Prefectural City

Biodata

Layout and Landmarks

• The city is built of gray-white stone. Large buildings stand even in quieter parts of its Outer City, while shops and vendors crowd its streets 81.
• Golden Phoenix Tower — a nine-story Golden Family establishment selling treasures, martial arts, and intelligence. A basic city gazetteer costs ten taels there 81.
• Tongfu Inn — operated by the Soul-Calming Office; it provides free rooms to Gold and Silver Token holders awaiting assessment 81.
• Soul-Calming Office outpost — located outside the city, near Blood Valley. Its constables guard against Evil Spirits emerging from the valley 81 82.
• Martyrs’ Shrine — holds memorial tablets for fallen Soul-Calming Office personnel 143 150.

Powers and Institutions

• The city's foremost factions are called the Three Sects and Thirteen Families. Above them stand the Soul-Calming Office in public authority and the Yinyuan Sect in the shadows 80.
• The Luo Family, ranked twelfth among the thirteen families, operates five shops whose deeds later pass to Lin Qing 72 80.
• The Soul-Calming Office recruits martial artists from Shichuan Prefecture's 128 counties. Its city-based constables hold a status that few local factions dare challenge 80 83.
• The office's Black List ranks fighters by strength, while its Scarlet List ranks prodigies under thirty. Each contains 200 names 81.

Story Role and Major Events

• Lin Qing initially sees the Prefectural City Soul-Calming Office as a path to stronger martial arts, better resources, and advancement beyond county service. He reaches the city with Li Ping and Ma Ziye for its assessment 21 80 81.
• The city is less peaceful than its reputation suggests. Rival factions clash, and fighting between the Soul-Calming Office and Yinyuan Sect has caused heavy casualties 75.
• Lin Qing wins a place as a Gold Token constable. He later becomes a Constable Chief, Chief Candidate, head of the Netherworld Pacification Bureau, and the office's Ninth Executive 89 126 140 149.
• During the Blood Calamity, defenders fight Blood Corpses outside the city while Yinyuan Sect members attack within it. Destroying the Evil Spirit behind the corpses ends the calamity, but the sect's attacks continue 118 121 123 124.
• After the Luo Family's fall, the Spirit-Devouring Demon Child hunts martial artists across the city. The Soul-Calming Office also organizes a coalition to attack Yinyuan Sect leader Sima Yi outside the walls 149 150.