that preview for episode 6 makes me dislike the 2ML so much, so not only is he having a fling with 2FL, he still…
The preview scene with the SML and SFL in the elevator seemed so over the top and out of character for the SML... I felt like it must be a scene that the ML will imagine after what he saw at the end of ep 5 (getting himself more worked up), not something that will actually happen. At least not exactly like that.
Very good question. Maybe to keep the warriors employed. Turning it into a sports event 🤷
Hopefully they could create a sparring-like version of fighting where they tried to avoid really hurting each other, while still keeping an honorable warrior's spirit to the competition and not turning it into a farce.
Ji Bozai is way too chill about her being poisoned. It’s weird, he either has the antidote or it didn't register…
Perhaps there's an extra reason why using antidote, or giving it to Ming Yi right away, would not be straightforward?
Like maybe the antidote requires a life to be given up willingly in order to activate a dose, and Ji Bozai's master gave up her life after she was tortured so that a dose of the antidote could be activated for Ji Bozai, but another life (perhaps Ji Bozai's life) would need to be willingly sacrificed in order to activate a separate dose of the antidote so that it could be used to save Ming Yi?
Pretty sure it's meant to be a stand-in for Iran. Idk about South Korea, but in the US, Iran is often grouped…
It's not a term I'd personally use and I think there are plenty of countries that are currently doing pretty awful things, breaking international human rights law, etc. But yeah, anyone in the current US administration calling other countries evil feels a bit like the proverbial kettle.
Guys, does anyone have any clue where the heck idishia is supposed to be? Cause they named other middle eastern…
Pretty sure it's meant to be a stand-in for Iran.
Idk about South Korea, but in the US, Iran is often grouped together with other non-democratic states with nuclear weapons, or ambitions for nuclear weapons, that are seen as enemy states. In the early 2000s, George Bush called Iran, Iraq and North Korea the "axis of evil". More recently, other American politicians have referred to Iran, North Korea, China and Russia as the "new axis of evil".
Sadly, she ends up with Tushan Jing. There are no secondary couples. This is not a typical romance.
Don't forget, Kokuto, CX ends up with Ah Nian and Xing Yue as his two empresses, plus a full harem. Practically every available noblewoman in the kingdom except the one he loved!
He can't return Ah Nian's feelings, he can't love Xing Yue the way she wants to be loved, and he has to treat Xing Yue as his honourable empress (even after finding out that she tried to murder XY) because of the promise he made to Feng Long when Feng Long was dying in his arms.
Xiang Liu uses poison to train/increase his power. The excerpts below are from a fan translation of the novel…
Another part of chapter 19 very explicitly conjured up the image of XY's poison-making being like "cooking" in her own medicine / poison-making "kitchen"! ^^
-----
Chapter 19:
Zhi Jin Peak, a bright and glorious morning.
Xiao Yao was tending to the fire pit and her face was bright red with sweat dotting her forehead.
She felt the time was right and put on her gloves before opening the cover of the pot to take out the mold. She put it inside a pail of ice water until the mold solidified. Xiao Yao poured the mold out and individual mold pieces tumbled on the table, some pink, others green, and even yellow.
Zhuan Xu walked into this “medicine making room” and saw Xiao Yao intent on her work. He said nothing and stood in the corner to watch quietly. There were colorful molds strewn all over the table but the shapes were odd. Some looked like flower petals, others like leaves, he really couldn’t figure out what she was making.
Xiao Yao took out a rectangular glass plate, it was dark on both ends and white in the middle like the backdrop of an ink portrait with nothing on it.
Xiao Yao used a brush and covered the white part once with a liquid.
Xiao Yao washed her hands and then put it in the ice water for some time before wiping it with a clean cloth. She then picked up the molds from earlier and used a small paring knife to start carving the molds. She finished one and would put it on the plate as if she was painting on it.
Zhuan Xu was curious so walked over and he saw Xiao Yao’s slender fingers expertly at work and gradually the white plate was covered with a green lily frond and there was dew on it that appeared like it was about to slide off. A pink lily appeared and the yellow nectar inside formed. Within the lilies two salmon peeked out from under the water shyly.
The entire morning passed and an entire salmon frolicking in a lily pond tableau was created. Other than having no sound, everything was there, even the scent of the lilies.
Xiao Yao stared at it intently and then smiled in satisfaction.
Zhuan Xu clapped. “Scent, visuals, and taste – it’s all there. Makes me want to take a bite.”
Xiao Yao made a face at him. “It’s all poison.”
Zhuan Xu shook his head. “Can’t figure out what this weird hobby of yours is. Who makes poisons into a delicacy. Your poison making room is pretty much a kitchen.”
Xiao Yao carefully picked up the plate and put it inside a box before shutting it and wrapping it up in a cloth.
Zhuan Xu asked warily, “You can’t be giving that to someone?”
Xiao Yao laughed. “Secret.”
Zhuan Xu sighed. “I can’t decide if you like this person, or hate this person.”
After a morning of sitting Xiao Yao’s back ached and she rubbed her back and asked, “How come you have time to come watch me make poisons?”
Zhuan Xu said, “I have something to discuss with you.”
Xiao Yao got serious. “Go ahead.”
“Feng Long invited you out a couple of times and you turned him down every time?”
“Yup.” Xiao Yao’s eyes twirled and she asked, “You want me to say yes?”
Zhuan Xu nodded. Xiao Yao didn’t understand “Isn’t there Xing Yue? If you want to announce a marriage alliance, it’s enough for you to marry Xing Yue!”
“Xing Yue is Xing Yue, her last name is Sheng Nong. Feng Long is Feng Long, his last name is Chi Sui and he’s the next Chi Sui clan leader. You are you, carrying the bloodlines of the Yellow Emperor and the Grand Emperor.”
Xiao Yao furrowed her brows “You can’t be wanting me to marry Feng Long?”
“What’s wrong with Feng Long?” Zhuan Xu was confused now – Tu Shan Jing was engaged, Fang Feng Bei was a profligate spare son, compared to both guys Feng Long was so much better. He was powerful and talented with a great family background. Yet Xiao Yas would rather spend all her time with Fang Feng Bei wandering the desolate mountainside looking at wild flowers instead of going with Feng Long to regal Sheng Nong mountain to view the famed peonies.
[...]
Xiao Yao pushed Zhuan Xu out the door. “This ‘kitchen’ of mine is full of poison so when I’m not here don’t go in.”
______________________________
A dance hall, a dancer was gracefully dancing.
Xiao Yao smiled and placed a white wrapped box in front of Fang Feng Bei.
Bei glanced over it and drawled, “What’s that?”
Xiao Yao said, “You open it.”
Bei shook his cup, “I’m drinking right now.”
Xiao Yao clenched her fist – be patient, be patient, be patient! She released her fist and opened the cloth cover over the box.
Bei was still uninterested and continued drinking his wine and watching the dancer dancing.
Xiao Yao had no choice but to open the box herself. When she made it, to create the scent of the lilies she spent a lot of time on it. Right now the scent of the lilies were lost in the pungent odor of the food and the perfumes around them so it wasn’t noticeable anymore.
Xiao Yao rushed here excitedly with a whole bellyful of things she wanted to say to him. She wanted to boast about how she made the poison lilies, how she made the leaf covers, but now the entire salmon frolicking in the lilies tableau turned dim and she didn’t feel like saying anything anymore. She picked up her wine and started drinking and pouting.
Bei finally turned his gaze from the dancer to the table and checked out the tableau on the glass plate. It was delicate and full of life, the colors vibrant and the items exquisitely rendered.
Bei stared for some time before picking up a chopstick and eating a lily frond.
One bite after another, one lily frond, one salmon, one lily…..slowly he ate the entire salmon frolicking in lilies tableau.
Xiao Yao gaped at him. “You….don’t stuff yourself silly.”
Bei shot her a look and she immediately shut up.
Bei ate the final bite and put down his chopstick. He took a sip of wine and casually said, “Not bad.”
Xiao Yao stared at the empty plate and her heart soared. “The only person who can make poisons this tasty in the entire world is me!”
Bei laughed back, “And the only person in the entire world who can appreciate your great “cooking” talents is me!”
Xiao Yao sassed back, “It’s enough to have a true [zhi yin (知音)].”
Bei gave her a half-smile but said nothing.
Xiao Yao asked, “Can you continue teaching me archery now?” What she really meant to ask was – are you not angry at me anymore?
Bei finished his wine. “I need to leave for a bit, wait for me to come back.”
Xiao Yao figured he was going back to Qing Shui town. Even if there was no active warfare, he was still the General of the Sheng Nong resistance army and there was much he had to do.
Xiao Yao couldn’t help it and sighed loudly and murmured, “If only you could forever be Fang Feng Bei, that would be so great.”
Bei appeared not to have heard her as he set down his wine cup and got up to leave, his form disappearing in the layers of curtains.
News 
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Just one question: why did the realms still have to fight in the end? Did they give an explanation that I missed?
I usually don't add dramas that I haven't watched to my custom lists and I haven't watched Fated Hearts, so I wouldn't add that one to this list.
Like maybe the antidote requires a life to be given up willingly in order to activate a dose, and Ji Bozai's master gave up her life after she was tortured so that a dose of the antidote could be activated for Ji Bozai, but another life (perhaps Ji Bozai's life) would need to be willingly sacrificed in order to activate a separate dose of the antidote so that it could be used to save Ming Yi?
Idk about South Korea, but in the US, Iran is often grouped together with other non-democratic states with nuclear weapons, or ambitions for nuclear weapons, that are seen as enemy states. In the early 2000s, George Bush called Iran, Iraq and North Korea the "axis of evil". More recently, other American politicians have referred to Iran, North Korea, China and Russia as the "new axis of evil".
He can't return Ah Nian's feelings, he can't love Xing Yue the way she wants to be loved, and he has to treat Xing Yue as his honourable empress (even after finding out that she tried to murder XY) because of the promise he made to Feng Long when Feng Long was dying in his arms.
Tragic. Tragic. Tragic.
-----
Chapter 19:
Zhi Jin Peak, a bright and glorious morning.
Xiao Yao was tending to the fire pit and her face was bright red with sweat dotting her forehead.
She felt the time was right and put on her gloves before opening the cover of the pot to take out the mold. She put it inside a pail of ice water until the mold solidified. Xiao Yao poured the mold out and individual mold pieces tumbled on the table, some pink, others green, and even yellow.
Zhuan Xu walked into this “medicine making room” and saw Xiao Yao intent on her work. He said nothing and stood in the corner to watch quietly. There were colorful molds strewn all over the table but the shapes were odd. Some looked like flower petals, others like leaves, he really couldn’t figure out what she was making.
Xiao Yao took out a rectangular glass plate, it was dark on both ends and white in the middle like the backdrop of an ink portrait with nothing on it.
Xiao Yao used a brush and covered the white part once with a liquid.
Xiao Yao washed her hands and then put it in the ice water for some time before wiping it with a clean cloth. She then picked up the molds from earlier and used a small paring knife to start carving the molds. She finished one and would put it on the plate as if she was painting on it.
Zhuan Xu was curious so walked over and he saw Xiao Yao’s slender fingers expertly at work and gradually the white plate was covered with a green lily frond and there was dew on it that appeared like it was about to slide off. A pink lily appeared and the yellow nectar inside formed. Within the lilies two salmon peeked out from under the water shyly.
The entire morning passed and an entire salmon frolicking in a lily pond tableau was created. Other than having no sound, everything was there, even the scent of the lilies.
Xiao Yao stared at it intently and then smiled in satisfaction.
Zhuan Xu clapped. “Scent, visuals, and taste – it’s all there. Makes me want to take a bite.”
Xiao Yao made a face at him. “It’s all poison.”
Zhuan Xu shook his head. “Can’t figure out what this weird hobby of yours is. Who makes poisons into a delicacy. Your poison making room is pretty much a kitchen.”
Xiao Yao carefully picked up the plate and put it inside a box before shutting it and wrapping it up in a cloth.
Zhuan Xu asked warily, “You can’t be giving that to someone?”
Xiao Yao laughed. “Secret.”
Zhuan Xu sighed. “I can’t decide if you like this person, or hate this person.”
After a morning of sitting Xiao Yao’s back ached and she rubbed her back and asked, “How come you have time to come watch me make poisons?”
Zhuan Xu said, “I have something to discuss with you.”
Xiao Yao got serious. “Go ahead.”
“Feng Long invited you out a couple of times and you turned him down every time?”
“Yup.” Xiao Yao’s eyes twirled and she asked, “You want me to say yes?”
Zhuan Xu nodded. Xiao Yao didn’t understand “Isn’t there Xing Yue? If you want to announce a marriage alliance, it’s enough for you to marry Xing Yue!”
“Xing Yue is Xing Yue, her last name is Sheng Nong. Feng Long is Feng Long, his last name is Chi Sui and he’s the next Chi Sui clan leader. You are you, carrying the bloodlines of the Yellow Emperor and the Grand Emperor.”
Xiao Yao furrowed her brows “You can’t be wanting me to marry Feng Long?”
“What’s wrong with Feng Long?” Zhuan Xu was confused now – Tu Shan Jing was engaged, Fang Feng Bei was a profligate spare son, compared to both guys Feng Long was so much better. He was powerful and talented with a great family background. Yet Xiao Yas would rather spend all her time with Fang Feng Bei wandering the desolate mountainside looking at wild flowers instead of going with Feng Long to regal Sheng Nong mountain to view the famed peonies.
[...]
Xiao Yao pushed Zhuan Xu out the door. “This ‘kitchen’ of mine is full of poison so when I’m not here don’t go in.”
______________________________
A dance hall, a dancer was gracefully dancing.
Xiao Yao smiled and placed a white wrapped box in front of Fang Feng Bei.
Bei glanced over it and drawled, “What’s that?”
Xiao Yao said, “You open it.”
Bei shook his cup, “I’m drinking right now.”
Xiao Yao clenched her fist – be patient, be patient, be patient! She released her fist and opened the cloth cover over the box.
Bei was still uninterested and continued drinking his wine and watching the dancer dancing.
Xiao Yao had no choice but to open the box herself. When she made it, to create the scent of the lilies she spent a lot of time on it. Right now the scent of the lilies were lost in the pungent odor of the food and the perfumes around them so it wasn’t noticeable anymore.
Xiao Yao rushed here excitedly with a whole bellyful of things she wanted to say to him. She wanted to boast about how she made the poison lilies, how she made the leaf covers, but now the entire salmon frolicking in the lilies tableau turned dim and she didn’t feel like saying anything anymore. She picked up her wine and started drinking and pouting.
Bei finally turned his gaze from the dancer to the table and checked out the tableau on the glass plate. It was delicate and full of life, the colors vibrant and the items exquisitely rendered.
Bei stared for some time before picking up a chopstick and eating a lily frond.
One bite after another, one lily frond, one salmon, one lily…..slowly he ate the entire salmon frolicking in lilies tableau.
Xiao Yao gaped at him. “You….don’t stuff yourself silly.”
Bei shot her a look and she immediately shut up.
Bei ate the final bite and put down his chopstick. He took a sip of wine and casually said, “Not bad.”
Xiao Yao stared at the empty plate and her heart soared. “The only person who can make poisons this tasty in the entire world is me!”
Bei laughed back, “And the only person in the entire world who can appreciate your great “cooking” talents is me!”
Xiao Yao sassed back, “It’s enough to have a true [zhi yin (知音)].”
Bei gave her a half-smile but said nothing.
Xiao Yao asked, “Can you continue teaching me archery now?” What she really meant to ask was – are you not angry at me anymore?
Bei finished his wine. “I need to leave for a bit, wait for me to come back.”
Xiao Yao figured he was going back to Qing Shui town. Even if there was no active warfare, he was still the General of the Sheng Nong resistance army and there was much he had to do.
Xiao Yao couldn’t help it and sighed loudly and murmured, “If only you could forever be Fang Feng Bei, that would be so great.”
Bei appeared not to have heard her as he set down his wine cup and got up to leave, his form disappearing in the layers of curtains.