Novels like A Song for the Underworld
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as A Song for the Underworld, best match first.
- 1 Reckless Years, 轻狂岁月， The little brother I used to look down on has suddenly become the big boss... Chase the campus belle, take down the school bully! A legend in the west of the city is still a legend in the east! I, Chen Han, never hold a grudge, because I get my revenge the very same day! I charge across the battlefield for no reason but to live out my wild, reckless youth! —Reads—Score114d adds
- 2 Dongjiang County: The Invisible Hand 东江县：无形之手 Li Jing, deputy head of the provincial investigative team, has barely arrived in Dongjiang County when she encounters a bizarre case: Zhang Meng, a construction contractor, beat a man to death in the street, yet at trial the victim’s family all changed their testimony. In a rundown teahouse in town, she runs into the boy she secretly loved back in school. Now he stoops, his fingernails caked with tea stains. When Li Jing takes out the graduation photo she has treasured for years, a flicker of em 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Gusu's Dark Day: We Are the Kings of No. 15 High School 姑苏黑昼：我们才是十五中的天 Overnight, my family was slaughtered by the mysterious organization Ba Tian Pavilion. I transferred to Gusu No. 15 High School alone, wanting nothing more than to stay alive. But after I knocked out the so-called freshman-year bully with one punch at the dorm entrance, I was dragged into the whirlpool of the school’s hidden power struggles. At death’s door, my second brother, who was supposed to have died in Jinling, appeared before me as a sophomore and became the “cold-faced demon” feared by —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Twenty Years on the Edge of a Blade in Southwest Shandong 刀口之鲁西南二十载春秋 (First person, period setting, not a wish-fulfillment story, underworld) When I was young, I couldn't accept things as they were, so I resolutely set out on the path of the underworld. I thought the road ahead would be smooth, never realizing it would be even more treacherous. I witnessed countless big brothers rise to glory, then fade into decline. All that brotherhood and bravado in the underworld was nothing but an illusion! My name is Zhang Hui, and I'm a man who refuses to accept his l 437Reads—Score10014d adds
- 5 I Enter the Underworld After Catching Them in the Act 从撞破奸情开始踏入黑道江湖 There is no golden finger, no System, and no miraculous stroke of luck from the heavens. This is not another cookie-cutter power fantasy about cheating your way to godhood. Drawing on his own experiences, the author tells a realistic story of ordinary people struggling to survive and make their way in the underworld. Through real events from his own life, the author shows readers what the real underworld is like beyond the world of movies and television. If you’re tired of fictional plots that h 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 The Reckless Days of a Bad Boy 不良少年之年少轻狂 The king has returned, righteous and true. Wang Hao took his four wives and left for Arabia, thinking he could leave all the strife behind and live in peace. A text message shattered that calm: his brother had been hit by a car, his big brother had been sidelined and transferred away, and half the sky over Beiyuan had fallen. Powerful forces from the provincial capital had laid a vast net, determined to swallow everything they had risked their lives to win. Men he had once defeated were now 5.3kReads6.8Score27514d adds
- 7 The Road of No Return: Tales of the Jianghu 不归路之江湖风云录 Everyone says the jianghu is wonderful, but every year, people meet their end in it. You can make a fortune out in the world, but how many can escape judgment? Street toughs and gangsters end up unable to afford even a bowl of rice. Brotherhood never ends, but once you’re in this life, you’ll have to pay your debts... 178Reads—Score814d adds
- 8 From Prisoner to Undercover: Playing Both Sides 从囚徒到卧底之黑白通吃 Wang Hao is a fourth-year student at the Law Enforcement Academy. His father was killed on a mission two years ago. His mother, the only family he had left, was buried when gangsters forcibly demolished their home. With justice nowhere to be found, Wang Hao accidentally left someone crippled and was sent to prison. By a twist of fate, law enforcement officials selected him and promoted him to undercover agent. Walking the line between black and white, he gradually became a major figure in both w —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Gray Zone: Embers 灰域：余烬 A school-set gang story with one female lead. Not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy. No absolute good or evil. Set in a parallel world with no connection to reality. The world has never been simply black and white. Most people live somewhere in the middle, neither thriving nor dying, in a gray zone. We hold knives in our hands and softness in our hearts. We can be neither saints nor demons, only struggle to live in endless gray until we're reduced to ashes. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Strong Winds Reveal Sturdy Grass, A School of Passion 疾风知劲草，热血高校行 High schooler Wang Long just wants a quiet life, but when he stands up for his bullied deskmate, he gets swept into the turmoil of campus rivalries. He gathers allies and takes on powerful enemies, transforming from an inconspicuous boy into someone the whole school fears and respects. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Fearless Youth: The Vocational College Chronicles, Yu Chengfei's Story 年少轻狂之职院传：宇城飞的故事 This is a fanfiction based on The Reckless Years of Youth, telling the story of those days from Yu Chengfei’s perspective. I’ve tried to stay as faithful as possible to the original in writing Yu Chengfei’s story. Some parts may differ from the original because I’ve forgotten details or because the plot calls for it, and he may not match the image of Yu Chengfei you have in mind. Please accept my apologies in advance. This story shares a setting with my other fanfiction, The Reckless Years of Yo 158Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 12 Undercover, the New King of the Underworld 卧底，江湖新龙头 [Hot-Blooded Jianghu] [Multiple Male Leads] [Multiple Female Leads] Features many memorable scenes from films and TV series, including Infernal Affairs and Election. Chen Feng heads south to Wancheng to find the girl he left back home. In Shenzhen, he joins the underling of an undercover cop and becomes his lackey. His big brother takes him to Hong Kong, where he gets caught up in a bloody conflict. After his big brother dies, Chen Feng avenges him and becomes the new boss of Hong Kong Island.… 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Dragon-Riding Yakuza 骑龙极道 Gangsters + business wars + realism + period piece + inspired by personal experiences Autumn, 2010, in the city of Bingang. Eighteen-year-old Lin Shen is knocked to the ground by a fist born of jealousy, with nowhere to turn for help. When every legitimate path is blocked, a key is offered from the darkness: “If you want to live, take this road.” He takes it!!! From then on, the tide of the times carries him along: from the quagmire of Bingang to a foothold in Pengcheng, then painting Yangcheng —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Enemy to All 为人敌 Some people enjoy bullying others. They pick on the weak to show how powerful they are, but they'll never know how terrifying those people they look down on as weaklings and losers can be when they fight back. “My name is Wang Zheng. Remember, don't mess with me.” 3Reads—Score214d adds
- 15 Chen Yu Xiao's First Book 辰御枭的第1本书 Sold by his birth mother for money and cursed by the world as a “bastard,” Fan Chen’s childhood was nothing but mud and fists. He crawled out from beneath a bridge in a small town in northern Anhui. At school, he fought fire with fire; on the streets, he paved his way with blood; in the underworld, he left no enemies alive; and in business, he turned the world upside down. His brothers took knives for him, and women fell for him. Policewomen, heiresses, actresses, and formidable businesswomen —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 A Stunning Figure in the Sea of Stars 星海惊鸿 The stunningly handsome powerhouse Shen Jinghong makes a dramatic entrance in Xinghai, his teasing allure irresistible and his many talents godlike! He wins over the aloof, protects the sweet and charming, dotes on the gentle, and flirts with the bold. Every close encounter draws them deeper into temptation, while every face-slapping blow strikes hard. Across all of Xinghai, only he shines like a marvel! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 The Dragon's Path, Destined for Greatness 龙途天纵 The down-and-out youth Jiang Yi hides the bloodline of a Black Dragon, lying low at Cangcheng High School with protecting his own etched into his very bones! To protect Xia Wanxing, a sweet girl with a pure spirit body, his bloodline awakens and the Black Dragon Art emerges. One punch rules the campus; one battle shakes the underworld! He meets Su Ningshuang, a beautiful, powerful, and dashing heiress who cultivates immortality, and they face life and death side by side, building a battle-harden —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Memoirs of a Bad Kid 坏孩子回忆录 A true story I made up, told in an ordinary tone. A boy's coming-of-age story, a record of a group of teenagers' youth. I dedicate this book to my wild and reckless youth. (A new author with a new book. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 Border Town of the Past: Don’t Call Me a Vegetable Seller 过往边城：别叫我卖菜佬 The unfairness of fate has never been a reason for us to bow our heads. Human nature is nothing more than these two words split apart: some people have humanity, and some just have sex. I can't choose where I was born, but at least I can make sure they stop calling me a stinking vegetable peddler. The only constant is change. On this one-way road I'm destined to walk to the end, you can laugh at me all you want, but you can't stop me from dancing to my heart's content in this ill-intentioned age —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Reborn Into the Underworld? No, I’m Here to Make Money 重生混社会？不！我要搞钱 Lin Feng, once a formidable figure in the business world, ended up abandoned by everyone and all alone. Then an accident suddenly sent him back to the spring of 2005, reborn. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 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 123Reads—Score10214d adds
- 22 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
- 23 Now That I’m Reborn, Who’d Still Run with the Underworld? 都重生了，谁还混社会啊！ Underworld #Reborn Big Shot #Making Money #Power and Influence #Going Straight #No Simping #Ruthless Rise Qi Wei, a legendary underworld boss, took his own life in despair when the police sprang an ambush with the help of an undercover officer. When he came to, he had returned to 2008. Would he keep living in darkness, joining the criminal underworld that would one day be judged by the law? Or would he settle for an ordinary life, going to school and taking exams for government jobs and graduate 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Bloodshed and the Rise of a Young Man 血染，少年崛起 (This work is set in a fictional world and contains science fiction elements.) This is a story about brotherhood and the code of the underworld... Do good people really get what they deserve? Do so-called bad people have their own reasons...? In these chaotic times, perhaps the only way forward is to join the underworld. The saying that good and evil are always repaid in the end is nothing but words meant to comfort people. Before true power, perhaps we are no more than ants. Perhaps only after 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Ten Years Later, I Became a Gang Boss One Step at a Time 十年后，我一步一步成为帮派大佬 Ten years ago, I, Lei Zhen, was nothing but a good-for-nothing whom everyone despised... But remember this: You may look down on an old man with white hair, but never look down on a young man just because he’s poor... Ten years later, a mysterious gang quietly rose from the shadows of the city. Its leader, Lei Zhen, used his exceptional leadership and iron-fisted methods to carve out a path for his men through the city. But their rise drew the covetous attention of other powers, and one bloody c —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 The Underworld: No Way Back 黑道不归路 The underworld: a term that seems to have nothing to do with ordinary people. It represents another world. I was an orphan. I begged, was adopted, stole, and did all kinds of things. Then I failed to find a job and ended up at a nightclub. I never expected to meet someone there, someone who changed the course of my life and sent me down a road of no return... 91Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 The Pinnacle of Power: Tales of the Border City 权利巅峰：边城往事 My boss promised that if I served eight years in his place, he’d give me three million to start a new life. But I got out early for good behavior, only to find that the boss was a lying bastard who even wanted to take my wife for himself. At last, the hidden dragon awoke. I’ll kill anyone who stands in my way, be they god or Buddha. Big shots beg me to let them off. I became the brightest new star in the underworld. Here is the story, in the words of a legendary crime boss: “Do little people des 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Back Then, We Were All Bad Kids 那些年，我们曾是不良少年 That year, we were young and reckless. Back then, we feared nothing. Looking back, we can't help but sigh and shed tears. Time flies by in the blink of an eye. Do you still remember the brothers who fought by your side? Do you still remember being a delinquent? —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 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
- 30 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 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 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
- 32 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
- 33 After Prison, I Became the King of the Underworld 出狱后，我成了地下王者 One accidental assault completely turned the wheel of my fate! By the time I returned from prison, a path to kingship lay before me! It seemed to have been waiting for me all along, awaiting my awakening! I set out on the journey to the very top... 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 Underworld Days 江湖岁月 [Pure Gangster Fiction + Ensemble Cast + Realistic + Underdog Comeback + First Person] They say life in the underworld means living by the blade. I don’t care about that. All I know is that in my second year of high school, people called me a bastard and held me down to beat me. Calling the police was useless. The school did nothing. I couldn’t even afford to get my injuries examined. Then I took matters into my own hands. One brick, and I smashed Zhou Lei. From that day on, I was no longer Wang 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 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
- 36 My Years as a Delinquent 我当不良的那些年 The year I began to remember things, my parents left for reasons unknown. The moment I stepped into Seventh High, the story began, and a legend unfolded. There is no tree that reaches the heavens. Everything has something that can bring it down… 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Underworld Tales: The Ruthless Boss of Yuncheng 黑道往事之云城枭雄 After the 2002 college entrance exams, Ye Haonan scored high enough to get into a top university. Overjoyed, he was preparing to share the good news with his family when disaster struck at home. In that moment, he raised the axe in his hands and swung it at the criminals. It was clearly self-defense, yet he was sent to prison for exceeding its limits. From then on, his life changed beyond recognition. The well-behaved boy became a demon everyone feared... 310Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 38 I’m Just a College Student. So What If I Become a Red Pole? 我一大学生，当个红棍怎么了 Qin Yu thought passing the police academy entrance exam would let him escape the harm caused by his family. Instead, his parents framed him and made him take the blame for his younger brother. He met a benefactor in prison, but after his release, how will he rise step by step to become the underworld's overlord? Stay tuned. The coming-of-age story of a college student in the criminal underworld: a classic, blood-pumping power fantasy with no System, astronomical combat power, and a young man who 130Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 After Getting Kicked Off the Police Force, I Took Down the City’s Criminal Underworld 被警队开除后：我掀翻全城黑恶 Forced to take off the uniform I wore to defend the righteous path, I won’t join the underworld. I’ll punish it and fleece it. I devise clever schemes and turn their own force against them, specializing in fleecing underworld bosses. I’ll take ill-gotten gains, clear out their criminal territory, and settle every score. Today they ignore me. Tomorrow there won’t be anywhere left for the wicked to swagger. I’m Xiao Zhang. I do things with a swagger, and I’m the godfather to every thug in the city 48Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 The Winds of Ye City 邺都风云 My father was dead, but his debts remained. 140,000 yuan, two people, one county town. Zhou Ye only wanted to study hard, but some people wouldn't let him. Why should a son have to pay off the mess his father left behind? He refused to accept it. Then He'd beat them into submission. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 A Dragon Among Men: Entering the Underworld 人中之龙：人入江湖 Five young people, newly arrived in the martial world, are swept up in a massive storm. How will they respond, and what challenges will they face? Where will this deadly gamble, staked on blood, lead them: to dominate the world or to fall and never recover? No one knows. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Northeast China in Turmoil: Black Blood Floods the Songhua River 东北风云：黑血漫过松花江 Every ordinary fish can shed its scales and bones, then ride the wind and transform into a dragon. A young man, hardened by surviving near death, returns to his hometown carrying his brother’s ashes for burial, only to find his brother’s family enduring abuse and fighting for their lives. In that moment, he chooses to take up arms and crush every insult and injustice. When everything is wiped clean, he starts over. The first thing he learns is to bow his head. The last thing he learns is how to 1.8kReads7.1Score10514d adds
- 43 The Old Days of Northern Jiangsu 苏北社会往事 This is not just a school story. It is a snapshot of an entire generation’s coming of age: On dignity: When fists become the “rules,” can books still defend our dignity? On choices: In the gray areas, how do we draw the line within ourselves? On leaving: That train ticket to Nanjing is the coming-of-age rite shared by every boy from northern Jiangsu. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 A Kingpin in the Making 黑道之少年为王 Sometimes, campus life is dark, and society is cruel. Through my eyes, I’ll take you along to experience every hardship I endured on the road from boyhood to ruling Longcheng. My name is Qi Yu. In elementary school, I followed a group of older boys and caught a glimpse of young men showing off on motorbikes, scraping steel pipes along the ground. A gust of wind, carrying the cold gleam of steel pipes, swept past my ear. Flames sprang up in the boy’s chest, and even his breath burned like molten 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 The Langmen Trilogy: The Last Days of the Underworld 浪门三部曲之最后的江湖 (Not a wish-fulfillment novel, and the protagonist isn't invincible. Read at your own risk~) What is the jianghu? It's the ways of the world and human relationships. The real jianghu isn't street fights. It's drinking tea, listening to opera, and turning walnuts in your hands. Once in the jianghu, all are mere pawns, as old dynastic grudges play out in secret battles. Six jade pendants, six troubled fates. Brothers turn against one another and become enemies. Some are born to rule, some lose the 106Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Judgment on a Rainy Night in the City 都市之雨夜裁决 Judgment on a Rainy Night in the City 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Dragon Behind Bars: How a Big Shot Is Made 狱中龙：大佬是怎么样炼成的 [Underworld + No System + Passionate + Brotherhood + Period Setting + Decisive and Ruthless] College student Chen Xuansheng injured someone while trying to save his girlfriend, only to be framed by her and sent to prison. The brutality of prison turned his grief and anger into strength. From then on, he embarked on a road in the martial underworld with no way back. “What are the rules? The rules I, Chen Xuansheng, set are the rules!” “What is honor? If you treat me honorably, I'll do the same. I 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 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
- 49 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 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Bro, You’re Such a Jerk! 哥，你真的好渣！ Lin Hai was forced to leave his village, and his good buddy Erwa followed him. He had worked many jobs, but because he was handsome and naturally carefree, his bosses would dismiss him for no reason. Then local thugs started giving him trouble. To protect himself, Lin Hai had no choice but to embark on a path of no return, making the major players in the underworld submit to him and winning the hearts of countless beauties... 302Reads7.6Score—14d adds
