Shen Tan is the youngest disciple of Lingyun, a master who lives far from the world. Her martial arts are mediocre, her talents unremarkable, and she comes from no distinguished family.
She has three senior fellow disciples: Fang Mu, heir to the title of Marquis of Zhenbei, whose name is widely known; Jiang Zhen, a princess of the Anle Commandery; and Lin Yi, heir to the prominent Lin family of Jiangnan.
Among all the disciples, Shen Tan is the least remarkable.
But only her master knows that this unassuming young woman has an extraordinary talent: she can bewitch people with music.
By focusing her mind on the sound of her flute, she can discover the secrets others have buried deep in their hearts.
When Shen Tan was fifteen, Lingyun sent her to the capital. She dawdled at the gate until she finally blurted out, "I'm scared."
Lingyun answered with a chuckle, "They're the ones who ought to be afraid of you..."
So Shen Tan steeled herself, packed light, and set off, beginning an unpredictable life in the capital. There, she also met a man named Wei Yi...
*
The first time Wei Yi met Shen Tan, the neat and fair-skinned young woman looked at him with a solemn expression and said:
"Sir, your brow is dark and your face bears the mark of ill fortune. I'm afraid you'll soon suffer a bloody calamity. But don't worry. For just two taels of silver, I can ward off disaster and misfortune for you."
Looking at the two pale, tender fingers she held up, Wei Yi smiled faintly. "Only two taels? That's quite a bargain..."
Theme: Sometimes it's better not to know too much
