Nice book! This is the sequel really enjoyed it
I've been thinking about this hairpin scene way too much and I can't stop. On the surface, it's just a gift exchange. He gives her something wrong, she corrects him, they both pretend it's fine. But the symbolism is so dense it's almost suffocating. The winter cicada—he chose it because it symbolizes purity of character, surviving on wind and dew. It's a symbol of endurance, of remaining clean in a harsh world. That's what he wants her to be. That's what he thinks she should be. But it's actually lovebirds. A pair. Together. That's what she is. That's what she needs. The fact that she notices this detail—after sixteen years of living as a man, never having received a hairpin, never having been seen as a woman worthy of such a gift—feels like the author is saying something huge about identity and desire without ever stating it directly. And the name A'Jin. She gave it to herself. It's not her real name. It's a performance, a shield. But when Ji Junjiao says "A'Jin. Look at me."—he's not just asking her to meet his gaze. He's trying to see past the name, past the performance, to the person underneath. And she refuses. She keeps her head bowed. She won't give him that. The bruises on her wrist are another symbol that keeps echoing. Physical marks of violence, yes, but also marks of survival. She hides them behind her back. She doesn't want to be seen as broken. But he sees them anyway, and the fact that her wrist is "so slender that even through the fabric, he scarcely dared exert any pressure, as though the slightest force might snap it in two"—that's not just description. That's the entire power dynamic of this relationship in one image. The account books themselves are symbolic too. Fake perfection. Li Yunmu reconstructed every ledger with impossible precision, and that's what gives him away. Perfection is its own kind of falseness. And Ji Junjiao knows this because he understands that truth is usually messy, incomplete, chaotic. The ordered world he's trying to build is built on lies. What's the story really about? I think it's about the gap between who we perform ourselves to be and who we actually are. Both main characters are performing. Both are hiding. And the question is whether they'll ever stop.
So many negative reviews when the series had less than 10 chapters. It does start off a bit boring, but it improves significantly once the heroine appears. The story isn't lacking a plot; it's actually a narrative crafted by a deity to help the protagonist defeat monsters that are fragments of an evil god. There isn't a demon lord to defeat yet, as the story hasn't delved into complex tactics. It seems to be a type of novel where strength and skills are paramount, and perhaps having a few companions along the way. The clichés are woven in with a sense of inevitability, as the main character himself notes, "It was inevitable for this to happen."
The beginning was promising, but it took a drastic turn for the worse. Initially, I held onto hope that it would improve, but now I've decided to stop waiting. It's become a frustrating and unenjoyable experience, almost like a chore. The book delves into tedious details that serve no purpose in advancing the plot or enriching the narrative. It's difficult to overlook the unnecessary aspects, especially when reading for pleasure, as I usually do with other novels where the main character might be less plausible. This one simply fails to engage me and is a waste of my time, at least from a satisfying storytelling standpoint.
I'm thinking about reading this, but I'm worried about the fact that the last chapter was released 12 days ago. I don't want to read another novel like Possessing Nothing that takes forever to update. Any suggestions on how to proceed?
Now that I think about it, that makes sense. I was reading this with barely any brain power, just read it because I was VERY bored.
I understand, Senior White appears too much on the start but later he appears less but he continues appearing
Ah . . .
Mc here is disgustingly weak . . .
Every time he wins it's all because of his treasures nothing else
Screw the law, and [Paladins] too?
its has one of the best world, character buildings and schemes that can put ones in revered insanity to shame, progression is slow
No….it traps your mind in an endless loop in which it never ends
I'm trying my best to give this novel a chance but honestly, I don't like it so far. ಠ︵ಠ