Tinghai

Biodata

Background / History

Tinghai Metropolitan Area was formed after the Eastern Federation's establishment by integrating nearby cities, towns, and villages, with Tinghai City as its capital. Its population numbers in the tens of millions, and its cultural and civilizational heritage predates the Federation by centuries. Despite this foundation, the metropolitan area ranks 285th among the Federation's large metropolitan areas. 160 267

Before the Federation era, Tinghai's Mystic World was dominated by conflict between the Blood Worship Cult and the Holy Relic Institute. Their mutual destruction left no single lawful hegemon; the local Reset Pact subsequently became the leading force before being divided into the Black Box Special Management Department and the Bureau of Anomalous Investigation. 267 278

In the present day, Tinghai is a dense industrial city of skyscrapers, neon lights, heavy traffic, and large smokestacks. Economic stagnation has also left unfinished “ghost buildings” among its commercial districts. 63 80 81

Appearance

Tinghai presents itself as a modern coastal metropolis, marked by the illuminated “Tinghai Welcome You” landmark, high-rise commercial buildings, and active streets even late at night. 17 63

• Steel-and-concrete urban landscape with industrial chimneys and dense traffic. 63 80
• Coastal business districts containing abandoned or unfinished commercial buildings. 81
• A cityscape of neon lighting and crowded nighttime streets. 63
• Its Reflection Ruins counterpart bears the hostile sign “Tinghai Excludes You.” 64

Mystic World Structure

Anomalous Characteristics

Reflection Tinghai

Tinghai possesses a Reflection Ruins Realm counterpart described as the “Backside of Blue Star.” It is a distorted, dangerous mirror of the Present World where different periods of Tinghai's past and present overlap. 64 65

• Familiar buildings can appear in grotesquely altered forms. 65
• The realm is populated by anomalies and hostile entities. 65
• Entering it may produce a sense of rejection in outsiders; certain objects tied to Tinghai can lessen that effect. 117
• The Reflection city's Clock Tower displays the sign “Tinghai Excludes You.” 64

City History and Spirituality

Tinghai's history has a direct mystical significance. When Bai Zhou's deeds were entered into both the Ashen Remains Archive and Tinghai's local chronicles, the city's Urban Spirituality sharply increased for three seconds. 228 229

• Bai Zhou perceived Tinghai's land, civilization, and innumerable forebears as acknowledging and thanking him. 228
• Officials interpreted his appearance in the city's historical record as proof that he was a Hero recognized by Tinghai itself. 229
• The city's history can be altered on a massive scale: after Luo Tunan's defeat, public records and the memories of Tinghai's residents instead identified Elder Wu as the culprit. 242 243
• Bai Zhou and Ya retained memories of Luo Tunan, leading them to suspect the use of a B-Class Black Box by an unknown mastermind. 243 244

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Bai Zhou's arrival — Bai Zhou first emerges into Tinghai from the underground base beneath Oddities General Store and sees the city for the first time. 17
• Reflection Ruins incidents — Tinghai's Reflection counterpart becomes the setting for Bai Zhou's investigations, including the Yuanmeng Middle School crisis and the battle against the Demon. 64 117 149
• “Senior Student Zhou” panic — After Bai Zhou kills the Demon, his anonymous identity sparks citywide attention, bounties, and competition among Tinghai's hidden factions. 152 153
• Luo Tunan's Saint Ascension — Tinghai becomes the center of Major Luo's plan to use the city and its inhabitants in his pursuit of sainthood. 220
• Recognition of Tinghai's Savior — Following Luo Tunan's defeat, the Gem Witch clears Bai Zhou's name before Tinghai's official forces, and the city records his deeds in its history. 228 229
• Erasure of Luo Tunan — Tinghai's altered records subsequently cast Elder Wu as the architect of the catastrophe, leaving Bai Zhou to investigate the missing truth. 242 243