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Wangji‘s punishment - thoughts
Feb. 25th, 2024 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mekareSo, given that I haven‘t read the extras and haven‘t watched the drama, where things might be portrayed differently, what are your thoughts on Wangji's punishment? Specifically, did it happen with Lan Xichen‘s knowledge and/or consent?
I am of two minds about it. On the one hand I think Lan Xichen would do anything for his brother and probably bend or break rules for him. The Lan Elders probably knew or suspected this and might have gone behind his back, or left some specifics unclear by design.
On the other hand, as sect leader there are such high expectations of setting an example that he might have felt pressured to agree to such a harsh punishment to not be accused of favoritism.
All this is of course leaving out what Wangji himself said/thought about it.
What do you think?
I am of two minds about it. On the one hand I think Lan Xichen would do anything for his brother and probably bend or break rules for him. The Lan Elders probably knew or suspected this and might have gone behind his back, or left some specifics unclear by design.
On the other hand, as sect leader there are such high expectations of setting an example that he might have felt pressured to agree to such a harsh punishment to not be accused of favoritism.
All this is of course leaving out what Wangji himself said/thought about it.
What do you think?
Wen Ning art
Feb. 21st, 2024 06:45 pmmekarePreview: 
For chapter 7 of a fic by soliloqui in which Wen Ning receives a jade token to be able to enter Cloud Recesses post-canon.
For chapter 7 of a fic by soliloqui in which Wen Ning receives a jade token to be able to enter Cloud Recesses post-canon.
wearing_tearingI've recently read some new-to-me (maybe old-to-others) MDZS/CQL fics and wanted to share them:
ask until your heart gets it right by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Stratisphyre | Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan, Minor Relationships. 6,828 words. Rated G.
deliciousblizzardshark | Lan Qiren & Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. 8,629 words. Rated G.
apathyinreverie | Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. 13,258 words. Rated T.
diamondbruise | Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. 21,357 words. Rated E.
ask until your heart gets it right by
The thing of it was: Jin Zixuan did not enjoy the giving of gifts.The stuffed bunny, the beautiful nephew, and other gifts from Lan Qiren by
An account wherein, while trying to do something nice for his wife, Jin Zixuan (completely accidentally) fixes everyone's problems.
Wei Ying was pretty sure his next door neighbor Lan Qiren hated him until he adopted A-Yuan. Now he’s bringing by disgustingly healthy food, taking Wei Ying and A-Yuan to family dinners, and let’s not even mention the nephews he keeps hinting Wei Ying should meet. Is it possible Wei Ying, consummate orphan, has found a family in his grumpy old neighbor?The blame game by
Wei Ying doesn’t know what to make of it when, after he so publicly confronts the Jins, his staunchest supporter turns out to be… Zewu-jun?Back to Bite One by
(Or, Lan Xichen time travels, immediately goes about fixing things, and promptly confuses the fuck out of everyone along the way.)
“’Yes.’” Lan Sizhui’s fingers stilled for a moment, perhaps surprised for having gotten an answer after all. He then asked, “Why?”
As the spirit replied in music, the Lans in the room started frowning slightly, clearly confused.
’Two of you have committed wrongdoing’,” the junior said, his concern evident. “What wrongdoing?”
The notes turned even sharper, though the response was short. Immediately, Wei Wuxian could tell there was something off about it. Lan Zhan stiffened, and the kids’ eyes widened, their faces reddening. Lan Sizhui, who was blushing furiously, played the same notes again, as if making sure he’d heard right.
or, lwj, wwx and a couple of lan disciples get stuck in a haunted manor
dragongirlgHappy Valentine's Day! Have a new wangxian fic in the Modern Diaspora 'Verse!
the sacred simplicity (of you at my side)
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 6K
Warnings: None
Please enjoy!
the sacred simplicity (of you at my side)
After thirteen years on the run, Wei Ying is finally returning home on a flight from Singapore to the United States. He doesn't expect his old friend Lan Zhan to be the first person he encounters on his journey. Sparks fly as they rekindle their bond on the ground and in the skies.Featuring:
- Mutual pining
- Getting together
- The magic of liminal spaces
- There was only one bed…Because wangxian made it so
- Artist Wei Ying
- Cameo by Jiang Cheng in the form of instant messages
- Chinese diaspora feels
- Singapore Airlines Suites Class and the Changi Airport Private Room (first class lounge)
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 6K
Warnings: None
Please enjoy!
dragongirlgHello friends! Here's some cool fannish things I did in 2022 related to MDZS/CQL: I went on the Fanfic Maverick Podcast (![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
fanficmaverickpodcast) to discuss two of my CQL fics: 忍辱负重 | to bear the burden of humiliation, CQL-based wangxian warprize whump AU in which Wen Xu takes Lan Wangji as his warprize and Wen Chao takes Wei Wuxian as his, and Ghost Feathers, an AU set in a world where everyone has wings, which focuses on Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji searching for Wei Wuxian during the Sunshot Campaign. Link to the podcast episode here. I modded the MXTX Diaspora May 2022 event, which features MXTX fanworks written by Chinese diaspora from various corners of the fandom. I also wrote a fic for it:
I started setting up my own translation site on wordpress, even bought my own domain for it (dragongirlgtl). Launched this week!![[wordpress.com profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/1225b00cee13/-/s.wordpress.org/about/images/wpmini-blue.png)
dragongirlgtl.com
Speaking of translations, I did a quite a bit in 2022! MDZS chapter translations & MDZS snippets linked below the cut.
( List of translations! )
I also did several multimedia fanworks and collabs in MDZS/CQL fandom. I primarily wrote fic and contributed a bit of podfic. I really find collaborating so rewarding and fun, it such a delight to create something with another person who shares the love for the characters and story.
( several fics under the cut! )
Here's hoping 2023 will go smoothly and give all of us even more joy in this fandom!
- 知往鉴今 | through the mirror of days past (E, 3K, CNTW with underage masturbation and no underage sex): Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. Modern diaspora 'verse. Lan Zhan performs an original guqin piece at the Cloud Recesses summer camp talent show, then encounters Wei Ying in a qipao and desperately seeks relief for his body's urges.
I started setting up my own translation site on wordpress, even bought my own domain for it (dragongirlgtl). Launched this week!
dragongirlgtl.com Speaking of translations, I did a quite a bit in 2022! MDZS chapter translations & MDZS snippets linked below the cut.
( List of translations! )
I also did several multimedia fanworks and collabs in MDZS/CQL fandom. I primarily wrote fic and contributed a bit of podfic. I really find collaborating so rewarding and fun, it such a delight to create something with another person who shares the love for the characters and story.
( several fics under the cut! )
Here's hoping 2023 will go smoothly and give all of us even more joy in this fandom!
New CQL/MDZS fic!
Oct. 4th, 2022 06:40 pmsunshine304Keep Holding On (Don't Let Go)
American Ninja Warrior meets The Untamed, basically.
Read on AO3.
Chapters: 2/21 posted. Fic is complete, updates 2x/week
Words: ~50k total
Rating: Teen
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji
Characters: Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Wen Qing, Wen Ning, Lan Xichen & others
Additional Tags: American Ninja Warrior AU, Modern setting, Alternative Universe – TV Shows, Yunmeng Brothers reconciliation, WangXian getting (back) together, (not that they ever actually broke up but…), pining, a bit of Identity Porn, a bit of angst, future fic, kissing, implied sexual content, background NieLan, background XuanLi
Summary:
Ten years ago, Wei Wuxian wowed the “X Warrior” community and fans with his amazing debut. Everyone thought he was the show’s next big star, but after just two seasons he vanished into thin air, a scandal destroying his relationship to his family and his reputation. Even his fellow competitor and closest friend Lan Wangji never heard from him again.
Now, in the 16th Season of “X Warrior”, an exciting new athlete has entered the competition. Obscuring his face behind a mask, he is only known as the “Yiling Laozu”. He’s ready to beat the course and perhaps even make it to the National Finals in Beijing. All eyes are on him – first and foremost Lan Wangji’s, who has a curious sense of déjà vu when he sees the Yiling Laozu on the course…
I started writing this fic last December, because I was inspired by René Casselly winning "Ninja Warrior Germany", being the first to achieve total victory here. My mind immediately went, "What if the MDZS characters were on the show? What if WWX participated as a masked competitor after a long break?" and here we are, almost a year later! XD
It is not necessary to know the show, I will provide gif links or explanations where there's need for them. The prologue chapter also has, uhm, extensive notes on the show in general! "X Warrior" ( 极限勇士) was what the show was called in China - the one season that exists of it. XD
salinea(hope it's ok to post a meta I wrote a while ago but archiving on dw right now)
In fanfiction, it is extremely frequent to see Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng refer to one another as “brother”, either in dialogue, or described as such through the narrative. This always struck me as hitting the wrong note, because in the actual narrative of Mo Dao Zu Shi there is not a single instance where the word “brother” is used to refer to one another, not even once.
Yet it is obvious why fanfics go there. It does fittingly describe the nature of their relationship. Wei Wuxian was brought back to Yunmeng by Jiang Fengmian to be raised by him in a way that looks much more like an adoption than anything. It is probable that the main reason that he didn’t formally adopt Wei Wuxian was because Yu Ziyuan would never have stood by it. Despite her opposition and her worry that Wei Wuxian might usurp Jiang Cheng’s place as heir to the sect, it is obvious that Wei Wuxian wasn’t treated as a servant (as the son of a servant) or as a simple disciple. He was part of the family unit in more ways than not, and they grew up close and their relationship displayed a kind of intimacy and rivalry that is typical of brotherhood.
( Fake cut )
In fanfiction, it is extremely frequent to see Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng refer to one another as “brother”, either in dialogue, or described as such through the narrative. This always struck me as hitting the wrong note, because in the actual narrative of Mo Dao Zu Shi there is not a single instance where the word “brother” is used to refer to one another, not even once.
Yet it is obvious why fanfics go there. It does fittingly describe the nature of their relationship. Wei Wuxian was brought back to Yunmeng by Jiang Fengmian to be raised by him in a way that looks much more like an adoption than anything. It is probable that the main reason that he didn’t formally adopt Wei Wuxian was because Yu Ziyuan would never have stood by it. Despite her opposition and her worry that Wei Wuxian might usurp Jiang Cheng’s place as heir to the sect, it is obvious that Wei Wuxian wasn’t treated as a servant (as the son of a servant) or as a simple disciple. He was part of the family unit in more ways than not, and they grew up close and their relationship displayed a kind of intimacy and rivalry that is typical of brotherhood.
( Fake cut )
The MDZS novel readalong - chapter 7
Mar. 7th, 2022 08:19 amsoloSorry about the delay!
This week we have Chapter 7 The Morning Dew (web serialization chapters 28-32)
1) They discuss the curse. Wei Wuxian can't say how big or small the mark it and offers to strip. Lan Zhan: "Strip after we return." The man knows what he wants.
2) Wei Wuxian acted mad in order to disguise himself and get away, but now that he knows Lan Zhan knew who he was he's not too bothered by his 'embarrassing' actions, just prefers not to mention them. Right.
3) Wei Wuxian likes using Lan Zhan's august title, partly for fun. In his head he calls him Lan Zhan, though.
4) They agree that the person throwing the arm and the person dismembering Nie Mingjue are not the same.
5) Wei Wuxian springs the song question. Lan Zhan is not helpful. Dude, the love of your life was comatose when you sang to him, give him a break!
6) (a) They need info and Lan Zhan is going to contact the nearest cultivator clan. Wei Wuxian says no, wine houses work better. I think in the series this happened in his first life. (b) Wei Wuxian offers to outdrink a waiter on Lan Zhan's dime. (c) Lan Zhan looks so divine that a waiter scrubs a table for him extra hard. (d) they get told the story of Xue Yang and the Chang Clan. (e) The waiter considers the Yiling Laozu a prime suspect. Ouch.
7) Waiter thinks the Yiling Laozu's real name is Wei Wuqian... Wei-no-money. Lan Zhan is totes ready to leave. Wei Wuxian doesn't actually finish all the booze (wtf?) but keeps it there for later. The waiter gets very friendly until he notices Lan Zhan stares him down. Waiter: "Look at the way he’s glaring, you’d think I was putting my arm around his wife…" Got it in one.
8) Wei Wuxian wins a drink bet but winning involved the waiter taking his name, and now that it's been mentioned, it would be suspicious. So Wei Wuxian claims his name is Lan. Of course!
9) Lan Zhan tells him about the Chang massacre and potential involvement of Xiao Xingchen. Then there's lots of exposition about Baoshan Sanren. Finally, they note that Xue Yang was kept alive by the Jins in order to restore the Yin tiger tally. There's lots of exposition about that, too.
10) Exposition about the Jin Clan keeping Xue Yang, about Nie Mingjue qi deviating, about Chang Ping changing his testimony, about Xue Yang being released to pester Xiao Xingchen and killing everyone at Song Lan's temple (because he can't get at Baoshan Sanren).
11) Wei Wuxian is a bit surprised that nobody does anything about either Xue Yang or the Jin Clan. He remembers Lan Zhan being outspoken in opposition, but knows now he doesn't go to conferences. He remembers the scars and wonders.
12) Lots of thinking and wondering, but they go out to the Chang Manor eventually and there's lots of banging --- Chang cultivators banging on their coffins from the inside. And someone's digging a grave. Well, sometwos... "the two were firmly attached to one another like conjoined babies, with one carrying the other on their back." Huh, bizarre.
13) Okay, one of them is a corpse. That makes more sense. Wei Wuxian notices that the live one is very familiar with Lan sword moves. He's also got a transportation talisman. Wei Wuxian 'hurriedly struck out twice with his palm, then bent one knee, smashing a fist on the ground'. Not sure how to picture the palm-striking here.
14) 'The power of his punch penetrated through layer after layer of earth, reaching the deepest part of the soil and piercing through the thick coffin lids.' Dudes, that's not where coffins are. Anyway, ghost arms shoot up to grab the gravedigger's legs; he counters and gets away but loses his corpse buddy. Oops.
15) Corpse is half fake (it's limbs are limp, lol) but the torso is real. Lan Zhan sticks it inna pouch. They ponder the identity of the gravedigger but Lan Zhan is pretty sure it's not any of his relatives.
16) Wei Wuxian's pub is still open, his booze waiting for him. The rest of the Xiao Xingchen tale is waiting too, and we learn that people have attempted to summon his soul, but got no response. Wei Wuxian, an expert in the field, says that doesn't necessarily mean much.
17) They both decide not to judge whether the Chang Ping story is true because 'no one should presumptuously judge anything before understanding the inside story and the sequence of events.' Here is the moral of our tale!
18) So they drink, instead. Wei Wuxian quizzes Lan Zhan over the Emperor's smile in the Jingshi, but all Lan Zhan says it that he never touched any of it. Then he drinks a cup of wine and falls asleep. Wei Wuxian feels cheated out of seeing drunk Lan Zhan. Of course, there was no Cloud Recesses noncon drinking...
19) Wei Wuxian, 'infinitely used to fishing things out from Lan Wangji's person', takes his money and gets them two rooms. Yes, two, sadly. It says right there, sadly. He tucks Lan Zhan into bed and goes looking for Wen Ning. Because Wen Ning killed Lan cultivators, he's been too embarrassed to summon him with Lan Zhan around.
20) Wei Wuxian reflects that 'certain' clans are very keen on the Yin Tiger Tally and equally keen to have the Ghost General at their command. He gets rid of the nails in Wen Ning's head, and plans to get rid of the chains with Bichen, and then Lan Zhan is right there, how awkward. Wei Wuxian wonders if he only faked being drunk.
21) Lan Zhan slaps Wen Ning, and then tells him sulkily to go away. When he's at some distance, Lan Zhan cheers up. Wei Wuxian notes that his boots are on the wrong feet. Then Lan Zhan drops his sword. Yep, drunk, even if he denies it like drunk people always do.
22) Wei Wuxian has experienced many drunk people, but not this type: 'quiet, composed, upstanding in appearance but incomparabaly weird in action.' Wen Ning has approached again and Lan Zhan hits him again and tells him to go away. Wei Wuxian is about the play the flute to send him away but Lan Zhan snatches it away. 'You are not allowed to play for him.' Jealousyyyyyyy! But Wei Wuxian thinks he probably just dislikes his cultivation. He whistles and poor Wen Ning trundles off.
23) Lan Zhan hugs Wei Wuxian and asks him to listen to his heartbeat. Wei Wuxian decides to drag him back to the inn, puts him on the bed, takes off his headband and starts to wipe his face with a damp cloth; he tickles his chin and asks him if he's good looking. When he asks if Lan Zhan wants some water, Lan Zhan dunks his face in the bucket with the water Wei Wuxian had just used, to Wei Wuxian's alarm.
And now we wait a few months to see what happens next. Will there be chickens?
This week we have Chapter 7 The Morning Dew (web serialization chapters 28-32)
1) They discuss the curse. Wei Wuxian can't say how big or small the mark it and offers to strip. Lan Zhan: "Strip after we return." The man knows what he wants.
2) Wei Wuxian acted mad in order to disguise himself and get away, but now that he knows Lan Zhan knew who he was he's not too bothered by his 'embarrassing' actions, just prefers not to mention them. Right.
3) Wei Wuxian likes using Lan Zhan's august title, partly for fun. In his head he calls him Lan Zhan, though.
4) They agree that the person throwing the arm and the person dismembering Nie Mingjue are not the same.
5) Wei Wuxian springs the song question. Lan Zhan is not helpful. Dude, the love of your life was comatose when you sang to him, give him a break!
6) (a) They need info and Lan Zhan is going to contact the nearest cultivator clan. Wei Wuxian says no, wine houses work better. I think in the series this happened in his first life. (b) Wei Wuxian offers to outdrink a waiter on Lan Zhan's dime. (c) Lan Zhan looks so divine that a waiter scrubs a table for him extra hard. (d) they get told the story of Xue Yang and the Chang Clan. (e) The waiter considers the Yiling Laozu a prime suspect. Ouch.
7) Waiter thinks the Yiling Laozu's real name is Wei Wuqian... Wei-no-money. Lan Zhan is totes ready to leave. Wei Wuxian doesn't actually finish all the booze (wtf?) but keeps it there for later. The waiter gets very friendly until he notices Lan Zhan stares him down. Waiter: "Look at the way he’s glaring, you’d think I was putting my arm around his wife…" Got it in one.
8) Wei Wuxian wins a drink bet but winning involved the waiter taking his name, and now that it's been mentioned, it would be suspicious. So Wei Wuxian claims his name is Lan. Of course!
9) Lan Zhan tells him about the Chang massacre and potential involvement of Xiao Xingchen. Then there's lots of exposition about Baoshan Sanren. Finally, they note that Xue Yang was kept alive by the Jins in order to restore the Yin tiger tally. There's lots of exposition about that, too.
10) Exposition about the Jin Clan keeping Xue Yang, about Nie Mingjue qi deviating, about Chang Ping changing his testimony, about Xue Yang being released to pester Xiao Xingchen and killing everyone at Song Lan's temple (because he can't get at Baoshan Sanren).
11) Wei Wuxian is a bit surprised that nobody does anything about either Xue Yang or the Jin Clan. He remembers Lan Zhan being outspoken in opposition, but knows now he doesn't go to conferences. He remembers the scars and wonders.
12) Lots of thinking and wondering, but they go out to the Chang Manor eventually and there's lots of banging --- Chang cultivators banging on their coffins from the inside. And someone's digging a grave. Well, sometwos... "the two were firmly attached to one another like conjoined babies, with one carrying the other on their back." Huh, bizarre.
13) Okay, one of them is a corpse. That makes more sense. Wei Wuxian notices that the live one is very familiar with Lan sword moves. He's also got a transportation talisman. Wei Wuxian 'hurriedly struck out twice with his palm, then bent one knee, smashing a fist on the ground'. Not sure how to picture the palm-striking here.
14) 'The power of his punch penetrated through layer after layer of earth, reaching the deepest part of the soil and piercing through the thick coffin lids.' Dudes, that's not where coffins are. Anyway, ghost arms shoot up to grab the gravedigger's legs; he counters and gets away but loses his corpse buddy. Oops.
15) Corpse is half fake (it's limbs are limp, lol) but the torso is real. Lan Zhan sticks it inna pouch. They ponder the identity of the gravedigger but Lan Zhan is pretty sure it's not any of his relatives.
16) Wei Wuxian's pub is still open, his booze waiting for him. The rest of the Xiao Xingchen tale is waiting too, and we learn that people have attempted to summon his soul, but got no response. Wei Wuxian, an expert in the field, says that doesn't necessarily mean much.
17) They both decide not to judge whether the Chang Ping story is true because 'no one should presumptuously judge anything before understanding the inside story and the sequence of events.' Here is the moral of our tale!
18) So they drink, instead. Wei Wuxian quizzes Lan Zhan over the Emperor's smile in the Jingshi, but all Lan Zhan says it that he never touched any of it. Then he drinks a cup of wine and falls asleep. Wei Wuxian feels cheated out of seeing drunk Lan Zhan. Of course, there was no Cloud Recesses noncon drinking...
19) Wei Wuxian, 'infinitely used to fishing things out from Lan Wangji's person', takes his money and gets them two rooms. Yes, two, sadly. It says right there, sadly. He tucks Lan Zhan into bed and goes looking for Wen Ning. Because Wen Ning killed Lan cultivators, he's been too embarrassed to summon him with Lan Zhan around.
20) Wei Wuxian reflects that 'certain' clans are very keen on the Yin Tiger Tally and equally keen to have the Ghost General at their command. He gets rid of the nails in Wen Ning's head, and plans to get rid of the chains with Bichen, and then Lan Zhan is right there, how awkward. Wei Wuxian wonders if he only faked being drunk.
21) Lan Zhan slaps Wen Ning, and then tells him sulkily to go away. When he's at some distance, Lan Zhan cheers up. Wei Wuxian notes that his boots are on the wrong feet. Then Lan Zhan drops his sword. Yep, drunk, even if he denies it like drunk people always do.
22) Wei Wuxian has experienced many drunk people, but not this type: 'quiet, composed, upstanding in appearance but incomparabaly weird in action.' Wen Ning has approached again and Lan Zhan hits him again and tells him to go away. Wei Wuxian is about the play the flute to send him away but Lan Zhan snatches it away. 'You are not allowed to play for him.' Jealousyyyyyyy! But Wei Wuxian thinks he probably just dislikes his cultivation. He whistles and poor Wen Ning trundles off.
23) Lan Zhan hugs Wei Wuxian and asks him to listen to his heartbeat. Wei Wuxian decides to drag him back to the inn, puts him on the bed, takes off his headband and starts to wipe his face with a damp cloth; he tickles his chin and asks him if he's good looking. When he asks if Lan Zhan wants some water, Lan Zhan dunks his face in the bucket with the water Wei Wuxian had just used, to Wei Wuxian's alarm.
And now we wait a few months to see what happens next. Will there be chickens?
The MDZS novel readalong - chapter 6
Feb. 27th, 2022 02:42 pmsoloThis week we have Novel Chapter 6 'The Malevolent' (web serialization chapters 23-27): Ancestral Nie tomb continued.
1) Jin Ling, just out of the wall, surprises them by going back in. Wei Wuxian yanks him out again, amused and intrigued. Then Fairy barks outside and Wei Wuxian, surprisingly, suggests going out to check. This stops when he sees Fairy and panics, and Lan Zhan has to intervene before Wei Wuxian can unceremoniously dump Jin Ling on the ground to run away. (243-4)
2) Fairy has bitten Nie Huaisang! They both identify the scrap of clothing but the translators keep using 'they/their' for his prounoun as if Chinese doens't have 他. (244)
3) Lan Zhan gives chase and Wei Wuxian promises to wait in town: "I'll be there." Lan Zhan gives him a meaningful 'mark your words' look. Then he goes & intimidates Fairy. (245)
4) Dusty Wei Wuxian drags dusty Jin Ling through the streets and people give them looks. He buys them new clothes and in the process of putting them on Jin Ling finds the curse. Jin Ling wakes up and thinks Mo Xuanyu is having his gay way with him. (246) Then he remembers all the tomb stuff and feels awks. (247)
5) Jin Ling notices it's already dark and runs away with his curse when Wei Wuxian isn't looking. Jiang Cheng stops him and scolds him; Jin Ling is defiant, and Wei Wuxian thinks the 'spoiled young mistress' moniker fits. (248-9)
6) Fairy appears, Wei Wuxian runs, Jiang Cheng catches him and drags him into an inn, where his (JC's) expression terrifies the owner. (250) Jin Ling thinks his expression is either 'bone-deep hatred' or 'feral joy'. All right then. Is he 'The Malevolent'? (251)
7) Jiang Cheng borrows Fairy to terrify Wei Wuxian with. (252) Wei Wuxian remembers his days on the streets, and in his terror cries out, apparently for Lan Zhan not Shijie! (253) Jiang Cheng says Lan Zhan may have had a thing with Mo Xuanyu because surely he wouldn't care to rescue the actual Wei Wuxian. (253-4)
8) Jin Ling interrupts with his tale of having encountered Wen Ning, and Jiang Cheng indicates that he wants both Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian to die thousands of times. He goes to hunt Wen Ning down. (254-6)Promptly, Jin Ling undoes Zidian and tells Wei Wuxian to leave. (257)
9) Apparently the names Jiang Cheng gave his dogs are brothel names! (258)
10) Jin Ling has decided Wei Wuxian has to be Mo Xuanyu because Wei Wuxian was not gay and would not reappear as a cut-sleeve. Mkay then. Anyway, he adds, Jiang Cheng is just a bit obsessive and sees Wei Wuxian everywhere. (259)
11) Wei Wuxian apologies for his words at Dafan Mountain, pretends Jiang Cheng has appeared, knocks Jin Ling out and transfers the curse. When Jin Ling wakes up again he pretends Lan Zhan has appeared. All pretty much as in the drama. (260-61)
12) Wei Wuxian reflects on how Jiang Cheng had to give up his dogs for him but then always protected him from dogs while laughing at him at the same time. (262)
13) He finds Lan Zhan, who looks grim and 'red-eyed' enough to scare him. WTF? This is not our peacefully moongazing bridge guy. (263) Wei Wuxian stumbles and Lan Zhan rushes to help, finds the curse, offers piggyback, Wei Wuxian refuses even though Lan Zhan points out that Wei Wuxian carried him like that before. He did?? (264)
14) Wei Wuxian still refuses and ends up in a bridal carry. He wants to know how Lan Zhan recognized him; Lan Zhan says 'you told me yourself'. Then, with his hands occupied, he kicks the door to their room with a lack of couth that gets remarked on. (265-67)
15) Nie Huaisang is stunned at the picture they present. The picture he, on the other hand, presents is that of the 'idle rich' rather than some cultivator, never mind sect leader. (267-8)
16) Wei Wuxian sets out what's going on with the fortress since Nie Huaisang won't. Exposition, exposition. (268-9) Nie Huaisang explains about the sabres since Wei Wuxian can't know that. Exposition, exposition. Wei Wuxian: "Smells demonic!" Nie Huaisang: "Noooo, we only use monsters, not humans!" (269-70) Righty-ho.
17) Nie Huaisang gives Wei Wuxian a white pebble... that has a fingerbone in it?? Not sure what's going on there. (275)
18) Wei Wuxian, not fooled by Nie Huaisang's protestations, realizes that if this thing about the sabres gets about, the Nie Clan has had it because they'd have to find a new form of cultivation. Nie Huaisang's aversion to using a sabre makes sense now, too. (276-7)
19) Once Nie Huaisang is gone, Lan Zhan is focused on the curse. It's gone as high as Wei Wuxian's thigh, and while they have something like an awkward face-off and will-he-won't-he about that, the arm in the pouch starts to wibble wobble. It also seems particularly focused on Wei Wuxian, and they figure out is'tr because the curse links to the fortress, which many contain a body part. (278-9)
20) They interrupt Nie Huaisang's wall-restoration activities, but don't find any bodies with missing arms. They figure the curse is so dark, the body concerned must have been close to Jin Ling, and because the curses is on the leg, they kind of simultanously go 'leg'! "Pants off, pants off!" says Wei Wuxian, scandalizing Nie Huaisang; Lan Zhan stops Wei Wuxian, but as Nie Huaisang is about to breathe a sigh of relief, he indicates he'll look for the leg(s) himself. (280-2)
21) Fortunately for Nie Huaisang's peace of mind, Lan Zhan looks 'magically' and finds two legs that are where they don't belong. They remove them from the body and stickeminnapouch. (283)
22) Nie Huaisang knows nothing. The legs tell them they belonged to a tall, slender, healthy and powerful cultivator. The arm points south west.
( The reading schedule )
1) Jin Ling, just out of the wall, surprises them by going back in. Wei Wuxian yanks him out again, amused and intrigued. Then Fairy barks outside and Wei Wuxian, surprisingly, suggests going out to check. This stops when he sees Fairy and panics, and Lan Zhan has to intervene before Wei Wuxian can unceremoniously dump Jin Ling on the ground to run away. (243-4)
2) Fairy has bitten Nie Huaisang! They both identify the scrap of clothing but the translators keep using 'they/their' for his prounoun as if Chinese doens't have 他. (244)
3) Lan Zhan gives chase and Wei Wuxian promises to wait in town: "I'll be there." Lan Zhan gives him a meaningful 'mark your words' look. Then he goes & intimidates Fairy. (245)
4) Dusty Wei Wuxian drags dusty Jin Ling through the streets and people give them looks. He buys them new clothes and in the process of putting them on Jin Ling finds the curse. Jin Ling wakes up and thinks Mo Xuanyu is having his gay way with him. (246) Then he remembers all the tomb stuff and feels awks. (247)
5) Jin Ling notices it's already dark and runs away with his curse when Wei Wuxian isn't looking. Jiang Cheng stops him and scolds him; Jin Ling is defiant, and Wei Wuxian thinks the 'spoiled young mistress' moniker fits. (248-9)
6) Fairy appears, Wei Wuxian runs, Jiang Cheng catches him and drags him into an inn, where his (JC's) expression terrifies the owner. (250) Jin Ling thinks his expression is either 'bone-deep hatred' or 'feral joy'. All right then. Is he 'The Malevolent'? (251)
7) Jiang Cheng borrows Fairy to terrify Wei Wuxian with. (252) Wei Wuxian remembers his days on the streets, and in his terror cries out, apparently for Lan Zhan not Shijie! (253) Jiang Cheng says Lan Zhan may have had a thing with Mo Xuanyu because surely he wouldn't care to rescue the actual Wei Wuxian. (253-4)
8) Jin Ling interrupts with his tale of having encountered Wen Ning, and Jiang Cheng indicates that he wants both Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian to die thousands of times. He goes to hunt Wen Ning down. (254-6)Promptly, Jin Ling undoes Zidian and tells Wei Wuxian to leave. (257)
9) Apparently the names Jiang Cheng gave his dogs are brothel names! (258)
10) Jin Ling has decided Wei Wuxian has to be Mo Xuanyu because Wei Wuxian was not gay and would not reappear as a cut-sleeve. Mkay then. Anyway, he adds, Jiang Cheng is just a bit obsessive and sees Wei Wuxian everywhere. (259)
11) Wei Wuxian apologies for his words at Dafan Mountain, pretends Jiang Cheng has appeared, knocks Jin Ling out and transfers the curse. When Jin Ling wakes up again he pretends Lan Zhan has appeared. All pretty much as in the drama. (260-61)
12) Wei Wuxian reflects on how Jiang Cheng had to give up his dogs for him but then always protected him from dogs while laughing at him at the same time. (262)
13) He finds Lan Zhan, who looks grim and 'red-eyed' enough to scare him. WTF? This is not our peacefully moongazing bridge guy. (263) Wei Wuxian stumbles and Lan Zhan rushes to help, finds the curse, offers piggyback, Wei Wuxian refuses even though Lan Zhan points out that Wei Wuxian carried him like that before. He did?? (264)
14) Wei Wuxian still refuses and ends up in a bridal carry. He wants to know how Lan Zhan recognized him; Lan Zhan says 'you told me yourself'. Then, with his hands occupied, he kicks the door to their room with a lack of couth that gets remarked on. (265-67)
15) Nie Huaisang is stunned at the picture they present. The picture he, on the other hand, presents is that of the 'idle rich' rather than some cultivator, never mind sect leader. (267-8)
16) Wei Wuxian sets out what's going on with the fortress since Nie Huaisang won't. Exposition, exposition. (268-9) Nie Huaisang explains about the sabres since Wei Wuxian can't know that. Exposition, exposition. Wei Wuxian: "Smells demonic!" Nie Huaisang: "Noooo, we only use monsters, not humans!" (269-70) Righty-ho.
17) Nie Huaisang gives Wei Wuxian a white pebble... that has a fingerbone in it?? Not sure what's going on there. (275)
18) Wei Wuxian, not fooled by Nie Huaisang's protestations, realizes that if this thing about the sabres gets about, the Nie Clan has had it because they'd have to find a new form of cultivation. Nie Huaisang's aversion to using a sabre makes sense now, too. (276-7)
19) Once Nie Huaisang is gone, Lan Zhan is focused on the curse. It's gone as high as Wei Wuxian's thigh, and while they have something like an awkward face-off and will-he-won't-he about that, the arm in the pouch starts to wibble wobble. It also seems particularly focused on Wei Wuxian, and they figure out is'tr because the curse links to the fortress, which many contain a body part. (278-9)
20) They interrupt Nie Huaisang's wall-restoration activities, but don't find any bodies with missing arms. They figure the curse is so dark, the body concerned must have been close to Jin Ling, and because the curses is on the leg, they kind of simultanously go 'leg'! "Pants off, pants off!" says Wei Wuxian, scandalizing Nie Huaisang; Lan Zhan stops Wei Wuxian, but as Nie Huaisang is about to breathe a sigh of relief, he indicates he'll look for the leg(s) himself. (280-2)
21) Fortunately for Nie Huaisang's peace of mind, Lan Zhan looks 'magically' and finds two legs that are where they don't belong. They remove them from the body and stickeminnapouch. (283)
22) Nie Huaisang knows nothing. The legs tell them they belonged to a tall, slender, healthy and powerful cultivator. The arm points south west.
( The reading schedule )
The MDZS novel readalong - chapter 5
Feb. 20th, 2022 09:56 amsoloThis week we have Novel Chapter 5 'The Sunny Pair' (web serialization chapters 19-22); we're back in the present day, starting to solve the arm mystery.
1) Wei Wuxian is happy to continue ruining Lan Zhan's reptuation, this time by saying he's too sore to get up because Lan Zhan made him 'sleep with him'... not entirely untrue; his donkey is also making enemies. (205-6)
2) The rabbits have gone forth and multiplied. Wei Wuxian, still scheming to get out of the Cloud Recesses, suggests roasting one, and Lan Jingyi is scandalized, pointing out they belong to Lan Zhan. So Wei Wuxian entertains himself with thoughts abut Lan Zhan with rabbits. (206-7)
3) An alarm bell sounds from the Nether Room, but nobody can open the doors to it. Well, until Wei Wuxian and his command (208-9)
4) Arm angy! Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian play 'evocation' together but nothing appears. Wei Wuxian concludes the soul must have been split alongside the body, and reflects that he at least got lucky: his body was torn to pieces but this soul remained intact. (210-11)
5) Wei Wuxian intentionally plays the flute badly to annoy Lan Zhan (who shows no reaction) -- it does have the effect of reviving Lan Qiren for a moment to complain, but then makes him faint again. (212)
6) Arm is super-duper resentful, but also helpfully functions as a signpost to the rest of the body. (213-4)
7) Lan Zhan decides to go down the mountain to check this out, and Wei Wuxian enthusiastically adds that they can elope with each other. Lan Qiren's face twitches at this and the disciples wonder if Wei Wuxian should talk louder about scandalous things to help Lan Qiren wake up entirely. (215-6)
8) Wei Wuxian reflects on how Lan Zhan doesn't let him get away with anything any more, and that he misses teen!Lan Zhan who was so exquisitely teaseable. (216-7)
9) Wei Wuxian is about to buy makeup from a quack vendor (for himself, he insists!), but the vendor catches a glimpse of Lan Zhan and flees, expecting trouble. All Lan Zhan does, though, is give Wei Wuxian money. Wei Wuxian, puzzled, thinks that if he didn't know better, he'd believe Lan Zhan had something going with Mo Xuanyu. (217-8).
10) Quack is now selling Yiling Laozu pics to keep evil spirits away. Wei Wuxian complains about how ugly they are, but then he sees someone dressed in gold: Jin Ling. (219-20)
11) Wei Wuxian sasses Jin Ling; Jin Ling calls Fairy (who is black!). Fortunately, Lan Zhan intimidates Fairy by his mere presence. (221-2)
12) Quack, grateful that they saved him from Jin Ling and his 'kill the demonic cultivator' spiel, tells them about the man-eating Xinglu Ridge. Wei Wuxian would prefer him to draw the Yiling Laozu more attractively. (222-3)
13) Nie Huaisang is sect leader now, and is the head-shaker. We get backstory on Nie Mingjue's qi deviation and Nie Huaisang's incompetence. Wei Wuxian sighs. (226-7)
14) At least Wei Wuxian finally gets his rouge. (227)
15) On their way into the ridge, they don't encounter anything but weak corpses and conclude that its reputation is nothing but unfounded rumour. (227-8)
16) Wei Wuxian hears Fairy barking (eeeek!), and they find a maze array, then the fortress, then the place where Jin Ling broke into it. It's pretty much like in the drama (229-31)
17) Wei Wuxian considers the resetment energy inside very noisy, and his compass spins like crazy. (232-3)
18) They find a coffin with... nothing in it... oh wait there's a saber! (234-5) Still no Jin Ling, though.
19) Enquiry finds Jin Ling in the wall and they free him and several skeletons. The resentment gets even noisier and Wei Wuxian is sure the entire place is full of corpses. (236-41)
( The reading schedule )
1) Wei Wuxian is happy to continue ruining Lan Zhan's reptuation, this time by saying he's too sore to get up because Lan Zhan made him 'sleep with him'... not entirely untrue; his donkey is also making enemies. (205-6)
2) The rabbits have gone forth and multiplied. Wei Wuxian, still scheming to get out of the Cloud Recesses, suggests roasting one, and Lan Jingyi is scandalized, pointing out they belong to Lan Zhan. So Wei Wuxian entertains himself with thoughts abut Lan Zhan with rabbits. (206-7)
3) An alarm bell sounds from the Nether Room, but nobody can open the doors to it. Well, until Wei Wuxian and his command (208-9)
4) Arm angy! Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian play 'evocation' together but nothing appears. Wei Wuxian concludes the soul must have been split alongside the body, and reflects that he at least got lucky: his body was torn to pieces but this soul remained intact. (210-11)
5) Wei Wuxian intentionally plays the flute badly to annoy Lan Zhan (who shows no reaction) -- it does have the effect of reviving Lan Qiren for a moment to complain, but then makes him faint again. (212)
6) Arm is super-duper resentful, but also helpfully functions as a signpost to the rest of the body. (213-4)
7) Lan Zhan decides to go down the mountain to check this out, and Wei Wuxian enthusiastically adds that they can elope with each other. Lan Qiren's face twitches at this and the disciples wonder if Wei Wuxian should talk louder about scandalous things to help Lan Qiren wake up entirely. (215-6)
8) Wei Wuxian reflects on how Lan Zhan doesn't let him get away with anything any more, and that he misses teen!Lan Zhan who was so exquisitely teaseable. (216-7)
9) Wei Wuxian is about to buy makeup from a quack vendor (for himself, he insists!), but the vendor catches a glimpse of Lan Zhan and flees, expecting trouble. All Lan Zhan does, though, is give Wei Wuxian money. Wei Wuxian, puzzled, thinks that if he didn't know better, he'd believe Lan Zhan had something going with Mo Xuanyu. (217-8).
10) Quack is now selling Yiling Laozu pics to keep evil spirits away. Wei Wuxian complains about how ugly they are, but then he sees someone dressed in gold: Jin Ling. (219-20)
11) Wei Wuxian sasses Jin Ling; Jin Ling calls Fairy (who is black!). Fortunately, Lan Zhan intimidates Fairy by his mere presence. (221-2)
12) Quack, grateful that they saved him from Jin Ling and his 'kill the demonic cultivator' spiel, tells them about the man-eating Xinglu Ridge. Wei Wuxian would prefer him to draw the Yiling Laozu more attractively. (222-3)
13) Nie Huaisang is sect leader now, and is the head-shaker. We get backstory on Nie Mingjue's qi deviation and Nie Huaisang's incompetence. Wei Wuxian sighs. (226-7)
14) At least Wei Wuxian finally gets his rouge. (227)
15) On their way into the ridge, they don't encounter anything but weak corpses and conclude that its reputation is nothing but unfounded rumour. (227-8)
16) Wei Wuxian hears Fairy barking (eeeek!), and they find a maze array, then the fortress, then the place where Jin Ling broke into it. It's pretty much like in the drama (229-31)
17) Wei Wuxian considers the resetment energy inside very noisy, and his compass spins like crazy. (232-3)
18) They find a coffin with... nothing in it... oh wait there's a saber! (234-5) Still no Jin Ling, though.
19) Enquiry finds Jin Ling in the wall and they free him and several skeletons. The resentment gets even noisier and Wei Wuxian is sure the entire place is full of corpses. (236-41)
( The reading schedule )
soloApologies for the delay. I'm on strike from tomorrow and had to sort various things in the last few days to make sure my students don't suffer unduly during my absence.
This week we have the second part of Novel Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt (official translation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters (halfway through 16.6-18), the rest of our Caiyi and Cloud Recesses Shenanigans.
1) (a) As they travel through Caiyi, Wei Wuxian notices the Gusu dialect is so soft, even insults sound so pleasant; he finds their fighting hard to take seriously. (b) Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are competititive (of course!) about their boating. (c) Lan Xichen has set nets to catch ghosts in the waterways, and caught far more than expected, given that people in Caiyi can swim. It is unclear whether these ghosts are ghosts or corpses (translation issue?) (168-9)
2) (a) Wei Wuxian's normal method of catching water ghosts: jump in and haul the out. He find this too dangerous to do here, not because of the ghosts but because of Lan Qiren's anticipated disapproval. (b) He wishes there was something like a compass (!) to pinpoint where the ghosts are. DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN. (170)
3) We get the splashing incident from the drama, pretty much verbatim, and then the conversation about the name of Wei Wuxian's sword. Apparently the 'Suibian' was Jiang Fengmian trying to have a sense of humour. (171-3)
4) Su She imitates Lan Zhan by sending his sword into the water: ooops. This time Wen Ning can't even try to save him because the Wen sibs are not on this expedition (or anywhere much, really, in the novel). Wei Wuxian tries to save Su She but he's already caught in the maelstrom; Suibian is fast and nimble but not very strong, so Lan Zhan with his strong sword and arms to the rescue. Mid-air dialogue ensues. (174-7)
5) Jiang Cheng to Wei Wuxian: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? (174)
6) They conclude the abbyss has been chased to Caiyi. By whom? Lan Xichen points at the sun. The Wens are Voldemort. (178-9)
7) Wei Wuxian charms loquat off a saleswoman, then one for Lan Zhan too. The saleswomen want the two of them to come buy loquats together later. Lan Zhan turns down his loquat (which Wei Wuxian holds out, not throws), and Jiang Cheng gets it. (181)
8) (a) Wei Wuxian asks Lan Zhan to demonstrate how to tell someone off in Gusu dialect. Lan Zhan moves to his brother's boat. (b) Lan Xichen asks him whether he should buy him a basket of loquats. Lan Zhan moves to another boat.
9) The guest disciples (lots of them it seems) congregate chez Jiang and party with stuff Wei Wuxian brought back from Caiyi. There is 'eating, drinking, dice-rolling, armwrestling and picture-book-flipping' and then Wei Wuxian loses a bet and has to sneak into Caiyi to get Emperor's smile. They all drink lots and lie around hung over on the floor the next morning. (182-3)
10) They wake because Lan Zhan arrives. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian make confused noises, Jiang Cheng throws something at Wei Wuxian which just happens to be an erotic picture book which falls open for Lan Zhan to see. Not that he's not already pissed off enough. He grabs Wei Wuxian by the collar and hauls him out the door. (183)
11) Lan Zhan drags him to the ancestral hall where he presents them both for punishment to disciples with 'incredibly long sandalwood ferules'. They get beaten on the palms and back of the legs. Wei Wuxian does not bother to suffer with dignity. (184-5) Lan Zhan gets 50 more strikes than Wei Wuxian. (187)
12) Wei Wuxian explains that on his way back with the Emperor's smile he got waylaid by Lan Zhan and made them both fall off the wall outside the compound, breaking that rule. Wei Wuxian wasn't going to tell anyone; however... (186-7)
13) (a) Lan Xichen points him at the cold pond. (b) Lan Zhan was quietly meditating (not healing!) in the pond when Wei Wuxian appears and hops and hisses and splashes and flops about. He follows Lan Zhan around the pond and insists they should be friends; promising to share erotica and praising Yunmeng food and girls. (c) When Lan Zhan rejects him, he threatens to steal his clothes. Lan Zhan tells him to get lost. (188-91)
14) Lan Qiren is back and has adopted the same strategy: no more punishment, just damage limitation; if he can keep Wei Wuxian away from the other disciples and from Lan Zhan, that'll have to do. (192)
15) (a) The waterborne abyss is actually still there. As the Lans deal with it, lectures become shorter. (b) Wei Wuxian says that Lan Zhan is 'super interesting' because he shows a 'grown, living person' can be so incredibly boring. (c) Wei Wuxian calls Lan Zhan out on watching him from the window. (192-3)
16) (a) Wei Wuxian has brought Lan Zhan two chubby white rabbits. Lan Zhan doesn't want them, so Wei Wuxian says he'll find someone to roast them. Lan Zhan decides he wants them after all. (b) One rabbit lies around on the ground and has dead fish eyes; the other rabbit hops, crawls, rolls, wriggles and bounces all over Rabbit 1. It also gets inky pawprints on Lan Zhan's papers. (c) Wei Wuxian wonders if the rabbits are-- and Lan Zhan INTERRUPTS HIM! 'They're both male.' (d) Wei Wuxian teases Lan Zhan for having noticed that so quickly. Lan Zhan throws him out and ponders his horrible fate. (194-7)
17) Lan Zhan stops coming to class because Lan Qiren is worried he'll become corrupted by Wei Wuxian. (197-8)
18) Wei Wuxian ponders wood carvings of the foundation of the Lan Clan, showing Lan An leaving his temple, finding his love, and returning to the temple and ending his life after she dies. Wei Wuxian thinks that the monk thing makes complete sense, but it's hilarious that this monk was so much more romantic than his stick-up-the-ass descendants. (198-9)
19) Sadly this leads to discussion of cultivation partners, ideal matches, and Jin Zixuan's betrothal to Jiang Yanli. Jin Zixuan thinks she's not good enough for him, Wei Wuxian says he's not good enough for her; Jin Zixuan says 'so you marry her, the Jiang leader likes you better than his own son anyway' and Wei Wuxian lands a good punch. (199-201)
20) (a) The dads are called in and cancel the betrothal. (202-3) (b) Wei Wuxian had pushed Jiang Cheng away and is glad he didn't get drawn into the fight because Jin Zixuan looks better with an asymmetrically bruised face. (c) But then he considers that if it had been Jiang Cheng who hit Jin Zixuan and not he himself, Jiang Fengmian might not have bothered to come to Cloud Recesses. (d) Jiang Cheng agrees and inwardly considers that his dad would never rush for him anywhere, ever. Ouch. (204)
21) Lan Zhan has been going to see Wei Wuxian as he was kneeling in punishment, and was concerned when he seemed to be crying; is outraged when he finds Wei Wuxian is just poking about in an ant's nest. (204)
22) Wei Wuxian is sent back to Lotus Pier early. (204)
( The reading schedule )
This week we have the second part of Novel Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt (official translation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters (halfway through 16.6-18), the rest of our Caiyi and Cloud Recesses Shenanigans.
1) (a) As they travel through Caiyi, Wei Wuxian notices the Gusu dialect is so soft, even insults sound so pleasant; he finds their fighting hard to take seriously. (b) Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are competititive (of course!) about their boating. (c) Lan Xichen has set nets to catch ghosts in the waterways, and caught far more than expected, given that people in Caiyi can swim. It is unclear whether these ghosts are ghosts or corpses (translation issue?) (168-9)
2) (a) Wei Wuxian's normal method of catching water ghosts: jump in and haul the out. He find this too dangerous to do here, not because of the ghosts but because of Lan Qiren's anticipated disapproval. (b) He wishes there was something like a compass (!) to pinpoint where the ghosts are. DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN. (170)
3) We get the splashing incident from the drama, pretty much verbatim, and then the conversation about the name of Wei Wuxian's sword. Apparently the 'Suibian' was Jiang Fengmian trying to have a sense of humour. (171-3)
4) Su She imitates Lan Zhan by sending his sword into the water: ooops. This time Wen Ning can't even try to save him because the Wen sibs are not on this expedition (or anywhere much, really, in the novel). Wei Wuxian tries to save Su She but he's already caught in the maelstrom; Suibian is fast and nimble but not very strong, so Lan Zhan with his strong sword and arms to the rescue. Mid-air dialogue ensues. (174-7)
5) Jiang Cheng to Wei Wuxian: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? (174)
6) They conclude the abbyss has been chased to Caiyi. By whom? Lan Xichen points at the sun. The Wens are Voldemort. (178-9)
7) Wei Wuxian charms loquat off a saleswoman, then one for Lan Zhan too. The saleswomen want the two of them to come buy loquats together later. Lan Zhan turns down his loquat (which Wei Wuxian holds out, not throws), and Jiang Cheng gets it. (181)
8) (a) Wei Wuxian asks Lan Zhan to demonstrate how to tell someone off in Gusu dialect. Lan Zhan moves to his brother's boat. (b) Lan Xichen asks him whether he should buy him a basket of loquats. Lan Zhan moves to another boat.
9) The guest disciples (lots of them it seems) congregate chez Jiang and party with stuff Wei Wuxian brought back from Caiyi. There is 'eating, drinking, dice-rolling, armwrestling and picture-book-flipping' and then Wei Wuxian loses a bet and has to sneak into Caiyi to get Emperor's smile. They all drink lots and lie around hung over on the floor the next morning. (182-3)
10) They wake because Lan Zhan arrives. Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian make confused noises, Jiang Cheng throws something at Wei Wuxian which just happens to be an erotic picture book which falls open for Lan Zhan to see. Not that he's not already pissed off enough. He grabs Wei Wuxian by the collar and hauls him out the door. (183)
11) Lan Zhan drags him to the ancestral hall where he presents them both for punishment to disciples with 'incredibly long sandalwood ferules'. They get beaten on the palms and back of the legs. Wei Wuxian does not bother to suffer with dignity. (184-5) Lan Zhan gets 50 more strikes than Wei Wuxian. (187)
12) Wei Wuxian explains that on his way back with the Emperor's smile he got waylaid by Lan Zhan and made them both fall off the wall outside the compound, breaking that rule. Wei Wuxian wasn't going to tell anyone; however... (186-7)
13) (a) Lan Xichen points him at the cold pond. (b) Lan Zhan was quietly meditating (not healing!) in the pond when Wei Wuxian appears and hops and hisses and splashes and flops about. He follows Lan Zhan around the pond and insists they should be friends; promising to share erotica and praising Yunmeng food and girls. (c) When Lan Zhan rejects him, he threatens to steal his clothes. Lan Zhan tells him to get lost. (188-91)
14) Lan Qiren is back and has adopted the same strategy: no more punishment, just damage limitation; if he can keep Wei Wuxian away from the other disciples and from Lan Zhan, that'll have to do. (192)
15) (a) The waterborne abyss is actually still there. As the Lans deal with it, lectures become shorter. (b) Wei Wuxian says that Lan Zhan is 'super interesting' because he shows a 'grown, living person' can be so incredibly boring. (c) Wei Wuxian calls Lan Zhan out on watching him from the window. (192-3)
16) (a) Wei Wuxian has brought Lan Zhan two chubby white rabbits. Lan Zhan doesn't want them, so Wei Wuxian says he'll find someone to roast them. Lan Zhan decides he wants them after all. (b) One rabbit lies around on the ground and has dead fish eyes; the other rabbit hops, crawls, rolls, wriggles and bounces all over Rabbit 1. It also gets inky pawprints on Lan Zhan's papers. (c) Wei Wuxian wonders if the rabbits are-- and Lan Zhan INTERRUPTS HIM! 'They're both male.' (d) Wei Wuxian teases Lan Zhan for having noticed that so quickly. Lan Zhan throws him out and ponders his horrible fate. (194-7)
17) Lan Zhan stops coming to class because Lan Qiren is worried he'll become corrupted by Wei Wuxian. (197-8)
18) Wei Wuxian ponders wood carvings of the foundation of the Lan Clan, showing Lan An leaving his temple, finding his love, and returning to the temple and ending his life after she dies. Wei Wuxian thinks that the monk thing makes complete sense, but it's hilarious that this monk was so much more romantic than his stick-up-the-ass descendants. (198-9)
19) Sadly this leads to discussion of cultivation partners, ideal matches, and Jin Zixuan's betrothal to Jiang Yanli. Jin Zixuan thinks she's not good enough for him, Wei Wuxian says he's not good enough for her; Jin Zixuan says 'so you marry her, the Jiang leader likes you better than his own son anyway' and Wei Wuxian lands a good punch. (199-201)
20) (a) The dads are called in and cancel the betrothal. (202-3) (b) Wei Wuxian had pushed Jiang Cheng away and is glad he didn't get drawn into the fight because Jin Zixuan looks better with an asymmetrically bruised face. (c) But then he considers that if it had been Jiang Cheng who hit Jin Zixuan and not he himself, Jiang Fengmian might not have bothered to come to Cloud Recesses. (d) Jiang Cheng agrees and inwardly considers that his dad would never rush for him anywhere, ever. Ouch. (204)
21) Lan Zhan has been going to see Wei Wuxian as he was kneeling in punishment, and was concerned when he seemed to be crying; is outraged when he finds Wei Wuxian is just poking about in an ant's nest. (204)
22) Wei Wuxian is sent back to Lotus Pier early. (204)
( The reading schedule )
soloThis week we have the first part of Novel Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt (official translation pages 119-168, web serialization chapters 11-(halfway through 16.6), ending as the group set out for Caiyi.
This divides fairly neatly into two halves: the first half where Wei Wuxian does whatever seems plausible to a) avoid entering the Cloud Recesses or b) leave them again very quickly; the second half the flashback to Lan Qiren's lectures and associated shenanigans.
1) Cloud Recesses is pristine and quiet until someone WAILS! Wei Wuxian figures being noisy will help keep him out of the place, where 3,000 rules have now become 4,000. Lan Wangji exudes seme power: "Let him cry. Drag him inside once he's tired.' (119-20)
2) Lan Jinyji seems quite blasé about Mo Xuanyu liking Hanguang Jun. (119) Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian is perplexed that Lan Zhan isn't more disgusted. (121)
3) Lan Sizhui explains that they're just trying to protect Mo Xuanyu from Jiang Cheng, who is not in the habit of letting demonic cultivators go free. Lan Jingyi considers Jiang Cheng paranoid because anyone could have told from the bad flute playing that MXY was not WWX. WWX is still hurt and this time even tries to explain! (121-2)
4) Lan Xichen is introduced: both Jades extremely attractive, but Lan Xichen is 'warm, elegant, sincerely gentle' while Lan Wangji is 'aloof, stern and unsociable'. (122)
5) WWX plans to antagonize LXC to get thrown out, but LWJ anticipates it and silences him. (123-4)
6) LXC is about to go to Jinlintai to visit Jin Guangyao. (PLOT---DUH-DUH-DUH!)
7) Jin Guangyao is introduced as Mo Xuanyu's half brother, and much is made of the fact that he has very high status compared to MXY's lowly one. (124)
8) LXC lifts the silencing spell and tells LWJ to treat his guest well because he clearly makes him happy. Seme LWJ: "Drag him inside." (125)
9) Stuck in LWJ's personal quarters, WWX finds a loose floorboard 'due to his grave digging experience', and discovers LWJ's stash of Emperor's Smile. He feels very smug about finding Lan Zhan's hidden booze cellar and drinks a few bottles. (127)
10) He's still planning his escape and for this needs a jade token. He figures it would be easiest to steal one from someone bathing in the cold pool. (127) The cold pool is for male disciples only and can cure horniness. (128)
11) Going there, he finds creepily neatly folded clothes and a beautiful bather with lots of discipline-whip scars on his back. (129) The bather turns and also has a Wen brand scar on his chest, and Wei Wuxian is so transfixed, he never even thinks to look at his face. He only realizes it's LWJ when Bichen attacks him. (130)
12) Running away, he runs into Juniors and lets them believe that he intentionally peeped on LWJ bathing, filthy cut-sleeve that he is. Instead of being thrown out, though, he's dragged by Lan Zhan back ot the Jingshi. (131)
13) He is now 5cm+ shorter than Lan Zhan, which aggrieves him sorely. (132)
14) He notes again the 'familiar' Wen brand and the scars that look like people were literally trying to kill him. He wonders what poster-child Hanguang Jun might have done to deserve it. (133)
15) He also wonders what Lan Zhan wants with him and why he doesn't get riled up. He decides, though, that Lan Zhan can have no idea who he is, certainly not based on that song he played. (134-5)
16) When Lan Zhan is in bed he jumps on top of him to get at his Jade token. He expects Lan Zhan to flinch, but Lan Zhan first tells him to get off, then asks him if he's sure that's what he wants, and on affirmation renders his legs immovable, so Wei Wuxian has to sleep on top of Lan Zhan all night. (136)
17) Wei Wuxian tries to reconcile this Lan Zhan with the one he knew in the past, and this leads into flashback. Flashback is Cloud Recesses lectures, pretty much as in the drama. It is stressed that Lan Qiren is both attractive and also young, but due to his manner people consider him an old man anyway. However, parents cherish him for his 'pedantry, pertinacy, and proficiency in producing peerless pupils'. (138)
18) Wei Wuxian's status in the Jiang family is explained, and Nie Huaisang expresses a desire to play around at Lotus Pier rather than attend Gusu Lan lectures, but is afraid of his fierce older brother. (139)
19) The Lan Clan does not accept disciples who aren't good-looking. (140)
20) Wei Wuxian recounts his encounter with Lan Zhan the previous night. Note: he did not have to return to Caiyi for an invitation, he just snuck out specifically to get booze. (141-2)
21) Wen Mao has been the first to 'strengthen the Clan and weaken the Sect'. (145-6)
22) Wei Wuxian propounds his resentful energy theory, but it's a bit... muddled: a) let's dig up corpses and make them resentful to use them; b) let's make use of existing resentful energy. One of these things is not like the other. (148) Nie Huaisang actually likes door 2. (149-50)
23) WWX: "What's LQR's problem? He asked questions, I answered. He asked me to leave, I left." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Everyone else: "..."
24) WWX is a bad influence on all students (154) and has to be made to write his lines separately so he'll do it himself. Lan Wangji supervises. From there it goes very much like in the drama, with drawing, porn, etc. (155-63)
25) Nie Huaisang has an inexhaustible stash of porn. (164)
26) Lan Quiren is out of town for a bit and they run into Lan Xichen, who is getting ready to go fight some water ghouls and tells them way more about it than Lan Zhan likes. Lan Zhan twice refuses their help, when Lan Xichen accepts it. He tells Lan Zhan that it's because 'I saw you looked like you might want Sect Leader Jiang's eldest disciple to come with us'. BETRAYAL! (166-8)
How are we feeling about it all?
Any character observations?
Anything that surprised you even on re-read, or coming from the adaptations?
Spot any difference to other MDZS media? What do you make of it?
Discussion notes
Spoilers for all adaptations are permitted.
The questions above are meant as potentially helpful starters, not mandatory. :)
Commentary and comparison with other translations is welcome, as is commentary on the original Chinese. (The readalong mods don't speak or read Chinese so this won't come from us, but any dedicated thread or un-dedicated observations will be received with delight.)
Jumping into threads and replying to other people's comments is not just encouraged, but part of the point.
Disagreement is fine. Keeping it friendly is encouraged, keeping it civil is required.
We encourage tracking the post or coming back to it over the week - the fun part of doing this on Dreamwidth is that discussion can happen over time and doesn't have to be instantly!
If you have any questions or concerns you want to ask the discussion mods, feel free to email us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
( The reading schedule )
This divides fairly neatly into two halves: the first half where Wei Wuxian does whatever seems plausible to a) avoid entering the Cloud Recesses or b) leave them again very quickly; the second half the flashback to Lan Qiren's lectures and associated shenanigans.
1) Cloud Recesses is pristine and quiet until someone WAILS! Wei Wuxian figures being noisy will help keep him out of the place, where 3,000 rules have now become 4,000. Lan Wangji exudes seme power: "Let him cry. Drag him inside once he's tired.' (119-20)
2) Lan Jinyji seems quite blasé about Mo Xuanyu liking Hanguang Jun. (119) Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian is perplexed that Lan Zhan isn't more disgusted. (121)
3) Lan Sizhui explains that they're just trying to protect Mo Xuanyu from Jiang Cheng, who is not in the habit of letting demonic cultivators go free. Lan Jingyi considers Jiang Cheng paranoid because anyone could have told from the bad flute playing that MXY was not WWX. WWX is still hurt and this time even tries to explain! (121-2)
4) Lan Xichen is introduced: both Jades extremely attractive, but Lan Xichen is 'warm, elegant, sincerely gentle' while Lan Wangji is 'aloof, stern and unsociable'. (122)
5) WWX plans to antagonize LXC to get thrown out, but LWJ anticipates it and silences him. (123-4)
6) LXC is about to go to Jinlintai to visit Jin Guangyao. (PLOT---DUH-DUH-DUH!)
7) Jin Guangyao is introduced as Mo Xuanyu's half brother, and much is made of the fact that he has very high status compared to MXY's lowly one. (124)
8) LXC lifts the silencing spell and tells LWJ to treat his guest well because he clearly makes him happy. Seme LWJ: "Drag him inside." (125)
9) Stuck in LWJ's personal quarters, WWX finds a loose floorboard 'due to his grave digging experience', and discovers LWJ's stash of Emperor's Smile. He feels very smug about finding Lan Zhan's hidden booze cellar and drinks a few bottles. (127)
10) He's still planning his escape and for this needs a jade token. He figures it would be easiest to steal one from someone bathing in the cold pool. (127) The cold pool is for male disciples only and can cure horniness. (128)
11) Going there, he finds creepily neatly folded clothes and a beautiful bather with lots of discipline-whip scars on his back. (129) The bather turns and also has a Wen brand scar on his chest, and Wei Wuxian is so transfixed, he never even thinks to look at his face. He only realizes it's LWJ when Bichen attacks him. (130)
12) Running away, he runs into Juniors and lets them believe that he intentionally peeped on LWJ bathing, filthy cut-sleeve that he is. Instead of being thrown out, though, he's dragged by Lan Zhan back ot the Jingshi. (131)
13) He is now 5cm+ shorter than Lan Zhan, which aggrieves him sorely. (132)
14) He notes again the 'familiar' Wen brand and the scars that look like people were literally trying to kill him. He wonders what poster-child Hanguang Jun might have done to deserve it. (133)
15) He also wonders what Lan Zhan wants with him and why he doesn't get riled up. He decides, though, that Lan Zhan can have no idea who he is, certainly not based on that song he played. (134-5)
16) When Lan Zhan is in bed he jumps on top of him to get at his Jade token. He expects Lan Zhan to flinch, but Lan Zhan first tells him to get off, then asks him if he's sure that's what he wants, and on affirmation renders his legs immovable, so Wei Wuxian has to sleep on top of Lan Zhan all night. (136)
17) Wei Wuxian tries to reconcile this Lan Zhan with the one he knew in the past, and this leads into flashback. Flashback is Cloud Recesses lectures, pretty much as in the drama. It is stressed that Lan Qiren is both attractive and also young, but due to his manner people consider him an old man anyway. However, parents cherish him for his 'pedantry, pertinacy, and proficiency in producing peerless pupils'. (138)
18) Wei Wuxian's status in the Jiang family is explained, and Nie Huaisang expresses a desire to play around at Lotus Pier rather than attend Gusu Lan lectures, but is afraid of his fierce older brother. (139)
19) The Lan Clan does not accept disciples who aren't good-looking. (140)
20) Wei Wuxian recounts his encounter with Lan Zhan the previous night. Note: he did not have to return to Caiyi for an invitation, he just snuck out specifically to get booze. (141-2)
21) Wen Mao has been the first to 'strengthen the Clan and weaken the Sect'. (145-6)
22) Wei Wuxian propounds his resentful energy theory, but it's a bit... muddled: a) let's dig up corpses and make them resentful to use them; b) let's make use of existing resentful energy. One of these things is not like the other. (148) Nie Huaisang actually likes door 2. (149-50)
23) WWX: "What's LQR's problem? He asked questions, I answered. He asked me to leave, I left." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Everyone else: "..."
24) WWX is a bad influence on all students (154) and has to be made to write his lines separately so he'll do it himself. Lan Wangji supervises. From there it goes very much like in the drama, with drawing, porn, etc. (155-63)
25) Nie Huaisang has an inexhaustible stash of porn. (164)
26) Lan Quiren is out of town for a bit and they run into Lan Xichen, who is getting ready to go fight some water ghouls and tells them way more about it than Lan Zhan likes. Lan Zhan twice refuses their help, when Lan Xichen accepts it. He tells Lan Zhan that it's because 'I saw you looked like you might want Sect Leader Jiang's eldest disciple to come with us'. BETRAYAL! (166-8)
How are we feeling about it all?
Any character observations?
Anything that surprised you even on re-read, or coming from the adaptations?
Spot any difference to other MDZS media? What do you make of it?
Discussion notes
Spoilers for all adaptations are permitted.
The questions above are meant as potentially helpful starters, not mandatory. :)
Commentary and comparison with other translations is welcome, as is commentary on the original Chinese. (The readalong mods don't speak or read Chinese so this won't come from us, but any dedicated thread or un-dedicated observations will be received with delight.)
Jumping into threads and replying to other people's comments is not just encouraged, but part of the point.
Disagreement is fine. Keeping it friendly is encouraged, keeping it civil is required.
We encourage tracking the post or coming back to it over the week - the fun part of doing this on Dreamwidth is that discussion can happen over time and doesn't have to be instantly!
If you have any questions or concerns you want to ask the discussion mods, feel free to email us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
( The reading schedule )
The MDZS novel readalong - chapter 3
Jan. 29th, 2022 11:54 amsoloThis week: Novel Chapter 3, The Prideful (web serialization chapters 6-10)
In this chapter, Wei Wuxian travels to Dafan Mountain, where he encounters many people.
How are we feeling about it all?
Any character observations?
Anything that surprised you even on re-read, or coming from the adaptations?
Spot any difference to other MDZS media? What do you make of it?
Discussion notes
Spoilers for all adaptations are permitted.
The questions above are meant as potentially helpful starters, not mandatory. :)
Commentary and comparison with other translations is welcome, as is commentary on the original Chinese. (The readalong mods don't speak or read Chinese so this won't come from us, but any dedicated thread or un-dedicated observations will be received with delight.)
Jumping into threads and replying to other people's comments is not just encouraged, but part of the point.
Disagreement is fine. Keeping it friendly is encouraged, keeping it civil is required.
We encourage tracking the post or coming back to it over the week - the fun part of doing this on Dreamwidth is that discussion can happen over time and doesn't have to be instantly!
If you have any questions or concerns you want to ask the discussion mods, feel free to email us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
( The reading schedule )
In this chapter, Wei Wuxian travels to Dafan Mountain, where he encounters many people.
- The donkey Wei Wuxian escaped on is useless and stubborn. Wei Wuxian misses his sword (implied: for easier travel) but speculates that it will have become some cultivator's trophy. (59)
- He hopes to capture a strong ghost to do his bidding. (61-2)
- Low-level cultivators are using his 'Compass of Ill Winds' but it's only a prototype. (63-4)
- The Jins are extremely powerful and nobody dares offend them. (69-70) Jin Guangshan's character and death are explained: over-exertion while whoring. Everyone knows but the Jins like to keep the whoring bit quiet. (71-2)
- Jin Ling uses 'cut-sleeve' as a slur. (72)
- Wei Wuxian has 'thrown together' a qiankun pouch from scraps of fabric. (73)
- There's a ghost in the paperman Wei Wuxian uses to hold Jin Ling down. (73). Jiang Cheng kills it. (75)
- Lan Zhan looks 'embittered, as if he had lost his wife'.(78)
- Jin Ling is 15. (81)
- Jiang Cheng has to consider politics when confronted with Lan Zhan: the sect leaders of Lan and Jin are close friends, so Jiang is isolated. (81) Retreating with him from Dafan Mountain, Jiang Cheng's disciples expect punishment. (83)
- Wei Wuxian randomly finds a qiankun pouch with various items, including a yin-burning talisman. It flares and shows him where to find a 'soul of the dead'. Having found it, he dashes off after Jin Ling, who has gone to the temple. (88) Arriving there and seeing the statue move, he attacks it with the rest of the items from the pouch. (93)
- Wei Wuxian's tirade about how the Lan sect teaches lots of useless etiquette at the expense of practical knowledge; (95) then he sets out his theory regarding the events at Dafan Mountain. (96-100)
- Lan Sizhui quotes the Yiling Laozu on the diet of high-level monsters, but Wei Wuxian tells him the Yiling Laozu was full of bullshit. (100)
- Upon disintegration by Wen Ning, the statue releases a white pearl which contains the souls it devoured. They could be restored, but everyone ignores it. (105)
- Lan Zhan grabs Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian grabs him back to stop him chasing after Wen Ning, but Lan Zhan isn't really interested in Wen Ning at all. (109)
- Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng actually throw down; witnesses see repeated purple and blue lightning strikes. (111)
- Mo Xuanyu allegedly got kicked out for cut-sleeve harrassment of his peers. (113-14)
- Someone accuses Mo Xuanyu of being a cut-sleeve. Jiang Cheng looks disgusted. (114)
- People agree that Wei Wuixan was too straight to ever possess a cut-sleeve and anyway, Mo Xuanyu's flute playing was too awful to be compared to the Yiling Laozu's. Wei Wuxian is a bit hurt. (114)
- Jiang Cheng wants to take Mo Xuanyu back to torture a confession out of him; he's in the habit of doing this with demonic cultivators. (115-16)
- Jiang Cheng is competititive enough to be annoyed when 'cut-sleeve Mo Xuanyu' says he's not his type but Lan Zhan is.
- Lan Zhan agrees that he's Mo Xuanyu's type and takes him back to his Clan.
How are we feeling about it all?
Any character observations?
Anything that surprised you even on re-read, or coming from the adaptations?
Spot any difference to other MDZS media? What do you make of it?
Discussion notes
Spoilers for all adaptations are permitted.
The questions above are meant as potentially helpful starters, not mandatory. :)
Commentary and comparison with other translations is welcome, as is commentary on the original Chinese. (The readalong mods don't speak or read Chinese so this won't come from us, but any dedicated thread or un-dedicated observations will be received with delight.)
Jumping into threads and replying to other people's comments is not just encouraged, but part of the point.
Disagreement is fine. Keeping it friendly is encouraged, keeping it civil is required.
We encourage tracking the post or coming back to it over the week - the fun part of doing this on Dreamwidth is that discussion can happen over time and doesn't have to be instantly!
If you have any questions or concerns you want to ask the discussion mods, feel free to email us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
( The reading schedule )
The MDZS novel readalong - chapters 1 & 2
Jan. 22nd, 2022 12:43 pmsoloAnd here we are, our discussion post for Novel chapters 1 & 2, or web serialization chapters 1-5. The format might be refined as we go ^_^ - let's get started!
What happened?
- We got the general gloating at Wei Wuxian's death
- first info on the siege and how Wei Wuxian died
- Wei Wuxian's resurrection 13 years later
- an evil left arm running rampant at Mo Manor
- the introduction of Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi
- a glimpse of Mo Xuanyu's sad life
- Lan Wangji making an epic entrance
- and finally Wei Wuxian departing with the donkey.
How are we feeling about it all?
Any character observations? What did you make of the character intros?
Anything that surprised you even on re-read, or coming from the adaptations?
Spot any difference to other MDZS media?
Discussion notes
Spoilers for all adaptations are permitted.
The questions above are meant as potentially helpful starters, not mandatory. :)
Commentary and comparison with other translations is welcome, as is commentary on the original Chinese. (The readalong mods don't speak or read Chinese so this won't come from us, but any dedicated thread or un-dedicated observations will be received with delight.)
Jumping into threads and replying to other people's comments is not just encouraged, but part of the point.
Disagreement is fine. Keeping it friendly is encouraged, keeping it civil is required.
We encourage tracking the post or coming back to it over the week - the fun part of doing this on Dreamwidth is that discussion can happen over time and doesn't have to be instantly!
If you have any questions or concerns you want to ask the discussion mods, feel free to email us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
( The reading schedule )
What happened?
- We got the general gloating at Wei Wuxian's death
- first info on the siege and how Wei Wuxian died
- Wei Wuxian's resurrection 13 years later
- an evil left arm running rampant at Mo Manor
- the introduction of Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi
- a glimpse of Mo Xuanyu's sad life
- Lan Wangji making an epic entrance
- and finally Wei Wuxian departing with the donkey.
How are we feeling about it all?
Any character observations? What did you make of the character intros?
Anything that surprised you even on re-read, or coming from the adaptations?
Spot any difference to other MDZS media?
Discussion notes
Spoilers for all adaptations are permitted.
The questions above are meant as potentially helpful starters, not mandatory. :)
Commentary and comparison with other translations is welcome, as is commentary on the original Chinese. (The readalong mods don't speak or read Chinese so this won't come from us, but any dedicated thread or un-dedicated observations will be received with delight.)
Jumping into threads and replying to other people's comments is not just encouraged, but part of the point.
Disagreement is fine. Keeping it friendly is encouraged, keeping it civil is required.
We encourage tracking the post or coming back to it over the week - the fun part of doing this on Dreamwidth is that discussion can happen over time and doesn't have to be instantly!
If you have any questions or concerns you want to ask the discussion mods, feel free to email us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
( The reading schedule )
The MDZS novel readalong - announcement
Jan. 16th, 2022 03:18 pmsoloHi everyone, here we go! Our MDZS novel readalong discussion (see original proposal here) will start on Saturday 22 January with novel chapters 1&2 (that's web serialization novel chapters 1-5).
How the read-along works in brief: one of us discussion mods (that's me andjo_lasalle ) will make a discussion post here in this forum with a very brief summary of what happens in the respective week's chapter(s), and a couple of questions to start us off, though anyone else is also very welcome to raise points, and the aim is that people talk to each other. We encourage people to track the post or come back after a day or two to discussion threads, since the strength of doing something like this on Dreamwidth is that you can have asynchronous chat over a couple of days, rather than everything having to happen instantly.
This readalong is prompted by the release of the English language paperback translation and we're going to work with its chapter numbers and titles (and where necessary, page count) and release schedule, but it's a general joint re-read, so people who are reading i.e. the German translation or existing web translations can of course also join the discussion.
After chapters 1 and 2, we are generally planning to do a chapter per week, with chapter 4 (v. long) split in half.
As a result, the schedule would be:
Yes, this will leave us with a fairly big break to the release of the next volume, but we opted for not drawing out the reading pace too much.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a comment! If you have a question you don't want to put in a comment, you can contact us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
So get ready, read the chapters, and take notes! :) Hope to see you on Saturday!
How the read-along works in brief: one of us discussion mods (that's me and
jo_lasalle ) will make a discussion post here in this forum with a very brief summary of what happens in the respective week's chapter(s), and a couple of questions to start us off, though anyone else is also very welcome to raise points, and the aim is that people talk to each other. We encourage people to track the post or come back after a day or two to discussion threads, since the strength of doing something like this on Dreamwidth is that you can have asynchronous chat over a couple of days, rather than everything having to happen instantly.This readalong is prompted by the release of the English language paperback translation and we're going to work with its chapter numbers and titles (and where necessary, page count) and release schedule, but it's a general joint re-read, so people who are reading i.e. the German translation or existing web translations can of course also join the discussion.
After chapters 1 and 2, we are generally planning to do a chapter per week, with chapter 4 (v. long) split in half.
As a result, the schedule would be:
- Saturday 22 January: Chapter 1 Reincarnation + Chapter 2 The Intractable (web serialization chapters 1-5)
- Saturday 29 January: Chapter 3 The Prideful (web serialization chapters 6-10)
- Saturday 5 February: Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt part 1 (official translation pages 119-168, web serialization chapters 11-(halfway through) 16.6, ending as the group set out for Caiyi )
- Saturday 12 February: Chapter 4 The Elegant Flirt part 2 (official transllation pages 168-204, web serialization chapters 16.6-18)
- Saturday 19 February: Chapter 5 The Sunny Pair (web serialization chapters 19-22)
- Saturday 25 February: Chapter 6 The Malevolent (web serialization chapters 23-27)
- Saturday 4 March: Chapter 7 The Morning Dew (web serialization chapters 28-32)
Yes, this will leave us with a fairly big break to the release of the next volume, but we opted for not drawing out the reading pace too much.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a comment! If you have a question you don't want to put in a comment, you can contact us at haikuesque@gmail.com.
So get ready, read the chapters, and take notes! :) Hope to see you on Saturday!
MDZS translation readalong
Nov. 29th, 2021 05:33 pmsoloFuther to jo_lasalle 's poll about interest in a translation readalong, and given the interest expressed, I have a more detailed follow-up poll about schedules, length of weekly readings, and spoilers here at my journal.
Come and tell us what you think!
jo_lasalle 's poll about interest in a translation readalong, and given the interest expressed, I have a more detailed follow-up poll about schedules, length of weekly readings, and spoilers here at my journal.Come and tell us what you think!