Di Renjie's Secret Records of the Underworld

In the Daming Palace of the Tang dynasty, it was the depths of winter. Snowflakes drifted down like goose feathers, blanketing the roofs of the entire palace. The thin morning mist had yet to clear when faint footsteps sounded from deep within the courtyard. It was Di Renjie, an assistant director at the Court of Judicial Review. His steps were steady and measured, and his robe stirred gently in the cold wind. “Lord Di, how is the case coming along?” a young guard asked respectfully. “Wait a moment.” Di Renjie lowered his head and lightly touched an unopened letter with his fingertips. There were no markings on the envelope. It was sealed with a peculiar kind of sealing paste he had never seen before, and it emanated an indescribably mysterious air. After a brief hesitation, he tore open the envelope. Inside was a thin sheet of paper bearing a single sentence: “The dead whisper in the night. Blood stains the white snow, and the truth lies in this single tear.” “What is this...” Di Renjie furrowed his brow slightly. He immediately realized this was no ordinary letter of information, but more like a prophecy, a riddle he could not ignore. He looked around and murmured, “Take me to see the deceased.” Di Renjie followed the guard out of the palace and into the bitter winter snow, heading toward the courtyard on the western side. The sky was growing brighter. In the distance, white snow lay over the earth like a thin veil. Only a few drops of blood stood out, vivid and glaring against the pristine snow, as though they were the only color in this frozen world.