He Cultivates the Ruthless Path As A Substitute Chapter 170 Discussion

I really liked the story.

I do have to mention that if you felt bad for Chang Yuan around chapter 70 and 80, that's fine. I did too but if you felt Zhao Zhao was wrong for what he did, I would be a bit confused if that's so. I do feel bad for Chang Yuan but at the same time it was satisfying because since the beginning, we know he only accepted Zhao Zhao as his disciple because he resembled Mo Yu. It was really kind of on a whim that he took him in. His inner thoughts constantly revealed he was kind of disgusted with Zhao Zhao's character. This changes later of course but this is how it was in the beginning.

Ch70-80, this part of the story was really dog blooded but I felt it fit because Chang Yuan had constantly not been a very good Shizun. He took Zhao Zhao's behavior toward him for granted and went as far as to kick him out of the XueXiao palace without asking why Zhao Zhao sold the things he gifted him. Yes, Chang Yuan had never gifted any of his disciples anything from his treasury which implies he really values Zhao Zhao now and didn't see him as a replacement but it doesn't change the fact that he refused to see Zhao Zhao even as he begged and kneeled outside in the cold for hours and didn't visit when Zhao Zhao was sick in bed until after it was revealed his soul was scattering and he was dying.

Zhao Zhao had constantly tricked Chang Yuan with things like this so it was understandable that Chang Yuan thought he was lying. Later, Chang Yuan admits he wanted Zhao Zhao to keep coming up with these scheming little lies to try and get Chang Yuan's attention because he looked forward to it. Chang Yuan wasn't a bad Shizun but he was ignorant as he had never felt this way towards anyone. It's clear he really cared about Zhao Zhao later on but he did not handle it correctly.

Keep in mind that Zhao Zhao did not reincarnate or transmigrate like in other novels. He truly was a child who was still maturing and had gone through all this suffering on his own. He never had a home and didn't belong anywhere, not even with his own people, the Bashe tribe, who ab*sed him when he desperately tried to go back and seek shelter there. Later, we learn they ask him for money throughout his life, leeching off of him by blackmailing him. He was an imposter at the Qilin palace and didn't truly belong despite the Qilin King and Queen raising him for so many years. I don't understand how they were able to disregard him so easily even if they found out he wasn't their biological son.

They weren't unkind but they clearly no longer saw him as a son which is just baffling to me. How can you raise someone with as much love and care as they did to Zhao Zhao and so easily throw away those feelings of love? He was their son in every way except blood relation. It's mentioned by Zhao Zhao that the Qilin Queen is kind and treats him well but I'd say that's not quite right. For example, when she visited the East China Sea to see Xue Ji, she called Zhao Zhao pitiful but when the other Queen, Lady Shuijun spoke bad about him, she did not say a word. Only Xue Jin did, despite not knowing Zhao Zhao at all. Lady Shuijun went on a good three minute rant, but the Qilin Queen stayed silent and did nothing. I don't think she's evil but her kindness is clearly not so pure. It's like a flimsy piece of plastic. She's kind only because she can afford to so she uses this kindness thoughtlessly if it's not troublesome.

Later I find that the Qilin Queen was crueler than I had thought. She had grown resentment towards Zhao Zhao because of what her biological son, Si Nan, had to go through and even wished he had died when he got left behind in the demon cave. She admits that it's a lie if she said she didn't know the hardships he was going through in the Qilin palace when Si Nan wasn't there to shield Zhao Zhao unknowingly. People wouldn't bother Zhao Zhao as long as Si Nan was there but once he was gone, to them it was free game.

As for the Qilin King, it's revealed that the Qilin Queen wanted to drive away Zhao Zhao but he convinced her not to. His care for Zhao Zhao is implied through a memory of Zhao Zhao where he's spying on the Qilin Queen and Si Nan happily bonding together. The Qilin King runs into him and invites him over with a smile but Zhao Zhao runs away because he felt his hidden desires were revealed.

All he had wanted was someone to love him dearly.

I'd say the Qilin King did care for Zhao Zhao but if he had still seen him as his son, there's no way Zhao Zhao would have suffered the way he did. Maybe he truly was ignorant about the suffering Zhao Zhao was going through in their home but he didn't care quite enough to really find out how he was truly doing.

The type of people the Qilin parents were was crueler than if it had just been parents who hated Zhao Zhao because at least then we know they would've driven Zhao Zhao away immediately. Although they sheltered Zhao Zhao and let him stay, it was also his cage. He was grateful to them and it made my heart ache knowing how hard he tried to please then so there never came a day he would be kicked out. That was not his home because he was walking on eggshells everyday and he knew this. So, he put everything on the line to be accepted as a disciple even if it was a lowly immortal and even if he had to resort to tricks and lies because he was tired of living under someone else's roof.

Even though the real son was found, Zhao Zhao did not dislike Si Nan and in fact did feel protective of him. Even though Si Nan was clearly ignorant of how Zhao Zhao was struggling. Zhao Zhao did hold envy because Si Nan had a family and love he could never have but he'd never harm him or hope ill will on him.

He found the best way to survive was to act. I didn't find it disgusting or two-faced. He was dealt cards like we all are in life and he used them as best he could to strive for a better life.

The immortals were the true disgusting ones. Especially Lord Bishua who said she didn't like people like Zhao Zhao who came from lowly backgrounds and try "underhanded" ways to climb the latter. In other words, she hated poor people who tried their hardest to get a good life that is so easily given to people like Lord Bishua on a silver plater.

I truly admired Zhao Zhao's determination. He constantly strived for a better life even if that meant putting on a mask and acting in a way he thinks would get other people to treat him well. He was always scheming and he was cruel but he was all alone and he did what he thought he had to do.

I admire him because I know I would've never been able to do it. Because he was a demon, they looked down on him and constantly tried to blame him for doing evil things he didn't do. Doing so even after he risked his life and saved a ton of their disciples. He wasn't any worse than the immortals that called themselves righteous. I like that although he was constantly shamed for being a demon (which causes him to dislike his natural form), he does not despise demons or hate them. He views them as beings as any other.

There was something I was a bit disappointed with. There were almost no positive female characters at all. The only one was Xue Ji but Spoiler

she was Zhao Zhao's mother.

[collapse] Unless tied to maternal instinct and love or just side characters without much impact on the story, none of the female characters had any semblance of good traits or deep background stories. It wasn't surprising but it was disheartening to see.

Overall, I really liked the story. It was hard the first 60 chapters or so because that's mostly Zhao Zhao's childhood arc and him experiencing hardships and growth. Although Chang Yuan was hard to like in the beginning, he makes up for it later on in the story. He truly loves Zhao Zhao and is just as possessive as Zhao Zhao is to him. But he would never hurt him in order to keep him by his side and vice versa.

I loved the ending and extras!