In the fictional Great Liang, martial arts flourish, and undercurrents run between the sects and the imperial court. The three great academies oversee the realm's finest talent.
Shen Qingshuang, daughter of the vice minister of revenue, has a reputation as a good-for-nothing who only got into Fengming Academy through connections. She is hopeless at both scholarship and martial arts, and spends her days lounging about, making her the laughingstock of the entire academy. No one knows that this seemingly useless young woman is the mysterious Frost Master of Tinglan Pavilion, the leading intelligence organization in the martial world. Under cover of darkness, she commands the winds and clouds, holds the realm's secrets in her hands, and manipulates the unseen game between the martial world and the imperial court.
Gu Changyuan, a mild-mannered and refined imperial inspector, is ordered to investigate hidden threats at Fengming Academy. His swordsmanship is extraordinary, and his thoughts are impossible to read. He appears to be a civil official who follows the rules, but is actually the commander of the emperor's personal shadow guards. He also harbors a deep blood feud tied to the former dynasty, and advances step by step in pursuit of the truth.
Amid the turmoil at the academy, the two clash at every turn, constantly testing and challenging each other. He sees the edge beneath her disguise; she understands the obsession behind his restraint. A good-for-nothing rises to the top and face-slaps her detractors, while her double life astonishes the realm. As conspiracies come to light, the third prince plots rebellion, the court falls into turmoil, and disaster engulfs the martial world. The two who once opposed each other set aside their suspicions and join forces.
She casts off her disguise and commands the realm as the Frost Master. He lets go of his obsession and uses his martial prowess to protect her. From wariness to a bond sealed by life and death, from personal grudges to the fate of their country, watch Shen Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan stand together through the storms of a turbulent age, defending their homeland and forging a peaceful, prosperous world hand in hand.
