The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: The Unity of Qi and Sword

I couldn't take it anymore before chapter 80 was released, so I'm writing a long review to vent. I don't plan to abandon the book for now. First, let's talk about the advantages. In a climate where "decisive and ruthless" characters are rampant on Qidian (a Chinese online literature platform), the protagonist's character as a righteous young hero who stays true to his original aspirations is…

Trying to blend martial arts with history is, well, perhaps an ambitious goal, but the execution is unpredictable. Most readers are looking for the thrill of martial arts; if you're looking for historical fiction, there are plenty of other historical works available, so there's no need to waste time here. The plot is a bit bland; it's neither particularly enjoyable nor worth abandoning.

The role model in the martial arts world is Zhang Sanfeng. The protagonist died young in his previous life, so he should learn from Zhang Sanfeng in this life. Practicing martial arts is not for fighting, but for living longer and better than anyone else. Those who only know how to fight are all dead. If you walk by the river long enough, you are bound to get your shoes wet. If you encounter a chivalrous act, you should help out, but you should not run around doing chivalrous acts.

The biggest flaw in this book is its weakening of Wang Chongyang's Innate Skill. Wang Chongyang, having only achieved a minor level (according to the author), was already invincible in the Legend of the Condor Heroes. Yet, the protagonist of this book, having mastered the Innate Skill, can't even defeat Dongfang Bubai and can only fight to a draw with the likes of Ren Woxing, Zuo Lengchan, and…

I've never seen such a stubborn author; they insist on writing exactly what their readers don't want to read. 😅

This is the best martial arts fanfiction in recent years. I hope it stays stable in the future and doesn't follow others' example of writing things like Dongfang being a woman or Lao Yue and Yu Canghai fighting over the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique. Actually, before Linghu Chong became famous, no one took Bixie seriously. Escort agencies are at the bottom of the martial arts world.

Seeing the monkey father commit suicide and being unable to save him, and considering the monkey had accidentally killed him first, I endured it, thinking it was a life for a life. Seeing the hero of Meishan get killed by the White Lotus Sect and there's no hope of saving him, I think the White Lotus Sect leader was absolutely right in his criticism. Isn't he a hypocrite and a villain?

I can't stand the recurring plot holes. The author seems to listen to advice, correcting typos, but those are minor issues. The real problem lies in the plot holes, which are incredibly off-putting. Why haven't they addressed them? Around chapter 20, the author repeatedly makes stupid mistakes.

The plot is toxic, and the protagonist's character is poorly developed. The protagonist, a modern person transported to the future, even has scenes like "Old Six eating drugs to prove his innocence." The story portrays a life for a life, a conflict between two groups.

Even with only a minor level of the Innate Skill, Linghu Chong and the Lama couldn't defeat him. Does that mean only a fully mastered Innate Skill is needed? Wang Chongyang died young, so it's questionable whether he even reached the fully mastered level of the Innate Skill.