Glimpsing Fengyin from the Corner

The Warring States era was consumed by flames of war. The feudal lords fought among themselves, and the rites and music of the old age were on the verge of collapse. In the remote corners of the various states, remnants of ancient shamanic customs survived, long since abandoned by the courts. The burning of incense to send smoke heavenward had once been a ritual linking the human world with heaven and earth, but it had long since changed into something else. In a remote border town, a young man struggled through the chaos of the Seven States, watching ancient rites such as exorcism dances and burning wood to petition Heaven twist and warp amid the flames of war. The shadow of the underworld of Fengdu quietly crossed the boundary between yin and yang, and the lines between humans, ghosts, and gods grew ever more blurred. Once used to pray for blessings and ward off disaster, the incense sacrifice became a medium for summoning the power of the underworld. Behind the wars between the states lay ancient secret pacts, long forgotten by the world. In this age of chaos, shamans roamed while the feudal lords vied for supremacy, and old customs became entangled with mysterious supernatural powers. From the far edges of heaven and earth, people gazed toward the somber Nether Capital. They still offered sacrifices with incense, unaware of what they were awakening. As the mountains and rivers crumbled and the divine rites teetered on the brink, a catastrophe that would engulf the world had already begun to take shape through ancient folk customs.