The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System 1: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, T1

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) #1

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, Audrey Simon (translator)

En dépit de ses débuts modestes et de son passé torturé, le demi-démon Luo Binghe est parvenu à s’élever au point d’atteindre un niveau inégalé en force et en beauté. Avec son harem de plus de trois cents femmes et sa domination assurée sur les royaumes humain et démoniaque, il n’est à n’en point douter le protagoniste le plus puissant... d’un roman sérialisé en ligne nullissime !

Du moins, c’est ce que croit Shen Yuan, alias « Peerless Cucumber », en terminant la lecture du dernier chapitre de La Voie du Fier Démon Immortel. Mais lorsqu’un mélange de rage et de mauvais choix de repas entraîne sa mort, il se retrouve réincarné au sein du monde de ce roman en ligne dans le corps de Shen Qingqiu, le beau, mais néanmoins cruel professeur du jeune Luo Binghe.

Cependant, bien qu’avec cette nouvelle identité, il dispose désormais d’un pouvoir et de capacités incroyables en tant que cultivateur, il est également destiné à se voir horriblement puni pour les exactions qu’il a commises envers le protagoniste.Ce nouveau Shen Qingqiu n’a donc d’autre choix que d’entrer dans les bonnes grâces de ce dernier avant que le jeune homme n’accède au pouvoir. Ainsi, et seulement ainsi, pourra-t-il échapper au destin qui attend une véritable ordure !

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Historical, China

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Associated Names:
* 墨香铜臭 (Chinese)
* Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
* โม่เซียงถงซิ่ว (Thai)
* 묵향동후 (Korean)
* Мосян Тунсю (Russian)

Reviews

[el · Rating 4 out of 5]

mxtx could do macbeth, but shakespeare could never do scum villain’s self-saving system….

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 5 out of 5]

[System loading...]

To the people who think SVSSS isn't worth reading: you're wrong.

I don't think I've ever laughed so much while reading a MXTX book tbqh? It was such a joy to be able to read the SVSSS official English translation--which was wonderful, by the way--and experience Shen Yuan's rage at novel tropes :D This edition and its illustrations were also so beautiful!

The transmigration premise was so much fun and the execution was very well done despite being a bit slow at times. I had such a great time, personally, reading about Shen Yuan being forced to live Shen Qingqiu's life and having to endear himself to Luo Binghe to avoid his fate. The chaotic energy of the System was the best part and the comments regarding the plot made by Shen Yuan himself were gold.

Once again, the characters/locations guide was very much welcome as a point of reference!

*

Digital copy provided via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uhmmm, amé esto, jajajaja.

[Ksenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy! SVSSS gets an official English translation! I see this as the perfect occasion to write my first Goodreads review.

As one of the three novels by the author (short: MXTX), this novel is the equivalent to the middle child - even though it was the first one to be written: It often gets forgotten, and not nearly enough attention as the other two!

There are quite a few reasons as to why this might be the case. For one - as previously mentioned - this is MXTX's first book, and it shows a bit in the style of writing and characterization. I really don't mind though, still love it actually.
Another reason might be the type of relationship that the two characters have, which is shizun x disciple. You'll find that this kind of ship isn't as rare as you might think in danmei (Chinese term for boys love), butt as a newcomer it sure as hell might throw you off for a second since it's basically a student-teacher relationship.
On that note, their age difference might also be something to get used to - again, not really rare, at least not in the danmei I've read or heard of so far - and it's really not that bad. Basically, the "protagonist" aka love interest Luo Binghe gets introduced to us while he's 15, the actual protagonist seems to be a young adult (technically Luo Binghe knew the protagonist since age 12 or 13 already, butt that was different). Fear not though, their relationship doesn't actually develop to the romantic kind until much later, when they're of same age (if you know wonder: "H-how?!", lemme quickly explain: Shen QingQui's a powerful cultivator who kinda doesn't... age... as fast... it makes kinda sense, I promise. Also, there's that one 5-year-period of.. not aging, too. It definitely makes sense after reading. xD)

Another point that you might want to be wary of, is. Well. The sexual content, or the general development of their relationship. To put it simply: Their first time having sex isn't ideal, and while MXTX got better at writing this type of scene with every novel they wrote, people have always been criticizing the comfortableness of them doing the papapa (aka the deed). Maybe this is the reason why Hualian didn't really do it "on-screen". xD
While I absolutely do not agree or consider myself that type of person, this novel is the one with the most people that ship the protagonist with someone who isn't their actual love interest. And while I said I am definitely one of them, I can at least somewhat understand why some don't approve of their chemistry. Lemme tell you: Lots of-- L o t s. O f . Misunderstandings. *shudder*

Now that I've reviewed the cons of the story, lemme introduce you to the many great reasons why you should stop whatever you're doing right now, and start reading The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System!

Let's start with the concept! This type of novel is a transmigration novel, aka a novel where someone gets transmigrated into the body of a character they know. Aka Shen Yuan suddenly waking up as the scum villain in the webnovel he hated on before death, lmao. Again, transmigration novels seem to be pretty widely known in Chinese novels too? (Also reincarnation. My recommendation for that: The Husky And His White Cat Shizun. Kinda long, super emotional, really great.)

The novel that he hated on (Proud Immortal Demon Way) is a typical, cliché harem novel, aka:
- Protagonist has a tragic backstory and gets treated unfairly by everyone
- Extremely powerful, protagonist halo, beautiful and kind
- Always winning
- Harem of girls that love him (Luo Binghe is the proud owner of a 3.000 women harem)
- Extremely generic background characters, each one having a smaller IQ than the previous one
- Hilariously uncreative names for things

So if you like the concept of making fun of this trope, then this book will surely be amusing to you!
Another reason for laughter in this story is the protagonist: Shen Yuan is a pretty typical guy, who just wants to not be tortured to death, please, live his life, and who curses a lot. A lot. He's the type of guy to secretively hide behind his fan and seem all mighty, while internally panicking with every swear word known in modern times. Dude just wants his peace and quiet.

The plot is fairly interesting, too! A bit see-through at times, butt with one or two very unexpecting turns!
[Spoiler: The antagonist of the story? Hilarious guy. Also chill with his son railing a guy. xD]

You'll find some very endearing characters that you'll root for getting what they deserve (as opposed to their fate in the "original" novel), and to be perfectly honest:
This novel is 45% serious, 55% crack. It's hilarious, lovely and a really nice read for in-between. If you plan on reading MXTX's other novels as well (which I definitely recommend!), I'd honestly recommend you to start with this one, and then proceed chronologically.
Start with the light and funny story, continue with the heavy story, and then read the comforting story.

I really enjoyed this, and had some laughs and giggles before my finals.

[anmol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Imagine you hate read a million-word book only to die right after and get transmigrated into the said book as the villain and somehow make the protagonist (who in the original novel was straight asf and had a thousand women in his harem) fall in love with you WHILE YOU ONLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE DOESNT KILL YOU THIS TIME AROUND

That's SVSSS.

Like I always say, Bingqiu walked so Wangxian and Hualian could run. THEYRE MY PARENTS PARENTS. THEYRE GRANDPARENTS. HOW CAN I NOT LOVE THEM??????

Also, I really used to think Bingqiu lowkey resembles Hualian (they still do) but Bingqiu are so Ranwan coded its not even funny (or is it the other way round idk 😭) but fr the similarities were killing me. (also made me miss my sunshine moron sm i smell a 2ha reread incoming)

I love all MXTX main characters really but Cucumber bro Shen Qingqiu is a fucking ✨ MOOD ✨ He is so smart, so sweet, so savage but such a fucking dumbass gehsjsks. And no one can say Shen Qingqiu didn't love Binghe, he was so soft for him SINCE THE BEGINNING

“Even if an accident befalls this master, no misfortune will come to you.”

why would binghe not fall after that-

Shen Qingqiu lifted an arm and patted Bing-ge’s head like he’d always wanted to.

its the head pats for me 😭

Shen Qingqiu watched him bloom, and without knowing why, his hand suddenly itched, wanting to pat that head again. Was it possible that Bing-ge’s head had a special magnetic field? That would explain why he couldn’t control himself.

this retard

If you think Shen Qingqiu is a dumbass tho, let me introduce you to a bigger dumbass- Luo Binghe, our protagonist

Thus did Student Luo Binghe’s colorful imagination successfully activate the Massive Fog of Misunderstandings System.

I mean he was just my little summer child in this book and I loved him- no hes a summer child in every volume my baby just wants his shizun and his head pats- he reminds me too much of teenage moron so maybe i love him more because of that too 😔

BUT WE HAVE THE BIGGEST DUMBASS TOO NOW- OUR AIRPLANE BRO SHANG QINGHUA THIS DUDE THIS DUDE IS SO FUCKING HILARIOUS IM SO JEALOUS OF HIM JSSKKSKSKS LIKE IMAGINE WRITING A NOVEL AND THEN GETTING TRANSMIGRATED TO THE SAID NOVEL AND END UP MARRYING THE CHARACTER THAT LITERALLY RESEMBLES YOUR DREAM GUY BCS U!!! WROTE!!! HIM!!!!

Mobei Jun is the hottest demon to ever grace this planet and I'll die on that hill.

No but as much as this book is hilarious- I've never laughed so much reading a book (maybe with WDFT now too lmaoo) but THE WAY THIS MADE ME SOB TOO who would've thought 😭
__

i just need a good laugh after the agony that was a little life

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'OOC' stars

Why nobody told me this book is so hillarious?! I have no idea why this story is the least popular among MXTX's books because it's brilliant!!




my gifs



Shen Qingqui and Luo Binghe are both so precious. I just want to hold both of them and never let them go!! 🥰🥰



my gif


Official book art by Velinxi
Colored by Xi



Art by Yoki W

Also, this Binghe song is in my mind 24/7!!




5 'OOC' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 'Shizun and his baby demon' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 'together at last' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4,5 'bingqiu in love' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

That pretty much sums up the plot of the book, and as soon as I read the synopsis, I knew it was going to be chaotic and messy, which I love.

The villain, Shen Qingqiu, is a joker, and his interactions with the system are what I live for. Luo, on the other hand, is a fairly strong and decent character up to this point *hehe*.

Plus, the extra art scenes are something we can't live without, so reading the official version of the book has its own advantages..

[Nark · Rating 4 out of 5]

✦ i am confusion????? (in a fun way)
✦ the overall premise is highly entertaining. imagine being so mad because of a book that you literally DIE of pure rage and get transported into it as one of the villain characters to make the plot better😭

[思莹 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5

mxtx really came up with the most unserious premise and wrote in the most unserious main character ever, and i love her for it.

[Lau ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thousands of unnecessary pages full of plot holes, messy relationships and very flat villains are more than enough to make Shen Yuan a very angry reader when he finally reaches the ending of the webnovel he’s been following forever.

What he doesn’t expect is to transmigrate to the webnovel as the baddest of the villains, the one all the fandom hated until he was joyfully murdered at the end. He’s not even transmigrating to the beginning of the book: his alter ego has already started bullying Luo Binghe, hero of the story and his future assassin, but there is nothing Shen can’t save with a bit of sweetness and good manners, right?

[OCC Warning!!]

Stop there, it’s not so easy. Every time Shen acts Out Of Character, the system of the novel is deducting points from him, bringing him closer to death. He needs a good strategy if he wants to survive this. Thankfully, he has all those years of fan knowledge to make Luo like him and save his sorry ass for the upcoming death. If only the system stopped blocking every single one of his ideas.


Luo Binghe smiled. “Today, the humiliation this disciple once suffered will be returned one hundredfold. For injuring my hands and feet, I’ll tear off your limbs and grind them to dust.”


…And the prize for better premise of the year goes to SVSSS!


Imagine having to not only survive being the bad guy of your favorite novel, but also having to solve all the plot holes and nonsense dramas that bothered you as a reader. The happier readers are, the more points you get, which lets you have more power over your own character. It’s *chef’s kiss*


Not only did Luo Binghe not feel like other people were making things difficult for him, his expression became joyful and satisfied.
If Shen Qingqiu were there, he would definitely have suspected that, within the depths of his heart, Luo Binghe was actually an extreme masochist.


On top of that, the whole book is a parody of the fantasy genre: the too-good-to-be-true main character who’s always almost dying but never succeeds-except if you are reading GOT-, how ridiculous the villains are or the infinite remedies the author can come up with. And you are following a POV that is a reader like you, who is thinking the same as you, who keeps making fun of every single absurd thing yet can’t stop himself from falling in love with the story [relatable points: +50]. I lost count of how many times Shen thinks ‘let’s throw Luo to the wolves and save the rest of us, he’s not going to die’, and then proceeds to put himself in danger every time someone threatens his beloved MC.


Reading this book was such a joy, I’ll never be able to make it justice. I’m still in shock it worked for me-I tend to not do well with comedy-, but it was everything I didn’t know I needed. I only hope the romance takes a bit more to appear, because I can’t stand age gaps and the whole teacher-pupil dynamics Shen and Luo have going on is making it hard to imagine them as any more than that *crosses fingers*


“Why does Shizun keep looking at me?” he asked. “Could it be that this disciple was gone for so long that Shizun also missed him?”
“I’m not allowed to look at someone I raised?” asked Shen Qingqiu.
Luo Binghe chortled. “Of course Shizun is allowed. Am I pleasing to look at?”


I’m aware this is not going to work for everyone, but since I wouldn’t have recommended it to myself either, I’m going to say give it a try if you love fantasy, humor and want to read something chill and different from what you usually go for.


[Luo] knelt beside Shen Qingqiu with bloodshot eyes, choking on sobs. “Shizum..”
With great difficulty, Shen Qingqiu lifted an arm and patted Bing-ge’s head like he’d always wanted to. The mouthful of fresh blood he’d been holding back finally spilled falteringly forth.
Even if it was going to be like this, he persisted and tenaciously offered a crucial line to farm more favor. “I knew that…you’d definitely win.” 🤣


Rating: 4.5/5

[Megan ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit after 3rd read:

Still absolutely hits.

Edit after 2nd read:

This is still as hilarious and easily lovable as the first time around!

Original review:

This was so goddamn funny, I absolutely loved it. I'm going to perish having to wait for the next volume.

[Xia and the Giant TBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine you're an avid reader of online books, and you've spent the past year being an angry troll in the comments section of a certain book blaming the author for plot holes, nonsensical events and overpowered characters. Then you die, and somehow wake up in the book world as the villain. You know the entire plot, and you know what's going to happen to you at the end of the book, so your task is to change the plot to save yourself.

Oh, and there's a system in your head that gives you warnings when you are out of character, and grants and removes points for your efforts.
That's basically what this book is about + magic poison curing di*k.

It took me 2 years to start this series, expecting the silly plot to trigger a DNF after the first 10%. BUT I GET IT, OKAY? It's fun and I enjoyed it, and I'm starting the next one right away.

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd Read:

I wanted to read this whole story straight through back to back. I really am impressed with MXTX's writing. This story holds up so well on a re-read. I am changing my star rating. I think this is my favorite book in the series. I'm giving this 5 stars.

I think what I love about this book is the innocence of Luo Binghe. After this book, he comes back and he's so twisted and dark. I just like the innocence and bright eyed good will of the character. He gives me hope. We know what's happening to Binghe and Qingque is missing this whole crushing on his master thing. This was a great read. Tomorrow, I start the 2nd part of the story.

There are really 3 parts and the 4th book is mostly extra material and not the best material. It's one of the short XianXia books I've read. Short and sweet.

1st Read:
I picked this up after MXTX's "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation". This is a interesting story and it's great, but still, GDC is still better. I've never heard of a premise before like this one, which could simply be me.

Our main character has read this online novel and thinks the author is pure crap and he does nothing but lambast all the things that are bad about it. He then dies and find himself as the villain in the novel. He knows the story and he knows the protagonist is going to kill him, so he begins to try and change how his character to stay alive. It's like a game and if certain things don't happen, the main character will lose points and if he loses them all, he will die officially. So, he has to be smart about how he can change the plot.

Spoiliery ahead:





As the story goes on, small change here and there have big changes in the story. The original online novel is supposed to be a stallion novel which means the main protagonist is like Conan with all these women he takes into his harem. One of the changes that happens, is instead of the main protagonist falling for all the girls, he is falling for his master, the scum villain, truly creating a new story.

So far, nothing romancy has happened, that's all future storyline. It's simply set up here.

I am going to read on with this story. I tell you, MXTX is a master story teller and she has a gift in this genre. She is amazing. I can't wait to read all her stuff. I also want to read Priest's "Word of Honor" if there is ever an English Translation.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Re-read 05.2025] I don't even know the person who rated this book 4* in the beginning. 😂 I mean, my criticism below still stands but I had a ton of fun.

This is one of my most favorite series of ALL TIME, so the plot is of course 5*. I have a short review of the entire series here.

This review is specifically for the Seven Seas official English translation volume 1. I think most of it flows well. The best thing about this series for me is the humor; however, I've found that some of it feels stunted/not natural. Like there are times when I catch myself thinking, mhmm perhaps this is funnier in Chinese. For example -

"Shen Quingqiu's adaptability was, as always, as incredible as a record-breaking dick."

I guess what I mean is, some phrases feel like they are almost funny.

There were a few things that I wish were footnoted as well. For instance, the demoness Sha Hualing was called a "Saint". However, this doesn't mean the conventional meaning of Saint, which is a kindly, compassionate, faithful person. But it denotes a woman who is highly lauded for her cultivation progress. And there were a few other pretty particular cultivation terms that were thrown at you unexplained, like Nascent Soul or Midcore Foundation.

I think I would be a bit confused if this was my first time ever reading the book. But then again, it's now my third time reading the series and I totally enjoyed myself. Excited for the next volume! 😊

[Tsundoku By the Day 📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got around to finishing SVSSS and it was amazing!!

-The cover was all-around gorgeous and sturdy. (I loved the choice of adding the characters to the back)
-The interior layout was beautiful!
-The different style fonts for the texts were very cool
-I liked the addition of the text emojis. It fit the feel of the character and book and seemed timely.
-The interior, original artwork was really nice and well done! Binghe and SQQ look so cute.
-I thought the footnotes were really useful as far as when making modern day TV show references and such that I forgot about and would have had no clue about if I hadn’t had footnotes.

Word of warning: This book is rated 17+ and I advise seeking out specific content warning for not just vol 1 but especially for future volumes of this series.

For best pronunciation practices and to get easily introduced to the world, I suggest watching the donghua (Chinese anime) adaptation of the novel. S1 is currently available and S2 is set to air this year.

The first time I read the translation, I though it was hilarious but the official ENG translation topped the unofficial one. It was 10x funnier—I didn’t even know if it was possible—and I liked some of the straightforward clarity presented from the very beginning (ex. Introducing Shen Yuan and his love/hate relationship to PIDW, I think when I read the unofficial one I didn’t get the sense right away that SY was an unreliable narrator (at the very beginning of SVSSS at least) but in this official one it was clear and unquestionable. It definitely drawn out and encompassed within the first page or two).

In terms of clarity, I feel like the official translation also did a great job in further being clear about Shen Yuan’s emotional state—especially with his complicated feelings towards LBH that he’s internalized—and trying to obv avoid figured out (something I felt lacked in the unofficial one and simply showed the SY jumping around statuses in a relationship w/o much connection btw his own feelings).

I think Shen Yuan curses a lot more (ex. Instead of the activation code being Stupid Author…it’s Dumbfuck author…) and it hit differently in a good way tbh and seemed in line with his character (not original SQQ). I was cackling the entire time.

7 Seas picked a great stop point for vol 1 too. Ngl. I already pre-ordered vol 2 and honestly can’t wait for it to be released in mid April. (Ugh, mid April already feels so far away!)

The official translation had a lot of personality and I advise anyone who is interested in danmei or MXTX’s other works to check it out.

I’ll say this like I said for MDZS, I’m not fluent in Chinese so I can’t rate and review based on the accuracy of the translation but I will rate & review based on my enjoyment of the content (for what it is) as a consumer and based on prior knowledge of the fandom’s adaptions & other unofficial translations.

[Marureviere · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you've become the protagonist of a BL novel that you unknowingly devised without realising that you've become the protagonist of a BL novel that you unknowingly devised. This is like 90% crack 10% srs 100% gay and I am here for it. 😭

[Ariana Nash]

I have no idea what this is but y'all are reading it and it sounds amazing!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luo Binghe is the main character in the web series Proud Immortal Demon Way, who came forth from exile in the demon realm to conquer the world and the hearts of hundreds of beautiful maidens. Along the way he kills Shen Qingqiu, his cruel peak lord who was also the one who threw him into exile.

Shen Yuan is a reader of Demon Way who dies on earth and reincarnates not as Binghe, but as Qingqiu. He bickers with the "system" that allocates points for various actions as he works toward changing the story... and saving his own skin.

I had a mildly difficult time in the first half of this book. Part of that, perhaps, was due to this being the first book of the author's first serial. It seemed to be going the way that a number of new authors' serials go, with the initial conceit disintegrating and the author letting the winds of imagination carry them wherever from there. Qingqiu is given a lot of leeway to go out of character less than 100 pages into the story. Aside from that, I wasn't seeing this as being too out of the ordinary for an isekai-like story, though admittedly it was in a genre I wasn't all that familiar with. The main character exclaims indignantly at their situation, but things still go their way--with a strong feeling of deus ex machina--in the long term.

Something happened about halfway through, though. Along the way I'd been introduced to number of characters, and while none of them was super deep, almost all of them became memorable, distinctive, or endearing as things went along, despite their initial introduction as "cannon fodder" or part of an endless train of beautiful brides for Binghe. The demon characters and monsters were pretty cool, too.

And then there was a scene somewhere in the latter half of the novel (I'm trying to avoid spoilers) that brought the whole thing to life. Two characters were faced with a decision that was a foregone conclusion and that neither wanted to make. It made me think, yes, this is exactly the sort of thing that I hope to see in a m/m story (or any story, really). And I galloped right on along to the end.

Don't get me wrong, the vast majority of this is an action story with a sprinkling of comedy. But I think that it has a good handle on its characters' feelings, too, and there's certainly the potential for more heartfelt drama in between (and/or during) the battles and silly bickering. I gather that there are sexy times ahead, too, although they could perhaps more be cause for "steeling oneself" rather than anticipation, if a GR friend's comment is any indication.

As for the translation, it's translation-y for lack of a better way to put it. It's better than some... at the very least, it didn't give me the feeling that each sentence was translated separately, and then everything mashed together, that I sometimes get when reading translated light novels or manga. On the whole, it flows pretty well. After about 50 pages a day, though, sentences like

However, Luo Binghe, standing in the middle of it, was the center of a blizzard that seemed to roar around him and within his gaze.

made me cough up fountains of blood gave me a headache and I couldn't concentrate on it anymore. I didn't mind the honorifics or the cultivation terms, since things like that add flavor and character to the story or are even educational (not that a piece of entertainment needs to be). Style-wise, though, I think it could have used some extra help.

Extra credit goes to the effort that was put into this book's presentation. The paperback cover and interior paper are nice and sturdy, there's an extensive section on characters, cultural terms, and so on in the back of the book, and there are number of black and white illustrations, as well as a handful of full-body character illustrations in a separate section.

I'm giving this three stars, which might get me forcibly removed from the internet. It was rather rough early on and, as mentioned above, it took me a while to warm to it. I did like it in the long term, and very much look forward to reading more of the story to see where it goes and how the author's focus and style develop. For that reason, I'd like to wait until I read the rest of this series before moving on to MXTX's next one, but the next one of these isn't out until April, and I have the first volumes of Heaven Official's Blessing and Grand Master of Demonic Cultivation not five feet away from me, so who knows?

[Izabella 🪐 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luo Binghe, the ruthless heterosexual protagonist with a harem of thousands of women, with a miserably hard life turns gay for Shen Qingqui, the first person to show him basic human decency.

What can I say? Cucumber-Bro just built different.

******************

First book will always be superior because it has my precious 'Pure White Lotus' Binghe.

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series still remains as one of my least favourite of MXTX’s books but I had clearly forgotten that Shen QingQiu is one of the funniest characters.

I know it took me a long time to get around to read the book but I was waiting till the series was finished and I could read it in one go because 7seas seems to be taking years to finish the series. With the upcoming barrage of danmei novels at us from three companies, I think we BL-fans are more or less going to be kept occupied. Despite my utter disgust at how 7seas handled their problem in the past, I will give them praise for getting danmei authors the spotlight and in turn getting more danmei novels in. The biggest flaw is their cover designs. I mean I’m sure they’ve seen the Chinese covers. Can’t they do something similar???? Only the TGCF covers are beautiful for me. I will take PeachBlossoms book covers any day over 7seas book covers.

I just realized I spent more than half my review on publishing companies and not the story……… now I just want to dive into the second volume so I shall leave it at that.

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

it says "rated 17+" on the back so i assume i'm in for a good time

edited to add: i wasn't in for the sort of good time i anticipated, but man, was i for a GOOD FUCKING TIME. i expected this to be fun; i didn't expect this to be something quite near a masterpiece of humour and angst. this premise could be exceptionally good, but it would take a writer of exceptional skill to pull it off, because it would be very easy to teeter into the eye-rollingly absurd - but MXTX certainly fits the billl.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the three MXTX English print editions, Scum Villain is the one I've seen no adaptation of so knew nothing about. I was delighted to find it's extremely funny. The protagonist, Shen Yuan, is transmigrated into a 'stallion' (ie straight male fantasy) webnovel called Proud Immortal Demon Way as the hero's cruel master. His refusal to keep abusing the hero, Luo Binghe, causes events to diverge significantly from the original plot. Shen Yuan is hilariously lacking in self-awareness, despite being keenly aware of the genre and specific webnovel he's stuck in. The narrative satirises and deconstructs Proud Immortal Demon Way's cliches, plot holes, and compulsory heterosexuality. It's entertainingly dramatic as well as meta. I very much enjoyed Shen Yuan's perpetual annoyance at the arbitrary decisions of the System that rewards or punishes his actions. Towards the end it turns out the webnovel's author has also transmigrated into it, giving Shen Yuan someone to complain directly to. The author then whines that he is the victim here, being a much less powerful character than Shen Yuan who is just expected to organise and pay for things! The whole book was a really good time and I very much look forward to further shenanigans in the next volume.

[Yari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, so so much, Shen Yuan (or Shen Qingqiu) was the most relatable protagonist I ever read. The first thing I thought when I read this was that the author gets it. She has read countless stories, imagined what it would be like to wake up one day in a strange but familiar world, how she would react and say and decided to write a book. And I love it, I lost count of the sheer amount of times I was cackling like crazy while reading it, these characters are so freaking chaotic, and all these crazy shit it's going around or their doing and Shen Qingqiu's like "ah yes, this will give me the point I n_ MOTHERF****** WHAT DO YOU MEAN A LOST A THOUSAND B POINTS, AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE TO YOU!?!?!?" I just couldn't get enough of it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want this to end 😭😭😭 it’s my fave first book in a MXTX series, ever!

THE PREMISE: a Danmei litRPG where our hero is sucked into a shitty web novel about a hot morally grey demon protagonist … who’s now his disciple. Who he must betray. BUT HE’S JUST SO SWEET ~fuck~

TROPES & VIBES:
- I thought this was a comedy. I’m a fool
- It was very funny though
- Even though “heartbreak points” made me cry
- I need the next book. Immediately
- *when you’re accidentally the villain of the story you hate*
- Obliviously queer

5⭐️ No 🌶️

[K.C. ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing and I’ll hear no criticism about it. Even with just the first volume, this may become my favorite MXTX series, trumping over MDZS!!! Who would’ve thought…

Obviously this is still 5 stars upon my reread!!!!

[Ellie]

comedic gold, honestly - by far the most amusing of mxtx's current novels, with a lot of satirical snark and tongue-in-cheek commentary.

[Melika Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite novel FOREVER>>>>>>

[sofija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing I love more than two millennial dumbasses that talk in memes and swear words enabling each other.

[Dreamcatcher (HIATUS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Damn I knew I had forgot most of it because I read it years ago before official release but this was like reading it for the first time all over again, which honestly is a wonderful experience.

First of all thank you to whoever was responsible for the official translation of the novel. I had absolutely no expectations as official english releases often ruin the novels. Honestly, I probably would've been happy with anything as long as it was comprehensible, but this was actually rather great. And the illustrations were neat.

I had forgotten how hilarious this whole thing was to be honest, Shen Qingqiu's suffering brings me joy and oh god I didn't think we'd see Luo Binghe's simp behavior starting vol 1 already. I should've known it'd end with a signature MXTX falling scence, sigh...

My only reason for rereading was to watch the incomplete donghua that I didn't know had existed, and I had only intended to read the first volume but…WHO CARES ABOUT READING GOALS I NEED TO READ IT ALL UNTIL THE CHAPTERS I'VE MISSED.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, I got to read this one! I’ve been anticipating this release since I finished TGCF and MDZS a few months back and I gotta say, it didn’t disappoint! This novel was so fun to read.
I might be wrong but I feel like this story isn’t as hyped as the author’s other work. It’s such a shame; I enjoyed it quite a lot. If I had to compare it to the other two (MDZS and TGCF), then I’d say that it’s got a similar setting to MDZS, but with TGCF’s vibe and humor. If you know, you know, lol.
…But why did I read this so fast?? The wait for the next volume is going to kill me :’)