The Tale of the Qingfeng Heroes

The Legend of Qingfeng (also known as The Romance of Qingfeng)

Set in the middle and late Ming dynasty, from the Jiajing to the Wanli era. Treacherous ministers dominate the imperial court, corrupt officials run rampant in the provinces, and officials and merchants collude to protect one another. Powerful local families abuse their authority to prey on their neighbors, while wealth pours into private hands and the common people suffer injustice with nowhere to turn. Corruption festers everywhere.

The righteous of the land never meant to gather in the mountains and take up arms. Some were good officials falsely accused, some were warriors framed by their enemies, and others were ordinary people driven to desperation. One injustice after another backed a group of courageous souls into a dead end. With nowhere to seek redress, they chose a strategic mountain pass and built a stronghold called Qingfeng Fort. Raising the banner of "Enforcing Heaven's Justice," they became an army of outlaws fighting for the people.

The heroes of the fort each have their own skills and temperaments: fierce generals who fight on horseback, scholars of strategy, wandering swordsmen, and local champions. They rob the rich to aid the poor, punish the wicked and eliminate corrupt officials, root out local bullies, and break the web spun by corrupt officials and merchants. With chivalry in their hearts, they stand against a benighted age.

Drawing on the spirit of the righteous gathering in Water Margin and the heroic fervor of Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, this book recounts the joys, sorrows, and choices of the martial world. It satirizes the rot in government, exposes the darkness of society, and celebrates the unbroken heroic spirit and chivalrous heart that endure even in desperate times. See how the righteous of Qingfeng Fort preserve a breath of fresh air and walk the path of justice in a corrupt world.