Bao Dan was a disciple of the Venerable God-Emperor Jen Shu and the author of a presumed twelve volumes of a religious philosophy based on the life and teachings of that ruthless conqueror. He was a great warrior and martial artist in his own right and a man considered to have been perhaps the only literate member of the Hu Rang.
As a contemporary of Jen Shu this philosopher provides the closest record the modern world has of that historical person and his accomplishments. Though Bao Dan was but a young teen at the time of his master's death, he was nonetheless appointed as a general of part of Jen Shu's army, and no doubt had access to the collective memories of those much older men who lived and died alongside of the ancient warlord.
There is some dispute as to the historicity of Bao Dan's claims regarding his master. In this age, he is widely criticized for having tailored recollections and remembrances to more closely fit the philosophy he was trying to propagate -- the crux of this being found in his eleventh volume. He certainly lived long enough to see the sons of Bao Dan inherit, then splinter, their father's conquests into the three dynasties.
Bao Dan reportedly lived until the age of 120 and wrote his eleventh volume in the last year of his life. His final volume, number twelve, was that which was written to free his last slave from bondage and to guarantee her safe passage off of the Steppes. It is believed that upon his death, Bao Dan was translated into the Celestial Court of Shang Ti -- The Great Emperor. His body was rendered incorporeal and he was witnessed rising into the clouds on a ray of sunlight.
A matter of some controversy are the missing volumes of Bao Dan, specifically volumes 8, 9 and 10. Their discovery would be a priceless addition to any library.
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