#daoling

[gaiagwa02draws]

So I took a good look at the DaoLe concepts for Doria and UUUUUUUUUUUU this one got me so I did a little fanart of it

[peppermintquartz]

Original writing

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It was the puzzlement on the young king's face that decided Dessa. She limped to the front, pushing away Olema's and Falx's hands when they reached out to help her, and the army of soldiers and kaedine stared at her.

She supposed she looked a frightful sight: her black hair was coming loose from her plait, her belly clearly swollen with pregnancy, her plain face smeared with mud and blood.

"If you want to kill all the Shifters, then come down from your horse, and put a blade through my heart, and once more through my womb," she said, slowly and loudly, her cracked voice straining to make sure the king heard her. With a defiant swipe of her hand over her cheek, she continued to hobble forwards, until the very first row of soldiers lowered their spears at her.

Dessa stared at all of them. Some looked no older than Elrei had done when he first left Fenfoss. Her gaze slid past them and reached the king again.

The armor was polished to a shine. The leather-wrapped handle of his sword clean and free from stains. His face was pale and sharp, like he had not seen the sun for a long time, and his hair was so glossy it looked like a river of ink, bound only at the end with a strip of leather.

"You told these men to enter the Shifting," she called out, and she was close enough that the king could hear her easily, "and they murdered every last man and boy they found. What was their crime?"

"You forget your place, commonborn wretch," said an old, dour man next to the king. "Kill her!"

Before any spear could touch her, the metal spearheads dripped molten to the ground. Dessa blinked, confused and surprised.

The king held up a hand. "That was not my order. Let that woman through," he said.

"But Sire!"

"I can destroy your sword too, Ingros. Just give me a reason," said the king, staring hard at the old man. "And I think it's best you start thinking of an explanation regarding this matter of the Shifting. I did not give any order necessitating bloodshed."

[nikofortuna]

The Legend of the White Snake (2019) Final Review

It is time for my thoughts on the last twelve episodes of the series and my final review. Upfront not much in my opinion has changed, I maintain my position of highly recommending giving this drama a watch. Full spoilers and the disclaimers noted in the first impression of course still apply.

The best way overall to experience the drama in my personal opinion is to set aside a long weekend and binge it in a short amount of days. That is what I felt was best after binging the first twelve episodes in one day, spacing out the middle part and ending up binging the last twelve again.

Delving into the last portion of the story, the plotline with Xu Jiaorong has been resolved rather quickly and with a slight Deus Ex Machina as well. On the one hand it felt a bit shallow due to that, but on the other it didn’t drag things out. It seemed essentially like a last confirmation that Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian have proven themselves more than enough and are fine with each other now. The Mind Demon later taking advantage of Xu Jiaorong I wouldn’t consider a conflict with her but fully with the Mind Demon, especially since she doesn’t remember anything afterwards and clearly hadn’t been in control.

As expected the Prime Minister was not done yet. Though he got his comeuppance rather swiftly too and in the same breath Xu Xian got some closure from his parents, which was very nice to see.

An important mention to me is Li Gongfu, who has proven a wonderful husband and support character throughout the entire series. He could have easily taken the lead during certain disputes between his wife and brother-in-law, but he did not as it was not his place yet he was always there in case he was needed, very respectful just an overall great guy.

One of the best character developments I’d ascribe to Fahai. By the end he has learned that demons can indeed be good too! From little ones helping him in his time of need no less and he repaid them by essentially taking them in, which was so cute. In general there are a couple of good character arcs throughout the series which stick and have noticeably lasting effects. Yet even after their arc is technically completed the character is still clearly around and doesn’t just vanish or gets completely relegated to the background, but instead remain present.

Xiao Qing continues to be very relatable and reading ever so queer to me. If there weren’t so many great characters in this that makes it hard to choose especially for someone as generally indecisive as me, she would be my favourite among them.

The third fourth of the series became mostly Xiao Qing’s story after building it up here and there throughout the previous arcs. Including wrapping up any lose plot threads by the end as well minus those last few big ones in the finale. It was nice to see the main couple become the supporting characters for a while too, something like this can really bring out a new side of someone or reinforce existing aspects of them.

I am quite pleased with Xiao Qing and Zhang Yutang’s romantic storyline not having a happy end as such and not just because I personally see her as someone more befitting of a less traditional style of relationship. It is a good contrast to the main couple and illustrates that even if romance doesn’t work out for you that don’t mean you don’t have love and support in your life regardless. Yeah, a breakup like this will hurt, but it won’t be the end of the world and doesn’t mean you can’t still find happiness. Also it was a good show of a possible alternate ending that easily could have happened to Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian as well.

At the end I was also very happy for Xiao Qing not only making up with her father, but also becoming a dragon!

Applause for Jingsong getting basically the precise kind of reward I was envisioning for him when he first sacrificed himself. It wasn’t enough to get reinstated as a student under Buddha, but he did get a do over and even help Bai Suzhen one more time!

Now for the last and arguably most longstanding antagonists. Jin Ruyi has come to her senses in the end and done as best she could in the moment to fix things as much as possible. I would not say she got redeemed though, there was too much bad she has done at that point that one last ditch effort just cannot make up for. She should get another chance in another life, but that she didn’t continue with this one might have been for the best for everyone including her.

Wao Daoling, while showing some signs of obsession whenever he tried to eliminate Xu Xian, did as I see it truly love Jin Ruyi, which turned out both complimentary as well as opposite to her. And she did realize that he genuinely loved her after all. The dubious consent situation I’ll generously attribute to the Mind Demon and his schemes with Wao Daoling genuinely having believed that Jin Ruyi was okay with it.

As a little treat I would like to showcase how the costuming brought their A game during the finale. Everyone is serving looks!

Xiao Qing with a very pretty darker greenish blue and jewellery that alludes to shimmering scales or straight up is in the form of snakes.

Fahai in the fanciest getup we have seen him in yet. He is ready to eliminate demons and look fantastic while doing so.

You have to give the Mind Demon credit for his sense of fashion in my opinion. That headpiece is great!

And Bai Suzhen having her outfit changed to darker colours towards the edges matching her husband's, but still being pure white in the center, a great outward visualization of her character in this situation.

Generally it is also nice seeing characters previously shown almost exclusively wearing light colours donning some darker ones.

Last but not least the bigger picture and my opinion on the drama as a whole.

There are some instances where just explaining things upfront could have helped resolve a conflict sooner. And with others perhaps just requesting some help from Guanyin again would have done well, after all I believe at worst she would have just left them on read. But overall the story wasn’t driven too much by unnecessary misunderstandings.

The story as a whole was paced very well, building up conflict consistently and resolving them bit by bit in a rewarding manner, but it was never done in a way where it really felt like the story could have ended then and there as there was always another plot thread unresolved and keeping hold of your interest. Each point of suspense and mystery has a reasonable beginning, never overstayed its welcome and had a satisfying conclusion.

Sometimes it did feel like every conflict was a bit isolated and while the focus was on one in particular the others were put on the backburner without really interacting, even though that would have been logical since people and their issues don’t just vanish and reappear when it is convenient. This was particularly noticeable since the conflicts in the beginning were woven into each other quite well.

An exception here would be the prolonged absence of the Prime Minister, which can be somewhat explained by Xu Xian having been believe to be dead for a while and nothing notable to the Prime Minister happening around him until the Mind Demon spurred him on once more. But those are relatively small complaints that didn’t hamper my enjoyment at all.

Most pleasing to me was that everything had a setup and every setup has paid off in some way. If there was an exception to this I did not take note of it. Additionally only few things felt a little plot convenient and even then usually had some understandable reasoning behind them. The rest one might be able to attribute to karma. I’m personally not really one for destiny in such a rigorous way, but I can get behind karma and for example connections forged in a previous life.

An example to highlight when it comes to setup and payoff would be the two demons in the early part of the story, who together with illustrated well that there are good and bad demons and even that there is nuance as well in the case of the mother and the centipede demon which came around big time at the end when both Xiao Qing and Bai Suzhen became aggressive out of desperation and anguish. And the final foe being a demon of human creation was simply excellent.

Needless to say after my initial impression I was not disappointed whatsoever. Highly recommend this series for everyone whether you are a romance or drama enthusiast, interested in legends or what have you! Really just if you are an enjoyer of a good series and even have half an interest in this one.

[hwashitape]

Mortefi being almost annoyingly meta is so funny when you play with KR voices (Sinclair meta persists)

[wtfwuxia]

Taoist Master (2020)

Yes! Another Taoist Master, and this one is apparently first in the series; I covered the Taoist Master: Kylin earlier. Kylin holds together better, but this is still an engaging movie, with some nice choreography.

Also, this movie had the highest per capita amount of centipedes in any movie I've seen so far.

Synopsis: Zhang Daoling received a letter of help from his friend Wen, an adult, and took his disciple Wang Chang to Bashu. However, he found his friend was dead and was involved in a terrifying conspiracy. Zhang Daoling insisted on his own heart and was not fooled by foreign objects. Eventually, he stopped the evil sacrificial activities of the local evil organizations to ruin the people and educated the local people.

You can absolutely tell Louis Fan has classical martial art training in this and the Kylin sequil. Some lovely work. Also look for him in Ip Man. Su Mao steals nearly every scene he is in.

Learn more about Zang Daoling

[apopcornkernel]

poppy's watched cdramas

與君歌 stand by me/dream of chang'an

i... did not finish this drama 😭 i only watched this because my mom was watching it and we were stuck in quarantine together, so. it was fun i guess but ultimately mid

蒼蘭決 love between fairy and devil

loved it, the ending was a little too abrupt for me but it still ended well! lived for the villain romance, had so much fun booing changheng (sorry), had even more fun staring at dylan wang's cheekbones. also i love how ride or die the main couple is for each other, it's absolutely not one-sided in that regard which <3 yes. and also episodes 30(?) to 36 i cried nonstop it was so cathartic. episode 35 specifically....... aha

琉璃 love and redemption

STUPIDLY long and rather cringe at times im not even gonna lie but the main characters had me by the THROAT i could not stop watching. yu sifeng is so so so unfairly pretty with bangs and chu xuanji in god of war mode,,,, i lvoe her sm. i loved how the gender roles of a typical cdrama relationship was more or less flipped, with sifeng always being the damsel in distress (not even joking or exaggerating about this one) and xuanji being the badass hero. i feel like a lot of cdramas tend to say their female mc is the hero and stuff but then in execution its ALWAYS the male lead saving the mc from danger and its just,,, idk i'm a little tired of it so i like that chu xuanji exists <3 and fuck haochen

傳聞中的陳芊芊 the romance of tiger and rose

REALLY REALLY GOOD one of the most perfect dramas ive ever watched. cinematography really high quality, an mc that i never got annoyed at and is so lovable, a petty murder cat love interest who is unfairly handsome at every angle. i was smiling and giggling with every episode. it's the true definition of a happy pill. i only wish Those 2 Specific Scenes did not exist

星落凝成糖 the starry love

i did not finish this 😭 i onyl watched it because it was the only thing i had downloaded on my phone. i don't recommend it tbh, sorry, the concept was interesting but the execution didn't do it for me. it was also really obvious how low budget it was and the acting & writing didn't really make up for it enough so,,,

今夕何夕 twisted fate of love

THIS IS THE BEST CDRAMA IVE EVER WATCHED I KNOW IM BEING SUBJECTIVE BUT LET ME BE SUBJECTIVE THIS IS MY BLOG okay okay so general travels back eight years to stop a great war but unfortunately she lands smack dab into feng xi's residence, who is an ally of the Bad Guy and very morally grey politician who will not hesitate to kill people for his goals. she keeps trying to assassinate feng xi's ally (the Bad Guy) meanwhile feng xi is just trying to put a ring on it. they are SO so funny and you KNOW i love villain(ish) romance so i ADORED this cdrama even though it was objectively mid and even though the last episode was trash. I DONT CARE i will defend this one with my life JUST WATCH IT im very incoherent ik but in my defense it's kinda hard to explain just trust me

星漢燦爛 love like the galaxy

currently watching!! it has zhao lusi who i trust with any drama, and the cinematography is great! some of ling buyi's dialogue i dont like but im still on board the main ship,,, i think i wouldve liked lou yao but i keep remembering he's daole from twisted fate of love and it jars me so bad.... also i have this thing where i automatically boo the second/third leads so really lou yao had no chance im sorry 😔 i find it really funny how obviously down bad ling buyi is update: i dropped this drama :(( i got all the way to episode 20 something and then i just couldn't be bothered to continue, i was honestly bored :((((

雲之羽 my journey to you

my sister rec'd this drama to me and oh man i tried. i was so ready to be hooked. but i just couldn't. like, it had gorgeous cinematography and beautiful costuming and i was happily surprised to realize the leads were clj's changheng and xiaolanhua, but omfg gong ziyu (changheng) pisses me off so bad he's like omg guys im an underdog they all hate me im struggling so bad i'm being oppressed etc etc AND THEN HE'S BEING OPPRESSED FOR BEING A RICH BABAERO NA PALAGING NAGBABAR LIKE BE SO FOR REALLL also shangguan qian and gong yuanzhi's scenes are infinitely more interesting than anyone else's, their one battle of wits already had me more interested than the entirety of the previous 5 episodes... and then when it switches back to include shangjue or gong ziyu or yun weishan i immediately feel all my energy get sapped. like they're so boring it hurts fgksjhg and the way yun weishan and gong ziyu speak don't help at all it's like 有時候……我也……睡不着…… DO NOT WASTE MY TIME LIKE THIS AND ALSO PLEASE SPEAK NORMALLY so yeah i got fed up by episode 6 and dropped it despite my sister's urging

天盛長歌 the rise of phoenixes

started watching this right after i dropped my journey to you BECAUSE FUCK YOU i swear that cdrama made me see cdramas as a chore again. anyways im loving it. ning yi looked so miserable in the first episode which is a great portend for things to come, and feng zhiwei is great i love her already and the cinematography is not bad as well, i'm just worried i'll get lost on the machinations and everything but i'm still having fun so far anyways hehe update from episode 19 or something!! i'm really enjoying it this is so good!!!! a little slower paced so if that's not your thing be warned but i am really liking it hehe

[lingshanhermit]

Lingshan Recluse: All things and events in the world expound the Dharma.

Taking the teacher as the path is not exclusive to Vajrayana practitioners, nor unique to Buddhism alone. It has existed since ancient times. Huang Shi Gong testing Zhang Liang, Zhang Daoling's seven trials of Zhao Sheng, Bodhidharma wall-gazing with Huike - these all exemplify taking the teacher as the path. Spiritual masters throughout history have employed this approach in propagating the Dao. Both Mahayana and Theravada saints have regularly used it. However, what distinguishes Vajrayana in particular is the consummate integration of this method.

For those who take the teacher as the path, teacher and disciple interact intimately. The teacher discerns the disciple's weaknesses and sensitivities, while the disciple readily acquiesces to the teacher's wisdom and guidance. With this foundation, the teacher can suffuse the Dharma into everyday life - carrying firewood, drinking tea, gentle remonstrance, harsh scolding. Each sip and peck erodes the disciple's ego and ingrained habits. When the melon fully ripens, teacher and disciple apply effort in unison, pecking concurrently, so body and mind slough off their shackles and the disciple's mind becomes one with the teacher's Buddha-mind. Moreover, the minds of Buddha, teacher and disciple are fundamentally nondual. To speak of their duality is merely to pacify the crying child. What separates the teacher's mind and disciple's mind is nothing but beginningless habitual tendencies and the doubts of worldly beings.

The ignorance of a fool stems from ceaseless doubting - doubting goodness and doubting even more. Worldly people tend to prefer self-victory over others and constantly suspect others of benefiting themselves at their own expense. One should not expound this profound Dharma to such persons. Those accomplished through taking the teacher as the path all possess minds as immaculate as gold, regarding the teacher as a Buddha. They fully believe and comprehend all the teacher's actions as wholesome. These types naturally awaken to understanding.

Those of inferior faculties and limited wisdom see everyone as self-serving. They even harbor doubts towards saints and sages. For those with doubts, faith cannot emerge. For those with doubts, they perceive the teacher's conduct as incomplete; for those with doubts, they worry the teacher has ulterior motives. Whenever doubt persists, faith cannot arise. Without faith, the teacher's mind and disciple's mind remain disjointed, and the prospect of awakening grows dim and nebulous.

I have seen others who speak of this matter with admiration, because although they have a teacher, they lack an authentic teacher's guidance - it is as if they have none. But should they later encounter an authentic teacher's instruction, they cannot recognize it when the time arrives, just as Lord Ye loved dragons yet failed to recognize one when it appeared before him. They often say they wish to take the teacher as the path, yet fail to heed the teacher's instructions, simply because they misunderstand what taking the teacher as the path entails. What they envisage is that the interplay between teacher and disciple constitutes taking the teacher as the path; only when teacher and disciple live under the same roof can one take the teacher as the path. The everyday matters assigned by the teacher are not the path, they believe, but merely mundane affairs. And interacting daily with fellow Dharma friends is also not the path, but mundane affairs. Yet for the teacher, where is the distinction between mundane and sacred?

An adept teacher perceives sublime wisdom amid the mundane, revealing true knowledge amid the ordinary, just as it is said: "The Buddhadharma exists within the world, not apart from the world's awakening." All things and events in the world expound the Dharma without exception; everything manifests it ceaselessly, yet you fail to apprehend it. If you had the eye, you would see everything as the Buddhadharma. An enlightened teacher can point to awakening through the most trivial mundane matters. How could the tasks he assigns be mere worldly chores? What you term worldly chores are simply what you are unwilling to do, precisely what strikes at your vulnerabilities. Failing to recognize this, you dismiss them as worldly affairs. This is not the work transforming you; rather, it is you being worldly.

A person of superior faculties and discernment can observe his own attachments and aversions in these "worldly chores," inspect his own cultivation through them; use them to grind down his nature and extinguish his unruly mind, make his six senses smolder and his mind become cinder-like. As the ancients said: "When the mind perishes, the Dharma body comes alive." When those of inferior wisdom encounter the teacher's guidance, they fail to recognize it face-to-face, deem it mundane affairs, and with this outlook, wish to take the teacher as the path. Until the day the bodhi tree in the yard awakens, enlightenment remains beyond reach.

Written by Lingshan Recluse on September 30, 2023. First published on October 10, 2023.

Copyright Notice：All copyrights of Ling Shan Hermit's articles in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, English, and other languages belong to the natural person who owns "Ling Shan Hermit". Please respect copyright. Publishers, media, or individuals (including but not limited to internet media, websites, personal spaces, Weibo, WeChat public accounts, print media) must obtain authorization from Ling Shan Hermit before use. No modifications to the articles are allowed (including: author's name, title, main text content, and punctuation marks). We reserve all legal rights.

灵山居士：世间万事万物，无一不演法

[gimozi584]

In a contract speech announced through Sema Sports Marketing,

Yoon Na said, "I am very confident to be with넥스트벳가입 Sema Sports Marketing," and added, "I will continue to strive to become a player who continues to improve with the mindset of starting golf again."

He continued, "Based on my experience on the domestic stage, I want to move toward a wider world in the future. In particular, I believe that다파벳가입 professional and systematic support for Sema Sports Marketing will be a great help to achieve the big goal of entering the United States."

"We will provide customized support for Yoon Na-na, who has established herself as the next-generation leader of Korean women's golf, to display her potential in various stages. We will take careful care of her for her successful debut," said Lee Sung-hwan, CEO of Sema Sports Marketing.

Sema Sports Marketing is known 메이저사이트as a "big player" in the industry as she manages Pak Se-ri, Choi Na-yeon, and Shin Ji-ae. She is currently serving as an agent for big stars such as Ko Jin-young (29) of the LPGA Tour, Park Sung-hyun (29) and Yoo Hae-ran (23) of the Daol Financial Group, and Bang Shin-sil (19) of the KLPGA Tour.

[elkszdmf]

"5.6 Billion Won Jackpot" Teetikul Enters World Ranking 'Top 5'

Gino Thitikul (Thailand), who won $4 million (about 5.6 billion won) by winning the CME Group 다파벳슬롯 Tour Championship in the final round of the LPGA Tour season, ranked fifth in the world. According to the "Weekly World Golf Rankings" released on Monday (Korea time), the Chinese golfer jumped two notches from last week's seventh. 넥스트벳우회주소 While Nelly Korda of the U.S. maintained her unwavering No. 1, In Luo Ning of China and Lydia Ko of New Zealand rose one notch to No. 3. Lilia Bu of the U.S., who came in second, went down to No. 4. Korean players have generally gone down in rankings. Yoo Hae-ran (23) of Daol Financial Group fell from 6th to 7th, and Ko Jin-young (29) of Solaire fell from 9th to 10th. 메이저사이트 Yang Hee-young (35, Keum Securities) remained in 12th place, while Kim Hyo-joo (29, Lotte) ranked 22nd, Shin Ji-ae (36) ranked 29th, and Yoon In-na (21) ranked 30th. Annarin (28, Medihill), who tied for fifth place after four consecutive days in the CME Group Tour Championship, rose 12 notches to 64th place.

[aishangotome]

Chapter 6-26 To Meet as Strangers (相見不相識)

Chapter 6-22

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Several months later...

Zhang Chao: Your Highness... Your Highness?

You: .....

Zhang Chao: Ah... cough cough! Um, Your Highness!

You: !!! ...Apologies, I was lost in thought.

I remember now, he's returning to his hometown to be with his wife who's about to give birth. He came to tender his resignation today.

Zhang Chao: I'm accompanying my wife back to our hometown this time. I'm afraid I won't be able to return to Guangling until early spring next year...

You: During this time, Chen Deng will assist me in handling Guangling's political affairs. Rest assured, Governor, and focus on being with your wife!

Recently, the Yuan brothers, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, have been engaged in a fierce battle. Tao Qian, the Governor of Xuzhou, is allied with Yuan Shu, while Cao Cao, the Governor of Dong Commandery, has joined forces with Yuan Shao.

The conflict has engulfed Xuzhou. Guangling is located within Xuzhou's borders, and the situation is not optimistic.

You: Ah Qian is incompetent... Xuzhou is in no position to join this fight, yet he supports Yuan Shu, hoping to profit from it...

Zhang Chao: I heard that Cao Cao's Qingzhou troops have completely routed Xuzhou's border forces. This is not profiting, it's playing with fire.

We walked towards the door, but saw the servants gathered there, anxious and uneasy.

Maid: Have you heard the rumors about Guangling? They say we've angered the water god of the Yangtze River, and the city will be destroyed!

Female Servant: I heard there's going to be a plague. Should we flee?

Guard: My mother has already packed her bags! They say Guangling will be finished next month...

You: ...What's going on? Who's spreading these rumors to confuse the people?

Zhang Chao: It seems to be a Taoist sorcerer from the Five Pecks of Rice sect, named Zhang Daoling. He's been preaching in Guangling recently and has gained many followers.

Currently, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's factions are in the midst of a chaotic battle, and the war could spread to Guangling at any moment. We absolutely cannot allow this Taoist to confuse and unsettle the people.

But executing him would also cause public discontent. For example, there was a rebellion in Jiangdong because Sun Ce banned sorcery.

You: ...Have Ah Chan take some people to handle it, resolve this discreetly.

-

After seeing Zhang Chao off, I returned to the study. Ah Chan was already waiting for me there.

You: How did the handling of that charlatan go?

Chan: ...It was a failure.

The Shouts of a Strong Man: Let me go! I want to become a Taoist priest with Celestial Master Zhang! Guangling City is no place to stay, I want to leave with Celestial Master Zhang!

Chan: The executioners listened to his preaching and decided to follow him. We could only bring him back first and await your judgment.

You: ....................Preposterous.

I drew the long sword from the rack and strode quickly towards the courtyard.

-

The man was right there in the courtyard. Many servants were crowding around him, their expressions excited.

You: What kind of sorcerer dares to act so presumptuously in Guangling?!

Amidst the screams of the onlookers, my sharp blade rested against his neck. He had his back to me, his face hidden from view.

But why... This figure, it's so familiar...

You: --?!!!!!!

???: It's a pleasure to meet you. Your Highness's enthusiasm is truly overwhelming for this humble Taoist.

???: But no matter how unbearable, I will endure it.

He turned his head, gently resting it against the blade at his neck. His eyes held a smile as his gaze traveled along the blade and settled on me.

You: ...Liu Bian? How could you...

Liu Bian: I am Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master of the Five Pecks of Rice sect.

Liu Bian: I became a Taoist priest from a young age. Your Highness finds me familiar because you and I share a celestial connection!

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Chapter 7-1

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[peppermintquartz]

Original writing

--

As she stared at the small fire crackling before her, Dessa wished she knew what to do next.

She should never have allowed Elrei to stay. If she had insisted on her brother leaving, then he would never have attacked Comor, and she would not have lashed out blindly, and Elrei would still be alive. She and Comor would still be in Fenfoss waiting for their baby to be born. He would have been suggesting names for their child.

Instead she was here, on the other side of the Shifting, with a man who she barely knew. And she was a widow.

Dessa never thought that she could feel rage as hot as ice. Anger was fire, in her experience, a sudden burst of heat that flashed and stung. When she was little, she had been angry at her little brother pulling on her hair, and angry that she had to help scrub the kitchen counters and floor while her friends played outside. But she had learned to temper the fire, direct it to where it would be useful.

But she felt a different kind of rage now.

That man had been bored. His soldiers had captured the men and the boys, and he had given the orders, and he had yawned, even as each prisoner's head was chopped off. The kaedine who were present had trapped the Shifters with mud up to their necks.

If Falx had not clamped his hand over Dessa, she would have screamed.

Comor was not even a Shifter. He had not said so, only spat at that man staring down at them, and shut his eyes.

Dessa shut her eyes now, her entire body shuddering as she wept soundlessly. The babe in her belly kicked restlessly, as if it was aware that all it had in the world was Dessa now.

Falx dropped into a crouch beside her, saying nothing. What could he say? He had lost his entire village, his brothers and uncles executed, the children he had watched growing up were dead or missing.

Neither of them knew who else made it out of the swamp that had sheltered the Shifters for five hundred years. For all they knew, the only survivors were the two of them.

As the sun emerged from the horizon, Falx said, "We'll need to head east and then strike northwards."

Numbed and exhausted, Dessa said nothing. She would go wherever she had to.

"The fish will be out soon for a morning feeding," said Falx. "Let's find some food for ourselves too. Your child will need nourishing."

"Who was that man?" Dessa asked.

Falx stood. "Which one?"

"The one on the horse. The one who gave the order."

Falx shrugged. "I don't know. But he was wearing the livery of the house of Awell, and he was in charge." He exhaled harshly.

Despite her exhaustion, Dessa struggled to her feet. "Some day, I will kill him."

"If I haven't killed him first." Falx jerked his head in the direction of the trees. "Come. We'll need spears for fishing."

[nikofortuna]

The Legend of the White Snake (2019) Continued Thoughts

I’m back with my thoughts on the second batch of twelve episodes. As before I heavily recommend this series, it is so much fun and does not disappoint! Spoilers for this second third of the series! Disclaimers mentioned at the beginning of the first impression still apply naturally.

Starting off with a little detail I would like to highlight as I do so love the little creature details in the story like with the snake sisters having trouble with heat. And in the acting as well with the little toad acting flourishes by Wao Daoling’s actor.

Now for the newly introduced characters this round! We met a delightful young man and a dubious demon.

The first meeting between Xiao Qing and the hunter Zhang Yutang was very funny and adorable. You could see exactly when each of them realized that the other gets them over the topic of wine and them subsequently becoming buddies was so delightful. They clearly jibe well with each other.

Then watching Zhang Yutang innocently present all the snake parts to Xiao Qing was all the more painful to watch, because you know instantly she’s getting upset and reasonably so, likely with a slight sense of betrayal no less after having gotten along with him so well before. It was nice to have Bai Suzhen clarify that he’s not hunting out of malice, but simply to make a living.

Further down the line we got great payoff for this with the development of him first stopping to hunt snakes specifically and then giving up hunting all together. With the prospect of still making ends meet through his new job of course.

Personally I would love for Xiao Qing and Zhang Yutang to remain besties, they really fit well together in that way. However I wouldn’t be mad if they got together in a couple sense. I’d likely headcanon them as more queerplatonic than outright romantic though as that is simply the vibe I get from them and their dynamic.

Now as for Wao Daoling, he was funny at first with his antics, but with the plague/well poisoning plotline he fell out of favour with me entirely for obvious reasons. Not only did he jeopardize the lives of innocent people by poisoning them, but then also demanded unreasonable amounts of money for the antidote with complete disregard of the poorer population.

He does fit well as Ruyi’s accomplice though, being very similar to her in his obsession over the one he ‘loves’ coupled with the complete disregard towards other people.

On that nevermind the hopes I had for Jin Ruyi. Instead of better she has in fact gotten worse! And she is starting to really get on my nerves, which I suppose is the point. The last straw for me was her knowingly poisoning Xu Xian and thus actively and willingly bringing harm upon him in contrast to her insistence on not hurting him previously. She is clearly not in love with him, she is obsessed with him.

Jingsong on the other hand has redeemed himself after all, would you look at that! It is honestly quite sad that he is gone now, I believe we could have gotten a really strong support character in him and seen some further development given the chance. In the end I don’t think he was quite accepting of Xu Xian still, but of course cared greatly for Bai Suzhen and helped her even at the cost of his own life if only to preserve hers and her happiness.

I would dare deem him and Ruyi a pair of mirror characters as they are similarly jealous of the partner of their childhood friend, but unlike Ruyi Jingsong truly holds affection for Bai Suzhen and learned to respect her decision.

I’m holding out hope that he either gets to return in some form or that we at least get so see him perhaps getting some sort of reward for his selflessness.

On a much lighter note, Xu Xian finally knows of Bai Suzhen’s true identity! Yippie, yippie, yippie! And it is so sweet, he is trying to learn about snakes and demons so he can be a good husband to his snake demon wife! Finally there will be no more misunderstandings, only open and healthy communication between the two!

Additionally after this revelation the two interact noticeably more playful with each other, you can really feel how their connection and trust has grown even stronger.

Both of them have definitely found a total keeper in each other and they know it themselves. Xu Xian even goes further in not only refraining from harming snakes, but any animal in general and becoming a vegetarian. This might also be partially motivated by his many near death experiences.

Lastly I was so happy to see Xiaotian show up alongside Erlang Shen. And he’s a greyhound!

Guanyin Ex Machina to the rescue once more! At this point I can imagine Heaven watching the happenings unfold with some snacks like an audience would watch the drama.

I wouldn’t say we are at the final stretch of the story just yet, but things are definitely ramping up a bit more! Xu Xian obviously won’t budge when it comes to Bai Suzhen no matter what, but now his sister will need to be convinced. And the issue with Prime Minister Liang has not yet been resolved properly, so that plotline will likely come back around sometime soon. It stays suspenseful, while consistently being rewarding!

[hwashitape]

I really can't pick which audio to keep on Wuwa… Jinli on CN… Kim Daol, Yi Saeah, Yooyoung, and Kang Saebom on KR… Iwasaki Ryota and Hanae Natsuki on JP… clocking back in at the KMS bldg

[longhumountain]

Who founder the Taosim?

Zhang Daoling, also known as Zhang Zhenren or Zhang Tianshi, is one of the founding figures of Daoism. Born around the 2nd century, he played a significant role in the Daoist school during the late Eastern Han period and is considered one of the primary contributors to the establishment of Daoism. Zhang Daoling's life is surrounded by a wealth of legends, and he is revered as a "Deity" by later generations.

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[moononmyfloor]

Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

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Ep 34-35: New Year Customs

The Spring Festival has a history of over four thousand years and is the biggest traditional festival in China.

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New Year Paintings

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Ming and Qing Dynasty Customs of the New Year Eve

According to the "Essence of Life: Food and Drink" in the book "Zhuo Zhong Zhi" from the Ming dynasty, on the 30th day of the last month, people visited each other and exchanged blessings. It's known as bidding the year farewell.

Hanging a peach wood board/peach charms next to the door, written on them the names of two door gods, Shen Shu and Yu Lu to suppress evil spirits.

Ashes of premium charcoals used in the palace are moulded into a pair of general statues with black faces and hands to work as door gods. In addition to Shen Shu and Yu Lu, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are all revered as door guardians by the folks.

Pictures of God of Happiness, the Ghost Judges, and Zhong Kui are also hung inside the house. People would hang gold and silver ornaments on the bed, as well as Xifan prayer wheels. They would also weave dragon figures with coins.

Eaves were hung with bundled sesame stalks. Children of common folks would step on the sesame stalks spread across the courtyard to crush them, symbolizing peace throughout the year.

Palace servants burned cypress branches in the courtyard to symbolize good things happen as wished, thus named "yusui."

Archaeological findings showed that delicacies resembling the shape of dumpling had appeared in China since the Spring and Autumn period, called the "laowan." The custom of eating dumplings during the Spring Festival in the northern region is said to commemorate Zhang Zhongjing, the Medical Saint of the Eastern Han dynasty, and has existed for over 1,800 years. On the first day of the lunar year, a type of boiled delicacy called "bian shi" enjoyed by emperors of the Ming dynasty and the "zhu bo bo" in the palace of the Qing dynasty are all dumplings.

Unlike the Ming dynasty, it is said that Emperor Taizu of Qing established a family rule that the emperor must eat vegetarian dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year to honour the innocent lives lost in wars. In the book "Celebrate the Spring Festival in the Forbidden City" it's said that vegetarian dumplings in the Qing palace were mainly filled with dried vegetables, including little hogweed, citron daylily, jelly ears, mushrooms, sliced bamboo shoots, and seitan. According to other research materials, dried tofu and eggs were also included. They had to be wrapped before midnight on New Year's Eve and boiled after midnight so they may be ready for the New Year.

Only in the 11th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign) did the book "Shan Shi Dang" mention pork and purslane were consumed on New Year's Day and that pork and spinach were used as dumpling filling.

Ceremony of Marking the Documents by the Emperor (writing New Year Blessings), Having spring rolls and hot porridge on the first day of New Year, Serving the Emperor Jiaobai wine and the Great Auspicious Box of various symbolical fruity and seed snacks, Custom of "Tossing a Thousand Gold".

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The Lantern Carnival

An ancient traditional folk custom in China, legend has it that Zhang Daoling of the Eastern Han dynasty held a lamp-lighting ceremony in Sichuan 1,800 years ago from now, and it is the archetype of China's original lantern carnival. Of all lantern carnivals in China, the most grandiose is the one held at the Lantern Festival. In the records about the Sui dynasty in the "Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance", Emperor Yang of Sui set a place for around a hundred kinds of performance at Duanmen Street in a 5,000-step radius of the place, almost 18,000 musicians were playing instruments. The sound of music could be heard from dozens of Li away. The event lasted from dusk until dawn, with large amounts of candles and lights illuminating the night sky. The festival lasted for an entire month and cost a significant amount of money.

It can be said that the Lantern Festival has been a national celebration in China since ancient times. Not only were there colorful lights and lanterns on the streets and hills, but also brilliant performances with singing, dancing, and various shows and talents, bustling with crowds all night long until drawn.

Today, with the integration of local folk culture and customs, lantern carnivals have become even bigger in scale and more diverse in form.

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Some more misc stuff:

Lantern riddles

Poems, puns, and acrostics with amusing gags, brain teasers are inserted in the silhouette of the silk lanterns.

Fried Lightly-Leavened Mantou

A traditional dish and a seasonal snack in Jiangsu, small in size.

Sugar painting

The art has over 400 years of history and is popular with children. The late Ming literary scholar Chu Renhuo's "Jianhu Supplementary Collection" records sugar paintings, or "Sugar Prime Minister", being made and used as offerings to the deities during the Ming dynasty.

See here:

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Soup made of Prickly Water Lily, also known as Gorgon fruit

Chinese puppetry

Originated in the Qin and Han dynasties., it was a form of Han Chinese puppetry. Most of the string puppets in Quanzhou, Fujian are about 2.2 Chi in length. They are beautifully crafted and vividly made. They are pulled by 30 or more suspended strings or wires and require a high level of skill in handling. It is one of China's most difficult traditional puppet shows.

Paper cutting

One of the oldest folk arts of the Han Chinese. The art of paper-cutting was included on the first national list of intangible cultural heritage by the State Council in May 2006. In September 2009, it was listed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Shadow play

Chinese shadow play began in Han and flourished in Tang. Plain paper was used in the early Song dynasty, and later on, lustrous sheepskin was adopted. In the Yuan dynasty, shadow puppetry spread overseas. Later generations used animal skins and cardboard to make shadow puppets, which were manipulated behind a curtain with percussion and string instruments to perform a variety of shows based on legends and folklore.

Suzhou-style Wonton

Suzhou-style Pan Fried Buns are known for its thin skin that wouldn't break or burnt. Baked after lightly leavened, full of fresh and juicy filling and soup, soft on the top and crispy on the bottom.

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Documentary Segment:

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More Hi Producer posts

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Yoon Na-na, who won three KLPGA titles in 'Farewell to Crowning' → Sema Sports Marketing 'Ready to enter the U.S.'

Yoon In-na (21, Hite Jinro), 다파벳슬롯 who won three gold medals in her return season after disciplinary action on the KLPGA Tour, has joined hands with a new partner after signing a contract with a former management company. Sema Sports Marketing announced on the 26th that it has signed a management contract as of December 1, 2024, with Yoon In-na, a professional who has performed brilliantly by winning the grand prize, the prize money king, 넥스트벳우회주소 and the lowest at-bats on the KLPGA Tour in the 2024 season. As a result, Yoon Na-na will receive systematic and professional support from Sema Sports Marketing along with world-class players such as Ko Jin-young (27, Solaire), 메이저사이트 Park Sung-hyun (30), Yoo Hae-ran (23, Daol Financial Group), and Bang Shin-sil (20, KB Financial Group), who are active at home and abroad starting next year.