Li Jinglong

* Novel
* Manhua
* Donghua

Pei Xingjian - Grandfather

Feng Changqing - Cousin

Kong Hongjun - Husband / Partner

Chen Feng - Adoptive son

### Occupation

General of Longwu Army (Former)Superior Officer of the Great Tang Exorcist Department (Current)

## Physical description

### Hair

Black

Li Jinglong is the 20 years old General of Longwu Army who, after an encounter with Kong Hongjun in the rainy streets of Chang'an, found himself deprived of that title and placed as the *zhangshi* of the newly restored Exorcism Department. Having spent all of his family fortune to purchase the Sword of Wisdom, the blade had somehow broken the pendant Hongjun had carried that night, freeing the Heart Lamp which then entered his body. Now the leader of the rag-tag group, Li Jinglong thus tackled the issue that had been plaguing the city for years: the infiltration of massive amounts of *yaoguai* into Chang'an, and the presence of the yao king within its palaces.

## Personality

Li Jinglong initially comes across as a stern, authoritative and angry person, with everyone not believing his claims that yao exists and that he did not go to the brothel on the job. However, he is soon shown to have a younger side, as he gives an excited fist pump after the first time he gets to direct the other members of the Exorcist Department, who are much more powerful than himself, around. He is also revealed to be extremely intelligent in both logic and emotions, being able to predict and navigate both crises and relationships in the imperial court that is hostile to him. Still, in the presence of his team, he feels like a potential burden for being only human with no ability to use magic. As such, he initially stakes his worth on the fact that he has the Heart Lamp.

Devoted Lover; as long as it was something he could do, if Hongjun just says it he'll do it. True to his words, whatever he promises, he'll fulfill it. Unlucky, people automatically assume the worse of him and whenever he sarcastically mentions a worse scenario they tend to happen, but later in the story there are implications that this might not be just about luck.

At first Li Jinglong is shown as very confident and highly competent, to the point where his team expresses that they don't need to do any thinking when he was around. It is in this competence too that he is shown to trust only himself, as Mo Rigen posits; his plans tend to revolve around trusting him to do the right thing, with the rest needing only to execute his orders. This can be seen in how he pursues Kong Hongjun as a lover.

However, as the story progresses, the fuller picture starts to unfold. Upon losing the Heart Lamp, he confesses to Kong Hongjun that the person he was previously is not the real him, but one that's changed by the Heart Lamp. He claims to be a coward, selfish, useless, and lecherous. He also says that he is someone who gives up halfway, puts on a show to impress, and that he has nothing to boast other than his family name and archery. It also becomes clear that he holds a hatred for who he was previously, as he is crushed by self-loathing when his cousin Feng Changqing mentions after an outburst that "*this isn't like you, but also like you; you're acting like you were before you joined the Exorcist Department.*" Later in the story, he regains his confidence and resumes his leadership role, now more secure in his place after his friends and Kong Hongjun show that even at his lowest, they will never abandon him.

## Appearance

Li Jinglong's appearance is described having sword-like eyebrows with a high nose bridge and corners of his mouth were gently tilted up along with his skin being wheat colored.
Li Jinglong's body is slender and well-formed with broad shoulders, long legs and broad planes of his chest sturdy and abdomen had clear lines of muscles. His abdominal muscles well-arranged and powerful. He has a graceful peacock with its feathers splayed on display tattooed on his left chest, something he had done during the second arc.

## Background

Li family house was said to be empty, with Li Jinglong's father mostly away for military matters, his mother died while he was young, and Li Jinglong often playing outside. Though the arrangements were unclear, he was shown to be eating pastries for dinner and was seen to be huddling alone while sick. This earned a comment from Jia Yuze, who said that hadn't it been for Hongjun, he probably could've died and nobody would know. He also seemed disinterested in school.

At an unknown point in time, his father died and he moved in with Feng Changqing. He also sold all his family wealth to purchase the Wisdom Sword and became the General of the Longwu Army. During his time there, he noticed Qin Wu and took care of him. He also seemed to have had Cheng Xiao as a subordinate. However, Qin Wu then ruined his reputation to try and get a promotion.

## Story

### Book 1: Hu Meiren

Li Jinglong first met Kong Hongjun in the dead of night as Hongjun chased a yaoguai into the city. They met in a confrontation, and the Sword of Wisdom broke through the pendant that housed the Heart Lamp, with the artifact itself entering into Li Jinglong.

### Book 2: Jiuse Lu

#### Li Jinglong and Kong Hongjun Departs for Taihang Mountains

*<<“You hate me, don’t you?... The way I have treated you, I have no regrets about! Yet you hate me so, why?!... You want to take my life? Is it because you’re a yao, and I’m a human? Because I killed your kinsmen?... Do it! Stab your knife right here! I’ll return the Heart Lamp to you! You take it --”* *Hongjun watched Li Jinglong mutely. Li Jinglong’s eyes were bright red, tears welling up in them... Li Jinglong couldn’t stop sobbing, his tears landing on Hongjun’s face.>> - Chapter 70*

## Relationships

### Kong Hongjun

Li Jinglong originally felt like Hongjun's actions destroyed his already tarnished reputation, but still largely took care of him as the newly rebuilt Exorcism Department managed its first cases. Kong Hongjun, having grown up among the bird yaoguai up on Mount Taihang, is naïve and unused to the complex relationships of the political arena. Although the team all worked to help him navigate Chang'an and its society, Li Jinglong especially looked after him, treating him almost as a younger brother. Hongjun, in turn, saw him as a dependable and intelligent leader, and someone he could trust.

*“As long as my heart still beats,” Li Jinglong said earnestly, “Hongjun, you will never become Mara, nor will you become a monster. You will always stay by my side, and for every day that the Exorcism Department exists, you will never have no place to return to; as long as I am alive, whenever you open that door, I will be waiting for you in the Exorcism Department.” - Chapter 71*

### Mo Rigen

Among the rest of the group, barring Hongjun, Mo Rigen is the quickest to fall into line, easily becoming Li Jinglong's second in hand. Despite being older, Mo Rigen saw Li Jinglong as the leader and thus looked to him as an example.

These two are like, "best bros" or like brothers. These two could talk about things that they wouldn't normally talk about in the department. Mo Rigen encouraged him to go and shoot his shot for Hongjun.

## Adaptations

As the Tianbao donghua uses the same voice actors as the audio drama team, Li Jinglong is voiced by Bian Jiang in both.

## Notes and Trivia

* In a mid-Autumn extra, when everyone was asked to make a wish before leaving, Li Jinglong wishes that the Exorcist Department will exist forever to uphold peace both in the past and the future.
* Li Jinglong's voice actor is the same person who voices Lan Wangji from Mo Dao Zu Shi, Bian Jiang.