Zhao Yijiu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhao Yijiu (赵一酒)
Alias(es)	Cold Wine; Ghost Wine
Species/Race	Human, fused with a fierce ghost consciousness
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Broken Mirror; Zhao family (collateral branch)
Occupation/Role	Deducer; assassin-oriented combatant
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
First deduction	687	Enters the Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory as his first deduction, carrying the dagger [Heartbreak] supplied by Zhao Mou.
Righteous Path line	214	Promotes within two months of entering the deduction game; his perception improves following the advancement.
Struggle Level	419	Despite entering an enhanced fierce ghost state, he remains a Struggle-level deducer and his body struggles to bear the resulting power.
Despair Level	665	Promotes to Despair level roughly two months before entering the City 51 deduction.
Ghost Wine controlled	1025	Gains control of his Ghost Wine state, allowing its power to be used without Zhao Mou having to continually manage the risk.

Background

When Zhao Yijiu was five or six, an elder uncle whose personality deviation had spiraled out of control broke into his home and killed his father. Zhao Yijiu and his brother Zhao Mou hid in a closet, but Zhao Yijiu ran out after witnessing the attack. The fierce ghost inhabiting the elder chose Zhao Yijiu as a new vessel, causing his eyes to turn dark red, his nails to sharpen, his emotions to fade, and his body to stop requiring normal food or sleep. A suppressive item was eventually delivered, preserving his human consciousness. 293

The Zhao family subsequently trained him alone in combat. His stable suppression prevented him from developing obvious special abilities for years, leading the family to gradually lose interest in him; younger relatives instead treated him as a “weirdo” and isolated him. Zhao Mou moved with him to Mijin City, where Zhao Yijiu spent much of his time reading and training. Concerned that deductions could awaken the fierce ghost, Zhao Mou delayed his entry into the system until Zhao Yijiu was twenty-five. 294

Zhao Yijiu's first deduction was at Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory. His lack of experience led to an injury, but he recognized the mistake as carelessness and resolved not to repeat it. During this period, he met Yu Xing and privately described him as strong, intelligent, unusually complicated, and possessing an “awful” personality. 17 687

Appearance

Zhao Yijiu is a stern, leanly muscular man with black hair and a naturally gloomy presence. His usual expression is cold and unreadable; his increasingly long bangs often obscure his eyes, intensifying the impression that he is a ghostly creature rather than a righteous-path deducer. 17 228 479

• Dark red eyes, which can brighten into a more dangerous blood-red when the fierce ghost's influence rises. 293 419
• A trained, streamlined physique built for speed, agility, and explosive attacks rather than bulk. 453 509
• Usually wears loose, practical clothing and a mask when concealing his identity. 17 687
• His home appearance is noticeably softer: loose shirt, myopia glasses, and a book in hand. 17
• In ghost-transformed states, his demeanor becomes more playful and predatory, while his eyes and aura become markedly more intimidating. 415 479

Personality

Zhao Yijiu is quiet, blunt, observant, and deeply uncomfortable with social performance. He dislikes flattery, indirect family politics, and role-playing deductions that force him to act according to emotions or motivations he does not share. Repetitive mechanical exercise, such as push-ups or knife drills, helps him relax. 214 221 927

His coldness does not make him indifferent to others' safety. He protects Yu Xing even when doing so exposes him to danger, supports Zhao Ruru after difficult deductions, and remains fiercely loyal to Zhao Mou despite their frequent bickering. 134 292 354

Although he speaks little, Zhao Yijiu is capable of sharp psychological insight. He accurately identifies Yu Xing's fear of disappointing others and recognizes that Yu Xing deliberately presents himself as uncaring to avoid being understood or relied upon. 130

Ghost Wine State

Under fierce ghost influence, Zhao Yijiu becomes more expressive, talkative, aggressive, and amused by danger. This state grants greater power but risks eroding his identity and increasing his personality deviation. 415 419

After prolonged struggle, he gains the ability to control and deliberately employ Ghost Wine rather than being helplessly overtaken by it. 466 1025

Abilities & Skills

Assassin Combat

Zhao Yijiu was trained by the Zhao family as a solo combatant rather than an intelligence specialist. He excels at sudden attacks, accuracy from awkward positions, stealth, and fast eliminations. 121 221 407

• Kills a White-shirt Ghost with a single, nearly unperceived strike. 121
• Secretly kills eleven ghosts while disguised as a Black Shadow. 125
• Uses distraction, isolation, and an opponent's arrogance to kill a hostile Black Shadow. 126
• Trains with knives, punching bags, and combat drills even outside deductions. 221 427
• His speed, mobility, and explosive force distinguish him from front-line fighters such as Qu Xuanqing. 407

Shadow Manipulation

Zhao Yijiu can merge with shadows and travel through darkness with exceptional mobility. Darkness is both tactically advantageous and psychologically comforting to him. 113 702

• Transforms into a shadow to infiltrate guarded areas without conventional movement routes. 702
• Creates a shadow double to mislead allies while he acts independently. 459
• Hides himself and Yu Xing inside his shadow aura during infiltration. 907
• Uses shadows to bind, monitor, and threaten opponents. 723 725
• Shadow travel can disorient unprepared passengers and is most effective in dark environments. 726

Fierce Ghost Power

The fierce ghost merged with Zhao Yijiu grants heightened ghost perception, mental interference, and abnormal control abilities. Its power is closely tied to his personality deviation and remains dangerous when overused. 377 415

• Detects ghostly presences and supernatural anomalies with increasing accuracy. 415 901
• Exerts mental influence, including compelling Zhao Mou to register him for a dangerous deduction. 354
• Uses blood-red eyes to forcefully invade another person's consciousness and relocate them through his power. 419
• Resists certain curses while in shadow form because he lacks a conventional physical body. 1037
• Risks loss of self, uncontrolled killing intent, and physical strain when the fierce ghost state dominates. 294 419

Temporal Perception

Zhao Yijiu possesses an eye phantom that can rewind his own time and can potentially rewind another person's time as well. 425

• Uses a time illusion to retrieve a file without injury. 407
• Has not fully tested the ability's cooperative applications. 425

Role-Playing Through Imitation

Zhao Yijiu is naturally poor at emotional performance, but he has learned to imitate observed expressions, speech patterns, and body language when a deduction requires it. 927 1042

• Can convincingly perform assigned social roles when necessary, such as Madam Xue's husband. 1042
• Relies on precise imitation rather than intuitive empathy. 1042
• Rigid character settings and prolonged surveillance can still cause him considerable stress. 927

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• [Stop Killing] — A top-grade weapon-type Sacrifice evolved from [Heartbreak] after Zhao Mou severed its connection to his own persona mask. It is a double-edged short sword with a rusted blade that reflects no light, making it ideal for assassination. 113 239
• Silence effect — After passing its beginner test, Stop Killing merges with Zhao Yijiu's persona mask and gains properties associated with “silence.” 393
• Yu Xing's brand — A mark placed on Zhao Yijiu that permits Yu Xing to locate or exert extreme control over him if necessary. Zhao Yijiu accepts it as an expression of trust; it later protects him from blood text. 702 979

Relationships

• Zhao Mou — Older brother and primary guardian. Zhao Mou delayed Zhao Yijiu's entry into deductions, acquired suppression resources for him, and remains intensely protective despite regularly teasing or scolding him. 294 293 354
• Yu Xing — Teammate and closest partner. Their relationship begins with suspicion and mutual irritation, develops through repeated cooperation, and leads Zhao Yijiu to agree to form a permanent team with him. 17 269
• Yi Qing — Yu Xing's contracted Sheqing Ghost, assigned to suppress Zhao Yijiu's inner fierce ghost. Zhao Yijiu initially fears Yi Qing's overwhelming strength but later cooperates with him as a future teammate. 377 389
• Zhao Ruru — Fellow Zhao-family deducer and frequent teammate. Zhao Yijiu protects her during deductions, while she provides rational guidance when his impatience or ghost influence threatens to derail him. 292 931
• Qu Xuanqing — Broken Mirror ally. Zhao Yijiu is initially wary of her reputation and the fierce ghost reacts with hostility toward her, but they later train and fight as teammates. 362 427
• Lingren — Antagonist who recognizes Zhao Yijiu's connection to Yu Xing and seeks to exploit his fierce ghost nature. Zhao Yijiu rejects Lingren's attempts to define his future or use him against Yu Xing. 294 665

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Deductions

Zhao Yijiu meets Yu Xing during the Qingyuan Pharmaceutical Factory deduction and initially considers him suspicious, manipulative, and difficult to assess. He nevertheless acknowledges Yu Xing's strength and accepts an alliance after Yu Xing offers Zhao Mou protection and guidance for him. 17 35

During the Haunted Bar deduction, he obtains [Stop Killing], proves his ability to kill ghostly creatures efficiently, and begins operating as Yu Xing's primary close-range combat support. 113 121

Death Parallel Line

Zhao Yijiu teams with Yu Xing and Zhao Ruru in the Death Parallel Line event. He supports the group's deductions, protects Yu Xing when needed, and ultimately agrees to form a permanent team with Yu Xing after the event. 229 269

The deduction also forces him to reveal the fierce ghost within him, his childhood trauma, and his fear that he may one day lose control. 289 293 294

Fear Hospital

Zhao Yijiu's fierce ghost becomes increasingly unstable after hostile interference targets his personality. He experiences episodes of altered behavior, receives prophetic impressions from the ghost, and considers sacrificing himself to prevent it from endangering Zhao Mou or Yu Xing. 376 377

Yu Xing summons Yi Qing to suppress the fierce ghost and gives Zhao Yijiu temporary custody of [Sheqing Dreamscape] so the Sheqing Ghost can remain nearby. 377

Broken Mirror and Ghost Wine

As a Broken Mirror member, Zhao Yijiu continues training while working to gain control over his ghost-transformed state. He eventually learns to switch between normal and ghost forms during deductions, though Yu Xing remains wary that the fierce ghost may gradually erode his identity. 466 479 480

He later reaches Despair level and becomes capable of acting independently in high-risk deductions, including resisting a vengeful-spirit-virus illusion and infiltrating Base 51 through shadows. 665 689 702

Control of the Fierce Ghost

Zhao Yijiu eventually gains sufficient control over Ghost Wine to treat it as a usable part of himself rather than an uncontrollable hostile consciousness. He takes responsibility for managing his own power, easing Zhao Mou's long-standing fear for him. 1025

Notable Quotes

“I don't kill people, but I can kill you.” 126

“Your unpredictable behavior, your air of being in control yet uncaring—do you think no one can see the reason? Coincidentally, I can.” 130

Trivia

• Zhao Yijiu finds darkness protective and significantly more comfortable than bright, crowded environments. 113
• He considers mechanical repetitive exercise relaxing. 221
• His family is famous for intelligence gathering and social maneuvering, but Zhao Yijiu navigates deductions primarily with combat ability and a blade. 214
• He has a reputation for looking more like a ghost than a righteous-path deducer. 228