The File of Nine is a group of warlords in Hsien who claim to rule Hsien's southern region. The area is ruled by a large number of warlords who offer some acknowledgement of power both to Khang Phi and the File of Nine.
The File of Nine is purported to be made up of one warlord from each of the nine regions, but the Black Company discovers that to be a falsehood. They meet at Khang Phi because of the authority that it grants their meetings, and because the monks encourage it, in the hopes that the warlords will find wisdom.
They issues edicts aimed towards unifying the people of Hsien and bringing on a golden age of piece and prosperity, but their edicts are ignored as often as they are followed.
When the Black Company lives in Hsien, the File of Nine denies them knowledge of the shadow gates, which lies in Khang Phi. They do not want travel on the Plain of Glittering Stone to be reopened, because they worry that a conquering army from another world would bring war to their fragmented civilization. After the Black Company steals the information, the File hurriedly creates an army and threatens the Company with it, but back down after several nights of torment by the Unknown Shadows.
One of the File's primary goals once the Black Company arrives is to gain control of Longshadow to put him on trial for his past crimes in Hsien. Longshadow is granted to them after the Company leaves Hsien and he is executed shortly before Tobo repairs their Shadow Gate so that its destiny is not tied to Longshadow's.