The Hidden Files of the Pacification Bureau

During the Wanli era, the capital is rife with undercurrents, and strange events keep cropping up. Guan Yi, a condemned prisoner in the imperial prison, was once a modern forensic trace examiner. After transmigrating, he finds himself trapped in a death sentence as a scapegoat. Fortunately, Lord Lu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard takes an interest in him and offers him a chance to live in exchange for investigating bizarre cases. Guan Yi enters the Northern Branch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a lowly clerk.

A string of eerie murders and hauntings comes to light. Beneath the strange tales lie sordid dealings involving the grain transport guilds, salt merchants, the Eastern Depot, and noble families. There are countless martial artists in the realm, but only a handful reach the pinnacle of the martial arts. Their abilities are almost supernatural, yet even they cannot escape the snares of the imperial court.

He relies not on peerless martial arts, but on a keen eye that can read traces. He reviews case files, distinguishes truth from lies, and breaks through strange plots. He walks a fine line between the secret police, the martial world, and the White Lotus rebels, seeking the truth while holding fast to the one principle in his heart that refuses to go with the flow. He has only a few confidants on the road ahead, each with different allegiances. They meet in dangerous places and grow close without binding one another. Above the case files are the criminals; beneath them lie the deep-rooted ills of the entire age.