Young Master Tao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Tao Yulin
Alias(es)	Young Master Tao (陶公子); Master Tao
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Crimson Scale Army during the defense of Fengtian County; Yulin Academy
Occupation/Role	Scholar, former rear guard, keeper of soldiers’ merit records, teacher, and strategist
Status	Alive; his Martial Way was severed after suffering a chest wound during the Fengtian retreat 7 25 26
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Background / History

Tao Yulin came from the Tao family of Yuping County, a clan known for its scholarly and Confucian tradition. His mother hoped he would pass the Official Examination, but Tao Yulin preferred martial arts, studied under notable masters, and disliked scholarly lectures. Three years before the Fengtian campaign, he accidentally killed someone, implicating the Tao family; the younger generation lost its eligibility for the examinations, and his mother later died from grief and anger. 5

During the three-month siege of Fengtian County, Tao Yulin served with Zhang Yuan's battalion as its only scholar. He maintained a linen roll recording each fallen soldier’s identity, accumulated merits, and final wishes, so their pensions or rewards could reach their families. Assigned to cover the rear with Zhang Yuan, he also relied on Zhang to deliver finishing blows when he could not bring himself to kill wounded men. 3

Despite this reluctance, Tao Yulin proved a capable fighter when the battalion retreated. Using a wooden spear fitted with a dagger, he killed two Black Armored Soldiers in one strike and held off further attackers, displaying at least Mid Houtian Realm combat power. 4 He and Zhang Yuan subsequently broke a Yan Army formation together, with Tao Yulin warning Zhang when Sha Qi clouded his mind. 5

A Xiantian Realm archer shot Tao Yulin through the chest during the retreat. He ordered Zhang Yuan to take the battalion’s merit records away, then challenged the pursuing Yan soldiers to kill him. Zhang refused to abandon him and carried him back to the Qin lines. Tao Yulin survived, but the wound destroyed his path in martial cultivation. 6 7 25

Five years after Fengtian, Tao Yulin became Master Tao of Yulin Academy. With Zhang Yuan’s financial support, he taught the children of fallen soldiers while Hu Chunniu’s pharmacy treated their families without charge. He continued to handle the merit roll and the unfinished obligations owed to Fengtian’s dead. 25 26

Appearance

Following the Fengtian campaign, Tao Yulin is usually seen in scholar’s clothing rather than armor. His old injuries leave him pale, frequently coughing, and vulnerable to cold. 3 25

• Wore armor and carried a wooden spear during the Fengtian defense. 3
• Used a wooden spear with a short dagger bound to its head. 3
• Later wore a blue scholar’s robe and, even before autumn, a thick padded cotton jacket. 25
• Has a pale complexion and persistent coughing fits due to his chest and lung injuries. 25 26

Personality

Tao Yulin is compassionate and conscientious. He cannot easily deliver killing blows, but he never abandons his responsibilities: he carefully preserves the last wishes of dying soldiers and remains beside Zhang Yuan on the rear guard despite the danger. 3 6

His martial ambitions are redirected after losing his cultivation. Rather than withdrawing from the world entirely, he supports Zhang Yuan’s advancement, oversees the academy, and works to fulfill the promises written on the battalion’s merit roll. 25 27

He is also politically shrewd and pragmatic. Tao Yulin helps conceal and manage Zhang Yuan’s Black Tiger identity, directs Black Ice Platform operatives in handling its aftermath, and considers military applications for pulley-equipped crossbows. 26 30

Abilities & Skills

Spear Combat

Tao Yulin trained in martial arts despite his family’s scholarly expectations and was a capable Houtian combatant before his injuries. 4 5

• Killed two Black Armored Soldiers with a single spear strike. 4
• Used rapid thrusts and sweeps to drive back multiple attackers while covering the retreat. 4 5
• Could use light-body movement to reach rooftops and attack from above. 5
• His Martial Way was ruined after the Xiantian archer’s chest shot. 7 25

Merit Record-Keeping

Tao Yulin served as the battalion’s record keeper, preserving the names, origins, merits, and final requests of soldiers who died at Fengtian. 3

• Recorded Xu Huanshan’s request to exchange his merits for his brothers’ education. 3
• Carried his own entry on the roll: eight levels of merit and a wish for a scholar’s robe, folding fan, gauze hat, and freedom from dreams of the martial world. 7
• Continued working with Zhang Yuan to fulfill the fallen soldiers’ unrecognized merits after the imperial court voided them. 23 25

Teaching and Mentorship

As Master Tao of Yulin Academy, he teaches academic subjects to the children of Fengtian’s fallen soldiers. 25 26

• Runs the academy’s morning academic lessons with Tao Hong. 26
• Helps direct graduates toward positions in the Black Robe Guard, the prefectural yamen, and the Crimson Scale Army. 28
• Supports Zhang Yuan’s plans for Chen Wu’s marriage, military recommendation, and future career. 27 28

Strategy and Intelligence Work

Tao Yulin acts as one of Zhang Yuan’s principal advisers and handles sensitive operational matters through the Black Ice Platform. 26 27

• Directed Tao Hong to redeem Zhang Yuan’s merits and dispose of seized deeds through the black market. 26
• Worked to divert attention from Zhang Yuan’s identity as the bounty hunter Black Tiger. 26 30
• Proposed using Black Cavalry activity and Zhao Changchun to redirect martial-world speculation about Black Tiger. 30
• Explored pulley mechanisms for military crossbows, believing they could significantly improve Great Qin’s military strength. 30

Equipment / Items

• Wooden spear with dagger head — his principal weapon during the defense and retreat from Fengtian County. 3 5
• Linen merit roll — a bloodstained record of the battalion’s dead, their merits, and their final wishes. 3 7 23
• Scholar’s robes — his usual clothing after the destruction of his Martial Way. 25 27

Relationships

• Zhang Yuan — Comrade from Fengtian, later a close adviser and mentor figure. Tao Yulin supports Zhang’s cultivation, identities, and long-term ambitions, while Zhang protects his health and funds Yulin Academy. 5 6 25 27 30
• Hu Chunniu — Fellow Fengtian survivor and co-strategist behind Zhang Yuan; Hu treats Tao Yulin’s lasting injuries and helps support the academy’s students and their families. 8 25 27
• Tao Hong — Black Ice Platform undercover agent who reports directly to Tao Yulin and carries out his instructions concerning Zhang Yuan’s merits and Black Tiger affairs. 26
• Chen Wu — Student and surrogate younger brother figure. Tao Yulin teaches him at Yulin Academy and works with Zhang Yuan to arrange his future. 26 28
• Duan Hong — Battalion commander during the Fengtian defense, who assigned Tao Yulin and Zhang Yuan to cover the rear and handle finishing blows. 3
• Fengtian battalion comrades — Tao Yulin preserves their names and wishes on the merit roll, refusing to let their sacrifices be forgotten. 3 23

Notable Quotes

“I, Tao Yulin, owe you a life.” 7

“Tao Yulin of Great Qin is here! Which Yan dog dares to come and kill me?” 6