Warlord fiction, dark, resistance against Japan, multiple heroines.
The multiple heroines are downplayed and mostly serve as background characters.
The story spans seven volumes, with events set in motion starting in 1919.
A slow-burn story. Proceed with caution if you have little patience.
The protagonist is timid and ineffectual early on, but erupts into action later.
Chapter 81: No Cilantro.
The War of Resistance begins after Chapter 123.
The protagonist, An Yichen, transmigrates to the Republican era. Watch as he transforms from a spoiled playboy into a war god of a governor, one whose name strikes terror into the Japanese invaders. Starting out caught between factions, he navigates the chaos of the war-torn era, making his moves step by step.
After twenty years of building his power, he turns Central China into a fortress.
As the smoke of war finally begins to clear, this "Lord of Chu" who spent half his life defending his land will finally give it an ending as he lays down his arms and retires to the countryside.
This is my type.