This prologue is written in the style of ancient Chinese record-keeping.
It is not a modern style. It is not a storytelling style in the way Western readers expect. There are no dramatic descriptions. There are no flowery sentences. There is no writer trying to impress you with language.
The ancient Chinese had a way of recording things.
Flat. Dry. Factual.
Each sentence states one thing. The next sentence states the next thing. Nothing is explained more than it needs to be. Nothing is made beautiful for the sake of beauty. The record simply records.
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The oldest example of this style is the Shanhaijing — 山海經 — the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
It is more than two thousand years old. It records mountains, rivers, creatures, and gods the way a court official records a tax register.
It says: on this mountain lives a creature with the body of a sheep and the face of a human. Its sound is like a baby crying. It eats people.
Then it moves to the next mountain.
No drama. No fear. Just the record.
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The Zhiguai texts — 志怪 — Records of Strange Things — use the same flatness.
A man died. He was brought before a judge. His sins were listed. He was sent to the appropriate court. He did not return.
That is the style of this prologue.
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It is flat because the ancient Chinese did not need to make their mythology dramatic.
The mythology was already enormous. The gods were already powerful. The hell courts were already terrifying. Adding drama to them would be like adding water to the ocean.
Unnecessary. Perhaps even disrespectful.
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This prologue uses that style because it is the most honest way to present this mythology to the reader.
The style itself is Chinese. The flatness is Chinese. The way each fact stands alone without leaning on the next fact for support — that is Chinese.
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There is a trend happening right now.
People are discovering Chinese culture and finding it runs deeper than expected. The language. The food. The philosophy. The festivals. The way the family is organized. The way even the dead are remembered.
All of that came from somewhere.
It came from these records.
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The style of this prologue is itself part of becoming Chinese.
Not just the content. The way it is written.
Read it slowly. Let each sentence land before moving to the next one. That is how the ancient readers read it. That is how it was meant to be read.
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If you want to skip this prologue and go directly to Chapter One of the story — do that.
Skipping will not break your understanding of what follows. The story stands alone.
But if you read this first — you will understand not just the mythology. You will understand something about how the Chinese mind recorded the world.
Precise. Economical. Trusting the facts to carry the weight without decoration.
That understanding is worth more than any summary.
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To other authors writing Chinese mythology — or anything connected to it.
This record is yours to use.
Come here when you need to check a detail, confirm a source, or understand the world you are writing about. Read as much or as little as you need. The record is organized so you can enter anywhere and find what you are looking for.
If this record has been useful to you — a collection, a comment, a rating, some powerstone or a review would be a fair exchange.
This record took a long time to build.
It will continue to grow.
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On updates.
This record will be updated when it can be updated.
On good days — twice a day.
On bad days — perhaps once a day. Sometimes once a week. Sometimes once a month.
It depends entirely on how bad the day is.
And in the interest of truth — which is what this entire record is built on — most of my days are bad days.
Do not get your hopes up too soon.
But the record will continue.
It always continues.
Even on the worst days.
Especially on the worst days.
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Welcome to the record.
Thank you for being here.
The record begins on the next page.
— Five Element Sage 五行聖人