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Nan Chan
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Web Novel (CN)
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Rating(4.5 / 5.0, 321 votes)
5    76% (245 votes)
4    11% (36 votes)
3    7% (22 votes)
2    2% (5 votes)
1    4% (13 votes)
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2018
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Completed (129 Chapters)
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Completely Translated
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Release Frequency
Every 27.5 Day(s)
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Weekly Rank: #704
Monthly Rank: #911
All Time Rank: #1567
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On 6066 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #873
All Time Rank: #691

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

I have experienced all the eight sufferings of this world.

I do not ask for nirvana, but for you.

Wild and hard-to-tame demon (gong) x cold, ascetic and childish immortal (shou)

HE.

Associated Names
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Nán Chán
南禅
Related Series
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Recommendations
Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms (3)
Qiang Jin Jiu (2)
Yu Wu (2)
Green Dragon Totem (1)
Peach Blossom Debt (1)
Fox Demon Cultivation Manual (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Complete BL
  2. BL I'm reading
  3. The favorite BLs
  4. Xianxia/wuxia (cultivation) BL novels to read
  5. To read

Latest Release

Date Group Release
11/01/20 Lianyin c129 (end)
10/29/20 Lianyin c128
10/25/20 Lianyin c127
10/20/20 Lianyin c126
10/16/20 Lianyin c125
10/11/20 Lianyin c124
10/07/20 Lianyin c123
10/03/20 Lianyin c122
09/29/20 Lianyin c121
09/25/20 Lianyin c120
09/21/20 Lianyin c119
09/17/20 Lianyin c118
09/13/20 Lianyin c117
09/09/20 Lianyin c116
09/05/20 Lianyin c115
123…9
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68 Reviews sorted by


cherryb379
New cherryb379 rated it
October 15, 2021
Status: Completed
Brilliant!! Superb!!! Awesome!!! Truly loved it.... it's one of the best novels I have ever read.... the ML and MC had gone through so much but they still ended up with each other... the trials and tribulations they went through and the experience of various other people mentioned takes us through the dark passage of the minds of humans. Truly an interesting read... thanking the author and the translator for bringing us this piece of gem....💎🙏 truly an un-putdownable read....
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JustChaoticMe
New JustChaoticMe rated it
October 13, 2021
Status: --
You will be confused at first, but by the end you will be so satisfied this story is amazing! Really worth it just give it a chance.
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Lianyin
Lianyin rated it
June 6, 2019
Status: Completed
TO ALL THOSE COMMENTING/RATING BECAUSE OF A SPECIFIC PLOT BEFORE YOU FINISH THE NOVEL:
All I can say is that things aren't what they seem they are, especially when it comes to Tang Jiuqing's works. Just stop reading if it isn't to your liking, but please have the decency not to call out a specific plot BEFORE YOU FINISH THE NOVEL OR KNOW THE FULL STORY. That being said, I would like to clarify that I'm not against anyone leaving a negative review or a bad rating because the story... more>> wasn't to your liking. I respect that everyone has their own views and tastes, and everyone is perfectly entitled to voice his or her own opinions, but please kindly refrain from dragging the author into tirades. Drop the novel and move on if you don't like it. But please respect the author's right to write her story the way she wants. Thank you for your understanding! ALSO, Nan Chan is NOT for everyone due to some of the heavy themes it covers. If this isn't your cup of cappuccino, then please move on. Thank you!

==========================

Just Cang Ji alone is worth 5 stars.

Hnnnnn, mah bae.

But seriously, I find the story intriguing and I absolutely adore the pairing (1v1 ftw!). Only thing is that a couple of story arcs might get a little too dark and emotional, because, hey, it touches on the eight sufferings, so there. There are a few comedic moments too, and I love the main couple's chemistry and interactions!

Basically, the story starts off with the shou (Jing Lin) waking up with some memory loss after committing some 'atrocities' in the past and getting 'annihilated'. The story introduces the gong (Cang Ji) next who, having recently evolved to a human form, is pretty much clueless about worldly matters. The story then starts with a copper bell leading them through various cases alluding to the "eight sufferings". These cases may seem unconnected at first glance, but there is a common thread leading all the way to the big reveal. Among other things, these 'cases' will also serve as a platform to develop the gong's understanding of worldly desires and eventually his own feelings. Midway through, there will be a massive flashback amidst a major plot that will finally start revealing the intricacies of the story, including the shou's and gong's backgrounds. That's where things will finally start to unravel (and make sense).

The role of the bell, the source of Cang Ji's desires (and appetite), the reason for Jing Lin's actions in the first chapter, memory lapses and lack of desire to live, the origin of the little stone figure, as well as the background stories of the other characters, etc, will all be explained as the story progress.

All I can say is to keep an open mind until everything ties up at the end!

A word of caution though, there are really angsty moments. I cried for three chapters straight during the flashback.

Overall, it ranks up there on my list as one of my favorite novels! <<less
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yuukine
yuukine rated it
April 12, 2020
Status: Completed
Rating: 4.65/5

There's a man I love. In the clouds. In the sea. In my heart.

This is one of those stories that is best devoured when it's complete. But also, it gets much easier to follow as the story goes. This is one huge mystery that involves journey of discovering emotions and their meaning through 8 sufferings.

Jing Lin (Lord Lin Song) is a fallen god immortal who has forgotten his memories. Cang Ji is a koi fish (brocade carp) who cultivates enough to become a human. Both of them are at... more>> the same place, at the same time.

For centuries, Jing Lin hid and spent his days recovering from his grievous injuries after killing his own father - the sovereign, and after suffering his punishment that should have killed him. What was meant to destroy him didn't work and he's now a broken shell of himself - once again unfeeling, stone cold mess.

Cang Ji's life begins as a fish with consciousness, in an aquarium of Jing Lin. He is however not a normal carp brocade spirit, but instead a demon that has a big appetite and urge to eat everything around him to evolve. He evolves from a fish to a child, to a teenager, to an adult whose mental state changes the more he develops. Meanwhile, he even drinks Jing Lin's blood as his blood (and flesh) give a big boost to his spiritual sea (vast expanse of spiritual energy). But his urges make him want to eat everything that moves, and he quickly crosses over Jing Lin from his list - because he starts finding him interesting. Jing Lin's life belongs to him, and he belongs to Jing Lin.

There are many factors in this story. A copper bell that Jing Lin lost at the beginning leads the two on their journey to discover emotions by witnessing and getting involved in cases that touch eight sufferings: birth, old age, sickness, death, parting (with loved ones), encounter (with hated ones), unfulfillment (of wishes and desires), and inability to let go (thanks Lianyin! I just copy pasted that).

All those cases are very difficult and intense to read and more emotional than any other part of the book at the beginning, considering these cases are what we can see in real life as well. It's a bunch of circumstances and sufferings that develop and shape lives of others.

Meanwhile, Cang Ji and Jing Lin start getting more emotionally invested in those cases, while rediscovering who they are and what they mean to each other.

Nothing is what it seems and EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED.

This is high emotional journey that will rouse feelings as soon as the first case begins.

You may consider Cang Ji a selfish person who thinks only of his own desires and urges, but he develops into someone more mature and more selfless. The one who protects. He was not a selfish person, but he is possessive of things he loves and he's a force that protects.

Meanwhile Jing Lin is not as heartless and cold blooded as he seems, but is more like a person who was already broken from the pressure of his own family into unfeeling mess and a weapon that he is. After all - his true form is a sword. A sword is not supposed to feel anything. But then again, there is Cang Ji's involvement with him.

While the story progresses, you meet more and more people involved in Cang Ji's and Jing Lin's lives and their pasts and present. You meet a lot of Jing Lin's brothers who were involved in the tragedy that occurred. (Dong Jun is literally the most interesting so far.)

You meet people who were struck by the tragedies that changed their lives for better or for worse.

YES. THIS BOOK CAN BE HARD TO FOLLOW. But, I promise, it all comes together over time, and already by chapter 110 you will know a lot of stuff that transpired and that happened to Jing Lin's life that set him on this journey of trials and tribulations.

After a while you will realize that this story becomes better the longer you read it.

But of course, it's not for everyone. This is a hard topic story that deals with many warnings and many issues that some might find disturbing.

WARNINGS:

Spoiler

Child sexual abuse, human trafficking, torture (these 3 happened to side characters) ; f*ck or die situation BUT none of the people involved in the interc**rse were responsible for the drug that affected the other - it was a drug given by a third party with malicious intent. I cannot stress that enough. It is discussed and explained 2 chapters after. Mental torture plays a big part as well.

[collapse]

Thanks Lianyin for the gorgeous translation!

OVERALL:

✭ Characters: 5 - at the beginning they start as unfeeling bundle of non functional sentient beings, but as it progresses they develop.
✭ Side characters: 4 - detailed, I got attached to everyone in the cases that were presented so far!
✭ Story: 4.5 - logical, but sometimes hard to follow due to sudden POV change and there are some scenes you might want to read carefully. It's a story that needs concentration for better consummation. And it's worth it.
✭ Emotional impact: 5 - So far I cried at least 3 times. There are many parts that moved me and made me sad and made me feel so much.
✭ Humor: 5 - The humor is gold - half of the time I want to cry because Cang Ji is the biggest fool of them all! <<less
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wallyblob
wallyblob rated it
January 24, 2021
Status: Completed
"You are just like my reverse scale. You live, I live. You are my life. Therefore, no matter how difficult things are in the future, or how arduous life becomes, I want you to live." —Cang Ji

I'm bold enough to sum this novel up for you:

60% Jing Lin and Li Rong fighting and giving headaches

... more>> 25% Jing Lin faced with hard choices while it's raining (literally, everytime it rains he encounters problems both emotional and physical LOL)

10% pain and sadness and feeling horny (because of Cang Ji, the little scoundrel)

5% where the f*ck did that bell go

I know it's weird, but in the flashback dealing with Ninth Heaven (Jing Lin's sect "family"), I read it and imagined them as a reality TV show like the Kardashians. And everytime Jing Lin and Li Rong fought, I imagined the camera panning to Lord Jiu Tian's facepalm. Every moment with these three characters is meme-quality and you can fight me on that.

Also, one time, a chapter ended with Lord Jiu Tian telling Jing Lin something like "you'll be okay." And then the next chapter started with something like "But Jing Lin was not okay" and I almost dIeD asdfkl; I couldn't breathe. It's not supposed to be funny because that moment was one of Jing Lin's most traumatizing moments but HeLp—

This story requires a patient soul, as the beginning is quite slow and the backstories of the main characters are ambiguous (but that's the whole point because everything gets revealed later on in the flashback). But the wait is worth it because Cang Ji and Jing Lin's story is heartrending and emotional, especially since you know how it'll eventually end for them seeing as Jing Lin basically exists as a broken shell in the beginning chapters (Cang Ji and Jing Lin have a tragic history that precedes the timeline of the main plot). Plus, the translation is beautiful and reads smoothly. I love how the fight scenes are translated.

Past Cang Ji knew Jing Lin was his tribulation, but the part that made my heart ache was that even while knowing that, he willingly and voluntarily fell in love. Many people complain about Cang Ji's character, but I understand his childish ways in the beginning of the novel considering he's basically rebirthed and has to relearn the emotions he's long forgotten. And plus, character development! Throughout the story, his character evolves into a mature person that can fight, defend, and think for himself in terms of what he thinks is right and wrong. I almost cried when he and Jing Lin were discussing their perspective on Qianyu, and Cang Ji stubbornly insists they shouldn't make Qianyu forget his beloved, because I could sense the double meaning in that conversation and it hurt (basically saying Jing Lin also shouldn't forget Cang Ji). I fell in love with the Cang Ji of the past. He really cherished Jing Lin and was so flirtatious.

Lord Jiu Tian said with pity, "You originally had no weakness. If you had killed Jing Lin on that day you met him at Nan Chan, you would not have to suffer this fate today. But, in the end, you didn't do it." I'M DYINGGGG... this is the equivalent of that meme: "I should have left you on that street corner where you were standing"/ "But cha didn't" XDD

In conclusion: i'M nOt oKaY. <<less
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Catzun rated it
October 19, 2019
Status: c32
A well-written and plotted out novel. The translation is a+++!

I am loving the story so far, and highly excited to continue reading it. Seriously, the meticulous care and effort that has gone into the translation simply endears the translator to you. &Lt;3

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone wanting to sink their teeth into a meaty plot with lovely wording.
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sweetguy
sweetguy rated it
August 27, 2021
Status: Completed
Frustratingly phenomenal and phenomenally frustrating.

I've bottled up my feelings for a few days but let me just spill it all and elaborate (if you're reading this review, please read towards the end).

Imagine you're a parched man crawling in the deserts--a jar of water is close to your reach and you drag your body through the sand to grasp it, fingertips brushing on the glass, so close yet so far, and just when you are about to grab it, heart beating inexplicably fast, the jar tumbles over and spills all its... more>> contents.

Yes, dramatic, but to me this is what the after-taste felt like. This novel is extremely close to being the best piece of literature in the xianxia romance department but falls short due to only a handful of factors that, unfortunately, are the linchpins and thus cannot be ignored.

This is mainly going to be about Can Ji and Jing Lin, our main characters who are also the main couple.

1. I am aware of everyone in the reviews regarding all those who hate Cang Ji as close-minded and 'not strong enough to deal with the story' but, sorry, you cannot apply that to me. Do I hate him? Not really. Do I love him? Also, not really. If anything, I'm close to being indifferent.

A lot of people hate his character early on in the novel and start liking him towards the end of the novel, but my case is the opposite. At the start, I could understand (and maybe excuse) his actions as he is technically a wet-behind-the-ear infant with no understanding of the world and his thinking and actions are majorly driven by egocentrism. He does improve drastically towards the end of the novel and is a sweetheart to his lover, but the non-consensual s*x from the past kept haunting my brain whenever he was being (lovingly) dominant in the present, because he never expressed guilt about it at all and Jing Lin never got to provide his two cents on what he thought of having first time interc**rse with no explicit consent either. Pretty annoying imo. If you love Cang Ji and can ignore all of his actions with a 'He's a dragon' then good for you, have a nice day.

2. Another factor that adds to making his actions look unbearably forceful is the lack of initiative from Jing Lin. Much of the story is written from CJ's P.O.V, who spills forth his emotions and feelings to the reader so we are aware 'oh this is what he's thinking right now' but this didn't apply enough to JL. I could count in my two hands the number of times JL to the initiative in romance and, well, that is fine except it isn't because we don't see things from his perspective to understand what he is feeling/thinking (does he like it? Is he feeling forced? Is he blushing? Just feeling pressured?) and as someone who tends to pay great attention to such details, it bugged me a lot. If this story had been mainly in the P.O.V of Jing Lin, where his thoughts and emotions in love were explicitly conveyed to the reader, this issue of doubt would have never existed. Being aware of that makes it more frustrating.

3. Now, we come to the most frustrating issue. I am a sucker for tragedy with a happy ending and in this novel, the concept of Forbidden Lovers is clearly conveyed. There is painful angst, suffering, watching your beloved get tormented in front of your eyes while you let out heart-wrenching wails, both of you crawling on the bloodied grounds and reaching out your hands to let your blood-soaked fingertips brush against each other one last time before getting forcefully separated--God, what a feast. The author's writing is absolute exquisite, it made me want to learn Chinese just so I could re-read these scenes in the original text to absorb the unbearable pain, which already clamped my heart because the translators did a phenomenal job. The dialogues were just mind-numbingly heart-shattering and bridled with ardent passion. This one infamous scene--

Spoiler

"I'm Jing Lin."

Jing Lin said in a hoarse voice.

"I'm Jing Lin."

He struggled against the chains, murmuring repeatedly and ceaselessly into the empty darkness.

"I have a beloved, over the mountains and across the seas. I'm his reverse scale. My name is Jing Lin. Ming Jin Stage. City of Huaishu. Qixing town. He and I, he. Who is he?"

Jing Lin irritably grabbed his hair with his forehead pressing against the wall. "I want to form a marriage alliance with him. In Qixing Town. Ming Jin Stage. Come for me, for me."

The pattern of the curse instantly materialized on his cheeks, and the motif of thistles and thorns wound around his neck and tightened its grip around it. Jing Lin slammed his head hard repeatedly like a trapped beast. Blood trickled over his eyes, wetting them. He shouted in a hoarse voice, "At Ming Jin Stage! I'll wait for you at Ming Jin Stage! Wait for you to take me home. Who, who? I have a beloved, over the mountains and across the seas, I have"

Jing Lin's throat tightened even more until it was even hard for him to gasp for breath. He clawed at his throat, and the chain swayed along with his gasps. Jing Lin's eyes widened in despair as if he was watching a heavy fog pervade the air before him to separate him from that man. He sobbed in a hoarse voice. All of a sudden, he turned over and crawled by sheer force to scratch hastily on the wall with his fingernail. His fingernail broke. Leaving a long, long trail of blood on the wall as he dug and dragged his finger across.

A dragon.

Jing Lin placed his palm and cheek on the blood trail. Amidst the stabbing, penetrating pain, he suddenly laughed out loud. His cheeks were already drenched in tears. He clung close to this trail of blood, as if he was clinging close to a dragon.

"Gege."

Jing Lin cried out in grief and aggrievement.

"Take me home."

[collapse]

--alone deserves an Oscar and I know this will continue to haunt me even months from now. So, you must be thinking, what is so bad about it? Well, let me tell you what I wish had never happened.
    1. I wish we never got that non-con scene. How badly I wish it never occurred. It ruined the whole experience because I adore Jing Lin's character and I eventually grew so protective of him that I kept thinking 'you deserved someone who treasured you and your consent more'. I felt awful seeing him be a mess over someone like that.
    1. I wish we got more from Jing Lin's P.O.V. This one scene from JL's perspective shattered the hearts of many, and I could not stop thinking about how it would have been like to get the whole book from his P.O.V. I want to know more of what he thinks of Cang Ji, I want to know his feelings, understand his thought patterns in relation to himself, grasp his personality. He is such an interesting character and it was just so frustrating to me because I don't want to assume his feelings and his state-of-comfort, I want to know it explicitly.
    1. Lastly, I wish their relationship (in the romantic sense) was fleshed out more before that scene in the spoilers, and that scene would have actually made much more sense and been more fitting
      Spoiler

      as in, I'd understand just why Jing Lin loves this man so ardently enough as to cry for him in that sarcophagus because they were just strangers who had s*x without consent and then it suddenly shifted to them being star-crossed lovers

      [collapse]
      . I'm definitely not trying to discredit the author and narrate how 'I would've written the story', because these shortcomings were evidently avoidable as shown by what Qianyu x Zuo Qingzhou had.
Pretty much everything else of this novel is perfect. If you are capable of ignoring all the above details (in addition to the known trigger warnings) I'd highly recommend it. The vocabulary and writing style of this story is just exceptionally outstanding. The side-characters are memorable and lovable (my personal favorite being Dong Jun because lord do I love crazy b*tches with an ardent fervor). The arcs are particularly remarkable and the plot-twists are amazing (to me, they were mediocre because unfortunately, TGCF had to be that One novel I've read prior to this--those who get it will get it) and the author does a pretty good job at tying up the loose strings all in 126 chapters (some things were still left unexplained, like what happened to Chu Lun x Le Yan, more about Goddess Shengyue, where the hell that bell actually went, so on). This is the first novel where I didn't skip a single scene so it explains just how engaging and dynamic it is. All in all, a good read. <<less
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labocat
labocat rated it
December 6, 2019
Status: c47
I started this on a whim and it has quickly become my favorite, between the interesting premise, atmospheric writing (which the translation does an amazing job of carrying through), and meticulous plotting.

It's mysteries wrapped up in mysteries - from why Jing Lin committed the atrocities that got him kicked out of the heavens, just what Cang Ji's background is, to the smaller mysteries they come across in the process - that have all been slowly tying together and revealing more and more as they do. The side stories and characters... more>> may seem like a surface case for the sake of the next plot device, but I've loved seeing how they actually are all linked together and how everything keeps getting more and more emotional and higher stakes as we dig deeper.

Speaking of emotional stakes, I adore the relationship between Cang Ji and Jing Lin. The initial premise of "carp gets a human form and is the gong" was enough to get me to start it, but I was not expecting such an interesting dynamic, and I was absolutely hooked by the sixth chapter. Between Cang Ji's desire to devour Jing Lin to keep him close and wanting to wait and understand what these feelings and tension between them are, they dance around each other, close as they can get for now but with the tantalizing mystery of their missing backstory over them. It's the perfect sort of slow burn for me, where emotions are acknowledged, but there's still evolution of feelings yet to come.

Mixed in with side characters who I was not expecting to get quite as attached to as I currently am, and what feels like a new reveal each chapter (or at least a layer pulled back on this tangled mystery), I am so hooked and early awaiting each new update. <<less
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sath
sath rated it
December 4, 2019
Status: c46
I'm absolutely hooked on this novel. I started reading it because of the unusual premise and I ended up so emotionally drawn in by the main couple. The author ties together seemingly unrelated plot threads in a really satisfying way, and the sexual tension between Jing Lin and Cang Ji keeps building up. Cang Ji's motivations aren't very human, which makes him interesting. Melancholy Jing Lin's my favorite - I can't wait to learn more about his past.

The novel definitely isn't light reading - it gets very dark at times.... more>> But it's so worth it if you want a compelling story, strong writing, and a unique main couple. <<less
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Laito Sakamaki
Laito Sakamaki rated it
September 4, 2020
Status: c1
Think Sherlock Homes, Constantine, Lord of the rings and Harry Potter all mashed into one! That’s this story!

I love the ‘who done it’ plot.

I love the fight scenes.

... more>> I love the supernatural elements!

I love the horror in this story.

I love the extensive and well built world and lore in this!

Its not overly romantic either and I love it! Sometimes romance stories take away from the actual plot but not this one. The MC and ML are amazingly written with flaws you can relate to and understand. In fact all the characters in this story are well written including the antagonists! There are many characters and I love this, and not one character is it out rhythm.

This story is dark, with dark themes and I like that boldness to it. It’s not a sugar coated pink gay love story! It’s more than that! Its grim, raw and bloody! It’s a ‘mystery, thriller, action, horror who done it’ genre! Well written, well presented and well researched on the authors part.

The pacing was great too, compared to what I usually read, this is a short story with only 128 chapters in total, but the author did a good job jamming her story in only that many chapters. I’m on chapter 114 now and I’m already wishing we could have more chapters of this because it’s that good! It’s a world I really don’t want to part with yet! I want to know more of the demons, hell, heaven, dragons and deities! That’s just how intriguing this is! <<less
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Xiao Xinxin
Xiao Xinxin rated it
July 15, 2020
Status: c102
I made an account just to say this, but I cried like a baby reaching chapter 100. Although there are some trigger/landmine scenarios, and Cang Ji can be a quite overbearing in the early chapters, there are reasons for his behaviours as he learns what's right and wrong. Although I don't approve of his ways in courting romance, and want to smack him in the face sometimes so he can stOP, most of it has to do with his nature as a demon and how he can't control himself sometimes.... more>> So spare the plump fish some mercy! (&Gt;~<) Honestly I'm not sure what else to say, but major props to Lianyin for the translation it's so beautiful and sticks to the original well, I'm in tears every time ;_; If anyone wants to give this novel a shot, go for it, but be prepared with tissues. And if you're not fond of bl, detailed violence/gore, or deep romance scenes, drop this immediately as it certainly isn't for everyone. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy the novel and support the author by purchasing the original!

edit: btw if any of you liked reading Erha, you're definitely going to love this novel :,) <<less
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Achiless
Achiless rated it
February 25, 2020
Status: c73
Well apparantly I'm the only one who dislikes Cang Ji. The story: 5/5. I mean just look at the description. Absolutely amazing. First I was like WTF is this leading to, but everything falls together. The protagonists are slowly discovering a very big secret/scam, and while doing so the Cang Ji starts to realise his feelings for Jing Lin and understand human feelings. It reads like a mystery novel and an action one, what else do you need?

But Cang Ji just ruines it all. I hated his character from the very beginning. At the start of the novel he's an ungrateful little brat, but since he was so young and just got his human body I could take it. But then as the story went along he was still like 'he's mine, I want to eat him, that's all there is' every single chapter. Like we understand that he doesn't know that his feelings are love ok? He doesn't need to repeat it so often it's so cringe. And when I read the raw I think I read
Spoiler

r*pe in his past life?????? That just did it for me I'm so f*cking done with him. If I interpreted it wrong pls tell me and I might just pick this amazing story up again.

[collapse]

He annoys me so much that the 5 stars fell to a three. I've never dropped a novel because of a character. However this novel is definitely a must read bc of its amazing storyline and Jing Lin, so I don't regret reading it.
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Pinku3B
Pinku3B rated it
November 7, 2020
Status: C129
I was really very excited about reading this novel and while I don't regret reading it, it was a huge disappointment.

First and foremost because I didn't expect sexual abuse or emotional manipulation to be romanticized.

On the other hand, the way of writing the story doesn't seem fluid to me. He rambles through the stories of supporting characters in the first 2 books, and abruptly tells you the whole truth in the 3rd book, to give a hyper-tangled ending in the 4th book.

Aspects that deserve development (such as... more>> the identity and participation of JL's mother) are mentioned in passing to close one aspect of the plot.

The only scene that moved me to tears was that of
Spoiler

JL's torture and his phrase "Gege... take me home".

[collapse]

I loved the extras because they made me laugh so much and I liked how they end up closing
Spoiler

JL's desperate request to go home.

[collapse]
That really was very significant and special. <<less
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alfi
alfi rated it
April 18, 2020
Status: Completed
I haven't read TJQ's novels before so I didn't know what to expect. There were moment which made me feel uncomfortable but I decided not to jump to conclusion till the end. And I was right! This novel is quite complicated, many things are not what it seems, sometimes you may change your opinion to completely opposite. Just be patient and you'll see this story is beautiful! Cang Ji may scare you but that's fine, he's a demon after all (and s*upid at the begining :"D), I don't wanna... more>> spoil just remember he is not that bad!

Many thanks to Lianyin for translation! ❤❤❤ <<less
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cangjis
cangjis rated it
August 24, 2021
Status: Completed
There are a lot of users who haven't ready the novel completely and are leaving negative reviews. It's fine but with T97's writing style, you CANNOT judge a novel with only a few chapters cuz she keeps unravelling things until the very end.

Also the hate regarding Cang Ji is very unfair.

Y'all are missing the whole point of Nan Chan 😭 Cang Ji was a demon who was recently evolved and hence didn't understand humans or even his behaviour and feelings.

Tang Jiuqing wrote Nan Chan in a way, she made us... more>> question the wrong behaviour of humans through Cang Ji who couldn't understand them due to his innocence and the way she did it was beautiful. Cang Ji's very evident character growth also leaves no place to hate him so much.

Everyone who dropped nc or is still reading it, I urge u to read it completely before making an opinion abt Cang Ji.

From an arrogant and angry Little lord u see him slowly develop compassion and empathy. He was the most human character in Nan Chan.

Despite being the most ferocious demon under the heaven, he never abused his power, instead everyone under him respected him very much cuz he was that caring.

I would like to thank LIANYIN for the beautiful tl 🥺 <<less
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Moon1111
Moon1111 rated it
May 18, 2021
Status: Completed
It took me a few chapters to get into this novel as the first few chapters were a bit slow. Fortunately I stuck with it and it got better.
Thank you to the author and translator. I will remember the dragon Cang Ji who loved and sacrificed bravely, and the cold sword Jing Lin who did not know of emotions, intimacy and love until he met someone who let him be himself unconditionally.

"There's a man I love.

In the clouds. In the sea. In my heart."
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secondthots
secondthots rated it
April 13, 2021
Status: Completed
"The most haunting thing in the world is not evil spirits, but the word 'love'."—c75

If you're skeptic about the high ratings, let me just tell you: THEY ARE CORRECT.

I shelved this novel in the corner of my "to-read" list for so long (alongside Copper Coins) because I knew very well that I was going to have use my brain & think. I feel that cultivation novels have their own way of sucking the life energy out of me. Whether it's the bombardment of ancient Chinese ideologies and/or complicated allusions, it's... more>> just a recipe for a imminent TIA. As I was reading, I became so glad that I'm not a Buddhist because boy oh boy was suffering a pretty poignant theme in this one!

I can see why people draw comparisons to HoB because yes, there's a lot of angst & hidden/blatant sufferings in both novels. Not to mention the pretty prose & many allegories that are laced into the narrative. Might I note that I have saved MANY AWESOME & SWOON-WORTHY QUOTES from this novel because IT IS that pretty.

Spoiler

"The blood droplet trickled down and dripped into his slightly concave back dimple right before Cang Ji's eyes. It was as if Cang Ji could hear the intriguing sound of the drop of blood sliding down. Carrying with it enough power to kill a man, it gently and delicately slid into the dent that could accommodate the caress of his thumb.

Desire.

Cang Ji recited the words silently. It was as if he did not recognize it. Yet it also felt as if he was well acquainted with it."—c37

I think my mouth watered. This man is t-h-i-r-s-t-y

"You are just like my reverse scale. You live, I live. You are my life. Therefore, no matter how difficult things are in the future, or how arduous life becomes, I want you to live."—c93

Probably the most popular quote aside from the infamous, "Gege, take me home"

"This one smile turned all the pandemonium into a mere illusion. That thousand and hundred years of pain and suffering all vanished like smoke into thin air. This was how the exchanges of gaze between lovers should be—as if they had nothing to fear, even if it was the end of the world itself. All the words they had to say lay concealed in their eyes—words that no one else in this whole world, other than the other party, would ever understand."—c122

Ahhhh I am so single my GOD

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But as far as similarities go, that's it. The main CP in Nan Chan sure had me in the beginning; I was confused who was shou & gong for a good few chapters. Until it became quite apparent that the answer was right there in the synopsis, ooh gee wiz over here. A cold, ascetic immortal shou x wild, unrestrained demon gong. I don't really see much of the cold shou x passionate gong dynamic, but I can tell you that I instantly thought of You Huo & Qin Jiu from GUEE. It's honestly the same vibes on top of the fact that there's also some amnesia going on in both stories. I enjoyed reading their interactions & their flirty instances were my saving grace from the desolate darkness that is the eight sufferrings in life. Cuz seriously... this novel cranked up the angst.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: there are topics that I absolutely loathe to read about & it's present. Child abuse, r*pe, etc. If you can't handle triggering topics, you might want to sit this one out. I consider myself a pretty tolerant person, but there are some straight out heinous deeds that are done in this story. I get that it's supposed to paint a picture of corruption & whatnot, but it was not a pleasant ride.

Spoiler

s/o to the character I hated most: Tao Zhi. Hope you never reincarnate or better yet become a dung beetle in your next life.

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The plot in general was pretty intriguing & props for it sticking to its major themes. I somewhat thought that the conclusion wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but loose ends were tied up & I was happy to see that everything connected. I will admit that it's hard to get into the story in the beginning. You're missing heaps of information & everything is a matter of "whodunit". You're left with questions on top of questions all the while wondering why the main characters are going around chasing after a bell of all things. It's confusing, but if you push through (up to like chapter 30-40-ish), an image will finally start to form. The timeline sequence goes present-past-present & I WILL SAY THAT MY FAVORITE BOOK IS THE THIRD ONE (as is everyone's lol). Again, your saving grace comes in the form of the ML's shameless pursuit for MC & the latter trying his best to maintain his composure (but failing). It's a lot of witty banters, flirtatious quips, & humorous innuendos. ML's bedroom talk is a whole different ballgame, mind you. YES THERE IS SPICE!

A huge huge HUGE s/o to the TL because the novel was translated so thoroughly well. The site itself was another type of suffering tbh

TL;DR Personally my favorite cultivation novel after MDZS- does that mean something??? Take that with a grain of salt hahaha <<less
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springday21
springday21 rated it
May 1, 2020
Status: Completed
JUST BEAUTIFUL AND WELL WRITTEN❤️

my first Tangjiuqing novel

and just WOW IMPRESSIVE!

i cannot express well my thoughts but please hear me out. This author and her danmeis deserves spot for popularity, story telling is just brilliant!

and may I mention BOTH LEADS are STRONG characters that alone made me immediately jumped to this novel

anyway please check out all her novels (too) <3
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Indelible Faith
Indelible Faith rated it
August 7, 2021
Status: c129
This is a sweet, beautiful story.

From the very beginning, the literary style, the buddhism references, the facets of humanity and their 8 sufferings, the descriptions of characters and their development, the message it tries to convey - everything is so wonderfully written!

We start with seeing Jing Lin commit a most heinous crime - reason currently unknown - and then presumably die following the backlash of it. Nearly 500 years later, he is still recupperating after that battle and living in relative peace and seclusion on a mountain top, raising a... more>> small brocade carp. This brocade carp is a very unusual demon, highly ambitious and voracious in devouring spiritual energy so that it can evolve - and it goes from a tiny fish, to a small child to a young teen in a few short weeks!

And that's when the story starts. Sudddenly pulled into a series of cases, connected by a common thread, Jing Lin and Cang Ji travel across the Zhongdu searching for answers. At the same time, both their pasts begin to catch up with them, and they find themselves linked at multiple levels.

The dynamic here is very interesting to see. Jing Lin begins the story as an unfeeling and cold immortal, only to slowly begin thawing due to Cang Ji's utter disregard for human-like propriety and his possessiveness towards Jing Lin. He is a demon, after all, and the author doesn't shy away from portraying him with those qualities - cunning and devious and all.

Their banter is engaging, their teamwork suspiciously flawless, but their relationship is a little ambiguous. They aren't quite friends, but they are mutually dependant on each other. Of course, once the past starts coming into the picture, Cang Ji's ignorance about the world of humans gets an immediate update, finally piecing clues together about the affinity between him and Jing Lin.

Tang Jiuqing is talented, truly! By the end of the story, every single loose thread was tied off skillfully, all questions satisfactorily answered. This story touches on some very high levels of philosophy towards the end, which may be a little confusing, but it is a very smooth finish nonetheless.

Huge thanks to the translator as well, who has done a wonderful job!!

4½🌟 <<less
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ricoerrr
ricoerrr rated it
April 14, 2021
Status: Completed
characters

mc: jing lin

ml: cang ji

... more>> summary

starts with a flashback of MC killing his father and then getting killed himself, but we learn that he in fact didn't die (a lot of characters in this novel seemingly die but actually didn't LOL). He's an amnesic recluse living with a sentient stone figure and brocade carp - the ML - in the mountains hidden from the secular world. They finally descend the mountain when MC loses his copper bell which has powerful properties, and the copper bell leads them through a series of mysteries throughout the land of zhongdu. The cases start off as civilian murders and kidnappings, but then begin to involve deities and demons and suddenly the cases don't seem to simple anymore. As it turns out, the copper bell was intentially leading MC through the '8 sufferings in life' which at the end unlocks his memories of the events that lead to his death. Many of the people closest to MC were all scheming in their own way for their own gains, and unfortunately MC, ml, and millions of innocent civilians were part of the casualties. It takes 1400 years after the fact for MC and ML to unravel the mess and finally bring justice to those that were wronged all those years ago.

Spoiler

thoughts

nanchan is devastatingly beautiful. T97's writing really brings you to another world - it's so magical and inspires your imagination. The relationship between jinglin and cangji absolutely kills me. Their love is so pure and tragic. The way jinglin fell in love so resolutely despite being brought into existance as a cold and heartless weapon of war? The way he became so traumatized after that love was ripped out of his chest by the ones closest to him, that he had to cast away all emotions from his physical body just to cope? And the way he fell in love a second time despite not remembering a single thing of the past, but that love is engraved in his bones and they both just knew? Devastating.

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Intrigue
Intrigue
November 27, 2020
Status: Completed
5/5 Rating.

  • Well, Im not expecting that much to this story. But alright, I absolutely got hooked from start to end and kudos for the great translator and author for bringing this novel to light. It has great harmony of mystery-romance and action sub-plot and it blended accordingly. The fog shrouds from the very first chapter would make you suspect and surmise everything and everyone along your journey. Then, along the smashing of stones exposes the truth and feelings hidden in the depth. And gradually open up a path for the sweet. Lots of foreshadowing were encountered so if you liked it I recommend re-reading.
  • For the side characters, hm, it's 4.7. It's not that they were only made as mere cannon fodder, but for me, they lack much appearance in the novel. (??)
Actually, Im kinda annoyed with readers that judge the entirety of a character without pining and looking for their character development. It caused me to share my review of Nan Chan precisely for my opinion of Cang Ji (and the ratings.)

  • The CP, at first, I found the brocade carp way tooo hilarious and turns out he is indeed, the ML. I'll start with him. Cang Ji, was introduced with a greedy instinct from his memories as a carp to devour Jing Lin, our kinda invalid MC, for a life-long companionship. This gave me a vibe that made me ridicule him jokingly sometimes. With little knowledge, he thought there's nothing wrong with this. But he admitted, he yearns for his embrace, and he does'nt want to be separated from Jing Lin. You'll learn to love him if you extinguished judging him throughout the story. His development actually isn't new, it's very likely his more 'innocent' personality being thrown away to put up the better, experienced front. As the novel affirm, he is a safe harbor and you should believe this. And our beloved MC, Jing Lin, is a literal stone-cold person with sealed-off personality. That's it. But this made me love him more, I love his innocence about Cang Ji's thoughts and actions whether the present or past *heehees* and his somewhat facial paralysis (?) though he wasn't really described as that but I imagined their interactions adorably cute that I love re-reading it. Unfortunately, I pine for more extras but it's done.
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Moocakey
Moocakey rated it
October 17, 2020
Status: c125
Easily made one of the top 3 fantasy BL novels in my list. Once I started to read it, I couldn't put it down. A large part of this is due to Lianyin's excellent translation, making the story so seamless. There are some tragic moments with angst but I am hopeful of that HE as stated in the synopsis. If you enjoy stories like Heaven's Official Blessing about cultivation and immortality, then this novel is right up your alley.
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