wangjisbathtub

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tiktok is such an awful app, it's almost designed to feed you misinformation and expose you to insane discourse. unlike beloved tumblr, the app that feeds me misinformation and exposes me to insane discourse

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Work in progress 🫠

Wuyong 5 💔

#so pretty! #tgcf

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chinese college girls slay (cr: 哭天喊地六仙女）

#they slay fr

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Will I see you tonight?

#:') #im okay #gwenchana #mdzs #wangxian

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word of honor 山河令 — episode 8

The day when Mirror Lake Manor was exterminated, was your appearance a coincidence? — Not really a coincidence. Wasn't I following you?

#look at them flirty ass bitches #word of honor

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wake up babe, hua cheng saying "as you wish" in the new tgcf dub episode just dropped

#trailblazing fr #tgcf

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[DAZED FROM BLOOD LOSS] hey not to kill the vibe completely but i think i am in love with you

#YES

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the songs Beyoncé writes about that man are crazy it's like watching someone build the sistine chapel for a possum they found in a gas station parking lot

#another day on tumblr

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Hello :) Can you explain what Xie Lian's famous words "body in abyss, heart in paradise" mean?

I certainly can for you!

Essentially, what this phrase means is maintaining a virtuous heart (“heart in paradise”) even when experiencing overwhelming hardships (“body in abyss”). It’s a stance that’s very much inspired by Taoism and also Stoic philosophy, which both promote living in accordance to nature in all its unpredictability (go with the flow) while holding onto basic values such as compassion and modesty. In the face of overwhelming suffering where all your attempts to do good end up meaningless, holding onto hope and morals can be incredibly difficult. It would be so much easier to give up and simply externalize that pain by lashing out at the unfair world around us. That’s exactly what happened with Jun Wu, whose despair led him to become the first Supreme Demon. And it nearly happened with Xie Lian as well.

But Xie Lian was able to recover from his downward spiral because he was reminded that human kindness still exists. While he was in the “abyss” (figurative and literal since he stayed down in that self-made hole), he had someone pull him out. That simple act of compassion was enough to uplift his whole attitude towards his banished life, and let him break free of White No-Face’s corruption. 

What’s highlighted from this is that your suffering doesn’t define you, and no matter how bleak your circumstances seem, it is possible to rise above despair if you have so much as one meaningful connection to support you. Life can be chaotic, and the topic of luck is explored repeatedly to illustrate the reality that some things are beyond one’s control in life. However, what is always within an individual’s control is how they decide to face whatever life throws at them. Jun Wu was unable to move on from his past suffering, and grew monstrous from his resentment and loneliness. That’s why he could not stand to hear Xie Lian’s vow to stay moral no matter how tough life gets.

Xie Lian’s life during his second banishment wasn’t physically easier than his life during his first banishment in any way. But he still lived in a way that embodied “body in abyss, heart in paradise” because he learned to accept hardships as an inevitable part of life without losing sight of the simple kindness and connections that still makes life meaningful. Maturing in his worldview is what enabled him to let go of his past grievances and go forth cheerfully in life with compassion, frugality and humility, AKA the three fundamental values of Taoism. 

One more point I wanna touch on is that while this phrase is understood to be Xie Lian’s life motto, the two people who imo best exemplify this notion are actually Yu Shi Huang and Xiao Ying, two ladies who are distinct Xie Lian parallels. 

Both Yu Shi Huang and Xiao Ying have had their share of misfortunes and died untimely deaths as mortals, but neither have ever been embittered by that. They never thought to have revenge against those who’ve wronged them, only wanting to help those they care for. Particularly in Xiao Ying’s case, even though she never accomplished anything, Xie Lian still shows great deference towards her as someone he sees as much stronger than him due to how kind and caring she managed to stay no matter what. 

Moreover, Yin Yu, as another, even more striking Xie Lian parallel, would be another person who can be said to embody “body in abyss, heart in paradise” because he also managed to hold onto his principles even though he was filled with resentment against Quan Yi Zhen. But even so, the connection that remained between Yin Yu and Quan Yi Zhen still proved to be meaningful enough that it let Yin Yu recover the pride and glory of his youth during a decisive moment and deliver one hell of a “F*ck you” speech to Jun Wu for trying to drag him down to his level. 

I honestly think Yin Yu said it best here: “I DO RESENT HIM! I DO HATE HIM!!! BUT, SO WHAT?” 

It’s quite reminiscent of Xie Lian when he said “I haven’t forgotten! But–IT’S NONE OF YOUR SHITTY BUSINESS!!!”

Both of them have experienced the pain and humiliation of failure, just like Jun Wu. But unlike the latter, they both pulled themselves out of despair and regained their pride by no longer letting past suffering define them. And it’s noteworthy that Jun Wu, who stayed stuck to his past, is always noticeably perplexed by Xie Lian and Yin Yu being like “who cares?” when he tries to corrupt them by bringing up their past hardships.

What happened in the past can’t change, but it is possible to gain a new outlook and move on from that ✌

#gOD people are so smart #tgcf

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<3 wangxian but make it yuri in a qing dynasty palace intrigue plot

(i love qing dynasty clothing a lot)

#cute!!!1 #their fits be so good

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#cql #woo hooo #ill never tire of these

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#love love love #the way history is written is so wack honestly #this has been such a fun an and enlightening read!

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#loll

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TGCF reread new finds #1

Xie Lian actively and consciously knows that he is attracted to HC the MOMENT THEY MEET in the Ox Cart. Like it’s not just blank gay panic, he knows.

His beauty was deadly like a sword, sharp and mesmerising. Xie Lian only met his eyes for a moment, then lowered his eyes in defeat.

MATE, normally wouldn’t you continue to be mesmerised and can’t peel your eyes away? That is, UNLESS YOURE WHIPPED. XL knows that SL's looks affect him to this degree. Defeat is the key word here.

Also

The distance between them had closed too fast. he suddenly didn't know what to do[...]Xie Lian blanked on the spot. He watched as the tall and slender youth walked away with his giant bag of junk as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do, and it made him mutter inwardly, Forgive my sins.

Making a rich young lad carry your things? Making him sleep in your crappy temple? That doesn't warrant the weighty thought? FORGIVE WHAT SINS Xie Lian??!!!

Many village girls saw (HC) and blushed [...] Xie Lian didn't know what they were going to ask, but felt instinctively that it must be stopped at once, and cried, "No!"

Jealous jealous boi! XL WAS POSSESSIVE after ONE night spent together at Puqi Shrine. Didn’t XL just say to SL that he will have no problem in the love department because girls will throw themselves at him? Yo, why are you cock-blocking? Everyone says HC is insane, no XL is equally insane for the other!

Also, when HC revealed that it's his real skin after the Banyue arc, XL instinctively poked him. Then

He looked at his own finger then hid it away, betraying nothing of his thoughts.

What thoughts XL ?!! Explain yourself right now!

Jumping back to OX CART scene, Xie Lian's character development was foreshadowed when they were talking about the gifting of ghost ashes.

Book 1: Xie Lian sighed. "It certainly is painful to think about, to have given everything for love and lose everything in return."

This is what Xie Lian is most afraid of! Like even thinking back to Xie Lian pushing Feng Xin away in Book 4, he definitely operated under that mindset. Love is a risk, it's something to be feared. Even now 800+ years later, he still feels that way and doesn't allow himself to get close to anyone. It just hits so much harder thinking that he operated under that for so many centuries.

Then Hua Cheng says

"What there to be afraid of? If it were me, I'd have no regrets giving away my ashes"

Which I think really changed the way that Xie Lian thought about love. Book 5 Xie Lian completely operates with Love is empowering and isn't something to be afraid of.

TGCF isn't about XL realising his feelings, literally from Book 1 it's about him wondering if it's worthwhile to act on them.

Three things, is this person worth losing cultivation over for?

He needs the reassurance that this person must reciprocate his feelings.

Then HC changed his perspective on love from FEAR -> EMPOWERMENT.

XL is soooo self-aware (unlike SQQ from SVSSS and WWX from MDZS), he's an unreliable narrator in the way that he doesn't reveal everything to the reader, especially his own feelings until he was absolutely sure that there really was both a physical and romantic attraction. I wanted to make this post to dispel the assumption for XL it was easy to forego 800+ years of cultivation. It was not? He ABSOLUTELY thought about it carefully.

#POP OFF OP #tgcf #hualian #xie lian

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I see you.

[Characters from CTC]

#OMG OP #THE COMPOSITION???? #EXCUSE ME

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People call Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF a slow burn but Hua Cheng is literally courting Xie Lian like they are DATING. Slow burn who??? They’re sleeping next to each other on straw mats and Xie Lian’s offering to cook him dinner and they’re bantering across THE HOME THEY SHARE like a bunch of desperate hussys

San Lang LEAVES XL WITH A KEEPSAKE OF THEIR TIME TOGETHER SLOW BURN WHOMST

They have A DATE in HC’s armoury where they HOLD HANDS and XL pets San Lang’s quivering sword I-

Hua Cheng basically throws himself at this man he’s like you want a sword?? All of them ?? You want ALL THE SWORDS?? Fuck it take the whole room THE WHOLE ROOM JUST COME VISIT I WILL CLEAN THEM FOR YOU

Like he isn’t the king of a whole realm with shit to do

And this is just the first half of the first book—again I ask the world SLOW BURN WHOMST

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posting fafa alone since I’m too busy for personal art atm 😭