Shoka Hong, eldest son of the Kou clan, witnessed violent clan power struggles at age four, an early trauma that shattered his innocence and led to his expulsion from the main estate. He trained under the previous Black Wolf, mastering assassination arts and secretly succeeding her as leader of the Wolves of the Wind, the emperor's elite agents. Only Emperor Senka, Grand Advisor Sho, his brother Reishin, and his wife knew his true role.

His defining missions included protecting the exiled Prince Seien and assassinating his admired aunt, Kou Gyokukan, on the emperor's command. Believing her leadership would ruin the Kou clan, Shoka poisoned her tea and played the biwa for her as she died, abandoning the instrument forever. During a mission to eliminate the immortal Hyou Shokun, the "Rose Princess," he instead rescued and fell in love with her. After persistent proposals, she reciprocated; they married and had a daughter, Shuurei. When Shuurei fell gravely ill, Shokun used her final immortal wish to heal their child, sacrificing her own life.

Exiled from his clan, Shoka moved to the capital. His brother Reishin secured him a low-paying post as head of the Royal Archives. There, his kindness offered solace to visitors, including the neglected Prince Ryuuki. Publicly, he appeared a gentle, absent-minded librarian, brewing notoriously bitter tea and avoiding chores. This facade concealed lethal capabilities; his typically closed eyes revealed violent red irises with black pupils when angered, signaling his assassin persona.

Years later, during clan embargo protests, Shoka returned to the Kou province. He forced Reishin to resign as clan head and assumed leadership himself. Back in the capital, he openly displayed his red eyes and wore formal clan attire, publicly pledging Kou loyalty to Emperor Ryuuki. As clan head, he leveraged his influence to stabilize political relations, notably mending ties with the Ran clan, whose leaders revered him as a former tutor.

His relationships were complex: he shared mutual respect with Li Kouyuu, who contrasted him favorably with Reishin, and maintained tense bonds with his brothers due to concealed truths about his past as the Black Wolf and his aunt's murder. Throughout his violent history, his core traits—intelligence, self-sacrifice for family, and a calm demeanor—remained constant, shaping his legacy as a protector of both the empire and his lineage.