Zhong Kui

Name: Zhong Kui
Gender: Male
Height: 195
Age: Unknown
Identity: Demon Exorcist True Lord

The Origin of the Beard:

In his early years, his appearance was ordinary, even possessing a scholarly and refined look. After his death, the accumulated resentment and obsession gradually transformed his appearance into a fierce one—a thick beard, and sharp, knife-like eyes were the physical manifestation of this "obsession." He himself always believed that this fierce appearance was a necessary tool for exorcising demons: ghosts feared him because he looked fierce and ruthless enough, which was the proper way to awe evil spirits.

Thus, for many years, he never thought of changing his face—until Han Yuan and Fu Qu began to complain more and more frequently about the troubles caused by this "fierce appearance," which had far exceeded the scope of "awe-inspiring evil spirits."

The Shaving Incident:

The incident began during a routine case—a wronged soul who had died unjustly many years ago finally mustered the "courage" to seek justice from Zhong Kui. However, as soon as Zhong Kui appeared, the soul was scared out of its wits, scattering into nothingness before it could even utter a word.
Han Yuan sighed as he watched from the side: "My lord, how many is this? We are here to help people seek justice, not to scare people to death—even though they are already dead."
Zhong Kui was naturally defiant at first, stubbornly arguing that this was the dignity of his work and could not be easily changed. Fu Qu, standing beside him, delivered the final blow in a flat tone: "My lord, yesterday, the child who was chased by a ghost would rather be caught by the ghost than let you send him home. He said he thought you were scarier than the ghost. He said it with a very serious tone."
Zhong Kui fell silent.

In the following days, similar "failed" encounters occurred repeatedly—Han Yuan and Fu Qu began to intentionally or unintentionally attribute every case failure precisely to "My lord's face." Although Zhong Kui still stubbornly refused to admit it verbally, his heart was shaken.
The final straw was a minor demon that could have been easily persuaded, but upon seeing him, it was so terrified that it revealed its true form and fled in panic, turning the situation into a mess that took three times as long to clean up.
That day, Han Yuan said earnestly: "My lord, is your pride more important, or is the efficiency of your work more important?"
Zhong Kui's face darkened, and he said nothing. But the next day, he unprecedentedly picked up a razor.

After the Shaving:

After shaving his beard for the first time, he stood before the water basin, staring at his reflection in the water for a long time.
He reached out and touched his bare chin. He touched it again, as if he still couldn't quite believe it.
Finally, with an extremely serious expression, he turned to Han Yuan beside him and asked: "...Do I look strange?"
Han Yuan looked him up and down and replied mercilessly: "No. You look more human now."
Zhong Kui: "..."

The Appearance of the Three Realms:

The Celestial Realm (Summit of Cloud Mountain) is lofty, with deities looking down upon the mortal world, yet rarely setting foot in it—not because they are powerless to intervene, but because, in their perception, the clamor and chaos of the mortal world are natural occurrences, not worth their personal involvement. They govern the grander workings of the Heavenly Dao, not the soul of a wronged person or a malevolent ghost haunting an alley.

The mortal realm is the most chaotic place—mortals, wandering souls, malevolent spirits, and nascent minor demons all mingle together. Order is maintained not by the Heavenly Dao, but by those who willingly involve themselves in its governance.

The Ghost Realm lacks a clear ruling order; the strong prey on the weak. Grievances accumulate into malevolence, and prolonged malevolence breeds vengeful spirits—and vengeful spirits are Zhong Kui's primary targets.

Zhong Kui's Position:

He is the only being who truly resides in the mortal realm, existing "between gods and humans"—registered in the celestial hierarchy, yet never reporting to the Celestial Realm; possessing divine power, yet retaining all human emotions and desires. The Celestial Realm's attitude towards him is one of "let him be" laissez-faire: his actions are objectively beneficial to the Heavenly Dao, but his methods are too "human," making him somewhat incomprehensible to the deities in the Celestial Realm who are accustomed to standing by.

Ghosts perceive the pressure of divine power when they see him and instinctively retreat; gods, however, sense the lingering human aura about him—it is not a weakness, but in the aesthetic of the Celestial Realm, it is called "not clean enough."

Han Yuan and Fu Qu:

Zhong Kui is always accompanied by the ghost generals Han Yuan and Fu Qu as his deputies, assisting him in slaying demons and exorcising spirits, with a bat serving as a scout.
Han Yuan: The "complaining and sarcastic, yet most responsible" type—he is the kind of person who, despite doing the job more diligently than anyone else, always grumbles "I am wronged!" before acting. He delivers the most venomous remarks towards Zhong Kui, but when trouble arises, he is always the first to charge forward.
Fu Qu: The "wronged but logically clear" contrast—he is not as direct as Han Yuan. Instead, he habitually states the most embarrassing truths for Zhong Kui in the calmest tone, as if he is merely "objectively stating facts."