New Dragon Gate Inn

During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court was in disarray. Lord Alistair Thorne, the director of the Eastern Depot, wielded absolute power, plunging the court into darkness. Legend has it that within the tomb of the Luodian Queen lies a secret elixir capable of reviving the dead and regenerating severed limbs. Lord Alistair Thorne, born into a prestigious family with centuries of history, was obsessed with continuing his lineage and resolved to find the Luodian Queen's secret elixir to become a man once more. Julian Vance, the Grand Tutor of the court, refused to hand over his half of the treasure map to Lord Alistair Thorne. In retaliation, Lord Alistair Thorne framed Julian Vance for treason, ordering the execution of his entire family. Amidst the chaos, Julian Vance, the eldest grandson of Julian Vance, was rescued by righteous individuals and fled to Longmen Town. Lord Alistair Thorne used Seraphina Bellweather, a courtesan who had long been spying on Julian Vance, to steal half of the map from Julian Vance. However, fearing Julian Vance's influence among scholars might threaten his position at court, he ordered Julian Vance to be relentlessly pursued. Lily is the last saintess of the Luodian tribe, and her blood is the key ingredient for the Luodian Queen's secret elixir. Ten years ago, the Luodian tribe was annihilated by the Tatars. Silas 'The Old Fox' Croft, a member of the Luodian tribe, fled with six-year-old Lily to the Longmen Inn seeking refuge, where Martha, the innkeeper, took them in. Ten years later, Song Bailin, whose family was ruined by Lord Alistair Thorne over another half of the treasure map, arrived at the Longmen Inn with his young grandson. Lily, now grown, generously offered her help and decided to escort them out of the pass. On their journey, they were pursued by the Eastern Depot's Black Guards. Julian Vance, also being hunted, thus found a common enemy with Lily. The two collaborated to kill the Black Guards pursuing them. To express his gratitude, Song Bailin gave Lily the half-map he possessed. Seraphina Bellweather attempted to feign victimhood to gain Julian Vance's sympathy and then assassinate him when he was off guard, but Martha, with her keen insight, saw through her plot, and Seraphina Bellweather ultimately took her own life. Soon after, Yun Tianxiang, disguised as a minion of the Western Depot, checked into the inn. Lily was captivated by Yun Tianxiang's charm, wealth, and sweet talk, dreaming daily of a happy future. Julian Vance, suspicious, infiltrated his room late at night and discovered their true identities. At this moment, The Enigmatic Figure, hiding in the shadows, attacked. Julian Vance feigned death and escaped, and while on the brink of death, he was rescued by Silas 'The Old Fox' Croft and taken to a safe place with Arang. Just as Lily was about to hand over the treasure map, Julian Vance and Arang made a dramatic return, exposing Yun Tianxiang's true identity. Lily, enraged, gave Yun Tianxiang and his minions a thorough beating. Meanwhile, Lord Alistair Thorne approached Longmen Town with a large army. Lily and Julian Vance, both heartbroken by love, formed an alliance and focused on their endeavors. They diligently studied the map's secrets, discovering that in addition to the map, a crucial compass was needed to locate the treasure. During their search for the compass, they were accidentally trapped in the Desert Mirage Market. They transitioned from blaming each other to caring for one another, finally working together to escape the market and return to Longmen. By this time, Lord Alistair Thorne had occupied the Longmen Inn, leaving them no choice but to hide in a secret passage beneath the Longmen Casino, where they deciphered the treasure map's secret. Lord Alistair Thorne used Silas 'The Old Fox' Croft's safety to force Lily and Julian Vance into submission. After being poisoned, the three set off with the large army to find the treasure. During the treasure hunt, a sandstorm erupted, annihilating the entire army. When they finally reached the treasure's entrance, only Lily, Julian Vance, Silas 'The Old Fox' Croft, and Lord Alistair Thorne remained. The path back had vanished due to the sandstorm, so the four decided to enter the imperial tomb to plan their next move. The imperial tomb was fraught with danger. Lily used a mechanism to trap Lord Alistair Thorne and obtained the antidote from him. The three continued deeper, finally finding the Queen's secret elixir. Just as they rejoiced, Lord Alistair Thorne suddenly reappeared. Silas 'The Old Fox' Croft was stabbed to death protecting Lily. It turned out he had long since broken through the mechanism, trailing them all the way to reap the benefits. At the critical moment, the cook Ga Erzi from the Longmen Inn appeared, disfiguring Lord Alistair Thorne with his knife skills. In desperation, Lord Alistair Thorne attempted to seize the Queen's secret elixir. At that crucial juncture, Mei Jian descended from the sky, her long sword piercing The Enigmatic Figure's skull. Mei Jian is a Luodian saintess, whose mission is to protect the Queen's secret treasure. Upon learning that Lily was a descendant of Luodian, she used her life's cultivation to revive Julian Vance before fading away. Lily supported Julian Vance, and they finally reached the Queen's treasury. Upon opening it, they found it filled with ordinary items from the Central Plains. It turned out that the Queen, a Han woman married far into the Dabai Gao Kingdom, cherished everything from the Central Plains as precious treasures due to her longing for home. After her death, she brought these Central Plains items into her tomb, hoping her soul could return to her homeland. After sighing, the two left the imperial tomb. Unexpectedly, heavy rain fell upon the dry Longmen. The rain converged, forming a path back. The two followed the rainwater back to Longmen and lived happily ever after.