So yeah, per the title, I really do like this one, but I definitely recommend reading in bulk. I read the entire 73 chapters in one go, and noticed no pacing issues, but when I read other reviews or the chapter comments, I do see what people are saying: the chapters are sometimes very uneventful. To be fair though, I think that's mostly because the MC just doesn't... fight onscreen a lot.
For all that he's now in a younger body, and he as all the standard 'reincarnation-package' bonuses that show up in these types of story, for some reason he doesn't really fight a lot. And it's not like he's trying to be the cunning type of protagonist... he really does want to be a martial artist. He's got great vision, gets a huge amount of Internal Energy (like you know, he has a natural treasure that grants him 100 years of Qi, that type of thing). But he still doesn't really know much about fighting... and what few times he does fight he tends to lose, though he pulls a win out all the time. You know, lost the battle but won the war type thing.
So I think there's some random disconnect between his gains and what he uses them for. In most stories, if the MC gets a treasure, or skill, or whatever, he uses them and gets STRONGER. Well here, you don't see the payoff much. He gets money... and invests it. He gets major energy from a natural treasure... and has no way of using it. He gets a pair of Hidden weapons... and doesn't use them (yet).
So i think that's why people complain that nothing happens. He's still in the stage -73 chapters in- of being a martial arts weakling.
But power levels aside, I actually really like him as a protagonist. He's very intelligent, slightly conniving (but in a heartwarming way), kind, and while just, he doesn't do things that don't benefit him. He'll save the day a lot... but constantly make sure to get paid for it, either monetarily or in favors for his family business (connections matter A LOT).
Also, and I mean this in a manly way of course, but he's adorable! Like yeah, handsome protagonist aside or whatever, he's basically a geeky kid who's happy to be able to fulfil his lifelong dream. Which is even weirder, because he's an 'old man' on the inside, he was like 50 when he died or whatever! So I actually love how childish he is about his dream - he's straightforward, hardworking, and just happy. He's like the opposite of being an edgelord lol. It's just really refreshing. Reminds me of the saying 'boys don't really grow up, they just grow older'. Here's a former 50YO who's just so innocently happy about his dream you can't help but root for him. And yet because of that experience, years of it, he's very knowledgeable, and makes use of events and perspectives that sometimes others lack.
I should also mention that there is a waifu who complements him greatly, and the two of them are adorable. Not really romantic YET, but there's a lot of shipping, both in universe and out lol. The elders who ship them are hilarious. The FL is strong and intelligent, yet still growing and not fully developed (they meet taking the national exam for example, she's not a scholar YET), but she's also shrewd and nags him often when he scams her. (They're REALLY amusing together, not just for romance, but also because of how hilarious their interactions are. They both have scammed the other several times each.)
So anyway, good cast, decent action (that somehow rarely includes the MC), good plots and good plotting (!).
Fun to read, but definitely read in bulk, and you won't even notice the pacing issues. Not sure how bad they'll be now that i'm caught up and reading weekly.
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