I mean she doesn't really need to marry for the romance to work. Also she vowed to never marry or have children…
She just been betrayed and killed by her husband, a man she loved and trusted over her own father. It’s understandable, at this moment of the story, she didn’t think to marry again. But time will tell if she could give up this title and have a chance of a normal marital life she longed so much at first.
I hv no problem with her shedding tears or showing concern for YX, but not to the extent to hv emotional turmoil…
He’s her only friend. In many ways, they’re the same, almost like rebellious soulmates. They both grew up feeling like outsiders within their own families: he because he could never live up to their expectations due to his illness, and she because she was treated like a curse and sent away. As a result, they both built emotional armor around themselves. They’re rebellious, insolent, resentful, a little unhinged at times, cold… and deeply guarded.
Despite her attitude, she has always felt comfortable with him because she sees herself in him. Their bond may seem strange to outsiders, but in a society where men and women rarely interact outside their families, their scenes together, their connection, mutual understanding, support, and even their arguments, are actually incredibly intimate by their standards.
Knowing that she’s hurting her only friend so badly that he’s coughing up blood, seeing how fragile his health is, and fearing the loss of his friendship is genuinely painful for her. People need to put themselves in her shoes for a moment and realize just how important YX is to her. In her own words, she says she “can’t love him”, not that she doesn’t love him, but that she prevented herself from developing those feelings because they are too similar, and she longs to escape the misery she associates with that part of herself.
The tragedy is that, in another life, if they had both been less traumatized, she probably could have allowed herself to love him, and she knows it. She also understands how difficult it is for both of them to let themselves love or trust anyone, which is why knowing that she’s breaking his heart hurts her so deeply.
From trailer ep 27, Idk what Chen Xuan Qing is thinking, he jinxed her then he wonders why she wants to marry…
Yeah, the man didn’t talk to or see her for 3+ years, never confessed to her or anything, yet had the audacity to think she owed him something. What a piece of trash. I hope FL tells him he's a jerk because I can’t deal with him shaming her for having a crush years ago when they never talked about it, never made any promises, and were never a thing since he rejected her 3+ years ago.
She is 18 in this drama, it was said at her Coming of age ceremony. In the novel she is 15.
It was said she's been away for 15 years when she was send to her grandma at 1 month old so she's 15 which is consistent with the coming of age for this era (15 for women).
I don’t understand why some people think he’s the culprit when we literally have two scenes suggesting otherwise:
In the flashback from three years ago, he is genuinely shocked and frightened when he realizes his daughter might have been responsible for the fire. When he sees the FL poisoned, he immediately suspects his daughter and rushes to the palace to warn her to be careful and not go that far.
He is definitely power-hungry, but it’s clear that this kind of murder unsettles him because it threatens the power he and his family have built. Also, he seems genuiely concerned about the consequences for his daughter more than anything else.
My suspects and their possible motives behind the deaths of the royal family members:
1) The ML’s right-hand man He was abandoned at the palace as a child, and the fact that this information was revealed feels significant. On top of that, he’s a trusted confidant who knows all the secrets and can move freely without raising suspicion. It would be a great plot twist if this seemingly comedic and loyal character turned out to be the mastermind behind everything. He could be driven by deep resentment toward the royal family (possibly an illegitimate child?).
2) The FL’s sister-in-law I find her really cute, but in the last episode I had a very bad feeling about her. What if she’s been playing a double game all along? She could be part of a larger conspiracy against the monarchy along with her family. This marriage might be a way to get closer to the ML in order to eliminate him. Her family and inner circle could be tied to the previous deaths within the royal family, and she might be continuing their legacy. It does sound a bit far-fetched, but I still wanted to mention it.
3) The Prime Minister (PM) He could be part of a secret organization planning to replace the monarchy. However, this theory feels less convincing, especially considering his feelings for the FL and some of his reactions (he seems a decent guy).
Overall, I think suspect number one is the most plausible.
I think in the end, everything will turn out to have been done by Jinmu...from the poisoning to the accidents…
Considering how he talked to his daughter after that, I don't think it's him. He seemed to suspect his daughter for been behind it and was scared by the consequence of it, that's why he rushed to the palace to tell her to be prudent. Also, he was genuiely shock when his daughter seemed to reveal been the one behind the fire (causing the previous king's death).
Pure garbage. ML is more concerned that FL married another man than she believes him guilty of the death of her entire family (and it takes him so long to investigate). FL is brutally tortured and staked through the heart, but ML doesn't treat her wounds and instead tries to sexually assault her while she covered in blood, then handcuffs her to the bed. I have to stop watching for that reason alone.
I know you shouldn't expect much from the script of this kind of drama, but I have to admit I'm amazed by FL's writing.
How could her adoptive father let the innocent, uneducated young girl she was infiltrate the mafia by becoming a mobster's girlfriend? It's dishonorable and risky. How could she live among the mobsters for six years without getting caught, given how suspicious she is and how incapable she is of keeping a straight face? How could she go six years without discovering anything? How could she be stupid enough to plot against her boyfriend when, if he dies, she loses her foothold in the mafia, and her real adversary is the mafia boss? How could she continue to be so suspicious, keep getting caught, and still not have a clever plan?
Truly the worst undercover operation in the world.
What frustrates me the most is that all this mess and all this blood and killing is to get revenge on Pingshu...…
I will tell you what I told another person here:
The Man in Black’s issue clearly goes way beyond just avenging Pingshu. It actually reminds me of that line where the ML tells the SML’s brother that he had already decided to overthrow his father and brother long ago, and that the truth about his mother’s death just gave him a convenient excuse.
And that’s exactly what’s going on here. Both the Man in Black and his right-hand man are basically using Pingshu as a justification for their actions. But in reality, they’re just bitter, resentful men who’ve been consumed by anger, grief, and a sense of injustice, and who don’t have the courage to face things differently.
Instead, they chose to spiral: to hate, to scheme in the shadows, and to destroy everything in their path because they feel like they have nothing left to lose. But even then, they still need to justify it to themselves, so they hide behind the idea of doing it “for Pingshu” or “to purify Jiangshu" while, in truth, it’s just an excuse to take their pain out on the world.
If they were genuinely doing this for Pingshu, or for SML and FL, or to reform Jiangshu, they could have done it openly. They were already in positions of power. They could’ve exposed the hypocrisy of Yin Dai, honored the dead, tried to change the system. But they didn’t. Why? Because they chose hatred over real justice.
The SML’s situation is a perfect example of this hypocrisy. The master admits that even though he hated the boy’s grandfather, he still raised him to be honorable & didn't hate him for been linked to his enemy. But his own daughter? He neglected her and let her be raised by her mother. Why? Because he needed her to become someone he could justify sacrificing and hating. He couldn’t have done that if he had raised her properly.
That pretty much says it all. This isn’t about justice. It’s about power, resentment, and a deep inferiority complex from someone who grew up poor and never got over it.
It's about messing up with all sects in Jianghu just because the man in black didn't get the girl. That's the…
Honestly, the different backstories can feel pretty confusing at first, but they do help piece together the bigger picture, even if the execution isn’t always perfect.
That said, the Man in Black’s issue clearly goes way beyond just “not getting the girl.” It actually reminds me of that line where the ML tells the SML’s brother that he had already decided to overthrow his father and brother long ago, and that the truth about his mother’s death just gave him a convenient excuse.
And that’s exactly what’s going on here. Both the Man in Black and his right-hand man are basically using Pingshu as a justification for their actions. But in reality, they’re just bitter, resentful men who’ve been consumed by anger, grief, and a sense of injustice, and who don’t have the courage to face things differently.
Instead, they chose to spiral: to hate, to scheme in the shadows, and to destroy everything in their path because they feel like they have nothing left to lose. But even then, they still need to justify it to themselves, so they hide behind the idea of doing it “for Pingshu” or “to purify Jiangshu" while, in truth, it’s just an excuse to take their pain out on the world.
If they were genuinely doing this for Pingshu, or for SML and FL, or to reform Jiangshu, they could have done it openly. They were already in positions of power. They could’ve exposed the hypocrisy of Yin Dai, honored the dead, tried to change the system. But they didn’t. Why? Because they chose hatred over real justice.
The SML’s situation is a perfect example of this hypocrisy. The master admits that even though he hated the boy’s grandfather, he still raised him to be honorable & didn't hate him for been linked to his enemy. But his own daughter? He neglected her and let her be raised by her mother. Why? Because he needed her to become someone he could justify sacrificing and hating. He couldn’t have done that if he had raised her properly.
That pretty much says it all. This isn’t about justice. It’s about power, resentment, and a deep inferiority complex from someone who grew up poor and never got over it.
Officially, the leads only get together around the end.Unofficially, they’re basically together from episode…
I’m glad you’re giving it a try! Feel free to come back here to discuss it or ask questions if you need to. Or just drop by to tell how much you admire Zhou Yiran’s talent. 😊
The goal of the drama, for her, is to free herself from the prison of her inheritance.Since childhood, her aunt…
I understand your frustration. FL is intelligent and more perceptive than many others, which allows her to see through ML’s lies quite quickly. However, there are two important points to consider:
1) She has only just met ML, and from the very beginning she finds him suspicious. Because of that, she is naturally more cautious around him, which makes it easier for her to see through him early on. Moreover, since their first meeting, he constantly lies to her and manipulates her, which only reinforces her mistrust and keeps her on guard.
2) She was partially raised by Lord Qi. He watched over her like an uncle, spent an entire month with her every year, personally trained her before officially taking her as his disciple, and played a major role in her upbringing. It’s much harder to suspect someone who raised you and whom you have always respected than someone who has only recently entered your life. In fact, there are several moments where she seems to realize that something suspicious is going on within her sect & her master, but she refuses to acknowledge it and pretends nothing is wrong. Accepting the possibility of a traitor among the people closest to her would completely shatter her worldview.
So yes, this does prolong the situation until the end, but it remains understandable. We often lack objectivity when it comes to people close to us, especially elders whom we were taught to respect.
Officially, the leads only get together around the end.Unofficially, they’re basically together from episode…
I think that even if you're not a fan of the genre, it's still worth giving it a try, if only for Zhou Yi Ran and the great chemistry between the leads.
There isn’t that much fantasy either; it’s more about the martial arts world. The most complicated parts, I’d say, are the editing of the first six episodes (they had to cut a lot to shorten them, which can make things a bit confusing) and the fact that there are a lot of character names and backstories thrown at us. I often had to pause just to properly take everything in. In the end, though, everything is important. Things mentioned early on later become pieces of the puzzle.
We follow the two leads, but also the unresolved legacy of the previous generation.
But overall, it’s a great ride, and I think you should give it a try, especially knowing that the story gets better with each episode.
Nice drama ..One thing i didn't like about Mu Qing Yan is that , in ep. 18 to stop Cai Zhao from going he faked…
The goal of the drama, for her, is to free herself from the prison of her inheritance.
Since childhood, her aunt has mapped out her future according to the tragic fate of the women in their family. She even arranged her engagement to the son of her former fiancé, believing she might have suffered less if she had married Zhou instead of meeting that demon and trusting him.
Because of this legacy, Zhao longs for a quiet and ordinary life, one where she can avoid both the corruption that, presumably, led some of her ancestors astray and the tragic heroism that defined her aunt’s life.
However, once she becomes a disciple and meets the male lead, she is forced to confront the secrets of the past. This sets her on a journey to uncover the truth about what really happened to her aunt and her ancestors. By understanding their stories, she hopes to make her own choices with full awareness, rather than letting the weight of previous generations shape her future.
Her path is “simpler” in the sense that, unlike the male lead, she does not need to reclaim a fallen position or pursue revenge. Yet her journey remains just as meaningful: it is about gaining the freedom to define her own future.
1. I'm at episode 32 and they're still not officially together but they clearly in love with each other since…
In episode 18, they have a big argument and the female lead came back to her own. They meet again in episode 20, but they’re not really supposed to be together anymore since she’s trying to keep her distance from him. However, they start getting close again. Then in episodes 28–29, they separate once more and don’t see each other again until episode 31, without officially getting back together yet.
Their separations usually last no more than about two episodes each time, but whenever they reunite, especially after an argument, they don’t just pick up their relationship easily, specially since they're not supposed to be together despite loving each other.
Despite her attitude, she has always felt comfortable with him because she sees herself in him. Their bond may seem strange to outsiders, but in a society where men and women rarely interact outside their families, their scenes together, their connection, mutual understanding, support, and even their arguments, are actually incredibly intimate by their standards.
Knowing that she’s hurting her only friend so badly that he’s coughing up blood, seeing how fragile his health is, and fearing the loss of his friendship is genuinely painful for her. People need to put themselves in her shoes for a moment and realize just how important YX is to her. In her own words, she says she “can’t love him”, not that she doesn’t love him, but that she prevented herself from developing those feelings because they are too similar, and she longs to escape the misery she associates with that part of herself.
The tragedy is that, in another life, if they had both been less traumatized, she probably could have allowed herself to love him, and she knows it. She also understands how difficult it is for both of them to let themselves love or trust anyone, which is why knowing that she’s breaking his heart hurts her so deeply.
I don’t understand why some people think he’s the culprit when we literally have two scenes suggesting otherwise:
In the flashback from three years ago, he is genuinely shocked and frightened when he realizes his daughter might have been responsible for the fire.
When he sees the FL poisoned, he immediately suspects his daughter and rushes to the palace to warn her to be careful and not go that far.
He is definitely power-hungry, but it’s clear that this kind of murder unsettles him because it threatens the power he and his family have built. Also, he seems genuiely concerned about the consequences for his daughter more than anything else.
1) The ML’s right-hand man
He was abandoned at the palace as a child, and the fact that this information was revealed feels significant. On top of that, he’s a trusted confidant who knows all the secrets and can move freely without raising suspicion. It would be a great plot twist if this seemingly comedic and loyal character turned out to be the mastermind behind everything. He could be driven by deep resentment toward the royal family (possibly an illegitimate child?).
2) The FL’s sister-in-law
I find her really cute, but in the last episode I had a very bad feeling about her. What if she’s been playing a double game all along? She could be part of a larger conspiracy against the monarchy along with her family. This marriage might be a way to get closer to the ML in order to eliminate him. Her family and inner circle could be tied to the previous deaths within the royal family, and she might be continuing their legacy. It does sound a bit far-fetched, but I still wanted to mention it.
3) The Prime Minister (PM)
He could be part of a secret organization planning to replace the monarchy. However, this theory feels less convincing, especially considering his feelings for the FL and some of his reactions (he seems a decent guy).
Overall, I think suspect number one is the most plausible.
Also, he was genuiely shock when his daughter seemed to reveal been the one behind the fire (causing the previous king's death).
ML is more concerned that FL married another man than she believes him guilty of the death of her entire family (and it takes him so long to investigate).
FL is brutally tortured and staked through the heart, but ML doesn't treat her wounds and instead tries to sexually assault her while she covered in blood, then handcuffs her to the bed.
I have to stop watching for that reason alone.
How could her adoptive father let the innocent, uneducated young girl she was infiltrate the mafia by becoming a mobster's girlfriend? It's dishonorable and risky.
How could she live among the mobsters for six years without getting caught, given how suspicious she is and how incapable she is of keeping a straight face?
How could she go six years without discovering anything?
How could she be stupid enough to plot against her boyfriend when, if he dies, she loses her foothold in the mafia, and her real adversary is the mafia boss?
How could she continue to be so suspicious, keep getting caught, and still not have a clever plan?
Truly the worst undercover operation in the world.
The Man in Black’s issue clearly goes way beyond just avenging Pingshu.
It actually reminds me of that line where the ML tells the SML’s brother that he had already decided to overthrow his father and brother long ago, and that the truth about his mother’s death just gave him a convenient excuse.
And that’s exactly what’s going on here. Both the Man in Black and his right-hand man are basically using Pingshu as a justification for their actions. But in reality, they’re just bitter, resentful men who’ve been consumed by anger, grief, and a sense of injustice, and who don’t have the courage to face things differently.
Instead, they chose to spiral: to hate, to scheme in the shadows, and to destroy everything in their path because they feel like they have nothing left to lose. But even then, they still need to justify it to themselves, so they hide behind the idea of doing it “for Pingshu” or “to purify Jiangshu" while, in truth, it’s just an excuse to take their pain out on the world.
If they were genuinely doing this for Pingshu, or for SML and FL, or to reform Jiangshu, they could have done it openly. They were already in positions of power. They could’ve exposed the hypocrisy of Yin Dai, honored the dead, tried to change the system. But they didn’t. Why? Because they chose hatred over real justice.
The SML’s situation is a perfect example of this hypocrisy. The master admits that even though he hated the boy’s grandfather, he still raised him to be honorable & didn't hate him for been linked to his enemy. But his own daughter? He neglected her and let her be raised by her mother. Why? Because he needed her to become someone he could justify sacrificing and hating. He couldn’t have done that if he had raised her properly.
That pretty much says it all. This isn’t about justice. It’s about power, resentment, and a deep inferiority complex from someone who grew up poor and never got over it.
That said, the Man in Black’s issue clearly goes way beyond just “not getting the girl.” It actually reminds me of that line where the ML tells the SML’s brother that he had already decided to overthrow his father and brother long ago, and that the truth about his mother’s death just gave him a convenient excuse.
And that’s exactly what’s going on here. Both the Man in Black and his right-hand man are basically using Pingshu as a justification for their actions. But in reality, they’re just bitter, resentful men who’ve been consumed by anger, grief, and a sense of injustice, and who don’t have the courage to face things differently.
Instead, they chose to spiral: to hate, to scheme in the shadows, and to destroy everything in their path because they feel like they have nothing left to lose. But even then, they still need to justify it to themselves, so they hide behind the idea of doing it “for Pingshu” or “to purify Jiangshu" while, in truth, it’s just an excuse to take their pain out on the world.
If they were genuinely doing this for Pingshu, or for SML and FL, or to reform Jiangshu, they could have done it openly. They were already in positions of power. They could’ve exposed the hypocrisy of Yin Dai, honored the dead, tried to change the system. But they didn’t. Why? Because they chose hatred over real justice.
The SML’s situation is a perfect example of this hypocrisy. The master admits that even though he hated the boy’s grandfather, he still raised him to be honorable & didn't hate him for been linked to his enemy. But his own daughter? He neglected her and let her be raised by her mother. Why? Because he needed her to become someone he could justify sacrificing and hating. He couldn’t have done that if he had raised her properly.
That pretty much says it all. This isn’t about justice. It’s about power, resentment, and a deep inferiority complex from someone who grew up poor and never got over it.
1) She has only just met ML, and from the very beginning she finds him suspicious. Because of that, she is naturally more cautious around him, which makes it easier for her to see through him early on. Moreover, since their first meeting, he constantly lies to her and manipulates her, which only reinforces her mistrust and keeps her on guard.
2) She was partially raised by Lord Qi. He watched over her like an uncle, spent an entire month with her every year, personally trained her before officially taking her as his disciple, and played a major role in her upbringing. It’s much harder to suspect someone who raised you and whom you have always respected than someone who has only recently entered your life. In fact, there are several moments where she seems to realize that something suspicious is going on within her sect & her master, but she refuses to acknowledge it and pretends nothing is wrong. Accepting the possibility of a traitor among the people closest to her would completely shatter her worldview.
So yes, this does prolong the situation until the end, but it remains understandable. We often lack objectivity when it comes to people close to us, especially elders whom we were taught to respect.
There isn’t that much fantasy either; it’s more about the martial arts world. The most complicated parts, I’d say, are the editing of the first six episodes (they had to cut a lot to shorten them, which can make things a bit confusing) and the fact that there are a lot of character names and backstories thrown at us. I often had to pause just to properly take everything in. In the end, though, everything is important. Things mentioned early on later become pieces of the puzzle.
We follow the two leads, but also the unresolved legacy of the previous generation.
But overall, it’s a great ride, and I think you should give it a try, especially knowing that the story gets better with each episode.
2st almost kiss: Episode 15
3rd almost kiss: Episode 17
1st forced kiss: Episode 21
2nd forced kiss: Episode 26
1st kiss initiated by the FL: Episode 29
Since childhood, her aunt has mapped out her future according to the tragic fate of the women in their family. She even arranged her engagement to the son of her former fiancé, believing she might have suffered less if she had married Zhou instead of meeting that demon and trusting him.
Because of this legacy, Zhao longs for a quiet and ordinary life, one where she can avoid both the corruption that, presumably, led some of her ancestors astray and the tragic heroism that defined her aunt’s life.
However, once she becomes a disciple and meets the male lead, she is forced to confront the secrets of the past. This sets her on a journey to uncover the truth about what really happened to her aunt and her ancestors. By understanding their stories, she hopes to make her own choices with full awareness, rather than letting the weight of previous generations shape her future.
Her path is “simpler” in the sense that, unlike the male lead, she does not need to reclaim a fallen position or pursue revenge. Yet her journey remains just as meaningful: it is about gaining the freedom to define her own future.
Their separations usually last no more than about two episodes each time, but whenever they reunite, especially after an argument, they don’t just pick up their relationship easily, specially since they're not supposed to be together despite loving each other.