History TearJerker / GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi

* When Jiang Fengmian comes to the Cloud Recesses to retrieve Wei Wuxian in the ''donghua'', he gently tells the young cultivator that he's taking him home, not realizing that his ''son'' is standing right behind him. The look of pain on Jiang Cheng's face when he sees how much more loving his father is to Wei Wuxian than he ever seems to be around his own blood is hard to watch.
* The spite and venom Yu Ziyuan holds towards Wei Wuxian as she calls him out for losing his temper and causing the end of Jiang Yanli's engagement to Jin Zixuan, ignoring the fact that he only picked a fight with the latter ''after'' he insulted both of Yu Ziyuan's children. Later on, when Jiang Fengmian offers his wife a jade pin, she almost takes the gift until her husband tries to convince her that ending the engagement was for the best, causing her to lose her temper and storm off.
* Yu Ziyuan visibly sounds pained when Jiang Fengmian argues that Jiang Yanli should choose who she wants to marry, and then bitterly asks if he's saying that because he doesn't want their daughter to end up in a [[AwfulWeddedLife marriage like theirs]] before leaving.
-->'''Jiang Fengmian''': But they are the ones who will spend the rest of their lives together. If they do not care for each other, yet are forced into a marriage by their parents' wishes...\\
'''Yu Ziyuan''': [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Like us]]?\\
'''Jiang Fengmian''': My lady, you know that's not what I meant.

[[folder:The Discussion Conference]]
* Wen Ning attempts to join in on the archery tournament, but is called out by Wen Chao and publicly bullied in the ''donghua''. The latter claims that Wen Ning is so distantly related that he barely counts as a Wen. Even when Wei Wuxian backs up his skill in archery, his anxiety gets the best of him when trying to prove himself and he's forced to sit out from the tournament. It's easy to see why after the fall of Lotus Pier that Wen Ning did all he could to help Wei Wuxian since he was literally [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe the only person who was nice to him]] than his supposed family ever was.
* In the ''donghua'', when the results for the archery tournament come in and reveal the Jiang Clan won first place with the champion being Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng's face is momentarily thrilled until he hears his friends name being called out. He tries to not let it bother him, but even when he smiles, he still looks a little melancholy.
[[/folder]]

* The poor cultivator who speaks out against Wen Chao in the ''donghua'' has his core forcibly destroyed by Wen Zhuliu, and is rendered in an almost corpse-like state afterwards. Most people who dedicate their lives around their skills as a cultivator would likely agree that something like that happening amounted to a FateWorseThanDeath.

* Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian have a rather heated discussion where the former throws to her husband's face all her grievances regarding his lenient treatment of Wei Wuxian and his distant relationship with their son. It gets worse when Yu Ziyuan begins to drag Wei Wuxian's deceased parents into the conversation and spitefully imply that Cangse-sanren was an unfaithful wife, which causes Jiang Fengmian to snap back and angrily call his wife by her full name, something he almost never does. At this point, their entire relationship is evidently aggravating yet also saddening to watch. The scene can hit a little too close to home with people who has at least one parent that often argues over every little thing.
* After Wei Wuxian awakens in Lotus Pier and talks to the other Jiang family members, Jiang Cheng is hurt that everyone (especially his father) was worried over Wei Wuxian's time stuck in the cave when he himself literally spent five straight days traveling with little rest to make it back to the Lotus Pier in order to warn everyone where Wei Wuxian was. Whether this is Jiang Cheng merely projecting his inferiority complex or a sad confirmation that no one bothered to inquire about his condition, the scene is a good glimpse of Jiang Cheng's frustrations and belief about how he's always in second place, even in his family.
* Wanting to have revenge against Wei Wuxian for his actions in Xuanwu Cave, Wang Lingjiao makes a flimsy accusation against him about disrespecting the Wen Clan by shooting a kite with a picture of a sun on it[[note]]the Wen Clan is symbolised by the sun[[/note]] and asks for him to receive punishment. Yu Ziyuan complies with the order and whips him several times with Zidian, while having Jiang Cheng restrained so he can't intervene on his friend's behalf. While she does it to appease the Wens into not attacking her clan, it's implied that she's also taking the opportunity to vent out some of her resentment against Wei Wuxian in the most brutal way possible.
** In the ''donghua'', Wen Qing notes that despite the severity of the whip marks, Yu Ziyuan was still holding back, and guesses that she might not have actually hated Wei Wuxian that much. However, Wei Wuxian knows better as he recalls the woman's hateful LastWords to him. If she held back, it's only because she still saw him as useful in ensuring her own son's safety, and no more than that.
* Yu Ziyuan sacrifices her life to send both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to safety, even ordering Zidian to entrap them until they arrive to a safe zone. Her final farewell is one of the few times she shows any overt affection for Jiang Cheng, but this is countered by how she doesn't continue to show any love nor even concern for Wei Wuxian and orders him to protect her son to the last of his breath. In her eyes, he's still nothing more than some worthless servant her husband should have left in the streets to rot and die. It gets worse when one realizes that her treatment of him is a foreshadowing of how the entire cultivation world will soon treat him and why they want him dead; [[TallPoppySyndrome they feel offended and oppressed by his existence, a "common-born" cultivator whose power and talent far surpasses that of the "noble-born" cultivators]] -- something that Yu Ziyuan explicitly and greatly resents Wei Wuxian for.

* The sight of the Wen Clan's sigil being displayed over the flaming ruins of the once peaceful Lotus Pier. It shows just how brutal and uncaring the Wen Clan has turned, forsaking their once allies, and just how far they are willing to go to gain power.

* While trying to hide from the Wen soldiers and prepared to defend himself, Wei Wuxian grabs hold of Wen Ning and threatens to kill him, even calling him a Wen dog like everyone else. The latter doesn't hold it against him, but it's sad to think that Wei Wuxian's grief and anger has started clouding his mind like everyone else as they direct that anger to the Wens.

* The ''donghua'' shows the scared look on Lan Wangji's face when he stumbles upon Wei Wuxian's clarity bell following the latter's capture by the Wens, as all he can do is pick it up and keep it on him while worrying where his friend was taken. Closer inspection of his hand as he holds the bell shows he's visibly trembling.

* After Wei Wuxian refuses to go to Gusu with Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng steps in and tells the latter that whatever Wei Wuxian does is none of the Lan's concern, since he's a disciple of the Jiang Clan. The moment those words hit Lan Wangji in the ''donghua'', he looks visibly heartbroken and on the verge of tears but solemnly leaves the scene.
* In the ''donghua'', there's a sense of melancholy when Wei Wuxian walks inside Lotus Pier while hearing the voices of his deceased adoptive guardians, with the clincher involving his reaction when he hears Jiang Fengmian's voice calling out to him. Even if their relationship caused strain in the Jiang family, it's still not hard to understand why Wei Wuxian saw him as a second father. After all, he still gave him a home and treated him well.

* Lan Wangji goes to visit Yunmeng and once again tries to plead with Wei Wuxian to stop using demonic cultivation, which only angers the latter. When Wei Wuxian slams his fist into the table, the female ghosts he called off react to his anger by hissing at Lan Wangji, who apologizes for stepping out of line. Wei Wuxian then decides he shouldn't have bothered him today and tells him he won't be a nuisance to him anymore. Before he leaves, he hopes they'll have another chance to meet.

** In the ''donghua'', as Lan Wangji arrives and attempts to de-escalate the situation, Wei Wuxian doesn't heed any of his words as he literally and metaphorically breaks the bridge between him and the cultivation world. The face that Lan Wangji wears when he tries to peacefully confront Wei Wuxian is nothing short of worried for what will happen if Wei Wuxian continues down this path.
* Pressured by the other leaders and cultivators, Jiang Cheng confronts Wei Wuxian at Burial Mounds to try and convince him to stop helping the Wen remnants. It's disheartening that he's more concerned with his (and his clan's) repuation than helping the innocent Wen clansmen and even goes as far as to tell Wei Wuxian to let them be killed.
-->'''Jiang Cheng''': The only way of making up for things is for us to end things before they get the chance to!\\
'''Wei Wuxian''': End what?\\
'''Jiang Cheng''': You burn [Wen Ning] right now and return to them all these leftovers of the Wen Clan. That's the only way to make the subject die!\\
'''Wei Wuxian''': Are you joking?! If we return Wen Qing and the others to them, they’d meet nothing but a dead end!\\
'''Jiang Cheng''': I doubt you'll even return all of them. Why do you care what kind of end they meet? A dead end it is, then-- what does it have to do with you?!
* As their argument over protecting the Wen survivors escalates, Jiang Cheng warns Wei Wuxian that he won't be able to protect him anymore if the latter insists on shielding the Wens. Wei Wuxian's rebuttal? He'll simply break ties with the Jiang Clan then. It's a bold and selfless decision on Wei Wuxian's part, since he's relinquishing everything of his once-good standing in the cultivation world to protect the innocent. But at the same time, it's yet another reminder that Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are drifting further and further apart, with their political and moral differences inevitably coming to a head.

* After his consciousness is brought back, Wen Ning quietly says that he wants to cry but can't anymore. When Wei Wuxian inquires if he can remember what happened before they restored his consciousness, he solemnly nods.
* Seeing Wei Wuxian cough, Lan Wangji offers to give him spiritual energy to help heal his wound, but the former vehemently refuses. He claims it's so Lan Wangji wouldn't waste energy on such a small wound; however, as TheReveal much later in the story shows, this was was to deflect him from finding out that he no longer has a golden core.
* As Wei Wuxian sees Lan Wangji off, he wonders if they'll ever meet each other again so he can actually treat him to a meal, but thinks against it when he feels they always part on bad terms whenever they meet.

* Wei Wuxian gets accused of cursing Jin Zixun, and he only seems mildly annoyed to even tired that everyone wants to blame all the evil in the world on him because he's become an easy target to pin misfortune on.

* Despite Wei Wuxian acting only out of madness and grief, which was exacerbated by the cultivation world's so-called brand of "justice", many people had still lost family members in the bloodbath that night. Yes, the cultivators did strike first, but it's still easy to understand the grief their relatives must have felt from their loss.

* The thought that Jiang Cheng led a siege to kill his former martial brother. Whatever his true intentions were at the time, there's no doubt that it's driven by grief and hatred in equal measure.
* The deaths of the Wen survivors. No explicit details are ever given, but from the little that's said in the novel, it's evident that they suffered cruel deaths at the hands of the cultivators that took part in the siege. Keep in mind that the survivors were all defenseless people, and they were brutally slaughtered. Worse yet? They didn't get a proper burial; their corpses were thrown into the blood pool like worthless garbage. Given that the Wen survivors were also like another family to Wei Wuxian, it's no wonder he still holds some resentment in the present towards the cultivation world for killing them, including Jiang Cheng.

* In the ''donghua'' in the present timeline, Wei Wuxian finds a handful of hand-carved flutes next to the jars of Emperor's Smile that Lan Wangji keeps under his floorboard, implying the latter also made them as a way to cope with his death.

* Jiang Cheng spent 13 years alone after losing all his family members in quick succession, with only a nephew that undoubtedly reminded him of said events. His losses eventually fester into a hatred for all things related to demonic cultivation and Wei Wuxian, to the point that he would torture anyone who's even ''suspected'' of being a demonic cultivator.

* While her abuse of Mo Xuanyu doesn't win her any sympathy points, it's hard not to feel just a bit sorry for Madam Mo when she cradles her son's withered corpse in her arms and weeps.

[[folder:Xinglu Ridge]]
* While Wei Wuxian's cynophobia is often PlayedForLaughs, in a flashback of him as a child it's made clear how he got his lifetime fear of dogs, and at the time he had no one there to protect him but himself.
* In the ''donghua'', Wei Wuxian looks into Jin Ling's memories while he transfers the curse from the boy to himself, leading to a few melancholy moments:
** Wei Wuxian sees that Jin Ling was bullied for having no parents even as a child. As the two converse, the young Jin Ling even asks Wei Wuxian why his parents don't love him since they were never there. Wei Wuxian has to gently tell the boy they did truly love him, but can't bring himself to go further than that.
** Wei Wuxian looks up at a portrait of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, with the portrait painting the two as a happy couple. Despite knowing that the two eventually became HappilyMarried, he probably can't help but think about how those two should be here and alive with their son.
* Jiang Cheng uses Fairy to scare Wei Wuxian while he has the latter in his custody. Considering the latter's cynophobia, this act is undoubtedly petty and cruel.
* After Jin Ling helps Wei Wuxian escape his uncle, Wei Wuxian gently tells the boy that he will need to learn two phrases in this life, "thank you" and "I'm sorry". The gentle look he gives Jin Ling confuses the boy, but the audience knows that this is Wei Wuxian trying to apologize without giving anything away.
[[/folder]]

* Xue Yang attempts to coerce Wei Wuxian into repairing Xiao Xingchen's spirit, but Wei Wuxian takes one look at the spirit in the pouch and concludes that it's far beyond his capabilities to repair. This only drives Xue Yang further into denial and Wei Wuxian has to point out that since Xiao Xingchen committed suicide, an act which shatters someone's spirit, he's certain Xiao Xingchen doesn't ''want'' to be brought back.

** Xue Yang has a horrified reaction to Xiao Xingchen's death, since (despite everything he did to the latter) he also grew to like him since he treated him like a decent human being rather than a delinquent or a street rat. However, he failed to realize what Xiao Xingchen was beginning to truly mean to him, even when it was already too late.
* Xue Yang sounds downright stricken when Xiao Xingchen's sword gets taken from him and he demands it be returned to him, hinting that the sword is a TragicKeepsake to him.
* Wei Wuxian finds a piece of candy in Xue Yang's severed hand. The implications behind that are bound to elicit some sympathy for the bastard, whether it's because of how his StartOfDarkness happened simply because he wanted some sweets or because of how he (in spite of his villainy) did care for Xiao Xingchen.
* The juniors turn into a sobbing mess after finding out about A-Qing and Xiao Xingchen's backstories and how horrible their deaths were, and they go out of their way to pay their respects.
* Although the scene is PlayedForLaughs, Wei Wuxian's distress upon learning that no one may have burned any paper money for him is depressing when you think about it. He knows he didn't have a good reputation and he clearly remembers the events of the First Siege, when he was the enemy of all cultivation clans. Still, he was hoping that at least one or two people would have paid their respects to him, even if it's simply for formality's sake.

* After beating up the other Jin Clan junior disciples, Wei Wuxian tells Jin Ling that he should get into some scraps since he's still young, and realizes the teenager can't call for back up because he has no friends. When he talks with Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian realizes Jin Ling is always alone on night hunts, Jiang Cheng aside. He wonders whether or not his nephew actually has friends his age.

* When it's discovered by the other cultivators that Wei Wuxian has in fact returned, there are several reactions that range from bewilderment to anger -- but the one that hits the most is Jin Ling's. This kid lost both his parents in circumstances related to Wei Wuxian and has developed a great hatred towards him as a result; however, in the past couple of weeks prior to the reveal, je had grown unknowingly close to Wei Wuxian while believing him to be Mo Xuanyu. He, along with Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi, were the first friends Jin Ling ever had in his life, which made the apparent betrayal all the more painful.

* Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning are overwhelmed with emotion when the Wen remnants that were killed during the First Siege rise from the Blood Pool to protect everyone from the fierce corpses. The audio drama makes it more depressing by playing a flashback of the different Wen survivors whenever the two men recognise their corpses. Then it all ends with the corpses gathering before Wei Wuxian, all the while Uncle Four's speech is being replayed. It all seals in that the only reason the Wen surivovrs hadn't passed on was that they hadn't yet repaid their debt to Wei Wuxian, who saved their lives, even if only for a little longer.
* While the Wen remnants fight, the corpse of Granny Wen approaches Lan Sizhui and recognises who he is. Although he's confused, the latter feels a sense of familiarity and reaches out to her before the old woman is forced to turn her attention to the fierce corpses. It's only towards the end of the story that he finally realizes the significance of this brief and unknown reunion.

* Wei Wuxian finally returns to Lotus Pier, but he notes that it's nothing like he remembered it. He knows that it's been years and that he's not welcome there anymore, but it was still his home once.
* When Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji pay a visit to the Jiang ancestral hall, Wei Wuxian talks about how Yu Ziyuan had a bad temper and would often force him to kneel in the hall if she ever felt that he was misbehaving, but then quickly stops himself since he believes he's speaking ill of the dead. While he's gotten past most of his trauma, Wei Wuxian is still unable to reconcile with how Yu Ziyuan's treatment of him was anything ''but'' justified, with said treatment being what influenced Wei Wuxian's self-deprecation. Even after all these years, the poisons left from Yu Ziyuan's abuse still run too deep.
* Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's confrontation in the Jiang ancestral hall. The entire exchange shows just how broken their former martial brotherhood is. It eventually devolves into a fight, and things do not get any better from there.
* Wei Wuxian keeps his cool when Jiang Cheng insults him, and only becomes angry when the latter drags Lan Wangji into their argument. No matter what Jiang Cheng says to him, Wei Wuxian accepts it as long as it's directed at only him. Although he's long accustomed to everyone hurling insults his way, it's hinted that he still might be carrying guilt for the deaths of nearly the entire Jiang family.

** Lan Wangji, who frequently condemned it in the past, fully realizesjust ''why'' Wei Wuxian picked up demonic cultivation and was enraged whenever the Lan clansman pressed the issue. While he no longer has problems with his usage of TheDarkArts at present, Wei Wuxian's actions and behavior in the past begin to make a whole lot more sense, and not in the way Lan Wangji would like.

* Jin Ling fearfully tells Fairy to run away when Jin Guangyao orders Su She to kill the dog. Jin Ling is almost on the brink of tears as he asks his uncle why he would hurt Fairy when he gifted them to him when he was a child.

* In Chapter 102, Jiang Cheng bitterly confronts Wei Wuxian about his golden core:
** He starts off by raging about how Wei Wuxian is always better than him and how he still blames the latter for his family's death, then ends up breaking down in tears as he reveals what he's hurt about the most.
--->''[Jiang Cheng] choked,'' "... You said I'd be the clan leader and you'd be my subordinate, you said you'd help me your whole life, you said you'd never betray the Yunmeng Jiang Clan... You said so yourself."
** Jiang Cheng's response when Wei Wuxian apologises is painful, as he laughs at himself and remarks how he's still so fragile that he needs the other's apology. Even if part of him already knew it for the longest time, it hits him again that the promise he's been holding onto for all these years will never be fulfilled. And he knows that he's partly responsible for that.
** If considered from a certain point of view, Wei Wuxian ''did'' keep his promises to both Jiang Cheng and his parents -- by 1) being there for his martial brother when he rebuilt the Jiang Clan and 2) giving up his golden core. Needless to say, however, this is barely any consolation to Jiang Cheng.
* In Chapter 103, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian express remorse for everything that happened between them:
** The entire confrontation ends with Wei Wuxian telling Jiang Cheng that, regardless of what they promised or how much they wronged or have done for each other, it's all in the past now and it's better for them if they move on. Even if the reader factors out Wei Wuxian's romance with Lan Wangji, his relationship with Jiang Cheng is still too fractured to be salvaged, let alone repaired. The audio drama has Wei Wuxian express all of his thoughts about the matter.
--->'''Wei Wuxian''': Yes, I was no longer able to continue on the path of cultivation without my golden core. But if Uncle Jiang hadn't brought me back to Lotus Pier, I would have been just a commoner who would never have had the chance to form a golden core anyway. That's why... just forget it... It's all in the past. We don't have to bring it up anymore. As for you, you don't have to think about it either. That being said, with your personality, you would probably remember it for the rest of your life. But no matter what, right now I really think that it's all in the past. It's been too long. There's no need to be torn up over it anymore.
** Jiang Cheng's response to all this? He just wipes his tears and takes deep breaths to calm himself down, but he says nothing else. After hearing Wei Wuxian's answer, he finally realizes that his relationship with Wei Wuxian is ancient history now. He finally gets his closure, and while it's not the closure he wanted, he knows he has to accept it.
* Jin Guangyao's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Jiang Cheng hurts, as he's very blunt about how the latter didn't trust Wei Wuxian enough and how that lack of trust played a part in the latter's downfall was warranted. It's telling that neither Jiang Cheng nor Wei Wuxian can refute anything he says.
-->'''Jin Guangyao''': Clan Leader Jiang, if only your attitude towards your ''shixiong'' was just a bit better, showing everyone that your bond was too strong to be broken for them to have a chance, or if you exhibited just a bit more tolerance after what happened, things wouldn't have become what they were. Oh, speaking of it, [[VillainHasAPoint you were also a main force of the siege at the Burial Mounds...]]
* Jin Guangyao's death. While his past and his sins have finally caught up with him and he got what was coming for him, it's hard not to pity the man when he tells Lan Xichen about his entire story, then when he later rages at his friend for (in his eyes) betraying him. When he breathes his last, no one's feeling relieved. After all, Jin Guangyao was a man who dreamed of climbing high and gaining recognition and approval, only to lose it all and fall so far.

* There's something pitiful about the senior generation of cultivators refusing to learn the error of their ways and remain as close-minded, hypocritical, classist and self-righteous as they always have been, even after learning the truths about how Wei Wuxian isn't really the villain they all pegged him to be or that the Jins were indeed just as much of a threat (or worse) as the Wens were.

* After the Lan family banquet, Wei Wuxian asks the junior disciples about their night hunts with Wen Ning and is surprised to learn they not only invited Jin Ling but also ran into Jiang Cheng. He asks about their wellbeing, and he reacts bittersweetly after the juniors fill in for him.
-->''In truth, he knew that these weren't what he really wanted to ask. But as it sounded like Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling had been doing quite well, there was nothing left to say.''
* When Wei Wuxian discusses with Lan Wangji and Lan Sizhui about how most of society looks down on servants, to the point that the same servants even have a low opinion of themselves, the Lan clansmen shoot worrying looks at him. While Wei Wuxian brushes it off, by this point, any reader can tell that he also suffered mistreatment and scorn because of his status as a servant's son.
* Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji going on a date in Yunmeng in one extra chapter is mostly sweet. But there are bittersweet implications; the couple has fun in many places, but never once do they state any plans to visit Lotus Pier, and the place is only mentioned a few times in the extra chapters whenever Wei Wuxian reminisces about the past. Wei Wuxian is in a much better place now and has made peace with almost everything in his life, but it's a little sad that he's keeping his distance from his old home. After all, [[GetOut what was the last thing Jiang Cheng told him the last time he was in Lotus Pier]]?

* "Gifting A Dog": Some Jin Clan kids bully Jin Ling for being parentless and even try to take his sword away, leading Jin Ling to fighting the group and biting one kid. Once he returns home in tears, he starts screaming and tearing his room apart with the adults around him unsure of how they should intervene. The story ends with Jin Guangyao gently giving Jin Ling a puppy he asks to name and look after.

!''The Founder of Diabolism Q''

[[folder:Episodes 1-30]]
* When Wen Qing asks Wei Wuxian to tinker with his talisman's to make her brother more strong and tough in her eyes, once Wen Ning goes through each suggestion, Wen Qing gets more and more sad once she realizes this isn't Wen Ning. Once Wei Wuxian does fully bring Wen Ning's consciousness back, Wen Qing hugs her little brother in tears and tells him he's perfect the way he is and that she'll never try to change him into someone he's not.
* After the Sunshot Campaign (and hinted to be after Wei Wuxian's death), Lan Wangji decides to drink. However, as he sits at the entrance of Gusu, he remember Wei Wuxian pointing out how he wasn't "technically" breaking the rules if he was just outside the stone marking the entrance. He then quietly places a cup on the other side, likely for Wei Wuxian.
* Despite Jiang Cheng telling Wei Wuxian he doesn't want to get married and is fine on his own, he does seem to get slightly jealous of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian's relationship (who at least act like a married couple even in this censored adaptation). He then wonders if he should marry so he would have someone to argue with, and later has a drunk dream about finding a partner.
* Jin Ling reveals to Wei Wuxian that no one sent him lanterns in the afterlife. Firstly because he was the Yiling Patriach, secondly because they thought he would bring bad luck, and finally because no one wanted to waste money even sending him poorly made lanterns anyway. Wei Wuxian tearfully asks Lan Wangji if he ever sent him a lantern, and gets heartbroken when he doesn't respond. A flashback shows the reason why Lan Wangji never did.
-->'''Lan Wangji:''' He's not dead. I'll wait for him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Nightless City Attack]]

* Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian have a rather heated discussion where the former throws to her husband's face all her grievances regarding his lenient treatment of Wei Wuxian and his distant relationship with their son. It gets worse when Yu Ziyuan begins to drag Wei Wuxian's deceased parents into the conversation and spitefully imply that Cangse-sanren was not a faithful woman, which causes Jiang Fengmian to snap back and angrily call his wife by her full name, something he almost never does. At this point, their entire relationship is evidently aggravating yet also saddening to watch. The scene can hit a little too close to home with people who has at least one parent that often argues over every little thing.

* Jiang Cheng spent 13 years alone after suffering the trauma of losing all his family members in quick succession, with only a nephew that undoubtedly reminded him of said events in his care. His losses eventually fester into a hatred for all things related to demonic cultivation and Wei Wuxian, to the point that he would torture anyone who's even ''suspected'' of being a demonic cultivator.

* Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian have a rather heated discussion where the former throws to her husband's face all her grievances regarding his lenient treatment of Wei Wuxian and his distant relationship with their son. It gets worse when Yu Ziyuan begins to drag Wei Wuxian's deceased parents into the conversation and spitefully imply that Cangse-sanren was not a faithful woman, which causes Jiang Fengmian to snap back and angrily call his wife by her full name, something he almost never does. At this point, their entire relationship is evidently aggravating yet also saddening to watch. Even if you're not a fan of either of them, the scene can hit a little too close to home with people who has at least one parent that often argues over every little thing.

* Jiang Cheng spent 13 years alone after suffering the trauma of losing all his family members in quick succession, with only a nephew that undoubtedly reminded him of said events in his care. His losses eventually fester into a hatred for all things related to demonic cultivation and Wei Wuxian, to the point that he would torture anyone who's even ''suspected'' of being a demonic cultivator. Even if the reader is not a fan of Jiang Cheng and does not feel sorry for ''him'', many will find his ''situation'' to be pitiful.

[[folder:Mount Dafan]]

!''The Founder of Diabolism Q/ Mo Dao Zu Shi Q''

* Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian have a rather heated discussion where the former throws to her husband's face all her grievances regarding his lenient treatment of Wei Wuxian and his distant relationship with their son. It gets worse when Yu Ziyuan begins to drag Wei Wuxian's deceased parents into the conversation and spitefully imply that Cangse-sanren was not a faithful woman, which causes Jiang Fengmian to snap back and angrily call his wife by her full name, something he almost never does. At this point, their entire relationship is evidently aggravating yet also saddening to watch. Even if you're not a fan of either of them, the scene can hit a little too close to him with people who has at least one parent that often argues over every little thing.

* Yu Ziyuan sacrifices her life to send both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to safety, even ordering Zidian to entrap them until they arrive to a safe zone. Her final farewell is one of the few times she shows any overt affection for Jiang Cheng, but this is countered by how she doesn't continue to show any love nor even concern for Wei Wuxian and orders him to protect her son to the last of his breath. In her eyes, he's still nothing more than some worthless servant her husband should have left in the streets to rot and die. It gets worse when one realizes that her treatment of him is a foreshadowing of how the entire cultivation world will soon treat him and why they want him dead; they are oppressed by his existence, a "common-born" cultivator whose power and talent far surpasses that of the "noble-born" cultivators -- something that Yu Ziyuan explicitly and greatly resents Wei Wuxian for.

* After Wei Wuxian awakens in Lotus Pier and talks to the other Jiang family members, Jiang Cheng is hurt that everyone (especially his father) was worried over Wei Wuxian's time stuck in the cave when he himself literally spent five straight days traveling with little rest to make it back to the Lotus Pier in order to warn everyone where Wei Wuxian was. Whether this is Jiang Cheng merely projecting his inferiority complex or a sad confirmation that no one bothered to inquire about his condition, the scene is a good glimpse of Jiang Cheng's frustrations about always being second place, even in his family.

* Yu Ziyuan sacrifices her life to send both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to safety, even ordering Zidian to entrap them until they arrive to a safe zone. Her final farewell is one of the few times she shows any overt affection for Jiang Cheng, but this is countered by how she doesn't continue to show any love nor even concern for Wei Wuxian and orders him to protect her son to the last of his breath. In her eyes, he's still nothing more than some worthless servant her husband should have left in the streets to rot and die.

* There's pain in Jiang Cheng's voice when he tells Wei Wuxian that he won't be able to protect him anymore if the latter insists on shielding the Wens. Wei Wuxian's rebuttal? He'll simply leave the Jiang Clan then. It's a bold and selfless decision on Wei Wuxian's part, since he's relinquishing everything of his once-good standing in the cultivation world to protect the innocent. But at the same time, it's yet another reminder that Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are drifting further and further apart, with their political and moral differences inevitably coming to a head.

* Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian have a rather heated discussion where the former throws to her husband's face all her grievances regarding his blatant favoritism for Wei Wuxian and his coldness towards their son. Jiang Fengmian decides to walk out of the fight and go on a mission, saying nothing to his wife even when she angrily declares that they can never speak again if he leaves. At this point their entire relationship evidently aggravating yet also saddening to watch.
* After Wei Wuxian awakens in Lotus Pier and talks to the other Jiang family members, Jiang Cheng is hurt that everyone (especially his father) was worried over Wei Wuxian's time stuck in the cave when he himself literally spent five straight days traveling with little rest to make it back to the Lotus Pier in order to warn everyone where Wei Wuxian was. Yet no one showed him any concern and Jiang Cheng's once again forced to see how he always has to take second place, even in his family.

* Yu Ziyuan sacrifices her life to send both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to safety, even ordering Zidian to entrap them until they arrive to a safe zone. Her final farewell is one of the few times she shows any overt affection for Jiang Cheng, but this is countered by how she doesn't continue to show any love nor even concern for Wei Wuxian and orders him to protect her son to the last of his breath. In her eyes, he's still nothing more than some worthless servant her husband should have left in the streets. If you ever wonder why Wei Wuxian has almost no sense of self-worth, this is why.

* Pressured by the other leaders and cultivators, Jiang Cheng confronts Wei Wuxian at Burial Mounds to try and convince him to stop helping the Wen remnants. It's disheartening that he's more concerned with his clan's repuation than helping the innocent Wen clansmen and even goes as far as to tell Wei Wuxian to let them be killed.

'''Jiang Cheng''': I doubt you’ll even return all of them. Why do you care what kind of end they meet? A dead end it is, then-- what does it have to do with you?!
* There's pain in Jiang Cheng's voice when he tells Wei Wuxian that he won't be able to protect him anymore if the latter insists on shielding the Wens. Wei Wuxian's rebuttal? He'll simply leave the Jiang Clan then. His decision just makes it all the more painful, especially when the promise Wei Wuxian made to his martial brother is taken into account.

* The realization that Jiang Cheng had to brave the bloodbath Wei Wuxian unleashed in order to get his sister's body to safety.

* Jiang Cheng spent 13 years alone after suffering the trauma of losing all his family members in quick succession, with only a nephew that undoubtedly reminded him of said events in his care.

* Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning are overwhelmed with emotion when the Wen remnants that were killed during the First Siege rise from the Blood Pool to protect everyone from the fierce corpses. The audio drama makes it more depressing by playing a flashback of a Wen remnant whenever the two men recognise their corpses. Then it all ends with the corpses gathering before Wei Wuxian, all the while Uncle Four's speech is being replayed. It all seals in that the only reason the Wen surivovrs hadn't passed on was that they hadn't yet repaid their debt to Wei Wuxian, who saved their lives, even if only for a little longer.

* Wei Wuxian silences a vengeful cultivator by telling him that he's had his own fair share of suffering, admits that the blood of thousands are on his hands, and he doesn't expect to be forgiven nor understood by anyone. This is just another brutal reminder that while the cultivation world sees Wei Wuxian as a murderer and a monster, Wei Wuxian is simply just a self-sacrificing man with good intentions whose efforts are lost behind the atrocities he did commit and accepts responsibility for.

* Wei Wuxian keeps his cool when Jiang Cheng insults him, and only becomes angry when the latter drags Lan Wangji into their argument. No matter what Jiang Cheng says to him, Wei Wuxian accepts it as long as it's directed at only him -- because, while he doesn't show it, he's still beating himself up about the deaths of nearly the entire Jiang family.

* Jin Ling fearfully tells Fairy to run away when Jin Guangyao orders Su She to kill the dog. Jin Ling starts to cry as he asks his uncle why he would hurt Fairy when he gifted them to him when he was a child.
* When Jin Guangyao tries to hurt Wei Wuxian by pointing out that Jiang Cheng doesn't seem to care about him since he refuses to look in his direction, Wei Wuxian casually brushes off his statement by retorting that it's not the first time the latter has acted that way towards him. No matter the medium/adaptation, Jiang Cheng always appears stung by the comment. What's painful is how Wei Wuxian is resigned to the idea that he's now a complete eyesore to Jiang Cheng, and how Jiang Cheng is struck once again with the revelation that he treated Wei Wuxian more poorly than he had realized. As Jin Guangyao had put it, it isn't easy being Jiang Cheng's martial brother.

** If considered from a certain point of view, Wei Wuxian ''did'' keep his promises to both Jiang Cheng and his parents -- by 1) being there for his martial brother when he rebuilt the Jiang Clan and 2) giving up his golden core. Needless to say, however, this is barely any consolation to Jiang Cheng; partly due to his InferioritySuperiorityComplex, and mostly because -- deep down, past all the envy and the blame and the hate -- he just wanted his brother figure back.

** The entire confrontation ends with Wei Wuxian telling Jiang Cheng that, regardless of what they promised or how much they wronged or have done for each other, it's all in the past now and it's better for them if they move on. Even if you factor out Wei Wuxian's romance with Lan Wangji, his relationship with Jiang Cheng is still too fractured to be salvaged, let alone repaired. The audio drama has Wei Wuxian express all of his thoughts about the matter.

** Jiang Cheng's response to all this? He just wipes his tears and takes deep breaths to calm himself down, but he says nothing else. After hearing Wei Wuxian's answer, he finally realizes that his friendship with Wei Wuxian is ancient history now. He finally gets his closure, but it's still not the closure he wanted, yet he knows he has to accept it.
* Jin Guangyao's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Jiang Cheng hurts, as he's very blunt about how the latter didn't trust Wei Wuxian enough and how that lack of trust partially caused his downfall was warranted. It's telling that neither Jiang Cheng nor Wei Wuxian can refute anything he says.

* TheReveal of the real reason Jiang Cheng got captured by the Wens -- it was actually Wei Wuxian who was in danger of getting discovered, and Jiang Cheng saw this and drew the Wens' attention to himself to save Wei Wuxian. Made worse that Jiang Cheng considers telling Wei Wuxian the truth but decides to keep it to himself.
* All in all, the end state of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's relationship. Jiang Cheng no longer hates him, but they still choose to let go of what remains of their friendship rather than rebuild it. While it isn't an unhealthy outcome, it's nevertheless sad to see them distance themselves after everything they've been through. As Jiang Cheng says, "there's nothing to say"; this line in the audio drama is particularly painful as he sounds completely resigned and tired and yet also bitter and despondent, as if he realized just now that he can't undo or repair the damage and fractures in their relationship even if he wanted to, so he should just do nothing. The soundtrack playing in this scene isn't any better, as it clearly imparts the feeling of how something is gone and can never be reclaimed, so the only thing left to do is to move on.

* Jiang Yanli's death being the impetus for Jiang Cheng to realize that if Wei Wuxian lost control like that again, there would be even more human lives lost.