#and di feisheng who was li xiangyi's equal | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zishuge · 6 months

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Today I gave myself feels thinking about Fang Duobing, Di Feisheng, and Hulijing moving on and aging in a world without Li Lianhua. A world where Li Lianhua isn't there — but then again, he is there, in Lianhualou, and in the townspeople who flock to it, bearing gifts for the miracle doctor who once saved a life, fixed a roof, exposed a conman, comforted a child. Young Fang Duobing used to want to know every little detail about his hero, Li Xiangyi. Now Fang Duobing wants to know every detail about his beloved friend, Li Lianhua. The years pass and fewer people come. But if they remember him, Li Lianhua lives on.

(long post, half meta, half fic, bittersweet)

They travel together, with Hulijing, in Lianhualou. Fang Duobing has nothing better to do, so he takes up detective work again. Di Feisheng has nothing better to do, so he comes along. Everywhere they go, they look for Li Lianhua. And in their journeys, it seems like everywhere they go, someone is talking about Li Xiangyi. Li Xiangyi, who had always been something of a legend, but ever since his reappearance and subsequent (re)disappearance, has seemingly been elevated into something approaching godhood.

you should've seen him, people say, floating across the rooftops in red, cold and beautiful, like an avenging hero out of some novel. wasn't he dead? no — of course he wasn't, li xiangyi would never have been so easily killed. but it was bicha poison, i heard nobody could survive bicha poison. yes, he was definitely dead, and came back to life through dark magic. no, he'd been alive the whole time, just held captive by di feisheng. he tried to kill his shixiong ten years ago and failed, and came back to finish the job. no, his shixiong tried to kill the emperor and li xiangyi came to stop him. the emperor? impossible. yes — don't you know, li xiangyi is the emperor's long-lost son?

All of it only amuses Di Feisheng, but it irks Fang Duobing. The same Fang Duobing, who, when he was younger, would've hungered for every little detail about Li Xiangyi and begged to hear more, now finds it maddening to listen to these strangers talk about him as if they knew him. The world might have known Li Xiangyi, but it had never known Li Lianhua.

Li Lianhua, who could wield Shaoshi like it was a natural extension of his arm, but regularly cut his fingers clumsily slicing radishes and onions. Li Lianhua, who would invariably try to shrug off an attack of bicha poison, but yelped and jumped back from hot oil splatters in the kitchen like a child. Li Lianhua, who frowned when a passing carriage splashed mud onto his robes, but knelt carelessly into the dirt and grass to play with Hulijing.

None of them knew any of that.

But as Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng continue their travels, they begin to encounter other people as well. People who come running when they see Lianhualou in the distance tottering their way. People who come bearing gifts — a woman looking for the shenyi who had helped her with her back pain and also exposed the con artist who had tried to trick her daughter into marriage. A young man coming to thank the doctor who had given his father herbs for stress while uncovering the corrupt official who had falsely accused him of theft. An elderly couple looking for the young man who had helped them thatch their roof before a rainstorm and had given them some medicinal cream before he left. (One middle-aged man with a club, looking for the wangba quack doctor who had exposed his infidelity to his wife — he had left after one look at Di Feisheng, standing silently in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest and dao strapped across his back.) People who greet Hulijing like an old friend.

Fang Duobing listens eagerly to every story they tell him, and in return, he tells them about his brilliant, kind, exasperating friend. Di Feisheng rolls his eyes every time, but Fang Duobing notices he never walks away either. They don't talk about it. But it’s as if Li Lianhua returns, however briefly, during those visits; in those moments, Fang Duobing can almost see him standing there, bending down to pet Hulijing alongside these old friends as she grins her little doggy grin and wags her tail. She escorts their guests to the door, and sits in the doorway after they leave, looking out at the world as though waiting. He doesn't ask if Di Feisheng can see him too. They sit and share wine after these visits, and eat the fruit that the visitors bring, until Di Feisheng can stand the heavy silence no longer and pushes Fang Duobing outside to spar. Hulijing follows faithfully, as always.

(fang duobing had brought home a puppy, once. he can't remember where he found it, but he remembers that he had held it in his lap in his wheelchair, eager to show it to his uncle before taking it home to his mother. his uncle had glared, and told him that dogs were only useful to guard the house, and tianji manor already had guards, human ones, and that fang duobing would do better to focus on his swordplay rather than waste time on such useless and frivolous things. he had taken the puppy away and fang duobing had never seen it again. it wasn't until those blurry months as he rode across the countryside looking for li lianhua, hulijing trotting along ever so loyally at his side, that he realized this was just another way that shan gudao and li xiangyi were opposites.)

The years pass, and there are fewer and fewer people who come. One day Fang Duobing wakes up with the unbearable realization that he is now older than Li Lianhua had ever been, would ever be, and is unable to get out of bed for a good half a shichen. Di Feisheng leaves him be.

The years pass, and Di Feisheng grows older too. There are lines on his face, snowy white beginning to thread through his jet-black hair. Fang Duobing wants very much to tease him about it, but the words catch in his throat when he looks too closely at the signs of time on Di Feisheng's face. What a precious and altogether rare thing it is, to age.

The years pass, and Hulijing grows older too. Fang Duobing finds that more and more often, Hulijing can no longer keep up with him when he goes riding. He stops going riding. She gets cold more easily now too, and more and more often Fang Duobing wakes in the morning with Hulijing curled up under the covers next to him, her wet nose shoved into his armpit. He holds her close and thinks about Li Lianhua shivering in his arms.

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It's been nearly a year since their last visitor, but today there is an old man. He comes in the morning, bringing a basket of plums. A long time ago, he says, a young man who lived here saved my life. I had been poisoned, he says, by my son who wanted my money and my lands. The doctors said there was no cure. But then the young man came and performed a miracle. He saved my life. He saved my life.

Fang Duobing knows it was no miracle that saved him. He asks for the old man's hand and it is given readily, albeit bemusedly. He presses his fingers to the inside of the man's wrist, and is greeted with a whisper-faint, gentle thrum of yangzhouman — a soft hello from a much-beloved friend. You fool, he thinks dazedly, caught somewhere between overwhelmed that here is someone, inside whom a piece of Li Lianhua lives on, and so bitterly angry. What had it cost? Some hours, days, weeks? He doesn't let himself think of what another week might have afforded them in those wild final days, in their desperate search for a cure. Fang Duobing gives the old man back his hand and blinks back the sting of tears. He cannot talk about Li Lianhua today. He apologizes and tells him that the man he is looking for is traveling and won't be back for a few days, but that Fang-mou will pass on the message. Before he leaves, the man leans down to rub at Hulijing's ear. My old friend, he says, like me, you, too, are truly old now.

After the man leaves, Fang Duobing folds himself into a sit on the floor of Lianhualou and gathers Hulijing into his arms. Gently — her joints are stiff now, and he can't haul her around, can't roughhouse with her the way he used to. Di Feisheng comes down the stairs from where he had been listening; he stands behind Fang Duobing and places a warm, steady hand on his shoulder. At the edge of his vision, near the door, Fang Duobing can see the hazy hem of green robes. If he looks up, he wonders brokenly, what would he see? The face of a man forever frozen in youth? Or a face lined with age, snowy white beginning to thread through jet-black hair? He suddenly finds that he cannot bear to find out.

Fang Duobing knows. He knows that the myth and the outlandish rumors about proud, arrogant, beautiful Li Xiangyi will never die. But he also knows that one day, there will be no one else who comes to Lianhualou; no one left who remembers gentle, sly, infuriating Li Lianhua. One day, the old man will pass on and the piece of Li Lianhua that he carries with him will fade as well. And one day… Fang Duobing presses his forehead against the soft fur of Hulijing's neck where it has gone white and thin with age. He closes his eyes and breathes.

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Years and years and years later, Fang Duobing is awakened from where he has fallen into a light doze reading in his chair by a soft knock on the door. There is a woman standing outside, holding a small basket of pears. I think I remember this building, she says. I must've only been six years old, but I had run off and lost my parents. I fell down in the street and skinned my knees. A kind gege helped me and gave me a piece of candy. He said he would walk me home but I said I didn't know whether I should tell him where I lived. He laughed and asked if it would help if I knew where he lived. He pointed to the most fantastical and wild house I had ever seen. I think it was this place. Xiansheng, does he live here? Who was he? Do you know him?

Fang Duobing smiles and invites her inside. On the bed, the small white dog that Di Feisheng has named, ridiculously, Baigujing, raises her head and thumps her tail a few times in hello. Di Feisheng looks up from where he is writing a letter at the table. Fang Duobing leads the woman over and waves at her to sit down. He sits across from her, ignoring Di Feisheng's eyeroll, and offers her a piece of candy. He always keeps candy around. Fang Duobing smiles once more and says, if you'd like to know — there is so much I would like to tell you.

#i just... the idea that xiaobao just wants li lianhua to live in any way he can #if he can't live on in reality xiaobao will make damn sure he lives on in someone's memory #something something you die a second death when there is no one left to remember you something something legacy #one day there will only be fang duobing and di feisheng #fang duobing who was li lianhua's friend #and di feisheng who was li xiangyi's equal #but it is not this day #i hurt myself #mysterious lotus casebook #cw: pet death #it's only very vaguely mplied but just in case #my ramblings #how long does transferred inner power stay in someone else's body? *shrug*#that's probably not how the force works #i write economic research for a living why am i suddenly writing mlc fic i haven't written fic in 10 years THE BRAINROT IT IS REAL #in my mind these are simple townspeople not caught up on jianghu things & thus never knew that li lianhua was li xiangyi - whoever that is #baigujing is “white bone spirit” from journey to the west bc i thought di feisheng would find it funny #but did journey to the west even exist yet in lhl time? probably not? IDK i'm uncultured.

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pastelcheckereddreams · 8 months

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Still feeling insane about this shot. "Checking you out between the crossed blades of our swords" yes good but Li Xiangyi is literally seeing his own face in Di Feisheng's sword as it obscures half of DFS's face. If swords and swordplay are the truest expression of - god how do I even describe it - who you are, your core, your relationship to the world and how you act within it, your morals, your standards, your beliefs idk just EVERYTHING - And here is the only other person who can match you, your rival and your enemy and your equal - crossing blades with you, because you think he's betrayed you, killed your shixiong, torn up the peace treaty you created together - but in his blade you see yourself.

The show is telling us literally in the opening scene that these two people are a matched set, do not separate - even as the scene is tearing them apart.

#*screaming into my fist*#feihua #di feisheng #li lianhua #li xiangyi #mlc meta #mysterious lotus casebook meta #mysterious lotus casebook #mlc episode 1

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nutcasewithaknife · 5 months

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Okay already pausing partway through the Donghai battle to scream a little. We talk a lot about how Li Xiangyi felt betrayed by Di Feisheng, and how this battle was Di Feisheng's priority despite being in he middle of a war. But Di Feisheng during the donghai battle doesn't look even remotely smug or satisfied or any of the things that a man who's been looking forward to this fight at any cost should look like? Li Xiangyi's grief and betrayal are louder, more obvious all along, but the more I watch the more I wonder if Di Feisheng also felt horribly betrayed by Li Xiangyi's actions.

Li Xiangyi defied every expectation people must have had of the 'Hero' by signing that treaty with Di Feisheng. What did they mean to each other before it all went to shit? Did they see someone who would look past the myths they were made into? Someone who wouldn't fall for the stories people liked to make about them, who could be trusted to see the truth, keep track of what really mattered. Equals in more than their skills. And in the light of that... did Di Feisheng's faith in Li Xiangyi waver, did he felt let down when Li Xiangyi accepted without question that Di Feisheng had killed his shixiong and broken their treaty? Did he take Shan Gudao's body only to find the true culprit and throw them at Li Xiangyi, disappointed and furious that he would assume Di Feisheng would break his word like that?

Li Xiangyi leading his sect into war against Jinyuan Alliance and Di Feisheng- that's not the battle Di Feisheng wanted. It's not a battle of swordsmen as equals, it's a Hero who's come to defeat the Villain. Maybe Di Feisheng wondered if he was wrong after all. If Li Xiangyi never was his equal in spirit, if he was just another Righteous Hero who ultimately went along with what the world demanded of him. "Your biggest weakness is that you like being a Hero. And a swordsman should not have weaknesses." Di Feisheng says that. There's not a hint of gloating when the sounds of the battle on the shore reach them, and he asks Li Xiangyi "How does it feel to bring them here to die?" It sounds confrontational. Di Feisheng looks furious. How does it feel to play the part the world had assigned you and lead them to death?

Just. The donghai battle as the result of two people who thought they understood each other, who were deceived and felt so betrayed by each other that instead of mending anything they just made it worse. Never has a divorce been this messy

#lily's mlc rewatch #and this is just ep 1. pray for me #i'm sure some of this makes no coherent sense and i'll keep finding inconsistencies throughout the rewatch but hey. why not ramble anyways #di feisheng #dihua #donghai battle #mysterious lotus casebook #lhl #meta

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difeisheng · 8 months

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duel meta

i think a good aspect of the conflict present in the donghai fight is the fact that li xiangyi and di feisheng are each seeing the other as representing incompatible things, and this isn't something that began with the duel but it was part of what doomed them by the end of it.

it has to do with how both of them view their places in the jianghu, in general. li xiangyi by this point has become the symbol of sigumen. he embodies everything it stands for, and by extension of sigumen's prestige, he embodies what those in the jianghu striving for righteousness should look like. he's the legend of both this generation and the next, and when he snaps at shan gudao, li xiangyi literally considers himself the beating heart of sigumen. without him, it can't exist. he has become one with every person he represents while still apart from them, embedded in this fame across the jianghu and all its eyes on him. it's a burden, but while he's placed on the pedestal, li xiangyi still attempts to do good by all who put him on it. so here he stands, trying to shoulder it all.

di feisheng, on the other hand, has always seen his position on an individual level. he's associated with jinyuanmeng and he built it, yes, but that power is not something he's thrown himself into as its leader. he wouldn't say that jinyuanmeng wouldn't exist if he was gone; once di feisheng is reinstated as mengzhu in the present day, the first thing he does is to hand it over to jiao liqiao. his actions throughout the story after that are largely separate from those of jinyuanmeng, and he makes little effort to involve his subordinates except for a few specific people. to di feisheng, his achievements and strength ultimately rest on himself as a swordsman, and his skill compared to other distinguished people at the top of the jianghu. we see that on the night he frees jiao liqiao. he's not here to take over forces or resources, he's just here for one man and the rank he holds.

(i would argue that the power di feisheng did accumulate through jinyuanmeng is for two reasons. one, so that he had enough people behind him to apparently rival li xiangyi, and two, to keep him safe from the di mansion. but that's a different topic.)

so when the war between sigumen and jinyuanmeng breaks out, its final act on the donghai ship is a standoff between two people: one who views himself as representing a collective, and another who considers himself in that moment a swordsman on his own. and this greatly influences how both of them treat that fight.

to li xiangyi, this is a duel contextualized by leadership. because he will take the responsibility for sigumen and his side of the fight, he's focusing all that grief over shan gudao, all that anger and blame on di feisheng alone, as the opposing head of the forces he's been clashing with. since the name of li xiangyi cannot be separated from sigumen (and by now i don't think li xiangyi could define himself as person from image even if he tried), now he attaches di feisheng to jinyuanmeng in his attempt to force him to take accountability. in li xiangyi's eyes, they're really not people in this duel. they're the faces of hundreds more warriors, and every move they make has the lives of those people hanging onto them.

to di feisheng, the fact that they stand alone on that ship means they are alone, cut loose from everyone and everything else in an isolated space. this is a fight in its purest form now. just two men and their blades, relying on their own physical/spiritual strength and nothing else. it's what di feisheng has been waiting for, this chance to challenge li xiangyi where both of them stand on truly equal ground. there is no sigumen or jinyuanmeng dragging them down. they've cut through all the noise of the jianghu that he doesn't care for, and they're just di feisheng and li xiangyi, two highly skilled people who get to see who's stronger in an environment no one else can influence.

(it's worth noting, i think, that di feisheng chose the location of the duel by situating himself and therefore li xiangyi who would find him out at sea, even though the majority of their forces were fighting on land. his men on the ship complained about how horrid a decision it was to be at sea in that weather (it's the first dialogue of the show), but this ensured that any outside/not predetermined interference during their head-to-head would be much more difficult.)

these views or motivations are so terribly at odds with each other. li xiangyi is fighting out of desperate rage and the need for retribution, weighed down more than ever by all the people who look up to him and depend on him to seek justice. di feisheng is fighting for fairly-won status and glory, and in his eyes, for the first time they have been granted the freedom to go against one another where nothing else needs to matter.

it shows in the moves both of them choose to make. namely, that di feisheng fights with more restraint, while li xiangyi fights quite viciously. i'm going to focus a bit more on di feisheng's role here, because i think this contrast on his part is interesting and works to subvert his initial reputation/image, something significant to his character throughout the show (or at least more than it is for li xiangyi).

i would argue that di feisheng is on the defensive for the majority of this fight, as his side has been this entire war. in the duel choreography he's blocking, dodging, or backing up a significant amount more than li xiangyi, who keeps pressing, launching new offenses wherever possible to search for an answer and revenge. there's a clear give and take between them as the fight progresses. and thanks to how this dynamic plays out, and with the background of these characters' motivations, there are three key pauses in the duel that stand out to me. they're all points where di feisheng could have moved on or killed li xiangyi, even as he was the one being attacked, but chose not to.

the first is when li xiangyi is pressed up against the ship wall, di feisheng's sword against li xiangyi's cheek, enough to cut but not enough to lethally wound. they're locked in this position for a good few seconds before either of them react. di feisheng could press forward and cleave his skull, since li xiangyi can't parry him. i couldn't get a good screenshot, but shaoshi is buried in di feisheng's shoulder here. for that di feisheng could also back up and away, given his injury. but he does neither. instead he freezes in place, doing nothing until li xiangyi draws his blade out of di feisheng, and makes the next move.

the second is when there's a lull in the action on the roof of the ship cabin. we get di feisheng's line “一个剑客不该有弱点” ("a swordsman shouldn't have weaknesses") and li xiangyi pausing as the bicha poison begins to take effect. this is another very long break where di feisheng could've taken advantage of li xiangyi being distracted, but he stands still. we learn later that he didn't even know li xiangyi had been poisoned then, so this isn't him dramatically pausing to revel in li xiangyi's pain. his opponent wasn't immersed in the fight, so di feisheng waited until he was. he only moves forward to meet him when li xiangyi chooses to.

these breaks turn the duel into a dance, almost, where di feisheng is letting li xiangyi lead and only moving with him (when they're both in the physical state to). he's fighting with too much respect and leniency to be out for blood the way li xiangyi is, with everyone else on that ship already dead. they're fighting the duel through vastly different lenses and neither of them have realized it yet.

that point of realization is this last pause, di feisheng's blade stabbed into li xiangyi while he stands over him in the rain. the fact that di feisheng isn't actively trying to kill is apparent in two different details here. the first is that di feisheng's blade missed li xiangyi's heart, even though his accuracy as a swordsman is incredible. the second is that, once again, he waits until li xiangyi can move again before attempting to do anything further— except this time he yells that he's won.

this is the moment it genuinely struck for me that their perspectives on this duel are so different. di feisheng dealt li xiangyi a wound that is serious in the moment, but for someone of li xiangyi's strength, he'll be fine in the end. it only takes him out in the short term, and within that time, what di feisheng is waiting for after calling his victory is for li xiangyi to concede the duel. to say it's over, and give over his name as the top swordsman. that's what di feisheng was after.

to him, when it came to li xiangyi, defeating the man and killing him were two different things.

but this isn't where it all stops, because li xiangyi didn't know this (how could he?) and he's fighting for more than ensuring his name remains above anyone else's. di feisheng is fighting cold, but li xiangyi still has so much anger, so much left to do. so much at stake and on his shoulders and 'defeat' and 'giving up' are luxuries he doesn't have.

when the blade in him and the poison taking greater hold pushes li xiangyi into needing a last stand, he refuses to hold anything back. he's an opportunist now, and di feisheng has given him an opening. so out comes wenjing in a surprise attack, there goes di feisheng impaled against the mast, and it all goes to hell. di feisheng can't fight honourably because li xiangyi is coming for his life, and for the first time after a pause like this, he's the one who attacks first.

their last skirmish is because now there's nowhere else for either of them to go. all other motivations have been shattered. either one of them must break, or they must fall together. and the latter is exactly what they do.

perhaps, in a thousand other worlds, the duel went differently. but in this one, li xiangyi fought because he thought they both represented everyone, and di feisheng fought because he believed they represented nothing more than themselves, and neither man could understand that the other didn't share their perspective. signalled though it was throughout the fight, and evenly matched though they were, they were fighting two separate battles on that ship. it wasn't anything they could help, only the result of contrasting lives in the jianghu and what it had shaped them both into. and so there was nothing that could come of that duel except for both of them to lose.

#not the direct theme of all this but i maintain that di feisheng is the most 侠义 character in present-day mlc #and this is where you see the foundations of it #anyways THANK YOU if you actually read all this #i've had these thoughts stewing in my head for days and it all came out tonight #but it doesn't end there. i came up with two other meta ideas in the process of writing this one #here to stay for the long run #also sidenote but i had xiao shunyao's intro rap verse to rock star by MIC on loop in my brain the entire time i was writing this #so i think you should all be proud of me that i got this done #mysterious lotus casebook #feihua #di feisheng #li xiangyi #mlc meta #ashton originals #li lianhua

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anndramarama · 4 days

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More mlc meta

Wrote this after reading this post where I thought OP was really insightful re why Li Lianhua let Di Feisheng join him, why he's still holding onto complicated feelings of betrayal etc. It got me thinking about their complex relationship and my response ... got long, so I'm putting it here:

I've thought about how in the first scene we see the fight, that crazy, passionate fight when we don't know a lot about either of them, and how it shows us that these guys are so good that this fight is going to absolutely WRECK everything around them, but because I didn't know how anything about how closely, if at all, the drama would follow the book, I didn't know what quite what to expect going in, AND THEN ... Di Feisheng stabs Li Xiangyi in the shoulder and shouts "I won!"

And of course Li Xiangyi is poisoned and feeling bitter betrayal and grief because he thinks Di Feisheng had Shan Gudao killed, and we see him surge up and fight back. Cheng Yi's expression at that point is amazing because he looks furious but also like he's about to burst into tears.

That was the point where I stopped and thought, oh, they're coming at this fight from different places, with different expectations.

Di Feisheng thinks Sigu Sect (Li Xiangyi) broke the peace they brokered after Shan Gudao's death, and at that point I think he already suspects that someone has framed his Alliance, but he's more than willing to fight Li Xiangyi when he shows up, and hopefully win and then figure out what the hell is going on.

But Li Xiangyi is grieving and he thinks he's been betrayed in the worst way by someone who is not only a match for him in terms of ability but also by this person he brokered a peace with, who he thought of as an honorable man, who he admired, and if the way they interact from their very first scene together is anything to go by, a person who he knows admires him in turn, who banters with Li Xiangyi because he likes him, who he thought of as an equal and a friend.

We know Li Xiangyi had a lot of admirers, and sect brothers and sisters who were his subordinates, but Qiao Wanmian was his only real friend, and their relationship was complicated by expectations and propriety.

So Di Feisheng's betrayal hurt like hell, and while Di Feisheng is dueling with Li Xiangyi in a battle to see who has the best martial arts, Li Xiangyi is fighting all out, looking to do damage to Di Feisheng and, I believe, to himself too. He's hurting. He's in a mad rage, and he's poisoned, and he's willing to kill and be killed.

They both almost die, etc., and each doesn't know quite what happened to the other, but their first thoughts when we catch up with them 10 years later are about each other.

Di Feisheng is grieving the loss of the person who was his match and Li Xiangyi is still haunted by Di Feisheng, still trying to find Shan Gudao's body. So that connection is alive for both of them, but what are the feelings there?

Before they met in person I would have called what Li Xiangyi was feeling toward Di Feisheng a grudge, too, but I think it's more complicated than that, because the way those first scenes played out gave me another "oh!" moment. The show defied my expectations again, and instead of a hint of the old rage, or coldness, Li Xiangyi recognizes Di Feisheng immediately and is pleased to see him.

Now, it's a complicated pleased -- and if you've read this far I thank you because I know I'm long-winded as hell but I promise to get to the point -- but he's pleased nonetheless, and I think we see a hint of relief, too, because now that Di Feisheng is back in the picture, Li Lianhua thinks he's closer to finding Shan Gudao's body.

The angst, the anger, the passion of friendship and betrayal, and all of those complicated feelings that might have been part of their relationship when it was put on hold by that last battle have been tempered by years apart and they fall right into a careful, playful back and forth, testing each other as Di Feisheng insists on a rematch, Li Lianhua refuses, and they start chasing each other.

It's playful, and they banter, but instead of a grudge I think the edgy undercurrent in Li Lianhua's first interactions with Di Feisheng is disappointment, or disappointed hurt. And when Di Feisheng finds out about Li Lianhua's condition he is similarly disappointed, e.g. You are not quite the person I thought you were, and if that faith has been broken, then who am I?

I thought it was delightful that the show gave us those nuances and let us see that there were other things at stake -- a history, a rapport, a relationship -- instead of just one guy fighting another from a rival sect to avenge a murder.

I'm only vaguely familiar with the concept of zhiji (知己) in wuxia but I believe it can cover a lot of ground and come in many permutations in terms of relationships between people, but if zhiji is the person who knows you, who challenges you, who sees your worth personally and on a spiritual level, then what happens if you break with them? Is it even possible to break with them?

The show seems to be telling us that no, it isn't, even if you cripple each other for a decade; even if you hurt each other, you're still zhiji and there must be some resolution, somewhere, to untangle the knotted threads in your heart, even if it takes a very long time.

You might go into seclusion for a decade but you still drink to your zhiji every lonely afternoon; you might escape your life, travel under an alias for ten years, but dream about your zhiji every night. So when you finally confront that person again there are a lot of complicated emotions involved, and even if you say you want to escape that relationship fate will still pull you back together, so why not enjoy the ride? Might as well keep him close; that's where he belongs.

I think the concept of zhiji applies to Li Lianhua and Di Feisheng's relationship as the most obvious example on the show, but it also does a good job of telling us how it's possible to have more than one person who gets us on a spiritual level.

Qiao Wanman was the zhiji of Li Xiangyi's youth, even if they didn't know or appreciate it at the time. The scenes where they came back together to resolve that relationship are possibly my favorite scenes in the show.

Li Xiangyi/Li Lianhua is the zhiji of Fang Duobing's childhood and young adulthood, and I love the silliness and the sweetness of that relationship, and that Fang Duobing got such a great resolution too, that he got to spend time with Li Lianhua and create a real connection with someone who before was only a starry-eyed memory.

Di Feisheng is the zhiji of Li Xiangyi's past, and of Li Lianhua's present. It's possibly the only zhiji pairing that can't be resolved within the narrative -- unless you think they really did find Li Lianhua, which I can't say that I do -- because Li Lianhua is Di Feisheng's only zhiji.

Qiao Wanman and Fang Duobing have other deep connections, but Di Feisheng doesn't, and probably won't because, "I have only one opponent in my life, that is Li Xiangyi. I have only one wish in my life, and that is to beat him."

Watch Shunyao's face in that scene: he might be framing everything in terms of martial conflict, but that's only because Di Feisheng doesn't have the language to express himself any other way. If he doesn't find Li Lianhua he'll continue searching, he has no choice.

It sucks, but it's beautiful too. The show delivers so much, which is why I tend to ship that pairing first, and imo why the OT3 with Xiaobao is so attractive.

#莲花楼 #li xiangyi #li lianhua #di feisheng #fang duobing #feihua #dihua #mysterious lotus casebook #meta #my stuff

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kingsandbastardz · 7 months

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what we know about Wuyan and his relationship with Di Feisheng

While rivals/nemesis/friendly-antagonist relationships are my bread and butter. I also have a thing for unusual 'servants'.

So let's have a look at Wuyan.

We know very little about him but we can draw conclusions based on what does get told to us:

He's Di Feisheng's 'personal guard'

So what's it like being the bodyguard of the man who's gongwu/jainghu's strongest and rivaled only by Li Xiangyi the legendary prodigy? DFS has to sleep, use the toilet, and bathe at some point in the day so it's easy to assume guarding him during off hours is one of his duties. However, we don't ever see Wuyan personally doing this. The only times we see DFS in a sleeping context is when JL and her people are there, or he's at the Lotus House. If Wuyan is around then, he stays out of the way to the point it's like he doesn't exist... and he does not ever reveal himself during dangerous situations. So while his rank says he's mean to be close physical protection for a guy that doesn't need it -- his actual role, when physically present, is to be an observer or something that doesn't require fighting in public. This has interesting implications on what DFS actually uses him for.

His duties don't seem to include acting as a forward guard/scout and alerting DFS of any dangers that are approaching. Which, considering how he's out of sight and often around DFS, it would make sense for him to do so. Unless, he nor DFS sees the need. It doesn't seem to be happening off screen, either.

Being a personal guard is likely a pretext or a throwback to a previous position - Wuyan functions more as an executor or physical extension of DFS' will. He knows what DFS knows, understands his desires and how he thinks, and can execute these desires with minimum orders. He knows when to check in to keep DFS informed and how to solve issues on his own. Jiao Liqiao is aware of his actions and if he's seen moving, it means DFS is moving.

He has access to DFS where no one else does: he'll be able to go to DFS when he's on the toilet or in the bath. He is the only person with access to any of the private waterfalls DFS goes to

Is likely the person providing food and wine for him at the waterfall - In contrast to JL who brings DFS an entire banquet spread, he seems to be the only known person at the Alliance that makes concessions for DFS' issues with food. He provides whole fruit, which has a higher shelf life, can be eaten or carried anywhere, is easier to see if its rotten or been tampered with. Has vitamins. Is water resistant.

At the emotional level, Di Feisheng doesn't see him as a servant

We see the camera pointedly showing us that DFS has noticed Wuyan lurking outside of the main room during his return ceremony. Then, in the infodump scene where DFS is mourning Li Xiangyi's death, he asks why he hadn't come out sooner. Either DFS expected him to meet and greet him at some point before he got to the waterfall location, or he thought Wuyan would be one of the people assembled in the main hall to greet him. He cared enough that he brings it up, though it's phrased casually. Very "Dude, I saw you, why weren't you there-there instead of being weird in the back?"

DFS says that Wuyan and the Three Kings are second to only him in the Alliance. This is DFS pointedly telling him that he sees Wuyan, his personal guard, as being equal to the other 3 male leaders. That he too is a founder of the Jinyuan Alliance who risked his equally important life for him. Again, there's a mild undercurrent of "Why are you being weird?" in that conversation -- like this is a conversation they've had before.

DFS smiles, laughs, and talks about personal things to Wuyan in this scene, establishing he has a stronger emotional connection to DFS than most others. In fact, this emotional connection and dependence DFS has with Wuyan is the connection Jiao Liqiao wishes she had

As an original founder of the Alliance, which likely means he knew DFS during his Di Fortress escapee days, Wuyan has personal first hand knowledge of the true DFS. The DFS that reveals his sense of humor, has a sense of drive, isn't going through the motions and is comfortable enough to whine, or mourn, or otherwise show an actual personality that doesn't fit the narrative of Sect Leader. This is also the first hint we get of his personality as a-Fei during the amnesia arc.

It is Wuyan who is careful to enforce the appearance of boundaries in their relationship even in private, not Di Feisheng

DFS' gentle reminder that he sees Wuyan not as a servant and in fact as someone with higher standing than most of the Alliance - results in Wuyan continuing to act like a servant

DFS broaching the topic of Wuyan's personal standing seems to imply that he actually sees him as a friend - otherwise he wouldn't be bringing this up at all

The reason why is never explained, but for someone that knows DFS as well as he does, he is not blind to DFS' affection toward him and I think his longevity and loyalty are a good indication that he feels the same way. This means he is deliberately acting as a servant for other reasons. Whether it is to maintain his ability to serve DFS with the right mindset, or more covert operations related reasons (more on this later) this is unknown. It could be a mixture of both.

Is likely the one who gave DFS the gold fish-looking whistle to summon him. DFS is really not the carry around cute little tools type. He's more the punch his way through things alone type. Which means Wuyan was like "Listen you're gonna need me at some point. But I need you to actually tell me when you want me to come out. So use this."

He sees almost everything Di Feisheng sees, and if he doesn't, Di Feisheng will likely tell him about it

I'm pretty sure that's Wuyan at the Big Mythic Duel and personally stabbed by Li Xiangyi himself! The only other witnesses to that fight are LXY and DFS and maybe a stray spearman if any survived. This is also the only time we see Wuyan fighting, btw - here he trying to prevent LXY from attacking DFS.

His position as personal guard means he gets to follow DFS everywhere and observe everything. This is likely something he does off screen.

His real understanding of the depth of DFS' emotions toward LXY means he also as real knowledge behind the reasons. Like facts. This positions him as a confidant for DFS, which means he'll likely continue to learn more things from him in private

He likely knew LLH was LXY around the same time DFS did. He was hiding in the woods somewhere and summonable by whistle. This means he was within earshot and watching everything without intervening.

Has the power, the access, and complete command of resources without needing to ask anyone for permission: money, people

DFS gives Wuyan minimum orders to go across the country searching for things that are so rare, they're myths. That means he needs to be able to get money, give people orders, and use other sect resources whenever needed

Able to buy the Niayan bug killing salt that is extremely expensive to the point even Shang Gudao is like wtf. This means - if he didn't steal it - Wuyan was able to pull a shit ton of money to buy that stuff without anyone stopping him

He commands the operations to look for LLH in the extra episode - again: access to money, resources, and people to pull off a massive search over literally every surface of the country

Good at logistics: understands allocation of resources, budgeting, project planning/operations

He has DFS's complete trust in being given ludicrous orders with no additional information of how to pull any of it off. DFS knows that Wuyan will know how to break the objective down and execute it

This means Wuyan is a good operations manager/project planner. He knows how to budget, figure out timelines, send men out and coordinate information when they come back. He knows how to maintain communications and an information network so the men he sends out are able to keep informed of what has or has not been done. He has access to a network of people who knows esoteric information, or is capable of finding it out (ie hunt for Styx flower). He does this successfully and without hiccups.

When searching for LLH's body/person, he keeps track of each and every location they go do. This is a very systemic and thorough way of thinking. You'd think it's common sense, but a lot of managers irl fail to perform the way Wuyan does.

He's good at hiding

We literally never see him anywhere until he's reporting to DFS. But supposedly he's out and about and acting as a personal guard at some points of the story

During the tomb raiding thing - there is no indication that LLH knew Wuyan was following them in the woods. He had to have been within earshot of the whistle and appeared almost immediately. This means not only was he close, he was likely also disguising his chi the way DFS does

Much like DFS, action and acts of service is his love language

Aside from LLH, he's the only other still-living person we know of that truly understands how important LLH is for DFS. This is reflected in how thorough he is in performing his search for LLH later on. And also lead to him being tricked by LLH at one point, because he was treating him as an honored guest, not as a prisoner. You can also see this when he consoles DFS in the beginning by telling him that LLH was truly the only man worthy of DFS mourning into an empty cup for. The fact that he actually sits there and repeatedly listens to DFS talk about LXY. How many times has he heard about him through the years? His reward is being put in charge of every LXY personal mission

Loyal to the point he's subsumed any ambitions to perform his job better (whatever it actually is) - his rank is personal guard despite being considered a founding member of the alliance. He lurks in alcoves rather than standing up front with others, getting attention and public accomplishments. In the beginning, he's seen actually doing the duties of a guard as he's one of the men stationed outside of DFS' sea cabin. If this was his rank 10 years ago, it hasn't changed since -- despite performing duties that are not low level

He's the one that supplies fruit and wine and even a table at the waterfall for DFS - his rank is personal guard. This is servants' work and isn't part of his job description

Willing to die for DFS - see above image of him fighting a known sword genius that vastly outclasses him, and getting stabbed by LXY

LLH almost escaped because he was able to trick Wuyan by leaning on his loyalty to DFS (outside that run down hut used to detox DFS from asura grass) - a good example of Wuyan having to chose between orders given to him regarding LLH vs helping DFS.

Rather than trying to rescue DFS from torture, he follows DFS' orders to deliver the bug killing salt to LLH. We already know he's willing to die for DFS. The only reason I can think of for why Wuyan hadn't tried to sneak in and steal DFS away from JL, regardless of outcome, is he was told to do something else. And he actually went and did it. Emotional damage? Conflict of interest? Yes. Also see what happened above when he chose otherwise.

Conclusion: I think there is a good case for Wuyan being in charge of Di Feisheng's covert operations, and if not, then he should be.

handles secret and personal operations for DFS

has access to a vast information network

has a rank that doesn't match his actual role or relationship to DFS

can physically hide and follow in the woods, well enough that neither LLH nor FDB notice him

is at least on par with DFS with his chi hiding abilities - LLH doesn't notice him when he easily notices others

does not physically engage in situations even when present, which suggests he's there to observe instead

acts like a servant even though he has authority to move a large group of men/women

hides away from the public eye on purpose

capable of sneaking in and out of the royal palace unnoticed (if he delivered the snow salt while llh was in the palace)

Though, there is one mark against him because he was easily fooled by LLH. But everyone is. So.

#mysterious lotus casebook #wuyan #di feisheng #meta #my royal ramblings

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eirenical · 9 months

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Mysterious Lotus Casebook | Lian Hua Lou | 莲花楼 | Episode 5

Poor thing. None of the people she loved loved her. And none of them wanted to leave her alive.

[Do not repost. Do not remove caption. Thank you!]

Gif IDs and meta babble under the cut.

[ID: Three gifs of Li Lianhua from episode 5 of Mysterious Lotus Casebook. He is shown from mid-chest up in the first gif and from the shoulders up in the last two. He is speaking of the murder victim in the case they are investigated (text in the main post). He looks a little sad, also a bit resigned. There is a brief cut in the first gif to Fang Duobing looking equally sad.]

So this rewatch is going... SO WELL. I keep finding these ridiculous parallels in places I don't expect to find them and losing my entire damned mind about it. This episode struck me the first time as existing mostly to establish that LLH is, in fact, a good detective. He's wily as hell and has the knowledge to back it up. It's also the avenue by which we're introduced to the Jinyuan Alliance and some of the other side players that come back later on. But I didn't think much of the mystery itself. Of the parallels that are going to be drawn later on.

Yu Qiushang died twice, victim to the people who supposedly loved her most, because she was in the way. Because it was too dangerous to leave her alive with the things she knew.

...kind of like Li Xiangyi.

Only it wasn't about what he knew, it was about who he was. He was inconvenient, and too righteous to be left alive to interfere. And he, too, was killed multiple times over the course of the story:

Once by Jiao Liquiao and Yun Biqiu with teh Bicha Poison.

Twice by Di Feisheng over the Eastern Sea.

Thrice by Xiao Zijin and the rest of Sigu Sect when they disbanded the Sect rather than try to rebuild.

And one final time when Shan Gudao set out to destroy his legacy and reputation.

All people he loved (yes, I'm counting Di Feisheng in that category, fight me ^_^). All people who didn't (or at least who he thought didn't) love him back in the same way. All people who betrayed him.

And if you watch that last gif: there's a breath that gets punched out of him; that hitch before he says those final words; that twist to his features like he's just now seeing this parallel himself.

This one hit home.

And then to find Di Feisheng in the back mountain so soon after when he's helpless to confront him? The way his fist clenches because he's practically DRIVEN by the need to do SOMETHING... but he can't. He isn't strong enough. He's hurt. It would be suicide.

But this case has brought all of that roaring to the surface and he's not ready for it.

It's no wonder he passes out.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to go cry in a corner about this man YET AGAIN. 😭🥺😭

#mysterious lotus casebook #li lianhua #yu qiushuang #parallels #li xiangyi #eirenical.gifs #eirenical.meta #mlcb meta #DON'T MIND ME #I'LL JUST BE OVER HERE CRYING #AGAIN #and i have more coming #but i think i'm done fighting with gifs for the day #XD

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bbcphile · 5 months

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WIP Wednesday: Part 3

As promised, here's the opening of Di Feisheng's section of Chapter 1 of the AU where Li Lianhua's shiniang tried and failed to sacrifice herself to save him. (To catch up, read part 1 (LLH) and part 2 (FDB) here).

And, uh, sorry about the cliffhanger?

Tw/cw: suicide attempt, medical emergency

***

Di Feisheng dropped to his knees behind Xiangyi, catching him against his chest rather than the ground as he fell. He snatched Xiangyi’s wrist–veins bulging and black, damn it–and felt for a pulse. Faint. Erratic. Still poisoned by Bicha. Completely emptied of Yangzhouman. Where the fuck was the Beifeng Baiyang he’d given him? Why couldn’t he feel it? How the–

“–Lao Di,” Fang Duobing wailed, “he was walking toward the water! He–”

“–Shut up,” he snapped, sending a wisp of his own qi through Xiangyi’s meridians. Or what was left of them. He bit back a growl. They were too damaged for his qi to travel with the sort of speed he needed to evaluate this. He didn’t have time to do full triage, not while Xiangyi’s pulse was getting fainter by the second. He’d start with the heart meridian then; that would be the best way to stabilize–

–why the fuck was his heart meridian shredded? Who had dared to–

–no, damn it, he had to focus. There would be time to rage later.

He had to repair it. But Xiangyi didn’t have the Yangzhouman for it, and the remnants Xiangyi had given him wouldn’t be enough. Could the brat–

“–Get out of the way,” Fang Duobing sobbed, shoving him and thrusting two shaking fingers toward Xiangyi’s chest, the force of his qi rippling the air. “I’ll do it.”

“No,” Di Feisheng snarled, hand flying from Xiangyi’s waist to smack the brat’s away before it would destroy whatever was left of his fragile meridians, “you’ll kill him.”

“Bullshit!” the pup yelled, as Huli Jing began to howl at equal volume, “I’ve healed him before! Let me help!” The brat’s qi spiked and the sand around them rippled.

Oh for the love of– he didn’t have time to explain this and save Xiangyi. What the hell had the great sword God been teaching this whelp? Xiangyi, if you die, I’ll kill you myself.

He unclenched his jaw against the noise. “You want to help?” he gritted out, each word like knives against his tongue and ears. “Calm your qi. Stay quiet. And keep the mutt quiet, too.”

“You–”

–Healing the heart meridian now was out, until that ignorant pup could keep a tighter leash on his qi. He’d have to work on the heart directly.

Di Feisheng pressed his hand over Xiangyi’s chest, closed his eyes, and directed the faintest hint of his Beifeng Baichang to surround Xiangyi’s heart, ready to observe and mimic its movement, as he would any new sword form.

It wrapped around his heart in an embrace.

Xiangyi’s heart gave one erratic flutter.

A pause.

A second, weaker thrum against his qi.

Then nothing at all.

#mysterious lotus casebook #mlc fic #my fic #Li Lianhua #Li Xiangyi #Di Feisheng #lotus trio #suicide #I swear this thing will have a happy ending! Promise!#Don't kill me for the cliffhanger please!#Also I do in fact really love FDB and think he has many amazing skills and qualities; he's just out of his depth and losing his shit #Should I post the cliffhanger resolution next week or jump ahead to chapter 2?#I don't know if people would like all of chapter 1 in little installments or just want random excerpts. Feel free to tell me!

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lovesickfolly · 8 months

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Fandom related ask: What's your favourite bit about Mysterious Lotus Casebook? What would you recommend it to people for?

Look, I am predictable and shallow. What I like most about Mysterious Lotus Casebook is the relationship between Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing. Mysterious Lotus Casebook is in many ways my perfect show. It combines awesome worldbuilding with interesting characters, excellent fight scenes, beautiful scenery, equally beautiful actors, riddle solving, and an overarching plot that's connected to everything but isn't heavy handed. None of the characters are grating to me, the main friendship actually feels like a friendship to me, and the heroes are truly heroic yet still incredibly flawed and human. All of this is why I'd recommend the show to anyone.

However, it's the relationship between Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing that keeps me going 'omg look at that'. (And by extension Di Feisheng, because in certain situations he's integral to their dynamic.) And it's not because I ship them. Sure, that's a nice bonus, but it's not the crux of it. The crux is that this relationship has everything I love. It starts out uneven, with them not getting on and one character simply deciding 'you're mine now. my friend. my travel companion. mine. you have no say.' Both Fang Duobing and Li Lianhua act in ways that I would never accept in real life - stalking and not accepting no versus literally drugging people - but in this fantasy setting it's just so...nice? It's so nice that Fang Duobing has chosen Li Lianhua and forces him to accept the love Li Lianhua so desperately needs and deserves. Li Xiangyi never saw any worth in that kind of love. (Maybe only once it was gone.) Li Lianhua never thought he deserved it. Meanwhile Fang Duobing said 'fuck that, I'm caring about you whether you abandon and lie to me again and again or not'. And that's just the first couple of episodes. The rest of the show is Fang Duobing caring for and protecting Li Lianhua at every turn. Being more concerned for him than his own safety. I literally have a 150+ gif collection of him caring so very much. The weak boy from old has chosen to protect the greatest, strongest swordsman alive. And Li Lianhua lets him. Trusts him. Learns to care for him and be truthful with him. The man who didn't need anyone - first because he was Li Xiangyi, then because he didn't deserve to have friendships and be cared for - let himself need Fang Duobing. Relied on him. There's a storyline and a plot and all that's definitely 10/10, but the growth of Li Xiangyi - as Li Lianhua - seeing the beauty in love and accepting it is what still makes me emotional. And it's Fang Duobing who did that.

#asks answered #mysterious lotus casebook

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pastelcheckereddreams · 8 months

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Thinking about some kind of "sleeping beauty" post-canon fix-it, were we to interpret Li Lianhua to be still dying at the end of the special episode.

About how it is the simplest tragedy of all, that Li Lianhua just needed more time: Ten years, and Fang Duobing could cultivate yangzhouman powerful enough to heal him.

There is no xianxia magic to freeze time present in the drama, there are, however, nods to it - body-preserving herbs and techniques to stop the breath for three days. And how ice can freeze a body, freezes everything it touches, at the moment of death.

So I'm thinking of that, and I'm thinking about this:

How Li Xiangyi and Di Feisheng were once at the peak of the martial world, and that it is always cold at the summit of a mountain. I'm thinking about Di Feisheng (who recognises only one equal in the world) carrying Li Lianhua up a mountain along a path scattered with pine needles.

There Li Lianhua stays, out of time, a body frozen.

Perhaps he stays frozen the whole time, Di Feisheng a silent guard - standing sentry for ten more years in seclusion. His hair starts to grey at the temples. But what is another decade, if it means Li Lianhua at his side? He is willing to be the one to take the meandering path this time, if it means their zhiji can continue by their side.

Or perhaps Li Lianhua gasps awake - a split second, once every three days, to simply fall back into his breathless stupor. The presence of Di Feisheng a constant in those snippets of consciousness - 1,216 of them. As fleeting as a grain of sand in an hourglass, but a steady trickle of time nonetheless.

It's a gamble. 1216 days - 3 years and 4 months, a decade of stretched time - for Fang Duobing to cultivate the strength to save Li Lianhua.

(Yet it realistically is a decade of Fang Duobing's life - of intense training and focus, the survival of Li Lianhua on his shoulders a constant anxiety in the turmoil of the jianghu - within which he now forges a name for himself without Li Lianhua or Di Feisheng, while Di Feisheng himself has almost passed into legend, unseen since the letter on the shores of the East Sea.)

But even that borrowed time may not be enough: Li Lianhua must survive like this for three years, when he is already down to practically zero.

..It's internal power that Di Feisheng willingly gives.

Every three days, he gives another second of his life.

To die three years earlier - decades hence - with the satisfaction of decades more with both Li Lianhua and Fang Duobing at his side, is no gamble at all.

Such a small debt is meaningless, for love.

#I JUST #IT'S ABOUT #*screams*#i'm playing fast and loose with how the poison and wuxia biology works okay it's about the SYMBOLISM #and also the poetics of a man dying of a cold toxin encased in ice but surrounded by flowers meant to preserve #flowers of love that hope against all hope about longevity and healing and rebirth after a long winter #the maths burnt my brain more than the fic idea did honestly #nikkiwrites #tumblr fic #fic idea #difanghua #mysterious lotus casebook #di feisheng #fang duobing #li lianhua #feihua #difang #fanghua

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nutcasewithaknife · 6 months

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Thinking about postcanon difang again and just. They came this far together only because of Li Lianhua. He was the hinge between them, and also what made them fail to consider the other as a person in their own right. Di Feisheng was the one who was trusted more than Fang Duobing, and Fang Duobing was the one who kept being lied to, left out, running to catch up and belong. Fang Duobing was an annoyance, a constant reminder that Li Xiangyi was no longer the man Di Feisheng once knew and understood. They just started learning to really see the other, and then. Li Lianhua leaves them to each other, to fill the space he thinks he's left in both - Fang Duobing as the young swordmaster who will grow to be a more worthy opponent to Di Feisheng. Di Feisheng as the man who has learned to survive in the Jianghu better than Li Xiangyi did and can be a better guide to Fang Duobing.

But of course these two find each other beyond all that. They were just learning to see each other, but then that hinge is gone and it changes every equation. Di Feisheng is left behind just like Fang Duobing is. They're equals in a way Li Lianhua never allowed Fang Duobing to be. That intricate tug-of-war they play about who is closest to Li Lianhua ends in a draw with both of them on the ground, defeated. Of course I'm going insane about them helping each other up after!

#can you tell they make me want to chew furniture #di feisheng #fang duobing #li lianhua #li xiangyi #difang #mysterious lotus casebook #lhl

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difeisheng · 7 months

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the thing that fascinates me most about di feisheng and wuyan is that di feisheng doesn't need a bodyguard. not at present. wuyan's not around him most of the time (he's doing a lot more than a bodyguard does) and di feisheng as we know very well can take care of himself just fine. he also prefers to do as much as he can on his own. given that someone with the rank of bodyguard isn't necessary, he could have given wuyan a different title instead, elevated him to being one of jinyuanmeng's kings alongside the other three. i know di feisheng sees wuyan as equal to the kings' status anyway, but still. the name would carry power.

given how much unspoken trust lies in their dynamic, i cannot imagine di feisheng purposefully left wuyan with his current position out of spite, or a withholding of power. maybe he offered it, and wuyan didn't take it. either way, they seem to stand on equal ground enough in their interactions that wuyan probably willingly chose to stay where he is now, at di feisheng's side.

but where did that position of bodyguard come from? the fact that it exists means that at one point, di feisheng felt he was vulnerable enough to need one, which has me very curious about his past with wuyan. did wuyan protect him when he first escaped the di mansion, and di feisheng later gave him that position as an honorary acknowledgment that he kept? how much of di feisheng's past does wuyan know? (i headcanon that if there's anyone in jianyuanmeng who knows about the di mansion, it's wuyan.) he's also the only person in the alliance who can understand that di feisheng's dream of being 天下第一 is divorced from seeking ruling power over the jianghu, or that wanting to best li xiangyi didn't mean wanting to kill him. where did these two once from and why does di feisheng trust him so unwaveringly. i will be asking this forever

#*puts on tinfoil hat* wuyan doesn't have a surname. what if it was once di and he dropped it #mysterious lotus casebook #di feisheng #wuyan #ashton originals #idk that im gonna get to wuyan meta guys it's buried under so many fic snippet drafts #but this is one point from it

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mademoiselle-red · 5 months

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ok so I was rewatching the tomb robbing episodes in Lian Hua Lou 莲花楼 and of course my thoughts went to 盗墓笔记 (the Tomb Raider novels) since Fang Duobing’s actor also played 吴邪 (Wu Xie) in a TV adaptation, and being a hopeless 张起灵/吴邪 (Zhang Qiling / Wuxie) shipper, I thought about how Wu Xie waits ten years for a man he wasn’t sure would still be alive, for a man who surely won’t remember him. And I realized that Di Feisheng also waited for ten years for a man who sees himself as dead, who wants to be forgotten.

But from a vibes perspective, Di Feisheng as the amnesiac Ah Fei is the “Zhang Qiling” of the narrative —because you know our protagonists will be safe as long as he is around —and Li Lianhua is his Wuxie, the person he will drop everything to protect.

But again, the connection (in my mind) doesn’t end here: Li Lianhua’s actor has also played Zhang Qiling in a movie adaptation, and these characters are polar opposite in their relationships to their past. Li Lianhua desperate wants to move on from and erase his past. Zhang Qiling is a man who is constantly losing his memory and has built his life around getting it back. He is a man chasing his own past. And Wuxie/Fang Duobing knows and acccepts his Xiao Ge / Lianhua for the person he is, not the person he was in the past. But there is a part of Xiao Ge / Lianhua they can never reach because they were born too late, they weren’t there for the things that made Xiao Ge / Lianhua the man they became. Wuxie is always chasing after Xiao Ge (and his grandfather and uncle’s) footsteps, always a step behind. Just like Fang Duobing, who can never quite become Lianhua’s equal, who cannot know Lianhua completely because he doesn’t know Li Xiangyi, who is always one step behind. They both chase after ghosts they can never reach (and are lied to the entire way).

(Anyhow, I was reading some 莲花楼 meta while listening to Spotify and 十年人间 came up and I have decided this is also going to be a Di Feisheng / Li Lianhua song for me 😭)

#莲花楼 #mysterious lotus casebook #盗墓笔记

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epicwalrus · 10 months

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Walrus Loses her Mind cont.

OK, so theories...oh boy, the theories.

Some are new, others have evolved...and all of them are driving me slowly to distraction. Current theory count...3? I think?

You know the drill, spoilers for all Mysterious Lotus Caserbook episodes up to 28.

1. Shan Gudao is not dead and is, in fact, the big bad.

I am still convinced of this and only growing more so.

Despite what Lianhua says (unreliable narrator, much?), the flashbacks have shown Gudao in adulthood to be bad-tempered, aggressive, and manipulative, and Madam Feng said all he cared about was becoming famous and the strongest. He abandoned his PREGNANT girlfriend because he wanted to be stronger.

On top of that, he seems to have lied to Lianhua about the Cloud Iron and may have kept the He kid as the leader of The Four Tigers (He Zhang), although please correct me if I'm wrong there; my ability to hear the tones in Mandarin is still abysmally lacking, I'm trying to learn, I promise.

Even the argument with Xiangyi before Gudao quit the Sigu Sect felt slimy and manipulative, very much "I'm the good one. I care about you. I gave you the best sword I ever made. You are being too willful. You are the bad one." Poor Xiangyi might have been having his head fucked with for who knows how long. He was clearly suspicious of Gudao after the Cloud Iron incident but is now convinced he was the bad one.

Turning the two strongest sects against each other via his "death" opened up the way for the Wansheng Sect (which shares a symbol with Gudao), who are supported by the very royal court who offered Gudao an army to fight the Jinyuan Alliance. Who could fight back against him with the two strongest warriors dead and their sects in pieces?

I'm not convinced he's doing it for personal power anymore, though (or maybe not entirely). I think he may be a descendant of the Nanyin survivors and is picking up their plan where they left off (see theory 3).

2. Lianhua will be healed via his poison to fight poison technique.

Still being stubborn about this one, too XD The setup is almost perfect. They already have 4/5 things for healing our delicate lotus man.

A previously discussed and dangerous theory for detoxification (which requires great inner power, a counter-poison and acupuncture)

A-Su's golden acupuncture needles that can heal anything

Physician Guan, who is an acupuncture specialist

And either that wine to increase one's inner power (if they can find a legit recipe) or someone equally as powerful to feed Lianhua power (Feisheng).

We just need that poison that can counter the Bicha poison.

There was a shot of Duobing carrying an unconscious Lianhua in the trailer. Maybe that's when he's carrying him to safety after the poison becomes too much to suppress.

And then it's all hands on deck.

Everyone coming together to save our Lotus man.

Duobing suppresses the poison with Yangzhouman (I think that's how you spell it?).

A-Su asks her grandfather about the counter-poison and goes in search of it (maybe with Wanmian's help?).

And if the wine is legit, someone brews the wine as fast as they can. OR Feisheng constantly feeds his own power into Lianhua.

Physician Guan prepares the golden needles.

3. The Nanyin descendants are carrying on a plan created as a last-ditch effort in the war a hundred years ago.

These latest reveals seem to show us a conspiracy from the end of the war:

Nanyin merchants moved in to hide among the population while guarding the Heavenly Ice keys.

The princess married into the royal family with the Rama Vessel (now known to contain Karmic Insects) as her dowry.

Suiyan village's founding.

I think, as the war grew close to an end, Nanyin planned to release the Karmic Insects into their enemy's kingdom as a last-ditch effort to turn the tide. However, the Princess was found out (maybe she was mind-controlling the prince she married with said insects to force the Emperor's abdication), and she died as a result.

Her tomb, and the Rama Vessel, vanished as soon as she was buried, and so the plan failed. But maybe the inscription in her tomb (put there by the Nanyin workers who built it) was their last hope for their descendants to pick up where they left off.

Now we have many instances of Nanyin descendants appearing again and following our mysterious hooded man (glares in Gudao). I think someone had rediscovered the plan from the war and now plans to use it for revenge and to restart the Nanyin kingdom, just like in the legend of the kingdom's founding.

"But, Walrus," you cry, "the insects in the Rama Vessel need a Mother Insect to control them. Where is she?"

Well, dear reader, I lied. I actually have four theories!

4. The Mother Karmic Insect/s is/are hidden INSIDE THE NANYIN PRINCESS.

We learned in today's episodes that the Mother Karmic Insects can survive in a host for hundreds of years. And who else would have been in the position to smuggle these insects into the country?

The princess' body was preserved far better than the prince's when we saw them in the Yipin Tomb. Perhaps, this was again the Nanyin survivors giving their descendants the best chance for revenge. They preserved her body with Asura grass in order to allow the Mother Karmic Insect/s to survive until the plan was picked up once more.

What was once a last-ditch effort for survival has become a plan for revenge.

#mysterious lotus casebook #mysterious lotus casebook spoilers #li lianhua #li xiangyi #di feisheng #feng duobing

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eirenical · 10 months

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Mysterious Lotus Casebook | Lian Hua Lou | 莲花楼 | Episode 13

"Li Xiangyi wasn't always right. I'm older than you. I've heard a lot about him. When he was young, he was very petulant. The downfall of the Sigu Sect was partly his fault." -Li Lianhua on Li Xiangyi, Mysterious Lotus Casebook Episode 19

[Do not repost. Do not remove caption. Thank you!]

Bonus:

You know the drill (or maybe you don't if you're new? *waves*)… all my thoughts and images descriptions behind the cut:

[Above the text are five gifs depicting a mildly heated conversation between Li LIanhua and Fang Duobing from episode 13 of Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Li Lianhua has just revealed that "A-Fei" is Di Feisheng, the leader of the Jinyuan Alliance. Fang Duobing is upset and demands to know what Li Lianhua could have to do with him. Li Lianhua explains that Di Feisheng wants him to save someone, but that Li Lianhua doesn't want to save this person. Fang Duobing goes on to say that Li Lianhua shouldn't save this person, because he must be a bad person if Di Feisheng wants him saved. Li Lianhua agrees that this person is a bad person and that he won't save him, that it's more important to save Fang Duobing now. Bonus gifs show Fang Duobing protesting that he is talented and might have felt a bit funny before but he's fine now... and then promptly passes out. Li Lianhua rushes to his side.]

First of all, the entirely of episode 13 drove me completely feral in so many ways I still can't put it concisely into words. But the core of it sits right here in this exchange. There is so much evidence in the first 12 episodes that Li Lianhua doesn't really care if he lives or dies or, at the very least, that he's resigned himself to dying, but this is the first time we see him say outright that not only doesn't he care if he dies, but that he, in fact, WANTS to die.

"He asked me to promise him to save someone. [...] There are people in this world who can only be saved by me. Unfortunately, I don't want to save them."

After this episode, we know that there is only one person that Di Feisheng wants to save. And that's Li Xiangyi. And here he is admitting out loud that he doesn't want to be saved. That he wants to die. And moments later, he agrees with Fang Duobing that this person Di Feisheng wants saved is a bad person. That he is a bad person. And you can see it in his face that he wholeheartedly believes it. He's said as much before. Every time he talks to Fang Duobing about Li Xiangyi, he paints him in the worst light possible. Everyone else gets the benefit of the doubt in his stories, except himself.

His self esteem is in the toilet, he blames himself for most of the things that went wrong 10 years ago, and he actively wants to die.

And that paints Di Feisheng's desperate need to save his life and Fang Duobing's equally desperate need to save Li Xiangyi's character and legacy in such a poignant light. They both want to save him in their own ways, but Li Lianhua is right: the only person who CAN save him is himself. Because without that will to live, without that willingness to forgive himself, then no matter what either of them does, he isn't going to go along with it.

But the thing that really truly breaks me in all this is that IT STARTS TO WORK.

Just a few episodes after this, Di Feisheng steps in to save his secret identity, all but begging Li Lianhua to let him help, and Li Lianhua AGREES. And in the aftermath, when he's suffering, Di Feisheng steps in to feed him spiritual energy to heal him in whatever small way he can against the poison and Li Lianhua allows that, too. And you can see in so many of these little ways that his attitude is starting to shift, just a little. That maybe he's starting to entertain the idea that he could live. Because Di Feishing has enough will to live for both of them and he's not afraid to keep applying it like a baseball bad against Li Lianhua's suicidal ideation.

And then we have Fang Duobing. The quote below the gifset is from episode 19, and once again we have Li Lianhua tearing down Li XIangyi's character. But Fang Duobing isn't going to stand for that.

FDB: Someone said that to me before, but I've studied him. He should be proud of himself! LLH: There's a fine line between proud and arrogant. "Arrogant" is not a good word. FDB: He was proud because he had faith. Faith is a great word. No one is perfect. Neither was he. There are shadows wherever there is light. Yes. Maybe Li Xiangyi was too proud. But he established the Sigu Sect to make the jianghu a better place where the strong didn't prey on the weak. Look at those guys. They're just a bunch of selfish posers! LLH: If Li Xiangyi knew that someone could understand him so well ten years later, he'd be very glad.

He ALSO has enough faith for both of them. Li Xiangyi would be very glad... and Li Lianhua is very glad. You can see him in that moment, testing his weight against the possibility that maybe, just maybe, even though he wasn't perfect, he wasn't as bad as he believed himself to be. Maybe there was some good in him. Maybe it wasn't all in vain. Maybe he does deserve at least a little forgiveness.

And that push and pull between Di Feisheng and Fang Duobing should, by all rights, be acting like a tug of war to pull Li Lianhua apart. But it doesn't. It's pulling them all forward. Towards healing. Especially Li Lianhua. And he's not there yet. It's still going to take time. But the seeds of it are being planted. And we have so many more episodes still to go and I have no doubt things will go pear-shaped at some point, but to go from this *points up at gifset* to tentative healing in a matter of 6 episodes? That's huge. And I'm so happy he has them both. TT^TT

#mysterious lotus casebook #莲花楼 #li lianhua #li xiangyi #di feisheng #fang duobing #di feisheng & fang duobing & li lianhua #eirenical.gifs #eirenical.meta #mlcb meta #I AM GOING TO BE CRYING ABOUT THESE GUYS FOR A WHILE #DON'T MIND ME #😭😭😭😭😭#warning: suicidal ideation #spoilers #mlcb spoilers #through episode 19 or so

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difeisheng · 10 months

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alright, time to ramble about di feisheng and jiao liqiao's dynamic in contrast to li xiangyi and qiao wanmian, because scenes from these later episodes are fascinating and i'm absolutely delighted by how these two relationships are so starkly different in the present day.

with xiangyi and wanmian, you have two people who loved each other when they were young and ultimately don't regret it, but who also don't want to return to that past life. once the emotional upheaval of wanmian learning xiangyi is still alive has gotten its closure, the two are talking to each other as warm friends. xiangyi still calls her a-mian. there's the sense of bittersweet nostalgia, and they're on separate roads that'll only cross every now and then, but that's something both of them are okay with and know the other is okay with. they've let go, and i adore wanmian especially because she missed xiangyi so, so much for ten years, and she fought through that grief and managed to find a way to move on with her life while still remembering him. there was miscommunication but they've got a way to move forward now.

and then you have feisheng meeting liqiao again, liqiao who's followed him since he was seventeen, and when he disappeared for ten years she took over the jinyuan alliance and appeared to manage it well in his name. but emotionally, instead of letting go during his absence, she only got more possessive. on feisheng's side, he's completely disinterested in her. and yet both of them know she loves him and he's not afraid to weaponize that, because at the same time liqiao says she wants to marry him she's also undermining everything else he's striving for. while wanmian and xiangyi seem to have found a place to stand on level ground as equals, with these two it's a power imbalance that keeps swinging back and forth like a pendulum. feisheng is liqiao's weakness and anytime they're in a room together he has all the authority over her, but at the same time thanks to her he has so little agency and say in his own sect. every time they make physical contact in episode 19 it's unsettling, with the violins screeching while they're playing at some facade of intimacy. liqiao is called a-qiao when they're alone, but she's referring to herself with that implied level of familiarity. feisheng just calls her by her full name. it's all moves in a chess game to guess each other's hand. they don't trust each other but here they are tossed together, and neither of them are happy about it.

when xiangyi says something along the lines of wanmian not belonging with him anymore, it's because he's happy she's found her own future with someone else. when feisheng says it to liqiao, it's out of sheer spite and suspicion. ten years passed, and some people managed to mend the torn threads between them left behind. others are having them unravel even further.

#idk if this is coherent or not but im kind of obsessed with dfs and jlq's dynamic they're so fucking awful #kudos to xiao shunyao and wang herun's acting because they're great to watch #and seeing their characters interact makes my skin crawl #also goddamn the way mlc has activated my analysis brain far more than anything else has in MONTHS #mysterious lotus casebook #di feisheng #jiao liqiao #li xiangyi #qiao wanmian #ashton originals #mlc meta

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