The Supernatural Revival Begins with a Pact with the Weasel

My adoptive father died, killed by the foreigners’ artillery. He left behind five generous inheritances and five very different immortal families: Huang, Liu, Bai, Hu, and Su. He gave these treasures to his five children. Oh, right, he also left behind a bloody will. “My children, slaughter one another!” “The gods above and the ghosts below will watch over you.” “The Holy Grail appears for the sake of death.” “Only the victor may drink from this cup brimming with sweet dew, achieve the great undertaking of the Three Phases, and save the nation from ruin.” The story begins here, in a fictional world modeled on the late Qing and early Republican eras. It is the worst of times: the Eight Gods tear apart the qilin, the Eastern Lands are in turmoil, and the people live in misery. But it is also the best of times, for order has vanished and nothing is forbidden. The many beings once abandoned by the people of the Eastern Lands and buried beneath the earth have at last been nourished by endless blood and tears, and returned to the world. “Apes, you embraced civilization and forsook us.” “But we have always loved you.” “Cry out, weep. When the darkness from beyond descends, we alone will watch over you.”