#(not to make everything about tai sui but

[ririnpopo]

More domivani solidarity lesgoooo :D

[morethanwonderful]

God the first chapter of Tai Sui is so silly, but it's also, like. Here's Xi Ping being ridiculous and causing a scene with some insane scheme, but he's doing it to help out a friend that was put in a tight spot. Here's Xi Ping as the mysterious masked musician behind the scenes, playing the music and controlling the scene while someone else sings in the spotlight.

Xi Ping starts and ends the novel with Jiangli. He's her accompaniment and she's his namesake hundreds of years after her death. And given his last scene in the final extra—the glimpse of that performance at the movie before he dies, Xi Ping starts and ends the novel as an enigmatic performer with no real name, followed by waves of gossip in his wake.

He's always just that odd person playing the qin, his identity disguised, both beginning and ending forever.

[grassbreads]

What Tai Sui is and Why Everyone Should Read It

So if you follow me, over the past couple weeks, you've probably noticed me obsessively screenshotting and posting about a book called Tai Sui. And now that I've finished it, I'd like to try and convince y'all to give it a chance.

What Is Tai Sui?

Tai Sui is a chinese web novel—a relatively unpopular work by the very popular author Priest (author of Guardian and Sha Po Lang, among others). Unlike a lot of the most popular web novels on tumblr, it's not a danmei. It's in fact rather important to the plot and themes that there is almost entirely no romance, but I promise you, it is absolutely worth it regardless.

What is Tai Sui About?

Tai Sui is a steampunk xianxia cultivation story. For those unfamiliar with xianxia and cultivation, this is a particular genre of Chinese historical fantasy.

The official summary of Tai Sui reads as follows:

“If I had a choice, I would only want to be a little insect in the mundane dust, born in confusion, dying in mediocrity, never seeing the light of day beneath the fog of Jinping City.

Better than taking this wrong road to heaven.”

You may have noticed that this summary is not in fact really a summary. It gives you a glimpse into the story's themes, mood, and destination, but it doesn't exactly tell you what happens in it.

That's because Tai Sui is one of those works that's incredibly hard to summarize. The story is incredibly wide in scope and changes massively over its course, to the point that any summary that encapsulates the whole thing is going to feel like a spoiler. However, I can try my best to add a little detail without giving too much away.

Tai Sui is the story of Xi Ping—an obnoxious, trouble-making rich boy with no interest in cultivation—who gets unwittingly involved in a plot to resurrect the "evil god" Tai Sui. This plot pulls him into the cultivation world against his will and, over time, threatens to rewrite everything he is.

Tai Sui is the end of immortality.

Why Should You Read Tai Sui?

Tai Sui is one of the most compelling stories I have ever read. It is a love letter to the power and promise of the whole world and its many mundane people. It also has some of the best worldbuilding I have ever seen.

Tai Sui is written in omniscient perspective, and though Xi Ping is very much the main character, as the story progresses, we spend more and more time alongside characters that aren't him. By the time the novel ends, his entire continent is at stake, and we the audience know that continent and its troubles inside and out from countless angles. Everyone from the immortal demigods of the cultivation world to the most wretched, miserable paupers is given a grand sense of emphasis.

Tai Sui is a deconstruction of the cultivation genre. It establishes a magic/cultivation system and its history, lets the main character live in that system for a while, and then dives deep into that system's depths. It looks at the cultivation genre, at the idea of people who leave behind their status as mortals for greater things, and asks "How does this really work?" and "Is this how the world should be?"

Tai Sui is the story of countless people who were never supposed to be powerful coming together to make the world a better place. It's well written (and very well translated), exciting, heartbreaking, and incredibly beautiful. It's also funny as hell.

I cannot recommend this story enough.

Warnings/Caveats

As I said before, Tai Sui is a deconstruction of the cultivation genre. If you're unfamiliar with this genre, while the book is certainly readable, you are going to be thrown head first into the deep end with the tropes and terminology at play. It's absolutely worth the learning curve, but it will be kind of a lot. Maybe do some light googling about what a cultivator is before you pick it up. (Or just ask a fan. I think most of us would happily explain anything that would win a new reader).

There are portrayals of people/cultures in Tai Sui that are heavily inspired by minority cultures in real-world China, and some of these portrayals play into pretty harmful stereotypes. It's not SPL "Barbarian" or TGCF Banyue levels of racist, but it's something to be aware of and careful about. I'd really recommend reading from the perspectives of those from the cultures in question (including but not limited to the post I linked) for more about the issues I'm talking about.

Tai Sui's English translation is 930,000 words long. I believe this is a strength, since its length is what allows it such an incredible scope. It is also a fucking daunting commitment, and I acknowledge that.

Finally, while Tai Sui doesn't need too many trigger warnings, it does contain some pretty viscerally upsetting depictions of inequality and mistreatment, as well as a few instances of violence toward children. You can't uplift without first seeing what the people need uplifting from, and hooboy. They need it.

There's also some scenes that are technically rather violent, but the goriness is not presented as gore, if that makes sense. It never feels intensely or overly violent in the way some fantasy novels do.

Links

If all my gushing and propagandizing has convinced you to give it a try, you can find the original Chinese version (where you can buy chapters to support the author) on JJWXC.

The complete English translation is free on the website of E. Danglars, who does a truly incredible job with the translating.

Happy reading :).

[web-novel-polls]

Priest (Author) Character Upper Bracket

*Xi Ping fanart volunteered by @stellarish / used with permission

[“Anti-propaganda” is not allowed. Please only give reasons to vote FOR a character, and please be courteous in the notes.]

Han Yuan from Liu Yao

“Unlike us that had a vagrant life, domesticated kids are shy; I have to look after him in future.” - Han Yuan about Cheng Qian

Submission: Cringefail loser(most affectionate) dragon boi. Gone edgy but his family loves him anyway.

The “idiot” from the description - “A cultivation story about how a declining sect is restored by a narcissist, troublemaker, meanie, idiot, and wimpy kid.”

“our fav -1 braincell kiddo”

Xi Ping from Tai Sui

Submission:

He is literally everything to me. Pure chaos condensed into a single person. Everyone loves him, everyone hates him. He does his best, he doesn't try at all, he beats up monsters with a qin, he brought about the destruction of the entire cultivation world…

Han Muchun from Liu Yao

"Only I, your master, would not detest you, my dirty girl. If it were your first senior brother here, he would have stewed you." - Han Muchun to Shuikeng, Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect, Chapter 29

[No propaganda submitted]

Took some disciples for his declining sect and unexpectedly became a father

(Sharing a picture with Tong Ru because zooming in any further makes it almost indistinguishable. Also, pain.)

[boobo13cambridge]

Meilleur buteur | Kylian Mbappé

Pairing: Kylian Mbappé x f.Reader

Kinks: big cock, praise, body worship, nippleplay, size kink, spanking,  dirty talk, oral (m.receiving), overstimulation,

A/N: Hello, everyone! This was actually a request that someone sent from my previous account. I wasn't too sure about posting it again because I wanted to start with a clean slate on this account but I couldn't let go of it. So, once again I hope you enjoy it 😅🥰

______________________________________________________________

201 goals.

Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top scorer 

Kylian Mbappé.

He had done it. You have never been so proud in your life than watching the love of your life score his 201st goal and imprint his name in the club’s history. You weren’t even embarrassed by the few tears you had shed, you were so proud of your boyfriend. You had seen how much he had struggled coming back from the World Cup in Qatar and getting injured just to see his team lose three consecutive matches. But, you always had faith in him, standing by his side and supporting him through his ups and downs. 

You saw him search the crowd for you, blowing you a kiss after catching your eye. You heard Ethan snicker beside you as quickly wiped the few tears that managed to escape, nudging him playfully, mumbling a quick tais-toi. After the final whistle blew, you waited with Kylian’s family to make your way down the pitch to congratulate him. 

You gather near the tunnel entrance excitedly chatting with Kylian’s dad and sister-in-law, as you wait for Kylian to walk through on his way to accept the trophy the club had prepared for him. You casually joke with Ethan saying how he waited till the end to score because they only made one trophy. 

As Kylian came out of the tunnel, a huge smile split your face as you clapped along with the others. God, you were so so proud of him. You were the luckiest girl in the world to be able to spend every day with this wonderful man by your side. As he walked towards you and his family, you waited till it was your turn before engulfing him in a huge hug and planting a kiss on his cheek. 

“Je suis tellement fière de toi, mon amour”, you whispered in his ear as he hugged you tightly, lifting you up slightly. ("I'm so proud of you, my love")

“Merci, bébé. Je t’aime.”, he replied back with a wink and a slight tap on your ass before making his way up to the stage. You blushed as you saw Tchaga try to hide his laughter at his best friend’s actions. 

Letting Kylian celebrate with his teammates, you made your way home where you had organized a surprise party for Kylian as you knew for sure that he would score today. You made sure everything was set and that the cake with a big 201 in the middle was ready for when your boyfriend came back from the stadium. You had his location on your phone, so when you saw that he had arrived at your home, you quickly shushed everyone as Kylian’s dad lit the firecracker candles just as Kylian opened the door.

“FÉLICITATIONS!” 

Kylian looked around in shock before a huge grin split his face as he rushed to accept a hug from his mom.“Bravo, mon fils je suis très très fière de toi. Je t’aime fort”, she praised him, giving him a motherly kiss on his forehead. “Merci, maman. Je t’aime aussi.”, he replied hugging her one last time. Seeing all his family and close friends surprising him made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world. And of course, in the middle of everyone, there was you. His love. His life. His heartbeat. You were the greatest comfort in his life and he thanked his lucky stars every day for having you by his side every step of the way. 

It was quite late when everyone left, leaving the young couple in their room exhausted. There you were cuddling under the blanket, your leg draped over his, and your head snuggled into his firm chest. You could hear his heart beating steadily, almost lulling you to sleep. You felt Kylian’s hands roam your back, tracing your spine, and settling down on your ass. He gives it a firm squeeze causing you to look up at him with an exasperated look knowing exactly where he was headed with this. “Allez, mon amour. Ne ne regarde pas comme ça.” he said cheekily. “I just became the club’s all-time top scorer, I’m allowed to squeeze some ass.”, he finishes giving you behind a firm slap. ("C'mon my love. Don't look at me like that.")

You couldn't help but laugh at him being so adorable. “I guess you are allowed some ass, mon champion.”, you reply back slowly trailing your hand down his stomach and cupping him over his boxers. Kylian was unofficially allergic to clothes so most of the time he preferred either sleeping naked or in just a pair of boxers. 

You squeezed his slowly hardening length as he let out a low groan. Slipping your hand in his boxer you slowly pulled him out and stroked him from the base all the way to the tip, swiping your thumb to spread his precum to make the glide easier. His moans were music to your ears and you had an idea. You let go of his member causing him to protest as you slowly climbed on top of him. “Let me make you feel good, bébé”, you said trailing kisses down his neck. You made sure not to leave any hickies no matter the temptation because he had another match coming up. Slowly you slid down placing soft kisses down his chest, giving his brown nipples a tweak, which made him let out the neediest whimper. “Merde, princesse, tu veux me tuer ou quoi?.” (“Shit, princess, are you trying to kill me or what?")

Giggling, you started by licking his left nipple and rubbing his other one with your fingers. He felt him squeeze your hips as he threw his head back in pleasure. Kylian had such sensitive nipples, and you always enjoyed pleasuring them. You switched to give just as much attention to the other one. Kylian felt like he was burning up, his cock was so hard and he could feel himself leaking. “Bé…bébé… s’il vous plait… j’ai besoin de toi…” he whimpered needing to feel you around him. (“Bé…bébé… please… I need you…”)

You didn't want to tease him too much, so you continued your path down his stomach, carefully sliding his boxers off. You gulped looking at his swollen cock. He truly had a pretty looking one if you could say that. The head was sticky, beads of precum leaking down his shaft. It was always a struggle taking him because not only was he long, but he was also considerably thick.

Wanting to tease him just a little, you started off by breathing on the tip of his dick and licked it lightly. You felt him twitching in your hand as you heard Kylian swearing. Remembering all the tips and the tips and tricks you learned from reading Cosmopolitan magazine (and watching a few pornos for educational purposes only), you licked him from the base to the tip, tracing the pulsing vein on the underside of his shaft. “Fuck… bébé… just put me in your mouth…putain…” Kylian hissed, tangling his hands in your hair and guiding your mouth albeit a little rough so you could take his aching cock. Sucking in your cheeks, you let him guide you up and down his thick cock. 

Kylian wanted to look at you but the pleasure of hitting the back of your throat and your choking had his eyes rolling back. Although it was a bit hard to breathe as he kept ramming himself down your throat, you took it as you wanted to reward your man after all he deserved it for having accomplished such a big feat. You made sure to fondle his heavy balls to make him cum. “Merde… I’m so close…” 

Fuck, the sight of Kylian with his face twisted in pleasure made you moan around him as you felt your panties soak. The vibrations from your mouth seemed to do it for him as he came in your mouth pressing your face to his pelvis. You swallowed everything he gave you as he slowly pulled you off his sensitive cock. You gave the tip of his cock one last lick causing him to yelp due to sensitivity which made you laugh. 

Giving you a playful glare, he pulled you up and kissed you on the lips, tasting himself in the process. “Mmmm, t’es génial, mon ange.” he praised you. “Anything for you, world star.” you giggled nipping his lower lip. You thought after an exhausting match and an orgasm, he would be tired but one thing about this man is that you should never make the mistake of underestimating him (or his stamina). “Your turn, bébé”, he said quickly flipping you on your back before you could protest. 

Let’s just say, the next day, it definitely wasn’t him that couldn’t walk straight.

[talonabraxas]

Hekate Talon Abraxas New Moon in Aquarius 🐉 Feb 9, 2024

Greetings earthlings and happy new moon! This month the moon and sun dance together in wild Aquarius. It is this new moon which demarcates the Chinese Lunar New Year each year, or the second new moon after the winter solstice.

2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon. If you are a Dragon, 2024 is considered unlucky for you. The year of your own animal is known as tai sui. Traditional advice for warding off tai sui includes wearing red and making an altar pointed in the cardinal direction associated with your animal. The Dragon occupies the east.

The New Moon in Aquarius is at once energizing and draining. Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, the most erratic of the planets. Uranian influence is not just strange and arrhythmic but also technological, creative, social, and connective.

Here’s the message bristling in the breeze, and the only thing we can ever fully rely on Aquarius to deliver: we do not know what’s coming. Aquarius teaches adaptation and detachment. We must be nimble and move with the wind. This new moon is all about navigating unforeseen circumstances.

Now is the perfect time to rethink how you want to do things, and I mean anything at all. You may learn more about alternative education, social justice, environmentalism – anything which breaks the mold and causes you to wonder…what if? No matter what, the Aquarian path will prove to be eccentric and non-conventional. It’s certainly anything but “normal.”

Heads up: this new moon forms a sharp square to Uranus in Taurus. Expect the unexpected. Say goodbye to how you think things will unfold because Aquarius/Uranus is here to change everything without notice.

[moonsorchid]

Rewatching ep.30 of Love Between Fairy and Devil and blogging my reaction

(because I guess I want you to suffer with me?)

What is that feeling called when you miss something, but at the same time you are fully aware it's going to break your heart to pieces?

Well, that's what I am feeling now as I am starting this episode. And yes, I use sarcasm and silly humor, that will definitely not make you laugh, to deal with my emotions, so consider yourself warned.

(spoilers ahead)

So the episode begins with Xiao Lanhua looking at fabrics for her wedding dress. Imagine watching this for the first time and thinking "we are definitely getting a happy wedding, everything will be OK"

Whenever I see them walking on this balcony? platform? what would you call this? I always wonder how many people have fallen out of pure clumsiness. Why are there no railings? So if you are close to the edge and you accidentally stumble, ooops you are gone, buh bye

"Between Shangque and I, who is more stupid?" - Future Moon Queen of Cangyan Sea

Xiao Lanhua is taking DFQC's measurements for his wedding outfit. He tells her the war is coming, but she is in denial (just as I am - everything is fine, everything will be just perfect)

"No matter what happens, we face it together" *melting*

DFQC is sitting by her side as she is sleeping – which is the cutest thing ever – but she has a sort of nightmare with Chidi. She tells her that only one of them can survive. When she wakes up, DFQC is so worried. I am struggling inside, because I want him to tell her all about the bracelet. I know he can’t and that there would be no sense in doing so, but I just hate that he is keeping her in the dark.

Aaaand that’s the moment the evil Qi enters DFQC through his eyes.

DFQC is waving his sword against Tai Sui (he mainly strikes the air around him) and all I can think is how HOT he is while doing so.

I love love watching them like this

I would never imagine while watching the first episodes that there would come a time when Xiao Lanhua would tell Changheng that meeting her is inappropriate and ask him to leave.

“I am Xiao Lanhua, not the Goddess of Xishan.” These words will haunt me during the next episodes

“Tomorrow’s wedding is not your destiny.” Seriously? Just leave my babies alone! *pouting*

“Why can’t I love someone and the people at the same time?” My goodness, this is heartbreaking :(

Xishan is so beautiful

She loves him, she loves him sooooo much that not even the god turtle can stop her or Changheng or anyone.

Poor Changheng trying to badmouth DFQC to make her stay with him. Oh well

OMG, XUNFENG I SWEAR IF YOU KEEP TALKING -

Xunfeng takes her to the fake Arbiter Hall to imprison her, and yes, I hate him again (our love story is a rollercoaster, enemies to lovers to enemies), but what I notice also is that the sky is black and there is lightning and thunder. DFQC is not well :(

“Luckily I am smart.” I love you, Xiao Lanhua

Not them destroying the beautiful flowers :(

You take too much pleasure in this, Xunfeng

Great, you’ve made my girl sad, are you happy now????

For some reason I can’t hate Jieli. At least I know she is in pain. She does not like at all what she has to do. She hates herself first before anyone else can hate her.

And now Xiao Lanhua has gone to DFQC and he is hostile. It’s like watching his emotions being ripped away for the second time.

No :(

How did he find the courage to speak to her like this? I know I know why he did it, to save her blah blah blah, but still. I am telling you it feels like his emotions are being removed all over again. I hate it, I HATE IT

My heart is broken indeed:( See you for the much dreaded episode 31

Bonus: drinking game every time you read the word “hate” in this post

[silverloreley]

Did anybody ask for TTEOTM x LBFAD fic ideas? No? I had one anyway. It’s massive and I can’t currently write it (too many irl things, too many other wips to work on) so I’ll put it here and do what you want with it (except money, that’s illegal, fics must be free). Keep in mind I read none of the novels so anything that isn’t the the dramas won’t be considered.

So, listen here.

First of all, we need to merge some things and move others, so the two stories can exist in the same universe. Therefore: 1) Ming Ye and Sang Jiu’s story goes back to 30.000 years before, while DFQC was trapped for 10.000 (I always thought the 30.000 years of imprisonment felt a little too much, also this lowers the age gap between XLH and DFQC, which is a pro). 2) The Evil God Tai Sui and the Devil God are one and the same. It will make sense, I promise.

Starting from those two premises, the timeline is as it follows:

30.000 years ago the Devil God vs the Gods fight happens, along with the MYxSJ arc.

When MY estabilishes no one will live in Shangqing realm anymore, the immortals move to Shuiyuntian, founding it in a place next to the already-existing Xishan, by deviating the rivers with the Water Gem.

To be seen as equals or superiors, the heads of Shuyuntian bring back the title of God of War. The other godly titles can’t be assigned the same way as only the God of War can be trained to become one and not be born as such. Lady Chidi is chosen after some time.

In the meantime, conflict arises between the xianzi and yuezhu. Yannv, (canon) first leader of the Moon Tribe, guides her people beyond the River of Lost Memories and founds Cangyanhai.

The Xilan tribe was already there with the only real goddess left, the Goddess of Xishan, who was seen as a minor deity and not involved in the Shangqing realm’s affairs at all. Despite that, the Goddess is the one who effectively destroys the (D)evil God’s body and seals its spirit, not knowing a part of it (the Evil Bone) and its weapons (BRSeal and GSCrossbow and Sword) had been left in the mortal realm.

Fast forward to the events of LBFAD, the story goes as we know it, just that the fight between DFQC and Chidi was only 10.000 years before the events, not 30.000 (it literally changes nothing, plot-wise).

Tai Sui’s plan was to take control of Chidi (or DFQC)’s body as he lost his one during the conflict with the previous Goddess of Xilan, and then retrieve his weapons to bring the end of the world. His death and subsequent fall to the Nether River prevented him to do so, but the Evil Bone he left to the Yiyue tribe in the mortal realm is a soul vessel (like the Bone Orchid for DFQC) and allowed him to stay somewhat alive, waiting for his next chance.

Fast forward some centuries: TTJ is born and Tai Sui is determined in making the poor thing into the perfect vessel for his return just in time for Ji Ze’s power running out and the Barren Abyss be open again.

Here we are to the start of the fic (very long so it’s mostly under cut):

Susu fails the first time she tries to change TTJ’s fate (she dies too early, without being able to switch the Evil Bone with her Immortal Essence) and the Mirror of the Past sends her back to try again.

Knowing the Devil God and Tai Sui are one and the same, Ji Ze manages to send a message to Xi Yun so she could help LSS. XLH looks into TTJ’s destiny book and sees it’s filled with misery that will culminate with TTJ giving up his body to Tai Sui, cue destruction of the world lalala, all as it was before LSS’s trip basically (I refuse to awknowledge that the Devil God could have known about the time travel, Di Mian is a lying liar who lied, the plan only went as far as TTJ’s mistreatment and death on the frozen lake, Susu changed everything from there on).

To prevent it, the LBFAD team decides to risk changing his fate, and they snatch TTJ away while he’s sent as hostage from Jing to Shang. It’s the origin of a legend that the cursed prince of Jing was taken away by demons, some say to be eaten, some say he became one too.

TTJ is raised in Yunmengze by everyone acting as his relatives (I still have to decide if it’d be more interesting to have DFQC and XLH adopt him as parents, or go the more practical route of Changheng adopting him alone since he’s the one who canonically moved to the mortal realm full time and has no other responsibilities. Or it could be all three? together? on rotation? idk. Also, I can’t decide what to do with Yinxing because I don’t like her much but I sort of understand her too, it would be nice to give her a redemption arc/new storyline)

Anyway!

Little TTJ is raised by a team of immortals who end up loving him a whole lot and XLH manages to fix him a tree of emotions very early, so he’s a sweetheart with functioning love strings and all (but only with his family because most humans can tell there’s something wrong with him and dislike/mistreat him. That’s the Evil Bone’s influence, the family knows it and can ignore it, humans do not).

TTJ is smart enough to understand there’s more going on with his new family but he loves and trusts them enough to just accept things as they are. They end up telling him a few things about themselves in bits and pieces until he’s old enough.

Basically, by the time he’s 20, he’s more drama!Cang Jiumin than any iteration of TTJ. Plus the family actually warned him against Tai Sui (although they didn’t quite tell him he’s the Devil Fetus - gosh I hate this expression) and told him stories about it and the last fight and about their own true identities.

They have no idea how to remove the Evil Bone without killing him, LSS is the only one who knows because Ji Ze didn’t have enough energy to tell XLH everything. In fact, he just told her “look at that destiny book there” and “Li Susu knows what to do” and then closed the conversation.

The LBFAD group has no idea of the existence of the Bone Refining Seal or the God Slaughtering Crossbow and Sword at first. This will be a problem later on.

17 y-o TTJ joins the immortal sect to learn their manner of cultivation and befriends Xiao Lin who, at the end of the three years of training, invites him to Shang.

As soon as he arrives in Shang’s capital, TTJ starts to recover memories of the past-now-erased life little by little until Susu!Xiwu arrives. They both have a whole set of memories of a disastrous past, a whole lot of tangled feelings, and no clue the other does too.

LSS still needs to fulfill her mission, but finds it way harder now that the circumstances have changed. TTJ has been trying to see the woman he loved in the original YXW but felt there was something off, until the Temple incident, aka the moment LSS transmigrated into YXW.

Cue lots of getting close, suspicions if the other remembers the other life, falling in love even more, and other stuff (I already know this is going to be my favourite part).

The immortal family is against TTJ courting YXW because they know his fate says he’ll “die young but widowed” and that will be the first step to Tai Sui’s return. They just tell him it’s because she has a foul temperament and a bad reputation and try to take him back to Lucheng before it’s too late (keyword: try).

The Ye family doesn’t like that he has an unclear background and that YXW would have to move away from them so they oppose too (and don’t treat him well. at all. some things don’t change).

TTJ is definitely too stubborn and wants to marry her anyway. She agrees because she knows it’s the easiest way to complete her mission (and she actually wants to, tbh). They basically elope and run to Jing’s kingdom.

Somehow, TTMinglang finds out TTJ’s true identity (oh, this could work if Yinxing stays in the plot, she’s a dead giveaway since she was his only remaining nanny!) and, thinking his loathed third brother is coming for the throne, decides to kill him, employing/blackmailing Lan’an.

The scene of YXW jumping off the ship happens because she figures out if she doesn’t she won’t be able to get her hands on the World Overturning Jade and she really needs it for the plan. Of course, she doesn’t tell him, cue hearbreak, the ambush with the poison dart, and so on.

They are saved by DFQC from Fu Yu (sorry, Pian Ran, you won’t have the chance to fillet the bitch in this lifetime, unless DFQC decides to spare her, I have to decide) and from the poisoning by XLH. Both are very upset by the whole thing but TTJ has no intention of backing off and give up on having the love of his life by his side, cue a heartfelt speech that ultimately convinces them.

Said love of his life feels very very guilty, even more so after that speech, and runs off to the Barren Abyss to talk with Ji Ze (and save Fuya) and ask him what more she could do. TTJ is certain she’ll come back to him anyway because his wife always did (although they are not properly married here yet!).

Once in Jing, TTJ, even if he initially planned not to become emperor this time, sees that people have a truly terrible time under Minglang and decides to take the matters in his own hands. He was a pretty good ruler in the other life and he can be one again. This time he makes certain his deranged brother is dead.

The immortal family can’t interfere more than they already did with mortals’ fates, so they let him do things on his own, with minor helping him in daily matters, training and healing. War breaks out anyway because the king of Shang is an ass.

I need a good reason for them to enter Bo’re life again since they know the dragon can’t actually be used. Perhaps it’s to give peace to Ming Ye’s spirit, or to show Xiao Lin what kind of person his beloved wife is, idk, but they do and LSS obtains the Soul Slaying Tear.

Needless to say, she isn’t happy about being able to collect the Heart Shattering Nails this time. But she knows she has to do it.

The Nails accumulate very quickly, one for each person he loves, not only for YXW. It makes her feel even worse but at the same time she thinks he’ll be fine after she dies because he has more people he cares for (spoiler: he won’t be fine).

XLH realizes around that time that YXW is actually the LSS she’s been looking for and wonders why the girl doesn’t have a destiny book. (it will be found later on that LSS is yet to be born from the egg in that time so her destiny book has not appeared yet)

She also figures out LSS is trying to build an immortal essence with the help of the WOJade and tries to stop her, only for LSS to break down and tell her everything (this is supposed to be a very heartfelt scene as it’s the first time LSS opens up with her troubles to someone and XLH has become the perfect mom figure LSS never had).

The relationship between TTJ and Xiao Lin is rather different due to them being actual friends and not copycat-prisoner/copied-princeling. As such, they manage to end the war by pretending XL has been captured so the king of Shang would have to give up and end the bloodshed. Bingchang doesn’t get the memo and turns her back to her husband anyway. Xiwu, who did get the memo (and also remembers YBC tried to kill her and TTJ, plus killed the Grandma), stays out of it and keeps the focus on her mission, not pleading for Bingchang in the slightest (XL does, the poor fool. He gets himself killed for it, because he accidentally eats food Bingchang poisoned. She stabs herself in despair -which provides both the blood of the enemy and tears of lover. Yes, I love a good mirror situation and I hate her. This time she stays dead).

Hence the kingdoms are united because there are no heirs to Shang left (the stupid king tried to send his useless other sons to war and got them killed, lol).

Also! Pian Ran gets her love threads back sooner. And she doesn’t die, but still sacrifices a few of her tails for YQY when a rebellion strikes and he gets wounded, so they’re both immortal and get a happy ending, no I don’t take criticism here, this is how it should have been.

LSS still has to sacrifice herself to switch the Immortal Essence with the Evil Bone - even if she promised XLH she wouldn’t do it and wait until the Goddess of Xishan can find another way - because the Barren Abyss is about to be opened.

TTJ doesn’t go as mad as he did in canon upon her death, but he still tries to kill himself out of grief. He even begs DFQC to teach him how to make the 500 years dream. Eventually, Nian Baiyu tells him about the Nether River and TTJ sets off without telling his family.

I still have to decide whether they catch him in time or not, and if they do, if they can convince him to give up and stay with them, or he convinces them he has to do it and tells them they’ll see each other in 500 years and jumps in anyway.

Time skip to the Immortal Sect arc! Or not.

Actually, I don’t have many ideas for it yet because I’m waiting for the drama to end, but here there’s more than enough to work with so far, so I’ll make another post with the second part + eventual additions next week after the ending.

[lotus12h]

I reactivated this blog to talk about things that are too profound or dark maybe, to talk about them showing my face online. It’s too intense, I feel, and too vulnerable sometimes.

So here are the indicators that this is supposed to be a Very Difficult Year.

· Solar Return’s ascendant is in the 12th house

· My Sidereal Solar Return warns about this being a year of reaping karmic seeds I planted in the past. And that there’s a possibility of illness or injuries that require hospitalization. As well as themes of feeling very limited.

· The Lunar Nodes are currently in my 6th (Aries, natal Mars) and 12th (Libra, natal Sun & Mercury) respectively

· I am going through a 12th house profection year

· Tibetan astrology says everyone with Mewa 3 is going to experience their Very Difficult Year starting in February 2024 (lunar year) and we’re supposed to take care of our health more, which I already need to do because…

· I have a chronic illness. Pulmonary Hypertension, which affects heart and lungs, and I had a relapse back in September, from which I am still on the road to recovery

· I am a Dragon in chinese astrology, and all Dragons are experiencing their “Obstacle Year” starting February 2024.

· Feng Shui’s Tai Sui falls on Dragons this year.

This is not a fear mongering post to anyone that shares any of these things with me, and certainly I am not trying to be pessimistic. I have been dedicating myself to Dharma (Buddhism) practice and have been investing in purifying my karma, doing Medicine Buddha practices, and working on transforming my mind to be better able to handle everything that life throws my way.

So this is a Journal-like blog to document this year. To lean onto throughout this self-undoing year which might seem daunting and uncertain, but if I take it one day at a time, it might be less so.

Cheers to making it to the other side!

Lotus12h

[pippuns]

hello pip seeing you are deeply into tai sui can i ask for your help in understanding cultivation? ive read a couple of different novels and webtoons talking about it but i feel like im missing something. is it that physical and mental diligence give you spirit superpowers?

yeah of course!! or at least what I understand about it since my knowledge comes from 2.5 cultivation novels and maybe too many fanfics, so if anyone wants to correct me, feel free to LOL

cultivation as a genre is a little like wizards/magic or fantasy as a genre, in that while there are certain genre staples, the rules can vary widely depending on how the author builds their world. 

usually, cultivation is advanced through meditation and training of one’s qi (the life force that exists in everything. sort of like chakra from naruto) with the goal of creating or building up one’s core/strengthening their spirit, which allows them to do funky fruity magic bullshit and life much longer than mortal people and/or become immortal. 

although the “end goal” of cultivation can change depending on the setting, generally people cultivate until they die or until they ascend into divinity. it’s often split up into early, middle, late, and peak stages, with each stage allowing the user to become more powerful spiritually and physically. some settings make the distinction between physical cultivators (people whose cultivation primarily focuses on building up the body), and spiritual cultivation (the inverse of that).

since you brought up tai sui specifically, I’ll briefly explain their cultivation system under the cut

1. the “i’m just a little guy” stage

the goal of this stage is more or less just to open your spiritual eyes which you need to cultivate. if you’re lucky enough to cultivate in an immortal sect, that just means you go to a highly spiritual place to refine your spiritual sense by meditation and studying a bunch. if you’re not lucky enough for that, just hope that you have access to enough spiritual stones to absorb their energy so that you don’t die horribly when you open your spiritual eyes LOL

2. open-eyed stage/half-immortals

these fellas can take spiritual energy into their bodies to use, but they haven’t established their foundation and found a Way of the Heart to follow to advance their cultivation. they’re still mortal, but they get to live for a couple hundred years, and if they want to continue cultivating past this point, then they spend that time searching for their Way and refining their spiritual bones

3. established foundation

once you found a Way to follow and base your cultivation on, you construct your immortal spirit and establish your foundation. now you’re actually immortal!! barring an unfortunate murder. and you’re really powerful compared to the two scrubs that came before.

4. ascended spirit

these guys have completely cast off their physical bodies and don’t really need to eat or anything like that. they’re almost the most powerful folks in the setting, but this will not stop them from getting relentlessly bullied by everyone else (qiu sha), even (and especially) if they’re peak masters

5. shed skin

these guys are like. whole natural disasters on themselves. super guys. basically gods. they are very big and very old and probably need to be bullied more.

[morethanwonderful]

It's hitting me now as I reread why Zhou Ying freezes up here.

He's not just surprised that Xi Ping is hinting he knows Xuanyin wants him to establish a foundation. He's taken aback because Xi Ping automatically wants to help him evade the sect's scrutiny and railroading, but by this point, he's already planning to accept Xuanyin's demands and enter the way of clarity. That's why Xi Ping making arrangements for him like this throws him off, and it's why he "casually" tells him not to do so.

Local man prepares to let the government turn him into an emotionless shell, is shaken by the reminder that he has loved ones who will be incredibly hurt by that decision.

[ghooostbaby]

i'm been too sleepy to read books these days so i must turn the razor beam of my weighty and emotionally intense analysis to the unsuspecting and unprepared xianxia drama love between fairy and devil

*spoilers*

i was in SO MUCH pain after xiao lanhua transformed into the goddess but then... it just felt so incongruous too. once she has all this power, just the same as dongfang qingcang, but they seperate themselves. and are this weird self-sacrificial power couple "i'm going to drain all my power and self-annihilate so you won't be harmed by the evil god" "no I'M going to drain all my power and self-annihilate so YOU won't be harmed by the evil god" ...

their satisfacton in life came from growing/being with the other so honestly you know that whichever one is "saved" would never be happy without the other so what's the point in deciding to secrerly kill yourself to let the other one live freely when they would only be miserable?? it also keeps creating doubts in they validity of their love ... because, frankly, choosing to lie to someone to kill yourself while preserving the life of the person you love/in love with you is just cruel and disrespectful!!

especially whats the point in keeping it a secret from them to make sure you accomplish your self-sacrifice when there's a chance if you both have this huge power now that you could actually work together?!

"i love this person soooo much i'm going to kill myself so they can live eternally alone"

there's also a lot about the last few episodes that is such pivotal plot stuff but is not really explained at all but the show just *waves hands* cGi MaGiC ~~

i dont really understand how tai sui took over dongfang qingcang's body ... unless dfqc was just overconfident that he could defeat him?

it doesnt exactly make sense, dongfang qingcang floating in the sky and just a lot of CGI flames and ok?? now dfcq is drifting away into mist but why?? he had all these new powers that came out of this confrontation, and now and orchid/goddess used her purifying power and the black lines on his body went away? lots of flashy colour swirls that show him being dissolved idk but it just feels so anticlimactic and ... not believable.

watching this i'm just seeing writers being like 'oh here's a chance for some SICK yet incomprehensible CGI fireballs!!' or 'here's a cliffhanger to make them watch more' not something that extends naturally from the story being told.

i feel like it would have been much more impressive to have dfcq stay after he and orchid defeated tai sui, the two of then burning away the black vapours and kissing passionately...

and there just didnt seem a clear justification why he was still destroyed despite getting his new nonhellfire-fire power and orchid using her goddess powers. it seemed like just forcing more pain to make it more intense. if they burned away tai sui together and just made out in dramatic cgi flame smoke light after they won against the ancient evil god i guarantee i won't just turn off the show for the last 10 minutes about how everything ends up!!

you dont have to shoehorn in pain to keep me watching. and it would have made the plot mirror the theme of love transforming people if they were trying to sacrifice themselves alone to save the other but instead they came together and defeated the evil god united

instead it was like grand story about the transformation of love until the last episode like, oh shit, should we shove some random cliches in here?? yeah! we totally should!!!

have you even HEARD of tolkein's theory of the defining moment of fantasy the ending where great sorrow is possible but it is transformed in a moment of joy, and that joy isn't demeaned for being "unrealistic", happy endings can feel real and true, more real than watching your lover disappear in a ball of cool CGI fire sometimes

and then the actual "happy ending" was so... disappointing. after dongfang qingcang disappears and turns into a lil moon (sweet (':) but then orchid says dfqc can't return and 500 years later the little moon hasn't changed. it goes through the montage of the others 500 years later and then little moon just pops up into a fully formed dongfang qingcang with equally little explanation

like oh ok that's fine, kiss now i guess. i give up

orchid/goddess's expression looks so sorrowful. she looks surprised but mostly just devastated ... i was waiting him to dissipate into mist at any point the way she was looking at him, it didn't seem happy at all. just.. grief.

which is the main reason i think i'm disappointed. it never feel like we got xiao lanhua back, who was the entire other half of the couple that we were cheering for. she seems so grim and hopeless, the way the goddess was pretending not to love dongfang qingcang to save the people and sacrifice herself and drains herself of all her joy, energy, and love. i would have liked to see her at the end showing some of the playfulness and sweetness of xiao lanhua. who is the person dongfang qingcang fell for in the first place. i think xiao lanhua wouldn't have said "dongfang qingcang can never return", even if it was impossible she would have been determined and hopeful and waiting for that day that it would happen anyway. even if it took tens of thousands of years

and... it just would have been a better story if they kissed away all the evil and triumped with the power of LOVE. i'm sorry, it's the truth!

[web-novel-polls]

Priest (Author) Character Lower Bracket

*Xi Ping fanart volunteered by @stellarish / used with permission

[“Anti-propaganda” is not allowed. Please only give reasons to vote FOR a character, and please be courteous in the notes.]

Jing Beiyuan from Lord Seventh

Submission: 

Honestly what a guy. He was dealt such a bad hand and yet he stays Chillin’… by which I mean sacrificing both his own morals and his physical safety to put a guy that he’s fundamentally ‘meh’ about at this point on the throne because everyone else is so much worse. He wants to be a dad so so badly it’s heartbreaking (until it isn’t!). He has Old Man Vibes™️ because he remembers three centuries worth of past lives and it makes him deeply weird but he’s still the prettiest boy anyone has ever seen. He was a jasmine plant for a while. 10/10 best at taking naps and pretending to be a loser. Go king give us nothing <3

Additional Propaganda 

Xi Ping from Tai Sui

Submission: 

He is literally everything to me. Pure chaos condensed into a single person. Everyone loves him, everyone hates him. He does his best, he doesn't try at all, he beats up monsters with a qin, he brought about the destruction of the entire cultivation world…

Additional Propaganda 

[haikyuuvbc]

Do You Comma Here Often? Chapter 32: Never Imagined

Chapter 31  Masterlist  Chapter 33

The party was…

Not very fun. Like you had told Tenma earlier this week, friends didn’t come easy to you. Of course you saw classmates and joined in the complaints about finals and everything (not mentioning that you’ve already finished everything except the exams) agreeing that you turned in the slideshow about what you learned just this morning, mostly because you aren’t ready for this experience to be over. 

What started as something you dreaded has turned into your favorite part of the last several years of university. You listened politely to the president of the company congratulate all the interns on surviving the semester, laughed along with your professors when they joked about the students evolving from their cocoons, which seemed very well rehearsed, making you wonder if this is the same speech as every year before. As quickly as it felt the semester went, the party was over.

The last thing you packed up from your desk was a photo of you, Hajime, Tooru, and Tobio, back from when you graduated with your Bachelor’s Degree. It was insane to think it’s been two years since that photo, but you can’t help but grin at how far all of you have come in that time. 

 In the midst of your reminiscing, you hear a knock from behind you. Akaashi was knocking on a table a few yards away so he didn’t startle you. He was considerate that way. 

      “Akaashi,” you start, putting the frame in your bag. “I didn’t know anyone was still here. I was just grabbing my things.”

      “No worries, Y/N, I just finished up my work for the week, too.”

      “Great timing, then!” A weird surge of confidence was going through you and you thought now was as good as time as ever. “I actually have something I want to tell you,”

      “Oh same here.” He replies, looking a bit nervous about something.

      “You go first, then, I insist.” Akaashi now has a defeated look on his face, but he blinks, takes a deep breath, and then says the words you never imagined coming from him, or really anyone ever again.

 “Y/N, I’m in love with you.”

********************************************************

Do You Comma Here Often?

Hopefully Effective Taglist

(strikeout means it won’t let me tag you!)

@elianetsantana    @anejuuuuoy    @chaichai-the-weeb     @animeflower26     @faithfulferns     @navymacaroons     @je-suis-une-criminal     @your-consulting-fangirl     @samie-babie     @euphorihan     @aquariarose     @sempiternal-amour     @crybabbicus     @kittyddandnyla     @hoe4hq     @starryleafy     @mint-mai     @asdfghjkl7things     @runningwitches     @iwantmyinsanityback     @whosaskingwrites     @what-dose-nani-mean     @sokeyda     @normalisthenewnorm     @miyaosamusgf     @teeacooper     @fandomtrashpandasposts     @kageyamasgirl     @peteunderoos     @reina-de-tay     @cuddlesslut     @marissaraeblr     @camcam1617     @immxnty     @alice-greenleaf     @liyueharbor     @duhsies @ilauvcoldpizza @reina-de-tay @rintarawr @chaoticlyclowning @chantalkate16 @kuroosmikasavolleyball @fly-high-my-love @tanakasimpcorner​ @toshijimafarms​

[intyalote]

10 characters meme

tagged by @i-am-just-a-kiddo (a while ago, sorry it took me so long)! 10 characters from things I read/watched this year. anyone who wants to do this, consider yourself tagged by me.

ZHOU YING, Tai Sui ↳ ohhhh my god. fucked up and insane because he’s Seen Too Much (of everything except himself)! hates the world and just wants to see it burn but is tied to it because of his love for a single person! the top two breakdowns I had reading tai sui were both caused by him (if you’ve read it, That moment in the impassable sea & jinping (1) which took me forever to read because I was crying too much to see the words). so, so tragic.

ZHI XIU, Tai Sui ↳ yes I’m doing two tai sui characters fight me I can’t choose between them. no paramount spiritual sense, no way of clarity, no demon eyes, but one (1) rebellious disciple is enough for him to walk his own path with eyes unclouded. when he did That (flower in the mirror) and also That (conclusion) I screamed. the bittersweet joy of how he ends up post-canon is so. ugh. also gets some of the most beautifully moving lines and descriptions in the novel as you watch him grow.

MADI, Black Sails ↳ deserved sooo much better. is literally responsible for every good thing that happens in s3-4 managing the two pathetic men who landed on her island managing a war being the smartest person in every room she was in AND YET she still has to move on when her dreams are ruined because of the character development(?) she herself instigated in the man she loved. I would give her the world. 

SHENG LINGYUAN, Lie Huo Jiao Chou ↳ what’s left after you cut out everything that matters about yourself as a person and not the 人皇? when you were born to be a tool, how can you be anything else? and what about how just when you think you’ve escaped through death, you get thrown into the future you yourself wanted and created but it’s unrecognizable and holds no place for you? I am gently tucking him into bed so that he can rest. he doesn’t really deserve it but that’s ok.

MEDICINE SELLER, Mononoke ↳ mysterious in a way designed to appeal to Me Specifically. the protagonist, but the story isn’t about him, it meanders with him and he gets revealed along the way. very much an asshole but in a fun way? love his manner of speech ただの。薬売り。ですよ。voice acted line of all time. also ‘strict requirements for unleashing power’ is an excellent trope, love the structure of his chase for 形/真/理 in each case.

LI JIANTING, Qiang Jin Jiu ↳ another one who deserved better she is empress of my heart. completely stole the show in the second half of the novel, don’t want to spoil things but the development and consistency of her character from her upbringing to her fate is so well done. look I get that this is cezhou’s novel & also that the world t97 created couldn’t allow it but in another world... she absolutely could have ruled.

MORPHEUS, Sandman ↳ acts tough but has no idea what he’s doing, cares but can’t (or sometimes won’t) do anything about it, feels too much but is afraid to show it… he has it all for me, right down to the horribly complicated relationship with his child. I am so intrigued by him I’m reading comics (which are usually. difficult. for me to follow).

QIU CONGXUE, Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know ↳ not at all pure of heart, very dumb of ass. love how her reaction to accidentally ‘escaping’ the ghost path was to do her best to get rid of her newly acquired flesh. can’t grow brains, can’t teach anyone anything, can’t take over a sect, can be an extreme nuisance, but still has people who are so very fond of her and let her indulge herself.

TAKAHASHI, Koisenu Futari ↳ complete fucking mood. aro loner gathering a family he can care about without compromising who he is, makes good food, chill unless you annoy him. wins most relatable character of the year. pretty much bought the novel purely because I wanted more of his perspective, he means so much to me personally.

LYMOND, Lymond Chronicles ↳ still have only read the first book & a bit of the second but he is SUCH a bastard (complimentary). not an exceptionally bad person in his context, just completely incapable of being nice. good schemer but turns into the saddest and most pathetic surprised pikachu when he gets outplotted and needs to be saved by other people. very weird comparison incoming but he’s like a 1500s scotland cross between lin jingheng and mei changsu.

finally, as a bonus since I cheated a bit with tai sui, have a bond!  do I have anything meaningful to say? no. is he a good doggo? yes!

[grassbreads]

I finished Silent Reading!!

Overall I'd say that I liked and had fun with it despite my criticisns, but it has some pretty noticeable problems. This is the second priest novel I've read after Tai Sui, and I knew it wasn't going to live up to my utter adoration of TS, but I'd still say that Mo Du was pretty notably not as good. It's a fun novel! But it's good rather than amazing.

On the positive side, I really enjoyed Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du's whole dynamic. It wasn't the most romantic romance I've read, and I could nitpick how I feel about their end state, but they're always a ton of fun to watch going back and forth. I especially enjoyed their book 3 "flirty game of chicken" era, as well as their more fraught confrontations in book 4. "I’d really love nothing better than to dig out your evil heart and rotten lungs and have a look" remains one of the most brilliantly insanity-inducing lines of dialogue that I have ever read.

Lang Qiao, Tao Ran, and Xiao Haiyang all made for very charming side characters, and the mysteries themselves were interesting. I also love the choice to work literary references into the novel in such a big way. I was *thrilled* when I started book 2 and realized what priest was doing with the book titles.

There really is a lot to like about Mo Du, and priest tells a great story with Fei Du. Watching a character intent on destroying himself be pulled from a dark path and manage to exact an almost perfect revenge while remaining unsullied is, uh, really satisfying. It's fun to watch the forces of justice be victorious!

However, as is the case with any ultimately pro-police story that tries to tackle the failings of the justice system, it feels like it bit off more than it could resolve thematically. The conspiracy has been unwound and the crooked cops have been exposed, but the novel makes a legitimate point about the failings of the police to really help people, especially early on, and the ending does not fully fix that problem. Things are definitely better than they were when the story ends. Fei Du is a rich man that likes to spend his money helping victims, and Lwz and his team are all very dedicated to bringing justice no matter the cost. But I don't think it's realistic to say that Lwz's people will somehow solve every crime in Yan city, or that no victim will ever be tossed by the wayside again. It just feels like there's this terrible looming extant problem in the background that neither priest or the characters can recognize.

Fei Du gets his happy ending and catharsis, and the victims of the Zhangs and Fan Siyuan get some version of justice in the end, but the problems of the justice system as presented in the story simply cannot be fixed.

Like I said, this is ultimately a failing that the story was bound to have, given that it's both pro-police to a large degree and concerned with how the justice system fails people, but I still feel it's worth pointibg out. Not to mention the overall copaganda-ness of how LWZ and his team are portrayed.

Besides my beef with police narratives, I also think that the mysteries in this one may have gotten a bit too convoluted for their own good at times. The crimes in Silent Reading are a complex fucking web, and keeping track of everything that happens would require following a near unfathomable number of tiny details over a long (540k) novel. Once we hit a certain point, I just had to accept that I wasn't going to be able to follow the details of the mystery or figure anything out for myself, which isn't necessarily what you want from a crime novel.

Also, as much as I enjoyed Fei Du, there were some points where I felt his backstory kinda failed to land. I think I'm honestly just spoiled by VnC at this point. Vanitas is a character with a truly horrific backstory and a bonkers personality, but it never feels like too much because every horrible thing in his past is reflected so well in his present traits (and vice versa). For Fei Du, on the other hand, his past sometimes felt like a little much. He's obviously going thru it in the present, but not quite a degree of fucked up that could sell me on the sheer insanity that is the whole metal ring situation.

Also, as I've complained about previously, I don't love how this novel treats women. I don't like how things ended with Yang Xin, and though I ended up enjoying Lang Qiao, I'm bothered by how she's basically the only woman that's relevant through the whole novel (compared to just SO many dudes).

Overall, a solid 6 or 7 out of 10. A lot of fun and very interesting, and it does have some compelling thematic things to say, but there were aspects which I found very much frustrated me. I might recommend it to anyone who likes Tai Sui and wants to see an interesting Zhou Ying precursor, as well as anyone who really likes mystery and crime novels with super intricate, complicated plotlines. However, I only make that recommendation if you promise to take the novel's portrayal of good policemen with a MASSIVE grain of salt lmao. I cannot stress enough the degree to which the portrayal of LWZ and his team ends up being copaganda-ish, even if that's unintentional.