Lord Seventh
By Priest
Completed
64773 Views
76 Chapters
β4.35
97 Reviews
Waking up again in his seventh reincarnation, Prince Jing Beiyuan found himself back in time, when everything had yet to be set in motion. Having been given a second chance, Beiyuan has to survive court and decide whether it was finally time for him to let go of his feelings or not, all while trying to handle the youthful, innocent force of nature that had suddenly barged into his already complicated life.
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Lord Seventh Chapter 31
Rating: 4.5/5
" It was my fault that your fate became incomplete and full of suffering. There is nothing I can do to make up to you but this; giving up all of my cultivation to trade for one lifetime where you can have black hair again... "
There is so much to unpack about this book, but at the same time story is very simple, when you throw out the politics out of the window.
Jing Beiyuan is a man who lived through many lives, through many forms and was always killed by the love of his life Helian Yi. No matter how many times he was killed, he never drank meng po soup in order to forget his past lives.
He spent so many years in afterlife that at some point, his hair became completely white.
But the last life he got returned him to the point of time of his first life, when he was still young, still human and able to change things and when his hair was still black.
Jing Beiyuan, also known as Jing Qi, is also a prince with different surname. Helian Yi is, however, a crown prince and his throne is being eyed by his two older brothers Helian Zhao and Helian Qi.
In the past, Jing Beiyuan set a path and cleared the way for Helian Yi to claim the throne, but it all backfired when Helian Yi decided to kill him.
At first he wanted to do nothing and waste away so Helian Yi would not have a reason to kill him in this life, but everything changed when unknown factor - Wu Xi, a hostage prince/young sorcerer from Nanjing - was sent to their capital and changed entire course of history and future that Jing Beiyuan knew.
And so, Jing Beiyuan decides to satisfy his curiousity by becoming friends with Wu Xi, who is surrounded by a lot of poisonous animals, who has magic that is beyond their comprehending and who is after all.... Alone. Alone in Jby's country, with only his people.
Alone, like Jing Beiyuan with his thoughts.
Jing Beiyuan is so clever, so smart and so cunning and ruthless. He's overly protective but he also loves to trick, to mock and have fun.
Wu Xi is restrained, mostly afraid of new environment but still stands proudly and doesn't bend his back. He relents when he has to, but he also has a curious nature, and for now Jing Beiyuan is the only he can trust.
This book is very linear, very satisfying, very clear and comprehensible. The translation is top notch and wonderful and the story flows smoothly.
You won't feel bored in any chapter.
This is slow burn romance and not a love triangle, despite seeming this way.
>OVERALL RATINGS:
β Main characters: highly unique, wonderful, they will knife you hard and make you happy and proud.
β Side characters: well developed, could be better, but Helian Yi is the only one with biggest focus so far.
β Story: clear, linear and smooth. No overall world saving or similar but it is a story of finding someone. To not thread your life alone forever. It's a system of reward to a soul that has almost withered away, and a story of a soul determined to correct the injustice.
β Humor AND angst: you will feel sad because Jing Beiyuan didn't lead a happy life. Ever. And yet you will laugh at their shenanigans.
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
What I found really engaging in this story are the cliche-breakers:
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MC was "fated" to be with a person, but was deeply betrayed & killed by them before his rebirth etc. The cliche-breaker is a spoiler:
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Spoiler
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After rebirth, he doesn't end up with the same guy who killed him.
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Above sounds so s*upidly obvious when written out, but unfortunately in rebirth/second chance novels, MCs almost ALWAYS end up with the same person who DEEPLY destroyed them in the previous life due to the Law of Virginity. (see next bullet)
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Spoiler
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Priest writes fantastic complex scheming political characters (like the ex-ML), making you alternatingly feel bad or call them "scum." Much dilemma! Great depth on the unspoken bitterness and regrets.
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I'm frankly impressed how sympathetic a character he turned out to be.
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MC isn't some virginal youth who's never had any relationships (he's kind of like 300 years old), and he ends up with someone unexpected.
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Spoiler
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In almost every CN novel, MCs end up with whoever took his/her "first time" (aka, Law of Virginity). Which is why it's shockingly great that MC ends up with someone-not-that in this novel.
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MC is a switch.
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Spoiler
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And he's the kind of wonderful "top" who doesn't care who tops or bottoms, but rather sentimentally would willing submit and share both with his loved one.
Otherwise, an excellent read by Priest yet again.
- Wonderful multi-dimensional cast
- Ethical dilemmas galore
- Everyone is kind of a bit corrupt and a bit "gray" and a bit dirty... except cinnamon-roll ML
- More focus on plot, fighting for the throne, scheming etc.
- A bit similar to [ Sha Po Lang ] in terms of older!MC, fake-facade!MC, self-sacrificial!MC, loyal-to-country!MC (but not as noble or silly as the one in SPL)
- Overall, a darker tone because of the rebirth element and the pining/past tragedy element
Fantastic translation.
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
Rebirth, unrequited love? Politics? MC already has gone through several reincarnations already but that's not what the story is about. What's important is that this is his seventh reincarnation, and with it he goes back in time, to his very first life.
Spoiler
The MC, Jing Beiyuan, had the worst luck in that the one he was destined to be with for 7 lifetimes instead became his enemy, not his lover. Then he had 5 miserable lifetimes after that trying to get close to him, before essentially giving up and trying to drink from the river of forgetfulness but that didn't work out either. Now the story starts with the seventh and last life, and, he has complicated feelings? He claims all he wants now is a peaceful life, but, it seems he can't escape royal intrigues, and, he's trying to decide whether it's time to let go of his feelings REALLY BIG SPOILER The ML doesn't appear to be the man he was supposedly destined to be with, but someone else
The translation is very, very well done, which is fortunate as there seems to be a lot of references to Chinese mythology that might be confusing if all you've read (as I have) is the MTL. And also lots of political drama, which a good translation is absolutely necessary so you don't get lost (as I have) just by reading the MTL.
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
I spent the whole day binge-reading and even stayed up until 3 in the morning finishing this story. I loved the concept, but the execution was a bit lacking. It was still a good read. Here's why it got 3 stars from me:
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The MC (Jing Qi/Jing Beiyuan) : This must be the 3rd book I've read by Priest, but I'm starting to notice that she really liked depicting the "Old Rogue" type of MC or ML, where they act all shameless and is making jokes all the time and doesn't seem to take anything seriously, but really they're supposedly super deep inside and can get things done like nobody's business. Jing Qi was exactly this. Normally, I like these types of characters, but he did it to such an extent that I found myself getting irritated with him more than a few times. I don't dislike Jing Qi, but I don't love him either.
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The ML (Wu Xi) : Compared to Jing Qi, and even the Ex, Wu Xi was more simplistic and less complex, thus making him seem more cardboard cut-out. He was boxed into this child-like character that was too honest for his own good. He had low EQ, supplemented by surprising bouts of keen observations. Yet, there seemed to be no criteria for when he becomes observant except for the fact that the author wants him to be. I still liked him more than the MC, though.
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The Relationship/CP: Sigh. The relationship is the weakest part of this novel. I felt very complicated about this CP. What I dislike is that, in the past, Jing Qi loved the Ex so much that they were entangled for 7 lifetimes, that he was unwilling to drink Meng Po's soup, that he would wait for him for 60-70 years by the River of Forgetfulness per lifetime. So, if his previous feelings toward the Ex was boiling hot, then his current feelings for Wu Xi could be described as lukewarm. Maybe this was Priest's intention. After all, after being burned by boiling water, lukewarm could be considered perfect, and lukewarm was just what Jing Qi needed. And this would be perfectly fine, if Priest had told the development of their relationship differently. But instead, it felt more like Wu Xi loving Jing Qi greatly, and Jing Qi just giving in to Wu Xi, like how one would give in to a child. It seemed unfair to the ML, who seemed so much more invested in the relationship.
Spoiler
If there were any consolations, it was that, once Jing Qi gave in, he was loyal and he was also willing to wait for Wi Xi in the afterlife if he ended up dying first. Even then, he still thought regretfully that, if only in the past life, the Ex wasn't the Emperor and he wasn't the Prince of Nan'Ning. Argh. Why?????? I don't expect Jing Qi to be glad that his Ex turned into a paranoid, ungrateful POS who ended up killing him, but I thought he was way over it already. I mean, the dude literally killed you all of 6 lifetimes.
- The Plot: If the plot was the political drama, then it was boring as heck.
Some people will love it, some people will think it's so-so. Give it a try.
17
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
This is a very slow slice-of-life of a reborn noble caught in the struggle for the throne and trying to avoid his original emotional entanglements and tragic fate. I read translator Chichi's complete epub version. The MC's 7 lifetimes of love with the Crown Prince accidentally became 7 lifetimes of enmity, with the Crown Prince killing the loving MC each time. After the 6th lifetime, the MC simply waits in the Underworld for his beloved Crown Prince.
MAJOR SPOILERS:
Spoiler
EXCEPT, the Crown Prince actually isn't the ML of this novel!
The MC is born again into his first lifetime with all of his memories intact. Even if his body is young, the MC's memories are hundreds of years old and the MC's heart has grown cold. He'll help the Crown Prince to the throne again, but the MC doesn't love the Crown Prince anymore and the MC wants to avoid being killed by a paranoid ruler again.
Rather, the ML of the novel is Wu Xi, the hostage Shaman from a foreign country. The first 90% of the story covers the 10 years when the MC and ML grow up in the Capital, mainly housebound. The MC is careful to appear to be a useless fop while actually scheming nonstop to promote the Crown Prince and protect himself. Wu Xi is seen as a little kid, with high IQ and martial arts, but low EQ. By the time the ML is a tall, strapping man, 90% of the story is passed, and the romance and the final battle begin. It's a happy ending.
The translation is good, but the plot/romance development (over a decade) is super slow, so I'd say 4 stars.
Update: Just realized that super scheming, ruthless mastermind Zhou Zishu from this novel, is actually the MC of Faraway Wanderers novel/Word of Honour drama.
10
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
sigh.. I truly don't know just how to put my thoughts down about this novel.
despite the 3 star rating, I actually really enjoyed reading it. to me, Lord Seventh is one of those novels with the purpose to make you think and truthfully, it does just that. usually, I'd read a novel and be able to go "he's the bad guy" and "he's the good guy". but with Lord Seventh, nobody is truly good and nobody is truly evil. and that's the point I think priest was trying to make and she does it really well.
priest has always been good at delivering characters that feels real, that feels well fleshed and thought out and that is also the case with Lord Seventh. there are really no obvious villains nor are there obvious heroes. practically every single character is morally grey in some way and that's what makes them feel all the more real. they're not perfect, they do things that are morally bad and they do it often and even if it is for the sake of the "greater good" it doesn't mean those things are not bad and the novel does a great job of pointing that out.
however, despite it all I truly do cherish these characters, and I think that's mostly where the 3 stars come from. the characters are wonderfully written. I started the novel thinking I'd hate the crown prince and yet in the end, I could not help sympathise with him. yes, his actions are inexcusable, however, it doesn't mean I cannot see his point of view either.
and the plot too, is great. against the backdrop of a nation and princes vying for the throne and danger at every corner, and yet with his rebirth, our main character is not omnipotent. this isn't a typical "I rebirthed time to face slap" novel and that's precisely why I liked it. from early as the second chapter our MC has pretty much accepted that what happened in the past was a matter of the past and he could only strive forth in the present.
so despite this book having all these characteristics that I truly love and characters I genuinely cherish and wrapped up in a HE bow... I also don't understand where the 3 stars came from. or maybe I do. despite the elements that make up what is genuinely a great story, Lord Seventh, to me just felt like a lot of things happened yet... nothing happened. I would not say I started to get bored, but I also found myself wanting to get to the end and be done with the novel. yet what kept me going was these characters and to see what happened to them in the end.
and it is also for these characters that I will give this novel 3 stars. maybe it's contradictory despite the low rating, but Lord Seventh is truly a really good book, it's just that for me, it was the characters, and just them, that make it so.
8
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
This is one of those novels which is so poignant and melancholic, the very first chapter made my heart so heavy. This novel has me in its grasp, I just loved the theme of this novel, moving on and falling in love again. I'm a sucker for such tropes where the person you are supposedly fated to, isn't the one for you. This takes soulmates just on another level.
I don't usually read novels with love triangles, not my cup of tea. However, this is different, here Jing Qi is moving on, so I gave it a try. Definitely worth it. The MC, Jing Beiyuan, is such an interesting character, he's calculative, cunning, scheming, but shows an indifferent and lazy attitude. He's funny, lovable and adorable. Most of time, you will be protective of him and be in rage of the things he had to go through. His willpower to last for 6 different lives, is truly admirable yet so pitiful. I'm glad that he decided to let it go.
The ML, oh my, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM.
Spoiler
Wu Xi is so bold and straightforward, he's childish and stubborn, he's blunt and innocent. He decided that he liked Beiyuan and did everything in his power to cherish and make him happy. He's so doting, it's tender love ahhhh. Some people said that they didn't like him much compared to Helian Yi, however, I think Wu Xi is the kind of guy who's suitable for our Lord Seventh!! Beiyuan needs someone who would say what he feels, love and pamper him, treat him extremely well. Wu Xi is the best boy~
He gave Beiyuan the home, love and stability that Beiyuan hadn't even thought of.
He's the exact opposite of Beiyuan, my heart!!!!
CP: 1000000, I can't stress how much I love them!!!!!
I read the MTL version for the last 50 chapters and the extras are so cute, THEY EVEN HAVE A SON ASDFGHJKL. They are so in love, they made my heart flutter and then mush haha.
Spoiler
When the Netherjudge said that Bai Wuchang had been waiting for his destined person and then gave up his whole cultivation for Jing Qi to live his first life again, I was in tears. They were fated from the beginning, but Wu Xi had to wait 300 (?) Years to reborn and fall in love with Jing Beiyuan. This was different from what I had expected.
THEY WERE DESTINED TO BE WITH EACH OTHER SINCE THE BEGINNING *SOBS*
My favorite character would be Liang Jiuxiao, he's just so lovable and quite relatable. And, my boy, Ping An haha. They are the bestest boys~
The translations are wonderful, I highly recommend this novel, it's such a gem. I would reread this again and again for my boys!!
8
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
This book grabbed me and never quite let go. Not that it is action packed. Almost the opposite. It's steeped in the delicate melancholy of his slightly-depressed main-point-of-view character. But itβs this deep dive into the inner workings of its oh-so-human characters that makes in so special.
How to describe it? Itβs a book about political intrigues, except that power is a meaningless constrain. Itβs a book about predestined love, except when it has already passed and cannot grow again. It's a book about duty to the state and the people, except that it means destroying your own dreams and living in frustration. Itβs a book that takes many tropes and gently deconstructs them so that you cannot rest in the comfort of what you already know.
It could be described as a deeply philosophical book: itβs about learning how to live and to love, about power vs humanism, responsibility vs freedom, duty vs desire... But those themes are never expressed in the abstract. They appear between the lines, through the different characters, their thoughts, their actions and their consequences.
Itβs a book with many funny moments, sweet moments, tense, horrifying and tragic moments too, but always narrated through the inner thought of the characters. There are little objective facts in this book, only their shadows, how they are experienced, explained and rationalized by the characters.
Itβs a book that gives very little definite answers but leaves you with many questions, that never preaches, judges, condemns its characters and never decides for its reader what they should think.
Itβs a book like very few others in the webnovel world. I hope itβs a book for you. It certainly was for me.
PS: The translation is great. Also it has a sequel, Faraway Wanderers, which really is more like the other side of the same coin, a thematic contra point with a setting and tonal change. So itβs like you have two great books for the price of one!
7
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 1
Ah, what a heavy story, beautifully written and logical.
I think it doesn't end with a happy ending but with a bittersweet ending. Why? Because this story is really similar to real life. You want to feel completely happy but you can't because there are other memories that are holding your heart from feeling truly happy.
The main character may end up happily, but not with the other characters, with how every other character around them ends. But you also can't blame the author for this. Because deep in your heart you realize life is like this.
The authors wrote each character beautifully, with their respective backgrounds, and the end of their respective journeys. The plot of their life is actually simple, made complicated by various events around them like intrigue surrounding the kingdom, the throne, and also war.
Each character has their own personality, sometimes you agree with their decisions, but more often than not you think they could have made better decisions. The author explains beautifully why each of the characters does this and not that, so you can't help but try to accept and love them.
The worldbuilding is not very clear because the story revolves around the scheme each character takes and there is rarely a scene strolling around enjoying the scenery or anything like that.
Finally, if you want to read a story that takes you out of real life, this story is not a good choice for you, you will feel depressed, rest assured. But if you want to see and hear the "real" stories of other people's lives, read this novel, for you to feel life is really hard to live. Or maybe you will be grateful your life is not as sad as theirs?
7
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2023-07-17
Lord Seventh Chapter 3
whew.... first of all, my first priest novel I read was spl and I didn't understand what was happening in half of the plot, I was lost most of the time and that really discouraged me to keep reading priest novels. but now with word of honor airing I wanted to read qiye and I got surprised.
so coming with low expectations, the stting of qiye's plot was really interesting, reincarnation and ill fated lovers? count me in. you see the characters grow up, literally from their teen's up till their late twenties. there's wu xi who is the type of character that I usually like, this kind aloof, cold-faced but actually is yearning for his loved one, that's what I like. so me being a simp for him was no surprise, and he has cute pets uwu so yeah I love wuxi.
beiyuan was not my favorite character... I understand that he wasjust trying to survive this lifetime by keeping his distance from helian yi, and just idle around without care for anything or anyone, like I understand that bc he lived tragedy after tragedy on his past lives, of course he'd be weary, but I didnt connect that much with him
for the main couple, I felt wuxi's feelings the most, the realization, the yearning, the acceptance, even though it felt too fast, like he just woke up one day after a dream with beiyuan, was dumbfounded but that same day he was like oh I like him. which is character, but it still was... fast. and on the other side, there's beiyuan, who apparently is past beyond his love for helian yi but you can see he is somehow nostalgic about it yet, so him loving wu xi is sort of difficult to happen.... and yet he does.... but it doesnt feel like as deep as wu xi
the way I felt when beiyuan reciprocated wuxi I was confused, bc I feel like he still treats wu xi as a child, not as an adult, and yes I know he wouldnt have stopped going to brothels and all that stuff if he had not had feelings for wu xi, but the feeling he conveyed was of an adult trying to placate a child by giving him the candy he desires. and after the war he was willing to die and wait for wu xi by the river but he said it was a debt he had.
it's complicated bc I think priest lacked in developing their relationship, in a deeper level, there were years of pining and the moment it finally starts turning mutual, it ends. xiyuan are a great couple but it still could have been way better
the last complain about the story I have is how priest left many plotholes in the main story, for example bai wuchang
Spoiler
we wouldnt have known bai wuchang and wu xi are the same, if it had not been for the translator including that deleted extra, which I think is ridiculous, how can you leave a detail that is SOOOOOO important out, HOW, WHY. it doesnt make sense. yes it was a great conclusion for the overall novel+extras, but there's people that wont read the extras, you should include something like that plot twist IN the novel
in conclusion, the way priest writes is like she is telling me something, but the moment it starts to get juicy she deems it unnecessary and moves on, and there's no room for questions, bc she kind of assumes you already know those details that you actually dont know. im not saying she is bad because she has great ideas, but im not a fan of the way she develops them and how she forgets to make that connection between the characters so they can appeal to the reader and make them feel invested, make the readers feel part of the story and not just outsiders.
i give it 4 stars bc I had a good time, I loved wu xi but I would have loved if priest had written it differently
6
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2023-07-17
