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sid_guardian2025-06-29 08:57 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2025-06-29 08:57 pm
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Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 15 & 16
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 (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5), or via the !readalong tag.
This week's chapters:
- Chapter 15: Daqing comes searching for Zhao Yunlan, finds Shen Wei, and is dispatched to buy breakfast. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei learn that Lin Jing is missing, and receive a delayed message from Lin Jing. Earthquakes from the Netherworld shake the city, and the team heads towards the resort Lin Jing was investigating, which is deserted.
- Chapter 16: Zhu Hong reacts badly to being sent off with Xiao-Guo, and takes off after Zhao Yunlan. Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei et al. investigate the resort and discover everyone's been turned to dust by something escaping from beneath. Zhao Yunlan realises this is a trap - and then gui come climbing out of the ground, and Shen Wei uses his blade ...
Excerpts:
1) Daqing buys breakfast
"Wait a moment." Shen Wei's smile seemed a little embarrassed. Politely, he said, "I have a favor to ask of you..."
Daqing, sensible cat that he was, darted back at once. Head raised high, he said, "Just say the word."
Ten minutes later, the door to the breakfast shop downstairs was pushed open by an outrageously fat cat. The cat's face was much too round, and his eyes were almost completely obscured by the fat, giving him a somewhat vicious look. A waitress nearly tripped over him and started yelling at once. "Hey! How did this cat get in?! Get it out! Hurry and get it out!"
The large black cat raised his head, leveling a contemptuous gaze at her. Then he jumped right onto the service counter and knocked on it with his front paw. Astonished, the cashier behind the counter watched as the cat spat out a piece of paper. The cashier shakily opened the note, which turned out to read, in very tidy handwriting, "Half a liter of soy milk, one basket of steamed buns, three fried dough sticks. Please put them in a sturdy bag. You'll find the money on the cat's neck. Please take what's needed and put any change back in the same spot. Thank you."
The cashier looked up, trying to locate the cat's neck by sight. The cat rolled his eyes and lifted his head, revealing a collar beneath his double chin. The cashier found 30 yuan tucked in there, hidden under the plush fur.
"Everyone, look at this!" The cashier's voice rang out loudly. "This is incredible! Even cats know how to buy things now!"
2) Shen Wei, hologram generator
Fossil that he was, Shen Wei had never used a smartphone before. His eyes swept over what Wang Zheng had written, and then he looked carefully at the photos of the scene. Being unused to touchscreens, he was unfortunately unable to figure it out even after a few attempts.
With a glance at Zhao Yunlan, who was currently gulping down his soy milk, he said, "Look away for a second. Don't peek."
Holding his palm above the phone screen, Shen Wei made a grabbing motion. The photo of the victim floated out of the screen, hovering in midair like a 3D projection. The visual effect was viscerally shocking. For a moment it was like the corpse, with its eggplant-purple face, was lying right there on the dining table.
Curiosity had kept Zhao Yunlan from obediently looking away, and now he was reaping what he had sown. He choked on a mouthful of soymilk, nearly spitting it all out onto the face of the corpse. This was a stellar example of feudal era superstitions triumphing over modern technology.
Shen Wei carefully examined the corpse's face, then reached out to "pinch" the eyes. It was as if he'd turned the very air into a 3D touchscreen, enabling himself to zoom in and out on different parts of the image!
3) Zhao Yunlan vs. Shen Wei vs. modern tech
"You used to keep up a facade, like a god among men who was above mortal desires. I'm tired of watching you pretend. I get tired on your behalf just from watching." Zhao Yunlan casually stuck his sticky note on the back of one of Shen Wei's lesson plan drafts. "Come, Adonis, there's a scanner beside the computer on the desk. Scan this for me and send it to the office. Tell them to find out as much as they can before I get there."
Shen Wei accepted it, only to wind up standing stiffly in front of the computer. After turning it on, he just stared at the contraptions in front of him. This "god among men" essentially only knew how to do two things with computers: turn them on and off and deliver PowerPoint presentations that other people had prepared for him. Everything else was his TA's job. He wasn't even sure which device was the printer and which was the scanner.
Zhao Yunlan suddenly came up behind Shen Wei. Wrapping his arms around Shen Wei, he guided his hands through the steps, starting with putting the sketched outline into the scanner. That done, he deliberately blew into Shen Wei's ear under the noise of the machine. "You should've said something if you didn't know how to use it. Why didn't you ask your husband to teach you?"
4) Turned to dust
Walking over, Shen Wei swiped a finger through the dust on the ledge. He rubbed it between his fingers and then said, "It hasn't been here long."
"The dust?" Zhao Yunlan asked. "You can tell from just that? How?"
Shen Wei dusted his hands off. "With most types I wouldn't be able to tell, but this is human ash that collected here within the last two or three days. It's still very fresh." [...]
Chu Shuzhi chose his next words carefully. "It sounds as though my lord knows how these people died...?"
Shen Wei gave a polite nod. Humbly, he said, "I'm not terribly knowledgeable, but I do happen to know a little in regard to this. In the ancient past, after Gonggong knocked down Buzhou Mountain, the sky burst and the earth split. The gui surfaced in the Mortal Realm for the first time, dripping with the ruthlessness of their birthplace thousands of zhang below the Huangquan. When that happened, every human and beast within a ten-li radius turned to dust in a heartbeat, just like this, and within one hundred li, not a single blade of grass grew."
5) The blade strikes
Zhao Yunlan hurriedly said, "Shen Wei, hold on. This doesn't seem like-"
But it was too late. The Soul-Executing Blade grew several meters, effortlessly cutting down countless gui. Shen Wei's expression was glacial. With a flip of his wrist, the blade pressed down with thousands of tons of pressure, far too sharp for anything to block. He split the thick black mist beneath the resort with one swing, and it dispersed before disappearing entirely. Then the blade struck the ground, opening a long, narrow crack dozens of meters deep. A bloodcurdling scream rang out. Shen Wei glared viciously down into the fissure. "Get the hell out here!"
With the astounding force and lightning speed of his attacks, it wasn't until then that Zhao Yunlan, who was not even five steps away, finally managed to grab his arm and hold him back. "This doesn't look like the Great Seal breaking! I think it's some distorted kind of Ghost Army Summons! Don't do anything rash!"
Laughter echoed from all around them before he was even done speaking. "Yes," a voice said. "Too bad the Guardian's brain and mouth aren't as fast as the Lord Emissary's blade."
Questions:
What's your favourite part in these chapters? Which SID member gets the best moment? What do you think about Shen Wei's carefree fatalism here? And about Zhao Yunlan's treatment of Shen Wei? How well are you following events here? Any thoughts about the parts that made it into the drama?
(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 - please sign up to host a post if you can!
no subject
Apologies for the negativity, but I'm not very fond of these chapters.
Yeah, I have to admit I've switched off a bit. I don't at all like feeling like Shen Wei caring about his responsibilities was just part of an act to lure ZYL in. And as for ZYL, I would put his behaviour down to finding out SW has been going to ridiculous lengths to ensnare him. ZYL could be eacting to SW now acting weird because he's come clean and doesn't know how to be..., except that novel!ZYL is always like this, really. It just doesn't hit me so hard when SW is being haughtier and holding back more -- then it feels like ZYL either trying to hold his own or trying to get through SW's defences to get closer, or both. Now that SW has gone all happy and soft, it's thrown the power balance off, and the teasing seems super condescending. Ugh.
> > "I was just thinking how I've done well in the romance department for half my life, only to be defeated and sealed beneath your mountain, like the Monkey King sealed under Wuzhi Mountain. You're so powerful, Comrade Shen Wei."
> I'm not sure what ZYL is saying here - is this about the top/bottom thing again? *sighs*
Fwiw, I read it as emotional, ie, that ZYL has been immune to aspiring lovers up till now, and now he's completely "defeated". I think it's reassurance. Conquering/trapping/defeat/etc aren't super uncommon romance framing, I think? (Not my favourite, tho.)
(Does ZYL even like SW? Sometimes, with the way he's acting, I wonder. He loves him, clearly, but that's not the same thing.)
Has he even had a chance to get to know him? SW has been guarded and (from ZYL's pov) playing hard to get, and has put up layers and layers of lies. Maybe ZYL is feeling his way (in a very ZYL kind of way)? /half-hearted defence.
Yeah, Lin Jing was "forced" go go alone by Zhu Hong just deciding not to go with him, and no one seemed to care at the time
Riiiiiight?? /o\ At New Year, ZYL was all "Okay, we're upping security and being careful," and ZH took none of that onboard.
Can't even be bothered to care about someone being in danger, huh?
I know. /o\ /o\ /o\ It makes me feel like he was only pretending to care before, to get in ZYL's good graces. /o\ /o\ /o\
I'm so tired of the jealousy, and so glad that absolutely zero percent of that on SW's side made it into the drama.
+10000. (It's such a contrast with Kunlun taking Xiao Wei under his wing and showing him the world; Shen Wei wants to hoard ZYL and keep him all to himself. Does he even let Daqing into the flat?)
> > Driving a car wasn't like entering a public restroom. He'd never heard of any gender-related rules about it.
> My first thought: wow, Xiao-Guo is young! Not that I know anything about how things were in China ...
He is young. It makes me think his uncle and aunt must be fairly progressive, that it doesn't even come up. But also, a lot of his volunteer work seems to involve active, capable women, so maybe he's just used to that? (Tbh, I kind of hated that Zhu Hong made a big thing about it. Srsly?)
More gui-related awfulness that isn't even really the fault of the gui! It doesn't sound like any part of that was deliberate on anyone's part. But you can see why they have a terrible reputation.
Yeah, good point. (And that makes me realise that Shennong's "UNDO, UNDO" reaction wasn't supposed to be a punishment at all; it was pure damage control.)
I'm not enjoying it when it comes from SW just shrugging everything off.
Yeah, same. :-((((
DNW DNW DNW!
One of the glorious fixes the drama writers made was having SW & ZYL share their values of duty and protecting. I think without that, I wouldn't have fallen for the show half as hard.
I'm not quite following this - was it already this ominous when Lin Jing arrived? I thought that would have happened afterwards ...
Yeah, I have no idea about the sequence of events, or how LJ lost his voice and sight. Ghost Face?
> > Wouldn't it be easier to just kill him directly, though? Who were they trying to lure here by keeping him...? The Soul-Guarding Order? Shen Wei?
> Trap!
I think it's like Zhu Jiu luring HPS to the caves in the Hanga arc, to free the Awl, fwiw. Ghost Face needs (or just wants to use) Shen Wei's power.
Nor do I like how impulsively reactive he is, and how childish and incompetent it makes him look.
Yeah. *sadface*
no subject
I don't at all like feeling like Shen Wei caring about his responsibilities was just part of an act to lure ZYL in.
Right????? It's like he drops it as soon as he no longer has to pretend. /o\
except that novel!ZYL is always like this, really
Yes, this! You really put your finger on it here. Because ZYL being like this in response to SW's bullshit with the faked memories and all would be perfectly justified, but that's not what it is; ZYL is just being ZYL the same way he always is. The only thing that's changed is that SW isn't holding his own any more; he's entirely folded now. And I'm not fond of ZYL being like that under the best circumstances, but when you take away the balance, I really can't stand it. :(
Fwiw, I read it as emotional, ie, that ZYL has been immune to aspiring lovers up till now, and now he's completely "defeated".
That's definitely a nicer read! Good point about the romance tropes.
Has he even had a chance to get to know him? SW has been guarded and (from ZYL's pov) playing hard to get, and has put up layers and layers of lies. Maybe ZYL is feeling his way (in a very ZYL kind of way)? /half-hearted defence.
I guess that's true. But ZYL certainly seems to think he knows SW.
At New Year, ZYL was all "Okay, we're upping security and being careful," and ZH took none of that onboard.
And then she does it again in these chapters! /o\
Does he even let Daqing into the flat?
That's a good question, though Daqing doesn't seem to want to be in the flat while ZYL and SW and their shenanigans are in there, so perhaps he hasn't really had to decide.
He is young. It makes me think his uncle and aunt must be fairly progressive, that it doesn't even come up. But also, a lot of his volunteer work seems to involve active, capable women, so maybe he's just used to that?
That's a good point about Xiao-Guo's family, and the people he's been working with! I can see that.
Tbh, I kind of hated that Zhu Hong made a big thing about it. Srsly?
She's a yao - how old is she? When did she first live among humans? She may have absorbed some attitudes she hasn't properly updated. /generous
And that makes me realise that Shennong's "UNDO, UNDO" reaction wasn't supposed to be a punishment at all; it was pure damage control.
Yeah, though MORE killing and destruction isn't a great solution
One of the glorious fixes the drama writers made was having SW & ZYL share their values of duty and protecting. I think without that, I wouldn't have fallen for the show half as hard.
100% agreed, it's so brilliant and one of the things I really love about them. They click so well and love each other so well because they share the same values, because they understand each other on that level. ♥ ♥ ♥
And there was a little bit of that kind of understanding between Xiao-Wei and Kunlun in their first meeting in the faked vision, but it was about self-determination, not in any way about protection or duty or anything like that. And also, that vision was fake and we still don't know if that part was even real. And also also, even if it was, it hasn't exactly played a part in their relationsihp in the present.
I think it's like Zhu Jiu luring HPS to the caves in the Hanga arc, to free the Awl, fwiw. Ghost Face needs (or just wants to use) Shen Wei's power.
Oh yes! I was thinking about that, but with the Awl it was clear what Zhu Jiu's goal was, and here I have zero idea. And without that, I don't see how ZYL could have figured it out. But I hope we'll find out more next time and things will become clearer!
Yeah. *sadface*
*clings* Seriously, so glad it's not just me.
no subject
*hugs*
Because ZYL being like this in response to SW's bullshit with the faked memories and all would be perfectly justified, but that's not what it is; ZYL is just being ZYL the same way he always is.
Maybe he's amped it up a little bit in reaction? I can't tell if it's more OTT than usual, but if it is, that would make sense. Or maybe he's signalling that nothing's changed, he's going to treat SW exactly the same as before...
But ZYL certainly seems to think he knows SW.
I think he can read him really well, but I'm not sure that's the same thing...
*And then she does it again in these chapters! /o*
Yeah. SW isn't the only one being impulsive. (Ahaha, now I think of it, it makes sense that people who are like this would be drawn to chaos gremlin ZYL. ;-p)
She's a yao - how old is she? When did she first live among humans? She may have absorbed some attitudes she hasn't properly updated. /generous
True, I guess. And it's not like there are any modern women at her workplace. I wonder if she has friends outside of work.
100% agreed, it's so brilliant and one of the things I really love about them. They click so well and love each other so well because they share the same values, because they understand each other on that level. ♥ ♥ ♥
Yes, and it's so key to the ending working, too. *clings to the drama with both hands*
And there was a little bit of that kind of understanding between Xiao-Wei and Kunlun in their first meeting in the faked vision, but it was about self-determination, not in any way about protection or duty or anything like that.
Oh, true. There was that. (And then they both undermined each other's self-determination, but okay. They've apparently made peace with that. ;-p)
*clings back*
no subject
It would, but it doesn't feel like it to me.
Or maybe he's signalling that nothing's changed, he's going to treat SW exactly the same as before...
That would also make sense! But I just don't like the vibe at all.
I think he can read him really well, but I'm not sure that's the same thing...
Yeah, but I'm not sure he knows the difference ...
Ahaha, now I think of it, it makes sense that people who are like this would be drawn to chaos gremlin ZYL. ;-p
Oh no! /o\
Yes, and it's so key to the ending working, too. *clings to the drama with both hands*
YES!!!!!
Oh, true. There was that. (And then they both undermined each other's self-determination, but okay. They've apparently made peace with that. ;-p)
LOL! Yeah, and it ending up being mutual is part of why it works, IMO.
no subject
But I just don't like the vibe at all.
Me either. They're both hiding their reactions, SW out of uncertainty and ZYL to tease:
Zhao Yunlan’s voice dripped with sarcasm, but at whose expense was unclear. Either way, Shen Wei pretended not to notice. He kept smiling virtuously.
vs
The dining table’s leg creaked, dragging harshly against the floor. Zhao Yunlan felt a chilly gaze land on the back of his exposed neck. Pretending not to notice, he leaned over the table and carefully traced out the thing reflected in the corpse’s eyes with a gel pen. But with his back to Shen Wei, he secretly smiled to himself. (Though ZYL does go on to crow about the jealousy. /o)
no subject
This is a fantastic observation and parallel between Zhu Hong and Shen Wei, lolol. :D :D
"And then they both undermined each other's self-determination, but okay. They've apparently made peace with that. ;-p"
LOL, that's such a good point!! The one thing they bonded over they just yeeted in the trash, but it was so mutual that it doesn't matter in the end. xD
no subject
Oooh, this is a good point! As much as I don't think she actually meant any of it, maybe these attitudes are why this topic occurred to her so readily.
no subject
no subject
It's fascinating how differently I read all of this! The way I see it: His responsibilities are ending whether he likes it or not - there's no way to repair the Seal, just to maintain it a tiny bit longer. He used to feel terrible about it, now he feels at peace about it. If the end result is the same no matter what his feelings are, then there's nothing to be gained from not feeling at peace. He gets to be happy for the tiny bit of life he has left. :)
(And I don't see him ignoring people being in danger either, fwiw. He's just not needlessly worried, but he helps everyone just as much as he always did, and possibly comforts people in the process even more than before. Which unfortunately does include fake reassurances re: the Seal being fixable when it's not. But still.)
"It's such a contrast with Kunlun taking Xiao Wei under his wing and showing him the world; Shen Wei wants to hoard ZYL and keep him all to himself. Does he even let Daqing into the flat?"
It's just Zhu Hong, though, isn't it? And he only doesn't like talking about her, he doesn't stop ZYL from spending time with her. Or did I miss something re: other people? (And I don't think Daqing wants to be in the flat at this point. xD :D :D)
"Tbh, I kind of hated that Zhu Hong made a big thing about it. Srsly?"
The topic she chose is indeed unfortunate, but ftr I never considered that she actually meant any of it? xD The sentence right before her rant is "Guo Changcheng obediently trotted after her, only to meet the full force of her rage again as she took it out on him." She's so pissed at Zhao Yunlan that she's throwing rocks with her super-strength, of course she will yell at GCC for some random-ass reason she just came up with. :P
"And that makes me realise that Shennong's "UNDO, UNDO" reaction wasn't supposed to be a punishment at all; it was pure damage control."
That's very true! (Same with Nüwa and humans.) Otoh, Shennong said that the gui were a sign of hope after all life around them got wiped out, so in the end I still don't know what he was thinking and why. xD
no subject
Yes, but it still says something about what kind of person he is.
(But yeah, it's fascinating how differently we read him!)
no subject
I personally feel like intentionally feeling horrible for the sake of feeling horrible is morally neutral (bordering on morally bad, depending on how self-harm is classified). And he's actively helping people while feeling at peace - I don't think I like the idea that help only counts as morally good when the person who is helping is unhappy.
(But I think this may be an agree-to-disagree kind of situation, so I'll check out of this topic. :))
no subject
(And no worries, agreeing to disagree is fine! I just wanted to clarify what I meant. Sorry if I should have let it lie.)
no subject
Ah, okay. :) I'm not getting this impression whatsoever (I just re-read the scene, and if anything Shen Wei consistently reads to me as more ready and eager to act than Zhao Yunlan, who is mostly just flirting and being annoying), but at least it's a different topic. :) (Ftr, I thought you meant that feeling at peace about the Seal breaking down makes him a bad person.)
no subject
Yeah, we're clearly reading him very differently! But I definitely don't think that. :)
no subject
It's fascinating how differently I read all of this!
Right? So interesting. (And I won't go on about it here, because I saw you've checked out, which totally fair!)
Which unfortunately does include fake reassurances re: the Seal being fixable when it's not.
Oh no. When is that?
It's just Zhu Hong, though, isn't it? And he only doesn't like talking about her, he doesn't stop ZYL from spending time with her. Or did I miss something re: other people? (And I don't think Daqing wants to be in the flat at this point. xD :D :D)
I'm just getting "dragon jealousy hoarding his treasure" vibes from this whole scene. But you're right that he's not stopping ZYL from doing anything, and yes, he's helping with the investigation.
Otoh, Shennong said that the gui were a sign of hope after all life around them got wiped out, so in the end I still don't know what he was thinking and why. xD
I'm guessing he changed his mind when he saw that they didn't progress beyond eating everything? But yeah, who even knows with Shennong?? LOL.
no subject
"Oh no. When is that?"
I went to check and I actually got it wrong. CSZ and DQ feel completely reassured (it's the scene where they feel it's like a button that fell off) but that's just because they don't know even know what the Seal is. What Shen Wei says is "If a crudely constructed Plum Blossom Array was enough to hold it off, that suggests to me that the Great Houtu Seal remains intact for the time being. This is most likely just a small leak here. Once it’s fixed, it’ll be fine." I thought he said the entire seal will be fine, not just the part that leaked. (Which btw is not even the case at all - nothing leaked, but he doesn't know it yet.)
no subject
Ah, right. Thanks! Characters being wrong about stuff, on top of deliberate lies and authorial misdirects is... a lot. LOL!