Pei Qian

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Pei Qian (裴钱)
Alias(es)	Zheng Qian; Zheng Qingming; Zheng Saqian (“Zheng Money-Scatterer”); “Little Black Charcoal” / Xiao Heitan 843 1021
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Luopo Mountain
Occupation/Role	Pure martial artist; Chen Ping'an's eldest disciple; later a martial-arts master and mentor 378 1021 1263
Status	Active 1275

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Fourth Realm	613	Received punches from Ninth Realm martial artist Bai Lianshuang at the Ning residence, loosening her bottleneck.
Sixth Realm	701	Her advancement to the sixth realm surprises an elder of Spring Dew Garden.
Far-Travel Realm	701	Wei Taizhen discovers that Pei Qian has already reached the Far-Travel Realm despite believing her to be only at Golden Body Realm.
Wandering Realm	707	States that she had been “strongest” five times before reaching the Wandering Realm.
Mountain Peak Realm	733	Known on the Golden Armor Continent battlefield as one of the strongest martial artists at the peak of the Mountain Peak Realm.
Golden Body Realm (reported)	1021	Identified as a Golden Body Realm martial artist while disguised as Zheng Qian; the account provides no explanation for its relation to her other recorded realms.
Return to True, first layer	1170	Occupies a position on the Strange Mountain Peak as a first-layer Return to True martial artist.
Ten Realms	1195	Publicly announced as a Ten Realms martial artist.

Background / History

Pei Qian traveled through mountains and rivers with Chen Ping'an while still a noisy, wary child who carried a walking staff, coveted easy gains, and constantly asked whether she possessed peerless martial talent. Zhu Lian recognized that her aptitude exceeded ordinary five-element assessments, while Zhong Kui saw even greater potential in her. 347 354

She became Chen Ping'an's eldest disciple and initially wore handmade bamboo knife and sword at her waist alongside her signature walking staff. Though she wanted martial skill without pain, she gradually accepted demanding training and developed a lasting devotion to daily practice. 378 370 886

Cui Cheng later subjected her to severe martial training at Luopo Mountain. Pei Qian feared disappointing Chen Ping'an and dreaded the consequences of his return, but continued to endure Cui Cheng's criticism and punishment. 532 558

Her travels eventually took her through Northern Juluzhou with Li Huai and Wei Taizhen, then alone through Aiai Continent, the Central Divine Continent, Golden Armor Continent, and other regions. Her battlefield exploits under the alias Zheng Qian made her renowned as a female martial-arts grandmaster. 701 723 1021 1106

Appearance

Pei Qian was once a thin, dark, weak-looking little girl with two buns in her hair. As an adult, she is described as a neat young woman with her hair tied in a bun, clear features, and a restrained demeanor. 843 1113

• Often carries a walking staff or iron staff. 354 773
• Has worn a bamboo knife and bamboo sword crossed at her waist. 378
• Has traveled in disguise, including with a young girl's mask and under the name Zheng Qian. 886 1021
• Has appeared in martial attire and, on one occasion, a sable hat with a short sword at her waist. 1021 1195

Personality

As a child, Pei Qian was mischievous, materialistic, theatrical, and skilled at embellishing stories. She enjoyed showing off her imagined jianghu exploits, collected treasures, kept personal account books, and could be cunning when dealing with strangers. 355 404 701 1142

Her irreverence is generally reserved for those close to her. She bickers with Zhu Lian and Cui Dongshan, complains about painful training, and openly measures people by whether they can provide good food, useful gifts, or pleasant words. 370 570 605

Beneath this playfulness, Pei Qian is intensely loyal to Chen Ping'an. She is quick to defend his reputation, carefully follows his instructions, and becomes calm whenever she speaks of him. She also demonstrates increasing independence, courtesy, and responsibility toward younger disciples. 607 740 759 1263

Abilities & Skills

Pure Martial Arts

Pei Qian is a pure martial artist whose fighting style is direct, forceful, and intended for decisive battles rather than restrained sparring.

• Her punches are described as unwavering and as carrying the conviction that “boxing only asks oneself.” 708
• She is especially suited to life-and-death combat, where she can fully commit to her fist intent. 904
• On the Golden Armor Continent battlefield, she actively hunted powerful demon-race opponents and was known for trading injuries for kills. 723
• She defeated several martial-arts grandmasters while escaping an encirclement with Li Huai and Wei Taizhen. 701
• She later defeated Ma Suwu and Zhao Xinying alongside Zhong Qian at battlefield ruins. 1275

Divine Drumming Stance

Pei Qian inherited and developed the Divine Drumming Stance, using it as one of her major fist techniques.

• Her seventeen consecutive strikes against Liu Suiyu were considered a single continuous attack; Liu Suiyu was forced to disrupt the accumulating fist intent rather than counterattack. 708
• She used the Divine Drumming technique to shatter incoming martial destinies directed toward the Lotus Root Blessed Land. 892
• Her understanding of the technique was considered formidable enough to draw attention during Chen Ping'an's own martial instruction. 904

Physique Tempering

Her martial foundation was strengthened through extreme physical conditioning and suppressive training.

• Cui Cheng drove her through harsh training despite repeatedly criticizing her progress. 558
• Li Er taught her a breathing and exhaling method for conditioning her muscles, bones, flesh, and circulation of pure true qi. 881
• Li Er gave her four unusually heavy talismans to attach to her wrists and ankles, suppressing her fist intent while tempering her physique. 740

Perception and Memory

Pei Qian possesses an exceptional memory and an unusual ability to perceive others' inner states.

• Her memory is said to surpass even Chen Ping'an's. 1106
• By focusing her attention, she can glimpse the scenes within other people's “hearts and heavens,” unless facing a peak cultivator. 1106
• She uses this perception pragmatically: to judge an opponent's likely realm, distinguish friend from foe, and decide what level of strength to employ. 1025

Sword and Talisman Training

Though primarily a martial artist, Pei Qian has studied sword techniques and can incorporate weapons and talisman methods into combat.

• Huang Ting taught her sword techniques at Dust Pharmacy. 373
• She uses an iron staff with the White Ape Sword-Carrying Technique and can employ the staff as a sword. 773
• Chen Ping'an later prepared a two-volume handwritten study of Pure Yang Swordplay for her, including space for her own annotations. 1267

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Walking staff — Her signature weapon from childhood, carried through her travels and martial practice. 354 610
• Bamboo knife and bamboo sword — Handmade by Chen Ping'an and worn crossed at her waist. 378
• Multi-Treasure Box — Gifted by Yao Jinzhi; contains carved lingzhi, collectible ancient coins, and a Daoist plaque. 407
• Bamboo-yellow paper-cutting knife — A spatial artifact gifted by Yu Panshui; made from ancestral bamboo and capable of suppressing demons and ghosts. 733 773
• Iron staff — Forged from a semi-immortal iron spear gifted by Yu Xuan after Pei Qian divided the weapon into two sabers and one staff. 773
• Suppressive talismans — Four heavy talismans from Li Er, attached to her wrists and ankles to restrain fist intent and condition her body. 740
• Pure Yang Swordplay manuscript — A two-volume work assembled from Xiao Mo's record of a sword technique and Chen Ping'an's supplementary notes. 1267

Relationships

• Chen Ping'an — Her master and the person to whom she is most fiercely loyal. She is his eldest disciple and models much of her conduct around his approval. 378 607 740
• Cui Cheng — Martial instructor at Luopo Mountain whose punishing training forced Pei Qian to strengthen her foundation. 558 562
• Li Huai — Longtime traveling companion. He understands her attachment to Chen Ping'an and supports her during their journey through Northern Juluzhou. 701
• Li Baoping — Close friend and “sister.” Pei Qian learned from her while preparing for school and later reunited with her during her travels. 480 701
• Cao Qinglang — Junior martial brother. Their relationship is informal and teasing, though both remain attentive to their shared master. 607 886
• Zhou Mili — Close companion at Luopo Mountain; the two share private conversations and playful exchanges. 658 562
• Zhu Lian — Luopo Mountain’s old cook and a frequent target of Pei Qian's bickering. He also helps guide and comfort her during training difficulties. 370 532 605
• Ning Yao — Pei Qian respectfully recognizes Ning Yao as her Madam Master and kowtows to her at the Ning residence. 607
• Ma Buhai and Hu Jin — Her first known apprentices in the martial world; she entrusted their formal martial instruction to Wei Li. 1263

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Travels with Chen Ping'an

• Travels with Chen Ping'an and his companions through Great Quan, where she observes the Yao family border army and begins asserting herself as Chen Ping'an's eldest disciple. 331 378
• Learns sword techniques from Huang Ting and receives a residence on Guihua Island from Aunt Gui through Chen Ping'an. 373
• Studies at the academy, recounting exaggerated stories of her jianghu exploits to Li Huai, Liu Guan, and Ma Lian. 404 406

Luopo Mountain Training

• Trains under Cui Cheng while struggling with pain, fear of failure, and the pressure of Chen Ping'an's expectations. 532 558
• Travels with Zhong Qiu and later reaches the Sword Qi Great Wall, where her fourth-realm bottleneck is loosened. 607 613

Northern Juluzhou and Aiai Continent

• Embarks on a long journey with Li Huai and Wei Taizhen, deliberately traveling on foot rather than relying on ferries. 688 701
• Meets Liu Zhiqing, who treats her as the junior of a close friend and regrets only that she is not a sword cultivator. 701
• Faces Liu Suiyu at Thunder Duke Temple and demonstrates a continuous fist intent strong enough to force a response from a Ninth Realm martial artist. 708

Golden Armor Continent War

• Fights on the Golden Armor Continent battlefield beside Cao Ci and Yu Juanfu, gaining a reputation for relentlessly pursuing powerful demon-race enemies. 723 732
• Becomes known as Zheng Qingming and Zheng Saqian, a female martial artist whose fists decide battles swiftly. 843 904
• Leaves the battlefield only after Yu Juanfu and other retreating cultivators, while Cao Ci remains behind. 732

Later Martial Career

• Protects younger disciples at Golden Yellow Mansion in Chen Ping'an's absence, calmly instructing them to continue their meal despite an approaching threat. 759
• Replaces Chen Ping'an's position on the Strange Mountain Peak and repeatedly disperses martial fortune directed toward the Lotus Root Blessed Land. 1106
• Is recognized across Treasure Bottle Continent as one of its Four Grandmasters and later takes Ma Buhai and Hu Jin as apprentices. 1021 1263
• Investigates battlefield ruins with Zhong Qian and defeats Duke Shen's allies Ma Suwu and Zhao Xinying. 1275

Trivia

• Pei Qian explained that the character qian in her name means “very rich.” 525
• She keeps separate personal account books for people she knows; Li Huai suspects his is the thickest. 701
• Her early “mad demon” staff practice was so uncontrolled that she sometimes struck herself. 354
• Despite her later reputation, she once thought the Six-Step Stance looked silly and hoped to become a master without enduring hardship. 886