In MDZS, Wei Wuxian is able to look at the sacrificial ritual circle and read Mo Xuanyu's personal notes to guess what happened and also learn the basics of Mo Xuanyu's entire life... And then he doesn't clean it up?

(EDIT: I was wrong about this! Wei Wuxian was supposedly "destroy any evidence of the sacrificial ritual circle" directly before running off with the donkey, at the very end of the chapter. I'm not sure how because earlier in the chapter it says that Mo Xuanyu's shack has "no water" and after humiliating the Mo Family, he just picks a clean spot on the floor to sleep, but he manages somehow! Original post remains below the cut.)

To be fair, Wei Wuxian is shocked and feels like shit, and has apparently tasked with murders he doesn't want to commit, and is also a little bit hangry. Shortly after his first foray to get his bearings and embarrassing the Mo Family, he gets dragged out of that blood-stained shack, accused of murder, involved in a fight, and then has to skedaddle when Hanguang-Jun shows up. He didn't have much inclination to clean (he didn't make the blood circle! Why does he have to clean it?!) and then didn't get much opportunity to grab a mop and clean up that mess to cover his tracks.

But Wei Wuxian's narration says that Mo Xuanyu "dared to summon him by name". It's also possible that some of Mo Xuanyu's resentful scribbles included more information about the sacrificial ritual and Wei Wuxian didn't find them, or threw his hands up in the air with frustration at the situation before reading those ones.

And I think that this would be a really funny way for Lan Wangji to find out that Wei Wuxian is back, instead of the shitty flute-playing and Wen Ning's appearance. Lan Sizhui describes to Lan Wangji everything weird and terrifying that just went down with the Mo Family, then says, "Oh! Senior Mo has disappeared! We should go make sure that he's okay! (Jingyi, he helped us in his own way, it's only the decent thing to do to check on him.) Let me ask a servant where his quarters are and let's hope he just went to go hide there."

And then Lan Wangji and a bunch of Baby Lans walk right into that shack and the horrifying scene of a sacrificial ritual circle drawn in blood, surrounded by the scribblings of a madman, which apparently clearly says (to those who can discern these things): "I AM SUMMONING THE YILING PATRIARCH'S SOUL AND GIVING HIM MY BODY TO DO EVIL ON MY BEHALF."

Lan Wangji: "..."

Lan Sizhui: "..."

Lan Jingyi: "What the fuck."

they said it so well

In hindsight the popularity of using “demonic cultivation” for what Wei Wuxian uses is running counter to what is actually in MDZS being used. It is resulting in a lot of fandom confusion, particularly since demonic cultivation is a xianxia genre standard. But that’s not what is going on in MDZS. The genre standard demonic cultivation revolves around stealing qi, absorbing life energy from others, possessing others to get access to their greater cultivation abilities, and in general much more assholery than what Wei Wuxian does. The actual term used by Wei Wuxian and most of the narration in the novel is Guǐdào; aka Ghost Cultivation. It revolves around manipulating the dead, using resentful energy as a power source, and to be absolutely blunt it is a form of necromancy. It is the “redirection” option in dealing with the dead; drain away resentful energy so that you can convince the dead to finally let go and be liberated. Either by getting the justice they were denied in life or having lifted the worst of their anger and attachment so they can think clearer. Not demonic cultivation. The very title “Mo Dao Zu Shi” is part of the subversion element and part of setting in motion assumptions about the story for the original Chinese readers who know the genre and what the usual tropes are. Because calling it “Gui Dao Zu Shi” would give away too much from the start of what is actually going on. Also per MXTX, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are “morally perfect” and as that is the intention given by the author herself, that means nothing Wei Wuxian does with ghost cultivation has to actually harm the ghosts in a way that would be morally wrong. Like destroying them, preventing them from reincarnating, that kind of thing. He does not hurt the dead. He’s honestly shown to be more friendly with the undead; he is endlessly kind to them in fact and even gentle. Polite too and that deserves marking because Wei Wuxian ignores most manners because he generally doesn’t care. But he puts that care into how he treats the gui (undead) he commands and works with. He gives them rewards for a job well done as shown in the Yi City arc! The one who does use ghost cultivation to hurt both the living and dead is Xue Yang who is repudiated by Wei Wuxian; “Xue Yang has to die” is what he says and that is what he helps Lan Wangji do. But the actual founder? The guy who made it and is the absolute master of it? Rejects that kind of thinking all the way through the story, even at his lowest.

written by lovepsychothefirst on pillowfort

the tag on ao3 is Demonic Cultivation (Modao Zushi) when it should really be Ghost Cultivation | Guidao (Modao Zushi) or something similar, and there should also be specification on which canon is being used, bc in CQL, the manhua, and the donghua, Guidao has adverse affects when in the novel it doesn't do shit to the practitioner.

so um anyway jiang cheng canonically does not consider wei wuxian a servant—let alone “just a servant”—and does not treat him like one. idk where this idea came from but it is factually untrue.

in fact, jc repeatedly indicates that he thinks wwx’s station is on par with other gentry, that he likes the idea of being part of a pair with wwx, and even jokes with wwx, mocking the notion that wwx could be a servant.

after wwx was taken in, they were functionally raised as equals, and there is nothing in their interactions as youths that indicates or even hints that their relationship was master/servant instead of simply childhood friends.

and obviously wwx is not sect leader, so yeah, he is expected to defer to jc after the war, (and that’s not an inherently bad thing, that’s how leadership works) but jc lets him get away with SO much shit that Would Not Fly if wwx were a servant (or treated like one). if jc only regarded wwx as a servant, there is literally no reason to be as lenient as jc was with wwx’s loose canon tendencies.

i’m sorry, but there is simply no valid reading of their relationship where the dynamic of their relationship is master/servant. their relationship simply is not built on obligation, as much as they both try to act like it. this assumption undercuts a huge amount of context and motivation, leaving nonsensical character decisions and gaping plot holes. there is no mdzs unless they care about each other as individuals.

You know... just cause Wei Wuxian was raised as a disciple once he turned nine... doesn't beget the fact that he was in fact called a servant , was a servant, and called that multiple times in the book, yeah?

We have a whole extra comparing the way he was treated by Jiang Cheng, with a nameless servant that was "favored" and it made the young lord jealous enough to cause his death. Material privileges are a bonus for him as well as the way he was raised. It is why he was so loyal to the Jiangs, who still at the very end of the Jiang Leaders lives, ordered him around like a servant. As well as Jiang Cheng's exception of him being forever underneath his leadership.

It is why he is treated so terribly once the Jianghu claims he is power hungry. When he never was. A well treated servant, is still underneath the lords of the house. No matter how "well" they seem to be treated.

I love the Intrusion extra for many reasons, one of which is that we get to see how Wei Wuxian’s new family reacts to classism from others. Now the extra itself is clearly meant to be a parallel to Wei Wuxian’s situation in Yunmeng, and in it, we have this conversation between Wei Wuxian, Lan Sizhui, and Lan Wangji

Wei WuXian grinned, “Don’t worry. It’ll definitely work. Speaking of it, SiZhui, you don’t like Young Master Qin all that much, do you?”

Lan SiZhui thought about it, “I do not know either.” He responded with honesty, “He never did anything truly evil, but perhaps I find it difficult to deal with people of such character. I do not particularly like the tone with which he mentioned the word ‘servant’...”

He paused at this point. Wei WuXian was oblivious to it, “Typical, typical. Most of the people in this world looks down upon servants. Servants sometimes even look down upon themselves... Why are you two looking at me like that?”

Halfway through, he interrupted, not knowing whether to laugh or frown, “Stop—is there a misunderstanding here? How could I compare? Lotus Pier isn’t the usual household, after all. I’ve beaten Jiang Cheng up way more times than he’s ever beaten me!”

Lan WangJi didn’t say anything, but instead gave him a silent hug. Wei WuXian couldn’t help but smile. He hugged back, stroking Lan WangJi’s back a couple of times. Lan SiZhui coughed. Seeing how confident Wei WuXian looked, not at all sensitive to the word ‘servant’, he was finally at ease.

Lan Sizhui is clearly uncomfortable with Young Master Qin’s classism, and he’s obviously wary of how Wei Wuxian might be affected by it. While Wei Wuxian doesn’t seem to be affected by it as far as Lan Sizhui can tell, Lan Wangji does hug him, which suggests that he is offering some comfort to Wei Wuxian, which Wei Wuxian accepts.

This exchange just reminds me of how much of casual classism is expressed in Wei Wuxian’s presence in Lotus Pier, even when it is not actively directed at him. For instance, after the Xuanwu Cave, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian have this exchange about Mianmian

Jiang Cheng frowned, “You’re at it again. You don’t really like her, do you? The girl does look fine, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t have much background. Maybe she isn’t even a disciple. She seems like the daughter of a servant.”

Wei WuXian, “What’s wrong with servants? I’m also the son of a servant, aren’t I?”

Jiang Cheng, “How can you compare to her? Whose servant is like you, having your master peel lotus seeds for you and boil you soup. I didn’t even get to have some!”

ExR, Chapter 57, Poison- Part One

It’s not hard to see where he gets this attitude from. We have this instance of classism from Madam Yu before the Jiang disciples are sent to the Wens’ indoctrination

Madam Yu was out of patience. She slammed the table, “I’m fretting? Of course I’m fretting! How can you still be so indifferent? Did you not hear what the person from the Wen Sect said? A mere maidservant dares to hold up her head before me! The twenty disciples that are sent must include a disciple from the clan. What does that mean? It means that between A-Cheng and A-Li, one of them must be included! Sent there to do what? To be taught? How each sect teaches their own disciples— since when is it the Wen Sect’s turn to meddle?! This is sending people for them to play with, for them to hold against us!”

Jiang Cheng, “Mom, don’t be so angry. I’ll just go.”

Madam Yu scolded, “Of course you’ll go! Or else would your sister go? Look at her, still happily peeling lotus seeds. A-Li, stop peeling them. Who are you peeling them for? You’re the mistress, not somebody’s servant!”

Hearing the word ‘servant’, Wei WuXian didn’t mind much. He had finished all of the lotus seeds in the dish all at once, chewing as the soft, refreshing sweetness filled his mouth. Jiang FengMian, on the other hand, raised his head slightly, “My lady.”

Madam Yu, “What, something I said? Servant? You don’t want to hear the word? Jiang FengMian, let me ask you—this time, do you intend to let him go?”

ExR, Chapter 51, Courage- Part One

What matters here is not whether or not hearing the word servant affects Wei Wuxian, but rather the way the word itself is used. Madam Yu’s intention is evident here from the fact that she’s scolding her daughter for ‘acting like a servant’ as well as from Jiang Fengmian’s response. Part of Madam Yu’s anger is directed at the fact that a “mere maidservant” dared to convey these demands.

There’s also this exchange she has with Wang Lingjiao before the fall of Lotus Pier

Madam Yu, however, seemed to deeply understand the phrase ‘servants should be what servants ought to be’. Glancing at Wei WuXian, she happened to concur, responding loftily, “That’s right.”

ExR, Chapter 57, Poisons- Part Two

She agrees with Wang Lingjiao that servants should know their place, and later, when she’s slapping Wang Lingjiao, she even specifically says “I am the superior, you are the inferior”.

In all of these cases, Wei Wuxian is not bothered by people being classist in his presence, because he knows that’s just how it is. He knows that most people he encounters will be classist, whether or not they are aware of his background. He has a very accurate evaluation of himself, his strengths and weaknesses, and he knows that being the son of a servant doesn’t make him inferior. While he is aware that he won’t be judged the same as others (like Lan Wangji or Jiang Cheng) who are part of the gentry, his own image of himself is unaffected by what others think of him, and so, he remains unbothered when people point out that he is the son of a servant.

Still, I do think it’s noteworthy that in his first life, he is subjected to classism even from the people closest to him, while in his second life, he is surrounded by people who are rightfully uncomfortable with it. There’s a reason why the last bit of dialogue we get from the Intrusion extra is this:

Lan WangJi gently tugged Lil’ Apple’s rein, his voice calm, “He was fortunate.”

Wei WuXian agreed, “Indeed. Young Master Qin has got quite the luck.”

After some time, Lan SiZhui finally couldn’t hold his words back any longer. Sincerely, he spoke, “But I still feel that only one punch might be a bit insufficient...”

“Hahahahahahahahaha...”

Honestly Chengyao makes more sense than always having Wei Wuxian be best friends with Meng Yao or Xue Yang in fics because they all come from poor backgrounds.

Anakin's Mother

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 01:13:10

I think Mordred was telling me something here…

sooo embarrassing that i have A Type, and that it's morally-ambiguous, orphaned, social-climbing, people-torturing, unrequited love-having store owners in goguryeo-era sageuks 🙈

good evening ines valeztena de perez

Alpha Mo Ran brought in to help attend to Chu Wanning’s heat.

(Do I have the same idea repeatedly? Yes. Which, reminder to self, is totally fine and great.)

okay so apparently this is the "quick and dirty" version, except that it's...a lot less quick than I intended.

Was Mo Xuanyu a threat to Jin Guangyao (and/or his position)?

No.

Why Not?

To his Position: Jin Guangshan brought mxy to Koi Tower after Jin Zixuan died to threaten jgy's newfound position as heir...except that jgs never legitimized him. Mxy's presence would be much more effective as a threat if he was legitimized, so why didn't jgs legitimize him? Most likely, he didn't want to piss off his wife (even more than she already was, anyway), but mxy's general lack of skill and...uncharismatic nature weren't exactly "ideal heir" material.

To Jin Guangyao himself: [i.e. reputation, safety, etc.] lack of will, mostly; according to Jin Ling, mxy basically idolized jgy. but also, lack of ability: if he had the ability to make himself seem like someone to take seriously, his situation with both the Jins and the Mo family would have been completely different.

Did Jin Guangyao perceive Mo Xuanyu to be a threat (to him and/or his position)?

No.

Why not?

He isn't stupid. He would know everything I mentioned above.

Jgy's upset at mxy's presence wasn't because mxy was a legitimate threat to jgy, but because Jin Guangshan, the father he had been working so tirelessly to try to earn the approval of was actively trying to undermine him and spite him. Who wouldn't be upset?

Did Jin Guangyao fabricate a story about sexual harassment as an excuse to get rid of Mo Xuanyu?

[canon-typical content warnings]

No.

(Aka, did Mo Xuanyu actually sexually harass Jin Guangyao? Probably. At the very least, he probably did something that looked a lot like it to an outsider.)

Why not?

Comes from MXY's Account: when mxy summoned wwx, he had written several notes that explained his situation. It's after reading mxy's own notes that wwx concludes that mxy was sent home for sexually harassing other men (ch2)

WWX dismisses this theory: when wwx witnesses the argument between jgy and qin su, he theorizes about what the letter might say, and considers the possibility that jgy may have played a part in mxy's removal; he dismisses the theory, concluding that mxy getting kicked out was most likely legitimate (ch47)

No need to remove MXY: mxy's presence alone isn't a substantial enough threat to warrant addressing, and he ceased to be a potential threat entirely when jgs died, with no path to legitimacy.

MXY has no grudge against JGY: If mxy had done nothing wrong, but was still disgraced and sent back to his abusive family, it stands to reason that he would hold a grudge against the person who slandered him and sent him back. Adding one more person to his vengeance list wouldn't cost him anything extra, but he's satisfied with just the Mo family. he doesn't appear to even make any mention of jgy in all of his notes. (wwx doesn't realize the person sexually harassed was jgy until ch47)

Not how JGY would handle a threat: if mxy was in possession of some piece of information that jgy didn't want him to know, there's no reason to just...send mxy home. the information is either consequential or inconsequential. if it's inconsequential, it isn't worth the hubbub of such a damning rumor (see next point), and if it's consequential, it isn't worth the risk of letting mxy wander around freely when he could keep him close (with mutual blackmail), imprisoned (a la sisi), or just kill him (we already know he's not a very good cultivator, and hey--accidents happen).

Not a rumor JGY would create: circulating a rumor that "the bastard son of a whore turned sect leader was involved in homosexual incest" when said bastard son of a whore IS actually involved in incest (albeit unintentionally) is just knocking on the devil's door. if he's making up a rumor, there's literally no reason to have it hit so close to home, especially if it's something as attention grabbing as "bastard son of a whore turned sect leader receives unwanted sexual advances from his own half-brother"

in conclusion:

headcanon whatever the fuck you want, but the way that the text currently is, Mo Xuanyu was never a threat to Jin Guangyao, Jin Guangyao never thought he was, and Mo Xuanyu wasn't just some hapless uwu gay baby that fell victim to eeevil Jin Guangyao's Power Hungry Plotting

sometimes...other people do bad things...and make mistakes...and it's because they're exercising their own agency.

Speculation Zone: I think mxy probably was trying to come onto jgy, and had been for a while, with jgy doing his best to gently rebuff his affections and keep things under wraps; he really Does Not need any more scrutiny or speculation about his character. Based on the way he reacts in the present (especially when he shows up at Koi Tower), I'm guessing it was probably Jin Ling who saw, probably panicked and ran away, and told the first person he saw...and the rest is history.

Hello! I finally read Scum Villain and saw that there, the head disciple supposedly takes on the mantle of sect leader and peak lord once the generation of the current peak lords ascend. But in MDZS, the future sect leader and the head disciples are different? Is it only a MDZS thing or a general thing in xianxia where sect leadership is by blood?

Hi! Usually for cultivation plots in xianxia/wuxia the more common thing is that sect's are based less on blood dynamics, normally the assumption is the lead disciple of the sect leader is of course the one to lead the new generation once the previous sect leader is ready to "retire" from cultivation. MDZS is the outlier of that, as most of it's plot, to focus more on the less than ideal side of a cultivation world that was caught up with blood ties similar to imperialism noble life.

There are several ways to play with this, as a norm is usually a close member in cultivation plots would be able to eventually so choose to vie for leadership, which is where you get some cutthroat revenge plots, etc. MDZS goes for the harder route of strict bloodlines rule the sect only and it is mentioned early on this wasn't always the case until Wen Mao. This is also why there is a clear cut of MDZS using "clan" over "sect" in mandarin since there is a slight difference in the two. A Sect demonstrates a point of taking disciples based on talent in the cultivation genre, rather er than name, where as a clan based sect, is family line ruling with disciples under them, who do not need to be of the mainline but are barred from further power position within the workings of the political sphere of it.

This is why Wei Wuxian is most at often spurned as having been taken in as a disciple of a prominent clan and raised by them, it's not meant to be a commonality in their Jianghu. As well as Sizhui who it is pointed out, is dressed and learns as an inner clan disciple of Gusu Lan, but the clear assumption is that he is a Lan to the world itself, unlike Wei Wuxian who's outsider status for the family is commented on.