Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 23 & 24

[facethestrange]

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 23: The branch of the Great Divine Tree protects Zhu Hong who stayed behind at the Yanluo Courts. While she's talking about the branch with Fourth Uncle, it grows a third bud. The "youth" who turned out to be a gui throws Chu Shuzhi off the bridge. Guo Changcheng jumps after him, leaving the soul bottles behind.
  



• Chapter 24: During the ritual, lao-Li remembers and confesses that three hundred years ago he stole Daqing's bell to cure his bone cancer. Shen Wei uses the Hallows to reseal the Four Pillars. During the last step (the Soul-Guarding Lamp) Shen Wei erases all of Zhao Yunlan's memories of their relationship, and sacrifices himself.
  

The corresponding part in the Chinese version on JJWXC/the fan translation starts a little less than halfway through chapter 105 and goes up to the end of that chapter.


Excerpts:

1) The branch of the Great Divine Tree grows a third bud

Zhu Hong nodded at once, then made a small sound of surprise. She held the branch up in front of his face. “Fourth Uncle, quick, look!”

At the bottom of the branch, which was about two fingers thick, some of the dry bark had been pushed aside to reveal a spot of bright, fresh green. The branch had grown a third bud!

“What’s happening?” Zhu Hong gasped. “Didn’t Shen Wei say that in tens of thousands of years, it only ever grew two buds?”

“The name ‘Shen Wei’ is not yours to speak.” Fourth Uncle glared at her before continuing. “The Divine Tree atop Kunlun Mountain is as old as the Heavens and Earth. It’s the beginning of all living things. Back when Nüwa borrowed a branch from the Great Divine Tree to guard the entrance of the Place of Great Disrespect, there was murder in her heart, so the tree she planted was dead before it could even live. I wonder if this branch sprouting a new bud out of nowhere means that someone’s had a change of heart.”



2) Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng fall off the bridge

With the Seal shattered, all the high-level gui were even more powerful than before. This one blocked Chu Shuzhi’s giant skull with a raised arm; a pinch of his fingers shattered it back into raindrops that splashed everywhere. An immense force struck Chu Shuzhi in the chest, sending his scrawny body flying right off the bridge. He began to fall toward the distant ground below.

Guo Changcheng didn’t stop to think. With no idea where he found the courage to act, he climbed over the railing and launched himself off the bridge toward Chu Shuzhi, as if committing suicide. The fanny pack he’d been clutching to his chest was left behind. The soul bottles it held all rolled out, scattering over the bridge’s surface.



3) Lao-Li's story

“Three hundred years ago, there was someone who fell ill with an incurable sickness in his bones. The pain was excruciating. Death did not come to claim him, but living was unbearable. These days, he’d probably know it was bone cancer. His family decided to burn incense and pray to the gods…”

(...)

“Eventually, he realized his visitor was no ordinary cat but a divine creature, able to communicate between yin and yang, fly into the sky, and dive into the earth. Then one day, the cat accidentally entered the wine cellar and fell into a tub of alcohol. While drunk, the cat revealed the secret of the golden bell he wore around his neck. He said it was a gift from his old owner that held half of his spirit. It could regenerate flesh and bone, and even reverse the Reincarnation Cycle… That man was almost at the end of his life. His terror of death was driving him nearly out of his mind.”

Icily, Daqing said, “So you tricked me for my bell and taught me a valuable lesson. Until then, this stupid cat didn’t know to be wary of people. I heard you lived out your life and were eventually buried outside Shanhai Pass. You lived a few dozen extra years. How was it? How did it feel?”

“Like a lump in the throat,” lao-Li said softly. “Like maggots in the bones.”



4) Shen Wei erases Zhao Yunlan's memories and sacrifices himself

The kiss was exquisitely tender at first, gentle and lingering. It wasn’t until Zhao Yunlan felt something stream out of his heart, quick as lightning, that he realized what was happening.

He began to struggle for all he was worth, but Shen Wei’s hands were like steel on the back of his head, impossible to escape. Zhao Yunlan’s heart turned to ice. Every moment between them—the day he’d met Shen Wei, all that time spent getting to know him, everything, right to this very moment—flared before his eyes like light reflected on water. It was the sensation of his own memories being mercilessly wiped away, one by one.

Shen Wei’s entire body burst into flames. As his long hair and robes ignited, he finally released his hold on Zhao Yunlan, who now lay unconscious. Shen Wei pushed him away through the air, and he landed in the arms of Shennong’s mortar, who stared at Shen Wei in shock from a distance.

Shen Wei took one final, deep look at Zhao Yunlan. Then the fire engulfed him utterly, and he vanished.

In the end, he himself pushed away the one he had struggled so hard to hold; it was he who broke their oath to die together, after all his meticulous scheming to extract that promise.



Questions:

How impressive is Guo Changcheng's courage now? Should Daqing forgive lao-Li? Do you prefer the novel version or the drama version of their backstory? How about the story of Zhu Hong's branch so far? Did Shen Wei's change of heart and self-sacrifice surprise you? How do you feel about what he did?

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!

Comments

[trobadora]

Great choice of excerpts! :)

Should Daqing forgive lao-Li? Do you prefer the novel version or the drama version of their backstory?

Idk about "should", but thematically I 10,00% prefer narratives of reconciliation and forgiveness. If the novel version didn't lack that,

Did Shen Wei's change of heart and self-sacrifice surprise you? How do you feel about what he did?

I remembered that part all along, so, no surprise. *g* And it makes perfect sense to me; of course he would. (That may be influenced by the drama ...)

My notes:

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you go with the Guardian when he left? Doesn't your precious little life matter to you?!"

LOL, that was never her priority! She's so protective - if it isn't Zhao Yunlan, it's her family. Of course! ♥

Love Fourth Uncle pull her into his hiding place with his snake tail! That's such a cool visual.

"No other child in the whole tribe is as simpleminded as you! Don't you understand what danger is, you stupid girl? Don't you know to run?"

And she gets absolutely no respect, oof.

Why would he give such a thing to just anyone?

Did it occur to you that your niece isn't "just anyone"?????

"The name 'Shen Wei' is not yours to speak."

And that's for Shen Wei to say, not Fourth Uncle! *grumbles*

(I checked, and the JJWXC has basically the same thing, but phrased as a rhetorical question. Not sure that's any better.)

Back when Nüwa borrowed a branch from the Great Divine Tree to guard the entrance of the Place of Great Disrespect, there was murder in her heart, so the tree she planted was dead before it could even live. I wonder if this branch sprouting a new bud out of nowhere means that someone's had a change of heart.

Oof, and meanwhile Shen Wei is blaming himself for it not thriving ... :( :( :(

The "youth"-no, the gui-had swelled in size now, having absorbed the Chaos that had leaked from the cracks in the ground.

Yeah, like facethestrange said before, this is confusing - what's the difference between this Chaos which a gui can just absorb and take power from, and the Chaos downstairs that destroys gui on touch? priest for sure isn't explaining! *headdesk*

There had only ever been two Kings of the Gui. One had perished by blowing himself up while the other was hindered by Kunlun's divine tendon and Shennong's oath, becoming something that was not quite a god. The position was now vacant, and every high-level gui was frantic with the desire to claim it for their own.

So basically, one's dead and the other doesn't count, so there's in practice no King? I guess that makes some level of sense.

Guo Changcheng didn't stop to think. With no idea where he found the courage to act, he climbed over the railing and launched himself off the bridge toward Chu Shuzhi, as if committing suicide.

Xiao-Guo!!!! He doesn't stop to be afraid, so he doesn't need to find courage, he just does it. :D :D :D

The soul bottles it held all rolled out, scattering over the bridge's surface.

Oh no!

So you tricked me for my bell and taught me a valuable lesson. Until then, this stupid cat didn't know to be wary of people.

Ouch! This is so much worse than drama!Lao-Li acting in a moment of fear and confusion. Worse all around - both in novel!Lao-Li's situation that makes his temptation to save himself by stealing the bells pretty understandable, and in the fact that he actually knew Daqing and it was a personal betrayal. :( :( :(

And unlike the drama, there's no reconciliation here. (Just like with Shen Wei and Ghost Face, unless I'm misremembering ...) Of course, also unlike the drama, if I understand it right Lao-Li didn't remember and realise he'd done something wrong and try to make up for it. The Heavens just seem to have shuffled him into position to perform atonement without knowing anything, which, honestly, sucks.

(I guess this backstory is here as a contrast to Shen Wei about to sacrifice his life? Maybe?)

All the shining lights of every city, village, tall bridge, and street were extinguished. The lights of the Mortal Realm were like a delicate mirage; as the north wind swept past, they all disappeared without a trace.

Ooh, the trap for Zhu Jiu must have had its origin here! Wow, I keep being amazed how the drama picked these elements and built a whole new thing out of the puzzle pieces. ♥

A huge sound came from the west, as though a gargantuan nail had been driven thousands of kilometers into the ground, forcing a crack in the curtains of black mist that covered the great earth. Once the tempestuous black mist was scattered, much of it seemed to miraculously dissipate.

All this description is so epic and so impressive!

Every moment between them-the day he'd met Shen Wei, all that time spent getting to know him, everything , right to this very moment-flared before his eyes like light reflected on water. It was the sensation of his own memories being mercilessly wiped away, one by one.

This is so cinematic! (And also, ouch.)

Shen Wei pushed him away through the air, and he landed in the arms of Shennong's mortar, who stared at Shen Wei in shock from a distance.

Shennong's mortar didn't see that one coming!

In the end, he himself pushed away the one he had struggled so hard to hold; it was he who broke their oath to die together, after all his meticulous scheming to extract that promise.

Awwww.

If one doesn't die, doesn't perish, then one cannot become a god...

I'm just going to link that meta again. :)

Only now, as his road came to its end, in this moment between life and death, did understanding arrive like a bolt of lightning.

You might say he was ... enlightened ... :p

At last, he felt worthy of the one he loved...

OUCH OUCH OUCH NOOOOOO DNW!!!

Version comparison: astonishingly after last week, nothing worth mentioning!

[facethestrange]

I love how these chapters were so tiny that I could take excerpts from every single storyline. xD

"I remembered that part all along, so, no surprise. *g* And it makes perfect sense to me; of course he would. (That may be influenced by the drama ...)"

Yeah, same, and I wasn't even surprised the first time around because somehow I osmosed this information from the fandom (and probably from the drama too). :D

"Did it occur to you that your niece isn't "just anyone"?????"

Hah, it really didn't! (But I guess mythologically speaking, not on a personal level, she's not someone who would ever be expected to deserve something like that.)

"And that's for Shen Wei to say, not Fourth Uncle! *grumbles*"

Indeed! I think Shen Wei completely doesn't mind anyone speaking his name in general, and especially if this person is his literal friend. :)

"Oof, and meanwhile Shen Wei is blaming himself for it not thriving ... :( :( :("

Yeah, he's go-to when something goes wrong is 'that's probably because the gui are inauspicious'. :(

"And unlike the drama, there's no reconciliation here. (Just like with Shen Wei and Ghost Face, unless I'm misremembering ...)"

Iirc there's a theoretical possibility of reconciliation later, but yeah, there's also the possibility that there will never be one. (Unlike Ghost Face, who is simply just dead.)

"I guess this backstory is here as a contrast to Shen Wei about to sacrifice his life? Maybe?"

I was very focused on the Hallows' relevance, but I can definitely see this too!

"Ooh, the trap for Zhu Jiu must have had its origin here! Wow, I keep being amazed how the drama picked these elements and built a whole new thing out of the puzzle pieces. ♥"

Yessss, it just keeps being so neat and intricate! ♡

"I'm just going to link that meta again. :)"

Thank you! :D ♡

"Version comparison: astonishingly after last week, nothing worth mentioning!"

I am in fact quite astonished by that, lol! I expected there would only be more and more differences as the story nears the end.

[trobadora]

I am in fact quite astonished by that, lol! I expected there would only be more and more differences as the story nears the end.

I thought so too! So strange, LOL.

[china_shop]

And it makes perfect sense to me; of course he would. (That may be influenced by the drama ...)

I think it's also narrative convention, isn't it? Things can't go exactly according to plan, and the heroes have to be heroic and self-sacrifice-y. And priest did a very good job of setting up SW's protective attitude to ZYL!

> > Why would he give such a thing to just anyone?
> Did it occur to you that your niece isn't "just anyone"?????

Right??! Aside from anything else, she's part of the SID and the Soul-Guarding Order.

> > The soul bottles it held all rolled out, scattering over the bridge's surface.
> Oh no!

I know! I was so worried the gui would let them loose or destroy them or something.

I'm just going to link that meta again. :)

Thank you! <3

OUCH OUCH OUCH NOOOOOO DNW!!!

D: D: D:

[facethestrange]

"I think it's also narrative convention, isn't it? Things can't go exactly according to plan, and the heroes have to be heroic and self-sacrifice-y. And priest did a very good job of setting up SW's protective attitude to ZYL!"

Technically there is 50% less self-sacrifice in the twist ending than in the original plan. ;D (But obviously I see what you mean! :))

[china_shop]

Yeah. From SW's pov, he's sacrificing their dying together -- which is more sacrifice in the personal sense.