Defend the borders and pacify the foothills, tempering oneself into steel. During the Zhengtong era of the Ming dynasty, the nation was gradually weakening. Li Xingyao, the son of a hereditary officer in the Jiuxi Guard of Yuezhou Prefecture, trained in military affairs with his elders from childhood and resolved to serve his country loyally. But the young man's spirit still needed tempering, so his elders arranged for him to study in Yuezhou Prefecture. Meanwhile, the realm grew increasingly unsettled: barbarians rebelled and bandits ran rampant. Li Xingyao continued to hone himself amid the turmoil, but misfortune piled upon misfortune. The Luchuan Kingdom in the southwest launched a rebellion, repeatedly sending troops to raid border towns in Yunnan and massacre the border people and local chieftains. The court decided to assemble elite forces from across the country alongside the troops of the southwestern chieftains into a coalition army, under the command of Minister of War Wang Ji, to fight a decisive battle against the Luchuan Kingdom. Amid this endless blaze of war, how will the young soldier Li Xingyao transform, step by step, and grow into a steadfast, mature officer?
