COMPANION PIECE TO SWORD AND FAIRY 4    

Click on links and pictures to find out more . Enjoy your explorations.

1.  illustrated Chen Zheyuan Profile 

Link to latest update  (linked to the title in red above : click to follow)

2. Illustrated Character Gallery, 

cross-linked to "places visited" (Qingluan Peak, Huanming, Qionghua etc)  starting from the Contents table.  (click on "Illustrated Character Gallery" title in red above to follow).  You can also look up the episodes where they appear, from the "Ep. ..." direct links to iQiyi.

3. Production details,  Music, Interviews and more

Excerpt from the Profile and expanded details about production, reception (heat index posters), airing scheduke, music, interviews, game universe  (completed January 2024).   Below.

Sword and Fairy 4 

also known as  Chinese Paladin 4 , or  The Legend of Sword and Fairy 《仙剑奇侠传四》{xiānjiàn qí xiá chuán sì”]

[Shooting 2022.02.16-2022.06.16 in Hengdian film city studios]  Airing from Jan.17, 2024 on iQiyi  or  Youtube  (direct links to watch it)  Cast and voice-actor dubbers (v):

Note : "ML and FL credited in no particular order"

The S+ level (high quality and potential level) drama was projected  for  airing  in 2023 on iQiyi, possibly in November, but finally dropped on screens in January 2024.

The story is adapted from the popular RPG of the same name. "The play tells the story of Hán Língshā  韩菱纱  played by  Jū Jìngyī  鞠婧祎), Yún Tiānhé 云天河 (played by Chen Zhéyuǎn), Liǔ Mènglí 柳梦璃 (played by Máo Xiǎohuì 毛晓慧) and Mùróng Zǐyīng 慕容紫英 (played by Máo Zijùn 茅子俊)  who are involved in the dispute between the two worlds of monsters during the journey of "seeking immortals". The four of them try their best to save the common people in various adversities and write a legendary story.

"The investment of the play is as high as 300 million RMB, with excellent production and strong cast. The looks of Chén Zhéyuǎn and Jū Jìngyī are obvious to all. In addition, the show also has beautiful men and women such as Máo Zijùn, Máo Xiǎohuì, Wāng Duó 汪铎, (who plays  Xuán Xiāo 玄霄)  and Chén Chǔhé 陳楚河 (who plays Yún TiānQīng 云天青) joining in. It is expected to be a reappearance of the classics."  [min.news and Baidu]   -- The cost was actually 312 million Rmb..


The series,  which can be watched as independent stories in same universe, started in 2005 with Chinese Paladin, starring Hu Ge and Crystal Liu; followed by Chinese Paladin3 (2009);  Chinese Paladin 5 (2016) ; and Sword and Fairy /formerly Chinese Paladin 6 (2024 on WeTV from Jan.18, 2024) starring Xu Kai and Esther Yu.  Sword and Fairy 4/Chinese Paladin 4 is described as a prequel to Chinese paladin 3 ; and these are both "prequels" to the original Chinese Paladin, while Chinese Paladin 2 did not come into being: numbers jumble... :-) And there is also a long side story called Pal Inn (2015).  Plus a remake of the original Chinese Paladin, planned!

In his weekly reporting on airing c-drama, Marcus Sim summed up the details, billing dispute, and competing c-drama, about this fourth story inspired by the RPG game The Legend of Sword and Fairy. Listen from 1:35 timestamp to 6:11 on Marcus Here!

Click on  pictures for articles about the drama. 

Posters for SaF4

Ju Jingyi was a fan of this first drama and that was one reason she wanted to do SaF4

Other production details (info from Baidu and DramaWiki) :

仙剑四官微   
Fairy Sword Four Official Weibo 
(link, with interesting video shorts)
Note :  53,000 fans od the drama had registered as of Feb.1, 2024



CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP CHART :

AIRING SCHEDULE & HEAT INDEX POSTERS  (+Dreams 2024.01.18 record of Heat Indexes):

TRAILER LINK (click on picture to view it on YouTube):


MUSIC

Composer: Gao Wei Ran

Original game music from "Legend of Sword and Fairy 4" 仙劍奇俠傳四 [Xiānjiàn qí xiá chuán sì]   (1h08')  ; cut from the 25th anniversary concert of Xian Jian  game music :


GIF from the 2018 trailer of the RPG game

"Legend of Sword and Fairy" is a series of computer games published by Daewoo Information Co., Ltd. of Taiwan, China (referred to as "Daewoo Information" or "Daewoo").

Music videos,

1.《天河夢》 Tianhe Meng (Tianhe's dream)  in dynamic pinyin version, sung by Liu Yuning ;  MV with pinyin, Hanzi, translation by Peachey Blossom.  (Music composed by Gao Weiran, lyrics by Li Jiqing)

2. Like a Veil or Like a Silk Thread  如紗》(rú shā, like yarn) sung by Ju Jingyi also known as Kiku (my GIF cut from the MV)  ; MV with pinyin, Hanzi, translation by Peachey Blossom.  (Music composed by Liu Zhaolun 刘兆伦, lyrics by Liu Zhaolun 刘兆伦, Yuan Ye 袁也)  Ju Jingyi has started her career as singer and has many solo song, sometimes duets like her recent cover of Jay Chou's "Blue and White Porcelain" together with Joseph Zeng/Zeng Shunxi for Jiangsu Satellite TVNew Year's EveConcert.

3. I Want to Close My Eyes  《我要闭上眼睛》[Wǒ yào bì shàng yǎnjīng] sung by Lǐ Jiāwēi 李佳薇, also known as Jess Lee, Malaysian singer b.1988.06.01) ; MV with pinyin, Hanzi, translation by Peachey Blossom.  (Music composed by Xing Shujie 邢树杰, lyrics by Yuan Tianye 袁天野).

Zhang Yuan singing "Guest" and "In My Lifetime"Xiao Renfeng singing her  song on stage in 2012  -other version with pictures from the game

4. A Spark Is Igniting or The Spark is Blazing《星火正当燃》sung by Zhang Yuan 张远 (composed by Xing Shujie 邢树杰, lyrics by Sun Woo 善宇)   

The singer, also known as "Bird" Zhang  has risen to fame with songs such as October 2020 Guest《嘉宾》[Jiabin]; 2007 Sad city 《伤城》[Huancheng]; 2021  In my lifetime 《有生之年》; 2021 Hum 《哼》; 2022 Looking Up at the Nebula 《仰望星雲》;  2023 Wish the Wine to the East Wind《把酒祝东风》; 2024 A Night of Winter Snow ...  and has also debuted as actor in c-dramas. 

5. Immortal Sword Asks Love   or "Sword and Fairy : The Love" 《仙剑问情》sung by Xiao Renfeng 萧人凤  (composed by Luo Jiyi 骆集益, lyrics by Jia Zhuolun 贾卓伦).   The song "Legend of Sword and Fairy" was released in 2004 and is also the theme song of the role-playing game "Legend of Sword and Fairy III: Asking for Love". This song has made Xiao Renfeng (born in 1980) remembered since 2004; she has also sung for aother animations and written songs for other singers.

Two versions with translations of the "complete OST" of 5 songs:  Full OST by "Sarann" (turn on the subtitles if you need English translation)  ; Full OST by "Peachey Blossom" with hardwired cc.   

Additional music : Mengli's Theme song - "Clouds Weave Dreams"

On November 9, 2011, CCTV Music Channel broadcast the harp version of "Dream Weaver《織夢行雲》 (a song composed by Luo Juyi in 2007) performed live by Lu Lu who was wearing Liu Mengli's ladylike outfit. At the same time, CCTV scrolled to display "Sword and Sword Four" and a brief introduction of the song at the bottom of the screen.




Other MV also with Mengli theme :
+心然 織夢行雲·離歌 (织梦行云·离歌)

Xīn rán zhī mèng xíng yún· (lí gē)

Song: True feelings 
Weaving Dreams and 
Traveling Cloud·(parting song)

LYRICS (trad & simpl), PINYIN AND TRANSLATION:

繁華燼                                憑欄淺影
繁华烬                                凭栏浅影
fánhuá jìn                         pínglán qiǎn yǐng
Riches fade, leaning on the railing, shallow shadow
箜篌弦驚                          一曲無音
箜篌弦惊                          一曲无音
kōnghóu xián jīng        yī qū wúyīn
The sound of the harp and strings fall silent
望斷雁字回時
望断雁字回时
wàng duàn yàn zì huí shí
Looking back at the vanishing wild geese
如當年舊景                      痴嘆酒獨傾
如当年旧景                      痴叹酒独倾
rú dāngnián jiù jǐng    chī tàn jiǔ dú qīng
It’s like the old scene in those days, sighing and drinking alone


空留一夢相思                         白髮三千
空留一梦相思                         白发三千
kōng liú yī mèng xiāngsī    bái fà sānqiān

A dream of yearning lingers in the sky, going to age past

前緣逝盡                                 執手已無言
前缘逝尽                                 执手已无言
qián yuán shì jǐn                 zhí shǒu yǐ wúyán
Close touch of hands is gone, leaving silence
劍斷花零                                 難撫瑤琴
剑断花零                                 难抚瑶琴
jiàn duàn huā líng              nán fǔ yáo qín
The sword is broken, the flowers are fallen. It is too hard to play the Yaoqin.
舊憶昨夜 淚                             自流
旧忆昨夜 泪                             自流
jiù yì zuóyè lèi                         zìliú 
Last night's memories of yore push me to tears

凝眸漫天煙花                             何處瓊華
凝眸漫天烟花                            何处琼华
Níngmóu màntiān yānhuā héchùqióng huá
Where are the beautiful fireworks gone?
弦歌天下                                     瞰舒 捲雲霞
弦歌天下                                     瞰舒卷云霞
xiángē tiānxià                          kàn shū juǎn yúnxiá
String tunes everywhere muse about the rolling clouds
隻影天涯                                      何處歸家
只影天涯                                      何处归家
zhīyǐng tiānyá                           hé chù guī jiā
In the gloom of the end of times, where can I go home?
浮雲千載 惟憶                           君顏
浮云千载 惟忆                           君颜
fúyún qiānzǎi wéi yì             jūn yán
Floating clouds for thousands of years, only memories of your face.

INTERVIEWS  

Full 10' in Chinese + 1' snippet posted  Jan.24, 2024 on X :

12' interview of the four main leads of 31st Jan.2024 , posted 2024-02-01:

BEHIND THE SCENES fun together, short video posted Jan25, 2024 on X :


The Sword and Fairy 4 game universe 

 introduction video commented in English, with Q&A ; other information about the game (which is in Chinese only) : click on pictures to follow the links.

YouTube commented video (30'10) first in a series of "Blind Play" videosSteam infoWikipedia info

Complete Sword and Fairy 4 game characters list and short description in Chinese, on Baidu.


Note: pictures link to their sources.

Next: Character gallery - linked posts

 Character gallery 

 (BY ORDER OF APPEARANCE in drama places listed  -completed Feb.1, 2024)

Table of contents :

click on the place names below to find the characters ; at the end of each of those locations, you can come back to this table of contents through the link provided.

  1. Prologue ; General back story +  Qing Luan peak of Mount Kong characters (Ep.1)
    below
  2. Main Cast (Yun Tianhe, Han Lingsha, Murong Zhiying, Liu Mengli)
  3. Qionghua sect 琼华派  (Ep. 1-11, 13- ongoing)
  4. Huanming Fantasy realm 幻瞑界 and Dream Tapir tribe  (Ep. 3-9,  27-28, 32, 34)
  5. The Outside World:  Taiping Village, Yu Nan Tomb, Shouyang Town  (Ep.  2-7, 24) : Han Residence (ep.24)
  6. Chenzhou Town (Ep.7-11 ; 25)
  7. Boxian Town and Qingfeng Pavilion 青凤阁  (Ep.12-13, 32)
  8. Jimo Town 即墨镇  and Yinxiang mountain   (Ep.26)
  9.  Buzhou Mountain, Netherworld,    (Ep.31)

Note: pictures are from screenshots of the drama, or from MDL and other biography pages ; some  link to more, such as video snippets on YouTube or Bilibili, or episodes on iQiyi.

1. Prologue and background (from the iQiyi presentation):  

NIneteen years before start of this story, Qionghua sects used the double swords of Wangshu and Xihe to trap the Huanming demon realm and seize spiritual power, triggering a war between humans and demons, with heavy casualties on both sides. When the host of the Wangshu sword, Su Yu suddenly withdrew, its blue ice aura pillar collapsed and the sword disappeared, its location unknown. Xuan Xiao was not able to keep up with the Xihe sword alone and suffered the backfire of the sword's red flame aura. He felt betrayed and lost his mind to resentment, while his friend Tianqing was suspected of unspeakable deeds.  Due to their disagreements with the sect's philosophy, disciples Yun Tianqing and Su Yu left Qionghua and went to Mount Kong's Qingluan peak, where their son Yun Tianhe was born in a place kept secret by a magic and invisible barrier.

Su Yu passed away early, and Yun Tianqing also died from illness, leaving their son to the care of friendly demons on Qingluan.  Tianhe was carefree and wild, only speaking to birds, friendly demons, and his father's memorial tablet, until he met Lingsha. She was an adventurer with some magic skills, who had managed to break through the barrier, following a bird. Lingsha was commissioned by a mysterious person to find a treasure, and broke into the tomb of Tianhe's parents, where the Wangshu sword, that Tianhe hitherto considered as a toy, triggered the brief surge up through rocks and clouds of an icy fire pillar seen far and wide before Tianhe could stop it. Qionghua and Huanming monsters went to investigate. Safety being breached, Tianhe, also curious about the outside world, and about his parents past, followed Lingsha down the mountain...    

Qingluan Peak  

青鸾峰 

[Qīngluán fēng]
character name
cast (and voice actor when relevant)


Yún Tiānhé  (young)   小云天河
Ep12

Jian Yu Xi 简宇熙
b.2008.03.09


Big Pig Demon 大猪妖 [dà zhū yāo], Yun Tianhe's caretaker
Ep.12.

Lei Lei 雷磊 b.1989.06.02





Yún Tiānqīng  云天青, Yun Tianhe's father. Ex-disciple of Qiong Hua Sect and creator of Mount Qing Luan. He was viewed as a traitor by Qiong Hua. He had given the Wangshu sword to Tianhe, before being buried in Shíchénxī dòng 石沉溪洞 cavern on Qingluan peak.
Ep.12,   27-28,  31-32

Baron Chen  /Chen Chu He 陳楚河 (v: Zhao Zhen) b.1978-05-09, Taiwan

Also known as River Chen (Weibo) - Fandom Name: 河粉




Sù Yù 夙玉, Yun Tianhe's mother. Host of Wang Shu Sword (望舒剑  Wàngshū jiàn) ; she had died in Tianhe's early childhood, from an illness caused by the cold of the sword.  
Ex-disciple of Qiong Hua Sect, she had put the Princess Jade on Mengli, and her own Zao jade (藻玉 zǎo yù shaped as a half yin yang symbol) was worn by Tianhe as a pendant on a string around his neck. 
In Qionghua, it glowed as a warning of summons to come and see Xuan Xiao (see below, Qionghua sect characters and "algae jade").

Li Mu Chen  李沐宸  (Weibo)   (v: Tong Xin Zhu) b.1993-08-17, Shanghai

Model and actress, also known as Daisy Li - Fandom name: 慕斯(Mu Si)



Wéi Zhào (Kuí zhào)   魁召, talisman spirit summoned by Wang Shu Sword 

Shu Ya Xin 书亚信  (Weibo, b.1990.01.21, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

He is also a pop singer - Fandom Name: Xiao Xin Ge / 小信鸽


Return to Table of Contents List / continued next

or take a tour of Qingluan peak with Chen Zheyuan as guide 

2. MAIN CAST       (pictures link to snippets from drama, game, or more)

Main
Character
Cast (voice actor/dubber)

Yún Tiānhé   云天河,

18 years old, son of Yun Tianqing and master of the Wangshu sword (望舒剑 Wàngshū jiàn)

Raised away from the world on sheltered Qingluan peak, he was naive but honest and faithful to his friends and to the memory of his parents. 
His weapons were sword and bow, and his name can be  linked to the 天河石 Tiānhé shí (Amazonite stone) but in fact 天河  means "a river of stars hanging in the sky", because Xuan Xiao loved watching the stars at night most in his life.
Ep 1 onwards
Chén Zhéyuǎn 
陈哲远  (v:Qian Wen Qing)  b.1996.10.29, Shenzhen 
Full Profile.  (Weibo; new Weibo) Fandom : Yuanbao 元宝


from ep1: clip- Lingsha breaks into Qingluan and meets the wild boy.

Hán Língshā   韩菱纱

 (translation : "Rhombus yarn", a geometrical, lozenge patterned knit)
17 years old ; she  was 7th by age in Han residence, a clan of short-lived tomb raiders. 

She was "a free-spirited thief, adhering to the concept of robbing the rich and giving to the poor". 
She was commissioned by a mysterious "employer" to find and get the Wangshu sword. 
She had a quick temper, but a friendly disposition even to demons and befriended Xuan Ying as well as Tianhe and Mengli. 
Her weapons were twin spikes, and she carried a Qiánkūn dài 乾坤袋 (*)  in which she stored her spoils, including a book that she picked up at Tianqing's tomb, but did not try to read until much later.
She had a luminous beads "soul stoones" bracelet, which kept her informed about her sister's health. 
Her favorite color was Cinnabar (the name of which  辰砂 Chénshā  in Chinese, is close to her own).
Ep.1 onwards

Jū Jìngyī  
鞠婧祎 (Weibo)
(v:  Mu QingHe)
b.199-06-18, Sichuan
Also known as KIku. Former member of Chinese idol girl group SNH48 2013- 2017, pursues also a solo career as  singer. She is also an  actress since 2015 (Agency: STAR48 from 2013 to now) . Her favorite drama is Chinese Paladin, so she was first to sign for playing CP4. 
Fandom: Mi Ju (Tangerine)



Mùróng Zǐyīng  慕容紫英

 (Murong** "Purple Hero"

19 years old kind swordmaster who trained at Mt. Kunlun's Qionghua academy since he was sent there by his family when he was 7 years old (but his melancholy was caused by an event before he left home, ep.) His teachers were Su Shen and Zong LIan.
He was puzzled by Tianhe's spiritual strength and won over by his courage and faithfulness to friends. He offered to take Tianhe as a disciple at the Qionghua academy. 
His weapon was the sword and his Ziying name is close to that of Amethyst (紫晶 Zǐjīng), a purple stone with magical properties to drive negative energy away, often carried by soldiers in ancient China. Amethyst, also known as Feng Shui crystal, generally represents wisdom.
Ep.2 onwards

Mao Zi Jun 茅子俊 (Weibo) (v:Wu Tao) b.1986-12-31

From Shaoxing, Zhejiang ; graduated in Finance, his family is in the textile business; he has his personal studio - Fandom: Mao Zi Jun / 帽子军


link: game excerpt
screenshots links: Mengli's theme song "Clouds weave dreams" 织梦行云  instrumental and vocal (see lyrics in "Music" playlist)

Liǔ Mènglí   柳梦璃 

(literal translation: "Dream Glass"), 
20 years old adopted daughter of the magistrate of Shouyang. 

Her "weapon" was the Konghou Zither (***)  with which she could enter minds. 
She persuaded her father to let her and her new friends go investigate the mysterious disappearences at nearby Nüluo cliff (女萝岩 nǚluó yán) near Prince Yu Nan's tomb, and followed the friends to Qionghua later. 
She wore a "princess jade" (****) for protection. Her name was supposed to be related to lapis lazuli (青金石 Qīng jīnshí  in Chinese), a stone that traditionally can "ward off psychic attacks" and bring peace and wisdom.
 
Ep.4 onwards

Mao Xiao Hui    毛晓慧 (Weibo)  (v: Liu Rui) b.1996-02-10, Ningbo, Zhejiang

Fandom毛团子


Notes :

 *The Qiánkūn dài  乾坤袋  

The Qiánkūn dài  is a pouch able to hold more than it appears able to carry. It is used by cultivators to carry large items. It is not only found in the MoDaoZuShi ("Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation") novel and drama adaptation "The Untamed". It is in fact an "ancient object" linked to Chinese mythology (see Wikipedia, scroll to "bags" section). 

** The royal Murong family 

"The Murong family of Gusu (姑蘇慕容氏) descended from the royal families of the Yan kingdoms (Southern Yan, Former Yan, Later Yan, etc.) of the Sixteen Kingdoms era. They are known for their fighting style best described as "returning you with your own way" (以彼之道,還施彼身) because they like to use their opponents' own signature moves against them. Having attempted to master every known form of martial art in the jianghu, they have amassed a wide collection of martial arts manuals over the years. " This is a loan name and concept from a fictional family originating in the novel of Jin Yong : Demi-Gods and Semi-Devil" ; although the name is real, originating in an ancient tribe from Mongolia, migrating south and with descendants overseas. 

In Sword and Fairy universe, Murong Ziying is a descendant of the Yan Kingdom, who does not accept the title of prince, only keeping his Murong family name. He is extremely talented at controlling the sword with "qi" power. The Qionghua sect disciples of the generations named Xuan and Su are all Ziying's uncles and aunts, and the generations using "cultivation names" Huai, Ming and Xuan are all Ziying's nephews or nieces.


***  The Konghou

"The feng shou konghou (鳳首箜篌, literally "phoenix-headed konghou"), an arched harp" has been depicted on ancient murals such as the one in the Mogao Caves, cave 327 dating back to Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.).       <------

Sound: a musician playing the theme song of The Myth movie (Endless Love, originally sung by Jackie Chan and Kim Hee-Seong)   ----->

Court music from Tang dynasty, "Wine Puppet《酒胡子》, on a konghou like instrument pictured on an old manuscript.    <------

Fairy Footprints in the Green Field《绿野仙踪》ancient music played on a reconstructed Tang style shu konghou with master  Fang Jinlong (方锦龙, b. 1963) playing a 5-string pipa.   ---->

**** The Princess Jade

 Mengli found out in Ep.27 that the mysterious "princess jade" was a talisman that could "suppress the demonic aura of a demon and make it indistinguishable from humans" ; it also had other hidden properties, such as making Mengli able to read a page that had been torn to hide the information, and shine bright in purple color, like the Dream tapirs amethysts/purple crystals. When she lost it in Ep.28-29, her true form was revealed to Tianhe, who comforted her as best he could...  

Return to Table of Contents / Character list continued next

3. Qionghua Sect   

(The three friends met several Qionghua members early, but arrived to the site only in ep.13)

Back story, adapted from Baidu :   The Kunlun Mountains were located directly below the heavenly world of immortals. Since ancient times, they were  regarded as a holy mountain, and reaching the peak opened a road to immortality. If they got there, mortals could be reborn and become immortals. A large number of immortal cultivators gathered here and gradually formed eight sects, namely Kunlun, Qionghua, Jasper, Zicui, Xuanpu, Yuying, Langfeng, and Tianyong. They were named after the Eight Palaces in the Immortal Realm, collectively known as the "Eight Sects of Kunlun ". Together with the Shushan Immortal Sword Sect and the Penglai Sect elsewhere,  Qionghua was one of the major sects of cultivating immortals in the human world.   Just like a water bowl holds the water, the top of the mountain was the source of several streams flowing down to the land that needed it, so this sect had a high reputation among the residents at the foot of the mountain.       

The ancestors of the Qionghua Sect believed in the guidance of the Nine Heavens Xuannü Empress in their dreams and created the method of cultivating immortality by "integrating man and sword into one".    

Daoyin, the 20th grandmaster of the Qionghua Sect observed the stars at night and discovered that demon world approaching in a repeating cycle of years. He believed that, to help the Sect achieve its goal of ascension, it should seize the spiritual power from it.  To do so, under  24th  generation grandmaster Taiqing, Qionghua forged two swords of yin and yang  :  Xihe (it is also the name of a mythological Sun goddess, hence its extreme heat) and Wangshu (it is also the name of a mythological god who drives the moon ; opposite to the other sword it was extremely cold).  The twin swords would create a net of energy to trap and bind the demon world, and open the way to the warriors, thanks to the twin beams of light. This move would also eliminate the demon world and stabilize the common people.         

Tianqing gathered the sect on the Juanyun Platform. Xuan Xiao (host of Xihe)  and Suyu (host of Wangshu)  used the twin swords. However, the demon world was warned and had prepared a counter atttack sending demons in red balls falling from the sky.  The battle was fierce, Taiqing was killed, as well as Xuan Zhen, his eldest disciples, and a large number of Qionghua disciples, although both sides suffered heavy losses. 

Su Yu grew disgusted by the behavior of the Sect to seize advantage at the expense of other living beings. She had been close friends with Xuan Xiao, but was heartbroken when he scolded her. Yun Tianqing believed, like she did, that demons were also entitled to live. He was accused of being a traitor by his fellow disciples for saving a young, seriously injured demon. Su Yu and Yun Tianqing left, taking the Wangshu sword away from Qionghua ; but the fierce cold of the sword made Su Yu severely ill, away from the balance of the twin swords. 

More than half of the Qionghua sect suffered in the aftermath. The disciples were resentful and regarded demons as eternally evil, killing them regardless of whether they were good or bad. Xuan Xiao, the host of the Xihe Sword, was frozen because he suffered from the burning fire and fell into bloodthirsty obsession. Among the three seriously injured elders, Zongglian died, while Qingyang and Chongguang recovered in seclusion in the back mountains. 

Despite having mediocre qualifications, the weakest among the Taiqing disciples, Su Yao, became next  25th grandmaster. She had been jealous of Su Yu and secretly wanted to force the Wangshu sword to chose her as host, so as to gain power together with Xuan Xiao. Talented and intelligent people in the sect were suppressed by her, and she let slanders against Yun Tianqing and Su Yu grow, so the strength of Qionghua Sect declined and even the Heaven realm was dissatisfied by them.   

QIONG HUA SECT  琼华派 [Qiónghuá pài]Head of Kūnxū mountain(昆虚 山)  Eight Sects 
Check also  Mrs Darkqueen's post about the other seven sects


Tài Qīng  太清 ("Great Clarity"  *) 24th grandmaster of Qiong Hua Sect, of "first generation" in Qionghua sect. 

He chose the hosts for the twin sword and gave the two Lingguang spiritual jades  **  to Xu Xiao and Su Yu.
Ep.1,   18 3031

Kou Zhen Hai 
寇振海  (Weibo)  (v: Qi Jie) 
b.1954-11.03, Heilongjiang
Fandom: Hei Bao Dui / 黑豹队



Sù Yáo 夙瑶, current Grandmaster of Qiong Hua Sect of "second generation".


She loved Xuan Xiao and despite having sealed him in Xuan ice ten years before, used his Zao jade to open the doors to his cave, when she visited him. She defended him against  Chong Guang and sent the trio to find the "three cold things" that would help free him. (The Kun scale *** was the last)

But she was also obsessed with the Wangshu sword (despite having only a "half Yin body"), and guessing Lingsha might be its new host, she gave her a special jade, called "Red Soul", pretending that it was for protection against her "cold" weakness. Her true intention was always selfish, stopping at nothing for her ambitions.

Ep.1, 7, 11, 13-16, 19, 21-2427- 30-36

Wang Yuan Ke    王媛可  (Weibo)
b.1994-04-04, Yantai, Shandong
Fandom: Kitten / 小喵咪



Xuán Xiāo 玄霄, host of the Xī Hé 羲和 sword (he had a full Yang body, while  Su Yu, with her Yin body, was host to Wangshu). 

He was foreseen to become grandmaster after Tai Qing. 
He owned the other half yin-yang shaped "algae jade" (**) Zǎo yù 藻玉, that opened the doors to the cavern where he was sealed and slept until awakened by the Wangshu sword reappearing. 
With the help of the "three cold things", he broke free from his prison.

Wang Duo
 汪铎 (Weibo) 
(v: Guo Hao Ran)
b.1991-05-21
Actor and singer from Shenyang, Liaoning - Fandom: Duo Bao  铎宝
Xuán Yǐng 玄影, a non-human spirit servant of Su Yao, appearing from ghostly smoke, sent by her to make Lingsha bring the Wangshu sword to Qionghua in exchange for a cure for her sister. He felt friendship for Lingsha who was kind to him.
Ep. 2-3, 7, 9-11, 13, 17, 19-23.
Wang Duo  汪铎 (see above) debuted in movies and dramas in 2016. He played "Huang Tao" in 2017 Ice Fantasy and "Zhu Bajie" in 2017 movie Journey to the West 2: The Demons Strike Back ; "He Shouye" in 2020 movie The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternityand "Gu Qingzhang" (ML) in 2023 A League of Nobleman.

Cang Lang Jian Fu (苍浪剑赋) music by Luo JIyi, theme song of Murong Ziying. 

Mùróng Zǐyīng  慕容紫英 (also see Main cast

A descendant of the Yan Kingdom, he was a disciple of Zong LIan and Su Shen, who was as close to him as a mother.  Extremely talented at controlling the sword, he had risen very fast in cultivation despite his young age (19 years old). 
The Qionghua sect disciples of the generations named Xuán  and  Sù 夙 were all Ziying's uncles and aunts, and those using "cultivation names" Huái 怀Míng  and Xuá were all Ziying's nephews or nieces.  
He carried a sadness from his memories of a kid sister.
Ep. 2 onwards

Mao Zi Jun 茅子俊 (Weibo) (v:Wu Tao) b.1986-12-31

From Shaoxing, Zhejiang ; graduated in Finance, his family is in the textile business; he has his personal studio - Fandom: Mao Zi Jun / 帽子军




Sù Xī 夙汐, sect leader in charge of the library

Zhao Fei Yan        赵飞燕 (Weibo)    (v: Liu Yu YinZi) b.1991.12.23 in Hebei 



Xū Yì  虚邑, fengshui and mines prospecting sect leader, interested in Lingsha as a disciple

Leng Zhong Yi      冷中易 (Weibo    (v:Zhang Zhan Kun  b.1985.11.13 




Xū Zhào 虚召, leader of sword sect 

He was one of the two masked attackers who had yielded to Murong Ziying first, but later needed help from Chong Guang to heal his wounds.  
Previously Xuan Zhen's disciple; he went on to work for Chong Guang against Xuan Xiao. Once exposed, he was expelled by Su Yao, who later offered his position as sect leader to Ziying  (but Ziying was not keen on the idea).



Sun Xin Hong    孙信宏 (Weibo)   (v:Gao Xu Dong b.1984.12.19  



Xū Liáng 虚凉, leader of Aura sect.

He was one of the two masked attackers who tried to seize the Wangshu sword on Mount Qing Luan,  but got frost bite on his wrist. 
He was the writer of the Qionghua history books ; Mengli found out why he had tampered with the records. Previously Xuan Zhen's disciple. he became Xuan Ye's foster father.  
He guessed Mengli's real identity but did not expose her, telling her it was time she left the academy.
Ep.2, 7, 14, 16-1828-303235. 

Yang Zi Hua   杨子骅 (Weibo)   (v: Wang QiuMing)   b.1964.06.14, Beijing 



Chóng Guāng 重光, elder of Qīngfēng 清风 ("cool breeze) valley, cultivating to higher level (ep.20) 

Elder of Justice, he was from "first generation" together with Tai Qing, Qing Yang, and Zong Lian.
He was an outspoken enemy of Yun Tianhe, wanted to eliminate Xuan Xiao, and destroy Su Yao's right to be grandmaster.

Defeated, he losrt his spiritual powers and appeared just as a frail old man.

Ep.4, 6-7, 13-14, 16-2428-3031,  34.

Li Xin Ze                李欣泽 (Weibo)   (v: Wei Chao)  b.1990.07.06, Shanxi

Fandom: Pu Tao Zi 葡萄籽



Qīng Yáng  青阳, elder of Qingfeng valley, "first generation". 

He knew more about the past than he let out, but sided with Yun Tianhe to save Xuan Xiao from Chong Guang's obsessions. 
Ep.4, 7, 14-182124,  28-30, 34,  3536

Zhang Fan         张帆 (Weibo)  (v: Li Nan)  b.1982.07.25, Beijing



Zōng Liàn  宗炼, elder, of "first generation" ; he forged the twin swords, but died after the battle. His manuscript had been taken away by Tianqing,to Qingluan Peak as Tianhe guessed much later.

Su Shen found out that he was killed by Bei Ke,(who wanted the Sword making manuscript),  but that the mastermind was Guixie who gave her Zong Lian's broken sword.
Ep.28  31-32 

Liu Bin  柳彬  b..1962.01.17 in Shandong

 



Xuán Ji  璇玑, Sù Yao's god-daughter who was with Huai Shuo when they first encountered Tianhe, Lingsha, and Mengli, near Shouyang.
Ep.4-6, 9-11, 13-14, 2128293235-36.

He Ling Yao             贺灵榣 (Weibo)   (v:Shi Yan Yan b.1996.02.20 




Huái Shuò 怀朔, a young Qionghua sect memeber.

He accompanied Xuán Ji to look for Murong Ziying, and spoke up for Tianhe in Qionghua later.  He was doubtful of Su Yao and bewildered when he witnessed her crushing Ming Guang.

Ep.5-6, 9-11, 13-14, 2128-3032-33  35.

Zhang Zhi Hao     张志浩 (Weibo(v: Sun Zhi Cheng)  b.1999.12.05, Shandong

Fandom柚子
 



Sù Shēn  夙莘, Liu Mengli's qin teacher and Murong Ziying's first teacher at Qionghua Sect
(MDL has her as "Su Xin"). 

The "Half Immortal" was "as close to Ziying as mother and son."
She first appeared in illusions (Ep.8 qin dream), later, as Ziying's memories (Ep11, 25).
Tianhe found her at a table in Chenzhou (Ep.25) , She teamed up again in Boxian. Next, she met Guixie, telling him that she was the one who had spared and protected "Mengli". 
He gave her Zong Liang's sword and she brought it to Ziying in Qionghua, before giving her last advice to Su Yao, who had joined the sect together with her back in time. 

Ep.8, 11, 25, 28.  31


Jiang Yi Rou
姜薏柔 (Weibo)   (v: Shuo Xiao Tu)  
b.1984.04.09
Also known as Jiang Hong.


Xuán Yè 璇叶, Heart sect leader,.

She said she'd accept Mengli as a disciple. But she smashed Tianhe's tablet. Adoptive daughter of Xu Liang, the sect leadere had told her that Yun Tianqing had killed her father Xuan Zhen, and her mother, as well as Jingci, Xuan Zhen's disciple, who had been entrusted with the baby during the battle. She could not bear to learn the truth. 
Ep.13-14, 16-18

Ai Xiao Qi 
艾晓琪  (Weibo
(v: Liu Qing) b.1992.03.20, Wuhu, Anhui

Fandom : 艾卿



 Huái Xīn 怀心, disciple sharing room with Tianhe at the Qionghua academy
Ep.13-14, 16, 21, 2536 

Guo Zhe 郭喆  (Weibo) (v: Sun Lu Lu)  b.1994.06.18
He played in 2023 When I Fly Towards You

Huái Xī  怀溪, first met at the gates of Jinxian Garden, disciple of Qionhua sect. 

Son of a Chenzhou merchant. Hostile to Tianhe.

Ep.7, 14-16, 19, 2229-3032 


Wei Peng 

魏鹏   (Weibo)   (v:Liu Zheng), b.1990.02.28, Chengde, Hebei

Also known as Johnny Wei.   Actor and pop singer - Fandom: Xiao Peng You  小鹏友

Xuán Zhèn 玄震, master of Jìng cí 静慈, disciple of Qionghua. 

They were both killed in the war nineteen years before.
Ren Yu  任宇 (Weibo) (v: Li Jin)  b. 1986.01.09, in Bayannur, Inner Mongolia



Míng Chén 明尘,  one of two "Míng" young generation disciples, gatekeepers at Qionghua academy.

He was knocked out by Guixin, who took his apparence to infiltrate the academy, looking for the "young master".

Sun Ying Hao 孙滢皓 (Weibo), b. 2000-06-6 in Inner Mongolia
Stage name of Kachine,  singer and dancer. He has danced wit many celebs, was  part of QCL concerts dancing crew, and debuted as a member of "IX FORM" as a results of  2021 "Youth With You 3" iQiyi idol program.
Fandom: Xian Zi Er


Míng Guāng 明光, a Qionghua sect member who saw no harm in corruption and criticizing his elders. 

He had been magically transformed into a brat kid in Chenzhou and saved by the trio finding out who did those tricks.

He was less lucky, when he thought he could talk disrespectfully about Xuan Xiao dictating his first commands in Qionghua.He defended Su Yao against the revelations from Ziying.. But when he later saw her plotting with the Shou Jiang wizard, and Xuan Xiao, he tried to warn Tianhe, Lingsha and Xu Liang. Only Xu Liang heard part of the report.

Ep.253032, 33.


Shang Si Cheng  尚思丞 (Weibo) (v: Yun Tian He *), b.2002.02.01

Also known as Jackson Shang.




Gōu Máng  (句芒  ****)

 divine guard at the Divine Mausoleum, west of Qionghua, where Hou Yi's bow was stored.

"The divine general Gou Mang who guards the Fengshen Mausoleum is well aware of the good and evil in the world. For those who enter the Fengshen Tomb, Gou Mang will punish or reward them based on their deeds in the past and present lives."

He let Tianhe have the second bow because he recognized in him a "pure being for three generations".

Xin Hao Jiang 辛浩江




Divine Fairy Xuan Tian  玄天神女  

(She is known as Jiutian XuanNü in the game).

A Goddess, "she was the daughter of Heavenly Emperor Fuxi. She possessed powerful spiritual power. 
Qionghua's ascension wa acting against heaven ;  Tianhe tried to persuade Xuan Xiao to give up cultivating immortality, but he refused, so Tianhe had to draw his sword.
The fairy was ordered to descend to earth to tell the Qionghua Sect that, because of their heinous crimes, they were going to be thrown into the whirlpool of the East China Sea and imprisoned for thousands of years. Only Murong Ziying , Yun Tianhe and Han Lingsha were able to avoid this disaster because they had clear and good thoughts." (Baidu)
 Ep. 36

Kathy Chow /Zhou Hai Mei 周海媚  (v:  Li Shi Rong), b.1966-12-06, in Hong Kong, d.2023-12-11 
Of Manchu ethicity, she was a well known A-list actress in many movies and dramas, playing in HK dramas of the 1980s and 1990s,  such as 1994 TVB drama The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre".  In 2018 she played the Heavenly Empress in Ashes of Love.  Divorced from actor Ray Lui, with no children, she died of illness at age 57

 She was also a singer, with songs such as 《她》 (She) in 2015, 《她》 (Peace of mind, OST for the 2009 drama Emergency Unit).
Famous songs :《愛江山更愛美人》(Love the country more than the beauty).  For her last stage in Dec.2023 she covered her favorite Cantonese songs :
《萬水千山總是情》 (Love and passion ; "Thousands of rivers and mountains..." a classic Cantonese song by Liza Wang) and Danny Chan's  《一生何求》 (What do you want in life?)  


Xuan Ji  (Mentioned in the MDL and DramaWiki cast list but has not appeared in episodes)  

Not on the Baidu cast list:

Xuan Yi Hao           宣以豪 (Weibo
b.1994-04-26, Hefei, Anhui

(*)  Daoism in Sword and Fairy 4

The Qionghua sect is a Daoist sect, and most of the concepts come from the worldview of Daoism, more specifically the "Shangqing School", a  form that became popular among the aristocracy of the Jin dynasty (266-420). Shangqing School Taoism borrowed numerous terms from the classic book Zhuangzi, such as "perfected man" (真人; zhēnrén), "Great Clarity" (太清; Tài Qīng), "fasting the mind" (心齋; xīn zhāi) etc, and these are also found in names, addresses, hierarchical levels, myths, etc,  in the series.

(**) 灵光藻玉  Lingguang algae jade

The  crystal clear, shiny and moist, ancient jade contained mysterious power.  Lingguang (spiritual light) Zao ("algae") jade or "psychic jade" was the secret key to unlocking the forbidden area in the back mountain of Kunlun Qionghua Sect. There were only two pieces in the world, one held by Su Yu and the other, by  Xuan Xiao.   Further to both being twin swords hosts, their connection was deep.

Su Yu had fallen in love with Xuan Xiao at first sight, and as the two practiced swordsmanship together in the Qionghua Forbidden Land for three years, Xuan Xiao also gradually fell in love with Suyu. Suyu liked to go to Zuihuayin 醉花阴  ("drunk flowers shade") garden to admire the phoenix flowers, and Xuan Xiao often accompanied her there. He also loved to watch the night sky. The two spent a wonderful time in Zuihuayin, until the battle against Huanming when she got heartbroken because Xuan Xiao could not relent from his bloodthirst (her qualms were expressed in ep.27) ;  therefore, she broke the relationship and fled with Yun Tianqing, who was friend with both.  Although she married Yun Tianqing, she named her son Tianhe as a memory of what Xuan Xiao had said about his love of the starlit night sky : "I like to watch the stars at night, because the Milky Way hangs like a river in the sky and the stars are brilliant, which makes my heart open. Once I wake up, I want to be buried with the spiritual light algae jade."  (adapted from Baidu)

(***)  The Kun scale  鯤鳞 


Kun-Peng video

The Kun scale 鯤鳞  [Kūnlín]  was the third extreme cold item that the trio needed to free Xuan Xiao from his ice prison. It was "what a Kun fish transformed into" and found by Tianhe and Mengli (just before she reverted to her true form which had been suppressed by the Princess jade) in the eternally icy cavern on Qingluan peak where Tianhe's parents were buried. 
The Kun  is a mythical being with spiritual and auspicious qualities (it is often seen passing overhead, like a dream-like flying whale in the sky, in fantasy, wuxia and xianxia dramas). 
In the Daoist classic "Zhuangzi" 莊子 book, Kun is described as a mythological creature in the Northern Sea whose size is immeasurably enormous.  Kun transforms into the giant bird, Peng
"In the Northern Ocean there is a fish, the name of which is Kun. I do not know how many thousand li in size. The Kun changes into a bird with the name of Peng. I don't know how many thousand li in breadth its back is. When the bird rouses itself and flies, its wings obscures the sky like clouds. When on a voyage, this bird prepares to start for the Southern Ocean, the Celestial Lake."
2018 account of an art performance at Yanqi Lake describes it thus : "Kun Peng spirit is an embodiment of Chinese culture — one that puts the pursuit of moral integrity before one's mortal life; one that teaches "a truly benevolent person has no enemy." It is a spirit deeply rooted in the collective character of the Chinese nation."

(****)   Gōu Máng   句芒

句  has 2 pronunciations in Chinese: Gōu is used in person or place names, translation will more often give it as the word  jù  like in 句子 [jùzi : sentence; 芒 máng can mean "radiant", or "grain".  

God of Wood, Spring, and the East in ancient Chinese folklore, responsible for the sprouting and growth of trees, and overseeing the area where the sun risesGōu Máng was an ancient god  auxiliary of the Fuxi primordial god family, in Chinese mythology, and has been envisioned as the "Green Dragon Spirit of the East" linked to Spring and growing plants, but later evolved in CNY imagery as the simple boy with a whip, riding a bull, called  芒 Máng...


Return to Table of Contents / continued next

4. Huanming demon realm  

Huànmíng 

also known as "Illusory World"

Eps.1-9 ; 27-36

The realm of Fantasy (幻瞑界 Huànmíng jiè) and Chao Lake (潮湖 Cháohú)
The "dream tapirs" [梦貘一族  mèng mò yīzú]  are mythical beasts feeding on dreams), but here they first appear as hostile demons.


Běi Kē   北柯, "Dream tapir" Demon General.

He helped the tomb demon Yun Nan escape to wreak mayhem near Nüluo rock in the Bagong mountains off Shouyang town (see "Outside world")
Ep.3, 6-9,   28 (memory)

Wu Hong 
吴弘 (Weibo)
(v: Lu LiFeng)
b.1988-11-6

He has been active in 14 dramas since 2014, including A Journey to Love



Wén Yáo 文鰩, "Dream Tapir", stingray fish demon of 潮湖 Cháohú (Chao Lake)

She had a close connection with Feng Xie, but had to obey  Bei Ke.
Ep.1-3, 5, 7-9,   28 (memory)

Li Qian Yi
李千逸 (Weibo)
(v: Xie YiHui)

Also known as Nikita Li, featured in 5 dramas since 2021, incl. The Blood of Youth, 2023  The Princess and the Werewolf  



Fēng Xié   风邪  (his name means "pathogenic influence" in TCM), Dream Tapir Demon

not credited

Huanming Realm had fought a war against Qionghua that recurred every 19th year, as "Reincarnation Hell War", so Qionghua was always preparing for that event. (as informed by Su Yao in ep.24)

Back story adapted from Baidu:  The world of Huanming (幻瞑界 Huànmíng jiè) was full of spiritual power, especially in the amethyst stones that were abundant there. That fantasy world moved in a celestial orbit, coming closest to the human world once every 19 years. --  Thousands of years in the past, the Mengtapir clan accidentally discovered the existence of the Fantasy World, and the clan leader used the power of the amethyst stone to hide the entire fantasy world, avoiding many unnecessary disasters. Since then, the Huanming Realm became a demon world, where the Dream Tapirs lived for generations without contact with other demon worlds. Although the tapirs' magic power came from illusions, eating other people's dreams, they were harmless, avoiding to pry into those dreams, even beneficial to humans when it was a nightmare that was swallowed.    

19 years before the time in the drama, Huanming was attacked by the Qionghua sect, who wanted to absorb the spiritual power in the amethyst of the Fantasy realm.  Chan You, the leader of the Huanming Realm, narrowly defeated the enemy . Taiqing, the former grandmaster of Qiong Hua, was killed, but Chan You's left arm was injured, and too much spiritual power was consumed. Her vitality was severely damaged and her body was very weak. Of the six guardian demon generals (*), only Gui Xie and Xi Zhong were left.  Chanyou  hated humans but remained grateful to Yun Tianqing and Sun Yu who had saved her daughter and realized the evil of seeking ascension at the expense of others' lives. The fighting scene in the animation at the beginning of "Legend of Sword and Fairy IV" showed the battle of wits and courage between Chan You and Tai Qing.

Chan You  婵幽, Queen of the Huanming Realm and leader of the Dream Tapir [梦貘一族] demon tribe. 

19 years before, she faked her own death in the invasion and massacre of Huanming realm by Qionghua Sect, and was troubled and weak, 
Ep.2732,   34.
Yang Xue 杨雪  (Weibo) (v: Li Jin Yan), b.1980-10-16 in Beijing
She is married to art director  Zhao Hai since 2017 and has two daughters ; they live in Nanjing (Min news).

Link to episode
Link to description in Chinese of the character in the game.

My GIF from linked preview of episode, timestamp 01:11 to see more.

Guīxié 归邪 (Sī Jiǎ Guī Xié 司甲归邪),  one of the two remaining guardian generals of Huanming (of the six who fought the battle 19 years before) ; Chan You had locked him up for his own protection. 

He went to Boxian to inquire about Bei Ke (above), Li Jiangliu (last seen in Chenzhou), and the "Young Master". He followed the aura of an unknown tribe member into Qingfeng Pavilion, to the painting, and next, to Qionghua, where he knocked out the gatekeepers and took the appearances of Ming Chen, Huai Shuo and next, of Xuan Ji to infiltrate.
But Lingsha saw through his disguise. Still, he had found his target. He tried to abduct her first, and protect her escape from Qionghua later. He was in fact devoted to Huanming and his insight to end the war was to find Zong Lian's manuscript and destroy the twin swords, but he had not wanted to take Zong Lian's life.
Ep.2728- 30,   34-35. 

Lin Feng Song 林枫松  (Weibo) (v: Yang Tian Xiang), b.1996-11-02, Shangqiu city, Henan
Fandom: Xiao Fengye / 小枫叶
He debuted as "You Qi" in 2016 Addicted web-series.











Jing Chen 镜尘 , trapped by Yun Tianqing in the picture concealed in Boxian Qingfeng Pavilion library. 

He was discovered by Guixie disguised as Dili Bai'er. In Huanming, Jing Chen who had been Yuan Luo's personal guard, was thought to have died in the battle. He was later brought out from the picture by Mengli.

Guo Hao Jun 郭昊鈞 (Weibo) (v: Li Jia Xiang), b.1992-10-27 in Taiwan.

Also known as Terry Jun or Kuo Hao-jun 郭昊钧 . Fandom: 小钧肝



Xī Zhòng 奚仲, guardian general of Huanming, close to the Dream tapir queen Chan You, skilled in magic and with very high spiritual power. 

He was stable, reliable, reserved, but protective, and opened a magic passage to bring Tianhe and Mengli from Qingluan to Boxian.
Guixie followed but the two generals had to leave after being attacked by the Demon Slaying formation of Qionghua disciples who were sent by Su Yao to protect the young disciples and the Scale
In Huanming, Xi Zhong would still be by the young queen's side.. 

Li Jia Hui 李嘉辉 (Weibo) (v: Cai Jie), b.1997-01-18



Yuān Luò  鸢洛 was the daughter of Chan You who had been saved by Yun Tianqing and brought up under a hidden identity in mortal realm. She had to accept taking over responsibilities as clan queen and war chief.
 (Also see: Liu Mengli)

Ep29-3032,   34 -36

Mao Xiao Hui 毛晓慧(Weibo)  (v: Liu Rui) b.1996-02-10, Ningbo, Zhejiang

Fandom毛团子



(*)  Baidu further informs  : " The six generals of Huanming are all named after ancient mythical beasts [which] guard Kunlun. They appear at the time of Hai and return at the time of Mao [roughly 2hrs duration Chinese zodiac divisions of night time, each named ; i.e. "Hai Shi is the ending hour from 9 to 11 p.m in a day"; 5 to 7 a.m. is Mao Shi]. The names of the six beasts are: 

  1. Sī Shí Míng Fēng 司时冥风     [冥风 meaning "Dark wind"], 
  2. Sī Sì Jī Cán 司祀击残   [击残 meaning "eliminate crippling"], 
  3. Sī Wén Xī Zhòng 司文奚仲
  4. Sī Xíng Jì Pò 司刑寂破  [寂破 meaning "Silence is broken"], 
  5. Sī Jiǎ Guī xié 司甲归邪    [归邪 meaning "Returns to Evil"!],   
  6. Sī Lǐ Yíng Yōu 司理赢幽 (赢幽 meaning "Win Quietness").       

Si Shi, Si Si ....  translates loosely to "Master", "Manager",  so that's why Jing Cheng addressed Guixie with the honorific  "Si Jia" in ep.27 ; in fact, a word like 司长 [sī zhǎng] is still used in Chinese for some real life hierarchical titles of "Director", "bureau chief"...  of middle level management, especially civil servants.

Return to Table of Contents  / continued next

5. Outside World : Taiping Village, Yu Nan Tomb, Shouyang Town

Outside world

太平村  Tàipíng cūn (Taiping village) and Shòu Yáng chéng 寿阳城 (Shouyang town)
Han residence (family of Lingsha)
韩府 【Hán fǔ


Yún Jìn 云靳 , village leader of Tai Ping Village 

(Tianhe was bewildered about the hostility of the villagers when he mentioned his father.)

not credited


Prince Yù Ná御南王, tomb demon, liberated by Bei Ke from a magic urn, to use his evil energy "aura" on creatures in mount Bagong (八公山  Bāgōng shān), and to kill Taoist priests.

(A faceless ghostly woman guided the trio in the tomb and reappeared much later in Netherworld.)

Song Yun Hao 
宋允皓  (Weibo)  (v: Lin Qiang) b.1978.11.27, Beijing

Ep.3   SHOUYANG




Péi Jiàn  裴剑, Constable Head of Shouyang city.

(He captured Lingsha for being a known thief, but his loyalty went first to the Liu family, so he tried to protect them around Yu Nan's tomb.)

Zhao Yi Bo

赵一博  (Weibo) (v:Wang YongGang  b.1998.11.06




Liǔ Shìfēng  柳世封, Liu Mengli's father, magistrate of Shouyang.

(He had only grateful memories about Yun Tianqing and took in Tianhe as a son, possibly a son in law).


Hong Jian Tao  

洪剑涛 (Weibo)
 (v: Yang Mo)  b.1965-11-13

From Beijing, Hui ethnicity, "national level actor" ; he played in 1997 Water Margin, ..., 2021 Legally Romance.  His wife is actress Ran Zhijuan, and his son is actor Hong Yang.



Ruǎn Cí   阮慈Liu Mengli's mother.
Ep.4-7  28

Li Xiao Hong

李晓红  (Weibo)     (v:Liu Qian Hanb.1973



 Han Lingxiang  韩菱缃 , Han Lingsha's cousin /"elder sister". 

The Fuyao immortal fruit pill revived her at the brink of death. But LIngxiang knew that, in the fengshui skilled, treasure-hunting family, nobody lived beyond 30 years old because of an ancient poisoning of extreme coldness, by the divine clan which they had offended.
She was reluctant to let Lingsha (whom she called "Seven", xiao-qi) leave and use the Treasure hunting journal to find the Guangji Cold Painting (one of the three extreme cold things needed to suppress the scorching energy in Xuan Xiao).

Ep.2431

Li MuZi 李木子
(v: Xu JiaQi) b.1989-07-22, in Harbin, Heilongjiang

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6. Chenzhou town

Chénzhōu

陈州 


Ep.7-10 ; 25
a town on the way from Shouyang to Qionghua


Qín Jī  琴姬, spirit player of qin sounding a deep sleep spell, widow of Qin Yi, whose family put the coffin of in Qianfo temple, forbidding access to her in Chenzhou
Ep.7-8

王一菲 (Weibo)
b.1995-06-14, Hunan
She was "Sui He" in 2018 Ashes of LoveFandom: 大眼仔


Huái Xī  怀溪, at the gate of Jíxiān yuàn Garden (集仙苑), where disciples of Qionhua sect used to stay over when they were in town. Son of a Chenzhou merchant, he was hostile to Tianhe.

Ep.7, (see Qionghua sect)


魏鹏   (Weibo)   (v:Liu Zheng), b.1990.02.28, Chengde, Hebei
Also known as Johnny Wei.   Actor and pop singer - Fandom: Xiao Peng You / 小鹏友


Madame Jiāng /Jiāng shì  姜氏, Qin Yi's cousin and concubine
Ep.7-8

徐棵二(Weibo
b.1997.07.03




Dào Zhēn 道臻, elder of Shushan sect, visiting in Chenzhou.

(He helped the trio search for the Qian bead, to help free the town people from the sleep enchantment. )
Ep.8-9


张元帅 (Weibo
b.1997.03.11, Taiwan
Also known as Marshal Zhang


Ōuyáng Míngzhū (Pearl) 欧阳明珠.She was in a deep sleep for nine years, starting before the sleep curse on Chenzhou. Her spirit swapped with that of Lingsha.
Ep.9-10

张雪菡 (Weibo)   
(v: Nie Xi Ying)  b.1996.03.01
Actress and dancer from Xinjiang -Fandom: Xue Hua / 雪花
Lì Jiāngliú 厉江流,  Shuo Jiang wizard, creator of the dream realm. 

(He loved Ouyang Mingzhu and wanted to keep her unknowing of her parents death and his deeds.  
Although he had seemed defeated by Tianhe, he reappeared in a forest, giving the Red Bead to a veiled lady. And later again, another one, to help her steal the spiritual power from her target, before coming to gloat about it causing Tianhe to kill him.
Ep 10283334.
李岱昆  (Weibo
(v:  Liu San Mu)  b..1992.0.04




Míngguāng 明光, a greedy Qionghua sect member.

(He accepted money for protection of "tiny state" Yan envoys to Chenzhou from evil spirits and tried to get approval from Huaixin, who was visiting Chenzhou to investigate a mysterious case of adults being turned into  kids. 
A mysterious cloaked bystander who had applauded his self-justification, changed him into a brat kid. The trio went after the magician and got a surprise.)

Ep.25 (also see  Qionghua)



Shang Si Cheng  尚思丞 (Weibo) (v: Yun Tian He *), b.2002.02.01

*Yes, there really is a dubber with the name Yun Tianhe 云天河. He is a "Himalaya anchor and voice actor , whose representative works are the audio novel Cultivation Chat Group", and "My Disciples Are All Villains" an online novel about cultivating immortals, written by Mrs. Xu Dagger !



Luo Jiyi, commanding general of the Yan imperial palace, envoy in Chenzhou

(He recognized Murong Zhiying as a royal prince of Yan state and informed him of his parents death from illness 6 years before and their being buried with "the little princess".)

Ep.25


Zhang Fu Lin 张馥麟  (Weibo)



 Little Princess,  she was the young sister of Murong Ziying, and his biggest guilty regret, cause of his leaving to cultivate in Qionghua. 

Ep.25


Yu Wei Ni 於薇妮  (Weibo), b.2011-03-10 in Taizhou, Zhejiang

Also known as Winnie Yu, child actress active since 2019 ; she was 10 years old when she played in "Sword and Fairy 4" .


7. Boxian Town  and Qingfeng Pavilion

Boxian 

播仙镇

[Bōxiān zhèn]

Ep.12,  27
Charm Disguise Hall       ---->
and Qingfeng Pavilion
青凤阁藏 [Qīngfèng gécáng]
Dílì Bài'ěr  狄丽拜尔, boss of the Charm Disguise Hall  (符篆 易容馆 Fúzhuàn yìróng guǎn) in Boxian town.

She firmly rejected Feng Er's proposal of wedding.
Gulmira / GuLi MiRe 古丽米热  (Weibo)  (v:  Zhang Hui Lin) b.2001.03.29, Kashgar, Xinjiang
Uyghur actress from Xinjiang, who previously played in 2023 The Inextricable Destiny ;  Hilarious Family ; and 2021 The Blessed Girl. Fandom: 白饭


Ugly Painter 丑画师 [chǒu huàshī], from the Charm Disguise Hall.  

He also sold remnants of deceased people's souls to Su Yao, but was also an agent of the Dream tapirs besides being  Feng Er's subordinate. He was ordered by Gui Xie from Huanming to inquire about Mengli.
He saw Guixie and Xizhong in Boxian and informed Su Yao about it, so she could send help.

Ep.12,    21 272932

Xiao Song Yuan 萧松原 (Weibo)  (v:Hu Ya Jie), b.1968.01.13, Beijing

Also known as: 刘雯刚 /Liu WenGang  and 萧兵 /Xiao Bing:  Chinese director, actor, voice actor, and videographer. He has a master's degree from Renmin University of China




Fèng Èr / Fèng Chánggē  凤二(凤长歌), Lord of Qingfeng Pavilion which had precious collections and fearsome beasts such as the Five Poison Beast (五毒兽 wǔ dú shòu) which he let intruders duel with. 

When he found out than Tianhe was Yun Tianqing's son, he paid him respect.  
He was unsuccessfully courting Dili  Bai'Er when the trio came back, looking for clues about the third "cold" thing: the Kun scale, while Mengli had a shocking revelation when she examined the book and the hidden painting both entrusted to Feng Er.

Ep.12 2732, 36

Liu Guan Lin 刘冠霖  (Weibo)  (v:Qi Si Jia)  b.1981.12.19, Heilongjiang


Lord Ming Si, Feng Er's subordinate


Li Yi Quan 李逸泉  (v: Qing Lin Hao), no more information
 Lord Qiang San 小强 ("cockroach" xiǎoqiáng),  Feng Er's subordinate

Li Xiao Pang 李小胖  (v: Li Lu), b.1996-07-01 in Xi'an, Shaanxi.
Formerly  Li Jun Hao 李俊浩

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8.  Jimo Beach  and Jimo Town

即陌海边 Jímò hǎibiān  near the East Sea and YInxiang mountain (Ep.26)

Jimo Beach 

即陌海边

Jímò hǎibiān

即墨镇
Jímò town

Jímò zhèn

Ep.26

Xià Yuánchén 夏元辰, a scholar who was a mountain god, earthly immortal "Sànxiān 散仙" concealing his identity. 

He liked helping mortals and had adopted the idiot Lian Bao as his daughter but she went missing.  He replaced Tianhe's bow with the magic bow  "Kaiyuan Chasing Moon" [开元追月弓 Kāiyuán zhuī yuè gōng] to help the trio find Lian Bao.  When she was found, he gave the second "extreme cold object" Guāngjì hán tú  to the trio and gave up his immortal powers with it, to stay with his daughter.
Fan Xiao Dong  范晓东 (Weibo) (v: Ban Chuang), b. 1992.6.26 in Henan.
Fandom : Xian Cao Dong 仙草冻 
- he is a cat lover.


Lián bǎo 莲宝 ("Lotus"),  Xia Yuanchen's adoptive daughter, 7 years old and mentally retarded. 

She was abducted together with the Guangji hantu, by a Fox fairy who took them to the Fairy Fox Temple in the wild Yinxiang mountain.

Li ZhiMo 香芋 (Weibo), b.2014.02.06
She was 7 years old when the drama was filmed in 2022.


Hú Sān Tàiyé  狐三太爷 ("Third Masrer Fox).    A Fox fairy 

He had become an immortal Sanxian, through agreeing to stay in the Guangji cold painting, but he escaped and committed tricks. Still, he had to return to the painting on full moon nights. He hoped to be replaced as contracted spirit in the painting by Lian Bao, or by one or more of the trio.


Wang Lue Tao 王略涛  (Weibo) (v: Guo Sheng), b.1995.04.08 in Zhejiang


Jìng Lán 静兰 was Xia Yanchen's former love, whom he had married before she died of illness. 

In her next life, she was Lian Bao.

Li Bing Bing 李冰冰  (Weibo), b.2000-04-02. 


Return to Table of Contents  / Continued next

9. Buzhou Mountain [不周山, BùZhōu shān], 

     Netherworld [冥都 Míngdōu]

Netherworld 

[冥都 Míngdōu]
This was the place where the primordial spirits went to first, by way of a ghostly ferry, before disappearing into light specks once they truly died. It was also a crossing point to demon worlds, including the Huanming realm.
The Illuminating Dragon of Buzhou Mountain, guardian of the entrance to the Netherworld.  

He opened the portal to the Netherworld once Yun Tianhe let himself duel him ; Tianhe used the "Primordial Spirit-Initiating Moon Chasing" Bow and won, he got a wound that would reduce his lifespan drastically.
The Dragon also mentioned that this Bow (which was given to Tianhe by the Earth god who chose mortality in Jimo) was one of a pair with mythical Hou Yi's celestial Sun-shooting bow, which Tianhe would need too, in order to get powerful enough. (That other bow was stored in  the Divine Mausoleum, as Lingsha said when they got back from Netherworld). 
The dragon sent divine power to Tianhe when he came back after having exhausted the power from the Yin Yang jade, so that he could change his fate and perhaps live a century longer, because "only one who cares about the wold deserves the power of the divine dragon".
not credited


Wúmián 无眠  ("Sleepless")  She was the faceless woman in the Prince Yu Nan tomb, who had guided the trio previously. Tianhe had saved her primordial spirit. 

Having integrated Netherworld, she gave to the trio the Barrier-Crossing Branch that she used as an envoy.
She was staying in Netherworld waiting to help Yun Tianqing who suffered from the obsession of wanting to apologize to his son. 
Tianhe went to talk to Tianqing, who revealed a lot of hidden truths from the past, including why Tianhe was able to hold both twin yin and yang swords. But his last sentence was bewilderingly muted: "And the biggest secret of Yin Yang Jade is......."  (in fact, if the Underworld tolerated that the past be talked about, Tianqing was not allowed to reveal future events, so he was cut off there in order not to affect fated developments.)
While Tianhe talked to his father, Lingsha had a disheartening revelation about the "soul stone" beads of her bracelet, the light of which was not only connected to her sister, but also to herself. 
Wumian helped the trio be ferried back to mortal world where they first went to talk to Feng'er in Boxian, and next, Ziying and Tianhe went to Qionghua, trying to talk Su Yao and Xuan Xiao out ot their war plans.

not credited

Return to Table of Contents List 

Completed Feb.1, 2024

This presentation exceeds all expectations, you have been quite meticulous in including so many details that your presentation has managed to create a 'universe' of it's own.. Thank you for adding, extending the excerpt from the profile of Chen Zhe Yuan and making this into a stand alone companion piece for the series. I find that Chen Zhe Yuan as an actor has great potential, he has the ability to emote quite well, managing to pull the audience's heartstrings. 

One other aspect that I like from your presentation is the fact you include paraphrase or meaning  of chinese words. Sometimes in the series literal translation of chinese words and names are used in subtitles making it difficult for the viewers like myself to understand the actual meaning and context. I was trying to find the meaning of Huanming, your presentation provided a good understanding of the demon realm "Illusory world".

@ MsDarkqueen  Thanks for your liking it  Your Discussion was also interesting. :)

Last addition to this thread : the Douban opening rating that just dropped (together with that of competing Sword and Fairy CP#6) and score among the top 10 web series watched in China, as reported by Marcus on his YT channel :

4.2 from about 34,200 ratings :  That's rather below the expected, although the rating may have been influenced by the controversy about billing and  by the bias that some had against actress or actor (who are more targeted by anti fans than some others), and by the fans of the game who are seldom content with adaptations to live action, or by the plain romance watchers who always complain when the ending is not to their taste and who will nitpick later on CGI (which was not horrible) or dubbing too. 

In my opinion, Sword and Fairy 4  was quite enjoyable, so would have got more if these factors had not blurred lines.  Other commenters agree that this rating is "too low".

In fact the drama  is still among the top ten web series watched in China, for week 5 ending Feb.04, 2024 : Sword and Fairy 4  stood at #2/10 (a close second to its competitor Sword and Fairy aka CP 6).