rivers and lakes

all corners of the country

remote areas to which hermits retreat

section of society operating independently of mainstream society, out of reach of the law

the milieu in which wuxia tales play out (cf. 武俠|武侠[wǔ xiá])

(in late imperial times) world of traveling merchants, itinerant doctors, fortune tellers etc

demimonde

(in modern times) triads

secret gangster societies

underworld