lelemnali

[lelemnali]

something something Wu Ming Wednesday

[lelemnali]

A Masterpost for the Revised Version of TGCF

Due to the amount and frequency of misinformation about the revised version of TGCF, I wanted to make a post to serve as a resource for those who are confused about it, while also helping to debunk some of the sensationalist rumors floating around.

This post will be edited to include new things as needed.

⚠️Spoiler Warning: if you have not finished reading the original novel, or want to experience the new scenes from the revised naturally/fresh, please proceed with caution! I've intentionally kept things as vague as possible, but some spoilers are unavoidable!⚠️

✨ PART ONE: Frequently Asked Questions ✨

🔹What is the "revised" version of TGCF?

MXTX had been working on a revised version of TGCF since completing the original, as mentioned this in her postscript/afterword, and in an online interview (Q.27) done years ago just as she competed TGCF. That's all that was known for several years.

In early 2023, TGCF was finally released in print format in mainland China — and this was revealed to be the revised version! Due to regulations, this was a censored edition. However, in early 2024, the uncensored edition was uploaded to JJWXC (the site where all of MXTX's webnovels were originally published)! It's currently fully available to read in Simplified Chinese.

If you want a more in-depth explanation about the revised, please see my post about that here.

🔹What does the revised change compared to the original?

Several scenes have been added, some removed, others expanded upon. Overall, MXTX reportedly wrote 100k characters (words) of new content. While the overarching plot of each arc and the novel as a whole remains the same, it's a more cohesive and polished story. Pacing in each part of the story has been adjusted to flow better, especially in arcs notorious for feeling slow or disjointed.

Some segments have had fairly significant changes — namely the Bloody Banquet/Fang Xin Guoshi arc. (Though it still plays out much the same way.) Most others have smaller changes.

A new extra was also added, called "the Ghost King Dressed Down," which has been translated by Scarabsi on twitter.

🔹How does the revised version effect characters?

Apart from certain minor characters — such as the child Lang Ying who was removed entirely — there haven't been many drastic changes. The biggest thing was side characters like Lang Qianqiu and Ling Wen being given notably more backstory to further flesh them out. Their characterization itself hasn't changed, however.

🔹Which version is canon, then?

Whichever you want, and you can mix-and-match! MXTX has given fans her blessings and encouragement!

🔹How do I read the revised version in English?

Currently, there are no official or unofficial English translations of the whole revised version. Nor are there any plans to do so for the near future.

However, there are English fan translations of a few notable chapters, which you can read here. There's also instructions on that site on how to read the rest of the updated webnovel in English, using a browser extension.

Additionally, the audio drama is adapting the uncensored revised version, and has been doing an amazing job! Check out how to listen to that with English subs here.

✨PART TWO: Debunking Rumors & Clearing up Misinformation✨

Note that all chapter numbers given will be referencing the webnovel's. The old chapters are also available towards the bottom of the page as "serialized versions."

(Translated screenshots provided are janky because it's just basic google MTL!)

🔸"Mentions of Mu Qing's mother was removed from the revised!"

Not at all! Both his parents are still mentioned, along with how Mu Qing is the primary breadwinner due to his mom's failing eyesight. (Ch. 57)

🔸"The earring scene isn't there anymore!"

The earring scene is still very much there! Not actually sure why this is a rumor at all, when the whole earring thing spans several chapters. Here's the conclusion of it (Ch. 59):

🔸"Characters have been butchered in general, with Mu Qing especially getting scenes cut!"

No character (who didn't straight-up get deleted) has been butchered. Nor has any character been singled out for having their scenes deleted/changed, because that's happened to every character — yes, including Xie Lian and Hua Cheng! — and they also have new scenes added!

E.g. the scene where Mu Qing picks the cherries is removed, because that whole section was changed. (However, it's still mentioned that others are prejudiced against him due to his background, and so on.) Meanwhile, there's a brand-new scene that shows Mu Qing's aptitude in treating wounds, as well as he and Feng Xin having new hijinks as "junior officials" with Xie Lian, and more.

Despite the rumors, characters haven't been flattened to make them more one-dimensional compared to Hualian. Perhaps the idea of certain scenes being cut sounds scary for characterization, but a lot of the original has been retained one way or another. In many cases, MXTX just condensed things, or moved them around. The revised is meant to be looked at as a whole, after all.

🔸"Mu Qing now leaves for no reason in Book/Arc 4, instead of for his mother!"

Mu Qing clearly states in the revised that he wants to leave in order to find a way to improve their situation, since they anyways cannot agree amongst themselves. Just like in the original, he was frustrated and felt there was no point in continuing along the same path. (Ch 152)

And yes, he does not bring up his mother in the revised scene. For context: there is a three year gap between the end of Book/Arc 2 and the start of 4. Which means in the original, Mu Qing didn't mention his mother for those three years. Given the events leading to his departure, and what follows, this causes several inconsistencies.

That is a whole topic unto itself, however. But it's not surprising the revised did it a bit differently.

🔸"Feng Xin isn't as funny anymore!"

Feng Xin is actually one of the least changed characters! This rumor likely stems from the scene where Xie Lian reveals his password, to Feng Xin, who no longer rolls on the floor while laughing. Or maybe it's a miscommunication based on the printed revised, which censored some of his (and Qi Rong's) cursing. But that was only for the printed!

🔸"Ling Wen's character isn't as interesting because of the changes!"

People will really say anything on the internet. She's been given more depth and complexity, if anything. There's new scenes that expand on her background and early days in heaven, and her relationship with Bai Jing has been given a lot of extra attention. Her motivations and actions remain the same, but if the subtext was missed in the original, it could have led to some readers thinking of Ling Wen as certain way. Like a ruthless girlboss.

The revised reiterating that this isn't the case doesn't change or detract from her, as that was one of the points of her story to begin with. Plus, the revised arc gives Bai Jing much-needed characterization.

🔸"Ling Wen's ascension is now due to Jing Wen/not on her own merit/etc!"

Frankly, this rumor might be due to people not properly understanding how ascension works in TGCF, and thinking the revised is adding something that they forgot was already in the original. The revised didn't change anything about the manner in which Ling Wen ascended.

You can actually check out the revised Brocade Immortal arc here for yourself, as it's been fan translated!

🔸"The dynamic between Hualian is different in the revised!"

Their dynamic is exactly the same as before, only reinforced if anything. If the new additions are enough to destroy someone’s image of Hualian or turn it on its head, that’s definitely not a fault with either novel version!

🔸"The scene where Hua Cheng is disguised as Lang Ying and accidentally catches Xie Lian bathing is removed!"

Unfortunately, yes, the bathing scene is gone. However, Hua Cheng in disguise is still there — he's a village kid instead.

🔸"MXTX made changes to side characters/ships because she felt threatened by their popularity compared to her main couple!"

This one just doesn't really make sense, because several side characters were given *more* content — including their relationships.

Lang Qianqiu finally feels like an actual character. Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu have new stuff about them. Shi Wudu has some clever little cameos. Pei Ming’s feelings about Yushi Huang are brought up. Pei Xiu’s backstory is even more heartbreaking. Qi Rong has new scenes that make him feel genuinely menacing. Xiao Ying’s been completely revamped. These are just to name a few, and excluding things already talked about above.

It seems unlikely that MXTX would go through the trouble of adding to her side characters if she didn’t care about them, felt they weren’t important, or thought they were getting undeserved attention. Besides, popular characters like Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan had no cuts to their arc!

Looking at the actual metrics… MXTX has no need to feel threatened by her side ships vs her main ships.

[lelemnali]

Keep recalling how to draw 🪶

[lelemnali]

IN THE LIGHT OF THE LATEST ALASR CHAP, HERE’S FANART FOR THE PREVIOUS CHAP

"Don't worry about me, Your Highness," Hua Cheng says. "I won't melt while you're gone."

FOR ONE AND ONLY @ardenrabbit

[lelemnali]

I took pictures of two beautiful water lilies today 🪷

[lelemnali]

Some of today's work + duck 🪶

[lelemnali]

Hello!

I'm alive

I'm really sorry it took so long to get back.

I hope that this time everything will work out and be good. I have many ideas, but one in particular stands out. This could become a major project ( a comic ) I'm already working on character concepts, you'll see them relatively soon

Thanks to everyone who is here with me!

[lelemnali]

Masterlist of my AO3 fics:

no light, no light

Word Count: 11,655

Rating: T

Ship: Wuming/Xie Lian

Summary: Wuming turns into a Wrath sooner into the temple scene, helps Xie Lian recover from his injuries, and teaches him it’s never a mistake to care.

-

spectrum

Word Count: 597

Rating: G

Ship: Wuming/Xie Lian

Summary: An extra for no light, no light. Xie Lian’s mother finds out about her son and San Lang’s relationship.

-

forever is a start

Word Count: 4,104

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: After his emotional outpouring in Qi Rong’s lair, Xie Lian gives into his feelings for Hua Cheng and stops fighting the magnetism between them.

-

borrowed finery

Word Count: 3,668

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: Xie Lian decides to dress up as the God-Pleasing Crown Prince for his husband’s birthday. He does not anticipate how worthless imitating his former glory makes him feel.

-

your most obedient servant

Word Count: 2,697

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian; hints of Wuming/Xie Lian

Summary: A shameless, stand-alone addition to borrowed finery. Hua Cheng gets wrecked by his husband for his birthday. That’s the whole fic.

-

my dream is only you

Word Count: 4,995

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian; Wuming/Xie Lian

Summary: Hua Cheng has one request for his birthday: that his god fuck him in his Wuming form. Xie Lian is more than happy to spoil the sweet boy he took for granted. And spoil him a little more after that, if he’s good.

-

to yearn for affection

Word Count: 3,356

Rating: G

Ship: Feng Xin/Mu Qing

Summary: Mu Qing is cursed to cry unless he’s being touched. Feng Xin offers to hold his hand but makes one joke too many and hits a sore spot.

Or, Feng Xin jokes he’s in love with Mu Qing at the Worst Possible Moment and they each have feelings about it.

-

i talk to god but the sky is empty

Word Count: 69,959

Rating: E

Ship: Feng Xin/Mu Qing; Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: When a tongueless spirit appears in the south and curses ghosts, gods, and mortals alike with catatonia, Hua Cheng, Mu Qing, and Feng Xin must work together to solve the mystery behind the curse and save Xie Lian from the horrors ravaging his mind.

They may never find a cure, however, if the villagers plagued by the spirit don’t stop lying to them at every turn.

-

i hope we shall meet again

Word Count: 2,190

Rating: T

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian; hints of Wuming/Xie Lian

Summary: On Mount Yujun, Hua Cheng appears before Xie Lian in a variation of an old form, not expecting that Xie Lian carried Wuming in his heart for eight centuries and would know his ghost anywhere, mask or no mask.

-

i’ve got my mind on you

Word Count: 1,384

Rating: G

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: Walking across campus with Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian quite literally runs into the hottest man he’s ever seen in his life and has no idea what to do when attraction slams into him like a semi truck.

-

strap the wing to me

Word Count: 37,996

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: When a second Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession is ruined by Xie Lian’s personal bodyguard and childhood friend Hua Cheng, the King and Queen of Xianle decide to pull their son out of the Royal Holy Temple to arrange his mating and rearrange his guard. Their goal is to keep Xie Lian far away from red-eyed, ill-fated, alpha Hua Cheng, who is hopelessly in love with Xie Lian and would doom the country given half a chance to mate the crown prince.

But Hua Cheng can’t stand to see Xie Lian’s dreams dashed. He offers a solution to his best friend in secret: he can break the law and bite Xie Lian to take him permanently off the market so he can cultivate, but he’ll have to go on the run after he does it to avoid execution.

-

your love is sunlight

Word Count: 28,697

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: Sequel to "strap the wing to me." As Xie Lian takes the next steps in his relationship with Hua Cheng, trouble brews in Xianle.

Meanwhile, Hua Cheng has suspicions someone is behind the sudden chaos—or maybe he’s only looking for a culprit to prove this situation isn’t owed to his cursed fortune.

**Series ongoing**

-

just do what feels right

Word Count: 2,010

Rating: G

Ship: Feng Xin/Mu Qing

Summary: Mu Qing contemplates what it means to be in love on a cool spring day. Feng Xin has some advice.

-

Mu Qing’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Word Count: 4,583

Rating: M

Ship: Feng Xin/Mu Qing; Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: When Mu Qing wakes up in Xie Lian’s body following a routine mission, he doesn’t have enough time to explain he isn’t Xie Lian before Hua Cheng rolls over and kisses him good morning.

Or, a body swap spell gives Mu Qing a panic attack and forces him to have a conversation about his sex repulsion with Feng Xin that he’s been avoiding for fear of being dumped.

-

i’ve got you

Word Count: 5,479

Rating: E

Ship: Feng Xin/Mu Qing

Summary: After a rival martial god drugs Mu Qing with the intention of destroying his cultivation, Mu Qing decides his cultivation is a weakness others can exploit and approaches Feng Xin to ask for help. Feng Xin might think Mu Qing is the most annoying person in all Three Realms, but he’d never let anything happen to him.

-

Ache of Separation

Word Count: 2,200

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: Convinced his husband writes extra poorly during their calligraphy practice because he finds it amusing, Xie Lian agrees to let Hua Cheng direct his efforts to a canvas he’d hesitate to ruin: Xie Lian’s naked skin.

-

hopelessly devoted

Word Count: 1,383

Rating: G

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: In the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods, Xie Lian finds a mural Feng Xin and Mu Qing missed: a familiar ghost wearing a white smiling mask.

-

Ongoing:

all that defines me (is falling away)

Last update: July 4, 2024

Rating: T

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian; Feng Xin/Mu Qing; Yushi Huang/Ling Wen

Summary: Three years after his life falls apart, Xie Lian attempts to start over by reconnecting with old friends and taking over a small flower shop to keep his mind busy, but pretending he can’t see the dark spirit that haunts him doesn’t make it go away. It’s been there forever—along with the nightmares, the deja vu, and the bone-deep longing for someone just outside his memory’s reach.

When a stranger named San Lang wanders into his shop one rainy evening, Xie Lian can’t help but feel like he’s grasped a piece of the puzzle, but his friends are convinced “San Lang” is dangerous, and what’s worse? They might be right. As they investigate his intentions and Xie Lian unravels the mysteries of his life, they find themselves targeted by someone or something hell-bent on taking them out one by one.

-

i will never leave you

Last update: July 11, 2024

Rating: E

Ship: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary: Hua Cheng doesn’t appear all at once a year after his dissipation on the Heaven-Crossing Bridge; rather, he corporealizes at Xie Lian’s side on Mount Taicang over the course of four seasons. As he regains his ability to be seen, heard, and touched, he and Xie Lian navigate loss, longing, and love.

-

Codename Catastrophe

Last update: June 24, 2024

Rating: E

Ship: Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen/Song Lan

Summary: When Detective Xiao Xingchen and Lieutenant Song Lan cross paths with an elusive necromancing serial killer nicknamed Jiangzai who is responsible for their five-year estrangement, they’re pulled into the young man’s seductive web and offered a deal: if they spare his life, he’ll lead them to the men who contract his kills and provide all the proof they need to prosecute. He claims he works for the Jin Corporation, which owns their province and has recently legislated against omega rights in the workplace, the very reason Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan have been brought back into each other’s lives.

Leaping at the prospect to expose corruption at the heart of their province and to put a stop to further contract kills like Jiangzai’s, Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan accept the deal, but working as a team proves difficult: not only do the three have a complicated past and hidden agendas, they can’t fight the attraction building between them, especially when they’re forced to save each other’s lives after the Jin Corporation puts out hits on all three of them.

[lelemnali]

Assigning TGCF characters drinks but I explain nothing

Hua Cheng

Shi Qingxuan

Qi Rong

Ling Wen

Xie Lian

[lelemnali]

mei nianqing really reunited with xie lian after eight hundred years and the first personal question he asked him was "did you per chance become gay???? or were you just born gay????". insane behavior

[lelemnali]

Hua Cheng and Xie Lian, two incredibly smart people, building a coffin for both of them sized only for one never fails to make me laugh. It couldn't have been only when they were getting in that they noticed. They had to size that. They had to gather wood for that. The audacity to be flustered and go 'oopsie' 😂😂😂

[lelemnali]

Temple guard

[lelemnali]

“My beloved is a brave, noble, and gracious special someone”

“我的心上人，是个勇敢的金枝玉叶的贵人“

This is Hua Cheng’s words to Xie Lian towards the end of the novel. I haven’t gotten that far into the story yet, but this line is so famous among Chinese fans that even I couldn’t help but know it lol. The original Chinese of this line is more nuanced and thus worth explaining, so let’s break down this sentence for a bit.

The word “beloved” in the original Chinese is “心上人”, which literally means “the person on my heart.” So “beloved” refers to someone that you cherish in your heart (and who’s always on your mind).

The Chinese phrase for “noble” is “金枝玉叶”, which literally means “gold branches and jade leaves.” The phrase was originally used to describe beautiful plants, but is later mostly used to descibe those of noble birth. High-born people are analogized to “gold branches and jade leaves” because in a class society, nobilities are simply deemed to have more worth than the common people.

So actually the word “noble” here doesn’t have the connotation of “having fine personal qualities and high moral principles,” it just refers to Xie Lian’s noble birth. But it also shows the high regard Hua Cheng holds Xie Lian in, because after so many years of being the dirt-poor God of Rubbish, after so many years of enduring the ignominy of being a failure and laughing stock, Xie Lian is still “gold branches and jade leaves” in Hua Cheng’s heart. Xie Lian’s image remains unmarred and unstained for Hua Cheng.

The phrase for “gracious, special someone” in Chinese is “贵人”. “贵人” could simply mean “aristocrat,” “nobility,” but it does also have the meaning of “special someone.” And a person is usually referred to as “special” (“贵人”) because they have given you pivotal help and support in a critical time of your life. So when you say “he’s the special somone in my life” (他是我命中的贵人), people would understand it as that this person has helped you immensely at some point. And this “special someone” who has given Hua Cheng immesurable help in his hardest times is Xie Lian.

So the sentence could somewhat be interpreted as “the person I cherish in my heart is brave and of noble birth, the special someone who has given me the help I most needed.”

[lelemnali]

tell me it’s okay :)

[lelemnali]

tgcf is my religion

[lelemnali]

hua chengzhu's silver....

[lelemnali]