The Nie sect’s cultivation method actually uses the spirit’s of non-humans - as in yao and/or guai.
But yes, from what we see, the Nie sect’s sabre cultivation seems to a one way ticket to an early death, which is precisely why Nie Huaisang avoids it.
I wouldn’t say WWX’s downfall was due to arrogance - as he explained to Lan Wangji in chapter 75 - ‘“Nobody can give me a nice, broad road to walk on. A road where I could protect those I want to protect without having to cultivate the ghostly path.” ‘
I think he refuses to contemplate the possibility of losing control of his cultivation not because he was arrogant, but because it made no difference either way - he could either use it to protect the Wens, or give up his cultivation and let them die. Of course, letting them die isn’t an option, and he’s just not the kind of person to fret over things when doing so isn’t useful.
Later on, when JZXun attacks him, and later the sects gather and plan to kill him, stepping down means letting them kill him, and then the Wens too.
During the SSC, WWX’s cultivation wasn’t criticised, people found it frightening, but more than anything they were glad to have someone so powerful fighting for them - ‘everyone feared him and flattered him’ (Ch.50)
The problem came when they realised that they couldn’t control WWX - they try to demean him, for being too ‘arrogant’ for the son of a servant, but WWX (and JYL) is having none of it. WWX makes it clear, when he shows up JZX at the archery contest at the beginning of the Phoenix mountain hunt in Ch.69, that he’s not willing to be ‘put in his place’ by the others sects, this is what frightens them, not his power, but that its him who has it.
After all, JGS covets the yin hufu, but no one protests the idea of a sect leader having the same power WWX does.
As for Jiang Cheng, the problem here is that he is the only one who could have done anything to improve the situation following WWX’s departure with the Wens, but his resentment of WWX got in the way of that. I already made a post about how JC has had an underlying resentment of WWX since childhood, so I won’t repeat myself here.
First of all, following the war, JC could have done something to elevate WWX’s position from simply a disciple and the son of a servant of the Jiang Clan - JGY was adopted into the Jin Clan in recognition for his deeds during the war, and of course 3zun became sworn brothers. Considering that WWX did a lot during the Sunshot Campaign, it seems a little cold that JC gave WWX no recognition at all. They could have become sworn brothers, JC could have even made him a recognised member of the Jiang Clan. Doing this would not have fixed everything, obviously, but it would have at least given people less ammunition to hate WWX with. (After all, while JGY is chief cultivator, people don’t bring up his parentage, its only when he falls from grace when its openly spoken about once more - power and position gives people armour from criticism, whether that criticism be valid or not)
Secondly, during the initial discussion following WWX’s departure in Ch.73, JC was explicitly given the opportunity to explain that the Wens were innocent, and that WWX was helping them because JC owed them a life debt. He initially does try to explain, but…
‘Everyone, I’m afraid you don’t know that the Wen cultivator whom Wei WuXian wanted to save was called Wen Ning. We owe him and his sister Wen Qing gratitude for what happened during the Sunshot Campaign.”’
He vaguely references owing them a debt, but straight after he says this, NMJ mentions the fall of Lotus Pier.
‘When he heard Nie MingJue mention the incident of his sect again, hatred sprouted within him. The hatred was directed at not only everyone who was seated in this room, but also Wei WuXian.’
Although JC does know, deep down that WWX is not responsible for Lotus Pier (as stated in Ch.59), by this point his resentment has overgrown whatever love he had for him, and from this point on, he refuses to speak up for him, despite having the opportunity to do so. I think, there’s a reason the arc covering the fall of LP is called poisons - this was a turning point for JC, his relationship with WWX could not be the same again.
‘“[Lan Xichen,] I have heard of Wen Qing’s name a few of times. I do not remember her having participated in any of the Sunshot Campaign’s crimes.”
Nie MingJue, “But she’s never stopped them either.”
Lan XiChen, “Wen Qing was one of Wen RuoHan’s most trusted people. How could she have stopped them?”
Nie MingJue spoke coldly, “If she responded with only silence and not opposition when the Wen Sect was causing mayhem, it’s the same as indifference. She shouldn’t have been so disillusioned as to hope that she could be treated with respect when the Wen Sect was doing evil and be unwilling to suffer the consequences and pay the price when the Wen Sect was wiped out.”’
JC knows that it was WN who saved him after he got captured, and then WQ sheltered them, he is living proof that the Wens WWX is protecting were innocent. JC had two sect leaders here, essentially saying that if WN and WQ could be proven to have went against the main Wen sect during the war, then they might be forgiven.
He could have spoken up, he chose not to.
Even LXC, who wasn’t even certain that WQ was innocent, did more to speak up than JC. He’s in a similar position of being a young, inexperienced sect leader, with Cloud Recesses having been burnt down and his father killed, but he still spoke up, so JC does not have that excuse.
JGS’s manipulation of JC during the scene in Ch.73 is very deliberate, in separating WWX from the Jiang Sect, it takes away any last lines of support WWX might have, and takes away the Jiang Sect’s power.
(After all, WWX could walk into a party he wasn’t invited to and demand they hand over their prisoners, and no one could stand up to him. A Jiang Sect with WWX supporting it is too powerful. That’s why JGS wanted them separated)
Being a disciple of the Jiang sect was the only official status WWX had, once that’s taken away from him, he loses what little entitlement to respect he had - people can accuse him of anything, attack him unprovoked.
JC, unfortunately, didn’t try to do anything more for WWX - he told him ‘Nobody would speak for them, and nobody would speak for you either!”’
But, LXC speaks up for them, and mianmian and LWJ speak up for WWX.
It’s not that nobody will - its that JC refuses to.
Back to WWX’s societal position, at this point, JC hasn’t let go of the possibility of WWX returning to LP - but that’s the only way in which he’ll allow WWX to be in his life - by his side, as his subordinate, as per the promise.
When WWX made that promise, it was to calm JC down after one of YZY’s rants about how WWX will always be better than him. This is why he holds onto it so dearly, its his assurance that, at least in this one aspect, WWX can never surpass him, he’ll never be anything more than the son of a servant.
I think this little bit of dialogue between WWX and JC about JGY is really revealing in this aspect.
‘Wei WuXian, “Isn’t Jin GuangYao here now? Jin GuangYao seems so much better than him.”
Jiang Cheng finished wiping his sword. After he scrutinized it for a while, he finally put Sandu back into its sheath, “So what, if he’s better? No matter how much better he is, no matter how clever, he could only be a servant who greets the guests. That’s all there is to his life. He can’t compare with Jin ZiXuan.”’ (Ch.71)
I think this might be one of the most revealing pieces of dialogue regarding WWX’s and JC’s relationship. While WWX is in the Jiang Sect, JC has this assurance, that no matter what, WWX can never compare to JC, because JC was born with status and power that WWX can never surpass.
This is why its so unbearable that WWX broke the promise, why he finds it impossible to try to maintain a warm relationship with WWX after he leaves (after all, the defection was supposed to be for show, JC was never supposed to stab WWX).
JC did want him to come back, did want to have a relationship with him, but the trouble is, he’ll only accept him in this one specific way.
When WWX deviates from this position where he would always be below JC, he declares WWX an enemy of the cultivation world.
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