is GongGong just a general of the ChenRong kingdom, or is he also a god of the sea?
In LYF (the novel), Gong Gong is a deity and a general of Sheng Nong. In Once Promised, he is referred to as a Water God because he is very powerful and his powers are water based (whereas general Zhu Rong is referred to as a Fire God because his powers are fire based).
In the drama, Hong Jiang is a deity and a general of Chenrong.
In both the novel and the drama, he (Gong Gong / Hong Jiang) is powerful enough to save a badly injured XL from a force of nature in the ocean (a deadly whirlpool), but he is not a god of the sea.
In chapter 24 of the novel, the weapons forger who made XY's bow refers to XL as "King of the Seas: the Nine Headed Demon" but that has nothing to do with XL being Gong Gong's adopted son.
Edit: Tong Hua borrowed the name "Gong Gong" from a character in Chinese mythology who was a water god, but with no affiliation with the sea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonggong. In Chinese mythology, that character has a subordinate named Xiang Liu who had the body of a snake and nine heads: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangliu.
Just wanted to add as a spoiler that based on the leaked script for Season 2, the plot had some major changes,…
Thank you for answering so many questions, truly!
2 - YaoLiu fans are not going to be happy about that. Especially cutting the mouth-to-mouth essential blood transfer. But I guess the drama writers maybe felt it was repetitive to have XL save her life twice?
3 - I'll miss his role. In addition to everything else, it was nice to see XL have something close to a friend and someone who knew about and appreciated some of the sacrifices he made for XY. I hope Ah Nian can still be a proxy for the audience and appreciate some of the sacrifices he makes.
6 - Wow. What a watering down of her reasons for leaving him. And CX tells her he values the throne more than her... Very big changes.
7 - I'm not super surprised since her parents' story is so complicated and the drama prequel isn't an affiliated production. I'm glad she will get some closure, but sad that XY won't get to actually meet her mum or her dad's spirit.
Just wanted to add as a spoiler that based on the leaked script for Season 2, the plot had some major changes,…
So have they cut the part where XY poisons ZX and herself? XL doesn't bring her back from the dead for a second time? Ah Nian's favour isn't needed to send the clam shell to Jade Mountain, and XL doesn't interact with Sir Bi? I guess that's why they have Ah Nian deliver the doll... And if the pill that XY made for TSJ is enough to save his life instead of just preserving it, I guess XL doesn't use XY's blood to create the jewel that revives TSJ...
That's... a lot of changes.
Thank you for mentioning the parts that are still the same. And at least I know from the trailer that XL still does the things he needed to do to break the poisonous bug connection between him and XY...
If ZX isn't responsible for TSJ's death, does that mean XY doesn't leave him in the end? She's stuck living as a noble? I guess as the Tushan Clan leader's wife? Or does she break her promise to ZX and leave him, even though he wasn't responsible for TSJ's death?
I assume they also cut out the whole "beast" in the desert subplot, since they cut the part where the desert and the beast were mentioned in S1?
Please use the spoiler tag for those who might not want to know that Xiang Liu doesn't get a happy ending!Now…
Did you read XL's epilogue as well? If you did, you should also read the chapters that explain the meaning behind the ice crystal ball before XL puts it into the big-bellied laughing doll. It's heartbreaking, but so good!
Coming back here to just say XIANG LIU 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 (I spoilt myself by googling the ending of…
Please use the spoiler tag for those who might not want to know that Xiang Liu doesn't get a happy ending!
Now that you know a little bit about his ending anyway, I strongly recommend reading the novel. His ending is beautifully written. No summary does it justice.
I don't view these moments as cruel for two main reasons. (1) The novel makes it clear that, despite all his efforts…
There's another passage from chapter 43 that's rather on point:
---
“What about the man who was with you before? You called him Bei.”
...
Xiao Yao looked at Xiang Liu just as he glanced at her and the two’s eyes met. Xiao Yao immediately looked away and said to Left Ear “He died.”
...
Left Ear asked “Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao sighed and didn’t answer.
Left Ear was persistent and stared at Xiao Yao to ask again “He’s not here anymore. Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao cried out, “Yes!”
Left Ear smiled. “That will make him very happy.”
Xiao Yao stared at Xiang Liu as she said to Left Ear “You’re not him. How do you know whether he cares that someone misses him? He totally wouldn’t care.”
Left Ear’s expression was dead serious, and he normally spoke so little and cared not to explain anything, but now he was very agitated and said, “I know! We slaves are never scared of death! We’re not scared of anything, other than being scared of the dark! If I died and someone missed me...” Left Ear used his fist to hit his chest “...then it wouldn’t be dark here, it would be very bright and very happy!”
Xiao Yao asked Xiang Liu, “Is what he’s saying true?”
Xiang Liu smirked at Xiao Yao and teased, “You actually want to believe that? I totally don’t care!"
“I must be crazy then, to have believed it!” Xiao Yao laughed heartily and used that exaggerated gesture to snap the tenuous mood between them.
---
Tong Hua uses Left Ear as a proxy for XL many times. Despite his obvious lie to XY, he definitely cares!
For the novel readers, I couldn't figure out whether XL found XY's soul roaming around him during 37 years when…
Since you asked specifically for novel readers' perspective I should note that, in the novel, XY doesn't have an out-of-body spirit experience during the 37 years of healing. She is trapped in her own body unable to move or open her eyes. At first she can't hear or feel anything. Then she feels XL's heartbeat through the connection. Then his presence. Eventually she starts to be able to hear sounds, so she can hear the merpeople's song and the things that XL said out loud in her presence. But there was no out-of-body soul for XL to see. They added that for the drama.
As Kokuto mentioned, they've talked about Gong Gong / Hong Jiang before.
XL is a shape shifter. I'm guessing he can shape shift into someone who has a reaction to poison.
Like most deities and demons, XL can change his appearance. But there are ways to see through most deities and demons' false forms, unless they are extremely powerful or have a powerful object like XY has. Even so, most deities and demons are still affected by poison even when they conceal their appearance. Plus XL is using his real human-form face when he's FFB (and dying his hair rather than changing it, which I still think is an odd choice). So I don't think changing his form is how XL gets around being poisoned vs. not being poisoned.
I think he can either allow poisons to work on him (regardless of which form he's in) if he wants, or he can recognize a poison and use his powers to fake the symptoms.
Of the two, based on his personality and the way it plays out in the drama and novel, I think the first option is more likely. I just can't see XL faking symptoms in front of XY, even if he was able to correctly identify the poison and know what the symptoms for it should look like.
does anyone understand why feng long is willing to help cang xuan? as he mentioned his family is well off, and…
There's a passage in the novel (chapter 39) where Feng Long thanks TSJ for convincing him to back ZX:
Feng Long invited Jing out for a walk and when they were alone he said “Back then I felt Zhuan Xu was a smart choice but he was fighting an uphill battle all alone so I hesitated in deciding whether to back him. It was thanks to your endless persuasion that led me to make up my mind. Thank you!” Back then to get him to decide, Jing even said “Because Zhuan Xu is all alone is even more reason for you to back him. If you picked Cui Liang or Yu Hao it would be adding to their masses of supporters. But if you picked Zhuan Xu then you’re the first to back him and would be forever in his good graces.”
Jing smiled “I was merely analyzing the situation for you, in the end you made the choice of your own consideration.”
Feng Long looked out over the distance and sighed “You’re always like this, always refusing to accept your due! You thought up the plan to win Zhuan Xu the throne by giving up Xuan Yuan Mountain and going to Sheng Nong Mountain. You explained it all to me, how His majesty would be gaining the support of the Middle Plains by going to Sheng Nong Mountain, and with our help his success would increase since he was the eldest grandson of the Emperor and Empress anyways so the Xuan Yuan elders would not vehemently oppose him in the end after he got the support of the Middle Plains. Your analysis persuaded me to support His majesty and to this day he still thinks I came up with that plan, that I was the one with such grand vision, hence he’s always extra trusting of me and allows me to remain as both a friend and subordinate to him.”
Feng Long was perplexed “Jing, why don’t you ever fight for something with me?” He was born in the same lofty background as Jing, one the future Chi Sui clan leader and the other the future Tu Shan clan leader. On the journey to make Zhuan Xu the Black Emperor, Jing likely did more for Zhuan Xu than Feng Long, and definitely not any less. But Jing always remained in the background and acted like Feng Long’s follower, allowing him to take all the reward on the way to making Feng Long’s own ambitions come true.
Jing said “How did I not compete with you? I only gave up the things I don’t care about. What I really want I never once let you have.”
“You mean…..” Feng Long furrowed his brow and asked “Xiao Yao?”
For the last few lines in the scene below, do you think XL only touched XY's forehead with his hand? Or did he…
I did read the novel and that's pretty close to one version that I mapped out! Basically XL unexpectedly survives and TSJ does not .... (sorry TSJ!) ^^"
News 
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1 
In the drama, Hong Jiang is a deity and a general of Chenrong.
In both the novel and the drama, he (Gong Gong / Hong Jiang) is powerful enough to save a badly injured XL from a force of nature in the ocean (a deadly whirlpool), but he is not a god of the sea.
In chapter 24 of the novel, the weapons forger who made XY's bow refers to XL as "King of the Seas: the Nine Headed Demon" but that has nothing to do with XL being Gong Gong's adopted son.
Edit: Tong Hua borrowed the name "Gong Gong" from a character in Chinese mythology who was a water god, but with no affiliation with the sea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonggong. In Chinese mythology, that character has a subordinate named Xiang Liu who had the body of a snake and nine heads: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangliu.
7 - Very happy to hear that! It's definitely a hugely important moment for XY to get that closure.
2 - YaoLiu fans are not going to be happy about that. Especially cutting the mouth-to-mouth essential blood transfer. But I guess the drama writers maybe felt it was repetitive to have XL save her life twice?
3 - I'll miss his role. In addition to everything else, it was nice to see XL have something close to a friend and someone who knew about and appreciated some of the sacrifices he made for XY. I hope Ah Nian can still be a proxy for the audience and appreciate some of the sacrifices he makes.
6 - Wow. What a watering down of her reasons for leaving him. And CX tells her he values the throne more than her... Very big changes.
7 - I'm not super surprised since her parents' story is so complicated and the drama prequel isn't an affiliated production. I'm glad she will get some closure, but sad that XY won't get to actually meet her mum or her dad's spirit.
That's... a lot of changes.
Thank you for mentioning the parts that are still the same. And at least I know from the trailer that XL still does the things he needed to do to break the poisonous bug connection between him and XY...
If ZX isn't responsible for TSJ's death, does that mean XY doesn't leave him in the end? She's stuck living as a noble? I guess as the Tushan Clan leader's wife? Or does she break her promise to ZX and leave him, even though he wasn't responsible for TSJ's death?
I assume they also cut out the whole "beast" in the desert subplot, since they cut the part where the desert and the beast were mentioned in S1?
Now that you know a little bit about his ending anyway, I strongly recommend reading the novel. His ending is beautifully written. No summary does it justice.
The drama has shown some of the moments from the novel that I mentioned. Hopefully part 2 will show the rest.
---
“What about the man who was with you before? You called him Bei.”
...
Xiao Yao looked at Xiang Liu just as he glanced at her and the two’s eyes met. Xiao Yao immediately looked away and said to Left Ear “He died.”
...
Left Ear asked “Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao sighed and didn’t answer.
Left Ear was persistent and stared at Xiao Yao to ask again “He’s not here anymore. Do you miss him?”
Xiao Yao cried out, “Yes!”
Left Ear smiled. “That will make him very happy.”
Xiao Yao stared at Xiang Liu as she said to Left Ear “You’re not him. How do you know whether he cares that someone misses him? He totally wouldn’t care.”
Left Ear’s expression was dead serious, and he normally spoke so little and cared not to explain anything, but now he was very agitated and said, “I know! We slaves are never scared of death! We’re not scared of anything, other than being scared of the dark! If I died and someone missed me...” Left Ear used his fist to hit his chest “...then it wouldn’t be dark here, it would be very bright and very happy!”
Xiao Yao asked Xiang Liu, “Is what he’s saying true?”
Xiang Liu smirked at Xiao Yao and teased, “You actually want to believe that? I totally don’t care!"
“I must be crazy then, to have believed it!” Xiao Yao laughed heartily and used that exaggerated gesture to snap the tenuous mood between them.
---
Tong Hua uses Left Ear as a proxy for XL many times. Despite his obvious lie to XY, he definitely cares!
As Kokuto mentioned, they've talked about Gong Gong / Hong Jiang before.
I think he can either allow poisons to work on him (regardless of which form he's in) if he wants, or he can recognize a poison and use his powers to fake the symptoms.
Of the two, based on his personality and the way it plays out in the drama and novel, I think the first option is more likely. I just can't see XL faking symptoms in front of XY, even if he was able to correctly identify the poison and know what the symptoms for it should look like.
Feng Long invited Jing out for a walk and when they were alone he said “Back then I felt Zhuan Xu was a smart choice but he was fighting an uphill battle all alone so I hesitated in deciding whether to back him. It was thanks to your endless persuasion that led me to make up my mind. Thank you!” Back then to get him to decide, Jing even said “Because Zhuan Xu is all alone is even more reason for you to back him. If you picked Cui Liang or Yu Hao it would be adding to their masses of supporters. But if you picked Zhuan Xu then you’re the first to back him and would be forever in his good graces.”
Jing smiled “I was merely analyzing the situation for you, in the end you made the choice of your own consideration.”
Feng Long looked out over the distance and sighed “You’re always like this, always refusing to accept your due! You thought up the plan to win Zhuan Xu the throne by giving up Xuan Yuan Mountain and going to Sheng Nong Mountain. You explained it all to me, how His majesty would be gaining the support of the Middle Plains by going to Sheng Nong Mountain, and with our help his success would increase since he was the eldest grandson of the Emperor and Empress anyways so the Xuan Yuan elders would not vehemently oppose him in the end after he got the support of the Middle Plains. Your analysis persuaded me to support His majesty and to this day he still thinks I came up with that plan, that I was the one with such grand vision, hence he’s always extra trusting of me and allows me to remain as both a friend and subordinate to him.”
Feng Long was perplexed “Jing, why don’t you ever fight for something with me?” He was born in the same lofty background as Jing, one the future Chi Sui clan leader and the other the future Tu Shan clan leader. On the journey to make Zhuan Xu the Black Emperor, Jing likely did more for Zhuan Xu than Feng Long, and definitely not any less. But Jing always remained in the background and acted like Feng Long’s follower, allowing him to take all the reward on the way to making Feng Long’s own ambitions come true.
Jing said “How did I not compete with you? I only gave up the things I don’t care about. What I really want I never once let you have.”
“You mean…..” Feng Long furrowed his brow and asked “Xiao Yao?”