“The Hell Prison of the Tang Dynasty” authentically reconstructs the turbulent early Tang Dynasty, where emperors, eminent monks, talented scholars, and powerful ministers all take the stage. The fate of a century of Buddhism and the empire itself are weighed on the scales—what is more important? How will Xuanzang choose? The novel transforms legend into “history”, allowing us to peer through the fog of myth to glimpse historical truths.
— Reader Huasibi

As the book cover states, this is a prequel to Journey to the West, recounting the story of Xuanzang before his pilgrimage. So many have read Journey to the West, but I never imagined that Chapter 10: Two Generals Exorcise Ghosts at the Palace Gate, Emperor Taizong Returns from the Underworldhid such a historical revelation. The author weaves historical facts and fiction, blurring the lines between the two, transforming this chapter into a gripping historical mystery. A well-deserved praise!
— Reader Curiosity

The Hell Prison of the Tang Dynastyfollows Xuanzang, who, before embarking on his westward journey to retrieve Buddhist scriptures, decides to personally travel to Hedong to find his elder brother, Changjie, to resolve his lingering worries. Unexpectedly, he becomes entangled in a conspiracy capable of toppling the empire. The “Hell Prison,” or the Chinese folkloric underworld, is a place where all, regardless of status in life, must undergo the cycle of reincarnation and judgment of good and evil. In the novel, characters representing various factions, with Xuanzang at their core, undoubtedly endure the baptism of this “Hell Prison.” The Buddhist concept of entering the underworld and karmic retribution hits you head-on. The misfortunes of the mortal world mirror the brutal punishments of hell, vividly portraying the distortion of human nature. The appearance of Buddhist monks and former court officials adds weight to the clash between two great figures, inadvertently reflecting the insignificance of individual fates amid dynastic change and the darkness of political struggle. To enhance the atmosphere and stay true to the era, the author incorporates Buddhist teachings at every turning point. With masterful technique and superb execution, legend, history, and novelistic plot blend seamlessly, leaving one in awe. The Hell Prison of the Tang Dynastyis truly a fragment that bridges history and legend.
— Reader Dark Thorn

★ Copyright sold: Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Russian!

★ The Japanese edition ranked consecutively in 2022 on two globally authoritative mystery lists: “Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!” and “Weekly Bunshun’s Best 10 Mystery Novels”. It marked the first time a Chinese novel was shortlisted for the “Mystery Writers of Japan Award”!

★ The original novel of the TV drama Four Directions Hallstarring Tan Jianci, with more adaptations in development! The author spent 13 years meticulously crafting this work, hailed as a masterpiece of Chinese cultural suspense fiction!

★ Highly recommended by Chinese suspense writers Ma Boyong and Lei Mi, Japanese mystery writer Natsuhiko Kyogoku and more.

★ The author brilliantly reimagines the classic fantasy IP Journey to the West, blending history, fantasy, mystery, and detective elements. Xuanzang takes on the role of Di Renjie, using the eighty-one tribulations (eighty-one cases) of his arduous 108,000-li pilgrimage as the narrative foundation. The divine and demonic realms are reconstructed into historical crime scenes, exhausting every category of worldly crime. Each case exposes the greed, selfishness, and evil lurking in human nature, interrogating the meaning of life and the truth of mortality.

This series consists of 5 volumes:
1. The Hell Prison of the Tang Dynasty
2. Chronicles of the Western Kings
3. The Heavenly Record of the Tang Dynasty
4. The Dunhuang Transformation of the Tang Dynasty
5. The Song of Striking the Earth in Chang’an

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“I began wandering at the age of ten after taking my monastic vows. I walked across battlefields ravaged by the endless wars between Wang Shichong and the Wagang rebels, through the dying days of the Sui Dynasty in Chang’an, along the Three Gorges, and across the lands of Jingchu. In Kaishan Temple, I heard the true teachings of the sutras; in Danyang, I witnessed the corpses strewn across the earth after the Tang Dynasty crushed Fu Gongshi. I have traversed this sky, this earth, this mortal realm, and these passing years. Yet I am confined by this mortal flesh, unable to glimpse the scenery beyond it. Sometimes, when I preach the Dharma to sentient beings, it feels like telling winter tales to summer insects. But if one day a Maitreya incarnation were to teach me the true Dharma, I would fear I might be that very summer insect. So, elder brother, if I were inside this room, I would push open the door to see the people and the city. And if this courtyard and the city were trapped within his alms bowl, I would still smash the bowl and tear through this flesh, to glimpse the world beyond, to see past lives and this one.”

In the third year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (629 AD), in the spring month of March, a monk approached the county yamen of Huoyi (present-day Huoxian County, Shanxi). This monk, around thirty years old, had kind eyes and a gentle expression, as if everything he saw filled him with joy.

His name was Xuanzang. Behind him followed a Western Region foreigner—a tall man with a thick beard, a prominent nose, deep-set eyes, dark skin, and wrapped in a white turban. The foreigner carried a large bundle, looked around curiously, and was lively and amusing. He was Xuanzang’s eldest disciple, the Indian Brahmin Polaye.

These two figures, walking one in front of the other, were the real-life prototypes of Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong from the famous novel Journey to the West. From the moment they stepped into Huoyi, they were destined to become entangled in the core of the entire Journey to the Westconspiracy and web of mysteries—the Eighteen Levels of the Naraka Hell. This hell is both a scheme and a bait, encompassing all the evils of the mortal world, the starting point of the eighty-one cases, and the historical secret that allowed the Tang Dynasty to endure for 289 years.

The gates of this hell have long been opened, awaiting Xuanzang and his disciples to step into the trap and bear witness...

Chen Jian​​

A renowned writer, screenwriter, member of the China Writers Association, and council member of the Henan Provincial Writers Association. He has authored over ten novels, including University Bridge, Ears Underground, Freud’s Forbidden Zone, and The Age of Emperors. The Journey to the West Eighty-One Casesseries is his magnum opus, a meticulously crafted novel born from years of research into the classic Journey to the Westand 13 years of dedication. It is hailed as a masterpiece of Chinese cultural suspense fiction.