Now that Mo Xi has uncovered the truth after eight long years, he and Gu Mang finally have a chance to clear away the lies of the past. Both know the moments they share are destined to be fleeting. Despite his efforts to remain lucid, Gu Mang's memories from the Time Mirror continue to slip away, and dark magic eats at his mind.
Yet peace at home is short-lived as new threats gather at the frontier. When the Liao Kingdom attacks once again, Gu Mang will join his former master, Murong Lian, as well as Mo Xi to confront their nation's darkest enemy. Their to neutralize an ancient danger inextricably tied to Chonghua's most secret history.
Okay Murong Lian, I see why you are on the cover! The things we learn in this volume had me in tears but it’s Meatbun so of course we expect that. She does give us a lot of sweet moments that almost make you want to stop reading and say “The End” so I am very thankful for that 🥰
Mo Xi’s absolute devotion to Gu Mang and GM’s fears and pain being exposed just make me love them more than I thought possible. Their love has endured so much and I am absolutely obsessed with their story and how they will eventually reach their HE. The last ten pages gutted me and had me reading through my tears. These two have my whole heart ❤️
Mo Xi is up there with Xiao Chiye and Lu Feng with that protector baby girl energy. I’m sure I’ll have to edit this a few times because this doesn’t sound quite right 😂
“He closed his eyes and brought a hand to the back of Gu Mang’s head, taking this demon feared by all into his arms like a cherished treasure. “Won’t you please stay?” ”
The schemes are deep, the revelations, shocking. But most importantly, this volume is an ode to Mo Xi’s unshakable love.
When he turned in the darkness, he found his beloved from eight years ago was no longer young. He was covered in dust, spattered in blood. The only thing that hadn’t changed were those bright, obstinate black eyes.
The lover he had relinquished ran toward him, overtook him, and stood in the thicket of brambles, panting as he said—Shixiong, Gu Mang, I’ve come to find you. Let’s go home.
When he loved someone, it was for a lifetime. It had nothing to do with lineage, with identity, with time.
RTC but the end was devastating. Meatbun you're sick. I can't wait to read more you glorious author you.
Actual Review:
One thing for the pacing with this book. First bit was all slow and relaxed and being in love. Then BOOM. Plot plot plot. Every single bit of plot came barreling at me at 400 miles per hour. I won't lie, if this is the novel that was supposed to magically win me over to Murong Lian's side, it didn't. I don't care about his sad little past. Still an asshole who treated Gu Mang and Mo Xi terribly. In fact, knowing his backstory makes me even more angry with him. Gu Mang had to really come to face the consequences of his actions in this book. Poor guy. I can't say too much without spoilers so I'll leave you with this crack ship idea. We get Princess Mengze a nice sexy guard lady to ease the pain of being in love with a super taken and super gay man all these years. I think that would make her feel better. She deserves a sexy guard lady to sweep her off her feet. I won't get my wish, but a lady can dream.
this was was somehow the most action packed despite not even being 300 pages. not sure I'll forgive 7seas for putting all their danmei on ozempic but atleast I get move pretty covers that way
“on the day he decided to confess his feelings to gu mang, what he gave to him wasn’t his love. it was his heart.”
honestly expected this to be sadder than it was but was wayyy more cuter than i expected it would be! gu mang and mo xi were SO cute in this, they love each other so much that it drives me insane. i was so giddy and kept smiling at the book, they make me so happy…
the very first chapter in this was PEAK, it was so sad and so loving and so cute, everything simultaneously… i love it so much. this might be my favourite chapter in this whole novel (two more volumes to come but i doubt the place of this will be taken!), it was actually perfect. i love them so much. the last bit with gu mang finding out about something related to mo xi (keeping it vague cause spoilers…) was actually quite sad, i felt so bad for the both of them but at the same time, kinda relieved that gu mang finally found out about this thing? but wow, that was very sad.
mo xi is soo unbelievably underrated, he’s so loving but in such a healthy way - honestly, he might be one of the best i’ve ever read, him telling gu mang that he doesn’t need to be with him; he just needs to allow mo xi to be by his side and share his burden… insane, that killed me. i’m gonna write five paragraphs extolling him in my final review of the novel but. just in this volume!!! he ruined his body to protect gu mang, is unabashed about his lover and what his lover did, would do anything to make his lover and what he treasures safe, has lit almost died for his lover so many times… my underrated king. he had so many good moments in this book, loved it!
controversial opinion but murong lian’s backstory was so bleh… i didn’t care for him at all and the reveal just made all his actions so dumb for me. all he has going for him is that he’s attractive and he made me laugh once which isn’t anything at all so! but, i liked his mother and her surrounding story, that was actually nice and the best part of the backstory (i felt more feelings for her in a chapter than i ever did for him for five whole books). honestly, if his reasonings for being who he was was a bit more solid, i could’ve really liked him - i just needed a mind-blowing backstory. i don’t even care if he’s evil… just give me a well written character…
here are some good (very long… ha…) quotes!
1. mo xi’s heart seemed to freeze over, its beating stalled. he gazed at the man in front of him, at that tearful and wan, yet genuine face. even in the sweetest dreams he ever had, he didn’t dare dream that gu mang might sincerely speak these words.
“i love you, i’ve always loved you… i’m sorry, i was selfish in the past. i was the one who didn’t think about what you wanted or what you were afraid of. i wanted to protect you in my own way, but i didn’t know…didn’t know…”
didn’t know you would stumble after me to make up for eight years of lost time, that you would forsake the best of your youth trying to bring me back. i didn’t know you were sure of your choice at such a young age—that you would devote a lifetime to one person.
i didn’t know that even after enduring so much, you would still walk beside me, even into hell.
he fell silent.
mo xi, teary-eyed himself, tilted gu mang’s face upward. he reached out to wipe the tear tracks off gu mang’s cheek, little by little. “didn’t know i loved you too?” he murmured. “that i could love you for so long?”
2. “mo xi took hold of his hand, the rims of his eyes red. “must you keep pushing me away?” gu mang froze.
“it’s been so many years, shixiong. but do you know what hurt me the most? it wasn’t that you stabbed me or left me. it was that you turned into someone i didn’t recognize at all… do you know how miserable i was? you wanted to protect me, you didn’t want to implicate me. i know. but i told you long ago—in this world, i have no one dear to me, except for you. when you protected me, why didn’t you think what would be cruelest to me? did you think i would fear to suffer alongside you, or the criticism of others? what i fear is you never returning to my side, gu mang—i’m afraid of losing you!” mo xi closed his eyes. he still held back his tears, but his lashes were wet.
“all these years…i’ve always treated you sincerely. i used to hope my sincerity would be enough to win me yours in return. but after going through so much, it no longer matters if you love me, if you’re willing to be with me… i only ask…”
he stroked gu mang’s hair, lowering his lashes as he pressed a kiss to gu mang’s temple, forcing down the tremor in his voice. “i only ask that you give me the chance to protect you, to stay by your side. i just want to take care of you,” he said hoarsely. “will you really not allow me the smallest glimpse of truth? will you not let me share the burden you carry on your shoulders, even the slightest bit? gu mang…i’m one of your comrades and brothers-in-arms, too. would you rather leave me out in the cold, make me live on through pain worse than death?”
3. gu mang had waited. all this time, he had waited. he’d pricked mo xi until his hands ran with blood, stabbed mo xi until his body was covered with scars, but still mo xi never gave up on him.
all these years, he’d hoped mo xi would put aside their past love, hoped he could live a quiet life, marry a gentle and virtuous wife, and sire a brood of lively children. sooner or later, time would wash away the unbridled passion of their reckless youth, leaving only faint ink stains. such were the considerations he had made on mo xi’s behalf.
but gu mang had made one grave mistake. in this world, love and the lack of it could change, but one’s heart would forever be the same. and mo xi had never been a careless person. on the day he decided to confess his feelings to gu mang, what he gave to him wasn’t his love. it was his heart.
I think I might hate YUWU loll I just think the story telling is SO bad like every time something happens I feel like I'm losing my mind with how awful its done. It tells everything and shows nothing and I just don't care about the characters AT ALL anymore
I think this is a DNF for me... which is so sad cause the only other Danmei I've DNFed was Casefile also by meatbun. I can't believe she wrote the best danmei ever (Erha) and then the 2 i've hated the most T-T
“To stay with me a little while longer, even just one more day—Shixiong, you have to be good. Don’t become a demon, don’t blame yourself. Don’t leave me. You have to…day by day…spend the rest of your life taking care of this home with me. Okay?”
excuse me while i curl up into a little ball and just sob, okay?? just sobbing. it feels like i waited my whole life to see mo xi & gu mang communicate, just as long as mo xi was waiting to get some answers from gu mang—and it was everything :’)
so much of the story so far had been more about reminiscing over their youthful days when they were just innocent, but then they’re both looking at each other clearly all these years later, and it’s sooooo much. i love this so much. need the next volume immediately!!
(p.s. goodreads missed out big time by not including yuwu in the romance category for this year’s choice awards. ximang would blow all the other candidates out the water, let me tell you that)
"mo xi closed his eyes, cupping a hand around the back of gu mang's head. the demon that everyone wished to avoid - he embraced, like a cherished treasure."
i love murong lian so much, i'm so glad he has become a more developed character <3
"I don't want to see you leave. I don't want to see you with anyone else." The yearning and angst in this danmei will be the death of me. Five big stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"You wanted to protect me, you didn’t want to implicate me. I know. But I told you long ago—in this world, I have no one dear to me, except for you. When you protected me, why didn’t you think what would be cruelest to me? Did you think I would fear to suffer alongside you, or the criticism of others? What I fear is you never returning to my side, Gu Mang—I’m afraid of losing you!"
Volume 5 of Remnants of Filth: Yuwu delivers all the emotional punches, political intrigue, and simmering tension that fans have come to expect. As the story reaches its crescendo, the tangled history between Mo Xi and Gu Mang unfolds in ways that are both devastating and cathartic.
Mo Xi continues to be the ever-loyal and steadfast character we’ve grown to admire, but in this volume, we see him face some of his most vulnerable moments. Gu Mang, with his enigmatic blend of strength and fragility, remains a captivating counterbalance. Their interactions are a rollercoaster of raw emotion—each one layered with years of love, betrayal, and regret.
Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou’s prose shines as always, weaving a narrative that balances the grandeur of war and politics with deeply personal stakes. The flashbacks are especially poignant here, filling in critical gaps in Mo Xi and Gu Mang’s shared past while keeping the tension alive in the present.
The pacing in this volume is a bit uneven, with some moments feeling drawn out, but the payoff in the emotionally charged scenes more than makes up for it. The secondary characters also get their moments to shine, adding depth to the story without detracting from the central relationship.
If you’ve been invested in Mo Xi and Gu Mang’s journey, this volume is a rewarding continuation that tugs at your heartstrings while keeping you on the edge of your seat. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet step toward the series’ conclusion and a must-read for fans of complex relationships and high-stakes drama.
In this volume, we see quite a few peaceful days for Mo Xi and Gu Mang thanks to the Time Mirror giving the latter his memories back, if only for a short time. Our two men finally find it in them to confess the feelings they had each been keeping buried for years.
But peace is never lasting. War with the Liao kingdom rears its ugly head once again, and it's up to Mo Xi's command to save them all and take back some stolen cities. All while he needs to come to terms with the fact that his lover is losing himself yet again.
We learned so much about Gu Mang's past that it was a bit overwhelming, but that big reveal at the end had me reeling, so I'm unsure how to process it all. With Murong Lian actually coming back with a decent redemption I was a bit floored, as he was such an antagonist from the get-go. All of this coalesces into one big truth that the citizens of Chonghua aren't ready to know.
Meatbun has such a way with words that it leaves me in awe every time! This is the perfect continuation of a marvelous series! Onto the next adventure!
"You have to...day by day...spend the rest of your life taking care of this home with me. Okay?"
So. Meatbun has done it again. Done what again? Kill every drop of hope and love I had in my heart and then rebuild it in the image of Mo Xi ang Gu Mang. There is nothing these homosexuals wouldn't do for eachother, and it hurts me. It also hurts them, but who's counting?
The revelations were revelations.
Someone tried to assasinate my BABY BOY MURONG LIAN.
As stated before to many people, I want to peg Murong Lian. It's debetable whether I have the stamina for that, but I'll try to make my male wife feel good.