A Journey in Jianghu

朱维坚 / 刘锡顺China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House · ChinaOct 2023

3.6

Word count: 529K words
Chapters: 37

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Summary

Mainly tells the love story of a vagrant named Ye Zhuangzi and four women—life is short, but the story is long.

Editor's review

Jianghu Xing focuses on the vagrant Ye Zhuangzi, weaving his emotional entanglements with four women into a turbulent journey through life. Zhu Weijian and Liu Xishun's narrative does not strive for grand legend; instead, it follows the footsteps of lower-class figures, writing of encounters, companionship, and missed connections in a life of drifting. The language is plain, and the plot moves with the rhythm of a folk tale. The "jianghu" in the title is not a world of martial heroes settling scores, but more a field of survival where people move through the world; beyond the love storyline, it also brings out the warmth and coldness of human relations and the unpredictability of fate. The note that "life is short, but the story is long" indicates that the work emphasizes the lingering aftertaste of character relationships, suited for slow reading in leisure time, following Ye Zhuangzi's footsteps to experience the loyalty and helplessness of ordinary people. For readers who like a common-folk perspective, emotional narrative, and a traditional chapter-style reading experience, this book offers a grounded reading experience with a sweet aftertaste.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like stories of the fate of lower-class ordinary people
Those interested in folk emotional narrative and traditional writing techniques
Readers who want to read a long love story in their leisure time
Readers concerned with the living conditions of vagrants and human loyalty

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot, fast-paced suspense, or martial arts fighting
Readers expecting a grand historical background or panoramic social description
Readers impatient with multi-angle emotional relationship narratives

Reading tips

First follow Ye Zhuangzi's movements; don't rush to sort out the timeline of the four relationships—let the character relationships emerge naturally.
Pause briefly at each encounter and parting, and notice how the author uses everyday details to convey the characters' circumstances.
Read the repeatedly appearing place names alongside the characters' fortunes to appreciate the meaning of "jianghu" as a survival situation.
After finishing, recall the respective weight of the four women, then judge where the word "xing" in the title lands.

About the publisher

China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

The China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House ("Wenlian Press") focuses on literature, art, history and social sciences, while also covering computer science, popular science, mystery and detective fiction, and politics, reflecting a publishing profile that combines literary research with the dissemination of knowledge. Among the 91 titles in its catalogue are specialized studies on online literature and "female-oriented" internet culture by scholars such as Shao Yanjun, Gao Hanning and Wang Yujue; literary and historical essays such as The Four Zhang Sisters of Jiuru Lane and A Drinker Talks Wine; and popular science translations such as Henri Poincaré's A Brief History of Science. The press emphasizes contemporary literary criticism and original theories of online literature, while also attending to classic works and general reading, drawing on authors that include university researchers, translators and writers of literary history.

版权信息
请看本大侠的招法作者自序
第一部铁血江湖
一孤村异客
二侠影魔踪
三峰回路转
四千山奇遇
五恨海情天
六恩怨缠绵
七剑气刀光
八山危波诡
九贼岛怪枭
十苍生堡内
第二部诡谲江湖
十一克敌秘诀
十二泰山大会
十三性乱神迷
十四恩重仇深
十五黄土岭上
十六演武大会
十七荒岛风云
十八梅花掌印
十九苍生涂炭
二十生生死死
二十一问罪少林
第三部梦断江湖
二十二建盟大典
二十三祸起萧墙
二十四猛虎出林
二十五金凤断翅
二十六杀机四伏
二十七青蒙武学
二十八落花缤纷
二十九破关赴会
三十初露峥嵘
三十一仁至义尽
三十二死死生生

FAQ

Is this book a martial arts novel?

No. The "jianghu" in the title is closer to a field of survival where people drift and wander through the world. The story revolves around the love experiences of the vagrant Ye Zhuangzi and four women, and its focus is on human nature and lower-class life, rather than sect rivalries or martial arts contests.

Are the stories of the four women told in separate sections?

The material shows that the story takes Ye Zhuangzi's vagrant experiences as the main line, and the four emotional episodes unfold in sequence along his movements. When reading, you can advance with the characters' footsteps; there is no need to deliberately split the sections—the encounters and partings themselves constitute the narrative rhythm.

Is it suitable for reading in one sitting?

The work emphasizes emotional development and lingering aftertaste, and its pace is rather slow. If you have plenty of time, you can read continuously to grasp changes in character relationships; if reading in fragmented time, pausing by chapter does not hinder understanding—it may even make it easier to appreciate the meaning of each gathering and parting.

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About the author

朱维坚 Author

Zhu Weijian is a Chinese author about whom limited public information is available. Ten works are currently confirmed under his name, mostly in the fields of social fiction and mystery and suspense. The core of his writing is the "Black and White Way" series, including Black and White Way, Black and White Way 2: The Ambush, Black and White Way (4 volumes), and Black and White Way Finale: Silence, together with the prequel Mission: Black and White Way. These titles show that the author has built a narrative world spanning several books. Other works such as Ultimate Evil, Desperate Situation, and By the People's Command likewise indicate a focus on crime, predicament, and realism. Zhu Weijian's writing generally advances its stories through criminal cases, attending to social conflicts and human choices, with tight plotting and strong suspense; he is thus recognizable among readers of genre fiction.

刘锡顺 Author

Liu Xishun is an author included in the Chinese book database, but publicly available information about him is very limited. At present, it can only be confirmed that one work appears under his name: Jianghu Xing, a modern romance novel. Because there is no background information such as his life story, nationality, dates of birth and death, or pen name, little can be said about his upbringing or his path as a writer. Judging from the known category, his writing leans toward modern romance, using an urban or realistic setting to develop emotional entanglements between characters. The word "jianghu" in the title also suggests that the work may incorporate social relations and observations of human affairs. With only one work, it is difficult to summarize his consistent narrative style or language features, or to judge the span and future direction of his writing. Readers who wish to learn about this author can currently begin only with Jianghu Xing and see how he handles character relationships and emotional conflict within a romance framework.