Zhu Ke

Zhu Ke is Princess Wan's elderly but formidable butler and protector. His warmth toward the princess coexists with the power and judgment of a near-marshal expert, making him both a household guardian and one of the strongest household fighters present during Great Peace City's upheaval.

Biography

Protecting Princess Wan in Great Peace City

Zhu Ke first appears beside Princess Wan, whom he has watched grow up and treats like a granddaughter. He indulges her curiosity about the Great Peace Treasure Pavilion, then quietly sends her to sleep when danger approaches. He later tries to recruit Xiao Mo Ge's future potential through a dinner invitation and leads Princess Wan's guards when the royal parties converge on the treasure pavilion. Because his primary responsibility remains the princess rather than the temporary alliance, he repeatedly breaks from offensive action to put himself between her and threats. (Chapters 599, 608, 618–623)

When Lin Qian advances, Zhu Ke joins Xia and Princess Xia's attendant in stopping him, returning to battle after more than a decade without fighting. The three restrain the young Kun Lun sword xiu, then disengage together when the Anti Dragon Claw releases vicious energy and shield their respective princesses. During the Ming Bandit attack, Zhu Ke initially reacts by pulling guards toward Princess Wan, exposing the coalition's weak coordination, but he then moves through the attackers like a ghost and cooperates with Xia to kill a battle general in five moves. His near-marshal strength can dominate individual combatants, yet it cannot directly stop the charge of a thousand-person battalion. (Chapters 622–633)

Zhu Ke accepts Zuo Mo's battlefield direction as the crisis develops and recognizes that the improvised outer formations cannot be rotated like trained troops. He witnesses Sin Battalion overturn the battle and the later arrival of Zuo Mo's xiuzhe forces. Although Princess Xia gives a public explanation that protects Xiao Mo Ge's mo identity, Zhu Ke remains suspicious of the contradiction. His last scenes leave him alive and still perceptive enough not to confuse a politically useful story with proof. (Chapters 628–656)

Appearance and personality

Zhu Ke is an old man with white hair, a white beard, wrinkles, and a benevolent expression around Princess Wan. In battle his apparent frailty is misleading: he moves with ghost-like speed, and harshness replaces his grandfatherly manner when the princess is threatened. (Chapters 599, 622–633)

He is affectionate, courteous, knowledgeable, and politically cautious. Zhu Ke can praise a young opponent, acknowledge Zuo Mo's emerging command ability, and listen when Princess Wan restrains him. His loyalty is nevertheless narrow and practical: protection of the princess takes precedence over maintaining a coalition, while spectacular claims do not erase his private doubts. (Chapters 608, 622, 628–633, 654–656)

Abilities and cultivation

Zhu Ke is a general-level mo expert described as near marshal level. His ancient Soul Mo Lure is one of the mo world's top skills and produces an eerie, unpredictable style. He can approach without straightforward force, move through enemy ranks like a ghost, and combine attacks with Xia strongly enough to kill a Ming Bandit general. His knowledge also lets him recognize rare domains and high-grade mo weapons from limited evidence. (Chapters 622, 633, 639, 642, 644)

His technique favors unpredictability rather than mass destruction. Zhu Ke explicitly judges that Soul Mo Lure cannot reproduce Zuo Mo's feat of killing one hundred brigadiers with a single Ten Crow Celestial Domain attack. He can stop the Anti Dragon Claw's released energy with two comparable protectors, but marshal-level pressure still pales his face, and a coordinated battalion charge remains beyond what he can face directly. (Chapters 623, 633, 638, 644–645)

Relationships

Princess Wan

Princess Wan calls Zhu Ke “Grandpa Zhu,” and he regards her as the granddaughter he never formally names. He handles invitations and security on her behalf, comforts her, and repeatedly puts his body and guards between her and danger. She can also influence him directly, stopping him from confronting Ceng Lian'er during the center-formation crisis. (Chapters 599, 608, 620, 623, 633)

Xia and the other royal protectors

Xia and Princess Xia's middle-aged attendant are Zhu Ke's peers among the royal households. Their separate loyalties remain visible, but necessity makes them fight Lin Qian together, shield the princesses in concert, and respond to the same high-level threats. The source presents this as professional cooperation rather than a lasting unified faction. (Chapters 618–625, 633–647)

Zuo Mo

Zhu Ke first views Zuo Mo as a talent worth courting, then as a battle leader capable of holding Great Peace City's defenders together. His admiration grows during the Ming Bandit attack, but the later revelation that many of Zuo Mo's troops are xiuzhe revives suspicion. Respect for strength does not make Zhu Ke abandon independent judgment. (Chapters 608, 628–656)

Items

Zhu Ke has no confirmed personal notable item. Soul Mo Lure is a cultivation method and mo physique rather than a carried artifact. Although he shows interest when the Anti Dragon Claw appears and identifies the Black Heart Treasure Coins, neither weapon enters his custody. (Chapters 622–623, 642, 644)