Station Chief

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Station Chief (役长); personal name unspecified
Alias(es)	Squad leader; captain 102 104
Gender	Male 102
Affiliation	Demon-Quelling Office; Mao Group 102
Occupation/Role	Veteran Nuo Master leading the novice team assigned to Riverside Town 101 102 157
Status	Deceased; killed by the River Demon during the team’s first night in Riverside Town 116 157
First Appearance	Leads the team’s departure through the Passage Well 102

Appearance

• Face and bearing: A resolute-faced, stern, unsmiling man with visible stubble 102 116 124.
• Distinctive thumb: A corn made his thumb knuckle bulge, leaving it pale and unusually thick. This recognizable feature allowed the team to identify his severed thumb after his death 116.

Personality

The Station Chief is terse, disciplined, and demanding. Before departure, he establishes strict rules against infighting and retaliating against teammates who cannot safely attempt a rescue. During the investigation, he requires detailed records of events and conversations, explicitly excluding personal guesses so that he can assess the evidence himself 102 109 115.

Despite his severity, he protects his subordinates and does not automatically blame survivors for their companions’ deaths. When Mo Hechuan reports that Chi Xi died fighting the Human-Skin Ghosts, the Station Chief tells him that Chi Xi’s decision was not his fault. He also recognizes Ye Qianfan’s investigative talent and openly praises his deductions at the Fish Bone Temple 110 113.

His confidence becomes dangerous when he dismisses the town’s nighttime precautions. Although cautious about entering the river without locating its monster, he believes his ability to kill ghosts makes sleeping alone safe. He impatiently cuts short the Pavilion Chief’s final warning before retiring 111 115.

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

• Pins a Human-Skin Ghost against the courtyard door, then cleaves it in two when Ye Qianfan opens the entrance 113.
• Throws his longsword to pin another ghost to the ground, creating an opening for Shang Xueli to kill it 114.
• Coordinates with Shen Lang’s flute and Shang Xueli’s sword attacks to destroy the remaining ghosts 114.

Heavenly Eye

• Uses his Heavenly Eye to search for the River God beneath the water 111.
• Cannot locate the creature, leading him to reject a rash underwater attack 111.

Investigation and Command

• Gives precise Passage Well instructions: carry the Office token, clearly recite the destination, and keep the eyes closed during transit 102.
• Assigns paired investigators to map the settlement, question villagers, verify the Pavilion Chief’s account, and investigate the river 109.
• Identifies the unusual riverside shrine as a Fish Bone Temple 109.
• Requires factual written reports and reserves judgment until he has reviewed them 115.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Nuo Master’s sword / longsword — Used to pin, cut, and pierce Human-Skin Ghosts; Ye Qianfan recognizes its type at the courtyard door 113 114.
• Saber — Found in his room alongside his discarded clothes after his death 116.

Background / History

Riverside Town Assignment

The Station Chief leads a newly assembled team through the Passage Well to Riverside Town. He warns them that their work is life-threatening and makes mutual assistance conditional on practical judgment rather than compulsory sacrifice. After arrival, he explains that two earlier inspector teams disappeared without sending word back 102 104.

At the Pavilion Office, he questions the local leader about the spoiled crops and the origins of River God worship. He then divides the team into investigative pairs. Ye Qianfan and Shen Lang accompany him to the river, where he learns that they resolved Ghost Village’s haunting by uncovering its secrets rather than forcing their way through 107 109.

River Investigation and Ghost Attacks

At the Fish Bone Temple, the Station Chief questions Ye Qianfan’s interpretation of the scene, then praises his reconstruction of the monster’s movements and dimensions. After witnessing a villager dragged underwater, he concludes that the supposed deity is likely a River Demon or River Monster. Unable to locate it with his Heavenly Eye, he plans to devise a trapping method the following day 110 111.

When rain brings Human-Skin Ghost attacks, he returns to the Pavilion Office and helps the scattered investigators reach safety. He kills several ghosts, reassures Mo Hechuan about Chi Xi’s death, and confronts the Pavilion Chief over the undisclosed danger of the rain and Lower River Village’s bridal procession 113 114.

Death and Aftermath

The Station Chief accepts the Pavilion Chief’s explanation provisionally, orders reports, and retires alone despite warnings that rooms must have exactly two occupants. The following morning, his unlocked room contains blood smeared across the floor, his clothes and saber, and a severed thumb—but no body. No one heard the attack 115 116.

Ye Qianfan temporarily assumes command. The missing body initially leaves him doubtful about the death, but the Station Chief’s likeness is subsequently found among the faces on the Human-Head Tree 116 119 124.

Ye later suspects that the False River God incapacitated the Station Chief with poison before eating him. He uses the same room to bait the creature, which pumps gray poison gas through the window before entering. The poisoning remains Ye’s reconstruction; his later report explicitly identifies the River Demon as the killer 145 157.

Relationships

• Ye Qianfan — Patrol Constable and deputy. Ye follows him to learn investigative methods, earns his praise, and takes temporary command after his death 109 110 116.
• Shen Lang — Subordinate who accompanies the river investigation and provides flute support during the Human-Skin Ghost battle 109 114.
• Shang Xueli — Subordinate whom he reprimands for confronting the Pavilion Chief before he has spoken; later fights alongside her against the ghosts 106 114.
• Mo Hechuan — Apparent teammate whom he reassures after Chi Xi’s reported death. Mo is later exposed as a Human-Skin Ghost infiltrator 113 134.
• Pavilion Chief — Local informant and host. The Station Chief demands verifiable information from him but dismisses his warnings about sleeping alone 109 115.

Notable Quotes

“If someone runs into danger, lend a hand if you can. But if someone weighs things up and finds the risks outweigh the chances, don't resent them for refusing to help. Whatever else happens, my Mao Group does not tolerate infighting!” 102

“Include only detailed accounts of events and conversations. Leave out your guesses and opinions. I'll make my own judgments!” 115