Si Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Fire (huǒ) Entry: 烕 Kangxi Stroke Count: 10 Page 670, Entry 12 Pronounced xue (falling tone) Pronounced xue (falling tone) Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): It means to extinguish or to destroy. The character structure consists of fire and the earth branch xu. Fire is extinguished at the time of xu. Yang energy is exhausted by the time of xu. Book of Odes (Shijing), Lesser Odes of the Kingdom (Xiaoya): Bao Si caused it to perish. Also, pronounced mie (falling tone): Refers to a fire being extinguished. Tang Dynasty Poetry Ancient Pronunciation Study (Tangshi guyin kao): Mie and xue share the same meaning but have different character forms. The original form was written with fire below the earth branch xu.