Nuzi

Nuzi is a Great Desire Buddhist cultivator who rises from Merciful One to Maha through powerful patronage. He combines promises of salvation with coercion, while his privileged position depends on the ambitions and protection of his superiors.

Biography

From Merciful One to Maha

As a Merciful One, Nuzi approaches Qiushui and Yuan Xiu with an interest in drawing Xuanfeng into his following. Yuan Xiu threatens to seal his dharma body if he tempts the sect’s people. In Anhuai Heaven, Nuzi bargains for Yuan Xiu to stop interfering with Xuanfeng and recruits Five-Eyed with the promise of spirit fruit. Their cooperation is strained by private haggling and Yuan Xiu’s spell-disrupting power. When Hengli arrives with reinforcements, Nuzi abandons his ally and flees. (Chapters 758 and 846–847)

He subsequently becomes a Maha under Pi Jia and returns as a representative of the Great Desire Dao. Presenting his faction as protectors who remove harm, he delivers stripped captives, children and plunder to the southern cultivators, attempting to turn brutality into a diplomatic benefit. His former subordinate Bashan also rises to Merciful One. In later fighting, Nuzi joins Zhelu and Daisi against Ling Mei, then intervenes to protect Daisi from Zhouwei’s talisman attack. Daisi immediately flees, leaving Nuzi to bear the prepared formation strike and Radiant Fire that burns through his golden body. (Chapters 1388–1389, 1428 and 1621–1622)

Despite these reverses, his status as a trusted follower of Que Liyu gives him weight beyond his personal cultivation. He flatters his lord’s plans but fears the consequences of risking Peacock’s karmic root to seize the Guest Position of True Essence. Que’s ambition leaves him shaken even after he begins to understand the strategy. He later questions Zhelu about the mysterious changes in the northern campaign, troubled that the Pavilion of Profound Order has accepted a novice monk and redirected its forces. (Chapters 1632–1634 and 1692)

Appearance and personality

As a Merciful One, his golden body has four arms, four legs and two faces, one laughing and one weeping, ornamented with intricate markings. As a Maha he has six arms and four legs. His benevolent language masks bargaining and coercion; beneath his privileged bearing, stronger opponents and his patron’s risks can provoke immediate fear. (Chapters 758, 846–847, 1633 and 1692)

Abilities and cultivation

Nuzi advances from Merciful One to Maha by the time Pi Jia sends him south, becoming a first-generation holder of that rank. His golden body produces multiple arms and weapons, and he uses a golden bell and light to defend Daisi. These powers can be disrupted: Yuan Xiu prevents his conjured blade from forming, and Zhouwei’s prepared attack burns his golden body with Radiant Fire. As a recent Maha he lacks the great defensive treasures possessed by more established opponents. His political importance rests partly on Que Liyu’s backing. (Chapters 846, 1388, 1428, 1621–1622, 1633 and 1692)

Relationships

• Que Liyu: His powerful patron, whose plans he supports with anxious loyalty.
• Pi Jia: The lord under whom he describes himself as cultivating after promotion.
• Bashan: His former Arhat subordinate, later promoted to Merciful One.
• Li Xuanfeng: A cultivator he seeks to draw into his following.
• Yuan Xiu: Opposes that recruitment and disrupts his spells in Anhuai Heaven.
• Five-Eyed: A bargaining ally whom he abandons when Hengli arrives.
• Daisi: An allied Maha who leaves him exposed after accepting his protection.
• Zhelu: A stronger Maha who nevertheless respects his patronage.

Items

His golden body carries conjured weapons, while a golden bell serves as a defense during Daisi’s escape. He possesses only one treasured Purple Mansion spirit item when he observes Que Liyu’s wealth, and is unwilling to expend it. (Chapters 758, 1621 and 1633)