A-Ci was tricked again

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So this story can only turn out the way it has. My writing style and habits are what they are. I’m working on improving, but it still hasn’t met the expectations of some readers. That’s on me. I apologize for my lack of skill and shortcomings.

It’s written clearly in the synopsis: discussion of the plot is welcome, but please don’t offer writing advice. I simply can’t please everyone. Thank you for understanding.

What follows are my personal interpretations and explanations of the characters. Very, very personal. I’m not forcing anyone to agree. You don’t have to read it, you don’t have to like it, and it’s totally okay to have your own preferences, even if that means not liking the characters or the story at all.

(I actually wanted to delete this part of the author’s note, but I figured if I did, someone might accuse me of being guilty or evasive, so I’ll leave it. The red envelope giveaways were just to calm the comment section, I selected a bunch of two-star reviews, not just those who said nice things.)

Background context (skip if you want):

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He Zhun’s father saved Jiang Ci when he was infected by the Holy Stigmata, but the whole family was wiped out because of it.

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But none of that could ever stop He Zhun from pursuing revenge.

Yes, he’s always been unscrupulous, even cunning and despicable, but that’s because he has no other way. He’s a beta, lacking the monstrous combat strength of someone like Xiao Feng, or the protective presence of someone like Huo Chao behind Pei Changyun.

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He struggled to climb up the ranks within the Church, trembling in fear and risking everything, not just to find his enemies, but to uncover what the Holy Stigmata actually was. His father and Uncle Jiang had been tortured by the Holy Stigmata for hundreds of years, and he wanted to find a way to get rid of them. That’s why he stayed in the Illusory God Church.

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Now to respond to a few questions brought up in the comment section:

1. Does He Zhun gaslight people?

No, he doesn’t. He didn’t grab Jiang Ci, Pei Changyun and the others and said: “My family helped you, so now you owe me. You have to accommodate me. You must save me.” His revenge journey has always been a one-man act. He’s never demanded help or sympathy from anyone in the protagonist group.

2. Jiang Ci seemed OOC in the previous version of the last chapter.

In the earlier version, Jiang Ci ignored Xiao Huo and immediately went to save He Zhun. In the revised version, he at least told Xiao Huo to wait and added a couple of lines stressing that He Zhun was dying. Personally, I didn’t think Jiang Ci was OOC in the original, because in an emergency, it was normal for him not to have time to reply to Xiao Huo, because he was in a hurry to save people.

On one side is his brother who is about to crash in the escape pod, and on the other side is his boyfriend who comes running to ask for praise.
It is normal for A-Ci to save He Zhun immediately without responding.

Moreover, A-Ci and Xiao Feng’s relationship is already close enough, it’s not like they’re some newlywed couple that constantly worries about gains and losses, they’re a couple who love and acknowledge each other. A-Ci did not have time to respond in an emergency, and this shouldn’t shake that bond. But the comment section was full of backlash, so I had to revise it a little.

1. He Zhun was “nerfed” and constantly needs rescue.
   No. He hasn’t been nerfed. But yes, he’s been in a rush lately. That’s part of his imperfection. He’s only five years older than Jiang Ci, and it took him 13 years to climb to get close to someone like Leinster. It’s completely reasonable that he failed to get close to Cecilia. It’s also reasonable that he can’t take down the Pope by himself.

Otherwise, if just one He Zhun could outsmart the entire Illusory God Church, then everything that Huo Chao, Xiao Huo, and everyone else suffered because of the Church would seem like a joke.

Right now, He Zhun has guessed that Huo Chao might be the Illusory God Church’s ultimate trump card, not just a threat aimed at Pei Changyun. So he must get into the core area to obtain intelligence. The earlier exposure of the secret connection between the two Huos was because Xiao Feng had already exposed himself. After the Starblog incident, it was only a matter of time before the Illusory God Church discovered their connection. It might as well become a bargaining chip for He Zhun to climb even higher.

However, He Zhun is not always relying on others to save him. The first time in the Judgment Hall, he relied on himself. The second time in the Main Hall, he was indeed saved by Leinster, but the fact that Leinster would save him was also the result of He Zhun’s thirteen years of effort and preparation. As for whether it counts as manipulation, he never suppressed Leinster, and he was nearly killed by him in the early stages. Their relationship is complex. Long story short, one is willing to punch, and the other is willing to be beaten. The third time, when the escape pod crashed, it was pure bad luck, he happened to get hit by Xiao Huo’s attack.

1. The bond between Jiang Ci and He Zhun seems too deep, and it’s like it overshadows Xiao Huo.

The answer is that their bond is indeed deep, but it does not cross the line. Jiang Ci and He Zhun grew up together as family. When Jiang Ci was kidnapped, it was He Zhun who found and rescued him. When the entire world doubted Jiang Ci, before Huo Xianfeng even appeared, it was He Zhun who stood by him, supported him, and encouraged him.

As for the Gardenia Rose injection, the Gardenia Rose is harmless. Only by using the excuse of a dangerous flower like the Gardenia Rose could Jiang Ci be lured to Winter Day Planet. He Zhun knew that with Ye Shu there, Jiang Ci would not be in real danger. As for Jiang Ci getting injured at the auction and attracting a crowd of Alphas, that was Jiang Ci sneaking in under disguise. He Zhun couldn’t have predicted that.

Now that Jiang Ci knows He Zhun’s entire family was wiped out while saving him, it’s only natural for him to care deeply for He Zhun. If he didn’t, he’d be heartless, a white-eyed wolf. As for whether Jiang Ci cares more about He Zhun than Xiao Huo, absolutely not. It’s just that the powerful Huo Xianfeng is safe and sound by Jiang Ci’s side, while the fragile He Zhun is trapped in a den of wolves and tigers, and in the previous chapter, was moments away from falling to his death.

If your older brother is about to fall to his death, would you still be flirting and showing affection with your boyfriend? Sounds strange, right?

Why should a family member and a lover be compared on the same scale?

As for Xiao Huo being jealous, he’s in his courtship period. He would be jealous of anyone in the world who caught his wife’s attention, even if it was a dog. It was just that during this special period, Jiang Ci was very worried about He Zhun’s life, so naturally part of his attention would be on He Zhun, which made Xiao Huo jealous. During the whole process, He Zhun did not deliberately compete for Jiang Ci’s attention. When he was discovered by Jiang Ci and entered the Church, he was still trying to push Jiang Ci away.

Yeah, love isn’t the only thing in this world.

Xiao Huo’s redemption came from Huo Chao, his Zerg subordinates, and Jiang Ci, who all worked together to break the cage that trapped him.

And Jiang Ci’s redemption came from his deceased parents, from He Zhun, and from Huo Xianfeng. They gave him life, companionship, understanding, and love, helping him emerge from the shadows of his childhood and his struggles with his omega identity, to finally find his own path and freedom.

Jiang Ci has a warm bond of family affection, while Xiao Huo has a deep and sincere friendship. Besides their love for each other, both also have other important people in their lives.

Xiao Huo often mentions Huo Chao too, it’s just that Jiang Ci has no courtship period, and Huo Chao’s image is too noble and perfect, and the powerless He Zhun looks despicable and unlovable, but what can be done about it? He Zhun also wishes he had strong fighting abilities. He wishes he were a bug-level existence who could defeat the world in seconds. Just charge in and finish it all. After all, who enjoys enduring humiliation and bowing down?

The following is an explanation of the necessity of the character He Zhun from the author’s perspective and the structure of the entire text. [It is about the construction of the storyline and the arrangement and advancement of the plot. Interested little angels can take a look.]

This story is structured with two major opposing factions — the protagonists and the Church. The main storyline is Xiao Huo and Jiang Ci pursuing the truth and fighting battles, ultimately teaming up with Pei Changyun and others to overthrow the Church. But in terms of plotline, how do you change locations, push the plot forward, and avoid making the fight scenes feel stiff? Each plot point needs a driving force and a key figure.

This key figure needs to connect the two camps. That is He Zhun, who can barely be considered a double agent. All other characters with actual ties to the Church are dead (e.g., Huo Chao, Bai Min, Jiang Jinsheng, and He Qichu). So later He Zhun took on the role of this connection.

In terms of the plot development, He Zhun introduced Jiang Ci to Winter Day Planet, which facilitated the encounter between the main characters. Then he caused the failure of the Leinster’s mission, which indirectly made Xiao Huo and A-Ci to find Holy Dew Planet. And the plot in the Main Hall led to the first appearance of Cecilia, an important figure, and the Pope. And Xiao Huo doesn’t hate He Zhun. He only resents that Jiang Ci’s attention is on someone else during his courtship period. Otherwise, why would he trust He Zhun and cooperate with him at the Church?

Later, when it comes to revealing the Holy Stigmata and the Pope’s identity, He Zhun will also play a key role.

From He Zhun’s perspective, the author can portray the Church’s inner workings and the progression of their schemes. It also allows room for the villains to be developed before their final confrontation with Xiao Huo. The Church’s structure, major villains, and Jiang Ci’s family secrets all stem from He Zhun’s plot line. So this character plays a huge role in the overall structure and plot development.

Besides plot, I personally think this setup is a highlight in terms of character design:

From the main gong perspective, Huo Xianfeng is incredibly powerful. From the start, he’s impressive and handles the action-packed parts of the story. Meanwhile, Jiang Ci, as the other protagonist, has a growth-based setup. So his character arc appears weaker in the early stages, which is why some little angels feel that his character is underdeveloped.

A-Ci’s setup has been mentioned before. Here is another information. In addition to Huo Xianfeng, he also has a family bond with He Zhun.

Jiang Ci grew up in the love and protection of everyone, so even though his childhood was incomplete and traumatizing, he was still warm and kind. He Zhun grew up in hatred, so he was dark and cunning, despicable and shameless, but his only softness was given to Jiang Ci.

There are two people in the new generation, one is Jiang Ci and the other is He Zhun, one is light, and the other is dark. They grew up together, but they took completely different paths.

In the early stages, Jiang Ci’s light was not bright enough because he needed to grow up. There are two turning points in Jiang Ci’s growth. One is that after he fell in love with Huo Xianfeng, he held his hand and gradually walked out of the shadow of his childhood and the cage of his omega identity. The second is that he can finally become a mature and powerful guardian on his own. He can protect the powerful Huo Xianfeng and the weak He Zhun.

The interweaving of light and shadow, and the warm light dispelling the darkness, this is what it makes it beautiful.

The above is all about the plot setting, character creation, and my starting point for my personal arrangement. Welcome all little angels to discuss the plot, I will read every one of them, but please don’t quarrel~