#Sect Bound

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Turtle Takedown Teamwork.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[sword-and-lance]

((y'know it also occurs to me

that Lahabrea in Dae's canon fuckin died before Dae actually went DRK

much less yeeted her soul at the extradimensional hellbeast that ATE Nemesis' parents and went even moar DRK in the process

in a way that is somewhat unnerving and also led to shit like her having Abyss-eels in her neck to hold her fucking head on because the Abyss wanted to be 'helpful'

methinks when he gets like ten seconds to actually think after the Pandaemonium quest fic series he's gonna have So Many Fuckin Questions lmao))

[nyxyooni]

to the people who still think wwx is entirely at fault for everything that happened. like the raid on lotus pier, the death of jzx and jyl and what happened to the wens—did u read the book? like actually read the words and intake them properly. did u watch anything??? like really, really watch it????

[lancabbage]

Yes, he most certainly did!

Stop making it out the Jiang sect was some feeble sect. By the time WWX liberated the Wen remnants the sect was absolutely thriving!! It's in the text, READ it. The fact the Jiang sect was considered one of the four great sects is proof enough.

On top of that JC had an opportunity to tell everyone that HE owed the Wens WWX had saved a life debt. LXC was defending the Wens prior to JC not taking the opportunity to speak up - so he had an ally just waiting to be on his side. Neither of the other two sects would argue with JC admitting that this faction of the sect actually saved his life and brought his parents remains back for him. He was honor bound and that would have been tolerated at the very least. Especially by NMJ who would see such a thing as JCs duty.

The three zun were just two sect leaders and a Jin lackey, JGY had no clout in the sect at all until JZX died and his father was sick. So any bs about the three sects being tight and leaving JC out is just incorrect. Prior to JGY taking over, JC even ensured a tie between his sect and the Jin sect by encouraging JYL and JZX to get together having noticed JZXs pursuit. So this pitiful image of a sect on the bones of its arse without any room to argue and defend is completely fabricated by JC stans unwilling to read and actually acknowledge the text.

Also, I think everyone forgets that prior to JC giving WWX an unfair ultimatum, the Jiang sect were actually the most powerful thanks to WWX and his limitless army of the dead. Not to mention the tiger seal which everyone was equally parts petrified and envious of. If the Jiang sect had justified WWX's actions, that would have been it.

If JC had said, the Wens he had saved are the old, weak and young. Alongside LXCs comments around them not being involved that would have been it. He could have invited them to see! To bring LXC with him as a mutual observer to vouch for everything. Or even LQR! This was very much an option, JC just let resentment, hatred and his jealousy and insecurity around WWX get the better of him.

Btw your math is off... It's been years since the Wens attacked Lotus Pier, JC is not a teenager lmfao. He's 20/21. You're aware in ancient China (at some point) and the MDZS universe, 15 was the age of a boy becoming a man? Hence the fact they can get married... Have kids... receive a courtesy name... But either way, the Jiang sect wasn't being run by a teenager at the time in question. Please get your facts right. Also, the Lan sect was led by a teenager as well, at the same time JC took over his sect.

The clans weren't actively pushing them towards conflict, only the Jin sect was. LXC was ready to take his side, already trying to defend them without any support. NMJ literally offered JC the opportunity to explain the situation, but JC did not take it.

JC wasn't helping WWX in any way by abandoning him and taking away any protection the sect could have offered. He threw him and the Wens to the wolves in an act of utter betrayal. The stabbing? That wasn't agreed you know? JC just did that because he wanted to do so, to take his frustration out on WWX.

Lmfao "ease the pressure off WWX" - fine job he did of that!!! Oh please, you're making my sides hurt. Declaring WWX as the enemy of the whole cultivation world eased any pressure? Don't be so ridiculous! Lol!

I love how you have said JC was trying to keep his clan out of the other sects control when no one cared other than the Jins and the dude actively tried to create a tie with them!!!! Hahaha! He was marrying his sister off to them lol!

Oh... I can't anymore, this the original post above is just ludicrous, unfound and immature ramblings of someone who simply cannot read.

does jiang cheng have a choice?

antis hate Jiang Cheng for ‘abandoning’ Wei Wuxian, but did he realistically have any other options available? 

for my money, the non-negotiable goals for Jiang Cheng in this situation are

keep Wei Wuxian alive and not in the custody of another clan

ease the pressure from the other clans to take responsibility for/act against Wei Wuxian 

maintain the Jiang clan’s autonomy and standing amongst the clans

and the non-negotiable goals for Wei Wuxian in this situation are

keep Jiang Cheng and the Jiang clan safe, alive, and out of the direct control of other clans (especially the Jin) 

undermine Jiang Cheng’s authority as clan leader as little as possible 

keep the Wen safe, alive, and free (ish– at least as free as they are now) 

continue trying to save Wen Ning/keep him ‘alive’ once he’s revived 

do not reveal to anyone that he has lost his golden core 

do not give anyone the Yin Tiger Tally 

Wei Wuxian returning to the Jiang is off the table because he won’t leave the Wen. Wei Wuxian AND the Wen somehow coming into the custody of the Jiang isn’t possible because Jiang Cheng doesn’t have that much clout, and it’s hard to believe that Wei Wuxian would accept a situation that would necessarily have to look a lot like imprisonment for the Wen if the other clans were going to accept it. so already, the only way for Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to both achieve some of their key goals is for Wei Wuxian to stay in the Burial Mounds with the Wen somehow– which means the only goals remaining to both of them are ensuring that the Jiang clan doesn’t get punished for that, or placed in a situation where they’re forced to act violently against Wei Wuxian/the Burial Mounds/the Wen (and yes, obviously it comes to that eventually anyway, but a lot changes first). and canon is explicitly clear that the other clans are absolutely not about to let the Jiang off the hook for what Wei Wuxian is doing. they want and need him to turn on Wei Wuxian, and if he won’t, they don’t really care about dragging this decimated, teenager-led clan down with Wei Wuxian. 

the Jiang clan has nothing at this point, barely even a home. even if the other clans were open to reaching a compromise in terms of the Wei Wuxian situation, who on earth is going to believe him if he says, I’ve got the Wei Wuxian situation handled, I’m going to leave him in the Burial Mounds and keep an eye on him, he’s my problem not yours? 

and that’s the final, essential element– Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are not in a fair fight. the other clans are actively pushing them towards conflict, and won’t accept any outcome besides a complete break, or a complete capitulation by Wei Wuxian. 

maybe I’m just not feeling creative today, but I genuinely can’t come up with a single other solution beyond the one that the two of them find and implement in canon– a fake schism and staged fight. 

[lurkinginnernarrator]

Yk what would be interesting?

Shen Yuan as a beast hunter.

Him taking into account SQQ's unstable cultivation, the fact that while he is a suitable actor he's not a perfect one, and promptly deciding on a course of action.

"Zhangmen-shixiong, Qing Jing is the scholarly peak. If we are not hunting down knowledge, and capturing it for the future generations, what kind of scholars would that make us? This master cannot allow such a thing to occur.

So this master will be setting an example for my disciples by going out myself on such an endeavor.

And not only is Qing Jing the peak of scholars, but we are cultivators as well. Is it not our duty to be intercessors between the spiritual and demonic things and the common people?"

Yue Qingyuan can do nothing but agree.

Cut to SY!SQQ hunting down rare and powerful beasts, his hunts taking months, as he stalks the beasts and observes their behaviors; compiling valuable information about countless beasts. He then cleanly kills the beasts, all the valuable parts go to Cang Qiong, usually to Mu Qingfang.

The rare beasts improve SQQ's cultivation base and level by leaps and bounds.

And! He doesn't have to navigate the original goods personal relationships because he's not at CQ! Being a poser is so much easier when you just have to be untouchable immortal.

Whenever SQQ comes back to CQMS it's to drop off a carcass or because he absolutely has to for peak lord business. Otherwise he's always out on some sort of quest.

The Qing Jing Peak Lord's skills shoot up by 100²

His steps are silent, when he's not thinking about it he just fades into the background, continually being on hunts where silence is necessary, being less than a whisper becomes muscle memory.

His gaze isn't only scathing anymore, it's also piercing. He observes everything.

His movements are quick, graceful, full of power and yet incredibly calculated. You can't hit a Blood Blossoming Demonic Hummingbird too hard, or it'll crumple, but if you don't hit it hard enough you'll be an exsanguinated husk.

He also takes to wearing a fur mantle: it's from a Heavenly Moon Snake-Leopard, some poachers had been stalking the Snake-Leopard for months, driving it into madness. SQQ dealt with the poachers of course, but the Snake-Leopard was beyond saving. While unfortunate, the fur is so useful! Warm, water repellent, regenerative, acid resistant, and excellent camouflage! The Snake-Leopard also gifted SQQ its fangs for killing the poachers, and they make impressive daggers.

Qing Jing Peak cannot get enough of this cool badass Shizun who puts even the Liu Qingge to shame when it comes to beast hunting! And whenever he comes back to the peak he has lessons on his hunts! He even brings back specimens!!

Mu Qingfang appreciates Shen-Shixiong's newfound hobby immensely. Not to disparage Liu-Shixiong's contributions, but Shen-Shixiong brought him not one, but TWO intact Yellow Butterfly-Lizard carcasses, liver, wings AND tongue intact! The downside Shen-Shixiong hunting so much Liu Qingge has less to do, which unfortunately means more work Qian Cao, patching up Bai Zhan Disciples. And the Sect Leader seems... Depressed? MQF will have his Head Disciple drop off some Blue Lily of Uplifting tea for him.

Liu Qingge is upset at being benched and very confused???

Yue Qingyuan just smiles painfully. "As long as Xia-— as long as Shen-Shidi is happy..."

(LBH is of course enamoured with his powerful and righteous Shizun)

And of course, SY!SQQ's skills do help him out quite a bit, his reaction time improved drastically, meaning no Without-A-Cure. And canon goes just a bit easier. Maybe.

[koipalm]

liushennnn in my attendant sy au (read right to left)

notes on this au:

sy transmigrates into a new body when sqq fights the system trying to force him out of his body. sqq is livid and decides to take sy as his retainer/secretary/assistant, forcing him to do most of the accounting & administrative work on qing jing peak and work for sqq for free while also helping sqq avoid his tragic fate by telling him spoilers and secrets about the world that sy remembers. sy has no golden core and no cultivation, and cant wield a spiritual sword or fight. sy has no documents, no money, and no prospects. sqq basically provides everything for him & can also take it away. sy moves into the other room in the bamboo house and cleans and organizes as well, although his own room is a mess. sqq never makes it clear what sy's position on the peak is, so all of the disciples follow his orders in fear of disobeying sqq. sy is basically 2nd to sqq, although he doesnt see it that way; he sees himself as sqq's overworked servant. he resents sqq for his control over sy's life, but he's terrified of being kicked out.

sqq takes sy to the peak lord meetings as well, using sy to carry documents, serve tea, and to give him information about anything that might be useful to sqq if it comes up during the meeting. sy also often acts as a messenger for sqq between peaks. he doesnt get much interaction outside of senior disciples and the other peak lords.

since sy's hands are usually full with documents, accounting books, talisman paper, & anything else sqq wants him to carry, sy can't use his fan to hide his face as much. instead he uses his hair & his glasses. his skin is sallow & he often misses meals from running around doing sqq's errands, so he always seems tired. clothes he wears are simple & loose, either slip on or buttoned up. he dislikes loud & bright patterns bc he doesn't want to stand out, but sometimes has no choice bc sqq buys his clothes. sqq will often make him wear more extravagant patterns, even when it makes sy nervous about attracting attention.

since sy seemed to appear out of nowhere to the other sect members, sy is very worried about acting too suspicious and getting kicked out. he copies sqq as much as possible to acclimate to the world and seem unphased & elegant.

sy is very interested in the other peak lords since he interacts with them often, especially liu qingge. liu qingge often catches him staring, but sy tries not to interact with anyone more than he has to. liu qingge usually sees him hiding behind sqq as a buffer. if sy does speak, he does it low & quiet, & if behind his fan if possible.

sy looks like his old body & has long black hair, similarly styled to sqq by his insistence. sy dislikes this.

sqq calls sy "a-yuan" bc sy doesnt like it. sy doesnt like telling people his name though bc it makes ppl think theyre related, which he also doesnt like, so he doesnt stop sqq from indroducing sy as "a-yuan". this makes it very difficult for other ppl to know what to call sy in fear of being too familiar

sy does meet sqh earlier in this au, and he helps him as much as he can get away with behind sqq's back. since sy is less bound by the system than sqh is, sqh sometimes "sponsors" sy to do things he himself cant do.

sy calls sqq the equivalent of "sir".

[one-flower-one-sword]

"You came from a renowned school, an orthodox sect that never traversed the deviant path. Growing up in that sect, you were always told that ascending was the ultimate thing to strive for," Jun Wu continued. "It is very difficult to give up that sort of goal. Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act born of helplessness. Of course you cannot say you are satisfied with your position in the Ghost Realm. It was never what you wanted in the first place."

Yin Yu didn't have enough confidence to deny it. He said weakly, "Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me -"

"I know," Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit after he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

"...Yes," Yin Yu confirmed. "So whether or not I am satisfied with my current position, it's all -"

"That is dissatisfaction," Jun Wu noted. "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go. You are in denial." Yin Yu hung his head and didn't reply.

Vol 7, page 144-145

One of my favorite relationships throughout the novel, even though we get so little information about it, is Yin Yu and Hua Cheng's. Even the above tidbit is mired by the way Jun Wu is trying to manipulate Yin Yu's emotions and how Yin Yu at times responds genuinely and at others plays along to try and find a way to escape.

Once I had finished the novel, I was left wondering why there are so many fandom jokes about Yin Yu being exploited by Hua Cheng when the text seemed to paint a much different picture of what Yin Yu's life and work environment as a god was like versus as the highest ranking ghost city officer. So in this meta I try to examine and compare the two as well as try to draw conclusions about how Yin Yu felt about it all and why.

First of, I think that Yin Yu's longing to return to becoming a god is genuine, since this is what he says after he stops playing along with Jun Wu's manipulation because he's by then gotten enough spiritual energy to attack him:

"I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten!" Yin Yu continued. "But it's completely meaningless if I don't do it on my own! I'm unlucky, I accept that! Admitting that I can't compare isn't that hard!" Vol 7 page 152

Which is interesting, considering this is what he felt like when he was still a god in heaven while Quan Yizhen hadn't yet ascended:

A good while later, [Quan Yizhen] said bluntly, "I don't like it here."

Yin Yu said nothing.

"They think I'm annoying, but I think they're even more annoying," Quan Yizhen continued. "Before, I could train at least sixteen hours a day. Now half the time is taken up by talking and listening to nonsense, by greeting and visiting people. There are people who yell at me and hit me for no good reason, without apologizing, and I can't even fight back. This isn't heaven. I don't like it here."

Yin Yu sighed. "I don't like it here either."

"Then let's go back," Quan Yizhen said.

But Yin Yu only shook his head, "Even though I don't like it here, I want to stay."

Quan Yizhen couldn't understand. "Why do want to stay if you don't like it here?"

Yin Yu was stumped, and chuckled in spite of himself. He didn't know what to say, unable to explain it to him. How could he convey to Quan Yizhen that reaching the Heavenly Capital was the dream of so many people who sought the path of cultivation, the ultimate end goal? Or just how difficult it was for someone his age to achieve ascension?

Vol 5, page 271-272

Yin Yu essentially seemed to be struggling with sunk cost fallacy, where he put his everything into ascending to heaven and so wants to stay there even though it's making him increasingly unhappy. It's interesting that Jun Wu accuses him of being in denial about his unhappiness in the Ghost Realm, when Yin Yu in the past seemed to be in denial about his unhappiness in heaven. Especially since this is what he was being treated like as soon as his power and influence were in decline:

Yin Yu and Jian Yu were seated next to the "Earth Master." Their assigned seats were considered the edge of the banquet. Yin Yu wasn't eating or talking to anyone. [...]

At the other end of the banquet, there was already a large crowd of heavenly officials fighting to greet Quan Yizhen. The surrounding crowd had completely blocked the person at the center from sight. It appeared that this was soon after Quan Yizhen ascended and established his own palace. He was at the height of his popularity in heaven, in contrast to how he was disliked by most of the present court. Although the two were both Martial Gods of the West, he was significantly more prominent than Yin Yu. The attendees all swarmed over, leaving the table where Yin Yu sat quiet and empty.

Vol 5, page 273-275

I've talked about this in my Yin Yu & Quan Yizhen meta as well, how Yin Yu tries to get by in heaven by conforming and submitting to the elitist power structures it's based on:

Quan Yizhen kept going. "They cussed at me first. I don't even know them. They said I was a low-ranking heavenly official and yelled at me for no reason, then they laughed at me and told me to scram and not to block their way [...]" "Are low-ranking heavenly officials below other people?" Quan Yizhen asked.

"No," Yin Yu replied. Was that true? It was obvious he didn't believe his own words, and Quan Yizhen noticed.

Vol 5, page 271

and how it starts to chip away at the kindness and the moral backbone he showed while still in his sect:

"Shidi, the things you're all saying aren't right." The crowd was taken aback. "I'm going to say something unpleasant," Yin Yu continued. "No matter what path we cultivate, talent truly is an incredible thing. And he is not only talented, he is willing to work hard. If you really think Shifu is playing favorites, then let's work harder to keep up with him - maybe even overtake him. And then things like training halls and supplements will naturally be open to everyone. Rather than wasting time being angry at him, your priority should be training harder. Am I right?" [...]

"You really don't need to mind them. You didn't do anything wrong. It's fine like this." Anyone with clear eyes could see that the other disciples couldn't stand Quan Yizhen. They found fault everywhere, and it wasn't because of his big appetite, or because he wasn't a morning person, or because he was inconsiderate and a poor teammate who only cared about showing off. At the end of the day, what they really couldn't stand was this: he was the last to enter the school, but he received the most. Quan Yizhen nodded. "I think so too." Yin Yu patted his shoulder. "Go train! That's what's most important. Don't think about anything unnecessary." [...]

After watching the two scenarios, Xie Lian praised Yin Yu. "San Lang, that subordinate of yours really is a rare character. What a good heart."

Vol 5, page 262 + 264

Everything Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen already struggled with in their sect - the jealousy, the bullying, the competition for resources - is even worse in heaven, which actively encourages the endless competition for devotees and subordinates as well as the exploitation and mistreatment of those of "lower rank". No matter how hard Yin Yu tries to conform to these structures, they steadily wear away at both the way others see him and also how he sees himself:

After closing the gates, Yin Yu's voice grew louder. "Don't say any more! I don't want to hear it! It's very normal for an ascended heavenly official to establish a palace, so he didn't do anything wrong. Since you get irritated just talking about him, why must you constantly bring him up?" "Please don't think that I'm speaking out of turn, but someone must remind you. Yin Yu, the west is only so big, and there are only so many devotees. He's already taken so much. That wolf yao kill should've been yours, but he stole it! Look at the state of you now - your domain's shrinking smaller and smaller. How much do you have left? Can you maintain your standing if this keeps up?" "How is what he's done theft? It's not like he's forcing anyone to worship him at knifepoint - everyone's willing. Besides, that wolf yao..." Yin Yu sighed and said frankly, "I couldn't have defeated it. It was useless praying to me, so of course they went to him." "I just... I'm worried that if this fight continues, he'll win and leave us with nothing," Jian Yu said bitterly. "Fuck, even those lower-ranking officials only care about their own advancement - each one of them coming up with empty excuses to quit and slipping away to serve under other heavenly officials. What a bunch of no-good asshats!" Yin Yu sighed again and sat down on a prayer cushion. "What fight are you talking about...? Why care for such things? Those who want to leave will always leave in the end, and those who want to stay will naturally remain. I didn't ascend to fight for power with anyone, nor squabble over domains, nor quarrel, so why can't you let this go?" Vol 5, page 277

This is a stark contrast not only to the kind of standing he had while he was still in his sect:

Yin Yu pushed them away, urging them to leave. He sighed. "You said yourself that he's insane, so why bother with him?" It was easy to see that Yin Yu's words held weight with his peers at this point in his life. Although the crowd was still upset, they left as told. Vol 5, page 257

But especially to the kind of authority and respect that his position in Ghost City offers him:

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the ghost crowd. They immediately parted, forming a path, as if someone of importance had arrived. Xie Lian came to his senses and saw a tall, black-clad figure walking straight toward him through the path created by the mob. That person yelled, "Settle down. Let him go!" The black-clad figure, like most of the ghosts on the street, wore a mask. It was a funny mask, with a face that was contorted as if it was smiling woefully. The mob muttered under their breath, "It's the Waning Moon Officer!", and they released their hold on Xie Lian at last. It seemed this black-clad figure was someone significant in Ghost City. Vol 2, page 99

It's also worth mentioning at this point that I think people forget that Yin Yu does not always necessarily work alone and has to do everything by himself but that he has his own subordinates:

After taking a moment to contact his subordinates in Ghost City, Yin Yu meticulously reported the general directions of each sighting.

Vol 7, page 48

Another very important thing to take away from the argument between Jian Yu and Yin Yu is that while still a god in the heavens, Yin Yu had no confidence that he'd be able to fight a wolf yao, yet in the amnesiac extra, he shows no signs of hesitancy or fear when Hua Cheng orders him to go after the monster that stole Xie Lian's memories:

He was still trying to process what he'd learned when he heard San Lang say, "I need to attend to him right now and can't leave. Catch that monster before tomorrow night and bring it to me." "Yes, sir. Shall I leave it one last breath?" the man in the ghost mask asked quietly. San Lang put down his brush and glanced at what he'd written, which he then crumbled up and tossed away, apparently unsatisfied. "Leave it a few. Make it spit out what it swallowed, then crush its worthless head to dust. Make it slow and painful." His tone and expression were both quite frightening, yet Xie Lian didn't find him repulsive or alarming. The man in the ghost mask acknowledged San Lang’s order and was about to take his leave, so Xie Lian quickly dodged away and hid. Vol 8, page 226-227

Which leads me to another important point - the amount of trust Hua Cheng shows Yin Yu by the kind of missions he sends him on. If he didn't have a high opinion of Yin Yu's abilities, he would never send him after something like a monster that had eaten Xie Lian's memories, given how incredibly important Xie Lian's wellbeing is to Hua Cheng. There's many other examples too - like how Hua Cheng trusted Yin Yu to help with tricking Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian into saving "Ming Yi", or how he entrusted the Earth Master Shovel to him. But Hua Cheng also does not ask the impossible of him - when they're all trapped in heaven and Yin Yu started to dig tunnels with the Earth Master Shovel to try and free Xie Lian and the others so they could recover and become strong enough to escape, Hua Cheng cautions them against it because he correctly deduces that "you'll be seeking your own deaths if you try to break out under Jun Wu's watch." (Vol 7, page 130) Even though Yin Yu is with Xie Lian, Hua Cheng doesn't expect him to get Xie Lian out on his own, because he knows how powerful and ruthless Jun Wu is.

For extra emphasis, let's compare Hua Cheng’s regard for Yin Yu and his abilities to the way Jun Wu never even deemed to speak to Yin Yu while he was a god because he was so very much "beneath" him:

"My dear Yin Yu, I do not think I have ever chatted with you like this before. Isn't that right?"

"I guess not..." Yin Yu replied cautiously.

Even back when he was the martial god who ruled the west, his base of believers wasn't strong, his merits were few, and his rank wasn't impressive. He wasn't the lowest ranked of the heavenly officials in the Upper Court, but he was still below average, so he'd had almost no opportunities to interact with the Heavenly Emperor - the highest of the high.

Vol 7, page 142-143

Keeping all of that in mind, it's very interesting that Jun Wu tries to tempt Yin Yu to his side by offering him the position of his right-hand man:

Finally, Yin Yu asked, "In the Upper Court, I... What... would my position be?"

"Ling Wen will be my left hand, and you shall be my right," Jun Wu said. "There will be none above you besides me."

Vol 7, page 149

When that really is a position Yin Yu already holds - he's Hua Cheng's right-hand man. Now, one could argue that Yin Yu does have less power and prestige in the position of a ghost realm officer than he would have as a god - there's no believers worshipping him - but I think the point is that he doesn't answer to anyone but Hua Cheng, that there's no one else competing with him for that position, no one else among his subordinates that Hua Cheng puts this much trust in, and that there's no one else besides Hua Cheng himself who is demonstrated to hold so much authority and respect in Ghost City. And with all of the above, it's really important to keep in mind that Ghost City is the one single autonomous place in all the three realms and that its Chengzhu is the one single being whose power and influence is rivaled only by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

And said Heavenly Emperor damn well knows Yin Yu is Hua Cheng's right-hand man, which is I believe a big part of the reason he tries to flip Yin Yu by dangling this exact position in front of him. As I've talked about before in other posts, Jun Wu hates Hua Cheng deeply for various reasons. There's the whole thing where Hua Cheng is the unmistakable proof of a believer that never leaves their god, the very thing Jun Wu felt entitled to but didn't receive. But in this case I think him wanting to tempt Yin Yu away from Hua Cheng's side is about how bitter and salty Jun Wu feels about the fact that Hua Cheng holds more sway over all three realms than he does - evidenced by the way Hua Cheng doesn't just have followers in the Ghost Realm but the Human Realm as well, and even the gods, while they fear him, also can't help but admire him and strike deals with him in secret (Vol 1, page 157-160). That Yin Yu, a banished god, would (just like Xie Lian) rather be loyal to Hua Cheng than Jun Wu - that must have angered him a lot because it's something he'd take quite personally.

This is, I think, also the root of why Yin Yu has so much trouble seeing his position in the Ghost Realm for what it really is and why he still longs to be a god despite how unhappy he was in the heavens and how badly he was treated there - he can't see past the prejudices about the Ghost Realm in general and Ghost City in particular that he has internalized. Prejudices that Jun Wu actively weaponizes every time he speaks to Yin Yu, by repeatedly insinuating that being a ghost city officer is a shameful thing to be:

"Surely you do not actually like being a mere pawn in the Ghost Realm?" [...] "Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act borne of helplessness." [...] "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go." [...]

Vol 7, page 144

Which makes it all the more satisfying when Yin Yu tricks Jun Wu (or attempts to, at least) and ultimately rejects both his offer and his authority, and also calls Jun Wu out on the way he tried to manipulate him:

"My Lord... My... No, not My Lord! You! Why must you keep reminding me of that?! Why do you speak like you actually understand me?!"

Vol 7, page 151

Jun Wu is deeply enraged by his defiance and rejection - in general, but also because it reminds him of Xie Lian's defiance against him:

Jun Wu turned around with a casual sweep of his hand. "Exhilarating. You and Xianle must get along well."

Vol 7, page 152

This brings me to my final point - which is that choosing kindness and righteousness even in the face of criticism and rejection, of personal loss and suffering, is what Jun Wu hates the most, and what ties Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, and Yin Yu and Hua Cheng together. Hua Cheng was drawn to Xie Lian because Xie Lian chose to treat him kindly when everyone else abused and rejected Hua Cheng and pressured Xie Lian to do the same. Similiar things can be said for Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, since Yin Yu was the one to ask his sect's shifu to take Quan Yizhen in when he came across him as a seemingly abandoned child, and who repeatedly defended Quan Yizhen from the other sect members' judgement and bullying, even though this earned Yin Yu their ire as well. Yin Yu, too, values kindness very highly:

Yin Yu sobbed. "If I wasn't destined to be perfect, I at least wanted to be perfectly kind. But... I couldn't even manage that." (Vol 7, page 156)

Therefore, though we get very little information on their first meeting, I think kindness is also what drew Yin Yu to Hua Cheng, what made him stay loyal to him even when tempted/threatened by Jun Wu, and what made him go right back to working for him after the events of the main story. Because while we get only this one mention, I think a great deal can be gleaned from it:

"Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me - "

"I know" Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit when he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

Vol 7, page 144

It's not just he helped me, it's he saved me. And not only that, Hua Cheng, in a sense, saved Jian Yu as well by helping him move on, which I would assume was simply because Yin Yu wished for his friend to let go of his resentment and not become stuck as a vengeful spirit. What I think is really important to keep in mind here is that not only was Hua Cheng under no obligation to save Yin Yu, he had, objectively speaking, nothing to gain from it. He Xuan was already in the heavens by then and giving Hua Cheng intel. and Hua Cheng didn't show off that he had a banished god working for him either - he let Yin Yi wear a mask, and for years, no one (except apparently Jun Wu) knew where Yin Yu was or what had happened to him, evidenced by the way Quan Yizhen kept looking and kept asking about him to no avail (Vol 5 page 235).

We don't really get Hua Cheng's side of the story but I think the fact that he doesn't speak about it speaks for itself - aside from keeping things close to his chest in general, he tends to not talk about the things he does out of kindness and/or his own sense of justice. We see this for example when Xie Lian only finds out why the group of cultivators is after Hua Cheng when he overhears them saying that Hua Cheng chose to shelter both the pig spirit and the prostitute ghost who had chosen to take revenge on humans who had used their positions of power to hurt others (Vol 5 page 28-29).

This is therefore more speculation than analysis, but I can imagine that this whole scenario - a god with a good heart who gets abandoned by the heavens with only a vengeful spirit by his side - even though the exact circumstances that led to it differed, might have held enough similarities to what Hua Cheng personally witnessed of Xie Lian's banishment that it would bring out that same urge to help and protect in Hua Cheng. The fact that Yin Yu says Hua Cheng saved him really can't be overstated in my opinion, considering that Hua Cheng, understandably, has usually nothing but feelings of either indifference or hatred for all of the gods aside from Xie Lian and the Rain Master.

To sum up - the power structures in heaven encourage workplace harassment, bullying, and endless competition for resources and support, and this causes Yin Yu not only increased stress, isolation, and unhappiness, but also puts a strain on his inherent kindness and righteousness as he starts to give in under the pressure to conform. By contrast, his position in Ghost City is dependant on nothing but his loyalty to Hua Cheng, on Yin Yu's own choice to stay with him, and offers him an unprecedented amount of respect and trust. It is heaven, really, that is repeatedly shown to mistreat and exploit its officials, especially those of lower rank, not Hua Cheng.

[dearmyloveleys]

going on a ramble here but do you all ever wonder that if there’s a sequel to mdzs the fact that sizhui is the last wen is a super good plot kickstarter waiting to happen? knowing that the jianghu is a facetious bunch of fucks, someone will be bound to dig up shit. There’s gonna be so much angst and parallels between the OG cast and the junior group.

Consider:

sizhui going on a main character journey arc, suddenly being the target of jianghu hate and manhunt. he has put his past as a wen behind, but jianghu finds out that WN is not only accompanying him on hunts, but also his uncle. does the past really die when you say it has? it'll be so heartbreaking when he loses that pureheartedness that we love about him

wangxian, especially WWX, will be by his side, making sure to guide and love him bc there was nobody there for him when that happened to him. they are also under fire again for raising sizhui in secret

the junior group wanting to help sizhui, but suddenly facing the pressures of politics from their respective sects/clans, just like how the original cast did

jinling needing to shed away the blackened image of the jin clan from his grandfather to his uncle, but it is difficult bc he’s also now the jin sect leader. (parallels between him and JC taking over as sect leader at a young age!! probably in this AU, JC learns from his younger days and guides jinling)

jingyi (in my hc) is the now the Lan head disciple along with sizhui and finds even moreso than before that Lan morals aren’t always right, like LWJ before him. he will defend sizhui, also like LWJ before him

zizhen is the face of the smaller sects/clans, suddenly thrust into the jianghu spotlight and expected to represent their grudges against sizhui

the OG cast feels so terrible about it because the generational curse and trauma just doesn’t stop even if they want it to. humans are humans and pieces of shit. they couldn’t stop it for themselves and now their children, wards and nephews are still on the receiving end of it

bright side is, the OG cast, now more grown into their skills and themselves, will stop at nothing to shape and save the younger generation into a kinder generation

still, the juniors will ultimately have to craft the kind of future they want to have and face down the realities of the jianghu

I think it’s going to be a very full circle, full of parallels and angsty story if this sequel happens. It has to be an ultimate discussion of blood family vs found family and an even deeper dive into generational trauma.

[mxtxfanatic]

Ouyang Zizhen the Unexpected Duckling

One of the most unlikeliest things to happen in Wei Wuxian's life is not just him taking on a mentorship role in the lives of the cultivation world's children, but that some of those children would be the direct named heirs of the leaders of the story's mob. The existence of Ouyang Zizhen amongst the ducklings thus serves as a pleasant surprise and representative of the hope that the next generation need not follow in the sins of their elders. From the very beginning, Ouyang Zizhen is willing to follow "Mo Xuanyu" as the guide out of Yi City, going so far as to participate wholeheartedly in his lessons:

“Done?” Wei Wuxian said after they had gotten through all the juniors. “Then everyone, tell me what details you saw. Let’s combine our observations.” ... “The girl is probably only fifteen or sixteen,” another youth said. “Her face is shaped like a watermelon seed. She has delicate and attractive features, pretty and lively. Her long hair is held up by a wooden hairpin with a small fox face whittled into it at one end. She’s petite and has a slim figure. Even though she’s unkempt, she’s not filthy or horrid. If you cleaned her up a bit, she’s certain to turn out cute and beautiful.” Hearing this proclamation, Wei Wuxian concluded that the speaker had boundless future prospects and praised him energetically. “Not bad, not bad. Your observations are detailed and distinctive. You’re bound to become one of those passionate types in the future.”

—Chapt. 36: Flora IV, fanyiyi

However, this attitude does not change once the true identity of "Mo Xuanyu" is revealed to be the "evil" Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian. Instead, Ouyang Zizhen remains one of the first—second only to Lan Sizhui—to faithfully follow and offer his support to Wei Wuxian in the second siege, even against his father's wishes:

JingYi on the left and SiZhui on the right, Wei WuXian wrapped his arms around both of the children, “Alright, let’s hurry out of here.” ... Lan SiZhui spoke, “The deity- binding ropes have been loosened already. If worst comes to worst, we can fight our way out together. If you do not go, what if after we leave the corpses flood inside? With the shape of the cave, would it not be a sure catch?” Quickly afterward, one of the boys spoke up, “SiZhui- xiong, wait for me!” He followed, and left as well. This boy was the little ‘seed of sentiment’ who burnt paper money and cried emotionally over A-Qing, back in Yi City. The others called him ZiZhen. He seemed to be the single child of the BalingOuYang Sect’s clan.

...

At this point, a small voice suddenly spoke up, “Dad, I feel that maybe he really didn’t do it. Last time, in Yi City, he was the one who saved us. This time, he seem to be here to save us as well...” He followed the voice. The person who spoke was OuYang ZiZhen. However, the father immediately scolded the son, “Children shouldn’t talk so carelessly! Do you know what situation we’re in? Do you know who that is?!”

—Chapt. 68: Tenderness, exr

Wei WuXian said to them, “When the second group of fierce corpses rushes in, I will lure them towards the Pool of Blood, and HanGuang-Jun will be in charge of slaying them. With this target here,” He patted himself, “They won’t bother you. Don’t be tempted by battle, just run.” For once, Lan SiZhui’s raised his voice, “No! We can’t do that. There’s no way!” Sect Leader OuYang had given up trying to hold his son still. OuYang ZiZhen, “Senior-Wei, we will slay the corpses too! I can slay a hundred more!”

—Chapt. 81: Core Part 3, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

And he maintains this support and defense of Wei Wuxian even after the cultivators survive the second siege and begin to gather at Lotus Pier, this time against the clan leaders:

A sect leader spoke warily, “Wei WuXian, what are you doing on the other boat?” His tone was full of suspicion. The implication that Wei WuXian was up to no good again was obvious, and some people found it hard to stomach. OuYang ZiZhen spoke up, “Sect Leader Yao, why are you speaking with such a tone? If Senior-Wei really had intended to do something, then we probably wouldn’t be sitting on this boat in peace.” Hearing this, many senior cultivators felt rather embarrassed. Though the words were the truth, no one had expected it to be said to their faces. Lan SiZhui hurried, “ZiZhen is right!” And many other youths also agreed. Jiang Cheng tilted his head slightly, “Sect Leader OuYang.” Having suddenly being called out, Sect Leader OuYang’s right eyelid and heart both jumped. Jiang Cheng continued coldly, “If I recall correctly, the one who spoke was your son, yes? What a clever mouth.” Sect Leader OuYang hurried, “ZiZhen! Come back here! Come to dad!” OuYang ZiZhen was confused, “Dad, wasn’t it you who told me to be on this boat instead so that I won’t annoy all of you?” Sect Leader OuYang wiped the sweat off of his forehead, “Enough! Haven’t you had enough spotlights for one day? Come back here!” The OuYang Sect was located in Baling and was geographically close to Yunmeng. In terms of power and influence, they could hardly even compare with the Jiang Sect, and Sect Leader OuYang would rather not have Jiang Cheng hold a grudge over them simply because his son had spoken out for Wei WuXian.

—Chapt. 84: Core Part 6, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

An unexpected ducking, for sure, but a shining model for how the other juniors of the nameless mob can be moved away from the influence of their corrupt elders.

[whetstonefires]

Honestly the most interesting thing about the Jiang interpersonal dynamics that is being totally slept on is how Jiang Fengmian's power as head of the family affects everyone, including him.

Yu Ziyuan knows Jiang Fengmian won't use his power against her unless he feels like he needs to, and that he doesn't fear her and isn't going to feel like he needs to act in self-defense unless she attempts significant physical harm, so short of that she can do whatever she likes against him, and he won't resist.

But if the collateral damage to the kids of her verbal attacks on him goes above a certain level, he says one word and she stops.

He just goes, 'wife.' ('My lady' but it's just a polite term for wife.) Sort of disapproving. Same kind of way he talks to Jiang Cheng when he acts like a shithead, but without the subsequent attempt at an ethics lesson.

And bam. Momentum halted. That line of attack is out of bounds. Nobody likes this, but good god it works.

And because they both know he ultimately has all the power, that Yu Ziyuan's lifestyle of privacy and doing exactly as she pleases at all times and so forth is all something that exists by Jiang Fengmian's generosity and sufferance, and she hates it, and he's not comfortable with it either, he sets that boundary really high, and she gets away with all kinds of cruelty because it's all stuff she's strictly allowed to do, entitled to do. So he'd be abusing his authority over her, by constraining her right to exercise her power within normative bounds over the people she outranks.

Even if she's using it harmfully and in a way directed by spite, these are her rights, she's not technically abusing her power, and her primary target in all the episodes he actually witnesses is him who outranks her; she's not being one of those mistresses.

So he'd be overstepping if he tried to constrain her, he'd be one of those husbands. Just like she always accuses him of.

(This is why she keeps insisting that she's also the master of jiang sect and he's 'forgetting' that in contexts where it doesn't make a huge amount of sense.)

Anyway, the fact that it's impossible to unpick where Jiang Fengmian's moral principles stop and his conflict-avoidance kicks in with this relationship is so much more interesting than the weirdly sexist readings I keep seeing, where it's all the conflict-avoidance and he's an unmanly loser who lets Yu Ziyuan bully him and his kids without ever standing up to her, for no good reason. When actually they have a really interesting and fantastically realistic toxic relationship.

He has a good reason! His reason is he's uncomfortable with the patriarchy! And guilty that his wife is miserable! And that he doesn't love her correctly! So he gives way as often as he can, trying to fix it!

But it doesn't fix it, because no amount of giving in to her gives her cause to trust him, and if she doesn't trust him and she knows that if he actually cares about an issue her ability to get her way will disappear, she can't feel secure about any of it. And therefore everything, especially Wei Wuxian the symbol of that fact, makes her angry and Want To Punish.

[grubus]

for the post u made abt svsss ships, off the top of my head, shang qinghua x yue qingyuan??

*claps hands* OH YES YES!!!! Honestly you can go so many ways with this ship, it's great. I mean YQY is in charge of general affairs and SQH is in charge of logistics. Their work overlap so much if you think about it.

Now the question is if it's Airplane or Original SQH.

That switches things up a lot!

I mean, Airplane knows YQY's past. He knows how important SJ is to him! There is a great fic by Tossawary, "hey, share the weight a little" that I adore because it doesn't forget how important YQY and SJ are to each other, but it still nails early disciple days of YQY/SQH.

Personally I'm a big fan of Accidental Relationship trope or whatever you could call it. I would find it hilarious if SQH accidentally gets married or bound in some way to YQY once they are all peak lords. And he knows how to get out of it. It's just, well. Someone needs to take care of YQY! Look at him. He's for sure not taking care of himself, and SQH was always a bit soft for him. And YQY seems less upset about the relationship and more resigned to it ending.

So SQH sticks with it! And along the way he and YQY fall in love, clumsy and awkwardly, with SQQ hissing in the corner, both not wanting any part of it but still so, so suspicious of SQH and his ability to possibly hurt YQY. Angry In Law is always fun.

meanwhile original SQH and YQY.............. could be oh so tasty. I mean, a spy in charge of logistics, somehow managing to seduce the sect leader? SQH was described as a power hungry, status climbing and eager to prove himself kind of spy. He was killed by MBJ for being discovered as a spy, for losing his usefulness.

But if he ends up seducing YQY??? And maybe falling for him... ohohoho. What would he choose. Power and riches, status and strength? Or would he actually decide to be loyal to his sect, to his siblings and to Yue Qingyuan most of all? I always imagine original SQH to have kind of had a similar view on things as SJ; always assuming the worst, never be happy enough. The only difference is that SJ stews in his self-hatred, hoarding blame and hatred against him like it's a treasure. Meanwhile SQH would blame everyone else; it's not his fault everyone sucks. It's not his fault that he is part of An Ding, or that everyone looks down upon it...

hm this got away from me

anyway toxic yaoi for original SQH/YQY? Yes. Pls.

The Sweet Comfy Love of Airplane/YQY? Yes good.

Look any ship that has YQY in it is always an automatic win for me.

[patheticpeoplesupreme]

Yue Qingyuan and Shang Qinghua a possible friendship

people pleasers duo/j drabbles and stuff

Au where SQH’s dad has the last name “Yue”

Yue Qingyuan loved his martial siblings, even if it was fairly chaotic all year round (half the time, it was because of a few certain individuals—)

His heart was very full of fondness whenever he sees young disciples playing around during their break time or when the older disciples come around to give the little ones advice.

He knows that outside of the mountain, there’s bound to be more horrors, but for the moment, he’s extremely relieved to see joyful children.

Admittedly, he’s more distant to them than he would have liked, being the sect leader and all, he has to focus on his responsibilities and reputation before being just Yue Qingyuan. Yue Qi.

These days, it’s more peaceful, he’s able to feel the weight in his chest lift slightly after Shen Yuan revealed who he truly was.

Yue Qingyuan was severely devastated, but… for the past few years, deep down, he had known that it wasn’t amnesia that plagued his martial brother. It was a sort of closure to know who what had happened to the real Shen Jiu instead of suffering in wait, wondering if Shen Qingqiu would ever remember their past.

After a few months, he’d created a makeshift grave for himself to visit.

—

Eventually, he realised that Shang Qinghua was probably a soul just like Shen Yuan, what with his informal (and shameless) behaviour and the foreign language he often spoke with Shen Yuan

Eventually, he found out that he was the one who had written his, and Xiao Jiu’s suffering.

He… well… he avoided the man for a long while.

Yue Qingyuan was not exactly the type to emotionally express his fury, not like Liu Qingge. In the end, he decided, it wasn’t fury he was feeling anyway.

Maybe he was far too tired to feel fury.

—

Looking back on it now, it was quite obvious, he was ashamed to admit that he should’ve probably have listened to Shen Jiu’s wariness towards the man

Though he supposed it went for the better since Shang Qinghua did help with the peak’s success in not being destroyed.

He was also little downtrodden at the realisation that he hadn’t known the small man that well at all.

—

Yue Qingyuan remembers one time, he was carrying a fevered Shang Qinghua to Qian Cao Peak. Shang Qinghua was quite delirious the , murmuring things he couldn’t understand. It was probably the world he came from, but Yue Qingyuan hadn’t known that at the time and rushed to the peak quickly and placing him gently on the bed.

Since Mu Qingfang hadn’t been there yet, his brotherly instincts took over and he takes care of his martial brother, trying to ease his furrowed brow and stop him from squirming. He brought him a cup of water and coaxed him to drink.

“Shh, Shang—shidi, it’s okay.” He hummed, remembering a tune from when he had sung to his Xiao Jiu a long long time ago.

It took a short time for the peak lord to settle, so he waited till Shang Qinghua’s eyes were fully closed to leave.

Surprisingly however, the man had caught onto Yue Qingyuan’s sleeve with wide and tearful eyes that made his heart sting.

His next words had made his stomach churn more.

“Baba… you told me you wouldn’t leave…” Shang Qinghua sniffled. It was obvious that he was still delirious from the fever and hadn’t recognised who he was talking to but… for a moment… Yue Qingyuan saw his Xiao Jiu. Yue Qi couldn’t muster up the courage to leave now.

Yue Qingyuan pursed his lips.

“W—Was I too much for you?”

Yue Qingyuan’s eyes widened before he finally rushed to his martial brother’s side, he couldn’t let Shang Qinghua think this way at all.

“No, of course not, just rest…Huá’er.” He brushed the loose strands behind his ear.

“You’re lying—!!” he cried, Yue Qingyuan only held him a little tighter, feeling terrified of what to say and not to say, “Huā’er won’t be annoying anymore, so please don’t leave, Baba!”

Yue Qingyuan could feel his heart shattering the more he listened.

—

Years later, Yue Qingyuan sits by his shidi’s table listening to Shang Qinghua admit to being this world’s creator.

One day, he asks mildly curiously. “Huá’er doesn’t have to answer, but this one was wondering. What was this lord’s old family like?”

(This is where SQH admits that his what his dad’s name was)

“My dad was, Uhm… Yue Nuo. The character for promise.”

Yue Qingyuan squeezed Shang Qinghua’s hand.

“Ahh don’t worry gege, it’s been so long, I’m over it now.”

YQY only smiles when he reminds him, “the family that you’ve found in this sect, in your husband’s winter palace, we will be here for you.”

—

Shang Qinghua pouts, “everyone’s disobeying me

Shen Qingqiu rolls his eyes

**

He created Yue Qingyuan after his dad because he wishes that his dad actually had an excuse not to see him, he wishes that it wasn’t his fault that Shang Qinghua was left alone for so long, he wishes, but he knows that in real life, it’s not so simple. He knows that he’s unloved.

He sees his happy half siblings and he knows. He knows in every family reunion where he’s the odd one out, even when he tries to hangout with his half siblings. He knows it all.

So he pushes it all into Qi-ge and Xiao Jiu.

Eventually he realised that he bared a little too much of his soul to the world, so he scrapped their backstory.

[wangxianficfinder]

I'm in the mood for...

July 28th

~*~

1. Hello hello! ITMF fics where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are bound together by that tethering (binding/bonding depending on translation) talisman. Like, where they can't go further than a couple feet from each other and if one yanks on the tether the other gets pulled along. Thank you! <3

~*~

2. Does anyone know of any fics where problems are solved via the use of truth talismans/spells? For example, maybe the hundred holes curse issue could be cleared up early on after a truth spell is used to determine the caster. Or maybe they can trap JGY in a truth spell and avoid most of his nonsense.

🔒 the language of flowers and silent things series by Reverie (cl410) (M, 107k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, LWJ & Madam Lan, NHS & LWJ, LWJ & LXC, LWJ & NMJ, LWJ & NHS Friendship, Developing Relationship, POV LWJ, Minor Injuries, Autistic LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, aka the YZY warning, Genius WWX, Light Angst And Hurt/Comfort, WWX Protection Squad, Gusu Lan Sect, Slow Burn, Protective LWJ, LWJ-centric, Politics, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, Cultivation Sect Politics, Protective WWX) features a Lan Wangji who is cursed to hear when people tell lies, which is a truth spell of sorts

Safety of Distance by little-smartass (Linxcat) (T, 64k, 3zun, Post-Canon Fix-It, Xichen and his zombie boyfriends go on a miserable roadtrip to try and fix their shit, things get a lot worse before they get better but they DO get better, exploration of grief and growth within 3zun, 3zun learning to communicate? in MY AU? it's more likely than you think, specific warnings will be at the top of individual chapters but in general the fic has:, exploration of self-loathing and horror/disgust re: zombie bodies, canon-typical monster-fighting violence, Suicidal Ideation, Canon-Typical Fierce Corpse Body Horror, all of 3zun struggling with individual mental health issues, but it also has a hopeful and cathartic end, there is a light at the end of their exhausting tunnel I promise) is a post-canon 3zun fic in which a truth curse on JGY (put there by WWX) plays a significant role

~*~

3. Hello!! This is for itmf wangxian zombie apocalypse au please thankyou!

The Edge of Night by Hobbsy3 (M, 277k, WangXian, XuanLi, Modern AU, Zombie Apocalypse, Yúnmèng Siblings Dynamics, Accidental Baby Acquisition During a Zombie Apocalypse, Junior Quartet, (except they’re all babies), Angst with a Happy Ending, Minor Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, Ensemble Cast, Worst Zombie Fighting Team Ever, Found Family)

❤️ A Corpse Called By Name by jaemyun (Not rated, 60k, WangXian, Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Horror, Zombie WWX, Eventual Happy Ending, yunmeng trio, Eventual WangXian, WWX is dad material even in death, Humor, YLLZ but make him dead)

When the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation takes a week off by galaxy_in_your_eyes (T, 20k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives, only those that deserve it, kind of fix-it, Zombie Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/ComfortAttempt at HumorPOV AlternatingCanon-Typical Violence, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Brief Mentions of Cannibalism, Zombies, We don’t see the Zombie Apocalypse, It happens behind closed doors, WWX in quarantine, Wangxian being Wangxian, Mentions of Smut, Established Relationship, Courtesy Names, local necromancer gets sick with the flu)

a thousand teeth, yours among them by darkredloveknot (enheduane) (E, 10k, WangXian, Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Violence, Mild Gore, Hook-Up, Falling In Love, metaphysical sexual body horror (??), Non-Sexual Intimacy, Melancholy)

~*~

4. hello! could i ask for fics where mianmian is the protagonist? or one of the other ladies! jyl, wq, qs are all great 🙏🏽

Meet you at a different place by tawaen (M, 57k, WQ & WN, WN & MXY & WQ, WQ & WWX & WN, Eventual WangXian, Ghost General WN, Ghost WQ, Canon Divergence, WQ comes back to haunt the cultivation world, Bad idea to kill the one person who didn’t kill anyone, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Wen Remnants Deserve Better, Sīsī Deserves Better, MXY Deserves Better, POV WQ)

🔒💖 do not envy the roots that hold you down by eccentrick for rianitida (T, 12k, WangXian, Reincarnation, WQ is a Lan, Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)

With Surgical Precision by metisket (T, 20k, WQ & WN, WQ & WWX, WangXian, Time Travel, Families of Choice, sibling bonding through murder)

Reclamation by CordialCoroner (CordialCrow) (M, 6k, major character death, not JC friendly, canon divergence, post sunshot, revenge)

💖 i’ll keep walking by justdoityoufucker (orphan_account) (T, 2k, WQ &WWX & WN, wangxian, time travel fix-it, not JC friendly, everyone lives au, found family)

Sail Away Sweet Sister by sami (M, 73k, WangXian, YZY/CSSR/MDM Lan, MingLi, Time Travel, EXTREME Canon Divergence, Wide Focus Narrative, Some People Live/Not Everyone Dies, Most Named/Canon Characters Live, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Families of Choice, Parenthood, this work contains a major tonal shift, Fluff, Angst, Underage Sex, not particularly explicit, but not at all ambiguous, PTSD, Only a tiny bit, Unforeseeable consequences, The butterfly effect, Slightly Dark JYL, Asexual Characters, but that’s not really the focus, Canon-Typical Violence)

Cicada Sings Amongst Bamboo by Shadaras (T, 14k, LQR/QS, Madam Qin & QS, past JG/QS, Canon Divergence, Courtship, Time Travel, Second Chances, Recovery, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, references to canonical rape, This Burn Could Be Slower, QS Deserves Better, QS Lives, Sunshot Campaign) Qin su

💖 Love made visible by Moominmammashandbag (M, JYL/ZZL, wangxian, hurt/Comfort, amputation, major character injury, sibling love, angst w happy ending, cooking as cultivation, attempted rape/non-con, sexual assault, minor character death, family angst, dysfunctional family, protective siblings, near drowning, amnesia) jiang yanli

The Rage of Daughters by givemeunicorns (T, 51k, XuanLi, WangXian, ChengQing, MianLi, Grief/Mourning, Family Issues, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Yanli lives but she has to work through some stuff okay?, Forgiveness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Major Character Undeath)

~*~

5. Good morning! I am looking for fics where Lan Wangji leaves the Lan clan to help Wei Wuxian. Any suggestions would be much appreciated, thank you!

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Getting Together, First Time, Pining while fucking, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Angst with a Happy Ending, CQL Verse, almost everybody lives/almost nobody dies, epistolary-ish, canon-ish side pairings, radishes)

🔒 Mirage by Aki_no_hikari (G, 1k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Pining, they aren't together yet but there are definitely feelings, One-Sided Attraction, or so lwj thinks)

🔒 Moonlit by Aki_no_hikari (T, 8k, WangXian, Family Fluff, Battle Couple, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Canon-Typical Violence, Teacher WWX)

Hold Me Tight by thelastdboy (T, 8k, WangXian, LWJ & Wen Remnants, LSZ & LWJ, LWJ & WQ & WN, POV LWJ, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Literal Sleeping Together, Fluff, Communication, Families of Choice, Getting Together, Love Confessions, Hope, Light Angst, Happy Ending, Golden Core Reveal, First Kiss, Mental Health Issues, food insecurity, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending)

no one ever said the single-plank bridge had to be walked alone by rosemu (T, 124k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Yílíng Wèi Sect au, Fix-It, Not Everyone Dies, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Fluff, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Found Family, Slow Burn, LWJ and WWX get to be Dads together, the healing power of homoerotic flute/guqin duets, Happy Ending)

~*~

6. Hiii for itmf, can I have fics where lwj is chief cultivator and established wangxian, any fics will do, even wip

Wei Wuxian, God of Fertility by tired (T, 19k, WangXian, Family Feels, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack, the juniors get REAL drunk, Gossip, POV Multiple, surprisingly not an mpreg fic, Kissing, Self-Esteem Issues, Discussion of Porn and Sex, Post-Canon, SOFT SOFT SOFT, married wangxian, Fluff and Humor)

🔒 Seasons of Falling Flowers by merakily (G, 40k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Character Study, Introspection, In-Laws, Golden Core, Emotional Baggage, Family Bonding, Protective LWJ, Good Parent LQR, LQR has feelings, LQR and WWX become friends, [PODFIC] Seasons of Falling Flowers, by merakily by Spinifex)

🔒we made space by MajorEnglishEsquire (E, 19k, WangXian, Getting Together, Sleep, Sleeping Together, Lap Sitting, Marriage Proposal, Fluff, First Kiss, Sharing a Bed, Adopted Children, Exhaustion, Happy Ending, Sex)

~*~

7. I'm in the mood for a fic with top Wei Ying and bottom lan zhan where Wei is possessive and soon love with a soft lan zhan both experiencing their first in everything with each other

~*~

8. Hi! Itmf a fanfic with wwx going to gusu with lwj but getting depressed in there/giving up on everything, I just want people to go from scared of him to scared for him, thanks! ♡

Unbreakable Heaven, Luminous Earth by carolyncaves (M, 96k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Secret Identity, almost to the point of uncomfortable identity theft, Sharing a Bed, Literal Sleeping Together, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Suicidal Thoughts, that’s for WWX after Nightless City and is not pervasive throughout the fic, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Power Imbalance, mainly between WWX and JGY in an entirely nonsexual manner, this isn’t really a kid fic but the kids are there, as are some yunmeng sibling feelings, JYL lives, Not Everyone Dies AU, some COVID parallels, this is not a quarantine fic, but thematically WWX deals w things like face-covering for safety and loss of control, also assume all canon warnings, this AU is gentler than canon but isn’t a complete fix-it)

~*~

9. ITMF request!

Can I have some good Twin Jades fics where they are both supportive and kind to each other? I’ve read too many sad ones lately and I just want a story where they are each other’s strongest protector/staunchest supporter.

Thank you!!

💖 Hoards and treasures by apathyinreverie (T, 21k, WangXian, Siblings, Family, not particularly Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing, slightly darker Gusu Lans, LXC being the best brother, Some manipulation, But with the best of intentions, and not between wangxian, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX, Smitten LWJ, Fluff, perfect happiness, adorable WWX, Romance, Some worldbuilding, courting)

Like stones on an unseen board by Vir_Abelasan (Not rated, 11k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Dark LWJ, Older LWJ, Teacher LWJ, dark twin jades, Age Difference, Manipulation, Protective LWJ, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Corporal Punishment, Relatively canon-typical abusive Jiangs, WWX Get a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Not Jiang Clan Friendly)

🔒 in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie (cl410) (T, 56k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, cloud recesses, NHS & LWJ friendship, developing relationship, LWJ pov, minor injuries, autistic LWJ, implied/referenced child abuse, aka YZY warning, genius WWX, light angst, hurt/comfort, WWX protection squad)

Turn Left by kianspo (M, 204k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, eventually, references to child sexual abuse, not main characters, Neurodivergent LWJ, Slow Build, Lán Family Feels, specifically, Twin Jades of Lán Feels, lwj-centric, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Angst with Happy Ending)

Obedient and Bellicoseby thunderwear (T, 20k, Wangxian, Ella Enchanted AU, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, cursed LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good brother LXC, LQR loves his nephews you cant change my mind, LWJ crying, Protective LXC, Pining, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Brief Depictions of Violence, meaning at least one of the people you really want to get stabbed does in fact get stabbed)

~*~

10. Hi y’all! I hope you’re having a good day. My brain got struck by two different images, so I’ve come to see if someone else has come across them in the wild. Today itmf:

A) ghost king nhs

B) Jiang disciples defending their da-shixiong from a dog!yao during a nighthunt because they love him

Thanks! <3

10A)

The Golden Ghost Series by 1PB2PB3PB4 (M/T, 178k, NMJ's corpse gets an honourable mention, POV NHS, BAMF NHS, tgcf style ghosts, Canon Divergence, Ghosts, Morally Ambiguous Character, Character Death, but as a plot device, Ghost NHS, Light Angst, NHS-centric, Assorted Oneshots, Coda, Time Travel, Pre-Canon, Post-Canon, JC is a brat, set in the mdzs time skip, is there a proper tag for that?, NMJ is dead wwx is not back, Hallucinations, or maybe, Unreliable Narrator, or perhaps not, JGY just thinks so, POV JGY, Psychological Horror, well elements of horror, POV WWX) has NHS as a tgcf-style ghost There was a different fic I read years ago that had ghost king!NHS told from the POV of another character traveling with him; NHS concealed his identity and gave his name as "Sang", but I can't find it nor remember the title.

~*~

11. ITMF WangXian war fics? Preferably long and focused on the difficulties of war such as long marches, setting up camp, rations, supplies, the tension and also camaraderie between soldiers, etc. Bonus points if there is angst but everyone lives. Thank you!

Lan Yuan’s War by BurningTea (G, 196k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Angst, Sick LWJ, Hurt/comfort, Eventual Happy Ending)

🔒 Quartet series by WithBroomBefore (T, 69k, Platonic Soulbond, Hurt/comfort, Canon   Divergence, No golden core transfer, JC&JZX stay in Xuanwu cave, Fix-it, Temporary character death)

Better Things to Do with a Flute in Wartime by Anonymous (E, 365k, MingXian, WangXianJue, Sunshot Campaign, Fix-It, Magical Healing Cock, Dual Cultivation, mild Dom/Sub, Undernegotiated Kink, Golden Core Reveal, Breathplay, Choking, Painplay, Subdrop, Topdrop, Major Character Injury, Canon Divergence, What-If, Temperature Play, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Fisting, Spanking, PTSD, Trauma, Self-Harm, (in the pursuit of cultivational badassery)) is a detailed war fic but it begins Wei Wuxian/Nie Mingjue and eventually Lan Wangji joins them

~*~

12. So I had a thought, u know how people sometimes characterize yanli more as wwx's mother than sister? Any fics that do that, but it ripples out further? Jc uncle, Jin Ling younger brother, etc., and how this adds an additional layer to complicated relationship dynamics?

~*~

13. Ho ching kwok's awesome monster mdzs animatic on youtube; any stories that have that vibe? Follow/touch on parts of that storyline? (If yall haven't seen it u should it's INCREDIBLE, about how 1st seuge of bm could of went down and I think partly inspired by the monster animatic for star vs forces of evil by art of rhues, which is also GORGEOUS)

~*~

14. Hello! ITMF Wei Wuxian taking a teaching position at Cloud Recesses? And/or taking the juniors night hunting and teaching them through the hunt.

🔒❤️ Joy In the Midst of These Things Series by Glitterbombshell (T/G, 53k, WangXian, Angst with Happy Ending, Post-Canon, Teacher WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff)

Proximity To Knowledge by ChilianXianzi (T, 7k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Married Wangxian, Chief Cultivator LWJ, Teacher WWX, Inventor WWX, And his research assistant Lan ducklings, LQR is not a good educator, the kids are alright, WWX did online learning before it was cool)

Glow by Quiet_crash (G, 2k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX, Junior Quartet, JC & WWX)

someone like you by Basingstoke (G, <1k, WangXian, Future Fic, Cloud Recesses, Teacher WWX)

Lady Mercy Won't Be Home Tonight by sami (T, 1k, Teacher WWX, best boy LSZ)

And Yet Here You Are by cosmicmilktea (T, 10k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Domestic Fluff, Cloud Recesses, settling down, Separation Anxiety, Teacher WWX, very light angst, Chief Cultivator LWJ)

Where the Lonely Ones Go by CSHfic & VSfic (T, 24k, WangXian, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Case Fic, Night Hunts Fluff, Established Relationship, Mystery, Married Life, Domestic Fluff, Haunting, Kid Fic, Post-Canon, gratuitous use of empathy)

爱不释手; never let me go by yiqie (E, 68k, WangXian, Case Fic, Blood and Injury, Demons, Body Horror)

your words upon my lips by uchiuchi (T, 17k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff, Curses, no sad times only good times, Canon Compliant, Romance, they are married!!, Let LWJ Say Fuck, Case Fic)

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious) WWX takes up the position of Visiting Scholar at CR after leaving the Jiang, which involves teaching classes on talismans, including night hunts to test the learners' knowledge

~*~

15. itmf wangji locked up in the jingshi/cloud recesses. does not have to be the point of the fic just a part of it. thanks!

no one ever said the single-plank bridge had to be walked alone by rosemu (T, 124k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Yílíng Wèi Sect au, Fix-It, Not Everyone Dies, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Fluff, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Found Family, Slow Burn, LWJ and WWX get to be Dads together, the healing power of homoerotic flute/guqin duets, Happy Ending) link in #5

~*~

16. Hi, amazing people!! I have a request for a storie I remember.I wanted to know if anyone remembers a fic where A Yuan goes with Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling’s A one month celebration. This somehow changes the way things go, since people didn't knew there were children in the camps. Any story where A Yuan changes things for the better before Wei Wuxian’s death will be amazing as well!! Thank you, be well @monicaop21

🧡 Weep You No More, Sad Fountains by athena_crikey (T, 48k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-it fic, Whump, Curses, Fever, Delirium, Stabbing, Loneliness, Confessions)

🔒 The Promises We Make by Mayarenerose (G, 34k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, LXC & LWJ, LWJ & WN, LWJ & JC, Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Fluff, Angst, Everybody Lives, Canon Divergence, Gratuitous Bed Sharing, LWJ: moves into the Burial Mounds, WWX: ??? wtf??? are you??? doing??, Rabbits, there are so many rabbits in this fic guys i cant even)

the kite string and the anchor rope by fleurdeliser (M, 38k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, set after the yiling date, Sick Child, the illness never gets worse than it is in the first 1000 words)

Righteous at a Cost by thunderwear (G, 21k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, no one dies, LQR finds out about WWX’s core, WWX and LQR are friends??, In My Fic?, its more likely than you think, LWJ in the bg like whats happening?, Fluff, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal)

~*~

17. Hello! I’m in search of fics similar to Criteria by incendir: set in canon during the time wwx was dead, just lwj flat-out rejecting anyone who attempts to court or bed him since they’re not wwx. (Honestly anything in the flavor of lwj being steadfastly loyal and not at all tempted or attracted to anyone who isn’t wwx). Thank you!! @bookkbaby

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Pride! Could you do more of the fem mxy!wwx identity porn? I hope you have a great day 🌻

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Jiang Yanli sees the Lan party approaching and cant help the spike of anxiety that shoots through her.

First is Lan Xichen and A-Yao, who greet Madame Jin and Jin Guangshan formally and respectfully, without a hint of resentment for what they've put them through, for allowing them to arrange this alliance only to yank the promised marriage out from under them.

She knows better than to think there isn't any, but their serene expressions give nothing away. Lan Xichen's amiable mask hides a warm, peaceable center. A-Yao's hides a bitterness and cleverness so great that to this day she thinks it a tragedy that A-Yao hadn't grown up among the Yu.

They make look similar on the surface, but Lan Xichen and A-Yao’s relationship is proof that opposites really do attract.

A-Yao says something that causes Madame Jin’s face to tighten. Then they’re stepping back and Lan Wangji is stepping forward, but he’s not the one she cares about.

Xuanyu stands by his side, back straight and eyes forward, seemingly comfortable and at ease with Lan Wangji in a way that few people manage. Her expression when she faces her father is strained, but she stands close enough to Lan Wangji that their sleeves threaten to tangle together, so she assumes that strain is all that to Jin Guangshan and not Xuanyu’s husband.

“I told you she’s be fine,” Zixuan murmurs.

She wishes they were somewhere less public where she could get away with elbowing him in the ribs or at least stepping on his foot.

“Yanli-jie!” Xuanyu is waving at her, bounding forward without a thought to propriety. Both Lan Wangji and A-Yao are exasperated while Lan Xichen just seems outright fond, which is even more a balm to her worry than Xuanyu’s hopefully good relationship with her husband. A sect leader’s affection is nothing to sniff at, and even if Lan Wangji has little use for his bride, he would not upset his brother by treating someone he’s fond of callously.

“Meimei,” she returns and watches Xuanyu’s grins stretch to almost painful levels as the young woman reaches out to grab her hands. Xuanyu had felt so cold to the touch before, but now her hands are warm, and with several new callouses. She looks stronger too, thicker around the waist and the flesh of her cheeks, and it’s a relief to see her strengthened in both body and spirit.

Her grin eases and she becomes subdued as she inclines her head to Zixuan. “Jin Zixuan.”

He returns it, eyeing her speculatively, but it’s not a surprise. Jiang Yanli’s not sure if the two of them have ever had a real conversation.

“I brought some extra guests,” Xuanyu says. “Sorry.”

She gestures behind her and Jiang Yanli follows her hand and then blinks rabidly, but the vision in front of her doesn’t change. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen stand there, along with a blind girl that she doesn’t remember seeing before. “It’s not a problem, Meimei. You’ll have to tell me that story of how they came to join you.”

Lan Wangji raises an eyebrow, looking down at Xuanyu who pointedly ignores his gaze. That makes Jiang Yanli nervous, but it doesn’t seem to be tinged with any true animosity. She’s more than familiar what that looks like on Lan Wangji.

“It was uh – recent. So recent that I’m in need of a proper bath and a new set of robes, actually.” She leans in to whisper, loudly enough that they can all hear her just fine, “I switched out my over robe for something less damaged and bloodstained.”

Lan Wangji sighs deeply. Xuanyu rolls her eyes, which seems like a good sign.

“Oh dear,” Jiang Yanli says, affecting wide eyes and a gentle concern that’s only a little fake. For a moment, a smirk steals across Xuanyu’s face before she smooths it out again, which nearly distracts Jiang Yanli from her play here. Not even A-Yao had picked up on her act the first time she used to it. “That sounds so harrowing and awful. Please, let me escort you to my rooms – you can use my bath and I can help you with your hair. We are sisters, after all.”

“Of course, Yanli-jie,” she says, eyes bright with humor. It’s refreshing to do this with someone who’s in on the joke from the beginning and isn’t A-Cheng. “That’s so kind of you, how can I possibly refuse?”

Both of their husbands look put out as they walk away together, arm in arm. Maybe this will finally give Zixuan and Lan Wangji something to talk about.

[tk-duveraun]

In honor of qijiu week, role reversal

SJ is older, YQ was just straight up stolen from another slaver after being called qi. SJ calls him Qi-er bc his baby energy is off the charts and SJ is trying to keep him soft and polite as long as possible. (YQY still mediates between the other children and tries to help them out, SJ is both more and less upset about it. More bc YQ is baby and needs the food the most, but it's necessary as the baby it's more understandable) (The age gap is still two years max, SJ is just being weird about it because trauma)

QJL buys YQ because butter wouldn't melt in his mouth and YQ is much better at faking and hiding the abuse and coerces SJ into running off to CQM. (SJ was willfully blind that his little Qi-er learned manipulation from him)

SJ is scooped up by the sect leader for his cultivation potential. It's only as the sect leader is smoothing out all of his rough edges from the streets that sj, with dawning horror, realizes that YQ played him. He bluffs his way onto a mission to the city where he left Qi-er only to find the manor in ashes, all the men dead.

When he comes back, the sect leader is proud of his subterfuge and DELIGHTED by the new, frozen edge to his ruthlessness. Though very grudging about it, SJ manages a mask of cold, dignified neutrality. Instead of callous, he's seen as above worldly concerns.

His one true rebellion comes when Qi-er suffers staggers up the mountain, too old to begin training and "too ugly to accept" (beauty as righteousness you know, he has a bad scar, deep, cutting through his lips and across his face from when he killed Wu Yanzi)

Sect leader refuses to even consider taking him in and says Yue Qi is a liar for pending to have killed Wu Yanzi.

SJ flights him and threatens to leave, so the sect leader basically says "If he's so strong, he can try Xuan Su" (hoping to kill YQ and teach SJ a lesson)

Even though he's older than canon, he's less trained and still ends up soul-bound. Since he can't draw his sword, he's to be trained as a spiritual cultivator and taken in by QJP where he wears a veil to hide his disfigurement.

SJ avoids him (angry at himself for running Qi-er 's live with the sword) and YQ desperately chases after him, but stays at arm's length when he gets there (he's ashamed for failing the test with the sword, ashamed for being disfigured, ashamed for causing a fight between jiu-ge and his master)

But in combat it is like they were never separated and together they suppress TLJ only for things to remain as uncomfortable as ever.

Things get no better when they ascend.

[svsss-fanon-exposed]

Exposing SVSSS Fanon: 23/∞

NING YINGYING IS YOUNGER THAN LUO BINGHE

Rating: CANON

Because Ning Yingying is Luo Binghe's shijie, sometimes fans will think that this also means she is older than him, due to 姐姐 jiejie referring to an older sister. However, when speaking in terms of sect relations, actual age matters little-- seniors and juniors are determined by who became a disciple of their master first. Therefore, one can be shijie/shixiong and still be younger than their shidi or shimei-- it all depends on when they joined the sect.

For Ning Yingying in specific, she is described as so when we first meet her:

The pretty girl following Luo Binghe came into view as well. She looked slightly younger than Luo Binghe, lovely and adorable, her braided hair bound with orange ribbons as she ran and skipped, brimming with naivety. (7 Seas, Ch. 1)

In this introductory passage she's described as a little younger than Luo Binghe-- and that is never contradicted throughout the novel. Of course, one could argue that she only appears younger than him, but since there is not anything in the text to imply that SQQ's assessment here is inaccurate, as far as canon is concerned, Ning Yingying is younger than Luo Binghe, and there is no reason why she could not be younger than him and still be his senior in Qing Jing Peak.