Jin Se - Priest [English Fan Translation BL Novel]

CHAPTER 1: Wuduan

There are some people who feel old at only three; there are also some needs to go through ordeals at least eighteen times.

Looking at Shi Wuduan you can clearly see how caterpillars metamorphosize into butterflies – many years later there are lots of people who will lament, this thing that was naughty to no ends as a child, was bad to the bones, eventually what wrong medicine did he eat to become a man whose mouth is full of traditional virtues, who is seemingly harmless and cultured to the point of being fake?

On Yin Sheng lands, regardless of whether you are the common folks or the royalty, there has always been a passion towards cultivation (*).

(*) note that in the original text there are two paths of cultivation – 'xian', which is to become gods, and 'dao' which means the Taoist way of cultivation.

In the current era there are people who cultivate 'xian' and 'dao'. 'Xian' cultivators are shrouded in mystery. A lot of them are isolated from the world; whether the weather is hot or cold, sunny or rainy, the world peaceful or chaotic, they all will not participate. They see changes of eras and people in power as normalcy, because there is always up and down; they live their days eating winds and drinking dewdrops, uninvolved with worldly matters. Someone like Jianghua Sanren, who has a close relationship with the Taoist leader of the Jiulu mountain Xuan sect, is already a rare 'xian' cultivator.

'Dao' cultivation is split into a lot of different sects, the largest and most famous sects include 'Jiulu mountain Xuan sect', 'Pudi mountain Dacheng sect','West-most Mi sect', along with 'Leyou cliff Leyou sect'.

Apart from Leyou sect with loose sect rules, where student cultivators straddle the good and evil, frequently causing scandals just to buy themselves entertainment, three other large sects are naturally prestigious in the common people's hearts.

Xuan sect has been participating in worldly matters for a long time; a large part of its students sees human welfare as their mission. Dacheng sect seeks after the greater good, devotes to the gods; their students are vegetarians, modestly-dressed, mild-mannered, fair, and set out to do good and blessings. Mi sect is submerged in deep studies, only seeking after the true 'nature'; its students are at large mysterious and hard to track down as well.

Legend has it dao cultivators are immortals with the ability to ride on clowns and destroy evil. Among royal court members and pillars of the nation, not a few are originated from these three large sects deep in the mountains.

Legend also has it the emperor has fear and respect for the leaders of these three sects. Many royal and general descendants all rushed to join these sects, but only those with naturally blessed bones (*) and good perception are lucky enough to be accepted as students.

(*) it was believed that your bone structure can determine how good you are at martial arts

This brat Shi Wuduan, his person is like his name (*), out of the blue got this good luck. He has not been born long before getting picked up by the Taoist leader of Xuan sect, who knows what he likes so much in this baby who was still in diapers that he accepted it as his sole student. This is a chance that others can only meet but cannot ask for their whole lives, how unfortunate that this Wuduan person only becomes more intolerable as he grows, he should be sorry for this opportunity from the sky.

(*) wu duan can mean '(for) no reason'

His 'great accomplishments' as a child on Jiulu mountain, even if you cut down all the bamboo slats (*) in this world there would not be enough to record them all.

(*) 罄竹难书 (qing zhu nan shu) originates from a saying by Li Mi. In ancient China, writing was recorded on slats made from bamboo tree, so the phrase basically means 'innumerable crimes'