Longcloud County

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Longcloud County
Original Name	长云县
Type	County and lakeside county seat
Location	Cangzhou, Qi Kingdom; described as being under Nanxiang Commandery and within the South Township region 1 183
Affiliation	Qi Kingdom
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Geography & Districts

Longcloud County is built beside Cloudwater Lake, and its inhabitants have traditionally depended on fishing for their livelihoods 1. Tributaries of the lake feed canals running through both the inner and outer cities; bridges, waterways, and frequent boat traffic once made the county notably scenic 3.

Location	Description
Inner City	Protected by lofty blue-brick walls and open gates. It contains major family estates, martial halls, markets, and commercial businesses. 9 39
Outer City	Poorer and more dangerous than the inner city, with districts divided sharply by wealth and status. 3 22
Northern City	A wealthy residential area with clean, level flagstone roads, tall estate walls, deep courtyards, and peach and apricot trees. Shen Xiuhan's family later resides in this area. 347
Xuanhua Ward	An outer-city slum of crowded mud-and-thatch shacks and foul, narrow alleys; gang violence occurs openly there. 14
Little Mirror Bay	An impoverished outer-city settlement. 14
West Market Wharf	A lakeside departure point for ships traveling through Cloudwater Lake. After the Golden Dragon Gang's defeat, Turbulent Wave Gang members exercise authority there. 22 55 57
Fish Market	A major commercial hub, especially busy during the peak fishing season. 183
Post Station	Located in the southern part of the county seat. 153
Cloud Ripple Island	A small Ji Family-held island in Cloudwater Lake, reached from the county by supply ship and formerly guarded by patrol envoys. 57 59
Fish Island	A Sunken Sword Dock branch stronghold north of Cloud Ripple Island, commanded by Tang Jin. It was used as a destination for children abducted by the White Family. 81 136
Eastern Yi Island	A large, fortified island in the lake, once occupied by Sunken Sword Dock. It became a ruined wasteland after Duan Xiao's death, was later used as a Furious Sea Sect staging ground for the Fishing Sea Blessed Land expedition, and lies near the blessed land's emergence site. 95 266 267
White Family Abandoned Mine	A former White Family mine in Longcloud County, later identified as a possible Origin Stone mine and selected for a covert Star-Picking Sect survey. 344 370 374

Cloudwater Lake is a vast marshland lake with deep-water merchant routes, shallows crowded by fishing craft, and waterways extending toward the territories of Qi, Wu, and Yue 57 59. It is also part of the former Southern Township Marsh and the area surrounding the formerly sealed Fishing Sea Blessed Land 253. The blessed land subsequently opened for an expedition and collapsed afterward 270 361.

The countryside beyond the outer city includes extensive cultivated fields. When Shen Xiuhan returns in March after the blessed land expedition, spring rain is described soaking these crops 344.

Society

The county's inner and outer cities are separated by severe inequality. Inner-city youths train in brocade clothing and form exclusive social circles, while outer-city disciples often wear patched garments and train quietly at the margins 22.

Fishing remains central to daily life. Fishermen work from skiffs, bamboo rafts, and black-canopied boats, while the fish market sells the lake's catch of fish, shrimp, clams, and other produce 57 183.

• Housing prices rise sharply closer to the wealthy northern districts. 40
• The county supports numerous martial halls, though only a small number possess genuine foundations or Dark Force experts. 65
• By August, the county is regarded as one of South Township Prefecture's most prosperous major counties. 183
• Despite its local prosperity, Longcloud is considered remote and relatively insignificant when compared with Great Qi's nine provinces and thirty-six prefectures, with few widely renowned experts. 39
• Martial artists who reach Bright Force commonly seek employment or nominal posts with wealthy families, escort agencies, and medicine halls because continued cultivation requires expensive food, medicines, and other resources. 23
• The Dragon Cavalry Martial Banquet drew martial artists from Longcloud, Changshui, and neighboring counties, temporarily filling local inns, taverns, and even converted woodsheds. 118
• Following the exposure of the White Family's crimes, public discussion in the county celebrated the family's destruction as retribution for the children it had sacrificed. 183
• Shen Xiuhan's later recognition among South Township Prefecture's Four Heroes and Seven Beauties shocked Plum Academy's disciples. His rise from a fishing household inspired admiration, while also highlighting the importance of aptitude and rare opportunities in reaching Transformation Force. 349

Political & Martial Powers

Five Great Families

Longcloud County's principal local powers are traditionally known as the Five Great Families: the White, Ji, Luo, Han, and Wang Families 23 39. This balance has since sharply deteriorated: the White Family was exterminated, the Han Family withdrew from the county, and the Ji Family shifted much of its attention elsewhere, allowing the Wang Family to seek greater dominance 183 352. The Luo Family also began secretly evacuating its relatives and wealth, but its convoy was subsequently attacked by Shen Xiuhan 353 355.

Family	Position in Longcloud County
White Family	A former dominant inner-city house with businesses across the county. Its head held the County Commandant post, while Bai Qingcang was a longstanding Transformative Force expert. The family was later exterminated for its child-abduction and human-pill crimes; Bai Qingcang was subsequently devoured by Baleful Yin Sect Elder Liu Zonglin. 21 39 183 381
Ji Family	Controls the Ji Clan Commerce Guild, whose waterway trade extends across Cangzhou. It maintains Cloud Ripple Island and deploys patrol envoys to protect its personnel, cargo, and routes. Its focus later shifted away from Longcloud County. 39 44 64 352
Luo Family	The county magistrate's family. Luo Changming is both its patriarch and a Transformative Force martial artist. After the White Family's fall and the exposure of its dealings with the Furious Sea Sect, the Luo Family began hastily selling properties and secretly moving relatives and wealth out of the county. Luo Changming sought Furious Sea Sect protection for a move to the South Sea, but Shen Xiuhan attacked the convoy, defeated him, and killed numerous family warriors, including Luo Rong. 39 60 152 353 355
Han Family	A Longcloud branch of the prominent Han Clan of Xinyi Prefecture. The branch had been planted in the county decades earlier as part of the Han Clan's plan to seek the Fishing Sea Blessed Land's Dark Nether Peak inheritance, but later departed from Longcloud County. 39 266 287 290 352
Wang Family	A low-profile but heavily protected family tied to Eastern Suppression General Wang Zhifan, whose ancestral home is Longcloud County. Its businesses include the Eastern Guard Martial Hall, Eastern Guard Escort Agency, arms shop, restaurant, and apothecary. Following the decline of the other great families, it sought to absorb the businesses left by the Han Family and assert its power over the county. 39 352

The county's balance of power is shaped by martial strength: at one point, only the Wang, Bai, and Luo Families are identified as having Transformative Force experts capable of decisively suppressing Plum Academy 65.

The White and Luo Families were related by marriage for generations. Their control of the County Commandant's office and magistracy helped explain both the White Family's influence over the constables and the lack of meaningful official progress in investigating the child abductions 42. The Luo Family also coveted the Ji Family's commerce guild and fleets, viewing them as obstacles to its intended domination of Cloudwater Lake 42 130 152.

Martial Halls and Armed Groups

Faction	Role in the County
Through-the-Back Martial Hall	A major martial hall formerly led by Yan Xiao. It operated gambling dens, a restaurant, and a weapons forge, and its Through-Back Stance originated from the Through-the-Arm Fist. Yan Xiao was later killed outside the county. 21 83 250
Plum Academy	Mei Shuangfeng's martial academy, which became one of the county's foremost martial institutions. Her breakthrough to Force Transformation and killing of Duan Xiao greatly raised its reputation. Mei originally came from the Jade Parasol Sect's Plum Mountain Lineage and established the academy after settling in Longcloud as an outsider. 95 117 179 183
Eastern Guard Martial Hall	A Wang Family-associated martial hall with privileged access to Dragon Cavalry recruitment. 39
Eastern Guard Escort Agency	A Wang Family-associated employer of martial artists seeking cultivation resources. 39
Turbulent Wave Gang	A force led by former Dragon Cavalry soldier Zheng Dadao and established with other retired soldiers. It destroyed the Golden Dragon Gang and became a dominant outer-city power. It was covertly backed by the Wang Family as part of its designs against the White Family. 22 48 55
Golden Dragon Gang	An outer-city gang serving the White Family, eliminated by the Turbulent Wave Gang. 48 55

Outside Influence

• Dragon Cavalry Army — The Wang Family's military connections extend beyond the county. Zhao Zheng arrived with fifty Bright Force soldiers for the Dragon Cavalry Martial Banquet, demonstrating a level of military strength that caused a county-wide sensation. 39 118
• Furious Sea Sect — Exercised influence through Sunken Sword Dock and its agreement with Luo Changming, then occupied Eastern Yi Island during preparations for the Fishing Sea Blessed Land expedition. 152 182 266
• Baleful Yin Sect — Bai Qingcang negotiated to establish a branch stronghold in Longcloud County, but the plan failed after the White Family's destruction. 153 307
• Hanging Mirror Office and imperial interests — Wei Wusheng and Prince Jiang Su were involved in concealed arrangements surrounding the local Destiny Child, Xiao Wu. Luo Tangyin served as Wei's hidden agent at Xiao Wu's side. 177 182 190
• Star-Picking Sect — Shen Xiuhan became one of its true disciples, while the discovery of a possible Origin Stone mine later prompted plans for a covert survey by trusted sect disciples. 349 370 374

Major Conflicts

White Family and Through-the-Back Martial Hall

The White Family's conflict with Through-the-Back Martial Hall escalated after the county's Fast Squad sealed the hall's gambling dens in South Market. Disciples from both sides later fought openly in outer-city streets and markets 21 23.

The dispute involved broader political interests: Through-the-Back Martial Hall was connected to the Eastern Guard Martial Hall and, by extension, the Wang Family, while the White Family benefited from its control of the County Commandant's office 21 48.

Bai Jing's intervention against Zhao Honggang and Feng Xiaobao was answered by Wang Xuanyang, bringing the backing of the rival factions into open view 22. The Wang Family preferred indirect pressure because its only openly stationed Transformative Force expert was Wang Zhidao, while the White Family could potentially receive assistance from its Luo Family in-laws 48.

Outer-City Gang Warfare

The Turbulent Wave Gang challenged the Golden Dragon Gang's territorial control, including its influence at West Market Wharf 22. After Shen Xiuhan killed Tian Erhu, the Golden Dragon Gang blamed its rival and launched attacks. Zheng Dadao used the accusation to rally people who resented the Golden Dragon Gang's oppression, escalating the dispute into a major street battle 29.

The warfare also served as a proxy struggle between the Wang and White Families: the Wang-backed Turbulent Wave Gang opposed the White Family's Golden Dragon Gang 48. The destruction of the Golden Dragon Gang allowed the Turbulent Wave Gang to consolidate its reputation as the outer city's dominant gang 55. Its authority nevertheless remained subordinate to that of established martial institutions, as demonstrated when its members allowed Shen Xiuhan through West Market Wharf after recognizing his Plum Academy affiliation and Bright Force cultivation 57.

Child Abductions

Children between five and eight repeatedly disappeared from impoverished districts of Longcloud and Changshui Counties. The Bai clan was identified as the force directing the abductions from behind the scenes 16.

Later evidence revealed a wider arrangement:

• The White Family abducted children and sent victims for refinement into human pills. 146 170
• Victims were transported to Fish Island, a Sunken Sword Dock stronghold commanded by Tang Jin. 81 136
• Luo Changming deliberately ignored the crimes in exchange for promised Furious Sea Sect support against the Ji and Han Families. 152
• Bai Fufeng killed Shen Xiuhan's father, Shen Sanhuai, to prevent him from exposing the abductions. 152
• Sunken Sword Dock participated in refining the kidnapped children into human elixirs. 146 182
• Xiao Wu obtained detailed records of abductions extending beyond Longcloud to other counties, including Fenglin and Taoyuan, with information about the perpetrators, destinations, and consumers of the human pills. 170
• The White Estate ultimately fell, and its holdings disappeared overnight. 183
• Bai Qingcang's planned Baleful Yin Sect branch hall in Longcloud County failed after the White Family was exterminated. 307
• Bai Qingcang was later devoured by Baleful Yin Sect Elder Liu Zonglin, who thereby obtained the Yin Kui Benevolent Sacrifice Illusory Demon Art. 381

The confrontation at the White Estate was also exploited by imperial agents seeking to nurture Xiao Wu's heroic fate. Wei Wusheng's arrangement called for Duan Xiao to gravely injure the Destiny Child, setting up a reversal through revenge. Mei Shuangfeng's unexpected breakthrough and killing of Duan Xiao disrupted this intended sequence, although Bai Jing's escape preserved a means of drawing Bai Qingcang into subsequent events 182.

Sunken Sword Dock and Cloud Ripple Island

Cloud Ripple Island was repeatedly targeted by water bandits operating on Cloudwater Lake. Ji Guannan died defending the island during a joint raid by Sunken Sword Dock, the Giant Whale Gang, and Water Dragon Stockade 59.

Sunken Sword Dock later mounted another major siege, prompting County Magistrate Luo Changming and Wang Zhidao to lead county forces against its leader, Duan Xiao 59. The resulting deterrence and agreement limited the participation of Hidden Force experts in subsequent fighting, although Tang Jin attempted to exploit the distinction between entering a confrontation and actually fighting 60 100.

The dock eventually collapsed following Duan Xiao's death, after which Eastern Yi Island was abandoned and fell into ruin 180 220 266. Its surviving bandits looted the island and dispersed, bringing temporary peace to Cloudwater Lake. The Ji Family subsequently withdrew seventy or eighty percent of Cloud Ripple Island's patrol envoys and guards, transferring some to prefectural-city businesses and others to its grain transport fleet 220.

Fishing Sea Blessed Land Emergence

The emergence of the Fishing Sea Blessed Land transformed Cloudwater Lake into a gathering point for the Dragon Cavalry Army, the Furious Sea Sect, the South Township Four Sects, the Han Clan, the Baleful Yin Sect, and other powerful cultivators 266 267 272.

Eastern Yi Island was occupied by the Furious Sea Sect as a forward camp, while the lake's shores hosted the competing factions before the blessed land's light gate opened above the water 266 270. The contest revealed that the Longcloud Han Family had been established decades earlier as part of the Xinyi Han Clan's long-term attempt to obtain Dark Nether Peak's inheritance 287 290.

After the expedition, Furious Sea Sect Innate expert Pei Jian attempted to impose his authority on the gathered cultivators, freezing them with his power. Cloud-Watching True Person arrived with Gongsun Bei, freed those present, and challenged Pei Jian 335. Pei Jian's defeat forced Han Yong to flee, while the blessed land's eventual collapse brought the expedition to an end 340 361.

Luo Family Evacuation

Luo Changming imposed a seven-day deadline for Shen Xiuhan to leave Longcloud County while secretly arranging his own family's departure. The Luo Family sold desirable shops at bargain prices and moved collateral relatives and boxes of wealth out through its back gate at night. Because Luo Changming and the family's core members continued appearing publicly, residents initially interpreted the activity as a contraction of its businesses rather than an evacuation 353.

Luo Changming intended to trade information about Shen Xiuhan's purported Destiny Divine Ability to the Furious Sea Sect in exchange for protection, with Elder Pei Zu expected to escort the family to the South Sea 353. Shen subsequently attacked the Luo convoy. Although its cargo carriages concealed death warriors, he broke their formation, slaughtered many of them, defeated Luo Changming in direct combat, and killed Luo Family Martial Hall master Luo Rong with a thrown broken sword 355.

History

Twenty years before the main story, signs of the Fishing Sea Blessed Land appeared near Longcloud and Longwater Counties. A Child of Destiny cultivated beneath Cloudwater Lake and gave Bai Qingcang a cultivation method and a Treasure Fish after their chance meeting 82.

Bai Qingcang later joined Duan Wei, Luo Ao, and others in attacking the Child of Destiny at the lake. The battle killed or wounded nearly all participants, stained the lake's center with blood, and ended with the Child's apparent death; his body was never recovered 82.

In the aftermath, Bai Qingcang plundered the Child's cave dwelling and obtained the Yinkui Benevolent Sacrifice Illusory Demon Scripture. The White Family's later rise was tied to opportunities gained from this incident 83.

The public account that Bai Qingcang caught a third-rank Azure Dragon Carp and used a treasure pill to reach Transformation Force concealed his actual encounter with the Destiny Child 38 82. Duan Wei's instruction that his son occupy Eastern Yi Island and continue searching the lakebed also connected the incident to the establishment of Sunken Sword Dock 82.

The Han Clan of Xinyi Prefecture also prepared for the blessed land over multiple decades, establishing its Longcloud branch and concealing its true purpose through two generations. Its eventual objective was the inheritance of Dark Nether Peak within the Fishing Sea Blessed Land 266 287 290.

The Wang Family likewise stationed Wang Xuanyang in Longcloud with the objective of befriending the new Destiny Child and obtaining an independent divine ability through the blessed land's opportunities. Wang Zhidao opposed a coercive search, advocating instead that the family offer opportunities to attract the Child 84.

Longcloud County later became the focal point of the Dragon Cavalry Martial Banquet, which drew martial artists from local families, halls, and neighboring counties. The event was secretly intended to identify the Destiny Child connected to the Fishing Sea Blessed Land 118 127.

The banquet admitted martial artists under thirty regardless of family background, with separate Bright Force and Dark Force divisions. The top three in each division received access to the Dragonblood Essence-Infusion Pool 118. Shen Xiuhan won the Bright Force division after defeating Luo Qiance, gaining three days of cultivation in the pool 130.

After the White Family's destruction and the later Fishing Sea Blessed Land expedition, the county's old five-family order began to unravel. The Han Family withdrew, the Ji Family redirected its focus, and the Wang Family moved to expand its local influence 352.

Shen Xiuhan returned to Longcloud after the blessed land expedition, reconnecting with his family and Plum Academy as news of his Transformation Force cultivation spread 344 347 349. After a month-long stay and seclusion, he left again for the Star-Picking Sect. Before departing, he taught Shen Momo to use the Azure Wind Sword Formation for protection and bid farewell to Mei Shuangfeng 360.

Economy

• Fishing and lake trade — The county's livelihood is rooted in Cloudwater Lake fishing, fish markets, and waterborne commerce. 1 57 183
• Fishing tenancy — Wealthy households such as the White Family rent fishing craft to poorer families. Shen Sanhuai rented a small skiff from the White Family to support his household through fishing. 1
• Ji Clan trade — The Ji Clan Commerce Guild operates waterway trade throughout Cangzhou. 39
• Martial businesses — Martial halls and families operate gambling dens, restaurants, weapons forges, escort agencies, arms shops, and apothecaries. 21 39
• Martial employment — Wealthy clans, escort agencies, and medicine halls employ martial artists as guest elders, protectors, and instructors, providing income needed to finance cultivation. 23
• Commercial traffic — Large merchant ships navigate the deep-water routes of Cloudwater Lake, while smaller craft work the shallows. 57
• Shen Family Eatery — The Shen household's food business benefited from the influx of martial artists attending the Dragon Cavalry Martial Banquet and later became a notably crowded establishment associated with Hall Master Mei's personal disciple. 57 118 183
• Post-White Family property transfers — After the White Family's destruction, the Wang Family sought to absorb the commercial holdings left by the departing Han Family, while the Luo Family began selling properties at reduced prices. 352 353
• Origin Stone prospecting — The discovery of a potential Origin Stone mine in the county attracted secret interest from the Star-Picking Sect, which planned to dispatch trusted disciples to survey it. 370 374

Trivia

• Longcloud County's local snack includes Grilled Fish Bones. 5
• The county's prosperity and dense martial population made it a natural site for the Dragon Cavalry Martial Banquet. 118
• Despite its importance, Shen Xiuhan ultimately considers Longcloud County too limited in resources and opportunities to support his further growth. 184
• Longcloud County is Eastern Suppression General Wang Zhifan's ancestral hometown, despite his prolonged absence on military duties. 39
• The county's Five Great Families were once a defining feature of its political order, but the White Family's extermination and Han Family's departure left that arrangement largely nominal. 352