Word of Honor Rewatch: Episode 1-8

This time, I'm watching Word of Honor (山河令) (ShānHé Lìng) on Viki. Previously, I watched the show on YouTube to around Episode 30 then on Yooku for the rest.

Some brief comments as I slowly re-watched the series. Include spoilers for the entire series.

This "Wait, So He's Not Actually a Ghost?" presentation was relevant to me as I re-watched Episode 5. In the introduction of Episode 1, I clocked that Wen Kexing was the leader of an unorthodox/demonic martial arts group, but then the sequence where Mu Yunge was captured as the Tai Shan Sect witnessed and then Liu Qianqiao (Yan Gui) was introduced happened. Combined with the uses of Ghost Valley and Ten Ghosts, it left me a bit confused and thinking that there might be elements of Strange Tales of Liaozhai (聊齋誌異) (Liáozhāi Zhìyì) (Liêu Trai Chí Dị)? Or some HK ghost stories dramas (with wuxia elements) I watched when I was young but not longer recalled in details.
One of the plot holes or inconsistencies was around the Glazed Armor so here's my attempt to track them as I re-watched:
1. 1st piece: Shen Shen (Da Gu Shan Sect)
2. 2nd piece: Zhang Yusen (Jing Hu Mountain Pavilion) → As of Episode 8, the piece is hinted to be in Zhang Chengling's possession, but not confirmed yet.
3. 3rd piece: Lu Taichong (Dan Yang Sect) → The piece was given to the two remaining Dan Yang disciples and guarded by Sect Leader Ao Laizi of Tai Shan Sect. But the piece was forcibly stolen by Wu Chang Gui (Hanging Ghost) then given to Chang She Gui (Long-Tongued Ghost) to give to Xie Wang (Scorpion King). However, before Long-Tongued Ghost could meet with the Scorpion King, Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing gained possession of the piece. It was last seen with Wen Kexing. As of Episode 8, various fake pieces are strewn around Yueyang.
4. 4th piece: Zhao Jing (Tai Hu Sect) → The piece was supposedly stolen and then fought over by Song Huairen and Yu Tianjie, but both were killed and the piece's location is unknown as of Episode 8.
5. 5th piece: Gao Chong (Yue Yang Sect)
While looking up the characters, the show entry on Baidu describes the Scorpion King as originally born in Nanjiang (南疆 is used and refers to South Xinjiang). I'm not sure if this was stated in the show. In the novel, the Scorpion King has a whole different storyline; I can't recall if it mentions where the Scorpion King was from. I only vaguely recalled mentions that the Scorpion Sect was a big influence in the South while Tian Chuang (Window of Heaven) in the North.

In any case, I mentioned before Xinjiang is now the site of Uyghur genocide and internment camps so I'm not sure how I feel about the portrayal of the Scorpion King and his sect given this new background info. On the one hand, I can sort of see how the show may have coded the Scorpion Sect as non-Han Chinese using negative stereotypes so 😕😶