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sid_guardian2024-11-29 01:39 pm
jayfire) wrote in sid_guardian2024-11-29 01:39 pm
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Guardian Readalong: Chapters 7 & 8
Hello hello~ and welcome back/welcome to this next instalment of our weekly Guardian readalong!
Previously, on Guardian:
This time, we're on chapters 7 and 8 of the official English translation, which correspond to chapters 12 to 14 in the most widely available fan-translation and the current Simplified Chinese version on JJWXC.
Chapter 7: Investigator Zhu Hong figures out part of what's going on with Li Qian; Zhao Yunlan finally reads the letter from "him"; and Shen Wei finds an innovative use for a chair
Chapter 8: Guo Changcheng is a police officer; everyone runs in a circle; and storage rooms are good for emergency team-building
Excerpts
1) We officially meet Zhu Hong:
By daylight, the office looked far bleaker. The only person on duty in the criminal investigation unit was a female officer who might have been in her twenties. A simple ponytail highlighted her pretty forehead and a clear complexion that was accentuated with light makeup. She was in uniform --- at least from the waist up. Her lower body was covered by a blanket, and she sat very still in her seat. All that kept her from looking like she was convalescing was the rosiness in her face.
Half-closed eyes and a lazy expression made it seem like she might drift off at any moment, but her hands were working busily. The blanket on her lap was large enough that one edge reached the floor. When Zhao Yunlan accidentally stepped on the trailing edge, the other side of the blanket slid up. For a moment, it revealed the tip of a python tail, which quickly withdrew. The woman's attention remained fixed on the security footage. Without looking, she reached down absentmindedly to adjust the blanket.
The nameplate on the corner of her desk read "Zhu Hong."
2) Zhao Yunlan's perception of the Ghost Slayer/Soul-Executing Emissary:
From the official translation:
The Soul-Executing Emissary had come into existence in the depths of the Netherworld, but he was not a ghost immortal, nor was he subject to the Ten Yanluo Courts. Legend said he had originally been a mere wisp of fiendish energy from the darkest bowels of the Nine Hells. But from this inauspicious beginning, in a rare stroke of serendipity, he evolved to attain a physical form.
He wielded the Soul-Executing Blade, and gods, humans, or any other being, whether from the thirty-three levels of Heaven above or the eighteen levels of Hell below, could be executed by that blade if found guilty. Deities and demons alike bowed their heads to him, and all beings feared him...all but Zhao Yunlan.
Whether he was thick-skinned or boneheaded or just missing reflex tendons others had, Zhao Yunlan not only failed to fear the Emissary but found him gentle and refined with a good personality. His only shortcoming was that, whether speaking or writing, the Emissary's language was just a bit archaic --- too refined and flowery.
From the fan-translation:
The Ghost Slayer is a god but not a god, a ghost but not a ghost, and calling him an immortal ghost also wouldn't be correct. Legend says that he was born in the depths of Difu, and he has a mighty blade that knows good from evil, loyalty from treachery. It can slay anything, which is how he earned his name.
From the highest heavens to the deepest levels of Difu, no one in heaven or earth, whether human or god, spirit or ghost, can survive this weapon.
Because of this, everyone is terrified of him; Zhao Yunlan is the sole, foolishly thick-skinned exception. Not only does he fail to be appalled by the ghost slaying, he seems to think that the Ghost Slayer is a rather nice, kind person. The only bad thing about him is the way he talks: too old-fashioned and too long-winded.
3) Xiao Guo is, once again, more perceptive than most people realize:
Guo Changcheng had never been a confrontational person. For him, running away was as natural as a cat eating fish or a dog eating meat. It was practically part of his genetic makeup, and right now, his genes were telling him that the safest place was between Shen Wei and the black cat.
4) Shen Wei's unfulfilled wish:
Guo Changcheng kept sobbing. "Shen-laoshi, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"
Perhaps hoping to ease Guo Changcheng's terror, Shen Wei gave the question careful consideration before nodding. "I do."
Through tears, Guo Changcheng choked out, "Like what?"
"There is someone I met only by chance. There are no connections between us; to him, I must only be a stranger with whom he's exchanged a few words." Shen Wei spoke gently against the background noise of scratching nails. "But I very much want to see him one more time."
Questions:
What colour do you think Zhu Hong's snake tail is? (i think we might find out at some point later on but i can't remember so. what are you all picturing?) Why do you think Li Qian wouldn't tell Zhao Yunlan about using the sundial and sharing half her life with her grandma? How do you feel about the Ghost Slayer/Soul-Executing Emissary based on what we know about him so far? If you were up against a hungry ghost, would you choose the mop or the hospital chair?
Our schedule (and you can also sign up here to host a post!)
Previously, on Guardian:
This time, we're on chapters 7 and 8 of the official English translation, which correspond to chapters 12 to 14 in the most widely available fan-translation and the current Simplified Chinese version on JJWXC.
Chapter 7: Investigator Zhu Hong figures out part of what's going on with Li Qian; Zhao Yunlan finally reads the letter from "him"; and Shen Wei finds an innovative use for a chair
Chapter 8: Guo Changcheng is a police officer; everyone runs in a circle; and storage rooms are good for emergency team-building
Excerpts
1) We officially meet Zhu Hong:
By daylight, the office looked far bleaker. The only person on duty in the criminal investigation unit was a female officer who might have been in her twenties. A simple ponytail highlighted her pretty forehead and a clear complexion that was accentuated with light makeup. She was in uniform --- at least from the waist up. Her lower body was covered by a blanket, and she sat very still in her seat. All that kept her from looking like she was convalescing was the rosiness in her face.
Half-closed eyes and a lazy expression made it seem like she might drift off at any moment, but her hands were working busily. The blanket on her lap was large enough that one edge reached the floor. When Zhao Yunlan accidentally stepped on the trailing edge, the other side of the blanket slid up. For a moment, it revealed the tip of a python tail, which quickly withdrew. The woman's attention remained fixed on the security footage. Without looking, she reached down absentmindedly to adjust the blanket.
The nameplate on the corner of her desk read "Zhu Hong."
2) Zhao Yunlan's perception of the Ghost Slayer/Soul-Executing Emissary:
From the official translation:
The Soul-Executing Emissary had come into existence in the depths of the Netherworld, but he was not a ghost immortal, nor was he subject to the Ten Yanluo Courts. Legend said he had originally been a mere wisp of fiendish energy from the darkest bowels of the Nine Hells. But from this inauspicious beginning, in a rare stroke of serendipity, he evolved to attain a physical form.
He wielded the Soul-Executing Blade, and gods, humans, or any other being, whether from the thirty-three levels of Heaven above or the eighteen levels of Hell below, could be executed by that blade if found guilty. Deities and demons alike bowed their heads to him, and all beings feared him...all but Zhao Yunlan.
Whether he was thick-skinned or boneheaded or just missing reflex tendons others had, Zhao Yunlan not only failed to fear the Emissary but found him gentle and refined with a good personality. His only shortcoming was that, whether speaking or writing, the Emissary's language was just a bit archaic --- too refined and flowery.
From the fan-translation:
The Ghost Slayer is a god but not a god, a ghost but not a ghost, and calling him an immortal ghost also wouldn't be correct. Legend says that he was born in the depths of Difu, and he has a mighty blade that knows good from evil, loyalty from treachery. It can slay anything, which is how he earned his name.
From the highest heavens to the deepest levels of Difu, no one in heaven or earth, whether human or god, spirit or ghost, can survive this weapon.
Because of this, everyone is terrified of him; Zhao Yunlan is the sole, foolishly thick-skinned exception. Not only does he fail to be appalled by the ghost slaying, he seems to think that the Ghost Slayer is a rather nice, kind person. The only bad thing about him is the way he talks: too old-fashioned and too long-winded.
3) Xiao Guo is, once again, more perceptive than most people realize:
Guo Changcheng had never been a confrontational person. For him, running away was as natural as a cat eating fish or a dog eating meat. It was practically part of his genetic makeup, and right now, his genes were telling him that the safest place was between Shen Wei and the black cat.
4) Shen Wei's unfulfilled wish:
Guo Changcheng kept sobbing. "Shen-laoshi, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"
Perhaps hoping to ease Guo Changcheng's terror, Shen Wei gave the question careful consideration before nodding. "I do."
Through tears, Guo Changcheng choked out, "Like what?"
"There is someone I met only by chance. There are no connections between us; to him, I must only be a stranger with whom he's exchanged a few words." Shen Wei spoke gently against the background noise of scratching nails. "But I very much want to see him one more time."
Questions:
What colour do you think Zhu Hong's snake tail is? (i think we might find out at some point later on but i can't remember so. what are you all picturing?) Why do you think Li Qian wouldn't tell Zhao Yunlan about using the sundial and sharing half her life with her grandma? How do you feel about the Ghost Slayer/Soul-Executing Emissary based on what we know about him so far? If you were up against a hungry ghost, would you choose the mop or the hospital chair?
Our schedule (and you can also sign up here to host a post!)
no subject
Yeah, 100% agreed on all of that!
Also, the fact that the sundial in the drama had little scales on it too --- I love that detail! (there is also a lizard engraved on the one in the drama though, so the scales might have been a coincidence, or maybe the lizard sundial was chosen because it had scales, who knows)
You know, I never thought about those scales before, or wthether they meant anything. This is all really cool!
I do really enjoy the way the fan-translation says that he’s a god but not a god, a ghost but not a ghost. For me, it feels like a really effective way of highlighting how unique the Ghost Slayer is, and of showing that he doesn’t really belong anywhere
Yeah, that's true! That bit is different in both of the versions of the fan translation I have, but I really like yours!
that’s something that’s always stuck with me from previous read throughs and even with the drama --- the way the Ghost Slayer is always this lonely figure, out of place no matter where or when he goes
And it's true in both versions in entirely different ways - I love how they got that crucial character element in there, that distance between and everyone around him. *offers hugs*
I like to think that the scene in the drama of Zhao Yunlan fighting with a feather-duster is an homage to novel-verse Shen Wei fighting a hungry ghost with a mop (also that’s just. Such a comical image to think about xD
Oh, yes, excellent point, that definitely seems to be a deliberate echo! Great stuff. :D
You know what else is a funny thing to picture? Shen Wei fighting a ghost with a hospital chair. It’s a very serious situation, but I’m laughing at the mental image
Yes! And not just hitting the thing with a chair once, but literally beating it to pieces! Amazing. :D
no subject
Me neither! I had always thought it was an interesting design choice they had made for the drama, and I'd only noticed the scales (and subtle lizard) when I was making myself a template of each hallow for a project (still a wip haha). It wasn't until I was reading this time that I realised the scales in the drama might've been a deliberate reference to the novel.
And not just hitting the thing with a chair once, but literally beating it to pieces
Just now reading your comment, I spontaneously had the image of Zhao Yunlan witnessing this and being shocked and impressed to see refined Shen-laoshi just going at it like that, and then also making a comment about how stressful teaching must be if Shen Wei has this much pent up frustration (and also probably saying he knows a better form of stress relief if you know what I mean)
no subject
Your last paragraph: OMG! That needs to be fic, actually. LOL! I can just see it. :D