Name: Beauties, Please Control Yourselves (仙子请自重) Raw Link: https://book.qidian.com/info/1014243481 NU Link: None Why It Should Get Picked Up: This is very exceptional xianxia/harem story with its own twists and a very likable protagonist, plus a cast of very interesting characters, with each their own personality and desires. A rarity in these trying times. Spoiler: Long Explanation This is basically a review. If you know me, you know I ramble sometimes so be prepared. I really like harems. I know I shouldn't, but I do. But nowadays, the current trend for the Chinese WN community is monogamy/OTP. Many veteran writers, even those who found their beginnings in harem stories, have fully thrown themselves into this trend, or have chosen drop romance entirely and just focus on the story. There are exceptions, but not too many, and sometimes, their newer works just can't be comparable with their old stuff. Or that they are an exact carbon copy of their old stuff. Or you got fed up with some of their bad tendencies. That leaves only new writers. But at this point, many old-timers like me have gotten spoiled and picky since we've already read WNs for years. We know all the tropes, every twist and turn. And we're used to a standard of writing that new writers just couldn't replicate. After all, in the past, we've had over ten years worth of WNs to choose from. The most popular translations in this site are those stories that stood out from the dregs. The crème de la crème, so to speak. So for me personally, I couldn't find a single new WN that I could read for more than 100 chapters without getting frustrated. Until now. I tell you what, this story is like cool spring water in the desert. Popsicle during a hot summer. A good burger after a hard diet, with artery-clogging extra crispy fries and one of those Mexican sodas that comes in a glass bottle and a straw. And as is always the case, after I'm finished with one, I always want more. For a WN, this story is written exceptionally well. I don't mean just the prose or dialogues, but the plot itself is very exceptional and unique. For the most part, yeah, the story can be considered a normal xianxia/harem, but it has a layer of extra depth and a level of restraint that you could only expect from an experienced writer. He does not rush his story as most would. The story unfolds naturally, even though it doesn't always end up as one would expect. This author clearly knows his audience and what he wants to write, so he doesn't shy away from the tropes as most would. Instead, he embraces the lot of them and add his own twist into how his story would develops. Nowadays, most xianxia/harems are considered shallow and asinine, a quick buck for a quick chapter, but for this story, you can tell that there was a lot of work and planning that happened in the background before each chapter is released. To find one such dedicated writer in the WN community is already quite a find. That a writer of this caliber still exist in the harem community, it brings a tear to my eye. Also, this is not a story of a bloodthirsty psychopath whose only solution to every problem is to kill off his enemies and butcher their clan down to the last dog. Instead, our protagonist has a rather easy-going and enlightened personality. His name is Qin Yi, a modern man who was reborn into the body of a boy also named Qin Yi. He has his own enemies and he has quite the kill-count under his belt. But for the most part, he is a good person with a big heart. Many of his enemies aren't just generic villains who fights him over greed or lust, but simply because they stand on opposing sides, with each their own reason and desired goals. When Qin Yi encounters a worthy opponent and can avoid further bloodshed, he'll spare their lives and just walk away. Qin Yi sees both the good and the evil in everybody. He is smart, but not too greedy and he's certainly not considered selfish. And while he is often (technically) alone, he is definitely not a loner. He just wants to travel and see the world he has been reborn into, cultivate himself and find his own way. Ideally, with his lover(s). The primary reason he wants power is not even for himself, but for the sake of his companions and for true freedom. He is close to what I would imagine a true immortal would be like. Except he does still have his earthly desires. You know how it is. His fatal flaw is that his heart is too big. No really. His world is full of "peach blossoms". Qin Yi himself is very capable and very talented, with the necessary caution and ability to rise to the top of the cultivation world, but if he does ever bite the dust one day, his killer will certainly be a woman. So with such a protagonist, you've basically know just what kind of story this would be. The other characters, at least the ones that matter, also hold their own very well too. They are not simply tropes manifested. They are their own person, vivid, with each their own personality and dignity, their own philosophy and ideals, which they would sometimes rather die than discard. They would also have their own desires and ambitions, even the love interest, who use and risk Qin Yi for their own purpose despite how much they love him. All the characters have their own purposes in the story and they are never just there because Qin Yi needs a friend or a lover or a villain to fight. Their appearance has to have a meaning. They are like links in a chain that each pulls the protagonist to where he has to go, who he has to meet, or what he has to experience. But ultimately, their purpose is to help Qin Yi evolve as a character and realize his own way. Okay, sometimes it's for a power-up, but it's going to be a very philosophical power-up. The world that the author created is nothing special. It's just a normal world of cultivators that you will find in so many other xianxia. Good sect, evil sect. Mortals lives under the thumb of the immortals. A mysterious war over an object from a thousand lifetimes ago. Secrets and ruins. Etc, etc. But it is the characters that shines through. Where there is evil, there is always spots of good. Of course, at the moment, Qin Yi himself is the biggest good of the whole story. As for the cheats... yeah, it's a xianxia story. Of course there's going to be cheats. But at the moment, not too many. True, the protagonist now has a small fragment of a mysterious door that is hinted to be very powerful and a couple of other empowered items, but I think the true cheat is that the protagonist has that the others do not is his own personality, which a big boss character has repeatedly insisted is very suitable in the study of immortality, and also the sheer amount of talent that he possesses, to the point that many people have mistakenly assumed that Qin Yi is a freak who has practiced immortality for all of his life, instead of just a few scant years at best. And that was before he obtained the fragment. Essentially, Qin Yi himself is the biggest cheat. All in all, this author has managed to hit almost every note that I've wanted from my xianxia, to the point that I simply cannot recommend this story enough! Unfortunately, this only has 200ish chapters and no translations that I know of. Description: Qin Yi once believed that those in pursue of immortality must first be serene and dignified, without desire and passion, able to control one's nature and resist any temptation. But in the end, he discovers that [仙首先有个人字旁] The path to immortality is bitter and cold, let us embrace for warmth!