XIE LIAN DOESN'T KNOW HIS FOOD IS BAD
Rating: FANON - UNSUPPORTED
Xie Lian's food is known to be inedible to most. So does Xie Lian know this? It is show in the novel that Xie Lian believes his cooking to be ok, and he believes that he has gotten better at cooking. However, each time he opens the pot lid, he becomes aware that the result could kill.
At one point, Xie Lian wants to treat Hua Cheng to a meal, and show off his cooking skills:
"Xie Lian had spent the last few days studying up on cooking and felt he had perhaps gained considerable insight; his heart was full of confidence."
Seven Seas book 3, page 301
However, it doesn't go so well for him:
"The moment the pot cover opened and the smell of its contents wafted outside Puqi Shrine, Qi Rong started screaming curses ... Before opening the pot cover, Xie Lian had been full of confidence. Now he doubted himself again -- he had tried his best and exerted so much effort, but it had resulted in this...entrée. Hua Cheng was watching; whatever should he do? Was he really going to make Hua Cheng eat something like this?"
Seven Seas book 3, page 304-305
Xie Lian believed he had improved, but then realized that it was still inedible. This quote shows that Xie Lian not only knows his past cooking is bad, but is able to recognize it still is bad. He then uses the food as a threat, telling Qi Rong he would feed it to him if he didn't leave the body (He feeds it to Qi Rong and Qi Rong still stays). This shows that Xie Lian is aware his food could hurt somebody.
Xie Lian attempts to cook again, when Hua Cheng took the form of Lang Ying.
"Not even Xie Lian himself could bear the sight of [his food], and he turned to wash the pot, rubbing his forehead.
'Forget it, don't eat it. Throw it away'
Yet after he finished washing the pot and turned around, he saw that Lang Ying had taken a plate and silently eaten the food. ...
'...Heavens, are you alright? ... 'Do you feel bad anywhere?' ...
Even Qi Rong and Black Water had lost their minds when they ate his cooking, but Lang Ying could actually handle it...Had he been that starving, or had he received an unexpected increase in strength and power?"
Seven Seas book 4, page 221
Xie Lian acknowledges that his cooking could make somebody feel sick, but he also occasionally acts as though he isn't aware. I see this as him trying to feign ignorance so as to not embarrass himself. When he's with Qi Rong (who he wouldn't be embarrassed in front of), he uses his food as a threat. When he's with Hua Cheng, at least at the beginning, he feels as though his cooking is something to be ashamed of. Overall, while the book itself seems to contradict and support this idea, I think that Xie Lian is aware his cooking is bad
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