#Lord Yunzhong

[fanficsbysenneres]

Trespass

After his Shifu's funeral, Ronghao makes a different choice - a choice that will change everything for Lord Yunzhong, Changheng, and possibly all of Shuiyuntian.

New Chapter Posted

Chapter summaries and links under the break.

Chapter 1: The Funeral

After enduring his Shifu's funeral, Ronghao finds something that gives him hope she is not completely gone.

Chapter 2: The Hairpin

After seeing a nightmare future version of himself, Ronghao decides to take his Shifu's hairpin and leave. His plans are thwarted at the gate by an annoying fairy guard and a friendly young god...

Chapter 3: Intervention

Changheng makes an alternative suggestion: instead of leaving Shuiyuntian, maybe Ronghao just needs to talk to someone with more with experience about his nightmares, and get some advice?

Chapter 4: Arbiter Hall

Ronghao loses his temper at the so-called Master of Fate and Destiny, much to the Master's delight.

Chapter 5: The Master of Fate

Lord Yunzhong discovers just what his favourite little fairy guard has been trying to hide from him, and why; while Ronghao is given something unusual from Destiny Tree.

Chapter 6: Shenshui

Fleeing Lord Yunzhong, Changheng and Ronghao make it to Shenshui - only to find someone has placed a magical barrier around it, preventing all entry.

[justarabidlittleyingzhao]

[wordsmith30]

Now that’s an entrance! 🙌🏼

[justarabidlittleyingzhao]

@psalm40speakstome I know this may not really answer your question completely, and I'm more than happy for anyone else to add here, but I think the reason we find out about it so late is because it's only when Changheng starts acting out, when Lord Yunzhong starts to sense a loss of control over his brother, that he brings out the 'Your Mother was Bad' stick to beat him with. Reminds him of his mother's desertion at a battle, and all the implications that desertion brings - treason, betrayal and the potential death of others because she abandoned her post.

We don't find out the real truth (and Yunzhong *does* lie - he lied about Dongfang being in the tower, spreading the rumour that he was dead when he wasn't) so I think it's a reasonable supposition here to suspect Yunzhong of lying again, or at best leaving out pertinent facts that would shed further light on Changheng's mother's situation.

Love Between Fairy And Devil. Episodes 25-27ish.

Did I just miss it…or is there some context I’m assumed to know but don’t?

Why don’t I remember them talking about Changheng’s Mom before this? 🧐

Someone kindly enlighten me please

[tockamybeloved]

Firstly, prob going to delete this because who wants to hear my random thoughts? (thanks wine!)

He's done. He's so so done. The absolute hijinks haven't even begun and he's ready to retire.

What else I've noticed? That's a terrible job covering up his 5 o'clock shadow. What has been keeping him awake? (okay don't answer that I think I already feel a glare at the back of my neck)

All these fairies ready to serve Changheng. All these temptations before his little brother who he's trying to protect. They are potential distractions! He has to marry the goddess or everything is going to implode! (at least this is what he's been told?)

He's just trying to run a Realm and get everyone to do what destiny says they are supposed to.

Sigh. Anyway. Go read THIS for a better and deeper story.

[harocat]

We have spent the last couple days in LBFAD discord matching up all the major characters to what kind of cat they would be. Their catsona? Anyway this is vital information and we decided we must compile it.

Dongfang Qingcang:

Xiao Lanhua:

(I'm pretty sure this is a cat on douyin and her name might be Luna? If so, that's appropriate.)

Shangque:

Not a cat!! He's just so clearly a dog. In specific, we decided on a Rottweiler because they have somewhat of a scary reputation, but naturally he is sweet and loyal and just lets all the cats ride on him.

Changheng:

Ragdoll!

Danyin:

Jieli:

We decided on a tortie, but then it was like 'what about a split faced tortie because duplicity?'

Xunfeng:

Naturally.

Ronghao:

???? do the markings vanish when he's pretending to be normal Ronghao and not the Lord of Haishi?

Chidi:

The ever elegant Abyssinian.

Yunzhong:

(NGL this is kind of mean to Wilfred, the very lovable cat in the pic, but... we thought it was funny.)

Xiao Run:

He would SO be a golden retriever, but if he had to be a cat, there is only one possibility...

[himboblackdragon]

Catalog of LBFaD drama name origins

Mythology -> book -> drama

Dongfang Qingcang / 东方青苍: The origins of this name are hotly contested, and to be honest the only hypothesis I remember is the Azure Dragon of the East. East being "Dongfang," and the dragon itself being alternatively called "Qing long" and "Cang long." (x)

Haotian Tower / 昊天塔: The tower where DFQC was imprisoned in, in both media. There's no Haotian Tower in mythology, but "Haotian God" is one of the names of the emperor of heaven. (x)

Ninth You / Jiuyou / 九幽: One name for the mythological netherworld, the capital city of the Moon Tribe in the drama. The capital city of the devil tribe in the book. (x)

Sansheng / 三生: The name comes from the "Three Lives Stone" (sansheng shi 三生石), which represents a lot of things in Chinese tradition, but probably the most salient being a rock in the underworld near the Oblivion River. In the novel universe, the rock is graffitied with the names of the ones the dead passing by wished to see most. The stone seems to have transformed into human form in the first book of the series, succinctly titled Sansheng, which tells the love story between Sansheng and Moxi, the novelverse God of War. (x)

Siming / 司命: A folk god, and usually male, who oversees human fates. In the CLJ novel she is responsible for writing the Fate Books. (x)

Xirang / 息壤: Mythological self-expanding-and-growing soil. Although it plays a key role in the book, it only appears in a throwaway line in the drama, when Changheng suggests building XLH a new body out of it. (x)

Mythology/literature/history -> drama

Chengying Sword / 承影剑: One of the ten famous swords of China, in historical and literary tradition. From the Spring and Autumn Period. (x)

Chonghua / 重华: Chonghua is the given name of a legendary emperor of China. (x)

Haotian Matrix / 昊天阵: "Haotian God" is one of the names of the emperor of heaven. (x)

Hellfire / 业火: A Buddhist concept, the fires of karma. (I'm pretty vague on what it actually is and where it exists.) In the book, DFQC's powerful fire is usually just called "raging flames" (lieyan 烈焰), and it's red instead of blue. (x)

Liyuan / 澧沅: Li and Yuan are two of the four big rivers that flow through Hunan. Coincidentally, also the names of two of the four rivers that flow into Shuiyuntian, that flooded when DFQC broke the pearl. (x)

Love Tree / Seven-Emotions Tree / 七情树: The name "seven-emotions tree" comes from the phrase "seven emotions and six desires," (qi qing liu yu 七情六欲). The exact emotions and desires this refers to differ based on school of thought. (x)

Lord Dong / 东君: A deity often paired with Yunzhong-jun as one of the two primordial gods. Seems to be a sun deity. His name literally means "Lord East." (x)

Lord Yunzhong / 云中君: A god from mythology, often paired with Lord Dong as one of the two primordial gods. Sometimes interpreted as a woman. (x)

Oblivion River / Wang Chuan / 忘川: A river in the land of the dead. To cross it, you must first drink a soup that makes you forget your past lives. (x)

Qu Shui / 曲水: Literally "winding waters," the name of Xiao Run's pageboy might come from the upper-class drinking game "Qu Shui Liu Shang" 曲水流觞, in which players "wait by a winding stream and compose poems before their cups full of rice wine float down to reach them." His nickname Ququ'r is phonetically very similar and means cricket. (x x)

Return to Ruin Realm / Guixu Zhi Jing / 归墟之境: "Guixu" was a place far to the east, that every body of water eventually emptied into. The characters break down into "return (to)" and "ruins." The "Zhi Jing" makes it "Region of Guixu" or "Guixu Area." (x)

Tai Sui / 太岁: A folk deity, but not necessarily evil. (x)

Xuanwu God / 古神灵玄武: Xuanwu is a constellation representing a tortoise-snake spirit. (x)

Xunfeng / 巽风: His name most likely comes from the "xun" trigram of the Eight Trigrams, of which the element is wind, or "feng." (x)

Yingzhao / 英招: Legendary creature that has the body of a horse, the face of a man, stripes like a tiger, and wings of a bird. Not like our waddling ball of fur at all. (x)

Yunmeng Lake / 云梦泽: One of the largest lakes in China in ancient times, now mostly nonexistent. (x)

Book -> drama

Bone Orchid / Gu Lan / 骨兰: It has more of a dried-vine aesthetic in the book.

Chidi Nüzi / 赤地女子: The god of war of the heavenly realm, in both media. DFQC's nemesis and the object of A'Hao's obsession.

Dayu Battalion / 大庾兵: Only mentioned once in the drama, along with the Tieyu Battalion 铁羽兵, as forces that Shangque has mobilized in response to Xunfeng's insurrection. Dayu's the name of DFQC's adorable (to me) pet sky/sea serpent.

Destruction of Heaven / Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens / Wan Tian Zhi Xu / 万天之墟: A formless place where Siming can be found, in both the drama and the book. The book series further specifies that the Destruction of Heaven sits above the Three Realms and the Endless Desolate City (无极慌城 wu ji huang cheng) below.

Dieyi / 蝶衣: Ronghao's loyal right-hand woman is also present in the book.

Fairy Execution Platform / Zhu Xian Tai / 诛仙台: Where Changheng is to be executed after talking back to Yunzhong. In the book this was a platform over a mass of the book equivalent to evil qi/suiqi, which XLH was cast off from, almost getting eaten alive by the evil qi.

Fate Books / Mingbu / 命簿: The combination of these two characters seem to be an invention of the novel, and are records of the destinies of living people collected and administered by the land of the dead.

Fate Tree / Mingge Shu / 命格树: "Mingge," in both the novelverse and in the Love You Seven Times drama, are the stories high immortals (in CLJ's case, Siming) write to direct the fate of mortals. I'm not clear on the distinction between mingbu and mingge in the CLJ book.

Lucheng / 鹿城: In the book, a militarily important city of the Jin Dynasty, although the drama has styled it more into the Tang Dynasty, some thousand-plus years later.

Ronghao / 容昊: In the book, the wheelchair-bound master of the demon commerce city who's later revealed to be Chidi's obsessed student. We're not given the first character of his name in the book; it only ever calls him A'Hao.

Shangque / 觞阙: The name of the prime minister of the devil realm in the book, horrified by DFQC's erratic behavior while his body is being partially controlled by XLH. Show!Shangque's personality likely came from Dayu, Book!DFQC's overpowered flying serpent who follows him around like a loyal dog.

Shuofeng Sword / 朔风剑: "Cold northwest wind" sword, it's Chidi Nüzi's weapon in the book and the drama. It stays in sword form in the book, but becomes a geographical feature and a seal in the show.

Thousand Dreamland / Thousandfold Illusion / 千重幻境: A realm of endless very similar illusions that Ronghao/A'Hao tries to trap DFQC in to prevent him from finding XLH, in both media.

Xiao Lan Hua / Orchid / 小兰花: Our heroine!

Xie Wanqing / 谢惋卿: One of Chidi Nüzi's mortal incarnations in both media. However, in the book she is a general who's betrayed by the man she loves, an ordinary mortal, while XLH and DFQC watch.

Misc

Changheng / 长珩: Changheng's not in the book, but the book does have a troublemaker by the name of Changming 长命 who is DFQC's biggest "love rival" (he's like ten years old), and I wonder if the "Chang" part of Changheng's name comes from Changming.

Flying Fairy Pavilion / Life-Ending Pavilion / 飞仙阁: A reference to Xie Wanqing's real identity as the Fairy God of War. Also a euphemism for death.

Haishi / 海市: Conceptually, comes from the demon/nature sprite city, yaoshi 妖市, in the book. For the drama they got rid of the demon part and called it Haishi, Sea City.

Tongyun / 彤云: Xie Wanqing's maid, and an actual word that refers to red clouds or "dark clouds before snow." (x)

Xiao Run / 萧润: I'm not sure the Run part of his name is a reference to anything, but the Xiao is probably there to make the Xiao-lang wordplay work. (x)

Yannü 盐女 and Cangyan Sea 苍盐海: The "yan" is the same as in "Yannü." Which came first, I wonder? (The "cang" is the same as in Dongfang Qingcang.)

Sans Data

I do not know any special origins of, or was too lazy to look up:

Black Sash 黑杀斩, Bone-Devouring Spikes / Frost-Salt Nails 噬骨霜盐钉, Cangyan Sea 苍盐海, Changle Street, Cloud Shadow Mirror 云影镜, Danyin 丹音, Dark Pine Forest 暗松林, Dream of Nine Serenities / Jiuyou Dream 九幽一梦, Eternal Flame 长明火, Evil Qi / Suiqi 祟气, Firefly stone 奇幻流萤石, Fountain Palace 涌泉宫, Four-Water Pearl 四水宝珠, Fuju Cave 弗居洞, Glazefire 琉璃火, Granny Tie 铁婆婆, Green Flame Wine 绿焰酒, Hall of Divine Waters / Shenshui Ting 神水厅, Heart-Hidden Pin 藏心簪, Hidden Treasures Shop 藏珠斋, Jieli 结黎, Jinling, Jingyiya Teahouse 静逸雅轩, Karma Jail / Karma-Spanning Abyss 渡业渊, Liufang Pavilion 留芳阁, Night-Stream Building 夜溪楼, Northern Sea / Beiming 北溟, Primordial spirit 元神, Qingchuan 青川, Ranxi Flower 燃犀花, Shaking Light Peak 摇光峰, Shuiyuntian 水云天, Shuyu Forest 漱玉林, Silent Moon Palace / Jiyue Palace 寂月宫, Silver Lake 银湖, Soul Transformation Cauldron 化魂鼎, Soul Transformation Grounds 化魂墟, Southern Fairyland / Extreme South Fairy Continent 南极仙洲, Spirit Lock Gate 灵锁门, Spirit-Shattering Abyss 碎灵渊, Spirit Stones 灵石, Tianji Mirror 天极镜, Universe Pills 无极乾坤丹, Wind Prison 风牢, Wind Warriors, Wuqi 巫芑, Wuxian Clan / Witch-Salty Clan 巫咸族, Xilan 息兰, Xingluo 星落, Xishan 息山, Xiyun 息芸, Xuanshuang Whip 玄霜神鞭, Xuanxu Realm / Mysterious Realm 玄虚之境, You Jade Ring 幽玉戒, Yujing 玉京

Much thanks to sassybluee's Reference for Fic Writers.

This post is subject to change. Additions, corrections, and discussion welcome.

[yilinglaozu]

WANG HEDI as DONGFANG QINGCANG in Love between Fairy and Devil (2022)

Once I break the curse, I’ll kill that Little Flower Spirit, burn her greenhouse, destroy Shuiyuntian, break the bones of Lord Yunzhong and soak them in liquor. 

[glorious-sunset]

Reflections on Ep. 1 of LBFAD on rewatch

Arbiter of Fate Hall: In the beautiful open and airy sky abode of Siming Dian, Xiao Lanhua (XLH) manages to stay cheerful, kind, and resilient despite her lonely circumstances. Her master Siming left her alone 500 years ago with no explanation. Through no fault of her own, everyone looks down on her because of her weak power and origin from the mortal realm. Only her four plant spirit friends are nice to her, but they have no physical bodies and are awake only a couple of hours every day. XLH has one dream that keeps her going despite her loneliness, to work at Fountain Palace, be surrounded by company and see her secret crush, the God of War Changheng (CH), everyday.

Siming, master manipulator and arbiter of fate, had always been aware of XLH’s true identity and spun many stories to guide her destiny. XLH’s corroded immortal roots were part of the disguise bestowed upon her by her parents, and Siming helped cover up this secret by claiming that she spoiled XLH’s roots with wine. Siming told XLH that she had been about to dispose of XLH’s orchid form 1500 years ago prior to her transformation into a human, but CH visited and persuaded her to keep XLH, thereby saving her life. This story was designed to push her towards CH, who was an important part of her destiny. In truth, Siming would never have disposed of XLH and CH had never even met Siming.

Yunzhong Water Pavilion: Our brooding second male lead, CH, is called back to Shuiyuntian after a resounding victory over the forces of the Moon Tribe at the Northernmost Ocean of Cangyan Sea! But actually, the Moon Tribe were so disorganised (thanks to the efforts of Ronghao) that CH is embarrassed by his victory and doesn’t think it worth mentioning. CH’s older brother, Yunzhong (YZ) is the current ruler since their father, the powerful Sun God Lord Dong, is in seclusion after the Battle of Two Tribes 30,000 years ago. During this battle, Lord Dong’s energy was severely drained by his attempt to defeat and imprison the Moon Supreme, DongFang Qingcang (DFQC), with the help of the entire celestial High Council. This demonstrates DFQC's immense power, greater than even that of the almighty Sun God (who is referred to as "the Creator" in ep. 34). Unable to completely defeat DFQC, it took Shuiyuntian’s combined efforts just to separate DFQC’s spirit from his body and seal both in the Haotian matrix, a powerful magical seal made of their combined energy.

YZ and CH are half-brothers with different mothers who do not get along (delightfully though, CH later finds the older brother he never had in DFQC! :D ) Another important figure on the High Council is Supreme Liyuan, Lord Dong’s peer and among the eldest in the Council. YZ and Liyuan speak privately with CH and inform him that his help is urgently needed to reinforce the Haotian matrix, which has been weakened by the disembodied spirit of DFQC!

Shuyu Forest: XLH, having heard from visiting fairies that CH has returned, sets out to find him in Shuyu Forest. When XLH approaches CH in the forest, he is thinking about her right at that moment! He is holding the Magical Jade Firefly stone he promised to get her 500 years ago – he actually got it for her on his recent excursion to Northernmost Ocean and is trying to capture a firefly for her. He’s more obsessed with her than she is with him! :D But, he believes it is a forbidden love, as he is promised to the Goddess of Xishan who disappeared 30,000 years ago. CH takes an orchid flower from XLH to remember her by, and drops the Jade stone for her to keep. His smile as he leaves is so sad and heartbroken, believing they can never be together.

Arbiter Hall: XLH discovers that CH’s destiny leaf has unexpectedly changed – but the destinies of high gods are supposed to be very stable! CH’s destiny changed because of DFQC's actions. Now he is destined for the destruction of both his body and spirit (meaning he won’t be able to reincarnate and will be gone for good). In the last episode of the series DFQC changes XLH’s destiny as well. This is great foreshadowing! And it highlights DFQC’s unique tendency to break nature’s laws time and time again! :D

Haotian Tower: DFQC’s disembodied spirit finally breaks through the Haotian matrix, which it has pounded away at every day for the past 30,000 years! His formidable energy flares and knocks back the thousands of celestial high gods trying to contain him. CH unnecessarily risks himself by moving ahead of everyone else. This kind of foolish bravado is typical for him through the series, as he repeatedly insists on putting himself in danger when he is already gravely injured. He believes it his duty as God of War to protect others, and underestimates DFQC, whom he has never met. But also, his bitterness about his lack of control over any aspect of his life has turned him into a risk-taker.

Luckily for CH, XLH has decided to sacrifice her life and spirit for him when she shields him wearing a mask (an anonymous sacrifice!). She knows she has no power except to take the blow that would otherwise have completely destroyed CH. Due to Siming’s (false) story about CH persuading Siming to keep XLH 1500 years ago, she feels that she owes CH her life, and has a deep sense of gratitude towards him. It’s profound that XLH is so self-sacrificing and cares for others above her own life. Her courageous and self-sacrificing nature are defining characteristics for her, shown several times over the series.

However, sensing the presence of XLH’s Xilan energy, DFQC’s spirit ceases its attack, and decides instead to bring XLH to DFQC’s body. Only members of the Xilan tribe had the ability to reunite spirits and bodies that had been separated, and XLH is the last surviving member of the Xilan tribe (mentioned by Ronghao in ep. 7). In carrying XLH back into the Haotian Tower with his spiritual energy, DFQC has now given up his victory of breaking through the Haotian matrix which his spirit had worked towards every day for the past 30,000 years! The celestials (apart from CH who is shocked at the fairy's sacrifice) collectively breathe a huge sigh of relief and waste no time in promptly resealing the matrix.

XLH floats through the top tier of Haotian tower towards DFQC’s unconscious body, carried by a forcefield generated by DFQC’s spirit. His graceful figure suspended in mid-air is reflected in her lustrous eyes as she gazes at him in wonder, astonished by his beauty. She is drawn closer by his forcefield until her hand makes contact with his chest. XLH's green Xilan energy flares, restoring his body’s consciousness, and reuniting his body and spirit! His eyes are blue pools of unfathomable power as he opens them and looks at her.

DFQC needs more of XLH’s healing Xilan energy to regain his strength. Since his arms are chained, he creates an irresistible forcefield, visible on screen, to draw her mouth to his in an intimate kiss. However, feeding on her energy has unintended consequences. As their spiritual energies collide in a resplendent flare of blue and green energy and an explosion of lights, XLH unconsciously casts the one-heart curse on him as a protective response.

Entering upon his frozen metaphysical Sea of Emotions, she discovers a dead tree, touches it curiously and brings it back to life. While their spirits are connected, the lightning in Haotian tower strikes, resulting in their spirits actually swapping bodies! All of this causes XLH to pass out; meanwhile, DFQC in her body is completely unfazed and quietly meditates on the floor.

XLH regains consciousness to find someone who looks like her but is much more terrifying before her! Realising that she has swapped bodies with the beautiful man that she was kissing, she curiously feels her new body’s hard chest and muscular thighs – until DFQC glares at her sharply. They are now both stuck within the tower without the means to escape.

Here is a link to my episode 2 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

Links to some of my other articles:

Character Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

Location Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

[evilvillainapologist]

I still think Lord Yunzhong should have been the end boss, btw.

Tai Sui, Shmai Sui, who cares, but that guy needed to be taken down a peg.

You don't go, "Yeah, just let my little brother die forever, that's a risk I'm willing to take" and get to be one of the good guys.

Team Orchid Should Have Slapped Yunzhong Into The Neverworld

[eldritch-bisexual]

Things that would have been cool:

-> Danyin saying "Sure, no problem, I have his number" (or something) when her father said Dongfang Qingcang was the only one capable of stopping Ronghao, then asking for help

-> The Cangyan army chanting for their Moon Queen after the (hearthwrenching) final battle is over. Lord Yunzhong's face would be PRICELESS.

[fanficsbysenneres]

Picture provided by @tockamybeloved

A Walking Dream

The day an assassin compromised the security of Zhongshui.

“Don’t. Move.”

“Do not,” Lord Yunzhong growled, “Even think about putting that anywhere near me –”

“If you don’t stop moving it’ll poke you in the eye!”

“Mei!”

“Xiǎoqīngwā!”

Lord Yunzhong closed his eyes as he heard his father chuckling at her nickname for him.

“Son,” he instructed mock-seriously, “You must let a wife have her way, unless you like an empty bed.”

“We are not married yet,” Yunzhong lifted his eyes as if in silent plea to Xuanwu, “There is still time –”

“Oh, so you don’t want to marry me anymore?” Mei was stern. “Well I’m sure I can find another fiancé –”

“Never.” Yunzhong became serious. “I would never allow it.”

“If you would not, then best let her have her way with you, son.”

“See,” Mei twirled the flower between her fingers, “Your father knows what’s good for you!”

Yunzhong surrendered.

“Do it,” he sighed.

She stretched up on her toes to reach his golden crown, carefully trying to slide the pink bloom within its meshed design, eyebrows drawn together in concentration.

The crown hummed and whined softly, shifting and reshaping its design to thwart the intruding stem.

Yunzhong shifted restlessly as the small tyrant pouted.

“Be still!” She scolded them both.

“It won’t let you touch it.” Yunzhong grumbled.

“It will let me touch it, if it knows what’s good for it.”

Finally, the crown seemed to give up, and allowed the offending bloom to be placed coquettishly to one side, above Yunzhong’s left ear.

“There,” Mei pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Now everyone knows you belong to me.”

Yunzhong felt his spirit leave his body.

Her fingers threaded through his, and she smiled up at him.

For one moment, he felt as if he were in a dream. When she smiled at him in just that way, it felt exactly like he was dreaming. The mischievous sparkle in her golden-brown eyes made him want to take her sweet face in both hands and reassure himself it was not a dream and kiss her again and again until it was her spirit leaving her body –

“Mei!” The moment was interrupted by a certain little brother. “Mei, leave my brother alone and come play with me!”

Changheng pulled unceremoniously at Mei's arm, tugging her away to where he’d dumped a bag of marbles on the tiles.

“Help, help, I’m been kidnapped against my will!”

“And that is what you deserve,” Yunzhong pretended to growl, “For disrespecting my crown!”

She shot him a cheeky grin, before allowing herself to be pulled away completely, and knelt down next to Changheng.

“Come now, son,” Yunzhong’s mother was suddenly murmuring at his side, “If you keep looking at her like that you’ll burn her alive.”

Yunzhong barely heard her, enjoying the sight of his fiancée leaning forward to skid a marble in a race against Changheng. Even her bare forearm could make him lose all intelligence.

“Time for us to receive the ambassador,” she called to Yunzhong’s father.

“Dongfang has not been responding to my communications,” he overheard his father murmur as she smoothed a hand over his robes. “I’m beginning to worry someone has been intercepting them.”

“It’s probably nothing,” she soothed. “He lost his wife, he has a newborn son, we must allow him time.”

“Perhaps his ambassador will be able to reassure us.”

They both turned as the ambassador from the Cangyan Sea was announced; his father anticipating the arrival with calm, his mother smiling as she stood beside him.

What happened next was carved into Yunzhong’s memory.

A man pushed into the reception room, wild-eyed and staggering.

“Your majesty –” he gasped.

But he did not finish.

A sword erupted through his chest, spattering blood in a violent streak across the tiles.

He fell forward with a grunt as the air left his body.

Behind him, the ambassador for Cangyan Sea stood, his black robes and gold emblem a stark contrast in the white reception hall.

His crazed stare snapped from the Emperor, to Yunzhong, to Changheng.

His mouth was red, as if he'd swallowed something that had burned him, and his face was pale as if he were deathly ill.

“What's – what's wrong with him...” His mother said faintly.

Blood dripped down the blade of his sword as he lifted his other hand, bright flames materialising in his palm, and he shot a spell out towards Changheng, an ever-growing ball of white fire that singed the air and sucked all the breath out of Yunzhong.

Mei was on her feet and sliding in front of Changheng, arms outstretched, face pale and determined – but the shield she threw was too late, too weak, and it did nothing to stop the fire.

For one terrible moment, Yunzhong was powerless to do anything except watch.

The fire greedily swallowed her as Changheng’s small body slid backwards across the tiles and away from the fire’s all-consuming mouth.

And then, too late, he knew what Mei had done.

She had not tried to save herself. She had known there would not be enough time. She had instead thrown Changheng backwards. She had chosen to save his little brother instead of herself.

The fire burned her, a black figure within the greedy flames, the flakes of her robes burning upwards like hundreds of tiny orange butterflies, and then within the next moment, she was gone.

His Mei was gone.

A grunt and a gasp to his left made him turn, slow – too slow – and his mother was now lying on the tiles, a gash in her throat, sword clattering to the tiles, hands clawing at her wound.

His father was unconscious underneath her, covered in blood – though whose blood it was he did not have time to tell because the ambassador was now turning wildly towards Yunzhong.

“Death to all Shuiyuntian!” He twisted the sword he held, the sound of the blood-soaked handle in his grasp suddenly loud in the silent hall. “You intended to crush us – but I will not let one of you leave this room alive today! Or else it will bring my people disaster!”

But even as inexperienced as he was, as afraid as he was, Yunzhong recognised the uncertainty in the man’s face. The creeping doubt in what he said. 

He looked at the dark blood creeping across the gold-veined marble floor. 

He tried not to look at the mark on the tiles where his fiancée had last stood, arms out to protect Changheng.

“This will be your last day.” He told the deranged man, the words curiously distant, as if someone else had spoken them, and not himself.

He could hear the guards arriving outside – hear them thumping on the doors, trying to get through whatever evil magic held them shut – again, too little, too late, and no guard would be in time to prevent whatever happened next.

The ambassador fixed his eyes on Yunzhong, as if he could not hear the urgent crashing against the doors, as if nothing and no one else existed except them. He saw the ambassador had been wounded, perhaps on his way into the pavilion, perhaps by his father before he'd collapsed. There was blood pouring down the side of his face, and seeping through a wound on his thigh. His teeth were bared, whether in hatred or madness it was impossible to tell, but to Yunzhong he appeared to be grinning, teeth like fangs against his bloodied lips.

"I won't burn you like I did her," he hissed. "I'm going to feel your blood on my hands before you die."

Yunzhong had no training in cultivated attacks. They'd never thought he'd need it. He carried no physical weapon. Why would he?

He was defenseless.

Save for the sword of his mother, still lying on the floor where it had fallen from her limp fingers.

He leapt for it as the ambassador lunged to kill. Yunzhong's landing slipped, he slid to one knee, his fingers splayed in a dark liquid, her rose hurtled out of his crown and rolled across the tiles, its soft pink petals now sticky and red, but he could not allow himself to react. 

Seeing him fall, Changheng cried out from where Mei had pushed him to safety, his chubby little hands fisting in terror, and the ambassador’s grin turned feral as he turned without warning and ran at the helpless child.

Three steps, two steps, one step, the ambassador's sword arced downwards, to plunge into his little brother’s skull – 

Thump.

The head hit the wall.

The body slumped sideways from the force of Yunzhong’s blow.

Changheng’s crying stopped, his eyes growing round, as if some part of him understood the danger that had just been despatched.

Yunzhong did not hesitate, but lifted his little brother up into his arms, and, with a hastily wiped hand, shielded Changheng's eyes.

He walked past his gasping father, past his lifeless mother, past – no he did not look anywhere else – went to the doors, and let the guards in.

Ao3

[justarabidlittleyingzhao]

8 (XD)

and 17

Thank you @circumference-pie for the ask!

8. What unexpected character captured your attention as you wrote?

I answered Xunfeng for another ask - but honestly, the first and biggest surprise character when I was still in the 'mulling over what to start writing' stage was definitely Lord Yun Zhong.

It started as a joke between myself and a mutual back in July - I joked that he clearly just needed a little. You know. Release. A little release, and then he'd be a much happier Lord Yun Zhong. And then it became a little more of a joke, when she challenged me to write how I would *approach* the Magnificent Lord Yun Zhong.... um... achieving release. And then I wrote a little scene on a certain balcony. And then I wrote a little scene in a garden. And then another in his rooms. And then there started to be plot, and history, and other characters, and angst. And then I had to admit I was obsessed. I'm just obsessed with this irascible, stubborn, harsh frog and I love him. What I also love, is the challenge of writing him changing. And how did he become so ruthless? How did he become so harsh? What trauma/s made him this way?? Most importantly, can he change??? (and I love fanfic for this very reason)

17. Share an excerpt of your favourite scene?

(So this scene is from a wip I'm working on; Yun Zhong is on his way to visit Chang Heng in Yunmeng Lake, post-canon. Yun Zhong has a memory of when he was engaged, when Chang Heng was still a boy. It's one of my favourites because Lord Yun Zhong being forced to wear a flower in his crown just makes me laugh)

“Don’t. Move.”

“Do not even think about putting that anywhere near me –”

“If you don’t stop moving it’ll poke you in the eye!”

“Mei!”

“Xiǎoqīngwā!”

Lord Yun Zhong closed his eyes in defeat. Behind him, he heard his father chuckling at her nickname for him.

“Son, you must let a wife have her way, unless you like an empty bed.”

“We are not married yet,” Yun Zhong lifted his eyes in a silent plea, “There is still time –”

“Oh, so you don’t want to marry me anymore?” Mei tilted her head at him. “I’m sure I can find another –”

“Never.” Yun Zhong became serious. “I would never allow it.”

“If you would not,” Lord Dong said, “Then best let her have her way with you, son.”

“See,” Mei twirled the flower between her fingers, “Your father knows what’s good for you!”

“Do it,” he sighed.

She stretched up on her toes to reach his crown, carefully trying to slide the pink bloom within the intricate design, eyebrows drawn together in concentration.

The crown hummed and whined softly, shifting and reshaping its design to thwart the intruding stem.

Yun Zhong shifted restlessly as the small tyrant pouted.

“Be still!” She scolded them both.

“It won’t let you touch it.” Yun Zhong grumbled.

“It will let me touch it, if it knows what’s good for it.”

Finally, the crown seemed to give up, and allowed the offending bloom to be placed coquettishly to one side, above Yun Zhong’s left ear.

“There,” Mei smiled up at him. “Now everyone knows you belong to me.”

[clj-art-blog]

I hate Yunzhong because he's such a fucking idiot. But I am truly very grateful to him that he is such a damn idiot. After all, if he had been softer towards his brother, then XLH would have married CH and she would never have met DFQC. The Moon Lord Supreme would have continue to rest in the gloom of eternal loneliness and unceasingly drift in endlessly darkness.

Many thanks to Yunzhong for being such an impenetrable idiot (this is the best quality about him) .

[tockamybeloved]

Thank you for putting it as comments 🩷💖🩷 This is exactly what I was talking about. He's not enjoying it. He's reliving the other event in Xishan. However, Ronghao is making a choice. Certainly not an island, but we do have to hold people accountable. Since you've pointed out he's not a madman, then we can say he is aware of what he's done. We hold them accountable when they know the deed is morally wrong, they have a choice to say no (and he does have this choice just at the expense of Chidi which as part of his choice he's not willing to let go of) and still move forward with their actions. Grief blinded, but not to the point he couldn't tell murder is 'wrong'. Otherwise he wouldn't feel regret. If he didn't know it was wrong, then it's a different judgement. But he does, and that is what makes him regret it and what makes this heartbreaking. He is doing it because he is her disciple. (an oh how this trope gets messy in cdrama. yessssss) I wonder if Changheng felt guilty about Ronghao - meaning, Changheng looks back and says to himself he wished he would have recognized Ronghao's grief and been a better friend (here). Is this part of his motivation to not let Dongfang grieve on his own? I like thinking Changheng felt guilt regarding Ronghao's death and this is one way to show he's changed. He becomes a better friend to Dongfang than Ronghao and that is admirable growth as a character.

Xunfeng wouldn't have recognized him unless for some reason Ronghao met him in a battle? The only time they encounter each other is as Prince of Moon Tribe and Lord of Haishi. Xunfeng (in canon) doesn't have the opportunity to meet Ronghao of Shuiyuntian. (scribbles more notes for the fic)

Love Between Fairy and Devil | 苍兰诀

Xu Haiqiao as Lord Ronghao