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audriel · 4 months

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fourteen: behind the scenes

this story can be said a character study of Fang Rui and his relationships (tbh when is it not lol).

in truth, in the earliest draft, there's only one relationship that's become the focus, but as it typically happens, the character and the story tend to take a life of its own. but ultimately what brings it to completion is the Secret Santa prompt. as per en's request, the two characters chosen to become the main focus in their relationship with Fang Rui are Ye Xiu and Yu Wenzhou, with two more from the Chinese Glory team. so special mention to en (empatbelas) since they’re the reason this story gets completed.

Huang Shaotian: in comparison to the other three, there's no obvious interaction in the novel that suggests that they are closer than the typical familiarity between top gods of the League. it doesn't help that Huang Shaotian (and Fang Rui himself) is friendly with everyone. Huang Shaotian among the first to comment in Fang Rui's weibo post, then Fang Rui joins Happy's bullying of Huang Shaotian during the pre-match handshakes in the playoffs. until the prequel 'Summer of Blue Rain' that is.

not only Fang Rui shows up in Blue Rain, he also calls Huang Shaotian, Shaotian. again, considering how naturally friendly they are, it might not be enough as an evidence of their closeness. however, it's important to note that both spend time together in Blue Rain, and considering how tight-knit Blue Rain is and how social the two are, it's not impossible that they are more than merely colleagues and rivals, but friends that chat and hangout together outside of games.

Zhou Zekai: in the novel, there's only one notable interaction outside of games between the two, which is when they encountered each other after Samsara-Happy first regular match of Season 10. then there's a mention of a familiarity that's typical between pro players that debut together during the finals, but it doesn't suggest Fang Rui is as close to Zhou Zekai as Wu Yuce or even Zhou Guangyi, though it's interesting to point out that he called the latter Old Zhou, likely because he called Zhou Zekai, Little Zhou. however, then there's the prequel.

there's a pattern in the prequels: For the Glory and the Expectations of the Mediocre. all the stories tends to revolve around first meetings: Ye Xiu-Su siblings. Ye Xiu-Han Wenqing. Ye Xiu-Wu Xuefeng. Sun Zheping-Zhang Jiale. Yu Wenzhou-Huang Shaotian-Wang Jiexi. Wang Jiexi-Fang Shiqian. Yu Wenzhou-Huang Shaotian-Zhang Xinjie-Xiao Shiqin. Zhou Zekai-Fang Minhua. and based on the characters that become the focus, they are all play important roles for each other: partners, rivals, tacticians. they are equals.

and in the latest prequel, in what supposed to be Zhou Zekai and Samsara focus, suddenly a wild Fang Rui appeared. and he's not a mere cameo, unlike his previous appearance. he actually has an actual interaction, genuine exchange. and for people who's quiet and introverted like Zhou Zekai, they tend to stick close to people they're familiar with when they're getting into new place aka the League. Fang Rui might be the first friend he made outside Samsara, and quite possibly, his partner and/or rival in the future (or BB just plain adore FR, which is... fair, me too).

Yu Wenzhou: before the prequel, it's less likely for Fang Rui to be close to Yu Wenzhou, in comparison to Huang Shaotian. although there's a notable interaction in the playoffs when Lu Hanwen attempted to play dirty, the keyword here is 'attempted', making Fang Rui rolled on the ground laughing as he gestured wildly towards Blue Rain team. the one being shown having a reaction towards him is Yu Wenzhou (though this also points out how good of a relationship he has with his old team that he dares to openly tease them right in the middle of the match, it's the playoffs too).

then there's the prequel, while Fang Rui appears to mainly summon Huang Shaotian for his new silver weapon, he stays behind and calls Yu Wenzhou, Wenzhou. Unlike Huang Shaotian, Yu Wenzhou is more reserved and not to mention he's Swoksaar successor and future captain, even young as they were, I don't think any ordinary newbie (as per timeline suggests that the Challengers League conclude around the same time of S3, Fang Rui should only have less than a year in the training camp) would have that kind of familiarity with Yu Wenzhou. i come to believe, as reflected in this story, that in actuality Fang Rui is closer to Yu Wenzhou than Huang Shaotian.

Ye Xiu: and lastly, putting the most important relationship and the one that started everything. as i fall in love with Fang Rui, i recall vividly all his scenes and his interactions with others. his dynamics with Ye Xiu particularly caught my eye. Wei Chen is the first who can keep up with his trash talk in Happy, but ultimately after they officially enter the Glory Pro Alliance, it's Fang Rui. Su Mucheng is undeniably his best partner, but Fang Rui is Ye Xiu's partner in trash talk and in close range offensive. there are plenty of instances of these two working together in dealing damage in close range (i can give the receipt, if anyone wants it). these are some of my favorite interactions:

"Nice snipe." Fang Rui's Boundless Sea said in the public chat. "I can't stay rusty forever :)" Ye Xiu replied with a smiley face. -Chapter 1163

"Clearly explain? You didn't explain at all!" Fang Rui said. "I saw that he was looking at them himself!" Ye Xiu said. "What use is looking at them himself! Are the rules that easy to digest? You need to properly teach him how to exploit the loopholes in the rules." "You shut your mouth, is exploiting loopholes and whatnot something that a respectable pro player should do?" "But there will always be a few sneaky players that do this. To defeat their sneaky tricks, you first have to understand how they'll be sneaky!" said Fang Rui. -Chapter 1164

"The ones who should be strictly criticized are the two players who went up next. Two players, and you couldn't take down the opponent's one player? Especially the third player, the great general anchoring the group arena, Fang Rui! The team didn't spend so much money to get you over here just so you could be a useless dim sum! You couldn't even take care of a Wang Jiexi?" Ye Xiu berated him. The tone of that "couldn't even take care of a Wang Jiexi" was deafening! Ever since Wang Jiexi had entered the Alliance, the reporters had never heard this kind of sentence before. "Yeah yeah yeah." To the side, Fang Rui confessed, ashamed, "I messed up, I couldn't focus my spirits to play well. Someone like Wang Jiexi, I should at least be able to fight ten of him." "That's a bit much!" Ye Xiu said. "Eight?" Fang Rui said. "Mm." Ye Xiu nodded. -Chapter 1195

“What do you mean? We purposefully gave you a shot at him, y’know?” In the chat, Fang Rui replied to Wei Chen. “Look at what wonderful people we are, giving you a chance to show off in front of your disciple. Where’s your gratitude?” Ye Xiu added. “Fine, thank you, you dumbasses,” Wei Chen retorted. -Chapter 1415

At such a crucial moment of time, Happy’s team members were still relentlessly trash talking Wei Chen, reminding him that it wouldn’t look good if his junior to defeated him. “You’re twice his age!” Ye Xiu reminded. “More than,” Fang Rui corrected. “If you get cut down so easily then that would be quite the embarrassment,” Ye Xiu said. “Indeed.” This time, Wei Chen didn’t reply. Naturally, this wasn’t because he was alright with being mocked like this, but it was because he couldn’t spare any effort into arguing with these two -Chapter 1416

“If you were my opponent, I definitely wouldn’t have fallen for that,” Fang Rui said honestly to Ye Xiu. “Nah, you definitely would have,” Ye Xiu replied back honestly. “Definitely wouldn’t have.” “Definitely would have.” -Chapter 1525

“How’s it going there? If you’re still holding on, type 1,” Fang Rui messaged. “11111111111,” Ye Xiu typed a line of 1s, showing that he was doing great. “Wow, amazing! What are we even here for?” Fang Rui replied. He was actually very shocked. -Chapter 1618

those interactions never fail to bring a smile to my face. their exchange is easy, comfortable. while at the same time when they do it during games, neither loses their focus. there also are times when they use it to cover their real intentions or use it as a mental attack, making their opponents second guess. then, i thought of the teams they left behind.

i cannot imagine Excellent Era with Liu Hao and Wind Howl with Tang Hao responding positively to their trash talk or their overall playful, not so serious exchange, not realizing it’s also their way to lighten the team’s mood. i imagine how lonely it has been, how difficult and uncomfortable it might be, and yet here they are in Happy. another person, their teammate who can actually give as good as they get, without getting offended or losing focus in game. it’s like finding someone who can get your jokes. if i’m that happy in that situation, i bet Ye Xiu and Fang Rui are too.

and i want to particularly highlight these two interactions:

"Good joke. On the other hand, look at how sincere I am," Fang Rui said to Ye Xiu after leaving the stage, and was met with a kick. -Chapter 1139

"You useless dim sum! Are you looking for death! Hurry up and kneel!" Ye Xiu hit Fang Rui on the head. "My mistake, my mistake!" Fang Rui was weeping and crying. The others didn't know whether to be angry or amused. This communication issue was really a big problem! -Chapter 1208

my memories might be faulty, but i really, really cannot recall Ye Xiu being as physical with others as he has been with Fang Rui (besides Su Mucheng, but like that’s only once too, i think cmiiw). that’s display of another level of comfort right there

this also brings me to the other dimension of trash talk (and dirty playstyle).

Fang Rui had completely ruined the tense atmosphere in the stadium. The peak-level match had suddenly turned into an in-game 1v1 in the Glory Arena. -Chapter 1605

Fang Rui received a warm welcome from Happy’s fans. As they cheered, he strutted around as if Happy wasn’t the team falling behind right now. He walked onto the stage, waving his hands towards the crowd as if he had won. It was only until the referee rushed over and berated him did he go into the player booth dejectedly. The crowd laughed. The tense atmosphere from Zhang Jiale’s 1v2 had lightened considerably. [...] The public chat had been very calm previously, but Fang Rui’s presence changed that. “How mighty! 1v2!” Fang Rui gave praise towards Zhang Jiale. “It’s not over yet!” Zhang Jiale replied. “It pretty much is,” Fang Rui said. [...] You could say it was dirty, but that explosive burst of qi was very heroic. You could say that it was tyrannical, but hiding behind a wall and gathering qi was very dirty… In any case, Happy had won this round. It was a clean victory, chasing back the advantage that Zhang Jiale had gained. If Fang Rui’s previous interactions with the crowd had eased the crowd’s tension, then his dominating performance this round was a tranquilizer to Happy’s fans. -Chapter 1491

these excerpts can be said to be the best examples of how much a mood maker (or destroyer) Fang Rui can be. he can only pull this off if he is perceptive, he’s sensitive towards people’s moods and knows how to influence them. so it’s not a stretch to say that Fang Rui is a master at people’s psychology. and interestingly, this exchange sounds a bit familiar…

"Our captain is mighty." "If you've got the time to spout useless words, why don't you use it on moving your character instead?" The praise that he had typed into the public chat was only met with Ye Xiu's disdain. [...] Liu Hao would never forget the icy contempt that Ye Xiu showed towards his well-meaning compliment. To Liu Hao, calling out a beautiful play by a teammate was a way of boosting the morale of the team, but Ye Xiu maintained that his praise was too excessive. -Chapter 1279-1280

why is there such a difference in response from Ye Xiu? is it because of it’s directed towards an opponent instead of teammates, as it can be disruptive? Ye Xiu’s explanation in that very same match is that Liu Hao is always unable to put one hundred percent of his attention into the match. there are far too many other things he’s concerned about. is that all, or is there something else?

my first and main guess, is that Ye Xiu has a higher and better regard for Fang Rui. this started from their first official interaction in the novel.

"In the end, it's the experienced players who are harder to deal with!" When Ye Xiu saw Fang Rui's decision, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. [...] In the end, it's the experienced players who are harder to deal with! Fang Rui came up with the same evaluation. -Chapter 1110

what’s also interesting in this chapter is that this shows their thoughts, and their thoughts are strikingly similar. this also might be BB sowing the seeds early of how Fang Rui would have fit in Happy under Ye Xiu easily.

“He’s not wasting the foundation that Mo Fan lay down for him. What a reliable guy!” Ye Xiu sighed. -Chapter 1447

Reliable, such an assessment coming from Ye Xiu should be a huge compliment. after all, this is the man who believes that Glory isn’t a single-player game.

“You gonna be okay?” Ye Xiu grinned as he asked Fang Rui. For the other Happy players who didn’t know that Fang Rui wasn’t himself right now, it didn’t sound like anything was wrong. The team had four senior members. Apart from Su Mucheng, the other three weren’t exactly the most serious people. It was common for them to talk trash about each other. But Fang Rui knew that these seemingly normal joking words had real meaning today. “Even if I’m not, I’ve got to go. The team really can’t do without me,” Fang Rui said proudly. The others on Happy didn’t find anything wrong, but Ye Xiu could hear what Fang Rui was implying: Yes, we don’t have any other choice. No matter how things are, I have to go. Ye Xiu didn’t say anything more. He wasn’t completely clear how Fang Rui’s condition was, but he knew that Fang Rui was a responsible player. He wasn’t going to play if he didn’t think he could win. It could only mean that he could still fight. He didn’t want to go before probably because he only wanted to fight if it was necessary, and right now was the time. -Chapter 1655

Responsible.

THIS. this might be what sets Fang Rui apart from Liu Hao the most: he’s a responsible player. he always sees the big picture, he thinks of the ultimate goal: victory, and he never forgets he needs a team to achieve that. his trash talk and his playful demeanor onstage and offstage, his silence when he’s not feeling the best, his voluntary choice to step up when needed… are all in consideration of victory, and being as perceptive (and former vice captain) as he is, he knows how important morale is. Liu Hao can preach as much as he wants that he wants to boost the team’s morale, but Ye Xiu isn’t buying it, he knows Liu Hao’s doing it for himself, not for the team, not really as he’s always concerned about other things irrelevant to the game, to victory.

it’s no wonder that Ye Xiu finds it easy to trust Fang Rui despite having less time to build a rapport with, especially compared with the rest of Happy who has been building the team with him from scratch, and even when he’s not exactly close to Fang Rui. i say this with confidence because it’s noted that Ye Xiu needed to open a new chat window to pull Fang Rui to Happy, which means their only contact is limited to around official matches or All-Stars.

Ye Xiu’s trust and reliance in Fang Rui shows up many times throughout the novel, but it’s notably obvious in during the playoffs.

“I would’ve been fine even without your help,” Fang Rui suddenly said. “Huh?” Steamed Bun replied. “Not you, Steamed Bun,” Ye Xiu typed a reply as fast as he could. Though he knew that Fang Rui was talking to him, but if they let Steamed Bun misunderstand, then things would go downhill very fast. “We’re counting on you, Steamed Bun,” Fang Rui also broke out into cold sweat, hurriedly pitching in and making sure that Steamed Bun was focused and happy. [...] Ye Xiu and Fang Rui’s hearts calmed. Let him be as wasteful as he wants; it’s better than going completely out of it. “It’s all up to you!” Ye Xiu once again made sure Steamed Bun focused, but his words had a second meaning. Fang Rui understood, knowing that Ye Xiu was actually talking to him. As for Steamed Bun, the other cheerfully gave an acknowledging reply. Fang Rui didn’t dare tell him the truth of the matter. -Chapter 1474

Ye Xiu is trusting the handling of Steamed Bun, the most difficult to understand player in Happy, the greatest wildcard and variable in the game, to Fang Rui.

then there’s the playoffs against Tyranny.

Back on the battlefield, Happy had regrouped under Ye Xiu’s orders. They clearly didn’t want to continue fighting with Tyranny here. They wanted to reset the battle and fight in a different place. During this gradual process, Happy’s players began to regain their calm. Even Ye Xiu had felt distressed over the loss of Fang Rui. He wasn’t nearly as calm as he appeared. The others were even more so. -Chapter 1565

before finally Fang Rui is sent out of the game, until the very end Ye Xiu tried to save him, even when Fang Rui himself told the team to leave him. In that scene, Ye Xiu is even shown to be visibly distressed, which says a lot.

"Du Ming's in really good condition today. Be careful," Ye Xiu said to Fang Rui. "In better condition than me?" Fang Rui scoffed. "Haha," Ye Xiu laughed. "What's 'haha' supposed to mean!" Fang Rui could feel the disdain from Ye Xiu's laugh. "You're getting paid the most out of all of us. Please," Ye Xiu said. -Chapter 1605

the please tacked on really shakes me to the core, i can imagine it's more so for Fang Rui. that proud and stubborn Ye Xiu, needs to resort to something close to begging in desperation. i may be reading into things, but another interesting point in this scene is how Ye Xiu is not hiding his disdain. Ye Xiu is really careful in revealing his emotions, particularly negative ones. and yet here he is, doing so. for me, it’s like the mask is off, the guard is lowered, in that single moment.

“But… No matter what the map is, have you thought about not letting Fang Rui go onstage?” Chen Guo said. Ye Xiu fell silent. -Chapter 1635

Just two of them were left. Su Mucheng stood behind Ye Xiu, watching him reclassify the recordings, articles, images, etc. from before and save them. “How do you feel?” Su Mucheng suddenly asked. “How do I feel? You mean about Fang Rui?” Ye Xiu said, without turning his head. -Chapter 1636

By then, Ye Xiu had returned to Happy’s area. He also had to decide on the next person Happy was to send up. But this was not an easy decision. Even though Ye Xiu did not lose in spirit to Zhou Zekai, not even he could suppress the opponent’s confidence. Zhou Zekai would continue his fight-to-the-death attitude and launch an aggressive offensive. Happy needed to send up someone with lots of experience and ability to quickly adapt to changes to tango with Zhou Zekai. Fang Rui! He was the most suitable choice. When Ye Xiu thought this, his gaze wandered in Fang Rui’s direction. But just as he did so, his heart sank a little. Fang Rui was also looking back at him, but his gaze gave off an abnormal sense of calm. Ye Xiu understood Fang Rui. Even though he was the epitome of playing dirty, he was definitely not the kind to bully the weak and avoid the strong. Fang Rui must also understand how crucial this coming match was. In these moments, judging by Fang Rui’s usual personality, he probably would have already volunteered to play next without being asked. But now, not only Fang Rui did not speak up, but he still stayed silent when he caught Ye Xiu’s eyes. Ye Xiu immediately knew that Fang Rui wasn’t at his best. The burden from last match probably hadn’t been completely erased by the two days’ worth of rest. Fang Rui staying silent was his way of not hurting Happy’s morale. But at this moment, he decided to stay silent after he exchanged looks with Ye Xiu. This was because he knew Ye Xiu would understand him right away. -Chapter 1651

Mo Fan, who hadn’t contributed anything last round, looked even more dejected when he returned. The comforting from his teammates were completely ignored. “Don’t worry,” Ye Xiu looked towards him. Mo Fan walked right past him. Those words were too light. How could he casually wave off such a devastating defeat? “Your teammates are still fighting,” Ye Xiu continued. Mo Fan turned his head. Ye Xiu was no longer looking at him. Mo Fan followed Ye Xiu’s gaze to Fang Rui, who was still holding his clenched right hand up in the air. “So we haven’t lost,” Ye Xiu turned his head to look at him. -Chapter 1655

Fang Rui patted Qiao Yifan, and his attitude was also very sincere. “Without me, you guys will be the ones working very hard.” Everyone laughed. But after laughing, they felt that these words, although shameless, were true. Fang Rui’s strength, Boundless Sea’s strength, were stronger than the new players and new accounts of Happy. Without him, the rest of them really would have to work very hard. “Then we’ll work harder.” Ye Xiu nodded. -Chapter 1675

the first to the last scenes are Ye Xiu not denying Fang Rui’s strength and importance to the team. it also shows Ye Xiu’s tendency to look to and for Fang Rui. i want to remind you of the scene when Ye Xiu was checking on everyone’s state before the playoffs, and kept wondering of Fang Rui’s whereabouts until Su Mucheng told him that he went to bed early. Don’t also forget this infamous scene:

It was a shocking performance, but as Ye Xiu watched and watched, his original smile grew a bit heavy. He glanced at Fang Rui’s booth again, and seeing that there was still no movement, he quickly walked over. [...] Even though Ye Xiu was still smiling, that heaviness from earlier still hadn’t faded. When he saw Su Mucheng looking at him, he returned the gaze, answered Su Mucheng’s doubts. -Chapter 1634

Ye Xiu is the first to notice the abnormality of Fang Rui and the first to make a move to check on Fang Rui. he's also the one who doesn't buy Fang Rui's act.

this trust and understanding go both ways.

"It was well done," Fang Rui nodded. "But it wasn't easy, no?" "What?" Chen Guo was puzzled. When she looked at Ye Xiu, she discovered that he didn't look too happy about his win. Even though Ye Xiu wasn't the type to show his emotions easily, his expression wasn't very relaxed despite winning. Chen Guo realized her perspective of the match was too shallow. She looked at Su Mucheng, and from Su Mucheng's gaze towards Ye Xiu, she could see… worry. [...] "It wasn't easy," Ye Xiu said. -Chapter 1273

The trophy. The gleaming golden trophy, symbolizing the greatest Glory, was finally given to Happy. Ye Xiu accepted it with both hands. But immediately afterwards, the trophy slipped between his fingers. “Ah!!” As the crowd cried out in surprise, to Ye Xiu’s left and right, Su Mucheng and Fang Rui swiftly reached out to support the trophy. -Chapter 1727

It’s Su Mucheng and Fang Rui who are the first to react and help Ye Xiu to support his tired fingers to lift up the trophy, and Fang Rui himself is unlikely to have fully recovered by then too.

whoops it grows into such a long analysis into Fang Rui and Ye Xiu’s relationship. i’d also point out that Ye Xiu’s trust and reliance on Fang Rui is not baseless, besides the legendary play that heralds Fang Rui’s return to godhood. it’s been pointed out that Happy’s excellent record is due to Fang Rui as much as Ye Xiu’s. (not core player my ass. sorry my beloved dimsum, but we’re gonna agree to disagree)

Fang Rui growing accustomed to his new playstyle was an indispensable contribution to Happy's recent strong performance. After being thrown off by Ye Xiu's unspecialized Lord Grim, the various members of the Alliance now faced another playstyle that they couldn't immediately understand, that caused them just as much difficulty as Lord Grim. -Chapter 1225

this, alongside the brief mention that player(s) from abroad seems to disdain these kinds of dirty tricks from Wei Chen, makes a strong argument that if Ye Xiu has his pick in the national team roster, he will certainly have Fang Rui.

meanwhile, it is merely my speculation that Fang Rui is the one replacing Han Wenqing. however, i feel it’s not without basis. the numbering on the national team, for one. then there’s the distribution of class and ability. I’ve read some analysis, and many are leaning towards Fang Rui as one of the candidates. more so if Wei Chen’s comment of dirty playing is being disdained is true and not mere exaggeration, Fang Rui’s not being the first choice is much higher and for Ye Xiu, who needs to work miracles as the Team Leader in the short time, for him choosing Fang Rui is a no brainer: a player that is unpredictable and unfamiliar to opponents, and a teammate whom he trusts and relies on, with whom he can pick for both individual and team competition.

i kinda have to add the last one because the younger members of the national team are not very known for their teamwork. and Fang Rui, both as a player and as Qi Master, is incredibly versatile. he has high adaptability. case in point: him fitting in the grassroots, online game background Happy with surprising ease. for this reason Happy is nigh invincible in online games and robbing BOSSes compared to other pro players. this shows that that online game style is not easy for pro players with a formal training background, and yet here Fang Rui who debuted in the Fifth Year easily fitting in like he’s been with Happy from day one.

that’s why i headcanon Fang Rui as a diplomat’s son, who is used to moving to different countries, learning different languages and cultures. it’s also why he’s so perceptive when it comes to people and language (read: loopholes). in the national team, he will be the unofficial vice captain to Yu Wenzhou and right hand to Ye Xiu. while they have single rooms during training, they will have roommates during the actual competition abroad, which i think will make more sense, in the case of anything going wrong (lateness, forgetfulness, you name it). so it’s likely for Ye Xiu and Fang Rui to room together. yeah, i definitely have some ideas for the World Invitationals, writing them is another matter.

thank you for reading this long author’s-note-turned-meta! i’d love to hear more from you about this story (and my note).

#meta #tka #the king's avatar #quan zhi gao shou #qzgs #analysis #fang rui #fourteen #fanfic #fanfiction #ye xiu #yu wenzhou #huang shaotian #zhou zekai

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silversnowblossom · 2 years

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mdzs and qzgs crossover idea and notes

In this world, given that lineage isn’t as important, sect heirs would be appointed and become sect leader if the sect leader dies

inner and outer disciples - trainees, guild members are outer disciples, and the actual main line-up, the pro team, are the inner disciples - inner sect disciple - or maybe make it senior disciples instead

All the “old guard” (Sect Heirs) - Ye Xiu, Han Wenqing, Lin Jie, Wei Chen, Zhang Jiale, Sun Zheping, Lin Jingyan, Huang Shaotian (but not Yu Wenzhou) - are friends, know each other from night-hunts together back before the tension got really bad - think, like jl, lsz, ljy, and ozz’s group - this is the equivalent of them knowing each other in-game, back before the glory pro alliance

ee as wen sect - Tao Xuan gets greedy for even more land and power, despite ee already being the most powerful of the great sects

Great sect (before war): ee, tyranny, blue rain, tiny herb, hundred blossoms

After war: tyranny, blue rain, tiny herb, samsara

Blue Rain would be like the Lan sect - place of knowledge, etc etc except without the million rules. Everyone thinks Huang Shaotian’s going to be appointed sect heir, that he’s Wei Chen’s intended heir, so everyone is super surprised when it’s Wenzhou instead - Everyone knew Huang Shaotian was going to be the Sect Heir. Wei Chen hadn’t actually confirmed anything or made the official announcement, but it was only a matter of time, really.

Huang Shaotian is def their generation’s best/strongest swordsman. Ywz is prob better at talismans and formations - his golden core is slightly weaker than the other sect heir/leader’s, but he more than makes up for it w/his knowledge - think wwx after being resurrected w/mxy’s weak golden core

Huang Shaotian lived on the streets like wwx before Wei Chen took him in at around age 8-ish?

Inner disciples - Yu Wenzhou (Sect Heir and eventual Leader), Huang Shaotian (Head Disciple - eventual Sect Heir, though before ywz everyone expected him to become Wei Chen’s successor), Zheng Xuan, Yu Feng, Song Xiao, (eventually) Lu Hanwen (Huang Shaotian’s adopted kid/younger brother)

Fang Shijing is Acting Sect Leader, the way Lan Qiren was, after Wei Chen dies - he’s standing in until Yu Wenzhou eventually officially takes the position

So burning of the Blue Rain/attack on Blue rain - ee comes to burn blue rain, huang shaotian tries to stop them and get a leg broken like lwj; ywz is like lxc and flees with some of their great library’s priceless books. Just like how in canon, lxc escapes and lwj is captured when the Cloud Recesses is burned, ywz flees and huang shaotian is captured? Or maybe not. Maybe EE just leaves him behind with a broken leg. huang shaotian insists on staying at Blue Rain and not fleeing with ywz, not only to (try to) protect the sect but also to cover ywz’s retreat. ee (liu hao, maybe) kills Wei Chen through underhanded means during the sacking, and hst hasn’t spoken a word since (kind of like how he is in canon after wc leaves)

So, yeah, wei chen’s dead

Hst doesn’t speak, not until he’s reunited with Yu Wenzhou again

Or, idea 2 - this is before hst respects ywz, so he’s quiet bc wc’s dead, and then he and this no-name low-ranking (but surprisingly, startlingly intelligent) blue rain disciple defeat the Xuanwu of slaughter and so starts their close bond, because there’s nothing like taking down a legendary beast together to make friends

Huang Shaotian hasn’t spoken in fourteen days. Because—

Wei Chen’s dead, and Blue Rain has been burned to the ground. He’s been sent off along with nineteen of their disciples to EE’s indoctrination. And where before he might have burned in indignation at EE’s arrogance, now, all he feels is numb. He passes the days in the haze, only vaguely aware of the EE overseeing them—some arrogant brat named Liu-something—berating him (probably wanted to recoup some pride after the utter thrashing Huang Shaotian gave EE in the Discussion Conference a couple weeks back, the small part of him not frozen in grief thinks smugly).

Wei Chen had died for him; that hit had been intended for him, and even as the blade hurtled towards him and he wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk off Liu Hao’s face—that EE bastard—he’d known he wouldn’t be able to dodge in time, not with the broken leg hampering his movements.

He’d braced himself for the pain, but— It never came.

(The sight of Wei Chen, bloodied and dying from taking a hit meant for him will be forever burned into his mind, he thinks.)

His fellow disciples are worried, he knows, has seen them shooting him concerned looks when they think he’s not watching. Even Zheng Xuan has approached him. And he’s the head disciple, should be there to rally and reassure them now that Wei Chen and Yu Wenzhou are gone, but— Every time he tries, the words get caught in his throat/lodge in his throat and not a sound escapes.

I think Liu Hao would take Wen Chao's place - so with the Xuanwu, the whole Mianmian situation still happens only Zhang Jiale and either ywz, wjx, or szp take the place of lwj and jzx and refuse to stand aside - ee uses this as excuse to attack hundred blossoms - 'they led the rebellion/incited resistance to our sect's authority' - so zjl feels guilty, like wwx in canon, even tho it's not his fault and szp would never blame him for the destruction of hundred blossoms the way Madame yu blamed wwx

Also, in Xuanwu cave - Huang Shaotian would be like canon wwx, capitalize on opportunity to turn tides by taking Liu Hao-as-Wen Chao hostage

And then like Yu Wenzhou would show up later - he’s running, has been for a while, with the books he’s safeguarding, taken from the library so that they wouldn’t be destroyed. It’s his duty, he knows, even as he worries about Huang Shaotian. He’s heard no news of Shaotian’s condition, on whether or not he was injured, not when he’s busy evading EE. And that’s when he runs into the disciples of the other sects, fleeing the battlefield that the indoctrination has become, and his blood goes cold when he hears that Shaotian’s still in the collapsed cave. With the Xuanwu of Slaughter.

He doesn’t think. The books are entrusted to him, Blue Rain’s knowledge and heritage and they should be his first priority, but— This is Shaotian. His best friend. His partner. And there is no way he won’t go back for him.

So he does. He gives the books to Zheng Xuan, who he knows he can trust; for all that he is lazy and unmotivated, he’s still a brilliant cultivator, and as loyal as they come besides. He and Shaotian have that in common, so loyal it hurts. And then he braves EE territory. For the first time since he fled the flames and Blue Rain, Yu Wenzhou unsheathes his sword and flies. He hadn’t dared to, before, hadn’t wanted to be caught by EE when he’d had the books to protect. Too conspicuous, he’d known, too easy to spot. But walking all the way to the cave the disciples had been in, all those li, would take far too long, and he doesn’t know how much time Shaotian has. “He was hurt,” Zheng Xuan had told him, a protective frustrated worry?anger lacing his voice, “but I don’t know how badly. I didn’t get a chance to see.”

He has to believe Shaotian’s still alive. Still he flies as fast as he can, fast enough to strain his golden core, though not fast enough to deplete it completely. He’s not that far gone; he knows better than to leave himself vulnerable, in the extremely likely chance that he runs into the Wen.

He’s lucky that the sky is cloudy, a storm brewing in the distance. The cover is a boon, and miraculously, he’s not spotted. Ye Xiu’s not organizing the patrols, then, he realizes, because if the Battle God had, there’s no way he wouldn’t have been caught by now, cloud cover or no. In the corner of his mind that’s not currently preoccupied by Shaotian, he wonders what this means for Ye Xiu’s relationship with his sect. He’s not blind; he’s noticed the burgeoning tension—they all had.

Hundred Blossoms would be like the Jiang Sect - EE shows up with an army, Hundred Blossoms is razed to the ground, all of its disciples killed - only 2 survivors: Zhang Jiale and Sun Zheping - szp loses his golden core (or has it weakened bc of qi deviation induced by sx), tho, and unlike wwx, he can’t exactly hide it or make up for it - so, like his hand injury forced him to retire and no longer be a pro player, here, he can no longer be a cultivator. he disappears, bc losing a golden core is traumatizing + he’s just dead weight now and doesn’t want to drag down zjl now that they’re in the middle of a War

Zjl’s not jc, doesn’t burn and burn with hate and anger - he can’t single-handedly revive his sect - Hundred Blossoms is no longer one of the Major Cultivation Sects, are decimated by the burning. eventually zjl joins Tyranny and becomes one of Tyranny’s Four Heavenly Kings

Samsara was originally a minor sect, but they grew to prominence during the war, and would take hundred blossom’s place as a Major Sect

Bc honestly, the fact that Jiang Cheng was even able to revive his sect at all, nevermind making it remain a Great Sect, is nothing short of astounding. Sure, the war probably helped with the recruitment, but still. And anyway, zhang jiale’s not a leader the same way jiang cheng is

Zhang Jiale’s pretty much running on spite and revenge during the war, using the singular goal of taking EE down to distract himself from his grief and his feelings of abandonment from Sun Zheping leaving. And he’s damn good, earns himself a reputation and a name during the war. And he’s doing okay for a while, rebuilds Hundred Blossoms, but it’s never what it once was. All those generations of knowledge, of cultivation forms and traditions—lost. And he’s only twenty-four years old and running a sect by himself, all his friends dead or in other sects, and the only one’s left from the remnants of what Hundred Blossoms once was are Tang Hao and Zou Yuan and he can’t burden them with his troubles, they’re children, and the pressure keeps building and the burden grows ever-heavier, until the days comes where he just. Can’t do this anymore. It’s too much pressure, too much stress, and he’s never been meant to be sect leader, had always thought that he’d step down when Sun Zheping did, that they’d hand over the reins to the next Blossoms duo, and certainly not on his own—he’s always thought he’d have his partner by his side—they’d promised to always have each others backs—and he aches with the knowledge that Sun Zheping had never cared for him nearly as much as Zhang Jiale cared for him. He has a duty to his sect but—he’s too weak, it’s a burden he��s crumbling/crumpling under

zjl can use a sword, obvs, but he prefers the bow - is the best damn archer of their generation

kind of like Jin Ling, now that I think about it, and how he favors a bow but is obvs good with the sword too

Tang Hao and Zou Yuan survive the massacre, by sheer virtue of not being in the sect when it happened - though, like the Wen, EE ordered the sects not to night-hunt, even in their own territory (and so pretty much every disciple was at Hundred Blossoms when the attack came), Zou Yuan was out visiting his family and Tang Hao was sent w/him - because it’s dangerous to travel alone now, and Zhang Jiale wants them to travel in pairs, at least, to be safe - they’re actually on their way back when they hear what happened

Tang Hao is furious at Zhang Jiale (and, to a lesser extent, Sun Zheping) - not for causing the attack, the way Madame Yu blames Wei Wuxian, but for not rebuilding the sect afterwards - how could you abandon Hundred Blossoms? he wants to demand. His lips twist into a sneer. Coward. — for leaving them behind and joining Tyranny

Tyranny is like Nie sect - militaristic, have been preparing for war against ee for ages. Zhang Xinjie is like Meng Yao, the ultra-capable deputy/administrator. Only, of course, w/out the whole “bastard-child” and “backstabbing” thing. zxj is as capable as meng yao, but minus the huge ambition - he’s content to remain in tyranny under hwq

hwq as nie mingjue - both super powerful and strong - the “head general” of the war/campaign

su mucheng and ye xiu as wen ning and wen qing - only, of course, ye xiu is a powerful cultivator in his own right - battle/war god - plus, they both clearly defect early on, tired of ee’s posturing and bullshit and arrogance. this is not the sect they once knew. muqiu wouldn’t want them to stay and let ee continue to commit their atrocities

“We’re leaving, Ye-ge,” Su Mucheng says, resolute. “I know you love Excellent Era, but this is not the sect we once knew.”

She expects resistance, protest, because EE is where it all began, is what Muqiu died for, and the sect holds Ye Xiu’s loyalty fast, but—

Ye Xiu doesn’t. Dips his head, and says softly, “I know.”

They leave the sect that night.

They don’t tell Tao Xuan, because he would try to stop them. Not that he could have, not when Ye Xiu’s Head Disciple and the best cultivator in the sect, but if he set the rest of the cultivators on them, it would wear Ye Xiu down. And, neither of them want to leave with the broken and injured remains of those they were once loyal to lying behind them. There’s time to fight EE later; now, a quiet exit is infinitely preferable.

Or maybe instead, Tao Xuan still kicks out Ye Xiu - “Ye Xiu disappears in the second year of the war” - ooh, a disappearance, and then han wenqing and su mucheng look for him, just like wwx’s three-month disappearance and how lwj and jc looked

And then when they find him again, he’s cultivating differently - figure out a way to transfer the whole unspecialized/Lord Grim thing - maybe it’s sort of like wwx’s demonic cultivation?

Maybe in this world, Ye Xiu’s losing credence/respect from EE because he keeps stepping in when they act against the other sects, because Ye Xiu’s a good person — for all that he bullies people shamelessly in glory, I highly doubt he’d do the same if it meant their deaths for real - because that’s not shamelessness, that’s cruelty - ex in the Indoctrination, Liu Hao’s in charge of them, like Wen Chao, but Ye Xiu keeps popping in, and stops him from going too far (i.e. branding anyone or other permanent injury)

ee falls, ofc, but it’s still a bloody war

hwq/yx is like lwj/wwx - ye xiu def is as oblivious as wei wuxian, plus just like wangxian, hanye has that whole everyone-thinks-they’re-rivals/enemies/hate-each-other thing going on

They meet when they’re both head disciples of their respective sects, at the discussion conference hosted by Excellent Era.

Han Wenqing fights using a saber, straightforward and blunt

only, no internment camps, or if they do happen, it’s not on the orders of any of the major sect leaders

Not rlly sure how Tiny Herb fits in here, but rest assured, they aren’t as corrupt as the Jin

After the war, the EE land is given to yx, and he creates a new sect - Happy

Huang Shaotian adopts Lu Hanwen, a war orphan, after the war - kind of like how lwj takes in sizhui, except ywz would be the wwx in this scenario - minus the whole ostracization and death thing, of course. lhw adores hst and absolutely always listens to ywz

Of the juniors - lu hanwen of blue rain (as lan jingyi maybe), gao yingjie + liu xiaobie + qiao yifan - yifan as zizhen, who’s not as powerful as the others but is still damn good - plus, they’re both very sweet; gao yingjie as sizhui, very polite, so that leaves liu xiaobie as jin ling - haughty but insecure

and yeah that's it. still working on the who yuhuang and blossoms duo threads. kind of got stuck halfway, so i figured i might as well post my au notes in case i never end up posting the actual story

#mdzs #qzgs #crossover #cultivation #ye xiu #han wenqing #huang shaotian #zhang jiale #yu wenzhou #sun zheping #qzgs characters in mdzs #story ideas #drabble

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