The Way of Chang'an

Temporarily being revised Former title: Tales from Chang'an Tao Rong was born into a noble family. With an affinity for the Dao, he followed his master to Mount Pingding to cultivate at the age of five. At nineteen, his master divined that his ties to the secular world were not yet severed, and that his opportunity to cultivate lay in the capital. So he returned to Chang'an. The new emperor officially ascended the throne, and the various factions buried their restless ambitions. Demons and monsters wearing human skins showed off their skills under the rules of the new dynasty. Demonic monks and heretical practitioners watched the common people live and die with smiles, while the nobility lingered in finery at banquets. Demons and ghosts stirred up trouble, feasting on delicacies and amassing gold and silver. In prosperous Chang'an, a noble young man tried to save his male concubine's life by violating funerary rites; someone disguised a human as livestock to secretly abduct women and children; and the theft of a demon core turned out to be the work of a ghost official... Countless strange cases swirled around Tao Rong, forcing him to grow quickly and learn how to handle them. Tao Rong kept busy as a Daoist, while also proving popular as a young nobleman. Back at his family's ducal estate, he first displayed his extraordinary talents through his remarkable skill as a Daoist physician. Then he attended Princess Taiping's chrysanthemum banquet and saved a young princess from a fatal calamity. Later, the emperor summoned him to the palace to test his learning and rewarded him with scripture scrolls and ritual robes. Song Xi was the first military champion after the emperor established the military examinations. His background was complicated: his father belonged to the prestigious Cui clan, but Song Xi took his divorced mother's surname and studied a different path. He entered the court as a military official. Those who disliked him privately called him a ruthless official who had abandoned his paternal clan. Yet from the first moment Tao Rong saw him, he could tell that Song Xi bore purple qi. The two met over a case in which a life was exchanged through funerary rites that violated the proper rules. They crossed paths again and again over bizarre incidents. One was gifted and acted whenever he saw injustice; the other fulfilled his duties without fear of danger. Though their paths differed, both ultimately sought peace for the realm. Through each strange case, Tao Rong found his own path of cultivation. To have a kindred spirit by his side on such a perilous road was a blessing. Cultivation was arduous, so the young Daoist skipped straight past the trials of love. He only wanted to advance shoulder to shoulder with Brother Song. Keywords: Light horror, Daoist bottom x (gender-switched in the story) military official and ruthless top P.S. This story is set against the backdrop of the prosperous Tang dynasty, after Empress Wu Zetian ascended the throne. To avoid touching on real history and famous figures, and to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings, the era is fictional. You can also think of it as a parallel world's golden age. My writing skills are limited, so if you enjoy it, please add it to your collection and show your support! Reader's guide: 1. Key inspirations may come from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and Youyang Miscellany, among others. 2. The author is a scaredy-cat, so the story shouldn't be frightening. 3. There may be a few court-politics scenes. 4. I'm terrible at writing blurbs, and this is my first historical novel. If something here interests you, feel free to jump straight into the story. 5. Friendly discussion is welcome. I don't know what potential trigger points I may have missed, so please let me know kindly if you spot any! Theme: Spiritual fulfillment far surpasses the physical pursuit of immortality