#mu qing needs to love himself more

[muqingapologist]

rambling about fengqing

something about mu qing and feng xin seeing hua cheng and xie lian happy together and feeling as if they’re seeing their failure personified because they were never devoted enough in the end

something about mu qing’s lasting regret being not so much about the wrongs he’s done to xie lian (leaving him, not standing up for him, etc) so much as about the way he’s spent his whole life pushing everyone away

something about mu qing realizing that he has spent 800 years with so little to show for it beyond his achievements as a god…but personally, all was lost with the death of his mother…until xie lian ascends again, but well, though they can be friends now, xie lian has a life separate from him now

and then something about how feng xin begins to give mu qing the benefit of the doubt. at first for xie lian’s sake, he’ll try to be his friend. but this person actually isn’t so bad. in fact, isn’t this the person that can understand him best in this world.

feng xin showing mu qing kindness, allowing mq to realize that maybe he hasn’t ruined everything for himself. realizing that feng xin isn’t actually so much of an idiot. letting his defenses fall away bit by bit.

the realization that even after 800 years, people are capable of change. feng xin is capable of considering mu qing in a totally different light. mu qing is capable of forgiving himself and letting himself be vulnerable.

mu qing finding one day that he’s in love and it’s terrifying because feng xin hates him still, right? he’s just being nice for xie lian’s sake.

feng xin not having any qualms about loving mu qing. at first, he’s surprised himself, but he considers how happy he is these days with him.

feng xin and mu qing understanding each other better than anyone else and falling in love because of it!! growing independently and together at the same time!!

not instant love, not 800 years of pining, but slow, patient changes that lead to a deep trust and affection and understanding between the two that they both thought was impossible just a few years ago.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Most iconic Xie Lian moments according to me

Contains spoilers!!!

"Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry"

Keeping every memento of his worst time ever as a reminder of why being kind and forgiving is worth it

When he runs off after he gives Hua Cheng CPR that one time pretending he's looking for his hat

When he keeps roasting Xiao Ying's looks even as she's dying

When he was a prince and he was told his future looked dark and he said that can't be cause he only wears white

Eating food off the ground

Building his own temple, we love a girl boss

When he pet E'Ming like a little puppy after being explicitly told not to ever touch it under any circumstances

Putting Banyue in a pickle jar

When Wuming said he would follow Xie Lian to the death and Xie Lian went "youre already dead"

Breaking rocks on his chest for money

Being trampled to death as general Hua, doormat core

The whole Fangxin Guoshi arc, whew 🥵

Carrying around a big ass bag of scraps everywhere

When he became jealous of Hua Cheng's special someone not realizing the very obvious fact that he was Hua Cheng's special someone actually

Slapping tf out of Qi Rong for making fun of Hua Cheng being blind in one eye

Pretending he had no idea who Nan Feng and Fu Yao were

When Mu Qing and Feng Xin were freaking about how creepy the Ten Thousands Gods Cave was whilst he found it incredibly romantic

Being a bit too into pretending to be Hua Cheng's puppet on Mount Tonglu

Feeding into E'Ming's praise kink

When he disguised himself as a pregnant lady to be possessed by the evil fetus spirit and it worked

When he disguised himself as a woman so badly he looked hideous and needed help to not look like that

When he spent the entirety of the Xuan Ji capturing business in his wedding dress disguise, including meeting Pei Xiu like that

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts-

When his response to the sex pollen was to kill himself

"I do not worship god, i am god!"

Every single sweet and tender interaction with Hua Cheng's butterflies that everyone else is terrified of

When everyone ignored him in the communication array because he was cringe

Getting drunk on a tombstone with little ghost fire Hua Cueng after his life fell apart

Controversial but i think his calamity era was also iconic and very sexy

When Heaven's Eye said his lips are exuding evil energy and he turned bright red

And then later when Heaven's Eye said the evil energy is inside him and he immediately changed the subject

Recognizing literally everyone despite their disguises but keeping quiet about it not to embarrass them.

Calling Yin Yu boring and forgettable looking to his face

Defending Hua Cheng, evil ghost king, in front of the whole entire Heavenly Emperor

When he was working in the rice field with Hua Cheng and he kept staring

Being poor

Having ridiculously bad luck

Ascending three times

Big daddy issues even with his dad still alive

When his life had just fallen apart and he didnt know how much a lantern could cost because he had been ridiculously rich all his life

Holding up a massive temple from falling apart???

Kissing Hua Cheng for spiritual energy in front of literally everyone more than once

When he could hear rats talking???

Adopting children

Not iconic Xie Lian behaviors

His abhorrent cooking

Trying to kill himself???

[xielianlover2]

I want to talk about unconditional forgiveness and how crucial it is for Xie Lian to have someone who offers it to him with no strings attached.

Throughout Xie Lian's life, he experiences numerous falls from grace, each one more devastating than the last. He goes from being a beloved crown prince and a renowned god to a figure of scorn and bad luck. The weight of his past and the suffering he has endured often make him question his own worthiness and ability to protect others.

Which is why, for Xie Lian, Hua Cheng's forgiveness is a lifeline. Knowing that there is someone who believes in him, no matter what, allows Xie Lian to forgive himself and move forward. In a world where divine beings are often portrayed as infallible, we see by the end, that pretty much every god has their own flaws and that even those with immense power are not immune to making grievous errors in judgment.

I think Hua Cheng’s forgiveness also symbolizes a deeper, transformative love. It’s a love that goes beyond mere acceptance; it’s a commitment, a promise, a vow to stand by Xie Lian no matter what, and that's what makes his love so rare and beautiful. It's such a stark contrast to the judgment Xie Lian has faced from his people and other gods. While his own friends basically turned their backs on him, Hua Cheng remained his most loyal and devoted believer. His cheerleader, for a lack of better words. Hua Cheng embodies the truest form of compassion– understanding and embracing someone wholly.

Hua Cheng's love and acceptance allow Xie Lian to feel seen and understood in a way that no one else has ever provided. This kind of forgiveness is not about overlooking mistakes or pretending they didn't happen; rather, it's about recognizing the entirety of a person's journey and choosing to embrace them regardless.

Hua Cheng's acceptance allows Xie Lian to be vulnerable about his deepest fears and struggles. It also gives him the ability to ask for something he needs for himself:

"All right... don't say any more. I get it... but... but don't be like this, all right? San Lang? I... I've borrowed so much spiritual power from you that I haven't repaid. And I'm not done telling you all the things that I wanted to say; there's still so much. It's been so long since anyone listened to me talk. Won't you stay? Don't.. don't do this. I won't be able to take it. Twice, it's happened twice already-I really don't want there to be a third time!"

In this moment, Xie Lian’s plea reveals how extremely isolating his life has been. He has been perpetually misunderstood, and I believe that even before his first ascension, he has always felt profoundly alone. Throughout his life, Xie Lian has been surrounded by people who either see him through the lens of his past or view him as a mere symbol; a divine god, so therefore flawless and someone beyond approach. It strips away his humanity and the complexities of his true self, unable to be seen as a person with real feelings and imperfections. Even his Feng Xin and Mu Qing put him up in a pedestal, and no matter what happened, no matter how understandable it was, everyone still left him in the end.

Then, to have someone say they understand his everything, from his wisdom to his foolishness, and then also wholeheartedly support him and unconditionally love him? That they never, ever left him, that they've always been there, constant and unchanging in their love, in their devotion? That must have felt life-changing to him. Something groundbreaking and pivotal.

He is essentially begging for the one person who understands him completely—and who accepts him unconditionally despite everything—not to leave him. When Xie Lian begs Hua Cheng to stay, it is not just a request for physical presence but a desperate need for emotional reassurance and acceptance. For Hua Cheng is Xie Lian's safe haven where he can express his deepest fears and unspoken desires, a place of solace and affirmation that he has long been missing from everyone else.

[totallynotsloughjykk]

okay rant because I need to hhhhh I'm so tired of people misinterpreting mu qing. no he is not a heartless monster nor is he a tsundere baby. he's a complex character and people need to stop dumbing him down to either good/bad mu qing values logic before anything. he thinks everything through too much and only considers feelings after, which makes him come off as unempathetic and uncaring. that's his main flaw. he cannot deal with any emotions and hides behind an indifferent/arrogant mask despite it being far from his actual self. his avoidance with vulnerability is understandable considering just how much he had to watch himself during his teenhood and probably even childhood he's hypervigilant and gets defensive the second he feels any form of attack coming towards him. for example, him freaking out over the red coral pearl going missing during the xianle era - which, again, is understandable since that would've ruined his reputation completely. he's also terrible with showing affection and care and that's another reason why he always come off as so mean and rude mu qing is also deeply insecure; he suddenly turned his attention to hong'er after xie lian praised his skill with a saber and he found reasons to kick him out fast (I'll get onto this later). he jumps any time he's handed a broom and he's also pretty easily envious. he doesn't usually go far beyond petty words and punches - like xie lian said, he's spiteful enough to spit in someone's cup, not poison it his flaws are well thought-out and make a lot of sense for his character. you can trace his behavior patterns back to his past; for example, his hypervigilance and arrogant mask comes the fact that everyone always expected the worst of him. the second he was even suspected to be in the wrong everyone turned on him without a doubt, so he grew wary of what he did and what he said. and for the arrogant mask, he couldn't prove otherwise at all - who would listen? no one. so he just gave up and got used to it mu qing has his flaws but he also has his qualities; he's a kind person beneath everything, shockingly enough. he handed poor children cherries after he was beaten up for picking them, he brought feng xin and xie lian rice and medicine after he left, he helped jian lan give birth, he disguised himself to help xie lian and he took a whole cursed shackle for refusing to hurt him. he can only show affection through actions and it's still uncomfortable for his deeds to be recognized since he's already so used to the selfish, cold and indifferent tag everyone slapped on him so he never expects any gratitude or anything in return at all also controversial take but hua cheng was wrong to hold a grudge against mu qing and feng xin. first of all, the feng xin grudge was entirely unnecessary (for mu qing it's a lot more understandable) but that's for another rant. second of all, while it is, again, understandable from hua cheng's POV, from an outside perspective it's just.. wrong. hua cheng will go towards extreme lengths to anyone who even mildly hurts off xie lian, and that's one of his flaws as a character. I love hua cheng deeply and that's part of what makes him beautifully complex. he's overprotective after seeing his beloved hurt so many times by so many people while he couldn't do much about it. he views xie lian through rose-colored lenses and I doubt he'll let go of the way he sees mu qing any time soon considering just how heavy of a grudge he held and how complicated their friendship/relationship in general is. they don't get along and until they formally talk things out, give them 200 years to warm up to each other they'd still probably stab each other if left unattended

[mediocretosubpar-soup]

so postcanon, hua cheng ascends as god of true love. xie lian is delighted. hua cheng is like mehh been there done that except danxia is so genuinely happy for him that he ought to do this right. how hard can it be, the cult can't be all that big. cue hua cheng opens his new palace door and immediately is buried beneath prayer scrolls. it's a lot but hua cheng is no pushover. unfortunately, most of the the gods don't share xie lian's enthusiasm and do their best to stonewall him. sure, xie lian, mu qing and fengxin (the latter two with lots of schadenfreude) would help but hua cheng will die again before he admits, he needs help especially not from mu qing or feng xin. he could make he xuan help but just imagining that asshole's smug, judging face gives hua cheng hives. so it's prayers in heaven, prayers in ghost city, prayers at home. whereever hua cheng he is answering at least six prayers at the same time.

until one day, hua cheng is toiling away at his prayers at the xie lian's temple, while xie lian's gone out and shi qingxuan arrives. moments later, one of ling wen's gormless middle officials shows up to heave more prayers onto hua cheng. the poor sod dumps them all over the temple, it's total chaos. hua cheng is ready to tear their head off. shi qingxuan steps between them, refers by the middle official by name, assures hua cheng that they didn't mean it and they'll sort the prayers for him. the middle official tries to abscond but shi qingxuan baits them with a conversation. after they're done and the middle official has left. hua cheng tells shi qingxuan that the official is going to tell everyone who wants to hear about the miserable life of the formerly, mighty wind master. shi qingxuan is like maybe so but all of this is sorted now. then he gives hua cheng three names of middle officials and what they can be bribed with and explains ling wen's filing system. hua cheng thinks to himself that shi qingxuan really knows what they're talking about. answering prayers is much easier. he's still thinking about it when he xuan visits and he is struggling again. so apropos of nothing, he asks he xuan whether he got any plans for the former wind master and he xuan says something like i don't care what they do with their life. hua cheng kind of asks, so if some god asked him to become their official you wouldn't care? he xuan thinking that no god will do that, says no idgaf. hua cheng is like ok.

and then he asks/coerces (begs) shi qingxuan to become his middle official because shi qingxuan is really good at that.

he xuan lied, btw, he doesn't have zero feelings about that.

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

hello hello i’m so glad you’re feeling better!🥹

i have another cute idea!! can i get headcanons of hualian being parents/father figures to child reader who’s just a ball of love? they admire and look up to them both, too! what would hualian be like?

i saw in your request page that you don’t do adult x child, and i genuinely don’t know if this counts. if it does, im so sorry!

once again, im glad you’re feeling better, no one likes to be sick!

☀️ anon

Parental Headcanons

HuaLian with Child!reader

*THIS IS NOT HUALIAN X READER!!! THESE ARE PARENTAL HEADCANONS

Sorry if it took a minute, and no this doesn't count😙 because you aren't asking me to ship them with a kid. Just parental Headcanons so you're fine🖤🖤

Takes place after book ends

I don't quite remember but I could've sworn Shi Qingxuan was in the human realm by the end of the book because of cough cough beefleaf

Ignore grammar mistakes

____________________________________

When Xie Lian and Hua Cheng find you they immediately take you in.

Well Xie Lian immediately takes you in

He holds you up like a stray cat and asks "Can we please keep him!?"

Hua Cheng can't say no to Xie Lian so he says yes

Hua Cheng quickly warms up to you as well.

He can't not like you. You're a ball of love and all you want is affection and praise

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng try to look into where or what happened to your parents but find nothing

That's fine they'll take care of you!

You're still a human child though so you definitely have some growing to do

Because of this Hua Cheng has started making food

As much as he loves Xie Lian and would eat his food any day, you cannot

Xie Lian loves his domestic male wife though so it's fine.

They love on you a lot

Xie Lian likes to dress you up in fancy clothes and hairpins

He loves taking care of you, brushing your hair and putting you to bed

Xie Lian has never been able to ignore children especially children who remind him of himself or Hua Cheng

Xie Lian takes you up to the heavens sometimes

You've made friends with Feng Xin, and Mu Qing

Feng Xin tries to teach you how to fight and martial arts but Mu Qing won't have it.

He says you're too little to deal with that yet.

Mu Qing didn't have the best childhood so even if your parent is Hua Cheng he absolutely spoils you

In the human realm you've made friends with Shi Qingxuan

You hang around Shi Qingxuan a lot actually

Xie Lian hasn't seen the man happy in such a long time so whenever you need babysat he leaves you with Shi Qingxuan

For your human life and Shi Qingxuan's human life you two will be very close

Hua Cheng will take you around ghost city sometimes

Also sicks you on He Xuan sometimes.

He Xuan pretends to be absolutely tired of you but he does like you

Carries you around and lets you play around in his waters or with the ghost fishies

The ghosts love you, if not more then their Chengzhu

They've taken a liking to calling you Little Chengzhu

While Xie Lian loves you very much, Hua Cheng absolutely spoils you rotten

He'll give you anything you want, and he continues to do so

Even with anything at your fingertips you remain a ball of love and stay humble so Hua Cheng can't help it

You've gained many friends but you've also gained some enemies

You're the adopted kid of the two most powerful men of course you're going to be a target.

Not that you have to worry. Xie Lian or Hua Cheng are always by your side

Hua Cheng will kill for you and has killed for you

🤷

Adopting you has also given them many cute moments

For instance, when you were trying to get Xie Lian's attention once. You had been patting on his legs and tugging softly on his robes

Xie Lian was going to answer you in a moment he really was but he was trying to do something

Immediately pays attention to you when you had called him 'Baba'

Tears up

Is so happy, he picks you up and runs to Hua Cheng.

"Listen San Lang! Tell San Lang what you called me!"

"Baba"

Grins from ear to ear. Xie Lian is so happy with this and even happier when you take up calling Hua Cheng 'Baba' too.

Another cute moment is when you pick up drawing.

You tend to copy your parents and you recently have decided to copy Hua Cheng's artistic practices

You draw them a lot of pictures and they get hung up on the walls of Paradise Manor

They weren't expecting you to have so many of their traits because well- technically you aren't theirs but you've picked up their traits anyways

Like Hua Cheng's bad writing.

Xie Lian immediately puts you in calligraphy lesson with your baba. No way is he going to let that bad writing be a habit

You've taken up Xie Lian's bad cooking.

You like to make "food" with mud, rocks, and twigs.

They find you cute anyways.

You ended up with the best parents

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng love you so much and the plan to be the best parents they can be.

[illuminatedferret]

Back Hugs in Tian Guan Ci Fu:

1. Volume 2, "To Ascend is Human, to Fall Is Also Human", pg. 380

The Deputy State Preceptors hurriedly moved aside, and Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn't know whether to act. Seeing that everyone was avoiding him like he was poisonous vermin, the child was shaken and started thrashing even harder, biting and screaming with all his might. "I'm not! I'm not!! I'M NOT!!!" Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, encircling his small form. A voice came from above his head. "You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know you're not." The young child pressed his lips closed tightly, grabbing on to the pair of snow-white sleeves around his waist with a desperate grip. He forced himself to hold back for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't. A stream of tears suddenly rolled down from that round black eye, and he burst out into sobs. Xie Lian embraced him from behind and reiterated with conviction, "It's not you. It's not your fault." Honghong-er whipped around, buried his face in Xie Lian's chest, and wailed.

2. Volume 6, "Cave of Ten Thousand Gods- Faces of the Ten Thousand Gods Revealed", pg. 78-79

Hua Cheng inclined his head slightly- it was like he wanted to glance back but was too afraid to look Xie Lian in the eye. Only the two streaks of blood on his cheek could be seen. "Your Highness, would you please... not tell me?" His voice cracked as he asked. "I'm sorry," Xie Lian said. "Something like this has to be made clear." Hua Cheng didn't need to breathe, but he still sucked in a deep breath. Although his face was awfully pale, he still smiled and replied courteously, "That's true. It's for the best." He was like a criminal on death row, waiting for his sentence. He closed his eye. Yet his eye didn't remain closed for long- soon it snapped open once more as a pair of arms suddenly circled him from behind and caught him in a forceful embrace. Xie Lian buried his face in Hua Cheng's back, but he didn't speak either. Though nothing was said, it was enough. It was a long time before Xie Lian felt the man he was hugging turn around. Hua Cheng fervently returned the embrace, engulfing Xie Lian in his arms.

3. Volume 6, "Warm Words of a Cold Ghost Beguile the Lost Child", pg. 203

And then, Xie Lian abruptly froze. White No-Face was hugging him. As Xie Lian tilted and fell to his knees in a slump, he had been captured by a pair of cold, powerful arms that pulled him into a lifeless embrace. At some point, White No-Face had sat down on the ground with him. "So sad, so sad," he murmured. "Your Highness, look. Look at what they've done to you." He whispered softly as he stroked Xie Lian's head, his hands gentle and full of pity. It was like he was petting a wounded puppy or his own gravely ill child on the brink of death. The smiling half of the crying-smiling mask was hidden in the darkness; the moonlight revealed only the half that was crying, looking like genuine tears of grief shed for Xie Lian. Xie Lian remained stiff and curled in on himself, moving no further. The man in white behind him raised his fingers to wipe the filthy mud from Xie Lian's face. He sensed a peculiar kind of loving compassion in the man's touch. Like the embrace of a close friend or a dear family member, it miraculously returned a bit of warmth to Xie Lian's shivering body. He never expected that this sinister creature would be the one to finally offer him compassion.

4. Volume 7, "Dominate Heaven and Earth, Divine Being Breaks Through the Kiln", pg. 19

Xie Lian stood on the giant's palm, one hand pressing the bamboo hat down on his head while the another blocked his face from the snowstorm. The stifling hot air was swept cleanly away, and Xie Lian took a deep breath of fresh, freezing air and shouted: "San Lang-!" The first syllable was still echoing in the air when a pair of arms pulled him into an embrace from behind. Xie Lian stiffened at first, but he relaxed when he looked down and saw red sleeves and silver vambraces circling his waist. A deep, forlorn voice came from above his ear. "...I was about to lose my mind!" Xie Lian hurried to turn around. He cupped his captor's cheeks with his hands and soothed him, "Don't... don't. I'm here... I'm out!" Hua Cheng stood before him. His raven hair was mussed, and there was a lost look in his eye. He gripped the cry-smiling mask Xie Lian hadn't been able to remove no matter how hard he tried, easily tore it off, and tossed it away.

Bonus: Volume 7, "Dominate Heaven and Earth, Divine Being Breaks Through the Kiln", pg. 29-30

Before Xie Lian could finish his thought, the three mountain spirits besieged them together. They surrounded the giant stone statue and pressed firmly inward, trying to crush the state to pieces. The divine state couldn't move a single limb, nor could Xie Lian. He poured all of his strength into getting the statue to push them back, but it didn't budge- and at that point, it was probably powerless to fight back! As he tried to think of another way to escape, he unconsciously took a step backward and bumped into a chest. When he looked back, Hua Cheng grasped his shoulders. "Fight freely! It'll be fine- none of them are a match for you. Nothing in this world can stop you!" His chest was the strongest backing in existence, and in an instant, Xie Lian was brimming with confidence. A refreshing current flowed through his body, and he struck back with all his might.

[harmeu]

omg you write for tcgf!!! your work is so good! would you consider doing pei ming, shi qixan, my qing and feng xin reaction to their (god/dess but non-martial god) crush getting hurt protecting them?

          A Scar Opened

(TCGF Characters React To Their Crush Getting Hurt Protecting Them)

(GN!Reader)

Tw: Blood, Cursing

Pei Ming:

The infamous womanizer Pei Ming. He is known for sleeping with women, making them love him, then brutally dumping them with no remorse whatsoever. (At least he pays child support.) You from the moment you walked in hand him on a hook. You weren’t a Martial God but were still a God that got his attention greatly.

Oh he just wanted to make you his. You being aware of his so-called title brushed his advances away. But you would be lying to yourself if you said you hated him completely. Pei Ming also got desperate. 

He found out what he was feeling wasn’t lust but love. He loved you. He had a crush on you. He still hasn’t accepted it and is trying to remove this so-called “crush” by hanging with even more women.

You both were in the main palace of the Emperor Jun Wu talking about a future mission in the mortal realm you two had to do until something caught your eye. 

A spear blowing fast through the air about to hit Pei Ming. His back was faced to it and he seemed oblivious till you pushed him away causing you to get scarred on the chest. Blood dripped and slid down. 

Pei Ming was mortified as he realized the situation and quickly checked where the spear came from.

“What in the heavens is going on?!” He yelled in a pissed off tone but concern was evident for you. 

“T-this is kind of painful.” You utter out clutching your chest tightly.

“Shit.” Pei Ming mumbled and picked you up bridal style rushing you to a nearby medic. “Were you protecting me?” His eyes softened. 

“Didn't want you getting hurt, you know?” You smile weakly.

“I won’t let this happen to you ever again. I’ll slaughter the asshole who did this.” He looked down holding you tightly.

Shi Qingxuan:

(Male Form)

The Wind Master, Shi Qingxuan. Known for his outgoing personality and bubbly appearance. First time you met them was on a mission you two got assigned together. Ever since then Shi Qingxuan had developed a crush on you.

He didn’t know why. Your beauty? Your personality? Your kindness? He doesn’t know. Though wherever you go he will cling to you like a little bat. It's cute and annoying at times.

“Oh you're going? Lemme come with!”

“If you're heading that way, so am I!”

“If you're in I’m in!” 

Adorable really. 

How did things go wrong today?

You two were making small talk and then from the corner of your eye you saw a pillar about to fall onto Shi Qingxuan. You couldn't save the both of you so you pushed Shi Qingxuan hard away making him yelp while a piece of the pillar slashed your arm.

Blood poured to the floor as you panted in pain.

“W-whats going on!?” The colour drained from Shi Qingxuans face as the situation slapped him.

“A pillar..hah..broke.” You were out of breath from the sudden attack on your arm and fell backwards till Shi Qingxuan caught you throwing you up into a piggyback ride.

“You need medical attention. Stat.” He said sternly, holding onto your legs tightly as you wrapped your arms around his neck trying not to fall.

“It’s..ow.” You mumble burying your head into his shoulder.

“Shush! No talking. I can’t believe you did that for me.” He smiles to himself but then goes back to strict. “I swear when I find the person who did this they won't ever see the light of day ever again.”

Mu Qing:

(God Form)

General Xuan Zhen, Mu Qing. He’s known for being an amazing Martial God as well as an amazing medic. (Two in one ig) He’s hard to approach from his rude personality. Though he isn’t really rude just closed off and thinks other emotions are weaknesses in ways.

As soon as you got introduced he had fallen in love with you. The 800 year old virgin actually fell in love. What a surprise to say. Though he believes that love is just a level higher than hate. Everytime you speak to him he gives you short and rude answers.

Though in reality he absolutely adores it when you talk to him. Keep talking to him. No matter how much he disses. Continue. He also glares at others who talk to you. 

He’s jealous. 

You were complementing Mu Qing on his skills, making him blush furiously.

“Are you making fun of me?” He says with a hiss. Though before you can respond you see a blade breaking through a window heading for Mu Qing. He couldn't see it since his back was faced to it and you quickly pushed him hearing him curse.

The blade instantly slashed your waist making you cough in pain and shut your eyes.

Mu Qing’s eyes widened in horror as his teeth clenched in aggravation.

“Who the hell did this?” His eye twitched as he got up and went to you to see how bad your wound was.

“Ouch. It hurts.” You say quietly.

“I know it does. Bare with me.” Mu Qing being a medic began healing you with a yellow glow cursing under his breath.

You hugged his arm softly, clearly not in a good state, making Mu Qing tense, then soften up and stroke your head unconsciously.

“Can’t wait to find the insect who did this.” 

Feng Xin:

(God Form)

General Nan Yang, Feng Xin. Known for his heated temperamental problems and great strength as a Martial God. He’s more on the aggressive side and will not hesitate to harm the bad. (Or people who piss him off more than they should be) This man does not look like one to have a crush but that changed when you joined.

His heart began beating faster and his face flushed as he kept looking at you. Though sadly like Mu Qing he tends to be rude when you talk to him. Though when you catch him off guard he’ll just freeze dumbfounded while a huge blush creeps up on his cheeks.

He loves you deeply but won't admit it. At least he hasn’t gaslighted himself into thinking he just hates you a lot. 

You were trying to ask Feng Xin about questions on Ghost City but he kept saying that he shouldn't tell you anything.

“Why should I tell you? What's in it for me?” He mumbles irritatedly but was secretly happy you were talking to him. You, having good hearing senses, could hear glass shards and looked up to see it falling. About to fall onto Feng Xin.

You couldn't pull Feng Xin from the immense power difference and pushed him, making him create a confused face till his face dropped as the glass shards sliced your arms repeatedly.

“Ow.” You say to yourself looking at the blood pooling down your arms like a river.

“What the fuck just happened?” Feng Xin says going to you and grabbing your arms roughly.

“I-I don’t know. Someone must have messed with the glass sculptures.” You wince as the pain got greater.

“Tch.” Feng Xin mumbled and picked you up like a potato bag gripping your thighs hard so you wouldn't fall as a blush made its way to your face.

“Is this necessary.?” You mumble.

“Yes.” He says holding your thighs even tighter ears going red.

[cecropiacrown]

May I Have This Dance?

When Feng Xin offers his hand out to Mu Qing, as if to ask him for a dance, the two generals of the South can feel the eyes on them. 

There are poorly concealed snickers and not so hushed whispers as those around them make bets on who will win the impending fight. They think it's a joke; of course they do. Just something General Nan Yang is doing to goad General Xuan Zhen into anger.

But much more is going on than meets the eye.

Mu Qing's heart hammers so loudly in his chest, he wonders if Feng Xin can hear it through their private communication array, which they both still lurk in. 

He was his normal cool and collected self when they had planned this, but Mu Qing's nerves have caught up with him now that they're finally following through.

Feng Xin had asked for permission to do this because of course he did, and when Mu Qing said yes, the two still waffled back and forth on how exactly they wanted it to go. Ultimately, Mu Qing gave Feng Xin permission to ask and here they are now, on display in front of everyone they know, about to do something no one will expect.

With as much nonchalance as he can muster, Mu Qing places his hand in Feng Xin's and lets himself be pulled to his feet and led to the dance floor.

The hushed murmur of the crowd has stilled and an air of confusion settles in around them. Mu Qing's hand is trembling, but the only one close enough to see that is Feng Xin, who gives him a reassuring squeeze and the most loving smile as his voice rings clear in Mu Qing's head.

“I have you, Mu Qing.”

Mu Qing returns the smile a bit nervously and responds in kind, “I know, Feng Xin. But everyone is staring.”

“Let them stare. Focus on me.”

And suddenly they're on the dance floor and everyone waits with bated breath, most of them certain this is an elaborate ploy on Mu Qing's end; something he's doing to catch his rival by surprise. Surely the fighting will break out soon, will it not?

But then General Nan Yang’s free hand finds its way to General Xuan Zhen’s waist and it all falls into place from there.

Their hands haven't parted since Mu Qing accepted the dance and they stay connected still as Feng Xin leads them into rhythm with the music. 

Mu Qing is quite a skilled dancer and Feng Xin isn't too bad himself, which makes sense, since Mu Qing was the one who taught him.

Still, Feng Xin trips over his feet just a little from the nerves he undoubtedly has and Mu Qing laughs. It's bright and unhindered and so very genuine. His eyes crinkle with the motion and suddenly he doesn't remember that everyone is staring. All he remembers are the many nights spent teaching Feng Xin how to step in time with the music and where to hold at Mu Qing's waist and then he's thinking of all the times they've kissed and then he can't help it--his entire heart is there in the smile he gives Feng Xin.

It doesn't matter that others are around because the grin on his face is for Feng Xin only, and any bystander can see that clear as day. 

Mu Qing lets his eyes close and presses his forehead to Feng Xin's and Feng Xin takes what he can get and pulls Mu Qing even closer. He doesn't need to open his eyes to know Feng Xin is smiling back at him. He feels the love radiate like the sun and he knows his face is flushed, but it feels so good he can't find it in himself to be embarrassed.

It's a bit dramatic and over the top to announce their relationship to all of heaven this way but, it suits them, doesn't it? And, truthfully, Mu Qing wouldn't have it any other way.

[double-rat]

TGCF Avatar Au

Okay guys bear with me here. Just sharing some loose thoughts on a Heaven Official's Blessing Avatar universe coupled with excerpts from our Sketchbook.

Okay so first of all, obviously Xie Lian is the Avatar because the avatars are loved and hated by the people they safe etc. But I thought for this, it's more of an idea where the avatar has to roam the Earth until they fulfill "their purpose" so Xie Lian has been partaking in different cultures as different men (Fang Xin style) for over a hundred years trying to find what he is here for.

Of course one day, he meets the last dragon that has survived all this time by taking the form of a man. Cheesy? I don't care.

They can bond over being hoarders and being centuries old/hunted by humanity.

Hua Cheng would definitely start off cheeky and "dangerous" but you know Xie Lian - he sees right through it.

Okay so yes I have a whole plot in mind that involves Pei Ming and Wudu and spirits and whatnot but that's not what we are here for today. Let's just skip to Feng Xin(Fire Bender) and Mu Qing(Water Bender) : basically, Feng Xin's family line has been entrusted with watching over and caring for a temple dedicated to the avatar/ the avatar's return but as time went on people stopped believing in the avatar but Feng Xin kept watching over the temple anyway - waiting. Mu Qing, on the other hand, believes spirituality is leaving their world and that man needs to fight for himself and not depend on heroes and legends.

Side note: I can't remember if it's a head canon or legit because im delusional but I like to pretend the Northern Water Tribe is so high and mighty and looks down on the Southern Water Tribe. Anyway, Mu Qing is def from the South but pretends to be from the North.

Okay while I'm here, I also want to mention that I loved Nan Feng and Fu Yao so much that in every AU I make, Nan Feng is Feng Xin's little brother and likewise with Fu Yao and Mu Qing. Because like... them as big brothers on top of everything else they have to deal with? Cry my eyes out.

[n3xxs]

ʚ𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛ɞ

Mu Qing x gender neutral! Reader.

Fluff, Angst

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Hello! I've been away since school started and yeah the whole education here where I live is shitty. But yeah Heaven Officials Blessing is like my new obsession but this fic is gonna take events a little after Xie Lian meets Mu Qing in the anime (donghua) so it's pretty much in the start and there'll be little to no spoilers! Hope you enjoy.

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One thing that was known for the crown prince of Xianle was that he tends to forget things that have hurt him in the past. Mu Qing was one of them. And he didn't think that could happen. Did it have to do something when he left him? He didn't know but something in his heart ached when he asked who he was but he remembed Feng Xin.

"Do you happen to know where Mu Qing is?" Another shaking of q persons head. And then another. And another. You haven't seen Mu Qing in 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔. You were starting to get worried for him and his health. You knew of the whole Xie Lian forgot who he was but you didn't know it affected him this much. Maybe because you didn't know why he was forgotten. Maybe you didn't know if he thought he was the one at fault like he always tends to think. That's why you wanted to find him. As his partner you wanted to be there for him and help him confront him and hold him in your arms. Hold him while he cried if he needed and let him talk about his problems as much as he wanted.

A few hours later you found one person who had seen him. He was in his chambers. Lucky for you you knew how to get inside via the key he gave you. When you opened the door you were met with darkness. Closed blinds and turned off lights. You turned on one and there you saw him. Mu Qing who was sitting on his bed with his head hung low. He really was beautiful even in this look. His hair disheveled and his clothes all wrinkly from moving too much. They closed the door and when they turned to look at him Mu Qing was already looking at them with clear eye bags under his light eyes. They came closer to him and sat down next to him putting a streak of hair behind his ear.

"I know what happened with Xie Lian but I don't think you should think too much of it. He just needed a little push that's it" You gave him a reassuring smile and he looked away from your face "It's not like that" his voice was raspy and could be heard clearly in the quiet room that they were in. She looked up at him and held his cheeks so he was now looking at them "Why are you getting so worked up over it? You don't have to its not like he hates you." He pushed your hands away "He forgot me!" He yelled and that left you speechless. You didn't expect that but you weren't gonna walk out. You countinued to stay quiet to see if he was gonna say anything else "I have hurted him before so now he forgot me but he remembered Feng Xin. Because he didn't hurt him while I did"

You felt bad for him. For what he thought. You knew Xie Lian didn't hate him. He actually wanted to be friends with him. Even if he did it was clear he was sorry. That he wanted to forgive himself but he just 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭. While you were deep in your thought you heard something. You turned your head and you were met with Mu Qings eyes. The same light eyes that's were always stern and weren't showing any kind of emotion were now at the verge of tears. Then you heard his question. "Are you gonna forget me too?" Your eyes widened. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦? How could you forget him? He was the love of your life. You had set your eyes on him from the moment he ascended into the heavens and you were together for more that a century. You could never forget him.

"My love that's impossible" You were again met with teary light eyes and a questioning expression. You giggled "I have loved you from the moment you ascended and I won't stop until something managed to kill me. Which last time I checked is impossible so you are stuck with me" You said proudly and you heard a small giggle looking at the direction of the sound you saw a now smiling and clearly happier Mu Qing. You smiled at him "Thanks my love". You ended up cuddling the whole night with his head either rested on you lap as you played with his bangs or you were cuddled in his arms. Before he and you dozed off to you he kissed you softly on the lips " Good night my love " and with that you both fell asleep in each other's arms.

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Ok so I know I could write more but I'm a bit out of form so excuse me. Also schoolwork is gonna kill me soon and with these extra lesson it like a bonus weight to the already too heavy for me weights. (Idk)

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[qirongsnumberonefan]

Random TGCF headcanons (x reader possibly)

Pei Ming:

MF sucks at cooking and burnt a house down making a salad.

He tries to use slang like rizz when describing himself

He has nice handwriting only when writing love letters

Has kissed a man before

Pei Ming has poled danced before when he got very drunk

Can run in heels

He is shorter than people think, he just wears platforms

He is somehow good with kids and lets them braid his hair

BEAUTIFUL EYE LASHES

He is good with makeup and uses it to cover his battle scars (He needs to be flawless)

He is a womanzier because he lacked attention by women growing up

He had an older sister (died)

Likes bears

Chipped tooth somewhere

The longest he had a gf or interest was 5 months 16: Ugly duckling while growing up Feng Xin and Mu Qing: 1. Feng Xin has scars and blushes and get all shy when you kiss them 2. Mu Qing hates cleaning because of the XIanle days, but he will hold a broom and clean for you, and only you. 3 .Feng Xin counts with his fingers and gets pissed when ppl talk about it 4. Mu Qing talks in his sleep 5. Feng Xin has a lazy eye 6. Mu Qing is VERY good with hair 7. Feng Xin PANICS when you have a period 8. Mu Qing is over prepared with Periods 9. Feng Xin sucks at kissing, but is good when drink 10. Mu Qing is good at kissing, but sucks when drunk 11. Feng Xin holds hands but no more PDA 12. Mu qing will hold your hand and give piggyback rides but nothing more (sometimes a peck on the cheek in non crowded areas)

Ling Wen

When she is stressed she grabs a paper and doodles, but she quickly hides them when done.

When she is dealing with annoying people so plays with strands of her hair or robes

Loves sweets

She has sore hands and wrists from the constant work

When she is working she lets you sit near her, lay your head on her lap, and sometimes even help with the easy stuff (She never wants to over work you)

VERY good at sewing, not cooking

Loves cold weather 9: Fav animal is a cat or bird

Falls asleep at her desk sometimes and wakes up with ink smudges on her face and paper

Secretly reads lesbian books

VERY VERY good at humming and singing

Loves holding you, not a fan of PDA though

Not good at taking care of herself, so loves it when you try to take care of her.

Loves quality time.

[tosaveaforest]

Merits. Xie Lian was low on merits again, which was nothing new, he had grown used to make a living by collecting scraps in the mortalrealm, it was something he enjoyed as it meant he was able to wander around and explore, connect with people and learn about new traditions and cultures. The world was an everchanging place and Xie Lian loved it, even though it didn’t love him back. He spent the last centuries as a scrap collector, a humble Daoist, and more often than not he ended up in trouble, both accidentally causing it or unknowingly walking into it. But he had been fine. There wasn’t much he needed, if only a bamboo mat and a roof over his head. He was also fine with sleeping beneath the stars, but under certain weather conditions a roof was nice nevertheless.

And even after he ascended for the third time, his favorite place to be was still the mortal realm. Whenever he tried to talk to any of the other Heavenly Officials they pretended not to hear him or if they actually talked to him there were a lot of snarky remarks and mean comments. He was used to it, but that didn’t mean it did not sting from time to time, and there also were Feng Xin and Mu Qing; former friends and companions from his past, now nothing more than strangers. Yes, Xie Lian preferred staying away from the Heavenly business as far as possible, but that didn’t stop Ling Wen and the Heavenly Emperor himself from trying to get the Crown Prince to socialize, or working to get his hands on more merits to make his life a little easier.

“There is a haunted forest and you want me to go investigate because people keep being murdered there? And you believe it is connected to the missing forest guardian? Hmm.”

Xie Lian tilted his head to the side, looking like he was contemplating things when it was already obvious he had no chance to decline, not when it was Jun Wu who asked him to solve this very mystery. Eventually he nodded, accepting the scroll Ling Wen offered him, taking a short glance at it before storing it away in his sleeve.

“Thank you, Ling Wen. I will go to the Nature Palace to ask about the missing guardian and then I will be on my way. I will stay in touch.”

Well, he would try to, but they both knew Xie Lian’s spiritual energy was very limited and it was prone to running out whenever he was in desperate need of contacting Ling Wen in the communication array. The Crown Prince smiled gently and then turned around to leave, making his way over to the part of the Capital that inhabited the palace of the Rain master and the rest of the nature gods and goddesses.

Xie Lian was genuinely surprised when he approached the Nature Palace. While everything was kept in gold like the rest of the city, this part was also incredibly green, with soft grass and trees bearing different fruits, looking ready to be harvested despite it being early spring. He curiously glanced around, but once he entered the Nature Palace he stopped a moment, being in complete awe with what he saw.

The atmosphere in the Nature Palace was calm and relaxing and the Officials walking around did not seem hostile at all, they looked at him with equal curiosity. Xie Lian tried not to stare too much, as he had never seen Officials and guardians like these before; most of them had hooves and their heads were crowned with all different shapes of horns and antlers. The Crown Prince found them all to be rather mesmerizing. He cleared his throat and then slowly stepped forward, he had been away from the Heavenly Court for so long and did not know who was in charge of this Palace, so he approached a lady official with a pair of antlers on the side of her head.

“Greetings. I am here to investigate a matter by the Emperor’s order, it is about a missing guardian from this Palace? Can you tell me more about that?”

[sunfiltersthroughwillowleaves]

had a tgcf and svsss crossover idea

ok so xie lian and hua cheng find this book (or whatever a book is in that universe) by an author named "airplane". wtf is an airplane anyways? so they start reading and its about a world a gajillion years in the future where there's paper that's made out of metal and it can change its image on will? and metal birds that carry people like swords except they're called airplanes and they're designed for the usage of many people at once??? why would the author name himself after that? chunks of metal with wheels that don't need horses???

"why dont they use cultivation" you ask, because there is none! so weird, right? anyways, they keep reading and there's so much stuff they call technology that's basically just magic. it's about an overpressured author who eats food that only needs water to be edible and sends his writing over an invisible spiderweb that covers the entire world. tbh, the author did a really bad job explaining all the "tech". overall a really stupid idea for a novel. xie lian honestly sorta likes it, but it's just wierd. the most odd part? these things keep coming out regularly. they're ridiculously long, and unlike other works from the same author, there's no sex scenes.

xie lian kinda likes it, and reads it every now and then cuddled up with hua cheng. hua cheng loves being next to xie lian, who giggles occasionally while reading, but hates the novel. somehow, shi qingxuan finds it, and shows it to ming yi, (shush leave me with my beefleaf) ming yi claims he doesn't like it but reads shi qingxuan's copy of that day's update every night. knows literally every detail, understands teh worldbuilding the best of anyone. feng xin and mu qing don't bother to read it, but they know a little about it.

one day, the next update is about someone who does something called a comment on his work. apparently, they do it a lot. and the character’s name is cucumber. who would name a character cucumber!? this author is weird. anyways the cucumber does a comment about a bunch of mean stuff critiquing the work and stuff. there are more than 3 pages of just mean commentings. the next page is about his metal paper. apparentlu, the metal paper can’t touch water, or else it poisons the water??? this makes no sense. not even ming yi can explain how it works. and then the main character touches the poison water? what a dumb character, remarks hua cheng.

main character wakes up in a cultivation world. apparentlhy main character was writing a story about this world? how dumb. hualien and beefleaf are crossing a road while reading this when a reckless cart driver is about to crash into them. hua cheng, obviously, obliterated the cart and its driver. problem solved! 

later that evening, when the four fall asleep, they don’t awaken (in those bodies, anyways). fengqing finds them, starts yelling their heads off, eventually brings their comatose bodies to ling wen, who shrugs and puts them in a drawer. 

meanwhile, hualien and beefleaf are reeling. they didn't get transferred into different bodies, but they are at a hospital. someone who looks vaguely like ling wen tells them that they were found half-dead under the seats of a funeral of some guy named shen jiu. weird. the nurse tries to charge them but, upon finding the only currency they have is merits, groans and lets them leave.  hua cheng rolls dice. nothing happens. 

xie lian asks where hua cheng’s butterflies are. hua cheng shrugs, but seems visibly on-edge. none of them are able to do cultivation when they try. people are looking at them weird. who the hell does cosplay in the middle of the street? some guy compliments xie lian and hua cheng on their tgcf cosplay. none of the four understand any of those words. someone asks to take a picture of them. take a picture? she pulls out a chunk of metal, holds it in front of their faces, presses next to them. oh, is it a mirror? but she clicks a white circle at the right of the rectangilar mirror, and it flashes bright white. hua cheng begins threatening her for daring to harm xie lian’s eyes, but xie lian apologetically gets him to back off.

the woman apologises and asks if they’re new to the area. shi qingxuan says yes, and she offers the four a place to stay. ming yi holds up his shovel, arguing that he could just dig a hole in the ground and sleep there. he has to be reminded that cultivation doesn’t work here.

back in the danmei world, airplane is no longer making money from his latest series, “an author without cultivation”! there were a few people buying it, but not anymore. they also tended to overpay wildly. airplane somehow pieces it together; (idk) ohhh they transferred to the human world. he convinces the system to let him and cucumber return to their world, but lbh protests. “where are you going shizun shizun dont leave me let me come with you shizun shizun come onnnnn shizunnnnnn” eventually they let him come too. mobei jun is ok with it as long as shang qinghua returns eventually. they transfer back to the human world, where cucumber finds himself in a coffin, at his own funeral. everyone is shocked when shen yuan sits up in his original body. people scream and shout and everyone is very happy, but cucumber barely remembers any of them. it’s been, like, twenty years. he can hardly remember his parents’ names. he smiles, laughs a little, rpetrends to know everyone, and then lbh arrives. through the window. pulls out an enormous sword. people then start screaming, because omg shen yuan’s enormous murder boyfriend is here. his parents scold him a little “why didn't you tell us you got a murder boyfriend” before getting yeeted into a wall. mmkay that’s happening now. luo bignhe and shen qingqiu spend their first day in the modern world in jail.

shang qinghua pays for their bail. apparently, they all arrived back to the modern world a day after sqq’s death, and a day before sqh’s. time travel? they don’t even know at this point. they manage to track down the other four by following a police report on a man in a red tunic and butterfly jewelry threatening a poor tgcf fan, witnesses report. (the woman wasnt even the one who ratted them out, it was the ugy who complimented them on their cosplays haha.) sqq and sqh share a look. that sounds like hua cheng, from tian guan ci fu! isn’t that a really popular danmei? lbh is just sitting next to them like a lost puppy, following them around, reminding shizun that he can tear anyone who dares question his authority to pieces. anyways they find the four. their conversation kinda goes like this.

sqq: hey are you xie lian?

hua cheng: who are you (the four are very concerned as they have never seen metal birds that make loud noises before)

lbh: how dare you threaten my husband

sqq and xie lian: binghe/san lang, calm down

sqq and xie lian make uncomfortable eye contact. woah. that guy also has an overprotective but lovable husband. neat. homosexuality.

xie lian:  yeah im xie lian, this is san lang, ming yi, and shi qingxuan

sqh: *looks at the other, nods* mmkay and are you familiar with the undiscovered gem of a series called “an author without cultivation”?

hua cheng and ming yi roll their eyes, the other two nod

sqx: yeah, what about it?

sqh: yeah, i’m the author! *waits for applause that never comes*

ming yi: so you know why we’re here?

sqq: well did you read it and hate it or somehting?

*lbh is still glaring at hua cheng. hua cheng is still glaring at lbh*

hua cheng: it was very easy to hate

sqh: *sqq laughs* shut up cucumber

ming yi: *snaps to attention* that was the name of one of your characters! peerless cucumber.

sqq: *laughing, elbows sqh* guess someone doesn’t hate it so much after all

*ming yi smacks him on the head with a shovel. lbh smacks ming yi on the head with his fist. they both pass out.*

sqx, catching ming yi: sorry about him, he can be a bit… (doesn’t finish)

sqh: yeah, no problem. my husband’s the same.

hua cheng: what?

sqh: *completely ignores him and moves on* okay so here’s what’s happening; i come from this world. i teleported to your world to do things accidentally after i died. then i stayed in your world and got a husband and started writing again and stuff.

xie lian: what things? and also you havent told us what you mena by we’re all gay. also why are giant metal birds your namesake?

sqh, swallowing: this is gonna take a while

they explain to the tgcf crew and stuff, and they end up grabbing an apartment. turns out, none of them know how to transfer htemselves back. also, they all appear to be human now. they appear the same, they’re all just human. sqh gets them a flat, and they all sleep on the floor.

ok i might update this later but who knows haha

[dandylions101]

Hmmm. Thinking about the Poly Xianle Quartet dynamics post, and I’ve been poking at Xie Lian and Feng Xin’s relationship post-canon. I mean obviously they will be in love, but I’m not sure about the co-dependency anymore. Actually I wonder if they try to fit together like the duo they were when they were younger and find out their edges don’t seem to match anymore. Xie Lian is not the bright, exuberant child anymore. Feng Xin is not the devoted shadow and quiet admirer anymore. Somewhere in between the fracturing of their relationship they both learned to be independent. I imagine that Xie Lian needs time to himself sometimes nowadays, and that’s not a surprise to anyone really. And Feng Xin also needs alone time now. He has days where he goes faring off on some mission. And he didn’t tell them anything besides that he was going. And well, Xie Lian is a little worried, cause this isn’t like his friend. But Mu Qing just shrugs when asked and says “he does that sometimes now”. Hua Cheng obviously doesn’t care much at this point, but does reassure his Gege with “I’m sure he’s not entirely useless at keeping himself alive”. And Ling Wen and the other heavenly officials don’t seem worried. And Xie Lian is finally and slowly coming to the realisation that this boy he’s known since they were children has changed more than he realised. So now I wonder if they actually aren’t codependent. I wonder if when asking Feng Xin to leave, Xie Lian didn’t realise he would be consigning both of them to learning how to be alone. Maybe it threw him off a little, before he observed his friend in that new quiet, steady way of his. It dawned on him that he didn’t mind this new Feng Xin. One that wasn’t a quiet shadow but was the Sun himself, demanding attention when he spoke and drawing everyone around him with his gravitational pull. One that people seek out advice and counsel from, respected and admired as the brilliant Martial God he became. A Feng Xin that was a leader in his own right, with an assortment of deputies he doted on relentlessly, who loved him fiercely and were just as loyal Feng Xin was. That when Xie Lian sent his friend from his side, Feng Xin found an opportunity to become so much more than just his right hand. And maybe in the dead of night, when thoughts of that time hunt him through his dreams, Xie Lian can find some comfort in that something good had come from it after all.

[isolatedbubble]

On Hua Cheng's individuality

Does Hua Cheng lack independence? I would say, yes, and purposefully so. However, it's more complicated than that.

HC considers it an honor what many readers criticize him for---that he literally dies and lives for this one person, "if your dream is to save the common people, my dream is only you."

BUT, for someone whose entire arc revolves around absolute dedication, HC surprisingly does have a strong sense of individuality, or to be more specific, independent thoughts, values and distinct personality traits aside from his devotion to XL.

In most cases, characters defined by romantic love & devotion lack individuality in the first place, and live vicariously through others, relying on love to find their inner sense of self, which I don't really consider a bad thing. HC is not like that; he does possess individuality, but he would forgo it instantly for XL.

HC's values were inspired by XL from the very start(otherwise it would be easy for him to turn into a more hostile person or just, you know, die at an early age out of despair), but he does not mirror XL, and is not afraid to speak his mind. For someone who considers devotion his top priority, HC's individuality is quite pronounced.

HC would never object to XL's decisions, except when XL is personally endangered. That said, he is crystal clear on what he personally considers right when their opinions differ: whether to save Mu Qing, how to run the gambling activities in Ghost City, the whole black water arc, etc. Furthermore, he does not hide his disdain for the Heavens throughout the entire story, even when XL could not possibly know why.

If this were one of those cliche love stories where the couple from different sides fall in love despite different values, TGCF would look genuinely creepy and unhealthy. This is because HC is unlike a normal person; he will not hesitate to sacrifice any sense of self he might have to serve XL's need, not even to earn his affection, just to make him feel better.

HC does smoothen his personality around XL; he is almost always playful and gentle, would never throw tantrums to XL under any circumstances. However, except for the initial "San Lang" facade where he approaches XL with his light and care-free side, HC does preserve whatever sense of self he has formed around XL. In the end, it's because XL loves HC for who he is, so he does not have to change any significant parts of himself after they reunite 800 years later.

When XL first got to know HC, his boundaries, gentleness, respect for HC's individuality and unspoken affection, make him unwilling to criticize anything about HC. As the affection grew deeper, XL's loves HC fully for who he is.

This intricate balance is hard to put into words, but I find it very fascinating.