Kindred Deities

Kindred Deities is a supernatural-powers novel by Qin Zhi Hua Qing, serialized on Qidian from March 23, 2013 to its completion on July 13, 2015. About 1.8 million characters long and comprising 568 chapters, it is divided into five volumes: Alien Species, Not to Be Used, Awakening of Insects, Xuanhuang, and In the Abyss. The story is set in an alternate modern city around 2013: among seemingly ordinary waiters and shop owners hide "kindred" beings with extraordinary powers; beneath the heavy, peaceful land slumber the vast bloodlines of an ancient civilization. The protagonist, Li Zhen, is an ordinary high school student who after turning seventeen is tormented by a strange hunger rising from deep within his body. His body then undergoes drastic changes; he "dies" on a hospital bed and awakens in a grave, returning to the world in a nonhuman form. While working at a barbecue restaurant and reconnecting with old acquaintances such as Qi Yuanshan and Zhang Kesong, he is drawn into "alien species" incidents and the games of secret agencies and various factions. The work reconstructs the source of superpowers through a biological metaphor of "junk DNA," weaving genetic memory, psychic resonance, and the survival of civilization into individual destiny. The early part interweaves daily life with hidden arcane arts, while the later scope suddenly expands, culminating in the awakening of ancient gods and humanity's migration to Mars. Written with delicate prose and a strong atmosphere, it is one of the more distinctive works in the urban supernatural genre.