Overall: 4.75/5

Another great novel from Priest. Highly recommend! Review as of chapter 61 on 9/10/20.

Story: Cultivation setting, with lots of great fighting scenes and comedic bickering. MC dedicated 10 years of his life to help the former Crown Prince become the now Emperor of Heaven. The story starts off with MC retiring as the leader of “Tian Chuang, ” the organization of intelligence gatherers and assassins loyal only to the Emperor. However, leaving such an organization comes at great cost, and MC is no exception to the established... more>> precedent of undergoing the “Nails of Seven Apertures for Three Autumns.” As the name suggests, once the nails are inserted, MC has three (painful) autumns to live. MC initially spends these three years traveling the pugilist world disguised as a beggar, drinking good wine and seeing sights that he missed out on during his youth. However, MC saves a young master (not ML) one night and learns that one of the five great sects has just been wiped out. This is the first of a string of massacres, and MC and ML travel together to find out the cause.

The story focuses on three major mysteries. One, the identity and motivation of the mastermind (s) behind the killings. Two, the events that occurred 30 years ago that set up the situation in the present time. And three, ML’s identity and motivations.

MC: Presumably the shou. A wonderfully multifaceted character. He was the cold-hearted leader of “Tian Chuang” yet takes childish joy in cursing like a sailor after meeting a cantankerous fisherman. He is weakened by the Nails to 50% of his original strength yet can fend off all but the truly OP (*cough* ML *cough*). He accepts a dying’s man wish to protect the above young master but hides his soft-heartedness under the cover of being bought by a measly two silver crumblings. ML basically calls him a tsundere.

ML: Presumably the gong. With the persona of a playboy, ML first identifies MC as a skilled cultivator and then as a true beauty--both despite MC hiding behind a sickly beggar mask. ML is refreshingly sincere in his distraught upon learning of MC’s limited lifespan. As mentioned above, his background is a driving force in the story.

Relationship development: ML shamelessly flirts with MC from the get-go and continues to do so throughout the story (not crossing into dubious or non-consent). His less flirtatious actions ultimately move ML, and ML comes around in a manner that comes off neither sudden nor frustratingly tsundere/oblivious. MC’s “Nails of Seven Apertures” looms like a death sentence and adds a bittersweet quality to any of his relationships. I just wish sickness weren’t so common a trope to use in danmei novels to progress the relationship: MC is sickly and has to accept ML’s closeness during a time of vulnerability, etc.

Commentary: Again, a great read. This could be read for the plot alone (I believe a live action drama is in the works?). The relationship between MC and ML is fun to read. I'm a fan of MC's and ML's characterizations: MC is NOT a supposedly skilled individual that in reality ends up being a damsel in distress for the stoic ML to save constantly.

Actually, I really like how well the secondary characters are fleshed out as well. MC ends up taking the young master mentioned above as a disciple, and their interactions are hilarious to read. Likewise, ML already has his own disciple, and she is her own force to be reckoned with. Some sect members and villains act as tertiary characters and have their individual personalities conveyed despite only getting a few paragraphs of screen time.

The Emperor, Lord Seventh, the Great Shaman, and MC's shidi are apparently characters in Priest's "Lord Seventh" novel. I plan on reading this next, but knowing that they are the main characters in their own story just adds a sense of "moreness" to the story.

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picked up the novel after watching the show and I can say I'm pretty disappointed in the novel. I absolutely loved word of honour, but reading tian ya ke felt very underwhelming. The show changed so many elements it was practically impossible to find tian ya ke buried under the layers.

i think the show fixed a lot of the problems I had when reading. In keeping with the title, they literally wander, leading to what I felt was a weak plot and no clear motivation from the characters. I can't... more>> remember what chapter it was exactly when I dropped the novel, but I can say I was pretty bored for most of it. The romance in the novel felt extremely forced and awkward, with the ML randomly kissing the MC without warning and, being in the mc's head, it didn't exaclty feel like falling in love.

overall, I'm just underwhelmed. They based the show off of a couple of quick lines that weren't really dwelt on in the novel, but that were expanded and made into a very compelling narrative. I think that's just what the novel lacked: a very compelling plot to push forward these characters. Priest's worldbuilding is impeccable, as always. <<less

Okay, so I just speedran the last half of this novel in the past few days.
Here is a spoiler-free review for those who want to read it, but want some information beforehand. Skip to the end for a TL;DR/who this is recommended for.
For those who have read MXTX's novels, this is definitely up your alley. I'm going to be comparing them occasionally because most cnovel readers have read her novels (usually they're the first ones you read).

Themes: 8
Queer Representation: 6
Writing Quality: 8
Storytelling: 7
Enjoyment: 8
Comedy: 8
Dialogue: 11
Character development: 9
Villain: 5 (Scorpion king: 8)
Romance: 6.5
Slowburn: agonizing
Angst: 100

Tropes: angst, tragedy, love at first sight, idiots to lovers, secret identities, bickering couple, SLOW BURN, wuxia, lgbt, barely NSFW, schemes, tragic pasts, protagonist (s) strong from the start, mystery, etc.

The main negatives here are the overall storytelling, romance, and the villain.

The storytelling is a bit messy. Take this section with a grain of salt as I read about half of this 4 months ago and picked it back up this month. I personally found it difficult to follow, even though the characters would explain the events afterwards (as a lot of cnovels tend to do). This could be due to the fact that I have forgotten some things, but I honestly doubt that. I did a similar thing with Tian Guan Ci Fu and had no issue piecing the story together. I believe the plot was a bit too convoluted, which led to an unsatisfactory ending. A lot of moving pieces had to come together at the end, but it all just seemed like they were meshed together and forced to duke it out. Personally, it seemed unimportant to the main couple, who did not fight much in the final battle. This made it difficult to feel engaged with and I found myself forcing myself through the ending.

The villain suffers from this. The reveal seems more to be a reveal for reveal's sake. I understand that they fit the themes relating to found family, but I personally thought it was a poor choice. They were kind of a let down, especially because it was very obvious that the two protagonists were clearly capable of handling them. The main villain didn't challenge Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu in any significant physical and emotional way. Their battle did not feel like the culmination of either of their character arcs, and it definitely did not appear climactic.
(This doesn't REALLY apply fully to the Scorpion King, but I'm biased because he's my favorite)

Okay, god, the romance. If you are looking for a romance-centered story, this is not the novel for you. Aside from the constant shameless flirting and bickering between the two, their romance is very rushed at the end. That's not to say their romance isn't justified. Worry not, Priest knows how to lay the angst on thick and their dynamic is great. If you're looking for content though, this isn't for you. I'd rather recommend it to people interested in wuxia related power struggles.
There are definitely positive things about the romance that make it at least a little worthwhile. They have a great dynamic. Priest is a god at dialogue. Part of their charm is that even though they've only known each other for a short while, they act like they're old lovers. They have a clear understanding of each other and bounce off each other's energy well. Their struggles are also well-written. When Wen Kexing learns about Zhou ZIshu's fate, it truly is heartbreaking. Their internal dialogue about each other and their complicated feelings for each other are so well done.

Speaking of dialogue, Priest is just.. amazing at it. No words can describe how natural, impactful, and characterized her dialogue is. It is truly one of the greatest things about this novel. There is a clear difference between every character's style of dialogue, making their interactions engaging. The characters bounce off each other like they have known each other for decades, when it's barely been a year.

I would say the other great strength of her writing is the character reflections. It's hard to describe exactly what I mean, but when she takes a step back to examine the character's feelings or the gravity of the situation, she shines.

The character development is great as well. Not just for the MC and ML. I would say that Zhang Chengling had one of the strongest character developments in the entire novel. And it was engaging! It contributed to the themes well and was very natural.

Female characters are also written well and complex (unlike a certain someone... *cough* MXTX *cough*). I can't believe this novel made me care about straight people. Gu Xiang is so well-written. Her character does not rely upon the men in the story, although they greatly influence her life.

Recommended for: people who like a LOT of angst, people who are okay with the romance not being the focus (even less so than Wangxian), people who like wuxia, people who like power struggles and clan drama, people who want more gay people in their novels besides the main couple (thank you Priest for my king Xie Wang), people who like Chinese literary references, people who've read other Priest novels, people who enjoy body horror, people who like flamboyant and shameless gay characters, etc

Not really recommended for: people who want romance to be the main focus, people who are easily confused (at least keep notes on who everyone is, that would've helped greatly), people with no patience (it's.. SLOWburn), etc

TL;DR; a great Priest novel with some story structure issues, little romance, but one with great writing, dialogue, and themes. I definitely recommend it, but it is not for everyone!

Recommendations like this novel:
Mo Dao Zu Shi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: angst, slowburn, clan drama, devoted love interest, love interest falls in love first, powerful protagonists, long as sh*t as well),
Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing: angst, slowburn, love interest falls in love first, devoted love interest, fighting but not as heavy as Faraway Wanderers/Tian Ya Ke because it is not a wuxia
Lord Seventh: a Priest novel, ANGST ANGST ANGST, tragic past, devoted love interests. If you like this one, Lord Seventh and Great Shaman originate from this novel. I haven't personally read it yet, but I've heard wonderful things about it. It's worth a shot!

One of my favorite novels by Priest. I grew up reading Wuxia novels (particularly those by Jin Yong) and this gave me the same flavor and style. Right up there with Thousand Autumns for me in cultural authenticity. There is a distinct Chinese-ness to both these novels which I really love, not to mention the very interesting characters (two OP clowns... also they both feel like 攻's) and overarching plot.

I personally really liked the ending and found a lot of the elements which others might find shocking quite typical for... more>> Wuxia, lol. Perhaps because I'm used to reading novels in this genre? Either way, I really enjoyed this read & it has surprisingly entered my list of all-time favorite Danmei. Also, this novel hits different after you've read Qi Ye, so I recommend reading them both in junction! <<less

1.5/5

Despite my low rating, I don't think this book is absolutely horrible. And it never did anything offensive that would cause most readers to be mad (like having SA or something). The hype got to me, I badly wanted to read a Priest novel, and was told that this would be a good place to start given my love for books in adjacent genres (like Mo Dao Zu Shi and so on). Sadly that was not my experience, and I s*upidly forced myself to get through it, instead of... more>> giving up. Because of that, it ended up taking me over a year to finally get to the end.

Now I actually found the premise to be quite interesting. A guy who worked in this underground seedy way, killing and torturing people for royal families, got fed up with that life, and wanted out. So he poisons himself and is on the road to a slow and painful death. That alone, had me intrigued and engaged. Throw in a mu*der mystery element, evil ghost people, and a hot mysterious bad boy love interest, and I'm sold!

It's really the execution that lost me.

The mystery of who is behind all of this bad stuff is lackluster, the culprit doesn't leave an impact on the reader, it's not shocking or heartwrenching. Honestly I was so indifferent towards the reveal.

They also set up Wen Kexing's backstory to be something really interesting and emotional, but again, it just didn't hit the way it was supposed to.

Most of the side characters were uninteresting and pretty forgettable, or even outright annoying and frustrating to read. I only cared the two leads, and literally no one else. Which is a shame, especially since so much of the book hinges on your interest in the other people.

And to top it all off, there was too many boring, meandering scenes. The characters were travel around or be chilling at an inn, but they wouldn't do or say anything funny or engaging to make the scene feel worthwhile to me. So I was pretty bored consistently.

The only thing that I enjoyed was the main relationship between the two leads. I liked that they both are flawed and have done a lot of bad things on their pasts, but they want to be better. I also love the moments where you see Wen Kexing being so tender and soft towards Zhou Zishu, especially when he is in sever pain due to the seven needles (or whatever they were). Sadly we didn't get enough of their relationship, and a lot of the development felt a little too glossed over. I needed more of them slowly falling (or at least Zhou Zishu, since he was initially wary of Wen Kexing).

I haven't watched the live action drama, only the first two episodes, but I like the actors, and I have heard that it's pretty different from the book, so maybe I'd like it better. <<less

I will review this book as someone who read it because of Word of Honor.
To begin with, it is quite different from the TV series. Even the main characters feel very different. That is a good thing sometimes, a bad thing some other times. It was lovely to see Wen Kexing the way he was meant to be - not dubbed over with revised lines, not even the cheeky comments of the original script but the full shamelesness of a dude who is absolutely dead set on making Zhou Zhishu have s*x with him. Zhou Zhishu meanwhile feels less charitable than his TV series counterpart - he is more irritable and strict. It is more curious then that the characters do become close together - truly this one could be described as enemies to lovers compared to the TV show. Since they only start sharing secrets by the end of the book the relationship progression seems a lot more strange than the one on TV (even if we forego the censorship). There are many funny moments in the novel which I appreciated, a lot of characters were still very charming (I prefered the Gao Xiaolian of the book to the one of the TV show). Actually the book seemed to progress with its plot way too fast and didn't quite have the impact the TV show had. Still, it was worth reading and I will definitely check out Lord Seventh because of it.

How do I say, I thought the novel would have more in depth emotions, but it didn't. The drama is the one that have much more emotions. Though, the novel and the drama have its own respective merit. The pace also a bit too fast for me. Other than that, I've also seen a few people saying that Zhou Zishu in novel is too cold and a jerk. But I don't think so. He's just a tsundere, a playful tsundere. I like how Zhou Zishu's playfulness can be seen in... more>> the novel. In drama, he's soft but in the novel, he's actually playful. Who knows that a Tianchuang leader can draw something le*d. If he truly is...a jerk, Wen Kexing would definitely be left stranded. The characters depth are also good, plotwise, also good. It can be more than a hundred chapters actually if more emotions are invested in. Regardless, its actually still a nice read and I do enjoy it. <<less

This is really boring and tedious to read. I've tried reading a few other Priest works, but they all seem to suffer from the same issue: they make great dramas/screenplays, but absolutely boring books.

The MC is likeable enough, but there's nothing that makes you care about what he's doing. He's just flying around where the wind blows him and the only thing that makes him interesting is his expiration date. I'm literally just waiting for him to die.

Yeah, he has a ~strong mysterious background~, whatever, that has very little to... more>> do with any of the plot other than it causes him to wear a mask. I found him more interesting in the beginning when he was suffering from the pain of the nails and was struggling to hide it, but here in the middle of the book, it seems like it's not a big deal anymore, even though he was hurting so much before? Overall, the MC is just a tool for the plot. And the plot is convoluted and I don't care about it.

The ML is really, really annoying. He's not charismatic. He's not entertaining. He's a nuisance and I literally couldn't stand him.

I get that he also has some ~deeply mysterious powerful background~, but I don't care enough to find out what it is. All he does is flirt, and the MC just ignores it, yet for some reason they're soul mates in love? The end of the first volume has ML all sad when he finds out MC is dying, and I think it's supposed to be an emotional moment but I was honestly just really confused by the ML's reaction, or why this was even sad to begin with. Why was the ML acting like he cares? Since when did he have feelings for the MC? He goes from sleeping around to latching onto the MC and it's jarring and feels very non-sequitur. I actually went back to re-read some bits because I thought I missed some chapters. But I didn't.

The issue is just that there's literally NO chemistry between them. I've read 40 chapters and seen maybe two minor genuine moments between them. The relationship between them feels very forced. It's like here's the 'tsundere' MC, here's a playboy ML, of course they're actually perfect for each other!' Like we are constantly reminded that they are soulmates, perfect for each other, have such good affinity, blah blah, , , but WHERE? Rather than actually showing them being good for each other. I'm 100% unconvinced by their relationship.

Rather than something this half-assed, it would make more sense to just not have any romance at all. Ffs, MC spends the first half of the book flirting with other women and even though this is a BL, I was cheering him on because any of them were better than the ML!

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but to me, the ML's 'flirting' kinda actually just feels like harassment and there's a lot of stalkerish/ra*ist-like behaviour. It makes me second-hand uncomfortable and dislike the ML even more. The MC is not interested, PLEASE leave him alone?? There are so many moments where his flirting is inappropriate and uncomfortable but the ML convinces himself that MC maturely ignoring his unwanted harassment is just MC being 'tsundere'. Idk and idc how it ends, but 40 chapters in, and MC is STILL not interested -- and that is for good reason: there's really nothing to like about the ML. Overall, their relationship is forced and lukewarm at best.

The plot of the story is probably the strongest point, but unfortunately, I couldn't care less about it. I'm not sure if this is a mu*der mystery, a wild goose chase, a dragon-ball adventure to collect the 5 flower pieces, or what, but it's all over the place. Things change so quickly I have given up on caring. All I get is that Zhang Chenglian is a good boy who's being hunted down, and it kind of gets me annoyed that the MC keeps leaving him. Like, this innocent boy who's lost his family and is being hunted down is clearly looking up to you, he's so pitiable, don't keep making him suffer for no reason. At least he cares though. Nobody else seems to care, like the ML who burns his room down.

The other characters are all neither here nor there. There are a few interesting guys like the old young monk but there are a decent amount of characters who are introduced with absolutely no development. I'm ambivalent about them.

I get that there's things going on, and maybe I need to read other Priest works first, but I thought this was supposed to be an independent novel. This entire work reads like a sequel or a fanfiction - none of the base things like character personality, the setting, making me care about anything - none of that is done. It feels like you need pre-existing knowledge of everything to get it or like it. And I've read a couple Priest works, but I've dropped more than I've finished, so I'm really lost and indifferent to every character and every plot point. This feels very pretentious at times, like it's trying to sound sophisticated, but it ends up making everything really flat and vapid. There's really nothing dynamic about this, it's so flat.

The only interesting thing about this book was the shifu/father relationship MC had with Zhang Chengling (?). But even that couldn't keep me interested enough to read to the end. Overall, I gave this a 2/5 because I felt too bad to give it a 1. I mean, it's coherent, all things considered, I've read worse. But if you're looking for an interesting book, don't bother. I hear the show is much, much better, so I'll probably stick to that. <<less

This is an incredibly well written novel. I had no context for the author and their work, so I hadn't expected to read a novel that had such a tightly conceived plot. There are reoccuring themes, motifs, not to mention the character depth, relationship dynamics, all meticulously interweaved. Other reviewers have already delved deeply in the specifics of how well it was written so I'll try not to be completely redundant and only address things that prevented me from reading sooner or things I want to clarify.

... more>>

Spoiler

The Tragedy: So yes it can be considered tragedy, but in the way that Harry Potter, or any novel that is rooted in realism (even in spite of their fantasy genre) has tragedy. It's not gratuitously creating angst for the sake of drama. At least for me it felt like the tragic components were the natural progression of character flaws and motivations. And as the other reviewers have stated the main CP has a HE. I'm a huge baby and it really wasn't tragedy for me. There are sad moments in the way that anything that makes you emotionally invested does, but it's not overly bleak.

If you want to know the complete specifics of the tragedy and HUGE spoilers (highly suggest not reading if haven't read the novel already, but just in case you need that extra reassurance) :

Spoiler

1. There's the tragic nature of the MC's impending death, which he is actually able to recover from. The other reviews had me expecting that they would die together or some other kind of bittersweet ending. But nope, they are alive, well, and free to live without restraint at the end of all of it.

2. So this is probably the real reason for the tragedy tag. The secondary couple (essentially ML's adopted sister/daughter and another supporting character) are both killed in the climax. But the extras give them a HE, which made this novel just not a tragedy for me. Not that I'm complaining, they definitely deserved a HE.

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The Romance: The relationship between the MC and the ML can be clearly defined in two parts. The first is when the ML is a gay playboy and is somewhat attracted to the MC who is not attracted to men. ML flirts with MC and MC brushes it off. There isn't any ambiguity in his rejection. MC is just not interested. The second is when they have unofficially/officially established their relationship and are like an old married couple. It's very sweet. The issue is the disconnect from the first portion of their relationship to the second; when their relationship escalates from an emotional one to a physical one. We see how the ML falls in love with MC. We don't see how MC falls in love with ML. At all. He just suddenly reciprocates non-platonically. It was jarring (as in when it escalated I thought, 'Oh. Ok. When did that happen?'). However, I think if you can ignore the abruptness of the transition of their relationship, it's still enjoyable. It's just a bit of shame since everything else is so tightly written. (I would like to note that the secondary couple is great. The way their relationship develops is quite natural, although it doesn't really happen onscreen.)

The Climax/Ending: For the amount of suspense and intrigue that was laid down, the climax was very quick. It was one verbal confrontation which escalates and a short final battle which was more like a one sided massacre. The action is incredibly short. It felt a bit like the author ran out of steam and wanted to wrap everything up and move on. The outline was there so everything was tied up well, but it felt unwhelming in comparison to the amount of care and depth went into the beginning/middle portions of the novel.

Spoiler

It really felt like there could have been one more extra to wrap things up with MC and ML. We know they are alive and well, but there's not much closure in what they want to do next. Just a pat on the shoulder that they're fine. Still a good novel and I'm glad I read it, but the ending could have been much better.

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If I were to characterize this novel in order of prevalence of genre it would be an adventure, mystery, sprinkled in with action and then romance. Regardless, it's the large cast of characters that swept in and out of the plot that really differentiates this novel. No character is unnecessary, and they all exist with their independent and complicated motives. If you aren't looking purely for a fluffy romance, I cannot emphasize enough that this is a great read. <<less

Highly overrated.

I actually started reading two years ago, but I couldn't stand it and dropped. Later forced myself to pick it up again pushed to persevere, sandwiching other more bearable novels in between when it got too boring. Finally completed now and I can only draw one conclusion; it was popular because of its drama adaptation.

I had high expectations for Priest's works--they're so highly praised everywhere by danmei readers. But after a taste of this, I'll pass tyvm. I can't comprehend why anyone would think her worldbuilding is good.

Agreed with... more>> PotatoCakes; if the MC and ML's dialogues weren't tagged, it would be impossible to tell who's speaking. There's too much personality overlap and the characters are all one-dimensional.

In fact, all the (too many) characters can p much be summarised like this:

Spoiler

Characteristics of main cp: insanely smart, sharp tongued, insanely good-looking, acts like a clown but hides a dark past.

Differentiating factor: MC is tsundere and is terminally (?) ill, ML perpetually tries to get on MC's nerve.

Characteristics of p much everyone aside from main cp: ridiculously self-righteous, selfish, and dumb.

Differentiating factor: some are slightly sillier than others.

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The story reads like it was written by someone who is very familiar with the common standards for good writing, and sticks thoroughly to it. So thoroughly they lost sight of what a good story is. Priest rocks as a writer but kind of sucks as a storyteller. After stripping away all cliches and fanservice typical danmeis offer, what we're left with is something bland, dry, and simply unpalatable.

My definition of a good book is one I can't put down as soon as I start reading the first chapter. There should be a hook, compelling characters, and a plot that draws you in, some parts that deeply resonate with you. There was nothing like that here. It was all just plot, plot, and more plot, and an over-seasoning of characters (with similar names too--I keep confusing them but ig that's on me oof), complex word choices, and references to Chinese literature.

None of the CP's interactions were romantic. None of the characters were developed in the least and everyone seemed to lack common sense. The ending felt unplanned... just happened for no apparent reason. This shouldn't be considered a danmei or even a story. It's an essay full of needless sophistry, the writer portraying 'behold, how learned I am'.

Only the extras redeemed this work somewhat, but why should I have put up with 77 tasteless chapters for it? <<less

Tian Ya Ke is a short novel, but it will really capture your heart. I really recommend reading Qi Ye first, because it will give you the main character's (Zhou Zishu) backstory.

Wenzhou. They invented love, Wen Kexing's love towards Zhou Zishu really makes you warm.

Zhou Zishu is my favorite character in all of the novels I've read. His personality is so top tier. His backstory is what makes me really like him, a morally grey character.

Wu Xi and Beiyuan being in Tian Ya Ke is a bonus.

This is by far my favorite novel, but I want to say it is not for everyone. If you are coming in from watching the drama, take note that the characters and story are very different. Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing are two people who have done bad things, they are not good people, nor should you come in expecting them to be. They kill without remorse, they can be cold, Wen Kexing is crude, Zhou Zishu is rude--but if you want a story about two characters who are undoubtedly... more>> made for each other, this is the one to read.

The Wuxia political stuff, unlike in the drama, is in the background. Do not expect all of that to be the main focus here. It's not. The main focus is on Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing. The story is told from Zhou Zishu's point of view, he barely cares about what's going on with the Five Lakes Alliance and it shows. This is not a story about Wen Kexing like the drama is. This is Zhou Zishu's story.

This is a story about a man who is tired of working as an assassin and wants to retire, see the world, and die.

In terms of the romance, don't expect Zhou Zishu to reciprocate for a long while. There's a reason he doesn't, which he explains, but the moment he truly does believe in Wen Kexing's feelings for him is so strong. I also want to say Wen Kexing does not fall in love with him at first sight, they both have to fall for each other. The two of them have some very romantic moments together--I don't agree with people who say there's very little to no romance in this. There is.

Big difference as well--

Spoiler

Scorpion in the drama has almost nothing in common with Scorpion in the novel. Do not expect him to be a doe-eyed young man who wants to do his best for his Yifu. He's absolutely nothing like that.

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If you take all those things into consideration and still want to read it, I highly recommend it. This novel is not perfect, but if you like these sorts of stories, it's just right. <<less

Cold-shoulder, terminally ill, tsundere MC and shameless flirt ML. What a pair!

I understand why people say that it shows how Tian Ye Ke is one of Priest's earliest novels. The cast of relevant characters is pretty small, the only fully-fleshed ones could be said to be the MC, ML, and the "little tyke." Additionally, several things that are set up in the beginning as important are later glossed over summarily, or even narrated indirectly by secondary characters.

Apart from these issues this is a really good novel. Priest's writing style is... more>> so dynamic that you can have a hilarious paragraph next to a tragic one and it doesn't puts you off. Her descriptions and transitions are flawless, the pace of the romance is well-balanced, and the characterization, for the characters are more than name-holders, is excellent. <<less

I actually ended up enjoying this story more than I thought I would. Priest’s novels are often well written and entertaining and go beyond the typical BL genre in terms of storylines and character development which I always appreciate.
I enjoyed the plot and the characters a lot, they actually ended up being more entertaining than the plot itself.
I do have a few complaints however, especially about the rushed ending which would have left me very unsatisfied if it weren’t for the last few extra chapters at the end.
I also wasn’t really convinced by the romance itself although I enjoyed the bickering between the two characters. I understand that the romance was not the main element of the story but I personally felt like it lacked in the emotional development and left me unsatisfied.

Despite these few issues, it still remains an enjoyable story.

another priest novel I read, this is the one that I read faster than the previous ones, but I think that it wasnt that enjoyable for me

i am aware that priest never gets too much into the romance and rather chooses to build the world and the plot but I felt this plot was somehow weak, the villains have close to zero impact on me they're not that relevant and I feel like the way the story was told was complicated and confusing

i give the novel 3 stars which is... more>> a good rating, but I liked qiye better than tyk <<less

THIS IS SUCH A MASTERPIECE. I don't regret reading this at all despite seeing some bad reviews (due to Priest's lack of romance which is already a known fact) Zhou Zishu, the MC is quite of a tsundere and he does things reluctantly, he seems cold on the surface but actually affectionate to some degree. The ML is hilarious and flirty which adds a bit touch of romance in overall. He's also formidable but lets the MC to do his thing and he only interferes when necessary. Of course, he... more>> looks after the MC inadvertently then fell in love with him along the process. He who may have been deprived of life and love, deserves to live a new life. 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐄, Also one of my favorite parts in the story is when they were co parenting together and henceforth raised Zhang Chengling.

This story made me shed a gallon of tears and I just want to say that this story is worth reading for! <<less

I love wuxia novels, this story is very good! but honestly if you come because of the romance bl you will be disappointed. I read it last year, I thought about reading it again but stopped in the middle, for the same reasons as the 'Severe' review.

I really couldn't like MC... ML is the complete opposite, I loved this character. Although he constantly harasses the MC which is a little annoying, but he is funny and it's because of him that I want to watch the drama. Anyway, it's a... more>> very good novel, not great, but it's good. <<less

This is a wuxia novel about redemption. It has slice-of-life elements and some action. The MC did many horrific things under the emperor's orders, and he chooses to have freedom for a few years and die. This is a bittersweet opening that really caught my attention and made me look forward to future events. The MC is restrained and polite. He's clever but passively gets pulled along by those around him.

For me, the ML is the biggest detriment to this series. While reading the other reviews, I couldn't help but... more>> wonder if we were even reading the same series. There is no r*pe thus far, which is definite bonus points for a Chinese series, but I still can't stand the ML. He's incredibly annoying and harasses the MC every chance he gets, and he is even disgusting enough to sexually harassment him. MC, even though you've decided to be a good guy, this doesn't mean you can't defend yourself! He obnoxious to the point of giving me the urge to kill him whenever he appears. Unfortunately, he's quite strong and never receives the fatal blow I'm yearning for.

The action is fairly weak for the most part, and the slice-of-life element isn't strong either. Some reviewers mentioned comedy, but where is it? There isn't anything that made me laugh. Some other reviewers mentioned mystery, but the mysteries in the beginning are far too weak to even be considered a genre here.

For me, the set-up was great, but the writing and plots for this story are bland. I eventually dropped it at this chapter because I was too bored to read more. None of the characters are particularly likeable or memorable. Even the MC, who has an interesting background, is completely passive. I detest the ML, and his every appearance made me consider dropping the series more and more in the first place. There's really nothing great enough in this series to make me read more. Other than the ML, there isn't anything terrible either. My feelings toward this series are neutral overall. This series is not for everyone, and I have not been able to find the appeal no matter how hard I've tried. <<less

I'm a little sad that we read the whole novel about the protagonist getting his happy ending but the last epilogue ended with the ending of the side character whose demise is very similar to the protagonist's initial fate. It's like someone had to go down that path.

I have seen that many of us have watch the drama "Word of Honor" first before reading the novel. That'd be including me.

First of all, I can't deny that the drama is much more better than the novel version, which is a surprised. If you ask me about "Word of Honor", I like it too much that I even like the actor himself, Zhang Zhehan (Mind you that this is the first time I like 3D guy. And uh- I also like Gong Jun but not as much as Zhehan).

But... more>> despite of the shortcomings, I really like the novel too. It's short, and more straightforward. The novel has a good base of a fine story, but we never get enough of it since it's not elaborated well.

Like I said, it is a shortcomings but I can't help but liking it more. Someone said that the novel had not able to portray more of the scene with words but in my opinion, there are some scene that I able to grasp better after reading the novels.

I love how they basically bickering instead of flirting. It's so wholesome and "sexy", yes, "sexy" that only fit for Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu. It is probably because of the dramacs influence that I came to like this novel a lot, but without this novel, the drama won't exist. I will say this once again, the novel has a very good base, and that's why they are able to produce such a good script, plus with the actors's hardwork of course.

I'm not really good at writing review but all I want to say is I like the story so much. <<less