Title：Ghost Candle-Yunnan Worm Valley （鬼吹灯之云南虫谷） Author: Benwu Tianxia Bachang From：www.qidian.com

Sales
Internet click rate: 13,797,182
Copyrights sold: Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese.
Adaptation rights: movie, gaming and cartoon rights have been sold. Other adaptation rights and subsidiary rights available.
Ranked among the top 3 bestsellers in the Chinese book market
All the 8 volumes were among top 50 in the billboard for art and literature works during a period in 2008
Number 1 of the top 10 Internet novels in Baidu in 2006 (Baidu is like the Chinese Google.)

Introduction
Protagonist Hu Bayi’s family inherits the last remaining volume of an ancient mysterious book with a several-thousand-year history, handed down from the previous generation. The book inspires Hu Bayi and his friends to set off on an expedition of discovery. Thus begins the saga of the multiple trials and tribulations that befall three modern grave robbers when they set out on a thousand-mile trek to find a legendary dragon. They must find the magnificent palaces and tombs that are hidden somewhere on the earth. Their journey takes them to many mountains and rivers which they analyze in accordance with the traditional Chinese Feng Shui culture to seek the answers to the many horrifying questions. Deserts, snow-capped mountains, forests, canyons, torrents, prairies and so many mysterious animals and plants, dangerous traps—every step is breathtaking and every step is fraught with danger. As they unravel the mysterious underworld layer by layer, they face challenges that go beyond their imagination and test the limits of their endurance.
Their journey begins from an extremely hazardous desert much like the Silk Road. Hu Bayi’s exploration team discovers a lost civilization that bears the burden of a legendary curse. To break this curse, Hu Bayi and his friends have no option but to set afoot on an even more miraculous and spooky journey of exploration …. What a journey it is! In the cradle of an ancient Chinese civilization, they meet the mysterious animals described in the ancient book. Forging ahead, they come across the most horrific dead bodies. Their dangerous journey of exploration leads them to many astonishing and huge oriental tombs. In the mysterious Southwest China, they encounter a legendary lost civilization in which the natives were famous for their sorcery and poison extracts from insects. Overcoming all the numerous hardships, Hu Bayi’s team finally finds the way to break the curse—at the residence of the gods of the Chinese civilization: Kunlun Mountain. On this mountain, what waits for them is far beyond their imagination. Hu Bayi and his friends watch in astonishment and terror the spectacle of myths walking out of the pages of history right in front of their eyes!
Further on in the book, Hu Bayi’s exploration team discovers the pyramid-like King Xian’s tomb underwater in Yunnan. Studying ancient books and legends, they discover that one funeral object could save their life—the phoenix pearl….
Thus begins another voyage. The three explorers pass through the secret underground waterway of the ancient State Dian under the Zhelong Mountain by following an ancient human skin map; however, they unexpectedly encounter the horrifying Chong Sorcery mechanism. One thousand year ago, thousands of “tomb figures” belonging to slaves were hung from the ceiling of a cave inside the mountain. Hu Bayi and his friends get goose bumps hearing the “SOS” telegraphic code echoing in the jungle. What is this noise? Is it the ghosts of the US Flying Tigers who were supposed to be buried here, or is it the puzzle set by the high priest of King Xian?

Review
The human being forever yearns for the unknown and often ventures on adventurous explorations to satisfy this yearning. Stories such as the Ghost Candle, National Treasure and Tomb Raider moved people of various cultural backgrounds because of this common characteristic. Lost civilizations, missing treasures, magnificent tombs, thrilling mechanism and legendary creatures…, we simply cannot find any reason to not get hooked.
In addition to the worldwide exploration resonance, the Ghost Candle is full of oriental style. The book is an encyclopedia of Chinese history, geography, cultural knowledge and local conditions and customs, especially the details of lost civilizations in the Chinese history. The application of the universally popular Feng Shui gives the entire story a vibrating pulse. The real and mysterious atmosphere created by the information in the book made the denouement so astonishing! In my opinion, many people cannot suppress their curiosity at the the title Ghost Candle.
In China, some professional grave robbers still scrupulously abide by many ancient rules. “Ghost Candle” is one of the ancient rules: when grave robbers enter a tomb, they shall first light a candle in the southeast corner. If the candle is blown out, it means the owner of the tomb does not allow you to take his/her object. Under such a condition, the grave robber must put back anything he has taken. Or else…

No matter what, I personally believe Ghost Candle occupies the first place among novels on explorations of ancient tombs. Great thanks to the author for writing a much-loved series loved by modern readers. This series gave me more than one year’s joyful reading experience.
After reading the electronic version, I bought the corresponding hard copies. I am willing to spend money twice on your work!
Why is Ghost Candle so hot? I thought the following elements make great contribution:
[The work itself] A tortuous plot, the vivid imagination and storyline which beats even Hollywood exploration films, make the reader unable to stop reading the book.
[Gaming spirit] Tomb-robbing itself is a game between the soul of the deceased person and the grave robbers. Taking part in this game, a reader can experience the breathtaking excitement and challenge to his or her intellectual power. The popularity of The Da Vinci Code also proves this point.
[Cultural connotation] This book is highly professional, involving history, astronomy, geography and botany, which make it an excellent teaching material for science education for outdoor activities.
[Desire for novelty] Judging from the popularity of Biochemistry Crisis a few years ago with its numerous horrifying corpses, readers who see the same concrete blocks every day long for novelty that they can find in titles describing rare birds, strange beasts, exotic flowers, etc.
[Compulsion to search for treasure] Each person has an inborn compulsion to search for treasure. When we are children, we firmly believed that there were treasures somewhere in this world…
In a word, Ghost Candle lit up the exploration light in every reader’s heart.