Qingping Sword Sect

Overview

The Qingping Sword Sect (青萍剑宗) is the official lower sect (下宗) of Luopo Mountain (落魄山). Located in the northern region of the Tongye Continent (桐叶洲), the sect was established to revitalize the sword dao destiny of a continent left ravaged by the Haoran-Manhuang War. Functioning under the guidance of its First Sect Master, Cui Dongshan (崔东山), the Qingping Sword Sect operates with an expansive vision, aiming to recruit widely across the continent and build a massive, highly structured mountain network that contrasts with the relatively laid-back and intimate nature of its parent sect.

History & Founding

The creation of a lower sect was a long-term strategic move orchestrated by Chen Ping'an and Cui Dongshan to expand Luopo Mountain's influence and anchor sword dao providence in the Tongye Continent. The name "Qingping" was personally chosen by Chen Ping'an, inspired by the poetic sentiment of "smiling and stroking the Qingping sword" (一笑抚青萍), a reflection of a sword cultivator's unyielding spirit and clear conscience.

The sect held its official founding ceremony on the auspicious day of the Beginning of Spring (立春). Despite the sect's deliberate attempts to keep the event relatively simple, the ceremony attracted a formidable gathering of guests from across multiple continents, including top-tier figures from the Yu Gui Sect, Taiping Mountain, Pushan Cloud Grass Hall, the Daquan Dynasty, and the Taihui Sword Sect. During this ceremony, Chen Ping'an's portrait was hung in the center of the ancestral hall as the Upper Sect Ancestor, officially cementing the sect's lineage.

Territory & Location

Unlike Luopo Mountain's densely packed single-mountain focus, the Qingping Sword Sect operates on a sprawling primary-and-auxiliary geographical layout consisting of three main mountains:

• Xiandu Mountain (仙都山): The ancestral mountain of the sect. Its main peak, Qingping Peak (青萍峰), houses the sect's Ancestral Hall. Xiandu Mountain serves primarily as the training ground for sword cultivators. Other notable peaks here include Yunshang Peak (云上峰), Tianbian Peak (天边峰), and Zhexian Peak (谪仙峰).
• Yunzheng Mountain (云蒸山): An auxiliary mountain primarily designated for pure martial artists to practice their martial arts. Its main peak is Wucao Peak (吾曹峰), which serves as the personal Dao field for the First Sect Master, Cui Dongshan.
• Choumou Mountain (绸缪山): The second auxiliary mountain, intended as the primary residence and training ground for Qi Refiners of the Hundred Schools. Its main peak, Jingxing Peak (景星峰), is the Dao field for Cao Qinglang.

Hierarchy & Members

The leadership and administrative structure of the Qingping Sword Sect is uniquely elaborate, explicitly designed by Cui Dongshan to manage a rapidly expanding population of disciples.

Core Leadership: The sect is led by its First Sect Master, Cui Dongshan. However, a tradition was established early on: the next Sect Master is designated to be Cao Qinglang (曹晴朗), and all subsequent Sect Masters will traditionally hail from Jingxing Peak.

The sect's paramount authorities include:

• Chief Enshrine (首席供奉): Mi Yu (米裕), a Jade Pu Realm sword immortal from the Sword Qi Great Wall.
• Chief Law Enforcer (掌律祖师): Cui Wei (崔嵬), tasked with maintaining the sect's strict rules.
• Director of Finance (泉府): Zhong Qiu (种秋), who manages the sect's treasury and also serves as the headmaster of a private academy at the foot of Choumou Mountain.
• Secondary Enshrine (次席供奉): Qing Tong (青同), the Ascension Realm master of the Demon Suppressing Tower, who acts as the sect's hidden protector and "fourth invisible mountain."

Administrative Structure: To handle the sect's vast ambitions, Cui Dongshan instituted a bureaucratic framework comprising "Three Mansions, Six Departments, and Eight Bureaus" (三府六司八局). The Three Mansions hold the highest authority and include the Quanfu (Finance Mansion), Shuifu (Water Mansion), and Shanfu (Mountain Mansion). The Shanfu manages the sect's grand protective arrays and mountain affairs, effectively acting as an emergency ancestral hall council. Its initial five members are Cui Dongshan, Mi Yu, Cao Qinglang, Huang Ting, and Qing Tong.

Notable Members & Allies: The sect boasts a diverse array of sword immortals, ghost cultivators, and martial artists. Key figures include the sword cultivator Sui Youbian (隋右边), the ghost cultivators Wu Gou (吴钩) and Xiao Manying (萧幔影), and the Tongye Continent native sword cultivator Tao Ran (陶然). The sect also maintains a roster of prestigious guest experts, such as Chief Guest Huang Ting (黄庭) of Taiping Mountain, and nominal guests Ye Yunyun (叶芸芸) of Pushan and Yao Xianzhi (姚仙之) of the Daquan Dynasty.

Notes

• The sect actively collaborates with the Daquan Dynasty. The Daquan Emperor pledged that any discovered sword cultivator embryos within her borders would be sent to Xiandu Mountain for training, with the dynasty covering the financial costs, provided the cultivators serve as royal enshrines or military cultivators for at least a sixty-year cycle after their training.
• Because the sect absorbed several talented youths originally from the Sword Qi Great Wall (such as Yu Xiehui, Cheng Chaolu, and He Gu), its foundational sword dao potential is considered extraordinarily high.

References

• 剑来35：一笑抚青萍, 第七章 — 青萍剑宗: Supports the origin of the sect's name, chosen by Chen Ping'an, and identifies its location at Xiandu Mountain.
• 剑来36：浩荡百川流, 第八章 — 浩荡百川流: Supports the official establishment of the sect and identifies the core leadership roles including Cui Dongshan, Mi Yu, Cui Wei, and Zhong Qiu.
• 剑来39：借取万钟赏, 第九章 — 青萍峰上: Supports the geographical layout of Xiandu, Yunzheng, and Choumou Mountains, as well as the sect's tradition regarding Cao Qinglang and Jingxing Peak producing future Sect Masters.
• 剑来39：借取万钟赏, 第十章 — 青萍剑宗: Supports the details of the Founding Ceremony on the Beginning of Spring, the hanging of Chen Ping'an's portrait, and the comprehensive list of Ancestral Hall members and prestigious guests.
• 剑来44：明月落剑气, 第八章 — 此间山水如贼窟: Supports the internal bureaucratic structure designed by Cui Dongshan, specifically the "Three Mansions, Six Departments, and Eight Bureaus," and the composition of the Shanfu.