Zhou Yanping

Zhou Yanping was the former deputy minister of rites from the Ming Empire and the self-proclaimed mediator of the conflict in Xilan Kingdom. He was defeated and beheaded by Xie Yan.

## Personality and Traits

Zhou Yanping was a sinister and manipulative person who presented himself as a handsome, charming, and talented Confucian scholar. He secretly instigated the civil war in Xilan and posed as a mediator to lure the Bai Lian Xie Sect and the Chi Liang Cult into a trap. Zhou Yanping secretly served Ji Jinye, the Ji family's former patriarch, and a sinister man who was rumoured to have died at the hands of the Han Imperial Family. Zhou Yanping was obsessed with obtaining the natural Dao seed, which enables one to harmonise with the Dao without entering the Innate Realm - 7th Layer. Since Xilan Wei (a.k.a. Xie Yan) possesses this power, Zhou Yanping believed that the former possessed the natural Dao seed and wanted to capture him. Although Zhou Yanping was a well-informed strategist with an eye for detail, his failure to properly assess Xie Yan's true identity and combat abilities cost him his life.

## Plot

Zhou Yanping studied utilitarianism under a Confucian scholar named Ye Zhengze. After graduation, he rose to the rank of deputy minister of rites in the Ming Empire and was regarded as one of the empire's seven foremost Confucian scholars. Zhou Yanping resigned from the office to travel the world. At some point in time, he joined Ji Jinye in his conspiracy to overthrow the Han Imperial Family. Many years later, when the Bai Lian Xie Sect and the Chi Liang Cult were about to wage a war in Xilan, Zhou Yanping appeared at the centre of the battlefield and declared a ceasefire. He decreed that the two sects should open the Xilan Treasury without waging a war and they must leave the kingdom when one of them acquires the Flameless Holy Flame.

Six months later, Zhou Yanping becomes interested in the return of Princess Xilan Wei. He invites the princess, the Chi Liang Cult's Great Elder, Hui Li, and the Bai Lian Xie Sect's deputy patriarch, Yan Shigu, to his hut to discuss the conditions of the truce. Later, Zhou Yanping reveals to Xilan Wei that although he is aware of her being an imposter, he will not expose this truth. Instead, he encourages Xie Yan to pursue Confucian cultivation. Although Xie Yan is interested in the idea, he becomes alarmed upon noticing Ji Jinye's existence. Zhou Yanping makes a plan to capture Xie Yan and possess the natural Dao seed.

In the following days, Xie Yan avoids Zhou Yanping. Zhou Yanping discovers that Yan Ruyu is an orphan of the extinct Liu family, and he sends one of his disguised clones to win her trust. He requests that Yan Ruyu send Xilan Wei/Xie Yan to Xiakun Mountain. The following day, when Xie Yan arrives at the mountain, Ji Jinye takes over Zhou Yanping's body and employs superpowers to capture Xie Yan. However, Xie Yan escapes the ambush. Later, Xie Yan realises that Ji Jinye and Zhou Yanping were behind this attack and also becomes aware of their technique to stifle suspicious thoughts against them. After warding off the technique's influence, Xie Yan informs Hui Li and Yan Shigu about Zhou Yanping's treachery, which prompts them to attack the Confucian scholar. Meanwhile, Zhou Yanping gives Yan Ruyu a method to remove her Great Inner Demon Oath in exchange for betraying Xie Yan. Although Yan Ruyu eventually removes her oath, she has a change of heart and exposes Zhou Yanping's plans to Xie Yan.

Many days later, the two sects open the Xilan Treasury and enter the space. Zhou Yanping secretly enters the treasury by possessing the Xiliu city lord, Xilan Che; however, Xie Yan immediately exposes Zhou Yanping. The two sects attempt to kill Zhou Yanping, however, it is revealed that he was using a clone. The real Zhou Yanping kills the disciples guarding the Sun Door and uses the Flameless Holy Flame to seal the entrances, trapping the demonic sects within the treasury. However, Xie Yan escapes the trap and confronts the scholar. Xie Yan deduces that Zhou Yanping manipulated Turanzhe into instigating a rebellion and attracting the Bai Lian Xie Sect and the Chi Liang Cult to Xilan. Since the two sects had close ties to the Han Empire's military, triggering a war between the two sects and trapping them in the treasury would cripple the Han Imperial Family, making it easy to overthrow them.

Xie Yan and Zhou Yanping begin to fight. Xie Yan trolls Zhou Yanping by using the True Art Of Mara to imitate Confucian martial arts, but the scholar manages to break free from the illusion and shatters Xie Yan's sword. An enraged Xie Yan traps Zhou Yanping in his ghost vessel. There, Xie Yan enhances the Everlasting Dominating Fist with the True Art Of Mara and the Xingtian title and brutally lynches Zhou Yanping. Unable to escape from the vessel, Zhou Yanping uses a suicidal move in an attempt to kill Xie Yan; however, he is horrified to see Xie Yan unharmed. Xie Yan decapitates Zhou Yanping with his bare hands. In the aftermath, Xie Yan retrieves a broken system fragment from Zhou Yanping's corpse and allows the ghost vessel to consume the corpse.