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Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Chen Family (陈家) |
| Type | Martial arts clan |
| Base | Originally based in Black Lion City; later relocated to the Imperial City after Black Lion City's fall 63 159 |
| Affiliation | Yue Kingdom |
| Occupation / Role | Martial clan that trains practitioners, maintains armed guards, and organizes exotic-beast hunts for cultivation resources 49 50 |
| Leadership | Chen Han became clan head by presenting the old clan head's token; Chen Feng had previously acted as interim clan head 159 |
| Status | Active; restored to prominence under Chen Han and became Yue Kingdom's greatest martial force outside the royal family 164 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1 |
Organization and Governance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scale | The family had more than 3,000 descendants divided among sixteen branches; approximately 400 lived under direct family protection, while the rest were expected to fend for themselves 26 |
| Major factions | The Zhun, Qiu, and Shan branches maintained a tripartite balance, while Chen Feng acted as a fourth power balancing them as patriarch 31 |
| Resource system | Martial resources were tightly controlled. Expelled members were forbidden from relying on the clan or consuming its resources 2 25 |
| Security | The Black Lion City estate was guarded by martial artists ranging from Mingjin to Dark Force practitioners 25 26 |
| Succession | The family recognizes the old clan head's token rather than the individual holding it; possession of the token establishes the holder as clan head 159 |
History
Black Lion City era
The Chen Family was among Black Lion City's three great powers, alongside the Black Mountain Gang and the city's noble families 49. Its standing rested on martial training, guarded estates, and access to expensive cultivation resources such as exotic-beast meat.
Chen Han was expelled after losing his ability to practice martial arts, and the family cut off his cultivation resources under its rule that expelled members must remain self-reliant 2 25. When he later returned with his Shen-family relatives seeking shelter, the gate guards initially refused him entry for the same reason 25.
Chen Han's recovery transformed the family's internal politics. After defeating twelve guards and bending an iron stake with one punch, he demonstrated strength associated with the Transformation Realm; the major branches immediately regarded him as the deciding asset for the upcoming martial arts tournament 26. Chen Qiuyu subsequently recruited him into her branch by offering silver, a patrol position, and exotic-beast meat 31.
Collapse and flight
As exotic-beast meat became scarce, the family organized a large hunt outside Black Lion City. The force included two Dark Force frontline teams and a third group composed of Mingjin practitioners and able-bodied commoners 49 50.
The expedition was compromised by Chen Shanhe, who coordinated with the Black Mountain Gang and Blood Yin Child. Red Spiders were lured toward the hunting party, leading to severe casualties and the encirclement of the survivors 53 55. Chen Shanhe openly betrayed the family, while Chen Lei ultimately submitted to Blood Yin Child rather than remain with the remnants 53 56.
Chen Han rescued Shen Yue and Chen Huaiyu from the ambush but left the remaining clansmen behind, as his purpose was to extract the two girls rather than save the family 56. The surviving Chen Family later abandoned Black Lion City and fled toward the Imperial City, taking Chen Han's Shen-family household and Li Muyun with them 63.
Imperial City decline
After relocating, the family survived but declined sharply. Its martial resources were scarce during the journey, leaving Shen Yue's household with rice porridge and little expectation of receiving cultivation supplements 65.
By the time Chen Han returned, the family occupied a modest manor and had lost much of its former strength. Its estate guards were mostly aging martial artists, and internal corruption had contributed to the clan's decline 142 159.
Chen Han's succession and restoration
Chen Han returned after killing Lu Tianren and presented the old clan head's token at the ancestral hall. The family formally recognized him as clan head, displacing Chen Feng's interim authority 159.
He investigated the family's treatment of outsiders during its flight and uncovered Chen Feng's attempt to consolidate power through Chen Qiuyu. Chen Feng was confined to the repentance chamber, while Chen Qiuyu was punished for her role in the affair 160.
Chen Han later reduced Chen Qiuyu's punishment to five heavy strokes after acknowledging her loyalty to the family and the losses she had suffered during Chen Shanhe's rebellion 161. Under his leadership, the Chen Family rose rapidly, secured Yue Kingdom's greatest martial force outside the royal family, and entered a period expected to last a century 164.
Notable Members
| Member | Position / Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chen Han | Clan head | Formerly expelled as a crippled clansman; returned as a powerful martial practitioner and claimed leadership with the old clan head's token 2 159 |
| Chen Feng | Former interim clan head | Led the family during its Black Lion City period and flight, but was later punished for concealing his plan to retain authority through Chen Qiuyu 26 160 |
| Chen Qiuyu | Qiu Branch representative | Initially humiliated Chen Han and refused to help him after his expulsion; later recruited him, received punishment for her conduct during the flight, and reformed into a diligent clan member 2 31 160 164 |
| Chen Shanhe | Shan Branch leader | Attempted to recruit Chen Han, then betrayed the family and joined forces with the Black Mountain Gang 30 53 |
| Chen Lei | Clan martial artist | Initially aided Chen Han, but later defected and became Blood Yin Child's disciple during the family's collapse 1 13 56 |
| Old Steward | Long-serving steward | Treated Chen Han as family, helped him during his expulsion, and remained loyal through the clan's decline 11 129 142 |
| Chen Canghai | Former patriarch | The only known Chen Family member to have reached the Martial Master realm during his era 85 |
Relationships
- Black Mountain Gang — Longstanding enemy that exploited the family's weakened state, infiltrated its affairs through Chen Shanhe, and ambushed its hunting party 49 53 55.
- Shen Family — Chen Han's matrilocal relatives were eventually housed under Chen Family protection after his return to the clan 27 63.
- Li Family — Initially connected through Squire Li and Li Muyun, but relations deteriorated after the Chen Family's collapse; Li Mubai later dismissed the weakened clan as unable to retaliate 12 61.
- Imperial Clan — The Chen Family operated beneath the Imperial City's royal power after relocating there 100 164.
Trivia
- The family once had enough influence that Black Mountain Gang leader Hou Chun immediately became cautious when the Old Steward publicly identified Chen Han as his nephew 13.
- Chen Han considered the family a source of resources and protection rather than an unconditional home during his early return to the clan 25.
- Chen Family property, including the Kirin Vest and Black Lion Chainmail, later appeared at a Black Market auction, indicating the extent of the clan's losses after Black Lion City's fall 59.