The Sinister Star River

In troubled times, there is no righteous path; the alchemical flames prey on the human heart. This is a sweeping tale of mystery and political intrigue, hard-edged martial arts, unspoken fate, a sprawling cast, and vengeance across the martial world. In the dynasty's final years, the imperial family descended into madness in its quest for immortality, while the martial world abandoned martial arts to pursue alchemy and morality crumbled. Seeking immortal medicines, hunting strange beasts, forging alchemy furnaces, and seizing alchemical recipes became the ultimate pursuits of every sect. A buried “war to exterminate the ghosts” from twenty years ago became the root of the martial world's ills. The so-called righteous sects concealed every manner of filth and sin; the so-called evil ghost cults were all the wronged souls of a troubled age. The young Zhao Xinghe entered the world accompanied by a sinister shadow, and his very appearance made him an “evil ghost” in the eyes of the people. Unable to clear his name, he was pushed step by step into the fray, entangled with an immortal brother, a reclusive sword immortal, an heir to the former dynasty, a vengeful demon monk, and a surviving Daoist in a vast web spanning twenty years. The great sects rose to power on lies, fools were manipulated into giving their lives, and avengers lay in wait and plotted. No one spoke of chivalry anymore. All that remained was greed and slaughter.