Lian Taoze

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Lian Taoze is the second young master of the Lian Household, a family involved in commercial firms. His father manages business and accounts, while his eldest uncle oversees the household’s Martial Warrior Attendants and controls most sponsorship decisions. Although the Lian family offers more than ten sponsorship slots annually, Taoze personally receives only two and usually gives them to needy new disciples. 7 15 26 28

His martial advancement was difficult despite his upper-grade aptitude. He failed three attempts at the Second-Rank Realm Barrier, succeeding only after paying a great price. Before breaking through, he also spent an extra year and a half refining his body to attain Copper Skin. 5 17

His father is Lian Yunhe, his eldest uncle is Lian Yunfeng, and his grandfather, Lian Yuanhong, remains the household’s ultimate authority. His older cousin, Lian Taofei, trains at Plum Rain Martial Hall and receives greater family investment because of his superior aptitude. Lian Yunhe considers Taoze better suited to marrying, establishing a family, and eventually managing the household’s trading houses than to pursuing further martial advancement. 33 58

After accepting what he regarded as the limits of his martial prospects, Taoze decided to marry Jing Yue. He explained that, despite having met her only a few times, he felt she was the person he wanted to spend his life with. He hoped that his future children would advance farther in martial cultivation than he had. Their wedding brought together guests from numerous trades and social strata throughout Black City. 28 40

The arrival of the new City Lord and the Shen Clan’s growing influence placed the Lian Household under mounting pressure. Taoze increasingly became involved in household affairs as profits declined and affiliated Martial Warriors defected. By Chapter 68, he reported that daily earnings barely covered expenses, while only four First-Rank affiliates remained, including Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian. Despite these difficulties, he promised to preserve the two junior brothers’ stipends. 56 58 68

Personality

Lian Taoze is easygoing, sociable, and notably free of the class prejudice displayed by many disciples. He treats Zhou Chen warmly despite Zhou’s poor background and weak assessed aptitude, and he argues that making friends sincerely is more valuable than calculating a person’s immediate worth. 4 7

His relaxed manner often undermines the dignity expected of an eldest senior brother. He spends considerable time arranging cricket fights, attempts to invite Zhou Chen to a pleasure house after training, and can be impulsive or shameless in conversation, including an inappropriate reaction upon hearing about Zhou Chen’s younger sister. 4 5 7

Beneath this frivolity, he is candid about the brutality of martial cultivation and the dangers beyond the martial hall. His own failures have left him somewhat resigned about further advancement, but he remains willing to teach, advise, and advocate for weaker disciples. 5 12 16

His generosity is habitual rather than merely performative. He seeks additional medicine for Zhou Chen, rewards demonstrated progress, and continues helping with personal matters even while his own household is struggling. His uncle sometimes criticizes this tendency, arguing that loyalty and diligence alone cannot justify spending family resources on disciples with limited prospects. 27 52 56 58

Taoze is also fiercely protective of his junior brothers. When Jiang Tianming attempts to seize Zhou Chen, he intervenes directly and invokes both Old Zheng’s dignity and the Lian Household’s standing. Afterward, he jokingly reassures Zhou that he would protect him even if the accusation were true. 53 54

The household’s decline visibly wears down his formerly carefree manner. He becomes exhausted and distracted, feels deeply hurt by retainers who abandon their allegiance for better rewards, and tries to conceal the worst of his worries from Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian. Their continued loyalty provides him with comfort amid the defections. 45 67 68

Abilities & Skills

Martial Cultivation

Lian Taoze is a Second-Rank Flesh-Tempering Martial Warrior. His Copper Skin foundation allowed him to defeat Shen Ao in a sparring match shortly after his Second-Rank breakthrough, despite Shen Ao having spent over a year at that rank. He later refined his sinews and flesh to Copper Sinew-Flesh. 15 17 41

• Possesses upper-grade bone aptitude. 4
• Achieved Copper Skin, a level above the more common Iron Skin. 17
• Understands the dangers of Realm Barriers through personal experience. 5
• Is not considered the strongest among Old Zheng’s Direct Disciples, but holds high prestige among his fellow disciples. 4
• Spent a prolonged period at Second-Rank Minor Accomplishment, with his uncle describing repeated advancement attempts as confronting an insurmountable barrier. 33
• Achieved Copper Sinew-Flesh after his marriage. 41
• Cultivated Wild Bull Fist to Minor Accomplishment in nearly half a year and reached Major Accomplishment years before Zhou Chen’s corresponding achievement. 33 52
• Can suppress his strength to the First Rank for sparring. At that level, ordinary disciples usually cannot withstand more than a few exchanges with him, although Zhou Chen fights him evenly after attaining Major Accomplishment in Wild Bull Fist. 52
• Intercepts Jiang Tianming’s sudden attack on Zhou Chen. 53 54

By Chapter 68, Shen Ao taunts Taoze that his cultivation has regressed because of his worries over household affairs. The remark is presented as Shen Ao’s hostile assessment; no new formal cultivation stage is established for Taoze. 68

Martial Instruction

As Zhou Chen’s eldest senior brother, Taoze personally teaches him the foundations of the Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall’s cultivation system. 4 6

• Breaks down the Stake-Standing Exercise and Coiling Python Stance Technique movement by movement. 6
• Explains the relationship between internal cultivation, external martial arts, nourishment, qi and blood, and realm advancement. 5
• Introduces Zhou Chen to the Wild Bull Fist progression and its Force Realm secret technique, Wild Bull Force. 5
• Teaches that excessive Miasma Poison can obstruct qi and blood circulation and ruin a cultivator’s future breakthroughs. 5
• Personally transmits Wild Bull Fist after Zhou Chen becomes a Formal Disciple. 19 27
• Explains why Martial Warriors should avoid Black Meat, limit Gray Meat, and favor White Meat, and warns that excessive Miasma Poison can damage meridians or prove fatal. 26
• Describes the importance and expense of refining each body-tempering stage to its limit, including the substantial cost of pursuing Golden Skin. 27
• Continues taking his turn instructing disciples during the city’s factional unrest. 67

Knowledge of Mist Monsters and the Wider World

Taoze is unusually well-informed about Mist Monsters, Inner City power, and events outside Black City. 12 14 15

• Identifies the creature that attacked Zhou Chen as an Echoing Wraith and explains its method of luring victims through familiar voices and dreams. 12
• Explains the low-, middle-, and high-grade Mist Monster classification, corresponding to the three Martial Warrior ranks. 12
• Warns Zhou Chen never to oppose Inner City residents or major Inner City clans, who possess heavy armor and repeating crossbows. 12
• Provides information about Azure City, the Heaven-Breaking Sect, and the protective role of Black City’s Tai Sui Lord. 14 15
• Explains that communication with Azure City and Crimson City relies on tamed Mist Monsters, while admitting that he knows little about territories farther beyond Black City. 15
• Describes Miasma Poison as a major obstacle preventing Outer City Martial Warriors from advancing beyond the Third Rank, and reports that the Inner City possesses methods of expelling it to enable Fourth-Rank advancement. 26
• Identifies the hall’s Qi-Blood Soup as a preparation of White Taisui Meat and explains the extraordinary value of Taisui resources. 26 27
• Explains the Flesh-Cutting Tournament, its restriction to competitors under twenty-five, the Flesh-Cutting Golden Blade, and the three-year flesh-cutting quota awarded to the winning force. He also describes the tournament as a possible route into the Inner City for exceptional fighters. 27
• Relays the consequences of factional combat, including Jiang Yan’s severed meridians, Wan Yingying’s severe injuries, and Chu Lin’s earlier departure from the Four-Family Alliance. 68

Patronage and Household Affairs

Taoze uses his family connections to support disciples and help them obtain employment, cultivation resources, and personal opportunities. His broad social network is reflected in the turnout at his wedding. 15 27 40

• Recommends Zhou Chen for a comparatively safe warehouse-guarding post that leaves time for cultivation. 27
• Requests five additional monthly doses of Blood-Boiling Powder for Zhou Chen; Lian Yunfeng ultimately authorizes three. 27
• Raises Zhou Chen’s monthly stipend by three taels and adds three portions of Blood-Boiling Powder after witnessing his Major Accomplishment Wild Bull Fist. 52
• Arranges potential marriage matches and respects Zhou Chen’s refusal to marry into a wife’s household. 53 56
• Helps locate a suitable residence for Zhou Chen in Flying Bear District. 58
• Assists his father with household affairs and seeks new Martial Warrior recruits as the Lian Household’s manpower dwindles. 68

Relationships

• Zhou Chen — Junior brother. Taoze personally teaches him the Coiling Python Stance Technique, explains the martial world’s hierarchy and dangers, advocates for his sponsorship, and remains friendly despite others dismissing Zhou’s potential. He later teaches him Wild Bull Fist, helps secure warehouse employment and medicine, rewards his progress, arranges marriage prospects, helps find a residence, and protects him from Jiang Tianming. Zhou remains loyal to Taoze and the Lian Household despite more lucrative factional offers. 5 6 12 15 16 27 44 52 54 56 58 68
• Old Zheng — Master. Taoze is one of Old Zheng’s Direct Disciples and serves as the hall’s eldest senior brother; he readily assists with Old Zheng’s requests. He takes Old Zheng’s warning against premature factional commitment seriously and later learns that his master had privately advised Lian Yuanhong to maintain the household’s neutrality. 4 13 36 58
• Shen Ao — Fellow disciple and social rival. Their families’ commercial interests conflict, and Shen mocks Taoze’s habit of befriending low-status disciples. Taoze once defeated Shen in a sparring match shortly after entering the Second Rank. Their relationship deteriorates further after Taoze achieves Copper Sinew-Flesh. Backed by the new City Lord, Shen targets the Lian Household’s businesses and draws away Martial Warriors with superior compensation. 7 17 41 56 58 68
• Liu Fei and Sun Yingying — Junior sisters. Taoze brings them to the outer courtyard to seek sponsorship for poor disciples and openly recommends Zhou Chen. 15 16
• Lian Household — Birth family. Taoze’s father handles commercial affairs, while his eldest uncle controls Martial Warrior Attendants and the household’s sponsorship slots. Taoze becomes increasingly involved in household management during its financial crisis and remains committed to supporting its loyal affiliates. 15 68
• Jing Yue — Wife. Taoze regards their meeting as fate and chooses her as his lifelong partner. They marry at a lavish banquet, and he later announces her pregnancy. She advises him calmly about Zhou Chen’s marriage prospects, while Taoze praises her as lovely and capable. 28 33 40 55 56 68
• Lian Yunhe — Father. Manages commercial affairs and accounts. He believes Taoze should focus on family life and the trading houses, and later brings him into handling household affairs. 15 33 58 68
• Lian Yunfeng — Eldest uncle. Controls sponsorship and Martial Warrior resources. He criticizes Taoze’s tendency to spend resources on personal loyalty rather than talent, but compromises when Taoze asks for extra medicine for Zhou Chen. 15 27 33
• Lian Yuanhong — Grandfather and household patriarch. Insists on continued neutrality despite the Shen Clan’s suppression, citing Old Zheng’s earlier warning. Taoze questions this policy but ultimately accepts his grandfather’s decision. 58
• Lian Taofei — Older cousin and Plum Rain Martial Hall disciple. Receives greater family investment because of his superior aptitude. He admires Zhou Chen’s perseverance and considers Taoze insufficiently diligent by comparison. 33 40 58
• Ye Lingtian — Junior brother and loyal Lian Household affiliate. Alongside Zhou Chen, he refuses factional recruitment and reassures Taoze that he will remain with the household out of gratitude for its past support. 40 44 45 68
• Jiang Tianming — Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall disciple and adversary. Taoze blocks his attempt to seize Zhou Chen, challenges his weak evidence, and warns Zhou about his vindictive temperament. Jiang’s covert return to eavesdrop leaves Taoze furious. 53 54
• Bai Tangyin — A marriage prospect Taoze introduces to Zhou Chen. He considers her an exceptional woman and is pleased that their first meeting goes well, although her father subsequently rejects the match. 56 57 58

Story Role / Major Arcs

Zhou Chen’s Entry into the Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall

After Zhou Chen is granted Direct Disciple-level treatment, Taoze becomes his designated senior brother. Their first meeting overturns Zhou’s expectations of a dignified martial expert, as Taoze is found lying in the grass absorbed in a cricket fight. 4

Taoze then gives Zhou his first substantive explanation of the martial path: internal and external arts, martial ranks, Realm Barriers, the Force Realm, the importance of nutrition, and the disparity between the Inner and Outer Cities. 5

Early Training and Hall Life

Taoze patiently transmits the Stake-Standing Exercise and includes Zhou in the Direct Disciples’ meals. His genuine openness contrasts with the other disciples, who lose interest once they learn Zhou lacks wealth, status, and strong aptitude. 6

After Zhou uses Mist Incense to accelerate his training, Taoze invites him to socialize rather than pressure him for gain. He later defends his choice to treat Zhou kindly when Shen Ao dismisses Zhou as worthless. 7

Advisor on Mist Monsters and Black City

When Zhou recounts his encounter with an Echoing Wraith, Taoze identifies the monster and explains the risks posed by stronger Mist Monsters and Inner City martial power. 12

He later informs Zhou about Azure City’s collapse, the Heaven-Breaking Sect’s uprising, and the Tai Sui Lord whose presence protects Black City’s Inner City from external assault. 14 15

After Zhou becomes a Martial Warrior, Taoze warmly congratulates him and returns with him to the waterside pavilion to explain the effects of contaminated food, the cultivation advantages of Inner City aristocrats, and the value of Taisui Meat. He then explains how the Flesh-Cutting Tournament controls access to White Taisui resources and can provide an opportunity to enter the Inner City. 26 27

Sponsorship Efforts

Taoze tries to secure financial support for poor disciples, including Zhou Chen, by arranging meetings with Liu Fei and Sun Yingying. Though neither woman sponsors Zhou, Taoze publicly praises Zhou’s diligence and resolute character. 15 16

Warehouse Employment and Recognition

Taoze teaches Zhou Chen Wild Bull Fist and helps him register as a Martial Warrior employed by the Lian Household. Zhou accepts a post guarding Warehouse No. 2 in Qingtian District, where the limited patrol requirements leave ample time for training. Taoze also persuades Lian Yunfeng to provide three additional monthly doses of Blood-Boiling Powder. 27

When news arrives of Du Ruming’s embezzlement and attempted escape, Taoze’s first concern is Zhou Chen’s safety. He is astonished to learn that Zhou killed Du and that his Wild Bull Fist had already reached Minor Accomplishment. Comparing this speed with the nearly half a year he himself required, Taoze praises Zhou’s comprehension as peerless. 33

Later, Taoze spars with Zhou while suppressing his strength to the First Rank. Their evenly matched exchanges reveal Zhou’s Major Accomplishment Wild Bull Fist to the watching disciples. Delighted, Taoze increases Zhou’s monthly stipend by three taels and grants three additional portions of Blood-Boiling Powder. The encounter temporarily eases his frustration over his family’s business losses. 52

Marriage and Copper Sinew-Flesh Advancement

Taoze announces his upcoming marriage and invites Zhou Chen to the banquet, explaining that he wishes to build a family and hopes his children will surpass his martial achievements. His relationship with Jing Yue includes affectionate outings before the wedding. 28 33

At the wedding, guests from across Black City demonstrate the extent of Taoze’s connections. Despite being overwhelmed with hosting duties, he personally toasts Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian and apologizes for neglecting them. 40

During the following two months, Taoze achieves Copper Sinew-Flesh. Shen Ao’s reaction becomes markedly more hostile, and Zhou Chen recognizes that the timing of Taoze’s breakthrough has unintentionally diverted blame toward his senior brother. 41

Taoze later announces that Jing Yue is pregnant, hoping the child will bring happiness to a household increasingly burdened by financial and political troubles. 56

Defending Zhou Chen from Jiang Tianming

As Taoze and Zhou leave the martial hall, Jiang Tianming suddenly attacks Zhou. Taoze intercepts the strike and refuses to let Jiang seize a fellow Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall disciple. He stresses that an assault would insult both himself and Old Zheng, and declares that the Jiang and Lian households stand on equal footing. 53 54

Jiang suspects Zhou because he returned from the wilderness with Blood-Horned Bear meat after Jiang Qin and Lin Xuan disappeared while hunting the same beast. Taoze supports Zhou’s explanation that he encountered an injured bear by chance and argues that wilderness dangers and weak circumstantial evidence do not justify the accusation. Jiang apologizes and appears to leave. 54

Taoze then warns Zhou that Jiang is petty and may still seek revenge. His playful assurance that he would protect Zhou even if he were guilty is overheard by Jiang, who has secretly returned to listen. Jiang departs again after claiming he now believes Zhou uninvolved, leaving Taoze angry at the eavesdropping. 54

Matchmaking and Helping Zhou Establish a Home

After Old Zheng’s proposed match between Zhou Chen and Sun Yingying fails, Taoze offers to find a better-suited, well-off wife for his junior brother. He views marriage partly as a way to help Zhou meet the increasing costs of cultivation in an unstable city. 53

Despite the Lian Household’s worsening circumstances, Taoze obtains portraits of Cheng Xiaoxiao, Ding Xian’er, and Bai Tangyin and contacts their families. He respects Zhou’s condition that he will not marry into a wife’s household. The Cheng family rejects the proposal because of Zhou’s perceived cultivation limits, while Ding Xian’er’s insistence on a matrilocal marriage makes her unsuitable. Taoze indignantly defends Zhou’s worth and arranges a meeting with Bai Tangyin instead. 55 56

Zhou and Bai Tangyin initially get along well, to Taoze’s pleasure, but Bai Qingtian subsequently rejects the match. Separately, Taoze helps Zhou find a suitable residence in Flying Bear District, supporting his efforts to improve his family’s living conditions. 57 58

Neutrality and the Lian Household’s Decline

When the new City Lord’s inauguration banquet becomes a test of allegiance, Taoze declares that the Lian Household will not choose a side prematurely. Old Zheng counsels him to wait until the political situation becomes clearer and to avoid binding the household too deeply to any faction. 36

As disciples and retainers begin leaving for better-paid positions, Taoze watches with disappointment rather than his usual cheerful cricket-fighting manner. He gives Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian a rare approving smile for remaining loyal. Their refusal to abandon the household contrasts with the broader fragmentation of the martial hall. 44 45

The Shen Clan’s pressure costs the Lian Household nearly thirty percent of its profits, and its largest trading firm is later sealed under the pretext of tax and account inspections. Taoze reacts angrily and questions why the household continues refusing both major factions. Lian Yuanhong explains that Old Zheng had anticipated the turmoil months earlier and advised enduring the pressure without choosing sides. 56 58

By Chapter 68, Taoze is exhausted by household responsibilities, shrinking profits, and continued defections. Although the family’s daily earnings barely cover expenses, he guarantees Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian their stipends. Both reaffirm their loyalty and gratitude for the household’s earlier support. 67 68

Taoze also informs them of Jiang Yan’s crippling injuries and Wan Yingying’s prolonged recovery, emphasizing the danger of reckless competition. His attempt to recruit newly advanced disciples is undermined when Shen Ao arrives with Zhang Shaojiu and offers compensation nearly twice as generous as the Lian Household’s. Taoze exchanges barbs with Shen but cannot prevent two new First-Rank disciples from joining the rival clan. 68

Notable Quotes

“Martial training, when you get down to it, means training the skills to kill people.” 5

“Wouldn't it be better to make more friends, treat them sincerely, and live happily? Why think so much about it?” 7

“So what if I do? Your Jiang Household and my Lian Household stand on equal footing. Why the hell would I be afraid of you?” 54

“In martial cultivation and competition, every step is fraught with peril. One wrong step, and you fall beyond redemption.” 68

“Still, no matter how difficult things get, your monthly stipends are guaranteed. Neither of you needs to worry.” 68

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