Novels like The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Jianghu: I Am the Kingpin, best match first.
- 1 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 8.6kReads6.5Score53814d adds
- 2 Tidal Sting 潮刺 At nineteen, Chen Mo is betrayed by his brother and forced to kneel on a rooftop in Taitung, a steel pipe pressed to his head, his life hanging in the balance. Clutching a shard of broken glass, he saws through his restraints and leaps into the freezing sea. Surviving is a new beginning. Eight brothers who would lay down their lives for one another, and an oath written in blood. “I don’t care about anything else. Anyone who messes with our brothers, we take care of.” From the streets of Taitung 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Years I Wandered the Jianghu 我走过的江湖岁月 The day I went to the city with the 3,000 yuan the whole village had scraped together to seek help from my cousin, I caught him kneeling and kowtowing in his rented room, calling a burly man with a fierce face “Boss.” My first lesson in society: I thought my cousin was a respectable man who'd made it in the city. Turns out he was a thug who acted like a dog for others, and he wanted me to serve them tea and water too? I thought the city meant factory assembly lines and shared dormitories, a stab —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Dragon's Spine: Blood-Red 1999 龙脊：血色1999 In the bitter winter of 1999, scalding lamb broth spilled from the copper hot pot in the He family residence. Chen Jiu of the Green Dragon Gang stared at the red dragon birthmark on the baby's back, while frozen soil from Beiling crumbled from the soles of his boots. Everyone in Shencheng's underworld would remember that dusk twenty years later: when He Yu was born beneath a blood-red sunset, the wails of thirty motorcycles from the Hunhe Gang couldn't drown out the twelve Jetta police sirens ro —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 The Jianghu Road Leads Nowhere Home 江湖路不归途 My name is Wang Xiao. I was the toughest guy at my middle school back home. I had a mean streak, and nobody dared mess with me. On my first day after transferring to a lousy vocational high school, someone tried to give me trouble. On the second day, the drill instructor ordered me to do two hundred push-ups. I finished them. On the third day, someone called me Brother Xiao. On the fifth day, the toughest guy in the third year sent someone over. “I graduate in three months. Do you want to take o —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 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
- 7 Black and White Rule: Overseas Storms 2 黑白为王2海外风云 (No brainless antics + Urban + Underworld + Passionate + Brotherhood + No Harem + Faux-Realism + Feel-Good Power Fantasy + Overseas Gang Life) The official sequel to the hard-hitting, realistic underworld epic Three Fingers! Black and White Rule 2: Overseas Storm is now underway! Leaving the underworld of their homeland behind, they set foot on unfamiliar foreign soil. Beneath the surface, the Mekong River region seethes with undercurrents, while cross-border forces from Hong Kong and Macau are 19Reads—Score10714d adds
- 8 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
- 9 Undercover: If I Don’t Close the Net Soon, I’ll Really Become a Godfather 卧底：再不收网，我真成教父了 [Underworld|Undercover|Ruthless|Revenge|Gang-on-Gang Warfare|Anti-Drug] The Lone Wolf undercover operation ended in disaster. Jiang Chen was betrayed and shot dead. When he opened his eyes, he had been reborn in 2015, on the very day the Lone Wolf Plan was launched! This time, he had five years of memories from the future. Crush the drug lords, expose the dark secrets, clean up the underworld, and root out the moles! From a low-level street thug, he would fight his way to becoming the godfather —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Transmigrated as the Whole Book's Beloved White Moonlight, the Seductive Beauty Goes on a Rampage 穿成全书白月光，钓系美人杀疯了 [Alluring Beauty VS Love-Struck Warlord] (Both are chaste, love at first sight, fighting over her) Pei Shuyu transmigrates into a book. [Bad news]: The book she’s entered isn’t a female-oriented romance. It’s a male-oriented saga of conquest. [Good news]: She’s the story’s idealized beloved, the woman cherished by the second male lead, an emperor; the third male lead, a powerful minister; and the fourth male lead, a young general. Whether she’s also the idealized beloved of Qin Xian, the amb 9.3kReads7.2Score1.1k14d adds
- 11 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 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 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
- 13 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!! 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 A Love Story in the City of Mist 雾都爱情故事 Chen Mo first met Lin Wanqing inside a car on the Yangtze River Cableway. She wore a white dress, like a gardenia blooming in a forest of steel. Meanwhile, his childhood sweetheart, Jiang Xiaoyan, was crouched beneath the old locust tree at the village entrance, scratching his name into the dirt with a pebble. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 I Took the Place of a Big Shot’s Most Loyal Lackey 我顶替了大佬的死忠小弟 Urban action + one female lead + the underdog rises among his brothers + power plays + personal growth + not invincible Because his face is identical to that of a missing underworld boss, he's forced to take the place of the boss's right-hand man. Alone and posing as a villain, he has no choice but to become one. Standing at the boundary between black and white, what should I choose? And who's pulling the strings? Who's really whose pawn? Stick with it for ten chapters, and things are su —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 The Delinquent Who Changed the Rules of the Jianghu 不良之江湖换天 Pan Bo, a member of the Black Tiger Gang, had the woman he worshipped stolen from him. In a fit of rage, he castrated a man in broad daylight. After serving 12 years in prison, he is released and tries to reintegrate into modern society. With help from an old friend, he enrolls in a vocational college to turn his life around. How will the story of the Black Tiger Gang continue with Big Brother Wang Hao and Yu Chengfei back on the scene? After his release, Pan Bo will get his revenge and win back 3Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 17 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! 610Reads6.6Score10214d adds
- 18 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
- 19 Out of Prison, I Unlock the Underworld Overlord System! 出狱后，解锁黑道霸主系统！ “I'm finally out!” Qi Yuan had just stepped out of the prison gates. Bathed in brilliant sunshine, he savored the warmth and freedom he had missed for so long and greedily drew in a breath. “Kid, don't look back later. Just keep walking straight ahead.” As Qi Yuan looked out at the scenery by the window, a fragment of memory suddenly flashed through his mind. 302Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 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
- 21 Who Says the Boss Has to Be a Gangster? Lawyers Can Be Bosses Too 谁说老大一定是混混，律师也可以 [Urban, underworld, big shots, outlaw!] Gao Tian was executed in 2026 during a crackdown, but unexpectedly returned to the 1990s! This time, unwilling to repeat his old mistakes, he chose to enroll in the police academy! But just as he was trying to go straight, he saw the scumbag who had been abusing his beloved older sister since childhood. In a fit of rage, he killed the wife-beater with three punches. Now behind bars, Gao Tian’s career on the straight and narrow was over for good. With no ch 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Heir to the Underworld: Xia Yu of Tianmen 黑道继承者之天门夏宇 Xia Yu, originally named Li Tian, is 18 and a member of Tianmen, a gang company in Haizhou. After offending someone he should never have crossed, he is forced to flee to a special school in Nanwu under his new identity, Xia Yu, accompanied by two loyal underlings. But this school is an educational institution in name only: in reality, it is a training ground where Nanwu’s four major gangs groom their successors, and the gangs’ junior leaders vie for power behind the scenes. Reborn with the hard- 1.1kReads—Score—14d adds
- 23 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... 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Reborn: A Hundred Million in Breakup Money? I'll Make My Comeback 重生：一亿分手费？我要逆袭了 [Reborn] + [Lighthearted Comedy] + [Patience] + [Play the pig to eat the tiger] + [Face-slapping] + [No System] + [Decisive and ruthless] Chen Feng, a small-business owner who went bankrupt in his previous life, is reborn in the early twentieth century with an extraordinary identity. His ex-wife is immensely wealthy. From the start, she tosses him a bank card with 100 million yuan on it, smacking Chen Feng's handsome face, but sets a daily spending limit of just 5,000 yuan. Chen Feng secretly sw 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 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! 57Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 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
- 27 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. 122Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 The Gangster Heiress 黑帮名媛 In a dog-eat-dog world, only the capable rise to the top, whether man or woman. When self-interest is at stake, family ties are the most likely defense to hold until the end. Every member of the Song family is a fine actor. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Reborn God of War: Going Undercover to Stop Scams and Save My Girlfriend 重生男神：卧底反诈救女友 In his previous life, Guan Yuncheng’s cover was blown while he was undercover at a telecom fraud compound, and he was thrown from a thirtieth-floor rooftop. Before he hit the ground, he saw with his own eyes as his girlfriend, Yin Ningning, was tricked into going overseas and tortured. When he opened his eyes again, he was back one year earlier. His girlfriend was still the same innocent college student, and the fraud ring had yet to target her. A mysterious anti-fraud System activated in his —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Reborn: Turmoil on the Frontier 重生之边境风云 Reborn with vengeance, Lin Zhennan returns to the frontier and carves his way forward with ruthless resolve. He recruits vicious dogs, studies under a martial arts master, gathers loyal brothers, and takes on crooked merchants, turning the timber and jewelry empires into his chance to defy fate. This time, he won't settle for merely surviving. He'll protect those who deserve it and rise to the heights he was meant to reach. 120Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 Reborn as an Underworld Boss, I Nearly Got Played to Death by the System 重生黑道大佬，差点被系统玩死 [Reborn as an underworld kingpin, nearly killed by the System] Shen Yuan was once the uncrowned king of the underworld, but betrayal brought him down. Just as he reached the height of his glory, fate brought his life to an abrupt end. Then, in an incredible turn of events, he was reborn with his unfinished empire and deep-seated grudges, returning to his senior year of high school, a seemingly ordinary beginning to youth with dangerous currents swirling beneath the surface. [System vs. kingpin, —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Love in the City of Mist 雾都爱情 We all strive and dream of a better life in the future. People say life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what flavor the next one will be. That is, until I met her... 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 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
- 34 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... 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 The Soldier King Returns: A Gangland Shakeup 兵王归来，黑道洗牌 He was once the most formidable special forces soldier in Daxia. After killing a vicious prisoner in a fit of rage, he left the military and fell into the miserable life of a designated driver, enduring one humiliation after another. Then he finally snapped. With a single blade, he put an end to a crisis. His slingshot struck like a sniper rifle, and his military knife took lives. He brought five formidable men into his fold and opened a boxing gym, fighting his way up from the streets to become 18Reads—Score714d adds
- 36 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! 9.2kReads—Score79414d adds
- 37 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... 4Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 38 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 7.8kReads7.8Score68514d adds
- 39 The Jianghu: A True Account of Half a Life in the Underworld 江湖：混社会的半生真实经历 A chaotic age, filled with flashing blades and clashing steel! The martial world is like a cup of tea. Everyone tastes it differently. My name is Zhao Long. Back then, most people called me Long Si, Brother Si, or Fourth Master! I'm not exaggerating when I say my reputation back then was almost as great as that of the famous Fourth Master Qiao up north! I was a poor kid who couldn't afford a meal. Through sheer grit and ruthl 4.7kReads7.1Score20114d adds
- 40 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
- 41 Li Ran’s Road Through the Underworld 李燃的江湖路 At the notice board of Longcheng No. 1 High School, Li Ran's name had sat at the top of the honor roll for years. With a pen and an exam admission ticket, he could open the door to another world. Until one evening, on a street lined with food stalls, Zhao Tianyu tore it all apart with the roar of his Porsche. His girlfriend, Ding Xiaoxi, was harassed, and his brothers were beaten. When Li Ran charged forward with a beer bottle in his hand, he never imagined that the cut across his skin would bec 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 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
- 43 Black, White, and Gray? How Can You Get Ahead Without Getting Your Hands Dirty? 黑白灰？不涉灰怎么出人头地 Brotherhood + slow-burn ensemble cast + one female lead + not overpowered + first-person perspective Some people say black is black and white is white, and anyone who falls into the underworld is a bad person. I wanted to be a good person. I never wanted to fall into the underworld. But does being a good person mean being looked down on? Does it mean being powerless when trouble strikes? Only later did I realize that society isn’t simply black or white. The world’s true colors are black, white, 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 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
- 45 Reborn: Back to 1980 重生：回到过去1980 Special forces soldier Fang Tian dedicated his life to defending his country. At sixty-six, he died of lung cancer. After his death, Fang Tian was mysteriously reborn in a small mountain village in 1980. After he enlisted, the woman he loved took her own life for reasons he never understood. A few years later, his family also died in a car accident. Now that Fang Tian has been reborn, how can he save the woman he loves? What was the shocking truth behind her suicide? And what should he choose? S 58Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 46 The New Jia Dai: A Storm Returns 新版加代之风云再现 The Dragon-Teng overlord of the jianghu kicks his way through 49 cities and punches his way through the Six Fan Gate. With a powerful physique, he stands alone against Japan’s Yamaguchi-gumi. A righteous big brother in the jianghu and the boss of his gang. Next, Xiaoji will bring you a grand spectacle, so stay tuned. 3kReads6.5Score10014d adds
- 47 How the Bad Guy Was Made 2: The New Generation 坏蛋是怎样炼成的2：新世代 Ten years ago, Xie Wendong led the Wendong Association in sweeping through the underworld, bringing both the black and white worlds to heel. A decade later, the times have changed. Guns and blades have given way to capital, technology, and the dark web as the new battlegrounds. Just as the Wendong Association was going all-in on its transformation, Jiang Sen was assassinated, dark web forces began lurking in the city, and old allies suddenly returned. Under the surging undercurrents, a new gener 6.2kReads6.9Score59714d adds
- 48 The Underworld: From Errand Boy to Boss 黑道：从小弟到霸主 The light of this city can’t reach the shantytowns in the west. My name is Yao Lie. I have nothing but a ruthless streak and ambition. To survive, I stepped into the underworld. To keep from being trampled, I struck without hesitation. To reach the top, I planned every move and showed no mercy. I started out as a nobody, enduring humiliation, lying low, plotting, and striking back. I’ve seen brothers betray each other, witnessed the cruelty of human nature, and watched rivers of blood flow. I —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 The Abyss Beyond the Ashes 烬余深渊 He was once a spirited young man, but his closest family and sworn enemy joined forces to frame him, destroying his home and leaving him disgraced and on the run. In the depths of despair, he sheds his rough edges and tempers himself into someone ruthless, living under an assumed name and plotting every step. From struggling to survive at the very bottom to fighting his way through blood and violence, he uses cunning to shape the game and ruthlessness to make his name, settling every betrayal an —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 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! 428Reads—Score—14d adds
