#dead jiang fengmian and yu ziyuan

[camzkoa]

Nothing wrong happened there!

[whetstonefires]

Thinking about the parallels set up between Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu, and how actually most of them are oddly specious.

The sketch of the backstory lines up, but on close examination they're mirror images.

Wei Wuxian wasn't kicked out of his sect, he left it. Wei Wuxian didn't hate the house he grew up in, he loved it, and getting the people there killed was the absolute last purpose for which his dark powers were ever intended.

Jiang Cheng was no Mo Ziyuan--his jealousy was a complicated thing all twisted up with love, and while he would lash out at Wei Wuxian both as a casual means of shit communication and more damagingly in moments of high tension, he had neither the desire nor the ability to bully him, and in general respected his boundaries almost too well.

When Wei Wuxian destroyed himself about Jiang Cheng, it was to give him cultivation, and protect his life and happiness. He would never have killed him.

Madam Yu was a domineering aunt-like figure, who hated Wei Wuxian for reasons of reputation, and because she had resented his dead mother, but she crucially did not have the power to actually disrupt his lifestyle to any significant extent.

Mo Xuanyu was shut up in a small room to rot; Wei Wuxian didn't even attend classes unless he wanted to. Mo Xuanyu was weak and disliked; Wei Wuxian was brilliant and popular.

Mo Xuanyu's uncle is a cipher of a figure, without character or agency, a nonentity who is resented to death apparently mostly for what he didn't do; in theory he is the master of the house, but he certainly never protected his wife and son's punching bag from them.

And this is what got me thinking along this track: because people keep interpreting Jiang Fengmian as this, as exactly like Mo Xuanyu's nameless uncle, a nonentity who lets his wife make all the decisions, and is contemptible therefore.

He shows up in fic characterized this way all the time, handled narratively as a gap rather than a person, an absence where there should have been a parent, and it's...totally inaccurate? The man only has a few scenes but the things that are most firmly established about him are:

he regularly goes out of his way to protect Wei Wuxian

he's extremely fond of Wei Wuxian

he cares a lot about ethical behavior

he's conflict-avoidant and gentle

he can and will overrule Yu Ziyuan when he's made up his mind, and there's nothing she can do about it

his communication skills are mediocre at best

he doesn't understand jiang cheng

he has a dumb sense of humor

Now almost none of this made it into cql besides point 4 and maybe 6, 5 is technically there but buried by the cinematic framing, so I totally get why the fandom on the whole struggles to characterize him well, and it's easier to write him off.

But it keeps bugging me to see him and Yu Ziyuan squashed into the mold of the Mo, because not only is that boring and reductive and kind-of-missing-the-point, it's like. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's characterization suffers a lot when you alter the environment and take away the influence exerted by their shared father figure.

Jiang Fengmian was Wei Wuxian's primary adult role model and it shows.

Jiang Cheng's relationship to his own sense of ethics is fraught because 'teaching him good ethics' was his dad's number one parenting goal, but they misunderstood each other so badly (partly because Yu Ziyuan kept loudly misinterpreting them to each other, which is so realistic I can't get over it, that's exactly how it works good lord) that Jiang Cheng has a direct association between the concept of 'doing the right thing even when it's hard' and a feeling of personal inadequacy.

The fact that Wei Wuxian got their dad-person's approval for being exactly himself and Jiang Cheng not only couldn't do that, he couldn't even get that same level of approval when he really pushed himself to rise to expectations, because Jiang Fengmian did not intend that warmth as a 'reward,' and so never realized he was withholding it, and therefore misunderstood Jiang Cheng's visible jealousy as a dangerous sense of personal entitlement that had to be carefully restrained, which reinforced his distrust of Jiang-Cheng-the-person and fed into a shitty loop where they were less and less able to relate to one another--that's fantastic. That's so human! I love it so much.

Both their failures are their own but at the same time it would never have gotten so bad if Yu Ziyuan hadn't been interjecting herself in there, in the middle of their relationship, fucking it up. That's family, baby.

I would ofc like if there was more fic engaging with the subtleties of all this because it's so good, mxtx did such elegant work here and it is not sufficiently appreciated. But it's the kind of thing that's hard to write good fic about; I am struggling with it myself.

So mostly I wish there was just more fic that didn't impose Mo Xuanyu's cliche angst backstory on Wei Wuxian, who has a whole different thing going on.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

Aug 24th

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1. Hi! For 3 grueling days I've been on a hunt for a fanfic where Lan Wanji and Jiang Cheng go back in time and change everything! I remember that at one point that WeiWuXian is exposed for hurting himself after Jiang Cheng yells at Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan for bing shitty parents and runs off crying where he is later joined by Jiang YanLi and WWX. Also that YZY immediately regrets everything along with JFM. And then a disciple says that he's never heard heart wrenching sobs before. Please help. It's a wonderful read. Thank you!!! @makkachinno

FOUND? Brother-In-Law’s by Loveable_Psychopath (M, 332k, WIP, JYL/JZX, wangxian, JC/WQ, canon divergence, time travel fix-it, Memories, Butterfly Effect, Sexual assualt, Self Harm, Self Doubt, BAMF JC, Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rape Recovery, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Everyone Lives au, PTSD, good parent YZY, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Depression, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Canon-Typical Violence, Warning: JGS, Emotional Manipulation, Manipulation, Second Chances) chapter 29 for the screaming part and the cying is the next chapter

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2. Hi!! For this fic finder :

Its a fic i read long ago , wangxian was alr an established couple, It was after the canon series had ended i beleive and wwx has an identity crisis abt being mo xuanyu and theres a recurring theme of the burial mounds haunting him and it talks abt his ptsd (specifically I remember of cannibalism? The fic was maybe dead dove too..)

Wwx wld sleep walk aswell and during one of his sleepwalking episodes he didnt recognize the juniors and thought he was a teenager.

In the end i think he revists the burial mounds?

Thank you for the work you put in for the fandom!💗💗 @jnxi839

FOUND? Mud on Your Feet by AvoOwO (Not Rated, 59k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Nightmares, Sentient Burial Mounds, Burial Mounds, Possession, Panic Attacks, Night Terrors, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Good Sibling JC, Hurt WWX, Soft WangXian, Feels, Blood and Injury, Hallucinations, Delusions, JC Loves WWX, Insomnia, Good Sibling WWX, Sleepwalking, Sleeptalking, LWJ just wants to sleep with his husband, Protective JC, WWX Sees Dead People, LJY pulls through, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses, PTSD, Post-Canon, YLLZ WWX, resentful energy, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Thirteen Years of WWX’s Death, WWX’s Three Months in the Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, WWX is tired, LWJ literally just wants to sleep with WWX again is that too much to ask for??, Soft JC, Yunmeng Siblings Feels)

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3. Please help find fic

Wei wuxian cursed to be close to Lan wanji and stops feeling pain. Open ending. Curse gets progressively worse as fic goes on. They have to stay at an inn during the fic because wei wuxian hurt his foot. @opalkittencat

FOUND? Tether by Annerb (M, 161k, WangXian, Cursed LWJ, Canon Divergence, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, Family Feels, Yin Iron, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, aftermath of a war)

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4. hi!! i’m looking for a fic and it’s driving me crazy bc i’ve read it more then once. but it’s a modern au and it starts with llan zhan going on a random date and getting stood up. and wei ying pops up to sit with him and make him feel better since he’s alone. and immediate wangxian love ensues. and at one point point they overhear the guy talking and basically being like “haha that guys so boring i told u he would go out with me. i didn’t even show up.” or something like that. ofc that’s a complete paraphrase but that’s the general vibe of what the guy says . i don’t think the fic was very long. oh! lxc is also very protective in it but i can’t remember how. so sorry this is so vague i rly cant remember more of it. hoping anyone could help 😖 but totally understand if this is not enough info to find it. also tysm for all u do! this blog is so helpful!

FOUND! Blooming Days by Atsushiis (G, 7k, WangXian, LWJ & LXC, LWJ & MM, Modern, College/University, Meet-Cute, First Dates, First Kiss, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, LWJ Has Feelings, Let LWJ talk about his feelings agenda, Romance, Falling In Love, Wangxian are softer than a baby bunny, gratuitous handholding, Give LWJ hugs agenda, LWJ Protection Squad, Spanish Translation Available)

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5. so I remember this ff- it was on Wattpad (idk if y'all do Wattpad) if it was a sort of modern au with WWX as a teacher, one of his students have a crush on him, but he leaves and a sub (Lan Sizhui) is covering for him, I really remember that the class took a field trip to cloud recesses, where they found out about WWX and LWJ. Sorry if it was not so specific. and it is totes find if y'all cant find it, but the cover was sort of a Wangxian modern fanart, if that would help? @bitter-lemonzz

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6. I have been searching for the fic for so long but cannot find it. It was about Wei Wuxian accidentally being pushed into a pond by Lan Wangji and then it's angst. I think Madam Yu was a supportive figure for WWX in this fic. (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠) @yilinglaobunny

FOUND! i won’t say i’m in love by kazzywx (E, 18k, WangXian, rape/non-con, A/B/O, Arranged Marriage, Miscommunication, Angst with a Happy Ending, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, skippable NSFW scenes, wwx’s is basically meg from hercules with his “i wont say im in love” shtick, Hurt WWX, Boypussy, WWX Has a Vulva, Intersex WWX, Dubious Consent, Feminization, Mating Bites, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, Mpreg, WWX & WQ Friendship, WWX & WN Friendship, Possessive LWJ)

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7. Hey, someone told me that you could help me find this fic. It's a short story...might be a one shot where after the canon wwx sets wen ning up on various dates and at the end wen ning finds 'the one' that he tackles (if I'm not wrong) because of some misunderstanding. Also I think the final male character that wen ning shows interest in is from another famous fandom. It's all sweet and cute. Please if you know this story or can find this story, let me know...I've been searching for a long time. Thank you so much! You are doing an amazing job❤️ @madarmy

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8. Hi! I am looking for a specific canon au fic where soulmates are announced by an angry goose. Like, literally, when soulmates meet a goose pops up out of nowhere and heckles them until they recognize (? fall for?) each other. I think it was during the Cloud Recesses Lectures and Lan Qiren kept getting interrupted because geese kept popping up between the students. I remember honking geese breaking the quiet and calm of Cloud Recesses :D

FOUND? 🔒💖 No Matter What I Do I Feel The Pain (With or Without Goose) by Trickster_Angel (T, 3k, WangXian, Soulmates, The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, Crack, Not tagging animal abuse but they have to fight off the geese, Not Serious, Humor, First Kiss)

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9.Hi! So, I've looking for this fic that take place when wei ying is in the burial mounds with the wens and decides to end his life, and wen ning is the one that tells lan zhan of it, and he has a panic attack? anxiety attack? and it leads to everyone helping the wens while they grief ... (sorry if there is misspelling, second language) @belenleal2111

FOUND? To Offer a Heart by WhiteCrane (M, 111k, WIP, wangxian, major character death, Sad WWX, Hurt WWX, YLLZ WWX, soft wangxian, Cinnamon Roll WN, WWX Whump, WQ is a good sister, WN is a good brother, everybody loves wwx, yunmeng siblings, Triggers, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst with a Happy Ending, Taking care of WWX, Give WWX a break, Canon Divergence, Disturbing Themes, Changing Perspectives, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Grief/Mourning, Temporary Character Death, Getting Together, Redemption, Sibling Bonding, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Brother-Sister Relationships, Parent-Child Relationship, Sad and Sweet, Tragedy, BAMF WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF JYL, BAMF WQ, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Everyone Needs A Hug)

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10. hello! I hope you're doing well 🌷 I'm looking for a fic where female! WWX is getting married to the second son (Lan Zhan) of the esteemed Lan family who are well known tea merchants. Nie Huaisang is female too. Uncle Jiang arranges this marriage for Wei Ying. The fic starts with Uncle Jiang saying "Wei Ying, I accepted a marriage proposal for you you're getting married next month". Jiang Cheng keeps saying UNKIDNAPPABLE! because that's why the Lan Clan extended a marriage proposal to Wei Ying cos she's impossible to kidnap. WWX and LZ don't know each other prior to this. They have a summer wedding and the makeup auntie puts 3 layers of thick white face powder on WWX's face and tells her not to touch her face after which wei ying immediately feels the need to scratch her face off. Lan Zhans hand is a bit damp when he helps WWX into the palaquin cos it's hot as balls and he's sweating under 3 layers of robes. Wei Ying said she can't wait to become a dowager cos she'll get to wear clothes that are her style (darker). Someone tells wwx to not stand up too straight and she folds into an exaggerated slouch and then yelps and straightens up again when MianMian (her handmaid) slaps her butt. Sorry, that's all I remember! Thank you please help me find this 🙏🏼 @darkchocobun-blog

FOUND? a harmony between qin and se by Alaceron (E, 62k, WangXian, Gender Changes, Historical, Female WWX)

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11. Hi Mods! I am looking for a wangxian fic with these details:

-YilingWei Sect wangxian AU

-WWX takes MXY and his mom (Mo WeiYa) away from Mo manor to keep them safe but he has to go to Koi Tower for some reason about Meng Yao...

-Mo WeiYa imprints on JGY and makes WWX take him back too and treats him like a kid

-there was also a part where WWX said something about taking MXY under his wing and LWJ assumes he's gonna marry his mom and adopt MXY but ofc he was wrong

-JGY later becomes his deputy in his sect despite WWX trying to find a different one...yes JGY was corrupt before and WWX doesn't trust him.

-it was a multichap (I think) and complete (I think). Help?

FOUND!🔒 if you can’t beat them, recruit them by moeblobmegane (T, 228k, Wangxian, NHS & WWX, WWX & WQ, Time Travel Fix-It, Conspiracy, Spies & Secret Agents, Team as Family, Found Family, Burial Mounds, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Pining, Morally Ambiguous Character, Rumors, Politics, Developing Friendships, Good Uncle LQR, Demonic Cultivation, YilingWei Sect)

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12. This is an odd ficfinder request, but I remember there was a VERY long fanfic I read a while ago on AO3 where the author gave the Meishan Yu a motto that went something like "We remember what is owed." I thought it was "Things to do with Flute During Wartime" but I can't find it in there. Anyone have any ideas? Thank you for ALL you do, mods! <3 <3 <3 @kimboo-york

FOUND! could be any of a few by stratisphyre but is likely the exploration of a courageous heart (all this unexpected glory) by Stratisphyre (T, 54k, JYL/LXC/NMJ, Canon Divergence, Not Everybody Dies, (but some canonical character deaths), Childhood Sweethearts, Arranged Marriage, Threesome - F/M/M, Kidfic, Hurt/Comfort, JYL Best Jiejie, Friends to Lovers, Sibling Feelings, Not JFM friendly, Enormous Amounts of Head Canon, Multiple Pov, Canon Typical Violence, Implied Past Abuse)

NOT FOUND! the other long stratisphyre fic with that Meishan Yu motto as a line in the fic is in stillness, clear water to the bottom by Stratisphyre (T, 40k, CSSR/WCZ/LQR, LQR & Madam Lan, LQR & WWX, Sect Leader Nie/NHS's Mother/NMJ's Mother, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Threesome - M/M/F, Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, Everyone lives, (mostly), (not you QHJ), Family feelings, Madam Lan lives, references to past rape)

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13. trying to find a specific fic! it's a modern au roommates-to-lovers. the most specific thing I can remember is that Jin Zixuan is the one who asks Lan Wangji to let Wei Wuxian stay in his spare room. thanks in advance! @strinak

FOUND? ❤️ the best of you by sysrae (E, 41k, WangXian, XuanLi, Modern AU, College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, slightly undernegotiated kink, but in a very soft and consensual way, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JFM and Madam Yu’s A+ parenting, Dysfunctional Family, Mental Health Issues therapy is good actually, the most tender of railings, Reference to animal attacks/animal cruelty, descriptions of past violence)

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14. Hi! In 2021 (approx) I read a fanfic where Lan zhan tries to save, (through a simulation that has Wei Ying's soul) wwx but always fails in the attempt, it is not until Wei Ying becomes aware of this and both confess to each other, that they manage to save everyone and wangxian stay together until old age and the time of his death as companions. However, this occurs within a simulation and wangxian says goodbye. The fic ends with Lan zhan leaving his seclusion but with his mind at peace knowing that he had a chance to be at peace and happy with his love and is ready to raise a-yuan.

I remember reading this on Wattpad and in Spanish. But I always wondered if it was on ao3 and it was actually a translation. Please, if you have any information I would be happy to read you. Saludos

Pd: Sorry for Google traslate

Enviar comentarios @ppninonom

FOUND? my apple tree, my brightness by trickybonmot (E, 5k, WangXian, Science Fiction, Angst, Not A Fix-It, Not a Time Loop Either, sweaty sex, sweat as lube, Come as Lube, But don't worry they're cultivators, LWJ's Regret, LWJ in Seclusion, Hopeful Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Not a ton of comfort but some!, Grief, Healing, [Podfic] my apple tree, my brightness by shash_reads (sunkitten_shash), [Podfic] my apple tree, my brightness by nonminus (nonplussed))

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15. Hi. I saw this ao3 fic on twitter but it refreshed before I could save, I only remember a few tags it was a wangxian case fic where they look after three ghost children, I guess it was The Untamed post canon fic. Can you help? Thank you.

FOUND? a home carved of love by omegawangji (T, 12k, WangXian, Case Fic, Post-Canon, Child Abandonment, Past Child Abuse, Accidental Baby Acquisition, wangxian adopt ghost (corpse?) babies, Soft WangXian, Family Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Pining LWJ, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Good Parents LWJ and WWX, Found Family, Getting Together, First Kiss)

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16. For fic finder: Hello! I am looking for a canon-au fic where Wei Wuxian was able to use demonic cultivation to create shadow copies of himself, kind of like Naruto shadow clones. He used this to fight in the Sunshot Campaign and there was a cool scene where he took down a Wen supervisory office all by himself by having a ton of hims fight each Wen soldier. There was also a scene where he dueled with Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng had to cut down all of the clones before finding the real Wei Wuxian. I think this technique caused his soul to shatter after death, but I could be wrong/confusing multiple fics. Thank you for your help!

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17. Fic finder request plz!! It’s a fem Wangxian in an omegaverse setting where Alpha NMJ has Alpha LWJ visiting and they invite WWX over. I remember at the end, LWJ came into the kitchen to get fancy water for WWX and wanted to know what snacks she liked. I can’t remember anything else. 😭😭😭

FOUND? good friends by plonk (Not Rated, 11k, NMJ/WWX/LWJ, WangXian, Modern, Gender Changes, A/B/O)

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18. Hi!! It's my first time asking here!! I've been trying to find a fic where wwx makes the cultivation world forget abt the wens and him, and by consequence the baby lwj is pregnant with!! I will be so grateful if u guys could help me find it!!

FOUND! could be this threadfic (locked to followers)

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19. Hi, there's this one canon divergence fic I read where WWX inevitably becomes part of the Burial Mounds and has become pretty vampire-adjacent and he thinks of himself as a monster. When LWJ finds out, there are multiple times in the story where he cuts his hand/arm and pours the blood in a bowl so WWX could "eat."

At some point in the story it's revealed that WWX was transported to Diyu before he died and yeah. At Wangxian's wedding he invites the overlord(?) of Diyu and even tho he didn't go, he was amused by the invitation and sent someone else to be there for him LMAO 😭😭

Can you please help me find this fic? I also highly rec it! Thank you!

FOUND!🔒A Heart Undying by NonsensicalRambling (M, 114k, WangXian, Undead WWX, Canon-Typical Violence, canon-typical dead things the burial mounds, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Eventual WangXian, No Yīn Tiger Seal, Morally Gray WWX, Animals Eating People, WWX's questionable choices, Morally conflicted LWJ, Oblivious WWX, WWX Creates a Sect | Yiling Wei, YLLZ WWX, Sect Leader WWX, LWJ & WQ have an Understanding)

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20. fic finder req: a really sad post canon fic. it's a hurt/no comfort sick fic, where lwj falls ill with what eventually turns out to be a terminal illness (maybe a blood curse of some sort?). I think lwj falls unconscious at some pt, and they use the incense burner to spend lwj's last moments tgt with family and wwx. wx tries and fails to find a cure for it, and only succeeds many years after lwj dies, working closely w the gusu healers. the fic ends with them meeting in the afterlife, where lwj has been waiting for wwx. I've tried all the tags I could think of, but it's lost among my countless bookmarks... i haven't been able to find it and I'm worried it's been taken down. please help!

FOUND! I will be gone by seachronicles (M, 28k, WangXian, Angst, Sickfic, Hurt LWJ, Hurt WWX, Sick LWJ, LWJ Whump, WWX Whump, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, but a lot of hurt, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Grief/Mourning, Reincarnation, POV LWJ, POV WWX, Sad WWX, Sad LWJ, Married WangXian, Major Illness, Implied/Referenced Sex, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, but very briefly)

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[mxtxfanatic]

Fandom Gripe #26: It will never not be weird that a portion of fandom treat Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze as worse parents to Wei Wuxian for dying than Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan*, the guardians who took him in and abused him/facilitated his abuse. We know literally nothing about the Wei couple’s nighthunting habits or the circumstances surrounding their death, but you have people dying on the hill that toddler!Wei Wuxian not dying with them must have meant that they were negligent parents who often abandoned him unattended to gallivant across the lands, or that not having close relatives or a permanent address at which to leave their son (neither of which we canonically know, either, but is assumed based solely on the fact that Jiang Fengmian—a former friend they kept no contact with—took years to find their orphaned son) meant that they must not have taken his safety or the risks of nighthunting seriously.

All the most bad-faith conjecture I’ve ever seen about dead characters we only know about from the condescending mouths of child abusers and one hazy memory from their child, himself, which he carries close to his heart. All this bad-faith conjecture from the same fandom that’ll write fanfiction in their heads about the supposed victimhood of another already-dead character at the hands of Wei Wuxian—who said character has trapped in his body to fulfill his demands—and argue you down that this is “canon.” Y’all are not smarter than other readers because you look at characters that are narratively portrayed as good and arbitrarily decide that they must be bad based on criteria and circumstances you made up. You’re arguing with your own imagination at this point, and I’d rather you do it in your own head and not on public metas.

*the Jiang couple are not actually Wei Wuxian’s parents, either bio or adopted or by simple acknowledgment by any party (adults or child) involved, but a large portion of fandom has convinced themselves otherwise, so—

[robsterskellington]

Okay, so I've read all of Mo Dao Zu Shi, the novels and manhua, and watched the donghua three times. Safe to say the brainrot is real. So, I wrote a little something. My brain always comes up with the same scenario for every fandom I'm interested in: what if one character woke up back in a specific point in time, but with all the memories of what will happen? Would or could they prevent certain things, or make the same mistakes?

Anyway, here's a piece I wrote earlier:

Wei Wuxian slowly opened his eyes, feeling dreadful and very confused- he had been in bed with Lan Wangji, hadn't he? They'd celebrated their wedding anniversary in Yunmeng, then went to bed. It was a fun celebration, even Lan Xichen had come out of seclusion to join. Wei Wuxian ate good food and partied with the people he loved; he'd finally patched things up with Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling had called him *Uncle Wei* for the first time, and Lan Sizhui tried to make him happy by trying the spicy foods. Lan Wangji also seemed happy, he'd started smiling more so it was easy to tell. Once the party was over, they had their intimate moments and fell asleep curled in each other's arms, happy and in love.

So... why was Wei Wuxian lying on his stomach, surrounded by resentful energy, in what looked like the bottom of the Burial Mounds? His body hurt, like it had done when he was thrown down by Wen Chao. He scowled at that memory before managing to get his arms to move, forcing himself to sit up, wincing. "Ow..."

He looked at himself and froze- he was back in his old body, but back to when he was about 17 or 18? He opened his robes a little and felt his blood run cold. The Wen brand on his chest was still fresh, as was the stitching on his abdomen from when he had his Golden Core extracted. It was a miracle that the stitching didn't split when he fell. His robes were the same, though his Clarity Bell was missing, obviously.

Wei Wuxian felt dizzy, hearing the whispering of the dead, their souls unable to rest, the resentment being the strongest here. This was the perfect place for someone to become a wielder of the dark arts, though only if they truly had no other choice. Wei Wuxian's options were to absorb it, or die... and after what happened to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan and the rest of the Jiang Clan, how could he choose death for himself? No, he'd take all the resentment, and use it to carve his own path- after all, to secure Jiang Cheng's future, Wei Wuxian sacrificed his own. Once he absorbed it, he could walk around with no pain, only power. That was when he'd find a cave filled with scrolls- people who fell here had tried to do what he did, but with no success, dying and joining the resentment.

That was when Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, the Founder of Diabolism, the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. Someone who's strength couldn't be beaten or tamed, and someone who was feared by all.

Why was he going through all this again? It couldn't have been a result of the incense burner, they'd left that behind in Guzu. He had all the memories of everything that happened after this, and frowned. If this was a second chance... how much could he change? How much *should* he change? What if he made everything so much worse?

This thoughts immediately went to his Shijie, her husband, and how her son grew up, with no parents to guide him. Wen Ning's death, and Wei Wuxian being unable to let him go since he'd died with his eyes open. Hell, the Wen Clan remnants truly didn't deserve what they got, it was a miracle that Wen Yuan was given a second chance as Lan Sizhui. Nie Mingjue absolutely didn't deserve what fate gave to him, and while Jin Guangyao was a piece of shit, it was only because of his unfaithful father. That just brought up the whole mess with Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, as well as Xue Yang.

Wei Wuxian didn't know what to do. Interfere? Would that just make things worse again? Besides, *how* could he interfere with some things? Could certain things even be prevented or caused? He can't exactly claim he knew what was going to happen without sounding like a madman, and he couldn't even blame that on Mo Xuanyu this time! A depressing part of him then wondered: how much could be prevented if Wei Wuxian simply chose the second option? If he died here, would that be better? Without his talisman, his inventions, his knowledge... all of which were a double edged sword.

Resentful energy continued to pour into him, not caring about what choices he made, and no longer giving him time to think. Wei Wuxian had forgotten how bad the pain was, and couldn't help but scream in utter agony, as he was stabbed, had resentment shoved down his throat, and had his memories replay every bad moment in his life, stirring up his rage and sorrows. For a brief moment, he remembered the images of the past, and what would be this version's future. Tears streamed down his face, as he went limp, just allowing what happened to happen. If he lived, fine. If he died, fine.

*****

"..."

*...where are you?*

"...huh..?" Wei Wuxian's soul was in some kind of white space, and he could hear soft music playing. His mind was fuzzy, so he couldn't quite recognise the tune. There was no voice, yet he swore he heard a question. He focused a little more, taking advantage of the fact that be wasn't in as much pain.

*...Wei Ying..? Where are you..?*

Wei Wuxian's mind kicked into high gear- that was Inquiry!! Lan Wangji was trying to find him!! He grinned from ear to ear. Knowing what he did now, he understood that Lan Wangji never hated him, never wanted him to come to harm, that right from the beginning, all Lan Wangji wanted was to have Wei Wuxian as his partner. To marry him, bed him, have a future with him. To make sure that every day meant every day.

This was good, but also terrible. Wei Wuxian wasn't able to go down a normal cultivation path now, and with this new power, he would always scare Lan Wangji, who would always worry about his health and sanity. What the fuck could he do? He couldn't risk Lan Wangji coming after him, what if he got hurt or worse?! But he also couldn't just ignore him...

*Wei Ying... please... are you still alive..? Please... any sign... give me a sign...*

He wanted to call out, but didn't know what to say. All words died in his throat. Closing his eyes and calming down, Wei Wuxian did as he was asked and gave a sign that he was alive: he knew that Lan Wangji would be able to hear the response, and only Lan Wangji would understand as he started to sing that same beautiful song that Lan Wangji wrote for him and performed in that disgusting cave. Wei Wuxian knew that hearing wangxian would be enough to tell Lan Wangji that he was still alive. But because he didn't answer any questions directly, he knew Lan Wangji wouldn't ask. However, he still responded...

*I hear you... Wherever you are, please be safe... I want to see you again... I swear to try to look after Clan Leader Jiang and Lady Jiang in the meantime...*

Wei Wuxian's breath hitched as tears streamed down his face. Lan Wangji clearly didn't go through what he just did. Obviously he couldn't change that, but he wanted to have his husband as soon as possible. So he decided to stop resisting, and allowed the beginning of this darkened path to stay the same. The next time he saw Lan Wangji, he'd be the Wei Wuxian everyone would fear, though if he could change that, he decided that he absolutely would.

He woke up once more, and stood up. He knew what to do, his glowing crimson eyes filled with a new sense of purpose.

****

In the previous life, he'd hunted down Wen Chao and broke him little by little. He wanted the prick to suffer, but maybe he would look less evil by not reducing him to a burnt and broken skeleton this time. Besides, he was Jiang Cheng's to kill. Some things, he kept the same. He slowly attacked Wen bases and slaughtered their soldiers, but this time, he was far more careful. When he sensed some of the people wanting to escape, or switch sides, he'd test them:

It was a very simple test. He would leave for them plain grey robes baring no official Clan colours. An easy to understand message of 'If you want to abandon the Wens, discard their colours and insignia, and run while you can'. Most people did exactly that, and the test was far more effective than Wei Wuxian could ever dream; he wanted to protect the same people he once had, and they had turned out to be more than willing to turn their backs on their own Clan.

The one person he was most surprised about was Wen Qing, who had encouraged Wen Ning to do the same. The Supervisory Office in Yiling had quickly grown into a safe haven for any Wens who decided that their morals and lives weren't worth participating in this war. Wen Ruohan had been furious and sent Wen Chao to deal with it personally, but unfortunately, the coward couldn't get close- something about the traitor's camp being surrounded by feral zombies who refused to let them pass? In the end, they were left alone.

News spread, and at first, none of the main participants of the Sunshot Campaign knew what to make of this development. The Jin Clan thought it was better to annihilate the Yiling Camp, in case the Wens changed their minds and decided to attack. The Nie Clan also thought it best to kill them, since all of them were dogs needing to be put down, in their eyes. However, the Lan Clan disagreed, as these people had proven that they wanted to live and weren't willing to fight or kill people they considered innocent in all of this, just wanting peace- Lan Xichen also argued that most of the people were elderly, crippled, children or doctors who refused to bloody their hands unless healing.

It was that comment that made Jiang Cheng confess that Wen Qing and Wen Ning had saved the lives of himself and Wei Wuxian, so refused to have them killed. He came up with a solution, then: "Why don't we take in those Wens who have proven to be better than the ones we fight? They've discarded the name of Wen, really- so how about they bare our own names?"

The Hall was in uproar, everyone shouting their disagreements. But ultimately, a choice was made. Once the Sunshot Campaign was completed, and those Wens had been monitored for long enough to prove that they wouldn't turn and attack, restarting the war, then they would be integrated into the four main Clans instead. Nie Mingjue wasn't happy at first, but he also knew that in actuality, his anger came from Wen Ruohan's actions. Plus, he couldn't blame those Wens for their inaction, they'd already been threatened and some killed before they could escape. Unwilling to kill, but willing to die to escape.

After listening in, Wei Wuxian was ecstatic! He had no idea that his plan would work, and yet it did. He prayed to the Gods that the Jiang Clan would take in Wen Ning and his sister, and that the Lan Clan would take in Wen Yuan and his dear granny. He just wanted his friend and his little radish to be safe.

Things seemed to proceed similarly to how it did before, but now the Wens that abandoned the main Clan were now helping in different ways. Some were soldiers and blacksmiths who swore their loyalty to the Nie Clan, and managed to help with their fighting and weaponry. Wen Ning was recognised for being a talented archer, and in exchange for not having to fight in the war, he helped Jiang Cheng train the new members of the Jiang Clan in archery. Wen Qing was a talented doctor, so unfortunately she was very overworked, but she admitted that it was far better than standing aside.

Wei Wuxian stayed in the shadows, using his tricks and dark arts to kill off any loyal Wen Clan soldiers he could. Originally, he'd scared Wen Chao and his bitch so much that she killed herself, while he was a broken, unrecognisable husk. Now that Wei Wuxian had prioritised other's safety first, he didn't have time to torture them... scaring them, however?

It was almost embarrassing how confident Wen Chao was that he could prevent anything from happening to Wang Lingjiao, setting up spirit warding talisman all over their safe house. But the fool didn't notice that Wei Wuxian had added four extra strokes to each one with his own blood. The spirit lure talismans were what ultimately lead to her death, though Wei Wuxian being in the area and playing his flute didn't help matters. He couldn't deny himself a smile when her screaming finally silenced.

But then, he felt guilt. Not for killing her, she got what she deserved for trying to hurt Luo Qingyang and branding him. Killing for pleasure, that was what made him a monster. He never did, or so he thought, but this single moment proved him wrong. Wei Wuxian sighed, then frowned and looked up in the sky- a firework baring the Wen insignia...

"Wait. That's where Jiang Cheng-! Hold on, I'm coming!"

****

"Where is Wei Ying?!" Lan Wangji had never shouted with such anger before in his life. He knew that when he used Inquiry a while ago, Wei Wuxian was still alive. Only he knew the song he wrote for him, after all. But it had been so long, over three months at this point, and he had been too busy with rebuilding the Cloud Recesses, fighting in the war, while also helping that sweet old lady with that adorable toddler who called him 'daddy'. He knew he was making up excuses at this point, he should have tried harder.

But his thoughts shut off and his heart shattered to pieces when Wen Chao scoffed, "I threw him into the Burial Mounds months ago. I doubt even his bones will be left now. So you can stop looking for him, and join him in Hell!"

Jiang Cheng sank where he was forced to kneel, shaking. Wei Wuxian was gone? He'd been gone this entire time? What would his sister say? Even Wen Ning was excited about possibly seeing him again. They couldn't even lay him to rest.

Lan Wangji had a very different reaction. His fingers were bleeding, his spiritual energy was all but depleted, but the thought of Wei Wuxian being all alone and suffering filled him with unbridled rage. Was this why Wei Wuxian didn't tell Lan Wangji where he was? If he was trapped in the Burial Mounds and already weakened from being attacked by Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, then maybe he was dying and didn't want Lan Wangji to come and find him. Wanted him to remember him as he was. Lan Wangji screamed his pain and grief, lashing out one last attack that obliterated the strings of his zither, but to no avail.

In the end, both Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji were forced to kneel, swords at their necks, with none of the soldiers daring to attack in fear of the two strongest men losing their lives. Neither of them had much will to fight after that, anyway.

Just as Wen Chao was about to give the execution order, a strange sound caught everyone's attention. Crows had begun flying overhead, their sharp caws loud enough for everyone to hear. It was strange, but whatever. However, that was just the beginning. The flames that burned throughout had changed from their bright yellow hues to a sickly green, the lighting significantly dimming. The Wen soldiers shuffled on their feet before looking up at the main watch tower at the sound of a piercing flute.

Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng watched the newcomer standing confidently on the tower, playing a strong melody. They couldn't make out his face, but the glowing red eyes were impossible to miss, along with the long, free flowing hair. Wen Chao quickly called back his guards, just as the bodies of the fallen slowly rose to their feet as feral zombies, attacking the Wen Clan and giving the Jiang Clan time to regain their senses and join the fight.

Jiang Cheng grinned, but Lan Wangji looked uneasy. Jiang Cheng looked at him and scoffed, "Whatever you're afraid of, put it aside for now. His methods are unorthodox, but he's very obviously on our side. So let's not waste his efforts!" That was when Lan Wangji finally nodded and unsheathed Bichen, while Jiang Cheng brandished Zidian.

When the Wen army was severely crippled and downsized, the figure on the tower floated down using what looked like a cloud of resentful energy. Wen Chao immediately ordered Wen Zhuliu to attack, but the figure was a lot faster. Nobody could see what happened; from their perspective, the figure simply ran past Wen Zhuliu, and the barer of the Core Melting Hand was suddenly on his knees, coughing up blood.

Wen Chao stared in horror as the figure then held up what he had taken: Wen Zhuliu's Golden Core. The figure looked at it, as if contemplating something, before putting it in his sleeve, as if he was saving it for something. The mist around the figure faded, revealing a wicked grin that made Wen Chao choke on his own gasp, "W... Wei Ying?! You're supposed to be dead!! G-ghost!!"

"It's been some time, Wen Chao. Didn't I tell you I'd come back?" Wei Wuxian smirked, but then decided he had better things to do. He whistled, then turned his back to Wen Chao, "I need to talk to the people I care about. I trust the lady you left to die can keep you entertained?" Wen Chao went pale as the feral zombie who looked exactly like Wang Lingjiao slowly approached him. Wei Wuxian then snapped his fingers, and some of the soldiers that Wen Chao lead to their deaths attacked Wen Zhuliu, to stop him from rescuing his master.

Jiang Cheng smiled brightly at seeing Wei Wuxian, and when he watched Wei Wuxian smile and open his arms, he ran in for a hug, "You bastard, you scared the shit out of me!" He felt Wei Wuxian hold him, and felt the slightest of trembles. Jiang Cheng teared up and completely lost his composure, "...I thought you were dead, *big brother*."

Wei Wuxian tensed- how long had it been since he was called that? It made him tear up and hug him tighter, "I'm sorry, *little brother*. I wanted to come and find you and Shijie as soon as I got out, but... I was scared. I'm not the same as before."

"You really think that matters? It's still you. And I'm so damn happy to see you." They held each other a little longer, calming down a little before eventually pulling away to see each other smile again.

"...Wei Ying."

"Huh?" Wei Wuxian turned to see Lan Wangji's stoney expression, and tilted his head, "Lan Zhan?"

"Was it you who killed the Wens along the way?" A nod in response. "Did you also create those talisman?" Another nod. "Wei Ying... this path you're on, it destroys the mind and body. That's saying nothing of what it does to your temperament. There's never been any exceptions. It's a heretic path for a reason."

"...Lan Zhan, I didn't have a choice." Lan Wangji froze at those words, and noticed just how exhausted Wei Wuxian truly was, "Believe me, I don't actually *want* to be on this path. But at the time, my options were become like this, or die." Wei Wuxian took a calming breath and faced him properly, "I know what I'm risking. And I'll do whatever I can to go back to normal, if I can. As for my temperament, I've been trying to keep it under control by not allowing revenge to blind me. Lan Zhan, *I* was the one saving the Wens who just wanted out of this shitty situation. I'm not going around slaughtering mindlessly." He looked ashamed and pointed to Wang Lingjiao, "She was an exception to that, I admit that, and I'm not proud of it. I understand if you don't want to believe me. But I promise that I never asked for this, and I don't want this."

As if to prove that he was truly in control, Wei Wuxian ordered the feral zombies to step down, and freed what was left of their souls. Aside from using resentful energy, how he brought the spirits to rest was exactly how he was taught in the Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji stared at him, his eyes full of despair, "...return to Guzu with me." Wei Wuxian looked at him; last time, he didn't hear him out, and it lead to a horrible argument. This time, he indicated for Lan Wangji to elaborate, which he did: "If you're truly trapped on this path and we can't help you, then we'll find a way for you to have some semblance of normality. I swear, I will never let anyone harm you, nor will I let you be forced into seclusion. I just... believe me when I tell you that I just want you to be safe. Let me help you, Wei Ying!"

Wei Wuxian watched as Lan Wangji was fighting back his tears, and simply turned to Jiang Cheng, "Clan Leader Jiang. I ask that once I've played my part in the Sunshot Campaign as a Demonic Cultivator, once this war is over, I request to go to the Cloud Recesses with Lan Wangji. If I'm wrong, and I can go back to a normal cultivation path, I'd very much like to. I believe that the Guzu Lan Clan can help me with that, just as I believe Lan Wangji's words are sincere."

Lan Wangji stared at Wei Wuxian in disbelief, but could slowly feel his heart repairing itself. He was being given a chance to help, and Wei Wuxian trusted him. While he was impatient, he wanted to take Wei Wuxian back now, and maybe try to hide him away if he could be talked into it, he also didn't want Wei Wuxian to feel trapped or obligated to stay. Plus, he could no longer deny the effectiveness of the dark arts, and couldn't doubt that Wei Wuxian was in full control.

Jiang Cheng hesitated before nodding, "Very well. But I'm adding to this compromise: on every Night Hunt, you join me and represent the Jiang Clan as my right hand. Besides, I don't think sis would be happy with you if you didn't come home from time to time." With Wei Wuxian's new power, the Lotus Pier would be theirs again, so there was no issues in stating that it was their home once more.

"I agree with the compromise," Lan Wangji stated, "especially when you're still part of the Jiang Clan. I just want to..." he trailed off, unable to confess what he was thinking, but it didn't matter.

"Then it's settled. I'll come back with you, Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian gave him a warm smile, looking like the man he'd grown to love. It made Lan Wangji's ears tint red. Wei Wuxian looked over to see that Wen Zhuliu had stopped moving, but Wen Chao was surprisingly still writhing in pain, bits and pieces bitten off of him. He turned to Jiang Cheng, "He's all yours."

Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu, but then looked towards Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian shook his head, he already got his revenge. But Lan Wangji held Bichen once more. Wen Xu had lead the attack that killed his father, and since Nie Mingjue had already decapitated him, Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen couldn't get revenge. At first, he didn't mind, revenge was a disgusting thing, but now he had the opportunity, he couldn't deny wanting to just make sure Wen Chao couldn't come back. He still hesitated, so Wei Wuxian chuckled and held up his flute. He'd had his fun, but if this helped Lan Wangji, so be it.

In the end, all three of them took the life of Wen Ruohan's youngest son that night.

[poorlittleyaoyao]

Actually I find very fitting how women are treated in mdzs. Mdzs's world is homophobic, classicist and misogynistic. Imo Mdzs's world represents the worst of the real world, so I find very suitable that in a patriarch/misogyny society where reputation is what matter the most, women payed the consequences of men's choices. The fact that they have no agency makes their stories even more tragic (like Greek heroines) imo. I've read historical novels from a very youth age, so I am accustomed to this. (disclaimer : that doesn't mean that I am not frustrated with the narrative or our assholes as wwx wn etc... ). What makes me very upset is how fans treat mdzs's women! Wq is not a Mean Lesbian, who is just wwx's best friend. jyl is not just wwx's mom or, even worst, a badass kickass (she is ill! She can't cultivate! Madam yu would love to have a badass daughter, but she can't! She has a chronic illness!!! ). And madam yu reminds me so much of Medea but she doesn't have the same hype. These women are trapped two times : firstly by the narrative and then by fans and I find myself less tolerant towards the latter

When I saw this ask yesterday, my gut response to the comparison between Greek tragedies and MDZS was to be like "no!! it's not the same!!" But I couldn't immediately identify why I felt that way. All the works that have given me lasting brainworms are historical tragedies with mostly-male casts and moral complexity. Everything I vibe with can be traced in some way back to getting fixated on the Trojan War, MDZS/CQL included. So what's different? I have been pondering it ever since then. So thank you, anon, for making me think!

For me, I think what it comes down to is that the issues you mentioned--the classism, the homophobia, and the misogyny--aren't actually explored within the text itself. The in-universe homophobia primarily manifests itself as people saying slurs at Wangxian. There is no external pressure to enter into heterosexual unions and have children to ensure a line of succession (3/4 of the sect leaders are unmarried after the timeskip, after all), nor is there the internal conflict of unpacking internalized homophobia. Classism is examined more with JGY's whole deal, but when the only character pointing out the flaws in the status quo is the Crimes Man, it muddles the message somewhat.

As to the misogyny... with the notable exception of QS, none of the women in MDZS die for reasons that relate to in-universe inequality. YZY, A-Qing, WQ, and JYL all die making the active choice to protect someone or something. Taken individually, all of their deaths make sense. The problems is when you take them as a whole, and you realize that the mortality rate for women in the series is off the chain. Below is a list of all the named characters who show up for more than one scene in MDZS. Bolded characters live, struck-through characters die.

Wei Wuxian Jiang Yanli Jiang Cheng                 Yu Ziyuan Jiang Fengmian           Wen Qing Lan Wangji  Granny Wen Lan Xichen                   Wang Lingjiao Lan Qiren                     Madame Jin Lan Jingyi                     Qin Su Lan Sizhui                   Luo Qingyang Wen Ning                      A-Qing Wen Chao                                            Wen Ruohan                                         Wen Zhuliu Jin Zixuan Jin Ling                                               Jin Guangshan                                                Jin Zixun Jin Guangyao Nie Mingjue Nie Huaisang Xue Yang Xiao Xingchen Song Lan Su Minshan Ouyang Zizhen Sect Leader Ouyang Sect Leader Yao

That's bonkers! It's even worse if you don't count the dead characters who quote-unquote "deserved it" for murdering people, which changes the list to:

Wei Wuxian Jiang Yanli Jiang Cheng                 Yu Ziyuan Jiang Fengmian           Wen Qing Lan Wangji  Granny Wen Lan Xichen                   Madame Jin Lan Qiren                     Qin Su Lan Jingyi                     Luo Qingyang Lan Sizhui                   A-Qing Wen Ning                       Jin Zixuan Jin Ling                                               Nie Mingjue Nie Huaisang Xiao Xingchen Song Lan Ouyang Zizhen Sect Leader Ouyang Sect Leader Yao

Again, the women's deaths each make sense individually, but as a trend, it's fucking wild, and that's what bothers me. There's no actual honest-to-god plot reason why the ratio has to be this way. Why can't Lan Qiren be a strict auntie? Why can't the juniors be a mixed-gender group? Additionally, there's the matter of how the deaths are treated. NMJ's death is the entire reason for the book; JZX's memory is invoked as much as JYL's. It's not that bad things happen to the women, it's that they're unnecessarily killed off at a disproportionate amount.

ALL THAT SAID. ALL THAT SAID!! You're absolutely right about fan treatment. One would think that these interesting women who don't get to take center stage in canon (and thus have a lot left to explore!) would be a GOLDMINE, but instead they're sanded down like you said. It must be ROUGH trying to find fic about JYL in particular, because so much of what she's tagged in is just her being WWX's Gentle Soup Sister in the background. Wangxian is far and away the biggest pairing WQ's tag--not just for MDZS, but for The Untamed, where she's a much bigger character! I sense that you're more charitable towards the canons than I am, anon, but at least the canons are honest about what they're about and aren't patting themselves on the back for their super progressive inclusion of a Mean Lesbian Friend or whatever.

[areuils]

It’s funny that without the sunshot campaign, Yunmeng Jiang would’ve stopped being one of the Great Clans. Like it needed Wen money and Wei Wuxian being such a single handed turning point for the war to keep its great clan status. Like if Lotus Pier got burnt down, without both of the latter two, they’d be a minor clan by the end of the war instead of later.

Without Wen money, they’d be one of Lanling Jin’s pets and without Wei Wuxian, they wouldn’t have enough disciples. It only shows how much better Gusu Lan was that they lost their leader (well not that it was he was doing much), their home, and people and came out of the war not being a dog to the Jin and completely kept their status. Jin Guangshan doesn’t even try to insinuate anything with the Lan so what they did to rebuild was mostly by themselves too. Also that people were willing to join a Lan copycat clan.

No war au would’ve just been a slow decline of Yunmeng Jiang, with Jiang Cheng taking over eventually post Jiang Fengmian death (Yu Ziyuan is probably still alive given that she has stronger cultivation than him but she might also be dead given that she night hunts constantly) and definitely ending up begging his in laws for help. Yunmeng Jiang no war au would’ve just ended as a subsidiary to the Jin like the Qin. Wei Wuxian would’ve obviously been out of there and married to Lan Wangji by then and given that Wei Wuxian is very much not a Jiang, it wouldn’t have given the Jiang anything formal with the Lan.

[silverflame2724]

All it took was a simple lie.

Jiang Fengmian was tired of the accusations, of the rumors on the streets, of the scorn from his wife. Ever since he had brought little Wei Ying back from the streets, Jiang Fengmian had to deal with so much stress. But it was worth it. To care for the child of his best friends, it was worth it.

It was true that he loved Cangse. He loved her personality, her laugh, the freedom she represented. But the moment she rejected him, Jiang Fengmian had backed off and stuck with friendship instead. It wouldn’t have worked out between them anyways. Cangse lived her freedom and that was the one thing Jiang Fengmian couldn’t give her. So he was sontent with the friendship and even more so when she proposed to Wei Changze.

The two of them, his most favorite people in the world, would get married and stay in Lotus Pier. They would help him teach his disciples, show them the joys and hardships of life, help him out with the sect.

But that kind of wishful thinking was shattered when he was forced to marry Yu Ziyuan. Jiang Fengmian never wanted her. True, she was a strong, capable woman. But her personality grated against his and he knew he would crumble beneath her. But it was his terrible mother’s wish to see them married and he could not go against her as his father supported the marriage as well.

So he got engaged to Yu Ziyuan and had to get to know her. And she….wasn’t as bad as he thought her to be. Sure, she was volatile but underneath all of that, she was a wonderful woman. That’s what he thought, at least, until he found out that she had forced his friends away from Lotus Pier.

Evidently, rumors about his previous infatuation with Cangse had reached her ears and with his mother’s help, kicked Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren away from him.

Jiang Fengmian grew resentful of the two after that. But perhaps he should have done more to comfort Yu Ziyuan that he didn’t like Cangse that way.

Well, what’s done is done. He can’t change the past. But he can do something right now.

He had found Wei Ying sobbing and on the floor, a red handprint on his cheek with Yu Ziyuan standing over him.

With a shout, he gathered Wei Ying towards him and questioned Yu Ziyuan, “Why did you hit him?!”

The woman scoffed. “Why can’t I? He caused trouble so he should be punished for it.”

“He’s nine! What kind of trouble could he have caused?”

“Does it matter?” She sneered. “You would always have come to this brat’s rescue. Even though you would never do the same for our son! Or am I right? That this brat is your child with that woman!!”

“I have never even touched Cangse in that manner, how dare you! I would never betray Changze like that!!”

“Well how am I supposed to know?! He looks so similar to you! And with the way that that woman flirted, you would think—”

“YU ZIYUAN! Don’t you dare complete that sentence!! There’s a child here!”

“Oh? Why can’t I? That brat deserves to hear what kind of a woman his mother was!”

Jiang Fengmian shook with anger. Without thinking too much, he blurted out something to make her stop. (Something he wished was true.) “Wei Ying is my nephew, San-Niang!! Wei Changze was my half brother! Why wouldn’t I care for the last reminder of him?!”

Silence reigned in the room save for Jiang Fengmian’s enraged breaths and Wei Ying’s sniffling.

“…..What?” Yu Ziyuan breathed. “He’s…..”

Jiang Fengmian just computed what he said. But he would push forward with it. “He’s my nephew. My father had a tryst with a woman and Changze was born. I never knew until my father had told me so on his deathbed.” Jiang Fengmian could only thank the starts that both his parents were dead and wouldn’t be able to contest against this. “I never brought it up to save our reputation. Are you happy now?”

Yu Ziyuan still seemed in shock so Jiang Fengmian took this time to retreat.

“I hope I never see anything like this again, my lady.”

He closed the door.

[add1ctedt0you]

Not something new, but, while I do think that the number of women dead in mdzs is problematic, I also think that mdzs women are well written. Mdzs narrator isn't the most flattering (if you are not a certain someone), but mdzs women have their own motivations, desires, and fears, they have depth. Jiang Yanli shows love through food, but she decides to not offer some of her soup to Jiang Fengmian. The cultivation world makes fun of Wen Qing and her theories about the golden core, until someone willingly offers to do the transfer, and she succeeds. Qin Su fights to marry Jin Guangyao, because she loves him. Yu Ziyuan despises Wei Wuxian's guts, and yet, she still decides to save him with Jiang Cheng... Again, the fact that they are all dead is problematic, but they are well written characters.

[kalanyart]

Back To The River (So Learn To Swim)

Posting hopefully regularly to Archive of our Own (with warnings) and squidgeworld (without warnings).

Summary:

Yu Ziyuan has been dead for over a hundred years, so it's a bit of a surprise when she dies.

One minute she's watching the youngest Lan daughter bow to her ancestors—it still baffles her that Wei Wuxian counts her as an ancestor, and that he's filial enough to have had a plaque made for her, but here they are—and the next she's choking on blood, her eyesight dimming. Wei Wuxian, she thinks furiously, what have you done now?

Then she wakes up.

Because her bladder is full.

Yu Ziyuan finds herself back in Lotus Pier, before any of her children have been born, and decides that things would go better if Jiang Yanli is the heir, not Jiang Cheng. One change leads to another, and another, and another.

And is Cangse Sanren flirting with her?

Things do not always go smoothly, but sometimes the family you find is the one you should have had all along.

This is a polyamorous Jiang parents fix-it fic: Yu Ziyuan/Cangse Sanren, Yu Ziyuan/Jiang Fengmian, Cangse Sanren/Wei Changze, Wei Changze/Jiang Fengmian. WangXian still happens, but it's not the main focus.

It's a pretty light Mature that could probably have been okay as a heavy Teen. Fully written and beta-read; 70k-ish of raising children, standing up for what one values, and falling in love.

[unfotp]

i get it like yeah you're presenting facts and logic to figuring out of Jiang fengmian was in love with Cangse Sanren but the main problem here isn't the contradictory rumours. it's the man, the trashcan husband himself who pseudo adopts her orphan child and then REFUSES TO ELABORATE FURTHER

he has Caused those rumors by Acting as if he is or at least was in love with Cangse Sanren. I'm not saying whether that's a bad thing or love is unpredictable and cannot be controlled. But this man had a wife and two kids with her. it was his duty not only as a sect leader but also and a human being who knows what little gossip can lead to to shut down that nonsense!

he refused to fully integrate wwx into th family in memory of his parents and then when his wife accused him of infidelity said fucking NOTHING

sure there's no canonical text that explicitly stated the guy was in love with Cangse Sanren but does a sane man do this?? treat his own kid lesser than the one he picked off the street?

I know wwx deserved love and affection but like the blatant favouritism was not the way. also he knew?? his wife was abusing him?? and did next to nothing to dispel her worries or Stop it??? he didn't really care about wwx

Wei Wuician was just the memory of his dead friends you know what I'll even argue the case he was in love with Cangse Sanren's boytoy and wanted so badly a threesome

alas he got married to Yu Ziyuan and became sect leader instead of the filled hole he clearly wanted

his dead friends shaped hole

[toilethamster]

on-screen kill counts of untamed characters (idk why you’d want this but here it is)

58: xue yang

36: wei wuxian

33: lan wangji

18: xiao xingchen

13: wen ning

12: jiang cheng

11: jin zixuan

8: lan xichen & jin guangyao

6: nie huaisang

5: yu ziyuan & nie mingjue

4: wen zhuliu

2: wen ruohan

1: lan sizhui, jiang fengmian, song lan, lan qiren and sect leaders oyuang and yao

this is all very arbitrary for such reasons as:

did that person die?? aka trying to do kill counts for battle scenes

yes i’m counting the tortoise

also dead bodies seen with a known killer

but i’m not counting it if they got someone else to do the actual killing

[niobefurens]

How is it going?

In his “Secondo Diario Minimo” published in 1992, Umberto Eco creates a fictitious collection of possible answers to the question by famous people, or literary characters. The inspiring originals under the cut.

I applied the concept to MDZS characters 🙄

Me: How's it going?

Baoshan Sanren: "Great! It's heavenly up here!"

Jiang Fengmian: "I'm a bit muddled..." Yu Ziyuan: "I'm sizzling with anger!" Jiang Yanli: "Good! The soup's almost done..." Jiang Cheng: "Not good; I lost my mojo." Wei Wuxian: "It's a bloodbath!"

Qingheng-jun: "I feel isolated."

Lan Qiren: "Going? It? What exactly do you mean?" Lan Wangji: "I'm whipped." Lan Xichen: "Very well! I love my bros." Meng Yao (smiling): "It's good!" Nie Mingjue: "I feel divided..." Niè Huaisang: "I don't know; I really don't know..." Jin Guangshan: "I'm having a ball." Jin-furen: "He's having another ball!" Jin Zixuan: "Someone punched a hole through my heart..." Jin Zixun: "I'm concentrating ..." Su Minshan: "I'm cursed!" Wen Ruohan: "I've been feeling flamboyant, lately." Wen Qing: "Very well! My experiment worked!" Wen Ning: "I'm dead. No, really!" Mo Xuanyu: "I want to kill myself." A-Qing: "Recently, it's been a steal!" Xiao Xingchen: "I must be blind..." Song Lan: "I must have been blind..." Xue Yang: "I'm craving candy!" Jin Ling: "I feel orphaned..." Lan Sizhui: "I feel blessed..." Ouyang Zizhen: "Going? Where are we going?" Lan Jingyi: "The crap I have to deal with!" Qin Su: "I'm giving it a stab..." Luo Qingyang: "I can't take them any more! I'm leaving!" Fairy: Woof!

😅

I translated the original into English for fun.

Umberto Echo: “How is it going?” Icarus: “It’s one long fall.” Persephone: “Sometimes I feel dead.” Prometheus: “It eats me up!” Theseus: “I’m on a shoe-string.” Oedipus: “Mom’s not happy.” Damocles: “It could be worse.” Priapus: “Fuck!” Ulysses: “I’m at sea …” Homer: “It’s bleak …” Heraclitus: “It’s going, it’s going …” Parmenides: “It’s not going.” Thales: “I’m up to my neck in water.” Epimenides: “I’d be lying if I said that” Demosthenes: “Hard to say.” Pythagoras: “Everything fits.” Hippocrates: “As long as I’m healthy…” Socrates: “I don’t know.” Job: “I’m not complaining, one has to be patient” Onan: “I please myself.” Sheherazade: “In short, I’ll tell you …” Boethius: “I take comfort.” Charlemagne: “Frankly, good.” Dante: “I’m in seventh heaven.” Joan of Arc: “Sweating it out...” Saint Thomas: “Summarily, good.” Erasmus: “Insanely well.” Columbus: “I’m going forwards.” Lucrezia Borgia: “Will you have a drink first?” Giordano Bruno: “Infinitely well.” Lorenzo de’ Medici: “Magnificently” Descartes: “Good, I think.” Berkeley: “It seems good.” Hume: “I believe, well” Pascal: “You know, I have so many thoughts…” Henry VIII: “I’m fine, it’s my wife who…” Galileo: “It’s spinning.” Torricelli: “Ups and downs” Desdemona: “I sleep between two pillows…” Newton: “Regularly.” Leibniz: “It couldn’t be better.” Spinoza: “Basically, well.” Hobbes: “The wolves are after me!” Papin: “My blood pressure is high.” Montgolfier: “My blood pressure is low.” Franklin: “I feel electrified.” Robespierre: “It’s enough to make you lose your head.” Marat: “I need a bath.” Casanova: “I’m coming!” Goethe: “There is little light.” Beethoven: “I’m deaf to myself.” Schubert: “Don’t interrupt me, for God’s sake” Novalis: “It’s a dream.” Leopardi: “Are you making fun of me?” Foscolo: “After death, better.” Manzoni: “Thank God, good.” Sacher-Masoch: “Thank God, bad.” Sade: “Good for me.” D’Alambert and Diderot: “It can't be said in two words.” Kant: “It’s a critical situation.” Hegel: “In sythesis, good.” Schopenhauer: “The will is not lacking.” Paganini: “I’ve already said it.” Darwin: “We adapt.” Livingstone: “I feel a bit lost.” Nievo: “I’ll tell you, as a child…” Nietzsche: “Beyond good, thank you.” Mallarme’: “I was left blank.” Proust: “Let’s give it time.” Henry James: “It depends on whose point of view.” Kafka: “I feel like a cockroach.” Musil: “So-so.” Joyce: “Fine, yes, yes, yes.” Nobel: “I’m exploding.” Larousse: “In short, bad.” Curie: “I’m radiant.” Dracula: “I found a vein…” Picasso: “It depends on the period.” Ungaretti: “Good. (full stop new paragraph) Thanks” Fermi: “I either make it, or break it.” Camus: “Like the plague.” Methuselah: “I’m just living my life …” Lazarus: “I feel like I’ve been brought back to life.” Judas: “It’s a kiss.” Pontius Pilate: “You decide.” Nero: “I’m inflamed.” Mahomet: “Bad, I’m going to the mountain.” Savonarola: “It’s the smoke that’s kills me.” Orlando “I’m infuriated.” Cyrano: “Fine, according to my nose.” Alice: “It’s wonderland!” Heidegger: “So much chatter!” Grimm: “It’s a fairytale!”

Two are untranslatable.

Saint Peter: “I feel a circle around my head.”

In Italian, it means he has a headache; and: a halo 😉

Verga: “Unwillingly.”

Unwillingness, or reluctance, in Italian, is malavoglia. Malavoglia is also the name of the family of his most famous novel; translated into English as “The House by the Medlar Tree.”

The original Italian can be found here:

https://www.filodiritto.com/umberto-eco-come-va-e-le-140-risposte

[mxtxfanatic]

Do you think Jiang Cheng even thought about his sister at all when he gave up on living after his core was melted?

Jiang Cheng didn’t even think of his own family when their dead bodies were splayed out in front of him:

With much fervor, Jiang Cheng was still searching with his eyes for the figures of Yu ZiYuan and Jiang FengMian. Wei WuXian, however, felt his eyes tear up at once. Among the people, he saw many familiar silhouettes.

—Chapt. 59: Poisons, exr

…and you think I’d believe he had a sparing thought for his sister in out-of-sight-out-of-mind Meishan? Lol. Lmao even.

But seriously, he doesn't think of her or anyone else for that matter because his concern was getting revenge, and if he couldn't get his vengeance, he had nothing to live for:

[Jiang Cheng] did wake up, but he didn’t move at all. He was so uninterested that he didn’t even turn around or ask ‘where is this’. He didn’t drink any water, he didn’t eat any food. It seemed that all he sought for was death. Wei WuXian, “Do you really want to die?” Jiang Cheng, “I can’t seek revenge even when I’m alive. Why shouldn’t I die? Maybe I’ll be able to turn into a ferocious ghost.” Wei WuXian, “You’ve been undergoing soul-calming ceremonies ever since you were young. You won’t be able to turn into a ferocious ghost even after you die.” Jiang Cheng, “If I can’t seek revenge no matter if I’m dead or alive, then what’s the difference between the two?” After he said this, he wouldn’t speak again no matter what.

—Chapt. 60: Poisons, exr

[dysfunctional-family-fight]

Round Three

The Fey family (Ace Attorney) VS the Jiang family (Mo Dao Zu Shi)

The Fey family

Members: Mia Fey, Maya Fey, Misty Fey, Pearl Fey, Morgan Fey, Dahlia Hawthorne, Iris Hawthorne

Propaganda:

"The Feys are spirit mediums and leadership is hereditary; Maya is next in line and Morgan has tried to Get Rid of her twice (once by framing her for murder and another by actually murdering her), in order to make Pearl the new leader instead. Pearl is 8. Misty disappeared almost twenty years ago and left behind two kids, she was assumed dead but was actually living a fine life and awkwardly spying on her kids, one of whom did not recognize her when they came face to face for once. Mia abandoned the family in search of Misty and was murdered before ever finding her. Dahlia and Iris are Morgan’s kids from another marriage, and Dahlia was part of Morgan’s plans to murder Maya, while Iris… tried to prevent it but in a very ineffective way that ultimately ended with Misty getting murdered instead. It’s noteworthy that near the end of these games Maya says she wants absolutely nothing to do with the Fey clan anymore" More propaganda here

The Jiang family

Members: Jiang Fengmian, Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian

Propaganda:

"*pats family* this baby can fit so much resentment in it. Parents dislike each other and fight, yell at children and pit them against each other leading to but not only choking each other, one of them sacrificing basically his life for the other, blaming one for their parents deaths, one of them kinda accidentally causes the other siblings death which then causes a whole body of other issues when the other one comes back to life, it's just not great overall." More propaganda here