Tracing the River Back to the Dust

This land is called Cangyuan and is divided into nine provinces: Qing, Xu, Yong, Jing, Yang, You, Bing, Yan, and Yu. At its center lies Yu Province, where dynasties have established their capitals throughout history. The era is dated from the founding of the Great Yin dynasty. The dynasty lasted 372 years before its fall. The current year is the seventh year of the Great Zhao's Chengping reign, twelve years after the fall of the Great Yin. A thousand years ago, a great flood struck Cangyuan and lasted for forty-seven years, submerging more than half of the nine provinces. After the waters receded, moisture and the will of time gathered in the deepest riverbed, giving birth to the River God. The River God is a deity born of heaven and earth, neither made by humans nor appointed as a god. His existence is as long as the waterways of this land. Suhui, or “Tracing the Current,” comes from the line “I go upstream to seek her, but the way is hard and long” in “Jian Jia” from the Book of Songs. Su means to go against the current; hui means swirling water. The name refers both to the River God's dominion over water and the heart of the story: journeying against the river of time in search of people and things long gone. The road is hard and long. That is both the price and fate.