Xu Chao

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Xu Chao grew up in Zone 101 in severe poverty, recalling that he could not even obtain the coarse buckwheat-bean buns commonly eaten by civilians. He also worked there as a professional motorcycle mechanic 7 30.

His older sister attracted the attention of a noble, who abused her for a month and tortured her to death. Xu Chao spent the following month carrying a knife and watching for an opportunity to kill him. His attempt failed, and the noble’s men took him away to be killed. Qin Ashui intervened, saved him, and avenged his sister despite Xu Chao having neither money nor anything else to offer. Xu Chao followed him from then onward 8.

His initiation into the group involved being taken onto a lake, tricked into drinking an entire bottle of laxatives, and persuaded to enter the water to catch fish. The others then sailed away and abandoned him there 44.

Appearance

• Face: Handsome, with delicate features and a roguish smile 8.
• Hair: Side-swept bangs, which he occasionally tosses back 8 22.
• Complexion: Somewhat dark-skinned 8.
• Psionic manifestation: Blue light appears on his forehead when he uses his power 6 10 18.

Personality

Xu Chao combines a teasing, boastful manner with genuine affection for his companions. He jokes about Qin Xun’s interest in older women, gives him the nickname “Cold-Blooded Killer,” and readily accepts “Dog Training Master” in return. His consideration also appears in smaller gestures, such as giving Qin Xun a rose on his eighteenth birthday 10 26 32.

His loyalty to Qin Ashui is rooted in gratitude and brotherhood rather than simple obedience. He insists on fulfilling his promise to bring Qin Xun and Qin Ling to safety and initially volunteers to remain behind if the group is discovered. Even after suffering severe wounds, he places keeping Qin Xun out of enemy hands above his own survival 6 7 18 20.

He is cautious around strangers and ruthless toward threats. He advises Qin Xun to avoid attention, conceal injuries, distrust unfamiliar travelers, and flee when targeted. He also kills a noble youth to prevent retaliation against Chen Qiao, rejecting the youth’s offers of money and noble status 29 31.

Despite his outward confidence, Xu Chao is hesitant in love. He worries that his wanted status will endanger Xiao Yu and declines an opportunity to speak privately with her after seeing her leave with another man 31 32.

Abilities & Skills

Psionic Bond with Mengmeng

Xu Chao’s principal Psionic Power merges his Spirit with Mengmeng to grant the dog special abilities. He attributes its development to his lifelong fondness for dogs and Mengmeng’s affection for him 17.

• Reconnaissance: Mengmeng scouts routes, detects danger, and helps the group avoid pursuers 6 7 17 18.
• Scent recognition: Mengmeng remembers allies’ scents, allowing Qin Xun to locate their hiding place by searching nearby streets 44.
• Coordination: Xu Chao’s forehead flashes blue before Mengmeng returns to cover bloodstains or reacts to approaching danger 6 18.
• Combined value: Xu Chao reports that others rate him and Mengmeng together as equivalent to a Fifth- or Sixth-Realm user 21.
• Development goal: He hopes to develop their shared power until Mengmeng can transform; this remains an ambition rather than a demonstrated ability 17.
• Limit: His power primarily supports reconnaissance rather than direct combat 19 25.

Spiritual Reinforcement and Close Combat

Although not a combat specialist, Xu Chao can reinforce his attacks with Spiritual Power and move faster than Qin Xun can clearly follow 19.

• Kills four of He Laowu’s bodyguards by crushing their throats and later swiftly snaps a guard’s neck 10 14.
• Smashes away half a Ghost Wolf’s head with a reinforced punch and punches through other wolves during the ambush 19.
• Claims that more than twenty ordinary Ghost Wolves would normally pose little trouble; the controlled wolves overwhelm him because they ignore pain and continue fighting despite catastrophic injuries 19 21.
• Is weaker in direct combat than Dazhuang and Chen Qiao, despite all three being Third-Realm users 21 25.
• Can be severely worn down by prolonged flight and power use; poison and existing injuries further impair him during the forest pursuit 19 20.

Tracking

• Claims he can sense He Laowu’s location after sending him toward the city gate with a fake miniature bomb. The precise mechanism is not explained 13.

Field Treatment

• Removes the infected bullet from Qin Xun’s arm using a dagger sterilized over an alcohol lamp; Dazhuang then disinfects and bandages the wound 8.
• Repeatedly rouses Qin Xun by pinching his gunshot wound, much to Qin Xun’s displeasure 6 8 17 19.

Cultivation Instruction

Xu Chao explains Qi Gates, Death Gates, Spiritual Qi, and the creation of Psionic Powers to Qin Xun, then teaches him how to absorb Spiritual Qi 17 18 34.

• Recommends mastering one or two suitable powers rather than pursuing many undeveloped abilities 17.
• Encourages Qin Xun to build enough endurance to sustain substantial Spirit use for half an hour 26.
• Advises beginning with seated cultivation in a quiet place and alternating twenty minutes of practice with ten minutes of rest 34.

Mechanical and Survival Skills

• Repairs and rides the battered motorcycle Chen Qiao gives him, drawing on his former work as a mechanic 30.
• Uses disguises, bluffing, bribery, and paid caravan passage to evade pursuit and cross guarded areas 13 15 21 31.
• Recognizes suspicious behavior during the Night Raven ambush and attacks to test the strangers before they reveal themselves 19.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Dagger: Used for emergency bullet removal and lethal close-range attacks 8 29.
• Qin Ashui’s purple stone and photograph: Presented to Qin Xun as proof that his brother is alive and sent Xu Chao to find him 5.
• He Laowu’s gun: Taken during He Laowu’s capture 11.
• Guard Team uniform: Worn as a disguise during the escape from Zone 108 and the journey to Chen Qiao’s guesthouse 15 22.
• Motorcycle: Given to him by Chen Qiao and used to carry Qin Xun and Mengmeng toward Zone 96 30 31.

Relationships

• Qin Ashui / Brother Shui — Savior, leader, and deeply admired companion. Xu Chao willingly calls himself Ashui’s subordinate, though Ashui does not treat the group that way 7 8.
• Qin Xun — Initially his rescue target, later a trusted companion and cultivation student. Qin Xun eventually returns to Zone 96 to rescue him, refusing to abandon him despite his critical injuries 5 26 34 44 45.
• Mengmeng — His dog and Psionic partner. Xu Chao cares closely for Mengmeng, carries the exhausted dog after their escape, and requests food prepared with little oil or salt 17 21 26.
• Dazhuang — Fellow follower of Brother Shui and rescue partner. Both volunteer to cover the others’ retreat; Dazhuang ultimately stays behind against Black Crow because Xu Chao and Mengmeng are better suited to guiding Qin Xun past pursuers 7 18.
• Qin Ling / Xiao Ling — Qin Ashui’s younger sister, whom Xu Chao helps protect. He and his companions kill two Psionic attackers at her home 7.
• Chen Qiao — An established acquaintance who provides shelter and treatment, then gives him a motorcycle. She also demands payment for an earlier unpaid stay 22 30.
• Xiao Yu — A flower seller he secretly loves. He protected her from hooligans four years earlier and arranged for a local friend to watch over her, but fears exposing her to danger through a relationship 31.
• Old Crab / Li Xie — An ally whose family Xu Chao helps evacuate. After Old Crab is killed, Xu Chao escapes with his daughter 36 43 45.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rescue and Escape from Zone 108

Sent by Qin Ashui, Xu Chao and Dazhuang find Qin Xun and prove their connection to his missing brother. With the Guard Team searching for them, they hide in Qin Xun and A-Liang’s underground base, where Xu Chao treats Qin Xun’s infected gunshot wound 5 6 8.

The group captures He Laowu and uses him to misdirect the authorities. When the exits remain guarded, they attack the noble district, exploit the nobles’ demand for protection, and escape in stolen Guard Team uniforms 10 11 13 15 17.

Pursuit Through the Misty Forest

Black Crow intercepts the fugitives, forcing Dazhuang to stay behind. Xu Chao knocks Qin Xun unconscious to prevent him from refusing to leave, then carries him onward despite poisoned feathers embedded in his back 18 19.

Night Raven operatives subsequently trap them with puppet Ghost Wolves. Xu Chao suffers extensive bite wounds while ordering Mengmeng to take Qin Xun away. Qin Xun’s flaming chains interrupt the attack, allowing Xu Chao to carry him to safety; Xu Chao mistakenly credits an unknown powerful rescuer 19 20.

Recovery and Journey to Zone 96

After purchasing passage with a merchant caravan, Xu Chao takes Qin Xun to Chen Qiao’s guesthouse for treatment. A noble youth’s threats create another danger, and Xu Chao later kills the youth and his drunken bodyguards to prevent retaliation against the establishment 21 22 26 29.

He departs on Chen Qiao’s motorcycle, teaches Qin Xun how to survive outside the zones, and bribes the guards to enter Zone 96. There, he sees Xiao Yu leave her flower shop with another man and is visibly shaken 30 31 32.

Resistance Crisis and Return Rescue

In Zone 96, Xu Chao reunites Qin Xun with Qin Ling and teaches him cultivation. He also explains the resistance’s aims, the search for Holy Sword fragments, and the Dark Pavilion’s role before Smoker brings news of Qin Ashui’s capture and the camp’s destruction 33 34 35.

Xu Chao accompanies Old Crab to move his family to safety. After the ensuing violence, he escapes with Old Crab’s daughter and Mengmeng but is left severely wounded and hunted throughout the city 36 39 43.

Qin Xun finds them behind a trash heap. Xu Chao believes he will not survive and asks him to take the girl and Mengmeng away, but Qin Xun refuses to leave him. Even in this condition, Xu Chao reacts with admiration to Qin Xun’s thrown-blade skills and asks to learn them 44 45.