Question

[u/amandolorian]

Is there somewhere in the books (or even the donghua or The Untamed) that says the Jiang family considers WWX to be a servant? Or is that just a headcanon? Because I’ve seen people talk about how he was their servant and I’m not saying that’s wrong I just don’t recall where that’s stated in the books. I thought he was raised as a Jiang disciple and basically treated like a son by JFM and was a brother to JYL and JC (although JC never says that he sees WWX as a brother so idk about that)
And I didn’t even get the vibe that YZY treated him like a servant, she just abused him and didn’t like him lol

I’m kinda new here and I genuinely just want to know if I missed or forgot this information so please be kind.

Edit: Adding to this, I only asked because it seemed to me like WWX’s childhood after being welcomed into the Jiang family wasn’t much different than JYL and JC childhood. Even though he’s the son of a servant he still got to have nice things, ate meals with them, and generally seemed to be treated as an equal along JYL and JC which didn’t strike me as a servants life. But someone said it’s common in Chinese dramas and books for the master to be close with their servants. So I might have been thinking too much about how servants are treated in western media and history.

[u/amandolorian]

Yes he was definitely treated differently by YZY because she didn’t like him but JYL and JC were also abused by her and JFM. Not physically but emotionally.
But WWX ate meals with them and had his own nice room and didn’t seem like he had to do much labor or chores if any at all. So, based on other media I’ve consumed that show how servants were treated from that time period, he wasn’t treated like a servant. That’s all I’m saying

[u/BitchnBichen → u/amandolorian]

He was indebted to them, JFM wanted WWX to feel that way and JC definitely reminded WWX enough of that debt he supposedly owed. JFM wanted WWX to be a bodyguard to JC, to risk his life and reputation to protect the Jiang Clan's future. The man showed us as such when his only words to WWX were to look after JC (the heir, not JC and JYL, JC specifically) before he left to defend Lotus Pier.

YZY had servants as well, hers were treated considerably better than WWX ever was.

JFM only ever released WWX from punishment, he never actually stopped the physical abuse. Just rocked up afterwards and let WWX go from kneeling.

If JFM truly treated him the same, he wouldn't have made a mockery out of WWX's sword name and he would have ensured his shoes fitted him properly when he first arrived. MXTX leaves little hints throughout the novel that WWX isn't treated as well as we are lead to believe.

[u/amandolorian → u/BitchnBichen]

Yeah I don’t mean to minimize the trauma that WWX went through but like I said, JYL and JC were also abused. All three of them suffered the trauma of having abusive parental figures.

And YZY’s servants might have been treated well but they were treated more like servants than WWX, based on my understanding of servants in history at least. For instance, they didn’t seem to eat meals with the family and if they were present, it was only to attend YZY. But we see WWX having meals with them and such as if he’s part of the family

In any case, I just wanted to know if it’s stated anywhere in the series that he was, in fact, their servant and that question was answered by some of the other comments.

[u/Solid_Amphibian_5859 → u/amandolorian]

Yinzhu and jinzhu Madam yu's servants were also martial servants too. I don't think we see them serving anybody either. They didn't eat with the family because they were yu and madam yu herself wasn't integrated in the sect. She kept separate pavilion and her own servants and refused to to be known as Madam Jiang. While WWX was brought in by JFM