The Heir

The four great ink families compete for imperial Tribute Ink status. Luo Hanzhang presents the Ziji Dragon Light Ink while Li Jinshui offers The Way of Tao, resulting in a stalemate until young Li Zhen proposes a decisive test. The Li family wins the prestigious Tribute Ink designation.

Involved: Li Zhen — Participant · Luo Wen Qian — Participant · Tian Benchang — Participant · Li Jinshui — Participant · Luo Hanzhang — Participant · Wang Rujun — Participant

During the victory celebration, child Li Zhen rescues a bullied boy she later learns is Luo Wenqian, the rival Luo family's son raised in the Capital. They share a mischievous escapade and confide their dreams to one another before his furious father retrieves him. This early bond plants the seed of their lifelong connection.

Involved: Li Zhen — Participant · Luo Wen Qian — Participant · Luo Hanzhang — Participant

Li Zhen seeks work at the main Li workshop on Sibao Street to help her struggling family, facing scorn from workers who mock her family's expulsion. She asserts her three years of self-study and fights to prove her right to work with ink.

Roughly a decade passes as Li Zhen grows into a capable young woman, working at Shui Bo's tea stall where her sharp wit and hospitality make her a local favorite. She hones observational and people skills that later serve her well in business and negotiation.

Li Zhen trains under her grandfather Li Jinshui for three years, mastering ink techniques despite the family's disgrace. Her success in producing supreme-grade lampblack moves him to perform an ancestral ritual declaring her a worthy successor to the Li Ink legacy.

Involved: Li Zhen — Participant · Luo Wen Qian — Participant · Li Jinshui — Participant