Novels like The Bureau of Foreign Affairs' Strange Tales
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Bureau of Foreign Affairs' Strange Tales, best match first.
- 1 The Jiuzhou Investigation Bureau 九州调查局 I’ll use the eyes I have now to tell you stories from the past. From the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, all the way to the present, countless secrets lie hidden in the gaps of history. They wander between reality and illusion, concealed from the world. They are legends who have transcended reincarnation and blended into the mortal realm. A flower blooms with five petals, and the fruit comes naturally. The story of the Jiuzhou Investigation Bureau 294Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Strange Tales from the Civil Affairs Bureau: Extra Stories 民调局异闻录番外 My new work is here! You’re welcome to check it out on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support keeps me writing, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 342Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Mysterious Department 神秘部门 There’s no monster-slaying and leveling up, no love and hate. Just watch Qiu Tian deal with all those... unbelievable situations. Take your time... savor every detail... The perfect pick when you’ve run out of books. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Interstellar Affairs Investigation Bureau 异星事务调查局 A Chinese take on Men in Black meets The X-Files, focused on dealing with extraterrestrial affairs on Earth. [No harem, no System, no formulaic tropes, no invincible protagonist, no mindless plot, and no wish-fulfillment. Please read with care if these bother you.] [Urban + aliens + parasites + light horror] Chen Le never imagined... that when he went to the teachers' office to hand in his homework, he would see tentacles emerging from beneath his homeroom teacher's pant leg! As more and more bi 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Paranormal Affairs Office 灵异管理处 My name is Yin Yu. I'm a Taoist priest. I used to be just an ordinary person among the masses. By a twist of fate, I joined a special department called the Paranormal Administration. The five arts of mountain, medicine, destiny, physiognomy, and divination; the shamanic spirit mediums of the Northeast; the Hunan and western Hunan arts of gu poison and the Flower-Falling Cave Maidens; reincarnated tulkus of Tibetan Buddhism; protecting a flood dragon as it enters the sea and transforms into a dra 75Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Special Incident Investigation Bureau 特殊事件调查局 Heaven has its yin and yang, and the earth has two sides. Our society is no different. Joining the Special Investigations Bureau means living alongside the dark side of this world. Murderous curses, midnight phone calls, Meng Po’s soup... Behind these chilling cases, are we dealing with supernatural forces, or is there a mastermind pulling the strings? The Special Investigations Bureau exists to stir up the turbulent currents of this shadowy world and uncover the black hand reaching out beneath 11Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 7 Demon-Slaying Journal 除魔手记 Are you sure that everything you see is real? Do you believe that people who live forever really exist? Can everything you've encountered be explained by science? Fortune tellers, Taoist masters, monks who cultivate in temples: they all appear in the mysterious cases of history... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Paranormal Investigation Notes 探灵笔录 A fortune-teller said I was a child sent by a hundred ghosts, and that I was destined to deal with the dead all my life. So I chose to become a forensic pathologist, working at the boundary between life and death. In ancient times, people called this profession a coroner’s. We were considered ill-omened and ranked among the lowest of occupations. Over the years, I’ve handled all kinds of bizarre and uncanny cases. I’ve recorded these terrifying incidents, which no living person should get involv 31Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 9 Ren's Storytelling 持仁讲故事 An 80th-generation disciple of Maoshan Shangqing, long resident at the Jade Emperor Palace. Recording strange tales heard from my senior brothers, along with stories submitted by netizens. None have been verified, so please don’t take them as fact. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 The Vengeful Ghosts Return, and I Inherit My Grandfather's Paper Effigy Shop 厉鬼复苏，我继承了爷爷的纸扎铺 A jade-backed bronze mirror that lets out a shrill wail; a three-legged cabinet that comes to life after devouring flesh and blood; a dead tree with a human face that drags people into the mire; an abandoned church where ghostly shadows appear after nightfall... Do you believe there are ghosts in this world? Do you think there are ghosts among the people around you? Ghosts are the dead. People are living ghosts. This world is doomed, because the desires of ghosts, or of people, cannot be contain —Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 11 Bureau of Paranormal Investigations 特异事物调查局 [Mystery + horror + sci-fi + adventure + wild imagination] Before graduating, forensic science student Ren Lin dissects a beautiful female corpse. Not long afterward, he meets a woman who looks exactly like the corpse, with a horrifying scar beneath her neck. A voice keeps echoing in his ear: “Did the corpse you dissect feel pain?” This is only the beginning, just the tip of the iceberg! Ren Lin joins the Bureau of Special Affairs and rises from a low-ranking agent to a legend! 42Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 12 The Supernatural Incident Investigation Bureau 灵异事件侦探局 I was just an ordinary junior police officer, but I couldn't fight fate's wheel and got swept into a department I'd never heard of: the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. Joining the Bureau opened the door to a whole new and exciting life, but as one bizarre case after another came along, I gradually realized that everything had been predestined. None of it was a coincidence. 14Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 13 A Collection of Folk Ghost Stories 民间鬼事汇 This is a novel steeped in mystery, with every chapter like a door opening onto a strange new world. It brings together all kinds of folk tales and ghost stories, taking you into eerie corners hidden behind the bustle of everyday life. Here, you will encounter all manner of ghosts and monsters. Some originate from ancient curses, quietly wreaking havoc over the years; others linger in the human world because their obsessions remain unresolved. Each story is like a mysterious bead, linked to the 108Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 749 Bureau: Classified Files 749局秘闻 Have you heard of Bureau 749? Some say it’s a classified agency. Others say it’s a mysterious organization that researches supernatural phenomena. Still others believe Bureau 749 investigates and covers up cases involving extraterrestrial life forms appearing within the country. Which of these rumors is true? I didn’t know either, until I got caught up in a bizarre murder case and became a member of Bureau 749. That’s when I discovered that the bureau was far more complicated than anyone could i 328Reads7.7Score10314d adds
- 15 Taboos Descend, and I Think I’ve Been Set Up 禁忌降临，我好像被做局了 [Supernatural horror + no female lead + ruthless and decisive + relentless struggle to the death + horrors descend + special abilities] One night, a strangely beating heart appeared at the door, and everything changed... Ghosts are real! They mingle in this world in all kinds of forms. Find them, and make sure they don’t find you first! “My soul was torn to pieces, scattered across every corner of the new and old worlds...” A mysterious package drew Du Ziren onto a path of resistance against the —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 China's Mysterious UMA Files 中国UMA神秘档案 UMA, or Unidentified Mysterious Animal, refers to unknown life forms. My name is Su Lie, and I'm a forest ranger in the Greater Khingan Range. By a twist of fate, I met Wu Xianzhang, a biology professor, who asked me to guide his team into an uncharted region. I thought this was my chance to strike it rich, but I never expected to stumble upon the secrets of my own body. The eerie apparition in the Kunlun Mountains, the Xi in Hubei's Shennongjia, the monster of Tianchi Lake, the mysterious flyin 542Reads6.7Score10314d adds
- 17 I Write Horror Novels on Tomato Novel 我在番茄写恐怖小说 A friendly heads-up: [This story is wildly imaginative] This novel brings together over a hundred stories, with elements of the uncanny, fantasy, and Lovecraftian horror. Unlike other novels, it has no long, tedious passages. Every story is full of eerie, fresh surprises. 99Reads—Score12714d adds
- 18 Tales of the Strange in China 神州异事录 Ever since I was young, I’ve experienced all sorts of strange things beyond ordinary people’s wildest imagination. In particular, these eyes of mine can see the dead and all manner of yin entities… Now that I’m old, I have plenty of free time, so I’ve decided to look back on the things I’ve experienced. If life were a piece of music, I’d say it’s like the suona. Of all the instruments, the suona reigns supreme: it either sends you to heaven or plays at your wedding. Everyone gets to live a life 164Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 The Corpse Stitcher 缝尸匠 Soul-binding nails, threads of karma, green lamps and white candles, a bone-carving knife. When the dead person’s lamp goes out, bury them intact. The living must keep away! 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Bureau Zero-One 零一局 The Zero-One Bureau handles paranormal incidents. After the protagonist, Liang Yuzhang, was born, an old Daoist recognized his exceptional nature and took him in as an apprentice to learn Daoist arts. Starting in kindergarten, he helped people deal with paranormal incidents, becoming a minor celebrity in the surrounding villages. He joined the Zero-One Bureau in middle school, and after joining, handled all sorts of supernatural cases involving ghosts, demons, and monsters. These events also dre 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 The Haunted House Salesman 凶宅推销员 My name is Wang Hao, and I work at a real estate agency that only opens late at night. The boss is beautiful, but she's rarely around. My coworker is a creepy Taoist who drags me out every night at 2:30 to spy on the apartment across the street. There's also a little girl with purple hair who keeps throwing pink slippers at me. My job is to inspect haunted houses, because I can see those "things." I only wanted to save up enough to put my younger sister through school. That was until a thousa —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 I Can Join the Paranormal Investigation Bureau Too 我也能加入神秘调查局 My new work is here! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 49Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 The Lop Nur Classified Files 罗布泊密档 The bizarre disappearance of an explorer, an ancient civilization lost in the desert, and a twin-fish jade pendant that has inspired countless eerie tales... What secrets does Lop Nur conceal...? 1.7kReads5.7Score—14d adds
- 24 I Open a Paper Effigy Shop in the City 我在都市开纸扎店 Li Xiaofan, the owner of a joss-paper shop in Jiangzhou, appears to be an ordinary young man, but is actually a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Age of the Decline of the Dharma. Hidden among the common people, he crafts paper offerings to guide the dead into the afterlife. But after a bizarre incident at a funeral home, where a paper figure swallowed someone's heart, he draws the attention of the secret government agency Dragon Hidden. Dragon Hidden is a mysterious organization that has existed —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 The Underground Secret Vault 地下秘藏 Two thousand years ago, Xiang Yu plundered the Qin Mausoleum and left behind a mysterious underground treasure. In 1998, a once-in-a-century flood submerged the city of Xuzhou and completely changed my ordinary life. I am the last witness to the White Jade Chi Dragon in this era, the keeper of the secret of those who stepped from the treasure into the world of immortality. A dragon’s heart, an immortal herb, the transfer of souls. The Overlord’s treasure, the Isles of Penglai, the polar continen 1.8kReads8.6Score20414d adds
- 26 Supernatural Affairs Management Bureau 超自然事务管理局 Chu Yu's job is simple: take care of business and beat people up. The business: supernatural incidents such as the Death Zone at 30 degrees north latitude, the gray “space-time gate” in Antarctica, a fog-shrouded border swarming with corpses, and the return of the Dead Mound Incident. The people: reborn individuals, transmigrators, System users who use their powers to pick up women, and energy-based lifeforms that glow all over and claim to be gods. Every last one of these freaks falls under Chu 36Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 27 The Treasure Hunter with a Lucky Touch 桃运摸宝师 I left home when I was young and stumbled into the world of treasure hunting and spirit-reading. From Kunlun’s Hell to the South Sea Dragon Ruins, the Netherworld Ghostwood, and the Sea of Sand’s hidden nest... I traveled far and wide in search of secret treasures. Just as I thought I could take control of my own fate, Heaven played a cruel joke on me. I tried to escape, but only sank deeper and deeper... 38Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Bureau 749: I Crush All Evil with Thunder 749局：我以雷霆镇万邪 Lin Leichen was an ordinary young man until he awakened an ancient bloodline that gave him control over thunder and made him the natural nemesis of all evil spirits and monsters. He was recruited into the nation’s most secretive force, Bureau 749, which handled the paranormal cases beyond the understanding of ordinary law enforcement. From vengeful spirits that devoured souls through mirrors to elegant, deadly vampires beneath the night sky; from aloof sword immortals flying in from Mount Shu to 696Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 The Yin-Yang Twin 阴阳双生人 [Mild Horror + The Supernatural] Ming Ye grew up living in a cemetery. Her parents went missing seven years ago and were eventually found dead under bizarre circumstances in the mountains. Seven years later, she became an emergency room doctor. One midnight, she met the Taoist priest Xu Baoyang on a bus as he was out catching ghosts. Later, while tracking clues about his missing master, Xu Baoyang came to the hospital where Ming Ye worked and discovered that a strange hospital orderly had set up —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 The Secret Burial Heavenly Tome 秘葬天书 Emperors and ministers relied on the Daoist art of geomancy to find their final resting places. Every imperial tomb is a miniature of its age, embodying the highest craftsmanship of that era. My great-grandfather left behind an ancient book called The Secret Burial. It covers an astonishing range of subjects, with especially detailed explanations of feng shui and mountain terrain, finding dragon veins and auspicious burial sites, locating stars, and secret burial customs. By chance, this ancie 58Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 31 Tomb Raiding Tales from Republican China 民国盗墓往事 A long-lost memory brings a gripping story from the past to light. What I’m about to tell you is a secret from the Republican era… 3.5kReads8.8Score60914d adds
- 32 The Mysterious Department Jiuding: The Power of the Five Elements 神秘部门九鼎：五行之力 (This story is entirely fictional. If anything seems familiar, trust in science.) By chance, I joined Jiuding, a mysterious national agency. There, I met a group of old monsters: Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, Zuo Ci, Yuan Tiangang, Li Chunfeng, and Zhang Sanfeng. I also learned that other countries have their own mysterious agencies. For example, America’s S.H.I.E.L.D., Britain’s Knights of the Round Table, Russia’s Society of Nature, Japan’s Onmyoryo, and so on. I thought my future would be spent d 202Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 33 The Demon Clan Invades the City, and I Become the Strongest Celestial Master? 妖族入侵都市，我成了最强天师？ [Urban high-martial arts: I’m invincible, so do whatever you want! So righteous it’s practically evil! Satisfying battles! A whole basket of beautiful monster girls! Bad guys don’t get to live, they only get killed!] Have you ever wondered if the people hurrying along the busy, bustling streets beneath the night sky are actually monsters? Before anyone realized it, the monster clans had launched a full-scale invasion of the city. They’re right there among you and me. The staff on a blood donatio 755Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 34 The Secret Record of Tomb Robbing 摸金秘记 [A premium, exclusive Tomb Raiding novel] [Zhang Jia Sishu's latest masterpiece of 2016, set to become the ultimate Tomb Raiding novel!] The appearance of an exceptionally beautiful female corpse shattered my ordinary life. Armed with a family-inherited secret art of Tomb Raiding, I opened an ancient imperial mausoleum sealed for a thousand years, seeking rare treasures buried underground and unraveling a mystery beyond anyone's reach. 184Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 35 507: Top Secret Files 507绝密档案 I had only just graduated from police academy when I witnessed a bizarre car crash with my own eyes and came into contact with the legendary Bureau 507. From then on, my career as a police officer changed forever... 954Reads6.8Score13814d adds
- 36 The Cycle of the Ghost Soldiers' Crossing 阴兵借道之轮回 Deep within the Sacred Ruins Temple, the ancient Sacred Ruins Dragon slowly opened its star-bright eyes. Its gaze held a profound wisdom, as if it could see through every mystery in the world. Luo Aiai stood before the Sacred Ruins Dragon, her face showing a hint of nervousness and anticipation. Who am I? Her hands were clasped tightly together, as though seeking comfort. But when she felt the Sacred Dragon’s gentle yet powerful aura, the tension in her heart gradually faded. “You are... Your bo 1Reads7.8Score—14d adds
- 37 Strange Tales from the Northeast Paranormal Investigation Bureau 东北民调局异闻录 This is an organization dedicated to investigating and handling all kinds of bizarre supernatural events. To avoid causing public panic, it was established under the name Bureau of Folklore Investigations. The novel reimagines and develops various supernatural legends from Northeast China. Its strange events and compelling stories are presented with a distinctive Northeastern sense of humor. All manner of mysterious incidents, mountain spirits, and ghosts are told here! 403Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 Top Secret: Paranormal Investigation Bureau 绝密：灵异事件调查局 To investigate and handle supernatural incidents, the nation established a special task force. All files, mission reports, and research are classified as the highest level of national secrecy. As a field operative, I was fortunate enough to take part in handling all kinds of cases: the madness of thousand-year-old corpses, the wonders of supernatural abilities, and incidents involving hybrids of spirits, demons, and monsters... 154Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Bureau 749: Special Case Investigation Division Nine 749局：九处特案调查科 The third installment of The Bureau of Mysterious Incidents As the internet continued to develop, the times called for change. In 2014, Bureau 749 established the Ninth Division's Special Cases Investigation Section. Yun Cong Feng, who wielded lightning and fire abilities; Li Yi Chu, with psychic abilities; Ye Luan, with enhancement abilities; the Taoist Zhang Shan Ling; the physician Li Fu Ling; and computer expert Chi You You joined the team. In the days that followed, the six-person squad dea 1.2kReads7.1Score10014d adds
- 40 The Third World You Don't Know 你不知道的第三世界 Have you ever doubted the world you see with your own eyes? Have you ever experienced a supernatural event? Are you curious about unknown creatures? Open this book and step into the mysterious, unknown Third World! 820Reads6.6Score10214d adds
- 41 Bureau of Supernatural Investigations 超自然事件调查局 A bizarre murder case draws me into the investigation of mysterious supernatural events: crew members on a deep-sea fishing vessel inexplicably slaughtering one another, immortals hiding in the city, legendary vampires, Nazi doomsday troops of a godlike race and their Aryan holy city, and a gigantic human-face structure on Mars. We are not alone in the universe, and human society is just as complicated. 345Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 42 The Imperial Tomb Guardian 皇陵守墓人 Last century, a team of archaeological experts discovered an ancient tomb in the Qinling Mountains and organized dozens of the country's top archaeologists to excavate it. Before long, however, the team mysteriously vanished without a trace, and none survived. After decades of research, Professor Wang Xuan discovered that the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor concealed a shocking secret. He led four students deep into a small county in the mountains of Bashu, embarking on an extraordinarily biz 4.9kReads5.9Score32114d adds
- 43 When Your Reflection Starts to Betray You 当你的倒影开始背叛 [Horror assignments + death games + independent planets in the galaxy] “Hey, your sister is dead~” “Your sister is dead!” “Hey, I don’t have a sister, but yours really is dead, hehe.” “**!” Lin Yumin angrily hung up. A little while later, her phone rang again. “Ma’am, we’ve found your sister’s body. Please come to the Public Security Bureau to identify it.” “Will you give it a rest? Your sister is dead! Your whole family’s croaked!” After unleashing a torrent of abuse, Lin Yumin hung up 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 Tomb Raiding: The Tides of Terror in the South Seas 盗墓之南洋惊潮 I ran into trouble in the western territories and couldn’t stay there any longer, so I went to seek refuge with my maternal uncle in Vietnam. I became an antiques appraisal expert in his business smuggling cultural relics, started a new life abroad, and joined the ranks of treasure hunters. That also gave me the chance to search for tombs underwater. But I never expected to stumble upon a great tomb in a border town. At its entrance was an unmistakably ancient mark: the family emblem of the Ghos 7Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 45 749 Special Incident Investigation Bureau 749特殊事件调查局 [Based on real experiences. Just listen for fun, and I hope you enjoy it.] [No superpowers + first person + in the style of Strange Tales from the Ministry of Culture. If you like Strange Tales from the Ministry of Culture, jump right in.] At last, I have the chance to write a story about this mysterious department. I don't know how many people have heard of Bureau 749, let alone how many know anything about it, but Bureau 749 has always been shrouded in mystery. Its full name is the Bureau of S 7.2kReads7.5Score47614d adds
- 46 I Went to College Orientation as a Corpse Driver, and the Director of Bureau 749 Wept 大一赶尸去报到，749局长哭了 [Urban Fantasy] [Corpse Driving] [Absurd Comedy] [749 Bureau] [Funny Horror] Zhang Wei, heir to the corpse-driving tradition of western Hunan, is kicked down the mountain by his father during his first-year summer break. His mission: take a "client" who died far from home back to their hometown, so they can return to their roots. To save on travel costs, Zhang Wei simply rides the talisman-covered "client" like a shared bike! On the road, he meets a weasel spirit seeking a title: "Do I look like 69.1kReads7.5Score7.9k14d adds
- 47 The Tomb Raider Legends Series: All Six Books 盗墓者传奇系列：全六册 A six-book set, including The Tomb Raider's Legend 1: The Tomb of King Chu You, The Tomb Raider's Legend 2: The Misty Marshes of Yunmeng, The Tomb Raider's Legend 3: The Divine Turkic Coffin, The Tomb Raider's Legend 4: The Sacred Bones of Kunlun, The Tomb Raider's Legend 5: The Ancient Tomb at the Earth's Core, and The Tomb Raider's Legend 6: The Border Town of Tomb Raiders. 202Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 48 Case Files of Unusual Investigations 异案调查录 Throughout the vast world, from ancient times to the present, there have always been mysterious events that humans cannot explain. And there is a group of people who endure countless hardships in their pursuit of the truth. The cases they investigate are all considered paranormal… 501Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 49 I Have a Ghostly Wife 我有鬼娇妻 [Mystery] [Comedy] Have you ever experienced something like this? I mean, asking for a wife at the bottom of a dry well! I live in a small village in the mountains, cut off from the outside world. No outsiders have visited in hundreds of years. Maybe it's because of a curse, but no baby girls have ever been born in our village. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Master of Exorcism 镇邪先生 These days, there aren't many people with real skills left. I've been in this line of work for more than ten years, dealing with the dead every day. Carrying corpses, painting faces, stitching skin, keeping watch, probing the water, digging graves, performing rites, guiding spirits, and sealing coffins. My grandfather told me I could retire at thirty. But I cast a fortune for myself, and learned that I only have thirty years to live. With what little time I have left, I'll tell you all about my 20Reads7.4Score—14d adds
