Thousands of Autumns. Volume 1

In the Celestial Empire, unrest prevails: Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, and Southern Chen dispute the right to unite the country, which has been in fragmentation for almost two hundred years. The Turks are besieging the Central Plain, followers of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism are arguing among themselves, failing to find consensus, while renowned martial arts masters are in pursuit of a work by the great alchemist Tao Hongjing that will allow them to achieve previously unseen heights. In this tumultuous time, Yan Wushi, a celebrated master of the unorthodox path and head of the Pure Moon school, emerges from seclusion, ready to shake Heaven and Earth with his deeds. By chance, he finds the deposed Shen Xiao, the new abbot of Mount Xuandu and a righteous man hard to come by. Showing mercy to the wounded, Yan Wushi plans to use Shen Xiao in his political games or at least to cultivate him into a worthy opponent to further strengthen his own power. Shen Xiao himself has lost not only his memory but also all support in life—he is blind, betrayed by his companions, and can no longer rely on his enlightened powers. And he cannot reject Yan Wushi's help either…