The novel was likely never intended for international audiences and cultural things are not explicitly explained or stated because it is considered common knowledge for the target (Chinese) audience. While many aspects may still resonate with Western audiences, some might prioritize Western cultural viewpoints that aren't really relevant to the story as it was intended to be consumed:
- Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's sexual life has clear undertones of a dominant-submissive dynamic, with Wei Wuxian being the submissive and Lan Wangji being the dominant. While such a dynamic is commonly portrayed in Chinese media, whether in danmei or in other genres, many fans from the Western fandom easily make the misassumption that WangXian's relationship follows the cliches in the yaoi genre that are widely considered to be problematic. However, those who are familiar with the aforementioned dynamic that WangXian's relationship is entirely equal, and one is simply the bottom while the other is the top in bed because it's their preference.
- While Jiang Fengmian's passive way of dealing with his kids' issues can earn much disdain from Western audiences, the Asian audience is not as fazed by it as by their culture's standards he isn't anything special as a parent, fitting into the actual position and approach to parenting that real-life Asian fathers do. By traditional values in Chinese households, Jiang Fengmian was being lenient and unusually empathetic when he cancelled Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan's betrothal out of consideration for his daughter's feelings.
- Lan Wangi's actions after the Bloodbath of Nightless City and his punishment get different reactions/interpretations depending on one's stance on collectivism or individualism. For Chinese audiences and those familiar with collectivist society, it's understood his whipping is arguably justified for betraying his clan for a criminal, some of whom might be their clan members. This is lost on many Western audiences who make the misassumption that Lan Wangji is unjustly punished and locked away for three years for saving his loved one and for being morally right in modern-day values. The entire Lan Clan, especially Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen, is criticized as being abusive for whipping him, with some even arguing they could have the power to stop him from being punished.
- Chinese readers barely bat an eye on the practice of seclusion, especially with the time Qingheng-jun secluded himself and his wife and on Lan Wangji's three-year seclusion. Meanwhile, Western and first-time xianxia readers criticize this practice as they mistakenly equate secluded meditation to being forcefully put in solitary confinement or, even worse, totally cut off from human contact, not recognizing that secluded meditation is a standard cultivation practice in Wuxia/Xianxia storiesnote . While secluded meditation is sometimes used as a punishment,note the Lan Clan used this as an excuse to hide a bigger secret that would have destroyed their reputations and the aforementioned people are aware of their actions so they all willingly entered seclusion.
- Revenge is a prevalent theme in Wuxia/Xianxia stories, and avenging one's family if they are killed by others is typically a morally good action that's part of the "Code of xia". For many Western Audiences who are used to viewing revenge as a morally bad thing, this may come off as repugnant:
- In the story, Wei Wuxian is shown not to be bothered by the idea of torturing or killing people in revenge many times. Mianmian even argues that Wei Wuxian's actions when he killed the Jin Guards in Qiongqi Path as justifiable revenge and not murder. This created confusion as to why Wei Wuxian is regarded as a morally good person when his methods of revenge would paint him as a morally gray character in a Western lens.
- In Imperial China where the setting is, the complete annihilation of a Sect is accepted as a fitting and righteous retribution for monstrous crimes like what Wen Ruohan did. Adding to this, the slaughter of the innocent relatives was not technically considered "wrong", despite it being obviously appalling to modern times, as they are considered to be equally guilty of their clan's crimes and to prevent the remnants from avenging their fallen leader as expected of filial piety. This is why, in-universe, the cultivators do not bat an eye if an entire sect is murdered and the cultivation world feels justified with the killing of the Wen Remnants even if the story doesn't support their justification while Western readers regard the event as a genocide and are left frustrated as to why none of the sects made any attempts of apology/accountability over their crimes.
- Non-Chinese readers might be confused why Jin Guangyao dismembered and scattered Nie Mingjue's body and Nie Huaisang went out of his way to treat Meng Shi's remains the same way. The Chinese popularly thought that desecrating the family grave was the ultimate act of revenge taken toward another individual and disturbing or destroying the body in any way aside from doing the proper burial rituals would prevent the soul from properly reincarnating. This reason is also why Wei Wuxian's cultivation methods and his forcing the Wen Corpses to fight against their loved ones were thought to be too much even in a brutal war, which might fly over the heads of non-Chinese readers
- A detail lost on non-Chinese readers is also the sects' treatment of the Wen Remnants' corpses. The custom at the time was, if you profess yourself to be righteous and slay someone seen as 'evil/villain', it's customary to hang their corpses up for all to see. This is done when Nie Mingjue beheads Wen Xu and hangs Wen Xu's head at the gate of Uncleam Realm for all to see. However, when the cultivation sects throw the bodies of the Wen Remnants into the Blood Pool, it is implied that the sects are all well aware what they did to the Wen remnants was a sin, and they concealed the bodies in the hopes that the Wens would not reincarnate and seek retribution. The phrase the novel uses to describe the bodies in the Blood Pool is 永不超生 (lit. to never again be reborn, to be barred from the cycle of reincarnation forever).
- Wei Wuxian defending his shijie's honor from Jin Zixuan may come off as overprotective for non-Chinese readers, but there's actually a good reason why he's very cross with the other man. Jin Zixuan's constant badmouthing would negatively affect Jiang Yanli's reputation and if word came out that he, as a man with a higher station, rejected their arrangement, she would be labeled as an undesirable woman to marrynote and would have a hard time finding another sect to marry into.
- Wei Wuxian calling Lan Wangji his birth name during the Cloud Recess arc may not be a big deal for non-Chinese readers, but per Ancient Chinese naming custom, using birth names is a sign of close intimacy and even using someone's courtesy name was considered rude if you were of much lower social ranking than them or are not in any way close. Wei Wuxian is deliberately rude to Lan Wangji when he addresses him by his birth name for the first time, thus Lan Wangji's angry reaction.
