noor1234

Lingbo is rude but uses her voice, she lets all her opinions known. FL does not. That's what I'm saying. Also, I'm not calling men a victim, but her acceptance of the cuckolded fiancé with a sidepiece is against the character arc we were given in the beginning of her as a smart cookie who could hold her own & be her own person without compromises - after all this is the same girl who sword-fought ML the instant she found out Chang was MQY: 'demon sect are our natural enemies'. She was no-nonsense & straightforward in the beginning. Now she doesn't say anything to the fiancé, or Song to back off. Suddenly her backbone is missing, her guts are missing, her boundaries are not clear. She is not the person we were introduced to in the beginning (& she was engaged then too- she just didn't know cousin thing, household thing & Song thing) - now that she does, she does nothing, waiting for all these men to make decision for her or prance around her.

@xinwang, @peachblossomgoddess, If a man had a fiancee', a side chick AND a paramour from rival sect, without making a decision on any of them, seeing all of them pining for him & unable to move on, while he just waited for the fiancee' to leave, for the side kick to let go & for the paramour to stay with him while 'he makes up his mind whether he really wants her', what would we call him? A gutless, without backbone, self-serving, weak-minded cad. That is what the FL is in this drama.

Lingbo did not throw a tantrum, she was right to call out her mother & father for planting her like a chess piece with a guy who doesn't like her since childhood, and now she's stuck because she's hurt. And she makes her hurt KNOWN to ALL of the people - her parents, Song, etc. She is a much gutsier person than FL as far as speaking her mind is concerned.

FL just wants all these guys around, as ducks in a row. 1) FL is not the king's daughter, she has no obligations to fulfill as some lord's daughter or pressured to marry into Yuqi family for honor or survival or money. She's not that important in the sect kids. She's simply a talented soldier from non-martial Valley so gets to talk to Master & has gained importance only because she interacted with ML & ML is someone important. 2) If she doesn't care about the fiancé' why is she with him? In the beginning she showed ambition, now she has none. She can see fiancé' is a guy who can be easily lead off by cousin or mother at a moment's notice & she'll be settling disputes amongst family - she should've said no. Postponement is not the same thing as saying no. Why is it upto ML to get fiancé' away? 3) She knows Song likes her and that's why he has broken up his engagement with Lingbo, but she plays dumb as if it doesn't concern her.

She is waiting for all these guys to make decisions for her so that she doesn't have to. I don't think she's worth all this trouble. I'm disappointed in her.

It's because FL strings him along & gives mixed signals. She didn't tell him to get out when she saw him in her room, ate the wontons, & held hands with him between 2 walls (Ep.20). ML is mercurial & wants her no matter what, which means she can see his loyalty is to HER first, not family & cousin (as it is with her fiancé') or books (as it is with 2ndML) or villainy. And she knows he'll never let go. FL doesn't say no (and whenever she does say no, she doesn't stick to it for long, he knows she's only saying no because she doesn't want to end up alone & against her family & sects). ML knows she likes him & is turned on by him so he takes advantage of that. In Ep.21, even after the forced kiss (that he has tried 3 times before), she could've slapped him or admonished him, instead she is moved, gently pushes him away & quietly leaves.

Ep. 21: I've lost respect for FL. She is the best fighter in 6 sects & can hold her own in a fight against the ML too. It's ok if she doesn't want to commit to ML because of enmity, history, etc. even though she likes him. BUT she and everyone around can see that her fiancé likes his cousin & cousin sure as hell likes the fiancé - they are unable to keep their hands off each other even infront of her - and this will continue to be an issue post-marriage - but she doesn't say anything. FL was fine being the 'wife of a merchant who owns shops' in earlier episodes, now is having second thoughts because her life as a 'madam of household' would mean she won't get to see the husband & will only settle petty disputes between household women. This does not excite her - but she doesn't say anything. She's going along with this dumb marriage for now because she wants to rebuff the ML & HONOR THE WISHES OF THAT VALLEY & GHOST AUNT!!!! This is so against her character arc till now - she's shown as a strong, independent girl - they should've come up with a better reason. She likes stringing everyone along without giving a clear answer to anyone, unless pushed to a corner.

In fact ML concocted that theatrical scene in the street to make fiancé cut off the marriage - plus FL's colleagues also witnessed the affection & gave fiancé a sounding off - leading to the fiancé cutting off the marriage in next episodes. FL has no backbone. The rude & ill-mannered Lingbo has more backbone than the FL!!!

I've just remembered a scene from previous episodes that may indicate Master as not being the man in black: Nie Zhe was trying to plant face-changed people in 6 sects and Master's duplicate was also installed. So why would he do that if he knew who the man in black was - and even if he didn't know his identity, Master as man in black would've told Nie Zhe to NOT plant face-changed in 6 sects. I think Master is a red herring. Man in black is someone who wants complete power & wants to control ALL sects & tribes by installing his cronies as heads - that would also ensure lasting peace. So right now my suspicion is on the wheelchair guy as being man in black.

Once he gets that Jade sunflower all will be ok, IMO.

What are the odds of that aunt (Cai Ping) being poisoned by her own sect as opposed to some martial arts move she did t counter Zheng, because it is clear from their battle scene that Zheng did not even try to kill her and sacrificed himself so that she'd win.

I'm still betting on Master being the man in black but what are the odds of the wheelchair guy being the man in black - we don't even know the back story of how he got his facial injuries? Maybe both are in cohoots for different reasons.

Also, it's extremely immature and weird to see a middle-aged man (who is a husband & father) - i.e. the Master - still crying again and again over a woman who freind-zoned him & rejected him and went off into the woods for 2 years with rival sect's 'Blossom' guy and then died in a battle. This drama is full of middle-aged people crying over lost loves - they need to grow up. The younger generation is far more mature & sensible than all of the older couples shown so far.

I just finished Ep.18 - very good episode (especially the last scene) - I think the man in black is the master from 6 sects - the one who went 'searching' for FL & YuZhi with YuZhi's father. He did not inquire a single thing about Nie + Mu clash of Jade stone, and simply deflected the comment on 'man in black' by scolding FL & the sidekick YuZhi. I think FL will realize the reality and hypocrisy of this manmade enmity that harms citizens of both sides and is serving no one other than chiefs and sect elders, who want to maintain their power over people.

I also like that they are showing glimpses of prior doomed romances (which are all toxic btw, so is the 'romance' between ML and FL). But I am getting really tired of seeing that aunt (the one paired with the guy from 'Blossom') as if her misery was the greatest on planet earth. She was a soldier, sent out for duty, she could've said no and persuaded the dude to run away with her, instead both chose to fight a battle, all for thankless elders who just use people as pawns to maintain power. FL should realize it and dump this thankless 'master' and 6 sect clan, after all her family is her parents and key friends, not every tom, jack, harry, jane and juliet from sects. The only reason she can't is because of the enmity and reprisal such couples face from their own clans & rival sects. And none of them is really looking after her interest or welfare.

I've done a review of this warm & cozy series and an analysis of Japanese ban on female chefs (especially as sushi chefs or Ryotei restaurants serving Kaiseki cuisine) - kindly do let me know what you think of it: https://youtu.be/XkaWA9ws_Ls

I'll post text in the review section of this page shortly.

I've really liked the preview scene from Ep.18 - classic scene IMO, very heartbreaking too - where FL tells ML that even though she 'may' like him but she'll never leave her family, friends, work and duties for him or anyone else and since their sects are irreconcilable and a former couple from Mu + 6 sects hid all their life, she doesn't want that kind of life. This is the second time she's said basically that love is not enough and there needs to be more to life than just love for a guy. I think that's a good message - IF it doesn't get dragged out for another 20 episodes. My guess is when she leaves, ML will go to 6 sects to 'convince' them of peace & betrothal and get trapped.

its_emm, thanks for this, very insightful!

There are too many people complaining about 'editing' in the comment section - I don't know why. The drama condensed the 'older generation conflict and back stories' because showing long drawn out stories of past generation's trauma would've dragged the drama and nobody is interested in ANY couple other than the main ML & FL and maybe to some degree that glorified aunt & demonic uncle. Apparently they will get screen-time in Ep.17 onwards. My problem with the drama is that there are more scenes of all kinds of past and present non-entities in this drama than the ML and FL, whose 'romance' isn't even visible nor tangible. The drama keeps introducing new side characters without building on what FL and ML want from each other - which is extremely one-sided right now, because ML may want her & he keeps giving her feelers, but she does not want him! And it seems like from previews that he will keeps saying be with me, she will keep saying no. And she will continue to say no for 3/4ths of this drama. It seems like she'll just say yes when she's run out of ALL excuses a trope-following heroine can give. That's exhausting for a love story, wuxia xinxia or whatever. There was no scene between the main 'couple' for last 4 episodes, and no real romance for upcoming 10-15 episodes - unless you think ML getting beaten up and FL rescuing him and then FL nearly dying and ML rescuing her, and him propositioning and her saying no to him, is romantic, because that is what is going to occur non-stop for next 10+ episodes. For a logical heroine, FL is going to take TOO long to make up her mind.

In a drama that barely has scenes of ML and FL, yes, let's see scenes of old dead lovers who did not run away from their sects and went to battle against one another, with one sacrificing himself to be killed by her. I would like to see them, but there are too many unnecessary side stories of people from past generations in this drama, without a solid foundation of the actual young ML FL couple. The last 4 episodes were time-waster and filler.

Yes, ML & FL have not been seen together for 4 episodes now.

FL is such a great girl, it's hard not to like her or fall for her - her fiancé should've insisted on marriage before she ever landed with the 6 sects to avoid the threat of all these rival suitors. I like the fact that she's logical & pragmatic about her future & marriage (why go for someone from demon world when you want a peaceful life as a shop owner?) BUT rejecting all suitors because her AUNT set her up with the fiancé is ridiculous because her aunt didn't exercise any good choice in her own love life & killed her demon lover just because he was on the opposing side & her clan used her knowing he would not fight against her or kill her!!!!! And all of the suitors are good guys. It looks like she will avoid ML as a love interest as looooonnngggg as she possibly can. I don't know how she'll start 'loving' him because currently, there's zero chemistry between the 2 other than the fact that she's attracted to him and misses him as a fighting partner / cook. And he is hard of hearing no for an answer (preview Ep.14-15) and keeps forcing himself on her, when she clearly told him she'll never leave everything for someone even in love and wants a peaceful life. He cannot guarantee a peaceful life. They will always have enemies if she ends up with him.

Yes, and ML and FL scenes are very few.

The main villain is always going to be the older generation - past and present one from the 6 sects. I think Yu Zhi is a nice guy - and remained so in the webnovel - but in the drama it looks like he will tell elders about FL helping 'Chang/Mu Qing' in demon fight - which will lead to FL being punished by Master & 6 sects OR he will help in kidnapping / catching & bringing ML to 6 sects where ML will get punished because he's from demon kingdom. I don't see how else sects get to jail either ML or FL.

Yes. Something has to account for ML's good looks - and it ain't his mother!

She most probably is not his real mother - he talks about his father a lot. There has to be a reason for that.

Yup. FL is extremely logical and self-sufficient. Her elders are going to bring her down - and then she'll have to make a choice - stay with them and their ways or choose something else.