"Nirvana in Fire"/"Lang Ya Bang" Group Read: Discussion Post for Chapters 42 - 45

[x_los]

Week 11 of the "Lang Ya Bang" book club, chapters 42 - 45. This discussion will draw to a close, and the next session will open, on July 18th.

I'll be doing a weekly post with thoughts on this community. Feel free to join in/discuss. If you'd like to join the Discord, contact superborb for an invite.

Chinese text: https://sj.uukanshu.com/book.aspx?id=17338
English translation: https://merelhyn.tumblr.com/post/641747965727358976/the-langya-list-epubpdf

SPOILER POLICY: I personally don't give a fuck or even like to give unearned credence to the concept, so since I'm writing the post, anything's fair game.

(If anyone is interested in dankodes running further poetry content during or after NiF, please let me know what you'd be keen to discuss. I'm happy to work with you on that. I'll probably ask this again once NiF draws to a close.)

Comments

Chapter 42

[x_los]

This ‘dage is more formal than gege’ footnote suggests a world where Changsu runs around calling General Meng ‘gege’, and I can’t.

Okay, I’ll bite. How does a person give off an indistinct air as though they’re standing far away in a bamboo forest, exactly?

Is a ‘lotus flower embroidered pouch’ simply a pouch with a lotus flower embroidered on it?

Re: Chapter 42

[superborb]

Fog machine. Only explanation. (It was foggy and they were in a bamboo forest, giving the impression of being unable to see him clearly.)

I think so

Chapter 43

[x_los]

Changsu has all Lin Shu’s annoying brat energy still within him, and it shows up when dealing with this guy.

Chapter 44

[x_los]

‘The son he loved most’ does Xie Yu care much about Xie Bi, really?

Re: Chapter 44

[superborb]

More than Jingrui, at least.

Chapter 45

[x_los]

‘A pattern as intricate as tear drops’ I mean are they? Intricate?

‘Draw-in-vain’ why DOES this bow have a name?

Jingrui’s POV on Changsu, which figures him as free from attachments and serious concerns, is not only off-base, it’s kind of infantilising? I know Jingrui doesn’t mean it that way, but.

Re: Chapter 45

[superborb]

The decorative pattern has 'drops like tears' I guess is the more direct translation.

I guess XJR idealizes MCS as this embodiment of the jianghu, but he also like, grew up in the jianghu and experienced those fields of bodies so ??? But I suppose that would be the naive ideal.