History Literature / GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi

''Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi'' (Chinese: 魔道祖师 ''Mo Dao Zu Shi''), also known as ''The Founder of Diabolism'', is a [[YaoiGenre Boys' Love]] and SpiritCultivationGenre novel by Creator/MoXiangTongXiu, which was first published as a WebNovel on the Chinese WebNovel site JJWXC.

* BloodBrothers: Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao become sworn brothers after the Sunshot Campaign, forming the trio known as the Venerated Triad.

** There's the Venerated Triad (Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Jin Guangyao). Before they became BloodBrothers, they deeply trusted and respected each other, although things started to go south after [[spoiler:Nie Mingjue caught a glimpse of Jin Guangyao's true nature]]. And that's only scratching the surface, but it all ends [[spoiler:in betrayal and bloody deaths, with the last surviving brother falling into despair]].

* ComicBookAdaptation : A {{manhua}} adaptation ran from December 2017 to October 2022 and is available via the [[https://www.kuaikanmanhua.com Kuaikan Manhua app]].

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Any clan leader is bound to know how to fight like a badass. The one exception is the current Nie Clan leader Nie Huaisang, [[spoiler:although that's because he's more of TheChessmaster than a fighter]].

* FamilyExtermination: Xue Yang annihilated the entire Chang Clan out of revenge for their previous leader [[spoiler:costing him one of his fingers]].

** The title of the book itself is an intentional misnomer of it's subversion of ''xianxia'' tropes as him using the "demonic" path is a rumor used by the cultivation world to disparage him and treat him as evil. Wei Wuxian is the actually the founder of the "Ghost Cultivation" or "Guidao" path and he refers to his abilites as such, though the official translations simply translated his abilites as demonic culvation so this nuance is lost for the English audiences.

* ChekhovsGun: The forehead ribbon, are treated as sacred by the Lan Clan and is not allowed to be touched by anyone else. [[spoiler:Its meaning is "to conduct oneself well", but the founder once claimed that no rules are necessary in front of one's beloved, hence the forehead ribbon is a token of love between a member of the Lan Clan and the lover.]] Wei Wuxian's reaction upon finding out is ''hilarious'' -- [[spoiler:but fortunately for him, this ends up playing a role in getting him and Lan Wangji together]].

* Revenge: As a ''xianxia'' work, revenge is par for the course:

** [[spoiler:Jin Ling stabbed Wei Wuxian in his stomach for his parent's deaths after his identity is revealed. Wei Wuxian understands why and doesn't hold it against him, but Jin Ling is immediately regretful and after apologizing, is finally able to move on and accept him into his life.]]
** [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao's eventual condemnation and downfall is all orchestrated behind the scenes by Nie Huaisang to avenge his brother's untimely death. His level of manipulation is so impressive that no one was able to figure him out his schemes until it's too late, allowing him to get away with his revenge scot free.]]

** Xue Yang murdered everyone in the White Snow Temple, blinded Song Lan and then [[spoiler:killed him years later]] just to get back at Xiao Xingchen. He also massacred the entire Chang Clan because of the wrongdoings done to him by the clan leader's father. Xiao Xingchen calls him out for this one.

* EroticDream: The ''Incense Burner'' extra is basically [[spoiler:a shared dream shared between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian caused by the aforementioned incense burner that starts out in a heartwarming note before it immediately goes off the rails into kinky sex between the two.]]

** Xue Yang murdered everyone in the White Snow Temple, blinded Song Lan and then [[spoiler:killed him years later]] just to get back at Xiao Xingchen. He also massacred the entire Chang Clan because of the wrongdoings done to him by the clan leader's father.

** Madam Jin went into a depression after her son and daughter-in-law's deaths, to the point of neglecting her grandson. She died later on from the humiliation she felt from hearing about the [[DeathBySex about how her husband died]].

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Lan Wangji is usually quick to get jealous when Wei Wuxian tries to charm other women, but he only shows amusement ([[TheStoic what his stoic demeanour allows anyways]]) when Lan Sizhui talks about the time Wei Wuxian repeatedly pestered the Damsel of Annual Blossoms to get a glimpse of the spirit's face.

** Normal civilians and cultivators see the use of fierce corpses from demonic cultivation as disrespectful, since in Chinese culture doing anything to corpses that doesn't involve a burial is seen as the highest form of disrespect for the dead (as spirituality is highly valued in China). While the creator Wei Wuxian himself is actually shown multiple times to treat his corpses with politeness and so respects them in his own way, Xue Yang plays this straight; he turned [[spoiler:Song Lan]] into a fierce corpse after getting him killed with anything but honourable reasons, befitting of the villainous demonic cultivator.

* After [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao's death and deeds exposed to the world,]] he is immediately hit with malicious rumours as the mastermind behind his downfall even made sure that he's public number one in revenge.

* TamerAndChaster: The animated adaptation tones down a lot of the overt eroticism and {{gorn}} from the novel, due to Chinese censorship regulations. Censorship also forces Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's relationship to be downplayed and never stated onscreen to be romantic (Wei Wuxian's hammy acting as Mo Xuanyu aside), though the ShipTease is enough to drive the point home to viewers by the epilogue. The chibi spinoff (which is already LighterAnSofter) similarly tones down the romance, although it's less subte on the premise that it's a gag series with questionable canoncity and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Years ago, a young cultivator named Wei Wuxian rose to fame by discovering a new school of cultivation that involved the manipulation of dark energy and raising the dead (both of which had never been done or attempted before). He used said abilities to give the cultivation clans an edge over their common enemy, the tyrannical Wen Clan. Over time, however, Wei Wuxian came to be feared and hated, and soon he met his grisly end at the hands of the people who once trusted him.

''Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi'' (Chinese: 魔道祖师 ''Mo Dao Zu Shi''), also known as ''The Founder of Diabolism'', is a ''[[BoysLove danmei]]'' and ''[[SpiritCultivationGenre xianxia]]'' novel by Creator/MoXiangTongXiu, which was first published as a WebNovel on the Chinese WebNovel site JJWXC.

* ComicBookAdaptation : A ''{{manhua}}'' adaptation began in December 2017 and is available via the [[https://www.kuaikanmanhua.com Kuaikan Manhua app]].

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Lan Wangji is usually quick to get jealous when Wei Wuxian tries to charm other women, but he only laughs when Lan Sizhui tells about the time Wei Wuxian repeatedly pestered the Damsel of Annual Blossoms to get a glimpse of the spirit's face.

** The ''manhua'' closely follows the narrative of the novel but sometimes omits details or scenes not relevant to the plot to adhere to a certain pace and chapter length without affecting the story.

* AllForNothing: Despite everything Wei Wuxian sacrificed to save [[spoiler:Wen Ning and his relatives]], all his efforts were turned against him through both horrible luck and tragic injustice, and it all ended in [[spoiler:his death and the remaining Wens being brutally and remorselessly slaughtered. Subverted after the TimeSkip when Wei Wuxian gets the reassurance that his efforts ''weren't'' entirely in vain when he learns that Wen Yuan, now known as Lan Sizhui, survived]].

* AnachronicOrder: The novel constantly jumps back and forth between Wei Wuxian's current and previous lives. The ''donghua'' also does this to a lesser degree -- unlike the novel, the ''donghua'' inserts all of Wei Wuxian's pre-Yiling Patriarch flashbacks between the Mount Dafan and Xinglu Ridge arcs and inserts all of his Yiling Patriarch flashbacks during the Xinglu Ridge arc.
* AnalogyBackfire: When Su She accuses Wei Wuxian of being afraid of death, Wei Wuxian counters that fearing death is not the same as not wanting to die, much like how there's a difference with him not wanting to [[spoiler:leave Lan Wangji's embrace]] and being afraid of doing such... before he retracts his statement by realizing that they're actually the same thing. In this case, the trope is invoked on purpose, as Wei Wuxian was trying to piss Su She off.

* ArtEvolution: The ''manhua'' art style goes through significant changes that are a deliberate choice on the artist's part. Initially, the ''manhua'' follows a grounded art style with an equally grounded and earthy coloring scheme, which soon becomes more shoujo-esque with much brighter colors when the ''manhua'' gets to the first flashback arc about Wei Wuxian studying in the Cloud Recesses. By the time the ''manhua'' gets to the Yi City arc, the art style became a cross between the two.

* BattleTrophy: In the finale, [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang]] picks up [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao's cap]] as people are leaving, likely as a reminder of how the former finally bested their enemy.

** When Nie Huaisang stumbled upon his brother ''qi''-deviating, he broke down into tears as he tried to call out to him. Even when he got cut in the ''manhua'' and ''donghua'', he continued to cry and tell his brother to recognize him.

* BurnBabyBurn: [[spoiler:The Cloud Recesses was burned down to keep the Lan Clan in line]] in Wei Wuxian's first life, under the excuse that the place was unclean and needed to be purified with fire.

** Wei Wuxian has killed and injured many, so naturally he doesn't exactly bother keeping track of every one of them. When the [[spoiler:cultivation clans gathered once again to confront him in the Burial Mounds]], each time a cultivator asks him if he remembers them before they announce whatever grievance they claim to have with him, Wei Wuxian responds with a blunt and deadpan "no".

* CassandraTruth:
** Jiang Cheng correctly assumes at Mount Dafan that "Mo Xuanyu" is actually Wei Wuxian, since this supposedly harmless lunatic not only practises demonic cultivation but also manages to summon Wen Ning with a slipshod bamboo flute. However, Zidian fails to expel Wei Wuxian's soul (since Mo Xuanyu specifically summoned him rather than had his body taken over), so everyone present at the scene doubts him.
** Nie Mingjue was right about how [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao isn't someone who can be trusted]], which was just scratching the surface. But it would take at least 13 years for Lan Xichen as well as everyone else to finally see that.
** Wei Wuxian was the first to recognize that [[spoiler:the Jin Clan is just repeating the Wen Clan's reign of oppression, even if they're more low-key about their approach]]. When he stated his thoughts out loud, his voice fell on deaf ears, because the [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter other clans were either too blind to recognize the truth]] or [[SelectiveObliviousness voluntarily chose to stay blind]]. The only one who truly heeded his words was Lan Wangji.
* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: Out of the 32 named characters, only six are female. Most of the men are noted to be rather handsome, even the older ones[[note]]Lan Qiren is confirmed to be attractive (without his beard) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and Wen Ruohan said to look like a man in his 20s[[/note]], due to them being cultivators.

* CatapultNightmare: Once [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian learned demonic cultivation after being thrown into the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian used his newfound powers]] to haunt Wang Lingjiao in her dreams, leading her to wake up by springing up and screaming every night. It's apparently already happened enough times where she's become too afraid to sleep.

** Not that she didn't deserve it, but Wang Lingjiao was not granted a quick and mundane death. In the novel (and audio drama and ''manhua''), [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian fueled her paranoia and drove her insane to the point that she ate a whole table leg... and died from choking on it]].

* CrushBlush: Wei Wuxian's face frequently turns pink in the ''manhua'' whenever he's flustered by Lan Wangji, although [[UnknowinglyInLove he initially doesn't understand why]]. [[spoiler:Even after they get together, there are still some instances when Wei Wuxian breaks into a blushing fit due to his and his husband's mutual affection for each other.]]

** In the AnimatedAdaptation, Wen Chao didn't deign [[spoiler:Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan's]] bodies nor the bodies of the [[spoiler:Jiang disciples]] with a proper burial.

** Normal civilians and cultivators see the use of fierce corpses from demonic cultivation as disrespectful, since in Chinese culture doing anything to corpses that doesn't involve a burial is seen as the highest form of disrespect for the dead (as spirituality is highly valued in China). The users of demonic cultivation, however, approach this differently:
*** Despite his reliance on demonic cultivation, Wei Wuxian's shown multiple times to treat his corpses with some politeness and kindness which implies he tries to respect them in his own way.
*** Xue Yang turned Song Lan into a fierce corpse after getting him killed with anything but honourable reasons, befitting of the ArcVillain demonic cultivator.

** A-Qing was blinded [[spoiler:by Xue Yang]] shortly before her death. The manner in which it happened varies in the adaptations; in the novel and the ''manhua'' her eyes were damaged by a chemical powder, while in the audio drama they were slashed.

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: In the Golden Carp Tower arc, Jin Guangyao mentions that [[spoiler:Suibian sealed itself after Wei Wuxian died and as its owner, only he can unsheathe it]]. Then the Sunshot Campaign arc reveals that [[spoiler:Jiang Cheng lost his core]], but while [[spoiler:they were being sheltered by Wen Ning]], Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng that [[spoiler:there is a way for him to regain his core]], and not long after, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian founded demonic cultivation]]. The reader soon realizes that all these events are connected the moment [[spoiler:Wen Ning confronts Jiang Cheng and tells him to unsheathe Suibian]].

* ForgottenFirstMeeting: In Season 2 of the ''donghua'' there are a few scenes that feature a rattle drum, and in the final episode Wei Wuxian picks up one and wonders why he's so fond of it. [[spoiler:A flashback shows that when he was still living on the streets, Lan Wangji stumbled upon him and gave him his own rattle drum out of kindness. Neither remember this meeting.]]

** Initially thinking that Lan Wangji kept the Emperor's Smile jars for himself, Wei Wuxian refills the jars that he consumed with water as a prank -- and Lan Wangji later (unknowingly) gives him the same jars the next time they return to the Cloud Recesses.

** When it comes to Wei Wuxian's [[spoiler:sex life with Lan Wangji, he is very much open to rough play]]. Yet he draws the line when it comes to [[spoiler:spanking, which is essentially one of the ''mildest'' parts of rough play, even when Wei Wuxian has already dabbled in lewder stuff]]. Granted, it's explained that he dislikes it not because of the pain, but because it feels humiliating since parents do the same thing to unruly children.

** Wen Chao's death occurred offscreen in the novel (plus audio drama and ''manhua''), with [[spoiler:Lan Wangji and the readers leaving the scene before Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng torture him to death]].

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Because of the plot's setup, it can seem like Wei Wuxian has new abilities out of nowhere. However, from a purely chronological point of view, Wei Wuxian actually [[spoiler:lost his abilities along with his golden core]], and then spent three months [[spoiler:without a weapon in [[HellOnEarth the Burial Mounds]]]], so what we see as new powers is actually a lot of improvisation done on the spot based on half-remembered theory.

* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: When Jin Zixun attempted to force the Twin Jades to drink, some of his dialogue implied that this was his way of making the brothers publicly declare that the Lan Clan were allies of the Jin Clan under any circumstances.

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: It's noted InUniverse that most cultivators only take the night-hunts where they would receive either a hefty sum or a reputation boost. Only a few would go on any night-hunt, even if it netted no reward, as long as it involved helping the people (i.e. Lan Wangji and Xiao Xingchen).

* RayOfHopeEnding:
** While Song Lan is [[spoiler:finally freed of Xue Yang's control]] by the end of the Yi City arc, [[spoiler:his friend's soul remains shattered]] and A-Qing [[spoiler:has her spirit obliterated by Xue Yang]]. Wei Wuxian quickly puts her soul into a Spirit-Trapping Pouch and both her and Xiao Xingchen's souls to Song Lan, telling him there is the small chance that [[spoiler:both souls can be restored when given enough time and care]], and Song Lan decides to roam the world and help people while waiting for his friend to return.
** Downplayed with Wei Wuxian. He [[spoiler:certainly [[EarnYourHappyEnding achieves his happy ending with Lan Wangji]]]], but the fact remains that he's still [[spoiler:a pariah in the cultivation world and is still regarded by the masses as an evil figure; he's just no longer the most active target of their smear campaign]]. In fairness, however, Wei Wuxian is long past caring about that [[spoiler:and he's already distanced himself from the business of all cultivation clans once and for all]]. There is also the chance that [[spoiler:the public's opinion of him will change for the better someday, since the younger generation of cultivators views Wei Wuxian in a far more positive light]].

** The ''donghua'' doesn't hold back with this, showing just how well-drawn and detailed every place is, even in the bleaker and more lifeless areas like the Burial Mounds.

* SeparateSceneStorytelling: Most of the story is told through {{Flashback}}s and possession/[[WillingChanneler Empathy]].

** In the past, Wei Wuxian once asked Lan Wangji to sing for him. Lan Wangji hummed a melody in response, but Wei Wuxian failed to catch the name of the song. 13 years later, it's the same melody that [[spoiler:allowed Lan Wangji to recognize Wei Wuxian in Mo Xuanyu's body, because Lan Wangji had only played that song, ''once'', for Wei Wuxian and Wei Wuxian only]].

* SexualKarma: Many mentions of sex in the novel are related to the villainous characters, and they are typically sketchy at best and horrific at worst (such as RapeAsDrama). In contrast, [[spoiler:after they get together, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji enjoy a healthy and active sex life]].

* SquishTheCheeks: Both the ''donghua'' and the ''manhua'' shows [[spoiler:Madam Lan]] either poking or pulling at her younger son's cheeks as her way of doting on him.

* TalkingWithSigns: Since [[spoiler:Xue Yang]] relieved him of his tongue, Song Lan communicates his gratitutde to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji by writing in the dirt with his sword.
* TamerAndChaster: The animated adaptation tones down a lot of the overt eroticism and {{gorn}} from the novel, due to Chinese censorship regulations. Censorship also forces Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's relationship to be downplayed and never stated onscreen to be romantic (Wei Wuxian's hammy acting as Mo Xuanyu aside), though the ShipTease hints are enough to drive the point home to viewers by the epilogue. On the other hand, the chibi spinoff is a lot less subtle about the romance, on the premise that the spinoff is a gag series with questionable canoncity and shouldn't be taken seriously.

** Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan had a close friendship that eventually saw a tragic ending. Long story short, everything went downhill for them after [[spoiler:they apprehended Xue Yang, who would soon get back at them both]]. It ultimately ended with [[spoiler:the former's suicide and the latter dying at his (oblivious) friend's hand]]. Eventually, Xue Yang gets killed, leaving Song Lan (now a fierce corpse) free to [[spoiler:roam the earth with his friend's soul and weapon]], and only time will tell whether they'll reunite once again.

* TryingNotToCry: After Xiao Xingchen bit the dust, Xue Yang had to resist tearing up in response. In the audio drama, while he's LaughingMad it's obvious that [[CryLaughing it was to stop himself from sobbing]].

** The story never confirms what Lan Wangji said to Wei Wuxian [[spoiler:in the cave after they escaped from the Nightless Immortal Capital]], and the only hint the reader gets is Lan Xichen explaining that [[spoiler:it gave away Lan Wangji's true feelings]]. The audio drama drops another hint by having Lan Wangji tell Wei Wuxian that [[YouHaveToBelieveMe what he's saying is the truth]] before [[LeaveMeAlone being told to get lost]], but that's about it.

* ViewersAreGeniuses: Those who are familiar with Chinese culture and history might notice that the ''donghua's'' second visual rendition of the opening song features four different flowers, also known as the [[http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-four-gentlemen.php Four Gentlemen]].

* TheAce: Cultivators are trained according to the standards of [[CulturedWarrior ancient Chinese gentlemen]] - [[OfficerAndAGentleman almost like aristocratic warrior-knights]]. Most cultivators are expected to be the best examples of humanity. Some others are especially noted to be even better, especially the top five cultivators of Wei Wuxian's generation. At the start of the story's timeline, the five top gentlemen in this cultivation world are, from top to bottom: [[PrettyBoy Lan Xichen]], [[IceKing Lan Wangji]], [[TheDandy Jin Zixuan]], [[TheTrickster Wei Wuxian]], [[AlwaysSecondBest Jiang Cheng]].

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Any clan leader is bound to know how to fight like a badass. The one exception is the current Nie Clan leader[[NonActionGuy Nie Huaisang]], [[spoiler:although that's because he's more of TheChessmaster than a fighter]].

* BackFromTheDead: What kicks off the story in the present timeline is Wei Wuxian coming back to life after being summoned in another body. Fierce corpses are basically zombies, so Wen Ning, [[spoiler:Nie Mingjue and Song Lan]] are "alive" again in a way.
* BackStab: Wen Ruohan was finally killed after getting stabbed in the back by [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]].

* DeathByAThousandCuts: Xue Yang inflicted ''lingchi'' (a technique that inflicts a thousand cuts on the skin) on the remaining members of the Chang Clan.

** On a funnier note, the Lan Clan's punishment involve copying (by hand, mind you) all ''4,000'' rules of the clan. Serious cases involve copying ''while upside-down''.

* FreakOut:
** Xue Yang had an entire mental breakdown and screaming fit once [[spoiler:he realized Xiao Xingchen wasn't reanimating]], leading him to trash the entire room and threatening to [[spoiler:find A-Qing and kill her if Xiao Xingchen wouldn't get up]].
** Wei Wuxian has a glorious freak out shortly after the events of Yi City. After learning [[spoiler:what the Lan Clan's forehead ribbon symbolizes]], his response is to walk around a dead bush at least 50 times, his face constantly changing color all the while.
** Wei Wuxian panics whenever a dog is nearby due to his cynophobia. It's so bad that he screams in fear and [[SecurityCling climbs the closest thing near him]], like a tree or Lan Wangji.

** Nie Huaisang's moniker in Chinese is "一问三不知", and the official translations use "Head-Shaker". However, it literally translates to "one question, three 'I don't know's'" -- which is a direct description of how everyone perceives him to be a clueless idiot.
** The official ''donghua'' subtitles omits Chinese name terminology to avoid having to explain them, such as leaving out the ''A-'' honorific and replacig sibling terms with the character's name instead. This loses some of the nuance of certain relationships between characters, such as Wei Wuxian's close sibling-like relationship with Jiang Yanli and Jin Guangyao's affection and respect for Lan Xichen.

** Even after they're married, Jin Zixuan decided to recite to Jiang Yanli a romantic poem that he had made for her years ago. The poem was, while genuinely heartfelt, also cheesy enough that his wife couldn't help but laugh once he was out of earshot.

* TearsOfBlood: A-Qing cries bloody tears after she [[spoiler:finds Xiao Xingchen's body]] with Wei Wuxian's help.

* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: In this story, any character who is kind and selfless is guaranteed to die in a horrible way, as was the case with the likes of [[spoiler:Xiao Xingchen and Jiang Yanli]].

** Chapter 88: This exchange between Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning, which turns part of the plot in the flashbacks over its head.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Many mentions of sex in the novel are related to the villainous characters, and they are typically sketchy at best and horrific at worst (such as RapeAsDrama). In contrast, [[spoiler:after they get together, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji enjoy a healthy and active sex life]].

* AdaptationDeviation: In the novel, Lan Xichen noticed Lan Wangji [[spoiler:rescuing Wei Wuxian and taking him away from the Nightless Immortal Capital in the aftermath of the battle and notified Lan Qiren about it only after hours of recovering from his wounds]]. In the audio drama, Lan Wangji [[spoiler:took Wei Wuxian away in the ''midst'' of the bloodbath]], and it was a random Lan disciple who witnessed what happened and [[spoiler:immediately alerted Lan Qiren to them]].

* AnachronicOrder: The novel constantly jumps back and forth between Wei Wuxian's current and previous lives. The ''donghua'' also does this to a lesser degree: unlike the novel, the ''donghua'' inserts all of Wei Wuxian's pre-Yiling Patriarch flashbacks betweeh the Mount Dafan and Xinglu Ridge arcs and inserts all of his Yiling Patriarch flashbacks during the Xinglu Ridge arc.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: In the ''donghua'', as Yu Ziyuan she and Jiang Fengmian argued over the dissolving of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan's engagement, her husband argued that their daughter should be allowed to choose who she marries instead of being forced to marry someone she doesn't love because of her parents' wishes. Yu Ziyuan then asked him if he's speaking from experience, which stumbled her husband.

* ArrowCatch:
** In the ''donghua'', a teenage Wei Wuxian caught an arrow Wen Ning accidentally shot at him with only mild surprise.
** Wen Ning effortlessly caught an arrow shot in his direction once in [[spoiler:Qiongqi Path when one of Jin Zixun's men attempted to shoot Wei Wuxian]].

* AttackTheMouth:
** In the ''donghua'', [[spoiler:after being turned into a fierce corpse]], Wang Lingjiao [[spoiler:bit off Wen Chao's tongue under Wei Wuxian's control]].
** One of Xue Yang's favorite techniques is to slice off his victim's tongue, rendering them mute.

* DiedStandingUp: In the ''donghua'', [[spoiler:the Lotus Pier massacre]] showed both [[spoiler:Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian]]'s corpses on their knees, with the latter holding her sword.

** In the ''donghua'', during his first life, Wei Wuxian punched Jiang Cheng in anger when the latter made a callous remark at [[spoiler:how Wen Qing and Wen Ning's innocence and their act of saving their lives didn't matter because they were still part of the Wen Clan]].

* ForcedToWatch: In the ''donghua'', Wen Ning was made to watch [[spoiler:his own sister get incinerated into ashes]].

** In the ''donghua'', when Jin Ling mocks Lan Jingyi for being scared of the Heavenly Maiden statue, he immediately shivers in a comical manner in fear when Lan Sizhui notices that the statue might be alive.

* PleaseDontLeaveMe:
** In the ''donghua'', Wang Lingjiao begged Wen Chao not to leave her alone at their base before he went off to capture Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, mainly because she's afraid that something or someone is out to get her.
** When waking up at the Cloud Recesses [[spoiler:after getting stabbed by Jin Ling]], Lan Wangji is sitting by his side. At one point, Wei Wuxian's afraid he's about to leave and begs him to not leave him alone.

* StealingTheCredit: In the ''donghua'', Wen Chao presented the Tortoise of Slaughter's shell to Wen Ruohan and claimed he took it down (when it was actually Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji). It didn't take long for his father to point out that they both know he didn't kill it.

** Given how meticulous [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] is in covering up his tracks, it requires some good investigation and deduction skills on [[spoiler:Nie Huaisang]]'s part to figure out even just a fraction of what the former planned or was involved in, including [[spoiler:his brother's death]].

* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Practically all the plot-relevant characters are related to each other by blood, marriage, sworn brotherhood or alliance.
** To put an example: Wei Wuxian was adopted by the Jiangs, whose daughter married a Jin, making them in-laws. Then came back in Mo Xuan Yu's body, making him related to [[spoiler: the Jin clan]] by blood. He's friends with [[spoiler: and later married]] Lan Zhan, whose brother is in a sworn brotherhood with a Jin and a Nie. Plus they later [[spoiler: adopted, at different times, Wen Yuan]] giving them ties to the Wen clan as well.
** Everyone is Jin Ling's uncle, in one way or another.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: The ''donghua'' shows that the Lan Clan incorporates spinning in some of their attacks, such as Lan Wangji spinning his guqin before using it to fight against the enemy.

* OneSteveLimit: Downplayed. Some characters' names sound the same when written in romanized form, but not when written in the original Chinese characters. Such names that serve as examples are Ziyuan (from the Yu and Mo families) and Yuan (from the Lan and Wen Clans). [[spoiler:The latter detail actually plays an important role, as it helps Wen Ning clue in on Wen Yuan having grown up as Lan Yuan, a.k.a. Lan Sizhui.]]

* MasterOfTheMixedMessage: A rare mutual example between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. When Wei Wuxian is resurrected at the beginning of the novel, he is utterly baffled by Lan Wangji's indulgent behavior towards him, and tries to get a rise out of him by acting like an outrageous flirt. While it is incredibly obvious to the ''readers'' that Lan Wangji is in love with him, the AnachronisticOrder of the novel hides the fact that Wei Wuxian is so confused because Lan Wangji acted so hostile to Wei Wuxian in his first life (for a number of reasons) that ''everyone,'' Wei Wuxian most of all, genuinely believed that Lan Wangji hated him. The indulgent behavior in his second life is such a bizarre turn that it takes ''months'' for Wei Wuxian to get a clue. On the flip side, Wei Wuxian's [[UnreliableNarrator terrible memory]] hides the fact that [[spoiler: Lan Wangji [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove confessed to Wei Wuxian]] shortly before his death, and Wei Wuxian (who wasn't exactly in a stable headspace) apparently rejected him in a cruel manner]]. Since Lan Wangji believes Wei Wuxian remembers this event, Wei Wuxian's flirting and general outrageous behavior must have appeared very differently to him.

** [[spoiler:Jin Guangyao]] gets killed by both [[spoiler:the man he tried to make sure could never be brought back and Nie Huaisang, who came off as useless without Jin Guangyao's help and who the Jin clansman also treated as a little brother]].

* JokeAndReceive: When Jiang Cheng wonders why Lan Wangji would go out of his way to protect Wei Wuxian despite what he had done, he mockingly guesses that it may only be because the Lan clansman has some "familiarity" with Mo Xuanyu. Later on, to his displeasure, [[spoiler:Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji do get closer and end up tying the knot]].

* TheLadysFavour: Wei Wuxian tried to get Lan Wangji to give him his forehead ribbon prior to the Phoenix Mountain Hunt as a joke. It was mostly so he could blindfold himself with it, but he was also mimicking the act of taking one's beloved's item before battle. Although he was just messing around, what nobody told him [[spoiler:was that there's actually a lot of significance behind touching a Lan clansman's ribbon]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: It's practically a habit of Jiang Cheng to deliver long rants to Wei Wuxian about his flaws and how much trouble he's caused, especially after the latter gets brought back to life.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Wen Ning gives Jiang Cheng a short but hard-hitting rant after revealing [[spoiler:the truth about how he "regained" his golden core]].
-->'''Wen Ning''': Clan Leader Jiang -- you, so driven of a person, have been comparing yourself to others your whole life, [[BrutalHonesty but you have to know that you never should've been able to equal [Wei Wuxian]!]]

* GraveRobbing: During the Sunshot Campaign, Wei Wuxian exhumed several graves to add the corpses to his own ArmyOfTheDead.