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The Beauty's Blade: Mei Ren Jian
The baihe/Girls’ Love novel originally written in Chinese and available in English for the first time! Two powerful swordswomen face off in this enemies-to-lovers historical tale.Brash, brilliant, and beautiful, Fu Wanqing is an unconventional choice to inherit leadership of the most prestigious martial sect. Known for her fiery temper and formidable swordplay, there's only one person she considers a worthy The enigmatic woman who leads the demonic sect, Yu Shengyan.
Eager to prove herself, Fu Wanqing challenges Yu Shengyan to a duel. But Yu Shengyan has no interest in such theatrics--until Fu Wanqing offers something she can't A rare medicine that might save one of her own. The price? She must stay by Fu Wanqing's side for three months.
What begins as a strategic maneuver soon evolves into something more perilous, as rivalry gives way to unexpected intimacy. Fu Wanqing sought a duel--but is she prepared to fall in love?
Eager to prove herself, Fu Wanqing challenges Yu Shengyan to a duel. But Yu Shengyan has no interest in such theatrics--until Fu Wanqing offers something she can't A rare medicine that might save one of her own. The price? She must stay by Fu Wanqing's side for three months.
What begins as a strategic maneuver soon evolves into something more perilous, as rivalry gives way to unexpected intimacy. Fu Wanqing sought a duel--but is she prepared to fall in love?
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
November 14, 2025
I went into this novel with so much excitement. it’s the first English-published baihe, and the cover art was done by one of my favorite artists. Unfortunately, the actual reading experience left me pretty disappointed.
If you’re a fan of MingLing, you’ll probably enjoy the dynamic between Fu Wanqing and Yu Shengyan. I genuinely liked the main couple and thought their chemistry had a lot of potential. But everything surrounding them… just fell flat.
The narrative didn’t feel cohesive, and the plot lacked the depth and direction it needed to keep me truly engaged. Scenes felt loosely strung together rather than building toward something meaningful, and the end was just so meh.
Overall, a beautiful premise and a promising couple, but the execution didn’t live up to the potential.
If you’re a fan of MingLing, you’ll probably enjoy the dynamic between Fu Wanqing and Yu Shengyan. I genuinely liked the main couple and thought their chemistry had a lot of potential. But everything surrounding them… just fell flat.
The narrative didn’t feel cohesive, and the plot lacked the depth and direction it needed to keep me truly engaged. Scenes felt loosely strung together rather than building toward something meaningful, and the end was just so meh.
Overall, a beautiful premise and a promising couple, but the execution didn’t live up to the potential.
Want to Read
June 5, 2025SevenSeas' first baihe adaptation! letsgoooo!!!! #yuri
also look at that cover!!! 😍😍😍😍
the US special edition cover 🤭🫶🏻
also look at that cover!!! 😍😍😍😍
the US special edition cover 🤭🫶🏻
Want to Read
May 21, 2021ok but HELLO????? WUXIA LESBIANS??????
December 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐
Thankfully not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I'd be so down for a mini drama adaptation of this, with the amount of intimacy and fights it'd be a hit
Thankfully not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I'd be so down for a mini drama adaptation of this, with the amount of intimacy and fights it'd be a hit
December 5, 2025
4 stars. My first Baihe and I would say it was a success! With this being my first I think this was a good starting point. It’s accessible and the translation is good. The rating is extremely low so I feel like my opinions on it will change with the more Baihe novels that I read and trust me I *will* be reading more. This was a lot of fun. It’s action packed, the lead characters Fu Wanqing and Yu Shengyan were absolute badasses. They have a real enemies to lovers relationship and I liked it. Their banter was a lot of fun. Also, the illustrations throughout were gorgeous. My one and only complaint is that the beginning feels like it drops you into the story with no introduction or room to breathe. Once I got used to everything though it was great. I’m looking forward to reading more Baihe novels and I’m glad that I finally got to one.
November 23, 2025
DNF 30%
Well, never have I ever seen a more disjointed narrative than this one. It seems more a bunch of chapters put together than a proper novel. There's barely a plot, there are too many meaningless characters for a story this short and the main couple didn't manage to keep me entertained, even though they were quite interesting. If you like their kind of relationship, I'm sure there are many fanfictions about Liu Mingyan and Sha Hualing from Scum Villain that are written much better than this novel. What a pity.
Well, never have I ever seen a more disjointed narrative than this one. It seems more a bunch of chapters put together than a proper novel. There's barely a plot, there are too many meaningless characters for a story this short and the main couple didn't manage to keep me entertained, even though they were quite interesting. If you like their kind of relationship, I'm sure there are many fanfictions about Liu Mingyan and Sha Hualing from Scum Villain that are written much better than this novel. What a pity.
March 17, 2025
okay, the relationship in this was soooo…. sooo… good. like, it was so 😵💫😵💫 and very sensuous without actually having very explicit scenes. im giving this a high rating just for that! the plot was honestly dogshit and so bad… but the romance…. so. im literally contemplating getting a copy when the official translation comes out to reread and more appreciate the romantic scenes… also, there’s so little baihe, esp ones that are gonna be officially translated like this one, so need to lenient here!
i should’ve saved more quotations but here’s one:
“Fu Wanqing used her ice-cold fingers to pick up her chin, then ferried the sweet juice into her mouth. Her merciless, punishment-like bite made Yu Shengyan’s lip break open, the taste of blood permeating both of their mouths.
“I want to kill you,” Fu Wanqing coldly said, suddenly raising her head.”
i should’ve saved more quotations but here’s one:
“Fu Wanqing used her ice-cold fingers to pick up her chin, then ferried the sweet juice into her mouth. Her merciless, punishment-like bite made Yu Shengyan’s lip break open, the taste of blood permeating both of their mouths.
“I want to kill you,” Fu Wanqing coldly said, suddenly raising her head.”
November 19, 2025
DNF - 25%.
Hey so... that's trash. No plot, just vibes, the characters "confess" to each other 25% in, what the fuck is that? What do you mean, no plot, we talk about sects, about enemies-to-lovers, about keeping a pristess in your home, i fear there must be something to do with all that, but there's nothing they just are good looking and men want to assault them???? wtf. I'm so sad, the cover is so pretty and i love the cold x hot dynamic, like wangxian, zaynemc ect... i was locked in, but there is no plot, not even "episodic" arcs 25% in!!!! I only read three baihe, and the only one who was worth it was the female general and the princess. Go read that, it's so, so good!!
Hey so... that's trash. No plot, just vibes, the characters "confess" to each other 25% in, what the fuck is that? What do you mean, no plot, we talk about sects, about enemies-to-lovers, about keeping a pristess in your home, i fear there must be something to do with all that, but there's nothing they just are good looking and men want to assault them???? wtf. I'm so sad, the cover is so pretty and i love the cold x hot dynamic, like wangxian, zaynemc ect... i was locked in, but there is no plot, not even "episodic" arcs 25% in!!!! I only read three baihe, and the only one who was worth it was the female general and the princess. Go read that, it's so, so good!!
April 27, 2025
Why settle for one sword lesbian, when you can have two! (Technically four, actually – there is a secondary pairing that is kind of fun and I wish got more page time…though there is at least an epilogue chapter for them)
“‘I really like you,’ she said, exhaling softly. Yu Shengyan lowered her gaze. ‘There’s a desire to kill in your eyes,’ she answered, indifferent. ‘That doesn’t at all keep me from liking you, though,’ Fu Wanqing objected. ‘You know, in my opinion, liking is a very troublesome thing. I like you, and that’s because you’re outstanding enough. I want to kill you, and that’s also because you’re outstanding enough. But if I killed you, I would definitely be very lonely….’ She let out a despairing sigh; for herself, and for Yu Shengyan, too. ‘You can’t kill me,’ the other replied mildly.”
Fu Wanqing, despite being the heiress to a so-called “righteous sect”, is in fact a bit of a hot-head…and she can’t stand that the leader of the “demonic creed” – the beautiful but aloof Yu Shengyan – won’t duel her! (Some kind of bleeding-heart nonsense about not wanting to kill people over rank. Uggh, so LAME!) So, she does the next best thing: Striking a bargain that will keep Yu Shengyan by her side for three months while she works her “good for her” revenge on the leaders of the jianghu (which I think = “cultivation world” as translated in other novels). Of course, given that she was in Yu Shengyan’s lap like 5 minutes after meeting her: “Three months was too brief, not nearly enough…In other words, she would extend the deadline to three years, or thirty; by that time, would they be two old grandmas dueling at a cliff face? New people would have shown up in jianghu by then, and the titles of number-one sword and number-one beauty would both be gone. She chuckled, shaking her head to expunge this notion”
The character dynamic here reminds me a lot of Mo Ran and Chu Wanning in The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 minus most of the trigger-warning-requiring stuff of that book...right down to Yu Shengyan coming off less deliberately chilly and aloof and more, at minimum, a highly introverted bookworm, and possibly a flat-affect neurodivergent person. We don’t get as much backstory on Yu Shengyan as for Chu Wanning, so I don’t know for sure what draws her to Fu Wanqing; that’s something the author could have expanded on a bit! But having been “adopted” by an extrovert or two in my time, if you aren’t really sure how to make friends having someone who shows an intense interest in you while also understanding your needs – Fu Wanqing even spends her own money to make sure Yu Shengyan has a quiet place to read – can be very appealing…probably even if they are a bit of a tsundere! The fact that there’s a bunch of political machinations and treasure hunting and other stuff happening, and these two are just cuddling and feeding each other pastries while the others are like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!!” was funny too and, along with the red and white color scheme, reminded me a bit of my favorite in this genre, Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 1.
Now, in a technical writing sense, this would probably be more of a 3. The book is a little too short to really give the world-building and relationships of the main characters to secondary characters the time they need. I did also read a fan translation (https://chichilations.home.blog/tbb/) though it's hard to know where an official translator might have done things differently; if this goodreads placeholder is any indication, maybe one is in the works? And, as mentioned, even for the MCs character motivations could have benefited from a little more time or explanation.
However, this is a lot closer to the kind of sapphic adventure fantasy novel I’ve been looking for and I quite enjoyed it for that. The plot – with Lady Fu basically wanting to break the existing power structure because of how it treated her mom and aunt – is not something I’d seen in this type of book before. While there is nothing explicit in the text, there are moments that are quite heated or sensual despite the sometimes clunky translation, and…I mean, if these two are comfortable licking crumbs off each other’s fingers in semi-public settings, I feel like you can assume as much as you like about what they get up to in private! Which is a nice change from the endless pining that often annoys me in sapphic books. Plus, to complement our conventionally feminine MCs, we get a little side romance plot of a girl who was raised to pose as her clan’s eldest son who develops a crush on another of the fighting ladies who habitually wears men’s clothing…including a pretty sweet scene with her dad: . So, for that it gets a 3.5 stars rounded up!
“‘I really like you,’ she said, exhaling softly. Yu Shengyan lowered her gaze. ‘There’s a desire to kill in your eyes,’ she answered, indifferent. ‘That doesn’t at all keep me from liking you, though,’ Fu Wanqing objected. ‘You know, in my opinion, liking is a very troublesome thing. I like you, and that’s because you’re outstanding enough. I want to kill you, and that’s also because you’re outstanding enough. But if I killed you, I would definitely be very lonely….’ She let out a despairing sigh; for herself, and for Yu Shengyan, too. ‘You can’t kill me,’ the other replied mildly.”
Fu Wanqing, despite being the heiress to a so-called “righteous sect”, is in fact a bit of a hot-head…and she can’t stand that the leader of the “demonic creed” – the beautiful but aloof Yu Shengyan – won’t duel her! (Some kind of bleeding-heart nonsense about not wanting to kill people over rank. Uggh, so LAME!) So, she does the next best thing: Striking a bargain that will keep Yu Shengyan by her side for three months while she works her “good for her” revenge on the leaders of the jianghu (which I think = “cultivation world” as translated in other novels). Of course, given that she was in Yu Shengyan’s lap like 5 minutes after meeting her: “Three months was too brief, not nearly enough…In other words, she would extend the deadline to three years, or thirty; by that time, would they be two old grandmas dueling at a cliff face? New people would have shown up in jianghu by then, and the titles of number-one sword and number-one beauty would both be gone. She chuckled, shaking her head to expunge this notion”
The character dynamic here reminds me a lot of Mo Ran and Chu Wanning in The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 minus most of the trigger-warning-requiring stuff of that book...right down to Yu Shengyan coming off less deliberately chilly and aloof and more, at minimum, a highly introverted bookworm, and possibly a flat-affect neurodivergent person. We don’t get as much backstory on Yu Shengyan as for Chu Wanning, so I don’t know for sure what draws her to Fu Wanqing; that’s something the author could have expanded on a bit! But having been “adopted” by an extrovert or two in my time, if you aren’t really sure how to make friends having someone who shows an intense interest in you while also understanding your needs – Fu Wanqing even spends her own money to make sure Yu Shengyan has a quiet place to read – can be very appealing…probably even if they are a bit of a tsundere! The fact that there’s a bunch of political machinations and treasure hunting and other stuff happening, and these two are just cuddling and feeding each other pastries while the others are like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!!” was funny too and, along with the red and white color scheme, reminded me a bit of my favorite in this genre, Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 1.
Now, in a technical writing sense, this would probably be more of a 3. The book is a little too short to really give the world-building and relationships of the main characters to secondary characters the time they need. I did also read a fan translation (https://chichilations.home.blog/tbb/) though it's hard to know where an official translator might have done things differently; if this goodreads placeholder is any indication, maybe one is in the works? And, as mentioned, even for the MCs character motivations could have benefited from a little more time or explanation.
However, this is a lot closer to the kind of sapphic adventure fantasy novel I’ve been looking for and I quite enjoyed it for that. The plot – with Lady Fu basically wanting to break the existing power structure because of how it treated her mom and aunt – is not something I’d seen in this type of book before. While there is nothing explicit in the text, there are moments that are quite heated or sensual despite the sometimes clunky translation, and…I mean, if these two are comfortable licking crumbs off each other’s fingers in semi-public settings, I feel like you can assume as much as you like about what they get up to in private! Which is a nice change from the endless pining that often annoys me in sapphic books. Plus, to complement our conventionally feminine MCs, we get a little side romance plot of a girl who was raised to pose as her clan’s eldest son who develops a crush on another of the fighting ladies who habitually wears men’s clothing…including a pretty sweet scene with her dad: . So, for that it gets a 3.5 stars rounded up!
March 24, 2026
DNF page 250.
I really tried, gave this book multiple chances, but I just couldn't open it again.
The writing style is not my thing; there are no transitional scenes so it feels very disjointed. Also new characters are introduced in every chapter. What is the point??? I didn't particularly like the main character either, all she does is smirk.
I hope we get better baihe novels in the future.
I really tried, gave this book multiple chances, but I just couldn't open it again.
The writing style is not my thing; there are no transitional scenes so it feels very disjointed. Also new characters are introduced in every chapter. What is the point??? I didn't particularly like the main character either, all she does is smirk.
I hope we get better baihe novels in the future.
March 6, 2026
i love how fu wanqing’s motivation at the beginning is basically “how dare she ignore me” and “im bored so ill keep her.” i love her character so much especially how she acts like a shameless danmei protagonist. oh i adore her
November 30, 2025
I had so much fun reading this LOL!! Admittedly the plot is a mess but I am here just for the romance and the vibes... It's basically a popcorn book about sexy women fighting and flirting and overpowering all the men around them and being shameless and practicing cool martial arts and me nodding along to all the nonsensical plot twists because I just want them to f--
Ehem.
Actually, I read the fan translation a few years ago but dropped it midway through. I have the official English translation by Seven Seas now and enjoyed it a lot more! This translation feels a lot cleaner (or maybe it helps that I am reading it physically). The art is also so beautiful and so delicious :P I know this novel has a lot of negative reviews but imo you just have to shut off your brain and appreciate the feisty sapphics and the vibes. This is not an epic historical adventure or a complicated political fantasy. The plot is just a thinly veiled excuse to watch a haughty and short-tempered Fu Wanqing flirt with the ice cold and mysterious Yu Shengyan. Their romance is steamy and passionate and physical, and it gave me butterflies. <3
Ehem.
Actually, I read the fan translation a few years ago but dropped it midway through. I have the official English translation by Seven Seas now and enjoyed it a lot more! This translation feels a lot cleaner (or maybe it helps that I am reading it physically). The art is also so beautiful and so delicious :P I know this novel has a lot of negative reviews but imo you just have to shut off your brain and appreciate the feisty sapphics and the vibes. This is not an epic historical adventure or a complicated political fantasy. The plot is just a thinly veiled excuse to watch a haughty and short-tempered Fu Wanqing flirt with the ice cold and mysterious Yu Shengyan. Their romance is steamy and passionate and physical, and it gave me butterflies. <3
December 31, 2025
Nobody is more upset about this one star than me. I WANT ENGLISH BAIHE SO BAD!! The people yearn for sword lesbians!!
Unfortunately, this was just not it. The translation was…not great. It came off as clunky to me at best, cringeworthy at worst. The story itself was not anything particularly great, but with better translation I could see it at least being a 2 star. I think the worst part is that some of these characters are conceptually really cool and watching their potential be wasted on this just made me angrier at the book. The dynamic of the main couple is so interesting and the exact kind of thing I’d ordinarily love, so you know it’s grim when I’m leaving this book pissed off.
Formal apology to the artist though. You have nothing to do with this. The art for this novel was absolutely gorgeous and I would kill to see this artist on future baihe projects.
Unfortunately, this was just not it. The translation was…not great. It came off as clunky to me at best, cringeworthy at worst. The story itself was not anything particularly great, but with better translation I could see it at least being a 2 star. I think the worst part is that some of these characters are conceptually really cool and watching their potential be wasted on this just made me angrier at the book. The dynamic of the main couple is so interesting and the exact kind of thing I’d ordinarily love, so you know it’s grim when I’m leaving this book pissed off.
Formal apology to the artist though. You have nothing to do with this. The art for this novel was absolutely gorgeous and I would kill to see this artist on future baihe projects.
December 19, 2025
I finished this out of respect for it being the first English release of a baihe novel in print but I would have DNF otherwise. I like C-novels for their complex plots, intense narrative conflict, and slowburn romances. This had none of those things 🥲
The first half of the book lacks a cohesive plot and is nothing but vibes while the second half is rushed and slapped together. The MCs are very overpowered and lack a compelling “hero’s journey” type narrative struggle. Fu Wanqing declares in the first 20% of the book that she’s in love with Yu Shengyan despite barely knowing anything about her and then they spend the rest of the book playing weird gay chicken. There’s also an unnecessary amount of cannon fodder side characters and convoluted wulin politics given how short and fast-paced this novel is. My fingers are crossed that we get more (and better) baihe in print in the near future!
The first half of the book lacks a cohesive plot and is nothing but vibes while the second half is rushed and slapped together. The MCs are very overpowered and lack a compelling “hero’s journey” type narrative struggle. Fu Wanqing declares in the first 20% of the book that she’s in love with Yu Shengyan despite barely knowing anything about her and then they spend the rest of the book playing weird gay chicken. There’s also an unnecessary amount of cannon fodder side characters and convoluted wulin politics given how short and fast-paced this novel is. My fingers are crossed that we get more (and better) baihe in print in the near future!
December 9, 2025
« Whenever I notice things slipping out of control, I kill whatever’s causing the chaos. Yu Shengyan, your existence has begun to vex me. You’ve swayed me from my set course– I desperately want to kill you, but I also can’t bear to. Tell me. What should I do? »
The beauty’s blade was a rather odd book. I enjoyed it and I had a good time reading it but there were some writing choices which left me a bit confused or sceptical, and some others that I liked.
I was expecting something that wasn’t really good but hopefully nice enough so it exceeded my low expectations. I think giving context to a review is important, I am also somewhat biased for anything that is sapphic and it felt really good to finally have a translated baihe in my hands, with such a beautiful cover and illustrations. It will always be meaningful to me in that aspect and will remain in my memory. Even if I didn’t get particularly attached to the characters or relationship, I am attached to the book in itself. My mindset would’ve been different if I had read it prior to English license announcement but all of the above does count and is part of my reading experience. It was my 4th full-length novel baihe and it ranks 3rd.
It was my first wuxia so I liked discovering this new genre. It was all the more fun since it felt satirical at times, the male characters being almost constantly ridiculed. On the contrary, female characters were all pretty well depicted.
Well, I struggled a bit with Yu Shengyan’s character. I felt like there should’ve been more depth as to why she was so unfeeling, despite being driven by strict principles.
Spoilers ahead : I felt like her getting over Lou Kexin’s death was too abrupt, it was like she didn’t really care that much in the end although it was what had defined her throughout the whole book. I wish there had been a bit more on that since the way it unfolded made her character fall flat. End of spoilers
The main character Fu Wanqing was much more entertaining. She’s the kind of character we often see in male characters, except it was obviously done better on a woman. She was full of herself and very driven. I liked that she wanted to dismantle the jianghu and avenge her mother’s death. However, I felt like her character development dragged on a bit too much. There was not much of a need for her to fixate on the duel for so long when there had been many « counter events ».
In the case of both characters, I would say their development was rather anti-climatic for a relationship that changed so quickly from the pair not admitting feelings to them being completely open about their love.
The plot was engaging enough, I mostly enjoyed the way men were being rightfully mocked. It allowed me to not take the plot too seriously and to just enjoy what was happening lightly.
The beauty’s blade was a rather odd book. I enjoyed it and I had a good time reading it but there were some writing choices which left me a bit confused or sceptical, and some others that I liked.
I was expecting something that wasn’t really good but hopefully nice enough so it exceeded my low expectations. I think giving context to a review is important, I am also somewhat biased for anything that is sapphic and it felt really good to finally have a translated baihe in my hands, with such a beautiful cover and illustrations. It will always be meaningful to me in that aspect and will remain in my memory. Even if I didn’t get particularly attached to the characters or relationship, I am attached to the book in itself. My mindset would’ve been different if I had read it prior to English license announcement but all of the above does count and is part of my reading experience. It was my 4th full-length novel baihe and it ranks 3rd.
It was my first wuxia so I liked discovering this new genre. It was all the more fun since it felt satirical at times, the male characters being almost constantly ridiculed. On the contrary, female characters were all pretty well depicted.
Well, I struggled a bit with Yu Shengyan’s character. I felt like there should’ve been more depth as to why she was so unfeeling, despite being driven by strict principles.
Spoilers ahead : I felt like her getting over Lou Kexin’s death was too abrupt, it was like she didn’t really care that much in the end although it was what had defined her throughout the whole book. I wish there had been a bit more on that since the way it unfolded made her character fall flat. End of spoilers
The main character Fu Wanqing was much more entertaining. She’s the kind of character we often see in male characters, except it was obviously done better on a woman. She was full of herself and very driven. I liked that she wanted to dismantle the jianghu and avenge her mother’s death. However, I felt like her character development dragged on a bit too much. There was not much of a need for her to fixate on the duel for so long when there had been many « counter events ».
In the case of both characters, I would say their development was rather anti-climatic for a relationship that changed so quickly from the pair not admitting feelings to them being completely open about their love.
The plot was engaging enough, I mostly enjoyed the way men were being rightfully mocked. It allowed me to not take the plot too seriously and to just enjoy what was happening lightly.
November 27, 2025
I had a lot of fun with this, my first dip into the world of baihe. I didn't connect with the characters instantly, but as the story went on and motivations were unveiled, I began to love these two. Their relationship is chaotic, sensual, and playfully teasing at times. While I wish we had a few more soft moments, I still rooted for them throughout.
The plot itself was overly convoluted at times. Too many characters, too many situations alluded to without actually being shown. As a result, the end felt incredibly rushed.
I think a reread may be worthwhile, but I still enjoyed this. Hopefully, we get more licensed baihe soon!
The plot itself was overly convoluted at times. Too many characters, too many situations alluded to without actually being shown. As a result, the end felt incredibly rushed.
I think a reread may be worthwhile, but I still enjoyed this. Hopefully, we get more licensed baihe soon!
August 30, 2026
This story has murderous, kickass lesbians—which goes a long way. I can forgive a lot if there are murder wives. Sorry not sorry.
That said.
While I enjoyed the amorous yet aggressive and possessive cat-and-mouse dynamic between the ever unhinged, fiery Wanqing and the cold, demure Shengyan, the story itself was a bit chaotic. We bounced around a LOT—and, for me, the connective tissue between scenes was a bit thin. There were also a lot of characters who had connections to various other characters and so many secondary identities—it was complicated to keep track.
I’m chalking a lot of that up to the fact that this is a standalone and there’s only so much space in a single novel and the genre here demands more elements than is totally feasible.
Still.
I guess I just wish that this was a series instead of a rushed one-off.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this fine enough. I liked our two leading ladies. They were cunning and tough. They picked fights and finished them.
I’m definitely interested in reading more baihe stories~
That said.
While I enjoyed the amorous yet aggressive and possessive cat-and-mouse dynamic between the ever unhinged, fiery Wanqing and the cold, demure Shengyan, the story itself was a bit chaotic. We bounced around a LOT—and, for me, the connective tissue between scenes was a bit thin. There were also a lot of characters who had connections to various other characters and so many secondary identities—it was complicated to keep track.
I’m chalking a lot of that up to the fact that this is a standalone and there’s only so much space in a single novel and the genre here demands more elements than is totally feasible.
Still.
I guess I just wish that this was a series instead of a rushed one-off.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this fine enough. I liked our two leading ladies. They were cunning and tough. They picked fights and finished them.
I’m definitely interested in reading more baihe stories~
June 8, 2021
Yu Shengyan was a piece of white paper, so Fu Wanqing was going to brush some of her own colour on her.
Oooof this novel, oooof.
Although it's rather short for a C-novel, I enjoyed it Immensely!
It's the first baihe novel I've ever finished and I honestly couldn't have delved into this subgenre with a better pick. OH MY GOODNESS!!!
First of all, Fu Wanqing and Yu Shengyan are my everything and I love them so much??? They're my favourite misandrist lesbians now, thank youuu. And their dynamic of "we're the two best fighters in jianghu, we should definitely fuck and then duel to death (but not really)" is,,, *clenches fist* SO GOOD! Like holy shit, that's totally a dynamic I would love to have with someone. It was so intense and hot and unpredictable. Also the contrast between the hot-headed, scheming, impulsive Wanqing and the cold, tranquil, aloof Shengyan??? MASTERFUL. I am a sucker for contrasts like these (see: Wangxian, ikr?) and women just make it a hundred times better, lbr.
Secondly, and oh my god this is probably my favourite aspect of the novel, there's AT LEAST ONE OBVIOUSLY GENDERFLUID CHARACTER??? Like holy shit??? And they are sooo much fun! And I was definitely rooting for them to get the gal of their dreams, aaaahhhh. I also loved how everyone just,,, rolled with it, like "oh, this young master is suddenly a lady now? cool." like god bless!
As for the mandatory wuxia scheming and intrigues, they were very fun and actually made a lot of sense, even though there were moments when I was like "what???" and some things are still unclear to me, but then again baihe ain't about intrigue, that's just a bonus, so overall it was awesome!
Gosh, this was such a quick and enjoyable read, and I will probably think about Wanyan? Shengqing? for a while yet, hhh. 10000/10 would recommend.
Oooof this novel, oooof.
Although it's rather short for a C-novel, I enjoyed it Immensely!
It's the first baihe novel I've ever finished and I honestly couldn't have delved into this subgenre with a better pick. OH MY GOODNESS!!!
First of all, Fu Wanqing and Yu Shengyan are my everything and I love them so much??? They're my favourite misandrist lesbians now, thank youuu. And their dynamic of "we're the two best fighters in jianghu, we should definitely fuck and then duel to death (but not really)" is,,, *clenches fist* SO GOOD! Like holy shit, that's totally a dynamic I would love to have with someone. It was so intense and hot and unpredictable. Also the contrast between the hot-headed, scheming, impulsive Wanqing and the cold, tranquil, aloof Shengyan??? MASTERFUL. I am a sucker for contrasts like these (see: Wangxian, ikr?) and women just make it a hundred times better, lbr.
Secondly, and oh my god this is probably my favourite aspect of the novel, there's AT LEAST ONE OBVIOUSLY GENDERFLUID CHARACTER??? Like holy shit??? And they are sooo much fun! And I was definitely rooting for them to get the gal of their dreams, aaaahhhh. I also loved how everyone just,,, rolled with it, like "oh, this young master is suddenly a lady now? cool." like god bless!
As for the mandatory wuxia scheming and intrigues, they were very fun and actually made a lot of sense, even though there were moments when I was like "what???" and some things are still unclear to me, but then again baihe ain't about intrigue, that's just a bonus, so overall it was awesome!
Gosh, this was such a quick and enjoyable read, and I will probably think about Wanyan? Shengqing? for a while yet, hhh. 10000/10 would recommend.
December 24, 2025
Really really wanted to like this novel but it's honest to god so bad 😭
Wanted to drop it 30 pages in, but I kept giving it another chance since this was the first officially translated baihe...unfortunate that it didn't get any better
Wanted to drop it 30 pages in, but I kept giving it another chance since this was the first officially translated baihe...unfortunate that it didn't get any better
Want to Read
March 28, 2025apparently seven seas entertainment plans on making a official translation for this SO I"M SUPER EXCITED BC THIS IS A BAIHE NOVEL 🤩🤩🤩
SO YIPPEE FOR LESBIANS
SO YIPPEE FOR LESBIANS
October 4, 2026
I'm sad.
October 15, 2024
This novel was a fun and enjoyable read, with a powerful female cast that truly stood out. The plot was very typical for a wuxia story, but honestly, I was here for the women. They were so strong and cool and everything that I was craving for😩🤌. This novel served me in that aspect alone. That said, I wished there was a proper confession scene and the fight scenes could’ve been a bit more detailed. Also the ending left me wanting more of their cute domestic married life moments:((
Overall, I liked it and will definitely buy the book when it’s officially released for the characters alone!
If you want strong female characters who are lesbians in a wuxia set up. I will def recommend this novel. Plus our MC is a morally gray character who actually does morally gray stuff;)
Overall, I liked it and will definitely buy the book when it’s officially released for the characters alone!
If you want strong female characters who are lesbians in a wuxia set up. I will def recommend this novel. Plus our MC is a morally gray character who actually does morally gray stuff;)
November 18, 2025
3.75/5☆
Fu Wanqing exhaled. “I adore you.”
Yu Shengyan looked down at her. “There’s murder in your eyes,” she said, coolly impassive.
Fu Wanqing exhaled. “I adore you.”
Yu Shengyan looked down at her. “There’s murder in your eyes,” she said, coolly impassive.
September 3, 2026
I admit the plot in this was all over the place and at times it wasn’t even cohesive. I’m a character driven reader so a weird or bad plot isn’t the end of the world for me. That being said I had a great time with this one because of the characters.
I loved how many strong female characters were in this. I also loved how terrible some of them were especially our lead Fu Wanqing. It’s refreshing to see females be able to be strong and also manipulative all while still being desired.
Also this is a romance and the romance parts of this were very enjoyable in my opinion. The extra entitled About Guo Ju was a highlight for me. It was so sweet it made me smile.
On a final note the art that is inside here is stunning, I will be looking into the artist that did them because it was that beautiful.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
I loved how many strong female characters were in this. I also loved how terrible some of them were especially our lead Fu Wanqing. It’s refreshing to see females be able to be strong and also manipulative all while still being desired.
Also this is a romance and the romance parts of this were very enjoyable in my opinion. The extra entitled About Guo Ju was a highlight for me. It was so sweet it made me smile.
On a final note the art that is inside here is stunning, I will be looking into the artist that did them because it was that beautiful.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Did Not Finish
July 4, 2026I was so excited to try out baihe, but this was a huge letdown.
The writing is pretty bad. (Not sure if this is a translation issue or not)
One of our leading ladies is extremely stoic to the point where she feels like she has no personality.
I was bored the entire time reading this.
The writing is pretty bad. (Not sure if this is a translation issue or not)
One of our leading ladies is extremely stoic to the point where she feels like she has no personality.
I was bored the entire time reading this.
November 17, 2025
✧˖°.˗ˏˋ THE BEAUTY'S BLADE ˊ˗˖°.✧
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Characters: ★★★☆☆
World Building: ★★☆☆☆
Plot: ★★☆☆☆
Tension: ★★★☆☆
Writing style: ★★☆☆☆
Entertainment: ★★★☆☆
Romance/Smut: ★★★☆☆
Overall Score: ★ 2.5/5.0 ★ 5/10 ★
BAIHE! BAIHE! 7Seas first Baihe Publication and even in two different editions! We really are eating welll having this and the Rosmei Publications being on Pre-Order. We know that Boys Love (M|M and Danmei in this particular case) will be more popular in readers culture and sell more. But at least we have a chance to support the Baihe authors as well! We manifest more releases!
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˗ˏˋ The Story ˊ˗
Righteous, cold, fiery, yet at the same time beautiful lady Fu Wanqing, was the only daughter of Fu Hui, the leader of the House of Valor. The lady in red was known for her attitude, yet a competitive streak was rooted in her for the lady of another house.
On the contrary, the venerable Yu Shengyan was the daughter of the House of Flowing Gold. Being tricked into a trap, she end's up in a ploy, to be bidded away for the most paying customer. Caged on a high podem in front of men, beast's that lusted after a body, the lady of the House of Valor raised her offer.
With both being major figures in their society and masters at fight with the blade, even some hand - a master of the demonic arts. Their fate intertwining their ways, as political and social events play out around them. Leading to their unison in powers, or maybe so called tolerance of each others presence? Or maybe... a feeling running deep in the veins than the hotheaded hatred to a rival.
With every minute and every moment they spend trying to solve some court intrigue and mysteries behind those closed doors they grow closer... and closer... Over their rivalry bonds and even sisterly relationships. Although a knife was always at the enemies (caugh caugh lovers) throat.
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˗ˏˋ My Two Cents ˊ˗
This my first buddy read in ages... so thank you Sakura you had to bear with my annoying every evening wanting to yap about the enemies to lovers Yuri!
Visiting the reviews on Novelupdates, people be very passionate about their Yuri. The genre of Wuxia is always a mixed bag for my likeness and this story reflects it well too. The introduction was fine in itself, showing us quickly both of the main characters we will be accompanying in the meantime. With only one volume and a fast paced plot, i always needed to circle back to keep the red threat between my fingers, so not to lose myself between the girls banter.
The characters themselves where written out well enough, having personalities clearly stated and portrayed in the setting helps to keep them divided from the secondary cast and they bounce off each other quite well. The banter being entertaining at most times, since they are clearly falling for each other, BUT NO. They are sworn enemies at their throats, like a tigress and a dragon (i dunno where that comparison come from... hmpf...), being all possessive and obsessive of each others existence. BUT ALSO THAT SEX SCENE... I didnt expect that at all to happen between these doves.
[ This part was edited after the new line of Baihe was announced at Anime NYC ]
In the end i can conclude that it was a good start up, although not to memorable or special if you are reading much of the Wuxia/XianXia/Xuanhuan genre's which are the common subgenre of the historical-fantasy webnovels sphere. Is it worth of buying? I would hesitantly say yes, it really is a short novel and they tend to be contrived and rush things, so don't go in the mindset of a western polished trad published novel. As others have shared it is very specific, but the sales made helped to show we have enough interest in the other sphere of lgbt content from china. So maybe save your papers and coins for the ones coming in mid 2027.
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Love? What was love? Since when was Fu Wanqing bound by matters of the heart? She scoffed. “I just can’t accept her being killed by someone else. Yu Shengyan belongs to me, and so does her life. She will die by my hands and my hands alone.”
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Characters: ★★★☆☆
World Building: ★★☆☆☆
Plot: ★★☆☆☆
Tension: ★★★☆☆
Writing style: ★★☆☆☆
Entertainment: ★★★☆☆
Romance/Smut: ★★★☆☆
Overall Score: ★ 2.5/5.0 ★ 5/10 ★
BAIHE! BAIHE! 7Seas first Baihe Publication and even in two different editions! We really are eating welll having this and the Rosmei Publications being on Pre-Order. We know that Boys Love (M|M and Danmei in this particular case) will be more popular in readers culture and sell more. But at least we have a chance to support the Baihe authors as well! We manifest more releases!
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
˗ˏˋ The Story ˊ˗
Righteous, cold, fiery, yet at the same time beautiful lady Fu Wanqing, was the only daughter of Fu Hui, the leader of the House of Valor. The lady in red was known for her attitude, yet a competitive streak was rooted in her for the lady of another house.
Blinded by lust to the very end.
On the contrary, the venerable Yu Shengyan was the daughter of the House of Flowing Gold. Being tricked into a trap, she end's up in a ploy, to be bidded away for the most paying customer. Caged on a high podem in front of men, beast's that lusted after a body, the lady of the House of Valor raised her offer.
With both being major figures in their society and masters at fight with the blade, even some hand - a master of the demonic arts. Their fate intertwining their ways, as political and social events play out around them. Leading to their unison in powers, or maybe so called tolerance of each others presence? Or maybe... a feeling running deep in the veins than the hotheaded hatred to a rival.
She [Fu Wanqing] felt like she was going insane. She thought of herself as seductive, but Yu Shengyan barely noticed; she thought of herself as restrained, but the tiniest smile from Yu Shengyan could make her dizzy. Fu Wanqing grinned stupidly, pressing herself closer to Yu Shengyan’s body, and breathed softly against the delicate shell of her ear. “If you were a man,” she whispered, “I’d kill you.”
With every minute and every moment they spend trying to solve some court intrigue and mysteries behind those closed doors they grow closer... and closer... Over their rivalry bonds and even sisterly relationships. Although a knife was always at the enemies (caugh caugh lovers) throat.
One orange wedge, shared between two mouths. The hand around Fu Wanqing’s waist threatened to burn her skin even through her clothes. She pressed her mouth to Yu Shengyan’s; the taste was so addictive that even Fu Wanqing had no choice but to succumb.
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˗ˏˋ My Two Cents ˊ˗
This my first buddy read in ages... so thank you Sakura you had to bear with my annoying every evening wanting to yap about the enemies to lovers Yuri!
Visiting the reviews on Novelupdates, people be very passionate about their Yuri. The genre of Wuxia is always a mixed bag for my likeness and this story reflects it well too. The introduction was fine in itself, showing us quickly both of the main characters we will be accompanying in the meantime. With only one volume and a fast paced plot, i always needed to circle back to keep the red threat between my fingers, so not to lose myself between the girls banter.
The characters themselves where written out well enough, having personalities clearly stated and portrayed in the setting helps to keep them divided from the secondary cast and they bounce off each other quite well. The banter being entertaining at most times, since they are clearly falling for each other, BUT NO. They are sworn enemies at their throats, like a tigress and a dragon (i dunno where that comparison come from... hmpf...), being all possessive and obsessive of each others existence. BUT ALSO THAT SEX SCENE... I didnt expect that at all to happen between these doves.
[ This part was edited after the new line of Baihe was announced at Anime NYC ]
In the end i can conclude that it was a good start up, although not to memorable or special if you are reading much of the Wuxia/XianXia/Xuanhuan genre's which are the common subgenre of the historical-fantasy webnovels sphere. Is it worth of buying? I would hesitantly say yes, it really is a short novel and they tend to be contrived and rush things, so don't go in the mindset of a western polished trad published novel. As others have shared it is very specific, but the sales made helped to show we have enough interest in the other sphere of lgbt content from china. So maybe save your papers and coins for the ones coming in mid 2027.
November 18, 2025
I wanted to love this so much because the cover is stunning and it was my first baihe read, but unfortunately I just don't think it's very well-written. The plot wasn't plotting and the romance wasn't romancing. The characters blended into each other since there was not enough character work, not enough differentiation in personalities, motivation, intelligence, values or relationship dynamics. The fight scenes weren't interesting, and the word "beauty" was over-used. The central conflict was a boring treasure hunt. Everyone participating in it had cannon fodder level intelligence, it just wasn't believable that these people were supposed to be leading figures in the world of martial arts. And I just didn't feel any spark between Fu Wanqing and Yu Shengyan. Their relationship progress didn't make sense to me and their behaviour didn't, either.
Honestly this was closer to a 2 star read but I'd feel sad if my first baihe was as bad as that so I'm lying to myself.
Honestly this was closer to a 2 star read but I'd feel sad if my first baihe was as bad as that so I'm lying to myself.
December 15, 2025
First baihe, I get it, exciting. However, I wish this story would've had multiple volumes so we can get some well-needed context and tie up the loose ends.
I didn't care about any character in particular and I also wasn't too sure about what was going on. I do understand that it's Fu Wanqing's revenge story and her way to get back at all the profoundly stupid man of the jianghu but honestly, it felt like a disconjointed whim that wasn't interesting to read.
I hoped while reading that we would've delved more into Fu Wanqing and why she is this insufferable beauty that wants to slit everyone's throats. A few sentences about her past flung here and there were insufficient.
I see and get the appeal of her love interest, Yu Shengyan. Their chemistry was great but it needed so much more than just sexual tension and childish envy.
Also, I love a good plot twist that I cannot see coming but introducing a key character only to vaguely kill him a couple of sentences later was... and odd choice to say the least.
Did I really try to like this? Certainly. It unfortunately feels rushed and lacking any real plot/direction.
I didn't care about any character in particular and I also wasn't too sure about what was going on. I do understand that it's Fu Wanqing's revenge story and her way to get back at all the profoundly stupid man of the jianghu but honestly, it felt like a disconjointed whim that wasn't interesting to read.
I hoped while reading that we would've delved more into Fu Wanqing and why she is this insufferable beauty that wants to slit everyone's throats. A few sentences about her past flung here and there were insufficient.
I see and get the appeal of her love interest, Yu Shengyan. Their chemistry was great but it needed so much more than just sexual tension and childish envy.
Also, I love a good plot twist that I cannot see coming but introducing a key character only to vaguely kill him a couple of sentences later was... and odd choice to say the least.
Did I really try to like this? Certainly. It unfortunately feels rushed and lacking any real plot/direction.
Want to Read
November 25, 2025i heard this was dogshit and not slowburn but i also heard there was papapa and wuxia lesbians sooo
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