During the Spring and Autumn period, beacon fires burned across the land, and the common people suffered greatly. A Ze and A Yun fled the fighting with their parents and settled in a remote mountain in the State of Yue. They had known each other since childhood, were inseparable, and grew up together. Later, as more people moved there, so did the number of destabilizing influences. Yue Wu and Yue Shan colluded with the authorities, gradually driving the mountain village toward utter ruin. Zhong Yi died in battle, Zuo San died of his grievous wounds, Zhong San was killed in an attack, Zhuang Ya was tricked, and Lady Lan, unwilling to endure the humiliation, hanged herself... Later, A Yun was taken away too, and A Ze was forced to leave the village to search for her...
