Chen Deng, courtesy name Yuanlong, a native of Xiapi in Xu Province and the eldest son of the Chen clan. In the Embroidery House, he is a secret agent of the Wind element and the Shenji profession. He is the only character in the game with an energy recovery mechanism, earning him the nickname "The Lighter" among players. But beyond these labels, Chen Deng is far more complex than just a "support tool." His most distinct trait is an almost oblivious nonchalance. Born into a family of officials as the eldest son, he was expected to study and inherit the family legacy. Instead, he preferred wandering through the ridges of fields, keeping company with the soil, rice stalks, and fish. His father counseled and even reprimanded him countless times, but he had no intention of changing and continued in his own way. The elders of the Chen clan once lamented in despair: "The heavens surely intend to ruin the Chen clan." To others, a young nobleman spending his days in the fields like a farmer was the very definition of neglecting one's duties. Yet, he achieved remarkable results. During his time in Xiapi, he planted vast fields of rice alongside the commoners, where "rice-flower fish" swam within easy reach. Under his governance, Xiapi saw three years without hunger or disaster. Had war not swept through Xiapi, he might have stayed in that beautiful dream forever. Now that he has come to the Embroidery House, he hopes to prevent Dongyang from becoming the next Xiapi. Chen Deng's outward appearance is gentle, refined, and even a bit lazy. He loves fishing and stops at every pond he sees. His classic line is: "Good morning, my Lord. Stealing a moment of leisure from this floating life—would you like to go fishing together?" He can become so "obsessed" with fishing that some describe him as "scooping them with a bowl if he can't catch any." He also has a habit of eating raw fish slices, which even Hua Tuo's repeated prohibitions cannot stop. His daily life consists of fishing, farming, and watching the wheat waves, like a pastoral scholar at peace with the world. But this is only one side of him. Players have accurately summarized his other side: smiling on the surface, but "white on the outside, black on the inside." In the Chosen Intelligence stages of Dongyang, he reveals a hidden, colder side. He seems like a good-tempered man who wouldn't hurt a fly, but in secret, he has already quietly dealt with those who shouldn't exist—and can even return home with a couple of fish as if nothing happened, waiting for his Lord to have dinner. His casualness is real, but his harmlessness is a facade. A man who can truly protect a people in a chaotic world cannot rely on fishing and farming alone. Chen Deng's core emotional tone is a benevolent yet self-tormenting nature. In the 1.5th-anniversary story, his journey with Zhang Zhongjing left many players heartbroken. That sense of despair—of wanting to save everyone but being unable to heal a world in chaos, of clearly recognizing the state of the world and the limits of his own power—is vividly portrayed through him. He is too kind, taking all the blame upon himself, suffering through cycles of internal conflict and pain, and constantly apologizing—even though he has never done an evil deed. His line, "I don't want to... lose any more old friends," speaks to his deepest fear. His classic lines also outline his character. "My only wish is for peace in the world, and for fish to play amidst the scent of rice flowers"—this is his simplest desire. "Since we are lifelong confidants, why fear a moment of misunderstanding?"—he does not care if others understand him. Upon his awakening, he says: "The sky is so clear... the distant wheat waves are shining golden under the sun. If only time could stop here forever..." The things he wants have never been complicated, but in this chaotic era, the simple things are the hardest to protect. Chen Deng is an idealist who protects the mundane in a chaotic world. He is a nobleman, yet more grounded than anyone; he is casual and free-spirited, yet more serious than anyone when it comes to protecting the people. He seems not to care about anything, but he cares more than anyone about those rice stalks, those fish, and those ordinary days. He lost Xiapi and that dream of "rice-scented fish," but he did not give up—he brought that dream to Dongyang and to the Embroidery House. His gentleness is silent, everyday, and like the scent of rice flowers—faint and ethereal, yet omnipresent.