Master

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yu Zhensheng 16
Alias(es)	Doctor Yu; Fifth Master 16 53
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ghost Opera lineage; formerly of the Zhao Family Opera Troupe 17 64
Occupation/Role	Ghost Opera master, physician, Zhou Sheng's master 16 17
First Appearance	Chapter 16 (named appearance) 16

Background / History

Yu Zhensheng was once the most outstanding Ghost Opera Performer of his era; an Underworld Judge states that no performer in hundreds of years had reached his level. He was the fifth of thirteen disciples in the Zhao Family Opera Troupe, while his childhood companion Xiao Jiansheng ranked sixth. 43 64

During the disastrous performance of Exploring the Underworld Mountain, the troupe's old companions died and Xiao Jiansheng remained behind to cover Yu Zhensheng's retreat. King Yama tore Yu Zhensheng's leg tendons during the incident, crippling his right leg and most of his cultivation. Yu Zhensheng holds himself responsible for the fate of Hong Xian, who was also drawn into the consequences of that opera. 43 64

After retiring from the martial world, he became known in Qinggu County as Doctor Yu, a kind and skilled physician. Privately, he continued the exacting traditions of Ghost Opera and trained Zhou Sheng for sixteen years. When Zhou Sheng first came to him with depleted yang energy and blood essence, Yu Zhensheng spent three years restoring his body through medicinal oils and medicinal meals. 16 45

Appearance

Yu Zhensheng is an elderly but vigorous man with a stern, refined bearing. He walks with a limp caused by his crippled right leg. 16 44

• Usually wears plain clothes and hemp shoes; he is also seen in green robes. 16 44
• Has a neatly trimmed beard, white-streaked temples, and a ruddy complexion. 16
• Slender in ordinary posture, but can expand into a robust, imposing giant when displaying his Ghost Opera cultivation. 86
• Retains an elegant, distinctive demeanor despite his age and injuries. 16

Personality

Yu Zhensheng is sharply critical, meticulous, and uncompromising in training. Zhou Sheng considers even a small compliment from him difficult to earn, and his harsh foundational drills become instinctive lifesaving skills for his disciple. 16 34

Behind his bluntness is deep protectiveness. He silently watches over Zhou Sheng during dangerous performances, guides him through the Yin-Yang Road, and spent three years nursing him back from near death. He insists that a disciple of Yu Zhensheng must not begin at a disadvantage. 39 41 45

He is pragmatic about the underworld and survival, preferring retreat over needless pride after provoking powerful enemies. Yet he is intensely proud of Ghost Opera and visibly regretful over the losses caused by his past. 30 39 64

Abilities & Skills

Ghost Opera Mastery

Yu Zhensheng is a legendary Ghost Opera Performer whose prime strength commanded the respect of Underworld authorities. He teaches that Ghost Opera lyrics become truly potent only after opening the Tongue Aperture. 30 43

• Can enter a realm above the Unity of Person and Role, a technique he claims even his own master did not possess. 86
• Manifested the image of Guan Yunchang without face paint or singing, accompanied by divine light, immense killing intent, and the phenomenon of “Five Qi in the Chest.” 86
• Warns Zhou Sheng never to interact with apparent deities encountered during Unity of Person and Role, regarding such contact as profoundly dangerous. 40
• His present power is limited by the destruction of his leg tendons and the loss of most of his cultivation. 43

Underworld Knowledge and Methods

Yu Zhensheng possesses extensive knowledge of ghosts, divine beings, magical lineages, and underworld routes. 17 40 44

• Uses cinnabar mud and an operatic incantation to counter an Underworld Judge's ghost wall. 40
• Leads Zhou Sheng through the Yin-Yang Road and identifies its illusion-inducing mist. 41 44
• Knows that an unqualified person cannot locate or use the Yin-Yang Road without guidance, unless they reach the level of Yin-spirit manifestation. 44
• Recognizes the defensive value of the Patriarch's divine statue against the Judge. 41

Medicine

As Doctor Yu, he treats ailments caused by supernatural Yin energy as well as physical debilitation. 16 45

• Prepares medicine with materials including rooster blood, cinnabar, and realgar for a patient suffering Yin-energy invasion. 16
• Restored Zhou Sheng's severely depleted body over three years through medicinal oils and meals. 45
• His own medical ability cannot repair the injury inflicted on his leg by King Yama. 43

Martial Arts and Training

Yu Zhensheng's training emphasizes practical combat-ready opera skills rather than performance alone. 34 47

• Drilled Zhou Sheng so severely that evasive techniques became automatic under lethal pressure. 34
• Tests Zhou Sheng's progress by launching volleys of pebbles at his vital points, forcing him to execute advanced Blanket Skill maneuvers. 85
• In his prime, he killed many Guardian Soldiers and was feared enough that the Judge reacted to his threat of repeating his unfinished opera. 43
• Emphasizes combat ability over Dao cultivation alone. 47

Relationships

• Zhou Sheng — Disciple of sixteen years. Yu Zhensheng trained him in Ghost Opera, nursed him through a three-year recovery, and continues to protect and prepare him for the Ghost Festival. 16 39 45
• Hong Xian — Senior disciple whose fate Yu Zhensheng believes was harmed by the aftermath of Exploring the Underworld Mountain. 64
• Xiao Jiansheng — Junior martial brother and childhood companion who stayed behind to secure Yu Zhensheng's escape during the troupe's calamity. 64
• King Yama — Responsible for tearing Yu Zhensheng's leg tendons and crippling most of his cultivation after an earlier Ghost Opera incident. 43
• Lu Bingyuan — A City God whose intentions Yu Zhensheng distrusts; he believes Lu Bingyuan used Zhou Sheng as a pawn. 17
• Great Emperor Huaguang (King Ma) — Patriarch of Yu Zhensheng's Ghost Opera lineage; Yu Zhensheng maintains and reveres the lineage's ancient divine statue. 16 39

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return from Yangcheng

Yu Zhensheng stops Zhou Sheng's spear thrust barehanded, revealing his overwhelming physical strength despite his disability. He learns of Zhou Sheng's Yangcheng experiences, identifies the lingering Yin-energy danger, and explains the Six Apertures of cultivation. 16 17

Underworld Judge Conflict

After Zhou Sheng defeats a Guardian Soldier, Yu Zhensheng orders an immediate flight from Qinggu County and escorts his disciple through the Judge's ghost wall and the Yin-Yang Road. He confronts the Judge with the possibility of singing his unfinished opera again, forcing a temporary withdrawal. 39 41 43

Preparation for the Ghost Festival

Yu Zhensheng pushes Zhou Sheng to develop through real Ghost Opera performances rather than relying on medicine alone. He explains the risks of the Ghost Festival and reveals that he secured three additional years for Zhou Sheng after the disciple's delayed recovery. 45 46

Xunyang City and Little Fengdu

He accompanies Zhou Sheng to Xunyang City, introduces him to the dangers of Little Fengdu and the Ghost Market, and reveals his lingering regret regarding the Gathering Immortals Tower fire. 47 61

Demonstration of Guan Yunchang

After Zhou Sheng's cultivation surges, Yu Zhensheng demonstrates his higher Ghost Opera realm by manifesting Guan Yunchang without makeup or song. He uses the display to remind Zhou Sheng that his foundational Ghost Opera skills remain insufficient. 86

Notable Quotes

“The fiercer the knife that kills, the faster the legs that flee!” 39

“You brat, you still have so much to learn.” 30