Marquis's Residence
Invincible Under Heaven!
Contents
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Marquis's Residence |
| Original Name | 侯府 |
| Alias(es) | Dingfeng Marquis Estate; Dingfeng Marquis Residence 1 |
| Type | Noble residence and household 1 |
| Location | Lijiang City, Great Zhou Dynasty 1 |
| Area | Approximately 100 mu 1 |
| Affiliation | Dingfeng Marquis Liu Zhengfeng and his household 1 5 |
| Household Leadership | Liu Zhengfeng; First Madam Mo Caiying directs affairs during his absence 5 7 |
| Status | Raided, with dozens killed or injured and Mo Caiying reported dead; the estate's destruction is not stated 42 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1 1 |
Layout and Household
- Grounds: Occupies 100 mu in an expensive part of Lijiang City 1.
- Courtyards: Includes an inner courtyard, a front courtyard large enough to assemble armed guards, and a covered walkway before the second courtyard 1 7.
- Main hall: Used by Mo Caiying while awaiting reports from the household's guards and hired reinforcements 40.
- Residents: Initially houses the marquis's three wives and two young ladies, alongside nearly a hundred guards, grooms, kitchen servants, and maids 1.
- Household control: Guards attempt to require the young lady's or madam's permission before allowing Li Xian to leave, despite his absence from the household register 1.
Defenses and Martial Resources
Household Forces
| Personnel | Position | Documented Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Liu Zhengfeng | Dingfeng Marquis | Achieved complete Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing; absent in the royal capital during the early conflict with Li Xian 1 40. |
| Liu Fu | Chief steward | Long-established Viscera Great Accomplishment expert; killed by Li Xian inside the estate 6 8. |
| Liu Feng | Guard captain | Muscle and bone great accomplishment, with Internal Organ Refinement already begun; killed at Li Xian's rented courtyard 5. |
| Fang Xin | Guard captain; later identified as the newly appointed commander | Third Realm muscle and bone great accomplishment 12 40. |
| Household guards | Four squads, originally totaling 48 guards | Described as having attained Bone-Tempering Achievement and being comparable to elite soldiers; twelve accompany the marquis to the capital 1 6. |
Outside Support
- Zhao Tianming: The estate financed his advancement to Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing. That obligation leads him to assist the household against Li Xian despite his reluctance 31 35.
- Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang: Recruited through Zhao Tianming. Mo Caiying promises 30,000 taels, but their principal incentive is obtaining Li Xian's Blood Jade Art 31 36.
- Limits of patronage: After the Eagles' defeat, Zhou Juechen judges that the estate cannot recruit further experts of comparable standing. He explains that True Qi experts have little reason to risk their sects for the nobles' available wealth 39.
History
Established Household and Marriage Scheme
The Dingfeng Marquis Estate has roots in Lijiang extending back nearly a century. Mo Caiying invokes this legacy, its resources, and its local connections when ordering the household to mobilize against Li Xian 7.
Six years before the main conflict, the Shao Brothers married their younger sister into the residence. According to a Zhou Family disciple, Mo Caiying later had guards beat her to death out of jealousy, leaving the brothers with a grievance against the household 40.
Li Xian enters the residence for Liu Yanran's sake after severing ties with his teachers, family, relatives, and friends. The household nevertheless leaves him off its register, preserving his legal independence 1.
Hongyu and Elder Zhou explain that the marriage arrangement conceals Liu Yanran's relationship with Yan Kaigui. Prince Yue's Residence wants Yan Kaigui to marry the Immortal Seedling and secure her Dragon Gate Token; finding Liu Yanran a nominal husband is intended to put the Immortal Seedling at ease 10.
Li Xian's Departure
After awakening as Li Xian, the protagonist spends a month training within the residence. With the marquis away in the capital, he decides to seek instruction at Dragon Spring Martial Arts Hall rather than wait for his return 1 11.
Two guards attempt to prevent his departure. Li Xian defeats them and leaves with his identity document, prompting an alarm that the live-in son-in-law has turned against his masters 1.
Confrontation with Mo Caiying
The household sends guards to recover Li Xian privately, seeking to avoid a public scandal. They ransack his rented courtyard in Green Ink Alley; he kills Liu Feng and three other guards, demands compensation, and accompanies the survivors back to the estate 5 6.
Mo Caiying assembles twenty armed guards in the front courtyard, supported by Liu Fu. Li Xian breaks through their formation, kills Liu Fu, and holds Mo Caiying at saberpoint 7 8.
At Zhang Yao's urging, Mo Caiying promises that the household will stop troubling him and treat him respectfully. Li Xian collects compensation and leaves unopposed. Mo Caiying subsequently orders secrecy, investigates his training, and renews efforts to obtain Zhao Tianming's assistance 8 9.
Failed Reinforcements
Zhao Tianming recruits the Thirteen Eagles of Luoyang to resolve the conflict. Li Xian and Zhou Juechen annihilate them outside Lijiang, and Li Xian kills Zhao Tianming during the pursuit afterward 31 32 35.
Li Xian then returns to the estate to announce their defeat and Zhang Shuheng's death. The guards surround him but refuse to obstruct him. Mo Caiying offers wealth, cultivation resources, and Zhang Yao's deed of sale before pleading for her husband and the household to be spared 40.
Li Xian leaves without killing her, declaring that he will return when the Dingfeng Marquis comes home to settle their conflict 40.
Raid and Mo Caiying's Death
After learning of the confrontation, Zhou Juechen sends word to the Shao Brothers that the residence is more defenseless than ever. Both brothers have reached Internal Organ Refinement 40.
A later report states that intruders raided the estate overnight, leaving dozens dead or injured and Mo Caiying dead. The report does not identify the attackers 42.
Associated People and Households
- Liu Yanran — Eldest young lady of the estate and the reason Li Xian joins the household. She rarely returns during his stay, partly to reassure Yan Kaigui that nothing is happening between them 1 20 21.
- Zhang Yao — Liu Yanran's maid and sword attendant. She teaches Li Xian the names of the martial realms and intervenes when he threatens Mo Caiying, but later discloses his training details out of loyalty to the household 1 8 9.
- Tan Zhang — Senior guard who attempts to dissuade Li Xian from confronting the residence and later helps communicate his demand for noninterference 6 8.
- Prince Yue's Residence — Cooperates in the marriage deception and provides another potential source of protection against Li Xian 10 40.
- Zhou Juechen — Li Xian's martial teacher and ally; helps defeat the estate's reinforcements and alerts the Shao Brothers to its vulnerability 2 35 40.