The story is set in the late Ming Dynasty, when the court is corrupt, war rages across the land, and the people suffer terribly. New ideas are emerging among the scholar-official class, but in remote villages, feudal ethics and traditional superstitions still hold firm sway over people's minds. Epidemics are rampant and medical resources scarce, leaving villagers to rely on their ancestors' protection and mysterious ritual ceremonies. These customs provide fertile ground for supernatural tales. For example, every year during peak epidemic season, the villagers hold a grand ceremony to worship the ancestral shrine, praying for their ancestors to keep the village safe, unaware that their rituals may awaken the mysterious power hidden within it.
