Anyone know any spoilers about this novel? pokes @kiara8 and summons @scriptor since its bl *cough* <.< >.>
be more accurate with what you want to know~ or do you and spoiler something like everyone dies? still
its not like this series has many tled chaps yet orz....but the manga seems intresting! hmm...how come they send a eunich to serve that prince?...and how come nobody got rid of the kid since everyone seems to hate him?
Okay, read the MTL. It's a lot shorter than the other novels I've been reading lately (yay!): MC = country boy with martial arts. He beat up bullies in and around his hometown, has a large family with many brothers and sisters. He voluntarily chose to enter the palace as a eunuch so his family would have money (I think they were having a bad year or something). Yes, he's castrated. He aspires to be the number one martial artist in the world. ML = despised child of the used-to-be-emperor's-favorite concubine. He was born with this ugly reddish birthmark over his face. Poor child is reviled, beaten up, starved, etc. Even his own mother resents him. In addition to being bullied by the other princes, he was also forced to eat bugs for survival until MC came along. MC enters the palace as a eunuch. He's said to have an honest face, which works in his favor. He's assigned to the ML's concubine mother's part of the palace, then quickly shifted over to serve ML. MC is honestly bemused by ML's oddball behavior, such sneaking around and breaking into his rooms to eat a bit of half-eaten food he'd forgotten to finish, but then he sees how ML is treated and his scars and honestly gets enraged. Even if he's not very good-looking, a kid shouldn't be treated like this. He sees to getting the ML a bath (ML didn't even have baths...), getting rid of lice, and getting him regular meals. Eventually he gives the ML a choice: I can be your servant or your brother. Which one do you want? Our ML doesn't really understand but he says he wants a brother. MC and ML get down on their knees and swear their brotherhood under the heavens (this is a typical thing in Chinese culture lol, shhh it's supposed to be cool). MC says he'll be big bro and take care of ML. He immediately suggests that ML enter a martial arts training plan so he gets strong and won't be bullied (he wanted to be #1 martial artist and ML to be #2. LOL). ML is having the time of his life, here's someone who cares about him for once and won't hit him, yayyyyyy. Then MC gets the idea that they should go the the imperial library and look for cultivation manuals and things -- it's open to royalty. Unfortunately, the emperor happened to be there... MC almost got cut into human swine or something like that for bringing the 'ugly' ML there into his sight. Luckily, ML is black bellied and basically groveled for MC's release. MC got 'disciplined' for a while, while ML is turning full-on yandere without MC. He muses that this is the disparity between those with power and those without, fully embracing the idea of pursuing power so no one can hurt him or MC. MC comes back, but he calls himself 'this slave' which is the typical form of addressing themselves that eunuchs use in front of royalty. ML is super upset and cries, asking if MC is still his brother and that he wants his brother back. MC caves and admits that he didn't want to mess up and get ML in trouble again. They kind of unconsciously agree to be brothers in private and master-slave in public to fit customs. ML really goes on a training regimen and does as MC suggests -- he's got no looks to speak of, only thing he can do is to appeal to his grandpa in the military. You don't need looks to be in the military, just strength. They do some politicking with the concubine mother, who gets them in touch with the grandpa. Grandpa allows the military training but here they run into the brat princes again. Yandere ML is yandere... While separated, he tortures and kills one of the princes who'd hurt MC and ML in that library incident with the emperor in front of another prince. He blackmails the remaining prince into never revealing what happened and taking the blame, threatening to torture and kill him too if he didn't obey. The prince takes the blame, which is pretty big but not enough to threaten his life. He's only around ten or so like the other people except MC and kids sometimes do stupid things when emotions run high. ML never tells MC that he's been systematically ganking people over these years (he's been super strong for a while, just hides it). He kills another prince, drowning him in the pond where his mother drowned. No one knows the culprit. A bunch of eunuchs, etc. fall out of the emperor's favor as he rises higher. Emperor gives him a horse and a mask to cover his face at one point. ML isn't super pleased with the mask but he accepts the emperor's 'grace' and only takes it off in front of MC. MC gets more martial arts manuals meanwhile from this old martial arts lady who purposefully leaves them out for him and wanted to recruit him for his talent. At one point MC goes home on one of his allowed leave of absences. He reunites with this family. They're okay but have some tough times and feel super guilty for even allowing him to become a eunuch, even if it was his choice. They wanted him to come home for good and quit his job but he refused. ML talked with MC about future plans, and is shocked to learn that MC never thought about staying for good. MC wanted to raise up ML into someone strong enough to stand by himself before leaving and pursuing his dream of being #1 martial artist. But MC reassures ML that no matter what, they'll always be brothers. I forget when, but when ML was going through puberty, he demanded/persuaded MC to help him out with his stiffie problem too. XD ML forms a coalition with another prince in secret, acting like his subordinate (bet this prince will get ganked too in the end, ahahahaha). Meanwhile ML is super black-bellied and continues to sneak into bed with MC and slowly wear down his resistance. At one point he forcibly strips MC and MC is angry, until he gives up -- ML offers to strip too as payback lololol. And then there's the time that he almost did it with MC in front of other princes to avoid suspicion... (someone who's doing it with a eunuch is prolly nuts and/or uninterested in that princess they're chasing, or the throne which needs heirs...) Sad thing is that ML knows he's sorta twisted but can't help dragging MC down along with him... ML develops a taste for dom/sub play and restraints. Though part of the reason for this is the aforementioned red herring message to other princes. Emperor also hears of this and... feels sorry for this son lol. Thought he was so ugly that no girls wanted him and could only take out his sexual frustrations on a eunuch. One of the side effects of this is that MC gets some sexual training w/supervision (emperor though that he might as well have a proper, close-to-normal sexual education) and ML is later tentatively engaged with the Prime Minister's (?) daughter. But she's killed by bandits on the road because the 2nd prince and 1st prince can't afford to have her on their chessboard (too much power). Our ML thinks rather chillingly that he would have thought about doing her in himself if they hadn't. By the way, our MC isn't immediately obvious as a eunuch because physical training and martial arts made him grow up at least somewhat like a normal guy. He's beardless and missing his bits down there, but his voice only changed to become a bit low-register and slightly rough. Nothing squeaky. ML and MC go to a military camp to further his military training and future 'goal' (his real one is to become emperor) to become a general. ML tortures and gets rid of another prince there (I think this prince might have raped our ML when he was young and too downtrodden to fight back. MTL is a bit confusing here). He goes back to our MC and loses control a bit. They do 'it' rather violently. MC is not so happy and tells ML this, but ML admits he killed the prince and that he's going to go crazy if he doesn't have an anchor (AKA MC). They have an argument. MC is super strong and he hops over to the enemy camp and delivers the heads of two generals to ML as a make-up gift of sorts. ML idly muses that he'd like to see how far MC would go for him. Plot proceeds, ML makes nice with the army guys who all like him pretty well. ML took off his mask with these muscle-heads because apparently, according to MC, he's scarier without it on. ML develops a super domineering kingly air that shocks the ambassador from the capital. ML & MC argue some more. ML is sticky, MC is exasperated and somewhat upset. MC wants to be free to do stuff and thinks that ML's fixation on him is unhealthy. ML disagrees. On their trip back they get it on in the carriage, but it's pretty tense for various reasons. ML has a successful return to the capital after subduing the invaders. Emperor still insists on ML keeping his mask on (the wuss, the army bros were better). A lot of plotting and backstabbing follows as ML discretely secures his position in the capital. He kills off yet another prince, torturing him as he goes. LEL our ML takes his revenge seriously... This time MC is around to see the beginning of it, but he leaves soon after. He knows ML has all this resentment bottled up that he needs to let off somehow. Prince is tortured for days before he's finally dead and his mutilated corpse thrown to the fishies. MC realizes that if he isn't there by ML's side, ML will really go bonkers and turn into an incurably tyrant emperor. The other two princes, ML frames in a plot to assassinate both him and the emperor. They didn't really do it lol, but all the same getting the framed = gets them killed and/or out of the way. Blah blah more plotting, they corner the emperor into abdicating the seat to our ML. Sometime after coronation, ML exacts vengeance on the ex-emperor. He sneaks in to his retirement spot and attempts to waterboard him to death the ancient way. MC stops him. He explains to the dirtbag emperor that he didn't want ML to fall deeper into a twisted path by continually killing off his family members, scolding the guy as he goes -- he had so many opportunities to sort out his family but didn't, even allowing others to abuse the ML to such a degree. He says some parting words to the emperor that make him commit suicide in the night though lol. Basically our ML and MC usher in a new era of prosperity with all kinds of reforms. Apparently he seems to abstain from getting laid (with the ladies at least... that's where MC comes in lololol) and people are in awe of his piety or something. Of course, some people suspect that there's something going on between them... but nothing can be said out loud of course. XD Stuff in the extras is about their life after. One funny incident involves both emperor and head eunuch (AKA ML and MC) ditching their jobs for like twenty days to attend some martial arts conference. ML said if country fell apart without them for just twenty days then they weren't doing their jobs right. LOL. Meanwhile poor shmucks back at the palace are all '...'
Yup, there's not much fluff in this novel. ML is fundamentally twisted from his horrible childhood and really only normal-ish in front of MC. Kind of an interesting read though lol. Ahahaha, good point. It's also pretty refreshing that ML's looks never improve. Later on, he only develops more charisma. He's well known as a guy whose face isn't all that attractive but has a devilishly powerful charisma that draws people to him almost against their will.
OHH this sounds like a great read. One question tho, is it implied that the ML killed his mother or is it just another harem plot and the concubine mother got killed?
Ehh, I kinda started skimming towards the end. But from what I remember, he personally makes his move. There's a point at which he confronts his mother and she's shocked and afraid to learn that he's been holding a grudge this entire time. I can't remember if he offs her directly or has someone else do it for him, but he makes his move either way.
I heard this has raw manhwa? And the novel too? Anyone with a link on it? I read the few translated chapters and became.hooked and wanna continue with them.
I remember MTLing this up until people start being confused whether ML is (very) ugly or (very) handsome. He looks very distinctive/unlike anyone else and since the enemy country is terrified of/admires him and call him 'handsome' (I think they're just afraid of him/his dominant aura) the origin country started catching up. I imagine him as someone with beautiful facial features but also distinctive deformities (the brow ridge, birthmark, etc) so --- ehh. If you focus on the features he might have the potential to be handsome but the whole package unsettles people. And yes, ML with most issues I've ever read so far. The depictions of torture/sufferings are also graphic.
uhhhh to be honest he doesn't look that bad to me? From the manhwa chapters so far I mean. He looks pretty cute... and... Shouldn't guys in the army get more awful scars.... I guess the factor is that he was born with the scars. And superstition shit like the storm that raged on the day he was born.
I don't think the manhwa is very -- faithful? The manhwa only include the scars and not the skull/brow ridge shape. In the novel he's widely considered as monstrous at first sight. People (except MC) just don't register him as human(like). Which... well when he was weak/unfavored translates as monster, but when he's getting more exposure/power, people think of his distinctive looks as Divine. As in emperors are son of heaven and not of mortals... kind. Which helped.
Yeah I saw the manhua adaptation and was like which part of his face is ugly??¿? The red lines ??¿¿ After reading the spoilers, this story has me interested on reading it. Too bad there's not enough chapters out
yesh yandere ML. Though weird me curiousity arises again for research x.x.... I mean after all MC is eneuch.... so the only one that has fun is ML right...? Dun dun dun.... I'm dooming the whole danmei sect with my curiousity kek.