Not gonna deny, I'm sold when I knew this novel shares same universe with Thousand Autumns.

Plot is very intriguing. the mu*der case is just tip of icebergs, many things are hidden behind it. and full of conspiracies~
this one is a rare kind where many characters can switch sides easily, all according to their own interests and benefits. it's seen more often in seinen than yaoi tbh..

Now about CP... boy, they're so amusing. our dear CP here are actually from different bureaus, but have similar responsibilities. it's just one... more>> receives orders from Emperor directly, the other from Empress. so ofc, the fierce competitions ensued. the battles of wit between them are hilarious. I say that because basically none of them gets much advantages. it's always draw.

The shou is a sickly man. he has no martial arts, even wind can harm him easily. but his mental fortitude is the best. can endure any kind of test. also he has very wide knowledge, mostly politics and names of famous people. and is a very good strategist.

The gong is what I call in modern term; a metros*xual man. he puts much attention to appearance like changing clothes before fighting, etc. but he's also very shameless and has no real concern about dignity as long as he can get whatever he wants. he's a total narcissist. he's very confident in looks and martial arts. and God forbids, there is indeed not many people who can beat him. basically only the shou whom he regards as rival, not in martial arts, but in tactics and tricks.

I chuckled when both of them smile to each other but curses flying inside. the gong call the shou as 'dead fox'; granted the shou call him 'oleander swaying around', a beautiful and and very toxic flower. lmao. and indeed, till end they wouldn't stop bickering even though they care each other more than their own life. wtf guys...

Spoiler

there's part when they must work together to escort country's ambassador. shou suggests they should disguise themselves, which got approval from gong. but then he said that gong has too much appeal so he could attract enemies, he must decrease his handsomeness like dirtying face and hair, wear shabby clothes. as a clean freak, gong is very reluctant. then shou suggests another, if gong don't want to be dirty, he should disguise a woman. and OMG, gong accepts that readily, but he has one condition. he would disguise as woman but must be shou's wife. then shou regrets a bit coz his 'wife' never stops talking and make his head ache. wtf, these guys never stop.
I'm dead every time I read shou thinks gong's face is very beautiful, and perfect as long as he keeps his mouth shut. his talking destroys whatever beauty he has. and how gong always wonders why shou is very interesting though his behavior is too cold, his heart is as hard as steel, his mouth is very poisonous, his face is pale and sickly, his smile is never sincere, either it's sneer or smirk. but they're similarly willing to put their lives at stake for each other. omg yameroo.

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Edit: I heard there'll be anime adaption for this by bilibili. I also check from JJWXC, yes it's true! OMG OMG 1000x <<less

Rating: 5/5

"I still have a lot of questions to ask." Feng Xiao refrained from waving his fan. To wave a fan in the mist of wind and rain, after all, was very s*upid.

Cui Buqu said plainly, "I know. That is because this story has not yet ended."

Wushuang is a book that is very fast paced, with highly developed main characters and story that is equally interesting as them.

Side characters are a high bonus, they have really well dynamic with their leaders and are well developed.

The comedy is peak gold, there are many parts that will make you laugh, but will also make you cry.

In a way, this is half serious, half funny book, but mostly accented on cases that Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao have to deal with, and in the meantime discover what they mean to each other, beside ruining the reputation between themselves. Their relationship is honestly so amazing, because while they both have their own quirks and morals, they don't strive to change each other so they would fit into the mold for their relationship to work. Besides that, reading of how Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao went from enemies, to associates, to close acquaintances, and finally to friends and more, is really interesting journey.

Translation is amazing, wording is wonderful and really brings the quality of MXS's writing.

This is a sequel to Qianqiu (Thousand Autumns) and certain character fates will be revealed, so if you don't want spoilers for Qianqiu, head there first, and some things will be clearer in Wushuang.

To repeat, there is no need to read QQ at all, as Wushuang can stand on it's own perfectly, but the sect relationships and sect leaders are the people you might have already met in the Qianqiu.

OVERALL:

✭ Characters: 5 - absolutely amazing, extremely well done characterization, will make you cry because they are so damn good.

✭ Side characters: 4.5 - detailed, you get half attached even to those who appear for a while, but they don't appear too much to get attached completely.

✭ Story: 5 - logical, easy to follow, the cases are very intriguing.

✭ emotional impact: 5 - if you don't cry reading this, I have no words

✭ humor: 6 - The humor is so good, that I have ascended reading this

ONE OF THE BEST BL NOVELS !!

I think I'm speaking for many others when I say that Wushuang is one of the best BL novels out there. The plot is steady and well-paced, although at the end it may feel a bit rushed, but barely - however, the rest of the novel makes up for it. I've only read a few novels that could actually compare to Wushuang, and that's not an overstatement.

• • PLOT : ML and MC work for the Sui Dynasty, coming together to solve a mystery and threads of mu*der cases. It's very heavy on politics and is kind of confusing if this is one of your first historical BL novels. There's no dumping of the entire plot in the first few chapters, and the mysteries unravel slowly. Everything is well-pieced together and makes sense. It really gets you thinking of who might be behind all of the criminal cases. Backstories are equally as good and strong. Warning though, don't read while unfocused and sleep-deprived, because let me tell you, you will NOT understand a single word if you don't read earnestly.

• • CHARACTERS: MC and ML are equally as unforgettable and lovable. Both are polar opposites and suit each other perfectly. MC is so headstrong and I admire him for that. His personality is carved due to his past suffering, but he's still willing to love. His health is not good, but he still manages to push through all his struggles. I like how MC doesn't have to rely on an OP ML, contrasted to a few other novels. ML, on the other hand, is adorably funny and thick-skinned. The dynamics between the two are amazing. The side characters are also written and weaved into the story well, and I can name all of them, proving they just don't appear to be forgotten.

• • ROMANCE: Very slow burn, and it takes a while for both of them to realize their feelings. Although once they do, it's so unbearably sweet. MC is quite the tsundere though. They know when to separate work from romance, and that makes me glad because I've read a few novels where the MC and ML flirt while they're supposed to be figuring some serious sh*t out (which is irritating tbh). MC and ML show their affections through tiny actions and sweet gestures, and their ability to understand each other is wonderful and heartwarming. It made me so happy inside, haha.

Wushuang holds a special place in my heart, and I would say it's one of my top three novels. It's just so beautifully written that I could reread it ten times. If you like heavy plots, politics, and that slow burn fr then this is a great read for you :)

I'm only on Chapter 45 and i'd like to get this out while it's continuing to annoy me...... If FX was meant to be the mysterious dude examining the corpses of the Khanton people that died in the first couple chapters, then... where did this sudden "mysophobia" come from, cause uhh from what I read he was definitely sniffing the dead maid servants to see what perfume they wore, plus his jacket had been tossed aside like it was nothing?? so like, was that just the author unfamiliarity of their... more>> character before settling them into a certain personality/character? plus, he was cold and indifferent at first only to suddenly become narcissistic and outlandish after CB came out of the dark palace..

But anyway. I'll be honest the constant mention of him being mysophobic only for him to not care about touching whoever or drinking from whatever but suddenly developing it when it comes to things that most people would find disturbing just doesn't make sense to me. That's not mysophobia, it's a natural feeling when, puke, corpses, or dirt in general is contact with a persons body. (dirt is general, but by it I mainly mean like, most people wouldn't care to sleep in bed that hasn't been changed. or with someone who's been out all day and didn't shower or wash up before sleeping.)

Anyway, the way my brain works, this is something that just jumps out to annoy me every time his "mysophobia" is randomly announced after cuddling up to CB or whatever. mysophobia is related to ocd in which everything needs to be neat and tidy and touching things that our outside their control of clean or neat is out of the question. so... anyway anyway other than this the story is pretty interesting, I just can't help being annoyed by this fact. <<less

Wushuang very easily jumped straight to my Top-3-favourite-Danmei-of-all-time, within just the first few chapters, and the other two which share this No.1 position in my list are TGCF and 2Ha. In this, the characters, plot, humor... JUST WOW! This is the PERFECT Danmei that could be adapted to a live-action! The translations are so awesome as well!

Our Gong is a narcissistic peacock, whose martial arts and beauty are unrivalled, and our Shou is a scheming, ruthless but ailing tsundere, who is the biggest mastermind under the heavens. Their relationship progresses... more>> from enemies-to-rivals-to-associates-to-partners-to-friends-to-morethanfriends-to-lovers!😍 I just loved each and every step of it, from each and every banter to each and every flirt-line! All of their exchanges are so precious, since they are all stepping stones in their beautiful relationship.

If you are still undecided on whether to read or not and are going through the reviews right now... please don't waste your time here! Go start with the first chapter and you'll understand! My only hope is for this masterpiece to get the recognition it deserves!🙏 <<less

A novel with an interesting plot, well-executed storyline, well-fleshed out characters, adorned with scenes full of action, intriguing mystery, and very smooth and convincing romance development. Simply a must re-read masterpiece.

Well, do I still have to leave a detailed review? The above pretty much sums up everything xD

If you think you have the time to spare, come read my essay review below for this awesome read. 5/5 score — definitely!

... more>> STORY:

All right, my fellowmen. Although the provided synopsis up above may appear overwhelming, I have to remind everyone that this story takes place in ancient China, with events and figures with close similarity when it comes to politics historically—and very importantly, please take note of the wuxia setting. Some may find certain scenes violent and utterly disturbing, but this is the very reason why I prefer historical and ancient China settings more appealing and interesting to read compared to its modern setting counterpart. Fierce and violent people tossing poetic lines, the sheer beauty of long-haired manly men with a streak of badassness, the premise of lenient and less restricted rules for cut-sleeves (a.k.a gays) so I won't make too much fuss in case one of them seem more accepting and thought to themselves: "I think I like this bro" and such since you know, such case was really not too odd back in ancient China. Coupled with mystifying skillful martial arts masters and cultivation elements... Everything is perfect. The story plot will start with the tracing and recovering of a certain jade that was originally escorted to the capital by the ambassador from Khotan to serve as tribute for the alliance but went missing along with a certain concubine, where the case will be handled by Feng Xiao, the ML. This case will not only lead to the ML meeting the MC (Cui Buqu) along the way, but also to the unravelling of the people behind a certain great organization that pose a great threat to the current reigning dynasty. If you have already read the author's other novel before titled "Thousand Autumns", I think you won't find it hard piecing out the political bodies here in the story, but if you haven't yet, don't worry because the overall plot won't focus and revolve around court politics but instead to the 'chasing' of the certain organization I previously mentioned.

And now to give my verdict in the overall storyline... What to say? I'm in love xD

Well, just like the author's other works I've previously read, Thousand Autumns, the storytelling is very detailed; compelling, as it will certainly get you hooked as it raises many intriguing pieces around the plot with each arc, and also the characters themselves. Speaking of the arcs, I liked how the author and the translator (yep, translator-san) clearly mention each and every time when and where the start and end of each specific arc. For the likes of me who prefer reading novels that stretches from 70-80ish chapters long rather than the 100++ ones unless I trust the author very well for his/her writing style, since this one has 180+ chapters, if it had not been for this clear mentions and thoroughly STILL managed to link it to the main plot, I would've dropped this a long time ago. For me, nothing waste time more than reading a bunch of fillers unrelated to the main plot and thought to yourself, "Wait, what happened to the <enter plot hole here> now? Hey, hey—hold your horses!". Thankfully, this was handled very well.

And about the pacing side, it's well-paced, and the balance between the narration of the plot and the romance side is just right. And speaking of romance, it's one of the perfect kind for me — from rivals to lovers, gradual and natural development with a pinch of heart-warming touch and a bit of angst, and finally, both are manly. Just perfect! I should remind you though, if you're looking for fluff mindlessly being scattered every few chapters, you will not find it here. Well, you see, this is a plot-driven story, but that doesn't mean the romance was just planted here to call it BL. I'm telling you, even without explicit R-18 scenes, the kissing scenes is enough to make you say, "Ahh... they are for real~".

So yeah, nothing much to criticize about. Characterization is superb (details below). Maybe I'm just disappointed that the extra chapters didn't give much... dogfood. Lol~

CHARACTERS:

One of the novels—and author as well—that gives good characterization in their story.

Let's start off with the MC, Cui Buqu. He is described as sickly; whose life is like a candle in the wind. In his life, he branded himself as someone who stubbornly 'defy' fate. But beneath his seemingly weak façade, a sly fox lurks. He closely reminds me of the MC of The Lawyer, Yan Suizhi — clever and a great 'actor', will do anything within their means to achieve their goals despite their lives always hanging by a thread. And then, the ML, Feng Xiao — the narcissistic peacock. No thanks to him, for the first time in my BL-reading life, I kept on checking again and again, reassuring myself that he's the gong. I mean, forgive me for my strange preference if you find it unacceptable but I 100% deny "too beautiful for his own good" shous, especially if he's the one proactively chasing the gong. Just imagine my relief upon reading the ever so kind notes there at the bottom of the synopsis (xD). But he truly cares about the MC through and through, which I really liked about him. He just doesn't want to be the one to take the initiative or express openly his feelings first (but he always ends up doing it anyway, lol) .

Well, moving on to the characterization of the two, it's simply one of the most detailed. Character description, display of inner thoughts and monologue, and the character depth. Despite there's nothing much to say about the ML's 'clean and easy' background, the MC's is enough to make your heart break and say, "Ah, he's truly alive...". Cui Buqu will forever be one of the best MC in my list. Fire and ice; maintains a tough outer core but housing a soft heart for the people he cares for. I remembered a single line from him that he said towards the ML where my tears literally fell. Like I was so damn surprised myself and realized I was into a deep pit already (chapter 116, dare to bet with me if you're going to cry or not? ^^). Ah shit, I'm getting teary-eyed again xD.

And about the named side characters and villains, this story has one of the solid ones out there. They're very alive; definitely not some plain paper man cutouts placed just for the sake of having side characters to get the show going — well-described, has background, has personality. If you give me a pen and ask me to draw them based on how I visualize them in my head, I'd definitely do a good job in portraying them (but unfortunately, I suck at drawing so I can't give no justice, lol). The ML's subordinates are one of the best, I gotta say. Most of the hilarious scenes were 'performed' by them.

OVERALL:

A must-read. And worth re-reading.

A story full of awesome action scenes, mystery, with a good balance of comedy and angst, and mild BL contents suitable for newbie fujoshis and those who can't handle heavy 'brotherhood' bonding. I would like to thank the translator for a job well done and for having a big heart to share this gem with us. Personally, stories with wuxia setting is one of the most difficult to MTL so I'm very glad that this is almost fully-translated.

Prepare yourself for suffocating heavy scenes caused by conspiracy and betrayals as you move close towards the end to the point you'll start to curse, "The heck, make the pain stop! How will he ever solve that many problems? You a sadist, author?!". And nah, I'm not exaggerating. I binge-read this for 3-4 whole days with little sleep, and this author was so very good in bullying me to the point I was so worried for the MC and would like to share his burden but in the end got suffocated instead, so I had to stand up and face my computer and play Ragnarok to breathe!

What I'm trying to say is: this is so damn great! I highly recommend it!

And yeah, I'm a sucker for stories with MCs with lives going to snap any moment (unsurprisingly enough, will bacome my favourites), but rest assured that this is a happy ending ^^ <<less

ONE WORD, PEERLESS. This story is peerless indeed, one of the best BL novels I've ever read. The plot, the setting, the cases and all the characters. I particularly love the main character and the male lead of course, they made me laugh to the point that I literally can't go on a day without seeing them bickering at each other. All the side characters are worth loving for, the girls aren't the typical damsel in distress which I love because Miaoyu and Qiao Xian literally represents women during ancient... more>> times. They are also both adorable and funny. 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐆 𝐗𝐈𝐀𝐎, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐠, 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡, You're my favorite character in this story along with your wife. I want you to live well and be happy. I've been attached to this story and it's very saddening to end this all here, so until then— I will meet you all again next year, I will come back and reread this fascinating story. To the author, to the translators, thank you for bringing this masterpiece into life. <<less

If you're wondering about whether you should read Peerless or not, I'm here to tell you, do it. Do it now. And then join my Post-Peerless suffering.

Oh my Gawd what a precious gem! What a fun read! Hard to express with words how good this novel is!

The first thing I learned about Peerless was that it has minimal romance, and so I was a bit reluctant to read. But for me, it had just the right amount of romance to keep you on your toes and thirsty for more. Breadcrumbs... more>> here and there that the author generously left for us to follow. And lemme tell you. It was worth it. So worth it in the end.

Ay the chemistry, you guys! FengCui chemistry is OFF THE CHARTS! Sizzling. Earth-shattering. Heart-moving. Breathtaking. My soul combusted several times and was regenerated only to be crisped all over again.

Every single moment, every single page, every single sentence was a pleasure to read. Every single interaction between them was pure gold. I laughed so much at their antics. I would die for these characters without second thought. Cui Buqu is precious. Feng Xiao is... well, I can't find a word to do him justice. He's peerless!

But seriously, where to begin praising this novel?! The mind games. The strategic thinking. The competition. The rivalry. The schemes. The battle of wits. Well thought-out and structured plot. Well built cases. Intelligent characters and intelligent villain. I had a blast!

There were days when I would wake up thinking about it. Nights when I neglected sleep and pushed myself beyond my limit just so I could read one more chapter. And then another one. And then another. I did not expect to love it so much. I did not expect it would be this good.

You will not regret reading this novel. But you'll probably want to die after you finish it. Or get amnesia, so you can rediscover it all over again. <<less

this is one of those webnovels that needs to be adapted into anime. the way the plot flows, the pacing, the dialogues, action sequence, mystery... it's so easy to imagine it as an anime. every chapter is that vivid. no scenes are wasted.

and the characters are so memorable. Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao will now have special place in my heart, lmao. Other reviews have expounded on this so I won't get into it. No 2D side characters here, either.

Anyway, believe the good reviews. this novel is worth the time.... more>> I'm just here to say....i need an anime of this. it's a waste of opportunity if it isn't adapted into one. <<less

Wooooow.

You really in no need to write a review, because the author already done it for you - it is Peerless.

Peerless plot, peerless characters, this novel is just magnificent.

... more>> I don't like heavy political plots, so does detective stories - both of them have too much unnecessary and heavy information that is little related to the characters. This is really too boring to read, makes you wanna skip half of the novel.

Here, on the contrary, the author managed to make politics and detective cases to be both compact and easy to perceive. They are not dragging the plot, but (as it should be) helping it's smooth development. Well, peerless.

The second reason - the main couple is equal in strength. The is no godlike ML in the end of the story, while MC is just struggling to stay around - nope, that are both strong and synergies with each other. Plus there is a good pitting humour) <<less

So glad I decided to read this novel despite its 'incomplete' status. I particularly registered today just to write the review for this novel and translation work.

It's truly par excellence when it comes to quality of English translation, when one considers the numerous translation works out there. The sentence structure make sense, with least number of grammatical errors. This is especially true for Arch 1 - the editors have done a great job; one can't even find a typo! That's saying something in this line of work, isn't it? Arch... more>> 2 is also similarly well edited, but one or two chapters have problem with tense - one supposes that editors couldn't smoothly iron out how write it in present tense, which is quite understandable, but after the superb quality of Arch 1 this comes as bit of a let down. Arch 3, which I'm currently at, has most number of editing issues - making me itch to edit the hell outta of it BUT they do seem to have a good editor team in place. I suppose it's work in progress for editor team. But one only feels that way because of high bar set by the Arch 1! :) When is comes to the novel, the plot line is very interesting - the world building from author is very sound and whilst one might feel it drags a bit here and there when compared to other novels of similar setting - trust me, it only indicates the dedication and foresight of the author, which is a Very good thing.

The two main protagonists - Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao are really well written and fleshed out from the very start of the story. Which is admittedly quite refreshing and hooks in the readers from get go - both of them are intelligent and cunning, with hidden depths and not so hidden intent to dig pits for each other!

From the very opening it's made clear that one is dragon amongst men, while the other is a very sickly, frail person who gets ill frequently and bedridden for days together - But that perfectly highlights the powerful mind and strong will that is hidden under his sickly appearance. This character takes the reader, and his opponent (who is Peerless both in martial arts and handsome looks) on a joy ride, leading us by the nose all in accordance to his game plan, thus establishing that he's not someone to be trifled with. He may be frail and sickly with not an ounce of knowledge about martial arts or the aptitude for it, but he has the mind to play everyone like a pawn in his chess game. This very juxtapose is what makes both characters Peerless in their own way, neither below nor inferior to the other, which is rare in BL novels.

I won't delve into the plot line, owing to the fact that many in this comment section have superbly summarised it; I'd only briefly touch upon it - it's about two secret agencies who have been competing with each other for recognition since their inception even though both have equal power and importance. Both are established by the ruling monarchy - the widely known agency is established by the Emperor whilst the other, shrouded in secrecy - living up to its name and purpose - is established by the Empress. In their constant battle of comeuppance for recognition, they are finally forced to join hands for a very important case regarding mu*der of an ambassador who's on his way to establish a treaty between their two kingdoms. From there on the commanders of the two agencies latch onto each other for their own benefits all the while trying to snatch the glory from under others nose.

Really want to give 5 stars but I have a premonition that from Arch 3 the editing will only get sloppy. A case of failing to live up to its own high standards. But it is indeed too early to say, for I'm not even halfway through! <<less

*NO SPOILER REVIEW*

I lovee this novel. It's world building, the plot, and of course the main characters. It is set up in the Sui dynasty in the north as our MCs travel and solve mysteries along the way in their adventures.

Cui Buqu is our very cunning MC. He has a sickly body since birth so he cannot practice martial arts. But boy do not, I repeat do not underestimate him cause people who do, well ehem. He uses his illness to his advantage and makes them think they got... more>> the upper hand.

Feng Xiao is our very gorgeous, very dazzling, and beautiful ml. His strength is in the top 10 in the whole continent. Commander of the Jiejian bureau, shameless, thick-faced, and as Cui Buqu says, peacock.

The two main characters are fleshed out and you come to understand their personalities when you read the novel. No info dump, no introduction of many characters, but a very delightful read.

The dialogue between them, the bantering between the two, (Cui Buqu's poisonous tongue will ruin you) , the mystery solving, plot building, the arcs, you will find yourself enjoying this novel as I did. Laughing out loud, feeling angst, or just straight smiling throughout this awesome piece of work.

Kudos to the translator of this novel, Dust Bunny for their awesome and high quality translation of this novel, Peerless and sharing it with us.

(5 STARS √√) <<less

I came here after Thousand Autums, and... what can I say, I was totally not disappointed! This story is wonderful, I can't wait to read more. All the characters have a place and a meaning, and the protagonists have a steady growth.

For who wants the fluff and the romance: till now (ch135), there was... almost none (but the little we saw was YUMMY). It's very slow burn, but it's absolutely worth the wait! From now on it can only become better; it builds very slowly but it's absolutely sweet. Be... more>> aware tho that their relationship doesn't start like roses and flower, actually it's very complicated and makes you wanna cry for their cluelessness for a whole set of chapters.

This novel is set in the same world of TH. The MC is a weak man, while ML is very powerful... but the similarities for the two couples ends here, cause here the MC is absolutely able to stand his ground from the start, his body condition doesn't hinder him from digging pits for the ML... which is absolutely the funniest thing ever. And overally, the two sets of MC and ML are very different from each other, they don't behave the same, so it feels absolutely fresh even if there are a bunch of similarities with TH.
The setting is not as dark as TH, but there is still a good amount of angst (which I expected from the author, thumbs up for making me suffer with joy).

Overally? A must read, if you like slow burn romance and good character growth, mixed with a good amout of politics intrigues, combat and the protagonists pitting each other all the time. <<less

I just love this book. MC is one of my favorite MC to read. Even though he has a weak body, his sheer determination and intellect make you awe him.... more>>

Spoiler

Even when the situation looks hopeless he can turn them around with a few words. It was so cool when the enemy's army was surrounding him, he was drinking tea. Then two sentences made the dude crumble in defeat. Even though he was a weak body, his aura and intellect make enemies bow in defeat.

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He might be cunning and ruthless, but it makes sense with enemies left and right trying to harm the empire. There were many moments you felt anxious about if he'll make it out alive. I feel there needs to be a sequel since the ending was left open-ended. The side characters and villains aren't 2-D and have depth. It takes a while for them to realize their feelings for each other, but there is the type of I'll die for you. The mystery and conspiracies with foreshadowing, in the beginning, make it difficult to put down this novel. The ML is a huge narcissist but has the ability to back it up. I love how they bicker and try to pit each other. I just can't put into words how amazing the plot and characters are. Don't let the historical setting dissuade you from reading this novel. If you're a mystery lover and like to read fleshed-out characters with interesting world settings then this book is for you.

I kinda wish

Spoiler

that we can read about the Zhouyue vice commander 1 and 2 backstory because they are interesting characters. I just want to read more about fake monk because his fighting style feels so cool. In the end, the ML promised to fight this dude after 3 years and I kinda want to see what will happen. There are no papapa scenes in the book, but a lot of steamy kisses.

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Definitely one of the smartest character. It's a nice wuxia story with mystery and plot twist here and there.

Feng Xiao is a powerful, top beauty, top in martial art, an overall OP.

But for me, the beauty of the story is Cui Buqu: with his sickly body but remarkable brain. He can overturn a country.

... more>> Cui Buqu was sly and crafty, Feng Xiao’s martial arts were unsurpassed; each of them is already such a powerful figure but when they worked together, they're unparalled.

I like the dynamic between our couple, their smart bantering yet care can protect each other. But if you want a romance, then this story is not for you. Hope we can get a glimpse of their days as a couple in extra chapters. <<less

It's 1:47am and I have work tomorrow. I couldn't put this book down and now I had to write a review.

Honestly one of the greatest stories I've read. The characterizations are amazing. CBQ and FX are the absolutely perfect intolerable shitters. Their chemistry is off the charts amazing and I love how they bounce off one another, antagonize one another nonstop, and still manage to work together and solve amazing conspiracies.

The buildup of their relationship is so slow and gradual. They go from not-quite-enemies to not-quite-lovers all the way until... more>> the end, all while remaining true to their core personalities.

I adore this work.

After my re-read, I have to agree with other reviewers in that the author was struggling to pin down Feng Xiao's characterization at first, so there's a lot of inconsistencies with how he's introduced and how he acts later on. I don't think she finally settled into it until around chapter 20 or so. <<less

Currently I'm on chapter 149 and waiting for release of next chapter. This novel is 'chef's kiss'. The characters are so head strong and on level with each other even tho Buqu is physically very weak and diseased. He always has pits to put people in it and what could they do? He has such a brilliant mind. And Feng Xiao is perfect, his character, his mind. They are THE couple. And the cases they solve. He plot is soooo addicting and makes me use my rusted my mind. I... more>> love this. <<less

This webnovel is simply amazing!

It was like reading Sherlock Holmes in Chinese Historical time! Ahaha!

I so love the MC and ML, they act like an old couples and it always makes me smile.

The English translation was so good as well, simple words that is so easy to understand. Keep up the good work translator!

Worth reading.
Just give it a try☺️

I love it. 5 stars recommended.

This novel hits all the buttons for me.

Enemies to lovers. Check.

... more>> A+ quality bantering and pitting each other. Check

A relationship of equals. Check

It takes time for them to fall for each other (it’s a slow burn people) but when they do, they will do anything to protect the other. Check

The plot with all the cases and all it’s intricacies is pretty solid. I am definitely somebody who likes a good plot before anything else. The story is based on the backdrop of real history which adds an interesting twist to it I feel.

But for me this novel’s peerless-ness is achieved by Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao. They are the perfect seasoning to the plot! Their interactions are hilarious. Those couples who bicker and scheme together, stay together.

Cui Buqu... that scheming intelligent mind and sharp mouth. I love him. He is a sly fox with too much pain tolerance and enough brains to take entire empires down. He might seem cold, but his heart is warm. His past made my heart hurt and made me respect him even more for the person he is!

And Feng Xiao... as he himself would say how can you not love somebody as peerless and beautiful as him. Our narcissistic oleander fairy is precious. Intelligent, martial arts prowess unrivalled. Easy going guy but when he becomes serious (fans self)

I just love how their characters are written. The two powerful Commanders of the Sui Dynasty. They really couldn’t have loved anybody else except each other. Honestly, this novel has very little romance, but the relationship was so solid. Because there is little of it, the moments where it happens is everything.

Feng Xiao couldn’t help himself smiling. “Their virtue is... when they scold people.”

Yang Jun: “???”

Feng Xiao: “They also like to scheme behind everyone’s back.”

Yang Jun: “???”

Feng Xiao: “They’re cold and bad-tempered; and if you caused them even a minor loss, they will swear to god to return the debt to you tenfold.”

Yang Jun was suspicious about it. “Are you sure you are speaking of the person you like, and not an enemy?”

Feng Xiao gave him an impossible look. “All my enemies are dead, but this person cannot die. I want them to live their life in perfect health, and to live as long as a hundred years.”

Yang Jun nodded his head. “I understand it now. You don’t like someone who is submissive to you, you love those that oppose you at all times around the clock. This is what we call masochism.”

Feng Xiao: “... ”

Did I mention how much I love this novel!!! <<less

I'm going to preface this review with my own personal opinion which will go contrary to what I've seen in other reviews. Although Peerless takes place in the same shared universe as Thousand Autumns (and in fact takes place 4 years after the main story of Thousand Autumns concludes), it is my opinion that Peerless is actually more enjoyable if you haven't read Thousand Autumns. Although other reviewers will argue that you'll have more background information for both the setting and various characters if you've read TA previously, I argue... more>> that having previously read TA will actually leave you more confused than enlightened. I'll get into this more throughout the rest of the review.

That being said, my rating for Peerless is based solely on Peerless itself and is not influenced by any complaints I have surrounding the various inconsistencies and confusion that stem from trying to get Thousand Autumns and Peerless to fit together like a perfect puzzle.

I will also note in advance that I will not be using the spoiler tag for any Thousand Autumns spoilers in this review since this is not a review for TA.

Now, onto the actual review.

Peerless is an extremely enjoyable story, and in fact I found it much more enjoyable than Thousand Autumns (this is good news for all you readers who dropped TA partway through!). The story takes place over 7 arcs and each arc has its own sub-plot with an overarching plot that ties the whole story together. Although the main character and male lead are both political officials, the politics in Peerless is not too heavy nor too complicated to be easily followed. Rather than being overly political or marital arts focused, Peerless is primarily a crime solving/mystery novel. Throughout the different arcs, the two most common sub-plot themes are mu*der cases and misuse of government resource cases. The overarching plot is conspiracy shrouded in mystery.

The biggest selling point for Peerless is by far our 2 main characters. Cui Buqu (the MC) and Feng Xiao (the ML) are extremely similar to each other and because of this they play off each other phenomenally, fitting together perfectly. This is a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, but not nearly as slow burn as Thousand Autumns. Here, our two characters will actually realize they have feelings for each other before the end of the novel! Right from the get-go, Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao are constantly trying to one-up each other, claim all the glory for themselves, and pit the other. The results are this are often hilarious. Particularly when they (repeatedly) go undercover as lovers. These are two men with absolutely zero shame and it is glorious.

Both the main plot and sub-plots are engaging and the author clearly knows how to keep readers engaged as just when the plot starts to get stale, she throws in new twists and hooks that keep the reader coming back for more. She is also incredibly good at writing extremely satisfying scenes, even if they are a bit predictable at times. I really came to appreciate this in arc 3. Right as yet another cannon-fodder villain showed up to underestimate our main duo and get his bu*t handed to him, and right as I began to feel that the story was becoming a little too predictable, new plot elements were dropped that held my attention. And really, seeing that cannon-fodder get stomped was so satisfying.

The final arc was especially enticing. I am not ashamed to admit that I stayed up all night to read straight through arc 7 without a care for my day-job. Even as my eyes burned with fatigue, I could not put the story down. As you may have guessed from this, the ending is both satisfying and emotionally charged.

I really only have a few minor complaints regarding this novel, which don't effect the overall enjoyment.

1. There are a few inconsistencies within the novel which I would classify as "editorial errors" (in other words, minor errors that would normally be caught by an editor). These include things like a cup of tea turning into a cup of wine in a few paragraphs and a character correctly identifying another character despite having previously misidentified them and having not been corrected between these two moments. Again, these are very minor but they were a bit jarring for me as I was reading.
2. Top-tier martial artists, "grandmasters", and "top-10" martial artists pop up like daisies throughout the book. Now, Peerless itself does acknowledge this by stating that there are "countless" top martial artists in the world (and especially in the Central Plains), but since the novel kept implying that Feng Xiao is supposedly one of the best martial artists in the world, it bothered me that there were so many martial artists of his same level literally everywhere. It really cheapened the idea of top-tier martial artists, as though they're no more special than cabbages. I was particularly bothered by the repeated use of the word "grandmaster" since anyone who has read Thousand Autumns knows that in this world Grandmaster is an actual title bestowed upon only the Top 5 martial artists as determined by Liuli Palace. Now, this is likely just a translation issue, since "grandmaster" is also simply an English word, but given the story context it makes it confusing at best. Now, all of that being said, we are getting part of the narration from Feng Xiao's point of view and he is extremely full of himself so it could be argued that our impression of him being one of the best martial artists is just his own ego showing through and he's actually not as great as we're lead to believe he is.
3. The extra chapters should not be extras. This is actually one of my largest complaints, although in the grand scheme thing of things it's pretty minor overall. Though the place the author chose to end the official novel does leave you with powerful emotions, there are just too many loose ends that aren't tied up. These are subsequently tied up in the extras, making the whole novel a nice package. However, extra chapters are supposed to be just that. Extra. As in, not necessary but kind of fun. In this case, the extra chapters are necessary because if you skip reading them you'll be left with some pretty serious questions about what exactly happened. When choosing where to officially end a novel, the author needs to take into consideration whether the story has been properly wrapped up. In this case, that didn't happen. Thankfully, the fix to this is just read the extra chapters, but not everyone will do that because they won't think they need to.

In addition to the above minor issues, I have 2 larger issues with Peerless, one of which I classify as a missed opportunity and the other of which was a source of major confusion.

I'll start with the missed opportunity. This lies entirely in the extra chapters. As I mentioned before, the extra chapters we were given should not have been extra chapters. They follow immediately after the main story ends and wrap up the remaining loose ends, providing answers to a number of unanswered questions. These should have been part of the main story. The extra chapters instead really should have focused on Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao's relationship. Because we only received a couple extra chapters, and they wrapped up the main story, we never actually get to see Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao's relationship evolve beyond where it reached at the end of the novel proper. This was, in my opinion, a missed opportunity as it would have been extremely satisfying to see some gentler moments between them. Additionally, there was a side-ship in the book that was never resolved. There was a missed opportunity to bring real closure that side-ship in an extra chapter or two. (If you've read the book already, you'll know which ship I'm talking about. They clearly had mutual feelings and yet they never had the opportunity to properly address their budding romance.)

And now for the source of confusion. Buckle up, because this is going to be a long one. This is none other than Cui Youwang. Who? you might be asking if you've never read Thousand Autumns. That's exactly my point. If you've never read Thousand Autumns, this really wouldn't be a source of much confusion. The problem here is if you've read Thousand Autumns.

To recap (for TA readers) /to explain (for non-TA readers), Cui Youwang was the leader of the Sun-Moon Sect before it split into the Harmony (Hehuan), Cleansing Moon (Huanyue), and Mirror of Arts (Fajing) Sects. It's never explained what role Cui Youwang played in the Demonic Sects after their split, but we can infer his role based on a two key pieces of information.

1. Cui Youwang did not die when the Demonic Sects split. We know this because he stopped Yan Wushi from reuniting the Demonic Sects. Obviously, if he had died when the Demonic Sects split, he couldn't have stopped Yan Wushi from reuniting them.
2. Cui Youwang did not stop Yan Wushi from nearly irradicating the Mirror of Arts (Fajing) Sect, but he did stop him from doing significant damage to the Harmony (Hehuan) Sect.

Therefore, we can reasonably assume that Cui Youwang became the first Sect Leader of the Harmony (Hehuan) Sect. This is further reinforced when you remember that according to Thousand Autumns, Cui Youwang had only one decsiple: Sang Jingxing, who was a member of the Harmony (Hehuan) Sect and a major player in Thousand Autumns.

Now why is this a point on contention with Peerless? Because Feng Xiao claims that he was a disciple of Cui Youwang, along with Guang Lingsan and an unnamed shimei. First of all, this is in direct contradiction with the clearly stated fact from Thousand Autumns that Cui Youwang only had one disciple and that disciple was Sang Jingxing. Secondly, Guang Lingsan, Feng Xiao, and the unnamed shimei are all members of the Mirror of Arts (Fajing) Sect. If all his disciples really were in the Mirror of Arts (Fajing) Sect, there is no way Cui Youwang would have allowed Yan Wushi to nearly eradicate the entire sect. Yet he did. Finally, the timing really doesn't add up very well.

To understanding the timing, recall that Feng Xiao is in his "early 20's" (this typically means 21-23, although it could mean as young as 20). Peerless takes place over the course of a single year, beginning in 584 (we know this because it's a historical novel and we're told the year is the "third year of Kaihuang"). Thousand Autumns took place over the course of about 7 years and ended in 580/early 581. Therefore, there are 11 years between the beginning of Thousand Autumns and the beginning of Peerless. Cui Youwang stopped Yan Wushi from uniting the Demonic sects 10 years before the start of Thousand Autumns, or 21 years before the start of Peerless. Cui Youwang was dead by the beginning of Thousand Autumns, although his exact year of death was never stated. However, we do know that his death was already old news by the start of Thousand Autumns, so he didn't die shortly before the beginning of the book. Some years must have already past. Therefore, even if he died only a few years before TA and even if Feng Xiao was on the older end of his age range, Feng Xiao still would have been too young for Cui Youwang to be his master (or at least his only master). At best, he could have been Feng Xiao's first master and at worst he was already dead by the time Feng Xiao was old enough to walk. But again, this directly contradicts what we already know.

To further muddy the waters, Peerless itself later states with regards to Cui Youwang and Feng Xiao "two people who could not have met to begin with" (Chapter 152). There are two possible explanations for this: 1) the author made a pretty huge mistake, not only between her two connected works but also within Peerless itself or 2) Feng Xiao was lying when he said Cui Youwang was his master.

For my own sanity and peace of mind, I'm pretending Feng Xiao was lying. However, it's still questionable whether he could successfully pull off a lie like that. After all, Cui Youwang was a legend. Even if it wasn't considered common knowledge that Cui Youwang only had one disciple, the people Feng Xiao told this lie to included someone associated with the Liuli Palace, and that person definitely would have know that little piece of information. Whether they would share it or not is another matter entirely, but even if they kept their mouth shut, it wouldn't be that difficult for the other characters to look into the background of such a famous sect leader and put together the pieces I illustrated above. In short, it's possible that he could have gotten away with this lie, but it's a risky move to make. To me, it honestly felt like the author was just name dropping a character for the sake of tying the novels together without thinking about the consequences of using that particular name, and that really bothered me.

If you've gotten all the way to this point, you've probably noticed why I say it's actually more enjoyable to read Peerless if you haven't read Thousand Autumns. There are just a lot of little (and some large) points that don't add up between the two books. And for me, that did truly distract from my enjoyment of Peerless. However, if you eliminate the factor known as Thousand Autumns, then Peerless is a nearly flawless novel. And really, regardless of whether you've read Thousand Autumns, this novel is still an absolute gem and you should read it. It's just there are some mental gymnastics involved in reconciling the two novels if you want to try to make them fit together. Alternatively, you can keep them separate in your mind and save yourself the trouble of figuring the details out.

All-in-all, Peerless is well, well worth the read. Honestly, I would say it's one of the best danmei (and wuxia) novels I've read and definitely ranks up there in my top 10 favorite novels. I would absolutely read Peerless again and I hope it eventually receives an official English release. It more than deserves the publicity an official release would allow, as well as the support an official release would provide the author. <<less