In the tumultuous Central Plains, power and prestige are fleeting, and today's friend is tomorrow's foe--and Shen Qiao is in the eye of the storm. Following a daring rescue in the midst of a coup that marks the end of a dynasty, the mild-mannered Daoist has no time to rest as rumors of a power struggle call him home to Xuandu Mountain. But before he even reaches his destination, another whisper upon the wind cuts into Shen Qiao's heart: Yan Wushi, not yet fully recovered from his damaged demonic core, has challenged Hulugu of the Göktürks to a battle from which only one will survive. Shen Qiao will need to call upon his martial arts and wits to survive the calamity that surrounds him, but when the dust settles, will what he holds dear still remain?