Gu Mang

Gu Mang (顾茫, Gù Máng) is the former general-in-chief of the Northern Frontier Army and during his youth was the general with the most military achievements in Chonghua.

Youth
His face is gentle and handsome with an air of childish naivety. He has glowing honey skin, black hair and black eyes. His shapely body is strong and muscular.

After leaving Chonghua
When Gu Mang is seen on the Dongting Lake after leaving Chonghua and defecting, his skin is darker and his physique got sturdier. He is wearing a black cape over his shoulders and many loops of bandages on his waist, while the rest of his upper body is bare. On his head there is a bloodstained blue-gold ribbon that he pulled off an imperial soldier of Chonghua.

After Gu Mang is returned to Chonghua and imprisoned in Luomei Pavilion, his face is thinner and pale, his hair loose. The colour of his eyes changed to blue like those of a snow wolf due to Liao Kingdom tampering with his body. He is barefoot, wearing only a white robe and a magical shackle on his neck. Under the robe, his whole back is covered in green and purple whip marks, knife marks, burn wounds from spells and scars all given by clients and the brothel's manager.

Youth
"The one like fire was named Gu Mang. His personality was warm, he liked to laugh, and he was tender with women. If he had to pay a bag of army wages for each maiden he had kissed, then he would have to sell off all his possessions long ago." He is kind of nature and righteous. He never resents or criticizes anything, despite often being treated badly because of his low status. He doesn't keep grudges and forgives everything with a smile. He is unable to watch people suffer, even willing to be punished and lose his ability to cultivate, only to help save people. His sincere heart overflowing with kindness and compassion is what brought back Mo Xi's faith in humanity after his father died and his family failed him.

He deeply cares about his comrades and remembers all their birthdays. Between battles, he would often take them to enjoy themselves in nearby villages and exchange anything he had to fill their stomachs and please them with wine, sometimes shamelessly using his charms to get them more beef if he ran out of things to pawn off. Gu Mang made a promise to his army that he will bring them home, dead or alive. For that reason, he begged the emperor to identify the bodies of his dead soldiers, instead of putting them in a mass grave. Despite his efforts, the emperor didn't agree because of the soldier's low status. He wished slaves could live as an equal to the nobles of Chonghua, with dignity, despite the strictly drawn lines of hierarchy among them. He hoped that in the future more countries will allow lowly born people to cultivate and succeed. His personality becomes a lot colder when this idealism shatters, leading to his disillusionment and his defection.

Gu Mang uses his sense of humor and smile to hide his sorrows.

After losing his memories
When Gu Mang lost his memories and had his spiritual core shattered, he lacks two souls which affects his memory and mind. He doesn't remember who he is, according to the healers' diagnosis, he sees himself as a strong and mighty wolf. Following his return to Chonghua, he didn't know how to speak, after working with a trainer for two years, he still can't understand many complex words.

He is very calm and undisturbed, even indifferent to the pain he receives. His personality could be described as childlike and somewhat wolflike, unable to grasp complex emotions. Compared to the Gu Mang from the past, there isn't a single familiar thing in him.

Background
He was born as a slave and worked under Murong Lian. He eventually started cultivating due to the previous emperor allowing slaves to do so. He came to be known as Beast of the Altar and God of War, led his slave army known as the Wangba Army, becoming known as General Gu.

Physical Fitness
As a result of his years of experience in the military, Gu Mang is at peak physical condition, besting Murong Lian's guards even after losing his memories and core.

Intelligence
Gu Mang is shown to be a very intelligent leader and capable tactician, easily able to analyse the situation at hand and being quick witted enough to bring solutions to it.

Demonic Abilities
Due to his body being tempered by the Liao Kingdom, Gu Mang has demonic curses carved into his bones, which allow him to use demonic spells and the weapon Yongye.

Spells
Gu Mang has a deep interest in spell casting and always tries to discover new spells. Notable creations include turning into a cat for an incense time, making a facsimile of himself from wood, and the Illusion Butterfly technique that transforms his and Mo Xi's appearance.

Mo Xi
Mo Xi is his shidi and lover before defecting. While being almost inseparable in the past, they share a complicated relationship now, due to Gu Mang's betrayal severely hurting Mo Xi.

Lu Zhanxing
Lu Zhanxing is Gu Mang's childhood best friend, fellow slave and Deputy General of his army. They studied together and are shown to care for each other like brothers, evidenced by the fact that Gu Mang still came to see him one last time before his execution, having wine with him like brothers, despite Lu Zhanxing's actions causing his downfall.

Murong Lian
He is Gu Mang's former master. Murong Lian is excessively cruel to him, partly due to jealousy at Gu Mang being better at cultivation than him, despite being a slave. After Gu Mang's return, Murong Lian put him in his brothel named Luomei Pavilion, where Gu Mang was subjected to cruel living conditions; being beaten up and deprived of food. It is found out that Murong Lian and Gu Mang are half brothers.

Jiang Yexue
Jiang Yexue is Gu Mang's martial brother. He was one of the few people who wasn't hostile to Gu Mang after his return, saying he couldn't hate him.

Murong Chuyi
Murong Chuyi and Gu Mang have a neutral relationship. It was eventually found out Gu Mang and Murong Chuyi are cousins.

Trivia

 * During Gu Mang's time as general, many people admired him and some decided to give their children "shitty names" taking Wangba Army as an example.
 * He has a habit of sleeping curled up