Novels like I Am the Legend
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as I Am the Legend, best match first.
- 1 The Evil Lord Descends into the Abyss 邪主临渊 [Underworld] [Brotherhood] [Passionate] [The author is also a fan of Uncle Qin] I was bullied all through middle school. I thought things would get better in high school, but I was still bullied. Little by little, those people led me down a road of no return... My name is Mo Daoxie. Dao as in “principle,” and Xie as in “evil.” 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 2 A Song for the Underworld 混子的挽歌 [Raise our cups and toast the rugged road through the underworld.] [Through blood and fury, a brotherhood that lasts a lifetime.] A naive, timid young man, to keep from losing the brothers at his side again, chooses to take up a three-foot steel blade and step into a world stained red with blood. Behind the brotherly bravado and drunken revelry of the underworld, the only things that never change are ruthless exploitation and cold reality. The people he meets make him sick. And little by little, 2.4kReads7.3Score23914d adds
- 3 Tale of the Twin Flood Dragons 双蛟记 [Brothers bound by deep affection, sharing life and death] [A flood dragon lies hidden in deep waters. After enduring bitter hardships, it can emerge transformed into a dragon.] 693Reads7.1Score10114d adds
- 4 The Underworld: I Make the Rules 黑道：我才是规矩 Two years in prison, and nothing is as it was. Wherever there are people, there are rivalries and power struggles. Schemes and betrayals are everywhere, and one careless move can destroy an entire family. No matter what, the strong can turn the tables against the odds. Starting today, I make the rules in Philadelphia! 2.4kReads—Score10414d adds
- 5 The Jianghu: A True Account of Half a Life in the Underworld 江湖：混社会的半生真实经历 A chaotic age, filled with flashing blades and clashing steel! The martial world is like a cup of tea. Everyone tastes it differently. My name is Zhao Long. Back then, most people called me Long Si, Brother Si, or Fourth Master! I'm not exaggerating when I say my reputation back then was almost as great as that of the famous Fourth Master Qiao up north! I was a poor kid who couldn't afford a meal. Through sheer grit and ruthl 4.7kReads7.1Score20114d adds
- 6 Bandit City 匪城 [Not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy, and the protagonist isn't invincible: a comeback story + underworld conflict + a rock-bottom start + personality reversal + ruthless decisiveness + brains and brawn + ruthless bandits and war criminals abound] I'm Shen Liu. Ever since my father was imprisoned for seriously injuring someone when I was seven, I've endured humiliation at every turn. Then a girl appeared, and my life began to change... Once again, they knocked me down. As they unzipped their —Reads—Score2.2k14d adds
- 7 Schoolyard Storms, Northeast Underworld 校园风云，东北江湖路 [Wherever there are people, there will be a world of the underworld] [A Northeast underworld story] [Decisive and ruthless] [A road of no return] [First person] [Recollections] [This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.] My name is Han Tian. I was kidnapped by human traffickers as a child and forced to beg on the streets. It wasn't until Uncle Han rescued me from them that I was given a name. He showed me that a person could live like a re 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Underworld Turmoil in Yunnan and Guizhou 滇黔黑道风云 Even with nothing to your name, you can still shape the world! A poor boy can become a lord! People love reading face-slapping stories about rich families. I, however, want to write an inspiring tale of a poor boy facing one twist in the road after another, surviving countless brushes with death before rising to power! Life never goes exactly as you wish. In all things, be content if things go even halfway your way. Follow the eventful rise of a young man from Nanguang, from hauling bricks to ru 5.2kReads6.6Score24114d adds
- 9 Heading South in 1996: I Take My Young Aunt and Conquer the Underworld 九六南下：我带小姑奶闯江湖 [Period] [Fleeing an arranged marriage] [Heading south for work] [Passionate underworld] [Multiple heroines] New Year’s Day, 1996. Chen Yaozu, a poor lad from southeastern Henan, flees south overnight with his young grandaunt, who is being forced into marriage. As soon as they arrive in the Pearl River Delta, his classmate’s cousin kicks him out of her rental, leaving him homeless. He steps in to help someone, only to be hunted by gangsters. At the factory, he’s bullied, and people even set thei 802Reads—Score10114d adds
- 10 The Godfather of the Underworld 黑道教皇 Brothers for a day, brothers for a lifetime. Their vow of loyalty rings out amid the fanfare of youth: impulsive days, blazing passions, love that lasts until death, and brothers who stand together for life. Whose youth isn't filled with fire? “What do they call you?” “Long.” “I asked for your name.” “People like me don't have names.” “But one day, the world will tell you mine.” “People today don't recognize a tree that will reach the clouds, only praising it once it has grown that tall!” 648Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 11 My Years in the Underworld: Three Fingers 混黑道的那些年：三根手指 (Period Setting + Underworld + Urban + Satisfying Read + Passion + Mockumentary Style + Brotherhood + No Harem) This novel may touch on real underworld events. Any similarities are purely coincidental! The audiobook is officially out now! It's a real thrill! Brothers, dive right in! Northeast China, 1994. A young man cuts off three fingers with a knife and flees to the northwest. His parents are divorced and his family is well-off, but he insists on making his way through sheer ruthlessness. Fol 94.8kReads9.2Score10.2k14d adds
- 12 Shan Jin Underworld: I Took Down the Whole Jianghu 山晋黑道，我打爆了江湖 [Underworld, passionate, multiple heroines, first-person] My name is Xu Haoqiang. I live in Longcheng, Shan Jin, a coal-producing region. In 1997, at the age of twenty, I joined the underworld. I let money do the talking, and even the truth has to bow its head. I let the rules of the underworld do the talking, and both the legitimate and criminal worlds have to make way. From there, my influence spread across Shan Jin and beyond… 861Reads6.4Score10314d adds
- 13 Winter Reigns Supreme 凛冬为王 In 1998, Frost City was battered by wind and snow. The young Chen Lin had lost his family and been left crippled, suffering one humiliation after another. The moment he entered the underworld, he made ruthlessness his way of life and ruled the streets with his fists. From discarded pawn to overlord, he climbed to the top and became king in the depths of winter. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Oh No, This Mob Boss Can Tank a Nuclear Bomb 坏了，这黑老大能硬抗核弹 [Gangsters + No Goody-Two-Shoes + No Mindless Protagonist + Invincible in the Later Stages] Qin Dong transmigrates to the year 2004 in a parallel world, taking over the body of a small-time gangster who has done every evil imaginable and is hated by everyone. He also awakens a System that makes him stronger every time he kills someone. He can increase his strength just by devouring evil people! Infinite toughness! Infinite heat resistance! Infinite bone strength! ... Gangsters hunting him down: 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 1998: My Bloody Era! 1998：我的血色年代！ When I hit the streets, I rely on just three things! Being ruthless, having money, and having tough brothers! These are passionate, fiery times! These are times when tough guys are everywhere! The moment I picked up a three-edged military dagger, I was destined to spend my life battling through the underworld! Don't talk to me about big shots in the underworld. That won't work on me! Welcome to my story of life on the streets! 6.3kReads8.5Score45314d adds
- 16 Southwest Storm: Turmoil on the Black Sea 西南风云：黑海沉浮 When I was eighteen, I met someone who led me down a certain path. Some describe this path with the idealistic word “jianghu.” But the jianghu you actually find yourself in is better summed up by a rather funny saying: “After all this time, I’ve made no friends, only learned lessons.” My name is Lin Dongxia, and I’ve learned my fair share of lessons. 33kReads9.3Score3.2k14d adds
- 17 After I Got Out of Prison, My Sister Forced Me to Inherit a Billion-Dollar Fortune 出狱后，姐姐逼我继承亿万家产 Food delivery rider + Sanhe drifter + brotherhood in the underworld + rise to the pinnacle of power. Revenge and face-slapping + unexpected fortune + underdog's rise + tight, logical plotting. A Southeast Asian power struggle + fierce mercenary battles + leading your brothers to the top. My ex-girlfriend clings to a rich man and mocks me: “All you'll ever be in this life is a garbage picker!” Late one night, three sexy older women corner me beneath a bridge. “Your parents left you hundreds of mi 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 My First Half of Life: A Bloody Underworld 我的前半生：血色江湖 [The rating just came in and it’ll keep rising, so don’t let it scare you off! This book is entirely handcrafted, and writing it isn’t easy. Hope you enjoy it!] Eight years in the army, decorated for valor, only to have his future stolen by a substitute! He moves to the city for work and tries to keep his head down, but is forced into a dead end! His brother goes to prison, and his sworn brother dies a tragic death. Good people have no way out, while the wicked run rampant! He abandons the strai 1.4kReads8.4Score13714d adds
- 19 Underworld Storm: The Uncrowned King 黑道风云：无冕王侯 (First person, period setting, underworld) A big brother? A big brother isn't some glamorous, all-powerful emperor who does whatever he pleases. A big brother is just the guy who picks up the tab. The underworld? It's brotherly loyalty, deceit and betrayal. It's a place that strips the tenderness from gentle-hearted men and hardens them, and turns green young boys into grizzled old gangsters. My name is Zhao Qingfeng. I've been around the underworld, and I was once a big brother! 37.3kReads9.2Score3.9k14d adds
- 20 Who Rules the Changing Tides of the Martial World? 江湖之谁主浮沉 “Northeastern Gangland,” “No Mindless Shenanigans,” “Based on Real Cases” A group of young people, driven by a moment of recklessness, set out on a path unlike any they had taken before... From Xiao Yao's days of loafing around to gradually growing up and setting off down the point of no return, making a living in the underworld... Family, friendship, and love all become entangled... Some die... some go to prison... and others... A new story, a new beginning. Come witness the rise of a true crim 248Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 The Thirteen Guardians of Tang City 唐市十三太保 The Tang City Underworld Duology, Part One: The Thirteen Guardians The bigwigs of Tang City’s martial world fell one by one during the 1983 crackdown. But wherever there are people, there will always be a martial world, and new forces are already stirring! Who will become Tang City’s next underworld boss? The story of the Thirteen Guardians of Tang City begins after Qin San, Wang Wu, and Ma Liu witness their father’s execution by firing squad! 965Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 The Legend Reborn 传奇重现 The four-part series by Wei Jie: We Were All Bad Kids, I Am Legend, Legend Reborn, and Hidden Dragon on the Right Path. A young man, still green, left his hometown in a fit of anger. Four years later, he returned, weathered and bearing the glory of success! In a city built from reinforced concrete, old friends were gone and legends had faded into retirement... Faced with his family’s reproach and his friends’ disdain, he had once wandered at a crossroads, pointing into the dark sky with his 31.7kReads9.4Score3.1k14d adds
- 23 Tales of the Southern Underworld 南方黑道往事 A highly realistic and utterly authentic autobiographical story about the underworld. Many readers who have started reading have already been drawn deep into it. Open this book, and you'll see a real underworld: helplessness and betrayal, a deeply immersive world of bloodshed and brotherhood. 5.7kReads8.9Score44114d adds
- 24 Blood Prison's Mad Overlord 血狱狂枭 The down-and-out youth Zhao Tian suffered the slaughter of his entire family as a boy. After vanishing for many years, he returned to exact revenge, rise to power, establish the Blood Prison, and dominate the world. With a band of brothers who would lay down their lives for him, he embarked on one journey after another, stirring up waves of bloodshed across the martial world… 15.7kReads8.5Score1.1k14d adds
- 25 The Pinnacle of Dark Martial Arts 黑武之巅 Sorry, everyone, for posting the prologue so late. You can skip ahead to the beginning of Chapter 102 first, then come back and start reading from Chapter 1. Apologies. A novel featuring the underworld, supernatural abilities, the city, and campus life. He and his friends will rise together to the pinnacle of the Black Martial Path. This is the story of his growth... People are often at their most brash and carefree when they are young. That’s what it means to be young and reckless. This is an e 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 I Didn’t Stab a Man, I Stabbed This Rotten World 老子捅的不是人，是世道 [Urban Underworld | Reborn Comeback | Brotherhood and High-Octane Gang Battles] 1991. Fu’an. Heavy snow. Fang Xiao knelt on the storeroom’s concrete floor, Zhao Changshui’s blood still on his hands. He was reborn, carrying memories of his brothers’ horrific deaths and his family’s ruin in his previous life. This time, he wouldn’t take the blame for anyone or be anyone’s lackey. He would wade through the filth and lead a band of brothers who had been dragged through the mud, determined to make 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 We’ve Been Around the Block Too 哥几个也混过 We navigate society with feeling, And live our lives by loyalty. When feeling and loyalty conflict, We choose loyalty first. We walked side by side, reveling in the wild abandon of youth through those passionate years. You’re my brother, so we’ll face life and death together. 160Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Legends of Jiangbei 江北风云传 Jiangbei is a tangled city, its underground forces deeply entrenched in a balance of power that no one has been able to shake for decades. No one could have guessed that the person to stir up this muddy pond would be a transfer student at a vocational high school. Su Yan transfers in and plunges straight into a school rife with conflict and chaos. Faced with the law of the jungle, he neither hides nor backs down. He makes his fists his blade and his courage his edge, carving out a place for hims 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 1980: A New Order in the Underworld 一九八零：江湖新秩序 What is the martial world? Wherever there are people, there will be conflict! The strong survive, and the weak perish. That is the martial world! Relive the 1980s and pay tribute to a youth long gone! This is the story of Han Yue, and how he rose from the bottom to the top of the provincial capital, only to fall again! The road through the martial world is treacherous. Everyone survives by their own wits! Hold on, and you can make something of yourself. Give up, and you're out... (This book is p 4.4kReads8.7Score28314d adds
- 30 The Era After the Martial World 后江湖時代 [Underworld + Passionate + Satisfying + Ensemble Cast + Jianghu + Big Shots + School + Comedy] “After midnight, we call the shots on this land, whether you’re on the right side of the law or the wrong one!” Jiang Nan stood proudly at the summit like a solitary eagle, looking down at the young generation shining like stars across the jianghu below. “The Su District...” “The tragedy from ten years ago will never happen again in our generation!” “I’ll make sure everyone knows that this era belongs 24.8kReads8.9Score1.6k14d adds
- 31 The Absolute Kingpin 绝对枭雄 After transferring schools, I find out my beautiful desk mate is actually my former enemy. And then... New book: Call Me a Con Artist. I hope you’ll check it out and show it some support! 279Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 32 Dongguan, I Am King! 莞市，我为王！ What kind of legendary path will Li Feng carve out after leaving martial arts school and arriving in Dongguan? In the bright days of youth, ride proud and true. Make the most of your time, and know where you’re headed. May you roam the world for half your life, then return still young at heart... (The original cast of strongmen who rose from vocational school reunites. A new story, a fresh start!) 393Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 33 The Hidden Dragon of the Righteous Path 正道潜龙 One of Wei Jie’s four-part series A shooting case. An undercover agent lies dead in the street. An investigator once swore an oath beneath the solemn national emblem. At a crossroads of fate, a twin brother makes a dramatic entrance, leading to a lonely yet passionate story... Back to 1998! Our brotherhood is still here, our youth is still here. From this point, we set sail once more and forge the next great triumph! 39.3kReads9.5Score4.7k14d adds
- 34 The Underworld Is a Road of No Return 江湖是一条不归路 [Underworld + Passion + Jianghu + Comedy + Comeback + No Ensemble Cast + First Person] What is the jianghu? Some say it’s all about human relationships and social conventions. But I, Deng Chengpeng, know only this: the jianghu is a road of no return. Once you enter, there’s no turning back. I went from an ordinary boy to a bloodied fugitive, step by step entering this so-called jianghu. There was no good fortune falling out of the sky, and no strength gained without effort. Every bit of streng 39Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 My Days of Being Bullied at School 校园被欺负的日子 The main characters are Wu Ming, Zhang Qiang, and Zhou Yao. This isn’t a brainless power fantasy, but a bumpy story of growing up. When my brothers fight, I run; I’d never touch a friend’s wife, but if my friend’s away, anything goes. A life of gaming on credit and gambling for tokens in the arcade. 11kReads8.2Score67114d adds
- 36 The Underworld Boss Who Came Out of a Martial Arts Academy 从武校走出来的黑道大佬 [Youthful passion + Ruthless + Absolutely no saintly do-gooder] What kind of legendary life will Gu Feng write for himself after returning from martial arts school? A young man in fine clothes, riding a spirited horse: may he make the most of his youth and live without regrets! May you wander far and wide, yet return still young at heart! 14Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 37 Those Confused Days of Youth 那些年迷茫的日子 One thought can lead to heaven, another to hell. Half a life wasted, with the past too painful to look back on. I once ruled my corner of the world, and I once ended up in prison. From being adored by everyone to the desolation of today, I dedicate this book to the friends I once had. 686Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 38 Dark Glory: Twenty Years in the Underworld of Northeast China 黑暗荣耀：东北江湖二十年 1.3kReads8.8Score10914d adds
- 39 Selfish Desires: Tales of the Underworld 私欲：江湖往事 [This book is based on a true story] Three years ago, I was convicted of intentional assault and sent to prison. After getting out, I wanted to live an ordinary life. But then my younger sister went down a path of no return. For her sake, I had no choice but to return to the underworld! This book is packed with thrilling action and satisfying moments! 1.1kReads7.5Score11114d adds
- 40 The Third Republic 第三共和国 [Apocalyptic wasteland]+ [underworld]+ [political intrigue]+ [underdog rises]+ [war]+ [no System] After an asteroid strikes Earth, civilization and order disappear without a trace. Resources are scarce, society is in chaos, and corruption runs rampant… Chen Wei makes his way alone from the lawless, chaotic zone to Shanxing City. All he wants at first is enough to get by, but the cutthroat environment, self-serving superiors, and privileged second-generation heirs… force him to transform from 3.7kReads6.0Score37514d adds
- 41 Big Brother of the Streets: Starting as a Demobilized Soldier 社会大哥：从退伍军人开始 My name is Wang Yi. Wang as in “king,” Yi as in “number one”! My big brother told me there are three essentials to making it in the underworld: being ruthless, knowing when to endure, and having a plan. But he never told me that life in the underworld would mean blood and tears, death and farewells! Countless bones pile up in the wilderness, and the law's net is wide enough to catch every hoodlum. Of the countless gangsters out there, only one or two ever make something of themselves! And I'm on 8.2kReads8.7Score80914d adds
- 42 Underworld: Blue Skies 黑道：青天 At a class reunion, I kept a low profile and was mocked and sneered at by my former classmates and teachers. Just as I was about to leave, the class beauty from back then suddenly stood up to defend me. 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 The Underworld: A Life in the Jianghu 黑道：人在江湖 What is the underworld? No one can really say. To me, the underworld is the jianghu. The jianghu has its own rules and its own stories. It’s not all fighting and killing. More than anything, it’s about human relationships and navigating the ways of the world. In 1996, a film about young gangsters influenced countless young people, leading them down a path of no return... That same year, after four years in prison, I walked out through those heavy doors and regained my freedom. My name is Fang We 209Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 44 After Getting Fired, I Became the Strongest Bodyguard to a Mafia Heiress 我被开除后成黑道千金的最强打手 The rating just came in, so it’ll go up later. [For adults only. No one under 18 may read this.] [Urban + underworld + multiple heroines + all-powerful protagonist + brotherhood] Lu Fei was expelled from middle school for fighting and spent four years guarding his village... At last, he came of age! Newly 18, Lu Fei hadn’t even had time to establish his own gang in the village before the aunt he lived with kicked him out and sent him to the big city to stay with her daughter. After arriving in 55Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 45 The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin 江湖：我即为枭 [Underworld] [Brothers United] [Mind-Bending] [Passionate and Thrilling] Three years in prison couldn't dull my edge. My name is Wang Xiao. I spent three years behind bars for offending a powerful figure. After my release, I returned to my old stomping grounds with my brothers and the skills my master taught me. Some want to trample me underfoot. Some want to stab me in the back. And my enemies, lurking in the shadows, are watching me like hawks. But my life is no longer something just anyone ca 114Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 The Underworld as Seen Through a Madman's Eyes 疯子眼中所谓的江湖 His father goes bankrupt overnight. His mother receives a notice that she is critically ill. A carefree young wastrel stumbles into the world of the martial underworld! Confronted with all the different lives in the martial world, and one situation after another where he has no choice, the young man, already mired in the quagmire, gazes around in confusion. The martial world is a road of no return. You have to go mad to become a demon. An unseen hand pushes him ever onward... Can this dashing yo 768Reads7.0Score10314d adds
- 47 Tales of Black and White: Leaping Through the Dragon Gate 黑白往事之跃龙门 (Hardcore underworld, a rise from humble beginnings, ensemble cast, smart characters, a realistic coming-of-age style, not a mindless power fantasy, not first-person! Readers under 18 should exercise caution!) How much impact can one misunderstanding have? Enough to change someone's entire life! Can someone with a damaged brain still be a gang boss? Not only can he, he can be a great one! In the early 1990s, the tide of the market economy swept across all of China, stirring up everyone just like 2.4kReads7.0Score14714d adds
- 48 The Boss of the Underworld 江湖话事人 [Not many readers, so the rating just won’t go up] One wrong turn brought me into the jianghu. Watch as I summon storms with one hand and calm them with the other. Starting from nothing, I’ll carve out a path through the jianghu. They say you become what you eat, so if you want to climb higher, there’s only one thing to eat... 2.7kReads7.8Score20314d adds
- 49 The Years We Shared, Brothers 兄弟们的那些年 [Underworld + Ensemble Cast + Decisive Action + Dramatic Rescues + Passionate + Expansive Worldbuilding] A boy watches his parents die horrifically in a gang war, then is forced to leave school behind and descend into the bottomless abyss of the underworld. He forms a bond of life and death with four brothers, growing amid bloodshed and making his stand amid tangled grudges and passions. Through this gauntlet of flashing blades, he swears that every blood debt will be repaid in blood. 23Reads—Score10414d adds
- 50 Bad Boy: King of the Streets 坏小子：街道之上，我为王 Li Yizhen was an ordinary student at Jiangchuan No. 1 High School. But the school bully, He Min, singled him out, teasing and tormenting him as she pleased. Too timid to fight back, he endured group beatings and was even forced to eat ice pops mixed with dirt. She also led him astray, getting him to smoke and drink. Day after day, year after year… Then, when Li Yizhen finally confessed his feelings to the school belle, she mocked him in front of the whole class. He Min joined in, too. Overcome w 285Reads—Score—14d adds
