#do NOT even get me started on Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen

[yeyayeya]

Ok ok, listen

If, IF, Eternal Faith ever releases, I am HOPING that the characters get their own themes songs like they did with The Untamed characters. I know I shouldn’t compare one with the other, as I know damn well that they’re both completely different and all that, but you know? What if

The Untamed handled the MDZS characters quite differently, but both of them have the same director, so maybe, just maybe, they get their own character songs? I know TGCF isn’t as music based as MDZS is, but PLEASE.

Because if so I am going to go incredibly INSANE if they actually do that.

Ok but if we are being real, this is only if the show releases, and who knows if the characters would even get their own songs

[lynnthefrenchtoast]

Lines from "In The Other Universe" that I CANT GET OVER

in which a fanfic writer (me) overexplains her oneshot bc I NEED TO RAMBLE AND MY IRLS FOLLOW ME ON EVERY OTHER PLATFORM SO TUMBLR IS ALL! I! HAVE!

(u should prob read it first this wont make sense otherwise)

"Even though it was not his name, Yin Yu turned"

i dont know if this is a canon scene or not (sue me the books are LONG and hard to buy in my country) but i've read about yin yu getting mistaken for yizhen and getting totally upset. so i decided to start this fic with him being so okay with it that he responds to qi ying's name as if it's his own.

(also because if ur so close to someone, ur nosy abt their business because it also becomes your business) I WANTED TO CONVEY THAT CLOSENESS FROM THE VERY FIRST LINE

"Should I tell Yizhen you can't even recognize me?"

CANON YIN YU IS SO GLOOMY AND HONESTLY WE UNDERESTIMATE HIS POTENTIAL TO BE TEASY. i just know he could be. all hard workers have a sarcastic inner voice

"The man damn near shits his pants"

AHAHHA okay look. i have this tendency when writing to be REALLY PRETENTIOUS AND FANCY. and ive learnt that usually NO ONE GIVES TWO SHITS. compared to genshin, tgcf fanfics are so beautifully written and sometimes i gotta remind this fandom to SPEAK INFORMALLY (unless its qi rong. then. yea. BUT WHO READS QI RONG FICS?)

"The blank wrist that has never known the kiss of cold metal"

I RIPPED MY OWN HEART OUT WITH THIS ONE

"In this universe, he discovers it's such a simple thing to be happy."

proof that quanyin is literally hualian's cousin

the entire earring scene

i am a sucker for qyz's over-attachment to the earrings. ik a lot of ppl think he's like this because its the only thing yin yu ever gave him but NO headcanon that even in the other universe, yizhen would be overly attached because hes a puppy

he xuan scene

canonically, he xuan would NEVER. bc 1) he's too lost in his own ways to ask for advice and 2) it would fuck with his earth master disguise too much. but since it's the other universe!!!! I CAN DO WHAT I WANT.

“Yizhen’s victory is my victory,” he declares, with a tone that leaves no room for argument. “His loss is my loss. When Yizhen cries, I am sad. When Yizhen smiles at me, my heart is so full it could burst.” He brings two jade white palms together, interlocking the fingers like entangled limbs on a hot summer morning. “We’re like this. One shared past; one shared future. As a Shixiong, don’t you think rather than being jealous, I’m extremely proud of how far he’s come?”

my favourite freaking line can you tell? IT SHOWS THEIR ABILITY TO ROOT FOR ONE ANOTHER. SHOWS EMPATHY. SHOWS LOVE. ("my heart is so full it could burst") THE RECALL TO THE MORNING THEY WOKE UP TOGETHER, REMINDING YOU OF DOMESTICITY AND SIMPLICITY AND TRUST AND CLOSENESS.

ONE SHARED PAST; ONE SHARED FUTURE ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? this is all i ever wanted for them. to be able to grow together and live together and die together. TO HAVE A SHARED PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

this line is also loaded to me bc i once wrote a fic called "entangled pasts; estranged future" that wasnt good enough to be posted but GOD IT REMINDS ME SO MUCH OF IT

"Here, he never needs to know the weight of a mask – neither physical not metaphorical."

i dont like how i worded this but IT NEEDED TO BE SAID. YIN YU NEVER NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO WEAR THE WANING MOON MASK but more importantly NEVER NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO WEAR A MASK TOWARDS QUAN YIZHEN. NEVER NEEDS TO HIDE RESENTMENT. im shaking with all they couldve been and didnt become.

"Here, Brocade and Immortal are just two words"

hear that? its the sound of me BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL AAAAAA I SO DESPERATELY WANT THIS TO BE REAL i mean i understand if they werent so tragic i wouldnt love them as much but IT HURTS! (*100 teehee)

"Sure it will."

i actually hate myself why did i end it like that even in my fanfic i cant let them be happy. huh. i have to subtly hint that this isnt what happens.

its actually so upsetting that the whole fic is so nice and healing and all of it is just overcasted by this knowledge of "its not real. they never get to be this happy. what really happens is they resent each other and leave each other and they become one shared past; two estranged futures."

you can call me insane. im aware no one thinks this deeply about fanfiction and most people are on the site for smut. BUT I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT IT SO YOURE FORCED TO LISTEN TO ME RAMBLE

[soapy-soartp]

Day 21 of @whumperless-whump-event (late entry)

Day:  21 - WHERE'S THE EXIT

Prompt: Lost / Stuck in the wilderness / "Surely someone will notice we're gone."

Fandom: TGCF

Characters: Yin Yu, Quan Yizhen, and unamed character

He turned around and all he saw were trees, no sign of the group that he was on a night hunt with. That’s fine, he’s been out in the woods alone before, lost, but he’s made it out fine. But this time is different, when he turns a corner he finds a person, looking around his shixiong’s age, wearing a different sect's obes.

The other disciple was hunched over under a tree. By the sounds of it, they were sniffling. Yizhen moved closer, noticing the other had injured their leg.

“Why are you crying?”

“Ah!-“ the stranger exclaimed.

Quan Yizhen just stared as the other (annoyingly) began a rapid fire of questions, “W-who are you? Oh wait, you're part of that sect here?! Do- do you know how to get put here? Did you come to save me! How do we get out of here? Do you-“

“No. I'm lost too, I’m going to find my Shixiong though,” he cut them off, not bothering to answer the other questions.

“How?!” they suddenly yelled, panic slipping through.

“Just walking around,” he explained simply.

“What?! You don't even have a plan?! Then- then we’re gonna die here!”

“No. I'm not dying here.”

“How the hell are you so confident in that?!”

Yizhen shrugs then turns to walk away.

“Wait!- where are you going?!” the other disciple asked, trying to move forward but their injury prevented them from doing so.

Yizhen pauses, his responses getting more short and clipped, “Told you. I'm going to find Shixiong.”

“Wait! don't leave me here please!”

“Get up then?”

“I can’t! My leg- it's injured!”

“Oh,” he states blandly, ready to turn around and leave when the other yelled for him.

“Take me with you!” 

The unnamed disciple reaches out and Yizhen, starting to lose his patience, just picks up the other, gets them situated on his back, and begins walking.

“Augh! Ow the hell?!! You just-“

Quan Yizhen was glared at but he easily ignored it, instead focusing on walking towards where he thinks his group could've gone.

“Need to find Shixiong, getting dark.” 

The other disciple kept talking and talking and talking, only stopping when Quan Yizhen threatened to fight him(despite his Shixiong saying he should stop doing that). Eventually, after hours of walking in silence Quan Yizhen spots a group of people wearing familiar looking robes.

“Shixiong!” Yizhen greeted happily, breaking into a run, completely forgetting about the person on his back. Naturally he trips under the forgotten weight, thankfully Yin Yu had fast enough reflexes to slow their fall.

“Yizhen!” Shixiong exclaims after helping steady the two, “Are you right?”

Yizhen nods excitedly, “Missed Shixiong!”

The older man flushes at that but ignores Yizhen in favor of the other disciples still on his back. They have a short conversation that Yizhe  hadn’t bothered listening to, he’s too busy staring at his Shixiong after all! But when his Shixiong gets up he helps the injured disciples up too and motions for Yizhen to follow so he does.

[rose-tinted-vision]

for the fic ask game!

☹ EVIL TWIN for "爱与恨模糊界限 | love and hate blur the lines"

✰ NEW SHAPES for "I can't help but love you, even though I try not to" and "爱随风起 | love rises with the wind"

- also j

:DD Hello @fenglianist !!! thank you for all your asks (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧ (alright buckle up)

✰ NEW SHAPES: send me a fic and I’ll give you an alternate direction the fic could have gone!

☹ EVIL TWIN: send me a fic or scene and I’ll give you the unhappy ending version of it!

fic ask game

—

爱与恨模糊界限 | love and hate blur the lines (Oh you want the QuanYin angst…🤧🤧 this is going to be cliche, but…)

Quan Yizhen, in his quest to become “stronger” in order to protect Yin Yu, probably provokes someone he shouldn't or bites off more than he can chew and dies (probably from grievous injury??)

Yin Yu only finds out when an extremely shaken up Xie Lian informs him a week later

The house is still there– it had been completed a while back, the only thing left unfinished was the plants in the front yard(?)/lawn(?), which Xie Lian mournfully shows him to, silently saying that His Highness Qi Ying had consulted him on a great number of topics regarding Yin Yu, tells him of Quan Yizhen's plans to live with him in this house in the future.

Yin Yu doesn't know how to react, feeling as if he'd died once again, his hollow chest somehow emptier than it'd been before, unable to fully process Xie Lian's words as he woodenly approaches the carefully crafted house– it's rough around the edges, with how his shidi is unable to focus on one thing for too long a period of time, but the care and love poured into it is apparent.

Xie Lian hovers awkwardly, not knowing how to approach him, obviously engulfed in grief and guilt but still putting others before himself, and Yin Yu asks dully, “where's his body?”

(He does end up moving into the house, with his shidi’s ashes carefully kept in an urn that had been placed in the west facing part of his home, by his daybed. Yin Yu stays in the house, since it was the last gift he had received from his shidi, but that was the extent of it– It is a house, but not a home. Not without Quan Yizhen).

—

I can't help but love you, even though I try not to (Alternate direction):

Fun fact: I wrote this fic before and during my flight to China (I wanted to finish it before, but alas) so I was kind of sleep deprived and didn’t really have a concrete plan for it?

So I don’t really have an alternate version for this fic…if I were to change something, though, it would probably be what we discussed before about switching out the high sorcerer at the start for something silly, probably. Like an aggrieved family member or someone who has a crush on LLH who wanted his attention, maybe? Though it wouldn’t affect the rest of the plot much.

—

爱随风起 | love rises with the wind (Alternate direction):

Feng Xin is more guarded against Mu Qing, and extremely suspicious about the show of courtesy he has been given, the freedom he has been allowed around the castle

He probably finds the rose sometime during his first week there, and Mu Qing finds out, and they have an awful argument over it, which all the furniture overhears. That shapes their opinion of Feng Xin, gives them a negative impression of him.

(Feng Xin gets a taste of the dungeon, and comes to appreciate the room he had been given).

It also takes Nan Feng and Fu Yao much longer to warm up to him after that spat with Mu Qing– Shi Qingxuan remains largely unbothered, though they do tease him mercilessly about it– Feng Xin had felt bad about it afterwards, and tried to extend an olive branch to Mu Qing, which backfired.

And uh, slowburn from here on out I suppose? Unless we directly open with the armoury scene (which was the main point of the prompt), but there wouldn’t be much build up to that…

[hamliet]

(TGCF book 7 spoilers!)

After being so busy in the last few days, I was finally able to finish it! Let's just say that I have so many thoughts!

First things first, Shi Qingxuan my beloved 🥹 I missed him a lot! Though I am sad at how much trauma he went through, it's nice to know he isn't completely unhappy and even became a beloved figure in his new community.

Second things second, Yin Yu! Even though he was full of ressentment over always being in the shadow of his shidi, he still protected Quan Yizhen, and I think this means a lot more than he realized! Deep down, I think he still cared deeply for him, and I felt quite sad over his death. (Also, is it just me, or do YY and QYZ remind a lot of SQQ and LBG?)

Speaking of characters I feel sad about, Qi Rong is probably the one I'm going to miss the most. I have so many thoughts on him, I almost don't even know where to start! He was always the character that brought a smile to my face with his shenanigans when things were more serious, so seeing him die was sad, but he had a very satisfatory ending imo! I think that, even after he started hating XL, deep down, he wanted his approval/attention/love, but because of his personality (shaped by multiple circumstances neither he or XL could control), he never truly got it. I think what QR truly wanted was someone who loved him inconditionally and genuinely regardless of his sociopathic and immature behaviour, something he didn't get since his mother died. And, in the end, he got it in the form of a child. Even after threatning Guzi so many times, he always stuck by his side, and, without realizing, QR also became attached, because deep down he just wanted to be loved. As he died, he realized this. Realized that he never got XL's love, but that didn't matter, because in the end he still had what he needed, which was his child's love. 🥹 (Also the irony of him accidentally being right about most gods is not lost on me!)

And of course who can forget about the main highlight of this book? I always knew Jun Wu was related to White No-Face (in part because I was already spoiled he was the big bad of the series, thus they had to be related), and I always suspected White No-Face was the prince of Wuyong, so the reveal didn't surprise me at all. That being said, the way the reveal was executed gave me chills nonetheless! I think JW is perhaps the biggest projector I've seen in a piece of media, he really saw (sees?) XL as a version of himself and thus wants him to "join the dark side", because XL choosing the bright side might mean that JW could've become like that as well, and that perhaps hurts him. He succumbed to his own despair, so someone so identical to him must follow the same path... Right? But I wasn't expecting him to be so... In control of the narrative up until now. I wasn't expecting most monsters to be related to him as well, and I always thought that the HX/SQGX/SW ordeal was something mostly related to the three, so the reveal that JW was planning on getting rid of SW in one way or another... JW truly had eyes everywhere uh.

Another character that was everywhere in the narrative right under our noses as well was Mei Nianqing, he reminded me of XL as he recounted being involved in so many things since the days of Wuyong, to him being the person who tried to warn about SQGX's fate at the hands of the Reverend, to being the state perceptor of Xianle. I knew he was going to play a big role in the story after he was mentioned in book 6, but I wasn't expecting him to have such a big role in the story, to the point where it was him who basically explained the truth about literally everything.

I also liked seeing LQQ again, and Pei Ming was the funniest character besides QR. The shenanigans he gets himself into are always entertaining, but I can't help but pity him. One of his friends is dead, the other works directly for JW, and in the end he had to deal with a crazy ex-lover and a crazy ex-friend as well. Also wasn't expecting Ling Wen to be so... Cold, as she was one of the first characters we saw in the series to be somewhat amiable of XL. Then again, the hints of her coldheartedness were there since the Brocade Immortal arc anyways. It makes her quite the intriguing character!

And last but not least: Mu Qing and Fen Xing. I became much more found of them once I realized they where their own supposed subordinates who helped XL in the beginning. I was quite lukewarm of FX's doomed romance, but after these last two books I understand now why it makes sense within the story. Also, Mu Qing acted quite sus in this book, it didn't cross my mind at first, but I wonder if he's working for JW...?

So yeah, these are my thoughts on book 7! I admit I thought this was the last book of the main story and book 8 would have the extras, but I'm glad the story didn't finish just yet! I hope to get the special edition with merch this christmas haha! Also, I'm glad you liked to hear my thoughts on the story up until now! :)

Yay! Love reading this!

And oh yeah, YY and QYZ are definitely SQQ and LBH. That's kinda why I'm always side-eyeing the statements that all characters are straight besides the main pairing. Like. Girl, they clearly aren't lol.

And yes, Qi Rong! I think I did an analysis in the past about how if you look at exactly what he says early on in the story, he's right about every single god except for two: Quan Yizhen and Shi Qingxuan, the two gods who are actually the most pure hearted and kind and good, but otherwise, on paper, seem not fit to be gods--Quan Yizhen because he doesn't care about pleasing others and the clear autism subtext, and Shi Qingxuan because his brother literally took his god-exams for him to get him ascended. Yet, these are the two best gods in a lot of ways, and the only ones Qi Rong can't read for filth because he's seen so few examples of actually good people in power.

[yiling-patriarch-kinnie]

One thing that really bothers me is the scene where Quan Yizhen goes over to Yin Yu to get his birthday present. And that thing is that everyone who views the scene from a neurotypical lense interprets it wrong.

For autistic people, routine is very important, it's basically how we function, we think in a very structered way.

So imagine this: a classroom always has a certain session where everyone gets to colour in some worksheets as a class activity.

A little autistic kid knows when that session is, so they start preparing their stuff move away their other irrelevant books.

The teacher asks them why they did that and the kid simply responds with "it's worksheet time".

The teacher then tells the kid that they won't be doing that today and then the kid proceeds to get distressed or even have a meltdown because of this sudden change in their schedule.

Now think about how Quan Yizhen used to receive a gift fom Yin Yu every year on his birthday (plus that maybe he didn't even understand or care about the concept of birthdays that much so he only viewed it as a routine).

When he goes over to Yin Yu, and is asked why he's there he simply asks for his gift, not because he's a prick or a dumbass, but it's because he views it as a simple routine an expects it to happen.

Anyway, this is only if we state that Quan Yizhen is Autistic (which honestly I doubt he's neurotypical) so it works in that scenario.

[knasfanfic]

MPreg, Preggo Lian Lian, NSFW 🔞 eventually maybe don't really know yet, breastfeeding, brain idea dump, ADHD writer needs saving. Anyway onwards~~

The last 50 yrs have been the best of Xie Lian's immortal life. He's happily married to the most wonderful man in the three realms and currently he's carrying the first offspring of said man.

Waddling around Paradise Manor, Xie Lian is getting his daily walk in before Yin Yu, the servants, or even Hua Cheng find him and usher him back to the bedroom to bed. He's supposed to be on bed rest.

But how can he just lay in bed all day? The midwife agreed that Xie Lian needed to walk some daily, at least twice a day, and it was then that Hua Cheng relented. Though, Xie Lian was supposed to have an attendant with him but today he wanted peace.

After wandering the halls forsome time, he decided to head to Hua Cheng's study. The ghost king was usually there with Yin Yu around this time. Sure enough, both ghost king and fallen god were sharing Hua Cheng's desk with several books and scrolls open.

"This looks like a lot" both men looked up startled for a moment before Hua Cheng was right by his side fussing.

"Gege! Why are you walking around without anyone!"

"Ah, San Lang I'm fine! What are you guys working on?" Hua Cheng sighed, moving him to recline on the divan not far from the desk.

"Oh, we're just....""CHENGZHU!! Your highness!!!" Hua Cheng turned in time to see Xie Lian ascending.

~~~~~~~~

There was 2 things the Heavenly Official's we're not expecting. 1. Xie Lian ascending again and 2. For Xie Lian being /very/ pregnant. Ling Wen stood there for a moment in shockbefore approaching.

"Your highness, it nice to..."

"AH!!!" Xie Lian dropped to his knees holding his stomach as a sharp pain pierced through him.

"Oh no..." Ling Wen paled "Get him to grand martial palace!!! Someone get Physician Qi!!!"

~~~~~

Jun Wu rubbed the middle ofhis forehead. Of all the things that could happen to Xie Lian while pregnant, ascension was not one of the things that ever crossed his mind. He had already basically threw out all the upper court except Shi Qingxuan, Ming Yi, and Rain Master came up when he told her what was going on.

Still they somehow managed to sneak Hua Cheng up without causing mass panic in the heavens and Quan Yizhen and Lang Qianqiu were doing a phenomenal job guarding. Scaring off anyone that didn't need to be there.

"What a mess..." Jun Wu grumbled, watching as physiciansand midwives that have ascended ran in and out of the room Xie Lian was in, his screams cutting through the air. He had been in labor for at least 7 hours now and Jun Wu was starting to worry.

Right when he moved to grab a physician, Xie Lian gave out a loud scream before thecry of a baby replaced it and someone shouting "It's a princess!!!" Happy chatter could be heard as everyone began to get things cleaned up and sorted.

Until Xie Lian started grunting and groaning. Alarmed the midwives gathered around, one of them shouting "Another! There's another! Your highness! Push!!"

Xie Lian labored a couple more hours before he gave birth to another princess. Excitement was high as Hua Cheng held onto Xie Lian, worry etched on his face. A worry that was reflected on the main midwife's face.

"What's wrong?" Xie Lian weakly asked. She looked up at him for a moment, gauging his current state.

"Your highness, you're going to feel me. Don't be alarmed. You're in no state to keep going. I'm just helping things along." Xie Lian's eyes widened as Hua Cheng's mouth droppedopen.

"Do you mean..." Hua Cheng didn't have time to finish answering as Xie Lian let out a startled yell. The room fell silent as everyone else watched as Xie Lian's body and the midwife tried to deliver the last baby.

It didn't take long before a third little cry was heardand the midwives noted the strength of the little ones lungs due to how loud they were screaming.

"It's a prince!!! Oh you did so well your highness!!" Xie Lian smiled weakly, to tired out to really form a verbal reply.

Hua Cheng on the other hand kept raining kisses on hishead and cheeks, whispering words of affection and praising him for doing so well, for being so strong.

After making sure there were no further surprises, Xie Lian was cleaned up and moved to another room where he lay propped up on pillows holding their little prince and one princess while Hua Cheng sat next to him holding the other princess. They've had the babies for a bit now and we're laughing as the princess Hua Cheng was holding kept breaking free of her swaddle angrily grunting the entire time.

"This one's quite the hardy wild flower "She's going to be strong and resilient. Meihua?" Xie Lian looked questioningly at Hua Cheng.

"Plum Blossom?" He looked back down again to see the cute but pretty sleeping face of his daughter. "Heh heh, it suits her. What about those two?"

Xie Lian stared at the sleepingbuns in his arms and smiled. Their little prince has been so quiet and calm and when Xie Lian would look in his eyes, he felt like he was staring into a mountain. "What about Shan for our little prince? It just feels like he has the energy of the mountains."

Hua Cheng smiledand nodded. He looked over their other daughter. Her tiny little chest rose and fell gently as she slept. Her delicate skin was pale white and soft like a flowers petals. When he looked at her, Hua Cheng immediately thought of..."Lanhua."

Xie Lian blinked in confusion. "Lanhua?"

Hua Cheng smiled. "The orchid grows where others cannot."

Xie Lian smiled adoringly at his husband. "Lanhua it is then." He looked at their three little loves and felt his heart ache with so much love. "Meihua, Lanhua, Shan, momma and Papa love you so much" He placed a kiss ontop of each their little heads and leaned his own against Hua Cheng's shoulder. "I love you" he whispered. Xie Lian felt a kiss being placed on top of his own head.

"I love you and our little family very much."

~end brain dump~

After notes:

Plum blossoms (Meihua) symbolize resilience, perseverance, hope,beauty thriving in adverse circumstances, a symbol of winter ending, and a herald of spring.

Orchids (Lanhua) are known for their simple beauty and elegance and symbolize respect, admiration, good taste, and beauty. When Hua Cheng says "The orchid grows where others cannot" is a quote from The Analects of Confucius.

Mountain (Shan) stand for many things but mainly strength, resilience, stability, eternity, constancy, firmness, and stillness. Generally believed to ensure the stability of the Earth with their weight. Also mountain is one of the eight trigrams of Fen shui and Yi Jing.

[pumpkinpaix]

Hi, pumpkinpaix....don't know if you remember, but I've asked before of your top 5 fav mxtx characters, and you've answered them. If you don't mind me asking, can I ask you, why you like those characters? Sorry, if I ask you similar question again......

hey, no problem!! :D I like talking about my favorite fictional people haha. since 15 characters is a bit much, I’m gonna just take a sample of the top four out of the 15. :)

1. Lan Xichen

I think most everyone following me at this point knows that I am always on my lxc defense thesis bullshit, but: look. i’m defensive of him! I love him! and I think that he occupies a really tragic and important place in the narrative. I remember I said before somewhere that I think there are three characters that are portrayed to be paragons of virtue/goodness within mdzs and all three were met with tragedy: jiang yanli, xiao xingchen, and lan xichen, but that the tragedy isn’t meant to show that kindness only meets with tragedy, or that kindness is always naive, or that kindness is stupid--I think it’s meant to show that kindness is not always rewarded because life is not a fair game. however! that doesn’t mean that kindness is useless! again, just--kindness is not always rewarded, but its absence devastates. that’s something we see again and again: if only people had been kinder to jin guangyao or xue yang or whatever etc etc. perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did. I think that’s a something the narrative says pretty explicitly. what could these people have been if they had been afforded a fair shot? what could these people have been if others had acted more like jiang yanli, or xiao xingchen, or lan xichen?

anyways, I also find that lan xichen is often held to incredibly bizarre standards that don’t plague jiang yanli or xiao xingchen, and it feels telling in some way about how we (speaking from an american?? perspective i think) think about and treat the concept of compassion. that being compassionate is stupid and foolish and idealistic and exasperating. that being jaded and bitter is somehow a mark of intelligence and worldliness. I care very much that lan xichen isn’t that -- that he’s an incredible cultivator, warrior, sect heir, that he’s respected by everyone! but that even in all of that, he chooses to continue acting kindly.

this isn’t well-worded, but like. you get the idea. also: he is Big Relate, what with his intense eldest daughter syndrome, conflict resolution strategies, and the way he struggles with and makes his moral decisions. in his position, I would have made pretty much all the same choices in mdzs as he did for very difficult and upsetting reasons. i just. lov him ok.

2. Xie Lian

tbh, just take a look at this post aslkdjf. my love for xie lian is adjacent to my love for lxc, with the added bonus of: xie lian is capable of immense, terrible cruelty as well. if lan xichen is about the need for kindness in the face of an imperfect world, then I think xie lian is about the sheer cost of it. what does it take to be kind when you want to be cruel? when you have every reason to be cruel? when you have the means to do great harm? ugh. 

3. Yin Yu

god, how do I start with yin yu? yin yu really exemplifies, to me, how intensely complicated your feelings towards something or someone can be. I think that his deep hatred for quan yizhen is just as real as his very deep love for him, and that the existence of both at the same time is a constant torment. for me, someone who struggles A Lot with holding complicated feelings towards people (my brain DESPERATELY wants to put things in a “good” or “bad” box and when something is complicated it tends to self-destruct), i really loved seeing that kind of... intense conflict? in a character. because there’s no part that ever says he’s ACTUALLY just resentful or he’s ACTUALLY just loving. no part of his emotional turmoil is a untrue, but so what? so i resent him, so what? why should I choose to act on that emotion rather than another? idk. it’s a choice. and yin yu makes it. ugh. god i love him.

4. Gongyi Xiao

he is Simply Best Boy. [spoilers for SV] I think what I really like about gongyi xiao is that he’s.... like, quite simple in his motivations? he's just like. a Good Guy. he’s talented! in any other situation, he would be the protagonist of his own story. he’s not bitter about losing, he’s diligent, hardworking, kind. he’s disappointed if he fucks up, but he also tries his best. idk he’s just like! he’s just sweet. I like that a lot. and i also, in a weird way, really like his death. it’s so inconsequential. why was he killed? because he was there. because it was convenient. a boy talented enough to be a protagonist in his own right, but his story ends offscreen, without drama, without fanfare, and for so little reason. that’s a different kind of tragedy. you know that bit in the adventure zone?? not all exits are equal? sometimes, it just happens. idk. it really got to me, to learn that gongyi xiao died for no reason, alone, unaware, unexpectedly, and then to never hear of him again. gah.

[juurensha]

Hi...if you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before...... Thanks....

Ohohoho, I do love this question! I will try to list out my top 10 ships (although if you’re interested in more detail, check out my ship meme tag! I really need to start writing some of those again....)

1. Dabi/Hawks (BNHA)

This should come as no surprise to anyone hahahaha. I’ve written 30+ fics about them at this point, and I still love them! They’re foils, and no matter what happens in canon, they’ve got some foe-yay chemistry going on there!

2. Li Jinglong/Kong Hongjun (Tianbao)

Tianbao is my favorite danmei novel hands down, and these guys are a big reason why! They start off just flirty, get a little tragic when you realize they were childhood friends in the past who forgot each other, and they both grow together!

3. Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru (Haikyuu)

Bickering childhood friends! The best trope, and I love all their interactions together!

4. Mei Changsu/Xiao Jingyan (Nirvana in Fire)

Also childhood friends (are you seeing a running theme here, sorry, I love the trope), although currently Prince Jing thinks that his best friend Lin Shu is DEAD AND HE MUST HONOR HIS MEMORY AND CLEAR HIS NAME. Unknown to him however, Lin Shu is alive, and has changed his appearance into Mei Changsu, Prince Jing’s main advisor, all to clear his family name and make Jingyan emperor. There is TRAGEDY EVERYWHERE in this drama, but it’s beautiful, and the only thing I’m mad about is EVERYONE GASLIGHTING JINGYAN INTO THINKING MEI CHANGSU ISN’T LIN SHU and the fact that MEI CHANGSHU SHOULD HUG JINGYAN GDI.

5. Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham (Hannibal)

The top mind game ship and the most messed up relationship possibly on this list, but I DEVOURED every episode of Hannibal when it was coming out, and it was so much fun to watch the game between these two. I don’t even need a season 4, I was really happy where it ended for season 3.

6. Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes (Captain America)

Yet another childhood friends relationship, and yet another one where one person thinks the other is dead, but in this case of course, Bucky comes back as a brainwashed super-assassin. There’s a lot of snark here, and yes, I know Marvel was too much of a coward to make it canon, or even to really let them be friends after the Winter Soldier movie, but that’s what fic is for.

7. Quan Yizhen/Yin Yu (Tian Guan Ci Fu)

Technically, I guess this could also count as childhood friends, but really, they’re a shixiong/shidi relationship, and in this case, with the shixiong completely jealous of how awesome the shidi has become, and how much he has replaced him, but loving him anyway despite himself. I like to think that the two of the made up after the novel!

8. Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Foe-yay tastic with former allies turned enemies turned reluctant allies again, Buffy is the Chosen One, until her near death experience means that there’s now a Chosen Two. I will always root for Faith over Buffy’s other love interests because Faith gets the entire slayer thing and has an edgy bad-girl vibe without being a vampire! (Buffy, you need to stop dating vampires, it seems to always end badly)

9. Anne Elliot/Captain Wentworth (Persuasion)

Former sweethearts, now awkwardly meeting again after nearly a decade! Wentworth so badly wanting Anne to see that he’s DOING FINE DOING GREAT ACTUALLY HE’S A CAPTAIN NOW AND EVERYTHING, while Anne is just sad about the entire thing. Thankfully, Wentworth sees how competent Anne is, and also that them splitting up 10 years ago was probably right, but they manage to find their way to each other again!

10. Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Yes, you’ll note how I’m using the old Jeremy Brett version and not the BBC Sherlock version, because honestly, Sherlock doesn’t have the same characterization of the original books, besides not knowing how to resolve a plotline. Anyway, the original detective and assistant duo! Got to love them and how long they’ve endured through the years.

Honorable Mentions: Batman/Catwoman (Dc Comics), Jason Todd/Dick Grayson (DC Comics), Harrowhark Nonagesimus/Gideon Nav (Locked Tomb series),  Homura/Madoka (Madoka Magica), Kashima Yuu/Hori Masayuki (Gekkan Shojo Nozaki Kun), Gu Jianshen/Shen Qingxian (Want to Ascend, then fall in love), Sam Vimes/Havelock Vetinari (Discworld novels), Shen Jiu/Yue Qingyuan (Scum Villain Self-Saving System), and Xiang Cheng/Chi Xiaoduo (Mingwang, part of Feitian’s Exorcist novels).

[spockandawe]

Hi....If you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite MXTX characters (top 5 from each novel)? And why? I'm sorry if you've answered this question before.

It’s absolutely no problem at all!! I don’t think I’ve been asked this before, but hey, I also have zero object permanence, so it keeps things fresh and new. And it’s interesting to see how my answers change over time! Lemme see, I think I’m going to go in reverse order, because I feel like then I’ll be doing the worst agonizing up front.

TGCF

Fifth favorite: YIN. YU. I know that he’s a minor character and him even making it onto the list is pretty solid performance, but I do feel guilty that he isn’t higher than this. He came out of nowhere in my first reading and punched me in the stomach with emotions. I find his sections so hard to read, and I was DEVASTATED when he died and BEYOND stoked to find out he was still alive in the extras. His story hurts so much! I am weak against characters who have relatively modest goals and still see them snatched away (see also: my next entry) and have to struggle on. I wish wish wish I had a way to see more of how he made his peace with things after being thrown out of heaven, and the nature of the (distant) relationship with Hua Cheng and what happens with Quan Yizhen now that he died in his arms, and still came back anyways, my god!

.

Fourth favorite:  He Xuannnnnn. I have a hard time articulating particulars, but. I love him a lot. I love a character with a grudge, with a deep, painful grudge, where the grudge is hurting him almost as much as it’s hurting the people around him, and setting the grudge aside would also hurt, and then what has any of this been for-- I've used this metaphor for other characters, but I don’t care if I’m overusing it, because I love it. He feels like a character caught in a thorn bush, where simply being there... hurts, but trying to escape or move in any ways is going to hurt worse, and there’s no path forward that doesn’t involve pain. And like... I don’t love the way he hurt Shi Qingxuan (who didn’t quite make this list adfasgdafsd I’M SORRY) but I wouldn’t have liked to see him swallow back down all that pain and set aside everything that happened to his family and fiancee either! I’m always, always soft for characters who have no good path forward and who grit their teeth and set out anyways.

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Third favorite: MU QING!!!!!!!!!! I have done... extensive screaming about him. And I love him veryvery much. I can already tell that this list is going to have a lot of mean boys on it, and like... no regrets. Especially since this is one of my FAVORITE flavors, an unapologetic mean boy who is rarely (but sometimes!) soft for the people around him, and who regularly tries to do decently by people, but who consistently gets shat upon and misunderstood and accused of acting in bad faith. I screamed when he and Xie Lian finally got to talk their friendship out in the book. I also screamed when I realized how immediately after Xie Lian’s return he started looking out for him again, and how sincerely, despite his horrible attitude about it. I still want to write more fic for him so badly. I love him so much.

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Second favorite: Xie Lian! What a good boy! The best boy! He’s so sweet and gentle, but also the best fightboy this world has ever seen, and also so gently snarky with the people he loves! I just... really love me some traumatized characters who have trouble recognizing that they can be Loved, and I’m not going to write this whole essay right now, but I think in some ways, he’s the most... passive about his romance, out of all the leads? Shen Qingqiu is aggressively oblivious, but Xie Lian kind of gently shrugs off the idea that he might be Hua Cheng’s special someone, until he finally gets hit with the cluestick. I generally shy away from the idea of a character “earning” love, but he’s maybe the mxtx character who moves me most with ‘you deserve to be loved’

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Most favorite: Hua Cheng. HUA CHENG. Oh my god, gotta love this boy. Gotta love this devotion. I love a mean boy who is soft for one person, and he EMBODIES it. I mean, I love Shen Jiu, but he barely manages to do the soft thing at all, while Hua Cheng is over here like ‘if I could only be the stone beneath your feet--’ It’s hard to talk about him separately from Xie Lian, because they’re a unit in my head more than just about any other characters on this list are. I don’t want to get this list to get out of control, so I’m not going to scream for too long, but... I could just watch him go forever. I want to write him forever, and that’s a huge aspect of what draws me to some characters.

MDZS

Oh god, I think I lied, I think this book is going to be hardest. Making these choices is AGONIZING.

Fifth favorite: .....Lan Wangji. Oh god, I feel bad about how low he is. But this story is just packed SO full of wonderful characters, and I’m already consumed with guilt over all the characters who aren’t going to make it. I don’t love them less! But my love for characters in this particular story is very evenly distributed. And I think that Wang Yibo’s acting is possibly scoring points with me that the book might not have earned all by itself. Microexpressions and subtle body language add SO MUCH to a character with such flat affect, and I would be drawn to such a closed-off character anyways, but it really helps. And I love, like... the combined subtlety and intensity of his relationships. It’s not that subtle once you know what to look for, and the brother/sworn brother network makes for varying degrees of how much other characters understand of the things he chooses not to explicitly express, and it gives a really interesting character to the way he interacts with the people around him. Also, love me a man with intense separation anxiety.

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Fourth favorite: Jiang Yanli? I think it has to be Jiang Yanli, but these rankings are hard. So. I just talked about how much I enjoy the flat affect and closed off nature of Lan Wangji? Well, guess what, I also love it when m’girl is just very GENUINELY AND OPENLY an absolute sweetheart of a person, and I love the contrast between her genuinely kind nature and the uncomfortable pressure that her family’s dynamics put on her to start parenting at a very young age. It’s not necessarily a happy situation, but she adores her brothers so much and they adore her so much! And it’s... a very understated element of the story, but after her parents died, her baby brothers went off to war, and one wreaked havoc as a straightforward commander and one of them disappeared for months and returned as a creepy-ass zombie puppeteer. And she STILL dotes on them like before, despite knowing what they’re capable of. Like, yes, Wei Wuxian just raised an army of corpses and forced a man to eat himself, but I shall still boop him on the nose and feed him Soup. How can I not adore energy like that?

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Third favorite: Wei Wuxian, I think. I do adore him a lot. He gives me some of the same vibes that make me ache most with Xie Lian, where he is trying his best, and is struggling to hold on in the face of lots of suffering, and I find it really interesting that when the suffering peaked, Xie Lian was forced go on because he couldn’t die, while Wei Wuxian... expired. That line about ‘he thought that no matter how large the world was, there was still no place for him’ always sticks with me, and hurts me deeply. Xie Lian had most of his personal attachments stripped away, and was left to wander on his own, while Wei Wuxian still had a number of strong connections left, but abruptly exited life. And that informs their respective trauma so interestingly! The way Wei Wuxian bounces between high energy chaos and drained exhaustion is really fascinating to me, and was the thread that held me attached to the book through a very confusing beginning. And I’m still very drawn to how intensely he loves, whether it’s Xiao Zhan’s fantastic acting, or it’s him busting out with how much he wants Lan Wangji in the middle of the Guanyin Temple scene. He’s a fantastic character, honestly, I don’t think such a convoluted book would have held together very well without a protagonist this strong.

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Second favorite: Xue Yang :X Look, he’s a good boy and I love him. Who among us hasn’t done a few mass murders that we are completely unrepentant about, but that we would really like to keep hidden from our current boyfriend, actually? Anyways, as always, love me an angry boy who makes terrible decisions for understandable reasons. And I do love a character who is consumed by agonized ragrets (see my next entry), but I DO also love me a character who has no regrets at all and doesn’t even have much interest in trying to justify himself to anyone else around him. Just look at that confidence! Look at him go!!

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Most favorite: Jiang... Cheng....... I knew he and Xue Yang were going to be at the top, but those were the only parts of this list that were easy. I mean. Love a self-sabotaging angryboy who is also super super sad and keeps hurting himself in his own confusion. And while I love the romantic thread in all of the mxtx books, the agonized family thread in mdzs is one of my favorite parts, and something that I don’t really see echoed in any of the other stories. I need ten million jc+wwx reconciliations, at LEAST. He’s so sad! And so angry! And I want to see him becoming less of that thing, and for Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian to demonstrate very firmly how much they love him, because they do. I am invested in his happiness in a way that goes far and beyond any of the other non-main characters, haha

SVSSS

Fifth favorite: Tianlang-jun. I think? Oh god, but moshang. THIS IS REALLY HARD, I HATE THIS ;-; But especially since writing my fic, Tianlang-jun has really won me over. And like, he already hurt me good in the novel, just thinking about how he was an innocent young guy, just! Trying to have a girlfriend! And instead got trapped in sensory deprivation, body-rotting-hell for twenty years, when he didn’t do anything wrong!!! He suffered, so much! And I live for his intensely strained relationship with Luo Binghe, because it’s! Perfectly understandable and painful, from both of their perspectives! And he wants to hate humans so badly, but in the end, when he’s told that Su Xiyan never betrayed him, he starts helplessly asking the people around him, ‘really? is it really true?’ and then in the end he loses the only family member he has left who cares about him, and it’s just! Everything is terrible! I have a su xiyan au brewing in my head because I can’t stand it! Someone just give this man a loving partner!!!

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Fourth favorite: Shen Qingqiu. But... moshang??? Goddammit. Anyways, this dumbass. I find him so endearing, in his dumbassery. I sometimes get a bit frustrated with Wei Wuxian for being oblivious, and Shen Qingqiu is just asking for me to react the same way, but I... don’t, for the most part? Because he thinks he has good information, and he’s slow to react to a changing playing field, and I still haven’t read another transmigration novel that strikes the same balance of hypercompetence and intense incompetence :ppp It’s a funny book, and he’s a funny character! And I really vibe with him, in most parts of the story, which covers a pretty darn wide emotional spectrum. Plus, the running internal commentary is choice.

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Third favorite: Liu Qingge. Look, I’m a woman of simple needs, and sometimes I just need a high-quality fightboy who clearly cares deeply and is absolute garbage at expressing his emotions. I can’t articulate it much better than that. I absolutely howl at the succubus extra, when Shen Qingqiu is talking to Madam Meiyin about his future partner, and Liu Qingge is like ‘oh my god, sHE IS CLEARLY DESCRIBING ME’ and Shen Qingqiu is like ‘haha, liu-shidi, i thought you thought this was stuupidddddddd’. They’re both so dumb. I love them so much. But stupidity plus war god fighting energy has a narrow lead over stupidity and internal commentary track.

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Second favorite: SHEN JIU. GOD. I’m still arguing with myself over whether he should go first, but Luo Binghe hurts me consistently through the whole entire story, so I think he wins. Shen Jiu just stabs me in the heart at strategic moments. This is it. My ideal mean boy who is soft for one (1) person, and who BOTH does unconscionable things for terrible reasons (someone just. give him a pile of girls to teach, it will be much more pleasant for everyone involved), and who ALSO gets blamed for things he didn’t do even when he tries to act in good faith. It is the best of all painful worlds. And even at the end, when he has a powerful person who wants desperately to protect him, he still tries his hardest to shove that person away, to keep him safe. I’ve got like four aus where he gets to live. I’m so invested in this character, I love him so much.

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Most favorite: Luo Binghe. He was.... made for me............ Like, the overwhelming amounts of childhood angst were baked in by Shang Qinghua, but the in-story pain and suffering is PRECISELY my jam. I love a character with separation anxiety! I love a character with massive anxieties over being unwanted! Over nobody ever, EVER just choosing him! I love a character struggling with the idea that the person he loves most in the world thinks that he’s intrinsically Disgusting! I love the kind of stubborn determination that leads him to preserve a corpse for five years, desperately hoping for a way to revive it, constantly cooking fresh food, in case, in case he someday wakes up. The way Hua Cheng loves is overpowering, but he’s had time to like... learn to be mellow when he needs to be. Luo Binghe doesn’t have a chill bone in his body, and if he’s acting chill, it’s probably because he’s done some mental math and decided that being more clingy right now will probably get him pushed away harder. I love the combination of manipulative tendencies and a very, very genuine fear of rejection and being unwanted. There is nothing I don’t love about Luo Binghe, including his worst decisions. I love him so so much.

[yeyayeya]

Yin Yu & Scáthach

My two favorite boys 😊 (they both get purple because it’s my fav color and both are also associated with it)

Yin Yu:

I am… mentally unwell when I think of him. I need to inspect him under a microscope. I relate to him a bit too much and that is quite concerning. Despite that, my number one favorite character in literature. I can talk probably talk for hours regarding him. I even went as far as to have him as my pfp.

Just… him.

I want to explore Yin Yu’s character more because he is just so interesting to me. And he quite complicated. It makes me sad that I won’t be able to see him in the official adaptations yet (donghua/manhua) because he appears quite a bit late after.

Don’t even get me started on my OTP for him (it’s Quan Yizhen who else)

Scáthach:

Why did I have to hyperfixate on such a minor character that appears in the second half of the game? He doesn’t even get that many lines of dialogue, and his twin sister, mother, and cousin are much more popular than he is. Idk why I love him so much I just do. He is so fucking underrated and he deserves love.

I honestly just want an FE4 remake just for more content for Scáthach. Nothing else (well maybe other stuff but he is one of the main reasons).

I need to learn how to draw just so I can draw them both. I am also currently working on an OTP 30 Day Prompt Challenge for them both, and I hope I can finish it. I am actually doing quite good in writing, but I have also been quite busy so who knows when I will actually be done with it.

[aeipathic]

@queensconquest​ says: 001 for tgcf ! 

     meme || accepting

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: i love a lot of them but fam it’s always gonna be xie lian

Least Favorite character: hm. okay. once again i don’t want to include “love to hate” characters like bai wuxiang or qi rong or whoever. maybe pei xiu? i just don’t care about him, y’all. 

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): hualian, fengqing, beefleaf....okay i know there’s plenty of other good ones but i haven’t actually read/engaged with many others?? i’m very willing to be converted but i haven’t thought deeply about too many tgcf ships (though, granted, i’m limiting my choices here to romantic ships; otherwise i’d have plenty more i could list)

Character I find most attractive: hm okay. hua cheng is obviously the hottest, like, in terms of abject sexiness, but i’m an ace creature and i think i’m going to say xie lian because he is just very pretty

Character I would marry: see, i can’t say xie lian even though i love him, because we’re too similar and we wouldn’t push each other to be better. everyone else is a disaster waiting to happen, except shi qingxuan maybe. OH wait i know. can i marry yushi huang please

Character I would be best friends with: god i don’t KNOW. i would like to be friends with both xie lian and shi qingxuan jointly, i think.

a random thought: i was looking at a list of tgcf characters for this and i saw jing wen and had to look at his wiki page bc i completely forgot who he was? like wow, that guy sucks, but how did i erase his entire existence in the novel from my brain

An unpopular opinion: pei ming is just not that interesting to me as a character sorry (this is nothing against him or those who love him he’s fun he’s just!! my brain does not grasp on to him) (blows 1000 kisses @ pei ming rpers i adore you don’t be mad)

My Canon OTP: hualian, of course

My Non-canon OTP: points upwards to where i could only think of three ships to even LIST. y’all need to write ships with my tgcf characters so i can get some brainrot for noncanon ships, clearly.

Most Badass Character: i don’t want to keep saying xie lian for these but i do have a lot of feelings about him and his strength and nerve underneath all that dissembling

Most Epic Villain: he xuan in terms of top-notch aesthetic, but bai wuxiang (SPECIFICALLY bai wuxiang, jun wu go away) may have to win for sheer horror factor

Pairing I am not a fan of: i’m not not a fan of it but i’m not immediately sold on quanyin as a romantic ship. i could be convinced but right now my brain still looks at quan yizhen and goes “loved-but-annoying little brother” rather than “romantic interest.”

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): i don’t have a ready answer for this one and i’ve dithered around long enough trying to decide on one that i’m just. gonna skip it 

Favourite Friendship: okay there are lots of good ones but i’m going to be very real with you here and say: hua cheng and yin yu. perhaps “friendship” is not the right word but i am fascinated by them.

Character I most identify with: i’m not saying one time at work i almost started crying because i was reading a fanfic and had to put it down and Take a Moment bc a line about xie lian hit me so hard but. it’s xie lian, my friends. i relate to xie lian A Little More Strongly Than Is Healthy.

Character I wish I could be: i know i already said i’d marry yushi huang but also maybe i would like to be her. she is simply very competent and also knows how to stay far away from all the drama. oh to be a god existing completely outside of all usual heavenly etiquette, tending your farm, able to get away with not showing your face to anyone if you simply don’t feel like it

[mousehole5000]

more tgcf chapters 143-173 lets goooooo

PEI MING BOO HISS except actually okay he’s mostly funny i think but still boo hiss

“hey who’s this guy who’s really pissed at you?” “oh thats my sword. i broke it.” alright then!

i think i need to go back and reread the banyue pass arc bc im still confused as to whats going on with banyue and pei su

“Banyue dropped from the sky with two pots raised. Without a word, she plummeted with the mouths of the pots facing down, trapping and detaining the shocked Ming’guang and the roaring Ke Mo within.” - THATS MY GIRL

“It must be known that, to heavenly officials, it certainly was more than natural for kingdoms of the mortal realm to fight and annihilate one another; the acts of these plays progressing on endlessly. But when it came their own turn, it was often hard to let things go. If one must stand in the same court as the one who annihilated their own kingdom, and that man cavorted in the heavens, exceedingly flashy, then it must be vexing.” - hmmmm!!

“I’ve spoken too many words in this lifetime. What are you referring to?” - okay to be fair thats a mood

okay its nice to get some pei ming backstory and its funny that he and xie lian are bonding but also still whenever pei ming interacts with a female character my hackles rise like a cat lol

“Xie Lian watched as Banyue thought really hard before cheerfully pulling out a few long, wine-red scorpion-snakes, and putting them into the bubbling pot.” - THATS MY GIRL

“Although “smell” was something colourless and formless, the instant Banyue removed the pot cover, it was as if some mysterious physical object had twisted all the air around the mouth of that pot. The group stared at the sight within the pot for a long time. Their pupils reflected an endless, bottomless darkness; like it could pull them into the abyss. No words could describe the sentiment expressed within their eyes. A moment later, Xie Lian patted Banyue’s shoulder and gave a thumbs-up.” - like father-figure like daughter-figure. amazing.

“However, what if one day mortals discovered something completely new that ran faster than horses? Then, when this new invention overtook horses, worshippers of this heavenly official who controlled horses would inevitably decrease. Such heavenly officials, flashing by like shooting stars, made up the majority of the heavens.” - obsessed with this, genuinely. life and change. worship and its purpose. my religious studies diploma on my wall is screaming at me rn. ALSO i am once again thinking about celebrities

“...” It was only then that Pei Ming seemed to notice, and started to contemplate this question. A moment later, he answered, “A habit. In a dark, creepy place like this, isn’t it normal to hold women in your arms, to comfort them and calm their fears?” “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t scared,” Banyue said.” - BANYUE I LOVE YOU. I MISSED YOU SO MUCH. god this takes me back to every college party i ever went to

LING WEN BACKSTORY????? shoeseller chosen for godhood bc she wrote a political essay and got arrested...... and now she’s face to face with the official who appointed her..... do go on.....

“Ling Wen laughed out loud, seeming to be enraged, and her voice dropped. “Very well! You said I couldn’t reach that high. Then, might I ask you: had the prominence of the Palace of Jing Wen at its peak ever reached even the knees of my Palace of Ling Wen??” - GET HIM!!!! BOO HISS JING WEN

“Compared to you, I’m not that bad,” Ling Wen said. “You’d personally order me to stay in the Palace of Jing Wen until midnight, then turn around and say I shamelessly hang around ‘til late to harass you. Words murder without form; I was much nicer responding with blatant violence.” - ling wen im love you..... also this bit... feels Real

BLOOD RAIN BLOOD RAIN BLOOD RAIN!! FLOWER PETALS TRANSFORMATION!!! see hua cheng? look as how cool it can be when you leave the story for a little while!! bc then you get to return and make an entrance!!

“Not only can you bring forth bloody rain, you can also make flowers shower. I didn’t know that. How fun!” - cute!! and in that moment we were all xie lian

“Everyone was stunned by his deed, and Ling Wen arduously gave him a thumbs-up. ”Ol’ Pei, what a man!” Pei Ming gritted his teeth. “WELCOME!” - aww three two tumors buddies!!

okay yin yu is here and xie lian did the equivalent of asking someone when the baby is due only to find out theyre not pregnant at all. then rong guang taunts yin yu and no one says anything. i do love the amount of awkward moments in this book tbh sometimes there are no words.

“All around was sand and mud crushing at him, exceedingly suffocating. The sand and mud was also moving endlessly; the feeling was like he was swallowed into the stomach of a giant monster, and that monster had also eaten a bunch of other things besides him, tumbling everything in its stomach, trying to digest” - ooooh creepy!!! the red string thing... is cute.... also xie lian being able to see hua cheng’s butterfly vision by looking directly into his eye is kinda cool. and obviously homoerotic.

“Are lower-ranked heavenly officials below other people?” Quan Yizhen asked. “No,” Yin Yu replied. Were they not? It was obvious that he himself didn’t believe in his own words, and Quan Yizhen also noticed. A good while later, he said bluntly, “I don’t like it here.” Yin Yu said nothing.” - im having emotions. and then yin yu also saying he doesnt like it there either.... also idk how this scene is going to play out but as much as im enjoying quan yizhen being an icon i can also possibly see how yin yu could eventually get to the point of “i am tired of being nice. i do just want to go apeshit” even if he really cares about qyz. it happens </3

“Indeed,” Hua Cheng said. “Half a year later when Quan Yizhen actually ascends, he won’t find it so funny anymore.” “Can we watch that part too?” Xie Lian asked. “We can. Hold on,” Hua Cheng replied.” - quan yizhen king of taking things literally. also why did this turn into hualian having a movie night

jian yu seems like the kind of asshole who would purposely give someone regular soda when they specifically asked for diet soda. god yin yu is really having a bad day i really feel for him in the whole situation with the brocade immortal

awww okay at least jian yu tried to take responsibility. im still mad at him tho that was objectively a terrible idea. god this whole situation sucked :(

“Rocks and earth crushed at them from all around, forcing their bodies to press tightly against one another, their faces brushing, their ears warm. Although it wasn’t the right time, a thought flashed through Xie Lian’s mind: “‘To die buried together’ doesn’t feel so bad.” - okay... im kind of emotional.... gay people....

okay obviously these murals and the prince of wuyong have some connection (im guessing pretty direct) to xie lian and are important but everytime they start analyzing one i feel like im back in art history class fhadskfhskjdhf not that thats a bad thing!! i liked art history a lot tbh

“Don’t worry, they’re not human,” Hua Cheng said. “It’s precisely because they’re not human that we have to worry, alright….” Xie Lian thought.” - goth ghost bf problems

xie lian: well, there is one person i trust more than anyone else, someone who’s first in my mind hua cheng, oblivious: oh :/ xie lian, also oblivious: what? hua cheng: you shouldnt trust so easily its dangerous xie lian: oh. haha. yeah. well. wanna,,, know who it is? hua cheng: its :) fine :) it :) doesnt :) matter :) but of course you can tell me if you want to gege xie lian, internally: well now ive made it weird hua cheng, 5 minutes later: actually i need you to tell me. right now. its totally for your security me: gay people smh

“As they suspected, he had been captured by Qi Rong. Although no one was bound by ropes, there were balls of greasily green ghost fires hovering over every one of their heads.” - completely off track but anybody else remember the great green globs of greasy grimy gopher guts song

“Could there actually come a day when Qi Rong was embarrassed that someone might see the manner in which he ate? Before Xuan Ji entered, she put Guzi down. Guzi, ta-ta-ta, ran in, rushing straight to Qi Rong’s side. But when he saw him, he pointed his finger. He cried, “Dad is eating bad things in secret again!” “I’m not!” Qi Rong retaliated.” SCREAM IS QI RONG LEARNING THE POWER OF LOVE NOOOO also god that poor man whose body he has im starting to doubt if he’ll ever be free jimmy novak flashbacks

everytime we get another ghost king power somewhere someone should be writing hua cheng the cyborg bf in a high tech futuristic au i think thats the only other potential setting that could truly capture this wild ride

“In truth, throughout history, there was no man in the world who didn’t love bragging. A breeze could blow the handkerchief of a brothel girl into a man’s hand, and he would turn around and say the most beautiful of renowned escorts had fallen in love with him; holding shoes and wiping benches for the emperor’s mistress’s uncle’s grandson’s cousin’s mistress would for sure become him being an important administrator at the residence of royal relatives, raising his status. Thus, men who didn’t brag were a rare species.” - SCREAM this is going in my favorite tgcf quotes folder god... mxtx come here let me shake your hand

read the story of rain master yushi huang’s ascension. why am i crying. also this bit im crying again me with my stuffed animals “Thus, while Yushi Huang was cultivating at the Temple of Yulong, every time when she went to seek water and passed that door, she would rub the head of that ox. The door knocker soaked in her essence of life, and when the Rain Master ascended, the ox ascended with her.”

okay thats enough for now i have 7 more chapters to book 4!!! woo!!!

[princeofvelvet]

QuanYin - Postcanon

Anonymous asked:  quanyin ?? omg i adore quanyin! may i give some prompts? i just took from the lists i saw on ur blog (i love tropes) they're martial brothers so technically siblings by choice lol so from the sibcest: “This bed used to be bigger, I swear.” but/and/or also! soft & fluffy prompts number 6 ! -🐢 (one of ur niecest converts lolol i sent the prompt for the one u posted on ao3! thank u for that! 💚 i'm starting to appreciate modern aus more these days haha)

EDIT: This is now on Ao3! All polished, and longer!

A/N: Thank you for these!! And also omg that niecest prompt was so fun! Thanks for that as well!! And thank you for your patience, really! I actually finished writing one fic, then scrapped it and started over bc i got a new idea so it was delayed even more ;w; hope u enjoy this one tho! and that you, like me, ignore the canon universe rules sdfhsd

Send me ships and a prompt or two

The first breath after coming back to life is the hardest. Air goes in cold and travels to his deflated lungs like pins and needles, his body weighs ten times more than he remembers, lights and shadows he can’t yet place overwhelm him. He’s not floating, he realizes after a minute or two, but lying flat on a bed that feels like clouds. He waits for his body to regain mobility, examining his surroundings now that his eyes can focus. 

The top of the canopy bed does not look like his usual one; he wonders if Hua Chengzhu changed it, or moved him somewhere else. His second breath goes down with much less difficulty, and for the first time in so, so long, he can breathe out.

Something bumps against his shoulder. 

Blood pumps painfully into his ears. Alarms blare in his mind wanting him to jump and yell, but Yin Yu can’t move. 

“Hm…?” Fabric shuffles beside him and Yin Yu manages to catch a voice that he knows very well. “This bed used to be bigger, I swear…” Something nudges his shoulder and pokes around. Though every sensation is muted, his heart still leaps in his chest as a pair of hands roams his side. 

Why! Why him! Why! Is Quan YiZhen! In bed! With him!

Yin Yu’s eyes squeeze shut. He hopes to pass off as nothing more than a corpse until he figures out how to face YiZhen after their awkward last meeting. 

YiZhen is quiet as he explores him. The more time passes, the more Yin Yu wishes he’d stop. Soon he’d regain sensitivity and he won’t be able to hide his reactions. 

Who does he think he is to be touching him so freely! Did he do this often while Yin Yu was unconscious? Or… does he know already that Yin Yu is awake…?

The hands get insistent. Yin Yu is sure he’s making a fool of himself by continuing to pretend he can’t feel them, when-

“Ah!” He gasps as YiZhen’s fingers brush his waist.

“Shi… xiong?” 

He wants to die. Again.

“Shixiong, is it you?”

What kind of question is that! 

Yin Yu slowly opens his eyes. Quan YiZhen’s face is drawn down in concern and a little surprise. If he’s awaiting an explanation, Yin Yu doesn’t have it. He braces himself to be the one to break the silence when YiZhen’s hand reaches up to touch Yin Yu’s face. 

Instead of whatever he was about to say, he blurts out a strained “what are you doing?” 

“Ah! It is Shixiong!” 

Of course it’s him. Who else… 

His gut drops. Oh, no

Did he come back looking different?

He tries to sit up but gravity keeps him pinned to the bed like he’s made of stone. Quan YiZhen doesn’t seem to notice, because he doesn’t move an inch, and Yin Yu is not about to ask for help.

“Shixiong, why don’t you show yourself?” Quan YiZhen asks. What is this kid talking about? “Could it be…  Shixiong’s soul is so weak he can’t take physical form yet?”

Yin Yu ventures a look into Quan YiZhen’s eyes, only to realize YiZhen is not looking at him, but through him.

What? 

For the first time, his gaze wanders down. He sees nothing. 

Weak, huh… So weak, he was invisible, truly invisible this time.

Sparks fly under his skin as YiZhen wanders down his arm and stops on his hand. A weight lifts off him, his arm is like a feather in YiZhen’s grasp; and like a feather, he crisps under a fiery sensation that pours in currents through his veins. 

YiZhen’s spiritual energy feels so familiar inside him, it scares him with painful memories of being drained. His hand twitches. 

“Why are you doing that?”

“It’s the least I can do for Shixiong to recover faster.”

Part of him wishes it was futile so he could tell YiZhen to stop, but little by little, the tips of his fingers start to appear, color returns to his transparent skin and soon he can see his knuckles. It isn’t fast, but it is working.

“You’d do this even after what I said?”

“Of course, I’ll do anything for Shixiong,” Yizhen says, so sure of himself, Yin Yu doesn’t dare to doubt him, even though he feels the hand holding him tremble slightly. 

YiZhen clicks his tongue. “It’s not fast enough…”

Before Yin Yu can protest, his vision goes dark. He only has enough time to process YiZhen’s lips on his nose, before they move down and meet Yin Yu’s mouth. A full-body spasm overtakes him. YiZhen’s spiritual energy tingles throughout his whole body and merges with his own, strengthening him.  

When the kiss ends, Yin Yu is dizzy, out of breath just like the moments after waking up. He’s about to scold YiZhen, but a pair of hands hold his face first and force him to look up. And there Yin Yu finds himself, in YiZhen’s eyes, emotions naked in his face for Yizhen to plainly see. 

“Shixiong!!” Yizhen exclaims as tears blur Yin Yu’s image from his eyes.

[paradife-loft]

A Smattering of More TGCF Thoughts, Having Finished Book 3

*not exhaustive, because that would be way too much; but still apparently enough rambling to need a cut for length

EVERYTHING IS METAPHYSICAL WORLDBUILDING...... I don’t even know if I have a specific place I’d want to start with this, bc it’s all just deeply fascinating trying to tease out how it all works, but. mmmm delicious crunchy worldbuilding on what heavenly officials (of each court) and ghosts even are, and how spiritual power works! what exactly ascending is, and what role “fate” plays in that, and what even is fate really? what relationship does fate have to social standing in one’s mortal life?

this is my shit. I love to know how it all works. I will poke at all the things.

BLACK. WATER. XUAN. it is probably obvious by now that I am in massive hearteyes with He Xuan?? just. the dramatic flair! the extent of being SO wronged! intense murder aesthetic!  d e d i c a t i o n. power and planning and being utterly terrifying as a trap closing in when the time comes - and an absolute Weirdo antisocial half-person Mess the rest of the time! “I am going to give you all these tests as opportunities to show that you see me, the person your successes came at the very literal physical cost of, and CARE to rectify that horrible injustice. show me that you give a fuck! show me that you’re not just stuck in your pampered myopic little heavenly heads!”

I am a little disturbed by how quickly I’ve built up a whole headcanon persona and POV for He Xuan already despite. not having finished the book yet. :’D what can I say though, intense capacity for violence, plus messy depression/depersonalisation badbrains, plus unstable identity and literally subsuming other beings into yourself, plus hella fucked up relationship with food... This Is Coming For Me Where I Live rn <33

(nom nom transmisogynists make a delicious crunchy snack~)

honestly it’s kind of like, the more intense my feelings & thoughts about a character are, the harder it is for me to really ramble properly about them without more specific prompts.... oops. but just know, I have many He Xuan thoughts. hot damn.

Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen ;____; god, I just have.... a lot of feelings about the way in which Status Issues Fuck Them Up. and about how Yin Yu ends up taking all this blame not because he’s A Bad Person, but also not because he’s Framed Horribly and Is Totally Innocent? he’s just very real, and imperfect, and his personal shortcomings combine with events to create a complete and utter clusterfuck :(

CORPSE RATS CORPSE RATS :D I am enjoying literally everything that’s eaten other spirits in this book honestly. delightfully fucked up favourite “taking on traits of a thing you consume” trope :D

Mount Tong’lu especially, but also just a certain amount of the aesthetic of this book in general, is once again Reminding Me Of Dark Souls. it’s the combo “gain more power by murdering other entities and consuming their souls” / “transformational Final Level specifically called a kiln” thing, I think.

so I guess it’s canon that the Supremes are a “mentally unstable obsessives only” club??? :’D I have a lot of feelings about much-younger-ghost!Hua Cheng just kind of. spending ten years alternately nerding out over trying to learn to read a dead language, and trying to... depict his devotion and somehow express/externalise the very story of who he even is into this empty underground series of caverns? trying to pound it into his head to, like, remember who he is and make SOME part of the world witness to what’s made him, even though (and because) he can’t actually open up about any of that to any other people?

like hmm, certainly I don’t think he’s losing it during the Mount Tong’lu experience as much as, say, certain other individuals might have (*cough*), because he’s not literally taking the essences of other beings into himself, just getting a power-up - but that alone, killing so much and experiencing that kind of metaphysical change, must already be kind of disorienting and weird? especially if you’re functionally alone the whole time?? which is to say, sure, the thousand gods and all the murals might have been a little bit of a monument to Hua Cheng being batshit crazypants for a while, but given the material circumstances of 10 years of isolation/ling nerding/murder, I really cannot blame him. (I would also rather not have other people, certainly not the object of my affection & obsession, get to see those things! that is entirely relatable, not sinister!)

(obligatory “what would a centuries-old sourdough starter from Mount Tong’lu be like“ joke....)

although. that said. I continue! to be not okay! with the extent of Literal Hero Worship happening in this relationship! “if you don’t have anything else to live for, then live for me!” like ok ok it is all very well and good that you said that as a dumbass naive teenage god, and clearly don’t believe in any such thing anymore, but. Hua Cheng! has not gotten over that! he is still very much in that headspace! “oh don’t worry my ashes are in a totally safe place bc if the place where I hid them was destroyed then I would have no reason to live either ~<3″ NO. NO BAD. EXTREMELY BAD, HUA CHENG SIT DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT UNTIL I FIND YOU SOMEONE TO TALK YOU THROUGH THIS SHIT.

I just. mmmmmmmnnn. I really enjoy how they interact with one another most of the time! I’m also just... not cool with the level of power disparity in terms of psychological vulnerability to one another, that seems pretty fundamentally baked into the dynamic :/

(it’s funny bc this is the opposite of the panic Mu Qing & Feng Xin were having over Hualian, oops)

actually while I’m being a whole-ass Downer about ships, I will also mention that I do Not get shipping those two..... like “excessive bickering” has never appealed to me in the first place but also. FX seems to genuinely think MQ is a bad person?? and doesn’t understand what his perspective is like in general? perhaps I am simply A Bit Sensitive to people misunderstanding someone and thinking they’re a bad person bc they’re not Nice And Cheerful And Personable, but. eugh, no thank you.

miscellaneous thoughts....

Ling Wen can honestly do as many murders as she feels like, I’m not too broken up about this ultimately :////

Xie Lian’s trauma response panic mode whenever he sees White No-Face! it’s upsetting!

White No-Face is not valid specifically for the reason that I wanted the next ghost king to come out of the kiln to add something cool to the Calamities’ color scheme >:( Give Me A Purple Ghost You Dumb Motherfucker >:(

(actually in part I make fun of him because I am otherwise also terrified of him! he is creepy and horrifying! he seems like substantially less of a Person and more like a Horrible Force of Nature than the other calamities!! also HE WAS LIVING IN THEIR HOUSE *screams*)

(you may notice there is approximately no book 2 content on here and that is.... largely bc I found book 2 very upsetting and unpleasant to read, as “overwhelming futility in the face of world affairs and mass suffering” is in fact my Least favourite emotion to have evoked in fiction. or in real life for that matter. “biological phenomenon wherein foreign entities grow in or on your body” is ALSO a least favourite thing in both fiction & real life too, funnily enough! not actually to the same extent as Futility Forever, but. no thank you.)

there’s definitely more I wanted to talk about at one point or another and then forgot, so, if there’s something you want to hear about in particular, ask me questions!

[hamliet]

about the shovel. it gets passed around a bit and i started to wonder it might have some symbolic meaning besides being just a convenient shovel. your metas are very interesting so i wanted to know your thoughts

Thank you for writing back!!! Yay, MXTX metas. *rolls sleeves up, clears throat*

So I know the shovel has multiple appearances, but the simplest answer is that it is a symbol. It symbolizes digging into the core, the foundation, of heaven, which is rotten to its core with corruption. Xie Lian claims:

“Lord Earth Master, how did you dig out this tunnel? I’ve never heard that it was possible to dig beneath the heavenly residences in the Heavenly Capital.” It must be known that the foundation of the Heavenly Capital was not the same as the muddy earth of the mortal realm.

Yeah, it’s not the same. It’s worse.

It’s also worth pointing out that the real earth master to whom the shovel belongs (Ming Yi) is an imprisoned skeleton in He Xuan’s lair, a skeleton that only moves to violently attack when someone mentions his title of “Earth Master.” Almost like that too is a symbol of exactly what the gods are: rotting and dead inside, moved to violence for their pride, prisoners (of their own misdeeds). This is also why the shovel is used explicitly only to help the people who have suffered most by heaven’s corruption: He Xuan, Xie Lian, Shi QingXuan, and Yin Yu.. and everyone who digs with it (Ming Yi, He Xuan, and Yin Yu) has a somewhat tragic ending.

Regarding He Xuan… well, he was posing as the earth master and uses the shovel to dig Shi QingXuan out of his brother’s captivity when Shi QingXuan uncovers the truth of what his brother did to He Xuan. Xie Lian notes that He Xuan couldn’t use the earth master’s shovel properly because he was not the earth master: “Why did you think he couldn’t control the Earth Master Crescent Moon Shovel well? Because that didn’t belong to him in the first place! .”

Symbolically, this is also showing how He Xuan’s freeing of Shi QingXuan through the use of the shovel failed in its purpose: he was hoping Shi QingXuan, by then aware of his brother’s crimes, would turn on his brother.

He Xuan whipped around and started pacing back and forth within the hall of Nether Water Manor, growling, “I’ve given you chances!”

Shi Qing Xuan shut his eyes, clenching his fists. Xie Lian recalled that excessively furious “Fine. Very well!” back at the town of Fu Gu, and that scene of ‘Ming Yi’ blocking Shi Qing Xuan’s path to follow Pei Ming in going to the East Sea.

Only, every time, Shi Qing Xuan had chosen to help Shi Wu Du.

He whispered, “…I’m sorry.”

But Shi QingXuan is not that kind of person (which… also likely applies to how he feels about He Xuan though it’s obviously complicated).

The second time is when the Upper Court of heaven’s been overrun by Jun Wu, when Yin Yu appears to dig Xie Lian out, only they both wind up captured and Jun Wu digs to the core of who Yin Yu is to eventually kill him.

“That’s dissatisfaction.” Jun Wu said, “You are bound by his grace and had nowhere to go, so you are only forcing yourself.” 

“…”

Yin Yu hung his head and didn’t speak. Xie Lian was breaking out in cold sweat.

He could now somewhat guess how Jun Wu planned to attack, and Yin Yu’s every expression, every gesture, from head to toe, was full of weakness!

“Then,” Jun Wu said, “Let’s turn this around. Let me ask you another question: Have you shown Quan Yi Zhen any grace?” 

“…”

Jun Wu continued, “On what basis must you place yourself in a dissatisfactory position to devote yourself and repay kindness when someone irrelevant shows you grace, but when you show Quan Yi Zhen grace, he made you fall this low?” 

“Yin Yu, to be in the habit of belittling yourself in order to help others is no good habit. You must know, no one will thank you.”

He was pushing on every step, and each step was trampling where Yin Yu hurt the most!

However, despite him killing Yin Yu, he wasn’t able to completely destroy Yin Yu and Quan YiZhen’s relationship because Jun Wu struggled to understand the complexity of human connection. Even though Yin Yu taking Quan YiZhen’s powers, Quan YiZhen did not hate Yin Yu, and because Yin Yu tried to protect him, Yin Yu is killed.

Regarding heaven’s corruption and the earth shovel... I want to talk a bit more about the foiling between He Xuan and Yin Yu, because they are the two we see digging with it. He Xuan and Yin Yu were both destined for the heavens before corruption saw to it that they were both… well, either didn’t ascend or were cast out. Shi QingXuan and Quan YiZhen are also foils, as are their relationships: designated “older brothers” (Ming-xiong and Shixiong) and socially nonconforming little bros. He Xuan didn’t die in the end of the novel, but he lost the life he had and the closeness that he desperately craved with Shi QingXuan–for now. In the end, he passes the wind master’s fan back to Shi QingXuan, telling him he’s capable of fighting his battles on his own with a divine weapon despite the fact that Shi QingXuan is mortal now: 

a hand came swinging, smacked him and sent him flying out... Although Shi Qing Xuan was sent flying, he only tumbled and rolled a few times, sprawled on the ground, and he immediately crawled up, “It’s fine it’s fine, I didn’t die! He didn’t really hit me, he was just lending spiritual powers!” 

“Really…”

Shi Qing Xuan examined his hands, then looked at his own body, emitting spiritual light from head to toe...

Just then, “Hua Cheng” flung his right hand, and tossed something at him. Without thinking, Shi Qing Xuan raised his hand to catch, but when he saw what it was he caught, his entire face blanched.

That object was the Wind Master fan!

Seeing this, Xie Lian who was on top of the giant divine statue couldn’t hold back either and asked, “San Lang, wasn’t the Wind Master fan with… the one down there is…?!” 

“Pay it no mind.” Hua Cheng said, “I called him over last minute to give a hand.” 

Shi Qing Xuan was clutching that dearly familiar fan, his neck stiff, and slowly turned to that “Hua Cheng”.

“Hua Cheng” then repeated again coldly, “Deal with it yourself.”

Essentially, He Xuan yielding not to what Shi WuDu so cruelly did to him, but he is accepting Shi WuDu’s love of his brother (specifically that Shi QingXuan was worthy of that love). He Xuan acknowledges that Shi QingXuan was a good god, one of the best and most capable, that his potential as a god is real. So that’s a step, but whether or not he will forgive himself ever, the novel doesn’t give us an answer. 

Yin Yu, on the other hand, dies but his last action was saving Quan YiZhen, atoning for what he had previously done and acknowledging that Quan YiZhen was stronger than him in potential:

Yin Yu continued, “I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten! BUT! If I didn’t manage all that on my own then it’s completely meaningless! I’m unlucky, I accept it! If I’m not as powerful as him, then at the very least I can admit I’m not as powerful as him!”

“ADMITTING THAT I CAN’T COMPARE IS NOT THAT HARD!”

Still, Yin Yu is unable to be at peace with himself, to forgive himself, regretting that he has regrets when he dies, being so harsh on himself he doesn’t see that Quan YiZhen literally never thought of him as weak or a failure. However, there is the solace, for whatever it’s worth, that Quan YiZhen is learning from what happened to Yin Yu and will carry on his memory. Even if he couldn’t be the pinnacle of a perfect godly example to the world, Yin Yu was this to Quan YiZhen.

Both of these relationships thus foil Hualian in the sense that human connection, even if only to one person, is enough to enable someone to live on after death, to achieve the great heights that they never could else wise, to start anew. Human connection is a major theme in TGCF (see: how Jun Wu’s arc ends with Mei NianQing deciding to stay with him), but the novel is honest about how painful connection can be at times. And in some ways, it’s that pain that helps make these relationships beautiful (however you interpret them).