The Legend: Yuan Tiangang

Set during the turbulent and treacherous Tang Dynasty, Hua Jianghu Tiangang tells the untold origin story of one of the franchise's most beloved and feared figures — the legendary Yuan Tiangang, Commander of the Buliangren (The Bad Guys). When the secret assassination organization directly under the Emperor suddenly finds itself without a leader overnight, Yuan Tiangang does the unthinkable — he quietly leaves behind a resignation letter and walks away. Having lost his sense of purpose and direction in life, Yuan Tiangang wanders toward Chang'an and arrives at the renowned Anle Pavilion, guided by a mysterious brocade pouch left behind by his trusted friend Li Chunfeng. What he finds there surprises him — a world of laughter, color, and vibrant human life, worlds apart from the blood-soaked shadows he has known. But the world refuses to let him rest. One by one, figures emerge — those driven by a desperate hunger for freedom, those consumed by an obsession with immortality, and those who hunger for nothing but power. Each arrival pulls Yuan Tiangang deeper into a web of conspiracy, emotion, and destiny he never planned to face again. Through the chaos of the Tang Dynasty's crumbling political landscape, Yuan Tiangang must confront his truest self — the cost of loyalty, the weight of sacrifice, and what it truly means to be a "Xia" (knight-errant) who fights not for himself, but for the country and its people. From the ashes of his resignation, a legend is reborn.