Glossary/FAQ

[duplexitous]

For those of us not as elbow-deep in Chinese media, I'll just be putting names/words that might pertain to Mo Ran here. Feel free to ask about anything you do not know and I will add it! Comments are screened, so please do not feel embarrassed, and I encourage you to also do your own research and not just take my word for it as I am also still learning!

Names

Mo Ran: This is his given name, the name he will use most around folks! It's polite but friendly, consisting of his family name, "Mo"(meaning ink) and "Ran"(meaning fire), the name he was given by his mother.

Mo Weiyu: "Weiyu"(meaning gentle rain) is his 'courtesy name', given to him by Chu Wanning. It's a familiar name, one he would be shocked by a stranger using, and frankly, he barely ever uses it at all even with those he is close to.

Mo-zongshi: "-zongshi" is a term meaning 'grandmaster' or something similar, used to refer to a scholar or sage or in Mo Ran's canon, a sufficiently accomplished cultivator. This is what the people called him in his reincarnated life as he became known for good deeds, and refers to the personality of Mo Ran from that timeline exclusively(the "good" one).

Taxian-jun: Taxian-jun(meaning Lord Who Treads on Immortals) is the name Mo Ran took on as he became Emperor in his past life. -jun is a term appended to high-ranking officials/nobility. This name exclusively refers to the personality of Mo Ran from his time as Emperor(the "evil" one)

Chu Fei: Taxian-jun married Chu Wanning in his past life as Emperor, and this is how he may refer to Chu Wanning(when it's not just Wanning). It means "Consort Chu", which shows his status as not the primary wife, but still as a spouse with political and social power.

CWN, TXJ, etc.: Cwn= Chu Wanning, txj=Taxian-jun. Many characters in danmei have three syllable names and are often referred to with the first letter in each syllable. This is mostly OOC or meta-text.

Erha/2ha: Refers to the canon name in Chinese, just a shorthand so we don't have to call it The (Dumb)Husky and His White Cat Shizun.

Terms

Cultivation: The method by which people in Mo Ran's world gain superhuman powers, the methods and results of which vary! For some it means an ascetic lifestyle, abstaining from all worldly desire, and for some it means Studying The Blade.

Qinggong: Also called "lightness", refers to cultivators' method of movement as if as light as air. Usually encompasses super-speed, as well as covering large distance with a single leap, or manipulation of weight, such as allowing a cultivator to land upon a leaf upon the water without sinking. Basically functions like magic parkour.

Qi: the energy in all living things. There is both righteous qi and evil or poisonous qi.

Cultivators strive to cultivate qi by absorbing it from the natural world and refining it within themselves to improve their cultivation base. A cultivation base refers to the amount of qi a cultivator possesses or is able to possess. In xianxia, natural locations such as caves, mountains, or other secluded places with beautiful scenery are often rich in qi, and practicing there can allow a cultivator to make rapid progress in their cultivation.

Cultivators and other qi manipulators can utilize their life force in a variety of ways, including imbuing objects with it to transform them into lethal weapons or sending out blasts of energy to do damage. Cultivators also refine their senses beyond normal human levels. For instance, they may cast out their spiritual sense to gain total awareness of everything in a region around them or to sense potential danger.[1]

Shizun: A term meaning something akin to "respected teacher". It's usually a cultivation mentor, or a martial arts teacher, sometimes a mix of both.

[1] This explanation is taken from the Erha glossary included at the end of each novel