During the Chenghua period, there was an undercurrent in the capital. Lu Zheng, a member of the Fusi household in the northern town of Jinyiwei, is famous for his iron-blooded skills and extraordinary resourcefulness. However, he was in dire straits due to investigating a bizarre "human bone lantern case" and was imprisoned. On the verge of death, an unexpected person appears - Su Wanyue, a strange woman from the world. Holding a strange jade pendant similar to the key evidence in the case, she proposed a deal: she would help him get out of trouble, and he would help her find out the truth about the massacre of the "Xuanhuo Cult" ten years ago. A marriage contract binds this man and woman with different identities and different purposes together.
Lu Zheng and Su Wanyue were forced to join hands and navigate the turbulent court and the unfathomable rivers and lakes. Starting from the bizarre "Human Skeleton Lantern Case", to the "Imperial Examination Fraud Case" and the "Ghost Ship Sinking Silver Case" that affected both the government and the public, and then to the "Civet Cat for Crown Prince Case" that exposed the secrets of the palace... Behind each of the bizarre cases, they all point to a huge conspiracy organization - "Zhulong" that has been lurking for many years and plotting to subvert the country. Lu Zheng's cold wit and Su Wanyue's martial arts collided with each other and complemented each other. From mutual suspicion to life and death, the two worked together to fight against the deadly threats from Dongchang, their old enemies in the world, and the "Zhulong" itself.
This is a life-and-death investigation at the center of a whirlpool of power struggles. With each layer of truth revealed, the danger becomes closer. When they finally point to the most unlikely person next to the dragon chair, how will Lu Zheng and Su Wanyue choose? Is the Nine-layer Crane's Cry the cry of the end of the dynasty, or the clear sound that cleanses the world?
