Ping'an County

Biodata

Geography and Settlements

• Ping'an County is backed by Black Mountain, home to the Tiger Demon Mountain Lord, Wolf Demon Xiaoyue, Ape Demon Three Eyes, and later revealed to be the base of Lord Willow's main body. 13 38
• Its county town is defended by city walls and four major gates, while the County Yamen and the Jinyiwei Baihu Office serve as its principal government and security institutions. 16 37
• Black Stone Town is the settlement closest to Black Mountain and is frequently threatened by demonic creatures; Black Bear Gully Village falls under its jurisdiction. 16
• Maple Leaf Town and Fishing Village Town were among the settlements on the Black Mountain demon horde's route toward the county town. 34
• Spring View Pavilion, a seven-story brothel and the county's tallest landmark building, concealed a demon stronghold behind its public business. 9 12

History

Demon Collusion and Concealed Decline

Ping'an County's demon scourge worsened over several decades, particularly during Cao De's twenty-year tenure as Baihu of the local Jinyiwei office. The Jinyiwei became restricted to the county town while demonic creatures multiplied around Black Mountain and extended their influence into the county itself. 28

The county town maintained an appearance of safety, but its records told a different story. Over ten years, hundreds of children and women disappeared, entire households were eradicated, and more than fifty county officials died in suspicious “accidents”; many of those officials had been known for opposing evil. 8

Cao De's arrangement with the Black Mountain demons allowed them to prey on settlements outside the county town without completely exterminating their populations. In exchange, the Jinyiwei avoided confronting the Black Mountain Three Demons, and the demons provided intelligence on rival creatures for the Jinyiwei to eliminate. 17

The County Yamen was also compromised. Demonic creatures hid in the homes of county officials, received victims through official channels, and relied on officials to suppress reports and dispose of evidence. 25

Internal Purge

Chen Fan and Lu Xuenning's investigations exposed the network linking Cao De, Li Mo, County Magistrate Li Shouyi, and other officials to demonic creatures. Their discovery of demons at Spring View Pavilion confirmed that the corruption reached into the county town itself. 12 13

After the death of the Black Tiger, County Lieutenant Liu Xuan surrendered command of the county constables and eight hundred county soldiers to Lu Xuenning, choosing to join the purge despite his past complicity. 25

Chen Fan, Lu Xuenning, and Huang Chengyue led a sweep of officials' residences, arrested Li Shouyi, and killed demons concealed throughout the county administration. Seventy-five demons and devils were slain during the operation, likely removing most of the creatures then embedded in Ping'an County. 26 27

Black Mountain Assault and the Black Willow Crisis

The purge provoked retaliation from Black Mountain. The Tiger Demon Mountain Lord, Wolf Demon Xiaoyue, and Ape Demon Three Eyes led more than two hundred demons and devils toward Ping'an County, massacring civilians in the towns and villages along their route. 33 34

After the Black Mountain demons were confronted, Lord Willow revealed itself as the greater threat behind the invasion. The Black Willow Tree had used the Black Mountain demons as pawns to transport its branches into Ping'an County, intending to consume both the county's people and the demons as nourishment. 37 38

Lord Willow established black willow growths at all four city gates and spread branches through the county town. The populace gathered near the County Yamen while Jinyiwei personnel, constables, soldiers, and civilians cut back the encroaching branches. 37 38 41

Chen Fan broke through the encirclement and traveled to Black Mountain to confront Lord Willow's main body, while Lu Xuenning attained the Spirit Aperture Realm and helped defend the county from within. The crisis ended with Ping'an County's population saved and Chen Fan returning safely. 40 41 43 44

Government and Security

Notable Locations

• County Magistrate's Residence — Li Shouyi's home, where a group of dog demons lived under official protection. 26 27
• Separate Courtyard near the County Magistrate's Residence — A vacant merchant-owned property used as a demon and devil stronghold; it contained human remains and secret passages leading toward the magistrate's household and a rice shop. 15 20 21
• Spring View Pavilion — The county's largest brothel, operated by the White Ape Demon and used to imprison women and conceal lesser demons. 9 12
• Black Bear Gully Village — A village under Black Stone Town terrorized by wolf demons and used to expose the Cao De–Black Mountain agreement. 16 17
• County Yamen — The center of civilian resistance during Lord Willow's siege, where the county's population gathered to delay the black willow branches. 38 40

Relationships

• Black Mountain — Neighboring demon territory whose creatures preyed upon the county's outlying towns and villages under a corrupt non-aggression arrangement. 15 17
• Lord Willow — The hidden mastermind behind the county's demon disaster, which planned to use Ping'an County's inhabitants as nourishment. 37 38
• Longyuan Prefecture — Administrative superior that investigated the county's corruption, reassigned its officials, and rewarded those who saved it. 43 44
• Chen Fan — Jinyiwei officer whose investigations, purge of embedded demons, and confrontation with Lord Willow were decisive in saving the county. 20 27 40 44
• Lu Xuenning — Head Catcher and Dark Guard investigator who sought to cleanse the county and organized its defense during the crisis. 8 28 43

Notable Quotes

“From today onwards, whether it's day or night, Ping'an County will forever belong to us humans!” — Lu Xuenning 28