On Earth: Bai Zhen Ruan, or simply “Babz” as she is called from the 1950’s onward, the “z” was added in the 1980’s (First name: Precious, rare, real, true, chaste, and/or pure) (Second part of first name: White, pure, one hundred, many, and/or cypress) (Last name: Possibly from the name of a lute-like Chinese instrument, which she is proficient in). The name was given to her by Father An Jin.
In the Demon Realm: – She has no given name in Di Yu (the Chinese version of Hell)
Age – The story starts when she is found as in infant but the story picks up more by the time she is her mid-teens to early twenties. Then the story skips forward to the present. So she was alive prior to the Dark Ages, which she was the cause of. After reaching her Awakening she has stopped aging and has reached immortality.
Eye color – When she is calm and collected, her eyes are more of a hazel-green color. However, when showing her true form her eyes become a bright golden yellow. Her eye shape is not like what is typically seen in most Asian people (most Asians have what is called a “single lid”). Bai Zhen’s eyes are set deeper into her face, accentuating her beauty.
Parent/legal guardians and siblings – Bai Zhen is the daughter of Zhong Kui – vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings – and Meng Po – the Lady of Forgetfulness. In the mortal realm, Monks and Nuns raised her in Hēijīn cūn (Black Gold Village,) though Babz likes to call it the Land Where Old Men Play and the Young Misbehave, since, in her view, that’s is all that happens there. When she does come to discover her true origins, she wishes to meet her parents, specifically Meng Po – and have her bring Cheng Hui back to life since he is the only person (besides Father An Jin) that truly loved her and, according to her religion, it was not “in the Scrolls” for him to die at that time or the way he did.
Race – Zhàyǔ, a creature of pure yin said to devour evil humans. After witnessing the death of her true love, her village, and of her home, her true form is exposed after being locked away by the Monks and Nuns of her Temple and rages across the land, plunging much of the East and West into the Dark Ages. On the outside she doesn't look of Asian/Pacific Islander descent, her skin tone is slightly lighter. She is become paler as time goes on.
Hair color and style – In the beginning her hair is jet black, wavy, and long enough to reach her waist. However, by the 1980’s it is suggested to her that she cut a large amount of it off so she can masquerade as both genders when hunting. After that its above shoulder length and choppy/shaggy/layered. In other words, sexy hot mess that can pass as a boy OR girl. She has ears like those of a cat as well as a long, slender tail. She has been taught magic to conceal both ears (making them human) and her tail…but rarely does she ever hide her tail, especially around Cheng Hui who accepts her “gifts.”
Where she lives –She was left abandoned in front of the Háo shèng (“Holy Sun”) Temple after her surrogate parents saw her black cat ears and golden eyes and mistook her for a monster.
Personal background – Her blood father and mother – Zhong Kui and Meng Po respectfully – along with the other important deities wanted to send Bai Zhen up to the human realm with intentions to purify the Earth of its excessive amounts of Yang energy and to create a better balance. The Gods believed that this could have been done at any time, for that the Earth was still young and growing. But one young deity – a minor, but still powerful – wanted Bai Zhen to be sent to Hēijīn cūn specifically and immediately. This character’s origin is that of a mystery but it has been said that he was blinded and died in battle after saving a young child in danger in his previous life. As a result, Meng Po has him stay in Di Yu as her personal advisor and gave him the ability to see into the future. What the demi-God saw was a “Great White Terror” (White settlers invading Hēijīn cūn, carrying illnesses such as smallpox and other deadly things) that would plague the Village, if not the entire continent of Asia. In addition, Bai would have reached her Awakening when this “Great White Terror” arrived. They knew that she would need to be trained by the best Holy People in the mortal realm but without them know of her true nature – and Háo shèng was the perfect fit since the town and temple preach to both sides of the afterlife.
Zhong Kui and Meng Po had the Gods in Heaven choose a couple on Earth to carry their child until her birth. Think of it as God sending Jesus down from heaven and the story of Mary the Virgin Mother and Joseph. The parents abandoned Bai Zhen in front of the Háo shèng Temple where she was later taken in and raised up. It wasn't what the Panel had planned, but it got Bai Zhen to somewhere even better for that the Temple is highly acclaimed for their art in magic and fighting. Only one Monk was against the idea of raising the “demon child” – Brother Chao Min – the Head Priest’s advisor. The Head Priest – Father An Jia – had a vision of Bi Zhen’s arrival from her parents and takes her in. Even if he didn't have the vision, he still would have taken the orphan in.
Talents/quirks – When Bai Zhen was just starting out as a small child, she was rather quiet, reserved, and only went out of the Temple walls to run chores and attempt to socialize with the other villagers. Much of the time she never smiled or socialized with other children her age. Only when she first meets Cheng Hui does she start to come out of her shell and start to act like a somewhat normal human being. She becomes very cheerful and pleasant to all she meets, but still keeping onto some of her old traits like being reserved and wary of new people. After the Awakening, she becomes bitter and remorseful of losing the only two people who cared about her - the love of her life Cheng Hui and her adoptive father, teacher, and guardian, Father An Jin.
Read the following for more information:
Chinese mythology – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_…
About Zhong Kyu, Babz’ Father – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhong_Ku…
About Meng Po, Babz’ mother – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meng_Po