The Cold of the Year

朱雀Sep 2025

3.0

Word count: 31K words
Chapters: 6

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Summary

What does it mean to be a "hero"?

In A Fan's mind, a true hero should be invincible across the world. But when he enters the martial world with this goal, he discovers that a hero cannot rely on martial prowess alone.

At the Tongzhou martial arena, can a novice claim the crown? Amid the Jiangnan floods, how can a young wandering hero save the suffering people? At the Yangzhou forge, can a tender first love break free from worldly shackles?

Between love and righteousness, how will A Fan choose? Between hope and sorrow, how will the youth let go? The snowstorm never ceases, the martial road stretches far—watch how A Fan pursues the heroism in his heart.

Editor's review

Zhuque takes apart the word "hero" and asks the question anew: A Fan enters the martial world fixated on being "invincible across the world," yet in three experiences—the Tongzhou arena, the Jiangnan floods, and the Yangzhou forge—he repeatedly confronts problems that martial prowess alone cannot solve. The novel's strength lies in refusing to grant the youth sudden enlightenment; instead, love and righteousness, hope and sorrow pull against each other within concrete events, and the tender first love at the forge especially draws the martial world down from its heights back into daily life. The unceasing snowstorm echoes the theme of the long martial road, offering both youthful spirit and the price that growth must exact. Suited to readers who enjoy a traditional wuxia framework but also want to see characters' inner transformations; easy to follow whether read in segments during commutes or before sleep.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy a young wandering hero's growth arc and care about inner change
Wuxia readers drawn to traditional martial-world settings and plots like tournaments and disaster relief
Those who want emotional and moral tension within a wuxia story
Light-to-moderate readers who like to read in segments during commutes or before sleep

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking only straightforward revenge and unstoppable power fantasy
Readers expecting rigorous historical research or an elaborate worldbuilding
Those uninterested in youthful romance who want pure fight scenes

Reading tips

Treat the three settings—Tongzhou, Jiangnan, Yangzhou—as three tests, and watch how A Fan's judgments shift each time.
Don't skip dialogue during fight scenes; A Fan's understanding of "hero" loosens mostly through conversations with others.
After each section, close the book and ask yourself: if it were you, how would you choose between love and righteousness? Then read on.

版权信息
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

Can I read this without having read traditional wuxia before?

Yes. The story begins with A Fan first entering the martial world and doesn't rely on prior books or sect genealogies; the tournament, disaster relief, and forging threads all unfold from the characters' immediate circumstances. If you rarely read wuxia, follow A Fan's goal first and don't worry about the details of techniques.

How much of the book is the romance line?

The Yangzhou forging section focuses on a tender first love, but it stands alongside the Tongzhou tournament and the Jiangnan floods as one of three experiences through which A Fan understands "hero." The romance drives his choices between love and righteousness; it is not a side plot separate from the martial world.

Does A Fan ultimately become an invincible master?

The materials only establish that he enters the martial world with the goal of being "invincible across the world" and discovers through his experiences that a hero cannot rely on martial prowess alone. The story focuses on his pursuit of inner heroism rather than giving a power ranking. As you read, pay attention to how his choices change each time.

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About the author

朱雀 Author

Zhuque is an author with limited publicly available information on the Chinese book market, with two known works: Sui Han (Cold of the Year) and The Blue Graffiti Wall. Judging from how these two books are categorized on the site, Zhuque's writing crosses different fields: on the one hand, it touches on the fantasy-tinged territory of otherworldly continents; on the other, it ventures into essays and miscellaneous writings, suggesting the author has tried both fictional narrative and everyday prose. Because basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, personal background and creative context are difficult to establish, and this introduction can only sketch a limited picture based on the works themselves. The two titles, one cool and one warm, point in different directions—the former toward quiet restraint, the latter toward vivid visual imagery—perhaps reflecting a diverse range in subject matter and style. Overall, Zhuque is a writer whose works have reached readers while the author's personal profile remains vague, and a fuller picture of the writing awaits more materials and titles.