Du'e

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Du'e (杜娥)
Species/Race	Human; Favored One
Gender	Female
Affiliation	City God's Department scavenging team; frequent associate of Wu Xian and Shi Ji 272 479
Occupation/Role	Favored One; Gu user and curse specialist
Status	Active 484
First Appearance	Chapter 102

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Curse and control toolkit	117	Uses a Same Body Strawman to bind the Black-Dress Wraith when its movements match the straw figure's pose; also possesses an animated soft whip. 117 120
Parasitic Gu worm	123	Reveals a Gu worm as a contingency measure; it kills Lao Zhao. Guan Daorong realizes Du'e used him as its breeding ground. 123
Bad Luck Broom	143	Acquires a sinister broom through god worship. Its swept area inflicts bad luck, causing retreating allies' attacks to miss vital points until Du'e dispels the effect. 143 164
Heavenly Demon Egg	171	Hatches a Little Heavenly Demon to fight Liu Manor servants; the creature can remain for an entire Blessed Land if it survives. 171
Wugu Blowgun	327	Receives a Miao-region blowgun that fires poisonous Gu needles; only Du'e can fully use its effects. 327 328
Underworld Judge's Pen	335	Uses the god-worshiping brush with Du Rushi's calligraphy to write 拶 (Zǎn) on the Porcelain Immortal, torturing him and forcing him to drop Wu Xian's bottle. 335
Playing God Technique	350	Impersonates the City God to deceive the Three Immortals and make them waste power on futile defenses. 350
Li Dai Tao Jiang Technique revealed	359	Reveals that she created a Pale Ghost Shadow substitute to die in her place; her hidden true body gradually shrank because of the coffin's mechanisms. 359
Expanded occult training	484	Learns straw-figure weaving, human anatomy, and local metaphysical knowledge while in Jile City. 484

Background

Du'e initially follows Wu Xian because of his high Yin Virtue. She claims that a minor ghost in her ghost-raising jar is more comfortable near people with greater Yin Virtue, making Wu Xian the most useful person for her to stay beside. 102

Her real method of assessing Yin Virtue is tied to her blessing, Yansheng Holy Body. The blessing makes her more likely to receive curses, misfortune-related items, and similar abilities. When she considers using malicious Yansheng methods on someone, the potential backlash against her Yin Virtue indicates the target's virtue: stronger backlash means higher Yin Virtue. This assessment requires time spent around the target and cannot normally be performed at a glance. 301

During the Liu Manor Blessed Land, Du'e keeps much of her power concealed. Her use of a parasitic Gu worm against Lao Zhao exposes her willingness to turn allies into resources, especially after Guan Daorong discovers that he was used as the worm's breeding ground. 123

In Unburied Village, Du'e encounters the Pale Ghost Shadow inside a coffin and begins shrinking. Her Li Dai Tao Jiang Technique turns the ghost shadow into a substitute that can die in her place, but the resemblance between them makes the effect unusually complete and long-lasting. Du'e hides within the substitute to control it while her true body continues shrinking, eventually reaching roughly twenty centimeters in height. 287 359

Appearance

Du'e ordinarily presents herself as a beautiful but gloomy, delicate-looking young woman with an outwardly harmless demeanor. Her appearance can be misleading: she often appears timid or weak while concealing dangerous curse-based methods. 275 282

• After god worship in Undying City, her blackened lips give her formerly pure appearance a noticeably sinister aura. 337
• Her true body becomes approximately twenty centimeters tall after prolonged concealment within her Pale Ghost Shadow substitute. 359
• In Jile City, she improves her styling and makeup with Jian Lingyu's help, becoming striking enough for Wu Xian to notice the change. 484
• She later carries bottles, jars, straw, and other curse-making materials, prompting Wu Xian to compare her appearance to an old witch from the mountains. 348

Personality

Du'e is cautious, calculating, and highly opportunistic. Her preferred methods involve curses, ambushes, substitutes, and indirect control rather than direct confrontation. When forced into open combat against Liu Manor servants, she is disadvantaged because her voodoo doll curses require a clear target location and image. 171

Despite her suspicious habits, she is an effective partner under pressure. She cooperates with Wu Xian in the deadly drawing game, adjusts plans when conditions change, and repeatedly helps him escape or survive. 151 327 328

She also has a practical, socially adaptable side. Du'e intervenes diplomatically when Wu Xian intimidates Old Tang, bargains aggressively when buying Wu Xian's stolen goods, and develops specialized knowledge to improve her curse craft. 182 290 484

Abilities & Skills

Yansheng Holy Body

Du'e's blessing favors the acquisition and use of curses, misfortune, and related tools.

• Enables her to judge another person's Yin Virtue indirectly through the backlash she would suffer from targeting them with malicious Yansheng methods. 301
• High-Yin-Virtue targets can damage Du'e's own Yin Virtue if she uses such methods on them. 301
• Her Heavenly Demon Egg once allowed more direct observation of Yin Virtue, but this cannot be used freely after the egg's deployment. 301

Gu and Curse Craft

Du'e specializes in indirect attacks, bindings, and curse-based control.

• Parasitic Gu worm — kills Lao Zhao after being planted through Guan Daorong. 123
• Voodoo dolls — can immobilize a locked-on target, but require the target's location and image. 171
• Same Body Strawman — binds the Black-Dress Wraith when it performs movements corresponding to the straw figure. 117
• Animated soft whip — restrains Luo Xiang and prevents her from moving quickly. 120
• Bad Luck Broom — afflicts people retreating across its swept ground with bad luck, making attacks miss vital points. 164
• Killing Intent Talisman — contributes the talisman to the Yellow Spring Dragon Louse's enhancement. 170

Heavenly Demon Egg

The Heavenly Demon Egg is a consumable magic treasure that hatches a combat-capable Little Heavenly Demon.

• The hatched demon has black energy, a hard shell, horns, claws, a pointed tail, crimson eyes, and sharp teeth. 171
• It can survive throughout an entire Blessed Land if it is not killed. 171
• Du'e uses it to distract and maul Liu Manor servants, then immobilizes one servant with a voodoo doll so the demon can kill it. 171
• The demon later digs open Liu Baoyu's snake tombs and releases the Yellow Spring Dragon Louse. 175
• After the trial, the eggshell contains a small red-eyed white snake that remains attached to its nest. 174

Li Dai Tao Jiang Technique

Du'e's substitution talisman can turn a person or evil spirit into a replacement body intended to die in her place.

• The Pale Ghost Shadow becomes a long-term substitute because it is exceptionally similar to Du'e. 359
• Du'e controls the substitute while hiding her true body inside it. 359
• The technique's interaction with the coffin and ghost shadow progressively reduces her true body's size. 359

Deception and Infiltration

Du'e is adept at entering hostile spaces under false identities.

• Disguises herself as a paper-figure maid after killing a servant and taking her clothes; Nanny Li fails to identify her because she relies on smell rather than sight. 326
• Uses the Playing God Technique to impersonate the City God during the operation against the Three Immortals. 350
• Uses Flower of Nai River petals to disappear from the He Mansion servants' sight. 328

Underworld Judge's Pen

The Underworld Judge's Pen is a god-worshiping brush that manifests written effects.

• Du'e uses Du Rushi's handwriting to write 拶 (Zǎn) upon the Porcelain Immortal. 335
• The character tortures the Porcelain Immortal and forces him to release the bottle containing Wu Xian. 335
• Du'e relies on Du Rushi because her own handwriting is poor. 315 335

Equipment

• Ghost-raising jar — contains a minor ghost that helps Du'e sense favorable Yin Virtue conditions. 102
• Parasitic Gu worm — a concealed contingency weapon. 123
• Bad Luck Broom — spreads misfortune across swept ground. 143 164
• Heavenly Demon Egg — hatches the Little Heavenly Demon. 171
• Wugu Blowgun — fires special poisonous Gu needles. 327 328
• Underworld Judge's Pen — brush used to impose written effects. 335
• Ceramic Ring — forged from the Porcelain Immortal's body; grants special defense through held Mingqi, with its effect depending on the Mingqi and number of uses. 337

Relationships

• Wu Xian — Frequent partner. Du'e initially remains near him because of his high Yin Virtue, but they develop reliable coordination in life-threatening trials and operations. 102 151 328
• Guan Daorong — Their relationship deteriorates after he discovers Du'e used him as a breeding ground for her parasitic Gu worm. 123
• Liang Fang — Fights beside Du'e against Liu Manor servants; together they kill one using Du'e's Little Heavenly Demon and voodoo doll. 171
• Shi Ji — Works with Du'e and Wu Xian on City God's Department scavenging missions and later forms part of their small clique. 272 479
• Jian Lingyu — Cooperates with Du'e to retrieve the coffins from the Three Immortals Hall; later helps improve Du'e's appearance and styling in Jile City. 350 484
• Du Rushi — Assists Du'e with the Underworld Judge's Pen through her calligraphy skill. 335
• Porcelain Immortal — Captures Du'e and exposes the existence of her substitute, but is later weakened by her Gu Huo Niao blood plan. 359

Story Role

Liu Manor and the Fatal Choice Blessed Land

Du'e joins Wu Xian's side because of his Yin Virtue, but her motives remain unclear to him until she explains her ghost-raising jar. 102

She supports the group through bindings, curse tools, and sabotage. Her parasitic Gu worm kills Lao Zhao, while her broom helps her complete the hide-and-seek program by causing the Little Ghost to trip into her arms. 123 154

During the final battle against Liu Baoyu, she contributes a Killing Intent Talisman to the Yellow Spring Dragon Louse and hatches the Heavenly Demon Egg when forced into direct combat. 170 171

Reality and City God's Department Work

Du'e buys goods from Wu Xian after the Blessed Land and proves exceptionally skilled at bargaining, reducing the value of every item before offering a “friendship price.” 182

She later works with Wu Xian and Shi Ji on a City God's Department scavenging mission. 272

Unburied Village and Undying City

Du'e works with Wu Xian through the coffin trials, the Moonlight Monster encounters, the Mound of Graves, and the He Mansion infiltration. Her shrinking condition becomes increasingly apparent after her encounter with the Pale Ghost Shadow. 287 328 330

Her secret is exposed during the battle with the Porcelain Immortal: the apparent Du'e traveling with the group is a Pale Ghost Shadow substitute, while her true body has been hidden inside it. 359

Jile City

Du'e joins Wu Xian and Shi Ji among the Lotus Favored Ones entering the Evil God's Blessed Land. Despite her small size and limited physical strength, she remains determined to participate. 479

During her time in Jile City, she expands her straw-figure, anatomical, and local metaphysical knowledge while refining her appearance. 484

Trivia

• Du'e introduces herself to strangers as a weak, helpless high school student who needs protection, despite being a dangerous curse specialist. 275
• Wu Xian considers her difficult to understand and repeatedly describes her behavior as eccentric. 309
• Her poor handwriting becomes relevant enough that she needs Du Rushi's assistance to use the Underworld Judge's Pen effectively. 315 335