The most artistically gifted thief in history has arrived in the fourth year of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty.

As a servant in the Duke of Qi's household, Adam Sullivan is quite content. Knowledge changes fate, intelligence determines the future—everything else is fleeting. Watch as I cover the sky with one hand.

He plays with art and speaks of taste. He forges the finest masterpieces, writes the most beautiful calligraphy, and never follows the beaten path—being able to bluff is the true way.

He enters the Imperial Academy, sits for the imperial exams, rises from a humble farmer in the morning to the emperor’s hall by night. High Qiu, Cai Jing, and the like are all outdated. To see who truly stirs the winds and clouds, look to the present.