Zhu Taikhan

Zhu Taikhan is the Great Ming Emperor's second son, first sent as an unwilling imperial envoy to the Demonic Cult and later elevated to Crown Prince.

Biography

An arrogant imperial envoy

Zhu Taikhan, the Emperor's second son, is sent personally to the Mountain of Ten Thousand with an invitation for the new Demonic Cult Lord. He resents the inconvenience and expects imperial status to compel obedience. Interested in martial arts but familiar mainly with deferential orthodox guests at court, he assumes the young Chun Yeowun can be taught the proper attitude toward the dynasty. His subordinate Yuking worsens the confrontation by impersonating him and demanding submission. (Chapters 339–341)

Taikhan refuses to bow even after Marakim humiliates the Imperial Guard, because a royal prince cannot imagine kneeling to someone outside the dynasty. Yeowun's control of Air Swords and remote force finally breaks that confidence. The cult then exposes Yuking as a compromised agent carrying a lethal parasite, showing Taikhan that the threat reaches into his own entourage. He delivers the Emperor's invitation but leaves with a radically different understanding of the power he tried to command. (Chapters 342–345)

A covert alliance inside the palace

Yeowun secretly joins Taikhan's returning carriage and asks for help entering the palace. Fear alone does not make Taikhan agree immediately; he has been taught that a royal promise carries exceptional weight and asks what Yeowun intends. The revelation that a spy remains among his men changes his calculation. Removing infiltrators would protect the throne and give the politically disadvantaged prince an achievement of his own, so he accepts the dangerous arrangement. (Chapters 347–350)

The conspiracy turns on Taikhan when Crown Prince Zhu Taiyoon surrounds his residence and accuses him of bringing Demonic Cult rebels into the palace. Taikhan contests the accusation openly, while testimony from Elder Cheong-su and evidence of the East Spear's actions reverse Taiyoon's prepared case. During the underground fighting, allies protect Taikhan from assassins and Ran-yeong burns incoming needles before they can reach him. (Chapters 370–376)

Yeowun defeats the conspirators and gives Taikhan custody of the humiliated crown prince, but Taikhan's loyalty to the Emperor is not merely opportunistic. When Yeowun appears ready to kill his father, Taikhan steps between them despite trembling and insists that he must be cut down first. The confrontation is partly staged and leaves both his legs genuinely broken, yet his intervention convinces the Emperor that Taikhan and the Demonic Cult are not simply partners in a coup. Taikhan later gives the testimony requested of him, helping establish the Blade God clan as a threat to the dynasty. (Chapters 377–381)

Crown Prince

During the Dano Festival, Taikhan replaces Taiyoon as Crown Prince. The court keeps the change quiet, but his role in exposing the shrine conspiracy has transformed a concubine's politically secondary son into the designated successor. Taikhan privately enjoys the reversal while remaining acutely aware that Yeowun is too dangerous to make an enemy. Their alliance benefits his rise, but his willingness to defend the Emperor shows that it does not erase his allegiance to the imperial family. (Chapter 400)

Appearance and personality

The supplied chapters do not establish a detailed physical portrait. Taikhan begins proud, status-conscious, and easily offended by the Demonic Cult's refusal to kneel. He also has more restraint than his arrogance initially suggests: even while frightened inside the carriage, he refuses to promise help before hearing what Yeowun wants.

Repeated humiliation makes him wary and sometimes comically anxious around Yeowun, but the palace crisis develops real courage. Taikhan confronts accusations, protects the Emperor with his own body, and accepts painful injuries to make the revised plan credible. He enjoys Taiyoon's fall, revealing personal ambition alongside the filial loyalty that ultimately distinguishes him from his elder brother.

Martial arts and abilities

Royal authority and political leverage

Taikhan carries imperial orders, commands guards assigned to his household, and can demand access and testimony through his position. As the Emperor's less-favored son, however, that authority remains vulnerable to the sitting crown prince and the East Spear bureaucracy. His later effectiveness comes from combining royal legitimacy with evidence and martial allies rather than assuming the title alone guarantees obedience. (Chapters 339–345 and 370–381)

Martial training and communication

Taikhan is interested in martial arts and has received blade instruction from a Fire Mountain monk visiting the palace. He can participate in telepathic exchanges with trained commanders and Yeowun, showing some internal-energy control. The corpus does not state his realm, name a blade technique he masters, or depict him overcoming a high-level opponent; his learned martial skills should not be confused with the strength of the guards acting for him. (Chapters 339–340 and 348)

Negotiation and testimony

Taikhan's strongest demonstrated capability is political judgment developed under pressure. He questions Yeowun's request before committing, recognizes that catching palace spies serves both state security and his own position, and later recounts the conspiracy to the Emperor. He can also act a required role during Yeowun's revised plan despite genuine fear. These decisions help convert the underground crisis into Taiyoon's removal and Taikhan's elevation. (Chapters 348–350 and 377–400)

Relationships

• Chun Yeowun: Taikhan first summons him, then becomes an eyewitness whose account supports Yeowun's warning about the conspiracy.
• Zhu Taiyoon: His elder brother and predecessor as Crown Prince.
• The Emperor: His father, who ultimately raises him to the succession.

Items

The supplied chapters do not consistently identify a named signature item for Zhu Taikhan.