The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness

Edit:
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* Gets dropped by TL *
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Welp. The MC continued to be stupid anyway. I'd rather just go back to Fated to Be Loved by Villains.
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MC only has 2 brain cells to rub together, it's true. It's honestly frustrating. Like, dude, your enemy literally gave you the basement ending. You managed to get out by sheer dumb luck, which honestly made me do a double take because the setup was surprising, but WHY don't you strike them down with the intent to KILL?!
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Okay, fine. Maybe I just ended up too psychotic because of the amount of CN WN I've read and the MC hasn't actually made their first kill.
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All in all, the MC can get irritating because he's an idiot. But since we know he's got some plot armor there, the interesting thing is to see how he gets himself out of literally being chained to a wall. When he finally broke out of the basement, I was all but screaming "STOP DAYDREAMING ABOUT FREEDOM AND RUN FASTER!"
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When he finally escaped, I was all "Oh, thank f*ck!"
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...
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Before MC inevitably landed himself into a robbery. Welp. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
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I'm currently refraining from rating. It's just too early to tell whether the MC will have some growth or not. I just want to see if MC actually grows a brain or will the author continue to just give him absurd coincidences that rival the favored-sons-of-heaven.
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Give it at least 100 chapters before you start reading.
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Edit:
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The world MC is in is...
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Spoiler
Full of yandere.
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Well, at least he learned to be a little bit wary. My own wariness for every other character aside from the princess is turning into paranoia lmao. That kind of thing isn't healthy, but since the misfortune is happening to MC, I'm still curious where this story will go. Will everyone he meets be a
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Spoiler
yandere?
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Will he have to run from everyone he meets? Or will he find a good girl out there that's a safe harbor?

In terms of webnovels, especially Chinese webnovels, this is frankly amazing.

The protagonist is not a murder hobo and has actual morals; he doesn't randomly hate characters just because they are vaguely against him but actually tries to understand others. The romances make sense, with maybe an exception going to the princess/fiancée at the start. But even then, as the story progresses, their relationship grows more genuine, and they act closer to a bickering couple that secretly cares for each other.

As of chapter 553, there are only four heroines, each basically getting a volume to themselves. The romance doesn't feel too rushed or forced, as you see why the heroines, and also Muen (which is rare), grow to like each other. The heroines also actually do stuff.

Also, defending against some of the other reviews:

The reviews calling Muen stupid... confuse me, given the drugging thing was arguably his best course of action, but he hadn’t yet realized how the actions leading up to it completely messed it up. He knew he should be fine after the condemnation.

Do I need to spoiler this because another review kind of alludes to it? Whatever....

Spoiler:
He actually wouldn’t have been fine because of his maid, as he realizes that the original Muen wasn’t on the streets due to not being able to live as a commoner but because he had to escape the maid locking him up. But at the time, no one knew that, so you can't hold that against him.

Calling him stupid because he didn’t yet have the information needed to know how the plan would fail (not going to spoil it, given other reviews outright said it) with knowledge in hindsight makes no sense.

As for the maid doing the basement ending. Firstly, it wasn’t luck he got out. He very obviously planned the escape, and it’s common reading/watching knowledge that monologues and thoughts don’t actually take time. So complaining he was stalling is confusing. In the novel's real-time, he did just straight up break out and try to leave. The time after was used to explain what the plan was, why it wasn’t luck, and what he would do next.

Also, the maid was stronger than him, so complaining he isn’t trying to kill... what? Anyway, that whole arc is about how the maid realizes the flaw in her logic and grows to more naturally like Muen instead of having an obsession.

Also, literally none of the characters are actually yandere. The maid was only yandere during her arc before she learns that it is a bad idea.

Flaws:

The whole drug thing is iffy as it does feel a bit off and it happens again with the princess later. (Although in both cases, it isn’t really Muen’s fault, more so for the second.)

There are dealings with the underworld, and the characters there are clearly... not the best. Depending on how you feel, you may feel uncomfortable with that.

You might feel the way intercourse is used is a bit crass. Nothing smut-related really happens; it is skipped, but it is clear that it does happen. Most of the time with full consent, but sometimes not (like with the princess), although usually Muen is the one who doesn’t want to do it, which is a bit weird. I would say it makes sense for the story being told, but you may just not like that.

Oh right, the whole "turning the lesbian straight" thing is extremely weird. If they were bisexual, it would be fine, but given the way Chinese novels go, I don’t think they would even acknowledge that exists. Although it basically hasn’t happened yet, and she still very much dislikes Muen, it does get weird when:

Spoiler:
She ends up hiding as her childhood friend (the saint) ends up having sex with Muen, and she realizes the person she likes is him and not her.

Peak, that's what I can say. I'm reading an MTL version, and I'm currently at chapter 128. Wow, a harem story where it seems like each heroine gets their own volume!

I can't explain the joy I'm getting just from reading this story, but trust me, if you can handle MTL, this is peak.

It's more romance-oriented than action, but when the moments come where the main character is badass, it just hits hard.

I have a lot left to read, and I have a feeling this story won't disappoint me.

Look at all these brain-dead positive reviews:

"The reviews calling Muen stupid... confuse me given the drugging thing WAS arguably his best course of action, but he hadn't yet realized how the actions leading up to it completely messed it up."

Good sir. The MC says he wants to survive by distancing himself from the protagonists, yet he proceeds to drug the princess, who will undoubtedly bear a grudge for such an action. Isn't that a contradiction? The MC just sets himself up as a target of animosity, the opposite of what he wanted to achieve. Indifference would have been the logical course of action, allowing him to live on his own without following the plot.

All of you complain about being confused by the complaints. Haven't you realized that you need to turn your brain off to enjoy the comedy this novel offers? It's not a smart, witty comedy but rather a dumb, crude one. Try turning your brain back on and viewing this story from an objective standpoint without any bias.

Well, the story is quite good, for me, yes, as long as the translation could be a bit better. I mean, from the translation alone, there are so many mistakes, especially regarding the gender, which is a FATAL MISTAKE, as it literally ruins my reading experience. I mean, I came to read a translated novel for real, yet why is the one I opened an MTL (machine-translated) version?

Nevertheless, it's okay for me, just causing a bit of a reading experience loss, because I sometimes do read MTL versions of novels that I really want to continue reading. However, this story isn't the type that makes me enjoy MTL versions; it's not interesting enough to make me want to read an MTL just to know what happens next.

That aside, here are my thoughts about the story:

**Spoiler**
The story has the premise of the main character (MC) transmigrating into another story, becoming a side character, and gaining a "golden finger" that reveals his predetermined death. To avoid this fate, he gets hints to follow the story's plot to stay alive. Some people say the MC is naive and whatnot, but honestly, his actions seem realistic. The golden finger shows him how he is supposed to live, so why would doing the exact opposite be the right answer? The golden finger clearly tells him how to survive, and that involves going along with the story.

Regarding his behavior after escaping, why fault a man who has just barely escaped? He just wanted to celebrate his freedom by shouting "FREEDOM AT LAST." Just let the man have his moment, even if it's just for a second. It's not something ridiculous that gets repeated over and over; it happens just once.

**End Spoiler**

For the overall story, it’s a bit cliché but nice enough. However, I don’t think the placement of random events is quite well done. They feel a bit forced, but it’s okay enough to not be too noticeable. It’s mainly for character development, but it could be a little smoother. I assume the author needs more experience with that. Still, it’s nice to pass the time with.

Lastly, it’s a bit disappointing that the translator dropped it, citing not getting enough views. Well, that’s no surprise, considering the translation quality in the first 10 chapters was mostly like an MTL version. No wonder the ratings are low. So, to appreciate the story, I gave it 4 stars.

First of all, an amazing novel. It is by no means a perfect novel; the first chapter is practically a carbon copy of other reincarnation stories.

As for the main character (MC), something you might appreciate is how he adapts his strategies when the plot takes a downturn.

Regarding the heroines:

- **Princess**: While some might argue it feels forced, I agree with another commenter that it’s simply the best move for him at the time, as it’s his optimal path to survival.
  
- **(MC’s Personal Maid)**: She’s a yandere, locking up our MC and even orchestrating the transformation of his original body into a scum. Her dedication is intense, but what I admire most about her is her character development. The moment she questions whether she would truly be happy if her young master became a lifeless shell, devoid of happiness or sadness, is particularly poignant.

, I’m disappointed that the translator dropped the series due to low views, but such is life.

This is not a bad read, as the protagonist is constantly battling to stay alive throughout the story. The main character feels like he is in a situation where death could come at any moment, and I mean that literally. He never gets a chance to rest; it's more like he is forced to keep moving forward or face certain death.

Moreover, the guy has the worst luck with women. It seems like the entire world wants him dead, simply because of his existence. His presence literally shifts the world toward destruction, creating time paradoxes.

And I’m all in for that—desperation can motivate a person to push forward more than anything else.

Wow, I just noticed how some people really struggle with reading comprehension. This novel might not be flawless, but it's genuinely good if you give it a chance.

Regarding the main character's (MC) actions, people are criticizing him for drugging his fiancée and other early decisions. However, he was explicitly told by the book that to avoid his "bad ending premonition," he needed to stick to the original story, which he inadvertently altered.

There was also no character assassination of the princess. In fact, she gave him a chance because she noticed he had changed and he managed to save her life.

Give this novel a chance; it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but you might surprise yourself and enjoy it. The MC is actually quite likable; he didn’t suddenly become powerful. His strength came from his efforts. The female characters are also well-developed, each with their own unique circumstances and personalities. The only downside to this novel is its pacing. It’s slow, especially around chapter 100+, where some chapters feel unnecessary. Despite this, I think it deserves 4 or 4.5 stars overall.