At the Hall of the Departed in Qingshi Town, funeral shop owner Chen Ping'an hides a secret: he is a spirit walker, able to tread the Netherworld Road and speak with the dead. But his fate as a Lone Star of Calamity means that every time he uses his powers, he loses years of his life, and those close to him suffer misfortune as well. Five years ago, his master defied fate to save him, only to have his soul scattered. All he left behind was the Book of Yin Seals and Earth Veins, along with an unresolved injustice.
The discovery of an unidentified woman's corpse shatters the peace. A blood talisman on her chest reads, “Your master died unjustly.” And her face belongs to none other than Xiaoman, Chen Ping'an's younger sister, who vanished ten years ago. The corpse has no soul. The Netherworld Candle Society and the prophecy, “When the twins return to their rightful places, the earth veins may be opened,” draw him into a thousand-year-old game of fate.
As he walks the spirit roads and probes the Yellow Springs, he sees his sister's lingering soul warn him of danger. During a night raid on a mass grave, he uncovers his family's secret role as guardians of the land that imprisons a dragon. Detective Lin Wanqiu investigates, while Zhao Hongxiu, an heir to the arcane arts, gets involved. Friend or foe, no one is easy to read. Facing Shen Wuyuan, the Netherworld Candle Society's chief seat, and battling the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets, who manipulates everything, Chen Ping'an wields the blood talisman and bears the power of the earth veins. He stakes his life to defy fate, vowing to overturn the game board, clear the dead of their grievances, and keep the mortal world from falling into the Nine Hells.
