In light of newly-released material, I’m considering whether to continue with this blog at all while referencing the original version of the novel and ignoring the new content, revising previous entries and/or total-rebooting with both versions taken into account, or just leaving this one to exist as a sort of time capsule to pre-revision fandom.
Either way, the fandom has existed and put in enough work into both canon analysis and developing headcanons based on the version(s) we had for years previously, so I don’t think we should necessarily take anything in the new material or revisions as hard canon, but instead as supplemental material.
Either way, parsing fanon and canon has added a whole different dimension now, so this blog will be officially on hold indefinitely, at least until I get my hands on a copy of the revised version for comparison reasons.
Thank you to everyone who has followed and enjoyed my writings. I had hoped to return to writing more at some point, but with new materials to parse through, it’s a little too overwhelming for my present state of affairs to think about.
Until next time!
— — —
If you enjoy my characterization & worldbuilding thoughts, or want to keep up with what I’m working on now, please consider checking out my original danmei novel! I have been working hard on it!
Yue Qingyuan/Yue Qi (The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System)
Voting ended onJul 7
PROPAGANDA:
[Gomez]
"It's not fair if Morticia's the only one hogging all the pain of childbirth. Her hubby wants some too!"
"t4t Gorticia. That is all."
[Yue Qingyuan]
"The Sect Leader should get pregnant because the Sect Leader should be the picture of fertility and virility both, boost the usage of male child-bearing pills, and because the whole Sect would go crazy trying to find out who's the baby daddy. I think Yue Qingyuan could benefit from having to raise a child of his own instead of managing disciples, because Yue Qingyuan no longer has a family of his own and deserves one, and this way, perhaps he'd be forced to care about another person again. His strong and qi-rich body would also have an easy pregnancy and have a strong and happy child."
NEED👏THAT👏MAN👏PREGNANT *SEASON 2* GROUP FOUR *FINALS
TUMBLR! Who's getting pregnant?
Yue Qingyuan/Yue Qi (The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System)
Howl Jenkins Pendragon (Howl’s Moving Castle)
Voting ended onJun 27
*The winner of this matchup will represent their bracket in the inter-group finale poll(s).
PROPAGANDA:
[Yue Qingyuan]
"The Sect Leader should get pregnant because the Sect Leader should be the picture of fertility and virility both, boost the usage of male child-bearing pills, and because the whole Sect would go crazy trying to find out who's the baby daddy. I think Yue Qingyuan could benefit from having to raise a child of his own instead of managing disciples, because Yue Qingyuan no longer has a family of his own and deserves one, and this way, perhaps he'd be forced to care about another person again. His strong and qi-rich body would also have an easy pregnancy and have a strong and happy child."
[Howl]
"Because he would be SUCH a wet cat about it. And if he's with Sophie, he should do his share since she already cleans so much."
This pride month, I'm trying to raise some money for my partner's top surgery, so I'm opening up $5 doodle and ficlet requests on ko-fi until the end of June.
Doodles can be one or two characters, sketches or flat colored.
Ficlets will be ~1-2k words
The following fandoms are available to request:
Genshin Impact
Honkai: Star Rail
SVSSS
MDZS
ORV
Ghosts of the Heart (my novel)
Original Character Doodles
Many thanks for sharing and donating, it is so so very appreciated!! =^.^=
the new map is driving me crazy. did you notice they labelled the yellow river as the luo river? that also means that they misplaced jin lan city since its supposed to lie at the junction of the luo and heng rivers
To be fair, I don't think SVSSS takes place in literal China, but in a fantasy world loosely based on it (so you'll have some similar geographical regions, but it won't be one to one). However, the map is directly overlaid... but the rivers make no sense that way.
I admit I am not an expert on geography, but afaik the Luo River might be based on Henan's Luo River, while I'm not sure if the Heng river is based on any real-life river at all (or if it's possibly standing in for Huanghe, but honestly I wouldn't be all that surprised if the Luo River did play that role in SVSSS' mainland). I really do think it's more of a fantasy thing, but if we're assuming the map is 1-1 in area to irl China, then those rivers are absolutely massive. Comically wide. Also where are their deltas? and Jin Lan city is way too far away from the rivers regardless, that's not city on the riverbank, that's a fully inland city.
It has come to my attention that the 7s deluxe hardcover edition comes with a map. I might have to make a proper post on this later but-- just as a quick thing: the map in the deluxe edition is neither official nor accurate, and should not be used for meta purposes!
There are many, many issues with it, not in the least the fact that Tian Yi Temple is surrounded by Cang Qiong Mountain's twelve peaks, and the fact that the demon world and the human world are portrayed as being on the same plane of existence (when, in fact, they are separate and can be overlaid onto one another re: merging the realms), and, while there is no clear scale (which is an issue in itself), it almost looks as though CQM takes up the area of an entire province or more.
if you overlay it with a real map of china…. xian shu peak is 300 miles from its nearest neighbour. with this logic, it wasn’t the broken rainbow bridges that stopped them from getting aid during the demon invasion, it was the fact that it would have taken hours for anyone to get to them from another peak 😂
as a side note, i continue to be convinced that svsss does not take place in china, it takes place in a fantasy world with its own unique geography.
Honestly! Like... QDP and QJP are at the north and south ends of my home province specifically. In this case, it's actually very reasonable that SJ wouldn't visit YQY regularly even if they weren't estranged, let alone the other peaks. It's just too far!
It has come to my attention that the 7s deluxe hardcover edition comes with a map. I might have to make a proper post on this later but-- just as a quick thing: the map in the deluxe edition is neither official nor accurate, and should not be used for meta purposes!
There are many, many issues with it, not in the least the fact that Tian Yi Temple is surrounded by Cang Qiong Mountain's twelve peaks, and the fact that the demon world and the human world are portrayed as being on the same plane of existence (when, in fact, they are separate and can be overlaid onto one another re: merging the realms), and, while there is no clear scale (which is an issue in itself), it almost looks as though CQM takes up the area of an entire province or more.
I am! It took a while since I've been bogged down both by a lot of different projects I'm working on as well as a mental health low for the first part of the year. Updates here will probably be fairly sporadic for the time being, but I do want to start making new posts and redoing/fixing up some old ones when I have time, so definitely stay tuned.
The chronological order of the extras in SVSSS is fairly clear in some cases but quite ambiguous in others. However, through various context clues, it is possible to construct a rough timeline.
*Note that story divisions are based off of Webnovel chapter divisions here, rather than the "parts" found in the 7S publication. It ended up being a little easier to divide things that way, though not by much.
Most of this timeline order is taken directly from canon, however some of my decisions on where to place certain sections are my speculation based on canonical evidence. There will be a more detailed explanation as to why I made certain choices during the creation of this timeline below the cut. As always, you're welcome to use what speculation you agree with and ignore what you don't, but I hope this can at least provide a bit of a starting-off point.
- Deep Dream - Second Dream Sequence （Set between 7S Ch. 3 & 4)
- Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter - 4.1 （WN Ch. 93 (middle part), Set between 7S Ch. 3 & 4)
- Recalling an Experience of Fighting Succubi with Great Master Liu （WN Ch. 86, Set between 7S Ch. 5 & 6）
- Deep Dream - First Dream Sequence（Set between 7S Ch. 8 & 9)
- Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter - 4.2-5.0 （WN Ch. 93 (end part)-94 (first part), Set during 7S Ch. 14)
- Bamboo Branch Poem - 2.1 （WN Ch. 87 (middle part), Set during 7s Ch. 17)
- Bamboo Branch Poem - 2.2 （WN Ch. 87 (end part), Set during 7s Ch. 21)
Set After SVSSS Main Story
- Bing-mei and Bing-ge's Ultimate Showdown - 1-3 （WN Ch. 82-84）
- Honeymoon
-Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter - 5.1-6 （WN Ch. 94 (end part)-95)
- Deep Dream - Reality
- Return to Childhood
- Regret of Chunshan and Song of Bingqiu
- Wedding
- 100 Random Questions on Luo-Shen's Affinity
Some of this timeline order, such as the sequence from Deep Dream-RoC/SoB or extras that take place during the main story, is directly referenced in canon and was thus easy to put in order. Other events needed a bit more analysis and speculation. Below the cut, I've added a detailed explanation for each individual extra (in 7S publication order) as to why I placed them where I did in the timeline.
Bing-mei and Bing-ge's Ultimate Showdown
This one was fairly straightforward-- it picks up almost immediately after the end of 7S Chapter 21:
The first stop after leaving Cang Qiong Mountain (having been chased out by everyone else) was, of course, Luo Binghe’s demon headquarters at the northern border of the Demon Realm.
(7 Seas, Ch. 22)
Additionally, we know it was a little over ten days from the day they returned to LBH's headquarters that the main plot of the extra begins:
The first ten or so days after their arrival, as was to be expected, Luo Binghe had clung to Shen Qingqiu... But these last few days, he’d started to show some restraint and suddenly become courteous...
...Shen Qingqiu suspected that over these few days, Luo Binghe had probably gone to hide in the inner hall. So, he decided he might as well head over there himself to soothe him
(7 Seas, Ch. 22)
This is further confirmed later on:
And while they’d been fairly intimate during their near half month in the Demon Realm, for some reason, whether out of bashfulness or something else, Luo Binghe had never done anything too forward.
(7 Seas, Ch. 22)
SQQ takes Bing-ge back to Qing Jing Peak, where they spend one night together before Bing-mei returns the following day and they have their confrontation. Thus, from start to end, this extra takes place over roughly two weeks immediately following the end of the main story, making it the first post-canon extra chronologically.
This extra seems to be immediately followed by Honeymoon as well-- whose placement details will be discussed later.
Recalling an Experience of Fighting Succubi with Great Master Liu
This one is also extremely straightforward, as the start of the extra tells us exactly where it happens chronologically:
This story took place during the period of time after Shen-laoshi kicked Luo Binghe into the Abyss.
(7 Seas, Ch. 23)
Furthermore, it can also be inferred that a decent amount of time has passed since the IAC:
“After I take care of this support ticket—ah, I mean, after I take care of those succubi, I’ll head back.”
“You said that last time too.”
“Mm.”
“And then you vanished for a month!”
(7 Seas, Ch. 23)
While the incident that LQG references could have occurred prior to the IAC, it seems more likely that it happened after, since SQQ seems to have mostly stayed at Qing Jing Peak before the conference, and went out wandering the world after Luo Binghe fell into the Abyss:
Every day on Qing Jing Peak, he played the guqin, read books, wrote calligraphy, painted paintings, practiced his cultivation, occasionally nitpicked Luo Binghe’s food, occasionally bickered or sparred with Liu Qingge, and from time to time reported on his work to Yue Qingyuan.
(7 Seas, Ch. 4)
During these three years... Shen Qingqiu spent most of his time wandering about the outside world.
(7 Seas, Ch. 6）
Furthermore, we know roughly when SQQ and SQH's trip to Bailu Forest took place:
Then, after half a month had passed [since the conference] and Shen Qingqiu seemed to be gradually returning to normal...
... What truly broke him and caused him to weep at the heavens was that, after several days of silence, the System sent him a message truly devoid of all humanity...
...Being so unhappy, naturally Shen Qingqiu had to go take it out on someone else.
(7 Seas, Ch. 4)
SQQ and SQH left the day after their initial confrontation. Though the timeline here is a little unclear, it can reasonably be inferred that their trip to Bailu Forest occurred within the first month or so after the IAC-- and regardless, it is evident that SQQ's travels began after this event, which places the extra easily at some point during the three years between chapters 5 and 6.
Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu
Since this extra follows the events of the original versions of the characters, it doesn't take place within the timeline of SVSSS and thus doesn't need to be included here. However, details in this extra can be useful when placing the pre-canon events in Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter (see my pre-canon timeline post for more info on that).
Bamboo Branch Poem
This extra is divided into two parts in the original webnovel, but the events within it actually take place over many separate points in time. Nonetheless, it is still fairly easy to place these sections within the timeline.
The first section begins at the start of the extra and ends roughly around "Let him do as he wishes," and takes place at some unknown point pre-canon. All we can really tell about exactly when it takes place is that Tianlang-jun must have taken Zhuzhi-lang in at least a few years before he met Su Xiyan:
Any time [Tianlang-jun] went anywhere, his most common destination was the borderlands. He’d pass the boundary markers, and on his short stays, he’d drink some wine while listening to stories. But on his long stays, it wasn’t out of the question for him to spend a whole year—or even more—touring the Human Realm.
(7 Seas, Ch. 25)
In truth, since we don't have any information about the ages of Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang, and since heavenly demons are immortal, it could be just about any length of time that they spent together before Su Xiyan came into the picture, but it is fairly clear that this part of the extra takes place chronologically earliest within the SVSSS timeline.
The second section takes place from roughly around "Tianlang-Jun truly loved any and everything to do with humans" until "It wasn’t like he didn’t know the truth, he just nonetheless never showed any doubt" and primarily deals with Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan's courtship and relationship. Though once again, given cultivators' lifespans, it is unclear over how long a period this courtship took place, it probably wasn't especially long. This courtship eventually leads up to Luo Binghe's birth and the battle of Bai Lu Mountain, which means this entire section also most likely takes place before the first SVSSS-timeline portion of Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter (more on that later, and check my pre-canon timeline linked in the previous section for my analysis regarding the placement of Tianlang-jun's sealing within the overall timeline).
The third section is an overview of Tianlang-jun's imprisonment, starting at "The price of never doubting her" and ending at "to clean Tianlang-Jun’s eternally unhealing wounds." This is more of a sub-section and I didn't actually place it on the timeline, since it covers the general period between Luo Binghe's birth and 7 Seas Ch. 5, where SQQ encounters Zhuzhi-lang for the first time.
The fourth section, starting with "In all those years, they never learned of Luo Binghe’s existence" and ending with "If you’re always like this, Zhuzhi-Lang, what are you going to do in the future?" takes place after the Holy Mausoleum arch while SQQ is being held prisoner by Tianlang-jun's forces, during the first part of 7 Seas Ch. 17.
The final section, from there to the end, can be placed exactly in the beginning and middle section of 7 Seas Ch. 21, since Tianlang-jun's dialogue line "As expected, I can't bring myself to hate humans" is echoed both in the main story and in the extra, and the end has Zhuzhi-lang and Tianlang-jun falling into the Luo River at Maigu Ridge's collapse.
Thus, the entirety of Bamboo Branch Poem takes place either prior to or during the main story of SVSSS, with no post-canon sections.
Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter
This was by far the most difficult and tedious to place chronologically, since, like Bamboo Branch Poem, it consists of many different sections, but in order to place these sections in the timeline, a lot more context clues and some speculation is required.
The first section, the entirety of the 7 Seas TL's "Part 1" up until "full-body electrocution, like lightning from the ninth heaven," takes place in the real world prior to Airplane's transmigration, thus isn't part of the SVSSS timeline at all.
7 Seas' "Part 2" and the first part of "Part 3" up until "Either way, just make sure you remember" likely take place after Tianlang-jun's sealing but prior to Shen Yuan's transmigration. Again, my full analysis of the pre-canon timeline can be read in this post, so as not to repeat myself too much here.
The middle section of 7 Seas' "Part 3" from "Once Shang Qinghua became the peak lord" to "Who could have expected that in some manner of speaking, this curse had been fulfilled?" occurs after SQQ is poisoned, therefore between 7 Seas chapters 3 and 4. Furthermore, since Luo Binghe's position on QJP and his relationship with the other disciples seems to have solidified by this point, it is most likely that this section can also be placed after the second dream sequence from Deep Dream.
The final part of 7 Seas' "Part 3" from "These days, Bing-ge’s mood was especially bad" to "he hurried to catch up, taking three steps for every two" takes place during the beginning of 7 Seas Ch. 14, after LBH imprisoned SQQ but before SQH returned Xiu Ya to him, since LBH arrived at the replica bamboo house while SQH was still their, and SQQ's soul was pulled from the mushroom body during the same interaction, therefore making it so the conversation in this part of the extra had to have occurred previously.
7 Seas' Parts 4 and 5, the rest of the extra from "In the end, it was still a whole ruckus" to the end, occur post-canon, but were a little more complicated to place within the overall post-canon timeline. Ultimately, there is an indistinct amount of time that passes between Maigu Ridge and SQH receiving the "return home" prompt from the system. However, it is doubtful that this was very long, since the same night after he received that prompt, "Mobei-Jun dragged him off An Ding Peak to the northern border of the Demon Realm, blankets and all" (7 Seas Ch. 26) in order to perform the succession.
However, there is one clue to potentially place these events:
In the original work, Bing-ge was by Mobei-Jun’s side during this... But now Bing-ge had hared off to shamelessly torment his shizun.
(7 Seas, Ch. 26)
Obviously, this doesn't refer to any specific instance with certainty, however, it is more than likely that SQH and MBJ went to the Demon Realm at some point during the first half-month after the main story ended, most likely toward the end of the period that Bingqiu spent in the demon realm before Bing-ge and Bing-mei swapped places in Bing-mei and Bing-ge's Ultimate Showdown.
SQH and MBJ are in the demon realm for seven days before the fight with Linguang-jun, after which SQH went into hiding for a month, wandering around aimlessly:
He didn’t dare return to Cang Qiong Mountain for the time being... So this past month, though Shang Qinghua looked at ease, he had actually been living frugally...
(7 Seas, Ch. 26)
It is toward the end of this month of wandering that he encountered Bingqiu in their mountaintop retreat:
After wandering for nearly a month, he unexpectedly ran into a certain master-disciple pair while they were enjoying a leisurely scenic tour around the world.
(7 Seas, Ch. 26)
This passage has some important implications regarding the placement of Honeymoon which will be discussed later.
This scene also has to happen before the Deep Dream-Regret of Chunshan sequence of events, because Shang Qinghua is present on Cang Qiong Mountain during Return to Childhood, which could not have occurred before Showdown, and SQH has not yet returned to CQM since leaving (most likely) during the same time as the events of Showdown.
SQH's second confrontation with Linguang-jun and his reunion with MBJ happen shortly after he leaves Bingqiu in their mountain retreat. Thus, the entire post-canon section of this extra occurs between the start of Showdown and the start of Deep Dream.
Deep Dream
While the "reality" portion of the extra occurs some time after Showdown and the end of Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter, the extra also includes two dream sequences that take place during the main story.
The first dream sequence takes place after SQQ's death in Huayue City:
"...Luo Binghe brought Shen Qingqiu’s body back to Huan Hua Palace, and only a few days later, he personally kidnapped Qian Cao Peak’s Mu Qingfang.”
(7 Seas, Ch. 9)
Shen Qingqiu recalled what the jianghu rumors had said: that not long after he’d played dead and escaped, Luo Binghe had kidnapped Mu Qingfang to Huan Hua Palace and demanded that he “heal” Shen Qingqiu. This scene must have occurred during that period.
(7 Seas, Ch. 27)
Because MQF has not yet seen SQQ at the start of the dream sequence, we can conclude that the sequence begins just a few days after SQQ's' self-detonation.
The second dream sequence occurs after 7 Seas Ch. 3, but most before the third part of Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter. This can be established both by LBH's lack of being settled in during the dream sequence and his uneasy relationship with the other disciples compared to the more relaxed, natural state during Airplane, but also can be confirmed more directly by the fact that SQQ had not yet begun to use LQG to punish his disciples for bullying LBH:
And one day, Shen Qingqiu would definitely think of some way to teach those Bai Zhan Peak brutes a lesson. He’d even use Liu Qingge to discipline them, so that they’d be unable to voice their objections.
(7 Seas, Ch. 27)
It is much harder to determine when this occurs relative to Showdown and the final section of Airplane. However, it seems that at least some time has passed, considering that Bingqiu seem to be much better and more relaxed with communication by this point:
Later, Shen Qingqiu had at times recalled the incident and used it to tease Luo Binghe. But Luo Binghe wouldn’t even blush; he’d truly grown up, and his face had grown thicker too.
(7 Seas, Ch. 27)
As well as being overall more comfortable in their relationship with one another, since SQQ seems more willing to be openly affectionate now compared to previous events:
Suddenly, inspiration struck Shen Qingqiu. He blinked, then pulled Luo Binghe’s face down and kissed him...
...Shen Qingqiu leaned down and said into his ear, “Tonight, I feel like…I like you a great deal.”
(7 Seas, Ch. 27)
Return to Childhood
This extra picks up directly after Deep Dream:
The day before, he’d reached a critical point in his cultivation. That night, he’d shut off his consciousness and so had no opportunity to control his dream realm.
(7 Seas, Ch. 27)
Luo Binghe had been at a critical juncture in his cultivation lately. The common wisdom was that he should have been clearing his mind and keeping himself pure of base desires in order to prevent any mishaps from occurring. Yet the evening prior, he had lost control and rolled around with Shen Qingqiu all night, and finally—he’d suffered a qi deviation.
(7 Seas, Ch. 28)
While it doesn't say directly that these passages are referring to the same event, it is more than likely, especially considering that the two extras come right in order.
After LBH is de-aged, SQQ buys a house and starts teaching at an academy, but they leave before a month passes:
[SQQ] flung out a few talismans to render them unconscious, abandoned the residence he had bought not even a month ago, and fled.
(7 Seas, Ch. 28)
Then, they go to Cang Qiong Mountain. Here, there is a small potential clue as to how long has passed between Showdown/Honeymoon and Deep Dream:
Shen Qingqiu suffered even further mental collapse as he attempted to argue for logic. “Even if I did [give birth], a kid wouldn’t have grown this big in a few short months!”
(7 Seas, Ch. 28)
Though there is nothing that clearly states whether or not SQQ and LBH had been back to CQM since Showdown/Honeymoon, it is possible that they haven't-- regardless, it has been at least a few months since their last visit, making the gap between the two sets of Bingqiu extras at least that long, potentially longer.
While on CQM, the peak lords hold a meeting, and SQQ notices something about SQH's appearance:
There was no telling what Shang Qinghua had done to piss off Mobei-Jun this time, but the corner of his lip was swelling as he gave Shen Qingqiu a pathetic smile.
(7 Seas, Ch. 28)
SQQ attributes SQH's swollen lip to a beating, but while it is not confirmed, many think that it may have instead been due to making out. This would give further credence to the last section of Airplane's Fortuitous Encounter occurring earlier, since SQH and MBJ did not enter a romantic relationship until after the extra, but that interpretation is not confirmed to be canon, though in my opinion it is implied.
Regret of Chunshan and Song of Bingqiu
After resting for over a month at Cang Qiong Mountain, Luo Binghe had finally recovered his original form.
(7 Seas, Ch. 29)
This extra picks up a bit over a month after Childhood, the timeline here is rather straightforward so there isn't too much to say.
Honeymoon
Because this extra is placed in 7 Seas right after RoC/SoB, it might appear to take place next chronologically afterwards. However, for multiple reasons, I believe that it is more accurate to place it right after Showdown in the timeline instead. First, there is the tone at the start:
"After Harboring the devil incarnate Luo Binghe for a dozen or so days, Qing Jing Peak’s disciples finally couldn’t take the harassment anymore and begged Shen Qingqiu to take the person in question and “lie low.”"
(7 Seas, Ch. 30)
Comparing the tone here, as well as the harsh reaction of CQM toward LBH in general, to the attitudes toward him shown in Return to Childhood, there is quite a stark difference. It doesn't especially make sense that the other QJP disciples and members of CQM would have such a strong negative reaction to LBH when they seemed relatively tolerant of him in Childhood. Certainly, his de-aged form may have had something to do with that, but simply compare the first line of this extra to that of Chunshan above and see the difference.
Things seem far less stable here than they were in Childhood, without any explanation as to why this would change-- but the tone is quite similar to that of Showdown when it comes to LBH's relations with CQM.
Furthermore, by cross-referencing this extra with the final part of Airplane, there are a few more interesting details. Most obviously, Airplane mentions that SQH, after fleeing MBJ post-ascension, encountered Bingqiu while they were out on a "world tour" and staying in a mountaintop cottage-- something that would certainly fit the bill of "taking LBH somewhere to lie low."
More subtly, though, there is SQQ's description of his plight regarding relations between CQM and LBH:
Shidi L— had condoned his subordinates’ and minions’ (ahem) attack on Shixiong S—’s gates, and he hadn’t even provided any compensation afterward. Having suffered economic losses, Shixiong S— went to Shidi X—’s department to request an allocation of public funds, but Shidi X— refused to approve it.
(7 Seas, Ch. 30)
During the description, each person is referred to "anonymously" by the first letter of their surname in pinyin, except for An Ding Peak's representative (called "Shidi X"). While it could be simply so that there were not two referred to as "S," this could also be because SQH was not present at CQM at the time (currently in hiding from MBJ). This is additionally supported because it seems unlikely that SQH would refuse to approve one of SQQ's requests-- so it could easily be that SQQ had to put in the request with someone else on An Ding Peak on account of SQH's absence.
The placement of Honeymoon after Showdown also makes sense in regards to Bingqiu's attitude with one another, and SQQ's narration being more reserved and less openly fond and affectionate-- though throughout the extra he does begin to acknowledge his affection.
Additionally, the fact that none of the events of the Deep Dream-Chunshan arc are referenced in Honeymoon further supports this-- and perhaps most of all, that arc is not included and as far as I can tell has never been included in the original webnovel on JJWXC, while Honeymoon and Showdown were.
All in all, the extras do a lot of work to develop Bingqiu's relationship, and reading them in the order of Showdown -> Honeymoon -> Deep Dream -> Childhood -> Chunshan -> Wedding shows, in my opinion, the most natural and well-rounded progression of their relationship.
100 Random Questions on Luo-Shen's Affinity
This one was one of the most difficult to place chronologically, mainly because it lacks the same kind of narrative structure as the others, with few anchors to a specific point in the timeline. However, there are a few small clues that led me to place it where I did.
First, Bingqiu's relationship is fairly well established at this point, which definitely puts it post-Honeymoon. Because of SQH's involvement, I would also place it after Airplane.
Now, I do feel like it might also be plausible for this extra to take place between Airplane and Deep Dream. There is still some awkwardness between Bingqiu, though that may also be because it's not from SQQ's POV, and he also is less likely to be open with his feelings around others. Likewise, it could also occur between Chunshan and Wedding for similar reasons. However, there is one particular reason, aside from its interview-style, that I would place this last:
Luo Binghe nervously glanced at Shen Qingqiu out of the corner of his eye and quietly said, “I’d like to be addressed in the way married couples normally address each other.”
“Master Shen, did you hear that?” Shang Qinghua asked instantly. “Bing—ahem, Shizhi wants you to address him like you’re married. Husband, hubby, honey, you choose one.”
“You shut up,” said Shen Qingqiu.
(7 Seas, Ch. 31）
In Wedding, Bingqiu calling one another by spousal forms of address is a rather significant matter. Actually, because LBH is so incredibly anxious about proposing to SQQ, it doesn't seem so believable that he would bring this up so readily if they hadn't already done the ceremony. And because LBH is so extremely surprised and delighted by SQQ calling him "Husband" in Wedding, I believe that this passage provides a bit of an anchor to place this interview after-- LBH here could be expressing a desire for more of that, while SQQ is generally still reserved.
In the end, though, I think that this extra could also canonically exist in a nebulous time, as more of a "relationship overview," especially since it does not have any story threads connecting it to any other specific extras or timeline events. This is probably the one I am least confident on.
Wedding
At this point, there isn't all that much left to say that hasn't already been noted in previous sections. Aside from this extra providing a good, solid ending to Bingqiu's narrative arc in the extras, and no mention of being married having been made in any of the others (apart from 100Q), this extra taking place some time after Chunshan is also supported by the dynamic between Bingqiu and CQM:
They returned to Cang Qiong Mountain every two months to “visit the family.” Because of this, no one was surprised whenever they showed up again. Instead, they enthusiastically surrounded them while munching on their Dragon-Bone Cantaloupe seeds.
(7 Seas, Ch. 32)
Where in Showdown-Honeymoon there was heavy tension and in Deep Dream-Chunshan there was begrudging tolerance and tentative curiosity, here there is a rapport, a casualness, and a seeming acceptance of Bingqiu as a couple by the other peak lords, something that has not been apparent before.
By this point in the narrative of the extras, the tension and instability left behind at the end of the main story has settled and smoothed forward, the relationships between SQQ and LBH, SQQ and CQM, and even LBH and CQM seem to have reached a comfortable equilibrium.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
SVSSS Fanon Archive, Grand Reopening 2025
After several months of hiatus and a lot of stress on my part, I'm going to officially be revamping and reworking this blog, hopefully in a way that resolves some of the issues with the previous version and makes things a bit more streamlined.
What to Expect:
Changes to post format will be a big one, as well as an actual schedule for posting. The ranking system will be simplified and updated. Additionally, in line with the url update, there will be some changing to the way things are worded throughout the blog.
When to Expect It:
I'll slowly be working on the changes as I have time and energy, but my hope is to have the reworked SV Fanon Archive blog ready to go by the beginning of 2025.
More details about specific changes below:
The Biggest Change: Tone
When I first made this blog, I tried to take a sort of humorously-disparaging tone as an homage to our beloved 绝世黄瓜 (Peerless Cucumber), which is reflected in the tone of the blog intro and pinned post. Since then, I've come to realize that there are a decent number of people to whom the humorous nature is lost, who see this blog and think that the intention is to stir up fandom wank-- and while most of these people understand after explanation, I've decided to try to limit that misconception to begin with.
That is why I've implemented a title and url change on this blog-- I was primarily thinking of rhythm and humor when I chose the original name and theme of "Fanon Exposed," but it turns out that the word "exposed" has a more negative connotation than I originially assumed, which misrepresented the stance I wished to take on this blog. Because of that, I will be updating the blog title, intro, and making a new pinned post that hopefully is more clear in terms of tone, to prevent any more knee-jerk reactions.
In my posts, I'm not trying to stand on a high horse or present a "gotcha," but genuinely look at and analyze the novel and share information that fans may have forgotten or missed or mixed up through engaging with the established fandom, and to figure out where certain ideas come from.
In addition to these changes, I will be updating existing posts to remove the "Fanon Exposed" tagline, and instead simply titling them as the topic they discuss, with a rating below the title.
That brings me to the next change:
Streamlined Rating System
I realized as I wrote for this blog that sometimes it was very difficult to decide where to sort a topic between supported, neutral, unsupported. Sometimes, a topic didn't fit cleanly into one of the categories, or the assigned category was far more subjective than was useful. Since I want the ratings to be more of a first-glance understanding of topics, I'm going to be changing the way that I rate the posts as follows:
CANON - There is direct support for the claim within the novel itself. Depending on the topic, things that are canon via MXTX's interviews may also be sorted this way, but the revised version of the novel (the version that was published by pinsin studios and subsequently used for the 7seas translation) will be the main determiner of canon.
FANON - There is no direct support for the claim within the novel, BUT there is also nothing that says it is not true. This encompasses what would have been considered unsupported, neutral, AND supported in the old ranking-- anything that is not canon to the novel, but not refuted either.
CONFLICTING FANON - There is evidence within the novel that directly refutes this claim. Claims such as "Luo Binghe was not abused" or "Yue Qingyuan frequently calls Shen Qingqiu 'Xiao-Jiu'" will fall into this category-- either things that have a directly stated contradiction, or a very strongly implied contradiction within the novel.
AMBIGUOUS - New rating, for claims where they are still not especially clear where they lie on the canon-fanon scale. For any "ambiguously" rated subject, further analysis and viewpoints are especially welcomed (though they are still welcomed on other ratings), with the goal being to sort as many such posts into an official category as possible, or alternately to provide as many potentially-accurate viewpoints as fans are willing to share. This is also to further delineate this blog as a fanon archive, and a more aggregate source of meta posting.
Important note: Because SVSSS has been unlocked on JJWXC and is being edited, I will be waiting for more information about that and for the edits to be finished before deciding whether to take the new version or the older version as canon, or to compare and contrast them. I don't yet know how much will be changed, whether the story will change significantly or whether it is more of a matter of editing to appease the censors, so for that we will have to wait and see.
Posting Schedule
Before, I never really had a schedule for my posts, and sometimes put out one each day, or one a week. Now, I have many things I'm working on and am not so deep into SVSSS fandom as I was before, though still interested in both the novel and this blog. Instead of posting more frequently and sporadically, I will try to maintain a fixed schedule of one new fanon post per month, to be posted on the first day of the month. This doesn't necessarily include other types of original meta posts (such as "Canon Examined" posts or simple ask answers), which will not have a distinctive schedule and will come out when I feel like working on them or have the time to do so.
Which brings me to...
Blog Content and New Post Types
So far on this blog, I've had two types of post: "Fanon Exposed" and "Canon Examined." In the reworked blog, these posts will continue to exist, though slightly reworked, but I also hope to include more additional meta written by others via reblog. Going forward, all of the posts on this blog will be sorted into the following types and tagged as such:
#FANON ANALYSIS - The original post type, formerly "Fanon Exposed," in which a fanon or presumed fanon is measured up against the novel's text, analyzed, and rated. These posts will have a fixed format in the future, with hopefully clearer delineations between which parts are canonical and which are my own more subjective analysis. Any topic for Fanon Analysis will be one that was sent in via the askbox. These posts will simply be titled as "[CLAIM BEING ANALYZED]". More on the updated format later.
#CANON EXAMINED - A more in-depth look at a topic in canon (for example, my piece on the pre-canon PIDW timeline). This type of post will not have a fixed format, and should be taken as primarily a personal analysis and interpretation rather than a delineation of canon vs fanon-- but within these posts I will always include as many quotes and sources as possible to still make it clear what is from the text and what is my interpretation. These posts will be titled as "Canon Examined: [TOPIC]" and may or may not be topics that have been sent to the askbox. There will be no fixed schedule for these posts, and I will make them as the inspiration strikes.
#QUICK QUESTIONS - Any small question sent to my inbox that doesn't warrant a full analysis post, or doesn't quite fall in line with the previous two categories. These will be answered directly from the inbox, rather than posted separately. A lot of these might involve various cultural details or translation questions-- I will answer these to the best of my ability. I am Chinese (Originally from Mainland), but due to various life circumstances, I've ended up with a certain disconnect from my native language and culture. Though I am working to bridge that gap personally, I am not completely confident or comfortable to be considered some sort of consummate cultural authority. I'll provide the answers I know to the best of my ability, but welcome further extrapolation or explanation from others less disconnected than I, and cannot guarantee that I will answer all questions of this sort. This also applies to other types of post.
#MYRIAD PERSPECTIVES - This is where the "archive" role of this blog really starts to come in. This tag will be for reblogged meta written by others. However, I will be very, very selective as to which meta I reblog, which must meet the following requirements:
Canonicity claims MUST be sourced, with relevant quotes included within the body of the post. The post cannot just say "The Mobei Clan have hereditary ice powers" if that claim is a significant part of the analysis, but must also include the quote from the Holy Mausoleum chapter that verifies it.
Cultural claims MUST be indicated that they come from someone within Chinese culture, or otherwise be linked to sources that confirm the claim. I'll reference these against my own knowledge (and CNet as well where possible), but I can't claim to know or be completely sure about everything. The idea here is to provide accurate and thorough information that can be verified by any reader, rather than asking readers to take things at face value.
Translation/Linguistic claims MUST be accompanied by a complete, detailed analysis of the passage both in the original and translated text. A post can't just say "the idea of Shen Yuan being sickly is due to a mistranslation and author's note," but must also include the passage in the original chinese, the author's not in question, and an explanation of the phrase 混吃等死 and its connotations. Again, I will reference these against my own knowledge and CNet where I can, but unless the translation and error is fully analyzed and explained, I won't be reblogging the post.
In general, for me to reblog a meta post to this blog, it should be in as much detail, and as thorough as one of my own posts. These requirements also apply to any correction or debate added to my posts. I will not respond to refutions that do not source their claims.
Due to time constraints, I will not usually be seeking out meta posts to reblog myself. If one happens to cross my dash, I may reblog it here, but if you find a piece of particularly good meta that falls in line with these requirements, please send a link to the post via my inbox. Please DO NOT tag me in a reblog or reply on the post. Reblog recommendations must be sent through the askbox for me to have a look at them.
#FANDOM EVENT - This category of post has nothing to do with meta or analysis, but rather, due to this blog's substantial following, I am more than happy to signal-boost fandom events. These include exchanges, zines, group projects, fans looking for collaboration, etc. as well as any significant fandom news. Preferably, send a link to the post or news to my askbox to have me reblog it-- but I will also reblog event and announcement posts if i am tagged in them. Fandom events MUST be SVSSS centric, or mxtx/danmei/cnovel centric in general where SVSSS is relevant in some way for me to reblog them.
#FIC SEARCH - Another category that does not involve meta or analysis. I am willing to post asks that involve searching for a specific fic in order to use this blog's reach to help fans find what they are searching for. I will limit these fic searches to one per week, however, so as not to flood this blog. If sending in a fic search, please start your ask with "Fic Search:" before describing the fic (so that I can easily search my very very full inbox to find fic search asks). All fics being searched for must be SVSSS fics, or SVSSS crossovers.
These will be the main/only types of post on this blog going forward. Once in awhile, I might use it to promo my own things for the sake of reach, which will be tagged as "#off-topic posts" for easy blacklisting. I will not be reblogging or posting any non-fandom asks, donation drives (aside from (rarely) my own), or current-events topics on this blog, both because I don't have the time or energy to see if things are legit, and because this is meant to be a fandom space away from real-world issues.
And finally...
The Fanon Analysis Post Reformatting
This is something that I've noticed and had issues with in the past-- while I try to keep my analysis more objective wherever possible, there are necessarily parts of my posts which are "my interpretation" rather than a distinctive, fully-objective answer. While any analysis I post here is informed by canon or other factors rather than being mere headcanon, it is still subjective by nature, and whether readers take or leave my interpretation is up to them.
I'm not going to stop adding my own analysis to my posts-- but I am going to try to make it easier to divide direct canon statements from my own interpretations.
The old "Fanon Exposed" posts didn't really have a set format of any sort, and tended to be a bit rambling-- and while that can flow nicely, it can also muddy the waters for those looking for a quick explanation. So, from here on out I will be using a distinctive format for every fanon analysis post:
<above the cut>
Title
Ranking
"What does the text say?" - relevant quotes, with very limited analysis or explanation where necessary. Essential translation details will also be included here if specifically relevant to the topic, otherwise they will appear later. Sometimes, for posts rated "fanon" especially, there will not be any reference in the text-- in that case, any adjacent notes will be included (for example, in a post about Shen Jiu having a sweet tooth, there is no reference to that specific claim in the text-- however, there are some details about Shen Yuan's snacking habits as Shen Qingqiu, which will be included in this section for the sake of relevancy, discussion, and clarity). If I miss an important quote or passage on something here, please tell me in a reblog or reply, so that I can add it to the post!
<below the cut>
"My interpretation" - where I analyze the quotes provided and make connections for myself-- striving for "informed interpretation" rather than headcanon, but not "distinct canon" by any means. Take it or leave it. More important translation details will go here, and if a reader wants to provide an alternate perspective, this is the part that would be debated.
"Fun Facts" - Small details that have little to do with a claim's canonicity or fanon analysis, but I thought would be neat to include anyway. Often little details that may have been missed (see my post on Mobei-jun's blue eyes for this, where I bring up the chrysoberyl/cat's eye stone and what that might mean) or small cultural references. Typically, just a fact that is adjacent to the actual topic or claim being made that I include because it might be interesting to know.
"Headcanon Ideas" - Now this is where "my own headcanons" come in. Nothing here needs to be considered canon in any way whatsoever-- see for example my post on heavenly demons' zuiyin (erroneously called "huadian") and the idea that demons might wear similar ornamentation as a sort of reference to the real-life presumed origin of huadian. This is not canon at all, but simply a headcanon suggestion/in-universe explanation for fanon at most or a fun idea at best. Anyone is welcome to use these little ideas with or without credit, but you can also completely disregard them as well, and they shouldn't be considered part of canon.
Every post might not have all of these parts (especially the "fun facts" and "headcanon ideas" sections), but I intend to keep to the basic structure at least. That way, everything that directly involves "canon" is at the top, above the cut and easily readable to allow readers to make a decision based on their own readings, with a descending "relevance to canonicity" as you go down the post if you're interested in my specific take, interpretation, and ideas.
I may be reformatting/rewriting some of my old posts in this format as well-- for the most part, it will simply be an edit to the old post, but if there are substantial updates or changes to the overall rating and interpretation, I may make a new post instead.
Conclusion
Those are all the major changes I intend to put in place here, unless I'm forgetting one or two details. Hopefully, this blog will be better for it-- but I'm interested in any feedback anyone might have on these updates, or things I may have missed. Feel free to comment on this post if you have something to say-- and I look forward to the reopening!
Welcome back! I hope you're doing a bit better, and look forward to seeing your great thoughts on my dash again
Thank you! I’m surviving— though really, I am doing a little better, if not financially, at least health-wise I’ve gotten some things figured out.
I’m definitely not going to be nearly as active on this blog as I was before and there’s a lot of workshopping I’ll be doing, but I do have some posts I’d really like to get out at some point.
I’ll make a proper revamp announcement at some point soon with more details about what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and generally what to expect, so stay tuned for that!
Theoretically if I were to host an event in which the Scum Villain Fandom tried to write PIDW would people be interested?
I discussed this with my good friend @spaced-out-scribbles a while back but here few details that I have in my head, please stop me if someone has already done something like this before
As we all know PIDW, written by Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, was the source material that Shen Yuan transmigrates into
So wouldn't it be funny to have a "canon" source material for people to reference?
Step 1 would be to compile every reference to PIDW in SVSSS to figure out how long Binghe's white lotus arc lasted and how long actual plot occured before it devolved into shitty smut
Step 2 would be to compile a list of fic writers and maybe artists perhaps that would be interested in recreating PIDW based off of the information occuring in Step 1
A discord server is put together with everyone interested in this project
There could maybe be a list of people assigned to each referenced arc that would maybe hold applications the way that a zine would perhaps? With people applying to write specific portions of PIDW if they wanted to write the marriage of a specific wife or a portion of a specific arc
And anyone else that wanted to participate is assigned a random wife number and told to go wild with the longest, shittiest description of how Luo Bingge was a total stallion lead, and married his new wife of the week
All of these fics and/or accompanying art are submitted to a GIANT ao3 collection (bonus points if everyone involved creates a pseud that's named as Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky for this project) and with everyone's contributions all put together you get a semblance of what PIDW would have looked like
Bonus points if no one else has any idea what happened in a previous wife plot, so the story is not at all coherent towards the later chapters, because I fully believe Airplane had no idea what the fuck he's written before as he got to the end of PIDW
Someone is assigned to write the final shitty ending that made Shen Yuan so mad he died and transmigrated
If anyone wants to contribute to PIDW after the project, the collection could remain open but moderated to make sure chapter numbers/wife numbers stay consistent and that's about it
Obviously this would be a huge project to wrangle and would need a lot of people involved to actually make it work and take a lot of time, so if this is something people are actually interested in, it would more than likely not be able to come to fruition until the start of 2025 at the absolute earliest with all the prep work it would take to get a project like this accomplished but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if people would be interested, so reblog to spread the word if this is something you'd like to see!
Once again, if someone has already done something like this please let me know, I've only been in this fandom for like a year and a half so I'm aware that a lot of fandom events have occured before my time in the fandom
Would you want to participate in/witness a PIDW recreation?
Yes, this would be cool
No, this sounds like not the greatest idea
Yes, BUT you'd have to [insert thing in the tags/comments]
I'm not in the SVSSS fandom/I have no opinion/I want to press a button
After five hundred years of peace under the guidance of the five great clans, the cultivation world was devastated by a sudden, terrible war. Song Mingzhen, the son of one of the cultivation world’s leaders, sacrificed himself to bring the war to an end— becoming gravely injured and losing his memories in the process. Five years later, having finally recovered and rejoined society, he hopes to find a new purpose in helping common people and cultivators alike recover from the war— and to move beyond it himself.
Unfortunately, things bound by fate are not so easily disentangled.
Not long after Song Mingzhen’s re-emergence, one of the great clans’ leaders is found murdered, an ancient demonic tool goes missing, and one of the perpetrators of the war, who had been held in custody, has escaped.
Song Mingzhen must now join forces with Ning Feiyun, a young prodigy with a cold temperament and a complicated past, in order to unravel the series of events and track down the fugitive— before it’s too late.
About the Novel:
《Ghosts of the Heart》 is my debut original novel. It is a xuanhuan/xianxia novel, set in a semi-historical Chinese fantasy setting. The genre is mystery, drama, and romance, with a MLM main couple. I began publishing it on patreon in February, 2024, and since then I have been publishing one new chapter every few weeks, though I hope to publish more frequently as I gain support. The entire novel is expected to be quite long, with three main parts currently planned, each part estimated to last a few dozen chapters.
Publishing Details:
The novel will be entirely self-published and released in serialization. Once completed, it will be edited and released as a full digital novel on various self-publishing platforms.
All chapters of the first major story arc (equivalent to a first book or volume) will be released free for all readers after a short paid early-access period. The latter two story arcs are planned to be patrons-only, as of now, so that I can make a living off of my writing as a disabled person.
This work is published under my own Storyteller's Policy(link tba), which allows for-profit derivatives within certain limits. Please contact me directly for further details if you wish to make or publish for-profit derivative works, including fan-sequels or merchandise.
Please support me by becoming a patron if you wish to read my novel and are able to do so! I also have no issue with those who have paid sharing my novel chapters with friends who cannot, as I am very sympathetic to not being able to afford things. I just hope that those who can support me will do so. Thank you!
Small self-promotion moment-- I've officially begun to publish my original novel! That's the main project I'm working on right now, which is taking up quite a lot of my time and energy. Please check out my novel if you're interested-- and if you like it, please share it around! It would mean a lot to me.
I just want to make a small update here-- this blog is officially on hiatus when it comes to new posts. I'll mainly be focusing on cleaning up and making some edits to a few older posts when I do post here, or answering questions in the askbox that don't require full-on meta analysis posts, or sometimes just reblogging my older posts every now and then.
This is mainly because I've got quite a few projects I'm working on right now, as well as being currently quite stressed in my day-to-day life. I will come back to writing new posts here in a few months or so, but probably a bit more sporadically for now.
APHRODISIAC-PRODUCING PLANTS ARE AN EVER-PRESENT DANGER IN THE WORLD OF PIDW
Rating: FANON - UNSUPPORTED
One of the most common tropes that I have ever seen all across SVSSS fanfiction is the use of aphrodisiac-releasing plants or "fuck-or-die" plants, as a plot device in order to get two characters together. Surprisingly enough, however, there is not a single mention of such plants existing in PIDW.
I debated on whether to rate this as neutral or unsupported, since typically I will choose neutral when there isn't any kind of evidence for or against something-- however, in this case, I chose unsupported due to the sheer amount of times that SQQ's narration references the sex scenes and plot devices in PIDW, and the fact that not once was any specifically sex-related plant mentioned among them.
We do know that there are all sorts of rare plants used as plot devices in PIDW:
"Do you still remember creating a plant that only appears every thousand years?”
Shang Qinghua was speechless. “Your description is way too broad. Bing-ge’s eaten at least eighty, if not a hundred plants like that.”
(7 Seas, Ch. 5)
and
...the number of mythical flowers in Proud Immortal Demon Way numbered at least in the hundreds, and every single one was at least a thousand years old, and when you added on all the mythical grasses and mythical trees, who the hell could remember all those names?!
(7 Seas, Ch. 3)
Naturally, we also do not know all of these plants, so it cannot be said with certainty what sort of plants are included or excluded from the set. However, the effects of the plants we do know of are as follows:
Thousand-Leaves Snow Petal Lotus
"This flower has grown within the depths of Jue Di Gorge for thousands of years. Its spiritual qi is extraordinary, and furthermore, it is the natural bane of creatures from the Demon Realm. It emits an innate barrier that repels demonic beasts."
(7 Seas, Ch. 4)
Additionally, when Luo Binghe absorbed the flower, it increased his abilities, likely due to the spiritual qi contained within it:
Incidentally, he even absorbed the nutrients of the mythical flower the girl had just eaten, and so his martial ability once again made great progress
(7 Seas, Ch. 3)
Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom
The Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom was also called the “flesh mushroom,” and this name was entirely literal. Though this mushroom wasn’t especially useful for cultivating, it still grew by collecting spiritual energy from nature along with essence from the sun and moon. If you planted its sprout in soil rich with spiritual energy, nurtured it, meticulously sculpted it, and watered it with blood and qi, once it matured, you could cultivate a living body of flesh. The body could grow just fine, but it was impossible to also create a soul via this method. That was to say, you could only grow a soulless, empty shell.
(7 Seas, Ch. 9)
This is by far the most well-known of the mystical plants of SVSSS, considering the fact that it directly contributes to a major plotline. It is also notable that this plant was not used by Luo Binghe in PIDW:
In [SQQ's] defense, this mushroom wasn’t reserved for Luo Binghe. Rather, it was supposed to be for one of his opponents...
...If it were a thing that affected the main plotline, or if it were some mystical flower or herb meant to provide one of Luo Binghe’s power-ups, he wouldn’t have had the guts to try and steal it.
(7 Seas, Ch. 5)
Also notable here is the mention of mystical flowers and herbs providing Luo Binghe's power-ups-- this is seemingly the primary purpose of mystical plants in PIDW.
The Ties That Bind
This is the final mystical plant mentioned in SVSSS-- and also the only one with a negative effect:
This plant sowed its seeds in the bodies of living beings, and they were especially attracted to people who gave off energy. Recklessly deploying one’s spiritual or demonic energy attracted these seeds to oneself. That was why Shen Qingqiu had stuck to physical combat as much as possible and avoided using his spiritual energy.
When Ties That Bind seeds entered one’s flesh, they didn’t hurt, only faintly itched. But once they sprouted from the flesh that was their soil and burst forth through the skin, every inch of rent flesh from which they grew erupted in violent agony. Furthermore, the more you used your spiritual energy, the faster they grew. If you went as far as to use a spiritual blast, they would sprout like mad, budding in an instant.
(7 Seas, Ch. 16)
Now, obviously, since there are only three of these plants mentioned within SVSSS, it is far from the eighty to a hundred mystical flowers, plus the additional trees and grasses, which we know nothing about at all. It wouldn't at all be unlikely for one of these many plants to have an aphrodisiac effect, or to produce a fuck-or-die poison-- but I personally feel that it would be likely for Shen Qingqiu to mention this directly in his narration had it been as common trope in PIDW as many fanworks imply.
Of course, it isn't unreasonable for fandom to come to the conclusion that such plants were present in the PIDW world-- after all, sex pollen is a fairly common trope, and PIDW contained a great variety of sex scenes. However, here it is important to note that Proud Immortal Demon Way WAS NOT purely an erotica, porn, or hentai novel. Fundamentally, it is a power fantasy-- and papapa scenes are just one part of that power fantasy.
In the original text, it is described as "YY", which is a slang term that literally translates to something like "mind masturbation"-- but that doesn't mean purely sexual content, instead it refers to a wish-fulfillment, escapist setting, a non-academic fantasy world, where the primary focus is on the main character becoming more and more powerful, overcoming more obstacles-- in Luo Binghe's case, this includes defeating all of his past enemies and marrying all of the beautiful women he came across. The sex scenes were just one part of the power fantasy-- erotica for erotica's sake was not the goal.
That isn't to say that PIDW didn't feature an abundance of sex scenes-- after all, that was one of if not the most-desired plotlines, and Airplane was made to cut backstory content in favor of them:
"And back then, everyone in the comments section was saying they wanted to see the other plotline, right? The one where Bing-ge bravely conquered a hundred flowers, you understand. A whole hundred holy flower spirits who had from their birth never laid eyes on a man, and all of them virgins. Cucumber-bro, how I suffered while writing the chapter of the hundred flower buds’ first mass-blooming! And still you roast me…”
(7 Seas, Ch. 14)
Still, the power-fantasy of PIDW encompassed many different factors-- the battles and revenge against the villains and the ever-increasing power level as stronger and stronger enemies were defeated were just as important as the sex scenes and harem plotlines to the overall effect of the story.
My hypothesis for the origin of the theory that "the world of PIDW is full of fuck-or-die plants" is that it comes from the common sex-pollen trope in erotica and fanfiction, PIDW's reputation as containing quite a lot of erotic material, as well as a few select passages of SVSSS which link plants and flowers with sex-- one of which is the passage above, regarding the hundred flower spirits. I think that the more significant root for this theory, though, is the curing of Without a Cure through sex.
In SVSSS fanfiction, I have found it most common that the sex-inducing plants are specifically of the fuck-or-die variety (therefore, able to be categorized as poison) rather than the pure aphrodisiac variety. This lines up quite well with Qin Wanyue's affliction by Without a Cure in PIDW-- and its subsequent cure:
Then, in the end, how was the poison cured?
After the down and dirty scene, the girl’s poison was naturally cured!
Was it ridiculous? Cliché? Implausible?
…But it was satisfying, right? Ridiculously satisfying, so ridiculously satisfying, ha ha ha ha…
Look, Luo Binghe was of both human and demon blood, right? And the demon half of his bloodline came from their number one Saintly Ruler—from the heavenly demons of old! A wee little demonic poison wasn’t even strong enough to get stuck between Luo Binghe’s teeth, and he instantly absorbed and digested it during their you know.
(7 Seas, Ch. 3)
However, the poison itself had little to do with either flowers or sex-- it was simply an incurable poison, which just so happened to be cured by dual-cultivation with a half-Heavenly Demon. There's a debate to be had as to whether the sex itself was the cure, or if it was Luo Binghe's bodily fluids in any form (curable by his blood as well), but that is all a topic for another post. Regardless, though this created a fuck-or-die scenario, it had nothing to do with fuck-or-die plants. Even in this scenario, the sex was only coincidentally a cure, with the characters not aware of it until afterwards:
The girl thought, “Since I’m about to die, I must leave behind some memories to ensure that my life won’t have been in vain. I don’t have many days left, after all, so I won’t suppress my feelings anymore.”
Then, using her weak and fragile body, she pushed Luo Binghe down.
(7 Seas, Ch. 3)
Now, we do know that aphrodisiacs do exist in the world of PIDW, but only one aphrodisiac is actually mentioned, which is produced by succubi:
Even if he was Great Master Liu, being poisoned by the succubi’s natural, innate Mesmerizing Fragrance—or in other words, their aphrodisiac, was profoundly…not good!
(7 Seas, Ch. 23)
It's perfectly likely for other aphrodisiacs to exist in the world of PIDW, and for plants with aphrodisiac effects to exist, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that such plants may have been used in some of the many, many harem plotlines. However, the aphrodisiac here is an ability belonging to a certain type of demon rather than a plant, and this is the only time where it is mentioned that some external cause is meant to induce lust in someone (Xin Mo is a matter for a future post as well). Rather, it seems that harem members are mainly drawn in by Luo Binghe's power, talent, looks, and generally magnetic appeal, rather than being forcibly drawn in through aphrodisiac plants or specifically fuck-or-die poisons.
Everything in PIDW was about bringing satisfaction to the (male) readers-- so, to determine whether fuck-or-die plants would have been a common plot device, we would need to ask would this plot device provide such satisfaction? It could-- but that would also depend on how it is portrayed. In fanfiction, both parties are often rendered helpless by whichever plot-device plant is being used as a means to get the characters together. In PIDW, though, I feel like it might play out a little more differently-- likely, there would be more plotlines in which Bing-ge himself was not affected, but instead generously helped out whichever maiden was currently afflicted and suffering, through which the romantic relationship was established.
Of course, it would still depend a lot on the specific plotline being followed, so this is more of just a suggestion to consider how the mechanics of such a plant would work to provide satisfaction to PIDW's target demographic, and whether to follow or subvert those expectations and tropes. Alternatively, because of the genre shift that occured during SVSSS, it wouldn't be out of place to include tropes more common to danmei, or to fanfiction, in that universe-- where it may be more common to have scenarios where both parties (especially the POV character) are incapacitated and affected. Every writer, of course, has the freedom to explore whichever tropes and plotlines they wish to-- but it could be interesting to look into genre tropes and see how they may or may not apply.
Typically, these arguments would lead to a neutral rating, rather than unsupported, since there is no direct evidence against the existence of such plants-- however, this post is not primarily meant to address the existence, but rather the prevelence. The existence of aphrodisiac or fuck-or-die plants in the world of PIDW would be neutral or even somewhat likely, but the topic being analyzed is the common fanfiction trope that within the world of PIDW, fuck-or-die plants appear frequently and are a well-known, common threat that the cultivation world's inhabitants must be prepared to face at any time.
I think that if that were the case in PIDW, there would have at least been one single mention in Shen Qingqiu's narration of a fuck-or-die or even an aphrodisiac plant-- perhaps as something that he himself would need to prepare for and worry about after transmigrating. However, there is no such mention-- therefore, while they may exist, it is not likely that sex-inducing plants are an overly common sight in the world of PIDW. The mystical plants seen in SVSSS are either poisons, power-ups, or utilities, and it is implied that most of the many other plants in PIDW would also fall into that category.
