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RIGHT??

The thing is, I don't like Shi Wudu, but as an elder sibling....I would have done the same.

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reposing this so I can read it later when I inevitably end up looking at my posts and seeing this again

A random sudden insight on why the finishing blow in the final battle was so impactful to the themes of TGCF/Heaven Official's Blessing.

I'm not the only one who has noticed that one of the running themes in TGCF is that even if life is imperfect and it gives you every reason to not continue living, the choice to live in an imperfect world is still the better choice than choosing to kill it because of its imperfections. Xie Lian being the first to save Hua Cheng and to give him a purpose and a reason to continue living is paid back in kind when Hua Cheng continues to live as a ghost because of his love and devotion for Xie Lian.

And maybe I'm not the first user to point this out. But I would like to give my own breakdown on how the finishing blow in the final battle wonderfully defeats the fatalistic perspective of the antagonist. This to me beautifully illustrates how hope, defeats the hopeless.

Book spoilers ahead

In the final battle in Mt. Tonglu, Jun Wu's only real competition is Xie Lian.

Jun Wu represents a fatalistic hopeless perspective. He had tried to save the people of Wuyong from a volcanic eruption that he had forseen and with no one but himself and his four deputies he had failed to do so. And as a result he loses hope in believing in the common people because he did not get their faith and support to be saved. This hopelessness leads him to sacrificing his three deputies who disagreed with him and bleeds out to his obsession to making Xie Lian just like him. If he couldn't rid the world of it's imperfections (or to be realistic - anyone who disagreed with him), he'll kill the entire world because it refuses to change for the better. And by better it means better by confirming his bias that because the common people are unreliable they aren't worth saving. He has lost hope in changing the world for the better so much that instead of people he sees everyone as pawns who either agree with him or who don't. Despite being in a position of power to improve and not repeat the mistakes of the past, he instead uses it to make Xie Lian just like him. The only hope he has is Xie Lian finally seeing his perspective and the loneliness he feels may finally be resolved.

Meanwhile Xie Lian represents hope in living life. Life with all of its hardships, imperfections, and ugliness. Xie Lian continues to do what he believes is right even with and in spite of the cynicism that he has gained over the centuries. He has moments wherein he doubts if life is still worth living and it is precisely because he experiences and values even the smallest acts of kindness that this hope is sustained but never truly dies out. It's why even though things are awkward between him, Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and Lang Qianqiu, he never gives up in believing that things could be better. Would it require work? Yes, everything does and miscommunication needs to be resolved for change to happen. But it is because that hope exists that leads to that change he desires, no matter how imperfect the process or the result is.

So this battle is not only because of skill but also because of the philosophy attached to each of the characters who are present but who couldn't defeat Jun Wu:

1.) Mei Nanqing couldn't defeat him because while he doesn't like to admit it - he himself is hopeless. Not to the same degree as Jun Wu, but he is hopeless in believing that things could change for the better because of things done in the past, because of the signs he sees from the stars, or simply from his own biases and prejudices. And I don't blame him for having this perspective when the person you were close with does something so horrific that it causes you to lose hope because of how he became powerful. So he compensates it by hyperfixating on signs early on to predict the future. He becomes so good at it that ironically it is because he is so good at predictions that causes him to lose hope that the future could change or that there might be a chance that he could be wrong. And because of this he was reluctant in training Mu Qing together with Xie Lian because he didn't believe that anything good would come out of it based on the signs he sees in him. When he reads Hua Cheng's fortune he doesn't believe that there will ever be a chance that it could change and this influences his disapproving opinion of him. This hopeless perspective makes him blind to the changes that he couldn't see such as Mu Qing being loyal to Xie Lian. And speaking of Mu Qing;

2.) Mu Qing couldn't defeat him because he still holds a similar fatalistic hopeless view - believing that despite being loyal to Xie Lian he was hopeless in that Xie Lian wouldn't be able to see it and would only see him as a traitor because he isn't as open about his feelings. Xie Lian managing to find a way to save him is probably one of the biggest acts that shifts this perspective. But because this change had only begun and he still has larger emotional wounds to heal he couldn't defeat Jun Wu because he had only begun to have hope that things could be better. For so long he had only seen the ugliness of life out of a need for survival while having an inner most desire of being actually close to Xie Lian. It is because he had only just begun to feed his own kind of hope through a realistic way that makes him unable to defeat Jun Wu's fatalistic perspective on his own. Feng Xin on the other hand;

3.) Feng Xin couldn't defeat him because of his idealism. More hopeful than Mei Nanqing and Mu Qing but it's also because of his devotion to an idealized view of Xie Lian that his hope is more vulnerable whenever he learns anything about Xie Lian that deviates from this ideal. He freaks out when he learns that Xie Lian attempted to rob in order to survive while Mu Qing isn't surprised and frankly points out that it's not a big deal when it comes to survival. A hope that ignores reality is a very fragile one and some might even consider it to be delusional. It is this kind of view that Xie Lian feared that Honghong'er/Hua Cheng would have as a little boy who he saved from death. When in reality it was the opposite;

4.) Hua Cheng was the one who sought to live. He understands the nuances of living life in an imperfect world and is relentless in his hope to do what he can. He fights with Jun Wu with all he has before Xie Lian steps in. The reason why he couldn't defeat Jun Wu is because of his belief that it is Xie Lian who is the best chance in defeating Jun Wu. He knows his own imperfections and could be harsh on his own self except in what he could do to help Xie Lian defeat Jun Wu. This little bit of hopelessness in one's self fed by self-doubt at never being enough or not good enough to defeat a fatalistic hopeless view is why although Hua Cheng is the closest one to have Xie Lian's perspective, he is still filled with harsh self-doubt on everything about himself EXCEPT for his ability to support and serve his beloved Xie Lian. This is actually something they have in common and their love for reassuring each other that they love the person and not the state of each other is the very thing that leads to Xie Lian breaking out of his cursed shackles and ultimately defeating Jun Wu.

Xie Lian also has had self-doubts and biases too, but to have the unwavering love and support of his partner who helped show him that life is still worth living - especially in it's smaller moments turns the tide of the battle. His cursed shackles weren't removed because of a grand ritual. It was removed because of a kiss of love and devotion. To anyone outside this may seem strange (pretend you don't know it's a bl romance novel) that it is a kiss that gives Xie Lian his powers back. But to Hua Cheng and Xie Lian it is a deeply intimate and meaningful act that helps Xie Lian have an actual fighting chance against Jun Wu. I might be overanalyzing but I like this metaphor that it is the mundane things that could take place in daily life that makes life worth living. A kiss between lovers may not change the world on it's own but it reminds the lovers that life is worth living. This is what fuels Xie Lian into having a more equal fight with Jun Wu.

Now - to the beauty of the finishing blow. Because Jun Wu refuses to change, and to actually live among the common people because he has lost hope with them he exploits his advantage into knowing all of Xie Lian's moves in martial arts. It is Jun Wu's refusal to believe in the worthiness of life amidst hardship that leads to his downfall and eventual surrender. Xie Lian being reminded by Hua Cheng of the non-martial art move of crushing a boulder on his chest which he got during his busking days with Feng Xin is a beautiful metaphor for the struggles of life defeating the hopelesness of Jun Wu's fatalastic perspective. Those days were just about Xie Lian and Feng Xin trying to find a means to earn income so his parents could survive. And yet it is those difficult days of struggling to make ends meet that gives Xie Lian the hidden move to defeat Jun Wu.

Sometimes the struggles, the mundaneity, and the imperfections of life are the very things that could make life worth living. There will always be room for improvement but there can be no change when we simply surrender to defeat and linger in hopelessness.

Which is why Jun Wu is substantially no longer a threat once he is imprisoned in Mt. Tonglu. His hopelessness is his own imprisonment with Mei Nanqing keeping him company.

And this is why Xie Lian's finishing blow hits so hard. It's not a grand martial arts move but a mundane busking move as a result of living life that defeats Jun Wu.

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NOO THEY'RE SO COOKED 😭

WHAT DO YOU MEAN TECHNICALLY

I can say no more.

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nah she gonna make them BOTH suicidal in season 4 with that answer I bet 😭😭😭

ngl im worried about kappas mental health for season 4 bc he seams like the person thet even tho its going trough stuff its not going to tell anyone about it.

You aren't gonna do that tho right 🙂?

Right wendy??

(i dont trust u)

I would NEVERRRRR.

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My dear , my everything

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Xie Lian bringing his husband little gifts. Simple and small things like a repaired ornate comb, a shell picked up because it sort of looks like a butterfly, handmade soap that smells of jasmine crafted by Xie Lians calloused hands, dozens of trinkets collected from Xie Lians days at the market.

Hua Cheng who has made temples and statues and mortal sacrifices now receiving the same love and devotion from his god, his prince, his husband who presents every gift with the phrase “I thought off you.”

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in case anybody (like me) wants to know, the hex codes in question are:

but yes

this is absolutely hilarious lmao 😭

Actually Hua Cheng just leaving Ghost City the second Xie Lian shows up is so fucking funny because that man radiates neurosis.

You can not tell me every second he spent not searching for Xie Lian he was not micromanaging that city with a fine tooth comb literally acting as mayor, judge, law enforcement and James Gatsby probably while learning some niche new information on the side. Dragging along his equally workaholic desperate to be useful sectary with his designated emo phase mask and a shovel for like 600 years only to immediately yeet all his responsibilities onto Yin Yu’s overstimulated lap with a hair twirl and giggling about his Gege.

Like I think 4 months after he comes back and is chilling in the honeymoon phase he’ll wake up at 3am realise he hasn’t looked an abacus in over a year and go on a rampage fully fuelling Yin Yu into a fully formed wrath with sheer insanity because THERE IS WORK TO DO. He’s gotta paint the city from #8B0000 to #DC143C all before Xie Lian wakes up and realises he’s let his city go to ruins.

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GULP

Gege….

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this fuels me

WHAT'S THAT PUPPET BOY?

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NO BC I ONLY JUST NOW REALIZED THAT I DID THESE IN MY FREAKING SCHOOL SKETCHBOOK INSTEAD OF MY PERSONAL ONE MULTIPLE DAYS LATER OMG 😭😭

this is so embarrassinf

so doodle

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RAHHHHHH

ALL COUNTDOWN POSTERS!! WE ARE GETTING TGCF DONGHUA SHORT FILM TOMORROW FRIENDS!!!!

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so doodle

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Hello folks guess what I am reading

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me core every time xie lian ever

Live for me

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GUYS IT'S ALMOST MIDNIGHT AND I'M FIGHTING BACK THE URGE TO SCREAM AND FANGIRL RIGHT NOW

IM FREAKING OUT AND EXPLODING WITH HAPPINESS AND EXCITEMENT

THE FIGHTING??? THE GLIMPSE OF MEI NIANQING??? THE GLIMPSE OF PRINCE QI RONG????? AND XIE LIAN'S PARENTS IN THE BACKGROUND??? HONGHONG'ER IN GENERAL??? THE ENDING SCENE??? EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS????????

I LOVE IT ALL SO MUCH

DONGHUA S3 WHEN????????

TGCF Short Film English subs by me ! 🏮

So I stayed up trying to finish this before Lantern Festival is actually over for me (failed lol) But here it is!! I translated the opening song as well (using references from radishtears)

I hope you guys enjoy :) Almost cried tl-ing this one icl

Also check out my Youtube for the Lantern Festival extra from the audio drama!!

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ai does not belong in creative spaces. period.