#thats what e soul and yang cheng are

[bibibbon]

Yang cheng and inescapable grief

I have seen many people express confusion as to why yang cheng went after the original E-soul and as to why he was acting the way he did in this episode, and the answer to that is grief.

Yang cheng lost his parents at a very young age, yet from what the show tells us, we can infer that this memory heavily haunts him and is one of his earliest memories in childhood. The loss of his parents inadvertently led to him being bullied, viewed as worthless, and what caused him to have such a low trust value point as well as having low self-esteem. All of that suffering because E-soul was too slow. All of that grief and the ability to have a normal life snatched cruelly because the system was broken because no one helped him in time.

However, even with that, the fact that E-soul still managed to save him and even asked for his name acted as a shining hope in Yang cheng's heart a cure to the ache of loss and a small reassurance that there is more to come and the future is bright. It is that encounter that fully solidifies the faith that Yang cheng has for E-soul and makes him want to become like E-soul.

E-soul haunts Yang cheng's narrative, and at this point, he is all that Yang cheng has. The doll that his parents got him was an E-soul doll. His parents wished for him to be as brave as E-soul. He was saved by E-soul, and everything around him revolves around E-soul, even his job. In a way, it's like a symbol and its believer. E-soul and Yang cheng.

Even the first time in a decade, Yang cheng forms meaningful relationships they are centred around E-soul in one way shape or form. Little pomelo sticks to Yang cheng due to his interest in E-soul and him applying to the competition, xia qing is captivated by the Yang cheng behind the E-soul mask and Shang chao makes his move after realising that the E-soul actor with now a rising trust point is Yang cheng. Even if E-soul failed him in not being fast enough, he saved Yang cheng, gave him hope, and manifested that hope into a reality where Yang cheng finally gained those he cares for. A reality where he has trust value points, a reality too good that he still deems it a dream.

After years of loss, Yang cheng finally gains, and it's sweet too sweet to last. At this point, yang chengs self-esteem and sense of self-worth and overall self has become so hooked and revolved around being the perfect E-soul. He could truly act himself and show a side he couldn't when he wore that E-soul mask when he was acting. Yang cheng found gain and solace in being E-soul his whole self worth depended on it. The more people he was able to save, the more he felt worthy of love, trust, and felt useful. The more Yang cheng embodied the role of the speedy electric hero, the more he felt worthy the more society deemed him worthy. In a way its like a worshipper being rewarded for their devotion to their deity.

And then it all comes crashing down with shang chao's death. Shang chao's death acted as a catalyst for yang cheng in multiple ways. Yang cheng wasn't fast enough to stop the shooter. He hesitated and failed to save his friend. While yang cheng sums this up to him being jealous, I don't think it was just jealousy keeping him back, but I believe that yang cheng fully views his failure being due to jealousy. Yang cheng is an unreliable narrator!! His failure was because he wasn't fast enough, but jealousy causing hesitation isn't the only factor that could have caused it and he didn't want shang chao to die he spends the rest of the episode beating himself up over it to the point that he drives himself to insanity trying to avenge shang chao in anyway possible.

Shang chao's death caused Yang chengs self-esteem to come crashing down. He is a failure of a hero, and he couldn't play the role of E-soul properly. He was too late, and his increasing hatred of himself manifested in his newfound hatred for the original E-soul. A hero who failed, a hero who caused death first it was his parents now shang chao. How many more have to die due to heroes' selfishness? Yang cheng loses all trust in himself, and that causes for him to also lose all trust in E-soul, which is only regained when he beats E-soul and deems himself as worthy of that role.

Another reason as to why shang chao's death acts as a catalyst is because he also starts to believe that his hero is the reason he lost. He starts to believe that it was his deity that caused him to lose his friend, and it drives him over the edge. Human loss due to human greed and capitalism and with the truths that Enlightner states yang cheng is driven to the edge, claiming that he must take full responsibility and challenge the original E-soul who in his eyes represents the flaws of the system.

The looming sense of responsibility and duty that was once what made Yang cheng feel useful acts as a crushing weight on his shoulders that makes him vulnerable,desperate, and easily manipulatable to the point he views that it would be much more simpler for everyone to become weights and play a role in society for it to function perfectly.

Due to his overwhelming guilt, Yang cheng chooses to become a puppet and advises the public to follow in his footsteps so society can run smoothly. When asked by xia qing if this is the path he is willing to take he tries explaining that this is the only path he has (unreliable narrator) indicating his sense of responsibility and duty has encompassed him to an unhealthy degree that he fully believes that challenging E-soul and killing him or being killed by him is the only way possible to serve justice.

In the end, even if Yang cheng was killed by og E-soul (which wasn't the case), he would have died knowing that he tried. He didn't hesitate, and he would have attuned for his mistakes, leaving the world with no guilt.

Alas, I believe that the reason yang cheng didn't react to finding out that Uncle Rock is the founder is because he has accepted himself as a puppet a simple weight that is moved to balance a horrible system and it is why he probably accepted orders and killed moon because that's what a puppet does it follows orders no matter what so society functions smoothly. Yang cheng doesn't want to suffer the conceuqnces of breaking the rules because the cost was too great, the cost was shang chao, xia qing and everything he gained that was then painfully ripped away from him and sent him spiralling like a mad man.

[supremefloof]

episode 6 thoughts: DANG

Shang Chao is one of the characters of all time. spoilers below! this post is also very long.

THESE DANG ENERGY DRINKS ARE IMPORTANT! This shot is symbolic of something!

these could be "Electro Energy" brand drinks (the brand mentioned later to show how Yang Cheng E-soul is costing money for Mighty Glory).

Is that a "no. 8" or a "no. 0"? 8 would make sense but there's problems with that, those being -> 1. is E-soul still rank number eight here? and 2.:

the trailer shows that this drink belongs to X, with the character presumably meaning 1,0, or some really sadistic way of writing X. (secret, even more sadistic evil third thing is that that's like, a three or something and the timeline is fucked). the drink NEXT to it belongs to E-soul (maybe those are electro energy). So, maybe this drink means that E-soul is X in Year 36. ofc, we have no idea what time this trailer takes place.

it looks like this stupid extremely hard to read borderline secret code font (/hj) is going to be a frequent occurrence! hopefully somebody with more dedication than me can decode it fully at some point.

background ads continue to be very intriguing. where exactly does this take place? we got "langley & co booksellers", "malibu surf shop", alongside chinese signs. probably a lot are just easter eggs but very fun!

In the interrogation room, I really interpreted YC's animated flashback sequence as a panic attack.

he's stuck on two ends from "nothing" to "way too much". He doesn't feel he belongs on either, and yet he's self-internalized a bunch of stuff at the same time. he's like lin ling on trauma steroids.

I like Xia Qing (i think thats her name?) better than I thought I would. girl knows what she wants and drops hints! she's also the most normal well adjusted person I've seen in this entire show.

i really, genuinely for the love of god hope those criminals weren't telling the truth about YC hiring them. If time travel theory is real I'm flipping a table. I dislike time travel theory but I can't put my finger on why.

SHANG CHAO IS SO SUSPICIOUS. even including what happens to him he shows up at exactly the right time with exactly the right stuff. He's weirdly super invested. I don't think he's evil but I think we are going to see his motivations/backstory in the next episode (and yes. singular next e-soul episode). we still don't know why Pomelo/you zi was kidnapped!!

Some guesses are that he really wants to differentiate himself from his dad, which is why he jumps at the chance to market Yang Cheng.

or yk. he's gay. who knows

OG E-Soul. first of all, YEESH he just trains shirtless covered in scars and doesn't wear anything under the suit 😭interestingly, he wears a mask all the time but doesn't care about his agent/manager/General Business Blonde Guy seeing him train shirtless and armless.

blonde dude got some nerve talking to this guy like that when he's one-arming like 200 pounds in front of him 💀

he seems unconcerned with whether people trust New E-soul, because nobody could mistake the two. this really lines up with the idea that he's old as Dirt and did some insane feat.

However, Mighty Glory doesn't see it that way because it's about money. TBHX absolutely is providing commentary on capitalism and the commercialization of heroes. (ie. an old symbol of institution brought down by the new age and adapted into something else that matches the ideas of the time) The contrast of a living legend like E-soul and his relationship with Mighty Glory + the media made me feel like Mighty Glory built itself around him with dubious implications for his opinions on the matter.

E-Soul hasn't fought people in a while! so my theory that he's retired is right so far.

ENLIGHTER!!!!! this felt like a crossover cameo but logically the episodes are only a few years apart. Enlighter seems like a big deal here though! Did he used to be higher ranked a few years ago and fell off in Lin Ling's era? ...why did he snap. that's not going to be important is it. brainrot brainrot

TBHX is also for sure highlighting how the transition into the digital age is effecting the Trust System, saying how E-soul had to do so much more work than YC. I wonder how the nuances of the Trust system were different before the spread of the internet. TBHX is a modern show, set in modern times and made to be extremely relevant to current world issues!

our running ideas about Trust seem spot-on so far. YC is getting a fraction of E-souls power. meaning E-Soul is really, really powerful! even though he's not doing anything right now.

SURVIVORS GUILT, PT 2. the similarities between the traumatic events of Yang Cheng's childhood to now are insane. holy shit poor guy

is someone gonna get dramatically shot every episode????? why??? at least Moon is not unique in this regard. hide your side characters nobody is safe 😭

twenty tumblr notes on this shot being wayyy too significant for my emotional health

I DON'T TRUST THE TIMELINE. I DON'T TRUST THE TIMELINE. E-SOUL PV IS SO INSANELY STRANGE.

[guesst]

ok so ive been thinking about ghostblade and hes like undeniably hilarious what with his complete failure in .. life.. but i am really enjoying the plot being setup here especially with how the trust system strikes again lol -- "my fans have sealed my mouth" and rock with "yeah thats how i wanted it" -- not only is ghostblade's quietness no longer a preference but his hero image has been manipulated for a long while to make it that way and I THINK ITS A FUN PARALLEL TO E-SOUL !!! such a nice detail. also it seems that rock is going to be important again, and i'd really like to see ghostblade's thoughts on e-soul -- old OR new. it seems like we might be getting a shift in motivation for ghostblade by the end of his arc, since he's waking up to what being a father could be, so he might begin to think more deeply about his role as a hero beyond being rock's attack dog..

(which huh now im realising if that IS what his arc will end in then it makes sense that rock would boost up yang cheng as a replacement or maybe backup attack dog... maybe ghostblade starts doubting his role as a hero/wanting to shift out of the spotlight so rock decides to make some backup plans with yang cheng... but im reaching atp so i'll stop here)

the e soul arc has yang cheng's image being somewhat artificially boosted (like rock setting him up to get extra hype online n all) so he's like. pressured into becoming the 'next e-soul' by killing the old one; that fight never would have happened if the public hadn't been calling for blood between the two, and all the marketing completely altered yang cheng's motivations by playing on his insecurities about his trust value, and we know it was rock pulling the strings to set it up this way -- and now we've got proof, in the form of ghostblade, that yang cheng is NOT the first case of rock 'gaming the system', so to speak.

ghostblade's hero persona's been set up in such a way that he's silent and cool, but it also means he's incapable of snitching (which rock admits he wanted), and rock was lucky enough to find a guy who purposefully remains ignorant to his victims so he won't look into it. i highly doubt johnny's dad was killed because he did something bad, and it's probably the same for the other victims. so rock's been playing a long game, and as a bonus detail, x probably knows that rock is pulling a lot of messed up stuff behind the scenes (he infamously doesn't get on with rock). but to what end? not sure yet. this episode seems to be the episode where the bigshots find out about fear as the antithesis to trust value, so it rules out rock working with the guy who's been going around giving powers to angry people. hmm

[rosethornewrites]

NR, E, & M reading since 10/1

Finished

Not Rated:

grief to grace, by curiositea (🔒)

He hears the little patter of feet before the inevitable, tentative, “Xian-gege?”

-

During a full moon night in the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian comforts A-Yuan.

Waiting for my moon, by murmurcury (2 chapters)

Wei Wuxian wakes in the arms of a stranger, naked and sexed, with no memory of the past or present, no recognition of his lover nor his own self besides his two attributed names and a deep-seated yearning for the man in his embrace; the man who gazes back at him with distance and wonder.

Explicit:

A Sure Thing, by vesna (mrsronweasley) (4 chapters)

The message says, I require exclusive commitment as well as flexibility. You may spend the night, but not always. I will be the one to keep the schedule of our meetings.

Wei Ying crunches on a chip thoughtfully, then takes a deep breath and writes back, What do I get in return?

the roots, by thelastdboy (9 chapters)

In one universe, Wei Wuxian had been left by the side of the road while Lan Wangji had become the Chief Cultivator. He found himself alone again, discarded and heartbroken. He also found himself to be a target again, as people started hunting the Yiling Laozu once more. He was all alone and just so fucking tired that he couldn't even bring himself to fight back. Some part of him yearned to return to the peaceful oblivion that had been death.

In another universe, Lan Wangji's world fell apart in a single day. He was forced to bury not only his son, but his husband as well. Sizhui's Wen heritage had been discovered and Wei Wuxian's past had once again inspired animosity. While Sizhui would hopefully find peace at least, Wei Wuxian's soul had been destroyed and Lan Wangji would rather destroy his own soul than never be re-united with Wei Wuxian again. However, his late husband had left him one last gift: a path into a different universe.

Or: MDZS!Lan Wangji transmigrates into the CQL-verse just in time to save post-canon CQL!Wei Wuxian. Together, they grieve and eventually, they find a home for themselves.

Mature:

none lives forever, brother, and nothing lasts for long, by eena (10 chapters)

(He’s my son, A-Cheng! Can’t you see? I birthed him of my own body.)

Jiang Cheng reached forward and lifted the boy up into his arms. He settled the boy’s head on his shoulder and pointedly ignored the gasp of relief that shuddered through his disciples.

OR

Jiang Cheng stumbles upon A-Yuan during the Siege of the Burial Mounds and as a result, Jiang Yuan, courtesy name Jiang Sizhui, the heir to Yunmeng Jiang sect is raised alongside his cousin Jin Ling, courtesy name Jin Rulan, the heir to the Lanling Jin sect at Lotus Pier.

Jiang Cheng is bad at feelings, but better at kids, and Lan Wangji is a fantastic bitch about Jiang Cheng's child-rearing and decides he is co-parenting whether anyone wants him to or not.

two guys r in love thats literally it, by victortor

“I already love you, Lan-er-gege, and nothing I do can change that, no matter how far back I leave my time.”

The Demon of Tanxiangshan, by kuro (🔒, 3 chapters)

Rumours had been spreading that a demon was roaming the mountainside of Tanxiangshan.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

The Kids Are Okay (I Think), by GossamerGlint

Wei Ying, in a twist of fate, finds himself on the streets once more, betrayed by cultivators

Meng Yao's mother dies early, betrayed by cultivators.

Xue Yang loses his finger with his optimism, betrayed by cultivators.

Yet none of them will be left alone, if this mysterious ghost with an equally hazy past has anything to say about it. And so what if these boys are her distant grandchildren? She'll adopt them all the same! Now... if only they wouldn't get into any trouble because of their inheritance...

The Cultivation World Needs a Reset, by FangirlingIsLife

Do not succumb to anger.

It was one of the founding rules of the Lan Clan and yet Lan Zhan could feel nothing other than a cold fury filling his veins.

He watched as his husband in all but ceremony let himself fall to Jiang Cheng’s blade.

Even at his death, his soul mate would never raise a hand to defend himself against their tyranny.

Well fuck that.

Soulmate Fox, by RMoonberry

The fate of Wei Ying and Lan Zhan was connected the same day they had their misfortunes.

Explicit:

this is our vow, by orro (🔒)

Waking up in Gusu isn’t a surprise but waking up as a teenager is enough to make Wei Wuxian scream, disrupting the precious silence of the Cloud Recesses.

Wei Wuxian had been given a second chance when he was brought back to life. But this time, he can truly fix everything, and if he can’t find a way back then at least he can make some things right that he could never atone enough for.

The Second Hand Unwinds, by trulywicked (🔒)

Sent back in time without his husband after a night hunt gone wrong, Lan Wangji is determined to ensure that Wei Wuxian’s safety and in the process hopefully mitigate, if not prevent, the war.

Through marriage among other things.

Only with Time, by adrian_kres (🔒)

Thirteen years ago, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were arranged to be married as is tradition. Throughout their thirteen-year-long "courtship," things were not always as they seemed. Now, newly married, old secrets have ripped open wounds they thought were closed, and they must work together to rebuild a trust they never had and a love they always did but couldn't see.

Told from alternating points of view between LWJ and WWX with frequent flashbacks to memories of their "courtship".

The Threads of Fate, by WaitForTheSnitch

“What would you do if you could have him back?” Nie Huaisang asked him, a bit too seriously as he leaned forward. “There is no way for a dead cultivator to return,” Jiang Cheng scoffed, not even willing to entertain the thought. “Perhaps, perhaps not,” Nie Huaisang shrugged, “Even if he came back, that wouldn’t do much to help, would it? Your sister is still gone. His reputation still damaged.” “Stop speaking in riddles,” Jiang Wanyin growled, “What did you come here for, Nie Huaisang?” “I asked you what you would do for your brother back,” Nie Huaisang started, “I would do anything to have mine back, Jiang Wanyin. And I’m here to offer you that same choice. Because our brothers’ deaths never should have happened. They happened because of schemes and plots. They happened because of lies and deception. Your brother was made to be a villain and was led to his death because he was too powerful. Mine was murdered because he stood in the way of Jin Guangshan.”

There's nothing Jiang Cheng wouldn't do to have his siblings back. And when Nie Huaisang comes to him with a proposal to save them by changing everything, he doesn't even hesitate to agree.

Part Of Me, by mercury_retrograde

Soulmates were rare. It was actually a privilege to receive a soul mark and share such a precious and sacred bond with someone else. People usually craved it and envied those who were able to live this kind of fairytale.

Wei Wuxian was one of the lucky bastards: he had a soul mark and a person who was waiting just for him. All his.

So he was really lucky, right?

…Or was he?

Mature:

I whatever you, I will stand by your side, by Lizziewriter07

Wei WuXian almost died during Jin ZiXun's trap. He would have retaliated with all his might if it weren't for A-Yuan being terrified and right behind him and Wen Ning. Instead of killing Jin ZiXuan, he was hit by a fatal arrow in the heart while trying to protect the little boy. After disappearing from the cultivation world for five years he was... "invited" in a rather peculiar way to help two great clan leaders in a problem with their sworn brother. Or, Lan XiChen knew his younger brother like no one else. He knew him well enough to know that seeing Wei WuXian again after all those years of not knowing anything about the young master would make WangJi do something extreme. In order to be aware of what would happen and to help, ZeWu-jun proposes a sort of alliance with Wen Qing. Together, they come up with a well-crafted excuse to leave them alone for a while.

a dirge for the spring tides of youth, by wisgonia

“Wei?”

Wei Wuxian tries very hard to hide a wince. “It’s the founder’s name, I didn’t have any other so it’s mine now.” Which was technically not a lie.

“Hey! Now you have to tell me your name, I can’t just call you handsome gege in white all the time!” Wei Wuxian redirects in a petulant whine. “Unless you want me to. Then all you have to do is ask, I don’t mind!” He decides to throw in a wink for good measure.

The cultivator sharply snaps his head. “I do not.” He states firmly.

Wei Wuxian watches him pause with slight hesitance.

“…My name is Lan Zhan.”

“Lan Zhan!” And because Wei Wuxian did not have a single ounce of care for the man’s miffed air, continues, “Lan, huh? Related to Gusu Lan? No wonder you’re such a strong cultivator!”

Years after the success of the Sunshot Campaign, two tired souls, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, meet for the first time in the middle of a night hunt and fall in love anyways.

your bones don't rust, by curiositea (🔒)

Lan Zhan has a bad day, Wei Ying takes care of him.

Wei Ying has a bad day, Lan Zhan takes care of him.

__

or, a small ode to unconditional love.

[guesst]

ykw would b crazy is if in a tbhx daemon au trust value would be enough to change your daemon . like yang cheng starting off with something 'weak' like a mouse but when people start seeing him as e soul the mouse resettles into something they think is 'stronger' like a bird of prey or something. everyone insists firm man should have a dog so thats what his demon becomes. nobody knows nice isnt nice anymore so LL's daemon automatically shifts into a dove or wtvr nice's daemon is. would be messed up lol