It is the twilight decade of the Warring States period. Feudal despots, warlords, and bandit lords all vie against one another for supremacy over the vast tracts of land that will someday become China. Just seven kingdoms remain: the wealthy, commerce-driven Qi; the sturdy, stoic Yan; the passionate, literate Chu; the clever but war-plagued Han; the fiercely independent and patriotic Zhao; the politically clever Wei; and the law-abiding Qin, whose obsession with formality, ritual, and legalism are yet to be equaled.