Zhang Erhu

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Childhood and City Work

Zhang Erhu grew up with Su Ye, playing with him from early childhood and attending the same primary school for six years. He dropped out during middle school and accompanied adult family members to the city for work. After his employer withheld his wages, Erhu beat him badly enough to hospitalize him; several years of earnings went toward the resulting medical compensation 5.

Joining Su Ye’s Farm

After returning to Jiuhua Village, Erhu encountered Su Ye while catching swamp eels in the village wasteland. Su Ye had leased the land and offered him work growing crops and raising livestock for 5,000 yuan per month. Surprised by the amount, Erhu initially suggested accepting less 6.

Erhu helped build the greenhouse, prepare irrigation pools, spread fertilizer, transplant crops, and harvest produce. Following the first major sale, Su Ye paid him more than 70,000 yuan as a bonus. Erhu initially refused, insisting that his watering and weeding did not justify such a large payment 6 7 8 9 10.

His responsibilities expanded as Su Ye began traveling. Su Ye entrusted him with the vegetable garden, pigpen construction, and 500,000 yuan for farm expenses, allowing him to make decisions about additional construction. Erhu later recruited workers for the orange grove and helped plant and water the saplings 14 18 19.

Assault and Recovery

While working in the city, Erhu had dated a woman who was also involved with a thug. She later contacted him claiming that she was pregnant, had been abandoned, and needed 5,000 yuan for an abortion. Erhu brought the money and accompanied her to the hospital, where he encountered the thug and fought with him after being taunted 28.

Afterward, Zhao Lei and his associates intercepted Erhu outside the hospital. Zhao Lei alone inflicted injuries that left Erhu’s head and arms bandaged and one leg in a plaster cast. The group also demanded 100,000 yuan, threatening further violence if he did not bring it to Heavenly Capital KTV. His former girlfriend did not intervene; Li Xiuqin suspected that she had helped deceive him 28 29 44.

Su Ye visited Erhu, secretly treated him with spiritual energy, and confronted the men responsible. Zhao Lang broke Zhao Lei’s left foot and agreed to release the woman. Su Ye then returned to the hospital, assured Erhu’s family that the threats had been settled, and administered more spiritual energy 29 31.

Although doctors had expected him to remain bedridden for at least a month, Erhu recovered within days. He returned to the farm the morning after his discharge despite Ye Xiaoning urging him to rest. His former girlfriend never visited him 42 43.

Martial Training

The beating left Erhu eager to become stronger. Su Ye offered to teach him martial arts partly so that someone capable could watch over the farm during his absences. He chose Xingyi Quan rather than an immortal cultivation method because exposing Erhu as an immortal cultivator might attract dangers Su Ye could not yet handle 44 45.

Erhu continued farm work alongside his training. After reaching Xiantian, he began studying the Twelve Forms while still handling irrigation, cooking, recruiting harvest workers, and distributing their wages 47 49 50.

Appearance

• Build: More heavily built than most people, with his physique further strengthened by regularly eating spiritual food 29.
• Early clothing: Introduced wearing rain boots and carrying fishing equipment; later encountered barefoot and covered in mud while catching eels 5 6.
• Mannerisms: Frequently grins sheepishly and scratches the back of his head when embarrassed or eager 18 42 45.

Personality

Erhu is honest, modest about his contribution, and deeply loyal to Su Ye. He questions the generosity of his starting salary and initially rejects his large bonus. When injured, he considers paying off his attackers rather than involving Su Ye, then repeatedly insists on accompanying him out of concern for his safety 6 10 29.

He is self-conscious about his limited education and readily accepts Su Ye’s explanation that the farm’s extraordinary crops are laboratory-developed varieties. His martial aptitude is ordinary, but his persistence is exceptional: he studies unfamiliar characters on his phone, repeatedly asks for clarification, memorizes the manual, and practices until training becomes habitual 6 45 47 49.

Abilities & Skills

Xingyi Quan

Erhu practices Xingyi Quan under Su Ye’s personal instruction. The art has three stages 45.

• Three-Body Stance: Emphasizes positioning in combat; Erhu thoroughly masters it before moving on to offensive techniques 47.
• Five Elements Fist: Comprises splitting, drilling, crushing, cannon, and crossing fists. Su Ye teaches him to connect their execution with the five elements; mastering all five accompanies his advancement to Xiantian 47 49.
• Twelve Forms: Builds on the Five Elements Fist through animal-inspired attacks, additional hand techniques, and movement techniques. Erhu has only a basic grasp of some forms when he begins observing the relevant animals 50.

Physical Conditioning and Sensitivity

• Before formal martial training, Su Ye estimates that Erhu’s build and spiritual-food-enhanced condition should let him handle four or five ordinary thugs. This does not protect him against Zhao Lei 29.
• After entering Houtian, he can vaguely sense the unusually comfortable atmosphere created by the farm’s concentrated spiritual energy 47.
• His Houtian strength makes routine irrigation work easy 50.

Farming and Practical Skills

• Builds and maintains irrigation facilities, weeds fields, waters crops, and helps establish the orange grove 6 7 18 19.
• Feeds the wild boar piglets and looks after the farm while Su Ye is away 14 21.
• Recruits local workers and handles payments on Su Ye’s instructions 19 50.
• Catches fish and swamp eels, cooks meals, and hunts small game around Mount Jiuhua for food 5 6 50.

Equipment / Items

• Xingyi Quan manual — A yellowed, thread-bound internal cultivation manual originally given to Su Ye by Li Guodong. Erhu retains it for reference after memorizing its contents 45.
• Spiritual rice and spirit tea — Regular dietary support for his martial cultivation 45 46 49.
• Mutated ginseng and Solomon’s seal — Medicinal resources supplied by Su Ye, who periodically supervises Erhu while he refines them 49.
• Fishing equipment — Uses buckets, nets, and fish baskets to catch fish and swamp eels 5 6 8.

Relationships

• Su Ye — Childhood friend, employer, protector, and martial instructor. Erhu calls him “Brother Ye” and comes to regard him as his own elder brother 5 6 31 44.
• Li Xiuqin — Mother. Explains the circumstances of his assault and appeals to Su Ye for help 28 29.
• Zhang Yuxuan — Father. Previously worked in the city with Erhu and stays beside him during his hospitalization 28.
• Ye Xiaoning — Su Ye’s mother, whom Erhu addresses as “Auntie Ye.” She urges him to rest after his discharge rather than immediately resume farm work 42.
• Unnamed former girlfriend — Met Erhu while he was working in the city. Her request for abortion money brings him into conflict with Zhao Lei; she neither intervenes in the beating nor visits him afterward 28 29 43.
• Zhao Lei — The martial artist responsible for his hospitalization. After reaching Xiantian, Erhu boasts that he could knock Zhao Lei down with one punch, though no rematch is documented 44 49.

Notable Quotes

“All right, then. From now on, Brother Ye, you're my own big brother. Wherever you tell me to go, I'll go.” 6

“Brother Ye, I'll work hard. I won't let your training go to waste.” 45