Master of a Hundred Ghost Stories

I'm truly heartbroken. When I first started reading *Hyakumonogatari*, it was only about fifty chapters long, and I was immediately captivated. I devoured it, reading up to the latest chapter and following the updates. I initially thought that through *Hyakumonogatari*, Touhou, a fifty-year-old butler transformed into a yokai girl, would use her abilities to navigate this bizarre world, gradually subduing the hundred yokai and becoming the true ruler of *Hyakumonogatari*. After all, I admire strong characters and hoped the protagonist would be powerful, becoming the master of the world through their own strength. If not, at least they should be able to control their own destiny. But I never expected the author to take such a turn...

I finished the book and thought I'd write a review. I read *How Angels Are Made* before starting *Lord of a Hundred Tales*. Because of the excellent *Angel*, I didn't hesitate and subscribed to all of it with one click. I also used the monthly votes I got from *Angel* on *Witch*, and then spent a whole month reading *Lord of a Hundred Tales*. After finishing it, sigh, what a pity. This is a novel with very obvious strengths and weaknesses. It actually has many strengths; the author's writing style is a significant improvement compared to *Angel*. *Angel* is narrated in the first person, which is a very difficult challenge in itself. The frequent use of "" (le), and the awkward phrasing...

Becoming one of the male lead's harem members isn't the problem, and not being the main heroine isn't a big issue either. The real problem with this book is the male lead's brainless, idiotic, domineering CEO personality, completely disregarding others' wishes, and the female lead's loss of independence, becoming a subservient little woman completely dependent on the male lead. As a reader, I hope the female lead and male lead are equal in personality, have their own opinions, and when they disagree, she will stand by her point of view, working together to compromise and help each other to the end. Nobody likes a female simp. So unfortunately, as a similar novel (where the female lead becomes part of the male lead's harem, I enjoyed reading *Demon King's Tale*, but this one...)

I strongly advise against recommending this book. The later parts are a mess. The engagement chapter even specifically describes the male lead sleeping with all the female ninjas and most of the priestesses? Is this supposed to be a male lead or a harem novel? Did the author actually project his own image onto the male lead? I sincerely suggest the author change the female protagonist; this book doesn't deserve it.

Firstly, as a harem-style story about a woman being forced into marriage, the female lead is already in a relatively weak position. Yet, the author portrays her as a low-powered, mediocre, and unremarkable intellectual woman. I can only say that any random woman in the harem would be more compelling than Deng Ying. Secondly, the plot becomes increasingly awful after the main storyline destroys the Wild Demon Clan. Deng Ying is completely relegated to a supporting role. By the 600,000-word mark, the female lead's strength has barely increased, but the overall power level of the story has completely collapsed. I almost laughed out of anger. What are you trying to write? That the female lead gets taken in by the male lead and then shouts "666!" In the harem? That the male lead takes in this and that, and the female lead says, "You're so amazing!"? You're just indulging in self-deception...

Unbelievable! One chapter the male lead was proposing to the female lead during a fireworks festival, and the next chapter he suddenly becomes the new main heroine, leaving her speechless. The male lead, the world's strongest, who even dared to beat up the creator god of Japan, is now completely silent. Readers complained so much that the author gave the main heroine a concubine, and the ending epilogue still features the children of these two concubines forming a couple. The author is forcibly feeding readers garbage. If you want to write a harem, learn from Luo Re and Ji Ma, and create an excellent male lead, not a slave owner who bosses people around.

I thought the first two chapters were good, but the book's highlights ended after the male protagonist appeared; the flaws were completely overshadowed by the good. I was about to drop it after reading just the beginning of the third chapter, regretting not reading reviews before buying it. I was also drawn in by the excellent early parts and didn't expect the plot to take such a sharp turn. Based on other people's reviews and my own experience, I've summarized the positive and negative experiences this work, labeled with the themes of forced marriage, female protagonist, and wish-fulfillment, gave me. First, the strengths: the author clearly put in the effort to research various mythologies, and the world-building is quite good, especially if the population were more normal...

Le, this book, in retrospect, is practically worthy of being etched on the pillar of shame; there's basically nothing more to say. I can only sincerely thank Shennong, who warned me years ago when I first discovered this book that something was wrong with it; otherwise, consuming this pile of history would have left me feeling nauseous for who knows how long.

This book is the most disgusting novel about forced marriage I've ever read, and it even made me feel a strong aversion to the author.

If I were to empathize with the female lead, I wouldn't mind the emotional rollercoaster; I have a high tolerance for angst, and I can tolerate anything as long as the writing isn't too awful. Deng Ying's character is fantastic, but the male lead, Zhengzong, is arguably the biggest flaw in this book. How bad is he? To the point that even if I read it as a typical overpowered protagonist harem novel, I wouldn't find it enjoyable. The male lead is invincible throughout, which is fine, but the fact that he's a pure Japanese native isn't inherently a problem. However, in my opinion, the author's portrayal of the male lead clearly violates the political correctness code of online novels. The male lead can be invincible...