Judgment of Sin: Time of Death

(Mystery + suspense + twists, traditional style, not a wish-fulfillment novel)

This is a story of revenge and a fight against the crimes of the powerful.

Dong He, a young man, catches his girlfriend cheating on him and is then humiliated by the other man. With his rival's influence overwhelming, Dong He is utterly crushed and prepares to take his own life. Then he meets a mysterious man named Shen Yuan, who helps him take his first steps on the path of the martial arts. Later, Dong He's girlfriend realizes the error of her ways, but is brutally murdered. As Shen Yuan and Dong He investigate the killer, they discover that every lead points to a prominent figure from one of Jiangcheng's Four Great Families. Their enemy may be powerful, but Shen Yuan is no pushover, and he too commands mysterious powers. Yet whenever they get close to a breakthrough, the key people involved die under bizarre circumstances. The case grows increasingly baffling, and an even greater force than the Four Great Families gradually emerges. Behind the truth, it seems, lies a shocking conspiracy. At last, good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, face off in a final confrontation.

This book has a more traditional style and a slower pace, with plenty of suspense and twists. Readers who prefer fast-paced stories and pure wish fulfillment should take note.