This is the first book of a trilogy titled Hometown by Tian Ye, during the late Qing dynasty, the missionary brought in to Southern Gucheng (my hometown) together with them ideas beyond their religion, the Manchurian Eight Banners were on the very edge of collapse in the Northern Gucheng, soon the warlords and outlaws would take on the stage, followed by the Japanese invasion. Heroes were created along with cowards, love and hatred, tears and laughter, life and death…… The fate of Han, Manchurian, Hui and Mongol etc including my family were forever changed by the tide of that part of tumultuous history, so was the fate of the Gucheng (Ancient City) at the heart of Shandong (Qilu) Peninsula.