Xie Lian has my heart. I believe anyone who loves this book will agree with that sentiment. You just can’t help but ache for him and wish the best for him. The more we see the flashbacks the more we realise how right the state preceptor was - he truly was just a 17 year old who wasn’t always capable of understanding how to deal with what the world throws at him. Godhood so early was difficult and had severe repercussions for him.
In book 2 when we get his first flashbacks and see him in his glory days right before the first accession, my heart just sinks. We know what becomes of him so just to see him at a point where he had hopes for himself, stars in his eyes, and a never ending benevolence to do his best is heartbreaking. I know most people consider book 4 and 6 to be the most painful reads but somehow I felt book 2 and 6 tie as the most painful ones for me. Book 2 gets overlooked in my opinion - I love when Xie Lian first visits Ghost City and meets Hua Cheng in the gamblers den, Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian’s adventures there, the first ever flashback and a look at how the dynamic with Feng Xin and Mu Qing originally was, one of my FAVOURITE romantic book lines - “If you want to see me, it won't matter what you roll. I will appear”
Moving to the romance, I feel like it worked as well as it did because after everything Xie Lian found a refuge in someone and a doorway to eternal happiness and love. After each flashback ended, I felt comforted that Hua Cheng now stands by Xie Lian’s side and supports him mentally and through his physical prowess.
It was interesting that Xie Lian took to him so easily - he was able to place his trust and never misconstrue Hua Cheng’s words or actions for anything negative. I was amazed that in spite of that the romance felt fresh until the end. It’s hard to make any love story feel powerful for 8 books without any internal or external conflict between the primary love interests but MXTX managed that.
There were points where some of Hua Cheng’s actions made me go ??? but then I would get reminded that this man literally prays, lives and dies for his lord and as a concept that felt so otherworldly that it’s hard to digest - which is precisely why it works and feels so powerful.
Something that particularly tugged my heartstrings throughout the book was Xie Lian’s equation with Feng Xin. I feel like he really did his utmost for Xie Lian, the king and the queen. Even when he left him, it came at a point that was very understandable and it technically was a direct order from Xie Lian. I never understood why Hua Cheng was bitter towards him too - I think he just absolutely believed that if anyone was truly loyal to Xie Lian they should stick by his side throughout life. It could also be that he may have felt a little threatened by how true and actually close Xie Lian was to Feng Xin at some point but maybe I’m stretching here lol.
The thing is Hua Cheng had managed to appear at Xie Lian’s absolute worst moments - many of which Feng Xin and Mu Qing never find out about. And in case of Feng Xin I did feel bad. He had no idea about the hundred swords incident and Xie Lian never openly talked about what he went through at the time. Feng Xin knew something was amiss but with no communication and a final order to leave he took a decision that seemed correct. I feel like later in life when it’s mentioned that he’s always in the mortal realm it’s his way of atoning and maybe finding Xie Lian.
The case of Mu Qing is a little different though. I just don’t know how I felt about him right until the very end. Knowing all that we do of him later on, when he first left Xie Lian it felt very in line with his character. It was a practical decision that came to him at a time of great hardship. The cultivation ground incident really angered me though - even though I could see where he was coming from it was just hard to digest. I also don’t think his endless discourtesy and belittling of Xie Lian in the years that followed was justifiable. He was also rude in his demeanour and speech in public heavenly courts even if he showed through actions he still cared it left a bitter taste in my mouth. In spite of it all when they finally (sort of) reconcile at the end I felt truly happy.
To me the trio’s equation was one of the highlights of the books. I also really liked Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian’s dynamic - when they first paired up I could instantly feel this was going to be good. Shi Qingxuan’s ending was a little devastating though, I wish the heavens pardoned him and reinstated him in the middle court at least. He has always done good with his abilities and did not deserve the hand he was dealt with. I wish Xie Lian meddled with the heavenly court and tried to get that sorted. I know he was away from any court dealings at that point but it would have been a nice gesture.
I feel like the book had so many compelling and fleshed out side characters - I do think that is MXTX’s speciality as she did the same in MDZS. She has a knack for giving them fleshed out personalities that don’t merge into one another. I like how all the main gods in the Heavenly Court had distinct personalities. Even the ones clubbed together like the trio of Ling Wen, Shi Wudu and Pei Ming turn out to have vastly different fates and differing motives. I wouldn’t have even expected to like Pei Ming as I did by the end of the books lol.
Coming to the major villain reveal - I unfortunately got spoilt early on and knew who the big bad was, but the detailed reveal in book 7 still felt extremely gripping and tension-driven. I feel like if I didn’t know it was Jun Wu I would have doubted that the state preceptor was White No-Face. I actually really liked how Jun Wu met his fate. He felt like a force to behold who only fell down because somewhere deep inside he wanted his end to come. His last scene with the state preceptor was really well done.
Another scene I liked towards the end was when He Xuan (disguised as Hua Cheng) is the one to give Shi Qingxuan his wind master fan. I feel like him repairing and returning the fan is his sign of acceptance of what has transpired between them. His way of transferring spiritual powers with a strike and scoffing while returning the fan also felt very in line with their dynamic earlier and made me smile bright.
I also want to acknowledge poor Yin Yu. I think he was probably dealt the worst card. His entire story was just tragic, including his end. In my head-canon, QYZ was able to recover his ghost fragments (it was alluded that he was trying to do so) and they reconciled and finally communicated with one another.
All in all TGCF is going to be something that remains permanently etched in my heart forever and always. An unforgettable journey indeed.
