A kid born under a death sentence refuses to accept it. He doesn't have the talent or power of anyone around him, so he studies harder, fights smarter, and outthinks people who should crush him. By the time you realize the marriage contract is the least of his problems, you're already invested in watching him cheat death through pure stubborn intelligence.
Chen Changsheng arrives in the Divine Capital carrying two burdens: a marriage contract that will entangle him with the powerful Saintess Xu Yourong, and a death sentence written into his very bones. Born with a condition that guarantees he won't see twenty, he's come to compete in the Grand Imperial Examination, hoping that victory will grant him access to forbidden knowledge that might save his life. The capital's elite don't take kindly to a mysterious outsider disrupting their careful hierarchies. As Chen Changsheng navigates treacherous political factions and proves his worth through cunning rather than raw power, whispers of a larger threat begin surfacing. The demon race stirs at the edges of the human realm, preparing for something catastrophic. What begins as a personal race against time becomes something far more consequential. Chen Changsheng must figure out whether he's strong enough to survive his own fate while standing against forces that threaten everything. His knowledge runs deeper than anyone expects, but knowledge alone won't be enough.