Encyclopedia of Jianghu

"Encyclopedia of Jianghu" focuses on the social chaos from Qingli to Jiayou years in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is not limited to the martial arts disputes between Jianghu and Jianghu. It deeply analyzes the nature of "good" and "evil" at that time by describing the behavior of various Jianghu forces and the living conditions of the people at the bottom.​ The "evil" at that time was mostly wrapped in a bright coat: some temples used the name of "cultivation to help the world", but in fact they were corrupt and amassed money, fabricated rumors for monopoly interests, and suppressed non-governmental organizations that assisted refugees; some Taoist temples used superstition to falsely claim to be spiritual and colluded with the powerful to set up money-making scams to exploit the people; other practitioners took advantage of the epidemic to push high-priced medicines and "annual guarantees", turning people's suffering into profit-making tools. There are also those in power who implement policies that confuse the people, confuse right and wrong, manipulate public opinion to restrict perceptions, and provide shelter for their own hypocrisy and greed. The root cause of these evil deeds is the excessive pursuit of power and interests, and treating people's livelihood as a bargaining chip.​ The "goodness" at that time shone brightly in the predicament: the refugees spontaneously formed mutual aid groups and built survival barriers for the grassroots regardless of personal gain; conscientious storytellers, doctors, and herbal practitioners took risks to spread the truth and provide free diagnosis and treatment, refusing to join the flow of greedy forces; the people took the initiative to learn self-help methods and passed on free epidemic prevention experience from generation to generation, gradually breaking the cycle of "evil". The core of this kind of "goodness" is the reverence for life and the persistence of "people-oriented". Even in darkness, we have not given up the pursuit of light.​ The whole book uses the rivers and lakes as a mirror to present the confrontation between good and evil in troubled times: although "evil" comes in many forms, the core is always "to benefit oneself and harm others"; although the power of "good" is weak, it can be condensed through conscience and people's livelihood needs, becoming a support to fight against darkness and retain hope.​