A Matter of Life and Death

Xu Yingchi had served as a clerk in Qingshan County for seven years, cultivating his fate for just as long.

For most people, a shadow in their Fate Palace reaching one zhang tall meant they had a solid foundation. But in his Fate Palace knelt a hundred-zhang giant, with a face identical to his own. Ninety-nine iron chains bound the giant's hands and feet, keeping him from borrowing even a trace of its power.

Then a granary caught fire, and a laborer died, leaving behind an eight-year-old daughter. When Xu Yingchi examined the man's belongings, one of the chains, dormant for seven years, lit up for the first time.

He had only meant to help the girl secure a meal. But his investigation led him to a traitor inside the granary, armed forces outside the county, and secrets from his own past.

With every chain that loosened, he grew stronger.

And the person who had bound him finally realized that the child from all those years ago was still alive.