The Sunshot Campaign (射日之征, Shè Rì Zhī Zhēng) is a conflict involving the Four Great Clans and their allies against the Qishan Wen Clan. In its aftermath, the Qishan Wen Clan is eradicated, ending the clan's long reign.
Context[]
Although there are officially Five Great Clans in the cultivation world, the Qishan Wen Clan is the most influential. The Wen Clan uses the sun as the motif of their clan, signifying that they can “compete with the sun for radiance, match the sun in longevity.”[1]
Under the ambitious Wen Ruohan, the Qishan Wen Clan begins expanding their influence and power to the point of tyranny. Eventually, the four remaining great clans banded together to overthrow the Qishan Wen Clan.
Significant Build-up Events[]
Death of Clan Leader Nie[]
After hearing that his saber could not compare to that of Clan Leader Nie's, Wen Ruohan struck the saber of the Qinghe Nie Clan's leader, the father of Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but during a night hunt, the saber broke and Nie Mingjue witnessed his father heavily injured by a beast. His father suffered a qi deviation and died several months later. For this reason, the Qinghe Nie Clan despises Wen Ruohan.[2]
Burning of the Cloud Recesses[]
Wen Ruohan sends his eldest son Wen Xu to accuse the leader of the Gusu Lan Clan, Qingheng-Jun, of wrongdoing. He forces the Gusu Lan Clan to burn down their residence as punishment, resulting in the disappearance of Lan Xichen with the sacred scrolls he had managed to save. Lan Wangji's leg is broken when he refuses to burn the Library Pavilion, and Qingheng-Jun is injured to the point of falling into a coma.[3][4]
Lan Xichen is rescued by Jin Guangyao,[5] but Qingheng-Jun succumbs to his injuries.[6]
Night-hunt of the Xuanwu of Slaughter[]
The Qishan Wen Clan demands that all clans turn over twenty juniors, including at least one clan member, come to be trained properly by their clan. Upon arrival, the young masters, including Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, Su She, Jin Zixuan, and Luo Qingyang, are forced to hand over their swords.[7]
Eventually, a night hunt is held on Mount Muxi with the intent of slaying the Xuanwu of Slaughter. The hunt goes awry when Wen Chao and his jealous mistress Wang Lingjiao attempt to string Luo Qingyang up and bleed her to attract the monster. Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji protect Luo Qingyang, and when Su She attempts to intervene, Lan Wangji strikes him.[8]
When the Xuanwu emerges and proves too powerful, the Wen Clan members flee the cave, abandoning the other disciples inside. Still, before their flight, Wei Wuxian manages to humiliate Wen Chao and stop Wang Lingjiao from branding Luo Qingyang's face.[8]
With the exception of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, all the disciples manage to escape through an underwater passage. While the disciples trek home to seek help, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji slay the Xuanwu of Slaughter together.[4] After seven days, Jiang Cheng returns with Jiang Fengmian to rescue them.[6]
Massacre of Lotus Pier[]
Two weeks after Wei Wuxian's rescue, Wang Lingjiao approaches Lotus Pier to seek revenge against Wei Wuxian for his role in the disastrous night-hunt on Mount Muxi. Initially, Yu Ziyuan acquiesces, using Zidian to whip Wei Wuxian.[9]
However, once Wang Lingjiao requests his hand cut off, Yu Ziyuan feigns compliance, requesting that her maids close the doors. In delight, Wang Lingjiao states that the Wen Clan desires to set up a supervisory office in Lotus Pier. Yu Ziyuan then slaps Wang Lingjiao, while Jinzhu and Yinzhu slaughter the other members of the Wen Clan present.[9]
Just as Yu Ziyuan attempts to kill Wang Lingjiao, Wen Zhuliu intervenes under orders to defend Wen Chao's mistress.[9][10] During the resulting fight, Wang Lingjiao manages to light Signal Fireworks to summon more members of the Qishan Wen Clan to battle.[10]
Wen cultivators evidently sack Lotus Pier, resulting in the deaths of both Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian. Over fifteen hundred cultivators from the Yunmeng Jiang Clan adie, nearly exterminating the clan. The three surviving youths become fugitives, with Jiang Yanli sheltered by the Meishan Yu Clan, and Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian on the run. Eventually, Jiang Cheng is captured, and Wen Zhuliu melts Golden Core, though he is rescued by Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning.[11][12]
Wen Ning and his sister Wen Qing hide the two fugitives in Yiling, and eventually agree to assist in transferring Wei Wuxian's golden core into Jiang Cheng. This results in Wei Wuxian's own capture by Wen Chao, who throws him into the Burial Mounds.[12]
War[]
Beginning[]
Shortly after the Massacre of Lotus Pier, the other four Great Clans joined together to overthrow the Qishan Wen Clan. The Wen Clan initially scoffs at the effort, noting the Lanling Jin Clan's hesitance, the rigidness of Clan Leader Nie, and the youth of Clan Leaders Lan and Jiang.[13]
However, Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, and Jiang Cheng collaborate for a surprise attack in Qishan about a month into the war. This results in the successfully retrieval of the indoctrinated disciples' swords. From there, the tide of war begins to turn against Wen Ruohan.[13]
Each clan maintains a different front over the years, with Lan Xichen often traveling between fronts to encourage the cultivators.[5]
Hejian Front[]
Maintained by Qinghe Nie Clan, and led by Nie Mingjue, who wins a decisive victory by beheading Wen Ruohan's eldest son Wen Xu. His body was promptly ground into the earth and his head displayed to strike terror into the hearts of the Qishan Wen Clan.[5][13]
For a while, Meng Yao serves as Nie Mingjue's right-hand man, looking after the displaced civilians who suffer due to the war.[5]
Langya Front[]
Maintained by Lanling Jin Clan, and led by Jin Guangshan.[5] Though Nie Mingjue greatly appreciates Meng Yao's help in Hejian, he allows him to return to Langya with a recommendation letter, in the hopes that his father will acknowledge him at last.[5]
Jin Guangshan refuses to see him, and Meng Yao finds himself under an abusive commander who steals credit for his ideas. Eventually, when Nie Mingjue visits in response to Jin Guangshan's request for aid, Nie Mingjue witnesses Meng Yao murder his commander using the sword techniques of the Qishan Wen Clan. After confronting him and convincing him to turn himself in, Meng Yao instead stabs himself and freezes Nie Mingjue with spiritual energy before fleeing.[5]
Though the precise location is unknown, since the Laoling Qin Clan is close to the Lanling Jin Clan, Langya is the most likely location for Meng Yao to have saved his future wife Qin Su.[14]
At one point, Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan fight each other in Langya after the latter insults Jiang Yanli, mistakenly assuming she had stolen credit for bringing him soup from another lady.[15]
Though it is unknown where exactly Wei Wuxian used the Yin Tiger Tally to defeat many of the Wen cultivators, Langya is a likely location, as Jin Guangshan was present, and several Lanling Jin Clan cultivators apparently perished as a result of its use.[16]
Death of Wen Chao[]
After returning from the Burial Mounds, shortly after Wen Xu's demise, Wei Wuxian uses Demonic Cultivation to attack the supervisory office maintained by Wen Ruohan's last living son, Wen Chao. Wen Chao is tortured into self-mutilation, although he escapes death with the help of Wen Zhuliu. His mistress Wang Lingjiao perishes along with everyone else in the supervisory office. Coincidentally, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng have also teamed up to assassinate Wen Chao that night, and encounter the aftermath of the scene.[13]
A few days later, Wei Wuxian reunites with Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji. Although Lan Wangji objects to Wei Wuxian's methods, both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian ultimately torture Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu to death.[13][17]
Jiangling Front[]
The Yunmeng Jiang Clan maintain a front in Jiangling, led by Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, and assisted by Lan Wangji. After rumors of the latter two fighting grow, Lan Xichen visits to maintain the peace.[5]
Gusu Front[]
The Gusu Lan Clan defends Gusu under the lead of Lan Qiren. During the fighting, Nie Huaisang is sent to the Cloud Recesses for safety.[5]
Yangquan[]
Sometime after Meng Yao's disappearance, Lan Xichen begins to receive letters with detailed information about the Qishan Wen Clan's battle plans. He sends the information to Nie Mingjue, greatly aiding the Nie Clan's advance. Unfortunately, Nie Mingjue is then captured during a surprise attack in Yangquan. Heavily injured, Nie Mingjue is taken to Nightless City.[2]
Nightless City and the Death of Wen Ruohan[]
Nie Mingjue and his men are brought to the Sun Palace and sent before Wen Ruohan. Meng Yao reveals himself as Wen Ruohan's torturer and kills several of Nie Mingjue's men when they insult the hot-tempered Wen Ruohan. When Nie Mingjue insults Wen Ruohan, however, Meng Yao mocks Nie Mingjue over his father's death. Enraged, Nie Mingjue manages to get Baxia and battle Wen Ruohan, but he is soundly beaten.
Once Wen Ruohan indicates his desire to kill Nie Mingjue to avenge his son, Meng Yao intervenes to request that he be allowed to torture Nie Mingjue to death instead. After Wen Ruohan agrees, Meng Yao kills Wen Ruohan and flees the palace with Nie Mingjue and Baxia.[2]
Though Nie Mingjue attempts to kill Meng Yao for the deaths of his men, Lan Xichen arrives to explain that Meng Yao is the spy behind all the information Nie Mingjue had used for his victories. In response, Nie Mingjue begrudgingly spares Meng Yao's life.[5]
Animation Divergence[]
In the Animation, Meng Yao, Lan Xichen, and Nie Mingjue all work together at Hejian. Although Nie Mingjue is captured after the failed raid at Yangquan, Meng Yao facilitates his rescue without killing Wen Ruohan. A few months later, Meng Yao kills Wen Ruohan to save both Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen during a full-scale assault by all the clans on Nightless City.[18][18]
Audio Drama Divergence[]
The Audio Drama adds a scene where Meng Yao kills many of Wen Ruohan's servants to flee with Nie Mingjue, while they cry out in horror.[19]
Web Series Divergence[]
In the Web Series, Meng Yao suggests torturing Nie Mingjue, but Wen Ruohan's attention is diverted by Wei Wuxian's use of the Yin Tiger Tally during a full-scale assault on Nightless City. Meng Yao then kills Wen Ruohan to save Wei Wuxian rather than Nie Mingjue.[20]
Aftermath and Influence[]
The triumphs and tragedies of the Sunshot Campaign consolidate power and influence into the hands of the four great Cultivation Clans.
Wei Wuxian as the Yiling Patriarch begins to prove a political threat to the Lanling Jin Clan, as Jin Guangshan covets the Yin Tiger Tally. The political climate and Wei Wuxian's protection of the Wen remnants including Wen Qing, Wen Ning, and Wen Yuan shapes the events that lead to the First Siege of the Burial Mounds.[21]
Meng Yao becomes famous nearly overnight for assassinating Wen Ruohan, and he is promptly accepted into the Lanling Jin Clan and given the courtesy name Jin Guangyao. The events that transpire between Jin Guangyao, Lan Xichen, and Nie Mingjue lead them to swear an oath of brotherhood, and eventually, to the fracture of the relationship between Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue.[2]
Gallery[]
.png "Hejian Front (Donghua).png (1.21 MB)")
.png "Langya Front (Donghua).png (1.31 MB)")
.png "Eastern Forest of Langya (Donghua).png (1.5 MB)")
References[]
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