Xiao Han

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

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"I am Xiao Han. You will remember that name. I guide the Great Ming Assassin Brotherhood as its Mentor."

―Xiao Han to Edward Kenway, 1725.^[src]^-[m]

Xiao Han was the Mentor of the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins during the early 18th century. He was the nephew of Sun, the head of the Hualien Trading Company in Macau.

In 1725, Xiao Han sought to acquire a Piece of Eden hidden in the lost Khmer city of Angkor and use it to overthrow the Qing dynasty, under which both the Brotherhood and the Han Chinese people had suffered heavy persecution. However, his efforts were opposed by the British Assassin Edward Kenway, who was also on Angkor's trail and was against the use of the power of the Pieces of Eden for personal gain.

Biography

Early life

Not much is known about Xiao Han's early life other than the fact that he used to close to his uncle Sun. Unlike Sun, who belived their ancestors' pursuit of noble goals to be the cause of their family's downfall, Xiao Han fully embraced his Assassin heritage^[1] and rose to become Mentor of the Chinese Brotherhood.^[2]

Meeting with Sun

"You have not only disgraced your homeland... But you have also trampled upon the sacred Creed that has been passed down for generations. It is my duty to execute you in the name of the Assassin Brotherhood."

―Xiao Han denouncing Sun, 1725.^[src]^-[m]

In 1725, Xiao Han and two of his fellow Assassins, Liu Qing and Xue Yan, arrived at his uncle's floating gambling hall in Macau to discuss a Precursor site believed to be located in Angkor. Sun had gained possession of a sea log given to him by the Templar Shimazu Saito which contained the location of the lost city, but the information was encrypted. Xiao Han was shown the log by his uncle and agreed to help decipher it. Soon after, Sun snatched the log and claimed that, by recovering the treasure in Angkor, he would gain them immense wealth.^[3]

When Xiao Han asked his uncle what he intended to do with the treasure, Sun explained that he would present it to the Qing Emperor, expecting to be greatly rewarded in return. He also stated that once the Emperor acknowledged Xiao Han's loyal service to the Qing Empire, he and his Brotherhood would be pardoned for their crimes.^[3]

Upon hearing this, Xiao Han used a rope dart and promptly snatched away the log in Sun's hand. He then angrily reprimanded his uncle for surrendering himself to the Manchu regime, stating he was a disgrace to his homeland for trampling on the Creed that had been passed down in their family for generations. As his fellow Assassins drew arms, Xiao Han activated his Hidden Blade and announced he would kill Sun in the name of the Assassins.^[3]

Conflict with Edward Kenway

Edward: "The relics of Those Who Came Before are no trinkets to use for your own ends. That goes against everything the Brotherhood believes in. What difference is there between you and the Templars?"

Xiao Han: "I seek to use the treasure for a noble cause. That's the difference. We have a stolen kingdom to reclaim from the foul grasp of barbaric invaders!"

—Xiao Han arguing with Edward, 1725.^[src]^-[m]

Sun denounced his nephew for betraying him, claiming that Xiao Han would be nothing without his patronage, and ordered his guards to kill him and his fellow Assassins. While Liu Qing and Xue Yan battled Sun's guards, including a number of Saito's ninja followers, Xiao Han chased after a fleeing Sun and eventually cornered him. However, before he could execute his uncle, he was stopped by the British Assassin Edward Kenway. Unaware of Edward's identity or affiliations, a furious Xiao Han attacked him.^[4]

Learning that Edward sought the log in his possession, Xiao Han refused to hand it over and the two Assassins began to duel with their swords. After Xiao Han used a rope dart to disarm Edward, the latter lunged at him with his Hidden Blade, prompting Xiao Han to activate his own Hidden Blade and block his attack. As the two realized they were both members of the Brotherhood, they stopped fighting and questioned what the other intended to do with Angkor's treasure.^[5]

Edward claimed that he only sought an adventure before slamming Xiao Han to the ground, causing him to lose the log, which landed near Sun. Xiao Han promptly went to retrieve it but was again stopped by Edward. Annoyed by his fellow Assassin's interference with his plans, Xiao Han explained that he would use the Piece of Eden from Angkor to deliver a great boon to the Brotherhood by overthrowing the Qing dynasty which had been persecuting them for decades. However, Edward remarked that using Isu technology for personal gain went against everything the Brotherhood stood for and compared Xiao Han to the Templars.^[5]

During Xiao Han and Edward's argument, Sun grabbed the log and began to make his escape. Upon seeing this, Xiao Han abandoned Edward and began to chase after his uncle, soon calling upon Liu Qing and Xue Yan to help him recover the log.^[5] Sun ordered his remaining guards to slow down the Assassins, but Xiao Han and his companions easily dispatched them. As Edward caught up with them from behind, Liu Qing and Xue Yan engaged him in combat to buy their Mentor enough time to assassinate Sun and recover the sea log.^[1]

Using a rope dart to stop Sun dead in his tracks, Xiao Han confronted his uncle and began to choke him. Sun tried to plead for his life, but Xiao Han ignored and stabbed him with his Hidden Blade, ending his uncle's life to prevent him from bringing more dishonor upon their ancestors, or himself. He then took the sea log from his body, but it was promptly stolen by Edward.^[1]

Xiao Han once again tried to make his "brother from the west" sympathize with his cause, but as Edward refused to allow the Chinese Assassins to use Angkor's treasure for their own gain, the Mentor declared him to be their enemy. Xiao Han was then joined by Liu Qing and Xue Yan as they surrounded Edward, but before anything could happen, they all witnessed the gambling ship being bombarded with cannon fire by Jeong.^[1] Xiao Han used this distraction to snatch away the sea log from Edward and, after warning him to stay out of their way, left with Liu Qing and Xue Yan.^[2]

Alliance with Madam Lee

Lee: "Now that Master Sun is gone, all of Macau is in my hands. Why should I let you join our treasure hunt?"

Xiao Han: "Don't you wish to set the world right again? I know why you forsook your name, Huiyin Li."

—Xiao Han trying to convince Lee to ally with him, 1725.^[src]^-[m]

The following morning, Xiao Han, Liu Qing and Xue Yan approached Jeong as the admiral and their crew were investigating the wreckage of Sun's gambling den to confirm his death. Jeong initially aimed their pistol at the Assassins, but after Xiao Han revealed that he had acquired the sea log sought by Jeong's patron Lee Huiyin, the admiral agreed to grant them an audience with her.^[2]

Meeting with Lee at the Mandarin's House, Xiao Han proposed an alliance to recover Angkor's treasure, believing that joining forces would allow them to find the artifact much quicker. However, Lee was reluctant to work with another Assassin after how her partnership with Edward had ended. Xiao Han explained that, although Edward was an Assassin, he did not understand the Chinese Brotherhood's mission and believed that Lee would be able to sympathize with their cause much easier given her past.^[6]

As Xiao Han revealed his knowledge of Lee's true name and background, Jeong pointed their pistol at him, but Lee was interested to hear what the Mentor had to say and allowed him to continue speaking. After Xiao Han explained his goal to overthrow the Qing dynasty and end the persecution of the Han Chinese people, Lee agreed to the partnership, but only because she believed it would allow her to gain more power and influence.^[6]

Personality and traits

"With the power of the relic of Those Who Came Before... The Great Ming Assassin Brotherhood will recover our kingdom from the hands of those vile barbarians and reestablish a nation of the Han people."

―Xiao Han explaining his plan to overthrow the Manchus, 1725.^[src]^-[m]

Xiao Han was a stoic individual who made it his life's mission to overthrow the Qing Empire and establish a new dynasty for the greater good of the Brotherhood. He despised the Manchus for their treatment of the Han Chinese people like himself, referring to them as "barbaric invaders" on multiple occasions,^[3]^[5] and believed that removing them from power would benefit not just the Assassins, but all of the Han people.^[6] To this end, he sought to acquire Angkor's Piece of Eden, which caused Edward Kenway to compare him to the Templars, who similarly wished to use the power of the Pieces of Eden for personal gain. However, Xiao Han believed that, unlike the Templars, his cause was a noble one.^[5]

Entirely focused on his mission, Xiao Han refused to allow anyone to prevent him from accomplishing it, be it his own uncle Sun, or his "brother from the west" Edward. He denounced Sun for surrendering himself to the Manchu regime and eventually killed him,^[1] believing that his uncle was a disgrace not just to their bloodline, but also to the Creed.^[3] Similarly, after Edward interfered with his plans, Xiao Han branded him an enemy of the Chinese Brotherhood^[1] and warned him to stay out of their way or else he would face the "wrath of their blades".^[2]

Equipment and skills

Xiao Han was a skilled swordsman, easily dispatching a number of Sun's guards aboard his gambling ship and being able to hold his own against Edward Kenway, a powerful warrior in his own right. He had also mastered the use of the rope dart, which he wielded effectively in battle to disarm his enemies,^[5] or outside of combat to snatch away items from a target's hand.^[3]^[2] Unlike most contemporary Assassins, Xiao Han utilized only one Hidden Blade, which he wore on his left arm.^[3]