by Tao Wong
Dragon’s Breath—Chi projection attack from the Long family style.
Elements—The Chinese traditionally have five elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Within these elements, additional sub-elements may occur (example—air from Chao Kun, ice from Li Yao).
Energy Storage—Second stage of cultivation, where the energy storage circulation meridians are opened. This stage allows cultivators to project their chi, the amount of chi stored and projected depending on level. There are eight levels.
Huài dàn—Rotten egg
Hún dàn—Bastard
Jian—A straight, double-edged sword. Known in modern times as a “taichi sword.” Mostly a thrusting instrument, though it can be used to cut as well.
Li—Roughly half a kilometer per li. Traditional Chinese measurement of distance.
Long family jian style—A family sword form passed on to Wu Ying. Consists of a lot of cuts, fighting at full measure, and quick changes in direction.
Meridians—In traditional Chinese martial arts and medicine, meridians are how chi flows through the body. In traditional Chinese medicine, there are twelve major meridian flows and eight secondary energy flows. I’ve used these meridians for the stages in cultivation for the first two stages.
Mountain Breaking Fist—Fist form that Wu Ying gained in the inner sect library. Focused, single, powerful attacks.
Nascent Soul—The fourth and last known stage of cultivation. Cultivators form a new, untouched soul steeped in the dao they had formed. This new soul must ascend to the heavens, facing heavenly tribulation at each step.
Northern Shen Kicking Style—Kicking form that Wu Ying learned at the outer sect library. Both a grappling and kicking style, meant for close combat.
Qinggong—Literally “light skill.” Comes from baguazhang and is basically wire-fu—running on water, climbing trees, gliding along bamboo, etc.
Iron Reinforced Bones—Defensive, physical cultivation technique that Wu Ying trains in that will increase the strength and defense of his body.
Sect—A grouping of like-minded martial artists or cultivators. Generally, Sects are hierarchical. There are often core, inner, and outer disciples in any Sect, with Sect Elders above them and the Sect patriarch above all.
Six Jades Sect—Rival sect of the Verdant Green Waters, located in the State of Wei.
State of Shen—Location in which the first book is set. Ruled by a king and further ruled locally by lords. The State of Shen is made up of numerous counties ruled over by local lords and administered by magistrates. It is a temperate kingdom with significant rainfall and a large number of rivers connected by canals.
State of Wei—The antagonistic kingdom that borders the State of Shen. The two states are at war.
Tael—System of money. A thousand copper coins equals one tael.
Tai Kor—Elder brother
Verdant Green Waters Sect—Most powerful Sect in the State of Wen. Wu Ying’s current Sect.
Author’s Note
And that’s book two. As you can tell, book three will be dealing with the on-going war between the states of Wei and Shen. Book three will take a little while as I have some research to complete before I can do the book justice. It will likely release in early 2020.
As always, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing the novel. If you enjoyed reading it, please do leave a review and rating. The reviews make a huge difference in sales, which is how I earn a living.
In addition, please check out my other series, the System Apocalypse (a post-apocalyptic LitRPG), Adventures on Brad (a young adult fantasy LitRPG), and the Hidden Wishes (an urban fantasy GameLit series). Book one of each series follow:
Life in the North (Book 1 of the System Apocalypse)
A Healer’s Gift (Book 1 of the Adventures on Brad)
A Gamer’s Wish (Book 1 of the Hidden Wishes series)
I also host a Facebook Group for all things wuxia, xanxia, and specifically, cultivation novels. We’d love it if you joined us:
Cultivation Novels
For more great information about LitRPG series, check out the Facebook groups:
GameLit Society
LitRPG Books
About the Author
Tao Wong is an avid fantasy and sci-fi reader who spends his time working and writing in the North of Canada. He’s spent way too many years doing martial arts of many forms and, having broken himself too often, now spends his time writing about fantasy worlds.
If you’d like to support me directly, I have a Patreon page where previews of all my new books can be found!
Tao Wong’s Patreon
For updates on the series and my other books (and special one-shot stories), please visit my website: http://www.mylifemytao.com
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[1] Ink rubbings started in ancient China around 220BC. Actual woodblock printing began around the 8th century CE. Moveable woodblock printing started around 10th century CE. Books were significantly more prevalent in China than the West for a long period.
[2] Similar to ancient China’s Imperial Examinations that were the gateway to imperial bureaucracy. The large imperial bureaucracy in China often held power that rivaled that of the emperor himself.
[3] Also known as the Compendium of Materia Medica. This is a real book written in Li Shizhen in the 16th century. The work here is obviously altered to fit a cultivation world.
[4] Ganjiang is in fact a sword in Chinese lore and has a tragic story attached to it.
[5] It comes from a Chinese saying that states that it’s best to have three for drinking tea and four for wine. Three for tea to have proper conversation. Four for wine, so that if one party gets too drunk to continue, the other two can continue while the drunk party is escorted home.
[6] Called the mu ren zhuang. Most likely, you’ve seen a version in Ip Man, but the “wooden man post” has numerous styles to suit the training requirements of the martial art. Can involve one or two hands, springs, weights, and swings.
[7] Literally means Black Cat
[8] This lí is different from the lǐ used in the title. A lí here is a millimeter. The difference is in the intonation and makes more sense when you realize that Chinese is a pictographic language. So these two look very different when written in traditional Chinese characters and sound different due to the different intonations.
[9] Reminder – Wu Ying’s Long is the character for dragon. Thus her reference.
[10] Reminder. Dao literally translates as “the way.” I use the capitalized and non-capitalized versions in the text to show when people are speaking of the Dao (the true way) and the dao (the smaller ways which are part of the greater Dao).
[11] Some of these are real books. Others, not so much.
[12] Chinese coins were strung together on a string through the central hole. A string was basically a tael, so half a string is half a tael.
[13] Listening-in students are students who are not directly taught by the teacher. They “listen in” to lectures
[14] This is a paired joke about the famous “vinegar taster” painting that depicts Confucius (sour), Buddha (bitter), and Laozi (sweet) around a vat of vinegar, tasting it. It is an allegory of their views on life and humanity and their precepts.
[15] The Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival on the fifteenth night of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. The entirety of the seventh month is considered the Ghost Month and is when ghosts and spirits come out from the lower realm. Proper observances are required to avoid lost, wandering ghosts.
[16] The jiangshi are a traditional Chinese boogeyman. More details will be in the story, but they’re highly amusing monsters.
[17] As a side note, while I am using traditional Chinese surnames, I am ignoring clan boundaries and geographic locations since this is a fantasy world. Also, it’d be even more confusing for everyon
e if everyone started having the same few surnames.
[18] Not actual paper money. Figurative paper money is made to be burnt for ghosts for them to spend in their afterlife. It always makes me wonder about inflation though, considering how much is burnt. Also, modern day funerals add credit cards. But no one ever burns a card reader…
[19] Chinese saying. It sounds better in Chinese, but it’s the Chinese equivalent of caveat emptor.
[20] In traditional Chinese cooking, recipes used to be passed down based off a handful, a pinch, and so on. These sizes were regulated and young women would be trained by their mothers in exacting degree what a pinch, a handful and the like was until the motions were instinctive.
[21] Horse stance is a basic strength, endurance, and stability building stance in many martial arts. Northern and southern styles vary, but generally the stance has feet apart, pointing forward, and the body lengthened upward.
[22] Dragon lines are the Chinese term for the idea of leylines. Natural rivers of chi energy.
[23] Yes, it’s a real flower.
[24] Exploding cucumbers are real too. And edible.
[25] Did you know China had repeating crossbows as early as the Warring States (475 – 220 BC)?
[26] Better known as the Monkey King
[27] Reminder. Long equals dragon