With the arrival of the ninth volume of Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou’s Case File Compendium, I was also informed that this is the penultimate volume. No! I am so attached to this series that I fear I will never find anything as good.
Perhaps that’s because it’s my first danmei series, and just like KinnPorsche was my first BL, it will be so hard to knock out of the first spot. Maybe I just have great tastes on instinct? While this penultimate novel didn’t offer much in the way of steamy scenes, it does sound like the last installment will be catering to that crowd (including myself). This novel picks up right where the eighth volume left off, with Xie Qingcheng about to meet with Duan Wen. Even though he and He Yu promised to meet back up with each other before their attack on Mandela island the next morning, plenty of people had other plans.
Knowing that the Dreambreakers were likely to make some headway on Mandela island, Duan Cuizhen and Xie Lishen want to move forward with the tool that is meant to amplify He Yu’s blood toxin to a deadly level. In order to do this though, they need to have him fully under their control. In an act of vengefulness, Xie Lishen also makes to have He Yu’s love for Xie Qingcheng totally erased. Not the memories, but the emotions tied to them. That was vicious! And as if that wasn’t enough, Xie Qingcheng finally reveals that he is the First Emperor, so to prepare him for becoming Duan Cuizhen’s new vessel, Xie Lishen completely blinds Xie Qingcheng in a fit of rage.
Despite all of the hardships Xie Qingcheng faces in this novel, he proves himself as the First Emperor, and also just his sheer strength both body and mind. yes, he could be healthier, but under the circumstances I know I was impressed with his performance. This novel seems to be the first time where both He Yu and Xie Qingcheng don’t misinterpret each others’ feelings. Things are inferred correctly, and Xie Qingcheng even manages to get his feelings for He Yu across which help break him out of Mandela’s hold. The final battle is an epic one, and it isn’t without devestating casualties, but I won’t spoil the who, what, when, why, and how’s for you all.
Just know that this volume gives us so many surprise reveals throughout that I couldn’t believe they kept coming! None of them felt rushed, and when they were revealed it also helped explain a lot of events that have taken place throughout the series. I’ll be honest, this one really broke my heart, and if I hadn’t known a final installment was coming, I might have been a little pissed. I’ll still be interested to see how it all gets pulled off in the end, but just like with all the other volumes, I was supremely impressed.