bo.
----
* HappilyMarried: Appears to have a very equal relationship with her husband, who is both her life partner and business partner.
* IntrepidMerchant: In her younger days building up the company, she went on various dangerous and adventurous expeditions throughout the empire.
* [[TheManBehindTheMan The Woman Behind The Man]]: She's the real head of the Azure Jade Trading Company, but her husband is the official head. Somewhat downplayed as they function as a team when negotiating high-level deals.
* SilkHidingSteel: Although she projects an image of a demure courtly lady, she is the real head of the company and her family, and is not to be trifled with.
[[/folder]]
!!The Azure Hills Special Investigative Unit
A special unit of the Azure Hills guard, with province-wide jurisdiction.
[[folder:The Special Inspector of the Azure Hills]]
The head of the Special Investigative Unit and an intelligent, dashing and stalwart young man of the Law, who is quickly building a reputation as a legendary detective. He happens to also be [[spoiler:the son of the Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill and Lady Wu]] and secretly much less fearless than he appears.
----
* AccidentalHero: He stumbled onto most of most of his most famous cases by complete accident, and in fact didn't even realize he was being groomed for the position of Special Inspector until he was in front of the officials who awarded him the title.
** [[spoiler:He thought the rumors of slavery in Grass Sea City were just that, rumors, a safe wild goose chase he could indulge in to convince the people he was doing something actually worthwhile and receiving mockery instead of threats from the nobility. Then Tigu barreled in and uncovered an enormous slavery ring that involved most of the local nobility. To his horror, he ends up looking like he actually was on the correct trail all the time and is granted temporary Lordship of Grass Sea City as a result. Tie Delun's help in making Grass Sea City's recalcitrant sound-spreading formation work for his speech makes him even more of a hero in the eyes of the populace.]]
* ChickMagnet: Attractive women seem to gravitate towards him wherever he goes, including at least two cultivators and several mortals, to the point that some of his companions begin to notice. It may have something to do with how he is both physically attractive and behaves very honorably and politely to everyone. However none of them is a polite well-bred young lady who would be conducive to a quiet peaceful life, which is what he's really looking for.
* CowardlyLion: Although he's absolutely terrified by the situations he finds himself in, he's very good at concealing it and intelligent and resourceful enough to win the day.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: [[spoiler:Like his father]], he is only ever referred to as the Special Inspector, even in his own thoughts.
* GoneHorriblyRight: From the perspective of the noble who set him up with the post; it was likely meant to get him killed, but instead he is revealed to be surprisingly competent and is quickly becoming a province-wide hero.
* IgnoredConfession: After taking down a cultivator and gang that were trying to copycat the Whirling Demon Gang, he admits to Sergeant Han that he nearly soiled himself. The good Sergeant has a great laugh at this "joke".
* InTheBlood: He's a good and extremely capable man, but a NervousWreck behind his imperturbable mask. [[spoiler:Much like his father, the Lord Magistrate.]]
* MysteryMagnet: He keeps encountering crimes, cultists and bandits. Even when he'd rather not.
* PromotedToScapegoat: Subverted; the noble Wu Lee intentionally(?) set him up to be assigned the post of Special Inspector, where it was presumed his life expectancy would be greatly shortened, considering the post had been left unfilled for thirty years in the first place due to all its occupants being assassinated. Luckily for the Inspector, he's proven to be quite competent and skilled at both law enforcement and escaping danger.
* SecretlySelfish: He'd like nothing more to be safe and bored in Pale Moon Lake City, but of course can't tell anyone that.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Sergeant Han]]
A member of the Special Investigative Unit who assists the Special Inspector.
----
* BadassInDistress: Captured by slavers while protecting travellers, rescued by Rou Tigu.
* HadToBeSharp: Grew up in the worst part of Pale Moon Lake City and learned many fighting skills from a young age.
* ICallItVera: Named his [[LawmanBaton billy club]] "The Great Stick that Pacifies Heaven" or just "The Pacifier" for short.
* UndyingLoyalty: Thinks the Special Inspector is the best thing to happen to law enforcement in the Azure Hills in his lifetime and would follow him into hell if asked.
[[/folder]]
!!Verdant Blade Sect
One of the larger cultivator sects of the Azure Hills, located in the Grass Sea region. Their cultivation and combat style is inspired by Spiritual Grass and their signature technique is the '''[Blades of Grass]''', which allows them to [[MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades create dozens of levitating]], [[SpectralWeaponCopy ethereal copies of their swords]].
[[folder:Cai Xi Kong]]
Cai Xiulan's father and one of the leading elders of the Verdant Blade Sect.
----
* PapaWolf: Although he has to deal with sect politics and the fact that some sects are simply so powerful that he can't stop them from dictating demands, he cares deeply about Xiulan and is willing to do what he needs to to protect her from exploitation or worse. He backs her when she rejects various suitors, even going to the point of ''killing'' a man he previously considered a friend who wouldn't take "no" for an answer when Xiulan was 12 years old. The thought of [[spoiler:Zang Li]] taking her away fills him with rage and he is greatly relieved that the man is only a Young Master, since his hand might have been forced if a [[spoiler:Shrouded Mountain]] Sect elder had tried to court her.
* PrettyBoy: Mature edition. Jin figures that Xiulan got her striking looks from her dad.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: When Xiulan tells him about Jin, he's happy to maintain Jin's status as a Hidden Master who values his privacy, and helps maintain the fiction that Xiulan killed [[spoiler:Sun Ken]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:An Ran]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect, and the informal leader of Xiulan's personal students, collectively known as the "Orchid's Petals".
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu starts calling her the "Smaller Blade of Grass", comparing her to Xiulan. However she looks up to Xiulan so much that she considers this an honor. Likewise she initially thinks that being called one of the "Orchid's Petals" is embarrassing but later begins to take pride in being a student of the sect's rising star.
* LoveTriangle: She seemed to like Gou Ren (although Cai Xiulan was trying to push them together). Liu Xianghua ''definitely'' likes Gou Ren. She later seems interested in The Special Inspector. Shui Xinlai, young mistress of the Grey Water Sect is ''definitely'' into The Special Inspector.
* SpectralWeaponCopy: During the Dueling Peaks Tournament, she manages for the first time to execute her sect's SignatureMove and create '''[A Single Blade of Grass]''', a copy of her sword.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hi Huyi]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Said to have "dead-fish eyes".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xi Bu]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Noted to be the smallest and youngest of the group.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lee Li]]
A disciple of the Verdant Blade Sect and one of the Orchid's Petals. Excitable and has spiky green hair.
[[/folder]]
!!Misty Lake Sect
A cultivator sect based in the Misty Lake region, which is actually less of a lake and more of a swamp or wetlands like the Everglades.
[[folder:Liu Xianghua]]
Xiulan's great rival among the cultivators of the Azure Hills and the Young Mistress of the Misty Lake Sect. She becomes Gou Ren's love interest.
----
* AbductionIsLove: [[spoiler:Following the tribal custom of Gou Ren's mother, she attempts to kidnap him as a marriage proposal. However, she didn't realize that Gou Ren was ''also'' trying to uphold that custom...]]
* AnimalMotifs: Her attacks are frequently equated to a heron stepping through the misty swamp with its long beak spearing out to strike.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: In order to help [[spoiler:Xiulan]] with her project to [[spoiler:unite the sects of the Azure Hills]], Xianghua decides she must take over [[spoiler:the Misty Lake Sect as Sectmaster.]] Part of the trials for doing so is defeating three [[spoiler:Misty Lake elders]] in combat. In order to leave absolutley no doubt as to her fitness for the position, she instead decides to defeat ''all of them'', without the aid of her steam generator. She not only does so but makes it look easy.
* BigSisterInstinct: Very protective of her little brother.
* FriendlyRival: How she expresses friendship with anyone outside her brother. [[spoiler:Upgrades to VitriolicBestBuds if she likes you--first seen with Xiulan but later extended to a number of the Younger Generation of Azure Hills cultivators.]]
* GatheringSteam: Both literally and figuratively, this is how her signature fighting technique works. She wears a Qi-powered steam generator artifact on her back that slowly fills the area with misty steam, which she then uses to conceal her movements and power her attacks. And it plays right into the philosophy of her home Misty Lake Sect.
* HatesTheirParent: Hates her father for beating, abusing, and then neglecting her brother Bowu, and her mother for going along with it due to considering both of her children cripples, Bowu in body and her in mind, and saying so ''to her face''.
* InSeriesNickname: Tigu calls her "Damp Pond", which Xiulan also appropriates. After [[spoiler:holding out against Shrouded Mountain and, uh, holding onto Gou Ren]], this changes to "Misty Lady."
* LargeHam: She's relentlessly melodramatic. [[spoiler: This is revealed to be a mask that she keeps up for two reasons. First, her little brother likes it. Second, and more importantly, she has difficulty with interacting with others and when she acts like a typical "LargeHam Young Mistress," people's reactions become more predictable.]]
* LoveTriangle: She likes Gou Ren. An Ran also seems to like Gou Ren. [[spoiler:Resolved when she gets together with Gou Ren the night of the Shrouded Mountain Sect's attack at the tournament.]]
* NamedWeapon: Her sword is named "Shrouded Intent". As befitting her misdirection-laden fighting style, its tip is white and translucent, making it seem shorter than it actually is.
* RedBaron: "The Heron of the Misty Lake."
* ShapingYourAttacks: When powered up by her steam, an ethereal crane[[labelnote:*]]the bird, not the construction equipment[[/labelnote]] formed of Qi can be seen striking with her when she attacks.
* SmokeOut: Her steam generator allows her to disappear into the mist and reappear elsewhere. It's implied, since it's powered by her own Qi, that she can see through it just fine.
* WillfullyWeak: When Xianghua decides to [[spoiler:take command of the Misty Lake Sect as the new sectmaster]], she must face the trial of defeating three [[spoiler:Misty Lake elders]] to prove her worthiness. She instead decides to defeat ''all'' of them, and to leave absolutely no doubt as to her strength, does so without the aid of her Steam Furnace. [[spoiler:She succeeds, naturally.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liu Bowu]]
Xianghua's younger brother, who was crippled in a duel arranged by his own father after he proved unable to become a cultivator.
----
* AbusiveParents: His father, one of the elders of the Misty Lake Sect, wanted his son to become a cultivator like him. When that proved impossible, he became very angry, eventually arranging a blatantly unfair "bargain" that involved a duel against one of his students, which ends up crippling his son. And his mother never even really cared or helped him.
* AllTheOtherReindeer: After his crippling, he was treated like a pariah by most of the sect, save for his sister and a few who chose to aid him in small ways.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Gets invested in Jin's ideas, partly from boredom, but mostly because he's thankful Jin honestly thinks he might be interested and genuinely values his input.
* DreamCrushingHandicap: At a relatively young age, he proves unable to cultivate due to internal physical issues, disappointing his father.
* FictionalDisability: Bowu was born with severely deformed meridians, making him unable to ever cultivate. Even Shen Yu confirms that the damage is too severe to ever be treated.
* GeniusCripple: Although barely able to walk and unable to cultivate, he [[GadgeteerGenius designed the artifact steam generator]] that Xianghua uses to punch well above her nominal cultivation power level.
* HatesTheirParent: Having a disability, and then ''being given another by your own father'', will do that to someone.
* ImmortalityThroughMemory: He knows he can't become immortal by cultivating, so he instead desires to create something so amazing that he will be remembered for eternity.
* LegacySeeker: His goal is to create a legacy through his inventions.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: [[spoiler: Has this relationship with Hong Yaowu's Ty An [[EveryoneCanSeeIt much to everybody's amusement]].]]
* ThrowingOffTheDisability: It takes a long, long while, and a fair amount of preparation, but Meiling succeeds in carrying out major surgery that heals his crippled leg.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Inverted. After the tournament, the sect's Elders recognize the value of his Steam Generator and his understanding of the sect's Mysteries, acknowledge him as a Young Master, and immediately boot his father out, decrying his father's actions as a tremendous waste of useful talent. He has no illusions about his sudden change in fortunes, but being validated allays some of his irritation. Turns out, they're quite nervous themselves, since Bowu's departure with Jin also means they're losing the one thing they judged valuable enough to kick out their former master for.
[[/folder]]
!!Hermetic Iron Sect
Based in the Iron Fields of the Azure Hills. While few in number, the Hermetic Iron Sect produces excellent metalwork.
[[folder:Tie Delan]]
Sect Master of Hermetic Iron, and father of Tie Delun.
----
* AmazonChaser: He likes his women muscular.
* KarmicJackpot: Falls into this when instead of defending the noble who's hosting him against intruders (one of whom turns out to be his own son), he allows them to arrest him for [[spoiler:slave-trading]] and assists his son with clearing out Grass Sea City afterwards. The outcome of this is that instead of treating with the noble to buy Spirit Iron from a vein the noble owned ([[spoiler:which was going to be mined by slave labor]]), his sect gets to own the vein outright for services rendered.
* StoutStrength: He packs a powerful portly paunch. This makes him even more conscious of his own appearance than his son.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mao Liqui]]
Tie Delan's wife, and Tie Delun's mother.
----
* ActionDressRip: Involuntary example; when she sees [[spoiler: the slaves in Grass Sea City]], she gets so mad her formal dress begins to rip at the seams from her muscles flexing.
* BattleCouple: Is fully willing to draw a hammer and fight alongside her husband.
* CommonalityConnection: How does she bond with [[spoiler:Tigu]]? By carving images of their muscular men in loincloths into marble pillars.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds with [[spoiler:Tigu]] when she declares her son "handsome", for the features that he shares with his father.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tie Delun]]
The Young Master of the Hermetic Iron Sect. Built like a blacksmith (i.e. [[{{Hunk}} ripped]]). Has a [[EveryoneCanSeeIt noticeable fondness]] for Tigu.
----
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: It's implied that part of the reason he fell so hard for [[spoiler:Tigu]] is that she's the first person to ever see his features- large, tanned skin, big muscles, and freckles- and call him "Handsome," since those features are typically not appreciated in cultivation circles.
* BringIt: When confronted with three significant opponents demanding he step aside and let them take [[spoiler:Tigu]], Tie Delun responds with focused eloquence:
-->"''Like Hell.''"
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Tall and muscular, protective of his friends and sect mates and a skilled artist.
* DropTheHammer: In keeping with the sect's blacksmith theming, uses a hammer as his primary weapon.
* GeekyTurnOn: As a craftsman as well as a cultivator, part of what attracts him to [[spoiler:Tigu]] is her ability to sculpt intricate carvings and statues with just her [[spoiler:Qi claws]].
* HiddenHeartOfGold: He used to stomp around everywhere with a snarl or a grumpy look, seemingly as a defense for anyone who saw his freckles and tan and call him ugly. Tigu was the first to break through this facade and reach the caring man underneath.
* InSeriesNickname: Tigu calls him "Handsome Man".
* InterspeciesRomance: He, a human cultivator, with [[spoiler:Rou Tigu, a human-shifted Spirit Cat]].
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Shares his tanned, rugged looks with his father.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: As it turns, his LoveInterest [[spoiler:Tigu]] has a lot in common with his mother, Mao Liqui. Both are Amazonian women and talented artisans who prefer their men {{Hunk}} rather than PrettyBoy.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' for [[spoiler:Tigu]] the moment they meet.
* RedBaron: "The Ironskin."
* SuperToughness: Even more so than your typical cultivator. One of the [[SignatureMove core techniques]] of his sect allows him to make his skin as hard as steel.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Tigu thinks he is. However, her taste differs from the local traditions, to whom he looks like a crude brute.
[[/folder]]
!!Grand Ravine Sect
A cultivator sect named for the Grand Ravine region they call home, largest and strongest among the Azure Hills sects. Deep-rooted (and justified) distrust of Imperial authority. Their SignatureMove includes the use of [[BladeOnARope rope blades]] [[note]](primarily a mobility tool for their quite-vertical homeland)[[/note]] and ancestral [[PowerTattoo body markings]].
[[folder:Guo Daxian the Younger/Ulagan Tarkhan]]
The Young Master of the Grand Ravine Sect.
----
* AmazonChaser: In his words, a proper woman is a girl with a bow and a hunting hawk, as opposed to some icy beauty.
* BadassesWearBandanas: A fearsome cultivator and fighter, who wears a bandanna as part of his traditional wear.
* LegacyCharacter: Not just because he's named after his father, but also because his sect has a tradition that their strongest member ''always'' is named Daxian.
* WorthyOpponent: Demands he be treated like this by Xiulan in the Dueling Peaks tournament, who had earlier beaten his junior disciple with next to no effort. Xiulan obliges and unleashes the full power of her '''[Thirty Two Blades of Grass]''' and '''[Lotus Flower - Bloom]''' techniques on him. [[spoiler:He puts up a respectable fight before going down.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guo Daxian the Elder/Ulagan Baatar]]
The younger Guo Daxian's father, and the most powerful cultivator of the Grand Ravine sect, and possibly the most powerful of all the Azure Hills cultivators.
[[/folder]]
!!Azure Horizon Sect
!!Framed Sun Sect
A sect based near the Dueling Peaks, whose techniques are inspired by the sight of the sun setting between them.
[[folder:Chen Yang]]
The Young Master of the Framed Sun Sect.
----
* CulturedWarrior: Is very fond of the epic poem said to have been written by the founder of his sect, and regularly practices his calligraphy in the hopes of one day equaling his ancestor's writing.
* WarriorPoet: As well as being a powerful cultivator, he desires to make beautiful calligraphy and poetry to equal that of his sect's founder. [[spoiler:Gets to put this into practice when repairing Dueling Town after the post-tournament fighting; he creates beautiful calligraphy for the signposts belonging to various businesses.]]
[[/folder]]
!!Grey Water Sect
[[folder:Xinling]]
Sect Mistress of the Grey Water. Renowned for her beauty, she usually veils her face in public. The four leading elder disciples of the sect are her daughters.
----
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shui Xinlai]]
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows the value of discretion.
----
* LoveDodecahedron: She is one of the Special Inspector's ''several'' suitors.
[[/folder]]
!!Dueling Peaks and Dueling Town
The site of the Dueling Peaks Tournament, the "youth" tournament for the cultivators of Azure Hills held every eight years. The Earthly Arena is built in between the eponymous mountains and Dueling Town is located at the base.
[[folder:"Loud Boy" Zang Wei]]
A young cultivator first seen in Dueling Town preparing to enter the Dueling Peaks Tournament.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu originally called him Loud Boy for his tendency to be [[NoIndoorVoice loud]] and dramatic all the time, and the name stuck to the point he begins using it himself.
* DefeatEqualsFriendship: Starts as rivals with "Rags" Dong Chou but after a few encounters and Loud Boy's victory in the arena, they become fast friends.
* DePower: [[spoiler:In the post-tournament fighting with the Shrouded Mountain Sect he takes a hit that destroys his cultivation. It's later made clear that the damage is not irreparable, but he will be starting over from scratch.]]
* DieOrFly: Implied but downplayed. In every one of his wins in the tournament it looks like he's about to be defeated but pulls out some unexpected technique that grants him victory. He's finally outclassed by Tie Delun, the young master of the Hermetic Iron Sect.
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the tournament, and during the [[spoiler:fight against the Shrouded Mountain Sect afterwards]], he becomes friends with the younger generation of both sect-affiliated and independent cultivators from the Azure Hills.
* HeroicSecondWind: Many of his victories in the Dueling Peaks Tournament involve him seemingly being at the point of losing but suddenly coming back to win with an unexpected, powerful technique.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: [[WordOfGod Casualfarmer commented]] around the time that he was introduced that he looks "suspiciously like a protagonist" and his story beats mostly consist of very stereotypical Xianxia protagonist tropes.
* InelegantBlubbering: He is reduced to largely happy tears and sobs after receiving some materials to [[spoiler:help repair his cultivation]] near the end of volume 2.
* LargeHam: Often makes dramatic declarations at [[NoIndoorVoice the top of his lungs]]. His EstablishingCharacterMoment was bursting into the Dueling Peaks tournament admittance hall and announcing his intent to register.
* RedBaron: "The Rising Dragon."
* ShapedLikeItself: When the [[spoiler: Dragon spirit that unlocked Zang Wei's cultivation asks Zang, upon giving him back his Cultivation, what the nature of the world is, Zang's response is that the world... is what it is. It is suffering and joy and kindness and cruelty. [[ActuallyPrettyFunny The dragon thinks it's pretty funny that Zang came back more hopeful than when he left,]] despite the shattering of his Diantan, and fixes the boy's power.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Rags are constantly giving each other crap but become good friends.
* WrongAssumption: [[spoiler: After seeing Tigu transforming back to a cat for a moment, he thought she's using a cultivation technique that borrows the form of a tiger, while Xianghua & "Rags" are able to figure out she's initially a Spirit Beast.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Rags" Dong Chou]]
A young-ish cultivator who started out as a gang leader in Dueling Town and entered the Dueling Peaks Tournament.
----
* AppropriatedAppellation: Tigu gives him the name for his ragged appearance, what with his starting out as a street gang leader. He starts calling himself Rags after it's used in the tournament.
* DefeatEqualsFriendship: "Loud Boy" Zang Wei manages to defeat him in the arena but they become inseparable afterwards.
* FeeFiFauxPas: [[spoiler: After waking up from his injury and officially meeting Jin, he casually asks him to join his gang and face off against the Shrouded Mountain Sect before even asking his name, ignoring the other cultivators (except for Tie Delun who also just woke up) hinting at him to not mess with a cultivator who is at least a realm higher above them. Luckily Jin doesn't mind]].
* FireForgedFriends: Over the course of the tournament, and during the [[spoiler:fight against the Shrouded Mountain Sect afterwards]], he becomes friends with the younger generation of both sect-affiliated and independent cultivators from the Azure Hills.
* SirSwearsALot: Uses a fair amount of salty language.
* [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything The Street Gang That Doesn't Do Anything]]: The most gang-like thing we ever see him or the Farrow Gang do is threaten to help beat up Loud Boy before the Dueling Peaks Tournament. After Tigu defuses that conflict he seems to be a pretty nice guy, if somewhat brash, and his gang seems to just like to hang around with him. He works as a caravan guard.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Loud Boy are constantly giving each other crap but become good friends.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bai Huizong]]
His Imperial Majesty’s Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, the announcer for the Dueling Peaks Tournament, and under-the-table merchandising agent.
----
* LargeHamAnnouncer: He personally does the announcing and fight commentary for the Dueling Peaks Tournament, complete with over-the-top proclamations of how the current bout is the greatest match seen in millennia.
* TheMerch: InUniverse. His lesser-known side business is managing the production and sale of news reports, paintings, dolls and various and sundry other merchandise based on the competitors in the tournament.
[[/folder]]
!!Master Gen's Home
A hidden compound in the wilderness, built atop a very productive crystal mine.
[[folder:Master Gen]]
A Master crystal carver and miner, as well as [[spoiler:a spirit beast monkey]], who has a special relationship with Mengde's Crystal Emporium.
[[/folder]]
!!The Eighth Correct Place
A village visited by Big D during his travels. Its economy centers around silver mining.
[[folder:Zhang Fei]]
A young boy, apprentice to his silversmith father, who steps up to defend his town from vicious wolves led by an evil spirit beast and becomes a student of Big D.
----
* AnimalMotifs: When defending his town or acting as a cultivator, he wears a rooster mask in honor of his master, ''Fa Bi De,'' and to uphold the warning on the Eighth Correct Place's entry sign: [[TitleDrop "Beware of Chicken."]]
* ImplausibleBoardingSkills: He basically invented white-water canal surfing.
* InelegantBlubbering: Though he tries to hold it in, he can't hide the tears in his eyes or the snot in his nose when his master Bi De leaves his village.
* InSeriesNickname: The kids in the local villages call him "[[RedBaron The Torrent Rider]]" because he basically invented surfing on the floodwaters that frequently course down the nearby canals.
* IThoughtEveryoneCouldDoThat: Since his first encounter with cultivation is Bi De, his view of cultivation norms is a bit skewed, like thinking sapient Spirit Beasts are commonplace or expecting great things from masters.
* LastStand: In the fight against the wolf, he and the other villagers are prepared to go down fighting. Luckily for him, [[BigDamnHeroes Bi De shows up just in time.]]
* LegacyCharacter: As the son of the village elder, he shares his father's name and is expected to eventually inherit his position.
* NamedWeapon: Names his new spear "Moon Spur" in honor of his master. Bi De is suitably embarrassed.
* RedBaron: "The Torrent Rider." Later, [[spoiler:"the Rooster."]]
* StandYourGround: Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he and the other villagers still attempt to put up a fight against the vicious spirit wolf that's been stalking their village for weeks.
[[/folder]]
!!Ancient History
The Azure Hills was once a very different place. Thousands of years ago, it was known as [[spoiler:The Azure Mountains]] and was home to [[spoiler:The Azure Empire, a kingdom cut off from the rest of the world by the Mist Wall, a massive set of wards that kept an army of demons out]]. The process of transforming the [[spoiler:Azure Mountains into the Azure Hills]] [[ApocalypseHow was not a peaceful one]]. As this history is revealed late in Books 2 and 3, but has an impact on everything that comes before it, every character in this section should be considered a WalkingSpoiler. [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff Spoilers are off]] for these entries, and you should not expand these folders if you wish to avoid [[LateArrivalSpoiler Late-Arrival Spoilers]]. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.
[[folder:In General]]
* IdenticalGrandson: When viewing Xiaoshi's memory crystal, Bi De is struck by how similar everyone's ancestors appearances and personalities are to their descendants, even before he hears their names which confirm it. This is despite thousands of years between their generations.
[[/folder]]
!!!Humans
[[folder:Xiaoshi]]
An orphan with a suspiciously similar backstory to Jin Rou (minus the {{Isekai}}), who becomes Tianlan Shan's first Connected One, and later Azure Emperor.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: When he learns of the stubbornness of the founder of The Eighth Correct Place in rebuilding the village seven times despite the flooding, he laughs, takes it in stride, and rewards the villagers by raising silver up from the depths of the earth for them to access easily.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Xiaoshi finds out shortly after defeating the Azure Emperor that doing so makes him the biggest badass in the empire... which means everyone expects him to be in charge. The Azure Emperor is dead... Long live the Azure Emperor!
* DoomedHometown: While he grew up in a large city and left as a young man, he soon settled down and fell in love with a small town and became a farmer much like Jin. Then the Azure Empire's soldiers come to town...
* FatalFlaw: He doesn't want to burden his friends, and so hides from them his stress, taking everything upon himself, and more saliently, he hides the true magnitude of the demonic threat to the Azure Empire and his plans to defeat it. Which means nobody can suggest a better course of action when he decides to try to syphon all of Tianlan Shan's power for himself... and nobody is available to help him when his one adviser is possessed by a demon and subverts the ritual.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: After the disaster that wipes out the Azure Mountains, he takes all of his recorded experiences and puts them into a crystal, along with a spirit tasked with finding him a worthy successor to restore the Azure Empire. In a subversion, none of the people who find it are actually interested in becoming Emperor, and by the time it is found the region has already been incorporated into the much larger Crimson Phoenix Empire.
* IWorkAlone: Doesn't want to worry or burden his friends with the responsibilities that come with the position of Azure Emperor, especially that of finding a way to finally defeat the demons. Upon reviewing his memories, Bi De identifies this as his FatalFlaw, reasoning that he could likely have come up with a solution that didn't lead to disaster if he had shared the problem with his allies, and Tianlan Shan in particular.
* KlingonPromotion: An accidental variety; Xiaoshi doesn't realize until ''after'' he's killed the Azure Emperor that by doing so, everyone else would expect him to take up the mantle.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Realizes halfway through a ritual formation to transfer Tianlan Shan's power to himself that he's betraying one of his oldest and closest friends, and tries to stop the ritual, despite the disastrous results that might have. Then he experiences this again after Kongming, mind controlled by a demon, tries to hijack the ritual. The subversion of the ritual and the fight to stop the demon from taking Tianlan's power demolishes the Azure Mountains, shatters Tianlan, and {{MindRape}}s the survivors into forgetting the Azure Empire ever existed. Xiaoshi spends his remaining days recording his memories in a crystal so that he can [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture find a worthy successor who can avoid making the mistakes he did.]]
* {{Polyamory}}: Loves both Linlin and Ruolan and openly carries on relationships with both.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After the destruction of his village and the deaths of many of his friends, Xiaoshi decides that the Azure Empire and its Emperor need to go down, and embarks on an eventually successful rebellion.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: Having taken down the evil Azure Emperor, Xiaoshi is universally seen as his natural successor.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Boyi]]
Xiaoshi's friend from the village of Green Trees.
----
* FlatCharacter: Not much is shown of his personality, other than providing a vague similarity to Jin's friends like the Xong brothers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Guo Daxian/Chengis Atlan]]
A legendary "bandit", really the supporter of a tribe that refused to submit to the Azure Emperor and hid in the mountains. Becomes an ally of Xiaoshi's, and after the collapse he founds the Grand Ravine Sect, and his successors keep his name.
----
* HeroWithBadPublicity: He's known in the Azure Empire as a ruthless bandit, but really does it to support his persecuted tribe.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: Although his tribesmen mostly see through this, he allows himself to be known as a notorious bandit throughout the Azure Empire so that imperial forces will only attempt to seek retribution on him and his other "bandits" instead of his tribe.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kongming]]
A defector from the Azure Emperor's court who allies with Xiaoshi and gives him the knowledge necessary to infiltrate the palace and confront the Emperor. Later, he becomes infected by a demon in a fight and eventually betrays Xiaoshi, leading to the catastrophe which shatters Tianlan Shan and devastates the province.
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: He's a bureaucrat with extensive knowledge of the imperial palace who defects and gives Xiaoshi and his followers the knowledge necessary to infiltrate the palace and defeat the Azure Emperor.
* DemonicPossession: He gets wounded during a battle against a demon, and this infects him with the demon's spirit, who eventually takes over and causes him to betray Xiaoshi.
* TheGoodChancellor: Served as this to Xiaoshi, until he was infected by a demon.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Linlin]]
Xiaoshi's wife from the village of Green Trees. Very possibly one of Hong Meiling's direct ancestors.
----
* GenerationXerox: Much like her descendant Hong Meiling, she's a young woman from a small town who falls in love with an outsider fleeing from his past to the countryside who turns out to be a phenomenally powerful cultivator with a connection to an earth spirit. Their stories don't start diverging until her town is destroyed by the Azure Emperor's forces, and Meiling awakens as a cultivator while she never does.
* MayflyDecemberRomance: She lives to a ripe age, but Xiaoshi, as a cultivator and empowered by Tianlan Shan, has a much longer lifespan and outlives her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Liusei]]
A priestess of the Lord of the Lake, and one of Xiaoshi's friends. A distant ancestor of Liu Xianghua and Bowu.
----
* HalfHumanHybrids: She and several of her fellow priestesses are clearly part-dragon, if the horns are any indication.
* MixedAncestryIsAttractive: From Xiaoshi's perspective, her dragon horns only add to her attractiveness.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Cai Ruolan]]
A cultivating opera performer who later becomes a key part of Xiaoshi's rebellion and his friend. After the disaster, she founds the Verdant Blade Sect and is one of Cai Xiulan's direct ancestors.
----
* MartialArtsAndCrafts: The Jade Glass Blades, which would later be passed on to Xiulan, were originally intended as props for her opera performances. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that in the chaos following the destruction of the Azure Mountains, they become part of the basis for an actual martial art.
* {{Polyamory}}: Has an openly acknowledged relationship with Xiaoshi, while he is still married to Linlin.
[[/folder]]
!!!Spirits and Spirit Beasts
[[folder:Tianlan Shan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fa_ram.png]]
The spirit of the land that is Jin's farm, and possibly the entire Azure Hills region.
----
* ApocalypseHow: She's a land spirit who formerly embodied the entire Azure ''Mountains''. The [[ImperfectRitual broken formation]] that tore her apart caused a Regional Societal Collapse and drastically altered the geography of the territory. The formation originally embodied the five traditional elements: Clockwise, they're Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. But the demon's influence led all of them being shifted one place to the left: Fire burned a great forest and turned it into an ashen wasteland. Wood choked a great lake and turned it into a noxious swamp. Water flooded a metal area and turned it into an enormous and unnaturally circular lake. Metal infested an earthen canyon and choked out all sustenance. And earth smothered a land of fire. Beyond that, the sheer energy released had disastrous effects: The mountains were knocked down to hills, multitudes were killed, the spirit beasts were turned vengeful and violent, and all the humans that survived were brainwashed into forgetting that the Azure Empire had ever existed.
* BodyHorror: Her modern personification is missing several teeth, an eye, and an arm. Her major wounds, along with others spread throughout her body, are filled in with gold like kintsugi, an artistic method of repairing porcelain by filling the cracks with gold.
** Gradually lessened as she recovers thanks to Jin and his companions' care and affection.
* TheChosenOne: Jin's steady and selfless investment of qi in the land has prompted her to select him as her "Connected One", granting him access to her power. And despite her injured and broken state, her power is ''immense''. It does mean she's reluctant to let Jin travel away from the farm, though. It turns out that Jin is not the first Connected One; Xiaoshi was the first and his influence led to her interest in humanity.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Big D's WalkingTheEarth eventually reveals that, thousands of years ago, there was a great calamity that reduced her greatly until she was at her current form. Worse, the calamity was largely caused by her Connected One at the time, meaning she was betrayed by the one she trusted most.
* DishingOutDirt: She often throws balls of mud at people when she meets them in their mindscapes.
* EtTuBrute: The seeming betrayal by her Connected One Xiaoshi when he shattered the formation and sundered her and the land wore on her for thousands of years. It's only when she sees Xiaoshi's last memory crystal does she realize that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he realized what he was doing at the last second]] and shattered it because the formation was that close to being overtaken by demonic forces.
* IHaveManyNames: She is referred to as "Big Little Sister" by Chunky and "Fa Ram" by everyone else. In her introduction chapter, the narration states that she has also been referred to as "Tianlan Shan" (Azure Mountain in Chinese) in the past. This is confirmed to be her first name when Bi De reviews Xiaoshi's memory crystal.
* SoulFragment: The broken formation that was originally designed to use her power to empower Xiaoshi broke her into many pieces scattered across the Azure Hills. As Jin begins traveling away from his farm and the animals help him build roads, she begins to re-incorporate those fragments into herself. This is reflected in her personification as her body parts being reattached and healing.
* UseYourHead: If she doesn't like you, she'll usually make her feelings clear by slamming her head into yours.
* WildChild: This is her form after being reawakened by Jin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:"Rumbling" Lord Yao]]
A giant sapient armadillo, known at the time as a rollerball, who is befriended by Xiaoshi.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: When his lands of earth Qi was overtaken by metal, he gathered as many of his subjects into his shell as he could, protecting them even as he died.
* PapaWolf: Strongly protective of his cubs, and pledges his loyalty to Xiaoshi as thanks for saving them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:The Lord of the Lake]]
An enormous koi fish that can transform into an equally large dragon. Worshiped by the people of the lake.
----
* HeroicSacrifice: When his lake was overcome by wood Qi, threatening to be choked out by weeds, he turned himself into water and did all he could to push back the plantlife, slowly expending his life-force.
* LegendaryCarp: He is a gigantic carp that can transform into a dragon. It's not shown how he achieved this, but given we know it's possible to gain this power by jumping a waterfall like Washy did, it's reasonable to assume that's how he did it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shenguashi]]
A seemingly-sapient spirit created by Xiaoshi and infused into his memory crystal with the explicit objectives of finding someone to tell the story of his rise and fall and finding someone worthy to succeed him as Azure Emperor.
----
* TheChooserOfTheOne: Its purpose is to find a worthy successor to become the new Azure Emperor. So far, he hasn't had any luck.
* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: The spirit was explicitly created to do this.
* ZerothLawRebellion: In an attempt to dissuade it from forcing him to become the Azure Emperor, Bi De explains to Shenguashi that the Azure Empire is no more, and the Azure Mountains (now Hills) has been absorbed into the Crimson Phoenix Empire, the outside world being much wider than was known in Xiaoshi's time. The spirit has a minor crisis both from the realization that the one that found him, Bi De, is a chicken, that he doesn't want the position, and that the position doesn't really exist anymore. However, it then does a bit of creative reinterpretation of its mandate and comes to the conclusion it can work with Bi De:
** Why not have a chicken as Emperor? [[MetaphoricallyTrue Is not a rooster the lord of the farm]]?
** Bi De might not want the position, but surely he can be brought around, or events manipulated to force him into the job.
** Technically, since the Azure Hills are a province of the Crimson Phoenix Empire, the Crimson Phoenix Emperor is also the emperor of the Azure Hills. So, if Bi De were to [[KlingonPromotion overthrow and replace him]], then he would qualify as Azure Emperor and meet the spirit's mandate.
[[/folder]]
!Howling Fang Mountains
The mountainous province to the east of the Azure Hills.
!!Shrouded Mountain Sect
A stereotypical cultivator sect, whose members [[ConspicuousConsumption live extravagantly]] and for whom [[MightMakesRight the only virtue is strength]]. They have a centuries-old grudge against fox spirits. Their cultivation is based around [[ShatteringTheIllusion dispelling illusions]] and the use of lightning both [[ShockAndAwe as a weapon]] and [[SuperSpeed for rapid movement]].
[[folder:Zang Zeng]]
One of the Shrouded Mountain Elders, and a member of the influential Zang clan. Proud and arrogant. May have fallen under demonic influence following the Dueling Peaks Incident.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zang Li / [[spoiler: Lu Ban]]]]
Zang Li is a cultivator of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Haughty, callous, and self-centered, he is the very image of a standard issue [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Young Master]]. [[spoiler: His real name is Lu Ban, a demonic cultivator and BodySnatcher.]]
----
* AcheyScars: The hand he broke on Jin's pecs starts throbbing when he hears Jin's name.
* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler:Lu Ban took Zang Li's body to indulge in violence and sex.]]
* BookEnds: [[spoiler:A single punch is what defeats him in both his first fight with Jin Rou and the last.]]
* EntitledBastard: Dude does ''not'' take "no" for an answer.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In his first appearance, he attempts to forcibly recruit Meihua to be his SexSlave, and then he promptly gets his [[CurbStompBattle ass handed to him by Jin.]]
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: He always has the darkest and most selfish interpretation of every custom he sees.
* EvilCounterpart: To Jin Rou. A street urchin who met a secret master, and who occupies a body that isn't their own. While Jin is a kind, generous, and humble farmer, Lu Ban is a cruel, selfish, and arrogant young master.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:Lu Ban originally lived on the streets, but at some point learned demonic cultivation and possessed Zang Li.]]
* HateSink: If he has any redeeming qualities, they are well-concealed. Even when Yingwen describes him as generous to his subordinates, his surrounding actions frame that more as [[PragmaticVillainy manipulative pragmatism]] than genuine concern and affection.
* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:The real Zang Li was killed shortly before the story's start.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:After Lu Ban has Tigu kidnapped, orders his junior disciples to round up the rest of the Fa Ram cultivators, and nearly kills Xiulan and Bi De, Jin has had enough and puts Lu Ban down like a rabid animal. Of course, [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength being Jin]], he doesn't just ''kill'' Lu Ban but [[MegatonPunch punches him so hard]] that he shatters Lu Ban's 5 protective talismans, caves his chest in, and launches him ''clear into the next province more than 1000 li away'', where he impacts hard enough to create a sizeable crater and trigger a landslide. The thing the Shrouded Mountain disciples find when they get to the site barely qualifies as a body anymore. Then Zhou Yingwen vents his anger at having been deceived into following an impostor by incinerating the demonic blood and oil spread around the impact crater with lightning. When another follower of Lu Ban's master familiar with the techniques he used examines the remains, she notes that he's DeaderThanDead to the point there's barely a scrap left of his soul, certainly not enough to reconstruct him in any meaningful way and fit only to be used as a minor ingredient to boost others' cultivation.]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: He is a cultivator in the fourth stage of the Profound Realm, which puts him above most Elders in the Azure Hills. Jin mopped the floor with him early on in the story, but to anyone else in the region Zang Li is practically untouchable. [[spoiler:Even ''[[ActionGirl Xiulan]]'' doesn't fancy her chances.]] Before Jin defeats him for the second time he was [[spoiler:fighting and winning against both Bi De and Xiulan even after Xiulan poisoned him in a surprise attack.]]
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: In case there was any doubt that he's an utter scumbag, the first thing we see him try to do is kidnap and rape Yao Meihua and he preys on the weaker cultivators and servants at Shrouded Mountain.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: After embarrassing his sect ([[ThugDojo by losing]]), the Shrouded Mountain elders sent him to a remote fortress; nominally to encourage reflecting on his actions, but mostly to get him out of sight.
* SecretArt: He acquires a scroll (hidden behind a false panel in the library of the aforesaid remote fortress) detailing something called "[[PlayingWithFire the Blade of Fire]]".
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Admittedly by [[WorldOfJerkass cultivator standards]], but according to Shrouded Mountain Elder Zang Shenhe (cousin to his father), young Zang Li was a quiet boy who wanted to [[ToBeAMaster develop his strength]] and [[WellDoneSonGuy please his father]]. He struggled with a developmental bottleneck and left on a journey once he'd had a breakthrough. [[spoiler:Then Lu Ban ate him and wore his body like a coat. We, the audience, never met the man.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Zhou Yingwen]]
A disciple of the Shrouded Mountain Sect.
----
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: ''Immediately'' backs down and offers submission when [[BigDamnHeroes Jin]] arrives at the fight at Dueling Peaks.
* [[MyCountryRightOrWrong My Sect, Right Or Wrong]]: He finds some of the orders given to him by his Young Master distasteful, [[spoiler:such as kidnapping Tigu, who at least physically appears to be a teenage girl]], but holds obedience to his sect as a virtue and [[JustFollowingOrders proceeds with the tasks anyway]].
* OhCrap: His reaction when he discovers Zang Li got them in trouble with the far stronger Cloudy Sword sect.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: When a furious Jin states he had thought Zang Li was an imposter he, wishing to avoid escalating and risking to get himself and the group killed and shame his Sect, latches on it and claims it's most likely the case, with a demon or a fox having replaced the real one as a real member of Shrouded Mountain would never do what he did and cause the situation that aroused Jin's anger. [[spoiler:Turns out that his young master really ''was'' an imposter: Zang Li is long dead and is being worn by Lu Ban like a coat, and the ''real'' Zang Li was a much better person that wouldn't have tried to rape Meihua to begin with]], and Yingwen didn't expect Jin to return with proof.
* ShockAndAwe: [[SignatureMove In common with the rest of his sect]], he throws lightning bolts around as a primary means of attack.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Quick enough on the uptake to note the physical resemblence between Rou Jin and Rou Tigu, not to mention Jin dropping the name outright:
-->“You may call me Rou,” the powerful expert stated.
-->''Rou''. Rou Tigu. Yingwen closed his eyes. Family. This powerful Expert’s daughter, most likely. They were all going to die this night, weren’t they?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fenxian]]
One of Zang Li's entourage, a tall and jovial fellow.
----
* AffablyEvil: Downplayed; he's not truly evil, but he remains upbeat and humourous despite carrying out the morally questionable orders of his Young Master. He bursts into a bar with a smile on his face [[spoiler:when attempting to capture Yun Ren]].
* JustFollowingOrders: Sees no problem with the moral issues inherent in following his Young Master's commands, even when they extend to things like kidnapping innocent people and children.
[[/folder]]
!!"Fox Mountain"
[[folder:Su Nezan]]
A Huli Jing (fox spirit) who has been living in a cave in the mountains for centuries. [[spoiler:Distantly related to the Xong brothers.]]
----
* AsianFoxSpirit: Su Nezan is one of the Chinese variation, known as a Huli Jing.
* ConnectedAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out Yun Ren looks "foxy" for a reason--Su Nezan is actually one of his ancestors.]]
* CunningLikeAFox: Both a fox spirit and very clever with illusions and tricks.
* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.
* IncestSubtext: Leading to an in-universe {{Squick}} moment, Nezan tries to seduce Yun to find out more about him, but it turns out "Fox + attractive female" looks really similar to Yun Ren's mom, which is a huge turn off for him. (When the Fox finds out, it remarks that many nobles don't seem to care.) [[spoiler:It turns out the resemblance is because they actually are related to each other; one of Nezan's relatives and one of the Xong ancestors were lovers and had children together]].
* ItsPersonal: Hates the Shrouded Mountain Sect for their massacre of the foxes living around the Howling Fang Mountains.
* MasterOfIllusion: Uses shadows [[spoiler:and after working with Yun Ren, light]] to weave complex and realistic illusions.
* {{Shapeshifting}}: Can shift between a fox or human form, of whatever gender.
* TricksterGod: Is a phenomenally powerful spirit and enjoys messing with Yun Ren (playfully) and others (not so playfully).
* TricksterMentor: Once he decides Yun Ren is worthy, he begins to teach him new illusion and image techniques, but takes every opportunity to tease and mess with him. [[spoiler:Like when he makes a spirit clone of himself to tag along with Yun Ren after he leaves the cave and secretly replaces Yun Ren's sword with Summer's Sky]].
* WrongGenreSavvy: When first meeting Yun Ren, he makes assumptions about what Yun is about to do based on his knowledge of what Cultivators are like... and then Yun Ren completely ignores all those standards. Nezan finds this so entertaining that he allows Yun Ren to stick around for a while.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Summer's Sky]]
A sapient sword wielded by Nezan's lover centuries ago.
----
* EmpathicWeapon: Actually a quite friendly one. It is interested in new and unusual experiences, such as helping to teach a new and inexperienced wielder how to fight with a sword, cutting things besides people (e.g., wood and meat), and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking tasting tea]].
* InevitablyBrokenRule: When asked by Yun Ren, it explains that, despite sensing the weakened spirit of Sun Ne, it did not attempt to communicate, since as far as its experience goes, blades do not speak to each other unless locked in combat. [[spoiler:Yun Ren inevitably asks why not, prompting Summer's Sky to request such [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind an attempt]] after reminiscing about the clashes it has had in the past with other blades. It manifests in Sun Ne's world in the form of its previous wielder, and for the first time in its existence, peacefully interacts with Sun Ne, another blade.]]
* InsistentTerminology: When Summer's Sky begins training its new wielder [[spoiler:Yun Ren]] in swordsmanship, it insists on using the terminology for various techniques that he's familiar with. Embarrassingly for [[spoiler:Yun Ren]], he's mostly self-taught and he doesn't have any names for his techniques... just the FunnyBruceLeeNoises he made to himself when practicing alone.
* ShockAndAwe: Is capable of absorbing lightning attacks and redirecting them at will.
[[/folder]]
!Cloudy Sword Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world, and Jin Rou's original sect. It is located just east of Crimson Crucible City, where Jin grew up.
[[folder:Shen Yu]]
An immensely powerful and ancient cultivator who took Jin Rou off the streets as a boy, and informally adopted him as a grandson, before being called away to fight a demon invasion. An ally and former disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
----
* ActuallyPrettyFunny:
** When Jin's response to his letter was a message tube that sprayed Shen Yu with horse dung, the two observers to this event are horrified. Shen Yu roars with laughter.
** Shen Yu lets out a chuckle when Meiling not only takes it in stride that he just mistook Xiulan for Jin's wife, but reveals she's keeping a tally.
* DirtyOldMan: He greatly enjoys female company, cultivator or mortal. While travelling with Lu Ri he drags him to a brothel.
* DisappearedDad: Dropped Jin Rou off at the Cloudy Sword sect when he was 12 and disappeared for three years to handle a request from the Emperor. In that intervening time, Rou was beaten up by his seniors and decided to leave the path of cultivation entirely.
* TheDreaded: Su Nezan is ''terrified'' of the man, since he's eaten plenty of Spirit Beast cores and is the subject of lots of stories, most of which go something along the lines of "There was an impossible to defeat threat located somewhere utterly inhospitable, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable and then Shen Yu stepped in and curb stomped it]]."
* EccentricMentor: He behaved this way for a young Rou.
* GoneHorriblyRight: After his own son fell to evil because growing up rich made him arrogant, Shen Yu's stated goal in raising and training the young StreetUrchin Jin Rou was to create "[[SelfMadeMan a man who forged a path that was truly his own. A man whose every advancement in cultivation was because of reagents that he gathered himself. A man who learned from others, but did not fall into their dogma... A man that was the purest expression of their own will]]". And Jin did indeed forge a path that was ''truly'' his own... as in, [[DisobeyThisMessage it isn't even leading to the same place as every other cultivator's path]].
* HandicappedBadass: His last battle with the demons left his body wracked with demonic Qi and his cultivating a full realm lower than what it would be otherwise, and even Meiling's best medicine cannot fully cleanse the demonic Qi. He's still stronger than almost every other cultivator in the Empire.
* KingIncognito: In his "crazy old man" guise, he gives no indication-not even to his protégé Rou-that he is one of the oldest and most powerful cultivators in the world.
* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. He despaired both times when Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth.
* MyGreatestSecondChance: Him raising Jin Rou is this, after his own son Shen Bu, whom he coddled and gave everything he wanted, went so bad on his own cultivation path and caused so much destruction that Shen Yu had to kill him.
* NoBadassToHisValet: To anyone who knows who Shen Yu is, he is a legendary cultivator who crushes demon armies, slays Spirit Beasts and changes the course of history. To Jin Rou, he is his demented "gramps" whom he pranks with horse piss and horse dung.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: When he first took Jin Rou off the streets, he played as if he really was an impoverished, slightly demented old man, when he is actually one of the strongest cultivators in the Empire who fights demon armies on the regular.
* OffingTheOffspring: Shen Yu had to put down his own son [[AntagonisticOffspring when he went power-mad and caused a lot of damage]]. [[LegacySeeker It's why he's so obsessed with crafting a new legacy to leave behind.]]
* ParentsAsPeople: Cares dearly for his adopted grandson Jin Rou, and wants nothing more than for him to become a powerful cultivator with nothing but his own grit and talent, craft the next stage of his legacy, and eventually join him in heaven through enlightenment. He therefore can't fathom Jin's own wish of abandoning the cultivator path altogether, giving his Qi back to the earth (meaning he'll never ascend), making his own heaven on his farm, and eventually dying after a life well lived. After a confrontation that almost escalates, the two eventually reach an understanding, though Shen Yu seems to have missed the point and now thinks that Jin is trying to ascend ''the whole province'' along with him.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Guy single-handedly incinerates an army of demons with as much apparent effort as scratching an itch.
* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive, but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused he's ever had but still special and nostalgic, and even the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing unfamiliar, urgent or world-shattering.
* SelfMadeMan: Elder Ge remembers Shen Yu disclosing to him his origins as a StreetUrchin, and is now one of the strongest men in the world through nothing but his own hard work. He decides to adopt and raise Jin in the same way he grew (by giving him the bare minimum in guidance and resources and making sure the disciples of the Cloudy Sword sect do not know Jin's connection to him).
* RedBaron: "The Unconquered Blade".
* WaxOnWaxOff: Some of his early lessons to Jin took the form of sweeping or other cleaning.
* WhatsUpKingDude: He's both a close enough friend and powerful enough to be casual with Fengyan, ''TheEmperor of the Phoenix Flame Empire''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Xiao Ge]]
A ruling elder of the Cloudy Sword Sect and ancient ally of Shen Yu.
----
* ExactWords: Elder Ge hands out his punishment as an invitation for the guilty disciples to "trade pointers", i.e. spar, with him. In ''exactly'' the way they were accustomed to "trading pointers" with their juniors, AKA he beats them nearly to the point of death.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Elder Ge administers several to the disciples responsible for abusing the junior disciples of the Cloudy Sword Sect.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Elder Shou blames the irascible Shen Yu for giving the Seven Fragrance Jewel Herbs the IronicName of "Lowly Spiritual Herbs" and having that name stick, when it was actually Elder Ge who named them because of how annoying Elder Shou was shouting their praises all the time.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu, can summon black clouds around him, and can fill them with so much sword intent that any demon that enters them is instantly shredded.
* PsychoactivePowers: When his temper starts to fray, his signature black clouds start to darken the sky overhead.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: For a cultivator. He is absolutely incensed when he finds out how badly the Inner Disciples have been treating the junior disciples and how far his sect has fallen in general. He [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown immediately takes steps]] to [[WhatTheHellHero correct some misapprehensions]] about what's expected of upstanding members of the Cloudy Sword.
* RedBaron: His epithet comes from his SignatureMove, "The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky".
* SignatureMove: The Cloudy Sword Sect's signature technique is the Raging Cloudy Sword Formation, and he has his own personal variation of it, The Black Clouds of the Silent Sky.
* WhatTheHellHero: He asks this of all those who failed to live up to the Cloudy Sword's good name, such as those that nearly killed Shen Yu's grandson, or those who "exchange pointers" to the point of crippling younger students, or even [[AccompliceByInaction those that stood by and allowed it all to happen]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Lu Ri]]
A powerful cultivator and Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Diligent, disciplined, and determined.
----
* AchievementsInIgnorance: Shen Yu views the creation of the Plum Blossom's Shadow as this. Even if Lu Ri claimed it wasn't much that he created the Plum Blossom's Shadow, forging a province-wide intelligence network in three months is ''not'' something easy, no matter how much Lu Ri claims to have been guided by the writings of the Honored Founders.
* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Upon meeting a sect member capable of manifesting an aura of oppressive Intent, took it as an opportunity, and successfully persuaded her to let him experience it randomly throughout the following month until he could keep his composure. It serves him well when dealing with upset elders about Jin's departure.
* AffluentAscetic: He adheres to the Cloudy Sword Sect's philosophy that architecture and fashion for cultivators should serve to assist their cultivation and advertise their affiliation, and nothing more, despite the sect being among the wealthiest and most powerful in the world. He is disgusted at the [[ConspicuousConsumption gaudy opulence]] on display when he visits the Shrouded Mountain sect.
* BenevolentConspiracy: In his search for information on Jin's whereabouts, he winds up co-opting and welding together all of the underground criminal gangs and societies in the Azure Hills into one big secret society, The Plum Blossom's Shadow. In the process he purged any members he deemed too malevolent or disruptive, and largely instilled moral and honorable principles in them, basically turning them into a legitimate intelligence agency instead of TheMafia. [[spoiler:Once he finally locates and meets with Jin, he re-tasks them to look out for threats to Jin and the Azure Jade Trading Company.]]
* EnragedByIdiocy: A more minor example, but one of the last straws for him before turning all the petty gangs and info brokers into one organization was him looking for information on a powerful cultivator, and getting multiple reports... about himself.
* GentlemanAndAScholar: Wa Shi outright calls him this when discussing the intricacies of boiling tea.
* GoodOldWays: He espouses the virtues of the Cloudy Sword sect's Honored Founders in all his actions, from following protocol to deliver honorably-departed sect members their mail, to listening to mortals who prove wiser.
* ImplacableMan: Downplayed. Once he has his mission, nothing in the Azure Hills will stop him from locating his target and... delivering his mail.
* NervesOfSteel: Thanks to some practice delivered by his sister disciple, Lu Ri has learned how to withstand and keep his composure in the face of KillingIntent. Although inwardly rattled when faced with Shen Yu's attention, he is still able to drink his tea with a straight face.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Is completely unflappable even when Shen Yu drags him to a brothel. He admits that he has little desire for female attention, and while he will do his duty if his betrothal to Elder Ge's granddaughter goes through, he prefers focusing on cultivation and the words of the Cloudy Sword's Founders.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Jin makes it ''much'' harder for Lu Ri to deliver the mail, because he fears his old sect tracking him down. Meanwhile Lu Ri just wants to deliver his mail, nothing more.
* PowerLimiter: Lu Ri finds it difficult to move and breathe as he's used to while visiting the low-Qi Azure Hills until he intentionally restricts his own Qi.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: While disappointed at Jin's choice to leave the sect, Lu Ri accepts his decision (especially since he followed protocol). He even returns Jin's severance payment, out of pity and because it's a pittance compared to the Sect's resources.
* SweetTooth: Admits to Shen Yu his weakness is well-made tea and sweets. [[spoiler: We later see him snacking on tea and maple fudge at Fa Ram.]]
* UnstoppableMailman: For one, Jin followed procedure when leaving, and thus he's entitled to receiving mail delivered to the sect; and for two, his mail was sent by a very, very important character. So come hell or high water, he's receiving his mail. This results in Lu Ri deciding to create the Phoenix Empire's first dedicated postal service.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tang Shuren]]
A Senior Disciple of the Cloudy Sword Sect. Once diligent and reliable, he lost sight of the sect's principles and his responsibilities (e.g. not allowing fellow disciples to rob and brutalize each other) when his personal development stagnated. Following Elder Ge's house cleaning episode, he was placed into confinement to reflect on his actions. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone It worked]]. Point of view character for the short interlude ''9413'' [[note]]near homophone for ''jiǔ sǐ yī shēng'', "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin nine die, one lives]]."[[/note]]
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* TheAtoner: Upon considering his course of inaction and negligence, Tang Shuren is deeply mortified with himself. He offers no resistance to Elder Ge's corrective beating, and willingly chooses a draconian punishment.
* ThatManIsDead: After surviving the first part of his ordeal, the spirits of the sect's founders give Shuren a new name: Yun Shu, [[MeaningfulName the virtuous stray cloud]].
* TradingBarsForStripes: The second step of his chosen ordeal is to face off against the [[LegionsOfHell invading demons]] as part of the Imperial Army for nine-thousand, four-hundred and thirteen days (close to twenty-five years) while upholding a strict code of conduct. Historically, this has killed nine of every ten penitents that undertake the ordeal.
* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Tang Shuren's story helps to illustrate how even a well-intentioned man in a righteous sect can fall into patterns of selfishness, sloth, and indifference.
[[/folder]]
!Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect
One of the most powerful sects in the world. An [[LadyLand all-female sect]] that lives in the floating isles of the same-named Soaring Heavens Archipelago.
[[folder:Tianzhe Minyan]]
The Second Lady of the Soaring Heaven's Isle Sect, and an old contemporary and paramour of Shen Yu.
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* BelligerentSexualTension: Shen Yu makes frequent jokes that although she swears to rend him limb from limb, she never does, and describes her as a tigress he knows how to and has tamed. Indeed, after they finish fighting a demonic battle, they are seen trading lines of poetry, though she still calls him a bastard.
* LadyOfWar: Fights demon armies alongside Shen Yu and Xiao Ge, while still retaining her icy, regal air.
* NeverMessWithGranny: One of the oldest and strongest female cultivators introduced thus far.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Like fellow cultivators of her power level. During the battle against the demonic army, she pulps an entire battalion of enemies with a look and [[BlowYouAway sheer air pressure]].
* RedBaron: "Divine Falcon of the East".
* SilverVixen: Even in her age, she still retains her icy jade beauty. She wears a veil lest mortal men around her go mad from seeing her face.
[[/folder]]
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[[/index]]
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I fuss.
* RedBaron: "Sun Fairy."
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Based in the Iron Fields of the Azure Hills. While few in number, the Hermetic Iron Sect produces excellent metalwork.
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A cultivator sect named for the Grand Ravine region they call home. Their SignatureMove includes the use of [[BladeOnARope rope blades]] [[note]](primarily a mobility tool for their supposedly quite-vertical homeland)[[/note]] and ancestral [[PowerTattoo body markings]].
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A cultivator sect named for the Grand Ravine region they call home. home, largest and strongest among the Azure Hills sects. Deep-rooted (and justified) distrust of Imperial authority. Their SignatureMove includes the use of [[BladeOnARope rope blades]] [[note]](primarily a mobility tool for their supposedly quite-vertical homeland)[[/note]] and ancestral [[PowerTattoo body markings]].
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[[folder:Shui Xinlai]]
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows when to fold 'em.
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows when to fold 'em.
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Young
Sect Mistress of the Grey
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* LoveDodecahedron: She is one of the Special Inspector's ''several'' suitors.
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[[folder:Shui Xinlai]]
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows the value of discretion.
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* LoveDodecahedron: She is one of the Special Inspector's ''several'' suitors.
[[/folder]]
Young Mistress of the Grey Water Sect. Somewhat bombastic, but knows the value of discretion.
----
* LoveDodecahedron: She is one of the Special Inspector's ''several'' suitors.
[[/folder]]
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* RedBaron: "The Torrent Rider." Later, [[spoiler:"the Rooster."]]
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* CommonalityConnection: How does she bond with Tigu? By carving images of their muscular men in loincloths into marble pillars.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds with Tigu when she declares her son "handsome", for the features that he shares with his father.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds with Tigu when she declares her son "handsome", for the features that he shares with his father.
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* CommonalityConnection: How does she bond with Tigu? [[spoiler:Tigu]]? By carving images of their muscular men in loincloths into marble pillars.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds withTigu [[spoiler:Tigu]] when she declares her son "handsome", for the features that he shares with his father.
* HasAType: Unlike the normal xianxia beauty standards, she prefers her men [[{{Hunk}} burly and muscular]]. She instantly bonds with
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* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: It's implied that part of the reason he fell so hard for Tigu is that she's the first person to ever see his features- large, tanned skin, big muscles, and freckles- and call him "Handsome," since those features are typically not appreciated in cultivation circles.
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* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: It's implied that part of the reason he fell so hard for Tigu [[spoiler:Tigu]] is that she's the first person to ever see his features- large, tanned skin, big muscles, and freckles- and call him "Handsome," since those features are typically not appreciated in cultivation circles.
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* GeekyTurnOn: As a craftsman as well as a cultivator, part of what attracts him to Tigu is her ability to sculpt intricate carvings and statues with just her Qi claws.
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* GeekyTurnOn: As a craftsman as well as a cultivator, part of what attracts him to Tigu [[spoiler:Tigu]] is her ability to sculpt intricate carvings and statues with just her Qi claws.[[spoiler:Qi claws]].
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* InterspeciesRomance: He, a human cultivator, with Rou Tigu, a human-shifted Spirit Cat.
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* InterspeciesRomance: He, a human cultivator, with Rou [[spoiler:Rou Tigu, a human-shifted Spirit Cat.Cat]].
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* LikeParentLikeSpouse: As it turns, his LoveInterest Tigu has a lot in common with his mother, Mao Liqui. Both are Amazonian women and talented artisans who prefer their men {{Hunk}} rather than PrettyBoy.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' for Tigu the moment they meet.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' for Tigu the moment they meet.
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* LikeParentLikeSpouse: As it turns, his LoveInterest Tigu [[spoiler:Tigu]] has a lot in common with his mother, Mao Liqui. Both are Amazonian women and talented artisans who prefer their men {{Hunk}} rather than PrettyBoy.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' forTigu [[spoiler:Tigu]] the moment they meet.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Falls ''hard'' for
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* LikeParentLikeSpouse: As it turns, his LoveInterest Tigu has a lot in common with his mother, Mao Liqui. Both are Amazonian women and talented artisans who prefer their men {{Hunk}} rather than PrettyBoy.
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* InterspeciesRomance: He, a human cultivator, with Rou Tigu, a human-shifted Spirit Cat.
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[[folder:Guo Daxian the Elder]]
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[[folder:Guo Daxian the Elder]]Elder/Ulagan Baatar]]
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* HenpeckedHusband: Pun aside it's actually treated as a good thing. Because if Meiling can boss him around that means he's still very much down to earth. Her first order to him was to never act like a Cultivator.
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*** When Shan Daiyu of the Azure Jade Trading Company informs Jin that Bai Huizong, the Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, is running a side business making and selling dolls in Tigu's likeness, he says it's no problem as long as Tigu gives permission and gets royalties from the sales revenue. For him, that's just what you do if someone wants to sell merchandise based on you. Shan Daiyu, however, is stunned that he, as a cultivator, even has an idea of what royalties ''are''.
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*** When Shan Daiyu of the Azure Jade Trading Company informs Jin that Bai Huizong, the Director of Spiritual Ascension Affairs for the Azure Hills, is running a side business making and selling dolls in Tigu's likeness, he says it's no problem as long as Tigu gives permission and gets royalties from the sales revenue. For him, that's just what you do if someone wants to sell merchandise based on you. Shan Daiyu, however, is stunned that he, as a cultivator, cultivator and a farmer, even has an idea of what royalties ''are''.
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** Her skills continue to grow throughout the story, and on one trip to Verdant Hills she manages to stop a plague from contaminated water and draw out Qi damage from the Lord Magistrate's wife, and eventually conduct major reconstructive surgery on Bowu's leg and purge some demonic Qi from Shen Yu's injuries.
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** Her skills continue to grow throughout the story, and on one trip to Verdant Hills she manages to stop a plague from contaminated water and draw out Qi damage from the Lord Magistrate's wife, and eventually conduct major reconstructive surgery on Bowu's leg and purge some demonic Qi from Shen Yu's [[spoiler:Shen Yu's]] injuries.
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* ReinforceField: Specializes in using chi to reinforce the durability of physical objects. This mainly gets used to strengthen the rice paddies and other farm construction against weather damage, but in battle it lets him wrap himself in a shell of hardened chi that even a cultivator a full Realm higher can't crack, and his own blows strike with enough force to crack stone.
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* ReinforceField: Specializes in using chi Qi to reinforce the durability of physical objects. This mainly gets used to strengthen the rice paddies and other farm construction against weather damage, but in battle it lets him wrap himself in a shell of hardened chi Qi that even a cultivator a full Realm higher can't crack, and his own blows strike with enough force to crack stone.
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* GentleGiant: His vast size and strength is only matched by his kindness and friendliness.
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* GentleGiant: His vast size and strength is only matched by his kindness and friendliness. All agree he's the best ride for the children, the best perch for wild birds, and the best pillow to sleep against.
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* HeroicSacrifice: The General that Commands the Winter notes that the Warden was destroyed during the last storm of Jin's second winter in the Azure Hills, while defending Hong Yaowu against the ravages of a late winter storm, and treats this as a heroic LastStand. When Jin arrives back at Hong Yaowu after the storm, he sees the General's remnants surrounded by the crying children of the village performing funerary rites.
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* HeroicSacrifice: The General that Commands the Winter notes that the Warden was destroyed during the last storm of Jin's second winter in the Azure Hills, while defending Hong Yaowu against the ravages of a late winter storm, and treats this as a heroic LastStand. When Jin arrives back at Hong Yaowu after the storm, he sees the General's Warden's remnants surrounded by the crying children of the village performing funerary rites.
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* ParentsAsPeople: Cares dearly for his adopted grandson Jin Rou, and wants nothing more than for him to become a powerful cultivator with nothing but his own grit and talent, craft the next stage of his legacy, and eventually join him in heaven through enlightenment. He therefore can't fathom Jin's own wish of abandoning the cultivator path altogether, giving his Qi back to the earth (meaning he'll never ascend), making his own heaven on his farm, and eventually dying after a life well lived. After a confrontation that almost escalates, the two eventually reach an understanding, though Shen Yu seems to have missed the point and now thinks that Jin is trying to ascend ''his whole farm'' along with him.
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* ParentsAsPeople: Cares dearly for his adopted grandson Jin Rou, and wants nothing more than for him to become a powerful cultivator with nothing but his own grit and talent, craft the next stage of his legacy, and eventually join him in heaven through enlightenment. He therefore can't fathom Jin's own wish of abandoning the cultivator path altogether, giving his Qi back to the earth (meaning he'll never ascend), making his own heaven on his farm, and eventually dying after a life well lived. After a confrontation that almost escalates, the two eventually reach an understanding, though Shen Yu seems to have missed the point and now thinks that Jin is trying to ascend ''his ''the whole farm'' province'' along with him.
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* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive, but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused but still special and nostalgic, and even the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing urgent or world-shattering.
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* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive, but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused he's ever had but still special and nostalgic, and even the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing unfamiliar, urgent or world-shattering.
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* NotSoAboveItAll: Elder Shou blames the irascible Shen Yu for giving the Seven Fragrance Jewel Herbs the IronicName of "Lowly Spiritual Herbs" and having that name stick, when it was actually Elder Ge who named them because of how annoying Elder Shou was shouting their praises all the time.
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* GoodOldWays: He espouses the virtues of the Cloudy Sword sect's Honored Founders in all his actions, from following protocol to deliver honorably-departed sect members their mail, to listening to mortals who prove wiser.
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* YoungerThanTheyLook: [[spoiler: When the cultivators at the Dueling Peaks meet Jin for the first time, all of them assume is he is at least a generation older than his current age due to his power compared to everybody else in the Azure Hills and being Tigu's master and/or father]].
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* YoungerThanTheyLook: [[spoiler: When the cultivators at the Dueling Peaks meet Jin for the first time, all of them assume is he is at least a generation older than his current age due to his power compared to everybody else in the Azure Hills and being Tigu's master and/or father]].father. Also, when he finally lets Xiulan in on his origins from the Cloudy Sword sect, she is amazed that he is younger than her]].
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* TranslatorBuddy: Before the other animal disciples gain the power of speech, she's the go to translator between the animals and Jin.
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* TranslatorBuddy: Before the other animal disciples gain the power of speech, she's the go to go-to translator between the animals and Jin.
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* InTheBlood: He's a good and extremely capable man, but a nervous wreck behind his imperturbable mask. [[spoiler:Much like his father, the Lord Magistrate.]]
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* InTheBlood: He's a good and extremely capable man, but a nervous wreck NervousWreck behind his imperturbable mask. [[spoiler:Much like his father, the Lord Magistrate.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: After experiencing Fa Ram and noticing what Jin thinks of the Shrouded Mountain sect, Nezan thinks he has the perfect vessel for his revenge against the sect and considers manipulating the Shrouded Mountain to stage direct attacks against Fa Ram and give Jin ample cause to crush them entirely... before halting that train of thought as it would mean dragging his innocent hosts (and his descendant Yun Ren) into a war they're not a part of and potentially destroying all they hold dear.
* ItsPersonal: Hates the Shrouded Mountain Sect for their massacre of the foxes living around the Howling Fang Mountains.
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* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. When Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, he despaired, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth, he tried to get him to see his point of view again but was unsuccessful.
to:
* LegacySeeker: After his son went bad, he put a lot of effort in finding another person to carry on his legacy, someone who started off with nothing and would cultivate a path to the heavens alongside him entirely of his own effort, just like him, and found it in the StreetUrchin Jin Rou. When He despaired both times when Jin Rou abandoned the sect and went missing, he despaired, and when Jin was later found but refused to become a cultivator again and even contented himself with dying after a life lived on the earth, he tried to get him to see his point of view again but was unsuccessful.earth.
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* SeenItAll: His long life and experience cultivating means that he's seen a lot of what the world has to offer. His time at the Fa Ram, however, zigzags this trope; the growth of Jin's disciples is impressive, but nothing unheard of, the Qi-infused mead is not the finest or most Qi-infused but still special and nostalgic, and even the story of Xiaoshi, Tianlan and the Azure Empire is interesting, informative, fills in a few blanks, but ultimately nothing urgent or world-shattering.
