Notes 注记 Volume 1 · Demonic Nature Never Changes 魔性不改

Seventh among the Ten Great Mystical Gu. Time-path Gu that reverses time, sending will back 500 years. Fang Yuan refines it at cost of ten million lives, self-detonates rather than yield it to Righteous Path. Chun Qiu = Spring Autumn Annals, evokes history's cycle, time's passage. Cicada = rebirth, shedding shell. Core of entire rebirth premise. Gu Zhen Ren writes 春秋蝉 as proper name — we keep pinyin + translation on first reveal. Superscript ¹ because appears before Huaxia.

Ancient poetic name for China, used by Gu Zhen Ren to denote Fang Yuan's Earth origin. Not modern political China — Huaxia carries cultural weight: central civilized lands, cradle of Tang poetry and Song lyrics Fang Yuan recites on Qing Mao Mountain. Retaining pinyin preserves marker that he is a Chinese student on Earth (approved line), not just "from Earth". First seen when Fang Yuan recalls Earth life: "He had once been a student of Huaxia on Earth". Links to Preface where author discusses Huaxia culture.

古月 = Ancient Moon — clan surname. Village nestled upon Qing Mao Mountain, several thousand stilt houses draped as brilliant ribbon of light at night. Heart is grand pavilion where Aperture Opening Ceremony held. Fang lineage (Fang Yuan, Fang Zheng) lives under aunt/uncle after parents' death. Through 500-year demon lord eyes, it's a cage — but a sturdy cage is safety. 3D pin at x0.9 z1.1 in squircle world above. Interactive: click to fly in.

青茅 = Green Thatch — mountain named for its verdant thatch. Vast tranquil range, nourished by spring rain without cease. Home to three villages: Gu Yue, Bai, Xiong — three-way balance. Spirit spring in underground cavern produces primeval stones, foundation of Gu Yue Village. Mountain wind whips blood-soaked garments like war banner. 3D terrain in squircle world above — drag to orbit, see north/south watchtowers, mountain gate, Bai/Xiong peaks.

Mo Dao — to accumulate no good karma, only murder and arson; spurned by heaven and reviled by earth, making enemies of whole world, still running wild following whim of own heart. Zheng Dao — revered sects united, order and law, great glorious upright. Not good vs evil — two cultivation philosophies. Fang Yuan's declaration "If this newly refined Spring Autumn Cicada works, I will still be a demon in my next life!" cements demonic heart. Author's preface: "This is a book with warped values".

叩头 = knock head — forehead meets wood with soft rhythmic thuds, palms flat, upper body erect. Ancestral hall ritual before spirit tablets of Gu Yue clan ancestors. Shows clan reverence, hierarchy, filial piety. Fang Yuan's kowtow is perfunctory — 500-year demon lord bowing to mortals — irony. Different from 跪拜 (kneel-bow) — kowtow is more solemn, audible.

Ritual where fifteen-year-olds open aperture — primeval sea within, crystal membrane, hope for cultivation. Gu Zhen Ren writes 两三成 (two-three tenths) not % symbol — we preserve as words: forty-four percent Grade C limit (Fang Yuan), twenty to thirty-nine percent Grade D, sixty+ Grade B, eighty+ Grade A. Tolkien tone, no % symbol in lore text. First to Ninth Revolution system explained later Ch7. Primeval sea = copper-green, jade, gold. Aperture = 空窍, empty orifice.

真元 = true primeval essence — drives Gu worms, like mana but quantified as sea percentage. 元石 = primeval stones — condensed essence of heaven and earth, currency + cultivation resource, like gold standard on Earth. Gu Zhen Ren: "Humans are spirit of all living things; Gu are true essence of heaven and earth." Stones produce from spirit spring. Fang Yuan's C-grade 44% means limited essence, must use stones sparingly. No % symbol in Chinese — 两三成.