Journey to the Heavenly Realm (Part II)
Tags
Summary
The protagonist resolves in childhood to become a master builder. At fifteen he begins his apprenticeship under a master in his hometown. After ten full years of study, as his old master lies dying, he instructs him: “Go find Master Daoyuan and learn the highest art.” He gives his firm promise. From then on, he practices his craft while searching for this Master Daoyuan. Yet he never finds him. During his arduous search he moves many good masters, who teach him certain special skills. He builds manors and temples famed near and far, and leads craftsmen in constructing landmark buildings in the county town—a grand auditorium, the People's Hospital, and others—yet his original resolve never wavers, and he keeps searching for that Daoyuan…
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Patient readers willing to follow the protagonist as he gradually accumulates skill and experience
- Readers interested in details of traditional architecture and the building of temples and manors
- Lovers of long novels concerned with the cultivation of artistic integrity and steadfast original resolve
- Readers who have read the first volume and wish to continue following the quest for the Way
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong dramatic conflict and fast plot momentum
- Readers who want a standalone book and do not wish to catch up on the first volume
- Those with little interest in a narrative built mainly on projects and daily labor
Reading tips
- Read the first volume to understand the old master's dying instruction and the protagonist's vow before entering this volume.
- While reading, note the special skills each good master teaches him; these details are clues to the accumulation of artistic integrity.
- Treat the manor, temple, auditorium, and other projects as stage markers, and trace the main line section by section.
- After finishing, consider: why can he keep improving even though he cannot find Master Daoyuan?
About the publisher
Writers Publishing House is a Chinese publisher focused mainly on literary publishing. Its output covers classical literature, foreign literature, folk literature and Eastern philosophy, with some extension into popular reading such as social fiction and parenting books. Its catalogue contains more than 900 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber and its edited editions, Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and foreign literary classics such as The Brothers Karamazov and Lost Illusions. In terms of authors, it includes classical writers such as Cao Xueqin and Gao E, foreign masters such as William Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Balzac, and translations by translators such as Zhu Shenghao, Geng Jizhi and Fu Lei. Overall, its publishing profile balances Chinese and foreign literary classics, emphasizes quality translations, and serves both academic and general readers; publicly available information on its specific publishing plans is limited.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 一 山中遇险
- 二 曲高难和
- 三 心音神曲
- 四 立体墨画
- 五 观旁坟墓
- 六 特别音乐
- 七 乡风喜趣
- 八 豁达女娃
- 九 灯花闪烁
- 十 绝活神车
- 十一 梦里呼唤
- 十二 洪流通道
- 十三 热烈乡情
- 十四 冰雪錾声
- 十五 面临选择
- 十六 经受考验
- 十七 悲痛时分
- 十八 街道风景
- 十九 悄然出走
- 二十 耐心等待
- 二十一 别有心酸
- 二十二 区长出马
- 二十三 遇到难题
- 二十四 动听歌声
- 二十五 区长请客
- 二十六 非同凡响
- 二十七 艰辛跋涉
- 二十八 意外事故
- 二十九 寻找恩人
- 三十 团年之际
- 三十一 那份情谊
- 三十二 夜过家门
- 三十三 炉火铁魂
- 三十四 无奈病魔
- 三十五 至亲至爱
- 三十六 最后一刻
- 三十七 亲情融融
- 三十八 纯真时代
- 三十九 紧要时刻
- 四十 稚心恋情
- 四十一 我们结婚
- 四十二 特殊任务
- 四十三 焦心时刻
- 四十四 战胜自我
- 四十五 特别情境
- 四十六 翻天覆地
- 四十七 阵痛之潮
- 四十八 回天有心
- 四十九 最后酒宴
- 五十 奔行不止
- 五十一 踏破铁鞋
- 五十二 漫漫路途
- 五十三 夜已很深
FAQ
What aspects does the main plot of the second volume focus on?
Why can the protagonist never find Master Daoyuan?
In what reading state is it suitable to enter the second volume?
Comments
Find this book
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
Chen Busong is an author about whom limited public information is available: neither his nationality, dates of birth and death, nor English name has been clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that four of his works are held in the collection, namely Zhui Ni Dao Tianya (Chasing You to the Ends of the Earth) and the first, second, and third volumes of Tianjing Xing (Journey to the Heavenly Realm). Judging by their common classifications, these works combine features of wuxia fiction and social fiction, presenting both a martial-arts world and the human relations and social conditions of real life. Chen Busong tends to develop his writing through long series, continuing a single storyline across the Tianjing Xing trilogy, which suggests a preference for long-form narrative and the unfolding of characters' fates. Zhui Ni Dao Tianya, as its title implies, carries a sense of pursuit and distant travel. Because biographical materials are scarce, a full picture of his writing and his literary influence awaits further documentation and scholarly attention.
