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sid_guardian2025-02-02 11:01 am
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2025-02-02 11:01 am
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Guardian readalong: chapters 23 & 24
Hi, all! Just a reminder that sign-ups are still open for this round of the Guardian readalong. Two more weeks and we'll have finished volume 1! Woohoo! Hope you're all having fun!
Welcome to this week's installment!
If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters and you can find all previous chapter discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag.
This week we're looking at:
Chapter 23 and 24: The Emissary looks after Zhao Yunlan, heals him, and tells him he has an "unstable soul". The pillar is the Mountain-River Awl, and it contains tens of thousands of evil spirits. Wang Zheng explains her backstory.
This corresponds with chapters 37 to 39 of the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation.
Excerpts
1) The Emissary, his robes, and his puppet
The Soul-Executing Emissary's black robes were like a thick mist, impenetrable even by sunlight. They abruptly billowed up to form a protective screen several stories high, engulfing them both. They were cut off from the sunlight and everything else.
While holding him, the Emissary lifted Zhao Yunlan’s hand and pressed on his watch. “Come out!” His voice was quiet, but the command was unmistakable.
The little puppet floated out hesitantly. Its lowered head was shockingly large compared to its small body. The Emissary glanced at it, then raised a hand and summoned it back into his sleeve. “Get in here.”
2) The Emissary and Zhao Yunlan
The Emissary seemed to be taking great care to keep Zhao Yunlan from getting dirty even though Zhao Yunlan had already made a mess of himself. When the Emissary carefully set the Soul-Executing Blade aside, Wang Zheng got a look at it—and the bloodstained hilt.
From within a vast sleeve reminiscent of a black hole, a deathly pale hand emerged. The Emissary wiped the blood from the corner of Zhao Yunlan’s mouth almost tenderly. His fingertips lingered barely perceptibly where they grazed Zhao Yunlan’s lips. The air was charged with an indescribable tension, as if the Emissary would lean down and kiss him at any moment.
3) Zhao Yunlan admires the Emissary
The Soul-Executing Emissary’s coldness was said to spring from his innate ruthlessness and cruelty, but it was comfort spreading through Zhao Yunlan now, the churning in his chest slowly calming.
Zhao Yunlan couldn’t help admiring the Emissary. In all the years he’d been in charge of the Soul-Guarding Order, whenever he encountered truly heinous crimes or the most unbelievable situations, the Emissary had always personally arrived to take care of it. They had always had a partnership. In all that time, Zhao Yunlan had never seen the Emissary act rudely or lose control. He always seemed so calm, modest, and amiable. With some sort of extreme self-restraint, that innate cruelty was suppressed to the point that not a hint of it was detectable.
4) Zhao Yunlan has an unstable soul
“Other people can approach it without harm, but you…” An unfamiliar hesitance entered the Emissary’s voice as he considered his choice of words. He continued at last, “You were born with an unstable soul. If you draw too close to these soul-sealing objects, of course you will feel the effects more than others.”
No one had ever said such a thing to Zhao Yunlan before. Caught off guard, he said, “An unstable soul? Me? My ethereal and corporeal souls37 are all just fine! Why would they be unstable?”
The Soul-Executing Emissary fell silent again, then said, “Everyone has one True Flame of Samadhi on each shoulder and one on their head. You were born with no fire on your left shoulder—a phenomenon known as ‘ghost-touched shoulder.’ That makes your souls prone to instability. The Guardian should take more care in the future.”
Zhao Yunlan gave his own left shoulder a dubious look, then quickly lost interest and got back to the subject at hand.
5) Zhao Yunlan on dignity and what makes people human
“I just understand people like Sangzan,” Zhao Yunlan said. “Hundreds of generations of slaves. When a father dies, the son still needs to serve. If Sangzan was the first one who ever dared to truly rebel, his heart must have been bursting with discontent. A courageous, upright, outstanding man like that? He might conceivably be willing to die for you if you wanted his life, but he’d never allow you to harm his dignity. Forget about empty things like titles or honors, or distant things like promotions or wealth. Isn’t a man’s most fundamental dignity found in taking care of his family and in being able to keep the person deepest in his heart safe?”
From close by, the Emissary murmured, “Does that describe you as well, Guardian?”
“You can’t force something like fate.” Zhao Yunlan had no idea why the Emissary might interject with something so trivial. A bit taken aback, he answered, “If someone was willing to follow me to the ends of the earth, if they took care of me and understood me and my needs, but I didn’t even have the heart to protect them? What the fuck would I even be? Would I even deserve to be called human?”
Questions
- How much do you think Shen Wei's roles are bleeding into each other? Is the Emissary treating Zhao Yunlan differently because Professor Shen has got to know him, or would he act the same here regardless?
- Any thoughts about Wang Zheng's backstory, or the way it differs from the version in the drama? Do you have sympathy for Sangzan? How about for Gelan?
- What do you think of Zhao Yunlan's behaviour towards Wang Zheng in this chapter?
These questions are just conversation starters. Feel free to talk about your reactions to the chapters generally and highlight whatever stood out to you.
Welcome to this week's installment!
If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters and you can find all previous chapter discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag.
This week we're looking at:
Chapter 23 and 24: The Emissary looks after Zhao Yunlan, heals him, and tells him he has an "unstable soul". The pillar is the Mountain-River Awl, and it contains tens of thousands of evil spirits. Wang Zheng explains her backstory.
This corresponds with chapters 37 to 39 of the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation.
Excerpts
1) The Emissary, his robes, and his puppet
The Soul-Executing Emissary's black robes were like a thick mist, impenetrable even by sunlight. They abruptly billowed up to form a protective screen several stories high, engulfing them both. They were cut off from the sunlight and everything else.
While holding him, the Emissary lifted Zhao Yunlan’s hand and pressed on his watch. “Come out!” His voice was quiet, but the command was unmistakable.
The little puppet floated out hesitantly. Its lowered head was shockingly large compared to its small body. The Emissary glanced at it, then raised a hand and summoned it back into his sleeve. “Get in here.”
2) The Emissary and Zhao Yunlan
The Emissary seemed to be taking great care to keep Zhao Yunlan from getting dirty even though Zhao Yunlan had already made a mess of himself. When the Emissary carefully set the Soul-Executing Blade aside, Wang Zheng got a look at it—and the bloodstained hilt.
From within a vast sleeve reminiscent of a black hole, a deathly pale hand emerged. The Emissary wiped the blood from the corner of Zhao Yunlan’s mouth almost tenderly. His fingertips lingered barely perceptibly where they grazed Zhao Yunlan’s lips. The air was charged with an indescribable tension, as if the Emissary would lean down and kiss him at any moment.
3) Zhao Yunlan admires the Emissary
The Soul-Executing Emissary’s coldness was said to spring from his innate ruthlessness and cruelty, but it was comfort spreading through Zhao Yunlan now, the churning in his chest slowly calming.
Zhao Yunlan couldn’t help admiring the Emissary. In all the years he’d been in charge of the Soul-Guarding Order, whenever he encountered truly heinous crimes or the most unbelievable situations, the Emissary had always personally arrived to take care of it. They had always had a partnership. In all that time, Zhao Yunlan had never seen the Emissary act rudely or lose control. He always seemed so calm, modest, and amiable. With some sort of extreme self-restraint, that innate cruelty was suppressed to the point that not a hint of it was detectable.
4) Zhao Yunlan has an unstable soul
“Other people can approach it without harm, but you…” An unfamiliar hesitance entered the Emissary’s voice as he considered his choice of words. He continued at last, “You were born with an unstable soul. If you draw too close to these soul-sealing objects, of course you will feel the effects more than others.”
No one had ever said such a thing to Zhao Yunlan before. Caught off guard, he said, “An unstable soul? Me? My ethereal and corporeal souls37 are all just fine! Why would they be unstable?”
The Soul-Executing Emissary fell silent again, then said, “Everyone has one True Flame of Samadhi on each shoulder and one on their head. You were born with no fire on your left shoulder—a phenomenon known as ‘ghost-touched shoulder.’ That makes your souls prone to instability. The Guardian should take more care in the future.”
Zhao Yunlan gave his own left shoulder a dubious look, then quickly lost interest and got back to the subject at hand.
5) Zhao Yunlan on dignity and what makes people human
“I just understand people like Sangzan,” Zhao Yunlan said. “Hundreds of generations of slaves. When a father dies, the son still needs to serve. If Sangzan was the first one who ever dared to truly rebel, his heart must have been bursting with discontent. A courageous, upright, outstanding man like that? He might conceivably be willing to die for you if you wanted his life, but he’d never allow you to harm his dignity. Forget about empty things like titles or honors, or distant things like promotions or wealth. Isn’t a man’s most fundamental dignity found in taking care of his family and in being able to keep the person deepest in his heart safe?”
From close by, the Emissary murmured, “Does that describe you as well, Guardian?”
“You can’t force something like fate.” Zhao Yunlan had no idea why the Emissary might interject with something so trivial. A bit taken aback, he answered, “If someone was willing to follow me to the ends of the earth, if they took care of me and understood me and my needs, but I didn’t even have the heart to protect them? What the fuck would I even be? Would I even deserve to be called human?”
Questions
- How much do you think Shen Wei's roles are bleeding into each other? Is the Emissary treating Zhao Yunlan differently because Professor Shen has got to know him, or would he act the same here regardless?
- Any thoughts about Wang Zheng's backstory, or the way it differs from the version in the drama? Do you have sympathy for Sangzan? How about for Gelan?
- What do you think of Zhao Yunlan's behaviour towards Wang Zheng in this chapter?
These questions are just conversation starters. Feel free to talk about your reactions to the chapters generally and highlight whatever stood out to you.
no subject
I love the description of the Emissary's "robes" -- they seem more metaphorical than literal, and they're so adaptable. :D And awwww, Shen Wei ordering the skeleton puppet into his sleeve! So cute!
The Emissary seemed to be taking great care to keep Zhao Yunlan from getting dirty even though Zhao Yunlan had already made a mess of himself.
Haha, so true of every version of Shen Wei. <3 And ooh, the UST and its illustration are lovely, even if ZYL is unconscious at the time! (Maybe because ZYL is unconscious! ;-p)
Oh, hey, the Emissary heals ZYL, so I guess his energy isn't 100% toxic.
He always seemed so calm, modest, and amiable. With some sort of extreme self-restraint, that innate cruelty was suppressed to the point that not a hint of it was detectable.
That assessment is predicated on a rumour (The Soul-Executing Emissary’s coldness was said to spring from his innate ruthlessness and cruelty) -- it bothers me a little that ZYL takes the rumour at face value, not even questioning it... even if it's ultimately sort of right.
“Every person at 4 Bright Avenue matters. As long as it’s work hours, they’re all my people. I can’t just leave her.” -- love that they kept that in the drama. That's one of the foundation pillars of ZYL's character, imo.
Aaand then ZYL whips in Wang Zheng's direction only to tell her off for flinching, which is such gaslighting that I can't even. *thwaps him*
Aha! The whip turns into a talisman, which lines up with last week's discussion about where the whip came from. \o/ And hee, Shen Wei snatching his cigarette away. ZYL deserved that (though I don't think that's why SW did it).
Okay, so in the novel, the pillar is the Mountain-River Awl. Is that true in the drama, too? And if so, then what is the Sky Pillar? Something else, or another version of the Awl (or the Awl in a different overlapping timeline)? An artefact of the Hallows combined? (That's what I always assumed.)
I like ZYL putting the pieces together and realising that something bigger is going on, and I like the mythology around the Awl, even if it's creepy AF.
OMG, not only is ZYL missing one of his soul lights, but the Emissary knows! This seems like such a big deal, and ZYL just brushes it aside. That "dubious look" made me LOL. :D
Wait, Gelan possessed a girl called Wang Zheng and... has been walking around in her body ever since and working at the SID?? What happened to the real Wang Zheng?? (Or did Gelan just steal her name?)
Zhao Yunlan came to the annoying realization that his Special Investigations Department was basically a summer camp for nepotism babies. -- heeeee! :D
And then ZYL is super offhand and disrespectful about Gelan's traumatic backstory and difficult situation. Such casual dickishness -- this is why it's hard to like you, man!
I like that the Emissary talks back to ZYL and calls his misanthropic logic "preposterous"! And that ZYL is egotistical enough to not be cowed. ;-p
I'm so interested in all the uses of the talismans -- a whip, stopping Wang Zheng from crying, securing the mountain hut from the skulls, an edible tonic, etc, etc. So cool.
Haha, the Emissary can't help himself -- he hears ZYL's general philosophical words about human nature and honour, and he has to make it personal. And ZYL's response is “Aiyou, my lord, please don’t. I don’t have the fortitude to be praised by you.” :D :D :D :D :D
And then they align to agree about "a man's most fundamental dignity", just like in the drama, aww.
(I, uh, kind of glossed over Wang Zheng's whole backstory. It's fine, but does it have much bearing on the rest of the story? Is it an allegory or parallel I haven't bothered piecing together?)
no subject
"And ooh, the UST and its illustration are lovely, even if ZYL is unconscious at the time! (Maybe because ZYL is unconscious! ;-p)"
Yes and yes. :D :D
Also I FORGOT the illustration, omfg. I was like "hey, wait what, I don't have an illustration for this??" and then I went to actually skim the chapters and of course I do. :D I genuinely don't know how I could have forgotten it, but I think I was too emotionally invested in the ending of the previous chapter to really take in all the additional details or something (or maybe because the Emissary's face is visible and I took it as not canon, lol).
Also I'm cackling at the next line where Wang Zheng takes one look and is like 'I'm not even here, carry on, and also wtfff'. xD
"OMG, not only is ZYL missing one of his soul lights, but the Emissary knows! This seems like such a big deal, and ZYL just brushes it aside. That "dubious look" made me LOL. :D"
No spoilers at all, but I love the backstory for this! And I forgot the illustration but I remembered the dubious look line really well. :D :D
And yessss, ZYL protecting his people at all costs is always my favorite thing. ♡
no subject
For the missing soul light, or the dubious look? (I remember the soul light thing, but can't remember if there's a reason ZYL is so blasé about it here.)
no subject
no subject
Hee! *hearts*
I genuinely don't know how I could have forgotten it, but I think I was too emotionally invested in the ending of the previous chapter to really take in all the additional details or something
Ha, whole swathes of this book keep falling out of my head. Like, I only read it through for the first time a few months ago, and I've already forgotten almost everything. /o\
Also I'm cackling at the next line where Wang Zheng takes one look and is like 'I'm not even here, carry on, and also wtfff'. xD
Hahaha, right? Poor WZ!
And yessss, ZYL protecting his people at all costs is always my favorite thing. ♡
Agreed! At this stage, it's his saving grace, lol! ;-p
no subject
Yeah, I really hated that bit.
Okay, so in the novel, the pillar is the Mountain-River Awl. Is that true in the drama, too? And if so, then what is the Sky Pillar? Something else, or another version of the Awl (or the Awl in a different overlapping timeline)? An artefact of the Hallows combined? (That's what I always assumed.)
My take was that in the drama, the Hanga pillar is a physical manifestation of the Awl's power, and the Sky Pillar in Dixing is a physical manifestation of the Hallows' combined power. So, pretty much same as yours.
Wait, Gelan possessed a girl called Wang Zheng and... has been walking around in her body ever since and working at the SID?? What happened to the real Wang Zheng?? (Or did Gelan just steal her name?)
No, if she were still possessing a body she wouldn't have needed the sex doll! She's without a body now. So I assume she briefly possessed real!Wang Zheng, got caught and made to leave her by the Guardian, and then joined the Guardian Order and took the name Wang Zheng because she wanted to distance herself from her past?
And then ZYL is super offhand and disrespectful about Gelan's traumatic backstory and difficult situation. Such casual dickishness -- this is why it's hard to like you, man!
Completely agreed!
(I, uh, kind of glossed over Wang Zheng's whole backstory. It's fine, but does it have much bearing on the rest of the story? Is it an allegory or parallel I haven't bothered piecing together?)
Idk either. I like it better in the drama where they make some effort to make the parallels resonate, both with Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei ("I waited for you for a hundred years" vs. "I searched for you for ten thousand years" and all) and with Ye Zun, whose entire backstory is drama only. And I guess part of what makes me feel so meh about it here is that we only hear the backstory second hand, whereas in the drama we get to see it happen, but the parallels are the big part ...
no subject
Like, I get that he's angry about the drugging and lying, but that is no way to express it, yuck!!!!
My take was that in the drama, the Hanga pillar is a physical manifestation of the Awl's power, and the Sky Pillar in Dixing is a physical manifestation of the Hallows' combined power. So, pretty much same as yours.
*high fives* And the Awl is inside the Hanga pillar, right? That's why Zhu Jiu manipulates the Envoy into breaking it?
No, if she were still possessing a body she wouldn't have needed the sex doll! She's without a body now. So I assume she briefly possessed real!Wang Zheng, got caught and made to leave her by the Guardian, and then joined the Guardian Order and took the name Wang Zheng because she wanted to distance herself from her past?
Ah, of course. Okay, that makes sense, I guess. Like Zhou Weiwei keeping Weiwei's name (and face) in the drama.
And I guess part of what makes me feel so meh about it here is that we only hear the backstory second hand, whereas in the drama we get to see it happen
Yeah. And even in the drama, a part of me was just waiting to get back to present day and the characters I was more invested in, at least the first time through. ;-p
no subject
Yes, exactly!
no subject
THE CUTE!
"Extreme restraint is sometimes exercised in pursuit of extreme freedom."
OMG, this line is so good in retrospect that I kinda just stared at it for a minute. (No spoilers at all.) I don't think I even noticed it much on the first read.
"Zhao Yunlan gave his own left shoulder a dubious look, then quickly lost interest"
100% one of my favorite lines, it's so flippantly funny. :D
"Zhao Yunlan dug out the last pack of beef jerky and began eating it. “So your dad was a total piece of shit.”"
This is SUCH a mood of someone whose dad is also a total piece of shit. Different way, yes, but what else are you gonna say.
"“He was our chief and my wonderful father! How could he have done something so despicable?”
Zhao Yunlan held his tongue. His expression was still ugly, but he sighed faintly."
!!! Like. This is solidarity. The ZYL way, yeah, but solidarity 100%.
"“Don’t cry.” Zhao Yunlan touched her chin lightly and wiped her tears, a soul-stabilizing talisman between his fingers. With a quiet exclamation, he pressed the talisman to her forehead. Her tears were instantly sealed off, preventing any more from escaping. She stared at him, eyes large and still filled with almost childlike innocence. Meeting his gentle, inscrutable gaze, she had the sudden conviction that he knew and understood everything."
Asdfghjhgfdsjkl, BECAUSE HE DOES. ♡
"He pressed against Clarity as if comforting the young girl’s soul trapped inside, offering what consolation he could for the solitude from which she would never find peace."
♡♡♡!
"When she stared in one direction like that, it always made her look like she was spacing out."
Also I love how they cast Wang Zheng in the drama because of descriptions like this.
"He took two deep puffs like a practiced addict, not inflicting even a hint of secondhand smoke on the Emissary."
This is so weirdly sweet, and also would it even matter at all. xD
"Zhao Yunlan had no idea why the Emissary might interject with something so trivial."
Ahahah, you know nothing, Zhao Yunlan.
"The Emissary’s hands had been resting on his knees, but now he withdrew them into his sleeves where no one could see them clench them into fists. Softly, he said, “The Guardian’s affections run deep. The one who receives them will be fortunate indeed.”
“Huh?” The praise made Zhao Yunlan freeze, thrown off by the comment. Then he laughed it off. “Aiyou, my lord, please don’t. I don’t have the fortitude to be praised by you.”"
♡♡♡ Just another one of my favorite lines, idek, the soft confusion/misunderstanding. *adores them*
And Sangzan is way terrifying in the novel tbh.
no subject
Novel!ZYL's dad isn't that bad, is he? I thought I remembered him being basically okay, especially compared to the drama's Zhao Xinci.
Also I love how they cast Wang Zheng in the drama because of descriptions like this.
Yeah, the casting is top notch all over, seriously!
♡♡♡ Just another one of my favorite lines, idek, the soft confusion/misunderstanding. *adores them*
So much love! I adore these little moments so much. :D
no subject
Objectively probably yes, lol, but on a personal level I'm so allergic to him in the novel that I actually find his scenes hard to read and had to stop reading sometimes on account of him existing for another page? 100% my issue, not a reasoned argument or anything. :) In the drama I was completely *shrug* about him, on the other hand.
no subject
no subject
I knooooow! :D
100% one of my favorite lines, it's so flippantly funny. :D
Agreed! He's just bizarrely uninterested in spiritual stuff, including when it comes to himself. *g*
This is SUCH a mood of someone whose dad is also a total piece of shit. Different way, yes, but what else are you gonna say.
Like Trobadora, I don't remember novel!dad being that bad. He was wrong about stuff, but I don't remember him being super shitty. (And as for his alter ego, his backstory was so ridiculous I couldn't stop laughing.) I'll have to see what I think when we get there, too. But I think you're right that ZYL is identifying with Wang Zheng about her dad issues, here. *pets them both*
Also I love how they cast Wang Zheng in the drama because of descriptions like this.
Ha, right?
no subject
Zhao Yunlan is so bossy! "Get in my watch!" WTF? But he has their best interests at heart, so there's that ... Just has a funny way of showing his affection.
no subject
And yes, so much sympathy for Gelan and Sangzan.
Doesn't make Sangzan any less terrifying tho.no subject
Yeah, that's Zhao Yunlan in a nutshell. I like it a lot of the time, but I feel like he could really stand to tone it down on occasion! Like in these chapters especially - would it hurt him to not be such a jerk to Wang Zheng?!
no subject
Yeah, their lives were so epically tragic. /o\
no subject
How much do you think Shen Wei's roles are bleeding into each other? Is the Emissary treating Zhao Yunlan differently because Professor Shen has got to know him, or would he act the same here regardless?
He’s never been particularly careful to hide how much he cares about Zhao Yunlan(think of the flowery letters), so I don’t think Professor Shen has much to do with this.
Any thoughts about Wang Zheng's backstory, or the way it differs from the version in the drama?
I prefer the novel version for Wang Zheng’s backstory. It’s more interesting and feels like an actual side story with its own little plot, whereas the drama had more frolicking in a field.
The drama also toned down the violence, obviously. But the fact that cruelty and violence were rampant and brought about the downfall of the Hanga people is thematically relevant. Also, I like Wang Zheng’s sewn-on head. Very spooky.
no subject
Yesss, the novel Wang Zheng aesthetic is SO GOOD. I love the entire imagery of this line, in many different ways, lol. "The long, thin red stitches encircling Wang Zheng’s neck were becoming more and more prominent. The paper talisman stuck to her forehead fluttered as she trembled. She looked every inch the zombie girl in a third-rate horror movie, but no one could laugh about the comical resemblance." And then later the line where she touches the stitches and it's heartbreaking instead of creepy.
no subject
The sewn-on head is great, yeah!
no subject
Oh, interesting! I interpreted the flowery letters as just his general style, not specific to ZYL. But that does make sense!
But the fact that cruelty and violence were rampant and brought about the downfall of the Hanga people is thematically relevant.
Good point! And oh, hmm, I'm going to have to think about the sewn-on head in terms of metaphor when it comes to memories being lost and stolen. Hmm... :-)
no subject
How much do you think Shen Wei's roles are bleeding into each other? Is the Emissary treating Zhao Yunlan differently because Professor Shen has got to know him, or would he act the same here regardless?
I don't think there's anything here that's affected by Zhao Yunlan having met Professor Shen? The Emissary has known and worked with Zhao Yunlan for ages, after all. I think he would always have been like this, even if there were no Professor Shen scenes at all.
Any thoughts about Wang Zheng's backstory, or the way it differs from the version in the drama? Do you have sympathy for Sangzan? How about for Gelan?
Drama and novel aren't all that different in a lot of respects - they got so much in there! What Sangzan does in the novel is vastly worse than what he does in the drama, but otherwise, idk. At any rate, at this point at least, I have less sympathy for novel!Sangzan than drama!Sang Zan mainly because in the drama, we get to see him interact with Wang Zheng in the present day, from the pillar, and try to protect her from Zhu Jiu. That did a lot to endear him to me, and also him being more active and getting to speak for himself shows the viewer that he's no longer in the same frame of mind as he was after Gelan's death. Whereas in the novel, we've heard about his past but we haven't seen him in the present (yet) at all.
What do you think of Zhao Yunlan's behaviour towards Wang Zheng in this chapter?
Zhao Yunlan is a jerk to his employees. Drama!ZYL is, too, but novel!ZYL is about 10,000% worse. Boo.
Some notes from me:
No difference between the versions that I saw at a glance this week, which is a nice change. *g*
The illustration in chapter 23 reminds me of Zhao Yunlan "blowing away dust" while Shen Wei is on the examination table in the SID lab! Just with the roles reversed. Nice! :D
As the energy flowed, he closed his eyes and entrusted his wounded body wholly to the Emissary’s care.
♥ ♥ ♥
If someone could mercilessly quash their very nature for hundreds of thousands of years, then on the one hand, it would be an excruciating existence…but on the other hand, what an incredible person they would have to be.
Question: at this point in time, what does Zhao Yunlan actually know about the Emissary and his nature? Is it all just hearsay/rumour, or does he have reason to believe he actually knows something about it?
“Every person at 4 Bright Avenue matters. As long as it’s work hours, they’re all my people. I can’t just leave her.”
So glad that's true about every version of Zhao Yunlan!
Zhao Yunlan gave his own left shoulder a dubious look, then quickly lost interest and got back to the subject at hand.
HMMMM. Is there a reason he's so unconcerned?
Zhao Yunlan came to the annoying realization that his Special Investigations Department was basically a summer camp for nepotism babies.
LOL!
The Emissary was speechless. Finally he gave a grim laugh. “Your logic is preposterous.”
Shen Wei, I feel you so much! Seriously, ZYL. *headdesk*
Soul of the Mountain!
Soul of the Water!
It's 山魂 and 水魄. In chapter 23 when talking about Zhao Yunlan, 魂 hún is translated as "ethereal soul(s)" vs. 魄 pò "corporeal soul(s)", with a footnote to explain, but here the difference is entirely lost in translation.
The Emissary’s hands had been resting on his knees, but now he withdrew them into his sleeves where no one could see them clench them into fists. Softly, he said, “The Guardian’s affections run deep. The one who receives them will be fortunate indeed.”
♥ ♥ ♥
Zhao Yunlan nodded. “If I were in his shoes and the woman I loved died at those people’s hands, under the rules I’d laid down, I would hate them even more than I’d hated the old chief.”
“More than that…” The Soul-Executing Emissary looked up through his gray mist at the towering, unmoving Awl. “Even rending them limb from limb could never appease my hatred.”
I love that this exchange, and their shared understanding, made it into the drama! :D
Interesting that in the novel Gelan wasn't killed in front of Sangzan - but I guess for a visual medium, having his immediate reaction is just better drama. *g*
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The Emissary has known and worked with Zhao Yunlan for ages, after all. I think he would always have been like this, even if there were no Professor Shen scenes at all.
I just wondered because in the past when we've seen them together, they've kept quite physically distant, haven't they? At the SID, ZYL didn't even pass him the tea -- he sent it via talisman. And on the roof of Li Qian's house just afterwards, the Emissary bowed and pretty much ran away. Whereas here the Emissary is getting positively handsy! I thought, if nothing else, he might think keeping a safe physical distance is no longer possible, so he doesn't have to hold back quite so much -- and similarly, he's starting to let down his defences a little bit (eg, lying next to ZYL and watching him sleep) and that's spilling over into Emissary mode too. But maybe that's just me. :-)
Whereas in the novel, we've heard about his past but we haven't seen him in the present (yet) at all.
*nodnod* That makes sense. I can't remember his return in present-day in the novel. *anticipates with curiosity*
Zhao Yunlan is a jerk to his employees. Drama!ZYL is, too, but novel!ZYL is about 10,000% worse. Boo.
Yeah, agreed. I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for my attachment to the drama, I would have stopped reading the novel pretty early on because of it.
The illustration in chapter 23 reminds me of Zhao Yunlan "blowing away dust" while Shen Wei is on the examination table in the SID lab! Just with the roles reversed. Nice! :D
Ha, good catch! That's a great cross-media parallel. :D :D :D
Question: at this point in time, what does Zhao Yunlan actually know about the Emissary and his nature? Is it all just hearsay/rumour, or does he have reason to believe he actually knows something about it?
It has to just be hearsay, doesn't it? *waits for more informed answers*
HMMMM. Is there a reason he's so unconcerned?
I thought it was in line for his general disregard for ghosts and gods. He just doesn't care that much about the spiritual dimension?
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I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for my attachment to the drama, I would have stopped reading the novel pretty early on because of it.
Yeah, that makes sense. For me it was mainly his appalling early pursuit of Shen Wei; I really couldn't stand it. But him not being likeable otherwise definitely didn't help.
I thought it was in line for his general disregard for ghosts and gods. He just doesn't care that much about the spiritual dimension?
Yeah, that would make sense! The description just gave me this sense of his thoughts sliding right off it, if you see what I mean?
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I mean, he doesn't have to touch ZYL's mouth. But fair point, circumstances are pushing him into physical closeness and making it harder to hold back.
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I LOVE this observation and I agree 100%! Even if he has to touch him, this is over the top dramatic. :D Even Wang Zheng thinks so. xD
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Hee! Good point! :D
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Yesss, I like this change a lot. Seeing that he has already changed before he was even freed was reassuring, and he wasn't even half as terrifying as in the novel to begin with.
"The illustration in chapter 23 reminds me of Zhao Yunlan "blowing away dust" while Shen Wei is on the examination table in the SID lab! Just with the roles reversed. Nice! :D"
Ooooh, yep! :D ♡
"It's 山魂 and 水魄. In chapter 23 when talking about Zhao Yunlan, 魂 hún is translated as "ethereal soul(s)" vs. 魄 pò "corporeal soul(s)", with a footnote to explain, but here the difference is entirely lost in translation."
Oh, neat, I wish there was a footnote for this too! Thanks for sharing! :)
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Yeah, agreed on all counts! :D