Shadow Punisher Chinese drama premieres on iQIYI

The Chinese mystery-fantasy drama ‘Shadow Punisher’ premiered on iQIYI on October 2, 2026. Adapted from the novel ‘Mei Ying Shen Bu’ by Wang Ke, the series is set in the fictional Shi Dynasty during the 37th year of the Hongyun Era.

The plot follows Li Si, also known as Master Qing Yang, played by Luo Yunxi, who infiltrates the Imperial Detective Bureau to uncover the truth regarding the death of the Fourth Prince. He joins forces with Bai Zhen Zhu (Shen Yujie), a top forensic expert known as Detective Frost, and Meng Rui (Alen Fang), a martial arts-proficient ghost hunter. Together, they form an elite group called the Divine Detectives to solve a series of terrorizing and unusual cases.

The series incorporates elements of Chinese traditional culture, including Nuo opera, Miao folklore magic, and shadow puppetry, while utilizing principles such as the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams in its investigative themes.