Soul Piercing

Wo Ben Wu Shen Lun ZheHeiyan2019

No rating yet

Word count: 1.2M words

Summary

Tattoo artist Wu Shen appears to be an idle loafer, but in truth he possesses the "soul-piercing" craft of tattooing dead souls onto the living. As long as the money is right, he inks a soul according to the price in the client's heart. The story opens with the widow Fan Yuelan arriving with her late husband's ashes, begging him to tattoo her husband's soul onto her body so they may never part. Wu Shen mixes the ashes into pigment, tattoos a "tombstone" on her back, and lays out the rules and risks of summoning and sending off souls. Thereafter he is drawn into a string of supernatural incidents involving soul-settlers, the Bug Lady, the ghost immortal Lin Si, a thousand-year-old seductive ghost painting, yin-yang eyes, and the ghost market, with the tale finally converging in the old streets of the ancient city. The book links its main thread through standalone episodes, exploring obsession, karma, and the choices between humans and ghosts.

Editor's review

This suits readers who enjoy urban supernatural tales and episodic ghost stories. The draw is the "soul-piercing master" premise: tattoos, ashes, and the rules of summoning and sending off souls are handled with convincing detail, and the protagonist's mercenary yet rule-abiding streetwise air is memorable, while each client's obsession carries human warmth and cold reality. Shortcomings: the storyline is scattered, episodes vary in strength, the style leans colloquial, and some scenes rely on the protagonist's snark; the author once announced a rewritten ending, suggesting the conclusion's finish is its weak point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy urban supernatural and folk ghost stories
Mystery fans who can accept an episodic structure
Readers interested in tattoos, souls, and karma

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer rigorous logic and a strong main plot
Readers who dislike supernatural horror and eerie atmospheres
Readers sensitive to a colloquial, snarky style

Reading tips

Read volume by volume; each is a relatively self-contained supernatural incident, so you can follow in segments
Note the "rules" details in the opening client story; later chapters often call back to them
Before reading, look into the author's rewritten ending and consider reading the finale against the new version

About the publisher

Heiyan

Heiyan is a book brand centered on online literature and genre fiction. Due to limited public information, its founding background and location cannot be confirmed. Judging from the 37 titles in the catalog, Heiyan focuses on premium fiction, suspense and mystery, alternate history, urban fiction, science fiction, and genre novels aimed at male readers, with an emphasis on plot-driven, fast-paced popular storytelling. Representative titles include The Divine Calculator in Hemp Robes, A Treacherous Prime Minister, Reborn in the Millennium, Surviving the Apocalypse with a Rich Beauty, A Branch of Crabapple Pressing the Pear Blossoms, Hidden Fragrance, Bone Flute, and Piercing Soul, spanning suspense, alternate history, urban rebirth, and sci-fi survival. Its authors include Qima Diaoyu, Su Buxing, Chen Anqi, Yin Xiansheng, Banshi Qingdeng, Rong Jin, Dong Xiaotian, and I Am an Atheist. Overall, Heiyan specializes in planning and publishing online genre fiction, with a focus on storytelling and reader experience.

FAQ

What is Soul Piercing about?

Tattoo artist Wu Shen can attach dead souls to the living through tattoos; he takes jobs handling various supernatural incidents, linking ten volumes of urban ghost stories.

Is this book complete?

It is complete, with about 356 main chapters plus extras; the author once announced a rewritten ending.

Is it suitable for reading at night?

The book has many eerie supernatural descriptions; timid readers are advised to read it during the day.

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.

About the author

Wo Ben Wu Shen Lun Zhe Author

Wo Ben Wu Shen Lun Zhe is an online author about whom little public information is available; details such as nationality and dates of birth and death have not been disclosed. Three of the author's works are currently included in the collection, with representative titles being Rebirth 2001, Ci Hun, and Feng Hun Shi. Judging from the existing works, the writing spans such directions as male-oriented fiction, urban fiction, and suspense and the supernatural, and is often categorized under premium fiction and horror and thriller. The works are mostly set against urban backgrounds and incorporate supernatural, thriller, and suspense elements, with plotting that emphasizes atmosphere and the building of suspense, giving the author a certain recognizability among readers of these genres. Rebirth 2001 leans toward the urban rebirth theme, while Ci Hun and Feng Hun Shi are closer to the suspense and supernatural line, showing that the author has attempted both urban and supernatural directions. Because public information is limited, further details about the author's creative career and personal background cannot yet be added.