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sid_guardian2020-10-23 05:51 pm
extrapenguin) wrote in sid_guardian2020-10-23 05:51 pm
Entry tags:
Focus on: bb Ye Zun gains his powers, from episode 35
Location of scene: Episode 35, 5:42 to 10:59
Summary
Ye Zun returns from his mission to steal the Hallows and kneels before the Rebel Leader to deliver them. The Rebel Leader disparages him, kicks him into the dirt, and reminds him that had the Rebel Leader not taken him in, he'd have died in the wilderness.
The Rebel Leader wonders how to turn the Hallows' power to his own use, then calls for Ye Zun and pulls him up by the collar, saying, "You always have those big ideas, but where are they when I need them?" Ye Zun is shaking throughout, and quickly comes up with an idea when prompted, but succumbs to a coughing fit. When he finally tells his idea, it's that the Rebel Leader use his own dark energy to activate the Hallows.
The Rebel Leader orders him to stand, waves his hand over Ye Zun twice, placing him under his mind control: Ye Zun stops trembling and his body language turns from cowering to the dead-eyed silence of the other rebels standing witness. The Rebel Leader softly says "Want to trick me? Get lost," and Ye Zun goes to stand with the other rebels.
When the Rebel Leader tries Ye Zun's idea, it doesn't work (the Guardian Lantern is unlit), and so he calls the mind-controlled Ye Zun back before him to yell at him. He slaps Ye Zun hard enough to make his mask fall off, then slaps him on the face again. He says it's no wonder Ye Zun's parents died young and his brother abandoned him. But no worries! He'll help Ye Zun find his brother, kill him, and cut him to pieces – and then let Ye Zun have his turn.
Ye Zun goes wide-eyed and blinks before breaking free of the mind control and telling the Rebel Leader to shut up and declaring, "My brother is mine alone to kill." He then ineffectively tries to choke the Rebel Leader.
The Rebel Leader, of course, easily throws off Ye Zun's hands and starts choking Ye Zun instead.
At this point, Ye Zun's powers awaken: he yells, dark energy brewing around his throat, and starts sucking the dark energy from the Rebel Leader, who now finds himself sitting on the ground in front of a standing Ye Zun. Ye Zun's hair is buffeted by wind as it turns from black to gray.
Ye Zun falls to his hands and knees and coughs. He looks up, sees the other rebels pull out their swords (the first action they've taken in the scene), and scampers backwards. Then the other rebels kneel and ask, "Boss! What can we do for you?" One of them offers Ye Zun the familiar golden mask we see him wear elsewhere in the show.
The scene closes with Ye Zun looking at his hands and looking at the dark energy swirling there. He smiles with uncomplicated joy.
Discussion
I picked this scene because it's IMO the most important scene for understanding what's going on with Ye Zun. It's where the audience is told that Ye Zun and Shen Wei are brothers (the cut from Shen Wei saying he had a brother to Ye Zun holding the Hallows box, the first time we get a proper look at Ye Zun's face), and where we get Ye Zun's motivation: he thinks his brother has abandoned him and wants revenge.
We also get to look at the root of his issues – Ye Zun is under the crushing heel of an abusive master, doing the dance of the abused to get out of worse punishment, and then he finally gets his powers in a moment of revenge. While Shen Wei was sparkling under the attentions of the great Kunlun, who valued Shen Wei for himself rather than what he could do, Ye Zun learned that if he was powerful enough, no-one could grind him into the dirt. He dislikes weakness in himself: a lot of his world takeover rampage is motivated by not ever being placed in a position to kneel again and to wipe away the shame of being the Rebel Leader's punching bag.
Ye Zun's blinding white garb is unusual, too. Why would one clothe one of one's band of rebels in white, when laundry is hard to do? He's much cleaner and neater than the other rebels as well. And he got picked up as a little kid who didn't have any Dixing powers. The only explanation I have is that the rebel leader picked up Ye Zun to be his sex slave, which, yeah.
Questions!
1. Do you think Ye Zun was actually trying to trick the Rebel Leader with the plan to activate the Hallows, or was he just saying something to avoid pain?
2. Do you think the Rebel Leader treated the other rebels like this, or was Ye Zun his pet project?
3. Did the other rebels have a choice in following Ye Zun, or did the mind control "transfer" from the Rebel Leader to Ye Zun, as Ye Zun gained his tormentor's power through consumption?
So, come and have your say! Share links to meta, picspams, and related fanworks, new or old! Self-recs are wholeheartedly encouraged. Basically, this is the place for anything you want to say or link to about this scene.
Summary
Ye Zun returns from his mission to steal the Hallows and kneels before the Rebel Leader to deliver them. The Rebel Leader disparages him, kicks him into the dirt, and reminds him that had the Rebel Leader not taken him in, he'd have died in the wilderness.
The Rebel Leader wonders how to turn the Hallows' power to his own use, then calls for Ye Zun and pulls him up by the collar, saying, "You always have those big ideas, but where are they when I need them?" Ye Zun is shaking throughout, and quickly comes up with an idea when prompted, but succumbs to a coughing fit. When he finally tells his idea, it's that the Rebel Leader use his own dark energy to activate the Hallows.
The Rebel Leader orders him to stand, waves his hand over Ye Zun twice, placing him under his mind control: Ye Zun stops trembling and his body language turns from cowering to the dead-eyed silence of the other rebels standing witness. The Rebel Leader softly says "Want to trick me? Get lost," and Ye Zun goes to stand with the other rebels.
When the Rebel Leader tries Ye Zun's idea, it doesn't work (the Guardian Lantern is unlit), and so he calls the mind-controlled Ye Zun back before him to yell at him. He slaps Ye Zun hard enough to make his mask fall off, then slaps him on the face again. He says it's no wonder Ye Zun's parents died young and his brother abandoned him. But no worries! He'll help Ye Zun find his brother, kill him, and cut him to pieces – and then let Ye Zun have his turn.
Ye Zun goes wide-eyed and blinks before breaking free of the mind control and telling the Rebel Leader to shut up and declaring, "My brother is mine alone to kill." He then ineffectively tries to choke the Rebel Leader.
The Rebel Leader, of course, easily throws off Ye Zun's hands and starts choking Ye Zun instead.
At this point, Ye Zun's powers awaken: he yells, dark energy brewing around his throat, and starts sucking the dark energy from the Rebel Leader, who now finds himself sitting on the ground in front of a standing Ye Zun. Ye Zun's hair is buffeted by wind as it turns from black to gray.
Ye Zun falls to his hands and knees and coughs. He looks up, sees the other rebels pull out their swords (the first action they've taken in the scene), and scampers backwards. Then the other rebels kneel and ask, "Boss! What can we do for you?" One of them offers Ye Zun the familiar golden mask we see him wear elsewhere in the show.
The scene closes with Ye Zun looking at his hands and looking at the dark energy swirling there. He smiles with uncomplicated joy.
Discussion
I picked this scene because it's IMO the most important scene for understanding what's going on with Ye Zun. It's where the audience is told that Ye Zun and Shen Wei are brothers (the cut from Shen Wei saying he had a brother to Ye Zun holding the Hallows box, the first time we get a proper look at Ye Zun's face), and where we get Ye Zun's motivation: he thinks his brother has abandoned him and wants revenge.
We also get to look at the root of his issues – Ye Zun is under the crushing heel of an abusive master, doing the dance of the abused to get out of worse punishment, and then he finally gets his powers in a moment of revenge. While Shen Wei was sparkling under the attentions of the great Kunlun, who valued Shen Wei for himself rather than what he could do, Ye Zun learned that if he was powerful enough, no-one could grind him into the dirt. He dislikes weakness in himself: a lot of his world takeover rampage is motivated by not ever being placed in a position to kneel again and to wipe away the shame of being the Rebel Leader's punching bag.
Ye Zun's blinding white garb is unusual, too. Why would one clothe one of one's band of rebels in white, when laundry is hard to do? He's much cleaner and neater than the other rebels as well. And he got picked up as a little kid who didn't have any Dixing powers. The only explanation I have is that the rebel leader picked up Ye Zun to be his sex slave, which, yeah.
Questions!
1. Do you think Ye Zun was actually trying to trick the Rebel Leader with the plan to activate the Hallows, or was he just saying something to avoid pain?
2. Do you think the Rebel Leader treated the other rebels like this, or was Ye Zun his pet project?
3. Did the other rebels have a choice in following Ye Zun, or did the mind control "transfer" from the Rebel Leader to Ye Zun, as Ye Zun gained his tormentor's power through consumption?
So, come and have your say! Share links to meta, picspams, and related fanworks, new or old! Self-recs are wholeheartedly encouraged. Basically, this is the place for anything you want to say or link to about this scene.