Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Water Department (水部) |
| Affiliation | Heavenly Court |
| Occupation/Role | Heavenly Court department responsible for water-related affairs, including the Third Sea Eye of the East Sea |
| Status | Active; subjected to internal investigations after the Third Sea Eye incident and the exposure of unauthorized preliminary recruitment registers. Its parent institution ultimately adopted the Willing Divinity List for lawful recruitment. 14 47 128 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 7 |
Responsibilities
| Duty | Documented Circumstances |
|---|---|
| Third Sea Eye management | The Third Sea Eye was nominally the responsibility of the Water Department and the East Sea Dragon Clan, but Jie Sect disciples had long performed its suppression 7. |
| Sea-Suppressing Array operations | Water Department officials received Qingxiaozi's formation map, command token, and spiritual-tide records when he left his post; their replacement personnel later failed to operate the array safely 11 13. |
| Four Seas administration | Xuan Lang invoked the department's ability to “command the Four Seas” while contesting the validity of Qingxiaozi's formation-map copy 12. |
| Southern Wilderness miasma response | If the poisonous miasma expanded, the Water Department was one of the Heavenly Court departments expected to join the Thunder and Plague Departments in suppression 23. |
| South Sea water-vein affairs | The department recorded Jie Sect disciples' assistance with the South Sea water veins. Chen Chao's seven dredging operations were later used to identify him as a prospective water-vein inspector. 44 46 |
| Dragon Palace routes and joint defense | Departmental records covered assistance along the Dragon Palace's old routes, protection of Water Department officials, and joint-defense operations. These activities became qualifications in its preliminary recruitment register. 44 46 |
| Sea-Calming Office staffing | The department's shortage of a Sea-Calming Office official was used to justify selecting Lu Qing, whose previous Sea Eye service made him a suitable candidate. 50 54 |
History
For years, the Water Department lacked sufficient personnel for difficult assignments. The Third Sea Eye’s suppression, formally shared with the Dragon Clan, was ultimately handled by Qingxiaozi, a peripheral Jie Sect disciple, for two thousand years. Water Department officials had found the post too dangerous or secured transfers away. 7 11 12
When the Jie Sect recalled its disciples to Golden Turtle Island, the department was unable to fill the resulting vacancies. Haotian ordered the Water, Dou, and Thunder Departments to replace departing Jie Sect personnel, but the Water Department was already short-handed. 8 Its replacement officials at the Third Sea Eye were injured immediately, and the spiritual tide surged backward into a regional demon tide. 10
The crisis escalated after Water Department personnel forcibly activated Qingxiaozi's Sea-Suppressing Array. Seven Water Department immortal officials died in the backlash. Rather than accept fault, the department alleged that Qingxiaozi had supplied incorrect formation diagrams and dispatched Divine General Xuan Lang with Heavenly Soldiers to seize him. 11
Zhao Xuan exposed the accusation using four jade slips: Qingxiaozi's formation-map copy, the Water Department's receipt seal, two millennia of spiritual-tide records, and evidence of Qingxiaozi's accumulated injuries. The records established that Qingxiaozi had completed his handover and that the Water Department possessed the necessary materials. 12 13
Haotian subsequently sentenced Xuan Lang to guard the Third Sea Eye for one thousand years and ordered a strict investigation of all Water Department officials involved. 14 The department nevertheless remained unable to stabilize the Sea Eye, while the Thunder Department's attempted intervention further disrupted its water veins. 14 16
Haotian eventually formalized a petition appointing Qingxiaozi to temporarily act on the Water Department's behalf at the Third Sea Eye. The petition assigned his merits to Qingxiaozi, placed the karma on the Heavenly Court, and required compensation for any further damage to his Dao foundation. 16 19
After Qingxiaozi restored the array, a second sealed order prohibited the Water Department and Dragon Palace from altering formation flags, the formation eye, or their assigned duties without his authorization. Any resulting backlash would be borne by the Heavenly Court. 21
The Jie Sect's subsequent internal investigation uncovered a private Heavenly Court letter promising an Outer Sect disciple a Water Department divine position in exchange for contacting fellow disciples and persuading them to accept investiture. Investigation of the letter exposed the Water Department Old Seal and a preliminary register that classified disciples by their previous water-related service. Some names were marked for priority entry onto the Investiture of the Gods List. 42 43 44
The discovery expanded beyond the Water Department when Zhao Gongming's Wealth Department entry appeared within the same concealed records. Zhao Xuan sealed the broader register, gathered the disciples' old orders and receipts into the Interception Sect Old Merit Ledger, and publicly demanded an explanation from the Heavenly Court. 45 46
Under Haotian's questioning, a Water Department official admitted recording prospective candidates in advance but claimed that the records merely prepared for future rewards and staffing. Haotian rejected the claim that this had been authorized by the Heavenly Mandate and ordered all departmental records sealed and all preliminary registers involving Jie Sect disciples submitted for examination. He also recognized that the Investiture List aura attached to the records was beyond the Water Department's ability to produce. 46 47
Zhao Xuan then investigated Lu Qing's entry and traced the conversion of his past service into a supposed foreordained Water Department appointment. The inquiry connected the department's preliminary register to the Position Assignment Register, the Director of Fate's Authority Gap Table, and a Jade Emptiness policy granting Jie Sect disciples priority in filling vacancies. Lu Qing was eventually marked as temporarily removed from Position Assignment, while his deceased companion Zhou Huai's omitted merit was restored to the Clear Gate Register. 50 51 52 53 54 55
The final revision of the Investiture replaced compulsory vacancy-filling through the deaths of Three Teachings disciples with a system that included voluntary divine service. Hongjun granted the Willing Divinity List to the Heavenly Court, and Haotian began reorganizing its ranks under the new framework. The Water Department's staffing needs therefore remained part of Heavenly Court administration, but no longer justified forcing Jie Sect disciples into offices through the old arrangement. 126 128
Notable Personnel
- Divine General Xuan Lang — Water Department general who attempted to detain Qingxiaozi without producing proof that the formation map was flawed. He later misrepresented the confrontation to Haotian. 11 12
- Water Department immortal officials — Replacement personnel whose forced activation of the Sea-Suppressing Array caused the deaths of seven officials and triggered the accusation against Qingxiaozi. 11
- Formation-map recipient — A Water Department official who left the confirmation mark acknowledging receipt of Qingxiaozi's map, token, and records; the official later died at the Third Sea Eye. 12 13
- Blue-robed Water Department immortal official — Unnamed official questioned by Haotian about the department's preliminary register. He admitted that candidates had been recorded without orders from Haotian or the Dao Ancestor, then denied that the Position Assignment Register was in the department's possession. 46 47 52
Relationships
- Heavenly Court — Parent institution; the department receives imperial orders and was investigated by Haotian after its handling of the Third Sea Eye crisis. 8 14 Its private recruitment records later became evidence in a wider investigation into advance divine assignments. The final settlement gave the Heavenly Court the Willing Divinity List as a lawful recruitment mechanism. 47 128
- Haotian — Heavenly Emperor who ordered the department to fill Jie Sect vacancies, then punished Xuan Lang and approved restrictions on the department's conduct at the Sea Eye. 8 14 21 He subsequently interrogated its officials about unauthorized preliminary assignments, ordered their records examined, and used Heavenly Court fortune to compel the Water Department Old Seal to identify the source of its authority-gap reports. 46 47 53
- Qingxiaozi — Jie Sect disciple who performed the department's Third Sea Eye duties for two thousand years; later became its temporary appointed representative for the site. 11 19
- East Sea Dragon Palace — Shared nominal responsibility for the Third Sea Eye; both the Dragon Palace and Water Department were barred from unauthorized changes to the array. 7 21
- Thunder Department — Requested Water Department support during the broader Heavenly Court personnel shortage; its thunder-art intervention worsened the Third Sea Eye's instability. 10 14
- Zhao Xuan — Exposed the department's attempt to frame Qingxiaozi, obtained formal restrictions on its interference at the Third Sea Eye, and later investigated its use of Jie Sect merits to select prospective deities. 12 13 21 50 53
- Jie Sect Outer Sect disciples — Provided water-related labor, including Sea Eye suppression, water-vein dredging, protection of officials, and prisoner escorts. The department secretly used these services as qualifications for future divine appointments, prompting the disciples to submit records against it. 43 44 45
- Director of Fate — Supplied the departmental authority-gap reports consulted before the Water Department compiled its candidates. The Director of Fate's Authority Gap Table was used to assess past merits, expertise, vacancies, and sect destiny. 53 54
- Jade Emptiness/Yuxu Palace — A jade-patterned link connected the department's preliminary records to the Position Assignment Register. Further investigation exposed Jade Emptiness's approval of a policy prioritizing meritorious and numerous Jie Sect disciples for departmental vacancies. 52 54
- Wealth Department — Its concealed entry for Zhao Gongming revealed that the advance selection process extended beyond Water Department candidates into an All-Department Preliminary Register. Both departments were specifically named in Haotian's promise to investigate private records. 45 47
Third Sea Eye Incident
- Qingxiaozi departed under the Jie Sect's recall decree after handing over the formation map, token, and historical records. 11
- Water Department replacements failed to control the Sea Eye and forcibly activated the Sea-Suppressing Array, killing seven of their own officials. 11
- Xuan Lang accused Qingxiaozi of leaving false diagrams and sought to take him to the Heavenly Court for interrogation. 11
- Zhao Xuan's evidence established that the Water Department had received Qingxiaozi's handover materials and that its confirmation seal was genuine. 12 13
- The department's personnel shortage and unauthorized interference forced Haotian to request Qingxiaozi's aid under formal, sealed terms. 16 19
- Qingxiaozi identified that an array flag had been displaced and a water vein severed by thunder arts before reconnecting the array's four key points. 19
- The subsequent order made Qingxiaozi temporary commander of the Third Sea Eye formation and prohibited Water Department interference without authorization. 21
- During the worsening crisis, reports stated that the Sea Eye seal had cracked by thirty percent, Xuan Lang was missing, and the department had failed to maintain the formation. 16
- Zhao Xuan's wider debt records documented an earlier occasion when Qingxiaozi injured his Dao foundation holding back a demon tide for the department. Although the Heavenly Court classified the merit as first-class, his actual reward was only three low-grade spirit pills. 14
- Qingxiaozi estimated that the restored formation could hold for three days, or seven if the Water Department stopped tampering with its formation eye. The second sealed order formalized the noninterference requirement. 21
Preliminary Register Investigation
Private Recruitment
A Heavenly Court talisman letter privately offered an unnamed Outer Sect disciple a proper Water Department deity position. The letter had been delivered three years before its disclosure and had not been reported to the Jie Sect. Its terms sought the disciple's knowledge of fellow Outer Sect members and assistance in persuading them to accept investiture. The recipient admitted having briefly been tempted but did not ultimately betray the sect; Zhao Xuan did not convict him merely for receiving the offer. 42 43
The recruitment scheme particularly sought disciples who cultivated water arts, knew Sea Eyes and water veins, or possessed Dragon Clan connections. Zhao Xuan identified it as an attempt to obtain a list of useful candidates rather than simply reward service. The exposed private register also displayed the title “Water Department Principal Deity.” 43 44
In response, Zhao Xuan recorded that Jie Sect past merits had to be verified through the Clear Gate Register and could not be privately recorded or used by the Heavenly Court, Water Department, Dragon Clan, or Star Palace. Attempts to use those merits to lure disciples into appointments would be treated as buying their lives. 44
Seals and Registers
| Record or Instrument | Documented Function or Evidence |
|---|---|
| Water Department Old Seal | An old water-ripple seal associated with early Sea Eye joint-defense mobilizations. Although much of its mark had been worn away, the Clear Gate Register exposed it on the recruitment document and used it to reveal the department's preliminary records. 44 |
| Water Department Preliminary Register | Classified Jie Sect disciples according to past service and prospective departmental usefulness, with annotations identifying suitable offices. Some names carried red circles marking priority for entry onto the Investiture of the Gods List. 44 |
| All-Department Preliminary Register | The broader concealed register exposed when Zhao Gongming's Wealth Department entry appeared behind the Water Department records. Its connection to List Qi demonstrated that advance candidate selection was not confined to one department. 45 |
| Position Assignment Register | Linked departmental preliminary candidates to future divine offices on the Investiture of the Gods List. In Lu Qing's case, it helped turn recorded merit into a “Divine Office Foreordained Connection.” The Water Department official denied that this register was held by his department. 51 52 |
| Director of Fate Authority Gap Table | Predated the Investiture deliberation and supplied the authority-gap information consulted by the Water Department. Its selection rules considered past merits, expertise, departmental vacancies, and sect destiny. 53 54 |
| Interception Sect Old Merit Ledger | Compiled old orders, registers, receipts, and transfer records voluntarily submitted by disciples, including evidence concerning the Third Sea Eye, South Sea water veins, aquatic demon prisoners, and Water Department operations. Zhao Xuan used these records to demand answers from the Heavenly Court. 45 46 |
Recorded Candidates
| Disciple | Recorded Service or Qualification | Proposed Use |
|---|---|---|
| Lu Qing | Familiarity with the Third Sea Eye; seven days protecting its water veins; rescue of three thousand Aquatic Race citizens; one Water Department acknowledgment. 44 50 | Candidate for the Water Department Sea-Calming Office; his merits were later treated as a foreordained divine-office connection. He was temporarily removed from Position Assignment after Zhao Xuan's investigation. 44 51 55 |
| Chen Chao | Seven dredgings of the South Sea water veins. 44 | Prospective water-vein inspector. 44 |
| Han Li | Three occasions protecting Water Department immortal officials; familiarity with the Dragon Palace's old routes. 44 | Recorded as a useful prospective departmental candidate, without a specific office shown in the exposed annotation. 44 |
| Bai Qu | Escorting aquatic demon criminals. 44 | Classified simply as “Usable.” 44 |
| Unnamed Outer Sect disciple | Once filled a Water Mansion vacancy and received a message from Taibai Jinxing promising future rewards for past service. 44 | Marked with a red circle in the Priority Register. 44 |
These entries identified prospective assignments, not completed appointments. The preliminary register's unauthorized creation and its connection to the Investiture of the Gods List were subjects of investigation. 47 51
Lu Qing and Zhou Huai
Lu Qing and Zhou Huai had held the Third Sea Eye for seven days during an earlier rupture. According to Lu Qing, Water Department officials arrived late, while the Dragon Palace denied jurisdiction. On the seventh day, sea fiends swept Zhou Huai away, and even his true spirit could not be recovered. The Heavenly Court later provided only thanks and half a gourd of immortal brew. Zhou Huai's name never entered the merit register, whereas Lu Qing's name entered the preliminary recruitment register. 44
When Zhao Xuan examined the records, Lu Qing's past merit had become a “Divine Office Foreordained Connection,” despite his never having consented to join the department. The hidden assignment process used his familiarity with the Sea Eye and the department's vacant Sea-Calming Office as grounds for binding him to a future post. 50 51 54
The Water Department ledger also contained the principle “The dead shall not be assigned positions.” Zhou Huai's omission exposed the distinction between honoring service and selecting living candidates for future use. Zhao Xuan condemned the record as a “Selection Ledger” and restored Zhou Huai's name and sacrifice to the Clear Gate Register. 51
Responsibility and Outcome
- Haotian established that the preliminary records had been compiled without orders from either himself or the Dao Ancestor. He ordered all departments to seal their records and submit registers involving Jie Sect disciples; concealment would cost officials their immortal registration. 47
- The Water Department admitted possessing a preliminary register but denied custody of the Position Assignment Register. Zhao Xuan treated that denial as a recorded claim rather than an exoneration. 52
- The Water Department Old Seal admitted that the department had seen authority-gap reports before organizing past merits. Under pressure from Haotian, it identified the Director of Fate as their source. 53
- The exposed sequence began with departmental authority gaps, followed by the search for useful candidates, preliminary registration, Position Assignment, and the attraction of List Qi. Lu Qing was selected because the department lacked an official, not because his service independently established a destined appointment. 53
- Jade Emptiness's annotation granted priority to Jie Sect members because of their numerous merits and large membership. This linked the Water Department's records to a wider policy that turned the sect's usefulness into grounds for recruitment. 54
- Zhao Xuan's investigation stripped away most of Lu Qing's calamity qi and temporarily removed him from Position Assignment. Zhou Huai remained recorded for his merit despite being unable to receive such an assignment. Lu Qing's reprieve was partial rather than complete liberation from the wider system. 55
- The final Investiture settlement prohibited filling Heavenly Court vacancies through forced deaths of Three Teachings disciples. The Willing Divinity List provided a voluntary alternative, while karma and contested benefits were handled through the other two lists. 128