.........This is so nice!
I need to talk about Da Xi'an because this man is a gift. While Gongyang Zisheng is all cold efficiency and Pei Nai is internally screaming, Da Xi'an is over here like "So ruthless. I was worried you'd get hurt, and this is how you treat me?" after getting blasted by her palm strike. The contrast in voices is hilarious. Gongyang Zisheng speaks in complete sentences about martial arts philosophy. Da Xi'an complains about his fan getting wrecked. And Pei Nai? Her dialogue is minimal, almost clipped—"Who's there?" "You are one of the Three Peaks—the Wuqiang Sword of the Southern Domain, Gongyang Zisheng!" She's in combat mode, every word calculated. But then there's the Duke's monologue on the rooftop, which is pure theatrical grief: "Her love was intense… but even her hatred was just as absolute." That line has such a distinctive voice—it's the voice of a man who has been drinking for hours and finally letting it out to his only trusted servant. The author gives each character a clear verbal fingerprint. Ju Yan is respectful but direct. The Duke is poetic in his despair. Da Xi'an is flamboyant and genuinely warm beneath the noise. Even Lady Xuanwu's stage speech has a performed quality—"Thank you all esteemed guests for coming"—which contrasts sharply with Pei Nai's internal bitterness. The dialogue does heavy lifting here. It tells us who these people are without needing exposition dumps.
It was alright. I found myself zoning out at times because the author really loves to drag things out. You can read an entire chapter and realize that nothing much has happened, and it could have been condensed into a paragraph or two.
Apart from that, the novel was harmless, which is both a positive and a negative. On the plus side, there was really nothing wrong with it. The main characters (MC and ML) are smart and likable, the villains get their comeuppance as they should, and the story is overall sweet. However, it's also a bit bland. There’s no real tension, the characters don’t doubt themselves when it comes to romance, the side characters are quite one-dimensional, and the MC and ML have a ton of money, of course, because we can't have a Chinese or Korean novel with a couple who isn’t swimming in cash.
The whole "transmigrated and became a general, then came back to his young modern self" is the cornerstone of this novel, yet it feels like the author came up with the idea on the fly and never bothered to delve deeper into it. It's just a convenient tool to explain why the MC is suddenly super overpowered and smart. Why do I say that? Because other than being skilled and perfect out of the blue, the MC still acts like an 18-year-old kid with no issues. He apparently spent decades living and fighting in an ancient era, but he has no trouble adapting to his "new" life. Surely, there was more to do with the concept? Does the MC not get lost? Get sick? Get PTSD from his old battles? Get overwhelmed seeing his mother again? Have to remember how modern appliances and cars work? Does he not miss anything from his old life, such as companions or places? Is he not disturbed by the fact that his once well-built and resilient body is now small and soft, with no muscles? Are there no instances of him thinking he can push or break something with ease but ending up hurting himself because he forgot that he isn’t in the body of an experienced general?
What did the author do to show how the MC adapted to his sudden second transmigration? They simply wrote that he spent a whole night on his phone because he missed it, and that's it. Come on.
I can't help but feel disappointed about the missed potential and the simplicity of it all. There was a way to keep the story sweet while still exploring the MC's past experiences and how they affect him. Throughout the entire novel, I couldn't help but feel like the MC was indeed a fresh 17 (or 18?) year-old boy and not someone who has lived an entire lifetime already.
I would still recommend it, though. For those who crave a healthy BL romance.
A one-trick pony, I must admit, initially captured my interest with its distinctiveness and intrigue. One can't help but ponder, given such an engaging start and a novel concept, how could they possibly go awry? However, as time passes and that uniqueness becomes a limitation, when the characters fail to engage or evoke genuine emotion, the truth reveals itself: it's a one-dimensional offering, a squandered potential, a missed chance. How unfortunate indeed.
No it's not a "goat" like you say it is. I am not saying that the novel or the ideas or plot is bad no they are awesome I loved everything about that novel until mc's character got so unbearable thar I quit it at around 500.
The mc is the biggest hypocrite when other people kill for aether they are bad but when he does it, it is out of necessity plus many more bad points regarding his group.
Honestly the ones I hate most are the historical romance protagonists...
They pretend to be badass and then rely on some kind of prince on a white horse.
It's even worse if there are erotic scenes
ain't that netori?
Not much of a harem, i have read upto chapter 300 and the mc doesn't even touch the girls.
It has been 1y and still no update
Thanks! I'll read it soon?
Comparing it to fast food kinda just makes me wanna read it. It's like knowing it'll destroy you but still wanting to go ahead
Whf horrible translation... Will it get better??