Su Yan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Su Yan (苏衍)
Gender	Male
Age	Approximately fifteen or sixteen 11 22
Origin	Yunqian Village; retains memories of a previous modern life 1 12
Affiliation	Golden Ape Martial Hall, Inner Courtyard; supported by Song Qi and Xu Zhongdao of Hundred Herbs Hall 38 45 46
Occupation/Role	Insect Master, martial disciple, mountain forager, and hunter 1 3 45 50
Insect Master Rank	First-Rank Insect Master, last recorded at 23/100 41
Martial Cultivation	Body Tempering Realm — Skin Refining, major attainment; last recorded at 160/400 49
Status	Alive; continuing cultivation and mountain hunting 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “The Insect Lord” 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
First-Rank Insect Master	1 2	Captures and refines the Darkwater Centipede, awakening the Fierce Insect Cauldron’s functions and gaining his first Bound Insect.
Mountain Trekking — minor mastery, 3/200	3	A successful mountain expedition improves his gathering and navigation skills. Insect Master progress reaches 2/100.
Basic Archery and Herb Identification — minor attainment, 1/200 each	6	Five days of repeated shooting and studying the Hundred Herbs Diagram cause both skills to manifest. Insect Master progress reaches 3/100.
Skin Refining — beginner, 1/100 → 10/100	13	Gao Zheng’s instruction lets him sense circulating qi and blood. Stance practice and a medicinal decoction establish his first martial cultivation realm.
Golden Ape Stance Art — minor mastery, 1/200	14	Achieved after five days of intensive training with insect essence and medicinal decoctions. Skin Refining reaches 80/100.
Skin Refining and Monkey Fist — minor mastery, 1/200 each	22	Fighting a tiger unites his body, intent, and surging qi and blood, pushing both cultivation and fist technique beyond beginner level.
First-Rank Insect Master — 19/100	31	Refines the growth-stage Velvetfire Scorpion as his second Bound Insect, gaining a second daily portion of insect essence.
Basic Archery — major mastery, 5/400	32	Integrating stance-generated force into archery produces his first major-mastery skill. Skin Refining reaches 149/200; Insect Master progress reaches 20/100.
Skin Refining, Golden Ape Stance Art, and Monkey Fist — major attainment	35 37	Combat with a Copper Fox Ape completes the breakthrough. Initial readings are Skin Refining 5/400, stance art 2/400, and Monkey Fist 1/400; Insect Master progress reaches 23/100.
Major-attainment Skin Refining — 37/400	40	Endures two hours in Xu Zhongdao’s stronger medicinal bath. Golden Ape Stance Art reaches 24/400.
Herb Identification — major attainment, 1/400	41	Studying the Compendium of Spirit Herbs advances his medicinal knowledge. His training also raises Skin Refining to 143/400, stance art to 79/400, and Monkey Fist to 65/400.
Golden Ape Jade Body Art — initial proficiency	46	Learns its blood-and-qi circulation within one day, hardening his skin much sooner than Bai Changlin expects.
Savage Ape Three Forms — basics grasped	47	His major-mastery Monkey Fist foundation lets him quickly learn the three forms. He estimates that his new supplementary art and offensive technique have increased his strength by at least thirty percent without a realm breakthrough.
Skin Refining — 160/400; Golden Ape Jade Body Art — entry level, 30/100	49	Absorbs a Sinew-Mending Meridian-Continuing Pill, dividing its medicinal power between skin refining, external conditioning, and strengthening his muscles and sinews.

Background / History

Reincarnation and the First Bound Insect

Su Yan begins in an impoverished household burdened by debt. His mother has died, and his father, Su Dahe, disappeared while gathering medicinal plants. With memories of a modern life, he concludes that ordinary work offers little protection against the world’s powerful martial artists and seeks a way to acquire strength himself 1.

In Year 1347 of Great Li, he ventures into Cloudridge Mountain during a storm to catch a Darkwater Centipede. Using a repaired fishing net, he traps and subdues it despite its venom, then refines it through the Fierce Insect Cauldron. Its insect essence begins repairing his malnourished body, while its combat and resource-finding abilities make solitary foraging profitable 1 2 3.

Foraging, Ambush, and Martial Training

His sale of a poisonous yinred root brings him to Song Qi’s attention. Song gives him the Hundred Herbs Diagram, which Su Yan studies alongside daily archery practice. He invests his earnings in a Hardwood Bow and Mountain-Cleaving Saber, but rumors of his wealth attract Wang San and several accomplices 4 5 6 7.

After discovering their pursuit, Su Yan ambushes the group using the centipede and his bow. Wang San implicates Niu Han’s gang in Su Dahe’s death and reveals their intention to seize Su Yan’s house and sell him into servitude. Su Yan kills Wang San, conceals the evidence, and continues gathering herbs before returning to avoid suspicion 8 9 10.

Song Qi offers a martial-hall recommendation in exchange for searching for blood tendon flowers. With fifty taels and Song’s calling card, Su Yan enters the Golden Ape Martial Hall as an outer disciple, bypassing its usual preliminary conditioning period. Gao Zheng teaches him the Golden Ape Stance Art and Monkey Fist 11 12 13.

Retaliation Against Niu Han

When Zhao Erlaizi and four debt collectors arrive before the agreed repayment date and injure Xie Yuzhu, Su Yan defeats them publicly. He then scouts Niu Han’s compound and overhears a plan to take him into the mountains and disguise his murder as an accident 16 17 18.

Su Yan leaves the Darkwater Centipede at the compound. The insect attacks the assembled gang at dawn while Su Yan accompanies Xie Yuzhu to seek medical care. Niu Han dies, and Zheng Penggang later assures Su Yan that the village head has explained his presence at the market to the investigating constable 19 20 23.

Inner-Mountain Breakthroughs

Su Yan enters the Inner Mountain to obtain cultivation resources and test his martial techniques. He chooses to fight a tiger without the centipede’s intervention, kills it barehanded, and reaches minor mastery in Skin Refining and Monkey Fist. Carrying the carcass to market establishes his reputation as a young tiger slayer 21 22 23.

After learning about an insect that burned Guo Yun, he prepares an Iron Wire Fishing Net and captures the Velvetfire Scorpion. Its essence supplements the centipede’s daily contribution. Intensive training brings him close to further breakthroughs, which he completes through combat with a Copper Fox Ape 26 28 31 32 35 37.

He also finds the blood tendon flowers promised to Song Qi. Rather than sell them, he gives them to his mentor as repayment for his guidance. Gu Hong’s attempt to obtain the flowers and recruit Su Yan into the Little Mountain Society ends with Song Qi protecting him. Gu Hong’s disclosure about black rock crow ginseng strengthens the connection between the society and Su Dahe’s death, although Su Yan still lacks the full account 35 36.

Inner Courtyard and Medicine Refining

Song Qi introduces Su Yan to Xu Zhongdao, who develops stronger medicines suited to his resilience and grants him access to his study. Meanwhile, the Little Mountain Society tries to prevent his promotion through other outer disciples. Dian Jing warns him of the scheme, and Gao Zheng supports him after another courtyard confrontation 38 39 40 41 42.

During the Inner Gate examination, Su Yan withstands Bai Changlin’s beast-spirit true intent pressure, defeats several challengers, and beats Li Shun in two moves. He receives first place after only one month of martial training and enters Bai Changlin’s Inner Courtyard. Bai subsequently teaches him the Golden Ape Jade Body Art and Savage Ape Three Forms 44 45 46 47.

Su Yan assists Xu Zhongdao in refining the pills needed for Song Qi’s recovery and accepts one for his own conditioning. He then resumes earning resources through foraging and hunting, purchases a Fine Steel Wolf-Pattern Bow, and kills a Fang-Horned Boar with a single arrow through its head 48 49 50.

Appearance

• Youthful and handsome: Villagers describe him as handsome; observers place him at roughly fifteen or sixteen 8 22.
• Fair skin and a slender frame: Initially pale and malnourished, he looks healthier after receiving insect essence. His slight appearance continues to conceal unusually strong muscles, tendons, and bones 2 12 15.
• Bright eyes and steady movement: Gao Zheng notices his bright eyes and firm steps even before formal cultivation 12.
• Ape-like bearing: As his stance becomes integrated into everyday movement, Xie Zheng recognizes an ape-like quality in his gait 29.
• Early clothing: Wears hemp clothing and replaces his straw sandals with mountain-trekking shoes when his earnings improve 4 5.

Personality

Su Yan is pragmatic, disciplined, and strongly protective of his independence. He rejects lengthy apprenticeships that resemble servitude, avoids the martial hall’s factional politics, and refuses Li Shun’s proposal that he sacrifice his own assessment prospects for vague future favors. His training routinely occupies entire days, and he endures painful medicinal treatments to accelerate his progress 2 6 14 28 40 41.

His caution extends to money, reputation, and violence. He initially sells rare finds gradually to avoid attracting predators, conceals his retaliation against dangerous enemies, and treats hardened skin as protection rather than invulnerability. Nevertheless, he is willing to accept lethal combat when it offers a meaningful test of his skills 3 10 18 21 22.

He remembers practical kindness and repays it generously. He shares gathering locations with Xie Yuzhu, arranges treatment for his injuries, helps Guo Yun’s family with taxes and medicine, and gives Song Qi valuable blood tendon flowers. His gratitude is sincere but not naïve: he openly acknowledges that he also wants Song Qi as a backer 8 17 26 36.

Abilities & Skills

Insect Mastery

Su Yan uses the Fierce Insect Cauldron to refine strange insects into obedient Bound Insects 1 2.

• Command and coordination: Directs insects in combat, harvesting, ambushes, and scouting; can instruct the centipede to limit its venom or memorize particular scents 3 9 18.
• Daily insect essence: Each of his two Bound Insects provides nourishing essence. He absorbs it directly or incorporates it into stance practice to replenish his body and support cultivation 2 14 31 32.
• Linked advancement: A Bound Insect’s improvement raises his Insect Master experience. Compatible treasures and venomous creatures accelerate insect growth; commanded activity and combat provide slower gains 3.
• Rank restriction: A first-tier Insect Master can control Bound Insects no higher than the first tier 2.
• Refinement cost: Adding another Bound Insect requires a suitable strange insect and one hundred jin of beast blood essence 2 31.

Bound Insects

• Darkwater Centipede: His first companion, refined in Chapter 1. It resists venom, defeats dangerous animals, helps uncover poisonous roots, and repeatedly leads him to valuable resources. Its shell becomes tough as cowhide during its growth stage; after eating the Copper Fox Ape’s heart, it reaches maturity and develops blackish-purple armor. Its last recorded progress is 15/400 in the Mature Stage 1 3 8 35 41.
• Velvetfire Scorpion: His second companion, captured with the centipede’s assistance and an Iron Wire Fishing Net. It releases fiery poison mist capable of burning the centipede’s shell. Its last recorded progress is 147/200 in the Growth Stage 31 41.
• Combined poison: Su Yan believes their coordinated poisons could kill a Sinew and Bone Realm opponent; this is his assessment, not a demonstrated victory 31.

Attribute Panel

The panel records his Insect Master experience, cultivation, learned skills, Insect Realm capacity, and Bound Insect growth 3 13 41.

• Skills manifest after sufficient understanding and practice, as shown by Basic Archery and Herb Identification 6.
• Recorded progress helps him refine training accuracy and recognize plateaus 13 32.
• It does not simply grant freely assignable points. Practicing Military Boxing and receiving informal herb lessons initially fail to create new panel skills 2 6.

Golden Ape Stance Art and Skin Refining

The Golden Ape Stance Art circulates and refines qi and blood to temper his body. At greater mastery, its principles become part of his footwork and ordinary movements 13 24 37.

• Improves the strength and purity of his qi and blood and increases his ability to absorb medicinal nourishment 21 37.
• Allows him to combine insect essence, medicinal baths, herbs, and Savage Beast meat into an intensive cultivation routine 30 32 41.
• Skin Refining gives him a tough protective membrane and substantial strength; before major attainment, he estimates his strength at one or two thousand jin 22 32.
• His improved defenses reduce injury but do not make him immune to weapons or lethal attacks 22.

Fist Techniques and External Conditioning

• Eight Forms of Monkey Fist: Combines agile ape-like movement with forceful strikes. Techniques include Monkey-Leaping Step, Old Ape Supports the Mountain, and Old Ape Strikes the Crown. Major mastery makes its execution instinctive 15 22 26 37.
• Golden Ape Jade Body Art: A supplementary external-conditioning art with stone embryo, iron bones, and jade body stages. It hardens the body through blood-and-qi circulation and medicinal support; the provided record does not establish that Su Yan has completed those stages 46 49.
• Savage Ape Three Forms: Heaven-Supporting, Mountain-Splitting, and Sea-Subduing mobilize blood, qi, and eventually true essence for greater offensive power 47.
• Conditioning limit: Rapid external tempering can accumulate hidden injuries. Song Qi gives him a restorative pill partly to address that risk 49.

Archery and Mountain Trekking

• Basic Archery: Reaches major mastery before his principal martial techniques. Applying stance-generated power lets him shoot three arrows into the same branch at once 32.
• Hunting: Uses archery against animals, hostile pursuers, and Savage Beasts; later kills a Fang-Horned Boar with one headshot 3 9 50.
• Mountain Trekking: Covers navigation, identifying mountain produce, and harvesting. Its last recorded proficiency is 178/200 at minor attainment 3 41.
• Practical integration: Uses travel through difficult terrain to make martial movement and footwork habitual 21.

Herb Identification and Medicine Preparation

Su Yan learns first from Xie Yuzhu and the Hundred Herbs Diagram, then expands his knowledge through Xu Zhongdao’s library and practical instruction 2 4 41.

• Distinguishes similar plants through their appearance, habitat, and medicinal effects 10.
• Recognizes Guo Yun’s fire-poison injury and helps treat it with Miasma-Clearing Powder 26 27.
• Prepares and uses Poison-Skin Powder and Three-Origin Decoction; Xu judges his ingredient knowledge and processing better than those of Hundred Herbs Hall’s apprentices 48.
• Assists with the Sinew-Mending Meridian-Continuing Pill by supplying prepared ingredients during refinement 48.
• Wants to turn poisonous plants into poison pills for his insects, but completed production is not documented in the provided chapters 39 41 47.
• Cannot receive Hundred Herbs Hall’s alchemy art directly because of its transmission rules 48.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Fierce Insect Cauldron: Refines Bound Insects, uses beast blood essence, and supports their recovery and growth 1 2 31.
• Insect Realm Space: Last recorded capacity of one cubic meter. Stores insects, weapons, provisions, herbs, and valuable meat 2 5 35 41.
• Hardwood Bow: A seventy-jin bow bought with thirty arrows; layered hardwood construction reinforced with beast tendon 5.
• Fine Steel Wolf-Pattern Bow: Purchased for twenty-seven taels when his growing strength calls for a heavier-draw weapon 50.
• Mountain-Cleaving Saber: Approximately one and a half meters long and four jin in weight, with a hilt suitable for either a one-handed or two-handed grip 5.
• Iron Wire Fishing Net: A specialized fifteen-tael net purchased to capture the Velvetfire Scorpion 28 31.
• Hundred Herbs Diagram: Song Qi’s introductory herb guide, which Su Yan memorizes during his early training 4 6 10.
• Cultivation medicines: Uses Redskin Powder, Xu Zhongdao’s stronger Poison-Skin Powder, and Blood-Replenishing Three-Origin Soup alongside nourishing herbs and Savage Beast meat 29 38 41.
• Sinew-Mending Meridian-Continuing Pill: A low-grade second-tier pill given by Song Qi to strengthen his foundation and address hidden conditioning injuries 49.

Relationships

• Su Dahe — Father of the body Su Yan inhabits. His suspicious death becomes a central motive for retaliation against Niu Han’s gang and investigation of the Little Mountain Society 10 12 36.
• Xie Yuzhu — Neighbor, uncle figure, and trusted benefactor, also called his second uncle. Teaches him mountain knowledge and supports him during hardship; Su Yan repays him with gathering locations, protection, and medical care 2 8 17 19 23.
• Li Lian and A Bao — Xie Yuzhu’s wife and son. Su Yan helps the household after Xie’s injury and brings A Bao pastries 17 19.
• Song Qi — Mentor and backer. Provides books, a martial-hall recommendation, training advice, protection, introductions, and a restorative pill. Su Yan gives him the blood tendon flowers needed to treat his longstanding injuries 4 11 24 36 37 49.
• Xu Zhongdao — Medicine-refining mentor and ally. Tailors medicines to Su Yan’s constitution, opens his library to him, and involves him in pill refinement 38 40 41 48.
• Bai Changlin — Martial master. Awards Su Yan first place in the assessment, admits him to the Inner Courtyard, and teaches him its supplementary art and offensive forms 45 46 47.
• Gao Zheng — First formal martial instructor and later supporter. Recognizes his aptitude, defends him against Zhou Hui, and seeks a future alliance for his own advancement 12 13 42.
• Dian Jing — Fellow mountain-born disciple and uneasy ally. Initially joins Li Shun’s self-serving proposal, later makes amends with hunting information, and warns Su Yan of the society’s assessment plot 14 28 32 42.
• Li Shun — Rival whose resentment grows after Su Yan rejects his proposal. Su Yan defeats him decisively in the Inner Gate assessment 28 32 45.
• Guo Yun — Village forager helped by Su Yan with tax money and treatment. His account of the attacking insect leads Su Yan to the Velvetfire Scorpion 26 27 31.
• Xu Guan — Chief constable who tests Su Yan, confirms his tax exemption, and invites him to seek work at the yamen after entering the martial hall’s inner ranks 25 26.
• Zheng Daqing and Zheng Penggang — Village head and his son. Help arrange Xie Yuzhu’s medical trip and explain Su Yan’s whereabouts during Niu Han’s death to the authorities 19 23 33.
• Wang San — Extortionist and ambusher. Reveals Niu Han’s connection to Su Dahe’s death before Su Yan kills him 5 7 9 10.
• Niu Han — Debt lender and enemy implicated in Su Dahe’s death. Plans Su Yan’s murder and dies following the centipede’s attack on his compound 10 18 19 20.
• Gu Hong — Little Mountain Society antagonist. Tries to coerce Su Yan into service and later arranges interference with his Inner Gate examination 24 36 39 42.

Notable Quotes

“I really do have to rely on my own efforts.” 3

“But I still need to be careful. More defense doesn't mean I can't die. It might only reduce the damage.” 22

“Your guidance in martial arts may have been nothing more than a few casual words to you, Elder Song, but to me, it was the kindness of someone showing me the way.” 36

“Besides, if I took your money, how could I have the nerve to ask you to be my backer?” 36