Shi Meng

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shi Meng (石猛)
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Wushan Village Night Watch Team; Eastern District
Occupation/Role	Night Watch Vice Captain; patrol leader and emergency responder
Status	Alive; severely injured during the Calamity of Strangeness and expected to require a lengthy recovery 49
First Appearance	Chapter 5 5

Background / History

Shi Meng was a friend of Wei Fan's parents and had promised Wei Fan's father that he would look after Wei Fan and Wei Yingying. Initially, he opposed Wei Fan joining the Night Watch, considering the boy physically unprepared for its high mortality rate. He nevertheless gave Wei Fan a nearly depleted Little Flame Talisman for protection against Oddities. 5

After Wei Fan killed the White Ghost Soul and demonstrated the third level of the Tiger's Breath Art, Shi Meng reconsidered. He accepted Wei Fan into his squad, intending to personally look after him while warning him that Night Watchers must prioritize survival and distrust appearances during patrols. 8 9

Appearance

Shi Meng is a towering, heavily muscled man whose presence projects the strength expected of a Night Watch Vice Captain.

• Approximately two meters tall 5
• Well-developed musculature and a powerful aura 5
• Wears a grey short outfit while on duty 8
• Carries and fights with a steel saber 17

Personality

Shi Meng is protective, pragmatic, and acutely aware of the dangers posed by Monstrosities. His initial refusal to recruit Wei Fan came from concern for both Wei Fan and Wei Yingying, rather than a dismissal of Wei Fan's resolve. 5 9

As a commander, he is stern when necessary. He forces the reluctant Wang La to patrol with Wei Fan, treating the assignment as a military order rather than a request. He also repeatedly emphasizes caution, proper use of talismans, and the need to retreat from threats beyond one's ability. 15 24

Shi Meng respects competence and adapts quickly to Wei Fan's extraordinary growth. After witnessing Wei Fan kill the Puppet Demon Spider and save Lu Qingshan, he offers Wei Fan a vice-captain position to reinforce Wushan Village's weakened defenses. 23 26

Abilities & Skills

Divine Strength Realm Cultivation

Shi Meng is a Divine Strength Realm martial artist, placing him among Wushan Village's strongest Night Watchers. He can independently kill Black Ghost-level Monstrosities, though such battles remain dangerous. 10 15

• Serves as the Eastern District's principal emergency support combatant. 15
• Sustained injuries from a Black Ghost-level Monstrosity before Wei Fan joined the Night Watch. 8
• Considered the Marrow-Eating Lizard dangerous enough that even he could not guarantee killing it. 18
• Recognizes that Grievance-level battles exceed the ability of Divine Strength Realm fighters. 24

Saber Combat and Talisman Use

Shi Meng employs a steel saber enhanced by talismans to fight Oddities whose bodies or natures resist conventional attacks. 5 10

• Uses a talisman-enhanced saber to cut through steel-hard charred Monstrosities. 5
• Explains that talismans are essential against incorporeal or otherwise abnormal Monstrosities. 10
• Carries and administers Monstrosity Detection Talismans to verify that Night Watchers have not been possessed. 17
• Provides Little Flame Talismans, Signal Flares, and Detection Talismans to subordinates. 5 12 15

Battlefield Leadership

Shi Meng organizes patrols, responds to distress flares, handles fallen Night Watchers, and relays intelligence about threats to Wushan Village. 15 17 22

• Assigns patrol partners and maintains discipline among the Eastern District Night Watchers. 15
• Ensures dead Night Watchers are recovered and cremated to prevent Corpse Transformation. 18 22
• Identifies the rising frequency of Monstrosity attacks as a possible precursor to the Calamity of Strangeness. 22 36
• Shows restraint when confronted with unknown threats, including the thread-controlled Night Watchers. 23

Explosive Secret Medicine

During the Calamity of Strangeness, Shi Meng consumes secret medicine supplied by the Talisman Master, temporarily raising his blood qi and combat aura to a level comparable to Lu Qingshan's. 44 48

• Used only after suffering a grievous arm injury and being overwhelmed by a large Monstrosity horde. 48
• The enhancement allowed him to re-enter the battle despite the overwhelming odds. 48

Equipment / Items

• Steel saber — Shi Meng's primary weapon. 5 17
• Little Flame Talismans — Used to give blades fire attributes and damage Oddities. 5 12
• Monstrosity Detection Talismans — Used to detect possession or contamination. 17
• Signal Flares — Issued to Night Watchers for emergencies. 15
• Explosive Secret Medicine — Temporary combat-strengthening medicine supplied before the Calamity of Strangeness. 44 48

Relationships

• Wei Fan — Formerly the son of Shi Meng's friend; Shi Meng acts as his early protector, mentor, squad leader, and later the official who offers him a vice-captain post. 5 9 15 26
• Wei Yingying — Shi Meng's promise to protect Wei Fan and his sister informs his initial reluctance to let Wei Fan join the Night Watch. 5
• Lu Qingshan — Night Watch Captain and Shi Meng's superior; Shi Meng supports him against the Puppet Demon Spider and transports him for treatment after he is poisoned. 24 26
• Wang La — Eastern District Night Watcher assigned by Shi Meng to patrol with Wei Fan; Shi Meng later recovers his remains for burial. 15 18
• Zhao Long and Zhao Hu — Fellow vice captains killed after becoming puppets of the Puppet Demon Spider; their deaths leave defensive positions vacant. 23 26 28

Story Role / Major Arcs

Wei Fan's Recruitment

Shi Meng discovers Wei Fan's unusual capability after the White Ghost Soul incident. Though initially protective and skeptical, he recruits Wei Fan into the Night Watch, teaches him about the Strength Training and Divine Strength realms, and grants him access to the Three Yuan Battle Art. 9 10

Eastern District Patrols

Shi Meng assigns Wei Fan to patrol with Wang La amid a surge in Monstrosity activity. After Wei Fan survives the Marrow-Eating Lizard incident, Shi Meng carefully verifies that neither of them has been possessed and personally handles Wang La's remains. 15 17 18

Calamity of Strangeness Warnings

Shi Meng identifies the growing Monstrosity incursions as possible signs of a Calamity of Strangeness. He later confirms that the escalating Night Watcher casualties and Blood Ghost-level Ghost Sparrow attacks are consistent with that threat. 22 36

Puppet Demon Spider Incident

Shi Meng and Wei Fan respond to the South District's red distress signal, where thread-controlled Night Watchers overwhelm Zhao Long. Shi Meng recognizes the limits of his own realm, follows Wei Fan's tactical lead, and witnesses Wei Fan kill the White Grievance-level Puppet Demon Spider. 23 24 25 26

Promotion of Wei Fan

Following the deaths of Zhao Long and Zhao Hu and Lu Qingshan's poisoning, Shi Meng offers Wei Fan a vacant vice-captain position. He later confirms Wei Fan's promotion, equips him with a vice-captain uniform and talismans, and assigns him to the South District. 26 28

Calamity of Strangeness

Shi Meng joins Wei Fan and Lu Qingshan in defending Wushan Village from a horde of Monstrosity beasts. Wei Fan saves him from a lethal attack, but Shi Meng sustains severe wounds; he survives, though Lu Qingshan expects his recovery and restoration of strength to take months or longer. 48 49