Eagle Eye calling the NPCs “beggars” and then later getting saved by those same “beggars” is exactly the kind of humbling arc I enjoy. He comes in all arrogant talking about technique and skill, but the game doesn’t care about his twitch reflexes. It cares about whether he respects the old soldier’s advice. The slap that Brother Kuang got from the squad leader basically translates to the game slapping the player too. You can’t speedrun this. You can’t exploit glitches. You just have to suffer with them.
Then we get the three-year time jump. Bam. Amnesia. Talk about a palate cleanser. Going from the insane cliffhanger high fantasy action to Long Yang waking up naked by a pool with a weird scar and no memory feels like a different book entirely. It’s a bold narrative choice.
The dialogue between Old Song and Li Qian feels natural. When Old Song says “we must be content and not be unrealistic” – that’s a classic elder’s line, but it doesn’t feel preachy because he’s not stopping Li Qian from trying. He’s just warning him. And Li Qian respects it. The conversation about how formal disciples are faster: “maybe they work harder AND have ample resources” – that’s such a realistic take on privilege in cultivation worlds. No sour grapes, just honest observation.