Ma Muzhi

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Early Heavenly Court Career

Ma Muzhi originally tended immortal mounts at the Imperial Stables. After years of work there, he had saved only a hundred years of merit. He used connections and paid Hou Zong thirty years of merit to obtain an herb-gathering assignment attached to Bright Hall, valuing the office’s prestige more than the work itself 3 12.

He also spent three hundred years organizing portraits of senior Heavenly Court figures in Bright Hall’s Archives Office. This experience later enabled him to recognize the Great Heavenly Venerable’s traveling appearance immediately 49.

Mount Hua and Promotion

While gathering dust spirit grass with his fellow townsman Chen Wei, Ma Muzhi suggested visiting the Third Holy Mother Temple to seek an immortal opportunity. There, they met Yang Niansan, whose concealed power he recognized as belonging to an exalted immortal. Before reporting back, he dirtied his shoes to make their completed assignment appear arduous 3 5.

Taibai Jinxing subsequently assigned both men to a newly created office under Li Yin’s arrangements. Their tokens granted them Heavenly Immortal status, with Chen Wei as Chief Official and Ma Muzhi as Deputy Official. Ma Muzhi cried with relief at escaping the lowest ranks, then formally pledged to follow Chen Wei 6 7.

Flower-Fruit Mountain Investigation

For the bureau’s first case, Ma Muzhi proposed bypassing the local mountain god’s temple and inspecting the ruined orchards before officials could prepare excuses. He took the threatening role in their good-cop/bad-cop arrangement, confronting Xiahou Lie and using a Silencing Spell and iron staff against Shen He 8 9 10 11.

Although tempted by Xiahou Lie’s thousand-year merit bribe, he deferred to Chen Wei’s refusal. He then revealed that a Recording Stone had captured Xiahou Lie’s incriminating speech. After reporting Xiahou Lie and Big Bear’s suspicious deaths, he witnessed Chen Wei restore the orchard with Guanyin’s sweet dew and received a golden hair from the mysterious Monk as a reward 12 13 14.

Ma Muzhi later negotiated with the monkey elder managing the orchard. By arranging for its fruit to become Heavenly Court tribute, he secured twenty percent of the merit earned from the offerings 18 20.

Bureau Administration and Western Liang

Ma Muzhi helped welcome Yang Niansan into the bureau and brought the unaffiliated applicant Xiao Yan before its officials. When Xiao Yan awkwardly offered Storage Bags, Ma Muzhi instructed him to put them away and learn the office’s habits by listening and watching 16 17 22 23.

He remained at the office during Chen Wei and Yang Niansan’s Western Liang assignment. Through the case files, he identified True Immortal Ruyi as the Bull Demon King’s brother and interpreted the records’ polite account of Ruyi’s encounter with Sun Wukong as evidence of an old conflict. After the case concluded, he reported its five-thousand-year merit award 25 26 32.

When Chen Wei unexpectedly received one hundred thousand years of merit for ninth place in a painting competition, Ma Muzhi checked the result through his acquaintances. He advised accepting the reward without probing its origins and later encouraged Chen Wei to thank Yang Niansan for his True Immortal breakthrough 33 34.

Heaven-Reaching River Campaign

Ma Muzhi welcomed the expedition as a chance to earn merit under Yang Jian’s command while avoiding unnecessary danger. At military councils, he and Chen Wei stayed in a secluded corner and offered praise rather than unsolicited advice 36 37.

He recruited Pang Long from the Records Copying Office and was later placed in charge of logistics, with Xiao Yan assigned to learn from him. During Chen Wei’s midnight supply raid, Ma Muzhi remained behind and hosted the Golden Immortal Kang Anyu aboard the logistics Flying Boat, using wine and hospitality to keep a powerful protector at the supply depot 39 43 45 46.

When the Great Heavenly Venerable visited the camp, Ma Muzhi recognized him and nearly announced his identity. After the ruler signaled that he was using the name Zhang Tian, Ma Muzhi immediately concealed his recognition and claimed to have guessed the name 49.

Appearance

• Official clothing: Jade-green everyday robes with a faint shimmer and gold-thread cuff patterns, accompanied by a Heavenly Immortal token at his waist 9.
• Immortal aura: Acquired the pure aura of a Heavenly Immortal after his promotion; his posture also straightened 7.
• Inspection disguise: Transformed into an ordinary farmer wearing coarse cloth and rolled-up trouser legs 10.

Personality

Ma Muzhi wants security and a comfortable immortal life rather than relentless work. During the Mount Hua assignment, he proposes treating even a hundred or two hundred years of searching as sightseeing because Hou Zong set no deadline. His apparent laziness and joking manner conceal a survival strategy developed through the hardships of low-ranking service 3 5.

He is observant, quick to flatter, and careful about hierarchy. Even when strongly tempted by a bribe, he waits for his chief’s decision. He considers Chen Wei’s advancement beneficial to his own future and deliberately avoids exposing the powerful connections behind it 12 34.

His discretion extends to personal matters. After suspecting that Yang Niansan was a woman in disguise—specifically Yang Caiwei—he chooses silence rather than risk spoiling an influential colleague’s amusement. He later takes Xiao Yan away to give Chen Wei and Yang Niansan privacy 36 38.

Promotion does not eliminate his pride or temper. He protests when the Monk mocks the newly appointed officials, then boasts of their success after the orchard is restored 9 14.

Abilities & Skills

Immortal Techniques

Ma Muzhi possesses the transformed body and immortal power of a Heavenly Immortal 7.

• Cloud travel and flight: Travels on clouds and later approaches Chen Wei as a streak of azure light 3 9 14.
• Transformation: Changes into a convincing mortal farmer for an undercover inspection 10.
• Spiritual perception: Uses spiritual sense, though he cannot detect the mysterious Monk’s arrival 9.
• Voice transmission: Communicates privately with Chen Wei and reports remotely through communication artifacts 14 20 26.
• Combat limitation: His social skills are emphasized over his ability in contests of divine powers 45.

Silencing Spell and Interrogation

He applies magical coercion as the bureau’s designated “bad cop” 9 11.

• Seals Shen He’s throat with a Silencing Spell, preventing him from shouting or screaming 11.
• Uses an iron staff to beat Shen He’s back and thighs during questioning 11.
• Coordinates his pressure with Chen Wei’s more reassuring official manner 9 10.

Political Judgment and Investigation

His experience among low-ranking officials makes him adept at reading status, intentions, and bureaucratic language 5 26.

• Recognizes Yang Niansan’s pure, concealed immortal power as evidence of high rank 5.
• Suggests surprise inspections to deny local officials control of the investigation 9.
• Records incriminating statements with a Recording Stone 13.
• Reads euphemistic historical reports against their surface meaning to uncover likely hostility 26.
• Knows when to conceal recognition of a powerful figure’s disguise 49.

Logistics and Negotiation

Chen Wei explicitly identifies Ma Muzhi as an expert in logistics management 43.

• Negotiates a twenty-percent merit share from Flower-Fruit Mountain’s tribute fruit 20.
• Supervises military supplies and mentors Xiao Yan in logistics 43 45.
• Uses Kang Anyu’s fondness for wine to secure his presence aboard the supply Flying Boat 45 46.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heavenly Immortal Token — Credential for his registered immortal status and Deputy Official position; also supplied the energy for his promotion 7.
• Iron staff — Weapon used during Shen He’s interrogation 11.
• Recording Stone — Heavenly Court investigative instrument used to preserve Xiahou Lie’s incriminating statements 13.
• Golden hair — Gift from the mysterious Monk. Initially dismissed by Ma Muzhi as stingy, but retained after the Monk promised it would reveal its power in mortal danger; its actual effect is not demonstrated in the supplied chapters 14.
• Cloth pouch of dirt and dust — Used to make his shoes appear travel-worn before reporting to Hou Zong 5.

Relationships

• Chen Wei — Fellow townsman, superior, and partner in official work. Ma Muzhi pledges obedience after becoming his deputy and expects to benefit from Chen Wei’s rise 5 7 34.
• Yang Niansan / Yang Chan — Powerful bureau colleague whom he flatters and treats cautiously. He notices inconsistencies in her male disguise but does not correctly establish her identity 16 36 38.
• Taibai Jinxing — Senior patron who assigns Ma Muzhi and Chen Wei to their new bureau 7.
• Hou Zong — Former superior; received thirty years of merit from Ma Muzhi in exchange for the Bright Hall herb-gathering assignment 3.
• Li Yin — Official who establishes the bureau and supplies its Heavenly Immortal tokens 7.
• Xiao Yan — Junior colleague whom Ma Muzhi coaches in office conduct and later trains in logistics 23 43.
• Pang Long — Recruit recommended by Ma Muzhi; the two share gratitude for escaping low-level clerical work and gaining influential patrons 39 44.
• The Monk — Initially mocks his ability, then acknowledges the successful orchard investigation and gives him a protective golden hair 9 14.
• Kang Anyu — Powerful military colleague whom Ma Muzhi entertains with wine while overseeing the supply Flying Boat 45 46.

Notable Quotes

“The way of being an immortal is all about knowing when to tighten up and when to relax.” 3

“When serving in our office, listen more, watch more, and speak less.” 23

“When merit falls from heaven, just catch it firmly. As for why it fell, subordinates like us would do well to ask fewer questions.” 33