The Riverside Chess Detective

Tang Que, once a renowned constable across the prefectures, suffers a massacre that destroys his family, losing an arm and hiding at the Linjiang ferry, enduring five years of patience to investigate the old case. A ledger of corruption suddenly surfaces, dragging him into danger. He strikes a deal with the Blood Hand Sect leader Gongsun Erniang, who disguises herself as a philanthropist, in exchange for a fragment of a scroll containing clues about the mysterious force Xuanting, but soon realizes the clue is but bait. The small town of Linjiang is fraught with undercurrents, as Bai Shengtang, who feigns negotiation, Shi Yi, the innkeeper who watches coldly, and Shen Ning, caught in a dilemma, all enter the fray. Each harbors their own schemes, testing and using one another. An upcoming negotiation at the river bend sets the stage for a grand chess game involving a secret map from the previous dynasty. The one-armed constable, ensnared in layers of traps, embarks on a path to discern hearts and unravel the conspiracy amidst truth and deception. — Description from novelcodex.org