Luoshui City

Biodata

Districts and Landmarks

• West District — Shen Qing selects it as his jurisdiction after arriving in the city. More than half of Luoshui City's black-market trade is concentrated there; major incidents and deaths are frequent, and numerous martial arts sects operate in the area. 25
• North District — One of the jurisdictions assigned alongside the West District and Eight Mountains City. 25
• Luoshui Town Pacification Department / Pacification Bureau — The city headquarters of the Yongning Commandery Imperial Guards, led by Pacification Commissioner Qin Chuan and staffed by Battalion Commander Lu Tong, Centurions, and other guards. 24
• West District Hundred Households Office — Shen Qing's operational base as Acting Centurion; it becomes the center of his interventions against gangs, rogue cultivators, and Japanese pirates. 25 31 43
• Merit Hall — An Imperial Guard facility where Merit Points can be exchanged for cultivation resources; Shen Qing uses 630 points here to obtain the Snow Jade Butterfly Flower, Ten Blood Pill, and Purple Dew Nectar. 35
• Academy Street — Home to Yongning Commandery's Taoli Academy and expensive residential courtyards. 36
• Golden Splendor Tower — A prominent restaurant where Shen Qing and his subordinates dine; storytellers there recount embellished tales of his exploits. 44
• Changshui Street and Mud Bottle Street — Streets thrown into disorder when martial arts factions converge while pursuing the rogue cultivator Sun Yun. 27
• Sanyang Street — Site of the Good Luck Cloth Shop, a Black Water Gang asset sealed and cleared by the Imperial Guards. 32

Administration and Security

Luoshui City is overseen by the Luoshui Town Pacification Department, whose personnel include Centurions responsible for individual jurisdictions. An Inspector's arrival prompts an emergency Heart Examination of Imperial Guards after veteran Centurion Wei Jiong disappears and is exposed as a mole. 24

Wei Jiong's defection leaves too few capable Centurions available, creating the vacancy through which Shen Qing is transferred from Baiyun County and promoted to Acting Centurion. 24

The West District's Imperial Guard office initially contains internal opposition to Shen Qing's appointment, led by General Ma Kui. Shen Qing establishes his authority by overwhelming Ma Kui with Xiantian Realm pressure and expelling his faction from the office. 25

Martial World Activity

An ancient tomb discovered near Bailu Marsh draws rogue cultivators, gangs, and sects into Luoshui City after a rogue cultivator escapes with its most valuable treasure. 26

Court policy ordinarily restricts direct intervention in martial-world disputes unless they harm the court or common people, a rule tracing back to Emperor Jing's decree after sects aided the Great Wu Dynasty during its war with the Zi Liang Dynasty. 26

To create grounds for intervention, Shen Qing's office frames the conflict as a civilian-killing case, provoking the Yellow Sand Gang and Black Water Gang to blame one another. 26

• Yellow Sand Gang — Pursues Sun Yun and clashes with other factions during the tomb-treasure dispute. 27 29
• Black Water Gang — Purchases the stolen golden paper through Peng Chun and later has its Luoshui City assets seized by Shen Qing's Imperial Guards. 29 32
• Red Cloud Sect — Present in the city during the sect conflict; Su Jiudie later offers Shen Qing the Sect Master's token in gratitude. 25 43
• Qingshan Sect — Its disciples attack Imperial Guards outside the city after dismissing Shen Qing's reputation as rumor. 46 47

Japanese Pirate Infiltration

Japanese pirates establish a covert network within Luoshui City, using the identity of Sacrificial Officer Huang Fu—actually Sasaki—and receiving protection from his father-in-law, Prefectural Judge Zhang Zhu. 37 38

Their plan involves distributing poisonous soybean seeds to surrounding counties and towns during the Autumn Harvest Festival, with the stated aim of undermining Yongning Commandery and the Great Wu Dynasty over time. 37

Shen Qing exposes Sasaki, arrests Zhang Zhu, and uncovers additional hidden pirates and collaborators through interrogation. 38 39 He later provides the Pacification Bureau with a diary documenting the network, prompting broader suppression efforts. 43

Even after the original seeds are destroyed, Shen Qing orders an inspection of Luoshui City for any remaining poisonous seeds before post-festival sowing begins. 43

Culture and Public Reputation

The city observes an Autumn Harvest Festival every three years, holding sacrifices to the God of Millet to give thanks for harvests and pray for favorable weather; wheat cakes are distributed in the streets. 36

After Shen Qing captures Sun Yun, Luoshui City storytellers popularize several epithets for him: World-Crossing Yama, Green Yaksha, and Bloody Hand Butcher. “World-Crossing Yama” becomes the most prominent title. 44

Connections

• Baiyun County — Shen Qing is transferred from Baiyun County to Luoshui City after his promotion to Acting Centurion. 24
• Bailu Marsh — The nearby marsh is the site of the ancient tomb whose treasure dispute spills into the city. 26
• White Cherry Villa — Shen Qing returns to Luoshui City after eliminating two of the villa's three Japanese-pirate leaders and killing nearly two hundred pirates. 43
• Lijia Slope — A settlement north of the city whose wolf attacks are investigated by Shen Qing's office after much of the Pacification Bureau departs to hunt Japanese pirates. 44