Thread by @cicerfics

Okay, I know this is probably because I watched CQL a whole month before I learned ANTYHING about the novel.

But it continues to astound me that Chief-Cultivator!LWJ is still something of a contentious issue in this fandom.

...Guys?? It's so funny? It's actually amazing?

People are honestly opposed to this concept?! Why? It's comedy gold!

Every day, I see people being like, "I don't like it, because LWJ would be a terrible political leader."

YES.

HE WOULD.

THAT IS THE POINT.

THAT IS WHY I STAN CHIEF-CULTIVATOR!LWJ WITH MY ENTIRE HEART AND SOUL.

He'd be awful! The worst! Can you even imagine!

Every single meeting and discussion conference? Merely a Ceremonial Airing of LWJ's Many Grievances.

He's pulling all the receipts. Every shady, selfish, corrupt thing anyone ever did is getting dragged into broad daylight.

It's public shaming time.

After he finishes roasting you, LWJ just stares at you for thirty seconds like:

The Chief Cultivator uses the Disappointed Father stare. It's super effective!

Then he moves onto his next victim.

At the end of every meeting, he circles the room with a box.
Everyone must remove one (1) item of expensive jewelry and turn it over.

LWJ has orphanages to build and impoverished peasants to feed. So cough it up, suckers!

Don't think you can get out of this by "forgetting" your jewelry at home, either. He WILL make you take off your expensive silk robes and turn those over.

Then you have to sit in the Punishment Corner in your undies.

He wants you to Think About What You've done!

And God help you if you suggest any political maneuvering that would work to your own advantage.

LWJ will look you directly in the eyes and say (out loud!), "You are clearly trying to line your own pockets and enhance your own prestige. We are meant to serve the people. So you are forbidden to pursue that course of action."

Off to the Punishment Corner with you, Sect Leader!

Go copy some lines about selflessness and virtue! Think about how you have disappointed your ancestors with your greed!

To be clear, I think LWJ has two goals here:

1) To stabilize and improve the cultivation world as much as possible

2) To escape from this hideous job as soon as possible and marry Wei Ying

He is not playing the long game. He is not trying to protect his political position and ensure that keeps this gig for the next three decades.

He wants to get the fuck out of dodge, dissolve the position of Chief Cultivator, and have nobody bother him with politics ever again.

And he wins.

Within six months, everybody's like, "Hey, do we know where the Yiling Patriarch is? Has anyone heard from him?! Do you think he'd come back, marry the Chief Cultivator, and take him away from us? Do you think he'd do it if we offered to pay for the wedding?!"

And yes, wangxian elopements are always cute and sexy.

But how delightful would it be if they got a big, expensive, elaborate wedding. If every single sect leader was there, earnestly celebrating the marriage, because THANK GOD.

THANK THE HEAVENS. THE EVIL HAS BEEN DEFEATED.

Hanguang-Jun has resigned his position as Chief Cultivator! He is moving far, far away to farm radishes with his husband! We will never have to see him or speak to him again!

But before he leaves, LWJ is like

And the sect leaders remain wholesomely terrified that He Might Come Back Someday.

Hanguang-Jun remains tremendously popular with the people. So he might come back if political corruption resumes! He could take the position back if he wanted it!

So the sect leaders frequently wake up in a cold sweat, viscerally certain that if they take that bribe or make that alliance, Hanguang-Jun will Know.

And he will Return.

And that's why nobody ever dares to act up again, and wangxian get to farm their radishes in peace.

...So, ANYWAY. If you are a Chief-Cultivator-LWJ anti, please open your third eye.

Please consider that this is actually the funniest thing that could possibly happen post-canon.

Thank you for your consideration. 🙏