The ML betrays the MC after MC confides to ML that he considers him a friend. I actually loved the betrayal because the reasons for why it happened and the MC's response to it felt very organic. The ML wants to see our righteous MC break because he believes that everyone is evil and he is thrilled to see his descent into madness. The ML does this by disabling the MC, and then gives him to his enemy who wants to ra** him and then absorb his Daoist core. MC manages to escape by shattering his own car like a bomb that then lets him escape. It actually works out because shattering his core allowed him to have higher growth potential.

HOWEVER, this is done well initially but then the characters start doing things that don't make sense. Initially, the MC ignores the ML and feels nothing but apathy. But the MC needs to save the ML for the greater good as the ML is protecting a country from destabilizing. Despite being saved, the ML suffers great losses and ends up with a split personality temporarily. Totally out of character, the MC befriends one of the side personalities and even cries after the ML declares he has fixed his core/split personality. The way their friendship/romance progresses does not feel authentic at all and ML does not regret doing what he did (quote below). Basically, the MC realizes that the ML always said he couldn't be trusted and that he is not a good person, so the MC feels that the betrayal was somewhat on him. Eventually, the ML does kind of make an except for the MC because he realizes he's different and that the MC is truly a good person. Despite all this, the ML openly admits he has no regrets about giving the MC to be gang ra**.

"Yan Wushi laughed loudly: "I never regret handing you off personally to Sang Jingxing—not then, and not now. Yet here you are with the opportunity to witness me experience such misfortune, and wearing such a grief-stricken face! Ah-qiao ah, Ah-qiao. You've really disappointed me! You should be rejoicing in my disaster, you should be celebrating deep inside! How could you possibly wear such a pitiful look?"

Honestly I’m also irked by the fact that people are this bothered by what Chen Gong did- as if what he did to SQ was any different from what YW to others. Sure, he “might” deserve death on the principle that he tried to take SQ’s life several times through betrayal but he absolutely didn’t deserve to be told “You don’t deserve to practice martial arts” by SQ because, honestly? It’s not upto him. SQ had no part in his martial journey except maybe as a muse or coincidental trigger and that doesn’t warrant him to tell all that- negating Chen Gong’s life outlook as if his outlook is the only one that’s worthy. And when I tell CG “might” deserve death that also principally means, Yan Wushi also deserves death – just not by SQ’s hands because he atones for what he did and will probably sacrifice something great for SQ in the future but... What about other people who were subjected to injustice by Yan Wushi? Clearly he deserves death but nobody dares. Because he’s bloody powerful and that’s what CG so desperately seeks throughout the course of the story. That goes onto show how, in a dog-eat-dog world like the Jianghu Chdn Gong’s philosophy works so well. Honestly? I liked the man. Sure, he was shitty. But so are people – and humanity in general. Mans was just unlucky to have met somebody like SQ as his stepping stone. If it were anybody pretty sure he’d have succeeded and lived an extremely prosperous life (Because that is how reality works lmao 🤣🤣 or he’d have been THE boss if this was a palace drama setting and SQ with his virtuous agenda would have died long ago in the hands of the monstrous politicians if we go by reality). Also YWS himself says at some point I can remember “You’d have fallen for schemes long ago but you need not worry because I am beside you”

Basically – somebody has to get their hands dirty to survive a treacherous world like this one and that person simply doesn’t happen to be SQ because people are ready to do it in his behalf or he’s crazy protected by plot mechanisms 🤣🤣

Doesn’t mean everybody who tries to survive like CG are inherently horrible or that they absolutely deserve all this hate or have their life value trampled on. What Shen Qiao did right there is no less cruel by denouncing his life values and though mans had his death coming for quite a while now, he is not as evil as people make him out to be. He’s just morally grey and is an excellent reflection of humanity in general.

A great character whose death is well deserved but saddening nonetheless

Admittedly, it's a small nitpick, but I had thought towards the end of the book Shen Qiao would have offered to dual cultivate with Yun Wushi, because it was already established that virg*ns have a special power and that could've aided Yun Wushi in the fight. Yun Wushi wouldn't have needed to accepted it and had s*x with Shen Qiao, but I was surprised that it didn't happen at all, or that it wasn't something Shen Qiao would've considered in the slightest given by the translation towards the end where it says 'he was racking his brain for any way to aid [Yun Wushi]' (or something to that effect).

Again, it's a small detail, and it may have extended the novel's length a little, but it would've been a neat way to tie in some of the extras and the subsequent consequences of the action. It's also why the novel is a four and not higher.