That is too much fantasy and romanticization from the author's POV. Wikpedia is like that, any ah gao and ah neow can edit at will.
When someone says 混江湖, does it mean that he is literally really a member of an underworld or he operates in between?
when someone says 讨江湖, does it mean that he is literally asking for a society or someone is out to hustle him?
when someone says 身在江湖 身不由己, does it mean that he really is in an underworld or he has no choice and is using it as a metaphor?
See my abstracting point?
'Glue' is the best answer!
When someone says 混江湖, it means he's mixing up glues together . . . . macham rojak ie. he can be that bastard
when someone says 讨江湖, it means looking for a sticky situation like getting into trouble or falling into deep shit
when someone says 身在江湖 身不由己, its merely describing flies trapped on sticky pad ie. sticky situation especially 身不由己 where you cannot decide or control your stomach to either into deep shit or diarrhea - its not up to you to decide, right?
in the pugilistic world of feudal grounds, you just cunt afford to be sticky into glue!