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.
I don’t watch cdramas much, but I’m considering watching this for my baby Zhou Yi Ran🥹which episode do…
Officially, the leads only get together around the end. Unofficially, they’re basically together from episode 14, even though their romantic feelings started developing from the very first episode. There are a couple “forced” kisses from the ML and one kiss initiated by the FL. Then their first mutual kiss happens around the end, when they officially become a couple. If you like the actor, you’ll love this drama. It’s the role that really marks a turning point in his career.
The story between Yu Qianqian and Qimin honestly makes me sick. That man is a monster, a psychopath, a murderer, a rapist, and an abuser. That poor woman spent seven years having nightmares about him. She was forced to carry the child of her rapist (even though Bo’er is adorable and she loves him despite everything). And now he’s kidnapped her, threatens her child’s life, humiliates her, traumatizes her, and psychologically tortures their son. She’s forced to submit and sleep with him while waiting for any chance to escape. If they dare try to turn this into some kind of romance, it will be outrageous. He deserves to die, and she deserves to get as far away from him as possible.
I had high hopes for this drama. Sadly, it’s one of many recent dramas where the FL doesn’t love the ML as…
I don’t think it’s fair to say that. She genuinely loved him, sincerely, and she did from the very beginning. From the moment she first saw him, she felt a connection. She was intrigued, but also cautious. Unlike many others, she was able to see through the ML early on and had her doubts about him.
Yet despite those suspicions, she chose to protect him. She grew closer to him, became his friend, and even promised to protect him and help him seek revenge. When she later discovered that he was the young master of the enemy sect, she still risked everything to bring him a cure. She saved his life during the war and even decided to involve herself in the conflict so she could keep her promise to help him take revenge.
All this happened even though he had been lying to her and using her from the very start. In contrast, she never stopped keeping her promises to him and supporting him far more than she ever needed to. If that isn’t love, then what is?
The real difference between them is that she has a loving family and a life she deeply value, one she doesn’t want to sacrifice. The ML, on the other hand, has nothing to lose. He is alone in the world, which is why he clings to her so strongly. But following him would mean risking everything she has. And yet, despite that, she continues to stand by him.
So blaming her for trying to resist, especially when she has the example of their ancestor in mind and that ML keeps lying to her and using her (which scares her about their future), feels rather unfair.
In novel, it's even more satisfying that he was confronted to a truth when he was dying: despite his speeches…
There’s no point expecting logic from them. Just like ML tells SML’s brother: you always intended to seize power, you simply used the man in black's words about your mother as an excuse to justify it.
FL’s aunt was a hero, but those bitter men simply used her as a convenient excuse to justify their own choices. They were already in positions of power, leading the Six Sects, and yet they did nothing to actually change the system. Instead, they plotted in the shadows to destroy everything she had spent her life protecting.
They were weak, resentful, and consumed by bitterness. They didn’t have the courage to confront the problems openly and try to change things. So instead, they chose to burn everything down. And I'm so pissed no characters screamed at them those facts.
This master is the farthest person from being fair. He hates his own blood-related daughter for having her grandfather…
When he realized how treacherous his father-in-law was and how narcissistic his wife truly was, instead of facing the situation honestly, he started plotting in secret.
From that moment on, he neglected his own daughter and let her be spoiled and twisted by her mother because it conveniently gave him a justification to kill her later, while he carefully raised his nephew with proper values.
In the end, he’s just a weak and obsessive hypocrite who cannot move past his grief and refuses to confront things openly. He always yielded to his wife instead of trying to challenge her views or change the situation. He allowed his daughter to become corrupted.
And the worst part is that he spent fifteen years as the leader of all the sects. He was already in the most powerful position to reform the system if he truly wanted to. Yet instead of trying to improve the world, he secretly plotted to burn everything down.
He’s not some tragic mastermind, just a weak man consumed by bitterness.
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.
Unofficially, they’re basically together from episode 14, even though their romantic feelings started developing from the very first episode.
There are a couple “forced” kisses from the ML and one kiss initiated by the FL. Then their first mutual kiss happens around the end, when they officially become a couple.
If you like the actor, you’ll love this drama. It’s the role that really marks a turning point in his career.
And now he’s kidnapped her, threatens her child’s life, humiliates her, traumatizes her, and psychologically tortures their son. She’s forced to submit and sleep with him while waiting for any chance to escape.
If they dare try to turn this into some kind of romance, it will be outrageous. He deserves to die, and she deserves to get as far away from him as possible.
Yet despite those suspicions, she chose to protect him. She grew closer to him, became his friend, and even promised to protect him and help him seek revenge. When she later discovered that he was the young master of the enemy sect, she still risked everything to bring him a cure. She saved his life during the war and even decided to involve herself in the conflict so she could keep her promise to help him take revenge.
All this happened even though he had been lying to her and using her from the very start. In contrast, she never stopped keeping her promises to him and supporting him far more than she ever needed to. If that isn’t love, then what is?
The real difference between them is that she has a loving family and a life she deeply value, one she doesn’t want to sacrifice. The ML, on the other hand, has nothing to lose. He is alone in the world, which is why he clings to her so strongly. But following him would mean risking everything she has. And yet, despite that, she continues to stand by him.
So blaming her for trying to resist, especially when she has the example of their ancestor in mind and that ML keeps lying to her and using her (which scares her about their future), feels rather unfair.
FL’s aunt was a hero, but those bitter men simply used her as a convenient excuse to justify their own choices. They were already in positions of power, leading the Six Sects, and yet they did nothing to actually change the system. Instead, they plotted in the shadows to destroy everything she had spent her life protecting.
They were weak, resentful, and consumed by bitterness. They didn’t have the courage to confront the problems openly and try to change things. So instead, they chose to burn everything down. And I'm so pissed no characters screamed at them those facts.
From that moment on, he neglected his own daughter and let her be spoiled and twisted by her mother because it conveniently gave him a justification to kill her later, while he carefully raised his nephew with proper values.
In the end, he’s just a weak and obsessive hypocrite who cannot move past his grief and refuses to confront things openly. He always yielded to his wife instead of trying to challenge her views or change the situation. He allowed his daughter to become corrupted.
And the worst part is that he spent fifteen years as the leader of all the sects. He was already in the most powerful position to reform the system if he truly wanted to. Yet instead of trying to improve the world, he secretly plotted to burn everything down.
He’s not some tragic mastermind, just a weak man consumed by bitterness.