Cases of the Hemp-Robed Detective

From the late Tang to the early Song, the land of China was living through its darkest years. In an age of fierce contention, brawls, murder, arson, and petty theft were hardly enough to attract the authorities’ attention. What mattered were great conspiracies and strange cases that could determine the fate of the nation and the lives of its people.

In this time of chaos, ordinary people suffered most. Their lives were as worthless as grass, while power was the crown the strong fought to claim. A humble Taoist priest witnessed countless plots and investigated one bizarre mystery after another, from the late Tang to the early Song. Guided by Taoism’s ideal of non-contention, he unraveled the schemes of ambitious men bent on dominating others.

From Chang’an to Kaifeng, from the heartland of China to desolate frontier lands, from the drizzle of Jiangnan to the mysterious kingdom of Nanzhao, the Taoist drifted through the turbulent age like a floating weed, drawn, willingly or not, into one world-shaking mystery after another!

As he painstakingly untangled each clue, he punished the wicked and brought evildoers to justice, but also faced helplessness and regret. Then he met the true hero who could save the world!