Cold Sword (2 Volumes)

摩云生Oct 2024

2.5

Word count: 186K words
Chapters: 13

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Summary

This set consists of two volumes: Han Jian (Volume One) and Han Jian (Volume Two).

The Han Sword, also known as the Ominous Sword, is meant to draw blood every day and take lives every night! Qin Mengtian, one of the "Two Heroes of the Snowy Mountains," gives the Han Sword to an ordinary man who knows no martial arts—what is his intent? And how much humiliation must Fang Zhen endure because of this sword... How are the "Han Sword" and the "Warm Jade" connected to the twelve deaths caused decades ago? Fang Zhen vows to get to the bottom of it all! The backgrounds of the "Two Heroes of the Snowy Mountains," Qin Mengtian and Yan Tiehan, the "Carefree Princess," and the "Cold Beauty" seem to hide subtle connections. A series of strange events and tragic encounters revolve around the "Han Sword" and the "Warm Jade." Can Fang Zhen and Xiang Mengxia make sense of it all?

Editor's review

The two volumes of Cold Sword revolve around a sword said to bring misfortune and a piece of “warm jade,” tying an old case involving twelve deaths from decades earlier to the hidden origins of the present characters—a classic wuxia approach in which objects link events. Qin Mengtian’s decision to hand the Cold Sword to Fang Zhen, a man with no martial arts skill, creates sustained tension: an ordinary man endures humiliation because of a sword, yet vows to uncover the truth, and this is where readers find their point of identification. The backgrounds of figures such as the “Two Heroes of the Snow Mountain,” the “Carefree Princess,” and the “Cold Beauty” intertwine, and strange events and tragic encounters follow one another, giving the book the suspenseful feel of older-school wuxia. The two volumes are not long, and the threads are relatively concentrated, making the book suitable for readers who want to finish a complete mystery over a weekend or two. The drawback is the large cast and the relationships readers must sort out as they go; first-time readers may find it slightly tangled and are advised to clarify the character relationships as they read.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Traditional wuxia readers who enjoy objects as clues linking old cases and hidden origins
Readers who prefer a shorter two-volume length and a complete story they can finish relatively quickly
Readers who find the “ordinary man drawn into a jianghu mystery” premise immersive
Those looking for an old-school wuxia flavor with strong suspense for casual reading

Not a good fit for

Wuxia readers who want a highly skilled protagonist and dense fight scenes
Readers who dislike sorting through many characters and prefer single-thread narratives
Readers unaccustomed to the pacing of old-school wuxia who want a modern, fast-paced read

Reading tips

When reading the first volume, first clarify the relationships among Qin Mengtian, Yan Tiehan, Fang Zhen, and Xiang Mengxia; the second volume will then be much smoother.
Keep separate notes on the clues related to the Cold Sword and the warm jade; where the two lines converge is the key to the whole book.
Read the two volumes back to back if possible; too long a gap makes it easy to forget details of the origin clues.
When you reach the revelation of the origins, flip back to earlier foreshadowing to appreciate how the plot was laid out.

版权信息
寒剑（上册）
一
二
三
四
五
寒剑（下册）
六
七
八
九
十

FAQ

I haven't read the author's other works. Can I read this set directly?

Yes. This is a standalone story that does not depend on prior works. You only need to pay attention to the relationships among the characters, especially the background connections between the Two Heroes of the Snow Mountain and the several female characters, to follow the main plot.

Why is the Cold Sword called an ill-omened sword?

In the book, the Cold Sword is also called the ill-omened sword and is linked to an old case involving twelve lives decades ago. The specific reason and truth are among the mysteries to be unraveled throughout the book, to be gradually revealed as the clues progress across the two volumes.

Is the protagonist Fang Zhen highly skilled in martial arts?

Fang Zhen is set as an ordinary man who knows no martial arts. Precisely because of this, the process by which he is humiliated over the Cold Sword and vows to uncover the truth constitutes the main tension. The appeal of the book lies in how he maneuvers among jianghu figures as an ordinary person, rather than in martial duels.

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About the author

摩云生 Author

Mo Yunsheng is a Chinese author known for wuxia (martial arts) fiction. Public information about him is limited, and no clear records of his life, nationality, or dates of birth and death are available. The library currently holds eleven of his works, with the representative titles Gubai Xing (The Song of the Ancient Cypress) and Jianguang Wanzhang (Sword Light Ten Thousand Zhang), each presented complete in three volumes, suggesting a preference for longer, structurally complete narratives. Judging from common classifications, Mo Yunsheng's writing centers on wuxia themes, and his titles draw imagery from classical poetry and the aura of swords and weapons, reflecting an aesthetic rooted in traditional martial arts fiction. The serial, multi-volume publication of his works indicates continuous storylines in which characters and plots develop across volumes, suiting readers who enjoy long wuxia narratives. Lacking the author's own statements or external reviews, the specific features of his style are difficult to discuss in detail; based on the available titles, however, he has built a modest body of work in the wuxia genre, and his naming and volume structure show an awareness of the traditional serialized long-form novel.