Chen Yulou

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Chen Yulou (陈玉楼)
Alias(es)	Chief Chen; Chief of Xieling; Ever-Victorious leader
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xieling faction
Occupation/Role	Leader of Xieling; tomb raider; Lu Yan's nominal disciple
Status	Active
First Appearance	7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Nominal disciple / cultivation initiate	23–24	Formally kneels to Lu Yan and is accepted as a nominal disciple. Lu Yan later transmits a foundational meditation technique directly into his mind. 23 24
Mid-level Wizard Apprentice	62	Becomes the strongest among the Xieling cultivators after receiving sufficient resources and training. 62
Advanced Wizard Apprentice	179	Lu Yan recognizes his diligent cultivation and confirms his advancement. 179

Background / History

Chen Yulou leads the Xieling faction, a vast Xiangxi tomb-raiding organization descended from the Red Eyebrows. Despite Xieling's trade, he opens the Chen family granaries to feed refugees displaced by war, drought, and floods. When supplies run low, he considers raiding the unmarked Yuan tombs of Bottle Mountain to finance relief efforts. His hesitation stems from an earlier tomb expedition that killed most of the men he led and nearly cost him his own life. 7 10

A year before the Bottle Mountain expedition, Chen was afflicted by a strange corpse poison. Daoist Simu saved him after ordinary sticky rice and snake medicine failed, creating the debt of gratitude that brings Chen back to Simu for help. 8 10

Chen meets Lu Yan while seeking Simu's assistance. Though initially cautious of the young cultivator, he is impressed by Lu Yan's knowledge, weapons, and supernatural techniques during the Royal Zombie incident. 10 13

At Bottle Mountain, Chen witnesses Lu Yan defeat the Six-Winged Centipede and chooses to become his disciple. He subsequently supports Lu Yan's plan to remake Xieling through cultivation, distribute Bottle Mountain's proceeds among its members, and pursue work benefiting the country and its people. 23 25 27 32

Years later, Chen leads Xieling in defending Xiangyin County against warlords and Japanese-backed forces. Under Lu Yan's guidance, Xieling develops anti-inflammatory medicine, high-yield rice, and martial training programs while supporting patriotic forces. 62 179

Appearance

Chen Yulou is a refined but battle-ready Xieling chief whose scholarly presentation contrasts with his background as a tomb raider.

• Wears a green gown when first meeting Lu Yan; after traveling overnight, his face is dusty and his appearance disheveled. 10
• Dresses in a long white gown, spectacles, and carries a folding fan during Xieling's oath ceremony. 16
• Possesses distinctive “night eyes,” allowing him to see clearly in dark underground spaces. 11
• Carries a Little Divine Blade during expeditions. 18 22
• Four years later, he wears a handlebar mustache and appears more like a man of letters than a bandit. 179

Personality

Chen is charismatic, eloquent, and highly conscious of his reputation. He can deliver persuasive speeches to rally the Xieling brothers, negotiate smoothly with strangers, and use political favors to secure allies such as the Nine Gates. 10 16 28

He is also deeply protective of his people. His decision to risk Bottle Mountain is driven by the starving refugees dependent on Xieling's relief supplies, while his past losses make him more cautious than he once was. He treats corpses with respect and becomes enraged when Rat Auntie's remains are mutilated. 7 17

His pride can make him stubborn and vain. He struggles to ask Lu Yan for apprenticeship, resents being teased, and attempts to preserve face by boasting about the spirit civets after Lu Yan helps save him. 19 21 23

As Lu Yan's disciple, Chen becomes more disciplined and purpose-driven. He commits himself to the ideal of “establish[ing] a heart for heaven and earth” and provides Xieling's money, grain, armaments, medicine, and personnel to patriotic forces. 32 179

Abilities & Skills

Night Eyes and Exceptional Senses

Chen was born with unusually sharp senses suited to tomb exploration.

• Sees in dark underground palaces where ordinary vision would fail. 11
• Uses his senses and feng shui knowledge to identify the likely location of Bottle Mountain's underground palace. 20
• Tracks a three-legged cat through the dark forest by sight. 18
• His high innate spiritual power makes him suited to Lu Yan's Arcanist cultivation path. 20

Tomb Raiding and Expedition Leadership

As Xieling's chief, Chen is an experienced organizer of large-scale tomb raids.

• Commands Xieling scouts, vanguards, and excavation teams. 20 22
• Organizes precautions against poisonous miasma and centipedes during the Bottle Mountain raid. 21 22
• Recognizes the Guanshan Taibao insignia and has knowledge of the group's tomb-raiding traditions. 24
• Leads from the front, often personally entering dangerous tunnels and chambers. 21 24

Arcanist Cultivation

Lu Yan teaches Chen foundational meditation and provides auxiliary potions, allowing him to develop as a wizard apprentice. 24 27

• Reaches mid-level Wizard Apprentice by the siege of Xiangyin County. 62
• Advances to Advanced Wizard Apprentice by Lu Yan's return four years later. 179
• Can engage rogue sorcerers in a brief magical duel, though they escape into Xiangyin. 62
• Has sufficient cultivation talent to perceive Lu Yan's power and benefit from direct mental transmission of cultivation knowledge. 24 27

Persuasion and Political Strategy

Chen uses rhetoric, favors, and material resources to build alliances.

• Rallies Xieling by framing Bottle Mountain's wealth as property to be redistributed to the impoverished. 16
• Sends medicine to cure Er Yuehong's wife, securing the Nine Gates' attendance at Xieling's apprenticeship ceremony. 28
• Persuades Gong Yutian to support the Jingwu Association after demonstrating the Qi-Enlightening Potion's effects. 181
• Plans to spread martial training and Qi-Enlightening medicine to strengthen the population. 181

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Little Divine Blade — Chen's personal blade, used while scouting dangerous tomb passages. 18 22 24
• Enchanted ring — Gifted by Lu Yan upon Chen's apprenticeship; contains Clear Mind, which protects against ordinary illusions, and Deflection Field, which can deflect bullets. 23
• Folding fan — A signature accessory often used while speaking publicly or negotiating. 16 25 28
• Purple strengthening potion — A precious potion Chen reserves for emergencies and ultimately gives to Kunlun rather than using it himself. 62 63
• Qi-Enlightening Potion formula — A formula entrusted to Chen by Lu Yan to support the planned expansion of martial arts training. 181

Relationships

• Lu Yan — Master and mentor. Chen initially evaluates him cautiously, then becomes his nominal disciple after witnessing his defeat of the Six-Winged Centipede. 10 23
• Old Master Chen — Father. He entrusts the Chen family and Xieling responsibilities to Chen while urging him to return safely from Old Bear Ridge. 8 26
• Hua Maguai — Trusted aide and Xieling subordinate who assists Chen with operations and receives orders on his behalf. 7 25 28
• Red Maiden — Loyal Xieling companion. She accompanies Chen on major missions and volunteers to assassinate Japanese commanders at his order. 17 62 179
• Kunlun — Powerful subordinate and protector. Chen entrusts him with a strengthening potion during Xiangyin's siege and relies on him for protection. 63
• Luo Laowai — Tomb-raiding ally and military commander. They cooperate at Bottle Mountain, though Chen recognizes Luo's greed and limited potential. 15 16 25
• Daoist Simu — Chen's lifesaver; Simu cured Chen's corpse poison a year before the Bottle Mountain expedition. 8 10
• Zhegushao — Old friend and sworn brother; leader of the Mountain-Moving Daoists. 19
• Gong Yutian — Martial arts senior persuaded by Chen to support the founding of the Jingwu Association. 181

Story Role / Major Arcs

Refugee Crisis and Bottle Mountain

Chen struggles to balance the risk of Old Bear Ridge against the need to feed refugees. He recruits Lu Yan's aid, rallies Xieling and Luo Laowai's forces, and leads the expedition into Bottle Mountain. 7 10 16 21

Apprenticeship Under Lu Yan

After witnessing Lu Yan destroy the Six-Winged Centipede, Chen kneels and accepts him as master. He receives an enchanted ring, cultivation instruction, and the responsibility to guide Xieling toward a new future. 23 27

Reformation of Xieling

Chen distributes Bottle Mountain's proceeds to Xieling members, supports Lu Yan's cultivation program, and manages the faction while Lu Yan enters seclusion. He later organizes an apprenticeship ceremony that draws major factions to Xiangyin. 26 29

Defense of Xiangyin

As warlords and Japanese forces besiege Xiangyin, Chen oversees the development of medicine and high-yield rice, maintains Xieling's defenses, and deploys Kunlun's enhanced strength to break the military deadlock. 62 63

Patriotic Resistance and the Jingwu Association

Chen commits Xieling's resources to patriotic forces fighting Japanese invasion and dispatches Red Maiden to assassinate Japanese commanders. He later travels to Guangdong to unite martial artists, using the Qi-Enlightening Potion and Knight Breathing Technique as the foundation for the Jingwu Association. 179 181

Trivia

• Chen considers Lu Yan's firearm vastly superior to the guns used by Xieling's marksmen. 12
• He is notably protective of his reputation and quickly explains away his failure to recognize the disguised Zhegushao. 19
• Chen's Clear Mind ring is especially valuable against illusions, a danger he encounters during the Bottle Mountain journey. 18 23