This insightful work by Professor Li Oufan, culled from years of scholarly exploration, delves into the landscape of modern Chinese literature through the lens of four literary masters: Lin Shu, Lu Xun, Shi Zhecun, and Zhang Ailing. Each chapter re-examines not only individual authors and their influential works like Weeds, The Wolf Hero on Ghost Mountain, The Way of the Devil, and Lust, Caution, but also broader themes within modern Chinese literature and its place within the tapestry of world literature.