Zhou Baishan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhou Baishan (周白山)
Alias(es)	Second Brother — identity used while infiltrating a bandit stronghold 23
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	23 32
Affiliation	Judge's Office; formerly part of the Inspection Bureau 30
Occupation/Role	Silver Bell Guard; later passes the assessment for promotion to Golden Bell Guard 23 49
Status	Active 50
First Appearance	Chapter 23

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Blood Fiend	25	States that he is at the peak of Blood Fiend while preparing to lure out an Evil Skin Cult demon.
Early Profound Embryo	41	Has recently entered the Profound Embryo Realm when he and Zhao Hong confront an Evil Skin–fused demonic human.
Middle Profound Embryo	42	Forces a breakthrough after drinking tiger demon precious blood.

Background / History

Zhou Baishan served in the Inspection Bureau before transferring to the Judge's Office. As a guard without an aristocratic background, he became deeply bitter toward noble scions who avoided danger, competed for credit, and contributed to the deaths of several of his comrades. He sought merit independently because requesting aid would likely allow better-connected guards to claim his achievements. 25

Before meeting Zhao Hong, Zhou infiltrated a bandit stronghold as “Second Brother” for several months. His cover enabled him to investigate the Evil Skin Cult's influence, identify the bandits' connection to a cult-supplied Jade Hide, and expose the stronghold's leader. 23 24

His immediate objective was to hunt demon-men and nourish an Evil Skin until it could imitate a Profound Embryo-level presence. He intended to use that bait to summon, capture, or kill an Evil Skin Cult demon, earn enough merit for advancement, and avoid returning to the Judge's Office empty-handed. 25 27

Personality

Zhou Baishan is patient, calculating, and exceptionally pragmatic. He maintained a criminal identity for months, concealed his true objectives from both bandits and the Judge's Office, and used a fabricated explanation for his absence to avoid immediate suspicion after returning to the garrison. 23 30

In battle, he is ruthless and willing to gamble his life on a narrow opening. During his ambush of the gray-robed cultist, he deliberately waited for the moment his opponent revealed his Evil Skin, then used a disposable weapon to inflict a crippling wound and continued fighting through devastating injuries. 27 28

Despite his cynicism, Zhou is protective of Zhao Hong. He repeatedly warns him about the Judge's Office's dangers, rescues him from a perfected Blood Gang dog demon, arranges his registration and placement under Liu Zheng, and intervenes to protect the witnesses who could testify against Yang Feng's group. 24 26 30 44

Abilities & Skills

Martial Cultivation

Zhou is a high-level martial artist whose cultivation progresses from peak Blood Fiend to the middle Profound Embryo Realm. 25 42

• Uses powerful gang qi and astral qi in close-quarters combat. 24 26
• Fights effectively with both palms and a saber. 24 41
• Officially credited with killing an Evil Skin Cult demon at the Mystic Embryo Realm while at Blood Astral perfection. 47
• Continued fighting after having an arm twisted out of shape, forcibly resetting it before rejoining the battle. 28

Evil Skin Cultivation

Zhou possesses an Evil Skin/Jade Hide that can absorb the vital essence of corpses and evolve.

• Feeds it fierce beasts, demons, demon-men, and criminals to accelerate its growth. 25 26
• Raises its aura to a Profound Embryo-level presence in order to lure an Evil Skin Cult superior. 27
• Uses the hide as both cultivation support and operational bait, though he recognizes its sinister nature. 25 27

Undercover Operations

Zhou is an experienced infiltrator and investigator.

• Infiltrated a bandit group under the identity “Second Brother” for several months. 23 24
• Extracted intelligence about the Evil Skin Cult's plans to seize Clawfang Mountain and attack Judge's Office positions. 27
• Recovered the bells of fallen colleagues and used them, along with his injuries, to support his report upon returning to the garrison. 27 30
• Secured witness cooperation against Yang Feng and his companions by coordinating with Liu Zheng, Li Tai, and other guards. 44

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Judge's Office bell and identification token — proof of his Silver Bell Guard identity. 24
• Long saber — used against the bandit leader and the gray-robed Evil Skin Cult demon. 24 28
• Evil Skin / Jade Hide — absorbs vitality from corpses and can be cultivated into a powerful lure. 25 27
• Disposable bone blade — black-market weapon containing one strike from a Profound Embryo martial artist; used to blow open the gray-robed cultist's chest. 28
• Poisoned silver-needle cylinder — a ten-needle weapon supplied to Zhao Hong for the cultist ambush. 27
• Bells of fallen colleagues — recovered during his investigation and returned as evidence. 27 30

Relationships

• Zhao Hong — ally, junior companion, and fellow Judge's Office guard. Zhou initially considers him a burden but comes to trust his combat ability, protects his interests, and helps him enter the Judge's Office. 25 29 30 43
• Liu Zheng — fellow Silver Bell Guard and Zhou's friend. Zhou contacts Liu to receive and guide Zhao Hong while Zhou makes his report. 30 31
• Li Tai — Golden Bell Guard who cooperates with Zhou during the response to Yang Feng's attempted witness tampering. 44 45
• Zhang Gucheng — golden-robed inspector who awards Zhou one distinguished merit and four major merits for his infiltration, intelligence, and combat record. 47
• Yang Feng — hostile noble scion whose arrogance and political backing embody the Judge's Office corruption Zhou resents. 30 42
• Gray-robed Evil Skin Cult demon — Zhou's principal target in Clawfang Mountain; Zhou ambushes him and defeats him with Zhao Hong's assistance. 27 29

Story Role / Major Arcs

Bandit Infiltration and Zhao Hong's Recruitment

Zhou reveals himself as a Judge's Office Silver Bell Guard after the bandit leader turns on him. He kills the leader, questions Zhao Hong's motives, and warns him that joining the Judge's Office is dangerous before accepting Zhao Hong's resolve. 23 24

Clawfang Mountain Ambush

Zhou hunts demons and criminals to evolve his Evil Skin, then creates a trap for a gray-robed Evil Skin Cult demon. He uses the Jade Hide as bait, ambushes the cultist, and relies on Zhao Hong's poisoned needles and attacks to secure their victory. 25 29

Return to the Judge's Office

After the ambush, Zhou brings recovered bells and intelligence back to a temporary garrison. He arranges Zhao Hong's registration, sends word to Liu Zheng, and intends to place Zhao Hong under Liu until he can personally lead him after his own promotion. 30 31

Garrison Defense and Tiger Demon Incident

Zhou fights beside Zhao Hong during the demonic-human attack on the outpost. Together, they kill an early Profound Embryo Realm enemy with Evil Skin Burst. Afterward, Zhou secretly collects tiger demon blood with Zhao Hong and breaks through to the middle Profound Embryo Realm. 41 42

Merit Award and Promotion

Zhou ensures that witnesses maintain their testimony about Yang Feng's group fleeing before battle. His infiltration, intelligence, recovery of fallen comrades' bells, and feat against the Evil Skin Cult earn him one distinguished merit and four major merits. He later passes the Golden Bell Guard promotion assessment alongside Zhao Hong. 44 47 49

Notable Quotes

“I'll do my best and risk my life in battle.” 25

“They sit back and reap the rewards, retreat at the first sign of danger, and fight over credit.” 25