Zhu He

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhu He (朱鹤)
Alias(es)	Elder Zhu; Director Zhu; Sect Leader
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Taiyi Sect; Cloud Floating Peak
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; Director of the Internal History Department; Duan Rong's master; later Sect Leader of the Taiyi Sect
Status	Alive 783
First Appearance	Chapter 412

Background / History

Zhu He reunited with his junior brother, Gu Daoling, after twenty years in Divine Cloud Prefecture. During their meeting, he openly admitted that he pursued worldly fame and fortune, while discussing Zhu Shizhong's death and his political ambitions. 412

Before accepting Duan Rong as a disciple, Zhu He had already taken notice of the young man's reputation as a “Divine Detective” in the southeastern four prefectures. He used Duan Rong's involvement in the Zhu Shizhong case and their exchanges in Dragon Fish Hall to assess whether he could serve as a key piece in Zhu He's larger plans. 489

Duan Rong formally became Zhu He's disciple in Dragon Fish Hall. Zhu He then brought him to Cloud Floating Peak, introduced him to his senior disciples, and provided two bottles of Primal Beast Spinal Bone Marrow Ash. 422

Appearance

Zhu He is an elderly man with graying hair and beard, wrinkles around deep-set eyes, and a composed bearing. He is seen wearing Daoist robes when dealing with secular officials. 482 490

• Graying hair and beard. 482
• Deep, difficult-to-read eyes described as resembling ancient wells. 482
• Usually maintains a steady, dignified expression. 421
• Can travel as a black ray or streak of light. 422 490

Personality

Zhu He is politically ambitious, highly calculating, and exceptionally patient. He openly values worldly fame and fortune, builds long-term schemes around his goals, and can turn even an enemy's attempt on his disciple into evidence against that enemy. 412 482 487

He is also perceptive in conversation. During Duan Rong's apprenticeship, he embedded the phrase “Beneficial to See the Great Man” within a discussion of the Qian hexagram, testing whether his prospective disciple could understand the unstated implication. 422

Despite treating Duan Rong as a piece in his political struggle, Zhu He repeatedly demonstrates real concern for him. He provides rare cultivation resources, intervenes when Duan Rong is sentenced to the God Slaying Whip and Myriad Phenomena Cave, and personally worries over his disciple's safety. 445 497 523 535

Abilities & Skills

Cave Illumination Realm Cultivation

Zhu He possesses cultivation sufficient to wield the Law of Power and travel through the air while protecting others from the force of high-speed flight. 422

• Uses black-ray flight to cross great distances. 422 490
• Employs spatial-ripple techniques in combat against Ge Rusong. 488
• Participated in the confrontation that led to Ge Rusong's defeat. 488 489

Divine Sense

Zhu He can use Divine Sense to inspect a cultivator's Dantian, meridians, and internal Essence Qi.

• Verified that Duan Rong's Essence Qi Realm cultivation was genuine rather than artificially raised. 440
• Examined Duan Rong's Dantian after his reckless Qi Cyclone formation and detected hidden injuries. 500
• His probing is not absolute; by the Cave Illumination Realm, Duan Rong could have blocked or deceived Zhu He's Divine Sense but chose not to. 698

Garbha Sutra and Yinghuo

Zhu He possesses and practices the secret Garbha Sutra, which he passed to Duan Rong under strict warnings against disclosure. 441

• Can perform the Yinghuo Divine Soul Illusion against one target at a time. 730
• Recognized Duan Rong's vastly evolved, large-scale Yinghuo as far beyond his own version. 730
• Had previously imparted only the eighth level of the Garbha Sutra to Fan Hongjiao. 514

Intelligence and Political Strategy

Zhu He maintains an extensive intelligence network within both the Taiyi Sect and the secular world.

• Knew the identities and communication methods of spies inside Divine Cloud Manor. 482
• Maintains informants across prefectures, including Yuan Yang Prefecture. 710
• Keeps backup channels even within his own intelligence system. 715
• Used an overt scheme to make Yang Sixuan personally witness Pei Du and Jiang Zhe's attempted murder of Duan Rong. 482
• Carefully orchestrated Ge Rusong's downfall, anticipating that Ge would attempt to kill Duan Rong. 487 489

Equipment / Resources

• Dew-Drinking Cicada — A protective artifact refined by the Sect Old Ancestor. It can release the Law of Power three times and can defend against a Cave Illumination Realm attack; Zhu He gave it to Duan Rong, later replenished it, and returned it to him. 446 458 539
• Primal Beast Spinal Bone Marrow Ash — Two bottles given to Duan Rong upon his entry to Cloud Floating Peak. 422
• High-grade Primal Beast essence blood — Two bottles provided to support Duan Rong's Qi Cyclone Realm advancement and stabilization. 497
• Qi Cyclone Realm Peerless Skills — Zhu He selected three techniques for Duan Rong to study and choose from. 497

Relationships

• Duan Rong — Direct disciple. Zhu He recruited him after evaluating his talent, intellect, and investigative ability; he supports Duan Rong's cultivation while also employing him in his political schemes. 422 445 480 490
• Gu Daoling — Junior martial brother and longtime acquaintance. Zhu He respects Gu's superior cultivation but also hopes that Duan Rong's future achievements may surpass him. 412 445 488
• Fan Hongjiao — Direct disciple and Senior Sister to Duan Rong. Zhu He privately states that she is the disciple he trusts most. 441
• Wu Shidao — Direct disciple whom Zhu He assigns investigative and administrative work, though Zhu He places greater trust in Fan Hongjiao. 445 700
• Chu Qiushan — Former Taiyi Sect Leader and fellow elder. Zhu He worked with him to remove Ge Rusong, but Chu Qiushan cautioned Zhu He that excessive calculation damages harmony with heaven. 486 489
• Lü Yinlin — Taiyi Sect Old Ancestor. Lü Yinlin ordered Zhu He to investigate the source of Duan Rong's cultivation technique after discovering the disciple's hidden progress. 514
• Ge Rusong — Political rival. Zhu He maneuvered Ge into exposing his intent to kill Duan Rong, then used Gu Daoling and Chu Qiushan to bring about his defeat. 487 488 489
• Xiao Qiwu — Old friend and enforcement elder of Immeasurable Cliff. Zhu He appealed to him for leniency and supervision when Duan Rong was sentenced to the God Slaying Whip and Myriad Phenomena Cave. 524

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment of Duan Rong

Zhu He accepts Duan Rong as a direct disciple after testing his intelligence and evaluating his potential. He establishes Duan Rong at Cloud Floating Peak with resources that exceed ordinary treatment for a new direct disciple. 421 422 489

Conflict with Ge Rusong

Zhu He uses his intelligence network, Duan Rong's exposure as bait, and Yang Sixuan's official authority to build a case against Ge Rusong's faction. He ultimately anticipates Ge Rusong's final assassination attempt and arranges for Gu Daoling to intervene. 480 482 487 488

Protector and Mentor

After Duan Rong is punished for rescuing Xiao Yu, Zhu He reacts with fury to the sentence, petitions both Chu Qiushan and Xiao Qiwu, and repeatedly seeks news from Immeasurable Cliff while Duan Rong remains in Myriad Phenomena Cave. 523 524 535

Sect Leader

By the time of the Old Ancestor's passing, Zhu He has become Taiyi Sect Leader. He handles the sect's alliance matters, accumulated administration, intelligence operations, and the political consequences of Duan Rong's growing strength. 642 643

Duan Rong's Ascension

Zhu He manages the sect during the celestial phenomenon surrounding Duan Rong's Nascent Soul formation. After Lü Yinlin publicly confirms Duan Rong's breakthrough, Zhu He recognizes him as the new Sect Old Ancestor while retaining their personal master-disciple bond. 767 774 775