Fate in the Forest: Guandong

During the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty, deep in the Changbai Mountains, the old hunter Guandongshan rescued an Oroqen woman from a bear attack. They married and had a son and a daughter: Guan Lin and Guan Hua. After a bizarre “red stampede,” they were left to fend for themselves at thirteen and eight, becoming guardians of the forest.

The siblings were rescued by the mysterious Sporefolk, descendants of the “Land of Dingling” from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. They had lived in seclusion deep in the Changbai Mountains for generations and could communicate with all living things. There, Guan Lin and Guan Hua began ten years of training: learning to identify medicinal herbs, listen to the words of trees, and understand the temperaments of beasts.

Ten years later, a force from the lands within the pass entered the Changbai Mountains. Former Qing loyalists had joined forces with the Russians, bent on finding the legendary “Source of the Dragon Vein” and seizing the forest’s greatest treasure, the “Heart of Ten Thousand Trees.” They felled sacred trees, hunted spirit beasts, and threw the balance of the forest into chaos.

To defend their home, Guan Lin and Guan Hua set out on a journey through nine perilous trials: the wild boars’ mad charge at Boar Ridge; the deadly coils of Snake King Valley; a kingly standoff atop Tiger King Peak; the ginseng spirit’s illusion; the birch spirit’s journey back through time; the struggle against the current at Dragon King Pool; an aerial chase across Wind Demon Ridge; the soul’s baptism at the Sporefolk’s sacred grounds; and the final choice at the Heart of Ten Thousand Trees.

After eighty-one trials, Guan Lin and Guan Hua came to understand the true meaning of “king of the forest”: not to rule, but to protect; not to conquer, but to coexist. They rallied the forest’s beasts and plant spirits to face the invaders in a final battle, ultimately becoming the true guardians of the Changbai Mountains and leading the villagers and all living things to flourish together. (Northern China series)