The 108 Wards of Chang'an

In the third year of the Tianbao era, Shen Du, an Investigating Judge at the Dali Temple, is ordered to investigate a bizarre case in Guangde Ward: a victim has been burned into a glass-like form, and the scene bears the symbol of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Heart Mansion. Shen Du discovers that this is no isolated incident. In recent years, similar murders with different victims have quietly occurred in several wards across Chang'an, their locations seemingly corresponding to the constellations in the sky. With the help of Yue Wan, a female official at the Bureau of Astronomy, they decipher the killer's pattern: following the positions and order of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the murderer is placing pieces across Chang'an's 108 wards. The goal is no simple vendetta. By harnessing the ley lines and human vitality connecting the wards to the constellations, the killer means to activate an ancient formation called the Dragon-Locking Array and devour the Great Tang's dragon vein and national fortune. Their investigation draws them into the struggle over succession between Crown Prince Li Heng and Chancellor Li Linfu, and also exposes the Heavenly Dipper Way, a secret Daoist sect that has lain in wait for a thousand years, bent on overthrowing the Li Tang dynasty. As key nodes such as the Rooftop Mansion and Encampment Mansion light up, Shen Du is shocked to realize that his most trusted ally may be the most crucial hidden piece in this game. Before time runs out, he must find the true player behind the board and place a single piece capable of defying fate upon the vast chessboard of Chang'an's wards.