Fang Huai

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Fang Huai (方淮)
Species/Race	Human; initially a mortal
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Corpse Sha Sect; Skinning Peak; oath-bound member of the Ascension Society
Occupation/Role	Former sect servant; Outer Sect disciple; demon-beast skinner
Spiritual Root	Initially none; later formed a Sha Spirit Root
Status	Alive 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Mortal	2	Could see tags on people and objects; began with 1 remaining exchange point.
Half-Step Body Forging	4	Seized Jin Xiaoxiao's blood and qi through the Body Forging Technique, reaching 51/100 proficiency and gaining the physical strength to overwhelm ordinary mortals.
Qi Refining First Layer	11	Reached 100/100 in the Hundred Sha Technique, cleared his Dao heart with Liu Xiange's help, and completed his first Qi Refining breakthrough.
Qi Refining Third Layer	23	Advanced after five years of work and cultivation at Skinning Peak.
Qi Refining Fourth Layer	30 32	Shed his own skin using the Hundred Sha Technique, survived the life-or-death breakthrough, and formed a Sha Spirit Root.
Body Forging Technique, Layer 4	35	Documented at Layer 4 while his skinning and Thousand Silk Jade Hand techniques also progressed.
Sha Spirit Root growth	50	Absorbed Vegetation Sha with the Little Corpse Meteor Insect's help, extending his Sha Spirit Root by two and a half fen.

Background / History

Fang Huai began as a crippled beggar in famine-stricken Sishui Town. Pei Hu, the Pei Family's cruel second young master, had previously broken his leg; Fang Huai's body was left scarred and weak from abuse and exposure. During another confrontation, Fang Huai discovered his ability to exchange tags, trading his own [Hunger and Cold] for Pei Hu's [Warm Clothes and Full Belly]. Pei Hu was consequently overwhelmed by hunger and ate himself to death, while Fang Huai gained his first chance to survive. 1

He soon learned that tags could be read from people and objects, refreshed after the Zi hour, and varied in color and exchange cost. After Sishui Town was caught in Feng Wuwang's purge, Fang Huai was brought into the Corpse Sha Sect as a servant and received the Hundred Sha Technique. 2 3

In Servant Valley, Fang Huai developed the Body Forging Technique by turning Jin Xiaoxiao's attempted plundering against her. He rejected Pei Long's recruitment offer, after which Pei Long secretly planted a Black Death Spider on him. Fang Huai survived the venom, began gathering Sha in Miasma Valley, and formed a cautious alliance with Liu Xiange, Zhang Zhu, and Shen Yuan. 4 6

After reaching Qi Refining, Fang Huai exterminated the Pei Family members he could find before leaving Servant Valley. He was then poisoned, sold by Luo Heng to the Human Puppet Hall, and bound with his cultivation sealed. There, the Corpse Meteor Insect produced the Little Corpse Meteor Insect, giving Fang Huai a means to kill his buyers and endure confinement. 12 14

Jiang Miao eventually removed him from the Human Puppet Hall and brought him to the Outer Sect Hall. Fang Huai learned that he had no spiritual root and was assigned to Skinning Peak, where he built his status through demon-beast skinning, contribution-point accumulation, and relentless cultivation. 17 18 22

Appearance

Fang Huai was initially a rag-clothed, frostbitten beggar with a broken leg and a body covered in scars. His body rapidly recovered after he cultivated the Body Forging Technique. 1 2 7

• His original injury left him crippled until his Body Forging progress nearly restored his leg within a month. 7
• He considers himself “covered in scars,” a trait that contributed to his insecurity regarding Dao companions. 9
• He commonly wore worn or plain clothing during his early years at Skinning Peak. 18 22
• During the backlash from betraying the sect, his bloodshot eyes and bulging veins made him resemble a tattoo-covered monster. 31

Personality

Fang Huai is intensely survival-driven, practical, and suspicious of kindness—especially within the Corpse Sha Sect. His experience with Jin Xiaoxiao's deception and Pei Long's attempted murder made him reluctant to trust others, even when accepting help from Liu Xiange or allowing Jin Xiaoxiao into his dwelling. 4 6 19

He is calculating in combat and negotiations. Rather than rush to save his allies from the Liu Brothers' trap, he feigned indifference to expose the attackers; he similarly manipulated Zheng Fengzu into trusting his skinning instructions before escaping. 8 28 He is capable of severe violence, including his systematic revenge against the Pei Family, but his ruthlessness is tempered by a persistent concern for people trapped beneath stronger cultivators. 12 16

Fang Huai values repayment and loyalty. He saved Liu Xiange's group despite warning that he would not tolerate another reckless incident, repaid Wu Liu for years of support before transferring skinning rooms, and protected Green Parasol City's mortals despite initially dismissing their worth. 9 32 48

Abilities & Skills

Tag Reading and Exchange

Fang Huai can perceive tags attached to people and objects, then exchange certain tags by spending points.

• Tags on living beings may be gray, white, red, black, or rarely colorless; objects typically bear colorless tags. 2
• Tags refresh after the Zi hour, while his exchange points recover over time. 2
• He can return an exchanged tag to its original owner. 1
• His first confirmed exchange transferred [Hunger and Cold] to Pei Hu and gave Fang Huai [Warm Clothes and Full Belly]. 1
• The technique has point-based limits: he could not exchange the white [Paralysis Toxin] tag during his fight with the Liu Brothers. 9
• He can borrow skill tags, though borrowed mastery does not automatically provide the physical experience needed to use it effectively. 32

Hundred Sha Technique

The Hundred Sha Technique was inscribed into Fang Huai's sea of consciousness when he entered the Corpse Sha Sect. It is the foundation of his cultivation and his route to overcoming his lack of an innate spiritual root. 3 11

• Its Body Forging branch allows the seizure of living beings' blood and qi to strengthen the body. 4
• Fang Huai used it to shed his own skin, break through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer, and forge a Sha Spirit Root. 30
• He later used aberrant Vegetation Sha to further extend that root. 50

Corpse Meteor Insects

A Corpse Meteor Insect resides on Fang Huai's heart. Its offspring, the Little Corpse Meteor Insect, became one of his most reliable hidden weapons. 11 13

• The mother insect has [Poison-Devouring Sha-Suppressing] and [Undying and Indestructible] traits; it consumes poison and suppresses toxic sha. 11
• The Little Corpse Meteor Insect understands Fang Huai's commands, leaves his body to seek poison, and returns afterward. 15
• It killed Ma Qiquan while Fang Huai was restrained in the Human Puppet Hall. 14
• It helped Fang Huai escape the Blood Jade Tree's restraints and resist Blood Jade Insects. 28
• It entered and fatally wounded the Green Scab Spider from within. 48
• It assisted Fang Huai in subduing Vegetation Sha during his Sha Spirit Root growth. 50

Skinning Technique

Fang Huai became an accomplished demon-beast skinner through years of work at Skinning Peak.

• He advanced from needing three hours to process a Qi Refining First Layer beast to handling Qi Refining Second Layer beasts in under two hours. 22
• He struggled against the Cloud Stone Python even after borrowing Lin Yan's [Skinning Grandmastery], recognizing that technique required practical familiarity as well as knowledge. 32
• After acquiring Thousand Silk Jade Hand, he successfully skinned the same difficult species in only two attempts and secured a position in Skinning Room No. A-03. 35

Thousand Silk Jade Hand

Fang Huai exchanged for the [Thousand Silk Jade Hand] skill to improve his fine control while skinning. 35

• It enabled more precise handling of hard-scaled and tightly fused demon-beast hides. 35
• He raised it to Beginner proficiency while adapting to higher-class Skinning Room work. 35

Learned Techniques

Fang Huai has learned spells from Li Sirou, though his former lack of an elemental spiritual root greatly reduced their power. 36

• Light Body Technique — used to flee toward the Corpse Sha Sect after his breakthrough. 30
• Quicksand Technique — used to bury Luo Heng's Blood Jade Leaves. 36

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Crimson Sky Cry — Spirit Sword gifted by Lin Yu after Fang Huai helped save Green Parasol City; it recognized Fang Huai after he formed a blood pact with it. 49
• Little Corpse Meteor Insect — sentient insect weapon and poison-devouring companion living within Fang Huai. 15 48
• Stone Blade — carried during his early Miasma Valley expeditions. 6
• Soul Banner — used to collect Zheng Fengzu's remnant soul. 29
• Paper Kite — used for aerial movement during the Green Scab Spider battle. 48
• Identity Token — records his sect identity, residence, and contribution points; reissued after his release from the Human Puppet Hall. 17

Relationships

• Pei Hu — Former tormentor in Sishui Town; Fang Huai's first tag exchange caused Pei Hu's fatal hunger. 1
• Pei Long — Enemy and Pei Family heir. He attempted to recruit Fang Huai, secretly poisoned him with a Black Death Spider, and remained a central threat during Fang Huai's Servant Valley period. 4 5 7
• Liu Xiange — Trusted ally, fellow Sha gatherer, and recurring romantic companion. Her Blood Gu Centipede detoxified Fang Huai, and her Corruption Curse was vital during the Zheng Family conflict. 6 11 28
• Jin Xiaoxiao — Initially tried to drain Fang Huai's blood and qi; later became his co-resident at Skinning Peak and handled chores in exchange for lodging. 4 19 21
• Shen Yuan — Former Servant Valley companion who confessed her feelings to Fang Huai; he rejected her while remaining focused on cultivation. 9
• Zhang Zhu — Early ally in Liu Xiange's group; Fang Huai saved him from the Liu Brothers' trap but criticized his recklessness. 8 9
• Luo Heng — The senior brother who sold Fang Huai to the Human Puppet Hall. Years later, Luo Heng failed to recognize him and tried to recruit him into the Ascension Society through Blood Jade Leaves. 13 36 37
• Jiang Miao — Dangerous Human Puppet Hall cultivator who recognized Fang Huai's insight into her illusions. She brought him out of the Hall but later confronted him over his Ascension Society involvement. 15 17 39
• Wu Liu — Skinning Room steward who helped Fang Huai establish himself at Skinning Peak and recommended him to a higher-class room after he repaid her support. 20 32
• Lin Yan — Skinning Room No. A-03 steward and mentor figure who recognized Fang Huai's potential but demanded that he develop genuine practical skill. 32 35
• Li Sirou — Mystic Sword Sect disciple captured by Meng Yi and purchased by Fang Huai. Though initially hostile, she gradually showed concern for his well-being while living under his rules. 31 35 36
• Feng Wuwang — Corpse Sha Sect cultivator and Ascension Society hall master. He forced Fang Huai into the Society's oath system and fed him Blood Jade Insect-derived “Immortal Delicacy.” 2 38 39
• Lin Yu — Mystic Sword Sect cultivator who came to respect Fang Huai after the Green Scab Spider incident and gifted him Crimson Sky Cry. 48 49

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Sishui Beggar Arc — Discovers tag exchange while surviving famine and turns Pei Hu's cruelty back on him. 1 2
• Servant Valley Arc — Enters the Corpse Sha Sect, gains the Hundred Sha Technique, develops Body Forging, and forms his first working alliance with Liu Xiange's group. 3 11
• Pei Family Reckoning — Uses his first Qi Refining breakthrough as an opportunity to eliminate Pei Family disciples before entering the Outer Sect. 12
• Human Puppet Hall Arc — Is betrayed by Luo Heng, sold as a human puppet, and survives through deception and the birth of the Little Corpse Meteor Insect. 13 17
• Skinning Peak Arc — Establishes himself as an Outer Sect disciple, earns 60,000 contribution points through skinning, and develops advanced practical techniques. 18 23 32 35
• Nanze Zheng Family Arc — Investigates the Zheng Family's Blood Jade Tree, escapes their betrayal, and sheds his skin to form a Sha Spirit Root. 24 32
• Ascension Society Arc — Is drawn into Luo Heng's organization, endures Blood Jade Insect cultivation, and becomes constrained by Oath Sha while concealing his true intentions. 36 40
• Green Parasol City Arc — Uses the Little Corpse Meteor Insect to kill the Green Scab Spider, saves the city, and receives Crimson Sky Cry from Lin Yu. 48 50

Notable Quotes

“From now on, call me Senior Brother Fang!” 4

“If there's a next time, I won't save you!” 9

“May you be reborn into a better life next time.” 12

“I seek immortality, to look down upon all beings!” 39