Beneath an Age of Prosperity: Strange Tales of Mountains and Rivers

Under the Great Jing dynasty, a century of peace has brought civil and military affairs to their peak. Yet beneath this golden age, undercurrents stir. A series of inexplicable events unfolds within and beyond the palace: officials vanish without a trace, ancient songs echo at midnight, and rumors spread among the people that the strange beasts of mountains and seas have returned to the world. These omens bear no resemblance to the histories compiled by the court, which dismisses them as nonsense or deliberately conceals them.

Lu Li is a quiet, reserved junior clerk at the Hanlin Academy. His family was once punished for keeping a forbidden collection of strange tales. He inherited a unique family gift: the ability to sense and interpret ancient traces and strange phenomena beyond the understanding of ordinary people. He believes that these sealed records of strange occurrences are no fabrication, but accounts of truths erased from history. When a series of bizarre cases draws him in, Lu Li realizes they are not isolated incidents, but signs that some ancient force is awakening. To unravel the mystery and prevent a catastrophe that could overturn the Great Jing, he must rely on his exceptional intelligence and gift, move between the imperial court and the martial world, uncover the truth behind the strange tales, and contend with the forces seeking to exploit or conceal it.