Forced to Cross-Dress, I Turned the Martial World into a Farce

Mr. Wang Guowei once said that there are two kinds of poets in the world. One kind is the otherworldly, whose minds are clear and bright, following a natural and spontaneous path that reflects their inner truth. Therefore, the more detached they are from worldly affairs, the more outstanding they become, like Li Yu. The other kind is the worldly, who have experienced the hardships of life, understand the ways of the world and people's hearts, and follow a path that reflects reality. Therefore, the more worldly-wise they are, the more outstanding they become, like Cao Xueqin. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ Bibi's writing style is quite good among online writers; the plot is not abrupt, and the development is also very natural. His strength lies in his excellent character portrayal; many characters' personalities leap off the page...

In today's world of rampant wish-fulfillment web novels, this novel is refreshingly unique! Calling it a breath of fresh air in the industry wouldn't be an exaggeration. However, I'm actually quite worried about its future, as I always feel that wuxia light novels struggle to gain a foothold in science fiction. After all, most readers here are fans of all sorts of quirky things (like myself, a sister-complex enthusiast), and wuxia is a rather delicate hobby. Yet, the author has already persisted in writing hundreds of thousands of words, updating daily—that's incredible! The plot structure and pacing are perfect, and the fast-paced (undoubtedly) plot and character dialogue are very engaging, creating a sense of "next chapter..."

Logically speaking, a book under 50,000 words shouldn't warrant a long review. Firstly, the short length doesn't allow for expressing many opinions, and secondly, it's impossible to definitively assess the author's skill level (in various aspects). To be clear, I haven't read any of the author's other works. I casually glanced at it today, and wow, cross-dressing—that's quite appealing, given the current trends? But upon closer inspection, it was completely different from what I expected. After reading it carefully, I was immediately blown away. I thought it would be one of those stories with a cute, soft male lead at the beginning, but it's not. It's actually a traditional martial arts comedy, at least that's what I think so far? I've been reading novels for over a decade, from my student days to my working years...

This novel stands out significantly from others in the Pineapple Bun series: it avoids many clichés. While too many clichés in the Pineapple Bun series often make it unappealing, the subtle clichés in this story are quite effective. The novel (like an essay, haha) is divided into volumes, with a clear structure that allows readers (like the grader, haha) to easily recall what they just read, unlike most novels (truly rubbish online novels) that are just a daily monologue. The plot is full of twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged. The character development is also excellent; even the fox's name ("fox"), its mannerisms, its sect, and its interactions with the protagonist are all well-written...

Is the fox male or female? I'm afraid I can't handle a male one.

The atmosphere becomes tense. You could write that Feng Yunfei's hand is on the hilt of his sword, the opponent's gaze sharpens, or you could show the protagonist's sweaty palms and swallowing—there are many ways to do this. Saying something like, "I'm telling you, it's super tense right now. The protagonist's palms are sweating; a lot of people are going to chop him to pieces!" Is rather uninteresting. Instead, write that the opponents are eyeing you menacingly, highlight a few named individuals and their ferocity, and that with every word the protagonist utters, their gazes shift, their hands are on their weapons, and the protagonist's palms are sweating… See? Isn't that more interesting than simply introducing the tension and then explaining why? At the very least, this isn't just "I think," you could choose a contrasting perspective…

I'm not usually one to write reviews, but seeing how much the author seems to want a long one, I'll take pity on them and write one. (Definitely not because I really want to write one!). First, the title: well, I like cross-dressing, so when I saw the title, I secretly hoped the protagonist was a cross-dresser. Well, it turns out the male lead isn't a cross-dresser at all, *sobs*. But! The writing is very smooth. I really like the author's concise and powerful writing style; it's easy to understand, the story's pacing is very steady, and it's a very, very comfortable read!! Sometimes, while reading, I feel like I've been transported to an ancient martial arts world! And...

The book's writing style is simple and clear. Often, excessive descriptions in books become tiring, especially repetitive ones. For example, describing a cute girl—I'm sure you know from other novels—is a lot of rambling. The story is also simple and humorous, following the same old formula. Formulas never go out of style; it's just a matter of how you interpret them. There's almost no Japanese influence; it feels like a fairy tale. It's a very easy-to-read work, but the plot and foreshadowing could be improved. I'm not very good at expressing myself, so this is the best I can offer.

Then there's the martial arts element—yes, I mean the martial arts element. Because the selling point of this story isn't martial arts at all, but rather the androgynous fox and the male protagonist. Rather than watching for the battles and the stories behind the human skin, I was more interested in how to trick the male protagonist into cross-dressing and whether the fox was male or female. I checked the reviews, and they all revolved around this; I didn't see any discussion about the plot (in a sense, it's about selling character designs). However, opinions on this are subjective, but in my opinion, so far, the plot lacks urgency; it feels more like a leisurely outing. It's supposed to be about infiltration and escape, theoretically tense and...

I'm not pretending anymore, this is my youth.