The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System 3 : Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) #3

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

[POINTS DE SATISFACTION +500 !]

Pour sauver sa secte de la destruction, Shen Qingqiu a cédé à Luo Binghe.. bien qu'il aimerait que les gens cessent de le dire ainsi ! Malheureusement, ils n'ont pas tort.

Luo Binghe a enfin exprimé clairement son désir pour son ancien maître. Quant à Shen Qingqu, même s'il aspire de tout son cœur à retrouver leurs jours paisibles ensemble sur le pic Qing Jing, il sait que cela est désormais impossible maintenant que son disciple a laissé son cœur sombrer dans les ténèbres et le changer en véritable seigneur démon.

Cependant, tandis que Shen Qingqiu commence à en découvrir davantage sur les intrigues cachées de La Voie du Fier Démon Immortel, ainsi que sur le passé de celui dont il a récupéré le corps, il prend conscience du fait qu'il doit apprendre à voir Luo Binghe tel qu'il est réellement afin que l’un d'eux puisse survivre.
Ce tome contient la fin de l'histoire principale.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Historical, China

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Associated Names:
* 墨香铜臭 (Chinese)
* Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
* โม่เซียงถงซิ่ว (Thai)
* 묵향동후 (Korean)
* Мосян Тунсю (Russian)

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd read:
I have changed my mind. I still feel the first book is the best. I do like the ending of this book and I think this is my least favorite of the three books. The ending did give us everything we want and I love that. The resolutions here are earned and all the twisting plot and character arcs make sense after seeing it all laid out.

I will be reading the extra material in book 4. I'm glad I did this re-read. I still love the ballad in this book. It's still around and gaining material. This simply worked so well, it really did. I still say MXTX is a genius. I would love to see it on the screen, but with censorship in china, I don't see how they could do this and keep the plot in any real way.

1st read:
I felt this book was much better than the first 2 books. So much happened in this story. I could not put this book down. MXTX is really a genius. This book is very complex and has worlds within worlds and all of it is taken care of so well. I think these are some of the most tortured characters in literature.

I do have some complaints with it. It's not perfect. Everything feels rushed and you never feel like the characters really get resolution. They are dragged at top speed from scene to scene with no breathes. I got so frustrated that there was never a time when a character got to explain anything they learned to someone else. Shen Qingqiu kept being asked to explain this and that and the people asking never gave him space to talk and even more frustrating is SQQ didn't even try to explain. He had that stoic smile on his face all the time. It was maddening to read.

This felt like the end of the story. There is a clear ending and everything and yet there is one more book left to read. There are like 20 more chapters or something. I don't know what is going to be the rest of the book. It doesn't feel like any loose threads left. Still, I can't wait to read more. I do wish there had been a little more breathing room.

I can't see how they could make an adaptation of this in China. I can't figure out a way around the gay stuff in this that wouldn't let the viewer down. I just can't see this making it to the screen. Another country should make it and do it right. The untamed worked pretty well the way it was all done, but this seems different to me.

Spoiliery ahead:





So, MXTX loves blood, gore and torturing her characters emotionally. Everyone is tortured in some way. She is a masochist to her characters. There was a sex scene in here and we find out that it is just like the rest of the story: blood, gore and torture emotional. It so works for MXTX. It's like gothic literature in a Chinese XianXia Fantasy setting. It's makes for a great story.

MXTX is rather bold. She was like, is there a way I can make gay sex the key to saving a character from death? She actually does it and uses a fantasy element in the process. It's pretty incredible. I still can't believe this story was written in China. It blows my mind.

So SQQ is now the unofficial protagonist. To save the world from being ripped apart by the gray main character who is head over heels in love with SQQ, SQQ must accept this love. It's a really interesting sort of thing.

There are many twists and turns in this story and I could never really figure out what was going to happen. It's like a DNA helix that simply keeps twisting. The story is well told.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not on earth at the moment; currently in my happy place where Binghe cooks breakfast for his shizun daily and getting peppered with puppy kisses every 2 hours... 😇

If you're wondering whether there's smut in this volume... YES THERE'S SMUT IN HERE!!! Be warned though, this book hurts the most. 😆

Looking forward to the side stories and extras in the last volume.

---------------------------------------------

[Re-read 06.2025] Binghe, after splitting his shizun in half:

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'together at last' stars


Fanart by Zelda


Fanart by Palarien

This volume was definitely the craziest and it just might be my favorite one. So many things happen and there's never a dull moment. I wish we'd get more bingqiu being together (not counting all the times when one of them is unconscious) but I didn't mind that much, since I know there's a whole vol of extras 😊




I really wanted to hug Binghe in this vol! I mean, I want to hug him all the time but I just felt so sorry for him. He was so sure that no one would ever choose him and my baby deserves all the love in the world. My heart broke every time he thought he was abandoned 💔




Fanart by zolaida




Fanart by thekansta

Probably my favorite part(s) was Shen Qingqiu slowly realizing his feelings toward Luo Binghe. Well, 'realizing' is somehow a too strong word for that since our favorite Shizun is kind of still in denial, haha. But actions speak lounder than words or even thoughts and it was a delight to read about Qingqiu saving, rescuing, taking care and overall simply being there for his disciple.





Fanart by RONPU

"This master's expectations are for you to be alive and clear minded, strong and healthy." Then he said softly, "So don't say that no one wants you - or that no one will choose you - ever again."

And my favourite scene!! If this is not love, then I don't know what it is 💝


Official book art by Velinxi
Colored by Xi

"Why don't we leave, then?" he asked.
For a moment, Luo Binghe couldn't manage to react. "Leave?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded. "Didn't you say that you weren't welcome here? Then let's leave and go somewhere that does welcome you." He added, "This time, no matter where you wish to go, this master will accompany you."

Fanart by rachitori


Fanart by naie



5 'OOC' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 'Shizun and his baby demon' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 'together at last' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4,5 'bingqiu in love' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐

[Brenda Waworga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so chaotic! 😂 as ussual the story is full with adventure and angst… Bingqiu once again warms my heart with their interaction.

This apparently is the ending of the main story 🤧🥺 but affraid not there will be one more book contain some of the extras 😍😍 and i cannot wait!!

I miss Bingpup already 🤧

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 3 out of 5]

And with that, I have finished the main arc of the story. I am kind of surprised that the fourth volume is basically just the extras. I am still unsure if I'm happy they added all the extras or just disappointed that they made us buy a special edition just for the extras. Realistically speaking the fourth volume is the largest but they could have easily published all of it within just three volumes.

Speaking the truth, I am still a bit iffy about the whole master-student relationship although so far I've read around three danmei with the same trope. There's something like a teacher-student relationship there (Essentially it is the same but with the whole immortal factor, danmei gets more leeway) and that is one of the tropes I truly hate. Reading Dark Vanessa made me hate it more. Also, I know by the end they are a happy couple but I am yet to feel that SQQ truly feels the same intensity of love toward LBH as the other does to him. At the same time LBH's love borders on insanity and obsession. Our canon fodder characters were definitely my favourite and so far no one can outwit SQQ's level of hilarity.

At one point I understood that growing up is understanding that MXTX's books are not the best and they are really just targeted towards women who love reading danmei. Authors such as Priest, Shishi do a better job. I honestly can say that I enjoyed both their books so much especially Shishi as Little Mushroom was a very pleasant surprise. But does that mean I will stop reading MXTX? Definitely not. I'll be rereading MDZS next as the official English translation is coming to an end in May.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am forever haunted by hubris for calling this a comedy on TikTok. This volume made me cry like I was in the fucking Yi City Arc of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.

RANDOM NOTES:
- One coffin trope !!
- Babygirl demon warrior
- “I hate how I’m useless. I hate how I can never keep anyone, how no one… has ever chosen me.”
- When the loyal friend said they’d come back, but couldn’t, and never forgot and had been looking out for them the whole time sjdudiskdkdjdj
- Again I say. THE WAY I SOBBED!!

I will be taking no criticism about this series now or ever, thank you and goodnight. I love it.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This final volume of SVSSS's main story is maybe a little less hectic than the others, which is all to the good. We get some backstory for both of our leads, there's a big battle between the demons of the southern border and the spirit cultivators, and the central relationship is brought to a sort of resolution.

One of this series' greatest strengths is how well it mixes up fannishness, pathos, and ridiculousness. There's a bit more pathos in this volume than the previous ones, some of it in the aforementioned backstories, and some of it as we see characters bidding their final farewell. (One was "offscreen," which caused minor dissatisfaction.) I continue to be stubbornly girly or fangirly, despite my age or whatever, because I was crying through a good portion of the part of the story featuring Shen Jiu's and Luo Binghe's pasts.

A favorite romance type or trope of mine is the Pride and Prejudice mold where the leads finally overcome the internal obstacles keeping them apart from each other. SQQ's and LBH's... uh... somewhat romance-like arc is sort of like this, at least on SQQ's side. As is typical of the series throughout, anytime SQQ has to deal with LBH and his romantic fervor, it also involves some amount of what could lightly be called "inconvenience."

My major issue with the series is that there are so many secondary characters and settings that it's hard to tell who or what is actually important at times. One character, for example, ended up having a connection to the "original" Shen Qingqiu that Shen Yuan-as-SQQ was unable to acknowledge, causing him a crisis of conscience... whereas in my memory they'd just been a random body in various crowd or battle scenes. Some scenes that were intended to have emotional impact would have been more successful if this or that character had been given a detailed scene or two earlier to lay a stronger foundation. (I've got to say that the last image of Zhuzhi-Lang wrapping his snake body protectively around Tianlang-Jun was striking, even though I never quite "got" that character.)

But come down to it, this is the Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe show, and those parts are great. The illustrations in this volume are awesome, whether funny or emotional. I don't think Velinxi is 100% confident about drawing people's legs, but the overall expressions of the faces and bodies are superb.

And so Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe's silly, moving journey comes to a conclusion. Not an end, apparently, since there's another volume of short stories to come! I'm very curious about which characters MXTX will choose to focus on. There are more than a handful that I'd like to see more from--such as the demon characters Zhuzhi-Lang, Tianlang-Jun, Mobei-Jun or even Sha Hualing--though I wouldn't mind if it was all about SQQ and LBH, either. I'm looking forward to volume 4, either way. :)

(By the way, this is the first time in ages that I've read three books of a series in this quick succession. [Eight months] Maybe I'll even finish the whole series within a year. That'd be cool.)

[ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a roller coaster of emotions… I shit myself quite a lot reading this novel. BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!!

My little bingpup is finally happy and Shen has finally accepted his gayness (maybe not completely but for the most part lmao). Thats all I ever wanted
◜✧˖°(ᗒᗨᗕ) °˖✧◝

[ridmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

put that rod away luo binghe!!!

[Xia and the Giant TBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story as addictive as crack on a cracker made from brownie dough.

Suspension of disbelief must be about this much
🫱💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣🫲
to fully enjoy the story, reason why this book may not have been considered a reading choice by many people in the past year, including me. What a waste.

4.5 stars instead of 5 become there was one thing that annoyed me (and it wasn't what you think it was): it was LB's transformation from a strong, confident powerhouse to a sniveling, insecure big baby

[sally ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu are chaotic, highly co-dependent, huge dorks, and extremely dense at times, but goddamn do I love them so much anyway.

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System was a hilarious and fun journey. I was dying of laughter and also from secondhand embarrassment at the same time. I absolutely adore these characters and the world that MXTX has created. So excited to read the extra stories!

[soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can hear my heart shattering:)

[Bella ♡ ✧.* · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUCK

[Kate♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5stars
July 2024:
Every time I reread an SVSSS book my love for bingqiu grows 3 sizes

Wow this was a 5 star series for me - I'm OBSESSED. I loved this story and these characters so much. It was equally parts ridiculous and stupid as endearing and complex and angsty. I can't wait to read the bonus chapters for BingQiu 🥹

[thedeadlyscimitar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m honestly not entirely sure how to feel about this book. There were certain things about it that I really enjoyed and other things that seriously disturbed me. Unfortunately, I don’t think that SVSSS is really a series for me. I really loved the first volume, but it seems like I’ve enjoyed the series less with each successive installment. That’s not to say that the series is objectively bad, it just doesn’t appeal to my personal tastes. Maybe I was the one at fault for going into this expecting something similar to MDZS and TGCF. Compared to MXTX’s other works, SVSSS feels very different.

I can’t really get into discussing which parts really bothered me without adding spoilers to this review. I will only say that if you are someone who, like me, is bothered by non-con/dub-con then you may want to avoid this one. Two things that I really have a hard time with in any story are non-con between main characters and abuse between main characters, both of which are present in this book. There are certainly extenuating circumstances that make these things slightly more palatable than they would otherwise have been. I get that certain characters weren’t themselves or weren’t in their right minds during certain parts of the story, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoy reading these types of scenes any more because of that, and I still struggle not to be bothered by them. I am by no means judging others for enjoying this story, it simply isn’t something that I personally like to read about.

I hate to say this because I know that many people will probably be upset by it, but my main problem with this story is Luo Binghe. I just don’t really like him very much as a character. There were times when I did really like him, but then he would do something that made him come across as a creepy stalker unhealthy obsessed with the object of his affection. I had a hard time swallowing a romance where one character has such blatant disregard for the other’s feelings and becomes irrationally jealous of them having any close friends or companions.

All in all, if you are a fan of these types of characters and plot lines you will probably enjoy this book. But if you’re like me and are more sensitive to these types of triggers, then it might be best to avoid this one. If you are an MXTX fan who started by reading her other works, then my advice is to not go into reading this expecting something similar. I know that SVSSS is some people’s favorite MXTX series , and that’s great, but if you’re a fan of MDZS or TGCF just try to manage your expectations going in and realize that this story is fairly different compared to those series. If you didn’t enjoy some of the more explicit extras for MDZS (if you’ve read them you’ll know what I’m referring to) then you may want to give SVSSS a pass. Hopefully, I will enjoy the next volume more than this one and it will somehow change my opinion.

[˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚Hatool˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth read:
SVSSS is my guilty pleasure, my problematic fave, my love. I could never truly hate this story, no matter how much I want to cringe and complain.
I got so emotional reading the ending, I don't know why. Liu Qingge and Lou Binghe are my pretty princesses, anything they do makes me so.... god. And Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua are, of course, my bros.



Third read:
And the review has come.
Ah, SVSSS, what can I fucking say about this series. I have went through the weirdest rollercoaster of emotions since I've first read this series, but at the end, my emotions ended at the top.
I fucking love this series, as much as I am ashamed to say it. I genuinely love this series so much. It is my official biggest guilty pleasure, and I can see myself rereading this series in even a month from now if I feel the need. It's just... that good.

I am a pretty bad reader, and I tend to miss things. A lot of things. My eyes can sometimes just jump an entire page accidently, and I won't notice a thing. And with a book like this, with such an unreliable narrator and such secretive characters, I can proudly say that each time I read this book I find more and more depth. There is always more to this book, and I never get bored - even when I'm bothered or annoyed.

While tgcf and mdzs are insanely written prose (yeah, I'll call those novels prose, what of it), but I think svsss' parodical charm is something I crave more deeply than anything else.

I might hate this series once again the fourth time I'll read it - but one way or another, this story is very close to my heart.


... Now, let the Lou Binghe brainrot begin.



Second read:
I have a complicated relationship with this book. rtc.

[annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

edit: not much to say except i liked this a lot more on reread. man.

I enjoyed this. Pretty underdeveloped compared to mxtx s other works, but very funny. Not rly that romantic, but i don’t think it was trying to be, it focused more on parodying and deconstructing webnovel tropes. The whole novel was rly fast paced and easy to read, and I wouldn’t mind reading it again someday.

Now to wait for the extras!

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 "satisfaction points" stars
Slight docking for... questionable nsfw scene.

Pure chaos, this volume is.
Torn apart and incinerated, then mended anew, my heart is.

This volume is actually the conclusion of the main storyline, with the following volume consisting of extra chapters. Somehow, within less than 400 pages, all the characters went through hell and fire, undergoing massive developments. No one character is a complete villain or a shining saviour, and the plot is just mind-blowing!

The ending felt like a warm hug! While Shen Qingqiu (protective and compassionate, but a mindless idiot at times) and Luo Binghe (traumatised, abused but ultimately a pure-hearted baby pushed down the demonic path), did not have the healthiest of relationships to start with and it remained rocky for a period, their relationship really developed in the end. I'm so looking forward to the extras!

[anđela · Rating 5 out of 5]

he is shitty and a danger to society but i love him so pls don’t be mean to him he is just babygirl you gotta trust me you don’t know him like i do he is baby i promise

[Alizeh (Selwyn's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I might have a lil crush on the clingy ass psychotic gay demon with bipolar tendencies and extreme jealousy issues–a literal walking red forest, Luo Binghe 🚶🚶

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had previously finished the unofficial translation and was acquainted with the story. You may think of this as a second reading. The first volume was a little dull, but this one developed the plot and had a lovely conclusion.

It comes with a unique set of benefits and drawbacks. The way MC interacted with the system was incredibly cool. It gave me serious fanfiction vibes to be reincarnated in a video game as the antagonist and then fall in love with you, and I liked it. The characters had a lot of depth.

And as everyone is aware, it was the debut novel of star author MXTX, who rightfully deserves all the praise..

[Paula (lovebookscl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

RELECTURA traducción oficial

Aunque las piezas caen con el tercer volumen, le toma todo otro volumen a Shen Qingqiu por fin entender las complejas emociones de Luo Binghe. Entre mucho drama, momentos muuuuy tristes y el humor que tira sqq para alivianar el dolor, por fin tenemos el punto de encuentro entre estos dos, en todo sentido.

Ahora, tomados de las manos, van a recorrer el mundo y su nueva relación. Hermoso todo.

Por sobre todo, Shen Qingqiu fue puesto a prueba como lector: si tanto criticas, por qué no lo escribes tú? jajajaja y lo hizo y le salió majestuoso.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much. The story is interesting, complex, and frequently hilarious. The central relationship is soft and gentle, while also fierce and all consuming. The love between Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe is both epic and intimate. The story wraps up beautifully here, while leaving lots of room for the bonus stories of volume 4.

[Dreamcatcher (HIATUS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But the story between you and me has only just begun."

This was the most angst filled volume so far and oh god IT'S ENDED. I read all three volumes in three days but I'll probably take a lot longer to read the extra volume since I didn't read it the first time around

I'm so glad I decided to reread though because this honestly felt like reading it for the first time all over againnn

THEY FINALLY GET A HAPPY ENDING AND ALL THE PLOT POINTS ARE RESOLVED that's all I ever needed(vol 1 is still the best one). Honestly not the best in terms of satisfaction but I'll take whatever I can

...Maybe is IS time for a MXTX marathon. Life is too short to only have read one of her series :)

[K.C. ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a nice finish. Now time for those absolutely INSANE extras 🤣🤣🤣

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chaotic and confused courtship of Shen Qingqui and Luo Binghe continues, with commentary from various unhelpful bystanders. We meet Binghe's father, Tianlang-Jun:

Shen Qingqui didn't know how to continue this conversation.
Just before, he'd thought this fellow a reasonable sort, but after conversing he'd discovered that Tianlang-Jun was no different from all the final boss villains who set their heart on the ambitious life goal of 'destroying the world and massacring all the heroes'.
But come to think of it, if a nice young man of noble lineage was sealed under a mountain by a bunch of strange cultivators for that many years, it wasn't surprising that he would turn out resentful.
Shen Qingqui went silent for a moment, then tried to give a co-operative response. "Is the next step exterminating the entire human race?"
"Why would you think so?" asked Tianlang-Jun, confused. "Of course not. I like humans; I just don't like the four major sects."

Volume 3 of Scum Villain continues to combine Carry On-worthy farce with extreme violence, to hilarious effect. Shen Qingqui suffers many indignities and brutalities, which he faces with all the emotional intelligence he can muster (very little). He's realised that Binghe is obsessively in love with him, which is hard to miss as Binghe's behaviour becomes more and more unhinged. An evil sword is partially to blame, to be fair. As well as revelations about Binghe's parentage, the reader learns the grim backstory of pre-transmigration Shen Qingqui. I also found myself with some sympathy for Liu Qingge:

Whenever Liu Qingge was enraged but also unwilling to say more, his go-to expression was always a fierce, aggressive "hey". However, it was completely impotent as a deterrent, so Shen Qingqui simply ignored it.

Although Liu Qingge is undoubtedly long-suffering, it was a real dick move to tell Shen Qingqui that Binghe was dead! No wonder he gets immediately scolded by everyone else present.

Other highlights include but are not limited to: all the facial expressions in the page 132 illustration, Binghe pretending that he's forgotten how to ride a sword, "I am only Shizun's little beast and no-one else's", Shen Qinqui fanning himself so hard 'his folding fan almost turned into an electric one', Mobei-Jun freezing the river, Shen Qingqui asking Shang Qinghua why he isn't dead yet, Shang Qinghua saving Mobei-Jun (who can't fly), Shen Qingqui attempting a post-coital quip to lighten the mood and instead coughing up blood, the nun triplets pestering Liu Mingyan for autographs, Shen Qingqui insisting he's an anti not a fan, Tianlang-Jun's detachable limbs, and the impressively horrible mausoleum traps. By the end of this volume, Proud Immortal Demon Way has completed its evolution from stallion novel to danmei, but there remains much to be resolved in Shen Qingqui and Binghe's relationship following their literally excruciating sex scene. I very much look forward to the final volume!

[Izabella 🪐 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shen Qinggiu took all this in stride. Looking back on everything, his heart had transformed, becoming like that of an old monk on a pilgrimage to retrieve scriptures. He'd suffered through eighty-one hardships, and, after much pain and struggle, finally produced the right result.

So let him cry. After all, Luo Binghe always behaved this way. A plot with so many up and downs and such intense chaos and disorder, to the point that it was constantly like being struck by lightning on a clear day… Honestly, Shen Qingqiu also wanted to burst into tears.

My man suffered but finally now begins Shen Qingqui's well-deserved break.

***********

Reread:

But the story between you and me has only just begun.

Damn it. I can't help but love this god-awful, wonderful, trashy series with it's unbelievable and nonsensical plot, and it's idiotic, loveable, attractive cast of characters.

[atria · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was my first mxtx and honestly? it was good. it was not really that romantic but i get it that this was more of an attempt to subvert & satirize the tropes found in this type of fiction. anyway, imma go read the extras now and also consider me firmly on the mxtx hype train <3

[kay! ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dying together” also included a “together.” It didn’t seem that bad.

rereading svsss always reminds me why exactly this is probably my favorite out of the mxtx trio.

i just love these characters and this wacky danmei so much 😭

[Wiebke (1book1review) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the main story could be considered finish in this. While I still enjoy the story and commentary on reading tropes and such, I am not in love with the relationship between master and disciple and how the finally ended up together.