Liu Qingfeng

Biodata

Background / History

Frontline Service and Injury

Liu Qingfeng fought bloody battles at Shanhai Pass for years and was also reportedly a veteran of Demon-Suppressing Pass. A demonic beast tore off his right little finger, leaving him unable to grip his sword steadily. He subsequently settled in the remote city of Mobei and became a teacher 1 2.

His Awakening Object survived with a visible crack in its blade. Despite his injury, he expressed no regret over having fought: his stated regret was that he had not immediately switched his sword to his left hand and killed more enemies 43.

Becoming a Teacher

Liu Qingfeng spent three years teaching his first class. His cold expression, military-style drills, and frequent reprimands earned him the nickname “Madman Liu,” but his instruction emphasized surviving danger rather than enjoying the prestige of becoming an awakener 1 24 47 50.

Teaching changed his understanding of responsibility. He explained to his old comrade Luo Yun that soldiers needed to kill enemies, whereas teachers needed to ensure that as many students as possible survived the battlefield 26.

Apprentice Assessment

During the interschool apprentice assessment, Liu Qingfeng reunited with Luo Yun, who had been searching for him for years. When Luo Yun questioned Yu Sheng’s origins in Sin City, Liu Qingfeng physically stepped in front of his student and insisted that Yu Sheng should be judged by his actions, not his birthplace 11 14.

Throughout the overnight assessment, he challenged the students’ belief that talent guaranteed success. Drawing on the deaths and failures he had witnessed, he stressed vigilance, resolve, temperament, and luck. Two surveillance operators considered his teaching valuable enough to recommend a transfer to the provincial capital, though no transfer was confirmed 14 15.

Liu Qingfeng allowed the students to confront the dog demon and later stopped the other teachers from intervening against a cultist. When Yu Sheng hesitated to kill because of the law, Liu Qingfeng clarified that killing cultists was permitted and that a level-one awakener carried a hundred-thousand reward 17 23.

Afterward, he ordered the frightened students to sit beside the cultist’s corpse until they could confront their fear. In a private conversation with Yu Sheng, he distinguished personal survival from the responsibility to stand beside teammates. He asked Yu Sheng never to turn his weapons against humanity and to save others when he could do so without being hurt himself 24 25.

Visit to the Veterans’ Camp

Recognizing that Yu Sheng’s distrust came from fear and survival rather than simple selfishness, Liu Qingfeng changed his approach. He first explained the military service of Wang the Cripple, the school’s breakfast-shop owner, then took Yu Sheng to a Veterans’ Camp outside the safe zone 37 38.

At the camp, Liu Qingfeng introduced him to disabled veterans and explained Zhong Yushu’s sacrifices. Yet he became troubled by the possibility that his encouragement might push Yu Sheng toward a battlefield death. He eventually told Yu Sheng that he had no right to insist on making him a particular kind of person 39 42 43.

Instead of continuing his lectures, he spent a day fishing, gathering birds’ eggs, and catching butterflies with Yu Sheng. During the visit, Yu Sheng experienced simple happiness and smiled genuinely for the first time he could remember 43.

Graduation Preparations

Before the national examination, Liu Qingfeng continued teaching cultivation fundamentals and urging his students to manage their anxiety. He assured Yu Sheng that kindness did not mean tolerating betrayal, telling him to kill anyone who stabbed him in the back and promising that the Ink Pavilion would uphold justice for him 36 47 48.

As his first class approached graduation, his students stood and bowed to him together. Despite their complaints about his sternness and repetitive advice, they recognized that he genuinely cared about them 50.

Appearance

• Missing right little finger: Torn off by a demonic beast; the injury prevents him from holding his sword steadily 1 43.
• Habitually cold expression: His stern appearance is particularly familiar to his students 1 50.
• More relaxed among veterans: At the Veterans’ Camp, he laughs, jokes, and swears freely, contrasting with his classroom manner 39.

Personality

Liu Qingfeng is disciplined, blunt, and willing to be disliked if his harsh words motivate even one student to improve. He repeatedly attacks complacency, fantasies of effortless success, and the assumption that awakened people are entitled to comfortable lives 24 37.

His severity coexists with strong protectiveness. He defends Yu Sheng against prejudice, refuses to abandon his students to socialize with Luo Yun, and offers to pay rescue rewards himself—even selling his house and car if necessary—if the Ink Pavilion will not pay 14 25.

He is also capable of questioning his own methods. Learning more about Yu Sheng makes him uneasy about demanding sacrifice from a child the world has never protected. His hopes gradually broaden from producing a powerful defender of humanity to helping Yu Sheng live happily and without regret 38 42 43.

Outside his formal role, Liu Qingfeng can be awkward and playful. He pretends to be exhausted while running with Yu Sheng, becomes embarrassed when exposed, and hurriedly restores his stern demeanor when another student catches him behaving enthusiastically 43 48.

Abilities & Skills

Sword Awakening Object

Liu Qingfeng can manifest a seven-mark longsword, which he regards with the affection and reverence of a longtime companion 43.

• Nearby weeds are cut as the sword appears 43.
• He can suspend it above himself and dismiss it 43.
• His missing finger compromises his ability to wield it steadily 43.
• The sword’s blade is visibly cracked; no specific consequence of the crack is stated 43.

Battlefield Experience

His instruction draws on years of frontline combat and firsthand observation of both successful fighters and failed prodigies 2 14.

• Luo Yun remembers him as quiet, decisive, and unhesitating when killing enemies 26.
• He teaches wilderness vigilance, suitable resting places, and practical survival habits 36.
• He recognizes Yu Sheng’s prior killing experience from the precision of his attacks on vital points 24.
• He remains ready to intervene during the cultist attack, with blue-green light appearing in his eyes; its specific function is not explained 23.

Cultivation Instruction

Liu Qingfeng teaches both the mechanics of awakening and the judgment needed to use them safely 14 36.

• Demon Core compatibility: Warns that a powerful core can be harmful if it does not suit the user’s Awakening Object 36.
• Energy management: Explains that maintaining an Awakening Object depends on the awakener’s energy 36.
• Combat temperament: Emphasizes vigilance, resolve, and sound decisions rather than talent alone 14.
• Teamwork: Expects students to stand beside their teammates rather than rely solely on self-preservation 25.
• Psychological preparation: Uses direct exposure to danger and death to challenge the students’ fear and romanticized expectations 17 24.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Seven-mark longsword: His pale blue Awakening Object, decorated with graceful patterns. Four crystals are set into its hilt, and its blade bears a prominent crack 43.
• Cigarettes and lighters: He quit smoking after becoming a teacher but smokes again during his private conversation with Yu Sheng. Later, he carries a cigarette pack and several lighters 25 38.

Relationships

• Yu Sheng — Student and the focus of his closest personal mentorship. Liu Qingfeng admires his resilience, defends his place at school, and gradually earns a small opening in his distrust. He calls Yu Sheng his finest student and hopes to remain proud of him into old age 2 14 47 48.
• Luo Yun — Old battlefield comrade and Demon-Slaughtering Pavilion captain. Their reunion reveals longstanding familiarity; Luo Yun remembers Liu Qingfeng’s former decisiveness and notices how teaching has changed him. The captain introduces himself as “Luo Tian” in the assessment passage 11 12 26.
• Zhao Zicheng — Student whom Liu Qingfeng instructs on the limits of talent. He praises Zhao Zicheng’s willingness to face danger despite knowing he is outmatched 14 25.
• Du Xu — Assessment participant whose courage Liu Qingfeng uses as an example for Yu Sheng, alongside Zhao Zicheng 25.
• Zhong Yushu / Elder Zhong — Revered veteran general. Liu Qingfeng bows to him, places great faith in his judgment, and recounts his history to Yu Sheng with profound respect 39 42.
• Veterans’ Camp residents — Familiar companions around whom he relaxes. Yu Sheng appears to be the first student he has brought to visit them 39.

Notable Quotes

“As a passerby, I wish you glory in the eyes of others. As your elder, I wish you safety. As your teacher, I wish you... kindness.” 25

“Soldiers only need to kill the enemy, but teachers have to make sure as many of their students as possible survive on the battlefield.” 26

“This world has never protected you. Why should I ask you to protect it?” 38