Its an interesting take on the xuanhuan and fantasy genre. It feels more of slice of life with episodic arcs rather than a having a concrete main plot as a whole. However theres quite a lot of wasted potential as author did not take advantage of the fascinating setting and premise he created.

Most likely the high ratings are due to readers who have only read the first few hundred chapters of the novel. If this novel has much lesser chapters and concluded early, it'll probably score higher in my books. The narrative's idea is basically akin to a "deal with the devil", our protagonist being the devil, pretty strong and feared, who provides services or wishes in exchange for payment like souls to extend his own lifespan. The story is morally ambiguous so don't expect good aligned protagonist running a charity, which is a plus for me. I actually like the story concept and also the character, they're pretty unique and refreshing especially with the many trash CN out there. Its engaging at the start with the many mini stories but gets boring and dull pretty quick as these stories get repetitive. The novel overstays its welcome.

It also doesn't help theres not really a consistent main plot, more like it lacks presence. Probably because is focusing more of the devil's slice of life theme i guess.

The world crafted by the author is grand and ambitious, multiple types of fantasy and myths with a myriad of races and different kinds of abilities like magic and cultivation, it feels like a multiverse. However its a missed opportunity on authors part as he does not fully utilize the setting, there are no epic adventures, no legendary escapades, no major plot points, only peddling souls/life. I mean i'm not expecting an epic tale but when you introduce such an impressive setting but ignore it then whats the point right? Anyways, 1000+ chapters down the road and you'll go insane. Of course theres good and bad ministory arcs but eventually it'll become monotonous. Repetitive standalone slice of life mini stories have limited mileage if not done right.

Don't get me wrong, i'm a fan of this genre and open to slice of life concept. I love xxxHolic and it does this genre much better than Trafford's Trading Club as the different aspects of the narrative and writing are well balanced and flow organically to keep the story engaging till the end, which this novel really lacks.

Lastly, there are strong hints of china nationalist pride in the narrative. Just like in novels such as Records of the Human Emperor, its practically china propaganda with them being superior to other religions, myths, nations, history, races or systems. Chinese mythology are the strongest, chinese governance is prosperous and righteous, the chinese are benevolent and have virtuous values while outsiders are the chaotic, unruly and inferior. Ironic considering in reality, modern china does not have a good reputation. The many controversial and reprehensible happenings as well as actions of china, its chinese culture and chinese citizens are testimony to this fact.

... Last updated on August 26th, 2020, 10:20pm

Reposting with some grammar fixes of my review on the Qidian's website

*contains close to non-spoilers. Spoilers are taken without context so you are not fully spoiled imo*

Tired of protagonists who sound cool on paper with all the "coincidence, god-like from the start" OP abilities but act like a brat in the story?
Tired of way too big world with way too many complex details and rules that makes your brain tired?
Tired of ****ty harem "romance" cuz the author doesn't know how to write romance so he just slaps the label "harem thus romance" and call it a day?

Then read this novel because none of the points I mentioned above aren't in this one. Boss Luo is here to make business to everyone, good guys, bad guys, monster, etc. as long as the price can be paid.

Yes, he's OP. The more contracts the more power. But also his "coincidence" OP-ness comes with a condition: Lifespan for shortcut power. This forced our Boss to not only be resourceful but also be clever at using his power. I really how the author doesn't need to mention every freaking time (like others) how "badass, super cool" our protagonist is. Nope, the author does a better thing by not saying anything at all. He just describes what Boss Luo is doing. And IT WORKS SO DAMN WELL! Boss Luo is not only badass at doing BIG stuff (eg. Making deals) he's also a badass at doing SMALL stuff (this guy can do housework. Please appreciate a male protagonist who can do some home cooking xD). Action speaks louder than words after all.

Imo this guy is borderline asexual cuz *will mention in the story* (though he did say he's straight in case you are wondering) meaning romance won't mean much in HIS story. Hey man, I will take a good story with no romance over cheap ass romance=harem that makes 50 Shades of Grey looks like must-read romance classic. But that is only HIS story. There are arcs in this novel that focus on every kind of loves: love for material thing, forbidden love, family love, romance or "is what I'm experiencing even love?" and so on. There is a treat for everyone.

Sometimes simplified stuff is the best solution. Like I said above: this world has no ultra over-the-top worldbuilding with info dumps every 10 pages or something. No, this story takes place in the world we, readers, are living in. This means there is no need to explain how the world in the story works because there is no need to. We readers instantly fill in the info about the world if we need to. But tbh the place doesn't such an important role in comparison to other stories. You guys don't have to worry about learning the info by heart to get wtf is going on.

Trafford is really a fresh thing in this mountain full of the typical crap from Chinese novels (aka. "Look how strong am I. Instant chick magnet not because I'm a romantic guy or anything. Nope, chicks dig these cheat powers." or "You disrespect me so I'm gonna kill your family because I can"). The translating team is doing a great job despite some typos here and there but hey, better than nothing.

I recommend the manga "xxxHolic" if you want something extremely similar.

... Last updated on July 6th, 2018, 8:52am