bingleycharles

[bingleycharles]

First off, I don’t spend a lot of time on tumblr any more, and this blog was mainly meant to be a reference blog for wuxia/xianxia genre, which has been my favorite genre for a long time. My main intention was to provide some information that might be helpful (I think MDZS becoming so popular so quickly due to the tv drama came a bit unexpected to us who have loved the novel for a long time) and not really engage much beyond that. But, the more time I spend here, the more I feel that some things need to be said.

There’s been a lot of talk about the MDZS novel dubcon/noncon elements and I definitely had no intention of engaging with that to any extent, but the mentality of this particular group of people (and I use that term generously because it’s mainly the mentality of extremely sheltered children) on tumblr is so unbelievably wild that someone needs to say something, and I guess that’s going to be me. I am going to warn people in advance, that I am going to make no attempts to be nice about this, because after some of the discussions I’ve seen recently, even if niceness was deserved, I certainly am no longer capable of it.

Now that the disclaimer is in place, let’s talk a bit about where this hatred for mxtx and her sex scenes comes from.

1. People who believe that nothing problematic should exist in fiction, because nothing problematic should exist in the world.

Sometimes, this is based on a simple inability to recognize how fiction and real world are not, in fact, the same thing, and this inability can be more commonly found among those too young to understand complex subjects (see great majority of the above children, who have already caused a great deal of damage to vulnerable communities by misusing and misrepresenting terms like pedophilia, incest, etc, etc). More often however, it is based on the inability to understand how real word and fiction are actually related, an inability that is unfortunately found among many people who should be considered adults. It is a fundamental misunderstanding of both, rooted in a belief that real world problems exist because they are normalized in fiction (but not all world problems because no one is trying to get rid of murder mysteries, just the icky problems they don’t actually wanna think about or do anything to solve, but would still like to never see again. All this while simultaneously getting to say “well, I’m against incest in fiction so that’s my contribution to the issue,” so they can then feel good about themselves).

This belief, by the way, that real world problems exist because they are normalized in fiction, has been proven as a false narrative many times, but like “Bible says all gay people are evil” or “climate change isn’t real” doctrines, it refuses to die even when faced with facts. “Fiction does not exist in a vacuum” they keep saying, as if those capable of critical thinking have not addressed this subject so many times, that you could practically walk your way across the Pacific Ocean on their responses alone. The real world problems do not exist because someone once wrote them down in a piece of fiction, and that should be abundantly clear to us all. Instead, problematic subjects exist in fiction precisely because they existed in the real world first, and we, the human beings, find writing things down to be one of the many ways we process information, problematic or otherwise.

There is also an insistence on seeing every piece of fiction as an instruction manual for “bad things,” and honestly, I don’t know what happens in these people’s heads, nor do I want to. Again, according to them, any underage fiction is an instructional manual for a possible pedophile, but tens of thousands of murder mysteries are just entertainment. If you read/write underage fiction, you must be a pedophile, but by the same logic, if you read/write bloody murder mysteries, this logic either doesn’t apply, or murder is just fine. So inevitably we go back to the fact that a lot of these issues are only raised by people who just don’t think anything they personally find “icky” should exist, and that’s rooted mostly in white privilege (and we’ll get to the white minority individuals later) and ethnocentricity (and we’ll get to that in a minute too). Basically, when I hear “people will learn that rape is okay from fiction,” I automatically think you’re either extremely immature or extremely ignorant, or both. Please take a psychology/sociology class or seven, throw in Moral Development 101 in the mix, and get back to me in like ten years, when we can both try and have an adult conversation. In the meantime, arguing against this is like arguing with climate change deniers. More likely to make me dumber than them smarter.  

In short, you will never be able to get rid of problematic fiction, because you will never make the world not problematic, nor will stopping the people who choose to reflect their problematic world in writing fiction accomplish absolutely anything, except them having no way to process their reality, and you being considered an immature child (which most people who think like this already are, so no news there, let’s move on).

2. They believe things are problematic because they believe that their particular experiences are common to everyone else. If they see it as problematic, then everyone else should to see it that way too.

This should be self-explanatory, and a thousand of these discussions have been held in the past, by people more eloquent than myself, about every subject from rape fantasies and bondage (go back a few years to 50 shades), to experiences that are unique to specific minority groups, like trans individuals, refugees, rape survivors, those with disabilities, multi-national and multi-racial individuals, and so on and so forth. Even among the hundreds and hundreds of these vulnerable groups of individuals, there are hundreds of different subgroups, whose experiences are all wildly different, wildly subjective, and all completely valid to them, regardless of how they differ.

None of us have the ability to understand each and every one of those unique experiences. At best, we may be able to somewhat understand a few people who have had similar experiences, but our opinions on a variety of subjects have been shaped by the smallest differences in those experiences, and are likely to never be exactly the same.

What I’m saying is this: the little white girl from Iowa, regardless of her minority status as disabled/lesbian/bi/queer female, will never understand what drives a young/disabled/queer/multiracial/2nd gen. immigrant girl, to write 55k of rape fantasy fiction between two multiracial men, and she doesn’t have to understand it. Neither her disability nor her queerness should give her a single iota of moral high ground over the other individual, or vice versa. Her personal understanding of what is morally right or wrong in fiction does not give her the right (nor should it ever) to pass judgment on anyone else’s experiences, or their method for processing those experiences. There is no sensitive way I can say this, so I’m not even gonna try. You don’t get to be automatically right because you’re gay, disabled, or a minority of any kind. Like, I know this is uncomfortable to hear, but people around here often use their status to invalidate others and to get them not to engage in any type of discussion that would prove their opinions wrong. I’m literally watching children on tumblr going, “I don’t need to know about oppression, I’m gay,” like holy shit. The only oppression you know is your own. That’s it. Please tone down the arrogance and realize you’re not alone in the world, minority or not.

I get that if you were raped, you may never want to see rape in fiction. But in the same vein, there exist people who were raped, and want to see rape in fiction. I get that you’re gay and offended by certain type of fiction, but there are also people who are gay and prefer the same type of fiction you find offensive. This is exactly when words like “pedophile” and “incest” get thrown around a lot, for things that in no way meet the definition. Because there is no factual or valid argument that exists here, and people are browbeating other people by saying “Well, I’m gay and oppressed and I just don’t like it so it has to be wrong.” But when the dissenter is also gay and oppressed, and you have to admit that based on the status you’ve used to validate yourself, you also have to admit that their opinion is as valid as yours, then the only fallback is to point a finger and say that there must be something wrong with them. “Well, your opinion is not valid because you read underage fiction so you’re a pedophile,” and this is literally what keeps happening over and over again.

At the root of all this is a twisted, sick belief, that those who process their issues and their problematic environments in the morally pure and acceptable way are the only valid voices in every community, and that everyone else’s experiences are immediately invalidated by default. It’s a pretty fucking gross rhetoric, and it’s been going on here on tumblr for a very long time now, but it’s only gotten worse, and it’s especially prevalent among the new influx of mdzs “fans.”

3. They believe things are problematic because their culture considers them problematic, and they have no concept of the fact that theirs is not the only culture in the world.

This is particularly nasty proclivity, commonly found in Western consumers of fiction. The Western audiences like to think themselves enlightened, despite the fact that most Eastern cultures have carpets in their government buildings older than the entire Western culture, system of law, morality codes, or their Constitutions. This is mostly true of U.S. in particular because their ethnocentrism keeps self-validating itself through ignorance, poor education, and other evils of capitalism. But it’s also true of other white European consumers of fiction, who have a long history of colonialism to thank for their continuous insistence that their morality is more enlightened than everyone else’s (oh, the irony of that). But not to go too far from the subject at hand, if I had a dollar every time a white girl from United States said “Ew, this rape scene this Chinese author wrote is really gross and I find it to be offensive to my entire existence,” I could pretty much overthrow the entire capitalist system that produced this ethnocentric fucking nonsense in the first place.

In short, there are many individuals in the West, who might be minorities in their general community, but have no concept or understanding of other cultures, other minority communities, or other individuals that have life experiences drastically different from their own, so they judge everything they see from their own perspective, because it is the only perspective they have, and unfortunately, it’s a pretty narrow one. There is an important lesson to be learned here, and it’s the one I’ve already mentioned above:

Being queer, or being any kind of a minority, does not automatically save you from being ignorant, being ethnocentric, being unable to understand other people’s experiences (minority or otherwise), and it most certainly does not mean that your queer culture is the only right queer culture in the world. If you doubt my words, I highly suggest consulting some native-Chinese male queer individuals, who have also read that rape scene by that Chinese author who has upset you so much that you can’t stop crying about it (although it wasn’t written for you, and you were under no obligation to read it), and maybe ask them what they think, since their opinion is the only one even close to being relevant to this particular conversation. I guarantee that their answers will shock and amaze you, and you may even learn a thing or two along the way.

(And if you immediate answer isn’t that their opinions will all be wildly different as well because them all being native-Chinese male queer individuals still doesn’t mean they’re all the same fucking person [because hello? China has 56 ethnic groups alone] and that each and every one of them is a unique individual with a unique perspective based on their particular upbringing, social environment, sexuality, etc, etc, then you’re fucking missing the point, please go back up to the beginning and try again).

In the end, the answer to never having to see anything that upsets you is pretty simple and straight forward. If it’s bothersome, do not engage. If you don’t understand something, if it seems alien to your experience, if your very existence feels utterly repulsed by it, consider the fact that it was probably not written for you in the first place, and simply remove yourself from its presence.

Do not assume that you know why it was written, do not assume it is a personal attack against your existence, do not assume that you understand (or ever could) the culture that gave it birth, the history that formed it, or the shared experiences of those who happen to like it. Do not assume that you are the authority on problematic when it comes to anyone else’s work except your own, because you are a unique individual, your moral beliefs and expectations are your own, and no one else is required to share them. The world does not have a common morality, and if it did, it certainly wouldn’t be a common morality of a white girl on fucking tumblr who isn’t gonna take an intercultural competence class unless she’s in her fourth year of college, and even then, the exact privilege that allowed her to take that class is gonna make it pretty unlikely that she’ll understand it. It’s a tough life I know, but you’ll get over it tolerably well I’m sure.

In the simplest words possible, please try and turn a mirror towards your own propensity to think that your viewpoint is superior to all others, quit making excuses that amount to your particular minority status somehow making you immune to rampant cultural ignorance, because it’s literally been centuries of this bullshit from white colonialists countries for the rest of the world, and everyone is pretty fucking sick of it.

People are simply asking you not to be a dick to other unique individuals on the sole basis of the fact that you are incapable of processing their world, their culture, or their experiences, in the same exact way that they have, and frankly, it’s really not a lot to ask.

[bingleycharles]

Part 3 - Forms of Address

Side note: Some characters are called uncle/aunt but this does not mean they are blood related to the character addressing them. These are terms often used to be polite and/or affectionate. 

Family 

Side note: I am only including terms that are often used in The Untamed, and have been a result of some confusion due to poor Netflix translation.

Shushu 叔叔 (Uncle) – literally translated as “father’s younger brother” and often used to politely address men much older than the speaker.

Dage 大哥 (Big Brother) – also used to politely address men around the same age or older than the speaker.

Ge/Gege/Xiong 哥/哥哥/兄 – elder brother or older brother. 

Di/Didi 弟/弟弟 – younger brother or little brother.

Jie/Jiejie 姐/姐姐 – elder sister or big sister.

Martial Family

Shigong/Shiye 师公/师爷 - Grandmaster 

Shifu 师父/师傅 - Master

Shibo/Shishu 师伯/师叔 - Martial Uncle (what Xiao Xingcheng is to Wei Wuxian)

Shidi 师弟 - Junior Brother (what Jiang Cheng is to Wei Wuxian)

Shijie 师姐 - Senior Sister (what Jiang Yanli is to Wei Wuxian)

Miscellaneous

Lao (老) – Elder - usually appended to a person’s surname to show respect.

Xiao (小) – Little - usually appended to a person’s given name to show familiarity & affection.

A graph (source)

[bingleycharles]

Part 3 - Characters + Multiple Names

How the names work

The family name always comes first.

The two names you will see following the family name is the birth name, and the courtesy name. 

Some of the characters have titles as well, so some characters have three names in use throughout the show. 

We’ll use Lan Wangji as an example.

Family name - Lan

Birth name - Lan Zhan

Courtesy name - Lan Wangji

Title - Hanguang-Jun

Things to remember:

The birth name is rarely used by anyone other than close family members, teachers, and elders in the family, clan, or Sect. Using it implies either a certain type of intimacy, or a certain type of seniority over the person being spoken to.

Side Note: The fact that Wei Wuxian addresses Lan Wangji as Lan Zhan so early on in their acquaintance would be considered rude and/or crass.

The courtesy name, in The Untamed, is given early on. In many wuxia/xianxia novels, you will find the characters don’t receive their courtesy name until they are adults. This is a name friends, acquaintances and peers (those of equal standing) use.

The title is just what it says on the box. It is used to express respect, but also a certain amount of distance. 

Side Note: The young disciples of the Gusu Lan call Lan Wangji Hanguang-Jun because it would be disrespectful for them to address him as Lan Wangji, as they are not of equal standing. When Wei Wuxian returns from the Burial Mounds, he addresses Lan Wangji as Hanguang-Jun because he wants to distance himself from their earlier intimacy to prevent being questioned about his methods. 

Who has multiple names, and what are they?

Wei Wuxian

Family name - Wei

Birth name - Wei Ying

Courtesy name - Wei Wuxian

Title - Yiling Laozu (Yiling Patriarch)

Jiang Cheng

Family name - Jiang

Birth name - Jiang Cheng

Courtesy name - Jiang Wanyin

Title - Sandu Shengshou

Lan Xichen

Family name - Lan

Birth name - Lan Huan

Courtesy name - Lan Xichen

Title - Zewu-Jun

Wen Ning

Family name - Wen

Birth name - Wen Ning

Courtesy name - Wen Qionglin

Title - Gui Jiangjun (Ghost General)

Jin Ling

Family name - Jin

Birth name - Jin Ling

Courtesy name - Jin Rulan

Lan Sizhui

Family Name - Lan

Birth name - Lan Yuan

Courtesy name - Lan Sizhui

Xue Yang

Family name - Xue

Birth name - Xue Yang

Courtesy name - Xue Chengmei

Song Lan

Family name - Song

Birth name - Song Lan

Courtesy name - Song Zichen

Madame Yu

Family name - Yu (retained despite marriage into Jiang Sect)

Birth name - (unknown)

Courtesy name - Yu Ziyuan

Title - Zi Zhizhu (The Violet Spider)

Wen Zhuliu

Family name - Wen (originally Zhao)

Birth name - (unknown)

Courtesy name - Wen Zhuliu

Title - Huadan Shou (Core-Melting Hand)

The meanings behind the names are being explained by this lovely, gifted individual. Links to her work so far:

Wei Wuxian

Lan Wangji

Jiang Cheng

Lan Sizhui (contains spoilers)

Bonus - a lovely WangXian analysis here

[bingleycharles]

Part 2 - Other Characters

Baoshan Sanren (抱山散人, Bàoshān sànrén) - the teacher of Yanling Daoren, Cangse Sanren and Xiao Xingchen. A cultivator who lived on a celestial mountain secluded from the rest of the world, and took abandoned children up the mountain to be her pupils. 

Cangse Sanren (藏色散人, Cángsè Sànrén) - a pupil of the famous Baoshan Sanren, a rogue cultivator, and a mother to Wei Wuxian.

Wei Changze (魏长泽, Wèi Chǎngzé) - a servant of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, the husband of the rogue cultivator Cangse Sanren, and the father of Wei Wuxian.

Xiao Xingchen (晓星尘, Xiǎo Xīngchén) - a pupil of the famous Baoshan Sanren, a rogue cultivator, and close friends with Song Zichen. 

Song Lan (宋岚, Sòng Lán), courtesy name Song Zichen (宋子琛) - a cultivator from Baixue Temple, and a close friend with Xiao Xingchen.

Side note: Xiao Xingchen became close friends with Song Zichen due to their shared dream of building a sect that valued common ideals instead of blood ties. The cultivation world described Xiao Xingchen as the "bright moon and gentle breeze," paired with Song Zichen's the "distant snow and cold frost."

A-Qing (阿箐, Ā-Qìng) - a young maiden who lives on the streets prior to meeting Xiao Xingchen, who takes her under his protection.

Ouyang Zizhen (欧阳子真, Ōuyáng Zizhēn) - a junior disciple and the heir to the Baling Ouyang Sect.

[bingleycharles]

Part 2 - Other Sects

Laoling Qin Sect - a subsidary clan of the Lanling Jin Sect, led by Qin Cangye, the father of Qin Su. 

Moling Su Sect - a rising sect led by Su She, modeled after the Gusu Lan Sect.

Yueyang Chang Sect - a cultivational sect that resided in Yueyang.

Baling Ouyang Sect - associated with the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, led by Ouyang Zizhen' father.

Meishan Yu Sect - Madame Yu’s Sect prior to her marriage into Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

Yao Sect - location unknown, led by Sect Leader Yao.

Yingchuan Wang Sect - a minor sect that gained favor and climbed the ranks from Wang Lingjiao's relationship with Wen Chao. 

Tingshan He Sect - location unknown, led by Sect Leader He Su.

[bingleycharles]

Part 2 - The Sects and Clans: The Qinghe Nie Sect

The Qinghe Nie Sect (清河聂氏, Qīnghé Niè Shì) - a cultivation sect based in the Unclean Realm.

Motif - Head of a Beast

Motto - (unknown)

Uniform Color - Silver/Gray

Side Note: In The Untamed, you can always deduce a certain amount of information about a Sect from their general location. For example, The Unclean Realm is depicted as a structure that’s severe and dark in appearance, more akin to a fortress than a palace. The Qinghe Nie Sect is known for great strength and a violent fighting style. 

Side Note: The Qinghe Nie are descended from butchers. They weapon is not a sword favored by most cultivators, but a curved saber. Due to their violent cultivation style, the sabers used by Nie Sect eventually begin to affect their owner's state of mind. Every Nie Sect Leaders has eventually grown irritable and died of a qi deviation as a result.

Sect Members 

Nie Mingjue (聂明玦, Niè Míngjué) - a leader of the Qinghe Nie Sect and the older half-brother of Nie Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang (聂怀桑, Niè Huáisāng) - the younger half-brother of Nie Mingjue.

Sect Members - Peripheral Characters

Meng Yao (孟瑶, Mèng Yáo) eventually Jin Guangyao (金光瑶, Jīn Guāngyáo) - an illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan. In the live action, after being rejected by his father, he finds a home in the Unclean Realm as Nie Mingjue’s apprentice.

The Qinghe Nie Sect Motif 

[bingleycharles]

Part 2 - The Sects and Clans: The Qishan Wen Sect

The Qishan Wen Sect (岐山温氏, Qíshān Wēn Shì) - a cultivational sect based in Nightless City.

Motif - Sun

Motto - (unknown)

Uniform Color - Red

Side Note: In The Untamed, you can always deduce a certain amount of information about a Sect from their general location. For example, the Nightless City is so large that it is said the sun never sets on all parts of it. The Palace of the Sun and Flames is the tallest building in the Nightless City. This location and size suggests that they are the largest sect, and that the sun, the source of Heavenly light, holds a preference for Qishan Wen over other Sects. As a result, they place themselves as the ruling Sect, that can "compete with the sun for radiance, match the sun in longevity."

Sect Members

Wen Ruohan (温若寒, Wēn Ruòhán) - the sect leader of the Qishan Wen Sect. Father to Wen Xu and Wen Chao.

Wen Xu (温旭, Wēn Xù) - the eldest son of Wen Ruohan. Only appears in the live action version.

Wen Chao (温晁, Wēn Cháo) - the youngest son of Wen Ruohan.

Wen Qing (温情, Wēn Qíng) - Wen Ning's older sister and the leader of a small subdivision of the Qishan Wen Sect.

Wen Ning (温宁, Wēn Níng), courtesy name Qionglin (温琼林, Qiónglín), title Ghost General (鬼将军, Guǐ Jiāngjūn) - younger brother to Wen Qing.

Sect Members - Peripheral Characters

Wen Zhuliu (温逐流, Wēn Zhúliú, formerly, 赵逐流, Zhào Zhúliú), title the Core-Melting Hand (化丹手, Huàdān Shǒu) - a cultivator in the Qishan Wen Sect who acted as Wen Chao's personal bodyguard. 

Wang Lingjiao (王灵娇, Wáng Língjiāo) - the mistress of Wen Chao.

Wen Yuan (温苑) - a nephew of Wen Qing and Wen Ning.

Granny Wen - the grandmother of Wen Qing, Wen Ning, and Wen Yuan.

Uncle Four - uncle to Wen Yuan.

Xue Yang (薛洋, Xuē Yáng), courtesy name Xue Chengmei (薛成美, Xuē Chéngměi) 

Side Note: In the live action, Xue Yang works closely with Wen Ruohan in obtaining shards of the Yin Iron. In the novel + donghua, Xue Yang is only known as the guest disciple of the Lanling Jin Sect because the Yin Iron does not exist. 

The Qishan Wen Motif

[bingleycharles]

Part 2 - The Sects and Clans: The Lanling Jin Sect

The Lanling Jin Sect (兰陵金氏, Lánlíng Jīn Shì) - a cultivational sect based in Carp Tower, Lanling.

Motif - White peony (Sparks Amidst Snow)

Motto - (unknown)

Uniform Color - Yellow/Gold

Side Note: The members of the Lanling Jin Sect also wear a vermilion mark between their eyes to symbolize their openness towards wisdom and aspiration.

Side note: In The Untamed, you can always deduce a certain amount of information about a Sect from their general location. For example, Carp Tower (金鳞台, Jīnlín Tái; also: Koi Tower, Jinlin Tower) is an opulent palace located in the most flourishing part of Lanling City. The main road used to visit the tower is more than half a mile in length, bordered by murals depicting past Lanling Jin Sect Leaders. The lavishness of the Carp Tower and its location suggests luxury, wealth, and self-importance. Therefore, the Lanling Jin Sect is known for its wealth, affluence, and pride. 

Sect Members

Jin Guangshan (金光善, Jīn Guāngshàn) - sect leader of the Lanling Jin Sect, and husband to Madam Jin. He has one legitimate son, Jin Zixuan, and many illegitimate children included Jin Guangyao (Meng Yao), and Mo Xuanyu.

Side Note: Jin Guangyao (Meng Yao) will be introduced here as a present timeline addition, but you will also find him in the Qinghe Nie Sect section, introduced as Meng Yao in the original (flashback) timeline.

Madam Jin - wife of Jin Guangshan, and mother of Jin Zixuan. Close friend of Madam Yu (Yunmeng Jiang Sect)

Jin Zixuan (金子轩, Jīn Zixuān) - Jin Guangshan's and Madame Jin’s only legitimate child, and the heir to the Lanling Jin Sect. Future husband to Jiang Yanli of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. 

Sect Members - Peripheral Characters

Luo Qingyang, also known by her nickname Mianmian - a female cultivator of the Lanling Jin Sect.

Jin Zixun (金子勋, Jīn Zixūn) - a member of the Lanling Jin Sect and the cousin of Jin Zixuan.

Sect Members - Present Timeline Additions

Jin Ling (金凌, Jīn Líng), courtesy name Jin Rulan (金如兰, Jīn Rúlán) - the heir to the Lanling Jin Sect. He is the only son of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan and the nephew of both Jin Guangyao and Jiang Cheng.

Jin Guangyao (金光瑶, Jīn Guāngyáo), born Meng Yao (孟瑶, Mèng Yáo) - an illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan. The leader of the Lanling Jin Sect after the death of Jin Guangshan. Jin Zixuan's half-brother and Jin Ling's uncle.

Qin Su (秦愫, Qín Sù) - an illegitimate daughter of Jin Guangshan, a wife to Jin Guangyao, and the mother of Jin Rusong.

Jin Rusong (金如松 Jīn Rúsōng) - the only son of Jin Guangyao and Qin Su. He was murdered when he was only a few years old.

Mo Xuanyu (莫玄羽, Mò Xuányǔ) - one of Jin Guangshan's illegitimate sons and a former disciple of the Lanling Jin Sect. 

Side Note: In all other adaptations, Wei Wuxian returns in Mo Xuanyu’s body, but in the live action, he gets to keep his own, so no photo.

The Lanling Jin Sect Motif

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Part 2 - The Sects and Clans: The Gusu Lan Sect

The Gusu Lan Sect (姑苏蓝氏, Gūsū Lán Shì) - a cultivational sect based in the Cloud Recesses, a residence on a remote mountain outside the city of Gusu.

Motif - Flowing clouds

Motto - Be righteous

Uniform Color - White/Blue

Side Note: In The Untamed, you can always deduce a certain amount of information about a Sect from their general location. For example, Cloud Recesses is located on a remote mountain outside the city of Gusu. It is constantly enveloped in mist, giving it the appearance of a place floating on an ocean of clouds in the immortal realm. This type of clean, cold, and elevated location suggests austerity, purity of behavior and emotion, and asceticism. The Lan Set is known for their rigid rules, immaculate uniforms, and high levels of cultivation.  

Sect Members 

Qingheng-Jun (青蘅君 Qīnghéng-jūn) - a former leader of the Gusu Lan Sect and father of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. In voluntary seclusion from the world, is never shown in live action or the donghua. 

Side Note: In The Untamed live action, Qingheng-Jun is already dead, and Lan Xichen, his eldest son, is the Sect Leader. However, this is not true in any other adaptation including the original canon, so I am choosing to disregard that creative decision because I, personally, don’t think it makes any sense. 

Madam Lan - the wife of the former leader of the Gusu Lan Sect, Qingheng-Jun, and mother of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. She also lived in seclusion and died while her sons were still very young. 

Lan Qiren (蓝启仁, Lán Qǐrén) - a younger brother of Qingheng-Jun, an elder of the Gusu Lan Sect known for producing outstanding students, and uncle to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. An acting Sect Leader of Gusu Lan in the place of his brother. 

Lan Huan (蓝涣, Lán Huàn), courtesy name Lan Xichen (蓝曦臣, Xīchén), title Zewu-Jun (泽芜君, Zéwú-jūn) - the oldest son of Qingheng-Jun and Madam Lan. The nephew to Lan Qiren, the older brother to Lan Wangji, and the future Sect Leader of Gusu Lan. Often referred to as the First Young Master, or Eldest Young Master.

Lan Zhan (蓝湛 Lán Zhàn), courtesy name Lan Wangji (蓝忘机, Lán Wàngjī) title Hanguang-Jun (含光君, Hánguāng-jūn) - the youngest son of Qingheng-Jun and Madam Lan. The nephew to Lan Qiren, and younger brother to Lan Xichen. Often referred to as the Second Young Master. 

Side Note: Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen are also referred to as the Twin Jades of Lan. 

Sect Members - Peripheral Characters

Lan Yi (蓝翼, Lán Yì) - the only female sect leader in the history of the Gusu Lan Sect, and the granddaughter of Lan An, the Gusu Lan Sect founder. She was also a close friend of Baoshan Sanren, Wei Wuxian’s mother. She invented the infamous Chord Assassination technique, which used guqin strings for long-ranged attacks. 

Side Note: Her character is only present in the live action, and she is technically deceased.

Lan An (蓝安, Lán Ān) - the founder of the Gusu Lan Sect, and only mentioned in passing.

Su She (苏涉), courtesy name Minshan (悯善) -  peripheral disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect. Eventually leaves Gusu Lan to form his his own Sect,  Moling Su. 

Side Note: Notice that Su She does not have a surname Lan. He is a Gusu Lan Sect disciple, but not related to the Lan Clan by blood. 

Sect Members - Present Timeline additions

Lan Yuan (蓝愿), courtesy name Lan Sizhui (蓝思追, Lán Sīzhuī) - a junior disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect, and an adopted son of Lan Wangji.

Lan Jingyi (蓝景仪, Lán Jǐngyí) - a junior disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect.

The Gusu Lan Sect Motif

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Part 2 - The Sects and Clans: The Yunmeng Jiang Sect

The Yunmeng Jiang Sect (云梦江氏, Yúnmèng Jiāng Shì) - a cultivational sect located in Yunmeng's Lotus Pier.

Motif - The nine petal lotus

Motto - Attempt the impossible

Uniform Colors - Purple

Side Note: In The Untamed, you can always deduce a certain amount of information about a Sect from their general location. For example, the Lotus Pier is located near (and surrounded by) a vast body of water. As a result, although the Jiang Disciples practice ‘standard’ cultivation, they are exceptionally skilled at swimming, and have a great deal of experience in dealing with water ghouls, and other water-related mythical disturbances. 

Sect Members

Jiang Fengmian (江枫眠, Jiāng Fēngmián) - Yunmeng Jiang Sect Leader and the father of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli

Yu Ziyuan (虞紫鸢, Yú Zǐyuān) aslo known as Madam Yu (虞夫人, Yú fūrén) and the Violet Spider (紫蜘蛛, Zǐ Zhīzhū) - the wife of Jiang Fengmian, and the mother of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli

Side note: Yu Ziyian and Jiang Fengmian are a result of an arranged marriage. She did not take Jiang Fengmian’s name, and they lived in separate parts of Lotus Pier. I am only saying this so people do not misunderstand, and assume the cold nature of their relationship is some type of a norm.

Jiang Yanli (江厌离, Jiāng Yànlí) is the elder sister of Jiang Cheng and the elder sworn sister of Wei Wuxian

Jiang Cheng (江澄 Jiāng Chéng), courtesy name Jiang Wanyin (江晚吟 Jiāng Wǎnyín), title Sandu Shengshou (三毒圣手 Sāndú Shèngshǒu) - the son of Jiang Fengmien and Madame Yu, younger brother to Jiang Yanli, the younger sworn brother to Wei Wuxian, and the future leader of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect

Side note: Notice the above characters names all start with the sect name Jiang. This is a family name, and means that they are all the same clan. So even though Yunmeng Jiang Sect has many disciples, only those with family name Jiang are also a part of the clan. 

Wei Ying (魏婴 Wèi Yīng), courtesy name Wei Wuxian (魏无羡, Wèi Wúxiàn), title, the Yiling Patriarch (夷陵老祖, Yílíng Lǎozǔ) - son of Jiang Fengmian’s servant Wei Changze and a rogue cultivator Cangse Sanren. An adopted son of Jiang Fengmian, sworn brother to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. 

Side Note: Notice that Wei Wuxian’s name starts with his father’s family name Wei. Although Wei Wuxian is a senior disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, he does not carry the clan name. In other words, one’s status and success as a disciple in any Sect is not dependent on belonging to the clan, but on their cultivation ability. 

The Yunmeng Jiang Sect Motif

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Part 1 - The Universe + Basic Terminology

Wuxia, Xianxia & Xuanhuan Novels

I’m only doing a basic overview here, with the purpose of clarifying the world of The Untamed, versus doing a comprehensive study of these novel genres. That said:

Wuxia (武俠 wǔxiá) – “Martial Heroes” - fictional stories about regular humans who can achieve supernatural fighting ability through Chinese martial arts training and internal energy cultivation. Themes of chivalry, tragedy, revenge & romance are common.

Xianxia (仙侠 xiānxiá) – “Immortal Heroes” - fictional stories featuring magic, demons, ghosts, immortals, and a great deal of Chinese folklore/mythology. Protagonists (usually) attempt to cultivate to Immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. 

Xuanhuan (玄幻 xuánhuàn) – “Mysterious Fantasy” - a broad genre of fictional stories which remixes Chinese folklore/mythology with foreign elements & settings.

Now, The Untamed is often referred to as a wuxia novel, although it clearly possesses a great deal of the xianxia elements, but that’s neither here nor there.

The thing to understand about wuxia and xianxia is this: while both incorporate a great deal of Chinese historical elements, they are not specifically set in any one historical period. Someone described it once as Wild West fiction. Over time, Wild West fiction has incorporated many elements of that particular time period, but the tropes, themes, and abilities have become exaggerated, romanticized, and just not historically accurate. Yes, the Wild West did contain a number of famous gun duels, but they were not pre-planned, they did not happen as often as people assume, and low hanging holsters tied to the leg did not exist. You get where I’m going with this?

This is actually a wonderful fictional landscape to play in because while some things are inflexible components of the genre (cultivation + sects for xianxia/gunslingers and small town sheriffs for Wild West) other components are very flexible because it is, after all, fiction. It is essentially a well-established fictional framework that is malleable in all the best places. 

Wuxia, Xianxia & Xuanhuan Terms you will need to know for The Untamed

Qi (气 qì) – the life energy that exists in all things 

Qi Deviation (走火入魔 zǒuhuǒ rùmó) – disruption in the normal flow of the life energy, which can cause internal damage to the body and mind

Cultivator (修者 xiūzhě) (修士 xiūshì) (修仙者 xiūxiānzhě) – a person who trains in martial and mystical arts

Rogue Cultivators (散修 sǎnxiū) – cultivators who don’t belong to any sect or clan

Sect (宗 zōng) (派 pài) – an organization dedicated to the practice of cultivation and/or martial arts. Typically led by a Sect Leader (掌门) or Patriarch (老祖). With the help of Sect Elders (老), they instruct Disciples (弟子) in the proper methods of cultivation or training in the martial arts styles of the Sect. The Disciples live in the Sect, which provides for their daily needs. 

Clan (家 jiā) – an extended family related by blood, sharing a surname

Side Note: There will be a more concise explanation in the Name + Title section of the guide to The Untamed, but Sects and Clans are not interchangeable. For example, in The Untamed, the Lan Sect of Gusu has many Lan disciples from other clans. Su She is a Lan Disciple, but he is not related to the Lan clan by blood, the way Lan Wangji or Lan Xichen are. 

Cultivation (修炼 xiūliàn) (修真 xiūzhēn) (修仙 xiūxiān) – the process of improving health, increasing longevity, and growing powerful. This is accomplished by cultivating Qi and training in martial & mystical arts. In many of these novels, the ultimate goal of cultivation is to become an Immortal or attain godhood.

Cultivation Method (功法 gōngfǎ) (心法 xīnfǎ) – a mystical art or collection of techniques which cultivators practice in order to cultivate.  

Dantian (丹田 dāntián) – refers to the region in the body where a person’s Qi is concentrated. 

Meridians (经脉 jīngmài) – the network of vessels/channels in the body through which Qi flows. Like blood vessels, but for Qi instead of blood.

Golden Core (金丹, Jīndān) is a core formed by cultivators after they had cultivated to a certain point. Golden cores can store and control spiritual energy. After the core is formed, the cultivator's level of cultivation would increase. 

Flying Sword (飞剑 fēijiàn) – a sword that can fly through the air and can be directed to engage in long-range attacks. In some novels, (and in The Untamed) cultivators stand on the flying swords and ride them as a form of transportation.

Talisman (符 fú) – a strip of paper with mystical diagrams & calligraphy drawn on it - basically spells

Sword (剑 jiàn) – a double-edged, straight sword (think Lan Zhan’s sword)

Saber (刀 dāo) – a single-edged, curved saber (thing Nie Mingjue’s saber)

Formations (阵 zhèn) (阵法 zhènfǎ) – refer to both battle formations and spell formations. Battle formations are tactical formations used by several cultivators or martial artists attacking in concert. Spell formations (also called Arrays) are magic circles which cast a continuous area-of-effect spell on the location the formation encompasses.

Formation Flags (阵旗 zhènqí) – magical flags set up at key points in order to activate a spell formation

Face (面子 miànzi) – a person’s reputation in society and amongst their peers. If someone “has face” (有面子), they have a good reputation. If they “have no face” (没面子), then they have a bad reputation. 

More extensive description of terms + terms not necessarily related to The Untamed by this genre in general, can be found here.