Gao Zhong Hu

A renowned swordsman and captain in the imperial guard before the Ascension. Gao Zhong Hu was known for his adventures with the Bear, Zhang Xiong. During the Ascension he was taken prisoner and shuffled between various prisons before finally being left for dead. Zhang Huai Shi and Bai Xue Ying found and rescued him fifteen years after he was captured. Zhong Hu led as second in command of the Old Empire Rebels in the War of Eternal Day, rallying many who are discontented with Emperor Zou to the side of the rebellion.

Early Life and Career

Zhong Hu was born a middle child of a wealthy family in the capital city Yinguonan. His parents held their children to high expectations. Many of his family members served in the military, though it was not a rigid family tradition. Zhong Hu attended an eilite military academy in the capital and found a good place for himself there. He made a lifelong friend in Wei Ang Jian, a skittish but brilliant student in his same year. Like his friend Ang Jian, though, Zhong Hu and his parents encountered difficulties in getting him engaged to a suitable woman of good status. Zhong Hu's mother, Gao Daiyu, was both ambitious and superstitious - a combination that led to her turning down prospective matches and worrying greatly about omens interpreted by the family's matchmaker. Bad luck followed every attempt. Zhong Hu graduated from the military academy still single, and once he was stationed away from his family at the capital the engagement attempts dried up. While Zhong Hu did worry about the matter and the bad luck involved, he was largely satisfied with keeping his life as it was. After graduating with admirable scores on the military exams, Zhong Hu served in various garrisons and positions across Zhenhai, gaining a reputation for his martial prowess, discipline, and tactical knowledge. While stationed near the Fenglili Mountains, Ang Jian introduced him to a visiting cultivator, Zhang Xiong, who was looking for a cache of artifacts nearby. Zhong Hu found himself reluctantly assigned to assist, as there were demonic disturbances in the area that were likely connected to what Xiong was looking for. Despite rocky initial interactions, Xiong appreciated Zhong Hu's martial talent and began pulling Zhong Hu - and, on occasion, Ang Jian - into a variety of adventures that cemented a firm friendship.