Peerless: Wu Shuang (Novel) Series

POISON AND PERIL IN THE CAPITAL

Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao have thwarted the corrupt officials embezzling grain in Guangqian County, but the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai and their elusive leader, Xiao Lü, remain at large. As Feng Xiao recovers from the battle, he finds his relationship with Cui Buqu on new footing—though Cui Buqu will be last to admit it.

Yet on their way back to the capital, a strange new case leaves them both at a loss: The entire household of a villa has been brutally massacred, and there’s no sign of the murderer. The only traces they find point to an arcane poison—one that, if deployed in the Sui capital, could put the empire itself at risk. Yet time is running out for Cui Buqu, whose precarious health continues to deteriorate. To get to the bottom of this final case, he must put his very life on the line in the investigative duo’s greatest trial yet.

This final volume includes a 2-page foldout illustration bound into the book and a chibi illustration on the inside back cover, both by special guest artists!

The final volume!

ENTER THE LABYRINTH

Having narrowly survived the attempt on his life, Cui Buqu wakes in the cave on Mount Tiannan, where the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai have gathered to meet their mysterious leader. Also awaiting the mastermind’s arrival is Feng Xiao, who has come with his own goals and his own plan for escape.

Yet before Feng Xiao can put his plans to action, fire breaks out in the cavern stronghold, throwing the assembly into panic. Racing toward the labyrinth that guards the entrance to the mountain, Feng Xiao plunges in—but he is followed by his bitter enemy, the monk Yuxiu, who is determined to take his life. Will Cui Buqu step into the deadly maze to save Feng Xiao? Or will he let his rival perish in the dark?

A RACE AGAINST TIME

After the long journey to the Western Khaganate, Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao find their diplomatic efforts stymied when they are accused of murdering a Göktürk prince. Thinking on his feet, Cui Buqu requests a single day to crack the case and clear their names. Yet to everyone’s surprise, the crafty chief of the Zuoyue Bureau offers himself as hostage, leaving the investigation—and his life—in Feng Xiao’s peerlessly beautiful hands.

Now Feng Xiao faces a difficult choice: watch his rival perish in the desert or risk his own life in pursuit of the true killer. Time is running out, and unsettling forces are at work within the Western Khaganate. Yet Feng Xiao can’t shake the feeling that Cui Buqu may have one final card to play—one that could reveal the truth before it’s too late.

A HAUNTING IN THE DESERT

Rival investigators Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao embark on a diplomatic journey westward, hoping to build a key alliance that will stand against the power-hungry Eastern Khaganate. But they get more than they bargained for when they stop to rest at the oasis city of Qiemo, where they find a haunted inn, a beleaguered Sui magistrate, and the city divided between two powerful self-styled rulers.

Despite their larger mission, Cui Buqu has an audacious idea—one that will turn the city upside down and bring Qiemo back under Sui control if he succeeds. Even Feng Xiao must admit that, while Cui Buqu’s schemes are outrageous, there’s something increasingly intriguing about this sickly chief of the Zuoyue Bureau. Yet more is at stake in the city than petty power struggles: as the investigative duo digs into the underbelly of Qiemo, they uncover evidence of a conspiracy that stretches across Great Sui and beyond.

Also known under the title Wushuang, this danmei/Boys’ Love novel series originally released in Chinese–and coming to the English language for the first time–is set in the universe of the author’s other popular novel and animated series Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu!

In this historical wuxia tale, two rival investigators try to get to the bottom of a mystery…and their own complicated feelings.

On a snowy night, an envoy sent by the Kingdom of Khotan is ambushed on the road, massacred with his escort. Not a living soul remains, and the attackers vanish—along with a precious jade intended as tribute to the Emperor of Sui. A member of the emperor’s secret intelligence agency, the Jiejian Bureau, pursues the case: the formidable deputy chief, Feng Xiao. His investigation takes him to Liugong City, where top martial artists from across the land gather for a mysterious auction.

But a rival intelligence agency, the Zuoyue Bureau, has business in the same city—and they have sent Cui Buqu, an ailing but brilliant man who hides more secrets than even Feng Xiao. Equally proud, the two immediately clash in a battle of wits, but neither can crack the case alone. To solve the mystery before the trail goes cold, they will have to join hands to uncover the truth…however unwillingly.

This historical fiction mystery about powerful martial artists (wuxia) built around the desire between two men (danmei) takes place in the same universe as the beloved novel series Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu. The Seven Seas English-language edition will feature uncensored text and exclusive new art.