Zhou Kaishan

Biodata

Background / History

Commandant of Qianqiu County

Zhou Kaishan held the commandant’s post for years, receiving an imperial salary and access to the county’s finest cultivation resources. Despite these advantages, his cultivation remained at the mid True Qi Realm 15.

Behind his official duties, Zhou maintained secret dealings with demonic factions throughout the region. Zhou Jie also knew that his uncle served an exceptionally powerful demonic faction, though its identity was not specified. Zhou supplied residents—including woodcutters, women, and children—to demons, concealing their deaths behind reports of ordinary disappearances 7.

Under his administration, the Bureau occasionally killed minor demons while larger threats remained undisturbed. This produced an outward appearance of peace despite continuing disappearances and demonic activity 21. He also imposed a curfew to avoid the nocturnal killer known as Yin Soldiers Borrowing the Road, rather than confront it 26.

Protecting Zhou Jie

When Lu Guan attempted to execute Zhou Jie for colluding with demons, Zhou intervened and broke Lu Guan’s saber. Recognizing Lu Guan’s perfected Qi and Blood cultivation, he praised the young officer and granted him full officer status. In exchange, Lu Guan surrendered the white bone that supported his accusation against Zhou Jie 5.

Zhou then publicly treated Lu Guan as a valued subordinate. He avoided confronting the retired officers gathered to protect the youth, partly because Lu Guan’s unusual strength made him suspect that someone powerful might be backing him 6.

Privately, Zhou struck and rebuked his nephew for contacting White Bone Mountain without permission and risking the exposure of his own crimes. He arranged for Zhou Jie to take refuge with Commandant Wang in a neighboring county, warning that Lu Guan genuinely intended to kill him. Zhou Jie was ordered to leave the following day 7.

Plot against Lu Guan

Lu Guan killed Zhou Jie before his departure. Although Zhou Kaishan lacked evidence, he immediately identified Lu Guan as the killer. He assigned Lu Guan to the First Squad’s watch over White Bone Mountain, intending the mission to become his burial ground 9.

Zhou commissioned Lu Guan’s death through the mountain’s demons. Concerned that the White Bone Demon King might fall to the officers’ combined Gather Blood into a Blade technique, he made lavish promises to secure the assistance of Yellow Flower Ridge’s tiger demon 16 22. The tiger demon, however, dismissed Zhou’s authority and decided to attack the other officers as well, despite the agreement targeting only Lu Guan 16.

The plan failed: Lu Guan killed both greater demons, eradicated White Bone Mountain’s remaining demons, and returned to Qianqiu County with their remains 20 21.

Exposure and Death

By the time Lu Guan returned, Wang Quan and Qin Tiannan had arrived to arrest Zhou following an investigation into his collusion. Their evidence was already nearly conclusive, with final verification still pending 21.

Outside the Bureau, Yu Qianqian publicly accused Zhou of feeding the county’s people to demons. Zhou attempted to strike her with his palm, but Lu Guan severed his arm before the blow landed 22. Lu Guan then pinned him to the ground with overwhelming True Qi, preventing him from using his martial arts 23.

Qin Tiannan intervened to take Zhou into custody for trial. Lu Guan refused, overcame Qin’s sword with his newly perfected Demon Suppressing Saber Record, and beheaded Zhou 23.

Afterward, Lu Guan presented a stone wall taken from the White Bone Demon King’s cave. Qin translated its demon-script inscriptions and confirmed that they documented Zhou’s crimes. Lu Guan was subsequently appointed acting commandant 24 25. Roughly a dozen of Zhou’s Bureau accomplices killed themselves out of fear of punishment 28.

Appearance

• Build: Burly, with an imposing physical presence 5.
• Face: Solemn, described as commanding respect without anger 5.
• Clothing: Demon Suppression Bureau flying-fish robes, with a cloak draped over his shoulders 5.

Personality

Zhou combined calculated courtesy with ruthless self-preservation. He flattered Lu Guan and accommodated the officers supporting him when the youth’s strength suggested possible powerful backing. His anger at Zhou Jie’s dealings with demons centered on the danger of exposing his own crimes, not on the betrayal itself 5 6 7.

He was deeply nepotistic. Zhao Tielin recalled that even a dog from Zhou’s household had been given an official Bureau post and an imperial salary. Although Zhou repeatedly called his nephew worthless, he still arranged a refuge for him and sought revenge after his death 6 7 9.

Zhou correctly recognized Lu Guan’s willingness to kill and warned his nephew against relying on another person’s restraint. Nevertheless, he underestimated Lu Guan’s growth, believing that two True Qi Realm demons would guarantee the young officer’s death 7 22.

Abilities & Skills

True Qi Cultivation

Zhou was a mid True Qi Realm martial artist 15 16.

• Recognized that Lu Guan’s white-bone evidence came from a late Qi and Blood Realm demon 5.
• Was substantially weaker than Yellow Flower Ridge’s tiger demon, which was comparable to the late True Qi Realm 16.
• Could not resist Lu Guan’s perfected True Qi Realm suppression during their final confrontation 23.

Martial Arts

Zhou possessed a repertoire of martial arts, though no specific technique was named in his final battle 23.

• Broke Lu Guan’s saber while intercepting the attack on Zhou Jie 5.
• Used a palm strike against Yu Qianqian before Lu Guan severed his arm 22.
• Was killed without an opportunity to deploy his full repertoire 23.

Relationships

• Zhou Jie — Nephew whom he protected, disciplined, and attempted to relocate. Zhou Jie feared him from childhood and knew about his extensive demonic dealings 5 7.
• Lu Guan — Subordinate turned enemy. Their initial bargain over Zhou Jie’s misconduct escalated into an assassination plot and Zhou Kaishan’s execution 5 9 23.
• Commandant Wang — Friend in a neighboring county and fellow collaborator with demons. Zhou arranged for his nephew to seek refuge with him 7.
• White Bone Demon King — Demonic associate commissioned to kill Lu Guan 16.
• Tiger Demon of Yellow Flower Ridge — Powerful collaborator recruited to ensure Lu Guan’s death. It regarded Zhou with contempt and ignored his restrictions 16 22.
• Yu Qianqian — Publicly exposed his crimes outside the Bureau; his attempt to attack her triggered Lu Guan’s intervention 22.
• Wang Quan and Qin Tiannan — Bureau officials sent to arrest him. Qin attempted to preserve him for trial before Lu Guan killed him 21 23.
• Wild Boar Ridge’s demons — Had received a promise from Zhou; their leader invoked it when Lu Guan’s forces surrounded the ridge. The promise’s terms were not stated 28.

Notable Quotes

“Entrusting your life to another person's passing whim—is that all you've learned over these years?” 7

“I... look forward to seeing you earn merit and make your mark.”
— Assigning Lu Guan to White Bone Mountain while secretly intending his death 9