Zheng Yichen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zheng Yichen (郑逸尘)
Alias(es)	Changqing
Species/Race	Human; an Aberrant due to his anomalous “Withering Syndrome”
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Independent Hunter; frequents the Night Banquet Bar and Twilight Chapel
Occupation/Role	Hunter; later regarded as a “Demon Hunter” in an alternate world
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Zheng Yichen is a transmigrator who grew up again in Longcheng after arriving in the world as a child. He lived in an orphanage, eventually left it, and adopted Changqing as his external name after seeing local beliefs about the significance of names. His adult mentality remained intact throughout his second childhood. 1 2

His defining condition is Withering Syndrome, an anomaly that gradually wrinkles his skin into a texture like dead tree bark and seems to mark a countdown on his lifespan. Exercise provides more relief than medicine, while contact with the blood of Abnormal Creatures can alleviate the syndrome. Seeking a lasting solution and access to better information, he pursued a Hunter identity through the Night Banquet Bar. 1 12 23

After documenting a Longcheng fog anomaly and repeatedly crossing its rifts, Zheng Yichen earned his Hunter license. His unusual ability to withstand rift pressure drew notice from George, a dog-headed being who found Zheng Yichen’s repeated crossings notably effortless. 3 5

His early Hunter work included an institute security commission, participation in Longcheng’s undead-incursion response, and hunts in the Deep Southern Forest. During these experiences, he identified the practical scope of his anomalous abilities, acquired firearms and protective equipment, and killed a Unicorn Mule after a near-fatal battle. 7 17 19 26

While fighting Evil Spirits in the Southern Forest, Zheng Yichen entered an anomaly just before it closed, stranding him in another world. There, his strength is reduced by environmental adjustment, but he remains physically superior to local townspeople. He accepts work to investigate a series of decapitation murders attributed to a Headless Knight, chiefly hoping to obtain the knight’s magical sword. 36 40 42 43

Appearance

Zheng Yichen is a young, strongly built man whose physique is repeatedly noted as unusually robust even among Hunters.

• Has black hair and facial features that stand out to inhabitants of the alternate world. 44
• Possesses a powerful, muscular build; a witch compares his sturdiness to that of a bull. 43 50
• His Withering Syndrome produces wrinkles on his torso, initially concealable beneath loose clothing. 1
• Commonly wears a modern combat protective suit while operating outside Longcheng. 40
• Often carries a fishing rod that conceals or functions alongside his manifested black weapon. 15 35

Personality

Zheng Yichen is practical, self-directed, and strongly motivated by survival. He seeks power because his condition gives him little patience for slow, conventional advancement; he prefers practical combat experience over waiting years to train. 1 7

He is curious about anomalies, other worlds, and unusual equipment, but his curiosity is tempered by an awareness of his inexperience. He turns back when conditions become too dangerous, acknowledges when he has been thinking too self-centeredly, and generally investigates before committing to a fight. 22 34

He tends to work alone and declines offers that would compromise his Hunter independence, including recruitment by the Countermeasures Bureau and research institutes seeking experimental subjects. 16 17 23 31

Despite his bluntness and occasional irreverence, Zheng Yichen is protective of civilians. He refuses Katrina’s request to accompany him into a dangerous forest and keeps her outside while he investigates the witch’s cave. 49 50

Abilities & Skills

Withering Syndrome and Lifesteal

Zheng Yichen’s anomalous condition causes progressive skin withering, but it also grants him a devouring, blood-based capability.

• Contact with Abnormal Creature blood can be absorbed through his skin and alleviates his withering symptoms. 1 23
• His basic attacks carry lifesteal when they penetrate a target’s defenses. 26
• Severe injury and blood intake from the Unicorn Mule triggered an extremely active state that increased his strength and greatly improved recovery. 26 29
• His blood attracts Abnormal Creatures and can be used as bait. 24 30
• He refuses to test the ability on humans without necessity. 20

Manifested Black Weapon

Zheng Yichen can shape black material from his body into a detachable short rod, spear, or “Black Gun,” functioning as an extension of his blood-sucking stinger.

• The weapon can be formed from his palm and detached for temporary use. 18
• Detached pieces degrade into powder after a short time; creating them costs energy that cannot be recovered. 18
• It can extinguish the Azure Flame within an undead skull. 18
• It can injure Evil Spirits, which are largely unaffected by firearms. 35
• Its lifesteal is far less effective against incorporeal Evil Spirits and provides no physical sustenance from them. 35 36
• It can draw a weak, indistinct form of sustenance from the Headless Knight. 43

Precise Stabbing

His primary combat specialty is highly accurate, fast thrusting with polearm-like weapons.

• Can strike where he aims within his attack range. 8
• Used a fishing rod to damage a mechanized Giant Bear’s eye and impede its movement. 11
• Efficiently killed Giant Rats while guarding a choke point during the undead incident. 16
• His specialization compensates for his limited general combat fundamentals, though it can be countered by agile opponents such as the Unicorn Mule. 16 24

Adaptation to Anomalies

Zheng Yichen shows an unusual tolerance for rift pressure and environmental changes.

• Repeatedly crossed a rift with little visible fatigue, unlike other travelers. 5
• Experiences comparatively little pressure when entering anomalies. 20
• Adapted to the alternate world’s physical suppression after being stranded there, though his training efficiency and strength are reduced. 36 40 46
• Developed a faint perception of nearby vengeful spirits in the alternate world. 37

Survival and Fieldcraft

• Uses cameras, thermal imaging, bait, scent-clearing powder, and drones to scout or manage dangerous environments. 33 34 49
• Learned to exploit the Unicorn Mule tongue’s hissing effect, which can interfere with Evil Spirits. 28 35
• Demonstrates basic investigative ability, following hoofprints and examining victims, while admitting he lacks professional training. 43
• Makes and teaches games, including hand-carved Mahjong tiles. 27 28

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Fishing Rod — His usual polearm-like weapon and a convenient disguise for his combat gear. 8 15
• Black Gun / black spear — Manifested anomalous weapon with blood-draining properties. 18 35
• Semi-automatic shotgun — Used against Abnormal Creatures; carries birdshot and slug ammunition. 19 24 43
• Hand cannon — Fires small grenades and is intended for close-range destructive force rather than precision. 19 24
• Handgun — Standard firearm used when a shotgun is unsuitable. 19 43
• Protective suit and bulletproof armor — Worn for forest operations; damaged by Evil Spirit attacks but prevents some injuries. 33 36
• Unicorn Mule tongue belt — Processed by Arno; its hissing sound disrupts Evil Spirits. 28 35
• Alloy R1 motorcycle — Low-spec model purchased for travel after his Southern Forest ordeal. 30
• Portable camera and simple drone — Used to record anomalies and scout hazardous areas. 43 49 50
• Handmade Mahjong set — Carved by Zheng Yichen and completed with Arno’s help. 27 28

Relationships

• The Bartender — His principal contact at the Night Banquet Bar; provides Hunter information, handles commissions, and assists with practical matters such as vehicle recommendations. 1 6 27 30
• Arno — Fellow Hunter and frequent Twilight Chapel companion; advises Zheng Yichen about anomalies, processes the Unicorn Mule remains, and becomes his Mahjong partner. 20 22 28
• Tia — Twilight Chapel nun who treats Zheng Yichen’s injuries and conducts detailed examinations of his Aberrant condition. 27 29 30
• Roy — Countermeasures Bureau officer who recognizes Zheng Yichen’s combat potential and repeatedly invites him to join the Bureau. 16 17
• George — Dog-headed being encountered through a Longcheng rift; offered recruitment arrangements to capable travelers and noticed Zheng Yichen’s unusual adaptability. 4 5
• Katrina Van Tassel — A curious local woman in the alternate world who believes Zheng Yichen’s account of the Headless Knight and assists his investigation despite his attempts to keep her safe. 44 49 50
• The forest witch — Initially encountered as a veiled woman in a cave; after Zheng Yichen subdues her during a spirit-channeling transformation, she agrees to provide information about the Headless Knight. 50

Story Role / Major Arcs

Becoming a Hunter

Zheng Yichen pursues Hunter certification to find Abnormal Creatures capable of relieving his Withering Syndrome. He documents the Longcheng fog anomaly, crosses rifts to other worlds, sells his footage, and begins accepting beginner commissions. 1 3 5 6

Institute Security and Undead Incident

During a Nefita Institute commission, he gains firsthand combat experience against a mechanized Giant Bear. Soon afterward, he assists in resisting undead emerging from a Longcheng anomaly and realizes his ability can affect aberrant beings as well as normal creatures. 10 11 17

Southern Forest Hunts

Seeking stronger prey, Zheng Yichen enters the Deep Southern Forest. He is outmatched by the Unicorn Mule at first, then uses his blood as bait and kills it in a brutal close-quarters fight that significantly improves his strength and recovery. 23 24 26

Evil Spirits and Stranding

Zheng Yichen encounters Evil Spirits, discovers that his black weapon and Mule tongue can affect them, and defeats a pursuing group through hit-and-run tactics. He then enters a newly found anomaly and becomes stranded in an alternate world when it closes. 35 36

Headless Knight Investigation

Arriving at a remote town, Zheng Yichen accepts a murder investigation as a local “Demon Hunter.” He confronts the Headless Knight, learns of its regenerative immortality, and pursues it both to clear suspicion around himself and to claim its flame-covered sword. 42 43 48 50

Trivia

• Zheng Yichen maintains a highly regular sleep schedule and historically went to bed no later than eleven. 15
• He cannot ride a horse, despite being treated as a Demon Hunter in a world where mounted travel is common. 49
• He introduced Mahjong to the Twilight Chapel, where it attracted both Hunters and civilians. 28 29
• He prefers close combat because he believes fighting at close range is necessary for his growth, though he increasingly carries firearms for situations where it is unsafe. 19 31