Guardian Readalong: Vol. 2, Chapters 15 & 16

[facethestrange]

Hi, and welcome to this week's installment of the Guardian novel readalong! ♡

Here are last week's chapters, and you can find all previous discussions on the schedule post (vol. 1 part 1, vol. 1 part 2, vol. 2), or via the !readalong tag.

This week's chapters:

• Chapter 15: Zhao Yunlan takes Shen Wei to their still-unfinished new place, and gives him the key. Shen Wei receives bad news from the Netherworld - black clouds have formed in the thirty-third heaven, which hasn't happened for 800 years. Zhao Yunlan suspects that it was caused by Ghost Face, but Shen Wei doesn't explain and leaves for the Netherworld. Zhao Yunlan asks Daqing about Kunlun-jun, but Daqing doesn't remember much. He tells Daqing that Shen Wei is the Soul-Executing Emissary.
  



• Chapter 16: Zhao Yunlan asks Daqing about the Emissary's origin, and Daqing thinks he couldn't have been born from the Netherworld because he's older than the Netherworld. Back at the SID, Zhao Yunlan talks to Sangzan and does research. Information about Kunlun seems to be deliberately erased, so he reads other closely related ancient stories. He thinks that Ghost Face wants to collect the Four Hallowed Artifacts to destroy the Four Pillars that hold up the sky. Chu Shuzhi doesn't regret his crimes and has a fight with Zhao Yunlan about it, until Zhao Yunlan magically binds him to a chair. The Magistrate visits, and asks Zhao Yunlan to go to Kunlun Mountain to stop Ghost Face from acquiring the Merit Brush. He's not fully truthful, and Zhao Yunlan sees right through it. He uses this opportunity to get Chu Shuzhi's merit shackles removed, and agrees to go to Kunlun Mountain, despite a letter from Shen Wei telling him not to agree to anything.
  

The corresponding chapters in the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation are:
Chapter 15: From about 1/5 into chapter 68 up to the end of that chapter.
Chapter 16: From the start of chapter 69 until about 2/3 into chapter 71.


Excerpts:

1) Zhao Yunlan gives Shen Wei the key to their new place

Rather than driving home, Zhao Yunlan decided to drop by the place he’d just bought near Dragon City University before it got dark.

It was only one street away from the university campus. The neighborhood was made up of a group of gardened Western-style buildings with a very distinctive architectural style.

Zhao Yunlan pulled out a ring of keys, removed one, and placed it in Shen Wei’s hand. “I know you don’t actually need a key to get in, so it’s mostly symbolic, but it’s the spirit of the thing.”

It was almost as if the metal of the key burned Shen Wei’s fingers. He curled them slightly. “For me…?”

“Of course! The key to our house.” Zhao Yunlan led the way as he spoke. “The plumbing, wiring, and interior walls are basically done now. They were working on the floors before the New Year, so it’s a little messy inside, but everything should be done in about a month. At that point, you can move your stuff in first, and just keep the stuff you normally use at my place. We can move in properly in the spring, after we air the place out for a while. Come on, the elevator’s this way.”

Shen Wei felt as though his heart had been submerged in water. It was tender, soft, and swelling in his chest.



2) Daqing's reaction to Shen Wei being the Soul-Executing Emissary

Surrounded by the noise of howling wind and cawing crows, Zhao Yunlan abruptly said, “I want to tell you something. Can you keep your mouth shut?”

Daqing faced him and solemnly said, “What you say will enter and never leave. Go ahead.”

“Shen Wei is the Soul-Executing Emissary,” said Zhao Yunlan. “I’m a little worried about him right now.”

Daqing slipped, losing his footing as if he were having a stroke, and fell straight off the ledge.

“He's what?! Zhao Yunlan, have you no fear at all?!”

Zhao Yunlan, not really listening, made a vague affirmative noise.

Daqing had seen everything the world had to offer, all there was to see—or so he’d believed. Now, for the first time, he truly understood what it meant for someone to be “so deep in lust’s grip that they felt brave enough to challenge the sky.”



3) Sangzan's insight helps Zhao Yunlan figure things out

“Buzhou Mountain is a sacred mountain. Legend says it’s the road to the Heavens.” Zhao Yunlan gestured as he explained carefully to Sangzan. “Historical records show that Gonggong and Zhuanxu battled for power. In the end, Gonggong lost, and in a rage, he rode the divine dragon and knocked Buzhou Mountain down.”

Sangzan still had trouble parsing what people said to him. He reacted slowly, then nodded half a beat later.

“But I don’t believe it,” Zhao Yunlan said softly. “The two Emperors, Flame and Yellow, battled Chiyou for more years than anyone could count. They fought until the skies divided and the earth was split, sending sand and rock flying everywhere. But even with that, Buzhou Mountain was fine. Even when Pangu separated the sky and earth with his axe, Buzhou Mountain remained unharmed. How could a ride knock it over?”

Sangzan had learned to ignore all the adjectives and nouns he didn’t understand. After a while, in his unusual accent, he said, “Iv…this is something that’s imbossible…but it still habbened—happened, thin someone mod…mad…made…it happen.”

“Cutting off the road to the Heavens.” Zhao Yunlan tapped a finger against the ancient tome. “Who could have done it? Why?”
Sangzan watched as Zhao Yunlan’s gaze slowly deepened.

“After Buzhou Mountain fell, Nüwa used huge rocks to plug up the sky. She herself turned into Houtu and her spirit scattered in the Netherworld,” Zhao Yunlan continued. “It was like Nüwa held up the sky and earth with her bare hands. Earth… Earth… Mud…” His voice got quieter and quieter until he was nearly talking to himself. Then he suddenly said, “Wait—give me the part about Nüwa creating humans again.”

Sangzan had just passed him the book when Daqing came in and addressed Zhao Yunlan. “Lao-Chu is here.”

Zhao Yunlan immediately tucked the book away and descended the tall ladder. He was about to leave when Sangzan suddenly spoke up behind him. “At thet time, there was…no order, right? Averyone wanted more puw…power. Mountain… The road to Heaven you mentioned, if it bru…broke, parhaps someone wanted to end…”

Unable to find the correct words, he gestured, and Zhao Yunlan immediately understood: unending battle.



4) Guo Changcheng continues to follow Chu Shuzhi

Chu Shuzhi had arrived, but not alone. He had a tail: Guo Changcheng, dressed like a cotton ball. Guo Changcheng had two scarves wrapped around his neck, covering half his face. He had packaged himself into a ninja turtle.

After Chu Shuzhi had vanished into thin air, Guo Changcheng had no choice but to head home. But before he even got into a taxi, he changed his mind. He felt bad for letting Daqing down on the first day of the Lunar New Year. So he’d returned to that little alleyway to search for Chu Shuzhi, gritting his teeth and asking for information from everyone he encountered.

After he’d searched in the biting cold for over half an hour, a kindhearted auntie from the neighborhood committee had noticed him and his bright red nose and had brought him right to Chu Shuzhi’s door. But once she left him there, Guo Changcheng didn’t dare knock or leave. It wasn’t until Chu Shuzhi received the Soul-Guarding Order’s call and stepped out to go to 4 Bright Avenue that he found this popsicle of a coworker outside his door. What could Chu Shuzhi do but bring him along?



5) Zhao Yunlan gets Chu Shuzhi's merit shackles removed

Zhao Yunlan casually leaned back in his own chair. “It’s the Lunar New Year. I’m just a powerless mortal. What if something happens to me after I get sucked into something so dangerous?”

“We guarantee the Guardian’s safety, of course—”

Zhao Yunlan snorted. “You guys can’t even get into a mountain. What are you guaranteeing my safety with?”

“Well…”

“I want to bring my own people,” Zhao Yunlan said.

Not having expected Zhao Yunlan’s cooperation, the Magistrate froze. But the look that crossed Zhao Yunlan’s face next made his teeth ache.

“The thing is though,” Zhao Yunlan continued, “I don’t have enough people. Honestly, most of my staff are low-level minions. They’re not up for more than running errands. The only really useful personnel are a little snake yao who can’t even transform properly, a tiny cat that’s barely a foot long, a clueless intern, and a terminally online selfie addict.”

The Magistrate had an inkling of where this was headed.

“I finally managed to get a Corpse King with some useful skills, but…” Zhao Yunlan sighed.

It was an olive branch, and the Magistrate immediately took it. “No need to worry on that front. The Corpse King’s merit shackles are due to be removed as soon as our side gets through the necessary paperwork. Since the Guardian brought it up, I’ll authorize it and have his shackles taken off. Our side will deal with the red tape later.”

“So that’s why!” Zhao Yunlan exclaimed, only half-genuine. “Here I thought he’d failed to work off his sins and had gone behind my back to misbehave again. Look, he’s right in the next room—I locked him up there to reflect on things!”

“It’s all a misunderstanding…” the Magistrate began.

“Of course it’s a misunderstanding,” said Zhao Yunlan. “You guys should really streamline your processes. You’re so inefficient sometimes that anyone who didn’t know better would assume you were deliberately delaying things.”

The Magistrate simply had nothing to say.



Questions:

What do you like the most about Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's new place, and would you like to live there? What do you think Chu Shuzhi's neighbors think about him? Is the primordial past/mythology storyline easy for you to follow? Would you hate or enjoy being in a battle of wits with Zhao Yunlan? What's your favorite Chuguo moment and/or your favorite Weilan moment?

You can answer as many or as few questions as you like, or just comment without answering any of them at all! And if you see this post and you're not actually reading the novel: As always, I would love to know what you think about any of this with limited context. :D

And here is the new schedule, and that's where you can sign up to host a post!

Comments

[facethestrange]

(My ~liveblog~ comments when I host a post are something else entirely, lmao, but at least I didn't exceed the dreamwidth comment length this time. xD :D :D)

"It was almost as if the metal of the key burned Shen Wei’s fingers. He curled them slightly. “For me…?”"

"Shen Wei felt as though his heart had been submerged in water. It was tender, soft, and swelling in his chest."

OHGODS. ♡♡♡ Just throw the softest Weilan ever at me right from the beginning, why don't you. ♡♡♡ (Not complaining at all, please always do that. :D :D)

"The underground parking area was divided into separate garages for each unit, and each private garage had its own elevator with direct access to their unit."

This is FANCY, lol, I'm sure these things exist but I've never seen one. :D (Also I'm happy for them that the elevator works when the place is still not finished, lol. My experience - the elevator is finished dead last. xD I mean, I can't tell if he bought it newly-built or second-hand, but having to do "plumbing, wiring and interior walls" kinda points to newly-built?)

"Although the sun was currently setting, enough fading light trickled in, gilding the scraps strewn around the floor."

This is such a lovely description of a completely mundane thing! ♡ I really like the everyday things in this book, not just the fantastical ones.

"I’ll save up slowly until we can upgrade to somewhere better."

??? xD I mean, you do you, I'm happy for you and all, but BETTER THAN THIS is a really funny concept to me. xD

"The intensity was rapidly reaching a breaking point, and with it, an indescribable sadistic urge welled up in Shen Wei’s heart. He ached to gather Zhao Yunlan in his arms and smother him there, to crush every bit of flesh and bone to dust and melt it in his palms, preserving this moment for eternity."

*raises eyebrow* That's one way to go about it I GUESS. xD (I love them both so much, but currently they're saying and thinking things that only make me want to snark at them, sorry Weilan ily. xD)

"possibly to prevent the two of them from simply falling to the debris-littered floor together and rolling around"

Seeeee, THIS you could do. I feel like even in front of Daqing it would still be less weird than the above. :P

"Angry that the furball had ruined the mood, Zhao Yunlan grumbled"

Zhao Yunlan, you don't have the slightest idea what the mood actually was. xD xD (Why am I still snarking at them, lolol.)

"And so, a fierce battle between human and cat began.

Shen Wei let out a slow breath, leaning sideways against the window. The warm, fading glow of the sunset brushed his skin, lending a touch of brightness to even his ever-pale complexion. As he quietly watched pandemonium break out in the living room, he couldn’t help the small smile that made its way over his face."

And a whiplash right back into SOFT, ahhhhh, this is so cute and fun and HAPPY. ♡♡♡

"Shen Wei reached out and stroked Zhao Yunlan’s creased brow with a fingertip."

Their tiny touches are the sweetest damn thing. ♡♡♡

“You should get going, then. Be careful. I’ll keep the door unlocked for you at night. Come back soon.”

So sweet, ahhh, and I guess this is symbolic again because keeping the door unlocked is not necessary, and he just said that, new apartment or old. xD

"He could still remember his master’s robes, green as the distant mountains, their sleeves scented with new snow and bamboo. The unruly laugh, the warm hand that cradled him close…"

Awwww, DQ may not have many memories, but the ones he has are really lovely. :)

"Daqing faced him and solemnly said, “What you say will enter and never leave. Go ahead.”

“Shen Wei is the Soul-Executing Emissary,” said Zhao Yunlan. “I’m a little worried about him right now.”

Daqing slipped, losing his footing as if he were having a stroke, and fell straight off the ledge."

:D From solemn to CAT in about two seconds. ;D

"“He's what?! Zhao Yunlan, have you no fear at all?!”

Zhao Yunlan, not really listening, made a vague affirmative noise."

Lolol, yeah, he's not really listening, but also he does have no fear at all. xD

"“You… How did you get tangled up with him? Can’t you keep it in your pants?”

The real tragedy was that Zhao Yunlan had yet to get it out of his pants."

*SNORT* ♡ His priorities are just truly beautiful sometimes. :D

"The ground was littered with cigarette butts and his pockets were empty before he finally motioned for Daqing to jump onto his arm."

I know there's still debris from the renovation everywhere, but 'get a brand new place, throw cigarette butts on the floor' is so very Zhao Yunlan. xD

"Zhao Yunlan set out dried fish and milk for Daqing and then went right into the library. He grabbed a pair of protective glasses by the entrance and had just put them on when he saw Wang Zheng and Sangzan hastily pulling away from each other in the corner."

I find the concept of ghosts secretly making out in the library really adorable, but mostly - what do you need protective glasses for in the library? Are they for Zhao Yunlan and his still-not-okay eyes specifically? And what do they protect from? (Also, Zhao Yunlan wearing glasses. *HEART EYES* /shallow :D :D I wish the illustration included his face. :D)

"Zhao Yunlan looked like an illiterate punk, but his appearance was deceiving. He had an impressive knowledge of ancient texts, letting him quickly skim through a book, and he was familiar with several ancient languages. Now he sat cross-legged on the tall metal ladder and got to work. When he finished with a book, he tossed it down."

Zhao Yunlan being smart = ♡! Zhao Yunlan casually sitting on random objects = ♡♡♡! (Another thing that the drama went all-out on, and I'm very very happy about that. :D :D)

"“At thet time, there was…no order, right? Averyone wanted more puw…power. Mountain… The road to Heaven you mentioned, if it bru…broke, parhaps someone wanted to end…”

Unable to find the correct words, he gestured, and Zhao Yunlan immediately understood: unending battle."

I'm so impressed that this is something you can gesture/understand the gesture. :D And I just really love how they communicate, and everything about their interactions in this chapter (and in general!), and how smart Sangzan is, and how he brings new ideas to the table, and how his insight helps Zhao Yunlan! (And only now I realized that both Sangzan and ZYL are described as people you wouldn't expect to be smart, but they both are!)

"Chu Shuzhi had arrived, but not alone. He had a tail: Guo Changcheng, dressed like a cotton ball. Guo Changcheng had two scarves wrapped around his neck, covering half his face. He had packaged himself into a ninja turtle."

:D :D :D SO PRECIOUS, I'm smiling so much at this description. :D And he kept following CSZ even when he literally couldn't follow him because he had no idea where he had gone, awwwwww!

"After he’d searched in the biting cold for over half an hour, a kindhearted auntie from the neighborhood committee had noticed him and his bright red nose and had brought him right to Chu Shuzhi’s door."

Lolol, the concept of someone like CSZ living somewhere that has a friendly neighborhood auntie. :D :D I wonder if they get along, or is she just like 'oh, the really weird kid over there, I know that one'. xD

"Guo Changcheng sneezed. Chu Shuzhi side-eyed him and slowly said, “I think you should find someone to take the poor kid home first—”"

Awww, it's such a tense situation he's in, and he's still like 'someone take care of this poor pathetic sneezing bb'. :P

"Looking down, Zhao Yunlan saw a hurried note from Shen Wei: The reaper is already on their way. No matter what they want you to do, under no circumstances should you agree. Wait for me to come home. —Wei

Zhao Yunlan showed no outward reaction, but the ice in his expression thawed ever so slightly."

No srsly, they're having an actual fight and he's still soft about Shen Wei, like CSZ was still soft about GCC. :D

"In a truly pathetic whimper, Guo Changcheng said, “Chu-ge, don’t say things you don’t mean just because you’re angry.” When Chu Shuzhi gave him a piercing look, Guo Changcheng carefully shifted closer and kept sniveling. “I-I d-don’t believe you meant that. I didn’t really understand, but Chu-ge is a good person. You wouldn’t do something bad for no reason…”

Awww yay, Xiao Guo being all brave despite being terrified! ♡ Srsly shifting closer when CSZ looks at you, that's bravery in itself. xD (There's less of it in the novel than in the drama, so I'm always extra excited to see it. :D)

"Shen Wei thinks too much. He’s kind to everyone but himself."

AW. Ouch. AW.

"This reaper had clearly learned from the last one’s mistakes. They stood a short distance from the door and announced loudly, “This uninvited guest from the Netherworld asks to see the Guardian. Will the Guardian honor us with an audience?”"

Lolol, it's not even his bedroom this time, but I guess Zhao Yunlan could easily be hooking up with someone at his workplace, yes. xD :D

"For another thing, the Guardian was audacious, slippery, and sneaky, and had only ever mastered three talents: shamelessness, leading people in circles, and evasion, any of which was more than enough to keep anyone busy for a while."

:D :D :D All the reasons to love him, and I guess also all the reasons to not want to deal with him. xD

"It had been the Magistrate himself who decided to go to extreme measures to wake Kunlun-jun’s spirit, which was sealed within Zhao Yunlan. He had instructed his subordinates to force open Zhao Yunlan’s Heavenly Eye—by any means necessary—and left them to figure it out.

Unfortunately, some useless underling had gone and asked the Crow tribe for help. The carrion-feeding Crow tribe had always answered to the Netherworld. Having a crow carry out the plan was the same as hanging a neon sign announcing who was actually responsible. Who had been foolish enough to come up with that idea?"

This confuses me because the Crow literally said, “Screw the Netherworld! I’d never stoop to taking orders from them!” So I guess he was lying? Or was the 'useless underling' seemingly not connected to the Netherworld and the Crow didn't know?

"A reaper had recently reported that even blindness wasn’t enough to stop the Guardian from welcoming someone to his bed. Surely that must indicate that he had no contact with the Emissary? Otherwise, how could the Emissary possibly tolerate…"

Lolol. I'm amused that 'who is Zhao Yunlan sleeping with' is a serious topic in the Netherworld, and also that they haven't figured it out yet. xD

"All smiles, Zhao Yunlan said, “My lord Magistrate, this is exactly how my mother used to go about tricking me into blind dates. What, are you planning on setting me up with the Soul-Executing Emissary?”"

Heeee. And just, this entire conversation! It's like pages and pages of Zhao Yunlan being witty and the Magistrate squirming and sweating. xD

"Wang Zheng was very competent. In short order, she came floating in with a long list of names. A group of ghosts followed her, all peering through the crack in the door."

I really love that along with Chu Shuzhi's case, Zhao Yunlan also got everyone else's difficult and unfair cases dealt with! And also this is an adorable image. :D :D

"By this point, the Magistrate wanted to never see Zhao Yunlan’s face again."

Lololol. Like yeah, I could feel bad for him, but also serves him right tbh, and damn, I just like how Zhao Yunlan just wrung him out completely with basically just annoyingly playing dumb at him, it's beautiful. :D

"Zhao Yunlan smiled and lit a cigarette with the embers from the burning spirit money."

Zhao Yunlan lighting his cigarettes with the most random fires he can find is my favorite thing. :D

"But Zhao Yunlan didn’t say anything else. He just ruffled the fur on Daqing’s head, then evaded the resulting swipe of paws with the ease of experience. “I want the Merit Brush,” he said. “I’m going to bring it back as a betrothal gift.”

Daqing’s fur bristled. “Don’t speak nonsense!”

Zhao Yunlan shut up, perhaps realizing that wasn’t something he was capable of."

Every single thing about these few lines is absolutely flawless, lol. :D :D And also he just defeated the Magistrate solely by speaking nonsense, why would he stop now. xD

[autodach]

Daqing slipped, losing his footing as if he were having a stroke, and fell straight off the ledge

Hahahaha Da Qing’s reaction is so great!

Zhao Yunlan gets Chu Shuzhi's merit shackles removed

I love this so much! Zhao Yunlan does care about his employees!

What do you like the most about Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's new place

That it’s theirs. Sappy, I know XD
Neither of these people expected to ever have that simple domesticity with someone – but they get to have it ❤

Is the primordial past/mythology storyline easy for you to follow?

No. That is, I really struggled the first time, then did much better on the second reading.

[china_shop]

Ahhhh, fantastic post, wonderful choice of quotes, yay!! :DDD

My notes:

Zhao Yunlan pulled out a ring of keys, removed one, and placed it in Shen Wei’s hand. “I know you don’t actually need a key to get in, so it’s mostly symbolic, but it’s the spirit of the thing.”

Awwwww! (This is one of my favourite romantic gestures. So much better than jewellery. ;-p)

The underground parking area was divided into separate garages for each unit, and each private garage had its own elevator with direct access to their unit. When Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan reached theirs, they found construction debris still scattered all over the place, but the natural lighting inside was wonderful. Although the sun was currently setting, enough fading light trickled in, gilding the scraps strewn around the floor. The view out the windows on one side was of Dragon City University’s Republican-era buildings, hidden by ancient trees. The other side overlooked a man-made creek that wound its way through the neighborhood. Even in the middle of winter, with the water drained, one could look down at it and see the marks the flowing water had carved into the stone.

Sorry for the long quote, but so much of this feels like metaphor to me. Can we link the four levels to the Great Seal level / Netherworld / mortal world / heavens, with the garages being below the Great Seal? I think the "debris still scattered everywhere, but wonderful natural light" vibe sounds like their current relationship. <3 <3 <3 And "Even in the middle of winter, with the water drained, one could look down at it and see the marks the flowing water had carved into the stone" sounds like such a time/reincarnation metaphor. (I can't quite pin everything down, but I feel like it's there. <3 <3 <3)

The master bedroom is the one on the south side with a balcony. Pick which of the others you’d like for your study.

So generous, but ZYL should know that SW needs two rooms: a study and a shrine. Where is he supposed to hang his stalker gallery?

The intensity was rapidly reaching a breaking point, and with it, an indescribable sadistic urge welled up in Shen Wei’s heart. He ached to gather Zhao Yunlan in his arms and smother him there, to crush every bit of flesh and bone to dust and melt it in his palms, preserving this moment for eternity.

Uhhh... *backs away, making no sudden movements* (Honestly, I don't find this kind of thing romantic, but I guess it depends how literally he means it. If it's, like, a desire to merge and this is how he conceptualises it, that's one thing; if the situation is genuinely that, if ZYL flirts too much, Shen Wei is in danger of losing control and literally crushing ZYL to pieces, then nope. No, thank you. ZYL's life should not depend on timely feline intervention. ;-p)

I love DQ so much. He wants a (human-style, I presume) bathroom AND a luxury cat tower. LOL! And the squabbling/fighting with ZYL is great. (Though -- I know fat-shaming DQ is part of the conceit, but it get a little old.)

He pinched the shadow between his fingertips, transforming it into a letter.

That's so cool.

And then ZYL asks what happened, and Shen Wei actually tells him!! Yay!

“We’re different from humans. We’re foolish and stupid. Even after thousands of years, we can’t cultivate much intelligence. We’re only able to recognize our master. I don’t know much about anything else.”

Eh, I'm not a fan of the "plants and animals aren't as good as humans" take. That sounds like prejudice speaking. (What would Zhu Hong say if she heard that? ;-p)

It's not clear to me if the description of Kunlun Mountain is DQ pov or omniscient pov. How much of that does DQ remember/know?

Ahhhhhhhhh, I love love love ZYL telling DQ about SW, and DQ's reaction. Hahaha, BEST! (I wouldn't want it in the drama, because it would feel more a betrayal of confidence, but here it works really well!) And then ZYL not really listening to DQ's expostulating, LOLOL!!! This is such a great scene. :DDD

Daqing sighed. “You… How did you get tangled up with him? Can’t you keep it in your pants?”

This is such a funny thing for DQ to ask, after witnessing their first meeting and months and months of ZYL chasing SW. Hee!

ZYL making the effort to protect his people (Lao-Chu) makes me so very happy, especially when he does it even though they fight! Yes!!

I'm not sure what the protective glasses are for, but I'm here for them.

Someone's already wiped all the useful Kunlun info -- presumably Shen Wei? (Is this analogous to Shen Wei destroying the recording of The Ancient Mysteries in the drama?)

Zhao Yunlan looked like an illiterate punk

Hahahahahaha. *loves* (How is this my type? Whyyy?? And yet!)

At the beginning of Chaos, all gods battled endlessly. -- is this analogous to the ancient war in the drama, I wonder?

Awww, cotton-ball!Changcheng sticks like a burr! Aww! <3333 (I love that he diligently tracked CSZ down, but then was too scared to knock on his door.)

Aww, Shen Wei signs his letter "Wei" -- they kept that in the drama.

Is Chu Shuzhi really not human to begin with? I thought he was a human who became a necromancer? *should check the appendix, but is too lazy* ;-p

Ahh, The Record of Ancient Secrets! \o/ They kept that in the original subs, at least. I don't know if it's in the Viki or other ones.

ZYL: The kid has more maturity than you. I’m embarrassed for you.
me: LOLOL!

This CSZ & ZYL fight could never have happened in the drama; the fact that the Envoy placed CSZ at the SID means CSZ isn't free to throw his weight around. The fight after ZH's dream is the closest they could get, I think. <333

Nüwa of the Feng Family. -- if she's that ancient, how can she be of a family? Do ancient gods have parents?

cut off the giant turtle’s legs to use as the Four Pillars of Heaven

Oh no! /o\ /o\ /o\ (It's turtles all the way down! :D)

And then there's a quote about Kunlun, but hasn't all the Kunlun stuff been removed from the library? I suppose this got missed, so ZYL's "look up related references" strategy paid off.

It says here that humans’ six senses are tainted due to the poor quality of the mud they were made from.

LOL, that explains so much. /o\ /o\ /o\

Daqing circled around his hand and mumbled, "What is all this? It's making me dizzy." -- You and me both, cat. /o\

And then we find out ZYL has already guessed that Ghost Face looks like Shen Wei -- which makes me wonder when he works that out in the drama. At the confrontation in the park?

Regent visit! The Regent conspiring against the Emissary! I enjoyed all of this so much, especially ZYL being clever and bratty and using feigned ignorance to get his way. The Magistrate's reactions were hilarious. <3 <3 <3

For another thing, the Guardian was audacious, slippery, and sneaky, and had only ever mastered three talents: shamelessness, leading people in circles, and evasion, any of which was more than enough to keep anyone busy for a while.

LOL, true facts! :DDD I love him.

All smiles, Zhao Yunlan said, “My lord Magistrate, this is exactly how my mother used to go about tricking me into blind dates. What, are you planning on setting me up with the Soul-Executing Emissary?”

LOLOLOL!! :DDDDDD

(Oh, hey, it's still the New Year! Wow, the timeframe for this volume is so short (as facethestrange has pointed out elsewhere).)

“We guarantee the Guardian’s safety, of course—”
Zhao Yunlan snorted. “You guys can’t even get into a mountain. What are you guaranteeing my safety with?”

Hahahahaha. I love this. The snark, and how strategic it all is. <3333333333

Under Shen Wei’s gentle, polite appearance, he was incredibly stubborn and uncompromising. He was an ancient god! Why was he allowing the Netherworld to suspect and plot against him like this? To Zhao Yunlan, it almost seemed like he was protecting something—carrying out some sort of duty that only he knew about.

Is he protecting ZYL or protecting the Great Seal from Ghost Face's machinations (and the effects of ZYL's sorcery)? I feel like I'm supposed to know this...

Is the primordial past/mythology storyline easy for you to follow?

Honestly, my eyes gloss over within a few sentences, and I figure, eh, I don't really need to know. /o\

Would you hate or enjoy being in a battle of wits with Zhao Yunlan?

Hahaha, I wouldn't even last a nanosecond. :D

[trobadora]

Hi! I'm finally catching up! *throws comments everywhere like confetti*

Is the primordial past/mythology storyline easy for you to follow?

Tbh my eyes sort of glaze over whenever that stuff comes up. /o\

Would you hate or enjoy being in a battle of wits with Zhao Yunlan?

Would 100% hate, this is purely a spectator sport for me. *g*

My notes on chapters 15 & 16:

The underground parking area was divided into separate garages for each unit, and each private garage had its own elevator with direct access to their unit.

Wow! I've never even heard of that sort of luxury.

Shen Wei took a long look at him. So much emotion and longing, so agonizingly repressed for thousands of years, and Zhao Yunlan had casually set it all ablaze with absolutely no warning. The intensity was rapidly reaching a breaking point, and with it, an indescribable sadistic urge welled up in Shen Wei's heart. He ached to gather Zhao Yunlan in his arms and smother him there, to crush every bit of flesh and bone to dust and melt it in his palms, preserving this moment for eternity.
The world inside his heart was collapsing, and yet in front of Zhao Yunlan, he couldn't bear to even draw a harsh breath. Only his gaze burned.

Awwww! (Really, the contrast makes this - "sadistic urge to crush him" vs. "can't even bear to draw a harsh breath", OMG!!!)

And a whole different "AWWWW" for ZYL and DQ squabbling and fighting! ♥

Shen Wei reached out and stroked Zhao Yunlan's creased brow with a fingertip. "Don't frown. No need to worry."

So sweet!

And ZYL actually asks outright about Ghost Face! But SW won't tell. (Interesting that ZYL hasn't even confided in DQ about any of what he's seen!)

A little desolate, he said, "We're different from humans. We're foolish and stupid. Even after thousands of years, we can't cultivate much intelligence. We're only able to recognize our master. I don't know much about anything else."

I feel for Daqing, but I don't like this much. I like him better when he's being all superior!

And I love that ZYL does confide in him and tell him the truth about SW, and that DQ is very serious about keeping a secret! (Until it turns into slapstick when he falls, LOL.)

So many moments from Zhao Yunlan and "Shen-laoshi's" interactions flashed through Daqing's mind: Shen Wei's knowledge of the Netherworld, how familiar he seemed, how he had appeared whenever they'd dealt with a Hallowed Artifact, his authority when interrogating Wang Xiangyang... Appalled, Daqing realized that this explained everything. There was no choice but to believe it.

♥ ♥ ♥

Daqing was about to lose his mind. "I am an old, old cat. From back as far as the investiture of the gods, for the most part I can tell you the ins and outs of everything, from gods and Buddhas to all the creatures that walk the earth. But I can't tell you a thing about the Soul-Executing Emissary's origin. Do you understand what that means?"

This made it into the drama, too!

"You... How did you get tangled up with him? Can't you keep it in your pants?"
The real tragedy was that Zhao Yunlan had yet to get it out of his pants.

LOLOLOL!

Zhao Yunlan looked like an illiterate punk, but his appearance was deceiving. He had an impressive knowledge of ancient texts, letting him quickly skim through a book, and he was familiar with several ancient languages. Now he sat cross-legged on the tall metal ladder and got to work.

Very cool!

"Iv...this is something that's imbossible...but it still habbened-happened, thin someone mod...mad...made...it happen."

I really like Sangzan being smart and working with ZYL to figure things out!

Again, Zhao Yunlan thought of his dream. Who had been talking to him?

I have entirely forgotten about this already. /o\

I put on the merit shackles of my own will.

Ooh, and this made it into the drama too, when CSZ tells the Regent he's wearing the spring and autumn shackles voluntarily! One of those rare instances where they didn't recontextualise things quite enough, IMO, so it doesn't entirely make sense removed from the novel context.

"That's right! I'm not afraid to say it. So what? I don't regret it! If I had it to do all over again, I'd still skin the little brat and tear out his tendons and just sit in jail for another three hundred years! What's this shit about merits and sins, adults and children? To me, there are two types of people: those I can kill, and those I can't. If they're forcing me like this, if my crimes are so unforgivable that three hundred years aren't enough to atone, then why shouldn't I commit the crimes I've been charged for? If I rack up a few more offenses, this transaction would be worth it! From now on, everyone had better keep an eye on their kids, or the bone flute might scatter their souls, never to return!"

Oh CSZ! I don't think he literally means it - I think GCC is right about that - and I really can't blame him for lashing out. And GCC not being afraid of his threats, and calling him a good man, makes it easier for him to calm down.

And ZYL, no matter how furious he is at CSZ, is 100% determined to sort this out somehow. (I wonder if he has a proper plan before the Magistrate hands him the opportunity?)

The reaper is already on their way. No matter what they want you to do, under no circumstances should you agree. Wait for me to come home. -Wei

AAARGH, does SW know ZYL at all? That practically guarantees ZYL will agree to something, LOL.

Kunlun spoke, saying, 'Stone that is aged but not yet old, water that is frozen but not yet cold, body that is dead but not yet born, soul that is melted but not yet burned,' and thus were the Pillars sealed.

And another bit that doesn't quite come together (for me) in the drama!

"Ghost Face wears a mask. But I'm pretty sure I know what he looks like underneath."

Ha! Mianmian was hinting rather broadly, wasn't he? But of course ZYL picked up on it.

Shen Wei thinks too much. He's kind to everyone but himself. I don't know why he hates himself so much, but I'm really worried that he'll..."

ZYL is right about that, and I'm very curious what he's worried SW will do, but I don't have a clue. *g*

"No? I was at my mother's all afternoon watching a rerun of the New Year's Gala. I honestly wasn't paying attention."

LOL!

ZYL playing dumb, the Magistrate knowing but unable to make him stop, this is delightful. :D

the Guardian was audacious, slippery, and sneaky, and had only ever mastered three talents: shamelessness, leading people in circles, and evasion

LOLOLOL!

It had been the Magistrate himself who decided to go to extreme measures to wake Kunlun-jun's spirit, which was sealed within Zhao Yunlan. He had instructed his subordinates to force open Zhao Yunlan's Heavenly Eye-by any means necessary-and left them to figure it out.
Unfortunately, some useless underling had gone and asked the Crow tribe for help. The carrion-feeding Crow tribe had always answered to the Netherworld. Having a crow carry out the plan was the same as hanging a neon sign announcing who was actually responsible. Who had been foolish enough to come up with that idea?

And more LOLOLOL!

"Oh, so you're saying I'm the only one who has a travel pass to Kunlun Mountain?"
"That's correct."
Zhao Yunlan reached out and tapped the face on the Wanted notice. "Okay, then how did this-what did you call him, 'demon king'? How'd he get up there? Does he have secret VIP access? Is he Pangu's brother-in-law?"

This reminds me of drama!ZYL asking how all these Dixingren got to Haixing if only the Envoy and the Regent can use the passage! But it's a lot funnier. *g*

And I love how ZYL just utterly confuses the Magistrate, heh. And also that the Magistrate is clearly aware that the Emissary would be jealous of ZYL's lover, but also seems to be utterly incapable of even considering that that lover could possibly be the Emissary. Hee!

Very good on ZYL for using this to get more than just CSZ's situation sorted out!

Daqing's fur bristled. "Don't speak nonsense!"
Zhao Yunlan shut up, perhaps realizing that wasn't something he was capable of.

LOLOLOL!

Version comparison:

• "I want a guest bedroom! I want a suspended cat bed! Swing style!"
  
  This is what Daqing asks for in the fan translation, and possibly the origin of the swing in ZYL's drama flat?


• There's a bit when DQ is questioning ZYL about his relationship with the Emissary that's not in the official translation:
  
  Da Qing is flustered and petrified. Then, it asks in a feeble voice, "Then... you... what... how far have you gone?"
  
  Zhao Yunlan rubs his nose, "Not far, we've been in bed together, but we only slept; he's too shy, he doesn't let me touch him."
  
  Da Qing: "... ..."
  
  In bed... together... shy... doesn't let him touch......
  
  These words are like a bombing raid; explosions echo around Da Qing and its soul is bombarded with force even greater than thunder and lightning from the Nine Heavens.
  
  At an instant, images of Zhao Yunlan and Professor Shen together flash across Da Qing's mind. Every memory punctures an endless abyss in its brain; all of a sudden, this poor black cat experiences some sort of otherwordly wonder and philosophical lament... motherfucker, is there a worse cat owner in this world than Zhao?
  
  Da Qing struggles to extend its neck beyond the thick layer of meat, and stares at Zhao Yunlan for long with deference, admiration and incredulity. Then, truest words have never been said: "What a pervert."


• Another bit not in the official translation:
  
  "So you're saying that the Soul Slayer wasn't born in the depths of Hell?"
  
  "Perhaps somewhere nearby. But I think he is only working with Hell for a mutual partnership, they are not actually related." Da Qing says, "I can't say for sure about incidents that are too ancient in time, I can only hazard a guess. Most say that Houtu is the earth, but the true earth was formed when Pangu struck with an axe and destroyed Chaos. Just think, Nuwa repaired the Heavens, she finished her job, why did she have to turn into Houtu and become one with the earth? Was she trying to cover up the true earth? Whatever is down there, it must be somewhat related to the Soul Slayer."
  
  The cigarette in Zhao Yunlan's hand is almost burnt out, but he does not notice.
  
  And also this bit:
  
  "Too late." Zhao Yunlan puts out the cigarette and throws it on the floor among the debris, "You're telling me this way too late."
  
  Da Qing says grumpily, "That's because when you first started courting him, you didn't tell me who he was! Otherwise I would have stopped you no matter what it took..."
  
  "No, when I say you're too late," Zhao Yunlan interrupts, "I don't mean this past half a year, I mean you're late by a few thousand years."


• This part during the meeting with the Magistrate/Judge is missing from the official translation:
  
  Zhao Yunlan waves, feigns helplessness and takes out a piece of letter paper from his desk, and begins writing while he says, "Forget it, Lao Chu and I are not on good terms, so I really don't have enough backup right now. But this is an important matter, of course I won't be the one who hampers it, I can't bear this sin..."
  
  The judge seems to be getting used to his torture. A breath is held in suspense; in a horror movie, if the sky is clear and bright, something menacing must be looming. The judge looks at Zhao Yunlan with increasing anxiety.
  
  Zhao Yunlan continues, "It's not convenient for me to go, but you people don't dare to take the Guardian Order either, so I have come up with the perfect plan: find someone who dares to take it..."
  
  The judge instantly has a bad feeling. He takes a look at the letter, and barely understands Zhao Yunlan's chicken-scratch: "Lord Soul Slayer, take this letter as my person."
  
  The judge almost falls off the chair.
  
  Hell is of course not too afraid to take the Guardian Order. This is nothing but a scheme of those ten ruling Hell: they thought that three of the Four Mystical Artifacts have emerged, the Sundial is with Ghost Face, the Pillar is nowhere to be found, and the Soul Slayer naturally has no intention of handing it away. Who can say for sure that the Soul Slayer will never try to do what Ghost Face is doing? If he turns, what will they do then?
  
  There is no-one on Hell's side who can stand up to those two mighty gods, so all they can think of is to use Zhao Yunlan to threaten the Soul Slayer.
  
  But this Guardian is no average Joe, what goes on in his mind can almost qualify him for ascending to godhood, it's no wonder trying to take advantage of him is virtually impossible, isn't it? The judge feels like Zhao Yunlan already knows everything they're thinking, and he is only toying around with him.
  
  He doesn't know exactly how much Zhao Yunlan has figured out, or whether he has a plan that the Soul Slayer also knows, but he simply can't handle this anymore; his face sinks, "What does the Guardian mean by this?"
  
  Zhao Yunlan says innocently, "Nothing really, does the judge think this is inappropriate?"
  
  The judge stares at him coldly.
  
  Zhao Yunlan continues, acting surprised, "Hmm, how come? Doesn't the Soul Slayer come from Hell as well?"
  
  "... ..."
  
  Zhao Yunlan has once again asked a question he cannot answer.
  
  After moments of painful silence, the judge finally understands what is meant by "to hide a lie, a thousand more are needed". He says rigidly, "That foul creature was born beneath Hell in front of the Primeval Tree of Virtue, and is somewhat related to the Soul Slayer, so it might be inconvenient for him."
  
  "Oh," Zhao Yunlan's smirk wears down a little, and nods, "and here I thought the judge would stick by 'not talking about the great saints behind their backs", turns out beating around the bush gets us nowhere, though, wouldn't you agree? You worry about him, I can understand that... this is my being inconsiderate then."
  
  He crumpled up the letter into a ball, "I will go with you."


• And this bit from the conversation with Daqing afterwards isn't in the official translation either:
  
  "A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye." Zhao Yunlan's face darkens, "The Kings of Hell have a term of a century; this batch has only been up for 20, and they have been more and more delporable. I never meant to cross them, but they messed with me in the first place... so, I'm taking you with me up to Kunlun, Mount Kunlun is a forbidden and sacred place, not a backyard for their freak show."

(I need to go to bed now - more comments tomorrow!)