Snow is a fox spirit traveling through Manchuria during the final years of the Qing dynasty. Using the alias Ah San, she takes employment at the Huang medicine house to get closer to the man who murdered her infant daughter. She uses her supernatural ability to influence human emotions when necessary but struggles to balance her innate morality with her desire for revenge.

Bao is a 63-year-old retired teacher working as a self-made detective in Mukden. A childhood ritual performed by his nanny left him shadowless but granted him the magical ability to hear when people lie. He relies on his unassuming, dog-like appearance to disarm witnesses and clients alike while investigating supernatural and mundane mysteries.

Bektu Nikan is a muscular Manchurian photographer who frequently travels between China and Japan to evade debt collectors. He runs a clandestine blackmailing operation, using his camera to extort money from wealthy young men. Two years prior to the events of the story, his actions resulted in the death of a fox cub, making him a marked man.

Shiro is a clever, pale-complexioned fox spirit who operates in human society under names like Shirakawa. He avoids having his photograph taken and funds his lifestyle by seducing wealthy women. He inserts himself into the lives of young, wealthy men, exploiting their fears and political ambitions to siphon their money.

Tagtaa is the matriarch of the Huang family medicine shop, often referred to as the old lady. The daughter of a Mongolian concubine, she grew up facing social stigma but retained the freedom of unbound feet. She possesses a sharp mind and correctly deduces early on that her new caretaker is not entirely human.

Kuro is a black fox spirit who lives in Japan under the guise of an author named Kurosaki. He carries a prominent, disfiguring scar across his face from a violent encounter with a hunter. He abandoned his pursuit of spiritual enlightenment to enact revenge, a decision that led to his isolation from his family.

Bohai is the anxious heir to the Huang family medicine shop. He lives in constant fear of a family curse that dictates the death of the firstborn son if a second son is born. This anxiety drives him to seek control over his life by pursuing medical studies and secret revolutionary activities abroad.

Chen is a wealthy young student with revolutionary ambitions against the Empress Dowager. He frequently travels between China and Japan to secure funding and build political connections. His impulsive behavior and involvement with illicit couriers place him in severe danger.

Lu is a young, affluent student who belongs to Bohai's inner circle. He shares his friends' anti-imperial political leanings and their vulnerability to extortion. He holds a deep-seated distrust of supernatural elements, heavily influenced by his great-grandfather's violent history with fox spirits.

Mr. Wang is an affluent man who maintains a private, heavily guarded villa outside the city. He regularly purchases the contracts of women from the pleasure district to keep them captive in his home. His obsession with an escaped woman drives him to hire outside investigators.

Chunhua, born Feng, is a young woman from Wu Village who fled an arranged marriage. Tricked by false promises, she ended up working in a pleasure district under an assumed name before her sudden and mysterious death in the snow.

Ah Yan is Chunhua's younger sister, residing in a rural village. She carries the guilt of a past incident involving a wounded white fox cub, which her father blamed for bringing misfortune and driving her sister away.

Jiang is the local hunter in Wu Village. He takes commissions from outsiders to track and capture specific animals, a profession that brings him into direct conflict with powerful spirits.

Yukiko is the granddaughter of the owner of the house where Kuro resides in Japan. As a widow, she finds solace in Kuro's company and expresses her affection openly, unaware of his full history.

Zhou Yuling is a wealthy woman who met Shiro through a flower-arranging club. She provides him with financial support and becomes desperately attached to him, searching the city when he abruptly stops visiting.

Oda is a Japanese photographer operating a business in Dalian. He serves as a local connection point for various travelers, though his personal behavior is often unprofessional and abrasive.

Mr. Chen is a powerful and demanding patriarch who employs private security to maintain control over his family's affairs. He reacts aggressively when his son's safety is compromised during a steamer voyage.

Mrs. Huang is Tagtaa's daughter-in-law and the operational manager of the Huang medicine house. She seeks out reliable domestic help to ensure her elderly mother-in-law is properly cared for.

Takeda is a wealthy Japanese investor looking to fund a sugar factory. He holds crucial witness information regarding a fatal blackmailing incident at a private villa.

Hong is a former student of Bao who now works for the influential Chen family. He acts as a liaison between his powerful employers and the local investigative community.