During the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty, the empire had enjoyed peace for a long time, but beneath the surface, internal and external threats loomed and undercurrents swirled. Qi Zhen, a low-ranking officer in the Northern Branch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is cool-headed and resilient, with a touch of aloofness. Along with his colleague and sworn brother Zhao Xincheng, who comes from a wealthy merchant family and is more outgoing by nature, he is ordered to investigate a bizarre murder in the South Camel and Horse Market of the capital. The victim’s body is in a horrifying state. After receiving guidance from Yuan Zonghe, a reclusive Daoist and former official of the Imperial Observatory, they tentatively conclude that the victim was killed by Miaojiang gu poison, a long-lost art.
As the investigation deepens, more and more bizarre cases come to light...
