SOBRIQUET: Zi Zhizhu (紫蜘蛛 / “Purple Spider”)
WEAPON: Whip: Zidian (紫电 / “Purple,” “Lightning”)
The wife of Jiang Fengmian and mother of Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. Originally from the Yu Clan of Meishan, she was a famous cultivator in her own right. She was a stern and unrelenting woman but loved her children deeply. That being said, she never warmed up to Wei Wuxian, the orphaned ward her husband brought home against her wishes. She was close with Madam Jin, and it was their lifelong friendship that prompted the arranged marriage of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan.
Madam Yu has two personal maidservants who serve as her right and left hands when it comes to sect matters, named Jinzhu (金姝 / “Golden Bead”) and Yinzhu (银姝 / “Silver Bead”). They are able to interpret their mistress’s commands without a single word being spoken.
Jin Ling
BIRTH NAME: Jin Ling (金凌 / “Gold,” “Tower aloft”)
COURTESY NAME: Jin Rulan (金如兰 / “Gold,” “Like” or “As if,” “Orchid”)
WEAPON:
Sword: Suihua (岁华 / “Passage of time”), previously owned by Jin Zixuan
Fairy (spirit dog)
Unnamed bow
The young heir to the Jin Clan and son of Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. Jin Ling grew up a lonely child, bullied by his peers and overly doted on by his caretakers out of pity. Though Jin Ling remains quite spoiled and unmanageable in temperament, he strongly dislikes being looked down upon and seeks to prove himself as a cultivator. He is often seen squabbling with his maternal uncle and sometimes-caretaker Jiang Cheng or hurling himself headlong into mortal peril alongside his loyal spirit dog Fairy.
Jin Guangshan
COURTESY NAME: Jin Guangshan (金光善 / “Gold,” “Light and glory,” “Kindness”)
The former Jin Sect head and father to Jin Zixuan, Jin Guangyao, Mo Xuanyu, and many, many more. He was a womanizer who would abandon his lovers just as quickly as he would any children born of his dalliances. Despite this ravenous appetite, he only sired one child (Jin Zixuan) with his lawful wife. Under his rule, the Jin Sect was loathed by the cultivation world for its shameless abuses, corruption, and excess. Thankfully, he eventually died of exhaustion during an orgy and was succeeded by Jin Guangyao.
Jin Guangyao
BIRTH NAME: Meng Yao (孟瑶 / “Eldest,” “Jade”)
COURTESY NAME: Jin Guangyao (金光瑶 / “Gold,” “Light and glory,” “Jade”)
SOBRIQUET: Lianfang-zun (敛芳尊 / “Hidden fragrance,” honorific “-zun”)
WEAPON: Softsword: Hensheng (恨生 / “To hate life/birth”)
INSTRUMENT: Unnamed guqin
The current Jin Sect leader. He is half siblings with Jin Zixuan, Mo Xuanyu, and countless other children born of Jin Guangshan’s wandering libido. He is also sworn brothers with Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, and together, they are known as the Three Zun. He is particularly close to Lan Xichen and could easily be named the man’s most trusted companion. However, Jin Guangyao had a considerably more troubled relationship with Nie Mingjue before the man’s death, and they frequently had heated disagreements over their conflicting worldviews.
Jin Guangyao rose from humble circumstances and became not only the head of the Jin Sect but also the Cultivation Chief of the inter-sect alliance. His work as an undercover spy was instrumental in the success of the Sunshot Campaign. His skill at politicking and networking is matched by none, and through restructuring and reparations he was able to largely make up for the damage done to the Jin Sect’s reputation by his father’s rule.
Jin Zixuan
COURTESY NAME: Jin Zixuan (金子轩 / “Gold,” common male prefix “Son,” “Pavilion”)
WEAPON: Sword: Suihua (岁华 / “Passage of time”)
The Jin Clan heir and the only legitimate son of Jin Guangshan. He married Jiang Yanli and together they had a son, Jin Ling. He attended school at the Cloud Recesses in his youth and was classmates with Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang. Due to his status, his natural skill, and his good looks, Jin Zixuan was generally rather prideful and arrogant, and was disliked by his peers.
He was initially resentful of his betrothal to Jiang Yanli, as it was arranged by his mother without his input or consent. However, he eventually began to regret his rude behavior and developed real feelings for her. Jiang Yanli seemed charmed by his earnest and extremely inept attempts to woo her, and the result was a brief but happy marriage.
Jin Zixun
COURTESY NAME: Jin Zixun (金子勋 / “Gold,” common male prefix “Son,” “Meritorious deed”)
Jin Zixuan’s younger paternal cousin. Like his cousin, he is arrogant and prideful regarding his appearance and skills, but unlike his cousin, these feelings do not have much basis in reality. Jin Zixun’s cultivation level is unremarkable, and this coupled with his inability to keep a cool head often makes him a liability in tense situations.
Madam Jin
The lawful wife of Jin Guangshan and mother of Jin Zixuan. While her proper name is never revealed, her forceful personality is not so easily forgotten. She was close with Madam Yu, and it was their lifelong friendship that prompted the arranged marriage of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan. She despises her husband’s constant philandering (as well as any reminders of it in the form of illegitimate children), and although he fears her wrath, it does not stop him from continuing apace. She is equally unamused by her son’s attitude problems and not afraid to reprimand him in public should the need arise.
Lan Jingyi
COURTESY NAME: Lan Jingyi (蓝景仪 / “Blue,” “Scenery,” “Bearing” or “Appearance”)
WEAPON: Unnamed sword
A junior disciple in the Lan Sect. He is close friends with Lan Sizhui and appears to have a special kind of admiration for Lan Wangji. Although he was raised in such a strict sect, Lan Jingyi is distinctly un-Lan-like in his mannerisms, being loud, bluntly honest, and easily worked up into a tizzy. That being said, like any Lan, he is still very quick to spot and accuse instances of rule-breaking on the Cloud Recesses’ premises.