Great Song

Biodata

History

Founding and the Immortal Sect

The unnamed old immortal had been present since Great Song’s founding. According to Nine Thousand Years, he cleaved open the nation’s gates, suspended his sword above the founding emperor’s head, and forcibly obtained a fief fifty li across in which to establish his immortal sect. Two hundred years before Nine Thousand Years recounted these events, the immortal also subdued Great Song’s disorderly martial world with a single sword strike 20.

Despite residing within Great Song, the immortal did not reliably serve its rulers. During the foreign invasion, even a personal appeal from the emperor failed to persuade him to leave seclusion 8.

Barbarian Invasion

Great Song committed a million troops to its border war but initially achieved little beyond holding its defenses. Patriotic martial artists joined the fighting, yet could not reverse the situation. A commander later recaptured a city, producing a period of relative stability 10.

After the reigning emperor died, his seventeen-year-old heir ascended the throne. The barbarians attacked three days later, taking the first border city and forcing Great Song to abandon a hundred li of territory. The eldest princess commanded the remaining frontier defense; by the time its gates were breached, she believed another retreat would leave only the capital behind them 10 14 15.

Chen Xia’s Intervention

The Constabulary repeatedly sought Chen Xia’s assistance, but he refused both its appeals and an earlier offer of the Imperial Preceptor position. He finally agreed after the eldest princess visited him personally and his fortune ability revealed benefits from contact with the imperial family. His appointment as National Preceptor granted him the blessing of twenty percent of Great Song’s national fortune 8 14.

At the frontier, Chen Xia stopped an army of three hundred thousand barbarian cavalry, killing nearly ten thousand riders with one stomp. He defeated the upper-realm presence acting through Tiemuwu and killed all fifty-six overseas Qi refiners outside the city. Great Song subsequently recovered its lost territory 16 18.

The victory made Chen Xia more famous than the emperor. Song Wei ordered officials to recognize his portrait and kneel before him, welcomed him to court as his adoptive father, and seated him beside the dragon throne 18 19 20.

Consolidation of the Martial World

During Chen Xia’s absence from public life, the court and martial organizations jointly hosted the Number One Under Heaven Martial Dao Tournament. Its ten winners were offered official posts, noble ranks, and a reward of ten thousand taels. Song Wei and Nine Thousand Years intended to use the tournament to bring the martial world under imperial control 23 25.

An overseas Qi refiner disrupted the tournament and attacked Nine Thousand Years with the Exquisite Pagoda. Chen Xia intervened, destroyed the treasure, and left the attacker alive for Song Wei to interrogate. By the thirtieth year of the Wei calendar, nearly eighty percent of martial heroes had joined the Constabulary, tying the martial world closely to the court 25 26.

Succession and the Old Immortal’s Return

Song Wei died in the eightieth year of the Wei calendar and was succeeded by Crown Prince Song Nan. Before his death, he secured a limited promise from Chen Xia: the National Preceptor would address natural disasters and certain extraordinary calamities, but would not intervene in succession struggles, military rebellions, or ordinary dynastic collapse 29.

After reaching Golden Core, the old immortal demanded that every citizen worship his statue. His sect threatened to replace Song Nan if he refused. The immortal later entered the imperial city, defeated Nine Thousand Years with one finger, forced the emperor to kneel, and attacked Chen Xia’s secluded residence over the death of his disciple Yang Gang. Chen Xia emerged to confront him; subsequent accounts reported that the old immortal had been killed in fewer than thirty breaths 30 32.

Fall of the Dynasty

Great Song’s ninth emperor grew up believing that immortal protection made the dynasty impossible to overthrow. Once enthroned, he executed officials who displeased him and favored flatterers. Corrupt officials imposed unauthorized taxes, exploited the population, and formed factions against military officials 36.

In the ninth year of his reign, thirty thousand farming households rebelled in the southern prefectures and counties. The emperor dispatched three hundred thousand troops with orders to slaughter farming and merchant households while sparing officials’ families. The repression spread resistance across the country, including among some officials. Within half a year, rebel forces reached the capital and surrounded the palace 36.

The emperor demanded that Chen Xia emerge and kill the rebels, but received no answer. He was captured alive, ending Great Song. The new dynasty, Great Xia, retained reverence for Chen Xia: its founding emperor’s first act after taking the throne was to kowtow before his statue 36.

Geography and Notable Locations

Government and Institutions

Documented Rulers

Court and Martial Authority

• Constabulary — Monitored martial artists and maintained public order. Its reach weakened in remote Weixi Town during the war, but it later absorbed nearly eighty percent of martial heroes 10 26.
• Eldest Princess Song Qian — Served as a frontier general and personally persuaded Chen Xia to defend the dynasty 14 18.
• Nine Thousand Years — A senior imperial servant and martial expert who helped Song Wei plan the subordination of the martial world 20 25.
• National Preceptor — Chen Xia’s office linked him to the nation’s fortune, granting a stated twenty-percent increase to his cultivation realm. His agreement with Song Wei did not oblige him to preserve the ruling house against rebellion 14 29.

Worship of Chen Xia

• Official statues: Song Wei ordered statues erected in every county town and instituted annual bowing in recognition of Chen Xia’s defense of Great Song 23.
• National Preceptor Day: Annual worship supplied Chen Xia with additional Spirit Dragon Qi; the earlier offerings had helped evolve his Flood Dragon Qi into Spirit Dragon Qi 23 32.
• Expanded offering system: With assistance from overseas Qi refiners, Chen Xia established golden statues throughout Great Song as part of his effort to become the world’s god 32 33.
• Continuing popular devotion: Even after fifty years without a public appearance, commoners still enshrined his statues and paid respects every month 36.
• Survival beyond the dynasty: Great Song’s fall did not end this devotion. Its former population continued to believe in Chen Xia, and Great Xia’s founding emperor publicly honored him 36.