Novels like Underworld Tales: One Hand Shrouds the Heavens
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Underworld Tales: One Hand Shrouds the Heavens, best match first.
- 1 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
- 2 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
- 3 My First Steps into the Real World! 初闯社会！ A mischievous little punk back in his school days, he somehow ends up getting into police academy through a twist of fate. During his time there, he transforms from a rebellious teenager into a mature, steady, hardworking cadet. Then, by chance, he is sent undercover to infiltrate a criminal organization, gradually building up his own influence... 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Evil Emperor: Eternal Calamity 邪皇：天煞永劫 [Underworld Emperor] + [Underworld] + [Ancient Martial Arts] Nine death-row prisons across the nation, thirty-six death-row squads, all fighting for control of the national underworld! Left Chen, the strongest death-row inmate in Western China, leads sixty-seven convicts to found the Heavenly Fiends, battle the Lone Dragon, wipe out the Azure Nether, and clash with the Blood Eagle! He paves the road to imperial power with countless bones and subdues the heroes of the four seas through endless sl 9.2kReads6.5Score56114d 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 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
- 7 Reborn as a Villainous Big Shot: This Damned Conscience of Mine 重生成反派大佬，这该死的良心 Secret agent Gao Fei is toyed with by fate and is reborn in the body of a street thug. He accepts it all with a smile and sets out on the road to world domination. On his way to conquering the world, Gao Fei sets himself four modest goals: 1. Become a master to the strong 2. Become a guiding light to the rich 3. Become a godfather to celebrities 4. Become the boss of the big shots 129Reads5.5Score—14d adds
- 8 The Underworld’s Mad Dragon: I Took Down the Jianghu Bosses All by Myself 黑道狂龙：我一个人砍翻江湖大佬 [Underworld + officialdom + domination + ruthless action + multiple heroines] Gong Ming is a discharged soldier who once skinned a man alive and a lone hero who earned countless military honors. A twist of fate drew him into this turbulent jianghu. With his ruthless creed of "If you do it, finish the job," and his sharp mind, he quickly made a name for himself in the jianghu. In this dark world, he met a group of like-minded brothers. They stood by justice and feared no powerful enemies, fightin —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 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
- 10 Rise of the Dragonborn: From the Bottom to the Top of the Underworld 龙裔崛起：从底层到黑道巅峰 In the shadowy corners of Binhai City lived a boy named Lin Feng. Orphaned at a young age, Lin Feng had to fend for himself on the streets, enduring every kind of humiliation. Yet a flame of defiance always burned in his eyes, refusing to let him settle for an ordinary life. One day, Lin Feng witnessed a gang war in the streets. On one side was the powerful Tiger Gang; on the other, the rising Cheetah Society. Amid the chaos, Lin Feng saved Lei Yaotian, the Cheetah Society's leader. Impressed b —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Xiao Sanfeng's Life in the Jianghu 萧三峰的江湖人生 Tough guy Xiao Sanfeng has feared nothing since childhood, machete in hand as he makes his way through the world! After unexpectedly discovering the mystery of his origins, he sets off on a one-way road into the martial world. Watch him cut his way through every obstacle with a single blade and rise to the pinnacle of life! 403Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 My Brothers and I Conquer the World 我跟兄弟拿下天下江山 Xu Wei, the protagonist, was bullied throughout his childhood. After a few chance encounters, he met several brothers, and his life turned around. Together, they fought side by side, braved mountains of blood and seas of fire, and lived by the blade. In the end, they became famous figures in their own right. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 I Founded the Mafia in College 我在大学创立了黑手党 I’ve spent my whole life playing games. I hit a wall, and no matter what I did, I could only ever come in second. [Can you live as yourself, under your own nickname?] King of the Underworld: People can survive even if they can’t eat! Then I suddenly received a message, and a game possessed me. I was the good-for-nothing son of a mob boss! “Yes, bloodline is a kind of power too, as long as you know how to use it. My ability is ‘Family.’” Game addicts never disappear. Overwhelming violence, endles 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Vocational High School Jianghu 职高江湖 In a corner of a bustling city, this vocational high school is a miniature society. Its students come from every social stratum, with different family backgrounds and life experiences. Rapid social change and a clash of cultures have swept through the campus, creating an atmosphere where the drive to succeed exists alongside the spread of bad influences. The school administration works hard to maintain order, but complicated relationships and cliques make vocational school life full of challenge —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 The Number One Underworld Boss 黑道天下第一 My new work is here! You’re welcome to check it out on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 17Reads—Score114d adds
- 16 I Open a Funeral Home in the Cultivation Realm, and My Clients Are Gods and Demons 我在修真界开殡仪馆，客户是神魔 The protagonist transmigrates into the cultivation world as the last heir of the Hall of Rebirth. This funeral home deals exclusively with the dead, using special rites of rebirth to help spirits resolve their grievances and reincarnate. By handling the dead's final affairs, he accumulates resources beyond all expectation. After discovering something amiss in the underworld, he returns to the world of the living to uncover the conspiracy behind it. He faces one battle, adventure, and revelation —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 The Fearsome Ghost King 叱咤鬼王 A realistic anti-gang and anti-corruption novel in the style of The Knockout, only more thrilling and wilder! He was the Ghost King, feared by everyone in Taijing City's upper society. Once, however, he had been no more than an insignificant snack-shop owner at the bottom of society. By chance, he stumbled upon a severed-hand incident. A moment of greed led him to pocket the watch on the hand, unexpectedly entangling his humble fate with the three major criminal powers of Taijing City. And so th —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 The Long Clan 龍氏家族 The male protagonist, who retains the memories of his previous life, is born into a poor family after reincarnation and suffers the injustices of the world. After being ground down by reality, he rises from humble beginnings and enters the workforce as a low-paid laborer. Then an unexpected opportunity changes everything. Through his own efforts, he gains power, builds a vast family, and rises above the rest. Staying true to his convictions, he creates a society where everyone is equal. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 I Really Don't Want to Get Mixed Up in Society 我真不想混社会 Those brothers from back then... Some ended up worlds apart, some were locked away for life. Some belonged to different worlds, some danced with wolves. Even mountains and seas have a time to reunite, but you and I will never meet again. If I could choose one more time, then... I'd want to be a good person. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 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
- 21 Honor Among Gangsters 黑道有义 My new work is out! Come 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! 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 An Underworld Odyssey: Is This Really the Right Path? 黑道征途，这条路真的对吗！ My name is Jiang Cheng. The Cheng in my name means “to become a god,” and I became the god of the underworld. The road here was grueling. My brothers and I all got the lives we wanted, but when I finally reached the top and watched my old brothers get arrested or cut down one by one, I fell into deep thought. Was this road really the right one? —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 Underworld: The City's Dragon Overlord 黑道江湖：都市枭龙 [Urban] [Rousing] [Male-Oriented] [Feel-Good] [Urban Life] After two years in prison, today is the first day I’m free! I grew up in an orphanage and have my own household registration, but no connections. The moment I decided to make my way in the underworld, I set foot in a turbulent era and began building a towering legacy! 51Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Objections Overruled 反对无效 [Power fantasy + crime + passion + Hong Kong action movies + no saintly protagonists + no melodrama] Woohoo! Tell me, does this feel good or what? In a dark world, they’ll defy the world and pay an unimaginable price, shouldering the burden of keeping the world’s order intact. (This novel is entirely the author’s own original creation. Do not learn from or imitate it.) He Jifeng: “I’ve got plenty of people. It’s fine.” Yao Zixuan: “I’ve got plenty of connections. I’m not afraid.” Chen Yi: “I’ve 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 It's Tough Making It in the Jianghu 江湖社会不好混 The underworld isn't just about fighting. It's also about human relationships and social savvy. Charging in thoughtlessly is what amateurs do. Planning and strategy are both essential. Strength is a prerequisite. Watch the protagonist climb to the top. P.S. This old hand at reading novels is writing one for the first time. I hope you'll support and encourage me. Please forgive me if it's not well written, and go easy on me in the comments. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 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
- 27 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
- 28 Chop First, Ask Questions Never 拎刀就砍之无法无天 This book was originally titled Life and Death Are Fated, Righteousness Comes First. It is the first installment in the Life and Death Are Fated series. An ensemble-focused story, with a fast-paced plot and lots of hilarious Northeastern Chinese banter. There is very little depiction of the police in this book. The story follows several poor boys who grew up being fed by their neighbors. After accidentally killing someone in Northeast China, they have to flee south to a city called Nan'an. Th 642Reads6.9Score10914d adds
- 29 A Man of the Jianghu 江湖混的人 What kind of people are these? They’re a rowdy bunch, a bunch who think they’re better than everyone else. The brothers we ran wild with back in the day. When our youth had passed and we looked back, some familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. Some had gone far away, some had faded into silence, and some were still eating from the same communal pot. Why? Because the road we took was one we could never turn back from. 1.4kReads8.2Score—14d adds
- 30 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 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 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
- 32 An Oil Peddler's Wild Ride 油贩子的狂飙之路 “You intercepted that shipment?!” “Yeah. The old man was right: intercepting one truck is no different from intercepting ten, so I figured I might as well take everything.” “…” Wang Mian is a small-time hood from a shantytown in Mengbei City. Starting out as a petty oil peddler, he matches wits with all manner of shady characters. Step by step, he grows into a major power in Mengbei. 1Reads—Score214d adds
- 33 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
- 34 Bloodstained Memories 血染的往事 (This story is entirely fictional. The places, people, events, and everything else in it are not real.) In the early 1990s, on a silent winter night, two muffled gunshots rang out beneath the darkness over an old neighborhood. A five-shot hunting rifle with a sawed-off barrel brought more than a scene of underworld vendetta. It also laid bare a hidden storm of bloodshed. Some say he was a loyal and righteous brother. Some say he was an ambitious kingpin. Others say he was a vicious monster, crue 34Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 35 Look, That's the World Beyond the Heavens 你看那叫，天外天 (This isn't a wish-fulfillment story, but one about an ordinary man's rise) (This story is completely made up! Don't overthink it!) A tribute to the classics: Brothers, let's go! A student at a university in Northeast China, he grows step by step into a local power player! Through connections, brotherhood, fate, and his own efforts! He bursts onto the scene and takes command of an entire region! Thousands roar his name: Beyond the Heavens! 102Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 36 A Life Gone Awry 错乱的人生路 This book tells the story of a young man from a county town in the 1990s who accidentally ends up on a path that was never meant to be his. The old days of the underworld are gone. (This story is entirely fictional. Do not take it as fact.) The book warns readers never to set foot on such a path, no matter what. Good and evil bring their own consequences, and fortune and misfortune follow one another. You must bear the consequences yourself; no one can do it for you. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Black Owl, White World 黑枭白界 Are they loyal and righteous, or consumed by greed? Using a raw, down-to-earth style, this novel portrays the many faces of life among another group of people in the real world. Are they driven to desperation, or risking everything? How will the men who walk the edge tell their stories? Betrayal and being betrayed, killing and being killed: step into the criminal underworld of the late twentieth century, into the hell behind the sunshine. Perhaps they are far removed from you and me. Perhaps the 38Reads6.8Score614d adds
- 38 The Underworld: Ruling the World 黑道：雄霸天下 An honest man avenges his wife and mother, wiping out the killer’s entire family in a single night! Wang Chao: “You violated my wife and broke my mother’s leg. If I had another chance, I’d do it all over again!” Wang Chao: “If nobody will step in, if nobody dares to, then I’ll take matters into my own hands!” 1kReads6.8Score10414d adds
- 39 Underworld: Making a Name for Myself 黑道：扬名立万 [Underworld swindlers + smart characters + both sides of the law + big shots + neither wholly good nor evil + double undercover agents + Part Two of the Northern Frontier Storm] For a man… what does it mean to be alive? To drift through life accomplishing nothing? That just means you’ve lived. It seems that for a man, making something of himself, bringing honor to his family, and making a name for himself… That’s what it means to be alive! My name is Han Yangming. I used to be a top student, but 364Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 40 Underworld: The Shadow's Return 黑道之暗影归途 Setting The story takes place in the fictional coastal city of Binhai. Beneath its glittering surface, undercurrents churn, and several major criminal syndicates hold sway. As the economy races ahead, competition for the city’s resources grows fiercer, creating fertile ground for gang warfare. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 From Fan Debiao to Uncle: A Life of Ups and Downs 从范德彪到老舅开启风云人生 Ma Dashuai + Uncle + Youth + The Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain + In the Name of the People + Blossoms + Twenty Years of Northeast China: The Stormy Years = Fan Debiao's comeback story, a rags-to-riches tale amid the rise and fall of Liaobei, with multiple heroines. “If you turn back from the edge, I guarantee you'll find your way back to shore. If you refuse to change your ways, I'll make sure your sea of suffering has no end.” Brother Biao considers himself a man of the world, a true under 18Reads5.4Score214d adds
- 42 An Amateur Villain in a World of Old Hands 老江湖里的业余坏蛋 [Second-Generation Mobster + Organized Crime Crackdown + Anti-Corruption + Gangs] My father-in-law turns out to be a big shot, which makes me a second-generation mobster! But my wife is a police officer... With the police in front of me and the underworld behind me, how will I survive in the cracks? They’re cruel, ruthless, rotten, and utterly reckless. Watch as the protagonist, Zhang Ran, outdoes them all in cruelty, ruthlessness, depravity, and recklessness... The further you read, the more sa 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Judgment on a Rainy Night in the City 都市之雨夜裁决 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 Urban Rebirth: The Path of a Hero and Villain 都市重生之豪侠恶人路 [Reborn undercover agent, building a power base, decisive and ruthless, making his mark in the city, repaying every grudge, developing his own corner of the world.] (May be a slow burn) A notorious undercover agent from the criminal underworld was reborn in his student days. He was young, and everything was just beginning. The future kingpins of the underworld, renowned across the nation, were now just ordinary people struggling to make a living. In this life, there would be no bloodless hands, 1Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 45 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 404Reads—Score10014d adds
- 46 The Actor and the Pawn 戏子与棋子 Passion, the martial world, ambition, the line between black and white: these were all words that once seemed far removed from my life. A chance confrontation pushed an ordinary student like me to a crossroads. Life is like a vast chessboard, with everyone playing a different role. This is my story, and it could be yours, or theirs... 2Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 47 Big Brother Jiadai 大哥加代 A big brother hailed as the King of Shenzhen, he was also a top underworld boss who could make waves in the capital. Loyal and righteous, he was always willing to help brothers in need and made friends far and wide. He also won the hearts of the big brothers who followed him. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 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
- 49 Underworld King: From Fool to Tycoon 江湖枭雄：从傻子到首富 “No jumping into the river here. Violators will be fined 500 yuan!” From that moment on, Li Dongliang’s fate changes completely... [High-spirited Martial World] + [Decisive and Ruthless] + [Genius-Level Intellect] + [Fast-Paced] 47Reads—Score214d adds
- 50 Countering the Black Tide (Complete in Four Volumes) 反黑风云（全四册） This collection covers a variety of genres. It tells the hidden twenty-year history of the modern Shandong underworld, charts the fierce lives of a group of unconventional young men, and explores a city of desire where politics, business, the underworld, and romance intertwine. In a hunting ground where predators abound and prey is scarce, survival means the strong devour the weak. Every established rule is shattered and reshaped here: only the fittest survive! 415Reads9.0Score3914d adds
