Stayed true to it's initial summary plot and title up until vol. 1, which main topic revolved around studying and taking the exam. It's not boring though cause even if the cast were young, vol. 1 still shows you the relationships of the whole cast in their household. There's some scheming thrown from time to time and the maneuvers of each cast relationships and the slowly unfolding conspiracy in their lives.

The story starts to stray in Vol. 2. It's not that the writing was bad but the main focus shifted... more>> from the title of 'taking the imperial examination' to the conspiracy that expand beyond three generations. The conspiracy got bigger and bigger that as facts about characters kept overturning, their IQ sometimes felt unstable. Like someone dumb is smart one moment then dumb again while someone who seems ok were being thrown into a loop that you doubt if their IQ sudden goes offline. Of course, you could defend that the writing isn't unstable, but rather, the characters weren't fully introduce everytime and only unfolds as the story goes.

Perhaps what disappointed me in vol. 2 is that the story slowly goes from stable logic to 'methaphysics'. Sure, there are hints of it in vol 1 since we have a transmigrator and past and present self. But it got too much in vol. 2. MC went from being prophecized (which still have some logic even if it's magical cost he came from the future and he can do many things) to full blown lucky guy.

Like seriously, in vol. 1, due to his keen smell, he can find and investigate things. It's still reasonable cause this ability is well established, but then in vol. 2 he just randomly met people he wants to find.

And this is kinda my biggest irk in vol. 2. There's plenty of true and false identity in the story and also plenty of substitute made. These people also are made to have resemblance to the intended target while some are literally clones. Yet he met people he wants to find and recognize them because of 'institution' plus they resemble his family. Dang what if they're substitutes as well?! Also where would he get 'blood calling' towards his missing relatives when he doesn't even have enough brotherly relationship with his brothers at home.

There's also what follows, in which when he finds them and instantly treated them as allies, he exchange the whole information. Even his enemies protect their exchange of information layer by layer and don't have the whole picture of their operations. And MC's gang is supposed to be the one in the dark and should be hiding that they know. What if these new found relatives where lying and acting? As he acknowledged, they were smart and smart people can double cross people.

Also, MC went from gathering clues and connecting them to too much expeculation that's always right. Although still logical and there's something to follow, it kinda start to feel like talk nijunshu. A bit exaggerating but that's how closely I could describe it.

I kinda hope after vol. 2, the conspiracy will finally end and we could go back to the examination and maybe even have a bit kingdom building. <<less