#But now that I think about it how would it affect Lan Zhan's and Wei Ying's relationship

[tossawary]

For a while, I kept periodically thinking about F/M Wangxian (Male Wei Wuxian and Female Lan Wangji) without being able to figure out why I kept being distracted by F/M Wangxian. I mean, I think different genderbending AU situations are fun to think about in fanfiction, especially in worlds where gender roles are a problem. M/M, F/M, M/F, and F/F Wangxian all change the story slightly and I think it's neat to explore why and how.

And obviously, F!LWJ would be a total babe, that's nice to think about, but why still M!WWX and not F!WWX? F!WWX would also be a total babe, though of a different type, especially as the Yiling Patriarch. But my brain kept insisting that M!WWX was still crucial somehow and I couldn't figure out why that setup.

I mean, it is funny to think about how M!WWX's unchanged flirty behavior in their teenage years would suddenly set off every single alarm bell in the Cloud Recesses due to people being able to SEE IT thanks to heteronormativity goggles. WWX with a degree of societal permission to be romantically interested in Lan Wangji? Intolerable levels of annoying. Unbearable to witness. Singing love songs under her balcony type bullshit like he wants her to start another fight under the moonlight. He's writing her poetry (clever "joke" poems bordering on innuendo and actual romantic poems) and has the gall to be good at it. Lan Qiren is barely resisting the urge to beat WWX off with a broomstick. Lan Xichen doesn't know whether to be horrified or delighted (LWJ is bluuuuushing).

I do also like the idea of WWX coming back from the dead and finding out that the common people have decided in the past decade (thanks to the heteronormativity goggles) that the noble female cultivator LWJ had a Tragic Romance with the Evil Yiling Patriarch. Poor woman! WWX: "Who had a what now?" (I do also like the idea of Wangxian actually having a Tragic Romance during and after the war. And mutually stated romantic interest and affection still didn't fix anything for them. But it's funny to think about WWX getting completely blindsided by this EPIC LOVE STORY if there was no actual relationship.)

(Sizhui is still adopted here! Noble and pure-hearted LWJ adopted a war orphan because she longed to be a mother but swore never to love again after the Yiling Patriarch broke her heart, obviously! WWX, listening to this gossip: "She what? I mean, Lan Zhan would make an amazing mom, good for her, lucky kid, and no one is good enough for her if she doesn't want to get married, but seriously, I cannot stress this enough, what the fuck. She didn't like me back! Aiyah, I bet she's still so mad at me for ruining her reputation like this.")

Eventually, I realized that the key piece of this AU that I was missing was that I wanted to write F/M Wangxian that turned into F/F Wangxian. Because I think Transfem Wei Wuxian would display (and I mean this affectionately) the most ridiculous trans egg behavior imaginable, especially because it would lean more towards one of those "I was mostly fine living as a guy, but I'm so much happier as a girl" situations. Absurd amounts of queer foreshadowing.

So, Wei Wuxian gets resurrected into a female MXY's body or something and obliviously goes, "Oh! This is nice! I've always wanted to try being a woman! Yes, I can roll with this." And eventually Wei Wuxian has to actually examine the fact that she really likes being a woman and doesn't want to "go back" to being a man in any way, but not before putting Lan Wangji through an incredible amount of new "joke" flirtation. And people who knew WWX before are like... "Hmm. Some things are making sense now."

Things like: 1) As a teenager, WWX insisted that LWJ was such a strong woman that, if they got married, LWJ could be "the husband" and "he" would happily be "the wife". There were lots and lots of "I want to live as Jiejie's spoiled wife" jokes. Consequently, at the Cloud Recesses, at least one outrageously inappropriate joke was made by WWX about LWJ knocking "him" up, because WWX's breeding kink is still very much a thing. WWX didn't know about her breeding kink when she made that joke; both she and LWJ learned something about themselves that day.

2) Wei Wuxian would frequently pull crossdressing-related pranks saying: "Wow, this is crazy. I can't believe you guys are forcing me to put on a dress and all this makeup for this prank! You guys are wild!" And Jiang Cheng would reply: "No one is forcing you to do this. No one dared you. You suddenly volunteered to crossdress for a prank that does not require crossdressing AGAIN. Also, give me that brush, I'll do your makeup because you suck ass at it."

3) WWX would frequently go on rants about how women are so much more beautiful than men, which flew under the radar as a "normal behavior for a lustful young man", but there was always something a little off about it. Like, WWX might say that women are so beautiful and perfect that everyone would choose to be one if allowed to pick before being born just to admire the gorgeous view, and JC might say, "I don't think that's quite right...?" But WWX would just say something like (like an obnoxious teenage sibling), "That's because you know that you'd make an ugly woman!" or, "Are you saying that women aren't perfect? Also, are you saying Shijie isn't the best person in the world?" And JC would have to be like, "I didn't say that! And I'd make a beautiful woman, fuck you! Also, how is that relevant to your point?"

By the end of this AU, there is at least one public love confession that is horribly embarrassing for everyone else to witness, in which Wei Wuxian has finally realized that LWJ used to be in love with "him" and that she loves LWJ back, but tearfully apologizes because she can't be the handsome man that LWJ loved anymore. Even if she could be a man again, she still doesn't want to stop being a woman, even if she's not very good at it yet. She can't perform the required husbandly duties like provide a good home for LWJ! She can't father LWJ's children anymore!

(Jiang Cheng: "Do you have to do this now?! Stop being indecent! There are children here. Also, we're all being held hostage.")

But it's all cool! Because shortly after realizing WWX was back and determined to live as a woman, LWJ speedran a sexuality crisis, flipped a mental switch, and essentially went, "I'm a lesbian now." (Or maybe LWJ was really confused about being attracted to WWX when they first met, because LWJ had only been physically attracted to her fellow female disciples up until then, so WWX seemed like the "exception", until WWX comes back from the dead as a woman and then it's like, "Ah. Not an exception after all.")

#transfem wei wuxian au #tossawary mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #mdzs genderbending au #fic ideas

[wangxianficrecs]

Rewind 2023 - Part I

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2023

Part one of our favourite stories published in 2023. If you also want to give a shout-out to a story, submit an ask and we will share it in an upcoming post featuring Follower Recs and Proud Author Spotlights.

~*~

Call again

by apathyinreverie (@apathyinreverie)

T, 5k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Brother?” Lan Zhan picks up the call, voice sleep-rough from being woken so late. There is a pause. “Well,” an unfamiliar voice replies, notably cheerful, though overloud and the slightest bit slurred in a way that identifies the speaker as likely not being entirely sober, perfectly matching the loud music and din of voices in the background. “Not quite, actually.” (Or, Wei Ying meets a drunk LXC at a bar. They promptly devolve into being chaos gremlins together.)

~*~

Fight Me?

by Witch_Nova221 (@witchnova221)

G, 5k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: A tidied up version of this original threadfic Nurse Wei Ying has an interesting encounter with a patient on his night shift who is intent on starting a fight with him.

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💙 Paths untaken

by apathyinreverie (@apathyinreverie)

T, 6k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: The thing is, the Cloud Recesses are big and Caiyi is even bigger. (Or, Lan Zhan chooses differently at Qiongqi Path.)

~*~

Kintsugi

by sortablue (@yinyangbuns)

E, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian had thought he was more well-adjusted; or, at least, that the thing that would set him off would be a little more impressive than a broken tea set. How funny that out of all the things that haunted his nightmares, this was the thing that chose to ruin his perfectly good day. (Or, Wei Wuxian’s treatment at Lotus Pier at the hands of Madam Yu has lasting affects that he previously had not thought to consider.)

~*~

💙 Su She Eats his Heart Out

by KizuKatana (@kizukatana)

T, 16k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: The (bitter) third party pov of the epic college romance between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, as told from the pettiest NPC to ever exist. - - - - - A new student transferred into the university in their second year, and Su She was gleeful to see how much Lan Zhan was irritated by him from the very first day that the student (Wei something) showed up late for class with a ratty hoodie pulled up over his head and proceeded to sleep through lecture. Finally, someone else would be the butt of everyone’s jokes as they watched Wei Ying constantly try and fail to get Lan Zhan’s attention. When midterm grades came out, Su She was expecting the guy to be humiliated. That was… not what happened. Worse still, Lan Zhan was now actually turning his head to look at the guy when he spoke. And... wait, was Lan Zhan… putting his hand on the guy’s ass?! No. Su She does not accept this.

~*~

Into the murk

by MissCellophane (@misscellophane-ao3)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian is dead. Lan Wangji wouldn't believe those words until he sees it for himself.

~*~

Sit Properly!

by Nightfeather18

T, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: It started innocently, just a note to tell Wei Wuxian to sit straight, it did not stay that way.

~*~

💙 at first sight of the sun

by sunflowersfield

T, 3k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “There are days,” he says slowly, choosing his words with care, “when I do not feel like speaking. Or, I simply do not have any words. It is…difficult to explain,” he admits. Wei Ying nods. “I think I understand,” he responds thoughtfully. “But Lan Zhan,” he adds nervously, “you know I was just joking about the daily compliments, right? I don’t really expect you to do that!” Or: Lan Zhan is a researcher at a forest preserve, and Wei Ying has just been hired to work at the front desk.

~*~

The Moon Reflected Upon Two Springs

by Rubberduckieassassin (@rubberduckieassassin)

M, 2k, Wen Ning | Kay's Rec

Summary: In many ways, this part of Wen Ning’s existence has felt like winter. Winter is the most Yin of all the seasons. It is a time of stillness and quiet reflection. Remembering how to ‘live’ again as best he could.

~*~

Happy That Way

by airinshaw

E, 7k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Zhan has allowed Wei Ying to move in with him when he has nowhere else to go. But it does mean that they'll have to share one bed.

~*~

mirror, mirror

by hauntedotamatone (@hauntotamatone)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Some people take him at his word, believing that they must have heard wrong about the child Jiang Fengmian had taken in all those years ago. They haven’t exactly heard wrong, but he isn’t lying either. The first time Jiang-shushu had introduced him as the son of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren, he had thought his face would split from the force of his smile. No one had argued with the sect leader, but Wei Wuxian is not a sect leader, and those of Gusu Lan do not seem to take kindly to any sort of correction. At least, if their esteemed teacher and acting sect leader is anything to go by. or; Wei Wuxian attempts to sneak into the Cloud Recesses for a very different reason.

~*~

turn a little faster, the world will follow after

by dottie_dramas (dottie_wan_kenobi) (@dottie-wan-kenobi)

E, 5k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Lan Zhan here really surprised me. When we first met, I thought ‘now here’s a guy who could probably bite my head off if I annoy him,’ but then he didn’t? You know, all of our friends in Seoul would say I’m the shameless one, but I have no idea what they’re talking about, like, have they met Lan Zhan? Gege, you’re kind of crazy.” “Mn,” says Wangji, sounding very pleased. “It’s okay though, I like crazy. Hey, Xichen-ge—can I call you Xichen-ge?—anyway, do you mind if I add a little something to my tea?” “We do not imbibe alcohol in this house,” Shufu seethes. “It’s not alcohol,” Wei Ying corrects like he expected to hear this at some point. Xichen glances at Wangji, who’s making an expression Xichen has never seen before: unbridled exasperation and fondness. Then Wei Ying pulls out a pack of what Xichen is pretty sure is chili powder. -- Basically a modern AU where lwj and wwx both take a semester abroad while in college. They were originally in different colleges and never met before. They meet in this new college and being the weirdos they truly are, fall in love and get married within one semester.

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

#wangxian fic rec #wangxianficrecs #rewind 2023 #mdzs #the untamed #wangxian #fandom event #long post #Kay's Rec #Kay's Favorite #The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation #MDZS #Mo Dao Zu Shi

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

Heritage

@wonderlandwondering here is the ficlet inspired by your prompt! Thank you!

Lan Qiren hadn't expected Wei Wuxian to be the first person visiting him so early in the morning - but then again, he's given up trying to make sense of the man long ago, so he receives him without further comment. He looks a lot more like himself now, and a lot less like Mo Xuanyu - which makes him, in turn, more similar to his mother.

Lan Qiren doesn't like thinking about her.

"Teacher Lan, I have a request for you." Wei Wuxian begins, and Lan Qiren is once again surprised by the serious tone in Wei Wuxian's voice.

"What is it?"

"Do you have any of my mother's belongings? Even just homework or essays she's written..."

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in. "What brought this on?"

"I've been... thinking about her recently..." His hands wring together slightly in his lap. "Lan Zhan and I want to adopt a little one to raise together and that's been making me think a lot about my parents... I don't even know my mother's actual name..."

Lan Qiren closes the notebook he has been writing in, and places his brush down before standing up to go to the furthest side of his office, opening a drawer.

"Your mother's name was Ren Xinyi." He takes out a thick stack of papers and returns to hand them to Wei Wuxian. He gazes upon them, upon his mother's delicate, elegant calligraphy, and skims through what appears to be an exam paper. Her writing is articulate and her points are well-argued, betraying a vast knowledge of cultivation practices.

Reading her paper feels a lot like her speaking to him across time and space and death. His hands tremble holding the papers.

"You used to be a lot like her. You are a lot like her."

"No wonder you never liked me." Wei Wuxian chuckles, with a slight edge of bitterness. Lan Qiren refuses to acknowledge how unfair he has been to do that - openly, at least. Though he cannot lie to others, the rules do not forbid him lying to himself.

"Your mother was a very bright student and a powerful cultivator. She was highly sought after, but her affections had clearly fallen on your father from the first day they met." A lot like you and Wangji, he doesn't say, but Wei Wuxian hears it anyway.

"She wrote the rules twice as much as you did, I personally saw to that. She would talk a lot, so I'd try to silence her, but she figured out a way to break the spell..." an embarrassed sigh, "...and would cast it on me instead."

Wei Wuxian laughs again, the image in his mind hilarious. While he can picture his mom as a young person somewhat, he can't imagine Lan Qiren young, and so his mind conjures the current Lan Qiren struggling to break the silencing spell, scandalized and frustrated.

"She also traded pornography in the Cloud Recesses. This is how she and your father met, actually. I personally caught him purchasing a picture book from her, an original work of all things!"

Wei Wuxian finds this both amusing and embarrassing. To think of his parents reading such things...! But then again, at least he knows who he got it from!

"She brought a duck to the Cloud Recesses once and tied a forehead ribbon around it. Called it Lan Quackren. All because she believed me unfair for punishing her for sneaking off with your father in the library."

Like you and Wangji do, he again doesn't say, but Wei Wuxian knows that's what he meant.

Wei Wuxian looks through the papers, and his eyes catch onto - "A portrait?"

Lan Qiren sighs, this time neither embarrassed, nor angry. Rather, it's more akin to sorrowful.

"Your mother could befriend anybody, no matter how closed off they were. I don't know how, but she also befriended Madam Lan. One day, when your mother and your father decided to leave the Cloud Recesses, Madam Lan had me bring her this portrait as a gift. She left before I could catch her, so I kept the portrait to give her if she ever returned. This is what your mother looked like."

Wei Wuxian takes in the details of the picture with tearful eyes. A woman smiles sweetly at him, long, dark hair cascading down her back and shoulders, a small headpiece holding some of it away from her youthful face.

She has simple robes on, and eyes that look just like Wei Wuxian's own, so kind as she smiles that it's unmistakable it's her. Wei Wuxian faintly remembers that, the warmth in her eyes when she would look at him.

His eyes catch onto some faint writing that appears on the back of the portrait and turns the paper around.

Please receive this gift to immortalize the day you found out you'll be bringing a little one into the world. I wish you an easy pregnancy and a healthy baby!

Wei Wuxian bursts into tears before he can stop it.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #writing attempts

[jasontoddiefor]

Absolutely begging for the trans WWX who’s living her best life as Lady Mo, I’m obsessed with this au

(Also I just want you to know there is now a crack version of this incredible au in my head where upon meeting “Lady Mo” playing Wangxian for Sizhui, Lan Zhan has a full on falls to his knees clutching WWX’s going “you’re as beautiful as the day I lost you” alla HTTYD 2, gets a dramatic (to Sizhui, read confused for WWX) “Lan Zhan!?” in response and the Lan Zhan (in an actual miracle of being able to communicate) goes “I raised A-Yuan all of these years for you, I’ve raised our son into a wonderful cultivator” (the miracle has ended, and WWX is currently bluescreening trying to connect the dots of teen I am traveling with is baby I loved what do you mean our son ooo wait Lan Zhan thinks I’m pretty!)

And thus creates the misunderstanding for Sizhui that “Lady Mo” is actually his apparently not-dead mom who’s apparently been vibing as a wandering musician for the past 13 years. Sizhui goes through the five stages of grief before settling on “I can work with this” as a-niang starts showering him with affection and apparently thought he was dead and thus began Sizhui’s grand scheme of luring his incredibly oblivious mother into marriage with his father and it becomes “unstoppable force vs unmovable object, second times the charm on baby trapping, right?” adventures.

This doesn’t matter but it’s important to me that you know this popped into my head. This au is absolutely incredible and there is so much comedy gold. NHS has been left alone in the group project but he still manages to scramble together enough to pass decently, good for him)

1 (Ao3) | 2 (tumblr)

aaah I'm flattered to hear that!! and tbh, it's not so much that NHS has been left alone in the group project but that he decided on the project and then didn't call anyone to do their parts. never got to write it but i figured the whole reveal would go sth like this:

Gusu doesn't look like Wei Ying remembers it, but it has been decades since her attendance. After the war, well, for all that Lan Zhan had asked her to visit, she'd never accepted it.

And look at her now! Going to the Cloud Recesses voluntarily, accompanied by Lan Zhan's little juniors. They're good kids, polite and inquisitive and opinionated and so very alive. She wondered how much Lan Zhan must have changed in the last years to raise them this well.

What if Wei Ying doesn't recognize him at all? No, that can't be. Lan Zhan was too memorable for Wei Ying to ever forget a single detail about him.

"Just ahead now, Lady Mo," says Lan Sizhui. "I'm not sure if my father is home. He's taken to traveling more...."

He trails off, his face splitting into a smile as he looks ahead. "He's there!"

Wei Ying expects some unfamiliar Lan, but no, standing there is Lan Zhan. He looks older, refined, and happy at their return.

Oh, thinks Wei Ying. I always want him to look at me like that.

Playing the dizi isn't always for pleasure, especially chenqing, summoning all kinds of evil, but the song Lan Zhan taught him is like homecoming. Wei Ying watches in delight as Lan Zhan's eyes widen in recognition, she thinks.

The juniors look at her in wonder, but Wei Ying pulls the dizi from her lips with a smile.

"Lan Zhan!" she calls, "Lan Zhan, I heard you're walking around, clearing my name!" And then, just for pleasure, just for herself, she calls his name again. "Lan Zhan, I've been traveling! I've seen the world and it's alive."

I'm alive, I'm here, won't you ask me to come with you a final time?

Wei Ying can't place Lan Zhan's expression until it breaks into something hopeful, something grieving, something lost.

"Wei Ying?"

#the untamed #wangxian #lan wangji #wei wuxian #lan sizhui #ask #anon #fanfic

[youhideastar]

In Concord, I would love to get DVD commentary on the scene where Lan Qiren kicks Wei Ying out of the lectures when it swaps to musical cultivation time. Would also be fascinated to hear your take on what Lan Qiren is thinking/how he's justifying himself mentally, etc.

Yay, I’m so happy to talk about this scene! Thank you for asking!

Commentary is below the cut, fic is here, and finally, anon who sent in the Wen Qing shovel-talk ask, I have not forgotten about you - I am just saving yours for WIP Wednesday! Also, there are spoilers for the end of the fic in the commentary, so please read the fic first.

Wei Wuxian drops something on Lan Wangji’s desk, with an air of great triumph.

“Guess what that is?”

Lan Wangji picks up the bundle of papers and examines it. It is yet another hurried, sloppy version of the Gusu Lan Sect principles.

“It’s my ticket into the lectures, Lan Zhan!”

“The last copy,” Lan Wangji realizes.

Wei Wuxian bounces on his toes, grinning. “It is! I’ve kept my nose clean for the last few days, and I was furiously copying at night, and now I’m done.”

There is a part of Lan Wangji that wants to say Wei Wuxian has done well, but he dismisses it. There is no accomplishment in atoning for misdeeds.

Aaaaand another missed opportunity. Like, LWJ’s not wrong, but—don’t be such a hardass! WWX is proud of how hard he worked! Be proud of him, too!

Thus, after the midday meal, Wei Wuxian follows Lan Wangji into the lecture hall. The disciple at the door assigns him a seat—Lan Wangji has the same seat he has had since he was a child—and Wei Wuxian goes readily enough, although he pouts at Lan Wangji as he goes.

They’re married, they should sit together—but LWJ doesn’t see it that way. He wants everything in his life to stay the same, right down to where he sits in the lecture hall. Meanwhile, you’ve got WWX over here visibly pouting at being separated from LWJ – he keeps trying to connect, trying to show affection, and getting shut down in all these little largely unintentional ways. Like the papermen:

If Lan Wangji had expected that Wei Wuxian’s long-thwarted desire to attend one of Lan Qiren’s lectures would translate into proper attentive behavior therein, he would have been very much mistaken. During the first half of the lecture, devoted to Lan Sect history, Wei Wuxian plagues Lan Wangji with a parade of papermen. No matter how many Lan Wangji crumples in his fist, there is always another a moment later, climbing up his back, tugging on his hair, trying to crawl up his sleeve.

Lan Qiren definitely notices this going down. He goes into this lecture already intending to kick WWX out, but this behavior just validates his decision.

Lan Wangji attempts to keep Wei Wuxian’s antics from disturbing the other attendees, but he is unsure of his success. And he himself learns absolutely nothing.

Admittedly, the information would not be new to him regardless, as he is well acquainted with the details of his sect’s illustrious history. But it is the principle of the thing.

After half the shichen has passed, Lan Qiren announces a change in topic, from history to musical cultivation. Out of the corner of his eye, Lan Wangji sees Wei Wuxian sit straighter, hands poised to take notes.

Then Lan Qiren looks out across the assembled disciples and says, curtly, “Wei Wuxian is dismissed.”

This is such a dick move. But LQR is having major regrets about signing on to this marriage alliance scheme in the first place, and he may not be able to go back in time and stop WWX from marrying into the sect (Do not accept disciples without careful screenings), but he can at least try to obey the principle to Avoid imparting knowledge to the wrong individuals. He comes into this lecture intending to make this move from the beginning (that’s why he doesn’t pin it on WWX’s misbehavior – this is premeditated).

Are those principles ringing a bell, by the way? That’s because Lan Zibin quotes them in the Lan Ran confrontation, where he says, “I warned your uncle against it. Do not accept disciples without careful screenings. Avoid imparting knowledge to the wrong individuals. This is what comes of letting political expedience overcome the wisdom of our ancestors.”

That scene comes quite a bit after this one, but it sheds a belated light on what’s going on with Lan Qiren here: to wit, he is getting constant shit from the other elders about WWX, for a decision that was probably Lan Xichen’s—not his—to begin with. It’s making him defensive.

Also, he’s just plain pissed-off at WWX for constantly breaking rules and being rude as fuck. WWX is so wronged in this fic that it’s easy to forget that he does some pretty obnoxious stuff at the beginning, especially by Lan standards. WWX made the “mistake” of telling LQR that learning from him is something he really cares about; now LQR is going to take it away.

Lan disciples have too much self-restraint to gasp in surprise. But the mood of the room is one of astonishment. And no one looks more astonished than Wei Wuxian.

Note that everybody else knows this is a dick move. This is real bad behavior by LQR. But no one here has the rank to challenge LQR, even for blatant assholery, except LWJ. And he’s so not ready to do that yet.

Standing to address Lan Qiren, he asks, “Why am I dismissed, Lan-xiansheng?”

“Have you trained in musical cultivation?”

This is an excuse. It’s not a very good one. LQR is not particularly skilled at coming up with BS. Unlike WWX.

“No,” Wei Wuxian admits.

“Hmph.”

Lan Qiren flicks his gaze away, as if to say that no more need be said of the matter.

As far as LQR is concerned, that’s it, he’s done. He’s so used to being obeyed that he’s not expecting WWX to challenge him. When WWX does, and won’t let it go, LQR is totally unprepared, and he starts grasping at straws. His BS gets less and less plausible as WWX pushes and pushes and LQR gets more and more pissed-off and out of his depth.

“But I can learn!” protests Wei Wuxian. “Isn’t that—”

“Do you play the qin?” Lan Qiren demands.

Interrupting is forbidden, Lan Wangji thinks automatically.

“No—”

“The xiao?”

“No.”

“Hmph.” Lan Qiren deliberately turns away.

LQR is again expecting that that will be the end of it. He assumes WWX doesn’t play an instrument at all and takes that as further evidence that WWX is uncultured - just a sword-swinging troublemaker who lacks the self-discipline to learn other skills.

Lan Wangji’s hands are clenched in his lap – not out of anger, but confusion. He does not understand what is happening – he has seen students dismissed from lecture for misbehavior, and indeed, he expected that was the nature of the dismissal here. But he has never seen a student dismissed for lack of prerequisite training. Surely, even those with little grounding in a technique can benefit from instruction and demonstration?

LWJ spot-on here. Like everyone in the room, including WWX, he knows this is BS.

Wei Wuxian, meanwhile, is not giving up. He announces, “I can play the dizi!”

But Lan Qiren merely scowls. “The question,” he says, “is whether Wei Wuxian plays a gentleman’s instrument.”

LQR does not mean to mean this in a class way. He is truly not thinking of WWX as a commoner in this moment. But dismissing the dizi as a folk instrument rather than a classical instrument (think banjo rather than cello) is inherently class-coded. Again, LQR assumed WWX didn’t play an instrument at all (itself a classist assumption) and is now desperately grasping at straws to save face. And that is a real good way to end up saying shit that’s way more offensive than you intended.

(Side note: I did a lot of research (by my standards—I didn’t, like, interview any scholars or visit any museums) on the cultural status of the dizi versus the xiao and the qin for this scene. The sources did not all agree with each other, and this is all undermined by the fact that The Untamed is not set in any specific dynasty, but it does appear that there was a period when the xiao and the qin were firmly entrenched as classical instruments that would be played at the imperial court, and the dizi was not (and the status of the qin as the quintessential “gentleman’s instrument” appears to have been consistent throughout). So let’s just imagine this is set in that early period when the dizi was still growing in popularity.)

Wei Wuxian’s mouth closes. As Lan Wangji watches, the set of his face changes. For a moment, it is stone – for a moment, he truly looks like a Lan.

“A gentleman’s instrument,” he repeats, smooth and even. “That’s funny, I could swear I read a principle or two about not looking down on people because of their birth—”

“Birth has nothing to do with it,” Lan Qiren retorts.

He really means this. But he can’t unsay what he said.

Wei Wuxian smiles. In a dangerously pleasant tone, he replies, “That’s what I’m saying.”

“Not just any instrument is capable of mastering the Gusu Lan techniques.”

I hope this comes off to the reader as very obvious BS. The Untamed is not, like, real big on consistent worldbuilding re: magic systems, but there’s just no reason other instruments couldn’t play Gusu Lan spiritual songs. Yeah, you probably need a multi-stringed instrument to do Chord Assassination, but whatever you can do on a xiao, there’s no reason you can’t do it on other wind instruments! (And, like, as readers we know that’s true because we see WWX play Gusu Lan spiritual music on his dizi later in the show.) Pour one out for LQR who thought he was going to have a ten-second conversation to get his revenge on his obnoxious nephew-in-law and instead is now showing his ass in front of practically his whole sect but can’t back down without losing face.

“And a dizi—”

“The dizi is a brash and unrefined instrument inherently unsuited for cultivation,” Lan Qiren snaps, brutal and final. “Wei Wuxian is dismissed.”

Per the sources I was looking at, what Lan Qu says later in the fic does appear to be true: a dizi is a lot louder than a qin, so they would rarely have been played together, whereas a xiao is quieter and makes for a better companion to the qin. Appropriately for Gusu Lan Sect, they specialize in relatively quiet instruments. So that’s what Lan Qiren is talking about when he calls the dizi “brash and unrefined,” in addition to dismissing it as a folk instrument.

There is a silent moment when no one moves. Lan Wangji is not certain that anyone breathes.

I’m sure a lot of the disciples are thinking, Why is Lan Qiren being such a dick? But you know a lot of them are thinking, What did Wei Wuxian do to make Lan Qiren act like such a dick?

Then Wei Wuxian bows – deeply, with perfect form. Lan Wangji cannot shake the feeling that there is something mocking about it. “Lan-xiansheng,” he says. He turns on his heel and walks out.

It is not exactly breaking new ground for me to observe that WWX uses formality as a weapon.

Lan Wangji follows. He could not say why. He just knows that he could not stay.

Oh, Lan Wangji, darling boy, you do have some good instincts! When you listen to them, you do so much better!

He continues to follow Wei Wuxian, not knowing where he is going, as they wend their way through the intersecting paths of Cloud Recesses.

As he walks, he replays his uncle’s words in his head, attempting to make sense of them. No one has ever said, in Lan Wangji’s hearing, that some instruments are unsuited for cultivation. Gusu Lan trains all its disciples in guqin, and those who are interested train in xiao, as it is a traditional complement to the qin, but no one has ever said that there is something wrong with other instruments.

Thus far, Wei Wuxian has been uncharacteristically silent. As they turn away from the main cluster of buildings, though, he remarks, “I didn’t realize how desperate Gusu Lan was for this alliance with Yunmeng Jiang.” Before Lan Wangji can challenge the insult, Wei Wuxian continues, tightly: “They must have been desperate, to sacrifice their precious highborn Jade in marriage to the son of a servant.” Then he laughs – bitter, no amusement in it. “No wonder you don’t want—”

I don’t think WWX really thinks that LWJ’s (apparent) lack of sexual interest in him is because of the class difference between them. But in moments like this, all your ugliest insecurities sit right on your shoulder and their whispering gets so loud.

This is also one of those moments that goes right over LWJ’s head, but that I hope makes readers go “ouch.”

They have arrived at the training yard.

Wei Wuxian turns, with a slash of a smile, and bows. “A bout, Lan-er-gongzi? Unless you think it’s beneath you.” He jerks Suibian out of its sheath without waiting for an answer.

Lan Wangji does not hesitate to return the bow, or to draw Bichen. His chest feels too tight—crammed full of anger at Wei Wuxian’s words, confusion at his uncle’s actions, and a creeping, undefined sense of wrongness—and the music of blade against blade is the surest way he knows to draw that tightness out.

They’re the same in this. This is how they process.

Wei Wuxian comes at him like a wildfire burning through a valley. Shocked, at first Lan Wangji can only defend, as he tries to adjust to the alteration in Wei Wuxian’s style. Yunmeng Jiang swordsmanship is water: ebbing and flowing, fluid and swirling, seeking any opening and choosing the path of least resistance. Wei Wuxian is still using Jiang forms, but he has turned them to the work of fire. His movements flicker; his attacks ignite; the flash of the blade, not the flow of its edge, signals his advance. He snarls on the downswing. Smirks when Lan Wangji must scramble to recover after falling for a false opening.

It is unsettling, but exhilarating. Sparring with Wei Wuxian is always exhilarating. Only Lan Xichen can truly push Lan Wangji—can best Lan Wangji—the way Wei Wuxian can. And even he cannot match Wei Wuxian’s boundless unpredictability.

Do we ever see Lan Qiren wield a sword? Maybe at the second siege of the Burial Mounds? But maybe not. All the more reason for him to feel possessive of his knowledge of musical cultivation—that’s his thing—and perhaps to feel a bit insecure about WWX, who can keep up with LWJ and LXC in a way that LQR can’t.

Lan Wangji seeks to rise to the occasion. It requires every bit of skill that he possesses. And, as always happens when his body and his conscious mind are so completely engaged, his subconscious begins to pick apart the knots of the day.

Something similar must be happening for Wei Wuxian. As the bout continues, the raw anger gradually fades from his face, and his steps begin to melt back into the fluid dance of pure Jiang artistry. In time, he even resumes his habit of complimenting Lan Wangji’s moves, when merited: “Ah, you’re too quick for me, Lan Zhan!” when Lan Wangji glides out of the way; “Ooh, almost had me,” in appreciation of a good feint.

He's so cute.

In the end, Wei Wuxian steps back and bows before a winner can be determined – ending their sparring match the way most of their bouts eventually end.

When their swords are sheathed, Wei Wuxian meets Lan Wangji’s eyes for a moment, then bows deeply in apology.

“I’m sorry, Lan Zhan,” he says quietly. “I shouldn’t have said that stuff, before. It was unfair, and mean. And whatever your uncle said, or meant… it’s not your fault. I know that.”

A life in Lotus Pier has conditioned WWX well to forgive people who don’t defend him.

Lan Wangji places his hands beneath Wei Wuxian’s arms and lifts him from his bow. “No need,” he says. He is no longer angry. The bout has burned it out of him. And he finds he cannot blame Wei Wuxian for reacting poorly to his uncle’s conduct when Lan Wangji himself is still not sure what to make of it. He has never seen his uncle react that way before.

He does not think that Wei Wuxian is correct—that Lan Qiren looks down on those not born to the gentry. He has always treated the sect’s servants with respect, and takes pains to ensure that their children are educated and receive good dowries. He has never hesitated to accept foundlings into the sect, and he was conspicuously silent when other elders were subtly urging Lan Wangji toward Jin Zixun despite Wei Wuxian’s superior reputation and character.

Lan Qiren, like his nephews, really cares about the principles and really tries to follow them. I think he takes really seriously the principles about not treating people differently based on their birth, and tries hard to live according to them. He’s not one of the hypocrites.

But hopefully by now we’re all very familiar with the concept of unconscious bias. And the words that came out of LQR’s mouth in haste and in anger reveal that those biases are still at work inside him.

But he knows… that he does not want Wei Wuxian to be correct, and he knows that that fact may be coloring his view of the situation. Given the words his uncle had used, he cannot say that Wei Wuxian’s interpretation was unreasonable.

One of my favorite things about writing LWJ—and one of the positive effects, I think, of the Lan sect rules—is that he’s been conditioned to be suspicious of his own desires. Taken to an extreme, that’s not healthy… but it’s a really helpful habit of thought to have in moderation.

It is troubling.

As they set off toward the Jingshi, Lan Wangji realizes he is equally troubled by Wei Wuxian’s words. They no longer make him angry. But he cannot let them lie unchallenged. They are not true.

To decide to speak is one matter; to decide what to say is another. They are almost at the door of the Jingshi by the time Lan Wangji says, “There were other candidates.”

This is one of the few moments in the first half of this fic where I’m really proud of LWJ. He doesn’t have to say any of this. It would be easier not to. But he knows that WWX’s misconception about the marriage is hurting him, and he feels compelled to stop it. He’s not exactly going to stick the landing, unfortunately… but the impulse is a really good one.

Wei Wuxian pauses just inside the gate. “Other—” It does not take him long to catch up. “You mean, to—to marry,” he says. His face is guarded.

Lan Wangji nods. “I chose Wei Wuxian.”

“Y—wait. You chose?”  

“Mn.”

This is huge for WWX. He’s been assuming LWJ had as little choice in this matter as he did.

The summer sun is still high in the sky. Wei Wuxian studies Lan Wangji, arms crossed. Suibian is tucked in the corner of his elbow.

“Why?” he asks, blunt. “Why choose me? You didn’t know anything about me.”

Lan Wangji frowns. That is not true. “I knew of your skill.”

I’m also proud of Lan Wangji for knowing better than to say, “I knew you weren’t Jin Zixun.” 😂

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian’s cheeks flush pink.

“I knew you would be—” How had Lan Xichen put it? “—an asset to Gusu Lan Sect.”

Oh, honey. LWJ means well. He means so well. And WWX does take this as a huge compliment. He’s really touched. But what LWJ has just done is reinforce for WWX that, in the words of @canary3d-obsessed’s irreplaceable Restless Rewatch posts, “his worth lies in what he can do for more important people.” Just like YZY, JFM, and even Jiang Cheng have raised him to believe.

And this moment will only make it more crushing when WWX is no longer allowed to be an asset to the sect. Because WWX now believes that that’s the whole reason LWJ picked him. If he was ever going to have a chance at being what LWJ wants, that was the way to do it. To be useful. He’s already been raised to believe that his worth lies solely in his usefulness. Now he has every reason to believe that his usefulness is, in fact, the whole reason LWJ married him… and the only thing LWJ ever wanted from him.

“Oh,” Wei Wuxian says again. The blush on his cheeks has deepened – perhaps it is the heat.

It’s not the heat. Dumbass. Like I said, despite the fucked-up-ness of this moment, WWX is genuinely touched and flattered.

Then, to Lan Wangji’s surprise, he bows; not a formal bow, with arms extended, but a soft, spontaneous gesture of gratitude. “Th-thank you, Lan Zhan.” He meets Lan Wangji’s gaze, for once solemn and steady. “Wei Ying will make his best effort.”

Yeah. This all makes it so much worse when he’s not allowed to contribute. Sooooo much worse. When he makes the decision to destroy the Yin Iron at the cost of his own life, a part of him really believes LWJ will approve. After all, that’s what he was brought here for – to contribute to the sect.

Lan Wangji nods, and continues toward the Jingshi. Wei Wuxian follows.

As they cross the threshold, Wei Wuxian says tentatively, “Lan Zhan?”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji sets Bichen by the door, and comes to a seat at his desk, pulling Wangji out of his sleeve. If he cannot have the benefit of a lesson on musical cultivation, he can at least have the benefit of practice.

Wei Wuxian inches up to the corner of the table and peers down at the instrument. “Do you think you could… teach this humble Wei to play the qin?”

It speaks well of Wei Wuxian that he wishes to learn, but there is little point. As Lan Wangji tests the tuning of Wangji’s strings, he says, “It is too late for Wei Wuxian to learn to play the qin at a sufficiently high level to use the instrument for musical cultivation. Lan disciples begin to learn at the age of five years, or before.”

So cluelessly cruel. A little tact would have gone a long way here. I forgive LWJ for not believing WWX could learn the qin – he hasn’t seen enough of WWX’s genius yet. But he doesn’t have to just cut him off at the knees like this. It’s not on purpose – LWJ just… is bad at this.

He sets his fingers on the strings and deliberates over a warm-up exercise—or perhaps he will begin directly with Restoration, which he has not used in almost a year, and which he fears he is in danger of losing.

Absorbed in his music, Lan Wangji distantly notes Wei Wuxian letting out another quiet “Oh.”

As Lan Wangji begins the first line of Restoration, withholding spiritual power for now, Wei Wuxian turns and slowly walks away. He pauses by the door.

“I—I’ll meet you at the training yard at shen shi for the juniors’ lesson,” he says, and slips out without a backward glance.

It is not until that night—as he is lying in bed, waiting for sleep—that Lan Wangji realizes that he had not thought to ask why Wei Wuxian had agreed to the marriage.

If, indeed, he had any choice in the matter at all.

Hmm, yeah, maybe you should try a little more little-e empathy with your husband, LWJ! Just a thought!!!

In my head, WWX had absolutely no choice about this marriage. YZY was only too happy to get rid of him, especially by sending him into a situation that she expects will make him miserable (and that she then engineers to make even more miserable). And we know she has no qualms about arranging marriages. JFM’s professed principles about not forcing children to marry apply only to his "real” children (see Restless Rewatch again), but it never came to a question of “forcing” – in canon, WWX was willing to let YZY chop his arm off for Yunmeng Jiang without complaint; in the fic, he agrees to the marriage with a smile on his face as soon as JFM says it’s for the good of the sect.

#director's commentary #dvd commentary #my writing #the untamed

[admirableadmiranda]

Genuine question. Now, I do think that WWX definitely won't but theres a little voice in the back of my head that just keeps saying it. Idk, I think I'm reading too much fanfic. Would wwx be insecure when it comes to LWJ? Like, wwx, as a person, I think he has pretty high self esteem and pretty confident in himself. The reason I'm torn is because I feel like before the wangxian confession he was definitely insecure about his relationship or what he has with LWJ but after that, all doubts has disappeared and he's very confident that he's lan Zhan's only one and I love them for that, but I just get the thought that? makes me go I wonder if wei wuxian ever thought that LWJ is too good for him or like has thoughts that he isn't good enough for LWJ, but then my brain seriously arguments my own thought saying that wangxian is one of the most happy, healthy and playful relationship. EVER. It's impossible that they have insecurities after the confession because they are both very reassured they both are very much in love with each other. My head's so chaotic LMAO.

So I do think that Wei Wuxian can be insecure over Lan Wangji, but it's not the same sort of insecurity as "am I good enough for him," or "he's too good for me", because he knows himself and he knows Lan Wangji and he knows that Lan Wangji won't lie to him in any way. If Lan Wangji wants to be with him, that's enough and he's happy and knows it's real.

Pre-relationship, yes there is some room for insecurity because Wei Wuxian isn't 100% sure on how much Lan Wangji likes him, or in what way. He knows what he wants, but he's not completely certain if it's the same feelings and especially in Yunping Inn, he's pretty nervous because he wants to have Lan Wangji in his life more than he wants anything specific, so it's hard to choose to make a move because he doesn't really have a lot in his life and he's run into the first thing that he's unable and unwilling to let go of. That is a form of insecurity, that hesitation to move forward because the things that you have to lose are not the things that you are willing to part with.

Post canon? It wouldn't be insecurity over losing him over doing the wrong thing or anything like that, and it certainly wouldn't pop up very often. But what people often seem to forget is that Wangxian went through a war and they are very aware of how dangerous and swiftly ended their lives can be. Wei Wuxian died, after losing his parents on a night hunt as a small child, after watching hundreds of cultivators die in war, after nearly his entire clan was wiped out by the Wen, after Lan Wangji lost his mother and father without ever being able to say goodbye, after Lan Wangji lived through Wei Wuxian's death and unexpected revival... there is room for an insecurity over life taking away the one they love from them again. Not from jealousy or infidelity, but because life is unpredictable and death comes swiftly sometimes without you ever having the power to change it. Therefore insecurity could be born in the worry of if one of them is too late coming home, or going out on their own for a long time, or a nighthunt that goes wrong, the fear of loss is still insecurity.

But it's the sort of insecurity that can be tended to and treated with presence and affection, with reassIurance and time and consistency. It's one of the things I love about them saying "See you tomorrow" instead of good night or goodbye, it's a promise that there always will be a tomorrow, there will always be more time, they will always be together. So as there is insecurity, so is there safety in the trust and words of the other.

I understand the confusion, both in that it's heavily present in a lot of fanon that Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji would feel insecure and not worthy of the other, but also in that we as humans tend to have those feelings only to have to dismiss them actively because no matter what we're told, we know that not everything we think is the thing we want to think or the thing that we actively think. But Wangxian first and foremost are book characters, and book characters can be free of the ever present insecurities that plague all of us. They are secure in their own self-worth, their love for each other and that their love is returned, therefore there is no reason for doubt or fear that the other might love them less.

Thanks for dropping a message by!

#mdzs #wangxian #asks #anon #anon asks #the most happily married couple being happily married

[plan-d-to-i]

Plan, saw someone criticise lwj for the scene where wwx ask him in bm if there's other road. They said wwx asked for a solution & lwj didn't even answer & left bm. Do ppl really read the book? That person was a novel reader who write metas here so it's weird that they'd read certain scenes in a way that isn't intended by the author. Must be the victim mentality influencing their reading comprehension & making them do selective reading.

Fr. It's so odd when people try to blame either of them in this situation. WWX's question reads as rhetorical. He obviously knows he doesn't have a core so he can't cultivate any other way, esp if he is to have enough power to act as a deterrent to those who would harm the Wens, esp after publicly cutting ties with YumengJiang for jc. jc who was the person who most should have done something, and was in the best position to do something being both a Clan Leader and the beneficiary of Wen Ning and Wen Qing's aid. Instead he publicly cut ties w WWX and confirmed the worst rumors about him to the cultivation world, calling him their enemy. But back to LWJ, he obviously didn't know that WWX didn't have his core when he kept questioning him about his cultivation choices; and the bulk of his worry stemmed from how WWX's mental and physical wellbeing would be affected by his continued use of resentful energy. Not because he was bliNdEd by his rules 🌝. LWJ's ideals didn't change drastically over time, he more just had to come to terms with the fact that WWX would make his own decisions even if they might harm him. After all LWJ was drawn to WWX precisely because he was that type of person who prioritized innocent people. Idk why fandom keeps trying to rob LWJ of his goodness and morality and act like WWX is the one who instilled/inspired them in him. They're both special people! They're drawn to each other precisely because their world views match! LWJ always went where the chaos was. That's his thing, which even WWX admits is not as easy as it sounds:

When Wei WuXian heard of Lan WangJi’s reputation for being wherever the chaos was, he didn’t think it’d be too hard, but right now as he tried it in person alongside Lan WangJi, he discovered that it was truly a test of one’s resolution.

LWJ took the beating for breaking curfew right along WWX and didn't heal himself. LWJ walked form miles on an injured leg, miserable because he didn't know if his brother was still alive, knowing his home was burned and that his father was dying and he still defended MianMian ~

However, one of the GusuLan Sect’s disciples on the side had been trembling as he listened to Wen Chao’s threatening words. He finally couldn’t hold it any longer as he rushed over, grabbing MianMian, and prepared to tie her up. Lan WangJi’s brows stiffened. He immediately struck the disciple to the side.

Although he didn’t say anything, the way he looked at the disciple was more than imposing. What such a look meant was clear to everyone—it truly is a shame that the GusuLan Sect has taught a disciple like you!

LWJ had his own sense of justice from beginning to end, and it was usually in harmony with WWX's. As MXTX wrote -

(translation : & great post from @suyanzhi )

LWJ respects WWX's agency in the end; his decision to continue cultivating as he has, and to protect the Wens, and he respects it again after Nightless City when he returns him to the Burial Mounds even though he most likely knows how it will end.

"A moment later, Wei WuXian spoke up, “Lan Zhan, you asked me if I intended on staying like this from now on. To be honest, I’d like to ask something as well. What can I do apart from this?”

He continued, “Give up the demonic path? Then what about the people on this mountain?

“Give them up? I won’t be able to do it. I believe that if you were I, you wouldn’t be able to do it either.”

He continued, “Nobody can give me a nice, broad road to walk on. A road where I could protect those I want to protect without having to cultivate the ghostly path.”

Lan WangJi gazed at him. He didn’t reply, but both of them knew the answer in their hearts.

There was no such road.

No solution existed.

Wei WuXian spoke slowly, “Thank you for keeping me company today. Thank you for telling me the news about my shijie’s marriage too. But, let the self judge the right and the wrong, let others decide to praise or to blame, let gains and losses remain uncommented on. I, too, know what I should and shouldn’t do. I believe that I’ll be able to control it as well.”

As if he’d anticipated such an attitude since a long time ago, Lan WangJi nodded slightly and closed his eyes.

And that marked their farewell."

It says right there, there was no nice broad road, and they both know it; As things stand WWX could either have a safe(r) life or he could protect the Wens. There's no perfect solution. This wasn't a request for aid, but more a request for understanding from a person whose righteousness and integrity WWX also believes in and respects.

#mdzs #answers #Lan Wangji #Wei Wuxian

[grewlikefancyflowers]

So sorry!! My previous incomplete ask was my cellphone failing on me. So I have to send it you again.

Thank You for clearing out my query on that translation.

Some questions i have right now

First, If gui dao harms one's mind in long term then why couldnt Xue Yang be affected by it even after using it more years than WWX?? Could it be because of the frequency of his use is less than WWX and the amount of his energy he used at one single time given that XY uses his primordial spirit to control only Song Lan??

Second, i just read that part from the original drafts where WWX explains how he uses his primordial spirit to control the corpses. But i have questions- the part where LWJ asks him if he uses his own primordial spirit or someone else's and WWX answers does WWX mean primordial spirit of his "own" and the "corpses" , also is it same scene in which JC gets to know that Gui dao is connected to WWX's mental state or there is any other scene where he specifically mentions it to him??

Third, do you have any ideas ony why exactly he received a backlash from his corpses during the first burial mound siege??

Lastly, wanna say that i completely agree that WWX's emotions and Guidao are interlinked in a way that we cannot draw a line between them. Nor do i think that it was a moral failing from his side.

Thank you once again!! Many things were cleared out for me by your answer.

Hello again! :3

First, Xue Yang

I'm not sure we really see enough of XY throughout the time he uses guidao to draw definitive conclusions about if or how it harmed his mind. Also XY was deranged from the start anyway lol. However, one thing we do know about XY is that he uses tools to control corpses rather than doing it directly himself — the yin hufu, and nails for WN and SL. Actually, I'm not sure we ever see him controlling corpses entirely from his own power as WWX does. As for why this is, it's possible that XY is simply not able to control corpses himself. It requires carefully-controlled emotions, which he certainly doesn't have. It may also be the case that XY uses tools to avoid or limit the harmful effects of guidao (remember that this was the reason WWX forged the yin hufu in the first place). I think both these explanations are plausible, but I lean more towards the first one since XY isn't really the cautious type. But either way, if use of tools reduces or removes risks from guidao, then since XY primarily uses those, it's possible his mind wasn't harmed by it.

Second, the explanation of WWX's cultivation in the original draft. Here is that excerpt in case others are curious.

'Wei WuXian replied, “Fine. I’ll answer – I domesticated them.”

“Domesticated how?”

Wei WuXian blinked. “How did I domesticate them? I can’t explain that in a short amount of time. Let’s put it this way – think, how would you domesticate a ferocious beast? The method’s about the same. First, suppress them with a primordial spirit, then give them whatever they want.”

Lan WangJi immediately questioned, “Did you use someone else’s, or your own?”

“Both.”

Lan WangJi walked around Jiang Cheng and got close to him again. Wei WuXian held out his flute horizontally in front of him, adopting a defensive posture. “Isn’t this excessive? Lan Zhan, I’ve already answered all your questions, but you’re still like this, all insensitive to others’ feelings? Just what do you want?”

Lan WangJi spoke, one word at a time: “Come back to Gusu with me.”'

So, what other primordial spirit does WWX use to control corpses? Tbh, I am not entirely sure, I don't recall it being addressed again, but I'd guess he's either referring to the corpses' or maaaybe the yin hufu since the sword it was made from had cultivated a lot of resentful energy into itself? I'm also not sure how far we can consider WWX's use of a primordial spirit other than his own canon, this was removed during edits. And yes, this is the scene where JC hears exactly how WWX's cultivation works, they don't speak of it again iirc, however I am not suuuper familiar with the original draft so I'm not 100% sure.

Third, backlash during the first siege.

I don't think there is a definitive canonical answer to this, but there are probably two possible reasons. One, WWX lost control due his turbulent emotions just as he'd done at Qiongqi Path and Nightless City, resulting in his corpses attacking him. Two, the loss of control was due to destroying/attempting to destroy the yin hufu, resulting in it sort of turning against him.

I don't think the first theory is impossible, but it's not one I'm particularly inclined towards. As we see at Qiongqi Path, even when WWX loses control, his corpses still follow his base instincts. Eg, WN killed JZX because of WWX's instinctive response to being attacked. So if WWX's loss of control at the siege resulted in his corpses killing him (in a most horrible way), this would imply that WWX was, on some level, suicidal at the time. This doesn't really track with the rest of his actions imo, such as hiding A-Yuan in a tree... he can't have at all expected that LWJ or anyone else would save him, so WWX was probably holding onto some hope he would retrieve A-yuan from his hiding place himself once the siege was over. And WWX has been in plenty of horrible, dangerous situations and he has always been one to fight to the end, so I don't see why his character would so a complete 180 here and subconsciously choose death.

For evidence of the yin hufu being the direct cause, 'Yinhu Fu was way more powerful and frightening than what he had initially expected. Originally, he wanted to use it as a form of support. Who would have known that it started to show signs of overpowering him, its creator.' (tmwx, ch.30) It seems to have some will of its own, so it probably wouldn't be too thrilled about WWX destroying it. Since WWX was already in a bit of a state, perhaps it actually managed to overpower him?

There is very little description of what happened during the siege, but we do have this 'But before he was able to finish disposing of the other, the Siege of the Burial Mounds descended upon him. He had no control over the events that followed.' (fyy, ch.30). So it seems like the siege was the initial cause of him losing control over things.

In Yi City, WWX also recalls not being able to control corpses that the yin hufu was currently controlling. 'A sudden thought crossed his mind and a thin layer of perspiration formed on his back. That’s not true. It wasn’t that “this has never occurred before”. In fact, it had happened before, and it wasn’t just once. There was indeed a type of ghoul that he couldn’t command. That was – ghouls that were already under the control of the Yinhu Fu!' (ch.34)

Another thing to consider is that control over corpses is a first come, first serve basis. Someone else cannot take control over corpses that are already controlled by the yin hufu, and the yin hufu cannot take control over corpses already controlled by someone else (ch.68).

If I had to put together a coherent sequence of event based on what we know, probably... While WWX was destroying the yin hufu, his control over his corpses (which he will have been using to defend the burial mounds) began to slip as the siege came down on him due to him being already mentally and physically hurt and exhausted from Nightless City & the surrounding events. The yin hufu, which wasn't a huge fan of being destroyed, seized control over the corpses WWX had lost his grip on, and set them on him instead.

#mdzs #mdzs meta

[mxtxfanatic]

Sometimes I encounter speculation about whether or not Lan Zhang Wuxian was or was not forced to do bad things (kissing without asking, having erotic dreams, the bastard). Whether it was harassment. I won't go into the degree of meaningfulness of these claims now. I just want to point out that I've never once encountered any claims that Wuxian harasses Lan Zhang, even though it's actually just Wuxian who keeps “harassing”, invading personal space and generally trying to cause discomfort in every way possible. And like yes, as readers we know that first of all, Wuxian has no real intentions for anything sexual/romantic to happen (until a certain point, after which he just very much has them), and second of all, that Lan Zhan is not even against it at all, but very much for it. But Wuxian does not know that Lan Zhan is for it. And Wuxian does what he does. Which begs the question, why aren't his actions regarded as outright harassment, huh? Huh? (If it is, I'm not aware of it, enlighten me then). In fact, if Lan Zhang wasn't so actively involved, then Wuxian's actions might have been very discomforting. Well, or they would have been somewhat discomforting for one reason or another (we don't know Lan Zhang's exact thoughts on this, and no thoughts no evidence) because love and involvement do not deprive one of personal boundaries. The very personal boundaries that part of the fandom seems to believe Lan Zhang is not supposed to have. No conclusion, just a thought.

Oh anon, you are very fortunate to not have seen the “Wei Wuxian doesn’t respect boundaries and forced Lan Wangji to like him” camp, because it def exists. On the other hand, I think the the rapist!lwj fanon (because quite honestly, this is just the quiet part of all that discourse) is much more widespread an idea because so many of lwj’s “breach of boundaries” are tied to explicit sex scenes, and many people consider sexual harassment to be either more real or more serious an infraction than other types of harassment (even though I’d argue wwx also sets them up for sexual scenes pre-relationship, they just never become actual sex scenes). There’s also the thing where people view the partner that tops (and I’d say this counts for both queer and straight relationships) as sexually violent, which they supposedly inherit from their position of choice. Wwx can’t “truly” be violent because bottoms can’t “truly” initiate sex; that’s the top’s job, and therefore their realm to violate. Unfortunate but true to how I’ve seen discussions of sexual violation play out in both this discourse and others.

On the other hand, I’m glad you put the “harassment” in quotes because neither character harasses the other with their affections. There’s not a single moment I can think of (pending a reread) where lwj explicitly lays down a boundary that wwx knowingly crosses. Even in the Cloud Recesses arc, wwx isn’t disrespecting lwj’s boundaries, because lwj doesn’t set any. And the moment wwx thinks lwj hates him, he leaves. Them having subsequent misunderstandings and miscommunication in later arcs is not harassment or a violation of boundaries. And as you said, wwx is a willing participant in all of lwj’s “harassment” of him as well. They literally mutually like each other. It does not have to be this complicated.

#mdzs asks #anon #all this handwringing about a fictional couple’s cnc relationship #and the ups and downs of dealing with a crush without realizing it’s mutual #but i remember everyone coming together to talk about explicitly fabtasizing about childhood crushes #when turning red dropped #somehow THAT’S ok because they are meant to be understood as private thoughts #but it’s every day and night talking about lwj being a bad person because of his DREAMS #or wwx being a bad person cause he isn’t a mind reader and therefore #doesn’t understand that his actions are being perceived as insincere teasing #I’m so tired

[aiyexayen]

what is best friend's squad and hello dolly and healer's hands?

you have a knack for picking out the ones that are the most different from each other lmfao i love that.

best friend squad is an au of the untamed where wei wuxian doesn't go back to cloud recesses with lan wangji--he actually manages to convince lan sizhui and lan jingyi and the other juniors to let him help with their investigation, so they never call in hanguang-jun to help. this is my wei wuxian/lan sizhui/lan jingyi agenda.

excerpt:

Wei Ying is thoroughly ignored. He retracts every charitable thought he's had about Lans since they arrived. "I mean," he says, louder, trying belatedly to infuse eagerness, reliability, into his tone, "you don't need to bother him at all. I can solve the problem." He'll gladly sacrifice his poor-crazy-Mo-Xuanyu image in exchange for not dealing with Lan Zhan. For a second it looks as though they'll continue to ignore him, though, and Wei Ying curses himself for so efficiently becoming unremarkable. How far the great Yiling Laozu has fallen. How far Wei Wuxian, first disciple of his generation, pride of Yunmeng Jiang has fallen. To be slandered and defamed, vilified, cursed for all eternity by everyone he's ever loved? That's one thing. To be tossed aside as totally useless? That grates. Sure, he brought it on himself, but the act is over now. Can't these Lans keep up? But the second-in-command turns to him, then, disdain etched across his sour face. "You? You can solve this problem?" Wei Ying was waffling between thinking of him as the fun one and the rude one, and finally makes up his mind. The nice one is quicker on the uptake, though, and quells his shidi with a raised hand, tilting his head consideringly. "They're your relatives," the Lan says. "Do you know something about what they've been getting involved with?"

meanwhile, hello dolly is a word of honor rpf hello dolly au hfkdfhskfhdjfh i don't have a decent snippet to share right now since it's in the planning stage and kind of on the backburner but i thought it would just be really fun to cast junzhe in an au as a stingy old rich business person and the free-spirited jack-of-all-trades matchmaker hell bent on marrying him.

and third, but far from last, healer's hands is a character study of wen kexing and how he uses his hands. in lieu of an actual writing excerpt i will give you a snippet of my breakdown that inspired it, just to shake things up:

it's less "he kills with these hands but when it's time to heal, he's also gentle"

it's less a duality, and more...he kills with the hands of a healer. as much as anything else. as much as he heals with them, as much as he loves with them. he doesn't turn the healer in him off even at his most violent and it shows.

he knows how to channel energy very, very well through his hands. he's extremely aware of them and how they interact with the world. his primary tool and primary weapon, more than even his fan. it's not accidental or unconscious. it's very deliberate.

he knows what energy to push through them to snap a neck or to cradle it, he knows how to play music and warm a flask of jiu. he automatically reaches to check for a pulse, to check meridians, to channel healing qi. and it's all part of the same thing--that fine-tuned hyper-awareness, specifically of his hands and the myriad ways they can affect those around him.

he makes things very personal. he doesn't shy away from intimacy even in violence. he accepts it, relishes it. he turns that ease and efficiency with which healers learn to touch and he flips it around, taking the tools and skills of his parents' legacy, the future that zhen yan should have had, and using it!! the only way he could in the place he grew up!!!

#wip ask game #ask game #my writing #excerpt of my writing #my fic #the untamed #word of honor

[layzeal]

Abt ur Bly Manor AU: which roles will you be giving to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian? Also, how spooky we talkin? Like imagining burial mounds spooky, or Junji Ito spooky?

@anarchistbitch @allhallowsxig @wei--wuxian THANK YOU BESTIEEEEES!!!!

so it all started happening when me and @obsclete watched Bly Manor together and brrrr the brainworms went insane

so in my head it wouldn't be a 1:1 AU, because there are intrinsically different stories and characters, and trying to change MDZS to fit into this mold would be a disservice, so i'm going more for "similar plot and vibes" but definitely not trying to replicate every plot point, sideplot or character relationship

i wrote a whole thing just now that i decided to shove into a google docs bc it got too long, but the general idea is: Modern AU (21st century), Bly Manor is actually Luanzang Gang Manor someplace in China, which belongs to Wen Popo and Uncle Fouth. A-Yuan is the child (just one) who lost his parents.

yes the manor is actually built on top of the old Burial Mounds, but the story isnt the same as MDZS, and i wouldn't call it a reincarnation AU either

there is, however, an ancient demonic Yiling Laozu, and his spirit (or what's left of it) is the Lady of the Lake

Wen Qing (cleaning and such that wen popo cant do anymore) and Wen Ning (house cook) live in there with Wen Popo, helping to take care of the house and a-yuan, who became traumatized after his parents death and an incident with two ex-workers from the manor (i'm thinking xue yang and xxc with something similar as peter and rebecca). there are ghosts (hi a-qing). uncle fouth takes care of the adminastrive and money stuff, but he has to live in another city bc of the wine brewery he owns

it's hard to say who in wangxian are dani and jamie, i found it hard to fit them in a mold. just know that wangxian knew each other from their teenage years (manchester chinese center in england, music lessons), then became close friends in college, until something Bad happens between him and probably wen chao, and he has to drop out in the first year and run away as to not affect the jiangs. lan zhan graduates with a teaching degree and moves to china, then he learns about the live-in postion in luanzang gang and takes it for reasons i still need to think better about. it turns out wei ying was there too, working as a general maintance guy who also gives a-yuan music lessons. these wens prob heard about what happened in europe (and likely knew wy personally in manchester idk) and decided to take him in and help him

i have a lot of ideas to how it evolves, but i have One scene stuck in my head, which is the one where the Lady of the Lake is taking Flora away, and Dani goes after them yelling "it's me, it's you, it's us!" i keep pictuing a faceless, dark, resentful ghost of the yiling laozu who finally found "a-yuan" again (same way Viola did when she found children who she thought was her child) carrying him to the blood pool (which became just a lake now... or is it) as wei ying run desperately after them, screams the words and takes the yiling laozu into himself to save a-yuan..... yeah....

(the backstory of this yiling laozu will probably have something to do with this post)

anyway yeah, there'll be a lot of stuff about grief, memories, time, probably some references to Hill House as well and idk... i just love the vibes!! it's like "modern au -- no magic (or is it?)" and "reincarnation au? but also not?" and feelings feelings lots of feelings!

#I HAVE TOO MANY BRAINWORMS #ty for asking friends <3 #i did go into a looot of detail at first then i realized oh wow this will be too confusing #so have this isntead #modao #bly manor #lace speaks

[rosethornewrites]

Thursday & Friday NR, E, & M reading

The usual

Finished

Not Rated:

Forget Myself in Memories, by geethr75 (7 chapters)

Ten years after the events of Guanyin temple, the juniors accidentally step into an array that sends them to the past, just before the beginning of the Sunshot Campaign

Explicit:

Float Like a Butterfly, Bite Like a Gator, by FireAwayy (2nd in a series, 12 chapters)

Lan Xichen watches Jiang Cheng wrestle an alligator and falls in love. Now, if only he could talk to him...

Mature:

This Isn’t The End, by sether1n3

When Lan Wangji is taken to Baoshan Sanren’s mountain, he doesn’t expect to fall in love with his Shizun.

What he also doesn’t expect is for said Shizun to leave him behind without a second thought.

Still, this isn’t the end for them.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

Turning The World Upside Down, by mxtx_disciple13

The cultivation world turns upside down when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji went missing for how many days, and then came back bringing a bunch of one or two years old little ones with them. Lan Qiren didn't faint, he didn't.

( an AU where wuxian, wangji and the quartet juniors travels back time, and jingyi somehow got an eyes as same as lang wangji's )

The Past and the Future Watching Together, by sky34red

Wei Ying awoke to find himself in a room with Lan Zhan only to be told to watch his life with his past self.

When Dogs Bark, by pft_a_Frog22

Wei Wuxian makes his way to the Burial Mounds. Deeming such a course if action the best- this way no one can get hurt. No one would be cursed by his incessant affection and company. But already, Wei Wuxian loathes the lonliness creeping its way in his chest.

He doesn't know if it's a curse or a blessing when a dog comes barreling towards him and Wei Wuxian is off, running back towards Yiling's centre.

Or, Wei Wuxian was sure he died. Positive of it. Finding himself back in Yiling was /not/ the plan. Being chased by a dog right after most certainly wasn't. But fate works in mysterious ways, and when he comes across a pair of strangers, Wei Wuxian might just get the happy life he deserves.

A Nest Full of Broken Things, by geethr75

When a conspiracy against Wei Wuxian by everyone who lost loved ones during the massacre at Nightless City is revealed, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian both realise that leaving the past behind is not as easy as they think. As Jiang Cheng fights to keep his brother alive, and Lan Wangji has to struggle with the attitude of his Sect regarding his husband, and his newfound responsibilities in the face of his brother's seclusion, the dangers to Wei Wuxian only grows exponentially. Lan Xichen wants to be able to heal, and to see those he loves happy, but when the threat to Wei Wuxian affects his brother, he decides enough is enough.

Calling out for justice, by marhikit

Lan Xichen had been woken by the insomniac young man, he was surprised to see the younger man bowing low and asking to be punished for the disrespect he had done to Wangji and for breaking numerous rules and what alarmed the sect heir the most was that Wei Wuxian asked for the punishment to be done unto him.

Wei Wuxian took each strike of the discipline paddle with little noise, his lips pressing together at each blow. Lan Xichen hated himself for having to order such a harsh price to pay for infractions he would have allowed provided his uncle was absent from the events that led to the infractions. But the pleas Wei Wuxian directed at him, the harsher tone he had used to push his case. Lan Xichen found himself unable to refute what Wei Wuxian had asked of him.

Lan Xichen forced himself to watch each strike, count each blow and at one point, he held Wei Wuxian up to make sure he would not collapse from the pain.

“Wei-gongzi, you do not need to-” Lan Xichen tried but Wei Wuxian shook his head.

“You said one hundred strikes.” Wei Wuxian bit out. “I won’t complain.”

Lan Xichen wished he could lie and claim he lost count.

Or

The Lans find out about WWX's abuse and protects him

heaven is for me too high, by stiltonbasket

"I am forty-five years old, not twenty," Jiang Cheng says wearily. "Hanguang-jun, in my time, you had the whole jianghu at your feet, and the world you built with my shige was a beautiful thing to behold. That world was my home, and someday I will return to it—but until then, I will do what I can for you and my brother in this one. Will you join me?"

Lan Wangji stares at him, doubt resounding in every nerve of his body; and then, without speaking, he reaches up and grips Jiang Cheng's proffered hand.

"I am with you," he answers. "What must I do?"

The Untamed: To Walk in One's Shoes, by YenGirl

It turns out that that old adage of 'To walk a mile in someone's shoes' proves to be the most effective way for three siblings to understand one another. Too bad there's a wedding involved.

Explicit:

Night's Peony, by JongkeyWedding

There are many secrets in this world. However, everyone knew the tension between the Second Jade of Lan and the unrulily YiLing Patriarch. Two powerful cultivators that were so far apart in character yet always found themselves drawn together.

What if Wei Wuxian told Jiang Cheng about the golden core and they took the Wen’s under their wing. And What if Lan Wangji took Wei Wuxian’s virginity all those years back when in the library of the Cloud Recesses.

Because of Wen Qing, by QteCuttlfish

What if Jiang Cheng had chosen to support Wen Qing, the Wen clan remnants, and most importantly, Wei Wuxian? Follows CQL/Untamed canon. Canon Divergence from Episode 20.

The Space Between Us, by TempestFlame

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were once considered a doubles pair to watch as they rose through the ranks of tennis players in China. Though they were each skilled individually, together they were practically unstoppable. But things ended poorly between them, and they haven't seen each other once since the downfall of their partnership.

But when they meet again, two years later, their connection is still stronger than the distance that has grown between them, and they seize their second chance at standing together with everything they have.

Mature:

An Almost Lan, by shinigami2174

Becoming a widow a couple of weeks shy of her fortieth birthday had never been Yu Ziyuan's plan. It had been so unexpected that she had yet to process that her life and her children's lives had changed for good. Little she knew how their lives would be changed for good.

Or

Madam Yu became a widow, in charge of three young children. Their inheritance is in danger and Jin Guangshan wants to take advantage of the situation. Her best friend presented her with a solution, she needs to get married again with the right candidate. She even found the right candidate for Madam Yu but he doesn't come alone, he is in charge of children too.

Or

Madam Yu marries Lan Qiren and the Lans, the Jiangs and Wei Ying grow up together as siblings.

This is a WangXian story, don't be fooled by the summary ( I suck at them!).

More tags and characters will be added as they appear.

【银 劍 探 心】| Silver Jian Seeking Hearts, by stiltonbasket

“A ghost bridegroom?” Wei Wuxian asks, when he receives his latest night-hunting assignment from Uncle Jiang. “Have women been going missing?”

If brides have been going missing, this is the first that Wei Wuxian is hearing about it; which is strange, because the systematic kidnapping of brides should have quickly been recognized as spirits’ work and reported as such to the nearest cultivation sect as soon as possible.

“Three women and ten men have gone missing so far,” his uncle tells him. “Jinshan town is out of our jurisdiction, and the records say there hasn’t been a hunt in the area since before my grandfather’s time. But no one from Jinshan thought to report the disappearances until today, so the victims must be long dead by now.”

Four hundred years after the Sunshot Campaign, a reincarnated Wei Wuxian dresses himself in wedding red to defeat the ghost of a bridegroom.

Deep within the forests of Jinshan Mountain, the mourning calamity Yin Jian Tan Xin waits to marry his beloved.

Head and the heart, by Janelle24601

(This story moves away at some point from the canon story)

Lan Zhan loses his memories after an accident at fighting the Wen’s at Nightless City. He can’t remember the last few years. The war, being indoctrinated and humiliated by Wen Chao, and most importantly for his brother and Uncle he can’t imagine ever meeting Wei Ying. Lan Zhan never fell in love with the most unsuitable cultivator possible, he can now live a life more suitable for his station without being dragged down by the YiLing Patriarch. It seems too good to be true. Maybe it is! Meanwhile without the balance of the Lan's the cultivation world has been aiming their hatred at both Wei Ying and the Jiang Sect, forcing Wei Ying to make some hard choices. By the time the Lan's and the cultivation world need Wei Ying's help once again will all this time apart without Lan Zhan’s guidance and support mean the new Wei Ying still feel anything for Lan Zhan?

Tragedy That Befall Upon Us, by xoxoholic

"Hey! What's this?" Jin Ling yelled, pointing at the glowing, black and red orb. Jiang Wanyin marched over to Jin Ling, but the young Jin sect leader had already touched the orb.

"Jin Ling!" Jiang Wanyin yelled in anger. If his golden core was not sealed, then Zidian would be cackling furiously.

"..Oops?" Jin Ling sheepishly smiled as he hid behind his friends. Lan Jingyi laughed at Jin Lings predicament while Lan Sizhui sighed. Ouyang Zizhen laughed with Lan Jingyi in amusement before he was hit in the back of his head by his father.

Sacrifices Made with Blood, by NocturnalFriend

Lan Wangji knew it was too late, there was too much blood on Wei Ying's hands already. Still, if he asked his brother for help, surely. There was a way to rescue the man who held his heart?

Or: Trust is not easily given and all to easily shattered. Lan Wangji learns this in the worst way, when Lan Xichen gives into the demands of the cultivation world. Although nobody could have predicted the whims of fate, giving them another chance at righting things.

We're Alone Now, by Forever_Marie

"Did you hear, did you hear? Hanguang-jun deserted his clan"

Lan Zhan deserts the Lan Clan in favor of protecting Wei Wuxian and warns him of the pending Siege. They all run for the hills and everything is quiet for a decade until one day Xichen wanders upon him in a market in Yiling.

Alternate, by Hanashi_o_suru

No one is actually sure what happened, or why it happened. No one died. No one made any whacked up array that backfired --to their knowledge--and no one wasn't necessarily in discontent for where they were in life...

So, why is it they're suddenly in the past to the day they had just got to the Cloud Recesses?

Crying for Rain, by Forever_Marie

Wei Yings' soul after being torn apart in the siege of the Burial Mounds went back to his 15 year old body. Can he make different choices or was he always doomed to fail.

(Oh, look another time travel (Sorta) fic)

The Sixth Method Time Travel, by ZenZer0

Wei Wuxian and his beloved husband Lan Wangji are sent back in time. forced to relive the traumas of war all while trying to save their loved ones the same pain they have already experienced.

#the untamed #untamed fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #chen qing ling #cql

[iseverelydislikeeveryone]

Just wondering how much would've been different if Wei Wuxian had told Jin Zixuan that it was A-Ling's present that Jin Zixun had crushed. If he had mentioned it before he lunged at Zixun then Zixuan probably wouldn't have blocked him (or at least not the way he did) and told him to call of Wen Ning. And then Wen Ning wouldn't have seen Zixuan and as threat to Wei Ying and he would still be alive.

#the untamed #very hypothetical #cql #mdzs #mo dao su zhi #wei wuxian #jin zixuan #jin zixun #PLEASE it could've been happy. #But now that I think about it how would it affect Lan Zhan's and Wei Ying's relationship #My thoughts haven't gone that far okay I just didn't want the peacock to die right there.

[rynne]

I’m back on my “I adore the Guanyin Temple confession scene” agenda, and this time I’m thinking about LWJ’s reaction.

The shocking confession just now struck Lan WangJi with such force that he still hadn’t finished processing it. A few rare streaks of loss and confusion appeared on his normally calm face. It wasn’t the first time Wei WuXian hugged him as if he was clinging on for dear life, but this time, it was as though Lan WangJi’s body had turned into a heavy log. He froze so much that he didn’t even know where to put his hands.

Wei WuXian, “Lan Zhan, did you hear what I said?!”

Lan WangJi’s lips moved. A moment later, he spoke, “You…” He’d always been concise and comprehensive with his words, never pausing at all. But right now, he paused with more hesitance than ever. Another moment later, he continued, “You said…”

He seemed as if he wanted to repeat it to make sure he didn’t hear it wrong. But to Lan WangJi, those words were indeed too hard to say. Immediately, Wei WuXian decided to say it again, “I said I really wanted to…”

(Chapter 100, ExR)

He is so shocked. He’s such a stoic character, but we see the emotions this confession provokes, we see how it physically affects him, we see what it does to his normally (yes, normally) confident speech.

He just can’t believe it at first. He thinks he heard it wrong. It’s too hard for him to repeat it because he can’t just process that it’s real at first.

And when WWX continues his confession...

Wei WuXian suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulders, continuing, “But! But, from now on, what you say to me, what you do for me, I’ll remember all of them—I won’t forget a single thing!” 

“…” 

Wei WuXian, “You’re really great. I like you.” 

“…” 

“Or in other words, I fancy you, I love you, I want you, I can’t leave you, I whateveryou.” 

“…” 

“I want to night-hunt with you for the rest of my life.” 

“…”

(Chapter 100, ExR)

Look at all those pauses. He’s not even capable of responding yet. It’s like he’s still working on believing that this is even happening.

This exemplifies one of the things I really adore about LWJ. Everything he did to help WWX after his resurrection, all his efforts to protect and support him -- none of that was out of any expectation of reciprocity. He wasn’t trying to make WWX love him. He would have lived his life and been happy just to have WWX alive again and by his side in any capacity. 

He did not think WWX returned his feelings, and that was okay with him. But it was also such a firm belief that he has trouble even comprehending a world where WWX loves him back. There’s so much time before LWJ is able to return that confession.

Oh, LWJ. This is real. You get to live in a world where you love WWX and he loves you back.

#mdzs #mdzs meta #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #novel scene commentary #I still utterly adore the confession scene #it remains perfect for me

[stiltonbasket]

I think the most anticlimactic end to this whole mess before it even starts would be LQR accidentally finding out that A-Yuan was made from mostly resentful energy and he's like, "Well what else did we expect when WC threw you into the BM when you were pregnant? Get over here boy, I'm not going to drown you!" But alas. I know you, Stilton, and you're not going to make it that easy for anyone.

"Wei Wuxian," Wen Qing says to Wei Wuxian one day, a fortnight after their arrival in the Burial Mounds. "Come back to my quarters with me. We must speak."

Wei Wuxian looks up from his dirty stone table and squints at her. "Can't you just talk to me here?" he asks. "I don't think Wen Ning can hear either of us just yet, if you're worried about him listening in."

"It has nothing to do with A-Ning. I don’t want anyone to overhear us, and Popo and the uncles are right outside,” his friend scolds. "Put that knife away, and follow me."

So Wei Wuxian drops his tools and trots after Wen Qing with A-Yuan on his shoulders, wondering if she had some news about the outside world to relay to him; but when they reach the little cave she claimed for herself, all she does is take A-Yuan from his perch and hold him up at arm’s length for Wei Wuxian to look at.

“A-Yuan?” he wonders, puzzled. “Did you bring me here to look at Yuan-bao, Wen Qing?”

“Yes. You haven’t noticed, but he—he was born to you here in the Burial Mounds, wasn’t he?”

Wei Wuxian grimaces. He has never spoken of that to anyone, even Lan Zhan, and he would rather have told his zhiji the truth about his three-month exile before mentioning it to Wen Qing; but now that Wen Qing seems to have guessed, there is little use in denying it.

“He was born less than a hundred yards from where we stand, actually,” Wei Wuxian sighs. “Under that crooked old plum tree by the stream. I stopped to take a drink of water and fainted with my legs in the brook, and when I woke, I found A-Yuan lying underneath me.”

“Then he was born of the resentment in this place,” Wen Qing whispers. “It makes sense, then. Wei Wuxian, how in heaven’s name could you have missed something like this?”

“Missed...what, exactly?”

She looks at him with despairing eyes and gestures down at the baby. Wei Wuxian looks at his son, and finds nothing amiss; A-Yuan is healthy and properly fed, and dressed in warm clothes despite their sudden change in circumstances, so what could he have done to upset Wen Qing so?

“Yuan’er is growing too fast," she explains. "Children grow slowly during the second year, and A-Yuan is barely a year old. He knows over fifty words, I’ve counted, and he’s more than an inch taller than he was when we got here. You told me he took his first steps a few weeks before you rescued us, and he ran away from Popo last night when she tried to give him a bath.

“This place is affecting his body, and it may tamper with the development of his mind. If A-Yuan remains here, there will be no hiding what he is, or even where he came from."

Wei Wuxian swallows past the lump in his throat; for young though he is, and unexpected as his son’s arrival might have been, even the thought of parting from A-Yuan is too painful for him to bear.

"Then I'll write to Lan Zhan," he says hoarsely. "He'll make the journey alone if I ask him to, and he won't tell anyone where we are, so I can meet him down in Yiling and send Yuanyuan back to Gusu with him."

Wen Qing frowns. "But what about you?"

"I'll stay here," he shrugs, pressing his trembling lips together as A-Yuan reaches up to touch his cheek. "I need to take care of you and your family, and I promised you that I would bring Wen Ning back. When he's a little better, I can sneak off to Gusu and look at Yuan-bao now and then."

And Lan Zhan, he thinks, though their engagement was probably rendered void the moment Lanling received word of the deaths at Qiongqi Dao. Wei Wuxian will never feel remorse for those men, for even A-Yuan cried out in triumph when the overseers who killed Wen Ning were left bathing in pools of their own blood and brains—but Wei Wuxian will be known as a murderer from now unto the world's ending, and his child and intended will both be better off without him.

Lan Zhan will protect Yuan'er, no matter what, and so will Lan-laoshi and Zewu-jun; but he doubts their protection would ever be extended to the Wens. Wei Wuxian will have to be enough for Wen Qing and Wen Ning, as Lan Zhan will surely be for their son, and someday the world will be safe enough for him and A-Yuan to meet again.

Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian writes that evening, with an aching hand that protests the birth of every new word on the page. Use the blood-talisman in the envelope to meet me next week; it will carry you straight to my doorstep, and give you clearance to pass the wards.

Bring no one with you, not even your brother. I am only summoning you to fetch A-Yuan.

Faithfully yours, my heart,

Wei Ying.

#wangxian #lan sizhui #wen qing #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #my fic #😭😭😭😭😭😭 #cultivation baby sizhui au

[silverflame2724]

WWX wisely chose not to attend Jin Lings 100 day celebration but still has to listen to Jin Zixun's screaming about some curse from the edge of the corpse barrier. Finally at the end of his patience Wei Wuxian curses Jin Zixun in a manner that no one can mistake as anything other than a curse cast by Wei Wuxian.

It's a truth curse mixed with a babbling curse as well as having a area of effect so everyone within a li of the victim is affected. Almost with a hour of returning to carp tower for reinforcements during the party with everyone in attendance fights break out as inconvenient truths come spilling out.

"I was paid by the Jin to spread false rumours about the Yiling Patriarch!", "I cursed Jin Zixun with the 100 holes curse!", ect.

When the invitation came, Wei Wuxian really wanted to go at first. He never thought he would get the chance to see his Shijie again. And for Lan Zhan himself to sign the letter of invitation made it all the more tempting. But......

But Wei Wuxian knew the Jin. And knew that they wouldn't let this chance go to possibly attack the Burial Mounds or maybe even him on his way to Lanling. Everyone knew Wei Wuxian no longer used his sword and Wei Wuxian would have to travel through Qiongqi Path to get to Lanling. Qiongqi Path was structured in a way that made it perfect for an ambush. And while Qiongqi was sure to have plenty of resentful energy and corpses around, Wei Wuxian couldn't count on the chance that the area would be purged in preparal for his arrival.

So though it tore at him, Wei Wuxian rejected the invitation, choosing instead to strengthen the wards in fear of retaliation from his refusal. And just as he expected, the Jins came knocking. Though, not for the reason he had initially thought.

“Wei Wuxian!!!! Remove this curse you have put on me!!!!” Some random Jin yelled, banging futilely against the wards. 

Wei Wuxian ignored him. He wasn’t about to go see what the ruckus was about. What if he was just yelling about it only to lead Wei Wuxian into a trap? He doubted many Jin had the smarts to think about that, but still. He’d rather err on the side of caution.

.

.

It had been a few hours and this guy still hadn’t given up. Wei Wuxian was starting to get annoyed but still dreaded over having to deal with this annoyance. Can a man just get a few days without someone cursing him to death? He had inventions to invent!

“So you finally show your face, you servant!!!” The Jin spat, heaving and red-faced. The cultivators behind him looked ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. 

Wei Wuxian was not impressed.

“Undo this curse right now, Wei Wuxian!!! Otherwise, I’ll tell my uncle to have the clans siege you!!!!”

“Your....uncle?” Wei Wuxian asked curiously. “Who are you again?”

“You know who I am!”

“I really don’t.” Wei Wuxian shook his head. “Look, I don’t know who fed you the lie that I cursed you, but I really have better things to do than curse someone I don’t even know.”

The Jin began yelling again and Wei Wuxian sighed, rubbing his temples to ward off a headache. He was really getting annoyed. And then--

“Ha, if your parents could see you know, they’d be so disappointed in you.” 

Wei Wuxian twitched. 

“It’s a good thing they died, huh? So they don’t have to see what a tainted mess their bastard of a son became!”

Normally, Wei Wuxian would brush off any insult. However, to target his parents? That was crossing a fucking line.

“Since you want to be so badly cursed by me, so be it!” He put Chenqing to his lips and began playing. A wave of resentful energy gathered and blasted the Jin and his companions away. 

The curse was a little thing Wei Wuxian had come up with when he was bored. Wen Qing had given him the idea, indirectly. She had been tired with him disguising his injuries from many of his failed experiments and decided to curse him with a truth curse, causing him to be unable to hide his injuries from her. (Of course, after it wore off, he stopped hiding things from her, knowing she had something like that at her disposal.) In an effort to undo it, Wei Wuxian had studied it and though he hadn’t been able to figure out how to undo it before it wore off, he had been able to figure out how to improve it. 

This new and improved curse had the same function. However, instead of being forced to tell the truth, the victim would blurt out any secrets they had kept hidden. On top of that, it would spread to others quickly. Wei Wuxian hoped that a few minutes of embarrassing secrets being spilled would be enough to deter them.

And sure enough, it did. 

The Jin and his rather disgruntled group of subordinates left. Now that Wei Wuxian looked at them though, he noticed some Lan disciples in their midst. His heart had clenched with betrayal and hurt, remembering that it was Lan Zhan who had signed the invitation. 

He shook his head. It mattered not. 

...........................

What Wei Wuxian didn’t know, though, was that the effects of the curse had not worn off. So when Jin Zixun returned to the celebration to get reinforcements, it quickly spread to all of the guests.

At least three sect leaders immediately blurted out, “I was paid by the Jin to spread false rumors about the Yiling Patriarch!” 

“Me too! The Jin promised me women and crops in exchange for telling everyone at the recent Discussion conference that the Yiling Patriarch had sent his corpses to my land! They were just wandering fierce corpses, but who wouldn’t believe that Wei Wuxian would send his corpses to any random person?”

“I was told to spread the rumors about the Yiling Patriarch raping virgins!”

And then......

“I cursed Jin Zixun with the hundred holes curse!” Su Minshan, sect leader of the newly emerged Su sect, said.

Jin Zixun turned to him quickly and took out his sword, rushing to him. “Undo it right now!!!”

“I don’t want to! You always bullied me, why should I?” Su Minshan yelled, easily beating back Jin Zixun. However, he couldn’t defend himself against all of Jin Zixun’s subordinates and was quickly taken into custody. 

The party quickly descended into chaos as everyone everywhere began spilling their deepest, darkest secrets.

Jin, Lan, Jiang, Yao, Ouyang......no one was spared. No matter how they tried to stop it, the curse was too strong.

And the culprit for all this chaos? He was happily tinkering away in his cave, unaware of how powerful the curse he casted was.  

#mdzs #wei ying #wei wuxian #wen remnants #jin zixun #curses #everyone in the cultivation world gets indirectly cursed to spread their secrets