Characters
The identity of certain characters may be a spoiler; use this guide with caution on your first read of the novel.
Note on the given name translations: Chinese characters may have many different readings. Each reading here is just one out of several possible interpretations.
MAIN CHARACTERS
Mo Ran
墨燃 Surname Mo, “ink”; given name Ran, “to ignite”
Courtesy name: Weiyu (微雨 / “gentle rain”)
Title(s):
Taxian-jun (踏仙君 / “treading on immortals”)
Weapon(s):
Bugui (不归 / “no return”)
Jiangui (见鬼 / literally, “seeing ghosts”; metaphorically, “What the hell?”)
Spiritual element: Wood
Orphaned at a young age, Mo Ran was found at fourteen by his uncle, Xue Zhengyong, and brought back to Sisheng Peak. Despite his late start, he has a natural talent for cultivation. In his previous lifetime, Chu Wanning’s refusal to save Shi Mei as he died sent Mo Ran into a spiral of grief, hatred, and destruction. Reinventing himself as Taxian-jun, tyrannical emperor of the cultivation world, he committed many atrocities—including taking his own shizun captive—before ultimately killing himself. To Mo Ran’s surprise, he woke to find himself back in his fifteen-year-old body with all the memories of his past self and the opportunity to relive his life with all new choices, which is where the story begins.
Chu Wanning
楚晚宁 Surname Chu; given name Wanning “evening peace”
Title(s):
Yuheng of the Night Sky (晚夜玉衡 / Wanye, “late night”; Yuheng, “Alioth, the brightest star in Ursa Major”)
Beidou Immortal (北斗仙尊 Beidou “the Big Dipper,” title xianzun, “immortal”)
Weapon(s):
Tianwen / 天问 “Heavenly Inquiry: to ask the heavens about life’s enigmatic questions.” The name reflects Tianwen’s interrogation ability.
Jiuge / 九歌 “Nine Songs.” Chu Wanning describes it as having a “chilling temperament.”
Spiritual element: Wood and Metal
A powerful cultivator who specializes in barriers and is talented in mechanical engineering, as well as an elder of Sisheng Peak. Aloof, strict, and short-tempered, Chu Wanning has only three disciples to his name: Xue Meng, Shi Mei, and Mo Ran. In Mo Ran’s previous lifetime, Chu Wanning stood up to Taxian-jun, obstructing his tyrannical ambitions, before he was taken captive and eventually died as a prisoner. In the present day, he is Mo Ran’s shizun, as well as the target of Mo Ran’s mixed feelings of fear, loathing, and lust.
Chu Wanning’s titles refer to the brightest stars in the Ursa Major constellation, reflecting his stellar skills and presence. Specifically, Yuheng is Alioth, the brightest star in Ursa Major, and the Big Dipper is an asterism consisting of the seven brightest stars of the same constellation. Furthermore, Chu Wanning’s weapons are named after poems in the Verses of Chu, a collection by Qu Yuan from the Warring States Period. The weapons’ primary attacks, such as “Wind,” take their names from Shijing: Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry. The collection comprises 305 works that are categorized into popular songs and ballads (风, feng, “wind”), courtly songs (雅, ya, “elegant”), or eulogies (颂, song, “ode”).
SISHENG PEAK
Xue Meng
薛蒙 Surname Xue; given name Meng “blind/ignorant”
Courtesy name: Ziming (子明 / “bright/clever son”)
The “darling of the heavens,” Chu Wanning’s first disciple, Xue Zhengyong and Madam Wang’s son, and Mo Ran’s cousin. Proud, haughty, and fiercely competitive, Xue Meng can at times be impulsive and rash. He often clashes with Mo Ran, especially when it comes to their shizun, whom he hugely admires.
Shi Mei
师昧 Surname Shi; given name Mei, “to conceal”
Courtesy name: Mingjing (明净 / “bright and clean”)
Early name(s): Xue Ya (薛丫 / Surname Xue, given name Ya, “little girl”)
Xue Meng’s close friend, Chu Wanning’s second disciple, and Mo Ran’s boyhood crush. Gentle, kind, and patient, with beautiful looks to match, Shi Mei often plays peacemaker when his fellow disciples argue, which is often. Where Mo Ran and Xue Meng are more adept in combat, he specializes in the healing arts.
Xue Zhengyong
薛正雍 Surname Xue; given name Zhengyong, “righteous and harmonious”
Weapon: Fan that reads “Xue is Beautiful” on one side and “Others are Ugly” on the opposite.
The sect leader of Sisheng Peak, Xue Meng’s father, and Mo Ran’s uncle. Jovial, boisterous, and made out of 100 percent wifeguy material, Xue Zhengyong takes his duty to protect the common people of the lower cultivation realm very much to heart.
Madam Wang
王夫人
Xue Meng’s mother, lady of Sisheng Peak, and Mo Ran’s aunt. Timid and unassuming, she originally hails from Guyueye Sect and specializes in the healing arts.
A-Li
阿狸
Madam Wang’s cat. Not pregnant, just fat.
SISHENG PEAK ELDERS
The names of Sisheng Peak’s elders vary in origin. Most of their names come from the constellation Ursa Major, such as Chu Wanning’s “Yuheng.” Three elders take their names from the Sha Po Lang star triad used in a form of fortune-telling based on Chinese astrology.
Jielü Elder
戒律长老 Jielü, “discipline”
In charge of meting out discipline.
Xuanji Elder
璇玑长老 Xuanji, “Megrez, the delta Ursae Majoris star”
Kind and gentle; practices an easy cultivation method. Popular with the disciples.
Lucun Elder
禄存长老 Lucun, “Phecda, the gamma Ursae Majoris star”
Beautiful and foppish. Has a habit of phrasing things in a questionable manner.
Qisha Elder
七杀长老 Qisha, “Polis, the Power Star in Sha Po Lang”
Very done with Lucun Elder.
Pojun Elder
破军长老 Pojun, “Alkaid, the Ruinous Star in Sha Po Lang”
Forthright and spirited.
Tanlang Elder
贪狼长老 Tanlang, “Dubhe, the Flirting Star in Sha Po Lang”
Sardonic and ungentle with his words. Skilled in the healing arts, and on pretty bad terms with Chu Wanning.
JINCHENG LAKE
Fake “Gouchen the Exalted”
勾陈上宫 Gouchen, “Curved Array, part of the Ursa Minor constellation”; shanggong, “exalted”)
An enigmatic figure who pretended to be the real Gouchen the Exalted, the God of Weaponry. He is in truth a corpse controlled by a white chess piece in a mysterious Zhenlong Chess Formation.
Wangyue
望月 Wangyue, “full moon”; alternatively, “gazing at the moon”
A huge, turquoise-black dragon who lives in Jincheng Lake. In their previous lifetime, he gave Mo Ran his sword, Bugui, in exchange for a plum blossom from the waist of the mountain.
Heart-Pluck Willow
摘心柳 Zhaixin Liu, “Heart-Pluck Willow”
The spirit of the willow tree in Jincheng Lake, which shelters Gouchen the Exalted’s arsenal of holy weapons.
PEACH BLOSSOM SPRINGS
Eighteen
十八
A member of the feathered tribe, and the eighteenth in the tribe to cultivate a human form. In charge of introductions to Peach Blossom Springs, as well as the cultivators training in the attack division.
Elder Immortal
羽民上仙 Yumin, “feathered tribe”; shangxian, “elder immortal”
The master of Peach Blossom Springs, and the first in the feathered tribe to cultivate a human form. Though she looks to be a young woman, her true age is unknown.
ILLUSORY LIN’AN
Chu Xun
楚洵 Surname Chu; given name Xun, “truly”
The eldest son of the lord governor of Lin’an City, who tried to lead the citizens of Lin’an to safety during the first breach in the ghost realm barrier. A strong cultivator in his own right, he is gentle, refined, and morally upright. Bears a strong resemblance to Chu Wanning.
Chu Lan
楚澜 Surname Chu; given name Lan, “to swell;billowing”
Chu Xun’s young son, around three or four years old, who bears a strong resemblance to Chu Wanning-as-Xia Sini. A sweet-natured, generous child.
Lin Wan’er
林婉儿 Surname Lin; given name Wan’er,“gentle, graceful”
Also referred to as Madam Chu. Chu Xun’s wife, who passed away not long after Chu Lan’s birth.
Xiaoman
小满 Xiaoman, “The eighth of twenty-four solar terms in traditional Chinese lunisolar calendars”
A young man of Lin’an, aged fourteen or fifteen, whose adoptive father was killed during the breach in the barrier.
Skeleton King
骷髅王
One of the nine kings of the ghost realm. Referred to as “the ghost king” during the Lin’an incident until his specific identity was revealed. He bears a grudge against Chu Xun for daring to defy him.
RUFENG SECT
Ye Wangxi
叶忘昔 Surname Ye; given name Wangxi, “to forget the past”
A disciple of Rufeng Sect who was adopted by Rufeng Sect’s chief elder. Highly regarded by the sect leader of Rufeng Sect, and a competent, chivalric, and upright sort. Mo Ran noted that in their previous lifetime, Ye Wangxi was second only to Chu Wanning in the entire cultivation world.
Nangong Si
南宫驷 Surname Nangong; given name Si, “to ride, or horse”
The only son of Rufeng Sect’s leader, who in their previous lifetime died before Mo Ran’s ascension. Brash, headstrong, and volatile in temperament. He rides on his faewolf, has a hearty appetite for meat and wine, and an antagonistic relationship with Ye Wangxi.
Naobaijin
瑙白金 Nao, “carnelian”; bai “white”; jin “gold”
Nangong Si’s faewolf. Thrice the height of a human, with carnelian-red eyes, snow-white fur, and gold claws.
XUANYUAN PAVILION / RAINBELL ISLE
Second Pavilion Master
二阁主
A girl who looks no older than eleven or twelve, but who is in actuality over a hundred years old. As the Second Pavilion Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion, she acts as auction master for the goods being sold.
Hanlin the Sage
寒鳞圣手 Han, “cold”; lin, “scales”; shengshou,“highly skilled, sage doctor”
An elder of Guyueye Sect. Highly skilled in refining pills and medicines.
Song Qiutong
宋秋桐 Surname Song; given name Qiutong, “autumn, tung tree”
Taxian-jun’s wife and empress in his previous lifetime. Bears a resemblance to Shi Mei. She hailed from Rufeng Sect before Taxian-jun burned it down, and her tombstone was engraved with the words “Grave of the Deep-Fried Empress Song.” She also shares a name with a character in Dream of the Red Chamber.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Mei Hanxue
梅含雪 Surname Mei; given name Hanxue, “to hold, snow”
A cultivator of Kunlun Taxue Palace who stayed with the Xue family at Sisheng Peak for a short time as a child. He is skilled in various arts, including dance and playing musical instruments, and is an appreciator of wine and song. Known as “Da-shixiong” to the lady cultivators who flock around him, as well as by less flattering epithets to others, namely Xue Meng and Ye Wangxi.
Liu-gong 刘公
An elderly servant of Taxian-jun in his previous lifetime.