Zhang Yong

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhang Yong (张雍)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Mighty Far Hall, Inner Court; initially sponsored by the Huang Family; later supported by an unnamed small lineage through marriage 5 36 47
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; prospective Martial Examination candidate 36 47
Bone Root	C-Grade Upper—the second-best innate aptitude among the Huang Family’s ten recruits, behind Lu Ren 7 9 47
Cultivation	Minor accomplishment of Qi Gathering 47
Status	Alive; accompanies Xu Yang during the Qiu–Hong family confrontation 50
First Appearance	Asks about initiation in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance 6

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Turtle-Snake Great Stance — Beginner	16	Reaches the beginner level on the morning of his eighth day at Mighty Far Hall; subsequently begins Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist training.
Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist — Beginner	19	By one month after enrollment, every member of the original training group has reached the technique’s beginner level.
Qi Gathering	36	Successfully gathers qi after three months of training and enters the Inner Court.
Qi Gathering — Minor accomplishment	47	Reports breaking through the previous night. Financial backing from the lineage that recruited him as a son-in-law supports his advancement.

Background / History

Huang Family Sponsorship

Zhang Yong is one of ten youths who accept the Huang Family’s sponsorship in exchange for becoming its Attendants after qualifying as martial artists. His C-Grade Upper bone root places him behind only Lu Ren in the cohort’s aptitude rankings 5 7 9.

At Mighty Far Hall, he memorizes the Turtle-Snake Great Stance early but refuses Luo Dehu’s proposal that the more advanced recruits teach those falling behind. He trains intensely to become the first to reach initiation, then aims for second place after Lu Ren succeeds. Xu Yang’s breakthrough defeats that ambition; Zhang Yong nevertheless offers a strained congratulation and challenges Zhou Yang’s dismissive assessment of Xu Yang 7 11 12.

Loss of Training Resources

The Huang Family transfers one tael’s worth of Zhang Yong’s Body-Strengthening Soup to Xu Yang rather than increasing its overall expenditure. Zhang Yong’s monthly training allowance falls from four taels to three. Seeing the reduction as an obstruction to his martial future, he stops speaking to Xu Yang and eating with the group, while pushing himself harder in training 13 14.

His hostility soon weakens. When the Huang Family declines to reward Xu Yang’s subsequent progress, Zhang Yong recognizes that Xu Yang could have suffered the same fate as him. Sympathy replaces much of his resentment, although he initially maintains his distance 15 16.

Exotic Beast Hunts

Seeking additional cultivation resources, Zhang Yong joins Xue Fangsheng’s hunting party in the Heavenly Prosperity Mountains. He initially regards Xu Yang’s refusal to participate as cowardice. The first expedition earns each participant two taels, and Zhang Yong offers Xu Yang a place on the next trip, which Xu Yang again declines 22 24.

The hunting trips provide abundant meat, allowing Zhang Yong’s blood and qi to grow faster despite reduced practice time. He becomes confident that further expeditions will let him gather qi and surpass Xu Yang. That optimism collapses when a massive scaled tiger appears and Xue Fangsheng abandons the party, having brought the younger disciples partly as expendable bait 25.

Zhang Yong survives. He and the other survivors use money received from Xue Fangsheng to lodge inside Mighty Far Hall, keeping themselves beyond his reach. They also give money to the families of the three dead trainees, after which the families drop the dispute. During this period, Zhang Yong resumes occasional conversation with Xu Yang 27.

Inner Court and Marriage Patronage

After Xu Yang’s successful Qi Gathering breakthrough, Zhang Yong privately acknowledges that Xu Yang has surpassed him. He later seeks Xu Yang’s advice, receiving guidance to temper his body and build blood energy rather than rush the breakthrough 29 35.

Zhang Yong successfully gathers qi after three months. Receiving little attention upon entering the Inner Court, he forms a small training circle with Xu Yang, Zhang Hong, and Wu Yongfeng. The four exchange insights and spar without seeking favor from more influential disciples 36.

An unnamed small lineage subsequently recruits him as a son-in-law and finances his cultivation. Upon reaching minor accomplishment of Qi Gathering, he announces his intention to pursue the Martial Examination’s dragon ascension and enter a martial arts sect. He believes he has finally overtaken Xu Yang, but takes little satisfaction in doing so through dependence on marriage patronage; Xu Yang has actually concealed his own earlier advancement 41 47 49.

Qiu–Hong Family Dispute

When the Qiu Family seeks protection from Hong Feng, Zhang Yong investigates the situation before refusing to mediate. He concludes that the Hong Family’s attempt to seize the Qius’ supply channels cannot be settled with a few words: intervention would probably require fighting another martial artist at his own cultivation level. An injury could end his chance of qualifying for the Martial Examination 48.

He also rejects Wu Yongfeng’s suggestion of attacking Hong Feng together, warning that Hong Feng’s connections to Tiger Roar Martial Arts School could turn the dispute into a larger conflict. After Xu Yang volunteers to act and reveals his minor accomplishment of Qi Gathering, Zhang Yong accompanies the group to the Qiu residence and the confrontation with the Hong Family 49 50.

Personality

Zhang Yong is reserved, direct, and intensely competitive. Xu Yang initially judges him “rather cold and very rational.” He refuses to spend training time teaching others and treats fellow recruits as rivals, but his discipline is exceptional: Xu Yang later considers him the only member of their cohort who trains as though his life depends on it 7 47.

His ambition can produce envy and resentment, particularly when another trainee’s success costs him resources. However, he can revise his judgment, acknowledge another person’s superiority, and restore strained relationships. His refusal to fight Hong Feng reflects the same priority that drives his training: protecting his long-term martial prospects outweighs doing a dangerous favor for an ordinary acquaintance 14 16 27 29 48.

Abilities & Skills

Turtle-Snake Great Stance

• Memorizes the complete stance during his early training and reaches beginner level on his eighth day 7 16.
• Uses it for continued cultivation, including the session interrupted by the Qiu Family’s request for help 48.

Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist

• Begins learning the hall’s fist technique after attaining the basics of stance work 16.
• Reaches beginner level within his first month of training 19.
• Participates in the practice and sparring sessions of his four-person Inner Court group 36.

Qi Gathering

• Becomes a martial artist after three months and later advances to minor accomplishment 36 47.
• His C-Grade Upper bone root attracts marriage-based financial support from a small lineage 47.
• Remains uncertain of reaching great accomplishment before the Martial Examination and avoids combat that could interrupt his preparation 48.

Relationships

• Xu Yang — Rival turned training companion. Their relationship breaks over reassigned resources, then recovers; Xu Yang advises him on Qi Gathering, and Zhang Yong eventually joins his Inner Court circle 13 14 27 35 36.
• Zhang Hong — Fellow recruit and member of the same four-person training group 7 36.
• Wu Yongfeng — Training companion and sparring partner; congratulates Zhang Yong on reaching minor accomplishment 36 39 47.
• Lu Ren — Initial benchmark for Zhang Yong’s ambitions. Zhang Yong later questions whether someone he considers ungrateful and disloyal is a sound investment for the Gu Family 11 46.
• Luo Dehu — Fellow recruit with whom he frequently clashes, particularly over Luo’s attempts to organize others under Lu Ren 7 11 14.
• Huang Family — Original sponsor. Zhang Yong retains resentment over its unequal treatment and takes satisfaction in its loss of Lu Ren 13 14 43.
• Xue Fangsheng — Hunting leader who betrays the party. Zhang Yong subsequently stays inside Mighty Far Hall to avoid him 25 27.
• Unnamed small lineage — Recruits him as a son-in-law and provides the resources supporting his later cultivation 47.
• Qiu Wenjie — Fellow disciple whose family requests help. Zhang Yong declines to fight on its behalf but accompanies Xu Yang when he intervenes 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“If you want to teach them, Luo Dehu, do it yourself. Don’t count me in. I don’t have time to teach anyone else.” 7

“I’ll take part in the Martial Examination’s dragon ascension. I’ll go see the sights of a martial arts sect on your behalf.” 47

“He’s from the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School. Wenjie has fellow disciples, but so does he. Ganging up on him will only blow this into something bigger.” 49