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sid_guardian2025-07-05 08:12 pm
facethestrange) wrote in sid_guardian2025-07-05 08:12 pm
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Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 17 & 18
Hi, and welcome to this week's installment of the Guardian novel readalong! ♡
Here are last week's chapters, and you can find all previous discussions in the schedule posts (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5), or via the !readalong tag.
This week's chapters:
- Chapter 17: Guo Changcheng can't get ahold of the rest of the team, and drives alone to the nearest town. An angry crowd is begging the police to find their loved ones who went missing at Spring Harbor Resort. Guo Changcheng manages the crowd and promises them that the SID is already on the case. Zhao Yunlan's sacrifices some of the true Soul-Guarding Order to save Shen Wei. Shen Wei defeats the Chaos shadow that chased them, but Ghost Face stabs him in the heart with an icicle and takes him away, demanding that Zhao Yunlan brings him the Soul-Guarding Lamp in exchange.
- Chapter 18: Zhao Yunlan asks the Magistrate to take him to the Reincarnation Cycle in order to awaken Kunlun's spirit. Lin Jing regains the use of his senses and finds himself imprisoned at the Seal, surrounded by youchu. Ghost Face brings Shen Wei there too, and shackles him to the Merit Tree. Shen Wei is in pain, but he mocks Ghost Face and reveals that he's always had the power over the Mountain-River Awl, and that he has tracked Ghost Face and manipulated his actions. Ghost Face attacks him with the icicle again and Shen Wei passes out.
The corresponding chapters in the Chinese version on JJWXC/the fan translation are 98-99.
Excerpts:
1) Xiao Guo manages the crowd
If it were Director Zhao, what would he do? If it were Chu-ge, what would he do?
He couldn’t let these people go to the resort. It was too dangerous. Guo Changcheng suddenly took two steps forward and stood on the curb. “Everyone! Everyone!”
The crowd quieted.
He held his work ID up high. “I’m here from the Special Investigations Department in Dragon City. We specialize in very important, serious cases. Our boss has already rushed to the scene with our very best elite personnel, and he sent me here to explain the situation to you all.
“We haven’t found any signs of your loved ones yet, but we also haven’t had terrible news. We are already doing absolutely everything we can to search for them. Right now, the best thing you can all do to help is to cooperate with the comrades here at the police station while they record all the details. Just absolutely do not go anywhere near the resort. If you do, you’ll make things harder for the rescuers, who’ll have more trouble finding the victims.”
He had never spoken so much in a single breath before. In that instant, Guo Changcheng felt like he wasn’t fighting alone.
His heart felt warm and toasty, as if a flame were burning within him. Cupping his hands together, he bowed to everybody around him.
2) Zhao Yunlan's burns the Soul-Guarding Order
“That’s the power of Chaos. It’s the only thing the Soul-Executing Blade can’t cut through. Nothing will work but to cut my arm off. Do it quickly!”
Zhao Yunlan ignored him and carefully sheathed the blade. Then he got out a paper talisman of the Soul-Guarding Order. With a snap of his fingers, a small spark burst forth, and he sent the blazing talisman shooting straight into the mist…
…And the talisman disappeared. Not a speck remained.
“Cut off my arm!” Shen Wei yelled.
Zhao Yunlan acted like he didn’t hear him. Next, he took out the true Soul-Guarding Order, carved from the Great Divine Tree itself, which he had brought along specially.
Alarmed, Shen Wei said, “You can’t—”
But before Shen Wei could finish speaking, Zhao Yunlan proved that actions were faster than words. The Soul-Guarding Order, made from the wood of the Great Divine Tree, began to burn. The flame rose a third of a meter into the air, burning an unnatural red. The black mist ensnaring Shen Wei’s arm finally shrank back in fear.
Regaining the use of his arm, the first thing Shen Wei did was grab the burning Soul-Guarding Order. Still holding Zhao Yunlan close, he dodged around the swamp-like mist. A pool of clear spring water welled up in his palm, extinguishing the fire on the Soul-Guarding Order, but half of the words were already burned off. Only the right half of the characters were still legible. The words on the back—“Guard the souls of the living, bring peace to the hearts of the dead”—were entirely gone.
3) Ghost Face kidnaps Shen Wei
Squeezing the words out from between his teeth, Zhao Yunlan said, “Let. Go. Of. Him.”
“Him? He and I were born as twin Kings of the Gui. You know, even though circumstances left us so incompatible, I still had no desire to hurt him. He was the one who drove me to it, every step of the way.” Pausing between each word, Ghost Face continued. “If you want him, fine. Bring me the Soul-Guarding Lamp in exchange.”
Who the fuck even knew what a Soul-Guarding Lamp was?
Zhao Yunlan’s handsome face clouded over. “If you were smart, you’d jam an icicle in my chest too. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you never have a moment’s peace for all eternity.”
Through broken peals of laughter, Ghost Face replied, “If you were Kunlun-jun, I’d gladly die here today if it meant ending your existence, but…”
He quivered once, violently, and the Soul-Guarding Whip, which no longer had the Great Divine Tree’s protection, shattered into innumerable fragments. The force of it cut Zhao Yunlan’s palm open to the bone. “My dear Guardian, you truly have nothing to fear from me.” Ghost Face sighed. “I’m grateful for your soul fire, and thanks to his influence, I can’t help but…like you a little. There’s no harm in letting you live.”
There came another sharp laugh. Black mist filled the air, and just like that, both Ghost Face and the cocooned Shen Wei were gone.
4) Lin Jing talks to the youchu
With a gulp, Lin Jing forced a sad attempt at a smile. “U-um, I only just got here. I didn’t know we had a rule against reciting scriptures. K-kindly forgive me. I’ll correct my ways at once.”
The youchu nearest to Lin Jing greedily came even closer. It raised its nose and sniffed hungrily at his scent of fresh flesh and blood.
Lin Jing was about to cry. “I haven’t bathed in three days! Comrade, be mindful of your manners!”
The youchu’s mouth gaped open, preparing to bite—only for a more humanlike youchu to suddenly grab the back of that one’s neck, reacting to the gall of it daring to claim food for itself. This higher-ranked youchu twisted its fingers, separating the inferior youchu’s head from its body. The head hung there, dangling like a grotesquely shaped wind chime.
The one that had casually killed its own kin tore an ear from the corpse and gobbled it up without even a splash of soy sauce or vinegar. Then it generously threw the corpse a short distance away. The corpse was immediately swarmed by youchu, which descended on it as if it were a holiday feast. Less than half a minute later, barely even a scrap remained of the dead youchu’s skin or bones.
Gawking, Lin Jing murmured, “My Buddha is merciful. Please reflect on your table manners, benefactors.”
5) Shen Wei mocks Ghost Face
Even nailed to the Ancient Merit Tree, Shen Wei still laughed at him. The laugh was weak but mocking. “What, has your scheme with the Four Hallowed Artifacts failed already? What happened to the Reincarnation Dial? Did it turn into an ordinary rock in your hands?”
Ghost Face’s eyelid twitched violently. He slapped Shen Wei across the face, and his brother’s head snapped to the side with the force of it. The blow broke the skin inside his mouth on his gritted teeth.
Shen Wei spat the blood out, then said, “The Reincarnation Dial was made from the Three-Life Rock, and the Three-Life Rock and the Ancient Merit Tree are each connected to one of every person’s seven corporeal souls. They are connected through the souls of the living. Only the Mountain-River Awl contains both yin and yang within itself as one.
“The Awl can trap anything in the world. I lured you out with it and put a tracking spell on you. Then, exactly as I expected, you brought out the Soul-Tempering Cauldron, and then the Merit Brush, where everyone could see. The most important hearthstone under the Soul-Tempering Cauldron is from the Three-Life Rock. As for where you found such a fragment…I don’t even need to guess. The moment the Merit Brush appeared in the world, I found the Reincarnation Dial and put it in the Mountain-River Awl. How do you suppose that cauldron ended up in your hands so easily? Did you really think yourself so lucky that someone would just give you a pillow the moment you felt sleepy?”
“Mountain-River Awl… The Mountain-River Awl was in your hands all along? You were the one who planned for it to appear in Q ingxi Village?”
“Can’t you read? ‘Mountain-River.’ ‘Mountain-River.’ The thirty-six mountains begin with Kunlun Mountain. I inherited the Mountain God’s power and an inherent connection to the ten thousand great mountains. Why would I fight you for something…that has always been in my hands?” Cold sweat dripped into Shen Wei’s mouth. Unbothered, he licked his lips. “One more thing you might want to know. Remember the bait you used to lure me here? That wisp of Chaos you took from your own body? Where do you suppose it is now, after I sucked it away?”
Questions:
Are you as surprised by Xiao Guo's bravery and competence as he is? What do you think about Zhao Yunlan's decision to sacrifice the Soul-Guarding Order? What's your favorite comic relief moment? Favorite angsty moment? Any thoughts about the many parallels between these chapters and their drama adaptation?
You can answer as many or as few questions as you like, or just comment without answering any of them at all! And if you see this post and you're not actually reading the novel, I would love to know what you think about any of this with limited context. :D
And here is the schedule, where you can sign up to host a post!
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This is honestly pure bravery - feeling like this and doing the the scary thing anyway, all on his own.
"Even with someone holding on to her, she managed to trip and stumble, falling against the hood of Guo Changcheng’s car."
Hah, another person falling against GCC's car (after the 'evil' half-yao) - no wonder the drama had a scene like that too. :D
"Their corpses would be long cold by then!"
Or just straight-up not exist."The young officer thought that was all perfectly reasonable and made sense, but the fact remained that this was a small local police station with limited manpower. What was more, rules were rules. No matter how reasonable she thought the crowd’s requests were, she couldn’t just go against regulations. She was overcome with frustration. Tears began to swim in her reddened eyes."
Aw, I adore her, a kid just like GCC (and seemingly with a similar personality), unable to do the right thing no matter how much she wants to.
"He pulled his work ID and keys from his pocket. Flustered, he tossed his ID to the woman’s friends and family. “Take my car and drive her to the hospital!”
The relative who’d caught his badge stared at it. “Huh?”
Guo Changcheng looked at what they were holding. “Oh! Sorry, wrong thing. Take these.”"
Omg I love Xiao Guo so much. :D :D :D So relatable too!
"Guo Changcheng finished speaking and wiped his brow, which had gotten sweaty despite it being the dead of winter."
He's doing SO WELL while being so terrified. ♡♡♡
"He pressed a hand firmly against his pants pocket, afraid that his fear of people would activate the little stun baton in his pocket and accidentally hurt the innocent crowd."
This is so precious, and also wouldn't he get hurt by it if it's in his pocket, and especially if he holds it the wrong way while trying to keep it in check? (Or, since it reacts to his fear, is it designed to never harm him, only other people?) It's a very good thing that he's not as terrified as he thought he would be. :)
"But at a time like this, when he realized that the people in front of him required his help, his words always flowed far more smoothly."
I'm happy that he knows that about himself, and also that CSZ has already noticed the same thing before. :)
"It was as if he’d been born to do this."
HAH. ♡
"A middle-aged man spoke up. “Boss, can I say something?”
“I’m not the boss…” Guo Changcheng sighed. “Never mind that. Please go ahead, sir.”"
Ahhh, this is one of my favorite parts of his crowd management skills (and they're all wonderful! ♡) - if he accepts that he's seen as someone in a position of power, then what the people see is that someone powerful is now going to take care of them, finally. And that does a lot more than trying to be modest.
"We all went out and searched for her in the middle of the night, and we went back and forth along her route to work a bunch of times. And then my dad and cousin disappeared too!"
So the process of whatever-happened-there was gradual? Or were the people at the resort imprisoned before everyone got incinerated (including the people who arrived later)?
"Guo Changcheng, however, stood frozen in place for a long while, unable to believe that he had actually done it."
AW. GOOD JOB. ♡
"Shen Wei, entangled in the black mist, was suffering from a renewed case of bullheadedness and flatly refusing to let go of Zhao Yunlan no matter what. He had the Soul-Executing Blade between his teeth, and the blade’s icy glint made his lips look scarily pale. He angled his head around to turn the blade on the mist.
Zhao Yunlan grabbed the blade from Shen Wei’s mouth. “Give me that.” He took the blade, completely unique in all the world, and slashed at the black mist wrapped around Shen Wei’s arm."
They are both such chaotic, heroic disasters omg. ♡♡♡ (And also this is a very different context for Shen Wei's pale lips! :P)
"But before Shen Wei could finish speaking, Zhao Yunlan proved that actions were faster than words."
Hah, so they both do that - just a moment ago (last chapter) it was Zhao Yunlan who didn't speak fast enough to stop Shen Wei from following a terrible idea. :P
"Don’t you realize that you don’t actually belong in the Reincarnation Cycle? That your status as Guardian essentially grants you protection?"
So the Guardian's duties were part of Shen Wei's promise to Shennong? I don't think Zhao Yunlan can know that if he wasn't told. :P
“You’re the squandering fool here, ready to cut off your arm or dig out your heart at the least provocation. Do you think you’re a gecko?”
♡♡♡! :D :D :D (To be fair, he kinda is. xD)
"Just as the shadow was about to touch the hem of his robes, a piercing white light erupted from the seal in Shen Wei’s hands."
Shen Wei seems to always use light when he does any kind of supernatural thing. I wonder if he realizes that this alone makes him a lot less dark than he thinks. :P
"Ghost Face, who had been lying in wait for some unknown amount of time, thrust an icicle over a meter long through Shen Wei’s back—right into his heart."
The origin of the drama icicle. :D (Also nice foreshadowing with Shen Wei saying that cutting his heart out is not going to kill him! And this is a special icicle, which is why he's even in pain at all - just removing his heart probably actually wouldn't do anything.)
"There was a whoosh as it kicked up a fierce gust of wind, vicious enough to hurt where it touched bare skin. The nearby reapers felt like they’d been collectively slapped in the face, cheeks burning with pain where they were exposed to the air. As one, they turned their faces away and backed up as the whip wrapped precisely around Ghost Face’s neck."
With this much intro about how swift and powerful the whip is, it sure doesn't sound like a fun thing to have around your neck!
"How dare this man, Zhao Yunlan, who was clearly no more than a silver-tongued mortal, not be terror-stricken or panicked?"
He has the power of IDGAF. ♡♡♡
"he had managed to slip his other hand between the whip and his throat before the whip had wrapped around his neck entirely."
Oh, it's Ghost Face's hardened limbs again. :D
"He saw a hard light in Zhao Yunlan’s eyes, burning even brighter than the soul fire that had once brought light to the entire Place of Great Disrespect."
I know the Lantern/Lamp thing is not even there yet, but this unrelated sentence reads so much like bringing light to Dixing!
“My dear Guardian, you truly have nothing to fear from me.” Ghost Face sighed. “I’m grateful for your soul fire, and thanks to his influence, I can’t help but…like you a little. There’s no harm in letting you live.”
My beautiful messed up ship is at it again. :D :D
"His pupils held the terrifying darkness of the abyss, and his thick lashes cast a bottomless shadow over his eyes."
This is dramatic and all, but also I love how much attention is drawn to Zhao Yunlan's eyelashes in the novel. :D (I always think of Shen Wei's eyelashes, rarely Zhao Yunlan's, lol.)
“‘Little snake’? I’m a little snake?! What are you, then? In my tribe, someone your age would still be nibbling their eggshells, you mortal brat!”
This has always been one of my favorite quotes. :D :D :D And it shows how old Zhu Hong is.
"Torrents of water seemed to be cascading all around him, but some sort of invisible dome surrounded him and protected him from drowning…at least for now."
An earlier description said that the water stops once you go down to the Seal, but now there is actually a dome? Maybe the water only stops for people who are supernaturally protected (the Emissary, Zhao Yunlan with the pearl/scale) and normal mortals wouldn't survive there without a dome?
“U-um, I only just got here. I didn’t know we had a rule against reciting scriptures. K-kindly forgive me. I’ll correct my ways at once.”
“I haven’t bathed in three days! Comrade, be mindful of your manners!”
“My Buddha is merciful. Please reflect on your table manners, benefactors.”
Lin Jing is the funniest character honestly, all of these lines are GOLD. :D :D :D I'm so sorry Lin Jing that you're in distress but you're hilarious, k.
And yay, the entire drama sequence with Lin Jing suddenly having a dying Shen Wei thrown at him, while both of them are imprisoned by Shen Wei's brother. :D
"Even with his forehead dripping with cold sweat and constant tremors running through his body, Shen Wei was courteous. He gave Lin Jing a slight nod."
Aw.
"Lin Jing rushed to the edge of the invisible dome. “What’s happening? Shen-laoshi, why are you here? Who hurt you?”"
So Shen Wei is outside the dome? From Ling Jing's POV it sounds like there's only water outside the dome, but Shen Wei is presumably not submerged in water? I was so confused the first time I read these descriptions, and I still am, a re-read clarified nothing. :P
"To Lin Jing, it was as though this other person was some sort of unfortunate imitation. Perhaps this was someone who’d gotten plastic surgery to look like his boss’s so-called wife—surgery by someone rather unskilled, that was. There was no question that this person was the ugly bootleg version."
This quote has always been so weird to me because both of the Kings of the Gui are supposed to be incredibly beautiful. Even if the 'more blood-stained = more beautiful' thing is true, then it should still make Shen Wei the better-looking one of two beautiful people, it shouldn't make Ghost Face ugly.
"As he spoke, his eyes sparkled with a strange light, as though he was both reluctant and yearning at once."
Such a Ye Zun vibe!
"The blow broke the skin inside his mouth on his gritted teeth."
More drama imagery - bloody mouths!
“Can’t you read? ‘Mountain-River.’ ‘Mountain-River.’ The thirty-six mountains begin with Kunlun Mountain. I inherited the Mountain God’s power and an inherent connection to the ten thousand great mountains. Why would I fight you for something…that has always been in my hands?”
I genuinely don't understand most of the other explanations (especially the ones about the Soul-Tempering Cauldron), but this is really cool. :D
“One more thing you might want to know. Remember the bait you used to lure me here? That wisp of Chaos you took from your own body? Where do you suppose it is now, after I sucked it away?”
This is cool too, thought I don't remember what it results in, lol. (Also I'm assuming this is the equivalent of tricking Ye Zun with the dark/light energy thing?)
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Right?? Go, Xiao-Guo!
Shen Wei seems to always use light when he does any kind of supernatural thing.
Ooh, I didn't even notice!
This is dramatic and all, but also I love how much attention is drawn to Zhao Yunlan's eyelashes in the novel.
Isn't he said to have double lidded eyes, too? A lot of detail and attention for his eyes in the novel ♥️
So Shen Wei is outside the dome?
Is he??? I didn't picture the scene this way either... Maybe Lin Jing is just rushing to the other side of the dome they're both under?
This quote has always been so weird to me
I wouldn't take "ugly" literally here. It could just mean he's obviously not the real Shen Wei, or not quite as beautiful.
The Dollar Store version of Professor Shen XD
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Is he??? I didn't picture the scene this way either... Maybe Lin Jing is just rushing to the other side of the dome they're both under?
The start of chapter 19 makes it clear Shen Wei is outside the dome, I think. (The illustration in ch 18, while pretty, doesn't help much in terms of what's going on with the water/dome situation. ;-p)
I wouldn't take "ugly" literally here. It could just mean he's obviously not the real Shen Wei, or not quite as beautiful.
Yes, agreed. I think Lin Jing is seeing expression and "inner beauty" as much as skin-deep beauty.
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He is indeed. :D These are not Bai Yu's eyes, but hey, from these descriptions I like them a lot regardless. :D (And Shen Wei's eyes are definitely Zhu Yilong's, lol. :D "Shen Wei’s eyelashes were very long. With his head bowed, his features appeared delicate. The shape of his eyelids was so perfectly defined that they might have been drawn on. With every blink, his lashes fluttered ever so slightly, and Zhao Yunlan’s heart fluttered along with them.")
"Is he??? I didn't picture the scene this way either... Maybe Lin Jing is just rushing to the other side of the dome they're both under?"
Now I'm even more confused, lol, because your explanation sounded perfect, but as
"I wouldn't take "ugly" literally here. It could just mean he's obviously not the real Shen Wei, or not quite as beautiful.
The Dollar Store version of Professor Shen XD"
I love this way of looking at it. :D :D And I'd love to adopt this interpretation, but there are some more lines where the narration seems to say that he's objectively off-putting ("But upon closer inspection, the now-unmasked “Shen-laoshi’s” skin was slightly paler—abnormally pale, in fact. It was a white that bordered on blue, as though he had been soaked in formaldehyde. The skin tone was cold, somehow carrying resentment and yin energy. It made his face, which should have been so handsome, seem like a piece of skin draped over a skull."), and that doesn't really vibe with both Kings of the Gui being described as "ethereally lovely" before? (And it doesn't sound like just his 'evil'/malevolent expression either.) But now that
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Hah, another person falling against GCC's car (after the 'evil' half-yao) - no wonder the drama had a scene like that too. :D
Oh, true! It's the inspiration for Bai Suxia. Great catch!
Aw, I adore her, a kid just like GCC (and seemingly with a similar personality), unable to do the right thing no matter how much she wants to.
Yes! So conscientious. *hearts*
and also wouldn't he get hurt by it if it's in his pocket, and especially if he holds it the wrong way while trying to keep it in check?
Ooh, great question. I have no idea. (If that was the case, would he carry it in his pocket, given how nervous he is?)
So the process of whatever-happened-there was gradual? Or were the people at the resort imprisoned before everyone got incinerated (including the people who arrived later)?
Great point! It couldn't have just been a single event, could it? /o\
Hah, so they both do that - just a moment ago (last chapter) it was Zhao Yunlan who didn't speak fast enough to stop Shen Wei from following a terrible idea. :P
True! But I feel like both times it's framed at ZYL being right and SW being wrong -- don't you think? ZYL is taking drastic action, but even here, SW seems driven by anger/revulsion. ... Oh no, I just realised: his hand is REALLY DIRTY right now, and he's all "JUST CUT IT OFF!!!!" /o\ /o\ /o\
So the Guardian's duties were part of Shen Wei's promise to Shennong?
I thought this was part of the metaphysical laws, rather than something Shennong was imposing? It feels to me like Shennong had to do some hacking and workarounds to shoehorn Kunlun into the Reincarnation Cycle, and the SGO was part of that.
Shen Wei seems to always use light when he does any kind of supernatural thing.
Ooh, that's a great point. I wonder if that's why they had the plant-healing a few chapters ago -- because otherwise I might just read this as fighting Chaos with light, rather than SW's actual MO.
Also nice foreshadowing with Shen Wei saying that cutting his heart out is not going to kill him!
Oh, yes! True!! :D (And now I'm wondering about drama!SW, who survives a chest icicle for much longer than a human would.)
With this much intro about how swift and powerful the whip is, it sure doesn't sound like a fun thing to have around your neck!
Great point! It's so powerful!!
I know the Lantern/Lamp thing is not even there yet, but this unrelated sentence reads so much like bringing light to Dixing!
Oooh, it really does! *hearts* :D
An earlier description said that the water stops once you go down to the Seal, but now there is actually a dome? Maybe the water only stops for people who are supernaturally protected (the Emissary, Zhao Yunlan with the pearl/scale) and normal mortals wouldn't survive there without a dome?
See my other comment. I think if it was just the same waters as above, it wouldn't be cascading??
And yay, the entire drama sequence with Lin Jing suddenly having a dying Shen Wei thrown at him, while both of them are imprisoned by Shen Wei's brother. :D
Yess!! :D
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Omg, this is amazing, because I was thinking of the Regent. :D :D So both the drama and the novel have two not-quite-hit-by-a-car scenes! (And then there's novel Wang Xiangyang who actually got hit by a car.)
"If that was the case, would he carry it in his pocket, given how nervous he is?"
Hah, true, it probably can't hurt him by design! (Still, accidentally holding it by the wrong end sounds worrying. xD)
"But I feel like both times it's framed at ZYL being right and SW being wrong -- don't you think? ZYL is taking drastic action, but even here, SW seems driven by anger/revulsion."
Imo destroying the Soul-Guarding order is framed as the wrong (or at least extremely reckless) thing to do, and it has immediate negative consequences - he can't fight Ghost Face successfully enough. Cutting off Shen Wei's hand wouldn't have been ideal either, of course, but it doesn't make ZYL's decision right.
"Oh no, I just realised: his hand is REALLY DIRTY right now, and he's all "JUST CUT IT OFF!!!!" /o\ /o\ /o\"
This on the other hand, omg YIKES, what a fantastic point!!
"I thought this was part of the metaphysical laws, rather than something Shennong was imposing? It feels to me like Shennong had to do some hacking and workarounds to shoehorn Kunlun into the Reincarnation Cycle, and the SGO was part of that.
It is definitely a very plausible headcanon, and may as well be proven canon, but for now in my personal headcanon I'm not as quick to give Shennong the benefit of the doubt here. :)
"I wonder if that's why they had the plant-healing a few chapters ago -- because otherwise I might just read this as fighting Chaos with light, rather than SW's actual MO."
Oooh, probably! The plant was a good reminder, and there's so much more of it throughout the novel. ♡♡♡ Off the top of my head: healing Zhao Yunlan's palm after the Ghost Army summoning, and Shen Wei's mark on Zhao Yunlan's soul ("Shen Wei extended a finger and gently tapped Zhao Yunlan between the brows. Reflected in Shen Wei’s eyes, Zhao Yunlan saw a golden light flash on his own forehead. “Your soul bears my mark.”")
"And now I'm wondering about drama!SW, who survives a chest icicle for much longer than a human would."
He is stronger than an average person, but it also depends on what exactly got pierced. If it doesn't say it's his heart (? I don't remember) then I'd say it's mundanely plausible. If it is his heart (or lungs), then who knows what kind of relevant power he has. :D
"I think if it was just the same waters as above, it wouldn't be cascading??"
(I'm keeping it in this thread just to keep my confusion mostly in the same place. xD)
What confused me the most is that they're right under the Merit Tree and Lin Jing is sitting against the Sealing Rock, which is exactly where Zhao Yunlan saw his memories, and where Wei and Kunlun were sitting, and probably also exactly where SW was repairing the Seal - there isn't any type water in this place in any of those scenes?
(And then, as you said, in the next chapter it says that it's the Wangchuan waters? /even more confusion)
Waaaaait, is this because Ghost Face is currently messing with the Seal?? Lol, I type out my confusion and suddenly new things occur to me. xD Then it could definitely be a whole new waterfall, or the Wangchuan falling apart, or anything else that just sprung into existence. :D
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I didn't feel ZYL was framed as right exactly, but the narrative definitely didn't judge him the way it did SW!
Oh no, I just realised: his hand is REALLY DIRTY right now, and he's all "JUST CUT IT OFF!!!!" /o\ /o\ /o\
OH NO!!!!! OUCH!!!!! /o\
And now I'm wondering about drama!SW, who survives a chest icicle for much longer than a human would.
True ... I'd never really thought about that before! He has so many Dixing powers, and even as weakened as he is, maybe he still has just enough juice for one to keep him alive here.
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Oh, good point, people almost getting run over by cars is a repeated thing in both! I hadn't even noticed.
Aw, I adore her, a kid just like GCC (and seemingly with a similar personality), unable to do the right thing no matter how much she wants to.
Yes, that was my thought too!
if he accepts that he's seen as someone in a position of power, then what the people see is that someone powerful is now going to take care of them, finally. And that does a lot more than trying to be modest.
Yes! Exactly! :D
So the process of whatever-happened-there was gradual? Or were the people at the resort imprisoned before everyone got incinerated (including the people who arrived later)?
Very good questions! I hadn't thought about them being imprisoned first as an option, but it could have started that way ... maybe we'll find out?
So the Guardian's duties were part of Shen Wei's promise to Shennong? I don't think Zhao Yunlan can know that if he wasn't told. :P
Idk if it's specifically to do with the promise, and yeah, that hasn't been explained! Also I have no idea how much ZYL knows about what him being the Guardian actually means - I for sure don't know at all!
I wonder if he realizes that this alone makes him a lot less dark than he thinks. :P
Oof, yeah, very good point!
Also nice foreshadowing with Shen Wei saying that cutting his heart out is not going to kill him!
Oh, that's a great catch, you're right! That comes together so well. :D
He has the power of IDGAF. ♡♡♡
LOL! :D
I know the Lantern/Lamp thing is not even there yet, but this unrelated sentence reads so much like bringing light to Dixing!
You're completely right, I wonder if that's where it comes from?
An earlier description said that the water stops once you go down to the Seal, but now there is actually a dome? Maybe the water only stops for people who are supernaturally protected (the Emissary, Zhao Yunlan with the pearl/scale) and normal mortals wouldn't survive there without a dome?
I'm very glad I'm not the only person confused by the water/not-water scenario! It hadn't occurred to me that it might have something to do with Lin Jing essentially being an ordinary mortal. Maybe that's it? I have no clue, LOL.
And yay, the entire drama sequence with Lin Jing suddenly having a dying Shen Wei thrown at him, while both of them are imprisoned by Shen Wei's brother. :D
Yes! It's amazing that they managed to make that happen in such a completely different way, while still the basic elements!
So Shen Wei is outside the dome? From Ling Jing's POV it sounds like there's only water outside the dome, but Shen Wei is presumably not submerged in water? I was so confused the first time I read these descriptions, and I still am, a re-read clarified nothing. :P
THANK YOU! It's so confusing ...
This quote has always been so weird to me because both of the Kings of the Gui are supposed to be incredibly beautiful.
I figured maybe some of what Ghost Face has done to break the seal has hurt him, so he looks unwell?
I genuinely don't understand most of the other explanations (especially the ones about the Soul-Tempering Cauldron)
Again, thank you! I'm always relieved when it's not just me unable to follow, LOL.
This is cool too, thought I don't remember what it results in, lol. (Also I'm assuming this is the equivalent of tricking Ye Zun with the dark/light energy thing?)
Ooh! I have no idea, but I'll be paying attention to this in case it comes up again!
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Lol yeah, idk about him, but I definitely don't know either. :D
"I figured maybe some of what Ghost Face has done to break the seal has hurt him, so he looks unwell?"
Oh, this is such a good theory! Especially where he says "If I consume you, do you think I could break through the whole Seal?", it sounds like he maybe had to forcefully squeeze through in some way, like the opening in the Seal was not big enough even for him alone? He could be harmed by that.
I also thought later last night that maybe it's caused by him simply being outside the Seal - it may be taking effort to be where he's physically/magically not allowed to be. And maybe that's also why it says that Shen Wei is unaffected by the Seal - he's been officially freed so he doesn't have to feel its pull?
"I'm always relieved when it's not just me unable to follow, LOL."
*HIGH FIVE* :D
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Guo Changcheng is so cool in these chapters. It's very realistic that he struggles to do things for himself, but has an easier time acting for others.
Love how the fire in him is both literal and metaphorical.
Ghost Face kidnaps Shen Wei
Icicle time! I didn't remember how passionately Zhao Yunlan is defending Shen Wei and threatening Gui Mian. Delicious!
Shen Wei mocks Ghost Face
Really fun that the my-plan-all-along Villain Monologue belongs to one of the protagonists :D
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Guo Changcheng is so cool in these chapters. It's very realistic that he struggles to do things for himself, but has an easier time acting for others.
Yes, realistic and so on-brand. I love that so much. :D :D :D
Really fun that the my-plan-all-along Villain Monologue belongs to one of the protagonists :D
Haha, so true! :D
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Yess, it's so neat that he feels the fire because it's actually there but at the same time the feeling is probably indistinguishable from a strong mundane emotion. :)
"Icicle time! I didn't remember how passionately Zhao Yunlan is defending Shen Wei and threatening Gui Mian. Delicious!"
Every time they share a scene I'm all heart-eyes, the tension is so yummy. ♡_♡ And yesss, the icicle - so many things from these chapters were just snagged directly by the drama. :D
"Really fun that the my-plan-all-along Villain Monologue belongs to one of the protagonists :D
Hee, I didn't think of that at all - very true! :D :D
Drama Shen Wei deserves one too. xDno subject
Ooh, that's a fantastic point, I love it! :D
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Yayay, what a great post! I love all your quote choices. :D :D :D
I think I answered most of your questions in my reactions... ;D
Guo Changcheng pulled the car over on the roadside, where he hemmed and hawed for a good, long while before finally gathering enough courage to follow the GPS into the nearest town.
Ha, a lot of people were finding GCC relateable in vol 1 when he showed up maybe 12 hours early rather than make a phone call. Here's where I really connect with him: decision paralysis. ;-p
I love that a) he unhesitatingly gives his car to random strangers in need, and b) manages to overcome his self-doubt to impose order on this chaos. <3 <3 <3
The whole crowd exploded into speech at once; the wall of noise was like five thousand ducks simultaneously yelling at the top of their lungs.
Hee! *hearts*
That was just how Guo Changcheng was. Whenever he wanted to ask others for help, he felt like a tremendously ignorant nuisance. Naturally, that made him afraid of whomever it was, and that grew into a fear of all communication, whether speaking aloud or even just making eye contact. But at a time like this, when he realized that the people in front of him required his help, his words always flowed far more smoothly.
I love him so much.
Wait, "Spring Harbor Resort" -- is there an actual harbour nearby? Or is it "harbor" as in "retreat"?
It's a really cute scene and I love seeing GCC rise to the occasion (and ZH's presence would not have made things better at all ;-p), but wow, all these frantically worried people telling stories of their missing loved ones really drives home the cost of Ghost Face's stunt. D: D: D: D: D:
Shen Wei, entangled in the black mist, was suffering from a renewed case of bullheadedness and flatly refusing to let go of Zhao Yunlan no matter what.
LOL! (Is there an equivalent to this in the drama? I can't think of one.) And ahh, ZYL using SW's blade -- it took me a moment to realise that he does that to break the pillar chains -- also in vain.
I find SW's insistence on having his arm chopped off and ZYL's "you're not a gecko" really funny, and I don't know if I'm meant to.
And then ZYL burns
the Guardian Treatythe Soul-Guarding Order (instead of Ye Zun doing it). o.O That has got to have some consequences.When it says "The black mist ensnaring Shen Wei's arm finally shrank back in fear." it really sounds like the chaos is sentient, huh.
Also, now I'm going wait, is (the spirit of) the Soul-Guarding Order actually made of the parts of Kunlun's soul that were "cleaned away" so he could enter the reincarnation cycle? Is that why the order belongs to ZYL and he belongs to it? I've forgotten everything, lol.
Expression dark, Shen Wei said, “Don’t you realize that you don’t actually belong in the Reincarnation Cycle? That your status as Guardian essentially grants you protection? This was carved from the Great Divine Tree’s bark, and you…you…”
Oof! But burning something so sacred and irreplaceable to save someone (and worrying about the consequences later) is so very ZYL. <3
Behind them, the black shadow kept giving chase. It was as thick as ink that was impossible to dilute, and wherever it passed, nothing remained. The shadow swallowed everything …almost as though it could swallow even emptiness itself. It was true Chaos.
And the gui are literally made of Chaos and Kunlun's soulfire, right? But the youchu don't seem to have any of these characteristics. We've seen them before in the Mortal Realm without any wider ill effects. *so confused*
Did SW diving into the crack in the ground get adapted into SW letting himself be swallowed by the energy seal in YOHE? And him levitating into the air happens in ep 12 when he's intimidating Tan Xiao in the park.
Oof, the icicle. :-(
The Magistrate was so filled with woe, he was on the verge of vomiting. Five hundred years earlier, when the Great Seal had first shown signs of weakening, the Netherworld had taken charge and gathered forces from all over to discuss the matter. Back then, a single call from the Netherworld had been enough to gather hundreds of immortals from all over, each one of them staunchly righteous. Every sentence they uttered was about “the people” and “the world,” so passionate were they about sacrificing everything for the Great Seal. But in the wake of the battle atop the peak of Kunlun Mountain, those people had disappeared en masse, as if by mutual agreement.
Aw, I have sympathy for the Magistrate here. "Politics used to be better." :-p
The Magistrate’s expression was complicated as his gaze landed on Zhao Yunlan. Cowards filled their ranks. Perhaps only those true primordial gods and demons from before Chaos had shattered could have hearts large enough to set aside their own lives for the greater good.
Clearly he has not yet met Guo Changcheng. ;-p (I love how, in the drama, the whole SID is filled with the spirit of sacrifice; I can't remember how much that's true in the rest of the novel.)
How dare this man, Zhao Yunlan, who was clearly no more than a silver-tongued mortal, not be terror-stricken or panicked?
Such indignation, hee!
Black smoke like spider silk suddenly flowed from the icicle buried in his chest, wrapping him within an enormous cocoon.
Did this become the pillar chains? (Oh no, wait, he gets tied up in the next chapter, at the Seal.)
Ghost Face blaming Shen Wei for GF's own actions -- so on-brand.
The force of it cut Zhao Yunlan’s palm open to the bone.
Oww! Srsly, OWWW. I feel like the next three chapters should be ZYL in surgery, having all his ligaments reattached. /o\
The description of Lin Jin's situation is so scary. (Is he, like, in a dome under a waterfall? The fact that the water is cascading suggests it's not a sea.) I love that his coping mechanism is to meditate his way through it and treat the youchu like anyone else. <3
The one that had casually killed its own kin tore an ear from the corpse and gobbled it up without even a splash of soy sauce or vinegar.
Yum? LOL.
And then Shen Wei arrives, and oh, okay, this is the pillar enchainment and the drama ending in one.
The Chaos Kings of the Gui had entered the world as twins, neither superior to the other. But only Shen Wei had received Kunlun-jun’s protection; he alone had attained divinity and now stood unaffected by the Great Seal…
Does that mean Ghost Face is affected? Maybe it's contorting his features.
Shen Wei laughing while held hostage made it into the drama, but here he's mocking Ghost Face and revealing even more machinations; in the drama, he's smiling at the strength and determination of the SID, iirc. <333
OMG THERE ARE TOO MANY MAGICAL ITEMS! I'm so confused. *gives up trying to follow things* ;-p
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"Ha, a lot of people were finding GCC relateable in vol 1 when he showed up maybe 12 hours early rather than make a phone call. Here's where I really connect with him: decision paralysis. ;-p"
Heeee, I love it so much that everyone seems to have some area in which Xiao Guo is extremely relatable! :D ♡ (For me the biggest one is running around delivering random charity things. :D)
"I love that a) he unhesitatingly gives his car to random strangers in need, and b) manages to overcome his self-doubt to impose order on this chaos. <3 <3 <3"
Yessss! ♡ He does SO many different amazing things here!
"Wait, "Spring Harbor Resort" -- is there an actual harbour nearby? Or is it "harbor" as in "retreat"?"
Hmm, could be either! It is a few hours away from Dragon City, and I'm not even sure what Dragon City's georgraphy is.
"and ZH's presence would not have made things better at all ;-p"
This is such a fantastic point!! I only ever thought that GCC didn't need her, he did fine on his own, but actually he did a lot better on his own. He would have just let Zhu Hong speak without even considering that he could do it too, and I feel like she may not have the crowd management skills for this situation.
"all these frantically worried people telling stories of their missing loved ones really drives home the cost of Ghost Face's stunt. D: D: D: D: D:"
Indeed, but if he wants to destroy all life, what's a few hundred (?) people. :(
"And ahh, ZYL using SW's blade -- it took me a moment to realise that he does that to break the pillar chains -- also in vain."
Ahhhh, I didn't think of that at all, awesome catch!! ♡
"I find SW's insistence on having his arm chopped off and ZYL's "you're not a gecko" really funny, and I don't know if I'm meant to."
I think it's meant to be funny, or maybe it's just funny to me, I can't tell. xD *high five*
"And then ZYL burns
the Guardian Treatythe Soul-Guarding Order (instead of Ye Zun doing it). o.O That has got to have some consequences."I didn't catch that either!! :D It has already weakened his attacks, but it probably has to have more consequences than that.
"When it says "The black mist ensnaring Shen Wei's arm finally shrank back in fear." it really sounds like the chaos is sentient, huh."
Maybe/probably because this bit of Chaos is wielded by Ghost Face?
"Also, now I'm going wait, is (the spirit of) the Soul-Guarding Order actually made of the parts of Kunlun's soul that were "cleaned away" so he could enter the reincarnation cycle? Is that why the order belongs to ZYL and he belongs to it? I've forgotten everything, lol."
I don't think it's been explained what it's made of, but I may also be forgetting everything. :D :D It could be!!
"Oof! But burning something so sacred and irreplaceable to save someone (and worrying about the consequences later) is so very ZYL. <3"
Hah, it absolutely is. ♡
"And the gui are literally made of Chaos and Kunlun's soulfire, right? But the youchu don't seem to have any of these characteristics. We've seen them before in the Mortal Realm without any wider ill effects. *so confused*"
Ikr???? I am also so very confused about the alleged and actual effects of the gui (definitely the youchu and also Shen Wei and Ghost Face) on the living/all life/the world in general.
"Did SW diving into the crack in the ground get adapted into SW letting himself be swallowed by the energy seal in YOHE? And him levitating into the air happens in ep 12 when he's intimidating Tan Xiao in the park."
!!!! :D Even more things I didn't catch, fantastic observations!! ♡
"Oww! Srsly, OWWW. I feel like the next three chapters should be ZYL in surgery, having all his ligaments reattached. /o\"
Ikr? D: D: From what I remember he continues to be in pain, but I don't remember how it ends. (Hopefully with Shen Wei healing it. :P)
"I love that his coping mechanism is to meditate his way through it and treat the youchu like anyone else. <3"
Yesss, he's so terrified but in the end he's just himself and it (sort of) works - and now I realized that the same is true for GCC. ♡♡♡
"Yum? LOL."
Lolol, I apparently didn't end up commenting on the soy sauce and vinegar line, but I love that it's basically another piece of snarky commentary that Lin Jing was thinking and would totally say out loud if it was safe. :P
"Does that mean Ghost Face is affected? Maybe it's contorting his features."
Ooooh! *grabs this explanation* Well, I took 'unaffected by the Seal' as 'he doesn't belong under the Seal and doesn't have to actively break out', but I'm still grabbing this explantion for 'something weird is happening to Ghost Face at this point that makes his face looks wrong', whether or not it is the Seal. :D
"Shen Wei laughing while held hostage made it into the drama, but here he's mocking Ghost Face and revealing even more machinations; in the drama, he's smiling at the strength and determination of the SID, iirc. <333"
It may be because in the drama his grand plan is still in the future, while in the novel it was (mostly) in the past so he can openly reveal it.
"OMG THERE ARE TOO MANY MAGICAL ITEMS! I'm so confused. *gives up trying to follow things* ;-p"
Lol, same. :D :D
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but actually he did a lot better on his own. He would have just let Zhu Hong speak without even considering that he could do it too, and I feel like she may not have the crowd management skills for this situation.
Yes, exactly! She wouldn't have listened and would instead have just tried to steamroller over everyone.
Indeed, but if he wants to destroy all life, what's a few hundred (?) people. :(
Is that what he wants? I think I missed that.
I think it's meant to be funny, or maybe it's just funny to me, I can't tell. xD *high five*
*high fives back* :D :D :D
Maybe/probably because this bit of Chaos is wielded by Ghost Face?
Do you think GF is frightened, though? I feel like he's be more likely to be annoyed, angry or sarcastic -- including about the lengths ZYL is prepared to go to to protect one solitary gui.
It may be because in the drama his grand plan is still in the future, while in the novel it was (mostly) in the past so he can openly reveal it.
I think drama!SW is also less gloaty and more stoically regretful that this has to happen. He doesn't have the self-loathing or the Ye Zun-loathing; he's just doing his duty, you know?
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Ooh, that's an excellent point! Not that it excuses Zhu Hong, LOL.
I am also so very confused about the alleged and actual effects of the gui (definitely the youchu and also Shen Wei and Ghost Face) on the living/all life/the world in general.
This, so much! *flails*
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The dictionary says 湾 means "bay / gulf / to cast anchor / to moor (a boat)", but it's in the mountains, right? I assume there's no actual bay or gulf.
but wow, all these frantically worried people telling stories of their missing loved ones really drives home the cost of Ghost Face's stunt. D: D: D: D: D:
Yeah, good point! That scene does a very good job really showing that.
(Is there an equivalent to this in the drama? I can't think of one.)
I can't either.
And ahh, ZYL using SW's blade -- it took me a moment to realise that he does that to break the pillar chains -- also in vain.
OOOh, excellent catch!
And then ZYL burns
the Guardian Treatythe Soul-Guarding Order (instead of Ye Zun doing it).Yes! And in the drama it still does get burnt, even if under such completely different circumstances. (And also it's a completely different thing, LOL.)
Did SW diving into the crack in the ground get adapted into SW letting himself be swallowed by the energy seal in YOHE? And him levitating into the air happens in ep 12 when he's intimidating Tan Xiao in the park.
Good points both, I assume that's where those drama moments come from!
I love how, in the drama, the whole SID is filled with the spirit of sacrifice
Yes! I love that it's all of them, and that they're ordinary people (humans, Dixingren, Yashou) who are united by that. ♥ ♥ ♥
(Is he, like, in a dome under a waterfall? The fact that the water is cascading suggests it's not a sea.)
I understand exactly nothing about the water in that scene, and I'm so glad it's not just me!
And then Shen Wei arrives, and oh, okay, this is the pillar enchainment and the drama ending in one.
Yeah, it's so fascinating that they turned it into two different things in the drama!
Does that mean Ghost Face is affected? Maybe it's contorting his features.
Ooh, that could be! Great catch.
I'm so confused. *gives up trying to follow things* ;-p
*high fives*
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The dictionary says 湾 means "bay / gulf / to cast anchor / to moor (a boat)", but it's in the mountains, right? I assume there's no actual bay or gulf.
Maybe it's metaphorical? I have no idea.
(And also it's a completely different thing, LOL.)
LOL, true. And-- I was going to say that it's more about SW than ZYL, too, but actually it's the Treaty that confers Guardian status on ZYL in the drama, isn't it?
*high fives you back* <3
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Are you as surprised by Xiao Guo's bravery and competence as he is?
Not really; it's very him! But I'm relieved, because for years I kept hearing that Xiao-Guo is much more useless in the novel than he is in the drama, and this is very much not that!
What do you think about Zhao Yunlan's decision to sacrifice the Soul-Guarding Order?
I wish I understood the thing better, so I could better form an opinion whether it was a stupid risk or not. *g*
What's your favorite comic relief moment?
The youchu lacking soy sauce or vinegar for his ear snack. :D
Favorite angsty moment?
I know dramatic and terrible things are happening, but these chapters didn't feel very angsty to me.
Any thoughts about the many parallels between these chapters and their drama adaptation?
So many elements puzzled together in a whole new shape, as usual! *admires*
On to my notes:
Guo Changcheng pulled the car over on the roadside, where he hemmed and hawed for a good, long while before finally gathering enough courage to follow the GPS into the nearest town.
Aw! I feel you, Xiao-Guo.
No matter how reasonable she thought the crowd's requests were, she couldn't just go against regulations. She was overcome with frustration.
Aw! Comparing her with Xiao-Guo makes sense, she's a great mirror here. She wants to help! She just doesn't know how.
That was just how Guo Changcheng was. Whenever he wanted to ask others for help, he felt like a tremendously ignorant nuisance. Naturally, that made him afraid of whomever it was, and that grew into a fear of all communication, whether speaking aloud or even just making eye contact. But at a time like this, when he realized that the people in front of him required his help, his words always flowed far more smoothly.
♥ ♥ ♥
And then my dad and cousin disappeared too!
Ooh, so more than one incident? Or an active area that stayed active for some period of time, which these two strayed into?
Everybody who had a missing loved one was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof
I had to check the Chinese for this, and in the JJWXC version at least, it's 热锅上的蚂, ant on a hot pan (an established saying). :D
Guo Changcheng, however, stood frozen in place for a long while, unable to believe that he had actually done it.
♥ ♥ ♥
the blade's icy glint made his lips look scarily pale
Ha! The drama has plenty of Shen Wei with pale lips, but not for that reason. *g*
That's the power of Chaos. It's the only thing the Soul-Executing Blade can't cut through.
Ooh, fascinating! (Did we already know that?)
But before Shen Wei could finish speaking, Zhao Yunlan proved that actions were faster than words.
LOL, just like the other way round before! Though the narrative judges SW a lot more harshly than it does ZYL. *judges the narrative*
Only the right half of the characters were still legible.
The JJWXC version says more than that: 镇魂 (Soul-Guarding) is damaged, leaving 真鬼 (real/true ghost/gui). But in English that wouldn't make any sense, so no wonder the translation left it out.
A pool of clear spring water welled up in his palm, extinguishing the fire on the Soul-Guarding Order, but half of the words were already burned off. Only the right half of the characters were still legible. The words on the back-"Guard the souls of the living, bring peace to the hearts of the dead"-were entirely gone.
1) That's a very cool power for SW!
2) I feel like I should understand more of what damaging the Soul-Guarding Order (and more specifically damaging it in this way) means, and what kind of risk ZYL took here, but honestly I'm not even sure what exactly the thing does. Has that been clarified before? Can anyone remind me?
(The Order is what makes Kunlun's reincarnations "the Guardian", which presumably is what grants him his powers, but idk if there's more to it than that? SW's words make it sound like his reincarnation is tied up with it in some way, too. And also, it's very hard for me to tell which powers are actually Guardian-specific and which are just general competence with talismans and such ...)
Do you think you're a gecko?
LOL!
(Is this why the SID has an iguana? Pretty sure they can shed their tails too.)
Shen Wei suddenly leaped back out of the crack in the ground
Huh. Why did he jump into it in the first place?
Just as the shadow was about to touch the hem of his robes, a piercing white light erupted from the seal in Shen Wei's hands.
White light again!
The cold sweat gathering on Shen Wei's face finally dripped down his cheek.
That reminds me of the self-healing in episode 2!
Ghost Face, who had been lying in wait for some unknown amount of time, thrust an icicle over a meter long through Shen Wei's back-right into his heart.
Icicle time! (I'm glad they scaled this down for the drama, LOL.)
Cowards filled their ranks. Perhaps only those true primordial gods and demons from before Chaos had shattered could have hearts large enough to set aside their own lives for the greater good.
You know, I don't know exactly how we're supposed to judge the Magistrate's thoughts, but this really drew my attention to the fact that there aren't any ordinary people involved in all of this at all. Everyone has something that makes them special. I like that that's not the case in the drama!
"If the Soul-Guarding Order hadn't been damaged," Ghost Face rasped, voice hoarse and broken, "my neck might be missing a layer of skin right about now. Tsk , how unfortunate."
Good to see immediate consequences there!
Who the fuck even knew what a Soul-Guarding Lamp was?
I'm confused by this. It's not like this is the first time it's coming up ...
In my tribe, someone your age would still be nibbling their eggshells, you mortal brat!
Oh Zhu Hong!
Torrents of water seemed to be cascading all around him, but some sort of invisible dome surrounded him and protected him from drowning...at least for now.
Okay, that's definitely different from how it was described before, right? When ZYL went under water, the water just ... stopped somewhere, and then there was air. There wasn't a clear barrier, or anything about the waters being visible from the tree. Is that an inconsistency, or is it due to the seal breaking down, or ...?
He was also surrounded by youchu. The creatures pressed around him on every side, salivating.
But they're not touching him? Why? Are they outside the protective bubble, in the water? But then you couldn't see them salivating? *confused*
"I haven't bathed in three days! Comrade, be mindful of your manners!"
Oh Lin Jing! :D
(Also, that's what you get for being protected from the waters, LOL!)
The one that had casually killed its own kin tore an ear from the corpse and gobbled it up without even a splash of soy sauce or vinegar.
LOL! (Now I'm imagining the youchu pulling a bottle of soy sauce from its non-existent pocket ... :D)
Lin Jing rushed to the edge of the invisible dome.
???? Is SW outside the dome in the water? There's no mention of any water when he's being hurled down and stuck to the tree. And also there's sweat dripping from his forehead. I'm very confused about this entire scenario!
Even with his forehead dripping with cold sweat and constant tremors running through his body, Shen Wei was courteous. He gave Lin Jing a slight nod.
Awww!
But upon closer inspection, the now-unmasked "Shen-laoshi's" skin was slightly paler-abnormally pale, in fact. It was a white that bordered on blue, as though he had been soaked in formaldehyde. The skin tone was cold, somehow carrying resentment and yin energy. It made his face, which should have been so handsome, seem like a piece of skin draped over a skull.
Is he ill? Has Ghost Face done something to himself to look that way? Because he shouldn't be looking substantially different from SW, right?
"If I consume you, do you think I could break through the whole Seal?"
And here's the source of Ye Zun eating Shen Wei in the drama, I suppose!
Did you really think yourself so lucky that someone would just give you a pillow the moment you felt sleepy?
LOL!
I really like SW getting this speech about outwitting Ghost Face, but honestly, his actual plan goes straight over my head. Except that SW planted the Awl in Hanga territory?! I'm not sure how that hangs together. For those of you who've read the novel before, how did that change the Awl plot earlier in the novel?
I can simply bleed you out until you can no longer maintain this human form. Then I can pull Kunlun's tendon out of you
So, SW appearing human somehow makes the tendon inaccessible? But reverting to his true form (whatever exactly that means) would reveal it?
(I assume this is the source of the sporadic talk about SW's true form in the drama!)
Version comparison - There are probably more small differences, but these stood out to me:
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But I'm relieved, because for years I kept hearing that Xiao-Guo is much more useless in the novel than he is in the drama, and this is very much not that!
Oh hey, this made me realise that his speech at the police station got turned into the livestream messages from the dead (unless that happens later in the novel). Cool!
I know dramatic and terrible things are happening, but these chapters didn't feel very angsty to me.
Yeah, me either. (I think my angstiest moment is the local talking about their missing relative. ;-p)
and in the JJWXC version at least, it's 热锅上的蚂, ant on a hot pan (an established saying). :D
Oh cool!
Though the narrative judges SW a lot more harshly than it does ZYL. *judges the narrative*
Ha, that's what I thought, too.
(Is this why the SID has an iguana? Pretty sure they can shed their tails too.)
Hahaha, could be. Iguana are a lot easier to film than geckos (which (in my limited experience) are always hiding). So is that another symbol of dying/being hurt and recovering?
but this really drew my attention to the fact that there aren't any ordinary people involved in all of this at all. Everyone has something that makes them special. I like that that's not the case in the drama!
Yes, this! I was actually talking to someone the other day about the difference between chosen-one stories where the person has hidden birthright verses "anyone can be a hero" stories. So interesting that the novel and drama are different in that regard.
I'm confused by this. It's not like this is the first time it's coming up ...
Right??? (But it does translate into the drama Lantern hunt, where they're a bit vague about what they're looking for. <3)
(Also, that's what you get for being protected from the waters, LOL!)
HEEE!
I really like SW getting this speech about outwitting Ghost Face, but honestly, his actual plan goes straight over my head. Except that SW planted the Awl in Hanga territory?! I'm not sure how that hangs together. For those of you who've read the novel before, how did that change the Awl plot earlier in the novel?
Such a good question!! *is equally confused*
"Do you know that you were originally not allowed to enter the wheel of reincarnation? That the identity of the Chief of the Guardian Order is equivalent to your protective talisman? This was carved from the Dashen Mu. At critical times, it wouldn't even have a problem protecting your life. You..."
Ooh, interesting!
Zhao Yunlan did not care to listen to this kind of "swapping hostages" condition.
This reminds me of Zhu Jiu's feigned attempt to swap his hostages (CSZ, GCC & YH) for the Hallows, and how ZYL and SW didn't trust him.
He replied, so quietly his words were hardly audible: "There's no rush, soon I won't be."
Ha! (I'm kind of glad they took that out, though.)
Thanks, as always, for the comparative analysis. <3
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I'm not really seeing the parallel there?
Hahaha, could be. Iguana are a lot easier to film than geckos (which (in my limited experience) are always hiding). So is that another symbol of dying/being hurt and recovering?
!!!!!!!! I think that has to be it - the symbol, I mean. I always wondered why the iguana was there, but if you look at it as part of that theme, it actually makes sense!
Yes, this! I was actually talking to someone the other day about the difference between chosen-one stories where the person has hidden birthright verses "anyone can be a hero" stories. So interesting that the novel and drama are different in that regard.
Yes, exactly! I much prefer the drama's version, so I'm glad they made that choice, but I do wonder about the reasons.
Such a good question!! *is equally confused*
*high fives*
This reminds me of Zhu Jiu's feigned attempt to swap his hostages (CSZ, GCC & YH) for the Hallows, and how ZYL and SW didn't trust him.
Ooh, good point! I think they must have got that idea from this moment!
(I'm kind of glad they took that out, though.)
Yeah, same here.
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Eeeee, I love this idea so much. :D :D :D (Also, 'another symbol' = there are more? :D :D)
"This reminds me of Zhu Jiu's feigned attempt to swap his hostages (CSZ, GCC & YH) for the Hallows, and how ZYL and SW didn't trust him."
Oh neat, I can see that!
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"Not really; it's very him! But I'm relieved, because for years I kept hearing that Xiao-Guo is much more useless in the novel than he is in the drama, and this is very much not that!"
Indeed, it's not the case at all! ♡ (Now I'm wondering if this change in his behavior is more surprising for people who didn't watch the drama. He did have some brave moments earlier in the novel too, but not quite as many as in the drama.)
"I wish I understood the thing better, so I could better form an opinion whether it was a stupid risk or not. *g*"
Lol, same! It does have some immediate consequences, but they are not that big, there has to be more to it?
"The youchu lacking soy sauce or vinegar for his ear snack. :D"
Heee, yep, it's so funny as both narrative commentary and as a comment that Lin Jing is probably biting back. xD
"Ooh, so more than one incident? Or an active area that stayed active for some period of time, which these two strayed into?"
Oh yep, more than one incident is another possible explanation I didn't think of!
"I had to check the Chinese for this, and in the JJWXC version at least, it's 热锅上的蚂, ant on a hot pan (an established saying). :D"
Very cool, thanks for this trivia! :D
"Ha! The drama has plenty of Shen Wei with pale lips, but not for that reason. *g*"
My thoughts exactly, and I am wondering if they actually grabbed this idea from here. :D
> >That's the power of Chaos. It's the only thing the Soul-Executing Blade can't cut through.
"Ooh, fascinating! (Did we already know that?)"
I don't think we knew that, no. (Unless I'm forgetting something which is always possible. :D)
"The JJWXC version says more than that: 镇魂 (Soul-Guarding) is damaged, leaving 真鬼 (real/true ghost/gui). But in English that wouldn't make any sense, so no wonder the translation left it out."
Oh, neat, thanks!
"I feel like I should understand more of what damaging the Soul-Guarding Order (and more specifically damaging it in this way) means, and what kind of risk ZYL took here, but honestly I'm not even sure what exactly the thing does. Has that been clarified before? Can anyone remind me?"
I don't think it's been clarified, not in the narrative, and not to Zhao Yunlan specifically re: what exactly happens when he damages it. (Since he only just learned the story of who he is, and it feels to me like this is a part of it that he still doesn't know. At least he knows what the Soul-Guarding Order does in general, but I don't think the readers do. :P)
"The Order is what makes Kunlun's reincarnations "the Guardian", which presumably is what grants him his powers, but idk if there's more to it than that? SW's words make it sound like his reincarnation is tied up with it in some way, too. And also, it's very hard for me to tell which powers are actually Guardian-specific and which are just general competence with talismans and such ..."
It also gives him all the responsibilities, but it's not super clear what those are either? (The reincarnation part is extremely unclear to me, idek what's going on there, I feel like Shen Wei could have explained a bit more. :P) And that's a very good point about the talismans - other people use them very successfully too. Oh, only the Guardian has the whip, that's at least one difference!
"Is this why the SID has an iguana? Pretty sure they can shed their tails too."
!! :D I didn't know that about iguanas, and I'm loving this connection now! :D
> >Shen Wei suddenly leaped back out of the crack in the ground
"Huh. Why did he jump into it in the first place?"
I didn't wonder about that at all, lol, that's a very good question! I re-read it now, and the sequence of events goes: SW jumps in, a whole lot of reapers jump out and cause a lot of chaos and distraction, SW jumps out. So maybe he's taking advantage of the distraction and he has a bit of space to fight back now.
"That reminds me of the self-healing in episode 2!"
Lol, I see that - a bit of a respite, it's okay to sweat now. :P
"Icicle time! (I'm glad they scaled this down for the drama, LOL.)"
Hah, yep, drama Shen Wei is not surviving a meter long icicle. (Which I'm assuming also has to be thicker at this length, in order to pierce anything and not break off.)
"If the Soul-Guarding Order hadn't been damaged," Ghost Face rasped, voice hoarse and broken, "my neck might be missing a layer of skin right about now. Tsk , how unfortunate."
You quoting this made me realize that his voice is hoarse and broken even though not much has happened to his neck (he protected it with his hand, and the whip isn't working properly either). This is adding to the theory that he is weakened/ill in some way, and his zombie-like appearance is a part of that.
> >Who the fuck even knew what a Soul-Guarding Lamp was?
I'm confused by this. It's not like this is the first time it's coming up ..."
Hah, very good point! At this point they have no idea where it is (and this time I'm not even hinting at any spoilers, but I was amused :D), but at least Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei know very well what it is.
"Okay, that's definitely different from how it was described before, right? When ZYL went under water, the water just ... stopped somewhere, and then there was air. There wasn't a clear barrier, or anything about the waters being visible from the tree. Is that an inconsistency, or is it due to the seal breaking down, or ...?"
*high five on the confusion!* The Seal breaking down and/or Ghost Face messing with it is the only explanation for all the inconsistencies that I have at the moment.
"But they're not touching him? Why? Are they outside the protective bubble, in the water? But then you couldn't see them salivating? *confused*"
They are in the bubble with him, it will be explained later that they're forbidden to touch him.
"Now I'm imagining the youchu pulling a bottle of soy sauce from its non-existent pocket ... :D"
:D :D :D Sometimes this book feels like a cartoon (/affectionate), so why not. xD :D :D
"???? Is SW outside the dome in the water? There's no mention of any water when he's being hurled down and stuck to the tree. And also there's sweat dripping from his forehead. I'm very confused about this entire scenario!"
*MORE CONFUSION HIGH FIVE* I didn't even think of the sweat, lol.
"Is he ill? Has Ghost Face done something to himself to look that way? Because he shouldn't be looking substantially different from SW, right?"
I know this is already a conversation elsewhere, but I just want to say that him doing something on purpose so that he doesn't look like Shen Wei would be so on brand. xD (Even if I don't think that's the case - Seal shenanigans sound more likely.)
"I really like SW getting this speech about outwitting Ghost Face, but honestly, his actual plan goes straight over my head. Except that SW planted the Awl in Hanga territory?! I'm not sure how that hangs together. For those of you who've read the novel before, how did that change the Awl plot earlier in the novel?"
Same! Other than Shen Wei always baiting Ghost Face to show up, and that's why he even there, I feel like it doesn't change all that much? (But this is the part I meant when I said that I want to do a very thorough re-read of the Hanga arc - to look for clues and foreshadwing re: this. :D And to figure out how SW's and GF's behavior was affected by orchestrating the events and being manipulated, respectively.)
"So, SW appearing human somehow makes the tendon inaccessible? But reverting to his true form (whatever exactly that means) would reveal it?"
I have no idea if any of this is right because it's all just my speculation, lol, but I feel like his true form is Chaos, and the tendon wouldn't be able to coexist with that?
"I assume this is the source of the sporadic talk about SW's true form in the drama!"
When is that? Is it just an unconnected leftover, like the quote about the promise? Since he doesn't have any other form in the drama.
"Enough, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to do it. Everybody stop pressuring her."
Oh, it's interesting to have some more understanding from the crowd for the police officer. (And it's also more realistic when there's less of it!)
"Being a mortal, Zhao Yunlan could not understand this great God who could cut off his arms, legs, and head with ease, and so ignored him. He thrust the Soul Slaying Blade back into the scabbard, then retrieved a Guardian Order."
This is fascinating, how the tone got changed from 'SW would be fine and ZYL just doesn't know that' to 'ZYL knows on some level that SW would be fine but he just doesn't want to harm him at all'.
"In the fan translation, ZYL's reaction to Ghost Face demanding the Soul-Guarding Lamp doesn't have the line asking what a Soul-Guarding Lamp even is."
Oh, this is surprising, I thought if anything it would be the other way round - it sounded like a leftover of a slightly different story where ZYL actually knows less. :P
"He replied, so quietly his words were hardly audible: "There's no rush, soon I won't be.""
Wow, he is really sure of some things in the original version. In the official translation it sounds like he's not even sure what he's doing or what it will result in, which rings more true.
Thanks for comparing the versions, as always!! ♡
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Oh, that's a very good question! Maybe some of the people who talked about his uselessness in the novel hadn't finished it yet? The translation was in progress for a while ...
It does have some immediate consequences, but they are not that big, there has to be more to it?
Yeah, that's what I was thinking!
Since he only just learned the story of who he is, and it feels to me like this is a part of it that he still doesn't know. At least he knows what the Soul-Guarding Order does in general, but I don't think the readers do. :P
LOL, yes to all of that! That makes sense. *g*
It also gives him all the responsibilities, but it's not super clear what those are either?
Haha, right??? So much of this is so vague.
So maybe he's taking advantage of the distraction and he has a bit of space to fight back now.
Ooh, yes, I hadn't thought of that, but that makes a lot of sense, thank you!
You quoting this made me realize that his voice is hoarse and broken even though not much has happened to his neck (he protected it with his hand, and the whip isn't working properly either). This is adding to the theory that he is weakened/ill in some way, and his zombie-like appearance is a part of that.
Another excellent point! Yeah, unless the next chapters tell us differently I'm going to assume he's hurt/weakened/ill in some way now.
They are in the bubble with him, it will be explained later that they're forbidden to touch him.
Aha! Thank you, that was so confusing, LOL.
But this is the part I meant when I said that I want to do a very thorough re-read of the Hanga arc - to look for clues and foreshadwing re: this. :D And to figure out how SW's and GF's behavior was affected by orchestrating the events and being manipulated, respectively.
Yeah, I'd really love to know that too. I feel like this callback here is too brief and there should be more explanation of what exactly that means, LOL. But that's not priest's style.
but I feel like his true form is Chaos, and the tendon wouldn't be able to coexist with that?
But he (and all the gui) were born from the combination of Chaos with Kunlun's soulfire, right? And he was still that when he was given the tendon, so it can't be incompatible? Or am I forgetting something here?
>>>"I assume this is the source of the sporadic talk about SW's true form in the drama!"
When is that? Is it just an unconnected leftover, like the quote about the promise? Since he doesn't have any other form in the drama.
The main instance is in episode 13, when Zhu Jiu takes ZYL hostage (and ZYL fakes being hypnotised): "Lord Black-Cloaked Envoy, how long can you maintain your complete form on the surface?"
But it calls back to what Shen Wei says in episode 13, in the Hanga caves: "Chief Zhao, you know that on the surface, I can't personally track down people escaping Dixing. First, the burden of gravity is too great for me to stay for long. Second, I can use only half of my power here."
So the implication is that the "complete form" refers to his black energy system.
Oh, it's interesting to have some more understanding from the crowd for the police officer. (And it's also more realistic when there's less of it!)
Yes, entirely agreed! I think it's a good change.
Wow, he is really sure of some things in the original version. In the official translation it sounds like he's not even sure what he's doing or what it will result in, which rings more true.
Also I like it much better. *g*