Nobody Told Me It Was This Dangerous Down the Mountain

[Don't Be Fooled by the Title! This Is a Serious Political Intrigue and Xianxia Novel Done a Disservice by Its Name]

At sixteen, Li Yun was kicked down the mountain by his masters, who claimed he was going to "help a worthy ruler pacify the realm."

He thought he'd be fanning himself with a feather fan, calmly watching enemy ships go up in smoke as he plotted from behind the scenes.

Instead, he discovered that:

- His lord, Zhang Xiao, was a riddle wrapped in a mystery, with a shattered heart and what seemed to be lovesickness.

- In his court, the struggle between civil and military officials was an act. His lord was the one pulling the strings.

- His rivals, Gao Cai, the northern intelligence chief, and Su Jiu, the southern master of political maneuvering, were both formidable opponents.

- Even his donkey, Five Hundred Li, could talk back and lecture him.

Staring at the tangled chessboard of the realm, Li Yun wanted to throw his head back and howl:

"Why didn't anyone tell me the world down here was this dangerous?!"

Here, Confucian cultivators who have reached the Eighth Realm can command the world, and a single word in the right hands can turn the universe upside down.

Here, beneath every gentle facade may lurk a trap that devours its victims.

Watch a young strategist strive to preserve the last trace of tenderness in the human world amid the worst of times.

[Reading Guide]

1. Not a power fantasy! Not a mindless System story! The focus is on political maneuvering, the integrity of the literati, and xianxia elements.

2. A slow-burning ensemble epic, with fully realized characters and intelligent decision-making.

3. A vast world, poetry used to defeat enemies, and strategies for ruling the realm. The atmosphere is authentic.