During the Yongle era of the Great Ming, the realm had only just been pacified, Zhu Di had secured his throne, Zheng He sailed westward to project the nation's power, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard held the court in its grip. In the martial world, Wan Wuji lived in seclusion by Lake Tai, sheltering the descendants of Jianwen's loyalists; Shaolin Temple stood aloof from worldly affairs; and forces such as the remnants of Northern Yuan and Fulong Manor stirred beneath the surface, yet to upset the apparent balance.
