Chu-hui's Guardians are a trio of intelligent, talking animals who guard several key locations on the way up her mountain to test the skills and spirit of prospective students.
Descriptions
The Bear
The Bear
The Bear is the Guardian of the River at the base of Chu-hui's mountain. As the biggest and strongest of the Guardians, he is easily suited for turning away the overconfident and the faint-hearted right at the start. He is dressed in belly-protector armor and a blue loincloth. He likes to subdue his opponents with his considerable mass and weight. The Bear has superhuman strength, which is used to take out weak applicants.
The Snake
The Snake
The Snake is the Guardian of the Cave. While being blind himself, the Snake is meant to test the ability of the hopeful to look beyond what their eyes can see by fighting inside the cave with all lights extinguished; his blindness and sense of smell help him gain an important advantage over his opponents. He habitually dresses in a coarse brown robe which makes him appear human at first sight. The Snake possesses enhanced speed which he uses to test how well the person can see beyond their eyes.
The Monkey
The Monkey
The Monkey is the Guardian of the Trees, a ravine overgrown by tall bamboo stands. Witty and teasing, the Monkey is to test the dexterity and wit of a character. Like the Bear, he dresses in belly-protector armor. He makes up for his small size by using his above-average agility to dodge attacks while still testing the wit of the applicant.