Water Lilies Painted By Claude Monet (1840 - 1926)

Xie Lian in a cuddle pile with multiple Hua Chengs

A Wu Ming, a Foxcheng, and of course a San Lang

The Foxcheng is purring

Dianxia's words of wisdom 🙏

Even immortality has its limit 😔

(On another note, I also started to include written descriptions in posts for people who need it, I hope I did it correctly, don't hesitate to correct me if things could be done better! English isn't my first language so I also hope everything is correct or at least understandable)

the versatility of xie lian as a character is peak

he's a sweetie. he's the picture of masculinity. he's a total cunt. he's a hardened soldier. he's graceful, ethereal. his fanon animal representation is a ferret. he could lift you and your mother with three fingers and not break a sweat. he would eat a bun off the floor. he knows he's better than you. he's a monsterfucker. someone could give him a knife stabby style and his husband would be more concerned about it than him. he does not want a free pile of gold bars. he will call you ugly and then get embarrassed about it. he's the kindest person you know. he's a feminist. the only reason the strongest ghost king in the canon world doesn't get bent over nightly is because he likes being a pie so much. he's got mad autism. he told his friend every one of his character flaws to his face in one breath. he has the world's shittiest luck. he will announce that he has erectile dysfunction to a crowd with no remorse or hesitation. he does not want to be emperor. he's an insufferable wife guy. he's gay. he's traumatized. his daughter is in a pickle pot. he'd slam your face into concrete and teehee over your twitching body. he helps old ladies cross the road. he's sarcastic. he's so nice. i love him

The Narrative Importantance of Hualian's Sexual Intimacy

This is a repost and minor edit of a thread I made on Twitter yesterday. This is a topic I have always wanted to talk about because of how often it comes up in TGCF fandom, time and time again.

‼️CW: mentions of sexual assault, self-harm, bodily injury‼️

⚠️Major spoilers for the entire novel ahead⚠️

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Saw a question the other day on what relevance Hualian being sexually intimate by the end of the novel had to either the narrative or Xie Lian's character arc.

In short: it bears significant relevance, especially in context of other themes the novel explores like bodily autonomy.

Throughout the novel, we see time and time again that Xie Lian is often dehumanized by pretty much everyone—including himself—with the sole exception of Hua Cheng. I've talked more in depth about it in an old twt thread, for those interested. @/stalliondany on twt has also made an excellent recent analysis that goes deeper into the specific ways Xie Lian was used as a physical shield, martyr, or scapegoat for others without thought to his humanity or suffering. I highly recommend reading it first!

But to sum it all up: it's important to Xie Lian's character arc to keep in mind that he is used to seeing his own body as a tool to solve problems. And in crucial narrative moments, he is robbed of his bodily autonomy, and either brutalized or violated in service of others.

One of the plot points that ties together all these concepts is actually... Xie Lian's chastity vows. That will be the main focus of this post.

When he was a young teen (or possibly as a child), Xie Lian took an oath of chastity because such was the norm for cultivators seeking ascension in Xian Le. To Xie Lian, even as he grew older, he never had an issue with this because he just never felt sexual attraction to another person, or any desire to be intimate in that way. Even if he yearned for the concept of being loved. And indeed, at first glance, his chastity vows may seem like nothing more than a side note. Or even a funny gag when it comes to Hua Cheng (later).

In reality Xie Lian's chastity vows are not only used against him, but paint a very disturbing picture with regards to his repeated violation.

The Land of the Tender scene is the most obvious example of this. Xie Lian's vows are directly tied to his spiritual powers, and because it affects how his followers see him. They place a high value on his chastity as being vital to his moral character.

For reference, an excerpt from TGCF vol. 3 of the English print translation, page 135:

Xie Lian's method of cultivation required a pure body. Those who worshipped the ascended cultivators who practiced this path were firmly convinced of the transcendence of gods untouched by earthly desires. If they couldn't protect their purity, their following would no doubt collapse and their powers would be devastated. It wouldn't be as serious as plunging from godhood to back to mortality, and there was still the possibility of recovery after many more years of cultivation—but with things as they were now, there was no time for him to sit behind closed doors and cultivate for years!

As a reminder: it is Bai Wuxiang who orchestrated this whole thing. Him trying to compromise Xie Lian in this way is horrific on many levels, yet that's not the main point I want to make here. It's that to preserve his "pure body," the solution Xie Lian realizes is to severely harm himself. To impale himself with his sword through the abdomen.

The juxtaposition of having to maintain bodily purity versus the gruesome violence inflicted on his body is extremely stark.

This grim contrast is no more evident than in the 100 swords scene. Where Xie Lian's body is literally brutalized and defiled to an unthinkable degree. To the point where he, quote: "no longer looked human." Yet he emerges from that temple physically "pure" all the same. His chastity vows were not broken, his body healed without scars. As though he was untouched.... And yet, he was completely destroyed mentally. It left permanent effects on him as a person. It's even worse when the scene is read analogous to sexual assault, as many have talked about before. I think that interpretation actually hits the nail on the head, especially keeping in mind the Land of the Tender scene and all the similarities between them.

Following the 100 swords scene, Xie Lian of course has a complete disconnect between himself and his body. I believe this is part of why he doesn't really feel pain, except when he is with Hua Cheng, who treats him and his body as one. As a person who is cherished, and loved. Hua Cheng is adamant in his adoring treatment of Xie Lian. Small injuries are also something he cannot tolerate because he knows what horrors befell Xie Lian in the past. (He was present at both the terrible moments mentioned above.) He will not let any of that continue, regardless of what Xie Lian says, because he sees it as injustice.

Xie Lian is willing to use himself as a tool to help others no matter the personal cost. He even thinks of it as something he must do, or that he deserves as penance. But Hua Cheng is the one person who asks "what about you?" He's the one that insists "your happiness matters." And it is Hua Cheng that takes issue with Xie Lian's chastity vows as being unfair, unlike everyone else. Regardless of Hua Cheng's reasons for this diegetically, symbolically it means a lot that he is the one opposed to this.

Just thinking about the chastity vows on their own for a moment: Xie Lian can indulge a little bit in stuff like alcohol, which isn't great to begin with for him. But he absolutely cannot engage in "pleasures of the flesh." He can totally have his flesh ripped from his bones, literally, but actually experiencing any kind of sexual gratification? Now that would make him unclean, and lesser.... Why? Because unlike everything else, that's something Xie Lian would do simply for himself to feel good. And what greater crime is there than to ever dare put himself first?

So Hua Cheng—being the one person who puts Xie Lian first above all else—thinking that such a restriction doesn't make sense is important. Hua Cheng being the person who Xie Lian breaks those vows for in the end is important! (Especially because it seems to have been an easy choice for him.)

And of course, the scene with Jun Wu and the Virginity Detector Sword™ has to be mentioned. Again, there's symbolism to be had! The perpetrator of two of the most physically violating moments of Xie Lian's life (both of which were sexual in nature; one literally and one allegorically) being the one to "check" Xie Lian's virginity... oof. Yikes. It's dramatic irony. It's deeply uncomfortable. Especially because Jun Wu probably wanted to know if Xie Lian slept with Hua Cheng, as he already knew Xie Lian wasn't the ghost fetus' father.

So it's once again a stark juxtaposition: of Ghost King Hua Cheng disagreeing with the purity vows, wanting Xie Lian to break them for himself and his own freedom. Versus Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu wanting to weaponize those vows against Xie Lian in whatever way he can, intact or not, to keep control over him.

Naturally, there's something to be said for the real-world problem with such purity vows being used against people, to judge their moral character, societal expectations, etc. Elephant in the room. It's very on the nose, so there isn't even much to say about it that hasn't been said already.

In the end, it comes down to how horrible it is that when Xie Lian tries to help others, it results in immense harm to his body every time. Yet he is expected to continue to bear it, for centuries, by others and also himself. Until he meets Hua Cheng, who helps him rediscover what it means to be happy, and to be loved. So yes, it's absolutely relevant that in the end, Xie Lian decides to break his purity vows to be intimate with Hua Cheng. That he's able to put himself in Hua Cheng's hands, and let himself be treated with affection and desire. It's Xie Lian finally forgiving himself, and beginning to heal.

Still honoring my divine mission of making them as small and stupid as the universe will allow :3

What a fruity couple 🍓🍌

Hollow Knight x TGCF Au (I need a cool name for this lol)

Ok so I finally figured out the general plotline for this au!

You first meet Xie Lian next to the area where the gravedigger ghost is in Dirtmouth. He's seemingly muttering to himself unless you already have the dreamnail, in which case it's fairly clear that he's talking and responding to the gravedigger. He mentions something about being a wanderer, but that he's been feeling a pull within the depths of this kingdom.

Few places you can meet him after this. Resting next to a bench, looking up at the statue in city, and various locations where it's pretty obvious he just fell down a hole.

You might get only some of these before you trigger his main event by going back to the tunnels under the resting grounds after you go through the first time. You'll see his hat and bag haphazardly fallen next to a patch of ground that is continuously shaking and making the dive-able location noise without you walking over it. You can free him by doing the dive spell, and then meet him at the godseeker/sarcophogus afterwards, were it becomes clear that this is what was drawing him down into hallownest.

As for Hua Cheng, you can find his body in the area behind the coliseum where you have to chase down the Pale Lurker. His ghost will pop up, and if you talk to him you will ask you to please look for a wanderer in a golden mask for him, as he cannot leave his body and his senses only go so far. You can talk to him again after seeing Xie Lian at least once, whether before or after you first meet Hua Chang, and he will ask you to deliver a delicate flower to Xie Lian. If you agree a small silver butterfly will fly towards you during the scene where you gain it. You can get various dialogues from him about his devotion for Xie Lian and his search for him that's ended in his death.

Now, endings for our couple! There are several ways this can go.

Xie Lian can either be saved from the hole and then show up again at the godseeker in the trashpit, or he can become infected if you fail to save him either before the crossroads become infected or you fight him in godhome. If you fail to save him before then and go back to the area the patch of ground will only shake when you walk over it, and if you dive down you'll find him infected stuck in a hole. A white cloth band will attack you occasionally if you get too close(fool eater style), and if you dreamnail Xie Lian post infection you'll get some very devastating lines about him still trying to escape from being buried alive. You can hit infected Xie Lian as many times as you want, but after a certain amount the only thing that happens is a flash. he doesn't die.

With Hua Cheng if you attack him at any point, or if you let Xie Lian be infected after taking the flower quest and then go see Hua Cheng again, you'll trigger his boss fight. Ghost King Hua Cheng! Defeating him and absorbing his essence obliviously means the end of him except for in godhome.

You can only deliver the delicate flower to Xie Lian outside of Godseeker, although if you visit him after he gets infected more than once you'll find that a patch of delicate flowers have grown up above and around him, implying that Hua Cheng was able to find him and that's why he attacks you if you go back.

If you deliver the delicate flower to Xie lian by the godseeker he'll remark that it seems faintly familiar, and then the butterfly that was originally seen will pop out and go to Xie Lian. he'll be struck by surprise, and the next time you go down he'll be missing from next to the godseeker. Some backtracking will show you that his new final location is sitting next to Hua Cheng's corpse, amiably chatting away.

Xie Lian's godhome fight can have a few variations. It begins with him on the other side of the arena sitting in his usual gear, and then a black nail is flung down from the ceiling, blasting away his hat and bag and revealing him as Banished Prince Xie Lian! The background will be either the Trash Pit or the resting grounds with some delicate flowers depending on wether or not you saved him. if you completed the delicate flower quest a cloud of silver butterflies will appear during the opening sequence as well, and dispel the seal on him, giving you the Flower Prince Xie Lian fight with the background of a golden palace filled with delicate flowers!

Hua Cheng just gets his Ghost King fight, but if you succeed in reuniting them there will be Xie Lian hanging out in the background during his fight!

I am what I am.