Zhong Lichun

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhong Lichun (钟离春)
Alias(es)	Tomboy; Cheng Li 12 513
Species/Race	Human 23
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Special Incident Handling Bureau (SIHB); Longyu Group, as Cheng Li 41 490
Occupation/Role	SIHB field operative; later president of Longyu Group under an alias 41 490
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Background / History

Zhong Lichun was born in Baghdad to Chinese parents from Shudi, who operated a successful Chinese restaurant before war forced the family to flee the city. At age ten, their evacuation bus was hijacked and its passengers were taken captive. Her father died after being denied treatment for a severe asthma attack; Zhong Lichun and her mother were separated, abused, and forced into labor. 23 24

Her childhood captivity hardened her into a silent survivor driven by revenge. After being taken in by the armed organization’s leader, Grede, she trained at an exceptional pace, mastering weapons and close-quarters combat. She entered battle at fourteen and became the organization’s second-in-command by sixteen. 25 26

She ultimately chose to free a group of hostages rather than remain loyal to Grede’s organization. With Kabu’s help, she led them out under gunfire and detonated explosives during their truck escape. The group reached coalition forces after four days, though Zhong Lichun collapsed from an infected wound. 28 32

China verified her identity, treated her injuries, and accepted that her past actions had been coerced by circumstance. Unable to adapt to civilian life after years of military conditioning, she entered a special department where her combat skills could be used. 32

Memories later recovered in Lingxu reveal that she was recruited by “Pretty Country” after escaping the camp, aided in destroying Grede’s organization, and was sent to infiltrate the SIHB after undergoing memory alteration. Lu Musheng nevertheless accepted her into the Bureau after judging her capabilities in person. 461 462 463 464

Appearance

Zhong Lichun is a tall, athletic woman whose training-built musculature is often concealed by a lean frame. She is described as naturally beautiful, with defined features and a practical preference for assault gear or fitted combat clothing. 7 336 387

• Stands over 1.7 meters tall and weighs over 120 jin due to her muscular build. 336
• Carries numerous scars from war and captivity. 22
• Has a small red birthmark near her right shoulder blade. 439
• Often wears a form-fitting combat suit, assault jacket, or practical outdoor clothing while deployed. 7 21

Personality

Zhong Lichun is blunt, stubborn, and intensely self-reliant. Her traumatic past leaves her wary of vulnerability; she initially refuses help even when injured and reacts sharply when others underestimate or disrespect her. 22 47

Behind her severe exterior, she is protective of teammates and willing to assume extreme risks for them. She repeatedly prioritizes missions and companions over her own safety, including returning alone to recover Mo Li after believing him dead. 42 80

She also has a teasing, playful side, especially around Mo Li and Wei Dengke. Although Wei frequently calls her “Tomboy,” she can become visibly flustered when her feelings for Mo Li are exposed. 41 159

Abilities & Skills

Combat Training

Zhong Lichun received rigorous military training from childhood and learned weapons handling and hand-to-hand combat with unusual speed. She is capable of defeating larger opponents through speed, leverage, and joint manipulation. 26 47 48

• Uses rapid counters, evasions, kicks, elbow strikes, armbars, and throws. 21 47 48
• Can injure Snow Mountain Wolves at close range and survive prolonged engagements with armed soldiers. 21 22 73
• Exploits an opponent’s reluctance to kill her, as seen during her close-quarters fight with Scarface. 87 88
• Is disadvantaged against opponents with substantially greater raw strength, including Scarface and Yetis. 73 87 189

Firearms and Bladed Weapons

She is highly comfortable with firearms and considers reliable modern weapons essential in hostile environments. She also relies heavily on military knives when ammunition or firearms are unavailable. 7 59 74

• Carries and uses military knives, semi-automatic rifles, flashbangs, sniper rifles, bows, and arrows. 21 74 76 82 113
• Has practiced throwing knives since childhood and can make lethal precision throws under pressure. 82
• Uses improvised or outdated weapons when necessary, including flintlock guns and a sharpened Tibetan knife. 59 60
• Her ranged options are constrained by limited ammunition and arrows. 188

Stealth and Infiltration

Zhong Lichun can exploit opponents’ assumptions to infiltrate guarded areas and create decisive openings. 72 73 84

• Disguises herself as a distressed civilian to lower armed soldiers’ guard. 72 73
• Moves patiently through cover to reach sniper positions or avoid detection. 82 83
• Silently eliminates vigilant guards with close-range knife attacks. 84 86
• Uses terrain, distraction, and timing rather than relying only on force. 82 84

Fieldcraft and Command

Her battlefield experience makes her a practical decision-maker during expeditions. She frequently organizes supplies, chooses routes, and directs less combat-capable companions. 7 74 149 156

• Prepares cold-weather gear, weapons, ropes, torches, and emergency supplies. 7 149
• Skins and cleans wolf pelts for survival use. 22 32
• Coordinates combat plans through hand signals and makes rapid tactical decisions. 74 76
• Takes command when groups become uncertain or fragmented. 143 156

Vulnerabilities

• Her past trauma makes her vulnerable to nightmares and supernatural assaults on her consciousness. Qiongqi’s trials repeatedly draw on her memories of captivity, revenge, and loss. 336 364 365
• A human-faced spider larva temporarily controls her body and causes her to attack Mo Li. 109 110
• She is repeatedly incapacitated or endangered by black hair parasites, requiring Mo Li’s blood-powered lantern to suppress the infection. 420 423
• She can be fiercely impulsive when confronting Scarface and Big Beard, prioritizing revenge over broader survival concerns. 116 117

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Military knife — Her principal close-range weapon and a tool for survival, stealth kills, and throwing attacks. 21 73 82
• Semi-automatic rifle — Acquired from fallen mercenaries during the Yeti settlement conflict. 74
• Sniper rifle — Taken after she kills a mercenary sniper with a thrown knife. 82
• Longbow and metal arrows — Repaired and used in the underground city; later used against Scarface. 113 116
• Flashbangs and tactical belt — Used in a coordinated rescue plan against Yeti guards. 76
• Tibetan knife and flintlock guns — Emergency weapons used when modern equipment is unavailable. 60

Relationships

• Mo Li — Teammate, rescuer, and mutual love interest. They repeatedly risk their lives for one another; Zhong Lichun eventually admits that she loves him but believes their opposing circumstances make separation inevitable. 80 143 390 464 476
• Wei Dengke — SIHB colleague and frequent bickering partner. Zhong Lichun often scolds his chatter, but trusts his technical expertise and works closely with him in the field. 41 49 67 364
• Lu Musheng — Head of the SIHB. He approves her entry into the Bureau despite her unusual background and later treats her disappearance as a matter of grave concern. 464 478
• Wen Jing — Expedition ally. Zhong Lichun cooperates with her to free Yetis, search the ancient city, and rescue Mo Li. 74 143
• Big Beard — Initially an adversary whom Zhong Lichun defeats in combat. Their later alliance remains tense, and she considers abandoning him when he becomes an injured liability. 47 48 143 155
• Grede — Her captor and foster father within the armed organization. He trained her into a soldier, but Zhong Lichun ultimately turned against and killed him during her revenge. 26 461

Story Role / Major Arcs

Motuo Expedition

Zhong Lichun joins Wei Dengke and Mo Li in the investigation surrounding Yetis and a missing princess. She serves as the group’s most experienced combatant, protects Wei Dengke, fights wolves and mercenaries, and helps conduct the princess rescue. 7 22 42 74

After Mo Li is captured, she returns alone to locate him, infiltrates the mercenaries’ position, and endures capture and torture rather than reveal the princess’s location. 80 83 86 87 89

Underground Ancient City

Separated from the others beneath the mountain, Zhong Lichun faces parasitic spiders, Yetis, and the ancient city’s shifting dangers. She reunites with Wei Dengke and Wen Jing, then insists on rescuing Mo Li from the Black Egg-shaped Building. 109 143 144

Huang Hu Shrine and Ancestral Hall

Zhong Lichun agrees to help Wen Jing search for the Nuwa Stone and leads a team into Huang Hu Village’s forbidden area. The third-level ancestral hall traps her in recurring nightmares drawn from her childhood trauma, nearly consuming her consciousness. 335 336 364 365

Desolate Fox Realm and Lingxu

She is repeatedly incapacitated by supernatural traps, infections, and consciousness attacks within the Desolate Fox Realm. Mo Li rescues her from the wall-lamps, black hair infection, and later the underground lake. 418 420 423 427

Within Lingxu, Mo Li experiences her memories and learns of her hidden identity. After recovering her memories, Zhong Lichun confesses her feelings to him, then leaves the SIHB’s orbit to confront the consequences of her past. 458 461 464 476

Cheng Li Identity

Zhong Lichun later appears as Cheng Li, president of Longyu Group, with no apparent recognition of Mo Li. Wen Jing identifies Cheng Li as Zhong Lichun through a matching birthmark, suggesting that her alias and altered memories remain central to her later role. 490 513 675

Notable Quotes

“I admit I like you. But now that I remember everything, we are destined to be apart.” 464

“There are many things where there is no choice, especially in my current situation.” 476