Zhao Mou

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao Mou (赵谋)
Alias(es)	Tian Ji; “Little Fox”; Physician Zhao; Madam Xue / Sister Xue (instance disguises) 450 898 959 1022
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Broken Mirror — vice-captain; formerly a member of a Zhao family collateral branch 121 425 933
Occupation/Role	Star deducer; strategist, intelligence gatherer, and support specialist 425 556
Status	Active 1083
First Appearance	Chapter 17: “A Personality So Vile”

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rare divination ability acquired	250	Obtained through a Sacrifice; its rarity enabled his rapid rise and forced the Zhao family’s main branch to acknowledge his faction.
Strengthened divination	898	Accurately located a special instance that could not be reached by system teleportation; he estimated that fewer than four other entities could identify it.

Background / History

Zhao Mou and Zhao Yijiu belonged to a collateral branch of the Zhao family. Because their branch was small, Zhao Mou had to manage family affairs, cultivate personnel, and survive increasingly difficult deductions to keep it competitive. He became Zhao Yijiu’s principal protector after the younger brother’s mistreatment and isolation by the family. 121 214 294

As a child, Zhao Mou monitored every decision concerning Zhao Yijiu and sought props to suppress the fierce ghost within him. He delayed Zhao Yijiu’s entry into deduction games for seven years out of concern that the ghost would react unpredictably. 294

During an earlier deduction, Zhao Mou injured his leg while protecting a younger member of the main family. The incident earned him greater authority, but also hardened the polished social façade he presented to others; his fox cane fused with his persona mask during this period. 686

He initially approached Yu Xing as a potentially valuable recruit, then agreed to monitor Lingren and Single Prism after Yu Xing offered protection to Zhao Yijiu. Their relationship developed from resource exchange into close strategic trust. 35 680

Zhao Mou eventually severed ties with the Zhao family after years of covert preparation. He had maintained a public image of loyalty while preparing evidence and public sentiment in advance, leaving the main family unable to effectively retaliate after his defection. 899 933

Appearance

Zhao Mou is a refined-looking man in his late twenties, usually dressed with the deliberate polish of an elite professional. His relaxed behavior often sharply contrasts with his meticulously maintained appearance. 17 467

• Black hair, typically combed back with care; when unstyled, his bangs fall over his forehead and make him appear noticeably younger. 17 506
• Silver-rimmed or thin-rimmed glasses, which he frequently adjusts while thinking or speaking. 17 215
• Often wears tailored shirts, pressed suit pants, and formal outerwear. 17
• Has facial features and expressions noticeably similar to Zhao Yijiu’s, though his demeanor is smoother and more restrained. 467 875
• Physically fit despite his support-oriented role; he notes that he exercises regularly. 425

Personality

Zhao Mou is outwardly polite, elegant, and easygoing, often using humor to diffuse tension or test another person’s reactions. Behind that manner is a highly calculating personality that evaluates people, risks, and alliances in terms of certainty and practical return. 17 130 215

He is observant enough to identify hidden motives, missing information, and inconsistencies that others overlook. Rather than forcing people into his plans recklessly, he prefers to establish boundaries, determine their attitudes, and leave himself room to adapt. 215 294 1005

Despite his pragmatism, Zhao Mou is deeply protective of Zhao Yijiu and increasingly devoted to Broken Mirror. He can become stern when the team acts recklessly, but his criticism is generally paired with concrete advice or a plan to keep them safe. 293 558 680

Abilities & Skills

Divination and Prophecy

Zhao Mou’s primary abilities are support-oriented divination and prophecy.

• His core Sacrifice, the Divination Altar, can assess the state of people, events, and objects. 425
• It can answer questions through spirit writing, though only Zhao Mou can interpret the responses. 425
• Divination cannot be used in combat and requires absolute safety and freedom from interference. 425
• He used divination and intelligence work to uncover Han Yan’s identity within the deduction system. 354
• His later divination was precise enough to locate a rare instance with minimal expected competition. 898

Information Gathering and Analysis

Zhao Mou maintains extensive intelligence channels and combines them with sharp deduction.

• He relies on handwritten notes when electronic devices may be insecure. 425
• His network and personal capabilities in gathering information are considered exceptional even within the Zhao family. 425
• He studies roles, behavioral patterns, and available information before attempting high-risk impersonations. 1023
• He can identify the mechanics behind deceptive techniques through observation and prior information rather than relying solely on divination. 1005

Psychological Tactics and Planning

Zhao Mou specializes in turning incomplete information and social pressure into controlled situations.

• He framed Han Yan by covertly planting a knife on him, directing Qu Xuanqing’s misunderstanding into a coordinated trap. 369
• He rapidly abandoned plans that no longer fit the situation and shifted to lower-cost alternatives. 382
• He helps assign roles, record teammates’ capabilities, and structure Broken Mirror’s operational plans. 425 426
• He can manipulate interpersonal tensions when necessary, including helping Luo Yan isolate an obstructive servant. 930

Mental Strength

Though not a frontline fighter, Zhao Mou possesses considerable mental resilience.

• He suppressed Zhao Yijiu’s inner fierce ghost long enough for Zhao Yijiu to regain control of his body. 376
• He resisted Spirit’s intimidation and refused to disclose Yi Qing’s whereabouts despite being pressured by a strange god. 1074 1077
• He maintained composure during encounters with illusions, polluted entities, and hostile supernatural forces. 1005 1068

Disguise and Infiltration

Zhao Mou is capable of convincingly assuming roles and exploiting others’ expectations.

• He infiltrated Master Feng’s birthday banquet while disguised as Xue Jiu, Sister Xue, and later Madam Xue. 1021 1022 1050
• He used methods for viewing memory fragments to study Sister Xue’s behavior and reproduce her personality convincingly. 1023
• He imitated the outward form of the Town Stone technique to reinforce his disguise, though the imitation caused physical strain and lacked the technique’s true mastery. 1022

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Divination Altar — Core Sacrifice used for divination through spirit writing; requires a safe, uninterrupted setting. 425
• Fox Cane — Contains half of a hungry ghost that can be released for attack or defense; the cane can also be used as a weapon. 425
• Heartbreak — Dagger owned by Zhao Mou and provided to Zhao Yijiu for protection before his first deduction. 17 687
• Bloodied Tang Knife — Weapon-type prop Zhao Mou acquired in exchange for Meng Po’s Soup and traded to Yu Xing. 294
• Copper coin bracelet — An accessory Zhao Mou handles while considering intelligence and deduction matters. 899

Relationships

• Zhao Yijiu — Younger brother. Zhao Mou has acted as his guardian, arranged suppression props for the fierce ghost within him, and delayed his entry into deduction games out of concern for his safety. 294 558
• Yu Xing — Initially a valuable prospective ally, later Zhao Mou’s captain and strategic confidant in Broken Mirror. Their trust is rooted in Zhao Yijiu and reinforced by their compatible methods of planning. 35 680 877
• Qu Xuanqing — Broken Mirror teammate. Zhao Mou recognizes her as an exceptionally powerful combatant and coordinates plans around her ghost state and recovery limitations. 382 425
• Zhao Ruru — A fellow Zhao family diviner whom Zhao Mou advises sternly but practically; he acknowledges her growth and reassesses Zhao Yijiu’s ability to protect others. 293
• Wen Qinghuai — Investigation partner during the school instance. The two cooperate effectively despite different deduction styles and backgrounds. 556
• Luo Yan — Temporary ally during the Longling instance. Zhao Mou treated Luo Yan’s servant, later coordinated with Luo Yan to navigate the instance and reach Yeshui Yizhuang. 920 930
• Zhao family main branch — Former family faction and current adversary. Zhao Mou’s conflict with them centers on their treatment of Zhao Yijiu and their attempts to control his collateral branch. 899 933

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment of Yu Xing

After Zhao Yijiu described Yu Xing as powerful and unusual, Zhao Mou took an immediate interest in recruiting him. He remained cautious when Yu Xing appeared at Zhao Yijiu’s home, then agreed to cooperate after verifying Yu Xing’s connection to Qu Xuanqing. 17 35

Single Prism Investigation

Zhao Mou assisted Yu Xing’s investigation into Lingren and Single Prism, leveraging his divination and intelligence network. His research later exposed Han Yan’s hidden identity as the seemingly righteous star deducer Han Zichuan. 35 354

Fear Hospital

Zhao Mou entered the Fear Hospital live broadcast to protect Zhao Yijiu and confront Single Prism. He coordinated with Yu Xing and Qu Xuanqing, framed Han Yan, and demonstrated his ability to remain calm while adapting to shifting plans. 354 369 382

Broken Mirror

As Broken Mirror’s vice-captain, Zhao Mou serves as the team’s planner, information manager, and support specialist. He records teammates’ abilities, assesses operational limits, and is entrusted with leading deduction and intelligence work when conditions allow. 425 426

Longling and Fengtou Town

Zhao Mou located the Longling instance, led Broken Mirror’s preparations, and entered Fengtou Town as Physician Zhao. He used the medical hall as an intelligence-gathering base, infiltrated the birthday banquet through layered disguises, and ultimately removed the River Haunt from the Ye River. 898 959 1021 1082

Break with the Zhao Family

Zhao Mou’s departure from the Zhao family became widely known among deducers. His long-term planning ensured that the main branch could neither control him nor easily reverse public opinion surrounding his defection. 933

Notable Quotes

“After all, I am his only real relative.” 294

“Don't even think about it. I can allow you to be a hands-off manager at most, but you can't flip the counter over.” 959