Lin Xiao

Biodata

Appearance

• Build: Powerfully built, with a weathered face and chin stubble 5 31 42.
• Clothing: Introduced wearing silver armor; later appears in a dark red cloak while leading mounted guards 5 22.
• Battle injuries: Suffers broken arm bones and a caved-in breastbone during the red-haired monster’s attack. Afterward, his left hand is heavily bandaged 28 32.

Personality

Lin Xiao is calculating and willing to compromise. He recognizes Su Yu’s strength and promotes him, but subsequently accepts Liu Ying’s five-hundred-tael bribe to approve a dangerous escort assignment despite Su Yu’s prescribed rest period. He knows the Liu Family wants Su Yu dead and leaves the young guard to prove whether he can survive its retaliation 5 6.

His opposition to the Liu Family is nevertheless genuine. Having received no response to earlier appeals for reinforcements, he has been forced to feign cooperation with the family. He treats Su Yu as a means of breaking that stalemate, offering protection in exchange for a captive who can substantiate the family’s crimes 14 31.

When his guards face annihilation, Lin Xiao places himself between them and a vastly stronger enemy. He also insists that confiscated wealth be used to compensate fallen comrades, threatening anyone who interferes. His growing admiration for Su Yu eventually becomes confidence that the young man will bring Nanhe County lasting fame 28 31 42.

History

Promoting Su Yu

Lin Xiao first intervenes when Su Yu holds a saber against Wang Tai’s throat inside the Bureau. After examining the fang of a Mortal Realm Fifth Layer corpse-eating dog demon leader, he accepts Su Yu’s report, orders double death benefits for Zhao Lei’s squad, and promotes Su Yu into Zhao Lei’s vacant squad-leader position 5.

Soon afterward, Liu Ying bribes him to assign Su Yu to an escort transporting Ghost Shadow Sect prisoners to Tiannan Commandery. Lin Xiao approves the transfer despite knowing it exposes Su Yu to the Liu Family’s retaliation. He also assigns Tang Shan to Su Yu’s squad and warns Su Yu that the Blackwater Village mission may exceed its advertised danger 6 7.

Investigating the Liu Family

Lin Xiao reveals that Su Yu’s father, Su Daqiang, died three years earlier after the Liu Family supplied false intelligence for a demon-extermination mission. Instead of weak tiger demons, the expedition encountered an avatar of a Mystic Realm greater demon. Su Daqiang had previously obtained evidence of the family’s collusion with demons, but neither Lin Xiao nor the Liu Family found it when searching the Su residence 14.

Lin Xiao and Su Yu strike a bargain: Lin Xiao will monitor the Liu Family during the escort mission and move against its properties if it attacks, while Su Yu must return alive with a captive from the attackers 14.

After a morgue guard is murdered and half-yao corpses are stolen, Lin Xiao orders a nighttime search. Su Yu’s discovery of Ghost Shadow Sect involvement leads him to question the imprisoned Yue Rao. He then advances the escort’s departure to the following dawn and gives Su Yu a special envoy token granting discretionary authority outside the city 15 16.

Assault on the Liu Estate

When Su Yu returns with bloodstained letters documenting the Liu Family’s crimes, Lin Xiao publicly declares the family traitorous and orders its members and private soldiers to surrender. He leads hundreds of Bureau elites to surround the Liu estate 22 24.

The confrontation becomes a battle against the Demon God Cult’s corpse weapons. Lin Xiao identifies the reanimated Su Daqiang as a soulless puppet created through Corpse Fiend Rebirth. Yin Jiuyou intercepts his attack on Liu Tianjue and wounds his shoulder with a white bone staff, forcing Lin Xiao to call on Su Yu to finish his own fight quickly 24 25 26.

After Yin Jiuyou’s death, Lin Xiao joins Su Yu against Liu Tianjue. Their combined weapon strikes fail to penetrate Liu Tianjue’s body-refinement defenses, and Lin Xiao is driven back with a split hand. Su Yu subsequently breaks those defenses and kills the patriarch 26 27 28.

The Red-Haired Monster and Its Aftermath

A Spirit Realm Fifth Level monster emerges from the estate’s dry well. Lin Xiao orders the guards to retreat and attacks to cover their withdrawal. His strongest sword strike causes no damage; the creature shatters his weapon, breaks his arm bones, and strikes him through two courtyard walls, leaving him unconscious 28.

He regains consciousness after Su Yu destroys the monster and recognizes White Cat’s Shadow Guard Invitation Token. When Su Yu openly admits killing Yue Rao, Lin Xiao hastily reports that she died during the escort ambush. White Cat also rebukes him for allowing the Demon God Cult’s infiltration to develop under his administration 30 31.

Lin Xiao takes charge of confiscating the Liu estate, reserves compensation for the fallen guards, and awards Su Yu first choice from its treasure pavilion. He then orders the arrest and punishment of every Liu Family member implicated in cult collaboration and has the family’s crimes publicly announced 31 32.

Continued Command and Su Yu’s Departure

With the Bureau depleted, Lin Xiao chooses to hold Nanhe County rather than attack Cloud Wolf Mountain. He supplies Su Yu with intelligence about its blood wolf and dog demon clans, whose leaders are both Spirit Realm Third Level 34 35.

During Shen Yang’s visit, Lin Xiao attempts to explain Su Yu’s circumstances before the visiting captain confronts him. After Lu Cang’s intervention, Lin Xiao recognizes that Su Yu has outgrown Nanhe County. The destruction of the Liu Family and the Bureau’s manpower shortage allow him to retain his captaincy for the time being 40 41.

Before Su Yu leaves, Lin Xiao provides a hundred-year-old Black Baleful Intent Vine for his cultivation. He repeatedly warns him about the Demon God Cult, assassins, and competing powers in Tiannan Commandery, then sees him off from the Bureau courtyard 41 42 43.

Abilities & Skills

Qi Refinement and Swordsmanship

Lin Xiao is a Spirit Realm Second Level Qi-refinement cultivator and the strongest fighter in Nanhe County’s Demon Suppression Bureau before Su Yu’s rise 28 29 34.

• Releases spiritual pressure strong enough to sweep across the city-gate gathering 22.
• Projects dark-red Sword Qi through his heavy sword 25.
• At full power, produces pale-blue sword light extending five feet from his weapon 28.
• Cannot penetrate Liu Tianjue’s Spirit Realm Second Level body-refinement defenses or injure the Spirit Realm Fifth Level red-haired monster 27 28.

Command and Investigation

• Promotes guards, assigns personnel and missions, and authorizes death benefits 5 7.
• Organizes citywide searches and large-scale operations against suspected cult collaborators 15 24.
• Uses case files, seized correspondence, and estate records to investigate crimes and administer confiscated property 14 32 42.
• Delegates exceptional field authority through his special envoy token 16 17.

Knowledge of Cults and Bureau Institutions

• Recognizes Corpse Fiend Rebirth, explaining its use of Yin Qi and demon blood to turn a corpse into a soulless killing weapon 24.
• Identifies a Shadow Guard Invitation Token and explains that Shadow Guard service does not conflict with a public Bureau position 30 31.

Equipment

• Heavy sword — Channels his Sword Qi; shattered by the red-haired monster 25 28.
• Armor — Initially silver armor; the standard-issue iron armor over his chest is broken during the monster’s attack 5 28.
• Special envoy token — A black iron token entrusted to Su Yu, carrying Lin Xiao’s authority to act as circumstances require 16 17.
• Long whip — Carried when taking Su Yu and Tang Shan to question Yue Rao 16.
• Official seal — Used to approve Su Yu’s escort transfer order 6.

Relationships

• Su Yu — Subordinate turned crucial ally. Their cooperation begins as a transaction and develops into substantial trust and material support 14 31 42.
• Su Daqiang — Former guard under his command; Lin Xiao investigates the circumstances of his death and later recognizes his reanimated corpse 14 24.
• Tang Shan — Guard transferred from Tiannan Commandery whom Lin Xiao temporarily assigns to Su Yu’s squad 7.
• Liu Ying — Bureau colleague and Liu Family member who bribes him to approve Su Yu’s escort assignment 6.
• Liu Tianjue — Political and military adversary whose family’s influence Lin Xiao struggles to break 14 24 31.
• White Cat — Shadow Guard operative who questions his handling of Yue Rao and censures his administration of Nanhe County 31.

Notable Quotes

“Come back alive with a living captive from the Liu Family’s attackers. Leave the rest to me.” 14

“If anyone dares reach for our fallen brothers’ compensation, I’ll chop off their hand.” 31