Slaying Evil

4.3

Word count: 1.4M words
Chapters: 30

Summary

Slaying Evil is a classical xianxia novel by Nanzhao Chen (real name Chen Wangjun, a member of the China Writers Association), a top author at China Literature. It was completed on Qidian on April 22, 2018, running about 1.39 million characters in 602 chapters. The title evokes the idea of "rising sword in hand to slay ghosts and demons, sitting with brush in hand to write essays; grasping heaven and earth, slaying evil and upholding righteousness." The story is set at the end of a dynasty when the realm is about to fall into chaos and the nation is in decline: the common people wail in the fields, while monsters in official robes occupy the court. Chen Sanlang (Chen Yuan, courtesy name Daoyuan), a scholar from Jing County, is talented but repeatedly fails the examinations because of a "stage fright" affliction that makes him panic on the spot. One day he buys two fish from a fishmonger and releases them; the red carp sheds tears and repays him by bringing him a small, rusted sword. He thereby awakens the Haoran Silk Text and sets out on the Confucian path of cultivation, "nourishing the sword with heart's blood and tempering its edge with essays." From then on, he studies hard for the exams, advancing from county to prefecture to provincial tests, while nurturing a noble spirit, forging his sword, and slaying demons, dealing with flower spirits, fox ghosts, martial artists, court dignitaries, and the Dragon Girl of Dongting. As the dynasty crumbles, he raises his sword to protect the land and its people, gathers the fortunes of the realm, and rebuilds order amid chaos. The work blends zhiguai tales, classical xianxia, fortune-based cultivation, and Confucian cultivation, written in an elegant, archaic style with a rich atmosphere; it is one of the representative texts of the "scholar with a sword" type of xianxia.

Editor's review

近些年仙侠越写越「大」，动辄万界诸天、亿万载岁月，反倒少见有人老老实实写一个书生，在破败的县城里读书、赶考、拔剑。《斩邪》的可贵之处，正是把仙侠的根基重新扎回人间：科场的规矩、鱼贩的吆喝、私塾先生的叹息，都写得有烟火气，妖魔也披着人衣混在庙堂与街巷之间。南朝陈的文字偏文言一路，节奏不急不缓，红鲤垂泪、袖珍小剑、养一口浩然气这些意象，读来颇有点志怪笔记的余味。它算不上完满之作：中后期作者对情节的掌控力有所松懈，有读者认为结尾收得仓促，套路化的桥段也时有出现。但就「儒为体、剑为器」这条思路的完成度而言，在同类作品里仍属上乘。适合喜欢古典仙侠、聊斋式志怪与科举修真设定，并且愿意容忍节奏偏慢的读者；如果只想看一路碾压的爽文，可能会觉得它不够痛快。

Who it's for

A good fit for

喜欢古典仙侠、志怪氛围与文言化叙述的老读者。
对「儒道流」「科举修真」「气运流」设定感兴趣的书友。
偏爱书生主角靠读书与养气成长，而非天生异能的读者。
对聊斋式花妖狐鬼、庙堂乱世题材有偏好的人。

Not a good fit for

只追求开局即无敌、节奏高频爽点的读者。
对慢热铺垫、市井日常描写缺乏耐心的读者。
对偏文白夹杂的语句、古风对白较为排斥的人。

Reading tips

先读前三十章，感受红鲤赠剑、县试破障的叙事基调，再判断是否合口味。
不必纠结于升级速度，把注意力放在科举线、江湖线与妖魔线三线的交织上。
可对照《聊斋志异》与《正气歌》来读，能读出作者在志怪与儒道两处的用意。
全书 602 章，建议按「县城—府试—乡试—乱世定鼎」分段阅读，便于把握节奏。

Chapter 1: The Red Carp Weeps, Past and Present Lives
Chapter 2: Hidden Edge in a Square Inch, Sword Nurtured by Heart's Blood
Chapter 3: Betrothal Gifts Like a Mountain, Selling a Daughter Like a Sale
Chapter 4: A Girl in the Martial Hall Recites a Line of Poetry
Chapter 5: Defeated Again and Again, at Last a Victory
Chapter 6: Petty Villains Plot in Secret, the Brother-in-Law Comes Calling
Chapter 7: The Ruffian Runs Rampant, the Beauty Passes On Her Art
Chapter 8: Acupoints Pressed, Body Frozen, Speechless
Chapter 9: The Red Carp Appears Again, Leaping Across the Palm
Chapter 10: The County Exam Begins, an Auspicious Start
Chapter 11: Wind Rises, Sails Set, Sword Pointed at the Prefectural Exam
Chapter 12: Fierce Storm, Blood Staining the River
Chapter 13: The Stranded Scholar Struggles to Survive in Desperate Straits
Chapter 14: A Narrow Encounter, First Lessons in the Blade
Chapter 15: Familiar Faces Not Familiar, Kin Not Kin
Chapter 16: The Prefectural Exam Opens, Truth in Wine
Chapter 17: A Stolen Moment of Leisure, a Matchless Couplet at the Old Temple
Chapter 18: Wind Rises, Waves Turn Vicious, Brush Meets Ink
Chapter 19: A Narrow Miss, a Bolt from the Blue
Chapter 20: Storm and Darkness, Lives Like Dust
Chapter 21: The People's Heart Is Iron, Officials Cannot Be Bullied
Chapter 22: A Black Heart Takes a Life, Death in the Wild Woods
Chapter 23: The Vicious Wolf Lurks, the Boy Relieves Himself
Chapter 24: Fierce Battle in the Woods, the Blade Wins Merit
Chapter 25: The Small Sword Cuts Down Evil, the Great Man Rages
Chapter 26: The Bird Escapes Its Cage, the Fish Leaps the River
Chapter 27: Thorns Everywhere, the Road to Making a Living
Chapter 28: Making a Living Is Hard, the Academy Exam Begins
Chapter 29: Anecdotes of the Literary World, in the Examination Hall
Chapter 30: Writing Furiously, Waiting by the Stump for the Hare

FAQ

《斩邪》是什么类型的书？

属古典仙侠，糅合志怪、气运流与儒道流元素。主角是科举书生，靠养浩然之气、以文章淬剑来修行，斩妖除魔与应试做官两条线并行推进。

这本书完结了吗？总字数多少？

已完结，2018年4月22日在起点中文网完本，共602章、约139万字，是南朝陈历时约1500天创作的代表作。

作者南朝陈还写过哪些书？

南朝陈本名陈王军，系阅文集团大神作家、中国作家协会会员，代表作还有《谁与争锋》《人神》《穿入聊斋》，以及《斩邪》之后的新书《我从天上来》。

这本书有实体出版或豆瓣评分吗？

目前可查资料显示《斩邪》主要在起点中文网连载，未见权威渠道确认的实体出版信息；百度百科记录的评分为8.7分，豆瓣评分未检索到可靠来源。

知轩藏书的精校版和正版有什么差别？

所谓「精校」多由书友自行整理排版、修订错字，属未获授权的传播版本，章节次序与文本可能与起点原版存在出入。建议通过起点中文网等正版渠道阅读最新章节与完本全文。

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