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Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | South Ridge City (南岭城) |
| Alias(es) | Nanling City |
| Affiliation | Profound Water Dynasty; Tiannan Commandery, Southern Prefecture 14 |
| Occupation/Role | Administrative city governed by the City Lord's Mansion 14 |
| Status | Active 48 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 13 |
Geography and Layout
South Ridge City lies thirty li from Feather Mountain, connected by a heavily traveled road used by the Blazing Blade Sect. Wu'an Mountain lies dozens of li north of the city, while Thousand Guts Valley is roughly ten li outside it. 13 34 41
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Administrative position | One of Tiannan Commandery's four cities, alongside Tiannan City, Annan City, and Fengning City. 14 |
| Population | Holds roughly 100,000 residents; its wider jurisdiction, including surrounding farming households, totals about 200,000 people. 14 |
| Walls | Built of massive bluestone; approximately three zhang high and over one zhang thick. 14 |
| Gates | Four main gates—east, south, west, and north—with a secondary gate on each side. 14 |
| Districts | The Blazing Blade Sect holds influence over three streets in the western district. 16 |
| Nearby terrain | Thousand Guts Valley is a fog-covered maze of narrow paths where lost travelers may die before finding an exit. 41 |
Governance and Power Structure
The City Lord's Mansion is South Ridge City's ruling authority and answers directly to the dynasty. Zhou Ruiming serves as City Lord; his connection to the Tiannan Prefecture Governor strengthens his political position. 14 25
Ouyang Yun, a fourth-level Grandmaster, serves as a Guest Elder of the City Lord's Mansion. Before Zhao Ping'an's rise, he was considered the strongest martial artist within a hundred li, securing the Mansion's position as the city's foremost power. 14
| Position in the city | Forces and characteristics |
|---|---|
| 1 | City Lord's Mansion — Directly backed by the dynasty and supported by Ouyang Yun. 14 |
| 2 | Three great families — Originally included the Sun Family; their experts ranged from Xiantian Peak to Half-step Grandmaster. 14 29 |
| 3 | Prominent local forces — The Blazing Blade Sect, Zhao Family, Wang Family, Qingyuan Escort Agency, and Poison Wolf Gang were comparable major powers. 15 24 |
| Other forces | Smaller organizations include the Blood Snake Gang and Iron Fist Sect. 24 |
Commerce and Daily Life
Most streets prohibit peddling, with vendors restricted to designated commercial streets. These streets host clothing shops, pastry sellers, herbal dealers, weapon shops, cosmetics stores, restaurants, and performers. 15
- A high-end commercial street contains multi-story shops selling weapons, armor, cosmetics, banking services, lodging, tea, and food; Wang's Weaponry Shop occupies a five-story pavilion there. 19
- Pear Blossom Lane is a neat residential alley inhabited by well-off households. Beggars and thugs avoid it due to Blazing Blade Sect influence. 19
- The Sun Family's former holdings included a medicinal workshop, auction house, black iron mine, and medicinal mountain. 25
- The Poison Wolf Gang controlled lucrative underground businesses, including gambling dens, brothels, loan shops, protection rackets, and intelligence networks. 47
History
Zhao Ping'an first entered South Ridge City with Zheng Hetong and Zhao Xiuyun before Ji Xiangming's wedding. The Blazing Blade Sect insignia allowed their carriages to pass through the gate without inspection, demonstrating the sect's established relationship with the City Lord's Mansion. 13 14
Following Zhao Ping'an's conflict with the Sun Family, he and Zheng Hetong attacked the family's ancestral home west of the city. The Blazing Blade Sect subsequently purged the Sun Family, while the City Lord's Mansion dispatched more than a thousand city guards to secure its properties and pursue survivors. 24 25 26
The Sun Family's assets were divided after its downfall: 40% went to the City Lord's Mansion, 30% to the Blazing Blade Sect, 20% to Zhao Ping'an—including the medicinal mountain and alchemy workshop—and 10% to the Zhao Family. 26
Half a year later, the City Lord's Mansion mobilized local factions to locate the fugitive Tian Yiming. Four Grandmasters from the royal city arrived to handle the capture, while local forces were tasked with searching and reporting his location. 30 32
The city was later placed under strict martial law after Zhao Xiuyun was abducted. All entrants and departures faced three layers of inspection while local factions searched for those responsible, fearing Zhao Ping'an's retaliation. 41 46
After Zhao Ping'an returned with Zhao Xiuyun, the Poison Wolf Gang was destroyed for its involvement in the kidnapping. Its fall created a power vacuum in South Ridge City's underworld, with other factions competing for its former illicit operations. 46 47 48
Notable Locations
- City Lord's Mansion — The city's tallest and largest building; residence and administrative center of Zhou Ruiming. 25
- Zhao Residence — A modest city residence owned by Zhao Xiuyun and offered to Zhao Ping'an as a home in the city. 14
- Zhao Mansion — Residence of the Zhao Family, a prominent household comparable in status to the Blazing Blade Sect. 15
- Sun Family ancestral home — A large estate west of the city, more than twice the size of the Zhao Mansion before the Sun Family's destruction. 24
- Wang's Weaponry Shop — A five-story weapon shop owned by the Wang Family, where Zhao Ping'an won a Great Saber after swinging Black Gold Iron Hammers one hundred times. 19 20
- Zui Chun Lou — Restaurant whose third floor hosted the banquet dividing the Sun Family's assets. 27
- Blazing Blade Sect city base — The sect's largest property in South Ridge City and its local operational base. 27