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Guardian
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Web Novel (CN)
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Rating(4.3 / 5.0, 488 votes)
5    56% (273 votes)
4    25% (121 votes)
3    13% (63 votes)
2    3% (15 votes)
1    3% (16 votes)
Language
Support Book (#ad)
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One entry per line
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N/A
Year
Example: 2012
2012
Status in COO
Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
106 Chapters + 5 Extras (Completed)
Licensed
Yes
Completely Translated
Original Publisher
One entry per line
English Publisher
One entry per line
Release Frequency
Every 159.7 Day(s)
Activity Stats
[Graph]
Weekly Rank: #4277
Monthly Rank: #8058
All Time Rank: #1865
Reading List
[Graph]
On 10540 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #2077
All Time Rank: #317

Description

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The Special Investigations Unit is a covert organisation that no-one in the city knows about, dedicated to investigating bizarre occurrences beyond the comprehension of the living.

The Chief Zhao Yunlan isn’t a simple guy either, being the inheritor of the Guardian Order, he has always been a righteous conformist, excelling between realms of the living and the dead.

While investigating a school su*cide case, Zhao is attracted to the calm and reserved Professor Shen Wei, but the Professor seems to be rather fickle towards him…

Associated Names
One entry per line
Guardian
Requiem​ of Souls
Trấn Hồn
Zhen Hun
鎮魂
镇魂
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Heaven Official’s Blessing (3)
Kill the Lights (3)
Sha Po Lang (3)
Ghosts Know What I Experienced (2)
New Times, New Hell (2)
Qiang Jin Jiu (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. #4 Personal Romance Favorites
  2. TBR (GL/BL) 6
  3. danmei I've already read
  4. Novels I've Read (with my personal ratings)
  5. Hmm..

Latest Release

Date Group Release
11/08/19 YilingIaozu c82-87
10/07/19 Rainbowse7en c82
08/19/19 Rainbowse7en c81
06/22/19 Rainbowse7en c80
06/20/19 Rainbowse7en c79
06/09/19 Rainbowse7en c78
05/24/19 Rainbowse7en c77
03/19/19 Rainbowse7en c76
02/14/19 Rainbowse7en c75
01/30/19 Rainbowse7en c74
01/16/19 Rainbowse7en c73
01/04/19 Rainbowse7en c72
01/04/19 Rainbowse7en c71
11/16/18 Rainbowse7en c70
11/16/18 Rainbowse7en c69
123…6
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83 Reviews sorted by


raindroptree
raindroptree
June 14, 2019
Status: c7
It is really hard for me to get into this novel because the first character the novel introduces and follows is the new recruit... meanwhile he is just a side character? A third wheel??

Me: completely rooting for this little wimpy kid and his new Partner in business, Then suddenly this teacher comes in and steals his love? WTF?

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Who is this guy? Wait??? who is the MC and ML? I have been tricked I tell you! who is this little wimpy kid? Not the MC?? what? why... more>> introduce him first... why lead me on like this.. *cries*.. <<less
101 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
BillionJellyfish
BillionJellyfish rated it
October 23, 2018
Status: Completed
First off, I actually watched the drama before reading the novel in Chinese, so I didn't really know that this was suppose to be bl till I got to the novel. The drama is more about bromance and the crime cases that our MC and ML solves since China kinda censored all the bl scenes that should have been included in the drama, but oh whelp. At least we get to read about all the sweet and fluffy bl scenes in the novel!

The plot is basically summarized above, so I'll... more>> just get into some small spoilers~

1. The MC is Zhao Yunlan, who is surprisingly, the uke! While Professor Shen Wei is the seme so... huehuehue~ There are plenty of sweet and intimate moments between our MC and ML with little to no misunderstandings (no angst), which is always a pro.

2. The MC eventually regains the memories of his past life.

3. The ending is kinda anti-climatic/a cliff-hanger, but the extra side stories definitely help find a closure on the open ending. So no worries my fellow fujoshis, the ending is definitely a HE.

And from here on, the plot thickens~ <<less
52 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
max2payne0
max2payne0 rated it
July 17, 2018
Status: c29
I watched the drama before I found the novel was being translated, and the only thing I can say is I love it. The relationship between the two leads was turned into a bromance in the drama (of course, because it's content in China) but the dynamic between the characters in the novel is so much better. I'm taking both as different stories with points of intersections, and similarities, because they do have a lot of differences, but I definitely love both.

I'd give a more in-depth, detailed review, but I... more>> don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't started on either the drama or the novel, but I definitely recommend it. (It does have some horror elements, though so far it's minor, at least I can put up with it, and I scare easily.) <<less
28 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Melange
Melange rated it
August 3, 2020
Status: Completed
This author has the ability to create intricate plots and their characterizations are quite strong. The novel starts off strong with an air of mystery, and each character has varied yet interesting personalities.

However, this novel is too damn esoteric. It about halfway through the plot, it becomes so convoluted and supremely confusing that when one of the characters voiced that they didn't understand, my only thought was 'me too'. This is not helped in the slightest by the fact that the translator changes during the climax and many terms... more>> are translated differently.

I really had to fight the urge to look up a summary to find out what the hell was going on. At the end of the novel I felt... relieved? Like damn, my struggle is finally over. I didn't even care what the ending was at that point, I just wanted it to be done.

Spoiler

If anyone could tell me why ML's twin even mattered, that would be great. Also, I have no idea what the Ten Kings of Hell were trying to do since they just died like cannon fodder.

[collapse]

When you reach the end of a novel and you still have no clue what happened... well, maybe it wasn't such a good novel. I have literally no idea what half of the schemes were for.

Spoiler

I understand that ML tricked MC because he wasn't supposed to meet him and drain his life force but half of the other plots were like??? ML tricked his twin for ??? and then his twin decided to self-destruct... why -- jealousy maybe ????? Then MC just goes 'it's okay I understand.' UNDERSTAND WHAT? If you understand, please tell me too because I don't understand!

[collapse]

This is an okay read but if you're going to read it, be prepared to wrack your brains. Actually, just skip all the confusing parts and read it as a happy ending. Or maybe watch the drama, because it was probably better at laying things out, I don't know. <<less
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zsanyka
zsanyka rated it
August 11, 2018
Status: c45
Beautifully written, intelligent, daring and well researched story with a true happy ending. Ah, and it's funny, too!

Like most, I stumbled accross the novel after watching the web series, but have to say the two does not compare nor in quality nor in storytelling. The series is cute in its goofyness and I love the lead actors to death, but it way off with the censorship and plot changes. It is understandable though being produced in mainland China. If you liked the characters in the series, and want to have... more>> the real deal or just wish to read a great fantasy/supernatural BL, I highly recommend the novel. It quicky became one of my favourite BL novel of all times.

What especially appreaciated about this novel is effort and the level of research the author put into all the little details about Chinese and Buddhist mythology, down to folklore and popular beliefs. I love the supernatural/fantasy genre and it great to read a BL novel where the story and world building not secondary to the romance.

Speaking of romance, the love between the two leads is really touching. Sometimes stuble and heartbreaking, sometimes goofy and hilarious, sometimes downright erotic, but always beautifully portaited and fits their character perfectly. The author is master at crafting compelling, complex backstories that arches through centuries, involving cycles of rebirth, devotion, love, longing, intrigue, sacrifice. I highly recommend her other stories as well.

Huge plus are the characters. Not only the main characters, but also the supporting characters are extremly well written and unique. Two of my favourite characters are Lin Jing, and Da Qing, the black cat. Both are really funny on their own way and add so much to the story.

For the ones who are coming from the series:

  • expect BL not bromance (loads of it)
  • way more religious/mystical stuff based on Taoism/Buddhism (sometimes wandering into horror territory)
  • characters are slightly different: more otherwordly e.g. Hu Zhong is an actual nāgini who changes into a snake oncea month (I don't know what the chinese term for a nāgini, sorry), or just different like Lin Jing who not a scientist, but a fake monk, and let's not forget about Shen Wei... but I think that would be a spoiler :P
  • more flashed out backstory and context (no "we met for 1 day and searched for you for 10000 years" nonsense)
  • happy ending
<<less
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Eulear
Eulear rated it
May 25, 2021
Status: Completed
(3/5) Like what some reviewers mentioned, the first half of the novel was interesting with a mixture of realism and supernatural. The mysteries behind the first two cases were interesting since they involved real humans and the supernatural monster. Then second of the book was just confusing.
Spoiler

They start throwing realism out the window and it became some big brain battles between the gods. It even escalates to the world getting destroyed. Maybe I don't understand the Chinese mythology that well, so take my spoils with a grain of salt.

[collapse]

I LOVE the MC, Zhao Yulun radiates playful top energy. He is lazy and shameless but backs it up with his charm and confidence. He isn't afraid to chase what he wants and has high EQ and IQ. It was entertaining reading about his exploits and was the reason I kept reading after the confusing second half of the novel.

The ML is a hit or miss for some people. I personally don't find him that interesting, but some people might like the repressed and possessive ML
Spoiler

Like during the beginning, he was being a repressed h**ny teenager for MC and when MC was expressing his love for him, he keeps denying and avoiding his advances. If MC wasn't built like how he is built, I can't see a way that they will get together. He was also super shady with manipulating the MC's memories and trying to hide information from him. He even hurts himself, feeding MC his heart's blood even though the MC doesn't want ML to harm himself. ML is meth in coke that is sealed with a cap that occasionally goes off.

[collapse]

The past relationship between MC and ML felt anti-climatic.
Spoiler

With the ML acting all repressed and denying his feeling I was excepting some thicc angst tragedy between them, but the past was super vanilla. Like I don't understand if it's THAT tragic. The god MC kicks the bucket cause every god will die and passes some of his power and part of his soul to the ML. ML negotiates with some god to bring the MC into the reincarnation cycle and in return, he'll protect the seal. This seems like tame angst, or maybe I don't empathize with the ML. If the seal breaks, ML disappears forever and he wanted the MC to kick the bucket with him too. That's why he planted the fake memories and try to garner some sympathy points by feeding him his heart blood.

[collapse]

The ending felt like some confusing pot of mess. Imagine cooking something and throwing random ingredients in the pot, that's how the story felt like.

Spoiler

Apparently the MC is the mountain god. ML is the ghost slayer and doesn't have a soul, but MC gave him superpowers and made him op. That's why ML feels that "he isn't good enough for MC plot". Gods fight each other and die one after another. Somehow the reincarnation cycle pops up. The ML sacrifices himself at the end and the MC regains his power? IDK like I was super confused and that feels like BE more than a HE. I didn't read the extras so I don't know. The side characters didn't feel that interesting. There was this snake girl that had a crush on MC and even spoke facts that ML has trying guilt trip to make MC die with him. Even now I wonder how the MC fell in love with the ML. If MC wasn't that big-brained, the ML might have succeeded in this plot. The ML left a bad taste in my mouth.

[collapse]

The mystery for the first 2 arcs was interesting, but things get confusing after the gods got involved. It's still a fun read in the beginning but tread with caution when reading the second half of the story.
15 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
IvaAres
IvaAres rated it
August 29, 2020
Status: Completed
The plot was very complicated.

I watched the drama before reading this novel and found it very interesting. So, to find out about all the BL parts I decided to read the novel but its just do complicated. At least the drama was easier to follow than the novel.

So I forced myself to read through to the end but still have no idea what happened lol.
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Chichi
Chichi rated it
April 7, 2020
Status: Completed
This started out strong, but devolved by about the 60th chapter into word vomit. I felt like I had no idea what was going on anymore, nor what anyone's motives were for anything, nor even what the author was going for.

By the 80th, I had lost a complete grasp on the MC's character, along with the setting and plot. Something about gods, a tree and a seal. I dunno man, my brain clocked out and I skimmed to the end to gaze upon the word-salad ending with a feeling I... more>> can only describe as the word 'aight'.

In my opinion... the novel either should have been longer to extrapolate on details better, or had some cut some out entirely. <<less
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PotatoCakes
PotatoCakes rated it
January 20, 2019
Status: c95
The novel is a Chinese BL version of Dresden files - a nice mix of supernatural, mystery, and adventure. It's well written and the pacing is good. The plot is intricate and suspenseful. You follow along with the MC (who is constantly lied to) as events unfold, so you can follow along in the mystery and come up with fan theories.

The MC and ML are probably some of the best characters I've seen in BL novels. They're truly partners and accept each other's flaws despite the circumstances. I especially enjoy... more>> the MC since his personality is extremely "manly" even though he's the uke.

This sounds good until the plot devolves into metaphysical bullsh*t around part 4 (lantern arc). As more of the story unfolds, you come to realize that the entire novel is just fueled with the smelliest Chinese mythological cow dung imaginable. Not does the story delve way too deep into Chinese creationism, the historical relationship between the MC and ML is not all that it's cracked to be (is there anything cheesier than love at first sight?).

If you're really into Chinese lore, this book might be for you. Otherwise, you better be a fan of the drama or else this novel is going to be a chore (especially considering the translation is not very good). <<less
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En-Jay99
En-Jay99 rated it
October 7, 2020
Status: Completed
A good story overall and worth reading at least once.

I watched the drama so I was already familiar with some if the themes but this story is very very VERY lore heavy and a lot of themes don't make sense if you're not familiar with mythology.

The main couple is sweet and they fall in love very quickly (which makes sense considering the actual history) but it's a very tangled relationship. Shen Wei isn't human and has lived so long (5000 years at least), that he's not entirely sane but he... more>> loves MC wholeheartedly and cares for other people too. He just really really needs a hug and some actual kindness. Our MC is happy to provide and has a lot of faith in Shen Wei, which in turn makes Shen Wei stronger too. MC also gets a lot of unconditional support and genuine strings-free affection from Shen Wei. So, basically main couple has a good relationship when they actually start to open up to one another.

The plot is confusing and I honestly didn't care a lot? The whole history about gods was convoluted but I did care about the main cast so it all worked out okay to read.

I'm glad the author added those extras because the we can really see the relationship shine and see how Shen Wei gets a famliy along with MC.

Silent Reading was a better but this is also worth a read. Just don't get stuck on the mythology, the author explains it many times and understing the gist of it is enough.

Also, very Very different from the drama in many ways so it'll still feel new if you've seen the drama and are curious about the novel. <<less
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Indelible Faith
Indelible Faith rated it
May 7, 2020
Status: Completed
A God who defied his destined path, a Ghost who desired to be more than what he was...

The beauty of this story is how it weaves together mythology with fiction with the modern world as a backdrop.

Zhao Yunlan is the Chief of the Guardian Order - a taskforce designed purely to manage the supernatural crimes on the mortal plane. His clients range from ghosts to demons to Hell's habitants, and his comrades include a startlingly competent dynamic of a talking cat, a monk, a snake demon and a zombie.

The addition... more>> of a well-mannered, polite and gentlemanly Chinese Linguistics Teacher to this bunch seems absurd at first, but of course, all is not as it seems. With Shen Wei's entrance into Zhao Yunlan's life, strange occurrences related to Zhao's past lives begin to unearth. Old Gods and new, Hell's rulers and Ghost Kings, the Four Mystical Artifacts... with everyone emerging out of the woodwork, this year is the most chaotic Zhao has had to endure. And also the most fulfilling.

Beautifully written arcs with a mystery tied into each instance, I loved Detective Zhao's quick witted and practical approach to them. He is not the perfect boss, or the most compassionate comrade, but he certainly has his team's back. Even when they don't expect it of him.

Charming and laid-back, this character is hilarious and uninhibited, and for once I have so completely enjoyed reading from the detective's point of view!

While all the chinese mythology references do seem to be slightly too convoluted - but which mythology isn't? - it is definitely a fascinating read! All characters have their purpose, are intelligently written and having satisfying closing arcs.

Priest totally deserves all the praise heaped upon them! <<less
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narinim
narinim rated it
January 9, 2022
Status: extra 3
I've read faraway wanderers, silent reading. I tried reading sha po lang, but it was boring and very cliche and I couldn't finish it. This was the fourth novel I've tried reading by priest. It has a lot of similarities with silent reading, but silent reading is a lot better than this. MC and ML's character is a lot like silent reading, but their relationship dynamic is different.

ML has inferiority complex, and he is kinda obsessively in love with MC. And I think novel doesn't give enough reason for this... more>> love. Because he fell in love at first sight which means he liked what he saw, but later he says if you looked ugly I would still love you. But there isn't a single personality trait about MC that ML likes throughout the novel. He is always embarrassed and annoyed by him.

There is no smut, priest doesn't write smut.

Romance starts from the very beginning and it is off to a good start. But after a while it gets boring, ML does things that MC doesn't approve, and he is always saying he is sorry, nothing new happens. MC does things that ML doesn't approve either. And he says sorry sometimes. There isn't much of interaction or romance overall, it is mostly apologies.

The first half of the novel is good, but the second half doesn't add anything to the novel, so read this novel if you have nothing left to read. <<less
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engineer001
engineer001 rated it
February 17, 2021
Status: --
I clicked 5 stars by mistake and now I can't change it! Gah. I intended to put this as 4 stars.

Many readers (and I myself) suffer from some confusion while reading Guardian due mostly to 2 problems:

  • The translated novel suffers from too many translators and lack of "follow through" between each translation.
  • The first translation is available via. epub only now, where the translator and reader comments are no longer available, so some terms the translator used is unnecessarily confusing.
For example "Guardian Order". "Order" is used incorrectly! For a long time,... more>> I thought it was some kind of society which was super weird. When I finally gave up because of the various translations and "suffered" through reading the novel in Chinese myself, I realised the term used was "镇魂令“ (aka Zhen Hun Ling), Ling refers to a token. It's a physical object fml. In ancient China, it's a token that gives the holder a specific authority (which varies based on the type of token!) I feel like the original translator would've been able to explain this better if it weren't on. epub only.

You can really see the difference in the skills of the various translators, sadly. I want to be supportive of translators who help all of us be able to read danmei, but sometimes, too many translators actually cause problems : (

------

About the novel itself.

Aside from the confusion, it was pleasantly scary with elements of a horror novel. In a way, reading the scary parts was slightly scarier than Daomubiji if I have to be honest. I'm pleasantly surprised by Priest's versatility in writing and building such varied worlds of fantasy (across all her different novels). The worldbuilding in Guardian is a bit more confusing than her other novels, which I think is likely due to the mulitple translations, since Priest pretty much made up a lot of it. It's only somewhat adhering to "the correct mythology".

The couple itself. I thought I would like Shen Wei more when I first read the sypnosis, but I really liked Zhao Yunlan. He's the most overtly s*xual character in all the Priest novels I've read, and the stuff he says.... totally misquoting this, but something like "I'm such a total top..... even if you... you, why couldn't you be gentler!!"

Hehe. I never thought I would be so invested in who tops/bottoms until this couple. ZYL just sounds like he feels so wronged, and every time after when he hits on Shen Wei and Shen Wei is so oldschool conservative and blushes like a shy maiden but tops like a maniac. ZYL continues to feel wronged as he never succeeds at topping despite many many attempts (I can't believe this is canon omg). Hehehe. Legitly adorable couple.

I also love how scheme-y and semi-grey Shen Wei is in the novel, he's completely re-written to only be good in the TV series. But in the novel,
Spoiler

he tries to scheme against ZYL, tell him a false version of the truth so ZYL will want to be with him always. SW wants ZYL to go with him (aka die) and not be reincarnated after death, so they can be together forever. Despite his scheming and apparent selfishness, in the end, he abandons ZYL to die by himself, leaving ZYL alone. Also, "Ye Zun"/"Ghost Face" and Shen Wei didn't have such a randomly emo tragic relationship :|

[collapse]
But don't worrry, the novel's a HE. :D

Zhao Yunlan/Kunlun is so much more clever and powerful in the novel too, he's so weak in the TV series *sad*.

Novel: 4/5 stars

Translation (s) : 2.5/5 stars <<less
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aiji
aiji rated it
September 6, 2020
Status: Completed
I had the urge to leave a review no matter what on this one to express how disappointed I am after reading the novel. Simply because, you know, this is Priest's work. And compared to her other novels that I have already read so far, this one left me with the most unsatisfied feeling.

And for that, I'm giving this a 3/5 rating. *Sigh*

STORY:

Even with the short description of the story provided here in NU, the story looked interesting enough for a reader like me who already had a taste of... more>> this author's work. And to expound more, though the plot's 'current' events takes place under a modern setting, fantasy and supernatural elements are present; providing a rich and interesting world-building, unique set of characters, and a touch of mystery.

Talking about the points I loved and, like I mentioned, disappointing parts I've 'felt' bugging me in this story, the plot and plot execution comes to mind first. Why so? Well, from the middle to the latter part of the story, some parts feels confusing, especially with events which I feel plays a crucial part. Confusing that it bothers you you don't get the flow and be on track. Well, to be fair, it could be due to my below average brain capacity's fault, but for me, the MC's 'background' (I have to reiterate this one—this is not your simple 'background') was described in a very complicated way. I'm telling you, relevant characters and events are intricately mashed up together to form a 'chain and loop of events' I failed to visualize the process miserably, bearing the banner "just screw it!" and just boldly skimmed it all through to save my sanity. Really confusing.

And as for the pacing of the overall story, I have no problem with it. But I have a problem with their love and romance's development pace. It's quite fast. But I won't take it against the story since there's a certain 'backstory' for that (which I won't spoil). And for the characterization, the MC annoyed me a little because he comes off as too straightforward, vulgar and too shameless for my taste. And not only him, but also his co-workers, though personalities differ, gives off the same vibe. It's like watching a movie where almost all the characters are spitting F-words whenever they open their mouths. It's really irritating sometimes. Oh, this one's my personal preference problem, so don't mind it.

And yeah, the two transparent stars there in my rating is due to the plot execution mostly. I don't want to point fingers and say it could be the English translation or whatnot but this rating reflects how I truly feel after reading it.

CHARACTERS:

... Oh, I already mentioned that I didn't like the MC that much (heh).

The main protagonist, Zhao Yunlan, like I said above, is your straightforward and shameless type of character. He kind of strongly reminds of Gu Yun of Sha Po Lang, but the difference is the MC of this story is too vulgar-mouthed for me. But he's OP and intelligent so I guess I like that part of him. Oh, gotta mention that he's the shou (lol). His personality was laid out at the very early stage of the story so I stopped 'fantasizing' about him very early. Too bad, he's not my type...

And then we have the ML, Shen Wei—who I treated as part of the side characters here in the story. Yep, I harshly say I don't find his character 'outstanding' enough to create and leave a deep impact on me. You see, I always pay attention to the main couple's characterization, and somehow this ML falls short to my personally 'set' standard and came off a little bland. I mean, sure, certain events and crucial elements of the plot involved him but somehow his presence appeared weak to me. And this, I myself, don't understand, to be honest.

And as for the rest of the characters, I think they're unique enough to get my attention, especially Guo Changcheng whom I thought was the MC (seriously, is he not the main protagonist? I need enlightenment xD), and I thought he's the most normal here. And the rest of the gang, surprisingly, had their own 'screentime'. Yep, there's a snippet for each in the story which adds some color to their respective character.

OVERALL:

All in all, had it not for the excruciating complicated backstory linking the past and present of the main protagonist, this would be a definite full 5/5 for me. I would readily overlook the 'flaw but not really a flaw' of the MC (yes, I have a standard for a likable MC xD) for that, but I guess, there's no saving it. Disappointment is disappointment. But, does this mean I wouldn't recommend reading this novel?

Of course not!

Why? Well, the plot is interesting enough. Maybe if you try reading it on your own, you might understand everything better than me. And if you can understand Chinese, very much better. Please read the raws yourself and enjoy it. It's really quite unfortunate that I didn't fully enjoy it myself.

But oh well... <<less
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shairiru
shairiru rated it
October 6, 2018
Status: Completed
[04/12/21]

Just coming back to update that I've finished it long ago (forgot to edit this review hhhhh)

I love Zhen Hun!

[10/16/2018]

I read Guardian after I watched the drama. The novel continues to go beyond my expectations. The worldbuilding is fantastic. Each character is well-developed. The scenes develop naturally and the humor is not forced. Even the way of writing is amazing, it must be even more beautiful in its original language.
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Blubeagle
Blubeagle
September 21, 2021
Status: Completed
To sum up: Two men flirt for centuries before they finally figure it out and do something about it. But at what cost?

*ahem*

This is where the fun begins though: You have two men who have danced the mating dance for centuries, who have watched various incarnations live, love and die. In the present, Yunlan is the owner/founder of an agency that deals solely with the paranormal.

... more>> He *is* the Guardian.

Shen Wei is a literature professor (genetics professor in the series. What gives, China? Left me confused.)

They meet literally by accident, and Yunlan pursues Shen Wei with dogged determination and is rewarded by a relationship with someone who has many, many grey areas he doesn't want to reveal and a past that haunts him and causes him to be just a little obsessive where Yunlan's concerned.

It is a dense story with a lot of details that won't make sense to many readers who aren't familiarized with Chinese mythology or culture. I certainly had a ton of questions racking my brain by the end, and I was happy with how the novel ended, though I would have loved to have seen what more they could have done with the series; but saying that, what they were able to get away with, what they were able to hint at or suggest through subtleties was pretty damn amazing.

Kudos to the two actors who brought Yunlan and Shen Wei to life. They were amazing in their parts, especially the gentleman who played Shen Wei.

However, my biggest gripe was how the series played out the relationship between Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng. Loved, loved, loved how the actors brought them to life, but wish that Chu could have stayed the way Priest wrote him in the novel. In the novel, I loved his characterization. He truly shone for me.

I have a very soft spot for Chu.

Guo Changcheng is the sweetest fluffball to ever cross Chu Shuzhi's dark path.

Shen Wei, as well. I loved how he was written with so many grey and dark areas surrounding him, rather than seeming like a shining beacon of hope, she says, tongue firmly in cheek. His manipulations of Yunlan were fascinating, and Yunlan basically reminded me of an over sexed horn dog, while Shen Wei felt so much like an incubus, a demon who drained Yunlan's life away through s*x and manipulations.

Regarding who was the top, there's no way that answer can be denied in the novel. Chapter 37 is a dead giveaway who is really in control in their relationship.

I felt sorry for Yunlan by the end, and I had a love/hate relationship with Shen Wei, mostly because of his manipulations and so much because of how unbalanced both he and his brother are, and if I'm honest, it's because I loved that little nutjob brother of his.

Guess that happens when you live for thousands of years.

This is not even half of what I want to say, but it is what my brain can handle at the moment. Do give it a go if you like complicated, complex characters and intricate storylines. <<less
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izayaYY
izayaYY rated it
June 16, 2020
Status: Completed
I have long waited for the translation of this novel, after watching the drama series (which I loved, despite some crappy scenes and CGI). Now I know why it took so long and so many different translator groups to finish off this novel. There is just too much complicated and convoluted chinese mythology descriptions and explanations that contributes nothing to the main plot, or the romance. I would have preferred that the author emphasise more on the uneventful daily interactions between the 2 protags, and more mystery-solving episodes by the... more>> SIU team, and even a side romance between little Guo and zombie king Chu. I loved Guo's character so much, maybe even more than the 2 protags.

Being a fan of chinese myths and supernatural, I did enjoy reading this novel, but it is certain to be long-winded and boring for some readers. <<less
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Kerikiki
Kerikiki rated it
March 17, 2020
Status: Completed
I have mixed feelings about this novel. It started off so strong, I cant reiterate enough how bloody great the first half of this novel is. But halfway through the story the tone shifts into something completely different to what had originally hooked me at the start. The way Zhao Yunlan's true past is relayed to the reader is too word heavy, unnecessarily complicated and laborious to read.
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AnnaChoi
AnnaChoi rated it
July 31, 2018
Status: c10
When I read on MDL site about Guardian was based from novel I search it and found~~

Despite being different when they put it on silver screen, it's well written both of them (ignore the loopholes everywhere in drama). Mixed the fantasy, action and Yaoi sure grab my attention most of Yaoi story have a garbage plot but this still grab your attention for next chapter. Thank you for the translator team.

90'degree bow
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forgetmenot_
forgetmenot_ rated it
May 11, 2022
Status: Completed
One thing that I absolutely adore about priest is the effort she put into researching. I am someone who likes the xuanhuan genre and it was so interesting finding out references from famous mythologies (mostly chinese mythology in this one) while I was reading it! I was sooo intrigued to find out more about what happened in the past and also the conflicts. A plus point came from the side characters. They were so likeable and just like in Liu Yao, priest's side characters had their own distinct personality, quirks,... more>> and different background stories and motives.

Love how priest wrote the romance between the MC and ml. Sometimes all cute and fluff here and there, but they also had their own angsty moments (i didn't cry tho. It just made me feel sad while reading some parts of it). Either way they were pretty likeable for me but from other reviews I saw online and from my friends, a lot of them felt kinda annoyed with it which I more or less understand why.

Overall, it's a good read for me personally. <<less
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