Soul Contract is a lot of things. For one, the plot is a lot, but it's funny, too. I wouldn't deem it particularly straight. And it's pretty deep more often than not.

The plot is a little difficult to explain. The synopsis makes it sound like anyone who has read a Chinese fantasy light novel or manhua essentially knows the whole story already, but the plot derails off the trope track probably within the first few chapters. Essentially, Yang JingHua, a hot mess, dies and meets Duan MuXi, an OP exorcist/priest who offers him a chance to live on as his Soul Image/protector/energy reservoir/servant/boyfriend. Then Yang JingHua nobly accepts the Soul Rings (read: wedding rings,) finds out he has one in a millennium spiritual talent, and then both he and Duan MuXi spend the rest of the series entering epic battles in which they both obliterate the enemy with their OPness. Actually, I'm kidding. Actually, Yang JingHua doesn't accept the wed- soul rings at first, and then he messes up. More than once. Actually, he messes up a lot. Duan MuXi cleans up his mess a lot and actually ends up protecting Yang JingHua a lot because Yang JingHua has no idea what to do. Actually, this whole series is a lot about Yang JingHua trying to be worthy and able to protect Duan MuXi. They both have a lot of highs and a lot of lows during the process.

The comic relief of this series is Yang JingHua, who is the main character, so I would say Soul Contract is considered a comedy. It's a pretty solid comedy at that. The humor is a blend of Yang JingHua's self-deprecation, gags that break the magic of the most important plot beats, Yang JingHua's LOL (League of Legends) and meme references, and most characters contribute meta commentary on the absurdity of the plot. I suppose the vaguely sexual and romantic and awkward situations Yang JingHua and Duan MuXi frequently find themselves in also count as humor. They're also pretty butterfly-inducing.

After all, Soul Contract/Spiritpact/Ling Qi is tagged as "BL" by the original publisher. This is great because now everything that seems mildly not straight is basically confirmed subtext. This is great because basically all of Duan MuXi and Yang JingHua's interactions are subtextual. In Ling Qi, so many situations occur where what's really happening is obviously subtly romantic. And each of these situations becomes even more obviously subtly romantic and the bond becomes even more obviously subtly strong as the story progresses. In other words, the reader can take a character saying something like "I just decided that my life purpose is to protect you," as a declaration of love (because literally who else do you say something like that to if not to the one you love) at face value. (I refuse to mark that as a spoiler because it's a strong incentive to read.)

As the relationship between Yang JingHua and Duan MuXi grows stronger, the themes do as well. At first, the story comes off pretty lighthearted. This lasts a few chapters before the feels hit. There's a lot about love and being worthy. The "love" element doesn't just cover hand-holding love, but self-sacrificing and selfless love. And Yang JingHua's underlying motivations to become stronger develop over time from the simple desire to protect to something that is still that but much more full and deep. I don't know which of these things makes me reach for the tissues the most.

So, yes. If anything here sounded like something you like, definitely start Ling Qi! If nothing seemed too interesting, why not still read a few chapters? Whether or not you're into this reincarnation wed- soul rings business, Ling Qi is objectively very, very good.

It can be hard to figure out where to start reading, so here's the scanlation situation with Ling Qi at the time this post was edited. Actually, Ling Qi is being officially relased in English for free on WeComics. You can search for the app in the App Store/Play Store, or you can use this link to the first chapter. Where the official releases have left off, you can pick up with this scanlation masterlist.

... Last updated on April 12th, 2020, 10:30pm

I am quite surprised that no one has given a review for this pretty popular series yet, so allow me to get the ball rolling.

To be honest, I was hesitant to start this series at first due to the weak art in the first few chapters. However, the art picked up quite quickly and by around chapter 20-ish, it is actually decent to look at. Besides, the colouring is top-notch. However, I have to admit that fight scenes are not really Ping Zi's strong point. They are a bit like Sailor Moon - too brief, too unclear, too simplistic.

Character-wise, Duanmu Xi is your oh-so-familiar bishonen with lots of angst and a dark past, while Yang Jinghua is an idiotic, humourous, somewhat airhead but really lovable guy. They have fantastic chemistry together. However, it's a pity that most supporting characters are flat and have no solid back story. Guess the author really just wants to focus on our main guys.

As for the story, the pace can be slow for some. A few cliched situations (read to find out) keep repeating. Ling Qi is not super original, but it has its own intresting elements and there are always new twists around the corner. Personally, I have no complaint against the cliches (I have a strong liking for certain kinds of cliches, and Ling Qi happens to contain lots of them ) and the plot has been delightful enough to hold my interest. Also, the fact that the characters love to break the 4th wall is really a plus!

Onto the most debatable topic, is this manhua BL? Some say it is, some say it's not. Whatever the real genre is, just know that there are lots of hints and an unusually high amount of touchy-feely moments between 2 guys (I swear no manga/manhua has ever reached this level of gay LOL). But it's worth mentioning that the author herself has emphasised that Ling Qi is NOT a BL, and they will not end up together, at least romantically. So beware if you hate queerbaiting!

All in all, though Ling Qi is undoubtedly not the best out there (regardless whether you consider it pure shounen or BL), I have had a great time with this series and I am always looking out for new chapters. If you are looking for something with mesmerising (or mesmerisingly coloured) art and great chemistry between 2 male leads in a fantasy/supernatural setting, I recommend giving Ling Qi a go! You won't be disappointed.

... Last updated on November 12th, 2017, 11:59pm