He Zhizhou

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	He Zhizhou (贺知洲)
Alias(es)	Senior Brother He; “Tianxian Baby” (self-proposed Daoist name); former top courtesan 71 117
Species/Race	Human; transmigrator from another world 32
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xuanxu Sword Sect 30
Occupation/Role	Sword Cultivator; operative of the Whetstone System, assigned to create trials for Pei Ji 32 33
Cultivation	Golden Core Realm 140
Status	Active 433 439
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 30; introduced in person in Chapter 31 30 31

Background

He Zhizhou died in a car accident in his previous life. He was then reborn in the cultivation world as an infant, with the Whetstone System in his consciousness from birth. The system instructed him to act as a “whetstone” that would create hardships and temper the world’s Son of Destiny, Pei Ji. Before transmigration, he studied acting, a skill he repeatedly applies to the system’s villainous assignments and his own improvised schemes. 32 33

For years, he had little contact with Pei Ji despite the system’s mission. His frequent spending on swords, Sword Manuals, food, drink, and entertainment left him notoriously poor; before entering the main story, he also gained widespread notoriety after posing as a Wanjian Sect disciple while working as a courtesan. 30 109 139

Ning Ning identifies him as a fellow transmigrator when he recites a modified Li Bai poem during a poetry gathering. Their shared references to their former world confirm their identities, giving He Zhizhou his first reliable ally who understands both transmigration and system missions. 31 32

Appearance

He Zhizhou is a handsome young man with a naturally relaxed, flirtatious bearing. When Ning Ning first sees him, he is reclining against a tree with narrowed peach-blossom eyes and lips that seem to curve upward even at rest; when reciting poetry, he can abruptly adopt a refined, upright posture. 31

• Peach-blossom eyes and bright, star-like eyes. 31
• Naturally smiling lips and a carefree expression. 31
• Often described as strikingly handsome, an appearance that helped his former work as a courtesan. 31 62
• Usually carries a sword and has appeared in both black and white robes. 33 193

Personality

He Zhizhou is flamboyant, dramatic, and relentlessly talkative. He filters the cultivation world through modern slang, television tropes, video games, scientific trivia, and quotations from his former world, often confusing or alarming the people around him. He is proud of his acting training and routinely turns even dangerous situations into elaborate performances. 32 42 50 140

He is impulsive, financially irresponsible, and notably lacking in social awareness. His enthusiasm for swords and manuals has repeatedly left him penniless, while his attempts at helping others often create larger disasters—such as kicking Zheng Weiqi from a horse or frightening children with a song meant to comfort them. 109 117 122 354

Despite openly calling himself a coward and suffering from acrophobia, He Zhizhou does not abandon others in danger. He attempts to transport the injured Xu Ye by sword, stalls the Mystic Bird to protect Ning Ning, rescues Ye Zongheng from Qi Han, and later offers all of his accumulated merit to save Ning Ning. 53 63 193 387

Abilities & Skills

Sword Cultivation

He Zhizhou is a Golden Core Sword Cultivator capable of wielding Sword Qi in combat and forming defensive protection around allies. 140 168 368

• Uses Sword Qi to fight puppets and oppose Liu Xiuyuan’s attacks. 368
• Can erect a Sword Qi shield to protect himself and Liu Ying from the Fire Phoenix’s attacks. 168
• Has developed unconventional aerial movement by stepping repeatedly on his own feet, allowing him to climb through the air. 193 207
• His ordinary sword flight is unstable, and his fear of heights significantly impairs his performance while airborne. 51 53 291

Acting and Deception

His acting education is one of his most practical assets. He can rapidly adopt a persona, fabricate persuasive stories, and manipulate an audience’s assumptions. 32 140

• Reversed Ye Zongheng’s attempted extortion by performing the role of a robbery victim in public. 140
• Provoked Qi Han and Ye Zongheng into fighting each other by making each believe the other was He Zhizhou’s accomplice. 191 192
• Helped Ning Ning mislead Haoran Sect and Niguang Island cultivators through staged conflict and Voice Transmissions. 48 49
• Used dramatic false confessions to delay the Mystic Bird and create time for Ning Ning. 62 63
• His performances can backfire when witnessed through surveillance artifacts or when his improvisation exceeds the situation. 34 141

Improvisation and Tactical Thinking

While not a consistently powerful combatant, He Zhizhou can quickly exploit terrain, confusion, and opponents’ misconceptions. 192 300

• Attached a wind talisman to his sword and struck nearby snow mountains, creating a blizzard whose reflected light temporarily blinded the Shadow Devil. 300
• Identified Rong Ci as a likely spy and immediately understood Ning Ning’s plan to redirect Niguang Island toward a false treasure. 48
• Recognized the danger posed by Qi Han and prioritized escape and regrouping rather than futile combat. 193
• Uses broad modern knowledge—from static electricity to chemistry—to interpret problems in unusual ways. 164 409

Whetstone System and Merit

The Whetstone System claims to be an instrument of the Heavenly Dao. It assigned He Zhizhou to create adversity for Pei Ji and rewards him with merit for acting in accordance with its instructions. 32 386 387

• His initial system mission required him to confront Pei Ji as a supposed Devil Race detector and use the Devil-Breaking Blade. 33
• He later rejects the value of his accumulated merit, asking the system to transfer all of it to Ning Ning despite the benefit it would provide to his own future ascension. 387
• The system’s instructions repeatedly place him in situations beyond his expected ability, particularly against Pei Ji. 33

Equipment

• Baihong Sword — His sword, used during his disastrous attempt to fly Xu Ye out of the Ancient Wood Forest Sea. 53
• Devil-Breaking Blade — A small blade issued for his Whetstone mission against Pei Ji; Pei Ji disarms him before he can use it. 33
• Wind talismans — Used with his sword to raise snow into a blinding blizzard against the Shadow Devil. 300
• Sword Manuals — He owns a large collection, including many useless or miscellaneous manuals bought at great personal expense. 109
• Patched bundle and vine belt — His worn possessions reflect his long-standing poverty. 62

Relationships

• Ning Ning — Fellow transmigrator and closest collaborator. Their shared modern references reveal each other’s identity, after which they coordinate schemes, investigate mysteries, and support one another against their systems. 31 32 48 49 386
• Pei Ji — The intended target of He Zhizhou’s Whetstone missions. Their first confrontation ends in He Zhizhou’s humiliating defeat, but he later works alongside Pei Ji’s group and becomes concerned about Ning Ning’s fate alongside him. 33 34 386
• Xu Ye — Frequent companion and bickering partner. He Zhizhou tries to carry the injured Xu Ye to safety despite his acrophobia, though his poor sword flight turns the rescue into another ordeal. 51 53 58
• Tian Xianzi — Martial uncle and frequent guardian during sect activities. Tian Xianzi praises He Zhizhou’s efforts against the Mystic Bird, but their relationship is repeatedly strained by He Zhizhou’s schemes and drunken behavior. 70 71 233 249
• Zheng Weiqi — Senior sister and fellow source of chaos. She tricks him into wearing women’s clothes, while his attempted help on horseback sends her flying from the saddle. 133 134 122
• Ye Zongheng — Long-standing rival from the Wanjian Sect. Their public acting duel ends in arrest, but He Zhizhou later saves him from Devil Master Qi Han and forms a temporary alliance with him. 139 141 193
• Mingjing — Fanyin Temple monk who regards He Zhizhou as a life-saving benefactor from an earlier encounter at Yi Mountain; Mingjing later gives him eight tokens in gratitude. 153 180
• Mingkong — Fanyin Temple monk who shelters him from the Mystic Bird with a Vajra Barrier. He Zhizhou becomes impressed by Mingkong’s defensive cultivation and eccentric temperament. 59 61

Story Role / Major Arcs

Whetstone Mission

After meeting Ning Ning, He Zhizhou attempts to carry out his system-issued role by accusing Pei Ji of harboring Devilish Qi and trying to use the Devil-Breaking Blade. Pei Ji immediately disarms and humiliates him, and He Zhizhou’s attempt to maintain a villainous persona becomes a sect-wide scandal when the Heaven-Peering Mirror records it. 32 33 34

Xiaochong Mountain Secret Realm

He Zhizhou joins Ning Ning and Xu Ye in Xiaochong Mountain. He supports Ning Ning’s deception of Haoran Sect and Niguang Island, confronts Zou Wu, endures the Heaven Heart Grass’s bizarre effects, and enters the Ancient Wood Forest Sea. 43 44 48 49 51

When Xu Ye is injured, He Zhizhou tries to overcome his acrophobia and fly him to safety. He later delays the Mystic Bird through increasingly outrageous romantic acting, buying time for Ning Ning’s plan. 53 63

Fututa Tower

Within the Fututa Tower, He Zhizhou repeatedly derails scripted events. He accidentally kicks Chen Lubai into a river during what should have been a romantic encounter, dives in to save her, and joins the investigation into the strange occurrences at the Chen Manor. 108 109 111

His attempts to comfort children and control the Thousand-Gold Treasure Horse similarly fail spectacularly, reinforcing his reputation for good intentions with disastrous execution. 117 118 122

Ten Directions Dharma Assembly

His conflict with Ye Zongheng escalates in Luan City when both try to manipulate public sympathy through staged injuries. The city’s monitoring artifact exposes the entire performance, causing their sects public embarrassment and leading to their detention. 140 141

During the Water Mirror trial, He Zhizhou accidentally flees with Devil Master Qi Han instead of Xu Ye. He turns the misunderstanding into a trap, inciting Qi Han and Ye Zongheng to fight, then rescues his rival and escapes with him into the forest. 190 192 193

Demon-Refining Tower and Later Events

He Zhizhou enters the Demon-Refining Tower despite his fear of heights and later aids Ning Ning against the Shadow Devil by using a wind talisman to create a reflected-light blizzard. 291 300

After learning that Ning Ning is doomed by the Life Substitution technique, he asks the Whetstone System to transfer all of his accumulated merit to her, placing her survival above his own path to ascension. 386 387

Notable Quotes

“Comrade! I've waited for you until the flowers have withered!” 32

“Although I'm a coward, for the sake of a friend, what's a little fear of heights?” 53

“I want to transfer all of it to Ning Ning... Can you do that?” 387

Trivia

• Ning Ning recognizes He Zhizhou as a transmigrator because he recites a modified version of Li Bai’s Du Zuo Jingting Shan. 31
• He is severely afraid of heights, yet repeatedly ends up on flying swords, single-plank bridges, or airborne improvised contraptions. 51 53 291
• His past-life references include television dramas, revolutionary films, online games, chemistry, and horror movies. 42 50 164 409 434
• He once chose “Tianxian Baby” as his future Daoist name after mistaking Tian Xianzi’s teasing for sincere praise. 70 71
• He is unusually good with children despite being equally capable of terrifying them. 117 118 422 423