wandering the internet

[xuxunette]

Chapter 65, 66, and 67 posted

The end to the Luoyang arc.

Startled Souls

Wherein there is sweetness. Warning: though the passage is written in a comic tone and WKX's inner voice is related from the POV of a sarcas

A Nocturnal Assaults

An action-packed chapter.

The Parting of Ways

Wherein ZCL gets a major level up.

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Chapters 61 to 64 posted.

Reunion time with Gu Xiang and Cao Weining, Lord Seventh/Great Shaman. Also, ZZS officially falls in love. Took only 60+ chapters.

The Ambuscade

A plotty chapter that didn't make it into the show. Though I see why, as this chapter is obviously comedic which may not have fitted well wi

Equilibrium

A chapter setting things up with the return of Lord Seventh/Great Shaman.

The Nights Before

Dog bites therein. Getting back into the melancholy groove I favour. Also, aww. Happy New Year world! "Two" is a homophone of "love" in Chin

A Deadly Gamble

I love the WKX/Gu Xiang relationship. I think I may ship them harder (platonically) than even ZZS/WKX.

[xuxunette]

Chapter 59 and 60 posted.

Plotty chapters with tender tidbits.

Reacquaintance

Pretty cute interaction wherein. My heart panged.

Husbands and Wives

A pretty plotty chapter. Thank you

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Chapter 57 and 58

I like this story arc a lot, it's pretty light and so deeply wuxia.

The Gambler

Wherein there is gambling.

Thrills

Wherein there is pornography...

[xuxunette]

JKR is not transphobic and you shouldn't be either

So, I've recently witnessed a series of opinions that baffles me.

Women born with a female reproductive system experience a series of challenges that are unique to us.

Historically, we are a group of people oppressed because of our reproductive system. Kept hidden in the gynaeceum to bear children, refused the right to education, refused the right to vote, forcibly bodily mutilated (excision) etc.

That, in the interest of patriarchal societies.

These inequalities and injustices still exist.

Trying to address the unique challenges women born with a female reproductive system faces is not trying to exclude people who weren't born with a female reproductive system, the same way that addressing the challenges women with breast cancer face is not exclusive of patients who suffer from another type of cancer.

Genderfluidity should not be oppressive to women's rights.

I do believe trans people know that, and I also believe the episodic buzz around JKR being transphobic is not well thought out and come from gut reactions that are well-meaning but misguided (I hope).

So no, I don't believe that trying to help biological women around the world with the unique problem of menstruation is transphobic or detrimental to women who don't menstruate. And saying so is hurtful to many people who are less fortunate than you, the audience of the English speaking internet.

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About Zhang Zhehan and his blacklisting

Although a long time slash fan, I don't watch a lot of tv/series and got sucked into Word of Honour probably only because my country was still in quarantine at the time of its diffusion. Then, I began reading Tian Ya Ke and fell in love with priest's writing: a unique blend of fast-paced, off-the-cuff humour and high brow literary references that subverts expectations from the traditional wuxia genre at every turn of phrase, not only in subject matter but also in style. I decided to translate it because it was just too brilliant not to share, and also as a personal challenge. The above is to say that I'm not really invested in "fandom" and rarely ever browse corresponding media, which explain why I learned about what happened to Zhou Zishu's actor, Zhang Zhehan, only a few days ago (check controversy section on his Wikipedia page). My view on the matter is that his being black-listed by the Chinese government is to be directly tied to the September 2nd communiqué from the Chinese media censorship bureau that tightens state control on the showbusiness industry and the content it produces. The 9/2 communiqué condemns, amongst other things, representations of "effeminate men" and promise strict crackdowns on "immoral" public figures (stars who don't have appropriate political opinions, "vulgar" internet celebrities, immoral personal conducts, etc.). With the content of that communiqué in mind, it is then easy to recognise the Chinese government modus operandi: they made an example out of Zhang Zhehan before making its policy official to strike fear first. Indeed, Zhang Zhehan fits the bill perfectly: vaguely sulfurous personal life with allegedly many girlfriends, has exposed his relatively luxurious lifestyle on social media, is apparently friend with controversial Japanese people, AND has starred in a show where the sexual orientation of the character he plays is questionable, while simultaneously being famous enough to send a strong signal that nobody is untouchable.

To convince you of this, consider that the photo used to indict him as "un-patriotic" date from 2018. Besides a renewed sense of horror at what a government can do to an individual who clearly didn't see it coming since the rules didn't exist (and even though I don't consider myself a "fan" of Zhang Zehan), the ramifications of that communiqué are many. I'll speak on one of the issues close to my heart and which is relevant to this translation. The use of the term "effeminate" — 娘炮, lit. "girl(y) gun" — in the official communiqué as a derogative term to categorize certain people the government deem improper is deeply offensive to me. Not only because it is insulting to LGBT or non-LGBT people who choose to look a certain way, but because it implies that there is something fundamentally wrong with feminity, with womanhood. The censorship bureau went ahead with that communiqué while the Chinese Women's Journal has denounced the use of the term as derogative to women back in 2017. To me, this exemplifies the current outright macho atmosphere of Chinese governance, and how it is wholly contemptuous of the female voice. It nauseates me, and I'm further convinced that the crackdown on danmei material that has already taken place/will continue as a consequence of the 9/2 communique is fundamentally an issue of sexism. Indeed, as with so-called "effeminate" idols, the BL/danmei's explosion with its alternative representation of masculinity is entirely generated by a female fanbase and the male stars it has propelled to stardom unabashedly surf on female purchasing power — make-up endorsed by Zhan Zhehan has reportedly sold out in hours. (Tangentially, Zhang Zhehan's manager, Zhao Wei, is a successful woman who has likewise been deleted from the public eyes. Another fact that must have pissed off the Chinese government: a man working for a woman!)

At the root, BL/danmei as a genre is made by women for women. It features characters that speak to the female sensibilities, intellectual inclinations, romantic and sexual imagination. It is a genre that produces brilliance and outright crap alike, with content that sometimes shocks even me. But it is a genre that represents women's desires in a world dominated by representations of male wants. Although I'd be the first one to point out the cynic realities of fan culture in China, stifling women's right to buy views of pretty men in make-up when you are basically contractually obligated to wear make-up if you were born with a vagina on this earth, whether in China or in the West — how droll is that? Stifling women's right to produce and buy content with two dudes getting it on, when you can't escape cleavage/legs shots in ads that are aimed at producing erections every two minutes of content viewed on the net/tv, even when you live in China — how droll is that? In short, although I do not currently live in China, my ovaries of which I am not ashamed are offended by the Chinese government's language and new direction. And I'm glad I've picked up this translation, to share a little gem that is part of the female imagination.

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Chapter 55 translated

Finished Vol. II. Onto Vol. III.

Wherein there are husbands and wives. First chapter of volume III, "Sewing Another's Wedding Dress". The volume titles for v.II and v.III ar

[xuxunette]

Chapter 50 to 53 translated

It's definitively getting slowly steamier. I actually didn't think there would be that much romance stuff going into the novel since priest's writing has a reputation of being "clean".

Link to last translated chapter: New Year

Wherein there is warmies and fuzzies... A lovely chapter. Also, I've been made aware that the site doesn't work in the Wix app on mobiles. S

[xuxunette]

Chapter 47, 48, and 49 translated.

The equivalent to the puppets arc from the show.

Why don't people stay where they are safe when they end up in a dangerous place?

Wherein WKX toes the line. I think everything up to now was pretty much WKX being a prat, but this is the chapter he gets real.

Wherein there is comedy. Perhaps a warning: priest tends to make fun of physical deformities and there is some in this chapter. Although, it

[xuxunette]

Chapter 45 and 46 translated

Two light chapters in which the boys act comfy around each other, and I continue to heart Zhang Chengling.

I enjoyed the quietness in this chapter. Novel Wen Kexing is kinda more broody/less theatrical when he gets sad. Also, I just like Zhang Che

Wherein ZZS should ask himself why he is sticking around with that guy. (My bet is, of course, HE GOTS THE HOTS FOR WKX).

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Chapter 43 and 44 translated

The Rescue - Shuzhong

Two very chinese chapters.

Wherein there is fighting and ZZS proves he's totally fine with being in a danmei.

Wherein Ye Baiyi knows what's up.

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Chapter 41 and 42 translated

Despair - The Big Fuss

Lovely chapters. Great read for internal musing that didn't make it to the screen in the show.

Wherein the author pulls at us readers' heartstrings. (And I love it.)

Very enjoyable chapter, I hope I did it justice enough. Also, we all know the answer is: since a certain WKX appeared in your life.

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Chapter 40 translated

The Seventh Lord

Overall, Gu Xiang has better kung-fu in the novel than she does in the show.

This scene has been entirely cut from the show. Not to spoil but seems like Zhang Chengling has a boy crush.

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Chapter 39 translated

The Fugitives

I always like some Gu Xiang action.

An action sequence in which ZCL (kinda) levels up. I really like ZCL in the novel.

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Chapter 37 and 38 translated

The Farce - The Ambush

I like how so many elements were actually kept from the original text and made it to the show.

I wonder what would WKX's reaction would be if ZZS just "yeah, alright let's get together". Also lengthy note at the end.

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Chapters 35 and 36 translated

The Green Temptress / No Regrets

Love Zhang Chengling in the novel. I have a completely different mental image of him now.

I liked this chapter because I'm a sucker for angst in between action and comedy. ZCL is great in the novel. Be warned for brief suicidal id

[xuxunette]

Chapter 34 translated

Temptation

Background explanation on the books hidden by the Crystal Armour. And WKX getting peeved.

Wherein ZZS gets... tempted.