Gu Can

Overview

Gu Can (顾璨) is an Upper Five Realms cultivator and the closed-door disciple of Zheng Juzhong, the master of Baidi City (白帝城). Born into poverty in Muddy Bottle Alley (泥瓶巷) within the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, he was affectionately known in his childhood as "Little Snot-Nose" (小鼻涕虫) and was fiercely protected by his neighbor, Chen Ping'an.

Gu Can's life changed drastically when he acquired a nascent water dragon—an opportunity originally belonging to Chen Ping'an—and was taken as a disciple by Liu Zhimao (刘志茂), the Jiejiang Zhenjun of Shujian Lake (书简湖). At Shujian Lake, he became a notorious and bloodthirsty "Little Demon Lord," commanding his water dragon, Tan Xue (炭雪), to slaughter anyone who threatened him or his mother. His extreme actions ultimately forced a heartbreaking moral confrontation with Chen Ping'an. Following a profound period of inner turmoil, Gu Can was accepted as the closed-door disciple of Zheng Juzhong, adopting a refined, scholarly exterior while maintaining a ruthless, calculating edge that earned him the moniker "Madman" (狂徒) in the Middle Earth Divine Continent.

Appearance and Personality

As a child, Gu Can was a scrawny, dirty boy who constantly had snot running down his nose. He was remarkably precocious, manipulative, and deeply cynical, surviving by observing the malice of the adults around him. He trusted absolutely no one except his mother, Gu Shi, and Chen Ping'an.

In adulthood, Gu Can underwent a radical physical and temperamental transformation. He appears as a handsome, refined Confucian scholar dressed in a simple green robe (青衫), radiating a gentle, bookish aura. However, this scholarly facade masks a terrifying depth of calculation and ruthlessness. Unlike other demonic cultivators who revel in chaos, Gu Can is highly disciplined, adhering to a strict set of internal rules. He acknowledges his own flaws, refuses to apologize for his survival instincts, and is perfectly willing to use logic, patience, and cruelty to achieve his goals. He remains intensely devoted to Chen Ping'an, vowing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him at the apex of the world, regardless of how Chen Ping'an views him.

History

Early Life in Muddy Bottle Alley

Gu Can grew up in Muddy Bottle Alley under the care of his mother, Gu Shi. His father, Gu Tao, seemingly died early (though he was secretly elevated to a Mountain God by Yang Laotou). Gu Can attached himself to Chen Ping'an, whom he viewed as his sole protector. When Chen Ping'an caught a small loach in a ditch, he gave it to Gu Can. This loach was actually a highly coveted water dragon. Recognizing Gu Can's extraordinary innate weight of destiny (根骨), Liu Zhimao took Gu Can and his mother out of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven to Shujian Lake.

The Little Demon Lord of Shujian Lake

At Qingxia Island (青峡岛) in Shujian Lake, Gu Can quickly learned the brutal laws of the wild cultivators. When a senior guest cultivator attempted to assault his mother, Gu Can commanded his rapidly growing water dragon (affectionately called "Little Loach") to devour the man and over a hundred innocent bystanders in the estate. He orchestrated systematic massacres of rival islands, becoming a tyrant who viewed mass murder as a simple necessity to protect his family.

When Chen Ping'an arrived at Shujian Lake and witnessed the atrocities, he was thrown into an agonizing moral crisis, which culminated in the shattering of his golden gall. Gu Can could not understand Chen Ping'an's moral boundary, declaring that he would rather be beaten to death by Chen Ping'an than admit he was wrong to protect his mother. Eventually, after a devastating intervention by the Upper Five Realms cultivator Liu Laocheng, Tan Xue was severely wounded, and Gu Can was forced to reflect on the consequences of his actions.

Disciple of Baidi City

After the fallout in Shujian Lake, Liu Zhimao officially passed down his core lineage to Gu Can. However, Gu Can's ultimate destiny lay elsewhere. He caught the attention of Zheng Juzhong, the demonic giant of Baidi City. After passing a harrowing mental trial, Zheng Juzhong accepted him as his closed-door disciple.

Under Zheng Juzhong and his martial aunt Han Qiaose, Gu Can broke through to the Jade Pu Realm (玉璞境). He learned to master the art of manipulation, strategy, and demonic cultivation while maintaining absolute emotional control. During the war in the Wild World, Gu Can proved his strategic brilliance. In a desperate situation involving the Ten Heavenly Stems, Gu Can's hidden tactics and precise timing tipped the scales, allowing Cao Ci to shatter the enemy formation and save their group. He also subdued the Wild World sword cultivator Zi Wumeng, renaming her Ling Yan and making her his servant for a century.

Return to Haoran

Upon returning to the Haoran Heaven, Gu Can began laying the groundwork for establishing his own sect in the Fuyao Continent. He actively recruited talents, such as the former National Teacher Huang Lie, and sought out the wealthy Liu Youzhou to be his vice sect master. Despite his rising status, he continued to defer to Chen Ping'an, accepting his scoldings with the same quiet submission he had shown as a child in Muddy Bottle Alley.

Relationships

• Chen Ping'an: The person Gu Can respects and fears the most. Gu Can views him as his only true friend and the sole "good person" in the world. Even as an Upper Five Realms master, Gu Can accepts Chen Ping'an's physical beatings and harsh scoldings without retaliation or resentment.
• Zheng Juzhong: His master. Zheng Juzhong appreciates Gu Can's immense potential and ruthless pragmatism, actively shaping his mindset to transcend ordinary moral constraints and become a true successor to Baidi City's demonic legacy.
• Gu Shi: His mother. Gu Can's initial descent into mass murder was entirely driven by his desperate desire to protect her and ensure she lived a life of wealth and safety.
• Tan Xue (Little Loach): His natal water dragon. They shared a deep, symbiotic bond until the events of Shujian Lake separated them.
• Liu Zhimao: His former master. Liu Zhimao utilized Gu Can for his own rise in Shujian Lake but eventually recognized Gu Can's superiority and passed his true inheritance to him.
• Liu Xianyang: A childhood acquaintance from Muddy Bottle Alley. Gu Can generally finds Liu Xianyang annoying and foolish but tolerates him due to his close relationship with Chen Ping'an.
• Ling Yan (Zi Wumeng): A Jade Pu realm sword cultivator from the Wild World whom Gu Can subjugated and forced to serve as his maid for one hundred years.

Quotes

• "I will never admit I was wrong! Even if you beat me to death, Chen Ping'an, I won't fight back, but I won't change!"
• "In my eyes, Chen Ping'an will always just be Chen Ping'an."
• "No matter how far Chen Ping'an walks on the Great Dao, I will walk alongside him. No matter how high he stands at the mountain peak, Gu Can will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him."

References

• 剑来1：少年起微末，第四章 — 捕蛇鹰: Details Liu Zhimao taking Gu Can and his mother away from the town, and the origin of the water dragon.
• 剑来5：山水有相逢，第五章 — 月儿圆月儿弯: Covers Gu Can commanding the water dragon to massacre the guest cultivator and his entire estate to protect his mother.
• 剑来12：人间羊肠道，第五章 — 账房先生: Details the intense moral confrontation between Chen Ping'an and Gu Can over the slaughter in Shujian Lake.
• 剑来17：一洲皆起剑，第七章 — 变与不变: Depicts Liu Zhimao passing the Jiejiang True Sutra to Gu Can.
• 剑来22：愿挽天倾者，第十章 — 翻老皇历: Describes Zheng Juzhong officially accepting Gu Can as his closed-door disciple.
• 剑来43：青帝常为主，第七章 — 从容写去: Details Gu Can's return to Shujian Lake as a Jade Pu realm cultivator, accompanied by his servant Ling Yan (Zi Wumeng).
• 剑来48：随手斩飞升，第三章 — 剑可敌一人: Covers Gu Can's intention to establish a sect in the Fuyao Continent and his plan to recruit Liu Youzhou.
• 剑来48：随手斩飞升，第五章 — 教拳传道两不误: Mentions Gu Can's critical strategic contribution during the battle in the Wild World that saved the group including Cao Ci.