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sid_guardian2025-05-25 10:40 am
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Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 5 & 6
Hi, and welcome to this week's installment of the Guardian novel readalong - in this post, we're talking about chapters 5 & 6 of volume 3.
Here are last week's chapters, and you can find all previous discussions in the schedule posts (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4), or via the !readalong tag.
This week's chapters:
Chapter 5: Zhao Yunlan, Zhu Hong, and Daqing discuss the Record of Ancient Secrets, a book found in the SID library. They go to the Netherworld to investigate its provenance, keeping Leaves of Illusion in their mouths to keep from being recognised as living beings. At a bookshop where they're making enquiries, the little-girl proprietor says Zhao Yunlan bought the book.
Chapter 6: The proprietor says the Zhao Yunlan who bought the book 11 years ago looked the same. She warns him to be careful. A double-faced ghost finds them and shouts that they're alive. They get mobbed by ghouls. They fight back, but they're vastly outnumbered. Zhao Yunlan protects Shen Wei's coat. In desperation, Zhao Yunlan sets the city on fire, and they run for the gates only to find them shut. Zhao Yunlan feels something awaken inside him. The Emissary arrives and saves them. Zhao Yunlan hugs him and tells him to come home.
The corresponding chapters in the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation are chapters 83-84.
Excerpts:
1) Zhao Yunlan questions the name of his order
Zhao Yunlan suddenly tapped the black cat perched on his shoulder. Keeping his voice low, he asked, “What exactly does the ‘Soul-Guarding’ in ‘Soul-Guarding Order’ mean…?”
“Guard the souls of the living, bring peace to the hearts of the dead, atone for crimes done in life, and complete the unfinished cycle.” Daqing’s glance was heavy with judgment. “It’s written right on the back of the Soul-Guarding Order, isn’t it? Are you blind?”
For once, Zhao Yunlan didn’t offer a snappy comeback. Instead, he mumbled, “But why is the order Kunlun-jun left behind called ‘Soul-Guarding’?”
Why not “Mountain-Guarding,” “Sea-Guarding,” or “Monsters- and Demons-Guarding”?
2) The Netherworld is dangerous for living beings
When they reached Ghost City, Zhao Yunlan took out a few Leaves of Illusion. The three of them each tucked one into their mouth—a leaf in the mouth would keep them from smelling like living beings and thus keep the city’s little ghouls from realizing that they were alive. In addition to ghostly immortals and souls waiting for reincarnation, some of Ghost City’s residents were unable to move on and be reincarnated, either because they were still clinging to something or because they had sinned and were there serving their time. Once in Ghost City, they would remain for hundreds or thousands of years. Their obsession with life was beyond the comprehension of a living person.
Once, when Zhao Yunlan had been inexperienced and arrogant, he’d come to the city in pursuit of a living soul who had entered it accidentally. Ultimately, he’d been unable to retrieve it. Instead, he’d witnessed how the little ghosts in the city had swarmed and mobbed the soul, sucking it dry. The reapers had needed to call in reinforcements to quell the violent unrest.
Zhao Yunlan had still been young at the time. After returning to the Mortal Realm, he’d had nightmares for a whole month and came close to being permanently traumatized.
3) Zhao Yunlan is a repeat customer at the Netherworld bookshop
An enigmatic smile crossed the child’s stiff face. A seven- or eight-year-old girl with the expression of a powerful old woman from a wuxia novel might’ve been funny in any other context, but here in Ghost City of the Netherworld, the effect was a bit creepy. “I keep clear, accurate accounts here, of course,” she said. “Every buyer’s full name and identity are checked against The Book of Life and Death. Does the Guardian have any doubts?”
Zhao Yunlan gave it some thought but realized he wasn’t going to learn anything else from her. He put the book away. “Do you remember what the ‘me’ who came and bought that book eleven years ago looked like?”
A corner of her deep-red lips curved up. In a meaningful tone, she said, “A moment ago I couldn’t remember, but now that the Guardian mentions it, it’s coming back to me. Looking at you again, I’ve only just realized that you’re a past visitor who’s returned. If the Guardian hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have realized that it’s been eleven years since then.”
4) They're accosted by a two-faced ghost
The ghost studied Zhao Yunlan, head swinging, and broke out into a fit of giggles as it rocked back and forth.
Zhao Yunlan didn’t want to cause any trouble while they were here. Keeping his gun trained on the ghost, he signaled Zhu Hong to walk the other way. Keeping their distance from it seemed like the best plan.
When the double-faced ghost saw that they were trying to leave, a hissing noise came from its throat. “Humans and ghosts belong on separate paths,” it said. “Humans and ghosts belong on separate paths!”
The words landed like a blow to the heart. Zhao Yunlan instantly thought of Shen Wei. Expression darkening, he snapped his head around and stared at the giggling ghost. With ice dripping from his voice, he said, “I’ve been exercising restraint here because I don’t want to burn bridges with the Netherworld, but you guys keep taking a mile when given an inch.”
5) Zhao Yunlan hugs the Emissary
The expressionless mask Zhao Yunlan had been maintaining, calm to the point of creepiness, finally gave way. Utterly exhausted, he let go of Daqing, letting the fat cat drop to the ground. Then, with no concern for their surroundings, he wrapped his arms around the black-cloaked figure, who was feared and revered by all, and pulled him into a hug. In a hoarse rasp, he said, “Just come home.”
Poor Zhu Hong, having only just returned to human form, wasn’t quite steady on her feet yet. The shock of what she was seeing knocked her on her ass.
Questions:
What's your favourite worldbuilding detail about the Netherworld? Should Zhao Yunlan have left Zhu Hong back at the SID? Is Zhao Yunlan only polite to the bookshop proprietor because he wants something, or is he nicer to spirits when they're in their proper place? What is the deal with the travel diary that describes the Huangquan Road?! Do you think Zhao Yunlan carries Leaves of Illusion with him at all times, or did he stock up for the trip? How sad are you that we didn't get a Dixing bookshop in the drama? Any other thoughts about these chapters (and how they were adapted)?
(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the readalong!)
Our schedule for this round -- please sign up to host a post if you can!
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I really enjoyed these chapters. So much cool worldbuilding and cinematic action. A lot of the Netherworld details felt very horror!Miyazaki to me, which was great. And then the ending, aww! <3
Zhao Yunlan picked the book up and brushed his hand over the cover, wiping the cat’s saliva away. “Antiques Street, huh?”
I was pretty judgy about the cat saliva on the ancient text until it became clear the book was from the 1990s, lol. (Do not smear cat saliva on rare manuscripts, people! ;-p)
I love the description of the shop in Antiques St, and the tree being "neither mortal nor ghost." That's so eerie and cool.
A “black-covered book” was one that had been purchased by a book buyer who could work only at night, obtained through certain means from somewhere other than the Mortal Realm.
Kinda love that there's a system for this! I wonder what kind of books they usually are. Posthumous autobiographies?? ;D And what places "other than the Mortal Realm" exist other than the Netherworld??
Given that, how had this book about ancient gods wound up among the books about Nüwa’s creation of humans and how she had repaired the sky? Was it pure coincidence, or had someone predicted that Zhao Yunlan would be looking up that information?
I initially thought this was a counter-action to whoever's been hiding the info about Kunlun. Now I suspect I'm right and I know who it is, but I'm going to wait for chapter 7 to see.
Aww, ZYL staring at his phone while he misses Shen Wei. He doesn't know what to do, but he cannot stand to be apart.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Zhu Hong beat him to it. “Do you think I’m degrading myself, following you around after what happened earlier?” After a beat, Zhao Yunlan said, “I was just going to remind you to wear your down jacket.”
I feel like he's just helping her save face here, right?
The fact that the lanterns outside the store are labelled "Soul-Guarding" made me ????????. (I got a little confused, because I thought they were going to that store to make enquiries, but they immediately head to the Netherworld. Did they stop in at the store to ask, and the novel just elides that? Or was that never the plan to start with?)
I really like ZYL questioning the "Soul-Guarding Order" that he's just taken for granted all this time. What does it meeeeean?
Little oil lamps stood on either side of the road, similar to streetlights. There was one of these “soul-guarding lamps” every three meters or so, each giving off a tiny glow that cast long shadows. Spider lilies bloomed in vivid red, coloring the path in clusters.
Ohh, I just really love the whole description of the Huangquan Road. It's beautiful! I think this is my favourite imagery in these chapters. <3
And then I hit "Some time back, Zhao Yunlan had read a travel diary", and my head exploded. LOL! Whose travel diary? Why are they writing about the Netherworld? Is it in disguise as SF/F? What is happening?
The glow of those lamps cleansed a soul of everything that connected them to the Mortal Realm.
Oh, that's cool! (Presumably doesn't work on living beings?!)
Zhao Yunlan’s face was deathly pale. He swallowed, choking down the blood welling up in his throat.
Ahh, in the novel it's ZYL who (nearly) coughs blood! (Wait, why am I getting deja-vu writing this? *blinks*)
The Leaves of Illusion seem so ~convenient~. (On my first read of the novel, when I got to this part I noted, "An endless supply of convenient doohickeys.") But at the same time, if he didn't have them, he couldn't go here, and he clearly needs to for work and has before, so. Okay.
Shen Wei’s harsh treatment of himself bordered on abuse. He seemed absolutely unwilling to take his own nature into account.
Yes! ZYL sees it. (And needs to see it, so he can move forward, right?)
Love Zhu Hong calling ZYL racist for trying to send her home (even if I think practicalities aren't the same as bigotry; if her yang energy really is a problem, maybe she shouldn't be there).
Daqing jumped down from Zhao Yunlan’s shoulder and led the way. Black cats and black dogs were all beings of both tremendous yin and tremendous violence. Any little ghouls who laid eyes on one would instinctively give them a wide berth, so having a black cat along was like having a police car to clear the way. It made sneaking into Ghost City easy as pie.
LOLOL! Does it still count as sneaking then?
The crone with the longevity cake is so creepy. shivers
“The book most likely came from this store,” the black cat said, looking back at them. “This family reincarnates once every sixty years, the yin alternating with the yang. The person in the yang realm guards the entrance to the Huangquan by the pagoda tree while the person in the yin realm minds the general store in Ghost City.”
That is such a cool system! But does it mean they don't lose their memories when they reincarnate? Maybe they bribe someone... Anyway, I love everything about the bookshop, and am now so sad we didn't get a Dixing bookshop in the drama, when ZYL was looking for the Dijun's Register.
ZYL is so polite to the proprietor (and has clearly prepared for the eventuality of coming here, unless he's bluffing about the meat) -- is he just treading carefully here so nothing goes wrong? Or is he only careless of spirits who've done something wrong or trespassed where they're not supposed to be? I feel like he's been kind and polite before, but I can't remember when. brainfail
I love the reveal that Zhao Yunlan is leaving mysteries for himself!! :DDD
“I was struggling to stay on top of my secret duties as Guardian and going to class at the same time.”
WAIT. WHAT? bb!ZYL was
the slayerdoing Guardian stuff as a teen?? (Also, I'm pretty confused now about the SID. Did ZYL's dad found it or revive it for ZYL's benefit? (Or was that Shennong's Bowl who did that?)the effect was a bit creepy
LOL at the understatement. :D
Zhao Yunlan went very still as he processed what she was hinting at: that the Zhao Yunlan who’d originally bought the book had looked much the same as he looked now.
Mysteries and shenanigans, wheee! :D :D :D
ZYL finally realising sexist is bad and maybe he should have been teaching ZH stuff all long. *facepalm*
OMG, the two-faced ghost is so wonderfully creepy and Miyazaki!! (It took me a little while to realise it had been sent by the Magistrate -- it's all part of the trap, and that's why the gate is shut! Which, wait, ZYL set for himself by leaving the book where he knew he'd find it?? That can't be right, can it? *waits for this to untangle itself*)
“Do you want humanity or inhumanity? You must choose. Do you want to walk the Mortal Realm or tread the paths of ghosts? You must choose. Do you want the world above or the abyss beneath? You must choose.”
False dichotomies! Refuse to choose, ZYL!!
A massive python appeared at his side as Zhu Hong shifted into her true form, lashing out at the swarming ghosts and swallowing four or five in a single bite.
Are they edible? I wonder what they're made of. Hope they don't make her sick!
but wave after wave of little nuisances added up to big trouble.
Truth, lol.
What is a snake's "vulnerable spot"?
Even as the ghost disappeared into the wind, it still craned its neck and stuck out its tongue to try and get a taste of the fresh blood and flesh.
Aww, the little ghouls just want some fresh meat. *pets them*Eww! /conflicted ;-)Awwww, ZYL protecting SW's coat. He is so far gone, there's srsly no going back. *hearts*
And then ZYL, in his desperation sets the whole place alight, and I go, "Lol. Stealth. A quiet little in-and-out-job."
All the ghouls who had gorged themselves on the fire transformed into wingless bird people. Stomachs distended, they flew into the sky, where they exploded.
Growing wings seems pretty random, but I'm loving the concept anyway. :D
As soon as Zhao Yunlan had the whip in hand, a strange energy gathered there—unfamiliar at first, but less so by the moment. The power felt as though it had always been his, as if it was part of him. Something deep inside him was stirring, quickly awakening.
Ahh, the Magistrate's plan is working!!
A sudden blow struck the closed gates behind him. A figure clad entirely in black strode through the resulting person-shaped hole without so much as lowering his head.
LOL, it's a cartoon! :D
When Zhu Hong catches the whip in her mouth, do you think that's deliberate or an injury? I'm assuming the former.
A great boom annihilated nearly half the city’s inhabitants.
Oof, the collateral damage! /o\ (Also, is this drama!SW's power surge at the wedding?)
And haha, ZH is so pleased and grateful to see the Emissary. She doesn't know!
Then, with no concern for their surroundings, he wrapped his arms around the black-cloaked figure, who was feared and revered by all, and pulled him into a hug. In a hoarse rasp, he said, “Just come home.”
\o/ \o/ \o/ \o/ \o/
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Yeah, there's a lot of great stuff here!
I feel like he's just helping her save face here, right?
That's how I took it.
(I got a little confused, because I thought they were going to that store to make enquiries, but they immediately head to the Netherworld. Did they stop in at the store to ask, and the novel just elides that? Or was that never the plan to start with?)
They've already determined the book comes from the Netherworld, so why would they stop at the upstairs shop?
And then I hit "Some time back, Zhao Yunlan had read a travel diary", and my head exploded. LOL! Whose travel diary? Why are they writing about the Netherworld? Is it in disguise as SF/F? What is happening?
One of those black-covered books, I assumed.
But at the same time, if he didn't have them, he couldn't go here, and he clearly needs to for work and has before, so. Okay.
Yeah, they seem to be just tools of the trade, you know? He's been down there before; he's expected to have to go there again; of course he has what he'll need for the task.
“The book most likely came from this store,” the black cat said, looking back at them. “This family reincarnates once every sixty years, the yin alternating with the yang. The person in the yang realm guards the entrance to the Huangquan by the pagoda tree while the person in the yin realm minds the general store in Ghost City.”
That is such a cool system! But does it mean they don't lose their memories when they reincarnate?
Oh, that's a very good question!
WAIT. WHAT? bb!ZYL was the slayer doing Guardian stuff as a teen??
Yes? I thought we already knew this - he found out he was the Guardian when he was a kid, and did Guardian stuff from then on. It's just that ~Guardian stuff~ has been (and still is) so vague, we don't know what exactly he's been doing ...
(Also, I'm pretty confused now about the SID. Did ZYL's dad found it or revive it for ZYL's benefit?
Yeah, glad you picked up on that contradiction too!
(It took me a little while to realise it had been sent by the Magistrate -- it's all part of the trap, and that's why the gate is shut! Which, wait, ZYL set for himself by leaving the book where he knew he'd find it?? That can't be right, can it? *waits for this to untangle itself*)
I'm none too sure about any part of this, and am definitely hoping for some disentanglement soon!
False dichotomies! Refuse to choose, ZYL!!
Yes! This!
Are they edible? I wonder what they're made of.
Yin energy? They're ghosts, idk what else they'd be made of.
What is a snake's "vulnerable spot"?
Ha, I didn't even think to question that, but that's a VERY good question, I have no idea!
Growing wings seems pretty random, but I'm loving the concept anyway. :D
It says "wingless bird people", so they don't grow wings! They just fly into the sky. *g*
LOL, it's a cartoon! :D
Haha, OMG, now I can't unsee it ...
When Zhu Hong catches the whip in her mouth, do you think that's deliberate or an injury? I'm assuming the former.
I think deliberate, yeah.
(Also, is this drama!SW's power surge at the wedding?)
Oh, interesting, I wouldn't have thought of that, but it makes sense!
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They've already determined the book comes from the Netherworld, so why would they stop at the upstairs shop?
They start off saying it came from Antiques Street, so I thought they meant the shop there had been responsible for smuggling it in. Even if the book originated in the Netherworld, that doesn't mean it was bought there -- it might have been purchased aboveground. IOW, I clearly didn't follow their reasoning particularly well.
One of those black-covered books, I assumed.
Okay, but someone still had travel to the Netherworld to write it, right? Is there, like, tourism?
Yeah, they seem to be just tools of the trade, you know? He's been down there before; he's expected to have to go there again; of course he has what he'll need for the task.
I guess I wanted to see him stock up, or at least check his pockets. He's not even wearing his own coat.
he found out he was the Guardian when he was a kid, and did Guardian stuff from then on.
I knew the first half of that, but I'd forgotten the second. No wonder he has so much attitude.
I'm none too sure about any part of this, and am definitely hoping for some disentanglement soon!
*fingers crossed* ;-)
Yin energy? They're ghosts, idk what else they'd be made of.
Are they ghosts or ghouls? Is there a difference? Does eating yin energy give Zhu Hong a stomach ache? /clearly I have questions, lol
It says "wingless bird people"
Oh, thank you. I completely misread that. I wonder what makes them "bird people" then. Do they grow beaks?
> > When Zhu Hong catches the whip in her mouth, do you think that's deliberate or an injury? I'm assuming the former. >
Very tidy! :D
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Growing wings seems pretty random, but I'm loving the concept anyway. :D"
They didn't grow wings - that's the weirdest part, that they flew without wings. Did they flap their distended stomachs? EW!
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LOL, gross! And you're right, of course, I totally misread that. But now I want to know in what sense they became bird people. Beaks? Feathers? Talons?
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YES, omg! ♡♡♡ This comparison just keeps getting more and more accurate! The Netherworld is 100% Miyazaki in my book, and would look SO perfect in this animation style, and tbh I don't think any other style could even fully do it justice. :D
"I was pretty judgy about the cat saliva on the ancient text until it became clear the book was from the 1990s, lol. (Do not smear cat saliva on rare manuscripts, people! ;-p)"
Lolol, I'm assuming Daqing carries those in his mouth too. :D :D
"I wonder what kind of books they usually are. Posthumous autobiographies?? ;D"
That's a fantastic idea ngl, after all this is when the life can be seen the most objectively. :D
"And what places "other than the Mortal Realm" exist other than the Netherworld??"
The Heavenly Realm, but according to the glossary no one lives there (?), so idk if they have books. xD ("Traditionally, the universe is divided into three realms: the Heavenly Realm, the Mortal Realm, and the Netherworld. The Heavenly Realm is where gods reside and rule, the Mortal Realm refers to the realm of the living, and the Netherworld refers to the realm of the dead. However, in Guardian , the gods do not live in the Heavenly Realm; they live in the Mortal Realm.")
"I feel like he's just helping her save face here, right?"
I think so too, yeah.
"I got a little confused, because I thought they were going to that store to make enquiries, but they immediately head to the Netherworld. Did they stop in at the store to ask, and the novel just elides that? Or was that never the plan to start with?"
Daqing originally said that the book came from the Netherworld. But at the same time they do keep talking about it coming from Antiques Street, and now that you say it, it is really confusingly phrased! But I assume "Antiques Street" is what they call both of the bookstores, because that's still how you get there, through the tree?
"Ohh, I just really love the whole description of the Huangquan Road. It's beautiful! I think this is my favourite imagery in these chapters. <3"
SAME. ♡ And again, I would love to see it painted Ghibli-style! (Or just illustrated at all.)
"And then I hit "Some time back, Zhao Yunlan had read a travel diary", and my head exploded. LOL! Whose travel diary? Why are they writing about the Netherworld? Is it in disguise as SF/F? What is happening?"
Now I want to know the answer to all of these questions too! :D I wasn't confused when I read it though because if Zhao Yunlan knows about the Leaves of Illusion and all (and also someone ended up in the Netherworld accidentally and got eaten by ghouls), then I guess people do go there sometimes. I mean, theoretically only the Guardian could be able to go to the Netherworld and know how, but I don't think that's the case. And the travel diary was probably at the SID library and not available to the general public, but tbh I would love if regular people could read it as fiction. :D
"Oh, that's cool! (Presumably doesn't work on living beings?!)"
I'm assuming it doesn't, yeah. There are enough dangers for them in the Netherworld, they don't need this too. xD (But Zhao Yunlan would probably have some way to counter it. :D)
"The Leaves of Illusion seem so ~convenient~. (On my first read of the novel, when I got to this part I noted, "An endless supply of convenient doohickeys.") But at the same time, if he didn't have them, he couldn't go here, and he clearly needs to for work and has before, so. Okay."
Hah, yes, but in the end it is just something he needs for work. Which kinda makes them just mundane tools in-world, which is pretty cool. :D
"LOLOL! Does it still count as sneaking then?"
In the way that no one knows they're alive, I guess. :D In the way that no one can see them, definitely not, lol!
"That is such a cool system! But does it mean they don't lose their memories when they reincarnate? Maybe they bribe someone..."
Since they reincarnate specifically every sixty years (and not whenever they happen to die - later or earlier), they must have some special deal with the Heavens already? So it probably includes not losing their memories.
"ZYL is so polite to the proprietor (and has clearly prepared for the eventuality of coming here, unless he's bluffing about the meat) -- is he just treading carefully here so nothing goes wrong? Or is he only careless of spirits who've done something wrong or trespassed where they're not supposed to be? I feel like he's been kind and polite before, but I can't remember when. brainfail"
The way I remember it, he is polite by default unless the ghost is harming someone? I think he's always polite to the reapers, for example, even when he's lying/being evasive. (But idk how to find all the instances of him interacting with ghosts, so I may be missing something.) He's careless in the way that he's not afraid (and in this chapter it does say "With Zhu Hong accompanying him, Zhao Yunlan had to tread with more caution than he otherwise might.", when the double-faced ghost is harassing them), not in the way that he's not polite, I think.
"WAIT. WHAT? bb!ZYL was
the slayerdoing Guardian stuff as a teen??"The slayer. :D :D But yeah, he's been doing it since Daqing found him.
"Also, I'm pretty confused now about the SID. Did ZYL's dad found it or revive it for ZYL's benefit? (Or was that Shennong's Bowl who did that?"
Hah, founded or revived didn't confuse me, even if it's definitely a bit of a contradiction (if it didn't exist and now it does, it doesn't make that much of a difference if it had existed at some point in the past, I guess?), but what I'm really confused about is whether it was Zhao Yunlan's idea or not, because both of these things are clearly stated and they can't both be true. :P (And yeah, Shennong's Bowl is probably the one who did it - at least he's the one who said he did it because of Zhao Yunlan's wild fantasies.)
"Are they edible? I wonder what they're made of. Hope they don't make her sick!"
I don't have answers but I absolutely love these questions. :D :D
"What is a snake's "vulnerable spot"?"
It's a proverb apparently, the 'seven inches from the head' included. This is the least random-blog-looking site I could find about it, but it's not really about it so it explains nothing. xD
"Awwww, ZYL protecting SW's coat. He is so far gone, there's srsly no going back. *hearts*"
Never getting over that, I'm just gonna go *HEART EYES* every time it's mentioned. :D ♡♡♡
"When Zhu Hong catches the whip in her mouth, do you think that's deliberate or an injury? I'm assuming the former."
I think so too, and also very cute. :D Maybe just because she's a tiny, TINY snake and already very cute. :D
"Oof, the collateral damage! /o\ (Also, is this drama!SW's power surge at the wedding?)"
The inhabitats were all going to attack them the moment they got the chance, so I think it's not really collateral damage, just preemptive defense or something like that? And wow, I love the idea that this is the wedding scene!! We've been talking about it in the next post, that Shen Wei being smug about killing anyone he wants can't happen in the drama, but I just love this idea that they did take something from this novel scene after all! Even if Shen Wei can't kill a bunch of ghosts and be unapologetic about it, he can knock out a bunch of people and be stubborn about not admitting how he did that. :D
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LOL! I think in Guardian the Heavens are an entirely impersonal force, not personified at all, so probably no books. *g*
Daqing originally said that the book came from the Netherworld. But at the same time they do keep talking about it coming from Antiques Street, and now that you say it, it is really confusingly phrased! But I assume "Antiques Street" is what they call both of the bookstores, because that's still how you get there, through the tree?
I think they mean it came from Antiques Street because that's where the tree is, so anything from the Netherworld would have to come into the mortal world from there.
Since they reincarnate specifically every sixty years (and not whenever they happen to die - later or earlier), they must have some special deal with the Heavens already?
Oof, that's such a good point, I didn't even think about that. Damn, now I want to know all about this family!
It's a proverb apparently, the 'seven inches from the head' included. This is the least random-blog-looking site I could find about it, but it's not really about it so it explains nothing. xD
Ooh, thank you for tracking that down, that's great to know!
We've been talking about it in the next post, that Shen Wei being smug about killing anyone he wants can't happen in the drama, but I just love this idea that they did take something from this novel scene after all! Even if Shen Wei can't kill a bunch of ghosts and be unapologetic about it, he can knock out a bunch of people and be stubborn about not admitting how he did that. :D
Oh, I love that way of looking at it! DELIGHTFUL. :D
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The Netherworld is 100% Miyazaki in my book, and would look SO perfect in this animation style, and tbh I don't think any other style could even fully do it justice. :D
I want it so much!!
Lolol, I'm assuming Daqing carries those in his mouth too. :D :D
I suppose there's no one at the SID who would stop him...
That's a fantastic idea ngl, after all this is when the life can be seen the most objectively. :D
Ha, yes! Or, for some, maybe it's a way to vent their revenge feelings without physically hurting anyone. Hee!
The Heavenly Realm, but according to the glossary no one lives there (?), so idk if they have books. xD
Right! It just seemed weird to say "from somewhere other than the Mortal Realm" if all they meant was "from the Netherworld", you know?
And again, I would love to see it painted Ghibli-style! (Or just illustrated at all.)
Yes!! (I feel like there must be something in their oeuvre that could stand in for it -- or could be adjusted to stand in for it. But I can't think what off the top of my head.)
And the travel diary was probably at the SID library and not available to the general public
Oh, so not, like, a published travel diary, but a personal one? That's a more sensical explanation. ;D
In the way that no one knows they're alive, I guess. :D In the way that no one can see them, definitely not, lol!
Oh, okay. So they look like weirdo, super-conspicuous ghosts themselves, I guess.
Since they reincarnate specifically every sixty years (and not whenever they happen to die - later or earlier), they must have some special deal with the Heavens already? So it probably includes not losing their memories.
Ooh, I'd somehow glossed over the 60 years cycle. Very cool!
The way I remember it, he is polite by default unless the ghost is harming someone?
Oh, yes, that's a great point about the Reapers. Yeah, he's always nice to them.
but what I'm really confused about is whether it was Zhao Yunlan's idea or not, because both of these things are clearly stated and they can't both be true. :P
Maybe ZYL asked for a department, and eventually his father (to stop him from becoming a "fake medium") found this existing-but-defunct department and gave him that instead. So by that time, his father had convinced himself (and everyone) it was his own idea -- except when he wanted to blame ZYL for something, at which point it became ZYL's fault? Does that work?
Ah, thanks so much for the proverb! Great catch!
Never getting over that, I'm just gonna go HEART EYES every time it's mentioned. :D ♡♡♡
Yesss! It's so adorable. :D
Even if Shen Wei can't kill a bunch of ghosts and be unapologetic about it, he can knock out a bunch of people and be stubborn about not admitting how he did that. :D
Yes!!! (And ooh, I really need to catch up on comments on the next post. At least I've finally read the chapters. :D)
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the little-girl proprietor says Zhao Yunlan bought the book
Love the moment where it dawns on the reader that there’s
possibly a spoiler?
time travelAnd then the drama incorporated
same spoiler
time travelIn a hoarse rasp, he said, “Just come home.”
Awww❤
Do you think Zhao Yunlan carries Leaves of Illusion with him at all times, or did he stock up for the trip?
I think he just has that on him, along with talismans and all sorts of other stuff.
Iirc we have one of my favourite Shen Wei moments coming up in the next chapter :D
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I had zero recollection of any time travel, so fascinating!
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Argh, time really flies! I still haven’t read/responded to the comments on our last post!
*hugs*
Love the moment where it dawns on the reader that there’s possibly a spoiler?
Yes! It's so good. Why stop at reincarnation?? :D
The book shop is a great location in general – just the right amount of eerie.
Agreed! :D :D :D
I think he just has that on him, along with talismans and all sorts of other stuff.
Oh, and all those knives from the Hanga arc, too. I'd forgotten about them. Ha!
Iirc we have one of my favourite Shen Wei moments coming up in the next chapter :D
\o/! :D
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I am so curious what it is, and if it's maybe the same one I'm thinking of. :D :D
AND IKRRR,
the same spoilers
not just time travel, but being yeeted into unexpected time travel AND a timeloop without a beginning or end! ♡ The drama took all of that and the entire Kunlun thing, and just went ahead and put it all together, and it's a godsdamn masterpiece of adaptation. :Dno subject
This is the same tree that's translated as "locust tree" for the drama! It's 大槐树 in both cases. Googling around has only confused me further about tree terminology, though. All indications say 槐is styphnolobium japonicum, which should be the pagoda tree, and locust trees are something else - except one famous 大槐树is definitely translated as locust tree so idk. (And to further the confusion, the fan translation has "eucalyptus tree" ...)
"So you're saying this book came from the Netherworld?"
How does that go with it coming from a modern printer? Do they have modern printers in the Netherworld??
As night fell, Zhao Yunlan finally gave in and called Shen Wei, but what answered was a cold, robotic female voice: "The number you have dialed is not in service..."
Did Shen Wei cancel his phone plan?! No, the Chinese just says it's out of coverage area. *g*
"What exactly does the 'Soul-Guarding' in 'Soul-Guarding Order' mean...?"
Ha! A question I've been asking myself for a long time, especially since 镇 means such varied things as "guard, calm, suppress, repress". Looking forward to (maybe??) actually finding out the answer. :p
The Huangquan Road ran down the center of the Huangquan River.
I ... do not know how to imagine that. Anyone?
The glow of those lamps cleansed a soul of everything that connected them to the Mortal Realm. By the time a soul reached the Naihe Bridge and had had everything from this life and the ones before washed away with a bowl of Mengpo Soup made from the waters of the Wangchuan River, they were ready for the next life.
Fascinating!
Shen Wei's harsh treatment of himself bordered on abuse. He seemed absolutely unwilling to take his own nature into account. Thousands of years, tens of thousands of years enduring such endless yearning... How could he have done that to himself?
Perfect vibes, but I have to admit I'm not really certain what exactly is meant by "that". /o\
Ghost City is extremely eerie and fascinating, and the little girl shopkeeper is very cool. I really like this whole section, and the way Zhao Yunlan navigates it all!
The buyer's name was clearly recorded: Renwu year, fifteenth day of the seventh month, Guardian, Zhao Yunlan.
What a perfect place to end the chapter at! :D
(壬午 rénwǔ is from the Chinese sexagenary cycle, btw.)
"I was struggling to stay on top of my secret duties as Guardian and going to class at the same time."
Ha! And we were just talking about that - alas, this is no help in clarifying what exactly those secret duties are! *g*
That was the year that he found the long-abandoned Special Investigations Department from some connections and got me installed there.
This is also confusing, because in vol. 2 ch. 18, Papa Zhao said, Remember how I let you indulge your wild fantasies and apply to create some Special Investigations Department? I even pulled some strings for you. So was it created then, or revived?
I do like that ZYL promises to fill Daqing in on Shennong's bowl, since he hasn't yet.
A moment ago I couldn't remember, but now that the Guardian mentions it, it's coming back to me. Looking at you again, I've only just realized that you're a past visitor who's returned.
Huh. Memory shenanigans? Only remembering on it being mentioned reminds me of drama!SW hypnotising Zhu Hong in the Hanga mountains, whereupon she forgets about SW until ZYL mentions him.
Also, I did not remember any of this "suddenly, time travel!" thing at all, not even in the vaguest of terms.
"I'm trying to teach you. I've never had many girls working for me; you're few and far between. I never wanted to force any of you to do legwork or interact with weirdos. But now I don't think that was the right move," Zhao Yunlan said quietly.
Ugh, I don't like ZYL being sexist like that AT ALL. At least he's sort of realising it now! (And for an excuse to infodump, I've definitely seen worse. :p)
Zhao Yunlan had already drawn his gun, finger on the trigger.
Somehow shooting ghosts with a gun is so inherently funny to me!
"Humans and ghosts belong on separate paths!"
The words landed like a blow to the heart. Zhao Yunlan instantly thought of Shen Wei.
♥ ♥ ♥
"Do you want humanity or inhumanity? You must choose. Do you want to walk the Mortal Realm or tread the paths of ghosts? You must choose. Do you want the world above or the abyss beneath? You must choose."
So ominous!
He quickly drew his arm back, and despite the danger, took two seconds to strip off his coat and hug it to his chest.
AWWWW! (Priorities, Zhao Yunlan!!!)
And then, out of nowhere, the Soul-Guarding Whip appeared, and with a crack, tore fiercely through the lifeless sky above Ghost City.
So he's summoning it from elsewhere, yes? Am I interpreting this correctly?
Then, with no concern for their surroundings, he wrapped his arms around the black-cloaked figure, who was feared and revered by all, and pulled him into a hug. In a hoarse rasp, he said, "Just come home."
♥ ♥ ♥
How sad are you that we didn't get a Dixing bookshop in the drama?
VERY!!!!!
Version comparison: Lots of smaller differences this time. Here's some:
JJWXC: 跟我回去。
Fan translation: Come back with me.
Official translation: Just come home.
It's just about possible that this is only a difference in translation, but I very much hope the Chinese version the official translator was working from actually said 回家 (go home), not just 回去 (return, go back)!
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I ... do not know how to imagine that. Anyone?
Either the waters part in the middle, or there is a ridge along the centre of it ... I imagined the latter.
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I imagined the latter.
Me too, fwiw!
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This is the same tree that's translated as "locust tree" for the drama!
Ohhhhhh. *facepalm* Of course it is. Thank you!
How does that go with it coming from a modern printer? Do they have modern printers in the Netherworld??
I guess they must have, if it didn't come from the Antiques St store. (Or maybe they send the manuscript up to Antiques St to be printed, and then the person there sends copies back to stock the Netherworld store.)
Did Shen Wei cancel his phone plan?! No, the Chinese just says it's out of coverage area.
The "not in service" message is really common in Kdramas, so I didn't even question it.
I ... do not know how to imagine that. Anyone?
I guess it's sort of like the set-up at the yao market, except it goes: river bank, river, road, river, river bank? maybe the road kind of floats on the river?
*Perfect vibes, but I have to admit I'm not really certain what exactly is meant by "that". /o*
I was assuming it was referring to the "harsh treatment of himself", but idk.
Ghost City is extremely eerie and fascinating, and the little girl shopkeeper is very cool. I really like this whole section, and the way Zhao Yunlan navigates it all!
Yes! Me too. (Oh, ha, imagine if the Dixing bar had been owned by a little girl. Aaaand now I'm wondering if this little girl shopkeeper is the reason Zheng Yi looks so young despite her age.)
alas, this is no help in clarifying what exactly those secret duties are! *g*
Alas! g
So was it created then, or revived?
Right?? *is also confused*
Memory shenanigans? Only remembering on it being mentioned reminds me of drama!SW hypnotising Zhu Hong in the Hanga mountains, whereupon she forgets about SW until ZYL mentions him.
Oh, ha, I put that down to just generic forgetfulness. But if ZYL was there before, he might have hypnotised her into forgetting?
Also, I did not remember any of this "suddenly, time travel!" thing at all, not even in the vaguest of terms.
LOL, me either. Who knew?? (Not even me, who read the novel six months ago. Apparently it fell back out of my head it its entirety. /o)
Ugh, I don't like ZYL being sexist like that AT ALL.
Especially since Zhu Hong has been doing fieldwork all along! She was at the hospital when they caught the Wang Xiangyang revenge spirit (and she transformed then, too, iirc). When did she ever give him the impression she needed protecting?! ;-p
So he's summoning it from elsewhere, yes? Am I interpreting this correctly?
Ohhh, that would make sense. I was confused by that and just glossed over it.
Books not from the human world were opposite from the ones who had only been in contact with the human world; known as the 'white leather books'.
Oh cool! :-)
remember, even if you do cultivate to the point you become Nüwa herself, remember this person here still needs your help.
Aww. That's a much better reason.
In that moment, Da Qing gazed at Zhao Yunlan's seemingly calm face, and suspected Zhao Yunlan treated this whole thing as a destressing activity. Based on Da Qing's knowledge of him, the bastard really could do something like this!
LOL! I can totally see why priest cut that (because it undercuts the tension), but I love it anyway. :D ZYL feeling shitty and tense: go get into a fight with a whole city full of ghosts!
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That's a really entertaining bit of confusion, lol - species names never translate well in my experience, but this may be a whole other level. :D Thanks for checking, it's nice to have the confirmation that it is the same tree. :D
"How does that go with it coming from a modern printer? Do they have modern printers in the Netherworld??"
I assumed so - it kinda feels like only the elites are being all old-timey for vibes sake, and the rest is mostly modern? (So, like Dixing. :D)
"Did Shen Wei cancel his phone plan?! No, the Chinese just says it's out of coverage area. *g*"
These messages are random af even in real life - I've even heard 'this number doesn't exist' (and not just 'not in service') and it still somehow stood for 'out of coverage area'? But it does make more sense this way. :D
"Perfect vibes, but I have to admit I'm not really certain what exactly is meant by "that". /o\"
All of the above, I guess? What Shen Wei does to himself in general.
"壬午 rénwǔ is from the Chinese sexagenary cycle, btw."
Ooooh, so this cycle is why the family reincarnates every sixty years?
"Ha! And we were just talking about that - alas, this is no help in clarifying what exactly those secret duties are! *g*"
Ikrrr. They're very time-consuming, but otherwise ??? xD
"Huh. Memory shenanigans? Only remembering on it being mentioned reminds me of drama!SW hypnotising Zhu Hong in the Hanga mountains, whereupon she forgets about SW until ZYL mentions him."
The line starts with "A corner of her deep-red lips curved up. In a meaningful tone, she said (...)", so I read is as her being coy, and she didn't actually forget or remember anything, she's just like 'yeah, I couldn't tell you before, but I can tell you now, sort of, wink wink'.
(The Hanga scene happens in the novel too, btw. :)
“Shen-laoshi?” he asked Zhu Hong.
She froze, a strangely lost look crossing her face. Then someone spoke up mildly from behind Zhao Yunlan. “Are you looking for me?” He turned to see Shen Wei walking in, arms full of firewood.
Zhu Hong slapped her forehead, as if just remembering. “Right! Yes! Since we’ll be here another night, Shen-laoshi was worried we wouldn’t have enough fuel. He went out to find dry kindling.”)
"AWWWW! (Priorities, Zhao Yunlan!!!)"
The coat IS the priority. :D ♡___♡
"So he's summoning it from elsewhere, yes? Am I interpreting this correctly?"
Oooh, probably, yes! That makes this image make a lot more sense. :D
"Black leather books' were referring to the workers on the night shift, who had gotten books not from the human realm through some way."
Ahhh, so the workers are ghosts! Idk why "could work only at night" in the official translation confused me so much and this immediately clarified everything. :D
Also 'not human realm' includes more possiblities than 'not mortal realm'!
"The crone selling longevity cakes isn't in the fan translation"
That's a really cool bit of worldbuilding to add later!
"If I did... remember, even if you do cultivate to the point you become Nüwa herself, remember this person here still needs your help. I can't negotiate with eight thousand year olds."
I... straight-up don't understand what he's saying? Does it still have to do with the elders of the Snake Tribe? And what, that it would be good if she was one of them? Or am I completely off-base? Glad it was changed to something much more understandable, even if it's not exactly better overall. xD
"As he spoke, he fished out his phone and took pictures of the hungry ghosts"
Wtf, this is wonderful, lolol, and so is DQ's reaction to it. :D :D :D And then their later conversation is not understandable to me again, but it's not understandable to DQ either, so I guess it's not supposed to be. xD
"In that moment, Da Qing gazed at Zhao Yunlan's seemingly calm face, and suspected Zhao Yunlan treated this whole thing as a destressing activity. Based on Da Qing's knowledge of him, the bastard really could do something like this!"
I like this too, reminds me of the Ghost Army scene. :D
"Just come home" is a really, really beautiful line, I like that it is this way in the end. :)
And the 'cat food' line was so random, very cat though. :D :D
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“Humans and ghosts belong on separate paths!”
The words landed like a blow to the heart.
NOOO!!! Don't believe it!
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So say we all!
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I loved that they mentioned having to clean off the cat saliva!
Hee! Yes. I was so indignant about the cat saliva until it came out that it wasn't a rare ancient manuscript. :D
NOOO!!! Don't believe it!
Ha, I just realised -- given ZYL's contrary nature, it's probably exactly what he needed to hear to convince him of the opposite. ;-)
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Oh, true! She's only a liability until she's a giant snake. :D
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"Zhao Yunlan picked the book up and brushed his hand over the cover, wiping the cat’s saliva away."
Somehow I never thought about the fact that if Daqing carries anything, it has to be in his mouth. xD Zhao Yunlan must be doing this many times a day, lol.
"This tree was a transportation hub linking the realms together; for example, anyone going from the Mortal Realm to the Yao Market, or from the Mortal Realm to the Netherworld, had to pass through there."
I didn't realize that the Yao Market was in a whole other realm, wow, I thought it was just on Earth but in some magically hidden place that regular people couldn't see. (And obviously I love that this is the transportation hub tree from the drama. :D)
"A “black-covered book” was one that had been purchased by a book buyer who could work only at night, obtained through certain means from somewhere other than the Mortal Realm."
I remember being confused about what "could work only at night" means exactly, and I think I still am. :P
"The atmosphere was intensely awkward as the two humans and the cat drove to Antiques Street in the middle of the night."
I know what it means and all, but Zhu Hong is not a human. :P (Later it says "The two people and the cat followed her into the dilapidated general store", which makes a lot more sense. :))
“It’s written right on the back of the Soul-Guarding Order, isn’t it? Are you blind?”
I love that it's been like five days or so since Zhao Yunlan was actually blind, and DQ says this anyway. xD No sarcasm, I actually love it, it's very them. :D
"Why not “Mountain-Guarding,” “Sea-Guarding,” or “Monsters- and Demons-Guarding”?
And what exactly was the “life and death” Shennong kept mentioning in his dreams?"
Some very good questions indeed. And I like how much he thinks about everything even when he's this preoccupied with Shen Wei being gone.
"His heart was heavy as he stepped into the pagoda tree. Following the trunk all the way down would take one to the banks of the Huangquan."
This switches to the next scene immediately, and I kinda lowkey want to know what it's like inside the tree and how long it takes to go down. :P Or does it just teleport them?
I LOVE everything about the imagery of the Huangquan Road! So incredibly cinematic. ♡♡♡
"Zhao Yunlan’s thoughts ran away from him again, and what surfaced was: if this was what became of humans, then what about the gui, who were born deep below the surface? What about Shen Wei…? Shen Wei’s harsh treatment of himself bordered on abuse. He seemed absolutely unwilling to take his own nature into account. Thousands of years, tens of thousands of years enduring such endless yearning… How could he have done that to himself?"
I love this line, and I love all the undertones of it, not just 'if the dead humans are so miserable, Shen Wei is even more miserable' but also 'if dead humans swarm and kill a defenseless person simply because they're hungry and desperate enough, the gui are really not uniquely evil'.
“Enough ants can kill an elephant. These little ghouls are way harder to get rid of than you’d think.”
How tiny are they? Because even if they're toddler-sized or so, I'd still assume that they would be hard to get rid of, so I'd say they're probably even smaller than that, if it's easy to assume they're nbd? I love how some creatures are just really tiny, like baby Daqing who was smaller than a dumpling. :D
"By nature, snakes lack yang energy. This is no place for you."
This is so interesting because having 'too much life' will get you attacked because they want to steal your life, but having not enough of it is also bad? Because you're too close to death already? (I know Zhu Hong says it's racist so idk if it's even true about snakes specifically, lol, but I'm assuming in general it's still true that lack of yang energy would be a problem.)
"Black cats and black dogs were all beings of both tremendous yin"
And then a few lines later there's this, lol, and now I don't know anything anymore. So yin energy makes black cats safe in the Netherworld, but not snakes? (I don't claim to know anything about the mythology, and idk if any of this is Guardian-specific. It just sounds like a contradiction to me, but it doesn't mean that it actually is.)
"As it was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the lunar month, Ghost City seemed somewhat desolate."
Did I miss something about what happens on these days?
“If you eat her longevity cake, it’s not your natural life span that gets extended. Lying in bed in a vegetative state is also a kind of longevity. Got it?”
Yikes, and also if you want to cheat like that, you could also just give the buyers nothing at all instead of fake longevity - it's not like they will know until they die, and it's not like they will complain less after death if they get a horrible life instead. :P
"Zhao Yunlan lifted the cup and smelled it, going through all the motions of tasting it even if he couldn’t actually drink."
This is adorable, and also I just love everything about the little girl in the store, the imagery is wonderful, and the ~mystery~ too!
"The buyer’s name was clearly recorded: Renwu year, fifteenth day of the seventh month, Guardian, Zhao Yunlan."
Oh, here is the fifteenth day! I don't remember if this ends up being relevant to the other line about the fiteenth day though, considering how many other things are already happening here.
"I was about to give up on university and just go work as some phony medium"
:D :D I don't think he would even be a phony medium, since he can in fact see actual ghosts. :D
"That was the year that he found the long-abandoned Special Investigations Department from some connections and got me installed there."
I know there are ~two fathers~, which makes it more complicated (and Zhao Yunlan is wondering about that too), but this was said by Shennong's Bowl before: "Remember how I let you indulge your wild fantasies and apply to create some Special Investigations Department?" So whose idea was SID, Zhao Yunlan's or not?
"If the Guardian hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have realized that it’s been eleven years since then."
Zhao Yunlan went very still as he processed what she was hinting at: that the Zhao Yunlan who’d originally bought the book had looked much the same as he looked now."
This is so cool, and of course he picks up on the phrasing immediately!
"I’ve never had many girls working for me; you’re few and far between. I never wanted to force any of you to do legwork or interact with weirdos."
This is not the reason why Zhu Hong doesn't generally go on field missons in the drama, is it? Even if it's clearly where it came from. :)
"Remember, without practical experience, it wouldn’t matter if you cultivated until you’re equal to the Goddess Nüwa herself. You’d still be just some technical analyst working for me, and you’d never earn the respect of your milky-eyed elders who refuse to die."
I love Zhao Yunlan, and the fact that he had this realization, and that he's saying it out loud. (Also "technical analyst" is so vague that I still don't know what Zhu Hong's job at the SID is. :P)
"The ghost studied Zhao Yunlan, head swinging, and broke out into a fit of giggles as it rocked back and forth."
All the supernatual imagery in these chapters is SO COOL, so well-done, so vivid, I love it! (And the illustration is so good too, I'm glad this scene got one, and I wish at least half of all the other scenes had illustrations too! This time I don't even know any fanart.)
"Countless ghosts and souls peeked out between dilapidated shingles, cracked rocks, and the ground itself. Their peering eyes gleamed with an eerie light as they whispered among themselves."
SO COOL, seriously. ♡
"With Zhu Hong accompanying him, Zhao Yunlan had to tread with more caution than he otherwise might. Forcing the fury in his heart back down, he started to lead her away."
Yes good, if this is what it takes for him to stop putting himself in unnecessary danger, then I'm glad Zhu Hong is there. :P
"The special bullet immediately ignited beneath its skin, turning the creature to ash from the shoulders up."
I didn't remember him having special anti-ghost bullets, though it probably was mentioned before? But I like how it must be the origin of the anti-dark-energy gun from the drama. :)
"An instant later, a fierce wind swept past. A palm-length dagger sheared through the head of the little ghost who was holding the bloodied scale. Even as the ghost disappeared into the wind, it still craned its neck and stuck out its tongue to try and get a taste of the fresh blood and flesh."
Some of these moments are just so incredibly cinematic and would look amazing as animation!
"He quickly drew his arm back, and despite the danger, took two seconds to strip off his coat and hug it to his chest."
The saga of Zhao Yunlan protecting Shen Wei's coat is my favorite thing. ♡♡♡
"She contracted down into a far smaller snake, only the width of a finger, and slithered into Zhao Yunlan’s sleeve. There, she coiled herself around his wrist."
And this is SO CUTE and soft and AWW?? And really memorable to me too! Somehow I had forgotten Daqing turning into a keychain, but I haven't forgotten this. :D
"Zhao Yunlan whipped around and saw that the vicious ghouls, ravaged by starvation, had managed to swallow some of the raging True Flames. All the ghouls who had gorged themselves on the fire transformed into wingless bird people. Stomachs distended, they flew into the sky, where they exploded."
I was thinking it can't possibly be a good idea to eat the flames and, WELL, it clearly isn't. D:
"He grabbed Zhao Yunlan by the hand that held the whip, and the whip curled back onto Zhao Yunlan’s arm."
I love that this is the first thing Shen Wei does. ♡
"The expressionless mask Zhao Yunlan had been maintaining, calm to the point of creepiness, finally gave way. Utterly exhausted, he let go of Daqing, letting the fat cat drop to the ground. Then, with no concern for their surroundings, he wrapped his arms around the black-cloaked figure, who was feared and revered by all, and pulled him into a hug. In a hoarse rasp, he said, “Just come home.”"
Gods, this is so beautiful?? ♡♡♡ I didn't really latch onto this on the first read, and now I'm not really sure why because wow, it's SO MANY FEELS. ♡
"Poor Zhu Hong, having only just returned to human form, wasn’t quite steady on her feet yet. The shock of what she was seeing knocked her on her ass."
And the immediate contrast with the funny is A++. :D :D
"How sad are you that we didn't get a Dixing bookshop in the drama?"
Oooh, that would be super cool! (But we got a bar instead, I don't think the Netherworld has a bar? xD)
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I basically just drew and wrote fics all week instead. xD
That's fantastic! I would do that too if my brain would cooperate, LOL.
Somehow I never thought about the fact that if Daqing carries anything, it has to be in his mouth. xD
Yeah, I think drama!Da Qing would consider that a big argument for using his bipedal form, LOL.
I didn't realize that the Yao Market was in a whole other realm, wow, I thought it was just on Earth but in some magically hidden place that regular people couldn't see.
Yeah, same! So fascinating.
I remember being confused about what "could work only at night" means exactly, and I think I still am. :P
I guess it can't be exposed to daylight?
I know what it means and all, but Zhu Hong is not a human. :P (Later it says "The two people and the cat followed her into the dilapidated general store", which makes a lot more sense. :))
Oh, great catch! The JJWXC version at least has 两人 (two people) in both instances. Might just be an error?
'if dead humans swarm and kill a defenseless person simply because they're hungry and desperate enough, the gui are really not uniquely evil'
Oh, I love how you put that! Excellent point!
And then a few lines later there's this, lol, and now I don't know anything anymore. So yin energy makes black cats safe in the Netherworld, but not snakes?
Yeah, I'm not really following this either.
>> "As it was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the lunar month, Ghost City seemed somewhat desolate."
Did I miss something about what happens on these days?
I don't think that's Guardian-specific? But I'm missing the cultural significance too.
So whose idea was SID, Zhao Yunlan's or not?
Ha! So glad we're all confused about this together. *g*
This is not the reason why Zhu Hong doesn't generally go on field missons in the drama, is it? Even if it's clearly where it came from. :)
I don't think so. They have one field agent, Chu Shuzhi; everyone else has another role. And from what they said at the start of the drama, they haven't had a lot of cases (probably not during all of ZYL's tenure) that would have required more people to go out.
I didn't remember him having special anti-ghost bullets, though it probably was mentioned before? But I like how it must be the origin of the anti-dark-energy gun from the drama. :)
Yeah, he had the gun earlier, but I didn't remember anything about special bullets either.
Gods, this is so beautiful?? ♡♡♡ I didn't really latch onto this on the first read, and now I'm not really sure why because wow, it's SO MANY FEELS. ♡
Yes! It's so lovely!
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Yay, congrats on catching up! :D :D :D
I basically just drew and wrote fics all week instead. xD
AWESOME!!! :D
I didn't realize that the Yao Market was in a whole other realm
Oh, hey, I didn't get that either. They keep talking about the Three Realms, and I assumed that was the Heavens, the Mortal Realm and the Netherworld. But maybe the Heavens aren't one of them after all? Hm, I just searched this volume, and the Glossary says that's what the Three Realms are (Heavens, Mortal Realm, Netherworld), but it also says:
So now I'm confused. Are realms of existence the same as realms?
I remember being confused about what "could work only at night" means exactly, and I think I still am. :p
Vampires, lol? I have no idea.
I love that it's been like five days or so since Zhao Yunlan was actually blind, and DQ says this anyway. xD No sarcasm, I actually love it, it's very them. :D
Haha, yes. These two! <333
I love this line, and I love all the undertones of it, not just 'if the dead humans are so miserable, Shen Wei is even more miserable' but also 'if dead humans swarm and kill a defenseless person simply because they're hungry and desperate enough, the gui are really not uniquely evil'.
Ohhh, this made me realise that the "endless yearning" ZYL is thinking about is for life, not yearning for him, right? I'd just assumed, lol. (Though, as far as Shen Wei is concerned, those things might be all mixed up together, idk.)
Because even if they're toddler-sized or so, I'd still assume that they would be hard to get rid of, so I'd say they're probably even smaller than that, if it's easy to assume they're nbd?
I assumed toddler sized. He's talking to DQ and ZH, who have faced far worse and bigger, so I thought he was just telling them not to get complacent.
So yin energy makes black cats safe in the Netherworld, but not snakes? (I don't claim to know anything about the mythology, and idk if any of this is Guardian-specific. It just sounds like a contradiction to me, but it doesn't mean that it actually is.)
Ha, I just glossed right over all of this. But now you've laid it out, it does sound pretty contradictory. Especially as (since I'm already looking at it) the glossary says, "Those with strong yang energy (e.g., men) are considered effective at warding off yin-natured supernatural beings (e.g., ghosts)."
(I loved the DQ-as-police-car simile, though. :D)
Yikes, and also if you want to cheat like that, you could also just give the buyers nothing at all instead of fake longevity
Maybe if you literally cheat, the Netherworld police / justice system will get you. So you can sell duds (because you're technically not lying) but you can't sell nothing? /o\
I don't think he would even be a phony medium, since he can in fact see actual ghosts. :D
Haha, good point!
and of course he picks up on the phrasing immediately!
Yes! I love that the bookstore girl is giving him hints and trying to help, even if it's risky for her for some reason.
This is not the reason why Zhu Hong doesn't generally go on field missons in the drama, is it? Even if it's clearly where it came from. :)
I thought Fourth Uncle was protective of her and had let her go to the SID only if she stayed safe, but that might be a headcanon.
All the supernatual imagery in these chapters is SO COOL, so well-done, so vivid, I love it!
Yesss! Agreed! It's all so gorgeously described and creepy and atmospheric. :D
I didn't remember him having special anti-ghost bullets, though it probably was mentioned before?
I wonder if he stocked up on special bullets when he stocked up on Leaves of Illusion. ;-p
The saga of Zhao Yunlan protecting Shen Wei's coat is my favorite thing. ♡♡♡
Haha, yes! *hearts and hearts*
(But we got a bar instead, I don't think the Netherworld has a bar? xD)
That's true -- good point! The bar is excellent. It's a fair trade. :D :D :D
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