The Thirteen Blades of Lu Shisan

During the Zhenguan era, grain carts on the frontier are repeatedly robbed, and an old case within the army surfaces with them. Lu Shisan, whose movements are ghostlike and whose blade strikes are unpredictable, and Zhou Yulian, a healer who saves lives, follow a snake-patterned wooden token and set out to investigate. Relay-station traps, strange formation arrays, and rumors of gu curses interweave layer upon layer, while Liaodong military intelligence and traces of Khitan trade caravans redirect the clues toward Chang'an. Li Shimin summons Yuan Tiangang, and Li Chunfeng offers counsel based on calendrical and astrological signs; in court, the debate appears to be about Heaven's will, but behind it lurks a struggle for power. As the storm draws nearer, Lu Shisan and Zhou Yulian only grow in mutual understanding and devotion; no matter how perilous the puzzle or how changeable the world, their hearts remain unmoved by strange arts and evil techniques. When the thirteen blades leave their sheaths, what is revealed is not only the old frontier case, but also the human hearts buried beneath an age of prosperity. — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: The Thirteen Blades of Lu Shisan — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠