The Chronicle of the Hidden Dragon in the Azure Sea
In the late Trần Dynasty of Đại Việt (ancient Vietnam), the kingdom is in turmoil. The royal court is weakened, and threats from the Champa kingdom loom at the borders. The martial world is shaken by the legend of the Long Tàng Secret Manual, a martial arts scripture hidden beneath the waters of Lý Sơn Island. This manual not only contains supreme martial arts techniques but also a map of the nation’s dragon veins — knowledge that could either save the country or bring it to ruin if it falls into the wrong hands.
Phạm Quang Minh, a young disciple of the Thiên Vân Sword Sect, carries the sorrow of his exterminated clan and becomes the sole keeper of the secret manual. Wandering to the shores of Lý Sơn, he encounters Nguyễn Bích Thủy, known as the Bích Hải Dragon Maiden, the daughter of a former naval commander wrongfully executed for treason.
Initially enemies, Quang Minh and Bích Thủy gradually come to understand each other, realizing they are both children of men betrayed by the court. They join forces against the sinister Huyết Kiếm Sect, led by the formidable Lê Hồng Liêm, who seeks the manual to sell its secrets to Champa and dominate the martial world.
Their struggle entangles other factions:
Cửu Lạc Society, a neutral but cunning group.
Kim Xà Sect, spies serving Champa.
Hoàng Tùng Lâm, known as “The Lone Sword of Đại Lý,” a righteous warrior from the Tày ethnic group, harboring a vendetta against Huyết Kiếm Sect.
Through treacherous battles across beaches, mountains, and hidden caves, Quang Minh and Bích Thủy’s bond deepens, yet they remain torn between love and the debts of family and nation.
In a climactic battle atop Lý Sơn, Bích Thủy sacrifices herself to save Quang Minh. With her dying breath, she entrusts him with the Bích Hải jade pendant, the only proof of her father’s innocence.
Devastated by her death, Quang Minh destroys the Long Tàng Manual, refusing to let it fall into any faction’s hands. He then defeats the Huyết Kiếm Sect, but the kingdom remains unstable.
Choosing to leave the martial world behind, Quang Minh retreats to the Bạch Mã mountains, becoming a legend whispered among rivers and seas. It is said that on moonlit nights over the waters of Lý Sơn, one can still hear the mournful flute of the Bích Hải Dragon Maiden echoing across the waves.