Zhao Hu

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhao Hu (赵虎)
Alias(es)	Second Zhao brother; “Old Zhao” (while Yang Xiao impersonates him)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Peace Sect; an infiltrator within Vermilion Bird Tower
Occupation/Role	Waiter; Peace Sect operative
Status	Deceased; devoured by Yang Xiao. Later impersonated by his elder twin brother, Boss Zhao, and by Yang Xiao 19 21 30 43
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Background / History

Zhao Hu worked as a waiter at Vermilion Bird Tower alongside Zhang Long, while secretly serving as a Peace Sect disciple. The pair exploited their position to eat guests’ leftovers in private rooms and discussed using the upcoming Grandmaster Dao Debate to advance the sect’s interests. Neither displayed observable qi, and Yang Xiao initially judged them to possess only modest fist-and-foot skill. 8

Together with Zhang Long, Zhao Hu targeted Yang Xiao as a potential source of wealth. They believed that, as a hereditary house slave of the Princess Mansion who owned an inner-city residence, Yang Xiao’s family might be concealing valuables. Their original plan was to murder him amid the disorder expected six days later, seize his house and possessions, and profit from the Peace Sect uprising. 9

Zhao Hu later lost money on the top floor of Vermilion Bird Tower and secretly acted ahead of Zhang Long. He entered Yang Xiao’s home at night intending to murder and rob him, then peel off his skin for use as a mask. Yang Xiao killed him and used the Myriad Phenomena Heaven-Swallowing Art’s phantom to devour his body, eliminating the physical evidence. 19

The devouring granted Yang Xiao fragmented memories of Zhao Hu, revealing the Peace Sect’s plan to infiltrate Vermilion Bird Tower during the Grandmaster Dao Debate. Zhao Hu knew only that operatives such as himself and Zhang Long would coordinate internally with outside disciples; he was not informed of the full objective. 19

Personality

Zhao Hu was greedy, opportunistic, and cruel. He readily joined Zhang Long in deceiving fellow workers, treating Yang Xiao as prey rather than a colleague. 8 9

He was also impulsive. Rather than wait for the joint plan with Zhang Long, he attempted to kill Yang Xiao alone after losing money, hoping to claim the wealth first. This decision concealed his actions from both Zhang Long and, apparently, Song Que. 19

Abilities & Skills

Iron Skin Cultivation

Zhao Hu was an Iron Skin martial practitioner, placing him above the Bronze Skin and Cowhide stages recognized among ordinary Peace Sect disciples. 19 49

• His realm made him and Zhang Long prominent figures among ordinary capital-branch disciples. 49
• Yang Xiao believed that, before advancing, he would need to reach First Blood to reliably defeat Zhang Long, who was assessed as comparable to Zhao Hu in realm. 19
• Zhao Hu was killed before demonstrating his full combat capability. 19

Lightness Skill

Zhao Hu possessed a distinctive movement technique described as allowing him to come and go “like a ghost.” 19

• Yang Xiao gained knowledge of the technique from Zhao Hu’s memories.
• Yang Xiao could not directly acquire its practical mastery through qi observation after Zhao Hu’s death. 19

Disguise Technique

Zhao Hu’s disguise art had reached the realm of “divine transformation.” He had learned it from his elder twin brother, Boss Zhao. 19 33

• His elder twin’s near-identical appearance allowed Boss Zhao to impersonate Zhao Hu flawlessly after Zhao Hu’s death. 21 30
• The technique was associated with Zhao Hu’s intended use of human skin as a mask. 19

Equipment / Items

• Mystic Fire Buckle — Originally Zhao Hu’s; its possession later passed through Huo Zhen and Ye Feng before reaching Yang Xiao. 19
• Shadow Feather Talisman — Hidden inside Zhao Hu’s Mystic Fire Buckle. It can sense targets within one hundred li after a hook is planted, with three remaining uses when Yang Xiao discovers it. Zhao Hu had already planted a hook on Zhang Long’s buckle. 19

Relationships

• Zhang Long — Fellow Peace Sect operative and criminal partner. They plotted to rob and murder Yang Xiao; Zhang Long later trusted the impostor “Zhao Hu” because he did not know Zhao Hu was dead. 9 19 21 43
• Boss Zhao — Elder twin brother and Song Que’s confidant. Boss Zhao taught Zhao Hu disguise techniques and later assumed Zhao Hu’s identity to investigate his disappearance. 30 33
• Yang Xiao — Intended victim. Zhao Hu attempted to murder him for wealth and skin, but Yang Xiao killed and devoured him. 19
• Song Que — Peace Sect capital branch master. Zhao Hu was one of the operatives developed among Vermilion Bird Tower workers under Song Que’s network. 19

Story Role / Major Arcs

Vermilion Bird Tower Infiltration

Zhao Hu appears as one of the corrupt waiters covertly working for the Peace Sect. With Zhang Long, he hoards leftover food, conceals his sect affiliation, and prepares for the Grandmaster Dao Debate operation. 8

Plot Against Yang Xiao

He and Zhang Long scheme to kill Yang Xiao during the anticipated chaos and divide the proceeds from his inner-city property. Zhao Hu later breaks from the arrangement, attempting the murder alone after losing money. 9 19

Death and Aftermath

Yang Xiao kills Zhao Hu inside his home and has the phantom devour him, gaining his memories and hidden talisman. Zhao Hu’s death prompts Boss Zhao to impersonate him, setting off a second conflict with Yang Xiao. 19 21 30

Posthumous Impersonation

Although dead, Zhao Hu’s identity remains central to later events:

• Boss Zhao impersonates him while seeking the person responsible for his death. 21 30
• Yang Xiao later impersonates Zhao Hu to deceive Zhang Long and infiltrate the Peace Sect’s capital branch. 43 49
• Zhang Long’s past reveals Zhao Hu served as lookout while Zhang Long used the Shadowless Skill to commit robberies and murders. 50

Trivia

• Zhao Hu and Boss Zhao were twin brothers whose height, build, and outward bearing were nearly indistinguishable. 30
• Zhao Hu’s fragmented memories were less complete because Yang Xiao had hacked his body into many pieces before devouring it. 19
• His hidden Shadow Feather Talisman inadvertently gave Yang Xiao a means to monitor Zhang Long. 19