#another hua cheng loving post

[yoyowrites]

i love hua cheng so much. he doesn't realize that he's a good person but hes amazing. He's a man of his word, he's fair to the people who surround him, he's extremely respectful of his husbands wishes even if he disagrees. hua cheng works so hard for 800 years where xie lian isn't around to see. This is so important to me bc often times the male lead will only be good to the face of their love interest but are actually terrible and it feels like their goodness is only as the love they receive from the love interest (think of male leads who go berserk when the love interest isnt around. love u damon from tvd but thats you). hua Cheng works so hard because he wants to be worthy of xie lian regardless of xie lian's interest in him.

ofc hc wants xl to like him but he doesn't hold his goodness hostage to make xl choose him. He's never like "oh dianxia, you can won't pay attention to me? well I'll have to destroy a town because i cannot handle the pain."! NO! hua cheng always respects xie lians choices, he wants to be a part of those choices. he also doesn't lie to xie lian, saying he's ok with a choice only to chastize him later or behind his back. He's always truthful, explaining that xie lian probably shouldnt meddle but hua cheng loves xie lian and will follow him anywhere but he doesn't really.

i looooooove love love love hua cheng

[shadowgale96]

Hualian // Amonimy's Official Heaven Official's Blessing Book 2 Trailer

[flowersdiceandlove]

“So how do you two know each other?”

Funny story actually,

we have met

in every lifetime.

[thedreamerstoryteller]

The chatterbox good university student and assistant, a young, a bit overconfident and bossy puppy:

His smart, cute and silver tongued university teacher, a gremlin with glasses:

The teacher's sexy husband with a fierce look but an heart of gold, a smug gymbro leader of a huge company:

I need to write a story with these three. ✍🏻

[heartinhyacinth]

Something that I’ve always loved about Hualian is that throughout the series, people had warned Xie Lian of Hua Cheng left and right, told him various horror stories, rumors of cruelty and malice, etc., and yet…Hua Cheng never once (as far as I can remember) tried to counter the accusations with words. He never defended himself or his actions to Xie Lian, never told him of the ways it was false or not as bad as it sounds.

At times, he even went as far as to do the opposite, one example being when Xie Lian said he’d heard rumors of eming (to which Hua Cheng responds, “like how it’s evil, forged from the blood of a living sacrifice?”); when Xie Lian brushed them off as only rumors that shouldn’t be taken at face value, Hua Cheng only smiled (in the donghua at least, we couldn’t see his reaction in the novel considering Xie Lian’s back was to him), and didn’t say anything else on the matter, not refuting or confirming whether it was true, nor proving the details that would surely paint him in a much better light than Xie Lian’s colleagues had.

He’s always let Xie Lian form his own opinions on things, and that includes himself.

Much like the novels themselves, Hua Cheng takes a very “show don’t tell” approach to things. He doesn’t need to tell Xie Lian he can trust him, that he’d never harm him, and that he has reasons for doing what he does. Xie Lian already knows this. He’s shown it to him in his actions. If he had to say the words for Xie Lian to believe him, he’d have seen it as a failure to live up to them. It’s very in character for him imo—he hates hypocrisy and hates when people say one thing and then do another. So it makes sense that he would simply sit back and trust that Xie Lian would see him for who he is.

It’s all very similar to the fact that they don’t say “I love you” throughout all eight books (which I absolutely adore and I’ll make a separate post on soon).

[nyerus]

The Narrative Importantance of Hualian's Sexual Intimacy

This is a repost and minor edit of a thread I made on Twitter yesterday. This is a topic I have always wanted to talk about because of how often it comes up in TGCF fandom, time and time again.

‼️CW: mentions of sexual assault, self-harm, bodily injury‼️

⚠️Major spoilers for the entire novel ahead⚠️

---

Saw a question the other day on what relevance Hualian being sexually intimate by the end of the novel had to either the narrative or Xie Lian's character arc.

In short: it bears significant relevance, especially in context of other themes the novel explores like bodily autonomy.

Throughout the novel, we see time and time again that Xie Lian is often dehumanized by pretty much everyone—including himself—with the sole exception of Hua Cheng. I've talked more in depth about it in an old twt thread, for those interested. @/stalliondany on twt has also made an excellent recent analysis that goes deeper into the specific ways Xie Lian was used as a physical shield, martyr, or scapegoat for others without thought to his humanity or suffering. I highly recommend reading it first!

But to sum it all up: it's important to Xie Lian's character arc to keep in mind that he is used to seeing his own body as a tool to solve problems. And in crucial narrative moments, he is robbed of his bodily autonomy, and either brutalized or violated in service of others.

One of the plot points that ties together all these concepts is actually... Xie Lian's chastity vows. That will be the main focus of this post.

When he was a young teen (or possibly as a child), Xie Lian took an oath of chastity because such was the norm for cultivators seeking ascension in Xian Le. To Xie Lian, even as he grew older, he never had an issue with this because he just never felt sexual attraction to another person, or any desire to be intimate in that way. Even if he yearned for the concept of being loved. And indeed, at first glance, his chastity vows may seem like nothing more than a side note. Or even a funny gag when it comes to Hua Cheng (later).

In reality Xie Lian's chastity vows are not only used against him, but paint a very disturbing picture with regards to his repeated violation.

The Land of the Tender scene is the most obvious example of this. Xie Lian's vows are directly tied to his spiritual powers, and because it affects how his followers see him. They place a high value on his chastity as being vital to his moral character.

For reference, an excerpt from TGCF vol. 3 of the English print translation, page 135:

Xie Lian's method of cultivation required a pure body. Those who worshipped the ascended cultivators who practiced this path were firmly convinced of the transcendence of gods untouched by earthly desires. If they couldn't protect their purity, their following would no doubt collapse and their powers would be devastated. It wouldn't be as serious as plunging from godhood to back to mortality, and there was still the possibility of recovery after many more years of cultivation—but with things as they were now, there was no time for him to sit behind closed doors and cultivate for years!

As a reminder: it is Bai Wuxiang who orchestrated this whole thing. Him trying to compromise Xie Lian in this way is horrific on many levels, yet that's not the main point I want to make here. It's that to preserve his "pure body," the solution Xie Lian realizes is to severely harm himself. To impale himself with his sword through the abdomen.

The juxtaposition of having to maintain bodily purity versus the gruesome violence inflicted on his body is extremely stark.

This grim contrast is no more evident than in the 100 swords scene. Where Xie Lian's body is literally brutalized and defiled to an unthinkable degree. To the point where he, quote: "no longer looked human." Yet he emerges from that temple physically "pure" all the same. His chastity vows were not broken, his body healed without scars. As though he was untouched.... And yet, he was completely destroyed mentally. It left permanent effects on him as a person. It's even worse when the scene is read analogous to sexual assault, as many have talked about before. I think that interpretation actually hits the nail on the head, especially keeping in mind the Land of the Tender scene and all the similarities between them.

Following the 100 swords scene, Xie Lian of course has a complete disconnect between himself and his body. I believe this is part of why he doesn't really feel pain, except when he is with Hua Cheng, who treats him and his body as one. As a person who is cherished, and loved. Hua Cheng is adamant in his adoring treatment of Xie Lian. Small injuries are also something he cannot tolerate because he knows what horrors befell Xie Lian in the past. (He was present at both the terrible moments mentioned above.) He will not let any of that continue, regardless of what Xie Lian says, because he sees it as injustice.

Xie Lian is willing to use himself as a tool to help others no matter the personal cost. He even thinks of it as something he must do, or that he deserves as penance. But Hua Cheng is the one person who asks "what about you?" He's the one that insists "your happiness matters." And it is Hua Cheng that takes issue with Xie Lian's chastity vows as being unfair, unlike everyone else. Regardless of Hua Cheng's reasons for this diegetically, symbolically it means a lot that he is the one opposed to this.

Just thinking about the chastity vows on their own for a moment: Xie Lian can indulge a little bit in stuff like alcohol, which isn't great to begin with for him. But he absolutely cannot engage in "pleasures of the flesh." He can totally have his flesh ripped from his bones, literally, but actually experiencing any kind of sexual gratification? Now that would make him unclean, and lesser.... Why? Because unlike everything else, that's something Xie Lian would do simply for himself to feel good. And what greater crime is there than to ever dare put himself first?

So Hua Cheng—being the one person who puts Xie Lian first above all else—thinking that such a restriction doesn't make sense is important. Hua Cheng being the person who Xie Lian breaks those vows for in the end is important! (Especially because it seems to have been an easy choice for him.)

And of course, the scene with Jun Wu and the Virginity Detector Sword™ has to be mentioned. Again, there's symbolism to be had! The perpetrator of two of the most physically violating moments of Xie Lian's life (both of which were sexual in nature; one literally and one allegorically) being the one to "check" Xie Lian's virginity... oof. Yikes. It's dramatic irony. It's deeply uncomfortable. Especially because Jun Wu probably wanted to know if Xie Lian slept with Hua Cheng, as he already knew Xie Lian wasn't the ghost fetus' father.

So it's once again a stark juxtaposition: of Ghost King Hua Cheng disagreeing with the purity vows, wanting Xie Lian to break them for himself and his own freedom. Versus Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu wanting to weaponize those vows against Xie Lian in whatever way he can, intact or not, to keep control over him.

Naturally, there's something to be said for the real-world problem with such purity vows being used against people, to judge their moral character, societal expectations, etc. Elephant in the room. It's very on the nose, so there isn't even much to say about it that hasn't been said already.

In the end, it comes down to how horrible it is that when Xie Lian tries to help others, it results in immense harm to his body every time. Yet he is expected to continue to bear it, for centuries, by others and also himself. Until he meets Hua Cheng, who helps him rediscover what it means to be happy, and to be loved. So yes, it's absolutely relevant that in the end, Xie Lian decides to break his purity vows to be intimate with Hua Cheng. That he's able to put himself in Hua Cheng's hands, and let himself be treated with affection and desire. It's Xie Lian finally forgiving himself, and beginning to heal.

[mtkay13]

My version of the wardrobe template! yay!! I had a LOT of fun doing this and feel like I could elaborate a bit more on each of those.

It's already linked up here, but here's once again a > link to the post.< Anyway! More about these designs below!

So first, for WKX's template! - Chapter 2: Grey robes I had already made my design of those for the full TYK lineup I made a while back. I really, really like those, and took inspiration from some of the robes SHL!WKX wears in the show for the shapes. - Chapter 69: dark robes with dark red belt I expected to like that style for him, but not that much! I had seen a tutorial on how asymetrical hanfus were worn by archers in the past and that inspired me, purely on a fashion level of course. I like how intimidating he looks with those and enjoy the touches of blue in the inner layer of the robes. - Chapter 75: dark red robes The GVM robes! which I also designed a while back when researching for the illustrations of the Mt Fengya battle scenes that I wanted to make. I reworked them just a little bit and got rid of some details that I didn't like anymore. I tremendously pleated skirts for WKX so I went at it once again. I also used shifts in hues to make it look like it could have been drenched in blood. - Extra 5: deep red robes For the reminder (since apparently some people are not aware of extra 5's existance), this extra is set 5 years post-canon. I wanted WKX to wear something that looked comfortable for traveling but also practical and fashionable. The teal jacket is of course another nod at SHL since the red and teal combo was an absolute banger. Let's say I didn't want WKX to just sport an all-red look. Furthermore, the teal really works to adorn the red hues. - My personal favourite I actually don't really know whether those are my actual personal favourites, but I've come to LOVE WKX dressed in red and white thanks to @kwehxing's designs. I think it really suits him and on top of that it avoids the question "is this Hua Cheng" LMAO--okay jokes aside, I combined most of the shapes that I really like for WKX (wider shoulders, wide sleeves, and long robes with pleated inner robes) and I find him very elegant like this. Now, for ZZS! - Chapter 1: sapphire blue scholar robes Those had already been designed before as well! They're my go to generic TC!ZZS robes, haha. I was a bit extra with the blue colour here, but oh well. I'm quite obsessed with the silver brocade cynching his waist, haha. - Chapter 2: stolen farmer robes A classic as well as far as I'm concerned--of course, inspired by his hobo fit in SHL because it was quite efficient. I'm forever fond of my scruffy hobo!Xu and his toes poking from his sandals. - Chapter 18: luxurious robes from the Gao family Those were a new design! Which I had a lot of fun coming up with. Putting ZZS in a different colour scheme was also really nice. For those who don't remember, ZZS feels quite ridiculous when he sees himself in a mirror wearing those fancy robes while being so emaciated and still sporting his hobo mask. I wanted to give this "out of place" feeling; and also work on a very "wuxia" style for the robes, since this is jianghu and they were provided by Gao Chong. - Extra 5: black robes I'm incredibly fond of this design. I worked quite a bit on it, since I wasn't sure of where I wanted to go. My main guidelines were: practical and cool. I really like ZZS having a lot of room to move so ideally not too much fabric in the way, and I think he also needs arm braces to be rid of annoying sleeves. Of course, him looking much healthier and having a dynamic ponytail really works to "complete the look", and I find that he looks really cool there haha. - My personal favourite This one has been refined over the months, but it's definitely, overall, my favourite look for him in terms of shapes and construction. I like that the robes are short, I like the more fashionable jacket. I'm especially into the "pants tucked into the boots" silhouette, as well as the little ribbons keeping them tight around the ankles. I'd say that this leg shape + short robes + a bun (or sometimes a ponytail) is THE ZZS design combo for me, haha. It looks practical and fun and adventurous, just how I like it.

To conclude the whole post, I had more fun doing this than I even expected, and needless to say that I'm very excited to see other versions of them following this template. It was a good opportunity to try and project what the characters look like throughout the book, and a fun design exercise as well. I actually don't really like doing character design usually, but for characters I'm obsessed with, it's of course a much nicer experience. Anyway, thank you for reading!

[rourouxiaobao]

MXTX FoodZine 2024 \o/

My MXTX FoodZine 2024 fics are finally live!!! On my AO3, that is (they've been live via the official Zine channels for a while now, just that I was overseas, and then fell sick with Post-Trip Flu).

I contributed 2 fics and 3 recipes for this year's Zine! I was supposed to contribute and 3rd fic (collabbing with someone else's recipe) but time and stress really got to me and I couldn't get it done (to my standards) in time. I'll save it for next year's Zine! :D

My contributions: - MDZS fic + 1 recipe (there are 3 recipes in this collab) - TGCF fic + recipe - Recipe for a SVSSS art collab Info for each contribution below, along with page numbers for where they can be found within the digital Zine! For the fics, you can click/tap on the header or fic cover image to be directed to my fic!

Accusations of Murder (And Other Sibling Things) [MDZS Fic]

Relationships: Xue Yang & A-Qing, Jiang Yanli/A-Qing, Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen Tags: Yi City Fam, Siblings Xue Yang & A-Qing, Sibling Shenanigans, Are You Really Siblings If You Haven't Accused Each Other Of Heinous Crimes At Least Once, Sibling Love Language Is Accusing Your Sibling Of Murdering Your Pet, But You'll Also Die For Them, And You'll Absolutely Murder Anyone Who Fucks With Them, Just Sibling Things, Food Fic, MXTX FoodZine, Suppportive Bro Xue Yang, Coming Out, No Hurt All Comfort, Sibling Bonding, Modern AU Summary: Something is bothering A-Qing and Xue Yang, in his capacity as her insufferable responsible big brother, decides to do something about it.

Bribery with food and unfounded! accusations of murder abound. Pages: 110-115 (Pg110 GhostySword's recipe; Pg111 DJ's recipe card; Pg112 my recipe + DJ's art; Pgs113-115 my fic) Please check the post-fic notes for DJ's and Ghosty's socials!

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Grocery List [TGCF Fic]

Relationships: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian, He Xuan/Shi Qingxuan, Shi Qingxuan & Xie Lian, Hua Cheng & He Xuan, Jun Wu/Mei Nianqing Tags: Food Fic, MXTX FoodZine, Modern AU, Xie Lian's Absolutely Trash Luck, Xie Lian's Absolutely Trash Cooking Skills, But If There's No Cooking Involved It'll Be Okay Right, In Sanlang We Trust, Getting Drunk, Drunken Shenanigans, Hualian, Beefleaf, Hangover, Meetcute or Meatcute, Undergrad Extracurricular Activities, Getting Together Summary: Through the capricious whims of fate, Xie Lian (someone who can and has burned a pot of water) finds himself registering to be a member of his new university's Cooking Club. Worst still, he has to bring a dish to the annual party for first-year students!

Will the help and advice of his new (best?) friend Sanlang be enough to help him whip up something that won't result in disaster to his kitchen or the local hospital's emergency department? Pages: 229-236 (Pg229 my recipe; Pgs230-236 my fic; Pg236 Misty's art) Please check the post-fic notes for Misty's socials!

Triple-Choco Cookies [SVSSS Recipe Card]

Recipe: Me Art: Inu [inuthe3rd @ Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram ] Page: 53

What Was The Dropped Entry?

It was the SVSSS fic for Li's (chefyli909 on Twitter) Ice Cream Mochi recipe. It's a MoShang fic (with background BingQiu). I had Grand Plans to do a fic for each MXTX-verse. Idk why I keep trying to murder myself lol. I guess with Inu's recipe card, I technically do have an entry/contribution for each, but still... ^^;;;

All that said, please check out the whole Zine for excellent MXTX foodie works by many awesome and talented fanwork creators! ^u^

And many thanks to the MXTX FoodZine team for their hard work and incalculable effort in coordinating yet another year of excellence! I'm so glad to be part of this fantastic Zine once again!

[frostfires-blog]

Valentine's Day Poll Winner:

Top 10 MXTX Side Ships

Sorry that I'm only posting this almost 2 full days after Valentine's Day... I highly underestimated how long this was going to take and had a few things up which delayed me further... Before I start, I just wanted to remind everyone that this is what won the poll—so I'm not just putting this out to rile people up. I'd also like to reiterate that this list is based on my own opinions—so please don't get upset with me if your favourite ship isn't here or isn't in the placement you'd want to be. Admittedly putting together this list was a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be... Considering I value ships that have a good basis in the canonical narrative and avoid pairings with a lot of toxicity, there weren't many options... There are also a quite few popular ships that I have mixed feelings on, so I chose not to include them... That being said constructive comments are welcome! I'd love for you to politely share your own favourites in the comments!

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

-> Honourable Mentions:

Lan Yuan × Jing Ling

Lan Yuan × Lan Jingyi

Sha Hualing × Liu Mingyan

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

-> Top 10 MXTX Side Ships:

10.) Moshang │ Mobei-Jun × Shang Qinghua

I'm sure a lot of you are going to be disappointed that the only canonical M/M side pairing in MXTX's novel was placed so low on my list... I don't know how to explain it other than that I like the idea of them as pairing but don't quite like the execution... I feel that they weren't given enough time to properly grow on me and that we don't see enough of their dynamic for me to like them as much as the other ships on this list. They have a lot of issues that weren't handled as carefully as I would've liked due to SVSSS' light-hearted tone. That being said I like how they gradually bring out the best in one another—with Shang Qinghua becoming more standoffish and bold while Mobei-Jun becomes more expressive and compromising.

09.) Tianlang-Jun × Su Xiyan

Admittedly it's a little hypocritical of me to place them above MoShang considering that these two got even less screentime and things ended tragically... But I really liked the bit of their dynamic that we saw. Tianlang-Jun is such a fun character and Su Xiyan complements him so well. What I appreciate most about this ship is its subversion of a few conventional tropes, particularly with Tianlang-Jun being characterised as a "lovestruck teenage girl" and a "pampered young lady who fled from home and was oblivious to the world".  In contrast, Su Xiyan is characterised as a "wealthy young master," "cold and ruthless," and "solemn and driven."

08.) QuanYin │ Quan Yizhen × Yin Yu

The fandom has many opposing opinions on this ship and while I have my conflicting thoughts, I can't help but want to root for them. They have an intriguing yet complex dynamic in the canon narrative. While Quan Yizhen is strongly attached to Yin Yu and admires and cares for him, Yin Yu intentionally avoids Quan Yizhen, claiming that he despises him—though this hatred appears to be a front to conceal his own guilt and uneasiness. I find it incredibly moving that, despite everything that has transpired, Quan Yizhen has chosen to believe in Yin Yu's sincerity—despite what others say—and continues searching for him. Yin Yu is someone who struggles to see the good in himself—while Quan Yizhen can only see the good in Yin Yu. Despite their difficulties communicating, the extent they've gone to defend one another despite everything makes their care for one another evident.

07.) Pei Xiu × Banyue

Dare I say that this ship is one of the most underrated ones in the TGCF fandom… They somewhat serve as a parallel to HuaLian like most other hinted ship pairs in the series do. Pei Xiu's guilt and helplessness to save Banyue—along with his willingness to sacrifice himself and others to protect and avenge her—are reminiscent of Hua Cheng's feelings and actions. Similarly, Banyue's benevolent beliefs led to her achieving no success and culminated in her suffering, drawing a subtle parallel with Xie Lian's tribulations. On the other hand, Pei Xiu and Banyue differentiate themselves from HuaLian in a lot of ways. While Pei Xiu values Banyue over her own wishes and ends up harming innocent people, Hua Cheng greatly respects Xie Lian's desire to protect others and sacrifices himself instead. TGCF delves into the interplay between devotion, morality, and obsession—with several subsidiary relationships depicting the alternative trajectories the main pair could have followed under slightly different circumstances. This results in dynamics that are both notably comparable but also significantly distinct from the main pair in several of its prominent side pairs.

06.) FengQing │Feng Xin × Mu Qing

I'm sure their presence on their list was expected given that they're the most popular side ship in TGCF. Their immense popularity isn't without cause and can largely be attributed to their dynamic chemistry and abundance of comical canonical interactions. I'm a huge fan of the rivals-to-lovers trope which these two embody perfectly with their tension-filled interactions and contrasting personalities. Despite their distaste for one another they are almost always seen collaborating with one another, often not needing words to do so. They have also saved and protected one another numerous times. They bring out the best in one another as they are very closely matched in numerous respects, and as such their competitiveness drives them to strive for improvement. Although their lengthy history together denotes that they have a better understanding of each other than anyone else, the long-standing misconceptions they have of one another provide opportunities for them to grow as they work through them—which lends their dynamic a sense of novelty. Despite their contrasting viewpoints and personalities, they have the capacity to be a good match given Mu Qing's desire for acceptance and stability and Feng Xin's innate reliability and protectiveness.

05.) SongXiao │ Song Lan × Xiao Xingchen

It's a common conception that Xiao Xingchen was supposed to have his own separate story—I think that the depth of the bond between these two makes this even more apparent. That being said, the Yi City arc integrates itself well into the narrative of MDZS. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen serve as a great parallel to WangXian. Both Xiao Xingchen and Wei Wuxian had noble aspirations and promising futures but instead fell into despair after doing what they felt was right brought them and their loved ones suffering. Furthermore, both characters sacrificed a part of themselves for a loved one, leaving themselves vulnerable. Likewise, Song Lan and Lan Wangji have similar dispositions and have both erratically pushed away the person they cared about most—leaving them to lament the person's death as they were unable to save them. Although their story ends tragically, their care for one another is evident in their final actions: Song Lan not alerting Xiao Xingchen of his presence to avoid hurting the latter with the revelation of Xue Yang's deception, and Xiao Xingchen taking his own life after discovering that he had been deceived into killing Song Lan. Furthermore, Xiao Xingchen's willingness to give up his sight for Song Lan is not just a display of his innate altruism—or to assuage his guilt—but is also a testament to his care for the latter.

04.) Pei Ming × Yushi Huang

I've really come to like this ship upon my second full read-through of TGCF. While they don't get many interactions, the ones they do get are quite telling. I never get tired of seeing the "pretty boy gets brought down to earth by a nonchalant girl" trope. In this regard, these two are somewhat reminiscent of the dynamic Jinshi x Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries) has. Pei Ming's awkwardness around Yushi Huang, and how he repeatedly finds himself saved by her despite his masculine chauvinism, is incredibly amusing. I maintain that this is the only pairing in which Pei Ming is not depicted as a suave heartbreaker—given that Yushi Huang subconsciously forces Pei Ming to confront his flaws and archaic viewpoints. In my opinion, a healthy relationship is one that continually encourages you to better yourself. Yushi Huang's genuine selflessness and humility sharply contrast with Pei Ming's excessive arrogance and egocentricity. Pei Ming and Yushi Huang are essentially the antithesis of one another, which adds to their complexity and chemistry. Their dynamic is further compounded by their uncomfortable history which necessitates for them to actively work at things for a relationship to work out.  In the original novel, I got the impression that there were some unrequited feelings on Pei Ming's end—and from what I've heard the revised version further hints at this. With that in mind, another aspect of this pairing that I appreciate is that it provides a sense of fulfilment regardless of whether it culminates in a mutual relationship or remains unreciprocated. In the latter case, there is a sense of poetic justice as Xuan Ji's curse on Pei Ming will have manifested as a punitive karma.

03.) LiuShen │ Liu Qingge × Shen Yuan

I'm not sure if this counts as the side ship, but I'm going to opt to include them... I've spoken about LiuShen here before—but I'll repeat a lot of what I said because it still stands... SVSSS is the only MXTX novel where I've fully committed to shipping a protagonist with a character aside from their main romantic interest. I just find something about LiuShen's dynamic so gripping... I truly adore all of their interactions. The little presents Liu Qingge occasionally brings Shen Qingqiu from missions along with him constantly returning the latter's lost fans are the cutest detail. They balance each other out so well, with Shen Qingqiu relying on Liu Qingge's physical strength and Liu Qingge trusting in Shen Qingqiu's vast knowledge and intellect. Liu Qingge is a relatively stubborn, aloof, and straightforward person—but Shen Qingqiu brings out this sort of determined, flustered, and complex side of him. The saddest thing for me is that it's highly implied in the extras that Liu Qingge thought that Shen Qingqiu was his soulmate... Shen Qingqiu while often subtly annoyed by Liu Qingge's aloofness and bluntness, clearly has a degree of respect and admiration for him. The way he sometimes finds himself inadvertently poetically describing Liu Qingge's features is both amusing and endearing. Another aspect in the canon narrative that makes me gravitate towards these two is the fact that Liu Qingge spent all those years trying to get Shen Qingqiu's deceased body back from Luo Binghe—despite there being nothing in return for him other than having his pride repeatedly trampled on. Out of all the MXTX pairings, I probably read the most fanfics of these two (& WangXian), so please drop any LiuShen fic recs in the comments below!

02.) XuanLi │ Jin Zixuan × Jiang Yanli

Generally speaking, I find people in the fandom either really like this pairing or really dislike it. While I somewhat understand people's misgivings, I do think many overlook the context of their relationship ignore and Jin Zixuan's character development. Although Jin Zixuan is initially immature and arrogant, he becomes more mature, upstanding and caring. His initial dissatisfaction with his arranged engagement to Jiang Yanli is comprehensible—considering no one desires to be coerced into a lifelong commitment—particularly when confronted with numerous instances of arranged unions resulting in turmoil. After their engagement is dissolved, Jin Zixuan is free to pursue anyone he likes, and it is only after maturing that he falls for Jiang Yanli's compassion and thoughtfulness. Only once his misguided assumptions about her are dispelled is he able to pursue her of his own volition. They complement each other—albeit in a more nuanced manner than WangXian. Jiang Yanli acts as a source of tranquillity, humility, and sincerity to Jin Zixuan—who is otherwise encircled by ostentatious and duplicitous individuals. While Jin Zixuan provides fulfilment, security, and assurance to Jiang Yanli—who has experienced significant loss and upheaval. In this sense, they remind me a lot of Kyo x Tohru (Fruits Basket), which makes me adore them even more. They were both brought up in households with parents who were constantly at odds and as a result, they share a strong desire to better themselves for each other. This is most notably seen when Jin Zixuan invites Wei Wuxian to their son's one-month banquet—despite their prior disputes—to make Jiang Yanli happy. It was truly endearing to see him swallow his pride and embarrassment whilst courting her, and one of my favourite details is that teases him about this after their marriage. I'd give anything for an added scene of them interacting with Jin Ling, their son who embodies their best traits despite them never having had the opportunity to raise him.

01.) Beefleaf │ He Xuan × Shi Qingxuan

Unsurprisingly, I had to rank these two at #1! Why am I so infatuated with these two, despite what occurred during the Black Water Arc? I do not know... But what I do know is that I don't go a week without thinking about them and what could have been... Their dynamic centres around the interplay of vengeance, duty, guilt, friendship, and betrayal—making them narratively complex and intriguing in a way that's different from HuaLian. I fear I'm secretly a sucker for unexpected angst... They pack in so many great complex tropes that I can't begin to list them all... Although I'm typically drawn towards happy endings, they satisfy my deep-seated yearning for angst—in a way that only Eren x Mikasa (Attack on Titan) has managed to do. The Black Water Arc is so messy because while you absolutely feel for Shi Qingxuan, you can totally understand He Xuan as well. That duality is quite difficult to pull off... I believe that we oftentimes tend to focus on Shi Qingxuan's sentiments towards He Xuan while rarely examining the latter's feelings. It's evident that He Xuan wanted to despise Shi Qingxuan but couldn't quite bring himself to. He practically acknowledged that he had wanted Shi Qingxuan to choose him over Shi Wudu by offering him several chances. While Shi Qingxuan never picked up on anything, and He Xuan couldn't let go of his desire for vengeance—the sentiment of "what if" will always remain. While I would've liked to see more of them in the series—particularly after their fallout—I liked how ambiguous and nuanced their feelings are portrayed towards one another. Although it is improbable that they would ever reconcile—it is apparent that Shi Qingxuan will spend the rest of his life rehashing the past, dwelling on overlooked details while wishing he had done things differently. Similarly, it is implied that He Xuan will be watching over Shi Qingxuan from a distance, wondering if he made the right decision—as suggested by the former returning the latter's fan and not having dissipated after exacting his revenge. They possess strikingly complementary yet contrasting aesthetics and attributes that evoke an ethereal, poetic quality. This is undoubtedly what allows me to hear them in so many songs and see them in so many things…  Just like with many other TGCF side pairings, several parallels can be drawn between Beefleaf and Hualian. Both Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian—who are apart of the Famous Four Tales—are among the few gods who are compassionate, moral, and fair. He Xuan and Hua Cheng—both ghost kings apart of the Four Calamities—are seen as antisocial, haughty, and bothersome.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗‗

Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll... Hopefully, this met your expectations. You're more than welcome to share your own lists and any fic recs in the comments! There are a lot of points that I chose not to expand on due to time constraints... So, if there's anything you want me to elaborate on, then feel free to send me an ask. My inbox is also open if you have any other questions or requests...

[naehja]

All my Beefleaf prompts, you can see the full prompt by clicking on "here" (feel free to use it, please just respect the main pairing of the prompts)

After the final battle, Qingxuan is kidnapped by some people who sold him to a brothel. He Xuan saves him [Here]

Beefleaf AU where, after the Black Water Arc, Pei Ming and Ling Wen says to Shi Qingxuan's followers that “the Lady Wind Master has been taken away by the cruel supreme ghost black water" so a lot of people pray Craimson Rain to save her. [Here]

Beefleaf Dream-Sharing Soulmates [Here]

Beefleaf Pain-Sharing Soulmates [Here]

Soulmates Au where it's only because they are soulmates that the switch of fates was possible [Here]

He Xuan is send back in time again and again and has to rethink his revenge [Here]

Shi Qingxuan is captured by the men of a brothel after He Xuan abandonned him post Black Water Arc. He Xuan realizes and save him, possibly killing a lot of people because no way he'll let people who did that live (not the same that the other one) [Here]

AU where He Xuan changes his mind just before starting his revenge, decides to go in another route and ask to marry Qingxuan so he'll be separated of his brother forever. [Here]

In this AU, nobody see the wind master and the water master as a couple because everyone knows that the Lady of the Wind is the precious sister of the Water Master. But after some time, after some events, people start to see the Wind Master as the Earth Master’s wife. [Here]

Au where, after a night with Ming Yi, Shi Qingxuan can’t turn back into his man form. She goes to a healer god and learns that she’s pregnant. [Here]

Pirates marry (female) Shi Qingxuan to He Xuan (without him knowing it) to be able to pass freely near of his island [Here]

Shi Qingxuan (Female form) was pregnant during Black Water Arc but nobody knew. Xie Lian discovers it some months after the final fight and he's NOT happy. He Xuan didn't know neither and will have to kneel for forgiveness [Here]

Shi QingXuan falls VERY sick post canon and Xie Lian takes care of him while dealing with the mess of feelings that He Xuan is, because the ghost can't put words on what he feels for Qingxuan and acts like if he was super worried (he is). [Here]

Shi QingXuan falls VERY sick post canon. But it’s not Xie Lian who saves him in this prompt, but He Xuan. [Here]

Shi Qingxuan is the one to save Xie Lian from the coffin. He brings him back to his palace in Heaven, and panicks a little but is very selfless and kind and give him a lot of spiritual power, and calls Ming Yi and Shi Wudu to ask advices. [Here]

Beefleaf Beauty and the Best Au where He Xuan, rather than pretend to be Ming Yi, decides to kidnap Shi Qingxuan for his revenge against Shi Wudu [Here]

Beefleaf prompt Au where the real Ming Yi manages to escape from Black Water Manor and returns to Heaven.He Xuan is discovered and must escape from Heaven after have been revealed. [Here]

Beefleaf Dragon Au [Here]

Beefleaf Mermaids AU [Here]

Shi Qingxuan, after have done a lot of good actions, re-ascends as Wind Master AND God of the Ghosts [Here]

Shi Qingxuan takes care of Ming Yi after have saved him from Hua Cheng’s manor [Here]

pre Black Water Arc) He Xuan speaks with Hua Cheng about Shi Qingxuan and Hua Cheng realize that He Xuan is in love with the wind master [Here]

Crossover MDZS/TGCF where, the Nie Family are the descendants of the Shi Family. Huaisang ascends as God of Revenge. And force He Xuan to take his responsabilities toward Shi Qngxuan. Because Qingxuan is suffering. [Here]

SVSSS Prompts, you can see the full prompt by clicking on "here" (feel free to use it, please just respect the main pairing of the prompts)

The System send back Shen Yuan home (possibly Liujiu if you want, but i'm more interested by the consequences and how Shen Jiu recover to have had his body stolen of him for years without anyone noticing) [Here]

The OOC lock stays locked [Here]

Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan share Shen Jiu's body because the system has had a bug. One day it's SY, the day after it's SJ (Liujiu, Bingyuan). [Here]

Shen Jiu takes Liu Qingge's sister as disciple (Liujiu) [Here]

Shen Jiu wakes up i the past with the memories of original timeline and try to change the futur (Liujiu)[Here]

[meelkiewee]

Hello!

As a first post i wanted to share my favourite bubbies and since tumblr seems more text oriented than the other socials I have, I'd like to explain what was going on in my head while doing their character redesigns~ [BOOKS SPOILERS MENTIONED]

INTRODUCTION

These character designs were made back in winter 2022 for a sort of animation thesis. Many things didn't go according to plan in that school year so for lack of time and motivation I've never really finished the animatic but I will include a wip at the end of this post. The animatic was about my interpretation of their story, finding a person to call home while in a crude and terrible world.

XIE LIAN

Xie Lian is the first of the two I made, his character design was very clear in my mind since the start. It's not largely distant from your official usual XL but I thought it already fitted very well.

The three main colors for XL are white, black and golden yellow. The prevalence of black and white colors was inspired by two main factors:

I personally see XL as a heavily dichotomy based character, not only in the association to the White Clothed Calamity but also in the way he's described as pretty as a flower but skillful with the sword, following a chaste path but mingling with a ghost king, all kind smiles to others but struggling with his own hope, etcetera, etcetera. He is in a constant struggle to find a third option that is better than simply bad or good, mostly in his early God's days, and also later on with ‘not knowing whether to laugh or cry’. So in here, black and white represent the reality of human nature, where you have bad and good qualities alike, a concept I think XL struggled with a lot since he was brought up as the perfect and pure prince that can do no wrong.

According to my research of the meaning behind colors in the chinese culture I discovered black and white can symbolize many things, some of which I found quite fitting for where I wanted to go with my character design. Black can stand for sadness and bad luck. White represents brightness, purity and innocence. In some instances, however, white is also associated with death and is a color commonly worn at funerals. Moreover in my own culture black and white, along with deep blue, are very elegant colors to wear. Simple and elegant is what my XL wants to look like.

Another important part of my XL character design is his bamboo hat.

Following some good old christian imagery I used his hat as an halo. Most of the time I even ignored perspective to make sure his head is always framed in this golden saintly circle In my animatic storyline specifically it represents XL perfection. Soon the hat is lost in the mud and brought back later on by HC with a new meaning of finding yourself in a safe environment with safe people. 

For most of the other design choices I took decisions based on pure aesthetics such as giving him a very elegant mole under the eye, very long and lucious hair and a very very long hanfu with some very very long sleeves. Yes, I wanted him to be very very everything because I very very love him!

Here are some other very very outfits i drew him in for fun and didn’t need for the animatic:

_____________________________________

HUA CHENG

As a premise to my HC character design I want to say I am very amused at people’s different reactions to it. They are usually neatly split in two: either they hate it with a passion or just fall head over heels in love with it, no in between. I personally am in the ‘love it’ side (duh of course I am, I designed it lol) but I also understand if your first thought is “WHO TF IS THAT?”, so let me explain my thought process here.

Firstly, hot take: official HC character is made to be your perfect cool-hot-mysterious-boyfriend™ that has it more together than you do and we don’t like that in this household, at least not always. Yes he is XL’s most devoted believer, yes he is a very powerful supreme, yes he’s always there for his Gege but in the end he’s also a very traumatized person that has had a crush for a guy for 800+ years.

What I’m saying is I wanted him to be a little more relatable and goofy than what books show us so I integrated some of his personality hidden away in E’Ming. From here I got the puffy messy hair, the big round eye and the doubtful expression.

Next up let’s talk about the palette. He also has, like XL, three main colors:

Blue. Mostly of the time he spends around XL he does it in his true form, wich is the form of a dead person (even dead more than once;;). This is pretty self explanatory, when someone dies the hue of their skin goes to blue and also ghosts in general are frequently represented pale blue or white in color. As a little side note to this, I really enjoyed the blue demons HuaLian episode in donghua S2, it made me feel less alone in my smurf choice lol.

Red. This is canonically HC’s color and rightfully so! Red is widely recognized as China's color of good fortune, and in my culture, it is frequently used as a symbol of passion and the color of blood. There is really nothing better than red for Mr. Crimson Rain!

Lilac. Although I'm not sure about my research on this color in Chinese culture, I've read that it modernly represents love or romance. However, growing up in my hometown, purple (and all its shades) was always associated with ugliness and was thought to be a bad omen if worn. Whoever had the nerve to wear it was regarded as a distasteful and ominous weirdo. I think it fitted perfectly with how every other Heaven Official other than XL sees HC; someone who makes blood rain for fun and a potential and actual threat to the Heavenly Court.

As for XL, other choices I made serve a mostly aesthetic purpose. HC’s boxy build, pointy ears and the opened robe to see tiddies(🤩) are some of the notable ones.

HC would not be complete without E’Ming, obviously. After comparing some different blades and trying to integrate a butterfly in the design, I opted for keeping it simple and I ended up with this wobbly shaped hilt made to resemble HC’s bang. The fact that now E’Ming looks like it has a big nose is just an added charm honestly.

CONCLUSION

Thanks for reading until this point I hope you enjoyed my yap and make sure to have a nice day/night! <33

I'll leave the link to my animatic wip here, please note once again that it is not finished in the slightes and there are also some funky expressions that don't really fit the mood lol enjoyyy!

-Sole

[mxtxfanatic]

i think you'd articulate it much better than i could but i'd love to know your thoughts about disability in mxtx's work!

i love the way she has all her mcs deal with spiritual (?) disabilities (corelessness, without a cure, the shackles). i'd say it's like half a step removed from actual rep, but she handles it really thoughtfully imo!

( maybe including other stuff/characters like the bm trauma etc)

Idk, I’ve never thought of stuff like the golden core removals or Without-a-cure as disabilities, because they only affect cultivation, which is not innate to the human body. It’s like claiming that an able-bodied person has a mobility disability because they no longer have a car. Yeah it takes longer to get places because you have to walk, now, but that doesn’t make you disabled. I am much more willing to talk about disability in mxtx novels through the lens of mental illness.

I like how mental illnesses like trauma and ptsd are handled through community care and not random vent sessions as stand-ins for modern therapy. I feel like this takes a more realistic approach on what it could look like when you take trauma seriously instead of relegating all healing to individualistic habit changes. For instance: the onset of Xie Lian’s spiral into his panic attacks and depression was being abandoned by his closest friends and then the suicide of his parents. Before that, he was able to continue on after the fall of Xianle based on their support of him, but after everyone leaves and he’s alone, he sinks heavily into despair. It is only after experiencing the unconditional support of Wuming that he is able to pull himself out of the pit, and meeting Hua Cheng later is what gives him to confidence to actually open himself back up again instead of taking on issues alone because he had no one to rely on anymore.

In mdzs, Wei Wuxian during the war and immediately post-war aftermath is a very tense person, still polite and charming but very distant from his peers. Part of that is the cultivation world beginning to treat him differently as they covet his power, but another part is that he had to remain on guard to protect himself, even from the people who he was formerly closest with. There was no one that he could depend on until he liberated the Qionqi Path labor camp. Afterwards, we see how Wei Wuxian is returned to his silly, playful self after spending time with the Wen remnants in the Burial Mounds, even though logically, this was the most dangerous time of his life outside of literal war in his first lifetime. The difference, however, is that he actually has people that he doesn’t have to guard against and who he can be honest and free with despite all the messy lines of debt and repayment that initially bound them together.

In svsss, though I don’t think Shen Qingqiu had any mental health issues, the thing that differentiates him from Shen Jiu is that Shen Qingqiu built up relationships with his martial siblings in the few years he had transmigrated, while the original goods kept himself intentionally isolated in his own sea of bitterness and jealousy. When the world turns against Shen Jiu, it is of his own making, but when the same happens to Shen Qingqiu, he has a whole mountain at his back ready to defend him—or even just his body! And in the post-canon when something happens on bingqiu’s time away, his first thought is “let’s go back to the sect for protection.” He never has a chance to fall into that same despair because he knows he has a community of support in case anything goes wrong. On the opposite end of things, the lack of love, community, and inclusion is what eventually sets Luo Binghe on his descent into madness, and it is the assurance that Shen Qingqiu both loves him and will never abandon him that pulls him back from the brink.

I’ve seen quite a few people make snide comments about how “of course” mxtx characters react badly to trauma because they exist in a setting without therapy, but I think this both ignores the autonomy of the characters (wwx, xl, or even yqy do not react to being traumatized in the same way that, say, sj or mq do) and also the fact that the solution to a lot of mental health issues that arise from trauma is a change in circumstances and having community. So even though therapy doesn’t exist in mxtx novels, the solutions to a lot of these problems still feels realistic and intentional rather than falling into “everyone traumatized will turn evil” or “love cures all, don’t look too deeply into it,” while also putting onus on the individual to choose healing rather than it being something that just passively happens to them.

[revel-inbluehues]

This is very much an essay. Consider this my praise for s2ep9. I'll fangirl in another post.

Xie Lian acknowledged that he's never seen Hua Cheng angry, but he approached him without any fear or worry. Even after he was unexpectedly paralysed, he still didn't doubt the fact that HC would never hurt. While he was confused and nervous, he still trusted HC with his life, despite having been out into a paralysis, and doesn't doubt HC's intentions for even a second.

Hua Cheng is angrier than we've ever seen him. He wasn't fazed at all by anything in season 1 except when XL mentioned being hurt or was hurt. He had, in the previous episodes, watched as the love of his existence discredit himself and hold back his tears. Even earlier, HC had accidently hurt him. Now, he gets to vent the anger at himself for his helplessness, anger at the Lang Qianqiu for his ignorance and anger at Qi Rong for his schemes. He is angry and one of the many people who hurt and mocked XL was in front of him. With every insult against XL, HC only gets angrier.

For the next part, I'd like to mention that LQQ in his daruma form is adorable and I laughed when he jumped out like a pokeball.

Onto the more serious look, LQQ is angry as well, but a lot more confused and the donghua team did a great job at expressing. He shifted between denial, confusion, reassurance and anger as he battles the words between XL and QR, and the donghua team did brilliantly to express this. The music was appropriately dramatic. It feels sharp, more like battle music, and paused and played at the right moments to increase the drama. He'd rather trust the man he thinks murdered his whole family rather than face the possibility that he condemned the wrong person and he lived a large portion of his life based on a lie, hating a person who might not have deserved and letting the men who did commit the murder get away with it (to some extent). Even Prince Anle was honoured as a friend of the king in death rather than a traitor to the nation.

Speaking of XL's words to LQQ, the fact that he yelled against QR's words the moment he could talk was a testament to his nerves and desperation and a shock to both LQQ and QR. It is an absolutely absurd situation from LQQ's view. He's watching a man argue that he was the guilty party behind the murders when normally, people would be trying to blame each other and prove themselves innocent. It's very obvious the XL is hiding something but LQQ chooses not to chase the answers and settles with XL's story because if it isn't true, then he would have to reevaluate the past few centuries and face the reality that his personal feelings blinded him to the facts, not that anyone can quite blame him for it. Meanwhile, Qi Rong is shocked because, from his view, a random man showed up and called him a liar, despite him very much telling the truth, or what he believes to be the truth.

When Xie Lian is talking about his second demotion, I love how they cut to HC, softer now that he was looking XL. HC knows exactly why his 'heart was uncertain' but he is also clearly hoping that part of it was because XL missed Wu Ming and he mourned him. The implications is something that novel readers can see and cry about; XL's second shackle was his own punishment for getting Wu Ming killed and it was sign that he did care for Wu Ming, the nameless ghost, his last believer. However, HC doesn't know that. He can only hope that he occupied a modicum of XL's heart but never think of asking because he's afraid of the answer. His love may be unconditional, but rejection would hurt and meaning nothing to XL would be a painful existence for him. In a single frame, I see the love, hope and adoration that HC has for XL.

There are a lot of good Hualian scenes in this episode. There is a lot more casual touches, where Xie Lian is trying to calm HC down and HC is too angry to be panicking about it. The irony is absolutely not lost when QR asks about who'd worship XL and make statues of him while HC, XL's most devoted follower who carved thousands of statues of him, was standing right there.

XL takes every one of QR's insults with a smile because he genuinely isn't offended. It's hard to be insulted by children's jabs after everything he went through. To him, it isn't a big deal, while HC was only getting progressively angrier at QR for insulting him. The moment QR insulted HC, however, was when XL instantly turned to violence, striking before he could fully finish. It wasn't that big of an insult, calling HC blind, but it was enough of a transgression that XL slapped him like a fly. To XL, HC quickly became someone he cared for, respected and wanted by his side, for what was probably the first time in forever. It only makes sense for XL to be viciously protective of the first person that he cared for on a personal level rather than 'the world should be protected' stance. Meanwhile, HC was genuinely surprised by XL's actions. While he would protect XL against everything, he was never expecting that protection returned but HC, in his insecurity and devotion, does not fully understand the fact that, while true devotion can be one-sided, true love can't be. XL does care deeply for HC, a fact that he hasn't comprehended yet.

Even when Hua Cheng blocks Feng Xin with E-Ming, he is extremely gentle. He knows that all of this is going to hurt XL but it needed to happen and Hua Cheng was there to catch. It was also fascinating to see Lang Qianqiu realise that he won't be able to stop Xie Lian from killing Qi Rong if it came down to it and there was a true worry that he might never find out the truth if Xie Lian got through him. On the other hand, Xie Lian was truly desperate; this was a secret he buried, and faced 100 years in a coffin to ensure that it stayed buried. Now, without much of a warning, all of it was coming out and Xie Lian is panicking.

One of my favourite parts in this episode is Qi Rong himself. His voice actor did a brilliant job at portraying the wild, manic and immature personality of Qi Rong. He is somewhat intelligent; you can't survive 800 years without some serious planning, and he did plot the gilded banquet along with other skirmishes everywhere else. However, he is childish and arrogant in a way that the other ghosts aren't. He's powerful enough to stand above other ghosts and too weak to stand as equals with the calamities, so despite his attempt to escape his mediocrity compared to certain others (e.g., Xie Lian and Hua Cheng) failed. His immaturity shines through in the animation. He is the most animated and restless character so far, moving constantly and expressing himself in his limbs a lot more than others. It makes him feel a lot less composed than the others, and his actions cement that. He crawls around, he holds his knees, and he gets red in the face when people don't respond to his riling. It gives a much more maniachal yet silly vision of him. While it doesn't make him a completely terrifying presence like White No-Face, he does make people weary with his antics. He is definitely one of the characters that I hate as people but love as character. I think Qi Rong was the part where the entire donghua team truly and absolutely outdid themselves, even though I do think they do an amazing job every day.

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter 36

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

Comfy vibes only today!

Matcha tea to go with the looping soundtrack in my brain that is Abracadabra. I finally watched the music video and this song has taken over my life LOL. The choreo, the cane choreo, the CHAIR choreo. Stellar, S tier, 100%, no changes.

You are welcome, I hope it's also stuck in your head;

Let's go chapter 36!!!

Mu Qing LOL; I snorted reading this. This guy is watching Xie Lian jump off the wall like, IDGAF, I've seen him do this shit before, he's fine. p113

I hope he doesn't end up being problematic later, because I have a healthy respect for Lang Ying. I stand with those out there working to overthrow oppressive governments. p115

Qi Rong over here getting himself into some bullshit. I would not be surprised if it was his fault (Re: hanging upside-down from a tree). p117

"Do you think what you're doing is right" p119 He absolutely does not think it's right. Xie Lian doesn't see an alternative though.

This art is incredible! So haunting! This is White No Face? I think they were mentioned earlier (maybe by Hua Cheng) but I can't recall what we learned about them. p121

"But you'd be better switched to a saber" p126. I love this kid so much. I also hope he's no problematic.

Another build-up chapter

I feel like this is so close to shit absolutely going down. Too many things are in motion rn. We have a god intervening, the king taking a stance, a rebel army, and now GHOSTS.

[yulen-the-ghost]

(Unedited) Land of Tender + Post Marriage Hualian interaction

(There's no title either lol)

Fragment:

"M-my Lord!! I have been loyal to you, the rest of my girls just didn't get it!!" She weeps. "My Lord, it's true that I tried to poison you the first time we met, and... Several other times, but I've changed!! You, you, YOU GAVE ME A HEART!!" "Didn't you say I 'broke your heart' just moments ago?" Hua Cheng points out bemused. "WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER, I-- I LOVE YOU!!" Xie Lian turns around with a dangerous expression. His face is full of black lines as he finally steps forward in front of Hua Cheng and slashes with his bare hand. Not an ounce of spiritual power was needed to turn that demon into a literal pulp. Xie Lian shakes his hand to get rid of the substance—that can't be called blood—and turns around to face his husband. "Now I see why this business was so urgent. I'm glad to have come personally." He says plainly, but the detachment makes it sound dangerous.

"Your Highness, you're here." Hua Cheng turns around, making the silver jewelry ring lightly.

"Of course, I--"

"Wait. Cover your mouth and nose. You can use Ruoye." The ghost interrupts.

"Oh, ok but why?-" Xie Lian tries to ask, when Hua Cheng turns suddenly.

His eye shines even in the middle of the dark of the cavern, and his next steps are cautious.

His gaze narrows, and when Xie Lian turns to look in his direction, a field of red flowers is seen ahead.

"Oh, what is-?"

An arm stops him from moving forward.

"Be careful, Your Highness. These aren't regular flowers." Hua Cheng warns through the communication array.

What could possibly be so serious as to warn me through that method? And he's even calling me by my title. Xie Lian thinks.

But his concern is quickly answered when the ground shifts, like something was moving underneath.

Roots rise from the ground, and one of the flowers blooms into a beautiful tall woman.

Her skin is pale and tender, long dark hair cascades like a straight silk all the way to her calves, and she is dressed with nothing but a soft pink lipstick to enhance her face.

Long dark nails adorn the hands that are placed in her hips.

She frowns slightly, her notably sweet voice tampered with irritation. Or fear.

"L-lord Chengzhu!! What are you doing here? We already paid our debt!!" She rages, using an imposing tone.

"Of course, I know. I'm not here for that. But I'm expecting you didn't forget about our agreement?" Hua Cheng replied icily.

Xie Lian had barely ever seen the ghost king speak like that. What kind of deal could they have?

He blushed slightly and shook his head. If he doesn't visit brothels, why would he make THAT kind of deal? He scolded himself. ...Unless that's the reason why he doesn't visit such places.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. We pay our rent, unlike anyone else in ghost City, maintain order, and are forced to stay here to wait until you feed us." Her naturally alluring voice contrasted with the current stern tone, gives her an air of elegance.

FEED THEM!!?? Xie Lian automatically recited sutras internally to erase any impure thoughts about the exchange. Imagining Hua Cheng like that... Xie Lian gripped the hem of his robes.

"And what happened this time?" Hua Cheng arched an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? We have been following your rules, however unjust they are." The woman proceeds to cross her arms.

"Admirable," Hua Cheng sneers. "You can keep that attitude even after one of them snuck to bite my residents."

"SHE'S A YOUNG ONE!!" The flower excuses. "And that wouldn't have happened if you fed us more generously."

"Maybe I'd feed you better if you paid in time."

The woman scoffs. "Are you gonna kick us out?"

"You know the rules. I'm the only one who is willing to shelter you, and the only one that can feed you without either falling for your tricks or running out of power."

The woman winces. Just then, another one of the flowers blooms into a young beauty, and swings her claws towards the prince.

Xie Lian has a perfect instinct for danger, and dodges effortlessly. When the young one swings back for a second strike, the ghost king grabs her by the arm and lifts her up in distaste.

He turns to the first woman and arches an eyebrow.

Her face is finally showing her distress and she kneels to the ground.

"PLEASE LEAVE HER ALONE!! THIS ONE HAS FAILED TO EDUCATE HER PROPERLY AND IS WILLING TO TAKE HER PUNISHMENT INSTEAD!!!" She begs.

"This is the third time, Lady. A couple innocent passerby, the brothel in my city, and attacking my honoured guest." He swings the lady to the rest of the flowers, releasing her without the risk of getting attacked.

She lands lightly on her feet and rushes to hide behind the tall woman.

"You know the Land of Tender attacks in groups. I don't think I can believe your honesty so much after this." Hua Cheng warns, stroking for once, the hilt of E'ming.

"W-well, if I need to fight you to protect my girls, I will!!" The woman snarls.

"I knew it was a terrible idea to believe you had a heart."

"Maybe I'd still have one if you didn't break it." The flower rages.

She jumps forward, summoning a vine to whip at the ghost.

"Nonsense. All you've ever felt has been thirst of lust." Eming flies forward and it's countered by a third flower woman, who uses a thorn-dagger to fight back.

He lets Eming have fun on his own as he snaps his fingers to summon his silver butterflies. In the light of the room, it's revealed the red vastness of the place, who is just a field of flowers. Many more bloom into raging and laughing women.

Some of them lung towards Xie Lian, praising his looks and themselves, explaining that they would be the perfect match.

He fights back perfectly fine, but the sweet words seem to strike a nerve on Hua Cheng.

He turns around just in time to hear Xie Lian saying "Ruoye!!"

Your Highness, remember it's already covering your mouth!! The ghost king warns.

Right. Thank you, San Lang. Xie Lian answers, and a wall of butterflies covers just in time before one of them scrapes the prince.

"You worry too much. Look at how resilient your 'honoured guest' is. He didn't need you to count this as a 'third incident.'" The lead woman rolls her eyes as the vine strikes a group of butterflies shielding Hua Cheng.

"That's not the point. I will not tolerate anyone who disrespects my husband."

The sharp gaze of Hua Cheng strikes her as much as his words, and her already pale face turns into a paper sheet white.

With that reaction, the rest of the flowers seem to lose focus, and the butterflies easily reduce them to sap.

"The only reason you managed to survive this long," Hua Cheng starts, stretching his arm to receive E'ming back, "is because you took my energy. The only reason you're alive is because I allow it."

The flower falls to her knees once more, looking pitiful.

"M-my Lord!! I have been loyal to you, the rest of my girls just didn't get it!!" She weeps. "My Lord, it's true that I tried to poison you the first time we met, and... Several other times, but I've changed!! You, you, YOU GAVE ME A HEART!!"

"Didn't you say I 'broke your heart' just moments ago?" Hua Cheng points out bemused.

"WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER, I-- I LOVE YOU!!"

Xie Lian turns around with a dangerous expression. His face is full of black lines as he finally steps forward in front of Hua Cheng and slashes with his bare hand. Not an ounce of spiritual power was needed to turn that demon into a literal pulp.

Xie Lian shakes his hand to get rid of the substance—that can't be called blood—and turns around to face his husband.

"Now I see why this business was so urgent. I'm glad to have come personally." He says plainly, but the detachment makes it sound dangerous.

"Gege, I--" Hua Cheng's voice trembles.

"Are you immune to their scent?" Xie Lian asks, pointing out that Hua Cheng has nothing to cover himself with.

"No. I just don't breathe."

It makes sense. Xie Lian nods.

"I see." Xie Lian rubs his chin and proceeds to place his hands where his lips are covered by the silk. "How did you transfer spiritual power with them?"

The prince asks honestly, but Hua Cheng can't help but panic. "Not like that!! Gege, there is an array inside this cave. I don't even need to enter to give them the energy they need to survive!!"

Xie Lian hums, and Hua Cheng proceeds to explain further. "They made it sound dirty, but actually, the deal was for them to 'pay for the damage done to their victims and don't attack anyone else.' They had to stay here for me to protect and feed them, and the money wasn't for me. Let's just say... Some of the residents of my city were not originally ghosts."

Xie Lian remains silent for some time, looking up at his husband with what could only be described as an incredulous look.

Hua Cheng proceeded to panic further. All because of some stupid attempt at being merciful to some heartless demons.

Xie Lian turns around and crosses his arms.

Out of respect, the butterflies are already gone, so he can no longer see his face.

The only reason his pulse isn't rushing at top speed is because he deliberately stopped his heart and kept it that way to avoid the poison from flowing in his veins.

Xie Lian snorts. His shoulders are shaking, and then he bursts out laughing.

"!!??"

"HAHAHAHAHA-- SAN LANG, I MEANT IT HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" Xie Lian turns back around to his husband and looks at him in the eye. "I'M GLAD I CAME PERSONALLY!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

"Gege?"

"Hahahaha-- sorry, did I surprise San Lang?" He smiles through the bandages, wiping away a tear in his eye.

Hua Cheng doesn't dare to even move, acting like a real corpse.

"Sorry, I would never doubt you. I did get mad at the flower tho..." He looks at the mess on the floor, guiltily remembering how good he is at stepping on flowers.

"I see. Gege saw an opportunity and took it." Hua Cheng smiles.

Xie Lian's face brights once more, glad about the reception of his husband.

"You deserved it for the marriage joke!!" The god pouts.

"I already said sorry for that!!" Hua Cheng whines.

Xie Lian lets a couple of dice fall and roll on the ground, hugging his beloved. As soon as they're transported into their bedroom, Xie Lian tears Ruoye from his face, and the silk rushes out of the room, sliding beneath the door instead of opening it.

Xie Lian tips on his toes to kiss Hua Cheng. He's greeted back without complaint, and the kiss depends with a sweet scent.

When the god retreats, he asks "San Lang, are you ok?"

"Hm?" Hua Cheng asks innocently. "What do you mean?"

"You're all red."

"Well, I am Crimson Rain Sought Flower."

"No~ this means something else." Xie Lian taps the border of the bed to invite Hua Cheng to sit next to him.

"I am in love with Gege," he says, obediently following his beloved.

Xie Lian blushes and denies with his head. "Yes, but that's not what I mean."

The prince's eyes are dazed and he tugs at the left arm of the calamity, revealing a gash on the skin.

"You're poisoned."

Both of his eyebrows rise. "I already told Gege not to worry. I can prepare an antidote to expel the poison without getting affected."

"Hm, that would work if your blood wasn't rushing again," Xie Lian pointed out, looking at the wound.

The blush on the ghost king's cheeks means that blood is rushing underneath. The poison is moving inside, and soon it'll become a problem.

Xie Lian pulls the arm close to his face, and starts to suck the poison.

The ghost's eye widens at the familiar scene, but he feels as if his soul just left his body when the prince swallows.

"GEGE, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!" Hua Cheng cries.

A soft light shines next to him and then, he's pinned to the bed with the sight of His Highness donned in his fine royal attire from XianLe. A particular set that he will never forget.

Xie Lian's eyes are already lewd, and he whispers "My good soldier, I am poisoned with the Land of Tender. Will you help me out?"

Immediately, the ghost king grabs him and turns around positions. Now his own self is wearing the soldier garment from the same kingdom, and E'ming is sent flying out of the room.

The prince rips his robes in the same way he did hundreds of years ago, and lifts his arm to caress Hua Cheng's cheek.

"My beautiful, brave San Lang." Xie Lian whispers.

"Gege."

The hand proceeds to pull the bandages loose, revealing a red eye.

The soldier obeys a non verbal sign to lower his head, and the prince kisses his eyelid.

"My beautiful, brave Hong'er." Xie Lian smiles.

"Your Highness."

They look at each other with blushed faces before kissing again.

Notes:

As I previously said, this is unedited, so I'm going to clarify some things here:

- The Land of Tender (at least here) is all a single entity. Hua Cheng decided to give it an opportunity to prove being innocent, but in the end, it wasn't.

- Xie Lian heard there was an affair Hua Cheng had to handle personally, and decided to tag along as soon as he was available.

- Hua Cheng started calling Xie Lian "Your Highness" kinda out of reflex because he remembers the Land of Tender and Xie Lian being involved as a prince 😭

- The demon had permission to get away, but it would no longer receive 'food' nor shelter from Hua Cheng. Since the resented souls of her victims still lingered on, it didn't want to get out.

I'd like to post this later on AO3, and I might make an extra chapter of the aftermath if this gets enough attention. 😏

- She wasn't in love with Hua Cheng. It was just a trick.

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Don't you think it's funny cause actual canon gay characters in BL manga will say "I love you" but only the shounen bromance can spew out some of the most romantic shit akin to a 19th century poet writing a letter expressing his surpressed love for his lover 😭.....

Genuniely can't tell if it's bait or not, but I'm going to treat this ask seriously anyway.

Here, have some examples of beautiful and poetic expressions of love in BL media!

I'm going to start with my favourite murder husbands, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu from Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers!

This happens in episode nine, less than one third into the story- it's that early, they've known each other for like a week and are already able to tell they're meant to be. They've made their decision to be together, and over the course of the story:

They defend each other multiple times and fight side by side in multiple episodes, sometimes protecting their adopted kid/mentee Chengling as well

Zhou Zishu is willing to go against the whole martial arts society for his boyfriend. With zero hesistation, might I add.

They both know the other has done horrible things (lots of murder on both sides here) and that's not only okay, it's a big part of why they're soulmates and get each other so well!

Zhou Zishu is slowly dying (poisoned nails in his chest, long story) and Wen Kexing can and will risk his life to save him. Don't worry, they get a happy ending both in the show and the novel even if the show's last episode is behind a paywall and Netflix didn't even include it for some reason?

But enough about them, let's move on to the immortal fantasy genre boyfriends Hua Cheng and Xie Lian from Heaven Official's Blessing!

Please note how Hua Cheng is ready to accept Xie Lian in whatever state he's currently in- as a god, a fallen outcast, even grieving and angry and at his absolute lowest. He's stood by Xie Lian in his worst moments, even if at the time Xie Lian had no idea it was him.

Hua Cheng has loved Xie Lian for 800 years, ever since he was a boy Xie Lian saved from falling to his death during a procession.

Xie Lian became a god, then fell due to horrible circumstances, almost committed a war crime against another nation that destroyed his country, spend 800 years wandering the mortal realm as a poor cultivator with his powers greatly reduced, and eventually ascended to become a god again. Throughout it all, Hua Cheng loved him and did his best to help him and then find him.

They're both adorable and the definition of a power couple once they're reunited- no spoilers, but they eventually fight an incredibly powerful god side by side and win & the last scene in the story is them reuniting for good since there's no more obstacles to their immortal love.

Let's move on to my favourite Japanese BL, Our Dining Table (also available as a series that came out semi-recently, but the examples below are from the manga.)

Yutaka is a lonely salesman who meets Minoru, a restaurant worker and his much younger brother Tane grieving the death of their mother.

Yutaka and Minoru hit it off by bonding through food they cook and share. The series is incredibly heartwarming, and as seen above Yutaka becomes a much happier person thanks to both his new relationship and big brother-like bond with little Tane.

As a little bonus, the whole found family together!

This post can't be complete without Golden Stage (or Golden Terrace, as the English official translation calls it).

Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan aren't even in love at this point! This is at the beginning of the story, when their marriage has just been arranged by the emperor and they're still bitter rivals.

Yan Xiaohan is already protective of his future husband- later on, he also builds him a mansion meant to accommodate his disability (nerve damage in both legs, which requires a wheelchair and/or crutches). They're both incredibly powerful military generals, and the emperor was an idiot thinking an arranged marriage would humiliate them.

Of course they fall in love, of course they're a power couple, of course they send each other letters through trained geese when they're separated during the war, of course they run to each other as fast as they can across a wide cold river when they're finally reunited! Of course they're important to me!

....Aaand how about some Wangxian to wrap up this post? They need no introduction, an absolutely wonderful and complex relationship in a complex fantasy/intrigue story available in several forms - the books, the animated series (as seen above), the live action series, the audio drama, there's so much!

Some of their most beautiful moments:

Lan Wangji writing a song for Wei Wuxian and naming it Wangxian. Years after it's composed, Wei Wuxian plays it and LWJ is able to recognise him even in a different body.

LWJ begs WWX to come with him to Cloud Recesses, to safety, after WWX makes himself an enemy of the whole cultivation world for protecting innocent people.

They confront the final villain together, and work together to expose his crimes. This is also when their final love confession happens, and it's hilarious- in front of everyone's salad, WWX declares he also wanted to sleep with LWJ.

Despite censorship, the animated series was still able to allude to their wedding, showing them in red wedding robes (unfortunately can't find a gif rn)

Respectfully, if you genuinely think BL doesn't have beautiful love confessions and displays of romance, you need to find better BL.