[Tian Ya Ke (Re-)Readalong] Chapter 31+32

[rekishi]

Hello!

Another two chapter post today, again written from my childhood home. My mother's garden has sunflowers almost as tall as the house.

Quick reminder: I'm using wenbuxing's translation again, rather than xuxunette. I'll keep spot checking but I don't have the mental spoons to comb through two translations and the original. If you have diverging information on anything, please feel free to voice them in comments!

On to chapters:

Chapter 31 – Escape
Chapter 32 – Rong Xuan

Backstory dump! Learn all about the five clans and Rong Xuan!


Chapter 31

• "Gao Chong only found it strange that the man at this moment possessed the aura unique to an expert, and thus should have been unforgettable to himself. Yet, somehow, when Cao Weining had brought them to the Gao Family Manor that day, he surprisingly had not taken note of his person. Even at this moment, he could only recall with great difficulty that his surname was Zhou, and not his name. A chill twinged in Gao Chong’s heart."


• "Wen Kexing even rubbed his eyes vigorously, stepping the dance steps of the Yang folk dance with his noodle-like legs as he tilted his head to watch the furiously embarrassed Yu Qiufeng. His hand waved in front of his eyes, and he said, tongue heavy in his mouth,"Hey, you, the one with…two, two heads, did…did you drink too much as well? What are you crawling on the ground for?""

Chapter 32

• "Mo Huaikong frowned, and said, “This is the head of the Shen family in Shuzhong, Shen Zhen, usually he’s like a maiden, never leaving his house at all, staying indoors to maintain his pale face. He’s only ever scared of the sun tanning his skin, why is he willing to risk his tender skin to brave the sun in Dongting so far away from home today? It’s truly a miracle."
  
  Cao Weining had never heard of this person, and said, “Ah” dumbly.
  
  Mo Huaikong could not tolerate his dull manner, and glared at him, ultimately explaining, “Most of you youngsters wouldn’t know, the five major clans with the greatest reputations in the jianghu were the Zhangs of Jiangnan, the Zhaos of Taihu, the Gaos of Dongting, the Shens of Shuzhong, and the Lus of Taixing. Though, today, apart from Gao Chong and Zhao Jing, all that’s left of the Zhang family is one person, the Shen clan has already retired from the jianghu and washed its hands of all matters, and there’s no one left of the Lus. The five major clans have long lost their might, and most of the younger generation no longer remember them.”"


• "Gao Chong said, “Since matters have come to this, this old man owes everyone an explanation. It is indeed true that there are five pieces to the Lapis Armour; all these years, each of us five have actually held on to one. A few years ago, Lu-xiong died before his time, and entrusted his piece to the Hero Hua, the Taishan Sect Leader, but he never thought that...it would draw fatal trouble to him.""


• "About things that happened thirty years ago, I only know of them approximately. Your father was probably still young then, when a martial arts genius named Rong Xuan appeared on the jianghu. With his long sword, he was nearly unparalleled in the world, and he loved to travel to make friends with the heroes all over; supposedly, he was very close with the younger generation of the five major clans back then. Now, the five major clans never speak of him, but as the descendant of the Zhang family, you should know about this too, right?"


• "Zhou Zishu laughed. To kill someone, did anyone need a reason?
  
  Still, he thought about it, and explained,"Let's say that most of it was…“an innocent person convicted for his stash of jade”. I haven't witnessed Rong Xuan's sword techniques, only heard that it truly lives up to being unprecedented and impossible to imitate. Before he even turned thirty, he started a sect and invented the legendary “Fengshan Sword”. The inability to see the Fengshan Sword Technique that split mountains and divided the sea back then in action is also one of life’s greatest regrets. That Fengshan Sword of his is divided into two parts. The upper scroll is the mantra behind it, the lower scroll the sword technique; the lower scroll was his own invention, while rumour has it that he penned the upper scroll after chancing upon a secret ancient manual. You do know that…the words “peerless master” alone can drive people to madness.”
  
  Zhang Chengling asked, “What happened afterwards?”
  
  “Afterwards, Rong Xuan sunk into deep grief and experienced qi deviation. His behaviour transformed, and he started killing innocents. Without any other choice, the five major clans back then worked together, even invoking the Realm’s Command to hunt him down together--to think about it, from that last time the Realm’s Command made an appearance to date, it’s been about thirty years. Afterwards, Rong Xuan fled into the bamboo ridge on Fengya Mountain, and had a fierce battle with those hunting him down who were led by five major clans. No one knows how many died in that battle, and according to hearsay, you still can hear the dead wailing till this day. Who could have thought that the best of friends could turn their weapons on one another, and give one another continuous hell?”
  
  Could it be, that all the bonds in this world were this impermanent?"


• "Wen Kexing suddenly drew close, took off his outer robe, and wrapped it around Zhou Zishu. He played with a lock of hair at the side of Zhou Zishu’s head, and asked in a low voice, “A-Xu, is ‘Zhou Xu’ your real name?”
  
  Zhou Zishu threw his hand off and shoved him away, and said, confident with justification, “What joke is Wen-xiong cracking? Like ‘Wen Kexing’ is your real name.”
  
  Hearing this, Wen Kexing raised his eyebrows, and asked him in reply with an even softer voice, “So, according to you, what should my name be?”
  
  Zhou Zishu was silent for a while, before he asked in a murmur, “Wen-xiong, is your surname truly Wen? I feel that, your surname should be Rong instead.”"

We left off last week with WKX deeply upset by the news that ZZS is sick unto dying - a phrasing I keep stealing from Kierkegaard, but it keeps being relevant - and went off alone. I called him hypocritical for that and I stand by that (since he knows about the Nails, damnit). I also think ZZS doesn't actually want to die anymore at this point, which complicates matters somewhat.

When I first watched SHL I said "they're yelling at each other and then go off to mope, that's the whole relationship" and it keeps being not wrong (sadly) for the novel as well. Though I do actually think their communication is mildly better in the novel, the reasons for which are at least partially rooted in the lack of censorship. At the same time, we get more internal movements for both of them in the novel, and more connecting point A with point B in their thought processes.

ZZS is so deep in denial about so many things (as pointed out before), I want to gift him a vacation in Egypt. One of those things is definitely his ZCL and his status as his maybe-maybe-not disciple, although of course he totally is. ZCL has totally imprinted on him, and out of all the people there at that moment, ZZS is probably the best person for that. But I find it very heartening that ZZS calls for him and ZCL doesn't hesitate.

And the thing is, ZZS will never make it official that ZCL is his disciple. WKX will call ZCL that many times, but ZZS will never acknowledge it beyond not actively denying it anymore at some point. But for all his actions and for all intents and purposes, this is the point where ZZS makes the decision, I think. Well, Nails aside at least.

It's convenient for Yu Qiufeng to call ZZS one of the Ghosts just because his martial arts is that good and the others can't measure up against, isn't it? Calling it unorthodoxy, when we know that ZZS is from a (former) sect is...an easy way to assign blame, no?

WKX comes to ZZS and ZCL's aid, hooray! It's interesting that he couldn't stay away, and I mean that quite aside from the fact that he does interfere here, which is probably more situational than anything. What I mean is, despite his shock about ZZS health (and his denial of being in love with him, surely), he still obviously cares for ZCL if he's present at the commotion. He's keeping an eye on him, even aside from ZZS I think. Which probably wasn't in WKX' plan setting out from Ghost Valley, no?

(Also, WKX' still being a master martial artist drunk and hungover seems to be a sight.)

Shen Zhen enters the scene. Mo Huaikong is, imo, hilarious, because he describes him as "usually he’s like a maiden, never leaving his house at all, staying indoors to maintain his pale face. He’s only ever scared of the sun tanning his skin", which does not seem very flattering. Pale skin was/is certainly a beauty ideal in SE Asia - very sensibly imo, all things considered - but in that society, being likened to a maiden is an insult. However him coming in does give us some more worldbuilding insights because we are told about the five major clans (of the past).

We also learn that the (former) head of the Taishan sect turned into a Ghost and the Lu clan was basically merged with the Hua clan/Taishan sect. So it seems, from Mo Huaikong's explanation, that the sects in his jianghu are both blood-bound and also take on disciples.

We are actually seeing pieces of the Glazed Armor! I don't track them in this reread, because we know that no matter what happens with the pieces, they're not useful and won't come into actual action. They're just vehicles and props for the mounting tension, so I'm not going to bother with actually tracking their whereabouts.

The infamous Rong Xuan, who caused so many people so much heartache. It's good that ZCL (and by extension we) learn of him and the whole root cause for all of this heartache everyone is facing now, a whole volume into the book already.

This is where ZZS draws his (wrong) conclusion about WKX being the son of Rong Xuan, I'm not sure he also draws his final conclusion on WKX being the Valley Master here. Things to look out for!

Could it be, that all the bonds in this world were this impermanent? ZZS is quite morose here, isn't he? Is he thinking of HLY? LJX? Well, JBY (and WKX also) will prove him wrong.

I love this scene in the dark between ZZS and WKX. Neither of them has very much left to hide and yet they're still whispering like thieves in the night. It's to ZCL's benefit, sure, but by the whole nature of it it's very intimate and a "cards on the table" sort of discussion. At the same time, WKX is the one who was drunk as a skunk just very recently and yet he knows ZZS will suffer from the effects of the Nails soon and...cares about him. I don't think ZZS likes it precisely, but he also doesn't shrug it off or push WKX away from touching his hair.

Is WKX just that persistent or is ZZS truly mellowing?

We'll be back next week with chapters 33+34 and identities revealed!