Playing the Fool in Public, Playing the Patriarch in Secret

Eating makes you stronger. But starting out as a beggar, Tian Gou can't even afford a meal. In this world, martial artists are everywhere, the imperial court is even stronger, and beyond the Ninth Heaven lies the Immortal Court. Everyone under heaven is a servant. A genius who refuses to be a dog is doomed to die. Tian Gou has no resources and no connections, so all he can do is play it safe. He acts honest, timid, and harmless. In secret, he changes his appearance and name, raises a force of dead-soldier loyalists, plants hidden agents, and takes a cut from every faction's dealings. Everyone knows there's an uncrowned king, but no one can find out who he is or how many identities he has. They know him only as “Wuxiang.” Until someone backs Tian Gou into a corner He looks up and smiles: “I'm done pretending. I'm Wuxiang.”