Liu Chen

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Liu Chen began martial training at five years old and persevered for twenty years through harsh conditions. At eighteen, he was selected by the Demon Suppression Office and came to regard himself as one of his generation's stronger fighters. His encounter with the Bone-Chiming pig demon Zhu Yan shattered that confidence, forcing him to recognize the vast gap between himself and true great demons 15.

Military Commissioner Wei He dispatched Liu Chen and Xu Nian to investigate the self-proclaimed Black-clad Sword Immortal's massacre in Lanzhou. In Jincheng County, Liu Chen tried to intervene when Zhu Yan appeared with a mutilated captive, but Xu Nian stopped him from drawing his saber prematurely 8 13. During the battle, Liu Chen cut apart one of Zhu Yan's blood-red tentacles but was captured by others and severely injured. He later attempted to aid the critically wounded Xu Nian, overwhelmed by his own inability to change the battle's outcome 14 15.

Liu Chen witnessed Jiang Yuechu defeat Zhu Yan and later reported her extraordinary tiger-like blade technique and final transformation to Wei He. Though uncertain of the nature of her power, he gave an honest account of the battle 16 17.

After Jiang entered the Demon Suppression Office, Liu Chen became her Xuan Camp superior. Initially intimidated by her strength, he nonetheless defended her admission against his men's gender-based mockery and explained the camp's demon-slaying duties to her 20. Following Jiang's promotion to Eighth-Rank Squad Commander, they became equal-ranked colleagues, and Liu Chen increasingly acted as her guide within the Office 34 35. He warned her that three members of her new squad—Liu Ke, Chen Tong, and Monk Bujie—might prove difficult to manage, explaining their backgrounds and the potential trouble each could bring. Jiang thanked him formally for the advice 35.

Liu Chen also explained that Longyou's third-rank Commander position had remained vacant amid court struggles following the new emperor's accession, leaving Wei He to handle the circuit Office's affairs temporarily 40.

Following Jiang's rise to the Core Formation Realm and her promotion to Sixth-Rank Langjiang, Liu Chen remained uneasy about the gulf between their positions, but Jiang's casual sharing of food and willingness to help him restored much of their old familiarity. He also explained the Office's procedures for obtaining martial-arts manuals, including Wei He's personal authority over Core Formation techniques 89.

After seven to eight years in the Demon Suppression Office, Liu Chen reached the Half-Step Bone-Chiming Realm and came within a small amount of merit of promotion to captain. He accepted the suspicious Locust Tree Village assignment hoping to secure that merit, but sought Jiang Yuechu's aid after the Yellow Division failed to find demonic traces and a woman who had claimed that a demon lived in the village disappeared 131.

Liu Chen led the reinvestigation of Locust Tree Village alongside Jiang and several former Xuan Camp comrades. He initially attempted to enter through proper procedure and restrained his men from using force against the obstructive villagers, but continued pursuing the case because he could not ignore the possibility that a concealed demon would claim further victims 132. After the Old Locust Tree demon was defeated, he oversaw the binding and arrest of the surviving villagers. His uncertainty over the village's unnatural demographics gave way to horror when Jiang explained that its residents had continued sacrificing children and later elderly people long after the original famine had ended 136. Liu Chen and his companions then left the village while Jiang remained behind 137.

Appearance

Liu Chen is a young man with a naturally sharp presence between his brows. He stands with a notably straight, spear-like posture and wears the fitted black uniform with crimson patterns issued to Demon Suppression Office personnel 13 20 23.

• Carries a saber with a leather-cord-wrapped hilt 20.
• Has a youthful but stern appearance that returns after recovering from the Jincheng battle 20.
• Rides a Scarlet-eyed Steed on official missions 28.

Personality

Liu Chen is dutiful and protective of both civilians and fellow guards. He opposes demons without reservation, but he also insists that human crimes—such as Blackwater Village's murder of Xing'er—be reported to the county authorities rather than ignored because a demon was involved 26 28.

The Jincheng battle leaves him painfully aware of his limits. His helplessness while Xu Nian is gravely wounded causes intense self-reproach, yet he continues serving on dangerous missions afterward 15 23.

As a leader, Liu Chen is practical and considerate. He stops internal quarrels, directs investigations methodically, and recognizes when Jiang Yuechu is better suited to question a frightened child than his intimidating group of armed men 24 25. He also respects personal boundaries: when Jiang disposes of the Dragon King's corpse by an unexplained method, he chooses not to press her for answers 31. His willingness to brief Jiang on her difficult new subordinates reflects concern for her, though he also privately acknowledges that building a good connection with her may benefit him 35.

Liu Chen is ambitious without being callous. He views promotion to captain as an opportunity to improve his family's circumstances and gain better resources, but refuses to abandon the Locust Tree Village investigation merely for convenience or self-preservation. Even while fearing the hidden danger, he believes he could not live with himself if a concealed demon later harmed more people 131 132.

Abilities & Skills

Cultivation

Liu Chen has attained the Half-Step Bone-Chiming Realm after years of service, placing him near the threshold required for promotion to captain 131.

Saber Combat

Liu Chen is a lifelong martial artist trained in saber use.

• Began martial training at age five and entered the Demon Suppression Office at eighteen 15.
• Successfully severed one of Zhu Yan's blood-red tentacles during the Jincheng battle 14.
• Was ultimately unable to contend with the Bone-Chiming Zhu Yan's blood-mist divine ability and suffered serious injuries 14 15.

Squad Leadership and Investigation

As Xuan Camp's Squad Commander, Liu Chen leads demon-suppression operations and manages his guards' conduct.

• Briefs new guards on Xuan Camp's mission: “Slay demons, eliminate devils.” 20
• Leads the Black River investigation upstream when the team finds no immediate demonic traces 24.
• Pressures Blackwater Village's chief into revealing Xing'er's death and the village's connection to the water demon 27.
• Organizes an ambush at Returnwater Bend after identifying the Dragon King's attachment to Xing'er's corpse 28.
• Promises to report Jiang Yuechu's merits truthfully after the Blackwater Village mission 32.
• Investigates Locust Tree Village despite the Yellow Division's failure to detect demonic aura, the villagers' obstruction, and the disappearance of the woman who reported a demon there 131 132.
• Identifies the village's impossible lack of children and later organizes the arrest and transport of the surviving villagers after the Old Locust Tree demon's defeat 134 136.

Equipment

• Demon Suppression Office saber — his primary weapon in combat 13 20.
• Demon Suppression Office uniform — fitted black clothing marked with crimson patterns 20 23.
• Scarlet-eyed Steed — used during field operations 28.
• Waterskin and travel rations — carries water and jerky during investigations 23 25.

Relationships

• Jiang Yuechu — Initially his subordinate in Xuan Camp; Liu Chen is startled and intimidated by her strength, but consistently supports her, reports her merits, and later becomes her equal-ranked colleague 20 32 34. He advises her about the difficult members of her new squad, earning her sincere thanks 35. As Jiang rises to Core Formation and becomes a Sixth-Rank Langjiang, he remains respectful of their widening gap but retains their old rapport and ultimately seeks her aid with Locust Tree Village 89 131 136.
• Wei He — Military Commissioner and superior who trusted Liu Chen with the Jincheng investigation and later heard his report on Jiang Yuechu 8 17.
• Xu Nian — Senior officer and comrade during the Jincheng operation. Liu Chen tries to protect and assist him after Zhu Yan leaves him crippled 15 23.
• Zhao Hu — Xuan Camp guard under Liu Chen's command. Liu Chen restrains his provocations and mediates his conflict with Jiang Yuechu 21 25. Zhao later accompanies Liu Chen on the Locust Tree Village reinvestigation 132.
• Old Wang — Fellow Demon Suppression Guard who accompanies Liu Chen during the Black River investigation 25 29.
• Xu Changfeng — Liu Chen's superior in Xuan Camp. Liu Chen brings Jiang Yuechu to Xu Changfeng for her promotion appointment 33.
• Chen Qingyuan — Flying Eagle Sect leader whose report brought the wolf-demon crisis to the attention of Jiang Yuechu; Liu Chen has no documented direct interaction with him.
• Locust Tree Village residents — Liu Chen investigates their coordinated hostility and connection to the disappeared woman, then escorts the surviving villagers back for arrest after their long-term sacrifices to the Old Locust Tree demon are exposed 131 136.