Character Profiles

WARNING: Spoilers abound in this chapter. I take no responsibility for spoiling any plot twists with the information contained herein. Read at your own risk.

Surnames are written first as per Chinese tradition.

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Male Lead:

Rén Chún - 人(Man) 淳(Simple/Pure) - Literal Translation. 'Simple/Pure Man'. He is currently around thirteen years old. grew up in and around a small village at the edge of the Wilderness of Fusou, considered the edge of nowhere. His mother was a refugee travelling with him as a baby and only survived for a few years after they settled there.

Until he found out he was a True Cultivator, he lived on his own, living wherever he could find a place in the village - shelter and food in return for chores done etc. Often unable to find a place to stay he also lived by his wits and fits on the streets of the frontier village and supplemented his diet and income by hunting and fishing in the edge of the wilderness, spending a lot of time on the local mountain behind the village.

As of Chapter 91, Chún has Cultivated from a short, scrawny, malnourished peasant kid into a very handsome young man with jade-like skin, long platinum hair, muscular, slim and tall with very defined, fine facial features, appearing somewhere between fifteen and seventeen years old - a typical XianXia main male character in other words. People who see him do not recognise him as the young boy who vanished. As a True Cultivator, his current Cultivation does not equate well with the Consumer's Cultivation Rankings but he has abilities commensurate with, approximately, a mid-Sky ranked Consumer.

Due to his background, Chún has only very basic literacy - can recognise and write common numbers up to 100 and few simple characters. He is not able to read or write fluently and knows very little of the outside world beyond the village and the mountains - besides what he has managed to glean from travellers or stories from the Village storyteller - with no social graces beyond the basic. His bond with a billion year old intelligence has filled in some of the blanks and improved his speech somewhat, but the mountain sees no importance in human society, nor realises Chún is lacking a lot of areas most people take for granted.

He has developed basic battle techniques and combat skills from observing the way Essence Beast fight, but has no formally taught human Cultivation or combat skills - although his inherent abilities with Essence and the tempering of his physical body make up for that in large part.

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Female Lead:

Guan Dàilán - Her family/Clan name 關 (Guan), is itself a reference to a Mountain. Historically the family was charged with guarding a significant mountain pass and took the name literally, dropping the 'pass' part over generations. They refer to themselves as Clan Mountain, and all their Cultivation and battle techniques revolve around defence, Earth Elements and other aspects of mountains.

There are also other meanings to the character relating to complexity, scheming, plotting, pivotal/crux, flutes and relationships so it fits the character very well

The name Dàilán can be used as 黛岚, 岱岚, 黛兰 or 代兰 with 黛 (dài), referring to a dark pigment used by women in ancient times to paint their eyebrows, 岱 (dài), which was used for the name of a mountain in Shandong Province (now called Mount Tai), 代 (dài) meaning "generation, era," 岚 (lán) meaning "mountain mist" and 兰 (lán) meaning "orchid."

Although she writes her name as 關 岱 兰 in an effort to be more 'Heir-like', her parents gave it to her as 關 岚兰 which is a more feminine form - and what she is referred as by people trying to flatter her - the Mountain's Mist Orchid.

From the novel's point of view, she is the youngest generation of her family, so 代 is appropriate and she is considered a great beauty, so the reference to makeup, 黛 also fits.

The alternate use of 岱 (dài) is also a reference, making her the other 'Mount Tai' in the novel, besides Chún's locus. Thus the first volume's title is a direct reference to finding/seeking both characters.

Dàilán is the fourteen year old, only child, of the youngest of three brothers who currently act as the leaders of Clan Guan. The Clan is split into three branches - each branch led by one brother.

Her Father refused to remarry after the disappearance of her mother Xiùyīng five years ago and because Xiùyīng was herself the Heiress to a powerful Cultivator Sect, her daughter acts as Heir for the Third and smallest Branch of the Clan (consisting only of herself and her father) as well as being the Heiress to the Cultivator Knife Sect, although this is not common knowledge.

Despite her (for modern sensibilities) young age she is actually only a year away from attaining her majority at fifteen (as per the culture of Ancient China). It should be noted that as she has always been fed and cared for with highly nutritious and Essence rich food, medicine and Cultivation resources as well as having a high Cultivation rank she has the physical maturity of/ can pass for a seventeen to nineteen year old woman.

Physically, Dàilán appears as the typical 'Fairy Cultivator' Main Female Lead of a XianXia novel - long, ink black hair to her calves, impossibly glowing, alabaster skin, huge phoenix curved eyes with delicate, curved eyebrows and long, slim jade legs - all of which poets insists on writing songs about, to her disgust.

Through a careful use of clothing, mannerism and elaborate body care routines she has managed to hide that she is physically fit and toned - under a sensible level of body fat just enough to lend curves to her muscles - rather than being the nobility female ideal of softness and fragility. The use of Essence Techniques over pure physical/muscle strength in combat/training helps to maintain the disguise.

Dàilán has successfully hidden her true level of Cultivation (most believe she is a low Earth Rank) and abilities from most people outside her closest confidants - so is seen as a beautiful but typical 'empty vase' by people outside the Third Branch of her Clan.

She is actually skilled in Cultivation, politics, running a Clan/household - due to her Father training and treating her as a Clan Heir from a young age - as well as combat - with the training and guidance of her closest friend, sworn sister and Knife Sect Guard Chénli.

As of Chapter 91, recent advances in her Cultivation that were previously bottle-necked have improved her appearance and cultivation Rank substantially. By the ranking system the Lotus Empire uses - somewhere between Peak Earth, Rank nine and Low Sky, Rank one.

Her astonishing physical beauty has caused her issues as she is seen as prime marriage material or a target for jealous or envious competitors. She plays bāwū (ancient chinese flute) and practices tàijíquán which is a secret martial and meditative art passed down by the females on the mother's side of the family and has personal interests in History, Relic Hunting (which is an actual, often romanticized profession in this world) and studying various aspects of Cultivation, including Cultivation techniques and Formations.

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Main Characters:

Tai the Mountain Planet - Tai is the piece of the World that Chún created a bond with as a True Cultivator. It is genderless although Chún often considers it male. Originally a small, unremarkable mountain on the edges of the Fusou Wilderness, it built up a reasonable level of Essence over billions of years of existence, only to have its growth hampered by Consumers who hunted for Cultivation Resources.

It managed to retain some of its treasures (Plants, Beasts, Essences etc.) in difficult to reach or guarded locations, mostly thanks to the Consumers deciding it didn't have anything else and moving further into the wilderness.

When Chún started spending a lot of time on it - hunting, fishing or even sleeping - the uncontrolled Essence of an untrained True Cultivator restored a great deal of its lost levels, slowly developing treasures which in turn increased Essence levels in a domino effect. Over the years the Mountain began to awaken and formed a tentative connection with Chún, although the boy was unaware of it.

When Chún was taught by a mature True Cultivator how to control and increase the production of Essence, the levels of the Mountain's complexity and awareness took a quantum leap. It was also jump-started by the fact that the mature True Cultivator released a lot of Essence very quickly into the area in the few days he was on it - this is something every True Cultivator does constantly unless they are consciously controlling it.

By chapter 91, the Mountain has gone through several advancements, mostly in self defense, going from developing protective and shielding formation to obscure its advancement, to growing into first a separate plane, pocket world or secret land and then becoming its own small proto universe, with the Mountain growing into a full size Planet and beginning to develop metaphysical control over its own reality - developing its first Heaven.

Tai chose its own name as a direct appropriation of the legend of Mt. Tai - the mystical Mountain that you cannot see until you literally stumble on it - that the ancestors of the humans on Golden Crow Planet brought with them from wherever they came from and passed through the generations.

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Fuan Chénli - (晨 (chén) or 辰 (chén), both meaning "morning" and 丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful") Apprentice Enforcer of the Knife Sect. Childhood friend, sworn sister and bodyguard/maid servant of Guan Dàilán. Organised by Dàilán's mother as part of the responsibilities of being Heiress to the Enforcer Sect, Chénli has grown up with her charge and friend since Dàilán was three years old.

Chénli is two years older than Dàilán - thus sixteen going on seventeen as at chapter 91 - although like her mistress appears closer to nineteen to twenty-one for the same reasons; this arrangement is traditional within the Knife Sect for Heirs - they are always paired at a very young age with a sect born child of the same gender, whose responsibility is to take care of the younger like an older brother or sister, to guard and protect them for life.

The responsibility of the Guard of the Sect Heir or Sect Leader is no less than the Heir or Leader themselves and they share equal levels of power and responsibility. It is a foolish Heir or Leader that gainsays their Guard without good reason and likewise the reverse.

Dàilán's mother Xiùyīng adopted Chénli, so the two young girls were playmates growing up - as far as Dàilán and Chénli is concerned, the other has always been there.

Chénli has until very recently been Dàilán's only friend and confidant. While Chénli kept to her duty and kept in contact with the Sect for training and orders, passing the training on to her charge, Dàilán's Father blamed the Sect for his wife's disappearance (when Dàilán was nine and Chénli eleven) and distanced himself from them as he went into mourning.

The Second Elder of the Guan Clan took advantage of this by manoeuvring for more power at Dàilán's Father's expense, thus Chénli was basically her only support.

Chénli used her training and position as Dàilán's right hand to establish a strong network of support among the Guan servants, keeping her informed as to everything that was happening within the Clan, which allowed her charge to continue effectively as Heir and train in secret.

Chénli is an accomplished Cultivator in her own right, although not at genius levels. Recent changes have meant that she has had to take up much more serious duties, but now has a small staff to assist as well as the help of other Sect members.

Chénli is also considered beautiful, although she is often overlooked next to her Mistress - considering her duties as a guard and Enforcer, she prefers it that way. She is fit, tall and lean, with a healthy golden skin tone and dark brown hair down to her waist. She sometimes despairs of her smaller bust size and lack of the stereotypical jade skin - at least compared to Dàilán - but is proud of her legs and strong buttock muscles from constant training. Unlike Dàilán, she makes no attempt to look curvy or overtly feminine, but she is in her own way just as stunning and as much of a picture of a healthy woman as her sworn sister.

Chénli's Cultivation is mid to true Earth, a source of much frustration to her as Dàilán continues to advance faster than her in recent months. She has however taken and completed successfully a number of Sect missions to achieve her rank at a comparatively young age within her generation.

Chénli has a minor crush on Dàilán's father - given the effects of cultivation on physical bodies this is not so strange as it sounds as Dàilán's father appears to be an extraordinarily fit young man in his early thirties or late twenties despite being more than twice that. Chénli also loves fighting and bossing around her younger sister - but her focus is almost entirely around Dàilán and ensuring her safety. This bothers Dàilán, hence she is often prodding Chénli to develop other interests, but Chénli is quite happy to be where she is in life and has more than enough to deal with, thank you.

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Supporting Characters:

Ài - (爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection") Lady in Waiting. A recent addition to Dàilán's group, Ài is an older girl (18-21) who Dàilán selected from the Third House Servants to be part of her personal entourage, freeing up Chénli from having to deal with Dàilán's dress, makeup and other 'lady-like' concerns.

Ài's family has a noble background, but their Clan lost their position. Ài's parents managed to pass on a small number of family cultivation and combat techniques to her which, combined with her demonstrated self-developed abilities in makeup and styling, allowed her to land a job as a maid with the Guan Clan.

As her childhood was impoverished, Ài looks her age, although that has lessened since she became a Guan maid and vastly improved since she accepted Dàilán's offer. She enjoys and is very skilled in what we would call 'influencer' skills - makeup, dress, hairstyles etc. which has enabled Dàilán to bring her level of presentation up several levels.

Ài is skilled enough in fighting that Dàilán has delegated secondary bodyguard status to her if Chénli is not able.

As the oldest of all the women in Dàilán's group - by a year or so - she has taken on something of a mothering role, especially to the two younger maids that were selected with her.

Ài grew up in the poorer areas of the city and knows how to hunt for a bargain and live on a budget without sacrificing quality - something the others have never had to really worry about.

Ài is slim, tall and pretty, with long black hair and gentle features accentuated by elegant hairstyles, makeup, dress and the confident grace of a martial artist.

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Chàng - (畅 (chàng) meaning "smooth, free, unrestrained") The youngest of Dàilán's three maids (15-16) working under the direction of Ài and Chénli. One of the three Dàilán selected from the Guan Servants to be part of her personal entourage, freeing Chénli from having to deal with Dàilán's dress, makeup and other 'lady-like' concerns.

Chàng was born into a servant family of the Guan clan, but Guan's generally appropriate treatment of its members, means they never lacked for anything important despite not being wealthy. Her upbringing has left her a little naive of the world outside the Clan and she gets excited at new stuff easily - has plunged into combat training from Chénli and makeup and clothing training from Ài with equal enthusiasm. Like most Guan Servants, she idolises the 'Youngest Mistress'.

Short, cute, prone to bouncing and smiling a lot, easily the curviest of all the girls, often forgets that as a young maid she should speak less. Black hair kept in an easily maintainable short cut to the base of her neck although as a personal maid she is now entitled to grow it longer.

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Biyu - (碧玉 meaning "jasper," the semi-precious stone) One of Dàilán's three maids (16-17) working under the direction of Ài and Chénli. One of the three Dàilán selected from the Guan Servants to be part of her personal entourage, freeing Chénli from having to deal with Dàilán's dress, makeup and other 'lady-like' concerns.

Biyu was born into a servant family of the Guan clan, but Guan's generally appropriate treatment of its members, means they never lacked for anything important despite not being wealthy.

She is quieter and being second oldest after Ài, she is much more aware of correct behaviour. Rarely speaks up, very proper. Applies herself equally to all tasks as she does not wish to let down the "youngest Mistress"

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Guan Míng Jiàn - Daughter of the Eldest Brother and Leader of the Guan Clan (18-21). Aging slows at this point for Cultivators above mid Earth rank until early sixties, so she looks her age, but she will not noticeably age unless she remains stuck at mid Earth ranks until her sixties. Also referred to as First - sometimes with the title Mistress/Cousin.

Very intelligent but cynical, sparing and often barbed with her speech. Tall, slender, sharp faced beauty - Formations Master, Apprentice level. Underground Code Name: Dagger

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Guan Ying Yue - Daughter of Middle Brother/Second Elder of the Guan Clan (16-18). Appears around nineteen. Also referred to as Second - sometimes with the title Mistress/Cousin.

Cheerful with those she likes, spiteful to those she doesn't. Fashionista - loves makeup, clothes jewelry, brighter and fancier the better a classically chinese, rubenesque, beauty . Interests in Alchemy Essence herbs, poisons. Developed a personalised combat style involving weaponised fashion - clothes, cloth, jewelry etc. Underground Code name: Moon

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Grandmother - Mother of the Three brothers currently running the Guan Clan and Matriarch of the Clan - thus Dàilán's Grandmother on her father's side; Her sons run the Clan from day to day, but she instructs them when she is displeased. Runs an underground organisation of noble females who try and balance the sometimes abusive situations noble women are forced into - Underground Code name: Dragon

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Father - Dàilán's father. Third Elder of the Guan Clan, Youngest son of the Matriarch, Head of Third House Guan. Between 50-65 years of age, but he has achieved True Sky Levels of Cultivation, so his physical appearance and ability has reversed back towards his 20-30's.

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Grandfather/Sect Leader - Dàilán's Grandfather on her mother's side. He is the current head of the Knife Sect.

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Heir Ji - (Ji Chang) Prospective partner for Ying, Heir to one of the wealthiest merchant families of Hujian. Xianxia Fatty Character - also known as Fatty Ji. Sworn brother to Heir Gi.

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Heir Gi - (Gi Chian) Prospective partner for Ming, Heir to the highest rank Clan in Hujian. Stereotype cold and stoic male cultivator type. Considered the handsomest male of the city's noble clans. Formations master.

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Background Characters:

BloodWitch - High Rank Enforcer from Knife Sect. Hides her true age with a transforming technique and never appears older than eighteen. Favourite hobby is attacking people with an enormous sword while appearing about five or six years old while cackling madly. Has a very scary reputation and leans into it hard.

Cao Jiàn (Grass Sword) - Knife Sect genius that tries to kill Dàilán and Chenli and is revealed as a Grass infiltrator.

Head Guard - This man is the Sect Leader's Chenli. He is responsible for the internal security of the Sect and runs the Monitors which are Sect's Discipline Hall.

Monitor Leng - One of the Sect members assigned to the Guan Clan after Dàilán accepts the position of Sect Heiress. Formations genius and experimentation - also a member of the Sects Discipline Hall. Young man, typical Otaku type, has issues behaving around beauties. Not abusive but inappropriate. His mad scientist proclivities allow him to be tolerated and Chenli has kicked his ass.

Majesty Flood Dragon - lives on the Mountain. One of the four Guardians of Mountain Planet. Has been on the Mountain for a very long time.

Shé Yin - (Silver Snake) Snake Prince, son of the Flood dragon, guardian of the Silver Tree and Chún's Cultivation/Immortals cave

(Her) Highness - The Heaven and Earth Vine that will eventually Evolve into a Five Elements Tree and develop a humanoid form.

The World Tree - A tree that grew from Chún's first staff after a great battle with otherworldly enemies intent on destroying the newly formed plane. Now protects and stabilizes the new Planet Mountain and universe.

Bái Hǔi - A White Tiger Prince that found his way onto the new Planet Mountain and intends to become a permanent resident. Considers himself to be in debt to Chún. One of the four Guardians of Mountain Planet.

Yijing - (old man) The True Cultivator that revealed to Chún his true destiny

Head Matron - The Elder Servant that runs the Servants and Kitchens of the Third House

Majordomo - The Head Servant for the entire Guan Clan - The Matrons of the Three Houses report to him as well as the Heirs of their respective Houses - He reports to the Clan Leader and the Matriarch.