Hu Donghan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Hu Donghan (胡冬寒)
Alias(es)	“Little brother-in-law” 37 46
Species/Race	Human; reincarnated from Earth after his former-life death 2
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Yin Soul Sect; formerly Overlapping Peaks and Enforcement Hall; Earthfire Hall Pill Department 28 49
Occupation/Role	Earthfire Hall alchemy disciple; cultivator of spirit herbs; former master of Void-Purging Temple 1 49 50
Status	Alive 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1: “Prologue”

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Refining First Layer	2	Reached after three months of cultivation despite his Middle-Grade Four-Spirit Root; gained the ability to use Spirit Bolt and Spirit Shield techniques. 2 3

Background / History

Former life

Hu Donghan was an orphan who discovered the True Exposition of the Ghost Path in a ruined temple at age ten. Illiterate at the time, he taught himself to read so that he could cultivate its Ghost-Nurturing, Bone-Refining, and Corpse-Nurturing arts. 1

Over more than a decade, he became the publicly revered master of Heaven Gate City’s Void-Purging Temple. His reputation rested on acts including exterminating the Wang Household after an assassination attempt, destroying the Black Dragon Society’s core members, and curing the Li Household’s dying daughter in three days. 1

Behind that identity, he secretly controlled five ghosts, three zombies, and two skeletons. His own cultivation could not keep pace with the backlash of commanding them. A desperate attempt to perform the Five Ghosts Barrier-Breaking Great Art at the Land of Utmost Evil ended with the ghosts tearing him apart; green fire consumed what remained. 1

Reincarnation and sect entry

After death, Hu Donghan’s consciousness possessed the body of a three-year-old child in another world. Bandits later massacred that household, leaving only Hu and his child bride, Hu Meier, alive. The pair were adopted by the Hu family, and Hu Meier became known as his elder sister. 2

Hu Meier’s High-Grade Ghost Spirit Root earned her entry into the Yin Soul Sect and enabled Hu Donghan to enter as an outer disciple through her recommendation. His own Middle-Grade Four-Spirit Root made cultivation slow and left his spiritual power impure compared with disciples possessing fewer roots. 2 3

Personality

Hu Donghan is cautious, calculating, and survival-oriented. He evaluates missions according to his actual strength, avoids night hunting when stronger ghosts emerge, and escaped Wang Linshu’s assassination attempt through suspicion and tact rather than direct confrontation. 4 8 9

He is also fiercely independent. Although Hu Meier offers him valuable Ghost Fiends, pills, and protection, he refuses to rely on her resources because he intends to surpass her through his own ability. 26

His restraint has strict limits. Hu generally ignores insults and status-based mockery, but responds with overwhelming violence once he identifies someone as a genuine threat or betrayer. This is shown in his beating of Mu Zhengfeng, execution of the servant who informed on him, and willingness to deceive enemies who expect mercy. 14 28 29

Abilities & Skills

Ghost Path cultivation

Hu Donghan possesses the True Exposition of the Ghost Path, a former-life manual whose branches include Soul Bodies, zombies, skeletons, and miscellaneous creatures. Its principles unexpectedly improved his understanding of the Profound Yin Mental Cultivation, more than doubling his cultivation speed and greatly improving his spiritual-power recovery and purity. 1 15 18

• Used the manual’s knowledge to recognize the potential of an attribute-less Mortal Ghost. 15
• Retains experience controlling ghosts, zombies, and skeletons from his former life. 1
• Keeps the manual secret even from Hu Meier, fearing that knowledge of it could leak. 26

Spirit Bolt Technique

A basic offensive spell that fires condensed spiritual force.

• Killed weak Yin Souls with a single bolt while protected by Spirit Shield. 8
• Killed the traitorous menial with a bolt to the forehead. 29
• Its early power was limited by Hu’s impure four-spirit-root spiritual power and small reserves. 2 9

Spirit Shield Technique

A basic defensive spell that forms a shield of spiritual power.

• Used it while hunting Yin Souls at Lonely Soul Ridge. 8
• Raised it immediately when Wang Linshu approached from behind. 8
• Protected himself while withdrawing from the Corpse Bone Pit. 14

Ghost-Summoning Technique and Soul List

Hu Donghan uses the Yin Soul Sect’s Ghost-Summoning Technique to contract Ghost Wraiths. Through spiritual power, blood, and Ghost-Spirit Light, he established a mental bond with a Mortal Ghost and placed it under the Soul List’s control. 15

• The Soul List allows him to issue commands and suppress a contracted ghost’s resistance. 32 33
• When the newly transformed Medicine Spirit Ghost tried to escape, Hu forcibly erased its spiritual intelligence rather than risk losing control. 33
• His ordinary spiritual roots normally limit him to a single contracted Ghost Wraith, making his choice of a Mortal Ghost unusually risky. 26

Medicine Spirit Ghost

Hu transformed his contracted Mortal Ghost through a body-replacement process using a Ghost Spirit Herb. The resulting Medicine Spirit Ghost required sustained nourishment from Wandering Souls before developing a stable Soul Body. 18 32 34

• Fully solidified after a month of nurturing; it became capable of independently absorbing yin qi and ghost qi. 34
• Accelerates the growth of spirit herbs within roughly one mu of land. 47
• Enabled Hu to manage Little Jade Flat and cultivate exceptional Six-Section Grass valuable to Earthfire Hall’s alchemists. 35 45 48
• Requires substantial upkeep; Hu estimated it needed roughly 180 Wandering Souls every three days during its early development. 34

Willpower and combat instincts

Hu Donghan’s former-life experience suppressing vicious ghosts gave him unusually strong mental resilience. At Qi Refining First Layer, he resisted Wang Linshu’s Late Qi Refining aura and refused to submit despite the overwhelming difference in cultivation. 10

• Skilled at exploiting sect rules and legal consequences when raw strength is insufficient. 10
• Experienced in physical fighting; he beat Mu Zhengfeng without using spiritual power and avoided crippling injuries that would trigger immediate sect intervention. 14 19
• Treats confirmed enemies as threats to be removed rather than rivals to be tolerated. 28 29

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Low-Grade Soul Ring — received as an advance reward for the initiation trial; used to store ghosts and Wandering Souls. 4 15
• Bone horse — a sect-provided bone beast used for travel to and from Lonely Soul Ridge; it recovered injuries by absorbing corpse qi and yin qi. 6 14
• Enforcement Hall uniform, badge, and whip — granted through Hu Meier with Soul-Devouring Ancestor’s approval; the robes bear hidden fox markings made by Hu Meier. 28 29
• Low-Grade Hundred Ghost Banner — recovered from the servant Hu killed. 29
• Earthfire Hall disciple equipment — includes a pill furnace, pill formulas, robes, identity jade talisman, instructional materials, and an Earthfire Subflame. 50

Relationships

• Hu Meier — Adopted elder sister and former child bride. They survived childhood together, remain intensely protective of one another, and share a ruthless response to threats. Her status protects Hu within the Yin Soul Sect, though he resists depending on her resources. 2 21 26 28
• Mu Zhengfeng — Former outer-sect bully and open enemy. Mu arranged Wang Linshu’s attempt on Hu’s life, then revealed that Senior Brother Wu had paid him to kill Hu. 14 27
• Wang Linshu — Mu Zhengfeng’s cousin and a Late Qi Refining disciple who attempted to lure Hu into Lonely Soul Ridge for assassination. Their conflict became a blood feud. 9 10 14
• Lang Tianya — Courtyard neighbor and spirit-herb trader. Hu respects his business sense and later relies on him to deliver Wandering Souls for the Medicine Spirit Ghost. 30 31 34
• Niu Ergen — Trusted servant chosen to accompany Hu to Little Jade Flat. Hu values his discretion, loyalty, and ability to enforce orders among the other servants. 38 41
• Wang Ruolong — Earthfire Hall cultivator who purchased Hu’s Six-Section Grass, introduced him to Earthfire Hall, and became his guide into alchemy. 45 47 50
• Senior Brother Wu — Hidden instigator who hired Mu Zhengfeng to kill Hu for ten thousand Spirit Stones. Hu Meier later engineered Wu’s execution and sent Hu his severed head. 27 34
• Mad Demon Ancestor — Overseer connected to Little Jade Flat. He approved Hu’s medicinal-field assignment while warning him that its caretaker bears responsibility for any failure. 36 37

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Void-Purging Temple master — Built a fearsome reputation in Heaven Gate City while secretly practicing Ghost Path arts, before dying in a failed breakthrough ritual. 1
• Yin Soul Sect newcomer — Reincarnated, entered the sect through Hu Meier’s recommendation, and reached Qi Refining First Layer despite poor aptitude. 2 3
• Lonely Soul Ridge trial — Completed the initiation mission, hunted Yin Souls, and uncovered Wang Linshu’s plot to have him killed. 8 9 10 14
• Enforcement Hall conflict — Survived a corrupt attempt to sentence him to 140 Discipline Whip lashes after Hu Meier intervened as Deputy Hall Master. 20 22
• Ghost and herb cultivation — Contracted a Mortal Ghost, transformed it into a Medicine Spirit Ghost, and used its abilities to take charge of Little Jade Flat. 15 32 34 35
• Earthfire Hall recruitment — Used the extraordinary quality of his Six-Section Grass to enter Earthfire Hall directly as an alchemy disciple and received responsibility for cultivating herbs for Sixth-Turn Golden Pills. 45 49 50

Notable Quotes

“Idiot.” 4

“If you have the guts, kill me right now. If you don't, then get lost!” 10

Trivia

• Hu Donghan was the only known disciple to become an Enforcement Hall disciple at Qi Refining First Layer. 28
• Despite wearing Enforcement Hall robes, he states that he does not intend to use their authority to obtain benefits. 46
• His “little brother-in-law” nickname comes from cultivators interested in marrying Hu Meier. 46