Best Short Chinese Novels (Under 500 Chapters)
Highly-rated Chinese novels you can finish in a week. Tight plots, no filler, under 500 chapters.
48 novels
Heaven Official's Blessing
Completed天官赐福 · Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Xie Lian, a martial god who ascended and fell three times, meets the mysterious ghost king Hua Cheng. A sweeping tale of devotion, redemption, and 800 years of unwavering love, set in a richly imagined celestial world.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
Completed魔道祖师 · Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Wei Wuxian, the feared Yiling Patriarch, is reborn 13 years after his death and reunites with Lan Wangji to uncover a dark conspiracy. The source material for 'The Untamed', it is the most internationally famous danmei novel.
Nirvana in Fire (Langya Bang)
Completed琅琊榜 · Hai Yan
Mei Changsu, a brilliant strategist hiding behind a frail exterior, orchestrates an intricate plan to clear his father's name and place the rightful heir on the throne. Source material for the acclaimed TV drama.
Sa Ye (Run Freely)
Completed撒野 · Wu Zhe
Jiang Cheng, a boy abandoned by his adoptive family, meets Gu Fei in a run-down neighborhood. A painfully realistic coming-of-age danmei about two boys healing each other.
Qiang Jin Jiu
Completed将进酒 · Tang Jiu Qing
Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye, two men bound by enmity and political intrigue, become entangled in a fight for survival as their empire collapses. One of the greatest political danmei novels.
Beware of Chicken
小心那只鸡 · Casualfarmer
Jin Rou, a transmigrator in a xianxia world, decides to just farm instead of cultivating. His farm animals accidentally become the most powerful beings. An English xianxia that took the genre by storm.
The Beginning After the End
末日之后的开始 · TurtleMe
King Grey, the strongest king, is reborn as Arthur Leywin in a magical world. While originally English, it draws heavily from Chinese web novel cultivation conventions and is massively popular on the same platforms.
The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage
Completed重生之将门毒后 · Qian Shan Cha Ke
Shen Miao, an empress betrayed and killed along with her family, is reborn at age 14 and plots meticulous revenge. A masterful historical rebirth novel with a brilliant female lead.
The Husky and His White Cat Shizun
Completed二哈和他的白猫师尊 · Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
Mo Ran, a tyrannical emperor who destroyed the world, is reborn as a young disciple and must face the master he once killed. An epic, emotionally devastating danmei with one of the best redemption arcs.
Sha Po Lang
Completed杀破狼 · Priest
In an alternate Qing Dynasty powered by a mysterious fuel called violet gold, two men navigate war, politics, and forbidden love. A steampunk danmei masterpiece.
Little Mushroom
Completed小蘑菇 · Yi Shi Si Zhou
An Zhe, a mushroom who has gained sentience, infiltrates human society in a post-apocalyptic world. A hauntingly beautiful danmei about identity, humanity, and love between species.
Golden Stage
Completed黄金台 · Cang Wu Bin Bai
Two men in a political marriage discover genuine affection while navigating court conspiracies. A beloved comfort danmei praised for its healthy, supportive relationship.
Yuwu (Remnants of Filth)
Completed余污 · Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou
Mo Xi, a righteous general, and Gu Mang, a fallen war hero, are trapped in a web of betrayal and lost memories. A tragic, war-torn danmei with incredible emotional weight.
Invisible Dragon
Completed隐形之龙 · Durandal
A legendary web novel that is intentionally badly written and has become a cult classic for its absurdity. Often cited as the most entertainingly terrible novel ever created.
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Completed人渣反派自救系统 · Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Shen Yuan transmigrates into the scum villain of a cultivation novel he hated and must prevent the protagonist from killing him. A hilarious meta deconstruction of web novel tropes with genuine emotional depth.
Thousand Autumns
Completed千秋 · Meng Xi Shi
Shen Qiao, a blind Daoist sect leader, is pushed off a cliff and rescued by the demonic sect leader Yan Wushi. A beautifully written wuxia danmei about contrasting philosophies.
Faraway Wanderers (Tian Ya Ke)
Completed天涯客 · Priest
Zhou Zishu, a spy master who sacrificed his own lifespan for freedom, meets the eccentric Ghost Valley master Wen Kexing. Source material for the drama Word of Honor.
Lie Huo Jiao Chou (Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire)
Completed烈火浇愁 · Priest
Sheng Lingyuan, an ancient emperor sealed for millennia, awakens in the modern world and meets Xuan Ji, a fire-wielding bureaucrat. A danmei that blends ancient mythology with modern urban fantasy.
Embers (Yu Jin)
Completed余烬 · Priest
In a world where witches' magic is fading, Zhu Zhao and the young witch Sheng Lingyuan navigate a crumbling world order. Another masterwork from Priest with stunning world-building.
Dungeon Defense
Completed地牢防御 · Yoo Heon-Hwa
A genius manipulator becomes the weakest demon lord and must scheme his way to survival. While Korean, it's a legendary villain-protagonist novel on CN/EN platforms.
The Eminence in Shadow
我想成为影之强者 · Daisuke Aizawa
Cid Kagenou pretends to be a shadow mastermind but accidentally becomes one. A Japanese isekai phenomenon that dominates CN/EN web novel platforms.
Soul Land (Douluo Dalu)
Completed斗罗大陆 · Tang Jia San Shao
Tang San, a prodigy from the Tang Sect, reincarnates into a world where everyone possesses unique martial spirits. He combines hidden weapon techniques with his new spirit abilities to become the strongest Spirit Master.
The Novel's Extra
Completed小说的额外 · Jee Gab Song
Kim Hajin wakes up inside his own novel as an extra character with knowledge of the plot. While Korean, it's hugely popular in the CN web novel community and shares the same platforms.
Guardian
Completed镇魂 · Priest
Zhao Yunlan, the chief of a special investigations division, works alongside the enigmatic Professor Shen Wei to solve supernatural cases. The source material for the hit drama.
The Earth is Online
Completed地球上线 · Mo Chen Huan
When a mysterious game forces all of humanity to participate in deadly scenarios, Tang Mo teams up with Fu Wenduo to survive. A survival-game danmei with clever puzzle-solving.
The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort
Completed重生之嫡女祸妃 · Qian Shan Cha Ke
Jiang Ruan, betrayed and murdered in her first life, is reborn and masterfully orchestrates revenge against those who destroyed her family while winning the heart of an unexpected ally.
The Grandmaster Strategist
Completed大谋士 · Shui Qian Cheng
Jiang Zhe, a talented scholar, becomes embroiled in the wars of succession between princes and uses strategy and political acumen to survive. A well-written historical military novel.
Praise the Orc!
Completed赞美兽人 · Lee Jungmin
A warrior-type player chooses the orc race and lives by the orc creed in a virtual reality game where NPCs are sentient. A touching Korean game novel about honor and identity.
Lord Seventh
Completed七爷 · Priest
A prince reborn seven times finally decides to live for himself instead of the throne. A contemplative historical danmei about breaking free from fate.
Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect
Completed六爻 · Priest
A ragtag group of disciples tries to rebuild a fallen cultivation sect. A heartwarming, humorous danmei about found family and perseverance.
Ascending, Do Not Disturb
Completed上仙请留步 · Yue Xia Die Ying
Kong Hou, an optimistic cultivation sect disciple, stumbles through the cultivation world with infectious positivity. A heartwarming female-lead cultivation romance.
The Tutorial is Too Hard
Completed教程太难了 · Gandara
Lee Ho Jae chooses hell difficulty in a mysterious tutorial and becomes absurdly overpowered. A Korean survival-game novel popular across CN and EN platforms.
A Thousand Li
千里之行 · Tao Wong
Wu Ying joins a cultivation sect and navigates political intrigue while genuinely cultivating step by step. A slower-paced, realistic cultivation series published in English first but deeply rooted in CN tradition.
My Disciple Died Yet Again
Completed我家徒弟又挂了 · You Qian
Zhu Yao, a woman transmigrated into a cultivation world as the disciple of a powerful master, keeps dying and being reborn into different bodies. A hilarious deconstruction of cultivation tropes.
Top Management
Completed顶级管理 · Long Umbrella
Jung Sunwoo, a struggling entertainment manager, gains the ability to see future news headlines. A Korean showbiz novel that's hugely popular across CN/EN platforms.
The Villain Wants to Live
Completed反派想活下去 · JANG Woo-yi
Deculein transmigrates as the villain of a novel destined to die. Using his analytical mind, he navigates the story while trying to survive. A well-crafted villain transmigration story.
Low Dimensional Game
Completed低维游戏 · HJQS
Lu Zhiyu creates a pocket dimension and watches as civilizations develop within it over thousands of years. A unique, contemplative story about godhood and creation.
Regressor Instruction Manual
Completed回归者使用说明书 · Bread Joo
Instead of the regressor, the story follows his cunning companion who manipulates everyone for personal gain. A hilarious take on the regression genre with a scheming protagonist.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Completed小说的恶党 · Taxi
Jin-woo possesses the body of a villain in a novel and decides to use his cheat-like abilities for a comfortable life, accidentally becoming beloved by everyone.
Star Rank Hunter
Completed星级猎人 · Chen Ci Lan Tiao
Cillin, a hunter in a vast galaxy, discovers he has a unique gene that allows him to adapt to any environment. A well-crafted space opera with pet companions and exploration.
I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!
我是星际帝国的恶役贵族 · Mishima Yomu
Liam, reincarnated as a noble, decides to be evil but accidentally keeps doing good. A hilarious Japanese light novel hugely popular across CN/EN platforms.
The Returner
Completed回归者 · Toika
Yi Ji-Hyuk returns from another world after thousands of years, just wanting to be lazy. But monsters keep invading Earth and he's forced to help. A hilarious Korean web novel popular across platforms.
Global Evolution
Completed全球进化 · Tao Yuan Hua Zhu
When all life on Earth suddenly evolves and becomes deadly, a young man with enhanced vision struggles to survive in a world where even grass can kill. A uniquely terrifying take on apocalypse fiction.
Absolute Choice
Completed绝对选项 · Pear Lands in the Autumn Spring
Shi Xiaobai is forced to make absurd choices by a mysterious system, leading to hilarious and dramatic situations. A fun comedy that parodies cultivation and hero tropes.
The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind
回归的魔王很善良 · Hungry Pebble
A demon lord who regresses decides to be kind this time around, but his version of kindness is still terrifying. A fun subversion of regression and villain tropes.
The Villain Just Wants to Be a Salted Fish
反派只想当咸鱼 · Bi Ge Lai Zi Xing Xi
A villain transmigrator just wants to slack off but everyone misinterprets his laziness as unfathomable depth. A fun misunderstanding comedy.
Child of Light
Completed光之子 · Tang Jia San Shao
Zhang Gong Wei, a lazy light mage, reluctantly becomes the prophesied Child of Light destined to save the world. A charming, shorter novel with Western fantasy elements.
Mad God
Completed狂神 · Tang Jia San Shao
Lei Xiang, a half-human, half-fallen angel, is raised by the beastmen and becomes a bridge between the warring races. Tang Jia San Shao's debut novel, historically significant.