Gu Cheng

Biodata

Power Progression

• False advancement: His apparent second-level Blissful Zen breakthrough and three- to fourfold increase in True Qi are later revealed to have occurred within an illusion. Neither is a confirmed advancement 193 195.

Background / History

Gu Cheng identifies himself as a transmigrator who entered his current body three years before the opening events. The body’s original owner died from poisonous miasma while accompanying an advisor to an archaeological site. Gu Cheng inherited his memories, archaeological knowledge, appraisal experience, and position as the young proprietor of Treasure-Hiding Studio, with assets exceeding one hundred million 2.

The original Gu Cheng was a prodigy who began studying under master appraiser Zhou Tianqi at six, mastered antique authentication by thirteen, and took over the family shop at sixteen. His reputation for never misjudging antiques earned him the name Golden Eye 65 174.

His family’s antique business began with his grandfather and Gu Sihai traveling around the country before establishing Treasure-Hiding Studio in Panjiayuan. Gu Sihai retired after Gu Cheng assumed control, although he later returned to the shop as his son’s expeditions became more frequent 5 93.

Recognizing Xie Yuchen and Wang Kaixuan forces Gu Cheng to reconsider his assumption that he has entered an ordinary parallel world. His previous-life familiarity with The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles, Ghost Blows Out the Lamp, and their adaptations becomes a source of information about the people and dangers around him 2 4 11.

Appearance

• Handsome young man: His mother remarks that he has become even better-looking after his first expedition 43.
• Fairer, smoother skin: He attributes the change to the cleansing effects of the Fetal Breathing Method 43.
• Fashionable clothing: During his arrival in Modu, he resembles a wealthy young man on vacation 88.

Personality

Gu Cheng is ambitious, commercially shrewd, and strongly attracted to rare artifacts. He exploits the gap between an item’s publicly understood function and its actual attributes, most notably when pursuing the Immortal-Brew Gourd. He is also willing to provoke established collectors rather than surrender a treasure he considers essential 53 55.

His loyalty extends beyond dividing expedition profits. He calls Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Yingzi his brothers and sister, seeks cultivation opportunities for them, and distributes valuable longevity materials among his companions. He also lends Hu Bayi seven million without hesitation, correctly suspecting that the money is connected to his fallen comrades 59 84.

Gu Cheng can be sarcastic, confrontational, and vindictive when others obstruct or belittle him. Yang considers him petty and excessively grudge-bearing after his clashes with Hao Aiguo. His hostility toward reckless expedition members also reflects a firm objection to sacrificing other people’s lives for personal ambitions 73 74 120.

Although he pursues valuable treasures, he draws a distinction between private profit and national heritage. On identifying a genuine zodiac pig head, he decides to donate it rather than sell it, explicitly refusing to exchange a national treasure for money 91.

Abilities & Skills

Artifact-Attribute Sight

Gu Cheng’s innate ability displays structured information about antiques and supernatural objects 2 3.

• Reveals an item’s name, grade, abilities, age, and historical description, where available 2 4.
• Distinguishes ordinary antiques from genuine divine artifacts, correcting Gu Sihai’s mistaken identification of the Mutton-Fat White Jade Seal 7 9.
• Identifies functions other appraisers have missed, including the Immortal-Brew Gourd’s capacity for one hundred liquid types 53.
• Can expose concealed significance even when an object has no magical grade, as with the Jade Key to Jingjue’s Jade Eye mechanism 4.
• Initially requires sustained concentration, with some readings taking more than ten seconds 3 4.
• Does not fully penetrate sealed artifacts: their names may appear, but their grades, abilities, and descriptions remain question marks 80 202.

Treasure Appraisal and Archaeological Knowledge

His inherited expertise complements his supernatural sight rather than replacing it 2 22.

• Possesses extensive knowledge of antiques, archaeology, historical anecdotes, and miscellaneous accounts 2 22.
• Is reported to have a photographic memory and a long-standing record of accurate authentication 174.
• Uses historical knowledge to interpret tomb discoveries and explain unusual spiritual materials to his companions 22 35.

Previous-Life Knowledge

His familiarity with fictional accounts supplies information about people, family histories, supernatural threats, and curses 13 176 201.

• Recounts Hu Bayi’s ancestry in detail when inviting him to join his team 13.
• Recognizes the significance of Yang’s eye-shaped birthmark and explains the Ghost Cave curse 176.
• Sometimes attributes his knowledge to stories told by his grandfather to conceal its true source 13 176.
• Cannot rely on the original plots remaining accurate: Hu Bayi’s altered military history and Yang’s account of her father expose important divergences 64 68.

Fetal Breathing Method and True Qi

The Fetal Breathing Method develops his physical condition and internal energy 9 45 93.

• Allows seated cultivation, including while traveling by car 63.
• Eventually enables internal circulation without breathing through his mouth or nose 184.
• Supports limited repair of damaged meridians and internal injuries, but does not immediately eliminate serious wounds 105.
• Lets him channel True Qi into his feet for bursts of speed while carrying two people 179.
• By the desert expedition, he estimates his maximum lifting strength at seven to eight hundred jin 179.

Combat and Movement

Gu Cheng initially depends heavily on his enhanced physique and divine weapons, then develops greater fighting skill through repeated battles 156 157.

• Uses evasive movement, sliding attacks, kicks, grappling, and rapid weapon changes 29 152 155 171.
• Employs lightness skills to cross dangerous terrain and carry A Ning across an obstacle his companions cannot safely negotiate with a passenger 183.
• Uses the Thousand-Jin Drop Technique to descend through quicksand with A Ning 180.
• Activates Iron Shirt, concentrating its protection on his back against a powerful strike; the attack still inflicts severe injuries 201.
• Remains less technically refined than Hu Bayi, whose training allows him to draw more effective use from Little Divine Edge 157.

Expedition Leadership

• Matches weapons to enemy weaknesses, turning to magical blades when bullets and grenades fail against the Flood Dragon Serpent 28.
• Establishes strict noise and photography restrictions around sleeping Fire Beetles 76.
• Destroys a wind-driven rock formation producing mind-disturbing music after recognizing its source 142.
• Leaves Hu Bayi guarding a teleportation portal rather than entrusting the entire team’s escape route to another party 199.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

Principal Weapons

Storage and Expedition Supplies

• Azure Sky storage ring — Holds weapons, artifacts, and supplies, allowing Gu Cheng to retrieve and switch equipment rapidly. Its storage is less advanced than Zhang Qiling’s Black Obsidian 153 171 184.
• Immortal-Brew Gourd — Supreme-grade magical artifact bought for 1.6 billion. Stores one hundred types of liquid and can brew Hundred Immortals’ Brew after collecting one hundred alcoholic drinks; Gu Cheng also uses it to provide orange juice and boiling water 53 56 142 190.
• Nectar Jade Pot — Supreme-grade spiritual artifact that refines spirit jade immersed in fine wine into Jade Nectar over eighty-one days. Gu Cheng begins an experiment using aged liquor and the Mutton-Fat White Jade Seal 8 9.
• Spirit-Clearing Pendant — Offers mental protection, but is overwhelmed when Gu Cheng approaches the source of the killer music 142.
• Blue spirit accessories — Carried for hazardous tomb exploration and used during his encounter with the Black-Eyed Strange Snakes 184 190.
• Grenades and industrial alcohol — Supplement his magical weapons; used to disrupt enemies, create fire barriers, and destroy environmental hazards 103 142 153.

Notable Acquisitions and Transfers

• Jade Key — A 2,208-year-old jade pendant bought from Wang Kaixuan for one hundred thousand yuan; identified as the key to Jingjue’s Jade Eye mechanism 4.
• Child-Giving Guanyin — Identified among the family’s collection and later sold at the Crescent Hotel for one billion 6 85.
• Osiris Illusion — Traded to Oliver for three Bronze Heads and a case of Moutai, with Gu Cheng’s payment refunded 130.
• Zodiac Bronze Heads — Donates the genuine pig head and later reports possessing eight Bronze Heads 91 175.
• Phoenix Gallbladder — An Immortal Artifact and his greatest gain from the later Nine-Story Demon Tower expedition 202.
• Snake Pearl, Doppelganger Puppet, and Purple-Gold Shield — Other treasures obtained during the same expedition; the shield’s attributes remain unreadable 202.
• Sealed Demon-Hunting Blade — Received after his escape from the tower and given to Wang Kaixuan 202.

Relationships

• Gu Sihai — Father and former proprietor of Treasure-Hiding Studio. Gu Cheng reveals a partly disguised account of his appraisal power, teaches him the Fetal Breathing Method, and entrusts him with artifact-related preparations 5 9 56.
• Zhou Xiumei — Mother. Gu Cheng is affectionate toward her but readily submits when she becomes angry; she also encourages Yingzi’s closeness to him 43 88 173 174.
• Hu Bayi / Lao Hu — Core teammate and trusted brother. Their partnership combines Gu Cheng’s appraisal and physical advantages with Hu Bayi’s military experience and combat technique 13 84 157 180.
• Wang Kaixuan / Fatty Wang — Core teammate and devoted admirer. Their association begins with the Jade Key purchase and develops into a brotherly bond 4 21 84 180.
• Yingzi — Teammate whom Gu Cheng initially regards as a younger sister. He later acknowledges developing some attraction, but says their relationship is not yet official 59 88 119.
• Shirley Yang — Expedition companion who develops romantic feelings for him. Gu Cheng initially denies being in love with her, but helps investigate her origins and repeatedly risks himself to protect her 64 119 120 174 180.
• A Ning — Initially an opponent seeking the Dog Head. Gu Cheng develops an unusually strong romantic attraction to her; they later travel together, and he confesses his feelings and kisses her during the quicksand escape 171 177 180.
• Xie Yuchen — Fellow artifact dealer and friend. Introduces Gu Cheng to the world of divine artifacts, helps his companions enter the Crescent Hotel, and offers financial backing for the gourd purchase 2 3 48 54.
• Yin Nanfeng — Crescent Hotel business partner. Offers Gu Cheng supplier terms comparable to those of the Old Nine Gates and agrees to lend him two billion for the Bronze Head auction 123.
• Wu Xie — Acquaintance introduced by Xie Yuchen. Gu Cheng later protects him from pursuers and takes custody of the Dog Head and Dragon Vein Feng Shui Map 48 169 170.
• Zhang Qiling — Divine Artifact Administration expedition member and later combat ally. This Zhang Qiling identifies Zhang Rishan as his nephew; Gu Cheng subsequently fights beside him in the mud pool 177 205.
• Professor Chen — Archaeological expedition leader. Gu Cheng challenges his willingness to endanger others, prompting him to abandon his own Jingjue expedition 120.
• Mr. Gu — Wealthy collector who seeks Gu Cheng’s appraisal expertise after benefiting from the Child-Giving Guanyin. Helps with the pig-head donation and auction access, but later orders people to follow Gu Cheng’s desert expedition 85 91 128 174.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Notable Quotes

“If you’re not hotheaded, can you even call yourself young?!” 55

“You put your own dreams above other people’s lives, always saying you’ll give up everything for your dreams, when in the end, what gets sacrificed is always someone else’s life.” 120

“But a word of advice: don’t touch my family or friends. Otherwise, I’ll personally crush that old bastard Qiu Deka to death!” 171