Volume One
Bestselling mystery writer Jiu Dishui presents an ancient crime thriller enthusiastically recommended by Ma Boyong. Drawing inspiration from fragments of the historical record, the novel uncovers the truth behind a succession of unsolved cases from the golden age of the Tang dynasty.
The treacherous court of the Li imperial family, an ambitious empress, and a deranged strategist who manipulates the human heart… A brilliant disciple of an ancient school of forensic investigation is swept into the dangerous struggle unfolding beneath the surface. To protect himself, he must enter the game alone and risk his life to survive.
Volume Two
Several unsolved cases bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Ming Chongyan case, the suspicious death of Li Shao, leader of the ancient forensic school, and the mystery surrounding Crown Prince Li Xian’s birth… An unseen hand appears to be binding these clues together, with every thread pointing toward the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace.
The Li imperial family has never lacked its share of madmen. As tensions between the Empress and the Crown Prince continue to escalate, how will Li Lingyun, backed by the forensic school, protect himself and uncover the truth?
This second volume reveals the truth behind the serial murders and the Ming Chongyan case, while also weaving in a copycat crime. Neither solution is especially unexpected. The serial murders are committed as part of an attempt to attain immortality through the Five Phases, giving the case a distinct Detective Chinatown 2 feel, while the other crime is an act of revenge designed to frame someone else.
Because the investigation unfolds from the protagonists’ perspective, readers receive the same clues as the characters and can deduce the truth for themselves. This makes for a satisfying fair-play mystery. Presenting every clue in sufficient detail can occasionally make the narrative feel somewhat long-winded, and certain points must be raised through questions from other characters, such as Sanniang or the young apprentice. Even so, this approach ensures that the readers and the characters are working with the same information.
(Credit : CuttleFishReads)
Guided by fragments of historical records, we explore the truth behind the numerous unsolved cases in the prosperous Tang Dynasty
The dynasty of unpredictable the Li clan,
The ambitious Wu Ze Tian,
The crazy counsellor who manipulates human nature…
The genius disciple of the “Fengzhen Dao” that has been passed down for thousands of years was involved in this undercurrent,
In order to protect himself, he entered the game alone and fought for his life!
(Translated by Vico SDL)
[Ebook][Audiobook][Eng Translation : Vol One & Vol Two]