#part 2.2

Richie buys some supplies at the post and Viv is so certain he has a woman in the village. Sarah calls home and Andy won’t let her talk to Victoria and lies to Robert about who was on the phone. Robert is smashing the video games Richie gave him but Andy suggests they sell them.

Viv: In the future, whatever that lad does in this village I need to know. I bet he’s got a woman in there.

Emily: Why?

Viv: Broadsheet paper, magazine. That’s not like him. Research my eye.

Emily: Who’d you think it is?

Viv: Well it can’t be Trisha Stokes cause she’s not beyond the bunty.

Emily: I bet it’s still someone young, slim and gorgeous.

Viv: Yeah. But they’ll old, fat and wrinkly one day so there is some justice in this world.

The Gusu Lan Sect (姑苏蓝氏, Gūsū Lán Shì) - a cultivational sect based in the Cloud Recesses, a residence on a remote mountain outside the city of Gusu.

Motif - Flowing clouds

Motto - Be righteous

Uniform Color - White/Blue

Side Note: In The Untamed, you can always deduce a certain amount of information about a Sect from their general location. For example, Cloud Recesses is located on a remote mountain outside the city of Gusu. It is constantly enveloped in mist, giving it the appearance of a place floating on an ocean of clouds in the immortal realm. This type of clean, cold, and elevated location suggests austerity, purity of behavior and emotion, and asceticism. The Lan Set is known for their rigid rules, immaculate uniforms, and high levels of cultivation.  

Sect Members 

Qingheng-Jun (青蘅君 Qīnghéng-jūn) - a former leader of the Gusu Lan Sect and father of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. In voluntary seclusion from the world, is never shown in live action or the donghua. 

Side Note: In The Untamed live action, Qingheng-Jun is already dead, and Lan Xichen, his eldest son, is the Sect Leader. However, this is not true in any other adaptation including the original canon, so I am choosing to disregard that creative decision because I, personally, don’t think it makes any sense. 

Madam Lan - the wife of the former leader of the Gusu Lan Sect, Qingheng-Jun, and mother of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. She also lived in seclusion and died while her sons were still very young. 

Lan Qiren (蓝启仁, Lán Qǐrén) - a younger brother of Qingheng-Jun, an elder of the Gusu Lan Sect known for producing outstanding students, and uncle to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. An acting Sect Leader of Gusu Lan in the place of his brother. 

Lan Huan (蓝涣, Lán Huàn), courtesy name Lan Xichen (蓝曦臣, Xīchén), title Zewu-Jun (泽芜君, Zéwú-jūn) - the oldest son of Qingheng-Jun and Madam Lan. The nephew to Lan Qiren, the older brother to Lan Wangji, and the future Sect Leader of Gusu Lan. Often referred to as the First Young Master, or Eldest Young Master.

Lan Zhan (蓝湛 Lán Zhàn), courtesy name Lan Wangji (蓝忘机, Lán Wàngjī) title Hanguang-Jun (含光君, Hánguāng-jūn) - the youngest son of Qingheng-Jun and Madam Lan. The nephew to Lan Qiren, and younger brother to Lan Xichen. Often referred to as the Second Young Master. 

Side Note: Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen are also referred to as the Twin Jades of Lan. 

Sect Members - Peripheral Characters

Lan Yi (蓝翼, Lán Yì) - the only female sect leader in the history of the Gusu Lan Sect, and the granddaughter of Lan An, the Gusu Lan Sect founder. She was also a close friend of Baoshan Sanren, Wei Wuxian’s mother. She invented the infamous Chord Assassination technique, which used guqin strings for long-ranged attacks. 

Side Note: Her character is only present in the live action, and she is technically deceased.

Lan An (蓝安, Lán Ān) - the founder of the Gusu Lan Sect, and only mentioned in passing.

Su She (苏涉), courtesy name Minshan (悯善) -  peripheral disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect. Eventually leaves Gusu Lan to form his his own Sect,  Moling Su. 

Side Note: Notice that Su She does not have a surname Lan. He is a Gusu Lan Sect disciple, but not related to the Lan Clan by blood. 

Sect Members - Present Timeline additions

Lan Yuan (蓝愿), courtesy name Lan Sizhui (蓝思追, Lán Sīzhuī) - a junior disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect, and an adopted son of Lan Wangji.

Lan Jingyi (蓝景仪, Lán Jǐngyí) - a junior disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect.

The Gusu Lan Sect Motif

Part 2.2

Chapter 1 Part 2.2 

“It’s time for me to say the legally obligated safety instructions.” The driver of the boat had finally brought us to our destination and has made us sit on the boat’s benches. I sat awkwardly there as I watched Maria sit down right across from me on the opposite side of the boat.

Maria kept making faces at me since she was very bored as our instructor spoke and I didn’t blame her. Maria had done this kind of thing many times before and the fact that the driver thought he had to tell her what to do, annoyed her. She stuck her tongue out at me and I quickly looked away to stop myself from laughing out.

Now that we were no long moving, the heat had caught up to us and stuck to our skins. If it wasn’t for the beautiful view around us, the beating sun would have claimed me by now. The sea went out in all directions and it was devoured by the horizon in the distance. Several yards away from the back of the boat though, was an island. From the side we sat at, the island rose above the sea and there was a 20-foot rocky cliff that rose over the shore. The waves crashed into the cliff and the force of the waves would sometimes break rocks off the cliff and into the water with them.

The surface of the island was mostly sand with shrubs and a few trees growing on it. Towards the middle of the small island was an even smaller forest. The dense woods was colorful and its leaves were full with life. I couldn’t see it from where I sat but… I bet the island was full of lively animals. 

Coming back to reality, I listened to the driver finish off his instructions. “And, last but not least, As, you can see there’s an island near this reef. I advise you that under no circumstances, you swim over there.”

This caught Maria’s attention. “Why do you say that?”

“I say that because underneath the island are underwater caves.”

Maria’s eyes sparkles. “Whoa! What are you saying? There’re caves down there? Whoa! But like, that’s just screaming adventure and treasure!” Maria, getting excited, stood up on her seat. “Just imagine what we could find! Of course… It was probably already all discovered but-“

“Sit down!” The instructor quickly said. “And you’re not going. It’s extremely unstable there.”

“Pfft. Stick in the mud.”

The driver looked a little offended. “I am serious… That cave was discovered 50 years ago and only two people have explored it… It’s said that the cave was founded by divers just like you. The two of them got a little too curious and they stepped out of the safety of the waters… No one knows what happened in the caves. But two went in and only one came out, beaten and injured. The survivor refused to tell what really happened that day. All the survivor could do was speak softly as their traumatized eyes stared at the sea. ‘Claws’ she said. ‘It had terrible claws.’” 

Maria smiles. “Whoa. So, we’re telling scary stories now?”

“I’m being serious! No one has been down there since that day and it’s most likely still very unstable and dangerous. If you go down there, you can be seriously injured or die like the other diver.”

Maria slouched a bit at this. “Fine, I get it.”

I decided to finally step into the conversation. “At least we still get to see the beautiful reef.”

“Your friend has a point.” The driver said. “Now if you excuse me, I need to go set up your equipment.” And with that, the driver walked back over to the front of the boat.

Maria and I still stayed sitting. We sat there in silence, admiring the sea view around us, at least I was. When I glanced back over at Maria, I froze. How long has my friend been staring at me for with that slight smile on her face. The two of us looked at each other for a while until Maria gave a small nod.           And that’s when I understand what Maria was trying to tell me. She didn’t care what the instructor told us; she was going down in those caves. She was too curious to give up an opportunity like this and she was going to drag me with her. 

Next 

Pervious 

pride (n.)

Middle English prede, from late Old English pryto, Kentish prede, Mercian pride “unreasonable self-esteem, especially as one of the deadly sins; haughtiness, overbearing treatment of others; pomp, love of display,” from prud (see proud (adj.)). There is debate whether Scandinavian cognates (Old Norse pryði, Old Swedish prydhe, Danish pryd, etc.) are borrowed from Old French (which got it from Germanic) or from Old English.

confidence (n.)

c. 1400, “assurance or belief in the good will, veracity, etc. of another,” from Old French confidence or directly from Latin confidentia, from confidentem (nominative confidens) “firmly trusting, bold,” present participle of confidere “to have full trust or reliance,” from assimilated form of com, here probably an intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere “to trust” (from PIE root *bheidh- “to trust, confide, persuade”). From mid-15c. as “reliance on one’s own powers, resources, or circumstances, self-assurance.” Meaning “certainty of a proposition or assertion, sureness with regard to a fact” is from 1550s. Meaning “a secret, a private communication” is from 1590s. The connection with swindling (see con (adj.)) dates to mid-19c. and comes from the notion of the false “trustworthiness” which is the key to the game.