#“Rejoice Wei Wuxian is dead!”

[turtiowo]

[that-one-chaos]

well that's one hell of a start-

[i-guess-im-into-this-now]

First exposure to MDZS

Opening scene - "Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!"

Me *completely unmoved*: whoever that is. 🤷‍♀️

Subsequent exposures to MDZS

Opening scene - "Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!"

Me *already tearing up": No! Why?! 😭

[sylviesoothsayer22]

Well Matched - Chapter 1

Lycoris radiata

When the Yiling Laozu’s spirit emerged from the Burial Mounds as a newborn Calamity, the entire cultivation world trembled in fear.

Wei Ying just wanted to find a quiet place to rest. He had no plan, so he naturally followed the strange butterfly that seemed to beckon him somewhere. What’s the worst that could happen?

“You’re adorable.”

“I thought I was charming.”

“Charming and adorable. I’m tempted to keep you.”

“….sweet-talker.”

“Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!”

“Fantastic, fantastic indeed! Remind me again, who was the hero who killed the Yiling Laozu?”

“His shidi! The little sect leader Jiang Cheng!”

Everyone in the tavern laughed and declared those who have led the Siege of the Burial Mounds heroes. They all toasted to the Patriarch’s demise.

It had been several months since the news first broke out and many have not yet ceased celebrating.

A condescending snort cut through their revelry. All eyes were drawn to the rogue cultivator lounging in his seat. One youth lazily twisted his head to the man’s direction and cast his left eye on the speaker.

“Too early for that.” He rumbled. “The days of the Yiling Laozu are far from over.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me ask you all a question.” The speaker said. Clearly pleased to have everyone’s attention. “Since Wei Wuxian wasn’t born into the Jiang sect, how many Soul-Tranquilization Rites has he undergone before his violent death?”

Almost every member in the tavern paled in realization.

“You can’t mean that he’ll come back as a ghost!”

“Even if he did, every soul within the Burial Mounds are trapped there. The amount of resentful energy alone makes it impossible for the dead to break free!”

“The Burial Mounds no longer hold as much resentful energy as they used to.” The cultivator informed them gravely.

“What do you mean?!”

“Speak plainly!”

“Don’t go around spreading false rumours for attention, you old fart!”

The only person who didn’t put up a fuss was the youth who was watching the pandemonium with a bored expression. The cultivator gazed at the anxious crowd in silence before loudly slamming his jug on the table.

“Silence! Do you wish to hear what happened after the Siege or not?!”

Everyone quieted and listened to the cultivator with wrapped attention as he began his tale:

“After the Patriarch’s demise, all was quiet for a while and the Great Sects believed it would be the end of it. Yet, some wandering cultivators detected strange disturbances within the Mounds. The resentful energy appeared to be constantly fluctuating. Through their observations, they saw a thick red fog emerge and cover the mountains. The wanderers notified the sects who sent out members of high rank. Those same men would come back and swear blind that they saw the Patriarch lurking around.”

“How is it that no one has heard of this until now?”

“The sects silenced as many gossipers as they could find. They did not wish to spread panic or give the demonic worshippers hope.” The cultivator cast the interrupter a slight glare. “May I continue now?” He asked dryly.

“At that point, all of the sects believed that Wei Wuxian did not pass on. Many high-ranking cultivators, sect leaders and head disciples converged on the spot where they sensed the yin energy was at its highest, believing that the Patriarch’s spirit was still recuperating. Wanting to put an end to this drawn-out battle, they rushed at the swirling mass only to stop in their tracks!”

“Thorny black vines shot through the rocky ground and held them all in a vice-like grip. They tried to hack them off with their swords, but new vines would grow in their place. The bound cultivators felt themselves growing weak. Somehow, Wei Wuxian drained them of their spiritual energy. What’s worse, the red fog surrounding the mountain hardened and formed into a barrier. By the time the cultivators realized that they had walked into a trap, there was a familiar sound of a dizi playing.”

The crowd’s eyes were as wide as saucers. The youth’s eyes were narrowed in deep thought. Many leaned forward as the cultivator continued with his story:

“A figure emerged through the fog. None other than the Yiling Laozu himself! Different, but still recognizable. When he was last seen, he was gaunt, injured and looked ready to collapse at any moment. Back then, he looked fragile but unmistakably human. Now, not anymore. His skin was as white as pale snow. The grey of his robes swirled unnaturally against the breeze like ash. The black of his clothes were so dark, they appeared to be devouring any form of light. It almost looked as if it were made of shadows. His eyes let out an eerie blood red glow. There was a vial full of -what appeared to be- ashes suspended around his neck by a red string. The strangest addition to Wei Wuxian’s appearance was the countless ghostly-green fireflies floating around him. What purpose they serve, I do not know.”  The speaker shook his head. His expression haunted.

“Everyone believed that the Patriarch was about to start another massacre. One that would overshadow what he did in Nightless City. Instead, he plays one sharp note and Wei Wuxian dissolved into a murder of crows! The crows and fireflies passed through the shield and scattered into several different directions. Everyone else was left trapped within the barrier. For whatever reason, Wei Wuxian chose to spare the cultivation world his wrath that night.”

The crowd traded panicked whispers among themselves. The speaker watched them with an amused expression.

“You make it sound as if you were there.” The red robed youth piped up, while the rest of the tavern were busy processing the Yiling Laozu’s strange new powers. The rogue cultivator looked at the youth, affronted.

“I was there, ignorant brat! It took us nearly six months to break through that damned barrier and another three to search for that devil’s weakness in the Burial Mounds!”

“How has no one heard of this until now?” A member of the crowd asked disbelievingly.

“This is now common knowledge in the entire cultivation world. It’s not my fault no one cared to inform the people in this backwatered village!”

The youth snorted and shot back “How much of this story is fabricated? Unless you can provide proof that you were there yourself, I don’t see much of a point in listening to your fairy tales.”

The crowd let out murmurs of agreement. The rogue cultivator felt a tick mark growing on his forehead. He grabbed an item that was wrapped in layers of talismans from his pocket and slammed it on the table in front of the youth.

“Here’s your proof! The jade token that was once tied to Chenqing!” The youth picked up the token and examined it. The item exuded an absurd amount of yin energy that could only belong to something powerful.

“It certainly appears authentic.” He commented. The cultivator snatched back the token from the young man’s hands.

“Bah! What would you know?” He grumbled as a he re-wrapped the item and put it back in his pocket. The youth shot him an unimpressed look.

“You mentioned that you and your fellow cultivators were looking for the Patriarch’s weakness. Did you find it?” The youth asked blithely. The rogue cultivator gnashed his teeth.

“No. The Yiling Laozu is far too cunning.” He faced the crowd once more.

“While normal ghosts can be dissipated in numerous ways or sealed with a spirit-trapping pouch, beings like Wei Wuxian can only be destroyed through the destruction of their ashes.”

“Didn’t you mention he had a vial of ashes wrapped around his neck? Why were you looking for them in the Mounds?” A member of the crowd asked, confused.

“I’m getting there!” The rogue snapped before continuing “We looked for clues on where would Wei Wuxian go to for refuge. Through our findings we found many similar looking vials and took the chance that maybe his was among them. When we started destroying every vial we could see, we realized these ashes belonged to other ghosts. The truly horrifying part? After we captured a stray soul and demanded information, it was revealed that they willingly sacrificed themselves for the Patriarch. He did not even have to use his flute on them!” The cultivator shook his head in disbelief before continuing. “Somehow, this Wei Wuxian won the ghosts' loyalty after the destruction of his mortal body. They even called him ‘our lord’!”

“Perhaps he’s building a city for the dead as we speak.” One member mumbled. Almost everyone in the tavern let out shudders at that possibility. The only ones who weren’t affected was the story-teller and the youth. The rogue cultivator snorts.

“Now who’s telling fairy tales?” He took on a severe countenance.

“If the Yiling Laozu decided to create a ghost realm, the amount of resentful energy needed would attract the attention of every single cultivator within a thousand miles. Don’t you get it, you fools? He’s in hiding! Right now, he has likely suppressed the majority of his powers to such a degree that it would take a strong spiritual weapon to detect him.”

“Do you mean that finding the Patriarch is a hopeless endeavour?” The youth drawled out in a bored manner.

“Not quiet. Remember the ghost-flies? Normal fireflies only come out in the summer. Yet, no matter the season, these creatures follow him wherever he goes. We merely have to wait for news on them.” The rogue cultivator concluded.

“How sad that the entirety of the cultivation world has to rely on mere rumours and heresy to catch one measly ghost.” The youth remarked, casually.

“Well, do you have any better ideas?!” The rogue cultivator shouted. “If you don’t, then get out of my sight! You disrespectful wretch!”

The youth shrugged and got up. He brushed past the ill-tempered cultivator and smirked in secret as he exited the tavern. Once the ‘young man’ was a fair distance away, he pulled out the token that he snatched from the arrogant cultivator. A silver butterfly landed on the item. Hua Cheng waited as the creature scented the yin signature and watched as it took off in search of the source. He continued his leisurely walk.

Wei Wuxian. He thought. What an interesting character you are.

Chapter End.

Author's Note: Lycoris radiata is the botanical name for red spider lily. The flower is typically associated with death, long journeys, sad memories and final goodbyes. Interestingly, the colour red usually means love and passion.

I'll try and post the rest of this fic one chapter per-week until I eventually run out. Hope ya enjoyed it!

[bookfirstlinetourney]

Bonus Round: Main Character Death-Baiting

(because apparently nothing makes someone want to keep reading than telling them the MC's dead/gonna die)

(also I haven't read ALL of these so if one of them is about a death that's not the main character's, sorry)

YEAH, I KNOW. You guys are going to read about how I died in agony, and you're going to be like, "Wow! That sounds cool, Magnus! Can I die in agony too?"

-The Sword of Summer, Rick Riordan

Let me tell you how I died five times in one day.

-The Captain, Will Wight

I wasn't there when I died.

-Nobody True, James Herbert

Death-Cast is calling with the warning of a lifetime—I'm going to die today.

-They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera

I'm going to die tomorrow morning.

-The Young Elites, Marie Lu

"Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!"

-The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/Mo Dao Zu Shi, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Also! Feel free to share more opening lines like this. Whether one from the tournament I missed or from other stuff you've read!

[turnedpalefromlackofsun]

the word "rejoice" has been ruined for me because my brain always autocompletes with "wei wuxian is dead"

[a-ramblinrose]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge || September 6 || Favorite First Lines:    Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

               “Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!”

[glosschi]

Rejoice! Wei Wuxian is dead!

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

[rose-reads-visualnovels]

Chapter 1's first line: Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead! Chapter 2's first line: Wei Wuxian had only just opened his eyes when someone kicked him.

Wei Wuxian exists to suffer.

Anyways, these first 3 paragraphs already tell me a lot.

Wei Wuxian has not been reborn as a baby.

Wei Wuxian can understand the language of this world

Wei Wuxian's current appearance is non threatening enough that a random guy would feel safe to kick him when he's down

Wei Wuxian's current body is weaker than expected of a fearsome evil villain necromancer. Well. I guess it depends. Necromancers aren't usually depicted as "buff", but cultivators are called that because they cultivate their natural bodies and spirits.

Wei Wuxian is very proud of his title of Patriarch/Founder/Grandmaster or at least expects a level of respect he's obviously not receiving at the moment.

All of this points towards him possessing the body of a random guy, WHICH IS NOT REINCARNATION BTW!!!!!!!

The last chapter's title lied to me.

[presidentdragon]

This is the opening paragraph that sold me on The Murderbot Diaries. It's got such "Rejoice! Wei Wuxian is dead!" energy ❤️

[theshenanijiang]

The wheels in this man's head are clearly turning.

And then they say he is name:

It's like those friends who wait til you take a drink to say the punchline in a joke, but complete strangers and the joke is your name. They're arguing about the fallibility of one of his inventions.

He really wants to get involved in this conversation, but there isn't a good point to interrupt.

And then the guy with the compass says Wei Wuxian is his idol and WWX is done with this conversation. Which I find very fascinating, the guy outright says he finds good qualities in Wei Wuxian (him being his idol) and the guy he is talking to just waves him off and walks away. No how dare you's or anything like that. That is interesting with the "Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!" narrative to me.

[um-lavenders-ig]

the book literally starts with "rejoice, wei wuxian is dead!"

it’s really funny seeing that “all that pain and misery and loneliness and it only made you kind” quote used on wei wuxian because like… he became a heretical necromancer who tortured his enemies into carving their living own bodies up and eating it i’m—

[bookfirstlinetourney]

Round 1

At the height of the long wet summer of the Seventy-seventh Year of Sendovani, the Thiefmaker of Camorr paid a sudden and unannounced visit to the Eyeless Priest at the Temple of Perelandro, desperately hoping to sell him the Lamora boy.

-The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch

Today he would become a god. His mother had told him so.

-Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse

“Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!”

-The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/Mo Dao Zu Shi, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

[composeregg]

The like 3 things I know about WWX (notably this does not include 'the title of the thing he is from') strongly suggest to me that he is what you'd get if an artsy imperial twink had Dying Victorian Woman Disorder. Would you say this characterization is accurate?

okay this sent me into a coughing fit from laughing thank u genuinely

so that is like, not quite his characterization but I can super see where u got that from lol

He's from the danmei novel (and donghua by the same name) Mo Dao Zu Shi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. (Also the manhua and the live action Untamed exist too)

Think more like playful michief maker turned insomniac sleep deprived (slightly mad) scientist inventor who got inflicted with disease of anger issues and necromancy powers (via LOTS of trauma!)

[a-ramblinrose]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge || September 6 || Favorite First Lines:    Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

                    “Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!”

[princess-of-purple-prose]

[ID: A gifset pairing lines from the MDZS novel with scenes from the beginning of The Untamed, which are edited in as if the novel pages have been ripped to reveal them. First: "'Rejoice, Wei Wuxian is dead!'" is shown over Wei Wuxian, blood running from his mouth, tipping back over a cliff.

Second: "'Fantastic, fantastic indeed! Who was the hero who killed the Yiling Patriarch?'" over Jiang Cheng speaking with an angry, hurt expression while holding out a sword. End ID]

reading the MXTX official English novels | Mo Dao Zu Shi - Chapter 1