Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
A metafictional danmei parody of Chinese stallion novels.
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Under the pseudonym Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, also known by the abbreviation MXTX, a Chinese author wrote the danmei novel titled The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System.[1] Compared to her later novels Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and Heaven Official's Blessing, this story has a greater number of comedic elements and uses a metafictional approach to parody stallion novels, a Chinese literary genre.[1]
Making and release
The author has subsequently revised the text, with the most recent edits occurring in 2024.[2] In 2017, the Taiwanese company Pinsin Studio released the work in Traditional Chinese as a set of three physical volumes.[2] A special edition commemorating five years since publication came out on July 28, 2022, featuring new cover artwork.[3] Pre-orders for a Simplified Chinese edition began on October 24, 2025; this version is titled The Tale of Cang Qiong Mountain and adds more than 20,000 words of fresh material.[4]
Xiao Tong Kong, who also goes by the name Velinxi, created all of the artwork.[5]
What the cited sources add
Mandelo describes the translation by Faelicy & Lily as maintaining the terminal online-ness of Shen Yuan's narration and the dryly mechanical sarcasm of the System's prompts.[6] The System's first engagement begins with annoyance that Shen Yuan has been railing against the book, using the activation code "Dumbfuck author, dumbfuck novel"[6] Mandelo finds it hysterical that Shang Qinghua, the original novel's author, has also been transmigrated and saddled with the System.[6] An unofficial fan adaptation of the novel is published on Webtoons.[7]
Seven Seas Entertainment has announced that a deluxe hardcover box set will be released in February 2026, priced at $139.99 in the USA.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Scum Villain's Self-Saving System" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mandelo, "Screwball Comedy in Translation: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu", Reactor, 2022-01-11 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Scum Villain's Self-Saving System" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "《人渣反派自救系统》墨香铜臭_动画: 穿书自救指南_晋江文学城_【原创小说 纯爱小说】", www.jjwxc.net; "《人渣反派自救系统》墨香铜臭_动画: 穿书自救指南_晋江文学城_【原创小说 纯爱小说】", www.jjwxc.net (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Scum Villain's Self-Saving System" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "平心出版/《魔道祖師》、《天官賜福》作者墨香銅臭經典出道之作《人渣反派自救系統》，繁中實體書出版五週年典藏新裝上市！", www.pinsinstudio.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Scum Villain's Self-Saving System" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: 少女星, "《蒼穹山記：全二冊》預售開啟｜墨香銅臭出道作《人渣反派自救系統》精裝典藏回歸｜SouNova 少女星", SouNova 少女星; "Sina Visitor System", passport.weibo.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Scum Villain's Self-Saving System" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Seven Seas Entertainment License Three Chinese Danmei Novels For Western Release The Otaku's Study", 2021-08-08 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Mandelo, "Screwball Comedy in Translation: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu", Reactor, 2022-01-11. facts only, no text reused. reactormag.com
- "Scumbag System (SVSSS)", www.webtoons.com. facts only, no text reused. webtoons.com
- "Seven Seas to Release Deluxe Hardcover Box Set of THE SCUM VILLAIN’S SELF-SAVING SYSTEM: REN ZHA FANPAI ZIJIU XITONG Danmei Novel Series Seven Seas Entertainment", sevenseasentertainment.com. facts only, no text reused. sevenseasentertainment.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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