The Song That Freed the Dead

Summary:

The story follows A-Ying, a young boy who crosses a barrier into a land filled with the dead, where he encounters the spirits and the cursed forces that inhabit the mountains. Initially, A-Ying is embraced by the spirits and the cursed Yin forces, who bond with him as he carries a special energy within him, the Yin Iron. Over time, he grows stronger and more attuned to the land's energies, but he must prove himself and endure trials to truly control and understand the power within him.

As A-Ying matures, he returns to the mountains as a young man, now named Wen Wuxian. He carries with him the energy of the Yin Iron and a flute forged from the land's bamboo. Through his music, he communicates with the dead, purging the lingering resentment and freeing the spirits that have been trapped for centuries. However, Wen Wuxian's return is marked by a shift in the balance-the Yin Iron is no longer the same, and instead of immediately playing his flute, Wen Wuxian speaks to the dead, offering a repayment of a debt he owes them. In the end, his music brings release to the spirits, and they are freed from their torment, bound to him for all eternity.