Nie Huaisang

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Character
Name: 聂怀桑 – Niè Huáisāng
Occupation: Sect Leader of the Nie clan of Qinghe
Relationships: Nie Mingjue (Older brother)
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Other: Birthday: May 20
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Nie Huaisang also known as "The Headshaker" (in Chinese "一问三不知", meaning "one question, three don't knows") or Good-For-Nothing is a character in the novel Mo Dao Zu Shi and its adaptations. He was born into a prominent clan and despite being described as smart, he often shows little disposition to cultivation or training and prefers to dedicate himself to arts and crafts, such as calligraphy or painting, or leisurely activities. Following the death of his brother Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang found himself unexpectedly thrust into a leadership role within the sect, despite his lack of skills for the role. With him in charge, other characters remain convinced that the prestige of the Nie clan of Quinhe is gone for good.

Fandom

Nie Huaisang's ambiguous characterization attracts some interest from fans. The novel drops hints that he might not be as unassuming as he presents himself to be, putting a big question mark around his true capabilities, motivations and significance within the story. Despite these implications, the narrative refrains from definitively confirming or refuting it, leaving ample room for speculation and discussion.

Ships

Common Tropes

  • Character Study: Nie Huaisang is known for his intricate plans to seek revenge. This aspect of his character has led to a big number of character study fanfiction that delve deep into the mechanisms behind his schemes, the reasoning behind his plans, and the persona of "the Headshaker."
  • Bird symbology: In the book, Wei Wuxian says "the mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind". The oriole (a type of bird) refers to Nie Huaisang. In "The Untamed" he also brings a canary to class in one episode and is mentioned to have songbird catching as hobby. He's frequently drawn or written feeding birds, wild or caged, listening to the singing of birds or drawing birds.
  • Badass: The book hints several times that mild-mannered people are the ones that accumulate more resentment. Having been portrayed as mild-mannered and useless through most of the story, he is revealed later to be more competent than shown. As of August 2023, there are 128 works on AO3 tagged as BAMF Niè Huáisāng
  • Mastermind: Stemming from the fact that many people were unknowingly pawns to his plans. As of August 2023, there are 44 works on AO3 tagged as Mastermind Niè Huáisāng
  • Matchmaker: He is also depicted plotting to get two characters together, usually Wangxian but also Nieyao or others)
  • Fans: It is uncommon to see fanarts of him where he doesn't have a fan in his hand. He also fiddles with them often in fanfiction, makes them himself or uses them to cover his face.
  • Erotica: During the Cloud Recesses days he is seen having an interest in erotic illustration books. In some fanworks, he writes erotic stories himself, or illustrates them, or collects them.

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction

  • Revealing That You Can't Forget Me by phnelt on AO3. Post-canon gen fic in which Nie Huaisang writes erotica. (2021-03-14)
  • the final cut by Wildehack on AO3. Untamed-canon, Nie Huaisang POV, Nie Huaisang/Mo Xuanyu. (2020-07-24)
  • The Lost Cause by KouriArashi on AO3. Nie Huaisang and Jin Guangyao team up to get rid of Jin Guanshan. (2020-03-15)
  • The Way of the Nie by Fortune_Maiden on AO3. Gen slice of Life drabbles about Nie Huaisang, Nie Mingjue and Nie Zonghui (2024-02-03)

Fanart

Doujinshi

Cosplay

Vids

Meta

Memes

Fannish Links

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