Light Novel

\[MISSION OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE\] What happens after an epic tale ends? This collection of eleven short stories picks up days after Scum Villain’s finale and follows the cast’s relationships and adventures through their pasts and futures. The first trial? A glimpse into another world, where Luo Binghe was never saved by his beloved teacher—unless he can claim this world’s Shen Qingqiu for himself. Other tales recount the riotous history of Shang Qinghua and Mobei-Jun, the bittersweet romance of Luo Binghe’s parents, and the untold tragedy of the original scum villain himself. FINAL VOLUME

The discovery of violet gold, a vital fuel for steam-powered machines, propelled Great Liang into an age of prosperity. But for Chang Geng, a young man raised on the impoverished northern frontier, the concerns of the empire are as distant as the stars above. When raiders from the north attack Chang Geng’s small village, he discovers that the life he knows is a lie. His mother, his teacher...even his beloved godfather, the man he trusted most in the world, are not who they seem. As enemies of the empire circle ever closer, Chang Geng must travel to the heart of the capital—with his godfather as his guide—to meet his destiny.

Wei Wuxian è il temibile Patriarca di Yiling, considerato il fondatore delle tecniche demoniache di coltivazione, una combinazione di studi taoisti e arti mistiche che consente di ottenere facoltà soprannaturali. Governa eserciti di cadaveri e semina il terrore con il suo Generale fantasma Wen Ning e il potentissimo Sigillo Oscuro della Tigre. Quando finalmente muore durante il Grande Assalto al colle dei Sepolcri, la notizia è accolta con gioia dal mondo dei cultori. Tredici anni dopo, Wei Wuxian si risveglia nel corpo di un giovane che sacrifica l'anima per farlo rinascere nel proprio corpo e affidargli la sua vendetta. Questa seconda vita, però, non libera Wei Wuxian dal fardello di quella precedente, e anzi lo costringerà a fare i conti con le conseguenze delle scelte intraprese. Al suo fianco c'è Lan Wangji, cultore sopraffino dalla reputazione inattaccabile, con il quale tenterà di fare luce sui segreti intricati che riemergono dalle ombre del loro passato. E al quale si troverà unito da un legame tanto inaspettato quanto indomabile.

HAUNTED BY SIN Following the trail of a dismembered corpse, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at the gates of Yi City: an old, abandoned town shrouded in mist and restless spirits. A fiendish foe awaits them in the shadows, heralding a tale of heartbreak and tragedy. When the mysterious corpse’s identity is finally revealed, the hunt for its killer plunges Wei Wuxian back into the depths of the cultivation world's politics, where he must keep his enemies close and Lan Wangji even closer.

Shoot Down the Sun The bloody war against the Wen Clan once led Wei Wuxian to seek power in demonic cultivation, and the dark acts he committed drove a wedge between him and Lan Wangji. Now, those old sins come back to haunt him as his reincarnated identity is revealed to the cultivation world. But even as the other clans call for Wei Wuxian’s death, Lan Wangji stands by him, making Wei Wuxian realize what he took for disapproval in the past might have been a much deeper emotion.

History stands poised to repeat itself as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are besieged by walking corpses atop the Burial Mounds. It is here fate offers them a second chance to protect their loved ones and unmask the true instigator of this grisly onslaught. As shocking revelations shake the cultivation world to its very core, the unlikely couple becomes preoccupied with other matters—like an evening of drunken impulse that may push their budding relationship into bold new territory.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are headed for a showdown at Guanyin Temple, where their path converges with Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue's reassembled fierce corpse. With decades\-long schemes finally unveiled, and terrible secrets unearthed, the events of this rain\-battered night will decide not just the future of the entire cultivation world...but also that of a love story two lifetimes in the making. Also included in this final volume are eight short stories about what happens when an epic tale ends but life goes on. From magical incense burners to tense banquets, lotus\-pod\-hunting to Night Hunts with the juniors—these stories span dawn to dusk and so much more!

Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does\-\-cast from the heavens and banished to the world below. Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time, angering most of the gods in the process. To repay his debts, he is sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt down violent ghosts and troublemaking spirits who prey on the living. Along his travels, he meets the fascinating and brilliant San Lang, a young man with whom he feels an instant connection. Yet San Lang is clearly more than he appears... What mysteries lie behind that carefree smile? This Chinese xianxia fantasy novel series built around the romanticized love between two men (danmei) is the newest work from author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and has spawned an ongoing multimedia franchise that's beloved across the world\-\-including the animated series (donghua) that amassed 100\+ million views in just its first month. The Seven Seas English\-language edition will include covers from 日出的小太陽 (tai3\_3\), and exclusive, all\-new interior illustrations from ZeldaCW.

THE TOUCH OF A HAND, A ROLL OF THE DICE Xie Lian has confirmed that the bewitching youth San Lang is actually Hua Cheng, one of the Four Calamities and a supreme ghost despised by all heavenly officials. Still, he has trouble matching the terror of his companion's reputation with the charming, clever, and protective young man he's come to know. When a distress signal leads Xie Lian into Ghost City, a bustling metropolis containing all the horrors and delights of the dead, he sees Hua Cheng in his element\-\-and his true form\-\-for the first time. But despite their chemistry and care for one another, there are missions to fulfill and secrets to uncover, and Xie Lian's centuries of troubled history are never far behind.

SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR, SOMEONE TO LIVE FOR Gods should never meddle in the affairs of mortals, but Xie Lian is not one to follow the rules when lives are at risk. He spits in the face of heaven and its laws and descends in a fury to save his country from drought and civil war. Yet this golden child gets a harsh dose of reality when he discovers just how little one individual—even a god—can do to save a crumbling nation. As the people reject and betray him, one young soldier stands by Xie Lian—a boy with a face wrapped in bandages and a fierce loyalty in his heart. In this chaotic past, can an unshakable bond grow from the ashes of unimaginable destruction?

FATES ALIGNED, BODIES INTERTWINED The Venerable of Empty Words, a monster that feeds off the fears of the fortunate, is hunting Xie Lian’s friend, the Wind Master Shi Qingxuan. Knowing that his abysmal luck inoculates him from the creature’s power, Xie Lian doesn’t hesitate to throw himself into harm’s way—to Hua Cheng’s horror and panic. But another one of the Four Calamities may be closer than anyone knows, and even a ghost as powerful as Hua Cheng can lose control under the right circumstances. With his inhibitions gone, will desire overtake him?

LAST GHOST STANDING, FIRST LOVE BLOSSOMS Ghosts are converging on the cursed Mount Tonglu for a massive battle royale, the sole survivor of which may become a Ghost King, a being of unimaginable power. Xie Lian is sent to secretly infiltrate and try to prevent this–by destroying any ghosts strong enough to stand a chance. His heavenly powers are weakened near the cursed mountain, but he has one trump card on his side–Hua Cheng, who has survived Mount Tonglu before. As they struggle against murderous ghosts and the mountain’s strange defenses, Hua Cheng’s knowledge of the area may prove invaluable. But can they even begin to unravel the cursed peak’s secrets?

BODY IN ABYSS, HEART IN PARADISE White No-Face, Xie Lian’s greatest fear and most hated enemy, has arrived…or so it seems. While the ghost with the half-crying, half-smiling mask is somewhere nearby, the creature is elusive as always, taunting Xie Lian from just out of reach and promising the total destruction of everything he holds dear. As Xie Lian confronts the trauma of his last encounter with the terrifying ghost, Hua Cheng will do anything in his power to protect him. But White No-Face’s identity and purpose are not the only mysteries to unravel, as Hua Cheng also has a history in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Mount Tonglu. Will Xie Lian finally discover the full connection they share—and learn the true depths of Hua Cheng’s devotion?

LIFETIMES OF CRUELTY, CENTURIES OF DEVOTION The Kiln is open, and White No-Face is back to his full power. The past eight hundred years have not blunted his hatred nor his obsession with Xie Lian—he aims to break Xie Lian down to nothing, even if all of humanity and the heavens themselves are collateral damage. This time, however, Xie Lian will not face him alone. Together with Hua Cheng—powerful ghost king, stalwart protector, and devoted love—can Xie Lian finally reveal the face behind the mask and put an end to the nightmare forever?

In this final book (Volume 8), read the conclusion to this epic historical fantasy about a prince and the mysterious man by his side, in English for the very first time. Also includes bonus stories! White No-Face's mask is off, and the final conflict has begun. Deep in the ancient caverns and lava flows of Mount Tonglu, Xie Lian must face the one whose hatred has plagued him for centuries—but this time, he won't have to do it alone. His beloved, Hua Cheng, has spent his long existence amassing the power to protect him, and now with their feelings for each other out in the open, they have all the more reason to fight for survival. In this thrilling conclusion to Heaven Official's Blessing, can Xie Lian and Hua Cheng triumph against an all-powerful foe? Also included in this final volume are five bonus tales of romance, celebration, and adventure.

Cruel tyrant Taxian\-jun killed his way to the throne and now reigns as the first ever emperor of the mortal realm. Yet somehow, he is unsatisfied. Left cold and bereft, abandoned by all he held dear, he takes his own life...only to be reborn anew. Awakening in the body of his younger self\-\-Mo Ran, a disciple of the cultivation sect Sisheng Peak\-\-he discovers the chance to relive his life. This time, he vows to attain the gratification that once eluded him: all who defied him will fall, and never again will they treat him like a dog. His greatest fury is reserved for Chu Wanning, the coldly beautiful and aloofly catlike cultivation teacher who betrayed and thwarted Mo Ran time and again in their last life. Yet as Mo Ran shamelessly pursues his own goals in this life he thought lost, he begins to wonder if there might be more to his teacher\-\-and his own feelings\-\-than he ever realized.

The longer Mo Ran spends in his life reborn, the less he understands the man he once was, to say nothing of the teacher he so hated. As emperor of the mortal realm, Mo Ran loathed Chu Wanning with all his being, but the Chu Wanning of this life has sacrificed himself for his student’s sake time and again. Nevertheless, with the day of Chu Wanning’s greatest betrayal on the horizon, Mo Ran clings to his hatred and his hopes: he must not let the past repeat itself. Yet strange new tragedies continue to unfold, and Mo Ran finds himself working alongside Chu Wanning to hunt down the mysterious culprit—a cruel mastermind who may know more about Mo Ran than even he remembers.

THE LONELY ROAD TO HELL As Mo Ran accompanies Chu Wanning in pursuit of the mastermind behind the mysterious incidents plaguing his life reborn, Mo Ran finds his hatred for his teacher beginning to waver. Yet all too soon, disaster strikes the opening of the Heavenly Rift, a tear in the fabric of the world that would set hell's most terrible demons loose upon humanity. Despite all he has seen since rebirth, Mo Ran is unprepared to face the greatest tragedy of his past life\-\-the calamity that turned him against his teacher forever and set him on the lonely path to a bloodstained throne. If Mo Ran is to avoid this bitter fate, he must make a new choice and break with the past. But while the tragedy of this life may unfold differently, the sacrifices will be no less great.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE As the day of Nangong Si and Song Qiutong’s wedding draws near, a scandalous rumor circulates among the guests at Rufeng Sect. The gossip implicates not only the bride and groom, but also Nangong Si’s childhood companion and Song Qiutong’s savior: the young hero, Ye Wangxi. When the wedding festivities are interrupted by a mysterious man claiming to know even more explosive secrets, Mo Ran and Chu Wanning are thrown together in the ensuing chaos. But the more time he spends at Chu Wanning’s side, the more torturous it is for Mo Ran to suppress his feelings of fierce attraction and deep tenderness. Could love finally tame the beast that was the cruel tyrant Taxian\-jun?

CALM BEFORE THE STORM After two lifetimes of misunderstandings, Mo Ran and Chu Wanning have at last opened their hearts to one another. Mo Ran is determined to treat Chu Wanning with all the devotion his teacher deserves, but Chu Wanning has his doubts: has Mo Ran truly turned his attention from his first love, the beautiful Shi Mei, so easily? Yet the pair must put aside the bloom of new love all too soon. When a crucial clue about Xu Shuanglin’s whereabouts comes to light, the foremost powers of the cultivation realm set out to confront him. But the more devious moves their opponent makes, the greater Mo Ran’s suspicion grows that behind Xu Shuanglin lurks another player—a true mastermind who holds all the pieces.

POINT OF NO RETURN After failing in their quest to capture the treacherous Xu Shuanglin, Mo Ran and Chu Wanning pursue him to the impenetrable Mount Jiao, accompanied by the noble Nangong Si and the leaders of the cultivation realm's great sects. There, they find the ancestral tomb of Rufeng Sect transformed into a macabre spectacle under the influence of Xu Shuanglin's forbidden magic. And their adversary's work is not as Sisheng Peak and their allies fight their way to the top of the mountain, Xu Shuanglin resorts to a powerful and mysterious magic that threatens to tear their world asunder. As the combined forces of the cultivation world race to stop Xu Shuanglin, Mo Ran must finally confront the past he's been running from since his rebirth. Will Mo Ran lose everything he has gained in this life\-\-including Chu Wanning?

ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART BURN HOTTER Chu Wanning has slumbered for five years since Mo Ran rescued his soul from the underworld. He wakes to find the world changed—and the greatest change of all is to his disciple Mo Ran. Now grown up, Mo Ran is nothing like the callow youth he remembers, and Chu Wanning finds himself drawn to his disciple with a force he never anticipated. Meanwhile, Mo Ran has at last set aside the misunderstandings of two lifetimes. When his hatred for his teacher falls away, he finds the feelings beneath are not respect between master and disciple, but fiery passion. Yet even as the two wrestle with their own hearts, Mo Ran begins to realize that this world is diverging from the past life he remembers in strange new ways.

CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER'S WEBIn the aftermath of the censer's spell, Mo Ran awakens on Dragonblood Mountain beside a slumbering Chu Wanning, everything between them forever changed. Yet before he can explain himself, Hua Binan\-\-the mastermind behind their plight\-\-arrives on the scene and kidnaps Chu Wanning, leaving Mo Ran utterly alone. Down the mountain, a man with Mo Ran's face has been committing heinous crimes, and the cultivation world clamors for blood. Helpless to rescue Chu Wanning and fearful of the consequences for Sisheng Peak, Mo Ran returns to face the justice of Tianyin Pavilion and the darkness of his buried past. Meanwhile, trapped in Hua Binan's grasp, Chu Wanning is haunted by dreams of his past life\-\-the life he shared with Taxian\-jun. What he discovers in them stands to change everything he thought he knew about Mo Ran's bloody path to becoming the cruel tyrant he once was.