thought i'd point out how the different protagonists of mxtx's books deal with the reality and disillusionment of dealing with governments or groups of people with the power to influence the world : the gentry in cultivation novels
in svsss, sqq knows how bad the system is : he read all about it, such as how the peak lords treat their disciples, how people turn a blind eye to things they don't want to deal with, the hoarding of wealth, the arrogance and elitism. he decides to stay anyhow, and to make things better, mainly by making better decisions than sj. sure, he doesn't have much of a choice, but, thanks to the new extras, we know he could have not put in so much work, like sqh, and probably have skated by. yes, he had to improve things for binghe for his survival, but he does a lot also for his students and other peak lords. he doesn't have lofty goals, he never thinks he can fix the world, he just does what he can, at his own level, with his own power. to me, he represents what a common, regular person can do : the structure remains, but the good created at their level still makes a difference.
in mdzs, wwx goes against the system : he sees what it's like, probably because of his status which is lower due to his birth, and he's mad. sqq is also mad, but his actions aren't fueled by anger. wwx is a rebel, he fights for those in need, and for what is right, he uncovers hidden truths and exposes people with a lot of power. he puts himself at risk for the sake of a better world. he burns himself and ends up dead, but he lived according to his values until the end, fighting corruption and prejudice. he reminds me of activists and investigative journalists. wwx's goal isn't to overturn anything though : i don't think he's a revolutionary, but he's not afraid to knock powerful people down.
in tgcf, we see how xl struggles in vain against the human and heavenly courts alike. in the flashbacks, he's very much like wwx : he fights. but he wants to fix the whole world, and once he's lived long enough and seen how fucked the systems really are, he stops really fighting : he lets go. he joins the side of "evil" and sees in them their humanity. he gives up on the system entirely : when he's asked to come back as heavenly emperor, he refuses. he fights jun wu and by doing so destroys the system, but it wasn't his intent : just a byproduct of getting rid of the cause of his trauma. he'll deal with injustices as he stumbles upon them, as is bound to happen in a fucked up world, but his stategy is very much like putting a plaster on a gushing wound. not to say that it has no point : reliveing suffering is important at all levels, but his goals have become much more reasonable, despite his insane power. he kind of makes me think of people who go off-grid, or people who live in communities with like-minded people, living parallel to the rest of society
the beauty of these books to me is how they portray trying to do the right thing, and fighting against something much bigger than yourself. i would think it great if a next book looked at overthrowing the gentry entirely, and maybe setting up a different system, hand in hand with common folk, and demons, etc. building a more just society. but i don't think that's happen because for that to work, community is the most important, and books such as these focus on exceptional people.
idk, just rambling, i like comparing things
stormborns
vaporwave
janainaart
annaxmalina
kaledo-art
