Zheng Fengyun

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zheng Fengyun (郑凤云)
Alias(es)	Magistrate Zheng; Lord Zheng
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Cloud Mountain County yamen; conspiracy of officials colluding with demons and the Demon God Cult
Occupation/Role	Constable chief; county official overseeing Cloud Mountain County’s constables
Status	Deceased — killed by Cui Lang
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Zheng Fengyun publicly presented himself as the official responsible for protecting Cloud Mountain County from demons. At the execution of a demon that had killed twenty-nine people, he claimed credit for leading its capture, then pressured Cui Lang into carrying out the beheading after the executioners refused. He concealed the danger of demon venom and offered Cui the prospect of becoming a constable, expecting the promise to be difficult to fulfill 1.

When Cui Lang unexpectedly reached the required realm, Zheng honored the promise and placed him under Constable Li. Zheng remained suspicious of Cui’s rapid advancement, believing he might possess an alchemical pill and resenting that Cui had not offered it to him 3 4.

Behind his public image, Zheng maintained an arrangement with local demons: they refined Blood Pills for corrupt county officials in exchange for protection. He sought to use the pills to reach the Core Embracing Realm, while suppressing demon incidents that could endanger his evaluations and expose the conspiracy 21 28.

Appearance

Zheng Fengyun is an official who commonly appears in formal robes when performing public duties. He is capable of abruptly shifting from a composed, authoritative demeanor to open hostility when his authority or plans are threatened.

• Wore official robes while overseeing the public demon execution 1.
• Used a saber and movement techniques in combat 8 45.
• Was nearly forty years old while still at the peak of the Essence Gathering Realm 41.

Personality

Zheng is image-conscious, calculating, and deeply corrupt. He publicly frames his actions as protection of Cloud Mountain County, but repeatedly treats civilians, subordinates, and allied demons as expendable tools for preserving his position and accumulating Blood Pills 1 21 33.

He is skilled at identifying and exploiting weaknesses. Cui Lang’s poverty, ambition, and younger sister led Zheng and Constable Li to consider him easy to control; Zheng subsequently dangled promotions, techniques, and pills to bind Cui to the conspiracy 19 21 34.

His ambition ultimately makes him reckless. Frustrated by repeated failed attempts to form a martial core, he considers consuming ten Blood Pills at once. He also becomes increasingly desperate once the demons under his protection are killed and the conspiracy risks exposure 28 43.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Cultivation

Zheng Fengyun was a peak Essence Gathering Realm martial artist. He attempted several times to enter the Core Embracing Realm by refining Blood Pills, but did not succeed 28 45.

• His combat aura and saber skill allowed him to suppress two strengthened cat demons for a time 45.
• He could produce saber aura by concentrating his true essence into a full-force strike 46.
• His reliance on Blood Pills left him vulnerable to the collapse of his demon network 28 33.

Saber Arts

Zheng fought primarily with a saber and possessed greater saber proficiency than Cui Lang initially expected.

• Used rapid saber attacks to wound and pressure both cat demons 45.
• Could project a saber aura roughly half a zhang long in a desperate final attack 46.
• Misjudged Cui Lang’s concealed body-tempering strength and failed to inflict decisive damage 45.

Movement Technique

Zheng possessed a movement technique that allowed him to move with exceptional speed and keep pace with agile demons.

• Reached the Tiger Demon’s corpse from his carriage in the blink of an eye 8.
• His mobility enabled him to contend with the cat demons’ speed 45.
• Cui Lang identified and imitated part of his Swimming Dragon Step during their final confrontation 46.

Manipulation and Concealment

Zheng controlled Cloud Mountain County’s demon arrangement through intimidation, selective rewards, surveillance, and fabricated reports.

• Used Cui Lang as a disposable executioner while concealing the threat of demon venom 1.
• Rewarded demon slayers when their achievements improved his official record, but remained stingy with money and leave 8.
• Ordered Cui to falsely implicate Constable Li, offering promotion in return 28.
• Kept Cui under surveillance through his personally trained steward 38 39.

Equipment / Items

• Saber — Zheng’s principal weapon in combat 45 46.
• Blood Pills — obtained through demons and consumed in attempts to advance his cultivation 21 28.
• Incomplete Bloodfire Demon Body manual — given to Cui Lang as a means of making him dependent on demon-derived resources 34.
• Six-Winged Golden Cicada — used to trace the cat demons with a tuft of their fur 44.

Relationships

• Cui Lang — Initially coerced Cui into executing a demon, later recruited and attempted to groom him as a controllable subordinate. Zheng ultimately tried to let the cat demons kill Cui and was slain by him instead 1 34 45 46.
• Constable Li — Subordinate and co-conspirator who managed contacts with demons and Blood Pills. Zheng grew furious after Li’s death ruined his plans and revealed the scale of Li’s embezzlement 21 33.
• Ding Xiong — County Assistant and fellow conspirator. Zheng disclosed Cui’s involvement to Ding after the demon network began collapsing 44.
• Song He — Registrar and fellow conspirator who met with Zheng and Ding Xiong to address the cat-demon crisis 44.
• Zheng Residence steward — Personally trained subordinate tasked with following Cui Lang and reporting his movements 38 39.
• The cat demons — Demonic associates whom Zheng pursued after they killed the other protected demons; he intended to kill them for their blood resources 43 44 45.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Demon Execution and Cui Lang’s Recruitment

Zheng first appears as the public face of demon suppression in Cloud Mountain County. When the executioners refuse to behead a demon, he forces Cui Lang into the role by offering a constable position, without disclosing that demon blood is poisonous 1. After Cui reaches the required cultivation level, Zheng accepts him into the yamen and assigns him under Constable Li 3 4.

Exploiting Demon-Slaying Merit

Zheng rewards Cui Lang and Zhao Changshan after their defeat of the Tiger Demon, granting Cui the Blazing Sun Technique. His response is driven as much by the demon-slaying report’s value to his official evaluation as by genuine recognition 8.

After the Toad Demon’s death, Zheng realizes Cui and Zhao have become useful fighters. He begins considering whether they can be incorporated into his schemes 15.

Blood Pill Conspiracy

Zheng and Constable Li groom Cui as a potential pawn in their demon-collusion network. They identify his ambition and concern for Cui Ling as leverage, discuss giving him Blood Pills, and plan to eliminate him if he proves disloyal 19 21.

He later tests Cui’s loyalty by asking him to investigate demon collusion, then pressures him to fabricate evidence against Constable Li. Cui refuses to frame Li, but Zheng interprets his silence as proof that he can be trusted with the secret 27 28.

Temporary Chief Constable Appointment

After Constable Li dies alongside six demons, Zheng accepts Cui’s fabricated account and uses the disaster to discredit Li. He appoints Cui to temporarily perform the chief constable’s duties and supplies the incomplete Bloodfire Demon Body to keep him reliant on demon-derived cultivation resources 33 34 35.

Exposure and Death

When the cat demons destroy the county’s protected demon network, Zheng is forced to reveal the conspiracy to Cui and bring him into meetings with Ding Xiong and Song He 43 44.

During the hunt for the cat demons, Zheng attempts to use them to kill Cui Lang. Cui instead exploits the conflict, kills both demons, and reveals that he has mastered the Bloodfire Demon Body. Zheng tries to bargain for his life with promises of martial arts, wealth, and promotion, then launches a final ambush. Cui evades using an improvised Swimming Dragon Step and kills Zheng with a saber thrust 45 46.

Notable Quotes

“If you behead this demon today, I will reward you.” 1

“If you still refuse to tell the truth, I'll cut you down right now!” 33

“Cui Lang, you've already slain the two cat demons today. Why kill me as well?” 46