Three Rivers Prefecture

Biodata

Geography and Administration

• Three Rivers Prefecture lies at the confluence of three rivers, giving it convenient freight routes and allowing grain shipments to reach Water Mouth City even after local granaries burned. 60
• It is described as a relatively remote prefectural city of the Great Yao Court, with a population of more than 200,000. 89
• Its city walls stand nearly ten meters high, while several hundred people pass through its gates in an orderly flow. 89
• The prefecture governs twelve cities and towns of varying size, including Water Mouth City, Clear River Crossing, Riverside City, Converging Rivers City, Pillow River Town, River-Gazing Town, and Falling Horse Slope. 28 57
• Water Mouth City has only one official road leading toward Three Rivers Prefecture. 33
• The south, north, and west districts are controlled by established powerful clans. The eastern district is comparatively mixed, with many forces connected to the Immortal Ascension Sect. 89
• More than seventy percent of the prefecture is occupied by demons, while the remaining territory belongs to the Immortal Ascension Sect; the two sides generally avoid interfering with one another. 82

Governance and Institutions

• The Prefect decides affairs across the jurisdiction. Ren Qing suspects that the prefectural yamen's personnel may be tiger ghosts under a Mountain Lord, though this remains his speculation. 28
• Yin Qianzhang previously held authority as prefectural lord before becoming injured and retreating into seclusion. 57 82
• A newly appointed prefect moved the provincial golden-roll compilation from Three Rivers Prefecture to Water Mouth City, summoning listed Demon Cultivators from across the jurisdiction. 63
• Three Flowers later serves as the Three Rivers Prefect. Ren Qing identifies her as the former Three Incense Lady, now completely converted into a Demon Cultivator. 108
• The yamen contains a Scripture Pavilion where Demon Cultivator lineages are stored on bone slips. Provincial examination leaders may select lineages through their official seals; ordinary successful candidates must serve the prefecture for at least ten years. 110
• The top three of the prefecture-wide golden roll receive seventh-rank official seals. 82

Provincial Examination

• The result caused an uproar because the top three were perceived as unaffiliated wild demons, including a rat Demon Cultivator. 82
• Before the prefecture-wide compilation, Frog Immortal Lord and Fish Immortal respectively ranked first and second on Water Mouth City's golden roll. 61
• The provincial examination is marked by violent competition among Demon Cultivators; by the time of compilation, over half of the names on the golden roll had died. 82

History

Water Mouth City's Jurisdiction

Water Mouth City falls under Three Rivers Prefecture's authority. Its residents fear the arrival of the prefectural governor, while Demon Cultivators and official families travel between the prefecture and its subordinate settlements. 7 28 59

During the provincial examination, the prefecture becomes a focal point for demon clans, court officials, and independent cultivators. The decision to compile the golden list in Water Mouth City draws competitors from throughout the twelve settlements to the smaller city. 57 63

Ren Qing's Arrival

Ren Qing leaves Water Mouth City with the Fuyang Chamber of Commerce convoy and arrives in Three Rivers Prefecture ahead of schedule. He establishes himself at the renovated Fortune-Life Martial Hall in the eastern district and deploys the Imperial Court Scroll to protect the estate. 81 89

The prefecture offers substantially more Daoist inheritances and cultivation resources than Water Mouth City. Ren Qing specifically comes intending to complete his Dao lineages and pursue further cultivation. 81 86

Primordial Beginning Temple

Ren Qing converts the old Fortune-Life Martial Hall residence into Primordial Beginning Temple, ordering Mouse True Person to renovate it on the scale of Wish-Fulfillment Abbey. 90

As the Imperial Court Scroll expands over the martial hall, the temple becomes a Blessed Grotto-Heaven whose inheritance merges with the local aura of heaven and earth. Its transformed environment accelerates cultivation for those within it. 122 123

The Immortal Ascension Sect formally permits Primordial Beginning Temple to establish a branch lineage in Three Rivers Prefecture, creating the offices of chief seat, enforcer, transmitter of the Dao, ritual officer, and Vajra Warrior. 117

Notable Locations

• Fortune-Life Martial Hall / Primordial Beginning Temple — Ren Qing's residence and newly established Daoist lineage in the eastern district; eventually enveloped by the Imperial Court Scroll. 89 90 123
• Prefectural Yamen — Seat of prefectural administration and the location of the Scripture Pavilion. 82 110
• Scripture Pavilion — A talisman-protected repository of Demon Cultivator lineages, expanded far beyond its outward size. 110
• Xu's Brine Shop — A dangerous eastern-district establishment connected to Lord Food that offers true immortal lineages through its brine pots. 90 91
• River Prosperity Street — Eastern-city street where the Ghost Quarter opens amid dense fog. 105
• Ghost Quarter — A periodic barter market that attracts cultivators from varied traditions; one gathering contains over a hundred Yin Immortals. 105
• Traveling palace — A structure on the riverbed outside the prefectural city. 64

Factions and Threats

• Demon clans — Powerful old clans dominate much of the city, while smaller clans can collapse after the death of a single transformed Demon Cultivator. 89 114
• Immortal Ascension Sect — Controls much of the prefecture's remaining territory and treats the prefecture as the site of an outer sect grand competition for branch-lineage qualification. 82 116
• Ghost Quarter Masters — Long-standing observers within the prefecture who fear the consequences of Ren Qing and Primordial Beginning Temple remaining there. 80 100
• Lord Food — A true immortal with lineage sites such as Xu's Brine Shop; his presence contributes to the prefecture's mounting instability. 91 100
• Yin Corpse Dao — Its disciples enter Three Rivers Prefecture to investigate the death of an outer disciple, while additional members are expected to arrive. 104
• Western Regions forces — Their influence spreads into the prefecture alongside Buddhist phenomena and the appearance of Great Black Heaven Guanyin. 102 104 107

Trivia

• Despite being considered remote by some residents and visiting cultivators, Three Rivers Prefecture is more than ten times as lively as Water Mouth City. 89
• The prefecture's damp riverside climate becomes especially oppressive in warm weather, filling the city with mildew and making it poorly suited to corpse cultivation. 104
• By the time Primordial Beginning Temple's branch lineage is being established, some observers believe the only possible outcomes are Ren Qing's success or the destruction of Three Rivers Prefecture. 116