Pro State

Biodata

Background and History

The Peddler identifies the land once called Demon Soil as modern Pro State, though its earlier history is poorly preserved 455. Records of the Second Pro War, fought more than forty years before the current story, are fragmented: battles were dispersed, and many residents knew a war had occurred without knowing its full course or enemy 594.

During that war, performer and heroine Huang Yuxian commanded more than thirty engagements with almost no defeats. Her victory over an Inner State army in the Wasteland battle helped secure Pro State’s success 631.

According to Old Train, the Peddler once conquered Pro State but did not govern it. During one of the Peddler’s absences, the Heavenly Woman manipulated the land unchecked and suppressed remembrance of its past; Old Train considers her return to Pro State disastrous 775.

Boss Lu later begins compiling a formal history of Pro State with Li Banfeng’s financial, material, and political support 859.

Governance and Order

Pro State has no recognized central ruler. Its order is summarized by the maxim: “For external affairs, ask the Guanfang; for internal affairs, look at the flag.” 53 526

• Contracts carry exceptional social weight in Pro State; attempts to evade an agreement through procedural loopholes are poorly received by its people 233.
• The decentralized system makes Pro State resilient to targeted infiltration, since it lacks a single core whose loss would paralyze the whole land 687.
• The same decentralization makes unified military action difficult. Pro State has many powerful cultivators but lacks a conventional standing army and coordinated large-scale tactics 542 748.

Land and Infrastructure

• Pro State consists of many towns; even well-informed residents cannot give an exact total 53.
• Regional Boundary Lines divide its territories. The Guanfang Hall can create small exits in stronger Boundary Lines but cannot directly control the lines themselves 500.
• If Outer State withdraws its equipment, exits between regions may disappear, isolating Pro State’s territories and exposing them to defeat in detail 500.
• New Land and Proper Land have no Boundary Lines between them. Local Earth Gods in New Land are enfeoffed by the Inner State, creating a route for Inner State influence 500.
• Technology is selectively restricted. Cars are notably absent from many areas, while rickshaws remain common; Pro State develops through other channels instead 574.
• Soda Kiln was Pro State’s earliest industrial center and is associated with the glory of its steam-engine era 485.
• Li Banfeng later moves to take control of Pro State’s railway network to establish fairer trade with the Outer States. The first line to Belt Ridge successfully crosses the Boundary Line 788 789.

Society and Culture

• Ink Fragrance Shop is considered vital to Pro State’s intellectual and cultural integrity because it is the one place where everyone is literate 455.
• Pro State residents treat landmarks and businesses as shared “signboards.” Bai Le Men is defended not only as Lu Family property, but as the signboard of Green Water City and Pro State itself 390.
• Professor Zhao Zhihong characterizes Pro State people as prone to extreme devotion: intense attachment to food, travel, drink, and other pursuits can produce abilities that defy ordinary physical rules 638.
• Its people are individually formidable. Luo Lijun claims no place in the star system can match Pro State in individual combat strength, though she notes that sufficiently large Inner State forces and weapons could still overwhelm it 668.

Relationships

• Outer State — Appoints Guanfang Envoys, controls key Boundary Line exits, and treats Pro State as strategically important but administratively subordinate 53 500.
• Inner State — Seeks routes through or around the Boundary Lines; its New Land influence, infiltration methods, and military ambitions pose a continuing threat 500 542 668.
• The Peddler — Names Pro State’s former identity as Demon Soil, prohibits pure-blooded Inner State people from entering it, and leads its defense during invasion 455 542 830.
• Li Banfeng / Li Qi — Becomes the Balance Person responsible for balancing Pro State, Inner State, and Outer State; he insists that the role must protect Pro State rather than sacrifice its interests 500 501.
• Heavenly Woman — Formerly exerted broad control over Pro State and sought to impose her ideal of order and cleanliness upon its people 775.

Story Role / Major Arcs

1. Order of Pro State — Li Banfeng first learns that the Guanfang Envoy governs inter-town affairs while family banners control internal matters 53.

2. Boundary Line Crisis — Conflict with the Guanfang Hall escalates after the death of General Envoy Xia Shumin, raising the possibility of war between Pro State and Outer State 499.

3. Balance Person Negotiation — Liao Zihui proposes Li Banfeng as Balance Person because he is presented as a native-born Pro State person with connections to both Outer State and Inner State. Li Banfeng accepts only after imposing conditions meant to protect Pro State’s interests 500 501.

4. Inner State Encroachment — The discovery that Inner State people can shrink or conceal their mechanical components reveals a viable means of infiltrating Pro State in human form 542 547.

5. Outer State Withdrawal — Outer State prepares to evacuate Pro State amid looming war, leaving Li Banfeng to confront the Heavenly Woman and take greater responsibility for the land’s defense 775.

6. Railway Independence — Li Banfeng takes control of the railway and reopens routes across Boundary Lines, aiming to reduce exploitative trade arrangements with the Outer States 788 789.

7. Defense of Pro State — The Great Totem and Tufang Country threaten Pro State directly. The Peddler rallies defenders, while local heroes repel Tufang’s invading army despite heavy pressure on multiple fronts 830 837.

8. Future Development — Li Banfeng’s long-term plan is for Pro State to gain capital, time, stronger work methods, and improved weapons through its Labor Cultivators and numerous Dao Gates rather than relying on outside powers 857 860.