The Mystic Nine (Lao Jiu Men)
Good things about the Fu Ba relationship:
It works platonically OR romantically
āOpposites attractā dynamic: Lieutenant Zhang is a hot-blooded military man who cannot be a diplomat. In contrast, Ba Ye can barely run fast enough to flee from danger, but can talk his way through anyone. Ba Ye is Lieutenant Zhangās mouth, and Lieutenant Zhang is Ba Yeās right arm.
Close in spite of differences in status: Ba Ye is one of the Nine Gates, and so, in theory, has a higher status than Lieutenant Zhang, who is a soldier and the subordinate of another master of the Nine Gates. This doesnāt stop Lieutenant Zhang from talking to Ba Ye in the casual āNiā (colloquial 'youā) and even telling him to quite literally āshut upā sometimes.
āI bicker with you, but if anyone even tries to harm you, Iāll punch them in the faceā: Lieutenant Zhang has a bad case of needing to shield Ba Ye from any physical harm. And if Ba Ye thinks he cannot manage to do that, Lieutenant actually feels close to offended
āI bicker with you, but I will put up with your whims, your whining, and your complaintsā: Lieutenant Zhang has a steady habit of tolerating Ba Yeās most obnoxious moments Even if that means having to piggyback Ba Ye through mountainous paths, or waiting for him to finish reading their fortunes in a life-or-death situation
A dynamic, evolving relationship: You get to actually see the gradual progress from Lieutenant Zhang merely acting as a subordinate and protecting Ba Ye under Fo Yeās orders, to actually becoming Ba Yeās friend and real partner, and protecting him because he wants to and because he is strong enough for both of them
Their relationship is balanced: Ba Ye might not be of much use in a fight, but he can take the lead as well - as shown when they were travelling as a pair during the Bai Qiao Zhai arc. He often has the last word in arguments too. Thereās no case of one having the upper hand all the time
The Never-ending Fluff: Lieutenant Zhang has canonically changed Ba Yeās bed sheets/grass, tucked Ba Ye in bed, and killed mosquitoes at night for him. As far as fluff goes this pair is the gift that never stops giving
In spite of the bickering, their relationship is built on respect: They might push on each otherās buttons all the time, but when it comes down to it, Ba Ye has made it clear more than once that he knows Lieutenant Zhangās fighting skills; and Lieutenant Zhang has gone as far as trusting Ba Ye with his own life. They complete each otherās weaknesses, and they know it
No Third Wheel: Neither of them has even the shadow of another love interest in the story - which is pretty rare in itself
They work well as a team, but donāt depend on each other to be interesting: Both are great characters in their own right with intriguing backgrounds and putting them together in one scene is just like the cherry on the cake
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