少年白马醉春风
Shao Nian Bai Ma Zui Chun Feng
Author: 周木楠 / Zhou Mu Nan
Length: 734K words (355 chapters)
Status: Completed in May 2019
Published by 不可能的世界
A direct prequel to Shao Nian Ge Xing, this novel has the same genre and style as the former. However, the author's writing is a lot more polished and the plot centers firmly on its main character, Baili Dongjun.
Genre: wuxia, action, adventure, drama, martial arts, imperial court
Tags: lazy but gifted protagonist, talented people, beautiful people, secrets of the demonic cult, a lot of wine, a lot of poisons, a lot of duels, set in ancient China but not China, prequel with spoiled ending.
Why read this story?
If you enjoyed SNGX and want to know more about the history of the martial experts, you will love this novel. A majority of the cast are many of the older generation characters who appeared in SNGX, and even if they are not major roles, the cameo appearances are simply a treat. Besides these beloved characters, many new and interesting characters are added, such as Ye Dingzhi and the Eight Noble Sons of Beili.
Nonetheless, as a prequel, it suffers from a spoiled ending, especially for certain characters like Ye Dingzhi, Lei Mengsha and Xiao Ruofeng. The more you know about them, the more you will grieve for their eventual fate. On the other hand, it's great to see these legendary characters in action.
Baili Dongjun is the main character of the story but he's not like your typical protagonist who collects martial arts from random encounters. Despite his upbringing in an aristocratic family and despite his close relationship to the martial world, he actually learns martial arts in a very different way. His gift has always been his love for wine but as he grows up and develop his own martial arts, it's no wonder he eventually becomes the number one under Heaven.
One of the most endearing parts of the story is Baili Dongjun's friendship with the people he meets, especially Sikong Changfeng and Lei Mengsha, as well as Ye Dingzhi. It explains why he was so fond of Lei Wujie and Xiao Se from the moment he met them and why he willingly helped them clear the Tower of Ascension in Snow Moon City. Baili Dongjun's character is so well-written and consistent from start to end that even as the reader, you want to smack him for being so stubborn yet admire him for his morals and conviction.
Another reason to read this novel is that the animated series will begin airing in July 2022 and the character designs are gorgeous. In addition, a live action drama series is currently being filmed and expected to air in 2024.
You can read the Prologue of the novel here. I have not decided if I want to translate the rest of the novel.
For more information about the series, where to read/watch/support the author, visit the Shao Nian Bai Ma carrd!