#but he'd tried to kill him or torture him or kill people wwx loves too many times

[llycaons]

it's very sweet when wwx is like 'aw jin ling is just like his uncle' in postcanon fics but I have to laugh because in canon he's literally like 'ugh, jin ling is JUST like his uncle 🙄'

[ninjakk]

Hi, sorry for the inconvenience. First of all, I wanted to say that I love your analysis of the novel mdsz, so if it's not too much trouble, I wanted to ask you what do you think would have happened if after WWX's resurrection, he didn't want to go to Gusu with LWJ? I mean, it is known from canon that WWX using mo xuanyu's identity to try to escape from JC and LWJ said he wanted to be with LWJ and LWJ immediately takes him to Gusu and given that is not the case how would LWJ try to be close to

Hi Anon,

Thank you for the lovely comments about my posts 🥰

Of course, it's never too much trouble for my lovely followers and anons! It just might take me a while to get back to you all 😅 So thanks for your patience guys 😚

I think your ask might have been sent a little earlier than intended, as the last sentence seems to have cut off. But I think I can gather what you wanted to ask. So let's take a look at the scene you're referring to:

“Thank you for being so enthusiastic. However, your thoughts are quite off. Even if I am attracted to men, I don’t like just any type of man, much less follow anyone who waves at me. For example, I’m not interested in ones like you.” Wei WuXian was purposely trying to disgust him. Jiang Cheng had always hated being defeated while compared with others, no matter how pointless the comparison was.

Chapter 10 ExR translations

WWX is trying to disgust JC to the point he would leave him alone. He's already gathered JC holds a lot of animosity towards him regardless of whether he is actually WWX or just someone who cultivates the same path as him. In order to escape, WWX decides to scare both men off by using MXY's apparent reputation.

“Which type? Well, I am very much attracted to people like HanGuang-Jun.” Lan WangJi could not tolerate this sort of frivolous and foolish joke at all. If he felt disgusted, he would definitely draw a line between them and keep his distance. Disgusting two people at once—this was killing two birds with one stone! However, as Lan WangJi heard this, he turned around. His face was emotionless, “Mark your words.” Wei WuXian, “Hmm?” Lan WangJi turned back, speaking in a mannerly yet resolute way, “I will take this person back to the Lan Sect.”

Wei WuXian, “...”

Wei WuXian, “...Huh?”

So if WWX hadn't put the theatrics on and said that HGJ was his type, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape JC. As such, JC would have attempted to take WWX back to Lotus Pier - which is where I think another fight would have ensued between JC and LWJ. I think it's quite clear from this chapter, that it is well known JC imprisons and tortures anyone he suspects of being WWX or even dares to emulate his techniques and cultivate the ghost path (guidao). As such, I think it's safe to assume LWJ is also aware of this and he would simply not allow such things to happen. LWJ has already proven he was willing to fight JC to protect WWX when he shielded him from JCs initial attack with Zidian, and I think he'd do it again without hesitation.

Technically WWX never agreed to go back to Gusu with LWJ. He tried to escape (apparently.. but personally I think his efforts were rather half-hearted!) and then he made a scene outside the entrance to the Cloud Recesses, in an attempt to get himself thrown out.

Lan WangJi stood still in front of the entrance, turning a deaf ear to him, and watched the scene with an indifferent look. When Wei WuXian’s voice had somewhat quieted, he spoke, “Let him cry. When he becomes tired, drag him inside.” Wei WuXian hugged the donkey and cried even harder, bumping his head against it.

I have to say, I just love the absolute poetry of LWJ practically dragging WWX back to Gusu in his second life, while his requests for WWX to do so in his first life were always rebuffed! So I think that even if "MXY" hadn't announced LWJ was his type, LWJ would have taken WWX back to the Cloud Recesses nevertheless. Yes LWJ took what WWX said teasingly and ran with it - which is completely adorable. It's the first time we see LWJ counter WWX by teasing him back! But even if WWX hadn't given him the opening to say he was going to take him back to Gusu, I think he would have just announced his intentions anyway. He was trying to warn off JC and protect WWX - and this was the best way to do so. By doing this he would be able to keep WWX safe and out of JCs reach.

Personally I think LWJ does not trust JC in the slightest and is very concerned he would seek WWX out if he let him go off alone after this encounter. Considering JC led the first siege against WWX at the Burial Mounds, it's no surprise he's very protective of WWX when JC is around. Even if LWJ wasn't aware of the rumours regarding JCs penchant for torturing anyone remotely reminding him of WWX, LWJ is still going to hold some resentment towards him. Which is why I think LWJ also prevents WWX from running away during the start of their investigation, when he is still playing the part of "MXY", because he is worried something will happen to him or JC will catch him. LWJ's concerns are very much justified later in the novel as well! Even if his method of protecting WWX is questionable.

His entire leg was covered with the black bruise of the Curse Mark. After staring at it for a while, Lan WangJi spoke in a bitter voice, “... I only left for a few hours.”

Chapter 25

The first time he allows WWX to go off alone, he comes back supporting a curse mark on his leg and a whip mark on his ankle, having escaped JCs clutches once again! We can see from the above that seeing WWX in this condition has upset him. He can't bear to see WWX hurt, even if it is just a minor curse mark and a whip from Zidian.

Granted, WWX is more than capable of looking after himself and LWJ does not want to restrict WWXs movements if he can help it. But he has felt the pain of losing WWX once before and that's bound to affect him both mentally and emotionally. Which I think we begin to see rather clearly during the above chapter. As such, he is extra cautious when it comes to WWX's second chance at life.

To answer your question, if WWX had somehow managed to escape JCs clutches in a different way and LWJ thought he was going to be safe - he might not have done anything at all. If LWJ was absolutely sure JC would not pursue WWX and cause him any harm, I think he would have left WWX to live his second chance at life however he wished. As much as LWJ loves WWX, he doesn't want to force anything on him - he did that once before with the stolen kiss and he felt terrible for doing so afterwards. As such, I don't think LWJ would have tried to get close to WWX if things hadn't transpired the way they did on Dafan Mountain.

LWJ would just be happy as long as WWX was safe and well. If WWX did not want LWJ to be a part of his second chance at life, LWJ would respect that. Obviously LWJ wants to be with WWX whatever way we can (romance being the absolute ideal), but he loves him so much he wouldn't restrain him or force himself upon him. The last thing he wants to do is repeat what his father did to his mother.

Thankfully the minute WWX is given the choice of whether or not to stay with LWJ, even before he is no longer playing the part of "MXY", he still chooses to return to him. It doesn't take WWX long to release that he is very happy to have LWJ around and he wants nothing more than him to be a part of his life also 💕

[bewareof12metersfrogs]

Warning: long rant. Probably messed up grammar. Not LXC-friendly.

So Pinterest gave me this:

And I was like

Ah yes, Lan Xichen.

I mean, I love that guy, but oh gosh that man is BLIND. Like, man's so blind Xue Yang could use him to slaughter people.

(I'm so sorry for that joke)

I really loved him when I first read the book, esp pre-Nightless City, but then I read it for the second (and third) time and that love turned into "uhh, I guess I kinda like him?"

I mean, in Sunshot Campaign arc, NMJ just got freaking tortured. He just got beaten, made to watch his men die, and his former deputy "betrayed" him -- and then LXC was just like, "oh da-ge CALM down, this is all part of OUR plan, A-Yao's our spy lol put Baxia away don't shout at him smh"

Why didn't LXC say to NMJ that the whole thing had been orchestrated? Okay, I get it, maybe he couldn't risk JGY getting caught, but couldn't he just tell NMJ, "hey, this is the plan. You're gonna get caught at Yangquan by WRH and our spy will take care of the rest of it" ? I'm pretty sure NMJ was angrier about his men getting slaughtered than himself getting beaten. NMJ is kinda like WWX; they were both idiots, but they cared about their people. Pretty sure he cared more about his men than himself. If he knew about the "plan", he'd most likely bring the disciples who were ready to die.

THEN LXC just went to NMJ like, "Hey let's be sworn brothers!". Xichen, dude, his wounds aren't even healed. I mean, it's a bit insensitive right?? I think it is. The whole sworn-brotherhood-right-after-shunshot-campaign thing still bothers me. To me, it seems like no one cared about NMJ. I mean, he was the leader of SC, people used his skills, his men, his everything, and then he was just, like, casted aside?? Pretty sure man's got PTSD. Also, qi deviation. Oh gosh I forgot about qi deviation.

Anyway, yeah, LXC was blind throughout the novel. I won't talk about the scene where Wangxian tried to tell him that A-Yao = bad, but I will talk about the scene where NHS decided to "use" his er-ge to kill his san-ge. Was it intentional? Perhaps. Was NHS lying? Maybe. Was it bad? Absolutely. Was it expected? Of course.

Let's put ourselves in NHS' shoes for a second. Your big bro, who is also the one who raised you and the only family you have left, died. People are quacking "oh it's the Nie curse, and isn't it such a tragedy?" BUT NO! One day you be minding your own business and then BAM you found out that da-ge'd been murdered and mutilated AND betrayed. So you started scheming for like a decade. Everything was going great, as great as a 10 years revenge plan could ever be. You just gotta wait for a few more hours, you just gotta listen to your nemesis' retelling his sad background story, you just gotta endure the pain of seeing your dead big bro wrecking havoc, and you'd have your revenge.

Then of course your er-ge, your big bro's best friend, gotta help your big bro's killer. He just gotta treat his wounds, huh? Pretty sure NHS was unstable. He was desperate and maybe even full of wrath. I understand that, at least, the same way I understand that maybe LXC tried to treat JGY's wounds because he still saw him as his brother -- he didn't want to lose another brother. But how about NHS? He was watching the man whom he thought was his brother treating the man who betrayed and murdered his actual brother. NHS was being a dick, yeah, but it was expected.

Think about this for a second. NMJ's corpse was still right there (and gosh, NHS had to sew his big bro's corpse by himself). NHS was RIGHT there, and LXC had the audacity to tend to JGY's wounds after the man himself admitted to his crimes. I think it's understandable if NHS felt at least insulted.

Also, he was perhaps sick of people not thinking that his big brother was as important as other people, that he was also a human being instead of just a war machine or even a mere tool that can be casted aside whenever they want to. Why did his brother have to die because of other people's greed and selfish decisions? Why did he have to lose the only family he had left forever and why did he have to just sit back and accept it?

Most importantly, LXC had been too blind for more than a decade too long.

Also, the bit about "You're Wangji's only mistake":

Bruh.

If WWX is LWJ's only mistake, then (trusting) LXC is NMJ's only mistake. I mean, sure, WWX is as dumb and oblivious as a rock, but can you really blame him?? HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP HIMSELF, HIS FAMILY, AND THE WEN REMNANTS ALIVE, DUDE'S GOT NO TIME TO THINK ABOUT FKING ROMANCE.

Sorry, I got carried away.

Anyway, are we just gonna ignore the fact that LWJ had been acting like he hated WWX since, like, the first time they met?? I mean, I really love LWJ, but his only mistake is his communication skills (or lack thereof).

But LWJ never gave up on WWX. He learned to express himself way better. Man's got dedication and he's not afraid to learn. I really love that about him.

Also, I understand that LXC was angry because LWJ took beatings to protect WWX, but I don't think he had the right to blame WWX for that. Yes, I know WWX did plenty of things wrong; he was extremely reckless and untrusting, but he never asked LWJ to protect him. LWJ did everything voluntarily. Ffs Xichen WWX didn't even know that LWJ did that. You know why? CAUSE HE WAS FKING DYING THAT'S WHY.

TLDR: LWJ was a grown ass man.

Okay. So, do I hate LXC? No. But do I find him flawed? Yes. But that's why I like MXTX's characters, including WRH, JGY, and LXC (the only exception are perhaps JGS and MXY's fam, and I think we all know why). They all have flaws. For me, LXC is too naive and blind, JGY is too power-hungry and selfish, and NMJ is too stubborn and unyielding. NHS? Well, he's a lot of things. He's manipulative, unsympathetic, and IMO he's got a problem with obsession too. He and JGY are alike, in my opinion. The main difference is their goals: JGY seeks power, NHS seeks revenge.

Everyone has flaws. LWJ and WWX have flaws too; they're EXTREMELY flawed. Heck, even our lord and saviour Shijie also has flaws, as much as it hurts me to type that.

Then why do I get so worked up about LXC's flaws? Honestly I don't really know. Maybe it's because I'm tired of (almost) the entirety of fandom treating him like a god, maybe because I'm tired of people who treat NHS like the devil himself, or maybe because I'm disappointed in him. I mean, JGY's our main villain, but I still love him so much. Heck, I love him even more than I love LXC. Bruh, nowadays I even like WRH more. At least that guy is downright evil and he looks cool while doing whatever evil things WRH does (I'm talking about the novel and donghua mmkay).

Anyway, this is the end of my rant. I apologise if I'm offending you, this is just something that's been bothering me since the first time I re-read MDZS. This whole thing is like a plot bunny but instead of a "plot", the bunny is shaped like a "rant". This is a rant bunny. I need to get this outta my head. I've edited this thing like four times already because I keep finding errors and stuffs. I also added like two new paragraphs.

I'm sad now.