Mo Dao Zu Shi rereading commentary || chapters 31-40 (Patreon)

Chapter 31: Dew—Part Four

As if he thought that this wasn’t enough to prove his desire, Lan WangJi grasped the hand that Wei WuXian held Bichen with and stared into his eyes with those light-colored pupils. Taking in a soft breath, he repeated his words, emphasizing every syllable, “… I want it.”

Wei WuXian knew that Lan WangJi was desperately drunk, that it wasn’t directed at him, yet those three words still crashed into him, taking away the strength in his arms and legs.

Wheeeeewwwww I'm sweatinggggg *fans herself*

After keeping quiet for a while, Wei WuXian spoke again, “I finally understand why your sect prohibits liquor. You collapse after just one bowl and can’t tell good liquor from bad liquor. If everyone from the Lan Sect is like this when they’re drunk, you deserve to be prohibited from drinking. Anyone who drinks should be beaten up.”

With closed eyes, Lan WangJi raised his hand and covered Wei WuXian’s mouth.

He shushed, “Shh.”

sldkgjsldkgjsldkgjsldkfjslkdf!!! LAN WANGJIII hahahhahaha
Just the image of this scene makes me laugh so much

Chapter 32: Dew—Part Five

As soon as his eyes were opened, he tumbled off the bed.

It really wasn’t the elegant HanGuang-Jun’s fault that he was not elegant at all after the shock. Any man who woke up with a hangover the morning after, saw another man lying beside him wearing nothing and that his own shirt was only half-on, and found that both of them were skin-to-skin snuggling in the same bedsheets, wouldn’t have paid attention to be elegant.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wei Wuxian couldn't handle the fact that he's losing the shamelessness war to Lan Wangji so he made it seem as if they DID DO something at night. LAN WANGJI FALLING FROM THE BED IS THE MOST DISGRACEFUL THIS HE DID EVER

Wei WuXian understood at once. These children were probably playing a game in imitation of the Sunshot Campaign.

The part in the story where the children reenact the Sunshot Campaign is so dear to me, I can't explain it!

When Lan WangJi came downstairs, he saw Wei WuXian sitting on the stairs. A group of children sat around him, eating steamed meat buns together. Wei WuXian ate his meat bun as he directed two children who stood back-to-back in front of him, “… Now, in front of you, there are thousands of the Wen Sect’s cultivators. All of them were heavily armed and surrounded you so closely that even a single drop of water wouldn’t have leaked in. Your eyes should be sharper. Yes, that’s it. Okay, Lan WangJi, pay attention here. You aren’t how you usually would be. You’re covered in blood! There’s a lot of killing intent! You look really scary! Wei WuXian, move closer to him. Do you know how to spin the flute? Let me see you spin it, with only one hand. Be cooler. Do you know how to look cool? Come, let me show you.” “Wei WuXian” responded and gave the small stick to him. Wei WuXian adeptly whirled “Chenqing” between his fingers, causing all of the children to crowd around him and gasp in awe.

This is absolutely a scene I want to draw <3

Chapter 33:  Grasses—Part One

Lan WangJi stared at them from afar. He waited for a while, but Wei WuXian still didn’t seem like he intended to return. Slowly looking to the ground, Lan WangJi kicked a small chunk of rock that was by his feet.

He stepped on it for a long time, rolling the innocent rock over again and again. As he looked up again, he saw Wei WuXian take something from his sleeves and hand it to the woman who spoke the most.

Ohhhhhh the most elegant and stoic man on earth is ANGY and JEALOUS.

No but seriously, I love how MXTX gives us glimpses to those "slips" Lan Wangji has that break his character when Wei Wuxian is involved.

With a pause, he added, “HanGuang-Jun, why are you looking at me like this? I know that the rouge’s quality really isn’t that great. But I’m not like how I used to be, when I always had a ton of flowers and jewelry on me to give the girls. I really don’t have anything else to give them. At least it’s better than nothing.”

As if a displeasing memory had bubbled up, Lan WangJi’s brows twitched, and he slowly turned his head away.

WEI WUXIAN BE QUIET.

Chapter 34: Grasses—Part Two

Hearing the dog’s name, goosebumps climbed all over Wei WuXian’s back. He then heard Lan JingYi shout, “We have not even blamed your dog yet! It opened its mouth to bite first, and then it ended up with Lil’ Apple’s hoove. Whose fault was that? Anyhow, neither of them can move at this point.”

How come this glorious battle is underrated in fandom!?!? This must be fixed!

A series of oomph-s and mmn-s came from around him, which meant that everyone was there. Lan WangJi coldly stated, “Noise.”

LOLOLOLOLOL Lan Wangji just put a silencing spell on a bug group of juniors at once because they were too loud in a dangerous situation in Yi City arc. The aloof way in which he did this act and the short way he explained himself hahahahahaha I love himmm

Having heard a few clashes of the blades, Wei WuXian’s heart suddenly tightened. He blurted out, “Lan Zhan? Are you hurt?!”

From afar, there came a muffled grunt, as if someone had received a critical injury. It clearly wasn’t Lan WangJi’s voice, though.

Lan WangJi, “Of course not.”

Wei WuXian grinned, “So it seems!”

LAN WAGNJI THE MAN YOU ARE. "Of course not"
!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As if saying that "him being hurt" is a term that does not exist in reality.

Wei WuXian, “Yep. Congratulations. You’re under corpse poisoning.”

Jin Ling, “How is this something to congratulate someone for?!”

Wei WuXian, “It’s another life experience. It’d be a conversation starter when you grow older.”

Pffffftttt hahahahhaha Wei Wuxian, what a legend!

Chapter 35: Grasses—Part Three

Yet, he didn’t expect that, with a bang, Wei WuXian opened a chest on the ground, which was where the stench came from. Within the chest, there were ham and chicken. Blotches of green dotted among the red meat, while white, coiling maggots dotted among the green.

Jin Ling was forced to exit the room again. Wei WuXian picked up the chest and passed it to him, “Throw it away. Anywhere works, as long as we don’t smell it.”

The way Wei Wuxian doesn't flinch from the sight or smell really shows how professional he is in fields that high class people/cultivators wouldn't never deem as worthy of their involvement, but also shows that he'd probably got used to seeing such sights and smells (thinking about when he fell to Burial Mounds and had to survive there ;___; )

Lan JingYi was baffled, “Should we be taking notes?”

Wei WuXian, “A good habit, but do you think you’d have time to flip through your notes when you’re out night-hunting? Keep it in your minds.”

Ahhh again this rings such a familiar bell from real life. We had a teacher in school once, who never wrote the material on the board and all the pupils were angry cause we were too used to copying. But his teaching method was actually having a conversation with the pupils, and he always said that taking notes is not helpful as actually listening and understanding.

And here, in the context of the story, taking notes is useless compared to a real experience. A person remembers and learns best when they experience the thing in itself, instead of writing and then reading, trying to memorize.

Wei Wuxian is the best teacher! <3

Chapter 36: Grasses—Part Four

Wei WuXian, “That’s good. This is an excellent opportunity for your cultivation. Why do ghosts scare people? It’s because when people are scared, their consciousness fades while their spirit surges, which make the easiest moments to suck out their yang energy. This is why ghosts are the most afraid of those who are fearless, who aren’t scared of them. There are no opportunities to seize, so there isn’t anything that ghosts can do to them. Thus, as disciples of cultivation, your number one goals are to become braver!”

What Wei Wuxian says here relates to real existing supernatural beings in the context of the story, but for me, I also take it to the panic attacks I used to have. I had severe panic attacks when I was 22, that it got to the point I thought that I was dying almost every day and that I thought that I was getting insane.

I tried to get help from various places, but in the end the one who helped me cure it was the man who taught me to embrace those images that entered my head, realize they are fake, and laugh in their face. The more you fear, he told me, the stronger those images of your mind torment you, and the more you believe them the realer they become. But you just need to breathe and remind yourself that you, your real mind, are stronger.

I taught myself to stand against my own thoughts and imagination and it worked for me. I was finally cured from the panic attacks when I learned not to succumb to fear.

Glad that he didn’t take a curious look due to his inability to move, Lan JingYi muttered, “Braveness is determined at birth. What can you possibly do if you were born a coward?”

Wei WuXian, “Were you born knowing how to fly on swords? People only know how to do it after practicing and practicing. Similarly, people can get used to things after being scared. Does the outhouse reek? Is it disgusting? Trust me, if you live in an outhouse for a month, you’ll even be able to eat your meals in there.”

This again brings me to real life.

What Lan JingYi says, is something that I myself think from time to time. I suck at many things, and I always thought that if I'm good at something or bad at something it's because I was born that way. That being talented in something is a blessing you get in birth, and so is not being able to do something.

For years I took my art and drawing as a natural gift, cause that's what my family always told me. I never studied art and I took pride in that, cause everything I accomplished was my own progress. But with time I saw that years passed and my art is not good. And when I saw people's "before and "after" arts showing AMAZING progress made in 5 years simply cause they actually studied and took their passion seriously, I realized that maybe I was wrong.

My husband also always tells me how I still have that idea that the things you're good or bad at are determined from birth, when I say "I just can't do X and that's all." He tells me "And I suppose you don't think you can actually LEARN to do it?"

What Wei Wuxian says here makes so much sense to me now. Practice does make perfect.

Thank you so much MXTX for making me understand things and make myself better. Your stories are the true motivation, the real psychologist. T^T <333

As if they saw or heard something hilarious, the pair of paper mannequins giggled incessantly. At the same time, the eyes painted with human blood spun rapidly inside their sockets. The sight was truly stunning, but also truly frightening. Standing before them, Wei WuXian lowered his head in salutation.

With respect, the pair of paper mannequins also bowed slightly, returning salutations of a higher level.

Reading this story again, I suddenly realize what makes Wei Wuxian so different from the others, especially in the dark cultivation method he chose. Wei Wuxian is not afraid of the low, the poor, the ugly, the scary. He gives them as much respect as one would give a person of a higher status.

This brings me back to how he suggested to Lan Wangji to gain information from the common townspeople instead of the cultivation sect. He speaks to people and beings that normal cultivators would not even pass a single glance, and knows that if he acts in a beneficial way towards them, they'd do the same. And so he also does with the dark beings whose power he borrows. Like corpses and now the paper mannequins, he simply shows them respect. It's incredible.

I wonder if this character of his is part of the reasons why he was able to take such a common and easy cultivation method as the ghost cultivation and bring it to other levels, like nobody who tried to imitate him could.

Xue Yang turned to demonic cultivation, poisoning living humans turning them into corpses because that was way easier than trying to talk and control and take patience with a real corpse or ghost.

Wei Wuxian is the best!

Thus, after the boys got over the initial shock, there were no signs of repulsion on their faces, but instead excitement that couldn’t be concealed. They felt that it enriched their experiences, allowing for more conversations between their juniors and them. Jin Ling was the only one who didn’t look too well.

This is so damn relatable. You can totally see something that was taught to you to be "wrong" as cool when you experience it yourself and see how amazing it is. Wei Wuxian really gave them better lessons during these couple of hours in the field than they ever got sitting on their butts in school haha

Chapter 37: Grasses—Part Five

Again, he cut the index finger of his right hand on Lan JingYi’s sword. Droplets of blood trickled down.

Lan JingYi volunteered, “Are you going to use the Summoning again? If you dot twice in each mannequin’s eyes, how much blood are you going to use? Do you need me to give you some?”

Immediately, a few other boys rolled up their sleeves, “I can also spare some…”

Again, this is so awesome how the students who used to shun such cultivation suddenly want to take part of it because it's exciting and cool!

Yet, after he had just one mouthful, the corners of his mouth started to twitch. He only stopped himself from spitting it out by tightly pursing his lips together. A moment later, he replied with respect, “Thank you.”

Wei WuXian turned around, “Did you see that? Did you see that? What did he say? You guys are the only ones who have such high standards, so full of complaints even after eating my congee.”

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Both at Xue Yang's reaction (who never thought that he'd be tortured this way in his own tricky plan) and Wei Wuxian's words hahaha

Xiao XingChen, “Adults are going to talk to adults. The children can wait outside.”

He gestured to Song Lan, who obeyed at once and drove the disciples outside. Wei WuXian comforted them, “Go outside for now. You won’t be much help here, anyways. The corpse-poisoning powder should’ve settled already. When you go outside, don’t run around and stir up the dust again. Breathe slowly.”

Hearing “you won’t be much help here”, Jin Ling was both unconvinced and upset. He didn’t want to accept the defeat, yet he knew that he couldn’t do anything, so he stormed outside.

Before Lan SiZhui left, he looked as if he wanted to say something. Wei WuXian turned to him, “SiZhui, you’re the most sensible one here. Guide them a bit, won’t you? Can you do that?”

Lan SiZhui nodded. Wei WuXian added, “Don’t be scared.”

Lan SiZhui, “I am not.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Lan SiZhui smiled, “Senior, you are so much like HanGuang-Jun.”

Wei WuXian was puzzled, “Us? How are we alike?” They were obviously like fire and ice.

However, Lan SiZhui only grinned in reply, and led the rest of the group out.

He continued his thought silently, I do not know, either, but they just feel similar. It is as though if either one of the two seniors are present, I will not need to be scared or worry about anything.

I don't know how to explain this but something in the way that Wei Wuxian acts and talks in this part makes me so amazed. Like, he's the whole package of things. He's both funny and ridiculous, he's both smart and teaches the juniors real practical things, and he's both responsible and keeps it cool in dangerous situations. He's actually telling the juniors to go out, while himself, well, being a hostage, not knowing who's the man in front of him and how things will unfold, and yet he calms Lan Sizhui, by staying calm and confident himself.

Xue Yang, “Don’t be so eager to refuse me. If you don’t know what to do about it, the both of us can discuss the matter together.” Before he finished his sentence, he lunged once more.

Wei WuXian dodged and dodged again, surrounded by ragged strips of paper that covered the ground. He thought to himself, The little delinquent has some good moves. Watching Xue Yang’s attacks become greater in both speed and lethality, Wei WuXian couldn’t help but exclaim, “Are you really taking advantage of my body’s low spiritual power?”

Xue Yang, “That’s right!”

Wei WuXian had finally met someone more shameless than him. He returned the smile, “It’d be better for one to upset a hero than to upset a rogue, which is you, in this case. I’m not dealing with you any longer. Let’s have someone else.”

Xue Yang grinned, “Who else? That HanGuang-Jun? I got more than three hundred walking corpses to gang up on him. He…”

Before he finished his sentence, a white-robed figure descended from the sky. Bichen’s icy blue glare swept at him.

OH SNAP! OHHH SNAP!!!

THIS PART IS SO DAMN COOL, EPIC, AMAZING, IT SHOULD BE ANIMATED KSDJLSKDJGLKSDGJ

Chapter 38: Grasses—Part Six

The body of the guqin was horizontally slammed onto the table. Lan WangJi tossed Bichen to his left hand and continued to fight with Xue Yang, his attacks remaining strong. At the same time, without even turning his head, he raised his right hand and strummed across the strings.

The chord was loud and clear. It resonated all the way to the end of the street. What came back was the strange yet familiar noises of the corpses’ heads bursting. Lan WangJi continued to fight Xue Yang with one hand and play the guqin with the other. He’d glance across the scene as if it was only a simple matter, then nonchalantly curve his fingers to strum again. Working with both of his hands, he somehow still seemed calm and unhurried.

LAN WANGJI THE MAN YOU ARE.

Wei WuXian turned around and shouted, “HanGuang-Jun, it’s up to you now. We’re gonna go ahead!”

The strings of the guqin vibrated, as if someone was saying “mnn”. Wei WuXian cracked up with a pfft. Lan JingYi hesitated, “That was it? You are not going to say anything else?”

Wei WuXian, “What else do you want me to do? What else should I say?”

Lan JingYi, “Why did you two not say ‘I’m worried about you. I’m staying!’, ‘Go!’, ‘No! I’m not going! If I’m going, you’re going with me!’? Is it not a must?”

Wei WuXian was left open-mouthed, “Who taught you this? Who told you that this sort of conversation must happen? It’d sound fine out of my mouth, but can you even imagine your HanGuang-Jun say such things?”

The Lan Sect’s juniors chorused, “No…”

Wei WuXian, “Right? It’s a waste of time. I believe that someone as reliable as HanGuang-Jun will definitely be able to deal with it. I can just focus on my own things and either wait for him to find me or go find him myself.”

HAHAHAHAHAHA this part is so funny, but it also made me realize how what Lan Jingyi implies is how many romantic couples act in dramatic situations in books and media, and how Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji represent a couple that absolutely love each other, but at the same time they are practical, count on each other, and don't need to act all cringe like that XD

Wei WuXian affirmed, “Correct. I can only jump.” With both of his feet together, he tried to jump outside. However, since the threshold was too high, he failed every attempt. Seeing how his toes bumped into the threshold, all of the disciples found the scene funny. They started laughing as they imagined a a corpse who had just transformed desperately try to jump outside like this, but get blocked by the high threshold every time. Wei WuXian spoke again, “Do you see now? Don’t laugh. This is the intelligence of common folk. Although it’s lame and seems too simple, it’s indeed effective against low-level corpses. If a corpse who has transformed is tripped by the threshold, after they fall on the ground, with their stiff body, they won’t be able to get back up in a short time. When they’re finally able get up, either the sun will rise soon afterwards and the rooster will call, or the person guarding the coffin home will’ve discovered them. It’s actually quite impressive how ordinary people who didn’t cultivate could think of such a solution.”

This again brings me back to this trait of We Wuxian that I love. He thought that it's also worthy to learn the ways of the common people.

Using his own body as medium, he could invade the spirit’s soul and memory, hear what they heard, see what they saw, feel what they felt. If the spirit’s emotions were abnormally strong, then he’d be affected by their sorrow, their rage, their ecstasy. Thus, it was called “Empathy”.

And this too. "Empathy" method suits Wei Wuxian's character so much, because he's willing to feel and to see things from another perspective, even if it's vile, disgusting, common, evil etc.

And also this again shows how easily Wei Wuxian is willing to sacrifice his own body T^T

Chapter 40: Grasses—Part Eight

However, Xiao XingChen was not at all aware of the two pairs of eyes that pointed at him. After all, he was the only one in the room who was truly blind.

I always loved how this sentence is both literal and figurative. In their trio, Xiao Xingchen is really the one with no eyesight (even though A-Qing is perceived so too), but he is also the only one who's being fooled, both by A-Qing (in an innocent way) and by Xue Yang (in a cruel way).

MDZS rereading commentary || Chapters 41-50 

MDZS rereading commentary || Chapters 21-30