Walking the Path of Blood

The road to revenge for the young Yan Gui: His father, Yan Chi, Minister of War, is framed by the powerful minister Shen Quan and executed along with his entire clan. His mother flees with him beyond the frontier, but also dies at Shen Quan's hands, falling victim to his sinister soul-tracking sorcery. At sixteen, Yan Gui returns with his father's military seal, plants Guardian Bugs, subdues Blackwind Stronghold, and takes the name Guiyan. He joins forces with the merchant Su Mian, the diviner Fang Shu, and Chu Han, the son of a famed general, and marches south. He turns the tables on sorcerers and launches a night raid on Yunling, only to uncover a shocking truth: the northern garrison is not there to defend against foreign enemies, but to keep the people from fleeing. Shen Quan has even secretly ordered the city razed and its people slaughtered if it falls. The thrills come from a blood feud avenged, Guardian Bugs that save lives, winning battles and capturing territory against the odds, and twist after twist that exposes the empire's dark secrets.