Gao Linyue

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gao Linyue (高临岳)
Alias(es)	Second Uncle; Instructor Gao
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	In his thirties at his first appearance 2
Affiliation	Yueyang County martial arts hall; formerly the Martial Suppression Guard
Occupation/Role	Martial arts hall instructor; Gao Fei's guardian, martial instructor, and ally
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 2: “Debt”

Background / History

Gao Linyue joined the Martial Suppression Guard as a teenager and was regarded as exceptionally talented; he claims that a marquis took notice of him. During his military service, he specialized in spearwork and participated in developing Beast Fist alongside his hundred-man unit. He also fought beside Gao Fei's father in an earlier campaign. 13 34 47

He once reached the Middle Spirit-Absorption Realm, but severe injuries, blood loss, and prolonged qi-and-blood depletion caused his Physical Body Realm and spiritual cultivation to decline. While recovering in Yueyang County at his wife's family home, he returned to his hometown to find Gao Fei's family missing; only the young Gao Fei remained, reduced to begging. Gao Linyue brought him back and raised him. 13 47

By the beginning of the story, he serves as an Organ Tempering Realm instructor at the martial arts hall. Although he considers Gao Fei a disappointing wastrel, he repeatedly provides him with weapons, money, medicine, manuals, and access to the hall's resources. 2 4 12

Appearance

Gao Linyue is a middle-aged man with broad fingers, a martial build, and an intimidating elder's presence. He is first seen in fitted martial clothes. 2

• Broad-fingered and physically imposing. 2
• Often carries himself with the authority of a strict family elder. 2 4
• His manner becomes notably animated when discussing his military service and former spear. 34

Personality

Gao Linyue is stern, blunt, and highly protective of his household. He openly scolds Gao Fei over debt, womanizing, and wasted potential, yet his actions consistently prioritize his nephew's survival and future. He provides money even while expecting it never to be repaid, fiercely forbids Gao Fei from corrupting Gao Yan, and shields Gao Fei from officials and the Lin Family when necessary. 2 4 15

His generosity is tempered by opportunism. He attempts to collect commissions on medicine purchases, bargains aggressively for Gao Fei's tournament pills, and discusses charging interest on cultivation resources lent to Qiu Mei. However, he secretly spends his earnings on martial academy tuition for poor children with talent. 16 28 34 40

A former soldier at heart, Gao Linyue is proud of his battlefield experience and prone to retelling old war stories. He respects conventional martial training and initially dismisses firearms as crude tools, though he immediately recognizes their potential for mass production. 34 44 45

“If you dare lead Yan'er astray, I'll beat you to death!” 4

Abilities & Skills

Martial Cultivation

Gao Linyue is an experienced body-tempering martial artist and was an Organ Tempering Realm instructor when Gao Fei returned home. In his prime, he reached the Middle Spirit-Absorption Realm before injury and depleted qi and blood caused his cultivation to fall. 2 47

• Reached peak Bright Force when exerting his strength. 33
• Can employ Dark Force in combat, including while covering a retreat during the Rat Demon attack. 37
• Understands the requirements and risks of Blood-Qi, Skin Tempering, Tendon-and-Bone Tempering, Organ Tempering, and Spirit-Absorption cultivation. 12 15 40
• Explains that imbalanced physical cultivation can deplete qi and blood and damage a martial artist's foundation. 15

Spear and Saber Combat

Spearwork was Gao Linyue's foremost battlefield specialty. He taught Gao Fei techniques compatible with his own fighting style and kept a favored spear despite having pawned it during financial hardship. 33 34

• Uses saber strikes to create openings against stronger enemies. During the Lin Family raid, he ambushed the Fox Demon and continued cutting at its neck after Gao Fei's decisive blow. 29
• Understands how to activate solidification and sharpness runes in a weapon through spiritual power, preventing undue damage in weapon clashes. 47
• Recognizes efficient spearwork and identifies Gao Fei's movements as clean, precise, and free of wasted motion. 35

Martial Instruction

As a martial arts hall instructor and former soldier, Gao Linyue is a key source of practical martial knowledge for Gao Fei and the household. 2 25

• Teaches or provides access to Iron Shirt, Beast Fist, Viscera Tempering Art, and other body-tempering methods. 12 13 25
• Explains that movement techniques require spiritual power and cannot be meaningfully used before the Spirit-Absorption Realm. 12
• Recognizes the dangers and medical needs of Gao Fei's abnormal qi-and-blood condition. 8 16
• Oversees martial training for Gao Yan, Qiu Mei, and Xiaocui. 25 34

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Battlefield spear — Gao Linyue's preferred weapon and former companion from his military service. Gao Fei gives him the lighter recovered spear, which he carefully stores in a wooden case. 34
• Tang saber — A weapon bearing solidification and sharpness runes that must be activated with spiritual power for full durability and cutting power. 47
• Iron Shirt manual — Given to Gao Fei when he seeks a Skin Tempering method. 12
• Viscera Tempering Art — An Organ Tempering method Gao Linyue reluctantly shows Gao Fei. 25

Relationships

• Gao Fei — His nephew and ward. Gao Linyue is frequently critical of Gao Fei's past conduct, but finances his cultivation, teaches him martial arts, provides weapons, defends him publicly, and joins him in dangerous operations. 2 4 15 29 33
• Gao Yan — His son. Gao Linyue is fiercely protective of Gao Yan and personally oversees his martial training. 2 4 34
• Second Aunt — His wife and Gao Fei's second aunt. She tempers his criticism of Gao Fei, while he hides discretionary spending from her; she later reveals his secret support of poor martial students. 2 16 40
• Qiu Mei — A member of the household under his protection after Gao Fei frees her. Gao Linyue recognizes her aptitude and supports lending resources for her cultivation. 15 34
• Xiaocui — Qiu Mei's companion, who trains alongside the Gao household under his supervision. 25 34
• Lu Xiaoliu — Gao Fei's subordinate and household associate. Gao Linyue accepts his presence, despite Lu's habit of freeloading meals. 8 25
• Lin Shaokun — A hostile member of the Lin Family. Gao Linyue initially warns Gao Fei not to kill him because of the family's Spirit-Absorption Realm experts, but later helps conceal the killing and burn the estate. 29 30

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Gao Fei's return — Reunites with Gao Fei as a disappointed but concerned guardian, allowing him to use martial hall resources despite his reputation. 2
• Early cultivation support — Supplies Gao Fei with money, weapons, Qi-Blood Soup, cultivation guidance, the Iron Shirt manual, and medicinal materials. 4 8 12 16
• Lin Family conflict — Provides Gao Fei an alibi after Lin Shaoxiong's death, confronts Chief Constable Liu, and later joins Gao Fei in infiltrating the Lin estate. 15 29 30
• Martial hall tournament — Organizes and referees the annual competition, then takes immense pride in Gao Fei's victory over the hall's strongest disciples. 26 28
• Demon crisis in Yueyang — Helps arm Gao Fei, observes the city defense from the walls, covers the group's retreat during the Rat Demon incursion, and is seriously wounded in the aftermath. 33 35 37
• County recovery — Advises Gao Fei after he becomes Yueyang County's highest surviving official and directs funds toward poor but talented martial students. 40
• Revelation of his past — Explains his former Middle Spirit-Absorption Realm cultivation, military injuries, and the proper activation of weapon runes. 47