Bai Zuo

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Shen Yu draws Bai Zuo as his first free Character Card during the initial bus incident. The card presents him as a handsome black-haired youth whose presence carries suffocating malice, with an S-rank contract to the Weird Heart Gu. 2

Heart Gu’s power makes Bai Zuo exceptionally dangerous around humans: he can alter memories and cognition, reshape personalities, brainwash targets, and seize control of their bodies. Because the Weird must be fed malice or it will devour its Host, Bai Zuo is placed under long-term supervision and restricted from harming ordinary people without cause. 3 7

The City of Crime special scenario depicts a younger Bai Zuo operating in Ze Hai City as an “ordinary relationship consultant.” He lives frugally, spends much of his time hacking, and turns his own kidnapping by a trafficking organization into an opportunity to infiltrate and manipulate its hierarchy. 181 183 184

Before becoming a Contract Anomalist, Bai Zuo engineers a conflict among Ze Hai City's criminal factions using a phone, a computer, and his understanding of human greed. The resulting struggle indirectly causes numerous deaths. His pre-Association crimes become part of the reason he is assigned a supervisor after recruitment. 25 184

His extraordinary malice attracts a Weird that feeds on it. Recognizing that fleeing will not solve the problem, he deliberately draws the attention of someone capable of confronting the creature. The white-robed Chairman recognizes his talent and recruits him into the Association, assuring him that contracting a Weird will not change his heart. Bai Zuo subsequently accepts Heart Gu as his contracted Weird. 188 189 191

At 100% Character Perfection, Bai Zuo ceases to be merely a remotely operated Character Card. He develops an independent consciousness, complete memories, and free will; Shen Yu can no longer directly control him through mental power as before. 192 515

Appearance

Bai Zuo is a refined and handsome black-haired youth with a gloomy expression and a faintly morbid smile. His attractive, youthful appearance often contrasts sharply with the malice and pressure he exudes. 2 178

• His eyes are likened to black holes that swallow and contain malice. 188 440
• He has slender, pale hands and wears black nail polish. 174
• During the Lamp Mansion Festival, he wears divine makeup with gold patterns around his eyes and between his brows while posing as the Holy Prince. 24
• In the wasteland, he wears a black wide-necked shirt, tapered biker harem pants, and decorative streamers. 176
• When his hostility is suppressed, he can appear like an ordinary student on vacation or an “exquisite doll” devoid of emotion. 40 434
• Other people initially mistake him for a high-school student of fifteen or sixteen, while the younger version shown in City of Crime appears twelve or thirteen. 44 181
• In colder weather, he wears a black scarf and black coat over a white high-collared shirt. 120

Personality

Bai Zuo’s original card profile calls him “vicious and black-hearted,” socially terrifying, manipulative, and a born villain. He treats people as tools when they are useful to him and shows little instinctive regard for their lives or autonomy. 2 11

He is fascinated by malice, conflict, and the ugliness concealed in human nature. He deliberately provokes people into revealing their worst impulses, seeing evil as something worth observing and cultivating. 47 186 270

His relationship with malice is contradictory: he pursues and enjoys it, yet also finds human evil revolting and disappointingly banal. He regards most people as transparent, desire-driven shells whose motives he can readily understand. 46 188

Despite his cruelty, Bai Zuo is exceptionally intelligent. His observation and analytical ability allow him to predict opponents’ actions, identify hidden motives, and prepare contingencies far in advance. 40 252

Bai Zuo can also be playful, lazy, sharp-tongued, and casually demanding around Association staff. He enjoys games and evades paperwork whenever possible. 40 100 442 Over time, he becomes more capable of restraining his malice and acting within the Association’s rules, though this restraint is self-imposed rather than a change of heart. 372 1151

His attachment to the Chairman is central to this restraint. Thinking of Shen Yu helps him suppress murderous impulses, and Bei Mu attributes his improved conduct to his desire to change for the Chairman rather than to a newly developed conscience. 699 1151

Abilities & Skills

Heart Gu and Mind Control

Bai Zuo’s core power comes from Heart Gu, his contracted pure-white spider Weird. Its silk can invade minds, ensnare hearts, and turn victims into conscious but helpless puppets. 2 28

• Alters memories, cognition, and personality; can brainwash targets or erase witnesses’ recollections. 3 4
• Controls bodies without requiring the target’s consent. 106
• Marks targets with spider silk and uses them as puppets, informants, combat assets, or disposable tools. 33 174 440
• Can manipulate crowds on a massive scale; the more people he controls, particularly powerful ones, the higher his practical combat ceiling becomes. 28
• Requires malice as sustenance. If Heart Gu is not fed, it will devour Bai Zuo instead. 2
• Initially performs poorly against unintelligent Weirds and lacks reliable direct offense when no controlled humans are available. 29 679
• Later learns to disrupt psychic force and Weird energy directly, allowing him to control nonhuman Weird entities and remove this former weakness. 679 1151
• Infuses controlled people with Heart Gu's power, enhancing their strength and speed and allowing their physical attacks to harm supernatural beings. 33
• Can establish lasting control through a contract sealed by words and intent; the controlled target remains bound unless Bai Zuo releases them. 33
• Uses Heart Gu as the intermediary for mental intrusion. The spider shares the memories it discovers with him and can bear counterattacks in his place. 511 512
• His control over Taren and Buzewall is too strong for Canna Lily to undo, although Bai Zuo can voluntarily restore their bodily autonomy. 451

Ghost Domain and Spider Silk

Within his Ghost Domain, Bai Zuo holds overwhelming control over those inside it. Human targets can be immobilized or moved like puppets through invisible silk. 27

• Forms white spiderweb barriers capable of stopping ordinary bullets. 27 177
• Cannot rely on those webs against specially modified anti-web ammunition. 27
• Can interpose his Ghost Domain against another domain to prevent people from being swallowed by it. 27
• Converts spiritual power into transparent spider silk to bind, suppress, and analyze mental entities such as invasive systems. 1479
• Eventually gains authorization to expand his Ghost Domain across an entire world. 1485
• At this scale, can potentially control everyone in the world; a single thought could determine the lives of the ordinary people under his control. 1486
• Uses a vast web of controlled human mental power and Weird energy to create a wall capable of neutralizing Blood Tide. 1487

Psychic Techniques

• Mind Possession — Possesses and directs a target’s body. 11
• Mind Barrier — A Perfect-grade ability that shields his mind and grants immunity to mental attacks, soul attacks, thought detection, true sight, discernment, mind reading, precognition, and related effects. With sufficient mental strength, he can manifest a barrier to resist attacks, although doing so consumes substantial mental power. 122
• Descent into Malice — Injects malice into a target’s consciousness, causing them to sink into malicious thoughts. 174
• Mind Prison — Unlocked alongside Descent into Malice; its specific operation is not detailed. 174
• Mental interrogation — Invades consciousness spaces and memories to extract information, though doing so against powerful entities is dangerous. 511 515
• Illusion-like mental attacks — Some applications resemble illusion arts, but Bai Zuo generally prefers stimulating a target's mind, finding weaknesses, and directly seizing control rather than constructing illusions. 704
• Mind and soul investigation — Detects concealed systems that Mr. G and other researchers cannot locate. Within these fields, only a handful of Association Contract Anomalists are said to surpass him. 1479

Malice Absorption and Contamination

Bai Zuo continually radiates malice while feeding on that around him. His presence can provoke people who already harbor ill will into reckless actions or force others to relive their deepest fears and past suffering. 511

• Possesses exceptional tolerance for malice even before contracting Heart Gu, enduring an influx drawn from Ze Hai City that would drive an ordinary person mad or corrupt them. 190
• Normally restricts Heart Gu to absorbing nearby malice because unrestricted consumption also exposes him to its negative effects. 514
• Can order Heart Gu to release its suppressed reserves and absorb malice from across the world. This produces an overwhelming surge but places a severe burden on his mind. 514
• Uses this surge to contaminate the Mother of Birth's manifested mental presence through direct contact, forcing Her to release him and sever both arms to prevent the corruption from spreading. 514
• Later restrains his malice sufficiently that it no longer freely spills out and corrodes those around him. 1151

Information Cocoon

The Information Cocoon is a B-rank Anomaly Artifact resembling a transparent, finger-sized silkworm cocoon. It blurs or alters people's perceptions, allowing affected observers to accept a changed understanding of otherwise familiar facts. 29 57

• Normally affects only a limited area; altering more facts shortens its duration. 29
• Bai Zuo applies Mind Control and telepathy to the artifact simultaneously, combining it with Heart Gu to overcome some of its normal restrictions. 57
• Uses it during information-cleanup operations when ordinary memory erasure, surveillance tampering, and internet censorship are insufficient, including incidents involving livestreams. 100

Analysis, Observation, and Hacking

Bai Zuo possesses perfect Analysis, outstanding Observation, and outstanding Hacking from the moment he is drawn. 2

• Reads emotional fluctuations and hidden motives with unnerving accuracy. 252 270
• Predicts Weird behavior and builds elaborate contingencies during containment operations. 40
• Hacks systems, infiltrates networks, and can access private group chats without being invited. 100 183 243
• Exploits selfishness, fear, and conflicting motives to break coordinated opponents apart. 703 704
• Identifies an anomaly's contamination route, entry point, symptoms, and rank through brief observation. 4
• Traces online posters overseas and obtains an online acquaintance's location by hacking their phone. 56 123
• Analyzes an invasive system's core piece by piece while suppressing its resistance with spiritual spider silk. 1479

Physical and Offensive Capability

Bai Zuo’s early combat style relies primarily on control and prepared tools rather than direct damage. 29 As Heart Gu advances, he develops more independent offensive capability.

• Catches a sniper round barehanded. 122
• Uses spider silk to halt gunfire and slaughter armed Blood Feast members. 177
• Directs Heart Gu’s enlarged body and split spider forms in battle. 700 704
• Heart Gu grows to more than ten meters tall and can carry Bai Zuo and other people on its body. 700 1150
• Spreads Heart Gu's spider avatars across the Song Tide to bind mutated monsters and suspend them in webs. 704
• Becomes capable of handling high-rank missions without relying on controlled contractors as weapons. 1151 1478

Restrictions and Supervision

Bai Zuo’s contract with Heart Gu, past conduct, and repeated misuse of mind control lead the Anomaly Containment Association to classify him as an unstable element. He is assigned Ji Wu as a supervisor and is not permitted to harm ordinary people without cause. 7 116

A shackle is placed on him to limit Heart Gu’s unrestricted Mind Control. The Association considers this necessary because Bai Zuo’s personality and powers make uncontrolled abuse of civilians highly likely. 106

His early dependence on human tools creates a recurring conflict with the Humanity Code: acquiring suitable people to strengthen himself often entails harming ordinary civilians. His repeated violations, lack of remorse, and dangerous abilities explain the elders' strict restrictions rather than personal prejudice against him. 1487

Some members of the Elders' Council propose separating him from Heart Gu after repeated incidents. Their intention is not necessarily to end his career: they recognize his talent and consider that another powerful Weird might allow him to remain S-rank or advance further. Ji Wu initially hears only the threat of contract removal and becomes anxious about further misconduct. 451

Before his supervision is relaxed, extended travel requires an accompanying person or the Chairman's personal approval. An unexplained prolonged absence could result in his being treated as a deserter. Shen Yu authorizes his journey to raise Heart Gu's level and undertakes to notify the elders and Supervision Department. 571

After his recovery, rank advancement, and improved behavior, the Association gradually loosens its supervision. However, his most extreme abilities still require approval, and the elders remain prepared to restrain him if he abuses that trust. 1147 1485

His increasing offensive independence also contributes to the elders tolerating his participation in the Executor election. He previously leaves his original team as part of the preparations for competing for that position. Participation does not itself establish that he has been elected. 951 1478

Relationships

• Shen Yu / Chairman — Bai Zuo’s superior, former operator, and the creator of his awakened consciousness. Bai Zuo seeks his approval, reports major accomplishments directly to him, and regards him as a powerful but gentle authority. Shen Yu rescues Bai Zuo from Chang Jianing’s consciousness space. 192 251 515 Shen Yu also absorbs part of the malice burden after the rescue, allowing Bai Zuo to lose consciousness safely. 516 Bai Zuo sees the Chairman as someone who understands him yet has not surrendered to malice, revering him while wanting to draw closer to him. 252 270 679 He later resolves to investigate in secret why Weirds are unusually attracted to Shen Yu. 1152
• Heart Gu — His contracted Weird and primary source of power. Their survival and advancement are interdependent; Heart Gu requires malice, while Bai Zuo works to remove its weaknesses and raise its rank. 2 571 679
• Ji Wu — Bai Zuo’s long-term supervisor and mentor figure. Ji Wu enforces the Association’s rules, prevents Bai Zuo from treating members as tools, and repeatedly cleans up his messes. 7 11 116 448 Despite frequent frustration, Ji Wu regards him as a young person he has watched grow up and hopes that his advancement will give him a better future. 951
• Xu Zhou — Initially regarded by Bai Zuo as a potentially useful weapon and subjected to brainwashing during a rescue. Xu Zhou later remains grateful to him, credits him with helping him choose life, and receives guidance from Bai Zuo. 89 691 1470 His gratitude does not blind him to Bai Zuo's nature: he considers Bai Zuo reliable during danger but a source of danger when circumstances are otherwise peaceful. 1470
• Mi Lan — A junior colleague and frequent provocateur. Their rivalry escalates into destructive fights, though Mi Lan’s teasing also reflects familiarity with Bai Zuo’s weaknesses and recovery. 571
• Skywing A — A powerful rival with whom Bai Zuo has a hostile, competitive history. Bai Zuo once attempted to target Skywing A for his body, but Skywing A resisted. 33 1487 Their rivalry motivates Bai Zuo to raise Heart Gu's level, and their later sparring becomes destructive enough to endanger nearby observers. Despite their hostility, neither intends to kill the other during the spar. 571 945 949
• Fu Zhang — A fellow high-ranking Contract Anomalist who dislikes Bai Zuo’s personality but respects his position and strength. 251
• Silver Willow — Bai Zuo’s apprentice, who publicly defends him when others discuss his alleged Humanity Code violation. 1350
• Yang Yu / Heart's Bloom — An online acquaintance whose messages and strange photograph prompt Bai Zuo to visit Dangxi City. Bai Zuo identifies the connection between Yang Yu and an anomalous mask through their conversations and his investigation of the deaths surrounding him. 122 123 127
• Du Jiashi — Bai Zuo exposes his past cruelty to animals and manipulates his desire to atone into accepting a Mind Control contract. 47
• Xu Rou — Accepts Heart Gu's intervention while overwhelmed by guilt, after which the malice within her is removed and she experiences relief from remorse. 49
• Bei Mu — Accompanies Bai Zuo and Shen Yu on a search for suitable Weirds to feed Wealth Reaches the Gods. Bai Zuo mocks Bei Mu's dependence on the Chairman but personally captures and delivers Weirds for his contracted entity to devour. 1147 1151 1153

Story Role / Major Arcs

Bus Incident and Association Cleanup

Bai Zuo is deployed during the bus-driver Weird incident shortly after Shen Yu draws his card. He identifies parasitic Weirds, removes them from infected people, contains the threat, erases witnesses’ memories, and alters surveillance footage. 2 4

Lamp Mansion Festival

Bai Zuo infiltrates the Lamp Mansion Festival as the Holy Prince inside the Divine Palanquin. He turns the crowd into Ghost Soldiers and demonstrates the terrifying mass-control potential of his Ghost Domain. 24 27 28

Ji Wu initially interprets his public use of mass control as a betrayal and shoots at him. Xu Zhou subsequently realizes that Bai Zuo's domain is protecting the island's inhabitants from being swallowed by the opposing Ghost Domain. Ji Wu acknowledges that he misunderstood Bai Zuo, while the controlled crowd fights the invading Wandering Souls. 25 27

Xu Zhou later concludes that Bai Zuo's interference prevented Yama from killing the festival participants and hopes to include this in the report to reduce his punishment. 40

Wasteland Extermination and Takeover

After armed invaders attack Association employees through a mysterious passage, Bai Zuo and Mi Lan lead newcomers into the attackers' world under an extermination order. The order permits Bai Zuo to use abilities that are normally restricted. 147

Bai Zuo identifies the Blood Feast Armed Forces as the perpetrators, declares war, and explains that the Association will protect the world's surviving civilization while claiming authority over it. He exploits the operation to acquire dozens of talented human tools and pursues fleeing Blood Feast members rather than allowing them to escape. 160 165 166 174 175 177

He later reports the successful takeover directly to Shen Yu, noticing that the Chairman appears to know details of the operation before hearing them. 251

*City of Crime*

After reaching 80% Character Perfection, Bai Zuo’s special scenario reveals his manipulation of Ze Hai City’s criminal underworld and his first contact with the Chairman. Completing the scenario raises him to 100% Perfection and grants him independent consciousness. 179 192

Branch Attack and Retaliation

Bai Zuo rescues the Black Wolf Squad and employees from an attacked Yigui Branch, using a controlled infiltrator to lead them to the conspirators. 434

His investigation brings Taren and Buzewall under Heart Gu's control and exposes their connection to larger forces. After senior Association intervention, he takes the principal offenders and other involved parties back to Headquarters for imprisonment, leaving their final disposition to the upper ranks and elders. 449 451 456

Mother of Birth Incident

Bai Zuo interrogates Chang Jianing and enters her consciousness space to confront the Mother of Birth’s influence. The battle exposes him to overwhelming malice and leaves his mental state unstable until he recovers. 511 515 571

When the Mother of Birth's descended mental presence attempts to corrupt him, Bai Zuo removes Heart Gu's restriction on malice absorption. The resulting surge contaminates Her through their contact and forces Her to sever both arms, but also severely burdens Bai Zuo. Shen Yu intervenes, drives the presence away, and takes on part of the malice's effects before Bai Zuo faints. 514 516

His recovery includes hallucinations, dizziness, tinnitus, slowed reactions, and heightened irritability. He spends an extended period in a medical chamber before returning to activity. 539 571

Otherworld Advancement

With Shen Yu’s permission, Bai Zuo leaves Blue Star to raise Heart Gu’s level. He conquers a Weird-overrun world, learns to control nonhuman Weirds through psychic disruption, and advances from S-rank to SSS-rank. 571 678 679

After returning alone, he requests several hundred thousand Anomaly Cages to collect the entities left behind. Mr. G explains that limited Weird Crystal supplies restrict the Research Department to producing at most one hundred thousand cages that day. 679

Yuki and the Song Tide

Bai Zuo travels to Cosmic Nation with Ji Wu, Xu Zhou, and Norden to investigate Yuki's influence over tens of millions of young people. 688

During the confrontation with Yuki and Jin Junxi, he exploits Jin Junxi's selfish hesitation to break the two priests' coordination, defeats them with Heart Gu, and contains both. He then disperses spider avatars through the Song Tide to restrain its mutated monsters. Shen Yu and the God of Games watch for the deity behind the incident, whose power exceeds Bai Zuo's current realm. 700 702 704

Sparring with Skywing A

Bai Zuo and Skywing A fight near a spirit vein, drawing the Daoist and Du Jiashi into danger and attracting Association spectators. The Daoist attempts to make them relocate, while Mi Lan is restrained from joining the battle. 943 945 946

Bai Zuo's calculations expose weaknesses in Skywing A's reliance on wind-based movement. Although the spar becomes heated, neither intends to kill the other. Ji Wu subsequently hears that Bai Zuo has been punished with confinement. 949 951

Helping Bei Mu Advance

Bai Zuo accompanies Shen Yu and Bei Mu to obtain Blood Robe-class Weirds for Wealth Reaches the Gods. During one encounter, he deduces that the house they are exploring is itself the Heart Weird's heart. 1147 1150

He captures Weirds directly, wraps them in spider-silk cocoons, and delivers them for Bei Mu's contracted Weird to consume. The operation demonstrates his independence from controlled human combatants and his increased restraint. 1151 1152 1153

System-Invasion Investigation

Bai Zuo accepts an SS-class task involving invaders who parasitize people with systems. He traps Song Kai and Du Rutian in his Ghost Domain, suppresses their systems with spiritual spider silk, and investigates the systems’ cores directly. 1478 1479 1480

A stronger force within the system activates during extraction, forcing Bai Zuo to protect both men's minds while suppressing it. He succeeds in removing the system, but the contract behind it damages their souls and mental power and allows its mastermind to use them as anchors. Bai Zuo transports the two men to Spirit Blue World within his Ghost Domain and waits for the presence to descend. 1479 1480

World-Spanning Ghost Domain and Blood Tide

After receiving approval, Bai Zuo releases his Ghost Domain across an entire world. The authorization reflects both his increased strength and the elders' recognition of his improved conduct, although he knows that abusing it would bring immediate intervention. 1485

He exercises mass control on a world-spanning scale and combines human mental power with Weird energy into a web-based defense against Blood Tide. Despite this display, he remains dissatisfied with his strength and seeks further advancement. 1485 1486 1487

Notable Quotes

“Then become puppets in my hands.” 174

“Other people's thoughts have nothing to do with me.” 192

“My name is Bai Zuo. I am a monster without humanity.” 191

“Chairman, use me. I know you can do it.” 678

“This is the mental world. This is my domain.” 1480

Trivia

• Bai Zuo is Shen Yu’s first drawn Character Card and was obtained through the system’s free initial draw. 2
• His special scenario is titled City of Crime and unlocks at 80% Character Perfection. 174 179
• Despite his outstanding hacking ability, Bai Zuo openly uses company funds for food, drinks, arcade tokens, and games when unsupervised. 40 100
• He claims to recognize Skywing A even in disguise by his “bird stench”; Skywing A calls this the power of prejudice. 270
• Despite his tendency to make support staff run errands, his tactful words and friendly manner can keep them from resenting him. 40
• His control and investigative talents do not make him omnipotent: the God of Games explicitly observes that he has not crossed into the realm of gods during the Song Tide incident. 700