Zhao Wenjie

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhao Wenjie (赵文杰)
Alias(es)	Steward Zhao; Deacon Zhao
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Azure Cloud Sect; aligned with Yao Yuzhi and Artifact Peak
Occupation/Role	Steward of Oak Garden; Yao Yuzhi's supporter
Status	Deceased — killed by Li Jun 23
First Appearance	1

Background / History

Zhao Wenjie served as Oak Garden's steward. He summoned Li Jun, then a twenty-six-year-old carpenter without a spiritual root, and forcibly transported him to Medicine Peak to serve as a medicinal catalyst in Shen Xiyue's pill refinement. He initially dismissed Li Jun's perception of the alchemy formation and privately resolved to cripple and expel him once the refinement was over, fearing Li Jun would cause him trouble. 1 2

He was later revealed as a committed supporter of Yao Yuzhi, Artifact Peak's chief disciple and Shen Xiyue's rival for the young sect master position. Zhao exploited Oak Garden for years, supplying Medicine Peak with defective oak leaves while secretly diverting superior resources and cultivating mutated oak trees for Yao Yuzhi's planned magical artifact. 6 7 10

To undermine Shen Xiyue, Zhao arranged for poisoned oak leaves to be delivered to Medicine Peak's spirit cattle. The Cartilage Softening Powder was intended to slowly kill the cattle and leave Li Jun, their caretaker, responsible. Li Jun quietly neutralized the poison, preventing the scheme from succeeding. 8

Personality

Zhao Wenjie was greedy, suspicious, and vindictive. He viewed Li Jun's sudden awakening of a spirit root as deeply abnormal, had Liu Yan investigate him, and kept him under surveillance rather than dismissing him as an insignificant outer disciple. 5 8 9

He was also pragmatic about his own survival. Although he showed concern for Liu Yan after their decade of association and hoped to retire once Yao Yuzhi's affair was settled, he later poisoned two surviving companions rather than risk their return to Yao Yuzhi. 10 23

Abilities & Skills

Qi Refining Cultivation

Zhao Wenjie had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, placing him above Li Jun's third-level cultivation during their final battle. 9 23

• Could release spiritual energy and wield protective spiritual light, capabilities associated with the fourth through sixth Qi Refining levels. 9
• Retained substantial combat experience despite being injured during the Ghost-Faced Crab incident. 22 23

Swordsmanship

Zhao fought with flying swords and practiced the Flowing Cloud Sword Art. 23

• Shattered Li Jun's first sword attempt through a direct clash.
• Used successive sword shadows to pressure Li Jun in close combat.
• Was ultimately bypassed by Li Jun's Shadow-Folding Wandering Dragon Step and killed by Star-Shattering Finger. 23

Fireball Technique

Zhao attempted to cast the Fireball Technique during his fight with Li Jun. 23

• His casting was interrupted before completion by Li Jun's Star-Shattering Finger. 23

Equipment / Items

• Flying swords — wielded at least two during his final battle with Li Jun. 23
• Storage pouch — contained 3,000 low-grade Spirit Stones, several bottles of Yellow Dragon Pills, and a manual for the Flowing Cloud Sword Art. 24
• Poisoned wine — used to murder two surviving companions after the Ghost-Faced Crab incident. 23

Relationships

• Li Jun — Former subordinate whom Zhao pressed into service as a medicinal catalyst; later regarded as a suspected spy and attempted to have abducted. Li Jun ultimately killed him. 1 9 23
• Yao Yuzhi — Patron and senior ally. Zhao managed Oak Garden's illicit operations, supplied mutated oak trees for her artifact project, and followed her orders concerning Li Jun. 6 9 10
• Liu Yan — Longtime subordinate who had followed Zhao for ten years; Liu carried out surveillance, poison deliveries, and other covert tasks for him. 8 10
• Shen Xiyue — Political opponent by association. Zhao's poisoning of Medicine Peak's spirit cattle and diversion of Oak Garden resources targeted her cultivation resources and influence. 7 8
• Huang Yi — Opposed deacon of Medicine Peak. Their exchanges were openly hostile due to their respective support for Shen Xiyue and Yao Yuzhi. 6

Story Role / Major Arcs

Medicinal Catalyst Incident

Zhao selected Li Jun as a supposedly non-cultivating medicinal catalyst, contrary to Shen Xiyue's instruction that such candidates must have no cultivation potential. Li Jun's subsequent awakening and Shen Xiyue's protection turned Zhao's intended disposable laborer into a threat. 1 3

Oak Garden Scheme

As Oak Garden steward, Zhao oversaw the long-running diversion of quality oak resources and the cultivation of ten mutated oaks for Yao Yuzhi. He also arranged poisoned leaf deliveries intended to destroy Medicine Peak's spirit cattle. 6 8 10

Pursuit of Li Jun

After Li Jun became an outer disciple of Medicine Peak, Zhao threatened him, ordered Liu Yan to monitor him, and prepared to seize him for information about Shen Xiyue's Purple Foundation Pill. The group sent after Li Jun, including Liu Yan, was eliminated by Li Jun. 5 9 11 12

Yunwang Mountain and Death

After Oak Garden's collapse, Zhao was demoted to the mines but remained convinced that Li Jun might be Shen Xiyue's planted spy. At Yunwang Mountain, he fled the Ghost-Faced Crab with several companions and later poisoned two of them to avoid Yao Yuzhi's punishment. Li Jun confronted him in a cave and killed him with Star-Shattering Finger after a sword fight. 20 21 23

Trivia

• Zhao embezzled 3,000 low-grade Spirit Stones during his time as an outer sect steward. 24
• He believed Li Jun had destroyed Oak Garden and killed Liu Yan's group, but received no confirmation before his death. 23
• Despite his ties to Yao Yuzhi, he intended to leave the Azure Cloud Sect after the mutated-oak affair, fearing that the struggle for young sect master would turn him into cannon fodder. 10