Guardian: Zhen Hun (Novel) Vol. 2 (2024)

I love this story and these characters but I will admit that I personally did not find this installment as strong as the first one.

I loved getting more understanding about who Zhao Yunlan was and his history and relationship Shen Wei but I missed some of the pining and spark that I felt in the first book between them. I appreciate that with Danmei you enter into with the knowledge and understanding that censorship laws will impact on romantic and intimate moments sometimes but I’m selfish and I want a few more crumbs. I still can’t shake the Wei Ying/ Lan Zhan AU vibes in their dynamic and characterization but at least with more story they feel more like their own characters as well.

Some of the mythology stuff felt a little info dumpy when reading it and I struggled to keep up a bit at the time but sitting down with the glossary afterwards helped to make sense of it all. I suspect this will be a series of books where I get a lot out of a reread.

There was something very sweet about that little side story of Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng. I enjoyed that a lot as brief as it was.

Minor gripes aside I still love this universe and I’m a sucker for a good reincarnation/ mythology story and sit here patiently awaiting volume 3.

Guardian: Zhen Hun (Novel) Vol. 1 5⭐️

↬ Spoiler free for both vol 1 and 2

The second book continues the story with the same hilarious group of characters, the mysterious love interest and the clever, sexy main character that you can’t help but love. I adore following Zhao Yunlan while he searches for the truth, he’s one of those characters full of personality and charm. Once again, I saw the plot twist coming from book one. I feel this series is a bit cliché and predictable if you have read enough danmei/fantasy books.

I still hate the writing style. It’s very hard for me to get inside of the story, I feel like it doesn’t flow like it should. However, this is a translation, so maybe I wouldn’t have this problem if I knew Chinese. I liked this one less than the first one because the action wasn’t as gripping and was focused on the big mystery I had already figured out. Also, the last part of the book was a very long tale about gods and stuff that, even though relevant to the story, bored me to death since I don’t like the writing style. I thought it was never going to end.

Hopefully the last book has more plot twists, more scenes with the characters and less chunks of text about gods with weird names. Still, I liked this one because I love the characters and I’m excited to see Zhao Yunlan and lover boy getting the happily ever after they deserve.

↬

I'm honestly stunned by this book, but not in the good way. In comparison to Vol. 1, this one's focus is put more on the relationships between the main characters than on the action which automatically should make the book better, but it didn't. In the contrary.

Because my soul is naturally good and pure, I will start with the good things before going to the bad ones:

~ Guo Changcheng
I liked him in the previous book and I like him in this one, despite the fact that he isn't as present in the story like he was before. The author still makes fun of him in every situation possible, but there were some redeeming scenes of GC being praised and loved like she should be.
~ Chu Shuzhi
Despite not being much in the focus and not being impactful on the story in any way (like every other character than the main ones), I found his character very interesting.
~ Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi
This is something I did not expect to like, because GC was clearly afraid of CS (rightfully so) which isn't a great start for any relationship. But despite all the issues between them there was some kind of spark there. I don't know if they will become a couple or become friends or nothing at all (I will not be there to witness it), but I liked their scenes in this book.
~ Sangzan
I did not expect to like such a person, but he was so adorable in this book that I couldn't help, but swoon wherever he had shown up.
~ Wang Xiangyang's case
When I was reading vol. 2, I wished for the romance plot to be more in focus than the action. My wish came true. But now I wished that the action was more in focus than the romance, because 1) I had issues with the main relationship of the story (more about it below) and 2) in the contrary to vol. 1, the action was much more interesting to me than the romance.

Okay, now let's go to the bad things. My main issue with vol. 1 is the romance part, so I will start with it.

Read these two quotes and tell me who did you think about, okay?

He occasionally slipped into Zhao Yunlan's home at night but never dared to stay for long. Zhao Yunlan was very alert.
But in a stroke of good fortune, Zhao Yunlan recently had many dinners to attend, and he would arrive home half-drunk. Only at such times could Shen Wei risk drawing a little closer.

"My very existence is inauspicious," he said. "I can only bring you harm."

Did you think about Edward Cullen maybe? Because if so, welcome in the club, because I thought the same thing! I had to double check the title of the book, because I genuinely felt like I had picked the Twilight book by mistake. It was so bizarre. I didn't think that anyone writes like this thinking that it's romantic, but I guess, I was wrong.

For me it's not romantic. It's NOT. It's just CREEPY and makes me incredibly uncomfortable.

"In this lifetime, whether dead or alive, I won't let you go again. Even if one day you've had enough or tire of me, even if you want to leave me, I'll never let you go."

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

RED FLAG! RED FLAG! RED FLAG! RED FLAG!

These words belong to Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan's romantic interest. And this romantic interest, who was supposed to stay away from his "love", not only very quickly decided to become a couple with him, but, what is the worst thing that happened in this book, HAD SEX WITH ZHAO YUNLAN WHEN KUNLAN WAS IN CHARGE OF HIS BODY AND WHEN THAT BODY WAS DRUNK OUT OF HIS MIND.

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

RED FLAG! RED FLAG! RED FLAG! RED FLAG!

Again, how could this sound romantic? Just how?! How is Zhao Yunlan just smiling hearing this instead of packing his bags and running as far away as possible?!

I guess, it's because he's not better than his lover. Okay, he's not as bad as Shen Wei, but he did do some things that I didn't like (and neither should Shen Wei, but they both are dumb). First of all, he basically tried to force Shen Wei to move in with him by calling the moving company to his house. I have to point out that there was no talk about it with Shen Wei. It was purely Zhao Yunlan's decision. And it was Zhao Yunlan who bought a house for both of them, took Shen Wei there without a word to him about it, and gave him the keys. And it was Zhao Yunlan who had gone through Shen Wei's stuff at his home without Shen Wei's knowledge. This is how we come to the topic of Zhao Yunlan's paintings and oh boy, this also made me incredibly uncomfortable (as it should make Zhao Yunlan, but it didn't).

Except for the romance plot point problem, I had another issue. With the writing. I didn't like the author's writing style when I read vol. 1 and I didn't like it while reading vol. 2. There is no progress, it's the same kind of writing with stuff constantly being repeated, for example: Shen Wei was on the verge of losing his mind and once again Shen Wei didn't know how to react. I could ignore it a couple of times, but there was just too much of it. And what is up with throwing all the names and words at the reader like the reader is supposed to know what they mean? Don't get me started on the big history lesson that happened on the end of the book. My mind had completely shut off when I tried to get through it, so I have no idea what happened there. I tried to get through it a couple of times, but I understood nothing. I'm sorry, I'm so dumb.

Anyways, I am giving up on this series. There is only one book left, but I genuinely don't care what will happen there. Both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan don't interest me. None of them are characters that I could cheer up for, neither individually nor as a couple. I'm ending my journey with this series, but not with the danmei stories. Maybe I will pick some again in the future with hopes that those stories will be more enjoyable.

“In this lifetime, whether dead or alive, I won’t let you go again. Even if one day you’ve had enough or tire of me, even if you want to leave me, I’ll never let you go.”

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are both crazy. They deserve each other.

I liked this? But I also made the mistake of watching the adaptation and I’m sorry but I prefer it to the book💀

first, someone stole my physical copy of the book from the mail. unknown stranger, I hope you enjoy the book it's volume two!

for the book - omg i love it so much. we get even more romance and more detective work!
Zhao Yunlan and Shei Wei are both clowns so they are perfect for each other!

i would love to say i have more things to say but my head is empty - only screaming how good it was.

The ordinary details of real life are juxtaposed with supernatural aspects in this second volume in the “Guardian” series by Priest. On the surface the relationship between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei is a modern relationship between two people who are finding their way into a partnership that is fulfilling for both of them. Beneath the surface they have ancient, supernatural responsibilities that both predestine them as a couple but also keep them apart. It is the balance between these two worlds that makes this book such a pleasurable read.

The plot revolves around cases that the Special Investigations Department are tasked to solve. This creates situations where the members of the department head into Dragon City to resolve supernatural issues and in this second volume Shen Wei tags along. This is ostensibly because he is now seen as Zhao Yunlan’s partner, but also because he has abilities that can help them out. When they are out in public, Zhao Yunlan is a shameless flirt, announcing the status of their relationship by taunting onlookers at the hospital with the quote, “Never seen a couple of hot gay guys before?” (p. 74). He is obviously delighting in shocking his surroundings, which hits hard in a world, where censorship prohibits representations of such love. Priest gets away with this moment of honesty by wrapping it in snark, thus deflecting the actual meaning of his statement. The humour of the statement is, however, not enough to hide the actual status of their relationship, because the other members of the SID clearly know what is going on. A little later, Lin Jing addresses Shen Wei and says, “Noble consort, I beg you, intercede on my behalf!” (76) in an attempt to coax Zhao Yunlan into helping him. The contrast in the previous informal announcement by Zhao Yunlan and the extreme formality of this statement creates a humorous scene, which could be dismissed as meaningless banter, but the truth is buried on the surface.

The truth is that Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan have a well-balanced relationship in both the present and in their supernatural roles in the past. As the Soul-Executing Emissary, Shen Wei is responsible for the Great Seal, because he has deep history with Zhao Yunlan’s earlier reincarnation as Kunlun-jun. It is only as the book unfolds that Zhao Yunlan becomes aware of his past and it is not entirely clear how much he actually remembers and how much he is bluffing. Shen Wei has retained his memories of their ancient relationship and has waited through eternity to meet mortal reincarnations of Zhao Yunlan. It is incredibly touching on an existential level and adds depth to the domestic bliss of their present relationship, because they are, “… two people who brought out the best in each other without getting in the other’s way.” (p. 136). Who among us today can claim that they have experienced such deep understanding? It is an ideal but one that is simple to achieve if people would allow themselves to strive for this definition of happiness.

One of the best aspects of this book is that Priest has decided to embed a beautifully realistic coming-out scene in the midst of all the supernatural world-building. Zhao Yunlan drags Shen Wei to a Lunar New Year celebration with his mother to whom he then admits the real status of their relationship. Quite simply, he tells her that, “… my love for you (Shen Wei) can stir up a storm and shatter the world” (208). Her reaction is measured but not negative; she needs time to adjust and even more time to break the news to his father. Later on, there is also a scene between Zhao Yunlan with his father, where the harsh realities of such a relationship in Dragon City are tempered with his understanding that his son is now living with Shen Wei. Both his parents respect who he is but worry for their child. It is beautiful in its simplicity but complex beneath the surface. It is remarkable that such themes can be explored in a way that flies beneath the radar of official censorship.

The rest of the plot is fleshed out with back story on Chu Shuzhi as the Corpse King and the blossoming relationship between Wang Zhen and Sangzan. Daqing the cat is also great fun; he is both very much a fat cat as well as someone who has a deep understanding of Zhao Yunlan and so can say things to him that others cannot. It will be interesting to see how Priest will end the series. The domestic and the supernatural aspects need to intertwine…

Nobody tell Blake Lively because this book slaps.

This feels almost cozy despite all the bloodshed and death. I love the found family aspect, and I really like the two main characters and their relationship.

For all the complaining I did about feeling disconnected from the characters and story in book 1, I still went ahead and read book 2, hoping for a better reading experience. While I didn’t feel as disconnected from the characters and plot, I still didn’t enjoy the story as much as I was hoping to. It incorporated a lot of Chinese folklore and mythology that I wasn’t familiar with as well as a convoluted backstory for the mc that isn’t very clear until the last chapter. After the 40% mark, I had a hard time keeping up with what Zhao Yunlan was discovering about Shen Wei and how he was connected to the Sacred Artifacts and the ghosts and demons from the underworld.

The romance between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan was better in this book, but it really didn’t feel like it was enough. With all of the other stuff taking place as well as the pages' long info dumps on Chinese mythology, their relationship wasn’t the focus of the story. And while I loved how passionately Zhao Yunlan cared about Shen Wei, Shen Wei’s personality made a lot of their interactions chastely unsatisfying. Not that their interactions weren’t sweet - because they were - there just wasn’t any passion between them.

When it comes to danmei, I don’t really need, nor do I expect to see smut. What I do expect to see are (usually lengthy) build ups that lead to highly satisfying interactions between the mc and his love interest. Whether those interactions make me cringe, laugh, cry, or leave me angry and frustrated… I feel it all deeply, and it makes getting through everything else in the story worth it. That wasn’t the case here, at least for me. The little crumbs I got throughout these two books don’t justify all the work I had to put in in order to understand the story. 3 stars

Really enjoyed this! Zhao Yunlan and Shei Wei are so cute. I love how serious they are about their relationship! Also there was something so heartwarming about Zhao Yunlan coming out to his parents, despite all the supernatural things going down. Not sure I got everything about the mythology part, but really excited to see what happens next!

I wish it never ended..

I can't wait for the next volume...

OHHH I loved Volume 2 a lot more than Volume 1! We finally get somewhere with the romance <3 The plot also gets a lot more serious, and the backstories of the characters are revealed. The final chapters sent me into an existential spiral. I... I did not expect to ponder the immensity of immortality at 10 PM on a Sunday. Oh... Oh how lonely that must be...

I'm both scared and excited for Volume 3 because even if they end up happily ever after, HOW WILL IT WORK???

Also I cannot believe I'm saying this but I feel like I'm growing old because the 30 year old protagonist here was getting intensely relatable to me. Help.

❤️ Guardian volume 2 - Priest ❤️

🪭 danmei
🌌 supernatural
✨️ soulmates
🔎 detective/police
🦋 mysterious

okay this danmei has me HOOKED 😍 I love everything about it?! I love the characters mostly but also the story itself and Priest's writing style is also everything 🙌🏻 in this volume we discover who Zhao Yunlan truly is (no worries I won't say!) and he takes the next step in his relationship with Shen Wei 😭❤️ these two men are so adorable together!!! they really take their relationship seriously and already act like a married couple as they are so in love with one another 🌈🩷 the plot also develops really interestingly (Chinese mythology 🐉) and the concept of found family comes forward 💫

Star-crossed lovers ugh we love to see it *ugly cries*

I cannot believe this is ending in the next volume, I only just fell in love with this couple!

3 ⭐

Surprisingly I saw the twist coming, I had a strong feeling but wasn't sure. The translation gave it away with how it stresses a few lines. I had to switch to the unofficial work since I couldn't understand chapter 18 & 19 which reveals their past. Overall Priest is a brilliant author but I hope 7 seas edits more for the next print. The artwork was as usual beautiful.

I **think** I understand what's going on? One of my favorite things is how much Chinese Mythology is in this story but it's also what confuses me the most. There is less action but A LOT more relationship development (and not just with the MC/ML). I love all the characters in the Soul-Guarding Order! We learn so much about the past in this volume which somehow has me even more discombobulated 🤦‍♀️ Will definitely have to reread before the third and final volume comes out this July.

I love how Priest writes her shameless characters- Zhao Yunlan does not disappoint. And Shen Wei is absolutely adorable.

⭐️ 4.5 Wow, I didn’t expect it be so good! Loved all the lore

It says something that so many of my guesses and theories have panned out, and yet I still have no idea where this is going or how anything's going to be resolved. 😂

I liked getting a little more of Guo Changcheng in this one, and we learn a lot about what happened in the past, but that just opens a whole other can of worms about how that's going to impact current events. There's still a lot at play going into this last volume. I'm actually going to take a few days to reread some parts of volumes 1 and 2 in order to get a better grip on the mythological aspect of things. That got going pretty heavy at the end in this one, and I had trouble keeping everything straight.

Daqing is still hilarious, Zhao is still a punk, and Shen Wei is probably in need of some stress relief. He's a bit pent up. There are some developments I'm tilting my head at, but I'm still curious to see where it's all heading.

So I figured that Zhao was a mountain god and would end up being Kunlun. And I figured Kunlun screwed up majorly 5000 years ago, though I thought that would be how he lost his left shoulder soul light. Instead, he gave that to the boy he meets right when he's setting the world on fire. I'm still waiting on a few other theories to see if those are right. I'm thinking Ghost Face will have Zhao's face, though Zhao thinks he'll have Shen's face. I'm also curious to see if GCC is going to have a larger part to play in all this, and if his uncle is working with the Netherworld or just wanted to get his nephew out of his house. I'm not sure what to make of Chu Shuzhi being a wannabe WWX and a zombie. That's weird, but it could end up being important later on in a couple of different ways. I'm wondering if Zhu Hong is a descendent of Nüwa. She seems to have sensed something off about Shen Wei before the other minions did.

Laying eyes on Kunlun-jun for the first time, in the shades of the grove. A single fleeting glance and the melody of my heart faltered.

By Wei.

Once again, I breezed through this volume and loved every second of it. We got backstory on Zhao Yunlan’s past life (as a goddam god?! Hello?!) and also his connection to Shen Wei. And it was every bit as juicy and amazing as I thought it would be.

Shen Wei took a long look at him. So much emotion and longing, so agonizingly repressed for thousands of years, and Zhao Yunlan had casually set it all ablaze with absolutely no warning. The intensity was rapidly reaching a breaking point, and with it, an indescribable sadistic urge welled up in Shen Wei's heart. He ached to gather Zhao Yunlan in his arms and smother him there, to crush every bit of flesh and bone to dust and melt it in his palms, preserving this moment for eternity.

I am so ridiculously soft for this type of trope. You know the all-consuming pining trope? When these characters are just so in love with each other that they want to devour each other whole just to be close to each other? Fucking love it.

Can’t wait to read the final volume (which is thankfully soon) <3

“I accept. In this lifetime, whether dead or alive, I won’t let you go again.”

Shen Wei is such a cutey. He’s so old fashioned, obviously he’s ancient, and shy to the point it makes him adorable. Then within a flash he’s ready to kill and rip people’s head off 😂

“Then his pen paused as an incredibly perverted thought took root: where does Shen Wei keep his underwear? Especially the one’s he’s already worn?”

😂 Zhao Yunlan is a great character. He makes me laugh more often than not. He’s witty, a tease, but he’s also as adorable as Shen Wei when he wants to be.

Is Shen Wei the young king of the gui? Also I think Zhu Hong is going to break her own heart if she doesn’t give up on this soon lol.

Looking forward to the next one best get my order in 😭😂

Big reveals in this one. I was right and my suspicions were true. Zhao Yunlan is or has been a supernatural being (sometimes it's confusing all this reincarnation cycle, cultivation and immortality thing) and, as I also suspected, he was responsible for one of the Hallowed Artifacts. He also sacrificed his left shoulder fire to estabilise the Seal amd (I didn't understand it fully) but I think that had some role in elevating Shen Wei in their former life. I also think that fire is in the pendant Shen Wei wears all the time.
All the mythology got me lost at times, especially in the last chapter where we get Zhao Yunlan recount of his life as Kulun-jun (which I'm not sure it's a faithful recall, mind you) but I let all that go through my head because I plan on rereading, so I think I'll grasp everything better next time.
The case was interesting, but I liked this book was more focused on the overreaching plot more. I don't trust the Magistrate, I know he is following his own agenda, but I think he is going to put at risk Zhao Yunlan, or Shen Wei or both I liked Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei relationship, but I wish Shen Wei were less secretive, because one of this days, all those secrets are going to come back and bit him in the a** and I hope all those don't put Zhao Yunlan at risk. I'm worried all the time. Oh, and that moment when Zhao Yunlan discovered Shen Wei stalker vein was hilarious. It serves him right for trying to "kidnap" Shen Wei to their new home.
I also liked the secondary characters. I loved Daquin, he is his usual awesome self. And I loved to learn more about Chu Shuzi and his backstory (as shocking as it was), and seeing Guo Changcheng growing little by little. I suspect there's something going on with him, let's see. Which I'm not very happy about is Zhu Hong's jeaolusy, it gets tiresome after a while. I hope that doesn't become an issue later.
So, only one more Hallowed Artifact left to find. I'm curious about the Ghost King identity, more even after Zhao Yunlan stated he knew his face. I suspect it's Shen Wei, part of him at least... maybe I'm out of base here, but in my head it makes sense, so let's see when his identity is revealed if my theory holds.

I ATE THIS UP. Priest is so talented I really think she’s up there with mxtx.

This volume had a huge lore drop along with a lot of Chinese mythology references. It may be hard for some to follow but if you’re like me and read a lot of Chinese novels you should be fine.

Also.. the chemistry is so chefs kiss. Every touch between them is like a spark and ahhhh. I love the main couple so much and I’m looking forward to seeing more direct confrontation between them. As of now, Yunlan keeps a lot of his thoughts to himself.

I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the last volume to come out. Alas, I will.

This series has some of Seven Seas' best art. Zhao Yunlan's antics and those of his crew never fail to entertain. The mythology info-dump is slightly less confusing the second go around, but the motivations of the factions in the present day timeline are still convoluted.

Of all that I am, the only part worth anything may be my heart.

I was in a huge reading slump before reading this book, and did it get me out of that slump? I'd say yes! First of all, I want to say that I did like the first volume more. I kinda missed the yearning between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, whereas the second volume has their relationship more established.

This volume also focuses more on Chinese mythology and the past as it gets incorporated into the plot. Because of this it can get confusing, but the glossary helps! We still have the same old Zhao Yunlan being shameless and the boy failure that he is. And poor Shen Wei has to deal with that.

I do feel the need to mention that the glossary apparently had errors in the first print. I believe this will get fixed for the reprints. To see the corrections, you have to access it through the Seven Seas website, which I will link here.

All in all, great volume! You can see how much the two main leads love and mean so much to each other. I, for one, would do anything for Shen Wei!

4.5 stars

The second volume of the series is better than the first.

I was conditioned by the live action, but this one shows the evolution of the relationship between the characters .

Through the events of the first book, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's paths diverge. Thanks to the intervention of Yunlan's co-workers, they are reunited. The romantic relationship blossoms. Yunlan remembers his past lives and the relationship with Shen Wei.

Shen Wei has in is house a lot of paintings and photographs of Zhao Yunlan's previous reincarnations . I was in tears when Yunlan discovers them. 10.000 years of pinning weigh on Shen Wei's soul.

I can´t wait for the thrid and last book.

4/5stars

This is so fun but tragic ug I love reincarnation/fate stories so much

Also the dynamic of whose the t/b???? I wasn't expecting that whaaaaat

Volume 2 of Guardian continues where the previous left off, after the events where Zhao Yunlan has learned the true identity of Shen Wei. It hasn’t lessened his interest in the other man, but Shen Wei keeps his guard up.

It’s the lunar New Year, and the time of year when the ghosts and humans alike have their merits tallied. Guo Changcheng, the intern at the Special Investigations Department, gets another learning experience when the group goes after a resentful spirit. He’s still timid and easily frightened, but we learn that he has abundance of merits, whereas Chu Shuzhi, the zombie investigator at SID doesn’t have enough to end his 300 years of service.

It’s also the time of year to visit the family. Zhao Yunlan brings Shen Wei to meet his parents, shocking them by coming out to them. He doesn’t let their opinions stop him—or Shen Wei’s reluctance either. He’s already bought them a house even, and is contemplating forcefully moving the other man there, only to stop at the last moment after learning the secret about their relationship Shen Wei has kept.

Shen Wei is still searching for the four hallowed artifacts that could release the great seal. This time, the Merit Brush makes an appearance and he and Zhao Yunlan both go after it, though Shen Wei tries to stop the other man. He knows that it will reveal the true identity of Zhao Yunlan to him. It puts a strain between the men, but it also brings their relationship to a turning point.

This wasn’t as action filled as the first volume. There’s only one investigation that is solved fairly easily. The rest is taken up by personal issues of the characters, and Zhao Yunlan investigating his true identity from the Chinese creation mythologies. The volume ends before we learn what he truly thinks of the revelations. The relationship between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei remains rather one-sided, and we don’t learn either, where it stands after their first night together (especially since it’s a bit of a shock to Zhao Yunlan.) I’m eager to find out.

A bit long-winded at times, and I don't know if it's just the translation, but I barely understood anything. The story started strong but then got too convoluted, while also feeling like not enough was happening. Also, those extras were not what I was expecting. Typically, you get fun extra content, or little side stories; here, it was literally just explaining what happened after the ending, while also explaining that confusing ending. It felt like a necessary continuation, not an extra.

To be honest, all the fun romance bits were in the first part. This part is just CONFUSING AS HELL.

But...
I'm definitely into the everlasting reincarnated romance, Shen Wei's obsessive nature, getting to learn more about Shen Wei in general and picking at his character (he's a REAL piece of work, we learn); I love Guo Changcheng in general, and he eventually stopped getting on my nerves, but I was expecting a romance with Chu Shuzhi, like damn.

Another excellent installment in this series. I really love the way all the characters are built, and the way all their relationships with each other are fleshed out. I never feel like I'm just supposed to accept a relationship between characters, they always feel organic.

I will admit to being a little confused by the mythology at times. However, by the time I had reached the end of the volume, I felt like I had a grasp on it. I think it was just my own ignorance of Chinese mythology getting in my way, but I got there in the end. So if you're feeling like it's a little too much, stick with it because by the end it does start to make sense.

Overall, I'm still really loving this series, and Shen Wei continues to be the best, which is the main thing I care about honestly.

i know this shouldn't be my main takeaway, but like i really want a cat now