That rare breed of book known as a 'non-danmei priest novel'. Other than being het rather than danmei, it is the type of fare I expect and love from priest - well-written with interesting characters, intrigue, interesting plot twists and turns, and explorations of various parts of human nature. Zhou Fei is a fairly standard wuxia protagonist - young, brash, extremely talented to the point she ends up doing things no-one else has, and learns/powers up quickly - but it is so refreshing having this character type be a girl.... more>> I was also really impressed by how Xie Yun and Li Sheng didn't follow the paths I initially expected for them based on what I'm used to from these kinds of novels. <<less

Don't know why the rating here is so low, I absolutely loved this novel, it's leagues above the burning tire fire that is many web novels.
It's a wuxia adventure and it's a lighter read than the likes of 金庸 but I enjoyed it just as much, it's a good mix of seriousness and humor with a bit of angst.

The MC is a young girl of only about 17 but she's 100x manlier than I'll ever be...I shed tears (both happy and sad) reading about her struggles. Seriously, the heavens are not kind to her but she never curses her fate or blames her own inability on circumstance. Despite being pressured with hardships and meeting with misfortune time and time again, alone, with her back against the wall, tossed into war at a young age, she doesn't hesitate to pull herself up with her own two hands and journey down a turbulent destiny with her own two feet. Although her upbringing shaped her to be obstinate, c*cky, rebellious, and unsociable, she never indulges her shortcomings. She relentlessly upholds the code of the previous generation of courageous, honorable, and loyal heroes who carved their names into the martial arts world. Sometimes I just want to give her a bear hug and tell her everything will be fine.

I re-translated the description for this page from two sources combined (Douban and the web-novel page, most of it is from douban but the quote at the bottom is from the web-novel page), hopefully the summary is more clear now. If it's still too vague:

The male lead in this series is an absolute (tr*sh-talking) legend. He's an extremely optimistic dude with a glib tongue who can't help but court death. He tends to be very extra throughout the story, his mouth just starts running and it don't stop running. He introduces himself as 'Mr. Understanding/想得开居士' so he's mastered the art of being super chill from the start. His skill set is very suitable for his personality, he's a master of 轻功 (aka maxed out his agility and sneak so he's a magnificent floaty bastard). Unfortunately, his HP, defense, attack, and luck are all shit, but you don't need those if you never get hit /taps head. I imagine him floating around with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face basically 24/7, even when he's fighting, the psychological damage from this (and his tr*sh-talking) alone could probably kill his enemies. He makes for an entertaining character, but in real life he'd probably be the person all your co-workers refer to as 'THAT fcking guy' in conversation.

Honestly, all the characters in the novel were awesome, the heroes, the side characters, the villains, I loved them all. I would gladly read about these guys and their interactions forever... finishing the story felt like saying goodbye to old friends even though I read through the novel in about a week.

Edit: I wanted too add a little more on the characterization in this novel and why I love them all so much. The author is very skilled at portraying her characters vividly, they feel so tangible and human I can imagine them springing out of the page. They all have their own vices and flaws (it's what makes them human) but the author never becomes complacent or indulges them in these flaws. When push comes to shove these characters all manage to grow and mature in their own ways, out of love for family and friends, for country and home, and they always seek to become better versions of themselves. They may fail or reach far beyond what they're capable of but the point is they never stop trying.

As for the villains, I'm the type of person who enjoys well written bad guys. They can be irredeemably evil and hateful, but when written well they are enjoyable to read and you just love to hate them. The evil they inflict is always done deliberately and with purpose, and they follow their own twisted code. You might not agree with them, but you can understand why they do it for their own principles and ambitions. It doesn't feel like the author is forcing their hand, the plot and the characters actions develop naturally.

The point I'm getting at is that in this novel the author writes ALL her characters with care. It's easy to tell in web-novels when the author only cares about the heroes and every other character is no more than a mere prop for the story. Characters are created carelessly and are tossed aside carelessly when they've outlived their use. People written this way are boring, they read like puppets being pulled along on strings, always acting without convincing purpose or personality; evil for the sake of being evil, good for the sake of being good. It doesn't make sense to me, if you're going to write a character then write them with as much love as you do for the main characters. In the end, they're all your own characters, made by your own hand. Even if they don't appear in many scenes, make them resonate. If the author themselves aren't even interested in their own characters how can they expect them and the story they catalyze to be enjoyed by the readers.

I found the writing really charming, which is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed it so much. I have so many favorite quotes saved from this novel, here are a few from the beginning (don't worry, no spoilers but I'll tag it anyways), see if it might be something up your alley:

I'm a real sucker for wholesome adventures with themes about family, friendship, love, war, and a bit of angst; really brings out the youth in me. I laughed, I cried, and then I cried some more... and rereading those lines made me tear up again hah.

I'm really hoping the translator will be able to capture the charm of the original in their translations and that the western readers will enjoy it as much as I did. I skimmed through what the translators have done so far and they're doing a good job but I'd suggest the translator not translate too literally/word-for-word from Chinese and instead rearrange the wording of sentences to flow smoothly in English. I'd also suggest they not use pinyin unless necessary in the translation, even if there's no direct english equivalent, things like 窄背长刀, 破雪刀, 洗墨江, etc are better written as 'narrow-back saber', 'snow-piercing blade', 'Ink-wash River' with footnotes to explain any nuances. Pinyin holds no meaning to western readers and just breaks up the rhythm of reading. The original writing does get kinda literary and poetic at times, which I understand is tough to translate, but it was one of the qualities I really liked about the novel. I feel it's better to have something pleasing language-wise in english (that still holds the same meaning as the original), rather than a too literal/pedantic translation. Also they might want to use the original webnovel chapter titles rather than the novel titles (which titles chapters by arcs divided into parts). Just a suggestion, the translator can do what they prefer.

I've actually been wading through some other popular web novels with my free time but I often stop a few chapters in and lose the willpower to continue. My eyes just glaze over and my brain clocks out when authors write paragraph after paragraph of word vomit on how great or awful a character is--too much 'tell' not enough 'show' makes for terrible characterization. It's rare to come across something written with as much care and charm as 有匪, such a bummer.

I've read all that's available so far, and I love the characters. Especially a fan of the MC who isn't a dunce or unnecessarily nice (not that it's a bad thing it's just I need a break from the blinding kindness of literally every MC please and thank you). The fights and beautiful and all the characters intriguing in their own right. The heavy martial arts side is eased by timely humour, other characters and scenes. The translator is also amazing (I've been reading the one by Elentiya Lae so... more>> far but it looks like New Moon Translations may take over? Haven't read it so can't comment on that) they do a great job and also have tons of research notes at the end for anyone interested (eg. Me lol). But yeah so far I would definitely recommend it except the plot hasn't reeeeally gotten under way yet. I guess kinda? But not fully. So I can't know how good the book is for sure but so far I like the author.

[Edit] found this again and saw the translation is almost complete! Loving it so far

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I am thinking that this novel is good. Although, I just read the first part of English version of it but it gives me excitement and encourage me to continue reading. Actually, the reason I am reading it because this novel will have a TV adaptation that starred my favorite actress zhao li ying.

This would be a good drama and a hit for sure when be aired.

Wow this novel is such a journey that rendered me unable to do anything else but read on for three days straight. From from being immature youths ignorant of the world into steeled veterans shaped from hardships and enlightenments. Zhou Fei is our MC, she’s fully dedicated to the harsh world of martial arts, is talented but still young and inexperienced and has so much progress to character development from being ignorant and cheeky into someone more aloof and dependable. The story follows her on her journey filled with captivating... more>> gritty battles and the unveiling of the mysteries contained within the vast world as well as comedic companions and a extremely satisfying weak to strong progression. I couldn’t say more praises to this novel. The paise is slow and explanations are long but I never felt like that hindered the story as the plot runs deep and exhilarating moments are frequent and never become boring. <<less

I really love this story!
Summary: It's very much more a plot driven story than a character driven story, and is mostly focused on our protagonist, Zhou Fei, getting better at martial arts, trying to save her boyfriend from , and learning the truth behind a mystery that seems to envelop every powerful figure in the martial arts world. The plot takes place in a China which was recently split between North and South, after a coup by the current Emperor of the North. The current Emperor of the South is a member of the pre-coup government's camp, and so is our protagonist. Although, this was a conflict that her grandfather was involved in, so she isn't very invested in it outside of just automatically being on the South's side due to her family history.

Aside from that quick plot summary, what I really like about this novel is what I like about Priest's writing in general: Priest is a master at writing interpersonal dynamics. All of her characters always have entertaining, fun, and realistic conversations with one another. Priest always balances seriousness and levity perfectly, creating a story that you are invested in, and characters who joke like real people, and feel like friends. Many of her romances are gay, which I tend to enjoy, but I actually really liked that this one is straight. Why did I like that this is straight? Because I feel like Legend of Fei is a really great breakaway from the stereotypes of straight relationships that always make them very stereotypical, flat, and boring to read. I feel like it's always assumed that if there is a male and female character who like each other, they obviously should just get married now. LoF develops the relationship between Zhou Fei (FL) and Xie Yun (ML) in such a way that they get time to become close as friends for the majority of the book. They like each other, and they get along as best friends, and it's not until they've survived several fights and had each other's backs through multiple near-death-experiences that their romantic feelings start to grow - and even then, at their core, these romantic feelings come from their solid foundation of true friendship.

I also love Zhou Fei's personality. She's a very honest, almost cold person, but she never thinks highly of herself or gets arrogant. She doesn't really care about reputation or glory - since the beginning, her focus has always been a strict appreciation of the art of the sabre simply for its own sake. I think she's written very well, as this is also sort of a coming of age story for her, and she struggles with the hard questions of trying to survive in a conflict-filled adult world. Her main goals, I would say, are trying to protect those she cares about and her responsibilities, improving her martial arts, and trying to do the right thing when she can. No matter what, she has a core of strength within her that always allows her to keep going, and focus on what's important, and I really love reading about how, in the end, despite being a powerful martial artist, her real strength lies in her mental fortitude.

Just like all the other Priest books that I have read, there is no romance and no sweet talking.

and all side characters and main characters are just bickering, as if they can't talk normally, which is another thing that priest always does.

till this chapter there is only one kiss which doesn't even seem like a kiss. I don't know what is gonna happen in extras.

... more>> priest always does a very good job when it comes to creating plots, characters and universes. And this is not an exception.

the first half of the novel is a lot better than the second half.

Spoiler

in the second half ML is unconscious in someplace far away, so there is no interaction between the main couple. And when ML awakes there isn't much interaction either.

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ML knows everything, very smart, when it comes to saying nonsense he is an expert

FL is stubborn, impulsive and a little arrogant. there isn't much character developments in main couple when it comes to their behavior, except that FL stops defying her mother. <<less

loved zhou fei and xie yun. They were great. I love the very traditional wuxia story, except this time inverted to feature the rise of a female hero.

i read this after I watched the series, and I'm so glad that all of the elements I hated in the show were not a part of the books. Like the horrible, horrible ending. The non-existent motivation of shen tianshu. The constant fainting at the beginning.

wuxia is notorious for constantly moralizing at the audience, but I find I didn't mind zhou fei's internal... more>> monologues about her perspective on the world. I actually think I learned something when reading this, that the weak individuals in society really don't have any option to choose for themselves what they want their future to be like, so choice is only afforded to the strong. Also xie yun is just great.

i did think the story dragged in some bits, particularly near the end while xie yun was sick, though. The worldbuilding was fantastic. I have a little trouble separating what elements exist from the show and the novel, but I can confidently say I enjoyed both and to check them out. <<less

This story is so engaging and the translation is great! No offense to the drama adaptation but I'm definitely enjoying the book more ;D

Update: Well, I finished it via MTL, which I actually have trouble recommending. The plot is pretty dense and I had a hard time making out what was going on frequently... Regardless, it was great. Loved the development of all the characters and the ending!

... more>>

Spoiler

The part about Zhou Fei's parents was so cute!!! It was also so sweet seeing Fei and Xie Yun together, like finally together peacefully!

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original review:

The rating of this novel is almost criminally low!

The translation is a solid 10/10 excellent, and the novel is a very engaging and moving one so far.

I love the rich characters and the depth of the story. It really allows you to immerse yourself in the world.

This novel is currently one of my main motivations to learn Chinese! That's how good it is!

Might update later when I complete it, but if you're wondering whether or not to read, jump straight in! It's really excellent! <<less