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wangxianficrecs · 3 years

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Follower Recs

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Hello Mojo, hope you're doing well and that you had a good break! I wanted to signal boost the MDZS May Diaspora event collection on AO3, and point out my favorite fic from there: 归心似箭 | Longing to Go Home by dragongirlG! It's both tender and bittersweet and it features such mature writing. The author got some hate for it when it initially got posted so I wanted to counter that and give it some love instead! [Who would do such a thing?! @dragongirlg-fics I’m sorry that happened to you, and here, have *so many hugs!* I’ll try to do a thing just for the diaspora event, but meanwhile, I’ll just treat this as a follower rec.]

归心似箭 | Longing to Go Home

by dragongirlG (M, 8k, wangxian)

Summary: The destruction of the Yin Tiger Seal does not kill Wei Wuxian; it ages him instead. He takes shelter in a cave expecting to die, but instead he lives, slowly learning to embrace life with each new day.

Thirteen years later, a young man with a Lan forehead ribbon stumbles into the cave. His name is Lan Sizhui.

~*~

Hi Momjo!!! I recently read the most *adorable* fic, and I loved it so much that it dragged me out of seclusion (read: social anxiety cave) to rec it. It's called 'Covered in Bees' by ScarlettStorm in which the Cloud Recesses is an apiary, and Wei Wuxian has suddenly found himself host to a swarm of bees. ~ @akyra-talanoa

Covered in Bees

by ScarlettStorm (T, 8k, wangxian)

Summary: “Cloud Reccesses Apiary,” says a toneless, deep masculine voice, with zero question in it. Wei Ying doesn’t care, because whoever possesses that voice is probably going to come save him from bees like a fucking hero while wearing like, a suit of armor. That’s what you wear to catch bees, right?

“I have like, so many bees outside my front door right now,” he says, mouth running out ahead of him before he can even begin to think about reining it in. “It’s like a sandstorm of bees out there. There are so many bees. I got out of my car and there were just bees and I don’t want these bees. Do you want these bees? Please tell me you will come get these bees. I can’t leave my house and I have enough food for maybe a week but then I’m gonna have to learn how to cook dry beans and no one wants that, especially not me.” Wei Ying runs out of air, takes a breath, and belatedly adds, “My name is Wei Ying. Hi.”

Or: The beekeeping AU that no one asked for.

~*~

Hi, you are a bless to this fandom. Your blog feels like a library, so thoroughly arranged and always within hand reach. [Thank you, wow!] Recently, I was going through Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn is a Wēn tag and came across a fanfic, it has 3 chapters till now and is so intriguing that i thought to recommend it to you. I don't know if I can recommend or if you have already checked the story, The legendary Phoenix and his Dragon by Devipriya. I am in love with this story. I hope you will enjoy it too, do check it out

The legendary Phoenix and his Dragon

by Devipriya (T, 7k, wangxian)

Summary: Wen Wuxian, the essence of who he is, he is a naughty child, a prankster, an enchanting dizi player, a graceful dancer, an irresistible lover, a truly valiant warrior, a ruthless vanquisher of his foes, a man who left a broken heart in every home, an astute statesman and kingmaker, a thorough gentleman, a righteous individual of the highest order, and the most colorful incarnation.

He has been seen, perceived, understood and experienced in many different ways by different people. Different people saw different facets of who he is. For some, he is God. For some, he is a crook. For some, he is a lover. For some, he is a fighter. He is so many things.

But the phoenix, seen from the eyes of time was just a playful man. A man who plays with his awareness, with his imagination, with his memory, with his life, with his death. An individual who does not just dance with somebody. He dances with life. He dances with his enemy, He dances with the one he loves, He dances even at the moment of his death.

To taste an essence of who is Wen Wuxian, be with me in the journey of exploration, NO! playful exploration of life of a playful man.

~*~

Hi! Thanks for running this blog, it's helped me find so many fics. For your next follower recs post, I wanted to rec "This love like a flood, a fire, a fear" by natcat5. Its summary is vague (which I suspect is why it isn't better known) but it is a beautiful retelling of canon from LWJ's POV with slight canon divergence. I love the author's characterization of him and the prose is gorgeous. It is easily my favorite fic in the entire fandom, and I don't say that lightly. ~ @nyanja14

This love like a flood, a fire, a fear

by natcat5 (M, 57k, wangxian, lan wangji & lan xichen)

Summary: “I will love you as misfortune loves orphans, as fire loves innocence, and as justice loves to sit and watch everything go wrong.” - Lemony Snicket

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i came to this ask to rec this baseball one called "Waiting for Spring" by thievinghippo on ao3. It somehow made me care about baseball soooo 'nough said ~ @scifikimmi

Waiting for Spring

by thievinghippo (E, 131, wangxian)

Summary: “It is a well-known fact across the major leagues that one does not smack Lan Wangji’s ass.”

Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes. Everyone smacks everyone’s ass in baseball. It’s how the game is played. Lan Wangji does not get to be exempt from this most sacred of baseball traditions.

Wei Wuxian will make sure of that.

Or, a Major League Baseball AU

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hi mojo! i wanted to rec Something Good by boxoftheskyking (a loose sound of music/canon divergence au) and also MDZS: The Golden Engine by iffervescent (immortal wangxian modern au where they gotta solve a mystery and save china, featuring jiang cheng/lan xichen)

Something Good

by boxoftheskyking (T, 43k, wangxian)

Summary: "That Wei Wuxian, you know he used to be such a promising cultivator. Head Disciple of the Jiang Clan, can you believe it? You see, juniors, the punishment for traveling the path of demonic cultivation. No golden core, not so much as a whisper of spiritual power."

As a punishment for real and imagined crimes, Wei Wuxian is sentenced to work at Cloud Recesses as the lowest of servants. When a surprising reassignment lands him with eleven children to care for, everything changes again.

A Sound of Music AU

MDZS: The Golden Engine

by iffervescent (E, 82k, wangxian, xicheng)

Summary: In the modern era, immortals Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian return to Gusu. New evil and old friends + new friends and old evils.

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Hi Mojo! First of all let me just tell you that you are amazing and this blog is like a gift from the gods! Bless you and your endless patience and hard work. [Oh, thank you so much!] I know that you have just accepted follower recs and I have missed miserably but I still wanted to write and bring attention to a writer by the pseudo Xiao_Hua on ao3, I think they are quite good and I just recently found the account with so much content. If you do have the time to check them out, I'd rec catfish, my fox or the red ribbon.

The Red Ribbon

by Xiao_Hua (M, 21k, wangxian, TGCF crossover)

Summary: Wei WuXian died but not before saving HanGuang-Jun and A-Yuan, leaving so much more behind than just his ribbon.

My Fox

by Xiao_Hua (E, 13k, wangxian)

Summary: Once he headed to YiLing that all changed for him. His priorities have been mingled with and ordered in complete disarray even without him noticing as he was left heavily influenced by a creature.

Or one where Lan WangJi is a dragon-spirit and he finds his mate in the form of a fox.

Catfish

by Xiao_Hua (E, 15k, wangxian)

Summary: Wei WuXian has a common sense that believes it has a nine-to-five job while Lan WangJi finds that incredibly hot.

Or one where two catfish realise that neither of them truly catfished.

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Hi Mojo i'm recommending this amazing fic it is called song of joys and regrets. it's a time travel AU it's amazing. And your Blog is a Godsend Thank you! [Aw, you’re so sweet!] ~ @highgoddess

Song of Joy and Regrets

by HelloKitten (not rated, 59k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary: The Archery competition at Qishan this year has hit a snag. As the Sects face the wrongs perpetrated by their future selves, Wei Wuxian finds himself adopted by half of the cultivation world who are determined to save him from himself.

Baby Wangxian suffers. Adult Wangxian's job here is done.

"I'm starting to see a pattern to all his plans..." "Do they all involve him being bait?" "Yes" came deadpanned responses.

~*~

Here’s a 2021 Reverse Big Bang entry, in time for Father’s Day; [Oops, my bad, sorry!] Under a Blanket of Black Wings, by ChaoticAndrogynous (#31398395); LWJ, recuperating from the 33 lashes, tells A-Yuan a series of fairytales about a heroic monster and the brave little boy he befriended. Vampire! WWX (in the framing story as well as the story-within-the-story); happy ending.

Under a Blanket of Black Wings

by ChaoticAndrogynous (T, 19k, wangxian)

Summary: Lan Wangji tells A-Yuan a bedtime story about a beautiful monster and the brave little boy who was his friend. Thirteen years later, the monster returns.

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Hello Mojo! Have you read ‘Key Differences’ by Pupeez4eva? Its a MDZS!WWX meets CQL!WWX and its really good! [It’s on my list!]

Key Differences

by pupeez4eva (T, 6k, wangxian)

Summary: “I don’t understand,” Wei Wuxian said, while his alternate self continued to stare at him with almost a look of hurt in his eyes. There was longing in there too, which Wei Wuxian would have easily recognised if he paid enough attention. “How could you not get together, after everything. What even went on in the Guanyin Temple if you didn’t confess?”

“The Guanyin Temple,” Wei Ying repeated incredulously. “You’re asking me if I confessed at — honestly, a lot went on that day. It was a life and death situation. There was no confessing.”

Wei Wuxian stared at him, appalled.

(Wherein Wei Wuxian ends up meeting an alternate version of himself who, much to his horror, never married Lan Wangji. Obviously he has to do something to fix this).

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Hey Mojo i would recommend this fanfic if you already haven’t, it’s called “ take me back to a time “ by DizziDreams. It’s sooooo good

take me back to a time

by DizziDreams (T, 144k, wangxian, 3zun)

Summary: Wei Ying has a lot on his plate right now.

It’s finals week -- which isn’t so bad. He’s never had to study much to do well in classes. But that just means that things are that much more tense with Jiang Cheng, who, as far as Wei Ying can tell, only takes study breaks long enough to glare at Wei Ying where he sits on the couch playing video games.

It’s not studies that have Wei Ying stressed out. It’s everything else. It’s the recruitment for the research trial he’s coordinating. It’s jiejie and her impending marriage to His Royal Douchebag Jin Zixuan. It’s the volunteer work at the palliative care facility. It’s Wen Ning’s worsening condition. It’s Wen Qing working herself thin to care for her brother and Wen Yuan. It’s the way Wen Yuan never seems to have enough food.

So, yeah. There’s enough on Wei Ying’s plate already, meaning it’s not entirely welcome when he comes home and finds a man standing in his bedroom. A man in extravagant white robes, a ribbon tied around his forehead, long hair gathered into a topknot, fist clutching a sword at his side, who asks him, “Where am I?”

~*~

Idk if this has already been rec’d (I’ve been off the grid for a while now), but there’s this absolutely incredible fic called Restitution by an anon on ao3 people should definitely check out!

this one?

on restitution

by Anonymous (M, 78k, wangxian, jin ling & wei wuxian, lan sizhui & wei wuxian, WIP)

Summary: When Wei Wuxian regains consciousness, he is in a bed. A real, proper bed, not the slab he called a bed in his cave in the Burial Mounds.

Jiang Cheng is glowering above him.

Wei Wuxian doesn't die during the siege of the Burial Mounds. Rather, he is captured in secret and confined at Lotus Pier. Things change accordingly.

~*~

Hi momjo! I feel like every time I come to your blog there's twenty more new and amazing fics for me to read. Thank you for everything you do for this fandom! [Thank you, sweetie! And yes, I think there ARE 20 new fics every day out there in the fandom. It’s amazing!] Today I come bearing my own rec to you. I've recently read this and it's IMO one of the best fics out there. It's called Lapsteel by carriecmoney and it's a modern stormchaser AU featuring country songs and coming home. ~ @manaika-chan

Lapsteel

by carriecmoney (T, 42k, wangxian)

Summary: Now and then, I think about you now and then...

It's been thirteen years since Wei Ying ran for the prairies, leaving behind a family in shambles and a secret on the Pacific wind. What happens when the storm he swirled catches up to him?

Modern AU with country music star Lan Zhan, stormchaser Wei Ying, and shared crossroads.

~*~

#wangxian fic rec #follower recs #wangxian #mdzs #the untamed #follower rec #I HAVEN'T READ THESE YET

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oceanspirit9 · 3 years

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PROMOTE SHANG-CHI, YOU COWARDS!

I just came across a post that said Shang-Chi isn’t even trending. On its opening day. And I am speechless.

After seeing it last night and leaving the theatre completely awe-struck, I, as a devoted Marvel fan, just have to speak up on this.

Some Spoilers Ahead

First off, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is a visual masterpiece, rooted in symbolism and folklore. There isn’t a single setting that does not envelop you, from cozying up for breakfast at Katy’s and cruising down the so very picturesque backdrop of San Francisco, through the bustling neon cyberpunk dystopia of Macao, to the glorious effervescent hidden heaven that is Ta Lo.

Tales. So many of them. Tales of war, tales of peace, tales of honour and betrayal, of love and deception. Of family and tradition. Oh, to have grown up with legends of the bravery of scaly fire-breathing Tianlong, of the grace and wisdom of the jiuweihu (or as we’ve come to know it, the nine-tailed fox), of the might and perseverance of the guardian shi (the traditional Chinese lion). Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is kind to the spirits, allowing you to fall in love and lust for more.

Family, as it is deeply rooted in the Chinese (and generally Asian) culture, is the focal point. However, not in a bland, obvious or tedious way. Yes, the family as a private unit is there, a beautiful bond strong and desired enough to give up immortality for. However, family can also be a friend, or a tribe of graceful peace-seeking warriors. Family can be a faceless spirit in a secret dungeon. Family is a concept, entirely built on love and trust, and on respect. And family pushes through, family stays together and fights for one another.

Fight sequences. Sharp, brilliant, cut-throat, fast-paced and never boring. I gasped when I learned that Simu Liu has knowledge of taekwondo, gymnastics and Wing Chun, tai chi, wushu, Muay Thai, silat, Krav Maga, jiu-jitsu, boxing and street fighting. Martial arts are, in my humble opinion, one of the most stunning visuals one could make use of in a movie.

The weaponry - exquisite. The staffs, swords, daggers, arrows, and tons of them, were absolutely glorious.

The characters.

Shang-Chi, with his brilliantly devised American alias of Shaun, is a rather complex individual, although it may not appear as so at first glance. Because Shaun is a goof, a loving, respectable, brave cinnamon roll of a man, who also struggles with his past mistakes. Simu Liu is a charmer, a lovable nerd, a treasure. He just lights up a room, on or off-screen.

Awkwafina is iconic, I think we’ve already established that. She encapsulates this wild spirit and translates it into the bestfriend we all deserve. Yet she isn’t without depth, for she is also capable of being a full-fledged warrior.

Meng'er Zhang is a badass, but not one without values. She does what she does not simply out of spite or for revenge. She is intelligent, calculating, but also full of love, for her brother, for Ta Lo, for all of those who have been wronged. She gives Xialing the qualities of a true girl-boss, a leader, and masterfully at that.

Michelle Yeoh portrays Jiang Nan with such ease, as if peace and tranquility are her second skin. Jiang Nan is a graceful leader who knows her worth and knows how to instill respect in others. But she is also a woman with a delightful sense of responsibility, of belonging, of righteousness.

Tony Leung. Legendary. Being the bad guy isn’t easy. Yet he makes it appear so. Tony Leung shows us how important it is to bow down in the face of love, that no might is stronger than that of the purity of that emotion, that violence is never the answer.

Fala Chen. A kind, nurturing badass. The woman with the power to tame evil. Wenwu did not fall for her based on her looks. He saw in front of him a fighter, graceful and elegant and peaceful, yet strong enough to take him down without breaking a sweat. Ying Li is the epitome of a woman, one willing to do whatever it takes, be it to engage in a pre-determined fight and sacrifice herself for those she loves.

Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Tony Leung and every single cast member deserve so much respect, for what they are and for what they represent. Because the representation in this movie is phenomenal. I wish for all the little kids to recognize themselves in any one of the heroes on the screen, to know that they are not alone and that they matter.

Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings has been compared to Black Panther in its impact. And rightfully so. When something is done right, it shows.

Thank you, Shang-Chi for taking a stand.

Now, it’s our turn guys. Let’s give Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings the love, hype and recognition it deserves! 🐉❤

#shang-chi #shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings #simu liu #awkwafina #tony leung #michelle yeoh #meng'er zhang #shang-chi spoilers #marvel #mcu phase 4

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writerkatsblog · 2 years

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Do you think Chase's crow hates Hannibal's Ying-Ying bird as much as Chase hates Hannibal? Which of them would win in a quote-unquote cockfight?

Any enemy of Chase's is an enemy of theirs for sure. I love the idea of animal sidekicks having as big of a grudge against the rivals animal sidekick as their owner. And I bet being by his side constantly the crow would develop a special dislike for Ying-Ying among the other warriors.

In a fight... Hm..Hmm... Ying-Ying seems like it would have more power under its wing. But the crow would probably do the corvid thing and flit around to yank its feathers.

But also the crow can turn into a tiger so RIP to Ying-Ying if it does that in the fight.

#xiaolin showdown #fallen warriors #ying ying

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains some minor spoilers for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

In the pages of Marvel Comics, Shang-Chi is known as the “Master of Kung Fu.” So when Marvel Studios announced the character to help usher in MCU Phase 4, the one thought on every fan’s mind was that whoever gets cast in the lead role better really know Kung Fu.

In the wake of Netflix’s Iron Fist, Marvel’s other Kung Fu master, there was a lot of skepticism. Marvel had scored with the previous Netflix series Daredevil, which delivered some of the best small screen fight choreography we’d ever seen. But Iron Fist was sorely lacking. Finn Jones just couldn’t sell a punch as Danny Rand, leaving fans of Marvel martial arts masters overwhelmingly disappointed. If there’s one thing that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had to nail, it was the Kung Fu.

Like Jones, Simu Liu had little martial arts experience before taking on the role of Shang-Chi. However, he already had the physique, so much so that appearing shirtless was a running joke when he played Jung in Kim’s Convenience. What’s more, Liu bulked up, added 10 more pounds of muscle while training for the film.

Unlike a character like Daredevil, Shang-Chi doesn’t wear a mask, so Liu had to quickly pick up enough cinematic Kung Fu to appear masterful on screen. Fortunately, he was backed by a top-notch team of stuntmen and surrounded with a cast of veteran film fighters including Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Star Trek: Discovery), Tony Leung (Hero, The Grandmaster), Yuen Wah (Kung Fu Hustle), Florian Munteanu (Creed II), Andy Le (The Paper Tigers), and others. Even though Liu was new to Kung Fu, he carries the action scenes with panache.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not only a good Marvel movie, it’s a good Kung Fu movie. It has the best fight scenes seen in the MCU so far. And although the movie doesn’t get bogged down in the specifics of Kung Fu style, there are telling nods throughout the film that shows the filmmakers knew their Kung Fu too. “We knew the martial arts had to be authentic,” says Director Destin Daniel Cretton. “In order for that to feel real, we worked with people who understood Chinese Kung Fu.”

Let’s take a look at some of the Kung Fu roots and martial arts Easter Eggs underlying Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsdone..

The Ten Rings are Real…Kind of

Wenwu (Tony Leung) is the villain of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and he wields ten magical rings that he wears on his forearms. These are the source of his power, as well as the name of his criminal organization. The origin of these rings is a prevailing mystery in the movie; however, their inspiration is not.

Traditional Kung Fu practitioners use rings akin to these while training, particularly in Southern Chinese styles. Such rings are called tit waan in Cantonese, which literally means “iron rings” or “iron bracelets.” Iron rings are constructed of heavy metal, typically brass or steel, and are worn loosely on the forearms when practicing solo forms and doing arm drills.

They serve two purposes. Firstly, they are heavy, usually weighing over a pound a piece, so they act like wrist weights. Secondly, unlike Wenwu’s magical rings which conform to fit his forearms perfectly, real iron rings are looser. They must be narrow enough so that they stay on when the practitioner makes a fist, but they are far from form fitting. This gives them play to bang against the practitioner’s forearms when they are shadowboxing. The banging conditions the user’s forearms, hardening them to withstand the impact of blocking. Some iron ring practitioners have forearms that are so tough they can severely damage an adversary’s punch with their ring-hardened blocks.

Although iron rings are not conventionally considered as weapons, Kung Fu practitioners have figured out ways to weaponize just about everything. Some wield iron rings like brass knuckles, holding them in their fists for punching.

Kung Fu Hustle

Weaponized iron rings are used in the 2004 comedy Kung Fu Hustle. The character Tailor (Chiu Chi Ling) fights with them. Chiu is a genuine master of Hung Ga Kung Fu, a southern style that uses iron ring training extensively.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton claims that Kung Fu Hustle is one of his favorite martial arts movies so there are other nods to it in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, including when a Kung Fu Hustle poster can be seen on a bedroom wall in the background. What’s more, Yuen Wah also appears as the warrior leader of Ta Lo who oversees Katy’s (Awkwafina) archery training. Yuen played the Landlord in Kung Fu Hustle and is a veteran martial arts actor with nearly 200 film credits. He is also the Kung Fu brother of Jackie Chan.

Yuen Qiu, who plays the Landlady in Kung Fu Hustle is a mutual Kung Fu sibling. Jackie, Yuen Wah and Yuen Qiu were all pupils of Yu Jim-Yuen, a master of Chinese opera who trained them all from childhood. They all took stage names that included the “Yuen” part of their master’s name (Jackie Chan was known as Yuen Lau as a child). Others among that troupe were many of the movers and shakers of Hong Kong’s golden age of Kung Fu films, such as Sammo Hung (a.k.a. Yuen Lung) and famed action choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill).

Tiger Head Hooks

The signature weapons of the Ten Rings are Tiger Head Hooks. These are those black glowing hooked swords that the gang members wield. They also appear on the Ten Rings banner. It’s an excellent choice because Tiger Head Hooks are one of the most distinctively Kung Fu weapons of all.

In Chinese, these are called Hu tou shuang gou, which literally means “Tiger head paired hooks.” “Paired” because they are typically used in pairs. Sometimes they are just translated as Hook Swords. They have a sword blade with a hooked tip, a crescent-shaped blade for a knuckle guard, and a dagger blade for a pommel. Every edge is sharp. The only place they are not sharp is the handle. This makes them very difficult to wield. Consequently, Tiger Hooks are considered an advanced Kung Fu weapon.

The reference book Ancient Chinese Weapons by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming dates Tiger Head hooks back to China’s Spring Autumn Period (771-476 BCE), however those ancient hooks likely took on a different form. The modern style of Tiger Head hooks as seen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings rose to prominence around the 1800s. They are still practiced today, mostly by Northern schools of Kung Fu.

What Style of Kung Fu Does Shang-Chi Practice?

Kung Fu is renowned for its diverse collection of styles like Shaolin, Wing Chun, Tiger style, and countless others. There’s even Drunken style and Toad style. In the movie, Shang-Chi doesn’t adopt a particular style of Kung Fu. Some of his moves have characteristics of Wing Chun or Bajiquan, but there’s nothing in the choreography to indicate a very specific style.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The warriors of Ta Lo are different. While their style is not explicit, their peacekeeping philosophy is expressed through the soft, internal styles of Kung Fu like Tai Chi. When Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh) schools Shang-Chi in their first match, it’s reminiscent of how airbending is depicted in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

However, the connection is deeper than that. Despite its fantasy elements, Avatar based its martial arts sequences on authentic Kung Fu by mo-capping Sifu Kisu, a renowned martial arts master. Kisu designated specific styles for each school of bending. Airbending was based upon an internal style of Kung Fu known as Baguazhang, or Eight Diagram Palm. Like Tai Chi, it has a soft expression. It relies on circular movements and pivoting evasions. Several of Yeoh’s techniques are plucked straight out of Baguazhang.

The Masters Behind Shang-Chi’s Martial Arts

Credit for Shang-Chi’s Kung Fu authenticity falls on the film’s top notch stunt team. Two are leading graduates of the legendary Jackie Chan Stunt Team. The fight on the hi-rise scaffolding is a homage to Jackie’s parkour-inspiring choreography. Andy Cheng worked on around half a dozen of Jackie’s films including his first two Rush Hour films, Shanghai Noon, The Tuxedo, and Who Am I? where Jackie does one of his all-time greatest stunts, sliding down the Willemswerf skyscraper in Rotterdam. He was also the action director for Into the Badlands. When Jackie inevitably stepped back from doing his own stunts, Cheng stepped in for him.

“We were very concerned [about Kung Fu] from the very beginning,” says Cretton. “Marvel was also concerned and wanted to get it right. [They] knew that Marvel fans, wouldn’t have let it slide if we did a Hollywood version of a whitewashed Kung Fu movie. To be able to, we brought in Brad Allan.” Brad Allan was the first non-Asian to make Jackie’s stunt team. He also worked on around a dozen of Jackie’s films (this is approximate because stunt work wasn’t always credited).

Who Was Brad Allan?

You can’t miss the credits in any MCU film. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there’s a prominent dedication to Allan at the very end. Tragically, on August 7th, 2021, Brad Allan died unexpectantly at the early age of 48, sending the martial arts world reeling from the loss of one of its brightest stars. Beyond Shang-Chi, Allan leaves behind an exemplary legacy of action films where he served as the Second Unit Director including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Cuban Fury, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the Kingsman trilogy.

Allan was obsessed with the martial arts from childhood and rose to compete internationally in Wushu, representing Australia where he was born and raised. Through a chance encounter, he was able to demonstrate his skills to Jackie, and Jackie liked what he saw so much that he took Allan under his wing.

In 1999, Allan played Alan, the villain in Jackie’s film Gorgeous, which coincidentally also stars Tony Leung. With Allan clad in black and Jackie in white, their finale fight is, well, it’s gorgeous. It’s two of the greatest masters of the craft delivering top notch fight choreography. Allan spent most of his career modestly behind the scenes, so Gorgeous is the outstanding example of his speed and agility. It’s heartbreaking that Allan didn’t get to see the premiere of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Allan’s final work will be seen in The King’s Man later this year.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is now playing in theaters.

The post The Real Martial Arts Behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/38AEQ5t

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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veliseraptor · 4 years

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Hey Lise, I was wondering if you could maybe just give me a quick and dirty synopsis of The Untamed characters? I really like your fics and wanna read them, but I have NO idea who anyone is hahaha

I was gonna like. Link to someone else’s rundown of this, but then I decided it might be fun to write my own, which was a mistake. But I make all kinds of mistakes! So unsurprising.

This is going to, by virtue of being a character overview, contain spoilers, so if you think you’re gonna want to watch and want to avoid spoilers then watch out for that. This is also broken down by sect because that makes it easier.

The degree to which I explain the plot here varies wildly and I’m not actually sure how coherent it is. If you want a more detailed rundown that has pictures and shit and also other information, see here; also some of these characters have more than one name, which I’ve noted where the usage of multiple names is likely to pop up in fic.

This is very much QUICK and DIRTY and NOT COMPREHENSIVE, just to underline that a few times. It’s also show focused rather than novel focused, because that’s most of the canon I’m working with. I have also not translated titles here (Hanguang-jun, Zewu-jun etc.) because they just sound better untranslated.

THE JIANG SECT

Wei Wuxian: Also known as Wei Ying or (if you’re nasty) the Yiling Patriarch. One of the two main characters of the show. He died (killed himself) in disgrace, universally reviled as evil, but it’s okay, he got better. Or rather, his soul got swapped into the body of a man named Mo Xuanyu, whose life really sucked and who almost never gets acknowledged by the narrative. Sunshine boy on the outside, but it’s complicated.

Sort of invented necromancy, or at least perfected it. Will kill you with his magic ghost flute, but mostly only if you deserve it. Mostly. Self-sacrificing to a fault due to basement level self-worth and a tendency to believe that he can handle things other people can’t. Swapped out his ability to do magic to keep his brother alive via nonconsensual surgery. This had a lot of somewhat unexpected consequences, it turns out. Got thrown into a very bad place called the Burial Mounds and came out with new powers and a whole new pile of trauma.

Rescues the Wen remnants from being killed in a prison camp after the war against the Wen Sect; this is not a popular move. Founds a commune with them in the aforementioned Burial Grounds. Also raises Wen Ning from the not-dead.

Adopted older brother (ish) to Jiang Cheng and younger brother to Jiang Yanli, adopted father to Lan Sizhui, eventual husband to Lan Wangji (at least according to novel canon and many, many post-canon fics).

Jiang Cheng: Also known as Jiang Wanyin, but only if he’s being a little bitch. He technically has a title (Sandu Shengshou) but I don’t remember if it’s ever actually used in the show. The youngest of the triad of Yunmeng Siblings (Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Yanli), and possibly the most dysfunctional. Expresses all his feelings as anger, and he has a lot of feelings. Abandonment issues and inferiority complex the size of the lake that he grew up on. His entire family died and it fucked him up pretty bad, along with all the other terrible shit that happened. 100% Slytherin especially in terms of “protect my own people first and probably nobody else second.”

Adopted younger brother to Wei Wuxian, biological younger brother to Jiang Yanli. Uncle to Jin Ling (see below).

Jiang Yanli: I’ll take “oldest daughter who doubled as parent figure” for 500, Alex. Jiang Yanli is relatively quiet and mild-mannered but she loves her brothers very much and will throw down for them in a pinch. Tends to wilt in the face of people treating her poorly; not very good at standing up for herself. A professional at taking care of other people and not herself (Wei Wuxian and she have this in common!). She dies and it really does a number on her siblings.

Oldest sister of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, wife of Jin Zixuan, mother of Jin Ling.

Jiang Fengmian & Yu Ziyuan: Parents of Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng and source of the above’s dysfunction, in a lot of ways. Jiang Fengmian plays favorites (with his adopted son Wei Wuxian) and takes out his feelings about his wife (complicated) by ignoring Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli. Madame Yu is straight up abusive; physically of Wei Wuxian, emotionally of everyone else. In her first appearance she walks into dinner and specifically targets everyone’s weak spots, demolishing three children emotionally in about two minutes, then leaves.

This family! It’s a disaster.

THE LAN SECT

Lan Wangji: Also known as Lan Zhan or Hanguang-jun. The other main character. Has a reputation for being very upright and righteous and rule-abiding; is that, sort of, but also kind of a socially awkward, deeply lonely boy who is trying to be a good person and thinks he can get there by following the right rules. Eventually figures out that’s not how it works. Doesn’t make friends easily but when he loves someone it is with all 500% of his heart.

His circle of people is very small, though. It’s kind of just two: his brother and Wei Wuxian. That’s all! Lan Wangji could use some friends, maybe.

He’s good! Also learns to rebel when appropriate, and “appropriate” especially involves things having to do with Wei Wuxian, for whom he will do just about anything, at least after he comes back from the dead. Before that it’s a little harder.

Younger brother of Lan Xichen, nephew of Lan Qiren, adopted father of Lan Sizhui, eventual husband to Wei Wuxian (see above).

Lan Xichen: Also known as Zewu-jun. He does have a birth name (everyone does!) but it doesn’t get used in canon. Also parented his younger brother (there’s a lot of sibling parents in this show!). Is the peacemaker, does not like conflict, diplomatic to a fault. Noticed how everyone else is very quick to jump to conclusions and decided he has to take all of the giving of the benefit of the doubt and good faith and “let’s wait and see and not jump to murder” because no one else is going to.

People in fandom give him a lot of shit for being stupid but he is not! He is just conflict-averse and cautious and inclined to reserve judgment on people. It just turns out that he happens to place his faith in the wrong person, which is to say Jin Guangyao. It does not work out. He ends up getting tricked/manipulated into killing Jin Guangyao by Nie Huaisang, and is about to stay and die with him when Jin Guangyao surprise pushes him away and thus saves his life.

At least one of the Lan brothers gets a happy ending!

Older brother of Lan Wangji, nephew of Lan Qiren, sworn brother/boyfriend of Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue.

Lan Qiren: Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen’s uncle who essentially raised them due to family dysfunction involving a mother who was basically on house arrest (because she killed someone??? not sure what happened there, information minimal) and their father seems to have been absent, and both died before series start. Rigid and hidebound, very much not a Wei Wuxian fan, very strict with both the Lan brothers and sometimes that involves corporal punishment and yelling.

There are no good parents or parent figures in this series.

Uncle to Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen.

Lan Sizhui: Also known as A-Yuan / Wen Yuan. Originally a Wen kid, first adopted by Wei Wuxian when he founded the commune with the Wen remnants, then adopted by Lan Wangji when everyone in his family was killed and also Wei Wuxian. Grew up a Lan with no memory of his past. Lan Sizhui has two dads.

Cousin/brother (??) to Wen Ning and Wen Qing, adopted son of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.

Lan Jingyi: Sassmaster extraordinaire; the Lan kid who gets to say everything the rest of the Lans are holding back. Of the younger generation quartet formed by him, Lan Sizhui, Ouyang Zizhen, and Jin Ling. If a Lan kid in a scene is sassing someone, it’s Jingyi.

THE NIE SECT

Nie Mingjue: Also known as Chifeng-zun. Very strong opinions about right and wrong with not a whole lot of room for nuance. Formidable warrior. Anger issues, also daddy issues but we don’t get into those as much. Not exactly the friendliest of fellows but it’s not completely his fault, he’s being gradually poisoned by the malevolence of his own weapon. It’s a thing. Dies as a result of being poisoned by evil music courtesy of Jin Guangyao.

Sworn brother/boyfriend to Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao. Older brother of Nie Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang: Mastermind (sort of) of questionable morality, sometimes in order to get revenge for the murder of your older brother you have to wait ten years while building up a reputation as someone utterly useless, then get your old best friend resurrected as part of a series of dominoes meant to demolish your brother’s murderer’s entire life and reputation. Loves art and fans, not a fan of losing his mind to violent sabers as is traditional for the Nie Sect. Smarter than he wants you to think he is, and also just really good at winging it.

Younger brother of Nie Mingjue.

THE JIN SECT

Jin Guangshan: The actual worst. Sect Leader for the first half of the show. Should’ve been kicked down several sets of stairs; the world would’ve been a better place.

Father of Jin Zixuan, Jin Guangyao, Mo Xuanyu, and too many other bastards to list. Possibly Jin Zixun? I’m not clear on that.

Jin Zixuan: Disaster Straight. He comes off as aloof and arrogant but partly this is because he’s just really bad at interacting with people and incredibly awkward. Eventually marries Jiang Yanli after failing to express his feelings for 26 episodes. Shortly thereafter ends up dying when he’s fisted by Wen Ning (through the chest, you filthy animal).

Husband of Jiang Yanli, father of Jin Ling.

Jin Zixun: The other actual worst. When Jin Zixun is having fun no one else is, and when Jin Zixun is not having fun no one else is either. Just generally a tool. As far as I can tell has no redeeming qualities. His ambush of Wei Wuxian provokes the rolling disaster that results ultimately in the deaths of (in order) Jin Zixuan, Wen Qing, Jiang Yanli, and Wei Wuxian.

Cousin of Jin Zixuan.

Jin Guangyao: Also known as Meng Yao and Lianfang-zun, the former before he gets promoted by his absolute bastard of a dad. He’s complicated! A good boy, also responsible for a lot of the bad things that happen, with varying degrees of culpability depending on who you ask. Son of a (in everyone’s words, ever) prostitute, and he’s really got a problem with it. Made some valid points but also got possibly too much revenge on people who hurt him, including some preemptive revenge on people who might have. Does a lot of murder but mostly via other people or evil music. Gets kicked down the stairs twice, which if you ask me is a pretty good reason to be kinda worked up about things.

His hat is very silly and I will not pretend otherwise.

Dies at the end and it’s real sad, if you ask me. Incredibly gay for Lan Xichen, and who can blame him?

Son of Jin Guangshan, half brother of Jin Zixuan, sworn brother/boyfriend of Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue.

Jin Ling: Part of the quartet of juniors including Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and Ouyang Zizhen. A mess of a child. (Half)-raised by Jiang Cheng and it shows. Spoiled brat but also just like. Brimming with loneliness and desperation for someone’s approval.

Son of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, grandson of Jin Guangshan, nephew of Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangyao (and Wei Wuxian, and Mo Xuanyu, and too many other bastards to name, he’s got a lot of uncles).

Mianmian / Luo Qingyang: Mostly known as Mianmian, which is her nickname. She’s technically a servant but Jin Zixuan is her best friend. Ditches the Jin Sect when they start being jackasses about Wei Wuxian in a seriously epic mic drop moment. Actually lives to the end of the show which makes one female character!

THE WEN SECT

Wen Ruohan: The first Big Bad of the show. Pursuing world domination by the power of the Yin Iron, aka evil metal that lets you control corpses. It doesn’t go well for him.

Dies at the hands of Jin Guangyao - going, at the time, by Meng Yao.

Father of Wen Xu and Wen Chao.

Wen Xu: The oldest son of Wen Ruohan; he barely appears but he does exist. Or did, he doesn’t make it very long.

Wen Chao: Absolute worm of a human being. Like Draco Malfoy in early Harry Potter, but with more killing people. Dies an absolutely horrifying death courtesy of Wei Wuxian, but he did throw Wei Wuxian into a place he was supposed to horribly die in, so I don’t feel that bad for him.

Younger son of Wen Ruohan.

Wen Qing: Incredibly gifted physician, can probably fix anything, including transferring a golden core from one person to another which no one has ever done before. (That’s how Wei Wuxian’s ended up in Jiang Cheng.) Starts out as determinedly loyal to Wen Ruohan basically to protect Wen Ning and keep him safe, but keeps ending up helping our protagonists basically against her better judgment. This does not earn her any points with the Wens, and being a Wen does not earn her any points with anyone else.

Ends up getting swept up by Wei Wuxian when he finds her destitute in the street and they charge off to save her brother together. Subsequently lives in the Burial Mounds commune up until things go to shit and she goes to give herself up with Wen Ning in the hopes of mitigating damage after Jin Zixuan dies. She is executed.

Has a non-thing with Jiang Cheng because they’re very alike in ways that mean that, under the circumstances, they keep missing each other.

Older sister of Wen Ning, sister/cousin (??) of Lan Sizhui, adopted older sister of Wei Wuxian, sort of.

Wen Ning: Also known as Wen Qionglin, but like, once in canon. So you probably won’t see it much. Neither he nor his sister are actually related to Wen Ruohan - they’re from a branch of the family but serve him. Wen Ning doesn’t get to have a lot of nice things. He saves Wei Wuxian’s life (after Wei Wuxian saves his), and (along with Wen Qing) helps get Jiang Cheng out when he was captured by the Wens and protects Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Yanli after their family and sect are killed.

After the Sunshot Campaign he is killed by Jin cultivators (or almost, it’s complicated) but brought back to unlife by Wei Wuxian. Unfortunately this makes him vulnerable to control to make him do things like, say, kill Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun. He and Wen Qing go to be presumably executed in an attempt to mitigate the damage to Wei Wuxian/maybe?? save his life; Wen Ning gets kept in a dungeon for sixteen years and comes back when Wei Wuxian does.

Younger brother of Wen Qing. brother/cousin (??) of Lan Sizhui, adopted younger brother of Wei Wuxian, sort of.

Wen Zhuliu: Mysterious assassin/bodyguard of the Wens, we know almost nothing about his backstory save that he owes them some kind of debt and he and Yu Ziyuan seem to have some kind of history. The main thing is that he’s capable of destroying the golden core of cultivators, aka rendering them an ordinary person devoid of special powers, forever. Gets killed by Jiang Cheng, whose golden core he destroyed.

Various Wen Remnants: You don’t get a lot of individual characterization from these folks - basically they are the remains of the Wen Sect after the Wen Sect is defeated in the war (called the Sunshot Campaign) that forms the arc of the first part of the show. Pretty much everyone wants them dead. Wei Wuxian rescues them and takes them off to the Burial Mounds, where no one else wants to go, and builds a commune with them, which works for a while until it doesn’t anymore.

They all die. It’s bad.

YI CITY CREW

These got long because I felt like I had to explain more about plot stuff.

Xue Yang: The gremlin! Will cheerfully murder just about anyone at the drop of a hat, he doesn’t really need a reason. Driven initially by a revenge quest for the guy who crushed his finger when he was seven; he kills his whole family, which is a reasonable response when you think of your own life as worth significantly more than anyone else’s. Subsequently and also during fixated on Xiao Xingchen. Kind of a genius?? but he’s pretty low key about it.

Really involved with the plot in a lot of weird ways. Introduced Wen Ruohan to the Yin Iron and taught him how it functioned-ish, worked with Jin Guangyao for a while on necromancy stuff, after the inevitable betrayal ended up getting picked up by a now blind Xiao Xingchen (more on that later) and a-Qing, and lived with them in domestic semi-bliss for three years while also tricking Xiao Xingchen into murdering a lot of people, up to and including his sort-of-ex-boyfriend Song Lan. Turned Song Lan into a zombie, sort of. Fell apart when Xiao Xingchen died (killed himself, on account of Xue Yang demolishing his entire life, whoops) and spent the next decade or so trying to bring him back from the dead.

Dies messily, as you might guess, and I’m still sad about it.

Xiao Xingchen: Grew up on a secret mountain isolated from the rest of society, came down from the secret mountain to help make the world a better place, it really does not work out for him. Travels around for a while being best friends/boyfriends with Song Lan, getting poetry written about him; unfortunately then he and Xue Yang run into each other which is widely regarded as a bad move. Things get messy, Xiao Xingchen ends up with his eyes in Song Lan’s head and blind, he adopts a teenage con artist (see below) and rescues Xue Yang (who he doesn’t know is Xue Yang).

Three years of domestic bliss (sort of) ensue, with the wrinkle that while Xiao Xingchen’s sword Shuanghua can sense corpses so he can still hunt things, it has a glitch where sometimes the corpses it senses are in fact living people that Xue Yang has poisoned and cut out their tongues. Whoops.

After he kills Song Lan (whoops), Xiao Xingchen finds out from a-Qing who he’s been living with and, uh, is upset about it. Xue Yang drops the bomb of “oh yeah so you’ve been killing people this whole time and also! yeah! killed Song Lan too! eyyyy” upon which Xiao Xingchen, his entire world wrecked, kills himself and shatters his soul.

He ends the series basically fragments of soul in a little pouch being carried around by Song Lan. When I put it that way it sounds kinda funny but it’s really not.

A-Qing: Teenage con-artist who pretends to be blind and adopts Xiao Xingchen after stealing his money (he notices, but he also just gives it to her). Knew Xue Yang was bad news but didn’t know how bad. Smart cookie. Xue Yang blinds her and cuts out her tongue (he just loves doing that) after she tells on him to Xiao Xingchen; she gets her revenge by leading Wei Wuxian & co. to figuring out what’s going on, and ultimately enabling the first mortal-wounding of Xue Yang.

Unfortunately, also dies.

Song Lan: Also known as Song Zichen, rarely. A Daoist priest (I think that’s right?) and “rogue cultivator” (in the sense that he’s not affiliated with any sect). He is definitely affiliated with Xiao Xingchen. “Affiliated with.”

Ends up getting caught in the vortex of Xue Yang when his entire temple-family is killed and he’s blinded; says some harsh things and a guilty Xiao Xingchen trades out his eyes to pay him back for being the cause of Xue Yang targeting his temple, then vanishes. Song Lan spends the next long time trying to track him down, eventually finds him in mid-domestic bliss (sort of) with Xue Yang (yikes), promptly attempts to kill Xue Yang, ends up getting his tongue cut out and himself corpse-poisoned and killed by Xiao Xingchen, who thinks he is a random evil corpse instead of his best friend/ex-boyfriend. Xue Yang turns him into a zombie controlled by him. He gets better (from the control, he’s still a zombie).

Literally the only one of the Yi City Crew to make it out alive and he’s not technically alive.

MISCELLANEOUS OTHERS

Ouyang Zizhen: Part of the juniors quartet with Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, and Lan Jingyi. A budding romantic. Very good, has the misfortune of having Sect Leader Ouyang as a dad, but at least it’s not Sect Leader Yao (see below).

Su She: Due to a confluence of factors having to do with jealousy but also class/rigid hierarchy issues, ends up as Jin Guangyao’s right hand henchman. He’s very loyal when you’re actually nice to him. Really doesn’t like Lan Wangji.

Sect Leader Yao: Mostly just there to have really bad opinions all of the time.

#anonymous #conversating #i can't believe i did this #the untamed #the sad queer cultivators show #a very biased account by me personally #but hey!!! hope it helps anon #long post for ts

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sifeng · 4 years

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2019′s Guzhuang Dramas

Looking for a guzhuang to watch? Here’s a full compilation of the most popular ones! They will be ranked by the douban ratings (a Chinese rating site), and the MDL ratings will be in brackets. In a case of a tie, I chose the drama with a higher percentage of 5 star ratings on douban. In addition, the time period, main stars, plot and episode number will be provided:

Format: Name (Chinese Name) - Douban rating [MDL rating]

1. Love and Destiny (宸汐缘) - 8.3 [8.7]

Time Period: Xianxia

Starring: Zhang Zhen (张震), Ni Ni (倪妮)

Episode Number: 60

Plot: A love story between the God of War and a young maiden whose very existence can bring harm to the world.

Related Shows: Eternal Love (三生三世十里桃花), Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜), The Journey of Flower (花千骨)

2. The Untamed (陈情令) - 8.3 [9.4]

Time Period: Wuxia

Starring: Xiao Zhan (肖战), Wang Yibo (王一博)

Episode Number: 50

Plot: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are two completely different people from two different worlds. Lan Wangji was born in the prominent Sect of the Gusu Lan. Due to his great achievements and reputation, he was seen as a hero, the role model of everyone in the cultivation world and is known to appear wherever chaos is. While Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch,was a name that was feared by everyone. He has done many heroic things in his life, but also really cruel ones. In the end, Wei Wuxian was "killed" by his best friend and only survivor of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Jiang Cheng, who was once like a brother to him, after he became too evil for the world to exist. At least that is what the legend says. Sixteen years after his so-called “death”, Wei Wuxian suddenly reappeared again at the Mo Village.

3. The Longest Day in Chang An (长安十二时辰) - 8.3 [8.9]

Time Period: Tang Dynasty

Starring: Lei Jiayin (雷佳音), Jackson Yee (易烊千玺)

Episode Number: 48

Plot: 744 A.D, Chang’an. The remnants of a vanquished Central Asian kingdom have infiltrated the world’s largest city for a planned attack during the Lantern Festival. Meanwhile, the court is fraught with infighting. The aging Emperor is expected to announce the regency of the Right Chancellor during the festival and retreat to the mountains with his young lover. If the Right Chancellor becomes the regent, the reformist Crown Prince risks being deposed—or worse. Intelligence chief Li Bi, a young Taoist priest, and ally of the Crown Prince has only 24 hours to prevent both the attack and the regency. After a botched attempt to capture the infiltrators, Li Bi and his team call in the services of death row prisoner Zhang Xiao Jing — a war veteran, beloved police chief, and murderer of his last direct superior.

4. Young Blood (大宋少年志) - 8.2 [8.3]

Time Period: Song Dynasty

Starring: Zhang Xincheng (张新成), Zhou Yutong (周雨彤)

Episode Number: 42

Plot: During the Qingli Era, troubling affairs brew underneath the prosperity and stability of the Northern Song Dynasty. To avoid war and protect the peace between its people, the Northern Song uses the name of "Mi Ge" (Secret Cabinet) to train young spies. For a variety of reasons and whether willing or unwilling, these six become the Seventh Room of Mi Ge after strict selection and examination: Yuan Zhong Xin, Zhao Jian, Xiao Jing, Wang Kuan, Xue Ying, Wei Ya Nei. Upon first entering the school, each acts out of their own self-interest, making a mess of their surroundings and causing headaches for their teachers. After going through a series of life-and-death missions, the previously ignorant boys and girls gradually mature and form bonds with one another, devoting their determination and loyalty to defending the peace. Burying their names, they become unknown legends within the river of history.

5. Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - 7.6 [8.4]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Chen Xingxu (陈星旭), Peng Xiaoran (彭小苒)

Episode Number: 55

Plot: A love story revolves around the 9th Princess of Western Liang as she journeys to the Central Plains to fulfill a marriage alliance with the Crown Prince. Two parallel lines begin to intersect in a place fraught with danger and deadly power play and buried somewhere deep inside are memories that have yet to resurface.

6. The Birth of the Drama King (少年江湖物语) - 7.5 [7.7]

Time Period: Wuxia

Starring: Zhou Yanchen (周彦辰), Luo Mingjie (骆明劼)

Episode Number: 24

Plot: A hilarious comedy about two long lost brothers who meet again as enemies in the pugilistic world with the "righteous" hero infiltrating the "evil" dark lord's sect as an undercover agent. Hijinks ensue when the introverted hero tries to befriend the temperamental dark lord by following his master's self-help book on "how to make a friend in ten days."

7. Hot Blooded Youth (热血少年) - 7.2 [7.9]

Time Period: Chinese Republic

Starring: Huang Zitao (黄子韬), Zhang Xueying (张雪迎)

Episode Number: 58

Plot: A legendary story about a young man who overcomes many hardships to become a formidable force in the Shanghai Bund. Xiong Tian grew up in the streets. With nothing to his name, he works a thankless job just to make a living. Nonetheless, he is quick-witted, talented and exceptionally gifted in steam-powered machinery. By chance, he gets pulled into a complicated fight and works his way to become a champion.

8. Once Upon A Time in Lingjian Mountain (从前有座灵剑山) - 7.2 [8.5]

Time Period: Wuxia

Starring: Xu Kai (许凯), Zhang Rongrong (张榕容)

Episode Number: 37

Plot: A story that follows Wang Lu, a young genius, who enters the Spirit Blade Sect and embarks on an unconventional journey towards immortal cultivation.

9. Candle in the Tomb (怒晴湘西) - 7.1 [8.2]

Time Period: Chinese Republic

Starring: Pan Yueming (潘粤明), Gao Weiguang (高伟光)

Episode Number: 21

Plot: The third season of the Candle in the Tomb series is set in the Republican era during a time when the warlords fight for power and bring disaster upon the people. Tomb raider and head of the Xieling Clan Chen Yu Lou joins hands with warlord Luo Lao Wai and heads to Xiangxi to explore tombs of the Yuan dynasty. On his journey he meets Zhe Gu Shao who is not interested in any treasures but wants to find a magical bead that can put an end to the curse on his clan. Yu Lou and Gu Shao eventually form an alliance to tread the untrodden path to the Yuan tombs.

10. Lovely Swords Girl (恋恋江湖) - 6.9 [7.7]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Jiang Zhenyu (姜贞羽), Wang Shize (王仕泽)

Episode Number: 24

Plot: Set in a fictional history rife with conflict and chaos, the story revolves around a sappy young woman who doesn't forget to laugh and chases after true love even as she gets caught in a love triangle. Through her journey, she grows into a loving person and thwarts an evil scheme in the pugilistic world.

11. Arsenal Military Academy (烈火军校) - 6.7 [8.7]

Time Period: Chinese Republic

Starring: Bai Lu (白鹿), Xu Kai (许凯)

Episode Number: 48

Plot: Xie Xiang joins the army in her brother's stead by pretending to be a man. She becomes classmates with the wealthy Gu Yan Zhen and the calm Shen Jun Shan. Through their rigorous training, the three form a bond to become comrades, all while Xie Xiang tries to keep her cover. After many incidents, Xie Xiang earns the respect of her peers and superiors. She also becomes the object of affections of the two men in her lives. The Japanese military stations more forces in the Northeast region causing the young heroes to engage in battle as they uncover a big conspiracy.

12. Detective L (绅探) - 6.5 [8.5]

Time Period: Chinese Republic

Starring: Bai Yu (白宇), You Jingru (尤靖茹)

Episode Number: 24

Plot: Shanghai in the 30s: An intriguing crime case emerges amidst the bustling city. A beautiful new graduate of the police academy, Qin Xiao Man, joins the investigation unit. The famous detective Luo Fei becomes her colleague and neighbour.

13. The Love by Hypnotic (明月照我心) - 6.4 [8.3]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Fang Yilun (方逸伦), Ling Meishi (凌美仕)

Episode Number: 36

Plot: A princess and a prince who can't see eye to eye find themselves stuck in an arranged marriage. Yet they start opening up to each other because of hypnosis.

Related Shows: The Eternal Love (双世宠妃)

14. Love Better Than Immortality (天雷一部之春花秋日） - 6.3 [8.2]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Li Hongyi (李宏毅), Zhao Lusi (赵露思)

Episode Number: 40

Plot: A woman from the future arrives at a fantasy-like universe to experience love for the first time. She goes by the name Chun Hua and falls into a complicated romance with two young men who are opposites like black and white.

15. The Legends (招摇) - 6.2 [8.5]

Time Period: Wuxia

Starring: Bai Lu (白鹿), Xu Kai (许凯)

Episode Number: 56

Plot: While attempting to take her predecessor’s Wanjun Sword, Lu Zhao Yao is ambushed by the ten immortal sects and dies. She mistakenly believes Li Chen Lan, who is her best ally, is related to the incident after he is revealed to be the demon king’s son. Five years later, Li Chen Lan has taken over the position of the Wanlu sect leader, and Zhao Yao decides to exact revenge. She who is now a spirit, possesses the body of Qin Zhi Yan, a female disciple of the Immortal Sect, and with the help of the newly gained body, she becomes the direct disciple of Mo Qing aka Li Chen Lan with the aim of killing him. But things don’t go as she planned, when she slowly starts to fall in love with him instead.

16. Novoland: Eagle Flag (九州缥缈录) - 6.1 [8.0]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Liu Haoran (刘昊然), Song Zu’er (宋祖儿)

Episode Number: 56

Plot: Lu Gui Chen is the heir of the nomadic Qingyang tribe, and is sent to the Eastern Land as hostage. He meets Ji Ye, an unfavoured illegitimate son who is training to become a warrior, and Yu Ran, the princess of the Winged tribe. At the same time, powerful warlord Ying Wu Yi has been maintaining a firm control over the Emperor, giving him unprecedented power over the nobles. Lu Gui Chen, Ji Ye, and Yu Ran decide to join the decisive battle against Ying Wu Yi at Shangyang Pass, but unbeknownst to them, an even darker conspiracy is yet to unfold.

17. Princess Silver (白发) - 6.0 [8.1]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Zhang Xueying (张雪迎), Li Zhiting (李治廷)

Episode Number: 58

Plot: A story that follows a princess with amnesia who meets a prince that did not want to marry her and how they find a place for themselves despite the complications of the time.

18. Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龙记) - 5.8 [8.3]

Time Period: Wuxia

Starring: Zeng Shunxi (曾舜曦), Chen Yuqi (陈钰琪)

Episode Number: 50

Plot: Legend said that whoever obtains the Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber can rule the world. Zhang Wuji was orphaned at a young age by schemes to discover secrets of these two weapons. Despite his preference to live a non-violent life, Wuji found himself embroiled in the struggles for power and must fight to save himself and others he loves...

Related Shows: The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射雕英雄传), The Return of the Condor Heroes (神雕侠侣), Demi Gods and Semi Devils (天龙八部), The Smiling Wanderer (笑傲江湖)

19. I Will Never Let You Go (小女花不弃) - 5.6 [7.8]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Lin Yichen (林依晨), Zhang Binbin (张彬彬)

Episode Number: 51

Plot: The story revolves around a young wanderer with an extraordinary business sense and the masked hero who saves her which ultimately results in them falling in love. When the wanderer is revealed to be the Divine Maiden who will obtain a legendary treasure, various enemies hunt her down. She then lives life on the run and meets her savior who turns out to be the ambitious prince that wants to take the throne.

20. The Plough Department of the Song Dynasty (大宋北斗司) - 5.3 [8.0]

Time Period: Song Dynasty

Starring: Xu Ke (徐可), Dai Luwa (代露娃)

Episode Number: 36

Plot: The Plough (Big Dipper) Department is a special investigation institution that works for the emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. Tai Sui and his partners work together to break odd cases and punish the evils. Through a series of cases, Tai Sui found out there was a hidden conspiracy behind these cases, and it was related to his unknown past.

21. Please Give Me a Pair of Wings (请赐我一双翅膀) - 5.0 [8.1]

Time Period: Chinese Republic

Starring: Ju Jingyi (鞠婧祎), Yan Yalun (炎亚纶)

Episode Number: 60

Plot: It tells the story of Lin Jiu Ge, the daughter of Shanggu's Police Commissioner who was framed and unjustly imprisoned. She will have the help of young police detective Long Tian Yu to hopefully find the real murderer. Will Lin Jiu Ge be able to get her revenge?

22. Legend of Haolan (皓镧传) - 4.8 [7.8]

Time Period: Warring States Period

Starring: Wu Jinyan (吴谨言), Nie Yuan (聂远)

Episode Number: 62

Plot: During the Warring States Period, Li Hao Lan (Wu Jin Yan) is forced out of her own home and sold as a slave despite being the daughter of the Public Censor of Zhao. Purchased by Lu Bu Wei (Nie Yuan), she is gifted to Ying Yi Ren (Mao Zi Jun) a Qin Royal who is serving as a hostage to guarantee the armistice between the Qin and Zhao states. A dangerous battle begins in result of their arrival and they must rely on their wits to survive.

23. The Great Craftsman (筑梦情缘) - 4.6 [8.0]

Time Period: Chinese Republic

Starring: Hua Jianhua (霍建华), Yang Mi (杨幂)

Episode Number: 60

Plot: Military conflicts in the Warlord era has resulted in unbearable conditions. Amidst the chaos, Shen Qinan's family experiences a terrible misfortune. The four brothers and sisters overcome many hurdles to flee to Shanghai but they are forced to separate. Many years later, they will reunite again. Shen Qinan manages to climb from the depths of despair to make a name for himself as a famous architect in the Shanghai Bund. He meets Fu Hanjun, a gifted architect who puts the people's needs and traditional Chinese architecture at the heart of her designs. During Shanghai's development, Shen Qinan works hard to build affordable homes for the people. When the Second Sino-Japanese War erupted, Shen Qinan uncovers a conspiracy and plays his part to prevents many deaths.

24. Legend of the Phoenix (凤弈) - 4.6 [7.7]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: He Hongshan (何泓姗), Xu Zhengxi (徐正溪)

Episode Number: 41

Plot: Set in the fictional Eastern Liang dynasty, circus performer Ye Ningzhi’s (He Hongshan) troupe enters the palace and stages a performance to celebrate the empress dowager’s birthday. The ambitious grand princess (emperor’s sister) decides to cause mischief by framing her for treason, though the heroine is saved by strategist Wei Guang (Xu Zhengxi), and falls in love at first sight with him. When Ye Ningzhi enters the palace two years later as the empress’ maid, she stands up for her fellow servants, and refuses to sacrifice her conscience in the face of power. Ye Ningzhi also works together with Wei Guang to crush the grand princess’ plan to usurp the throne, and catches the eye of the emperor in the process.

25. The New Legend of the White Snake (新白娘子传奇) - 4.4 [7.4]

Time Period: Fictional

Starring: Ju Jingyi (鞠婧祎), Yu Menglong (于朦胧)

Episode Number: 36

Plot: The story is set in Hangzhou, then the capital of the Southern Song court, and is about a 1,000-year-old snake spirit that's transformed into a beautiful woman and falls in love with a young man. However, a Buddhist monk intervenes.

26. Listening Snow Tower (听雪楼) - 4.3 [7.9]

Time Period: Wuxia

Starring: Qin Junjie (秦俊杰), Yuan Bingyan (袁冰妍)

Episode Number: 56

Plot: A story that follows the master of Listening Snow Tower and the woman that he loves. He is a martial arts expert known to be a dragon among men and she is known as the blood demon's daughter.

27. Queen Dugu (独孤皇后) - 3.9 [7.4]

Time Period: Sui Dynasty

Starring: Chen Qiao’en (陈乔恩), Chen Xiao (陈晓)

Episode Number: 50

Plot: After their family was wrongfully persecuted due to the machinations of a corrupt official, Dugu Jia Luo held strict expectations for herself to be independent and strong even at a young age. Her husband Yang Jian is a man of great spirit. He is a warrior, skilled in battle, who rises up the ranks to become the Emperor. With Dugu Jia Luo by his side, they succeed in uniting the country under the Sui Dynasty. The husband and wife stay in a monogamous relationship despite their imperial status and come to be revered by people as the two saints due to their extraordinary contributions to a new golden age.

28. Investiture of the Gods (封神演义) - 3.3 [7.2]

Time Period: Shang/Zhou Dynasty

Starring: Luo Jin (罗晋), Wang Likun (王丽坤)

Episode Number: 56

Plot: In the time of King Zhou of Shang, the Gods are mostly gone and the demons trouble the human world. The Primeval Lord of Heaven decides to use the war between the Zhou and Shang dynasties to choose a new generation of Gods to ascend the celestial realm. His sends his apprentices forth in search of righteous candidates: Jiang Zi Ya assists Ji Fa in governing his new empire Zhou dynasty, Shen Gong Bao infiltrates the Shang dynasty with Su Da Ji seducing the king to rack havoc on the world, and Yu Ding Zhen Ren helps Yang Jian, a human with a third eye, to achieve his potential. The outcome of selection lies in the fates of humans.

Ongoing Dramas:

Joy of Life (庆余年) - 8.0 (ending 2/12/20)

Royal Nirvana (鹤唳华亭) - 7.5 (ending ??)

Sword Dynasty (剑王朝) - 6.8 (ending 1/11/20)

The Romance of Hua Rong (一夜新娘) - 6.8 (ending 12/31/19)

Blossom In Heart (海棠经雨胭脂透) - 6.6 (ending 12/19/19)

To Get Her (惹不起殿下大人) - N/A (ending 12/30/19)

The Mysterious World (天机十二宫) - N/A (ending ??)

Upcoming Dramas:

Dreaming Back to Qing Dynasty (梦回) - N/A (starting 12/14/19)

Disclaimer: Obviously these rankings are just based off of others’ opinions. I really liked “Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre” even though inseams the majority of people didn’t. Whatever show seems interesting to you, watch it! The majority of guzhuang dramas are made with delicacy and attention to detail. I’ve seen reviews complimenting some dramas with relatively lower ratings, so of course every drama has its fans. I would obviously suggest you all go and watch the top 5 if they sound interesting to you.

#Cdrama #Cdrama Review #cdrama recommendations #love and destiny #the untamed #chinese drama

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hang-on-a-mo · 4 years

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Top 10 Favourite Characters

Tagged by @ilovejaskierthebard to list off ten of my favorite characters. Sorry it's so late, I did this twice and both times Tumblr ate it so I gave up for a bit lol. But here we are now, in no particular order.

1. Geralt of Rivia - Witcher 3

Catty beyond all reason. Talks to himself about the weather. White Wolf. The Continants smartest dumbass. Puns. Tries his best. Is actually really soft but don't tell him that. #ManSlut

2. Wei Wuxian/Wei Ying - The Untamed (Mo Dao Xu Shi)

Can be summed up with Wei Ying No. Sense of self preservation highly suspect. Dork level over 9000. Plays with things he really shouldn't. Like necromancy. Wei Ying No. Instant Lan Zhan trigger. Adopted brother is an ungrateful asshole. Seriously, Jiang Cheng check your priveledge. Too pure for this world. Except when he's not. Canonically a gay disaster. Bunnies.

3. Will Graham - Hannibal (TV)

A study in why emphasizing with serial killers is not a Good Idea. Spends too much time eyeballs deep in crazy. Needs a new job. And a nap. Adopts all the dogs. Murder Husband. Flannel. Allergic to socializing. Understandably. His day job literally boils down to fantasizing about brutally murdering people, a great conversation starter. Therapist is a literal cannibal. Needs a new therapist.

4. Guts - Berserk

Hundred man killer before it was cool. #ChildhoodTrauma. Actual dork. Swings big swords. Barra af. Still somehow projects Bottom Energy. Bad Life Choices. Possibly gay for his ex best friend. Who added #AdulthoodTrauma when he betrayed their boy band for demons. Revenge quest. Did I mention trauma. Reckless. Kind of an idiot but we love him anyway.

5. Sephiroth - FFVII

There's no dramatic like Over Dramatic. Needs better friends. Nothing like finding out your entire existence is a lie. Was a Hero until he was rudely shoved off the deep end. Hair porn. When they say Safer Sephiroth what they really mean is Danger Sephiroth. Butt Wings. Seven foot sword is not a euphemism. Very stabby. Mommy issues.

6. Nyx Ulric - FFXV

Spicy Galahdian meatball. 100% worth the wait. Hee-Ro. Deserves so much better. Sass master. Ex bartender. Now a fancy ass magic warrior who makes a living magically yeeting himself at things and stabbing them. For Hearth and Home. Himbo energy.

7. Obi-Wan Kenobi - Star Wars

Knight of the Sassy Order. Master of violent negotiation. Sith Lord's are his spEciAlitY. Back seat driver. Flirts with people actively trying to kill him. Obi-Wan No. Collects too many pathetic lifeforms. He is beauty, he is grace, he tends to land on his face. Absolutely savage. Hello there!

8. Superman - DC

Last dweeb of Krypton. Needs a better disguise. Except not. Who would ever suspect Clark "golly" Kent. Alien Big Dick Energy. Solar powered energizer bunny. Fan of lying by omission. And justITH. Property damage. One improper punch man. Someone teach this loser how to throw down pls god. Flyboy. Actual cinnamon roll. Every insurance companies nightmare. Supergeek. Allergic to space rocks. Frickin' laserbeams.

9. Jon Snow- GoT/ASoIaF

Jon "I'm gonna pet this fucking Dragon" Snow. Tries his best. Swings his sword sword. Steamy. The other White Wolf. Existence is a lie. Give the man a hug. And a dragon. Himbo. 28 STAB WOUNDS. Doom and gloom and drama. What happens when an introvert is forced to lead armies. Knows more than people give him credit for. Still himbo tho.

10. Leon S. Kennedy - Resident Evil

Wanted to be a cop. Got zombies instead. #Trauma. Kind of dumb. Can't drive for shit. Leon No. 101 sassy one liners. Also 101 statements of the exceedingly obvious. Needs hugs. Routinely ingests strange herbs randomly found lying around. King of fancy kicks. Somehow not a zombie yet. Cinnamon roll. Hunnigan is done. An actual disaster. Drink less, sleep more. Remake Lele, a bby boi. Both savage and adorable.

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kabukiaku · 1 year

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when you realize the real villain of the story is in fact you, the creator.

context for newbies: I took his family away to give him trauma </3

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taleslations · 5 years

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Tales of Xillia Short Story; Wingul

After six years, I’ve finally finished translating Wingul’s side story! You might have read excerpts on my blog already, but this is the whole thing. Many thanks to my proofreaders, @thehostilecredence, @lydiemalen, @guardianoftime and @overflags ♥

Just in case Tumblr messes with the formatting, I’m including a link to the doc here.

Contents warnings: canon-typical violence, blood, vomit, mentions of suicide, character deaths.

This short story introduces a number of new characters:

Nils Frieden: Wingul’s retainer and best friend. The story follows his PoV.

Lars Long Dau: Wingul’s father.

Yan, Ying and Bruno Long Dau: Wingul’s uncles.

Wings of Remembrance

❖ The Birth of A Prince

Countless nights of festive banquets followed the first cries of the baby.

On silver plates, piles of beasts hunt all over Auj Oule just for that day. In golden cups, the amber glow of exquisite liquor. Round tables were buried under victuals. The grandeur of the feasts was carved into young Nils’ memory forever.

Nils was growing up in the territory owned by the Long Dau, one of the most prominent clans of Auj Oule. The Long Dau clan held considerable renown and power in the northern continent and ruled over many smaller clans in the region.

According to legends, the Long Dau were the descendants of one of Kresnik the Sage’s seven sons. This meant of all the clans of Auj Oule, the Long Dau were among the ones with the most noble, divine, worthy name; they were one of the most fit for reigning. This was the burden placed on the shoulders of all who bore its name.

But for ten long years after he had succeeded the previous leader, Chief Lars had failed to produce an heir. As he had three younger brothers, one of them would succeed him in the case he died childless, but none of them could hold a candle to him.

In a society where power and influence were dependent on one’s name and physical strength, the lack of a proper heir could signify the decline of a clan. For that reason, the birth of a prince was Lord Lars’ most fervent wish, and the fact that Lin safely came into this world held a great meaning for the Long Dau’s future.

The future chief was sleeping defenseless in his cradle, watched over by a bright young child. He was yet unaware of the enormous burden he would have to bear on his frail shoulders, and was a symbol of hope for the people.

Lin Long Dau, heir of the Long Dau patriarch, just born. Nils Frieden, retainer of the Long Dau, four years old. Their first season of water.

Nils’ mother had been the Long Dau queen’s dresser ever since she was a young girl and was thus allowed entrance in the palace despite being a commoner. Being a lady-in-waiting was a great honor for an unmarried girl, but Nils’ mother never misused her position, and her cheerfulness, modesty and eagerness to learn earned her the queen’s recognition. As a result, everyone in the palace doted on Nils. That is how, when Lin was born, Nils was chosen to be his playmate and promised the honor of being his bodyguard in the future.

One day, his mother learned the meaning of the prince’s name from the queen, and told the story to Nils in secret. According to the queen, “Lin” came from a word that signified “reincarnation” in an ancient language. This referred to one of the legends of Rieze Maxia that said that the souls of the departed crossed the realms of the human and spirit worlds to be reborn as a new life.

“Prince Lin’s name,” his mother had added after finishing her explanation, “is the essence of the world itself. It is a most noble name.”

Nils had never seen a spirit or the flow of souls, but he thought that no name was more befitting the heir of the Long Dau. To him, the little prince was both noble and divine, and he admired the wisdom of his brow, the fairness of his cheeks and the beauty of his ebony locks. There was no greater joy to him than the prospect of serving and protecting his young master.

Powerful men and their successors were distinguished in both literary and military arts–or so propaganda said. In a world where a ruler’s very person was a symbol to the people, their image was often glorified. However, if one was to scratch a little under the surface, one would often discover that they were as plain as day, and that the flattery was nothing but empty words dispensed to make them appear impressive.

Lin, however, was without exaggeration a child prodigy whose name would be engraved in Long Dau chronicles.

When he was learning to speak and to walk, he looked like little else than a blubbering baby always running after his big brother. When he was old enough to play around all day, however, Lin started to catch up to Nils despite their age gap, up to the point that their positions eventually reversed.

If Nils himself was bright for his age, he was nowhere near Lin’s level, whose fountain of wisdom seemed bottomless.

The young prince learned to read and write with Howe’s philosophical theses, sharpened his mind with the movements of pieces across a shogi board, and could often be found in the armory, a military strategy book in one hand, questioning officers about past battles. The soldiers, weary of his nit-picking questions, eventually begged Lord Lars to hire him tutors who would keep him occupied in the domains he had taken an interest in.

And it was not just scholarly matters. Lin also showed no little interest in the arts. Works that one would normally never see in Long Dau land were gathered around him from all over Auj Oule–and even the whole of Rieze Maxia. Raised with such top-class elements, Lin honed his culture and sensitivity, while Nils was blessed with a kind of education his status would have never allowed, all thanks to his young master.

The two boys were like two parts of one whole and could only be seen in the palace hand in hand.

Lin always looked serious, his expression sharp like a blade, his black hair flowing in the wind like silk threads, but Nils’ cheeks were always rose-red as his blond curls swayed from the rhythm of his laughter. The two of them ran around in the garden like puppies and cuddled together at night like chicks.

Lin understood the value of knowledge more deeply than most adults, which was unusual among the Long Dau ruling class.

As was the case with his father Lars and the previous leaders, prowess in battle was usually what determined someone’s worth in the Long Dau clan. Lin’s father and uncles all believed that subjugating one’s opponent in battle was the ultimate way to prove one’s power. Military tactics elaborated on a desk or political maneuverings were considered a thing for cowards who had no confidence in their own strength, and it was believed that leaders had to make a name for themselves through the flapping of standards and the clash of steel against steel.

Once Lin reached the age where he could wield a weapon, he would have to prove his power as the son of Chief Lars the Great and would most likely be thrown into rough fights whether he liked it or not. That is, at least, how it would have been had the Long Dau–had Auj Oule itself–continued on the same path. However, the world was starting to move towards a big upheaval.

❖ The Battle of Fezebel

For many years, relations with Rashugal had been at a standstill, but talks of an imminent invasion were recently spreading.

Rashugal was a major country in the South of Rieze Maxia, separated from Auj Oule by the Fezebel Bay. Unlike Auj Oule, where various clans divided the country, Rashugal was united under the single rule of House Fenn. Rashugal, which was trying to expand its influence under a strict political system, must have been looking for some time for a chance to round up Auj Oule, which was always too absorbed in old-fashioned clan squabbles to notice what was happening on the other side of the sea.

The battle was predicted to take place in the Fezebel Outback, the only slip of land joining the two countries. Lars Long Dau was chosen as supreme commander by the Auj Oule king and was tasked with assembling an army to crush the enemy.

Skillful and robust warriors from hundreds of clans rallied under Lord Lars’ banner. The Long Dau capital was overflowing with men in heavy armor, and feasts for victory were being held every night at the castle for the patriarchs.

Blending with the more famous clans were the Outways, a small clan from the north. It was only a few days before they all departed to the front that a boy only twelve years of age came to an audience on behalf of their aging chief. As the Outway clan was small, it did not have enough warriors to fight on its own and would therefore enlist under the Long Dau banner, following the command of the young substitute.

Since Nils was a commoner, he was only allowed to watch the audience from afar. The boy, Arst, was the same age as himself. He was tall—perhaps the size of a small adult—but lean and quite clearly still in his growth phase. He did not look very reliable. He would probably look more like a true warrior in a few years after his muscles developed, but for the time being they were still invisible under his war attire.

Lin’s father and uncles were listening to Arst’s words with a serious look, but they were laughing inwardly. To oppose Rashugal, they would need to dispatch everyone regardless of standing, but, in their minds, the boy before them would be nothing more than a decorative leader. He would be surrounded by faithful aides, and after swinging his sword a little, he would go back to camp to play commander. That way he would be able to say he participated in his first campaign.

“Look at them, a small clan that fell to poverty a long time ago, trying to put on airs… And all they can send us is a kid. This is ridiculous.”

“We could assign him to Lord Yan or Lord Ying’s unit and let him learn the hard way what a true battlefield is.”

“Hey now, if he runs from us crying, we’ll be regarded as poor babysitters!”

After the audience was over, the four brothers and other court officials were freely sharing mockeries of the boy, and delighted laughter could be heard from everywhere in the room. Lin, however, did not seem to share their mirth, keeping silent instead. His face was paler than usual. Even though he was often trying to act mature, he was still an eight-year-old child. He must have been intimidated by the rough atmosphere.

“Oh my, it seems that this was a bit too much for Prince Lin. Do not worry, my prince, all you will need to do during this war is wait for reports on your mother’s lap.”

The laughter resumed. But Lin did not pay any attention to the mocking adults and grabbed Nils’ arm with a trembling hand.

“You must be tired,” Nils said, trying to be reassuring. “Don’t worry about all this.”

“Nils. That man from the Outway clan… I have a bad feeling about him.”

Nils stared at him in disbelief. “He’s only twelve, like me!” he almost said, but the look in the young genius’ eyes silenced him.

No one at court took Lin’s worries seriously. But it would not be long before they would pay the price for their arrogance.

The clash between Auj Oule and Rashugal, later named “The Battle of Fezebel,” ended in a painful draw. The Fezebel Outback, located in a usually stable spirit clime, was engulfed by a giant tsunami that swept away men and horses alike. Both armies suffered tremendous losses. The countless soldiers’ families and friends, who had sent them away to battle and would have expected them to at least die with honor, were deeply wounded in their heart. Territory disputes thus ceased for a while.

Many years later, the world would learn that this tsunami was caused by the spirit Maxwell’s fight with another world’s army when they to breach the schism separating the worlds. However, at the time, no one could have known about such events far beyond their imagination.

Right before the tsunami struck, Auj Oule’s army had breached one of Rashugal’s flanks and was encircling the enemy, excited by the prospect of victory. Clans who were used to fighting each other had been thrown into a sudden alliance, and as expected, this unity did not last. Thinking only of claiming glory for themselves, the different clans made hasty attacks, and as a result reacted too late to the arrival of the tsunami. All the clans, from the Long Dau on down, suffered great damage.

Though he himself had miraculously survived, young Arst’s unit was completely annihilated. Many leaders were saved while their men perished, which was something to be expected on a battlefield, or so everyone thought at the time.

❖ Chief Lin

As the confusion brought by the war died down, Arst’s accomplishments came to light. It was said that he led his troops to wipe out a regiment of the Rashugal army and threatened the famous Ilbert the Conductor’s perfect record. If not for the tragedy that then struck, they might have broken through Rashugal’s defenses and led Auj Oule to victory. He was also said to have sensed the tsunami coming and pushed for a retreat to safety before it was too late.

Other rumors said that he took advantage of the confusion of the disaster to murder the Long Dau officer who had ridiculed him in front of the leaders and caused his warning to be ignored.

The allegedly murdered man was one of Lin’s relatives and, like Nils, was one of his attendants and friends, though he was older. He was also engaged to Arst’s sister. Taking their situation and history into consideration, it was hard to imagine that Arst would hurt him.

After they had lost so many men, discord between the big Long Dau and the small Outway clans worsened. However, the vague fear that Arst inspired in the tsunami survivors was now deeply ingrained.

It was not just because of his prowess in battle. Rare were those who possessed the natural talent to steer their ship through the most terrible of storms without working to acquire the necessary skills. If Arst was indeed one of such people born with the natural ability to lead, chances were high that he would soon threaten the delicate balance which supported the world of Auj Oule. The best course of action would be to subjugate him while he was still inexperienced—before he realized that he was strong enough to hold his own.

But in the end, Arst’s youth dulled the judgment of those around him.

Three years after the Battle of Fezebel, the boy succeeded his father and revolted against the Long Dau, the surrounding clans under his command, much to the surprise of the ruling class.

Hearing that he had been betrayed by the kid of a small clan indebted to him, Lars flew into a rage and gathered a punitive force to subdue him. However, despite boasting that he would demonstrate how they were on a different level when he left the castle, the patriarch did not make a triumphant return with a weepy Arst in chains—instead, he came back in silence, his corpse wrapped in a bloody banner. Merely three years after his first battle, Arst had slain the renowned chief of the great Long Dau clan.

Arst’s goal was not to seize power of the Long Dau clan for himself. He held a greater, revolutionary ambition—to accomplish the unification of Auj Oule, something no one had ever succeeded. In Auj Oule, which was ruled by blood and tradition, his ambition was expectedly seen as laughable. However, his voice eventually became an inspiration and started to stain the land. Even King Merad of the ancient and most noble Sarakhs clan was considered as a possible target. Moved by Arst’s unprecedented great cause, many people gathered under this youthful man who led them into battle with excellent skills and wisdom, and they formed a military force that transcended clans and factions, which they named Taurus.

After Lars’ death, Arst’s name had become some sort of taboo that created an uneasy atmosphere in the Long Dau castle every time it was mentioned.

“Lin.”

Nils was extremely worried about Lin, who had just lost his father. He was destined from the start to become head of the clan, but he was only eleven and still grieving his father. It was far too soon for him to assume the succession.

“Are you all right?”

“Am I all right?! Define ‘all right’.”

“...Don’t push yourself. Lord Lars was so strong, and yet he was killed in battle. We should have listened to you that day.”

Lin’s eyes, which until then were looking at the distance, suddenly focused on Nils.

“But I’ll protect you, I promise. If Arst Outway comes to get you, he’s definitely going down!”

Nils smiled awkwardly, trying to cheer him up, but his words did not have any effect on Lin, who looked down again.

“My uncles are completely obsessed with the idea of slaying that man. They won’t listen to anything I say. I will probably have to fight too in the near future.”

When Lin looked up again, his face, illuminated by the moonlight, looked like he had suddenly aged ten years.

Like Lin had predicted, Yan, Ying and Bruno Long Dau embarked on a quest to avenge their brother and capture Arst. The young man’s plan for a new Auj Oule and his foundation of Taurus sounded like a daydream to Nils, a sweet story that would have tempted him if he had been born in a lonely village. But to him, who had the duty to support and protect Lin and the Long Dau’s glory, it was nothing but a lie. According to Lin, their control was already greatly disturbed from the moment the young man had started doubting the system. In that case, Arst’s existence was not something they could tolerate, for the sake of Lin and the Long Dau’s glory.

However, even at this time, Yan and the others were not paying attention to the changing times brought about by Arst. Their aim was to humiliate and execute him, then put Lin on the Long Dau throne with themselves as regents, and reap all the power for themselves.

They ignored all the tactics Lin suggested, such as manipulating public opinion, feint operations, siege formation, or even the most basic marching tactics. They acknowledged Lin’s uncanny ability to move pieces on the strategy board but were convinced of their own superiority due to their long experience in actual combat.

They believed that they could crush Arst by sheer force of numbers, even though Lars himself had not been able to defeat him. That led them to their demise. In the year that followed Lars’ death, Yan and Ying were slain one after the other. Lin led a punitive force against Arst to avenge them and managed to corner him several times with his unconventional tactics, but suffered defeat due to the noble generals’ propensity to protect their own interests. The youngest brother Bruno, who had been sent out to subjugate Arst, met a most disgraceful end when he lost control of his horse and fell into a ravine while fleeing the battle.

The Long Dau lost all influence, and following Bruno’s death, many courtiers and nobles chickened out and fled the palace. Arst was now being called “Gaius,” which meant “He Who Pulls the World Behind Him.” His power was increasing steadily. Some ran to his side and swore loyalty to him in self-defense, while others placed their bets on the winning horse hoping to expand their territory. Although she had stayed strong after Lars’ death, the Long Dau queen committed suicide, unable to bear the sorry sight of the court anymore. The castle was losing its shine with each passing day.

All that was left by Lin’s side were a few loyal retainers like Nils or lower class nobles who had missed their chance to retire.

❖ The Battle of Mon Highlands

With Gaius’ rise, the Long Dau, who used to be respected as one of the most powerful clans of Auj Oule, were on the verge of collapse. Despite this, more than a thousand soldiers stayed under Lin’s command and wished to retake the honor of their clan by fighting Gaius alongside their young chief.

To Lin, this war was a way to avenge his father, uncles, and even his mother who had chosen death willingly. One year had passed since their first defeat, and Lin had perfected his strategy, to the point where he managed to corner Gaius’ army in the steep mountain ranges of the Mon Highlands. Under the skillful command of the young chief, whom his men had taken to call “The Little Strategist,” the tactics of Lars’ time, which relied exclusively on force and were often nothing but a waste of resources, endangering the lives of the soldiers unnecessarily, were deemed useless and abandoned. The morale of the men going into battle was high.

Nils was standing near Lin and was looking at his slender face as he was waiting for the enemy’s move, observing the formation he had built on the snowy land. It was a little hard to believe that Gaius would let himself be surrounded so easily. He probably had a plan. But then Lin had probably already foreseen that possibility. He could not possibly think of ending it with a draw...

The wind was getting stronger. Thinking to fetch a fur coat for Lin, he turned toward the officers’ tent, but at that moment he felt a presence. To his surprise, he saw none other than Gaius himself appear on a small hill with a few soldiers.

He looked brazenly defenseless for a young man now at the head of a big army. Gaius still bore some resemblance to the boy he had caught a glimpse of five years before, but the way he made his presence noticed was completely different, and Nils felt overwhelmed. Lin, who had noticed him as well, simply said to wait. The time when they exchanged formalities through messengers was over.

Gaius eventually entered the enemy lines and approached Lin. If Lin were to throw away his honor, it would be possible to take him down here. However, Gaius looked like he did not fear such possibility.

“Lin Long Dau.”

Gaius’s voice was imperious.

“Call back your troops. The ground here is soft. If your men continue advancing northward in large numbers, they will most definitely cause an avalanche.”

“Lin, he's probably just trying to get out of a difficult situation. Don't listen to him,” Nils warned, forgetting his place.

But Lin simply asked coolly: “I don't understand. If you are speaking the truth, why aren't you using the situation to your advantage?”

“I am not one to be blinded by victory and cause the death of excellent soldiers through underhanded tactics. They are precious warriors who will one day support my country and help me forge a path for the good of the people.”

Nils heard Lin draw a sharp breath. He, too, understood what Gaius’ words evoked—the terrible tragedy of Fezebel from five years ago.

“I do not wish to adhere to an old-fashioned system that clings to name and birth. I want to build a country where the strong show the way to the weak and help them achieve happiness. I do not wish to lose the people who would become the foundation of my country simply because they are currently my enemies.”

“Are you telling me to trust the words of a seventeen-year-old boy?”

“Yes. I am talking to you, who are now facing me at barely thirteen years of age. To you, Lin of Long Dau, renowned descendant of the Seven Sons of Auj Oule, who succeeded your father at the young age of eleven.”

Nils felt Lin tense at the evocation of his father’s death, and unconsciously stepped between them to shield him—or was it to contain his murderous impulse?—but the imposing youth was not finished speaking.

“Your father was blinded by glory and came back home having lost many men to the tsunami. All because he had discarded my words as the whinings of a child and ridiculed me.”

“...If I had participated in that battle, it would not have ended in a painful draw. I would have led Auj Oule to victory. And I would have slain you there and then.”

“If you had been leading instead of your father, the outcome of the battle might have indeed been very different. And the more you corner me with your brilliant tactics, the further ahead you push me.”

Having said everything he had come to say, Gaius turned on his heels. Nils called out to Lin but received no answer. Eventually, Lin issued a single order sharply.

“Call the troops back to Dargu Gate.”

The troops were confused. Gaius’ army was right there. Had Lord Lin lost his nerve?

The officers did not bother to hide their bewilderment and their complaints as they urged the soldiers to rebuild their formation and retreat. As if it had been waiting for this very moment, a wave of snow started sliding down the slope, as if a part of the mountain itself was collapsing. It destroyed the tents easily and engulfed the carts and wicker trunks. The mountain’s rage eventually subsided after what seemed like an eternity. In the distance, one could see Arst’s red armor, shining vividly in the color of blood.

That night, Lin and Nils were resting in one of the tents they had managed to salvage from the avalanche.

“Nils. The Long Dau will submit to Ars—to Gaius.”

“Lin, no! If you do that, what will become of the Long Dau clan? Think about the court, Lord Lars’ legacy, your beautiful language... You cannot do that!”

“It is not like everything will be lost. However, the clan has already fallen. I could not protect my father nor stop my uncles. This is my responsibility. Only a fool believes blindly in his superiority and endangers his clansmen pursuing a goal for the sole purpose of self-satisfaction. It is like waving a flower in the darkness and deriving glory from its torn petals. Such a commander is only worthy of disdain.”

“I’ll fight! Even if I’m the only one left standing, I’ll fight to protect the Long Dau’s honor! You can’t bend your head to that arrogant guy. Please order me, Lin! For you, I’ll kill him, even if I have to die in the process!”

Nils had unconsciously grabbed Lin’s shoulder when talking, but Lin shook off his hand and replied.

“Nils, I’ve made my decision. ...If you are not happy with it, leave.”

Lin’s words seemed cold, but Nils felt as if he was apologizing.

Apologizing? To whom? To his father Lars, who had used the clan as he pleased? To his mother, proud and wise, who had encouraged his education? Perhaps to the countless nameless soldiers who had lost their lives on a battlefield?

I don’t need your pitiful repentance. All I want is to protect you. You, my precious master who brought your clan to an end at such a young age.

Lin...

Nils knelt down and took Lin’s small hand into his own, then brought it to his forehead, while tears were silently running down his face.

Lin submitted to Gaius, ending the Long Dau’s rule for good. There were many courtiers and nobles who had already switched over to Gaius, so the ones that remained adjusted easily to their new circumstances.

A few years later, Gaius gained control of Merad’s main base, Kanbalar, and proclaimed the birth of a new Auj Oule. This event was known as the “Dawn of Auj Oule.”

Lin, who had received the title of “Wingul” in the meanwhile, was tasked with defending the throne and its new king. Nils’ precious friend, the wing of the Chimera, now led tens of thousands of soldiers with his legendary talent. That sight was both sublime and pitiful to Nils.

Gaius did not make a distinction between those who swore loyalty to him directly and those who gathered under one of his allies, and respected pre-established relationships. Those who were loyal to one of Gaius’ followers rather than Gaius himself, like Nils was to Lin, were allowed to keep working under their previous masters. Past quarrels were meaningless in the face of Auj Oule’s unification, which would finally be completed with the death of Merad, who was biding his time for a counterattack. The conventional walls that divided society in classes and clans were crumbling down.

“Is that what it means for the world to change?”

Lin quietly chuckled at Nils’ pondering. Nils could see his cheeks were white like wax behind his hair.

The Long Dau court was no more.

One day, Lin headed for Xian Du with Nils and a few guards. The Kitarl clan, founders of the city, had been in disorder ever since their patriarch had been killed by one of their young men. The clan was shaken by internal strifes which had Gaius worried. Lin, however, had more expectations for the clan than strictly political ones.

Like the Long Dau, the Kitarl were respected as one of the Brilliant Seven, the most powerful clans in Auj Oule. According to the legend, their origin dated back to over two thousand years ago, though there was no proof of their existence further than a few hundred years. Still, it was quite clear that their history was much older than that of other clans. They had settled on the soil of Auj Oule a long time ago and forged its prosperity and culture. This was an honor both the Long Dau and the Kitarl shared.

However, while Rashugal was walking on the way to prosperity thanks to measures introduced after it became one single big nation, Auj Oule had slowly been falling into decline.

Lin turned to Nils.

“Nils, can you see that building over there? Between those two summits.”

“Yes. I can’t believe they built something like that up there. It’s the coliseum, right?”

“When he was twelve, Gaius achieved victory of the tournament of that year.”

“When he was just twelve… That’s why he was so strong in the Fezebel war?”

“His opponent in the finals was the heir of a large clan, so his victory was never officially recognized. Unlike the Outways, that clan had power and influence.”

At the time, Gaius’ life had been ruled by his name, and his fate decided by others. He must have chosen his way in life because of all these experiences. Hearing Lin talk about Gaius’ past as if he empathized, Nils felt a pang of jealousy.

“Do you know the name of this flower?” Lin suddenly asked, pointing to a flower on the side of the road.

“…No. It looks a bit weird, doesn’t it?”

The flower had clusters of colorful petals attached to the stem.

“It is called a ‘gladiolus’ and is also known as the ‘sword lily’,” Lin explained as he dismounted from his horse. He walked to the flower and picked it.

“A Kitarl tradition is to offer this flower to the warriors who go to fight in the coliseum.”

Nils and the guards stared at Lin, waiting for the rest.

“The bell of battle that resounds through the battlefield. The cries of frenzied souls. The bitter grudge of the women who, unable to bear arms themselves, can do naught but bury their sons and husbands. For a very long time, the land of Auj Oule was governed by blades and blood. I think that this flower should become a tribute to the memory of those who have lost their lives thus. Gaius is seeking a new Auj Oule, not one that is built on a mountain of swords but one that lies beyond the tears and the carnage of war.”

When he was finished, Lin attached the flower to his horse’s bridle. The horse shook his head in discontent at first, but eventually resigned itself to sporting his new ornament.

❖ Booster Development

With Lin, Nils and the other men, Gaius suppressed Merad’s army, and Auj Oule was finally united as the Auj Oule united territories. During the Battle of Arklund, their forces seized the laboratory installed in the Labari Coal Mines, where they learned of the existence of a strange weapon using rare spirit fossils. They set out to understand what it was.

According to their own scientists, it was a weapon that enabled artificial control of mana. However, the captured rebels could not tell them much about it, as those weapons had been supplied by Rashugal, and they did not know the details of their conception—they only cared that it was a powerful weapon. Since their numbers were few for their rebellion, that was more than enough for them, and they did not care about how it worked.

That is how research about “boosters”—tools to amplify mana for a more efficient and general purpose—started.

Over the span of two years of testing on animals, their practical use came to light. But since the “basculer,” a main component of the device, was to be inserted directly into the brain, a human test subject would have to be chosen with utmost care if they hoped to make progress.

Nils was scared. At that time, Lin had just suffered serious injuries from his defeat against the murderer of the Kitarl chief. Lin had not taken this defeat as a simple humiliation, but as a sign that he was too weak to serve as Gaius’ aide. Lin excelled as chief councilor, but when it came to the sword, Nils was much better than him. Once you got past his guard, he was easily defeated.

But this was Lin. He was likely to do something reckless out of his excessive sense of responsibility and self-sacrifice. Eventually, as Nils feared, Lin volunteered himself as a test subject with no regard for his own well-being.

“Are you kidding me? You are the Long Dau king. What kind of king would sell his own body!?”

“Former king. Now I am just a man who has offered himself to Gaius. Besides,” Lin added after a moment, “I want power.”

A blood-curdling scream resounded in the laboratory. The life-or-death experiment on a live person had fortunately managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, but that was the only good news about it. Words could not describe the scene they were witnessing.

Unable to bear the abrupt condensation of mana, Lin lost his mind and cursed in Long Dau, screamed in pain, and threw up vomit and blood before his head dropped and he passed out. It was a good thing that they had preventively restrained him. If his limbs had been free, in madness and agony, he might have either slit his own throat or massacred everyone in the room. Even though he usually was a master at self-restraint, Lin’s mind seemed to have been completely broken by the demon in the booster.

At first, connecting to the booster for a few seconds had such a toll on his body that he needed over fifty hours of rest to recover; it was the height of torment. But with repetitive use, his boosted state stabilized, and he eventually could keep a relatively clear mind. Every secondary effect caused by the mana surge, such as his personality change and his hair turning from ebony black to white like an old man, was closely monitored. At the rate they were going, the device would soon be able to be put into practical application.

After a while, they implanted the booster directly in Lin’s brain rather than use the basculer to connect to it. The device was now truly part of his body.

Nils, who had only been able to watch him go through those painful experiments and surgeries, secretly wished to become a test subject as well. He thought he could alleviate the burden on Lin if he was not the only one to shoulder it. His fears of breaking his mind or injuring his body were nothing compared to what he felt when he saw his precious Lin suffer.

…But Nils had next to zero compatibility.

Thanks to Lin’s sacrifice, booster performance skyrocketed, and they were even able to get equivalent results from wearable devices without relying on dangerous implantations. At the same time, they started gathering children from all over Auj Oule to help with the experiments. Those children, who had lost both parents due to war, famine or other tragedies, would be completely taken into care in exchange for their involvement in the development of those weapons, which was still incomplete, though now relatively safe. The booster institute Lin was in charge of was, at that point, operated in utmost secrecy, as it could influence Auj Oule’s fate greatly.

There were still many mysteries about people’s mana lobes. The scientists explained that not being able to use a booster did not necessarily mean one’s spirit artes abilities were lacking. However, that did nothing to alleviate Nils’ distress at being unable to share Lin’s pain and prevent him from shouldering all the burden on his own.

What came as a severe blow was the appointment of a second aide by Gaius’ side, equal to Lin. The man who thus received the title “Jiao” was none other than the one who had beat Lin and cornered Gaius—the giant from the Kitarl clan. The former patriarch murderer had cleared his name and become chief of the clan, and, of all things, was allowed stand side-by-side with Lin as Gaius’ hand.

It’s because of your folly that Lin got involved with this booster stuff!

Those men raising weapons together despite their various feuds for the sake of lofty ideals were, in some way, extremely rational, though it could be said their self-control bordered on tenacity. At the same time, Nils could not be the one to stand by Lin’s side despite wishing for it more than anything. But despite his increasing sense of futility, Nils kept fighting.

❖ A Small Hope

It was around that time that he met a little girl. New children were being brought to the institute regularly, so it was not unusual to see new faces. However, this particular girl’s gaze strangely took hold of Nils’ heart. She was quiet and looked intelligent, with loose curls and a beautiful face. But it was not her cuteness that touched him, but her lonely expression, reflected in her sad eyes. It seemed that the other children were keeping distance from her.

At first, he thought it was because she had just arrived, but after a while the situation showed no sign of improving. According to the researchers, the girl had astounding booster compatibility and her test results broke all records. That caused the other children to be jealous of her, which is why they avoided her.

Without realizing, Nils started speaking to her.

“Ah… Are you ‘Test Subject Number One’?” the girl asked, surprised.

Test Subject Number One. That was Lin. It made sense. Indeed, Nils’ blond hair looked like how Lin’s hair did due to the booster’s side effects. Lin’s slender build was different from Nils’ tall body, but adult men must have all looked the same in the eyes of a child, at least as long as they were not close.

So that was how it was. Trying to explain would be bothersome, so Nils simply nodded. In fact, if he had been able to participate in the tests, he would have probably received the title ‘Test Subject Number Two’ or something like that, so it was not a complete lie.

“…Everyone left. They told me to go away. That they would catch the gloomies if I got close. …I’m a bad girl,” she said. She was fidgeting with the hem of her dress—folding then unfolding it, stretching it then folding it again, as if she believed that she could enter their circle if she just made the perfect fold.

“How can I make friends with everyone?”

…It’s not your fault. It’s this world, created by the adults’ selfish ambitions! he almost replied, but he swallowed his words. The children had all lost their way and had all acquired the “right” and “duty” to live in this institute. It was better for them to do well here.

Nils himself had wished to be part of it.

“It’s difficult to express how you feel, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

“If words are too hard, you can find other methods. Like a smile, or holding hands…”

“I don’t have to speak?”

“You need courage to speak to someone face to face, don’t you? I think it’s okay to draw strength from something else in such a case. It doesn’t change how you feel, after all.”

After telling her that, Nils took the girl’s strange doll and made it move and talk. “Hello! I’m your best friend!”

“Ah ha ha, that’s funny!” the girl laughed.

From then on, Nils would talk to the girl every time he saw her. The doll was later turned into a booster and now talked on its own and expressed the girl’s hidden feelings, becoming a good partner for her.

“It seems that you are giving special attention to one of the test subjects,” Lin suddenly asked him one day.

“It’s nothing. She doesn’t get along well with the other kids, so I was a bit worried,” Nils answered.

Did Lin think Nils was carefreely playing with children while he was suffering from the side effects of his own booster?

Even within the children’s society, social interactions were difficult, especially since many were bearing deep wounds in their hearts. Nils wanted to believe that anyone would want to relieve them a little.

“It could hinder the experiments. Please stop meddling.”

“I’m sorry if I overstepped. But you don’t have to put it that way. Besides, she was all alone, yet no one else stepped in to help her.”

“An adult showing her special attention would have the opposite effect. It would only cause unnecessary problems.”

“But Lin, to heal a broken heart, you first need to give it a place where it feels safe. Didn’t all those children come here because of tragic circumstances? If we only focus on results and ignore their fears and anxiety, it would be like trying to plant seeds on dead soil. If we want them to bloom, we need to provide them with water.”

“Too much water would cause the roots to rot. You don’t need to go out of your way to treat them like children. They will find their way on their own.”

“No! Plentiful water makes trees grow and strengthen their roots. We need to nurture them for them to bear fruit!”

Nils refuted all of Lin’s cold arguments.

There was something he had always wanted to say.

Ever since you started walking alongside Gaius, you became sharp like a blade. But you’ve pushed yourself too far and started distancing yourself from those who care about you.

“You were burdened by determination and unwanted responsibilities and had no choice but to become an adult at such a young age. I’ve witnessed your pain from up close, and I’ve always wished I could take it from you. But these children are different. They don’t know anything about complicated matters like the sake of the country or diplomacy or anything like that. They’re just fragile, ordinary kids who don’t even know how to spell their own names.”

Memories of his childhood flashed almost painfully through his mind. The Long Dau lands full of heath fields which they ran around. Lin’s face, swaying between small purple flowers in a sea of grass spreading over the thin ground.

At the time, none of them would have imagined that their kingdom would fall, that their days would be filled with sadness. They just played and laughed and hugged each other to their hearts’ content and thought the only thing they needed was a promise to always be together.

“This is the only place these children have in the world. They’re not able to climb up the steep cliff on their own. They’ve bet their whole life and happiness in this dark closed world. They don’t care about results or abilities or whether we achieve our goal.”

He pictured the girl’s shy smile.

“Please, let them find happiness.”

His dear friend, who he’d valued as much as his life for as long as he remembered, was slowly getting out of reach. Lin’s heart was far away. That is why seeing Jiao—their former enemy—stroll into the institute as if he owned the place was painful to Nils.

He apparently had a connection to one of the children, which was why he sometimes asked to visit the place. He was now one at the peak of his power as one of Gaius’ direct subordinates. Instead of leaving that child in the institute, Nils thought that he should take her in and offer her a blessed life.

One day, upon learning that Jiao had arrived, Nils confronted him alone.

“I’ve heard there’s a kid you know here.”

“Did Wingul tell you? Well, it’s true that I know her…”

For all the noise he made, he was looking down with a complicated expression. There was now no trace of the violence he had displayed during his duel with Lin, but thinking about what Lin had endured then, Nils could not help a sarcastic remark.

“You’ve become a big shot now. You should just adopt the kid. Or maybe you don’t actually want to be associated with children struggling in a place like this?”

“Don’t say that. You know how my life is. If something happened to me, she would lose someone dear again, and that would definitely break her heart.”

“Don’t try to deceive me. This is just a convenient excuse.”

No, that’s wrong. I’m just taking it out on him.

“To begin with, I can’t even face her. I’m the one who brought tragedy unto her.”

Jiao refused to say more. He must have been referring to some specific past incident, or perhaps talking about the chaos the country had been plunged in for over ten years.

And that chaos was partly caused by the Long Dau clan itself. Many loyal soldiers who followed Lin’s vision had been killed by Gaius’ men, leaving mourning families behind. Lars and his brothers, on their end, used to squeeze villages dry when they commandeered supplies for war. Even before, for a very long time, countless famished people could not survive winters. No matter who won, war only left people’s lives in ruins. Nils wondered where he would have fallen if he had not been serving Lin closely.

“I’m sorry, Jiao,” he whispered, ashamed of the way he had used him to vent his conflicted feelings.

Jiao buried his face in his fur collar, as if to hide his eyes.

On a moonlit night of early Amnis, voices warning of intruders resounded throughout the facility.

They were only a handful. However, the enemy was clearly used to battles. They employed the guerrilla tactics of insurgent tribes and their discipline outshone that of regular troops. They were thoroughly trained in peculiar ways and passed through the defenses with ease.

To top it all, their weapons were very strange. They did not just fight physically but also used artes, yet there was no sign of them emitting mana or reciting incantations. It was possible to shorten casting time of high level artes, but this did not seem to be what they were doing. Their weapons opened fire in silence and killed their targets in an instant.

Massacre was not the intruders’ aim. After killing the guards who had had the misfortune of crossing their path, they did not look back and went forward, deeper into the facility. They were no doubt here to look for the boosters.

In that case, the children needed to be brought to safety immediately.

Jiao and Lin were in the laboratory. In other words, if the enemy reached their target, they would be found by both men at once. They would be like mice in a trap, and one could feel sorry for them, but they would only have their bad luck to blame.

An unfamiliar man appeared in Nils’ field of vision as he was running, his weapon in hand. The man was wearing a dusty jacket and a long scarf. His eyes looked empty, as if he had given up on life.

When Nils pulled out his sword and turned toward him, he felt a burning pain in his chest.

“Sorry. I’m in a hurry,” the man said in an empty voice.

Despite how small the weapon was, a single shot had been enough for Nils to stiffen and struggle to breathe. Blood was oozing off his chest, like he had been pierced by a sword.

He crouched down, and eventually lay on his side. The sound of hurried footsteps and a battle reached his ears. The explosive sounds that resounded through the hallways from time to time must have been coming from that weapon that had wounded him. The commotion eventually died down, and silence fell.

“Nils.”

That was Lin’s voice, echoing through his spinning mind. That monotonous, yet warm voice he cherished so much.

“…Yeah. ‘m fine. Jiao?”

“Don’t worry, all the children were evacuated safely. The little miss is safe as well.”

He could feel their presence nearby, but it was too hard for him to turn his head in their direction.

“Nils, don’t close your eyes. If you lose consciousness, you won’t be able to come back.” Lin voice was calm, but he was white as a sheet. “I promise you, I’ll revive the Long Dau clan one day, just like you always wished. So please…”

“Lin. The children… make sure they’re happy,” he rasped. “Just like we always were…”

Lin opened his eyes wide as if he had been hit in the chest, and nodded vigorously.

Satisfied, Nils sighed and lost consciousness. That single strange wound in his chest was a fatal wound.

The institute was closed soon after the attack, and the children were moved to another establishment, where they were given warm care under the supervision of Wingul of the Chimeriad.

After that, Wingul started calling himself the Ebon Wing of Auj Oule. No one knew if the single wing’s imagery was alluding to his position as Gaius’ right-hand man or to the fact he was mourning the loss of his closest friend, his other wing.

Lin Long Dau, former Long Dau chief, 27 years old. Nils Frieden, his subordinate, 31 years old. Their last season of water.

#tales of xillia #wingul #wingul the nova #nils frieden #xillia characters #xillia stories #credit: yumexhanabi

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3431jessica · 5 years

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A Road to Tomorrow

In homage to the recently released “Paw of Destiny.” I reshare my old fic that seemed to be suiting to the occasion.

Complete set could be found here. (dedicated to my fellow KFP lovers @pixarchan @m4dg4rl @7oy7iger @ani-dragmire @gsmith1030)

Po's very favourite thing about his daughter was.. - well, to be fair, there's really not just one thing. It's more of a list. A long list.

Of everything about her, basically.

After over a decade married to the love of his life and raising a number of orphaned panda and turned their life around, it was finally their turn to taste another facet of parenthood.

Ping Ying Yue - as the name meant: the reflection of the moon - she was a revelation to him almost every day. He saw his father's kind eyes, his mother's selflessness, his own regrettable clumsiness, and, most endearingly, the sparkling intellect of his wife, Tigress, all packed into the small form of his daughter.

She's also so amazingly herself, somehow - a four-year-old dynamo that exhausted him more than most of the things he'd faced during his time serving the valley. Ying Yue wasn't the natural Kung Fu Master that Tigress was at her age, but she loved the art anyway. She'd got his curious nature, an irrepressible energy level, and her mother's fierce ability to focus when she's doing something she loved.

Like right now.

She was on the floor, adorably folded in half so that she could colour the picture of grandpa Shifu she'd drawn for Tigress. His fur was - unfortunately - discoloured into blue and green - the colours of crayons she could find, and his ears appeared massively disproportional to his body (well, it never was!). Ying Yue was so intent on her work that she didn't hear the door open, or the familiar pad of Tigress paws as she approached, offloading her sack, training vest, and house keys as she went.

Po looked up from his spot on the couch, grinning as his wife reached the living room doorway and stepped out of her shoes, continuing towards them on bare feet. She's wearing a flirty blue qipao that showed off her curves (slightly snug in the right places), and Po let his appreciative gaze linger. She still seemed troubled, some days, by the changes to her tight figure after childbearing, but Po saw her strength and the creation of their child in her body and was at least as attracted to her as he'd always been. She's still sexy as hell, but he's even more worshipful now that he'd seen her carry his child - the child that he had never thought would ever arrive after ten years of their marriage.

Tigress approached, dropping down beside him with a groan. "Hi," she told him softly, leaning in for a lingering kiss. It's not until she settled in beside him and raised her voice that Ying Yue noticed her presence. "Hey, kiddo, come give your mom a kiss."

Ying Yue's little stripey head whipped around, traces of dumpling still bore evident around her maw. "Mommy!" She pushed herself up, literally leapt to the small empty gap on the couch only to rush flying back to grab her drawing. She ran full tilt around the edge of the coffee table, ignoring her parents' admonitions to slow down, and hurled herself for the second time onto the couch. With a giggle, she settled in against Tigress, her arms around her mother's neck. "Hi, Mommy. Miss you."

"Hi, baby girl," Tigress answered, and Po grinned at the pet name. It was both funny and endearing to see the fearsome Master Tigress used that kind appellative on anyone. He thought he would never live to see that day.

"How was your day?"

"Good, Mommy," Ying Yue chirped, climbing over Tigress's lap to resettle between her parents. "Daddy and I went to the park and played on the swings, and there was a really loud fight between the croc bandits..-" She dropped her drawing in favour of broad hand gestures meant to, Po assumed, sketch just how big the croc bandit was- "and daddy was about to stop them when grandpa Shifu suddenly appeared and froze them with just one finger," she beamed with pride. "One. Finger. I bet the stick he used for walking was just a decoy," she concluded to both Po and Tigress' amusement. "And then I draw you this!" She picked the picture up and presents it to Tigress proudly. "Perhaps you can give this to him tomorrow?"

"Of course," Tigress' eyes light up, and her smile was delighted as she accepted the slightly crumpled paper with a rough sketch of big-eared creature - that was Shifu alright. "Good job, Yue. Is this…-?"

"It's nerve attack!" Ying Yue interrupted, "pointing at the yellow blob she coloured on the tip of Shifu's finger. "Daddy said he used chi, the power to one's soul. So even when grampa is small, his chi can be as big as an elephant! That's how he beats Daddy and throws him all around the Training Hall like a rag doll. So, if I meditate more to make my chi stronger, I can beat Daddy too!"

Po rolled his eyes. Ying Yue had always had a crazy way in deriving and analysing phenomena around her; it fascinated Po, even when she's asking twenty minutes' worth of absurd questions that made connect to each other only in that amazing brain of hers.

"Oh," Ying Yue breathed, her eyes wide, "I need to show my picture to grampa Ping! Who knows he would want me to draw him too."

She wriggled out from between them and scampered off to her room to grab her drawing supplies.

Tigress huffed a laugh, leaning more heavily into Po as she traced the lines of Ying Yue's drawing. "This is pretty good," she observed.

She's not wrong - Ying Yue had trouble colouring in the lines, but the basic shape was recognisably a red panda, featuring large ears, small body, bushy tail, and four semi-proportional limbs. It's the fact that Shifu was gliding in the air with a gigantic ball of chi on his skinny hands had really made it clear that this version of Shifu had sprung from the bright imagination of a four-year-old. Tigress smoothed the paper a bit. "Shifu would be glad if he could fly."

"He almost could fly," Po remarked at his Master's gravity-defying ability. "I can't imagine what will happen if he were born with wings. And so were you."

Her forehead crinkled. The "Am I?" was silent, but he saw it plastered on her face.

"You flew from the Jade Palace rooftop to the ground and zipped right across Valley of Peace to the Thread of Hope. That was..-"

"Bodaciously Awesome?" she finished with a chuckle.

"Yep," he nodded. A large grin split his face when he caught a glimpse of Ying Yue dashed in impossible speed crossing the living room to the bathroom and back into her bedroom. "And you know where our feisty princess got her energy from, see?"

Tigress tilted her head and crossed her arms in faux annoyance.

"She's your daughter," he said as an explanation.

Tigress scoffed but snuggled closer. "She inhaled for a bowl of dumpling yesterday - literally. She's your kid, Po."

Po laughed, but before he can argue, Ying Yue came tearing back into the living room, a sack full of painting equipment clutched in one hand and Tigress action figure that she inherited from her big sister, Lei Lei. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, can we fix Daddy's marks now?"

Po leaned forward, and Ying Yue redirected, launching herself at him. She grinned up at him. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, Little Dumpling." Po dipped his head to kiss his daughter's tiny nose, which made her laugh and wriggle in a fake attempt to avoid him. She loved the scratch of his rough panda stubble but liked to pretend she didn't.

Her hand landed on his cheek, and she patted his jaw. "Daddy, can we fix your marks now?" She's grinning up at him, and her enthusiasm made his chest ache.

He glanced at Tigress with a wordless question. He could tell she's had a long day - the Valley had suffered from a few bandit attacks and she's been putting in long, tough hours to try to make sure the situation and normalcy rebounded quickly. It won't surprise him if she's not up for taking care of him tonight.

But Tigress was already scooting forward on the couch, reaching for Ying Yue. "Let's go get everything ready for Daddy," she told her, and Ying Yue went eagerly into her mother's arms.

Po watched them head upstairs, then pushed himself up with a little groan and made a detour for the kitchen. He grabbed some Camomile tea for Ying Yue, brew a large pot of Oolong for Tigress, and refilled his water jug before heading upstairs. He could hear their voices, Ying Yue narrating everything she's doing for her mother ("I did a split kick, Mommy!"), and Tigress praising her and occasionally correcting her as needed.

Pausing in the doorway to the master bedroom, Po watched his daughter crawling around on the bed, carefully straightening the clean bath sheet they've laid down to protect the red and grey duvet. Tigress had the hot herbal patches and the jar of solvent for his scars on a small hand towel to the side. Ying Yue tended to need more cleaning up than Po after each "mark fixing" session. It was a ritual these days, now that 40 was fast approaching and his years of injury have started to make themselves known in the form of aches and pains, for his girls to spend an hour every couple days easing his pain and healing his scars.

He couldn't believe, some days, that this was his life. Becoming Dragon Warrior was merely a small part of the adventure - a beginning of many things. He couldn't believe he had Kung Fu. He couldn't believe he made friends with his idols - the Furious Five. He couldn't believe he became the Master of Jade Palace. But mostly he couldn't believe he deserved the kind of love his daughter and his wife give him so effortlessly.

Before he could get too maudlin, Tigress spotted him and reached out her paw. "C'mon over here, mister." She noticed the Oolong tea in his paws and grinned. "I knew I married you for a reason."

"Bet ya," he said with a smile that he forced because the thought of his life without her nearly squeezed the tears out of his eyes.

Tigress handed her the cup and Ying Yue's Camomile tea - they learned early that Ying Yue - just like Tigress - was not a particularly good multitasker when she spilt scalding hot tea down Po's spine. He deposited his water jug on the bedside table, tugged off his shirt (which he wore because Tigress insisted he needed to stop being shirtless in front of other people - she was his only exception), then climbed onto the mattress, settling on his stomach. He pulled his pillow closer, then craned his neck to see Ying Yue kneeling by his ribs. "Okay, Little Dumpling."

She patted his back twice and put Tigress action figure right beside his face, making Po laugh. "Relax, Daddy," she directed. "You can snuggle with my Tigress if you need to," she added, then turned her attention to her mother. "Mommy, can I have the Wonder?" Po grinned into the pillow at Ying Yue's butchering of the complicated, pharmaceutical name of the scar cream's component.

"Of course, darling," Tigress answered.

And they got to work.

Tigress knew his tight spots, the deep tissue aches and pains that responded to the patches, so she methodically applied them. She took a few moments to work on his muscles, too, massaging when she felt a knot.

Ying Yue, meanwhile, fingerpainted the white lines and raised skin of his scars with the healing cream. She was so careful and so gentle as she worked. The first time they'd done this, by the time he'd flipped over to let them work on the scars on his chest, the sight of little Ying Yue leaning over him, her tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on soothing his old injuries had brought Po to tears. His baby girl - who barely graduated from wearing diapers - hadn't noticed the tears slipping down the sides of his face, but Tigress caught the way his breath hitched, cupping his face with her paws and pressing a soft kiss to his lips to ground him.

He didn't cry every time these days, but he felt it just as acutely. Ying Yue was as openly protective as Tigress, and as deeply affectionate as he was - and they both told him at least once a day that they love him. But something about these moments, something about the way he could feel the love in their careful touches, in the time and attention they put into making him feel just a little better, it hit him hard every time.

"Thank you," he murmured into the pillow, and he's honestly not sure whether he's thanking his girls, or whatever deity or fate brought him the two great loves of his life: Tigress and Ying Yue.

His wife pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder, and his daughter patted him again. "You're welcome, Daddy."

Po smiles. "Thank you."

#my writing #kung fu panda #my fiction

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