Xiao Zihua

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Zihua (肖子华)
Alias(es)	Chief Constable Xiao; Former Chief Constable of Weishui
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Weishui yamen (formerly); Blackwater Gang (secret collaborator)
Occupation/Role	Former Chief Constable of Weishui; former constable; former disciple of Yu Tiesheng
Status	Deceased; executed by Yu Chen after confessing to his role in the Chen Household Massacre frame-up 49
First Appearance	Chapter 33

Background / History

Xiao Zihua was an orphan adopted and raised by Weishui’s foremost martial expert, Chief Constable Yu Tiesheng. Yu accepted him as a disciple, taught him without reservation, and arranged for him to work in the constabulary. Xiao possessed exceptional natural talent and was once considered capable of reaching the Innate Realm before age thirty. 41 49

Despite this upbringing, Xiao sought wealth and status rather than martial advancement. He accepted a bribe from a wealthy and influential man who wanted the murderer of a Chen Household daughter released. When Yu Tiesheng discovered the attempted corruption, he dismissed Xiao from his constable position, creating a lasting resentment. 50

A month later, the Blackwater Gang’s First Master exploited that resentment. Xiao stole Yu Tiesheng and his wife’s golden maces, planted them at the scene of the Chen Household Massacre, and helped frame his master and mistress for the murder of twelve people. The Blackwater Gang’s six experts committed the killings, while altered autopsy records and coerced testimony secured the couple’s execution. 49 50

Xiao later became Weishui’s chief constable, a promotion Yu Chen suspects was among the rewards promised for his betrayal. As chief constable, he accumulated extensive illicit wealth and maintained ties with the Blackwater Gang. 50

Appearance

By the time of his flight from Weishui, Xiao was a middle-aged man around forty who wore a thick quilted robe against the winter cold. 48

• Retained the physical foundation of martial training despite years away from serious combat. 48
• Wielded a long saber when confronted at his hideout. 48

Personality

Xiao was ambitious, greedy, and self-serving. He resented Yu Tiesheng’s poverty and integrity, believing that a constable’s position should bring personal wealth rather than principled service. 49 50

He habitually concealed corruption behind an upright public persona. When the Inspection Bureau raided his residence, he claimed to have lived “clean and upright” despite possessing property deeds and silver far beyond anything his official salary could support. 35

Under pressure, Xiao proved cowardly and evasive. He denied his Blackwater Gang connections, attempted to shift blame for the Chen Household Massacre, and confessed only after Yu Chen broke his limbs and hands. 48 49

Abilities & Skills

Martial Training

Xiao was trained personally by Yu Tiesheng and retained a solid martial foundation despite abandoning serious cultivation in favor of office and wealth. 48 49

• Was once regarded as talented enough to potentially enter the Innate Realm before thirty. 49
• Could still react quickly, wield a saber, and defend himself against ordinary opponents after years away from fighting. 48
• Failed to reach the Innate Realm; he later regretted neglecting his cultivation when Yu Chen overwhelmed him. 49
• Was completely outmatched by Yu Chen’s Innate body, speed, and strength. 48

Manipulation of Official Power

As chief constable, Xiao used his authority and criminal connections to obstruct justice.

• Cooperated with the Blackwater Gang to replace the boot evidence connecting the Ji Family’s Three Brothers to Zhang San’er’s murder. 33 48
• Ordered the brothers released after presenting falsified evidence and discrediting Lin Yi’s investigation. 33
• Built enough connections within the yamen and prison system to bribe guards and escape custody after his arrest. 42

Relationships

• Yu Tiesheng — Adoptive father figure and martial master. Xiao betrayed him by stealing his weapons and helping frame him for the Chen Household Massacre. 41 49 50
• Yu Chen — Son of Yu Tiesheng and Xiao’s eventual executioner. Yu Chen forced Xiao’s confession, revealed his identity, and killed him in repayment for his parents’ deaths. 49
• Blackwater Gang’s First Master — Conspiratorial patron who ordered Xiao to frame Yu Tiesheng and his wife. 49
• Blackwater Gang — Xiao collaborated with the gang for wealth and protection, including helping free the Ji brothers in exchange for payment and a hidden courtyard. 48
• Lin Yi — Subordinate constable whose murder investigation Xiao sabotaged by replacing critical evidence and releasing the Ji brothers. 33
• Corpse Mover — Arrived intending to capture or kill Xiao, only to find that Yu Chen had already executed him. 49 50

Story Role / Major Arcs

Release of the Ji Brothers

Xiao intervened in Lin Yi’s investigation of Zhang San’er’s murder. He replaced the incriminating boot with an unrelated white glazed boot, declared Lin Yi’s arrest unjustified, and ordered the Ji Family’s Three Brothers released. 33

Exposure and Downfall

The Inspection Bureau raided Xiao’s residence after obtaining evidence of his hidden property and illicit silver. He was removed from office, imprisoned, and publicly exposed as a corrupt official. 35 36

He escaped prison by bribing guards and hid in a secluded Blackwater Gang courtyard eighty li south of Weishui. With his position destroyed and his allies no longer responding, he realized that the Blackwater Gang had abandoned him. 42 48

Confession and Death

Yu Chen confronted Xiao at the courtyard as the ghost-masked Head-Taking Fiend. Xiao’s saber was crushed barehanded, his legs were broken, and he was captured before he could flee. 48

During interrogation, Xiao admitted that he stole Yu Tiesheng’s golden maces and planted them at the Chen Household murder scene on the Blackwater Gang’s orders. After Yu Chen revealed himself as Yu Tiesheng’s son, Xiao was executed; his headless body was arranged kneeling toward Weishui County. 49

Trivia

• Xiao’s role in the frame-up was initially inferred from his privileged access to Yu Tiesheng’s home and weapons. 41
• He publicly portrayed himself as incorruptible even as the Inspection Bureau presented proof of his unexplained wealth. 35
• His death resembled the ritualized killings attributed to the “Head-Taking Ghost,” leading others to connect the murder to the earlier deaths of the Ji brothers. 50