Novels like Bloodshed in the Black Abyss
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Bloodshed in the Black Abyss, best match first.
- 1 Northeast Storm: A Gangster Legend 东北风云之黑道传奇 With my brothers by my side and blades and guns in hand, I’d like to see who in this underworld gets to call himself the boss! If we don’t enter the underworld, so be it. But once we do, every thug will bow to us and every boss will clear the way. We’ll become the... heavens of this underworld. 120Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 The Bright Moon Shines Over Guandong 明月照关东 (A realistic period setting, urban underworld, everyday life, calculating and ruthless protagonist, slow pace, not a mindless wish-fulfillment novel) Half a lifetime at the bottom, every step mired in hardship. Fate was never in his hands; nothing ever went the way he wanted. Caught up in turbulent times, he endured the treachery of human nature. There were roads he didn’t want to take, but with no choice, he could only fight his way upstream. Without a golden finger, an ordinary man struggles t 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Xie Wenyuan: Rise of the Underworld 谢文渊：黑道崛起 [Violent Underworld] [Suit-Wearing Thug] [Cultured Scum] “Adjusting my glasses is a habit. Slitting throats is my profession.” Xie Wenyuan has always believed himself to be a reasonable, respectable man. Even when issuing an order to wipe out an entire family, he would still gently push up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, a harmless smile playing at the corners of his mouth. It began in a dark, damp alley in H City, reeking of rot; It began with a ballpoint pen piercing a local gangster’s pa 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Tales of a Small Town: A Different Kind of Jianghu 小城往事：不一样的江湖 This story chronicles the 1990s in a small city in Northeast China, following a group of brothers from standing up to bullies to accidentally getting mixed up in the underworld and becoming gang leaders. The fighting and killing were often beyond their control. More often, there was nothing but helplessness and heartache. This is a tale of youth from a wild era, and a legendary story about the young men and women of a small city’s underworld. Told in the first person, this book takes you back to 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 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
- 6 My Years in the Gray Market 我干灰产那几年 After spending two years in prison for illegal business dealings, I picked up my pen in 2025 and wrote about my own experiences. After only two chapters, I went back in for another six months. Now, speaking as someone who’s been through it, I want to lay out the truth about how I went astray and make clear the hard lessons I learned from falling twice. I hope my personal experience can serve as a warning to others: know your limits and stay on the right path. Don’t let greed or wishful thinking —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 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
- 8 Tales of South City: A Furious Stand for Love 城南往事：冲冠一怒为红颜 It’s a matter of the underworld, so let it stay in the underworld. Don’t let the trouble reach your family! What does it mean to understand how the world works? Is that the underworld? Have you ever seen the real underworld? The underworld is treacherous, riddled with traps and dangers. The underworld is a chess game. One wrong move, and every move after it is wrong. You and I are all just pieces. Money? Money? More money? Power? None of that is what I want. I want fairness. I’ll tell you from p 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 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
- 10 Underworld Brawl: Hunting Crimes Across the Land 黑道大乱斗之猎罪天下 The Dragon Roars Across Japan, Conquering the World! Hunt Down Sin Across the Land, and the Gates of Hell Swing Open! Stamp Out Petty Evil, Wage War on Great Sin! Build a Hall to Govern the Underworld! When the United Nations issues the Global Ban on Weapons, the world is thrown into an uproar! America and Japan join forces, seeking to dominate the underworld and rule the world by other means! When a young man from Longguo crosses the border and a hundred-man team sets foot in Japan, all-out cha 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 From the Start: Sentenced to Prison, I Begin a Jianghu Legend 开局：我被判入狱，开启江湖传奇 [Dongguan] [Multiple Women] [Underworld] [Feel-Good] Prisons are full of hidden talents. The jianghu is a world of bloodshed and turmoil. Lin Yang went to prison because of a woman, then fought his way through the jianghu for another. Please give it a read. Thank you. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 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
- 13 The Jianghu Never Sleeps: Song of a Madman 江湖不熄：狂人歌 [Not a power fantasy, not invincible] [Passionate] [Brotherhood] [Youth] A jack can’t hold up a shattered home, and a wrench can’t stop a gang’s blade. The days spent with fingertips stained by grease come to a bloody end! Brothers stand together with burning hearts, enemies tremble at their name. Bai Hao’s dictionary has no word for forgiveness, only the laws of iron and blood! Anyone who stands in his way will be crushed beneath a boulder. No mercy! 403Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 The Cool Goddess Who Took Me into the Underworld Is Actually an Undercover Agent? 带我混江湖的冷艳女神，竟是卧底？ Two years in prison for a crime he didn't commit taught him the ways of all walks of life: one hand appraises antiques, the other picks pockets. Once a young laborer on a construction site, now Lord Bai of the Rongmen! Money debts are hard to repay, but debts of love can be even deadlier. The icy beauty Sister Jing, the haughty A Hui... There are unseen clashes of blades and shadows, and women of every kind... 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 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
- 16 Tales of Qingdao: The Jia'ao Brothers 青岛往事：胶澳兄弟连 Nine young men with nothing to their names risked their lives to uphold one word, loyalty, amid an era of upheaval. They lost brothers, lovers, and their health. In the end, some became tombstones, some became legends, and some became ordinary people. But the words they spoke at Xiaogang Wharf in the early hours of the third day of the Lunar New Year in 1998, facing fifty men with machetes, carried more weight than any underworld code: “What the hell is there to be afraid of?” 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 The Young Tyrant of Jiangdong 江东少枭 I was still young when someone set me up, and I was wrongfully sent to juvenile detention. At first, I thought it was just bad luck. Later, I realized that from beginning to end, there had been an unseen hand controlling everything from behind the scenes. It all started right here. Let me tell you my story... 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 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
- 19 Reborn, I Won't Run with the Wrong Crowd 重生的我不混社会 [Reborn Crime Boss] [Old-School Light Novel] [Business in the 1990s] [Many Wives and Children] Only after getting what he deserved did Lin Junhao realize he was nothing but society’s scum. Heaven gave him a chance to start over. Should he abandon his underlings and go straight? No! That’s not what he chooses! In the turbulent, golden 1990s, Lin Junhao will lead his brothers onto the straight and narrow, building a world of their own and creating a legendary fortune that belongs to them! 6Reads8.1Score214d adds
- 20 Young and Reckless: The Yu Chengfei Side Story 【年少轻狂】宇城飞外传 Yu Chengfei went from a boy anyone could bully to a ruthless figure no one at the vocational college dared provoke. He fought his way up through bloodshed and sheer grit. From a local overlord in Beiyuan City to an underground kingpin who dominated the south, he eventually made his way to the UAE and carved out a legend of his own overseas. Bloodshed and brotherhood marked every step of the way. Rising from the dust, beyond the rules, he became the brightest legend of all. All characters appeari 25Reads—Score414d adds
- 21 The Power of the World 天下势 The martial world stirs, and heroes gather at the Chan Monastery! Blades and spears in hand, they show their mettle, every stance and seat exuding grace. Before the Tianlong Chan Monastery, let us chase the dream of a life of adventure in the martial world. Witness this clash of heroic figures as we continue our own legend of passion and courage! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Tales of Longcheng’s Underworld: My Years in Black Gold 龙城黑道往事之我的黑金岁月 In the 1990s, Longcheng had seven major criminal gangs. The locals came up with this couplet: First came Ding, then Wei, Cao the Third was Fat; Mao the Fourth, Guai the Fifth, and Monk the Sixth; The banner line: Manlin rules them all. But not one of these utterly wicked people met a good end. This book will unveil that dark and chaotic era, and the bloody turmoil that once unfolded across Longcheng. (All names and places in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to real people or places is p 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 Glory of the Underworld 黑道荣耀 [Urban Underworld | Not a Mindless Power Fantasy | Grounded and Realistic] A suicide note brings a wanderer back home. To protect his loved ones and never let anyone bully them again, he returns to the underworld with his comrades. He has no aura of invincibility, only a body weathered by hardship and a band of brothers he can trust with his back. A man returns to rewrite a legendary tale of the underworld. The old song rises again, and glory returns! 8.9kReads—Score77214d adds
- 24 Nine-Headed Bird: The Sinister Nights of the Underworld 九头鸟之煞夜江湖路 There are nine-headed birds in the sky and Hubei men on the ground. The underworld isn't simply black or white. It's a deep shade of gray. The road through this world is long. How many are still walking it with me? Did I, Xu Yi, manage to make it out alive? 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 The Fire Usurper: Ship Without a Shore 篡火者：无岸之舟 The flames of war left Chen Hao an orphan. San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1985: a land of chaos and gold. His second uncle took him in and looked after him. But in a foreign land, he endured scorn and humiliation! Should Chinese people really let others walk all over them? No! No! No! Stir up the storm, and turn into a dragon when the waters rise! Witness a Chinese man’s rise to godfather! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 Those Years, Those People, Those Things in the Underworld! 黑道那些年，那些人，那些事儿！ Someone once said, “The jianghu isn’t about fighting and killing. It’s about human relationships and worldly wisdom.” Countless people have quoted this line and hailed it as a classic. I picked it up from a TV drama, and it went to my head. But without fighting and killing, is the jianghu still the jianghu? Fighting and killing are the price of admission to the jianghu. Coercion and enticement are the means of making your way in it. Human relationships and worldly wisdom are the art of ruling 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 I Didn’t Stab a Man, I Stabbed This Rotten World 老子捅的不是人，是世道 [Urban Underworld | Reborn Comeback | Brotherhood and High-Octane Gang Battles] 1991. Fu’an. Heavy snow. Fang Xiao knelt on the storeroom’s concrete floor, Zhao Changshui’s blood still on his hands. He was reborn, carrying memories of his brothers’ horrific deaths and his family’s ruin in his previous life. This time, he wouldn’t take the blame for anyone or be anyone’s lackey. He would wade through the filth and lead a band of brothers who had been dragged through the mud, determined to make 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 The Underworld: From Low-Level Thug to Godfather 黑手：从沙场小弟到江湖教父 [Modern city + underworld + multiple heroines + business rivalry + romance + powerful protagonist] Born at the bottom of society, his only choice is to defy fate and change his destiny. From the day he first wielded the butcher's knife, he could only kill gods when he met them and slay demons when they crossed his path. Then two beautiful women from Xiguan appeared: one wanted his heart, the other wanted him… [Urban power struggles + hard-core business warfare + fated romance] is a novel weaving 90Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Underworld Storm: The Iron-Blooded Road of the Martial World 黑道风云：铁血江湖路 [I'm Ma Tiejun. I'm a man of few words, but if you cross me, I'll take you on.] To make it in the underworld, you have to build up your business and earn plenty of money in the early days; shift into legitimate industries and establish yourself in the middle; then gradually clean up your act so you can walk away unscathed. The road through the underworld is hard, and few make it out alive, but I have no choice. I can only grit my teeth and keep going... Now that I'm on this ship, I'll be the fie 7.3kReads7.8Score62014d adds
- 30 The Jianghu Madman 江湖狂人 Personality determines fate. When Chen Yuanshan overcomes his fear, the underworld gains a few more madmen. Absolutely ruthless and decisive: one disagreement, and he pulls a gun! The plot isn’t melodramatic, and the pacing is slow-burn. I’m a new writer, so my writing is limited. Please be understanding if it isn’t very good. 437Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 The Golden Years of Wancheng 莞城流金岁月 [Underworld] [Realistic] [Ensemble Cast] [Passionate] [Not Mindless] At first, Zhao Qingfeng came to Guancheng at his mother's urging to seek refuge with Zhang Ting… Later, for certain reasons, he joined Dihao as a security guard and met a group of brothers who would stand by him through thick and thin… Thus began his journey through this perilous underworld. Watch as they make every faction stand in line, one by one. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 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
- 33 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
- 34 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 198Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 A Gangster's Tragic Tale: Lu Song 黑道悲情之卢松 In the early 1980s in our city, Lu Song was a legendary underworld boss as famous as Dong Batian, Liu Haizhu, Li Laogunzi, and Zhang Haoran. This story tells of Lu Song, a generation-defining underworld boss known for his generosity toward friends, devotion to his lover, and unwavering drive in his career. Though he started out in the criminal underworld, he eventually went straight and found a happy ending. A note: This is a fan-fiction novel. Most of the plot is based on rumors and adapted mat 4.1kReads—Score26414d adds
- 36 My Life in the Underworld 我的江湖人生 I, Li Qiang, have made my way in the underworld on three things: being ruthless, being loyal, and having plenty of brothers… The jianghu is a world full of legends and strife, where blades flash and chivalry meets tenderness. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Wild Blade 野刀 [Modern underworld] + [Rise from the bottom] + [First-person narration] + [Ensemble cast] + [Brotherhood] + [Alternate timeline] As a boy, Wu Ye was an ant trampled into the mud. Unwilling to suffer the humiliation any longer, he took one knife and thirteen men and carved open the skies over Four Counties. From a bullied victim to the “Wild Blade” who commanded the three high schools; from settling scores on campus to bloody battles in the streets. He reached the top, only to be betr 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 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
- 39 Memoirs of a Gangster 捞家回忆录 [Not a wish-fulfillment novel] [Don't try this yourself] [The seedy underworld] How do you start from nothing and make a fortune with 5.8 billion in cash and 19 tons of gold bars? What were the backdoor schemes of that era like? What exactly is going on with Mu Guizhao's genes? [Everything in this story is entirely fictional. Do not assume it applies to real life, and do not try this yourself!] 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 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
- 41 I Joined the Underworld to Pay Off My Debts, and Became a Big Shot 我，混黑道，从还债开始当大佬 After his father dies suddenly, leaving behind 300,000 yuan in debt, Lin Mo is forced to enter the rough-and-tumble underworld to pay it off. He becomes the least important underling in the Loyalty Hall. When he first arrives, he's mocked for his soft, delicate appearance and bullied by old hands. The Red Hair Gang, a rival outfit, also marks him as a thorn in its side. But no one knows that this seemingly meek young man hides a fierce streak and a calculating mind. When others make trouble fo —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 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
- 43 Mad Tyrant Fanfiction: The Blood Dragon Conquers the Heavens 狂枭同人：血龙伐天 [Mad Tyrant Fan Fiction] + [Underworld] + [Ancient Martial Arts] The world descends into chaos, heroes contend for supremacy, and the Heavenly Net sets its plan in motion!! The Blood Dragon descends upon the world, subdues the wicked, establishes the Heavenly Dao, and reigns supreme!! 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 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
- 45 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
- 46 The Underworld: I Make the Rules 黑道：我才是规矩 Two years in prison, and nothing is as it was. Wherever there are people, there are rivalries and power struggles. Schemes and betrayals are everywhere, and one careless move can destroy an entire family. No matter what, the strong can turn the tables against the odds. Starting today, I make the rules in Philadelphia! 2.2kReads—Score10414d adds
- 47 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
- 48 We’ve Been Around the Block Too 哥几个也混过 We navigate society with feeling, And live our lives by loyalty. When feeling and loyalty conflict, We choose loyalty first. We walked side by side, reveling in the wild abandon of youth through those passionate years. You’re my brother, so we’ll face life and death together. 160Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Fingertip Fate Reversal Begins with Ren Xue 指尖逆命从壬雪开始 [Coming-of-Age Main Story · Multiple Realistic Heroines · Real Cases and Social Backdrop · No Formulaic Tropes · No Mindless Wish Fulfillment] Wu De narrowly escapes death and returns to the 1980s. He has just one mission: stop the unfortunate girls of that era from turning to crime. Ren Xue, Tao Jing, Bi Limei… Some are driven to desperate ends by hatred, while others take the blame for someone they love… With nothing but nimble fingers, Wu De can fool the eye and turn the tables. He can make b —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 The Thirteen Guardians of Tang City 唐市十三太保 The Tang City Underworld Duology, Part One: The Thirteen Guardians The bigwigs of Tang City’s martial world fell one by one during the 1983 crackdown. But wherever there are people, there will always be a martial world, and new forces are already stirring! Who will become Tang City’s next underworld boss? The story of the Thirteen Guardians of Tang City begins after Qin San, Wang Wu, and Ma Liu witness their father’s execution by firing squad! 891Reads—Score—14d adds
