Anning County

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Anning County (安宁县)
Type	County
Affiliation	Great Xuan; originally administered under Jiangyin Prefecture and later slated to merge into the newly established Heavenly Saber Prefecture 215 228
Location	A mountain-backed county with the Eastern Cang Sea and its docks to the east; the Five Hundred Li Mountain Road and Earth Dragon Cave lie to the west 62 90 288
Status	Formerly remote and impoverished; transformed into strategically valuable spirit land after the Earth Dragon Cave Boundary Gate emerged 191 196
First Appearance	Chapter 11

Geography

Anning County is separated from Jiangyin Prefecture by difficult terrain and ordinarily communicates with the outside world through docks and sea transport rather than overland routes. This isolation once made official reporting slow and limited long-distance talismanic communication. 62 69 195

Its western mountain road runs toward the Earth Dragon Cave, passing villages, mountain towns, and hunting manors that serve as the county's outer defenses. The deeper areas contain demon beasts, spiritual medicines, mountain goods, and occasional Earth Treasures, but are dangerous even for Martial Warriors. 62 77 90

Notable locations

Location	Description
County Office	Seat of the County Magistrate and county soldiers; later used as the temporary center of administration after the magistrate's removal 74 123 195
West Street	Commercial district where Ji Xiu established his residence and reorganized the former Tiger Leopard Hall site into a mountain-goods enterprise 90 192
Anning Wharf	The county's vital connection to sea routes, merchant ships, other counties, and Jiangyin Prefecture 96 132
Five Hundred Li Mountain Road	Western route through mountain towns and hunting manors toward the Earth Dragon Cave; Anning's principal source of cultivation materials and mountain goods 62 90
Earth Dragon Cave	A spiritually significant cave region west of the county. It later becomes the site of a Boundary Gate connecting Great Xuan to Central Yellow Heaven. 191 192
Eighteen Interlocking Mountain Towns and Hunting Manors	Outlying settlements and production centers supplying mountain goods; their trade was formerly controlled by the Three Great Gangs and later placed under the Chief Head system 90 91

Government and local powers

The County Magistrate governs through the County Office and county soldiers equipped with heavy crossbows. The four major martial halls also participate in local defense and can mobilize county troops, linking Anning's martial order to Jiangyin Prefecture. 57 69

Power	Members	Role in Anning County
Three Great Businesses	Fire Kiln Lu, Firewood Market Xu, Cattle and Sheep Market Wei	Major commercial proprietors with retainers and extensive local influence 25 39
Four Great Halls	Divine Fist Gate, Overlord Spear, Whale Severing Blade, Black Bird Sword	Martial halls that dominate the Inner Street and assist in county defense 57 69
Three Great Gangs	Lion Hall, Tiger Leopard Hall, Falcon Gang	Mountain-road powers that controlled rare treasures and trade routes outside the county 40 52
Wind and Cloud Association	Formed by the Three Great Businesses under the influence of a Qi Refining Expert	A new county power intended to surpass the gangs and martial halls; its members later supported local administration 43 195
Mountain Road Chief Head	Ji Xiu	Position created to replace the Three Great Gangs' authority over the Eighteen Interlocking Mountain Towns and hunting manors 90 91

Economy

Anning's eastern waters are unsuitable for ordinary fishing, making the western mountain road the county's most valuable resource. Mountain towns and hunting manors provide herbs, demon materials, rare treasures, and other mountain goods needed by local businesses and Martial Warriors. 90

The Three Great Gangs originally monopolized this trade by controlling the mountain road. After their decline, Ji Xiu used the former Tiger Leopard Hall site on West Street as the base for a new mountain-goods business, sharing profits with the Three Great Businesses and Whale Severing Blade Hall in exchange for manpower and local connections. 90 91

The county's docks remain essential despite its remoteness. Merchant ships and sea routes connect Anning to Jiangyin Prefecture, though its commercial scale was initially far below that of the prefectural city. 69 74 127

History

Rise of new county powers

Anning was initially a remote county where even Refining Skin Martial Warriors could dominate locally, while Qi Refining Experts were exceptionally rare. Its established order rested on the Three Great Businesses, Three Great Gangs, Four Great Halls, and the County Office. 11 39 69

A Qi Refining Expert's planned sect foundation prompted the Three Great Businesses to unite as the Wind and Cloud Association. The association's establishment disrupted the existing balance among the gangs, halls, and commercial families. 38 43

After the Three Great Gangs lost influence, Ji Xiu received the title of Mountain Road Chief Head and responsibility for the Eighteen Interlocking Mountain Towns and hunting manors. He secured recognition by returning from deep in the mountain road with four four-hundred-year-old demon beasts, then reorganized West Street's mountain-goods trade. 90 91

Central Yellow Sect calamity

The Central Yellow Sect cultivated influence in Anning through local gangs, wealthy households, and incense followers. Its remnants exploited the county's isolation and prepared to use a demon attack to spread their teachings. 86 112

Huang Xiuwen returned to Anning with the White Ape Gorge Lord, Thunder Roar Leopard Lord, and Scarlet Python Demon Lord, leading to a large-scale demon incursion. Hundreds and thousands of demons entered the county while Central Yellow Sect followers incited panic among residents. 112 114

Ji Xiu, Duan Chenzhou, and their allies defended the county and defeated the sect's forces. Although the immediate disaster was quelled, businesses, homes, and livelihoods across Anning suffered extensive damage. 115 117 118

The prefectural authorities subsequently removed County Magistrate Zhao Jiu, holding him responsible for the catastrophe. Before a replacement arrived, the Wind and Cloud Association and the Three Great Halls temporarily handled county affairs. 123 195

Boundary Gate crisis

A Boundary Gate began forming at the Earth Dragon Cave, alarming Jiangyin Prefecture's officials. The gate connected Great Xuan to Central Yellow Heaven and threatened to turn Anning into a battlefield for Heretical Path forces, wild gods, and divine armies. 191 192

Heretical Path creatures infiltrated the mountain towns and hunting manors before the gate fully stabilized. Ji Xiu destroyed the Black Mountain Mountain Count and later eliminated the wild gods and God Armor forces that emerged from the cave region. 192 195

When Jiangyin Prefecture's garrison and academy delegation arrived, they found the immediate threat already resolved and rows of Heretical Path corpses and usable armor displayed at the County Office. 195

Integration into Heavenly Saber Prefecture

The Boundary Gate's upheaval pulled territory from Central Yellow Heaven into Great Xuan, and the Three Five Demon Slaying Divine Mansion became a new prefecture city in Northern Cang. 211

The Heavenly Saber lineage was elevated to the Heavenly Saber True Sect and granted authority over the new prefecture. Anning County was to be merged into this new jurisdiction. 213 215

The resulting increase in spiritual energy made Anning a coveted area for sects, great businesses, and powerful families seeking property and a foothold near the Boundary Gate. 196

Trivia

• Anning County was initially described as a five-hundred-li county, though Zhao Jiu later refers to it as an eight-hundred-li county. 39 174
• Before the Boundary Gate's appearance, Anning had no Qi Refining Experts of its own and was considered an isolated, poor backwater within Jiangyin Prefecture. 174 195
• Ji Xiu's rise from groom to county magnate made him the county's most prominent native figure and tied Anning's reputation to his later achievements in Jiangyin Prefecture. 118 190