Novels like Tales from the Folkways of Northeast China
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Tales from the Folkways of Northeast China, best match first.
- 1 Secrets of Spirit Mediums: Incense-Bearing Rituals and Journeys Between Worlds 出马秘闻：顶香出马，走阴串阳 Cultivating immortality requires a destined connection to the Immortal Path, and every immortal has a master to recommend them. Masters roam far and wide, and miraculous powers appear when one falls from grace and passes the imperial examinations. Born in the 1990s, I once thought I had a bright future ahead of me. But one strange thing after another began happening, and all my ambitions came to nothing. Then someone pointed out that I was meant to become a spirit medium and serve the spirits. F 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Immortal Hall's Secret Records 仙堂秘录 The tales of the northeastern spirit mediums are widely known, but have you ever heard of someone serving as a medium for a “Dragon Immortal”? From childhood, I was a walking calamity, born under the sign of Yinghuo and beset by a fiery catastrophe. By a twist of fate, the immortals chose me as their medium. This immortal is not one of the “Five Great Immortal Clans.” She looks sweet and adorable, but she is actually a young dragon from the Heavenly Lake of Changbai Mountain! On the day we estab 111Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Ghost Stories of Lingbei 岭北鬼事 Paper effigies return from the dead, and people are murdered and dismembered. Graves are dug up, and ghosts appear in the dead of night. Every terrifying, bizarre, shocking, and gruesome story you can imagine can all be found in this book, Tales of the Lingbei Ghosts…!!! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Bullying Me? You Really Think a Spirit Medium Is a Soft Touch? 霸凌我？真当出马仙是软柿子啊 I got into a university in the city after growing up in the countryside. Before I left, Grandpa gave me a wooden sword and told me to keep it with me at all times, even when I slept. With an outfit this strange, the aunties thought I was practicing tai chi, and my roommates thought I was a cosplayer. The campus belle made fun of me, and the campus bully picked on me... Until the freshman bonfire party. I stood beside the fire, reciting an ancient spell to summon spirit mediums, as the shadow of 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 A ’70s Housewife Unexpectedly Becomes a Spirit Medium! 一个70后家庭妇女竟然出马了！ An ordinary housewife steps out of her chaotic life with her child and into the mystical world of spirit mediumship. She opens the door to a whole new world. The author draws on her own experiences, sharing knowledge of spirit mediumship that she has understood and compiled herself. Some events in the story are fictionalized or exaggerated as needed. Part of the material is drawn from the internet. Please do not imitate anything in the story in real life. All names are pseudonyms. I hope we can 161Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 6 Spirit Mediums Beyond the Pass: Making a New World in the Internet Age 关内出马：互联网时代闯出新天地 The Hu and Huang spirits never cross Shanhai Pass, but I'm a spirit medium for the new era, and I'm going to venture out! So I crossed Shanhai Pass, stepped into the world of the internet, and entered a world unlike any other... A brave spirit medium fears no hardship! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Northeast Dragon and Phoenix Hall: This Spirit Medium Is a Little Unhinged 东北龙凤堂，这个弟马有点癫 The Ma family of the Northeast practices an occupation steeped in mystery. I've been at it from the age of fifteen to twenty-five: ten years honing my craft, though I haven't exactly honed it quickly. This book will be updated as things happen, and I'll share some of my experiences from these years. Discussion is welcome. Here's the important part!!! To anyone who wants to hurl insults: you definitely won't win that contest with me. To anyone who disparages the profession: go ahead. Things reall 190Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Strange Tales from Northeast China 东北民间诡异故事 A demolished Changxian Temple, the eerie Little South Mountain, a great fox who came to visit, the person behind the resurrection of paper effigies, a wronged female ghost come to call, a full-term fetus dead in the womb. Tell me, am I the one telling the stories, or am I a character in one? 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Reopening the Dojo for Her | I Offer Immortal Blood to Save the World 为她重开堂口|我以仙血祭苍生 I’ll Reopen the Lodge for Her | I Offer Immortal Blood to the Common Folk —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Urban Ghost Stories: The Allure of Jinguan City 都市怪谈，魅力锦官城 Beneath the night sky, Jincheng sheds its glamorous facade, and one by one, its hidden horrors emerge. Eerie sobbing echoes through an old alley for no reason. A mysterious shadow keeps appearing in an apartment. Strange lights flicker on in a bustling shopping mall in the dead of night... How many terrifying secrets lie hidden in this captivating city? Open the story and uncover the truth behind its urban legends. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 I Became a Spirit Medium in the Village 我在村里出马仙 At midnight, the incense ash at the village entrance always forms the two characters for “weekend.” Inside the yellowed notebook Grandpa left behind is half a bloodstained birth chart. He thought the village’s “immortals” were showing their power, until the kitchen cleaver sharpened itself and clawed shadows covered the window paper. Those so-called “blessings” were actually sacrifices meant to claim his life. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 Autobiography of a Northeastern Spirit Medium 东北出马仙自传 A strip of red cloth, three chi and three cun long. The elders and immortals of the old shrine ride with us. One day, we’ll emerge from the mountains and make our name known across the land, passed down by countless families! A young Northeastern man devoted to the occult will open the door to its mysteries for you, and introduce you to the secret traditions of the Ma family and esoteric Buddhism. What? How did you know I belong to the Dragon-Phoenix Shrine? 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 My Cat Is a Cultivator 我家有只修仙猫 The older generation always says cats don’t live past six and dogs don’t live past eight. They say that once cats and dogs reach that age, they start exhibiting strange, supernatural behaviors. And the cat in my house... "Do you have any fava beans? I need eighty-one of them." "You can talk?" "I need eighty-one fava beans." Later, a wandering old Taoist priest said that my old cat had an affinity for immortality, and needed fava beans to cultivate... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 I Was Forced to Take the Spirit-Channeling Seat Too 我也被迫出堂了 The protagonist, Zhang Muchen, lives in a small county in northern China. His childhood is plagued by one disaster after another. His story isn’t exactly bizarre, but it is full of twists and hardships. After passing through trials of love, wealth, and life itself, he is eventually forced to open a spirit altar and read fortunes. He thought things would go smoothly from then on, but instead he faced one ordeal after another... This book is based on the author’s personal experiences. All names ha 494Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 15 A Night Journey in Red Embroidery: A Republic-Era Record of Supernatural Tales 红绣夜行，民国仙家诡事簿 In 1934, amid the turbulent clash between old and new ideas in the territory controlled by the Fengtian warlords beyond the Shanhai Pass, Yin-Yang Alley in western Changchun was lined with pawnshops, coffin shops, and incense and candle stores. Smoke rose without pause from the temple of Lord Hu San at the end of the alley. Spirit mediums had to pass the "Three Trials" and forge blood pacts with the five spirit clans: fox, weasel, hedgehog, snake, and rat. In this war-torn age, vengeful ghosts r 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 The Path of the Spirit Medium 出马这条路 The path of spirit-mediumship is hard, difficult every step of the way. I'm very grateful to all the readers who follow Million-Dollar General Store. A debut is bound to have a few flaws. I'll do my best to improve and correct them. 303Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 17 The Realm’s Boundaries 域界之方圆 The path of cultivation has always defied heaven itself. As for the strange, unknown things encountered by spirit mediums, which science and the naked eye cannot explain, how can they be dismissed in just a few words? I’ve been reading the signs through incense for nine years. Along the way, I’ve tasted every kind of joy and sorrow, experienced the warmth and coldness of human nature, and seen plenty of scheming and rivalry. I’ve read so many stories that I’ve come to disagree with some of them, 33Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 18 My Rise to Immortality in the Mortal World 我在人间之出道仙 You think I’m writing a story, but what I’m really writing about is my own misadventures. A realistic, documentary-style novel about a spirit medium making their debut. This is not a wish-fulfillment story. The main plot follows the male lead as he undertakes missions, guides spirits to their final resting places, fights demons, and heals the sick and saves lives. The novel also introduces many disciples who are connected to the male lead… Every divination has a source. Realism + documentary-sty 437Reads8.4Score4814d adds
- 19 Matriarchy: Crown Prince from the Start, So What If I Like Handsome Men? 女尊：开局太子，喜欢美男怎么了 [Matriarchal society + strong female lead and female-centered story + no anti-woman language + one woman with multiple male partners + soul transmigration + all male characters are virgins + women bear children (men suffer harm) + some dog-training + women in the spotlight + men’s palace intrigue + political scheming + career-building] (The handsome men and political scheming get equal page time, with plenty of everyday interactions with other women too.) By a twist of fate, Jiang Yuanyuan, a hi 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 War God Di Xuan Helps the Dragon Clan Return to Its Peak 战神帝玄助龙族重回巅峰 The War God Di Xuan helps the Dragon Clan return to its former glory. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 I Exorcise Yin and Yang in the City 我在都市禳解阴阳 [Folk magic] + [Mystery] + [Modern supernatural tales] + [Strange stories] + [No System] + [Urban] + [Senior female apprentice] + [Frequent updates]. Not for the faint of heart. Set in a modern city, this is a folk supernatural novel about the young sorcerer Chen Yan and university professor Su Jin as they solve a series of paranormal cases. They have the guidance of his martial uncle, Master Zhao, and the help of his childhood friend, Zhang Hai. Chen Yan inherited a little of his family's eso 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Northeastern Spirit Medium's Journal 东北出马笔记 From the day I was born, vengeful spirits surrounded our gate. The old immortal said I had a spiritual altar within me and would have to survive three life-and-death trials. If I made it through, I could establish my altar and serve as a spirit medium. If I didn’t, I would be doomed beyond redemption. My fate had been sealed long ago… 1Reads—Score114d adds
- 23 Lin Wei’s Journey Through the Dark World 林维的暗面世界之旅 After transmigrating into a history that has become unrecognizable, I find myself at the height of a dynasty's power. I had hoped for a peaceful life, protecting my wife and daughter. But the world is on the brink of collapse, and disaster could strike at any moment. The world is a furnace, and my heart is a copper pellet. Even as centuries fly by like arrows, I ask just one thing: can I find peace of mind? —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Someone Remembers 有人记得 “The old elf tells his past from the branches, while the young elf beneath the tree writes his future.” After Leon hears everything Eld tells him, he, too, will become the next Eld, the next... aged elder. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Strange Tales of Spirit Mediums 出马仙异闻 In the lands of the Northeast, amid the dark forests, mysterious tales of spirit mediums have been passed down since ancient times. The five great spirit clans, the Hu, Huang, Chang, Mang, and Bei, have cultivated for thousands of years, choosing humans to serve as their mediums. Through mortal bodies, they walk the world, exorcising evil, upholding justice, and accumulating merit to become immortals. Those chosen by the spirits, known as spirit disciples, bear a fated burden. They move between —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 My Grandma Is a Spirit Medium 我的奶奶是个出马仙 Ever since I can remember, I would mysteriously fall ill. The adults would put me in a little room at my grandmother’s house. The walls were covered with yellow paper charms, and the table was lined with incense burners. I had no idea what any of it was, but in that room, I felt as if many people were keeping me company, and the pain would ease. It wasn’t until I grew up that I learned my grandmother was a spirit medium from Northeast China. I’ve collected some of her experiences and brought the 108Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 This Chuma Immortal Is Too Vicious 这个出马仙太凶狠了 My father had never once imagined, even as an adult, that he would have a child. Then one day, I came into the world and shattered that age-old belief for good. The thing is, I was born frail and sickly. It was only thanks to Chang Er Ye taking possession of me that I survived in this world. This is my extraordinary tale of spirit-medium tricks and supernatural dealings... 76Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Sun Wuji of the Northeastern Immortal Sect 东北仙门孙无极 The Northeast Ma Xian series: Sun Wuji, a disciple of the Immortal Sect, is born to face a tribulation and is the chosen one. He endures trial after trial, forging a path to invincibility and reaching the supreme pinnacle of the Immortal Sect. 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 A Northeast Chinese Spirit Medium 东北一出马仙 Pangu split heaven and earth, dividing yin from yang. Nuwa’s great deeds shook the eight directions. Kuafu chased the sun and transformed the world of men. Gonggong, enraged, rammed into Mount Buzhou. Fuxi devised the Eight Trigrams. Shennong tasted every herb and flower. The Yan Emperor struck stone to make fire. The war god Xingtian brandished his weapons. The Yellow Emperor battled Chiyou, who fell in death. The gods knew of Jingwei, who filled the sea. Houyi drew his divine bow and shot down 4.2kReads8.8Score16614d adds
- 30 Notes from a Century-Old Spirit Medium’s Hall 百年堂口出马笔记 When I was seven, I accidentally discovered a secret that had been locked away in my grandfather's drawer for decades. From that moment on, my life was never ordinary again. The spirit hall passed down in my family for centuries chose me as its incense-bearing disciple. During those decades of silence, the world outside changed beyond recognition. But the story of me and all the immortals in the hall was only just beginning. How will these once-mighty immortals, with my guidance, accumulate meri 107Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 31 An Unorthodox Spirit Medium 野路子出马仙 My father found a treasure while searching the mountains, but the villagers killed him for it. To avenge him, I went to the Five Immortals Temple and summoned five wild spirits. That was how I embarked on an extraordinary path as a spirit medium... 142Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 A Collection of Strange Tales of Immortal Feuds 仙仇诡事集 [Comedy] + [Mild horror] + [Two male leads] + [A different story in each episode] I’m not a professional writer. I’m mainly here to tell stories, so please bear with my writing! Other people form bonds with immortals. I’m different. I made enemies with immortals… When I was thirteen and didn’t know any better, I killed a snake with a hoe. Later, while playing with my friends, I went catching rats in the rice paddies and accidentally caught a weasel worshipping the moon. As luck would have it, I 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Northeastern Spirit Medium: The Yellow Weasel Mourns the Dead 东北出马仙：黄仙哭丧 My dad beat a weasel to death. That night, outside our house, ghosts wailed and countless yellow weasels mourned... A three-foot red sash draped over the body, four beams and eight pillars forming a ladder to heaven. Three great roads meet in the center; nine sticks of incense honor the immortals and gods. The sky grows dark, chaos reigns in every direction. Whenever an age falls into turmoil, demons and evil spirits emerge, wearing human faces and worming their way into the halls of power. Some 156Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 34 My Life as a Spirit Medium 我当出马仙的那些事 What do people imagine a spirit medium does? Reads incense, or dances and sings? Tells you to run up the mountain and bind your acupoints? Or summons a whole army? The spirit mediums here are different from those in the Northeast! He doesn't need any spirit tablets or ancestral kings. He's an enforcer of the Underworld! He was reincarnated for the sake of one person alone. His previous life spent thousands of years laying plans, only for everything to come to nothing! 46Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 My Wife Is a Half-Immortal 我的媳妇是半仙 [Slow burn] The story takes place in a quiet, peaceful little town where the people are simple and kind, and neighbors are close. The male protagonist is an ordinary local who leads an uneventful life. His wife, however, is known by everyone as a “half-immortal” for her extraordinary intuition and unusual way of handling everyday matters. 1Reads—Score114d adds
- 36 I Dug Up My Own Ancestral Grave, and My Ancestors Praised My Filial Piety 自掘祖坟，祖宗夸我真孝顺 [The author personally researched crematoria, funeral homes, and cemeteries on site. Every professional detail in the story is crafted for authenticity.] [Traditional supernatural horror + no mindless wish fulfillment + Taoist arts and feng shui + a little wordplay + humor and comedy mixed with terror and suspense] [A veteran author who has focused on supernatural fiction for years. Check the author’s page for completed and highly rated works. Quality guaranteed, so read with confidence.] As a d 4Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 37 The Grandmaster's Little Darling 祖师爷的小宝贝儿 ★ True stories of real paranormal events! ★ The trials and tribulations of more than a decade spent seeking the Dao as a spirit medium! ★ Tales of battling through every obstacle to fight evil mediums and wicked immortals! I’m sharing my own experiences and what I’ve learned, hoping to help those who are meant to find this book! I agonized over writing this, since I’ve never written anything before and I’m no great scholar. So I lit incense and asked my patriarch for guidance. He told me not to 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 Strange Tales of Northeast China's Spirit Mediums 东北出马诡闻录 Ever since I inherited Grandma’s old incense lineage, I’ve encountered far too many supernatural incidents. I don’t just help the living with their problems, I also help the dead and the ghosts... People say ghosts are terrifying, but they’re the ones with true feeling. They repay kindness with kindness and settle grudges in kind. They’re far better than people. Then, as my cultivation grew stronger, I saw the true face of another world, and what I witnessed left me deeply shaken. Do you want to 152Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 39 The Last Spirit Medium 最后一个出马先生 For years, I went unnoticed amid the bustle of the city. Then one day, I made my debut, and the whole world knew my name. My name is Yan Youli, and I'm a shaman. Punishing evil, promoting good, cultivating myself, and helping others: those are my principles. Vengeful spirits, wicked fiends, ferocious beasts, and even beautiful women from the underworld: why are they all coming after me? The last shaman takes you into the wondrous world hidden behind traditional culture! 13Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 40 We're Reborn, So What Is There to Regret? 都重生了，谁还会遗憾啊 Liu Mingcheng returns to his high school days in 2009, standing once more at the many crossroads of his life. What choices will he make? Will he choose the adorable goddess Jiang Qingwan or the sweet, slightly ditzy Xu Qinghe? How will the battle between the two Qings finally end? This is the story of an ordinary country boy with a deep love for his country. Rising from humble beginnings, he seizes the opportunities of the times and climbs, step by step, to the pinnacle of life... 80Reads—Score414d adds
- 41 The Gods' Ballad 神明的诗谣 When poetry can awaken the sleeping unknown, and melodies can unlock sealed histories, a boy who can hear the voices of all things is driven out of Qinglan by the shadows of Shangjing. Traveling with him are a noble young woman who wields a sword in search of her sister, and a boyhood friend who claims to fear death but never backs down. In this world, poetry is more than just poetry. Swords, bows, spears, and flutes can all carry its spirit. A single line of ancient verse can set water and fi 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 The Spirit Medium's Revelation 出马仙启示录 I’m a shamanic practitioner from Northeast China, also known as a great immortal. These days, so many people get scammed and end up buried in debt, then go mad. It really worries me, though I also think they’re foolish. I’ll share my own experiences and stories from fellow practitioners to talk about Northeast China’s shamanic tradition, and warn people not to get scammed. (For special reasons, I can’t be too direct with ordinary readers, so I’ll express things obliquely.) 6Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 43 Northeast Spirit Medium: My Years as the King of Tragedy 东北出马之我当悲王那些年 (Traditional supernatural fiction, not a wish-fulfillment story, no cultivation, parallel storylines for a man and a woman. Don't try the spells in this book; this story is entirely fictional!) After dying on the street while trying to help someone, Zhang Daoxuan became a lonely ghost. He thought his only hope was to find a substitute and then reincarnate in the underworld. But through a twist of fate, he became a shamanic spirit medium. With my left hand, I push open the yin-yang gate; with my 224Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 44 I’m a Spirit Medium in the Northeast 我在东北当顶香师 “Heaven has thirty-three layers, Earth has three feet and three halls. I walk the yin road, descend to the Underworld, and am a spirit medium from Northeast China.” My name is Ye Ling. My life was ordinary until I turned twenty-one. Then my grandmother died of an illness, and I began having nightmares every night and seeing ghosts all the time. I even gained some kind of special ability. I went to see a fortune-teller, who told me I couldn’t leave this county for three years and had to sit in 242Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 45 My Strange Spirit-Medium Life 我的诡异出马人生 I'm Xiao Ming. I live in an ordinary family in Northeast China, where my parents run a business. I'm introverted, and because I'm overweight, my classmates mock and ostracize me at school. “Look at that fatso. What a freak!” “He's a loser.” Their words made me feel inferior and depressed. At home, Mom was gentle but controlling. After Dad got involved with Buddhist teachings, he was always lecturing us, and his temper was unpredictable. Their love left me feeling suffocated. I have a special sen 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 A Practical Guide to Spirit Mediumship 出马仙实务手札 Dongshan, a former journalist, stumbles by chance into the fantastical world of Northeast China's chuma xian spirit mediums. Is it fate playing a trick, or destiny bringing things together? With an objective pen, he records strange and uncanny events as they really happen. Guaranteed to be true, this is a practical guide to understanding a parallel world. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 The Spirit Medium 通灵出马仙 Everyone knows that in the three northeastern provinces beyond the passes, people worship the “Five Great Immortals,” but few know that the “Outer Five Immortal Halls” also exist among the dark mountains and pale waters. The “Outer Five Immortal Halls” are the Bear, Tiger, Wolf, Eagle, and Centipede. They were once fierce and untamed wild spirits. Only after the Bear Immortal, “Black Mama,” attained the Dao at Jiuding Tiesha Mountain and was appointed “Grand Protector of the Northeastern Taoist 6Reads5.8Score—14d adds
- 48 The Northeast Spirit Medium's Hall 东北出马堂口 The Zhang family’s spirit-medium clan in Northeast China, from the works of Northern Little Master. A reader of qi can determine life and death through qi, and distinguish yin from yang through the eyes. The old clan’s people and its spiritual encampment, five armies marching forward. When the sun breaks through, fame follows; when the immortals descend, the incense burns bright. A lineage passed down through two branches and three generations, with more than a decade of professional experience. 24Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 49 I Met a Northeastern Immortal in Hebei 在河北遇到东北仙 Because of his unusual fate, Zhang Yang kept running into all kinds of strange things before he turned eighteen. As a child, he helped his mother work in the fields. Whenever she set him down by the ridge, a white shadow would circle around him. On his way home from evening study at primary school, he once ran into an acquaintance who had died earlier that afternoon. When he was twelve, he made a bunch of wild guesses while telling someone's fortune, and every single one came true. Thinking he m 73Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 50 The Horse-Riding Immortal: Revelation 2 出马仙启示录2 I am a spirit-medium myself. This novel is written in a loosely narrative style, and my writing isn't particularly polished, but I only write about the most authentic experiences I've had as a spirit-medium. I won't dress things up with empty talk; I'll stick to the facts and share what I've learned over the past few years. This line of work is so chaotic now, and many people have been taken for a ride until their families fell apart. I wrote this book to help aspiring spirit-medium apprentices —Reads—Score—14d adds
