Beastfolk cultivate their powers by casting away their emotions. The stronger they become, the less they resemble living beings. Xing is an exception—he can swallow the corruption that everyone else avoids, but the price is that he may lose control of himself. The heart in his chest isn't his own; someone forcibly implanted it in him. All he wants is to protect a small plot of land in the wolf village, a pot of hot food, and the few beastfolk by his side. But the royal capital has no intention of letting him go, because that heart is far too valuable.