#yázì

[briefbestiary]

A fierce-gazed warrior. A beast with great combat prowess and always claims vengeance.

[blazescompendium]

WANTED for the Blaze's Compendium: Haoxian, elusive (supposedely) Legendary Chinese Dragon. You can help!

This is not a Compendium entry, it's just about a interesting story i came across while researching, and i decided to take the request to help.

While i was working in my research about the Chinese Demon Zhu Tun She, i ended up crossing paths with another person looking into the Chinese Mythology. Specifically, into the Legend of the 9 Dragons. They requested some help, so i dig up the rabbit hole of chinese Dragons.

Also known as the 9 Dragon Children, this creatures have their own personality traits and were associated to those. Their order and names can vary, and there's a lot of variations in their names. But, an user by the name of DennysFFD caught my attention with his research.

Their oldest records go from the 13th century to the 15th century. There's a scroll painting with lots of details from that time, as well written records. As we noted together, Chinese legendary beast groups comes with a deep rabbit hole, and this one is no different. I suggest you to read more about them if you get interested!

The most accepted list of the 9 Dragons is the follow and it comes from Xie Zhaozhe's (謝肇淛, 1567–1624) in his work Wuzazu  (五雜俎, c. 1592). I am quoting direct from translations in western sources, as well from the U.S Wikipedia article, all of them comes from this book here. Someone was kind enough to translate it, but this list is also recognized by the Chinese government, being published by the Beijing government, and also present in a coin collection from the last Year of the Dragon. Sure there are some differences, but its mainly on how you spell the names.

The qiúniú 囚牛, (Form of dragon) a creature that likes music, are used to adorn musical instruments.

The yázì 睚眦, (Hybrid of wolf and dragon) a creature that likes to fight, is aggressive and is normally found on cross-guards on sword as ornaments.

The cháofēng 嘲風, (Resemble a Phoenix and dragon) a creature that likes to adventure. They are typically placed on the four corners of roofs.

The púláo 蒲牢, (Four leg small form dragon class) a creature that likes to scream, and are represented on the tops of bells, used as handles.

The suānní 狻猊, (Hybrid of lion and dragon) a creature that likes to sit down, are represented upon the bases of Buddhist idols (under the Buddhas' or Bodhisattvas' feet).

The bìxì 贔屭, also known as bàxià 霸下 (Hybrid of turtle and dragon) a creature with a large shell able to carry heavy objects, and are normally found on under grave-monuments.

The bì'àn 狴犴, (Hybrid of tiger and dragon) a creature that likes litigation, are placed over prison gates (in order to keep guard).

The bāxià 霸下, (Hybrid of reptilia animal and dragon) a creature that likes to drink water, and is typically used on bridge structures.

The chīwěn 蚩吻, (Hybrid of fish and dragon) a creature that likes swallowing, are placed on both ends of the ridgepoles of roofs (to swallow all evil influences).

The thing is that, this user was looking for one of the Dragons that is supposedly called Haoxian. The problem is... This dragon is not in the original 9 Dragons myth... But there are some sources claiming the contrary, with few mentions of it in the western web, and we have no access to its Hanzi to properly in the Chinese web.

It's worth to note, there's a hot clue here: According to some sources which include the book cited in the wikipedia article, it seems the author of the Wuzazu also described 9 more dragons from yes another group, not only the 9 Dragon Children. It is possible the elusive so called Haoxian is among them, but... I can't speak Chinese, so i can't find it in the digital version of the work. If you can, let us know!

First and foremost, the user theorized that Haoxian is just a misread of the dragon Yazi. They both shared similarities in personality, both likes to fight, for instance. But without the Haoxian Hanzi, we can't be sure.

Yazi and Haoxian share so much similarities indeed that, in most sources where Haoxian is cited (note that we only could identify English ones) usually replace Yazi by Haoxian, according to the user's research. So that pretty much busts Haoxian as just a misread of Yazi. But there's more...

One of the few sites that sources Haoxian info is this one:

-https://www.blackdrago.com/fame/beishe.htm

Note how the URL writes the Dragon's name as Beishe... Which is also a way to read one of the 9 Dragon's name: Baxia. I can totally see Baxia turning into (I mean, someone reading it as) Haoxian, but Baxia has a totally different personality from what the sources describes Haoxian's. So... How could Haoxian be a misread of Baxia, when it borrows Yazi's personality? Weird.

Now, even if there are many ways to read the Dragon's names, many modern interpretations of the myth, and variations. But all of them, or most of them, are properly sourced and archived. But not Haoxian, it does not appear in any credible sources of the western internet. We can't also research about it in Chinese because it even lacks the proper Hanzi characters to its name.

So... Now, if you put this puzzle together you can pretty much tell that either Haoxian was a western misread, or a regional variation of one of the Dragons, or confused text that borrows misread names and personalities from some Dragons. We are almost sure some of this is true, if not a bit of all of those options above. We just want to know where did it came from?

TLDR: We are sure Haoxian does not exist in official sources, we just want to know where it came from.

We are looking for: -Haoxian Chinese sources

-Haoxian proper Hanzi characters if it does exist

-Oldest account of Haoxian in the western web (Ours go as far as the 2000s)

If you have anything about this Dragon, more than i could find on my own, this would help a lot our fellow's research!

You can always message me via Asks here!

And that was it for our first ''request'' Let us see if we can find more about this creature.

Sources: -Wuzazu

-Beijing Government

Links are in their respectives sections.

[assortedsouls]

Names & Title

Name

Niè Shuǎngnǎo (聂爽瑙)

爽 - shuǎng - bright, clear; frank, straightforward; to feel well

瑙 - nǎo - agate (a gemstone)

The name is inspired by Mingjue's (明 - bright; opposite dark, 玦 - penannular jade pendant) since I wanted them to have some kind of 'family way of naming' sons. I know Huaisang differs, but my reason for that is my hc that his mum died in childbirth and he got the name she wanted due to that.

Agate is also a gemstone found in the Hebei province, which Qinghe is inspired by.

Title

Zhuófēng-zūn (灼锋尊) - blazing edge

灼 - zhuó - luminous; burning; to burn; to cauterize

锋 - fēng - point of a spear; edge of a tool

尊 - zūn - honorific

Once again inspired by Mingjue's title. With Nie being known for their sabers, I felt like there could very well be a tradition where any titles they're given are based on their saber skills. For SNS, I let him have a special technique where his blade get engulfed by green fire and that's the base of his title.

Saber

Yázì (睚眦)

Like Baxia, Yazi is one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon. It looks like a hybrid of a dragon and a leopard or dhole (aka whistling dog). It's known for its bad temper and love of fighting and were regularly depicted on the hilts of sword (both single and double edged ones). Just like I let Huaisang's saber get named after a mythological creature, I let SNS's saber too get its name from one. Yet another Nie tradtion, perhaps?

[staytheb]

dragon bride [xiaxue’s relationships]

Word Count: 1,146 Summary:  xiaxue’s family, her friend, and some other people in her life.

dragon bride masterlist.

i added the rest of the dragon sons here since i didn’t in the original. it’s because i used winwin as the main so the other eight are the rest of the members of WayV and the two Chinese members of Dream. the dragons may not best fit them as i went by age order and i tweaked some dragons with certain orders like Chiwen and Chaofeng, same with Qiunu and Bixi since there’s no one particular order that it went by and so i tweaked it to fit my own story better, Admin Lia~

FAMILY :

▸ father — 白强 : Bái Qiáng / rice paddy farmer / hard-working, stoic, strong, silent, caring Xiàxuě and her father get along fine despite his stoic and silent demeanor. She knows her father isn't a very expressive man, but she knows he loves her and cares for her by his simple actions and gestures. It could be why Xiàxuě is often calm, quiet, shy, and silent because of being influenced by her father. She enjoys playing a song for her father whenever he requests for one or after a long hard day out in the field.

▸ mother — 李素贞 : Lǐ Sùzhēn / housewife / creative, kind-hearted, earnest, proud, firm Xiàxuě and her mother get along very well and have good relations with each other. Although she isn't as beautiful as her mother or as skillful in many things, but with her mother as her teacher she has learned many things from her and continue to do so. Xiàxuě definitely gets the creativity and imagination from her mother although she's not as graceful and amazing in doing so, but her other still praises her well.

FRIENDS :

▸ friend — 馬子婧 : Mǎ Zijìng / musician / cheerful, playful, friendly, out-going, sweet Despite being older, Xiàxuě and Zijìng get along well like that of siblings. Zijìng is a little more open than Xiàxuě, but that aids the both of them when they play music together with Zijìng knowing the erhu. They hardly ever fight, but Zijìng does have the habit of causing a bit of mischief to liven up things in hopes of earning more money and garnering attention. Which truth be told, Xiàxuě isn't fond of the latter, but it helps especially when Zijìng is having a lot of fun. Zijìng is the one that informs Xiàxuě of the Dragon Bride proposal.

▸ servant friend — 圆灵 : Yuán Líng / servant / attentive, loyal, patient, diligent, worrisome Xiàxuě wants and likes to treat Yuán Líng as that of a friend since they are the only two females within the household. Yuán Líng tries not to cross that boundary as she was assigned to serve the Dragon Bride, but will give in once and a while upon seeing Xiàxuě looking lonely with no real companion to play with. Yuán Líng usually informs Xiàxuě about anything concerning Sīchéng upon the request of Xiàxuě. Yuán Líng does not gossip, unless it's to complain about Zhāng Wěi since the two bicker a lot.

OTHER :

▸ neighbor — 俞高 : Yú Gāo / rice paddy farmer / pretentious, talkative, nosy, annoying, persistent Xiàxuě is not fond of this man whatsoever nor will she ever be. She's not exactly sure why she dislikes Gāo, but it may have something to do with the way he looks at her when her parents' attention are elsewhere. Since Xiàxu�� was sixteen, Gāo has asked her father when he would marry her off. When she was eighteen, Gāo suggested for her to be his bride, but even then Xiàxuě's father declined. Anyhow, Gāo would try something and even anything to ruin her father's harvest so that Gāo could help out as much as possible and be repay by the hand in marriage with Xiàxuě. Of course nothing goes his way and her father deals with it without giving her up to this man. Still doesn't stop the man from eyeing Xiàxuě whenever he liked and watching and listening to her when she plays. He also has a wife who's unable to bore him a child.

▸ husband's servant — 张苇 : Zhāng Wěi / servant / resilient, faithful, trustworthy, sly, aloof Xiàxuě and Zhāng Wěi don't communicate with one another as often face to face nor do they see the other as well, but Xiàxuě does see Zhāng Wěi more often than Sīchéng when she first arrived at the house. Later on, Xiàxuě usually asks Yuán Líng to ask Zhāng Wěi about Sīchéng when the two hardly see one another, but even so Zhāng Wěi doesn't reveal much and that  Xiàxuě could always ask Sīchéng herself if she's so curious.

BROTHER-IN-LAWS :

▸ first born — 錢錕 : Qiánkūn (mortal name) / 贔屭; Bìxì (immortal name) / tortoise and dragon hybrid (true form) Qiánkūn has great strength and is able to carry heavy objects, especially in his true form where he has a large shell. His dragon design can be found on grave monuments.

▸ second born — 永欽 : Yǒngqīn (mortal name) / 嘲風; Cháofēng (immortal name) / phoenix and dragon hybrid (true form) Yǒngqīn loves adventures and is fearless, especially when taking risks and watching from high places. His dragon design is decorated on the four corners of roofs.

▸ fourth born — 旭熙 : Xùxī (mortal name) / 蒲牢; Púláo (immortal name) / small four legged dragon (true form) Xùxī likes to scream and is fond of roaring although he lives near the sea and is a son of the Dragon King, but has a fear of the Big Whale that makes him unable to roar loudly. His dragon design is used as handles on top of the bells.

▸ fifth born — 德俊 : Déjùn (mortal name) / 狴犴; Bìàn (immortal name) / tiger and dragon hybrid (true form) Déjùn can tell those from good or evil and is quite wise being able to take action. His dragon design is thus used for courts and prisons, especially over gates to keep guard.

▸ sixth born — 冠亨 : Guānhēng / 负屃; Fùxì (immortal name) / small form of a dragon (true form) Guānhēng is fond of literature that his dragon designs are associated with inscriptions. His figures are carved on the sides with these inscriptions and are thus represented on the sides of grave monuments as well.

▸ seventh born — 仁俊 : Rénjùn (mortal name) / 囚牛; Qiúniú (immortal name) / form of a dragon (true form) Rénjùn has such a love for music, especially of stringed instruments that his dragon figure is commonly adorned upon them. His dragon design is also adorned on other musical instruments.

▸ eight born — 揚揚 : Yángyáng (mortal name) / 睚眦; Yázì (immortal name) / wolf and dragon hybrid (true form) Yángyáng at most time is associated to liking fights and being quite aggressive that his figure is used as ornaments to enhanced a weapon to add more power. His dragon design usually appears on weapons, especially on the hilt of swords, knives, and battle axes.

▸ ninth born — 辰樂 : Chénlè (mortal name) / 狻猊; Suānní (immortal name) / lion and dragon hybrid (true form) Chénlè enjoys sitting down and being fond of smoke and fire that his likeness can be associated to the legs of incense-burners. His dragon design is usually represented on the bases of Buddhist idols like that of the Buddha's feet.

[assortedsouls]

Bio: Nie-zongzhu

Name: Niè Shuǎngnǎo (聂爽瑙)

Alias: Zhuófēng-zūn (灼锋尊) (burning blade + honorific = blazing edge)

Age: up to 37

Birthday: 8th of May

Family: First wife, Second wife/concubine, Nie Mingjue (son), Nie Huaisang (son)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality: Like most Nie, Shuangnao is loyal and with a strong sense of justice and fairness. He loves his sect and would die for and his family. Both Mingjue and Huaisang are loved and doted on, although Huaisang more so than Mingjue partly due to Mingjue being the heir and can't have the luxury of being too spoiled. He looks intimidating, but is very kind and caring. If you're his friend, he'll do almost anything for you, but if you act immoral or hurt those he loves or the weak, he can be ruthless. He's a force of nature in human form. Despite this, and his 'resting bitch-face', he laughs easily and enjoy a good time with friends and family. The man is soft, but, of course, has a temper and is just as stubborn as both his sons. He tries to be polite and follow etiquette and do politics, but that is not his strong suit. He is straightforward and honest, with an indoor voice that's more suitable for the training field than the banquet hall. His calligraphy is atrocious and he knows nothing of the arts, but he does enjoy listening to music. Shuangnao has a soft spot for animals and the natural world, so the Unclean Realm has very well-maintained gardens and he loves taking a short break in them.

Saber: Yázì (睚眦)

PHYSICAL

Build: Muscular, bulky, think wrestler type body.

Height: 213 cm (7')

Hair: Black

Eyes:Taupe grey

Skin: Tanned

Facial features: Sharp cheekbones, broad forehead and nose, but with almost feminine lips, although they're partly hidden by his full beard. Some will find him handsome, others will find that he looks too "rough".

BACKGROUND

Short timeline:

4y before birth - Death of his older brother.

5yo - Starts practicing saber movements and cultivation.

8yo - Death of older sister.

10yo - Death of mother and baby brother.

11yo - Forms a Golden Core.

12yo - Gets Yazi.

17yo - First manages his burning blade technique.

19yo - Death of father (age 51), becomes Sect Leader.

22yo - Married to his first wife. Political marriage, but he and his wife are friends.

23yo - Birth of Nie Mingjue*

27yo - Meets the woman who will become his second wife, they both fall in love and he takes her as his concubine (after he talks to his wife about it).*

28yo - Death of his wife. Raises concubine to second wife.*

29yo - Death of second wife, birth of Nie Huaisang.*

37yo - Yazi shatters and he gets severely injured during a nighthunt, sending him into illness and qi deviation which ends with his death after about six months of suffering. His personality changes greatly and fluctuates a lot during this period and at one lucid point, he asks Mingjue to kill him, not wanting to hurt and scare his sons anymore. Of course, Mingjue does not kill his father.

*.) Based on my own hc about how things went with wife to concubine as well as the age gap between NMJ and NHS.

[headcanon]