Huang Yaozu
The Taoist of the Phantom WorldContents
- 1Biodata
- 2Power Progression
- 3Background / History
- 4Appearance
- 5Personality
- 6Abilities & Skills
- 6.1Investigation and Intelligence Work
- 6.2Firearms and Combat
- 6.3Talisman Arts
- 7Equipment
- 8Relationships
- 9Story Role / Major Arcs
- 9.1Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau
- 9.2Formation of the Demon-Slaying Bureau
- 9.3Collapse and Return
- 9.4Head of the Reestablished Bureau
- 10Notable Quotes
Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Huang Yaozu (黄耀祖) |
| Alias(es) | Azu 15 |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau; Demon-Slaying Bureau |
| Occupation/Role | Former chief of the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau; head of the reestablished Demon-Slaying Bureau 16 100 |
| Status | Active; continues leading the Demon-Slaying Bureau after Huang Bai's departure 106 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 14 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Protected investigator | 14 | Receives a Gold-Seeking Talisman from Huang Bai, allowing him to resist ghost possession while supplying intelligence on supernatural incidents. |
| External-pill cultivator | 18 | Huang Bai teaches him pill cultivation and the Wong Tai Sin Secret Arts, making him one of his helpers. |
| Enhanced combatant | 97 | Five Zhi Pills left by Huang Bai strengthen him beyond an ordinary person; he fights possessed corpses with firearms alongside Li Guoqiang and Zhi Gang. |
| Talisman practitioner | 98 | Learns foundational talisman arts, including the Ghost-Sealing, Yang, and Blood-Flying Talismans. Advanced Sun and Moon Talismans remain beyond his immediate grasp. |
| Five-Thunder Talisman user | 99 | Fights during the cleansing of Wong Tai Sin Temple with Five Thunder Talismans tattooed across his arms. |
Background / History
Huang Yaozu spent years investigating ghosts through the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau. His obsession cost him his family relationships and made him an object of ridicule at the police station; he became an alcoholic and had already submitted his resignation before meeting Huang Bai. 14 15
He encountered Huang Bai while investigating alleged hauntings at a swimming pool. After recognizing Huang Bai as the swordsman who had previously slain a possessing ghost, Yaozu eagerly sought his help. Huang Bai instead proposed an intelligence-and-response partnership: Yaozu would investigate leads, while Huang Bai would handle the supernatural threat. 14
The partnership gave Yaozu the proof and hope he had lacked. He withdrew his resignation, cleaned up his appearance, and resumed his work with renewed purpose despite the danger attached to leading the bureau. 15
Appearance
Yaozu initially appears as a scruffy, alcohol-scented investigator burdened by years of failure. After joining Huang Bai, he shaves his beard, stops drinking, and becomes visibly more composed. 14 15
- Later wears a yellow Daoist robe as head of the Demon-Slaying Bureau. 106
- His bureau attire bears a golden vertical-pupil emblem on the chest. 106
- Uses Five Thunder Talismans tattooed across both arms in combat. 99
Personality
Yaozu is stubborn, practical, and deeply committed to protecting people from ghosts. Even when his work leaves him isolated and disillusioned, he refuses to abandon the investigation entirely. Huang Bai's arrival changes that despair into determination. 14 15
He is willing to defy official authority once he realizes that vicious ghosts have infiltrated it. During the bureau's collapse, however, years of fighting leave him exhausted, cold, and pragmatic; he accepts the possibility of a final stand rather than expecting rescue. 16 96
After Huang Bai returns, Yaozu regains his confidence. He accepts responsibility for rebuilding human resistance and ultimately leads the Demon-Slaying Bureau as a public institution rather than a hidden ghost-hunting unit. 98 100
Abilities & Skills
Investigation and Intelligence Work
Yaozu is an experienced investigator of supernatural cases and initially serves as Huang Bai's primary source of leads.
- Identifies possession cases and investigates the victim's contacts to trace a ghost's targets. 16
- Coordinates with Li Guoqiang and police contacts during investigations. 14 16
- Uses Gold-Seeking Talismans to screen bureau personnel for possession. 21
Firearms and Combat
Yaozu is a capable armed combatant, particularly after taking cultivation pills.
- Fights possessed corpses using submachine guns and pistols. 97
- His enhanced physical condition allows him to move and fight beyond ordinary human limits. 97
- Battles ghosts directly during the Wong Tai Sin Temple purge. 99
Talisman Arts
Under Huang Bai's instruction, Yaozu becomes capable of using foundational talismans.
- Ghost-Sealing Talisman — Detects ghosts and protects its bearer from possession; a beginner-drawn talisman lasts about three months. 98
- Yang Talisman and Blood-Flying Talisman — Combat-oriented talismans taught alongside the Ghost-Sealing Talisman. 98
- Five Thunder Talismans — Tattooed on his arms before the Wong Tai Sin Temple battle, allowing him to fight vicious ghosts without fearing possession. 99 103
- Advanced talismans require inner vital energy and a spiritual lineage; Huang Bai does not permit Yaozu to rush their study. 98
Equipment
- Gold-Seeking Talisman — Given by Huang Bai to prevent possession and later used as a bureau screening tool. 14 21
- Firearms — Carries and uses a submachine gun and dual pistols during the Kowloon Walled City battle. 97
- Five Thunder Talismans — Body tattoos used in anti-ghost combat. 99
- Ghost-Sealing, Yang, and Blood-Flying Talismans — Foundational talisman arts learned from Huang Bai. 98
Relationships
- Huang Bai — Partner, mentor, and later superior. Huang Bai gives Yaozu a reason to remain in the fight, teaches him cultivation and talismans, and appoints him head of the Demon-Slaying Bureau. 14 18 100
- Li Guoqiang — Fellow Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau officer and longtime combat partner. They investigate cases, flee Hong Kong together, and later serve as two of the three principal leaders under Huang Bai. 14 17 100
- Daoist Zhi Gang — Fellow ghost hunter and Demon-Slaying Bureau member. They fight beside one another through the bureau's rise, collapse, and restoration. 18 97 100
- Liu — Former superior in the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau. Liu is revealed to be a vicious ghost and orders Yaozu's death after Yaozu abandons his resignation. 15 16
Story Role / Major Arcs
Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau
Yaozu meets Huang Bai during the swimming-pool case and becomes his investigator contact. With Li Guoqiang handling logistics and Huang Bai conducting exorcisms, the three develop an effective division of labor. 14 15
When Liu and Old Yang are exposed as ghosts within the bureau, Yaozu chooses to stand against his superiors. Liu's death turns Yaozu and Li Guoqiang into fugitives, forcing them to escape Hong Kong with Huang Bai and Zhi Gang. 16 17
Formation of the Demon-Slaying Bureau
After Huang Bai begins his corpse-liberation attempt, he teaches Yaozu, Li Guoqiang, and Zhi Gang cultivation methods and forms the Demon-Slaying Bureau with them. 18
Yaozu witnesses Huang Bai's return as a Corpse-Liberated Immortal and joins the counterattack against Tongtian King's forces in Thailand. 19 20
Collapse and Return
Following Huang Bai's departure, the Demon-Slaying Bureau initially eliminates ghost forces across Hong Kong and expands into neighboring regions. Its success collapses when fierce ghosts and their human allies turn public opinion and institutional power against it. 98
After three years of demon slaying, Yaozu, Li Guoqiang, and Zhi Gang make their last stand in Kowloon Walled City. Huang Bai returns in time to destroy the Yin-Fire Ghost King and heal them. 96 97
Head of the Reestablished Bureau
Yaozu supports Huang Bai's decision to publicly expose the existence of fierce ghosts rather than continue operating in secret. He receives talisman instruction and fights beside Huang Bai during the cleansing of Wong Tai Sin Temple. 98 99
Following the public defeat of more than fifty vicious ghosts, Huang Bai appoints Yaozu to lead the reestablished Demon-Slaying Bureau and oversee ghost exorcism among humanity. 100
When Huang Bai later ascends away from the world, he entrusts Yaozu with maintaining a system that prevents ghosts from becoming an uncontrollable threat rather than attempting to eradicate them forever. 106
Notable Quotes
“I'm not resigning.” 15
“Huang Yaozu accepts the command!” 100