Ink-Stained Court

Shen Mo, a poor scholar, spent ten years poring over books, only to see his dream of passing the imperial examinations shattered in a single day.

His hard-earned top ranking is snatched away by the powerful with ease. Beneath the pouring rain, his youthful innocence is utterly crushed.

From then on, he rises from the lowest ranks as a minor clerk, maneuvering carefully through the treacherous imperial court.

He endures what ordinary people cannot and does what others dare not, crossing thorny paths and seas of blood to climb all the way to the pinnacle of power.

People say that those who slay dragons eventually become dragons themselves.

He wields the arts of darkness while holding fast to an innocent heart, using a lifetime of schemes to uphold justice in the world.

All the glory in the world leaves him alone; half a lifetime of political intrigue leaves him cold and weary.

Watch as a humble commoner stirs the winds of change and overturns the great game of the world.