#moxiantongxiu

[huachengdaddy]

To be honest I feel a little for Qi Rong.

Like, imagine: you're minding your own evil business in your own evil lair and then two people you absolutely despise break into your house, steal your dinner and THEN they take turns beating the shit out of you as means of bonding romantically.

I would be mad too.

[huachengdaddy]

TGCF SPOILERS

While watching seasons two of TGCF, I noticed something that made me think about this post instantly.

I think people fail to understand just how powerful Jun Wu really is. And I know many TGCF fans think that Xie Lian won against him because

Now, as the previous post, this too is, of course, a possible spoiler: don't say I didn't warn you.

Do you remember how Xie Lian reacted when Lang Qianqiu told him that he would never become like him? That he stayed good despite what Xie Lian supposedly did to him in order to ruin his life the same way that Xie Lian's life was ruined?

And do you remember how Jun Wu reacted when Xie Lian "beat" him? When he proved to him that he wasn't like him, that he wouldn't let himself be tarnished?

Do you see the parallels???

This is exactly why I believe that Jun Wu let himself be taken down, why he knew that it was time for him to step down and repent for the pain he made everyone go through.

[huachengdaddy]

I love how the donghua team is working... All the easter eggs and the additional scenes 🥺

[huachengdaddy]

I think that the best part about TGCF is the fact that you get to know the characters as you'd do with real people.

For example, when reading the first chapters, all you know about Xie Lian is that he ascended thrice and that both his earlier ascensions were a disaster. ‘He's quite a loser,’ you think, ‘and he doesn't even have any cool powers’. The narrative doesn't really describe his thought process in depth, or maybe he's just not thinking about much. He doesn't really like to reminisce about old times, nor does he dwell too much on anything: he's not in the place to anyways, right?

Still, going through the Ban Yue and the Ghost City arcs, you start to understand that maybe he's not as clueless and gullible as you initially thought. He's still a bit of a loser, though, and maybe he's too insecure about his own abilities.

But then, when he comes between Hua Cheng and Lang QianQiu and blocks E'Ming's blow, something finally snaps. You don't understand what's going on anymore. ‘How did he do that? Without any spiritual powers, too. What's happening?’

And then Paradise Manor is on fire and Xie Lian is being swept away by the Wind Master Fan and his thoughts are getting darker and darker and Lang QianQiu accuses him of murdering his family and challenges him to a sword fight.

And Xie Lian finally snaps.

If he were to fight one of the strongest Martial Gods without his spiritual powers and with an injured arm, the latter will die, he says. And there he is, the real Xie Lian. The strong, morally grey, merciless but oh so extremely kind Xie Lian. The angry, Xie Lian, the grieving Xie Lian. The merciful Xie Lian, the foolish Xie Lian.

That's when you start to know him.

It's a bit like getting to know someone through rumors and slowly approaching them. You don't know much about this person at first, and they don't really tell you much, either. But then, one day, you've earned their trust, and learn they're nothing like what everyone else thought.

And that, my fellas, truly is beautiful.

(I'd like to clarify that this, though generalized, was MY interpretation of the evolution of the narrative. I'm obviously not trying to force my views on others)

[huachengdaddy]

TGCF SPOILERS

I think people fail to understand just how powerful Jun Wu really is.

And I know many TGCF fans think that Xie Lian won against him because he was stronger thanks to the power of love (or the devotion of Fafa, which is kind of the same thing), the fact that he had a secret move Jun Wu didn't know and all that, and it is partly true.

I also know that many picture him as the absolute villain of the story, as reflected in many fictional works.

This last part never sat right with me, so I spent some time thinking about it.

Jun Wu is extremely powerful, even without his armour.

In fact, Xie Lian had never managed to injure him in his Bai Wuxiang form.

But then, in the final battle, he seemed to lose all power and will to fight as soon as his armour was pierced. This didn't sit right with me, either.

Now, I think I understand why. It took me two years to actually put this thought into words (good job, me).

Jun Wu wasn't bad, per se.

Xie Lian's whole experience is the retelling of Jun Wu's story, with a slight but decisive difference. And well, Xie Lian isn't bad.

Jun Wu was lonely and driven to madness. He suffered for his people, did all that he could for them and still ended up being trampled by the ones he tried to protect. Once he fell, he was desperate and faced with difficult choices.

But in his desperation and madness, he was ready to do it all to save the common people. This is why he ended up killing three of his closest friends.

Then, it was Xie Lian's turn.

Xie Lian didn't act much differently.

I'm not saying that he would've sacrificed Feng Xin and Mu Qing, but he was also never faced with a Volcano that needed human sacrifices to be placated.

Jun Wu wanted someone to understand him. So he made Xie Lian go through the same experiences as him. In his own morbid way, he wanted to get someone to accept him for how he is. Only a person who shared the same fate was worthy of being his successor.

He was determined to make him lose everything, to make him understand.

But Xie Lian had the one thing he didn't have. Unconditional love. And an apology.

People who helped him when he was at his worst. One person who didn't leave. And that one person was enough to change it all.

So then, when his armour was finally pierced, Jun Wu realized.

Xie Lian understood him, but still managed to make the right choice. He had been like him, but despite it all, there were people who still loved and accepted him. Despite the pain, he remained kind.

And there was someone out there who accepted Jun Wu for who he was, as well.

He had found his successor. The only person who was worthy of ruling the Heavens.

It was finally time for him to let it go and repent for his sins.

So he did.

[huachengdaddy]

Fanon Xie Lian: uwu baby, must be protected, an absolute bottom

Canon Xie Lian: absolutely done with everyone's shit, frustrated, anger issues but can keep them under control, sassy, a bit fake but will help even if he dislikes you because he's too kind, knows he's better than you but will keep it to himself, superiority and inferiority complex mixed in with a god complex for obvious reasons, too depressed and old to even care anymore, smarter and less oblivious than he lets on, daddy energy, could absolutely top

[huachengdaddy]

The whole TGCF thing started like this (spoilers):

XL: *exists*

JW: hmmm, he's a bit too similar to me, but I guess I'll let it slide.

XL: *kills the ghost on the bridge*

XL: live, laugh, love

JW: ...

JW: *puts mask on* now you've done it, kid.

...

XL: *two years later*

(ik this has already been done, but it's funny, ok?)

[huachengdaddy]

What the book says:

What I see: