Pang Qianlong

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Pang Qianlong (庞千龙)
Alias(es)	Eldest Young Master
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Cao Gang; later passages refer to it as the Canal Gang 111 166
Occupation/Role	Eldest son of Gang Leader Pang Baili; leader of a faction competing for influence within the gang 137 165
First Appearance	111

Background / History

Pang Qianlong is Pang Baili's eldest son and the better-regarded heir within the Cao Gang. His father entrusted him with an incomplete copy of the Thunder Prison Saber Scripture, which he studied for nearly three years with only limited initial progress. Pang Qianlong believes his father chose him because he possessed enough comprehension to potentially grasp part of the Divine Skill. 137

His relationship with his younger brother, Pang Qianhu, is defined by both succession rivalry and personal hatred. Pang Qianlong reveals that Pang Qianhu's mother murdered his own mother, and he openly regrets that Lu Yuan's assassination attempt did not kill Pang Qianhu. 136

Appearance

Pang Qianlong is described as a tall, slender man. 135

Personality

Pang Qianlong is composed, pragmatic, and politically perceptive. He recognizes Lu Yuan's value early, first attempting to recruit him after Fu Hao's death, then later choosing cooperation over coercion after witnessing Lu Yuan's martial and alchemical talent. He proposes a limited three-year partnership rather than demanding lifelong obedience, judging mutual benefit to be the more durable arrangement. 111 137 138

He is capable of patience and professional restraint. When commissioning the exceptionally difficult Earth Origin Pill, he accepts that failure is possible, guarantees Lu Yuan's payment regardless of the result, and refuses to pressure him with unreasonable demands. 125

Despite his usual control, Pang Qianlong is deeply affected by family matters. News of Pang Baili's disappearance leaves him visibly shaken and drives him to risk an elaborate impersonation scheme to preserve his faction's position. 164 165

Abilities & Skills

Archery

Pang Qianlong is an accomplished archer and serves as Lu Yuan's instructor during their voyage.

• Teaches proper posture, breathing, stability on uneven terrain, wind and humidity adjustments, target-path prediction, and blood-qi infusion into arrows. 149
• Uses a powerful black ironwood longbow to demonstrate long-range archery, killing a cloud eagle from several hundred meters away. 149
• Possesses and teaches the Four Symbols Arrow Art, including the Azure Dragon Arrow, White Tiger Arrow, Vermilion Bird Arrow, and Black Tortoise Arrow. 150
• Had cultivated the Four Symbols Arrow Art for years and was nearing the threshold of Perfection before Lu Yuan rapidly surpassed his own pace of progress. 150 155

Thunder Prison Saber Scripture

Pang Qianlong possesses an incomplete fragment of the Thunder Prison Saber Scripture, originally bestowed by Pang Baili.

• Studied the fragment for nearly three years and only barely entered its introductory stages. 123 137
• Understands the scripture's importance as a Divine Skill and continues searching for its missing portions. 138 147
• Recognizes that Lu Yuan's comprehension of the scripture vastly exceeds his own and recruits him as a partner partly for that reason. 137 166

Strategy, Intelligence, and Covert Operations

Pang Qianlong is resourceful in both political maneuvering and clandestine action.

• Tracks Lu Yuan by using a device hidden on the child Xiao Ming, allowing him to locate Lu Yuan after the battle with Youying. 135
• Knows Taikang City's hidden routes and leads Lu Yuan through secluded alleys to a concealed courtyard while helping him evade pursuit. 136
• Uses the Cao Gang's information network to search for rare resources such as Taisui Stones. 139
• Arranges Lu Yuan's false identity as Yuan Lu, presenting him as a guest elder and descendant of an old friend. 139
• Organizes a detailed impersonation plan for Pang Baili, compiling a record of his father's habits, speech, relationships, and mannerisms for Lu Yuan to study. 167

Equipment / Items

• Incomplete Thunder Prison Saber Scripture — a Divine Skill fragment given to him by Pang Baili; the reason for his expedition to locate its missing portion. 137 138
• Black ironwood longbow — made from hundred-year black ironwood and strung with the main tendon of a python nearing flood-dragon transformation. 149
• Thousand Illusions Face Skin — a top-grade facial disguise supplied to Lu Yuan for his identity as Yuan Lu. 139
• Earth Origin Pill — commissioned from Lu Yuan to overcome a critical cultivation bottleneck; Lu Yuan successfully presents him one finished pill. 125 146 147

Relationships

• Pang Baili — father and Cao Gang leader. Pang Qianlong received the incomplete Thunder Prison Saber Scripture from him; Pang Baili's later disappearance precipitates the gang's succession crisis. 137 165
• Pang Qianhu — younger brother, political rival, and personal enemy. Pang Qianlong hates him over the murder of his mother and opposes his attempt to seize control of the gang. 136 167 168
• Lu Yuan — initially a recruitment target, then a protected ally and partner. Pang Qianlong saves him from pursuit, provides him the Yuan Lu identity, commissions the Earth Origin Pill, teaches him archery, and later trusts him to impersonate Pang Baili. 111 136 139 149 166
• Chen Ke — Pang Baili's trusted confidant. Chen Ke informs Pang Qianlong of Pang Baili's disappearance and assists his faction during the ensuing crisis. 164 165 167
• Fu Hao — the late alchemist whose death creates an opening for Pang Qianlong to attempt recruiting Lu Yuan into his faction. 111

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment of Lu Yuan

Following Fu Hao's death, Pang Qianlong invites Lu Yuan to a private banquet and attempts to draw the gifted alchemist into his faction. Lu Yuan declines, citing Fu Hao's teachings and his wish to remain neutral. 111

Earth Origin Pill Commission

Pang Qianlong entrusts Lu Yuan with refining an Earth Origin Pill needed to break through a major cultivation bottleneck. He supplies rare ingredients, offers fifty thousand taels and a favor, and accepts the risk of failure. Lu Yuan's first attempt fails, but he later succeeds in a secret alchemy room and delivers Pang Qianlong a finished pill. 124 125 126 146 147

Alliance with Lu Yuan

After Lu Yuan severely injures Pang Qianhu and becomes a wanted man, Pang Qianlong secretly intervenes. He removes the Half-Demonic Creature pursuing Lu Yuan, guides him to safety, and reveals his hatred of Pang Qianhu. 135 136

Pang Qianlong then offers Lu Yuan an equal, three-year cooperation agreement: in exchange for assisting the search for the complete Thunder Prison Saber Scripture, Lu Yuan receives protection, resources, and access to the Cao Gang's network. 137 138

Search for the Complete Thunder Prison Saber Scripture

Pang Qianlong and Lu Yuan travel by ship to pursue clues connected to Sun-Moon Island and the Cheng Family. During the journey, Pang Qianlong teaches Lu Yuan archery and the Four Symbols Arrow Art. 147 149 150

The pair navigate Wang Long's trap on Sun-Moon Island, recover the remaining portion of the scripture, and return to Taikang City after Lu Yuan forces open Sun-Moon City's gates for their escape. 156 159 164

Pang Baili's Disappearance and the Succession Crisis

Upon returning to Taikang City, Pang Qianlong learns from Chen Ke that Pang Baili has disappeared. Fearing that Pang Qianhu will use the absence to seize control of the Cao Gang, Pang Qianlong asks Lu Yuan to impersonate his father using the latter's mastery of the Thunder Prison Saber Scripture's intent. 164 165 166

He supplies Lu Yuan with exhaustive records of Pang Baili's behavior and leads a smaller faction in blocking Pang Qianhu and his supporters from entering Pang Baili's secluded courtyard. 167 168