Scribe Zhao

Biodata

Background / History

Recruitment and March

Zhao handled Wang Qi’s enlistment registration, testing his reading and writing before recording his background. He singled out Wang Qi’s basic literacy in the recruitment roster and advised him that learning more characters would help him in camp. Wang Qi later learned that the military clerk was also a Confucian student of the Imperial Academy 8 9.

During the march, Zhao followed Wang Qi when he left the route to collect cleaner spring water. Although he had observed what Wang Qi was doing, he warned him about appearing to desert. To curb the recruit’s fussiness, Zhao substituted instruction in the Water-Cleansing Spell for an opportunity to learn a combat technique—unaware that Wang Qi preferred the practical spell 13 17.

Rewards and Instruction

After the march, Zhao updated the name tags and register for the thirty recruits promoted to squad leader. He taught Wang Qi the Water-Cleansing Spell and was impressed when the youth recorded its unusual pronunciation using simplified characters and sound marks. Zhao then explained that Wang Qi qualified for a second reward, but took his request for a Clothing-Cleansing Spell as possible mockery. Wang Qi left with the Linked Arrows technique instead 15 16.

When Wang Qi began experimenting with silent casting and improvised hand seals, Zhao intervened to insist on foundational practice. At Lin’s request, he also agreed to teach the new squad leaders enough literacy to memorize the Blazing Sun Qi formula within three days 17.

Zhao was later summoned to examine Wang Qi’s swollen cheek. He advised moderation and warned against forcing Inner Force training, but Wang Qi questioned the advice because he had been cultivating internal qi rather than Inner Force 25.

Wang Qi’s Transfer

Zhao supported Lin’s plan to place Wang Qi in his elite force and appeared alongside him after Xu Ping’s ambush test. Following Wang Qi’s acceptance, Lin assigned Zhao to revise his identification card and handle the registration and explanation of his five technique rewards 30 31 32.

In the book tent, Zhao finally supplied the Clothing-Cleansing Spell, followed by the Water-Repelling Spell and Light-Concealing Shadow-Masking Spell. Concerned about Wang Qi choosing only spells, he urged him to select martial techniques as well. Wang Qi chose Force-Piercing Arrow and Qi-Gathering Finger; Zhao copied all five selections and recited each spell’s incantation once 33.

Appearance

• Scholar-like presentation: Wang Qi initially recognized him as a possible clerk from his scholarly appearance; he later encountered him dressed like a clerk during the march 8 13.
• Goatee: He strokes his goatee or beard while speaking, including when announcing Wang Qi’s rewards 13 15.

Personality

Zhao values literacy and ingenuity. He considers even limited reading ability noteworthy in a rural recruit, overlooks Wang Qi’s poor handwriting, and admires the youth’s improvised phonetic transcription as genuine cleverness rather than a trick for shirking work 8 15.

His appreciation of talent is tempered by a preference for discipline and solid foundations. He initially uses the Water-Cleansing Spell as a corrective lesson, then sternly interrupts Wang Qi’s experimental casting because he does not want a promising student to develop badly. Wang Qi’s relentless practice repeatedly irritates him, though he recognizes that having taught the spell, he can hardly forbid the recruit from practicing it 13 17 18.

Abilities & Skills

Spellcraft Instruction

• Teaches the Water-Cleansing Spell through talismanic writing, spoken pronunciation, and instructions to gather internal qi at the Jade Fluid, Golden Saliva, and Sea Spring acupoints beneath the tongue 15.
• Demonstrates the incantations for the Clothing-Cleansing, Water-Repelling, and Light-Concealing Shadow-Masking spells 33.
• Recognizes improvised hand-seal experiments and emphasizes that incantations remain the foundation of spell practice 17.
• Classifies Light-Concealing Shadow-Masking as beyond a basic spell 33.

Spiritual-Force Perception

• Detects Wang Qi’s successful Water-Cleansing Spell from inside his own tent 16.
• Recognizes the recurring spiritual-force fluctuations caused by Wang Qi’s practice. They irritate him, but affect Lin more strongly 18 19.

Literacy and Military Administration

• Maintains recruitment records, assesses recruits’ literacy, and updates promotion registers and name tags 8 15.
• Undertakes literacy and Blazing Sun Qi instruction for newly appointed squad leaders 17 18.
• Copies spell and martial-technique texts and explains the available reward selections 32 33.

Relationships

• Wang Qi — Recruit and occasional pupil. Zhao alternates between admiration for his ingenuity and frustration with his unconventional interests and relentless spell practice 8 15 17 33.
• Lin Chu / Commandant Lin — Military superior who addresses him as “Brother Zhao Ji.” Lin entrusts him with literacy instruction, identification changes, and technique rewards; both recognize Wang Qi’s potential 17 30 32.
• Xu Sanlang — Fellow camp officer who seeks Zhao’s advice when Wang Qi develops painful swelling during qi training 24 25.

Notable Quotes

“Practice properly. Don't dream of reaching heaven in a single step. Only once your foundations are solid will everything else flow naturally, like water into a channel.” 17

“All right. Have them come see me after drills tomorrow. I guarantee I'll have them memorizing the Blazing Sun Qi formula within three days.” 17