#tgcf monster au

[everytimewetouch-dot-mp3]

god ok because i am unable to be chill now that im thinking about it: monstrous hua cheng thoughts

emerging from the kiln changes a ghost. yes, it crystallizes their resolve into devastating power; but more than that, it distills who they are into their truest form.

hua cheng’s true form is that of a roguish, wild young man who gave up an eye to honor his god, and who dresses in the red and silver of a mother he hardly remembers.

but he has another form, just as true, that he refuses to allow His Highness to see.

it is as monstrous as he knows himself to be. his ears taper to a point; his body is tall—so tall—and emaciated. his hair flows down his back, dissipating into a thick, red-black smoke that leaves a trail of blood as it shrouds his heavy boots. all of him is sharp: his jaw, his fangs, his claws. even disgusting as this form is, it still serves His Highness. a weapon to wield against his enemies, a shield to defend his honor. this form could be forgiven for its nauseating appearance, hua cheng imagines, if not for the centerpiece of its damned face.

that eye. its sclera is red, growing darker as it approaches the slitted pupil. it glows blood-red in the darkness that shrouds this form. even in pitch darkness, the damned thing can be seen. it burns through patches, refusing to be hidden. he has clawed it out in fits of rage again and again; and each time, it returns minutes later.

this form is just as true as the one His Highness says he loves. hua cheng can’t help but imagine that should He ever see it, it might be the thing that finally disgusts Him enough to send him away. so hua cheng keeps it hidden, bound tight beneath the skins far more pleasing to His eyes.

[trans-hua-cheng-agenda]

Ok I just had to participate in the horror Hua Cheng headcanon

[emotionaldisaster909]

been meaning to draw something for the ungoing trend of

“what if Hua Cheng’s true form actually is a horror beyond human comprehension”

and then i stumbled over this fic

(mind the tags it’s very nsfw!)

and it-

-it stuck with me

and for some reason took me into a very fluffy direction

now i can’t stop thinking about xie lian snuggling with lethal company monstrosity hua cheng

help

[piosplayhouse]

Rumors are going around on twitter and weibo that starember might have left the tgcf manhua team omg.. they're unfounded right now but can we get a prayer circle going for hoping that it's true!! 🙏🙏🙏I'm so tired of their consistent racism and orientalism being passed around in the manhua space, people have been raising the alarm on it for literal years now

[sillygoofyqueer]

HEY {insert name for you guys}, I know you've been waiting for an update for Losing Hope, but I can finally explain why! MEET 'Three Blades' lmao. So. Context for the fic here and here!!! This chapter is pretty small - think of it as a test chapter if you want, and blabber to me about if it's any good!

Three Blades - Chapter 1 - I_cant_think_of_a_name_right_now_340 - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

[its-aighost]

A Monster Hunter X TGCF crossover Rant that has been stuck in my head for the past several months!!!!

THIS might CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR MXTX'S WORK HEAVEN OFFICIAL'S BLESSING!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

So, for like, a while now, I have been going over a AU idea for Heaven Official's Blessing but Monster Hunter, cause I have problems.

(To TGCF fan's who have no idea what monster hunter is, it's a video game series where you hunt Giant Monsters (DUH) but there is also a bunch of lore for the world and every single monster also has their own lore as well!!!)

So, this is the actual rant.

Xie Lian; he is a Prince of a Fallen Kingdom Called Xianle, which was destroyed by an Elder Dragon many years ago. Instead of a Silk Band, Ruoye is a pure white Palamute who accompanies Xie Lian where ever he goes. Xie Lian's main weapon (Even if he can just use his fists) is a long sword!!! He is only just re entering the Hunter's Guild

Hua Cheng; To explain my Hua Cheng idea, I also need to explain the side game called Monster Hunter Stories. Basically, monster hunter but a turn based rpg where you ride monsters. Hua Cheng would be a rider. His Monster? A Silver Rathalos named Eming!!! uwu. He would also be a Dual Blades main, and his dual blades when set on his back would be a uniquely made so they look like silver butterfly wings. (Wraith Butterflies could just be implemented as a type of in world insect.)

Feng Xin and Mu Qing; used to be Xie Lian's subordinates and friends till Xianle fell. Personal reasons for leaving. Both High Ranking Hunter's of the Guild. Feng Xin is a Bow Main with a Palico (lil talking cat side kicks in the games) named Nan Feng. Mu Qing is a dual blade main whose Palico is named Fu Yao.

The Four Ghost Kings; The Calamities

In this AU they are actually Rider's who don't register Under the Guild and have actually been known to go against the guild for a slew of reasons. Already brought up Hua Cheng so

Black Water He Xuan; a Rider who rules an island off the coast, and rides an Ivory Legiacrus. A recluse who doesn't mess with the guild as long as they stay out of his territory. (No one knows what he looks like)(uwu') idk what weapon he would actually wield.

Green Ghost (green worm) Qi Rong: Monster is a Deviljho. Instead of being a man eating Ghost King, in this AU he feeds his victims to his giant Deviljho! He doesn't wield a weapon cause he doesn't see the point. Just lets his monster and subordinates do all the work.

Bai Wuxiang (White No Face) This one makes me wonder, as I 100 percent see him riding an Elder Dragon. For the Au, it might be a unique to the story one or, It would be the elder Dragon Blackveil Vaal Hazak. This being the elder dragon that destroyed the kingdom of Xianle. I choose Blackveil Vaal Hazak for two reasons. White color palate and the concept of the effluvium which is like a sickness thing that finds and kills its prey. (Fitting) he is also a Wyverian instead of a human (Monster Hunters version of elves (kind of???)) Uses a Long Sword.

The Elemental Master's:

Unlike the 'Calamities' the Elemental Master's are Rider's who work for the Guild.

Water Master Shi Wudu; this one was hard, as i either want his monster to be Mizutsune or Shogun Ceanataur. His weapon would be a sword and shield because he basic.... also the Mizutsune Sw&S is a fan.

Wind Master Shi Qingxuan; (using She/her terms) Insect Glaive. It just fits. Don't ask. She wields an insect glaive. Her monster is either a Paolumu (More a joke then reality) or a Legiana (Cause pretty) Either way, it be a flying Wyvern cause wind.

(Thunder Master is irrelevant as always... cry...)

Earth Master Ming Yi. (He/him pronouns) Uses a Hunting Horn, but terribly, and his monster a Duramboros that doesn't listen to him. (If you know, you know)

Other Character's of Importance; Hunter's Guild:

Ling Wen is the Quest Maiden that isn't respected enough.

Pei Ming; Flirtatious bastard who is a very high ranking Hunter. He either uses a Longsword or a Charge Blade. (Pei Xiu definitely Charge Blade.)

Quan Yizhen: Hammer.

Lang Qianqiu; Great Sword User and is definitely a Palico enthusiast.

Not Hunter's Guild;

Banyue; A Rider who is an outcast of her village and rides a Nargacuga

Xuan Ji; and ex hunter whose weapon of choice was a heavy bowgun. Works for Qi Rong to get back at Pei Ming.

Guild Master Jun Wu; a wyverian who has worked as the Guild Master of the area for a very long time. Has a soft spot for Xie Lian even if he is the one who had him removed from the Guild years ago. (owo')

State Preceptor Mei Nianqing; Xianle's State Preceptor and a Wyverian. Went missing after Xianle's fall.

Locals:

Puqi Village is where Xie Lian get's posted as a Hunter after his return to the Guild The area surrounding the village is a plains biome.

Tiantang; the Massive Capital City where the Hunter's Guild Base is located for the region. (Tiantang just means heaven... aka its just the heavenly capital)

I think that cover's most of my mental ramblings on this particular Au idea....

(I also have thoughts for MDZS Monster Hunter Crossover but it's not as fleshed out as this was.)

[princessofxianle]

so... ik this would essentially spoil my entire backstory for my fx au but like... does anyone wanna see a full comprehensive timeline? like, the whole fkn enchilada? could help me actually write too just to have it bc so far ITS ALL IN MY HEAD lol hmmmm 🤔

[incorrect-web-novels]

Anyway, I’m back from the war (preparing refs for ArtFight), so here are my TGCF and Epic: the Musical thoughts: 

[MAJOR TGCF NOVEL SPOILERS]

Xie Lian’s story is pretty similar to Odysseus’s imo

“The blood on your hands / Is something you won’t lose / all you can choose is whose” (The Horse and the Infant) - this entire plot point is pretty much the “two people and one cup of water.” Just like Odysseus must kill the son of Hector, Xie Lian can’t deal with the war and provide war to Yong’an, and he chooses to prioritize Xianle/the people under him 

“If I became the monster…” is a different reason for blackening - Odysseus wants to protect his crew and family while Xie Lian isn’t protecting anyone at this point - but that song feels MADE for him tbh. The point where Odysseus repeats, “Oh, Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves,” (a point made by Poseidon), where he’s repeating Poseidon’s logic of not showing mercy compared with Xie Lian believing White No-Face/Bai Wuxiang’s philosophy after those infected by the Human Face Disease killed him over and over again

The “Monster” clip could also work for Jun Wu / Crown Prince of Wuyong (even better than for Xie Lian because he was still trying to save the people of Wuyong by sacrificing lives while Xie Lian didn’t really make an active decision to harm anyone until he wanted to release the Human Face Disease, which, again, wasn’t to protect others), but I don’t remember enough to make more of an argument / animatic

Mu Qing and Eurylochus are pretty different yet similar as well - they’re both willing to use “unscrupulous” methods and leave behind others - albeit Eurylochus is talking about leaving their men to stay as pigs on Circe’s Island, I believe, while Mu Qing is not really as cruel or selfish as he’s portrayed; he was prepared to sacrifice himself to save Xie Lian and Feng Xin at the end. However, like, Eurylochus, he’s “not as moral” as Xie Lian and Feng Xin (Odysseus and Polities in Eurylochus’s case) and leaves Xie Lian and Feng Xin during their exile. 

Idk if Mu Qing would confront Xie Lian the way Eurylochus confronts Odysseus in Mutiny though. He was weirdly excited about Xie Lian maybe killing someone (someone mentioned it a while ago; I don’t remember exactly) and seemed to want Xie Lian to be less “perfect.” Plus, Eurylochus is confronting Odysseus about running away from the sea monster Scylla, which I don’t see Mu Qing condemning. HOWEVER, Eurylochus’s doubt in Odysseus's leadership and ability to keep the crew alive is something I could definitely see in Mu Qing (source: just trust me, bro)

(To be honest, I don’t really get Eurylochus’s character that much - he’s upset Odysseus chose to run from Scylla, but he was all for leaving their men to Circe? - but those albums aren’t fully out yet, so it may make more sense later)

I refuse to believe Feng Xin would work as Polities though. It makes sense in all senses of morality, character function, and plot, but Feng Xin would not sing “Open Arms.” I refuse to believe it. 

Pei Ming has the same vibes as Hermes (“Wouldn’t You Like” and “Dangerous”) actually. I don’t have any clear reasoning, but it makes sense to me, yanno?

Speaking of which, while Jun Wu has similar vibes and ideologies to Zeus (“it is the will of the gods”) and Poseidon, if I had to cast anyone as Poseidon, it would HAVE to be Shi Wudu. 

“His title of ‘Water Tyrant was earned due to him capsizing any ship that did not give him offerings” (TGCF Wiki; Book 1, Ch.13) and “When a god comes down and makes a fleet drown, is he scared that he’s doing something wrong? Or does he keep us in check, so we must respect him, and now no one dares to piss him off?” (Monster)

“Shi Wudu considers death better than experiencing or watching prolonged suffering and pain” (TGCF Wiki; Book 3, Ch.124) and “I mean, you totally could have avoided this / Had you just killed my son” (Ruthlessness)

There’s probably more to say, but it’s ~5 am. I was prepared to sleep, like, 3 hours ago. If there are mistakes, no there aren't

[amorremanet]

People bashing the monster Hua Cheng trend for ~ruining the themes for the novel~ as if people haven’t been doing that to their original canons since fanfiction and fanart first came into being………

as if old school fans of Sherlock Holmes didn’t ignore the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wanted the stories to just be over by resurrecting Sherlock in their own stories way before ACD went “YE GOD FINE I’LL BRING HIM BACK JUST STOP COMING TO MY HOUSE AND THROWING YOURSELF AT MY FEET TO SOB ABOUT HOW I LITERALLY RUINED YOUR LIFE”………

as if people haven’t been deliberately making the Cthulhu mythos less appallingly, unnecessarily racist, antisemitic, and xenophobic for literal decades because HP Lovecraft’s bigotry was often Too Much even for his period-typical racist, antisemitic, and xenophobic contemporaries………

as if people in old school Star Trek zines didn’t undermine Gene Roddenberry’s entire idea of the magical space future having humanity evolve beyond our petty bigotries by writing homophobia toward Kirk/Spock (whether explicitly or in how they wrote the relationship/usually manifested as something we in the 21st century would call internalized homophobia)………

as if people haven’t been deliberately undermining the prescriptivist, essentialist, and fundamentally misogynistic take on gender in the Bespectacled Teen Wizard books (which loves to police and shame girls and women for anything about them that gets considered “mannish” or “masculine,” like Rita Skeeter’s ~notably large hands~ and Millicent Bulstrode being beefy and Not Pretty In The Face Department, but also shames and polices girls and women for being “too girly” and “too feminine,” e.g., Cho Chang, Fleur Delacour, Lavender Brown, basically all of the “other girls” whom Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Tonks, and sometimes Angelina Johnson are supposed to Not Be Like) since 15+ years before Joanne publicly revealed herself to be a raging transphobe and open misogynist………

as if one of the most popular wishes in the Hannibal fandom hasn’t always been “Will Graham has a nice day” when the entire point of the series is “Bryan Fuller refuses to let Will Graham have a nice day because he’s decided that actually, Will Graham is horny about his perpetual lack of nice days and about the cannibalistic psychiatrist/performance art serial killer who has dedicated himself to making every day the worst possible day of Will Graham’s life, but like, in a romantic, horny way”………

Like, seriously, come on.

“Monster Hua Cheng undermines the themes of the novel!! Monster Hua Cheng is, uhhh, ABLEIST because, ummmmm, BECAUSE I SAID SO!!! Monster Hua Cheng is bad and wrong and nobody should enjoy it, how dare you enjoy anything that isn’t 100% canon-approved!!!!”

Just say that you’re vanilla about monster romance and that you don’t understand how fanfiction works, then go

[tempo-takoyaki]

Transmigrator!Hua Cheng AU (aka SVSSS x TGCF AU) | I mean technically it's an AU but I wrote it in a way that would make it fit as HC's POV throughout TGCF, so AU or theory? Take that as you will | Warning: Canon Compliant Violence, Suicide ideation, Implied non-con (not between Hualian and never actually happens here)

"A Tale of Three Princes" was Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky’s latest novel. Unlike his previous success, Proud Immortal Demon's Way, ATTP (as it was called by the fans) was a renowned  masterpiece. Far from the stallion novels Airplane readers had been used to, ATTP was more akin to one of those classics that would be taught over and over again throughout  the centuries. What made it so peculiar though was the narrative device used to tell its story.

ATTP was not in fact a single story, but three, set in the same universe, centuries apart. The three stories were updated one after another daily, by chapters of ten thousand words (as Airplane readers were used to). Which meant that the readers had no idea how each story ended before being swept up into the next...

Which also explained why Zhu Qiang did not know any of the three endings when he got reincarnated into ATTP.

It had been just another terrible day for Zhu Qiang when he died. He had found a quiet spot in his school's stairwell to unwind and read the latest update of ATTP when his bullies had found their way back to him. He had put up a good fight, maybe too much, as he could still remember losing his footing and falling head first onto the stairs. When he had opened his eyes, it was not to the stairwell's ceiling, or even a hospital, but a busy street where people in ancient clothing looked at him strangely.

After a few minutes, he had put two and two together relatively quickly. He  had transmigrated in none other than the second story of ATTP, also called the Xianle Arc. As for which character he was supposed to be... He had no idea. When he had asked the system about it, it only flashed him a [System has encountered an error. System update…] which was not helpful in the least. Despite his more introverted personality, he had no other choice but to ask around… And the answers came relatively quickly: “It’s the monster child!” “Get away you fiend!” “Disappear!” With a sigh, he came to the realization that unlike many of those popular transmigration novels, this life wouldn’t be too much different from his previous one.

He hadn’t been the best looking guy back in his hometown, at least from what he knew, and people had always bullied him for it. This time around, he had no mirrors or phones to confirm what others said, but he supposed he wasn’t much different. (Though to be fair, even back in his previous life he had always carefully avoided mirrors and photos, he couldn’t even recall what his own face actually looked like). Once the system had finished its update, it tried to give him some helpful directions to survive, like where he could find food or shelter, but any questions about what character he was supposed to be were left unanswered. (All that he knew was that he was about ten years old). However, he finally got access to his stats (after days left to his own devices) and he almost choked on the spot.

“MINUS THIRTY-SIX ON LUCK?! WTF?!”

The reason for  these god-awful bad stats? A passive skill called Eye of Misfortune which reduced his own luck by a hundred points, and the one of surrounding people by fifteen percent. Completely unfair… But it explained people’s glares and insults. Again, with no mirror to look for, Zhu Qiang had no idea of what that Eye of Misfortune actually looked like. But at this point, he had understood that the best way to stay on the down low was to hide it. Usually, those types of novels would then introduce a special ability only the protagonist could have to solve his main issue and become a total badass… But asking the system about it, for the very first time, it seemed to express an actual tangible emotion.

[System apologizes. There has been an error. UV003 has no special ability attached to this vessel besides Eye of Misfortune and Demonic Heritage.]

Ah, yes Demonic Heritage. Another passive skill that actually was useful, unlike the other, as it made him less receptive to pain by fifty percent. He supposed it was linked to Eye of Misfortune in some way… But again how could he know when he’d apparently spawned out of nowhere with a backstory he wasn’t aware of? As time passed, the hope of bettering his life slimmed down until it seemed barely believable. 

He had no parents to take care of him. No home to find shelter in. No prospect of finding a job with his “deformity” as people called it… Only two months went by before he called it quits.

If he hadn’t died in that stairwell, he probably would have jumped from the rooftop of his school. He wasn’t afraid of death, he had hoped for that prospect for many years prior to reincarnating. But reincarnation hadn’t been kinder to him. It hadn’t offered him a life he could change, one he could better to prove he was worthy of something, anything. The system flashed him warning signs, but fuck it, he was tired. So tired of playing into God’s hand. 

[Major Event Activated: The Last Parade of Xianle.]

At the top of the castle’s wall, he could remember the first chapter of the second story of ATTP. “His beauty was beyond compare, his stance the one of a mighty warrior, and his gaze behind the mask: determined, fierce, and maybe even sly in his own childish way.” (Chapter 2 of A Tale Of Three Princes) He was too tired to go on, but if he had to go one last time, he wanted to see the prince, his favorite character, before doing so.

Once he saw him in his golden clothes, Zhu Qiang took a step beyond the edge and…

…

[Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Great things must be said three times! You have successfully changed the plot "The Star of Bad Omen" into "A Fateful meeting"! Character role changed from "Canon Fodder" to "Side Character". +100 B-points!]

… Uh?

He was cradled into a pair of strong arms, holding him tight against embroidered robes despite his dirty appearance. He heard the sound of a wooden object hitting the floor, and he looked up. There, with the most gentle eyes he had ever seen…

[New Character Unlocked: Xie Lian, Prince of Xianle. Second protagonist of A Tale of Three Princes.]

Zhu Qiang wanted to strangle the system with all his might. Finally, finally he knew which character he had been transmigrated into: THAT ONE STUPID KID WHO KILLED HIMSELF DURING THE PARADE OF XIANLE, CURSING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IN THE PROCESS. WOW. That one child who had no name but haunted the entire second plotline of ATTP. Never named but always present, the curse of the city, the failure of its inhabitants, a character full of symbolism but no actual practical utility to speak of… No wonder his luck stat was so low and the system did nothing to make up for it!! He was born to die!!! 

That alone, pissed him off enough to reschedule his suicide at a later date. If he had to die he wanted it to be by his own hands and his own choice. If the system wanted him dead, then it was no better than his bullies back in his previous life! Besides, he was already laughing in its face, because he had been held by the Crown Prince of Xianle, a beauty amongst beauties, the most perfect and fascinating character ever written (in Zhu Qiang’s own biased opinion as a 16 year old).

What happened afterwards though was embarrassing to say the least. First he had been found out by Qi Rong (that bastard traitor, he had always hated him even when he was only a reader) who had beaten him to a pulp (he was so thankful for Demonic Heritage at that moment), then Xie Lian had saved him (yay!) and he had taken care of him (double yay!) and then he and his subordinates had asked him questions (fuck).

“What’s your name?” He doesn’t know. “What does your mother call you?” Uuuuh people said his cursed eye was red so maybe… “Hong…Hong-er?” “How cute!” Nailed it. “Where are your parents?” Damn, he wishes he knew! “I… ran away from home.” “Poor boy…” He would have felt awful if it weren’t for Xie Lian’s gentle hands and his soft smile. Any lie in the world was worth it if it allowed him to see him. He was however, feeling very uneasy in the presence of Feng Xin and Mu Qing, Xie Lian’s two closest servants and friends who were eyeing him as if he had a bomb hidden under his clothes. Especially Mu Qing, the last chapter of ATTP about Xianle he read implied that Mu Qing was about to betray the prince, and so Zhu Qiang (now renamed Hong-er) didn’t trust him one bit.

But even so… After that awful cultivator told him he didn’t deserve to live (and god did he already know that)... Xie Lian took him in his arms and said he wasn’t a monster. No matter how ugly his sobbing was, no matter the reason for his misfortune, Xie Lian, unafraid of him, held him and told him he was not a monster… that was more than anyone had ever done for him in two lifetimes. And for the first time in a long time, Zhu Qiang cried.

He already knew he was a curse on legs, and so no matter how thankful he was, he couldn’t extend his stay. He knew what sort of character he was, if he did, things would only get worse for Xie Lian from then on. And he didn’t want that for him… And then Xie Lian ascended.

It was a miracle that he stayed alive for so long. His saving grace? Not Xie Lian’s temple he had built himself and took care of. No. It was beating the other street kids like they had beaten him up before. Hey, no judgement, those weren’t modern times, the worst that would happen is some other kids coming back to get revenge and then he could whoop their ass over again. Uh? He was an adult beefing with kids? That’s a detail, system, buddy! Let him enjoy this miserable life of his that had not improved one bit in three years besides that!

[+32 exp point. User has obtained a new success: Child Beater. Congratulations… (-_-)]

Now it’s just making stuff up. Anyway, life was going, that was it. Every day was the same: go in the fields to get a flower for the crown prince’s statue (not only did it make him happy, it also raised his Faith stat!), pray, take care of the temple if need be, take leftovers from one of the big houses in the neighbourhood, beat other kids up when they came to provoke him (or steal his food), go back to the temple to pray (again), clean it up (again), steal food (again), beat kids (again) and sleep where no one will see him (...again). It was fine the first year. The second, it had become redundant, the third, he was wondering what the heck he was doing. Beating kids raised his stats slowly but surely, but becoming stronger wasn’t his goal. What he wanted… And that was it, he didn’t know what he wanted. And after three years, doubt made its way in the cracks of his broken heart: he lived so he could spite the system for attempting to kill him… But was it worth it? 

Xie Lian was a god now, and with his shitty luck, was he going to live long enough to even see him for the upcoming civil war? What was the point of it all in the end? He wasn’t supposed to live. He had never been meant to live at all… So why…?

“If you don’t know what to live for, then live for me.”

[Class upgrade: Beggar -> Soldier. Skill update: STR +15. DEF +13. CHAR +5...etc]

[New passive skills acquired: Blade of Xianle, doubles the amount of exp gained from killing humans. Demonic Heritage II, the might of your ancestors give you +20 to your Strength and Speed.]

[Major event coming soon: Land of Tender, Land of Loser.]

Reading about the Land of Tender had been excruciating. One of the main criticisms towards ATTP was how downright cruel some chapters were towards the main three princes. Each had one specific traumatic event that would shape them up for the rest of the story, their own fall from grace. In the case of Xie Lian… It had been the Land of Tender.

Unlike his previous novel Airplane hadn’t romanticized what happened at all. It was so raw and so awful many readers had considered dropping the story right here and there, Zhu Qiang had been one of them. It was the start of the fall of Xianle, marked by this cruel beyond humanly possible event.

Now, standing straight with his sword in hand, Hong-er faced the flowers. He couldn’t let them close, he knew what would happen if he did. It’s the exact reason for why he had followed Xie Lian in the forest to save Qi Rong even if he hated him. If he gave up, if he wavered for just one moment… Never could he forgive himself.

And then the flowers changed appearances, and laughing, they took the face of the Crown Prince.

Back when Xie Lian only used to be a character in Zhu Qiang eyes, he admitted he looked at some fanarts or some skimpy fics about him, sometimes even watched videos imagining it was him. Face with the real deal, he had vowed himself to never see him again as some sort of forbidden pleasure. And yet those flowers had seen right through him… Maybe they had all been right, his bullies, his parents, his teachers, the villagers, everyone… Maybe he was a monster.

“You’re not a monster,” he had clinged onto those words for years. But his palm against the white skin of his prince, he felt his devotion waver. He thought it was faith, he thought it was fate, now… he wondered, hadn’t it all been in the name of lust and obsession? When Xie Lian left, and he asked for him, he reminded himself of why he shouldn’t have gotten closer in the first place: he was a jinx.

Mu Qing kicked him out of the army after this event. There was no point in arguing with him. No matter how Hong-er told him he was the one at fault for abandoning the prince, the only acknowledgement he got from him was a slap to his face and his insignia snatched out of his hands. And back to the street he was. He wasn’t beating kids anymore, no point to that, he would destroy them at the first occasion. His stats were high thanks to how much he had killed (Paper men, he reminded himself after washing the blood off his hand, paper men). There was the epidemic too. Since he was immune, he got recruited to take care of the transport of the ill. The grotesque faces made him want to puke, but it hadn’t been the worst he’d seen at that point.

He saw Xie Lian one last time. And then another time, his eyes closed, holding the pagoda… And then Xianle fell. And he was back to beating kids up to protect the temples he rebuilt.

“I’ll never forget you!!” His one reason to hold on in two lifetimes.

He died in Xie Lian’s temple, stabbed by Qi Rong, not without smashing his head in retaliation. Heavens, he hated that guy. He laughed low and quiet, the system flashing his health bar lowering and lowering. And then… As he had expected it, everything faded to black.

[GAME OVER. 2/3 life left, start again?]

Wait… HE HAD SPARE LIVES???!!

[Class update: Soldier -> Malice. Base stats changed from Human to Ghost. Passive skills still active: Eye of Misfortune, Demonic Heritage I, Demonic Heritage II, Blade of Xianle...]

[To continue…?]

(I don't know if I'll do it in multiple parts or not, if you like it I'll continue. Other than that, here's the tweets that started it all:)

(I added one of the replies mentioning that it could explain why his writing is so bad because I hadn't thought about it when I made my first tweets, but looking at his writing in adaptations and comparing it to how modern chinese students write... You can see similarities.)

If you enjoy the concept you can add onto it in the replies, the reblogs or send me asks!

[confuzing]

Some sort of nothing Awful happens TGCF AU where Xie Lian takes Hong'er with him during his cultivation wanderings.

(Hong'er: Are you allowed to do that?

Xie Lian: I'm Crown Prince I can do what I want.

Mu Qing: Who told him that? We were keeping it a secret!)

Anyway, later Jun Wu comes down to see who wrecked up his monster made of pure bad vibes and finds Xie Lian just fussing over the scrawniest looking boy and is like ???

(Hong'er cleans up nice and I'm sure Xie Lian is spoiling him but he still has this air of 'we found him in a trash can' that he hasn't grown out of yet.)

Jun Wu: Did you kill that ghost warrior?

Xie Lian: Huh? Oh yeah, but that's not important- Honghong'er thinks he's not cute! Which is ridiculous! Isn't he the cutest? *holds up entire child for inspection*

Jun Wu: *loses all interest in Xie Lian* ... he's fine.

Xie Lian: He's the most handsome little man! *kisses his cheek*

Hong'er: *is just bright red*

Xie Lian is still fated to be a god but without Jun Wu's interest it takes longer, and he actually gets to experience life a little more before ascending. There's still a drought but it doesn't spread into open rebellion, and there's no plague.

And once Xie Lian is a god it's only a matter of time before San Lang follows him.

[yulen-the-ghost]

Tgcf au where... Jun Wu did NOT allow Hua Cheng to cast himself down.

He hates the ghost. No matter how much time passed, its loyalty was something he had never seen before, causing his plans to fail several times.

He died.

Again.

And again.

And with a broken soul he keeps on sacrificing himself for HIS god.

Why did he not have such a follower (he's so mad that he forgot Nei Niaqing was by his side) and the prince got to have him!!??

The god gaslights the ghost into thinking that all of the misfortune that Xie Lian had to endure was because of him. Since the moment he WILLINGLY jumpped from the wall and ruined the festival. Continued because of every moment he was next to the prince.

He already knew he was born under the cursed star of solitude.

And he didn't listen.

He didn't want to.

And now...

"Poor little thing. Such fate is so cruel. After all, being born to be a monster is so unfair. However, fate has been merciful on you and allowed you to come to heaven... where as a god, you can cleanse your sins."

[trans-hua-cheng-agenda]

I should contribute some art to the scary monster hua cheng au that’s going around

[emotionaldisaster909]

Concept sketckes for bracken!fafa

based on this Lethal Company au fic

(very nsfw, mind the tags!)

I had to make him as rapunzel as he canonically is, even tho the in game bracken in very bold .D

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter One

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

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

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

We begin chapter one with a blueberry jasmine tea!

I will say that tomorrow I probably wont be posting a chapter. My mom and sister are visiting my partner and I for the holidays tonight and staying until Sunday afternoon, so I likely won't be able to read until Sunday.

Anyways, send good luck my way because we are likely going to play a vicious game of monopoly.

Let's go chapter 1!!

okay, my assumptions going in was that this was a very serious series about tough trials and hardships but here we are starting this chapter with XIe Lian taking "first place on the chart of Heavenly Officials Most Hoped to be Banished Down to the Mortal Realm". This is kind of camp. is this the series energy??? p23

omg they literally made the chart for him p24

RIP that bell. had a good run. pp24-25

I can't lol. this poor guy. If things are there that shouldn't be- Xie Lian's fault. If there are things missing that should be there- also Xie LIan's fault. How does a single guy cause so much damage? p25

Okay this is an open question to anyone. I am confused about this merit system. I totally understand that gods get merits based on worships/offerings/beliefs/temples whatever. What I do not understand is how a god gets points from a martial god kicking his ass? p26

This is so real. Bro forgot the password p27

not them placing bets on how long he'll last this time. This is so funny p27

these deities are so rude to him! He's just trying to apologize and they are so condescending. I love an underdog though so I'm rooting for this man. p29

Oh shit okay. I take back my previous contempt. This was the guy hit by the bell. p29

aaaaand we have the added salt that these two know each other previously. Xuan Zhen/Mu Qing being from Xianle Palace as well. pp30-31

Bless Ling Wen for keeping this man in check. Honestly best Heavenly Handler p32

Jesus. It's as though Xie Lian is in a room talking to all his exes. This is so awkward! Nan Yang/Feng Xin also being from Xianle Palace p33

Why am I so nervous about Xie Lian going on this mission??? Bro has 0 power, 0 respect, and attracts bad luck like nobody's business. p38

omg. even the clouds are against this man; causing a three day delay in his travels for blowing him the wrong way basically. Truly the god of misfortune. p39

Well. At least he has some help now? Nan Feng and Fu Yao. Also I am curious about the butterflies? Do we find out more? Is it a heavenly official thing? because if it is, that's cute. pp41-42

The name change from Lower Court to Middle Court is so funny to me. This is some pure bureaucratic drama, like 10/10 would see this in an office. Honestly this realm would make such a solid office/workplace au. pp42-43

Oop. Nothing like your support being from the palaces that absolutely hate you. p43

Well at least they are both here as "willing" volunteers and their generals don't know they are actually there. I do however sense some shenanigans due to this pp43-45

Oh Wait! This mission sounds so rad! A bride eating monster?!?!?!? I can't wait p45

Strong start!

I already have so many questions that I am going to assume will be answered somewhere between now and the other seven books BUT I am so ready. We already got a workplace drama, an exciting mission, and this adorably useless little man trying his best. I cannot wait for chapter two!

[rosejen8675]

So, with the Thunder Saga having released recently it’s been on my mind a lot. I also have Scum Villain Self Saving System on my mind often in general, so this inevitably lead to me thinking about them both. And I had the thought that LBH would probably relate to Odysseus in Epic the Musical. Going through a hellish place while obsessed with getting to see a loved one again? And becoming more ruthless during the journey? That could be the LBH in Endless Abyss or Ody in the Sea of Monsters!

So THAT got me thinking about what svsss characters would play various Epic the Musical characters if the was an Epic AU of svsss. Here’s what I have so far:

Odysseus- Lou Binghe

Penelope- Shen Yuan

Not sure who their kid would be. Unlike in mdzs or tgcf, the main couple never gets a kid they feel at all parental towards. Well, maybe the disciples in general, but that would only count for SY.

Polites- Ning Yingying

Eurylochus- Ming Fan

Cyclops- Elder Sky hammer maybe?

Athena- Qi Qingqi

Aeolus- Liu Mingyan maybe?

Poseidon- Shen Jiu

Circe- Sha Hauling

Hermes- feel like it should be a peak lord but not sure which one. SQH maybe?

The prophet- madam meiyin

Does Scylla need a person to play her? Or does she get to just be Scylla?

The only one I really can’t decide on is Zeus. Palace Master has a similar attitude toward women but I can’t really picture him as Zeus. Other peak lords don’t really fit either. It would be funny if Pei Ming made a surprise appearance as him though! XD

What do y’all think of this idea? Do you agree with the casting? Who would you pick instead? I’m really curious to know!