The Mocking Blade

In the waning years of the Spring and Autumn period, assassin Wu Yi has grown sick of killing. His final mission—to murder the Jin envoy Xi Ke before a diplomatic insult can plunge the states into war—becomes a crucible when he rescues a branded orphan destined to be a sacrificial pawn. Together they flee through a world where rulers’ laughter grinds countless lives into dust. As the Battle of An looms, Wu Yi must decide whether a single act of mercy can exist in a machine that treats all sacrifice as insignificant.