Detective Liang Yuan-Feng finds himself deeply drawn to Cheng Chin-Hsi, a mysterious young man who stands accused of murdering his entire family. Seven years later, Detective Liang needs Cheng’s sorcery to solve a string of bizarre murders which may, in some way, be connected to the fate of Cheng’s family.

Seven years ago, when 18-year-old Cheng Chin-Hsi stood accused of the murder of his entire family, only one police officer, detective Liang Yuan-Feng, attempted to prove his innocence. Yet, despite the numerous holes in the case uncovered by Liang, Cheng declined to fight the conviction. On the contrary, he seemed determined to spend his life in prison.

In his seven years of investigating this mysterious youth, Liang discovers that Cheng is in fact a sorcerer who can kill at a distance and feeds on human malice. Nonetheless, he feels a strange and unshakeable affinity for the young man. When a series of bizarre murders take place in a high-rise building, leaving the captain of the investigations unit severely wounded and barely clinging to life, it seems that Cheng’s sorcery may be the only thing that can help Liang crack the case. Liang secures Cheng temporary clemency, but as the young man begins to apply his magic, new clues emerge. Could it be that Cheng’s family hid a dark secret that links their deaths to the current string of murders?

This tale of love, family, and unlikely friendship marks another volume of author Shi Wu’s trademark blend of fantasy and suspense. Themes of good and evil, guilt and punishment, and the power we wield over others all intertwine, leaving readers to contemplate the value of human life.