Golden Peng Fortress

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Golden Peng Fortress (金鹏堡)
Alias(es)	Golden Peng Hall (former name); Stone Fortress
Affiliation	Shangguan family
Occupation/Role	Assassin organization and major Western Regions power
Location	Jue Peak outside Jade City, reached from the North Gate by a mountain road 12 100
Status	Without a new master after the Unrivaled King's death; Dragon Army forces entered the fortress 1070
First Appearance	Chapter 6

History

Origins and rise

The fortress was formerly known as Golden Peng Hall. Though its castle had stood for centuries, it came under Shangguan family control roughly thirty years before the events of the story. 118

Golden Peng Fortress publicly claims a lineage of seven generations of Unrivaled Kings spanning a century. In reality, the first two kings were recognized only after death, while the third through fifth were martial-world nicknames. Its true rise began under the sixth Unrivaled King, who supplied assassins during the Western Regions' period of war, eliminated rival assassin groups, and elevated the organization into a major power within five or six years. 118

By the time the Western Regions stabilized, Golden Peng Fortress effectively controlled hundreds of miles around Jade City despite lacking a formal royal title. 260

Conflict with Gu Shenwei

The Unrivaled King was revealed to be the “Butcher King” responsible for the Gu Family's extermination, making Golden Peng Fortress the central target of Gu Shenwei's revenge. 6

Gu Shenwei initially regarded the fortress as untouchable. His study of its history later changes this view: its growing strength has also caused it to neglect weaknesses and discard matters it considers unimportant. 100

War against the Dragon King

The Dragon King and Great Snow Mountain launched a surprise assault on a Golden Peng Fortress camp, killing Blade Master Shangguan Qingqi and routing the defenders. 267 268

Golden Peng Fortress responded under commander Dugu Xian, first issuing a formal challenge for a decisive battle and later using cavalry to break Great Snow Mountain's formation. 269 270

The fortress's forces remained dangerous despite setbacks. Dugu Xian's army included hired bladesmen, and its pursuit of Tuoneng Ya's retreating formation ended in heavy losses when the attackers were trapped in narrow, icy terrain. 294

Later intelligence identified Shangguan Jianyi as commander of an army of fifty thousand elite Golden Peng troops; Dugu Xian assessed that the Dragon King would need at least twenty thousand suitable soldiers to oppose it. 423

Later political shifts

Moonlight Hall, once a subordinate organization that rebelled against Golden Peng Fortress, invaded the fortress under He Nu. The battle ended at dawn with Moonlight Hall and Golden Peng Fortress forming an alliance. 124 924

After the Unrivaled King's death, none of the Shangguan family's children openly sought the ominous title of Unrivaled King. Shangguan Lie, a favored grandson of Shangguan Fa, received the Dragon King when Dragon Army soldiers advanced across the stone bridge and entered the fortress. 1070

Location and Defenses

Golden Peng Fortress stands on an isolated mountain peak above Jade City. The mountain road begins at Jade City's North Gate, with households along the route largely dependent on the Unrivaled King for their livelihoods. 12

• The fortress is surrounded by bottomless chasms and connected to the mountain path by a single stone bridge. 12
• The bridge is more than ten feet wide but has no railings; all visitors dismount before crossing it. 12
• A broad, damaged bluestone forecourt before the main gate reflects the fortress's age. 12
• The inner residence has the fortress's only red main gate and is comparatively well-maintained and luxurious. 55
• The East and West Fortresses have older stone walls, weeds, and a more overtly murderous atmosphere than the inner residence. 55
• After outsiders exploited Ghost Cry Cliff as an entry route, the fortress added arrow towers both to deter invaders and to hunt Great Peng Birds. 141
• A maintained cliff passage containing an iron chain provides another concealed route into the fortress. 919

Hidden stone chambers

Deep within the fortress are stone chambers containing martial-arts diagrams from Great Snow Mountain and Xuandu Peak's former Rebirth Fortress. 920 921

• The southern chambers preserve dozens of Great Snow Mountain techniques, including saber, sword, staff, spear, unarmed, and finger arts. 921
• The northern chambers preserve Rebirth Fortress arts, including the Single Saber Technique, identified as the origin of Golden Peng Fortress's Narrow Saber technique. 921
• Green Face guards were later ordered to study the Tiangang Saber Technique from these chambers, apparently in preparation for direct martial contests rather than covert killing. 920

Organization and Practices

Element	Documented role
Unrivaled King	Supreme master of Golden Peng Fortress and head of the Shangguan family power structure. 6 118
Assassins	The fortress's primary profession is killing; its assassins are expected to remain anonymous rather than seek personal fame. 31 118
Assassin apprentices	Young trainees are raised within the fortress, where martial arts designed for rapid mastery contribute to the prevalence of young assassins. 1053
Brown Belt Assassins	Armed operational assassins used for assignments and escorts, including the delivery of gifts to Iron Mountain. 109
Blade Masters	Notable assassins with public reputations; Zhang Yan commanded the Kun Society's South City operations. 279
Green Faces	Personal shadow guards for Shangguan young masters and the fortress's final defensive layer; they rarely take part in ordinary assassinations. 822
Servants	Marked with branded characters on the arm, identifying their service to Golden Peng Fortress. 526
Retired assassins	Reside along the mountain road below the fortress, forming part of its surrounding community. 913 1070

Assassin doctrine

Golden Peng Fortress favors swift, lethal techniques and treats training bouts as real fights rather than sparring. Green Face fighters train with immediate killing intent, stopping only after their weapons clash in earnest. 920

Its martial arts are particularly effective when attacking from concealment or from behind. In direct confrontations, Green Faces' reliance on speed and positioning becomes less effective against opponents who can withstand the initial attack. 915

When a new master takes power, the previous master's possessions are customarily thrown from the cliff, leaving valuables scattered at the mountain's base. 50

External forces and assets

• Kun Society — Golden Peng Fortress's largest peripheral organization in South City, with more than a thousand bladesmen and control over much of the bodyguard trade. 279
• Hired bladesmen — Golden Peng Fortress recruits large numbers of independent bladesmen for military campaigns. 294 297
• Military forces — Its army fielded cavalry in dark leather armor and carried numerous Golden Peng banners during the war with Great Snow Mountain. 270
• Hidden wealth — The Unrivaled King arranged for Meng Family gold to be concealed within the City Governor's mansion, apparently intending it as a political resource for whichever outside power took Jade City. 962

Relationships

• Shangguan family — Ruling family of Golden Peng Fortress; the fortress became their possession around thirty years before the story's main events. 118
• The Unrivaled King — Fortress master and the “Butcher King” tied to the destruction of the Gu Family. 6
• Gu Shenwei / the Dragon King — Primary enemy; a former fortress servant and assassin apprentice whose revenge grows into a military and political campaign against it. 6 526
• Great Snow Mountain and Tianshan Swordsmen — Long-standing enemies whose hatred of Golden Peng Fortress fuels their support for the Dragon King's war. 269
• Moonlight Hall — Former subordinate specializing in female assassins; rebelled against the Unrivaled King, later attacked the fortress, and ultimately formed an alliance with it. 124 924
• Meng Clan — Important North City ally whose loans supported states connected to Golden Peng Fortress; later tensions emerged between the two powers. 336 304
• Dugu Xian — Fortress army commander during the Great Snow Mountain war; later surrendered to the Dragon King and provided intelligence on Golden Peng military strength. 269 423