In the early years of the Republic of China, the country is in turmoil and war rages everywhere. Ye Fan, in his early twenties and the only promising heir of his generation, sets out at his elders’ request to find the Art of War written by Lian Po during the Warring States period. This military text concerns not only the rise and fall of his family, but also hides a shocking secret capable of changing how history judges Qin and Zhao. It may even be the earliest military text in Chinese history.
His companions include Ling’er, his childhood sweetheart; Zhao Peng, a friend from childhood; Chen Zhong, a bodyguard assigned by his family; and Shen Wenzhou, a fellow townsman who has returned from studying abroad. At first, they support one another, decipher the codes left by Ye Fan’s family, cross war zones, and evade pursuit by various forces. But as their journey goes on, danger closes in and one crisis after another strikes those around him. Chen Zhong dies protecting Ye Fan. Shen Wenzhou reveals his true face: he is a descendant of the Shen family, which has a longstanding feud with Ye Fan’s family, and is determined to seize the military text. Zhao Peng falters in the face of greed. Though he later sees the error of his ways, he is left so badly injured that his mind regresses to that of a young child. To save Ye Fan, Ling’er has no choice but to yield to Shen Wenzhou.
Relying on his meticulous logic and unyielding resolve, Ye Fan solves one riddle after another through countless hardships, finally finding the military text buried in the Chongzhen Mausoleum. But victory comes at a terrible cost: few of the people he can trust remain by his side. Even more unexpectedly, the text’s fragmentary pages point to an even deeper secret. Driven onward by a mysterious force, he embarks on a new path of discovery.
