#lingshuang

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I forgot I never shared these here, here are my Lingshuang x OC commisshies I’ve gotten recently!!

Artist 1: heng_hengg on Vgen

Artist 2: Adornmypuppet on Twitter

Artist 3: zertudine on Vgen

Artist 4: Ayasa_KA on Vgen

Artist 5: mikiyuuz on Twitter

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Lingshuang and my autistic thoughts about her

An infodump about my favorite Honkai character, Fu Hua’s 5th disciple. 🙂‍↕️👉👈

Her birth name is Cheng Lingshuang, though I’ll only be calling her by her first name for reasons I’ll explain later. While her exact origin is unknown, she was found as a child by Fu Hua as part of the cult of Wangshan mountain, making her likely an orphan or the daughter of cultists. (The former is probably much more likely)

Autism coding point no 1: this is obvious I don’t even need to say anything.

After joining Taixu Mountain Sect as Fu Hua’s fifth disciple, she went on to become the strongest out of the seven, mastering all of the aggregates of Taixu spare for Blade Sanction(/aka Sword Intent). While the reason for her lack of mastery over Blade Sanction is unexplained, mastery of it is not related to skill, so it does not diminish her martial abilities. My personal speculation is that it’s because Blade Sanction involves forming a specific connection between wielder and sword, and Lingshuang practices lack of attachment from worldly things, weapons included.

During the assassination, she was the one to deal the final blow against Fu Hua, striking her in the forehead and shattering her Xuanyuan sword in the process.

Upon her departure from Mt. Taixuan, she went on to defeat multiple masters of martial arts and became infamous within the jianghu— partially because of the fact that she won every battle with only a single move. During this time, she did take up another Xuanyuan sword, but it’s unknown whether that was Fu Hua’s sword or if she borrowed it from someone else. (Su Mei suspects it was Hua’s sword, but I’m not sure if that’s actually true but it’s a valid suspicion)

Anyways she ends up going to jail for her exploits and gets broken out by Su Mei and Ma Yanqing. After, she decides to retire in the northern desert and travels to the edge of the central plains with Qin Suyi. She lives off in her little hut in the desert for several years before Suyi comes back with a kid in tow and asks her to take her daughter as her disciple.

Lingshuang is a person who holds personal debts to a very high importance, as well as a person who is very protective of people who matter to her, even when she rarely shows affection to such people in typical ways. This blind faith in her peers is a nativity that Suyi is able to take advantage of by implanting a false memory in Lingshuang using her Xuanyuan Sword’s Blade Sanction ability. Lingshuang remembers an event which never happened where Suyi saved her life during the time they travelled together, and thus, believes herself to be in Suyi’s debt. Thus, she agrees to take Sushang as her disciple.

One thing to be noted about Lingshuang and her inter-personal relationships is her complete disregard of filial piety. A very important concept in China, especially ancient China, filial piety is the respect one should show for the people in their life such as one’s parents, elders, siblings, master or teacher, and other important life figures.

The first glaring example of her being unfilial is her lack of use of her surname. While it’s common to refer to a close friend by only first name, most often when their name is multiple letters (ex: calling Qin Suyi by Suyi is affectionate, while calling Su Mei as just Mei doesn’t land quite the same way). Lingshuang is NOT an example of this, as she specifically introduces herself as only Lingshuang. Her name tag in the VN only reads “Lingshuang,” while characters like Suyi and Sushang who are often called by only first name still have their full names in their name tags. The only times where she’s called Cheng Lingshuang is when she’s introduced as a toddler, and another example where Senti is throwing shade on her name to Sushang and purposely being disrespectful. Keeping one’s father’s name is an important part of filial piety, and women do not change their surname when they marry to maintain their father’s surname. Changing or removing one’s surname is akin to disowning one’s father.

(Pictured: Senti beef)

Another person one should be filial to is their master, which Lingshuang is obviously not. I actually asked the 7s author to elaborate on Lingshuang’s specific feelings about Fu Hua out of curiosity, and here’s what he said.

“Lingshuang thinks Fu Hua is a mysterious, indifferent, and weird master, and isn’t interested in getting to know her deeper.”

Basically, Lingshuang holds no filial respect for her master, putting the same amount of effort into their relationship as Fu Hua does (Fu Hua dgaf about building genuine deep relationships with her disciples). She is also very unfilial because she stabbed her in the forehead. 🙁

Twenty years later and Lingshuang has in fact taken a couple of disciples of her own in addition to Sushang. We barely hear about them because they aren’t that important to her— she lacks the master/disciple filial notions in both directions. It’s not that she dislikes them, but she only sees them as people who she teaches rather than someone she owes a connection and relationship with.

This brings up the most important point— why isn’t she like that with Sushang? It’s because Lingshuang doesn’t lack care for other people; rather, she cares for people based on genuine closeness rather than because of titles such as disciple or master or family. She doesn’t feel obligated to be close to someone society would expect her to be filial to when they aren’t someone she cares about. So, Lingshuang’s care for Sushang comes from a genuine familial affection rather than an obligation as a master. Even SENTI acknowledges the two of them as having a familial relationship.

(She is definitely not talking about Suyi since Suyi is the only one who didn’t participate in the assassination.)

Sushang isn’t the only person she’s close with— she does have a sense of camaraderie with her fellow disciples, while not as deep. Lin Zhaoyu did partially raise her, her thoughts about Su Mei are unknown, she was willing to risk fighting her master to save Jiang Wanru, she enjoys somewhat affectionately tormenting Ma Yanqing, and overall she’s probably closest with Qin Suyi even though I wouldn’t call them quite ‘friends.’ She is nowhere as close with any of her martial siblings as she is with Sushang.

Next to continue on the autism coding point:

(Pls take my translation with a grain of salt and not total accuracy because I don’t speak Chinese and am just googling what things mean 😭)

“As the fifth disciple of Taixuan, except for Chiyuan Zhenren (Fu Hua’s title, “red kite true Daoist spiritual master”), she is the only person in the past 100 years to have comprehended the supreme skill “Edge of Taixuan.”

At the age of two, she began practicing martial arts, and achieved the level of “Taixuan” (Highest level of Blade Mantra) at the age of 12. She was known as a master of the blade, at ease, indifferent, and an unparalleled swordsmaster.

Lingshuang has been holding a sword for 37 years of her life, but she has never truly stepped into this world.

She has never experienced setbacks, never experienced failure, and is bound by neither desire or attachments.

Common sense, rules, logic, rationality, worldly affairs, binds to all things mundane, these were things Lingshuang never cared for or payed attention to.”

(And an excerpt from the next part that tumblr won’t let me post the screencap of cause I can only post 10 images wtf 😭😭)

“Those lucky enough to be familiar with her (Lingshuang) will know…

She claims to have a foothold of independence and self reliance in the world.”

To clarify what this means, historically, the kind of lifestyle she lives is very unusual for a woman in 15th century China. She’s essentially a single mom, she lives in her own house, farms her own food, makes her own wages, is unmarried and uninterested in marrying, lives in the middle of nowhere, lives a lifestyle focused around martial arts, and hardly ever talks to people. Societal rules and standards mean nothing to her.

So, saying she “hasn’t entered the world,” refers to her lack of interaction with society and its expectations, yet her claim of “independence and self reliance” means that she does in fact live her life, just in her own way. Essentially: she lives in her own world.

My next point on the autism coding: the literal entire description on her specific daily routine.

“When it was still dark outside the window, Lingshuang had woken up. She always wakes up at this time, neither early or too late.

After washing in a basin of cold water and getting dressed, she meditates cross legged on the bed and recites the Blade Mantra silently. One thought might take two hours to pass, and even a strike of lightning couldn’t disrupt her.

Then, she gets up and sweeps the floor with a broom. When the house is cleaned, she’ll go to the small nearby market to buy some pancakes and mutton.

If she were to run out of water, she’d have to travel to the well to bring a few buckets of it.

After breakfast, she’d sit down next to an old loom and spin silk. Once, she could spin a satisfactory silk in one day. After having taken in Sushang, the process was greatly slowed down. Now, it can take up to a week— and no shorter than four days.”

Next: about her stigmata! Lingshuang is one of the few characters to have a natural stigmata. While we don’t know what it looks like, I personally suspect it’s the Taixuan sect symbol (Lin Zhaoyu’s huadian and Totori’s stigmata), located on the forehead. There’s a lot of importance placed with the diamond shape on the forehead, from Senti having a diamond from her hairpiece dangling there, Fu Hua having been stabbed there, and Totori (a bearer of Fu Hua’s stigmata in GGZ) having her stigmata there, and more decorations used when characters (Kiana, Senti, Sushang) are using Eminence.

A quote, Kevin speaking to Durandal in reference to Lingshuang, “After all, except for someone a long time ago... You may be the first human being who will not be negatively affected by a stigmata at all.”

And a conversation between Fu Hua and Senti:

HoS: …Is Lingshuang still around?

FH: it’s been five hundred years.

HoS: …Oh, that’s a pity. The kid was the real monster. You didn’t tell Kevin about her, did you?

FH: He knows.

HoS: Oh, that’s why he feels so confident about his Project Stigma. Such a perfect example for him to follow.

My last point about Lingshuang is her sense of humor and playfulness that’s often missed or misinterpreted by the people around her. Most people perceive her as cold, to the point where Ma Feima is surprised that she is upset he wounded Sushang, not thinking she would have genuine care for her disciple. This is partially exacerbated by the fact that her jokes are said with a straight face and taken at face value. Ex: Ma Feima was talking about his horse, and she asks him if horse meat tastes any good, which he takes as an insult rather than a joke. Sushang was uncomfortable sleeping in a bed with a man and Lingshuang remarks she’s a bad teacher for not teaching her kid sex ed jokingly, during a serious conversation. She also asks Otto to strip naked to check his wounds in a very straightforward way that confuses him. She is misunderstood a lot by the way she makes joking comments and playful jabs which she sees as affectionate, but others sometimes do not.

Tldr: Lingshuang is the strongest human being of her time who stabbed her master in the forehead, fucked off to the middle of nowhere, and accidentally became a single mom.

[h1mmel]

my silley

[h1mmel]

shattered swords continuation chapter two: 揚之水、白石皓皓

Lingshuang’s home had originally been built with the intention of only a sole occupant. There was only space meant for a single bed- the second bed which belonged to Sushang resided in what had formerly been the living area. Outside, there was a small space meant for bathing, though water had to be brought in from town, so it was not quite as luxurious a bath as most houses would sport. Water was the only thing they technically needed to make a trip to retrieve, as while Lingshuang liked to buy ingredients from town occasionally, the humbly sized-but not small- garden outside their house produced enough food for the both of them.

And now, the bathwater ran pink to the ground. Despite Lingshuang’s best effort the previous day with a damp towel to clean Sushang’s wounds, one had seeped overnight and a bit more dried blood remained in places she hadn’t reached. The young woman was still where she sat as her master washed her hair, enjoying the feeling of Lingshuang’s well manicured fingers on her scalp.

“Your bangs are growing; I’ll cut them again soon,” the older woman remarked, breaking the peaceful silence.

“Really? I like them longer,” Sushang replied, sticking her tongue out.

“You can’t fight if you can’t see your enemy.” While Sushang could not see her master’s face, she could hear the insistence in her tone of voice.

“Fineee.”

When finished, Lingshuang helped Sushang get dressed in a casual robe, taking care to make sure her hair was dry as to not chill her and cause her to catch a cold. Fall was starting to set in to the desert, bringing chilly mornings and what would soon become snow.

Sushang, when returning inside, found that the Rakshasa had still not yet woken. She stared at his still, sleeping face for a while, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest. While his condition had improved, he was far from his pristine composure that the odd foreign man usually carried about himself. While Sushang had never met a Xian, she imagined his usual self looking much like what one would be like. However, this sleeping Rakshasa looked much more human and vulnerable in such a state, despite the fact his beauty had not been affected by his injuries.

Sushang stared for long enough she did not notice the man’s eyelids fluttering, until they opened and she found herself locked in eye contact with him.

“Ahh!” she was startled, and took a step back. “Rakshasa guy, you’re awake!”

“Did he wake up?” Lingshuang’s voice came from the far side of the room.

“Yes, master, come over!”

“No need. We’ve already met.”

The blonde haired man slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, feeling dazed and still very tired. It was his first time seeing Sushang since he’d watched her body crumple lifelessly among the sands after a ruthless fight with that strange horseman. He was relieved to see her moving around without difficulty, as he doubted he had the strength to heal any more wounds using Abyss Flower currently.

“Sushang,” his voice was raspy from disuse. “Are you harmed?”

“I’m sore,” she made a face. “But nowhere as bad as you… how is your arm?”

Apparently, it was fine, as he’d forgotten about its injury until it was pointed out. A quick inspection of his hand confirmed this, wiggling each finger in succession and checking for lingering pain. He found none.

“I’ve recovered. My energy reserves are depleted, but not to the point where I’m unable to function.”

“Great! I didn't want to have to find a second coffin for you,” Sushang replied with a laugh.

“I left the other coffin outside. I didn’t want your dead friend to start decomposing and stink up the house,” Lingshuang interjected herself into the conversation from her place in their small kitchen.

“There’s no risk of such,” the Rakshasa looked mildly offended, but Lingshuang did not catch the irritation in his voice. “She is frozen.”

“Huh?!” Sushang’s eyes went wide. “Wait, but… this is the desert! Wouldn't the ice melt?”

He shook his head, “It’s a special kind of ice.”

Weird. The Rakshasa man had so many weird tricks. Just when Sushang thought she might begin to understand him, he would talk about something else unknown to her.

“He can’t stay here now that he’s recovered. Our home has little room for entertaining guests, especially strangers,” Lingshuang said to her disciple, not even turning around to speak as she was too busy preparing something in the kitchen.

“He’s not a stranger!” Sushang insisted. The Rakshasa noted how she was leaning up against one of the wooden beams that rose to the ceiling for support as her legs were trembling slightly, but did not remark on her condition.

“I understand. I will be on my way shortly.”

“Wait!” the young girl looked back and forth between her master and the blonde man. “You can't just leave! I owe you a favor for saving my life, twice now.”

“If you're in his debt, you should go with him,” Lingshuang suggested. “A poorly armed foreigner won’t make it far from here. Where are you going, anyways?”

“I’m looking for the Xian of Mount Taixuan; Sushang did say you might know something of her whereabouts.”

There was silence.

Lingshuang’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t bother. My master will not heed your audience.”

Sushang was surprised by Lingshuang’s sharp tone; it was rare for her to express her feelings so strongly. There was a stern glare in her eyes which surpassed her usual coldness. However, the Rakshasa was undeterred.

“She doesn’t have a choice; she will hear my request,” the blonde man said. “And I will find her at any cost.”

“Master, please-” Sushang was about to deploy her ultimate weapon against Lingshuang’s cold exterior: a teary voice and pleading request. The trembling lip and watery eyes filled their roles perfectly, but to her surprise, it wasn’t even necessary for persuasion.

“Sichuan, Yijian Estate. That’s where she was last, and that’s all I know. You will not speak a word of me or my whereabouts.”

“I appreciate it, and you have my word there’ll be no mention of you,” the Rakshasa affirmed.

“Are you going to kill her?”

The man shook his head. “She defeated my strongest Valkyrie; I could not if I wanted to, and I only wish to speak.”

“Valkyrie? You speak of weird things.”

“Is that like, a Western Martial Artist?” Sushang piped up. “I remember you saying that. But you’re right that he talks about weird things, Master.”

“If my child comes home speaking of weird things, I’ll know this Rakshasa is to blame.”

He was about to politely object, but then noticed Sushang swaying on her feet despite her grip on the beam. She wouldn't betray her weakness in her expression, but the Rakshasa could sense her pain nonetheless. However, Lingshuang beat him to pointing out this observation.

“Sushang, sit down or lie on the bed. You aren't well.”

“O-okay.”

Her legs were unsteady, and she would have not made it all the way to the bed had Lingshuang not quickly stepped over to catch her. Her master’s hands were covered in flour from whatever she had been cooking, but Sushang didn't ever care to protest getting it on her clothes while the older woman helped her to bed.

“Which injury is ailing you?” Lingshuang asked once Sushang was laying down.

“None… I just felt light-headed,” the girl mumbled, her exhaustion now being realized to her after she was off her feet. “I’m tired.”

“Sleep, Sushang. We can continue this conversation later.”

The young girl did not have the wherewithal to reply as her mind drifted away from consciousness, and her breathing evened out. Lingshuang watched her sleep for a good moment before noticing a dusting of flour she’d accidentally gotten in the girl’s hair, and went to find a towel to clean it.

“Is she alright?” the Rakshasa was concerned, but not enough to get up and check on her. While he didn't feel as if he were badly injured, he knew standing up was going to be an ordeal he wasn't ready for yet.

“She needs to sleep. Her injuries aren’t that severe, but she’s never been hurt like this before,” Lingshuang replied, “I imagine she’s putting on a tough face.”

“If you give me more Qi energy, I can use my Abyss Flower to heal her.”

Lingshuang pondered on the offer for a moment.

“Perhaps. Let me think for a while; if her condition hasn’t improved by tomorrow, I’ll consider it.”

“Ah, so you'll let me stay until tomorrow?” the Rakshasa asked.

“You can stay until she is recovered enough to leave. That is, assuming you’ll allow her to go with you?”

“She’s your child, so I should be the one asking permission,” he said, his long hair swishing against his robes when he shook his head.

“To ignore an owed debt is to disgrace the person you owe it to. That’s how I raised her, and that’s how I expect her to behave.”

“Are you her master or her mother?” the Rakshasa man chuckled lightly.

“I’ve cared for her for longer than her mother did,” Lingshuang looked as if she were about to say something else, but stopped. “That is all.”

“Well, I would be honored to have her company, as long as you’ll allow it.”

Lingshuang’s affirmation had already been given, so she offered no further response.

–

-20 years prior-

Mount Taixuan smelled of smoke.

Ash burned the eyes of the white-haired Rakshasi as she made the trek up the mountain path to where the Xian’s temple lay. Still, her determination did not waver regardless, bound by a duty to find the truth and speak with the person who knew it.

The Xian couldn't die in a fire. The Rakshasi had seen her command fire as if it were her own blood, and had lost to it herself in battle. She hadn't stood a chance against the flames of Taixu that had burned relentlessly for thousands of years.

The Xian could not die in a fire, so the Rakshasi did not let herself fall to doubt.

Onward she trekked, step by step, until she finally reached the pavilion nestled near the mountain’s peak. Here, she found the building in flames.

But she was not alone.

A beautiful girl no older than eighteen kneeled next to a motionless form on the ground. There was blood and chunks of metal- soulium- covering the ground, and crimson seeped through the clothes of the body that lay still.

The Rakshasi could not see their face from her vantage point.

However, the young woman turned at the sound of footsteps, and she was then able to catch a better look at her face. Tears filled her eyes, and hair a dark shade of brown spilled over her shoulders and down her back. She wore a purple dress which was stained with blood, yet bore no tears or signs of injury.

It wasn’t her blood.

The young woman said something to her in the language of Shenzhou, which she did not understand. However, she took this as a becoming due to her tone, and slowly approached.

It was when she kneeled beside the two that she finally got a glimpse of the body’s face.

The Xian whom she had faced in the past had a gaping wound in her forehead partially covered by bangs stained with blood. It took the Rakshasi a moment to recognize her due to the severity of her injury.

“She’s-”

Behind the two, she was unaware of the blade which manifested itself into the hands of the crying young woman. It was an elegantly designed spear, with black and white patterns covering the metal in intricate shapes. This blade was not meant for battle due to its delicate structure, but it was extremely powerful in other ways nonetheless.

Words seeped into the Rakshasi’s mind like ink, and despite the fact she couldn't understand them, the meaning was not lost to her.

You will not remember this.

When you arrived here, there was nothing but fire and an abandoned pair of glaives. You will take them with you and keep them safe.

Nothing else you see here will be remembered.

The Rakshasi, unable to find the person she sought, fled eastward after leaving Shenzhou. She did not know where the golden gloves that had seen many battles had come from, but she carried them close with her regardless.

Qin Suyi had watched the woman leave with an unreadable expression, clutching her fallen master’s hand to her chest and trying to ignore the way she could feel the broken bones in her fingers as she held it. The fire had been drawing in closer, so she couldn't have lingered. Once enough distance had been put between her and the foreign woman, she’d begin her descent of the mountain with her master for the last time.

[h1mmel]

Art credits to zertudine and mikiyuuz on twitter, I commissioned art of my sillies 😎

[hwmiobutanotherone]

fu hua's 5th disciple