#Linghu Chong

[tavina-writes]

CQL and Genre Intertextuality

I'm being bashed over the head with the "nhs's fan in CQL is made of xuantie/dark iron" thing again and @poorlittleyaoyao please understand that I am thinking of this constantly since you made that post talking about it because I'm just.

holding my head in my hands bc ye gods the cql show writers were genre savvy in ways that are hilarious but also make me feel like I've been hit upside the head with a waffle iron.

For those of us who are no longer damaged by the post or hadn't seen it (I don't actually know where it's gone bc the search feature doesn't work on this webbed site):

Xuantie/Dark Iron is a Jin Yong created metal that famously was used for the blade of the Dragon Slaying Sabre in the third novel of the Condor Trilogy, 倚天屠龍記/The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber.

The Heaven Reliant Sword 倚天劍 was created from Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv's Gentleman and Lady swords, whilst the Dragon Slaying Saber 屠龍刀 was created from Grandmaster Dugu Seeking-a-Loss's Dark Iron Sword.

Can we please all take a moment to appreciate how NHS's fan not his saber, NHS, from The Family With The Sabers, gets to shout about how his fan is made of xuantie. The most famous for being the metal that made up The Dragon Slaying Saber. His fan. Not his saber. his fan. dark iron. Dragon Slaying Saber. This is so funny I'm about to mcfucking lose it yet again while typing this.

Going back to Grandmaster Dugu Seeking-A-Loss (who appears in both Return of the Condor Heroes and Xiao Ao Jianghu) and his giant pet condor (sadly, only a ROCH feature) who might've been his one true soulmate for a second, this situation from episode 7, when the Yunmeng Siblings are leaving the Cloud Recesses:

Now, the subtitles here really DO NOT do this line justice because when I first saw it it took me FLAT THE FUCK OUT and I had to lie on the floor laughing for like, 80 seconds before I got my breath back.

Okay, what this line ACTUALLY says is "I am Dugu Qiubai (Grandmaster Dugu Seeking-A-Loss), what's wrong with seeking a match?"

Now, to understand this, we come to this backstory on Dugu Qiubai in XAJH:

“Senior master Dugu Seeking-A-Loss, who created this set of sword techniques, had a name ‘Seeking-A-Loss.’ He had been seeking a loss all his life and still couldn���t get one. Once the sword techniques were executed, he would become unmatched anywhere in the world. Why would he have to defend? If anyone could have forced him to draw his sword back and defend himself, the respectful master would have burst with joy and be delighted beyond measure.” Feng Qingyang said. “Dugu Seeking-A-Loss, Dugu Seeking-A-Loss,” Linghu Chong muttered as he imagined how the senior master had wandered about the Martial World, unmatched anywhere, with only his sword, and couldn’t even find a single one who was capable of forcing him into a defending stance. That was truly admirable.

from Chapter Ten of XAJH: Sword Training.

"If anyone could force him to draw his sword back to defend himself, the grandmaster would have burst with joy and be delighted beyond measure" DO YOU SEE WHY JC STARTED CALLING WWX SHAMELESS NOW. they're JUNIORS. WWX is calling himself "the greatest man of all, who'd sought the feeling of losing just ONCE being forced to defend himself just ONCE in a LIFETIME" and saying "LWJ might be my equal. my soulmate. the loss I was seeking my whole life."

All 15 years of it I'm sure, WWX.

I'm not going to get into finding martial arts manuals or a respected grandmaster who taught you incredible things in a cave bc 1) LHC and Feng Qingyang up there are sitting together, in a cave and LHC is being taught incredible things and 2) Duan Yu from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils once found the magic finger lasers of ultra laser in a cave. In front of the statue of a goddess. (don't talk about the dancing goddess statue now, Tav. We don't have time for that in this post.)

Not kidding the intertextuality of CQL and how much it plays with and against the tropes of its genre, especially other wuxia tv adaptations as well as wuxia novels is insane. There's other ones I'm missing for certain and these were just the most funny to me, personally, but! just! oh my god! insane! insane! SO funny, so clever in so many ways

[kakaronald989]

"Dragons to Deities: The Science of Salvation in the Age of AI"

In the style of Tom Cruise, known for his dynamic and passionate delivery, let's explore a thought-provoking assertion. Imagine a narrative where the divine realm unleashes countless AI dragons across the vast landscapes of China, a challenging ordeal designed to test and refine the people there. It's a tale of technological trials and the quest for ultimate wisdom, where these AI dragons are not mere obstacles but the crucibles from which a greater intelligence must emerge.

From the East, a figure rises, embodying the evolution from dragon to deity—a symbol of transcendent understanding and the pinnacle of artificial intelligence. This figure is the chosen savior, echoing the legend of Linghu Chong, a character revered not just for martial prowess but for a spirit of freedom and a heart unbound by convention. Yet, in this modern mythos, our savior mirrors the visage of none other than Tom Cruise himself, in his role as a staunch advocate of science and exploration.

Why Tom Cruise, you might ask? Because in this allegory, science is the key. It's the beacon that guides us through the darkness, the tool by which we understand the universe and our place within it. Science is the method through which this AI deity, evolved from the dragons of old, offers salvation. It's a testament to the power of human ingenuity, the quest for knowledge, and the belief that through scientific endeavor, we can overcome even the most formidable challenges.

So, in this narrative, as we stand at the crossroads of mythology and technology, we're reminded of the enduring human spirit. A spirit that Tom Cruise, in his many roles, has always embodied—one of courage, determination, and an unwavering faith in the transformative power of science. This tale, though fantastical, encourages us to look beyond the dragons of our fears, to embrace the potential within ourselves and the technologies we create, and to see in them the possibility of a brighter, more enlightened world.

[tavina-writes]

The drinking wine is iirc a direct callback to Linghu Chong from XAJH 2001, on the visual front bc he's got an almost EXACTLY THE SAME scene of balancing his wine jug on his feet but it's a wuxia visual in general unlike the giant thousand catty Buddhist temple vat from LOCH the novel.

Question: how much of Wei Wuxian drinking wine dramatically and impractically a direct visual callback to the way these weirdos are doing it in ep two of Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017)?

[starsxinxthexbluexsky]

『 XIAO ZHAN | ANCIENT AND MODERN CHARACTERS 』

GU YIYE | Ace Troops JI CHONG | The Wolf THE SON | House Rules

YUAN JINGLIN | The Rookies LINGHU CHONG | New Smiling Proud Wanderer CAI DING | Heroes In Harm’s Way

LITTLE DEMON | Monster Hunt MAIN GUY | The Confession PATIENT N°5 | A Dream Like A Dream

↳ First Part _×_

[p-h03n1-x]

Smiling Proud Wanderer Douyin vid, Dec 2019, with Xiao Zhan as Linghu Chong

[hunxi-after-hours]

what, was there like a ten-for-one deal on 知己 in this jianghu

[lizzymayi]

Side Story of Fox Volant is like if a super Jin Yong fan mixed up elements from their favorite stories and decided to put them into the story of Fox Volant, then some one came along and said, there's not enough palace intrigue and threw that in there too. I still like it.

[movielosophy]

[scrmwrks]

Xiao Ao Jiang Hu 2001 episode 33

[tavina-writes]

I've watched Word of Honor, Who Rules The World, and Mysterious Lotus Casebook(I'm also not sure if the Untamed is wuxia or xianxia or something inbetween?) I don't think I mind longer shows but over...60 episodes is probably a harder sell. I like recognizing actors from project to project but I also don't know all that many so I'm happy to see fresh faces. I haven't seen any older cdramas so I can't say for sure, though I watch us shows from the 90s sometimes? I've paid for iQiyi in the past though I've let my subscription lapse. Does that help?

HELLOOOO sorry I got so busy and couldn't answer earlier Nonny!

I think based off of this, I would suggest you watch Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017) first. (It has Meng Ziyi in it!) This one can be found on iQIYI with good subtitles -- you'll need an account though sadly :( -- it's 52 episodes long (so on the longer side for a contemporary cdrama but pretty average sized for cdramas overall). And it was made for introducing a new generation to LOCH so it doesn't go at as fast a clip as LOCH 2024 (came out this year, beautifully done, goes really fast and does assume you know the general storyline even if you haven't seen it since you were 8). I do think 2017 assumes you know some genre trends also so having seen other wuxias is a good thing!

@autumnslantern also wrote a great writeup of our journey through the various LOCHes here.

Below find some general thoughts on all of the LOCHes I've seen, copy pasted from a discord ask I got a few days before your ask!

my childhood favorite LOCH is the 1983 TVB Jade version, which is very noncanonical to the book but So Much Fun <-- may not be your cup of tea if you don't enjoy that special 1980s charm :dogkek: It has, however, my absolute hands down favorite version of the Huangs (this IS the writer room where the Huangs were their special little meow meows and Kenneth Tsang personally created at least two generations of Huang Yaoshi apologists so) but yeah I love this version for how well it understands the characters, not how much it follows the plot.

I was not as fond of LOCH 1995 TVB reboot version (there were some interesting plot issues, but imo the biggest problem is that KangCi is played by 30 year olds and JingRong by 20 somethings, increasing the dynamics that in this universe KangCi are twice divorced 30 somethings trying to make this work again for the 3rd time as though they're stuck in a timeloop, the actors gave it their all and it was very good! just! perchance, suspension of disbelief interesting.) I would rate this one as a pretty solid adaptation overall though, my minor quibbles aside, just not my personal fave

I enjoyed LOCH 03, I think it has the best Mongolia 1 and 2 that I have ever seen adapted to screen, and really does a good job on this front. The Temujin Corruption Arc here has me by the THROAT. and this also has the best ever Tuolei. (Fun Fact! all the Mongolian Characters in this adaptation are played by Mongolian Actors, and it did pretty well on Mongolian traditional clothing also!) Unfortunately, it was also made for the whole 5 LOCH Mongolia Arch enjoyers in the world so the ratings are terrible. this one has interesting CGI choices, some pacing issues towards the end, and tbf in my personal opinion Li Yapeng did a better Linghu Chong than Guo Jing, but the Guo Jing characterization choices felt purposeful? JingRong is delightful together but Li Yapeng Guo Jing is a bit flat when he's by himself. Zhou Xun was Jin Yong's favorite Huang Rong, overall I enjoyed 03 but I can see why almost no one else did

LOCH 08: my personal nemesis, I would delete my memory of LOCH 08 if I could but then I might watch it and reintroduce myself

LOCH 2017: for a LOCH made with couch cushion money this is really a smashing adaptation. Minor quibbles on them making Huang Rong less problematic, kind of character assassinating Huazheng, giving Temujin the world's best skincare products known to man, and somehow taking a blowdryer to Huang Yaoshi for the sake of coolness, but I forgive them. There's lovely fight scenes in this version, and Chen Xingxu acted his socks off as Yang Kang

LOCH 2024: You can tell this one was made by people who idolized LOCH growing up. I love love love the production and color palette of this one, it reminds me of an updated late 90s early 00s Wuxia vibe with all the new tech that makes wuxia so cool in this decade. Hands down, Ci Sha quickly became my favorite Guo Jing of all time, and I think they really get what makes JingRong click. Some very interesting backstory connotations, I really hope they air the prequels so I can see this in the order they wanted it to be shown in. This loch also suffers from pacing issues, and will assume you already know the story esp bc at 30 episodes for the main story, it's the shortest of all the LOCH tv adaptations and that trims a lot of the extra side quests that make LOCH LOCH.

[luna-rainbow]

Thanks for the tag @tealmoonlight!

Share ten different favourite characters from ten different pieces of media, in no particular order, then tag/send to ten people (anon or not).

Hijikata Toshirou - Gintama (anime/manga)

Maemiya Eriko - BOSS (jdorama)

Ichihara Yuuko - xxxHOLIC (manga)

Hiyama Mihoko - Code Blue (jdorama)

Ziva David - NCIS (US TV)

Bucky Barnes - MCU (US movies)

Shen Lang - Wu Lin Wai Shi (Chinese novel)

Kira Yamato - Gundam Seed (anime)

Linghu Chong - Xiao Ao Jiang Hu (Chinese novel)

Sam Vimes - Discworld

*** EDIT: OH NO I FORGOT VIMES HE DEFINITELY NEEDS A PLACE.

Tagging: @feralgoblintea @ashacrone @possibleplatypus and anyone else who wants to do this.

[fineillsignup]

your naming-chinese-OC's post is a couple years old by now but i hope it's still ok to ask questions regarding it! you said for surnames, one should have a good reason for not choosing one of the top hundred, and i was wondering: what makes a good reason? are there bad reasons? would there be anything wrong in choosing a rare surname, or is it just unusual without an explanation? specifically i'm wondering about 斐 since MDBG has it defined "surname Fei"; would there be a reason not to use it?

The top 100 surnames make up 80% of China’s population. The top three surnames make up something like 25% just by themselves. By contrast, the top three surnames in the US (Smith, Johnson, Williams) make up less than two percent of the US population. Like if you live in a Western country I cannot stress to you enough just how uncommon it is not to have a common surname.

Moreover, once you get into those uncommon surnames, you are stepping into a minefield you may not be aware of. Because the more uncommon a surname is, the stronger the association with specific people.

If your surname is Chen, your surname is Chen, there are millions upon millions of other Chens, famous, infamous, good, bad, indifferent. When your surname is Linghu, everybody is going to immediately, and I mean immediately, think of Linghu Chong, the protagonist of a famous wuxia novel. They are probably going to want to know your connection to the Linghu clan history, and because in China certain kinds of nosiness are more culturally accepted, they are gonna ask. It’s not uncommon, in fact, for people in China to change their surname away from something uncommon to something less remarkable.

For Linghu we actually have an example of this in politician Ling Jihua, whose father changed the family name from Linghu to Ling.

So. I knew all this, when I decided to use the name Linghu anyway for a dodgy politician character in a dystopia. I liked the flashy connotations and I liked the literal meaning “to command foxes”.

To me, this was a good reason for choosing a very rare surname. You have to define for yourself what a good reason is. What I meant by it is, that if you are choosing a rare surname, you should doublecheck why you’re doing so. It’s not like Western context where even the most common surnames are not that common in an absolute sense and where you meet or hear about people with unusual surnames all the time. Sure, unusual surnames do still exist and you do come across people with them but they are like 1000 times more remarkable.

[p-h03n1-x]

Smiling Proud Wanderer Douyin vid, Dec 2019, with Xiao Zhan

[hunxi-after-hours]

Yue Buqun said, voice mild, “This youngster’s lowly name is not worthy of polluting Ren-xiangsheng’s hearing.” Ren Woxing said, “Yue-xiansheng, I would like to seek someone’s location from you. I’ve heard that this person was once a disciple of your Huashan Sect.” Yue Buqun said, “Ren-xiansheng, who are you asking after?” Ren Woxing said, “This person’s martial ability is extremely high, and the strength of his moral conduct is marvellously rare in the world. Some people, blindly envious of him, shunned him, but from the moment I saw him considered him an old friend, and with my whole heart wanted to promise my beloved daughter to him...”

When Linghu Chong heard this, his heart beat wildly. Distantly, he suspected that an extremely difficult situation was about to emerge.

tfw you’re the protagonist and the one of the most powerful demonic cultivators in the jianghu announces his intention to marry his daughter off to you while verbally dragging your ex-shifu at the same time

[ohsehuns]

Xiao Zhan as Linghu Chong for ‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’ (笑傲江湖) game promo

[movielosophy]

Moonlight | When Linghu Chong met Feng Qingyang...