The Phoenix Conceals the Court's Secrets

In the Great Yao dynasty, Shen Qingci, daughter of a prestigious family, bears a Chaos Spirit Root and a curse that will kill her at thirty. To protect her family's spiritual vein from the covetous branches of the clan, she assumes the name Shen Ci, disguises herself as a man, and enters the imperial examination, determined to win top honors in both the civil and military exams. From her essays at the examination hall to the demon-sealing formation at Xuanming Pass, from the three-thousand-year wait at Taixu Sect to the unanswered questions atop the summit of Guixu, every step she takes falls upon the blood and bones laid down by those who came before. Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyuan, begins as the head of the Exorcism Office and transforms from hunter into protector. Taixu Sect sword cultivator Xie Zhiwei guides her with ten years of sunrises. Thirty-two streams of arrow intent wait in a canyon for five years, all to light the way east for those who come after. This is a long journey about passing the torch: everyone who reaches the farthest leaves the road for the next person who can keep going. And what she must do is place the first piece on the blank exam paper at the palace examination, then carve her answer onto the blank plaque above the Hanlin Academy's gate: establish the heart of Heaven and Earth, secure life and destiny for the people, continue the lost teachings of the sages, and bring peace to all generations.