Novels like Number One Under Heaven
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Number One Under Heaven, best match first.
- 1 Reckless Youth: No Way Back from the Jianghu 放肆青春之江湖不归路 My name is Wang Hao. Because I was a coward, I transferred to Chenghua, where I met five brothers who shared my hardships and stood by me through thick and thin! We went from being bullied to ruling the school, going through so much and making so many sacrifices together. With one foot still at school and the other already stepping into the underworld, what happens in the end? Let me tell you the story! P.S. The story is set around 2006, and all the major characters are adults. (The ages, educat 509Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Decades in the Underworld: From Hidden Dragon to King 黑道十几年之潜蛟成王 [Not a wish-fulfillment story] [Follow a small-time student thug as he climbs step by step to the top of the underworld] [Not too serious, entertainment comes first!] In a forgotten corner of the city stood a notorious school: Municipal Third Songmu Middle School, known as “Third Songmu.” It was no ordinary academy, but a miniature jungle where hidden talents lurked and the weak were preyed upon. Beneath its peaceful facade, conflict churned like an underground current, and fighting was its eter 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Reborn: I Went on a Killing Spree in the Underworld 重生后我在黑道大开杀戒 [Everyday urban life + wild imagination + powerful lead + scheming + reborn + billionaire + thrilling and suspenseful + laugh-out-loud comedy + invincible face-slapping + underworld + big boss] Li Wei’s family is hounded by loan sharks until their lives are destroyed. Fleeing for his life, Li Wei loses his footing and falls to his death from the 21st floor. To his surprise, Li Wei is reborn as Mo Lingfeng, the son of the billionaire Mo Xiaotian. He gets his revenge using underworld methods. Afte 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Peerless Dragon Soul 绝世龙魂 A passionate tale of a student, a nobody who loves life, fighting his way forward and crushing every enemy. Once I set foot on this thorny road, I was destined to fight to the bitter end. I will have the world bow to me alone! 781Reads7.0Score10314d adds
- 5 King in My Youth 年少称王 We were young then, and always imagined the future would be wonderful. As it turns out, other people’s stories are only a guide… 209Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 A Disciple of the Generation 一代门徒 In the 2000s, we entered a new century. Tower after tower rose from the ground, and people moved from a simple, kindhearted world to one filled with complicated struggles of human nature. The times changed and taught us so much, so very much. We also lost so much, so very much... 109Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Leaving the Fortieth Parallel 离开北纬四十度 I fell from the capital to the bottom of the school food chain in a county town. Three years of humiliation forged my courage and won me brothers. I fought fire with fire. It looked like I had won, but in the end, all I could do was flee in disgrace. There are no heroes in this story, only a survivor who refused to remain a victim. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Zhou Bufan’s Road to a Triumphant Rise in the Underworld 周不凡的黑道逆袭路 [No dogs are harmed in this book.] [This book is based on real events. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.] A hopeless case? A pushover anyone can pick on? When Zhou Bufan, once trampled underfoot, enters the chaotic North City covered in scars, all he wants is to keep his head down. But in this wretched world, even staying alive is too much to hope for! When fists rain down on him again, when his dignity is crushed once more, he can’t take it anymore. He won’t take it anymore! “Either live —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Reborn: A Hundred Million in Breakup Money? I'll Make My Comeback 重生：一亿分手费？我要逆袭了 [Reborn] + [Lighthearted Comedy] + [Patience] + [Play the pig to eat the tiger] + [Face-slapping] + [No System] + [Decisive and ruthless] Chen Feng, a small-business owner who went bankrupt in his previous life, is reborn in the early twentieth century with an extraordinary identity. His ex-wife is immensely wealthy. From the start, she tosses him a bank card with 100 million yuan on it, smacking Chen Feng's handsome face, but sets a daily spending limit of just 5,000 yuan. Chen Feng secretly sw 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Huh? The Underworld System Begins with a Heartfelt Duet on the Rooftop 啊？黑道系统从天台深情对唱开始 [System + underworld gangs + one female lead + absurd humor] “I am sworn enemies with the underworld System...” [Host, what did you say?] “Uh, I said I’m happy to share the same sky with you.” —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Restless Youth 躁动少年 My name is Lin Yi. In middle school, I used to throw my weight around alongside the big brother I looked up to. But when I entered high school, I got beaten to a pulp. After meeting a group of dependable brothers, we started out at school and swore to conquer this ruthless city. As our influence grew and we grew stronger, we were drawn into a series of events we'd never had any contact with before. 168Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 I Tore Open the City's Dark Curtain 我撕开了都市黑幕 [Ensemble cast + underworld] This isn’t a power fantasy or a mindless story. Every character is fleshed out, and there are no absolute heroes or villains. People can be good and evil alike. All that matters is human nature and self-interest. If that bothers you, don’t read. A seemingly ordinary workplace dispute pushes a group of everyday people into the eye of the storm. Caught in the depths of this vast, dark whirlpool, where will they go from here? —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Wolf Hunt 狼狩 Lin Qiwen watches his honest, hardworking parents get beaten right before his eyes. As a boy, he’s falsely accused and sent to juvenile detention. Five years later, he walks out and stirs up the underworld. Revenge is only the beginning. He wants far more than that. Watch Lin Qiwen climb step by step to the very peak of power! 624Reads6.6Score10214d adds
- 14 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 4.7kReads7.1Score19314d adds
- 15 He and His Thousand Brothers 他和他的一千个兄弟 A sweeping crackdown on organized crime by the municipal Party committee and government brought Kangcheng ten years of peace. But after a decade, criminal forces sprang up like mushrooms after rain and returned in force. A breakup, having his identity stolen in the college entrance exam, and a construction boss’s schemes led Chen Li’an to give up on making an honest living. In the end, he went down a path of no return, turning against society. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 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
- 17 I'm a Hoodlum: Two Strokes, One Vertical, That's How We Do Things! 老子是流氓，两横一竖就是干！ “Hello, my name is Fang Xiu. The ‘Xiu’ in ‘to the bitter end’!” In this bloody underworld where people prey on one another, Fang Xiu is swept against his will into one whirlpool after another! Only after stepping into it does he realize that the underworld is a bottomless vat of dye, filled with schemes, treachery, and betrayal! By the time he wants to turn back, he’s already sunk deep into the mire, with no way out! All he has left are the few brothers at his side, standing shoulder to shoulder 39Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 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
- 19 Who Can Rival Me? Ruling the Four Seas 谁与争锋：纵横四海 A fan-fiction sequel to the original novel No Good: Who Can Stand Against Me, written by Fuqin de Ren. This is a new story set after Chapter 2007 of the original. All the unresolved threads in the original’s romance plot will be answered here. 21.5kReads8.3Score1.2k14d adds
- 20 Bad Boy: The Sequel to No Rules, No Limits 不良之无法无天续写 Our youth was bold and unruly, and in our reckless years, brotherhood always came first! The martial world was full of excitement, but also rife with bloodshed, schemes, and deceit! Brothers stood by each other through life and death, but there was no shortage of backstabbing and betrayal! Loyalty endured with righteous strength, but even heroes could fall short and meet an untimely end! Power could make you stand above the crowd, but it also brought drunken excess and the ruin of everything you 1.2kReads—Score—14d adds
- 21 The Toughest Man in Yunnan 云滇第一狠人 {Urban Fiction + Power Fantasy + Nonstop Action} In high school, an accident landed me in prison for five years. Thanks to the guidance of a benefactor, I got out and worked my way up from nothing. Build big! Rise again! Rule Yunnan! 445Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 22 The Reckless Youth: A Passionate Heart 不良之热血方刚 Underworld + school life + passion + brotherhood + supremacy struggles + multiple heroines One day, I’ll rise like a dragon and conquer the underworld in a river of blood. Through flashing blades and piles of bones, I’ll stand at the front to shield my brothers. Shen Xiao, a freshman in high school, looked so frail that on his first day, a teacher made an example of him in front of the whole class. After class, he went to the restroom. As soon as he stepped out of a stall, he was kicked to the f 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 The Jianghu of Those Years 那些年的江湖 Quiet! Class is about to begin!!! At Uncle Two's shout, the hall and the streets packed with people fell completely silent. Just then, the young crowd parted, making way without being told. Wen Hua walked through, hearing his brothers call out to him as he passed. “Brother Hua!” “Greetings, Brother Hua.” 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Urban Mad Dragon: A True Dragon Fears No River Crossing 都市狂龙：不是猛龙不过江 [Business Warfare + Powerhouse + Underworld + Livestreaming + No System + No Rebirth] Zhao Yichen, the undisputed king of Feicheng's underworld, is hunted by two mysterious forces… He is on the brink of death, lying in a pool of blood, when Xiao Mo, general manager of Brilliant Media, rescues him. From then on, Zhao Yichen conceals his identity and takes a job as a lowly security guard at Brilliant Media. After the Three Little Animals set them up, Brilliant Media is caught in a scandal over 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 The Arrogant Bad Boy 不良之嚣张 His name is Xiao Zhangyu, but beneath his brash name lies nothing but silence. Xiao Zhangyu is a rural transfer student whose flashy name belies his quiet nature. At his new school in an unfamiliar city, he fades into the background like a transparent shadow. Introverted, sensitive, and poor with words, he is an outsider on the fringes of the class. Even his humble crush on his deskmate, the school beauty Tan Feifei, is something he can only bury deep in his heart. A clash at an internet cafe ma 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 Those Were the Days: My Life in the Underworld 那些年，混过的日子 Sleeping rough and braving the elements are just part of life. Clashing blades and exchanging blows can put old grudges to rest. Brothers are heaven, brothers are earth. With brothers, you can stand tall between heaven and earth. Brothers are the wind, brothers are the rain. With brothers, you can summon the wind and call down the rain. Based on real events, this novel commemorates the years we spent getting into trouble together and pays tribute to the youth of those born in the 1980s. End 1.3kReads6.4Score10914d adds
- 27 Starting in High School, I Conquer the Underworld 从高校开始，制霸江湖风云 [Hot-Blooded Battles] + [Revenge] + [The Underworld] + [Brotherhood] There are no tears in a blood-soaked underworld. Status and money are the source of all savage violence. Born in the mud, you have to smash your way out with your own flesh and blood. A letter from his father reveals a blood feud that has been buried for eighteen years. Chu Yuan transfers to a delinquent school called Longyin, a place rife with savage violence, divided among warring factions, where the strong prey on the weak a 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 The Jianghu in Its True Colors 江湖本色 [New book: River Dragon on the Loose] Many years ago, a group of cocky young boys smoked cigarettes that cost just a few yuan a pack and talked big about their dreams. Longing for the day they would grow up, they shouted, “Our future is bright!” Looking back in an instant, the old street is still there, and the stars shine as they always did. But are the brothers from those days still the same? A man remains a boy until the day he dies! Just like youthful passion, it may cool, but it never dies! 982Reads7.2Score10214d adds
- 29 How the Bad Guy Was Made 2: The New Generation 坏蛋是怎样炼成的2：新世代 Ten years ago, Xie Wendong led the Wendong Association in sweeping through the underworld, bringing both the black and white worlds to heel. A decade later, the times have changed. Guns and blades have given way to capital, technology, and the dark web as the new battlegrounds. Just as the Wendong Association was going all-in on its transformation, Jiang Sen was assassinated, dark web forces began lurking in the city, and old allies suddenly returned. Under the surging undercurrents, a new gener 6.7kReads6.9Score65814d adds
- 30 Bloodsoaked Underworld: Gangland Storm 浴血江湖之黑道风云 By a stroke of fate, Wang Tian embarked on an extraordinary path: the road of the underworld! An older brother who was like a father and mentor, and five brothers who would share life and death with him. He has been gravely wounded and left on the brink of death, and he has also enjoyed immense wealth and a life of extravagance! This is the story of an ordinary man’s hard-won rise, a cry of defiance from those at the bottom! Wang Tian is determined to create a legendary life! P.S. Wang Tian and 20Reads—Score10614d adds
- 31 Tales of Mingsia 名夏往事 Step into the darkness, for survival, ambition, or revenge. Here, violence is the only language, and the line between loyalty and betrayal is razor-thin. He will climb the rungs of power in blood, carving out a path on the chessboard of power from which there is no turning back. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Let the Young Be Wild 任少年轻狂 Multiple heroines + brotherhood + no System + a little cathartic wish fulfillment Lin Chen is beaten up by the school beauty’s thug of a brother just for looking at her one too many times in class. I will never give in. Push an honest man too far, and he becomes even more terrifying. 42Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 No One in the Underworld Hasn't Heard of Yu Chengfei 不良之无人不识宇城飞 [Bad Boys: The Reckless Years] [Passionate] [Underworld] [Youth] [First Person] [Yu Chengfei] [Wang Hao] Everyone wants to get the better of me? They say outsiders have a hard time at the vocational college? I’ll show you what a legend looks like! What secrets did my father and Uncle Wang once share? Why am I so drawn to the underworld? It turns out the blood running through my veins has always destined me for greatness. The king of the underworld in Beiyuan City? That’s only the beginning of my 9.6kReads—Score45314d adds
- 34 Passionate Youth: The Bad Boy's Sweet Bond 热血青春：坏坏小子的甜蜜羁绊 A rebellious bad boy with an unruly streak spends his passionate youth dancing on the edge of defiance. Then, by chance, he forms a sweet bond with the person fate has chosen for him. From then on, his world is no longer all reckless abandon. He begins to change so he can protect that bond. On the stage of youth, headstrong passion meets the gentle pull of sweetness, weaving a moving story filled with laughter and tears, growth and transformation. Come experience a different kind of fiery youth. 57Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 The Thug Gets Out of Prison 暴徒出狱 Before I went to prison, I was a big shot everyone feared. After getting out, I wanted to live a different kind of life. I just wanted to be an ordinary person, live a quiet life, and work hard to make money. I was ready to let bygones be bygones. But I wanted to let them go, and they kept pushing me. So I had no choice but to fight back with everything I had. 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Tales of the Second High School 二中之风云往事 For all three years of middle school, my whole class ostracized me. Second-year students cornered and humiliated me, and everyone treated me like trash and walked all over me. They thought I was weak and easy to bully, but they didn’t know that a boy backed into a corner has nothing left to lose. From this day on, I’ll give my life to anyone who protects me, and pay back anyone who bullies me twice over. This isn’t a novel. It’s the bloody path of my youth, the one I truly walked. “My name is Ba 258Reads—Score10914d adds
- 37 The Rise and Fall of a Nobody 混子风云 [Adult-themed story] [Ensemble cast] [Not mindless] No saintly protagonist, no System Are his parents' divorce the final straw that breaks Li Qian? Absolutely not. His ambition will drive him ever higher. If nobody believes in me, then I'll climb over their heads and become the king of Laicheng. This story does not promote violence in any way. We hope everyone will obey the law. Anyone who breaks the law will be severely punished. Society won't go easy on you. You alone are responsible for every 75Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 I Dabbled in the Underworld and Accidentally Reached the Top 黑道玩票，不小心混到了巅峰 (Underworld + passion + brotherhood) You want to force me to the top of the underworld? Then I’ll give you exactly what you want! I’ve weathered bloody storms! Walked through a hail of bullets! Been betrayed by brothers! Faced life and death with indifference! Endured every vicious scheme! I, Wang Dongsheng, will tear through the darkness and shatter every plot! I’ll lead my brothers to rise on this blood-soaked road! I only ever wanted to be a nobody, but you forced me to become a hyena bristli 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 A Generation’s Mad Tyrant 一代狂枭 “Hey, punk! You got the guts to tell me your name?!” “I’ll give it to you straight! Your grandpa’s Li Xiao! Li as in the wood-and-child Li, Xiao as in a great hero!” He’ll take a knife for his brothers! He’ll risk his life for the woman he loves! He knows when to yield and when to stand firm! He bears humiliation and carries heavy burdens! He never shows his enemies any mercy! Young and reckless, he pursues his dreams; full of ambition, he strives to achieve greatness! 156Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 40 Bad Boys: Who Can Stand Against Us? Huang Jie's Autobiography 不良之谁与争锋黄杰自传 [A Who Can Compete fanfiction told from Huang Jie’s point of view] Original novel by Fuqin De Ren “My name is Huang Jie. Huang as in the descendants of Yan and Huang, Jie as in one of the Ten Outstanding Young People.” The world calls me... the Emperor. I’m the boss of Overlord Authority, the voice of South Street, a member of the Red Flower Society, the Soul of China, and the Underground Emperor of the East. My brothers: Zuo Fei, Monkey, Zheng Wu, and Ma Jie. Wild and reckless in our youth, we 36Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Seventeen That Year: The Winner Takes All 那年十七之胜者为王 (Ensemble cast, passionate urban drama, school and underworld, sensible characters, major players in the later story) The bonds of youth are worth more than gold. Ride through the underworld, free to go wherever I please! What is youth? It's a byword for passion, growing up, and loyalty. I was bullied in middle school just because I was honest, well-behaved, and kindhearted. I thought it would all be behind me when I got into the best high school in the county. But on the first day of school, I 105Reads—Score10214d adds
- 42 The Black Son of Heaven 黑天子 [Realistic Underworld + Everyone Is Smart + First-Person] An unconventional workplace in a bygone era, where people deal in social connections as well as bloodshed. This “workplace” is hidden behind two veils. One is called the world beyond the law, and the other is called the underworld. My name is Chen Chunsheng, a survivor who experienced both worlds firsthand. 30Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 43 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.] 678Reads7.1Score10114d adds
- 44 Underworld Tales: From Prisoner to Underworld Legend! 黑道往事：从劳改犯到黑道传奇！ Bai Zimo was once a mighty special forces champion, but after being framed by a villain, he was wrongfully imprisoned for ten years. Three years into his sentence, a mysterious woman appeared and exposed a shocking conspiracy. She also made him a harsh offer: bring down and kill a crime boss within three months, and he could get out and take his revenge. No one expected Bai Zimo’s first targets after his release to be his own brother and sister-in-law! A thrilling battle in the shadows begins! 20Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 45 From Top Gaokao Scorer to Underworld Boss 从高考状元到黑道霸主 Those who hate me call me cold-blooded and heartless, Those who love me cry out for justice on my behalf, All this is destined on the road to success, No one can change it, this is a king’s fate. Destined, I will stand against this world, I will shock this world, I will change this world, I will conquer this world… 138Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 46 Seventh Brother on Campus 七哥在校园 Dragons have reverse scales, and touch them at your peril. Wolves have hidden spikes, and anyone who spies on them is doomed. Qi Wan is a young man with neither father nor mother, going from a freewheeling member of society to a student on campus. He gets caught up in one feud and tangled affair after another, stirring up storms of bloodshed. He once said, “If you can't even protect yourself, how can you talk about protecting others?” “Anyone who messes with me, I'll take them on! Let them kill 191Reads5.5Score—14d adds
- 47 Bad Boy: The Fearless Youth of Yu Chengfei 不良之年少轻狂之宇城飞 The story follows Yu Chengfei as he falls into one desperate situation after another, only to turn danger into safety each time! In the end, he and his neighbor’s younger brother, Wang Hao, become the most famous big shots in Beiyuan! Bad Boys: Young and Reckless 270Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 48 The Dragon City Kingpin 龙城枭雄 At the end of the last century, Longcheng was a haven for countless criminal gangs, and most of its people were driven onto a path of no return... In that era of flashing blades and bloody battles, a man named Yao Chutian unleashed a storm of bloodshed and chaos. 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 49 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, 2.4kReads7.3Score22114d adds
- 50 I Can Turn My Hand to Anything: Two Horizontal Strokes and One Vertical, That's How We Get Things Done 翻手为云：两横一竖就是干 My name is Wang Xiao, and my nickname is Xiao San’er. Those who respect me call me Third Brother. This book is dedicated to the youth I’ve lost and the days I once spent running with a rough crowd. A butterfly spends its life in love with flowers, wandering with their fragrance to the ends of the earth. Through countless hardships, I have no regrets about my golden years. 240Reads—Score—14d adds
