Shangshu
Shangshu is a mountainous nomadic city of Yan.
Background
As the ancient proverb goes, “Shu's paths try, as climbing atop the heavens," Shangshu is a perfect example of mankind's conquest of nature in which the city was built on nomadic platforms along the mountain cliffs and valleys. Long ago, the city was a sedentary one in which the inhabitants decided to settle here around a thousand years ago, and legend says that the city's fore-bearers made the same dream that guided them here which they treated it as auspicious and sacred.[1] As generations passed, frequent Catastrophes forced the people to migrate to a nomadic one. However, the Shangshuites did not wish to give up their hometown out of such cultural tribute, thus leading to this magnificent architecture constructed with the aid of brilliant Tumu Tianshi. It is even said that some of its iconic mountains were relocated onto mobile platforms so that these natural landmarks could literally migrate together with the city whenever a Catastrophe arrives. Thanks to this new strategy that allows the city to escape from major disasters, Shangshu has been experiencing peace and prosperity for many years.[2]
Among all the notable disasters, perhaps the one thirty years ago (Terran year 1072) is the most mysterious one. To begin with, the said Catastrophe suddenly arrived without any warning, but it only managed to destroy some nearby houses without devastate the city as a whole, a miraculous wonder that no one had expected. To make the matter more complicated, the eighteenth peak of Shangshu, the Xunri Peak, suddenly disappeared without leaving a trace amidst the disaster. Even after thorough investigations, the local tianshi could not give a precise answer.[3] Since then, the sudden disappearance of the Xunri Peak has been intertwined with local folklores in which the Shangshuites believe that the peak has been hidden somewhere else that no one could ever detect it.
Aside from its mystic folklores, Shangshu has been developing itself as a tourist destination recently. Not only one could hike onto its notable mountains, but also they could try its local cuisine known for its abundant use of chili such as chili hot pot and Mao Xue Wang along with a popular brand of canned tea.
Xinyu Escort Association
The Xinyu Escort Association (行裕镖局) is a former private escort company run by Zheng Qingyue. The company is known for its policy of prioritizing on saving its protected goods or people whenever danger arrives. However, ten yeas ago after a failed mission of delivering a black goblet which resulted in the goods gone missing and the death of numerous escorts, Xinyu had since been losing its credit.[1] Adding to its dwindling business was its incompetence with modern logistics companies due to its traditionalist methods. To avoid outright competition, Zheng has rebranded his company as Xinyu Inn (行裕客栈) through a gradual transition to running an ordinary inn for weary travelers. But to many former escorts, they are unhappy with Zheng's decision, believing that it will only waste their employees' martial art skills.[4]
Notable citizens
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Places
"Three Mounts and Seventeen Peaks"
Due to its precipitous location and its numerous peaks, the mountains of Shangshu are collectively called the "Three Mounts and Seventeen Peaks (三山十七峰)." But long ago, there were actually eighteen peaks. It was until the very Catastrophe that "hid" the eighteenth peak, the Xunri Peak, thirty years ago that changed its name. Along its mountains are numerous channels, passes, and roads that allow the locals to transport their good across the city freely either by vehicles or by traditional pole-carriers for places that are hard to reach.
The Three Mounts
- Mount Juqi (居奇山): The second highest mountain in Shangshu with two peaks, one of which is the Nini Peak.
The Seventeen Peaks
- Nini Peak (泥泥峰): One of the two peaks of Mount Juqi that is famous for its 2,222 steps, though it is said that such title is only for gimmick to attract tourists.[5] The peak is one of the well-inhabited thanks to its gentle flat paths.[3]
- Huntan Peak (昏谭峰)
- Bieli Peak (别离峰), Ziyun Peak (梓云峰), Qingluan Peak (青銮峰): Three lesser peaks that were counted as one of the Seventeen Peaks in ancient days.[6]
- Shuzhou Peak (数舟峰): A peak known for its old theater byways.[3]
- Qujiang Peak (取江峰): Previously known as the Zuanjiang Peak (攥江峰) which has changed its name for the sake of tourism due to its difficult writing strokes.[5] The Qujiang Peak has a very high and treacherous trail, making it the least visited peak. It was also one of the famous two peaks of Shangshu together with the Xunri Peak known as the "Twin Peaks High as the Sun" (双峰回日).[3]
- Xunri Peak (寻日峰): The missing eighteenth peak of Shangshu; the Peak of the Sunseeker that formed the famed "Twin Peaks High as the Sun" together with the Qujiang Peak. It possessed countless cliffs and almost inaccessible paths which shaped it like a stone sword that sliced the sun's ray during sunset, hence the title. Upon its "disappearance," no trace of collapsing boulders and landslide had ever found aside from the rocky "hilt" beside Qujiang Peak.[3] In truth, the "disappearance" was caused by Ling's space-manipulation power after she decided to stay in Shangshu.
Landscapes
- "Field of Forgotten Water" (忘水坪; Wangshui Field in original Chinese text): A flat plain located on the top of Qujiang Peak. Legend has it that a "god" attained enlightenment by forgetting the waters there after staring upon them, hence the name.[5] It was actually named by Ling as a poetic way to describe the marvels of Yan that make one forget everything.[7]
- Zhengshan Crossing (争山渡): One of the rivers that passes through Shangshu where Shen Lou works as a boatman.
- Unnamed mountain pass
- Unnamed mountain trail
Districts and avenues
- Weichang District (未长区)
- Xinluan District (新峦区)
- Liuyun District (流云区)
- Yingfeng Road (应峰路)
Gallery
Outdoor scenery of Liang's estate
A street in Shangshu beneath its mountain-foot
A teahouse in Shangshu facing its mountains
A paved trail on one of Shangshu's mountains
A pavillion standing on one of Shangshu's mountaintop
The missing eighteen peak, the Xunri Peak, in Ling's space
Ditto, but with the appearance of Sui-Xiang
Etymology
Shǔ (蜀) is the short form for Bashu, the region in southern China that composes of the modern province of Sichuan and the municipality of Chongqing. The name derives from the Kingdom of Shu during the pre-Qin era.
Trivia
- As its etymology suggests, Shangshu is obviously the Terran analogue of Chongqing, which is known for its mega-cities that are built along the mountains.
- Chongqing is also known for its chili and the origin of its famed Chongqing hot pot, a parallel to the Shangshuites' chili culture.
- The proverb that describes Shangshu's precipitous location (蜀道难，难于上青天) is quoted from Hard Road in Shu (《蜀道难》), a poem written by Li Bai.