Zhang Elder

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhang Elder (张老丈)
Alias(es)	Old Zhang; Old Man Zhang; Old Farmer
Species/Race	Mortal
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Mud Alley, Black Mud City's outer district
Occupation/Role	Farmer; mortal resistance figure
Status	Deceased 49
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Stele-fragment empowerment	32	The fragment of the City-Guarding Stele absorbs a guard's blood; its power resets Zhang Elder's long-broken waist, straightens his back, and restores strength to his withered body.
Desolate Blood vessel	49	Near death, Zhang Elder forcibly draws a drop of origin Desolate Blood into himself so Fourth Li can inherit its power; the act kills him.

Background / History

Zhang Elder was an elderly mortal farmer living with his grandson in Mud Alley, Black Mud City's impoverished outer district. Years of exploitation by the Immortal City had left him habitually fearful and submissive; Steward Zhao previously kicked him to the ground and scalded his legs while he begged for mercy. His waist had also been broken by an immortal master in the mines, leaving him permanently hunched for decades. 1 32

After Lu Chen uprooted the City-Guarding Stele, Zhang Elder crawled through rain and rubble to recover a bloodstained fragment from its base. He concealed the fragment and began to resist the guards' extortion, refusing to kneel even when a guard commander threatened to throw his grandson into a furnace over unpaid tribute. 13

Zhang Elder and Fourth Li later concealed the corpse of a city guard in their cellar. When the stele fragment absorbed the guard's blood, it healed Zhang Elder's old injuries and transformed him from a bent old man into a physically capable defender. 24 32

When guards came to seize children for the inner city's formation, Zhang Elder stood between them and his grandson. He caught a spear with his bare hand despite it piercing through his palm, while Fourth Li attacked the guard from behind. A commander then crippled Zhang Elder, stole the stele fragment, and ordered him taken to the formation core as a “human pillar.” 36 40

Fourth Li eventually rescued the paralyzed elder amid the collapse of the formation core. They escaped through the Yin River, but Zhang Elder's condition steadily worsened. At a mass burial ground outside the city, he used his final strength to pass Desolate Blood to Fourth Li and died satisfied that the oppressed mortals had found a means to fight back. 47 48 49

Appearance

Zhang Elder was a weathered, wrinkled old farmer whose body initially bore the damage of decades of hardship and a broken spine. 13 32

• Wore ragged, patched cotton-padded clothing. 13 32
• Had clouded eyes and a deeply lined face. 13
• Was severely hunched before the stele fragment restored his waist and posture. 32
• Later suffered a shattered hand, broken spine, and paralysis of his lower body. 40 42

Personality

Zhang Elder spent most of his life conditioned into obedience by the Immortal City's violence. His fear did not disappear immediately, but Lu Chen's defiance and the City-Guarding Stele fragment gave him the conviction to recognize that immortal cultivators could be fought and killed. 13 24

His defining trait is his protectiveness toward his grandson and fellow mortals. He endures torture, paralysis, and impending death without abandoning Fourth Li or surrendering his resistance. His final act is deliberately sacrificial: he turns his own dying body into a vessel so Fourth Li can survive with Desolate Blood. 36 47 49

Abilities & Skills

Stele Fragment Resonance

Zhang Elder wielded a fragment broken from the City-Guarding Stele, which responded to blood and carried an ancient desolate power.

• The fragment absorbed blood from a slain guard and grew heavier, displaying dark-red archaic patterns. 32
• Its vitality healed Zhang Elder's broken waist, restored his posture, and enhanced his strength. 32
• It supplied violent vitality during his stand against the guards, allowing him to seize a spear despite catastrophic injury to his hand. 36
• A small remnant of the fragment later helped shield Zhang Elder and Fourth Li from an explosion's shockwave. 47
• The fragment was ultimately seized by the guard commander. 40

Mortal Resolve

Though not a trained cultivator, Zhang Elder developed the will to confront armed guards and immortal authority.

• Refused to kneel before a guard commander despite threats against his grandson. 13
• Helped conceal the death of an Immortal City guard with Fourth Li. 24 32
• Used his injured body to hold back the commander and create an escape opportunity for Fourth Li. 36
• Transferred origin Desolate Blood to Fourth Li at the cost of his own life. 49

Equipment / Items

• City-Guarding Stele fragment — A bloodstained black fragment Zhang Elder recovered from the uprooted City-Guarding Stele; it restored his body and became the source of his resistance. 13 32
• Farm tool — Used in the killing of an Immortal City guard whose body Zhang Elder and Fourth Li hid in their cellar. 32

Relationships

• Unnamed grandson — Zhang Elder's grandson and primary motivation; he shields the boy from guards and refuses to submit when the child is threatened. 13 32 36
• Fourth Li — Neighbor, ally, and eventual inheritor of Zhang Elder's Desolate Blood. Zhang Elder's defiance inspires Fourth Li to become a resistance fighter. 24 36 41 49
• Lu Chen — Indirect inspiration. Zhang Elder recovers a stele fragment after Lu Chen uproots the City-Guarding Stele and regards Lu Chen's actions as the seed of mortal resistance. 13 24
• Guard commander / Commander Greedy Stone — Enemy who cripples Zhang Elder, steals his fragment, and attempts to use him as a human pillar for the city formation. 36 40 42

Notable Quotes

“Immortals bleed too.” 24

“That young man yesterday left us a seed.” 24

“Those immortals sitting high above us, their bones are fucking brittle too! Stick a knife into them, and they bleed just the same; they die just the same!” 49

“Use this thing... to smash a path of life open for us mud-legged wretches with no way to live!” 49