Shan Xu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Shan Xu (山圩)
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Jianghu swordsman; later a father and sword instructor
Status	Deceased 347
First Appearance	Chapter 26

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Sea	26	Ye Qiandeng identifies both himself and Shan Xu as Qi Sea cultivators; despite being poisoned, Shan Xu performs the Five Stories of the Twelve-Story Tower sword strike. 26
Circulatory Heaven	329	Lives as a Circulatory Heaven Warrior outside River City in Yong Province. 329

History

The *Twelve Story Building*

Shan Xu acquired the Twelve Story Building after saving someone who taught him the sword art in return. Thereafter, a recurring pattern defined his Jianghu life: he would teach the technique to a friend, be betrayed by that friend, and then be saved by another. Shi Feizhe was the sixth person to save him. 27

He attributed these betrayals to the sword technique rather than his own judgment, while still insisting that friendship was indispensable in the lonely Jianghu. 27

Ye Qiandeng's Betrayal

Shan Xu reunited with his old friend Ye Qiandeng, who demanded the Twelve Story Building after secretly poisoning him with Bone-Corroding Gut-Severing Powder. Shan Xu had already taught Ye the technique, but Ye believed Shan Xu had withheld its true secrets after his own test subjects failed to master it. 26

Too weakened to prevail alone, Shan Xu used Five Stories of the Twelve-Story Tower to block Ye's Night Blade. Shi Feizhe then ambushed and wounded Ye with the True Origin Sword Finger Technique, allowing Shan Xu to kill him. 26

Still badly poisoned and without an antidote, Shan Xu gave Shi the Twelve Story Building manual as repayment and spent the night patiently explaining its principles and sword forms. 27 The two later buried Ye before parting: Shan Xu returned toward Yan Province, while Shi continued to Qiu Yang City. 28

Later Jianghu Travels

Years later, Shan Xu reunited with Shi while fleeing Xiao Tingkong, another Qi Sea swordsman pursuing the Twelve Story Building. He had again been poisoned, but carried antidotes after years of surviving repeated attacks and betrayals. 87 89

Shi killed Xiao Tingkong, whom Shan Xu mourned as a friend and a swordsman with his own insights into the Way of the Sword. 88 Shan Xu and Shi subsequently fought together against the Heavenly Maiden Sect, with Shan Xu breaking a group formation and cutting apart their Heavenly Maiden Ribbons to cover their escape. 91

Zhang Yi later poisoned Shan Xu to coerce Shi into revealing the True Origin Sword Finger Technique. Shan Xu survived long enough to use his ultimate move, Dagger Hidden in a Map, severely injuring Zhang Yi and enabling their escape. 93 94

Family Life in the New Jianghu

Shan Xu eventually married the sisters Qi Chun and Qi Jing after a turbulent relationship marked by romance, violence, reconciliation, and Qi Chun's pregnancy. Rather than abandon his wife and child to continue wandering, he remained with the Qi family and became a husband and father. 330 333

By the thirteenth year of Jianghu, he lived in a small manor outside River City with Qi Chun, Qi Jing, and his daughters Shan Huanhuan and Shan Juanjuan. Though still a Circulatory Heaven Warrior, he had grown sedentary, stopped seriously training, and left most household work to his wives. 329 330

Shi Feizhe found him again after many years through an upgraded household-registration system. Their reunion restored their old habit of sarcasm and arguments, while prompting Shan Xu to reflect on the loss of the old Jianghu and his own changed life. 332 333 334

Heaven's Path and Final Years

After learning of the anti-court organization Heaven's Path, Shan Xu decided to investigate it himself. He rescued a young member and falsely claimed to have a friend within the organization to gain the man's trust. 336

In the thirtieth year of Xia, Shan Xu attempted to evade a Si Kou traffic checkpoint while riding an unlicensed motorcycle to attend Shan Juanjuan's competition. Officer Xu Jian used a True Qi Suppressing Handgun to stop him, resulting in Shan Xu's arrest, a fine, detention, and confiscation of the motorcycle. 341 342

Shi Feizhe later attended Shan Xu's burial and remembered him as one of the few genuinely good people he had met in the old Jianghu. 347

Appearance

Shan Xu was initially a refined, elegant swordsman with a sculpted face and a melancholy air that drew immediate attention from others. 90 In later life, he became noticeably heavier and habitually unkempt, often with a scruffy beard and disordered hair. 332 333

• Carries a long sword; during his reunion with Shi, he wielded an Eight-Sided Han Sword. 87
• His sword light is described as bright, ethereal, and otherworldly. 26 91
• When groomed by Qi Chun and Qi Jing, he retains a handsome, melancholic appearance despite his weight gain. 332

Personality

Shan Xu is sincere, sentimental, and unusually open with his friends. Even after being betrayed repeatedly, he continues to value companionship and mourns those who turn against him. 27 28 88

He is also talkative and theatrically melancholic, frequently framing his misfortunes as the inevitable consequence of the Twelve Story Building. Shi Feizhe repeatedly argues that Shan Xu's poor judgment of character—not the sword art—is the real problem. 27 89

In combat, Shan Xu is loyal and decisive. He refuses to accept preferential treatment when Shi is excluded, fights alongside him when surrounded, and is willing to cover his friend's retreat. 90 91

Later in life, he becomes apathetic and avoids responsibility through fishing, drinking, and idleness. His daughters remain affectionate toward him, while Qi Chun and Qi Jing resent his lack of contribution to the household. 329 331

Abilities & Skills

Twelve Story Building

An advanced sword technique requiring exceptional comprehension and talent; Ye Qiandeng's attempts to have others practice it all failed. 26

• Produces sword light described as peerless, ethereal, and beyond the mortal realm. 26
• Its Five Stories of the Twelve-Story Tower strike allowed Shan Xu to block Ye Qiandeng's Night Blade while severely weakened by poison. 26
• Shan Xu personally taught the full technique to Shi Feizhe. 27
• He later used its principles to instruct Shan Juanjuan and compare the technique to Green Mountain Swordplay. 330

Dagger Hidden in a Map

Shan Xu's ultimate martial art. While poisoned by Zhang Yi, he used it to severely injure his opponent and create an opportunity for escape. 94

• Powerful enough to turn a poisoned and disadvantaged fight in Shan Xu's favor. 94
• Leaves severe aftereffects, including dizziness and exhaustion. 94

Poison Resistance and Recovery

Years of being poisoned, attacked, and forced to recover made Shan Xu unusually resilient. 89

• Endured Bone-Corroding Gut-Severing Powder long enough to fight Ye Qiandeng. 26
• Could force out poison through breathing regulation, though full recovery without an antidote would take months. 27
• Carries antidotes during his later travels. 89

Swordsmanship Instruction

Shan Xu is an experienced teacher despite his lack of interest in formal academic learning.

• Explained swordsmanship principles and demonstrated the Twelve Story Building for Shi throughout an entire night. 27
• Taught Shan Juanjuan through sparring, basic sword forms, and his own understanding of Green Mountain Swordplay. 330

Equipment / Items

• Eight-Sided Han Sword — His sword during Xiao Tingkong's pursuit. 87
• Antidotes — Carried due to his repeated experiences with Jianghu poisonings. 89
• Limited-edition motorcycle — A matte-black, electric-blue-lined vehicle capable of running on fuel or True Qi; later confiscated by the Si Kou. 341 342
• Fishing rod — His preferred means of escaping household worries in later life. 331

Relationships

• Shi Feizhe — Rescued Shan Xu from Ye Qiandeng; Shan Xu repaid him by teaching the Twelve Story Building. Their relationship develops into a long friendship defined by mutual aid, swordsmanship, and relentless sarcasm. 26 27 91 332 333
• Ye Qiandeng — Former friend who poisoned Shan Xu to steal the Twelve Story Building. Shan Xu killed him after Shi intervened, but still helped bury him. 26 28
• Xiao Tingkong — A friend and fellow swordsman who pursued Shan Xu for the Twelve Story Building before Shi killed him. Shan Xu genuinely mourned his death. 87 88
• Zhang Yi — Initially rescued Shan Xu and Shi from the Heavenly Maiden Sect, then poisoned Shan Xu to blackmail Shi for martial arts secrets. 91 93 94
• Qi Chun — One of Shan Xu's wives and the mother of Shan Juanjuan. Their marriage survived betrayal, violence, and reconciliation, but later suffers from his idleness. 329 333
• Qi Jing — Qi Chun's younger sister and Shan Xu's other wife; mother of Shan Huanhuan. She shares Qi Chun's frustration with Shan Xu's lack of household contribution. 329
• Shan Juanjuan — His elder daughter, an enthusiastic sword student who often defends him and later bails him out after his arrest. 329 330 342
• Shan Huanhuan — His younger daughter, who regards him as a supportive father despite his inability to help with her schoolwork. 329

Notable Quotes

“In a lifetime, how lonely am I, Xu!” 27

“I only practice the sword my whole life! I don't need a brain!” 106

Trivia

• Shan Xu could not solve Shan Huanhuan's elementary-school boat-speed math problem. 329
• He never obtained a driver's license because the written test was too difficult for him. 341
• Shi Feizhe considers Shan Xu one of the rare good people of the old Jianghu. 347