AVAC: Antagonist/ Villain Appreciation Club

 Lin:

Xue Yang, you really sometimes oppress my rational thinking. I don´t know if I understand even the slightest bit of your personality, because, in all versions, I always felt there was something missing. Something you had missed to say to us, that wasn´t revealed. I never had the thought you were interested in anything but yourself. You could have been the most powerful cultivator and yet you decided to stay in Yi City to deceive Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing. What for? Satisfaction? Revenge? You turned that peaceful city into a living hell. But you enjoyed living there because you build your own family. Unfortunately, you build them on lies and one day the truth would come out. The only day you weren't prepared. The day you lost the last bit of yourself.

@clothcat 

Yeah, as you can see, you’re obviously not alone. Thank you for joining!
We’re looking forward to your contributions :)

 Lin:

Xue Yang, you really sometimes oppress my rational thinking. I don´t know if I understand even the slightest bit of your personality, because, in all versions, I always felt there was something missing. Something you had missed to say to us, that wasn´t revealed. I never had the thought you were interested in anything but yourself. You could have been the most powerful cultivator and yet you decided to stay in Yi City to deceive Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing. What for? Satisfaction? Revenge? You turned that peaceful city into a living hell. But you enjoyed living there because you build your own family. Unfortunately, you build them on lies and one day the truth would come out. The only day you weren't prepared. The day you lost the last bit of yourself.

Speaking of Xue Yang, I took a TU-Quiz:

Who is your best friend in MDZS/ The Untamed (Senior version) ?

At first I straight away got Xue Yang with a little story, then again (xD)
and as the third one I got Lan WangJi.

What about you?

 Lin:

Anyone in mind who matches that vibe? :)

if you're going for a more modern vibe, then Baek Hee Sung or Jung Ba Reum would be good! for a slightly more period drama/wuxia feel then Consort Xian or Xiao Wei from Painted Skin: the Guo Jingming Edition would work as well, tho the latter might lend itself more to a gold or burnt orange color scheme rather than the blue—the entire short film that is the latter is from is a treat to the eyes <333

 halla:

if you're going for a more modern vibe, then Baek Hee Sung or Jung Ba Reum would be good! for a slightly more period drama/wuxia feel then Consort Xian or Xiao Wei from Painted Skin: the Guo Jingming Edition would work as well, tho the latter might lend itself more to a gold or burnt orange color scheme rather than the blue—the entire short film that is the latter is from is a treat to the eyes <333

Mhhhm~ yea Baek Hee Sung and Jung Ba Reum do fit the more modern vibe. Sounds really good to me. I will think about how to combine it if possible, if not I will maybe focus on one of them or make two separate ones. As for the other idea, I will think about it. As I thought for the fox spirit, red would also be quite appealing. Hmmm~ wish this week won’t be too stressful so I can work on some ideas. Maybe you can try some as well. ^^

 Lin:

Speaking of Xue Yang, I took a TU-Quiz:

Who is your best friend in MDZS/ The Untamed (Senior version) ?

At first I straight away got Xue Yang with a little story, then again (xD)
and as the third one I got Lan WangJi.

What about you?

Got Lan Xichen the first time, then Jiang Cheng

 clothcat:

Got Lan Xichen the first time, then Jiang Cheng

Wow ~ Spontaneous thought: With such simple quizzes, can one actually analyse the character of Someone they hardly know? For example: You got Lan Xichen and then Jiang Ćheng. There must be a variable you changed, that changed Lan Xichen to Jiang Cheng or otherwise you answered in order to get someone else by more than one different answer. I really also wonder if the last question + the one with your favorite person were the most leading ones? Then again, I remember I changed the color + I decided not to kill my bullies and Í still got Xue Yang.

This whole bunch of thoughts lead me to the following onclusion:

1. I have to sleep.
2. Without calculating all the answers and questions, one cannot proof the personality and likings of an AVAC-member. The person may not remember the exact pattern of their answers also one would need at least 2 hours to analyze…
3. Back to 1.

 Lin:

Xue Yang, you really sometimes oppress my rational thinking. I don´t know if I understand even the slightest bit of your personality, because, in all versions, I always felt there was something missing. Something you had missed to say to us, that wasn´t revealed. I never had the thought you were interested in anything but yourself. You could have been the most powerful cultivator and yet you decided to stay in Yi City to deceive Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing. What for? Satisfaction? Revenge? You turned that peaceful city into a living hell. But you enjoyed living there because you build your own family. Unfortunately, you build them on lies and one day the truth would come out. The only day you weren't prepared. The day you lost the last bit of yourself.

I'm just gonna add this as an addition/my own thoughts about him 

Xue Yang's characterization is hard to pinpoint/write (his perspective is fun tho) cause right off the bat when thinking about him,  it's the "Delinquent of Kuizhou", a bad tempered youth who just delights on chaos. His backstory of losing his finger can be questionable at first glance, it seems ridiculous to lash out over just a pinky. But it's so much more than just a finger, it was a piece of himself, something that he alone had, especially as a seven year old struggling to survive. He could only do so much as a street kid,  an injured one at that, that nobody helped. They just watched this little naive kid get his finger ground into the dirt and were like "anyways." 

In his eyes, the world/society turned their back on him so why should he care about any of them? No one was there to help him all those years ago so when someone (bless Xiao Xingchen's gentle soul) DID actually show him and treat him with kindness (true, genuine kindness) over the span of literal years, his immediate response was to make it something he could understand. (cause didn't he try to bring xxc to his level? by "dirtying" him, making him the "same" as Xue Yang)

He got get his "revenge" on Xiao Xingchen by having him slaughter villagers and taking advantage of his blindness but over time (t h r e e   w h o l e  y e a r s), Xue Yang began to care for him in his own weird way. His mental health and ways of thinking were not healthy, wanting to keep and "own" Xiao Xingchan, even after death, because he didn't want to let go of that warmth, that sweet kindness that he never got. So to keep the safe little bubble that he had grown comfortable with, he did what he saw "right", basic self-preservation.

I'm not trying to justify him but like that's how i see him/understand (?) his character, its very opinionated tho lol (rip the whole yi city gang)

@clothcat I do agree with you and Xue Yang trying to bring XXC to his level by "dirtying" him, making XXC the "same" as himself. Until now that  theory was a blin-spot of mine but I do like it. It also makes sense. Actually, without justifying what he did, Xue Yang becoming the way he is was just a matter of time. Sad fact is, those kind of fragile souls are not only part of fictional worlds but instead happening everyday. So if we even push the theory a little further, maybe Mo Xiang Tong Xiu critized the villagers of being too blind and ignorant towards the "lower class" and by doing so, society creates its own monster. It always has.

(A non-Asian modern example of rising awareness for this mental health issues and poverty would be the "Joker" movie of 2019. It is exactly the topic there. )