The Mortal Fate of Ink Painting

Red, green, blue, yellow, purple, orange, brown, pink: all colors ultimately become black and white. The dazzling hues that make up this world also offer its people a path to the heavens through ink painting.

Some paint the sun, moon, and blue sky, where each chess piece leaps across the board like a reflection of life in all its forms.

Some paint a humble little bank where immortals and mortals alike can make deposits and withdrawals on equal terms, and no one dares disobey.

Some paint endless fields of grass, where even a nine-headed monster's vast sea of fire cannot burn away the tender green shoots.

Some paint a colossal bronze bell that rises between heaven and earth, holding back the surging tide of beasts...

This is the best of times. Two supreme figures hold the borders, the four seas are peaceful, and the frontier is secure. Inkcraft technology is advancing rapidly, and everyone can enjoy a convenient, comfortable life.

This is the worst of times. Endless waves lie hidden beneath the feet of history and the future. In search of a single chance to survive, countless people's dreams merge and erupt in this age.