Tiance

Tou Dongxi de LiQidian2016

No rating yet

Word count: 268.2K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

During the Kaiyuan era, literary culture flourished and the Hundred Schools of Thought stood side by side. The young Fang Xiaoli, whose origins were a mystery, was well versed in Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, yet a fortune-teller declared he had only five years left to live. Traveling by sedan chair down the mountain toward the capital, he was intercepted by Liu Sandao, a demonically possessed bladesman and descendant of a fallen Western Jin general, who begged him to recite The Chronicle of Exorcism to cleanse his demonic affliction. Rebuffed, Liu drew his blade. Fang Xiaoli first transformed the Song of Righteous Qi into an aura of noble integrity to heal his wounded guard, then countered the formidable foe with Buddhist aphorisms and Confucian tactics, and was thereby drawn into a turbulent path of slaying demons and navigating rival factions.

Editor's review

The setting turns the Hundred Schools of Thought into combat methods: Confucian and Daoist righteous qi and Buddhist maxims each have their uses, the opening confrontation with the swordsman is cleverly conceived, and the satisfaction of the protagonist besting foes with learning comes through clearly. At just over 260,000 characters, the book moves briskly and suits readers wanting a short Eastern fantasy. The flaws are obvious too: the final chapter is an outline-style wrap-up the author himself admits was rushed, and the later plot transitions and ending fall short.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy combat settings built from the Hundred Schools of Thought and poetry
Readers who prefer short, fast-paced Eastern fantasy
Readers who like protagonists who hide their strength and turn scholars into powerhouses

Not a good fit for

Readers who care about ending completeness and quality of resolution
Readers used to long, slow-building epics with expansive worldbuilding

Reading tips

Read it as a short, satisfying genre piece and don't expect too much from the ending
Pay attention to the author's clever use of Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian lore in combat
If the setting appeals to you, continue with the author's later work Cultivation Idler

About the publisher

Qidian

Qidian is a platform whose catalogue brings together online literature, with about 45,000 titles in the library spanning categories such as male-oriented fiction, Eastern fantasy, xianxia and wuxia, science fiction, selected fiction and quality web novels. Representative titles include Reincarnation Paradise, War Soldier Leon, The Fairy Is Fierce (also known as Tai Mang), The Expert Is Right Beside Me, Dragon Herder, You Should Cross the Mountains Like a Hero, The Adventures of a Clever Girl and Summoning Heroes of All Ages in Another World, with themes extending from fantasy and xianxia to science fiction and adventure. Representative authors available in the library include Na Yi Zhi Wen Zi, Chi Gua Zi Qun Zhong, Guan Guan Gong Zi, Chenxing LL, Luan, Chen Mo De Ai, Piao Yi Dao Zhang and Dong Tian Bu Leng. Their works mostly appear as serialized web fiction aimed at readers who prefer long genre fiction. Public information on its founding background and scale is limited, so no inferences are made here; the description is based solely on the library's titles and categories.

Chapter 1: Confucian and Daoist Noble Qi
Chapter 2: Their Hearts Must Be Punished
Chapter 3: Mingyuan Private School
Chapter 4: Writing
Chapter 5: Poetic Qi Soars to the Sky
……
Chapter 114: The Grand Finale

FAQ

Is this book finished? How does it end?

It is finished, but the ending is an outline-style wrap-up the author rushed through, and it is fairly brief.

What is the protagonist's core setting?

The young Fang Xiaoli has mysterious origins, has mastered Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, and fights enemies with learning and noble qi.

Roughly how long is the book?

About 260,000 characters in 114 chapters, a short Eastern fantasy.

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

Tou Dongxi de Li Author

Tou Dongxi de Li is an author whose nationality, dates of birth and death, and other biographical details remain unknown, and available public information is limited. Two works can currently be confirmed: Xiu Zhen Da Xian Ren and Tian Ce. Judging from its common categories, the writing is generally classified as premium fiction, fantasy fiction, male-oriented fiction, and Eastern fantasy, with subject matter leaning toward cultivation and power-struggle imaginings set in an Eastern fantasy world. The two titles suggest both a relaxed, unrestrained tone and a sense of strategy and contest, indicating that within a fantasy framework the author writes both easygoing everyday cultivation and more tension-filled situations and character conflicts. Because the database lacks biographical, authorial, and publishing information, a full picture of the writing style is difficult to sketch, but based on the existing works, Tou Dongxi de Li is an online author active in male-oriented Eastern fantasy, with a small output yet a fairly distinct choice of subject matter, and is worth noting for readers who enjoy fantasy cultivation combined with light storytelling.