The Book of Gods and Demons

Divine and Demonic Codex is a Western fantasy novel by Xuehong, released after the completion of The Book of Creation. It began serialization on Qidian Chinese Network on June 1, 2020, and concluded on June 13, 2021, totaling approximately 2.316 million Chinese characters. The story is set on the continent of Medland in a Western-style fantasy world: beneath a power structure layered with kingdoms, churches, navies, intelligence headquarters, great noble houses, and abyssal transcendent beings, the author has built an interlocking system of power encompassing qi-channel opening, sequence potions, and divine authority. The protagonist, Joe von Wittu, is the youngest third-rank constable in Tullun Harbor. Born into the Wittu family and enjoying comfortable circumstances, he appears to outsiders as nothing more than a wastrel killing time. On a mid-autumn night, Tullun Harbor plunges into revelry, yet danger lurks in the shadows: old batteries bombard bars, black-clad thugs besiege noble caravans, and in Lovers' Alley, corrosive spirits bearing short flutes and frenzied slaughter monsters emerge. On the brink of death, the "Crimson" power within Joe is awakened by baleful aura, granting him a mysterious affinity tied to war, death, and ill omen, and drawing him into the protracted power struggle among the church, the navy, the great houses, and the abyssal forces. While investigating cases and accumulating merit, he continually redefines his position through the self-questioning refrain of "Which path should I choose?" The book continues Xuehong's strengths in world-building and ensemble casting: the cultivation system is clearly stratified, villains have well-defined motives and methods, and slice-of-life scenes alternate with combat sequences. In the ending, the protagonist exiles himself to seal the world's barrier, lending a tragic, solemn close to this work centered on thrilling satisfaction.