Blade in the Shadows: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

In the treacherous underworld of Republican-era Shanghai, communist operatives become human torches, burning bright to pierce the darkness. When underground agent Xiao Ke inherits a coded brooch from fallen comrade "Sparrow," betrayal thrusts him into a lethal game of cat and mouse. With renegade vigilante Liu Yunshan as his unlikely shield, they navigate coded qin melodies in ghost markets, outwit double agents at decoy evacuation points, and confront venomous betrayals veiled in camaraderie. Every twist in this high-stakes chess match exposes the razor's edge between sacrifice and salvation, where the brooch holds not just secrets, but the very soul of a revolution forged in blood and valor.

Series details

• Title: Blade in the Shadows
• Format: Scripted
• Language: Chinese
• Genres: Drama
• Premiere date: 2025-06-18
• Final broadcast date listed: 2025-06-18
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Web channel listed by TVmaze: Tencent QQ
• Network country: China
• Typical episode runtime: 10 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 85349

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2025-06-18; final listed air date 2025-06-18; episode order: 16.

Source and licence

Adapted from Blade in the Shadows on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.