The soft armor under his clothes is a nice bit of preparation. He's not an idiot going into danger without protection. The fact that the attack ripped his clothes but didn't pierce the armor shows he came prepared from his previous life's instincts. Also, the detail of him keeping his pockets covered in the market shows he's street-smart. Karl's cautiousness makes him likable—he's not a reckless isekai protagonist.
1 The prose is okay but sometimes too flowery. “Palaces of purple mist are hidden amidst the peak-top sea of clouds, and pavilions of clear sound dot the mountain streams and springs.” That sounds like it was translated from Chinese, and the English feels a bit stilted. The author tries to evoke an epic wuxia atmosphere, but some sentences are clunky. The dialogue is better – the abbesses talk naturally, and the MC’s internal thoughts are casual. That contrast works.
One potential downside is how quickly Su Ye gains overwhelming power. By chapter one he has a god-tier barracks, a powerful hero, and nine elite units. Some readers might feel the progression is too fast and there’s no struggle. However, the novel acknowledges this by joking about cheating, and the worldbuilding hints that other lords might have similar lucky breaks or that the game scales hard later.
Reading this made me think of similar Chinese web novels like “The Villainess Lives Twice.” But this one has a unique flavor because of the Xi Shi background. The historical tragedy gives the character a tragic depth that typical modern villainesses lack. I hope the story continues to merge her past memories with her current missions.