Zhong Cai

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhong Cai (钟财)
Species/Race	Originally human; later restored in an extreme yin corpse body with Flying Jiangshi-level strength, while retaining a human soul 713 717
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zhong corpse-driving lineage; later takes refuge with Xiao Bai at the Southern Curse Dao School’s base 30 138 725
Occupation/Role	Corpse driver, talisman maker, and Xiao Bai’s master 96 100 249
Residence	A courtyard on the outskirts of Shannan City 96 169 709
Status	Restored after death; last reported pursuing the Curse Buddha who abducted Xiao Bai, with his subsequent whereabouts unknown 249 709 729
First Appearance	Chapter 28, “The Leaping Hopping Corpse Intrudes” 28

Power Progression

Zhong Cai’s documented changes concern his body and acquired abilities; no named aperture-cultivation realm is established for him.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Human corpse-driving practitioner	29 100	Fights with a Peach Wood Sword and talismans. Talisman production requires visits to a yin ground, rather than unrestricted drawing wherever he wishes.
Preserved soul after death	249	Xiao Bai holds his unconscious, dispersing soul together with five-colored light and plans to preserve his corpse through refinement.
Preserved zombie body	636	Xiao Bai seeks further corpse-refining knowledge to improve the body’s flexibility while working toward his master’s restoration.
Awakened in an extreme yin corpse; Flying Jiangshi-level strength	709 713	Returns conscious after his long absence. Xiao Bai refined the body in three months using the Extreme Yin Corpse Refining Technique, his Yin-Yang Dharma Eye, and Curse Cult resources. Gains flight, remote blood manipulation, and formidable physical toughness.
Improved facial mobility and reduced corpse-qi leakage	720	Gu Wood Art treatment loosens his facial muscles. Implanted Corpse Beetles consume his corpse qi, leaving only a small amount behind.
Controllable Soul-Suppressing Field	722	Old Ghost embeds an unconscious ghost in a scripture-bearing yin mark on his back. Zhong Cai can expand the resulting field across dozens of meters or contract it closely around his body.

Background / History

Zhong Cai followed his master from childhood and trained alongside his senior fellow disciple, Zhong Fa. After their master died more than twenty years before the main events, the two separated over differing beliefs. Zhong Cai spent the intervening years wandering, gaining contacts and learning techniques beyond his original inheritance 30 33 133 165.

He took Xiao Bai as his disciple after recognizing the boy’s unusual sight. Having previously encountered another gifted practitioner, Zhong Cai believed Yin Gate training could help Xiao Bai use his talent and address the difficulties it brought. He invited Zhong Fa to the disciple-initiation ceremony, but Zhong Fa refused 30 164.

Despite working with Administration investigators, Zhong Cai initially remained independent—not even an affiliate. He declined an invitation to join because of his loyalty to his lineage 138 158.

Appearance

Before his transformation, Zhong Cai wears thick glasses and has a reddened, bulbous nose. His restored corpse body is stiff enough to limit ordinary facial expressions 96 709 713.

• Scarlet eyes: His eyes glow red when he reveals his strength 709 710.
• Fangs: They require daily filing after his restoration 713.
• Unnatural bodily energies: His body contains yin energy and corpse qi, but lacks yang energy and blood qi 713.
• Restricted expressions: Initially, smiling produces only a slight movement of his facial muscles; treatment later makes his smile more natural 713 720.

Personality

Zhong Cai is generous with practical knowledge but careful about boundaries. He willingly teaches Chen Miao cultivation fundamentals and shares supplies, while refusing to disclose lineage secrets or techniques belonging to other practitioners. His discretion earned him trust during his years of travel 158 169 170 181.

His loyalty to his master’s legacy has a strong moral dimension. Discovering that Zhong Fa stole their master’s burial bell enrages him more than the evidence of Zhong Fa’s other forbidden practices; he condemns the theft as betrayal of both master and forebears 33.

With Xiao Bai, Zhong Cai is affectionate and protective in a parent-like way. After returning, he prioritizes cooking for his disciple and reassures him about his altered condition. He also prevents Xiao Bai from rashly attacking Curse Cult followers, considering the consequences the boy would face afterward 133 709 710.

Despite his experience, Zhong Cai calls himself only an apprentice by the standards of established Yin Gate lineages. He remains acutely aware of stronger cultivators, and Chen Miao’s rapid growth later makes him doubt whether his new Flying Jiangshi-level body is enough to fight alongside his friend 169 713.

Abilities & Skills

Talisman Crafting and Use

Zhong Cai knows more talisman varieties than those recorded in the Zhong Family Talismans, reflecting knowledge accumulated during his travels 133.

Talisman	Documented use
Spirit-Sealing Talisman	Temporarily restrains supernatural enemies. Premium versions pursue and briefly immobilize the Incomplete Flying Jiangshi 29 162.
Yin-Dispelling Talisman	Part of his stock and regular exchanges with Chen Miao 100 133.
Mind-Clearing Talisman	Activated with his blood to help restore Li Zi’s consciousness; its protection is temporary 100.
Evil-Breaking Talisman	Imbues objects with evil-breaking power; used to enhance his Peach Wood Sword 133.
Miasma-Breaking Talisman	Used against miasma 133 181.
Illusion-Breaking Talisman	Used against illusions 133 181.
Wayfinding Talisman	Can help locate a person 133 181.
Yang-Suppressing Talisman	Helps conceal living people from ghosts 133 181.

• Before his transformation, he visits a yin ground approximately once every two months. A three-to-five-day trip produces around ten talismans 100.
• He typically charges 10,000–50,000 Great Xia Currency for a talisman, adjusting the price according to the client’s means 100.
• He assesses Chen Miao’s early talismans by both brushwork and the yin energy contained in their ink 100.
• After restoration, he can no longer use his former yin-cultivation methods 713.

Cultivation Instruction

Zhong Cai provides Chen Miao with foundational instruction in the nine apertures and the risks of nurturing yin energy 169 170.

• Explains each aperture’s associated abilities and warns that results vary between lineages 169.
• Advises against dividing a single breath of yin energy among several apertures, which slows cultivation and risks bodily harm 169.
• Recommends stopping aperture probing when discomfort occurs and abandoning an aperture after three failed attempts 170.
• Gives Chen Miao medicinal patches and the Heavenly Heart Yang-Locking Art, a technique requiring three years of cultivation 170.
• Knows the Turtle-Breath Yang-Locking Spell, but declines to share restricted teachings 181.

Feng Shui and Supernatural Lore

His experience includes formations, corpse-nurturing conditions, Yin Gate professions, and harmful mystic arts 133 151 183.

• Provides Chen Miao with the Courtyard Spring Breeze Formation and offers to arrange feng shui for his future home 133 169.
• Identifies the Three Pagoda Tree Yin-Gathering Formation and proposes breaking it by attacking a key point 149 151.
• Recognizes that a Corpse Dissolving Incantation on a coffin should discharge corpse qi into the ground, potentially creating a corpse-nurturing site 151.
• Explains the difficulty of tracing Pressure Curses and Head-Down Curses 183.
• Consults a feng shui practitioner about splitting rune formations across separate objects, helping Chen Miao redesign his soul-calming tablets 214.

Martial Skills

Zhong Cai’s human-era fighting ability comes from a lifetime of training and dangerous supernatural work 165.

• Uses quick rolls and evasive movement to survive attacks from the Leaping Hopping Corpse 29.
• Practices martial arts with Xiao Bai in their courtyard 169.
• Coordinates talisman support in battle and directs Qi Ning to deliver the decisive decapitation against the Incomplete Flying Jiangshi 162.

Extreme Yin Corpse Body

Xiao Bai’s refinement gives Zhong Cai strength comparable to a Flying Jiangshi while preserving his intelligence and human soul 713 717.

• Flight: Travels through the air and carries Xiao Bai away from pursuers 711 713.
• Blood manipulation: Draws blood remotely and influences a target’s blood. Ordinary people and yin cultivators with unstrengthened souls can be killed instantly at a distance 713.
• Soul-dependent limitation: His control over blood depends on the target having a weaker soul body than his 713.
• Physical toughness: His durability and corpse-qi reserves exceed those of a newly advanced Flying Jiangshi 713.
• Demonstrated resistance: A Vital Blood Pistol fails to harm him, and another bullet is neutralized before reaching him 710.
• Corpse qi: Remains one of his means of attack 719.

Soul-Suppressing Yin Mark

Old Ghost creates a new ability for Zhong Cai by combining the Mortal World’s Ghost Body legacy with the Yin Mark Spirit-Transference Formula 722.

• An unconscious ghost bound within the mark serves as the field’s core 722.
• The field initially covers nearly half the mountaintop, then contracts into a shape fitted to Zhong Cai’s body 722.
• Zhong Cai finds its expansion and contraction easy to control 722.
• An expanded field is detectable by Netherworld Realm yin cultivators; contraction addresses that visibility problem 722.
• Chen Miao proposes using it to gather nearby enemy-controlled ghosts, but this combat application is not demonstrated 722.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Seven-Star Peach Wood Sword — His original sword is enhanced with an Evil-Breaking Talisman against Zhong Fa’s corpse. After its destruction, Chen Miao gives him century-old peach wood for a replacement 133 170.
• Talisman box — Holds the varied talismans he makes and exchanges with Chen Miao 133 181.
• Corpse-Control Bell — Recovers his master’s burial bell from Zhong Fa’s hidden chamber 33.
• Old compass — Used for feng shui and detecting strong yin energy within roughly 500 meters; later traded to Chen Miao 181.
• Corpse Beetle implants — Prepared and implanted by Shi Manman to consume the corpse qi leaking from his restored body 720.
• Gu Worm facial treatment — Keeps facial muscles more flexible, but requires blood to sustain the tiny Gu Worms 720.

Relationships

• Xiao Bai — Disciple and family-like companion. Zhong Cai protects and trains him; Xiao Bai later preserves his soul, refines his corpse, and pursues his restoration 96 164 249 709.
• Chen Miao — Friend, trading partner, and recipient of his early guidance. Their relationship develops from suspicion into brotherly trust; Chen Miao supplies techniques, soul-crystal resources, and treatment for his restored body 30 96 170 470 712 720.
• Zhong Fa — Senior fellow disciple. They separate over their beliefs, and Zhong Cai later condemns his forbidden practices and theft from their master’s grave 30 33.
• Zhong Wuyou — Deceased master shared with Zhong Fa. Zhong Cai trained under him from childhood and remains loyal to his legacy 14 30 165.
• Qi Ning — Investigator and battle companion. Helps carry Zhong Cai after his rescue, fights beside him, and provides identification papers for his travels 149 162 183.
• Shi Manman — Chen Miao’s disciple and the Corpse Stitcher who treats his corpse-qi leakage 717 720.
• Old Ghost — Creates the controllable Soul-Suppressing Field on his back 722.
• Ren Xiang — Attempts to claim and sell Zhong Cai’s courtyard during his absence, then brings an investigator after being frightened by Zhong Cai’s strength 709 710.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Zhong Fa’s Leaping Hopping Corpse

Xiao Bai wakes Zhong Cai during the corpse incident, leading him to investigate. Zhong Cai fights the Leaping Hopping Corpse alongside Chen Miao, using his sword and a Spirit-Sealing Talisman to create an opening 28 29 30.

Their subsequent investigation exposes Zhong Fa’s hidden chamber, missing little ghost, cremation ashes, and stolen Corpse-Control Bell. Zhong Cai’s connection to Zhong Fa initially makes Chen Miao cautious, but his conduct begins establishing him as a trustworthy ally 33 96.

Li Zi’s Haunting and Talisman Exchanges

Zhong Cai readily answers Chen Miao’s request for help in Shannan City, bringing Xiao Bai and arranging support from a Grade-D Investigator. He later restores Li Zi’s consciousness while warning that his protection cannot prevent another attack indefinitely 96 100.

The case establishes their continuing exchange of talismans. Zhong Cai supplies varieties Chen Miao cannot make, while Chen Miao provides Spirit-Sealing and Yin-Dispelling Talismans 100 133.

Wind Gate Village

Zhong Cai is trapped in Wind Gate Village for nearly half a month before Chen Miao and Qi Ning help him. His knowledge of the local formation contributes to their escape plan 149 151 163.

During the battle with the Incomplete Flying Jiangshi, he uses Premium Spirit-Sealing Talismans to restrain it and directs Qi Ning’s finishing attack. The trio subsequently survives the destruction of Feng Bujue’s newly born soul body 162 163.

Death and Restoration

During Elder Bamboo’s reincarnation ritual, Zhong Cai escapes captivity but returns alone, following Three-Tail. Seeing Xiao Bai’s soul being used in the ritual, he charges the cultists with a bloodstained rock. He dies during the grotto incident, having asked Chen Miao to care for Xiao Bai 243 247 249.

Xiao Bai preserves his soul and obtains corpse-refining techniques from Chen Miao. Later, Chen Miao supplies 99 Soul Crystal Fragments, allowing Xiao Bai to complete a soul crystal needed to awaken his master. Xiao Bai estimates that awakening him will take six months to a year 249 470.

Homecoming and Treatment

After a year away, Zhong Cai returns home with Xiao Bai, only to discover that his safe and ownership documents have been stolen. His damaged memory and missing phone complicate proving ownership, despite the overwhelming strength of his new body 709.

A confrontation with Jiang Yan draws Administration pursuit. Zhong Cai and Xiao Bai redirect the investigators toward Curse Cult trackers, then travel to Tianmen Funeral Home. Chen Miao welcomes Zhong Cai as a brother, easing his guilt over their earlier ordeal 710 711 712.

On Twin Ridge Mountain, their friends address his stiffness and leaking energies through Gu Wood Art treatment, Corpse Beetle implants, and Old Ghost’s yin mark 713 717 720 722.

Departure and Xiao Bai’s Abduction

After the three Curse Buddha Bodhisattvas attack Twin Ridge Mountain, Zhong Cai supports returning to the Southern Curse Dao School’s base so their presence will not bring repeated attacks upon Chen Miao 725.

A later Administration report shows Zhong Cai and the Star Lord Rank Controller fighting alongside Xiao Bai against a stronger Curse Buddha. The enemy abducts Xiao Bai; Zhong Cai and the Rank Controller pursue into the mountains, where the Administration loses track of them 729.

Notable Quotes

“Nothing beats being home.” 709

“With you by my side, anywhere is the same to me.”
— To Xiao Bai, after accepting the risks of being exposed to the Administration 711