Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know [魔尊也想知道]

by Cyan Wings, 青色羽翼

In a Mary-Sue novel, the readers all liked the Devil Venerable, the second male lead who devoted himself whole-heartedly to the female lead. However the female lead only loved the male lead who abused her physically and mentally.

Readers: Why doesn’t the female lead like the Devil Venerable?!

Devil Venerable: This Venerable also wants to know. But what I really want to know is why I even like the female lead at all.

In order to understand why the female lead wasn’t attracted to him, the self-conscious Devil Venerable brutally interrogated the entire cast of characters from the novel.

Background characters: I have so many things I want to say but I don’t dare to say it to his face!

...

After obtaining the book, the Devil Venerable discovered that the book described the world he lived in. This book said that after he sacrificed himself for the female lead, the fourth male lead, his silent and loyal subordinate Yin Hanjiang, blackened and attempted to kill her as a sacrificial offering for his lord.

Devil Venerable Wenren E: Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable wants to know why you wanted to kill the female lead.

Yin Hanjiang was silent.

Wenren E: If you refuse to speak, this Venerable will cut out your tongue and drink it with alcohol!

Yin Hanjiang: …

Wenren E: What the hell are you blushing for?!

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

662 pages, Unknown Binding

First published December 19, 2019

About the author

Associated Names:
* Cyan Wings (English)
* 青色羽翼 (Chinese)
* ชิงเซ่ออวี่อี้ (Thai)
* Thanh Sắc Vũ Dực (Vietnamese)

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'Xianxia for beginners' stars



This book was amazing! And it's such a shame it's not more widely know. Seriously, go read it!! It's getting official translation soon, so I hope it will gain popularity now. I'd especially recommend it to those who are just getting into xianxia and are still a little confused about the rules (and to those who are not new but are still just confused 😅😅 honestly, I finally got to understand heavenly tribulation only after reading the explaination here).



It's really hard to review such a long book. I find it way easier to do that in parts vol by vol so, I have no idea how to do this great book justice, especially because it's been a while since I finished it and even longer since I started it. The premise is so interesting. It's not a transmigration novel, however one of the charachters gets a mysterious book that tells a story of him and people that he knows (and he's not even the main charachter in there, lol) and he decides to change the events in his favour - and also accidentally gets himself the love of his life in the process, haha. I just love this plot.

“I wonder if there’s a book with us as the main characters?” Yin Hanjiang suddenly said, as he flipped casually through the book over the oil lamp.

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Wenren È ran a finger over those words, “Yin Hanjiang belongs to Wenren È”, and smiled slightly.

There are so many amazing charachters here, really the whole cast is outstanding. Especially women stand out!! They are sometimes a little forgotten in some danmei but definitely not here. Also, the development of some charachters is amazing. I love it!! And of course the main couple is so adorable! Neither of them knows what love is and they are really cute in their 'oh, look, emotions' confusion.

Wenren È gripped Yin Hanjiang’s hand, placing a gentle kiss on the palm where it had touched his face. “Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable permits you to love him. Sect Leader Yin, will you permit me to love you?”

I really don't know where to go with this review, so I'll just show all the gifs I collected of how I imagined these charchters look like because when I started reading this, there was barely any (fan)art I could find.



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Wenren È is the main charachter (or is he really?) and The Venerable One from the title. (There was no doubt I imagined him as the original Devil God from TTEOTM 😍) However, despite being the leader of no. 1 demonic cultivation sect, he's actually a very sweet guy. Yes, he's cultivating the path of slaughter but he has more conscience that all the righteous sects combined.

Wenren È had raised his broken spear and spoken to those ragged soldiers, “We can flee, but do remember, behind us are the commoners living at the border. If the city wall falls, we can form a wall with our bodies, but if we flee, do you want the common people to use their bodies to protect us?”

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They came to the spiritual spring behind the main hall and Wenren È had Yin Hanjiang enter. Yin Hanjiang immediately took a few steps back. “This is the Venerable’s cultivation grounds, this subordinate cannot.”
“Yin Hanjiang, don’t make this Venerable repeat himself over and over.” Wenren È grabbed Yin Hanjiang’s chin. “If you refuse one more time, this Venerable will cut off your tongue.”
Warm fingertips brushed against Yin Hanjiang’s skin, and his face burned. He daringly looked at Wenren È for a long moment, then closed his eyes, removing his robes and entering the spring.

Yes, ocasionally he does smile and tries to look unthreatening but more often than not, it's even scarier. I think only Hanjiang gets his cute smiles 🥰


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Yin Hanjiang is my poor little meow meow, of course. I think it's usually not hard to predict who will my favourite characher end up being. He's Wenren È's right hand man, he's totally unhinged, he's 'kill first, ask questions later' kind of guy, and he would burn down the whole universe for his Venerable.

Wenren È didn’t need Yin Hanjiang to protect him. Wenren È needed someone who could stand back to back with him, wielding a weapon alongside him, as they charged down the path of defying heaven, slaying even gods and Buddhas in their way.

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If he looks at you a little too long, he's probably thinking about how he will kill you. But despite his murderous and ruthless aura, he's actually a sad, little boy deep inside 🥺🥺


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Also, if you overlook his crazy personality, his devotion to Wenren È is very romantic (in an unhinged way, of course).


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He got down on one knee and said resolutely, “It is indeed as the Venerable said. The ultimate victory is survival. This subordinate has pledged to follow the Venerable for life, so this subordinate can only ask the Venerable to take him along to the Blood Hell.”
“Very good. This is more like the child this Venerable raised.” With a sweep of his sleeve, Wenren È lifted Yin Hanjiang to his feet. “You can follow me, but don’t kneel to me. This Venerable doesn’t want to see you kneel.”
“Understood,” Yin Hanjiang said.

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“Are you my Venerable?” Yin Hanjiang said, looking lost.
“Close your eyes.”
Yin Hanjiang closed his eyes obediently.
Wenren È insubstantially rubbed his head. Yin Hanjiang, you’ve done so well.

And their dynamic is very entertaining.

- Yin Hanjiang when he needs to protect his Venerable:


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- Yin Hanjiang when Wenren È asks him for opinion:


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And let's not forget about his drama queen moment, when he was walking around in that red robe showing his tiny tiny waist 😏


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“You’re up against two people, so why don’t we work together?”
Yin Hanjiang bit his lips, unwilling. Wenren È leaned closer and said, “Ah-Wu understands that Sect Master Yin wants to protect him. But this Venerable also wants to protect Yin Hanjiang, so will Yin Hanjiang give him this chance?”

Yin Hanjiang turned his head, looking at the side of Wenren È’s face in the moonlight.
“Then what do you want?” Under his gaze, Wenren È’s throat slightly trembled.
Yin Hanjiang leaned toward Wenren È and whispered in his ear. “Under the moonlight…”
The next few words, only Wenren È could hear. He noticed that Yin Hanjiang’s ears were bright red.
“Okay.”
By one hand, he grabbed Yin Hanjiang’s waist. Underneath the moonlight, their belt sashes fluttered in the wind, landing in the spring and reflecting a silver shine on the water’s surface.

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Baili Qingmao is the main charachter of the book Wenren È is reading and she's the most precious cinnamon ever! Seriously, I don't know why everyone wants to do harm to this poor girl but also, let's be honest - she tries to sacrifice herself left and right, so it's not really wrong to smack some senses into her head. And it's really cute how half the demonic cultivators wants to adopt her because righteous sects don't treat her goood enough.


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In short, she deserves the world and more!!


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I don't know what to say about Hè Wenzaho. He's the most annoying charachter in this book but I simply have to share how I pictured him. Very sorry to Hei Fengxi to associate him with such a person, but he is a perfect picture of haughtily sexy.



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Shu Yanyan is a true boss lady. We need more female charachters like her. And despite being very competitive, she doesn't have toxic relationship with other girls, which I liked so much. And she was even supportive to Baili Qingmao about, what kind of a man she deserves. Girls should definitely stick together, even demonic cultivators, haha.

“You deserve better than him, silly girl.”

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Qiu Congxue is the funniest charachter ever. She usually doesn't have the smartes ideas but I would 100/10 recommend her plans for the shock value. She's also 'kill first, ask later' because after all, what are ghosts for if not for interogating dead people.

Qiu Congxue said, “Well, like this. After Nascent Soul stage, there is a secret technique you can learn, which will put a mark on a person’s soul and allow you to find them after they reincarnate. After I teach you this technique, you can use it on Hè Wenzhao, kill him, and then find his reincarnation and raise him until he grows up. For a cultivator, eighteen years is the blink of an eye.”
Baili Qingmiao: …
Hè Wenzhao: …
Even Wenren È wanted to applaud Qiu Congxue. Xuanyuan Sect was certainly overflowing with talent these days.

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She's also part skeleton but I'll leave this to your imagination, lol. And it was always so funny to have Shu Yanyan and Qiu Congxue together on a scene because you knew to expect all hell to break loose.


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Zhongli Qian is undoubtly the best husband material ever, except that I'm not sure how much does he even care about romance. However, hear me out, he's smart, he writes poetry, he reads, he's pretty, he knows how to run a sect, he's so nice and friendly, and under these good boy looks, he's just a little bit wild. He's also constantly stressed out but that's just bonus points because despite all stress, he hasn't gone crazy yet, so that's that.


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“You don’t seem concerned about Sect Leader Yin’s current state,” Zhongli Qian said. “Aren’t you afraid of the world being thrown into chaos?”
“Altar Master Zhongli can worry about it, so why should I stress myself out?” said Shu Yanyan. “Even if the sky falls, there’ll be smart people to hold it up. I don’t desire much, so I’m happy just to have someone attractive near me to ease my eyes.”

He also wears blindfold for half the book (very sexy) and at one point goes completely white haired (even more sexy) 😏


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Honorable mention is Su Huai because I really like this little trouble maker ghost cultivator. He could probably become some powerfull evil lord but he's spoiled so much from several of his "adoptive aunts and uncles", so I think he'll stay just a trouble maker, lol

Since Zhongli Qian and his master weren’t here, he took the opportunity to cuss the righteous cultivators out so hard their ancestral tablets would be smoking.
Yin Hanjiang had never even heard some of the words he used, but he understood perfectly well. After listening for a bit, he clapped Su Huai on the shoulder. “Good cussing.”
“Hehe.” Su Huai chuckled awkwardly. “Master and Mister Zhongli both don’t like to hear me cuss. If Sect Leader likes it, I could sneak over and cuss for you to hear.”
“Sounds good,” Yin Hanjiang said.

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I think that's all for now. Just go read this book!!
And the reward for reading this whole review - the amazing audio drama song.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, I was in the mood for Chinese novels after reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I really liked this one. I appreciate that a part of the romance storyline was about Wenren E recognizing what he had before him (Yin Hanjiang's constant loyalty and love), and Yin Hanjiang maturing emotionally and moving past his blind idealization and adulation/adoration of Wenren E. So, growth from both sides, which is rare in romance, and it is something I like a lot.

I am also SO relieved that the female characters are NOT written hatefully (cough Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost I'm looking at you cough).

[yel ᰔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ [4.5/5 stars]

The only thing I regretted is that I didn't read this amazing novel earlier. This has a lot of good reviews but I don't know, maybe I just don't want this to end up as being overrated that's why I kept on delaying. And it's my fault that I'm late on discovering this great novel!

What can I say? I loved almost everything about this. I said almost because the only thing I don't particularly liked about this (aside from being so short lol) is the stupidity and naivety of Baili Qingmiao. The first part was full of her brainless self. I admire her character development at the end, though, and it revealed by then why she acted that way.

I loved that every plotholes and illogical events presented at the beginning from the perspective of the books were gradually uncovered by Wenren E (MC). Everything was answered before the novel ends. There's also this war part between the righteous and demonic sect (which was usually shown at every xianxia novels) and there was a clear explanation on why the war was needed every once in a while. Reading that explanation, it didn't occur to me that waging a war like that was significant, especially on the mortal world. That was actually a really good reasoning.

I also freaking adore the relationship between Wenren E and Yin Hanjiang (ML). The sincerity and angst were balanced. It's a slow romance but the transition of their relationship from being master-subordinate to lovers was tender and warm but painful at the same time. As an individual, Wenren E is a demon lord of a demonic sect, ruthless and cold, but he never involved or harmed innocent mortals. He's a really great character. Yin Hanjiang is Wenren E's most loyal subordinate and he actually saw himself as his Venerable's sword, and actually voluntarily acted like one. He was like a puppet who always answers to his Venerable without asking or giving any opinion. And that attitude actually affected his mentality at one point and from their, a lot has happened to him and his relationship with Wenren E. Their development as an individual is amazing, as well as the development of their relationship.

Apart from the MC and ML, my most favorite character is Zhongli Qian. Since I always loved smart characters, he really got my attention. He's actually the smartest and most observant (aside from Shu Yanyan) and you just have to give him few hints in order for him to know the situation. He's a gentleman but he's not overly kind and naive. He's also not hypocrite just like those righteous cultivators. Even Wenren E respected him a lot and Yin Hanjiang even trusted him with the management of the sect. In the sect, he's the most rational and decent person with no underhanded tricks and really has the sense of responsibility. Poor him, because of that, he handled all the stress inside the sect LMAO

I'm telling you, this novel is really worth the read. It deserved to have so many good reviews and ratings. Amazing, from the plot to the characters! It's so great and everything really satisfies me. I highly recommend this novel to literally everyone! Please pick this book up, I'm pretty confident you won't regret spending your time reading this!

[Yari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished it.
I cannot believe it.
I did it.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have read this year, one of the best books I have ever read, one of the best danmei I have ever read, period.
There is so much to unpack, I don't even know where to start.

A couple of things that made me absolutely adore this novel:
Writing-style, plot, world-building, characters and their relationships with one another.

When I first started this book, I was expecting something similar to The Scum Villain's Self Saving System. The summary does, afterall, show a very similar concept. Yet, at every turn, I was pleasently suprised to see that, no, they are not alike, in fact, I might even say I think this was better written than SVSSS, though there's a chance I am also being biased.

But let's start with the female characters.
I fucking adored how the female characters were written in this book.
Most danmei I read (which isn’t a lot, mind you), have basically zero female characters, and the ones that they do have, are either also entirely unimportant or they die. And if they did play bigger roles, they were always the one-track minded schemers, the mothers wanting power for their children, the women who were bad because they had sex. And whenever I expressed that frustration, other people would tell me that it's because it's danmei, it's not meant to be about women, and I could see why they thought that, yet I couldn't help wishing for something better. And lo behold, this book fell into my hands, all the female characters, specially the main three, felt like well-rounded characters, with their ambitions, flaws and love for one another. No matter what they did, you couldn’t ever just give them a label and leave it at that. I was extremely pleased when we met Shu Yanyan, had it made very clear she was a woman who had and enjoyed sex, had it as her entire based to gain power, and at no point did the story made it seem like that was a bad thing or something to be a ashamed of. It was her cultivation, no different than Wenren E’s killing or Zhongli Qian’s learning/teaching. It was such a breeze of fresh air reading about her.
And let’s not forget the chaos that were Qiu Congxue and Baili Qingmiao. Between the two of them, there wasn’t a single braincell to be found and I adored them, lmao.
And even in the parts where it seemed like they were pushed aside, I didn’t mind, because the book made it clear why they weren't participating, or simply because it was time for the protagonists to shine. It was perfect.

The plot was so engaging. Every single time I thought it couldn't get better, it did. When I first started it, I was already pleased by the setting and couldn't wait to see what happened next, but then something happened, some reveal, that made the story even deeper and more complex than before, giving me questions and a need to have them answered. The pacing was so well done, at no point at all did I feel like the story was dragging on, or that they could have been removed. Every scene felt like it should had been there, either to move the plot foward or reveal the complexities of the world and the characters.

The romance was mind-blowingly good. I actually wasn't expecting to love them that much, though I certaintly held hope, and boy was I not disappointed.
Wenren E's and Yin Hanjiang's relationship has been the one that felt the most natural to me. It made sense that they fell in love. You could see why they did the things they did. You could see, from the very beginning, how despite not understanding and not really being in love, there was always an affection, there was always something that had been kept hidden beneath the doubt, the distrust and the traumas of the world, how when those were slowly removed, how it naturally started developing. I adored their relationship and couldn't stop wanting more.

This has officially being one of my favorite books of all year, 5/5, completely earned.

(sidenote SPOILERS: It was, so extremely, very funny, reading the comments for the romance book, the comments harem book, and then finally the comments of the actual book, it made the story feel more interactive, as if we were truly part of it. I loved it!

Edit, 2024: AAAAAAAAAAAA, ESTÁN BUENA COMO LA PRIMERA VEZ QUE LA LEÍ, AMO ESTA HISTORIA, NECESITO UNA TRADUCCIÓN OFICIAL, LA NECESITO EN MI LIBRERO.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading a novel with POV from the “demonic” cultivators/sects. Similar to MDZS, we find out that they can be (somewhat) decent people just on a different path (ahem, WWX) and that the “righteous” sects are full of evil people and intentions (reminds me of some religions). I’m giving this one 5* because I would definitely re-read it if it got officially published in English.

Took a while to get invested in this novel because initially I had no attachment to any of the characters. By chapter 16-17 it ended up really growing on me and I knew I was going to love the story. This is a web novel which is always challenging for me and I listened via Natural Reader- so not my ideal reading experience.

Lots explanations about cultivation throughout the novel that would be really beneficial to readers new to danmei and/or cultivation (the different levels, qi, meridians, etc).

🔵Xianxia with transmigration? No, not really transmigration but the main characters are side characters in two different books (you’ll find much better explanations in other reviews here on Goodreads haha)
🔵Interesting world building and a nice, tight plot (story is short compared to most danmei I’ve read)
🔵Really fun characters!
🔵Multiple female characters I actually ended up loving/enjoying.
🔵Minimal romance but it’s there and it’s adorable. Clueless demonic cultivators 😆

I definitely think this book should get picked up for official translation into English. It hits the spot in so many areas!

*** I’ve been told by multiple people it just officially got licensed for English publication (announced by JJWXC website) today !!!***

[Marilyn Bordelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yin Hanjiang: murderous intent, murder in his eyes, revenge, murder, revenge MURDER

Wenren E: looks on with love in his eyes thinking he's just the cutest person to exist.

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it so much! I wasn't really expecting anything because first, I haven't read many transmigration novels and the likes so I didn't know what I was really getting into. But this book is so well-balanced, I enjoyed everything about it all throughout! The book and the execution of the succession of events was laid down perfectly, I couldn't really ask for more!

There's also a lot of ideals and conjectures about righteousness and being in a demonic sect, also significant wars being a necessary 'evil' to prevent an even bigger catastrophe which really made sense. I'd like to think that reading this book also has made me get into a trance and reach enlightenment in most of its parts because of the great story layout. Each and every elements of the book made so much sense, like they're all in harmony. Even the potential plot holes were smoothed over by the depth of the characters and the richness of the world building. And the seemingly small details really built up to make the story whole!

Moving on to the characters, I didn't expect Yin Hanjiang’s character to be like that so I was giggling-screaming-crying-blushing when I found out how cute (deranged) his character is. And his character fits so much to Wenren E! Polis and Alkaid shining so brightly together! Wenren E gave his Hanjiang everything he could, and Yin Hanjiang is willing to do anything just for his Ah-Wu! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! I hope they get to live until the end of the world, and they get to melt together in each other's arms.

Also, I love each and every character! But I don't like Yao Jiaping and He Wenzhao because I don't like cheaters. How could you swear love to someone while indulging in the flesh with someone else? That's such a mockery to the others who are true to their hearts. My heart goes out to everyone especially Zhongli Qian and Shu Yanyan. Zhongli Qian is truly a good character, he makes me cry. He knows how to judge things. Shu Yanyan is also like that. Yes, she is "demonic" but she has really good principles and knows her boundaries. Anyway, I'm glad Baili Qingmiao gets to be freed from the clutches of her irrational love. As Shu Yanyan said, she deserves so much better.

AHH, I'm just so satisfied, I can sleep today with a calm heart because I am genuinely happy that I read this book.

[richa ⋆.˚★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny,silly danmei about a devil venerable who found the book he has become a side character(read: fodder) of and he wants to save himself and his dear subordinate from the fate.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lord of Demons knew far too little about matters of love.

4.25 stars⭐️

Wenren È, leader of the demonic Xuanyuan sect, finds a book in which he is a side character, a love interest for the female protagonist, Baili Qingmiao, who is unfortunately in love with her wandering eye shixiong, Hè Wenzhao. In an attempt to understand Baili Qingmiao’s disastrous life obsessing over Hè Wenzhao, Wenren È asks his followers—what is love? Following the events he reads about in the novel and adjusting to revisions that appear in the text after a character deviates from the original story, Wenren È and his trustworthy subordinate, Yin Hanjiang, meddle in Baili Qingmiao and Hè Wenzhao’s doomed romance to the best of their ability to answer this question. But maybe the answer has been closer than Wenren È presumed all along…

This one started rough for me, and it took about ten chapters until I was hooked. Initially, the characters are hard to get a read on, especially our protagonist, Wenren È. His development and personality took the longest of any character to really round out, but when it does (and when you finally get his full backstory) wowsers is it hard not to love him and root for him to finally get the answer to his burning question: what is love?

The humor can be a bit jarring in the beginning, especially if you’re new to this author’s particular style. There’s a bit of an adjustment period before you get a full understanding of characters and their relationships with each other and the general vibes of their sect. In the Xuanyuan sect, no one’s really a good guy—it is a demonic sect, after all—but they all have hearts of gold deep down.

I love this author’s ability to subvert tropes, and one of my favorite subverted tropes is the villainous hero or the heroic villain—basically, what good deeds have the bad guys done and what bad things are the good guys hiding?

The female characters in this book are phenomenal, and while, yes, they are all deeply influenced by and largely led by the men and their decisions, even this is a trope the author blatantly exposes, makes into satire, and still writes powerful female characters capable of overthrowing the domineering men in their lives. AND they support each other in doing so.

The plot was kinda messy, but in a chaotic, fun way. This is a xianxia novel with a biiiiig focus on the cultivation aspects, lots of descriptions that could either be overwhelming or really helpful for newbies to the genre. I got bored with Hè Wenzhao’s parts pretty quick (he was annoying af), but loved the focus on Xuanyuan Sect’s shenanigans and any scene that featured an unhinged, unmasked Yin Hanjiang.

As for romance, Wenren È’s obliviousness to love and his sect members’ horrible attempts to help him make sense of Baili Qingmiao’s unhealthy attachment to her beloved prevent any tender moments or sparks from flying for a looooong time. You’ll start to think there’s no romance happening in this demonic cultivator’s lifetime. But when it finally clicks for him, wow is it so sweet and heartwarming.

Just for funsies, here’s a few of my favorite quotes (if you don’t want spoilers for the romance part of the novel, skip skip skip):

’“If there is no desire, there will be no suffering,” said Yin Hanjiang. “If there is only love, there will never be resentment.”
He wouldn’t hold any expectations for his Venerable to return his feelings, and he wouldn’t pursue something that was impossible. He would be happy just staying by his Venerable’s side, keeping his tiny wish hidden.’

’Yin Hanjiang was special, and had been from the start. Even back when Wenren È walked past a mass grave and a tiny hand grabbed the hem of his robes, Yin Hanjiang had entered his heart.

Wenren È gripped Yin Hanjiang’s hand, placing a gentle kiss on the palm where it had touched his face. “Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable permits you to love him. Sect Leader Yin, will you permit me to love you?”’

’Wenren È ran a finger over those words, “Yin Hanjiang belongs to Wenren È”, and smiled slightly.’

[NiaKantorka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was a fun story and I loved some of its twists and also its protagonist Wenren E. Everyone else was very cliched though and especially the ML, Yin Hanjiang, and the female lead of the original story, Baili Qingmiao, couldn’t win me over - tbh, I found them not very interesting and their progress happened so slow it actually bored me at times. Some fun characters were Shu Yanyan, Zhongli Qian, Su Hai and Palace Master Shi with his sickness qi. Nonetheless , they all were walking cliches and probably supposed to be like that.

That in this story the characters took over to rewrite their own story with the help of the original written books was a great idea. Yet, I probably would’ve enjoyed for the execution to have less of a crack fic character. I felt way too detached from the characters to truly enjoy their lives.

[Megan ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun! I wish it had been a bit more romantic.

[hiba · Rating 4 out of 5]

"instead of praying to the heavens or the earth, better to rely on yourself."

devil venerable is such a delightful hidden gem of a danmei novel. i can't believe it's so underrated when it's got everything you could want from a lighthearted chinese fantasy novel: romantic dynamic between a demon lord and his most loyal subordinate, a unique plot, compelling protagonists, character growth, and a hilarious cast of side characters.

i'd also recommend this as a starter xianxia/cultivation novel for readers getting into the genre, because it actually explains everything about cultivation in a way i haven't seen before. it gave me an interesting perspective of cultivation as a method to steal spiritual energy from the world/heavens. i loved the portrayal of righteous vs demonic sects as not simply good vs evil but a clash between ideologies about cultivation.

of course it's the characters that make this novel - i adored our overpowered demon lord wenren è and his dry, unfazed narration and how most of his emotional moments revolved around his devoted right hand man, yin hanjiang. absolutely loved how their individual character growth tied into the growth of their romance. i liked that the novel didn't idealize the lord/subordinate dynamic and instead focused on developing the relationship into an equal one. yin hanjiang learns to stop putting wenren è on a pedestal while wenren è starts to see (and love) yin hanjiang for who he truly is.

admittedly the romance only gets a handful of scenes but it's a GOOD handful. i loved that wenren è and yin hanjiang wanted the best for each other but also enabled each other's messiness and rage - so refreshing to see.

the cast of women in this novel though - there's baili qingmiao (naive with a heart of gold), shu yanyan (unapologetically slutty and ambitious), and half skeleton qiu congxue (also ambitious but lacking braincells). i loved how different and endearing they all were. also shoutout to zhongli qian for being the sensible older brother figure.

my only complaint is that i wish the stakes felt more dangerous and that our protagonists actually struggled instead of things coming so easily to them. also wish the final battle was a bit more drawn out with more drama.

but anyway read this, it's only 80 chapters, the fan translation is fantastic, you have no excuse.

[V~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1-4.2/5 🌟

Read this last year and I loved loved loved everything that had to do with the main couple. The way Yan Hanjiang's character development happened. He went from being a sword to being a true individual with thoughts of his own.
I loved how their development evolved and Wenren È slowly realizing everything he's done he subsequently did for YHJ, thus slowly falling in love with his subordinate. ♥️

But what made me not enjoy this story as much was the first half of the book had so much Baili Qingmiao that it literally gave me a headache. I wasn't really interested in her story and how clueless she was. Granted, I know it was the buildup of the story and how WRE did EVERYTHING unknowingly for YHJ through helping BLQM. But still, the amount of BLQM was excessive and it bore me. After chapter 30, I began to really enjoy it. If the BLQM arc was crunched into only 1/4 of the book and given us more of our main couple, I would have given it 4.5+, but because it literally was half of the book of mainly her, I give it a 4.1-4.2/5

The other side characters are great! 🤣 Yan Yan and Zhongli Qian had me crying laughing! 🤣 They're so funny! 🤣 Congxin(?) the corpse lady, as well and how she just played her roll. Wow! Excellent and well written.

[Xantababy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me laugh out loud a couple of times. Truly a comedy! The ending was just okay and I wanted more but it doesn’t leave a bad taste. Would have been better if there were more extras. 2 extras just ain’t enough. But I also don’t think more extras would have been enough for me. Haha.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

When I tell you I felt like this book would never end. The first half especially was so boring to point of torture but it got better around the second half and then towards the end it just went straight to being boring again.

I’ll be completely honest and say that I thought about dropping this so many times. What kept me going was wanting to see the how ML’s would end up together and even that couldn’t manage to salvage all this. I was just so confused the whole time and I also couldn’t care much about Baili Qingmiao’s and He Wenzhao’s side of things.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó! Vale mucho la pena esta novela.
Tiene un gran desarrollo de historia y de personajes la historia es muy interesante y no te deja descansar ni un momento de la tensión.

[V~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this last year and I loved loved loved everything that had to do with the main couple. The way Yan Hanjiang's character development happened. He went from being a sword to being a true individual with thoughts of his own.
I loved how their development evolved and Wenren È slowly realizing everything he's done he subsequently did for YHJ, thus slowly falling in love with his subordinate. ♥️

But what made me not enjoy this story as much was the first half of the book had so much Baili Qingmiao that it literally gave me a headache. I wasn't really interested in her story and how clueless she was. Granted, I know it was the buildup of the story and how WRE did EVERYTHING unknowingly for YHJ through helping BLQM. But still, the amount of BLQM was excessive and it bore me. After chapter 30, I began to really enjoy it. If the BLQM arc was crunched into only 1/4 of the book and given us more of our main couple, I would have given it 4.5+, but because it literally was half of the book of mainly her, I give it a 4.1-4.2/5

The other side characters are great! 🤣 Yan Yan and Zhongli Qian had me crying laughing! 🤣 They're so funny! 🤣 Congxin(?) the corpse lady, as well and how she just played her roll. Wow! Excellent and well written.

[Zahra☽☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world had already been destroyed. The only thing that could be looked forward to was the creation of a new world.

“I wonder if there’s a book with us as the main characters?” Yin Hanjiang suddenly said,

but I have already seen through mortal affairs and dedicated myself to the Path of Indifference.

Better the cosmos be recreated, than the conclusion of the book come to pass, where a single person dreamt up the world, alone.

Of course she held no resentment. She never held any love in the first place.

[Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/5 ⭐ It was an absolute gem ✨.

It's not the best xianxia out there but it's a great choice for beginners to try this genre. Everything related to cultivation was carefully explained and the plot was not that heavy on practicing martial arts or the theory behind it. Sometimes it gave the feeling that author wanted to twist a little this genre's stereotypes and proposedly exaggerated things (like the quick pass of time, the usual quests for medicines or weapons at the right moment, some quirks or big flaws in a few character's personality, etc). I found it very refreshing.

Both protagonists were already at the peak of the cultivation world from the beginning, and the focus of the novel lies somewhere else: preventing a naive woman from falling in love with a scumbag while trying to understand love itself (and failing to do it, but still getting a hubby huh) 😭. Also let's not forget the threat to the universe ending if that woman doesn't avoid temptation. In one word, it was hilarious 😂!!

This is one of the funniest book I've read. It's a type of fun undertone that doesn't make the important parts of the story feel flat or prevents the readers from connecting with the emotional side of characters. In fact, I cried like a baby with the flashbacks of their past and some heartbreaking moments in the latter parts. Everytime I read 'Ah Wu' my eyes betrayed me and started shedding tears on their own 😭.

This couple is my current roman empire. This is real love for me now (not really but my standards are that high right now 🙂). This is what people meant when they say they like obsessive love and morally grey characters. I'm still processing everything, but I was pretty much enlightened, and I'm like a different person, closer to the Dao 😂. That's how much I loved this book.

A special mention to the best female side characters ever! A temptress that wants to conquer the world using sex as her weapon (she's pretty serious about it, don't judge 😌), but in the meantime is being controlled by two OP bosses that make her run errands. And a ghost cultivator half human-halft skeleton (she's trying really hard to be a full skeleton but her flesh resist to disappear 🥲, a real life struggle) with two brain cells that somehow stole the most epic lines of the book and did all the job, she's the real hero!!! It's hard to explain, you have to read it to understand.

PS: I wanted more extra chapters of their daily life being a couple, this book was too short for me 😭

[✩.⋆. youyuyan ˳⁺୨୧˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Shangqing, Biluo, Jiuxing, Tianjian, Wuxiang, Nanguo, Gongxi, Zhongli, Liangqiu…

😭😭😭

This was my first historical danmei, with my only prior exposure to anything similar being the TGCF donghua. The cultivation aspects and other things were pretty confusing for me, and I often had to reread parts to make sure I understood. That said, even though I struggled with the world-building at times, I really enjoyed the beginning — a lot of it was genuinely hilarious. I loved the main character’s personality, and the side characters were also very well written.

However, I started to enjoy the book less around the 60% mark, as it began to feel a bit drawn out. By the 70% mark, I really started to stop caring (this is a me problem lol.) The sudden time skips also felt very jarring to me.

This definitely isn't a bad book at all, and I can see why people enjoy it. I think I'll definitely stick with modern from now on 😅

My fave quotes:

The only one in Yin Hanjiang’s eyes was Wenren È. For Wenren È, he could give his own life, the lives of other people, and even all lives on Earth.

A weak smile came to his lips and he muttered, “Venerable… I won’t… let you die before me…”

“Great master, if you want me to set down my blade, how about you first ask if my blade is willing?”

It seemed like if Wenren È never returned, Yin Hanjiang would wait until the end of the world.

He wanted to be General Wenren’s most loyal subordinate. Even if they were both mortals, he would be happy just fighting alongside him, even dying alongside him.

If Polis fell, Alkaid would go mad.

“This Venerable permits you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll help you.”

“Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable permits you to love him. Sect Leader Yin, will you permit me to love you?”

“If a god of heaven were to place their sight on a single species, then they would not be worthy of being a god.”

Translator's note:

just when you think wre is not ok yhj is even more not ok. hanjiang it’s not a competition

😆

[Nothing · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟
I had fun reading the latter half of this novel. Tbh while reading the first half I thought about DNFing bc there was no way in hell me and all the other besties were reading the same story. I was so bored and nothing made sense to me, But it got better.
Wish the characters were more explored since I don't think the developments and such were handled that well.

[Midas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7

At first, I thought I wasn't gonna enjoy it, but it did get better after like 15 chaps. It was pretty funny and heartwarming. There's barely any romance tho after the very long slow burn but when there was, it was aite. I wish there was more of a love story between Wenren and Yin.

I do love Shu Yanyan and Zhongli Qian tho :)
Wished there was more about them.

[Kaavya · Rating 5 out of 5]

a perfect blend of comedy, suspense, cultivation and romance.

[orpa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little Obsessed.

That was such a fantastic read, I’m a little upset I haven’t picked it up until now. It was hilarious, heart warming, devastating, and had so many twists and turns that I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely love all the side characters, ESPECIALLY the women in this book.

Also Yin Hanjiang is genuinely so insane. Like he is crazy and terrifying and I love him.

[Nomile · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The two exchanged a smile”

Unpredictable and hilarious. I enjoyed it so much.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but I’m rounding down just because it’s not on the same level as my other 4-star danmeis.

This was such a ride. To start off, I had such a good time reading this. I was cracking up, kicking my feet and giggling, gasping, all that. Similar to Scum Villain, this book is a satire, so of course, it’s filled with tropes and the subversion of tropes that just make you want to cry laughing. But I’ll express specifically what I loved:

Wenren È. Most well-adjusted, level-headed, self-aware danmei lead I’ve ever encountered. But at the same time, hilariously oblivious to the feelings of the one he cares about most. I just appreciate how well he handles things, his thoughtfulness. The fact that he uses a halberd to fight is so awesome. He really is venerable!

Yin Hanjiang. Y’all, I was so freaked out by him throughout this story. But in a good way. Every time he put on that damn mask, I got whole-body chills. The Blood Hell scene where he’s chasing Wenzhao with the drum is seared into my mind. I really appreciated his character growth and how he is finally able to let go of everything he’s been repressing for 100 years, able to finally be himself in front of Wenren È. Also his sword becoming a triangle blade, ALSO very cool. Both male leads individually: LOVE!

Let me also discuss the women in this book. It’s been very refreshing to read danmei lately where female characters are treated with more respect and as actual interesting characters. Of course, Baili Qingmiao is a bit dumb for a while, but that’s part of the satire. But Shu Yanyan and Qiu Congxue? The mean sisters….they were just such wonderful additions to this story. The fact that Qiu Congxue regains her flesh body and still chooses to return to having a skeleton body was hilarious but also really refreshing to have even a female character in such a trope-y novel be so desexualized, if that makes sense.

Let’s not forget Zhongli Qian. We love you, king!

There were also some genuinely horrifying scenes in this book that I’ll be thinking about for a long time. The exploration of inner demons and mental fortitude is also something new for me that I really enjoyed. Did I mention I love the Venerable, by the way…

What I was lukewarm about/what I did not quite like:

Unfortunately, I think that the scenes of the leads’ relationship post-getting-together felt a little stale and unexciting. I loved the chemistry and tension between them, even the problems between them, that functioned as the build-up, but it seems that the author could not really envision fully who they were together alone. Especially from Wenren’s POV actually. While of course I could believe he loved Hanjiang back, something about his side felt a little rushed and incomplete. Can I also mention how I’m getting a bit tired of the danmei trope where one of the pair turns into a child for a while for….what reason? The one extra with the leads was also just unsatisfying. For once, the author left too much to the imagination. How does that happen?? In this genre??

The story overall just felt a little rushed at the end. Things felt a little rushed and too easy in defeating the blood demon. I really wouldn’t have minded this had the post-love-confession scenes not falling flat but you know.

This novel was also confusing as Hell for someone like me who is still a novice in the world of Chinese xianxia web novels. I could hardly keep up with the differences between Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Body Unity, Void Boundary, etc and what actually distinguished them.

Overall, this was a fun read and not too long. Definitely would recommend to anyone who enjoyed Scum Villain. It’s got its angsty moments, but it’s light-hearted and not hard-hitting enough that it won’t leave you feeling depressed for a week after. Thanks for buddy reading this with me, Kristina🙏.

[kaylina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“On that day you found me, the moon was especially bright and the night was peaceful. When I managed to stick my head from the corpse pile, I saw you slowly approaching in the moonlight. You walked with no sound and my vision was weak, so if the moon hadn’t been so bright, I would’ve missed you.”

sobs, this story caught me completely by surprise, i love it so much 🤧

yin hanjiang, you have my heart forever; and author….there were so many times my little nitpicks of the story could’ve ended with a 4.5, but instead, i became so enamoured with it that those nitpicks literally mean nothing to me.

this is such a beautiful & hilarious story, with an incredible cast of characters who literally exist in more worlds than one.

i deifnitely hope for a longer review soon, but right now, this was amazing.

content warnings:

major: descriptions of violence, death, and blood
moderate: exploration of grief, body horror, and references to bugs (for torture purposes)
minor: sexual content

[—kyu♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wenren E y Yin Hanjiang son mi nueva religión, amén .

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the story was kinda meh. I'm having a hard time writing a proper review, so I'll just list out what I liked and didn't like.

Obviously there will be spoilers ahead.

What I liked:

The fact that there were multiple books in play, and the books were told from multiple character's POV and ended up in different people's hands

How the books adjusted to reflect the new series of events after Wenren E changed things up

The comments and feedback from the readers as the events progressed and the story changed were fun to read as well

Wenren E and Yin Hanjiang's complete cluelessness when it comes to love, before YHJ's realization that his feelings towards WRE are love

The author's explanation of the ghost mask and why YHJ's character changed so much when he had it on, not just his personality but even his cultivation level

One of the last scenes when YHJ aired all the dirty laundry committed by the righteous sects and cultivation clans right in front of them and cleared Wenren E's name felt pretty satisfying to read

It's very rare, but my favorite characters here are two side characters - Zhongli Qian and Qiu Congxue. Zhongli Qian was such a brilliant dude but he had it rough serving two impossible sect masters. And Qiu Congxue cracked me up with some of her ideas

What I didn't like:

All of the main characters. Wenren E and Yin Hanjiang's characters both felt flat to me, and I didn't care for He Wenzhao or Baili Qingmiao at all. The former was such a scum and the latter was too infatuated with He Wenzhao. Never understood the fixation.

I got bored during the second soul communion between WRE and YHJ and skimmed through all of WRE's memories.

------------------

Here are some of the more amusing parts of the story for me:

WRE and YHJ are just completely clueless when it comes to love

Yin Hanjiang didn’t understand love either. The only strong emotions he’d felt in his life were for Wenren È. It wasn’t just because Wenren È had once saved him, but that Wenren È represented all of Yin Hanjiang’s hopes and dreams.

“Venerable, does the book say what love is?” Yin Hanjiang asked.

“It mentions a few things,” Wenren È said, flipping through the pages to find the part where Baili Qingmiao analyzed her feelings for Hè Wenzhao.

It was when Zhongli Qian had told Baili Qingmiao of his wishes, asking her to abandon Shangqing Sect and stay by his side. She had said—

“I don’t know what’s so good about shixiong. I just know that if he was in a crowd, my eyes would pick him out instantly. If he’s happy, I’m happy. If he’s unhappy, then I can’t bear it. I would be willing to give up everything for him to live a blissful life. I don’t know when I started liking him either. I suppose… it’s one of those loves that takes you unawares, and before you know it, you’re deep in its clutches.”

Baili Qingmiao smiled bitterly. “I’ve tried to forget shixiong before. If I didn’t love him, then I wouldn’t need to suffer. But I couldn’t do it. This is probably just my fate.”

Wenren È pointed out the passage to Yin Hanjiang. “This is what we need. If we can accomplish these three things, Zhongli Qian should fall in love with her.”

He wrote them down and carefully considered each of them.

The first was to pick the other person instantly out of a crowd. He could put the tracking spell on Zhongli Qian and Baili Qingmiao. If each had the other’s blood dripped into their eyes, they would only be able to see each other.

The second was being happy when the other person was happy, and sad when they were sad. He could have Altar Master Miao put heart-linking parasites in them, so that wherever they were, they would always feel each other’s emotions.

The third one—love takes you unawares, and before you know it, you’re deep in its clutches—was a bit harder. He wasn’t quite clear on the meaning. For now, he decided to focus on the first two, and consider the third some other time.

------------------

Right when she was about to mention it, Elder Qingxue, who had been flipping through Shangqing Sect’s rules with a frown on her face, said some words that changed everything. “Why doesn’t Hè Wenzhao marry Liu Xinye?”

Everyone: …

She held up the rulebook and pointed out a line. “It says right here that if two disciples of Shangqing Sect both agree, they can ask the sect master for permission to become cultivation partners.”

Hearing this, Liu Xinye’s watery eyes fell on Hè Wenzhao, waiting for his answer.

Baili Qingmiao never imagined her master would say something like this. This would destroy her future with her shixiong. How could she accept it?

“Well…” said Elder Qingyue. “Look at the specifications, Qingxue. Both parties need to be at Nascent Soul stage to become cultivation partners. Liu Xinye still hasn’t reached Nascent Soul stage.”

“Is she still capable of it?” asked Qingxue.

Everyone: …

Qingxue struck deep with that one comment. Liu Xinye slumped against the wall, sobbing, “It’s true, I’m useless now. I’m just a burden if I remain here, so I might as well end it all.”
Saying that, she attempted to strike her head against the wall, but with so many people in the room, they all rushed to stop her. Hè Wenzhao managed to throw his arms around her first. With an uncomfortable look on his face, he said, “But… but I love…”

He had just promised Baili Qingmiao he would love her and only her, but now couldn’t spit out the words in front of Liu Xinye. He could only give Baili Qingmiao a helpless look, asking her to beg Elder Qingxue to reconsider.

Seeing his expression, Baili Qingmiao seemed to lose her mind, throwing her arms around Qingxue’s waist and sobbing, “Master Qingxue, I— I love shixiong! If he gets married, then what about me?”

“It’s not like it’s hopeless,” Qingxue said, sweetly patting Baili Qingmiao on the head. She pointed a finger at Liu Xinye. “Look at her. She’s not going to last for more than ten years. You can just take her spot after she dies.”

Baili Qingmiao: …

------------------

[Hello? Are you all still discussing the previous chapter? Go read the new one immediately, this is major! In this Mary Sue romance story, the second male lead confessed to the fourth to the female lead’s face!]

[What kind of crazy words are you saying. I’m reading immediately.]

[Just read the newest chapter, I went back to look at the work’s tags, and the author hasn’t just revised, she changed the romance category from “traditional” to “uncertain”.]

[What does uncertain mean?]

[It means anything is possible.]

[Hold on, how come you all are unshaken by Wenren È’s declaration of love? Where’s the screaming? Where’s the rejection? Where’s the shock that this story has become a danmei?]

[You haven’t seen the next thread over, huh? The one discussing the hidden romantic threads in Abusive Romance‘s original and revised texts. They’ve already analyzed everything thoroughly.]

[Back from reading it and I feel enlightened. So Yin Hanjiang liked Wenren È ever since the original, and that’s why he went so crazy. I used to be scared of him, but now all of a sudden I want to hug the poor thing.]

[It’s no longer considered the original and revised editions, it’s a different life. Go check out the next thread, there’s even fanfiction of the two. If you’re too slow, it’ll be deleted.]

[Back with a nosebleed. Yin Hanjiang being vicious to other people and obedient in front of his master is so adorable, I’m here for more.]

[I can’t say what I want from the Demon Lord and his vicious little wolf, if I say any more I’ll get reported.]

Yin Hanjiang: …

[Lary · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was kinda bummed about the lack of the emotional side the story had, it made it hard for me to get attached to the characters, but as the story advances and both Wenren È and Yin Hanjiang open up more and more be between them or with others, you get hit with the story becoming more and more emotional as they themselves learn to feel. The plot is very enjoyable, I always enjoy a good hypocrite being uncovered by the end and I loved that each character had their time to shine.
Love the relationship dynamic between Wenren È and Yin Hanjiang and how they matured as individual people too.