Wushan Village

Biodata

Layout and Social Structure

Wushan Village is a circular settlement built around the Monster Suppressing Stone, a floating oval monolith at its center. The village is divided into an inner and outer ring; proximity to the stone determines both safety and social standing 4 12.

• Outer-ring residents must farm or produce goods and surrender 70% of their annual production to the village 4.
• The Zhu Family's authority allows it to dominate village affairs and intimidate ordinary residents into compliance 7 37.
• Merchant caravans normally trade only in the inner ring, limiting outer-ring residents' access to outside goods 33.

Defenses and Security

Monster Suppressing Stone

The Monster Suppressing Stone protects the settlement from most ghosts and oddities, making the inner ring comparatively safer than the outer ring 4 20.

• Its light can repel or weaken many invading Monstrosities 20 22.
• Its power must accumulate and weakens under sustained invasions; it can eventually become ineffective during a large-scale Calamity of Strangeness 22.
• It activated during the approaching calamity, casting orange-yellow light across the village like a protective barrier 42.

Night Watch Team

Four Night Watch outposts are positioned in the east, west, south, and north of the circular settlement. Each tower is overseen by a Vice Captain-level martial artist 9.

• Night Watchers patrol the walls, identify infiltrating Monstrosities, and respond to signal flares 15 20.
• Recruits receive weapons from the armory, while talismans are essential against incorporeal Monstrosities 10.
• The North District outpost serves as the Night Watch headquarters during major crises 43.
• The Talisman Master supplies the force with Little Flame Talismans, detection talismans, and other specialized resources 12 44.

History

Bai You, a soul-stealing White Ghost Soul, repeatedly appeared around Wushan Village and killed residents, including Yu Dafu and his son. Its attacks created widespread fear, especially among outer-ring villagers living in poorly protected homes 2 4. Wei Fan later destroyed a White Ghost Soul, but further appearances and deaths continued 8 27.

Monstrosity activity escalated sharply afterward. Night Watch casualties rose across every district, and the village recognized the pattern as a possible Calamity of Strangeness—a disaster caused by frequent appearances of powerful Monstrosities 15 18 22. Investigating the recurring White Ghost Souls, Wei Fan traced one into the inner ring and discovered an alchemist refining human souls in a secluded courtyard; among the released souls were outer-ring villagers 30 31.

The arrival of the Luoyuan merchant caravan briefly brought trade and activity to the settlement. Its members were tested with Monstrosity Detection Talismans before being permitted to enter, and the caravan established its market in the inner ring 33.

As the calamity approached, frost spread across the village walls and the Monster Suppressing Stone activated. The Night Watch, Zhu Family warriors, and Luoyuan Chamber of Commerce martial artists divided responsibility for the outer walls 42 44. A horde of more than one hundred Monstrosities then attacked from all directions, breaching the defenses and entering the village 47 48.

Although the defenders eliminated the attacking puppets, the invasion devastated the outer ring: mud-and-thatch houses collapsed, many Night Watchers died, and hundreds of villagers were killed or consumed 49. Monstrosities continued to slaughter residents in the Northern District afterward, leaving the village's crisis unresolved 50.

Notable Locations

• Monster Suppressing Stone — Central protective monument whose presence defines the village's defensive and social hierarchy 4 12.
• Zhu Mansion — Grand inner-ring residence of the Zhu Family, marked by high walls, dark tiles, stone lions, and a prominent plaque 12.
• Talisman Master's Tower — A dangerous inner-ring structure where the Talisman Master creates talismans; prolonged exposure to its presence may cause irreparable harm to living beings 12.
• Night Watch Outposts — Four cardinal-direction towers used for patrol rotations, emergency response, and district defense 9.
• Eastern District Encampment — A Night Watch defensive position used as a temporary safe location during the calamity 47.
• Blacksmith's Shop — Blacksmith Li's remote workshop near shops and stables; it is equipped with a high-temperature smelting furnace 46 47.
• Wilderness Forbidden Zone — A marked area near the village containing a Monstrosity so powerful that no creature entering it has returned; it does not attack beyond the zone's boundary 41 42.