Revision 1

Overview

Du Ping (杜平) is Zhong Kui's closest friend in the traditional mythology. After Zhong Kui killed himself by smashing his head against the palace doors, Du Ping was the one who arranged a proper burial for him — an act of loyalty that carried real social risk, since Zhong Kui had essentially committed a public act of defiance against the emperor.

Mythological role

In the traditional story, Zhong Kui never forgot Du Ping's kindness. After becoming the King of Ghosts in the Chinese underworld, Zhong Kui arranged for his younger sister to marry Du Ping. The famous painting "Zhong Kui Marrying Off His Sister" (Zhong Kui Jia Mei) depicts this event — a ghostly wedding procession led by Zhong Kui himself, escorting his sister's palanquin with a retinue of demons and ghosts. It is one of the most frequently painted subjects in Chinese art.

Du Ping is typically portrayed as an honest, decent man — the kind of straightforward moral character who contrasts with the more complex, tormented Zhong Kui. Their friendship is central to the mythology because it shows that Zhong Kui, despite his rage and his supernatural power, still values human loyalty above all else.

Expected role in the game

Du Ping has not been confirmed for Black Myth: Zhong Kui, but it would be surprising to leave him out. He is one of the three or four most important characters in any retelling of Zhong Kui's story. He could appear as a key NPC, a figure in flashbacks to Zhong Kui's mortal life, or a character whose family Zhong Kui is trying to protect from supernatural threats.