Set around 1351, in the final years of the Yuan dynasty, on the eve of the Zhizheng Uprising. It is a dark age in which imperial authority has weakened, officialdom is corrupt, and even the Yellow River has flooded catastrophically after years of neglect. The brutal rule of Mongol nobles collides violently with the struggle of the Han people to survive. Underground sects such as the White Lotus and the Manichaeans are active, while Red Turban uprisings are about to erupt across the land. The setting adheres closely to the geography and social structures of official history. It not only depicts sweeping battles, but also delves into land seizures, the household registration system, and the power of clans. In this chaotic age, there are no gods, demons, or magic spells, only cold steel and starving people. Any change must be grounded in a deep understanding of a feudal agrarian society.
