Yan Hui

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Origins and Corpse-Refinement Scheme

Yan Hui came from the Yan Household of Man Creek, one of Xi Prefecture’s four prominent unorthodox households. Her admission to the Zhongnan Sword Sect distinguished her from her background and helped raise her household’s standing. Within the stronghold, her authority ranked below Great-Uncle’s but above that of stronghold chief Yan Laojiu 31 37 56.

Despite joining an orthodox sect, she secretly lured fellow Lower Court disciples to the stronghold to be murdered and refined into zombies. She selected isolated, frustrated disciples whose disappearances could pass as deaths during travel. Cultivators’ tempered bodies provided better corpse-refinement materials than ordinary mortal remains 33.

Chen Jin became one of her targets after damage to his Qi Seed obstructed his cultivation. She gained his trust through sustained attention, then claimed that thousand-year spirit ginseng near her homeland might heal him. He accompanied her to the stronghold and collapsed after drinking wine while they shared an intimate evening. Yan Hui personally participated in turning him into a jiangshi and hoped to make him her life-bound corpse 34 45 71.

Demon-Slaying Alliance and the Missing Corpse

Yan Hui summoned martial artists to form the Demon-Slaying Alliance, initially gathering twenty or thirty fighters. The other three unorthodox households sent representatives, while the threatened mountain spirits organized their own Demon-Ghost Alliance 21 56.

Following the fighting, she ordered the mountains cleared of Demon Beasts and demanded the live capture of a white-faced demon monkey. She also sought the Slay Evil Sword, intending to give the stolen weapon a legitimate provenance if recovered 33.

Her attempt to summon a strange zombie with the Corpse-Driving Bell failed. Great-Uncle then revealed that coffin 303 was empty and several household disciples had vanished. Alarmed by Chen Jin’s escape, she helped transfer the cliff’s corpses back to the stronghold, but winter snow delayed further searches. By spring, she had returned to the sword sect and the alliance had disbanded 33 34 37.

Destruction of the Stronghold

Yan Hui returned with Xue Hongmei to find the stronghold burning and many relatives dead. She reported that bandits had attacked after Great-Uncle’s life-bound corpse went mad, while withholding the household’s concealed practices. Xue Hongmei concluded that a capable sixth-realm swordsman had participated 58.

Yan Hui gathered survivors, fought the fires, and salvaged belongings. More than half the household’s people were dead or injured, and the destruction of its underground graveyard had reduced its accumulated zombies to ash. Xue Hongmei redirected her attention toward the Sword Competition, allowing her one final day to settle household affairs before ordering her to stop returning home 59.

Chen Jin’s Return

Back at the Lower Court, Yan Hui visited Chen Jin’s courtyard and found him alive. She fled in terror when he confirmed that he had died and returned. Afterward, she connected him to the missing disciples, the escaped corpse, and the stronghold’s destruction 59 60.

She decided that his accusations could be denied: no one else knew she had taken him or Su Zhen to the stronghold, the physical evidence had burned, and she expected her master’s protection. Rather than acknowledge her crimes, she treated Chen Jin as the enemy responsible for her clan’s losses 60.

Yan Hui deliberately spread damaging rumors about him and used Liu Chen to monitor and test his strength. Chen Jin’s unexplained revival and successive displays of hidden abilities nevertheless disrupted her concentration and left her increasingly fearful 71 78 84.

Sword Competition and Death

Yan Hui hoped to secure an Upper Court place through the Sword Competition. She and Liu Chen initially celebrated Chen Jin’s fourth-round pairing with Zhao Qianye, expecting his elimination; Zhao instead withdrew to repay Chen Jin’s earlier guidance 59 78.

Before her match against Zhou Lang, an encounter with Chen Jin unsettled her through what she recognized as a possible technique. She defeated Zhou Lang but returned home distressed. Drawing Chen Jin for the fifth round intensified her fears 80 81 82.

During their duel, Yan Hui used superior cultivation, Sword Qi, and sword momentum to pressure him. Chen Jin repeatedly defended with talisman formations and escape techniques. When he finally counterattacked, she recognized his apparent flying sword and tried to flee the platform. A blood-red talisman slowed her, allowing his sword light to behead her before Ma Long could intervene 84 85 86.

Xue Hongmei immediately attempted to kill Chen Jin in retaliation, but Qin Jianyuan stopped her. The elders subsequently investigated whether the killing had been deliberate. Their Heart Questioning technique failed against Chen Jin, ending the inquiry 86 88 89.

Appearance

• Figure and features: Graceful, shapely, and voluptuous, with alluring features and a mature beauty tinged with wildness 33 58 71.
• Hands: Described as slender and jade-white 34.
• Competition attire: Wore her black hair pinned up and a brocade sash around her waist for the match against Chen Jin 83.
• Innate allure: Possessed a seductive Root Bone that naturally drew others toward her 83.

Personality

Yan Hui cultivated a warm, outgoing public image and was especially popular among male disciples. Her charm, attentiveness, and ability to please others won both followers and Xue Hongmei’s affection. Privately, she treated these relationships as tools: she carefully selected murder victims and regarded Liu Chen’s inexperience as useful because it made him obedient 33 71 77 84.

She was ruthless and calculating, but not remorseful. Even after Chen Jin’s return, she believed that he—not she—was at fault. Her mounting distress came from fear of defeat and his unknown capabilities rather than guilt. When pressure briefly caused her to lash out at Liu Chen, she quickly resumed an apologetic, vulnerable manner that restored his sympathy 60 81.

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

• Sword Intent and Sword Qi: Had condensed Sword Intent and cultivated Sword Qi by the Sixth Realm. Her precise, needle-like opening attack was intended to overwhelm Chen Jin immediately 84.
• Formation-breaking attacks: Broke through his earth- and metal-element defensive talisman formations and cut through his manifested ice and snow 84 85.
• Suppressive sword momentum: Built pressure resembling a mountain of piled stone, suppressing Chen Jin’s magical consciousness and hindering his use of Law Techniques 85.
• Prior instruction: Learned from Chen Jin before betraying him, receiving explanations and demonstrations of his earlier Five Elements Sword Intent 85.

Marrow Cleansing Cultivation

• Endurance: Her flourishing Qi Seed and sustained Qi and Blood circulation made her well suited to prolonged combat 85.
• Danger perception: Instinctively sensed mortal danger when Chen Jin unleashed his concealed sword attack 86.
• Limits: Her realm advantage did not prevent Chen Jin’s talisman from slowing her or his sword light from killing her 86.

Corpse-Control Arts

• Corpse-Driving Bell: Combined ringing with an incantation intended to compel a nearby household-raised zombie to appear. Three repetitions failed to summon the escaped corpse 33.
• Corpse handling: Soothed Great-Uncle’s disturbed life-bound corpse by gently stroking its jade coffin 34.
• Corpse refinement: Participated in turning murdered disciples into zombies and intended Chen Jin to become her own life-bound corpse 33 34 71.

Seductive Root Bone and Social Manipulation

• Innate attraction: Her Root Bone unconsciously attracted others and encouraged them to revolve around her 83.
• Rallying influence: Her reputation and charisma brought martial artists together under the Demon-Slaying Alliance 21.
• Reputation management: Used affectionate attention, displays of distress, and malicious rumors to secure support and discredit Chen Jin 45 72 84.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Treasured sword — Her primary competition weapon; used to project Sword Qi and oppressive sword momentum 84 85.
• Corpse-Driving Bell — Bronze Law Artifact used in her unsuccessful attempt to recall the escaped zombie 33.
• White-skinned lantern — Bore the character “Yan” in black ink; she kept it as a reminder of her clan’s blood feud 71.

Relationships

• Chen Jin — Senior fellow disciple, former intimate companion, and intended life-bound corpse. His survival turned her concealed murder scheme into a feud that ended with her death 34 45 60 86.
• Xue Hongmei — Master and principal protector. Yan Hui earned her affection through pleasing behavior and later her sixth-realm breakthrough; Xue attempted to avenge her death immediately 72 84 86.
• Liu Chen — Junior disciple and devoted admirer whom she cultivated as an ally, informant, and intermediary. Others called them the “golden boy and jade maiden”; after her death, he felt an unexplained restraint lift from his thoughts 71 78 86.
• Great-Uncle — Senior family authority and collaborator in the household’s corpse-refinement operations. She sought his guidance over Chen Jin’s disappearance and later blamed Chen Jin for his death 33 60.
• Su Zhen — Fellow sect disciple whom she secretly brought to the stronghold. His presence there was concealed from the sect, and Chen Jin later found him dead in its underground graveyard 33 55 60.

Notable Quotes

“Senior Brother Chen, even if you’ve returned, what can you do? You’re no longer who you were, and neither am I. You harmed my granduncle and killed my clansmen. I should be the one coming to you for revenge, to wash away this hatred.” 60