Li Yan wrote the character “灭” (extinguish) in blood amidst a fire, saving a life but losing the memory of his father’s voice. From then on, he discovered that Chinese characters could rewrite reality, but every stroke had to repay a life debt. To investigate his parents’ old case, he was drawn into the hidden world of the Orthodox Character Bureau, forbidden characters, and those who control the fate of characters. Characters can save lives, or they can kill; once the pen is put down, fate begins to collect its debts.
