Tale of the Vermilion Bird

MaoniHuashan Literature and Art Publishing House2007

Rating 3.6
Word count
1.4M words
ISBN
9787807550136

Tags

Male-Oriented Fiction Urban Fiction TravelogueOnline LiteratureUrban FantasyMaitreyaPower StrugglesJourney to the WestComing of AgeJourney to the West Fanfic

Summary

Tale of the Vermilion Bird is Mao Ni's first completed full-length work, serialized on Qidian from August 2005 and published in standalone volumes by Huashan Literature and Art Publishing House in 2007. The novel rewrites the world of Journey to the West in a contemporary mode: outside a small town in the mountains of western Hubei, the rag-picking youth Yi Tianxing has possessed supernatural powers since childhood; from a boy collecting junk to a university student, drawn into the underworld, then a fire-wielding demon and a guardian of the Buddhist sect... he grows alongside the Vermilion Bird whose true form is fire (nicknamed "Yi Zhu"), walking all the way between the human and immortal realms, facing a situation woven together by the Jade Emperor, the Daoists, the Buddhists, and Western blood clans, and in slaying demons and maneuvering through intrigue, step by step reaches a "Buddhahood" ending. The book features characters who step out of Journey to the West but are dressed anew—the Monkey, Tang Sanzang, Erlang Shen, Chang'e, Maitreya—as well as figures steeped in worldly, everyday warmth like Zou Leilei and Qin Zi'er. The author calls it "the growth history of a not-famous young demon immortal" and also "the story of a little red bird losing weight as it grows up," with a humorous tone, occasional mock-serious teasing, but underpinned by the thrill of a youth who values loyalty and fights anyone he can't stand. The book won the 2007 Sina Original Literature Award Gold Prize in the fantasy category and the Fourth Sina Original Literature Contest Gold Prize for Fantasy and Wuxia. It runs about 1.44 million characters, with the online version divided into six parts plus a VIP volume; the physical standalone volumes were released part by part.

Editor's review

如果你是从《庆余年》《间客》回望猫腻的读者，《朱雀记》值得补上一读：它是这位作者少有的、带着毛边和青春火气的起点之作。这里的西游不是崇敬的古典重述，而是把孙悟空、唐僧、玉帝、菩萨请进现代街巷，让他们在出租屋、县城、工贸公司之间打嘴仗、打架、打主意。猫腻后来那种“人物比设定更耐读”的本事，在这里已初见雏形：小易朱一门心思减肥，老猴爱穿名牌，怕老鼠的唐僧，苦命的二郎神，荒唐得好笑，却常常笑完心里一沉。它谈不上圆熟，某些情节更像早期网文的爽快任性，但正因如此，读得到作者最初那股“放肆气焰”。想看看“后西游故事”如何被写成当代少年成长记，这本书是个有趣的开头。

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Reading tips

  1. 可先理顺“易天行—朱雀易朱”的双线成长，再留意佛、道、玉帝三方各自动机。
  2. 遇到神话人物登场时，不妨回忆原著形象，对照本书的“重新打扮”更有趣味。
  3. 这是猫腻的早期作品，前几章略带试笔感，读到中后段人物关系铺开后会顺畅许多。
  4. 若读实体单行本，注意各册按“部”而非完整故事分段，需按顺序连读。

About the publisher

Huashan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1982

Huashan Literature and Art Publishing House is a local literature and art publisher whose main publishing focus is literary and artistic works, covering categories such as classic works, philosophical readings, social sciences, foreign literature, Eastern philosophy, and applied psychology. Judging from the books in the database, the house publishes modern literary classics such as Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, as well as Aisin Gioro Yu Yun's "Yu Laoshi Speaks" series and titles from the "People and Classics" series, including The Great Learning and The Commentary on the Xici of the I Ching, with an emphasis on interpreting traditional classics. In foreign literature, it offers Michael Cunningham's The Hours, Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and Dave Pilkey's Dog Man series. Its authors include Xiao Hong, Aisin Gioro Yu Yun, Chen Jiong, Dave Pilkey, Michael Cunningham, and Wang Jiaxiang. Its publishing character lies in balancing literary classics, interpretations of traditional culture, and translations of foreign literature, forming a diverse reading structure for general readers. Public information is limited, and the above focuses on the publishing directions reflected by the books in the database.

FAQ

《朱雀记》和《西游记》是什么关系？ 它是以当代方式续写《西游》的玄幻小说，借用孙悟空、唐僧、二郎神、嫦娥、菩萨等人物与佛道体系，但故事发生在现代，主角是拾荒少年易天行，属于“后西游故事”式的同人重构，并非对原著的直接续书。
这本书是不是猫腻的处女作？ 不是严格意义上的第一部。他更早的作品是《映秀十年事》，但那部未完结；《朱雀记》是他第一部完整写完的长篇，也是他早期成名的代表作，常被称为他的“初恋”之作。
豆瓣评分7.2是否可信？ 该分数参考了豆瓣读书相关页面的公开评分，并与其他书评站点的数据大致相当（另有约7.9分等不同口径）。网络小说评分随版本与样本变化，建议作为参考而非定论。
网络版和实体书内容一样吗？ 核心内容一致。网络版连载于起点中文网，约144万字；实体版由花山文艺出版社自2007年起按部推出单行本，内容以连载稿为基础整理，章节划分略有不同。

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About the author

Maoni Author

Maoni is an important author in the field of Chinese online literature. His real name, date of birth, and other public details are limited, and the available information does not specify his nationality or dates of birth and death. The collection holds 19 of his works, spanning genres such as fantasy, alternate history, and science fiction, commonly categorized as premium fiction, quality online literature, and film and television originals. His representative work Joy of Life is set in an alternate history and balances political intrigue with character growth, while works such as The Guest, Ever Night, Zhuque Ji, and Way of Choices unfold through fantasy and science-fiction imagination. His writing emphasizes character development and plot construction, with delicate prose, and his works have reached a wider readership through film and television adaptations.