Du Chengfeng

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Du Chengfeng (杜乘锋)
Alias(es)	Yang Clan's ancestral treasured saber (former identity) 3 4
Species/Race	Human; a man originally from Earth who retains the memories of his existence as a sentient greatsaber 1 3 9
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Yang Family Fort; Jizhou Governor's Office as an outsourced arsenal sharpener 1 36 38
Occupation/Role	Blade sharpener; former laborer; combatant
Origin	Earth 1
Residence	A small courtyard in Yang Family Fort 1 11
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Sturdy refugee and laborer	1	Arrives from Earth, defeats a hunter and local hooligans barehanded, and establishes himself through labor in Yang Family Fort.
Awakening to his former blade identity	3 4 9	Recovers the century-spanning memories of the Yang Clan's hereditary greatsaber and learns that weapon-born Sha Qi carries accumulated memories.
Sha Qi combatant	7 9	Wields the ancestral saber during the Hu attack and kills more than two hundred riders, but nearly loses himself to bloodlust.
Weapon-memory learner	11 13 23	Begins deliberately sharpening bloodied weapons to inherit their skills, knowledge, and experiences, including blacksmithing, horsemanship, Bökh Wrestling, and martial arts.
Self-tempering practitioner	27 28 30	Adopts “polishing” as a method of training himself, practicing repeated saber swings, body-tempering methods, and the Tiger-and-Dragon Two Forms.
Commander of Weapon Sha Qi	15 50	Demonstrates control over the baleful aura of numerous weapons and later recognizes that he has learned to command Weapon Sha Qi in battle.

Background / History

Du Chengfeng was an ordinary man from Earth who woke in a barbaric, unfamiliar world. After surviving alone in the woods, he was attacked by a hunter who intended to sell him; Du defeated him, took enough clothing and supplies to travel, and followed the hunter's trail to Yang Family Fort. There, he became a diligent laborer, saved five hundred coins, and began building the first home he had ever truly owned. 1

His peaceful life ended when Hu riders attacked the fort. Yang Sanlang selected him to sharpen the Yang Clan's hereditary saber, knowingly exposing him to its lethal Sha Qi. The experience awakened Du Chengfeng's former existence as the sentient greatsaber: he had been forged into a blade, wielded by the butcher Fatty Yang, cleansed of murderous Sha Qi by Great Chen's founding emperor, and passed down through the Yang Clan for generations. 3 4

Using the ancestral saber, Du turned the battle at Yang Family Fort and slaughtered more than two hundred Hu riders. The saber's accumulated memories and killing intent nearly drove him to attack the fort's defenders as well, until Carpenter Li confronted him and brought him back to himself. 7 8 9

Realizing diligence alone could not preserve his life or home, Du chose to become stronger by sharpening weapons with bloody histories. Through their memories, he acquires practical skills and fighting methods while also learning that Sha Qi can turn killing into a path of escalating power—and madness. 11 13

Appearance

Du is a sturdy, physically strong man whose build distinguishes him from many refugees and villagers. He is often dressed plainly in worn robes and keeps weapons close at hand. 1 23 34

• Strong enough to defeat several attackers with bare hands shortly after arriving in the new world. 1
• Commonly carries a heavy two-handed saber or broadsword. 25 26
• Keeps seventeen knives concealed inside his outer robe. 23 41
• Uses a custom wooden sharpening bench made by Carpenter Li. 17

Personality

Du Chengfeng's central desire is not fame or conquest, but a stable home, food, work, and an ordinary life. Even after arriving in another world, he initially seeks to support himself through labor and repay kindness rather than exploit his knowledge from Earth for status. 1

He is pragmatic and deeply wary of those who betray his trust. Yang Sanlang's attempt to use him as a disposable sharpening sacrifice permanently damages Du's relationship with the Yang Clan, and he refuses their food, wine, and demands for the ancestral saber afterward. 4 10

Despite his growing capacity for violence, Du remains capable of mercy. He refuses to kill Yang Sanlang after repeated assassination attempts, spares highway robbers by turning them over to the authorities, and ultimately chooses to counsel Cui Yuan rather than execute him after their duel. 14 26 38

His greatest weakness is the temptation of Sha Qi. The memories and killing urges within weapons repeatedly push him toward massacre, forcing him to rely on self-awareness, discipline, and the intervention of trusted companions to remain himself. 7 9 13 28

Abilities & Skills

Weapon Polishing and Memory Perception

Du's defining ability is an unusual form of weapon sharpening. Rather than merely suppressing Sha Qi, he connects with it and experiences the memories, skills, emotions, and histories embedded in weapons. 9 34 36

• Learns blacksmithing from a curved saber's history. 11
• Gains intelligence about Hexi Qing, battlefield habits, and grassland culture from Hu weapons. 13 28
• Perceives the former lives of notable weapons, including Cui Yuan's Wind-Riding, Liu Qingyun's Broken Horse, and the Phoenix General's Banner. 25 29 40
• His method differs fundamentally from mainstream sharpening practices, which focus on suppressing Sha Qi. 36
• The process is dangerous: excessive exposure can overwhelm his identity and incite murderous impulses. 9 38

Sha Qi Resistance and Control

Du can endure and employ Sha Qi that would normally drive others mad or kill them. His resistance stems from his recovered experience as the Yang Clan's ancestral saber, though he is not immune to its influence. 4 9 13

• Uses the ancestral saber's Sha Qi to achieve superhuman lethality against Hu riders. 7 8
• Can command the baleful aura of a large collection of sharpened weapons. 15
• Recognizes killing as a means of accumulating power, but deliberately resists treating slaughter as a shortcut. 13 28
• Learns to command Weapon Sha Qi in later fighting against Hexi Qing's forces. 50

Saber Combat

Du's principal combat style centers on heavy sabers and broad blades. His techniques combine weapon-derived knowledge with his own physical strength and ongoing practice. 23 30 43

• Butcher's Pig Dissection — A decisive, heavy chopping technique inherited from Fatty Yang's slaughtering method; effective enough to calm the ancestral saber's hunger after killing a pig. 3 10
• Tiger-and-Dragon Two Forms — Uses spinal contraction and expansion to convert force from the legs into saber strikes. 30
  • Tiger Leap — A rapid pouncing movement capable of crossing five paces in one motion. 30
  • Flying Dragon Blade — An upward strike that extends his effective reach. 30
  • Dragon-Form Great Cleave — A powerful cleaving technique unsuited to the fragile Broken Horse but usable with Du's heavier weapons. 30 38
• Defeats Cui Yuan, a swordsman with fifteen years of training, and breaks the Wind-Riding sword with a single stroke. 25 26

Bökh Wrestling and Close-Quarters Combat

Du learns Bökh Wrestling from Hexi Xuan's great axe and incorporates it into his fighting style. 13 15

• Uses wrestling to seize, throw, and control armed opponents at close range. 14 24
• Defeats Yang Sanlang empty-handed despite being targeted by successive javelin throws. 14
• Combines wrestling with short-blade attacks and saber fighting for transitions between ranges. 23

Crimson-Piercing Art

A dangerous short-blade technique focused on human vital points. 23

• Gives Du a close-range option when his heavy saber is unsuitable. 23
• Initially conflicts with his greatsaber-oriented style, but later becomes part of his everyday combat instincts. 23 43
• Its focus on vital points causes Du to habitually assess the posture and weak points of people around him. 43

Self-Tempering

Inspired by Cui Yuan's discipline, Du begins “polishing” himself as he would a weapon. 27

• Practices repeated heavy-saber swings modeled after Fatty Yang's single-stroke slaughtering technique. 27
• Adopts grassland body-conditioning methods, including training with extremely heavy iron implements. 28
• Routinely combines strength training, saber forms, and movement practice before resting. 36 43

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Yang Clan ancestral treasured saber — Du's former blade identity and his primary source of Sha Qi; he refuses Yang Sanlang's demands to return it. 4 10 37
• Heavy broadsword / two-handed saber — His usual combat weapon and the blade used to defeat Cui Yuan. 25 26
• Broken Horse — Liu Qingyun's long saber, through which Du learns the Tiger-and-Dragon Two Forms and Dragon-Form Great Cleave. 29 30
• Hexi Xuan's great axe — A weapon bearing Hexi Qing's history, Bökh Wrestling, horsemanship knowledge, and dangerous killing impulses. 13 50
• Phoenix General's Banner — An ancient Great Chu command banner with a spearhead; polishing it gives Du insight into a way to fight Hexi Qing. 40 41
• Seventeen concealed knives — Everyday blades carried inside his robe for close-range fighting and emergencies. 23 41
• Warhorse — Given by Commander Liu to improve Du's travel between Yang Family Fort and the Jizhou arsenal. 41

Relationships

• Carpenter Li — Du's closest friend in Yang Family Fort. Li helps build his courtyard, makes his sharpening bench, and saves him from bloodlust during the Hu battle. 1 7 17
• Yang Xuan — Elder of the Yang Clan. Though Du resents the clan's betrayal, he recognizes Yang Xuan's generally conciliatory nature; Yang Xuan later supplies Du with weapons and facilitates his work. 4 10 28
• Yang Sanlang — Initial enemy and would-be assassin who tricked Du into sharpening the ancestral saber. Du repeatedly defeats and humiliates him, while urging him to earn his own legacy instead of relying on his ancestors' blade. 4 14 37
• Fatty Yang — The butcher who wielded Du during his life as a greatsaber. Du inherited Fatty Yang's pig-slaughtering method and identifies with his desire for a modest, settled life. 3 10 27
• Cui Yuan — A scar-faced swordsman who tests Du, becomes his opponent, and inadvertently inspires Du's self-polishing training. 24 26 27
• Commander Liu Yanran — Governor of Jizhou. Du refuses formal recruitment but cooperates with him by polishing the Jizhou Arsenal's weapons; their relationship remains respectful but wary. 34 36 41
• Hexi Qing — Hu chieftain and Du's mortal enemy, seeking revenge for Hexi Xuan's death. Du considers him a monstrous warrior, strategist, and the greatest obstacle to protecting his life. 13 15 47

Story Role / Major Arcs

Yang Family Fort and the Hu Raid

Du enters Yang Family Fort as a laborer seeking a quiet life, only to become the clan's unwilling weapon against a Hu assault. His use of the ancestral saber saves the fort but reveals both his former blade identity and the danger of Sha Qi. 1 4 7 9

Learning Through Weapons

After his courtyard is ruined in the battle, Du begins collecting, polishing, and studying weapons as a route to survival. This period establishes his unique sharpening method, his growing collection of martial knowledge, and his determination to prepare for Hexi Qing. 11 13 15 23

Cui Yuan and Self-Polishing

Du's encounters with Cui Yuan prove that he is stronger than he believed, but also show him the value of relentless practice. He begins treating his own body and technique as things that can be polished and tempered. 24 26 27

Jizhou Arsenal

Du forms a limited working arrangement with Commander Liu, gaining access to Jizhou's weapon stockpiles. His polishing of the Phoenix General's Banner both prevents a disaster in the arsenal and provides him with a possible method to defeat Hexi Qing. 36 38 40 41

War with Hexi Qing

When Du finally meets Hexi Qing, he recognizes that a direct confrontation would be fatal and retreats. He instead kills Hexi Qing's soldiers, develops his command of Weapon Sha Qi, and confronts Hexi Qing's strategy of harassment and ambush with increasing resolve. 47 50

Notable Quotes

“If you see me rushing into your house with red eyes, shoot me with this bow.”
— Du Chengfeng to Carpenter Li 11

“I'm definitely not giving you the blade. Go home.”
— Du Chengfeng to Yang Sanlang 37

“Those who wanted him dead would not give him the chance... All he needed was courage. All he needed was to move forward.”
— Du Chengfeng, facing Hexi Qing's forces 50