Jianghu
Jianghu (江湖; jiānghú; gong1wu4; 'rivers and lakes') is a Chinese term that generally refers to the social environment in which many Chinese wuxia, xianxia, and gong'an stories are set. The term is used flexibly, and can be used to describe a fictionalized version of imperial China (usually using loose influences from across the 221 BC – 1912 AD period of time); a setting of feuding martial arts clans and the people of that community; a secret and possibly criminal underworld; a general sense of the "mythic world" where fantastical stories happen; or some combination thereof.