The whole “I’m so innocent I didn’t steal 20,000” plot is a common framing device, but Yu Kai’s frustration feels real. He’s angry at his mom for paying without asking, and I actually side with him – why would you just pay if you’re innocent? But then we learn she has bigger fish to fry. The dialogue in the classroom, with classmates gathering around, feels natural for high school. I just wish we got more of Yu Kai’s personality before all the supervillain mom stuff kicked in.
The author’s use of short paragraphs in the really tense moments makes the reading experience better. When Jiuyang realizes Lin Xueer is losing control, the sentences get choppier and faster. That tempo shift works really well for urgency.
The betrayal scene with Nan Ge and the fire-type girl made my blood boil. He used her for her ability, then blinded her and ran, leaving her to die. That’s the kind of scum you just want to see get crushed. Ji Chuan smashing his head in with a stone felt like instant karma, even if our protagonist is now a monster himself. The fact that Ji Chuan killed him not for the core but because he reminded him of Su Wanwan? Chills.
Huo Zhenchuan’s obsession with a granddaughter is hilarious. He openly says he hates his grandsons because they’re troublemakers. He wants a cute little cotton-padded jacket. That’s such a typical Chinese family trope, but it’s endearing. His willingness to go along with his wife’s schemes just to maybe get a granddaughter shows how far he’ll go. And when he jumps up from his "deathbed" upon hearing the little girl call Huo Tingyan "Daddy", I lost it. He’s instantly ready to claim her. They’ll definitely spoil her rotten.
The demon talmarion concept is a nice callback to the original Journey to the West. In the lore, demons always know about the pilgrimage. Now I see how that works. This kind of detail makes the world richer.
Our little protagonist Gu Zhaozhao is already a boss at three years old crawling through dog holes to see her emperor father and then casually taking down evil spirits with talismans like it's nothing I love her guts.