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iariaBook 3
I stalled at the beginning of this book because, even without the knowledge that terrible things were about to happen to Xie Lian, it was very clear with each page read that terrible things were about to happen to Xie Lian and I didn't want to read it! I sometimes have a hard time handling downfalls when I know they're coming.
+ Oh Xie Lian. There's just a lot of 'oh Xie Lian' in this book. Honestly the moment I found saddest was when Xie Lian was explaining how he defeated the Venerable of Empty Words attached to him by basically being too miserable and full of misfortune for even it to stand. Him casually mentioning that he'd starved it because he hadn't had a single joyeous moment in six months was just ouch.
+ The best part of the flashback was seeing Hua Cheng pop up all while Xie Lian is completely unaware. The way he keeps showing up both in bigger roles and smaller, all the while doing his best to serve and protect Xie Lian was great. One of my favourite throw-away moments was when Xie Lian was leaving the camp and in the background one of the nursing staff suddenly starts beating up patients after they were mean to Xie Lian, lol. We of course know who the little hot head is but Xie Lian doesn't which makes it funnier to me.
Honestly one of the things I love best about this duo is the dynamic of a) Hua Cheng being complete in love with Xie Lian, b) Hua Cheng having been a part of Xie Lian's life for a very long time and his devotion to him, and c) the fact that Xie Lian is either in love or is falling in love with Hua Cheng in turn - and Xie Lian is completely unaware of all of this. It's great.
I love catching all the little moments of Hua Cheng's love that Xie Lian misses for what they are. (And all the big ones too of course - 3000 lanterns!! So romantic.) Also the cave scene was great. I'm sure the memory of getting to feel up a panting and groaning Xie Lian is something that keeps Hua Cheng up even 800 years later lol.
+ Xie Lian thinking the play versions of them were too familiar and touched each other too much only to realise that actually both things are correct was great. Another moment was Xie Lian naming Hua Cheng's Thousand Lights Temple as his temple and "his face felt oddly hot", hmmm yes I wonder why
+ Hua Cheng absolutely had to have been involved in some way in the Adventures in the Kingdom of Banyue. I refuse to believe he didn't. Even if Tian Sheng commissioned it he had to have been in the background giving 'advice'. Also in fact I think he totally planned the timing of the play to when the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet would take place.
+ A favourite little moment was actually Xie Lian throwing the chopstick to close the curtains after seeing how upset Qi Ying was. One, it showcased his kindness, He didn't know who Qi Ying was but he took no pleasure in his distress and immediately worked to try and help him. Two, it showcased how impulsive Xie Lian is. Once again he acts without thinking. He wants to help so he does but he doesn't consider what the consequences could be first. Three, it showcased his power. He throws not sharp chopsticks, that just brush the curtain rope and yet they end up slashed. He is deceptively powerful even in his current state.
+ The biggest take away I got from this book is that it changed my view of Mu Qing. Up until this point Mu Qing seemed like someone who might care for Xie Lian (probably did) but that it was overshadowed by a lot of deep seated resentment towards him. However in rereading the whole past Xie Lian/Mu Qing/Feng Xin confrontation/fight it really shifted my view of Mu Qing. I might be completely wrong about my new interpretation of him but I hope I'm not because I suddenly feel like I might understand this character and that's great.
Specifically these lines by Mu Qing: "You're really... really annoying. Look at the hellish state of you -- the mere sight of you is a pain." I kept coming back to. On the surface, considering the discussion, it comes off as harsh, as a criticism of Xie Lian. But a part of me is like 'but is it?' It could be taken another way. Feng Xin is 100% devoted to Xie Lian and he shows it in his loyalty, in how he is unquestioning of Xie Lian's choices even if he isn't sure of them, and goes along with whatever he is ordered to. He accepts even when skeptical.
I'm beginning to wonder if Mu Qing is his equal opposite - equally devoted but he is someone who will always question and try to intercede when he thinks that Xie Lian's decision will be detremental to Xie Lian. He wants to protect Xie Lian - even from himself. Especially from himself. Because Xie Lian is self-sacrificing to an extreme - which is very annoying. The sight of how diminished Xie Lian has become is painful for Mu Qing to see because Xie Lian should never look like this.
After the fight Mu Qing throws out that if there were consequences Xie Lian would take the burden on himself. He says it 'impassively' but just before he 'scoffs' at Xie Lian saying no to using the curse on their enemies.
I think he also puts Xie Lian first - but he puts his well-being over Xie Lian's opinion and decisions. Mu Qing has like - idk "you'll sacrifice yourself for a turnip so I'm going to advocate and work hard to protect you from yourself, my beloved idiot god' sort of attitude.
+ The Human Face Disease was even worse then I thought. I thought it was just a physical disease that happened to appear in the shape of faces. The fact that eacg face is in fact the soul of someone who died and has latched on (via manipulation) to a live human to try and take over their life is pretty terrible but that scene of the faces eating grass was creepy as hell. The worst is Xie Lian implying that a) the faces are semi-aware, and b) each soul is the actual soul of the person and when they are attached to a person and thus can't move on. That's horrible!
+ I really liked Xie Lian's debate with Mu Qing over what to do. I understood both their stances. Mu qing wanting to lash back and get revenge is an understandable emotion in itself. Wanting to save your people, even at the expense of others, is even more understandable. Especially considering that those others are the cause of your people's current grief. It's very an eye for an eye.
I liked that Xie Lian saw and udnerstood tat most of the Yong'an civilians didn't actually know what was happening. They were just desperately trying to stay alive.
I love that Xie Lian's arguments against using the curse went in distinct sections. Wn't work on soldiers, if they were despicable for doing it that would make us despicable as well (aka a decision doesn't become okay/good simly because we are the ones doing it), they don't understand what they're doing and just want to survive, you can't sacrifice one innocent group save another, using the curse will only cause them suffering in the end too because curses always rebound, and finally it will cause their own dead to suffer needlessly.
I think for me the winning argument would definitely be that they have to use their own dead for it to work. There is no way I'd use my dead family/friends as a weapon knowing it would cause them so much pain instead of letting to move on. Like, NO. Absolutely not!
+ I find myself suspicious of Hua Cheng going along with them after the Reverend of Empty Words. I mean him following Xie Lian into a potentially dangerous situation makes sense but it feels like a repeat of our first meeting with the Night Touring Green Lantern in that there's this sense that we're about to learn something major about Xie Lian's past, where Hua Cheng is going to uncover yet another unfair suffering Xie Lian didn't deserve. Not sure why I'm getting that since Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan had never met before but it's there.
+ Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi's super dramatic reactions to Xie Lian's cooking amd Xie Lian's unsure reaction in return was hilarious.
+ The strangest thing happened this book - I enjoyed Qi Rong. For whatever reason he mostly amused this book even though there was nothing significantly different. Maybe I just need to see him helpless and tormented over tormenting helpless people.
+ Qi Rong's "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" reaction to Lang Ying jumping into the pond and grabbing the coins made me laugh out loud. I also laughed at Qi Rong randomly hiding under Xie Lian's bed.
+ The titles of the Hua Cheng focused plays were hilarious.
+ I had misinterpreted things and hadn't realised that Ling Wen also took a male physical form often. That's fine thought the insinuation that she only became a heavenly official by sleeping her way in was infuriating.
+ I had one view of Ling Wen but seeing him in male form hanging with his best friends Shi Wudu and Pei Ming suddenly my view has changed. Not sure what I think now.
I stalled at the beginning of this book because, even without the knowledge that terrible things were about to happen to Xie Lian, it was very clear with each page read that terrible things were about to happen to Xie Lian and I didn't want to read it! I sometimes have a hard time handling downfalls when I know they're coming.
+ Oh Xie Lian. There's just a lot of 'oh Xie Lian' in this book. Honestly the moment I found saddest was when Xie Lian was explaining how he defeated the Venerable of Empty Words attached to him by basically being too miserable and full of misfortune for even it to stand. Him casually mentioning that he'd starved it because he hadn't had a single joyeous moment in six months was just ouch.
+ The best part of the flashback was seeing Hua Cheng pop up all while Xie Lian is completely unaware. The way he keeps showing up both in bigger roles and smaller, all the while doing his best to serve and protect Xie Lian was great. One of my favourite throw-away moments was when Xie Lian was leaving the camp and in the background one of the nursing staff suddenly starts beating up patients after they were mean to Xie Lian, lol. We of course know who the little hot head is but Xie Lian doesn't which makes it funnier to me.
Honestly one of the things I love best about this duo is the dynamic of a) Hua Cheng being complete in love with Xie Lian, b) Hua Cheng having been a part of Xie Lian's life for a very long time and his devotion to him, and c) the fact that Xie Lian is either in love or is falling in love with Hua Cheng in turn - and Xie Lian is completely unaware of all of this. It's great.
I love catching all the little moments of Hua Cheng's love that Xie Lian misses for what they are. (And all the big ones too of course - 3000 lanterns!! So romantic.) Also the cave scene was great. I'm sure the memory of getting to feel up a panting and groaning Xie Lian is something that keeps Hua Cheng up even 800 years later lol.
+ Xie Lian thinking the play versions of them were too familiar and touched each other too much only to realise that actually both things are correct was great. Another moment was Xie Lian naming Hua Cheng's Thousand Lights Temple as his temple and "his face felt oddly hot", hmmm yes I wonder why
+ Hua Cheng absolutely had to have been involved in some way in the Adventures in the Kingdom of Banyue. I refuse to believe he didn't. Even if Tian Sheng commissioned it he had to have been in the background giving 'advice'. Also in fact I think he totally planned the timing of the play to when the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet would take place.
+ A favourite little moment was actually Xie Lian throwing the chopstick to close the curtains after seeing how upset Qi Ying was. One, it showcased his kindness, He didn't know who Qi Ying was but he took no pleasure in his distress and immediately worked to try and help him. Two, it showcased how impulsive Xie Lian is. Once again he acts without thinking. He wants to help so he does but he doesn't consider what the consequences could be first. Three, it showcased his power. He throws not sharp chopsticks, that just brush the curtain rope and yet they end up slashed. He is deceptively powerful even in his current state.
+ The biggest take away I got from this book is that it changed my view of Mu Qing. Up until this point Mu Qing seemed like someone who might care for Xie Lian (probably did) but that it was overshadowed by a lot of deep seated resentment towards him. However in rereading the whole past Xie Lian/Mu Qing/Feng Xin confrontation/fight it really shifted my view of Mu Qing. I might be completely wrong about my new interpretation of him but I hope I'm not because I suddenly feel like I might understand this character and that's great.
Specifically these lines by Mu Qing: "You're really... really annoying. Look at the hellish state of you -- the mere sight of you is a pain." I kept coming back to. On the surface, considering the discussion, it comes off as harsh, as a criticism of Xie Lian. But a part of me is like 'but is it?' It could be taken another way. Feng Xin is 100% devoted to Xie Lian and he shows it in his loyalty, in how he is unquestioning of Xie Lian's choices even if he isn't sure of them, and goes along with whatever he is ordered to. He accepts even when skeptical.
I'm beginning to wonder if Mu Qing is his equal opposite - equally devoted but he is someone who will always question and try to intercede when he thinks that Xie Lian's decision will be detremental to Xie Lian. He wants to protect Xie Lian - even from himself. Especially from himself. Because Xie Lian is self-sacrificing to an extreme - which is very annoying. The sight of how diminished Xie Lian has become is painful for Mu Qing to see because Xie Lian should never look like this.
After the fight Mu Qing throws out that if there were consequences Xie Lian would take the burden on himself. He says it 'impassively' but just before he 'scoffs' at Xie Lian saying no to using the curse on their enemies.
I think he also puts Xie Lian first - but he puts his well-being over Xie Lian's opinion and decisions. Mu Qing has like - idk "you'll sacrifice yourself for a turnip so I'm going to advocate and work hard to protect you from yourself, my beloved idiot god' sort of attitude.
+ The Human Face Disease was even worse then I thought. I thought it was just a physical disease that happened to appear in the shape of faces. The fact that eacg face is in fact the soul of someone who died and has latched on (via manipulation) to a live human to try and take over their life is pretty terrible but that scene of the faces eating grass was creepy as hell. The worst is Xie Lian implying that a) the faces are semi-aware, and b) each soul is the actual soul of the person and when they are attached to a person and thus can't move on. That's horrible!
+ I really liked Xie Lian's debate with Mu Qing over what to do. I understood both their stances. Mu qing wanting to lash back and get revenge is an understandable emotion in itself. Wanting to save your people, even at the expense of others, is even more understandable. Especially considering that those others are the cause of your people's current grief. It's very an eye for an eye.
I liked that Xie Lian saw and udnerstood tat most of the Yong'an civilians didn't actually know what was happening. They were just desperately trying to stay alive.
I love that Xie Lian's arguments against using the curse went in distinct sections. Wn't work on soldiers, if they were despicable for doing it that would make us despicable as well (aka a decision doesn't become okay/good simly because we are the ones doing it), they don't understand what they're doing and just want to survive, you can't sacrifice one innocent group save another, using the curse will only cause them suffering in the end too because curses always rebound, and finally it will cause their own dead to suffer needlessly.
I think for me the winning argument would definitely be that they have to use their own dead for it to work. There is no way I'd use my dead family/friends as a weapon knowing it would cause them so much pain instead of letting to move on. Like, NO. Absolutely not!
+ I find myself suspicious of Hua Cheng going along with them after the Reverend of Empty Words. I mean him following Xie Lian into a potentially dangerous situation makes sense but it feels like a repeat of our first meeting with the Night Touring Green Lantern in that there's this sense that we're about to learn something major about Xie Lian's past, where Hua Cheng is going to uncover yet another unfair suffering Xie Lian didn't deserve. Not sure why I'm getting that since Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan had never met before but it's there.
+ Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi's super dramatic reactions to Xie Lian's cooking amd Xie Lian's unsure reaction in return was hilarious.
+ The strangest thing happened this book - I enjoyed Qi Rong. For whatever reason he mostly amused this book even though there was nothing significantly different. Maybe I just need to see him helpless and tormented over tormenting helpless people.
+ Qi Rong's "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" reaction to Lang Ying jumping into the pond and grabbing the coins made me laugh out loud. I also laughed at Qi Rong randomly hiding under Xie Lian's bed.
+ The titles of the Hua Cheng focused plays were hilarious.
+ I had misinterpreted things and hadn't realised that Ling Wen also took a male physical form often. That's fine thought the insinuation that she only became a heavenly official by sleeping her way in was infuriating.
+ I had one view of Ling Wen but seeing him in male form hanging with his best friends Shi Wudu and Pei Ming suddenly my view has changed. Not sure what I think now.
