#because once Jiang Cheng helps kill Wei Wuxian

[lewiscarrolatemybrain]

My favorite Fanon Jiang Cheng content is in some kind of happy AU where Wangxian get together young, and at first LWJ and JC are like two cats locked in a box together but eventually JC grows as a person and stops being a dick to WWX all the time, which lets LWJ accept that JC loves his brother to hell and back even when he’s being a jerk about it

Specifically because I find it immensely entertaining to watch LWJ come to understand the Yunmeng Bros dynamic. Like, he and LXC are such wildly different brothers than WWX and JC are and I truly do feel like that plays a part in his initial misgivings about JC, so watching him eventually settle on “Jiang Wanyin is terrible. He is awful. He is a whiny demanding brat with no respect for others and he always tracks mud into the Jingshi when he visits. What? No, you’re not allowed to say that about him. Only Wei Ying and I may insult him. No, I don’t care that it’s true. If you’re mean to him I’ll kill you.”

It’s just very funny to me. LWJ loves his terrible obnoxious didi very much but he can’t say that because he’s mad at Jiang Cheng for… whatever it is Jiang Cheng did this time.

#mdzs #the untamed #Lan Wangji #Wei wuxian #Jiang Cheng #wangxian #yunmeng bros #this does need to happen before or during the war though #because once Jiang Cheng helps kill Wei Wuxian #then that’s it all bets are off #there’s no forgivenesses there

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Halloween!!! More Lady Mo? I love your writings!!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Lan Zhan doesn’t want their baby.

Not their baby, he forces himself to think through the blood pounding in his ears. This body doesn’t belong to him. He’s just borrowing it, and the child he’s carrying no more belongs to him than the body he’s wearing. It’s Lan Zhan’s baby. And he doesn’t want it.

For the first time, he’s grateful that Mo Xuanyu didn’t stick around. It’s breaking his heart, and the baby isn’t even his. This would have killed her.

Or maybe it wouldn’t have. She didn’t want to be a bride, maybe she didn’t want to be a mother either, and she and Lan Zhan would have just been in perfect agreement about any child they would have created, and what had to be done about it.

I’m sorry.

I never intended –

This is for the best.

He can complete the mission that Mo Xuanyu died to give him. He doesn’t have to try and stretch it out or leave Lan Zhan behind to raise a child alone. What a mess that would have been, for him to have the kid and leave it behind with a father that didn’t want him. He wouldn’t wish that on any child, especially his ow – especially any child he helped create. It would have just been another terrible, bitter legacy of his to leave behind, an unloved child and a disinterested father.

This is better. This is a good thing.

“Oh, Meimei.”

Wei Wuxian blinks and sees Jiang Yanli kneeling in front of him, rubbing her sleeve over his cheeks for some reason. They come away damp and it takes him raising a hand to his own face to realize he’s crying.

Stupid. There’s nothing to cry over. This is the best thing that could have happened. A baby makes things complicated. Now they can be simple.

“We’ll take care of you,” Jiang Yanli says, pulling him into her arms, and he lets her, because he’s weak and she’s his sister and he feels that familiar roll of nausea even though there’s nothing in his stomach to upset it. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of everything. You won’t have to – you know, you barely got a chance to see Jin Tower the first time, you should stay past the cultivation conference. Or, hm, I know there’s, well there’s also Lotus Pier. You’ve never been have you? A-Cheng could escort you there and you could see the ponds. We can think of a reason. A-Yao will help.”

Most of what she’s saying doesn’t make any sense, but it’s so comforting to be held by her that he just goes with it. He looks over her shoulder, expecting to see Jiang Cheng awkwardly hovering in the doorway, but it’s empty.

It’s. Empty.

“Where’s Jiang Cheng?” he rasps, even though he thinks he already knows.

She stiffens, her voice taking on a tone that reminds him of Madame Yu. “He went to talk to Lan Wangji. He’ll be back.”

He remembers Jiang Cheng’s reaction when he thought that Lan Zhan had hurt him, and now here he is, crying, and even though it’s stupid, he’s, well, it’s easy to see how Jiang Cheng could look at him and think him hurt, even though it’s not his baby and it’s for the best. But he doesn’t know that.

“Shit,” he curses, pushing himself away and stumbling to his feet. “Oh, no, he’ll kill him.”

He’s spared against Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng has his core in his chest. Maybe he can’t actually kill him, but blood will be spilled, and both of them are stubborn enough to keep at it until someone does die. Fuck.

Jiang Yanli shrugs, then winces, like she knows that wasn’t the appropriate response. In other circumstances, that would be enough to goad him to laughter, but now he just rushes for the door.

“Meimei!” she calls out, but Wei Wuxian ignores her.

He doesn’t get far, running into Jin Guangyao almost as soon as he steps into the hallway. His eyes flicker to Jiang Yanli behind him, his frown deepens, and then he looks Wei Wuxian up and down once, then does it again, except this time he stops at his stomach. “Ah.”

How does he do that? He’s so lucky they didn’t know each other during the war and that he didn’t know his sister at all, otherwise he would have been made the first time the two of them had a conversation. “Where’d they go?”

“Perhaps it’s best if we leave them to it,” he suggests.

Wei Wuxian stares. “Have you lost it? Jiang Cheng is pissed and he’s going to take that anger out on Wangji. How many more whip scars do you want him to have?”

Jin Guangyao presses his lips together. “He is A-Huan’s brother. In different circumstances, that would entitle him to my protection. But you’re my sister.”

The warmth rushes through him and causes his eyes to sting. It’s all borrowed, all a lie, because he’s not Mo Xuanyu, but his stupid heart is really doing a terrible job of remember that right now. “A-Yao, please.”

He sighs. “All right. Follow me.”

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #goolsbygirl25 #untamed

[robininthelabyrinth]

@thedarkline ask which disappeared:

Can you do one where Huisang is upset about the loss of his best friends? After the cloud recesses and the training camp he looked forward to seeing Wei Wuxian and JC again and now they don’t even like each other and WW is so cold now. Maybe they deserve a forced vacation?

ao3

Nie Mingjue blinked.

“Oh,” he said. “I see. This is a hallucination, and I should go get checked out by the doctors.”

“Rude, da-ge,” Nie Huaisang sniffed. “Also, you should in fact go get checked out by the doctors some more. I’m still worried about you, you got out of bed too quickly after everything. But also: rude!”

“All right, I’ll concede that maybe I didn’t hallucinate and you in fact said what you said,” Nie Mingjue said. “But…why? I thought you liked Wei Wuxian!”

“I do like him! Of course I like him!”

Nie Mingjue threw his hands into the air. “Then why in the world would you want me to bring him to trial?”

“Because he hasn’t done anything wrong,” Nie Huaisang said. “It’s all a bunch of rumor and innuendo, and now Jiang Cheng had to throw him out of the sect and pretend he doesn’t like him – which is ridiculous – and we can’t all hang out the way we used to and it’s awful, da-ge! Just awful!”

“Pretty awful for Wei Wuxian stuck living on the Burial Mounds and Jiang Cheng having to rebuild his sect all by himself, but yes, by all means, let’s focus on how it affects you personally,” Nie Mingjue said dryly. “No fun hangouts with your friends. How will you survive?”

Nie Huaisang ignored him.

“My point is,” he said loftily, “if he’s found innocent after a trial, then he can come back. It’s perfect!”

“Huaisang…”

“I’m serious.”

Nie Mingjue rubbed his forehead and, reluctantly, started trying to actually think it through. Nie Huaisang could sometimes be distracted by shiny things, like a shopping trip or a new fan, but sometimes he would demonstrate his heritage by getting his teeth into something and stubbornly refusing to let up on it, ever.

It was nice to see him living up to at least some family traditions.

“Wei Wuxian did murder some Jin sect guards,” he pointed out. “He’s unquestionably guilty of that.”

“First off, no one cares about that,” Nie Huaisang rebutted. “And you know it.”

“They should. The fact that the Jin are soulless bastards isn’t exculpatory.”

“No, but also you’re wrong. The fact is, Wei Wuxian didn’t kill them.”

“What?”

“He didn’t! Wen Ning did.”

“…I’m not sure how it’s better that the Ghost General was involved.”

Nie Huaisang waved his fan at him. “Da-ge, don’t be obtuse! Wen Ning wasn’t the Ghost General at that point – he was just a fierce corpse. No consciousness.”

Nie Mingjue waited for his brother to explain his logic. He assumed there was some, anyway.

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes as if he thought Nie Mingjue was being purposefully slow just to mess with him, which he wasn’t, for once. “Da-ge. Wen Ning was a fierce corpse who had been killed by the Jin sect guards. If he’d resurrected without Wei-xiong’s help, would anyone have said anything?”

“Of course not. A murderer’s victim seeking vengeance for the crime committed against them is a classic case that calls for liberation, provided they haven’t killed anyone else in the process or gotten a taste for killing people such that they would continue doing so afterwards.”

“Exactly.”

“But Wei Wuxian did resurrect him.”

“Naturally he did! He was looking for his friend, he wanted to speak with him; he’s a demonic cultivator. What could be more natural? It’s no different from a Lan playing Inquiry to see if they can find a lost soul. How was Wei Wuxian to know that the Jin sect guards had murdered him, and that Wen Ning would therefore arise as a fierce corpse bent on immediate vengeance?”

Nie Mingjue wanted to laugh, and also possibly to suggest that Nie Huaisang consider picking up a sideline in advocacy, except that he really didn’t actually want a lawyer in the family.

“All right,” he said, suppressing his amusement. “Let’s say I’m following where you’re leading. Then why didn’t Wei Wuxian, demonic cultivator, stop the murder?”

“Da-ge, please,” Nie Huaisang cast him a horrified look. “You’re not suggesting a cultivator can be held responsible for not acting swiftly enough to stop something, are you? Imagine how much of the cultivation world might be at risk if that were the rule!”

“Mm. A good point. Didn’t I hear somewhere that Wei Wuxian had already known that the Jin sect guards had killed Wen Ning…?”

“Surely Wei-xiong would never make such an assumption about the good, upstanding people that a good, upstanding sect like Lanling Jin took on as their own. It must have been a misunderstanding. You know how young heroes are, all bluster and hot air. Are we kicking people out of sects just for that?”

Nie Mingjue’s shoulders were shaking with the effort to keep his laughter inside.

“There, you see! Perfectly logical,” Nie Huaisang concluded, throwing his sleeves up with a flourish. “Obviously the entire sequence of events that led to Jiang Cheng kicking Wei Wuxian out is simply a misunderstanding. Easily resolved!”

“Right. And the Wen sect? They were supposed to be in Jin sect custody.”

“Uh, da-ge, the Jin sect appointed guards that killed some of them, a fact we know for sure because we’ve gotten it based on the testimony of the dead – again, like Inquiry. Are you saying we can’t rely on things like Inquiry? What will the Lan sect say if they hear you suggest such a thing?”

“I’m suggesting that we still need to do something with the Wen sect.”

“Let Jiang Cheng take them and put them to work.” Nie Huaisang shrugged. “He’s got a whole sect to rebuild, hasn’t he? Anyway, they were the ones who were massacred, they should get first call on what to do with them.”

“Firstly, taking them in means that Jiang Cheng has to feed them –”

“The Jin sect can pay for that, if they’re so enthusiastic about helping deal with them.”

“Secondly, why would Jiang Cheng want the kinsman of the people who killed his parents? I thought you liked him?”

“I’m getting him back Wei Wuxian,” Nie Huaisang said. “He’s going to have to deal with the baggage Wei Wuxian picked up along the way on his own. What do I look like, someone who fixes things for people? Please, da-ge. I’m only human. There’s only so much that I’m capable of.”

Nie Mingjue gave in and started laughing.

#mdzs #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #my fic #my fics #another old one #and a theme I've hit before #maybe even posted htis one before??? #but I like this one anyway because of the stupid lawyering

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

@d-lissa

I am trying to word this as succinctly as possible but it's a lot, so please bear with me lol as I go through some of your points.

1: Shen Jiu probably had more grounds for the resentment he felt.

He did not. He kills the one who tortured and hurt him, as soon as he took his revenge he no longer should have used his hate of the past to continue spreading resentment and hurt to the one that tried to protect him (yes,failed but he was only a child much as Luo Binghe had been when taken by Shen Jiu). He continues to be the abuser he once killed along with being the oppressive Shizun that mocked and hurt Yue Qingyuan as a mirror.

2: Shen Jiu wasn't allowed to try his hand at redemption

Yet he did. He had many chances with the way that Yue Qingyuan gave him everything under the sun to supposedly make up for his transgression (in Shen Jiu's own mind).Yue Qingyuan extended his own openness and kindness almost while Shen Jiu stayed bitter and cruel all while belittling Yue Qingyuan as a weak coward. Shen Jiu simply didn't want to take these openings, choosing to stick to his own assumptions.

3: It's unfair to say that SJ refused to do something he never knew was an option.

I have no sympathy to extend to him because he still didn't need to be like that even without knowing YQY's own situation as well as it being a large point that he didn't care enough outside of himself to think of YQY's situation and lashed out all on his assumptions he deemed as fair. He had no right to know the extent of Yue Qingyuan's own trauma to forgive something that was not Yue Qingyuan's fault that Shen Jiu put upon him.

4: How wrong they had been in their assumptions.

4: Yue Qingyuan held no assumptions against Shen Jiu other than knowing exactly how he would react. Much like how Wei Wuxian thinks he never told Jiang Cheng the truth because he knew exactly how he was as a person. Neither are grateful to being protected and helped by the one they are jealous and hateful towards, the reveal of this truth would have been emotionally more hurtful for Wei Wuxian and Yue Qingyuan who died eventually out of the care they held for others (The Wens for Wei Wuxian, Shen Jiu for Yue Qingyuan). Yue Qingyuan's assumptions about Shen Jiu had unfortunately always been right despite everything he had done to try to make that change.

#svsss #scum villain self saving system #yue qingyuan #shen jiu #unfortunately

[wutheringskies]

that utterly disgusting post comparing Wei Wuxian not giving up Wen (dogs) and Jiang Cheng giving up his 3 dogs, and how, he's always been in the position of "giving."

NO.

All the people saying in the tags they are "true brothers," absolutely not. To fulfil your status quo siblings, tsundere character and ship, you completely dismiss the entire story.

1. Jiang Cheng has no dog loving tendencies.

2. The scene of giving his dogs up presents an important theme.

Jiang Fengmian tries to get Wei Ying adjusted to the dogs, but he absolutely cannot, so they are made to leave; Jiang Cheng as a child is understandably upset about losing his dogs. To add on, his dad lifts Wei Ying up and Jiang Cheng kicks Wei Wuxian out, scares him with dogs, but feels like he would get into trouble, so he tells his sister, tries to find him, gets injured, and Wei Wuxian promises he won't tell anyone that JC kicked him out; and then, the dogs are gone, but now Jiang Cheng has his favourite subordinate.

What strikes me is that Jiang Cheng, even as a child, holds no true empathy.

- Wei Wuxian has no control over what he absolutely cannot stand; whether it be dogs or injustice. It's integral to his character.

- Wei Wuxian has no control over who lifts him up, loves him, or praises him. None of these actions are meant to be targeted at Jiang Cheng. Yet throughout the plot we see JC losing his mind when someone approaches WWX with positive intentions or says good things about him.

- JC kicked WWX out and scared him with his worst fear; this is the parallel you are meant to be drawing; just like Jiang Cheng threw him out then, Jiang Cheng threw him out now (leaving the Wens to die is not an option.)

- Jiang Cheng worries that he would be admonished by his father which is why he goes to find WWX, but gets injured in the way.

such a pathetic character honestly. the reason he is still alive is because of the former - he fears authority. Killing demonic cultivators? But let Xue Yang go! Why? He's protected by the Jins. Don't fight LWJ because he's powerful.

and the finding WWX, trying to help WWX once but getting injured... lack of capability.

- WWX promising not to tell anyone; and that's it. that's the basis of their relationship. it's one sided as hell. they're not brothers. it's basically abuse. if you've read the book, you would know.

"from Jiang Cheng's perspective" Jiang Cheng doesn't matter! He will always be beneath Wei Wuxian; his whole purpose is to be a red warning sign; Wei Wuxian can kill 50 of Jiang Chengs for all I know; there is no need to dive deeper with your biased, limited knowledge of Jiang Cheng.

- They are not brothers. They are martial brothers. Raised in the same sect and practicing the same cultivation style.

- There's a clear distinction of subordinate vs superior; master vs slave; owner and his killing dog. The point of conflict arises when the dog acts without his master's commands to save common people. It doesn't stem from misunderstanding or any such thing like that - it's out there. Wei Wuxian knows their moral ideologies don't align. He had hoped Jiang Cheng, if not take the Wens into Yunmeng, would at least, let him be. But when the matter is of "Kill them, or I will not stand by you."

Wei Wuxian leaves the sect; it is NOT Jiang Cheng's sacrifice. It is not hurting Jiang Cheng. The most hurt it causes is to Wei Wuxian; who ultimately had to make the choice.

Jiang Cheng is hurt? Oh, is it because Wei Wuxian chose the moral high-ground over playing his lapdog? Jiang Cheng must be furious.

Also, "Jiang Cheng has given and given" - NO.

- Wei Wuxian comes to Lotus Pier and hangs out with friendless, bitter, unloved child Jiang Cheng, matches his competitiveness head on head, coaxes him to talk to people, etc. Accepts all the endlessly bitter taunts and throws out a few in return. Surpasses him in abilities, practices together. They're boys.

- Does all his bidding and requests in Cloud Recessses to do this or that. Jiang Cheng does carry him, when they are 15.

- In Xuanwu Cave, Jiang Cheng also attacked the Wens after Wei Wuxian got burnt; Wei Wuxian was the reason he was able to live. He did travel and ask for aid. But Wei Wuxian also did allow himself to become a bait and usher people out stuck in a cave with a 400 year old monster... what's not clicking?

- and after the fall of lotus pier he strangles Wei Wuxian and hits him, gets done with life, thinks "I'll die heroically" and also sort of out of guilt and remnant care for Wei Wuxian, but instead loses his core.

And then?

Then what? That is it. That's really it for their relationship being giving on Jiang Cheng's side. It died when Lotus Pier did. Yet:

- Wei Wuxian knowingly, consciously gave up his core for the guy who strangled him twice in the past 50 hours or so.

- Without even a core, fought in the war alongside the Jiangs, earned a lot of report; the sunshot campaign is a small arc text wise in the book, yet there are at least three mentions of Wei Wuxian being the reason behind why the Jiangs are extremely powerful.

- Even afterwards acts on JC's orders in the Phoenix Mountain Hunt.

- Keeps protecting Jiang Cheng's name by ensuring it's not about Jiang Cheng or "don't bring him into this."

- Doesn't even attack the Jiangs in nightless city

- JC can enter the barriers still

- even back to life he just wants to get away and not harm him, unlike JC

so basically, fuck Jiang Cheng and more specifically please touch grass. it's one thing to like a character. it's another to dehumanize a bunch of people rescued from labour camp prison where they were dealing with xianxia level of abuse as dogs and justify a powerful clan leader not helping them, especially when he owes them, to show how he once lost his dogs.

Like that is vile.

#canon jiang cheng #jiang cheng #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #wei wuxian #jiang cheng is shit #my thoughts #my essays #my meta

[haunted-radishes]

Hey, you seem to be a Wen Ning enjoyer, can you tell me what you like best about him? I feel like he has a lot of potential that isn’t really explored enough for him to be a fave so I’d like to hear your POV on him!

Honestly, right from the beginning he has always just made me happy :D

But to delve into it, the first thing that struck me about him was how kind he is. He's a sweet guy! I started with The Untamed, only reading the novel later, so my primary impression of him is the version that sneaks down to the dungeons to take out the evil dog and give Wei Wuxian some medicine, so he's going behind his sect's back to do what's right as soon as he has the opportunity to do so. I love how he's timid and gentle, but has the backbone of steel to risk it all to do the right thing.

But he's also kind of. Odd. Sometimes it ties into his hidden nerves of steel, like when he drugs the entire cohort at Lotus Pier to help Wei Wuxian and co. Like, it was an incredible act, but he just. Fucking. Drugged them. No hesitation. Absolutely wild behavior. Especially in the novel where he had only met Wei Wuxian once before this! I do prefer the drama version where his actions make more sense, but his devotion is at least a little unhinged no matter the version. But also, even besides the obsessive devotion, his energy is just. Endearingly strange and off-putting. Like when he decides that the best way to quietly contact Wei Wuxian is to dangle upside down outside his window. Or feels absolutely no need to make himself less terrifying when he power walks towards the tied-up juniors with a sword.

And then! The unexplored depths and unexamined tragedy! You're left to wonder so much about him! How DOES he feel about the whole fierce corpse thing? About his compromised autonomy? Would he have turned against his sect even if Wei Wuxian hadn't charmed him? Does he regret any of his actions before killing Jin Zixuan? How deep do his grudges run? Is there anyone from the Wen sect outside his established circle of family and cultivators who he misses or secretly mourns? What does he think about the other great sect members, especially the leaders? Plus so many more questions we'll never truly know the answers to, because he tucks his problems away and never speaks of them! The closest glimpse we get of his inner turmoil is his verbal evisceration of Jiang Cheng with the core reveal, and that does show us some interesting things about his character! For the first time, we see him choosing to be as hurtful as possible, showing how much he clearly resents Jiang Cheng, but how much of that is personal dislike, how much is anger on Wei Wuxian's behalf, how much is blame for the deaths of his family, and how much is gall at him benefiting from dear late Wen Qing's genius and service without even knowing it? Also, what is he going to do after canon? What is left for him?

Also he's relatable, lol. That awkward uncertainty he always carries with him is very endearing in an "oh, me too buddy" kind of way. He has so much going on inside his head, but all that comes out is, "oh! Excuse me >.<" People are having massive emotional moments right in front of him, and he's just..... There.

Anyway, Wen Ning! Love that guy! Makes my brain go "brrrr"

#wen ning #asks #theres more vibesey stuff that's just. not coming out rn #don't know if i could put it into words at all #but he's My Guy

[navarice]

my dearest fellow mdzs stans, i really don't want to spoil anyone's fun but sometimes some things must be said. please do NOT mistake fanon characteristics for canon characteristics because by GOD is it frustrating to dissect a character when all anyone wants to do is blindly turn away from the very vivid and metastasizing flaws.

jiang cheng is an extremely complicated character, and that's why we love him. but by god, he is a jealous, self-victimizing asshole with a massive inferiority complex who likes to torture (probably) innocent look-a-likes of his (as far as he knew) dead adjacent family member. jesus christ this isn't some simple case of miscommunication (well it is but, you know no amount of communication will ever mend the giant chasm that developed between them. especially not with asians raised within the most classical case of asian parenting, i mean come on now) but a matter of deep and intense self-loathing developed since early childhood projecting violently outwards. let me be clear. he hates wei wuxian. he loathes him. he wants to kill him with his own hands again and again so some part of his convoluted sense of justice and superiority will be fulfilled. he's a classist, a bully, and abusive to everyone around him. ong at the end of mdzs, i was nearly crying tears of joy when jin guangyao flayed him flat on his ass bc that man needed to hear it. he needed to feel it. he needed to stop blaming others and blame himself.

and!! he's homophobic!! the entire cultivation world is, yes, but he's the only one we see give wei ying and lan zhan active shit for it!!

point is...his complexity makes him interesting. as a child, he was pretty alright tbh. he was understandably upset when three of his dogs got taken away and he saw his dad give a completely random kid such a gentle hug when jiang cheng never received one so far. he was a kid, and it was sad and helped the readers get a glimpse at the already dysfunctional family dynamics before wei ying came into the picture. as an adolescent/teen, yes he had a lot of unresolved rage and inferiority issues building up when he was constantly being compared to wei wuxian by his mother and not given enough reassurance from his father (once again, all present before wei ying...everyone just likes to dump the shit on him bc it's easier to point fingers at others than at yourself). perhaps he could have turned out differently if literally either of his parents stepped up and took accountability. however, after the burning of lotus pier? after the golden core transfer? after wei ying stuck around as his subordinate just as he promised, and protected jiang cheng like he promised, and defected just to save the yunmeng clan's reputation so jiang cheng doesn't have to put up with the other clan's shit, still continuing to keep his promise? after wei ying's death? idk abt y'all, but all bets are off bro.

mxtx makes it a point to make him so irredeemable. he's an exploration of what can go wrong if you let your traumas, self-hatred, and revenge fantasies blind you. he has the worst traits of his parents for a reason, directly contrasting with the other sibling, who is a perfect picture of eldest daughters born into a dysfunctional family. jiang yanli has the best traits of her parents (in terms of compassion and standing up for her family), but the family dynamics also made her the way she was. the responsible, the mediator, the occasional mother, stepping in where madam yu cannot.

there's just so much potential to hold him accountable buried under the pretense of misunderstandings and kinnie moments. he just had so many chances, more than any other character, to make a different choice. to actually look past his misgivings and unlearn the bad habits he used to protect himself as a child. i'm not saying he has to magically heal from all his traumas, but at the very least know not to be like his parents. but he wasn't written that way. because that is what happens when you give into your insecurities and generational trauma.

bottom line: jiang cheng is a fantastic archetype that needs to be explored in all his authenticity, including his moments of loyalty and cruelty.

#jiang fengmian is literally yue qingyuan #embarassing af #as a mu qing apologist this was hard to write #but it needed to be said #jiang cheng choose an issue to cope with challenge #mission impossible #i'm not coming for anyone really i just needed to vent out everything bc he fr pissed me off in the novel haha #character study #jiang cheng #mdzs #mao dao zu shi #wei wuxian #wei ying #the untamed #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #he just gives me a glutton for punishment vibes and i will not let him hide behind jc stans #the founder of diabolism #madam yu #jiang fengmian #jiang yanli #dysfunctional family relationships go brrr

[spriteofmushrooms]

Gonna be honest, I just saw a SJ Stan bitching about JC being a horrible person and I can’t help but wonder if they have them flipped? I love SJ, but he was definitely a horrible person and all the traits they’re describing are ones JC actually has. But they were also saying LWJ should cut LXC out of his life because he allowed genocide and complaining that YQY was a bad person so I think I can safely dismiss their opinion.

First, you're always allowed to ignore people who hate Jiang Cheng and feel, for whatever reason, that you need to know this. (Unless they're your friend, in which case you should be like me pawing at my friend Salem's chat window, saying please please please be niceys to Yue Qingyuan, he has a whole entire brain damage cave!! while Salem rolls his eyes.)

Second, I think a lot of people want their favorites to not be complicit in the various war crimes of mdzs. Wen Qing ruled a territory during the occupation; Wei Wuxian tortured dozens and killed hundreds, if not thousands. Lan Wangji didn't speak up for the Wen remnants, but he was perfectly capable of saying Wei Wuxian wasn't disrespectful of Jiang Cheng (lmao) in the same meeting. Lan Xichen, head of a weakened GusuLan, at best deferred to Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangshan about placing the Wen survivors in the camp; yet he at least seemed willing to be persuaded about Wen Ning and Wen Qing before the avalanche that was post-Sunshot Chifeng-zun descended and Jin Guangshan took back the advantage.

Other than Mu Qing who has never done anything wrong ever in his life, every character in MXTX novels is fairly gray. Which is why I propose that each character must battle all of the others to prove once and for all who is the morally superior gay representation. Here is the scoring rubric:

killed nameless cultivators: 1 point/dozen

hurt Jiang Cheng's feelings: 100 points

torture (regular): 1 point

torture (misogynistic): 20 points

bullied Jin Ling: 20 points

be Jin Zixun: 1,000 points

ruined Nie Huaisang's treasured nonsense: 10 points

killed your dad: nil

killed kitties: 50 points

kept Nie Mingjue's head around (regular): 10 points

kept Nie Mingjue's head around (romantic): minus infinity points

participate in or benefit from a society that reinforces harmful hierarchies, unlike our modern societies which are all so good: 1,000,000 points

#pallas.rtf #mdzs #hi anon

[add1ctedt0you]

Novel quotes: wei wuxian having feelings/thoughts about jiang cheng

Under the cut because it's long

However, Jiang Cheng was gone. Holding steamed buns, flatbreads, and fruits in his hands, Wei WuXian felt his heart skip a beat. He forced himself to calm down. Even after he searched through the neighboring streets, he still didn’t see Jiang Cheng. He finally began to panic. Grabbing a cobbler on the side, he asked, “Mister, there was a young master about the same age as me sitting here. Did you see where he went?” The cobbler licked the thick end of a thread, “The one that was with you?” Wei WuXian, “Yeah!”

The cobbler, “I was in the middle of doing something so I didn’t really see. But he kept on spacing out, staring at the people on the street. And then when I looked up at where he was again, he suddenly disappeared. Maybe he left.”

Wei WuXian murmured, “... He left... He left...”

He probably left for Lotus Pier to steal the bodies!

As though he had gone mad, Wei WuXian sprinted immediately toward the direction that they had come from.

[...]

He gave himself a harsh scolding in silence—he was stupid, useless, ridiculous, it was bizarre, unimaginable. Yet, he was alone, without a sword or any tools, and on the other side of the wall there were thousands of Wen Sect’s cultivators, perhaps Wen ZhuLie as well.

He wasn’t scared of death. He was only scared that after he died, he wouldn’t be able to save Jiang Cheng and betray the trust that Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu left him. In such circumstances, the only one he could place his hope on was a person of the Wen Sect whom he had met only three times in total!

[...]

Wei WuXian’s gaze turned from Wen Ning toward Jiang Cheng, whose body was covered in blood and eyes were tightly shut. His fingers couldn’t help but clenched into fists.

Chapter 59 Poisons—Part Four

Jiang Cheng’s expression was rather strange. It was calm, almost too calm. He stared at the ceiling, as though he wasn’t at all interested in the situation that he was in, as though he didn’t care about where he was either. Wei WuXian didn’t expect him to react in such a way. Sadness, happiness, anger, shock—he had none of these. His heart skipped a beat, “Jiang Cheng, can you see me? Can you hear me? Do you know who I am?” Jiang Cheng glanced at him. He didn’t say anything. Wei WuXian asked him a few more questions. Arm supporting himself, he finally sat upright. He looked down at the mark of the discipline whip on his chest before laughing bitterly. If the discipline whip struck, it’d be impossible to wipe away the mark of shame. Wei WuXian comforted him despite this, “Stop looking at it. There has to be a way to get it off.” Jiang Cheng slapped him. His strike was so weak, so powerless that Wei WuXian didn’t even flinch, “Hit me. As long as you’ll feel better.”

[...]

If Wei WuXian were the one injured or if somebody else had saved them, he’d immediately say farewell and leave at once, full of determination. However, right now, Jiang Cheng was the one who had been injured. Not only was he injured, he had lost his core as well. He wasn’t in his right mind. No matter what, Wei WuXian couldn’t find any determination.

Chapter 60 Poisons—Part five

Out of the blue, Jiang Cheng spoke up, “Not to do what?” Wei WuXian paused in surprise, turning to him along with Lan WangJi. Jiang Cheng covered his wound with one hand, his voice chilly, “Wei WuXian, you’re such a great, selfless person. You did the best things possible, and you swallowed all the suffering and didn’t let anyone know. What a touching story. I should kneel down and cry in gratitude, shouldn’t I?” Hearing the mocking tone that lacked any courtesy, Lan WangJi’s face grew cold. Jin Ling saw the displeased expression and immediately stood in front of Jiang Cheng, scared that Lan WangJi would kill him with one strike, “Uncle!” Wei WuXian’s expression worsened as well. He never expected Jiang Cheng to make up with him after he found out the truth, but he didn’t think his tone would be as unkind as ever, either. With a moment of silence, he replied, voice muffled, “I never asked you to thank me.”

[...]

In the beginning, it was precisely because he didn’t want to see such a Jiang Cheng that he decided not to tell him.

He remembered every single thing he promised Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu—to help and take care of Jiang Cheng. If someone as unhealthily competitive as him found out about this, he’d be dispirited his whole life, too tortured to face himself. There’d always be something he could never overcome, reminding him that he could only reach where he was because of another’s sacrifice. It wasn’t at all his cultivation and his achievement. No matter if he won or lost, he’d long since lost the right to compete.

Afterwards, it was because Jin ZiXuan and Jiang YanLi died for him that he had no face to let others know. To tell Jiang Cheng after what happened then would be like shirking responsibility, hurrying to demonstrate that he’d contributed as well. It’d be like telling Jiang Cheng, don’t hate me, look I’ve contributed to the YunmengJiang Sect too.

Chapter 102- Hatred - Part Five

At this point, somebody on the side suddenly called, “Wei WuXian!”

Wei WuXian answered immediately, “What?”

Only after he answered did he realize that the one who called him was Jiang Cheng. Wei WuXian felt somewhat surprised. Jiang Cheng didn’t respond directly. Instead, he took something out from his sleeve and tossed. Wei WuXian caught it by instinct and looked, only to find a black, gleaming flute along with a crimson tassel.

It was the ghoul flute, Chen Qing!

As he felt the flute that he was more than familiar with, Wei WuXian didn’t even have the spare time to feel surprised.

Chapter 108: Concealment - Part Two

After a pause, he asked again, “How have Sect Leader Jiang and Jin Ling been?”

Lan JingYi pouted, “They seem pretty fine. Sect Leader Jiang is the same as before, always lashing out at people with his whip. Young Mistress’s temper has been getting better. In the past he could talk back thrice to his uncle after he scolds him once. Now he can do ten times.”

[...]

Hearing Lan JingYi say so, Wei WuXian relaxed slightly. In truth, he knew that these weren’t what he really wanted to ask. But as it sounded like Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling had been doing quite well, there was nothing left to say.

Chapter 116: Extra—Banquet - Part Three

#There are like other quotes but I got tired lol #Anyway. What really gets me is :'don't hate me jiang cheng' #what wwx really wanted was forgiveness! Something he didn't think he deserves! Arghhhh #Where is the post: mdzs is about wwx not being normal about his shidi. And lwj is there too #because imo is what really happens lol #wwx's thoughts about jc are tbh very mean. And imo it's because he's repressing resentment/fear of rejection #I think this because wwx starts to have uncharitable interpretations of jc only in his second life #wwx: I don't want a thank you. #also wwx: why is jc being so mean to me :-( #The fact that in the present wwx feels always surprised when jc speaks to him. It's like... Arghh #Chengxian #Kinda. Neither platonic neither romantic. But a secret third thing #mar!reading mdzs #I still can't decide what wwx wanted to ask in the end. (last quote). What do you want wwx? Say it to us!

[nutcasewithaknife]

Controversial take time! Wei Wuxian knew that his siblings always loved him, but believed that they were making a mistake in doing so.

(This got too long, it's is under the cut!)

Hear me out. I don't think that Wei Wuxian didn't know he was loved unconditionally. He knew!! For a whole year or so after the war, he was at Yunmeng doing less that the bare minimum to help rebuild, and his brother is mad about it. But he still tries to stand up for Wei Wuxian in front of the rest of Jianghu! The have the stupid soup conversation! Yanli goes off at Jin Zixun in front of half the Jianghu bigshots for insulting him, runs into a battlefield for him after he's killed her husband!! He's never truly afraid of meeting Jiang Cheng post-resurrection, not surprised at all at being asked why he didn't come home. He's just trying to avoid the inevitable mess of feelings that the meeting would entail. Afterall, when it came down to it, Jiang Cheng shut his eyes and stabbed a rock in the end, not him, not even after he'd killed their sister.

Now for the argument. Look, the sibling trio has some complex dynamics, but they survived that household on a mutual understanding that they love each other. That's why Wei Wuxian leaving is the point that casts everything into doubt - they have always been together, and that was an immutable fact until it suddenly wasn't. I don't thing Jiang Yanli or Jiang Cheng ever understood how much Wei Wuxian took their mother to heart - he truly believed any love he deserved was to be earned, because was was a servant. Unconditional love was for family only!

It hit me only while watching the best scene aka Yanli ripping into Jin Zixun at the hunt. She defends him, basically declares him as part of her family, and Wei Wuxian? He's watching his sister having to defend him when it should be the other way round, getting flak for sticking up for him too. He's in agonies the entire time! He's not even happy about jzx getting verbally eviscerated in public!

Most obvious between Sunshot and leaving with the Wens, there's a pattern. Wei Wuxian may not be stepping in as First Disciple to rebuild, but he's still useful - nobody will dare harm the Yunmeng Jiang while he is part of it and holds the power of the Stygian Tiger Amulet. And then, slowly but surely, he sees his brother and and sister standing up for him, deescalating political situations caused by others vying for the very power he possessed and wanted to use to protect the sect. It was actually harming them, in a way that couldn't be solved by its brute force. He is the opposite of useful, now - he's the root of a brewing threat to the sect. This is a huge part of why he leaves! He's pushing away the people he can no longer help but only harm, and he's going to those who he can still be useful to.

Yes, it's about keeping them safe because he loves them, and about protecting lives, but also because he thinks his brother and sister had it wrong all along - they saw him as family when he was just a servant, and therefore acceptable as collateral damage. He cannot allow them to protect him, because that's his job even if they refuse to acknowledge that, isn't it? He left because he thought he was useless, a danger, he didn't deserve their love after they had to defend him at the cost of harm to the sect and themselves. It really fits into his habit of deciding for others once he's made up his mind, doesn't it?

The crux of it is, I think, that he eventually learns that he can have a family. That's why Lan Wangji is important. He doesn't have a fragile, struggling sect of people to protect above everything else, unlike Jiang Cheng. He doesn't die while trying to stick to Wei Wuxian's side, unlike Yanli. He doesn't die for Wei Wuxian either, like Wen Qing. Lan Wangji is able to stay by his side and survives it long enough for him to realise that maybe, just maybe, having him as family is worth breaking rules for, and won't get people killed by default.

#wei wuxian #meta #cql #mdzs #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #lan wangji #Wangxian #yunmeng siblings #the untamed meta #wwx #lwj #jc #jyl #he has sooo many issues. I adore him

[mxtxfanatic]

I think one of the most confusing things in this fandom especially JC stans is how much they talk about JC needs to be forgiven for being mass murder and homophobic asshole because JC is traumatized!

But at the same time condemning the way WWX who just come out of hell on earth, obviously traumatized; hunted and tortured Wen Chao. Like, for what I know WWX only hunted and tortured Wen Chao and WLJ (with JC help let’s not forget it) and he didn’t torture every Wen soldier he met, and stopped after the war was over.

While JC continued to torture people (98% innocents I bet) for 13 after WWX death!

It’s annoying

But anon, there is a difference! You see, Jiang Cheng is traumatized and chose to reclaim his power through using his family heirloom to become a tyrant. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, chose to be weak and use his power for good, only attacking the traumatized tyrants trying to reclaim their power. Which means that he can’t possibly be traumatized because everyone knows that once you experience trauma, you automatically support serial killing, genocide, and torture, and you would never disagree with how another traumatized person copes because that’s tantamount to betrayal. It’s just common sense 🙄

#mdzs asks #anon #for legal purposes: this is a joke

[morethanwonderful-archive]

Thinking about the cycles of dysfunction in MDZS, and the different brands of misguided that crop up in every clan.

The Nie family curse is single-mindedness. Nie Mingjue is too black and white in his view of the world, which makes him cruel to Wei Wuxian and unable to cope with the truth of Meng Yao. Nie Huaisang is relentless in his quest to avenge his brother's death, willing to endanger anyone and everyone in order to get his way. Once a Nie has decided what is right, he will do anything, hurt anyone, to achieve his view of justice.

The Lan family curse is too much love for people they cannot stomach. The Twin Jades' father falls in love with the woman who kills his teacher, and he can neither accept her deeds nor let her go, so he chooses to lock her away. Lan Xichen swears brotherhood to a man who does not hesitate to commit heinous acts to get his way, but he chooses to brush aside those heinous acts and assume they are justified, because he cannot bear to look at them more closely. Lan Zhan falls in love with a man who would rather die than follow a rule he disagrees with, and it takes him years—takes him until it's too late to save his life—to learn to accept Wei Ying on his own terms.

The Jin family curse is self-centeredness in the extreme. Jin Guangshan assaults countless women, abandons countless children, all for the sake of his own pleasure, but refuses to help out an old flame because it's "too much trouble." Jin Guangyao lies constantly and kills countless people, including his own young son, all for the sake of furthering his ambitions. Jin Zixuan is famously arrogant as a young man, rejecting his fiancé because he feels she doesn't deserve him. Jin Ling, even as a teenage boy, sets up countless nets that ruin others' night hunts, feeling no sympathy when confronted with how unfair this is.

And the Jiang family curse. The Jiang family curse is the inability to suffer without taking it out on those around them, even when it is deeply undeserved. Jiang Fengmian and his wife both act out their frustration with each other via their treatment of Jiang Cheng. Madame Yu also takes out her anger toward her husband and her situation in life via the abuse of Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng clings to his brother as a scapegoat when he's desperate, blaming him for the deaths of his parents and sister (and helping kill him for his crimes), and he raises Jin Ling to do the very same thing. And even Wei Wuxian, when he's pushed, comes to assume malice from everyone around him, lashing out at people like Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan that genuinely want to help.

#mdz #mo dao zu shi #and people like Jiang Yanli or Jin Zixuan that overcome their family curses? #well they don't tend to live very long #especially not in the era before Wei Wuxian's death #it's just not a society that responds well to goodness and kindness #but through wangxian's efforts and the new generation. it's getting better #lan sizhui feels an instant (familial) connection with Wen Ning (who he knows killed his good friend's father among many others) #but he copes with it quite well #and Jin Ling comes around to wwx and wn much more easily than Jiang Cheng does #the kids are alright #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #english major hours #also yeah I know this is a little reductive #and most of these characters have a lot more going on than just these problems #but I still think that the familial patterns stand

[shanastoryteller]

Happy birthday!!! The untamed? (Also your writing is amazing thank you for sharing it)

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6

Jin Zixuan is alive.

Wei Wuxian hasn't run into him, but gossiping servants haven't failed him yet. He don't know why that surprises him more than Shijie, but it does.

He can't fight well, anymore, or maybe it's just that he can't fight for long. That part hadn't been clear, but the derision from the minor clans is obvious enough that servants are gossiping about it. Then again, it's not like the Yao and Ouyang have ever been subtle. He had expected better from the Yu.

His wedding to Lan Zhan is tomorrow, the curse mark on his arm is bigger than it was when he woke up, and he still doesn't know why he's here.

Sneaking out of his window past the guards is easy. He doesn't have a destination in mind, he just wants to clear his head, and he can't do that surrounded by the obsessive gold draped over every inch of his rooms.

He really hadn't expected to find his little brother drinking underneath the gazebo.

Wei Wuxian runs his eyes over Jiang Cheng eagerly. His face hasn't changed much, but his presence has. He seems more centered, like a lotus with it's roots buried in the earth rather than cast upon the current.

Or course, he doesn't look like much sitting on the ground, his robes dirty and rumbled and a wine bottle held in a white knuckled grip, but Wei Wuxian has seen him in worse shape.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Cheng snaps. He's been drinking for long enough that his cheeks are red with it.

Wei Wuxian considers and discards several appropriate responses before holding out his hand and saying, "It's rude not to share."

Jiang Cheng's eyes narrow, but then he snorts and holds out the bottle. Wei Wuxian grabs it eagerly, tipping the bottle to swallow three large mouthfuls and rubbing his sleeve over his chin to catch what had managed to escape.

He holds the bottle back out to him, but Jiang Cheng stares at him and doesn't take it. "What?"

"Nothing," he says, taking the bottle back.

Wei Wuxian sits down across from him, sprawling in a way that he probably shouldn't now that he's a girl but it's not like anything about this interaction is proper to begin with. "I know why I'm drinking, but why are you?"

"Same reason, probably," he snorts. Wei Wuxian only has a moment to panic over Jiang Cheng and Mo Xuanyu's star crossed romance before he continues, "I can't believe he's getting married."

"Lan Z-Wangji?" he asks, hoping his brother doesn't notice his slip up.

"The way he carried on after, and he won't even fucking speak to me, but now he's going to bow to you?" His sneer melts into a frown. "No offense."

"None taken," he says faintly. "Um, so you - you and Lan Wangji were-"

"No!" Jiang Cheng's disgust shouldn't be comforting. It wouldn't even matter, really. He can't stay in this body forever, so his arranged marriage to Lan Zhan is going to be short. He'll be free to marry whoever he likes once his wife is dead.

It's too bad Mo Xuanyu hadn't known Lan Zhan. He would have helped her, if he could, and maybe she wouldn't have felt desperate enough to summon him into her body.

Wei Wuxian clears his throat. "Okay."

"It's a long story," Jiang Cheng mutters, hugging his legs and resting his chin on his knee like he used to when they were kids.

Wei Wuxian wants to lean against his side and mess with his hair and promise to fix whatever is upsetting him. But he's not Wei Wuxian, he's Mo Xuanyu, and Jiang Cheng wouldn't accept that from him even if he knew who he was. There aren't any cliffs around her, but the Jin's stupidly long stairs would probably work well enough with how weak this body is.

Something of his dark thoughts must show on his face, because Jiang Cheng says, "You don't have to - he won't hurt you, or anything. He's not like that."

"There's more than one way to be hurt," he says, because he's pretty sure marrying Lan Zhan is going kill him one way or another.

Jiang Cheng raises the bottle in a toast, takes a sip, then passes it over to him.

If he was getting married as himself, this is how he'd want to spend the night before the wedding, with his brother and wine and a beautiful, crisp clear night.

He takes a long swallow and pretends just for one moment that this is real.

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #claradwor #untamed

[thisisallthehattersfault]

Thoughts on the Sect Leader Wen Sizhui AU

The Sunshot campaign fails. Meng Yao and Wen Qing together manage to convince Wen Ruohan not to kill the various sect leaders and instead to subjugate them. Some are allowed to keep leading their sects as vassal sects to the Wen. Others are completely absorbed into the Wen. All are forced to share any secret knowledge or techniques they may have.

Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan marry, but are kept in Qishan to be used as hostages to ensure to good behavior of Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Jin Guangshan.

(Jin Guangshan thinks he has Wen Ruohan’s good graces because he barely took part in the war and immediately surrendered, but actually Wen Ruohan is fond of Meng Yao and, as a result, thinks Jin Guangshan is trash.)

Nie Huiasang is kept to ensure the good behavior of Nie Mingjue. Lan Wangji is kept to ensure the good behavior of Lan Xichen.

With both Wen Chao and Wen Xu dead, Wen Ruohan has only one living heir: His grandson, Wen Xu’s only child, Wen Yuan.

Once again Meng Yao and Wen Qing manage to convince Wen Ruohan that the hostages could be valuable as teachers -- they’re all members of the gentry who are either skilled cultivators or (in Jiang Yangli’s case) talented administrators, and all of them have knowledge that will be useful for the heir of... basically the entire world.

They’re all always being watched by Wen disciples, but nonetheless a-Yuan becomes close to his various teachers. As he grows older, he starts to notice their fear and the way they’re all treated, and decides he doesn’t like that.

It takes years of careful maneuvering, but eventually basically all of the guards around Wen Yuan and the sect leaders are the ones who follow Wen Ning and Wen Qing, which allows everybody to have a little bit more freedom of movement.

When Wen Yuan gets a little bit older, Wen Ruohan demands all of the sect heirs his age be sent to Qishan to be raised as his personal attendants.

Junior Quartet are the main squad obviously but there are other kids too.

Sizhui is still named Sizhui but this time it’s in honor of his father and uncle, since I stan Family Man Wen Ruohan

Sizhui does not want to kill his grandfather! Wen Ruohan is good to him! But.

Wen Sizhui, his teachers, his servants, and the Wen disciples under Wen Ning, all ultimately collaborate to stage a coup. In the process, Wangxian get together, Yunmeng siblings reconcile, Jin brothers become besties, and the Junior Quartet go full poly.

Sizhui works to help the other sects re-establish themselves, but by now there’s so much weirdness that a lot of them just... kind of merge. Lan Wangji is the second young master of the Lan Sect but he’s also an honored teacher and the defacto father figure of the Wen Sect Leader so his Lan robes have little gold fire decals alongside the silver clouds. Wei Wuxian is Jiang but he’s also kind of Wen. The Jin and Ouyang remain vassal sects to the Wen so that Jin Ling and Zizhen can marry Sizhui. Lan Xichen ends up having his own kid (3zun endgame?) so Jingyi isn’t the heir anymore and he can also live with his husbands.

Wen Qing opens an all-sect medical school.

Wen Ning marries Qin Su and they have half a dozen little doe-eyed babies that have their Wei-Shushu and their Lan-Shushu wrapped around their little fingers.

#MDZS #The Untamed #Wen Yuan #Lan Sizhui #I'm not tagging everyone or every ship #just. Here. Have this. #Feel free to use this as a prompt and run with it in whatever direction you want #lord knows I'm unlikely to ever actually write it

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

( I have the very lovely @kimalysong to thank for encouraging me to post this bit of overthinking which I greatly appreciate!)

Now that we have a full line up of the EN release for the covers of the main story for MDZS, I was curious to discuss the running theme of them which consists of Wei Wuxian metaphorically looking towards his future (meaning Lan Wangji) throughout the art.

For reference, each of the covers:

In the first, we are given Wei Wuxian's first meeting with Lan Wangji, which was were his subconscious spark started for him and his continued badgering of Lan Wangji under the guise of him wanting to get any other reaction aside from aloof from him. Which is fitting for his later confession of him saying all he did and do was out of want for Lan Wangji to follow him and be with him even all those years ago.

The second is just coming off of Wei Wuxian's musings of him thinking it would have been Jiang Cheng standing by him for equality and protecting each other, only for it to be Lan Wangji, who he thought hated him to show gentleness and care for his well-being. It is after that point that he fully places his trust and listens to Lan Wangji's own input through the volume. As well as Wei Wuxian's own suppressed feelings making themselves known to him more openly now that he feels secure in Lan Wangji's trust in Wei Wuxian as well. This is also the first time Wei Wuxian kisses Lan Wangji only to feel guilt much as Lan Wangji had for taking someone's first kiss, without the other fully knowing and the presumption they don't really like them.

The third, is the one to change that aesthetic visual. It feels colder as Wei Wuxian isn't the one looking longingly at the object of his affection any more , and it is Lan Wangji now instead. Here it is because this is the volume where Wei Wuxian is made to choose other's survival over his wants. He has made his choice to be seen as an enemy of the world despite having not said this himself and trying to remain on the low with the Wens that he helped to protect. By that end he has made terms that he would be unable to ever see Lan Wangji again as he himself is no longer part of the cultivation world needing to lose the ties that he had once held dear for survival of those he has protected. He has been made to feel as if he is the only one able to do this and unable to share the truth of his own sacrifices that had led to it all.

This builds up to the betrayal lead by Jiang Cheng believing others against Wei Wuxian. And, where Wei Wuxian hysterically says he had always known it would be Lan Wangji to stand against him with a sword to cut him down. All while not realizing that Lan Wangji had been there to help and give him more time as to not be killed. Something that Wei Wuxian was unaware of in his grief and hurt due to the world labelling him something he never had been. And it is Lan Wangji's time to take a step forward to do something in regards to his feelings for Wei Wuxian despite what the world and his own doubts say.

And finally, the fourth, which interestingly features Jiang Yanli as well as Jiang Cheng. Unlike the earlier back cover design of two which features Xiao Xingchen, a figure that was mused upon by Wei Wuxian, but not emotionally connected or known to him for his tragedy.

Two figures that had great prominence and hold over Wei Wuxian. Jiang Yanli with her motherly love and tenderness as the good, and Jiang Cheng, the albatross metaphorically that held Wei Wuxian down with regrets, jealousy and debts owed to him and his hurts. Yet he is not looking at either one any longer who he has left to his past, as he chooses to live in the present and the well-being of those he can trust and be trusted in turn.

This is also juxtaposed with the cover symbol on the fourth volume being a lotus. The lotus traditionally represents the breakthrough of worldly harsh adversity, while remaining steadfast to be seen as the growth into the ultimate awakening of purity of heart, mind, and spirituality. Harmony, and unwavering faith for the one you love. He is not looking to the past once again and has become sure of his ending and love with Lan Wangji that had endured despite hardship, unlike many other endings for the people he had cared for in the past. According to Buddhist proverb: to live life with unwavering faith, as the lotus does, ensures the most beautiful of revivals.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian

[vrishchikawrites]

Aren't JC's thoughts and fears pretty normal and that he has the right to think that the first thing Wei Wuxian should have done upon resurrection is head to Lotus Pier and explain himself? When family members start dying, aren't explanations in order?

JC trusting WWX so much is one of the things that added to the tragedy and keeps him up at night. He lets his brother get away with so much! He's just less stringent about orthodoxy and willing to roll with it if WWX says everything's under control. Wei Wuxian couldn't keep up the pretense forever, but he still managed to last as JC's right hand for THREE FUCKING YEARS without JC catching on just because he trusts WWX that much. WWX isn't being fully honest, but JC trusts that he knows what he's doing and means well and so just rolls his eyes when WWX says shit like "The more you ask me to do something the more I don't want to" and goes day drinking without helping with the rebuilding while JC works late every night.

When WWX breaks out the Wen in what is a political disaster for Jiang Cheng and is doing mad science just because Wen Qing asked when JC asked him fifty million times to teach even just one sword class, JC lashes out and gets his feelings hurt but agrees to the ruse. After WWX broke with the Jiang, it's Jiang Cheng's idea to give him nephew naming rights so he still feels included in their family, and then WWX loses control and kills the father of said nephew which is a little awkward emotionally. But even then as furious as he is he doesn't take the pledge with the others and holds his disciples back, and then WWX hits Yanli with a zombie and JC has to hold her as she dies in his arms. Jiang Cheng continued to trust and love Wei Wuxian and keep him included in their family throughout the entirety of the first life and then his entire family died and he started questioning this decision.

Even the whole consent issue with JC is wild because he should have just told him. He would have understood considering JC himself sacrificed his core.

Um.

That's a whole lot of CQL and fanon you just dropped into my inbox, love.

The novel was pretty explicit when it described what was happening immediately after the war. WWX not putting any less effort. In fact, majority of the new recruits joined Yunmeng Jiang because WWX was standing there behind JC.

WWX DID have it under control. You may want to read up on that ambush scene a little more.

Cause. Dude. Jin Zixuan may have died but no way was it 100% WWX's fault. You don't just lunge at someone surrounded by 300 armed men trying to kill him and ask him to peacefully walk into a trap, all the while siding with the asshole trying to kill WWX.

There's a two year gap between the rescue of the Wens and the ambush. During that time, WWX was just chilling and keeping the Wens alive. Not a single incidence of any loss of control reported.

Fifty million times? I don't recall reading it once in the novel but I went and confirmed it with my friends on Discord too. And nope, didn't happen. It is CQL bs. So is him drinking away and being drunk. Because in novel canon and according to MXTX herself, WWX's drunk self is virtually indistinguishable from his not-drunk self. The only time he is remotely tipsy is during the bathtub incident (if you know, you know.)

Doesn't take the pledge? Holds his disciples back? More CQL bs. He was there in the ceremony watching them burn the people who saved him burn alive. He also knew exactly who were in the BM, including a fucking toddler.

Remember a-Yuan? And his grandmother? Who had her fucking head caved in? And who was thrown into the bloodpool with no proper rites and rituals?

Who lead that siege into the BM?

Jiang fucking Cheng. He LEAD. They wouldn't have been able to pull it off without him.

And JYL? Dude. Do you understand the situation at all? Thousands of people gathered for the sole purpose of killing WWX and the 50 people he protected. They attacked first. WWX retaliated. JYL ran into an active battlefield, no one knowing she was even there. The first hit was an accident. The second was her protecting WWX.

Do you understand? That was foolish choices made out of desperation from the only other person alive who truly loved WWX at that point.

WWX lost control after that. Rightfully so. But even before that, the situation was messed up enough to warrant ANYONE snapping.

Love and trust? You understand JC nearly strangled WWX to death? And then gutted him in a staged fight? WWX literally had to stuff his organs back in? And he declared him the enemy of the cultivation world? And blamed him for rescuing people instead of keeping his head down? His entire family died because the cultivation world is messed up, not because WWX is uncontrollable. The Wens attacked CR unprovoked. They would've done the same to LP. And they did. WWX just became a convenient scapegoat. It is funny how the fandom takes JC's delusional rant about it being WWX's fault so seriously.

JYL died because she ran, unarmed and untrained, into an open battlefield, where WWX facing thousands of cultivators determined to kill him and just 50 old or infirm people, alone? And that she threw herself forward to protect him?

JC's grief about losing his sister and parents is understandable, but let us not ignore the huge part he played in the mess post SSC. Even the villian called him out on his stupidity.

There's a reason why no one but Wangxian is rewarded at the end of the novel. No one but them deserved any measure of peace after their colossal fuckups.

The consent argument is done to death. I won't rehash it. And JC didn't know he was gonna be losing his core. If he had, he wouldn't have fucking moved from his place.

We all know what happened after the GC transfer was revealed to him.

He just blamed WWX and tried to hold him to a debt that shouldn't rightfully exist in the first place.

I've read the novel before it was even translated by seven seas. I still remember what the og canon JC is like. Unfortunately for many stans, JC *is* an antagonist seething in his resentment and jealousy. And he remains that way till the very end.

#wei wuxian #mdzs #reader asks #re: jc #canon jiang cheng