#did i see a bad jiang cheng take again

[unforth]

Y'all (general) really really need to exercise the block buttons more.

An opinion you don't agree with? Someone makes you uncomfortable? Something you don't like? Even just a person whose way of presenting information makes you uncomfortable (even if you agree with them)?

Block.

BLOCK.

B.L.O.C.K.

Look, I get it. I used to think seeing opinions I didn't agree with was important, that exposing myself was a way of staying informed. But finally, I hit a breaking point - I already knew the viewpoints I disagreed with, and seeing them every day was making me miserable.

I've blocked liberally since then.

And the most remarkable thing happened: I routinely see posts where lots of people are disagreeing with the same person...and I already have that person blocked.

Because the most insidious thing about letting myself see the negativity and things that made me unhappy all the time is that leaving it all there gave me the impression that there were a LOT of vocally awful people saying things that hurt me.

But there aren't.

There's actually a surprisingly small number of people who get off on trolling or are so marinated in hate that they have to spew it all around them, and when you block those people, the world gets much more peaceful.

You're not growing as a person by exposing yourself to rhetoric that hurts you. You're just hurting, which is exactly how those people want you to feel: they want you to be in as much agony as they are.

Don't give them the satisfaction.

BLOCK THEM.

(tbh I've hit the point that I think people who willfully, deliberately, loudly, intentionally don't block are engaging in a form of self-harm. seriously, you're not taking a noble stand, no one cares if you don't block except the people hurting you.)

[least-carpet]

Thoughts about jl and jc relationship? I love them but their relationship is criticized a lot, I would love to hear your thoughts

Hi, anon! Very belatedly, here is an answer!

They love each other and Jin Ling is very secure in that love. It is very evident to me—and to Jin Ling himself—that Jiang Cheng loves Jin Ling and would die for him. Jin Ling trusts and relies on Jiang Cheng, and scoffs at the idea that his uncle has ever hit him, in a cultural context where corporal punishment is not unusual. Jin Ling goes to Jiang Cheng when he's crying. Jin Ling pushes back at Jiang Cheng, goes around him, and talks back to him fearlessly, with a sort of bratty entitlement rather than fearful defiance. This is not something a kid who is afraid of their guardian does. This is not something Jiang Cheng would have done with his own parents!

Jiang Cheng did a better job than his parents did with him. You might not personally want Jiang Cheng as a parent, but contrast him against his own soft-spoken father: I don't think Jin Ling would ever say that Jiang Cheng just didn't like him, or think to himself that Jiang Cheng wouldn't show up to save him. Jin Ling is way more secure in Jiang Cheng's affection for him than Jiang Cheng ever was when it came to Jiang Fengmian, and I don't think that's by accident. I think that's something that Jiang Cheng probably worked hard for. It is notable that Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling's maternal uncle, showed up for Jin Ling so consistently that Jin Ling has more trust in him than Jiang Cheng had in his own parents, despite being, like, twenty and running a sect by himself.

Jin Ling looks up to Jiang Cheng. Jin Ling, I think, patterns his behaviour after a couple of ideals. One of them I think, is an image of his father as a young and adventurous hero— young war hero Jin Zixuan, one of the best archers in his generation. (Also initially kind of a twerp with bad social skills, but Jin Ling doesn't know that.) And the other, I think, is Jiang Cheng. (He also very obviously cares for and admires Jin Guangyao, but I don't think he takes him as a model in the same way?) So Jiang Cheng is also important to Jin Ling as a role model. And why wouldn't he be? He's really good at a very hard job. (He's also, like, emotionally damaged from the war and its fallout, but realistically, a lot of the adults around Jin Ling would also be like that to some degree, especially in the Jiang sect.)

Jin Ling expresses care the way Jiang Cheng does, and that helps them understand and trust each other. Jin Ling also expresses his love in the same way that Jiang Cheng expresses his love: through defending the people he cares about. We see him do it when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji want to enter Jin Guangyao's rooms, and again when Jiang Cheng is exhausted at the second siege of the Burial Mounds (Jin Ling just fucking scooping up Jiujiu and carrying him to safety remains hilarious to me). The scene where he thinks he hears Lan Sizhui say something about a ghost and he pops out and offers to kill the ghost for him also comes to mind. That's how you express affection if you're Jin Ling! He's going to put his foot in his mouth but if somebody threatens you, he's ready to go! Does this remind you of... anyone... like maybe Jiang Cheng, Mr. "Knife Mouth, Tofu Heart."

Jin Ling is definitely a little jerk sometimes, but I don't think it's fair to totally blame that on Jiang Cheng. Jin Ling's bad behaviour is often chalked up to Jiang Cheng being a bad guardian, but he's not the only influence at play: Jin Ling is at a terrible age. He's trying to individuate. He's at the centre of a lot of scrutiny because of his position, and potentially also danger. He's isolated and bullied in his home sect because he's an orphan, which, like, what the fuck. He splits time between two sects with wildly different philosophies and priorities, and probably gets a lot of conflicting messages about what's important and how he should act. His guardians have different parenting styles and priorities, and are themselves under a lot of scrutiny. People gossip about him, his dead parents, his live uncles—really viciously about Jin Guangyao— and probably his dead cousin, too. I would also probably be a very confused and angry teenager in those circumstances! Him acting out is not very surprising!

Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng are under a lot of stress during MDZS, and the way they relate to each other reflects that. Part of growing up is finding out your parents are people with, like, human frailties and their own trauma. Jin Ling's guardians have a LOT of human frailties and a LOT of trauma, and he finds out about it in detail during MDZS, in some pretty ugly ways. (We're shown that Jiang Cheng loves Jin Ling enough to shield him with his own body and that Jin Ling is comforted by Jiang Cheng's presence when he cries, but we also see Jiang Cheng give Jin Ling a pretty hard smack while he's freaking out in Guanyin Temple! Not good, although—based on what Jin Ling previously stated—not a usual behaviour from Jiang Cheng.) Despite this, I do think both Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangyao sincerely loved and tried to raise Jin Ling well. And they didn't do so bad! He's a snobby little brat with a mean mouth but he's also courageous, protective, empathetic, and willing to re-evaluate his beliefs when he's presented with new information!

Basically, I just think that you can be a flawed and harsh person and still love your kid enough that they turn out OK. Jin Ling's not perfect, by any means. But I think he's going to grow up into a pretty impressive adult, and I think no small part of that is because Jiang Cheng loves him, so, so much. (I also think that not all parental figures are great matches for every kid, but, like, these two just really get each other. Scorpio2scorpio communication.)

TL;DR I love them, they love each other, it's definitely not a perfect relationship and I understand why people react in a negative way to the thought of Jiang Cheng in a parental role (although I also think it's a mistake to assume that he parents like he was parented).

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Wasn’t Jiang Cheng so bad at relationships that he was blacklisted by matchmakers, even though he is one of the most powerful and richest men in the setting?

That he was.

Three failed dates confirmed during Mo Dao Zu Shi's second anniversary (10 strange facts about Mo Dao Zu Shi) on MXTX's weibo

Transcribed:

5. 江澄相亲过三次。由于各种原因，上了女修相亲黑名单。

他的要求是：素颜美女，温柔听话，勤俭持家，家世清白，修为不能太高性格不能太强话不能太多嗓门不能太大花钱不能太狠。对金凌好。

English:

Jiang Cheng has been on three blind dates. Due to various reasons, he has been blacklisted by all female cultivators.

His requirements are: a natural beauty, gentle and obedient, thrifty, with a pristine family background, not too high in cultivation, not too strong in personality, not too talkative, not too loud, and doesn't spend ruthlessly. Be nice to Jin Ling.

This is expanded on as a short in the CN Audio Drama where his Aunt Yu tries to set him up with a lady cultivator and she leaves in anger not even a minute within 5 minutes of speaking with him.

Other noteworthy mentions of his stellar personality from the 2016 broadcast interview:

女主持：对，公屏上有一段刷过去了，就是江澄作为江氏的族长，他为什么这么多年都没有结婚呢？

Yes, there is some public discussions, as to why Jiang Cheng, as the head of the Jiang family, hasn't married even after so many years?

墨香铜臭：就性格比较差劲吧，谈了几个，吹了。

He just has a (n) 差劲 chà jìn (average/lame/disappointing, let down) temperament, he dated several times but they were all failures...

The third date is also spotlighted in a season 3 extra of the CN Audio Drama: Blind Date. ( You can find this on MissEvan as a purchase )

???: Incredible!

Jiang Cheng: You are?

Rong Yan: Anping Rong sect’s Rong Yan. Ah, it was Bomu Yu who brought me here. She had told me to come her to wait for her.

Jiang Cheng: Ah, so Jiumu is who brought you...

Rong Yan: Mn.

Jiang Cheng: Then please have a seat.

Rong Yan: Alright. Jiang-zongzhu , just now, the weapon you were wielding was Zidian? You were amazing! I’ve never seen anyone with such a magnificently and elegant mastery of a whip before!

Jiang Cheng: Ha, I’m alright with it.

Rong Yan:Jiang-zongzhu is being humble.

Jiang Cheng: The purple dress you are wearing is rather nice.

Rong Yan: Oh, really?

Jiang Cheng: It’s a shame however... If your skin was a bit paler, it would look even better.

Rong Yan: Eh…? I didn’t realize Jiang-zongzhu was so knowledgeable about fashion.

Jiang Cheng: Oh, I’m just making a casual observation. Mn? What’s that smell? Do you smell it?

Rong Yan: Ah, what?

Jiang Cheng: It smells like a mix of flower pollens. It’s like a poisonous gas. Eh? It seems like it’s coming from your direction--

Rong Yan: Ah, my clothes are often perfumed. You don't seem to be used to the scent, Jiang-zongzhu.

Jiang Cheng: Oh, so that’s why. You’re right, I’m not used to it.

Rong Yan: Uh…

Jiang Cheng: Eh?

Rong Yan: J-Jiang-Zongzhu, why are you looking at me like that?

Jiang Cheng: Are you feeling unwell?

Rong Yan: …Ah?

Jiang Cheng: Your face is white and red in splotches . Are you sick?

Rong Yan: I… This…! (In feigned patience) Thank you for your concern, Jiang-zongzhu. I’m fine.

Aunt Yu: Eh? I see that you two have already started conversing. Aiya, I seemed to have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Ah, have you two been properly introduced yet? Aiya, Jiang Cheng you haven't even offered Miss Rong some tea yet?!

Rong Yan: Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Bomu. But I won't be taking any tea. I’m not feeling too well. I’ll be taking my leave now. Good bye.

Aunt Yu: Eh? E-EH?! Miss Rong! Sigh Aiya… JIANG CHENG!!!!

JC: Jiumu.

Aunt Yu: Did you stick your foot in your mouth again?!

Jiang Cheng: Of course I didn’t. I spoke properly the whole time and gave her some suggestions. She didn't listen, not understanding what's good for her and left. Hmph, not even a thanks.

Aunt Yu: This is already the third time! Don’t you know there’s no one left who wants to matchmake for you?! Finally, there came a Miss Rong who was interested in you. She put on such make-up! She took this so seriously! I had such high hopes for this meeting! And in the end?! You angered and drove her away! Aiya, you’ll be the death of me! If you want to be like this, then just stay single forever!

Jiang Cheng: Hmph, as if I care!

[oneeyedoctogod]

Gods this fandom sometimes, I swear. I'm sorry I read two deeply bad takes back to back, and I have to rant. I'm sure others have said it better than I, but really. Come on. I actually have to wonder if people who talk about the extras actually read them because...

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji didn't leave the cultivation world in canon. They elope, and then they come back. The fact they're not involved in the bigger politics is... pretty much to be expected, but they very much do participate in the day to day lives of the Lan sect. They go where the chaos is to night hunt, they teach, Lan Wangji comforts his brother in his seclusion, and Wei Wuxian meets some new Lan disciples.

As for the cottage fantasy... Again, I honestly have to wonder if the people talking about it actually read the extra it's in? Because it's just that. A fantasy. A dream. It's basically a representation of Wei Wuxian's wants for a domestic life, something he definitely has now! He's always been characterised as someone who wants to help others and who loves cultivation. Why would you think the dream is to be taken literally?

And the idea that Wei Wuxian has 'several important relationships just floating there', that he's not dealing with... Where? Which ones? He teaches the juniors and grows closer to Jin Ling. He doesn't exactly interact with Lan Xichen, but he asks after him. He meets Mianmian again and wishes her well. He asks after Wen Ning after Lan Sizhui comes back then has some father-son bonding moments with him!

Nie Huaisang and Wei Wucian aren't close. They were friendly once, but they didn't ever meet after the lectures. I don't see how that qualifies as an "important" relationship, especially with Nie Huaisang never openly admitting to his part in Wei Wuxian's resurrection. But even then, Wei wuxian says he'll be keeping a close eye on him, so one can imagine they meet again at some point.

As for Jiang Cheng... what more do you want Wei Wuxian to do exactly? Even if you want a reconciliation, why can't Jiang Cjeng be he one to actually grow up and do the work for once? He's the one who never apologized. He's the one who is still openly hostile in the extras. If Wei Wuxian wants to move on and not interact with him, he's well within his right to do that, given how Jiang Cheng treated him. Hell, he's more generous than most since he encourages Jin Ling to talk to Jiang Cheng. If I'd been treated by someone like Jiang Cheng treated Wei Wuxian and saw him hit our nephew several times, I certainly wouldn't encourage them to meet. (But that's Wei Wuxian for you, the moral ideal and better than all of us.)

Anyway, I really don't understand why people insist on making Wangxian have a sadder ending than the one they actually did. It's a HEA for them, sorry guys. And yeah, maybe Wei wuxian has some trauma to work on... but the whole point of the character is that he doesn't let his trauma define him. That he wants to forgives, forgets and moves on.

(Also, just because he doesn't have a breakdown or the cultivation equivalent of therapy in the extra doesn't mean he's not working on them? He finally is at peace, with a solid support network. Maybe he does talk about his past hurts with Lan Wangji - Lan Wangji certai ly knows when to comfort him when he needs it. But the narrative point of the extras is to show they're moving on from the past! And you know what, sometimes the beat thing to do to heal is to do just that. They're living their best lives, deal with it.)

And finally... shit did you really read the whole book and come to the conclusion Wei Wuxian should have 'learned to accept help'? Who the fuck offered help? Who did he refuse?

(Don't say Lan Wangji. 1) I love him, but "Come back to Gusu" is very much not an obvious offer to help, and when Wei Wuxian understandably misunderstands him, he never manages to correct it.

And 2) once Wei Wuxian tells him explicitly he's not leaving the Wen remnants behind, Lan Wangji understands and backs off. He approves! I'm sure he'd do more if he could, but just like Jiang Yanli, he can't!)

Jiang Cheng literally said, 'No one will help you, no one is on your side' (and then made sure that was true by saying Wei Wuxian was the enemy of the cultivation world). Jin Zixuan chose to ask the one who was ambushed to disarm rather than the 300 cultivators attacking him and lunged at him when Wei Wuxian refused to comply (because he'd be killed if he did!!). How is that help?

Who else tried to help? Whose help did Wei Wuxian reject?

Wei Wuxian was presented with a series of bad choices and took the best he could, the ones aligned with his principles, accepting he'd have to face consequences at some point but also knowing it was still worth it. He's not the one who failed or made a fatal mistake or betrayed his word.

Rant over. Sorry about that.

[waitineedaname]

Very specific but I'd love Jiang Cheng being Jin Ling's favorite uncle in aro4aro chengqing au and Wei Wuxian being mortally offended

People seemed to think that Jiang Yanli was completely blind to her brothers’ faults. This was not true. She just generally did not think those faults were nearly as bad as people made them out to be. Most of what other people found bothersome about her brothers, she was charmed by because she was nothing if not a doting sister.

Being doting and fond, however, did not mean she was unaware of how annoying her brothers were. In fact, due to regular exposure to the two of them, she was extremely aware of just how annoying they could be.

Case in point: their tendency to make everything into a competition, including the affection of her own son.

“I’m just saying, if anyone is going to be the fun uncle, it’s obviously me,” Wei Wuxian said, shaking a rattle over Jin Ling’s head.

“He’s two,” Jiang Cheng snapped, bouncing Jin Ling on his knee. “Anything that moves and makes noise is fun to him.”

“Well, I move and make the most noise, so.” Wei Wuxian leaned in and started making faces at his nephew. “Right, A-Ling? Right?”

Jin Ling gurgled happily and clapped his hands.

Jiang Yanli sighed and leaned against her husband. She appreciated her brothers taking her son off her hands for a while, but really, they were enough of a handful themselves. “Don’t fight, boys,” she said, shaking her head fondly. “A-Ling loves you both.”

“Yeah, but he loves me most, right shijie?” Wei Wuxian shot her a grin. Jiang Cheng huffed and smacked the back of his head, making Jin Ling shriek happy peals of laughter. She could practically feel Zixuan roll his eyes behind her.

“Please don’t give my son ideas,” he said in the long-suffering tone he tended to adopt when he had to be patient with his brothers-in-law. Yanli appreciated the fragile civility they attempted these days. “A-Ling, no hitting, okay?”

“Unless it’s your da-jiu,” Jiang Cheng added in a loud whisper, “Then you should hit him as hard as you can.” 

“Nooo, A-Ling would never hit me, he’s such a good boy, isn’t he?” Wei Wuxian cooed, tickling Jin Ling’s belly. Jin Ling shrieked with laughter again and one of his flailing fists collided directly with Wei Wuxian’s eye. 

Yanli only barely managed to hide her laugh behind her hand. Jiang Cheng snickered, and Zixuan let out a quiet huff of laughter.

“Ah, it was just an accident!” Wei Wuxian insisted. “He’s going to be a very strong cultivator with quick reflexes someday, I can tell!” And then, because he never learned to leave well enough alone, he said, “We should just ask him. Just because he’s little, that doesn’t mean he can’t answer questions!” He poked Jin Ling in the belly again to get his attention, “A-Ling, who’s your favorite? Da-jiu or jiujiu?”

Technically, Jiang Cheng should be er-jiu, but he got priority as the one who met Jin Ling first and saw him the most often. It couldn’t really be helped; Wei Wuxian was still unofficially banned from Carp Tower due to his inability to stay out of trouble, which meant Jiang Cheng got to visit his nephew on diplomatic visits, but Wei Wuxian only got to see him during their frequent trips to Lotus Pier. That meant Jiang Yanli was fairly certain she knew the answer, even before Jin Ling said it.

“Jiujiu!” he happily cried, reaching up to grab Jiang Cheng’s cheeks. The betrayal on Wei Wuxian’s face was comical, especially compared to the way Jiang Cheng’s face lit up. Yanli felt a little bad for Wei Wuxian’s feelings, but it was worth it to see her typically dour baby brother beam under his nephew’s uncomplicated affection.

“Ah, come here A-Xian,” Yanli said, sitting up so she wasn’t leaning against Zixuan and could instead summon her pouting brother to her side. “Don’t take it to heart, okay? He’s a baby, he doesn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“I know, I know, shijie,” Wei Wuxian sighed, but leaned in so she could pet his hair anyway. “You don’t think I would be resentful of a baby, do you?”

The noise Jin Zixuan made behind her made it very clear that he wouldn’t put it past Wei Wuxian to be resentful of a baby. Yanli reached back and pinched his thigh, but otherwise focused on Wei Wuxian. “The next baby we have, I’ll deliver here in Lotus Pier, how about that? Qing-mei can be my midwife, and you can get first dibs on holding the baby. Aside from me and A-Xuan, of course.”

“Promise?” he said, giving her the pleading eyes that always earned him an extra portion of soup. 

“I promise.” She kissed his forehead, and this seemed to improve his mood, though his eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion in Jin Zixuan’s direction. 

“You’re not already having another baby, are you?” he asked. Zixuan coughed awkwardly, and Yanli pinched Wei Wuxian’s cheek this time.

“A-Xian, be nice,” she said, lightly scolding. “We’ll tell you when we know, okay?”

“Okay, shijie,” Wei Wuxian grumbled, still shooting Jin Zixuan judgmental looks. He turned back to Jin Ling, who was being gently tossed in the air by Jiang Cheng. “A-Ling! Do you wanna go down the river and visit A-Yuan?”

“Yuan-ge, Yuan-ge!” Jin Ling happily exclaimed, clapping his hands. His uncles scooped him up and grabbed the bag of diapers and snacks Yanli had brought, bundling him out onto the pier with promises not to drown their beloved nephew in the lake. 

Zixuan let out a tired sigh as soon as they left the room, taking his turn to lean against his wife’s side. “Why are they always this exhausting?” 

Yanli laughed and petted his hair. “Maybe another baby would give them something else to focus on,” she suggested lightly. Zixuan immediately flushed red and hid his face in her shoulder, making her laugh again. 

Yes, her brothers’ antics could be annoying, but they were good uncles. She was very grateful to be able to trust her son in their hands for a few hours.

[mxtxfanatic]

You know, I don’t think I’ve ever written a meta on Madam Yu/Yu Ziyuan before? 🤔 Let’s change that!

Yu Ziyuan is a petty ass spiteful bitch who never loved Jiang Fengmian, showed no care for her only daughter Jiang Yanli, and cared for her only son Jiang Cheng only insomuch as he was a reflection of herself. There is not a singular nice thing she has to say to or about Jiang Yanli in the text, not even on the eve of her death. Towards Jiang Cheng, her “defenses” of him are all backhanded comments on how he isn’t better than the son of the woman she, herself, is jealous of, that he is unlikeable because he is her son, and that even his own father doesn’t want him. Jiang Cheng already feels unloved by his father from Yu Ziyuan’s perpetual harping before Wei Wuxian is brought back from Yiling, so this insecurity cannot be laid at his feet. On top of that example, people also like to claim that Jiang Fengmian was a “bad father” to Jiang Cheng because Jiang Cheng only remembers (which is already suspect because jc usually only conveniently remembers things that make him a victim) his father holding him a handful of times, but as for his mother? The only time he remembers her hugging (and kissing) him is when she knows she was about to die. He is 17 and has never been hugged by his mother in living memory. But she loves him (allegedly).

As for her (alleged) love and pining for Jiang Fengmian:

Of course, she was Jiang FengMian’s wife, and used to cultivate with him as well. Naturally, she should be called Madam Jiang. But, for some reason, everyone had always called her Madam Yu. Some people guessed that it was because she didn’t want to take on her husband’s surname due to her assertive personality.

…

Madam Yu came from the prominent Even after she married Jiang FengMian, she had always been out on night-hunts, not overly fond of staying at the Jiang Sect’s Lotus Pier. On top of that, where she lived at Lotus Pier was different from where Jiang FengMian did. She had her own area, where only she and a few of the family members she’d brought from the Yu Sect lived.

—Chapt. 51: Courage, exr

She refuses to be known as the Madam of the Jiang Clan. She refuses to integrate her people into her husband’s home. She refuses to stay in the same place as her husband in their home. She refuses to even be in their home except to prepare for nighthunts. And when she’s home, she only picks fights, claims that she’s the only one who sees what’s “really” happening but nobody listens because they don’t like her or what she has to say, then leaves again. This is not a woman that cares about the clan she married in to. This isn’t even a woman that cares about her immediate family. So why is she even here?

This culminates into the “petty ass bitch” part:

The entirety of the cultivation world knew that third lady Yu had cultivated together with Jiang FengMian when they were young. Jiang FengMian’s character was gentle, yet Yu ZiYuan’s personality was harsh. The two didn’t share too many interactions. Thus, although their backgrounds matched, nobody associated the two as a pair. Later, ZangSe SanRen came from the mountains, passed by Yunmeng, and happened to become friends with Jiang FengMian. They had even night-hunted together on multiple occasions. Both thought highly of each other. People supposed that it was very likely for ZangSe SanRen to become the next mistress of Lotus Pier.

However, soon afterward, the MeishanYu Sect proposed an alliance through marriage to the YunmengJiang Sect.

—Chapt. 56: Poisons, exr

Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan knew each since they were young and had many interactions, but they were incompatible because of Yu Ziyuan’s volatile personality. Nobody considered them a pair despite being a perfect match on paper. Neither of them wanted marriage; neither clan proposed or pushed it. However, the moment another woman appears that is universally loved and is suspected to be made into the new Madam Jiang, suddenly MeishanYu wants to pressure Jiang Fengmian into this ill-fated marriage? The story makes it clear that the proposal only came into existence after Cangse Sanren became a rumored option—not during any of the other times Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan had met and parted without a care, not when Cangse Sanren first descended—while only Jiang Fengmian opposed the marriage. And who does Yu Ziyuan have a massive inferiority complex to, so much so that she’s willing to abuse the orphaned son of the woman to make him indebted to her family? Cangse Sanren.

Yu Ziyuan wanted to marry Jiang Fengmian not out of care or love but out of a petty desire to “prove” that the position of Madam Jiang was hers, only. Even if it meant consigning herself and another person to a loveless, violent marriage. From beginning to end, Yu Ziyuan was a person obsessed with her reputation and what she felt was “owed” to her as the daughter of cultivation clan leaders, and this led to the destruction of herself and her family.

Anyways, that’s all, folks!

[angelheony]

'Won't you let me take care of you?'

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶ Synopsis ✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

When the famed Sandu Shengshou comes back to Lotus pier after a difficult night hunt heavily injured, its up to his beloved to care for him.

Gender neutral reader

Warnings- might be ooc, vague mentions of injuries and bad grammar.

More writers notes at the bottom, Enjoy your reading!!!

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚ ⋆

┊ ┊ ┊ ⋆

┊ ┊ ★⋆

┊ ◦

★⋆ ┊ . ˚

˚★

The moon seemingly at its peak, shines down on the home of the Jiang clan's sect leader, lotus pier. But the purple clad cultivator cannot be seen in its halls, only his restless lover sitting near the windowsill waiting for him to come home. Unable to find sleep due to the constant worrying, they could only look outside to wait for his arrival.

'Its so late now, where are you Jiang Cheng.... '

The sitting figure thought in their head, Closing their stinging eyes for a bit.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶ ✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

"Is there not a comfortable and fully functioning bed in this room, that you decide to find sleep on the window sill, of all places?"

A stern voice disturbs your quick eye resting, eyes widening as you quickly shake your head to remove all the tiredness from your mind

"I was not sleeping, merely closing my eyes for a moment"

But your hoarse voice says otherwise, 'did I actually fall a sleep?' you ask yourself in your mind.

An answer you have received from the sharp look the purple clad man gave you

".. past that, what took you so long? are you well?"

Quickly standing up to greet the man, you look at his disheveled form with a worried smile

"....Mere cuts, nothing serious"

Jiang Cheng coughs out, not so slick of him. You give him a stern glace closing on the distance to observe closer. Only humming and giving him a small peck on the cheek as a greeting, which he gladly accepted though masking it with nonchalance.

"Somehow I find it hard to believe that,"

"Are you calling me weak-?"

A sharp intake of breath cuts him off, As you feel his form for any injuries. Which there clearly are.

"No, Your quite strong, Just not invincible,"

",So strong that you even lie to me now. How can you sleep at night, crowding my mind with worries..." You mutter out in distraught

"I am well on my own, who asked you to worry about me anyways..? Sleep, I can handle it on my own"

He turns away not meeting his lover's gaze. Mind also plagued with worries and self loathing. He pulls away from your hold, wanting to distance himself.

"Yes I worry for you in my own behalf, and seeing you hurt pains me as well. That is because I love you, Now please, won't you let me take care of you?"

You take his hand with a loving expression, not swayed by his stern words. Only wishing to melt his cold exterior, and give him all the comfort he deserves.

His form stiffens at your words, finding it hard to believe. He wants to fight against this warmth, wanting to protect and strengthen the facade he puts up to protect his heart from being torn apart again. But the fatigue catches up to him, only giving in to your words

He lets you drag him towards the bed to sit down, as you move around to get some medical supplies

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶ ✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

"this will sting a bit, just tell me to stop okay?"

You caress his cheek softly, reassuring him that your here to take good care of his entirety. He just stays quiet, letting you do as you please

You cleaned and bandaged the rest of his wound for the rest of the time, quickly finishing as he didn't utter one bit of sound, even if the pain stung a bit too hard. Only choosing to gaze on your gentle handling, filling his soul with warmth, contrasting the cold temperature of the night.

"all is done. How are you feeling?"

"better.." He sighed out, stretching out his limbs from the long sitting. Though careful enough to not undo the bandages.

You stand up to clean the place, of the used towels and bottles. To keeping the things on their rightful place. Jiang Cheng was quick to aid you, but you quickly stop him.

"A-cheng I can handle this fine on my own, you should just res-"

I try to take the stuff from his hand but he quickly cuts me off,

"And leave you here to clamor about? Its best that I help you get this done so 'we both' can finally rest"

Jiang Cheng replies firmly , which leads for no room to debate .

A sigh just resounds from your lips, nodding in defeat.

After all of the cleaning was done you both found yourselves on the comforts of your bed, limbs in a tangle.

"Next time if I come home late, just sleep without me okay? Don't exhaust yourself to stupid things."

Jiang cheng mutters out, pulling you in his embrace tighter.

"You know I can't sleep without you...Hey, How about i'll just come with you on your next night hunt? So we can watch each others backs" You suggested whilst leaning onto his touch

"No, it's best if you stay here inste-"

"You know I can handle myself fine on my own A-cheng"

"I'm not saying you couldn't, but it scares me okay? I cant keep an eye on you at all times. And we cant be certain what's out there..."

You raise your eyebrows at the words the man before you has said,

"For my peace of mind, just wait for me here... I already have Jin Ling to worry about whilst outside." He sighs out. Tone laced with hidden care, he really does care for his nephew even if its not shown much.

"Damn, did a fierce corpse hit you in the head or something? ....No are you possessed?"

You try to stifle your laughter at the flustered Jiang Cheng, him just glaring at you.

"This is what I get for being sincere for one time? okay suit yourse- ack."

You cut him off by hitting him on the head with a pillow

"Aish, your so adorable I wanna keep you on my pocket at all times."

You shower him with hits, filled with affection.

"-Hey stop, your so childish! Don't make me hit you back I swear-"

He rants out under the cuteness aggression of his lover

"Shut up you love me, admit it"

You stop with a laugh as he pulls you back on his side taking the pillow away.

"You-... ugh just shut up and sleep!"

He exclaims out, frustrated and even more flustered now.

" 'kay fine...."

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶ ✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

AHHH this is my first writing ever pls don't flame me too hard. I just finished reading most of the fics about jc, wasnt enough so I decided to take matters in my own hands. I take reqs if anyone wants to ask T.T

[bafvkun]

I’ll never shut up about how much I respect MXDX as a writer, she’s just THAT amazing and writes beautifully. She’s so good at writing different kind of character developments depending on the age and it’s particularly flagrant in MDZS.

Im just so found of how in the present of the story all the adults, the ones that were old enough during the whole Wei Wuxian ascension, Burial Mounds etc etc, have such deep rooted opinions. They lived through what WWX did and will never forget, they’ll teach the younger generations how dangerous and bad him and his cultivation were and that if he ever came back around the world needs to reunite to beat him again.

But ! Some juniors (and I’m mainly talking about Sizhui, Jingyi and Jin Ling since they’re the main ones) have been in direct contact with Wei Wuxian for a fairly good amount of time. They didn’t know it was him, either not suspecting it could be him at all or just not believing it could be WWX in Mo Xuanyu’s body.

They’re still so very young, just about 15, and they are still capable to build their own opinions and views on things. Despite their educations young people tend to trust what they see since they don’t have experience, what they’re seeing right now is what will be considered and experience and proof when they grow up. As for the adults they only believe what they saw in the past, what was their own experiences when they were young themselves.

Sizhui never doubted Wei Wuxian. When they all got kidnapped and WWX, Lan Zhan and Wen Ning came to save them he knew deep in his heart that Wei Wuxian would have never done it. He saw with his own eyes how he took care of them, how he saved them time and time again, how he put himself in danger for them. He’s still young and not yet entirely influenced by the elders, he still has a mind of his own and now that he witnessed the good, caring and mischievous side of WWX he has his own strong opinion (seeing Lan Zhan trust him so utterly must have helped a lot too).

Jin Ling is in a very dire position compared to the Lan Juniors. His parents are dead because of Wei Wuxian and his uncle hates him more than anyone. He grew up seeing the hatred that Jiang Cheng has for WWX, he was educated to brandish his sword to him if he ever came across him. But just like Sizhui and Jingyi he saw Wei Wuxian with his own two eyes, he saw him tease him and take care of him, he witnessed how despite what terrible thing he did in the past he still has a good heart deep within him and that guilt and grief are still driving him.

He is torn between what he was taught to believe, what his family taught him about someone that he should consider as the devil himself and what his heart itself learned and believes, that in the end he is the one that saved him and took care of him when his own uncle would have threatened to beat the shit out of him.

Wei Wuxian is a good mentor, as mischievous as he can be he also knows how to teach (surprisingly). He makes experiences into lessons in a very endearing way for the juniors, he teaches them through life itself and not through oh so boring lessons.

The juniors, no matter how much they mock him and insult him, appreciate him. He’s a good person, he’s social and nice to have around, he makes everything more bearable for everyone. They were able through their own experiences with him to build their own judgment. Either it will align with their mentor/family or it will not, but no matter what they’ll never fully hate Wei Wuxian the way the elders do.

[rayan12sworld]

💠💙From the Future for the Past

By:friedchickenlord

Summary:

Silent flaps of butterfly wings.

Given the chance, he will gladly change the past—or making new branch on the road, Lan Wangji isn’t picky. But looking at his awkward fifteen-year-old self trying to come to terms with his feeling is kind of fun. He… might understand a little why his husband is so fond of teasing him.

~~未来から過去に

Bonus Chapter, Wei Wuxian's side:

Please give back Wei Wuxian’s husband. He is three years old and he wants kisses.

Chapter:3/3

Words:27,193

Status:completed

One moment, Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen are instructing the junior disciple on Lan Sect sword form with Hanguang-jun watching from afar. The next second, there is a bright light and a man dressed in black appearing in the middle of field, brandishing a pitch black dizi with red tassel like a weapon. “GIVE ME BACK MY HUSBAND!” he shouts as he blindly tries to kick Lan Qiren. There is chaos—Jiang Cheng shouting ‘what the fuck, what the fuck’, Nie Huaisang screeching in horror, Lan Qiren trying to outshout everyone, and Lan Xichen trying to bring order—which is broken by a huff and a sound of laughter from Hanguang-jun. The unknown man, hair tied in half high ponytail with red ribbon, whips his head to the source of laughter. When he sees Hanguang-jun, everyone can see the rapid change of his emotion from anger to astonishment to a besotted one. “Er-gege!” the man cheers, leaving the chaos he has made to run to Hanguang-jun who has already opened his arms. “Er-gege! You laugh! Your poor husband has missed you so!” “Husband,” Hanguang-jun answers, catching the man who has thrown himself at the older Lan Wangji’s embrace without any shame. “I miss you too.” “!!! Lan Zhan! I told you to give me warning before speaking like that! Your husband’s heart can’t take it!”

~~

Lan Qiren coughs out blood as he points at the shameless couple with a shaky finger. “Y-you! The pig that touches my nephew! What did you said your name again?” he shouts in anger, wiping the blood that drops on his chin with his other hand. The man in black stops kissing Hanguang-jun just to laugh again. But, after he seemingly understands that he needs to explain and can’t keep playing around, he detaches himself from the older Lan Wangji—who quickly wraps an arm around the other man’s waist—and bows low to Lan Qiren’s direction. “This humble one is your worst student, Wei Ying!” he greets cheerfully. “Courtesy name Wei Wuxian, of Gusu Lan Sect… I have a forehead ribbon and all! Do you want to see, Uncle?” the man begins rummaging the lapel of his robes before pulling a Cloud Patterned forehead ribbon with triumph. “You are not Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng snaps, pulling his shixiong to stand behind him. “The fuck, you look nothing like him! What kind of joke is it?!” “The joke is I died once and got offered a body—aw, Lan Zhan, don’t look like that!” Wei Wuxian—the older one—smiles gently at the stunned and pale-faced younger Lan Wangji who loses all the color on his face at the word ‘I died’. “I am alright.”

~~

.“STOP TRYING TO MOLEST EACH OTHER IN THE OPEN!” Uncle Qiren roars, pointing his disciplinary ruler at Hanguang-jun who has his husband pinned on the magnolia tree, lips red and swollen and forehead ribbon crooked. During the last few days of the stay for Hanguang-jun and Wei Wuxian (in Mo Xuanyu’s body)—to build an array to go back to their time, to kill Wen Rouhan when they are on it—Lan Qiren and the rest of Cloud Recesses have to endure the public display of affection from the loving married couples. They have been separated for too many weeks. They are so shameless that even Wei Wuxian can’t look at any of them at their eyes—even if one of them is still him. Wei Wuxian can’t imagine him and Lan Zhan being that shameless. Especially Lan Zhan. Oh, he really is a bad influence on Lan Wangji. “Er-gege!” he cries, throwing himself on his Lan Wangji when he realizes that he truly is a pig who has stolen Lan Qiren’s prized cabbage. “Please don’t throw me away because I am a bad influence!”

[rosethornewrites]

NR, E, & M reading since 10/30

Finished

Not Rated:

The Untamed: With Nature's Help, by YenGirl (2 chapters)

A fun filled afternoon turns into something more meaningful thanks to some grilled trout, a thunderstorm and a cave.

What is 'white', what is 'black', by KarenF (3rd in a series, 7 chapters)

Lan QiRen learns that there is no clear divisible lines between black and white. The most important thing is the heart.

And, Wei WuXian’s Fourth Path does work splendidly in emergencies!

Explicit:

We can fix that, by Spindoctor (12 chapters)

Lan Wangji has an arranged marriage with Nie Mingjue. The marriage goes well. Then they see how starved Wei Ying is in the burial mounds. That's unacceptable. They take him home and fix it. Thoroughly.

2am on a saturday, by detectorist

“He’s so beautiful,” Lan Zhan says, tongue loosened by the weed. Besides, Mianmian’s room is his safe space. He can say what he likes here, so he does. “I want to know what his mouth tastes like. I want him to put his mouth on my—”

“No, no, no, no,” Jin Zixuan says, making an X with his arms. “For the love of Christ, keep it PG-13, please.”

—

In which Lan Zhan gets high, slides into Wei Ying's DMs, and somehow ends up having the harmonica played to him at 2am in the morning.

Wishing on Runway Lights, by inflight_gremlin (🔒, 7 chapters)

With the Chrismas holidays fast approaching, so does the storm of the century. Through it all, issue after issue, no one expected the little wishes made on runway lights to bring two strangers together like never before.

Or

Amidst flight delays and cancellations, Wei Ying finds himself taking care of a young boy left stranded at the airport. The initially unfortunate circumstances of their meeting would lead Wei Ying to meeting Lan Wangji, the child’s father. From then on, it’s a quick one way trip to falling in love.

Mature:

familiar motions, by moonxlight

Lan Wangji makes origami bunnies to cope with his emotions, in which he has many.

(Most of which are related to Wei Ying)

You Done Fucked Up, by enbysaurus_rex (5 chapters)

Jiang Cheng almost kills Wei Wuxian (again), but this time, he fucks up and it's on Lan territory. A very, very long come-to-Jesus moment, enforced by the Lan brothers and the Lan juniors.

the soft animal of your body, by howodd5ever

The problem was that he didn’t remember anymore why he’d left. Sure, something about finding himself or discovering his place in the world, or whatever other bullshit he’d talked himself into to end up in the middle of nowhere. Alone.

He missed Lan Zhan.

Wei Wuxian sets off alone after the events at Guanyin Temple and finds himself in pretty serious trouble.

clouds in the whites of our eyes, by butchgoth (GremlinGirl)

“About-about earlier, I…”

“I misunderstood. My fault.”

“What? You didn’t misunderstand. I don’t think.” He smiled, rubbing at his arm. The snap in the air was as crisp as biting into ice chips, and goosebumps were rising on his skin. “Uh, okay, um, this is really weird for me. I...don’t remember you.”

Lan Wangji slowly glanced over at him, his lips twitching into a frown. “What?”

“Yeah…” He tipped his head back, looking up at the stars. He’d always been able to see more when he’d lived out on the lake in Yunmeng, but the city wasn’t half-bad. “This is uh…”

“The doctors said you were fine.”

His head twisted, and Wei Wuxian stopped walking. Lan Wangji did as well, as if on instinct, and they stared at each other. “Yeah, well...I wasn’t. I don’t remember much of the hospital, but...I know what jiejie told me. After the accident...I woke up, everything was fine for about a week. I was going in and out of consciousness, but I seemed to be improving. But, then I had a seizure. And then another one. And another one. They took me for an MRI, and my brain was swelling.” He twisted up his lips, and Lan Wangji reached out for him, only to pull his hand back at the last second.

used to want you dead (now i only want you gone), by Ariaste

“It is not a coup,” Meng Yao says, which he has said at every weekly covert cheeseburger assignation since they began doing them. “A coup is, quote: a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government. Unquote.”

“The HOA counts as a governing body. Trying to take it over is a coup.”

***

Two gremlins, eating cheeseburgers in the car in a parking lot at 1am, five feet apart because they're not friends.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

The Cultivation World Needs a Reset, by FangirlingIsLife

Do not succumb to anger.

It was one of the founding rules of the Lan Clan and yet Lan Zhan could feel nothing other than a cold fury filling his veins.

He watched as his husband in all but ceremony let himself fall to Jiang Cheng’s blade.

Even at his death, his soul mate would never raise a hand to defend himself against their tyranny.

Well fuck that.

i want to live a real life, by stvrrylost

In the wake of his first death, Wei Wuxian, the only child of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze, had left his husband, Lan Zhan, a letter and a son, a small four year old boy, nearly five year old, to look after.

In the wake of his second, Wei Wuxian had left him a child again, only this time, the child was himself, nearly thirty years ago.

Explicit:

Now that I am awake, by jalpari

As long as the sea is bound to wash up on the sand…

and the stars are shining above…

we will meet again....

Or; the post-canon LWJ/WWX getting together and JC & WWX reconciliation fic I began writing long before any of my other wangxian stories.

The Threads of Fate, by WaitForTheSnitch

“What would you do if you could have him back?” Nie Huaisang asked him, a bit too seriously as he leaned forward.

“There is no way for a dead cultivator to return,” Jiang Cheng scoffed, not even willing to entertain the thought.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Nie Huaisang shrugged, “Even if he came back, that wouldn’t do much to help, would it? Your sister is still gone. His reputation still damaged.”

“Stop speaking in riddles,” Jiang Wanyin growled, “What did you come here for, Nie Huaisang?”

“I asked you what you would do for your brother back,” Nie Huaisang started, “I would do anything to have mine back, Jiang Wanyin. And I’m here to offer you that same choice. Because our brothers’ deaths never should have happened. They happened because of schemes and plots. They happened because of lies and deception. Your brother was made to be a villain and was led to his death because he was too powerful. Mine was murdered because he stood in the way of Jin Guangshan.”

There's nothing Jiang Cheng wouldn't do to have his siblings back. And when Nie Huaisang comes to him with a proposal to save them by changing everything, he doesn't even hesitate to agree.

Mature:

You and Me (We Have History), by TheImpossibility

This was so typical of Wei Wuxian. He had an uncanny knack for being absent when he was needed, and present when he was not. Jiang Cheng wanted him to be gone, needed him to be dead —no he didn’t— but there he was, aimlessly wandering around Yunmeng without a trace of his memory.

It was maddeningly typical of him.

Jiang Cheng felt an overwhelming urge to scream.

我心中的恐怖；forever haunting me, by bonesbythesea

“Blood splatter across a snowy mountain was what greeted Wei Wuxian. Lan Zhan unmoving in Wen Ning’s arms, truly the jade statue he was described to be.”

Lan Zhan's punishment, but what if it happened way before the siege?

[niilue]

i know you love jiang cheng so can i ask for him being forced to masturbate for the reader? I can't get rid of the image of him blushing and cursing, wanting to go against your order but knowing you won't touch him until he obeys. whether he gets the reward of being able to cum or not is up to you ♡

ෆ    ִ      ׁ   sub jiang cheng

cw; dom reader, sub character, gender neutral, forced masturbation, needy boy, reader kinda mean, shy but moody, jiang cheng

"i really hate you (name)" spat jiang cheng as he clutched his crotch, trying unsuccessfully to hide his wetness and hardness.

cute cute jiang, slightly flushed on his cheeks and what was more adorable was to see his ears red from the embarrassment of the situation.

"mmm, of course you don't hate me honey, just look at you." you walked up to him and gently took him by his chin. his eyes sparkled for a second when he thought you were going to kiss him. but you just smiled sideways and walked away.

leaving behind a very angry and needy jiang cheng, with his lips half open and wet and a more prominent scowl than before.

"you fucking idiot, you don't know how much I want to…" the black-haired man kept cursing you while you looked at him with desire, more and more.

you sighed and raised one of your eyebrows biting your lips. "shut your mouth, honey and let me see how much you want me." you sat up spreading your legs and patting your thighs. "if you're nice, maybe I'll let you ride here." you said teasingly.

jiang opened his mouth between indignant but damn tempted, you knew he was hard and thirsty for you. and you also knew how much he hated it when you ordered him around.

you lifted your shoulders nonchalantly and settled in ready for the show.

"get your hands off me, let me see."

reluctantly you did so, cursing what a pervert you are. "you're a freeloader."

as you watched the way his cock rose above his robes you could tell how fucking hard it was. so you wanted to play with his patience a little.

"rub your hands over your cock…- do it slow love, without cumming."

the man didn't love the way you commanded him but you did see the relief in his eyebrows as he touched his throbbing erection. using both his hands and the friction of the cloth to pleasure himself.

"mhng,aaah-" little sighs of pleasure escaped from his mouth. he didn't even look at your face you could swear this embarrassed him too much.

"watch me while you do it sweetie, don't get delicate when you're a slut." you said admiring him and laughing at how bad these words had made your lover feel.

"and you're a fucking bastard who loves this slut." he spat looking at you with watery eyes and trembling lips. still he obeyed your order and continued touching himself. this time his movements were faster.

"well, that's true i can't deny it." you winked at him making him squeal. "now take off that annoying garment and let me see your torso. i'm sure your nipples want to be touched too."

the man closed his eyes as the garment fell off and accidentally rubbed against your nipples, making him give a little jump that you'd swear almost made him run.

you watched as jiang cheng bit his lips while one of his hands pinched your sensitive pink button and with the other hand he used the palm of his hand to rub the tip of your nipple.

again and again. this was the simple order, to touch each other sensually and shamelessly in front of you, without cumming until you said so.

"nhg- fucking hell…isn't this enough to mortify (name) me, i'm already- ahggg!"

"don't even think about cumming, if you do, you'll face the consequences honey." you said in a serious manner.

jiang whimpered and did an annoying little kick, biting his lips hard and crossing his legs as he felt the excitement want to take over him.

he was sweating and panting constantly, his legs were shaking and he was a mess. too cute.

"do you like what you do? tell me what you would like from me?"

the black-haired man snorted and looked away, still touching himself, obviously. ignoring your question.

"come on love, it's nothing i don't know."

"then what the hell do you want to hear it for, huh?" he said angrily.

you took the opportunity to pull down your lower clothing, leaving nothing exposed on him.

"if you tell me, the next thing you'll see is you riding me like a maniac, my love.

[veliseraptor]

So that latest Zelkam art of the core transfer has been sucking my brain out of my head all night. And now I can't stop thinking of how much JC's inherited that he never wanted or knew: Zidian (mother), the core (brother), Jin Ling (sister), Suibian (brother x2). I'd include the Jiang name and clan if I wanted to include his father. And it hurts me. He's left with so many remnants of his loved ones and yet how hollow does he feel? How unloved? Answers surely depend on post/canon timeline but idk. I'm just wrecked. *dies quietly*

I have a lot of Feelings about the ways in which Jiang Cheng really does just keep getting handed inheritances he doesn't want to have. People keep giving him things (in a material and metaphorical sense), but it doesn't seem like the give him things as an uncomplicated gift but as this enormous, weighty thing that comes with an immense price. "Here, take my life," people keep saying to Jiang Cheng, "take this and my death with it." And the hideous irony of the core transfer is that that's true even when Jiang Cheng himself tries to give his own life for the people he loves, only with the result that Wei Wuxian turns right around and gives up his own to "fix" it.

But yeah! His mother bequeaths him Zidian in the process of sending him away while she dies. Wei Wuxian dies and leaves him with a flute and a sword he doesn't want. Jin Ling...it's not that he doesn't want Jin Ling, he always would have wanted to be in his life, but not like this. oh I know I'm going to do the thing I do and quote my own fic

You, me, and a-Cheng, said a-jie’s voice in his ear. We must stay together, and never separate.

He’d never learned how to let go, but he’d been the one left behind anyway.

for someone who is in a lot of ways defined by the way that he holds on to the past, for better or worse (and I don't think it's all bad! his success rebuilding Jiang Sect is I think owed in part to his drive to never let what happened to it before to happen again), he does keep end up being the one left, and left holding mementos and reminders that are just a constant chafing reminder of what he lost.

it really adds something fun and spicy too to the bit during the second siege of the Burial Mounds, both in the novel and in CQL:

Jin Ling had never seen so many fierce corpses before, much less at such a close distance. He could feel his scalp tingle, and clenched Suihua's hilt. Yet, suddenly, his fist was peeled open, and a cold object was stuffed inside. He looked down in surprise. "Jiujiu?"

Jiang Cheng propped himself up with Sandu, which had lost its spiritual energy. His figure wavered slightly. "Try losing Zidian, just see what happens!"

[...] When Jin Ling saw that all of the people his age had rushed over, he couldn't hold himself back either. When Jiang Cheng was distracted, he stuffed Zidian back into his hand and sprinted toward the front... (Chapter 80, trans. Exiled Rebels)

The way it's acted here in particular it feels very much like Jin Ling at least has a sense of how loaded this gesture is, whatever Jiang Cheng says about giving it back. Here he is! Continuing the chain of just passing down things as a legacy that in no way substitute for the person they stand for.

just to set those screenshots alongside this:

there's something I think to Jiang Cheng that's not just incredibly painful in all the obvious ways about the core transfer, but specifically in the way that it's related to a sacrifice he very deliberately made - and now he finds out that not only was that sacrifice ultimately utterly pointless, or worse than pointless, the person he originally made it for made it so. It's this "oh, you can sacrifice yourself for me but I can't do the same for you?" that's so bitter to feel, both because I do think there's some amount of "why do you always, always get to come out of things the hero" but more than that, "why did you do this when I made my decisions specifically to protect you; does my desire to protect you not matter? doesn't it mean anything?"

Jiang Cheng standing with his hands full of memorials going "I don't want these," because what he actually wanted was his family, but the world kept taking them away, and apparently in at least one case his family actively didn't get the memo.

[jiangchengneedstherapy]

So, looks like I've been blocked for saying Jiang Cheng's people were scared of him to ask him for help on the post about his 'good leadership' skill in Canon Jiang Cheng tag, I'm sorry I assumed that was up for discussion and I really was genuinely meaning for a discussion, and also @labyrynth I did get your notification of asking for source. The two main sources are "Arrogance (5)" and "Longing (3)" In Arrogance, we get Jiang Cheng's thought process highlighting that yes, he's captured people before even if zidian told him they were not body snatchers, the main crime he was capturing them under. A moment ago, Jiang Cheng was certain that this person was Wei WuXian, and all of the blood in his body started to boil. Yet, now, Zidian was clearly telling him that he wasn't. Zidian definitely wouldn't deceive him or make a mistake, so he quickly calmed himself and thought, this doesn't mean anything. I should first find an excuse to take him back and use every possible method to get information out of him. It's impossible for him to not confess anything or give himself away. I've done things like this in the past anyways. After thinking it through, he made a gesture. The disciples understood his intention and came over.

The disciples are long used to it, that's further highlighted in "Malice (1)"

The owner was getting ready to close the shop for the night. Suddenly, seeing that a fancy-clothed, dark-faced young man kicked open the door and walked inside with someone in his hand, appearing as if he was going to disembowel the victim right here, the owner was so frightened that he couldn't speak. A disciple went up and whispered a few things in his ear. With some silver pushedinto his hands, he quickly fled to the back of the hall and never came out again. Without any further instructions, the Jiang Sect's disciples instantly spread out from the inside to the outside, making it so that nothing could enter or escape the place.

Of course the rumors will spread, the people are scared but no one interferes, how can they? The disciples are even used to giving money and making sure no one else can enter/no one can escape, even when they know zidian confirmed that he's not possessed. And then in "Longing" The owner, "That I'm not so sure about. Anyways, the temple's quite popular. In Yunping City, no matter what someone runs into, we'd all go there and pray for the Guanyin's protection. I sometimes go there and light a few sticks of incense too."

Wei WuXian asked, "Then why don't you go find the cultivational sect that's in charge of this region?" He only remembered after he asked. Wasn't the cultivational sect in charge of this region precisely the YunmengJiang Sect.

Yet, the owner curled her lips, "Go find them? How dare we?"

Wei WuXian, "Oh? Why not?"

The owner, "Young Masters, you're not from Yunping City so you don't know. The Jiang Sect is responsible for all of us along the Yunmeng area. The Sect Leader's got quite a bad temper. It's almost frightening. His subordinate's said so a long time ago. Only one sect is in charge of such a large area. Each day, there are almost a hundred cases of small ghosts or other creatures pulling pranks on the living and all that. If every single small thing had to be dealt with immediately, would there be enough time and energy? Those that don't kill anyone aren't malign spirits, and we're not supposed to disturb them with trivial matters that aren't malign spirits." She complained, "What is this supposed to mean? Wouldn't it be too late if we waited until somebody's died to find them?!"

In truth, to refuse to act unless it was a malign spirit was a silently agreed rule that all of the larger sects followed. Although 'to be wherever the chaos is' was praised by many, the only person who really followed this was Lan WangJi, the one beside him right now.

The owner continued, "On top of that, Lotus Pier is truly a scary place. How would anyone dare go there again?"

Wei WuXian moved his gaze from Lan WangJi's calm face with a short pause of surprise, "Lotus Pier is scary? How could Lotus Pier be scary? You've been there?"

The owner, "I haven't been there myself, but I know someone who went because his house was being badly haunted. But it was all bad luck. That Sect Leader Jiang was cracking a glowing whip right on the training field. The victim's flesh and blood flew as high as his screams! A servant secretly informed him that the sect leader caught the wrong person again, that he hadn't been in a great mood, and that he definitely shouldn't be irritated in any way. He was so scared that he dropped off the gifts he brought and fled at once.

He never dared visit again."

Here Jiang Cheng is highlighted as no different than other sects who don't help until someones dead, its common in their society to have little care for the locals but add his torturing habits on top, who would risk asking for help when they could be the next ‘wwx come back from the dead'? So what if zidian confirms they’re not? Sect Leader Jiang will do as he pleases.

I’ve seen this get dismissed as rumors a lot, but its not just rumors, if his thought process confirms it, if his disciples are long used to taking action around it, when his people walked in on it happening, and when they're long used to praying in the Guanyin temple for help than to approach him afraid of his temper.

[spriteofmushrooms]

hiya! how about things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear + ningcheng for the ask game?

"A-jie, Zixuan-ge, I'm here again." Jiang Cheng's voice is soft, and Wen Ning wants to leave, but... but Wei Wuxian had asked him to watch out for Jiang Cheng. Even when Wei Wuxian doesn't put any power behind his words, it's still difficult to disobey. Wen Ning should tell him, but wouldn't Wei Wuxian feel bad? So he stays.

The Jin ancestral hall is nothing like the Jiang clan's. Engulfed in gold, Jiang Cheng is a point of darkness kneeling before grandeur.

"I'm not sure what that brat a-Ling has told you, so..." Jiang Cheng describes the past few months of Jin Ling's life--a notable night hunt, a well-negotiated treaty, the fight for the watchtowers. He tells them that Jin Ling has grown again, and that he's almost taller than Jiang Cheng already. That his friends are sweet, annoying, and promising. That he very obviously maneuvered so that Jiang Cheng would have to take care of Fairy while he studies in Cloud Recesses, because it would be 'so helpful, jiujiu.' He pauses. "He's such a good boy, a-jie."

He laughs, self-mocking. "Your a-Xian, though." Wen Ning should leave! "Your a-Xian has bewitched Lan Qiren's perfect, dutiful nephew, which is somehow something he thought I should be advised of. Not one personal letter in almost eighteen years, and this is what he thinks I want to know? Your didi was responsible, though, and he did not describe every imperfect act by Hanguang-jun. So, you see, I am still diplomatic."

Jiang Cheng curls down, perfect posture forgotten. His hands grip the skirts of his robes. Wen Ning can't see his face. After a few silent moments, he adds, "Jin Ling says that your a-Xian is gaining weight. So he must be eating something, even if it is bland."

The silence of the ancestral hall presses in.

"I wish..." Jiang Cheng whispers. "I wish..."

But then he shakes his head and wipes his face. "I'll visit again soon."

[robininthelabyrinth]

Could you do Accidental sworn brothers NHS, JC, WWX?

ao3

“So,” Jiang Cheng said.

It was a very ominous sort of ‘so’.

“Hi, Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang said. “Have you eaten? I trust you been well. I’ve been all right, myself. Things are pretty quiet. The weather’s been pretty nice, though I don’t think it’s ever as nice in Qinghe as it is in Yunmeng. Has it been raining much?”

Jiang Cheng was giving him a death glare.

“…lots of rain, huh?”

“I don’t care about the vast majority of what you did to get revenge on Jin Guangyao,” Jiang Cheng said flatly. “But you put Jin Ling in danger.”

“Not…much danger.” At Jiang Cheng’s incredulous look, Nie Huaisang shrugged. “He kept him alive this long, didn’t he? I figured Jin Ling was pretty safe, as these things went. It was only at the very last moment that he actually threatened him directly – and Jin Ling wasn’t even supposed to be there.”

Judging from Jiang Cheng’s expression, he wasn’t buying Nie Huaisang’s argument.

“All right, fine,” Nie Huaisang said. “Still, you came to visit me, which means that you’re not just here to yell and tell me that our friendship is over, you could do that by letter. You want something from me?”

Jiang Cheng struggled for a moment, then grimaced. “Yeah, I want something.”

He was so predictable sometimes.

“Tell me what you need me to do to get your friendship back, and I’ll do it.” Nie Huaisang thought about it for a moment. “Within reason.”

“I want you to help me fix my relationship with Wei Wuxian.”

“…I said within reason, Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang said, horrified. “Do you want me to bring the moon down and give it to you while I’m at it?”

“It’s not that bad!” Jiang Cheng protested, except, no, really, it was exactly that bad. Years and years of deception and betrayal and bad feelings on both sides, an incredibly knotty tangle of emotions with no one completely right and no one completely wrong and debts and anger and – it was bad, okay? “Anyway, you managed to fix Jin Guangyao, didn’t you, even though he was Chief Cultivator and you had basically no evidence? Fix this, too.”

“It’s in no way comparable!”

“Listen, you said you wanted to know what you needed to do to get us to be all right with each other again, right? This is it. Do it.”

Nie Huaisang opened his mouth in protest.

“I won’t accept anything else,” Jiang Cheng said, and crossed his arms in a way that suggested finality. “You’re the mastermind, aren’t you? So mastermind!”

-

Nie Huaisang really didn’t want to lose Jiang Cheng’s friendship, now that he knew there was a possibility of keeping it, but he also had no idea how to even start going about fixing the unfixable. He flattered himself to think that he knew Jiang Cheng pretty well after all these years, but based on everything that had happened, he didn’t understand Wei Wuxian well enough to know where to start.

Clearly, he needed help. No, more than help – he needed expertise.

Currently, Nie Huaisang was sitting in one of the rooms in the Cloud Recesses the Lan sect used to host guests waiting to see the sect leader on business. Of course, with Lan Xichen in seclusion at the moment, the actual person taking petitions was the person Nie Huaisang come to see: Lan Wangji.

He didn’t expect to be seen to quickly, the way he might have when he’d been on familiar terms with Lan Xichen – he was a Great Sect leader, yes, and an allied one, and so ought to be accorded first priority, but Lan Wangji was also a petty little brat sometimes. Lan Qiren had come by in an unofficial capacity, looking long-suffering, and they’d had an unexpectedly enjoyable conversation on the subject of the rules relating to filial piety and revenge, which Nie Huaisang interpreted as possibly the first time Lan Qiren had ever voluntarily given him a good grade on anything.

(He was weirdly moved by it, but mostly still traumatized. He’d hated school.)

After the old teacher left, Nie Huaisang sat around waiting and drinking tea, amusing himself by thinking of all the ways this forthcoming conversation could go wrong, and just when he’d gotten to the end of the fourth scenario, Wei Wuxian himself came strolling in.

“Oh, hi, Wei-xiong!” Nie Huaisang said brightly, not allowing considerations like shame to apply. “How’ve you been?”

“I’m good, I’m good,” Wei Wuxian said. “And you?”

“Well, I’m –”

“It works out quite well that you’re here, actually,” Wei Wuxian said, barreling onwards without waiting for the answer. “There was something I was hoping you might help me with.”

Nie Huaisang hid his face behind a fan. “Who, me…? I mean, I’m always glad to help, if it’s within my power – and, I mean, I’m glad you asked! And here I was worried that Wei-xiong didn’t like me anymore.”

Wei Wuxian waved a dismissive hand and sat down.

“I’m sure it’s something you can help with,” he said, smiling in a way Nie Huaisang didn’t like. “After all, you led the entire cultivation world around by the nose to catch Jin Guangyao, didn’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“Well, I would. This should be no problem in comparison!”

Which meant, of course, that it was going to be a problem, because anything was easy in comparison.

“Oh, Wei-xiong, I really don’t know…”

“Don’t give me that! At least listen to it, okay?”

Nie Huaisang was always willing to listen. He nodded.

“I need you to use your mastermind skills to help me fix my relationship with Jiang Cheng.”

Nie Huaisang blinked once, long and slow. “With…Jiang Cheng?”

“That’s right!”

“But…why me…”

“Everything is just a complete mess between us,” Wei Wuxian said plainly. “It’s probably mostly my fault, and I’ve probably wronged him in ways I don’t even remember, but – I’d like to fix it. I’ve tried to fix it. I even tried leaving it alone to see if that would help, and it definitely didn’t. Everything I’ve done only makes it worse! So I need someone else to manage it.”

“And you picked…me?”

“Don’t put yourself down, Nie-xiong. You’ll manage!”

“I haven’t even agreed yet!”

“You need something from Lan Zhan, don’t you?” Wei Wuxian said, grinning at him. “You’ll agree.”

“Of course I’ll agree,” Nie Huaisang said with a huff, tossing his head. “You’re a dear friend, Wei-xiong! Why wouldn’t I agree?”

Anyway, he had to do the work for Jiang Cheng anyway. Might as well score some points flattering Wei Wuxian while he was at it.

“You’re so kind,” Wei Wuxian said, rolling his eyes at him. “Thanks, Nie-xiong. I look forward to hearing what our next move is. Have fun having tea with Lan Zhan!”

-

“You did this to yourself,” Lan Wangji said solemnly.

“I know,” Nie Huaisang said. He was lying on the floor, arms and legs splayed to the sides as he stared up at the roof in an effort to express the depths of his desolation. “I’m well aware.”

“Mm.”

“I’m having a crisis over it, even.”

“Mm. Could you have the crisis elsewhere?”

“Don’t be mean, Lan Zhan. Of course not. I need your help!”

“Denied,” Lan Wangji said, as if Nie Huaisang really were just one of the random petitioners he had to deal with these days.

“If you don’t help me, I’ll fix up their relationship so good that you’ll have to deal with Jiang Cheng all the time,” Nie Huaisang said threateningly, and noted with amusement the way Lan Wangji’s brow twitched at the thought of having to share either space, time, or Wei Wuxian with Jiang Cheng. “Listen, no matter what the others think, I’m not really a schemer or a mastermind! I just ran with the course of events and tried to change them when they looked like they weren’t going my way, that’s all.”

“I wish you luck,” Lan Wangji said, immoveable as an iceberg.

“If I try to solve this, I’m only going to make it worse,” Nie Huaisang said. “That’s not even a threat. It’s just a fact.”

“I look forward to seeing the end results,” Lan Wangji said.

Cruel, indifferent man.

“I don’t even have a good model on how to solve this,” Nie Huaisang complained. “I mean, I don’t think I know of any relationships that splintered and then were actually repaired? The only thing that comes even close is what er-ge was up to with da-ge and san-ge all that time ago, when he was trying to get them to like each other again – of course, san-ge ruined that by committing murder, but I think we can probably avoid that here! I mean, I think we can. And it’s not workable, anyway, because…”

He frowned. Nothing was coming to mind.

Nothing at all.

Well then.

“Actually…”

Lan Wangji actually put down his brush. He looked mildly alarmed. “Nie Huaisang,” he said. “What are you thinking of doing?”

“Nothing, nothing…nothing at all…”

-

“How did this happen?” Jiang Cheng wondered.

“No idea,” Wei Wuxian said. “But at least we’re friends again, right?”

“Not just friends,” Jiang Cheng said. “Isn’t that right, da-ge?”

Wei Wuxian puffed himself up like a peacock. “You bet, er-di!”

“The sacrifices I make for my friends amaze even me,” Nie Huaisang said to a stunned-looking Lan Wangji. “I’m really all heart, aren’t I?”

“Nie Huaisang,” Lan Wangji said solemnly. “I am going to kill you.”

Nie Huaisang cackled. “No, you’re not,” he said cheerfully. “Or else my da-ge and er-ge might have something to say about how you’re treating their san-di…and I, at least, promise not to kill either of them!”

[mxtxfanatic]

... Warning, rant in coming. Sorry.

Hot take, the only morally gray character in mess, that fits the exact definition of it, is Nie Huaisang.

I've seen more and more people trying to tone down Jiang Cheng's terribleness by saying that he's morally gray. I'very also seen those same people say that Wei Wuxian is morally gray because he did terrible things for good (and, no, lmao, he didn't. Most of those come from people not understanding how his cultivation works.) and that that was why he is so interesting. (Again, lmao. Lol even. Just say you don't appreciate depths and confuse "kind" with "boring", so you gotta give every character that you don't find boring a label to justify why you like them.)

I think the term "morally gray" has become a buzz word thrown around for any kind of character that isn't one dimensionally good or evil.

Jiang Cheng isn't morally gray. He is a bad person. Again, a PERSON. Not a monster, not some sort of creatures that has no concept of humanity, just. A bad person.

Society's habit of separating people that do bad things from themselves, that "us vs them" mantality, that dehumanization of bad people, it just leave a bad taste in my mouth. Even fucking serial killers have qualities, can be smart or charismatic or empathetic. Even pedophiles have hobbies and people that love them. Even rapists have people that they love and respect.

Being a terrible person doesn't mean that they're not human. There is no one in the world that has absolutely no redeeming qualities to them. But because of that separation that so many people take for the truth, because of that "they did this because they're a monster, but I'm not so I would never do this", people just cannot accept when a bad person isn't bad all the time.

They'll look at Jiang Cheng that, ultimately, loves his family and is arguably hard working, and they'll think that that means he's "morally gray", because he possesses good qualities, completely ignoring the fact that he's just a trash human being in general.

Low key, it pisses me off. Especially the people that relate so hard to him, and ask me if I wouldn't do the same in his shoes. Because no. I fucking wouldn't cause genocide. I wouldn't torture and kill complete strangers because they dared to have a surname I don't like or because they make me think of someone I resent from my past.

Like, I took can see myself in him, totally. He IS well written, and between the cartoonishly bad Xue Yang and the paragons of moral virtue that is Wangxian, he's definitely the one that feels closest to an everyday man, in personality if you ignore all the murders. I am petty, I hold grudges, I can be entitled and selfish, I am overall a massive rude cunt, but I do not want to hurt people and everyday I strive to be better than the last, even in infinitesimal ways. As should anyone. But that is something that Jiang Cheng doesn't even acknowledge, stuck as he is in his victim mentality and inferiority complex.

But Jiang Cheng is morally bankrupt. He is not morally gray. Not even dark gray. As an adult, he is painstakingly human and in general, a bad person.

And that is OK.

To make him a better person, you don't have to change his entire character with half assed head canons, just make him acknowledge his flaws and let him (finally) grow as a person, past that stubborn mentality he has had for decades.

He IS a bad person, but even bad people have a capacity for growth and change, of the moment they allow themselves to. If he ever gets forgiven for his past actions, that's on the people he has hurt, not that it should even be considered in his journey towards growth.

(Frankly, I don't think he would be. I think he shouldn't be, but that's not for me to decide. However, I can definitely JC finally making some tiny progresses but for all the wrong reasons, and get insulted when, if he ever even get to that point, his apologies don't end up fixing everything. He is totally the kind of person that would see you being mad at them and feel like he's the one being victimized because you didn't accept his half assed apologies. The emotional maturity on this man is below -100.)

(Also, Wei Wuxian isn't morally gray in the total opposite, in that he is such a good person, be it morally or emotionally, just. God, I envy his mental fortitude and his capacity for forgiveness and love.)

Sorry again for the ask, just had to rant somewhere about this and I am kind of curious about how you consider the "morally gray" argument. I think it's total bullshit, if the entire post didn't tell you, but yeah, I'm curious.

I hope I was coherent enough, I did not plan this ask at all, it was all streams of consciousness.

So before I get to the actual material of your rant—of which I agree with—I want to go on a tangent. Bad people as a category are not “dehumanized.” Dehumanization is the act of stripping someone or a group of people of their humanity as a tool of oppression, and it must come with material consequences. Saying that a continent of people are only capable of non-human animal intelligence to justify centuries of enslavement is dehumanization. Saying that a country of people are born terrorists to justify flattening their homeland and claiming it by a different name is dehumanization. Claiming that the man who called you out on your desires to be the new oppressors is a literal demon wanting to destroy your heritage in order to justify leading an army to kill him and his charges while attempting to remove their ability to reincarnate is dehumanization. Calling a child abuser a monster is not dehumanization. It is just an insult.

In fact, the “human traits” of terrible human beings do not need to be defended, because more often than not the absolute worst human beings are materially protected from the consequences of their actions by people who want to defend their “humanity.” In mdzs, I don’t give two fucks about Jiang Cheng’s one “human” trait of loving his nephew, because his “inhumane” traits of abusing said nephew and everyone else in his life intentionally overshadow that by his own design. Jiang Yanli loved her son just as much and lost much more than Jiang Cheng ever did, but she didn’t become an unrepentant monster. Humans are not “monsters-in-waiting” whereby we must act as if every individual is always one step away from committing unspeakable acts of depravity. If that was the case, we would not have survived as a community-dependent social species. Therefore, I do not find Jiang Cheng as the most relatable character ever because I do not find the way that he gives into anti-human behaviors to be relatable to me on a personal level or to be representative of most people’s actions throughout the course of their lives. To feel pain is human, and to have outbursts about it is understandable. To abuse about it? To murder about it? To mass murder about it??? Absolutely anti-human, anti-community, and the type of behavior that can only survive and thrive in an environment that privileges people with those specific “inhumane” traits above everyone else. (One might even call it the environment of a corrupt hierarchy of power that mdzs critiques.) The exact opposite of dehumanization. So if I choose to call Jiang Cheng a monster, it is to intentionally point out the ways that his conscious actions as a character in this story are a negation of human life and community.

On that note, I’ve discussed how this fandom uses “morally gray” in this ask (excuse the fact that I switch between “grey” and “gray” lmao). To bring back a point from my rant from above, Jiang Cheng has his one (1) good trait leveraged by fandom to whitewash his crimes under the guise of “morally gray,” while Wei Wuxian is the one actually being dehumanized by that same label as people use it to justify his literal murder (and those of the Wen remnants) in the story, so that’s my feelings on that. Whether Jiang Cheng can be redeemed or not, I frankly do not care to speculate because the story concludes his character arc at him regressing back into Jiang “hunter of Wen” Cheng, still rich, still single, and still only loved by his nephew. At the end of the day, he is not a real person and I’m only here for wangxian.