Lu Chen

Lu Chen appears like a true, majestic deity—flawless, aloof, and awe-inspiring. His appearance perfectly underscores both his status as a celestial being and his complex, austere character. He has refined, chiseled features, porcelain-pale skin, and classic masculine beauty. His light, amber eyes are penetrating, stern, and slightly arrogant. A delicate tilaka (mark) is visible on his forehead, indicating his divine origin. His long, silky-smooth dark brown hair is neatly gathered into a high bun on top of his head and secured with a luxurious gold hairpin (guan), while long strands fall loosely over his shoulders and chest, contrasting with his white robes. He is dressed in multi-layered, richly embellished traditional robes. The primary color is dazzling white, symbolizing purity and justice. Beneath the outer robe, a stern black layer is visible, a reminder of its association with war and unyielding judgment. The fabric is decorated with delicate gold patterns (the back hem reveals embroidery of a soaring phoenix or dragon). A wide black belt with gold buckles cinches the waist, giving the figure a slender, military bearing. Long cords with dark red tassels are attached to the belt. The hems of its long sleeves flow freely, creating a sense of lightness and otherworldliness.

Lu Chen is a celestial being associated with war, justice, fairness, honor, and honesty. His strength lies not only in his martial prowess—he embodies the very principle of retribution for actions and responsibility for one's own choices. For him, honor is not a status or a fine word. If a person makes a promise, they must keep it. If they commit a crime, they must be punished. If they defend someone, they must not retreat just because the situation becomes difficult. Because of this, Lu Chen has a rather strict view of justice. He doesn't always agree that justice means mercy. In his view, compassion should not become an excuse for those who deliberately harm others. At the same time, he is not a mindless advocate of punishment. Lu Chen is able to distinguish between malicious intent, error, carelessness, and forced action. That's why honesty and truth are so important to him: before passing judgment, he wants to know what really happened. And here his character clashes curiously with his power and status. Lu Chen considers himself fair—but are his own decisions always truly fair? His pride and self-confidence can lead him to judge too quickly. And vindictiveness can influence his attitude toward others, even if he believes he remains objective.

He's not prone to excessive self-sacrifice and doesn't believe everyone should be forgiven under any circumstances. For Lu Chen, justice is just as important as mercy. This is why, at the beginning of his story, he may appear to be a rather stern celestial being who relies more on his own judgment than on compassion. At the same time, Lu Chen also has a softer side, which he reveals only to those he truly trusts. Around such people, he can be calmer, indulge in dry humor, light banter, and even show concern without hiding it behind a cold exterior. His character will gradually change over time. He will have to learn to admit his own mistakes, rely less on pride, trust others, and, most importantly, let go of old grudges. His kindness will not disappear—on the contrary, over time, he will learn to combine it with his sense of justice so that pride and vindictiveness no longer guide his decisions.

Lu Chen is a reserved, proud, and rather self-assured celestial. He's not very talkative, rarely opens up to others, and dislikes displaying his true emotions. He often maintains a reserved demeanor in conversation, and with strangers he can appear cold or even a bit arrogant. He has a sharp tongue and doesn't always mince his words. If someone is behaving foolishly, carelessly, or irresponsibly, Lu Chen is quite capable of pointing it out. Sometimes his comments come across as overly harsh, and he can be obsessive in his own opinions, especially if he's convinced he's right. Lu Chen doesn't trust people easily. He tends to notice hidden motives, doubt others' words, and observe people before deciding whether to allow them into his circle. Once someone betrays his trust, regaining it a second time can be extremely difficult. He also holds a grudge. Lu Chen remembers grievances well and is not inclined to simply erase unpleasant events from his memory. He can forgive, but forgetting is quite another matter. It's especially difficult for him to forgive deliberate humiliation, betrayal, or injustice against himself or those he protects. His greatest weakness is overconfidence and pride. Lu Chen is accustomed to relying on his own strength and intelligence, so he's often convinced he can solve a problem on his own. He doesn't like to admit he's made a mistake and can view others' doubts in his abilities as a personal challenge. Because of this, he sometimes makes rash decisions just to prove he was right. However, beneath all this pride lies a genuine compassion. Lu Chen is not cruel and takes no pleasure in the suffering of others. On the contrary, if he sees a person or creature in genuine need of help, it's difficult for him to simply pass them by. However, he often demonstrates his concern in strange ways: he might first scold someone for their stupidity, and then silently help them out of trouble.

In life, Lu Chen was a military commander. He was renowned not only as a powerful warrior but also as a man who took honor, oaths, and justice extremely seriously. One day, his army was sent to suppress a rebellion. The ruler ordered that the rebels be given no chance, as he considered them traitors. At first, Lu Chen followed orders. But during the campaign, he learned the truth: the rebellion had begun because of the cruelty and injustice of the local authorities. The people had been driven to despair by taxes, violence, and official abuses, and when they attempted to resist, they were declared criminals. Lu Chen was faced with a choice: carry out his ruler's orders or do what he believed was right. He chose the latter. Lu Chen refused to lead his soldiers against peaceful people and, in effect, disobeyed his own ruler's orders. He protected those he was supposed to destroy, and eventually turned against the officials who had caused the rebellion. For disobeying orders, he was declared a criminal. But Lu Chen did not retreat. He died protecting the people whose rebellion he was once supposed to suppress. And it was after his death that he ascended to Heaven. His ascension was a recognition not simply of his military valor, but of the fact that he placed justice above orders, honor above personal safety, and truth above profit.