During the Tang dynasty, Chinese alchemists tried to create an elixir of immortality. This story is what might have happened if they’d succeeded. Because this is an alternate history that reimagines China as it might have developed a century after this discovery, many historical details have been consciously changed. As such, please do not use this book as an authoritative source on Chinese history or culture.
In particular, please note that while the alchemy in this book is based loosely on the principles and goals of eighth-century Chinese Taoist alchemy, the depiction is entirely fictional and is not reflective of historical or modern Taoist practices. This book also includes contemporary Mandarin and Cantonese words, which differ greatly from the Middle Chinese that was spoken during the Tang dynasty. The author made this decision for the sake of relatability and ease of reading for modern Chinese speakers (as well as a reluctance to learn a dead language for the sake of a fantasy novel).