#xie lian jealousy

[xueyuverse]

Xie Lian jealous and possessive, Xie Lian jealous and possessive, Xie Lian jealous and possessive— Calamity Xie Lian/Wu Ming. This fic has wonderful writing, the development of the two is very sweet and it is incredible to see them exploring their desires and sexual lives more and more (there is no explicit content). 6k words full of rage, possessiveness, love, lust and protection from these two.

Fanfic by @/L1lly_Calamity (twitter).

[sillygoofyqueer]

HEAR ME OUT!!! What about, right, an AU where the main MXTX couples are somehow dropped into modern times (or...transmigrated back, in Shen Yuan's case), but they're still obviously from historical times. Instead of panicking or getting concerned like everyone else, Shen Yuan immediately finds the nearest, biggest cosplay convention and drags them all there so he can show off their awesome "costumes" (a win is a win, no matter the specifics). Cut to the couples strolling through the con, with Luo Binghe looking out of his depth, Xie Lian questioning everything and Hua Cheng hating that he doesn't have the answers for once, Lan Wangji the picture of serenity despite everything, Wei Wuxian looking like he literally belongs there, and Shen Yuan. Literally the picture of smugness. Everyone gawking and him being like "Oh hell yeah. Take a wild look at us guys."

[the-golden-mango-of-discord]

i’m of the opinion that where one’s cursed shackle goes should be relevant to whatever heavenly sin one committed idgaf about the canon placements. ex wdym xie lian’s first shackle wasn’t the ankle one to represent the restriction of his hubris? that being said i desperately need to hear ppl’s thoughts about our other shackled characters and where their unforgivable sin/devastating insecurity souvenirs Should be

[themapletrail]

Stay Away Goddess-Part I

A new goddess recently ascended. She's fire, literally. Her aura is so strong that anyone barely has the guts to speak in front of her or against her. Cao Fangjie. She's a martial goddess, taking over West alongside Qi Ying.

Although she's young, sprightly, beautiful and kind, in most situations, she's also snarky, witty and... notorious, to put it gently. She and Qi Ying often get into brawls for fun. One fine day, she crosses paths with Xie Lian. She's not really ignorable, with her wild platinum hair and contrasting black attire, she can't go unnoticed. But his royal highness just bowed to her in greeting and left? Didn't even look back?

She wasn't offended, no no. But she was curious, not at all missing the two fingers Xie Lian pressed to his temple, chatting with his rumored beloved. She huffed and decided to let it slide. After all, XL was the strongest martial God.

Another time she clashed ways with Xie Lian wasn't actually with Xie Lian. She was strolling through the mortal realm with a deputy general. Sensing a strong essence of evil, she decided to take a look at which ghost this powerful was randomly lounging here.

When her eyes caught the sight of Blood red maple robes, sharp eyebrows, and deep obsidian eyes, fixated on the flower crown he was sewing in his lap, she felt her heart skip a beat. The youth was not more than seventeen but his build was very fine, hiding muscles under those fitting robes.

He was seated on the grass field all alone, focusing on the task in hand. Dianxia had said he'd be back in a minute or so and thus Hua Cheng was keeping himself busy with this. He smiled at his handy work when the white flowers were finally sewn together in that crown. It would be more beautiful when donned by his highness.

As if sensing a strong hindrance in the array he set near that field, he whipped his head to find a black clad lady standing by the field. Her hair was abnormally white and she was sporting a short expression. As if caught in staring, the lady blushed and ducked her head. Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow to himself but decided to ignore the intruder.

Cao Fangjie thought the youth was very cute but a little weird, sitting all alone in a field, surrounded by an array. Could he be a god's little brother? Her question was answered when a familiar God walked out from the trees behind. It was Xie Lian, donning his humble white attire and bamboo hat.

Multiple ideas swarmed in her head, how easy would it be to reach out to this handsome youth through his highness. But her thoughts were disturbed when Xie Lian lowered his head to place a kiss on Hua Cheng's lips. Cao Fangjie's eyes widened in surprise.

So this was his highness's beloved!? T-this is Crimson rain sought flower? The terror of the heavens!? She watched as Hua Cheng smiled at Xie Lian and placed the flower crown on his head. They were both so wrapped up in their little bubble that they didn't even notice how a goddess was staring at them from afar.

After that day, Cao Fangjie was found in libraries and the civil Gods' office. When asked, she was researching about Hua Cheng. And there were so many texts about him that she didn't dare carry that on.

Finally, getting bored from the books, she Descended in the mortal realm. Ghost city to be specific. Her appearance this time was different, her hair was still white, tied in a braid resting on her shoulder but her stature was thin and seductive, hidden under gray robes which didn't contain any heavenly jewelry.

She had done her research about ghost city, so it was only natural that the first place she went in was the gambler's den. She stood in front of the curtains, by the long table. She could somewhat make out the line of a certain someone lounging on the divan behind the red veil.

"Greetings madam, please put forward your bet." The croupier spoke formally. Cia Fangjie smiled slightly and spoke in a confident tone, "I would like to bet 100 years of my life in return for Chengzhu's hand in marriage." Silence permeated the air. Each and every head turned towards her Even the figure behind the veil sat upright on hearing this.

[carrot-felisidad]

I love how MXTX writes miscommunication/misunderstanding because it's not your typical miscom trope in where they only heard the bad parts of a convo, or where one of them is just really an extremely and irritatingly an overthinker. For example,

-Wei Wuxian misunderstands Wangji's intention to bring him back to Gusu because all his life he is loved by being useful, and if he is not being useful he is punished. He will never think that Lan Wangji loves him because he's never done anything useful for him. Lan Wangji misunderstood Wuxian's demonic cultivation because he never knew about the golden core transfer, and even then, he just wanted to protect him but he could never tell Wuxian that because he saw how his mother perished with the same promise of "love and protection"

-Luo Binghe just accepts that his Shizun hates him because he's a demon, yet what's confusing is that this Shizun told him that everyone is equal, be it demons or humans, so why is he especially despicable? Shen Qingqiu was just following the original novel in where Luo Bingge hates him, so that's how he interpreted all his actions. He is not aware that Luo Binghe's temperament was due to jealousy and heartbreak.

-Xie lian and Hua Cheng communicate very well. Even when they were pretending, even when the world is against their 'friendship', they knew each other's real intentions.

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

Hi! Can I request a Hua Cheng x bottom male reader x Xie Lian one shot? Maybe that the three of them are already in a relationship together. And maybe when they all go to Qi Rong's (the black water calamity) lair to kill him in that one chapter/episode, Before they start fighting Qi Rong starts flirting with reader and it makes HuaLian jealous as fuck. And so when they defeat him they drag reader back to the Puqi Shrine and reminds him who he belongs too 🤭

Also if possible can you make it smut?

Feel free to delete this ask if you want tho!

Look At Me

Hua Cheng x M!reader x Xie Lian

Sorry it took so long I'm still in school guys 😞 at first I was confused because I thought you were talking about He Xuan because I was sure he was the black water calamity

I forgot the prince's name guys

I made up connections for Qi Rong and reader

Ignore grammar mistakes

Slight ooc?

Smut ahead!!!

____________________________________

They knew it wasn't going to be easy, nor was it going to feel good. Hua Cheng has meant to find Qi Rong, reveal the truth to Lan Qin Qao, and continue on with their lives. Well, he just wanted to beat the shit out of Qi Rong for what he did to Xie Lian.

All of you went to Qi Rong's lair, and watched Hua Cheng beat Qi Rong's face into the ground. Then you all got to listen to the truth about the banquet. So far so good. 'good' is an emotional ride for everyone there. But that was the whole point anyways.

Everything was going as planned, in Hua Cheng's book anyways. Until Qi Rong started slandering Hua Cheng and Xie Lian. He started yelling about how Hua Cheng was Xie Lian's dog, and how Xie Lian is so pure he must've been blinded by it.

You have a deep past with Xie Lian, and a relationship with both men so of course you aren't happy to hear these things. Especially from Qi Rong. You used to be close with him, of course you were. He was Xie Lian's cousin so obviously you would've met him. Now look at Qi Rong. It was truly pitiful.

You were upset by the words Qi Rong was saying, he used to be such a good child for you. The things he was saying weren't fair to your lovers, you also didn't want to see Qi Rong get beat up anymore. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng already had a go at him.

"Qi Rong you've grown to have such a vulgar tongue, please be quiet." You weren't going to hit anyone, you're too sweet for that, so you could only ask him nicely. It's the first thing you've said since you've been here. You haven't said anything, rather staying quiet instead. You just didn't want things to escalate further.

You hadn't expected it to work, Qi Rong is. . . Unstable, to put it nicely. Plus he hasn't looked at you this whole time you doubt he remembers you at all. It's been so long.

Qi Rong snaps his head towards you and his giggling dies down. "Y/n? Y/n is it really you? What a wonderful reunion this is!" Even though Qi Rong had just been upset about 'people throwing a party in his lair'.

"Come closer, come closer I want to see your face y/n. It seems you've been by my high and mighty cousin all this time." He grins widely. You don't reply to that, you don't know what to say. You had gone to step forward though, to allow Qi Rong to see your face after all these years.

Xie Lian stopped you though. Where he usually is so hesitant to touch you has been thrown away, he pulls you by the elbow, behind him now. Xie Lian doesn't know why he does it. Anger? Jealousy? Selfishness? Protectiveness? Hostility? Who knows but he knows that him and Hua Cheng will lose it if Qi Rong dares to spit harmful words towards you.

But Qi Rong doesn't. He does the contrary, as if Qi Rong had really missed you. As if he had a right to your person. He laughs, finding it hysterical how Xie Lian pulls you behind him. How his big cousin is selfish even though he acts like the most selfless person to ever breathe. "Hahaha! Look at you big cousin! Look, look! You've always been selfish! Selfish!" He laughs and laughs against the ground.

Qi Rong looks at you, what he can see peaking over Xie Lian's shoulder anyways. "Y/n, Y/n I've missed you over these 800 years. You must've been blinded by big cousin's light too! His pureness and selflessness right?! You should come with me instead. I miss Y/n's pretty face I haven't seen it in so long!" And he dares to try and reach a hand to your robes.

You don't know if he's being honest in his words or if he's saying it to piss off your lovers. You wouldn't put it past him. "Qi Rong please" you hiss through your teeth. You had been so focused on Xie Lian that you had completely forgotten about the seething ghost behind you.

Hua Cheng's devotion to Xie Lian is admirable and his devotion to you is the same. Qi Rong very quickly finds his face being slammed into the ground again. It's a very gruesome sight and you didn't enjoy it all. Hiding behind Xie Lian and covering your ears as Qi Rong continues to roll your name over his tongue.

Things pass, and tensions increase. Eventually leading to Qi Rong being cut in half and thrown into boiling liquids. Even though Xie Lian drags you off, you can't help but stare where Qi Rong was thrown.

Once the three of you are out of the lair, you're all interrupted by Shi Qingxuan and Feng Xin. Feng Xin wants the two of you to come back to the heavens. To come home. He demands it actually, threatening Hua Cheng with his bow and arrow. Shi Qingxuan stops him though. You and Xie Lian get pulled behind Hua Cheng.

Once things smooth over with them and Hua Cheng bullies Feng Xin with blood rain, you were expecting to go back to the heavens with Xie Lian. The two of you do need to get up there and explain everything that has happened. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng decide differently though. Instead you're dragged off and your lovers are eerily silent, seething quietly. You don't know what to say, because you don't know why they're upset. So you don't say anything you let them drag you along.

They've taken you to Puqi shrine. You can only assume that maybe after such a tiring day, that everyone is missing home. Maybe your lovers just want to spend a few hours with you and have some peace. To make what happened earlier a distant memory. Your mind is quickly changed.

Your assumptions prove wrong when Xie Lian drags you through the door and shoves you down on the mat. "H-hey! What is wrong with you?" You look away. Xie Lian grips your jaw and snaps your gaze back towards him. "Look at me, don't look away again" Xie Lian has never treated you so roughly. You've known him a long time and he's always treated you carefully. Not even in bed does he usually dare to treat you so hard.

You try to gain your balance, and to get off of the floor. You're quickly pulled back by your shoulders and your back meets Hua Cheng's chest. Leaving you between your two, seething lovers. And you? You poor, oblivious thing. You don't even understand why.

"A-Lian, San Lang! Why are you acting like this!?" You're left with no answer besides Xie Lian practically tearing at your robes and San Lang pinning your back against his chest. He's not giving you the chance to move away. Not that you would anyhow.

Hua Cheng being angry, and upset is nothing new. It's concerning sometimes but he tends to pout a lot so you expect it. Seeing Xie Lian angry, is frightening. Well, not exactly but you haven't seen him angry in a long time but he's never been angry with you. Ever.

You're stripped quickly, and your hands shoot out to Xie Lian's face. Holding his face in your hands, making him look at you, forcing him to pause in his ministrations. "A-Lian, what's wrong?"

Xie Lian's brow furrows and he lets out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry y/n" he huffs softly and holds your wrist. He moves his face to the side and kisses your palm. "Qi Rong was right I am selfish. I am, I shouldn't be but I can help it. But I'm selfish for good reasons" he moves closer, nipping at your neck. His usual soft kisses, become possessive bites.

"I have a right to claim you, to touch you. You're mine. You're San Lang's. You're ours" he hisses through his teeth and he bites your shoulder hard. His hands roam while he talks, spreading your legs and his oiled fingers prod at your hole. Where did he get a bottle of oil? When did he even do that?

San Lang makes himself busy by kissing you and shoving his tongue down your throat. Stealing your breath as if it were his. Not that he needs to breathe.

Xie Lian continues, "But what right does he have to claim you? To try and take you away from me, from us?" Xie Lian growls out, and presses fingers up against your prostate. It didn't take long for him to find it, he's explored you many times. It causes you to arch against San Lang's chest and moan into his mouth.

Xie Lian doesn't feel like being nice today though because his fingers continue to rub and curl up against your prostate. You squirm against them both, moans being ripped out of you by Xie Lian nimble fingers. "A-Lian, A-Lian, please~!"

San Lang bullies you too, making you dizzy from his kisses and his forces your legs apart. He's encouraging Xie Lian to bully you. San Lang is good in bed and Xie Lian is usually obedient, but Xie Lian getting out of his shell to bully you? San Lang enjoys it thoroughly.

One of his hands wraps around your dick and he strokes you, he only makes it worse. The two take out their frustrations on you, leaving you to mumble their names. With both of them bullying your front and back, it's not long until your cumming. A long moan spills from your lips and your legs try to clamp shut. San Lang doesn't let them though.

You double over and heave a breath when they don't stop. Xie Lian bullies your prostate and San Lang moves his fingers faster around your dick. It quickly puts you into overstimulation and pretty tears drip from your eyes. "No, no, slow down~" You whine, and your legs shake into San Lang's hold.

"Tell us who's you are then" San Lang purrs in your ear. Another orgasm is forced out of you and you babble some more. "Xie Lian d-does, San Lang too. Please!" You squeal from the pleasure.

Those words are forced out of you many times that night, because they don't intend to let you get away so soon. They bully you for the rest of the night and when you show up in the heavens the next day you have a slight limp. The other officials are worried you were injured by Hua Cheng, but it was both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng who made you cry on their cocks.

____________________________________

I hope you like it 😁🙏🖤🖤

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

I don't even go here, and very rarely interact in this fandom, but now that it seems to have gotten an uptick of notice with the last book for Tian Guan Ci Fu, I am honestly in shock to see how many try to say that Hua Cheng (Hong Hong-er) had not been a victim of classism by Mu Qing.

I'm annoyed enough to have to rant about this as it also dismisses that Hong Hong-er had been abandoned without guardianship due to superstition inherent to lower class positions that relied on the will of heavenly principles that also were classist from inception.

This did include Mu Qing who had consistently told Xie Lian not to help the child throughout the plot and continued the rule of class segregation despite him having been of the same social caste as Hong Hong-er. Yet due to circumstance Mu Qing was able to rise within the ranks of position due to not having the physical and superstitious reputation that plagued Hong Hong-er from birth. This jealousy from Mu Qing that had been exhibited when he refused to continue to let Hong Hong-er rise within the ranks of the Xianle army was not out of subconscious good will to protect a child. He did not see Hong Hong-er as worthy of any sort of position as he had been with rising through ranks. It is a consistent theme between Mu Qing and Hua Cheng that Hua Cheng's dislike of him is due to Mu Qing's callousness of dismissing regard towards the same class of people he came from and the benefits of social rise.

This seems to be dismissed that Hua Cheng, as a ghost, had denied heavenly principles to become a god in the overwrought and classist heavens to stay a ghost and stay a calamity considered disgusting as an existence to those of heaven. It's considered an arrogance by those of safe position and standing for Hua Cheng to deny the offered will of those in power within the system that maintains the caste hierarchy.

Because Hua Cheng was able to create another entity of social life, it exempts him now of the classism that Mu Qing perpetuated when he had been Hong Hong-er. Yet the society that Hua Cheng had made is seen as lesser and base to those in Heaven. Yet at the same time his position as the Lord of Ghost City means he is not the target of the classism he had been attacked by within his previous life. Because somehow he is now Mu Qing's equal in social standing despite this still being untrue. For his power Hua Cheng is still labeled suspicious and of evil intent, very much so from Mu Qing through the present day plot.

What is viable for one is not for any other, or dismissed by the own fandom as not honorable in comparison. The overt theme of classism that is present in the book itself also carries over with how much of the fandom perceives this theme regarding Hua Cheng and his overt opposition of navigating it next to Mu Qing. One did deny the system of classism while the other did continue to follow it without change.

[one-flower-one-sword]

Hello I have a question everyone is going on about Hua Cheng hating Feng Xin despite being loyal to Xie Lian. What do you think of the reason Hua Cheng hatred towards Feng Xin?

Hey Anon! thank you for your question, I'll do my best to answer it :)

First of all, I think it's important to keep in mind that Hua Cheng has reasons to hate Feng Xin outside of his treatment of Xie Lian. Though out of the two, Mu Qing treated Hong Hong-er the worst - arguing that a visibly starved and abused child was lying about having no one caring for him and then later kicking him out of the army out of jealousy - Feng Xin really wasn't much better:

The young child shook his head, but Mu Qing said, “There must be. If he doesn't go back, his family will surely be worried sick looking for him.”

“No, no way! There's nobody!” that young child cried, sounding like he was afraid to be sent back, and he opened his arms reaching for Xie Lian. He was still covered with mud and blood, and Feng Xin couldn't stand it anymore.

“What're ya doin’, kid? Things were urgent earlier, so whatever, but shouldn't you know better by now? This is the crown prince. His Highness the Crown Prince. Do you understand?”

That young child's arms immediately shrank back, but he was still gazing at Xie Lian.

Vol 2, page 362

We see this treatment of Hua Cheng continue all the way to the reveal in Mount Tonglu's caves: because of what Hua Cheng is - a beggar child, a ghost king - he shouldn't be near Xie Lian - a crown prince, a god - and his adoration for Xie Lian and desire to be near him is openly treated by Feng Xin as inappropriate and disgusting, as something Xie Lian needs to be “protected” from at all cost - if Xie Lian wants to or not.

After walking for a while, Feng Xin spoke up. “No. I still don't think Your Highness should hold a strange child for everyone to see.”

“What's the problem?” Xie Lian asked.

“You're the crown prince!” Feng Xin exclaimed. While he spoke, he saw a worn-down handcart further up the alley and said, “Put the kid in the cart and pull it.”

Mu Qing immediately voiced, “Just so we're clear, I will not pull that thing up the mountain.”

”No one's asking you to,” Feng Xin said. He reached out and yanked the child from Xie Lian's arms, and the child started struggling again.

Vol 2, page 364

Because Xie Lian is nobility, in Feng Xin's eyes he shouldn't be seen carrying a child of the lowest class. Keep in mind that it was Xie Lian's own decision to carry Hong Hong-er himself and that the child had repeatedly made clear it didn't want to be carried by anyone else. But Feng Xin still takes Hong Hong-er away from Xie Lian, the only person that the child feels safe with and is being treated well by. Not to mention that he's yanking a child around that he knows has recently been brutally beaten, with no apparent care for its injuries.

Once Mei Nianqing divines Hong-er's fate, Feng Xin treats him like everyone else does except for Xie Lian - as if he's not a human being but some kind of dangerous monster that Xie Lian shouldn't even touch:

The Deputy State Preceptors blocked Hong Hong-er, and the State Preceptor backed away, yelling, “Make him leave the mountain, hurry! Don't touch him, I mean it! That fortune is too toxic; don't touch him!” The Deputy State Preceptors hurriedly moved aside, and Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn't know whether to act.

Seeing that everyone was avoiding him like he was poisonous vermin, the child was shaken and started thrashing even harder, biting and screaming with all his might. “I'm not! I'm not!! I'M NOT!!!”

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, encircling his small form. A voice came from above his head. “You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know you're not.”

[...] A while later, the State Preceptor said, “I mean it. It's best if you let go.”

Feng Xin finally came to his senses and exclaimed, “Your Highness! Let go! Be careful of…”

Vol 2 page 380+ 382

So what we've established is that Feng Xin treated Hong Hong-er at best like a nuisance that Xie Lian shouldn't be seen caring for because of the class differences, and some kind of dangerous inhuman thing at worst. Now, since that was the way everyone but Xie Lian was treating him back then, I actually don't think it would stand out to Hua Cheng that much - but what would stand out to him was that Feng Xin, just like Mu Qing, repeatedly tried to separate him from Xie Lian, both through words and through actions, and that he went against Xie Lian's wishes in doing so.

Now we can tackle the other part of your question, Hua Cheng hating Feng Xin despite his being loyal to Xie Lian. And I think to answer it fully, we must first ask ourselves - was he loyal?

It's true that Feng Xin stayed with Xie Lian longer than Mu Qing did after the banishment, but his choices during that time tell their own story:

“Actually, it's… Your Highness, do you still have any money on you? Or something that can be pawned?”

Xie Lian was perplexed that he'd ask such a foolish question at a time like this. “Huh? Why do you ask?”

Feng Xin was sweating, but he replied boldly, “It's nothing… Just… If you happen to have some, can you… lend it to me?”

Xie Lian laughed bitterly. “Do you really think I have anything?”

Feng Xin sighed. “I didn't think so.”

After giving it some thought, Xie Lian asked, “Didn't I give you that golden belt?”

“That's not enough,” Feng Xin mumbled. “Far from it…”

Xie Lian was shocked. “Feng Xin? What exactly did you do? How could a golden belt not be enough to cover what you need? Did you beat someone up and need to pay them off? Tell me?”

Feng Xin came back to himself and quickly said, “Oh no! Don't take this to heart. I was only asking!”

Xie Lian pressed him over and over, but Feng Xin still swore everything was fine. Finally, Xie Lian said with worry, “Well, if there's anything, you must tell me. We can think of a solution together.”

“Don't worry about me,” Feng Xin said. “There's no way a solution will just fall from the sky. Your Highness, you just focus on solving your own problems.”

Vol 6, page 219

While superficially this might look like Feng Xin is trying not to burden Xie Lian with his problems, when we look at the actual context we realize that that's not why he is lying about what's going on. This is set during the time where they're barely managing to scrape enough food together not to starve, and are struggling to make enough money to buy medicine for Xie Lian's sick father. And Feng Xin knows this, knows that anything of value should go towards their continued survival - that's why he rejects Xie Lian's repeated offers of help and lies to him about there being no particular reason he's asking for money. Is that loyalty?

Soon after, he heard the Queen sigh. “If this keeps up, how will my son ever get better?”

Xie Lian could feel something amiss with those words, and Feng Xin replied in a quiet voice. “He's only like this because he's exhausted. Too much has happened lately. Will Your Majesties also keep a close eye on him? Please let me know as soon as possible if there's anything not right with His Highness, but don't tell him you did. Also avoid saying anything that might provoke him-”

Vol 6, page 220-221

Feng Xin told Xie Lian he believed him when he said that Bai WuXiang was back and was stalking him, but behind his back, it's a different story. Not only does he doubt Xie Lian’s grip on reality and his own mind, he urges Xie Lian's parents to also keep up the pretense and then report to Feng Xin behind Xie Lian's back. Is that loyalty?

And we need to keep in mind that this isn't a one time deal but a pattern of behavior that keeps repeating. Feng Xin keeps treating Xie Lian as too naive to be trusted to make his own choices, hence his trying to keep Xie Lian from caring for Hong Hong-er, trying to “manage” Xie Lian like an unruly child, and then all the way to conspiring with Mu Qing to kidnap Xie Lian away from Hua Cheng no matter what Xie Lian wants because they think they know better.

Xie Lian knelt by the stream and puked his guts out for over an hour, heaving until blood came up. After descending the mountain, he walked through the city for a long time, aimlessly wandering the main streets without a destination in mind. Suddenly, a hand gripped his shoulder and yanked him into an alley. Xie Lian looked around and saw an incoming fist before he even glimpsed the other's face.

“Where did you run off to for so long?!” Behind the fist was Feng Xin's furious expression, but by the time Xie Lian saw, he'd already been knocked to the ground by the punch. Feng Xin hadn't expected to knock him down so easily. Confused, he looked at his own fist, then at Xie Lian on the ground. Before he could think to help him up, Xie Lian had already crawled back up by himself.

Feng Xin's face changed, but in the end, his temper was still flaring. “You've got such an attitude! Dropping only a word before running away and disappearing for two months! Do you know how worried Their Majesties have been?!”

Vol 6, page 263

This is after Xie Lian ran away when he found out Feng Xin didn't believe him and was then lured to the abandoned temple by Bai WuXiang and severely tortured and violated. He was obviously not alright when he left and just from the fact that he disappeared for that long it should be obvious that something is seriously wrong - yet Feng Xin doesn't care about finding out, he's so angry at the way Xie Lian is “failing” to be the perfect image he's made up in his head that the moment he sees him again, he punches him in the face. Is that loyalty?

“Why are you being like this? When did you become this way?” Feng Xin mumbled. “I… I really don't know… I'm… Why did I follow you all this time - ?”

“Then stop following,” Xie Lian said.

Feng Xin couldn't wrap his head around that. “What?”

“I said, don't follow me anymore,” Xie Lian repeated. Then he slammed the door.

Four hours later, there was finally some rustling outside the room and low voices speaking. It seemed Feng Xin was bidding farewell to Xie Lian's mother and father. Feng Xin's voice was extremely low, the queen's voice was choked with sobs, and the king didn't say much, but there was a lot of coughing. The door opened a moment later, then closed. Feng Xin's voice vanished, and the sound of his footsteps grew more and more distant. Feng Xin had left.

[...] Before Feng Xin had left, Xie Lian had been afraid. Now that Feng Xin was gone, he wasn't scared anymore. But even though he no longer felt fear, he felt a deeper agony. Xie Lian had initially held a one-in-a-million bit of hope at the bottom of his heart. He'd hoped that Feng Xin would still stay even if Xie Lian admitted he had done things he shouldn't have, even if he became the worst version of himself. After all, the two had never left each other's side since he turned fourteen and Feng Xin was selected to be his personal attendant. They were master and servant, but more than that, they were friends. And Feng Xin had no one to care for aside from the crown prince either - or, at most, him, and the king and queen. But Feng Xin had really left.

Vol 6, page 273-274

And finally, as Xie Lian begins to crack under the weight of his trauma, Feng Xin leaves. Is that loyalty? Or, more precisely, we have to ask ourselves - who was it that Feng Xin used to be loyal to? Because from what we've seen, it was less Xie Lian the person and more the perfect image of a crown prince and a god Feng Xin wanted and repeatedly tried to force Xie Lian to be - a crown prince who doesn't behave inappropriately by carrying beggar children, who doesn't go against the orders of his Shifu, a perfect god who never falters and doesn't show mental or physical strain no matter what he goes through.

Xie Lian stopped eating and said gently, “But I can sort of understand… your feelings.” After a pause, he continued, “There was a period in my own life that wasn't easy. Back then, I'd always think about how wonderful it would be if someone could still love me for who I was, even if they saw me rolling in the dirt and couldn't get up. Though I don't know if there's anyone out there like that. And I'm scared of showing that part of myself too. But if it's someone San Lang yearns for… I think that even if they saw you at your worst, they wouldn't say something like, ‘ah, you're not so great after all'”.

His face grew solemn. “To me, the one basking in infinite glory is you; the one fallen from grace is also you. What matters is you, not the state of you. [...]”

Vol 4, page 182

This is why ‘what matters is you, not the state of you” is the foundation of Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s love - they love each other for who the other is, not who they could be or should be by any given standard.

Now, someone might say this is all well and good but Hua Cheng wasn't present for the above scenes with Feng Xin and Xie Lian, so those can't be reasons for him to hate Feng Xin. To which I would say, 1. the above examination was about questioning whether Feng Xin really was as loyal to Xie Lian as that discourse seems to insist by looking at what the text actually tells us. And 2., Hua Cheng did encounter Xie Lian several times during his first banishment. And every single time, Xie Lian was alone, in increasingly bad mental and physical states, with no one helping or caring for him.

The first time they meet again, after Mu Qing has just left Xie Lian and Hua Cheng is a ghost fire:

“I won't forget. Your Highness, I am forever your most devoted believer.”

Xie Lian forced down a sob. “...I've already lost all my believers. Believing in me won't do you any good; it might even bring disaster. Did you know? Even my friend has left me.”

The nameless ghost declared as if swearing an oath, “I won't.”

“You will,” Xie Lian said.

The ghost was insistent. “Believe me, Your Highness.”

“I don't,” Xie Lian said. He no longer believed in anyone, especially himself.

Vol 6, page 136-137

After the failed robbery attempt, when Xie Lian gets drunk and falls into a grave:

“God fucking dammit!” He slapped the ground and yelled, “Is anyone there? Is there anyone who can help pull me out?!”

Of course there wasn't anyone. There was only a small ball of haunting ghost fire, blazing unceasingly as it flitted about. After Xie Lian fell into the pit, the ball of ghost fire rushed over, seeming to want to pull him up - but it would never be able to touch him.

Vol 6, page 175

When the group of heavenly officials and Mu Qing drive Xie Lian off the blessed land and Hua Cheng can't help him because he's still a ghost fire:

Xie Lian lay sprawled face-down on the ground in a state of disbelief, his eyes bulging. One of the heavenly officials had shoved him while he was standing there at a loss and made him take that hideous fall in front of so many eyes. It was too humiliating. There were voices all around Xie Lian, high and low, filling the air and invading Xie Lian's ears. He stared with eyes that couldn't be wider at the blackened ground in front of his nose, then he slowly raised his head.

Mu Qing was standing not too far away from him - standing among those heavenly officials, his head turned away, not looking at Xie Lian. Just like the rest of them, he had no intention of lending Xie Lian a hand to help him up. And thus, Xie Lian understood. No one would lend him a hand to help him up.

Vol 6, page 196

When Xie Lian is brutally tortured and violated by being stabbed over and over:

Unwilling to consider this any further, Xie Lian couldn't help but cry out. “Hel-”

Before the phrase “Help me” could leave his throat, the same icy black belt was thrust into his body once again. Xie Lian's eyes widened in horror. The razor-sharp sword was stabbed in, then pulled out. The next person followed without wasting a second, and the next stab was shoved into practically the same spot. The sound locked in Xie Lian's throat finally broke free, and a long, painful scream tore through his entire body.

Vol 6, page 255

And it doesn't stop there - Feng Xin and Mu Qing both ascend again while Xie Lian is lost in the mortal realm, and Hua Cheng is the only one looking for him. That Feng Xin spent so much time in the mortal realm because he was searching for Xie Lian appears to be entirely fanon, as I cannot recall a single instance where the text actually suggests this. And then when Xie Lian ascends for a third time, Feng Xin and Mu Qing are too cowardly to face him, and only seek him out in disguise. And again, they repeatedly try to separate Hua Cheng from Xie Lian:

After a moment, Feng Xin turned to Xie Lian. “If there's nothing else, you’d better hurry back to the Heavenly Court. Many of the heavenly officials have no idea what happened in that ruckus, and they're still waiting for news above. Jun Wu should have been informed by now. You need to report back and give them a proper account.”

Hua Cheng laughed out loud at his words.

“What're you laughing at?” Feng Xin demanded.

“And here I was marveling at how straightforward you are, but it turns out you like beating around the bush too,” Hua Cheng said. “You just don't want His Highness to associate with the likes of demons and ghosts like me, so why not say so openly? Think it's not your place?”

Xie Lian cleared his throat softly. “San Lang…”

“As long as you're aware that he shouldn't be associating with the likes of demons and ghosts,” Feng Xin said coldly.

Vol 2, page 261-262

So, to sum up, when we look at all this from Hua Cheng's perspective - why wouldn't he hate Feng Xin? He's had zero positive interactions with the man, repeatedly witnessed him going against Xie Lian's wishes, and had Feng Xin try and separate him from Xie Lian over and over again. From Hua Cheng's perspective, Feng Xin abandoned Xie Lian to his suffering and forgot about him, while Hua Cheng never wavered in his faith, and didn't give up on looking for Xie Lian even after hundreds of years.

Throughout the entire novel, Hua Cheng is the only one who consistently respects Xie Lian's autonomy - the only times he ever intervenes is when Xie Lian is about to do something that threatens his own physical and/or mental wellbeing. Many other characters, Feng Xin included, repeatedly ignore or even violate Xie Lian's autonomy and the novel makes quite clear how important and profound the distinction is between how Hua Cheng treats Xie Lian and how everyone else does:

Feng Xin glanced at him and couldn't help but say, “...I'm a little surprised.”

“What?” Hua Cheng replied, not turning or showing a single trace of curiosity.

Feng Xin scratched his head. “Since you're so biased against Mu Qing, I assumed you'd think he wasn't worth saving and wouldn't want His Highness rescuing him. I thought you'd prevent him from going.”

Only then did Hua Cheng spare him a glance. “Half-wrong, half-right.”

“Huh?”

“The first part isn't wrong - I certainly don't think he's worth saving,” Hua Cheng said. “I don't care if he lives or dies.”

“Isn't that a little too blunt?!” Seeing that apathetic expression made Feng Xin start to sweat; when he realized that this man definitely held the same attitude toward him, he sweat even harder!

Hua Cheng snorted, then after a pause, he added, “But only His Highness can decide what he wants to do. I will never oppose his decisions.”

“...” Feng Xin had never heard anyone say something like that before - not a man to a woman, and most definitely not one man to another. But he was quite sure that Xie Lian would only get all worked up and flustered again if he'd been here to hear it. “Ah… I see,” Feng Xin said, not knowing what face to make.

Vol 8, page 44-45

And just to make this clear - this is not me hating on Feng Xin. We also could probably all have lengthy but ultimately futile discussions on what loyalty personally means to each and every one of us, which is why when it comes to discourse like this I think we have to focus on what the text says. And I think through this examination it's become quite clear where the limits of Feng Xin's loyalty lay in relation to how it was tied less to Xie Lian the person and more to who he thought Xie Lian should be, and how even beyond Feng Xin's ultimate lack of loyalty Hua Cheng has many legitimate reasons to hate him in regards to how both he himself and Xie Lian were treated by Feng Xin.

Hope this answered your question!

[higuchisora]

How I think the main MXTX couples would vibe with each other:

WangXian and HuaLian:

Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian is ready to talk the ear off of anyone willing to listen. Xie Lian being Xie Lian is just as willing to listen as Wei Wuxian is to talk. They'd be the gossiping stay-at-home wives/soccer moms that would see each other at the grocery store or their kids' soccer match and end up talking for hours while their husbands stand off to the side like 🧍‍♂️ and do that awkward little Dad Nod of Acknowledgement before refusing to make eye contact for the rest of WWX and XL's conversation. Both of the husbands have little to no opinion about each other's spouses besides "that's my wife's friend".

BingQiu and WangXian:

Similarly, gossiping housewife energy. Though their gossip is definitely more on the drama end "who does x think she is?!" Rather than just chill conversation. On the other hand, I don't think Lan Wangji would like Binghe all that much, unfortunately. Similar 🧍‍♂️ energy but with slight animosity. I can't even explain why, I just feel like Binghe would incur the same level of "shameless!" Comments as Wei Wuxian, except unlike Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji isn't horny for Binghe, and therefore he's never forgiven for it. LWJ reminds SQQ of Liu Qingge, but even more repressed (make of that what you will). LWJ has probably held one (1) conversation with SQQ before, and generally thinks he's respectable, if not someone with poor taste in men.

HuaLian and BingQiu:

Shen Qingqiu is yet another one of the "mean"/snarky friends in Xie Lian's entourage. He's basically just another Mu Qing/Feng Xin. Meanwhile, Binghe HATES Hua Cheng. With a burning passion. Unlike the other couples combos, Shen Qingqiu CANNOT bring Binghe around when he goes to see Xie Lian, because Hua Cheng will undoubtedly be there and he's NOT trying to deal with yet ANOTHER Whole Foods Incident.

Binghe's hatred for Hua Cheng lies solely in the jealousy category, because what the FUCK does he mean he's a demon that didn't have to chase his idol down in order for senpai to finally notice him? The fuck? Xie Lian KNEW from the BEGINNING that Hua Cheng was a ghost, the ghostiest ghost in town even, and he STILL banged him? No world-ending demon sword possessions necessary??? HUH??? This wouldn't even bother him so much if Hua Cheng didn't rub it in his face deliberately. HC is SMUG. I saw a post somewhere about how Hua Cheng and Mobei-Jun can't coexist in the same universe because he'd be too jealous over the fact that MBJ was literally created to be his god's ideal man, and I'd imagine this would be Hua Cheng's way of settling the score.

Similarly to the first, HC and LBH only vaguely recognize the others' spouse as "my wife's friend".

[hellosweetie99]

Here’s a list of my fav fic tags I’ve seen…Enjoy

Chekov’s sex bag

SWORD IN ASS SATURDAY

Homoerotic fossil collection

Passive aggressive nakedness

Blatant misuse of watermelon

The mortifying ordeal of getting your head stuck in a peanut butter jar

This is set in America…sorry

Possessed squirrel

The trio suffers

The grapes are their own character

Dark Ratatouille

Whiny boyfriend doms the undead

Pranks are meant to be silly…like mpreg

New year new kink

Hahaha ouchie

Cock cage (romantic)

Being a lawyer is kinda gay like wdym your job is getting guys off??

Starfire strap color discourse

Science fiction written by a liberal arts major

Doing cute stuff with a decapitated head

HEY MONSTERFUCKERS PSPSPS FOOD FOR YOU

Jealousy as lube

Basically I took one good look at canon and went 'no'

he gets laid in FUCKING JORTS

Kink is just LARP that makes you cum

I wasn't even planning that but the bisexual gods spoke to me

Barry Allen is a human vibrator

Traveler, that Kavehussy got me acting unwise

Evil cuddling

CBT; As In Cock And Ball Torture In Case You Think I Mean Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Women topping the fuck out of men

Pussy can't heal a broken man but pegging can make him rethink what he's done.

I'm about to slap him on his he/him pussy

Angelic Grace as Lube

Not a cinnamon roll or a war criminal but a secret third thing

Don’t YOU go adventuring with your pussy out?

Weird freaky cannibal sex

Fellas is it gay to receive a dick pic from your archenemies

scott pilgrim vs the 97 lost dr who episodes

10K WORDS OF FOREPLAY AND A BJ

Sorry, it’s for the vibes

Blood sacrifice? More like their wedding

This is true 2009 faggotry

DO NOT USE PAINT AS LUBE

He’s so stupid I need to fuck him

Vampirism or sodomy?

Viktor’s unfortunate foot thing

This is zero percent furry sorry

The ugly duckling but in a really freak way

The Doctor - - -> nest parasite

Accidental pet acquisition (dragon)

Stimming with a deadly weapon

Oh my god it’s fish porn

Clit reveal!

Petition to name it Lesbian Who

Eating a meal with the man you want to study under a microscope

Spydoc are pegging eachother in my Google docs

Psychosexually torturing an old man as quality time

Lan Wangji is a loser trapped in a hot man’s body

Is Xie Lian brat taming? He just might be

They don’t fuck. They do however get a bit bloody

[xueyuverse]

Even though Xie Lian thinks Hua Cheng has someone else, he makes him have sex with him even more often because his jealousy makes him even more possessive.

I will never forget that, in the novel, even after Hua Cheng said he had a loved one and Xie Lian thought it was someone else, Xie Lian continued to have long affairs with him without feeling any guilt about it.

“Does he have another one? So why do we keep fucking?”

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

hii~ i hope you’re having a good day/night! i was wondering if you could do Mu Qing from TGCF with the prompt #16. "Don't ever say that name again"? idk why but i can definitely see him being a petty and jealous significant other (gn reader if can please) thank youu <3

A Tiny Bit Of Jealousy {Mu Qing}

A/n: thank you for requesting and I hope you like the outcome. I just wanted to say that a) I am lowkey loving this coloured layout since the photo is for the tgcf manhua and b) I am still three books in tgcf so I am incredibly sorry if this isn't an indepth writing or if his character isn't fully accurate

Pairing: Mu Qing x gn!reader

Trigger warnings: jealousy

You never realised how and when you got in a relationship with Mu Qing and there had been times when you couldn't help but wonder and question the circumstances under which the relationship came to exist. Not in a bad way of course, never in a bad way. But when originally you thought Mu Qing was just not ready to open up to you yet, as the months and years passed by, you realised that he wasn't hiding anything from you.

It was on odd feeling, being with him. After meeting Xie Lian and Hua Cheng and witnessing some parts of their relationship you could say with great certainty that he wasn't as open with you as those two were with each other. He wasn't neglecting you but he wasn't all touchy either. He was just there and if you happened to want cuddles or kisses, you would have to ask.

On that note, he wasn't bad at picking up signs, especially when it came to you. He knew your reactions -he could predict them even-, your likes, your dislikes, your routine. He knew everything because you were open with him. And it went without saying that when it came to you, Mu Qing was an excellent listener. He could sit down and listen to you mumble about the latest gossip in the Heavenly Realm for hours. Did he care? No. But you were the one talking so he would listen to you even if his ears somehow disappear.

Naturally, he also knew every single one of your friends in the Heavenly Realm; and the ones you didn't like that much.

And god he was jealous.

He was jealous of a very few selected people but not in the toxic way. He would never try and get you away from them since he knew that their and your intentions were pure but he couldn't help but envy the fact that they could give you something he thought he couldn't: a good and fun time.

In his mind, Mu Qing thought he was boring you and perhaps that was the only thing he had never been honest with you about. He could never easily laugh, express his feelings without being asked and most of the time he was a little too focused on his work.

And then the day he begged and prayed not to come actually came. He saw you laughing with another god. Now, on the surface there was nothing wrong with it. He had seen you laugh at something another god or goddess had said a million times and it never bothered him.

But this god was Feng Xin.

"Hey!" Your melodic voice echoed around the room as you walked through the pink silk curtains. You didn't have to ask, it was as clear as day that there was something wrong with him. And you didn't have to ask what was wrong either since when the two of you started dating you made a silent agreement: Mu Qing would always tell you in his own time what was wrong.

"Hello." He responded gruffly.

"I just came to check in since I have to do some paperwork." You walked up to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek; a kiss to which he didn't react. "Oh! Feng Xin-"

"Don't ever say that name again!"

His tone was harsh and angry but he didn't raise his voice. Him pulling away was enough to realise that most probably you had said something wrong.

"We'll talk later," was all you said and walked away.

Mu Qing sighed and sat back down at the soft pillow on the floor, closing his eyes. You hadn't done anything wrong, that small part of his brain that could think clearly said so. Laughing and talking with Feng Xin was okay. Not once had Mu Qing thought about controlling you and he would rather die than do it. But it felt like a betrayal of some kind. You knew about his bad relationship with Feng Xin so why on earth did you have to bring him up?

Though if he had to be completely honest with himself... it wasn't the fact that he and Feng Xin were practically enemies that made him angry. It was the fact that not once had he made you laugh like that. He wanted to hear that unique sound he had never heard before once again with all his heart but he didn't want it if he wasn't the one causing it. What good was a partner who didn't make you laugh with all your heart?

"I am sorry," he whispered. He had gathered the courage and later that day, at night to be precise, he had walked all the way to your palace just to apologise. You didn't deserve someone who was as petty as him and he knew it but he needed you.

"I know," you whispered back and took that one step, closing the distance between the two of you with a hug. "You always say things you don't mean when you're angry."

In an ideal world, he would have preferred it if you didn't comment on it. But you did and the truth hurt a little but he deserved it.

Gently, he wrapped his arms around you and placed a soft kiss on your temple. "Should I make up for it? What did that bastard want?"

"You know... I am pretty sure that if I tell you, you'll get angry again."

[web-novel-polls]

Best Hater Upper Bracket

Please vote for whoever’s best at being a hater, not who you like the most. If unfamiliar with a character, check out the propaganda below the cut! 

Hua Cheng from Heaven Official’s Blessing (TGCF)

Submission: Treats nearly everyone that isn't Xie Lian with derision

Wiki Link

Additional Propaganda: 

bro challenged 35 gods and killed 33 of them because they spoke ill of the guy he loves he held onto a grudge against one dude for not letting him join the army for over 800 years he ascended to heaven as a god, looked around at the other gods, went "ew" and JUMPED BACK DOWN

Shen Jiu / Original Shen Qingqiu from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving 

"Even if all of this could be redone from the beginning, in the end, the conclusion would remain the same. My heart is full of malice, my insides hatred and resentment. Today, Luo Binghe wishes for me to die horribly, and I only have myself to blame." - Shen Jiu, The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Volume 4: Chapter 24 (Reddit 1, 2)

Submission: Both the Shen Qingqius are haters just in very different ways 

Mod Propaganda: The Scum Villain that beefed with a 14-year-old out of jealousy & tried to kill him. 

Wiki Link

[pockettgcf]

having some yin yu thoughts after seeing posts for huayin week and yin yu appreciation week

au where yin yu hates xie lian.

yin yu comes to start working for hua cheng to escape the eyes of heaven after the horrible Incident with quan yizhen. hua cheng tells him he's looking for someone, and yin yu agrees to help his new lord, of course. but then, yin yu starts to get the Xie Lian is Perfect stories. he listens to hua cheng describe xie lian. he listens to hua cheng declare his love and devotion over and over. he sees the paintings. he sees the statues. and jealousy burns inside him.

yin yu isn't worthy of such devotion. he knew he was Average (for a god) at best. he knew he shouldn't be jealous, but being so close to hua cheng and seeing this man spend CENTURIES searching for someone who may not even be alive anymore just makes yin yu's blood boil.

maybe it turns into huayin. yin yu wants to be someone's Perfect Someone. he doesn't imagine quan yizhen could ever think of him that way. hua cheng seems to be the only person in the world capable of such devotion, and yin yu could never live up to those standards, but by the gods, he wouldn't mind pretending behind closed doors. he offers to be the shoulder hua cheng cries on when his yearning for xie lian grows too strong in the night. he sits and listens to the same stories told over and over again. he offers small touches. small acts of affection. i'm here right now. i'm real. i'm in your arms. on your lap. at your feet. give ME attention. notice ME. love ME.

...i don't know where i'm going with this. anyway. bittersweet, slight angst huayin. happy huayin and yin yu appreciation weeks, everyone

[nyerus]

Hi! I would love to hear your thoughts about classism in TGCF, but specifically regarding XL. It surprised me to see people hating on XL for not knowing or doing better during his teenage years of luxury as the crown prince and making XL a complete villain because he didn't take down classism and restructure society despite still being a kid himself. It struck me as odd that the fandom is well aware of his 800 years in poverty but also not really addressing the fact that XL, too, is a victim of classism albeit a little different from someone like MQ.

Hi there! So sorry it's taken me this long to get to this ask, I've just been in sort of a funk for a few days haha.

But yeah, this is definitely a topic that comes up from time to time, with lots of discussion about. It surprises me that despite that, there are still people (maybe just newer fans? idk) who still hate on Xie Lian for his naive views as a 17yo. Especially since, despite being a naive 17yo, he still really wanted to help people less fortunate than himself. He didn't quite understand how to do this in the most effective ways (because he was a teenager), so it came off as somewhat patronizing as he was a person in a position of power compared to everyone else. Yet his desire to help people was genuine, and he didn't personally think of "common folk" as being any lesser than "royalty" -- even though in this case, there kind of literally was a difference. (E.g. when Lang Ying goes from being a commoner to a king, he gets a "kingly aura" that protects him!) So it's honestly kind of incredible that Xie Lian is willing to say things like "I think people are equal, even gods and humans, and if the Heavens disagree with me, then it's the Heavens that are wrong" with his entire heart.

I imagine a large part of the hate Xie Lian gets from certain fans is jealousy or resentment, due to the fact that Xie Lian was "born privileged." But on it's own, "privilege" is not "the great enemy" -- it's what said privilege means in the context of society, and what someone does/doesn't do with it that merits judgement. Xie Lian doesn't fully understand the privilege he had until he loses it (again: because he was 17!), but he still understood it enough to use it to protect and help people. That's more than many other characters can say. Him starting out as a prince doesn't automatically disqualify him from class struggles or the horrors of poverty. It's nonsensical to think so, when this is a character who literally spent almost 800 years busking for scraps, while sleeping in dirt outside and eating garbage….

On the flip side, as you mentioned Mu Qing -- yes, he was a victim of classism. But he's a very strange figure to use as the poster boy for that, though he often is by people who are critical of Xie Lian. This may be a controversial take, despite it being something I think that makes the character of Mu Qing really interesting: but he's a very "typical" guy within the concept of classism. He's someone who started off with a bad lot, but then ended up ascending to the highest point you pretty much can in that world/society. Which is great! He did that through hard work, and it paid off! But now, since he got his "happy ending," that's kind of it for him. He doesn't do anything to materially improve the lives of those less fortunate, especially those he has no personal connection with. This doesn't make him a bad person -- it's not really his job to that, even as a god. He's a martial god, so he's there to subdue threats and all that. Yet you can clearly see, that's exactly the type of person society values because such "rags to riches" stories give legitimacy to the whole system, and because they don't rock the boat once they're on top.

So then it's odd to be angry at Xie Lian but not Mu Qing (or others) for the lack of some "grand revolution" that some readers seem to want.

Ironically, Xie Lian used what power he had to try and help people -- and he was worse off for it. If he had done nothing, he would have been able to live a happy and carefree life. He would have lived and died as a rich prince/king with no troubles. Like, that's the point! The societies we live in punish those who want to broadly help others or make meaningful change, while rewarding those who quietly play the game for themselves -- because it helps keep the wheels turning. It doesn't matter at "what end" of the spectrum you start out on, the rules apply the same way. If you go against the establishment, there's a price to be paid.

Throughout Xie Lian's long journey, he learns this lesson the hard way. And the fact that in order to change it, he would somehow have to change the hearts and minds of pretty much everyone -- which is an impossible ask. How is he even supposed to that, or restructure society as a whole, without vast amounts of collateral damage? In the end, Xie Lian discovers that he was not wrong in his desire to help people, even if he cannot help everyone. He can still help people he meets in whatever ways he can, and that is still important. To show kindness, mercy, and empathy towards your fellow man is worth it. Helping your neighbors or complete strangers you meet once and then never again -- all that is still worth it.

I wish I had the time to sit down and really talk about this in a more organized way, but these disjointed thoughts are all I can manage at the moment! I hope it was still valuable to you in some way, and thank you for sending in the ask!

(Also, I recently reblogged a post that talked about something similar if you wanna check it out, Anon. It's right under the manhua highlights I think!)

[ladydostoevsky]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢'𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝐗𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐱 𝐌𝐞𝐢 𝐍𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐪𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 (𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝) 𝐬𝐨𝐧

Male!reader

W: novel spoilers, Xianle arc spoilers? Xie Lian past spoilers? Idk how much of a spoiler it is actually

The room is dark and foggy. You could smell the strong lotus and sandalwood aroma in the air. The dozens of candles around the room being the only light sources to the five people in the room. Mei y/n was kneeling on the floor before the Heavenly Emperor's, Jun Wu’s statue, praying before him with his three other friends like everyday, at the same time. He had his eyes closed, hands on his knees and mind in praying trance. His friends, Xie Lian, Mu Qing and Feng Xin weren't that concentrated. The three behind him kept opening their eyes and looking at y/n. Everytime Xie Lian heard Mei Nianqing, the head Guoshi of the Xianle Kingdom and Mei y/n's father, approaching he closed his eyes again and pretended to pray and meditate. Feng Xin and Mu Qing weren't that concerned about Mei Nianqing and secretly kept admiring his son. Sensing the two's distraction, behind them, Mei Nianqing slapped the back of their heads with his palm. Both whispered-yelled like from one mouth, "OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Xie Lian snickered beside them. Mei y/n bowed his head to the Heavenly Emperor's statue, signaling the others that he had thanked the god and had finished. He turned around to look at the other four men behind him, "I'm finished, Guoshi." The priest nodded, "very well. The lesson has ended. Go then you four, the rest of the day is free." All four thanked and bowed before him before leaving the room. Mei Nianqing shook his head, disappointed.

The four walked out of the Holy Royal Pavilion towards the cherry field, spending the rest of their day together. The Crown Prince and the son of the state preceptor walked at front, hands hooked together. They laughed about Feng Xin and Mu Qing getting scolded by Mei Nianqing, AGAIN. The latters walked behind them, leaving a respectful space between. They blushed and tried to defend themselves, also trying to hide their jealousy towards Xie Lian. They reached their usual relaxing place, a red cherry tree from which hung a simple swing. Mei y/n let go of Xie Lian's hand and ran towards the swing, hopping onto it. He started to move his legs gently, watching the others sit against the tree. They sat in silence for a moment, the swinging of the swing being the only sound. "Finally, some peace and quiet. Qi Rong has been a pain in the ass the whole day. Someday, I swear I'm going to snap," Mei y/n sighed. He had been Prince Xiao Jing's servant for years, appointed by his father. Only near Xie Lian and the other two he could address the young Prince so casually and actually talk ill about him. The other three didn't mind, rather they agreed with him. Xie Lian felt bad and sighted, "Don't worry, I'm going to 'talk' to him. I can't see you being tortured by him like that. I can ask Guoshi again to make you my servant, maybe he will allow this time?" Mei y/n hopped off the swing and sat between Mu Qing's legs, against his strong chest. The young boy blushed at it but didn't dare or want to push him away, he took a lock of his hair and started playing with it. Mei y/n smiled and closed his eyes, relaxing in the calming silence with his dear friends.