Gu Gan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gu Gan (顾乾)
Alias(es)	Brother Gu
Gender	Male
Affiliation	School of Names; Legalism School; Nangong King's Mansion; Black Fortress
Occupation/Role	Dual cultivator of Name and Law; School of Names Saint; true master of the Black Fortress
First Appearance	4

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Fourth Realm Five Elements Light Core	11	His Five Elements Light Core had reached the Fourth Realm; he was defeated by Seventh Realm Sheng Fei in a martial-arts-only exchange. 11
Eighth Realm technician	26	Identified as an eighth-realm dual cultivator of Name and Law while challenging for Grade A status; he had cleared the first two stages of the challenge. 26
Continuous Heavenly Official state	384	Evolved his Divine Mechanism technique from a single activation into a sustained state that continually erased Nine Schools Techniques. 384
School of Names Saint	458	Referred to as a Saint of the School of Names while pursuing Yu Sui through the underground snow realm. 458

Background / History

Gu Gan entered the Nangong King's Mansion as an adopted son and was treated with exceptional indulgence by Nangong Ming, despite the resentment this caused among the Nangong sons. Unafraid of Nangong Ming or punishment, he was known for his stubborn refusal to yield. His intelligence quickly made him notorious at the Imperial Academy, where he publicly out-argued teachers who attempted to suppress him. 4

Nangong Ming and Lady Su personally oversaw parts of his upbringing and cultivation. Lady Su taught him Agricultural School knowledge, including medicinal and poisonous herbs and the language of animals; under her guidance, he developed immunity to ordinary toxins. 30 66

His parentage remained obscure until Xuehe identified him as the son of Gu Xiao, the School of Names' Poison God, and He Xingwen of the He Clan. Gu Gan witnessed Gu Xiao's death at the hands of the Three Kingdoms' Imperial Orchid Division and retained his father's belief that Lan Poison could be mastered rather than merely endured. 445

Xuehe later recognized Gu Gan as the rightful heir to Gu Xiao's legacy and proclaimed him the true master of the Black Fortress and its Snow Plains territory. Gu Gan chose to retain control of the underground stronghold and its Huichong project, while seeking accountability for the crimes committed there against Xun Zhiya. 446 453

Appearance

Gu Gan is a handsome, fair-skinned young man with black hair and dark eyes. He is frequently seen in black clothing; during combat, he wears black boxing gloves with faint cloud-patterned leather. 13 252

• Black robes and an outwardly relaxed, aloof bearing. 13
• Dark eyes described as lazy when at rest. 13
• Uses high-grade black boxing gloves in battle. 252
• His Heavenly Official state can turn his eyes pitch-black and gold, accompanied by a golden Yang Fish manifestation. 382

Personality

Gu Gan is proud, defiant, and difficult to intimidate. He refuses to submit even when punished or injured, and his sharp tongue helped establish his reputation at the Imperial Academy. He is also highly driven, cultivating relentlessly and pursuing power, information, and rare treasures with single-minded focus. 4 6 197

He can be attentive and protective toward people he accepts, particularly Yu Sui and Xun Zhiya. However, this protectiveness often becomes possessive: he reacts strongly to Mei Liangyu's closeness with Yu Sui and insists that he alone understands what is best for her. 78 117 281

Gu Gan is also calculating and vindictive. He planned to exploit Yu Sui's connection with Mei Liangyu, erased Mei Liangyu's techniques in secret, and responded to Ji Meng's perceived betrayal with cold violence rather than trust or reconciliation. 43 56 442

Abilities & Skills

Divine Mechanism: Heavenly Official

Gu Gan possesses the innate Divine Mechanism technique Heavenly Official, which can dissolve materialized Five Elements Qi and Nine Schools Techniques. Its existence became public after Mei Liangyu exposed it. 48 56

• Can instantly erase active Nine Schools Techniques, including Sheng Zui's black-and-white chess pieces. 106
• Can dismantle large-scale techniques and formations, including the techniques embedded in the Cloud Car Flying Dragon. 382 384
• Can be maintained continuously after its evolution, rather than requiring a single activation. 384
• Failed to dispel Wan Qi's Body Protection Qi. 331
• Cannot erase physical hazards or attacks already released independently of active Qi techniques, such as poisonous fire and a sword strike. 337
• Was countered by Yu Sui's Divine Mechanism: Heavenly Eye, which caused his Heavenly Official domain to fail. 384
• Heavy use can overburden his Five Elements Light Core and leave him unable to fight effectively. 458

Yin-Yang Yang Fish

The Yang Fish of the Yin-Yang Double Fish was sealed within Gu Gan by Taiyi's Saints. It later awakened amid his rage and fused Extreme Yang Qi into his protective aura. 380 384

• Enhances Heavenly Official with golden Yang Qi and a golden fish manifestation. 382
• Enables him to erase techniques across an entire Cloud Car Flying Dragon. 382
• Its awakening creates a mutual killing impulse with Yu Sui's Yin Fish. 384
• Its power is unstable; when Gu Gan reached his limit, the Yang Fish broke free of his control and attacked Yu Sui as well. 384 385

Name and Law Dual Cultivation

Gu Gan cultivates both the School of Names and Legalism, an approach that requires greater effort than a single-school path. He is an eighth-realm technician and studies both schools' assessments and trials. 26 197

• Uses School of Names Character Spirits and Zi Yan techniques, including Follow the Tiger and Tiger Possession. 26 337
• Can manipulate and decipher Character Spirit Marks by dismantling and rearranging their component lines. 322
• Uses Legalism Judgment Techniques including Lingchi, Judgment Cut, Thunder Punishment, and Eight Extremes Thunder Seal. 45 26 454 337
• His Judgment Cut can overturn weapons controlled by an enemy's military formation. 26

Martial Arts and Five Elements Qi

Gu Gan is a capable close-quarters fighter who combines body techniques with Five Elements Qi and School of Names enhancements. He deliberately tested his strength against Kong Yiyi rather than relying solely on his stronger techniques. 26 281

• Uses Instant Shadow and Wind Riding Technique for rapid movement and pursuit. 45 78
• Can fight with body techniques enhanced by Character Spirit power, including the force of the Ox Tiger and Flying Eagle. 281
• Defeated or pressured opponents through close combat even when his Heavenly Official was unavailable or unsuitable. 337

Poison and Gu Immunity

Lady Su's instruction in Agricultural School herbs and poisons made Gu Gan resistant to ordinary toxins. His immunity later proved strong enough that even Gu worms and poisonous fire techniques could not easily penetrate him. 30 337

• Ordinary poisons have little effect on him. 30
• The Golden Cicada Gu and other Gu worms failed to enter his body-protecting Qi. 337
• This resistance does not make him immune to every physical attack or weapon. 337

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Listening Wind Ruler — Used for long-distance communication and secret-text exchanges. 47 108
• Zhen Fenglei — High-grade rare-treasure boxing gloves obtained during his first Hundred Schools Night Walk; can summon heavenly lightning and amplify lightning-based Character Spirits. 252
• Five Elements Light Core — The core of his Five Elements cultivation and the basis for sustaining his techniques. 11 338

Relationships

• Nangong Ming — Patron and adoptive father figure who gave Gu Gan resources, protection, and unusual favor; their connection is tied to Nangong Ming's debt to Gu Gan's family. 4 30 384
• Lady Su — Maternal caretaker who treated his injuries, taught him Agricultural School knowledge, and helped make him resistant to poison. 30 66
• Yu Sui / Nangong Sui — Childhood companion whom Gu Gan considers irreplaceable and vows to protect; their bond deteriorates after her betrayal and attempt on his life. 36 117 384 442
• Xun Zhiya — Close companion and mutual love interest. Gu Gan repeatedly protects her, and she accepts him despite learning his family background. 26 78 445
• Mei Liangyu — Principal rival and sworn enemy. Their conflict centers on Yu Sui, Heavenly Official, the Futuo Tower Fragments, and competing plans within Taiyi. 56 73 281 384
• Ji Meng — Gu Gan's first friend outside the Nangong siblings; Gu Gan once saved him from bullying, but their friendship collapsed under suspicion, betrayal, and resentment. 11 328 442
• Wen Yanghui — Gu Gan's first friend after arriving at Taiyi; they became friends only after initially being enemies. Wen Yanghui's death deeply affected Gu Gan. 69 104
• Sheng Zui — Longstanding rival from the Nangong family whose frequent clashes with Gu Gan often overshadowed both of their original goals. 72 106 367
• Xuehe — School of Names Saint, Gu Xiao's life-and-death friend, and Gu Gan's childhood caretaker; he recognizes Gu Gan as Gu Xiao's heir and pledges to protect Heavenly Official. 445 446

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Milky Way Water judgment — Gu Gan was accused of stealing the Milky Way Water. The Legalism School's Di Su Tiancheng found him not guilty, though Mei Liangyu's vote kept him under observation. 14
• Grade A Martial Dao challenge — As a School of Names challenger, he fought Military School defender Kong Yiyi, demonstrating his body techniques, Five Elements Qi control, and Judgment Cut. 26
• Conflict with Mei Liangyu — Gu Gan covertly erased Mei Liangyu's Nine Schools Techniques, then escalated the feud through repeated clashes over Yu Sui, Xiang Feifei, and academy schemes. 45 56 73
• Zhanlong Cave — He used Heavenly Official against Mei Liangyu's seal, retreated after the battle turned against his group, and was later eliminated from the trial. 73 92
• Futuo Tower Fragment pursuit — Gu Gan led efforts to identify Wei Ren as the thief of the fragments, but the search intensified distrust among his allies. 203 205 216
• True Spirit Chain incident — Xia Feichen's arrow bound Gu Gan and Mei Liangyu with the True Spirit Chain, sealing their Five Elements Qi and preventing them from moving far apart. 311
• Yang Fish awakening — The seal on the Yang Fish broke during the Cloud Carriage conflict, amplifying Heavenly Official but exposing Gu Gan to the uncontrollable hostility between the Yin-Yang Double Fish. 380 382 384
• Black Fortress succession — After killing Ji Meng and taking Ji Hongxing hostage, Gu Gan entered the Black Fortress, learned his parents' identity from Xuehe, and was proclaimed its true master. 442 445 446
• Confrontation with Yu Sui — Gu Gan learned that Yu Sui had killed his mother for the Primordial Soil and had tried to kill him for the Yin-Yang Double Fish; despite this, he proposed that she return to his side. 458

Trivia

• Gu Gan can cook for himself. 6
• Princess Shangyang became interested in him after he humiliated Imperial Academy teachers in a verbal dispute. 4
• He did not have to attend the Imperial Academy daily and could leave the Imperial Capital with Nangong Ming. 8