Parting the Clouds

唐缺Jan 2026

3.3

Word count: 249K words
Chapters: 41

Report an error Find this book

Summary

Decades ago, Tang Yiyi, a defiant young woman of the Tang Sect, met the three most important men of her life.

Each of them formed a different intersection in her life, from which countless branches extended.

In a jianghu of hidden currents and unpredictable hearts, Tang Yiyi is both a player and a piece in others' games.

What seemed the most ordinary of accidents proves, years later, to be anything but—the truth is murky and far from coincidental.

She spent half her life scheming and strategizing, driving the tide of her age and being swept up by it—like a great wave entering the sea, until wind and waves fall still.

Editor's review

Centered on the life of Tang Yiyi, a young woman of the Tang Sect, *Parting the Clouds* weaves jianghu conflict and personal fate into a narrative that unfolds layer by layer. Tang Que continues to move deftly between wuxia and suspense, and renders the dual identity of "player" and "piece" with uncommon weight—each of Tang Yiyi's calculations drives the plot forward while also consuming her, a reflexivity that gives the character more substance than the typical strong-female-protagonist story. The three male characters are not mere romantic foils but stand for different positions and choices, forming the distinct intersections and branches of Tang Yiyi's life; through them the reader sees how trust, betrayal, and the tide of the times together shape a person. Structurally, the device of "what seemed an accident, only years later revealed as no accident" asks the reader to follow the clues patiently as they are peeled back, suited to those willing to read slowly and enjoy hunting for foreshadowing within a web of relationships. The overall tone is cool and stern; emotion is not driven by sentimentality but accumulates into a sense of inevitability through each choice, so that "half a life of scheming, ending at last in wind and calm" lands with real weight by the final page.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy wuxia interwoven with suspense and relish layer-by-layer puzzle-solving
Readers drawn to complex female protagonists who grow and struggle within the game
Mature readers comfortable with multi-threaded narrative and willing to follow foreshadowing patiently
Readers interested in jianghu power games and individual fate under the tide of history

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light, sweet, fast-paced wish-fulfillment fiction
Readers unaccustomed to multi-threaded storytelling who may lose patience as clues shift
Readers who want the protagonist to succeed smoothly, without setbacks or scheming

Reading tips

Read through once to map the intersections between Tang Yiyi and the three men, then revisit the earlier foreshadowing—the necessity behind the accidents will emerge.
Keep a simple character-relationship chart and note each shift in allegiance; it helps keep pace with the multiple threads.
Pause midway and revisit Tang Yiyi's motives each time she "strategizes"—understand that she is both player and piece.
Read the wind-and-wave-still ending slowly, to feel how inevitability accumulates in the details rather than through sentiment.

版权信息
正篇：唐门暮曲
序章
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
第十四章
第十五章
第十六章
第十七章
第十八章
第十九章
终章
前传之一：唐门孤女
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
前传之二：唐门末裔
一
二
三
四
五
六
七

FAQ

I haven't read other works by Tang Que—can I start with this one?

Yes. This is a standalone story that doesn't depend on prior books. As long as you're willing to follow a multi-threaded narrative and sort out Tang Yiyi's relationships with the three men, you'll find your way in. If the threads feel many at first, anchor yourself in Tang Yiyi's point of view.

Is this wuxia or suspense—which does it lean toward?

It's both. The jianghu setting and martial-arts elements provide the wuxia foundation, while the "seemed an accident, revealed years later as no accident" structure leans more toward suspense and puzzle-solving. The plot advances through schemes and revelations rather than pure combat, so it pays to focus on motives and clues.

Is Tang Yiyi a strong female lead, and is there much romance?

Tang Yiyi is the absolute center; her choices drive the book, and "a player who is also a piece" is the key to understanding her. The three men function more as distinct positions and intersections; romance is not the main draw—the focus is on relationships and the direction of fate. Readers expecting a pure romance should adjust expectations.

Will the threads feel too tangled? Is there a way to manage?

Multi-threaded progression is a feature of this work, and the many early intersections do require patience. Jot down shifts in allegiance and key events as you go, and revisit the early foreshadowing midway—the necessity behind the accidents will gradually become clear. Slow reading suits this book better than fast.

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

唐缺 Author · Chinese · 1981

Tang Que, whose real name is Dai Fei, was born in 1981 and graduated from Beihang University. He lives in Chengdu, Sichuan, and is a contemporary Chinese novelist. He once published science fiction under the pen name "Rainy Night Butcher," and since 2006 has devoted himself to fantasy writing in the "Jiuzhou" series, producing nearly two million characters. His works are often categorized as otherworld-continent, wuxia, and time-travel fantasy; representative titles include Jiuzhou: The Player in the Play, Jiuzhou: Star Scars, Jiuzhou: The Other Shore of Clouds, and Jiuzhou: Climbing the Clouds, and the library holds eighteen of his works. He also served as screenwriter for the film The Knife, earning a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 48th Golden Horse Awards. Public information on his early life and creative details is limited.