Mdzs Novel - Tumblr Posts - Page 2

The “born with a smiling look” explanation for Wei Wuxian’s character is so interesting, cause the first time I read it through exr’s translation:

Jiang YanLi said that he was born with a smiling look. No matter what unfortunate thing happened, he wouldn’t cling on to them; no matter what situation he was in, he would be happy. Although it sounded a bit heartless, it really wasn’t bad.

—Chapt. 24: Malice (or Malevolence in taming wangxian)

I read it as the narrator calling Jiang Yanli callous for praising how Wei Wuxian’s smiles hide the pain he suffers from, but saying that being dubbed this way “really wasn’t bad” (in wwx’s opinion). However, both fanyiyi and taming wangxian expand on this explanation to show OH LOOK, A CRITIQUE OF THE FANON VIEW THAT CLAIMS WEI WUXIAN’S POSITIVITY AS A TRAIT BORN FROM NAIVETY AND/OR OBLIVIOUSNESS:

Jiang Yanli had said he’d been born with a smiling face and mirthful features. No matter what he suffered through, he didn’t allow his heart to be burdened by it. No matter what kind of circumstances he found himself in, he was still happy. It almost made him sound a bit brainless and heartless, but in fact, it was a very good thing.

—fanyiyi

Jiang Yanli said, he naturally had a smiling face, and a happy disposition. No matter how unhappy he was, he wouldn’t take it to heart. No matter the situation he was in, he could always remain happy. As much as he sounded somewhat callous, it was actually a good thing.

—taming wangxian

Bestie being out here fighting the good fight.

You know, now that I look back on it, that scene where JC and WWX are running away after the massacre of the Jiang Clan, and then JC strangles WWX in his grief and rage, was one of the first scenes in which we were shown that this guy is...a pretty major red flag.

That's definitely a scene that, reading after knowing everything that happened, made me go yikes, this guy needs help.

Now before anyone comes at me, yes I know perfectly well that he was grief stricken and not in his right mind, and that he and the readers (which is one of the reasons I suppose why the fandom just skips over this) were still reeling from the shock and horror of what had just happened, but still. It's interesting, and a revealing scene (because people are more likely to show their true nature when experiencing intense emotions), and he chose to use WWX as an outlet and strangle him, irrationally blaming him for the tragedy, even though he knew it wasn't really his fault. And I had looked over this because it could be excused as a one time thing, before reading the rest of the novel and realising that he never really grows out of this behaviour. In fact, he grows into it, wields it as a weapon and makes his anger and resentment such an integral part of himself that others define him by it, and stay away from him for exactly this reason.

Just a small scene, but a very good way of showing that when JC experiences any negative emotions, his first instinct is to lash out at others about it, not caring how it hurts them. And this is just one of many other scenes showing the same.

All these posts and subsequent fan art showing (incorrectly...) JC with multiple whip scars across his chest. The dude was hit once with his own clan's discipline whip. Just once. We're told as much on two separate occasions as well.

The first thing he noticed was the bloody WHIP WOUND across Jiang Cheng’s chest.

Whip wound - singular...

While Wei Wuxian had never experienced this particular lashing himself, Jiang Cheng had. Wei Wuxian had wracked his brain to help him lighten that humiliating MARK, but all efforts had been fruitless. Wei Wuxian would never mistake the sight of such a scar.

Mark... Also singular...

Not only was JC only whipped once, but he then had the audacity to complain about the lasting mark on his chest to WWX... You know, the kid his mother whipped for the most insignificant of reasons? Who had multiple scars all across his back from being hit with a high-class spiritual weapon that was like lightning? Yeah, him.

Wei Wuxian, “Uh-huh, that’s right.” He felt his back, COVERED IN SCARS BOTH OLD AND NEW, and still couldn’t hold back the question he’d be thinking about, “How awfully unfair. Why is it that I’m the only one who gets beaten up, whenever something happens?”

Literally showing and telling us WWX was physically abused on a regular basis.

I swear people just conveniently forget WWX was abused in such a way and love to make JC a martyr so that he and LWJ are "the same" by "sacrificing" so much for WWX. LWJ was whipped within an inch of his life. Thirty-three lashes of the discipline whip...and it took him three years to recover! JC mostly recovered in three days, and that was only because he was coreless! LWJ is by far stronger than JC even when they both had cores lol - there's no way JC would heal so quickly if it wasn't just one whip.

With the needle securely embedded in his head, Jiang Cheng slept for THREE DAYS. His broken bones repaired themselves and his superficial wounds smoothed over, but he was destined to never fully heal—THE LASH from the discipline whip could never be erased, and his golden core could never be recovered.

Lash - singular yet again btw...

So please, stop exaggerating his scars in an attempt to make him more "heroic" or "fragile" the dude murders people for kicks, slaps his nephew around and doesn't give a shit about an innocent toddler dying in the siege he organised ffs. Get over it lmao 🤣

Reason #294759368 that Wei Wuxian is to be feared even without his ghost path:

Wei Wuxian smiled without replying. Obviously the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng also used nets, but because he was a skillful swimmer, he would always dive into the river and haul the water ghosts up. However, this method was extremely dangerous…

–Chapt. 16: The Flirtatious and the Refined Part 6: Teasing the Uptight You, taming wangxian

Personally, I think the real reason people keep insisting MDZS is told from WWX's POV, even though they admit it's third person omniscient, is because JC is addressed by his birth name 'Jiang Cheng' throughout the entire novel and not his courtesy name. So people wrongly assume it must be from WWX's perspective...

Well, those that cling to such a take aren't going to like the real answer to this... But that's still not the case. If it were from WWX's perspective, JYL would be addressed as 'Shijie', LWJ would be 'Lan Zhan' and JFM would be 'Jiang-shushu' etc. JC is addressed by his birth name throughout the novel because even the narrator thinks he is a clown.

Sorry, but that's the reason. They do not think he deserves respect, just as the rest of the cultivation world doesn't either. If you actually look at the text, you'll notice behind his back, nearly everyone calls JC by his birth name out of disrespect - it's literally in the first few chapters for all to see. He's rarely called by his courtesy name by anyone other than LWJ, WWX when he's pissed and later by JGY and XY in the extras. That's it. It's a show of disrespect throughout the novel and the narrator shows the same. JC isn't called 'Sandu Shengshou' for nothing you know, it's a running theme of disrespect for a character that doesn't deserve much if any at all.

The Guanyin temple confession is maybe my favorite scene of any piece of media I've ever consumed because it's so unpredictable.

You got the villain just halting his evil plot, full stop, in the middle of his gloating speech, no less, because "What do you MEAN you guys aren't even together?! What?! No, no, no, there won't be any romantic misunderstanding in my hostage situation! Honey, tell him!"

And then the calmest, most polite character alive procceeds to go his version of apeshit on this punk like "my brother like-likes you, you fucking pinecone! You useless twink! We all thought you were a hoe but you are just an imbecile!" (Which is a nice parallel to the Jiang brothers' hatred for the peacock, but I digress)

And THEN, when it's the perfect moment for a climatic love confession, homeboy goes and screams for everyone to hear that he... really wanted that dick, Hanguang-jun! Where's love? Who cares? WWX wants to ride you like a carnival ride: sticky and filthy and multiple times.

It's a wonder that Xichen didn't yank that string from Jing GuangYao to strangle WWX himself.

This has been my favorite addition, I cackled like a seal irl lol