sid_guardian | Guardian Readalong: Vol. 2, Chapters 17 & 18

Welcome aboard for this week's chapters of our Guardian readalong!

Here are last week's chapters. 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 17: Chu Shuzhi is freed of the merit shackles; Zhao Yunlan catches up with the Emissary at Kunlun Mountain and takes everyone to the peak, Daqing transforms into human shape, and Shen Wei and Ghost Face battle, and the Merit Brush makes an appearance.

Chapter 18: Shen Wei returns Daqing home, Zhao Yunlan talks to his father, and Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei have sex for the first time. Zhao Yunlan is unwell in the aftermath.

The corresponding part in the Chinese version on JJWXC/the fan translation starts with the last third of chapter 71 and goes up to the end of chapter 75.

Excerpts:

1) At the foot of Kunlun Mountain

Zhao Yunlan found a passably flat rock, took a seat, and drained his cup of coffee. Using his canine teeth, he plucked the cheese slice out of his burger and discarded it. There was no outward sign that he realized he'd made the Soul-Executing Emissary swell into a balloon filled with rage.

Shen Wei moved to shield him from the wind. "What did I tell you?"

Zhao Yunlan wiped his mouth. "Don't agree to anything the Netherworld says and wait for you to come home."

Enunciating so crisply that there was a pause between words, Shen Wei said, "Then what are you doing here?"

After a quick look around to be sure they were alone aside from the black cat, Zhao Yunlan got up and hugged the Emissary. It was like embracing an ice sculpture. "What's wrong? Are you angry?"

Daqing silently turned aside to avoid witnessing the train wreck.

Shen Wei pushed Zhao Yunlan away. "Will nothing satisfy you until I die of anger?"

2) Shen Wei's greed

As Zhao Yunlan stood there in his mismatched windbreaker and boots, his short hair whipped into a snarled bird's nest by the wind, another silhouette overlaid him in Shen Wei's vision: that of a man whose green robe brushed the ground, an image from impossibly long ago.

He was unable to contain himself a moment longer. Black mist rose from his sleeve and enveloped Zhao Yunlan, cutting him off from everyone else's view. He was for Shen Wei's eyes only, as though they were the only people left in the world.

Shen Wei laughed bitterly at himself. Thousands of years ago, he would have gladly died in exchange for one more look from that man...and yet, at the same time, he'd felt himself unworthy of sullying those eyes. But now his greed was bottomless. He wanted nothing less than to be his beloved's one and only, and to be the only one who could so much as lay eyes on him.

All without him realizing it, the seed planted in his heart millennia ago had blossomed into a demon-one from which he couldn't break free.

Shen Wei had been fighting both nature and instinct for all he was worth since the day he entered the world. Yet in the end, a single unexpected meeting had been enough to be his undoing.

3) Shen Wei vs. Ghost Face

Ghost Face reached out again with the same hand, now holding a huge axe. He swung it mercilessly downward.

Someone harshly shoved Zhao Yunlan aside. The fierce wind, reeking with blood, blew into his eyes. He was unable to force them open. As a great clang rang out, everyone turned to look and saw that the mountain of an axe had been stopped in its descent by a thick blade three chi and three cun long.

Below the axe, the Soul-Executing Emissary was like an ant holding up a behemoth. Fierce wind ripped at his sleeves, revealing slender, pale hands. There came a small crack as the Emissary twisted his wrist, and a corner of the huge axe chipped off. Then, as he turned to the side, another sharp clang sounded. The axe was driven a meter up in the air, and a thin crack started to spread from the chip through the rest of the weapon. It hit the ground with such force that a gigantic hundred-meter chasm opened at the peak of the snowy mountain. Countless youchu died under their master's axe before they could even crawl out of the earth.

"The Soul-Tempering Cauldron," the Emissary said quietly. "You're crazy."

"I'm not crazy. You've already taken the Mountain-River Awl, so you can have it. Sooner or later, you'll come to me with it. But the Merit Brush will be mine no matter what, and once two of the Four Pillars are broken and half the sky is overturned, nothing in the world will be able to stop me." Ghost Face's dark, heavy gaze swept around. "Why did you bring such an odd bunch with you? Were they afraid you'd jump ship on the spot?"

This was an indiscriminate attack, a slap delivered to almost everyone present in one fell swoop.

4) Zhao Yunlan and his father

Zhao Yunlan gave him a tired glance. Wasn't a brawl involving all Three Realms enough for one day, never mind the severe physical and emotional trauma he'd been through? Now he had to come out of the closet to his dad? But then, at least he couldn't get any more miserable. He let out a half-dead grunt of acknowledgment. [...]

"First, the clichéd question: will you break up with that teacher?"

"Absolutely not."

"Let's discuss this rationally," his dad said. "Tell me, what do you like about him? What's so special about him that he's irreplaceable? What about him is worth facing societal pressure and public opinion, never mind the issue of not having a legal marriage? Why is it that, even with all that stands between you two, it has to be him?"

"Mom's not as pretty as Zhiling-jiejie,20 so what made you give up on all the fish in the sea just to be with her?" Zhao Yunlan replied, impatience creeping into his tone. "To hell with public opinion. And what's the big deal about legality? I can draw myself a marriage certificate. There're all sorts of official seals sold near University Street carved out of white radishes. They're only five yuan apiece. I can put as many seals on it as I want."

"I'm trying to have a civil conversation here," said his dad. "What's with your attitude?"

Zhao Yunlan lowered his head and gave his brow a firm pinch.

5) Zhao Yunlan vs. Shen Wei's plans

"They all want Kunlun-jun to return. In order to awaken his spirit, they went as far as destroying your vision to pry open your Heavenly Eye and then demanded that you ascend Kunlun Mountain to face the Great Divine Tree," Shen Wei said softly. "I want him back too. I miss him to the point of madness. But I can't bear you going back to how he was. Kunlun-jun bore the weight of ten thousand mountains and rivers on his shoulders, and more-the natural order of things, the Great Seal, the Reincarnation Cycle... There's no room to breathe. I don't want you to live with that pain. All I want now is for you to be mortal and content."

Voice muffled, Zhao Yunlan said, "You were the one who sealed Daqing's memories and severed the connection between me and the Soul-Guarding Order."

Shen Wei shut his eyes piously.

"So I'll be a content mortal while you shoulder the weight of the Great Seal? Who are you to decide that?" Zhao Yunlan's voice rasped painfully, barely a wisp of sound despite his best efforts. "You accepted me that day because you thought a mortal life lasts barely a hundred years-over in the blink of an eye. Next time I reincarnate, I'll just forget you again, right? Were you going to accompany me on this last stretch and then...then follow in Nüwa's footsteps...?"

Zhao Yunlan dragged Shen Wei down by the collar, fingers trembling almost convulsively. His teeth gritted tightly together. "I'll never allow it! Not even in death!"

Questions:

How did you like the battle between Shen Wei and Ghost Face? How cool is it to see Daqing change shape? What do you think about Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his father? Any thoughts about the parallels in the drama? Do you like how Weilan's first time turned out? How would you have liked it to go, if not like this?

And the big one: I understand exactly nothing of what happens on Kunlun Mountain, or what's going on with Zhao Yunlan afterwards. Help?

(As usual, these are just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)

Our schedule (which is also where you can sign up to host a post - please do if you can!)

Guardian Readalong: Vol. 2, Chapters 17 & 18

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