In the early thirteenth century, Shandong was plunged into chaos. Peasant armies rose up to resist the Jin, earning the name Red Jacket Army. At the same time, the Mongols of the north were rising rapidly. The Jin dynasty was like a centipede that could still writhe after death, while the Song dynasty remained caught up in the final illusion of prosperity. Li Cong grows up amid this turmoil, building his strength as he contends with the Song, Jin, Mongols, and other powers, striving to find a righteous path to save Chinese civilization and all its people...
