As the Shang dynasty gives way to the Zhou, beneath the palace walls of Haojing, history is swallowing myth.
Jiang Yan, a former court diviner from the previous dynasty who gets by on wisecracks and banter, wants only to stay alive under the Zhou royal house's new order. That is, until he is forced to examine an auspicious creature presented by the Dongyi. It is no lucky bird, but a Qitu, the last messenger of an ancient race of flame spirits, with blood-red crest feathers and dark, burning marks across its body.
Overnight, he becomes a pawn of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and a suspect among the descendants of the Shanhai peoples. The ruthless star official Wu Ran closes in on him, while the mysterious Qingqiu maiden Qing Yu arrives bearing riddles. Beneath the Qitu's crimson crest lies an astonishing warning concerning the fate of the Nine Tripods and the collapse of the earth's ley lines.
When myth shatters the lies of history, Jiang Yan has no choice but to journey west, toward the ruins of Kunlun abandoned by the gods. Behind him lies a collapsing dynasty; ahead, the primordial age is stirring. See how an ordinary man's jokes and anger can shift the fate of the world in an age when gods and humans dance together.
An alternate history, based entirely on my own opinions and imagination. If anything seems familiar, come to Zibo and I'll treat you to barbecue!
