★ Award-Winning Masterpiece by Shu Zhongmin—Renowned Crime Novelist & Golden Shield Literary Prize Winner!
Winner of the Bronze Award in the 3rd Cross-Strait New Media Original Literature Competition!

★ Acclaimed by Masters of Suspense!
Forensic thriller writer Qin Ming, supernatural suspense author Nanwu Jinsha Likefo, literary suspense icon Cai Jun, and Zhang Ce, Vice Chairman of the China Public Security Literary Federation, all highly recommend this work!

★ A Gripping Detective Novel Woven with Espionage and Mysticism
—Enthralling "Gu" witchcraft lore, enchanting ethnic minority traditions, the legendary underground palace of the lost "Cloud-Realm Kingdom," and a top-secret military zone... Each layer deepens the mystery.

★ A Veteran Policeman’s Tale of the Supernatural from the Yao Area!
Officers Yang Fan and Leng Hang investigate the case of the "Soul-Stealing Gu," only to uncover a shocking secret buried within the ruins of the ancient Cloud-Realm Kingdom.

The Yao Area. A Lost Kingdom. An Underground Lair. A Forbidden Military Zone.
Gu Sorcery. Soul Theft. Baiting Traps.
A labyrinth within a labyrinth. The truth behind the truth.

The Winner of the Golden Shield Literature Award - Shu Zhongmin’s Suspense Series includes 3 titles:
"Extraordinary Sin: Our Distance from Evil"
"Web Detective: The Hidden World"
"Bewitchment: Conspiracy in the Yao Area"

Deep in the Tiger-Shaped Mountains, where the Miao and Yao peoples live intertwined, the long-buried ruins of the ancient Kingdom in clounds have resurfaced—along with the dark legends of Gu sorcery that haunt the land.

Recently, Yang Fan, a police officer from the Cloud-Realm Town precinct, has been experiencing the unexplainable. His "soul" seems to wander the ancient ruins, and the villagers whisper that his lover, Qing Xiaoyu, has cast the dreaded "Soul-Stealing Gu" upon him.

Desperate for answers, Yang turns to his comrade Leng Hang, a detective from the city’s violent crimes unit. But as Leng delves into the secrets of the Cloud-Realm Kingdom, he makes a chilling discovery—the ghostly traces of Jia Ruoding, a fugitive shot dead two years ago while crossing the border. Could the dead truly return to life?
…
The truth, however, is far more sinister. These eerie occurrences are nothing but bait and deception, carefully laid by criminals with a singular goal—to infiltrate a top-secret military facility hidden deep within the Tiger-Shaped Mountains.

With the help of the military, Leng Hang and Yang Fan must pierce through the veil of Gu sorcery to uncover the conspiracy. Their investigation leads them to a hidden underground palace within the Cloud-Realm ruins—where they finally unlock the earth-shattering secret of "The Key to Heaven".

Shu Zhongmin, formerly known by his pen name Jing Hang, holds a Bachelor's degree in Chinese Literature and a Master's degree in Law. He is a distinguished member of the Hunan Writers Association and a recipient of the Golden Shield Literature Award. With years of experience working on the front lines of public security, Shu has accumulated a wealth of investigative expertise, which provides a rich reservoir of authentic material for his writing.
Specializing in crime and suspense fiction, Shu not only crafts gripping narratives but also delves deeply into the complexities of human nature and social realities. His works are celebrated for their intricate plots, vivid characters, and thought-provoking themes.
Shu's novel "Bewitchment" won the Bronze Award at the 3rd Cross-Strait New Media Original Literature Competition, while his work "I Want to Be Mayor" was honored with the Novel Award at Phoenix Web's First Original Literature Competition. His acclaimed novels, such as "Extraordinary Crime", “Extraordinary Breakthrough”, and“Extraordinary Redemption”, have been published in the renowned literary journal "Woodpecker".

Preview Excerpt

"Just close your eyes / The sun is going down / You'll be alright / No one can hurt you now / When tomorrow comes / We'll all be safe and sound..."
Outside, thunder roared and rain poured in torrents. Inside, the clamor of drums and cymbals mingled with the chanting of Buddhist prayers.
Yet, the only sound echoing in Yang Fan's mind was the haunting melody of Safe and Sound—the latest ballad by American country singer Taylor Swift.
Four elderly men encircled him, their steps measured and deliberate, beating drums and reciting incantations in low, rhythmic murmurs. At their head stood Shan Ye, a man in his sixties whose robust frame belied his age, his face stern and foreboding as he intoned the rites, like a lead actor in some macabre play. Behind him loomed Long Jingli, the village chief of Cloud-Realm Village—known to all as "Dragon Head". His sharp eyes never left Yang Fan, ensuring the young officer neither mocked the ritual nor bolted at the last moment.
This was a Gu-dispelling ceremony—an ancient rite—organized by Dragon Head himself for Yang Fan’s sake. Though the elders chanted loudly, their words were in the thick dialect of Cloud-Realm. After countless repetitions, Yang Fan could barely decipher a few phrases:
Shan Ye’s incantations rose and fell as he cast divination blocks repeatedly onto the ground, calling out their results—"Yang gua", "Yin gua", "Sheng gua"—each declaration met with a satisfied exhale, signaling divine approval. A sigh meant repetition, the blocks tossed again until fortune smiled.
With the three omens secured, the four elders bowed three times before the altar. Shan Ye lit a spirit paper, whispered sacred verses to a human skull, then flung the burning paper into the air. Ashes scattered—some dissolving into the candlelit haze, others drifting slowly into the skull’s hollow.
Shan Ye lifted the skull—now cradling a pool of spring water—and smiled. Another trio of bows northward, then he turned and thrust it toward Yang Fan, commanding him to drink.
The water had been drawn by Yang Fan himself from a mountain spring. A few flecks of ash wouldn’t make it foul.
"Drink", he ordered himself. "Only then will the rumors die."
Forcing his eyes open, he stared into the rippling water—its surface reflecting the skull’s sinister gaze.
The skull was empty, its base replaced by a crude ceramic bowl, gaping like a zombie’s maw. Under the candlelight, the spring water within shimmered an uncanny crimson hue, dotted with charred remnants of spirit paper.
As Yang Fan met the skull’s grinning visage, a scream tore from his throat—piercing the ancestral hall, clawing into the storm-wracked night—