Zhang Ping

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhang Ping (张平)
Alias(es)	Reaper (nighttime persona) 36
Species/Race	Human 2
Gender	Male
Age	16 32
Affiliation	Iron Soul; Cleanup Team informant under Liu Sishan’s protection; Beast King Fist Hall trainee 7 13 15
Occupation/Role	Former Pearl Ability Academy student; blacksmith apprentice and Liu Tiefeng’s caretaker; investigator of the Heavenly Fox infiltration 7 13
Status	Alive 47
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Self-contracted Awakened	1 2	Swallowed his own supposed Greed Gem, discovering that he could command his own body. Appraisal later identified the power as Contract Gem, with Zhang simultaneously acting as summoner and summoned beast.
Unstable Appraisal	2	Awakened after consuming another Contract Gem; enabled him to perceive disguised Heavenly Foxes and inspect objects or individuals with inconsistent success.
Potential: three → four stars; Nightwalker	3	Repeated Contract Gem consumption raised his potential and awakened Nightwalker, granting stealth and mobility at night.
Level 1 → Level 2	5	His physical strength and Mental Strength rose by roughly five percent; Unstable Appraisal evolved into Stable Appraisal.
Fire Eater	9 10	Awakened while forging after drawing furnace flames into his body; he learned to store fire-element energy, restore stamina, and produce flames.
Strategic Appraisal	15	Appraisal evolved again, allowing him to identify a target’s faction or organization, including Liu Sishan’s Cleanup Team affiliation.
Level 3; Wind Whisperer	17	Reached Level 3 and awakened Wind Whisperer after touching a Wind Gem, allowing him to overhear secrets carried by the wind.
Level 3 → Level 9	24	Swallowed the Lone Testicle Orb and gained a dramatic increase in level and lifespan. Strategic Appraisal became Collector’s Edition Appraisal Technique, while Nightwalker evolved into Nethermist Nightwalker.
Nethermist Body and Other-Eater	24 25	Gained control of Nether Mist and an ability to acquire unusual constitutions through consumption; the latter may have neutralized a parasitic Nether Mist Mutated Beast, though Zhang treats this as unconfirmed.
Pure Water Body	26	Acquired a full-body water transformation capable of healing injuries, purifying impurities, and absorbing moisture for recovery.
Pure Blood Body	39	Awakened after drinking Golden Blood; can transform into blood, sense living conditions, and merge with others to heal injuries and scars.

Background and History

In his previous life, Zhang Ping served on a private rescue team. He died in a nighttime landslide while travelling to rescue lost hikers, then transmigrated into the body of the original Zhang Ping, who had died in despair after awakening what appeared to be a Useless Tier ability. The transmigrated Zhang retained the original owner’s memories but regarded survival and practical work as preferable to chasing glory through dangerous combat. 1

The original Zhang Ping had grown up in an orphanage near a small park behind the former Beef Brisket Ramen Shop. Before enrolling at Pearl Ability Academy, he practiced martial arts alone in that park, a detail known to very few people and later used in a coded message directed at him. 7

At Pearl Ability Academy, Zhang initially expected to become a farmer after graduation. His outlook changed after he consumed one of his own gems and discovered he could command his body beyond the limits of ordinary willpower. He soon realized that Luo Shiyu, a popular student, was actually a Heavenly Fox using perception distortion to hide its monstrous form. 1 2

Personality

Zhang is pragmatic, observant, and unusually cautious for his age. His rescue-worker background leads him to gather evidence, assess danger, and avoid reckless confrontations even when he witnesses atrocities committed by the Heavenly Foxes. 2 4

He approaches powers through experimentation. He repeatedly tests his body, abilities, equipment, and forging methods, treating failure as information rather than a reason to give up. This curiosity helped him discover applications for Contract Gem, Fire Eater, Pure Water Body, and Nether Mist. 1 10 26 28

Despite his growing strength, Zhang remains morally conflicted about killing. He distinguishes self-defense and protecting others from violence driven by anger, and he fears that his expanding abilities may gradually shape his desires and turn him into a Lost One. 38 47

Abilities & Skills

Contract Gem and Absolute Command

Contract Gem allows Zhang to condense gems by consuming stamina and Mental Strength. A target who willingly consumes one becomes his summoned beast; their life, soul, and consciousness are governed by him, while they receive increases to potential and luck. 2

• Zhang is both his own summoner and summoned beast, allowing Absolute Command and Absolute Obedience to govern his own body. 2
• He can order his body to exercise, run, sleep, or perform actions while his consciousness rests or remains alert. 1 5
• Subsequent gem consumption slightly raises potential and carries a 1% chance to awaken a new talent. 2
• The ability requires voluntary acceptance and consumes stamina and Mental Strength. 2
• Its appraisal description warns that it was acquired at the cost of intelligence, potential, and luck, and possesses an unspecified “enormous flaw.” 2

Appraisal Technique

Zhang’s appraisal ability developed from Unstable Appraisal to Stable Appraisal, Strategic Appraisal, and eventually Collector’s Edition Appraisal Technique. 2 5 15 24

• Stable Appraisal is more likely to succeed when the strength gap is small; after the first successful appraisal of a target, future attempts become easier. 5
• Strategic Appraisal can reveal factional affiliations, allowing Zhang to identify the Cleanup Team. 15
• Appraisal lets him identify Mutated Beast levels, talents, equipment properties, and unusual materials. 5 17 24
• It can fail against targets protected by specialized abilities, such as Situ Shibai’s Information-Sealing Energy Membrane. 29

Nightwalker and Nethermist Nightwalker

Nightwalker is Zhang’s primary nocturnal stealth talent. It later evolved after he consumed the Lone Testicle Orb. 3 24

• Grants night vision, reduced presence, increased speed, lower body weight, and invisibility while standing in shadows. 5
• Its concealment weakens after dawn, a flaw that nearly exposed Zhang to the Heavenly Foxes. 5
• Combined with the Assassination Ring, it allowed him to move through Mingzhu City largely unnoticed. 5 9

Fire Eater

Fire Eater enables Zhang to absorb flames and store fire-element energy inside his body. 10

• Restores stamina by consuming flames, including flames he creates himself. 10 21
• Grants cold resistance and permits fire-element energy to be released around his body. 10
• Developed techniques include Flame Palm, flame bursts from his feet or shoulder blades, and Flame Blade. 14
• He cannot freely control fire once it leaves his body, and releasing flames from areas covered by clothing can burn his equipment. 11 14

Nethermist Body

Nethermist Body converts fear into controllable Nether Mist. It became Zhang’s foremost offensive and defensive ability after he consumed the Lone Testicle Orb. 24

• Nether Mist can cut through objects, block attacks, propel Zhang through the air, and form weapons such as Nethermist Flying Knives. 24 26
• Zhang can perceive fear as purple energy and absorb it to strengthen his mist. 32
• The inherited King Bloodline trait lets Nether Mist inflict damage beyond its apparent rank against beings below King level. 26
• He uses the mist with a cloak, mask, and scythe to assume his Reaper persona. 34 36

Pure Water Body

Pure Water Body transforms Zhang into living water. 26

• Absorbs moisture to restore stamina and heal injuries. 26
• Removes poison, negative conditions, and bodily impurities. 26 28
• Can reshape into humanoid or animal-like forms and precisely sense temperature. 28
• Resists many water-based attacks, including Liu Sishan’s water and ice techniques. 26
• Effective combat use demands considerable Mental Strength and fine control. 28

Pure Blood Body

Pure Blood Body allows Zhang to transform into blood and sense the condition of living beings. 39

• By entering another person’s bloodstream, he can heal injuries, remove scars, and restore damaged tissue. 39 40
• He fully regenerated Liu Tiefeng’s severed arm and repaired numerous older injuries. 40
• Entering Liu Sishan’s body restored her fatigue and hidden injuries while also rapidly replenishing Zhang’s Mental Strength. 46

Wind Whisperer

Wind Whisperer is a passive talent awakened through contact with a Wind Gem. 17

• Allows Zhang to overhear secrets and conversations carried by the wind. 18
• Provides valuable intelligence on powerful figures, Heavenly Foxes, and hidden conspiracies. 18 29
• He cannot choose what he hears and is forced to endure disturbing private information. 18

Other-Eater

Other-Eater, later discussed as “Strange Eater,” may grant special constitutions when Zhang consumes unusual substances. 24 25

• It appears connected to his acquisition of body-type abilities after consuming rare treasures or contaminated materials. 24 26
• Zhang suspects it digested a parasitic Nether Mist Mutated Beast, but this has not been confirmed. 25
• Attempts to gain additional constitutions from metals and poison produced no reliable results. 28

Martial Arts and Forging

Zhang supplements his abilities with physical training, martial arts, and blacksmithing. 3 7

• Practices Pearl Fist, Bright Fist, and the Beast King Fist Hall’s Ape King, Giant Crocodile, and Phoenix Claw forms. 3 15 18 36
• Learned the Dough-Kneading Forging Technique under Qiu Qiang and Liu Tiefeng, using tactile dough exercises to develop material sensitivity and full-body control. 7 8
• Successfully forged a Pearl Saber after earlier failures caused by poor heat control and insufficient kneading strength. 17

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Assassination Ring — Causes living beings to unconsciously overlook its wearer; High-Level Awakened and stronger beings are immune. 4
• Beauty’s Tear — A translucent dagger gifted by Qiu Qiang and named by Zhang; it was later destroyed by corrosive acid. 6 22
• Pearl Saber — Standard anti-Mutated Beast weapon forged by Zhang after repeated practice. 17
• Cold Jade / Warm Jade — Paired emergency devices: heating Zhang’s Cold Jade causes Liu Sishan’s Warm Jade to become hot. 14
• Ghost Lantern — Produces gray light that turns its illuminated surroundings black and white; Zhang uses it while operating as the Reaper. 36
• Fear War Scythe — A scythe obtained from Situ Shibai that induces fear within three meters, absorbs blood, and can evolve over time. 29 30
• Golden Treasury Bracelet — Spatial storage equipment with roughly 450 cubic meters of capacity. 29 30

Relationships

• Liu Sishan — Childhood acquaintance from the orphanage, Cleanup Team protector, combat instructor, and trusted confidante. Their partnership develops through shared investigations, training, and mutual healing. 11 13 21 46 47
• Liu Tiefeng — Iron Soul’s elderly master forger and Zhang’s primary forging mentor. Zhang becomes his caretaker and later regenerates his severed arm. 7 8 40
• Qiu Qiang — Iron Soul’s owner and veteran adventurer who offers Zhang food, lodging, wages, blacksmithing instruction, and Beauty’s Tear. 6 7
• Wang Jieming — Fellow Beast King Fist Hall student. Zhang patiently breaks down techniques for him and protects him from threats he is not ready to face. 17 36
• Su Jingyao — Former deskmate who cared about Zhang despite mocking his apparent Useless Tier ability; her death remains a source of Zhang’s grief and motivation. 1 24
• Situ Shibai — Cleanup Team captain and fellow Infinite Tier ability user. He tests Zhang’s power, provides the Fear War Scythe and Golden Treasury, and warns him about Mingzhu City’s deeper conspiracies. 29 30
• Prince Yue and the Heavenly Foxes — Zhang’s principal enemies. Their infiltration of Mingzhu City drives his investigation, training, and eventual vow to return and kill Prince Yue. 2 39
• Chen Juntaing — A kidnapped Intermediate Awakened Zhang protects from the Beast-Taming Zhu Family’s agents. 31 32

Story Role / Major Arcs

Heavenly Fox Infiltration

Zhang discovers that Heavenly Foxes have replaced or consumed people throughout Mingzhu City, including members of the school and Patrol Team. Unable to expose them without proof, he becomes a covert investigator and uses his abilities to map their activity. 2 4

Iron Soul Apprenticeship

After graduating early, Zhang moves into Iron Soul to care for Liu Tiefeng while studying forging and Mutated Beast materials. The shop becomes his base for training, weapon-making, and contact with Qiu Qiang and Wang Jieming. 7 8 17

Cleanup Team Informant

After proving his humanity to Liu Sishan through their shared orphanage memories, Zhang agrees to identify Heavenly Foxes for the Cleanup Team while Liu secretly protects and monitors him. 11 13

Salt Frost Tree Valley

Liu Sishan brings Zhang outside the city for combat training and the Salt Frost Tree conflict. After nearly dying against the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader, he consumes the Lone Testicle Orb, reaches Level 9, and gains Nethermist Body and Other-Eater. 21 23 24

Zhu Family Conflict

Zhang investigates the Beast-Taming Zhu Family remnants and discovers their involvement in Mingzhu City’s crisis. While rescuing Chen Juntaing from kidnappers, he kills three attackers and learns to use fear as fuel for Nether Mist. 30 31 32

Exposure and Exile from Mingzhu City

After Heavenly Fox tortures Liu Tiefeng, Zhang helps kill it with Situ Shibai’s support. Prince Yue retaliates by destroying Iron Soul, exposing Zhang’s identity and forcing him to flee the city with Liu Sishan and Liu Tiefeng. 38 39

Living Corpse Siege

During the Living Corpses’ assault on Mingzhu City, Zhang’s earlier warning helps the city prepare. He later observes the siege through a blood snake and investigates the possible Lost One controlling the corpses while Liu Sishan restrains him from acting impulsively. 46 47