“With its high-stakes spy intrigue, a heroine who grows into her power, and a solemn sense of patriotism, this novel earned a 9.6 rating during serialization and became a phenomenon. It excels at constructing intelligent mind games, with airtight logic and tightly woven plot reversals — its cold, restrained prose perfectly matching the melancholy atmosphere of a world in collapse.”
— Sina News

“A breath of fresh air in web fiction… The writing is beautiful… The scope is grand, like turning a page of history to glimpse those difficult times, vivid characters, and gripping plots.”
— Mingmingkong, Douban review

“Absolutely brilliant… I was constantly amazed by the writing, the foreshadowing, and the character designs… This is the best historical romance with political intrigue I‘ve ever read.”
— Wo shi Yuzhouzhou, Douban review

“It paints a spiritual portrait of all living beings in a fallen world, where love for one’s country and personal destiny are intertwined.”
— Xiyou, Douban review

★ “All are lost souls — why not ferry together?” A petty thief steals a general’s silver — and finds herself hunted in a life-or-death game, forged into a spy under his hand. From cat-and-mouse to life-and-death trust. Two people, one boat, crossing the chaos together.
★ Topped the completion chart on Tomato Novel, with a 9.5 rating (9.6 in some reports) and over 170,000 readers.
★ Author Xian Yuke is a member of the China Writers Association, the Zhejiang Writers Association, and the China Internet Writers Village. A screenwriter by background, she excels at high-stakes mind games, airtight logic, and tightly woven plot twists, with a cold, restrained style that matches the somber tone of a fallen dynasty.
★ Film rights secured by Perfect World Pictures in 2024. The TV adaptation began production in January 2026, starring Tan Jianci and Lu Yuxiao, directed by Yang Wenjun.
★ Set in a fictional world inspired by the Song Dynasty, blending spy intrigue, political maneuvering, and redemption. When an illiterate girl points to the most complex character in the snow and says, “Life must be harder than death — so this must be the word for ‘live,’” the general is stunned into silence. This is a story about how to survive when the world falls apart.

Nanyi was nothing but a speck of dust in a crumbling dynasty. To stay alive, she stole ten taels of silver from General Xie Queshan.

Xie Queshan was a traitor in the eyes of the world — a man who abandoned his country and defected to the enemy. Yet he lit an incense stick and told her: “I‘ll give you the time this stick burns to run. If I catch you — you’ll wish you‘d never been born.”

Nanyi ran. She didn’t escape.

Xie Queshan took her as his “servant” — and began a long, brutal forging: teaching her to read, to spy, to walk the razor‘s edge. He saw something in her — the girl who had pointed to the most complex character in the snow and said, “Life must be harder than death — so this must be the word for ’live.‘” That moment stayed with him longer than he expected.

Nanyi changed her identity and married into a powerful family. Fate pushed her back before Xie Queshan — now disguised as her “brother-in-law,” lurking in the same household. Their game of cat and mouse slowly gave way to a trust that staked everything. He was a double agent, bearing the stain of “treason” as he infiltrated enemy lines. She was the spy he had forged with his own hands — and the only one he could trust with his back.

In a fallen world, no one stands alone. Intrigue, espionage, betrayal, sacrifice — Xie Queshan and Nanyi walked the edge of the blade, seeking truth in a world of lies. What is loyalty? What is betrayal? Who will walk out of this game alive?

“Where Lost Souls Ferry Together” is a novel about how to live when the world falls apart. It tells of a nobody‘s struggle — and a hero’s solitude. The print edition is a two-volume set, featuring 2 new bonus chapters and 12 pages of color illustrations.

Xian Yuke is a novelist and screenwriter. She is a member of the Zhejiang Writers Association, a resident of the China Internet Writers Village, a member of the China Writers Association, and a contracted author on Tomato Novel.
She is passionate about writing tales of tangled love between men and women, and excels at crafting high-stakes mind games, airtight logic, and tightly woven plot twists. Her writing style is cold and restrained, perfectly suited to the somber atmosphere of a world in collapse.
Her major works include “Where Lost Souls Ferry Together” and “The Great Ming Black Lotus.”

Volume One — Lost Souls in a Broken World 001

Chapter 001 Chance Acquaintance 002
Chapter 002 Cold River Snow 005
Chapter 003 Night Walker 008
Chapter 004 The Loyal General‘s Bones 014
Chapter 005 A Life-or-Death Choice 017
Chapter 006 The Qin Family Girl 020
Chapter 007 Wrong Bridal Chair 025
Chapter 008 A Wedding Turns to Mourning 029
Chapter 009 Bitter Winter Water 034
Chapter 010 Seeds of Doubt 036
Chapter 011 The Candlelight Bureau 040
Chapter 012 Into the Trap 043
Chapter 013 Family Discipline 046
Chapter 014 Nowhere to Run 050
Chapter 015 The Chaste Widow 053
Chapter 016 The Taming Method 056
Chapter 017 Wild Geese, Unwritten 062
Chapter 018 The Wind Shifts 066
Chapter 019 Youthful Days 069
Chapter 020 A Place to Stay 072
Chapter 021 Playing the Mole 077
Chapter 022 Not to Be Humiliated 080
Chapter 023 Spring in the Chamber 085
Chapter 024 Late Night on the Long Street 087
Chapter 025 The Storm Approaches 092
Chapter 026 Borrowing the Tiger’s Might 095
Chapter 027 The Princess‘s Shame 099
Chapter 028 Malt Candy Fragrance 102
Chapter 029 Seeking a Way to Live 105
Chapter 030 Planning Together 109
Chapter 031 War Drums Roll 113
Chapter 032 Untouched Snow 116
Chapter 033 Shadows of Flowers 120
Chapter 034 Day and Night Together 123
Chapter 035 Remembering the Past 129
Chapter 036 Hidden Meaning in Verse 132
Chapter 037 An Untouched Body 135
Chapter 038 An Old Acquaintance Arrives 139
Chapter 039 The World of Men 142
Chapter 040 Where to Go 145
Chapter 041 She and the Sea 149
Chapter 042 A Merciful Heart 152
Chapter 043 New Year’s Eve 156
Chapter 044 A Concubine‘s Heart 161
Chapter 045 The Return Hall 164
Chapter 046 A Full Cup of Wine 167
Chapter 047 The Shadow of Death 170
Chapter 048 Deep in the Forest 175
Chapter 049 Unbearable Thoughts 178
Chapter 050 A Visitor Arrives 182
Chapter 051 Splendor Turned to Ash 188
Chapter 052 Man in the Game 193
Chapter 053 The Way of Heaven Weeps 198
Chapter 054 Thick Fog 202
Chapter 055 Snowball Fight 206
Chapter 056 The Lantern Festival 210
Chapter 057 Pretty Lanterns 214
Chapter 058 A Hair’s Breadth 218
Chapter 059 Toward the Clear Stream 222
Chapter 060 Rotten Wood Falls 226

Volume Two — Wild Geese Depart, Life Endures 233

Chapter 061 What Is Life 234
Chapter 062 Fleeting Joy 239
Chapter 063 Dust in the Face 242
Chapter 064 Broken Jade 247
Chapter 065 Seeking Deliverance 251
Chapter 066 Unspoken Intentions 254
Chapter 067 A High-Stakes Gamble 258
Chapter 068 A Scheme That Deceives Heaven 262
Chapter 067 The Foundation of Survival 267
Chapter 070 The Cruel East Wind 271
Chapter 071 The Wrong We Made 275
Chapter 072 Caged Bird 280
Chapter 073 The One in My Heart 285
Chapter 074 Do You Remember 289
Chapter 075 The Arena of Blood 293
Chapter 076 Waking from a Dream 297
Chapter 077 The Coward 301
Chapter 078 Lingering Hesitation 306
Chapter 079 Farewell, Spring Blossoms 311
Chapter 080 Warmth Behind the Curtain 317
Chapter 081 Don‘t Look Back 321
Chapter 082 The Old Fox 325
Chapter 083 Faint Candlelight 330
Chapter 084 The Hidden Decree 334
Chapter 085 The Liar 339
Chapter 086 Storming the Dragon’s Den 343
Chapter 087 The Pretender 348
Chapter 088 Escape from Danger 352
Chapter 089 Visiting Old Ground 357
Chapter 090 Journey to the Tiger‘s Mountain 361

Volume Three — In Dreams, We Meet Again 367

Chapter 091 Moon in the Water 368
Chapter 092 True Face Revealed 372
Chapter 093 Hidden Among Bamboo 377
Chapter 094 Where Is the King 381
Chapter 095 Cold Food Festival 386
Chapter 096 An Unsolvable Puzzle 390
Chapter 097 Warm Spring Night 394
Chapter 098 The Eldest Princess 399
Chapter 099 A Fading Warmth 404
Chapter 100 Danger Emerges 409
Chapter 101 An Arrow on the String 413
Chapter 102 Against the Wind 417
Chapter 103 Turning Enemy Into Friend 422
Chapter 104 Bitter Days Are Short 427
Chapter 105 Sudden Spring Rain 431
Chapter 106 The Art of Tea 435
Chapter 107 Staking One’s Life 439
Chapter 108 Guest on a Rainy Night 444
Chapter 109 You and Him 448
Chapter 110 Between Mountains and Rivers 452
Chapter 111 A Night of Moon and Flowers 457
Chapter 112 Night in Jinling 461
Chapter 113 Light and Shadow 466
Chapter 114 Laughter Through Tears 470
Chapter 115 A Gambler‘s Heart 475
Chapter 116 Waters Flowing East 479
Chapter 117 The Asura 484
Chapter 118 The Breaker 488
Chapter 119 The One Who Complains 493
Chapter 120 Ancient Temple Wind 498
Chapter 121 Dust of the Past 502
Chapter 122 Heaven’s Favor 506
Chapter 123 A Late Farewell 511
Chapter 124 Cornered Beast 516
Chapter 125 Crimson Sleeve Blade 520
Chapter 126 Rebirth from Ashes 526

Volume Four — A Lone Boat, Riding the Eastern Waters 533

Chapter 127 Welcoming Spring 534
Chapter 128 Wild Geese Return South 538
Chapter 129 The Tide Rises Again 543
Chapter 130 A World That Won‘t Accept Us 547
Chapter 131 Lovebirds 551
Chapter 132 Eternal Regret 556
Chapter 133 Matters of War 560
Chapter 134 Storm Brewing 564
Chapter 135 The City Falls Silent 569
Chapter 136 Fear of Gossip 573
Chapter 137 Spring in the Tent 578
Chapter 138 The Night Banquet Scroll 583
Chapter 139 Triumphant Return 587
Chapter 140 Cast into the Muddy Flow 592
Chapter 141 The Drum of Justice 597
Chapter 142 A Scholar’s Last Stand 603
Chapter 143 Doing What One Can 607
Chapter 144 Washing Away the Past 611
Chapter 145 The Long Way Home 618
Chapter 146 Riding the Boat Together 622
Final Chapter 626

Bonus Chapter — Clouds Disperse, Joy Returns 629

Bonus 1 — Moon Sets, Crows Cry, Frost Fills the Sky 630
Bonus 2 — Rushing Waters Never Return 634
Bonus 3 — Through Wind and Rain, Still Calm 638

Print Edition Bonus Chapters

Print Bonus 1 — A Song, a Cup of Wine 642
Print Bonus 2 — Buying Osmanthus, Sharing Wine 646