A mischievous, evil-cult leader top with endless bad ideas x a seemingly gentle but actually cunning puppet emperor bottom
A mystery anthology, half jianghu, half imperial court
The current emperor, Xiao Congzhi, has been playing nice with the regent, the Jiang clan, for twelve years. He is determined to seize power and rule in his own right when he comes of age.
Everyone believes Xiao Congzhi is a puppet emperor, absorbed in martial arts and uninterested in politics.
Just as the people imagine, Xiao Congzhi abandons his court officials, conceals his identity, and slips into the remote mountain village of Qilin on the strength of a rumor from the jianghu, all to deceive the Jiang clan's spies.
No one has visited Qilin Village in a hundred years, and no one in the jianghu knows where it is. Yet there, Xiao Congzhi encounters a mysterious martial artist whose skills match his own.
Three hundred years ago, the demonic cult caused havoc before being driven beyond the passes by the orthodox sects. Its current leader, Xie Mowen, is plotting a return to the Central Plains martial world. His first stop is Qilin Village, where he intends to investigate the cult's secrets.
The two meet by chance and immediately fight.
After more than a hundred exchanges, neither can win. Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi have no choice but to suppress their desire to get rid of each other and travel together for the time being.
They have both concealed their identities, and both know the other has done the same. Xie Mowen takes every opportunity to test him, while Xiao Congzhi responds with pointed barbs.
They have barely gone a few steps together when they are attacked by eerie villagers and have no choice but to cooperate...
But this is only the beginning. After that, they face a black building that appears in the middle of the night, a bizarre string of disappearances, eerie lanterns, a luminous pearl that vanishes without a trace, a deadly bell that rings at midnight...
Their assumed identities are as fragile as paper, ready to tear at the slightest touch.
Only then does Xie Mowen realize that Xiao Congzhi is no courteous gentleman who smiles at everyone.
And only then does Xiao Congzhi understand that Xie Mowen really is shameless.
But what can they do?
Xie Mowen (lifting Xiao Congzhi's chin with a finger), teasing with a smile: How about calling me husband?
Xiao Congzhi (glancing at the court officials trembling on their knees): ...
The jianghu is rife with danger, and the court is in turmoil. As they untangle the truth behind one bizarre case after another, they gradually draw closer.
An old-school jianghu-and-court story. The plot isn't complicated, the romance is mutual, and the political machinations are minor. The focus is on strange cases.
Theme: Do not let fate weigh you down.
