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Nanchan #1
Nanchan Vol. 1
From acclaimed author Tang Jiuqing comes Nanchan, a spellbinding supernatural mystery that weaves Chinese mythology and Buddhist lore into a tale of redemption and revelation.
A disgraced immortal thought long dead. A shape-shifting fish with a mind of its own. A cryptic copper bell that seems to lead them on a wild goose chase—or is it something more?
After committing patricide against the Supreme Father, Jinglin is annihilated for his betrayal, but instead of fading into oblivion, he awakens—weak and diminished—in a secluded courtyard. His only companions: a mysterious bell, a silent stone figure, and a talking fish that soon transforms into a child whom he names Cangji.
When the bell is lost during an attack on their quiet abode, Jinglin and Cangji set off to retrieve it. The trail it leaves behind winds through a series of puzzling, harrowing cases—each one embodying a different form of human suffering. As the mysteries deepen, so do the questions: What is the bell’s true purpose? Why has it chosen this path? And what awaits them at the end of the journey?
Follow Jinglin and Cangji as they unravel a tapestry of memories, desires, and intrigue in a quest for the truth that may be better never uncovered…
A disgraced immortal thought long dead. A shape-shifting fish with a mind of its own. A cryptic copper bell that seems to lead them on a wild goose chase—or is it something more?
After committing patricide against the Supreme Father, Jinglin is annihilated for his betrayal, but instead of fading into oblivion, he awakens—weak and diminished—in a secluded courtyard. His only companions: a mysterious bell, a silent stone figure, and a talking fish that soon transforms into a child whom he names Cangji.
When the bell is lost during an attack on their quiet abode, Jinglin and Cangji set off to retrieve it. The trail it leaves behind winds through a series of puzzling, harrowing cases—each one embodying a different form of human suffering. As the mysteries deepen, so do the questions: What is the bell’s true purpose? Why has it chosen this path? And what awaits them at the end of the journey?
Follow Jinglin and Cangji as they unravel a tapestry of memories, desires, and intrigue in a quest for the truth that may be better never uncovered…
447 pages, Hardcover
Published July 30, 2024
20 people are currently reading
908 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 28, 2025
Trust leads to devotion and sometimes that leads to something more. In the first volume of “Nanchan” by Tang Jiu Qing the protagonist, Jinglin, is an immortal who has been asleep for centuries. “His emotions and worldly desires had been wholly cut off centuries ago, and he had neither loved nor had any desire to learn how to love another entity since” (p.22). Jinglin, also called Lord Linsong, is emotionally completely shut down and has been isolated for reasons that are left unexplained. This first volume opens with an extreme case of “in medias res,” which means that the plot begins in the middle and allows the backstory to filter through along the way. Jinglin is at the very beginning of a journey that will see him develop a relationship with Cangji, who begins as a lowly carp.
The structure of this series is non-linear in the extreme and it reads like a long, meandering hallucinatory experience. It is set in a world of immortals, humans and demons who can live for centuries and so the normal rules of reality do not apply. The best approach is therefore to go with the flow and simply allow the details of Jinglin and Cangji´s adventures to flow by in a reverie. Although it may be possible to analyze precisely which immortals are fighting whom for whatever reason, it would ruin the reading experience. The language of “Nanchan” is mesmerizingly beautiful, which is surely a credit to the translator of this exquisite Rosmei edition, XiA.
After a brief scene of a battle where Jinglin was defeated on the battlefield, the book begins with Jinglin waking up after a long slumber. His only companion is a gold and red carp who is bored inside its porcelain bowl and thus plays with falling snowflakes in a beautiful opening scene. The carp is sentient and is slowly taking in his surroundings and has already developed an attachment to Jinglin who is aloof and asleep most of the time. They are joined by a small stone figure who seems to be an extension of Jinglin but whose silly antics provide comic relief.
After some adventures where Jinglin rescues the carp from being eaten by a serpent, the carp acquires the ability to turn into a small boy and eventually turns into an adult man who is devoted to Jinglin. However, Canji, as the carp is called, has an insatiable appetite and he can only satisfy it by taking small bites of Jinglin, because his spiritual power allows him to grow. Jinglin is weak and so Cangji´s snacking on him is not ideal for the recovery of his health. Even so Jinglin seems unbothered by both his fragile health and Cangji´s very healthy appetite. This creates a delicate balance where Jinglin protects Cangji, but later on Cangji grows into a man who devotedly carries Jinglin around because his health is poor. They both trust each other implicitly despite the odd situation and power imbalance; Jinglin is a powerful, immortal being who has been weakened by the past and Cangji is a carp who has developed into sentience because he has taken small bites out of Jinglin but is devotedly protecting him.
After some upheaval at their home, they head out into the world together with Stoney, the small stone figure. They are looking for a bell that had been hanging in the eaves of their house, but which has now disappeared. This bell is the driving force behind the plot. It has the ability to show them what has happened in the past and at the very end, it even allows them to experience a scene that unfolded between two lovers. The scene is ambiguous in that it is unclear who is expressing love to whom since the lovers in the story had a full and frank relationship while both Jinglin and Cangji are novices in that department. They physically re-live the scene twice at the end of the book but try to pretend it was not their experience. However, at the very end Cangji rushes back to Jinglin and kisses him lightly on the ear, saying “This is from me” (p. 446).
In essence, “Nanchan,” is a sensory experience more than it is a book. The plot is full of a myriad of details that threaten to overwhelm the forward movement of the plot so let it flow past your mind as a brook flows through a beautiful forest. Jinglin and Cangji exist in this magical universe and slowly come to realize that they may feel more for each other than mere devotion…
The structure of this series is non-linear in the extreme and it reads like a long, meandering hallucinatory experience. It is set in a world of immortals, humans and demons who can live for centuries and so the normal rules of reality do not apply. The best approach is therefore to go with the flow and simply allow the details of Jinglin and Cangji´s adventures to flow by in a reverie. Although it may be possible to analyze precisely which immortals are fighting whom for whatever reason, it would ruin the reading experience. The language of “Nanchan” is mesmerizingly beautiful, which is surely a credit to the translator of this exquisite Rosmei edition, XiA.
After a brief scene of a battle where Jinglin was defeated on the battlefield, the book begins with Jinglin waking up after a long slumber. His only companion is a gold and red carp who is bored inside its porcelain bowl and thus plays with falling snowflakes in a beautiful opening scene. The carp is sentient and is slowly taking in his surroundings and has already developed an attachment to Jinglin who is aloof and asleep most of the time. They are joined by a small stone figure who seems to be an extension of Jinglin but whose silly antics provide comic relief.
After some adventures where Jinglin rescues the carp from being eaten by a serpent, the carp acquires the ability to turn into a small boy and eventually turns into an adult man who is devoted to Jinglin. However, Canji, as the carp is called, has an insatiable appetite and he can only satisfy it by taking small bites of Jinglin, because his spiritual power allows him to grow. Jinglin is weak and so Cangji´s snacking on him is not ideal for the recovery of his health. Even so Jinglin seems unbothered by both his fragile health and Cangji´s very healthy appetite. This creates a delicate balance where Jinglin protects Cangji, but later on Cangji grows into a man who devotedly carries Jinglin around because his health is poor. They both trust each other implicitly despite the odd situation and power imbalance; Jinglin is a powerful, immortal being who has been weakened by the past and Cangji is a carp who has developed into sentience because he has taken small bites out of Jinglin but is devotedly protecting him.
After some upheaval at their home, they head out into the world together with Stoney, the small stone figure. They are looking for a bell that had been hanging in the eaves of their house, but which has now disappeared. This bell is the driving force behind the plot. It has the ability to show them what has happened in the past and at the very end, it even allows them to experience a scene that unfolded between two lovers. The scene is ambiguous in that it is unclear who is expressing love to whom since the lovers in the story had a full and frank relationship while both Jinglin and Cangji are novices in that department. They physically re-live the scene twice at the end of the book but try to pretend it was not their experience. However, at the very end Cangji rushes back to Jinglin and kisses him lightly on the ear, saying “This is from me” (p. 446).
In essence, “Nanchan,” is a sensory experience more than it is a book. The plot is full of a myriad of details that threaten to overwhelm the forward movement of the plot so let it flow past your mind as a brook flows through a beautiful forest. Jinglin and Cangji exist in this magical universe and slowly come to realize that they may feel more for each other than mere devotion…
November 3, 2025
“Come closer. You’re now the centre of my world, the apple of my eye. I can’t afford to lose you.”
At first, I’ll admit, Nan Chan had me a bit confused. The story drops you into a world full of mysteries, and it takes a while for things to start making sense. But that’s part of the charm—this is a tale you need to let unravel slowly, and trust me, it’s worth the wait. Before diving into the story itself, I have to gush about the dust cover. It’s absolutely stunning and minimalistic, making it one of my favorite covers among all the danmei I own. Rosmei did an incredible job with the design; it’s elegant and perfectly captures the vibe of the novel.
Now, onto the story. It centers around Jing Lin, an immortal who was believed to have perished long ago, yet is secretly still alive. His life is shrouded in mystery, and the plot takes its time revealing the secrets that surround him. Accompanying him is Cang Ji, his pet fish, who seems to absorb spiritual energy from him. There’s a subtle beauty in the way their relationship is depicted, with layers of meaning waiting to be discovered as the story unfolds.
The pacing is deliberate, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love how it adds to the atmosphere. There’s an almost poetic quality to the writing, creating a world that feels both ethereal and grounded in its mythology. There’s still so much to uncover, and I can’t wait to see how the story develops in the upcoming volumes. It’s one of those reads that leaves you with more questions than answers, in the best way possible.
Date Read:2024.09.08
At first, I’ll admit, Nan Chan had me a bit confused. The story drops you into a world full of mysteries, and it takes a while for things to start making sense. But that’s part of the charm—this is a tale you need to let unravel slowly, and trust me, it’s worth the wait. Before diving into the story itself, I have to gush about the dust cover. It’s absolutely stunning and minimalistic, making it one of my favorite covers among all the danmei I own. Rosmei did an incredible job with the design; it’s elegant and perfectly captures the vibe of the novel.
Now, onto the story. It centers around Jing Lin, an immortal who was believed to have perished long ago, yet is secretly still alive. His life is shrouded in mystery, and the plot takes its time revealing the secrets that surround him. Accompanying him is Cang Ji, his pet fish, who seems to absorb spiritual energy from him. There’s a subtle beauty in the way their relationship is depicted, with layers of meaning waiting to be discovered as the story unfolds.
The pacing is deliberate, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love how it adds to the atmosphere. There’s an almost poetic quality to the writing, creating a world that feels both ethereal and grounded in its mythology. There’s still so much to uncover, and I can’t wait to see how the story develops in the upcoming volumes. It’s one of those reads that leaves you with more questions than answers, in the best way possible.
Date Read:2024.09.08
August 10, 2025
“‘Have you ever wondered...’ Jinglin turned his head, cheek brushing against Cangji's fingertips, yet his eyes remained aloof.
‘...who will ultimately end up devoured-you or me?’
"Doesn't matter if it's me." A spirit's cunning flashed across
Cangi's eyes. ‘As long as I end up with you.’”
This might be one of my new favorites so far. I like the way Cangji builds his “humanity” through the different bell mysteries, it feels super unique and not like anything I’ve read before.
I also like that Jinglin is slowly becoming attached too. Too many times I read a novel where his type of character remains cold until the end. It’s fun to see him thaw, even if it’s just a little bit.
I’m reading the next one right away.
‘...who will ultimately end up devoured-you or me?’
"Doesn't matter if it's me." A spirit's cunning flashed across
Cangi's eyes. ‘As long as I end up with you.’”
This might be one of my new favorites so far. I like the way Cangji builds his “humanity” through the different bell mysteries, it feels super unique and not like anything I’ve read before.
I also like that Jinglin is slowly becoming attached too. Too many times I read a novel where his type of character remains cold until the end. It’s fun to see him thaw, even if it’s just a little bit.
I’m reading the next one right away.
July 30, 2025
I loved it before I love it now. Translation is beautiful and words are just flowing (and breaking my heart).
The Rosmei edition? LUXURY
The Rosmei edition? LUXURY
May 6, 2025
“what do you see?”
“blood and carnage.”
“why have you come?”
“to kill.”
insane and iconic first line of this book.
“blood and carnage.”
“why have you come?”
“to kill.”
insane and iconic first line of this book.
August 1, 2025
Man oh man do I have *thoughts* on this. I'll try to keep things organized and out of context, as well as try my best to avoid potential spoilers as I know I have some moots reading through this as well rn.
My overall thoughts on this is that I'll likely have to reread this series once Rosmei releases the remaining volumes. I found this to be a real struggle to get through, and I'll be honest, because of this I've forgotten maybe a good chunk of what happened in the earlier parts of the book outside of some major points. I really had to force myself through this one... I found QJJ to be much faster pacing and, despite the complicated political plot with characters who at times don't even warrant remembering, much more engaging. That's not to say Nanchan wasn't enjoyable though. I still enjoyed certain aspect to the first volume.
I did enjoy the first three chapters along with the last few remaining ones, but the staleness to the plot centered around a character named Caoyu felt sluggish. When the story moved on to another character who moved through Caoyu's plot, only then did the pacing pick back up. Often times it felt like the plots centered around the human were slower paced and muddied, while the snippets that focused around Jinglin and Cangji were much more engaging.
Admittedly I'm not entirely sure what all is going on outside of things centered around our two main characters, but I did read a few posts on reddit that stated some folks were also in the same boat as me. This did make me feel a bit better, however, when these people looked up clarification and guidance as to what was going on they ended up having the entire series spoiled for them. So because of this I'm riding on the hope that things will become more obvious once maybe volume two arrives. I have some theories about what's going on with the bell, but there's not enough information or clarity with the first book for me to confirm this.
Another thing I found commonly mentioned was that if you didn't enjoy how politically heavy QJJ is, folks tended to enjoy Nanchan much better. Whereas folks who struggled or didn't find much interest with Nanchan ended up enjoying QJJ more. I feel like I'm somewhere in this boat, and I'm amused because Nanchan was the first Rosmei title I ordered, and I remember being very exited for it to arrive. But again, I'm hoping that the second volume will pull me deeper, because the first book was a bit grueling for me. I'm not certain if its because the chapters were much more of a hike to get through versus QJJ's smaller chapters that were easier to digest or not. But I'm still looking forward to seeing what the second volume will bring to the table, and what's in store for Jinglin and Cangji.
I would say that if you want an immersive fantasy cultivation read, with woven involvement of humans and yao, you'll probably like this and I would recommend it based off that. Just be prepared for some slower parts when the POVs shift.
My overall thoughts on this is that I'll likely have to reread this series once Rosmei releases the remaining volumes. I found this to be a real struggle to get through, and I'll be honest, because of this I've forgotten maybe a good chunk of what happened in the earlier parts of the book outside of some major points. I really had to force myself through this one... I found QJJ to be much faster pacing and, despite the complicated political plot with characters who at times don't even warrant remembering, much more engaging. That's not to say Nanchan wasn't enjoyable though. I still enjoyed certain aspect to the first volume.
I did enjoy the first three chapters along with the last few remaining ones, but the staleness to the plot centered around a character named Caoyu felt sluggish. When the story moved on to another character who moved through Caoyu's plot, only then did the pacing pick back up. Often times it felt like the plots centered around the human were slower paced and muddied, while the snippets that focused around Jinglin and Cangji were much more engaging.
Admittedly I'm not entirely sure what all is going on outside of things centered around our two main characters, but I did read a few posts on reddit that stated some folks were also in the same boat as me. This did make me feel a bit better, however, when these people looked up clarification and guidance as to what was going on they ended up having the entire series spoiled for them. So because of this I'm riding on the hope that things will become more obvious once maybe volume two arrives. I have some theories about what's going on with the bell, but there's not enough information or clarity with the first book for me to confirm this.
Another thing I found commonly mentioned was that if you didn't enjoy how politically heavy QJJ is, folks tended to enjoy Nanchan much better. Whereas folks who struggled or didn't find much interest with Nanchan ended up enjoying QJJ more. I feel like I'm somewhere in this boat, and I'm amused because Nanchan was the first Rosmei title I ordered, and I remember being very exited for it to arrive. But again, I'm hoping that the second volume will pull me deeper, because the first book was a bit grueling for me. I'm not certain if its because the chapters were much more of a hike to get through versus QJJ's smaller chapters that were easier to digest or not. But I'm still looking forward to seeing what the second volume will bring to the table, and what's in store for Jinglin and Cangji.
I would say that if you want an immersive fantasy cultivation read, with woven involvement of humans and yao, you'll probably like this and I would recommend it based off that. Just be prepared for some slower parts when the POVs shift.
January 1, 2026
4/5stars
The set up for this book is AWESOME. the first 200 pages were some of my favorite I've read in ages, like def a 5 star 200 pages - it's so incredibly unique and interesting and also confusing but in a way that had me biting at the bit to read more. In the beginning of this story we are introduced to a character who kills god, a pet fish (another fish danmei!! Danmei love fish!!!) who has come to consciousness and is quite mischievous, and a little stone statue who are all living in hiding in a little cottage in the woods.
Once Cangji comes to full consciousness and becomes a man and the bell goes missing, the true plot begins - to get back Jinglin's bell. And that, unfortunately, is where it started going down hill for me. I am definitely a character focused reader - a great plot is a huge bonus, but I prefer focusing on the characters and their dynamics and development. So, after the plot begins, I feel like our scenes with our two mcs really fall off and aren't nearly as frequent.
The story becomes this almost detective mystery solving story, and I'm just not a huge fan of the routine we got into with "find the person who has the bell, look for clues, figure out what happened, and then they show us via dreams/flashbacks how it happened and go into these random character's life stories". It was a bit boring, but the parts with our main couple were good enough to balance out the boring parts a bit at least.
I'm hoping the next volume breaks this repetitive routine and we get more about our couple cause I could absolutely see this becoming an all time fave!!
The set up for this book is AWESOME. the first 200 pages were some of my favorite I've read in ages, like def a 5 star 200 pages - it's so incredibly unique and interesting and also confusing but in a way that had me biting at the bit to read more. In the beginning of this story we are introduced to a character who kills god, a pet fish (another fish danmei!! Danmei love fish!!!) who has come to consciousness and is quite mischievous, and a little stone statue who are all living in hiding in a little cottage in the woods.
Once Cangji comes to full consciousness and becomes a man and the bell goes missing, the true plot begins - to get back Jinglin's bell. And that, unfortunately, is where it started going down hill for me. I am definitely a character focused reader - a great plot is a huge bonus, but I prefer focusing on the characters and their dynamics and development. So, after the plot begins, I feel like our scenes with our two mcs really fall off and aren't nearly as frequent.
The story becomes this almost detective mystery solving story, and I'm just not a huge fan of the routine we got into with "find the person who has the bell, look for clues, figure out what happened, and then they show us via dreams/flashbacks how it happened and go into these random character's life stories". It was a bit boring, but the parts with our main couple were good enough to balance out the boring parts a bit at least.
I'm hoping the next volume breaks this repetitive routine and we get more about our couple cause I could absolutely see this becoming an all time fave!!
January 21, 2025
It's probably odd to say that I got interested in this story after about 300 pages.
The main issue for me so far is that the most intriguing characters are not the central couple, whose personalities are honestly kind of...nebulous, still?
It's not helped by the fact that one of them, Jinglin, has either lost most of his memories, or simply isn't speaking about his past, so we know next to nothing about him after nearly 450 pages. It would be helpful if more of the story was shown through his internal narrative, so we could understand some of his motivations or actions. But nope. We only learn about him very, very, very slowly through interactions with other characters as they travel across the land. So that information remains scattered, contradictory, and shrouded in a ton of mystery.
His love interest, Cangji, is confusingly developed. He begins as a carp in a bowl (which seems deeply unhealthy, but I suppose that's not the point), then reaches enlightenment and a sentient, human form - something common to other spirits throughout the story, including an assortment of animals, a tree, and a brush (pen).
But because he jumps from carp to human toddler to full-grown man within a very short period of time, his brain and his personality don't develop all that naturally. He seems...oddly intelligent by the end of this volume, and I can't exactly figure out where he got any of that. Just from drinking Jinglin's blood and increasing his spiritual powers, I guess? I feel like I have no real sense of who he is as a character just yet. Again, it's been 450 pages, so why is so little of the focus on getting to know these two men?
It'll take me a while to truly get invested in the two of them and their relationship, because right now, I don't feel the chemistry there. It's weird because this is the same author as Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu , which had a fantastic first volume, great character development, and absolutely searing enemies-to-lovers chemistry amidst the gritty political plot.
If I didn't know from the name on the covers that these two stories came from the same pen, I never would've guessed it from the writing style...and a difference in publishing houses and translators can't change the narrative flow or character building that much, can it?
I'm not the biggest fan of Rosmei as a publisher thus far, but I'll probably leave that for later reviews with other series that they put even less effort into. At least this hardback has a pretty cover and decently readable pages/binding. It's so strange to me, though, that there isn't even a summary - I guess you're supposed to either know the story already (having read it online and just waiting for a physical English publication), or go into it blind and find out as you go.
But the plot doesn't kick in until probably 250 pages through it! Which is why I started to gain more interest at that point in the central mystery (the trafficking ring) and all the side characters whose fates are tied to it.
I had a brief blip where I'd thought this might be another enemies-to-lovers storyline. It's pretty obvious at this point that Cangji is some sort of reincarnation of the great Dragon Emperor who was slain by Jinglin's brother, Lirong. That's why my brain went to the idea that "Jinglin" might turn out to actually be his brother, Lirong, who's revealed late in the story to be wandering the mortal realm in human form, treading the path of the eight sufferings so he can burn out his past sorrows and regain enlightenment. It would make sense for him to unconsciously take on the form of his beloved brother, since Jinglin is always shapeshifting his appearance and imitating others' mannerisms.
But from a very quick scan online, I don't think that's the case, so both Jinglin and Lirong are following the same path somehow? And both tied to the dragon? Was there a connection between Jinglin and the dragon that no one knew about?
I don't know. I'm confused at this point, but willing to let those answers come out in the narrative. In the meantime, I've been enjoying the side characters, for the most part. I wasn't a big fan of the first one, with the girl and her horrible family and the martial artist who sacrificed himself out of grief. But I really liked Gu Shen, and the dueling scholar/brush and scholar/fox romances (?) are lovely and sad. The brush, Leyan, has all the depth and complexity and distinct personality that Cangji lacks.
One thing that doesn't make sense to me is the whole timeline of the other scholar's death. If he'd died a few days into the imperial examination, why would his fox lover be carrying his dead body to another town what must've been months later? We know it's certainly been at least several weeks, since that's how long it took them to reach the town after their first meeting on the boat, and that wasn't Chu Lun's first reveal as top scholar. So those pieces just don't fit.
The writing just feels a lot clunkier than in QJJ, but hopefully I'll like it more as it goes on.
The main issue for me so far is that the most intriguing characters are not the central couple, whose personalities are honestly kind of...nebulous, still?
It's not helped by the fact that one of them, Jinglin, has either lost most of his memories, or simply isn't speaking about his past, so we know next to nothing about him after nearly 450 pages. It would be helpful if more of the story was shown through his internal narrative, so we could understand some of his motivations or actions. But nope. We only learn about him very, very, very slowly through interactions with other characters as they travel across the land. So that information remains scattered, contradictory, and shrouded in a ton of mystery.
His love interest, Cangji, is confusingly developed. He begins as a carp in a bowl (which seems deeply unhealthy, but I suppose that's not the point), then reaches enlightenment and a sentient, human form - something common to other spirits throughout the story, including an assortment of animals, a tree, and a brush (pen).
But because he jumps from carp to human toddler to full-grown man within a very short period of time, his brain and his personality don't develop all that naturally. He seems...oddly intelligent by the end of this volume, and I can't exactly figure out where he got any of that. Just from drinking Jinglin's blood and increasing his spiritual powers, I guess? I feel like I have no real sense of who he is as a character just yet. Again, it's been 450 pages, so why is so little of the focus on getting to know these two men?
It'll take me a while to truly get invested in the two of them and their relationship, because right now, I don't feel the chemistry there. It's weird because this is the same author as Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu , which had a fantastic first volume, great character development, and absolutely searing enemies-to-lovers chemistry amidst the gritty political plot.
If I didn't know from the name on the covers that these two stories came from the same pen, I never would've guessed it from the writing style...and a difference in publishing houses and translators can't change the narrative flow or character building that much, can it?
I'm not the biggest fan of Rosmei as a publisher thus far, but I'll probably leave that for later reviews with other series that they put even less effort into. At least this hardback has a pretty cover and decently readable pages/binding. It's so strange to me, though, that there isn't even a summary - I guess you're supposed to either know the story already (having read it online and just waiting for a physical English publication), or go into it blind and find out as you go.
But the plot doesn't kick in until probably 250 pages through it! Which is why I started to gain more interest at that point in the central mystery (the trafficking ring) and all the side characters whose fates are tied to it.
I had a brief blip where I'd thought this might be another enemies-to-lovers storyline. It's pretty obvious at this point that Cangji is some sort of reincarnation of the great Dragon Emperor who was slain by Jinglin's brother, Lirong. That's why my brain went to the idea that "Jinglin" might turn out to actually be his brother, Lirong, who's revealed late in the story to be wandering the mortal realm in human form, treading the path of the eight sufferings so he can burn out his past sorrows and regain enlightenment. It would make sense for him to unconsciously take on the form of his beloved brother, since Jinglin is always shapeshifting his appearance and imitating others' mannerisms.
But from a very quick scan online, I don't think that's the case, so both Jinglin and Lirong are following the same path somehow? And both tied to the dragon? Was there a connection between Jinglin and the dragon that no one knew about?
I don't know. I'm confused at this point, but willing to let those answers come out in the narrative. In the meantime, I've been enjoying the side characters, for the most part. I wasn't a big fan of the first one, with the girl and her horrible family and the martial artist who sacrificed himself out of grief. But I really liked Gu Shen, and the dueling scholar/brush and scholar/fox romances (?) are lovely and sad. The brush, Leyan, has all the depth and complexity and distinct personality that Cangji lacks.
One thing that doesn't make sense to me is the whole timeline of the other scholar's death. If he'd died a few days into the imperial examination, why would his fox lover be carrying his dead body to another town what must've been months later? We know it's certainly been at least several weeks, since that's how long it took them to reach the town after their first meeting on the boat, and that wasn't Chu Lun's first reveal as top scholar. So those pieces just don't fit.
The writing just feels a lot clunkier than in QJJ, but hopefully I'll like it more as it goes on.
October 5, 2025
T97 back at it again with a danmei that I loved but am too stupid to keep up with 💯
In all seriousness though this was absolutely lovely and I can’t wait to read volume 2
In all seriousness though this was absolutely lovely and I can’t wait to read volume 2
March 30, 2025
I was really confused at the beginning. I went in completely blind, because there’s no synopsis for the story.
The story often jumps from one storyline to other, and you definitely need to be alert while reading, or you’ll end up really confused.
The story is about Jinglin, who killed his father, and almost died while fighting his brother. He survived, and had a pet fish Cangji, who cultivated into a human, but now wants to eat Jinglin to cultivate further.
Together they follow Jinglin’s bell that leads them to places, where injustice happened, so they’re figuring out, what happened.
It’s definitely an interesting story, and while the storytelling could have been better, I still enjoyed it once I understood, what’s going on.
The story often jumps from one storyline to other, and you definitely need to be alert while reading, or you’ll end up really confused.
The story is about Jinglin, who killed his father, and almost died while fighting his brother. He survived, and had a pet fish Cangji, who cultivated into a human, but now wants to eat Jinglin to cultivate further.
Together they follow Jinglin’s bell that leads them to places, where injustice happened, so they’re figuring out, what happened.
It’s definitely an interesting story, and while the storytelling could have been better, I still enjoyed it once I understood, what’s going on.
May 31, 2025
I am flabbergasted, as expected this book is amazing!!!!!!!!!! 10000000/10
November 4, 2025
Love this style of show and not tell from T97.
Has fantastic fight scenes and hard-hitting emotional tragedies. It's a heartstring puller.
Has fantastic fight scenes and hard-hitting emotional tragedies. It's a heartstring puller.
May 10, 2024
going to go bonkers when I can finally read Nanchan again
July 11, 2025
This one took forever and I felt every single page. I was so bored and could not connect to either of the mc. I’m so sad cause this was the one I was waiting to read. I really hope book two is where I feel more of a connection….
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October 25, 2025i’m dnfing shit like crazy. my seasonal depression is showing 😬
August 14, 2025
The first 200 or so pages were too slow-paced and so boring that I almost gave up reading it. The only reason I did eventually finish reading it is that the plot itself was interesting right from the beginning. The only problem was that it was told in the most boring way possible. I'm not saying it was bad per se, perhaps the writing style is just not to my taste.
The story started picking up pace and became more interesting after reading nearly 300 pages. The main characters became more likeable and less annoying. Especially Cang Ji, although I still hate how he calls the stone figure near the end of the novel his comrade, even though he harassed and even kicked him with his foot several times throughout the book. This was such a hypocritical move. It is also implied near the end that Jing Lin and the stone figure are the same person, and based on their behaviour they probably are.
The relationship between the main characters developed somewhat by the end, although Cang Ji's sexual desire for Jing Lin felt too sudden and out of the blue. Yes, he desired to devour him as a demon from the beginning, but this desire, which turned more sexual, was way too sudden. At one point, he was a demon filled with the desire to devour Jing Lin's soul, and the next, he was turned on. There was no transition between the two as the first gradually becomes the second, so I felt it was too sudden and lacking in emotion. Perhaps it was intentional, perhaps it wasn't, I wouldn't know. The novel was okay, and I'll read the next volumes to find out how the story will end, but only because the second half was a lot more interesting than the first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2024
I started reading this immediately after finishing QJJ volume 2 and seeing this was the same author. I was thinking Cezhou are fucking freaks so surely there will be more of that here.
I was soooo right. Volume 1 of this book is basically... Cannibalism as a love language. Cannibalism as eroticism. Biting and blood licking and becoming one through consumption. Delicious.
The story is also extremely intriguing so far - the eight worldy sufferings, what Cangji's and Jinglin's histories are. I can't wait for the next volume.
Also the print quality is so good. Crazy. Rosmei books are so high quality.
I was soooo right. Volume 1 of this book is basically... Cannibalism as a love language. Cannibalism as eroticism. Biting and blood licking and becoming one through consumption. Delicious.
The story is also extremely intriguing so far - the eight worldy sufferings, what Cangji's and Jinglin's histories are. I can't wait for the next volume.
Also the print quality is so good. Crazy. Rosmei books are so high quality.
March 28, 2025
La portada es preciosa y hasta dulce para los temas que trata. Trata de humanos, casos muy duros y situaciones devastadoras y todo desde la visión de nuestros protagonistas, pero desde un punto de desconexión por ser inmortales o no.
Puede que Jinglin se convierta en uno de mis personajes favoritos.
Puede que Jinglin se convierta en uno de mis personajes favoritos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 3, 2025I just found out that volume 3 isn't out yet i was fully prepared to binge read the whole thing this week 😭 great characters and interesting supernatural mysteries. the main couples past seems a little easy to guess but I still like them a lot. the writing is very poetic and the anecdotes throughout repeat the question of why people have to be "fated" to suffer.
December 31, 2024
a very cool story of reincarnation (?), fate and soulmates. The beginning of the original pair is somewhat dubious/nc (?, altho I need the full backstory to actually judge) - will need the next volume soon because the fan translation is kinda doubtful.
August 27, 2025
Took me a while to get into the story. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
It's intriguing to learn more about the characters but it's also very hard to get attached to them as their personalities are still a mystery.
I still want to read the next volume but I'm not overly obsessed with it.
It's intriguing to learn more about the characters but it's also very hard to get attached to them as their personalities are still a mystery.
I still want to read the next volume but I'm not overly obsessed with it.
October 30, 2024
DNF
Lo volveré a intentar dentro de unos meses
Lo volveré a intentar dentro de unos meses
March 2, 2025
dawno się tak nie czułam czytając książkę. to było jak baśń i sen jednocześnie. nie mogę się doczekać kiedy dowiem się co dalej. also. ta książka ląduje w moich ulubionych.
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