This is the third series by Chinese author Mo Xiang Tong Xii. After loving the other two (Scum Villain's Self-Saving System & Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), it was really only a matter of time before I started this one, even though it is eleven-floppity-jillion pages long.

Listen. Is this the best writing ever? No. There is a ton of info dumping and the phrasing is sometimes clunky (though that could be translation, Seven Seas translation is kind of infamously poorly edited) and MXTX is rarely great with female characters. BUT IT SUPER GAY and had me giggling even in the waiting rooms at the passport office and the dentist and I am just so helplessly charmed by the characters. The world feels like it has an incredibly rich history and it's all interconnected and I just love it. ( )

I'm not sure if it was the translation, but I genuinely couldn't finish this. I think I got to chapter 5? It read like a sixteen year olds fanfiction, and was very much not for me. I'm hoping to find a better translation because I want to like it/finish it. ( )

This first volume of the series introduces Xie Lian, the former crown prince of the Kingdom of Xianle. When he first ascended and became a god, he had many worshipers and was loved by his followers. Unfortunately, his caring nature and desire to save the common people turned out to be his downfall, and at the start of this story he has ascended for the third time and is mostly powerless, penniless, and unlucky. Good thing he's pretty much used to it by this point.

In order to pay off his debts, Xie Lian agrees to look into reports of a ghost groom who's been kidnapping and likely killing brides in the Mount Yujun area. He is reluctantly assisted by Nan Feng and Fu Yao, two junior martial officials.

In the second half of the volume, Xie Lian meets a mysterious young man named San Lang and journeys to Banyue Pass to investigate attacks on travelers in the area.

I have things I like and dislike about each of MXTX's stories, but this one is probably my favorite overall (granted, I've only read up to about 75% of a fan translation of this series, so that could change). Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are my favorite of MXTX's couples, and the slow-burn aspects of their relationship are lots of fun. The characters interactions, in general, are really enjoyable. The series' weakest aspect is probably its overall plot, which takes forever to start coming together and then requires you to remember things that happened hundreds of pages ago. That's how I felt while reading a fan translation - we'll see how I feel about all of it now that I'm reading an official translation.

It's a good thing I like the Ghost Groom arc, because I've now gone through it at least five or six times, either in novel form or via the animated TV series. It comes across as a fairly self-contained supernatural mystery (I now know that there are a bunch of little details that will be important much later on ::sigh::) and is a nice way to ease into some of the basic characters, their world, and the way things work.

I'm not as wild about the Banyue arc, but San Lang's existence made it more enjoyable than it might otherwise have been. I loved San Lang's mischievous yet helpful interactions with Xie Lian and the way he openly thumbed his nose at Nan Feng and Fu Yao. Then there was the Sinner's Pit scene - sure, it had all the revelations about the downfall of Banyue, but it also had San Lang showing off a bit while princess carrying Xie Lian.

Now on to the next volume!

Extras:

Seven Seas' usual extensive and helpful character and name guide and glossary, although for once I didn't need to consult any of it. Also, black-and-white illustrations throughout, which I generally enjoyed, plus a couple full-color illustrations.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

I love finally having the official English translation! It reads really well!

I don't think it's as polished as the translations for the other two volume 1s of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's works for some reason, but overall it's still great! The story is still wonderful, I love all the characters, there's lots of great little character interactions, and it doesn't feel as overwhelming or slow as it did the first time I read it. The art for the covers and interiors is also great, and I really loved the style for the interiors! ( )

I loved this book! From the start it’s a very interesting story, and I’ve found the novel amusing with a good balance of mood. Elegantly avoids the problem of being so humorous that it’s impossible to take the plot seriously while also not drowning you with the characters’ sorrows, and follows a comfortable pace to boot. Distinct characters and a good variety of them. I find the style of the translation very nice, and I can imagine that the original text is only better! Excited to continue the series.

(Side note: I really really hope the two women show up again. I want to see more of them!!) ( )