The Demon-Catching Bureau

Wu JiuQidian2022

Rating 4.2
Word count
257.1K words

Tags

Male-Oriented Fiction Paranormal Mystery Intellectual Enlightenment

Summary

Demon-Catching Bureau

Editor's review

This is Wu Jiu's urban supernatural short story, entering folk horror through 'in-system demon catching.' The paper-figure bridal sedan, headless bride, and underworld constables seizing souls are vivid images that build a cold, restrained everyday horror atmosphere, and the setup—a protagonist mistaken for mentally ill, raised in an orphanage—carries a grounded, lived-in feel. Drawbacks: the scope is small, the escalation of supernatural combat is not especially dense, and the ending wraps up quickly. Suited to readers who like folk suspense and lightweight supernatural tales; those after grand worldbuilding and hot-blooded battles may find it underwhelming.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Read the first three chapters to take in the paper-sedan folk imagery and suspenseful tone before deciding to continue
  2. Watch the relationship lines among Zhang Qingfeng, Xu Qian, and Hu Lisheng; the department's secrets behind the strange cases are the core
  3. At only about 250,000-plus characters and complete, it can be read straight through with no worry of hiatus

About the publisher

Qidian

Qidian is a platform whose catalogue brings together online literature, with about 45,000 titles in the library spanning categories such as male-oriented fiction, Eastern fantasy, xianxia and wuxia, science fiction, selected fiction and quality web novels. Representative titles include Reincarnation Paradise, War Soldier Leon, The Fairy Is Fierce (also known as Tai Mang), The Expert Is Right Beside Me, Dragon Herder, You Should Cross the Mountains Like a Hero, The Adventures of a Clever Girl and Summoning Heroes of All Ages in Another World, with themes extending from fantasy and xianxia to science fiction and adventure. Representative authors available in the library include Na Yi Zhi Wen Zi, Chi Gua Zi Qun Zhong, Guan Guan Gong Zi, Chenxing LL, Luan, Chen Mo De Ai, Piao Yi Dao Zhang and Dong Tian Bu Leng. Their works mostly appear as serialized web fiction aimed at readers who prefer long genre fiction. Public information on its founding background and scale is limited, so no inferences are made here; the description is based solely on the library's titles and categories.

FAQ

Is this book finished? Finished, 128 chapters, about 257,000 characters.
Is it suitable for new readers who haven't read supernatural fiction? Yes—it is short, the horror is restrained, and suspenseful atmosphere dominates.
Is it the same book as the author's other work, Demon-Catching? No. This book is urban supernatural; Demon-Catching is xianxia.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Wu Jiu Author

Wu Jiu is a Chinese web author known for suspense, the supernatural, and urban fiction. Public information about him is limited, and details such as his nationality and dates of birth and death are not clearly established. The library holds nineteen of his works, including representative titles such as Mr. Yin-Yang, Strange Tales of the Supernatural, The Demon-Catching Bureau, Urban Spirit Sword Immortal, The Last Mr. Yin-Yang, and Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Volume 1. The similarity between Mr. Yin-Yang and The Last Mr. Yin-Yang suggests sustained creation around the figure of the yin-yang master. His works are commonly categorized as premium fiction, quality web fiction, suspense and mystery, male-oriented fiction, supernatural suspense, and urban fiction, aimed mainly at male readers and often combining folk supernatural elements with urban settings while maintaining a sense of suspense and mystery. Because source materials are limited, his personal history and writing career cannot be described in detail, but the above titles indicate a steady commitment to supernatural suspense and urban fantasy.