#blame Meng Mo

[theimpurelily]

@grubus taadaa? lol

Sooo ya know that little gif I posted? This whole thing stemmed from me letting things get too out of hand while drawing up the dream scene that was only going to be that tiny little image....I have no regrets.

Just in case here's the rant

WHAT THE FUCK! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO KISS MY HUSBAND? WHAT A SHITTY DREAM! MENG MO COULD DO BETTER. WAIT, THE ORIGINAL NING YINGYING DIDN'T DREAM OF-OF THAT RIGHT? I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED. I THINK I WOULD REMEMBER? FUCK. IT'S BEEN SO MANY YEARS. DID SHE? AM I GASLIGHTING MYSELF? DOES THIS COUNT AS GASLIGHTING? REGARDLESS, WHY THE FUCK WOULD MENG MO SHOW ME THAT? WAS IT BECAUSE I WAS PUT IN A WIFE PLOT? SO HE JUST...JUST AUTOMATICALLY DID THAT? LIKE A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM OR SOMETHING? OMG! WAIT! DID BINGHE SEE THE WEDDING? FUCK! WAS THAT HIM THERE AND NOT JUST SOME FAKE? FUCK! WAIT! NO. HE WOULD STILL BE TALKING TO MENG MO... RIGHT? BESIDES, I’M A GUY! SO BINGHE WOULD NEVER WANT TO-TO...SYSTEM! DID BINGHE SEE THAT? WAS THAT HIM? SYSTEM! WHAT THE FUCK! WILL I BE PUT IN FUTURE WIFE PLOTS JUST BECAUSE I'M BINGHE'S BESTEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD...

[nexttimeisnotthesame]

"I wanted to use Ding Wei as bait to lure them out. I didn't mean to drag you into this. I'm sorry." "You helped me and the Miao family escape trouble. Of course they'd assume we're working together. It's not your fault."

[optimisticmosquito]

Jinlan city Luo Binghe heard someone say 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach' and completely misunderstood the advice.

[tossawary]

I've been toying with a "third transmigrator" AU for SVSSS in which the third transmigrator is a teenage girl who ends up in Luo Binghe. This teenage girl tried to read PIDW because someone else liked it, but didn't get far because she didn't like it.

Disinclined to follow the plot, the teenage girl decides to transition, because fuck it (crying breakdown), she doesn't want to be a guy. Ning Yingying is initially the only one in on it (and then some Qian Cao Peak people). This new Luo Binghe knows JUST enough about the plot of PIDW to avoid Shen Qingqiu's attention as much as possible and so swears Ning Yingying to secrecy regarding the transition. She intends to hide it until the Transmigration System lets up on the missions and restrictions a little.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuan is like, "How am I supposed to improve my relationship with the protagonist if i never see him? Did he just jump out a window to avoid me?! Also, hmph, the bullies are all calling him 'Luo-Shimei' now? Just because he's pretty??? I had better go tell them off for it!"

(Shen Qingqiu, please, your students are getting the impression that you're transphobic!!!)

If Luo Binghe's transition comes out before the Immortal Alliance Conference, Shen Yuan is going to 1) think it's his own fault somehow and 2) be more than a little weird (and a little transphobic) about it.

Shen Yuan (internally): "Oh, shit, NOT abusing the protagonist turned him into a girl??? How does that work???"

The endgame relationship here is a messy love triangle between Luo Binghe, Ning Yingying, and Ming Fan. Ming Fan is like, "What do you do when the shidi you hate falls down the stairs and nearly dies, and then apparently can't remember you used to bully him and expects you to be a good shixiong, and becomes best friends with the girl you like but also starts turning into a cute girl too??? But you can't tell Shizun any of this otherwise the girl you like will kill you???" Ning Yingying is like, "I was so caught up in the thrill of makeovers and having a new sister that I forgot to examine why, when she's approached by guys, I want to tear their throats out with my teeth. Ming-Shixiong is not good enough for A-Luo!!!" And Luo Binghe is like, "Wow, Ning Yingying is such a good friend. And so pretty. I could stare into her eyes for hours. Ming Fan is kind of a jerk sometimes, but he's cute, I guess. He needs to shape up if he wants to win Ning Yingying's heart someday! She married a guy, so she's definitely into guys."

This third transmigrator isn't paying too much attention to their own love life partially because they're too busy 1) trying to survive, 2) trying to do right by their friends, and 3) trying to figure out if Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge are in a "toxic yaoi relationship" and, if so, which one of them tops more frequently and where Yue Qingyuan fits into things.

If you haven't guessed yet, this third transmigrator is actually Shen Yuan's younger sister, who transmigrated at like 16 years old at the oldest. This identity reveal comes out at the Immortal Alliance Conference, seconds before disaster (the push into the Endless Abyss), and no earlier. It does not go well. The Transmigration System is mostly to blame.

Live Shang Qinghua Reaction: "Oh, fucking yikes, bro."

This Luo Binghe hands a lot of control over to Meng Mo to get out of the Endless Abyss. An inadvisable amount of control, really, even if Meng Mo is soft on the girl. Afterwards, they sort of stumble into the arms of Huan Hua Palace. Shen Yuan's sister did not read far enough to know pretty much anything about this sect, especially not that it's a terrible idea to be here while being both a Heavenly Demon and (post-transition) looking like even MORE of an identical clone of Su Xiyan.

(Tianlang-Jun and Zhuzhi-Lang ARE both going to be kind of awful and weird about it, yes, at least initially.)

Gongyi Xiao, after showing basic kindness to this poor young woman: "Hey, why are those two Qing Jing Peak disciples glaring at me like they want me dead?"

[mars-syndrome]

sooo if ur somehow stumbling across this randomly nothing about this post will make sense unless youve read this fic https://archiveofourown.org/works/57909193

but hey, that promised bingge pov post! (full disclosure i am writing this before ive written the sqh scene so some info may be repeated!)

binghe was aware of sy’s nature from the very beginning. he knew it was demonic, but meng mo was the one who let him know about the concept of demon dolls and how theyre created. when he chose sy for qing jing, he was fully convinced it was actually a demon doll with sqq’s exact soul/copy and wanted to get ahead of whatever revenge he and/or yqy may be planning.

meng mo also told him that since sqq’s been dead yqy had probably used his own soul to help ‘create’ sy so both of them were hesitant to use their dream manipulation incase it let yqy know something was up since they could be spiritually linked and lbh’s half demon status was unknown plus he’d be the first person yqy would want to blame. while he wouldnt use dream manipulation since it was spiritual based, he would use the blood parasites as insurance since it was fully physical.

upon meeting sy, he began to have doubts about whether it was sqq’s soul. hence the fungi mission. he used that mission to judge just how human or demonic sy’s body is and also gauge his reaction to not being affected by the spores if his body was demonic to tell how “in the know” he was. when sy was genuinely confused and just accepted whatever explanation lbh gave him, he concluded sy knew absolutely nothing at all and shifted his focus to actually making sy care for him.

his confrontation with yqy after the fungi mission was basically yqy and lbh trying to psych each other out about how much the other knew. it ended with lbh implying he knew what was up, that he could reveal yqy for colluding with demonic cultivators and/or demons, and that he wouldnt let sy get found out unless yqy does some shit bc hey, thats his disciple. so up until now (chapter whatever this is linked on) they’ve operated under a strained truce that yqy stays away from sy and lbh wont reveal them.

for lbh getting close with sy was just a fun little side project. after all, a little sqq who adored him more than anything in the world? sqq would be seething and rolling in his grave. it doesnt hurt that sy was so earnest and cute either and him being on the peak made nyy happy so he was fine with getting some revenge like that.

in the fic’s og pidw, this grows into lbh desperately craving affection and validation from the kid who looks so much like his shizun who withheld it. he’ll grow codependent with sy, but the relationship stays very much master/disciple. on some level he’s aware that though sy does genuinely care for and admire him, hes playing out a role to receive lbh’s protection.

but in the fic our sy, earnest and naive, found the jade pendent.

this is bingge, two decades removed from the abuse he suffered. he’s had two decades to get stronger, to realize the world bends to his whims. to realize no matter where he goes he’ll have women falling over themselves to get into his bed but none of them will ever truly love him and what they give him is shallow. to realize he’ll have men envying him and wishing him harm just for being better. this bingge doesn’t have mobei-jun or any wives to share even the illusion of closeness or companionship with. he has nyy yet she’s been relishing in her role as da-shijie and hes happy for her truly, but he’s been alone in the bamboo house for 20 years.

when bingge meets sy!sqq in svsss who shows him just two days worth of normal domestic kindness, he immediately wants to leave with him. so how would our bingge feel with our sy, who he’s had unrestricted access to for 2 years, who holds genuine affection for him with no ulterior motive, who admires him openly and unashamedly, when he returns the very symbol of his happiness and the last bit of true love hes ever felt?

“precious fake jade indeed” he said

this fake sqq, this flawed copy of the man who tormented him, gave him back this fake pendant that he held most dear, that he lost hope of ever getting back again.

was that not symbolic? did that not make shen yuan his as well? did that not make shen yuan another symbol of love for him? did shen yuan not hand himself over to binghe when he handed over the pendant?

he begins objectifying sy almost. this was his person. obviously if sy was defective for yqy’s purposes, then wouldnt it make sense for sy to have been made just for lbh? after all, who else could cherish and protect sy like he could? yqy let him out of his sight long enough for him to becomes lbh’s so he wasnt fit. sy cant look after himself. only luo binghe could.

the mission he took just after sy’s 16th birthday was to track down the demon clan responsible for sy’s creation and learn more about it to see if he could sever and/or work around yqy’s connection. as soon as he learned everything, he returned and used dream manipulation (after he figured out it was safe) to walk through sy’s memories like svsss bingge did to sqq. he realizes sy’s memories are gone, he and meng mo conclude it was probably an error in the connection to body and soul bc of the nature of demon puppets. but hey, a wins a win. sy has no affection for yqy and the fact sy is loyal to only lbh remains unchanged.

speaking of, he should probably make sy his head disciple officially so yqy cant make any accusations about lbh’s inappropriate closeness to his disciple, no matter how true they are.

[theredcuyo]

I'm making a list of the Moments that made made me cry (for real) in the danmeis i've read!

I will write spoiler alert if it's something heavy!

The reencounter between Lwj and Wwx, on the buddha mountain, this is in rewatch, but it doesn't fail to make me cry anyway

Wangxian as a song, either of the versions but mostly the donghua's

Wangxian's confession, the proper one, when they're inside the temple

Shen Qinqiu throwing Binghe into the abbys (This is not an spoiler, they literally tell you at the beggining)

The deep dream Svsss extra

Hualian's confession

Figuring out what was gonna happen to HongHong-er

Erha in general- na, okay i'm going to count but there's a lot, starting with the reason why Mo Ran went back in time

Mo Ran and his relationship with his family, particularly MengMeng

The first time MengMeng calls him Ge (Iykyk)

Ranwan's confession

(SPOILER FOR MDZS)

Jin Zixuan's death, mostly because it is the start of everything going wrong and because i grew stupidly attached to him somehow

When the ghosts of the wens that Wwx saved come forward to help in the burial mounds, specially Sizhui's scene with his grandma

Sizhui's reveal as A-yuan

Jiang Yanli's dead

When Jiang Cheng discovers the truth about "recovering" his Golden core

Any scene of Lwj on those 13 years

SPOILER FOR SVSSSS

Sqq's sacrifice, Aka his second death, Aka when he dies from Qi deviation, Aka the dead in the roof

The holy mausoleum, when Binghe yells at Sqq and he cries

When Yqy tells Shen Yuan the things he should've said to Shen Jiu and that now are a little bit too goddamn late

Sqq giving Binghe the jade pendant back

When Sqq decides to go with him at the end

The marriage extra (i'm soft, not all of this is sad)

SPOILER FOR TGCF

Xie Lian's mental breakdown on the temple because of being pirced a million times, literally cried all those chapters since it started until Wu Ming took form

How Rouye came to be

Ghost baby HuaHua in general, the cementary, when he tried to stop Xie Lian from going to White no face, when he tried and failed to fight White no face, when they met in this form

Pretty much all of that arc, actually

Wind master's mental breakdown

Hua Cheng dissapearing in chapters 240-241 and them meeting again a year later

SPOILERS FOR ERHA

Chu Wanning's origin

"Shizun, won't you pay attention to me?"

Ranwan in general

The flower of eternal resentment scene

Chu Wanning's first and second death

The wontons escene, when Mo Ran is searching for Wanning's soul

When he counts again and again to 3 in the underworld

"It was i who wronged You, i won't blame you in life or death"

"Two lifetimes, they all belong to you"

The earthworms

Baby Mo Ran

Mo Ran's trial and death as whole secuence

Xue Meng's family dying right before his eyes, and his depression about it, including when he clings to Taxian-Jun

Nangong Si's death

Xia Sini also has feelings

Taxian-Jun's sacrifice at the end

"I can't go back?" "You can't go back"

MengMeng being alone at the end

Ranwan being idiots and taking their time to tell MengMeng they were still alive

Of course Erha is the longest, of course it also is very related to MengMeng as a whole

[dangermousie]

I never finished Mountain River Pillow, the only Mo Shu Bai novel that emotionally moved me (MSB is a very solid author but her works usually do not emotionally involve me; MRP and her modern novella are the only two that do.) The translation stopped and MTL was too rough. But I now found the entire thing translated, started from scratch and it’s as good and as moving as I remember.

It’s an example of my favorite (but not frequent enough) set up - battle couple who can fight side by side. To MDL’s horror, the OTP is a widow and her dead husband’s younger brother.

It’s a truly simple set up. Our FL dies an unloved wife and wakes up in the days before she ditched her arranged marriage to elope for love (which ended up in nothing but disaster.) This time she chooses to proceed with the arranged marriage and marry into the Wei family, a family of legendary generals who in the first go around, all got massacred in a battle that they were blamed for. Sole survivor was the youngest son who eventually became a terrifying general and got his family’s honor restored.

The reason this novel is so moving is because she knows relatively little of past causes - her life was too removed. She tries to prevent the Wei tragedy but she can’t because it really did not happen because of a reckless strategy as per official account. And it’s moving also because both she and the youngest general are two genuinely good people who do their best and shoulder grief and loss together and support each other. They are ride or die for each other as family long before any romance develops.

And I love her sense of respect and duty and admiration for the Weis - it is not based on romantic love for her husband who she thought was lovely but who she barely met before he had to ride off to war - it’s an affirmative active choice to support good people who were good to her and who did not deserve what happened to them and to protect the youngest general (who is no general but a grieving boy - he’s 14 to her 15) because he’s barely out of childhood and had to bury all the men in his family; she does not want him to struggle alone because it would not be right.

They are turning it into a drama with the awful title of Fight for Love and I don’t have high hopes for it (I am fond of both Victoria Song and Ding Yuxi but they don’t really have the vibe of the novel characters for me. I’d cast Lu Yuxiao or Meng Ziyi and Liu Haoran or Zhang Xincheng if I’d had my druthers) but I am glad the adaptation means it’s been translated in full!

[lovedoesnotconquerall]

My 2024 Year Recap

Dramas

This was a fairly disappointing year for kdramas for me, and I didn’t stay on top of a lot of the dramas as they aired. It wavered between drama droughts and floods too frequently for me to keep up. Nonetheless, here are some of my favorites (not necessarily the best) from this year–

Historical Cdrama:

Blossom

This drama was the whole package for me. The acting, the cinematography, the costuming and sets, the wigs with sideburns, and the creativity of working around the rebirth genre. It avoided the OP pitfall that comes with this type of story and took on a different time period from what I’ve seen lately. I loved the women’s costumes so, so much! Plus the story moved along quickly without feeling rushed. I adore Meng Ziyi and desperately wanted a main character drama win for her, and boy did this deliver. Plus Li Yunrui finally got the girl!!

An aside– If Blossom hadn’t aired at the end of this year, this probably would’ve gone to The Double. But I did a quick rewatch this week and was disappointed by how much it didn’t hold up for me. I blame this largely on the camera blocking choices, as many of the heavy impact and meaningful moments that were likely well-scripted were weakened by having the actors act looking straight into the camera. Some actors weren’t up to the task, skill-wise. And other scenes just would have carried so much more emotional weight if both characters were on screen, and the actors were feeding off each others’ performances. In fact, the scene that had me in an absolute chokehold was the drunk rain sequence in episode 17 with Xiao Heng’s intense, jaw-clenched gaze as he resisted his desire for A’Li. By the end of the drama, I felt like I was watching actors act, rather than believing these were characters whose stories I was invested in emotionally. The drama was still a stand out, especially for its use of color, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of watching it air live alongside my tumblr mutuals!

Fantasy:

Fangs of Fortune

I had absolutely no idea what this was about going in. I couldn’t recall even watching a trailer and gave it a shot on a whim. From the costumes to the set design, every aspect of this drama was a visual feast. It felt otherworldly and sucked me in right from the start. I loved the way we saw our main characters’ stories reflected in the side character vignettes, and I never felt the need to fast forward. Even without the extra episode, I was still satisfied with the ending as presented. I don’t need a happy ending if the story’s resolution is justified narratively and this absolutely was. That being said, the extra episode made my shipper heart absolutely feral. No complaints here! I can’t give enough praise to Hou Minghao for his performance here as Zhao Yuanzhou. I see nothing of this character in his other performances, and that really speaks to his ability to adapt and fully live in this role.

Modern Cdrama:

Derailment

It technically finished airing in January, so I’m putting it here on this list. Another underrated drama I knew next to nothing about but left being so satisfied. The ship was so good, and the height difference was delightful. Also, the intimacy of hair washing! I really liked Liu Haocun’s performance. I’d never seen her in anything before, but I look forward to what she does next.

Modern Kdrama:

Lovely Runner

I started this on a plane and almost quit because of what I thought was going to be an over-the-top, cringey portrayal of kpop fanaticism (and I like kpop!!). I’m so glad I weathered that misconception because by the end of episode 2 it shaped up to be everything I wanted and more. I actually bought songs off the soundtrack and still listen to them today. It was fun, sugary sweet, and a joy to watch.

Ships/Pairings:

Song Mo x Dou Zhao, Blossom

I don’t know what more needs to be said about them that I haven’t already posted. They were genuinely equally matched, and I could clearly follow the logical, developed plot points that led to their coupling. The actors felt lived-in their characters and every aspect of the production played their part in making this a believable ride-or-die pairing. The chemistry oozed off the screen from their first encounter. His gaze in episode 1 when they lament trusting the wrong people? Unreal. He was so down bad for her, and tbh? Same.

Whatever was happening, Fangs of Fortune

Nobody delivered longing, connection, fondness, and trust like the multiships in this drama. I was locked in on all of the ships for different reasons. ZYZ and ZYC will hold a special place in my heart for all the things that didn’t need to be said. Who needs dialogue when you can gaze lovingly into the eyes of your soulmate without alerting the censors?

Older drama I watched in 2024:

Princess Agents (2017)

I am Team A’Chu x Yan Xun all the way. Warming her hands through a hole in the wall while dying in prison? Say no more!

(I do wish we could’ve seen Song Mo unleash his inner Yan Xun a little. Alas, censorship…)

Books

I read 37 books this year, excluding web novels. I felt pretty meh about most of the books I read, neither loving nor hating them. Nevertheless, here are some of my favorites.

Fiction:

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated by Shanna Tan

This book was like a comforting cup of coffee on a cloudy winter day. An unexpected group of lost people are drawn by and grow together around the warmth of a local bookshop. I loved the slice-of-life nature of the chapters and the gentle affirmations built into the characters’ decisions to slow down their lives.

Nonfiction:

City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways by Megan Kimble

Growing up in Texas along the Interstate-45 corridor made this an especially compelling yet bleak read.

Novella/Short Story:

Minor Detail by Adania Shibili, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette

Relevant, abrupt, and brutal. It left me numb for days after finishing it.

Open Throat by Henry Hoke, narrated by Pete Cross

This was so odd and creative I don’t really know how to describe it. It gives clever, poignant social/political commentary through the eyes of a mountain lion living on the fringes of a Los Angeles park.

Audiobook:

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel, narrated by George Blagden

The ending was predictable early on, but that didn’t make it any less impactful. I spent the last hour or so listening while sobbing uncontrollably to the point that my hobble-legged former street cat curled up in my lap to comfort me, which of course only made me more inconsolable. This book was beautiful and will hold a special place in my heart, thanks in large part to the experience of listening to, rather than visually reading, it.

Web Novel:

Rebirth of a Star General by Qian Shan Cha Ke, translated by Lazy Girl Translations

I am weak for a well written woman-in-disguise story. Especially one involving martial arts. And to add a general x general ship to it? What more could I ask for? I was excited to see Cheng Lei cast as Xiao Jue, and I look forward to seeing the drama adaptation next year. (hopefully…)

Movies

Twisters

I rarely go to the theater, and movies aren’t really my preferred form of delivery for narrative arcs and character exploration. But I visited college roommates in Seattle over the summer, and we went to see this on a pure whim. It was ridiculous and fun and took me back to our college days reserving the TV room in our co-op house to wind down after exams.

And with that… on to 2025!

[kaerontes]

quick explanation on my thoughts:

I considered singer Mo Ran! who had WanNing as his producer/teacher on the field alongside Xue Meng and Shi Mei. But yknow, those 5 years WanNing was... sleeping? So I translated this here as him going through an accident and being away healing in this time (I have this with more details, but I'm planning on writing a fanfic so ahem) and Mo Ran just blames himself a lot about it, and in those 5 years he just kept writing and writing about Chu WanNing.

But he was seen a lot by the media with Shi Mei (since they grew up together and sht) so the rumors say they are together, when the reality is Mo Ran already realized his true feelings but he's waiting for WanNing to come back.

That day WanNing had finally returned, silent cause he didn't knew how to meet everyone again, so he just decides to go to Mo Ran's show in secret since he had a free time—when he hears those words though, he, just like the crowd, also thinks the words are meant for someone else

| TIKTOK VERSION AND CLOSEUPS AFTER SPOILER |

[cmcft]

Fallout AU

Luo Binghe has spent his entire life in a vault. When his adoptive father (the leader of the vault/old palace master) is mysteriously kidnapped by the notorious Tianlang-Jun, Luo Binghe escapes the vault to find him. Luo Binghe meets a mysterious man (Meng Mo), whose head might just lead him to succeed in finding his adoptive father.

Shen Yuan is on his first mission, newly squired to Knight Xiu Ya and excited to heroically battle strange monsters and protect the populous, when things go horribly wrong. Shen Yuan ends up stealing the Knight's identity to try to succeed on tracking down Meng Mo his own so that he can escape being blamed for SQQ's death.

Their paths cross when Shen Yuan tries to save Luo Binghe from the ghoul (MBJ)

[bloopitynoot]

Reading SVSSS: Chapter 19

For those who don't know, I am reading SVSSS for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag bloopitynoot reads SVSSS. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read.

Good morning!

Weird time for me to post this as I normally post at night- I know, but I am off work today. The reason for no tea, no work, and only water this morning is because I am getting tattooed this afternoon!

I'm getting a full sleeve in parts; today we are outlining half of the sleeve. I will for sure for sure post photos in my next chapter! I'm so stoked. Oh I did not mention it, but It's a sleeve dedicated to tea so really tea in spirit with today's chapter :P

Let's get into Shen Jiu:

oh god. He went from one dream realm to another dream realm! p205

Oh shit; meng mo really saved his soul from being torn up in that other dream. p205

Honestly SQQ, I too would want to immediately see LBH after that experience. If anything, I would just want to make sure he was still the nice LBH and not the horror show I had just experienced in there. p206

ah! Meng Mo did interfere with Qiu Haitang in the mausoleum. I was wondering what all was happening with her hysterics in there; but dang that was dark showing her SJ's memories. Poor girl had her entire worldview switched p208

I am not emotionally ready to know what SJ went through. Ugh, here we go anyways.

Okay but I kind of really feel bad for Qiu Haitang- the girl really didnt know what was happening. her own brother from the very first day hid the mistreatment. SJ was really treated so fucking awfully. :( p213

Not his name being the number of him being trafficked :(((((( p213

Damn. I was really hoping we would find out who SJ's friend was. Though I do feel like it is someone we know already. I feel like it's Liu Qingge (don't actually tell me though!) -> we will find out later I suspect. p217

The way I exhaled at "You don't even count as human, and you want to be an immortal?" p219

I felt so bad during that "murder scene". Like fuck, I don't even blame SJ, when it all started. He finally killed the guy after almost a decade of abuse and he was once again trying to protect himself from harm. p221-222

Well. The bloodbath after his initial escape and slew of murders was a little unhinged LOL. p223

ooof. "no more waiting". p225

LOL this memory just turned into the plot of holes there. A bunch of children digging holes without end. Is this where SJ finds luo Binghe??? p227

Okay yes he did find him here and he was already peak master at this point (not for long but still). p228

I am glad that the generational naming convention was explained! Similar to MDZS jin's, the Cang Qiong Mountain sect names generationally. I was really wondering why everyone had "Qing". yay for explanation. p229

What the heck. Liu Qingge is rude as fuck: Shen Jiu said mildly, "Good talent doesn't guarantee success." Liu Qingge didn't even grace him with a sideways glance. "But certainly more success than a nobody who only began proper cultivation at age sixteen." p230

I'm having complicated feelings about OG SJ. Like -> his story is fucked and he was very badly damaged as a child, HOWEVER him treating Luo Binghe the way he did and just creating a cycle of violence is not okay. :( p234

My HEART! Luo Binghe's baby tears :(( p235. also him only crying the first day being 'punished' and when he had to bury his mom himself. what the fuck.

Bro that's so awkward for SQQ; waking up to find out he was crying and calling for LBH in his unconscious state and everyone knowing about it. p237

LOL SQQ not upset that LBH is manhandling him but that LBH said his eyelashes were long XD p239

<SCREAMING>

That last page! AAAAAAH. Him admitting he really missed LBH while hugging uuuugh.

[naehja]

I have had this idea but i'll not write it so i leave it there for people who could be interested =)

Feel free to take it!

Jin Zixuan survives but he is severely hurt. He spent months in bed after his wounds so he misses so much things. After that, he recovers badly, he's always so so weak so yes, he let his brother take over. Meng Yao is so nice and so caring. What he doesn't know is that his dear brother poison him to keep him weak, to keep him fragile, influenceable.

Everytime he tries/wants to speak against something that JYG decided, he's suddently so tired…and his brother is so right.

His brother does a good job as sect leader so Jin Zixuan is happy to be just a father for his son. And a uncle for JGY's son as long that this boy was alive. He was devasted by his death. And tried to be there for his brother. After all family is there for that, right?

Jin Ling is very protective of his father and doesn't understand why he's so weak. His father so so strong before and his wound recovered. So why he's so weak?

"It's because of WWX, he curses your father" people said and still say. Because of course WWX is blamed for Zixuan "sickness"

There are 2 drugs. One who affect Jin Zixuan's health and spiritual power. So he stays weak and with a fragile health. The other drug is something who make the one who drink it vulnerable to the person who make the it. It was a potion forcing people to say the truth at first but JGY modified it to make his brother vulnerable to "his" words (weak to manipulation) Those drugs are called "medications" of course. And Jin Zixuan never questionned it, even if he couldn't.

Jin Zixuan tries to be a good brother for Mo Xuanyu. Mo Xuanyu was happy to have a so nice big brother and was very concerned by his health. The real reason of Mo Xuanyu banishment was that he understood that JYG was poisoning their brother to keep him weak and under control. JYG got rid of him with rumors about the young man being gay (which was true) and was trying to do a move on him/had feelings for him (which was false).

Jin Zixuan tried to speak on his favor but he was so tired…maybe…he refused to believe what JGY said about their brother. It was a mistake. It could only be a mistake!

JGY saidyes he didn't believed it too but it was so the best, sending their brother away would be the best because of the rumors. "He could have been hurt if he stayed brother"

Mo Xuanyu told NHS about the drugs in a letter but he also wanted to save his brother, he wanted to get revange on his family. So he did the sacrifice. He didn't ask for JGY's death because he knew that even wwx couldn't do that in few hours. But he left a letter for him, explaining everything about Jin Zixuan situation. He said that he had no proofs but that he had SEEN it. "Please be careful wei wuxian, my brother is a snake who kills people who go on his way! don't speak about it to anyone until you have proofs!"

And the story go on but with Jin Zixuan alive but under JGY's control, "drugged" for 13 years to be unable to speak again his brother. NHS being our favorite chessmaster, he managed to "kidnapp" Jin Zixuan at a point, like two or four months before wwx's return, and to give him the antidote + wean him off the drugs.

Of course, JGY blames WWX for the kidnapping as soon WWX is revealed to be in Mo Xuanyu's body . Jin Ling starts to have big doubts about his uncle after this moment. Because the dates...his father has been kidnapped BEFORE wwx's return, right?

It's at this moment, while they go to save the juniors, that WWX shows Mo Xuanyu's letter to Lan Zhan. He also tell it to all the sect leaders after the fight. It happens after everyone learns about that JGY married his half-sister.

Durin the events at the temple, Jin Zuxian returns (Shortly before NMJ's death body arrival) and can finally think clearly and freely for the first time in 13 years. His brother's word don't seem so logical anymore, he sees the lies. And he's angry, so angry, his golden core so strong for the first time in so much years. but his body is still weak.

And JGY said "you should have stayed under the drugs, i didn't want to kill you brother but you forces me to do it now" Except that JGY will not kill anyone, not anymore. Because the heros will win, of course.

Jin Zixuan is free and is now Jin sect leader while recovering. Jin Ling has to accept everything JGY did. Jiang Cheng has to accept to not have realised it. LXC has to accept what JGY did too, and has also to accept to have been used by him (did he give him the drugs to manipule him too?). NHS has had his revenge (but has had to live with the fact that his brother will never rest or have the chance to reincarnate). WWX and LZ are happy together.

WWX and Jin Zixuan reconciliation too (Jin Zixuan never believed that WWX killed his wife and never blamed him for his wounds).

[taempteng]

【 Analytical Essay 】 Why did Chu Wanning Apologise?

Mo Ran was at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. He mastered the Zhenlong Chess Formation and took down the Sisheng Peak and Rufeng Sect. He also defeated his master, Chu Wanning, and detained him.

Mo Ran was unstoppable. He declared himself the emperor of the cultivation world and went by the title Taxian-Jun — the Heaven-Trampling Monarch. To commence his rise to power, he crucified Chu Wanning and let him bleed to death.

As the life force of the master he strongly despised slowly dripped away, Mo Ran relentlessly mocked Chu Wanning. He sneered at his master’s righteousness and saviour complex, laughing at the pathetic state he was reduced to. He blamed Chu Wanning, saying that the world fell into this state of chaos because of his master’s own arrogance.

“Let me ask you, Chu Wanning, let me ask you — what is ‘poor character, difficult to polish’?”

As Mo Ran continued to affront Chu Wanning, he noticed for the first time the look on his master’s face. The expression shocked Mo Ran to speechlessness, trying to understand the meaning behind his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Mo Ran. It’s this master’s fault…”

Why did Chu Wanning apologise to Mo Ran in that scene?

Was it for being too harsh in disciplining Mo Ran? However, he was just carrying out his job as Mo Ran’s teacher.

Was it for not guiding Mo Ran to a path of virtue? However, he already did his best to train Mo Ran, but his efforts were in vain.

As I pondered about the sequence of events leading to Chu Wanning’s apology, I realised the possible reason behind his guilt.

This is why Chu Wanning apologised in this scene.

Disclaimer: Spoilers for Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun, specifically the Underworld Arc. We will speak as if you have read the whole story or at least up until the aforementioned arc. Please proceed with caution.

An Apology in Response to

For every comment, there is a reply. Although we can chalk off Chu Wanning’s apology as the delirious rambling of a dying man, we can likewise believe he was responding to Mo Ran’s words.

A dialogue is an exchange between two or more characters. Before the apology, Mo Ran brought up an important phrase that could have tipped off Chu Wanning.

“Poor character, difficult to polish”.

This was a statement originally made by Chu Wanning. At that time, Xue Zhengyong asked Chu Wanning about his thoughts on Mo Ran. Hence, the response.

Despite the harsh words, there was a reason for Chu Wanning’s judgement. Beforehand, Mo Ran was acting rebelliously and causing trouble. It did not matter how Chu Wanning disciplined him, Mo Ran would still act out.

But, why was Mo Ran behaving this way?

Mo Ran admitted that it was to get a reaction out of Chu Wanning. Whether that be of praise or shock. He just wanted Chu Wanning to notice him and give him attention.

In that case, what caused him to act disobediently? Surely, Mo Ran did not begin making trouble out of nowhere. There must be a starting point, a catalyst to his subsequent behaviour.

There was one event.

The Begonia Plucking Incident

It was a leisure stroll around Sisheng Peak when Mo Ran found a blooming begonia. Its beauty reminded him of Chu Wanning. So, without thinking, Mo Ran plucked the flower, wanting to give it to his master.

Unfortunately, the begonia was a medicine grown by Madam Wang. It was difficult to cultivate, and the flower Mo Ran plucked was the first of its blossoms. His actions were witnessed by Xue Meng, who took him to Chu Wanning for punishment.

Mo Ran tried to explain himself. However, he was stopped by the coldness in Chu Wanning’s eyes. He mistook the gaze for condescension and thought his master looked down on him. After the severe punishment which left him bed-ridden, his ire towards Chu Wanning ignited.

Mo Ran admitted that this was the incident which led to his rebellion. His enmity towards Chu Wanning drove him to break sect rules, all in the hopes of catching his master’s attention. Sadly, his disobedient act only soured Chu Wanning’s view of him, leading him to believe that Mo Ran was an unruly disciple.

Mo Ran remembered this event due to how wrongfully punished he was. However, he was not the only one who held this incident close to heart.

Chu Wanning also remembered this event dearly. It is certain that, because of this event, Chu Wanning apologised to Taxian-jun.

But, why would Chu Wanning remember this incident? There were so many instances where Mo Ran lashed out and received harsh discipline from Chu Wanning. So, why would Chu Wanning single out this one event?

It is because — while Mo Ran had woes from the incident, Chu Wanning had regrets.

Chu Wanning’s Perspective

After the severe punishment, Mo Ran was sent to his room to recuperate. It was there that he encountered Shi Mei, who brought him a bowl of dumplings. Thinking that his senior brother gave him the food to cheer him up, he started to develop an infatuation for Shi Mei.

Mo Ran thought Shi Mei made the dumplings. However, it was revealed in the Underworld Arc that the true maker was Chu Wanning.

After disciplining Mo Ran, Chu Wanning felt remorseful for his harshness. He cooked a bowl of dumplings as an apology, but was too embarrassed to give it to Mo Ran himself. So, he had Shi Mei send it, since he was passing by.

Not serving the bowl of dumplings to Mo Ran personally had been Chu Wanning’s biggest regret. After his death, his Human Soul was found in Meng Po Hall, carefully cooking a batch of dumplings. He was stuck in the moment after he punished Mo Ran, where he dealt with his disciple too harshly and did not get a chance to apologise for it.

As a Human Soul, Mo Ran was able to put Chu Wanning to ease after granting his wish — to have Chu Wanning himself bring the bowl of dumplings to Mo Ran. Only then did the Human Soul settled with peace.

Reasonable Conclusion

Mo Ran was hung up on Chu Wanning’s quote of “Poor character, difficult to polish”. The phrase was said because Mo Ran was acting rashly prior to the line. Mo Ran was acting out because he wanted to get Chu Wanning’s attention after being punished for plucking the begonia.

If Mo Ran connected that remark to the incident, then so did Chu Wanning. Because Mo Ran was not the only one who felt strongly towards the situation — Chu Wanning did too.

So, Chu Wanning made the connection. He knew he made that statement and knew that it was in response to Mo Ran’s disobedient behaviour. He realised the moment Mo Ran started acting rashly was after his punishment for plucking the begonia, and felt despair over the turns of events.

As such, with his dying breath, he apologised to Taxian-jun, truly believing it was his fault that Mo Ran turned into this state.

[darlingpwease]

Ngl, all this omegaverse content brings me back to those asks about the pathetic and weak alpha and i can't help but imagine any of the hahwcs boyos stepping up for said alpha

oh gosh why do you still remember them shsghshdh it's embarrassing<///4 /neu /hj<3 let's develop the idea a bit into a more balanced one, so that we don't have the same experience with 'subby reader' repeated.

I'll cover for you

α!reader x β!xue meng x ω!mo ran x α!shi mei

♡ unhealthy behaviour, mixed dynamic, animalistic behaviour, 'my rabid ones' dynamic, poly relationship if you squint; weak!reader but manipulative / smart implied

alpha!reader who doesn't behave like a 'strong' or 'aggressive'; it's not that you don't have territorial instincts or a desire to protect your pack, but you just don't have this external protection that should be a facade. you are on the softer and more caring side, you do not need cruelty or rigidity to feel protected — but this is the reason why others look down on you, not seeing anything threatening in your behavior or in your figure. not that you blame them, of course, but being an aggressor is not in your character.

... even so, you really don't understand why you're being so fiercely protected.

in the end, you didn't think it was necessary — people didn't deliberately seek to humiliate you verbally, even if you more than felt how their smell was trying to suppress yours, especially when you were confronted with another alpha or aggressive alpha-like beta, who sought to emphasize his dominance over you. it was very childish, in your opinion — but you didn't react, not trying to push back or obey, calmly putting up with their attitude. haven't you been taught to be above that? in the end, an eye for an eye — and the world will go blind; if you give in to your baser instincts, then what are you better than a stray mutt? even if people are nothing more than dogs to heaven, it is important to always remain noble and humble, like an unblemished lotus flower, instead of sinking down and struggling in the mud.

of course, only you thought so. maybe that was the reason — when you tried to be peaceful and calm, clearly behaving more like a beta and not feeling humiliated by it, not being either a mattress or a guard hound, they couldn't get behind you anyway. and 'they' are not just those who look down on you.

maybe you'll be fine with that attitude, but the members of your pack are absolutely not.

even the soft and supple SHI MEI, more like an omega than an alpha, was suddenly interested and silently put his hand on your shoulder or back, giving a non-blinking look to the interlocutor, very interested in what is so important you are discussing while his usually light smell became strong and almost intrusive, sinking into the lungs and soaking the skin. and even if he becomes so protective, what could you expect from someone so protective of 'his' pack like XUE MENG or generally aggressive and almost domineering like MO RAN?

and the fact that they were alpha-like beta and omega made it even worse, as if you were a fragile flower in the garden that needed to be taken care of and protected, as if one wrong touch and you would break in two, like a crystal ball made of snowflakes. and you never considered yourself an omega — and did not want to be one; despite the personality, you were more than satisfied with the core — but it was the 'omega' that you had to be when they reacted too sharply, as if this was not a slight to you, but an insult to their entire family and relatives.

it was hard with MO RAN, who tends to get carried away easily and has both a sharp tongue and an aggressive disposition — but it was no better with XUE MENG and SHI MEI, especially when XUE MENG believed that neglecting you was an attack on himself, while SHI MEI himself was possessive and having very sharp claws and fangs hidden behind an innocent exterior. you did not feel like a "dog under heaven", but the owner of two dogs capable of gnawing anyone's throat, and a bird that could not gnaw, but could easily tear out eyes and organs — and the fact that you had to keep them under control did not let you relax or feel at peace at all.

in the end, you were not weak or powerless — you are not a puppy and not elderly — but every time you felt exactly like that when, even if you tried to convince that there was nothing important in it; but the hardest thing to convince is a domineering omega, a hyperprotective beta and an alpha confident in his opinion, — and you were incredibly lucky to collect all of them. you might as well be considered something like the heart or glue for a team that, no matter what, has one common goal and that common goal is to protect you and shoot everything that tries to touch you.

but hey, you, you are the alpha, and even if you may be weak or malleable — you are still the leader of this pack when CHU WANNING is not around (although next to him you are also often the leader, not that your leadership is based on physical strength or smell), and they obey you; of course, you prefer to think that this is out of respect for you or for your words, and not at all because it is more convenient to look after you and have an excuse to always stay close to you and smell your scent or engage in scenting, since doing it with the leader of the pack is almost a duty.

yes, maybe you constantly smell like them, just like they smell like you, and MO RAN often takes your clothes for the nest, while XUE MENG demands that you constantly leave your scent on him, and even SHI MEI does not mind at all, although, as an alpha, he should not be so submissive for such contacts — but who are you to be against?...

no, you don't worry at all about the consequences if they feel dissatisfied and become even more belligerent because their alpha doesn't do such small things with them at all. you're just being... prudent.

it's not such a rare quality when people need to pass thirty and three tests to get access to you.

[theredcuyo]

Wait no, no, hear me out

I know that the inherited Shizunness makes us think in a way but you know what would be actually a very powerful crossover

Wei Wuxian as Chu Wanning's disciple

I just know he'd thrive, they both will, really, two messy geniuses in a room?

And honestly? I think that Chu Wanning would rather encourage him in the uses of resentful energy (under careful circumstances) rather than just shut the whole idea up, since it's new and he can prove himself and they would perfect the compass and the flags or whatever new thing Wwx comes up with

Is he getting whipped with Tianwen? Yeah, very likely, more than once

Is he going to fist fight Xue Meng at some point? Yes, yes he will

The real question is- who's the bad influence here, Mo Ran to Wei Wuxian or Wei Wuxian to Mo Ran?

You just know that if it's 0.5 Mo Ran they are going out into Town wooing people left and right- (Just that Wwx won't actually enter the brothels)

They have a similar childhood too, maybe that's why they could get along-

If it's about 2.0? He will feel so betrayed when Mo Ran quits spicy food-

SPOILER HERE FOR ERHA

Wonder if he could feel something up with the flower...? (Or Shi Mei?) You know it's not exactly the same, but a flower literally about hatred and exagerating the one you have sounds pretty akin to resentful energy, also i wonder what thoughts he could have on chess pieces?

Knowing him, he would create his method that we already know and try to take the blame for Mo Ran when yk, Taxian-Jun appears-

Or maybe he would be actually able to do something about the corpses and Nangong Si wouldn't have to die, but that's just me feeling sad again-

[missfangirll]

For the wip game, I am very intrigued by 2ha crack fic XD

bwahahaha.. that one came to me as I was reading the end of the novel, there's a conversation where Mo Ran says to Chu Wanning that he's scared to see Xue Meng. CWN asks if he thinks he'll blame him and MR says no, I'm afraid he'll call me shiniang..

I was laughing so hard at that thought and had that plot bunny, basically it's Xue Meng going through different options and having one breakdown after the other 😁