Lei Heng of the Hongyuan Office did not come to Qingwu to save it. Assigned a minor border posting beside the Elvenwood for three months’ leave, his duties were meant to consist of timber audits, trade inspections, and ensuring that the Hongyuan Order remained undisturbed in a town too insignificant to matter. Then the physicians close their doors. The chapel begins counting its dead before anyone admits they exist. And the first body refuses to cool. Classified as a potential Threat to the Hongyuan Mandate, the situation in Qingwu grants Lei Heng the authority to override local courts, requisition resources, and enforce quarantine by any means necessary — even if the plague proves to be neither natural nor divine. As the town turns on itself and suspicion falls upon the Elvenwood beyond its borders, Lei Heng must determine whether the disease is an outbreak, a weapon, or an invitation. The Hongyuan Office does not ask him to be merciful. Only correct.