The Young Master Wují

Eighteen years ago, in order to consolidate imperial power and weaken the martial world, the late founding emperor of the Great Sui ordered a massive campaign to hunt down and kill martial artists throughout the land. The martial world suffered devastating losses. Martial clans and sects across the empire formed alliances to protect themselves. Even so, they could not stand against the court’s might, and lived in constant fear beneath the armies’ iron armor and sharp blades. Just when everyone thought the purge would proceed without a hitch, Goguryeo, beyond the empire’s northeastern border, joined forces with the Turks beyond the frontier and invaded Great Sui territory. The late emperor had no choice but to suspend the purge and summon armies from every region to repel the invasion. Though the enemy was ultimately driven back, the empire’s strength had been badly depleted, and the court never resumed its campaign against the martial world. Nine years later, the late emperor died from overwork. The new emperor ascended the throne and named his era Daye. He then changed the court’s approach to martial artists, replacing the purge with conciliation and recruitment. Relations between the court and the martial world began to recover. Another nine years passed. It seemed the martial world had forgotten what happened all those years ago. Prosperity flourished across the land, and new martial talents sprang up everywhere like bamboo shoots after rain.