Glossary

Terms of address

Jiejie

Lit. older sister. In the story, it's generally used in the context of referring to a female character who is older (or seems older) than the speaker. Generally respectful, but also implies some degree of informality. Typically, it's only kids who would call someone else "jiejie"; among older people it's more common to use just 'jie' or use it in conjunction with a name. E.g. Meizhen-jie.

Dage / Gege

Lit. older brother, often used to refer to a guy who is older than the speaker. What it means exactly depends on the situation and the people but generally for this story: "Dage" is respectful but also implies some degree of informality; "gege" is used if the speaker is a kid, and can be flirtatious when used between adults; "ge" is commonly used just on its own or appended to names, e.g. Yu-ge, and indicates familiarity.

Xiong

Lit. older brother but more commonly used between acquaintances. Like "dage" and "ge", it implies some degree of informality. Somewhat similar in tone to "pal" or "buddy".

Shizu / Shifu / Shiniang / Shixiong / Shijie / Shidi / Shimei

The "shi" here indicates that they belong to the same school / sect of martial arts. In this story, there aren't really "schools" of martial arts anymore but the sense of "belonging to the same school or sect" is still there.

Shizu - shifu's teacher

Shifu - the teacher or master

Shiniang - shifu's wife

Shixiong - senior brother

Shijie - senior sister

Shidi - junior brother

Shimei - junior sister

Lao / Xiao

"Lao" means "old" while "Xiao" means little. They are generally attached to names, e.g. Lao-Yang, Xiao-Chuan. Generally indicates familiarity and friendliness, degree of familiarity depends on whether it's the surname or the given name that is attached to it. Most of the time, I translate "Lao" to "Old" due to the abundance of titles that have this word in them. (And also because most of the time, the person it's referring to is indeed old.)

Recurring names and terms in the story (updated along with the translation)

Book 1

Mudpool Backlane

泥塘后巷 nítáng hòuxiàng

Formerly known as "Little Pool" (小水塘 xiǎo shuǐtáng).

Jianghu

江湖 jiānghú

Lit. rivers and lakes. Not an easy concept to explain, it means something like the world that exists beyond the circles of political power. Watch this AvenueX video for a better explanation.

Martial Arts World / Martial Arts Alliance

武林 / 武林盟 wǔlín / wǔlín méng

Can be understood as a loose community of martial artists, a subset of jianghu. The alliance would be a further subset of the martial arts world.

Gan Qing

甘卿 gān qīng

Fake astrologer working at an accessories shop called Star Dreams (星之梦 xīng zhī mèng).

Nicknames: Gan'er (杆儿 gǎn er), used by Meng Tianyi.

Yu Lanchuan

喻兰川 yù lán chuān

High-ranking white collar worker in the risk management department of an investment company.

Nicknames: Director Yu (喻总 yù zǒng), used by his colleagues, his rank in his department is likely to be one level below the head of department; Master Lan (兰爷 lán yé), used by Yu Yan; Xiao-Chuan (小川 xiǎo chuān), used by the elderly residents of No. 110; Little Master Yu (小喻爷 xiǎo yù yé), used by pretty much everyone in the martial arts community.

Liu Zhongqi

刘仲齐 liú zhòng qí

Yu Lanchuan's younger half-brother. A student in Year 2 of senior high.

Yu Yan

于严 yú yán

Yu Lanchuan's childhood friend. A policeman.

Nicknames: Salted Fish (咸鱼 xián yú), used by Yu Lanchuan; Officer Yu (于警官 yú jǐngguān), used by most other people; Old Fish (老咸 lǎo xián - this is actually "Old Salted" but I've opted for "Old Fish" since it sounds more natural), used by Yu Lanchuan; Yu-ge (于哥 yú gē), used by most of his colleagues.

Meng Tianyi

孟天意 mèng tiān yì

Boss of Tianyi Crayfish, the shop next to the accessories shop where Gan Qing works.

Nicknames: Uncle Meng (孟叔 mèng shū), used by Gan Qing; Boss Meng (孟老板 mèng lǎobǎn), used by nearly everyone.

Seven Secret Arts of Han Jiang

寒江七诀 hán jiāng qī jué

The name of Yu Lanchuan's martial arts style.

"Han Jiang" is literally "cold river", referring to the cold waters of the rivers during autumn and winter. The "chuan" in Yu Lanchuan also means "river", so it's a bit of a neat link there.

Yu Huaide

喻怀德 yù huái dé

Yu Lanchuan's granduncle, former Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.

Nicknames: Yu Lanchuan refers to him as either "Granduncle" or "Grandfather"; Old Yu (老喻 lǎo yù), used by Old Master Yang; Elder (喻老 yù lǎo), used as a term of respect by other people in the martial arts community

Old Yang / Grandpa Yang / Old Master Yang

Resident of No. 110, lives on the sixth floor.

Referred to as Old Yang (老杨 lǎo yáng), Grandpa Yang (杨爷爷 yáng yéyé) or Old Master Yang (老杨大爷 lǎo yáng dàyé).

Five Supremes

五绝 wǔjué

(The author did not explain the provenance of the names of the Five Supremes; however, it is possible that they are from the following poems. Copied here are excerpts from translations of the poems.)

Fuliang Yue (one of the Five Supremes)

浮梁月 fúliáng yuè

Lit. Fuliang month, but "yue" can also mean "moon". From the Tang dynasty poem "Pipa Song" (琵琶行) by Bai Juyi.

商人重利轻别离 前月浮梁买茶去

But the merchant thought more of profit than caring about our separation,

He left for Fuliang last month to purchase tea.

(Translation taken from Liu Xiaohua's thesis "Bai Juyi's poems about women".)

Han Jiang Xue (one of the Five Supremes)

寒江雪 hán jiāng xuě

Lit. cold river snow. From the Tang dynasty poem "Snow on the River" (江雪) by Liu Zongyuan.

孤舟蓑笠翁 独钓寒江雪

In a lone boat, rain cloak and a hat of reeds,

An old man’s fishing the cold river snow.

(Translation by David Hinton.)

Tang Qian Yan (one of the Five Supremes)

堂前燕 táng qián yàn

Lit. sparrow in front of the hall. From the Tang dynasty poem "Wuyi Lane" (乌衣巷) by Liu Yuxi.

旧时王谢堂前燕 飞入寻常百姓家

Swallows that skimmed by eaves painted in bygone days,

Are dipping now among the humble home's doorways.

(Translation by Xu Yuanchong.)

Chuan Lin Feng (one of the Five Supremes)

穿林风 chuān lín fēng

Lit. forest piercing wind. From the Song dynasty poem "Calming Windswept Waves" (定風波) by Su Shi.

莫听穿林打叶声 何妨吟啸且徐行

Listen not to the rain piercing the woods, pelting the leaves!

I might as well stroll leisurely along

Making verses impromptu and whistling at ease.

(Translation by Wang Jiaosheng.)

Zhang Meizhen

张美珍 zhāng měi zhēn

Resident of No. 110, lives on the tenth floor with Gan Qing.

Nicknames: Old Madam Zhang (张老太 zhāng lǎotài); Grandma Zhang (张奶奶 zhāng nǎinai); Meizhen-jie (美珍姐 měi zhēn jiĕ), used by Gan Qing to flatter her.

Yang Yifan

杨逸凡 yáng yì fán

Old Master Yang's granddaughter, boss of her own company.

Beggars' Sect

丐帮 gài bāng

A fictional martial arts sect that appears frequently in wuxia fiction. (Wikipedia entry) A number of terms related to the sect appears in the story, e.g. Dog Beating Staff, "clean clothing" and "dirty clothing" divisions, the fighting techniques.

Qigong

气功 qìgōng

This is a way of coordinating body posture, movement and breathing to regulate the flow of qi (life energy) in the body. It has a long history and has many forms, and there are many unsubstantiated claims of what qigong can do. It (or a simplified version I guess) is commonly practiced to maintain health, especially among the older generation.

Qinggong

轻功 qīnggōng

A martial arts technique that enables a person to move really quickly, jump great heights, or even seem to fly, depending on how fantastical the wuxia setting is.

Book 2

Shandong Jianbing and Jianbing Guozi

The names of two jianbing groups that appear in the story. They set up street stalls on the north and south side of the road near No. 110 Courtyard.

Jianbing = a popular breakfast food, commonly sold by street vendors, which consists of a crepe-like wrapping with different kinds of fillings.

Wan Mu Chun (one of the Five Supremes)

万木春 wàn mù chūn

Lit. ten thousand wood spring. From the Tang dynasty poem "A Poem Responding to Bai Juyi's Poem for Me When We First Met in Yangzhou" (酬乐天扬州初逢席上见赠) by Liu Yuxi.

沉舟侧畔千帆过 病树前头万木春

A thousand sails pass by the shipwreck

Ten thousand saplings shoot up beyond the withered tree

(This line is very frequently quoted and I haven't been able to find the name of the translator. The general meaning here is "new, fresh forces are springing up, while the old are falling apart".)

Paoding Jieniu

庖丁解牛 páo dīng jiě niú

The legendary skill from Wan Mu Chun's sect which cuts a person up into many pieces.

Lit. "the cook / butcher dismembers an ox". It refers to the story about a butcher who so skillfully dismembers an ox that he impressed a lord who asks him how he was able to do it.

Yan Hao

闫皓 yán hào

Descendant of Tang Qian Yan. Works at the laundry shop near the entrance of No. 110 Courtyard. Good at qinggong, can climb up walls.

Nicknames: Spiderman; sparrow (the "yan" in Tang Qian Yan means "sparrow" and this nickname refers to his qinggong abilities, the "yan" in Yan Hao is a different character).

Teacher Meng-Meng

梦梦老师 mèng mèng lǎoshī

Gan Qing's nickname used by Yu Yan and her customers.

"Meng" here means "dream", the same "dream" as the name of the shop she works at, Star Dreams, so this nickname is literally "Teacher Dream-Dream".

Book 3

Qiao-Qiao

悄悄 qiāo qiāo

A young mute girl who works at the pet store near No. 110 Courtyard.

Dog Beating Staff

打狗棒 dǎ gǒu bàng

The sacred item of Beggars' Sect that is kept by the sect leader. Part of popular wuxia lore, together with Beggars' Sect. Sometimes described as a jade green bamboo staff.

Han Dongsheng

韩东升 hán dōng shēng

New resident of 804. Descendant of Fuliang Yue of the Five Supremes. His family members are: Zhou Beibei (wife), Han Zhou (son) and Old Mr. Zhou (father-in-law).

Travellers' Sect

行脚帮 xíng jiǎo bāng

Refer to chapter 41 for a more detailed description of the sect.

Unlike Beggars' Sect which is a fairly well-known fictional wuxia sect that appears in many wuxia stories, Travellers' Sect seems to be something the author came up with herself. I couldn't find any references to it other than this story and "Youfei", which is also by the same author.

Five Bats Token

五蝠令 wǔ fú lìng

A small token in the shape of a bat used by members of Travellers' Sect to identify each other. Refer to chapter 42 for more details.

Wang Jiusheng

王九胜 wáng jiǔ shèng

Current leader of Travellers' Sect. His rank in the sect is "North Branch Master" ("北舵主"), a position that formerly belonged to Zhang Meizhen.

Futongda

福通达 fú tōng dá

The courier company started by Wang Jiusheng as a front for Travellers' Sect's less-than-legit activities.

Three cun and two fen

三寸二分 sān cùn èr fēn

The exact length of the knife cut that marks it as being inflicted by someone from Wan Mu Chun. One cun is a little longer than an imperial unit inch, 1.26 of an imperial unit inch to be exact, while fen is 1/10 of a cun. Converted to imperial units, three cun and two fen comes up to about four inches.

Wei Xiao

卫骁 wèi xiāo

Gan Qing's shifu. Died many years ago, supposedly of sudden heart failure.

Nicknames: Wei-xiong, used by Meng Tianyi; Wei Changsheng 卫长生, the other name he adopted to hide his identity.

The master and student hierarchy as of Book 3: Wan Mu Chun / Mr. Chun > Wei Xiao > Gan Qing

Xu Zhao

许昭 xǔ zhāo

Wanted criminal. The big boss of the people running the Paradise cult. Collects martial arts skills that are considered "demonic". His disciples take on the surname "Xu" as a mark of filial piety.

The master and student hierarchy as of Book 3: Xu Zhao > black-robed "advisor" > Xu Shaowen

Paradise

极乐世界 jí lè shì jiè

The name of the cult under the Xu clan that specialises in brainwashing the elderly into giving them their life savings.

Paradise refers to the Western Paradise in Buddhism.

Alliance Leader's Command

盟主令 méng zhǔ lìng

Formal command from the alliance leader of the martial arts community. Used by Yu Huaide when Wei Xiao was implicated in the flour factory explosion that took eighteen lives.

Chun division

春字部 chūn zì bù

The group of declaring themselves descendants of Wan Mu Chun who instigated Xiang Xiaoman into trying to murder her husband in Book 2. They belong to the Xu clan. The group appears in Book 3 but their name first appears in Book 3.

Book 4

Wei Huan

卫欢 wèi huān

Another disciple of Wei Xiao, Gan Qing's shixiong. Expelled from Wan Mu Chun before Gan Qing was born.

Yang Ping

杨平 yáng píng

Old Sect Leader Yang's son and Yang Yifan's father. Yang Qing (Old Sect Leader Yang) has severed ties with him.

Captain Miao

苗队 miáo duì

The police captain investigating the case related to the Feast of Yanning. His full name is Miao Feng 苗峰. Yang Yifan calls him Captain Meow 喵队.

Nine Pouch Elders

九袋长老 jiǔ dài zhǎng lǎo

There are four nine pouch elders in Beggars' Sect and their power is second only to Yang Qing, the sect leader. They are usually referred to as Elder + surname. Currently known elders:

Elder Tian 田长老: Full name, Tian Zhanpeng 田展鹏.

Elder Zhao 赵长老

Elder Yang 杨长老: Full name, Yang Ping. While he is still referred to as "Elder Yang" by his followers, Yang Ping is supposed to have been ousted from the sect.

Zhu Qiao

朱俏 zhū qiào

Qiao-Qiao's full name. Same surname as the "Elder Zhu" who was involved in the Beggars' Sect and Travellers' Sect conflict thirty years ago which Zhang Meizhen talked about in Chapters 75 - 76.

Book 5

Zhu Cong

朱聪 zhū cōng

Qiao-Qiao's father. His family was destroyed in the kidnapping and fire more than thirty years ago. His father, Zhu Jianjun 朱建军, was a sect elder of Beggars' Sect.

Xu Lin

许林 xǔ lín

The shifu of Xu clan's Chun Division.