Yu Ze

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yu Ze (于泽)
Species/Race	Human; Connector
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Capital General Investigation Bureau; Exploration Bureau's Extinction Department; Teacher Guo's organization in Vortex Town
Occupation/Role	Fortune teller; investigator; talisman user and diviner; Deputy Minister of the Extinction Department
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 97

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Silver Seat	523	Identified himself and You Zhen as Silver Seat holders following his growth in the Exploration Bureau. 523
Manga mastery	622	Mastered an extraterrestrial manga influence; incidental contact can dissolve flesh, though he considers his control stable. 622
Deputy Minister, Extinction Department	694	Received an exceptional promotion after participating in the operation to reclaim the City of Sin. 694

Background

Yu Ze originally made a living as a fortune teller in Chinatown. When young people in the district began disappearing, he moved his stall to the commercial street, where he met Luo Di and Anna; he presented himself as a fellow Huaxian and offered Luo Di his wooden business card. 97

He later joined Luo Di and Anna's nursing-home investigation as a formal investigator from the Capital. Although he had the most experience, he declined command of the preliminary investigation and left its direction to Luo Di, promising to act fully when genuine danger arose. 101 102

During the operation, Yu Ze demonstrated that he was a Connector and a highly capable talisman practitioner. He tracked Luo Di through a paper bird, cut open a Corner Space with his copper-coin sword, and used a Peace Talisman to stop the pursuing bus. 104 119 Afterward, he privately confirmed Luo Di's stance toward humanity and left him an isolation talisman before returning to the Capital. 119

Appearance

Yu Ze is a youthful Huaxian man who commonly wears round sunglasses and keeps his dark hair tied in a bun. His usual clothing combines a Taoist-robed style with casual wear, later adapted into a black-and-white Exploration Bureau combat uniform. 101 382 523

• Round-framed sunglasses, frequently worn even in combat. 220 382
• Long, dark hair; when untied, it falls to his shoulders. 382
• Custom-made attire blending Taoist robes with modern clothing. 113 382
• Carries talismans, copper coins, silver needles, and ritual tools on his person. 113 376 551
• Can deploy a straw-doll likeness packed with talismans as a substitute or trap. 388 708

Personality

Yu Ze usually affects a relaxed, humorous manner, calling Luo Di “fellow villager” and treating even dangerous situations with apparent casualness. He admits to disliking stagnant investigations and excessive thinking, but becomes focused and decisive when an Anomaly Event or direct threat emerges. 102 104

He is calculating, ambitious, and highly selective about his allies. He joined the Exploration Bureau alongside Luo Di because he considered Luo Di a worthy partner and openly dismissed weaker prospective teammates as unsuitable. 370 382 His loyalty is practical rather than sentimental: he repeatedly supports Luo Di, warns him against dangerous choices, and takes personal risks to locate or rescue him. 243 376 377

Yu Ze also values self-improvement and composure. Defeat by stronger opponents motivates him to refine his talismans, body, and combat skill rather than retreat from danger. 388 623 625

Abilities & Skills

Divination

Yu Ze uses talismans, finger calculations, and copper-coin casting to assess possible outcomes, locate targets, and choose action routes.

• Casts coins over bound talismans to identify favorable plans. 261
• Uses divination to locate Luo Di after spatial separation. 376
• Can identify Crevice marks and gather environmental information through perception. 373
• Divination is restricted inside the Corner and may fail or physically injure him when powerful interference is present. 261 376 387
• Cannot calculate human hearts or intentions with certainty. 287

Talismans and Formations

Yu Ze is proficient with a wide range of yellow talismans, including defensive, tracking, concealment, calming, and corpse-driving applications.

• Peace Talisman — halted a bus attack and restrained its driver. 104
• Tracking talismans — formed a paper bird from a trace of Luo Di's presence and used it to find a path into the Corner Space. 104
• Isolation talisman — seals an enclosed area from outside sound and observation for forty-eight hours. 119
• Invisibility and Mute Talismans — concealed his presence while he entered a Void-like meditation state. 540
• Spirit-Calming Talismans — stabilizes allies affected by fear or monstrous transformation. 708
• Formations — constructed a burning formation with ashes, ink, and talismans to sever an opponent's connection to a Corner Space. 113

Copper Coin Sword

Yu Ze can arrange his copper coins into a sword, using it as both a ritual implement and a close-combat weapon.

• Cut open a rift into a Corner Space. 104 113
• Rides the sword through the air to escape or rapidly reposition. 388
• Controls the sword remotely through his Sword Control Technique. 624
• Can reshape the coin sword into a binding rope. 624
• Its blood-marked coins possess an evil-warding effect against monsters. 624

Corpse Driving and Zombie Control

Yu Ze can animate corpses and command refined zombies through talismans and bells.

• Used a Corpse-driving Talisman to move an exhausted Luo Di to safety. 208
• Can place himself or others under corpse-driving talismans to sleep or travel while moving. 560
• Refines slain monsters into talisman-controlled zombies for combat and study. 623
• Commands his undead through a bronze bell. 623

Physical Cultivation and Combat

Despite his reliance on ritual methods, Yu Ze is capable of direct combat when necessary.

• Uses silver needles and pills to restore severe bodily damage, including regenerating half of his body after Hunter's attack. 551 625
• Bears dark-gold Diamond Sutra inscriptions across his body, which reinforce his flesh and allow him to endure attacks that would otherwise be fatal. 623 624
• Combines sword control, palm strikes, throws, sweeps, and Tai Chi-derived stances in close quarters. 624
• His unadorned final sword strike nearly decapitated Hunter despite Yu Ze's critical injuries. 625

Manga Influence

Yu Ze accepted an extraterrestrial fragment and developed an ability with a pronounced effect on flesh.

• His touch can unintentionally cause deep flesh dissolution. 622
• He used this power to dissolve an event entity and extract its fragments. 578
• He considers the manga an influence or connection rather than a conventional system, and seeks to maintain control over it. 580 622

Equipment

• Copper coins / Copper Coin Sword — primary weapon, divination focus, and spatial-cutting tool. 113 624
• Yellow talismans — used for sealing, protection, tracking, concealment, calming, and corpse driving. 104 119 540
• Silver needles — used for acupuncture, stabilization, and emergency treatment. 551 625
• Bronze bell — commands his talisman-controlled zombies. 623
• Bagua cloth and ritual altar supplies — used for major calculations and formations. 376
• Yu Ze-brand Clarity Cigarette — a talisman-made cigarette that aids Pituitary Gland absorption and clears the mind. 287
• Carriage and Raven Colt — provides transport through the Corner. 527

Relationships

• Luo Di — Fellow Huaxian, close friend, and frequent teammate. Yu Ze joined Luo Di's nursing-home investigation, supported his entry into the Exploration Bureau, and repeatedly rescued or advised him during Corner explorations. 101 104 370 377
• Yun — Junior Sister from Yu Ze's department. They share a sibling-like dynamic, and Yu Ze is protective of her during missions. 120 212
• You Zhen — Exploration Bureau teammate. She served as Luo Di and Yu Ze's captain during their initial explorations and has treated Yu Ze's residual Fear Entity. 371 375 383
• Song Huiwen — Ally in Vortex Town and the Extinction Department. Yu Ze helped stabilize her deteriorating mental state; she later became intensely protective of him in battle. 617 707 744
• Teacher Guo — Leader of Vortex Town's organization. Teacher Guo tested Yu Ze before admitting him, and later entrusted him with strategic responsibilities during the City of Sin operation. 557 655
• Hunter — Former adversary whom Yu Ze assessed in a brutal duel. Their clash ended with mutual recognition after Yu Ze nearly severed Hunter's head with a final sword strike. 623 624 625
• Yu Ze's Master — His cultivation master, who removed a powerful malevolent spirit from Yu Ze after the Red Calamity incident. 378

Story Role / Major Arcs

Nursing Home Investigation

Yu Ze joins Luo Di and Anna to investigate the disappearances connected to a bus route and nursing home. He supplies protective talismans, opens a path through the Corner Space, and creates the formation that helps collapse the nursing home's anomalous connection. 101 104 113

Exploration Bureau Recruitment

Yu Ze accompanies Luo Di to the Capital, applies for the Exploration Bureau alongside him, and secures both of their recruitment through the Warden's recommendation. He and Luo Di choose the Extinction Department together. 364 370 382

Initial Corner Exploration

During You Zhen's team explorations, Yu Ze identifies Fear Entities, leads investigations during Events, and uses divination to search for Luo Di after their separation. He saves Luo Di from the head-swapping Event and survives a confrontation with a powerful middle-layer monster using talisman substitutes and an emerging transformation. 375 376 377 388

Vortex Town and Manga Study

Yu Ze accompanies Luo Di to Formless Villa, later joins Teacher Guo's organization, and accepts an extraterrestrial fragment to develop his manga-related power. He continues to train, investigate anomalies, and support Song Huiwen's mental stability. 527 557 580 617

Hunter's Assessment

As Hunter's assessor, Yu Ze uses talismans, refined zombies, the Diamond Sutra, and sword control in a direct battle. Although Hunter severely injures him, Yu Ze recovers enough to deliver a nearly lethal final slash, earning Hunter's respect. 623 624 625

City of Sin and Fishing Village Operations

Teacher Guo assigns Yu Ze to coordinate routes and decision-making for Grandmother's infiltration squad against the City of Sin. During the Fishing Village crisis, he fights alongside Luo Di and Song Huiwen, uses decoys to survive the Faceless Man's assault, and dives with Luo Di to reach the Mermaid corpse. 655 705 707 708

Deputy Minister

Following the City of Sin operation, Yu Ze becomes Deputy Minister of the Extinction Department. He continues investigating threats such as Jiang Manor while Song Huiwen performs external missions with the department. 694 744

Trivia

• Yu Ze repeatedly addresses Luo Di as “fellow villager,” emphasizing their shared Huaxian background. 101 102
• He initially worked as a fortune teller and still uses fortune-telling as part of his investigative toolkit. 97 261
• He often sleeps using a Corpse-driving Talisman, allowing his body to continue moving while unconscious. 560
• He dislikes cooperating with people he considers mediocre, preferring capable partners such as Luo Di. 370 527