That Mysterious Light Novel by Qi ChengKun - update
I must caution that this post involves not dark web contents, but grey web contents. Not every online content is protected to the utmost by legalistic frameworks; and not every law is always enforced or enforceable; and when such laws are, there may be instances where the authorities reserve the right to enforce any specific law at their discretion. The World is a big and complex place; the online world is even bigger and more complex. The rest of my post is under the cut.
The update is under the cut.
I came across several manhua or manhwa which followed a certain line of plot development. They would start off as fanciful frivolous romance stories for teenage females, evolving into darker stuff as the chapters increase.
To set some parameters, let me make some comments about the broader aspects of serialisation and bread-and-butter issues for the authors.
I am not familiar with the China and S Korean manhua industry, so I don't know how the manga author/artist gets remunerated. In the Japanese manga industry, there is some correlation of number of pages of manga drawn for publication to the remuneration paid. When the Editors and Publishers decide a manga has to end to cut losses, the conclusion is a sad demise of the series. Conversely, if these Powers decide that the manga has to extend beyond the original plot because of popularity, story arcs spew out in all directions.
Perhaps, and I have no idea if this is so, in the manhua/manhwa industry, creators get paid per chapter, so continuing a popular series makes sense, and certainly, a savvy creator would pace the story development to roll out to what may be an infinite horizon.
So, back to the various stories. One particular title intrigued me because the graphic novel version ended so abruptly - the word END is literally on the last page. That sudden conclusion was also noted by many other readers. An online search reveals that there are certainly no more chapters after that.
Comparing this title to others by the same author, I could not see why the graphic novel version should end just like that. There was no indication that the author had experienced a sudden life emergency or suchlike. The other stories continue to get chapters added to them.
Now let me digress to put my reading of these various content into perspective.
My proficiency of the Chinese language is mostly reliant on Google Translate these days. Compared to the translation utilities of even 5 years ago, the AI-empowered translation these days works quite well. I had 10 unhappy years of learning the Chinese language: several years using the Taiwanese FanTi script and pronunciation marks system, then the rest of the time using the mainland China system of pronunciation marks and the JianTi script. Couple that route with my familial circumstances: English- and Malay-speaking paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles, and Cantonese-English speaking Mother and her relatives (my Maternal grandparents died during the Japanese Occupation), pretty much leaves me at Day Care Nursery level of Chinese Language.
Nevertheless, I hunted down the title which piqued my interest because of its abrupt conclusion: Ming Men Huang Hou or 命门皇后. The translated title appears in many forms, so for clarity, I use the original title. The author is 齐成琨 or Qi ChengKun.
Every website carrying this graphic novel version, has it ending at the maximum of 208 chapters. However, someone commented in one of the graphic novel sites that the light novel itself continues serialisation. I searched online for the light novel (non-graphic version), mostly at Chinese Language websites. Some wanted membership fees for reading (yeah, fine, but are those fees going to the author ?). Most did not carry this title, for a reason I will elaborate later when I discuss the plot.
I finally came across a text-only version which appears to be a continuing work. It is through the marvel of modern internet technology that I was even able to locate it and read the chapters. About 85 percent of the AI-enabled translation makes sense, the rest is mental gymnastics to adjust pronouns and transliteration of Chinese names.
The first half of Chapter 393 of the light novel version is where the final chapter, Chapter 208, of the graphic novel version ends. The novel continues in serialisation at this time, the latest chapter being 1110.
From Chapter 393, the female protangonist spins out of control as she morphs into a crime boss and syndicate matriach - probably based on the vile experiences she was made to go through, plus the subterfuge and half-truths and complex web of relationships among those who appear in her life.
The setting of the story is revealed later in the novel (way past the end of the graphic novel) to be after the Fourth World War. There are military warlords, oligarchies, and large crime groups, all in a fragile power balance. There exists three items disseminated among the groups; whoever obtains all three will wield absolute power and control. The most dangerous of all is the corrupt military head and his supporters. For this reason, I believe the novel may be considered as undermining the reputation, dignity and prestige of the existing military in the real world, and the novel has had to go underground, somewhat - but this is only my personal opinion.
The hot-cold relationship between the female protagonist and her male partner is also explained much later in the novel series. This is a multi-generation story, and at the current arc, the protagonist's offspring is involved in military affairs (or counter-military affairs... ahem). I will update my views of the story as chapters are added.
These are my own opinions based on my somewhat limited access to the novel. Other readers may disagree with my interpretation of the plot and my perspective.
OK. So, what about the literary value of the work ? It is a light novel, it lends itself to serialisation, it starts as a girl's romance fantasy, and evolves into a fast-paced dark action spy gangster military thriller. Author Qi does not dwaddle on extended emotions or scenarios. Qi is extremely concise and precise in plot development, and plot twists can occur in consecutive chapters. The story moves at a dizzying tempo, the emotional lows are intense but compact: Qi wastes no time in belabouring moments of grief - and there are many. Even read in its translated form, this is an absorbing, addictive, and very entertaining light novel. Highly recommended.