#xie lian's next i bet

[lovecraftiancicada]

Hua cheng! 🦋

Somehow he looks more refined than ever! Must be his inner robes

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[Link]

[biboomerangboi]

My friend was watching the show for the first time and they brought up a misconception that I think we see a lot in fandom. So I want to talk about The Gamblers Den and specifically this scene in particular:

My friend genuinely wondered what Hua Cheng would do and then when they heard his explanation they were even more confused:

They basically messaged me saying, wait Hua Cheng would have made the bet. He bets people’s lives and some how Xie Lian is okay with that. How???

And to anyone else who’s thinking the same thing or falling for the Demon King vibe Hua Cheng is trying to sell here I am here to tell you, you have all been duped.

What’s import to understand is that Ghost City actually came from making one of Xie Lian’s ideas work:

Xie Lian is talking about a specialised market here, a place where the common people couldn’t just stumble into without reason and that’s what Ghost City is and The Gambers Den is the foundation of it. While Xie Lian didn’t say hey go gamble, Hua Cheng is taking a risk and playing into his greatest strength and then showing of for his crush is the most dramatic way possible when talking about it.

For Hua Cheng the house always wins! Literally. Or at least what he wants the bet to be will always happen. His luck is just that good. If the gambler wins it’s genuinely because Hua Cheng let him.

In the Den he is acting as Judge and Jury with Xie Lian as his moral code but he can’t just turn down the deals. If he does then these people could go to less safe options (looking at you Qi Rong) to get what they desire which negates the reason he built Ghost City in the first place.

Hua Cheng has to let these people play by his rules if he wants to follow his Gods wishes. So he has to be creative and look at loop holes, phrasing and Xie Lians most important teaching finding the third path.

For this moment specifically giving the options I think Hua Cheng would have taken the 20 years of his daughter’s life. Why you may ask? Well the phrasing is easier to manipulate. While the eradication of his competitors is pretty well laid 20 years of his daughters life is pretty vague.

Option 1) Hua Cheng could take her away from her shit father and put her in an apprenticeship and marry a man of her choosing since her hand is now her own to decide since Hua Cheng doesn’t want it.

Option 2) She has to work in Ghost City for 20 years and is married to Yin Yu in name only (because Hua Cheng can’t have a wife at all or he won’t win Gege) then gets pleasantly divorced and giving a severance payment after 20 years.

Option 3) He could decide life is a vague term and after she dies she has to spend 20 years in Ghost City and matchmake a future marriage between her and another ghost.

Option 4) He could decide what she has to do with the next twenty years of her life which could include an actual good marriage and education. Where she has to worship his shrine and be only his devotee for 20 years.

Option 5) He can literally say I’ll collect when I decide and never cash in.

He can do anything because the wording is so fluent and for Hua Cheng debater and Civil God Killer it’s probably easy. He’s not a demon king, he’s a crafty trickster spirit basically a fae lord.

He’s playing the system and he’s winning that’s what Xie Lian figured out and why he supports it. He knows Hua Cheng well enough even back then to trust that he would make the right decision because he believes in Hua Cheng and he’s right too.

[totallynotsloughjykk]

xie lian through-out the books: wow. san lang is so husband material actually. he'd be the best husband in the world. I bet everyone wants to marry him and wake up next to him every day to see his handsome face xie lian: not me though haha

[bingqiuhateabortion]

I love Xie Lian in his flower crowned prince parade outfit post canon as much as the next guy until i remember that it's supposed to be Jun Wu cosplay. Anyways i think it represents very different things to Hua Cheng and Xie Lian bc i bet hc dgaf who the fuck jw was at 9 but he did fall from that wall right

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter Four

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.

I have been obsessed with the masala chai kit my partner got me for Christmas, so I'm back with the chai today; it's just so creamy and spicy, I love it.

I will give a heads up now that I am not sure if I will have chapters this weekend. My partner and I are going up to visit her family and I don't think I'll have the time to read and post. So lots of advanced warning there will be a small gap in posts later this week!

Let's go chapter 4!

These titles are getting to me; so long. I mean, they are very accurate, but so wordy LOL.

This is so funny. Xiao-Ying: I'm a real person! I put you (Xie Lian) in drag! Everyone else: what an abnormal man with queer hobbies. p104

This is so annoying. they literally told these fools explicitly NOT to do one thing. I do hope Xiao-Pengtou dies because OMG, the audacity of this man. p105

and now this guy wants to profit off of the bride's deaths. So shameful! p107

barf, barf, barf. Now they are ranking the DEAD women's looks and daring each other to assault to corpses. Ew. Why are cis straight men. p108

Oh. I've made it to the forest of hanging corpses. Love that. p110

I love how chill they are seeing the corpse forest. like, "ah, that's the Green Ghost, he likes corpse forests. He's just about a supreme. Better leave him be." p110

The ANTICIPATION! The fact that Fu Yao is scared of the butterflies. WHAT ARE YOU?!?!??! p112.

My heart for this bandaged boy! I don't know who he is, but he feels like a bullied little guy and I just want to hug him and make him soup. p114

Good. They finally shut Xiao-Pengtou up. p115

This is like a fuck-ton of powerful entities on this mountain. We've got a wrath level, near supreme, and then butterfly boy who isn't even on the level system he's so powerful. What karma does town owe, like damn! p117

and the Ghost Groom was there the whole time! Sneaky bride #18 p118

What a sweet boy; Xie Lian apologizing to the corpse bride's before having them fight each other p120

Xiao-Ying is too nice! I would have just left Xiao-Pengtou where he was. fuck that guy. p121

Xia-Lian really showing up to work with his auto-pilot customer service voice, "Thank you, thank you. Please support my act with money if you have the means, or with applause if you haven't...what?!" p122

ofc the spiritual energy runs out when you are about to get the most important bit of information. p124

oh man. I kind of feel bad for the Ghost Bride. Her shitty story and cheating lover. That's a rough go. p126

This is what I'm saying! They should not have saved Xiao-Pengtou. Look at the problems this vile man is causing now. p129

I'm not even going to give xiao-pengtou an RIP. He was the worst kind of person. He got the day he deserved. p130.

Rouye out here literally doing the Lord's work. Bless that feisty string for saving our boys life again. p132

Fuck. I'm crying about Xiao-Ying. Damnit. I knew she was going to die because I liked her character. :((((( p134

OMG. Two General Pei's . 137

Okay I take everythign back about the Ghost Bride. She's so dramatic LOL. She even broke her own legs too??? Dang. What an intense woman. p139

Another cliff hanger! My next bet is that maybe the bandage boy is the Green Ghost????? p143 (don't actually tell me lol).

RIP My Girl

This was a banger of a chapter. I am so sad about Xiao-Ying though, I really liked her headstrong character.

Also in this chapter; if I had taken a shot for every time I had murder thoughts about XIao-Pengtou I would have surely been deceased. Glad that death happened though. Big oof on the most unlikeable character since Jin Guangshit.

[shadowgale96]

Little Moments in S2E2 of Heaven Official's Blessing

San Lang's jewelry sparkling when he's amused (?) by something. This one happens when the ghost gambling bets his daughters life. Reminds me of an anime glasses character's glass shine. this happens several times through the episode and is usually accompanied by a high pitched metallic sound. Like the chime of a sword unsheathing.

The green deer demon girl is adorable. Loving the frog man too.

The wind master genderbending back into a man after being dragged to a ghost spa with the undead women and freaking out about what kinda of products they used on his precious skin.

Xie Lian physically grabbing the wind master to keep him from slipping away to find a mirror. You're on a potentially life or death mission my guy. Bring a compact mirror on your next adventure. Fast thinking on an excuse by Xie Lian though!

This guy having zero points in stealth on a mission that the emperor himself said must be handled discreetly to avoid conflict with the ghost realm.

I love how they both panic, than immediately accept Qianqiu's imminent death at Hua Cheng's hand after he continues to insult the man in his own establishment.

'This place of mine is meant for revelry. If you don't want to take the path to heaven, and break into hell, what else can you do?' Hua Cheng revealing that he knew who they were already. Which isn't surprising because they all stand out enough as is, even if his husband wasn't with them and standing within within eyesight.

Respecting the demons/ghosts for calling out Qianqiu when he said they're lacking humanity and decency. Like 'Bruh, We are literally NOT human. We don't share you're morals or sense of decency at all. Just let us live our lives.' Like, I'm actually in agreement with them.

Getting into an air bender battle, while San Lang is barely flicking his wrist at him. I like how San Lang crushes the table and sends the shards flying at him. Showing he could easily impale Qianqiu before pulling him up at the last moment. It felt like San Lang was trying to teach him. He might have recognized that Qianqiu was young and foolish, but was trying to do good. So San Lang warns him by showing him what could happen if he keeps running his mouth without knowing who he's threatening. That or he decided not to dice Qianqiu because Xie Lian was watching... could go either way

HuaLian having a tender moment looking into each other's eyes while everyone waits downstairs confused.

San Lang 100% offered Qianqiu as a prize to give Xie Lian the chance to help him and Him the chance to hold hands with Xie Lian X'D

We hear that metallic chime noise again here. I think San Lang gave Xie Lian some of is luck here. San Lang also holds Xie Lian's hands on the final round too when Xie Lian rolled two 6's and wins.

Everyone's reaction to San Lang calling Xie Lian 'Gege'. Qingxuan is curious and confused. Qianqiu looks shocked and a little embarrassed. and the grandma Pleakley looking demon's head falls off their body.

San Lang telepathically ordering his assistant to have everyone STFU while he's playing with Xie Lian.

Wind Master Qingxuan pelting Qianqiu with his fan for continuing to run his mouth.

San Lang being completely smitten with Xie Lian as he drops a man from the ceiling

Xie Lian making Qianqiu shut his mouth. Dude BE QUIET! They JUST saved you.

It was incredibly sweet how when San Lang approaches Xie Lian asking for the bet he's owed, Qianqiu steps between them and holds his arm out to protect Xie Lian from who he perceives to be a threat. Qianqiu knows he wouldn't win, but he moves to protect Xie Lian anyway. He's so foolish but so brave.

San Lang would eat stale pringles off the floor if Gege touched them,

Prince being to good for his own good again by telling Xie Lian not to lie to Hua Cheng. Despite himself not liking him at all for treating him like a pinata prize in front of everyone.

This was a very cute episode and there were so many enjoyable moments.

[marizch]

just have been here imagining a tgcf band au...

in my mind the main point would be the rock band "ghost city", with hua cheng as its lead singer, composer and guitarist; he xuan as bassist; and yin yu as manager and drummer. of course it was hua cheng's idea to start it and the other two were dragged by him. btw, yin yu might be overworked as usual, handling the bureaucratic and financial situations that involve the band, while he xuan also works as an actor (from where he knows shi qingxuan), but he lost a bet to hua cheng and now have to play with them.

on the other hand we have xie lian. he also used to be part of the music industry, maybe playing classical instruments in the same group as mu qing and feng xin. but after a lot of things went down, they’ve decided to quit it and follow their own paths, maintaining little contact. I can imagine him working in a flower shop now, but still enjoying music very passionately, looking for new bands and stuff, which leads him to being a fan of the upcoming success group, “ghost city”. he's also a longtime friend with shi qingxuan, who's an actress. one day she invites him to go to a show of that band he likes, because her work-colleague, who happens to be a member of it, gave her two tickets, and xie lian gladly accepts.

now thinking about the connection between xie lian and hua cheng. in his best days as a musician, xie lian could have founded a project to bring musical education to children and teenagers in need. that’s how he met hua cheng, a shy teenager wearing an eyepatch, who was very interested in his lessons and showed great potential, gaining his teacher's affection. 

xie lian had many students, as well as volunteers helping with the project, so it would be hard for him to recognise someone after all these years, especially when the person in question has changed so much. however, hua cheng never forgot the man who got him into music, gave him his first guitar and has been his inspiration since then. so it's a big surprise to him when,  after a show, xie lian and shi qingxuan meet the band in the back stages due to he xuan’s invitation.

xie lian also gets very surprised when the enchanting leader of the band shows to recognize him from his years as a classical musician, something that hasn't happened in quite a while, demonstrating also great knowledge about music in general. he doesn’t say anything about their past, but they get along well together since the beginning, to a point in which hua cheng insists that xie lian should open an exception for them and help them produce their next album. although being honored by the idea, the former musician asks for some time to think about it, they exchange numbers and decide to keep in touch no matter the decision. anyway, after some reluctance due to past traumas, shi qingxuan excitedly encourages him, and he decides to accept the offer. so he starts working with them almost daily, while keeping working in the flower shop half shift.

(another detail i think might be funny is that qi rong also auditioned to be part of “ghost city” at some point, but was rejected. since then, he has been working as a metal singer, and he consideres himself a rival to the band, although they never really cared about his attacks - and his music isn't even that good.)

[volann]

Everyone in tgcf is a foil character

Part 4: Fangxin guoshi arc

(pt 1; pt 2; pt 3)

I would love to write about the less significant characters first, but we only know about Lang Qianqiu’s parents and An Le from other people’s words, so analysing them based on that would go against everything this book stands for. There also isn’t enough for me to go from in the novel and I’m not taking the donghua into account here. I also think it’s too early to write about Qi Rong, and I already wrote that I don’t want to compare a character to himself – Xie Lian and Fangxin guoshi in this case. Although I think I should mention that the whole idea of choosing who should live and who should die is present here too – Xie Lian as Fangxin guoshi sacrifices Lang Qianqiu’s father's life in order to save the people of Xianle. And his technique of stopping two swords by taking all the damage upon himself perfectly highlights Xie Lian’s problem-solving method of self-sacrifice. The flashback of talking to Lang Qianqiu as Fangxin guoshi overall connects to Xie Lian’s actions in the past, especially the “Maybe he shouldn’t have intervened from the start” must’ve hurt, but that seems pretty obvious and is getting me even further from the topic of this post.

Well, now Lang Qianqiu is the only one left. However, he’s also one of the most obvious and well-known foils and a lot of people have already compared him to Xie Lian. I don’t really know what I can add to that, especially considering that I’m writing these as I reread the book because I can’t rely on my memory – this means that I haven’t reread the flashbacks yet, and Lang Qianqiu before the whole revelation about his parents’ death is more similar to Xie Lian in the 2nd book. So I can’t go into too much detail. But what I can do for now is point out the times when the text directly compares them or puts them in the same situation, and we’ll see what I can add from there.

Let’s begin with Lang Qianqiu’s first appearance in the Gambler’s Den. Xie Lian hears the bet, realises it’s wrong and debates “whether he should cast some small trick”. Lang Qianqiu also realises it’s wrong, but he actually steps in right away, breaks the cup, the man’s hand and the table and causes problems, mainly for himself. Xie Lian from book 2 is also infamous for getting into trouble for doing the right thing, like catching a kid during a very important ceremony, but this scene in particular shows how different they are in the present, with Xie Lian being less straight-forward, and also less straight-forward than he himself was in his youth.

Next, here’s an excerpt from ch 44:

“At this sight, Hua Cheng laughed out loud, closed his fan, and tossed it away behind him.

“Are the heavenly officials so pathetically poor that once they see gold, they can’t let it go?”

If those words were directed at Xie Lian, he would have pretended not to hear them. But they were directed at Lang Qiangqiu, a noble born of royalty. He hadn’t cared for riches his entire life, and although he knew the enemy was intentionally taunting him, he was still provoked into a boiling rage.”

This paragraph kinda does the job for me. Pretty sure the difference is caused by Xie Lian being used to hearing insults.

Lang Qianqiu at some point thinks that Xie Lian’s motivation was to ruin his life the same way Xie Lian’s life was ruined, and Lang Qianqiu says he will never be the same as Xie Lian. He basically describes Bai Wuxian’s motives and methods here, not Xie Lian’s. And in these situations the similarity between the two is the desire to never be like their mentor (or the person who really wants to be their mentor? I’m not confident enough right now about Bai Wuxian’s exact actions to state that with 100% accuracy, but I’ll probably return to this when I analise him. Or maybe I won’t bc he’s also one of the most obvious foils, idk).

In ch 53, Qi Rong says this about Lang QianQiu: “What a whiny crybaby, just like my saintly cousin was once upon a time!” I don’t have anything to add to that bc I can’t remember a situation that would show Xie Lian being a whiny crybaby, but let’s uuugh trust Qi Rong on this one? Taking into account that his definition of a whiny crybaby is probably different from mine, I don’t think crying over your parents’ unjust death is enough to be called that.

Those are all the examples I could find. Now, do you really need me to tell you that Lang Qianqiu before finding out the truth is as naive and straight-forward as Xie Lian was before the fall of Xianle? That their worldview was very black and white? Or that they both had secretly immortal guoshis that introduced them to a variant of the trolley problem? Or that they experienced a traumatic event at 17? Or that after seeing how unfair, cruel and complicated the world is, they both became violent and seeked revenge? Well, now it’s important to highlight the difference: for better or for worse, Xie Lian managed to protect Lang Qianqiu from the mentioned above complexity of the world, at least for several hundreds of years, which is the reason why they act differently in the present.

I won’t go into more detail because, again, other people already did, although I might come back to him when he appears in the book again. I think that’s all I wanted to say about these arcs? I feel like this isn’t much, but I did write down a lot for the future parts Scratch that, I just saw that this part (please pretend that is the longest one yet, wow. Anyway, hopefully the next part won’t take as much time… Meanwhile, thank you for your time and attention!

[violetgarlends]

Just imagine how happy and proud Feng Xin was when Xie Ying was born. Months of struggling to carry her, her being overdue, worrying if he’s going to be able to love this child like they deserve and taking an entire day to come out while his stressful husband hovered next to him and his secret lover on the other side trying to comfort him without being suspicious.

And she is handed to him, loud, kicking and healthy. And he knows that he would gladly die for her if need be. Even Xie Lian was distracted from his anger at FX for trying to keep the news of his labor from him and softened by her. They’re both besotted with her and FX risks a glance at a disguised MQ to see the same love for her in his eyes and knows his daughter will be cherished.

I'm imagining it so hard this is awesome

Xie Ying being overdue feels so right. I can't even explain why. I just know it in my soul as the truth. Also her keeping Feng Xin in labor for so long. Maybe even longer than a day. Poor Feng Xin. I bet he was in a whole lot of pain the whole time they were waiting for her to come out

Feng Xin worrying about if he'll be able to love his daughter the way she deserves makes me so sad 😭😭😭 but it makes so much sense too!!! Especially when he's stuck in this terrible situation with Xie Lian. My poor baby (I am enjoying it so much)

I bet he doesn't have to worry about her not crying though. She's probably so loud as soon as she's out. And will continue to be. Just constantly screaming her tiny little baby lungs out. This does not stop any of the Xianle trio from absolutely adoring her as soon as they see her.

[hua-cheng-silver-wrath]

Never the one to drag things or to beat around the bushes, the Ghost King had no patience for mortals or heavenly officials unless it was Xie Lian in question. But...this time he will make an exception. Why? Who can tell?? Who could explain it, his behavior was always unpredictable depending heavily on his mood. A child born under the Star of Solitude, destined to doom everyone around himself.

But now there is a new opportunity, a new adventure brewing in the land of the rising sun and he won't miss it. Once again he changed his physical appearance. Now instead of a grown man, Sakura was next to a boy, some eighteen years old. A bit taller than her with hair tied in a croaked tail. Two bright black eyes looked at Sakura meeting her green eyes. Again clad in red as his name says Crimson Red Sought Flower. When he spoke his voice was the one of a cheerful youth.

"I bet you could not imagine. But you would be surprised to see that people not people but mortals, ghosts, or gods are ready to sell to get what they want. After all, some see Ghost City as hell. After all my domain is still on the plane of the living parted by only a thin veil that part living from dead."

His pale fingers ran over the table till between his fingers were two red dice. This was his secret yet very effective way to travel. The teleportation array was tied to his dice, so instead of going through trouble to draw the array every single time he cheated.

"Do you know what traveling or teleport array is? It's similar to what those men used to get here, they had scrolls I have my dice. Each number takes you to a different place, there is an endless combination. And we want to travel to your birthplace. So if I toss the right number...."

And naturally, he tossed the right number after all he was the master of this domain and the only one knowing combinations, it was like magic in a blink of an eye. Hua Cheng led Sakura through the door but instead of entering another chamber or getting out of Gambler's den....The door opened to the planes of Konoha they were on the top of Hokage Mountain.

"Welcome home Sakura Haruno" He chuckled standing next to her.

“R-right now?”

Sakura didn’t expect them to act so suddenly but she stood up with him, then glanced down at the bracelet on her wrist. The thing that contained her ashes. She shivered at the thought of them being destroyed. Her no longer existing. She wasn’t going to let that happen. Or try not to. She didn’t know what things she’ll face here. It was a whole new world and everything she knew was pointless now. Now she had new powers to learn and train with. Chakra was no longer something she could rely on.

She stuck close to Hua Cheng, especially once they stepped out of the manor. Sakura still didn’t trust this world. Still worried something was going to pop up and end her at any moment. She felt safe next to him, “The Gambler’s Den?” Sakura looked up at him with confusion, unsure as to why they had to go through such a place to get to the human world. Gambling made her feel a level of nostalgia for her teacher. Who had a terrible addiction to gambling. Then a pang of sadness went through her knowing she would never be able to enjoy the company of her teacher again. She was dead. And she didn’t want to show her face. Ashamed that she was killed off so easily. Killed by some pathetic bandits and failed her mission.

“I couldn’t imagine selling my soul for something so meaningless…”

He made it seem so normal that people would just gamble or sell away something so important. She hoped she never did anything so dumb. When they reached the gambling den, Sakura’s eyes went wide. It was an impressive but intimidating place. The signs were a little hard to read but they didn’t exactly make this place seem very welcoming. At the very least, the place was empty that night. She didn’t have to feel threatened and overwhelmed by all the activity. Her eyes scanned the area as they walked through. The place was huge! She could imagine this place got pretty packed when it was running. Personally, she was never much of a fan of gambling. Even if she was good at it. Or more, good at cheating. Sakura would memorize the backs of cards and know exactly what each player was dealing with. And then she would know what kind of hand to play. It was as easy as that. If only Tsunade figured that out. She’d stop losing so much. But Sakura also had a near photographic memory. All she had to do was see something once to completely remember it. Maybe that sort of talent will be of use here too.

Sakura looked at the table they stopped at curiously. It didn’t look very special, besides its shape that made it stand out amongst the other tables, “Why did we have to come here to get to the human world? Is this place connected to it in some way?” Her pretty green eyes lifted from the table to his face curiously. Wondering how this table played a part in this.

@hua-cheng-silver-wrath

[huaenrose]

the ghost king's blessing; a tgcf and mdzs crossover headcanon.

on one of the rare times that xie lian came home early from work, there was time to watch her husband administering bets in the gambler's den.

on that fateful day, a man proposed a bet that was at least peculiar: his request was not for riches or fame, it was for a piece of the ghost king's sleeve. there was clearly a thinly-veiled joke behind the request, one that made hua cheng's lips lift into a smirk that sent a shudder through all the ghosts present, but not the daring punter, who was smirking just as slyly.

at that moment, xie lian finally took a second look at the man dressed in black and red. he has heard his name among the ghosts many times: wei wuxian, the yiling patriarch. the man seemed to have been someone important in life, but many idiots had been too, so xie lian hadn't given him much attention until now. he had to admit, the man at least had a sense of humor.

in the time it took for hua cheng to cut a piece from one of the sleeves of his own crimson robes and place it in the center of the betting table between them, the god noticed that wei wuxian was talking nonstop, as if intending to distract the ghost king from his game, or as if, for some reason, he actually felt comfortable babbling about himself in the other's presence.

xie lian thought the first option was more reasonable, but anyway, hua cheng got the upper hand, as expected.

the ghost king stared at the loser with such amusement that he genuinely looked like he'd never won a bet before, touching his slender fingers to the crimson fabric smugly, as if every second of victory was a delight.

however, before crimson rang crimson, a young man's voice flooded into the gambler's den filled with cultivation, making everyone's eyes turn to the ceiling: it sounded like some kind of rare spirit summoning, as strange as genius.

a surprise sound came from wei wuxian's lips preceded the disappearance of his spirit before the eyes of everyone present.

it took a few seconds for everyone to understand that the patriarch had disappeared. it took a few more minutes for them to understand that he had taken hua cheng's cut sleeve with him. it took a few days for them to understand why he disappeared, and most never even managed to do so. the crowd erupted in protests at wei wuxian's cheating, but fell silent immediately at the ghost king's laughter, which was so genuine it bordered on a laugh.

“I craved fun, and I really did,” he declared and nodded with his characteristic nonchalance, “I already have a red ribbon on my finger. so he needs this good more than I do.”

and when hua cheng said he hoped never to see wei wuxian again in the ghost city before calling the next punter, it sounded as tyrannical as it could be, but xie lian knew hua cheng like no one else, and he noted the sincerity contained in the words, realizing that he heard something in the story told by the other man that reminded him of his own wish out of protecting his loved one, or perhaps of xie lian's desire to help the common people, or perhaps both, which is why the yiling patriarch seemed worthy of his favor.

in his new body, it took some time for wei wuxian to notice the piece of fabric that, just for fun, his fingers held so tightly that it did not break even with his crossing from the world of the deads to the world of the livings. he unrolled the double layer of cloth over his fingers and watched a crimson ribbon come into view: it was as red as blood.

he thought that, just as the story was told by those who survived, blood was only seen as a symbol of death because its shedding caused the loss of life, which is why, in fact, blood was a symbol of life. so, by tying that red ribbon in the hair that framed his new face, he was off to his new chance.

the red ribbon swaying down his back contrasted with his black hair and robes, possessing the attention of all who saw him even from afar: it was the ghost king's blessing, shining like the flame of 3.000 lanterns in the darkest night, but leading straight to the one with the icy cold features, drawing the one who promised to always be where the chaos was to the one who was said to be chaos personified.

just a little bit of fate and then the rest would depend on how brave they were.

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes.

Danny Phantom

Danien by artistfingers (NOTE: Technically a comic, but so cute!!)

Part 1 of Undercover Phantom AU

Vlad’s newest bit of tech revokes Danny’s ability to shift out of ghost mode, and he subsequently makes some new friends.

(Otherwise known as, “I heard you like hidden identities, so I gave your hidden identity a hidden identity”)

Undercover Phantom AU: a No One Knows AU featuring lots of silliness and maybe sometimes a little angst, focusing primarily on the newfound friendship between Phantom, Tucker, Sam… and Fenton. An ongoing webcomic, originally posted on tumblr!

TGCF

The Bride Selection by trufflehargau

Xie Lian held up the flyer, and squinted at it through the eye-holes of his mask. Beneath the words ‘Join the Selection! Be the Ghost King’s Bride!’ the sweeping eaves rendered in wobbly black ink matched the silhouette of the building in the distance. Paradise Manor. The Ghost King’s home.

(The Princess and the Pea retelling? Set before the events of the novel. The Ghost King of Paradise Manor is selecting a bride. Xie Lian doesn't really know what he's doing there.)

To see the next part of the dream by goodbye_blue

“I’m sorry Gege, I’m just a bit surprised. Let me make sure I am understanding this correctly,” he said, taking half a step forward. “You are real and also asleep. I am also real, and not a figment of your imagination. We are both real, and asleep, and dreaming the same dream right now.”

Xie Lian shrugged. “It looks like it.”

(When Xie Lian gets hit by a curse, he winds up sharing his dreams with a certain ghost king who would very much like to know where he is in real life.)

SVSSS

open my lungs to let you in by ghostybreads

Shen Qingqiu had a secret. So, naturally, it was only a matter of time before he was hit by a truth serum wife plot. (“How are you?” “Horny. Kind of want Binghe to rail me, I guess. But it’s manageable.” Liu Qingge’s hand on his forehead froze, and he was close enough that Shen Qingqiu could hear his breathing stop. He stared back expressionlessly, the mortification distantly crawling up the back of his neck. Honest One-Horned– The frustrated scream that he usually vented in his head, came out straight from mouth. “aaAAAAAHHHH GODDAMNIT AIRPLANE–”)

Keeping Secrets a.k.a HOT CULTIVATOR IMBIBES TRUTH POLLEN AND DIES (of mortification) (not clickbait) by cinnamonsnaps

"I bet you would beg," Shen Qingqiu said with a snort, letting his eye slide shut. The following silence was somehow remarkably loud. He cracked his eye open again. Luo Binghe was staring at him, face flushed red, hands frozen on Shen Qingqiu's ankle. "... shizun?" (Shen Qingqiu gets forced to tell the truth about a lot of things, unfortunately.)

Star Wars

All the Shadows We Bestow by ShyOwl (NOTE: While I love some dark SW content, I know a lot of people don't. This tone might put some people off)

Luke was born with a shadow over his soul. He was not simply the Chosen One, but a child of a prophecy who is doomed to soil the hearts of those who love him; a harbinger of a new Dark order and authority. He has done everything he can to keep people from becoming poisoned, to avoid his role as this blight, but there is no escaping destiny…and there is no escaping the love Luke has sparked in the galaxy. No matter how desperate or hard he tries.

Clone Wars

a soul that's born in cold and rain/knows sunlight by Killbothtwins

Part 2 of the massive machinery of hope

Obi-Wan Kenobi, time traveler, finds trouble once again when he and Qui-Gon are called to Mandalore— but not THAT Mandalore mission. This one involves still pretending to see the future, babies, a slavery ring, and bothering even more people into becoming his friend. As usual, Obi-Wan drags everyone else along for the ride, including some interesting allies.

[disastermages]

so I saw this post and my brain went jyl ascends au, but make it a tgcf crossover

--

“Excuse me, Your Highness,” The voice that calls out to Xie Lian isn’t one he’s heard before, nor does he recognize the young woman as he turns around to face her, though nervousness is plain on her face as she regards him carefully.

Truly, Xie Lian wasn’t planning on staying long in the heavenly realm, who knows what messes Qi Rong could make even while tied up, but he still smiles and waits for the young woman to speak, “Have we met before?”

“We haven’t,” The young woman shakes her head before extending a quick curtsey, “I ascended a few years before you, my name is Jiang Yanli.” Xie Lian wonders which ascension Jiang Yanli is referring to, but he knows better than to ask, it wouldn’t help much anyway. Old officials were being replaced with newer gods every so often, Xie Lian never planned to keep up. 

For a long, long moment, Jiang Yanli shifts her weight back and forth, her fingers wound tight in her own pink sleeves as she looks at Xie Lian. “My apologies, Your Highness, someone at the Palace of Ling Wen told me that you spent much of your time wandering the world before your ascension. I only meant to ask if you’d run into someone during your travels.” Jiang Yanli speaks slowly, taking her time with words and sounds, and it’s then that Xie Lian notices the scar at her throat. Swallowing, Jiang Yanli pushes herself further, her knuckles nearly white now. “I also heard from fellow officials that you’re familiar with Crimson Rain Sought Flower and his Ghost City.”

Xie Lian doesn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Where had she heard all of this? Xie Lian doubts she means any harm by it, but guilt and worry both stain Jiang Yanli’s face equally. 

“Could Miss Jiang tell me who she’s looking for?” Miss had to be a safe bet, didn’t it? Xie Lian hadn’t heard about any princesses or queens ascending lately.

“My younger brother, A-Xian-- Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Yanli answers readily, one hand reaching up to her throat, “He might’ve told you that his name is Yuandao because he likes to play tricks. He has a smiling face. He died just after I ascended, but I haven’t been able to locate his spirit at all.” 

The name Wei Wuxian sounds familiar, but Xie Lian can’t place it, nor can he remember meeting a Yuandao during his travels, but he isn’t prepared for the disappointment that spreads over Jiang Yanli’s face as he shakes his head. “Is there a possibility that your younger brother’s spirit has moved on already?” It feels too intimate to ask, but there’s no avoiding it.

“A-Xian didn’t have the nicest death.” Jiang Yanli answers him sadly, “I’m sorry for taking up so much of Your Highness’ time.” Jiang Yanli curtseys again and turns to leave, her hand still at her throat. Xie Lian doesn’t know why he does it, but the words are already out of his mouth.

He promises to tell Jiang Yanli if he hears anything or sees anything about her younger brother the next time he visits the heavenly realm.

[southernwindsarrow]

Fengqing 19: Amnesia

on AO3 as a reconstruction of our past

_____________________

​​​​​The ground was shaking. 

General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen were in battle again, a common occurrence for centuries that no one paid heed to unless they were betting for merits.

Heavenly officials within the vicinity of the fight hurried out of the area. Everyone knew that getting caught up in the fierce confrontations between the two gods could result in serious injury.

Quan Yi Zhen once tried to join the fighting and ended up with five broken ribs, while General Ming Guang once received a black eye from trying to stop them.

_____________________

“What the fuck did you say?”

“I said, Crimson Rain’s chicken scrawl handwriting is more legible than yours, you lumbering oaf,” Mu Qing sneered as he wiped the blood off the sides of his mouth. 

“You,” It was too much for Feng Xin. "You fucking....," It was one thing to claim his writing was terrible; it was another to declare it was worse than Crimson Rain's. The ghost king may be one of the most powerful beings in all three realms, but his calligraphy abilities were those of a child who couldn't grasp a brush. 

Feng Xin fumed at the thought. His mediocre calligraphy skills were at least a hundred times better than the scribbles on the walls of Gambler’s Den. It must be. 

Outraged, he lunges forward and delivers a powerful punch to Mu Qing’s face.

A loud resounding crack could be heard on impact from the heavenly capital's main street, the next street, and the street beyond that.

Mu Qing took a step back; his cheeks flushed and swelled fast as he felt the scorching strike of the punch. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the god facing him.

And then, he fell face-first into the ground.

“Mu Qing?” 

There was no response from the fallen god. 

Still in his battle stance, Feng Xin rushed to the side of his immobile opponent, "Fuck."

He hoisted the unconscious god over his shoulder and carried him back to Xuan Zhen Palace.

_____________________

Ling Wen, Xie Lian, and Feng Xin had taken turns watching over Mu Qing in his bed chambers as they waited for him to wake up, and all three of them were by his side when he stirred from his sleep. 

Feng Xin watches from the edge of Mu Qing's bed as the unconscious god slowly awakens, relieved to find that Mu Qing is seemingly fine, physically, at least. Despite his apparent disdain for him, he did not want to be responsible for his death. 

He didn't hate him that much.

"General Xuan Zhen, how are you feeling?" Ling Wen asks politely.

Mu Qing tightened the strings of his robes as he sat up, looking somewhat disoriented and puzzled at the presence of the three intruders in his room. "My head hurts a little," he replies with a trace of annoyance in his voice.

"As it should. You've suffered a heavy blow to the head and been unconscious for almost two days," the literature god explained casually as she pulled out a scroll from her sleeve and glanced at it. "And caused 8,000,000,000 worth of damages in merits," she remarked as she sharply shifted her gaze to Feng Xin. 

Feng Xin looks away and pretends not to notice. But between him and Mu Qing, he’s convinced their fights over the centuries have amassed near-catastrophic levels of damage to the Heavenly Palace, second only to Jun Wu’s onslaught on the heavens.

Mu Qing looked across at Xie Lian, seated beside his desk, "Your highness?" Confusion marred his usually stoic face. 

"I'm glad you're awake now, Mu Qing. We were really worried,” the prince smiled, explaining that he came immediately after hearing about their battle and learning Mu Qing was unconscious.

Feng Xin averted his gaze, hoping Mu Qing wouldn't tell Xie Lian that the reason for their fistfight was because they were mocking each other’s and Xie Lian's husband's incorrigible handwriting. He couldn’t even recall how their argument started this time or when it escalated to Hua Cheng’s writing skills.

Mu Qing didn’t. Instead, he looks at Feng Xin disconcertingly and asks, "Who are you?"

Confused, Feng Xin's eyebrows furrowed in response, as did Ling Wen's and Xie Lian's.

"Don't fuck around, Mu Qing," Feng Xin snapped back at him. He leaned against the wooden post next to Mu Qing's bed, crossing his arms over his chest, “Bastard.”

A perplexed look crossed Mu Qing's face as he looked at the standing god.

The other gods waited in anticipation for his usual snide responses. General Xuan Zhen never gives General Nan Yang the final say. Everyone knew the two martial gods of the south thrived on their vicious cycles of squabbles. It was what landed them into this mess in the first place.

But Mu Qing remained silent, looking back at the three of them with cautious eyes as though afraid he would say the wrong thing.

"Something's not right," Xie Lian finally says. 

_____________________

After an hour of checking Mu Qing’s qi and meridian points, the doctors couldn’t pinpoint anything out of the ordinary. Besides the physical injuries he’s received, there’s nothing wrong, except…

“It seems that General Xuan Zhen has lost all memories pertaining to General Nan Yang,” Ling Wen says. 

Feng Xin’s stomach churned. Mu Qing could remember everyone except him.

He had punched himself out of Mu Qing’s memory!

_____________________

"General Nan Yang, according to the doctors, it's best to let him rest," Ling Wen tells him. "They say it's most likely a temporary affliction," she looks at him sympathetically before seeing herself out.

Her words made him uneasy.

'Most likely,' isn't the same as 'definitely,' Feng Xin thinks as he looks over at Mu Qing, whose hair is still uncombed and messy, a rare sight. A sight he hasn't seen since their worst years in Xianle. An appearance he knew Mu Qing would have never allowed anyone to see him in. 

Xie Lian eventually bids Mu Qing and Feng Xin farewell and asks them to contact him in the communication array if there are any changes in Mu Qing's condition. He'll check with Hua Cheng if they can obtain any information on Mu Qing's affliction.

Feng Xin sits on a nearby wooden stool soon after Xie Lian leaves, processing the bizarre situation at hand before noticing Mu Qing staring at him, puzzled. 

It was unsettling to witness Mu Qing bewildered so many times in such a short span of time. He was the one usually in need of Mu Qing’s unwanted clarifications. 

"Why are you still here?" Mu Qing asks from his bed, his swollen purple jaw visible through strands of tangled hair. Feng Xin almost feels bad for causing that discoloration on that pale white face. Almost. He hasn't forgiven Mu Qing for his cruel words about his calligraphy skills. It was brutal.

“You… really don't know who I am?" he asks, looking at the disheveled god, silently hoping this was a big joke even though he knew Mu Qing never indulges in jokes or pranks. Mu Qing wasn’t the kind of god who enjoyed having fun; he reminds himself.

“No,"

"Uh," Feng Xin scratched his head, at a loss of what to do. 

There was no bite, anger, scowl, or resentment to Mu Qing's reply. It was as if he was talking to any other person instead of Feng Xin. As if he were talking to Ling Wen's attendants or the invisible Yin Yu! He didn't even get an eye roll. 

It made him uncomfortable, and Feng Xin didn't know to respond.

"Just.. just contact me if you need anything," he finally says before making his way out, leaving Mu Qing on his own.

_____________________

Over the next few days, the Heavenly Capital saw a noticeable shift. No commotion, no fights, no brawls, no disputes, and, to Ling Wen's joy, no damage or repair work required without General Xuan Zhen and General Nan Yang constantly poking barbs at each other.

It was peaceful.

But to Feng Xin, something didn't feel quite right. It was quiet. It was too quiet. 

Mu Qing appeared to other officials to be the same person, cloaked in indifference and mild contempt throughout their extensive discussions in the communications array or the Great Martial Hall. 

Unlike other heavenly officials, Feng Xin never had the pleasure of receiving such treatments from Mu Qing in their 800 years together. Instead, Mu Qing had constantly interrupted his reports with snide comments, a snarky Ju Yang reference, or at least an eye roll… until now.

Mu Qing didn't even glance at him as he walked past him today in the Grand Martial Hall. Feng Xin felt somewhat offended that he didn't even get a pesky eye roll.

After centuries of squabbling in the communications array, storming into each other's palaces for a fist fight, and snubbing each other on the streets of the Heavenly Capital, having to observe Mu Qing from afar as if they were total strangers didn't sit well with him. 

In fact, it bothered him a lot. 

And knowing he was the one who threw the blow that knocked himself out of Mu Qing’s memories bothered him much more! 

As much as he wasn't a fan of the irritable god, it stands that there is a long history between them, a history that should be respected and acknowledged. They were two of the three remnants of Xianle, and they battled tooth and nail with their Crown Prince during the Yong'an famine and the human face disease outbreak.  

They had fallen from the heavens together to live an arduous mortal life with their Crown Prince before ascending again, without him.

Their past was not pleasant, and he knew it, but it served as a reminder of the Xianle’s long-lost glory and their cherished Crown Prince Xie Lian. These priceless recollections should not be forgotten because of one stupid punch over Crimson Rain’s hideous handwriting.

After days of mulling over the lack of attention he received from the raven-haired god, Feng Xin decided.

Mu Qing needs to remember him. 

For the sake of Xianle, he tells himself repeatedly.

____________________

Feng Xin ignored the fearful looks of Mu Qing's attendants squirreling away at Xuan Zhen Palace as he walked up to their general’s study. They knew not to stand in the way of General Xuan Zhen or Nan Yang when the two gods confronted each other. It was suicidal.

Mu Qing sat at his wooden desk tending to his piles of scrolls when Feng Xin entered, and as though anticipating him, he never took his gaze away from his reports, "General Nan Yang, to what do I owe this pleasure?" 

"You don't have to call me General, Mu Qing. It's fucking weird," Feng Xin approaches him, keeping his tone as friendly as he could force it to be. “And I'm here to talk to you. Maybe it'll bring back some of your memories?”

Mu Qing glances up from his desk, seemingly unimpressed with the idea.

“Uh, we could talk about anything,” Feng Xin says. Mu Qing’s eyes never left him as he moved closer to the table full of scrolls. “We’ve been… we’ve gone through a lot together in 800 years, Mu Qing, as mortals and as gods,” he trails, a hint of nervousness seeping through his voice. “There must be something that could help you remember me? Us?”

"General Nan Yang, I appreciate your concern," Mu Qing replies, unsettling Feng Xin with his icy tone. "But from what I've read through scrolls from Ling Wen's Palace, our borders have been in dispute for generations, and our worshippers have spent a fair amount of resources in battles with one another," 

Feng Xin took a step back at Mu Qing's tone of voice, uneasiness creeping into his thoughts. This Mu Qing didn’t sound like Mu Qing.

"We were once attendants to the Crown Prince, and that was all there is to it," Mu Qing continues, his gaze sharp as he carefully puts the calligraphy brush down. "As far as I see it, General Nan Yang, we are not friends." 

Agitated, Feng Xin gripped his hands into balls of fists, taken aback by the harsh words. He resisted the urge to shake the memories back into Mu Qing’s head. 

He's never referred to Mu Qing as his friend, but he knew they were not not friends either. They were Feng Xin and Mu Qing, Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen, martial gods of the southern territories, attendants of the Crown Prince, generals of a fallen kingdom, and the cause of chaos in the Heavenly Capital. 

They were them. 

'Friend' would be too small a word to define their near millennia-long history. 

Feng Xin understood the odds of Mu Qing agreeing to his help were slim; he anticipated it. He knew pre-amnesia Mu Qing would have done the same. 

But the iciness and detachment? It was new to him.

This was not the Mu Qing he knew. Mu Qing had never addressed him in such an... indifferent manner. 

Mu Qing was spirited, feisty, vicious, and full of life. His Mu Qing would have yelled at him for daring to step into Xuan Zhen Palace without an invitation, called him a big stupid idiot with chicken scribble handwriting, and hit him in the face until his jaw turned black and blue.

This Mu Qing was cold, and it made him feel powerless.

He left without a word.

_____________________

The next time they met was at the worn-out Puqi Shrine a few days later to meet up with Xie Lian. 

Mu Qing was already in the ragged hut when Feng Xin arrived, and to his delight, Crimson Rain wasn't. He didn't need to see that vile Supreme defiling their Crown Prince every few minutes in front of them. Their lingering touches and pining gaze made him want to gouge his eyes.

But there was something different about Mu Qing, Feng Xin noticed. He looked drained. As if he hasn't slept in weeks. The dark circles under his eyes could challenge Ling Wen’s very own black rings of exhaustion, and the fiery defiance in his eyes that drove Feng Xin into pits of frustration for centuries was gone. 

He felt a twist of worry in his chest.

Xie Lian, as usual, tidied up his virtually empty shrine while explaining his findings to the two gods of the south. 

"San Lang said it's not an illness that can be healed with powers or potions," he starts while he gathers the fruits and vegetables from the altar and sets them in his kitchen two steps away. "It's likely that the reason you can't recall Feng Xin is that he was the last thing you saw before passing out," 

"It's a physical problem, and Mu Qing's memories of you are still there. So we just need to find a way to release them," Xie Lian adds as he folds his sleeves and steadies a burnt pot on his stove. 

The former crown prince looks at Mu Qing with concern as he grabs a knife by the stove to chop vegetables, “Your mind is constantly trying to fill in the gaps right now, so you’ll probably be tired once in a while. It’s probably best to wait it out.”

That explained his weary look.

Mu Qing looked almost disappointed. Feng Xin swears he could see the fatigues in his eyes and his near-hunched shoulders that looked like they were carrying the weight of the world.

Feng Xin shifts closer to the door while Xie Lian slices the vegetables. Though Mu Qing’s expression revealed nothing, he notices Mu Qing doing the same, moving a step closer to the unusually sturdy door with every vegetable chop.

He smirked slightly at that sight, amused that at least Mu Qing remembered the atrocities and god-killing abilities of their Crown Prince’s lethal cooking. 

"Thank you for your assistance, your highness," Mu Qing says politely with a nod as he makes his way out. "I'll be taking my leave now,"

"San Lang also said, in these instances, people tend to forget things they have strong emotional attachments to," Xie Lian explains with a cheery wave goodbye before slowly stirring the chopped vegetables into a thick dark green stew. “Feng Xin should be able to help you with that,” he quickly shouts to them as Mu Qing steps out of the shrine. 

The former prince of Xianle appeared to be content with his new simple domesticated way of life.

Mu Qing looks at Feng Xin with a complicated expression before walking out the door of Puqi Shrine.

Feng Xin wasn't sure if his reaction was to Xie Lian’s words or his attempt at cooking.

____________________

"Mu Qing, wait!" Feng Xin calls to the other god as they depart the crumbling shrine. He sprints up, catching up to him further up the path. 

“I want to try something,” he continues. “I think it’ll help you,”

“Nan Ya — Feng Xin, it's clear that we don't get along. Everyone knows it,” Mu Qing stated bluntly before Feng Xin had a chance to suggest his ideas. “We have literature, art, and plays based on our battles,” his worn expression disinterested. 

“Mu Qing, please — “

“We are warriors,” Mu Qing cuts him off. “We fought. Injuries happen. It's fine. You don't have to fix it," he elaborated before turning to leave.

Feng Xin quickly clutches Mu Qing's grey sleeve, tugging it to keep him from leaving. "Mu Qing, it’s not that. Just listen to me," he pleads. But, receiving an edgy glare in response, he lets go of the sleeve. 

Mu Qing stood in his place, his peeved expression unchanged, and Feng Xin took it as a sign to continue.

“We fight a lot. Fuck, half the scars on our bodies were from all our stupid fights,” he quickly says before Mu Qing could leave again. “But I don’t hate you. And I’m pretty fucking sure you don't hate me too,”

“We were, no, we are a big part of each other’s lives,” his fingers fidgeted as he stammered, and his mind was racing with memories of their long history together, anxious as he could not find the words to express their relationship. There was simply too much. It was impossible to describe their relationship through words.

“I want to show you something, please,” he begs Mu Qing for the first time, desperate for the other god to head his words.

___________________

Feng Xin draws a distance-shortening array and takes them to the decaying city of Yong’an, where the once-glorious kingdom of Xianle stood.

Time has not been kind to the remnants of Yong'an. Its city walls had crumbled, and the homes where families had formerly lived were in ruins. Feng Xin felt a sad tightness in his chest when he saw the town barren of life. For a moment, he wondered if Xie Lian and Lang Qian Qiu, former princes of the fallen kingdoms, felt it even more when they stepped foot into the now desolated city.

“Xianle,” Mu Qing says softly, nostalgic, as they walk through an abandoned courtyard void of any signs of human life. “I remember Xianle.”

Feng Xin walked before him, “But you don’t remember me in it.” He brings them to the desolate main street, overgrown with shrubs. Lines of stalls along the path where merchants sold various things from other kingdoms remained, broken and damaged and overrun with deep overgrowth. It gave him an uneasy sensation of both familiarity and unfamiliarity.

“No, I do not.” the other god agreed, his voice tone less callous than before, Feng Xin noticed.

“Do you remember this place?” he asks, observant as Mu Qing looks around. A slight nod was the only indication he heard Feng Xin’s question.

“Remember when Qi Rong barraged through the streets of Xianle with his new carriage?” he probed again, hoping for a better response. 

Mu Qing answered calmly as his gaze continually wandered the abandoned street, “His Highness and I stopped him from dragging a kid with the carriage. We went to the palace after and.. to..,” he frowned as if mildly frustrated, unable to complete a pivotal scene of his past. 

“There are gaps,” he sighs, eventually admitting.

Mu Qing was opening up, and Feng Xin couldn't help but feel compelled to reveal more about their shared past.

“We went to the palace, and His Majesty demanded I be punished for beating up that goddamned green savage,” Feng Xin stuck out his right arm, “I broke my arm for that,” He pointed to the spot where he broke his arm with a nervous smile. 

He knew that witnessing him break his arm affected Mu Qing then. He remembered seeing the horror on young Mu Qing's face 800 years ago. It was hardly the best first impression the Xianle royal family could have on a new attendant, especially on someone as cautious as Mu Qing.

“That nasty Qi Rong whipped the both of us too,” Feng Xin grimaced at the memory. “I can't believe neither of us figured out he was Night Touring Green Lantern after dealing with his mess for centuries,” he spat. “Fucker never hid his identity either!”

“Feng Xin, in my memories, it was only His Highness and me.” Mu Qing’s eyebrows furrowed again as though frustrated with himself. “There was no you,” he adds with a pinch of displeasure in his voice.

Feng Xin felt a sting of disappointment at his words and shifted the subject, “Who would have thought that small kid turned out to be Crimson Rain Sought Flower, huh?”

Mu Qing raised an eyebrow at him, clearly sensing the change in their talk, and grumbled, "Only a person like His Highness could tolerate scum like Qi Rong and Crimson Rain."

It bothered Feng Xin that Mu Qing could recall the two calamities but not him, but he could only give a tiny smile in response to Mu Qing’s scowl. At least, it was a classic mean Mu Qing reply. 

As they stood in the fragments of the fallen kingdom from their past, Feng Xin recalls other significant flashbacks of their time in Xianle, especially one moment that was more provoking than the others. But he couldn't bring himself to talk about the time Mu Qing left him and Xie Lian at their most trying times.

_________________

Next, he takes them to Mount Taicang.

They walked along with the mountains' deep green forests. The shades of green, orange, and crimson that once graced Mount Taicang this time of year 800 years ago were gone. Now, there were only shades of green.

“It’s so different now,” Feng Xin sighs as he plucks a green leaf from a nearby tree as they walk past. “Mu Qing, we used to train here with Xie Lian, remember?” 

A passing breeze swept across Mu Qing's hair and grim face, giving him a forlorn appearance that was accentuated by his tired expression. His only response was a lengthy sigh.

"Guoshi used to scold us all the time,” Feng Xin said as he led them farther down the path into the woods until they reached the peak of Mount Taicang. He noticed that the Royal Holy Pavillion and other structures that were once a part of their mortal lives had all vanished throughout time. A continual reminder that nothing is everlasting.

They stood on the peak, each reminiscing where they had spent their younger years training and cultivating for their current lives as gods and deities, where two attendants of Xianle ascended with their Crown Prince and again on their own, within a short period of each other. 

It was an accomplishment not many could achieve in ten lifetimes.

“It was always, ‘Feng Xin, watch your words,’ or ‘Mu Qing, do not forget your duties,’ or ‘stop fighting, you two,” he shares bits and pieces about their past at Mount Taicang as they slowly explored the lands of their old training grounds, hoping something would spark Mu Qing’s memory.

Nothing seemed to work.

He tried again, “You don’t remember this, obviously, but I accused you of stealing His Highness’ earrings,” 

Mu Qing snarled in response as if his words were venomous, “You thought I would steal? From His Highness?” Sharp eyes immediately pinned on Feng Xin. His breaths labored as if each breath required tremendous effort to inhale. “Why?” he demanded, anger seeping in.

“Maybe we should rest for a while,” Feng Xin suggested quickly, partially to appease Mu Qing's sudden rage. And partially due to worry over the other god's apparent lethargy. 

Mu Qing was bone tired, and Feng Xin could feel it. 

But Mu Qing scowled in response, his eyes full of hurt, and Feng Xin could not steer the conversation away.

“Feng Xin, why?” he repeated, his voice harsh, almost desperate. “I would never…never..” he stammered, unable to finish his thoughts.

Feng Xin flinched at Mu Qing’s reaction, and it pained him, knowing he was the cause of the agitation in the other god’s voice.

“I don’t know,” he replies regretfully, trying to keep his voice calm. His hands fidgeted by his sleeves as he strained his mind for an answer, wanting to stop the pain in Mu Qing’s voice.

“His Highness was so fond of you, and I think it made me jealous,” he admits to Mu Qing and perhaps, himself. “I guess I was looking for faults where there weren’t any to make myself feel better.”

The two gods faced each other on the mountain peak of their cultivation grounds, one seething with rage and the other recoiling in a pool of guilt.

"I probably wrecked any possibility of us being friends because of that," Feng Xin muttered, his gaze fixed on the dry leaves on the ground, unwilling to look at Mu Qing’s pained expression. It was the first time he had said those words to anyone.

“You told me we were friends, Feng Xin,” Mu Qing sneered, angry eyes boring into him. “So are we, or are we not?” 

“I… yes,” Feng Xin couldn’t explain more than that. “It’s complicated,” he finally sighs in defeat. 

“Take me to the next place,” Mu Qing demanded, unsatisfied with Feng Xin’s reply.

___________________

The sun shone brightly as Feng Xin took a furious Mu Qing to the snowy peaks of Mount Tonglu.

“Uhh, we fought here for hours and triggered an avalanche that nearly killed Xie Lian and us,” Feng Xin says lightly with a grin as he scratches the back of his head. 

“You keep saying that we fight, and yet you say we’re friends,” Mu Qing spat back as they walked through fresh snow, exhausted eyes looking up front as they treaded to the summit. “What were we fighting about?”

“Mn, probably stupid stuff,” Feng Xin replies casually. “You know, I have no idea. All I remember is we were yelling around here and then falling into that horrifying cave of webs with His Highness’ statues,”

"For someone whose memory is still intact, you don't seem to recall much," Mu Qing mocked as they approached Mount Tonglu's summit, crossing his arms across his chest as they looked over the lowlands from the mountain. 

Standing on the peak, they could see some relics of the desolated Kingdom of Wuyong; a few old temple ruins spread throughout the land. Ironically, the older remnants of Wuyong outlasted the later-built temples and pagodas of Mount Taicang.

“God, Mu Qing, even the both of us couldn't keep Crimson Rain away from His Highness at that time.” Being gods, neither of them felt cold even when surrounded by icy snow and wind, but Feng Xin couldn't help but shudder at the memory of Crimson Rain’s painting in the Cave of a Thousand Gods. If there were one thing he wishes he could forget forever, that would be it. “And those fucking statues,” he shivers once more. 

“I wouldn't mind forgetting that,” Mu Qing says, echoing his thoughts.

________________

In stillness, they watched the sun set beyond the horizon from the crest of Mount Tonglu, taking in the shifting colors of the sky, from reddish-orange to purplish-pink. 

Feng Xin glances towards Mu Qing, noticing the sunset rays grant him an indefinable appearance, accentuating his ethereal god-like presence. But his immortality was tainted by a strained look, black rings beneath his eyes, and the haggardness on his face. Exhaustion was not a look he’d seen on Mu Qing often. Even during their days battling the draught and the human-face disease in Xianle, Mu Qing had never looked this.. defeated.

It bothered him. 

“Are you sure you don't want to rest? We can head back to the Heavenly Capital,” Feng Xin finally suggests, breaking the silence between them. His voice was concerned, prepared to draw a distance-shortening array back to Xuan Zhen's palace. 

“I’m fine,” Mu Qing insists, closing his eyes as he inhales the cold air deeply. 

Understanding that the tired god wanted to continue their journey, Feng Xin pushes away any thoughts of hauling Mu Qing up his shoulders and back to his palace. He knew it was near impossible to change Mu Qing’s mind once he had made up his mind. It was a given that stubbornness and Mu Qing go hand in hand.

"You knocked me unconscious to save me when Jun Wu attacked the Heavenly Capital," Feng Xin recalls instead, smiling. “But it didn't go as you planned,” his smile widened into a grin.

"And I recognized your shadow, so I knew it was you," he continues. It angered him so much at the time, but now Feng Xin couldn't help but chuckle at the prospect of a panicked Mu Qing knocking him out and abandoning him in a blazing palace. It was such a Mu Qing thing to do, he thinks.  

“Because I know you that fucking well,” he eventually adds.

"Explain," Mu Qing says, blinking his tired eyes open and furrowing his brows.

Feng Xin tells him about their involvement in subduing Jun Wu and the catastrophic incidents that led to the destruction of the Heavens, and as the sky gradually darkened, they made their way down the snowy mountain without haste.

“I didn’t believe you would save me at first because I figured you hated me,”  

“And yet you keep insisting we’re friends,” Mu Qing interjects quickly before Feng Xin could finish retelling their moments during the downfall of the Heavenly Capital.

"As I said, we are." Feng Xin was adamant. "It just took us a long time to realize it since we can be as stupid as rocks sometimes." 

Mu Qing gave him a puzzled look, evidently unimpressed by Feng Xin's depiction of them. “You are as dumb as rocks. I am merely suffering from a memory lapse problem,” he clarifies as they walk through the snowy path.

“Yeah, yeah. I think you tried to save Jian Lan and Cuo Cuo too.” Feng Xin laughs lightly, pleased that Mu Qing was bickering with him again. It felt like an accomplishment, and it almost felt like old times again.

“I did, but I can't remember why,” Mu Qing frowns again, pausing in his tracks and pressing his fingertips against his brow as if to relieve a headache. 

"Because Jian Lan was my lover, and Cuo Cuo is my child, maybe," Feng Xin says as he moves a few paces forward, knowing Mu Qing will follow behind. “Who knows? Your mind is too twis.. uh, complex for a dumb rock like me to understand,”

Feng Xin came to a halt, noticing that Mu Qing did not follow him and had his eyes shut and lips pursed tightly, his face paler than before. “Hey, you  —”

“Feng Xin —,”

Mu Qing collapses into the snow.

_______________

“Mu Qing!" In a panic, Feng Xin falls to his knees next to the unconscious god and clutches his face, lightly tapping his cheeks to wake him awake, "Wake up, you fucking asshole!" 

Mu Qing's eyelids fluttered after a few small taps on his cheeks, much to his relief. He opened his eyes, looking into Feng Xin’s amber eyes that were full of worry, “I’m fine.”

Feng Xin suddenly noticed the proximity between them and held his breath. His hands were still on Mu Qing’s face, whose obsidian black hair contrasted with the white snow beneath him, making him appear sallower than usual, marred only by a light purple bruise at the bottom of his jaw where Feng Xin had hit him. 

He resisted the urge to brush away the bits of snow off the bridge of Mu Qing’s pale nose and pulled his hands away from Mu Qing’s warm face.

“Fuck it, Mu Qing,” his voice strained as he drew Mu Qing into a sitting position. “You’re not fine. We’re going back now,” he starts to draw a distance-shortening array on the ground, but Mu Qing grabs his arm and pulls him back.

“Wait, Feng Xin!” he choked as he pulled himself up from the snow and brushed the white snow off his black hair and dark clothes, “Sometimes the gaps are too much. It happens when I force myself to remember… things.”

“When I force myself to remember you,” was unspoken, but the two gods could hear it loud and clear.

“I want to remember, please,” Mu Qing pleaded.

It was a first. Mu Qing never begged, ever, and Feng Xin didn't have the heart to refuse him. Not after seeing the desperation on Mu Qing’s face, knowing that it was him Mu Qing wanted to remember. He sighs and draws a distance-shortening array to the last place he could think of to assist Mu Qing in remembering him. 

_________________

Feng Xin leads them to a little town in the middle of their territories. It was dark by the time they arrived, but there were still plenty of signs of life in the small settlement.

They strolled by bright taverns on the main streets, where they could hear yelling, shouting, and brawls from within the buildings. This time, Feng Xin keeps no more than two steps away from the black-haired god, fearful of another fainting episode at any moment.

“No fucking way, General Nan Yang is better than Xuan Zhen,” a rough voice from inside the taverns shouts. “Your wives should pray to Xuan Zhen to keep their house clean!”

Mu Qing’s face scowls in response. “Your worshippers have a way with words,” he rolls his eyes as they walk. 

And for once, Feng Xin was glad to see it. It brought him one step closer to his Mu Qing. If it gets Mu Qing back his memories, he will welcome a thousand more of Mu Qing’s eye rolls every day. He will embrace those god-forsaken pesky eye rolls he had come to miss.

“Well, we know why your wife prays to General Nan Yang,” another brash voice replies. After then, there were more noises of punching and shattered glass. True to the nature of their gods, their worshippers were fighting again.

“I know it looks messy, and they’re always fucking fighting but come with me, and you’ll see,” Feng Xin sighs as he leads them away from the main streets and into a residential area. “There’s more to them than fighting,” he adds.

He leads them to a little house close to one of his temples. A man was perched outside the house cleaning his farming tools, and a woman, who appeared to be his wife, was peeling onions and cooking dinner for the family. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Look,” Feng Xin gestures at a large portrait of Xuan Zhen hanging on the wooden wall behind the man. The picture of Mu Qing was on coarse paper, and its black ink faded, but the image of him in his long black robes holding his saber nevertheless radiates an air of refined sophistication.

Mu Qing’s eyes followed the colors of the painting from top to bottom and noticed that below his portrait stood a small statue of Nan Yang, with its bow and arrow poised in battle stance. Aside from its posture, the figure bore little resemblance to the god who stood next to him. Feng Xin walked out of the modest wooden house before he could look any further.

“Almost every household in this area is a mixture of us.” Feng Xin says as he leads them to another place, a nearby training ground with a few disciples taking advantage of the quiet night to perfect their skills. 

A young boy around ten was practicing his sword skills on the muddy training ground, with a dim lantern on the ground nearby as a light source. The youngster wore a yellow ribbon in his hair, a common trait of General Nan Yang’s worshippers who swore devotion to the martial god of the southeast. His novice movements were slow, with deliberate steps to accentuate every pose.

Feng Xin approaches the boy undetected by the folks around them. "Our followers reflect us," he walks around him, watching as the boy moves through his combat postures while wielding a long wooden saber. "Sure, they'll ruin a temple or two and maybe knock out some teeth now and then," he says lightly as his fingertips trace the boy’s saber, inscribed deeply with the characters ‘Xuan Zhen’. “But there’s never any intention to kill,” he finally adds after a pause.  

Mu Qing's eyes widen as he takes in the scenes before him, unsure what to make of them. These interactions between Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen worshippers were not told in the scrolls of Ling Wen’s palace, nor were they acted out in beautiful stage plays for the world to witness. 

Next, they strolled behind a Nan Yang temple, briefly watching as a young couple indulged in each other, partly shielded by trees and shadows. From a distance, Mu Qing could see shades of limbs moving around, and with the moonlight on them, he could tell the woman was wearing a Xuan Zhen talisman on her wrist, and the male was clad in Nan Yang colors of yellow and blue.

______________

Finally, they wandered into a nearby empty Xuan Zhen temple.

“I’ve often seen you at our territory borders,” Feng Xin began gently as he looked at the human-sized Mu Qing statue carved into near perfection, the only way the Xuan Zhen allows it. 

“Mu Qing, you know this. I know you do,” the desperation in his voice heavier with every word. “The way you dedicate yourself to your worshippers, you must know,” he asserted.

“You wouldn't have allowed your worshippers to do as they do if you didn't,” he adds softly, turning his gaze to the real god instead. “You’d scare them off in their dreams if you didn't want them mingling with my worshippers.”

“I don't know, Feng Xin,” was the only reply Mu Qing could muster, lethargy finally seeping to the point he needed to sit on the ground.

At sight, Feng Xin finds an old straw mat for them, sets it on the ground, and sits next to him, knowing it was futile to convince Mu Qing to return to the heavens. And as far as they know, Mu Qing’s only ailment was exhaustion.

They sat in silence on the mat, looking at the regal bronze statue of Mu Qing before them.

“It feels like a big part of me is gone,” Mu Qing finally breaks the silence, almost in a whisper. “I’m always tired because it’s difficult to think about anything without that missing piece,” he adds as he props himself down on his back, gazing at the wooden timbers on the temple ceiling, noticing there was a small inconspicuous yellow Nan Yang ribbon tied to one of the wooden planks.

Feng Xin followed his gaze, not wanting to interrupt Mu Qing as he finally opened up more to him.

Mu Qing turns to Feng Xin, “That must mean you were a big part of my life.” His expression was vulnerable, as though he was unsure about many things. 

“I can't think without you, Feng Xin,” he admits.

Those words tugged at Feng Xin’s heart. 

“And I definitely wouldn't have allowed that if I truly hated you.” Mu Qing indicated toward the yellow ribbon above them. 

Feng Xin surprised at Mu Qing’s admission to a fragility of any sort, could only look back with a reassuring smile.

“It’ll be fine,” he tells Mu Qing and himself. Unsure if he meant Mu Qing would regain his memories or if Mu Qing would be fine not remembering him. He hoped it wasn't the latter.

“If everything you’ve said and shown me is true, then I want to remember,” Mu Qing says softly, his eyes slowly closing. Eventually, his breaths even out.

Feng Xin gazed at the sleeping god for a moment, noticing the dark eyelashes fluttering for a second before coming into stillness. Strands of Mu Qing’s hair fall, covering his face.

“I really hope you’ll remember me,” he says quietly as he moves Mu Qing’s hair away from his face, tucking it behind his ears.

He lies down, facing the god next to him before joining him in slumber moments later.

_____________________

Feng Xin groaned as he woke up on the hard ground for the first time in centuries. Even gods were prone to occasional back pains.

There was an arm across his chest. He followed the arm back to its owner’s sleeping face, nestled against his shoulder.

In more than 800 years, he hasn’t seen Mu Qing look so at ease. He couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on the sleeping god. Mu Qing’s expression was serene. It was surreal.

Mu Qing had always been wary of everyone and the first to attack when he felt threatened, which was almost always. Even Xie Lian could not pierce through those high walls Mu Qing had set up for himself.

Eventually, his brows furrowed, and he stirred from sleep moments later. Dark eyelashes fluttered open, and obsidian eyes again met Feng Xin’s amber ones. He remained silent and expressionless as he bored his gaze into Feng Xin for what felt like years.

“Why didn't you mention the other stuff?” Mu Qing eventually says as he pulls himself up to sit. He tidies up his hair, messed up by sleeping the night on temple grounds, into a neat ponytail. No strand of his black hair was left untucked.

Feng Xin sat up, unsure what to make of the situation, “What do you mean?”

“Why didn't you mention the time I left you and His Highness?” Mu Qing looked at him, and his voice was raspy.

Feng Xin sat up straight. Mu Qing had regained his memories, “You remember?”

The other god ignored him, “The ch.. cherry tree incident at Mount Taicang?” Mu Qing stuttered as he approached closer, looking at him with an expression he could only identify as hopeful. “Or the time you carried me when I couldn't walk at Mount Tonglu?”

“I wanted to remind you of the good times,” Feng Xin murmured, startled by the intensity of Mu Qing’s voice. “I didn't want you to feel bad.”

In an instant, the hope in Mu Qing’s eyes was replaced with fury, “Are you saying I can't deal with shit?” He fumed before shoving Feng Xing away, causing him to fall back, and gave him an incredulous look.

“You were fucking fainting every five fucking minutes!” Feng Xin retaliated, brushing the snow off his robe as he got back up. “I thought you were fucking dying!”

“Shut up,”

Feng Xin frowns as he pulls his fist back in preparation for their impending fistfight, only to lower his arms seconds later.

“I don’t want you to forget —,” 

Mu Qing punches Feng Xin hard in the stomach, causing him to clutch his midriff and double down in pain. He was kneeling on the ground before he knew it. 

“For making me forget you,” Mu Qing says before dropping to his knees next to the fallen god and pulling him into a hard kiss.

Feng Xin pulls away in surprise, grasping Mu Qing’s face gently with both hands, looking into dark eyes filled with hope, defiance, fear, and anger all at once. Only Mu Qing could pull off such a look; he thinks as he smiles at the sight. 

Only his Mu Qing could.

“Mmf, I think I should punch you senseless more often,” he says before pulling Mu Qing back into a soft kiss.

-end-

[spockandawe]

Hello! While I know this point must have already been talked about a lot in the fandom but since I have only recently read tgcf, I don't know much. I came across threads on where people talked about Hua Cheng being obsessive and toxic, with his existence being centered around Xie Lian and hence not having a grounding personality and life of his own + the scene of Ten Thousand Gods Cave.

Since I have been reading your metas, I was curious about your thoughts on this? Thank you!

Sure thing! Apologies for the slow response, this whole thing with my back has been really disrupting everything I want to accomplish. Now, I think that Hua Cheng is obsessive in a way that could easily become toxic, but calling him obsessive+toxic relies on only a shallow reading of the character and limiting yourself to the point where he is at the very start of the story, ignoring all the character/relationship development that happens over the course of a very long book.

Now, when it comes to the flashback books? Hua Cheng can have a little obsession, as a treat. I’m not going to say that the way he feels back then is any kind of basis for a healthy adult relationship, but Hua Cheng is approximately ages 10-17 over the course of book 2, and isn’t much “older” after his death as the ghost fire and as Wuming in book 4. He’s not relating to Xie Lian in a way that’s going to lead to a relationship of equals at that point, but he’s also a kid who’s worshiping a god who saved his life at a young age, twice, and who comforted and reassured him when their kingdom’s guoshi told him that he was doomed to bring misfortune to everyone in his life. All of their interactions in book 2 are extremely good reasons for why Hua Cheng would idolize him and obsess over him in that way, and I’m not going to fault him for any of it.

Now, I would say that the end of book 4 illustrates how badly that kind of idolization can go better than anything set in the present day, but it’s telling that this is also the point where Xie Lian abruptly realizes how much he doesn’t want to be Like This, and hauls his life around. Even eight hundred years later, he’s more ashamed to speak of this part of his life than anything else. He’s way more willing to laugh at his own pain and suffering than he is to even mention a time where he was cold and controlling with someone who offered themself to him.

SO. In the present, Xie Lian has a very good reason to know that he does not want to take advantage of someone else’s offered devotion. It’s an old memory, but when we see how much he doesn’t want to talk about it, it’s clear that it made an impression. If the direction of this book was only up to Hua Cheng? He’s already made it abundantly clear that he’s willing to sacrifice his everything, including his sense of self, if Xie Lian asks, but Xie Lian has confirmed very strongly to himself that this is not what Xie Lian wants.

And Xie Lian is walking a very fine emotional line in a lot of ways that he himself isn’t even fully aware of, but the early development in the book has this really interesting balance in the dynamic between him and Hua Cheng. He’s happy to rely on Hua Cheng for advice and help, but he’s also completely willing to worry for him (when he jumps into the sinner’s pit) and to gently scold him (when he jumps into the sinner’s pit). Hua Cheng worries about what will happen if Xie Lian finds out who he really is, but Xie Lian pretty much confirms it to himself, and when Hua Cheng is finally anxious enough to ask about it, Xie Lian’s main reaction is ‘isn’t the important thing that I like you as a person?’

If Hua Cheng was left to his own devices, he’d obsess over Xie Lian in a way that let himself suborn his entire identity to whatever Xie Lian wants from him, but Xie Lian has been so horribly lonely for so long, and even before a relationship enters the picture, what Xie Lian wants is a friend. And Xie Lian, on his own, is determined not to let himself take advantage of a person the way he took advantage of Wuming. And no matter how much Hua Cheng wants to submit himself to Xie Lian, what’s more important to him is what Xie Lian wants. The meta that’s been doing good circulation that I bet you saw was about how Hua Cheng developed his own independent sense of self over the last eight hundred years, no matter what he’d originally wanted, but as he gets to know Xie Lian in the present, Xie Lian makes it clear that Xie Lian likes who he became. 

Hua Cheng does still definitely take the position that ‘whatever Xie Lian wants is more important than what I want’, and that could go badly in so many ways, but from the very beginning, Xie Lian is firmly, firmly expressing, ‘I like who you are and I want to be friends.’ Xie Lian doesn’t scold Hua Cheng for being a dick to Fu Yao and Nan Feng, or for breaking heavenly artifacts, even one that used to be one of his own treasured possessions. He scolds Hua Cheng because ‘you jumped down into that pit and I was afraid you would be hurt.’ He doesn’t try to sand off Hua Cheng’s sharp edges or change him, and isn’t willing to sit back and relax as Hua Cheng puts himself in harm’s way. He doesn’t give Hua Cheng room to make himself a less-than, and (probably unintentionally) positively reinforces Hua Cheng when he lets bits of his own true personality show through. One of the reasons I love this book so much is because that relationship could have so easily turned toxic and controlling, but the main pair like each other so much that they manage to pull through into a healthy, balanced relationship.

It’s not a perfect relationship, because perfect relationships are boring and unrealistic, and there’s no tension in a story if two characters are perfectly in step. But by the end of the story, this is a more perfect relationship than I’d ever expected to be invested in, because they’re so in sync, haha. 

I think the moments that show the ways it’s not obsessive in a toxic way best come through in the times when Hua Cheng has some sort of grudge against a person that Xie Lian genuinely cares for. It starts with the shitty teens in the Banyue arc, but even near the story end, Mei Nianqing is Xie Lian’s old beloved teacher, and is also the person who told Hua Cheng ‘wow! you’re destined to fuck over everyone who ever gets close to you’ when Hua Cheng was just a little kid. It’s clear that Xie Lian likes and respects him a lot, and Hua Cheng feels not at all compelled to play nice. He’s happy to continue being nasty as hell to Feng Xin and Mu Qing, who are Xie Lian’s next two closest friends. He’s not even willing to be nice to E’Ming even as 1) Xie Lian pampers it, and 2) E’Ming is literally a part of himself. 

And he doesn’t hide this at all. He’s willing to act in ways not at all aligned with Xie Lian’s own opinions, especially as time goes on and Xie Lian doesn’t correct him. He’s willing to act against Xie Lian’s wishes in order to protect him (taking back his spiritual energy in the black water arc, overexerting himself to the point of dissipation at the climax), and it becomes more clear as the story progresses that he’s a person who wants only the best for Xie Lian, but who exists independently from Xie Lian, and isn’t willing to completely defer to Xie Lian’s desires or to override Xie Lian’s desires for what he thinks is best. To me, this relationship is primarily defined by how much the two of them like each other, and especially early on, I could see it easily tipping in an unhealthy direction, but it feels like most of the later relationship development specifically exists to undermine that particular flavor of toxic dynamic, and what we end up with is a very sweet, very balanced relationship. Hua Cheng’s willingness to submit himself to what Xie Lian wants is overridden by Xie Lian’s desire that Hua Cheng be himself, because that’s the person who Xie Lian loves.

[volann]

Everyone in tgcf is a foil character

Part 3: Ghost city

(pt 1; pt 2; pt 4)

Thanks to the Internet Archive I can now use quotes from the official English translation, yay! Also for the most part this isn’t analysing foil characters, you can consider this my attempt to remember how to write this thing, hopefully the next one will be more on theme. I planned to also include Fangxin guoshi arc here, but Tumblr said the post is too long, so it's in part 4, which leaves this part without any characters, sorry

The Ghost city arc mostly introduces characters (well, Wind Master did appear before, but not for a long time, and it’s technically the first time we see Hua Cheng as Hua Cheng) and the information in it isn’t  enough to write about anyone. So the things I’ll discuss in this part are the details of the worldbuilding and the location itself that connect to the main themes of the story. I mean technically it’s the same as finding foil characters, right? All I’m doing is looking for similar characteristics… It makes sense in my head.

Firstly, the whole thing with Shi Qingxuan and Ling Wen being worshiped as a woman and a man respectively is brought up in ch 35 of web serialization:

“You were whatever people believed you to be. Appearances could be a million miles off the mark from the real thing, and people would still see what they wanted to see.”

While this is said about worshiped gods in particular, it also connects to the fact that many characters are not what the public thinks they are and many legends don’t represent the truth, this applies to both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. I won’t go into more details and examples since there were some already in the previous parts and will definitely be in the future.

Secondly, the Gambler’s Den shows the concept of exchanging people’s lives, present in many parts of the book (let’s use Banyue as an example since I already analysed it) quite literally. Even though gambling doesn’t work like that, the people still bet something that’s of the same value as the thing they want, and they still decide that the thing they want is more important to them. And people’s lives can be on both sides of this not-exactly-exchange. So in the end the people betting are deciding what a certain person’s life is worth.

Thirdly, there’s a man who bets years of his daughter’s life and the fate of her marriage. Here’s a part of his description:

Although he was a living human, he resembled a ghost more than any of the ghosts present.

That reinforces the idea that it doesn’t matter whether you are a ghost, a god or a human. Also his bet is a perfect example for my previous point.

That’s all I wanted to say about the Ghost city, so. Fangxin guoshi arc. As I said in the beginning, it's in a different post, which makes this part even more weird than it was before splitting it into two.