Xuanguo Estate

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xuanguo Estate (宣国府)
Later Name	Xuanhuai Royal Mansion
Affiliation	Da Yuan Dynasty
Occupation / Role	Hereditary ducal estate and Kyoto noble household
Location	Kyoto, Da Yuan
Status	Promoted from a ducal estate to the hereditary Xuanhuai Royal Mansion 136
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Xuanguo Estate was one of Da Yuan’s original Eight Dukes and Fourteen Marquises. Its title had endured for roughly seven hundred years by the time of Chen Mu’s arrival in Kyoto. 1

The founding Xuanguo Duke was a Third Rank Martial Dao Grandmaster who assisted Da Yuan’s founding emperor in pacifying the realm and slaying demons. Over the succeeding centuries, the estate retained its title and influence but lost the exceptional martial inheritance of its founder. 19

By the Longzheng Emperor’s reign, it remained one of Da Yuan’s seven surviving hereditary ducal estates, but ranked near the bottom among them. Its only Fourth Rank retainer was Zhao Li, while Duke Chen Guang was a Fifth Rank Martial Artist. 18 51 58

The estate maintained a strict internal hierarchy. Concubine-born children such as Chen Mu received little consideration; before his rise, he lived in a remote, snowbound two-section courtyard whose servants neglected his care. 1

Estate Layout and Defenses

• Its entrance is marked by two large vermilion gates and extensive courtyard walls. 1
• The estate occupies a vast section of Kyoto, with residences divided between front and rear courtyards; Chen Mu’s original residence stood in its northwesternmost corner. 1
• Spirit veins beneath the grounds are arranged in an intentional Feng Shui pattern, making the estate unsuitable for the appearance of ordinary Netherworld Ghosts. 14
• Only the Xuanguo Duke and Old Madam may bring carriages directly into the estate. Even legitimate eldest sons must enter through a side gate or on horseback. 14
• The front courtyard housed numerous Martial Artists, including several Fifth Ranks, while Zhao Li served as its sole Fourth Rank retainer. 18
• The estate maintains a Martial Arts Academy, where Old Meng instructed martial practitioners. 39 51

Residents and Associates

• Chen Guang — Xuanguo Duke and head of the estate during the Heavenly Born Cult attack; a Fifth Rank Martial Artist. 18 51
• Old Madam — Chen Guang’s mother, who held authority over the household and permitted Ning Qiang to remain after her husband’s death. 1
• Zhao Li — Fourth Rank Martial Artist and highly respected retainer; his status required even household members to treat him with deference. 18 19
• Chen Mu — Concubine-born descendant of the former duke. Initially marginalized, he later revealed himself as the Fifth Rank Sorcerer who saved the estate. 1 71
• Chen Yao — Chen Mu’s half-sister and a talented Martial Artist of the estate’s bloodline. 17
• Ning Qiang — Widow of Chen Mu’s elder brother; she remained at the estate and protected Chen Mu during his lowest period. 1
• Ren Yan and Xiao Mei — Servants assigned to Chen Mu’s courtyard who later rose in standing through their service to him. 75 78

Heavenly Born Cult Attack

The Heavenly Born Cult launched a coordinated night raid on Xuanguo Estate, using the Eighteen Earthly Fiends Flags to isolate its spirit veins, seal its terrain, and conceal the assault beneath a black curtain. Their objective was to delay the estate’s defenders for a quarter of an hour and complete a blood sacrifice using a Blood Source Pearl. 49 50 51

Force	Strength / Role
Xuanguo Estate	Chen Guang, a Fifth Rank Martial Artist; Zhao Li, a Fourth Rank retainer; Old Meng; household guards and Martial Artists 51
Heavenly Born Cult	Three Fourth Rank Martial Artists, numerous Fifth Rank Martial Artists, and nineteen Fifth Ranks participating in the attack 50 51
Cult objective	Turn the estate into a blood-sacrifice site before the Directorate of Celestial Observation could respond 51

The estate’s defenders were overwhelmed at first. Chen Guang was besieged by two Fifth Rank attackers, while Zhao Li faced two Fourth Ranks and Old Meng could not sustain his forcibly raised blood energy. 51

Chen Mu, secretly a Fifth Rank Sorcerer, intervened with sword-style Daoist Arts. His Flying Sword, Heavenly Question, killed all three Fourth Rank attackers, while his Daoist Arts turned the battle decisively in the estate’s favor. 53 54

The protective array was eventually shattered and the black curtain dispersed. Grandmasters Qi Li, Yan Hanyu, and Xu Su arrived after the battle, followed by Director of Time Wei Jing, who concluded that an unknown newly awakened Fifth Rank Sorcerer had saved the estate. 56 57

Reconstruction and Internal Crisis

Reconstruction began immediately after the raid and advanced quickly with the aid of Martial Artists. The estate also joined other noble houses in investigating and purging Heavenly Born Cult and Paradise Cult followers in Kyoto. 68

During the investigation, Chen Xing used Chen Mu’s transactions with Wu Peng and the exposed cultist Xiao Feng to frame Chen Mu for collusion with the Heavenly Born Cult. Chen Guang initially accepted the evidence and detained Ning Qiang for questioning to preserve the estate’s reputation. 68 69

Chen Mu’s return, Zhao Li’s intervention, and the Directorate of Celestial Observation’s invitation exposed the accusation as a frame-up. Chen Guang then recognized Chen Mu as the Sorcerer who had saved Xuanguo Estate. 70 71

Chen Xing was punished under the family law for framing and attempting to murder a relative; the beating was severe enough that he stopped breathing. 72

Rise of Chen Mu

Chen Mu’s identity transformed the estate’s internal balance. As a Fifth Rank Sorcerer, his status became second only to Chen Guang within the household, and servants, guards, and relatives began treating him with open reverence. 71 75

Following the reconstruction, Chen Mu was moved into Xuanhua Courtyard, a large four-section residence once occupied by his father and later destroyed in the Heavenly Born Cult raid. 75

As Chen Mu rose to become a Third Rank Sorcerer and Director of the Directorate of Celestial Observation, Xuanguo Estate gained unprecedented prestige. Other noble houses and even princely estates treated Chen Guang with a level of courtesy the declining household had not received before. 122

Promotion to Xuanhuai Royal Mansion

Chen Mu later disclosed that he was not the original Chen Mu, but an ancient being who had entered the world through Chen Mu’s deceased body. He nonetheless promised to repay Xuanguo Estate with “a generation of prosperity” for the karma he had inherited. 130

After Wuan Princess Xi Yu ascended the throne as Emperor Wu Zhao, Chen Mu announced the estate’s promotion:

“The former Xuanguo Duke, Chen Guang, is promoted to Xuanhuai King, and the Xuanguo Estate becomes the Xuanhuai Royal Mansion, with hereditary succession.” 136

The promotion elevated Chen Guang to Xuanhuai King and made the former Xuanguo Estate a royal mansion of a different surname with hereditary succession for three generations. Ning Qiang also received a Super Grade Imperial Decree. 136

Legacy

Decades after its elevation, the former Xuanguo Estate was remembered as the Xuanhuai Royal Mansion. Chen Guang had aged beyond the point where he could establish a Daoist foundation, Zhao Li had become an elderly Martial Arts Academy instructor, and Ren Yan had risen to serve as one of the mansion’s stewards. 162

The mansion’s prosperity remained closely tied to Chen Mu’s rise: former servants of his courtyard, including Xiao Mei and Hua Shi, gained opportunities to cultivate, while Ning Qiang advanced to the Void Core Realm. 162