The Secrets of Heaven in the Trigrams: Tales of the Eight Wastelands

On their first day in the martial world, Ling Qianzheng is swindled out of two taels of silver for his northwestern accent.

Chu Jinglei performs on the street, but a flick of his spear accidentally catches a young woman's skirt.

Ye Chenyuan draws his icy sword to play the hero and rescue a beauty, only to freeze the entire river and trap himself in the ice.

Yan Jinyu lights his twin blades to roast fish, but singes the eyebrows of Jiangnan's greatest poet.

It is not until they meet four more young women that things change:

Murong Yushan's steel whip snatches the swindling vendor's account book, while Lin Wantang's silk sash catches the rouge box Jinglei knocked into the air with his spear.

Shi Ruoyu smashes the ice with a hammer and hauls Ye Chenyuan out, while Su Jingshu puts out the fire Yan Jinyu started with a light tap of her bamboo staff.

The eight exchange baffled looks, unsure whether their meeting is mere chance or a prophecy written a thousand years ago...

Meanwhile, in the shadows, a pair of eyes that have watched over the martial world for a century slowly open.