The Sea Demon
Tags
Summary
The Sea Demon is the first part of the second volume of Bu Feiyan's Huayin Liushao series, and the story begins with a strange case at sea. A hundred years ago, Zheng He led the "Great Wei Celestial Dynasty" on seven voyages to the Western Ocean; a hundred years later, this long-dusty giant ship is restarted and sets sail again. On the treacherous voyage, figures from all sides board the same vessel: Zhuo Wangsun, master of the Huayin Pavilion, who kills famous men with a famous sword and buries the sword in famous mountains and great rivers after each kill; Yang Yizhi, leader of the martial world, who uses wind and moon as his sword, strikes only once against any foe, and has never failed; and Xiao Yan, young master of the Netherworld Island, who arrives quietly in wide sleeves and flowing sashes and kills dozens in a single move. In addition, many travelers of uncertain identity occupy cabins aboard the ship. Just then, the beautiful shipowner Lan Pa dies mysteriously on the enclosed vessel, and one murder follows another, while the ancient legend of the "Sixfold Heavenly Sacrifice" is revived—in ancient Indian myth, the lords of the six realms sacrificed their own blood on the sacrificial pillar where sea meets sky to appease Shiva's world-ending wrath. Everyone aboard has their own schemes, everyone is a suspect, and the confrontation among Zhuo Wangsun, Yang Yizhi, and Xiao Yan escalates within the confines of the ship. The work interweaves wuxia, fantasy, and mystery; the author states her principle of "introducing supernatural elements as little as possible," lets the core case be solved by rational deduction at the end, and uses this case as the opening of the three-layered mystery spanning the whole Huayin Liushao series. The side story "Bells on the Shu Road" is also included.
Editor's review
在2000年代“新武侠”的浪潮里，步非烟以“武侠加宗教神话、再加严谨推理”取胜，而《海之妖》正是她这套写法最集中的展示。船上的人物不多，关系却层层叠叠：船主的死引出一连串命案，每处看似灵异的细节，最终都要在现实逻辑里得到解释。作者在后记中明确说，除了有限地借用武侠设定，解谜过程中尽量不引入超自然力量。对习惯了“随手一招解决问题”的武侠读者来说，这种自我约束反而让猜谜的乐趣更实在。 更值得留意的是它在系列中的位置：作者自己承认，全书设下了三层迷局，六支天祭只是第一层，后面还有《曼荼罗》的八瓣曼荼罗之阵与《天剑伦》的阴谋。于是很多看似闲笔的人物——上船的日本少年、小晏身上的血咒、卓王孙与湿婆神像的形似——都成了通向后续的伏笔。单读这本书，能看完一桩完整的海上连环凶案；放进系列里读，读者又仿佛提前看到了那张更大的网。章名取自诗句，排布整齐，也保留了当年连载时的那种华美气息。这个版本在豆瓣上有近六百人评价、8.1分，是这一系列里读者口碑较好的一册。
Who it's for
A good fit for
- 喜欢武侠与推理结合，乐于跟着作者一起找线索、猜凶手的读者
- 读过步非烟《武林客栈》或其他“华音流韶”作品，想补齐系列脉络的读者
- 对海上密室、连环凶案和古印度神话元素同时感兴趣的悬疑爱好者
- 习惯在旧书市场淘2000年代大陆新武侠读物的怀旧读者
Not a good fit for
- 只想要纯粹本格推理、不愿意接受任何武侠招式与江湖设定的读者
- 不适应华丽辞藻与诗句式小标题，偏爱极简叙事的读者
Reading tips
- 可以先读《武林客栈》，了解卓王孙、郭敖等人的前史，再读本书会更顺畅。
- 读时可列出船上人物与时间线的对应表，对解开海上连环凶案很有帮助。
- 结尾留下的血咒、神像相似等谜团，建议接续读《曼荼罗》和《天剑伦》。
- 外传《蜀道闻铃》可放在最后读，它和主线不直接相连，却补充了人物。
About the publisher
Volumes Publishing Company
China · Founded in 2003
Volumes Publishing Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its titles on Chinese classics and literature and the arts. Its publishing covers classical literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, folk literature, foreign literature, and exam preparation books. Judging from the 269 titles in the database, the company emphasizes making classic works accessible to a broad readership. Representative books include Letters from Fu Lei to His Son, The Four Great Classical Novels, Teahouse, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, and Camel Xiangzi, with authors including Fu Lei, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Shi Nai'an, Wu Cheng'an, Lao She, Liu Xiang, and Liu Xin. The company has also developed series brands such as the Volumes Studio Chinese Classics and the Science Fiction Library, giving it a distinctive profile in organizing Chinese classics and promoting literary reading. Public information on its other publishing activities is limited.
Contents
- Chapter One The Blue Luan Bears Flowers Up the Spring Mountain
- Chapter Two Which Spring of Kunlun Holds the Spring
- Chapter Three The Immortal at Sea Speaks from Afar
- Chapter Four A Twelve-Storied Tower Bears the Ancient Ship
- Chapter Five The Fair Guest in the Ship Is Like Jade
- Chapter Six Snowy Skin and Red Paint Glow in the Dim Candlelight
- Chapter Seven The Beautiful Youth, a Prince, on the Same Boat
- Chapter Eight Purple Sleeves Hang Low, Tied with Fragrant Chrysanthemums
- Chapter Nine The Demon Strings and Enchanted Bow Draw the Full Moon
- Chapter Ten The Thousand-Year Screen Is Lost in Dust
- Chapter Eleven Autumn Waves of Longing Break, Pearls Shed Blood
- Chapter Twelve The Ice Wheel Sinks in the Sea, the Wind Knocks a Gap
- Chapter Thirteen The Parted Luan Knows Not the Madness of the Departing Feng
- Chapter Fourteen Fresh Blood Like Flowers Falls Before the Night Ends
- Chapter Fifteen Ten Thousand Flowers Turn to Spring Colors After Rain
- Chapter Sixteen The Autumn Grave Still Resembles the Golden Hall
- Chapter Seventeen The Beauty Earnestly Asks of Chess Manuals
- Chapter Eighteen Clear Lightning Suddenly Dies, Sinking into Black Cocoon
- Chapter Nineteen In the Blue Expanse the Mulberry Tree Flourishes and Withers
- Chapter Twenty In Vain the White Jade Cup of the Human World
- Chapter Twenty-One A Thread of Spring Heart Hangs into Ashes
- Chapter Twenty-Two The Blood Pool's Lotus Opens in a Dream
- Chapter Twenty-Three Who Knows the Bees and Butterflies Dancing with Flowers
- Chapter Twenty-Four Songs and Cries of Life and Death Shake the Earth
- Chapter Twenty-Five The Autumn Soul of the Luo Maiden Stands on the Waves
- Chapter Twenty-Six Dragons Roar on the Ying Terrace, the Sea God Weeps
- Chapter Twenty-Seven The Golden Wind Blows the Sky, Purple Thunder Falls
- Chapter Twenty-Eight The Flower Heart Breaks Flying, Red Grease Damp
- Side Story Bells on the Shu Road
FAQ
《海之妖》是独立的故事，还是系列中的一部？
它是“华音流韶”系列第二卷的第一部，前面是《紫诏天音》《风月连城》《彼岸天都》，后面接《曼荼罗》《天剑伦》。主线情节可以独立理解，但不少伏笔要读后两部才能收束。
海之妖有几个中文版本，该选哪个？
常见的是2005年新世界出版社首版、2009年万卷出版公司版，以及2017年青岛出版社“典藏版”。本页信息以流传较广、豆瓣评分8.1的万卷版为准，各版正文内容基本一致。
书里的凶案会用超自然力量解释吗？
作者在后记里说，除了偶尔借用武侠背景里的道具，作案与解谜过程中尽量不引入超自然因素，每个悬疑最后都要严密解开，因此本质上仍是可推理的悬疑故事。
没有读过这个系列，可以第一本就选它吗？
可以。海上凶案本身相对完整，但人物关系和“六支天祭”背后的更大阴谋，都与前作和后续卷紧密相关，读完可能会想回头补前面的作品。
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.
