Barber
The Barber is a Skyfire Councilor, former Northern assassin, and the proprietor of the Avenue hair-and-makeup shop Redbud Sculptury. His speed Discipline and precise attacks make him a dangerous specialist, especially beside the Beautician's battlefield control. He later joins Star Division and becomes its first fatality when his compassionate attempt to approach an apparently helpless woman brings him within reach of the Violet Princess. (Chapters 28–33, 250, 433–472, and 583–592)
Biography
Avenue service and death on Moonfiend
Before joining Skyfire Avenue, the Barber is an accomplished assassin and one of the Northern Alliance's most wanted men. On the Avenue he becomes both a council voice and an exclusive stylist, while taking on practical work such as organizing the Citadels' reception. His early spar with Lan Jue exposes weaknesses in his drug-assisted cultivation and in his ability to fight alone, but he continues growing through the Great Adept Tournament and joins Lan Jue's Star Division brigade. (Chapters 28–33, 250, 433–472, and 590–592)
On Moonfiend, the Barber sees a beautiful woman alone amid danger and races ahead because he assumes she needs help. He makes no attack before the Violet Princess reduces him to blood and consumes him in a single strike. His death in Chapter 583 is direct and final; later appearances of his name are memories or discussions of the loss. The Avenue mourns both his youth and unrealized potential, while the Beautician reveals that she rejected his marriage proposal only because she feared their age difference would hold him back. (Chapters 583 and 590–592)
Appearance and personality
The Barber is a stocky man not yet thirty at his introduction, with small eyes and neatly trimmed, styled hair. A leather jacket and lethargic appearance conceal an alert fighter. He objects to the Beautician's nickname “Little Clippers,” but their teasing familiarity persists throughout his Avenue life. (Chapters 28–29)
He is competitive, practical, and willing to shoulder unglamorous organizational work. He can also be impulsive: he challenges Lan Jue immediately and rushes toward the Violet Princess before his companions can identify the danger. The latter decision is rooted in an instinct to help rather than aggression, which makes his death especially abrupt. (Chapters 29–33, 250, and 583)
Disciplines and abilities
The Barber's Discipline is speed. Early in the story he is a ninth-level first-rank Adept who can reach roughly four times the speed of sound and concentrate that movement into precise strikes. The Beautician's control effects compensate for his limited solo versatility, making them much stronger together. Lan Jue nevertheless defeats the pair and warns that the Barber's heavy reliance on drugs has constrained his future potential. (Chapters 29–33 and 250)
He later reaches ninth-level third rank and is considered close to fourth rank. That growth makes him a valued Star Division fighter, but it does not protect him from a Nirvana-level alien: the Violet Princess kills him before he can defend himself. (Chapters 583 and 590–592)
Relationships
- Beautician: The Beautician is his closest combat partner and the object of his marriage proposal. She rejects him because she is much older, then grieves that choice after his death.
- Lan Jue: Lan Jue defeats the Barber in an early spar, later works with him on the Council, and commands the Star Division force in which he dies.
- Pharmacist: When the Pharmacist is proposed for a Council seat, the Barber is willing to give up his own place, reflecting his recognition of her strength and service.
Items
No separately cataloged notable items are associated with the Barber.