The Blade Gazes Across the Eight Desolations

A golden, inlaid saber, adorned with white jade, shines as it slips through the window in the night. At fifty, a man has yet to make his mark. He stands alone with his blade, surveying the eight wildernesses. This is a story of brotherhood, love of family and country, and romance, shared by several young people. In the early years of the Southern Song, Jin forces pour across the border, the court is hopelessly corrupt, and the people are plunged into misery. With the nation in peril, some draw their swords and gaze around in bewilderment, while others stand alone with their blades, surveying the eight wildernesses. The people long for a hero to emerge and step forward, to lead the troops in reclaiming the Central Plains and restoring the Great Song. But how easy could any of that be? With foreign enemies invading, could the grudges of the martial world really be put aside? When blood feuds and the fate of the nation are both on your shoulders, which should come first? And when your love for her conflicts with the mission you bear, how should you choose?