The Strange Tales of Lingshui Temple Trilogy

The Strange Tales of Lingshui Temple Trilogy

This epic novel combines historical mystery, explorations of ancient civilizations, and treasure hunting. At its heart is a profound meditation on history, weaving Buddhist and Daoist elements into a grand tale of civilization's legacy.

Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou ordered the destruction of Buddhism. A secret message in ancient coins was discovered inside a bronze statue, revealing the mystery of a "treasure that would determine the fate of the nation" spanning three dynasties.

In Book One, The Bronze Buddha's Ordeal, the whirlpool of a chaotic age converges on Lingshui Temple. The bronze statue bleeds, a venerable monk dies, and every clue points to an ancient city submerged beneath a frigid pool.

In Book Two, The Yellow Robe's Trail, Zhao Kuangyin is acclaimed emperor after the Chenqiao Mutiny. The new ruler personally explores the frigid pool, only to glimpse the dynasty's future in a bronze mirror. Forces gather in secret, and the truth about the treasure emerges for the first time: it is not gold or silver, but ancient wisdom concerning the vital energy beneath the land of the Nine Provinces.

In Book Three, Enlightenment at the Frigid Pool, seventy-three years later, Emperor Renzong of Song faces the ultimate choice. When descendants of ancient Shu, envoys from Liao and Xia, and wise ministers of the new policies gather at the bottom of the pool, the final seal is finally broken: the true treasure was never in the depths, but in the hearts of those in the halls of power. A strange tale spanning a century ends with the Way confirmed through a benevolent heart, leaving behind the eternal echo: "The land's lifeblood is the people's lifeblood."