The entire Lin family is confiscated and exiled to the northern frontier. Under the scorching sun and amid endless yellow sands, the escort officer publicly dumps their life-saving water, while the family members turn against one another over half a jar of muddy water. On the brink of death, Lin Fan unexpectedly hears an old yellow ox speak. With the help of this mysterious ox, Lin Fan discovers water sources, exposes conspiracies, battles corrupt officials, brings merchant guilds to heel, and drives away desert bandits. Starting with a broken well in the wilderness, he leads the families of convicts and displaced refugees in digging irrigation channels, building walls, establishing water routes, and constructing a fortified water settlement. Yet behind the old waterways lie the shocking secrets of the unjust destruction of the Lin family and the northern frontier's main water source.