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sid_guardian2025-07-20 11:58 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2025-07-20 11:58 pm
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Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 21 & 22
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 21: The Yanluo Kings want to use Zhao Yunlan's heart's blood as the Guardian Lantern's wick, but the yao storm the Yanluo Courts under the leadership of Fourth Uncle, and likewise the daoists and assorted other immortals who were present at Kunlun Mountain. Ghost Face and various gui break free from the Wangchuan, and Shen Wei's trap is sprung. Zhao Yunlan half learns, half figures out Shen Wei's plan, and Zhu Hong clarifies Zhao Yunlan's feelings for Shen Wei. Ghost Face blows himself up.
- Chapter 22: Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi fight various youchu (including the fake rogue cultivator) with the combined might of fear stick and zombie powers, then escape to the top of the mountain, but end up in trouble there again anyway. Meanwhile, Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan and Lin Jing run into Daqing, escape from the Netherworld, and find SID and other people waiting for them. Shen Wei plans to re-seal the Four Pillars with the Hallows, and Zhao Yunlan tells Shennong's mortar to take his place and take care of his parents. Everyone comes together to help Shen Wei.
Excerpts:
1) Zhu Hong defends Zhao Yunlan against the Yanluo Kings' designs
With only the barest hint of a smile, Zhao Yunlan looked back at them. Zhu Hong, on the other hand, exploded. The lower half of her body transformed into a giant snake's tail, coiling around Zhao Yunlan. The delicate corners of her eyes elongated to reveal a cold-blooded animal's vertical pupils. "Don't you know he's just a mortal?" she demanded.
Unfazed, Zhao Yunlan answered for them. "They're not blind. Of course they know. Besides, would they dare try to force my hand like this if I weren't mortal?"
Zhu Hong's scales were as red as blood; when she hissed in fury, her scarlet forked tongue flickered out. "Why not just say you want to take his life?!"
Zhao Yunlan snorted. "Just think how bad that would sound."
"All mortals age and die," chorused the Ten Kings. "It is a normal part of the Reincarnation Cycle."
That's right. It's nothing but a mortal body! Can't you give it up to save the world?
2) Shen Wei is caught out
A storm cloud descended on Zhao Yunlan's face. "Shen Wei, get the fuck out here!"
In response, Shen Wei slowly slipped out from behind the chamber's massive stone door. He looked far more anxious now than he had a moment ago during all his scheming and plotting.
When Zhao Yunlan's gaze fell on the crusted blood on Shen Wei's chest, his fist clenched hard enough that veins popped out on the back of his hand. He looked like he wanted to hit Shen Wei.
Instantaneously, Lin Jing reacted, grabbing Zhu Hong and covering her mouth as soon as Shen Wei appeared. Despite her confusion, he pulled her off to the side.
Zhao Yunlan stayed silent for a long time, and Shen Wei's anxiety grew by the second. Finally, Zhao Yunlan spoke. "Shen Wei."
Shen Wei was instantly reminded of Zhao Yunlan's exhausted words after he'd seen through Shen Wei's deception in the Great Divine Tree: "If you keep doing this, I'll really be angry with you." Panicked, Shen Wei took a step toward him.
"Stay over there," Zhao Yunlan said, voice very low. "Don't come over here yet. It's not time for you to reveal yourself."
3) Zhu Hong and Shen Wei have a rapprochement
There was an awkward silence between them until, after a while, Shen Wei suddenly spoke again. "You... You care deeply for him, don't you?"
The question made Zhu Hong feel as if something had been stuffed into her heart. "Yeah," she mumbled.
"Then... Then why did you tell me all this?"
Zhu Hong rolled her eyes. "I just want you to stop upsetting him."
Confusion flickered across Shen Wei's face for just a second. He seemed somewhat distracted. His brows knit together, and the glittering water of the pool beneath the Soul-Guarding Lamp reflected in his eyes. Zhu Hong had just about concluded that his soul had drifted away when he finally looked back and nodded at her.
"You're right," he said sincerely. "Many thanks."
4) Speech time for Ghost Face
An instant later, the mask split in two. The halves fell, revealing the face that was a gloomy mirror of Shen Wei's. Ghost Face's robe billowed like a flag in the wind, despite the still air.
"Very well," Lin Jing heard him say hoarsely. "You win. I can't beat you. You don't even deign to fight me... Very well."
Shen Wei stopped.
"You and I were born exactly the same. I don't understand how I was inferior to you. You're the solitary, noble Soul-Executing Emissary, while I'm the King of the Gui everyone wants to kill. That's all fine." Ghost Face gave a guttural laugh. "I merely hate that you're too despicable and cowardly to even fight me, instead choosing to humiliate me with these...these ants. You'll regret this! You think you've won without dirtying your hands? Yes, you'll regret this, my good brother."
5) Chu Shuzhi weaponises Guo Changcheng's fear
"Are you afraid?" Chu Shuzhi asked seriously.
Ever honest, Guo Changcheng nodded so vigorously that he looked like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Scared to death?" Chu Shuzhi continued. Guo Changcheng wiped his tears and kept on pecking. "That's good." There was zero sympathy in Chu Shuzhi's voice. "Keep it up."
That left Guo Changcheng speechless. Chu Shuzhi patted him firmly on the shoulder and adopted a creepy tone, pointing past him. "Look. What's that?"
Guo Changcheng looked where he was pointing and found himself staring straight into the eyes of a few youchu. With his fear primed by Chu Shuzhi, a bloodcurdling, inhuman scream exploded out of him. "Ahhhhhhhhhh-!!!"
6) Shen Wei addresses the crowd
Then Shen Wei addressed the crowd. "All those years ago, Kunlun-jun, the Mountain God of the Great Wild, sealed the Four Pillars. I was heir to the thirty-six mountains and rivers, but I was born in filth. I am unable to establish any connection with the Four Hallowed Artifacts, so I hope you will all lend me a hand. You'll have my deepest gratitude."
Having said that, he resumed his true appearance. He stood before them clad in the Soul-Executing Emissary's midnight robes, the full length of his hair spilling down around him. His innate demonic aura was unmistakable, as was his air of gentlemanly righteousness; a man at war with himself yet possessed of an elegance beyond compare.
No one could reject him.
7) Zhao Yunlan's request for Shennong's mortar
With his back to the pagoda tree, Zhao Yunlan glanced at the ground. All seemed completely peaceful beneath the tree, not at all as though something impossibly vast was being held down. He was out of cigarettes, so he reached into his dad's pocket and claimed the packet he found there.
He lit up, then briefly stood in silence, wreathed in smoke. After a moment, he said, "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."
"I am at Kunlun-jun's disposal," Shennong's mortar said quietly.
"No, I mean it," said Zhao Yunlan. "I'm my parents' only son. By all rights, I should take care of them in their old age and see them off. I never imagined I'd run out of time, but here we are. White-haired elders shouldn't have to see their black-haired children off. Think of a solution for me."
More moments passed before the mortar said, "I... I confess I don't understand what Kunlun-jun means to say."
Zhao Yunlan snorted. "Don't play dumb. I think you know exactly what I'm getting at."
Shennong's mortar took a long look at him. "So in the end, is the Soul-Executing Emissary only able to uphold his vow because you've agreed to accompany him into death?"
Casually blowing a smoke ring, Zhao Yunlan asked, "Do you think I'm selling my body?"
Questions:
What do you think of Shen Wei's plans? Or of the way he acts towards Zhao Yunlan? Is it satisfying seeing all the different characters coming together again? Are you following everything that's going on? How annoyed are you that we don't learn how Lin Jing made it to the Yanluo Courts in one piece? Any thoughts about Ghost Face exploding himself, and what the drama made out of that? Which of the things that has a direct parallel in the drama is your favourite bit of adaptation?
(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!
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I see your point, but to me 'you can take off your mask, and do silly/pointless things, and have emotions' + the name thing (not even the new one, though obviously that too, but especially asking him his name because he hasn't always been called Heipaoshi) count as the same thing, just not in so many words. :)
That's true. Good point! It's "you can be a person AND do your duty at the same time," isn't it?
He has to pretend he's not a gui (including hiding his real physical appearance) in order to be a university professor.
But more in the sense of being in the closet, right? It's not that he stops being a gui, or even has to alienate his gui identity to teach (if he weren't already alienated from it ;-p) -- he just can't let anyone at the university know about it. That seems to me quite a different thing from having to choose one or the other, idk.
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Yesss. ♡ And even more than that - this is the kind of person Shen Wei IS. So he doesn't need to worry that if he stops being all Heipaoshi-mode 24/7 he'll also stop doing his duty. :)
"But more in the sense of being in the closet, right? It's not that he stops being a gui, or even has to alienate his gui identity to teach (if he weren't already alienated from it ;-p) -- he just can't let anyone at the university know about it. That seems to me quite a different thing from having to choose one or the other, idk."
Hmm, looking from this perspective, if these are different things, then he's not really doing much pretending after all. (Which is a good thing and I like it, so there's no argument from me, hah. :D Even if I think my perspective is different.)
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Oh yeah, I love how you put that! :D
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And even more than that - this is the kind of person Shen Wei IS. So he doesn't need to worry that if he stops being all Heipaoshi-mode 24/7 he'll also stop doing his duty. :)
Oh, I really like that. What a lovely way to put it. <3 <3 <3
Even if I think my perspective is different.
Is your perspective that hiding his real physical appearance is a kind of self-denial? Because if so, I can see that too.
no subject
"Is your perspective that hiding his real physical appearance is a kind of self-denial? Because if so, I can see that too."
Exactly, yes. :)
And also the more I think about it, the more I want to take back the statement that the novel is super clear that the Emissary is his true form (other than strictly biologically, obviously). Even as a full gui he is described as "a man at war with himself". I think his 'true form' IS the in-between, and unlike drama!SW he can't get out of it by changing his mindset. And I don't even know how much of it is being a hybrid and how much is just being a gui who wants a human life, but either way, OUCH.
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I think his 'true form' IS the in-between, and unlike drama!SW he can't get out of it by changing his mindset.
So you think the war can never be won? I feel like it's possible (though not necessarily true) that that description contains an implicit seed of hope that sooner or later he can change and accept his dual nature, and then he'll be his true self regardless of whatever appearance he's wearing. Idk.
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!!! ♡ This is a wonderful thought and I love it so much, and idec if it's meant to be canon or not, I'm keeping it. ♡
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Yeah, on second thought I think this is exactly right, and is a big part of his problem, too - he's separate and different from anyone else, in a variety of different ways. And I do think self-acceptance would be possible if he could get past his guiphobia ...
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Yes, this! :D