Overture, Legend

A favored minister, having discerned his troubles, devised a simple and feasible idea: to have everyone in the world bend down and hang their heads upside down—thus, what they would see through their legs would be no different from what His Majesty the Emperor beheld.

Over time, people transitioned from discomfort to habit, and from habit to naturalness, calmly observing each other from beneath their trousers, having long forgotten that they once stood upright

The governor fulfilled his promise, and the young man along with his little daughter transformed into an arc of light, soaring into the sky, suddenly disappearing before everyone's eyes, never to be seen again

However, an astonishing scene soon unfolded, as the headless enemy and the librarian, clad in full armor, majestically rode on a tall black horse.

Unfortunately, the child who has already held their head high is no longer willing to lower it again, to search for the lost dignity and belief beneath their pants.

The only son of the governor was beheaded by the enemy general, and his head was hung high on a flagpole, carried by a young officer who rode a swift horse, galloping around the city walls in circles, waving it about.

The grief-stricken governor posted a notice in the city: whoever can bring him the head of the murderer of his son shall be granted the hand of his most beloved and beautiful daughter in marriage

From then on, the general's eyes were forever positioned below his mouth and nose, and everything he saw inevitably appeared inverted. Several years later, the general became the emperor, yet his temperament grew even more tyrannical and irritable. This was because the world in his eyes was always exactly the opposite of that of others, making him seem so out of place

In just a few days, this edict was promulgated throughout the nation. Regardless of their willingness or unwillingness, from the highest nobles and ministers to the lowest peddlers and laborers, men and women, young and old alike, all bent down to examine this inverted world

The defending troops were so stunned that they even forgot to resist. The city was soon breached, and the governor along with his family perished amidst the chaos of the invading forces

Daylight has arrived, and the sound of golden drums reverberates outside the city as the enemy forces commence their assault on the fortress

The last city under the book of the remaining and the map is surrounded by a hundred thousand troops, with three layers inside and three layers outside, making it impossible for water to leak through

The headless enemy general was the first to charge up the city wall; he reclaimed the head he had lost for merely half an evening and reattached it to his neck

The governor had the enemy general's head hung on the city tower, and the exhausted and despairing defending troops immediately erupted in joyous cheers, their morale greatly boosted

Until one day, a child, driven by curiosity, quietly straightened his back and looked around with a completely different perspective. However, he could no longer distinguish which world was truly upside down. He shared his confusion with his family nearby, only to be met with a chorus of reprimands and ridicule, as they warned him in unison to quickly bend his back like a book and not to stray further down the path of heresy, lest he ultimately jeopardize his life. He could no longer distinguish which world was truly upside down. He shared his confusion with his family nearby, only to be met with a chorus of reprimands and ridicule, as they warned him in unison to quickly bend his back like a book and not to stray further down the path of heresy, lest he ultimately jeopardize his life.

He wants to understand who is truly at fault, and why people would rather keep their heads down, facing an upside-down world all day, yet do not dare to lift their chests, not even to glance at it directly

That night, a young man from a foreign land took down the challenge and soon returned with a bloody human head.

On his shoulders rested an empty helmet, and with both hands raised high, he wielded a long spear, resembling an invincible demon god commanding thousands of troops, launching the final charge against the solitary fortress

At first, everyone was very unaccustomed, intentionally or unintentionally wanting to lift their heads and take another look at the once familiar world. However, the executioners lurking nearby would indiscriminately raise their cleavers, severing the heads of those who disobeyed, and then hanging them upside down on long poles at the market entrance

But perhaps due to excessive excitement and impatience, he actually reversed the direction. By the time he realized something was amiss, the muscle at the wound had already congealed, making it impossible to change.

He tirelessly sought the answer, growing from a youth into a young adult, then into middle age, until old age—ultimately, he took his own life, standing at dawn, embracing death, and letting out his final cry

The young man who took away the governor's daughter never appeared again—years passed, and when that emperor also grew old and passed away, everything gradually became distant, turning into a magical legend