#mu qing is objectively funny

[worstloki]

Mu Qing with a giant anti-horse sword while everyone else gets to use conventionally sized weapons like regular length swords and fans 🤝 Ling Wen as a civil official having the brocade immortal making her strong enough to rival martial ones

[thatswhatsushesaid]

Character: Jiang Cheng vs Mu Qing

OOF this one hurts me, but it's gotta be mu qing. he has what are, to me, objectively the fucking funniest lines in the whole book, and i have to stan a funny guy, especially when he's also that big of a bitch. i do think he's a spiritual successor to jiang cheng in terms of his temperament and his attachment to the protagonist tho.

[yeyayeya]

My reaction to TGCF Season 2 Ep 7 (Part 5)

*novel spoilers*

His sword is so comically large idk it’s really funny to me when I see it

Ok but damn is LQQ animated so pretty

RUOYE THE MVP!!

Was Ruoye smirking at LQQ? If so, what a sneaky silk band.

OMG WAIT

Now I need to see both Ruoye and E’Ming just playing and messing around together omg please

I love inanimate objects with almost animal traits to them, and I have the biggest soft spot for Ruoye and E’Ming you don’t know

Also not Xie Lian still talking to LQQ and giving him advice on the whole attack thing. I would have loved to see more of Xie Lian being the State Preceptor of Yong’An

“You weren’t like this before, Guoshi”

“Wdym I was always like this, you just didn’t know”

AAHHHHH

This also reminds me of how both Mu Qing and Feng Xin, despite knowing Xie Lian for quite a long time, didn’t truly know Xie Lian either

And meanwhile Hua Cheng does

And the next line he says?? “Don’t create an inviolable monument to me in your heart without my consent”

I had to search that word up, but basically he told LQQ to not make an image of Xie Lian that was near perfect or something, and seeing the closest imperfection would make him think of someone different and make their image of him waver and therefore that image of Xie Lian be something that is not him?

Idk if I am writing it correctly like my thoughts want me to, but I guess I get the gist of it? Don’t know if that’s right. But again, the shot were it switched to Hua Cheng. I cannot deal with this anymore wtf

Except Hua Cheng’s image is different than everyone else, as it showed Xie Lian with all the imperfections (he was there for almost all of Xie Lian’s lowest moments) and he still loved Xie Lian

And we get a small flashback

Ok but who is he?? I know he’s LQQ’s little guy, and he was most likely appointed by LQQ as his general or something in the heavenly capital, but who exactly is he?

I need a name for him now I am kind of invested in him. He also seemed to have a long relationship with LQQ, and while he’s not exactly standing up for Xie Lian against the Yong’An council or nobles (idk who they are tbh) he is standing up for the Xianle people to not be persecuted

We stan kings who fight against racism

And despite LQQ’s complicated shit with Xie Lian, he still took his advice? Despite not knowing that XL was from Xianle, he still took care of the people of Xianle alongside the people of Yong’An because they were his people?

After all this he definitely deserves an explanation of what XL did, and while he is a bit foolish, I understand his reason for revenge.

[bluberryblurays]

《What Is It About Me?》 · Feng Qing Fic preview #2

Walking into the dark armory, Mu Qing saw ZhanMaDao flickering in the dim candle light, polished by his deputies last night. Walking up to his blade as it hung on the wall, he ran his fingers gently along the side. This blade was connected to Feng Xin almost as much as it was to Mu Qing. Mu Qing had learned to use it in sparring with Feng Xin, and he had only learned to love the sword as it was something he was better at than Feng Xin was. This sword had nicked Feng Xin’s flesh just as many times as it had blocked the other’s arrows, and as many times as it had failed to deflect them.

It’s funny how simple objects can hold so many memories, and how painful they can be to reflect on. They used to have a friendship of sorts, Feng Xin and Mu Qing, though they were never friendly, and always competing. But still, what they had in Xian Le was more than the temporary nothing that stood between them now, more than the nothing they would live with for eternity.

But more isn’t always better, like how too many candies can turn sickly sweet as you eat more, too much Feng Xin overwhelmed Mu Qing. It angered and confused him, it occupied his mind fully when more pressing things were at hand, and he occupied Mu Qing’s dreams whenever his head hit that sweet silk pillow.

This fic is coming along well! probs gonna be done by august? Maybe sooner maybe later, I never write at a steady pace! 💕

[bi-turtle-enthusiast]

Thanks for answering my ask. Can I ask (again), if you don't mind, your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from TGCF & SVSSS? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments each from the series? Thanks if you want to answer....

ough ok this is gonna be hard bc i unironically love every character in tgcf for one reason or another.

top 3 tgcf characters:

3. Shi Qingxuan/Jun Wu I did NOT expect Jun Wu to be on this list but I started writing my fic and I kind of fell in love with his character. He's an awful person who loves causing misery but at the same time there's something so painfully human about wanting so desperately to be understood by someone, anyone. I don't condone his actions but I'm here to watch. I love Shi Qingxuan for being genderfluid, brave and kind, and just so much fun. She brings unmatched energy into every scene she's in and I just love her.

2. Hua Cheng This one should be pretty obvious considering I made him my pfp on my art blog and refuse to stfu about him but god DAMN I just can't stop thinking about him. I love everything about him. His amazing fits. His incredibly powerful imagery. The way he's just so insane. His butterflies. The color red. The gender. Everything.

1. Xie Lian He's the one I draw the most for a reason. I have a thing for characters who choose kindness whenever they can, and I love Xie Lian for being able to ultimately decide that he does in fact want to use his godly powers to protect his believers and not to dominate them. He doesn't make that decision lightly—he knows what it's like to abuse his power for the sake of vengeance and he's seen what it's like when gods abuse their power for greed—he decides that being kind and benevolent is the path he wants to take because ultimately, it's love that keeps the world intact. Xie Lian is love, and I love him.

Honorable mentions: Mu Qing, Shi Wudu, He Xuan, Yushi Huang

top 3 svsss characters (bear with me because I am not super familiar with SVSSS)

3. Shang Qinghua I want to throw him against a wall (affectionate). I hate him. I love him but on a deeper level I hate him but on an even deeper level I love him. Just,, such a little shit

2. Zhuzi Lang He's a pathetic little meow meow with a fucked up sense of morality and objectively too many snakes. Someone get this guy a therapist and maybe a snack

1. Liu Qingge He's a hater through and through. I, too, find Bingqiu irritating. His "no Luo Binghes allowed" rule is perfection imo. And the way Shen Qingqiu can just call out his name and Liu Qingge will come out of literally nowhere with a flying kick?? Love that.

I honestly can't rank my top 3 moments from SVSSS because I don't remember it that well. Here are mine from TGCF though!

3. Jealous Xie Lian during the Blackwater arc Hua Cheng is like "my beloved is a noble, gracious special someone" and Xie Lian is like "ugh i hope they fucking die I MEAN I HOPE YOU THEY MAKE YOU SMILE." We don't really see jealous Xie Lian that often and it was really funny to see just how petty he got. He's usually really calm and collected and neutral about things but he was so intense here. Possibly because he was a bit hangry.

2. The Hualian confession Everything about it is just. hrmnksgnsf. I love it. I love the way they're kinda awkward after it but then they clear the air a bit and continue onwards while holding hands. I love the way Xie Lian confesses with a hug.

1. The bamboo hat/Xie Lian telling Bai Wuxiang to fuck off The moment where Xie Lian's faith in humanity is restored. And then Bai Wuxiang appears and tries to be all evil and Xie Lian just goes "fuck off you ugly mf you're blocking my sun" to the guy who's been haunting him nonstop for months on end. And Bai Wuxiang is so stunned that he gets a little desperate—so desperate that he starts a fight just so he can have an excuse to be "defeated" by Jun Wu. Man, I love that scene.

[tossawary]

I'm sorry this feels real weird, but I love PINTWILF a lot, and the fact that you really expanded on SQH's role and everything. And I really loved that you added the other unnamed peaks and melded them in, everything that you wrote about the peaks actually really fleshed them out and their roles. So what did you name the three other peaks, and what are their roles? I think I only really understand that Xi Jiao is an animal/beast peak?

It’s not weird! I’m quite pleased with the sect logistics I’ve been writing in PINTWILF (from a humor angle, not a realism angle) and so I’m happy to talk about it. This is the order of peaks I’ve been using in PINTWILF: 

(1) Qiong Ding Peak - Peak Lord: Yue Qingyuan (Canon) 

Apparently they’re responsible for general affairs. I’ve always assumed they’re also responsible for dealing with other sects and politics, outside of peak-specific specialties where another peak lord has the authority to represent the sect. 

(2) Qing Jing Peak - Peak Lord: Shen Qingqiu (Canon) 

Peak of scholars and strategists. I assumed from there that they would also be responsible for a lot of library and archive-related duties, and that they would have some talisman and seal experts, etc., and that QJ and QD would be closely tied in many matters. 

(3) Wan Jian Peak - Peak Lord: Wei Qingwei (Canon) 

Peak of sword masters. I assumed that this meant both martial weapon specialists and sword smiths. I also assumed that this could be expanded to many kinds of metal work. Where WJ and AD meet is probably where a lot of non-weapon-related fabrication happens. 

(4) An Ding Peak - Peak Lord: Shang Qinghua (Canon, minus #?)

I’ve seen people put An Ding anywhere from 4th to 12th. I’m not sure that An Ding has a canonical number. I prefer An Ding being 4th because of 1) how closely Qiong Ding and An Ding’s work would be tied and the importance of logistics, but 2) mainly how funny I think it is if SQH is only three murders away from being the sect leader. 

SQH: “Wei Qingwei, you cannot die. The chances of Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan offing each other is too high for you to die on me. YOU’RE MY LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. DON’T MAKE ME BE SECT LEADER.” 

(5) Xian Shu Peak - Peak Lord: Qi Qingqi (Canon)

It’s unclear what specialties XS has, probably because it only existed in PIDW as the “hot lady peak” (and MXTX never actually expanded it post-transmigration). It’s never come up, but I kind of dig the idea of XS doing some textiles work, anything from weaving fine fabrics to rope-making. (Who makes stuff like Immortal Binding Cables? It could be Xian Shu.) 

(6) Xi Jiao Peak - Peak Lord: Tang Qingling (Non-Canon) 

Yes, this is an animal/beast peak, because I’ve seen it brought up in a few fics, and I thought it would be funny for SY to be entranced by the idea, only for SQH to go, “Bro, I hope you have the stomach for blood and literal shit, because that’s where they butcher monsters for parts and collect crap for fertilizer.” 

I also like the idea of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect having actual pipelines based on the specialties, which make it a very profitable and efficient sect. (Also, where are they getting their food? Do they have livestock? Do they buy it all from the surrounding towns and cities? Xi Jiao is me deciding that, yes, they have livestock.) Liu Qingge brings in a monster, it goes to Xi Jiao, then the parts go out again to Wan Jian, Qian Cao, Zui Xian, and others. to become armor, medicine, potions, etc.. Or maybe just to An Ding to sell. 

(7) Bai Zhan Peak - Peak Lord: Liu Qingge (Canon) 

They make people who fight good. 

(8) Qian Cao Peak - Peak Lord: Mu Qingfang (Canon) 

Trains healers and makes medicine. I assumed that they would grow as many of their own plants as they could and do a lot of plant breeding. Medicine could also be a great source of income for the sect (another reason why QC is one of Shang Qinghua’s favorite peaks). 

(9) Ku Xing Peak - Peak Lord: Wang Qingjie (Canon, minus # and peak lord) 

The peak name is canon, but I can’t remember if they have a canonical number and they don’t have a canonical peak lord. They’re all all-male peak with an ascetic lifestyle, living akin to monks. 

I think I decided that they specialized in talismans and the creation of other spiritual tools, including and as well as ceramics. So, they work closely with many of the other peaks, but especially An Ding in supplying other peaks. I can’t remember why I decided this. I think maybe I decided that Ku Xing might have a philosophy that “to create purifying objects, the maker must also be free from impurities”? Hence the ascetic lifestyle. 

I also thought it would be funny if Ku Xing and Qing Jing had a little bit of a rivalry going on. Shen Qingqiu makes very good talismans and Wang Qingjie is NOT angry about it (in the way of someone trying not to be angry). 

(10) Zui Xian Peak - Peak Lord: Zhang Qingyan (Canon, minus # and peak lord) 

Again, the peak name is canon, but I can’t remember if they have a canonical number and they don’t have a canonical peak lord. This is the peak that apparently specializes in alcohol. 

So, I decided that they might as well be responsible for brewing other potions and solutions. Maybe they have people who specialize in alchemy. Qian Cao and Wan Jian and Xi Jiao (and nearly every other peak) probably do their own brewing of certain things, but it probably helps to have someone else dedicated to brewing on a large scale. Qian Cao grows the plants for a common medicine, then ships them to Zui Xian for mass-production, and the An Ding takes the result and sells it to all the nearby towns and cities. 

Zui Xian probably saves and makes Cang Qiong so much money. 

(11) Long Sheng Peak - Peak Lord: ??? (Non-Canon) 

This is a newer invention and I haven’t come up with a peak lord yet, but they’re named after “The Dragon’s Backbone” and they specialize in plants and agriculture. This is my “this is how the sect gets fed” peak, alongside Xi Jiao. 

Maybe they don’t grow all the sect’s food themselves, but they support and work with the surrounding towns and cities to make sure that the local harvests survive all of PIDW’s horrible plants and monsters. Sometimes you need cultivators who can tell you why this year’s harvest is haunted and what to do about it! Maybe Airplane invented the equivalent of magical locust swarms and didn’t think twice about it, so someone has to deal with that! Maybe they grow the materials for Xian Shu’s textiles work! 

They work closely with Xi Jiao, Qian Cao, Zui Xian, and An Ding. 

(12) ??? 

I haven’t actually named the last peak. I haven’t really seen a need to invent one yet and it’s kind of been a in-joke with myself. It’s fun to imagine people being like, “Cang Qiong has twelve peaks, right? What’s that last one called again? I can never remember what that last peak is called.” 

Notes: 

I imagine that most of the peaks’ specialties overlap in one way or another. An Ding, Zui Xian, Qian Cao, and Long Sheng each do some agricultural stuff, but Qian Cao and Long Sheng (especially LS) do most of it. And so on. 

Cang Qiong Mountain Sect also doesn’t have to do everything in-house. Shang Qinghua also has to make orders from other sects and merchants for stuff that Cang Qiong either can’t make or don’t have the space/time to make. I just like the idea that CQ is so powerful partly because they’re so independent. 

If I keep the details loose, I can get a lot of fun humor out of it. 

[crowning-art]

TGCF SPOILERSS

------------------------

ok you know what, I'm beginning to notice a pattern every time I read and it's me just going omg omg omg!!! (out of happiness) and then omg omg omg omg?!? (like wtf? wtf just happened?????) to omg omg omg omg… (out of dread) and then the cycle repeats lol

Anywaaays

UMMM MY FAVE SIDE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED LOL, and that includes

The clothing store owner:

Seeing him flee, the store owner had wanted to stop him, but opening and closing his mouth, he looked down at that gold foil that could easily buy two sets of clothing and more. Then he shrugged and stopped caring.

and the food stall owner:

With this large crowd running down the streets, more dust flew and choked the air; the food stall owner couldn’t even curse anymore, flipping his own pot from anger.

“WHY THE FUCK DO I EVEN BOTHER?!”

lmao Heaven's eye is so funny, I can't with him. He's trying so hard

Qi Rong reintroduced in the midst of eating a human hand and covered in blood, and overall in a very disgusting way:

me: Awwww Qi Rong! It's been a while! I missed him~

Ok, I did NOT have Qi Rong being an excellent chef in my non-existent bingo card, but ya...def a surprise lol

Fu YAO???/

FU YAOOOO????!!!! HE'S BACK!!!! I MISSED HIM SO MUCH?!?!?!

I WAS SO HAPPY I KINDA HAD TO PAUSE TO STOP SQUELING DJNQKJNDOJDN THIS MADE ME SO HAPPY

hehe, he cares~

“OW OW OW OW ARM! MY ARM’S BROKEN! BROKEN BROKEN! COUSIN CROWN PRINCE WAIT! OKAY, OKAY, OKAY, I’LL BE HONEST, I LIED, I DIDN’T EAT HIM! I DIDN’T! I WAS GOING TO BUT I HAVEN’T YET!”

“Where is he now?” Xie Lian demanded.

“STOP CRUSHING, STOP CRUSHING! I’ll tell you, that little Feet-Dragger is locked up in the shed on the side, JUST TAKE A LOOK AND YOU’LL SEE!”

I was like woah...uh damn....Qi Rong, u have a way to bring out the murderous side of Xie Lian someHOW, don't you?

Before he finished, a chilling, glistening, bloody butcher knife was thrust into his mouth between his teeth. The handle of the butcher knife was gripped in Xie Lian’s hand.

Xie Lian smiled. “Hm? What are you yelling about?”

Qi Rong did not see how Xie Lian was able to thrust that knife into his mouth; he could only feel chill on his lips, and the tip of his tongue sensed there was a sudden, new, extremely sharp object. Although he wasn’t hurt, if he tried moving even an inch his mouth was going to bleed, and his voice died in his throat.

THIS PART WAS AMAZING LIKE JUST IMAGINING IT sbjwjwkekekek

Right at the same time, Hua Cheng finished building the little golden palace, and he rose to his feet. He raised his brows as he side-eyed the little building he constructed, and gently kicked.

Flop, flop, flop, the golden palace collapsed.

And that inn also rumbled as it crumbled.

UMmm heloo?! IM SO EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW??? What went wroooonggg???? I miss the friendship BETWEEN THE THREE so much! WHyyyy?? WHY ARE YOU GUYS DISTANT???

Xie Lian soundlessly gave a dry laugh. Eight hundred years ago when he activated the verbal password for the first time, it was “just recite the Ethics Sutra a thousand times”; even eight hundred years later, it had never changed, and Feng Xin actually remembered. Xie Lian remembered the way Feng Xin laughed until he was hoarse when he first heard that verbal password all those years back, and couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, even though it wasn’t the right time.

Ok, but like from everything I saw thus far, I felt like Hua Cheng just REALLYYY didn't care for anyone unless they somehow helped him in one way or another to be powerful or eradicate something harmful, which in turn would keep Xie Lian safe/happy, but seeing him checking Guzi's forehead for a fever was def a surprise? But maybe he just did it cuz he knows Xie Lian cares for him? Dunno, but it's def curious

UMMMM???

“What happened to Mu Qing? How did it come to this???”

UMMM SOMEONE ANSWER PLS???? WHY IS MY BABY BEING HELD CAPTIVE??? WHY IS MY PRECIOUS BOI BEING ACCUSED OF A FAULTY ASCENSION???? STOP I DIDN"T NEED HIM TO COME BACK LIKE THIS T-T

I miss book 1

oh wait, no one can answer cuz Ling Wen ruined the communications of the upper court lol

ok. OK.

LisTEn

I reaaaaallllyyyyy like Feng Xin and Mu Qing ijbfeijfilqi like Feng Xin is trying to help him out while he's in trouble, even though they got the 'rivalry' and everything???? Ya'll really telling me he got NO feelings for him???? HUh???? EXBLAIN THIS?????

stop i LOVE him, i WILL CRY HE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS

That was true, only because “helping out of kindness”, “loving and protecting children”, “doing good without leaving a name”, in everyone’s minds, these were all things Mu Qing would never do. Mu Qing had always been “lonesome”; he never showed any unnecessary kindness, and didn’t really make any intimate friends in the heavens. Now that something had happened, no one would believe him even if he tried to argue, and naturally there was no one to speak on his behalf. This was probably why he chose to run away and investigate the truth himself.

but like you are Wrong (WITH A CAPITAL W), there is SOMEONE who believes him and he goes by the name of Feng Xin ;)

-------

haha man I loved these chaps! It's really bring back the book 1 vibes and oh boi, it's been so long since things got so light hearted!

[winepresswrath]

I most don't think MQ/XL was a thing, and when I refer to them being divorced I mean it as a bro divorce, but sometimes I do think about that passage after Mu Qing left where Xie Lian is all "but the beauty and the hero are supposed to be together forever for as long as they both live no matter what!!!"

Baby Xie Lian: obviously as a consequence of our cultivation path we cannot bone, but chaste love is actually MORE pure and romantic

Grandpa Xie Lian: true love lovingly hand carves erotic self insert RPS statuary.

I think it's so funny that MXTX included a little motif of Xie Lian's romantic outlook being contrasted with the comparatively cynical/realistic perspectives of the people around him in classic romantic hero(ine) fashion and then follows it up with an author's note about how as a callow and immature youth she thought that romance was more satisfying if both people had their own priorities and inner lives but now that she's a very adult twenty something she understands that what she actually likes is when one person is just really, really obsessed with the object of their affections. Live your truth, MXTX. I hope your next love interest sees the main character once across a crowded room, instantly intuits his entire personality, falls madly in love, and then sets his whole life on fire on the off chance that it'll please the bae.

[veliseraptor]

If you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite MXTX characters (top 5 from each novel)? I'm sorry if you've answered this question before.

so this got. long. to nobody’s surprise probably. 

Scum Villain Self-Saving System

I feel like this is the novel where I have the fewest characters I really have strong feelings about? Which is not to say that I don’t love the characters! I just haven’t latched onto as many of them in the same way that I have with the other two. So there’s really only two that I wanted to list here.

1. Shen Jiu. Like, okay, this is one of those “didn’t see this coming but hoo boy should I have seen this coming” things where I’m like. Oh, did you say “emotionally dysfunctional misanthropic character shaped by abuse, incapable of communication, full of self-loathing, unlikeable and ultimately destroyed by his own actions? well will you look at that I have adopted a new character.”

Didn’t see it coming but ultimately very predictable! thanks, extras, for doing this to me and making me constantly in my feelings being sad about Shen Jiu kind of never having had a chance. Like, he did, but also he didn’t.

And I just have a big Thing for characters who kind of ruin their own lives.

2. Luo Binghe. He is a Mess and a bundle of issues and I love him. I mean - abandonment issues! deep insecurity! temperamental and emotionally unstable! a love interest...okay not quite made for me but still definitely a delight because he’s such a disaster. And I am here for both canon Binghe who is less...awful, and PIDW!Binghe who is patently awful and you can still see...how he got there, and the disaster living underneath. I just really love a hot mess.

Also all credit to Liu Mingyan for living her erotica writing dream, though.

Heaven Official’s Blessing

1. Hua Cheng. The smooth, suave ghost king who is constantly screaming on the inside and has a concerningly low level of self-worth independent of what he can be to the object of his devotion? Sign me up. I love Hua Cheng because he’s like. Ruthless, competent, powerful, and also in certain very specific places deeply insecure and certain of his worthlessness and monstrosity. He’s got such a delightful flair for the dramatic, and he’s honestly hilarious, and at the same time a deeply traumatized wreck badly in need of self-actualization. Love him, want good things for him.

2. Xie Lian. It’s funny because Xie Lian is one of those characters who feels...against type, for me? In some ways? But I love him so much. He’s just...augh. His profound kindness, his deep guilt and self-hatred/doubt, the downward spiral of his history and then how he manages to come back from the edge, but just barely. He’s in some ways painfully self-aware but also in this very skewed way where he doesn’t - can’t - see himself clearly. He’s just...augh. He’s a sweetheart but in this very deliberate, thoughtful way where it’s a choice he’s made after being ground down and losing everything. Flower in one hand and sword in the other, balanced in between. A treasure.

3. He Xuan. You give me a ghost driven by single-minded determination and an elaborate revenge plot that takes centuries to set up, getting attached to one of the objects of that revenge that he’s determined to take down, and going through with the incredibly precise and cruel revenge plot anyway? Oh, yeah. What do you expect from me? Even if the skeleton fish and everything weren’t so Aesthetic I would love He Xuan, but the messiness of their relationship to Shi Qingxuan is really what sells me.

4. Shi Qingxuan. Again kind of a “against type” pick for me! But...augh. I love them. I love them and their ebullience that feels like a very thin mask over a lot of insecurity and a desperate need to be liked and a holdover from the childhood spent living in fear. I love them for how quickly and eagerly they adopt Xie Lian as a friend, and how they continue to defend him from basically day one forward. They’re good.

5. Mu Qing. What a mess!!! Love him. Mu Qing Has Rights and every reread I’ve done just underlines my feelings about this more. He’s so prickly, and so conscious of his status (or lack thereof); so determined to have independence, abrasive and temperamental and bad at expressing himself in ways intelligible to others. And he does the Thing that I love where when people think badly of him he’s like “OH SURE, WELL, I’LL LET YOU DO THAT AND NOT BOTHER TO CORRECT YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.” I don’t know why I like that, except that it’s the ‘oh you’re just going to tank your own life for the sake of your pride aren’t you’ thing. Anyway this isn’t making a lot of sense but. Mu Qing, y’all. He’s good and I want good things for him post-canon.

(with bonus mentions for: Feng Xin, Ling Wen, Banyue, Yin Yu, and Quan Yizhen, the last of whom I developed a sort of late-blooming dumb affection for.)

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

I feel like I have a much stronger feelings about the CQL versions of the characters - have still only read the novel itself once, so these are mostly CQL verse versions by virtue of that...being the lion’s share of my experience. Always just feel like I need to establish that.

In pretty much the converse of what I said about SVSSS, this is the canon where I have, like. Deep fondness for almost every character. So I went ahead and added some of the extra spots I had leftover from the Scum Villain not top five and put them here instead. I can do that if I want.

1. Xue Yang. I mean, anyone who has followed me recently for any amount of time may have noticed this. I walked into this fandom and took one look at this gremlin and went “oh, that one is mine now” and haven’t really looked back other than brief fits of guilt that change absolutely nothing about my feelings. I Just Love Him, Xue Yang Has Some Murder Rights Actually. I just...love a disaster of this magnitude who ruins his own life because he doesn’t know how to not do that. That’s the good shit, you guys.

2. Jiang Cheng. Boy do I gravitate toward insecure younger siblings with abandonment issues who don’t know how to communicate their feelings, don’t I. There’s so much crunch in Jiang Cheng’s character, so much messiness and confusion and difficulty. He doesn’t make anything easy, for himself or others. I just love how...he loves so much and so hard and yet he has all this dysfunction that makes it so impossible for him to express that, most of the time. I mean, I have written multiple several-thousand-word odes to my Jiang Cheng feelings, I don’t know how to really talk about them here except how much I think about the fact that I do not think Jin Ling has never doubted that Jiang Cheng cares about and loves him and how much that’s what Jiang Cheng would’ve liked to have in his life - that certainty of being loved.

3. Wei Wuxian. I feel like I don’t talk about Wei Wuxian enough and I think that is mostly because I feel like everyone else has already said what I would say and said it better, but like. What a character! What a character written to tap into so many of my very favorite archetypes of like. Trauma! The intersection of selflessness and selfishness! Deep loyalty to those he cares about and a willingness to destroy people who get in his way! Determination and ingenuity! And like. The fact that he dies dramatically and tragically and then gets to come back and have his...not even redemption arc but something like that, sort of? v v v good. I get to have my cake and eat it too.

4. Xiao Xingchen. Like, okay, yes, I recognize we don’t get a whole lot of him in canon so I am building a lot of headcanon edifice on a very small foundation but so sue me. I mean - someone described Xie Lian in my inbox a while back as “Xiao Xingchen if Xiao Xingchen were the protagonist” and honestly in some ways I can see it? His determined kindness, his desire to do good in the face of being repeatedly punched in the face by the fact that his world is not kind, the way that he is weird in his own society, the absolute tragedy of his life’s arc. Xiao Xingchen deserves the world. But also I love thinking about his...imperfections, and the ways in which the idealization of him by the world around him is incredibly isolating and lonely, and I will always be in my feelings about characters with a public image and the isolation that can create - when you are less a person than a symbol.

5. Lan Xichen. Again one of those characters where I didn’t see it coming and he kind of snuck up on me but now I’m like. Oh Lan Xichen I want you to have nice things only! Someone give him a break from trying to shoulder sole responsibility for everything and the burden of being the only person who is willing to give people a shred of the benefit of the doubt! Like, fuck but he’s carrying so much, and trying so hard to bear it well and gracefully, and someone needs to wrap him in a shock blanket or something and give him a minute to breathe. And also remind him that it is okay to have boundaries.

6. Jin Guangyao. Are we surprised? I hope we’re not surprised. I feel like I should just link to this post since this thing has already gotten ridic long and I don’t need it to get...even longer.

7. Jin Ling. I really didn’t see this one coming but here I am in loving Jin Ling hours all the time. He’s just...I feel like I keep saying this, but he’s such a mess but he has a good heart and he’s trying and he’s just so...determined! He has so much to live up to and a big chip on his shoulder but he is a sweetheart deep down, he’s a brat for sure but he’s also such a kid who wants to think he’s not a kid but boy, is he. I love him very very much and I think he’s going to be all right, more or less, eventually.

but like. this is a thing where I’m very fuck I love everyone in this bar about it!!! as you can see picking top five was not even a thing I could do except that Jiang Cheng and Xue Yang are pretty solidly my two Babies with Wei Wuxian only a hair behind by virtue of me feeling like he doesn’t need my support as much.

[mousehole5000]

 this is it... the final post.... 226 through THE END!!!!!

this shit with mu qing and the river of lava is SOOOO dramatic im loving it

oh my god theyre on a FUCKING bridge of course they are okay let’s go boys

“You’re right. We’re alike. You think me odd, I think you to be rather weird too.” - so what im getting from this is that xie lian and mu qing are the only characters in this book with working gaydar okay yup got it this checks out

god... the fact that xie lian is ready to be like “look mu qing we can just forget about the past it doesnt matter we dont have to be friends i know you dont like me but im not gonna let you die over it” and then mu qing is like “.... god i really do admire you huh”

“You...certainly...are rather amazing. You’re...also...a better person...than me. Long story short, I...very much wanted...to become your f-f-friend.”  - going to think about this for the rest of all time im about to become utterly unintelligible im overcome with emotions

“And, at the end of the white silk band, Feng Xin was gripping Ruoye with one hand while the other was holding on to a steel-faced Mu Qing, and he shouted towards him.” - the fucking IMAGE of this im gonna cry this is everything i could have asked for im so happy also mu qing dangling there like “ welp. guess ill live“

“Feng Xin was almost burnt by that pillar of fire, and he shouted in outrage. “WHAT’S WITH THIS BAND OF DOG SHITS, ATTACKING PEOPLE WHILE THEY’RE DOWN, SO VILE! FUCK YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!” Xie Lian responded, “IF THEIR ENTIRE FAMILIES ALL LOOK LIKE THAT, YOU SURE YOU WANT TO FUCK THEM??” - theyre so funny!!! and theyre best friends!!! theyre joking together now in the middle of all this i could cry theyre back!!!

“Using sticks as arrows, he held the bow with one hand and used his teeth to bite back the bowstring.” - no clue how practical this is but okay archer boy. hot

i actually have so many little quips between the three of them highlighted but we’d be here all night if i included them all. im literally so delighted by this omg worth the wait

“Each sabre strike slashed to the bone. It wasn’t like Xie Lian had never seen Hua Cheng use the sabre before in the past, but his style had always been easy and leisurely, nonchalant and casual. Rather than say he was handling a weapon, it was more like he was toying with a small knife. Yet those blade marks were filled with killing intent. It was easy to imagine just how skilled the one exchanging blows with him was, and how perilous this battle.” you have no idea how mad i was when i read this and thought we missed witnessing the fight between hc and jw omg

“Behind him, Feng Xin muttered, “Dear fucking god, may all the gods and buddhas grant their blessings, that better absolutely be Crimson Rain Sought Flower, otherwise he’s gonna go mad!” “Stop your rubbish,” Mu Qing berated. “We’re all the gods and buddhas ourselves and we can’t grant shit, just keep up with him! Look at the stumbling way he’s running, he’s gonna trip and fall to his bloody death before he even sees the man!” - okay i know i said no more quips but this is literally too funny i just wanted to read it again

“ However, for whatever reason, that vicious ghost, in its muddled state, took that large group of live mortals under its wing and fled for many days. In the end, they were still surrounded by millions of ghosts, trapped in a dead end, and it was going to be eaten along with those humans.” [...] “That vicious ghost almost made a move against those humans, but for some reason, in the end, it didn’t. It instead used one of its own eyes as the price to forge a blood weapon. That vicious ghost was already forcibly hanging on with its last breath; after digging out its eye it should’ve broken apart completely. Yet somehow something had shocked it, and it instead woke to its senses completely. “ - THIS IS AMAZING ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? IS THIS ALL WE GET ABOUT HIS GHOSTLY LORE?????? HUA CHENGGGGGGGG

“What a terrible offence, his old habit had come out, and he quickly apologized. “I’m sorry! You don’t have to listen to me!” Hua Cheng, however, only smiled happily. “Everything gege tells me is the best advice, so why wouldn’t I listen?” - this isnt the fucking time afjdkfjsdkl they really never stop

“So you can hold the illusion of a perfect Crown Prince of Wuyong to face and dismiss the Jun Wu now. Isn’t that your objective? Did you think I don’t know what you’re thinking?” “THAT’S NOT IT!” Guoshi cried. “Stop getting tied up in right and wrong, victories and defeat, I’VE NEVER THOUGHT THAT WAY BEFORE!” - jun wu only being able to see xie lian as his successor and believing that thats all anyone else sees too... okay

honestly this whole final showdown was a blast i cant put everything in but it was so much fun to read. the DRAMA the LAVA the SHOUTING t

“Hua Cheng had poured too much spiritual power into him. There really was too much, so much that it was completely outside the amount the cursed shackle could withstand.” - okay.... okay... the love you give will set you free... okay....

“With Jun Wu in his grip, he carried both their bodies and forcefully slammed into the incomparably-solid rock wall! He used all of his power in this smash, and in the rumbling and crashing of rocks, he also heard the sound of something breaking.” [...] “A moment later, Jun Wu suddenly asked, “That move. What is it called?” “...” Xie Lian raised his sleeve and wiped away the blood on the side of his face. “Shattering boulders on the chest.” YES!!!!! YES!!!!! xie lian actually lived that life!!!!!! i loved this detail so much

“After a moment of silence, Xie Lian took off the bamboo hat carried on his back, took it in his hand, and covered it over Jun Wu’s face.” - xie lian... good... another detail i love. a hat that protects from the rain, given in a moment of need, even to someone who has caused you hardship... we do not forget the kindness granted to us

“There was gratefulness, there was shame, there was heartache, there was wild joy, but above all else, there was incurable love.” - :pleading: i wish it was just that easy tbh. “i have to tell you about the worst parts of myself” “ive already seen them and i dont care i still love you“ truly the dream

“ It’s been so long since anyone listened to me talk, won’t you stay? Don’t...actually do this. I won’t be able to take it. Twice, it’s been twice already! I really don’t want there to be a third time!!!” - the bit about just wanting someone to listen to him talk... xie lian... :(

emily corpse bride moment.... i knew it had to happen.... butterflies.... death and rebirth.... inevitable

xianle trio bickering about ruoye..... mu qing complaining but not letting anyone else fix it... im so happy

“The Rain Master sat down on the spot, looking like she was going to perform a passing service for her. After all, Xuan Ji was the only one left of the Kingdom of Yushi besides herself.”  - xuan ji you sure the hell were... a character. this little moment tho..... yushi huang... many thoughts

“ Who hasn’t made promises, or swore to the mountains and the seas when they were young? Talking of affection, of love, of forevers. But, the longer I hang around in the world, the more I understand, something like ‘forever’ is impossible. It’s never going to be possible. Having it once was already good enough. No one can truly achieve it. I don’t believe in it anymore.” - jian lan im happy for you bummer it didnt work out with feng xin but yeah that was looooong ago. also this quote me same mood kin but its chill. having it once was already good enough

although yeah tbh if theres anyone who can have a forever like that... it would be a ghost and a god

fasdfjadklfj GOD... pour one out for ling wen.. but is that not the truth of this world? the one can be pardoned for being good at paperwork that no one else wants to do? isnt that the plot of the shawshank redemption?

okay but the fact that all xie lian’s friends come to visit him while he waits for hua cheng is making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.... fengqing coming together to try to get him out of the house but get scared off by his cooking... amazing

“Last time, they spent eight hundred years running towards each other. This time, it only took an instant to fall into each other’s embrace.” - im completely unaffected by this. im not lying i swear (i am lying im very emotionally affected)

okay i love this final wrap up chapter party its so fun. mu qing moving on from the broom thing!!! good for him!! the beggars get their reward!!! the fun ghost city chefs!! SQX!!!! and he xuan is?? here too??? he’s hungry??? fjadlkfjsdl

“The grounds that Feng Xin and Mu Qing had just swept were once again filthy from that giant crowd of muddy feet. Mu Qing gripped his broom, looking like he felt someone had infected him with fleas, and his eyes were wide.” - me when my dad comes into the kitchen when ive just finished washing dishes i get it king

the little folklore bit... fun!!! oh my god its over..... :(

that was really fun i had a blast reading it and on the whole really liked it i WISH soo badly that hua cheng had gotten more outside of being cunty and devoted even tho those are both important i just wish there was more about like how he got by during those 800 years and like did he ever have doubts? what shaped his worldview was it all xie lian or was it his experience as a mortal as well? why is he so mean to e’ming? theres bits and pieces here and there and i know it was already SO long but that really would have been great if there was more about hc cuz tbh by the end, at least for me, the hualian relationship didnt actually feel as fleshed out as the xianle trio relationship like i still liked hualian’s dynamic and it was really sweet how much they clearly really liked each other and  everything but i kind of wish some of the other subplots had been dropped or diminished in favor of more hc development i think that would have been cool

but anyway thats some of my thoughts and i really did enjoy the hell out of book 5 that was a riot and uhhh thanks to everyone who read these or commented *lends you spiritual energy through a high five*

[worstloki]

Mu Qing ascending is objectively so funny considering Feng Xin and Xie Lian also do. Out of the people in your kingdom who accomplished immortality there’s this guy who used to be your servant but is now on equal rank to you and he‘s super rude now and also thinks you hate him because he remembers when you were 18 and lacked socioeconomic-interpersonal awareness

[paradife-loft]

A Smattering of More TGCF Thoughts, Having Finished Book 3

*not exhaustive, because that would be way too much; but still apparently enough rambling to need a cut for length

EVERYTHING IS METAPHYSICAL WORLDBUILDING...... I don’t even know if I have a specific place I’d want to start with this, bc it’s all just deeply fascinating trying to tease out how it all works, but. mmmm delicious crunchy worldbuilding on what heavenly officials (of each court) and ghosts even are, and how spiritual power works! what exactly ascending is, and what role “fate” plays in that, and what even is fate really? what relationship does fate have to social standing in one’s mortal life?

this is my shit. I love to know how it all works. I will poke at all the things.

BLACK. WATER. XUAN. it is probably obvious by now that I am in massive hearteyes with He Xuan?? just. the dramatic flair! the extent of being SO wronged! intense murder aesthetic!  d e d i c a t i o n. power and planning and being utterly terrifying as a trap closing in when the time comes - and an absolute Weirdo antisocial half-person Mess the rest of the time! “I am going to give you all these tests as opportunities to show that you see me, the person your successes came at the very literal physical cost of, and CARE to rectify that horrible injustice. show me that you give a fuck! show me that you’re not just stuck in your pampered myopic little heavenly heads!”

I am a little disturbed by how quickly I’ve built up a whole headcanon persona and POV for He Xuan already despite. not having finished the book yet. :’D what can I say though, intense capacity for violence, plus messy depression/depersonalisation badbrains, plus unstable identity and literally subsuming other beings into yourself, plus hella fucked up relationship with food... This Is Coming For Me Where I Live rn <33

(nom nom transmisogynists make a delicious crunchy snack~)

honestly it’s kind of like, the more intense my feelings & thoughts about a character are, the harder it is for me to really ramble properly about them without more specific prompts.... oops. but just know, I have many He Xuan thoughts. hot damn.

Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen ;____; god, I just have.... a lot of feelings about the way in which Status Issues Fuck Them Up. and about how Yin Yu ends up taking all this blame not because he’s A Bad Person, but also not because he’s Framed Horribly and Is Totally Innocent? he’s just very real, and imperfect, and his personal shortcomings combine with events to create a complete and utter clusterfuck :(

CORPSE RATS CORPSE RATS :D I am enjoying literally everything that’s eaten other spirits in this book honestly. delightfully fucked up favourite “taking on traits of a thing you consume” trope :D

Mount Tong’lu especially, but also just a certain amount of the aesthetic of this book in general, is once again Reminding Me Of Dark Souls. it’s the combo “gain more power by murdering other entities and consuming their souls” / “transformational Final Level specifically called a kiln” thing, I think.

so I guess it’s canon that the Supremes are a “mentally unstable obsessives only” club??? :’D I have a lot of feelings about much-younger-ghost!Hua Cheng just kind of. spending ten years alternately nerding out over trying to learn to read a dead language, and trying to... depict his devotion and somehow express/externalise the very story of who he even is into this empty underground series of caverns? trying to pound it into his head to, like, remember who he is and make SOME part of the world witness to what’s made him, even though (and because) he can’t actually open up about any of that to any other people?

like hmm, certainly I don’t think he’s losing it during the Mount Tong’lu experience as much as, say, certain other individuals might have (*cough*), because he’s not literally taking the essences of other beings into himself, just getting a power-up - but that alone, killing so much and experiencing that kind of metaphysical change, must already be kind of disorienting and weird? especially if you’re functionally alone the whole time?? which is to say, sure, the thousand gods and all the murals might have been a little bit of a monument to Hua Cheng being batshit crazypants for a while, but given the material circumstances of 10 years of isolation/ling nerding/murder, I really cannot blame him. (I would also rather not have other people, certainly not the object of my affection & obsession, get to see those things! that is entirely relatable, not sinister!)

(obligatory “what would a centuries-old sourdough starter from Mount Tong’lu be like“ joke....)

although. that said. I continue! to be not okay! with the extent of Literal Hero Worship happening in this relationship! “if you don’t have anything else to live for, then live for me!” like ok ok it is all very well and good that you said that as a dumbass naive teenage god, and clearly don’t believe in any such thing anymore, but. Hua Cheng! has not gotten over that! he is still very much in that headspace! “oh don’t worry my ashes are in a totally safe place bc if the place where I hid them was destroyed then I would have no reason to live either ~<3″ NO. NO BAD. EXTREMELY BAD, HUA CHENG SIT DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT UNTIL I FIND YOU SOMEONE TO TALK YOU THROUGH THIS SHIT.

I just. mmmmmmmnnn. I really enjoy how they interact with one another most of the time! I’m also just... not cool with the level of power disparity in terms of psychological vulnerability to one another, that seems pretty fundamentally baked into the dynamic :/

(it’s funny bc this is the opposite of the panic Mu Qing & Feng Xin were having over Hualian, oops)

actually while I’m being a whole-ass Downer about ships, I will also mention that I do Not get shipping those two..... like “excessive bickering” has never appealed to me in the first place but also. FX seems to genuinely think MQ is a bad person?? and doesn’t understand what his perspective is like in general? perhaps I am simply A Bit Sensitive to people misunderstanding someone and thinking they’re a bad person bc they’re not Nice And Cheerful And Personable, but. eugh, no thank you.

miscellaneous thoughts....

Ling Wen can honestly do as many murders as she feels like, I’m not too broken up about this ultimately :////

Xie Lian’s trauma response panic mode whenever he sees White No-Face! it’s upsetting!

White No-Face is not valid specifically for the reason that I wanted the next ghost king to come out of the kiln to add something cool to the Calamities’ color scheme >:( Give Me A Purple Ghost You Dumb Motherfucker >:(

(actually in part I make fun of him because I am otherwise also terrified of him! he is creepy and horrifying! he seems like substantially less of a Person and more like a Horrible Force of Nature than the other calamities!! also HE WAS LIVING IN THEIR HOUSE *screams*)

(you may notice there is approximately no book 2 content on here and that is.... largely bc I found book 2 very upsetting and unpleasant to read, as “overwhelming futility in the face of world affairs and mass suffering” is in fact my Least favourite emotion to have evoked in fiction. or in real life for that matter. “biological phenomenon wherein foreign entities grow in or on your body” is ALSO a least favourite thing in both fiction & real life too, funnily enough! not actually to the same extent as Futility Forever, but. no thank you.)

there’s definitely more I wanted to talk about at one point or another and then forgot, so, if there’s something you want to hear about in particular, ask me questions!

[honghuas]

ch 139 // this shit is getting wild--

A good ol’ kitchen was suddenly squished and crowded, loud and noisy. Fu Yao was chasing that fetus spirit leaping up and down, Lan Chang was chasing after Fu Yao like she had gone mad. Half of Qi Rong’s face changed shape by the way Xie Lian was pressing him down on the chopping board, his back turning into a target for those yellow talismen Fu Yao hurled while being observed by a crowd, and Lan Chang would step on him from time to time. He lamented pathetically, “WHY? WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE? WHO ARE YOU? AND WHO ARE YOU? IS NO ONE GONNA LET ME FUCKING EAT??? WHY IS IT ALWAYS LIKE THIS NO MATTER WHERE I GO??? WHAT DO Y’ALL HAVE AGAINST ME??”

As he wailed, his eyes spun and saw through the collapsed wall of the kitchen to the outside of the inn. Hua Cheng looked like he hadn’t noticed the mayhem inside, and was sitting calmly under a tree with enough leisure to build a golden foil palace. Who knows how long he’d been playing around, but before him, there was already a sumptuous little mansion made of over ten gold foils.

HOW DO I DESCRIBE HOW FUNNY THIS CHAPTER IS???? FU YAO SLAPPING A FETUS FROM HIS FACE LIKE A DODGEBALL??? EVERYONE COLLAPSING IN THE KITCHEN?? STEPPING ON BONES?? QI RONG JUST WANTED HIS HUMAN SNACKIES???

Before he finished, a chilling, glistening, bloody butcher knife was thrusted into his mouth between his teeth. The handle of the butcher knife was gripped in Xie Lian’s hand.

Xie Lian smiled, “Hm? What are you yelling about?”

Qi Rong did not see how Xie Lian was able to thrust that knife into his mouth; he could only feel chill on his lips and the tip of his tongue sensing there was a sudden new, extremely sharp object. Although he wasn’t hurt, but if he tried moving even an inch his mouth was going to bleed, and his voice died in his throat.

oh. oh i oh

Just then, a piece of a broke roof moved, and Fu Yao poked out pushing a batch of hay away, exclaiming angrily, “YOU’RE NOT BOTHERED, I’M BOTHERED!” 

He had finally captured that fetus spirit, yet his vision suddenly went dark, and when he looked up, that rotten roof was splitting and caving in, crumbling right on top of him, what a disaster! Fu Yao pulled out a piece of hay from his hair and stomped to before Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, glaring at the Hua Cheng who was shorter than him right now and raged, “YOU… You did this on purpose!” Hua Cheng blinked but didn’t rebuke, but he didn’t taunt either, only raising his inky black eyes to look at Xie Lian.

HAHAHAHA HC’s hatred for Mu Qing carries on....THE INNOCENT LOOK HE GIVES XIE LIAN SDKJHBFSJGSG

Xie Lian soundless laughed dryly. Eight hundred years ago when he activated the verbal password for the first time, it was “Just recite the Ethics Sutra a thousand times”; eight hundred years later, it never changed, and Feng Xin actually remembered. Xie Lian remembered the way Feng Xin laughed until he was hoarse when he first heard that verbal password all those years back, and couldn’t help but feel nostalgic even though it wasn’t the right time.

oh this made me so, so happy. oh my goodness. i love the one braincell trio give me more of this AAAAAA

these past few chapters have been so funny in translation i can’t

[mousehole5000]

okay another tgcf lb i powered through and finished book 1 this is kinda long its chapters 43-57

first off i love a lil spy mission. these things never go smooth

naughty unlucky trespassers get banished to the giant leech chamber

dont know that i care for the inclusion of “scary savage redskinned cannibal tribe” i mean i guess i dont know maybe its got a different cultural context but i just have a hard time with that one hmmmm at least its over quickly

this really seems to be a book of everyone already knows everyone but that makes sense considering how fucking old everyone is

dope. this whole little armory stand off was fun but also oh no!!! fire in ghost city!!!

awww i love him. king of not wanting anyone to die :’( also hey he did something cool!!! very competent!!! although it looks like he did get hurt from it god his bad luck never ends

yeah exactly!!!!! sword in one hand flower in the other!!! thats what its all about!!!!

mmmmmmm. MMMMMMMMMM. rich fuckers. but also feng xin was the first to show up either way.... im still care him. followed by mu qing who is talking trash but still here as well

also i might back what i said about lang qianqiu im not sure if he knows anything i think he is just like that. although theres still room for him to be involved something. im switching most of my suspicions to wind master qingxuan now because he is popular and rich

okay if im reading this right this seems pretty in character for lang qianqiu. “i dont like that your family is in power.” “haha what a silly guy :) i have no concerns about you”

but xie lian is admitting to this??? :O curious to find out more about if he did indeed do some slaughter or if he’s protecting someone else. if he is protecting someone i think it could be lang qianqiu himself in some way. genuinely unsure tho he may very well have just done this idk who am i to deny him complexity

theres that interesting little note that most officials have also committed similar crimes but never have to face it bc mortals just die

pei ming you’re half right but shut the fuck up no one asked you. i feel strong dislike towards him sorry to any potential pei ming stans reading this. maybe im sorry maybe not im not sure yet i feel strongly about this

i see this happen on cdramas all the time i love it. i point at you in lieu of words

i do think all the politics and gossip and the way that officials will change sides to gain favor/not lose it depending on which way the wind is blowing is pretty interesting i like that its in here

i love that xie lian is making sure that someone takes care of the people hes taken in and also i love everything about this sentence although i feel like we’re not going to see much of banyue which is a shame bc i liked her

oh is it flashback time? this is fun

hmm!!! interesting!!! i like this response!! i have nothing funny or smart to say about it i just like it

this is an understanding that only comes after living through great pain and/or loss. hmm.

hmmm!!!!!!!! questions!!! presumably thematic ones!!!

please let us dig into whatever is going on in this little trio. actions speak louder than words mu qing

okay here we go feng xin is here and im not going to screencap the whole thiing but wow these two see each other and half a page later start swinging okay

oh my god hua cheng giving us a jailbreak arc? instant chaos. amazing

scream everything about this is funny. maximum cunt behavior. everyones reaction fadsjflksdjlk;afsl

mxtx: all characters other than hualian are straight mxtx: the thing feng xin is most afraid of is a women’s bath also women in general he is afraid of them fajkdjskfslda i mean there could be other reasons for this but its very funny in that context

stop theyre too much faslfkjasdf im so glad we’re getting this

im not 100% sure how i feel about these swords that. moan? hmm.

xie lian king of speaking out against stan culture. for real tho i feel like this makes sense with how young he was when he ascended and how much favor he gained only to be banished, as well as with how gods have to be what the people say that they are. this is made interesting bc xie lian is quite literally a god but this is still an issue!!

this is more less what im currently envisioning on our little side trek except qi rong's vibes are so rancid im retching from behind the screen and im not getting to watch any little creatures dance so its objectively a worse time but at least xie lian is there

reading this book full of immortals beat the shit out of each other is like watching looney toons

hua cheng is relentless. also THE DRAMA. lang qianqiu youre back on the list!!! although i doubt any of this will be straightforward also i feel like im playing among us rn im dizzy

hes awful and probably irredeemably so but hes also funny. imagine being qi rong youre just vibing rancidly in your cave and some fucker shows up using the name of a prince from 800 years ago and turns out its hua cheng and he slams your head into the floor over and dribbles it like a basketball until you lay the blame for said princes death and turns out that fucker youre blaming is also here and just as youre getting into it with him this other fucker says that youre lying and turns out its your cousin. wyd

YES. CHOMPING AND VIOLENCE

bruh they melted qi rong

oh its a clone. okay. aww kind of sad that he once looked up to xie lian. maybe some sympathy for going mad. oh wait actually he was a spoiled and pampered prince? sympathy depleted again. tis a waste but. alas

wind master just told xie lian that he was lucky to have befriended hua cheng... and xie lian agreed.... interesting interesting

noting that those two are notorious for clashing and yet jun wun is making them work together

i actually got teary at xie lian talking to his parents coffins and wondering for a second if he heard his mom. god. 800 years... :(

QI RONG IM GOING TO FIND YOUR ASHES MYSELF WTF this whole situation with the child sucks :/

oh my god thats where it ends??? wowie. okay damn i was going to take a break after i finished book one but god thats tempting