Zhou Qing

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhou Qing (周青)
Alias(es)	Old Zhou
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ascending Cloud County yamen (formerly); Great Zhou Dynasty army; administrator of Moyun Capital
Occupation/Role	Former constable; military general; Shen Bai's trusted ally
Status	Alive
First Appearance	4

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Daoist Canon Realm	68	Though below many Grand Tomb participants, he readied his saber to support Shen Bai against Xuanqingzi.
Three Treasures Realm	116	Reached this realm after earning merits and promotions in the military.
Peak Five Viscera Realm	143	Advanced through battlefield experience and General Zhao Sheng's blade teachings.
Unity Realm	194	Reached Unity Realm while commanding troops and resisting enemy spies and evil forces.
Absolute Peak Realm	270	His connection to the Death Realm's blood river raised his strength beyond the Heavenly Spirit Realm.
Heavenly Human Realm	310	During his fusion with the Life-Death Road river, Shen Bai sensed Zhou Qing's aura at this realm.
Initial Life-Death Road fusion	311	Condensed a human form using river power, allowing a clone to leave the Life-Death Road.
Controller of the Life-Death Road river	346	Inherited control of the river and its duty of suppressing tens of thousands of powerful corpses.

Background / History

Ascending Cloud County

Zhou Qing served as a constable in Ascending Cloud County and was Shen Bai's only true friend there. Before the main conflicts began, he regularly handled disputes and complaints involving the Shen Family Pawnshop. 4

He warned Shen Bai about the Five Hearts Sect, believing its apparent innocence after Old Master Qian's death was suspicious. He later relayed the yamen's order for residents to report unusual items, unaware that Shen Bai was privately collecting and appraising Bizarre Items. 4 41

During the Fox Demon incident, Zhou Qing recognized the masked Shen Bai by their familiarity but deliberately kept his identity secret. Shen Bai later described Zhou Qing as the kindest person to him in Ascending Cloud County and his only true friend. 48

Grand Tomb Incident

Zhou Qing entered Ascending Cloud County's Grand Tomb alongside the constables and martial artists. Separated within its arrays, he endured a violent windstorm over a stone bridge by relying on his Qi and saber, refusing to fail because he still intended to join the Heavenly Oversight Bureau. 65

He remained firmly on Shen Bai's side during Shen Bai's conflict with Xuanqingzi, prepared to intervene despite being only at the Daoist Canon Realm. 68

Framed Imprisonment

Zhou Qing and Shen Bai frequently supported Grandma Zhang and Xiao Xue, descendants of rebels who had once saved both of their lives during an attack on Ascending Cloud County. 79

Steward Yang fabricated evidence connecting Zhou Qing to Grandma Zhang and Xiao Xue, ordering his arrest after Grandma Zhang was killed. Zhou Qing initially accepted the loss of his constable position, but his grief turned to rage when Shen Bai revealed Grandma Zhang's death. 80 82

Qin Shuang later secured Zhou Qing's release and arranged Xiao Xue's adoption by a Heavenly Oversight Bureau family. 83

Military Career

After political interference prevented him from entering the Heavenly Oversight Bureau, Zhou Qing chose to enlist in the army rather than remain in Ascending Cloud County. He intended to strengthen himself step by step and serve the Great Zhou Dynasty. 41 89

Military life accelerated his growth. He gained promotions, led a hundred-person team, reached the Three Treasures Realm, and later became a general commanding more than ten thousand troops under Marshal Yang's patronage. 116 143 194 225

Marshal Yang taught him the Eight Directions Blood Battle Blade and battlefield formations. Zhou Qing's leadership was especially evident when he proposed using a battlefield formation to help the Great Zhou Heavenly Talents survive the mechanical puppets of the Heavenly Pride Hall. 198 199

Death Realm and Life-Death Road

While fighting the Wild Daoism Sect, Wild Buddhist Sect, and Torch Academy at the border, Zhou Qing disappeared into the Death Realm. 225

Within the Death Realm, he formed a connection with a blood river and chose to absorb its power. He explained that he wanted to become a brother who could stand beside Shen Bai rather than someone Shen Bai had to protect. 270

His initial fusion with the river let him condense a clone and temporarily leave the Life-Death Road, though he warned Shen Bai that the one who left might not fully be his original self. 311

Zhou Qing's clone took responsibility for Moyun Capital while Shen Bai acted elsewhere, maintaining the city's stability and security. 317 344

Appearance

Zhou Qing is commonly seen in official or military attire, with a long saber at his waist. 10 79 143

• Wore a constable's uniform while serving in Ascending Cloud County. 79
• Later appeared in military uniform after joining the army. 143
• Carried a long saber throughout his service as a constable and soldier. 10 65
• During his Death Realm fusion, his lower body temporarily became part of the river itself. 310

Personality

Zhou Qing is loyal, straightforward, and deeply protective of the people he considers family. He maintained Shen Bai's secret after recognizing him beneath a mask, supported him in dangerous confrontations, and never treated Shen Bai's growing power as a reason for envy. 48 68 76

He is conscientious in public service. As a constable, he worried about Ascending Cloud County's safety during the Heavenly Oversight Bureau inspection and continued working through the escalating Grand Tomb crisis. 20 58

Though usually mild-mannered, he reacts fiercely when those he loves are harmed. Grandma Zhang's death erased his willingness to quietly accept his own framing and imprisonment. 82

His military career is driven not merely by ambition, but by a desire to become strong enough to share Shen Bai's burdens. This conviction led him to accept the solitude and danger of merging with the Death Realm's river. 270

Abilities & Skills

Saber Arts

Zhou Qing fights primarily with a long saber and developed his martial skill through official duties and battlefield combat.

• Wields a long saber as both a constable and soldier. 10 65
• Learned the Eight Directions Blood Battle Blade from Marshal Yang. 198
• Continued fighting against the Death Realm's harsh conditions by anchoring himself with his saber and circulating Qi. 65

Battlefield Formations

Zhou Qing received military formation teachings from Marshal Yang and applies them in group combat.

• Proposed forming a battlefield formation when the Great Zhou Heavenly Talents were pressured by mechanical puppets. 199
• Uses his battlefield background to provide leadership under large-scale combat pressure. 194 199

Water Manipulation and River Fusion

After entering the Death Realm, Zhou Qing developed abilities tied to the blood river and the Life-Death Road.

• Absorbs the river's power to continuously raise his strength. 270
• Manipulates water to rescue Shen Bai from the ruined giant on the Life-Death Road. 310
• Can form a body from river water and create a clone able to act outside the Life-Death Road. 310 311
• Controls the river that serves as a crucial Life-Death Road nexus and suppresses the powerful corpses hidden within it. 338 346
• Acts as a conduit for allies' gathered power during the battle involving the Ten Great Forbidden Zones. 353

Relationships

• Shen Bai — Closest friend and sworn brother in all but name. They survived danger together in Ascending Cloud County, continually protect one another, and support each other's chosen paths. 48 82 270
• Grandma Zhang — Benefactor who protected Zhou Qing and Shen Bai during a rebel attack; her death was a defining cause of Zhou Qing's fury toward Steward Yang's scheme. 79 82
• Xiao Xue — Grandma Zhang's granddaughter. Zhou Qing regularly visited her, helped arrange her future after Grandma Zhang's death, and escorted her to her adoptive family. 79 83
• Chief Constable Zheng — Superior and fellow constable. Zheng trusted Zhou Qing's character and tried to ensure his safety after his wrongful arrest. 80
• Qin Shuang — Shen Bai's ally and a familiar companion. She secured Zhou Qing's release and helped arrange Xiao Xue's adoption. 83 194
• Marshal Yang — Military patron who recognized Zhou Qing's potential, taught him blade arts and formations, and elevated him within the army. 194 198
• Zhao Sheng — General who promoted Zhou Qing after recognizing his courage, talent, and battlefield achievements. 143 144

Story Role / Major Arcs

Five Hearts Sect and Fox Demon Incidents

• Warns Shen Bai about the Five Hearts Sect and the dangers surrounding Old Master Qian's death. 4
• Investigates local Bizarre Entity incidents with the constables. 11
• Recognizes Shen Bai's concealed identity during the Fox Demon battle but protects his secret. 48

Ascending Cloud County Grand Tomb

• Provides Shen Bai with information about martial artists gathering around the Grand Tomb. 46
• Survives the tomb's arrays and reunites with Shen Bai and Qin Shuang at the stone bridge. 65
• Stands as Shen Bai's witness against Xuanqingzi. 66

Framed by the Yamen

• Visits and assists Grandma Zhang and Xiao Xue shortly before Steward Yang uses them to frame him. 79
• Is imprisoned on fabricated charges of colluding with rebel descendants. 80
• Is released through Qin Shuang's intervention and leaves Ascending Cloud County to pursue a military career. 83 89

Military Advancement and Heavenly Pride Hall

• Rises through military merit, becoming a commander and disciple of Marshal Yang. 143 194
• Participates in the Heavenly Pride Hall as one of the Great Zhou Dynasty's young talents. 194 198
• Uses battlefield formations to defend his allies against the hall's mechanical puppets. 199

Death Realm and Moyun Capital

• Vanishes into the Death Realm after a border siege by three demonic factions. 225
• Gains extraordinary power by merging with the blood river, refusing to abandon the chance to stand beside Shen Bai. 270
• Forms a clone, returns to the outside world, and manages Moyun Capital for Shen Bai. 311 317
• Continues merging with the Life-Death Road's river, a process tied to the future connection of the Ten Great Forbidden Zones. 338 346

Notable Quotes

“I want to be a brother who walks alongside you, not one who watches you from afar behind you.” 270

“This is my brother.” 76

Trivia

• Zhou Qing initially hoped to join the Heavenly Oversight Bureau, but political interference cost him the opportunity in Ascending Cloud County. 41
• He chose the army because he believed he could better serve the dynasty and improve through steady effort. 89
• Shen Bai and Zhou Qing often share food and drinks when reunited, a habit dating back to their days in Ascending Cloud County. 79 89 194