A Step into the Past

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A lecherous army special task force soldier from 21st-century Hong Kong is selected to travel back in time, choosing to go to the Chinese Warring States Period. Unfortunately, the time machine runs into an error during the experiment. With no foreseeable way to return to the present, he must use his combat skills and knowledge of history to thrive in his new life in the year 251 BC.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Searching for the Qin
Tầm Tần Ký
寻秦记
尋秦記
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Grandmaster Strategist (3)
Chronicles of Primordial Wars (2)
Pivot of the Sky (2)
Bu Bu Jing Xin (1)
Nirvana In Fire (1)
To Be A Virtuous Wife (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Alternative History Fiction Novel
  2. Win Life with War Strategies
  3. KR Novels I'll Read When They Finish (and some CN)...
  4. Wuxia-esque Wonders and Conspiracies
  5. My Fav

Latest Release

Date Group Release
08/23/12 Kohchun epilogue
08/22/12 Kohchun v25c13
08/21/12 Kohchun v25c12
08/20/12 Kohchun v25c11
08/19/12 Kohchun v25c10
08/18/12 Kohchun v25c9
08/17/12 Kohchun v25c8
08/16/12 Kohchun v25c7
08/15/12 Kohchun v25c6
08/14/12 Kohchun v25c5
08/13/12 Kohchun v25c4
08/12/12 Kohchun v25c3
08/11/12 Kohchun v25c2
08/10/12 Kohchun v25c1
08/09/12 Kohchun v24c12
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66 Reviews sorted by


kelefi
kelefi rated it
September 5, 2017
Status: epilogue
I finished reading this over a year ago, but this novel was so unbelievably good I still havent forgotten about it.

In fact I made an account specifically to give a review to this, to convince others to read it.

It's not a lovey-dovey everything is happy novel, its a real novel.

... more>> Unlike 99% of other wuxia out there, this one actually has depth. You feel what the MC feels, and after picking this one up I didnt stop reading it until I finished the whole thing (in 3 days).

As a warning, do not read this if you're just looking for a casual read

Spoiler

there is a lot of death and tragic moments, and in fact one of those moments physically moved me to tears... just shows you how damn good this novel is

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Chevalier_92
Chevalier_92 rated it
July 20, 2017
Status: epilogue
The novel is 5/5 until he books 11-12 (after the Horse fanatic arc) after it drops to a 2/5. So I advice drooping it after arriving in Qin or read it when you are bored.

Books 11-12 are excellent everything blends together well be it romance, tactics, spycraft all is well. After Horse fanatic arc the author stops the MC from using his history knowledge to stop Lu Buwei and stops him for having new romances (mainly due to some backlash with the public or I think). With new romances dead... more>> and gone (some some slow ones with Widow Qin (not the Qin Queen)) we are left with tactics and spycraft, all is well you would think but no, the author start repeating the same plot infiltrating a nation under disguise (Horse fanatic) while not using his history knowledge (not much knowledge but still) to counter Lu Buwei. This simply turns the novel into a stale story because we already know that due to plot armor the MC will win and as such we already know the end, if there is no romance or death of loved ones be it lovers, wifes or brothers there is no suspense no anticipation the MC will win due to the road that is paved by plot armor (excellent trained soldiers, advanced tech or tactics, smart wife that knows everything and can counter all etc).

Together with plot rehash it is plain obvious that the author had no idea where the story will go after he arrived in Qin, using the fate and laziness to stop the MC from becoming powerful he stomped any ambition that we might fell have thus killing the novel. <<less
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Aristanto
Aristanto rated it
June 13, 2017
Status: Completed
HAHAHAHAHAHA

I will conclude this in a few sentence. You will either love it really hard, or hate it to the bones.

Now, the stories. A man from future sent to the past, now everyone may think "Oh he got to be OP with so much knowledge and etc". well.... wrong, why? because of moral, yes he is a soldier, but 21st century still have its people their right, but in the past woman is regard as an item.

And that is his biggest downfall, he cannot think that people of the past... more>> can go to such a degree, that is why a lot of people hate this novel and blame MC s*upidity. IMO MC is not s*upid, he is clever, but not to the point of controling the wind and rain with a single flip of hand, he just battle harden. But because of a huge gap of morality that planted in his conciusness for being in the future, the drawback is masive as well.

Resding thus you will feel fury, touched, pumping, sad, fun, aroused, and somehow scared that a bad thing will happen. But, if you looking for something different from, typical xianxia (you know what typical xianxia means). Then give this a shot.

Like I said before, you will either love this, or hated it <<less
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AonDuine
AonDuine
April 25, 2017
Status: --
For me, this novel is a unique experience. I do enjoy it and find the story to be enjoyable. However, I have been unable to finish it despite its relatively short length and multiple attempts. Something just ends up losing me and I end up reading a different novel or watching an anime or something. I've tried to figure it out, but I honestly don't know why. The characters are, for the majority, well shaped and hold engaging personalities. The action is adequate for what the story requires but does... more>> sometimes feel a bit lackluster.

Long story short: Good overall novel; but something is missing. 7/10 <<less
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thetranquilman
thetranquilman rated it
September 3, 2016
Status: --
Loved this story. Read it ages ago, but remember it as something I binge read from the get go. Seriously got me really interested in the time travel genre. The MC is cool, and the way all his actions fit into the timeline are cool. Honestly 10/10
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this novel rocked
Ok, so I see a lot of people bashing the main character for a series of different reasons and while some are valid others just make smh. The main character came to the past a lecherous person. He screws any chick that looks good and wants him in the beginning. After a series of tragedies the MC actually changes his ways and begins to wonder what his role in history is and as it becomes more clear he accepts it and does not fight the flow of progression with regards... more>> to relationships and what others perceive as him rolling over and letting these things happen.
Spoiler

no one read the part when the spy in lu traitors camp said that the empress was a schemer from the beginning and that shaolong misidentified her personality type (She TRICKED him, period). He didnt realize the type of person she actually was, a power hungry **** sucker. He never even wanted to be with yingying. People bash her for screwing the other guy but DIDNT HE DO THE EXACT SAME THING TO WU TINGFANG????! He said naive girls are fickle in love and if you dont strike while the iron is hot she may seek it from another, well guess what he falls prey to his own thing because he is no longer the same man he was when he wooed tingfang.

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All in all, its a good story, I thoroughly enjoyed it having no prior knowledge of chinas warring states period, the NTR is a gut wrench-er but when you make it past it you can see that it actually impacted the MC and he didnt remain the same after. Feelings lingered but he already had 6 women by the end and to tell me he could have had them and all the ones who perished/ (ntrd him) happy ever after is a joke when you consider the brutal time period. <<less
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niax
niax rated it
February 11, 2016
Status: --
Awesome book. Yeah, there is some tragedy, but look at the time period. How can there not?

Takes a few chapters to get going, but once it does, I was hooked.
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tornberry
tornberry rated it
December 8, 2020
Status: Completed
I have complex feelings after reading this. I did feel enganged and was able to read chapter after chapters without getting bored, but I am really disappointed by how it turned out in some arcs and it is very clear that the author is not very good at writing any slice of life aspects since he/she mostly glossed out any of it and just focused on the action part of this novel, like spying, scheming, martial arts, and wars.. There is barely any break inbetween arcs plus you can't really... more>> tell why almost all of the female casts (I mean it, it's 90% of them) in this novel, despite having described as intelligent but shows no intelligence at all.

Spoiler

Also, I mentioned that I feel disappointed at some arcs, but my biggest and major disappointment lies in Zhao Ya's ending. She feels so real to me and her existence outshine even mc's most favoured wife in my heart, but it feels to me that the author forcefully and slowly killed her. I can never forget about her.

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All in all, I am done with this kind of novel and in the future I will just find another novels that doesn't focus solely on actions/martial arts. <<less
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deathmine31
deathmine31 rated it
September 25, 2020
Status: Completed
The impression at the beginning of the novel is different than at the middle of the novel. If you like the tags and some schemes, read it. Its pretty much a solid 4. Certain aspects I dont agree with. MC states how fate is unchangeable but when the times he tries anything, its took late. I dont mean in the sense he remembers the historical events concerning the person to late, asides from like 1 person, but rather is convinced he cannot change the events. When he attempts to, it's... more>> too late. Other than that, expect an MC who gathers many women early on. The intimate relationships end after more than half the novel.

Spoiler concerning tragedy and romantic encounters not quite NTR:
Spoiler

He cant have kids, pretty damn tragic if you ask me. Some of his female companions will die, after a certain point, no longer. There are 2 females are important to note; one will betray him and go for some other guy, ultimately after some more stuff come back to him, sort of. The other is almost ntr, MC is cool with others being with her, she ultimately leaves him. This one left my throat dry, she was the one I was interested in.

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detoxangels12
detoxangels12 rated it
March 15, 2020
Status: v2c4
you'll get disappointed if you have high expectations reading the high reviews. So the book 1 is all about building up the conflicts, world building, and climax. It's all about him being naive about the era and his women who were close to him gets r*ped and killed and so he became the "cold killing machine" he was trained to. Book 1 also greatly emphasize about the upcoming duel to his rival with a king and a bunch of officials as witness. It's been explained why he can't win in... more>> swordmanship with the guy since he was not trained to be a swordsman but he can win if there are no restrictions in the duel saying he could use bare handed techniques and modern martial arts. So book 2 the duel begins, you'd expect him to use grappling, muay thai, disassembling techniques or whatnot martial arts like a elite special task force is but no, he didn't use them. Instead he appeared weak, defended and relied on his stamina, waiting for his enemy to get tired (who got tired really fast for a bunch of swings) and boom surprise he attacked back stronger. He even shouted to his opponent "You got tricked!", which is really dumb, and then the author pulled the overused iconic two-people-rushing-to-each-other-sword-in-their-hands-while-shouting and-then-bypassing-each-other-back-to-back scene waiting for the other to collapse. The author doesn't seem to know how an modern elite force agent works (ofc I also dont but I have ideas) he could have just researched movies with agents and stuff, even the MC doesn't act like a professional special force. What's even worse is the detailed fight scenes, idk if it's the author or translation but there are no detailed moves but what you get are useless details i.g enemy slash his swords like it can cut a mountain and the blades trajectory is like a butterfly, showing the blades jade like metal bullshi- yeah u get it, something like that. <<less
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titan2028
titan2028
December 19, 2019
Status: epilogue
An amazing novel that is surely worth your time. The story is an amazing roller coaster that always had my heart beating fast in the tense moments. A must read and classic story.
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dan7cor
dan7cor rated it
June 14, 2017
Status: epilogue
Do not read this story if you don't want to cry, be angry, be scared, be happy, this story made my heart jump. You can feel the MC decisions and pains, he is not an OP MC of a fantasy story where everything is rainbows and happiness, he is a human being, who can love a woman, but also lose her, like real people did in that time period. People died, lovers died, friends betrayed you. It is horribly enchanting. I just finished and I have an anguished but happy... more>> feeling. <<less
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iyok
iyok rated it
June 27, 2016
Status: Completed
Actually I read the licensed translation one of the series. It's great. Really a joyride. Fast and to the point. The MC got too many girls on his hand *cough-and-a-man-cough*, methinks, but the harem didn't bother me in this case, which is weird.
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Kurox
Kurox rated it
June 21, 2016
Status: Completed
A very good Chinese novel, sorta disappointed at how the MC doesn't try to beat fate and why he bothers giving effort if fate makes it happen anyway. Overall It was an enjoyable read and highly recommended, Ignore the whatever is preventing you from reading this and go read it. 9.5/10
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Xuanyu
Xuanyu rated it
June 4, 2016
Status: --
Great story, horrible plot. This is definitely a first. Normally they have great plot yet the story somehow sucks. This story sucks me in yet can't I can't help but curse it for all of this s*upidity.

Many people gives this story a 5 star with make no sense saying it is realistic just because MC waifus die.

But the way characters behave is illogical in every sense and the MC is indeed far to s*upid to have made it into the special forces.

... more>>
Spoiler

Young elite special force member travel into the past. With his knowledge about the warring states events, he carving his way into others' fate to try and remake the history as he remembers causing many good people to die uselessly.

It is a journey as MC tries hard to accept the ancient China way of life full of blood, death even though he could live life differently taking an advantage with his knowledge and strength.

The MC started as a lecherous, super magnificent figure - tall and handsome - who gets all the girls. He then lets all of them die either by su*cide after getting r*ped or killed by s*upidly taking them out while there are thousands of people hunting him down or letting them get married to some other dickhead.


Whether the history of ancient China is true or not is questionable even after he get trough the first couple weeks, And the fact that the MC still doesn't realize this and stays as a "civilized, down-to-earth figure" until the end is idiotic. Typical wuxia/xianxia - with their single-sided plot.
In this ancient chaotic times with vastly different culture he tries to live passively.
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Kinda like Japanese MC, yeah that's it. This is like a Japaneses MC rather than action he reacts. He does fall in love with every woman he meets and proclaims his love for her in some way and than she dies because of a s*upid choice he made.

At least most Japanese MCs keep their woman alive or at least tries to this MC literally pulled his harem into a ambush and led them die in a rain of arrows. (He just reached an allied city and got himself a house and base)

Very good written but the characters are too s*upid to be real. <<less
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Detrolord
Detrolord rated it
January 15, 2016
Status: --
Good Read If you like Lu Bu is my father in Law and not scared about tragedy its a must.

Good balance of military, schemes and politics.

Good Character Development

Settings is the bests in historical

Mostly it will keep you thinking why, why, no, what and so on.
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Mskomek
Mskomek rated it
November 28, 2015
Status: --
pretty good novel even who doesnt know chinese history also romance is pretty weak consequently I highly recommend its pretty enjoyable novel but not a masterpiece
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WeiWeiWei
WeiWeiWei rated it
September 28, 2021
Status: epilogue
Fast paced, violent and quite heavy. Recommended especially if you are interested in ancient chinese history and doesn't mind r*pe / mu*der. A solid work from Huang Yi (unfortunately he died back in 2017... Would have loved to read even more of his works.)

I have just reread it again, and it's quite unfortunate that this novel seems to be "forgotten" as the newer ones gets bumped up in ranking and popularity while this hidden gem sits currently at Monthly Rank: #6272 / All Time Rank: #1846

PS. Sammo Hung is... more>> directing an upcoming movie "Back to the Past" which is the continuation of this novel. Hopefully some new ones may search this up! <<less
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Atom03
Atom03 rated it
April 2, 2021
Status: v1c1
It's a great historical book. Normally Chinise historical web romans is op MC, harem and system. It's not bad but they are too much. It's really dark and realistic.
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MoonEmperor000
MoonEmperor000 rated it
June 14, 2020
Status: --
Believed me. I cried a lot when Zhao Ya died. I know shes a sl*t. He betrayed the MC. But anyone could tell that she regreted all of it. Sadly, she fell sick and died in the end. Because of this novel which is my first tragedy novels that I ever read, I started avoiding tragedy novels. Its just too much to my heart.

So yeah.. After she died on that chapter I could no bare myself to read it. I dont want to see anymore deaths of his lover. So... more>> I had to jump in the ending. <<less
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