The Yueyang Chang Clan (栎阳常氏, Yuèyáng Cháng Shì) was a cultivation clan that resided in Yueyang. Most members of the family were murdered in their home by Xue Yang as an act of revenge, though Wei Wuxian postulates he also wished to test the reconstructed Yin Tiger Tally on them.[1]
A few years later, the survivors of the Yueyang Chang Clan, including their last leader, Chang Ping, were murdered by Xue Yang masquerading as Xiao Xingchen. He gouged out their eyes before murdering them via lingchi.
History
Chang Ci'an's Cruelty
- Main article: Chang Ci'an
Massacre
Sometime after beginning work on Demonic Cultivation for the Lanling Jin Clan, Xue Yang used the reconstructed Yin Tiger Tally to lock all members of the Chang Clan inside their residence and slaughter them. Chang Ping, Chang Ci'an's son who had succeeded leadership of the clan, only survived because he was not at his residence at the time.[1]
Discussion Conference at Koi Tower
Xiao Xingchen apprehended Xue Yang and dragged him to the Discussion Conference at Koi Tower, presenting a straightforward list of evidence. Although the Jin Guangshan was determined to protect Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen did not waver.[2]
As the stalemate continued, Nie Mingjue angrily denounced Jin Guangshan and unsheathed his saber with the intention of killing Xue Yang; he violently cursed Jin Guangyao's attempts to pacify the situation. In the end, the Jin Clan relented. Before he was taken away, a grinning Xue Yang spoke affectionately to Xiao Xingchen: “Daozhang, you wouldn't forget me, would you? Let's wait and see.”[2]
Although the Lanling Jin Clan publicly promised to execute Xue Yang, when Nie Mingjue left, they commuted the sentence to life imprisonment and later refused to hand Xue Yang over to an enraged Nie Mingjue.[2]
Shortly afterward, Nie Mingjue passed away. With him gone, the Lanling Jin Clan pressured Chang Ping to recant. Eventually, he announced that the massacre had nothing to do with Xue Yang.[2]
Upon Xiao Xingchen's inquiry, Chang Ping responded:
“What can I do aside from this? If I don’t tolerate it, the rest of our clan’s people wouldn’t be safe for long. I’m really grateful, Daozhang, but… please don’t help me anymore. Now, helping me would be harming me. I don’t want the Yueyang Chang Clan to end yet.”[2]
End of the Yueyang Chang Clan
A few years later, Xue Yang masquerades as Xiao Xingchen to kill the surviving members of the Chang Clan, including Chang Ping.[2] Wei Wuxian points out that it was only after Xiao Xingchen's death that Xue Yang killed the survivors and suggests that Xue Yang had chosen to use lingchi as punishment for Chang Ping's recantation which had made Xiao Xingchen out to be a liar.[3]
Web Series Divergence
Though the core events remain unchanged during the Web Series, the timeline is altered so that Xue Yang slaughters the Chang Clan before the start of the Sunshot Campaign. He is apprehended by Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Lan Wangji and taken to the Qinghe Nie Clan. Xue Yang later escapes during Wen Clan's attack on the Unclean Realm.[4]
In addition, the sole survivor Chang Ping was apparently murdered the same year that Wei Wuxian died.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Novel, Chapter 30
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Novel, Chapter 29
- ↑ Novel, Chapter 42
- ↑ Web Series, Episode 10
- ↑ Web Series, Episode 35