For the record, I am a firm believer of the Yunmeng shuangjie. I think the tragedy of that relationship is that Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian love each other like brothers but,do not have the social space to be soâŠ..
But on idle days ⊠I note that:
(1) Jiang Wanyin never calls him brother, even though he grumps multiple times how theirs is not a master-servant relationship ( The nature of that relationship is never specified by Jiang Wanyin, unlike Jiang Yanliâs assertion)
(2) Jiang Wanyin teases him âdid you think you are marrying herâ, when he brings Jiang Yanli dressed as a bride to see him at Yiling (strange choice of words for one brother to tell another about their sisterâ)
(3) Jiang Wanyin watches Wangxian leave post Guanyin temple. When Jin Ling urges him to speak to Wei Wuxian, his choice of words are interesting again. He says something to the effect of let people go where they belong. Again, odd when you think of it as a sibling talking.
(4) That flashback extra- the Yunmeng boys are out in the boat, Wei Wuxian flirts with the girls at the shore,Jiang Wanyin is grumpy, Wei Wuxian teases him, â if you are like this, you will always be alone, who will marry youâ⊠and Jiang Wanyin- young Jiang Cheng- just sits there in silence, watching Wei Wuxian, sun in his hair, laughter in his eyes (and okay, yeah foreshadowing of Jiang Wanyinâs loneliness, but surely that could have been done in a thousand different ways, because really, what does this dynamic remind you of? Replace the open moodiness with stoic indifference, and you have Wangxian)
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You know what's sad about Wei Wuxian's death? Its not that a bunch of people disliked him and said 'die bitch!'. No. The thing with Wei Wuxian was that he had to die. There was no other way.
Wei Wuxian was kind, selfless, paid his debts and favours as deserved, cared about people, used his skills and cultivation for good of as many as he could, didn't shy away from danger or back down in the face of injustice. He was, in short, the very definition of what a cultivator should be. And that's why he had to die.
If he lived, corruption would have decreased and ended over time. If he lived, civillians and younger cultivators would've realized their rights and how they shouldn't take bullshit from clans. If he lived, next generations would've realized that rules and traditions were just constraints set to keep them under strict control and from realizing they didn't need all those useless elders after all. The system would've changed, no one would've tolerated all this extortion, corruption, nepotism, power imbalance, crimes that were swept under the rug due to the committers being influential. Absolutely no one.
And all that would've been caused by the existence and actions of one man. Wei Wuxian.
So how do we deal with that? We nip the evil in the bud. First use his horrible treatment at the hands of Jiangs as a base to show that yes, he's bad, his martial family treated him that way and they know him best. Then cutting off his allies by skewing their perception about him and his intentions. Then by sowing fear into hearts of allies and civillians. And then leading a siege to cleanse the world of 'evil' so that their bullshit won't be discovered or put a stop to even centuries later. So that his end would serve as a warning to anyone who wishes to rise against evil and corruption, as an unspoken threat to anyone who cared for people and their duties for real.
And it worked. It worked spectacularly. Anyone defying the rules was punished, anyone saying anything similar to Wei Wuxian's? Anyone trying to do real good or anyone following in his path was deemed evil. Their torture and murder were never even acknowledged, yet the rumours were spread to discourage others from trying. Even people who didn't follow his footsteps and chose to be righteous of their own accord didn't live to see the results of their goodness (Nie Mingjue, Xiao Xingchen, Song Zichen etc) and if they did, no one found out and they were forgotten quickly (Mianmian).
It worked so well that every harm that befell on anyone, whether it was from the gods or from someone playing god and taking advantage, was attributed to the Yiling Laozu's evil ways. He was dead, yet everything that went wrong was his fault. Your marriage didnt work out? Wei Wuxian was behind this, I am sure. There was a flood that destroyed years worth of your hard work? Sounds like the Yiling Laozu. You had a cough because you ate something cold in the winter? Pretty sure the evil Wei Wuxian is behind it, he has various very evil tricks up his sleeve. That Monster!
He was all-powerful, a man who didn't bend to the whims of gods or wills of mortals. Someone who could defy everyone if he woke up in the mood to.
The propaganda and brainwashing worked so well that people never stopped to ask themselves the question: If Yiling Laozu was truly so powerful, how did he get defeated by a bunch of corpses? How did the Ghost General, his most powerful weapon, get killed by a few dozen cultivators?
And thinking of that is depressing as fuck because he died solely so the rich could get richer, the evil and corrupt could advance in their evil ways (Jin Guangyao, Xue Yang) and everyone could stay on their carefully curated bubble of bliss with none the wiser about their deception, manipulation and bullshit about bloodlines and traditions (Jiang Cheng, The Lans, Jin Guangshan, etc).
Ok, so, I've wanted to make this post for a while because I've always had some distinct opinions about the Jiang Family, though not all of them are bad, per se.
Just a few disclaimers before I get started:
THE FOLLOWING IS MY PERSONAL OPINION AND MY OPINION ONLY. I HAVE (WHAT I THINK IS) SOUND REASONING FOR IT, BUT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT OR AGREE WITH IT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THIS. I AM NOT TRYING TO PRESSURE MY VIEWS OF THESE CHARACTERS ON OTHERS. THIS IS SIMPLY HOW I SEE THEM. THIS IS ALSO NOT VERY JIANG PARENT FRIENDLY, SO BE WARNED. IF I AM FACTUALLY INCORRECT, YOU ARE WELCOME TO CORRECT ME IN THE COMMENTS.
Ok, here we go!
Jiang Fengmian:
I honestly have no respect for this man. Like, zero. I am glad he took in Wei Ying and gave him a home, but in doing so, he also destroyed his own home. Obviously, Madam Yu's abuse is not his fault; he didn't force her to abuse Wei Ying, but on that subject, he completely lacks backbone here, as well as pretty much everywhere we see him. The first and main reason I don't like him is the fact that Jiang Cheng's hurt and confusion on why Jiang Fengmian chooses Wei Ying over him is obvious. It's so incredibly clear. Madam Yu straight up tells him he's favoring Wei Ying over Jiang Cheng, and he does nothing to fix it. Over and over again, he's faced with problems he could so easily solve if he were to speak clearly and truthfully for oneâbecause we know that he does love Jiang Chengâand he chooses not to. Another example of this is the rumours that Wei Ying is Jiang Fengmian's son. I can't quite remember if it is stated directly in the novel, but we do know it was a prevalent rumour that would've certainly made it to Jiang Fengmian's ears. I am certain he knew Madam Yu may have thought Wei Ying was his son, or at least knew many people did, and yet again, he does nothing to address this issue. Another issue we see him use the "if I don't say anything, it can't get worse" approach, is with Wei Ying's abuse. He knew Madan Yu regularly abused Wei Ying, which, yes, while sort of period-appropriate, the level of abuse he received was not the norm, and the time it occurred at never excuses child abuse. Yes, Madam Yu usually did it when Jiang Fengmian wasn't home, but he was well aware of it. He could've put his foot down at any pointâhe was the godamn sect leaderâbut he chose not to. While I don't know if this was a sick way to attempt to appease Madam Yu, or just pure cowardice, I do know that no man with enough conviction to bring in an orphan, but without the backbone needed to protect them from abuse, should ever raise a child. We also see this failure to address issues with the general deterioration of his family and how he never seems fully present with them.
My take on this is that it's a sort of defense mechanism he developed from when he was first married to Yu Ziyuan, which was arranged, and I assume neither of them was happy with. Her verbal abuse (educated guess, we don't actually know anything about the state of their marriage pre-Wei Ying, but with Madam Yu's anger issues during the timeline, I kinda doubt they would've been a recent development, especially since anger seems to be how she expresses unhappiness) would've made it hard for him to stand up for himself, and he chose the route of "well, if I don't say anything, it can't possibly get worse" as a way of defending himself and helping himself cope with the unhappy situation. I feel like most of his issues are rooted in a fear of being wrong. Think about it, if he doesn't take a side, he can't get yelled at for choosing the wrong one, and if he never addresses a problem, it can't get worseâat least, so he thinks. Inaction is still abuse and neglect, intentional or not.
Madam Yu:
Again, I have very little respect for her. I enjoy her character baseâa strong warrior woman forced into an arranged marriage with a complete pushover, and going mad falling for rumours and whispers about him being unfaithful, but as a person, she disgusts me. First and foremost, her behavior towards Wei Ying. This is the main issue I have with her, though I have bones to pick with her about her treatment of her bio children. Being angry at your husband because people are saying he cheated and then had a child, which he proceeded to bring back to your home to raise, is one thing; that's mostly valid. But taking that anger out on said child and systematically abusing them is completely and totally inexcusable and an abhorrent thing to do. Wei Ying did nothing wrong, a fact that he never seems to grasp, even near the end of the story, where he starts to heal and grow as a person. Madam Yu did such irreparable damage to him that he automatically assumed everything was his fault, even and especially when it was not. And all of that was for no reason other than petty bitterness, anger at his skills, and disdain for his mother. I also believe her behavior towards Jiang Cheng is mostly to blame for his later issues in life. She was the only parental figure who showed him even a shred of attention and investment in his progress, so as any child would do, he tried to model himself after her. This also does kinda loop back around to Jiang Fengmian, as if he'd showed even a little bit more affecttion towards Jiang Cheng, he might've turned out with healthier ways of expressing emotion. Madam Yu showed him that the only way he'd ever be important or worthy to anyone was if he was better than Wei Ying, better than someoneâanyone else. This obviously left him with deep-seated self-worth issues and unhealthy ways of coping with grief, guilt, and uselessness. Lastly, her treatment of Jiang Yanli. This isn't something I've seen talked about a lot, but it's definitely there. I feel like Jiang Yanli is Madam Yu's Child She Doen't Pay Attention To like Jiang Cheng is Jiang Fengmian's. But instead of being bitter about it, Jiang Yanli focuses on being a positive parental figure to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian and keeping their broken family together.
I really think Madam Yu's incessant anger is a product of feeling trapped in her environment, with a husband and children she never wanted, in a place she never learned to call home. This obviously doesn't excuse her abuse towards literally everyone in that household. It also doesn't excuse how she constantly would drive a wedge between Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, isolating Jiang Cheng from his peers and driving home the thinking that if he was better than them, he shouldn't associate with them, and if they were better than him, they were rivals.
In summary, for both Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian, I truly believe that had they been in a happy relationship, or not been in a relationship at all, their children's lives would've been so much better. You can blame Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Yanli, all you want, but at the end of the day, it was their parents who taught them how to act, and they were terrible role models. This obviously doesn't excuse any bad decisions they made, but it does explain them.
Wei Ying:
Wei Wuxian is a tragedy. Abandoned as a young child (though not willingly) and taken into an abusive home where he was taught that he could never leave because of the debt he owed them and that everything bad that happened was his fault. Then, as an adult, he was shamed for doing whatever he could to survive and protect his loved ones, even by his own family. He tried everything he could to save everyone and be the good guy because that was his job, in his mind. He had to save everyone and be righteous, but he also wants to, which is what makes him such a fundamentally good person. Then, when he does an objectively good thing and saves innocent peopleâwhich is what he's been taught to do his whole life, by the whole cultivation worldâhe's condemned for it, society telling him, "No, not those innocent people. You can only save the innocents we tell you to; otherwise, you're a villain." He tries everything to be good, to take care of those he cares about, does everything he's told, and fails.
Because he was doing the very thing cultivators prided themselves on, he was pushed off the edge. Even after he comes back and his name is cleared, it's never quite the same, because everyone still associates him with the "Evil" Yilling Laozu who haunted their cautionary tales. Because the cultivation world deemed him unclean and evil, Wei Yingâbarely an adult at the timeâwas pushed to death because he tried to save innocents who deserved to live.
The saddest thing of all is that he never defends himself. He'd defend the Wen Remnants and keep the Yin Tiger Tally out of the hands that would abuse it, but he never once tried to defend his own actions regarding demonic cultivation and why he uses it. He lets people assume the worst of him because he thinks he deserves it.
Jiang Cheng:
Okay, here's a complicated one! I'd like to start this with a message to all the Jiang Cheng haters and stans who claim that Jiang Cheng is purely good/bad and that the other is selectively reading the text: Congratulations, you're both reading the text selectively. Jiang Cheng is a complex characters who makes bad decisions and good decisions and has reasons for most of his actions, just like any well-developed character.
Jiang Cheng is perhaps the most tragic of all the characters. He was happy until Wei Ying came into the picture, and he had to adjust to another sibling in the house. Then his mother started to push him to be better than Wei Ying when he really doesn't want to, but he has to want it, because he can't afford to lose the love his mother gives him when his father ignores his existence exept for an occasional dissapointed glance. He has to show him as well, then he'll love both of them the same. His mother starts to double down on both Wei Ying and him, alienating them further, leaving Jiang Cheng isolated from most of his peers. He only had Wei Ying and Jiang Yanli, and maybe Nie Huaisang. That, along with the poor emotional processing he copied from his mother, causes him to drift further away from others his age and become more attached to Wei Ying, as he's his only friend at this point. He never learned how to properly socialize as a child, and doesn't see the point now, because Wei Ying promised to never leave. Another tragic part of Jiang Cheng is that I don't think he realized how he was trying to chain Wei Ying to him and Lotus Pier. I truly think that he was just desperate and lonely and didn't think about how their promise would affect Wei Ying's life.
When Wei Ying leaves with the Wen Remnants, Jiang Cheng was angry, confused, and terrified of losing Wei Ying, so much so that he was ready to take him back by force. I think that if circumstances had allowed it, he would've taken the Wen Remnants to Yunmeng just to get Wei Ying back because he's his only friend, the only one he has left after Yanli marries out.
I think a lot of Jiang Cheng's character is created from his crippling fear of being alone because he's never had to be before and it terrifies him. Madam Yu, as I explained earlier, was not a good emotional role model and only taught him to mask all of his other emotions and express everything through anger, which makes him come across as rude and asshole-y to others. Often, I see "Jiang Cheng character development" portrayed as Wei Ying learning to read into his anger, but that is NOT character development. Character development is having that man learn to express emotions other than rage and hate. Let him learn to show sadness, happiness, love, fear, all the things! Wei Ying shouldn't have to learn how to read his shouting, and Jiang Cheng should learn how to Emotion properly. This obviously wouldn't be an easy process, but it is something he could do if he pushed himself to, with the help of his family and friends.
Jiang Yanli:
Okay, so first of all, Jiang Yanli is our queen here, okay? I've seen people portray her as more on Wei Ying's side, or more on Jiang Cheng's side, or absent like Jiang Fengmian, and (in my opinion) that is Incorrect. Jiang Yanli is the glue that holds her family together. There is a reason they stayed together for so long, and it was Yanli. I see her as the eldest daughter who sees all the cracks in her family and tries desperately to fix them and put the pieces back together. Siblings suffering from a lack of a positive parental figure? Okay, she'll be the parental figure. An arranged marriage that will help her sect and make her mother happy with her (for once)? Alright, sure. A nephew or niece will surely bring her brothers together. She is also such a tragedy because she never once complains about having to do so much work to keep her family together. She just smiles and makes more soup and tries her best to mediate her brothers' latest argument. She's constantly fixing, mending, mediating, giving advice, and making her brothers smile, and it never shows. She had to give up her childhood to parent her brothers, and she never even mentions it. She gives her brothers both unconditional love and support and hopes it's enough. She may not understand everything they do, but she loves them and will never let them forget it. She tried so hard to keep her family together, and it wasn't enough. It might've been, if she had survived, but even then, Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were already pretty at odds. Honestly, the most impressive thing about her is how she managed to be the perfect, loving, caring shijie to Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying without much parental guidance herself. Madam Yu was never happy with her and ignored her most of the time, and I assume Jiang Fengmian was her main parent until Wei Ying came into their lives and he diverted all his attention to him, which she never held against Wei Ying. She is one of the kindest, gentlest characters in mdzs, yet also one of the strongest.
So, that's my take on the Jiang Family! Remember this is just my opinion and take on these characters, and some of this is pure inference and educated guess, as we don't have a lot of canon evidence for what Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's marriage pre-Wei Ying, and we also don't have a lot of info on the Jiang Family from pre Wei Ying and from when they were children, so I tried my best to fill in the gaps.
Hope you liked this! It's like 2 am where I am rn and I'm exhausted, so sorry if this doesn't make sense lol! I promise I'm still working on Chapter Four of my Yilling Wei Sect AU, I just took a break to write this cause I needed to get it out of my brain. I may do the other main sect families later this week too!
Ok, ok, ok, I have made an eerie discovery recently and must share the brainworms.
So, I was pondering a genderbent mdzs au, as one does, and I started thinking about how genderswapped Xuanli would work, as Jzx would probably marry into the Jiang Sect, and I had A Realization.
They would be uncannily similar to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan.
Cause think about it! Genderbent Jyl would be very similar to Jfm, what with their gentleness and overall kindness (at least at first glance; I have issues with Jfm, and I firmly believe Jyl can and will turn into a passive-aggressive bitch to anyone who belittles or bullies her brothers), and Jyl's sibling-like relationship with Wwx, who is not her (his) biological family, would probably mirror Jfm's perceived relationship with Cangse Sanren.
That, paired with Jzx's prickliness towards Jyl, which would definitely come across more Madam Yu-Like genderswapped, as well as feelings of being trapped, mirroring Yzy's own, would, I think, be almost an exact reflection of Jfm & Yzy's relationship.
I honestly think the only thing that would save them from becoming the Jiang Parents is a combination of Wwx's adamant insistence that Jyl isn't in love with her ("How dare you!? Shige's engaged! What kind of man do you think he is, huh!?") and Jzx's social anxiety, which (as far as we know) wasn't present in Madam Yu, who I don't think ever really liked Jfm.
There's also the difference in Jfm and Jyl's flavors of gentleness. Jfm's gentleness, I think, is a lot more superficial and political, while Jyl is genuinely warm and kind, and really does care for Jzx, and once Jzx starts to believe that Jyl isn't in love with Wwx and gets to know him, I think they'd still have a very happy marriage.
Wow, that got long and analytic, sorry lol, just wanted to infect your brain with the worms that have grown in mine!
(Also send help, I'm being dragged on a family camping trip đ)
NEVER APOLOGISE!!! I love these thoughts so much and am eating them, tearing them apart with my teeth for extra flavour. Fem Jin Zixuan would feel so out of place in Lotus Pier and would feel so trapped in a marriage that she didn't get to choose (even if she is in love with Jiang Yanli, we see in canon how Jin Zixuan reacts to something he didn't get to choose), and that would definitely translate into her being perceived as a bitch because misogyny.
HOWEVER, I do think that the first instance Jin Zixuan even insinuates that Wei Wuxian n Jiang Yanli have something going on, she gets like bodily slammed by Wei Wuxian. After that bitch fight, she's still a bit suspicious, but then starts overhearing the 'Lan-er-jiejie is so cool! So pretty, so refined!! So elegant! No man is worthy of her gaze!!!' After that, she's like 'Oh em gee, I thought Nie Huaisang was joking when she talked about gay people.' Because, if Jin Zixuan is in Lotus Pier a lot, she's going to be hearing about Lan Wangji. A lot. Ain't nobody in Lotus Pier thinks that Wei Wuxian's straight after the Cloud Recesses lecture.
Anyway, thinking more about xuanli, there is so much potential there. Jiang Yanli seeing the parallels between his relationship with Jin Zixuan and his parents' relationship, and desperately wanting to avoid it but not knowing how to. Jin Zixuan appearing cold and snide when actually she's just anxious and doesn't know how to socialise with people not trying to stab her in the back at all times. The tentative but hesitant beginnings of affection between them, when they're alone and when there's nobody meddling from the outside. So gentle, so sweet, like a proper slow burn...Jiang Yanli isn't going to rush Jin Zixuan because he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable or scare her off, and Jin Zixuan needs to figure out how to act around nice hot guys.
Anyway, you're so right, you're so real, you're so everything. Lyn this is why we're married and in love because you bring me things like this. Perfect.
Lan Wangjiâs relationship with regret fascinates me. I find it admirable that instead of wallowing in âwhat ifâs, he takes that guilt and uses it as motivation to do better.
He may not be able to go back in time and save Wei Wuxian or the Dafan Wens, but he can raise Lan Sizhui safely to be a respectable and smart cultivator.
He may not be able to change how he acted on the cognitive dissonance he faced in trying to reconcile his feelings for Wei Wuxian with his belief in the Lan Sectâs rules, but he can re-evaluate them for himself and learn to embody the intention of the rules to apply differently in each nuanced situation rather than obey them rigidly.
He may not be able to have told Wei Wuxian about his like of him as a teenager but he can act honestly and unabashedly upon the other manâs return.
Lan Wangji shows how the best cure for regret is changed behavior. He doesnât stew in shame but instead chooses to be deliberate in his actions going forward.
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MDZS is not the first work by MXTX Iâve read and Iâve noticed both similarities and differences, in terms of writing style, in TGCF. However, in this post I focus only on the former novel and on the way the story is portrayed through Wei Wuxian.
The following are observations of mine that reflect my experience with reading the English translation of MDZS. Iâve tried my best to convey and synthesize my own reasoning and judgement; still, thereâs so much more that could be said since MXTXâs novels comprise many layers and details.
Note: The next slides contain spoilers regarding the novel of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/Modao Zushi (ééç„ćž), with passages from the five 7Seas Volumes and related content warnings. Please read at your own discretion.
You can also view the IG version of this post here.
Oftentimes, a story written in third-person allows the reader to be more âdetachedâ and aware of what is happening throughout the narration, compared to first-person stories. While it usually still focuses on the protagonistâs thoughts and actions, the former narrative style offers a certain level of objectivity that does not impose the main charactersâ inner voice onto the reader; we are able to discern their motivations, their fears, but they do not feel forced upon us. There lies a perceptible distance between the storyteller and the listener, even when weâre able to sympathize or relate to the former.
Yet, that is not the case with the major storyline of MDZS.
Since the beginning we readers receive information through Wei Wuxian, the protagonist of this story; we see everything through his eyes, with his train of thought constantly shaping the narration, whichâdespite being written in third-personâexhibits clear subjective undertones due to Wei Wuxianâs personality, as if it were his conscience that was the fabulist meant to tell this story.
In fact, this is intensified by the frequent use of exclamation marks and the way certain characters or events are judged by him, with the use of either specific adjectives or peculiar expressions.
It wasnât that he had robbed anyone of their bodyâhe had been offered one! â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 1, p. 15
Their future was uncertain on this trip to Yiling, and fraught with grim possibilities. But as he rode the donkey with Lan Wangji leading the way, reins in hand, Wei Wuxian was not nervous at all. He was floating on a cloud, so free of cares he was practically walking on air. Even if a whole bunch of sects came barreling out from the trees along the roadside, he wouldnât be bothered at allâwell, other than being botheed by them being eyesores and killjoys. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 3, p. 225
Sometimes he is almost overbearing with his thoughts: they permeate the whole atmosphere of the novel, resulting in very vivid descriptions.
This didnât look like anything Lan Wangji would carry on his person at all, but after so many days, there were more than one or two things about him that perplexed Wei Wuxianâs. Unbothered by the odd sight, he grabbed the money pouch and walked away. Sure enough, Lan Wangji let him take it without a single word of complaint. If Wei Wuxian hadnât thought he knew a little bit about Lan Wangjiâs character and insistence on purityâand with Hanguang-junâs terrifyingly impeccable reputation on top of thatâhe would almost have suspected there was some sort of romantic entanglements between Lan Wangjiâs and Mo Xuanyu.
How else could Lan Wangji still endure it, when heâd been this insufferable?! â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 1, p. 218
Everything is filtered through Wei Wuxianâs vision of the world, of relationships, of valuesâand of himselfâso much so that there is not always enough data to know whether what he is stating is objectively true or the mere shadow of his own feelings and doubts.
In other instances, certain details are voluntarily obscured by him and only revealed later into the novel, like the fact he gave up on his golden core for Jiang Cheng. What he recounts is not completely reliableâsometimes, not at all.
It could be said that, in a way, the writing style of MDZS was modelled on Wei Wuxianâs mental process.
He has a particular disposition to pull pranks and tiptoe on boundaries, especially when he is around Lan Wangji.
This is singularly evident when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji drink. While the latter barely reaches the initial state of tipsiness before losing nearly complete control of himself, Wei Wuxian appears to be fairly conscious of what is happening. However, he is not sober either; his thoughts become more irrational and erratic, lacking their usual acuity and clarity. His actions, too, are distinctively unrestrained:
He laughed as he closed in [âŠ] Wei Wuxian stepped around the screen to chase after him, circling to the other side. The two chased each other in circles around and around the screen seven to eight times. Wei Wuxian was just starting to enjoy himself when his mind finally caught up with him.
What am I doing? Playing tag? What the heck, did the doors shut on my brain? Lan Zhanâs drunk, but why am I playing along with him too? â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 2, p. 203.
He does not even recognize his own state as being far from sober; heâs entirely convinced to be in complete control, often making readers think the same.
Therefore, even when he seems to have recovered his senses, his mind is actually still influenced by the alcohol he has consumed. His initial inhibitions do not take long to disappear and he ends up in the same cycle againâheâs not as clearheaded as he tells himself to be:
Wei Wuxian was holding back so much laughter that he was going to hurt himself.
Ha ha ha ha, my god! When Lan Zhan gets drunk, he wants to play tag!! Ha ha ha ha!!
His suppressed laughter wracked him like an overwhelming tempest. It was only with great pain that he kept it in, his whole body shaking with the effort. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 2, p. 204
While this could partially be attributed to his surprise in discovering this other, hidden side of Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian is not thinking straight either; he finds everything amusing to an excessive degree and acts in a way that differs, to some extent, from what heâd usually do. He himself doesnât really understand why heâs playing along, nor does he ask himself many questions before getting completely absorbed again in the atmosphere charged with alcohol and secrecy.
Wei Wuxian keeps acting without much thought and care for a while, following the first instincts that he registers within himself and, thus, behaving impulsively.
The fact he does not recognize that he is intoxicated too is already very indicative of his current circumstances and his inability to realize what is taking place.
Itâs only once he does something exceedingly startling or disconcerting that he begins to acquire a more comprehensive awareness:
Once his hands were free again, he very naturally reached to pour himself a cup of liquor to deal with his shock. But when he delivered the cup to his lips, there was not a single drop to be had. He looked down to find nothing in the cup at all. He had chugged the entire contents of the jug much earlier but somehow hadnât noticed that nothing had come out when he poured now.
Wei Wuxian put the empty cup back on the table. Why bother? Thatâs enough booze for today.
[âŠ] I really had too much today, I crossed the line. Even if Lan Zhanâs drunk and probably wonât remember anything after he wakes up, I shouldnât have teased a perfectly good and proper man like him so outrageously⊠It was far too disrespectful. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 2, p. 208
He then feels insurmountable guilt for what heâs done, as highlighted by the next passage:
For some reason, Wei Wuxian felt indescribably guilty tonight. He didnât dare squeeze into the same bed as Lan Wangji as he usually did and spent the night on the ground instead, passing out against the divan some time after his head lolled against it. [âŠ] â Geandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 2, p. 209
This episode is very significant; it provides new insight regarding the two main characters. Alcohol, which is by itself an ambiguous element, becomes a narrative tool that not only highlights the contradictions of said charactersâ thoughts and behaviors in an inebriated state, but also sheds light on the way they react to unpredictability.
In Wei Wuxianâs case, the recklessness he displays in those moments is linked to his general refusal (which could be argued whether it is a subconscious act or not) to acknowledge his feelings; if he shuts down his emotional response in advance, he doesnât have to look within himself, nor recognize the extent of his actions until he regains a faint sense of awareness.
So, he brushes off what has occurred not out of utter malice, but because he is precisely avoiding confronting his inner, intimate turmoil. It is far from being harmless, but it fully captures a human tendency that is quite common when conflict, fear and accountability are involved.
This kind of attitude, with all its associated consequences, reaches its pinnacle during the bathtub scene at the end of Volume 4. We are the witnesses to Wei Wuxianâs thoughts and actions from up close; we are exposed to his mind and body, while we do not know anything about Lan Wangjiâs perception. Wei Wuxian doesnât either; once he misunderstands the otherâs reaction to his âthank youâ, his doubts overflow.
Although Wei Wuxian didnât know exactly when he had sobered up, there was one thing he could be sure of. Since this was Lan Wangjiâs reaction now that he was clearheaded, it meant heâd been an unwilling participant in what had transpired earlier.
All of a sudden, it dawned on Wei Wuxian. He finally realized what he had done and just how vile it was.
He saw it all clearly now. All the assurances heâd given himself, like âIâll only ask and wonât do anything else,â were simply self-deception. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 310
Wei Wuxian starts spiraling, which leads to absolute claims that he perceives as ascertained facts. His thoughts come in quick succession, as if they were consequent conclusions that do not admit any other variation or input.
He is entirely convinced of what his mind is telling him that he disregards every other detail that may alter this scenario:
[âŠ] Wei Wuxian obviously knew, and yet heâd still exploited a situation when Lan Wangji was easily susceptible to manipulation. He deliberately seduced and stimulated him so that he could have his way with him.
âShameâ was never a word he had learned to write in either lifetime, but now, he had a sudden and profound understanding of what it meant. [âŠ] â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 310
One of his worst theories had just been confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Lan Wangjiâs was indeed very nice to him, but⊠it was probably not the kind of nice he had been hoping for. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 311
Wei Wuxian gets trapped in a labyrinth of his own making, which is not always discernible to readers because he presents his own perception as an evident truth, when in reality there are other elements that should be considered as well. In this context we are aware of what has occurred through the lens of a person who is not completely sober and who is prone to overthinking: it is up to us to identify and analyze the elements that could elucidate on the event. From Lan Wangjiâs seriousness and usual voice when he was being washed (which signal a more stable state of consciousness), to the word âprobablyâ, we obtain data that is at odds with Wei Wuxianâs conclusions.
Then he seems to recognize the fact he was not completely sensible and sharp during the act, but he does so by going from an extreme to the other:
An unparalleled wave of regret washed over him.
If only he hadnât acted so willfully while drunk⊠â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 315
While alcohol has definitely taken part in both his and Lan Wangjiâs externalization of their feelings, making them less self-controlled and more susceptible to their own wishes, the previous state of actual drunkenness that had characterized their going out of the inn had dissipatedâleaving only a vague, lingering cloudiness and ambiguity in its place that should be explored and interpreted.
Wei Wuxian is meant to be constantly questioned by readers, but he is also the reason we do not have a complete, reliable picture of the whole story throughout the novel. He is the variable that sparks discussion and makes previous convictions sway.
The story gains a more objective narration during the chapters that either constitute flashbacks or briefly remember past events: there is not Wei Wuxianâs voice anymore, but a new, impersonal narrator takes his place:
Only five of them were seated in the massive hall, each with a small square table laden with dishes in front of them. Wei Wuxian looked down. He had only just moved his chopsticks when he felt a tug on his sleeve, and turning, saw Jiang Yanli pass him a small plate. There were a number of lotus seeds upon it, the nuts plump and white, fresh and full, and freshly peeled just for him. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 3, p. 15
The Nightless City Massacreâthat was what they called the bloody battle on the night of the Pledge Rally. Legend said that the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, single-handedly slaughtered all three thousand cultivators present. Some said there were over five thousand. But whether three or five thousand, one thing was certain: that night, Wei Wuxian transformed the ruins of Nightless City into hell on earth. [âŠ] â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 151
These passages give us another perspective regarding what we have come to know through Wei Wuxian, and sometimes the new information is in stark contrast with what had been previously stated.
For example, Wei Wuxian is portrayed by the cultivation world as a transgressor, as the one who has violated fundamental moral principles and deserved to never come to life again.
However, once he finds himself âinhabitingâ Mo Xuanyuâs body, we are met with the brazen personality of a man who does not seem the recipient of pure evil; he is a smart and quick-witted individual who, even when he has not disclosed his true identity yet, helps others during combative encounters and discussions on tactics.
Thus, we start pondering whether he is actually an awful individual or if all the other elements we are yet to be provided with could uncover a more powerful truth.
There are many secrets that slowly float to the surface as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji continue their journey and dismantle the rumors and falsehoods they come across. Just like every cultivation clan wants to appear at its best, nearly every character aims to make a name for themselves and have their abilities recognized by the publicâsometimes not through respectable means: weaknesses and potential threats are preferred hidden and far away, and people would rather be accepted than be singled out and cast aside from society.
As to make this theme a central point, there are multiple instances in MDZS that contain a distinctive criticism to the rapid way in which information often gets distorted, by either individuals in power or the masses.
He kept voicing dissenting opinions, which set him at odds with the mounting public indignation. Some people present were already showing signs of displeasure.
[âŠ]
The words âungratefulâ and âmaniacâ had been almost synonymous with Wei Wuxianâs name for more than a decade, so when he heard them uttered, he thought at first that they were cursing him again. It was a while before he realized they werenât. The people doing the cursing were the same, as was the vocabulary they used. But the subject of their abuse was different, and he was unaccustomed to the change in targets. â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 229
Wei Wuxian found this all a bit hilarious. If theyâre just rumors, why so quick to believe them? If theyâre secrets, how would you even know of them?
This was not the first time these rumors had spread. [âŠ] But tonight, the rumors all seemed to have become hard facts with irrefutable evidence [âŠ] â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 231
Wei Wuxian, who has been on the receiving end of endless gossip, knows too well that once something becomes a widespread belief, it can be difficult to prove which is the actual truth and which are the fabricated parts.
Many individuals follow trends and believe anything they hear without question. At a certain point, even the last few pieces of truth that have survived get swept away by the incoming waves of novelty and scandal.
To differ from the mass means becoming a targetâthe one who stands out and is easier to nitpick when there is a system in place that upholds a set of rules and allows only certain opinions and stances to be voiced.
âWei Wuxian!â Jiang Cheng yelled. âDonât you get it? When youâre on their side, youâre a strange hero, a unique knight-errant, a force to be reckoned with whoâs in a league of his own. But the second you voice an opinion that differs from theirs, youâre a maniac, immoral, a deviant who shuns the orthodox path. Do you really think you can just ignore them? Wander out and about in the secular world and live a carefree life? There is no such precedent!â â Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, vol. 4, p. 53
As Jiang Cheng points out, there is a dilemma that should be solved: is it worth it? Is it worth it to go against the current, to break the illusion people live in and challenge what has been institutionalized, to face backlash and have oneâs life and reputation turned to shredsâto stand alone in the midst of it all?
We could say that the structure itself of MDZS highlights the conflict between new ideas and conservative values, between being open to discoveries and sticking only to what we have been made used to.
A transition from a certain condition to another is something that implicates many things; it is not sudden and it is a process that demands effort. Many praise and talk about change, but what remains to be seen is what they will decide to do when it threatens their own comfort and status.
Like we question Wei Wuxianâs behavior throughout the different arcs, we should also keep in mind where we stand in different situations and *why*âdo we think what we think because it truly aligns with our principles, or are we simply following the flow? If we were to take a step back and reflect on the issue at hand, would we be able to be honest with ourselves even if we donât like our answer? And in that case, would we allow ourselves to change and raise our newfound voice, even if it meant going against the majority? Or would we decide to remain where we are, surrounded by what, and who, we already know?
Judgment should ideally be formulated after a series of considerations, evaluating all the resources at disposal and making sure there is not a bias behind the conjectures that are being made.
Previous knowledge should not be taken for granted. If new information is discovered, it should be approached with prudence but never ignored; we should be critical of what we come in contact with, yet we shouldnât preclude ourselves other perspectives.
MDZS is really an interesting novel and MXTXâs writing style always manages to make me reflect on the impact certain stories can have based solely on the narration.
I've been seeing new fics that use Wanyin and Sandu Shengshou so freely, when in the 100+ chapters of MDZS, LWJ is the only one who regularly calls JC Wanyin and WWX calls him as such only when he's truly pissed off.
No one ever uses Sandu Shengshou except for that scene with the children playing as Sect Leaders. Not even during the talks and celebrations among cultivators during the prologue and Dafan Mountain Hunt--they call him Jiang Cheng.
Which leads me to believe that Jiang Cheng hates his courtesy name and title. He might still introduce himself as Wanyin out of courtesy but he doesn't use it. Preferring his milk name or Jiang-gongzi when he was young and Jiang-zongzhu when he was older.
And there could be an interesting explanation for this:
Wanyin (æć) comes from a poem about someone who has ended up alone on a nightly stroll with "no one to recite the poem to." It is a very inauspicious name to give your child. It's like you're cursing them into a life of loneliness.
But I think Jiang Fengmian gave JC such a name with Sandu (JC's sword) in mind.
Sandu (äžæŻ) refers to the Buddhist belief that the root of all evil are the three poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance.
So JFM is telling JC that every time he wields Sandu (AKA he has let greed, hatred, ignorance rule his heart), he would end up alone.
And that's exactly what happens in canon LMAO. And people started calling him Sandu Shengshou (Master of the Three Poisons) which is a lowkey way of saying he's greedy, hateful, and ignorant.
Not only that, but cultivation has always been closely tied to enlightenment. Even for something as genre-subversive as MDZS, this is still true.
(The guy who has no desires and no envy has easily excelled and surpassed others even when he started cultivating later than his peers. When WWX made the ultimate sacrifice, he [arguably] broke through so many cultivation bottlenecks and has become even more powerful than when he had his core.)
So by calling JC the Sandu Shengshou, people are lowkey saying that he has cultivated such heart demons. So much so that he will never grow as a cultivator and will never amount to anything more than what he already has.
Lan Xichen, libra extraordinaire, has never made a decision in his life.
He's been trained to, of course, but only in an official capacity. His uncle once told him to only make decisions after gathering sufficient information, and that has since become the most important rule in his life. This means he's great at mediating conflict, hosting banquets, and making executive decisions like which village gets more rice and what policies he should enact, but he never knows what to eat for dinner and what to do during his free time.
Lan Wangji, neurodivergent/autistic icon, is the complete opposite. He's a picky perfectionist with a strict daily routine, which no one ever interrupts because why should they? It's just Wangji being Wangji. And, in fact, everyone should strive to be like him. Perhaps if he grew up somewhere rowdier like Lotus Pier or the Unclean Realm then someone would finagle him into being spontaneous, but this is the Cloud Recesses. Of course nobody bothered him until Wei Wuxian came along and turned his world upside down.
Before Wei Wuxian, though, there was Lan Xichen. He stops by the Jingshi often, not because he is concerned for his antisocial little brother (well, maybe just a little), but because he gets so bored sometimes and he never knows what to do. Whenever Uncle is busy, little Xichen likes to find little Wangji and follow his routine with him. Can I join you as you meditate, he asks, and can I eat dinner with you? What do you suggest I do after lectures tomorrow? The other day I took your advice and made a painting, do you wanna see it? Can you pick a book out of this pile for me to read first? I can't seem to decide.
This is why Lan Xichen gets along so well with people. He goes along with things, lets people make decisions for him, and genuinely enjoys it. He earns the trust of the skeptical people without even trying to, just because he lets them pick which wine to order at the inn and what day they should go on a night hunt. You might think it's quite counterintuitive for an all-important sect leader to be this indecisive, but it worked out for the majority of his life. Just like how he chooses to believe in the good in people, people also believe in the good in him.
These days, though, Lan Xichen is reconsidering his behavior. As weeks turn into months turn into years, he stares out the windows of the Hanshi and wonders: Would everything turn out differently if he made more decisions based on instinct? Who can he even trust anymore? Would Nie Mingjue still be alive today, if he didn't force him and A-Yao to become sworn brothers? Would A-Yao still be alive today, if he listened to Wangji and Wei-gongzi's warning sooner? All the people who tell him he did nothing wrong must be lying. How can nothing be his fault?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Cloud Recesses, Lan Wangji adds more items to his routine. With Lan Xichen in seclusion, he's busy now. He teaches and he nighthunts and he sits through meetings and he spends time with Wei Ying. He also visits his brother. He drops by the Hanshi every three days and says, can I join you as you meditate, and can I eat dinner with you? What do you suggest I do after lectures tomorrow? The other day I took your advice and wrote a new song, do you wanna hear it? Can you pick a book out of this pile for me to read first? I can't seem to decide.
