Yu Wu

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The traitorous general Gu Mang was returning to his homeland. Everyone wanted to see him dead, and it was said that the one who hated him most was his former best friend—the cold and ascetic Young Master Mo.

The rumours said: Young Master Mo prepared three hundred and sixty-five methods of torture to interrogate him with, just waiting to try them out on Gu Mang. They were so varied it was more than enough to toy with him for a year without repetition.

Except these rumours were very quickly forbidden by Young Master Mo. The reason given was that they described him as a lunatic, and were severely inconsistent with reality.

So what was the truth?

The truth was even more unspeakable—

Mo Xi’s identity: the most abstinent commander of the empire.

His relationship with the traitor Gu Mang: they’d slept together before.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Remnants of Filth
Stains of Filth
Vết nhơ
Yuwu
Yú Wū
Залишки бруду
สิ้นแสงอนธการ
余污
여오
Related Series
The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (9)
Sha Po Lang (5)
Golden Stage (3)
The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (3)
Heaven Official’s Blessing (3)
The Villain Has Something to Say (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Have Read Pt. 1
  2. Danmei I've Read
  3. Danmai that has me by the balls
  4. Liz's Collection : BL { Historical [cultivation / ...
  5. Novels I moderately enjoy (prolly mostly BLs)

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/01/20 seal and friends c34
05/16/20 seal and friends c33
05/10/20 seal and friends c32
03/21/20 seal and friends c31
03/03/20 seal and friends c30
02/18/20 seal and friends c29
02/10/20 seal and friends c28
01/31/20 seal and friends c27
01/24/20 seal and friends c26
01/19/20 seal and friends c25
01/13/20 seal and friends c24
01/10/20 seal and friends c23
01/07/20 seal and friends c22
01/02/20 seal and friends c21
12/31/19 seal and friends c20
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86 Reviews sorted by


lil_lazybum
New lil_lazybum rated it
March 1, 2024
Status: Completed
Overall rating: 3.5/5

Couple (TopxBottom) : Mo Xi x Gu Mang

I absolutely love Gu Mang and would die a thousand times for him to be happy, I'm serious. The amount of times I cried for him is just uncountable. A few people may not like Mo Xi, but there's a LOT to unpackage and it WILL make sense by the end of the novel. The novel itself is a journey that we as the reader embark on with Mo Xi (top/seme protagonist) to uncover the mysteries of why things are as... more>> they are, and why Gu Mang "betrayed" him.

I hate (not literally) this novel as well because I was fooled many times by so many characters, and it's honestly so sad how many of the characters were able to scheme for so long under your nose. As things develop, you'll start feeling so many conflicting feelings for the characters. To note, it is deeply tied to 2ha but is an independent story of its own without needing to read 2ha. However, the family tree and relationship between Yuwu and 2ha is mindblowing (at least to me). The angst was a bit too much honestly, and I've regarded meatbun as a torturer of her bottoms/uke/shous, and haven't picked up her other works. But overall the novel was okay, especially if you're curious of what took place prior to the setting of 2ha, but it is overall a pretty boring novel in a sense. <<less
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Blak_ie
New Blak_ie rated it
February 20, 2024
Status: Completed
Yuwu is the best novel I've read so far and maybe always will be. I've never seen something so heartbreaking but I've also never seen love so honest and pure like Mo Xi and Gu Mang.

The whole setting is something very interesting for me. I love cultivation stories and the forbidden love between enemies, especial since one is a noble and one is lowborn, is the perfect setting for a completely heartbreaking story.

It's really easy to get into the novel right from the start. The writing is so good that... more>> it even made me forget about the world around. It felt like living the story myself.

Both of the characters completely stole my heart. They're such incredible heroes written in a believable and so perfect way.

I really recommend this so much but be ready for the angst! <<less
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Karinkatakika
Karinkatakika rated it
February 16, 2020
Status: c28
Yu Wu is so deliciously painful. People have been saying they don’t want to read it because 2Ha was painful enough - my dudes, 2Ha was painful because it’s like a metronome: On the left, pure unfiltered fluff, only love. On the right, ???. 2Ha is Meatbun just being ‘i haven’t even shown you my final form yet!!!’

No in between.

(for those who get a kick out of s*upid people, I had to google ‘tick tock measure rhythm’ to remember it’s called a f*cking Metronome.)

Meanwhile, Yu Wu is constantly... more>> at like 70% pain level? It hurts in the beginning but you learn to cope and the story is really damn good. The TL is just *chef’s kiss*.

On a side note: I really hate Murong Lian, but both Meatbun and the translator keep saying that he’s baby.... well, I became a Taxian-Jun (Mo Ran 0.5 in 2Ha) apologist in the end as well, so what the hell do I know <<less
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yuukine
yuukine rated it
June 9, 2020
Status: Completed
Final rating: 5/5

Do you wish to suffer a lot, feel sad a lot, cry a lot, but also feel so happy, so delighted, enjoy these small moments of happiness? This book is for you.

But first. If you can, do not MTL. Wait for seal's translation as it cannot compare to MTL (which, let's be realistic is just a good way to spoil yourself through the story and understand not even a half of it). Seal and friends did fantastic job with metaphors, explanations, side notes and beautifully structured sentences. Every... more>> chapter is worth your wait. Unless you are like me and have a really good friend who can help you understand what's going on because they already finished it without mtling, MTL is a big no.

TL;DR do not MTL and be patient with translations!

There are plenty of plot twists, shocking revelations, plenty of use of chekhov's gun (everything that seems unimportant will come back and hit you with feels). Everything is connected. It's a big cycle of ongoing tragedy and unfairness and betrayal and suffering and trials and search for justice.

Nothing is what it seems and there are many truths hidden behind just one act: Gu Mang is a traitor of their nation, but Mo Xi, the one who knows him the best, even years after cannot and will not accept it deep down. There are plenty of factors why Gu Mang betrayed their country. Huge loss of 70.000 of his s*ave army, death of his brother/best friend all led to his betrayal... But there is a lot than it meets the eyes.

This is a journey of revealing the truth, trying to bring back lost memories and getting justice in the world in the world ravaged by war of two countries.

Both sides of war are explored. You get to meet the enemies as much as you get to know everyone else.

Meatbun just straight ahead went and said: you have rights, you have rights too, you don't have rights at all and will never have them, you absolutely have no rights, you have all the rights.

There are so many plots behind this betrayal. So many things hidden, so many knots needing to be untangled.

Gu Mang and Mo Xi were everything they needed for each other. But Gu Mang thought Mo Xi would move on. But Mo Xi never did, he was never able to let go after spending half of his life entangled with Gu Mang.

Side characters are fantastic. Meatbun fleshed them out that you will feel a lot for them, as if they were main characters. But that's the fact too: she made them main characters of their stories.

YU WU is a one big story centered around many minor plots that each has their own main characters. Murong Lian, Murong Mengze and Emperor share one. Murong Chuyi, Jiang Yexue and Yue Chenqing are part of their own plot. The Liao Kingdom even has it's own story. But Mo Xi and Gu Mang are the leads of their own show, making the most of it, and all of this combined make an ultimate story that will make you cry a lot.

But the end is worth it.

This whole book is worth it.

And for those looking for ties between Erha and Yuwu, you will find plenty of them here. Yuwu is set around 400-500 years before erha.

WARNINGS (SPOILERS) :

Spoiler

forced prostitution, s*avery, graphic torture, coercion, emotional manipulation, mind breaks/emotional breakdowns.... there are plenty

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OVERALL:

Characters: 5 - main characters are well developed, they will make you feel so many things, and they are riddled with faults and plenty of virtues.

Side characters: 5 - they have got the same treatment as main characters. Each one is unique and well fleshed out.

Story: 5 - logical, full of suffering, it's like third book of erha without fluff arc hahahaa.

Emotional impact: 5 - I cried at least 20 times, it hit me hard with breaks whenever something big happened.

Humor: 5 - When it comes, it makes you laugh and feel happy. <<less
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Celissiye
Celissiye rated it
August 17, 2019
Status: c130
Although there is no telling where the story will turn in the future (ongoing 179+), it has been a decent read so far. What does it mean to be a traitor, a s*ave who, no matter how you struggle, the empire will never view differently? And what does it mean to love a person like that?

You must be warned--ANGST. This story is has a foundation of tragedy, so anything further is also wrought with angst. Despite the plot calling for this angst, the brooding narration from the MC and characters... more>> crying often enough I don't care anymore does make it is excessive. Has the ML/MC gotten a break from suffering so far? Hardly. There are even rituals that practically necessitate torture for what seems to be no reason other than angst. However, the drama is not to the point where I think the story is too silly. If you know that you can happily eat up angst combined with a few sweet moments, this story might suit you. And, whether it be the Gu Mang (ML) acting like a dog, or MC acting Tsundere and mopey, there are still funny moments.

The characters have full-fleshed pasts and motivations. The 'traitor' Gu Mang is a long slog of wondering if he's truly wicked or not. Then several side characters have a complex relationship of 'half brothers', 'not really brothers', and deceased parents, leading to family members pretending that they hate each other. There is a gold loving doctor, a crippled white lotus, a sad*st and drug using past s*ave owner (of the ML), and a considerate house servant. If any character seemed a little bland, I'd actually say the MC is a bit repetitive at times because it's his POV from the start, and he simply doesn't have as many secrets as the other characters. But, he is also the rarely seen 'top' or 'seme' MC, and definitely has a 'my heart is actually soft but I pretend its not' heartbreak issue. Cute. Overall, even with the other flaws of the story, the characters shine enough that I am interested in learning more about them.

Another flaw I have to mention is the frequent flashbacks. These usually hold a relevant part to the story as you are reminded of happier times, the worse times, and what used to be. That being said, some of the flashbacks are brought out too often, it seems to only remind of the present angst. For example, 'oh another scene of ML and MC happy together'. At least these flashbacks usually don't last much longer than half a chapter. Along with this is that the inner angst monologue of the MC (Mo Xi) is excessive. He is always upset and angry, as readers we understand this thoroughly early on, so it isn't necessary to use flowery prose to describe how his heart has a knife in it 100x times. Moreover, some parts of the story involves 'magic items' or 'martial technique' that are clearly just a plot device for the MC to jump into the past and see what really unfolded, and felt rather forced. Altogether, these details could have been reduced a lot and made for a more compact, compelling story.

Nevertheless, the character relationships and dark themes in the plot are enough that this remains a decent story. If it will remain interesting in the future, that I can't say. Many secrets have been exposed by ch. 120, but it seems that there are yet many more to come. Will the excessive angst overpower the actual interesting parts? Perhaps. Currently, my rating sits at 3.5-4.

Spoiler

As for whether this is HE or BE. As much as the story re-iterates that the ML's future is ruined/set in stone, I have a suspicion that it will be remedied somehow and end with HE. It just seems like one of the angst stories that will end it that way. BUT, I am going off MTL and obviously don't know for certain.

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ScarlettOhara
ScarlettOhara rated it
July 25, 2022
Status: --
5 stars for the first 40% of the book. Thereafter the plot turned outlandish and borderline comedic.

Just like in her previous book, the author tends to pull rabbits out of her hat with little to no foreshadowing. A singular line written 50 chapters previously cannot be considered foreshadowing. When a character is layered, he’ll show signs throughout and not simply unravel during the grand reveal.

If a character is menacing throughout, a reader’s opinion of him won’t change simply because he has a tragic backstory. A character who is virtuous throughout,... more>> can’t suddenly turn bad. Characters must stay consistent and grow/change as the story progresses. The author of Yuwu and 2HA doesn’t think so.

The repeated tendency to have characters reveal backstories through a longwinded monologue is a sign of bad writing. Done once within a story is forgivable, done twice is a sign of lazy writing, done thrice is simply unacceptable. (The book 'Shadow of the Wind' is a similar example of poor writing).

When a good character turns bad, it is believable if done once. When done repeatedly with multiple characters, it becomes an overkill.

Spoiler

I couldn’t bring myself to like Murong Lian. To me, his tragic story did not redeem him. And the stray glimpses of kindness he showed towards the end weren’t enough.

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Spoiler

I couldn’t bring myself to like the emperor. His two-chaptered monologue didn’t convince me in the slightest. It became extremely difficult to read the story after that point because Mo Xi and Gu Mang’s continued trust in him seemed evidently misplaced.

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Spoiler

I liked Murong Mengze but as expected of the author, Mengze is changed into a bad character at the very last moment.

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Spoiler

I didn’t care about the Yue family so the long-winded and unnecessarily tragic backstories involving Murong Chuyi, Jiang Yexue, and Yue Chenqing were exhausting to read.

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Spoiler

Given that Gu Mang’s motivation since the very beginning is the upliftment of the s*ave class in Chongua, it felt extremely disappointing that the author chose to alter his background and give him a noble lineage. It felt like a letdown. Why couldn’t he have stayed a s*ave with extraordinary talent who rises from the bottom of the barrel? Turning him into an illegitimate noble child just undid everything for me.

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Spoiler

Finally, I hated the way Mo Xi was treated in this book. Although Gu Mang went through unimaginable levels of deep pain, they were all his choices. Mo Xi, on the other hand, was played by everyone. He was left with no explanation, no answers, and no closure for eight years while losing ten years of his life. Everyone around him chose to make decisions for him, Gu Mang included.

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In my opinion, Mo Xi deserved better. (Less) <<less
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Karyan
Karyan rated it
June 28, 2020
Status: Completed
I am not good at writing reviews. All I can say is that IF YOU LOVES ANGST, READ THIS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT!

It is a beautifully painful story. I didn’t cry that much before ch 170 but instead it gives a new way of suffering. My heart aches and I can’t even cry

About the plot, the previous review of Yuukine is perfect so I can’t think of a better one.
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anotherworld20
anotherworld20 rated it
June 8, 2020
Status: Completed
Read It and Weep
First of all, I cried in the first 7/8 chapters (Yes... coming sooner than you think)

I assure,

you will CRY...... UNCONTROLLABLY
BROKE your heart wide open...
and than you asking yourself WHY you doing this to yourself... but you keep read it......
of course there is some FUNNY moment to help you breath so you can rest your eye a bit

... more>> it is brutal but man their love is pure FIRE...

I already prepare myself for all the meatbun (author) trick, plot twist and her cruelty stabbing my heart
it was all my fault so I don't really shocked to all the plot twist like I used to when I read 2HA...

Just because I read it in MTL... there is a moment when I am kind of lost....
I will definitely reread it again after its finished translated

Favorite quote

"Someone gave it to me.., someone was kind to me"

"Wait for me gumang, I will give you a home"

SORRY if I compare this to 2HA.... because after a month reading it... I still can't move on.... <<less
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jiainoue
jiainoue rated it
May 30, 2021
Status: Completed
×Meatbun's angst= 100/100 ×Meatbun's smut= 100/100 ×Meatbun's story ideas= 100/100

×Yuwu's plot execution= ? /100

... more>>
Spoiler

×The story, if it was written neatly will turn out really good bc Meatbun seems to have the best ideas. However, the plot execution of Yuwu cannot be considered neat, in my opinion. There are a lot of suddenly popping random stuff. Even a lot of revelations are revealed poorly by merely using other characters to narrate it all.

×I HONESTLY LOVE YUWU, but when it started revolving around Hua Poan & Chen Tang / that Guoshi&Jiang Fuli, I started to forget liking it, bc the plot execution isn't neat x2...... I wish there are better foreshadowings rather than only using Su Yurou and Gu Mang being compared to Hua Poan

×Objects which reverses death is something I do not really like in a novel, especially when the reversal stone was introduced in a surprising way once again. I wish its existence hinted on the earlier parts of the novel.

×The biggest part of the plot is Su Yurou, Jiang Fuli, Hua Poan, Chen Tang and the stolen reversal stone which was a huge surprise near the end of the story that it seemed too random

×These sudden revelations at the near end of the story without good foreshadowing, just like MWY being a butterfly boned beauty are too random

×Murong Mengze... I wish there are better but still barely decipherable foreshadowings abt him bc having Murong Mengze as a part of the ending made the novel seem more rushed.

×Some characters from yuwu & 2ha resembles each other so much. I understand— ancestors and descendants — however, I was hoping to see more uniqueness

×Apart from Mo Xi and Murong Lian, the other characters aren't that interesting for me, I can't empathize well with them

×It's just that there are flaws in terms of the plot execution, but I'll admit it, it's indeed painful and I cried a lot.

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Crimson_
Crimson_ rated it
February 27, 2021
Status: c100
As a veggie meatbun enthusiast, I decided to hop onto this novel too since I'm also reading 2ha (waiting for the updates ㅠㅠ). I must say, a misunderstanding happened and I started reading thinking it'll be a light novel.. Today I checked and I have realized I have half the novel left haha, that was a fun realization.. (Just kidding, I love long novels~)

But to the actual review, as someone who rarely gets bothered by any (disturbing) subject books can contain, I'm quite enjoying this read. I read the... more>> review of somebody that said that the sl*ve system threw them off. The way I see it, it might really have been that bad a really long time ago. Maybe, maybe not; anyhow, you can't expect everything to be sweets and roses. You read the tags (hopefully), you knew what you were getting into. People can be very cruel. It's set to be in a time where status was everything after all.

Also something worth mentioning is that meatbun seems to work very hard. She sometimes writes in the notes about how all her free time is spent writing (which she doesn't seem to get a lot of). She mentioned being hospitalized once (I can't remember the cause..) and apologized for potentially not being able to update for that day.. That really shocked me! What are you apologizing for, go take care of yourself please..

As a novice writer who hasn't published anything, I barely ever get inspiration/the drive to write. She's obviously a very skilled writer, so I look up to her.

May veggie meatbun continue to write novels *fingers crossed* <<less
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glitteryjoon
glitteryjoon
August 4, 2022
Status: c1
If I’m being honest, I can’t say I particularly like this novel. I’ve read and enjoyed many of this authors works. However I feel like this one is subpar and mostly built on smut and the little mystery there is.

Currently I’m on chapter 43 and although there have been interesting scenes, I’ve mostly found myself questioning whether I really want to spend days reading this novel.

For one thing, I honestly just cannot stand the MC. I’m not sure if he gets better down the line, but currently every time he... more>> pops up with the “woe is me who’s been betrayed and stabbed by the one I love” I get annoyed.

I understand his feelings are valid, but I just sincerely feel as though if you truly loved someone and knew that all their effort was going into a lost cause and watched them slowly break and crumble while you stood by and wondered “ah..i feel so bad” then what the f*ck do your feelings count for?

Spoiler

In the end, even if he had his problems, as a noble, he still had money and power to his name and at the very least helping where he could would have gone a long way. Even saying he’d pay for some burials or help find a plot of land that was nice to call home for those soldiers was doing more than standing there as your “beloved” through himself at the emperors feet BEGGING.

Not to mention, every flash back that’s happened is him going looking at all the pain and heartache and f*cking abuse his “Beloved” went through and going “but he betrayed me. He left Me. What about me?” like ?? Selfish. He’s f*cking selfish and it took every bit of willpower not to throw my phone as I read.

I’d be in the midst of tears reading the ML story and about how badly he was treated only for the MC to go feel betrayed about how he was stabbed or betrayed.

In a world where possession, soul snatching and other such ways of losing your feelings or empathy is possible, my first question after finding out that he lost souls would be to wonder if how long ago they were lost?

Could he have lost them when he stabbed me? Is there more to this betrayal. Like I’m sure it gets there in the end but to be so “in love” that you only focus on your own pain while looking back is such bullshit.

I’m really just ranting now because 43 chapters of that selfish bullsh*t has really hurt my soul, but that’s just how I’m feeling. I’m probably going to drop this for now— may come back later. Idk.

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HarryArya
HarryArya rated it
July 31, 2022
Status: c50
@ScarlettOhara- I think yours is the only review that made SENSE. I think some 'fans' are reluctant to admit the negative points of a book once they set their mind to like the author.

When we read Transmigration novels, usually the MC complains about the plot for being "too angsty without reason where the protagonist suffers too much all the time just to make the readers cry, or the plot continues only because the characters are too s*upid to have normal conversations like regular human beings etc." Well, this novel pretty... more>> much include all those elements that the MCs complain about - simply a Dog blood novel.

If you don't come here for the plot, but for super angsty sciences where you get to cry to your heart's content and like devoted love interests like with most of the popular novels these days, then it is for you! <<less
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taizidianxia
taizidianxia rated it
April 26, 2021
Status: Completed
Endless Suffering is Glory. I repeat: Endless suffering is glorious!! I guess meatbun's life motto is definitely this since it resonates throughout all her works. MC is batterred up beaten torn apart physically emotionally spiritually.. I mean think of all the torture methods available.. meatbun had a warehouse full of torture ideas n then slowly n pleasurably dumps them on her precious MC n ML.. No one is spared.... MC will be tortured broken till there is nothing left..n after that she still isn't satisfied and had to give them... more>> more torture since she hadn't finished using all her storage of torture tools... knife knife knife and of course meatbun's forte was to deliver those tidbits of powerfully enchanting redemptions in between.. but only tidbits- yet powerful enough to linger in our hearts for a long time. The writing was undoubtedly powerful, lined with rich plot layers and surprises enough to keep you at the edge- enough to keep you reading despite the underlying tyranny of it all!! At the end of it, MC n ML were so messed by their circumstances to the point that as a reader- I almost choked blood n my intestines out- save for the brilliant writing n translation that let me pull through. Would I read it again? Yeah just the candy parts. In its entirety? Heck no. Once is enough. Thank you translator for putting up with the doggiest bloodiest drama of it all n still managing to emotionally pull through to deliver us excellent translation. <<less
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Severe
Severe
April 9, 2021
Status: Completed
All of you guys who misslead me not to read this novel because of all the angst in it.... You have never read the real angst, like Strategy to capture scum gong... Here is just a normal novel with fair amount of drama and tragedy.

The total vibe from the novel - the lighter version of "Husky and white cat".

And, as it was in the "Husky"- the ending sucks. The overall novel was not bad at all, pretty pleasurable to read. But the ending is such a disaster - rushed, abrupt,... more>> full of nonsense. Through the last 30 +- chapters I had only one phrase in mind - " Oh, how convenient.... "

8/10 <<less
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tiredtiredtired
tiredtiredtired rated it
February 13, 2021
Status: --
This book managed to make me cry in pain in every turn of the story. The author managed to make the main characters terrifyingly believable, Mo Xi's anguish and hatered mixed with love from a time before and Gu Mang's pain and agony, The story is amazing and it's a shame that it's not as famous as the author's other work 2ha.

There is almost never a time where we are allowed to take a break and it is amazing.
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cadrilacus
cadrilacus rated it
September 11, 2023
Status: Completed
It really pains me that I can’t give this novel a higher rating. I loved the first half, for me the first half was an 8.5/10 novel. It was full of complex emotions and characters, interesting setting and a mystery that I was dying to uncover.

Unfortunately, the second half where the secrets finally started to come to light was disappointing. But even before that to me it seemed like the amount of angst scenes and torture was excessive to the point where it didn’t have a lot of impact anymore.... more>> How can it have an impact if the ML is suddenly tortured for 2 chapters and then 1 chapter later he’s fine again as if nothing happened? In the first half of the novel every scene had a meaning it hit hard but in the second half it was borderline comical and felt out of place. Maybe I’m the problem and after 150 chapters of pure pain train just couldn’t feel it anymore?

Well the main issue I was having through the entire novel is that I was wondering is this really a love story?

Spoiler

I could see Mo Xi obviously loves Gu Mang, he tries to protect him, he fights for their relationship, but what did he get in return? Endless lies, manipulations, hurt body and soul. And what about Gu Mang? The author clearly wants me to believe he also loves Mo Xi, he thinks he does, and says he does. But at the end of the day he always sacrificed Mo Xi, his health and his feelings. Gu Mang sacrificed Mo Xi for his ideals, for his country, for his comrades, for his friends, for his “brother”. They confess finally in chapter 132 but for 132 chapters Gu Mang never fought for their relationship and Mo Xi never was his top priority, he ALWAYS chose something and someone else instead of him, so how exactly am I supposed to believe he really loves him? Actions show more than words. And just like that at the very end he STILL didn't choose Mo Xi and he didn't even tell him the truth. So much for love and trust.

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Just like ScarlettOhara said I hated the way Mo Xi was treated in this book and this greatly stained my overall enjoyment of the novel. For me it felt like a story about one sided love where one person loves another, and the other simply allows himself to be loved.

I lowkey wished it had a bad ending where they’d both die and Gu Mang would discover
Spoiler

Mo Xi's final sacrifice and that he couldn’t be reborn anymore so Gu Mang could feel regret about his life choices and maybe reconsider some of his previous actions.

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The entire ending is also so sudden. Meatbun herself says the ending seems weird in the author notes and that she tried to make it less weird. But come on the amount of Deux Ex Machina and out of the blue plot twists and turns in the last 10 chapters was just too much, I couldn’t take this ending seriously anymore.

For example
Spoiler

what's with the sudden Mengze gender change at the very end? What was the point of it? It completely nullified all the previous discourses it the book on how hard it was for women to be successful and how she was so smart and amazing even as a woman general and politician. But no, he's suddenly a man as if to confirm that indeed no woman can achieve anything. What's with this plot twist?!

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I was much more excited for Hua Poan’s story honestly and almost cheered for him to win at the end. I wanted to love this story but the romance part described above annoyed me to no end and while I was waiting for Gu Mang’s “redemption arc” it never came. On a side note I really enjoyed the AU extras. <<less
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pagandog
pagandog rated it
October 29, 2022
Status: c198-214
I really liked how intricate the main characters' interactions were, and that's the main reason it got a 3, not a 2. I connected with the couple and it was heartwrenching. So why the lower rating?

The thing is, I really dislike when flashbacks and backstories are overused, it feels like a cheap way to emotionally manipulate. When I'm too aware of the emotional manipulation, I kinda disconnect, so maybe the lower rating is on me and my character, not on the author's writing (which is brilliant, by the way. She... more>> really knows how to use words to incite emotion). It feels even worse when every character needs those long and winding flashbacks and backstories, to the point where the main story is thrown to the side over and over again and the novel feels like a collection of stories in the same universe. I was very tempted to skip some of the "filler" parts to get back to the main story but was worried it would affect my understanding of the overall plot so I had to force myself to sit through them.

The other issue is that the latter chapters are a bit too convenient and the reveals are too abrupt, they feel like they've been written purely for shock value, but I'm not going to go into detail since many other reviews already have.

Fun fact that will help you get through the angst: everyone, even the most minor side characters, has slender and long fingers. <<less
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KElle
KElle rated it
January 9, 2021
Status: Completed
I loved Husky and his White Cat Shizun and I was excited to read this book. As expected, I found the world of Yu Wu extremely detailed and imaginative, and Meatbun's ability to write knives is second to none.

HOWEVER, although the plot is very intricate with a large cast of characters who each have complex quilt of facades and hidden motivations (and this truly is a feat to plot and write), I must say that after a while, I found this book to be just a little too melodramatic, over... more>> the top. There is simply too much drama and tragedy packed in. In additional to all the horrific events and misunderstandings that affect the main couple, literally every side characters also has some tragic story. What is the point of this except to be emotional p*rn for the sake of emotional p*rn? The pacing was off. It just felt kind of exhausting to keep up with constant and unnecessary twists and turns that even the worst knifes that had made me cry at the beginning all became rather dull as the novel progressed. Some of the mysteries that tease you at the beginning do not ultimately provide a satisfying, plausible outcomes.

I think the problem is that Meatbun doesn't seem to know how to edit. Rather, she seems keen to pack every possible emotionally-wrenching idea in, sacrificing plausibility, pacing and logic to do so. Some of the reveals feel like they were coming out of left field despite some foreshadowing, and even break with character logic. Or, it will be too coincidental or deux ex machina that makes the outcomes unsatisfying. In hindsight, I also had this feeling with Husky, but I felt the internal emotional logic of the characters were more consistent from beginning to end. In Yu Wu, sometimes it confuses me why some characters do what they do. I really enjoyed the first half of Yu Wu and was hooked immediately from chapter one from her smooth storytelling. However, by the second half it began to feel like a soap opera and I was frankly exhausted, almost bored, skimming to the end just so I can have some of the mysteries answered.

I give this novel 4 stars in recognition how much creativity and effort must have been put into writing such a very intricate story. My actual enjoyment as a reader is 5 stars for the first third to half, and only 2-2.5 stars for the rest. <<less
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Ainslee
Ainslee
June 21, 2020
Status: --
Not gonna rate or read this yet cuz I have a low expectation of seme protagonist novels.

Why? Cuz every novel with this tag usually end up disappointing. Or perhaps I've too much bias that all ML should be seme while protagonist should be uke.
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scramblegg
scramblegg rated it
May 14, 2020
Status: c196
I hardly read it at MTL. I finished them, and I satisfied very much. You can expect what you got when you hear Meatbun's story. It's the same universe with 2Ha, of course, it contains a lot of fantasy. For the story, Yuwu isn't any better angst than 2ha. It hurts a lot. You'll be tortured with Moxi. I wish you good luck.

I'm trying to explain the way you'll get hurt. I can guarantee you'll get emotional with Yuwu. It's not only by jealousy, but it will also be attacked... more>> with regret and despair. I'm following the neat translation, and still feel the same way. Angst is angst. Meatbun is the king of angst story for me so far. I always satisfied with his/her kind of way made angst of stories. <<less
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dona
dona rated it
August 28, 2019
Status: c16
Jesus lord that was intense. I almost cried in the first 7 chapters. Really good solid storyline. The characters all have substance, with their own struggles and motivations for their action, and it seems there are a lot of secrets waiting to be unfolded. Despite the focus being only on MC and ML so far. This novel is full of angst and brutality and I can´t wait for further chapters.

Seriously can´t recommend this novel enough. Everyone should give it a try.
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Kerorin27
Kerorin27 rated it
November 14, 2021
Status: Completed
I love meatbun story till 3/4, but when it comes for plot twist it becomes very funny for me. Like others soap opera drama.

The plot twist is always to be forced and not natural.

And almost useless about revealed new identity character, I don't know why.

In this novel I feel pity to moxi. His suffering and his sacrifices is almost nothing.
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