#a confucian confusion

[drugballad]

A Confucian Confusion (1994) dir. Edward Yang

#a confucian confusion #edward yang #taiwanese cinema #cinema #movie quotes

[nicolekaptan]

A Confucian Confusion (1994) dir. Edward Yang

#a confucian confusion #edward yang #chen shiang-chyi #yi-wen chen

[pacingmusings]

New York Film Festival 2022:

A Confucian Confusion (Edward Yang), 1994

#films #movies #stills #A Confucian Confusion #Edward Yang #Chen Shiang-chyi #Ni Shujun #NYFF60 #New York Film Festival #1990s #Taiwanese #seen in 2022

[botslayer9000]

does the world of mdzs have a civil service exam

#like? im no expert on chinese history but that test has been around for a long fucking time hasnt it #so why arent all the cultivators in addition to studying the blade also studying their confucian texts + law + poetry #like everyone shits on nie huaisang but isnt he probably the most well-read of the entire cast???? doesnt that give him some kind of #advantage in politics here????????? #also is china unified in this universe or are there a bunch of small states controlled by the cultivation clans #im ngl im kinda confused on that one #maybe its because i am only on book 2 but like #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #someone give me answers #back on my bullshit

[nablah]

i would actually be good for marriage if life wasnt so fucking hard and confucian

#im not misspelling confusion #literally confucian #smth smth marriage of true minds smth smth #personal

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Wangxian, Jiang Cheng, The Ancestral Hall, and who was really dishonorable during that confrontation

Some terms and accepted commonalities of traditional early ancestral worship, that is not to be confused with what is seen in smaller tighter family homes with less of the previous community focus:

祠堂 Ancestral Hall or 家廟 Family Temple (used less often as the basis of the temple is to promote strong lineage worship and filial piety of past generations that helped to grow a strong long line and respecting what had come before)

A building where members of a particular clan gather to honor their ancestors. An ancestral temple can serve clan members of a village or local area who all share common ancestors or, on a larger scale, it can serve all the clan members of a longer lineage. It is usually named after a certain ancestor, such the common ancestor of the clan members who first inhabited the village or the founder of the lineage.

An ancestral temple would be open on a regular basis for those wishing to offer prayers for good health, success, etc, in the same way that temples housing the images of traditional deities would be open.

Due to how prevalent Ancestral worship is and as shown within MDZS, the heavy community based aspect of the sects are the basis of Wei Wuxian's own visit to the shrine, and traditionally, was the most respectful action to take to those that had raised him, not as an inner Jiang, but overall the clan of Yunmeng Jiang that had once been open to all disciples that wished to be a part of Yunmeng Jiang.

These halls, unlike current real life family altars, were open to all who wished to pay respects to the ancestors/clan of that province. (Lotus Pier's hall is not designated to the inner sanctum of just Jiang Cheng's estates and is for all disciples/ties to the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, however distant. Wei Wuxian despite his nebulous status within the Jiang family was still once considered formerly of Yunmeng and was his relevant filial ties and guardianship. As such, it is only respectful to confer with the dead that had such significance in his life to allow continued peace of the dead as well as reverence in asking for their blessings as he found a prospect for marriage as it was traditional for the bride (groom in this case) to be presented to those who had been considered as parents/family.

It is also unbecoming to bring negativity within the ancestral hall as it is a place to acknowledge what the living had been given and granted due to the dead's actions (karma) and to be granted a good life in return for that show of respect.

As such, Jiang Cheng himself does not make mention the good the Jiangs had done, only focusing on how the living are causing him problems, disrespecting the rest that the dead spirituality have been blessed with and no actual respect upon their lives as he hyperfocuses on the death and it's impact upon him. Wangxian in the traditional wuxia setting and tropes fit tightly as well worshipping visitors, the heroes of these novels always display upright morality of filial piety and Confucian ideals of the practice.

Jiang Cheng, ironically despite his speeches of his family and besmirching of their honor, is the one to do just that as he goads Wei Wuxian into the personal strife that the Jiangs have no longer been apart of for years and represents another bad omen of his granted title.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #reposting this #wangxian #canon jiang cheng

[janmisali]

#jan misali #polls #pronunciation

[rongzhi]

not sure if you've answered this before but would you happen to know if lgbt+ is common in 'ancient china'? if it was when did it stop being 'common'? i just ask this because i heard of the story about the emperor (? i think) who cut off his sleeve for his lover

The story you're referring to is often called "the Passion of the Cut Sleeve", a story recorded in 汉书 (A History of the Former Han, about Emperor Ai, Liu Xin, of the Han dynasty (who ruled from 7 BC - 1 BC and died at 25 y.o, for perspective) and his lover, Dong Xian. To put it shortly, in order to not wake Dong Xian from sleep, Emperor Ai cut off a sleeve of his robe so that he could get up without disturbing him. "Cut sleeve"/etc (断袖/断袖之癖/断袖之宠) thus eventually because a euphemism for homosexuality. Similar euphemisms came from other, older stories involving monarchs:

"The Story of the Shared Peach"/"The Bitten Peach" led to "shared peach" (分桃) and "bitten peach" (餘桃） becoming a slang for "homosexual". This story is actually often posed as a fable of sorts. Mizi Xia was a courtier of Duke Ling of Wei (not to be confused with the later state of Wei) (ruled 534 — 492 BC) who was very good-looking and once shared a peach with the duke, who was charmed by the gesture and allowed Mizi Xia to use his carriage without having to ask permission. Later, when Mizi Xia's looks had faded, he lost favor with Ling-gong, who then said that Mizi Xia had stolen his carriage and insulted him by giving him a half-eaten peach. Still, Mizi Xia as a legendary figure is often referenced as the ideal lover.

A third story is just that of King Wei and Lord Longyang, which would've taken place somewhere around 260ish BC (give or take a decade). It was recorded briefly that once when the two were out fishing, Longyang began to cry, and when asked why, he said that he was afraid that when he lost his looks, the king, being surrounded by so many beauties, would eventually abandon him. As a result, in order to show Longyang that this was not the case, the king handed down the order that it would be forbidden to discus any other beauties, and punishment for doing so would be death to the entire family and confiscation of property (I know, extra). Later, Longyang was given a fiefdom by the king and "Lord Longyang" (龙阳君) is a slang for homosexual, with "the closeness of Longyang" (龙阳之好) and similar expressions (龙阳之兴) also being a synonym for homosexuality.

As for the other part of your question, I'd say yes....ish. "LGBT+" is a modern concept dominated by western queer/gender/sexuality studies in many ways so I personally do not find it useful to use this term when talking about or trying to understand (Chinese) history.

But yes, there homosexuality in ancient/imperial China, and it was not pathologised or treated as a medical issue or perversion for much of history (basically not until religious/Christian-based homophobia arrived and spread through China via Europeans, esp. missionaries). Neither Buddhism, Daoism, nor Confucianism, the most popular religions/philosophies in China throughout history and today, condemn homosexuality, either. TLDR; for the most part, homophobia was propagated during the Qing Dynasty via Western (European) influence.

Now, was it 'common'? As common as it is today, I suppose. Or, to answer the question I think you're more likely trying to ask: was it open? From my understanding, there were changes in attitudes toward same-sex relations (and sexuality in general) through the dynasties and in certain groups, but for much of pre-modern Chinese history, same-sex attraction and relations were accepted as a facet of life and society. It's often been said that the Tang Dynasty was extremely liberal in many areas including sexuality and sexual expression, whereas by the Qing dynasty, society was increasingly conservative, with more laws being affected to deal with prostitution and sexual deviancy (rape, assault, etc) (unfortunately probably linking homosexuality to deviance due to prevalence of male prostitution for example) while also infamously having a rich culture around (male) same-sex relations (homosexual, homoerotic) in Beijing opera up through the end of imperial China. Overall, Chinese history is so long and varied and attitudes toward and practices surrounding homosexuality changed.

People also got married for different reasons back in the day, i.e, political and social (financial) reasons. Confucius reasons, lol. If you do any reading into it, you'll probably find that Fujian province is often mentioned as place were homosexuality seemed prevalent. Such was even the practice that men would marry into one (usually the more powerful/better off one)'s family. Of course, at the end of the day, there was generally an expectation that one should produce offspring to continue on the family name; at that point there was either adoption or, one man might after a couple years take a wife or concubine (has a lower status/marital rights than a wife) and raise a child to fulfill their duties to family (as dictated by Confucianism).

I should add that lesbians through history often fly under the radar and are less academically explored but my understanding is that female same-sex relations (lesbianism, homoeroticism) was actually more prevalent and unwavering throughout the times, since laws, politics, and society were mostly concerned with what men were up to, basically. Although less discussed, depictions and mentions of lesbianism are nonetheless found in Chinese literature and art throughout history.

And, kind of a side note I couldn't figure out where to stick in this answer, it's worth noting that gender expression was different and somewhat still is different in China so it's ineffectual to completely map modern and western ideas/theories of gender/gender queerness and all that onto...things.

Uh oh the words are leaving me. Aaand I am starting to ramble anyway, so I'll leave it here. Obviously I did not source anything in this reply—I am really just summarising things off the top of my head so if you're truly interested in the subject, it's worth researching and verifying on your own. Maybe this response will give you ideas for jumping off points in any case.

#text #answered ask #long post #gay ask #同志历史 #there could be typos but........ i aint readn that LOL #< update: i read it and there were typos 😒 #sorry i took a couple days to get to this

[kyrieren]

Doumeki's irezumi

Irezumi (入れ墨, lit. 'inserting ink') is the Japanese word for tattoo, and is used in English to refer to a distinctive style of Japanese tattooing.

In chapter 53, Doumeki's back tattoo is revealed to be a "celestial maiden". Typically, irezumi incorporates motifs such as dragons, Buddhas, samurai, koi fish, and more, each carrying specific cultural and symbolic meanings referred to as wabori (和彫り). Intrigued by Doumeki's tattoo, I went asking if Doumeki’s tattoo is identified as any wabori and received responses suggesting it could represent either Nuwa (女媧) or Benzaiten (弁才天), given the details of snake and the stone in the goddess’ hands. After some research, Nuwa (女媧) seems to be more aligned with the story than Benzaiten (弁才天). However, I still present both of them and their possible interpretations in the story.

I. Nuwa (女媧)

Nüwa, is a mother goddess, cultural heroine in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. She is credited with creating humanity from clay by the river bank and repairing the Pillar of Heaven. Let’s focus on the myth of “repairing the Pillar of Heaven”.

The world of the first beings was very different from ours now. The earth was just in its infancy and was only separated from the sky by four very large pillars. One day, Gonggong (龔工), the god of water, and the god of fire, Zhurong (祝融) became locked in a massive battle that would determine the ruler of heaven. Gonggong, who was motivated by evil, ultimately lost the fight and crashed his head against Buzhou mountain—one of the four pillars holding up the heavens. The earth began to tremble and the pillar collapsed and ripped a hole in the sky. At this point, the earth was completely in tatters from Zhurong and Gonggong’s epic battle. Fires had scorched the earth, water was pouring incessantly from the hole in the sky. The ancient Chinese historian Sima Qian (司馬遷), recorded the following account of Nüwa’s heroic deed: “Hereupon Nüwa melted stones of the five colours to repair the heavens, and cut off the feet of the tortoise to set upright the four extremities of the earth. Gathering the ashes of reeds she stopped the flooding waters, and thus rescued the land.” From that moment on, the water in the heavenly palace no longer cascades on earth to cause harm to the people.

In mythology, Nuwa played a crucial role in repairing the sky hole and preventing heavenly water from pouring onto the earth. As rain – the water from the sky, the befallen suffering, is one of the main themes of Saezuru, the parallel is pretty evident. Given Doumeki’s persistence to stay in the yakuza world and his decision to have a wabori that big on his back, he is doing everything he can to manifest his devotion to stay on Yashiro’s side, end his suffering and protect him from any potential harms, even though up to the newest developments of the story, it doesn’t seem likely at all. They’re both confused and hurting each other.

II. Benzaiten (弁才天)

Benzaiten ( 弁才天 ) is the “goddess of eloquence" who originated mainly from the Hindu Indian Saraswati, goddess of speech, the arts, and learning. While Benzaiten retains many of the Indic attributes of Saraswati (as patron of music, the arts, eloquence, knowledge), she also has many unique aspects, roles and functions which never applied to the Indian goddess. As such, Benzaiten is now also associated with dragons, snakes, local Japanese deities, wealth, fortune, protection from disease and danger, and the protection of the state. Benzaiten is depicted in a number of ways in Japanese art, one of which is her portrait wielding a sword and a wish-granting jewel (cintāmaṇi). Eloquence and wish-granting? I haven’t been able to draw the parallel to Saezuru yet.

So I’d stick to the interpretation that Doumeki’s tattoo is Nuwa.

#saezuru tori wa habatakanai #saezuru #twittering birds never fly #doumeki chikara #囀る鳥は羽ばたかない #irezumi #celestial maiden #nuwa #mythology #yoneda kou #yaoi manga #tattoos

[ryin-silverfish]

LMK Fanfic: The Wild Son

AO3 Mirror

Nezha-centric one-shot. Or, "how the Third Lotus Prince learns to stop worrying and enjoy the exploration of death."

CW for suicide and extensive discussions of it. Similar to my previous story, this is very FSYY-inspired, which is shorthand for "pretty fucked-up".

Y'know, with the novel's version of Nezha's suicide being the most graphic and all.

...

The Devaraja of the North has a wild son, who bows not to his father, only the Buddha. The Buddha knows of his stubborn unreason, and sets upon his father's left hand, a pagoda.

——Su Zhe, "Nezha"

Over the years, he had really come to loathe That Look. 

You know, when these brats (technically, all mortals are kids to him) learned of his suicide and just gaped at him in wide-eyed horror. Usually followed by an "I'm so sorry" or "It's not your fault" or the slightly less grating "Man, your father sucks."

Duh, Dragonhorse Girl. Duh. But anyone who talked shit about Li Jing was in his good books, and he could at least appreciate Mei's straightforward nature.

Still, whatever prior impressions he left, he knew he was now seven years old and hurting again in their eyes, and would never stop being so. 

And it drove him nuts, because 1) it didn't even hurt all that much, and 2) why is offing yourself suddenly such a big deal? Apart from some ol' Confucian bores' rants about unfilial conduct, no participants in the War of Investiture had ever batted an eye at his death and resurrection; the problem was with what he did immediately afterward.

That said, death in the War of Investiture wasn't final, logical, or that big a deal either, until it suddenly was. 

...

Unlike killing, death didn't get less confusing even after you've kicked the bucket once. Nor was spending your time as a spooky ghost and getting your godhood rudely interrupted helpful, when it came to understanding the boundary between gods and ghosts, and how some people could come back but not the others.

Well, according to The Patricidal 7-years-old's Guide to Death and Deification:

People die when they get killed.

At which point they turn into a ghost, and float around going "Woe is meeeeee!" for a while before moving on to their next lives.

Unless they don't want to move on. In that case, they just haunt the living out of spite, and to get free stuff.

But wait! If enough people treat the ghost like a god and give them offerings, they'll become one and...dunno, make a new body outta faith or something. 

If someone's name is on The List, it's totally okay to kill them because they'll become gods after death.

Wait, isn't that dragon prince's name on The List too? Then why is his dad so angry when he killed him?

And sometimes, a Daoist master just pops a pill into the recently dead guy's mouth and they are alive again.

It took him a surprisingly long time to realize that The List was not all it's cracked up to be, and was basically the Poor Man's Godhood. Or that knowing someone would come back in the end didn't make their absence hurt any less. Or that they could come back, but would remain forever out of reach, shackled by the duties of godhood and the chains of causes and consequences. 

And even when a quick resurrection was possible, every death scarred the soul, making it fray and tear at the seams. Seven was the maximum. After dying and coming back seven times like poor Senior Uncle Jiang Ziya, not even The List could take your soul without it exploding into a billion little ghostfires that had more in common with ambience Qi than any living spirits.

He wondered if his inability to understand this fuss around offing yourself had something to do with a scar, too. 

But which one? Was it the first and most gruesome one, where returning your flesh and blood also meant ripping out the itty bitty pieces of souls that were embedded in them, clinging to your father and mother like muscle membranes on a bone? Was it the one that looked like an ugly crack on a gilded statue, widening, spreading, until it shattered altogether? Was it not a single scar, but a bunch of little holes in his essence, like wormbites on a leaf, or a pool of oozing sludge left by the Blood-melting Knife?

Assuming he still had a soul in the first place, of course. Maybe instead of a soul, there's only one huge patch of scar tissue where his three souls and seven spirits used to be, red and fibrous and angry. 

Yeah, try pulling *that* out of his body with a spell, suckers.

...

A popular god gains new domains like new year gifts. Namely, you seldom receive the ones you want, are stuck with the ones you were tired of, and have no idea where that pile over there even came from.

Sun Wukong shared a domain with him as the protector of youth, a fact he was strangely okay with. He took the silly and mischievous ones, while Nezha dealt with the moody, rebellious ones. An amicable arrangement, as far as dispute between overlapping domains went; were they ever to switch places, the result would be a disaster.

This, however, was when a joint operation would be really helpful.

Alas, he had no such luck. So here he was, sitting in the Megapolis Children's Hospital's inpatient ward, next to a girl with owl-like eyes and tubes inside her nose, who asked him "Being dead, what does that even mean?"

...

Nothing, 'cause it's something that happens to other people. That was how he would have answered this question, back when he was still a real kid, and not an 18-foot-tall immortal plant construct who could choose to look like a kid.

He did wish people would recognize him as something other than "god of youth", though. Or realize his older forms existed too. Somehow, when Jinzha's master appeared as a little boy with five hair buns, people didn't stop worshipping Old Dude Wenshu or Graceful Bodhisattva Wenshu, but one too many adaptations later, Nezha was just THE Kid God, and not also the Three-headed Six-armed War God of Setting Things On Fire. 

Bah.

But this was about Nezha the human (was he ever human, though, with the whole Spirit Pearl thing?) and Nezha the kid, not Nezha, Marshal of the Central Altar. Who didn't quite realize death was real, as in, a thing you should try to avoid for both yourself and others, and had been told that it was his destiny to dish out death to people in some epic upcoming war.

Master Taiyi, bless the old immortal, was a perfect case of someone who clearly cared so much, yet still managed to fuck up so badly.

For all his grudges against Jinzha's master (less about the whipping, and more about his damn cat killing the Jade Emperor), Wenshu made some good points: You did not tell a kid that you would protect him from all the consequences of his actions, then set him loose and expect him to not wreak havoc on unintended targets.

...

"What do you mean?"

He'd admit, this was not his finest hour. You weren't supposed to answer a question with a question, at least not in a way that didn't make you seem all mysterious and wise.

"I..." She trailed off. "I mean, I feel dead people all the time. Brushing past me, being all chilly and stuff. Since I'm gonna be joining you guys soon, I just wanna know...how it's like." The corner of her mouth twitched; either a grimace, or an attempt at smiling. "And you feel nicer than the others. Warmer, too."

He was no god of medicine, no matter how much he wished he could be one right now. Yet he could see the flames of her three souls, dimming with every passing second, as well as the blocks in her Qi flow, with one right behind her eyelids. Her sight was already gone, and in a week, these flames would go out entirely.

Sickness, he could heal, but not a passing ordained by the Book of Life and Death. As tempting as it was to pull a Sun Wukong, if he was to remove the name of one person, what was stopping him from removing another? And another? Before he knew, he'd be striking the name of every good person off it, and only chaos could result from that.

His gaze shifted to a small charm, fastened onto the bedframes with red strings. Made of peachwood, glowing gently in his vision, accompanied by the wisps of a prayer. Please watch over her, and take away her pain. Please don't let her face this alone.

Slowly, he extended a hand towards her, a tiny spark of pink flame dancing on his fingertip. If there were still ghosts in this room that hadn't fled when he first came in, they were definitely gone by now, as the darkness dispered in a surge of Yang-aligned Qi. 

"...Wow." She visibly relaxed, with a sigh. "Thanks." 

"No problem."

"Are you...also a kid, when you...you know? You sound like one."

"Yeah. But I've been dead for a long time. Long before this hospital was built." He let out a dry laugh. "I guess you could say I'm a professional at this whole 'death' thing."

"Huh. I thought after a while, people just...move on."

"They do, if they aren't trying to avoid the ghost cops. The Heibai Wuchang," he said. "Nowadays, they dress like cops too, but they show up for everyone, to take them to the Underworld. Not just bad ghosts that need to be arrested."

"What's the Underworld like?"

"Dunno. Never been down there." This was partially true. At the time of his death, the Underworld bureaucracy did not exist yet. Most of his knowledge of its workings came from chatting with Huang Tianhua, whose father was deified as the King of Mt.Tai, former head of the Ten Kings. "But you seem like a good egg, so they would send you straight to the Naihe Bridge, and onto your next life."

"That's...good to hear," she said. "I wanna know more about the, uh, ghost part, though. Does it stop hurting when you die? I've been...hurting for so long, I'm starting to forget what it's like, before...this."

"Yeah, the pain stops," he answered, "but so does everything else. You just stop feeling things altogether. Smell, touch, warm and cold and all that jazz." He paused. "Being a ghost is very, very boring."  

"And you still don't wanna go with the ghost cops?"

"Well, I killed myself, and that gets you stuck in the City of Wrongful Death." He blurted out, before realizing that this was the worse moment to be honest, and braced himself for the awkwardness to come. 

"Sounds like an awful place." 

"Pretty much. They said it was just full of depressed ghosts, being depressing together," he chuckled. "Yeah, thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll pass."

"Glad I didn't...go through with it, then." She said, then quietly added, "I nearly did, when the pain got too much, and the cost just kept rising."    

Well, that wasn't quite what he expected. But he wasn't too surprised, either.

...

They thought his suicide was an act of despair. It was insulting, honestly. Both to the strength of his will and spite, and his unconventional problem solving skills.

See, when people said that your body and skin and hair were given to you by your parents, the implicit message was So you can't do anything to them, and They own you, every bit of you, and above all, Obey. 

You weren't supposed to give them back, not so flippantly. Yet it was the simplest, most obvious solution, in the same way beating up the dragon king who tried to sue you was. (Guess he really was Taiyi's student.)

At the heat of the moment, it was quite thrilling. Almost liberating. Like a snake shedding its skin, a baby bird breaking out of its eggshells. As the raging storm and roaring tides drowned out Fate and Destiny's ever-tolling bells, for a second, he really felt like this was the end. 

No more Spirit Pearl, no more unruly child, woe of his mother, doom of his lineage. No more Li Jing, no more questionable advices from Taiyi, no stupid dragon kings, and none of that Vanguard of the Zhou Army crap. Just a kid sacrificing himself, laughing and laughing until he chocked on his own blood. 

Just Nezha.

But obviously, things didn't end here. Death rarely was the true end, nor did it tie things up neatly, like cutting through a knot with a sword. It was more akin to what you got when you broke a lotus root in half, full of sticky, near-invisible threads, stretching on and on between the scattered pieces.

...

Believe it or not, this wasn't the first time he had to deal with suicide, kids, or suicidal kids. Especially after gaining one of his more recent domains. He is the protector of all young people, regardless of who they fancy or whether their bodies match their souls, it was just that those who didn't fit the common denominator tended to get a lot of shit for existing. 

(As annoying as the "Third Princess" nickname was, he had no problem with people finding strength and comfort in his legends, in severing ties, defying norms, and blossoming inside a changed body. After all, that was what gods were; a mirror that reflected the worshippers' beliefs and needs back at them.)

A few decades ago, he was summoned by a teen, standing on the bank of a river, holding a stick of incense. Dunno where, just that it was a Hokkien-speaking area and one of his temples was nearby. 

They gave him a hopeful look when he showed up, emerging out of the water like an actual lotus plant, yet remaining miraculously dry. As hopeful as someone in their circumstance could manage, at least.

"Is it okay if I ask you to curse my parents?" 

"If that's what you want, you are praying to the wrong god," he replied. "And the kind of gods who accept such requests will make you pay a price you are never ready for."

"Damn. Guess I'll just have to come back and haunt them myself, then." 

They knelt down to stick the incense into the mud, then started wading their way into the shallows. He sighed, and they were promptly dragged back by his red sash, struggling furiously.

"Let go of me!" They screamed, muddy water splashing beneath their sneakers. "W-Why? I don't get it! Why are YOU stopping me? You, of all gods! The child who hacked himself to pieces, and tried to kill his asshole dad——"

"And got a burning pagoda dropped on him for his troubles." He said flatly. "Need I remind you that it all took place a thousand years ago, and I'm no longer out for his blood?"

"Oh, so they'd beaten it out of you! Good for you, I guess." They snapped. "But not me. Why would you even care if a freak like me died or not?"

"gin-na, you just admit you are gonna become a vengeful spirit. And I literally have 'subduing demons and harmful spirits' in my job description. So maybe, maybe, I'm gonna have a problem with that?"

"Even if they totally have it coming?" They retorted. The first two buttons of their collars had come loose in the struggle, exposing the ugly patch of bruised purple around their neck, as well as implications of worse things. "I thought gods were all for karmic justice."

"Especially if they have it coming," he said. "Which is why I'm stopping you. It's not gonna work."

"What does that even mean?"

"Ugh. Look. Suppose I let you drown, without alerting any ghostly officials. Suppose that you come back, haunt your parents night and day, and don't get yourself exorcised. Suppose that you inflict on them the same torment you were subjected to, and drive them to madness or some other gruesome ends." He said. "Then what? What are you gonna do afterwards?"

"I'll just...move on, I guess."

"To do that, you 'll have to cross the Naihe Bridge. And the Underworld officials won't let you off the hook that easily, not after you've accumulated all this negative karma by haunting the living." He shook his head. "I heard they take 'Hell is other people' quite literally, and punish people who hated each other by throwing both parties into the same Minor Hell, giving them a pile of lethal weapons, and resurrecting whichever side that gets killed. Over and over again." 

He leaned closer. "Is that what you really want? Getting stuck in the same pit with your parents for centuries to come? Mind you, even if you get tired of the violence, you are not allowed to quit until the Underworld officials let you."

Came to think of it, that was the War of the Investiture in a nutshell. No one was allowed to quit, not even in death.

"...No," they mumbled, after a long silence. "But it's still tempting. At least I'll get to do something to them."

"Well, here's a thing you can do to them."

"What?"

"Live."

"That's it? Seriously?" They stared at him in disbelief. "Because I own it to them? Because my very existence is a mistake or something?"

"No. Because you own it to yourself," he said, "and it is only a mistake if you believe so, and if they think you are a mistake, there's no better way to prove them wrong and rub it in their faces than keep existing. Think of it like this——you ain't gonna help them get rid of you, are you?" 

"Well, if you put it that way..." they paused. "But I'll still be depriving them of their favorite punching bag, at least."

"Is that what you think you are?"

"It's what I have been for the past few years."

"Yeah, sorry, but hell no. You can be way, way more than that." He grinned. "Why be a punching bag, when you can be their worst nightmare instead?"

"I thought you don't want me to haunt my parents?"

"Oh, no. You are gonna drive them nuts in a whole different manner: by growing into a successful, well-adjusted adult they no longer have any power over," his grin widened, "And watch them age into bitter, miserable old farts who'll die alone and forgotten, knowing that the moment they die, they'll be dragged straight into one of the Hells in chains, suffer for untold eons, and probably spend their next life as ants."

"That is...satisfying, not gonna lie." They bit into their lips. "But until then, I'll still be stuck with them. Thanks for the reassurance, though."

"Does that mean if I let go of you now, you aren't gonna dash into the river?" 

Upon receiving a nod, he whistled, and his sash loosened around the teen, floating back onto his shoulders. They staggered back; he prepared himself, watching out for tensed muscles and all the little tells of someone who was going to make a run for it. Thankfully, he spotted none, as they retreaded their steps back onto dry land, one muddy footprint at a time.

He wasn't entirely convinced that they wouldn't change their mind later, but it was a good start.  And he had just the idea to make it an even better start. 

His fingers started twisting in a mudra, weaving together threads of pink and golden light into the shape of his signature seal. No, he definitely didn't enjoy the kid's quiet gasp of wonder, as a lotus-patterned token fell out of thin air and right into his hands. It wasn't like he was a show-off or anything, unlike that ape.

"Here. Take this. Go to—" He paused and cursed himself. Dammit, he kept forgetting that mortals couldn't just sense temples and their giant beacons of faith. "Do you know there's a temple over there?" He pointed east, "Like, in that direction?"

"You mean Taizi Gong? Yeah." They nodded. "Grandma used to take me there."

"If you ever need a meal, or a place to stay the night, just show this token to the staff, and they'll help you out." He narrowed his eyes, and said the next sentence very slowly. "Also, if your life is ever in serious danger, like, no-time-to-call-the-cops danger, just hold it tight, say my name, and point it at whatever is threatening you. Do. Not. Use. It. Lightly. Understood?"

He intentionally let out a bit of his killer aura, as he uttered the last few words. Not hard to muster, considering the circumstances that first drove him to develop this token system. It was always awful when he was too late in his interventions, but he swore to the Three Pure Ones, if anyone ever triggered the spell with a prank call, when he arrived at the scene, they'd wish they got caught in the explosions instead.

They paled and nodded in quick succession, then started to turn away. Before remembering something, and coming to a halt mid-step.

"I...I don't even know how to thank you." They shook their head. "If it was too early for that. If 'Thanks' is even enough. But if you are right and I do find my way out of this mess, I'm building you a temple, Third Prince."

...

A temple. Build me a temple, mother. Build me a temple, mother, for I'm cold without a body, hungry without a stomach. He remembered himself crying out, once. Build me a temple so I can be back at your side again, isn't that what you want? What you said you would give up everything for, as you picked up my pieces and buried them in a shallow grave?

Build me a temple, or you'll never know peace again. 

The most frustrating part wasn't how much he sounded like the sorts of ghosts he'd beat up later, a lot, as Marshal of the Central Altar. It was the lack of context. As in, there was no memory of the before and after. Just words echoing in a vaccum, with neither pain nor sensations attached.

It was the same whenever he helped a mortal. It was the feeling he got when, twenty years later, he stood in front of a temple gate, watching the person in a suit cut the red ribbons during its opening ceremony, and thought, I've done something like this before, long ago, inside my first temple.

But I can't remember what it was, or for whom.

He knew that was how ghosts became gods. Three souls attracted by the fragrance of incense, seven spirits nourished by the ashes of burnt offerings. Ten shades of a person, molded back together into something more than the sum of its parts, by countless mud-stained, callused hands, clasped together in prayer.

He'd watched it happen before, on the coasts of Fujian. Little Lin Mo Niang, disappearing beneath the waves, only to rise out of the tides later as Mazu, guiding fisherfolks and sailors to shore with her gentle red light, just like she did in life.

Or maybe he had more in common with Guan Yu. The fugitive, the warrior with the might of a thousand man, the loyal companion. Who, despite his promise in the peach garden, did not die on the same day as his sworn brothers. Specifically, how his vengeance and fury used to hang over Jingzhou like a plague, how his name was once whispered in fear, before it became the synonym of loyalty, brotherhood and martial virtue.

Perhaps ghosts became gods when mortals poured pieces of themselves into them, filling up the holes in their psyche. Making them more human than they ever were, and could be.

Thanks to Li Jing's destruction of his idol, he'd never know. 

That——that was what sent him onto his roaring rampage of revenge, right after reviving in his lotus body. After everything else had been bled dry, rage was all he had. Like thick black tar, sticking to the bottom of a broken jar.

...

"What stopped you?" He asked, without really knowing why.

"My legs. Literally. They don't work anymore. And I'm...gonna die anyways, it's not really worth the effort..." Her breath hitched in her throat, yet she still managed to squeeze out the last few words, "Then my mom came back."

"I...I'm still a little mad that she left in the first place, like, long before this. But she had a nice singing voice, when she wasn't crying, and," she sighed, "didn't start arguing with dad again. She said I had a new little brother, and showed me the photos...and I was just like, hey, he looks like a raisin, and they laughed, and I haven't heard either of them laugh in a long, long time..."

She was starting to look dazed, stuck in that liminal space between dream and awakeness.

"And I, I wouldn't mind hurting a lil' longer, if it means I get to have more moments like that." 

What if you don't? A part of him wanted to ask. What if those moments are no more than baits on a straight hook, carrots on a stick, making it so that you are willing to hurt longer and longer until it's not even fleeting happiness you seek, just the mere promise of release?

But that was the bitterest, crueler part, and it could fuck right off.

"I'm sure they are glad to have you, too." In the end, that was all he managed to say, in a whisper she might or might not have heard, and only got a small yawn in return.

"Well, you sound like you're about to doze off. So I won't keep you up any longer," he said. "Any last questions, before I go?"

"What do you...look like?"

"Huh?"

"When I die, I'll get to...see things again, right?" She asked. "And you can't be the only kid here. Just...wanna...go over and say hello, before the ghost cops come." 

"Oh, I'm very recognizable. You don't see a lot of folks with twin hair buns nowadays." He laughed softly. "And I promise you, when the time comes, I'll be right here, inside this very room."

"Thanks," she nodded. "G-G'night, ghost friend."

"Farewell, and sleep tight."

...

When did you stop being fun? Sun Wukong asked him, once.

When you started being nothing but jokes, he wanted to scream back. When you shut yourself in your cave for five hundred years to take a depression nap, while I drain just as much power answering the prayers of mortals as I get from their worship, and my true body is stuck guarding the fire that burn away worlds. When Yang Jian had stopped giving a crap about everything that happened outside of his precious Sichuan, me included.

When I grow the fuck up, monkey. We all do, sooner or later, yet you never seem to.

But then he remembered the look on Sun Wukong's face, as the mountain came down. A look he had seen on the faces of so many souls, as they were called up the Terrace of the Investiture. 

It was Ao Guang clutching onto his son's tendons with trembling, scaly hands. It was his mother kneeling in the dirt, begging for his life and unlife. It was him handing Huang Tianhua's head back to Huang Feihu. The eldest of Zhao Gongming's three sisters, muttering a quiet "Sorry, brother" before she was swept away by Lao Tzu's scroll. Guang Chengzi looking Yin Jiao in the eyes, as they dragged his plow up the hill. 

It was a monk postponing his Buddhahood in favor of the path of the Bodhisattva, swearing a vow that, for every life, he should learn the meaning of compassion anew, and teach it to others.

A pig who was once a marshal, too weighed down by his desires to attain enlightenment, who nonetheless went on to live a good life, full of good food and few regrets.

A soldier made into a monster after one simple mistake, who decided he was better than that, and, with quiet determination, followed his brother and master into samsara as their guardian.

It was a white dragon, destined to set things aflame and be consumed by flames, yet burning brightly all the same, a goofy grin on his face.

So he just gritted his teeth and kept on fighting. It was what he was made for, what he always did.

And it wasn't enough. 

...

But when was anything ever enough? When did Fate or Destiny ever pat anyone on the head, and tell them they did a good job, and they'd be free of suffering, just like that?

When were there ever easy answers, for mortals and gods alike?

Azure Lion thought there would be one, that the right person on the throne could magically make it all better, and he shattered trying to make himself into that person.

One step at a time. One answer at a time. A promise kept, a visit made. That was how you do it. 

After all, the great lump of molten colors Nüwa used to seal the cracks in the sky——they were but little pebbles too, once upon a time.

...

"Told you I'll be here." That was the first thing he said, as he unsummoned his wheels and sat down in midair, cross-legged.

"Oh. Well. I," The translucent girl let out a small laugh. She tried to scratch her head, before realizing she couldn't anymore. "I certainly wasn't imagining this, when you said 'twin hair buns'." 

"Do you have reasons to, though?" He asked. "People usually don't see the Third Lotus Prince on their deathbeds."

"No. But it's pretty obvious in hindsight, with the warmth and all these little hints." She shook her head. "Dangit. Now I just feel kinda dumb. Still, it's good to see you again, sir...Third Prince?"

"Nezha would do. I suppose I make much better company than the ghost cops, right?"

Behind the hospital screen, the man wearing a tall black hat grumbled something about people not appreciating their jobs, before being cut off by a "Ha! Checkmate, Lao Fan!"

"Yeah. It's a little distracting when you were dying, and two guys were just having a chess game five feet away," she said. "The cheerful one is a better player, though."

"Only because you keep giving him tips!" The man snarked back. "How does it feel like to cheat via a dying kid, Xiao Xie? I bet you feel real proud of yourself right now."

"How does it feel like to lose to a dying kid?" His colleague laughed, sticking his tongue out way further than any living humans were capable of, or comfortable with. "She gave you tips too, you just aren't good enough to use them well. And she's good. Real good. This one thinks she may just be a chess champion in her next life!"

"Thank you, Mister Xie. I learned it from my grandpa."

It was such a blessing that these two didn't exist yet, at the time of his death. As grim and thankless as their duties were, Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu were also the most annoying pair of ghosts he ever met, the former taking nothing seriously and the latter taking everything way too seriously.

"Hey. You two, shut up and show some respect." He snapped, before turning to the girl. "I'm sorry you have to endure their presence."

"That's right, Xiao Xie! Even the Third Lotus Prince tires of you and your constant jesting!"

"This one thinks if we pay our proper respect to everyone that has ever died, we'll have no time to actually do our job." Xie chuckled. "Besides, he is clearly talking about the one who is constantly yelling, and incapable of losing gracefully. But alright, this one shall do as you command."

"...Let's go talk somewhere else." He sighed. "These two clowns are giving me a headache."

She giggled a little, as the screen parted with a wave of his hand, revealing the two psychopomps sitting on the nearby bed. "Their hats do look like clown hats."

"The clowns can hear you, you know?" Fan snarked, before picking up his baton and making a gesture in their direction. "Whatever. Begone. And remember our deal: you have four hours. Not a second more, not a second less. Understood?"

"Did you just admit to being a clown too?" Xie grinned. "This one does think a red nose will suit you well."

"Sometimes I seriously wonder why I ever agreed to become your sworn brother, Xiao Xie."

He led the girl out of the room, just as medical personnels started coming in, carefully concealing his presence from the mortals' eyes. The girl made a face when her hand passed through the doorframe, but quickly recovered.

"Where are we going?"

"Anywhere you like." He replied. "Your home, your old school, that really cool arcade or amusement park you never get a chance to visit...and you don't have to choose one. Distance is not a factor at all," with a blaze of pink fire, his wheels were back under his boots again, "when I'm the god of speedy drivers. So take your time."

"Hmmm. I think," she said, after a long silence, "I wanna go see my mom, and my little brother first. Is that okay?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Let's be on our way, then." 

"Alright. Leeeego!"

#lego monkie kid #lmk fanfiction #nezha #lmk nezha #journey to the west #investiture of the gods

[stirringwinds]

When do u think the modern personification of Korea was born? Cause there is the kingdom of Goguryeo which place Korea at like 4000(but like would it be like a china situation where it’s the same personification who’s just stupidly old or like Greece and Egypt where they had an ancient version) there’s also the three kingdoms period which started about 2000 years ago. Or there’s even the more modern eras like Joseon. I’m just curious how old u see the current personification as.

*Gojoseon I accidentally typed the wrong G kingdom. Goguryeo was later on. Sorry for any confusion

thanks for the question! this is my personal take on it: yong-soo is at least 2000 years old; he thus dates back to the three kingdoms period rather than to gojoseon. i do think there's always some wiggle room with the age of a personification and how we interpret history so i can see other variations; my main hard no is making him too young (such as born after the 1950 korean war...please no).

contemporarily, yong-soo represents south korea, but in the beginning, i see him as the old korean kingdom of silla. nations don't suddenly spring into existence overnight, so while silla was was officially founded in 57 BCE, he's probably older than that. that's just the latest date i see him being around by. yong soo, imo, also has/had at least two brothers: goguryeo (who later represents north korea after wwii) and baekje, who was kiku's close ally—as per how, in real history, the kingdom of baekje and yamato japan had quite an important alliance. baekje dies by a combination of yong-soo and yao's actions after the baekje-tang war—as per how baekje got annexed into the kingdom of silla, and china crushed the japanese forces attempting to support baekje restorationists at the battle of baekgang. i don't think yong-soo necessarily wanted his brother to die, but it was a power struggle, and those have consequences (as tang dynasty yao would probably say coolly, while seated atop his war horse...😔)—nations mirror humans, and how often have royal houses across different cultures warred against family members throughout human history? so, it's kind of sombre but there were once three brothers.

overall, i see yong-soo as an old nation who's lived many lives before his present incarnation as the republic of korea (and in the east asian cosmology; reincarnation is quite a familiar concept for us). i see him being older than kiku, and he's the one who taught kiku advanced shipbuilding and navigation, as a reflection of how mariners/shipbuilders from silla influenced japan. this is naturally very ironic from the meiji era onwards, particularly when korea comes under japanese colonial rule, and kiku refashions himself as a 'modern' naval power. so, rather than the canon dynamic that seems to posit a rather youthful yong-soo vs. old man china and japan...imo it's really Old Men Wrestling with the Confucian Hierarchy All the Way Down (even if Yong-soo's skincare regimen means he looks good and he is skilled at putting on a friendly and youngish persona if need be). one implication that's important to me about yong-soo's age is exploring how he and kiku (and also yao) have a very old relationship that runs deep due to all that history and cultural exchange, but it is naturally, far from easy.

#hetalia #hws south korea #hws north korea #hws baekje #hws japan #hetalia headcanons #im yong soo

[nicolekaptan]

A Confucian Confusion (1994) dir. Edward Yang

#a confucian confusion #edward yang #chen shiang chyi #yi wen chen

[treethymes]

When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang is a tv documentary produced by Hirokazu Kore-eda in 1993. It follows Edward Yang during the shooting of A Confucian Confusion (1994) and Hou Hsiao-hsien following the premiere of The Puppetmaster (1993) and during the production of a commercial for Mitsubishi.

Literally the day I started working on translating this, subtitles by another group were uploaded. Their subtitles translate the speech of the Taiwanese subjects directly (as opposed to only going off of the Japanese subtitles) and included translations of Chinese text, whereas I can only translate whatever’s in Japanese. I ended up taking out some of their work which would not be understandable to a typical Japanese viewer, but I also kept some of it in. I also retained some of their phrasing here and there.

Anything in Japanese, I went through as thoroughly as I could on my own and consulted my friend @aaaamuddy on some bits of dialogue I couldn’t understand.

#hou hsiao hsien #edward yang #hirokazu kore-eda #my translation

[tavina-writes]

In the Confucianism Book of Conduct 礼记, it talked about 3 kinds of ‘revenges’

《礼记》《曲礼上》“父之仇弗与共戴天,兄弟之仇不反兵,交游之仇不同国。”

Killing of father cannot be in existence under the sky, meaning, must take revenge for the killing of one’s father.

I was reading about chinise culture and read that. So, in mdzs, jl was supposed to kill his father's murder, based on chinise philosophy? That's why he stabbed wwx? I am curious ( and if it is like that, his forgiveness is even more important to me, at least)

Also, if it's not too much, what's your opinion about one of the last jc's scene, where jc raises his hand and then doesn't hit jl? I've read a ton of meta (breaking the circle of abuse... When we know he has never hit jl!). The scene confuses me and I was wondering if maybe I lack cultural contest.

Nonny, I'm not entirely certain where the emotional disconnect is on JL stabbing WWX except for I guess protagonist goggles. Like this isn't even a matter of philosophy, Chinese characters and people are not a giant black hole of "well they're too different for us to understand using human emotions!" nor are Chinese characters and people a monolith of "philosophy" and "cultural practices" that cannot be parsed outside of the in group.

Basically I guess what I'm asking here is "if someone tragically orphaned a child at age (1) month and that child is now a 13 year old who had a sword would you understand why this child stabbed the person who orphaned them, yes or no." I doubt Jin Ling was quoting philosophy about how he had to get revenge for his dad at that moment and more just? having an understandable human reaction? We can argue until 2300 about if it was the "correct" and "moral" reaction or not, but imo it was....an emotional reaction...much like how lots of characters in American media have human and emotional reactions.

(Also the revenge genre is not a uh, wholly Chinese concept, as far as I know lots of cultures round the world including the French which produced The Count of Monte Cristo also have stories about how you should take revenge against those who have wronged you. See Inigo Montoya's "you killed my father, prepare to die" from The Princess Bride as well.)

Lots of other people have written about JC's last scene in much more detail and much more eloquently than I will be able to manage here after grad school has started to fry my brain, if there isn't a consensus there, it just means that lots of people interpret that scene in a variety of different ways! pick the one you like best! Lit analysis is not a one size fits all correct answer generator.

#asks and answers #sometimes I do wonder if insisting that 'you have to take x into account' #has made people more likely to think there's some mystery in cnovels that can only be deciphered with cultural knowledge #and I mean yes in some ways #but also no in a lot of others #it's not mysterious it's just an emotional reaction sometimes #things are *influenced by* culture and philosophy #and it's nice if people like #yknow #know what holidays these people ought to be celebrating and not call hanfu kimono or whatever because that's racism! #but no chinese person I know is only influenced by confucian philosophy and not their very real human emotions #which all humans have #unfortunately you can swing too hard the other way and make chinese people sound like unrelatable aliens #idk where I'm going with this #jin ling #wei wuxian

[literalite]

character questions time!! please answer for whoever you think would have the most interesting answers! (can be a different sim for every question)

18, 19, 23, 25, 28, 32, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47

(sorry, I know that's a lot of questions, I just love hearing about people's ocs!!!)

hi!! tysm for this i decided to split the questions between a fewww different characters (i should really get a character page together so this is less confusing)

maria volkov:

18. is your sim neurotypical or neurodivergent?

i would consider her mildly autistic? most of the pack members are neurodivergent in one way or another though so it's not like a huge part of her life tbh

19. is your sim a pet person? if so what is their favourite animal? 

most of the pack aren't really pet people in general sdfghk kind of a byproduct of becoming a giant wolf at least once a month. she really likes horses though, and is one of the few members of the pack to own one. his name is florus

avelina:

23. are they planning to go or have they already been to college? if so, what would be or what was their major?

she wass planning to go to college and major in physics and work her way up to astrophysics eventually

25. what is one thing your sims wants to do before they die?

this is ambitious of her but she really wants to discover her own brand new star. or planet. anything really, she isn't picky

28. does your sim like books? if so what’s their favourite one?

she's a stem girly and doesn't really enjoy reading thaaat much, especially fiction- i don't think she has a favourite book

daniel zhu:

32. is your sim religious?

insofar as he believes in the general tenets of confucianism (which can either be a philosophy or a religion depending on which way you look at it) and also ancestor worship, yes

41. what does your sim look for in a romantic partner? 

he likes people who are very clear and honest about what they want and like- he admires courage a lot! he's sort of more of a follower than a leader mentality and he likes someone who'll take charge and be steadfast in their own beliefs. being short and cute is also something he's found he enjoys ghjkl

42. what is a secret about your sim?

he thinks sometimes he's a bit too serious and predictable and boring of a person ToT every attempt to drive himself out of his comfort zone has been WILDLY uncomfortable for him. the mullet is the most hip concession he can make for himself... dressing even slightly more daring than usual is terrifying for him

heiya:

43. what is a wish your sim has?

she'd like to visit japan sometime, see if she has any living family members over there. she's just never been outside of america...

44. what is a flaw your sim has?

when faced with a difficult situation she's very prone to hiding parts of the truth from others if she thinks they can't handle it or be of any active use in working out a solution. ummm a good comparison to this would be batman's tendency to hide the moving puzzle pieces of an unfolding case from his batfamily. it's not that she doesn't trust other people..... okay she might not trust other people. sometimes it works to her benefit but sometimes it might not

47. If they have one, what is your sim’s greatest regret?

she regrets not saving them. or at the very least telling them she loved them one last time

#PHEW this took me a while thanks though morri #ask #reply #morrigan-sims #the collective xtras

[tosahobi-if]

Hi Yeri, I just wanted to say I loved your demo & I think this WIP has so much potential! This is my introduction to this genre so honestly I was a bit confused at first, but I really liked the popups that explain terms in the demo, those help a lot. Also your writing & characterisation are A++, I can’t wait for future updates!

I had a few clarification qs if that’s ok, hopefully they’re not too dumb lol. I saw that this is called “muhyeop” and based on Korean culture, but then how come it’s set in China instead of Korea? Also if it’s set in China, would that make it it part of the “wuxia” genre? That’s what came up when I googled muhyeop to find out more about it. Also I found this reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/noveltranslations/comments/pz30cz/info_chinese_wuxia_novel_and_korean_muhyeop_novel/), would you say it’s a good explainer for beginners?

thank you so much anon! to answer your question i talked about it a little here! essentially the main difference most people agree on (like what the reddit thread says) muhyeop has less fantastical elements than standard xianxia. it lightly touches on the different generations of muhyeop novels but in general, from a current perspective the differences are pretty blurry nowadays haha. tosahobi takes inspiration from both wuxia and muhyeop stories, and i'll explain it a little (lot) more under the cut!

the setting itself is in china (if you didn't already know mount hua is a real mountain) but some characters are be korean, some characters are different chinese ethnicities, and some are japanese – they're loosely tied to certain historic regions, but beyond the broad strokes the story is a high fantasy. the jianghu is a fictionalized version of historical china (and neighboring countries) so the best way to describe it is a mishmash of places, times, and events.

the important thing to keep in mind here is that it is is a high-fantasy setting that co-exists with the real world via aspects like mythology, confucianism, and some basic history. you can think of it a little like european fantasy stories like lotr or game of thrones, or hell, even something by sarah j maas HAHAHA. there's no singular way to write a euro-centric fantasy story, hence there's not one singular label you can place on muhyeop stories either, it's an amalgamation of genres.

to get a little into the world of tosahobi, the setting is very loosely based around two time periods: the reign of three kingdoms of korea (goguryeo, baekje, and silla) post-annexation over buyeo, a kingdom located in what is currently northeastern china by several decades, and during the sui dynasty in china, which re-unified china proper during its very short reign.

this period was marked by several attempts to annex goguryeo, a stark contrast to previous collaborations that led to the capture of liaodong (which is the birthplace of the mc!)

the great calamity which i went into a little more detail here is a kingdom in the northeast loosely based upon the commanderies of han and predecessors to the korean kingdoms. i highly suggest you look into sino-korean influences to get a broader idea of the interconnected relationships between the different kingdoms and empires!

#anon #world building #i hope this is helpful! #sorry it took me so long to answer asdjfsj