Soul of the Tusi

Tusi Soul: Centered on the last Tusi ruler, reborn and returned, this is a secret chronicle of western Hunan steeped in witchcraft and splendor. With Wu Chen, the last Tusi king, at its heart, the story weaves a vast web of fate and redemption, returning to a Tusi dynasty beset by turmoil through sweeping chapters such as “The Tusi Returns” and “Demon Bloodlines Run Rampant.” It confronts the ancient Miao frontier’s blood curses and gu poison magic, along with demonic beasts and calamities wrought by corpses. Corpse drivers ring their bells along shadowy paths while Taoist masters point their swords at ill omens; spirit mediums deliver prophecies veiled in mist, and seemingly plain words conceal hidden mysteries. The Tujia people also pass down their exquisite brocade craft in stilt houses and dance the Tima dance at their rituals.

The novel delves deep into the hidden lands of western Hunan, weaving the beliefs, skills, and lives of soldiers and the Miao and other peoples into an epic of shifting power and supernatural conflict. It reveals a world where witchcraft and gu magic run rampant and gods and mortals dance together, yet resilience and splendor bloom amid blood and fire.

The story’s plot flows like mountain streams: its branches seem to diverge, only to converge again. Every planted clue is a prelude to thunder, and every desperate impasse conceals the key to turning the tables. Personal joys and sorrows are bound fast to the rise and fall of a dynasty, until the story reaches an ending that shakes the soul.