The Promise

In a famine-stricken land, Qingcheng, a starving girl, tricks a boy and steals a mantou. She escapes with the prize, a small victory that foreshadows a much larger fate. Hunger drives her toward a world she barely understands.

Qingcheng meets Manshen, the goddess, who promises wealth and beauty but warns that such gifts come with a price: lasting love with any man will elude her. The temptation pulls her deeper into a realm of power and danger. She accepts the deal, stepping into a gilded trap.

Years pass as Qingcheng's beauty shines and she becomes the King's favored concubine. Her rise brings influence and luxury, yet love remains elusive by design. The bargain tightens its grip on her fate.

General Guangming defeats a vast barbarian army with only 3,000 soldiers. He races back to the capital to help a king besieged by Duke Wuhuan. His prowess sets the stage for a bitter conflict shaping the kingdom's fate.

Manshen's warning lingers: the wearer of Crimson Armour will commit regicide and stain his name. The prophecy gnaws at Guangming as events spiral toward the crown. The armor's blade seems to glow with fate.

Snow Wolf wounds Guangming, but his loyal slave Kunlun arrives just in time to pull him from death's edge. The bond between master and slave becomes a pivot point for the coming storm. The kingdom's fate depends on what happens next.

Guangming commands Kunlun to don the Crimson Armour and stand in for the King, hoping to shield the ruler from danger. The plan shifts the burden of guilt onto Kunlun. This act cements a dangerous twist of fate.

Kunlun reaches the palace, misreads Qingcheng for the King, and kills the monarch in a devastating moment. The murder shatters trust and sends the realm into chaos. Qingcheng's fate becomes a hinge on a single fatal miscalculation.

Fleeing the palace, Qingcheng and Kunlun reach a cliff where Wuhuan offers a grim bargain: Kunlun may leap to save Qingcheng. Kunlun dives, miraculously surviving the fall, and the two escape to reassemble their plans. The political storm begins to turn against Guangming.

Kunlun returns to rescue Guangming and recovers the Crimson Armour. Yet Guangming's subordinates accuse him of murder, turning the palace's loyalty toward chaos. The trio's bond grows as they resolve to free Qingcheng.

Qingcheng's feelings shift to Guangming as memories of their 'saviors' resurface. Wuhuan captures Kunlun, and Snow Wolf explains the impossibility of crossing the Veil of Time. The revelation raises questions about fate and fidelity.

Wuhuan stages a public trial for regicide; Kunlun confesses to killing the King, clarifying the real culprit and forcing unity among Qingcheng, Kunlun, and Guangming. They break free and confront Wuhuan; the battle ends with Wuhuan defeated. Guangming dies, Kunlun survives by donning Snow Wolf's immortality robe.

Manshen appears at the Veil of Time moment and reminds Qingcheng that gods' and humans' promises are fragile. Qingcheng discovers her true love and is given a new chance to choose, guided toward wisdom. The narrative ends by echoing its opening: a young Qingcheng wandering the land, life reimagined.