CH 67

Seeing him talking about business, Dong Zhi had to restrain his expression and stood still, listening carefully.

“The Master of the heavens, the dimension of the heavens, covers the sun, moon, and nine stars, and the color of heaven and earth. Bluntly stated, it’s the law of all the operations in the universe. There’s also a saying of Bu Tian Gang in Taoism, called Bu Gang Nieji, which means to lay a map of the Big Dipper on the ground, step on it using Yubu1, and pray for longevity. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Zhuge Kongming2 used this method to seek heaven, hoping to prolong his life, but in the end he did not succeed.”

1(禹步) Footwork movement commonly used by Taoist in prayer rituals.

2Also known as Zhuge Liang, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is recognized as the most accomplished strategist of his era, and has been compared to Sun Tzu, the author of The Art of War.

This anecdote was later circulated among the people and was written into Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. Dong Zhi was familiar with this as he recalled the reference as soon as he heard it.

Long Shen continued: “But the skills I want to teach you is different from what I said earlier. It is not only swordsmanship, but also include footwork and qi that can be combined with your Thunder Talisman method. If your skill is profound, it may even be able to attract the sun, stars, and moon, making you the center of the universe. A single thought can give birth to new life or the destruction of an entire world.”

Dong Zhi was stunned to hear: “Isn’t this something that the great god Pangu* can do?”

*A primordial being and creation figure in Chinese mythology who separated heaven and earth and became geographic features such as mountains and rivers.

Long Shen smiled: “In fact, it’s not as mysterious as you think. Most dharmas in the world have already reached their highest depth. For example, if you use the Five Thunder Dharma method, you can reach a point where you can summon overwhelming thunder, almost like a god, but truthfully, no one in the world can do such a thing.”

That’s true. Dong Zhi nodded. To put things bluntly, just like playing a game, a game company will always give you an ultimate skill that you must practice and grind to the highest level, using the best equipment, and spend more money than any other to achieve the maximum effect of that skill. In other words, no one in the entire server can do such a thing and the same applies to practitioners*.

*Clarity: For those still confuse, he’s saying that the capability is there, but no mortal can actually achieve it. For example, the Five Thunder Talisman can reach a potential where you can summon countless thunder like a god, but no one can actually reach this potential.

After his introduction, Long Shen stretched out his hand: “Give me the Changshou Sword.”

Dong Zhi hurriedly handed the sword over.

“Look at my footwork first. Don’t worry about swordsmanship,” Long Shen said as he stepped forward.

His footwork was very fast, moving back and forth with ease. Dong Zhi was dazzle by the sight. At first, he could remember a few steps, but soon he forgot most of them.

“Try to remember it first. When you’re proficient with it, you can combine it with your swordsmanship in actual combat. This set of footwork can also be used when inviting gods or summoning thunder. It adds an extra layer of effect, like icing on a cake. However, you can’t invite gods in the future, so when you’re familiar with it, only use it for your thunder technique.”

Dong Zhi said with a bitter face: “Master, you move too fast. I didn’t see clearly.”

Long Shen was serious, but he’s also patient with his disciple. After hearing what Dong Zhi said, he slowed down his movements and performed them again.

Watching them, Dong Zhi felt that Long Shen’s steps were very mysterious, but he couldn’t tell what the mystery behind them was. After looking at it for a long time, he couldn’t help but ask: “Master, does this set of footwork also imitate the law of the distribution of the Big Dipper?”

Long Shen nodded: “It is not only the Big Dipper, but the twenty-eight mansions1, relating to the four star regions2. The Azure Dragon of the East3, the White Tiger of the West4, the Black Tortoise of the North5, and the Vermilion Bird of the South6. The Yubu steps is universal so it can be used for summoning thunder, thus you can learn it first and then gradually become better at it.”

1Part of the Chinese constellations system. They can be considered as the equivalent to the zodiacal constellations in Western astronomy, though the Twenty-eight Mansions reflect the movement of the Moon through a sidereal month rather than the Sun in a tropical year.

2Four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including “Four Guardians”, “Four Gods”, and “Four Auspicious Beasts”

3Also known as Qinglong in Chinese or Seiryu in Japanese, is one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Regions’ Highest Deities. Represents the east in terms of direction and the season of spring.

4Also known as Baihu in Chinese and Byakko in Japanese, represents the west in terms of direction and the season of autumn.

5Also known as Xuanwu in Chiense and Genbu in Japanse, represent the north in terms of direction and the season of winter. Usually portrayed as a turtle with a snake as its tail.

6Also known as Zhuque in Chinese and Suzaku in Japanese, represents the south in direction and also the fire element and the season of summer. It is described as a red bird that resembles a pheasant with five-color plumage and is perpetually covered in flames.

Dong Zhi nodded, recalling Long Shen’s footwork, and began to practice. Long Shen watched from the side and corrected him from time to time.

Time passed and it was almost noon.

Although the rooftop of the Special Administration Bureau was a separate space, it still contains the four seasons and day and night was the same as outside, making the space even more ingenious. After dusk, night fell, and soon the sky was full of stars glitter above the earth, creating an amazing and magical space.

Anyone can practice here at any time for however long they wanted. Long Shen said: “In next two days, you’ll practice your footwork, then I’ll start teaching you swordsmanship. That’s it for today.”

Dong Zhi scratched his head: “Master, you go first. I want to practice more.”

Long Shen: “What you did now is enough. Above all else, you need rest now. You can’t eat at night and you need to be full at noon, so let’s go. The reason why I don’t let you eat meat is to make your stomach and intestines recover faster. It’s not necessarily better the more meat you eat, got it?”

Dong Zhi put away his sword and said bitterly: “I’ve been practicing for most of the day. Now I’m too hungry. I can’t fall asleep at night just by eating white porridge without even any sides!”

In the past, he’s not as glutenous as Kan Chaosheng but since he’s been eating nothing but porridge with mustard greens every day for a month, his eyes were beginning to glow green whenever he hears the word meat.

However, Long Shen watched over him too closely. He once took some snacks from Kan Chaosheng and as he turned his head, he was discovered by Long Shen. Not only was he punished but Kan Chaosheng suffered as well. After that, no one dared give him any food.

Long Shen glanced at him, but suddenly turned around and pointed to the bright sunlight as he made an oath.

“I, Long Shen, will accept Dong Zhi as my apprentice from today onwards. I must love him and protect him with all my heart and soul and teach him to become talented. If there’s any violation, may the heaven strike me with thunder.”

Dong Zhi was stunned. What he said earlier want meant as a jest as he didn’t expect Long Shen to really swear and took what he said seriously. His throat bobbed as heat rushed to his eyes. Even his nose became stuffy.

He watched Long Shen put down his hand, as if he just talking about the weather, and his expression remained monotoned as usual: “Satisfied? Let’s go.”

“Master…” Dong Zhi was lost for words as he didn’t know how to respond. As soon as he spoke, he found that his eyes were a little wet.

Long Shen couldn’t help sighing: “What’s there to cry about? Didn’t you ask me to make an oath?”

“Master, you are so kind to me. I am touched.” Dong Zhi was full of tears but showed him a smile.

At this moment, he thought to himself, even if it was not the kind of relationship he wanted, it would still be okay. For someone like Long Shen to do this for him was a valuable thing. He can only repay him back with hard work and sincerity.

“Go get dinner.”

“Yes.”

Since Long Shen had asked Dong Zhi to eat sparingly, he obviously didn’t take him to a restaurant, but instead took him back to his dorm and cooked for him. The meal was still porridge but he added some polygonatum, goji berries and jujubes to it to nourish his qi and replenish his blood.

Dong Zhi hated eating the goji berries and jujubes the most, because they smell like medicine, despite the fact that they were sweet. The taste was indescribable. He would use to want to vomit before he even had a bite and resolutely refused to touch it. However, now that his Master was making it himself, not to mention goji berries or jujubes, even if it was arsenic, he’ll still eat it, especially since he’s able to see Long Shen’s back. His shirt sleeves were half rolled up, revealing fair and strong arms as his figure busy himself washing his hands and preparing the ingredients for the porridge. Not everyone could have such blessing like Dong Zhi.

Dong Zhi suddenly felt that if he was born in ancient times and happened to be an emperor, he’ll probably be an unscrupulous monarch who would put beauty over country.

Long Shen’s cooking skills weren’t particularly good. He can skip meals when he’s busy on weekdays and he doesn’t have time to practice his cooking skills. However, it was enough for Dong Zhi. The significance lies not in the taste of the porridge but the fact that it was made by his Master. It was something that probably even Li Han’er had never tasted.

After swallowing a mouthful of the most annoying jujubes, Dong Zhi decided that from today onwards, he would reconcile with the two ingredients he hated, jujubes and goji berries, and write off past grievances.

“Master, when I go to a branch next week, can I come back to see you often in the future?”

“Why are you thinking about coming back before you even go?” Long Shen disapproved of his attitude of thinking about wanting to go home before the war.

Dong Zhi said softly: “But I will miss you.”

Long Shen ladle a scoop of porridge into a bowl.

Without giving a chance for him to be chided for his weak mentality, Dong Zhi said: “Master, you know that my parents have passed away. Now this has become a second home to me. Can I really not come back to you see you for a whole year?”

Long Shen: “I didn’t bind your legs. You can return during the holidays. However, being in the Special Administration Bureau is a special position. You often have to leave as soon as something happens, and you can only come back once things are resolves. Holidays are useless so you should mentally be prepared.”

Dong Zhi smiled: “Don’t worry. I used to work for a game company and worked overtime every day. When we had to push expansions or events, I didn’t even have a rest day, so I’m long use to this kind of thing!”

Long Shen wasn’t a talkative person. If no one bothers him, he could be at ease even if he didn’t speak for over ten days to half a month. However, now that he had such a noisy apprentice, he had accepted his fate.

After being quiet for a while, the noisy apprentice asked again: “Master, when online games weren’t popular before, what did you do in your spare time?”

Long Shen: “Walk around and read books.”

Dong Zhi’s eyes lit up: “Then when I go to the branch, will you come to see me?”

Long Shen wanted to say that he probably didn’t have time, but when he saw his shining eyes, he changed his words: “If I have time, I’ll go.”

It wasn’t easy to make the other party make this kind of guarantee. Dong Zhi felt good about it so he bowed his head and ate his porridge with satisfaction.

After being quiet for a while, he asked again: “Master, what books do you like to read?”

Long Shen: “Doesn’t matter what the subject is, I’ll always take a look.”

Dong Zhi lit up: “What about martial arts novels?”

Long Shen: “I have read a few.”

Dong Zhi said tentatively: “Then do you know the story of Yang Guo and the Xiaolongnü*?”

*Characters from the book <The Return of the Condor Heroes>. The story revolves around the protagonist, Yang Guo, and his lover and martial arts master, Xiaolongnü, in their adventures in the jianghu (also called the wulin, the community of martial artists), where love between master and apprentice is seen as taboo. || It’s because of his feelings for Long Shen and the current relationship that they have that he specifically brought this book up.

Long Shen glanced at him.

He felt guilty for being a thief and hurriedly lowered his head and pretended to be concentrating on eating his porridge without looking at his opponent’s line of sight.

Long Shen did not answer.

After waiting for the Dong Zhi for a while, he couldn’t help but said: “Master, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

Long Shen couldn’t bear it: “Shut up.”

The world was finally quiet. If he had known his apprentice would be so noisy, he should have thought more about accepting him in the first place. Long Shen had never made a decision that he regretted, but as he watched Dong Zhi’s black and soft hair twirl, he began to doubt his judgement for the very first time in his life.

Dong Zhi felt something, and he raised his head and smiled at him innocently. Long Shen’s heart softened for a moment, then he lowered his head and looked at Dong Zhi’s bowl and was speechless again.

The goji berries in the porridge were all shuffled to the bottom of the bowl, one by one. They were originally covered by porridge but as Dong Zhi ate it, more and more goji berries start appearing as the level of porridge began to shrink.

“Eat it all.” Long Shen tapped the edge of his bowl lightly with his chopsticks.

It was really hard to eat. He really couldn’t eat a whole bowl even if he imagined it was some kind of immortal elixer. Dong Zhi had originally wanted to take it and toss it away secretly while Long Shen wasn’t paying attention, but now that he was discovered, he could only pick them up and gobble them down in one go as if he was dying, and then swallow them all into his stomach before he had a chance to taste them.

Long Shen watched him eat like a child as he showed an expression of begging for praise. He only said: “Continue tomorrow. Before you leave Beijing, you’ll come here every day at noon to eat porridge with goji berries, jujubes, and polygonatum.”

Dong Zhi: …

He could eat with his sweetheart every day, but what he hated most was the taste. Life was always full of difficult choices.

After eating, he wanted to stay for a while. Like he could help his Master wash the dishes, linger around and chat with him before going to bed. But Long Shen had told him to rest early these days and he had to go to the rooftop to continue his class at 4 in the morning.

Dong Zhi was driven back into his dormitory lovelessly. After hugging his fat white cat for a long time, his heart recovered, and he began to move again. His fingers weren’t honest as he picked up his phone and started texting.

[Master! I recommend you read the martial arts trilogy, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes, and The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. The best one is The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. You must read it if you have time!]

He thought Long Shen would not reply, but after a while, he received a response: [I have read it.]

Dong Zhi spirit was refreshed as he asked: [What did you think of it?]

Deputy Director Long replied: [The description of internal exercises is more illusory, and it is too close to the magic.]

A very professional response after reading.

Dong Zhi couldn’t laugh or cry, so he added: [What about the emotional part?]

He felt that his hint was obvious enough. As long as Long Shen has a little bit of heart, he should be able to understand the implication.

The other party’s reply was: [It’s okay.]

Did he understand? He still didn’t understand?

He stared at the phone screen for a long time as it turned off by itself, completely stunned, until the white cat became impatient and jumped off of him that he regained his senses.

He wanted to ask again, but he didn’t have the courage now, so he didn’t send any more messages and the other party didn’t add to his text either. Those two words seemed to be a sign of coldness that calmed him down all night.

Dong Zhi was hesitant at first as he held his phone before he clicked on the online version of <The Return of the Condor Heroes>.

He first read this novel when he was still in junior high. At that time, he was just a child and only focused on how powerful the protagonist was. He wanted to see him fight with King Jinlun for 300 rounds. Since then, it became famous all over the world. Where would he even pay attention to the infatuation without repentance? When the TV series was broadcast later, he took time to watch it and recalled the plot again.

Now that he’s older and have a different state of mind, he could relive this novel from a completely different perspective. He was fascinated by it unconsciously and forgot about his bedtime. He originally promised to go to bed by 9 PM but forgot about it until it was after midnight. As a result, he was awakened by his alarm clock just four hours after he had fallen asleep. The appearance of his baggy eyelids was instantly noticed by Long Shen.

“Didn’t you go to bed early last night?” He asked with a frown.

Sensing a hint of danger from the other party’s tone, Dong Zhi hurriedly said: “I went to bed early, but I couldn’t fall asleep.”

Long Shen: “I remember you said that you usually get good quality sleep and would fall asleep as soon as you touch the bed.”

Dong Zhi: …It seems I did say that.

During dinner yesterday, while they were chatting, Long Shen had told him that practicing his kungfu tona before going to bed could help him sleep. He boasted that he usually get good quality sleep, even before he had practice kungfu tona, as he basically could fall asleep as soon as he touched a bed.

Now, his retribution is coming. He really can’t lie. Otherwise, if he told a lie, he’ll have to keep telling countless lies to cover them up.

He honestly admitted: “Master, I was wrong. I went to bed late because I forgot the time when I was up reading a novel.”

Long Shen said lightly: “Do you not care about the things that I usually tell you?”

Dong Zhi quickly denied: “I remember what you said. Last night, my self-control was too poor. Don’t be angry.”

Long Shen said: “The most important thing about our identity is self-control and will. When we confront demons, they can see your inner weakness and take advantage of it. When you’re in a branch, you can face emergencies at any time. I can’t always be by your side to protect you. If you have a sense of dependence, it’s better to quit early and save me the trouble from teaching you.”

This sentence was very serious that it frightened Dong Zhi. He quickly lowered his head and obediently accepted his scolding, not daring to speak out.

For a personality like Long Shen, the fact that he was able to say that much meant he was truly angry. He didn’t talk at length and continued to train Dong Zhi, but the more he didn’t say it, the more Dong Zhi felt uncomfortable. For most of the day, he hardened his spirit, took down notes of what the other party taught carefully, and demonstrated it again according to Long Shen’s request.

Long Shen corrected his movements and asked him to practice by himself, then left first.

Dong Zhi didn’t dare call for him. He practiced for two hours and didn’t go back until he was hungry. He thought about waiting for Long Shen to get off work in the evening before going to him to apologize at dinner.

Who knew that these two days were fated around books? When Dong Zhi returned to his dorm, he received a package. It was a sample book that was express delivered to him. The title of the book was <The Incident Book of the Relevant Department for Subduing and Eliminating Demons>.

The response to his comic serialization on the Internet has been very good. He had garnered so many fans that it had exceeded the one million mark. At this time, he was bombarded by publishers hoping he would publish his work into a book. After careful consideration, Dong Zhi finally agreed to publish it. The publishing house had moved very quickly. Before he went to Yinchuan, they had started typesetting and assembling his novel after getting the manuscript. Now the sample book was sent to him, and the presale have already begun. If there were no issues, it’ll be officially listed in half a month.

Dong Zhi originally was going to use the sample book to brush up his favorability with his Master but seeing as how he was scolded so much this morning, he guessed that Long Shen was still angry now and he didn’t want any more scolding, so as he went to Long Shen’s office, he turned around and went downstairs to see He Yu and Kan Chaosheng.

He Yu used to fool around every day. Now that he had a broken leg, he didn’t need to go out to the field for the time being, and he had become lazier. He was probably in the kennel during work hours. Ah, correction. Playing games in his office.

Sure enough, Dong Zhi guess was correct when he went there.

Kan Chaosheng was also there. The two were holding their phones. Kan Chaosheng was probably in a team with He Yu and was being led by him. The two of them were flushed and energetic. As soon as Dong Zhi opened the door, they all raised their heads and subconsciously showed shocked expression. When they saw that it was just Dong Zhi, they breathed a sigh of relief and chided him: “Why did you come in without knocking on the door? I thought it was the boss!”

Dong Zhi said innocently: “I knocked, but you guys are so immersed in your game that you couldn’t extricate yourself.”

He put the book on the coffee table, which was filled with all kind of snacks and garbage left by He Yu and Kan Chaosheng. He had to throw away a few boxes to make room.

“My sample book is out, so I wanted to share it with you first. I also brought one for Old Zhong. You can give it to him for me as I won’t have time to visit again.”

He Yu said: “You should also send a copy to the boss. He’ll probably be happy, even if he doesn’t say anything.”

Dong Zhi scratched his nose: “I was planning to, but I don’t dare to give it now. I made him angry today.”

He Yu and Kan Chaosheng didn’t raise their heads at first and didn’t bother giving him alms. When they heard this, they stopped playing their game and gave him a look of surprise: “You made the boss angry? No way? Can you make the boss angry?”

Dong Zhi was unconvinced when he heard it: “What do you mean? What kind of ability can make him angry? Am I not qualified?” As soon as he spoke it, he realized that he had been misled by He Yu and quickly pulled the topic back.

“I just passed by his office and there was no one there. I guess he went to a meeting. Why don’t you give it to him for me later?”

He Yu refused: “No, give it yourself! In case he wants to train people on a whim, I’m not in a hurry to catch bad luck.”

Kan Chaosheng nodded: “It’s very possible. The boss is pissed off by Dong Zhi but he has no one to take it out on!”

Dong Zhi curled his lips: “I heard that you made a bet of who will get the apprenticeship between me and Liu Qingbo and made a fortune from it. Do you think if I told Master, he would let you keep the money?”

Kan Chaosheng had betted on Liu Qingbo at that time so he had lost money from this bet. When he heard this, he heckled: “Yes, report him! Let the boss clean him up!”

He Yu glared at Chaosheng: “Which side are you on!”

Kan Chaosheng laughed: “The one that benefits me!”

He Yu waved his hand: “Go, go. I think you want to fish in troubled waters*!”

*(浑水摸鱼) Idiom referring to taking advantage during trouble times.

He decided to abandoned his game, hug Dong Zhi’s shoulders, and said: “Isn’t it just giving a book? No problem. I’ll take care of it! But you have to tell us why the boss suddenly decided to accept you as an apprentice at that time. I heard that you made a private exchange in the cave.”

Dong Zhi protested: “What do you mean private exchange? Pay attention to your words. We’re not making some kind of sex scandal!”

He Yu laughed: “That’s your words, not mine! I made a bet with Boss Song. He said the boss took the initiative to accept you as an apprentice, but I think you begged until the boss’ heart was soften. Please give me the answer!”

Dong Zhi’s eye became wide open: “You actually made a bet with Boss Song? How much did you bet?”

Kan Chaosheng’s mouth was faster: “One thousand!”

Dong Zhi laughed: “Then you are sure to lose!”

He Yu said in disbelief: “It’s really the boss who offered to accept you as an apprentice?”

Dong Zhi raised his chin: “Of course! Hey, what’s with you? After knowing each other for so long and inviting you to eat so many times, you actually didn’t even bet on me to win!”

He Yu said solemnly: “It’s not that I didn’t bet on you, but before you there’s been many people who wanted to worship the boss as a teacher, but no one succeeded, so it’s hard for us to believe that someone who’s as difficult as the boss can make an exception.”

Dong Zhi said proudly: “That means I am good enough!”

He Yu stared at him: “Don’t you have a guilty conscience saying that? Not to mention Liu Qingbo, there are still several others who have equally as good family background, but the boss has never relented, yet you have no conscience when you say you’re better than them?”

Kan Chaosheng suddenly grabbed He Yu’s collar and shook him violently: “Stop talking nonsense! Shitty He Yu, I blame you for encouraging me to bet against him. You’ll have to pay me back my hard-earned money!”

He Yu rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue as he was being strangled.

Facing the sudden infighting, Dong Zhi couldn’t laugh or cry, so he hurriedly stepped forward to stop them: “You dare to bet with Boss Song. Aren’t you afraid he’ll tell Master?!”

He Yu was tossed to the side by Kan Chaosheng and was finally free from his clutches. His hair was messed up like a chicken coop and there were scratches on his face and neck.

He said angrily: “What wrong with the boss this time? There are so many talented people that he passed on yet he became enlightened when he saw you!”

Dong Zhi rolled his eyes: “I think you have been going in the wrong direction all this time. Why do you think Master prefers a stronger apprentice?”

He Yu: “Huh? Does the boss prefer to adjust and teach?”

Dong Zhi: “You think that he’s just wants to teach the more experienced apprentices? If you have already formed a system, it’ll be difficult to understand and accept new concepts. Wouldn’t that mean that Master will have to expend twice the effort but get half the result? Unlike me, I’m a blank piece of paper. Master can teach me as much as he wants, and I’ll be able to absorb it much faster than those with strong abilities.”

He Yu’s been a wise guy all his life but, in this moment, he was left momentarily speechless: “Then why not just adopt you as his child. Wouldn’t you absorb even faster?”

Kan Chaosheng slapped him again with his hand: “Are you stupid! The boss is so busy all day long, where does he have time to play with the children!”

“That’s right!” He Yu scratched the back of his head regretfully: “Why didn’t I think about this in the first place. I wasted a thousand in vain!”

“Two thousand! What about my thousand! I don’t care, you must pay me back!” Kan Chaosheng said angrily.

He Yu sneered: “If you’re willing to gamble then you have to admit defeat. It’s not like I forced you to bet. I can only say that you just have a low IQ!”

“What are you talking about!” Kan Chaosheng was furious. He directly turned language into violence as he rushed up to He Yu turning the office into a battlefield again.

“Remember to help me deliver the book!” Dong Zhi shouted.

The office was a mess as chickens and dogs flew everywhere, but no one paid attention to him. When he first saw them fighting, Dong Zhi was quite shocked and would hurriedly persuade them to make peace. Now he has become numbed to it. The two of them would have small fights every few days and a big fight at least once a week. It’s just a common situation that even Long Shen didn’t bother to care about them.

Kinky Thoughts:

Pangu (盘古)

A primordial being and creation figure in Chinese mythology who separated heaven and earth and became geographic features such as mountains and rivers.

In the beginning, there was nothing and the universe was in a featureless, formless primordial state. This primordial state coalesced into a cosmic egg for about 18,000 years. Within it, the perfectly opposed principles of yin and yang became balanced and Pangu emerged (or woke up) from the egg. Pangu inside the cosmic egg symbolizes Taiji. Pangu is usually depicted as a primitive, hairy giant who has horns on his head. Pangu began creating the world: he separated yin from yang with a swing of his giant axe, creating the earth (murky yin) and the sky (clear yang). To keep them separated, Pangu stood between them and pushed up the sky. With each day, the sky grew ten feet (3 meters) higher, the earth ten feet thicker, and Pangu ten feet taller. This task took yet another 18,000 years. In some versions of the story, Pangu is aided in this task by the four most prominent beasts, namely the Turtle, the Qilin, the Phoenix, and the Dragon.

After the 18,000 years had elapsed, Pangu died. His breath became the wind, mist and clouds; his voice, thunder; his left eye, the Sun; his right eye, the Moon; his head, the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood, rivers; his muscles, fertile land; his facial hair, the stars and Milky Way; his fur, bushes and forests; his bones, valuable minerals; his bone marrow, precious jewels; his sweat, rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became animals.

You can read more about him in the Wikipedia.



Azure Dragon/Qinglong/Seiryu

Also known as Qinglong in Chinese or Seiryu in Japanese, is one of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Regions’ Highest Deities.



White Tiger/Baihu/Byakko

Also known as Baihu in Chinese and Byakko in Japanese, represents the west in terms of direction and the season of autumn.



Black Tortoise/Xuanwu/Genbu

Also known as Xuanwu in Chiense and Genbu in Japanse, represent the north in terms of direction and the season of winter. Usually portrayed as a turtle with a snake as its tail.



Vermillion Bird/Zhuque/Suzaku

Also known as Zhuque in Chinese and Suzaku in Japanese, represents the south in direction and also the fire element and the season of summer. It is described as a red bird that resembles a pheasant with five-color plumage and is perpetually covered in flames.