**Time and setting**: Qingtai Village on the Cangxuan Continent, on the eve of the three-thousandth cycle of the Four Symbols Calendar. The spirit-stone stele at the village entrance is engraved with the character "Zhen" and glows blue each full moon.
- **Geographical features**:
- Qingtai Village is sheltered by an ancient banyan tree a thousand years old, whose roots form a natural barrier.
- The Chishui River winds west of the village like a dragon, with ancient bronze fragments lying on its riverbed.
- Snow falls year-round in the Black Ice Cave behind the mountain, whose walls are covered in star-chart patterns.
