Steward Wu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Steward Wu (吴管事)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Black Cloud Stronghold; outsider demonic cultivators
Occupation/Role	Steward; oversees labor, Soul-Lost Ones, and blood collection within the stronghold
First Appearance	Chapter 15

Background / History

Steward Wu is one of the outsider demonic cultivators who established themselves within Black Cloud Stronghold. The stronghold’s residents are divided between traditional locals and villagers who follow Wu’s faction in practicing demonic arts, marked by purple cloth strips around their wrists. He and his fellow outsiders maintain a tense coexistence with the traditional residents, whose interests are represented in part by Granny Gu. 15 28

Within the outsider faction’s hierarchy, Steward Wu is one of eighteen stewards beneath three Cave Masters and the unseen Temple Lord. He is considered an elite figure among the stronghold’s demonic cultivators and operates from the interconnected karst caves beneath the mountain. 48 49

He assigns Leng Aqi to receive shipments of “lambs”—children acquired by the stronghold—and later forces her to select and care for one Soul-Lost One. The chosen child must regularly absorb the sustainer’s yang energy and be brought to the Blood Chamber for blood extraction. 15 16 18 30

Appearance

Steward Wu is a gaunt, gloomy man whose clothing distinguishes him from Black Cloud Stronghold’s local villagers. 15

• Gaunt frame and sunken cheeks, giving him a mean-spirited appearance. 15
• Wears a Central Plains-style long gown rather than local clothing. 15
• Initially carries a large water pipe. 15
• Later appears in a blood-red robe within the karst caves. 48

Personality

Steward Wu is contemptuous, authoritarian, and exceptionally quick to resort to violence. When Leng Aqi insults him, he immediately kills her with his water pipe; he later kills Li Muyang’s game character for disobedience, lateness, or even wandering through the caves instead of reporting to the Blood Chamber. 15 49

His treatment of Soul-Lost Ones and their sustainers is utilitarian. He gives Leng Aqi no meaningful choice but to take responsibility for a child whose condition threatens the sustainer’s life, while treating blood extraction as routine work. 16 18

During the third cultivation stage, Wu’s hostility becomes especially volatile after Granny Gu tasks Li Muyang and Little Wild Grass with killing him. However, when Li Muyang follows a strange, familiar blood scent in the forest and tells Wu about it, Wu suppresses his usual rage and orders him back to the Blood Chamber instead of killing him. 48 50

Abilities & Skills

Demonic cultivation and combat ability

Steward Wu is recognized as a formidable expert in Black Cloud Stronghold and possesses enough strength to kill ordinary characters instantly. 15 19 49

• Kills Leng Aqi in a single blow with his water pipe after being insulted. 15
• Can kill Li Muyang’s game character immediately when angered. 49
• Holds elite status among the stronghold’s demonic cultivators. 49
• Commands enough authority that even killing someone directly outside his door does not deter the hidden murderer troubling the stronghold. 19

Stronghold administration

Wu manages labor and resources connected to the outsider demonic cultivators’ practices. 15 16 30

• Assigns villagers work, including receiving child deliveries and inspecting purchased “lambs.” 15
• Distributes payment for purchases, giving Leng Aqi two taels of silver per child to pay a driver. 15
• Assigns sustainers to care for Soul-Lost Ones. 16 18
• Oversees the Blood Chamber, where Little Wild Grass is taken for regular blood extraction. 30 48

Equipment / Items

• Water pipe — Used to smoke and to kill Leng Aqi in a single strike. 15
• Money pouch — Given to Leng Aqi to pay for incoming children. 15
• Refined-iron chain — Issued for restraining Little Wild Grass while allowing her to absorb her sustainer’s yang energy. 16

Relationships

• Li Muyang / Leng Aqi / Jiang Xiaoyu — Steward Wu’s subordinate and later a sustainer assigned to Little Wild Grass. Wu repeatedly threatens or kills him in the game for perceived disobedience. 15 16 49
• Little Wild Grass — A Soul-Lost One placed under Wu’s blood-collection system; Wu orders her regular visits to the Blood Chamber. 16 30 48
• Granny Gu — Political rival within Black Cloud Stronghold. Granny Gu explicitly seeks Wu’s heart and sends Li Muyang and Little Wild Grass to kill him. 28 47 48
• Outsider demonic cultivators — Wu is a prominent steward among this faction and lives with them in the mountain caves. 28 48 49
• Temple Lord and the Three Cave Masters — Wu serves beneath them in the outsider faction’s hierarchy. 49

Story Role / Major Arcs

Introduction and the Soul-Lost One assignment

Wu first appears as Leng Aqi’s harsh overseer. After proving that he will kill subordinates without hesitation, he assigns Leng Aqi to receive children delivered to the stronghold. He then forces her to choose one child to sustain, resulting in Little Wild Grass being taken into her care. 15 16

Black Cloud Stronghold’s daily life

As Little Wild Grass’s sustainer, Li Muyang’s game character receives food and lodging from Wu’s system but must bring the girl to the Blood Chamber for blood extraction every ten days. The arrangement confirms Wu’s role in exploiting Soul-Lost Ones as cultivation resources. 18 30

Conflict with Granny Gu

After Granny Gu requests Wu’s heart, Li Muyang and Little Wild Grass are pushed toward a direct conflict with him. Wu becomes unusually hostile whenever Li Muyang approaches the caves after meeting Granny Gu, killing him regardless of his dialogue choice. 47 48 49

The forest blood-scent clue

Li Muyang discovers a fishy blood scent in the forest while searching for a way past Wu’s lethal hostility. When he truthfully tells Wu about the scent, Wu reacts with malicious interest but sends him back to the Blood Chamber rather than killing him, allowing Li Muyang to survive the first day of the third-stage plot. 50

Trivia

• Steward Wu’s clothing sets him apart visually from the local residents of Black Cloud Stronghold. 15
• Villagers who follow Wu’s demonic-cultivator faction wear purple cloth strips around their wrists. 15 28
• Despite his rank and power, Granny Gu’s influence is great enough that Wu and his followers treat her cautiously. 28