Zheng Hongfeng

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Zheng Hongfeng leads Flood Peak Martial Arts Academy in Azure Cloud City's Outer City. Though he rarely appears before the Outer Court, his Transformation Realm cultivation commands immediate reverence among the apprentices. Upon returning after an absence of more than half a month, he announced a joint demon-beast hunt with Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy, offering Blood-Gathering Pills to outstanding participants. 23

According to a rumor relayed by Li Daniu, Zheng suffered a hidden injury years earlier and consequently left the provincial city to establish his academy in Azure Cloud City. Huo Ting later explains that Zheng had political entanglements in Lingzhou Prefecture, which made him especially cautious about violating the Great Qian Code's restrictions on martial academy instruction. 23 99

He initially placed his greatest expectations on Zhao Jing, personally instructing him in the Inner Court and promising to accept him as his final disciple once he reached Body Tempering Third Layer. Zhao's Upper-grade Bone Constitution was the main reason for Zheng's favor. 61 71

Fang Han overturned Zheng's expectations. Zheng initially received him coldly as an unremarkable, lower-grade-boned Outer Court apprentice, but personally verified that Fang had reached Body Tempering Third Layer with an exceptionally solid foundation. Delighted by the result, he promoted Fang to an Inner Court Direct Disciple and provided monthly cultivation resources. 71 72

As Fang's achievements and dangers became clearer, Zheng became more openly protective. During the Martial Examination Assessment, he recognized Fang's concealed strength, arranged a cover story to reduce attention from Azure Cloud City's major families, and worried that Fang's rise would provoke hostility. 269 271

After the assessment was postponed, Zheng warned Fang not to become involved with the Three Great Families, whose members allegedly have ties to Blood God Cult remnants. He then gave Fang a Lower-grade Bone-Tempering Pill that he had kept from an earlier opportunity in Lingzhou Prefecture, personally standing guard as Fang refined it. 321 322 323

Wang Long's disappearance also prompted Zheng to reconsider his allocation of academy resources. Having previously concentrated the Inner Court's resources on Wang Long in hopes of gaining a final disciple who would support him in old age, he stated that distributing those resources among the Inner Court Direct Disciples would be better. 322

Zheng later disclosed a twenty-year-old opportunity: he and an old friend discovered a Supreme Grandmaster's secluded cave believed to contain a Heaven-Grade martial art capable of extending lifespan. His friend forced entry, was poisoned, and died; Zheng believes only Innate Realm experts can safely enter the cave. He offered Fang everything in the cave except the lifespan-extending art. 325

Wang Long's disappearance and Fang Han's continued accomplishments changed Zheng's understanding of master-disciple ties. Having once devoted the academy's resources to Wang Long, Zheng concluded that sincerity and character mattered more than talent or investment. He therefore asked Fang Han to become his final disciple, promising not to pry into Fang's secret opportunity or demand repayment for his support. 324 382 383

Fang Han formally accepted Zheng as his master through an incense-and-tea ceremony, becoming Flood Peak's sole closed-door disciple. Zheng thereafter treated Fang as his intended successor, while remaining mindful that the academy's resources had been heavily depleted by his earlier investment in Wang Long. 383 384

Zheng publicly announced Fang's status as his final disciple, changing the formal hierarchy among the academy's disciples. When Fang returned from the Transverse Mountains, Zheng noticed his increasingly profound aura and cautioned him against unnecessary risks. By then, Fang's seventeen examination points had secured a top-ten place and the title of Military Examination Graduate despite his absence from the final rounds. 396

As Fang prepared to leave for Lingzhou Prefecture, Zheng continued to provide cultivation guidance and personal support. He endorsed Fang's refusal to accept Lin Rou's demands for help, delivered an invitation left by Qiao Huixin, and proposed a marriage between Fang and Zheng Yuanming. Fang declined, citing his focus on martial arts and impending departure. 420

Appearance

Zheng Hongfeng is a broad-shouldered, burly man with a forceful presence. Even without displaying anger, he makes disciples instinctively lower their heads beneath his gaze. 23

• Bronze skin described as resembling cast copper and iron. 23
• Hawk-like, lightning-sharp eyes. 23 92
• A fierce inch-long scar at the corner of his mouth. 23
• Keeps a straight, pine-like posture despite being over fifty. 92
• Often stands with his hands behind his back. 23 127
• Has large, callused hands and thick brows later described as pale. 324 383
• Wore a brand-new long robe and meticulously combed hair when leading his disciples to the Martial Examination Assessment. 220

Personality

Zheng is stern, pragmatic, and strongly influenced by the martial world's emphasis on Bone Constitution. He initially judged Zhao Jing's Upper-grade Bone Constitution as more valuable than Fang Han's exceptional comprehension, and he was dismissive toward Fang before personally confirming Fang's breakthrough. 61 71

Despite this bias, he is not indifferent to genuine ability or effort. Once Fang proved himself, Zheng openly praised him, explained the distinction between constitution-based and comprehension-based martial artists, and supplied him with techniques, pills, and access to the Inner Court. 72 73

He grows increasingly protective of his disciples when their futures are threatened. He discreetly investigates Wang Long's ambush, promises Huo Zheng help against the Huang Family after the examination, and gives Fang a severe warning about Inner City's political dangers. 229 263 321

Zheng is capable of admitting his shortcomings. After witnessing Fang Han's repeated victories in the Martial Examination, he privately called himself unworthy of the title of Fang's teacher and promised to provide pills, medicine, and future support. 248

Wang Long's disappearance also made Zheng more reflective. Rather than treating Fang Han's hidden opportunities as assets to be claimed, he values Fang's steady temperament, gratitude, and sincerity, accepting him as a final disciple for the sake of preserving Flood Peak's legacy. 383

His affection for Fang becomes increasingly open after their formal master-disciple ceremony. He warmly calls him “Xiaohan,” rewards the attending servants, personally pours him tea on a later visit, and combines praise for his talent with warnings that he should protect his long future. 384 396

Zheng also shows a humorous, fatherly side, teasing Fang about visiting only when he needs advice and joking about his connection with Qiao Huixin. His subsequent proposal that Fang marry Zheng Yuanming reflects his concern over his daughter's marriage. 334 420

He does not regard past academy fellowship as an unconditional obligation to grant assistance. After Lin Rou publicly accused Fang of ingratitude for refusing to rescue her brother, Zheng reassured Fang that he had handled the matter correctly. 420

Abilities & Skills

Transformed Force Cultivation

Zheng is a Greater Transformed Force martial artist, placing him among Azure Cloud City's foremost experts. 23 384

• Can inspect another martial artist's realm by sending a gentle force through their meridians and bones. 71
• Recognized abnormal Blood Qi fluctuations when Fang Han began crossing the Dark Strength Threshold during an arena match. 271
• His presence and vigorous Blood Qi are sufficient for disciples to identify him as a Transformed Force expert at a glance. 92
• Was previously described as Early Transformed Force when compared with the Heavenly Blade Sect and higher-level martial circles. 127
• Possesses sufficient knowledge of Force Qi circulation to explain how a Transformed Force martial artist may directly clear a person's stiffened tendons, bones, skin, and membranes, though the procedure is dangerous and exhausting. 334
• Can perceive changes in a disciple's aura, noticing Fang's substantial improvement after only a few days away in the Transverse Mountains. 396

Martial Arts Instruction

Zheng personally teaches and evaluates Flood Peak disciples, particularly in fist techniques and standing-post cultivation.

• Personally instructed Zhao Jing in the essential methods of the Gale-Breaking Fist. 71
• Authored the introductory teachings in Flood Peak's Standing Post Skill manuals. 74
• Created or preserved four Mortal Grade Standing Post Skills for the academy: Black Tortoise, Flying Swallow, Wild Ox, and Spirit Ape. 73 74
• States that these four arts are superior among Mortal Grade Standing Post Skills and can provide a foundation toward Manifest Force or Dark Strength. 74
• Specializes in fist techniques and Standing Post Skills, with fist techniques forming the core of his martial practice; the academy originally kept no leg techniques. 189
• Personally taught Outer Court apprentices on at least one occasion after Wang Long's disappearance. 334
• Advised Fang Han that medicinal baths can gradually soften a labor-hardened body and restore its suitability for martial cultivation, though the process may require one to six months. 334
• Continued to give Fang useful cultivation guidance even after Fang's realm had surpassed his own. 420

Martial Knowledge

Zheng possesses broad practical knowledge acquired through decades in the martial world, despite the limits of his own cultivation. 384

• Distinguished martial artists with exceptional Bone Constitutions from those who compensate for inferior constitutions through outstanding martial comprehension. 72
• Knows of extraordinary geniuses in Lingzhou Prefecture and the imperial capital's Martial Saint Hall, including Martial-Bone Prodigies and those with Martial Saint Bloodlines. 72
• Initially regarded Perfection as the ultimate limit of a martial art under the established Great Qian system. When Fang asked about advancement beyond it, Zheng could not provide a definite answer and suggested that supreme experts might possess knowledge unavailable to ordinary martial artists. 88
• Recognized that Fang's apparent Dark Strength breakthrough was unusually smooth: instead of the repeated rises and falls in Blood Qi common to most martial artists, Fang succeeded after a single surge. 272
• Explained that Heaven-and-Earth Force can possess numerous attributes, including yin, yang, thunder, ice, wind, and lightning. 384
• Knows that heavenly materials and earthly treasures containing such force tend to form in dangerous regions where elemental energy gathers and are commonly guarded by powerful beasts. 385
• Informed Fang Han of rumors concerning a Frost-Ice Ore Vein in the forbidden central region of the Transverse Mountains. 385
• Advised Fang Han that advancement beyond Perfected Transformed Force requires greater opportunities and experience than Azure Cloud City can provide, recommending eventual travel to Lingzhou Prefecture. 403

Political Awareness and Connections

Zheng has long-standing connections and an information network within Azure Cloud City and Lingzhou Prefecture.

• His caution about discussing realms beyond Transformed Force is partly explained by the Great Qian Code's restrictions on martial academy instruction and his past political entanglements in Lingzhou Prefecture. 99
• Learned that Fang Han had joined the Commandant's Demon-Slaying Squad despite its covert nature. 321
• Identified the Three Great Families as politically dangerous due to their alleged Blood God Cult connections. 321
• Offered to seek help from a Grade Entry expert in Lingzhou Prefecture for Huo Zheng's grievance with the Huang Family. 263
• Maintains a friendly relationship with Chen Daqing, master of Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy. 23 189 229
• Obtained the Mortal Grade Thunderclap Leg from Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy to fulfill Fang Han's request for a leg technique. 189
• Used his connections to investigate Wang Long's disappearance, but could not determine his whereabouts or whether he was alive. 321
• Received Qiao Huixin when she visited the academy looking for Fang Han and later passed her invitation to him. 420

Items

• Lower-grade Bone-Tempering Pill — A treasured pill Zheng had kept from an opportunity in Lingzhou Prefecture. Worth a thousand gold, it was given to Fang Han and raised his Bone Constitution from Lower-grade to Middle-grade. 322 323 324
• Flood Peak Standing Post Skill manuals — Manuals kept in the Inner Court storeroom and available to qualified disciples under supervision. 73 74
• Black Mystery Jade token — A dark-green jade token engraved with the character “Flood,” given to Fang Han upon his formal acceptance as Zheng's final disciple. It can secure conveniences at certain medicine shops and money shops in Azure Cloud City. 384
• Qiao Huixin's invitation — An invitation left at the academy by Moonwatch Tower's young master for Fang Han. Zheng held it until Fang visited and then handed it over. 420

Relationships

• Fang Han — Zheng's sole closed-door and final disciple. Zheng initially underestimated Fang due to his Lower-grade Bone Constitution, but became deeply invested after verifying Fang's extraordinary progress. He promotes, warns, protects, materially supports, and ultimately formally accepts Fang as his successor. He later publicly announces Fang's new status, continues advising him despite their reversed cultivation standing, and unsuccessfully proposes that he marry Zheng Yuanming. 71 72 321 323 383 384 396 420
• Zheng Yuanming — Daughter and Inner Court disciple. Zheng entrusts her with guiding Fang through the Inner Court storeroom and helping him select a Standing Post Skill. She later becomes a possible instructor for Fang Han's elder brother at Fang's request. Yuanming had deliberately delayed entering Dark Strength because she feared her father would press her toward inheriting the academy and taking on its responsibilities. Zheng later proposes her marriage to Fang, who declines for the time being. 61 73 230 349 420
• Huo Zheng — Inner Court disciple and senior brother to Fang Han. Zheng relies on Huo's judgment of Outer Court disciples and later promises assistance with Huo's conflict against the Huang Family. Although academy customs initially prevented him from personally seeking justice for a disciple outside his personal lineage, he ultimately offers to ask a highly placed Grade Entry friend to resolve the matter. 72 263
• Wang Long — Eldest disciple. Zheng invested extensive resources in him and once considered accepting him as a final disciple; Wang Long's disappearance remains Zheng's greatest regret and informs his more careful approach to accepting Fang Han. 127 218 321 383
• Zhao Jing — Formerly Zheng's most favored Outer Court prospect. Zheng personally tutored Zhao and planned to make him his final disciple before Zhao was crippled. 61 71 189
• Chen Daqing — Master of Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy and an old friend. Their exchanges combine friendly rivalry, joint training arrangements, and concern over Azure Cloud City's instability. 23 24 229
• Qiao Huixin — Moonwatch Tower's young master, who visited the academy seeking Fang Han. Zheng passes her invitation to Fang and teasingly speculates about their relationship. 420
• Deceased cave-exploration companion — An old friend who accompanied Zheng to the Supreme Grandmaster's secluded cave twenty years earlier. His poisoning and death left Zheng with lingering grief and fear of the cave's dangers. 325

Story Role / Major Arcs

Joint Demon-Hunting Expedition

Zheng returns to Flood Peak and establishes the joint Transverse Mountains demon-hunting expedition with Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy. He uses the next Minor Examination to select six Outer Court participants and promises Blood-Gathering Pills as rewards. 23

Fang Han's Promotion

After confirming Fang Han's Body Tempering Third Layer cultivation and Major Accomplishment in Gale-Breaking Fist, Zheng accepts him into the Inner Court. Fang receives waived tuition, five Blood-Qi Pills monthly, authorization to buy more pills, and one Blood-Gathering Pill per month. 71 72

Trial of Edge Tournament

Zheng announces a joint tournament among the eight Outer City martial arts academies, intended to let core disciples exchange pointers and gain combat experience. Despite concerns about injuries before the Martial Examination Assessment, he makes participation voluntary. Wang Long, Huo Zheng, and several veteran Manifest Force disciples volunteer, while Fang Han chooses to avoid the scrutiny of the attending masters. 127

The tournament takes place at Thunderclap Martial Arts Academy. Flood Peak's overall results are average, which Zheng accepts without undue dissatisfaction. 129

Martial Examination Assessment

Zheng leads Flood Peak's disciples into the Martial Examination Assessment and attempts to sustain their confidence after the examination is suddenly advanced by half a year. He later watches Fang's unexpected victories with increasing confusion, pride, and concern over the attention they attract. 218 235 269

When Fang Han appears to cross the Dark Strength Threshold in the middle of his match with Ye Fan, Zheng personally seeks a pause from the examiner so that Fang can stabilize his breakthrough safely. He regards Fang as Flood Peak's remaining hope of producing a Military Examination Graduate after Wang Long vanishes. 271

Zheng is surprised by the ease of Fang's apparent breakthrough and recognizes that his disciple is concealing significant secrets. Fang's subsequent victory over Ye Fan brings him restrained but unmistakable pride and excitement. 272 273

Fang ultimately earns the Military Examination Graduate title with seventeen points and a top-ten placement, even though he misses the final rounds while pursuing opportunities in the Transverse Mountains. Upon Fang's return, Zheng asks about his absence, acknowledges his improved aura, and reminds him not to take excessive risks. 396

Protection of His Disciples

Zheng privately promises help to Huo Zheng after learning how severely the Huang Family damaged his meridians. He also tries to shield Fang through warnings and political cover after Fang reveals strength far beyond what the academy expected. 263 269 321

After Fang's five consecutive arena victories, Zheng directly acknowledges that he had failed to properly teach him and vows to make amends through future resources and support. 248

His protection extends to defending Fang's right to refuse unreasonable demands. When Lin Rou invokes their former academy ties to accuse Fang of ingratitude after he declines to rescue her captured brother, Zheng later assures Fang that his decision was correct. 420

Bone Constitution Restoration

Zheng gives Fang his treasured Bone-Tempering Pill and guards him throughout the dangerous refinement process. The pill successfully improves Fang's Bone Constitution to Middle-grade, exceeding Zheng's expectations. 321 323 324

Supreme Grandmaster's Cave Opportunity

Zheng reveals the secluded cave that he and a deceased friend discovered twenty years earlier. He offers Fang Han the opportunity to explore it once he reaches the Innate Realm, reserving only the rumored Heaven-Grade lifespan-extending martial art for himself. 325

When Fang briefly suspects that Zheng may have caused his companion's death, Zheng emphatically denies poisoning or murdering him. He openly describes the cave's dangers and their earlier experience, but withholds its geographical location. 325

Acceptance of a Final Disciple

Following Fang Han's continued rise and Wang Long's disappearance, Zheng asks Fang to become his final disciple. Fang tests Zheng's sincerity by disclosing the existence of a dangerous secret opportunity and questioning his feelings over Wang Long; Zheng responds that he seeks neither Fang's secrets nor repayment, only a genuine successor. 382 383

Fang Han accepts and completes the formal incense-and-tea ceremony, becoming Zheng's sole closed-door disciple. Zheng grants him a Black Mystery Jade token, warns him that his conduct now represents Flood Peak, and promises to defend him against unjust trouble. 383 384

The ceremony includes three bows and nine kowtows before Fang presents the apprentice tea. Zheng becomes visibly emotional at Fang's acceptance and rewards each attending servant with one tael of silver. He subsequently announces the succession publicly, leading the academy's other disciples to address Fang as “Senior Brother Fang.” 383 384 396

Guidance Toward Higher Realms

As Fang Han's cultivation rises beyond the limits expected of an Outer City disciple, Zheng provides knowledge of Heaven-and-Earth Force, elemental treasures, and the Transverse Mountains' rumored Frost-Ice Ore Vein. He later admits that he cannot fully explain the Grade-Entry Realm, but advises Fang to seek broader opportunities in Lingzhou Prefecture. 384 385 403

Fang continues to seek Zheng's instruction without disclosing the full extent of his breakthroughs. Even after Fang surpasses him in cultivation, Zheng's practical experience remains valuable to his disciple. 403 420

Marriage Proposal and Qiao Huixin's Invitation

During a later visit, Zheng hands Fang an invitation left by Qiao Huixin and jokingly questions their relationship. He then seriously proposes arranging a marriage between Fang and his daughter, Zheng Yuanming, revealing his concern over her future marriage. 420

Fang politely declines on the grounds that he is devoted to martial cultivation and will soon leave for Lingzhou Prefecture. Although Fang privately considers Yuanming a potentially suitable partner, no marriage arrangement is established. 420

Trivia

• Zheng's three consecutive declarations of “Good!” after confirming Fang Han's Body Tempering Third Layer breakthrough mark the moment he fully recognizes Fang's potential. 71
• He admits that Flood Peak Martial Arts Academy has limited resources compared with major Inner City academies, making his breakthrough rewards for direct disciples especially significant. 189
• Before formally accepting Fang Han, Zheng regretted that Fang had not entered the academy a year earlier, believing he would otherwise have been an ideal final disciple. 325
• Zheng ultimately accepts Fang as his final disciple and personally receives his tea during the formal master-disciple ceremony. 383
• His first appearance describes him as appearing to be in his forties, while a later passage explicitly states that he is over fifty. 23 92
• Fang smiles at Zheng's confident claims in the Standing Post Skill manual that Flood Peak's four Mortal Grade skills rival those of any academy in Lingzhou Prefecture. 74