River Demon

Biodata

Threat Classification

Appearance

River Demons are humanoid aquatic creatures with scaled, slime-covered bodies and predatory features. A typical specimen is around five feet three inches tall, while stronger individuals can exceed two meters. 16 17 30

• Dark-green scales cover most of the body. 17
• Green pupils, pointed nostrils, and mouths full of sharp teeth. 16
• Clawed hands and feet, with white webbing between the fingers. 17
• Stronger specimens possess thicker scales, heavier musculature, and much greater size. 30 31
• A rare cavern-dwelling variant possessed silver scales and silver pupils. Its scales were markedly more resilient than those of ordinary River Demons. 61

Behavior

River Demons have little intelligence and are driven primarily by hunger for bloody meat. They usually emerge from the Blackwater River at night, where they prey on livestock, wildlife, and humans. 16

• They can be lured ashore with wounded or slaughtered chickens. 16 17
• Multiple River Demons may compete violently over the same bait. 17
• They may enter fishing villages to hunt people, as seen when one fed on a dead villager in Zhang Gu's village. 26
• Repeated hunting can clear a stretch of river temporarily, reducing later encounters. 21 30 45
• River Demons are mutated animals that have formed a self-reproducing population while retaining animal habits. 54
• As winter approaches, they become progressively less active and eventually hibernate, likely in riverbed holes or underground caves. 54 129
• During hibernation, they may gather in underground dens containing eight to ten demons each. 129
• Some River Demons collect shiny valuables, including silver and luminous pearls, in their lairs. 58

Abilities & Weaknesses

Scaled Defense

A River Demon's scales provide substantial protection against ordinary attacks.

• Fighters below Perfected Skin Tempering generally cannot inflict fatal damage through the scales alone. 16
• A spear thrust to the chest penetrated only about an inch before being stopped by a specimen's scales. 17
• Stronger River Demons have notably thicker scales and can deflect direct spear attacks. 30 31
• The silver-scaled variant's defensive scales withstood repeated heavy spear strikes before finally breaking. 61

Claws and Physical Strength

River Demons fight with their claws and can overpower poorly trained guards.

• Their claws can tear apart fishing nets used to restrain them. 17 30
• A large specimen broke through a wire fishing net and trapped four Blackwater Gang guards behind a defensive wall of fire. 30
• The large specimen that attacked the Blackwater Gang guards was assessed as comparable to a Tendon Tempering martial artist. 31
• A silver-scaled specimen led a cavern colony and was assessed as at least comparable to a peak Organ Tempering martial artist, potentially approaching Bone Tempering. 61
• Ordinary River Demon claws could not penetrate Lu Shaolin's five-in-one skin membrane, leaving only superficial wounds. 61

Vulnerable Eyes and Mouth

The eyes and mouth are River Demons' principal weak points.

• Lu Shaolin repeatedly killed them by thrusting his spear through an eye socket, mouth, or skull. 17 21 26 30
• A precise strike through the mouth can bypass their scales and reach the brain. 17
• A thrown steel fork through the eye killed a large fleeing specimen. 30
• The hollows behind their knees lack scales and can be exploited to cripple a stronger River Demon. 61

Relationship with Lu Shaolin

• Lu Shaolin — primary hunter and slayer. He uses bait, ropes, pits, nets, spears, and later steel forks to hunt River Demons for Source Points and official rewards. He later raids their hibernation dens for large quantities of Source Points and valuables. 16 17 21 29 30 61 129
• Ma San — assists Lu Shaolin during patrols and hunts, purchasing bait, disposing of corpses, keeping watch, and reporting emergencies. 30 45
• Zhang Gu — village chief whose fishing village is protected by Lu Shaolin after a River Demon kills a resident. 26 29
• White Turtle — assists Lu Shaolin in locating River Demon caves and identifies their tendency to hoard shiny treasures. 58 61 129
• Blackwater Gang — responsible for guarding the Blackwater River and nearby fishing villages against River Demon attacks. 15 29

Story Role / Major Incidents

• Lu Shaolin learns that River Demons are common Yellow Calamities, then prepares a nighttime ambush at Blackwater River using chickens, rope, a fishing net, and a concealed sand pit. 16
• He kills his first three River Demons by exploiting their hunger and targeting their mouths and eyes, confirming that each kill grants one Source Point. 17
• After his first hunting ground becomes depleted, Lu Shaolin kills eight more River Demons at the same river section before disposing of the bodies to prevent an unknown scavenger from taking them. 21
• At a new location, he kills ten River Demons for Source Points, then saves a fishing villager's family by immediately killing one that was feeding on the husband's corpse. 26
• As an External Affairs Hall patrol leader, Lu Shaolin kills nine River Demons during a single watch and collects their left ears as proof for official rewards. 29 30
• A particularly large River Demon overwhelms four guards after tearing through their net. Lu Shaolin breaks its arms in a berserk assault before killing it with a steel fork through the eye. 30 31
• Later hunts yield fewer demons, leading Lu Shaolin to conclude that River Demons near the docks have become scarce from repeated extermination. 37 45
• White Turtle leads Lu Shaolin to a River Demon cavern, where he discovers that the creatures keep silver, luminous pearls, and other shiny valuables. 58
• Lu Shaolin infiltrates a River Demon cavern and massacres more than a dozen ordinary specimens before defeating their silver-scaled leader by exploiting the unprotected hollow behind its knee and crushing it beneath repeated spear blows. 61
• After learning that River Demons hibernate in winter, Lu Shaolin and White Turtle locate more than a dozen dens along the Wu River. Lu Shaolin kills the dormant demons, gaining 123 Source Points and several thousand taels of silver alongside gold, jade, and jewelry. 129

Trivia

• River Demon ears can be exchanged at the Blackwater Gang's External Affairs Hall as proof of a kill; claws or hands may substitute if the creature has no ears. 29
• Their corpses are valuable enough to attract scavengers, prompting Lu Shaolin to bury or throw bodies into the river after hunts. 20 21
• River Demons were Lu Shaolin's most reliable early source of Source Points, though their declining numbers eventually limited this method of cultivation. 17 21 45
• Lu Shaolin initially received Source Points by touching a River Demon's corpse, but the System later changed to award the points directly upon a demon's death. 17 37
• Their hibernating cave colonies can provide especially efficient hunting grounds, as each den may contain numerous dormant River Demons. 129