Old Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Old Yan (老阎)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Heavenly Prison; formerly the Divine Weapon Hall; Fang Mo's faction
Occupation/Role	Jailer, Fang Mo's assistant and adviser; later Head of the Punishment Hall
Status	Active
First Appearance	91

Background / History

Old Yan initially presents himself as a frail, ordinary old jailer tending flowers at the Seventh Squad's quarters. Fang Mo's inspection finds depleted blood qi and stagnant meridians, but also a concealed skill allowing Old Yan to use his pipe as a projectile weapon. 91

When Fang Mo threatens him with the Prison-Suppressing Divine Weapon Blood Soul, Old Yan reveals that he once served under the mysterious Soldier Lord in the Divine Weapon Hall. He explains the Heavenly Prison's original ten-block system, the divine weapons forged for its Prison Overseers, and the bloodline and recognition required to awaken such a weapon. 92

Old Yan survived the Divine Weapon Hall's dissolution eighteen years earlier, after the Soldier Lord disappeared amid the Divine Capital riot. Neither he nor Iron Bull knew their commander's real identity, as the Soldier Lord always appeared behind a green-faced, fanged Raksha mask. 92

He subsequently becomes one of Fang Mo's closest subordinates: assisting with prison administration, providing intelligence on the prison hierarchy, driving the group through the Western Desert, and defending the Heavenly Prison during its conflicts with the imperial forces. 191 205 231 271

After Fang Mo reorganizes the Heavenly Prison into four functional halls, Old Yan is appointed to lead the Punishment Hall. 276

Appearance

Old Yan is an elderly, hunched man whose outward frailty conceals a dangerous combatant's alertness and killing intent. 91 121

• Cloudy eyes that sharpen noticeably in dangerous situations. 121
• A weathered, wrinkled face, frequently described as withered or bark-like. 92 107
• Habitually stooped posture; he can straighten fully when preparing for battle. 92 121
• Keeps a tobacco pipe at his waist and often smokes while observing events. 181 205
• Carries a broad-backed boning knife, often concealed behind his sleeve or at his waist. 115 121 278
• Has a leg he normally presents as lame; after the battle with Kongji, it is severely broken. 181 187

Personality

Old Yan affects a fawning, harmless demeanor, but is observant, calculating, and accustomed to the brutality of prison life. He can assess the implications of a killing from small details, such as Fang Mo returning without blood on his hands. 107

He is deeply knowledgeable about the Heavenly Prison's traditions, hierarchy, and hidden political dangers. His advice to Fang Mo consistently favors practical survival: establish authority openly, understand an enemy's strength before acting, and use the prison's advantages rather than conventional official rules. 200 205 237

Despite his age and fear of the escalating conflict around Fang Mo, Old Yan remains loyal. He states that having followed Fang Mo this far, he will not retreat even if his legs fail him. 273

Abilities & Skills

Stealth Assassination

Old Yan kills through concealment, using darkness, shadows, and terrain rather than direct confrontation.

• During the Imperial Guard battle, he remains unseen while eliminating enemies with insidious efficiency. 144
• He conceals his boning knife in his sleeve and prepares to strike from the shadows when the White Tiger Hall is threatened. 121
• He severs Qingyunzi's arm with a single precise strike during the confrontation at Guixu Inn. 153

Boning-Knife Combat

Old Yan maintains and uses a broad-backed boning knife as his primary visible weapon.

• He is shown sharpening the blade beside the Seventh Squad's well after dealing with pursuers. 115
• He keeps the knife hidden behind his waist while coordinating the defense against the Heaven Devouring Hou. 278
• His knife work emphasizes speed and precision rather than brute force. 153

Prison Knowledge and Intelligence

Old Yan possesses extensive firsthand knowledge of the Heavenly Prison and its former institutions.

• He explains the ten prison layers, their Prison Overseers, and the original role of the Soldier Lord. 92
• He identifies Blood Soul as Block C's Prison-Suppressing Divine Weapon and recounts its appearance thirty years earlier. 92
• He outlines the prison hierarchy and the minimum cultivation expected of wardens, deputy chief wardens, and the chief prison warden. 205
• He warns Fang Mo about political traps, including the Dao Sect's suspicious gift. 231

Pipe Technique

Though he usually treats it as a smoking pipe, Old Yan has a technique that allows him to fire it as a projectile weapon. 91

Equipment / Items

• Broad-backed boning knife — sharpened regularly and used for concealed, precise killings. 115 121
• Tobacco pipe — his habitual smoking implement and a potential projectile weapon. 91 205
• Lantern — carried while patrolling or receiving Fang Mo at the Seventh Squad quarters. 107

Relationships

• Fang Mo — Master and commander. Old Yan serves as an assistant, adviser, driver, and later the leader of Fang Mo's Punishment Hall. 191 206 237 276
• Iron Bull — Fellow survivor of the Divine Weapon Hall. Their exchanged looks reveal shared history, and they frequently coordinate in battle and prison defense. 92 153 278
• The Soldier Lord — Old Yan formerly served under this masked commander in the Divine Weapon Hall; he remains unable to identify the Soldier Lord's real name or face. 92
• Qian Dagui — Fellow subordinate of Fang Mo. Old Yan often counters Qian Dagui's caution with harsher strategic advice. 200 272
• Monk Jie Se — Ally in Fang Mo's group. They fight alongside each other against Imperial Guard death warriors and travel together through the Western Desert. 144 180

Story Role / Major Arcs

Divine Weapon Hall Revelation

Old Yan reveals the lost history of the Heavenly Prison's divine weapons and confirms that Fang Mo's Blood Soul is Block C's Prison-Suppressing Divine Weapon. This establishes his past as a Divine Weapon Hall survivor and links Fang Mo to the vanished Soldier Lord. 92

Seventh Squad Enforcer

While operating with the Seventh Squad, Old Yan monitors Fang Mo's increasingly controlled violence, maintains weapons, and carries out Fang Mo's covert orders. 107 115

Western Desert Campaign

Old Yan travels with Fang Mo's group as their driver and veteran guide. He is wounded during the conflict with Kongji, suffering severe injuries to his leg and lungs before Fang Mo treats him. 180 187 188 190

Return to the Heavenly Prison

After Fang Mo's demotion to Block C, Room Shen, Old Yan treats the change as an opportunity rather than a defeat. He provides intelligence on Li Yan and retrieves prison rosters when Fang Mo begins opening his meridians. 201 205 206

Heavenly Prison Power Struggle

Old Yan helps Fang Mo seize control of the prison's internal structure, advises him regarding the remaining blocks, and guards the prison while Fang Mo confronts outside threats. 237 271 274

Head of the Punishment Hall

Fang Mo appoints Old Yan to lead the newly established Punishment Hall, assigning it responsibility for intelligence gathering and interrogations as part of the reorganized Heavenly Prison. 276