Qingtan and xuanxue are two terms unique to the intellectual history of the Six Dynasties period. The former is usually translated as “pure talk,” “pure conversation,” or “pure discourse” while the latter, previously translated as neo-Taoism, is now rendered as “Dark Learning.” Many intellectual historians consider them synonymous terms that characterize the dominant trend of philosophical thinking of the era. This, however, is problematic because, as far as extant sources show, the first appearances of the two terms were separated by nearly 250 years, and their fluid meanings evolved over time. Essentializing qingtan and xuanxue is not useful in helping us understand the intellectual landscape of early medieval China.