Notable Actors/Actresses
Zhang Yao: Zuo Qing CiZhang Ya Qin: Su Yun Luo / Fei Kou Er
Director:
Mini Recaps
In ten days time they're supposed to meet up but Fei Kou Er doesn't show up. Thus, the remaining four travel through the desert and the arctic. They're journey is interrupted when a wolf attacks them. That's when Fei Kou Er saves Zuo Qing Ci and piggybacks him to the cave where the others are treating their wounds. Shen Man Qing is severely injured and needs food to survive the night but Fei Kou Er has taken the bit of meat the team had and left the cave.
Five hours later, Fei Kou Er shows up again carrying a wolf on "his" back. He used the bit of meat to lure a wolf. He sustained five hours of cold just to hunt for the team but he doesn't make his niceness obvious and demands money for the wolf. Zuo Qing Ci sees that he's injured and wants to tend to him. He comes across him changing behind a curtain and because of the candlelight, he sees Fei Kou Er's silhouette. Zuo Qing Ci notices the scar on his ankle and is reminded of a girl he had met in his youth. Zuo Qing Ci now knows Fei Kou Er is a girl. Mr. Fox and Miss Rose watchers: Xing Yue just let another man see her feet!
[Ep2] Our group of five arrive at Chi Yan Sha (Red Sandy Desert) where the painting is located. They each have their own ways of gathering information. Fei Kou Er joins a bunch of guards and has drinks with them. Zuo Qing Ci flirts with the store owner. Fei Kou Er is the quickest at devising a plan and soon becomes the leader of the team. However, Shen Man Qing has her suspicions of Fei Kou Er. Meanwhile Fei Kou Er has her suspicions on Zuo Qing Ci. She doesn't understand why Wen Si Yuan would put a man with no useful skills on their mission. This is a team where no one trusts each other (yet).
The plan falls through. Fei Kou Er is poisoned. However, she recalls a cryptic message Zuo Qing Ci had left her: "When you see a pigeon, know that it is I who is waiting for you." There's a pigeon right in the mansion where she is poisoned. Luckily, Zuo Qing Ci had a backup plan. Using his doctor reputation, he creates a crowd blocking the path to buy some time for Fei Kou Er to heal herself from the poison and escape the mansion before she's caught.
[Ep3] A flock of pigeons help Fei Kou Er escape the mansion. However, Guai Tong Zi (Evil Kid) and Xie Lady (Scorpion Lady) are searching for the escapee. They know someone has accessed their mansion. Zhu Yan helps them escape. He's the man Fei Kou Er had helped when random people were accusing him of thievery. Zhu Yan tells Fei Kou Er that if someone helped him once then he must repay that person three times.Where do I meet people like him? He'll forever be stuck in debt.
Zuo Qing Ci is treating Fei Kou Er's wounds. She's still hesitant on trusting him. He tells her he knows she's a girl. He doesn't tell her though that he recognizes her from when they were younger via the scar on her ankle.
The past that he remembers: Zuo Qing Ci would have almost died if not for her motivation. She was crying about her master's impending death. To her death meant forgetting. At that time, Zuo Qing Ci was dying as well and mumbled that he'll soon be able to verify if he will forget her. She cries and tells him he can't die. She convinces him there's too many sights to see and food to taste for him to die. Ahh so those lines he had said about each city's delicacies to Guai Tong Zi was all for Kou Er to hear.
It's Zuo Qing Ci's turn to come up with a plan to retrieve the painting. He needs one of the girls to dress up as a dancer. Initially it was Shen Man Qing but Zuo Qing Ci wants Kou Er to be the dancer because that way their chance of succeeding is higher. She tells him that unless he's blind or she'd never do it. Guess what? He makes himself blind xD. His blindness will last for two hours. He also mutes Shen Man Qing, preventing her from being the dancer (for four hours). Why muting and dancing are exclusive of one another, I don't really care. Kou Er is forced to be the dancer. In the middle of her performance, his eyes recovered but he still shamelessly pretended to be blind. The plan is going as planned as they make the Ruler of the Desert suspicious of Duan Prince (the person with the painting).
[Ep4] This episode takes us back to the first episode opening scene. Zuo Qing Ci is at death's brink once more and once again it involves Kou Er. If his team splits up to save him and retrieve the painting, they're bound to fail. However, his team is doing just that (Kou Er is using her ability to face-morph into Xie Lady).
[Ep5] A flashback tells us that when everyone had given Kou Er flak for ditching Zuo Qing Ci, she had gone to the dungeon to save Zuo Qing Ci (by pretending to be Xie Lady). It was Zuo Qing Ci who refused to leave because that would ruin their plan to recover the painting.
When the rest of the team are finishing up with the painting, Kou Er gallops on her horse to save Zuo Qing Ci before he's beheaded. They all meet up to escape (by now everyone has seen Kou Er's real features) but because there's not enough horses, and Zuo Qing Ci is injured, Kou Er takes it upon herself to protect him and sends the others away so that they're not all recaptured by the Evil Kid (Guai Tong Zi).
Kou Er and Zuo Qing Ci hide in a cave. This gives time for her to help him heal. We get the full flashback of their first meeting, which was also in a cave. Young Kou Er had kidnapped him to threaten his master (a renowned physician) to heal her master. At that time, her ankle was bleeding from carrying him. He was dying and had no motivation to live because his father (a general) had abandoned him to save the Crown Prince, leaving him to die. Kou Er motivating him was the reason he woke up. She had brought him back to life. He then reminds her of her promise: "If I don't die, you won't give me (nut) mooncake." I replayed this several times and I can't seem to understand the negation properly. Does that mean "If I die, I get a mooncake" or "If I live I get a mooncake". It should be the latter but the sentence he said just didn't make sense to me. They pinky promise on it and she tells him her name: Su Yun Luo. Before he had time to tell her his, she runs off. When he returns to his master, he wants a new life and a new name. To him, his past has died. This is how he’s reborn as Zuo Qing Ci.
The current Zuo Qing Ci introduces himself again, telling her his name properly. He sticks out his pinky to remind her of their mooncake promise. She remembers him. Hesitantly, she wraps her pinky around his. Their reunion is cut short because Guai Tong Zi barrages in the cave. Zuo Qing Ci quickly stands in front of her, but Kou Er (the one who can fight) pushes behind her. However, she's no match for the kid and falls over, losing consciousness. Zuo Qing Ci (who can’t fight) strikes a deal with Guai Tong Zi. He diagnoses his dwarfism as a side effect from his dark magic.
The rest of the team still have to return the painting to Jin An Lord (Yan Lord). It was his daughter, Yan Qing, who had lost the painting after being fooled by Duan Prince. This painting is merely an excuse to punish Jin Ah Lord. If he cannot prove that he has the painting, he is punishable by death. Right at the last minute of the deadline, the team returns the painting and his family is pardoned. However, the opposing political force arrests Yan Qing for losing the painting in the first place.
When Zuo Qing Ci hears of a young Yan mistress being captured, he who had no intention of entering the city is desperate to go in despite there being a lockdown. Kou Er agrees to help him and convinces the rest of the team to leave since their mission is complete. However, no one ditches him and they all re-enter the city. Kou Er helps him find an excuse to explain his erratic behaviour (that he needed the antidote which was only located in this city).
[Ep7] Kou Er wants to know Zuo Qing Ci's reasoning but he distracts her by flirting with her (telling her stuff like I know you care about me, etc.). She doesn't want to hear anymore of it and leaves. She also has another admirer: Zhu Yan. He shyly confirms if she's female and wants her to call him "Ah Yan". She agrees and he calls her "Ah Fei". Kou Er isn't just getting men's attention but also Shen Man Qing's. She wants to be friends and call her Kou Er. She vows that Kou Er's business is now her business. They're a team now. Kou Er accepts the new friendship and gives Shen Man Qing a candy. She tells her that sweets will make her injuries less painful.
Zuo Qing Ci sneaks out that night. He's giving himself up as a hostage to exchange his life to protect Yan Qing. Yan Qing is his sister and Yan Lord is his father. Yan Lord refuses to take him because he knows his daughter won't die. Zuo Qing Ci thinks he's being heartless once again abandoning his family for his power. As Zuo Qing Ci is being escorted away someone tries to abduct him and that's when Kou Er (who had been trailing him) saves him.
After escaping, Kou Er curtly tells him to get off the horse. She's angry with him. She realizes it's not Wen Si Yuan who had orchestrated this plan. The mastermind was actually Zuo Qing Ci. He alluded Wen Si Yuan to recruit the three of them so that he can help his family retrieve the painting. It was him who put all their lives at risk to save a girl. So she's mad about that. To explain himself, Zuo Qing Ci takes Kou Er to his grave. The name on the tomb is "Yan Zhi". His old name. He tells her of his past and that Yan Qing is his sister. Despite his father abandoning him, he still cares for his sister. He doesn't hate his father but he cannot forgive him. He also tells her that it's because of her (Su Yun Luo) he lived on.
The opposing political party releases Yan Qing because they have figured out that there's someone more important to Yan Lord. It's Yan Zhi, the current Zuo Qing Ci. Their target has now changed to him.
[Ep8] With the mission complete and Yan Qing safe, everyone disperses. Wen Si Yuan follows up on his end of the deal with Kou Er and tells her the whereabouts of a medicine "He Wei Bai" which is located in Zheng Yang Palace. Zuo Qing Ci wants to accompany Kou Er but she tells him it's a mission she has to partake in by herself. Zuo Qing Ci is disappointed. He decides to return to his master. Additionally, Zuo Qing Ci had refused to see his father despite him requesting a meeting. There was a funny moment when Bai Mo teases Zuo Qing Ci after he and Kou Er seemed awkward when they returned from the grave. He deduces that it's because Zou Qing Ci likes her because there's no way she would like him.
Wen Si Yuan and the two other team members (Shen Man Qing and Yin Chang Ge) are taking the same path. They arrive at Shen Man Qing and Yin Chang Ge's sect (Zheng Yang Palace) where they're punished for partaking on the painting mission. They shouldn't have involved themselves in palace affairs when they're in the pugilistic world. Wen Si Yuan speaks up for them. There's a little bit of romance between Wen Si Yuan and Shen Man Qing. He tells them the whereabouts of "Shang Wan". This was the person that Man Qing wanted to know about which is why she agreed to go on the painting mission.
Zuo Qing Ci is back at his master's. The master notes how unique his disciple is to have fallen in love with his kidnapper (Su Yun Luo). Zuo Qing Ci replies that he's not one to fall for someone if she wasn't unique. The master tells him of her past. Ten years ago, she had asked him to save her master, Jian Mo Su Xuan. However, Jian Mo Su Xuan is no righteous person. He had killed his own master and betrayed his sect. During one of his crazy spells, Su Yun Luo had suffered an injury from her master as well. Despite that, Su Yun Luo is retrieving the eight ingredients to save her master. Each of them is nearly impossible to find. The hardest one is "He Wei Bai" because it belongs to the sect her master had betrayed. There's no way they would give her the medication to save a traitor. Su Yun Luo is willingly putting herself in danger to save her master. For ten years she has been collecting the ingredients and it's nearing the deadline before her master is incurable.
[Ep9] Zuo Qing Ci wants to help Su Yun Luo retrieve all the remaining herbs. He bows to his master to let him go. The master reminds him of his dead mother. I'm assuming it was his mother who had sent him to this master. Zuo Qing Ci believes his mother will understand him and off he goes to Zheng Yang Gong. With that, our leads are all gathered in the same place again.
Wen Si Yuan and Zuo Qing Ci have a confrontation. It's hard to say who's the more clever one. I love how these two men are passively-aggressively outsmarting each other. Wen Si Yuan has a mission of his own and he needs Sun Yu Luo (the master thief) to work for him while she needs information from him about the last two herbs. Zuo Qing Ci is aware of his motives and threatens him to stop using her while he has plans to help her retrieve the ingredients.
Zuo Qing Ci fools Shen Man Qing and Yin Chang Ge that they are poisoned and they need this antidote which is located in the sect's secret chamber (which happens to be where He Wei Bai is located). Zuo Qing Ci uses Wen Si Yuan to confirm the location of the antidote but Shen Man Qing is suspicious of him. Wen Si Yuan taunts her that she might as well not do martial arts anymore (the supposed side effect of the poison) and get married instead. Shen Man Qing glares at him.
Zuo Qing Ci convinces Yin Chang Ge to steal the antidote to distract everyone from Sun Yu Luo stealing her He Wei Bai. The plan fails though; she didn't retrieve the medicine. She also made her presence known to Zheng Yang masters and now they're determined to catch her. The masters are organizing a hero's conference with He Wei Bai as the prize to lure her out.
Second couple: Shen Man Qing is drunk and holds the tip of her sword at Wen Si Yuan's neck and questions how he dares to tell her to marry and be a housewife instead. She was really upset at that comment, heh. Bewildered, Wen Si Yuan admits he's wrong. I wasn't expecting Zhou Ting Wei to be the comedic relief in this drama. She accepts his apology and he takes her sword from her. He sits her down to have some hangover soup but she wants more drinks. Thus, they drink and she shares her story with him. She falls asleep and he's staring at her with a loving smile. He slips her an apology letter from Zuo Qing Ci.
Su Yun Luo visits Wen Si Yuan and asks him to safely send "him" away. She knows Zhuo Qing Ci was helping her. Wen Si Yuan reminds her she can't have feelings. Su Yun Luo knows that better than anyone else. Despite that, she still pays a visit to Zuo Qing Ci that night. She doesn't want his help but he tells her that his life is hers and her life is his. I get the first part of that statement but not the second. Why is her life his? She refuses his aid but that doesn't mean he'll stop helping her.
[Ep10] Guai Tong Zi is working for Zuo Qing Ci (!). Under Zuo Qing Ci's command, Guai Tong Zi is to save Su Yun Luo but he ends up ruining her plans to retrieve the medication. He also takes Shen Man Qing hostage.
Guai Tong Zi captured Shen Man Qing but it seems like he has a weak spot for her or at least for someone she knows ("Mu Auntie"). Mu disciples find Shen Man Qing but when there's a poisonous bug on her none of the men attempt to save her. Even her fiance (Mu Ying) just stands and gawks at the poisonous bug. It's Wen Si Yuan who risks his life to save her. In the process he had to reach into her chest to retrieve the bug because it went under her shirt. Wen Si Yuan takes the poison for her but he will be okay because Zuo Qing Ci is a genius doctor, plus Guai Tong Zi is working for him. Shen Man Qing is fretfully watching, worried for Wen Si Yuan. She doesn't seem quite happy when his servant (Ling Xi) gets to be the one by his side wiping his sweat. It's jealousy.
Zhu Yan has a problem and requests Zuo Qing Ci's professional diagnosis. He wants to enter ZQC's room but ZQC won't allow it. Zhu Yan thinks there's something wrong with his body and Zuo Qing Ci immediately knows why. He asks him whether he's feeling his symptoms because of "Ah Fei" (Su Yun Luo). Zhu Yan quickly nods. He's lovesick haha. He's also asking the wrong person: his love rival. Zuo Qing Ci has the perfect solution. He tells him to prepare some female clothes. Before he can finish, Bai Mo pull Zhu Yan aside calling one crazy and the other stupid, haha.
There's a reason why Zuo Qing Ci won't let Zhu Yan in his room. Su Yun Luo is there. She's willing to accept his help to find the medicinal herbs. Since Guai Tong Zi didn't kill Shen Man Qing, she can partially trust him too. Zuo Qing Ci reveals that Guai Tong Zi cannot kill them because of his dwarfism poison. Basically, Guai Tong Zi needs to keep calm. Once he can do that, he will be able to revert to his normal form. Zuo Qing Ci's plan is to have him partake in the hero's conference in her stead because her presence cannot be revealed to the Zheng Yang masters who are after her life.
Zuo Qing Ci murmurs by her ears: So ugly.
Su Yun Luo becomes self conscious.
Zuo Qing Ci smiles: Now that's a lie.
Su Yun Luo smiles too.
There's one more condition for him to help her retrieve the herb. He tells her he always had a wish. He wants to go to a place where there's mountains and rivers to open a clinic, make a bit of money, and buy clothes and accessories for his wife. She laughs that with the way he charges his patients, his wife won’t have a lot of pretty clothes or accessories. Although there's sarcasm in her words, there's love in there too. He hesitates and asks her, "then do you want...". He trails off at the end of his question and can't finish it. They both smile though. She reminds him of the last condition that he hasn't told her yet but he tells her he forgot it. His last wish was for her to be his wife. She smiles again and tells him there's no rush. He asks her when her birthday is. She doesn't know. Her parents sold her when she was young. Thus, he makes today her eighteenth birthday.
Zhu Yan bought Ah Fei a dragon lantern thinking girls like dragons. Before he gives it to her, he sees her with Zuo Qing Ci. His mood drops to an all time low and he takes out his heartbreak on his buddy Yin Chang Ge. I like these two men as a pair xD.
Guan Tong Zi is not an evil kid anymore! However, once he regains his adult form, he'll only have a few days to live. He takes on his end of the deal to help them retrieve the herb. He participates in the hero conference taking on another identity with the help of Su Yun Luo's face morphing abilities.
Second couple: Wen Si Yuan makes Shen Man Qing a butterfly lantern. He had wanted to buy it for her but there weren't any left hence why he made one. She doesn't know whether or not to proceed with her arranged marriage with the Mu family. Wen Si Yuan tells her to follow her heart.
[Ep12] Tomorrow is the last match of the hero's conference. Su Yun Luo plans to reveal her identity to protect Guai Tong Zi if he's in danger tomorrow. She doesn't want others in harm's way because of her. Zuo Qing Ci sees through her and declares that he doesn't care about anything or her master's life. The only thing he'll protect is her life. The anger that rumbles in his voice travels to her heart but she coldly tells him that her master's life is her life.
Fortunately, Guai Tong Zi wins. Prior to walking off the stage though, Mu Auntie (Mu Lian) shows up. Even with the face morphing, she recognizes him as Sun Si Ruo. Their past: someone had poisoned him and turned him into a devil which prevented him from fulfilling his promise to take her as his wife. She arrived with menace but she still loves him. Since Guai Tong Zi used a fake identity to enter the competition, his participation is forfeited. He no longer can redeem the prize He Wei Bai. Mu Lian protects him and takes him into hiding. He tells her he only has three days left. She only wants to know if he'll still marry her. He will. And they marry.
Su Yun Luo confidently makes her presence known to win back He Wei Bai. Even Zuo Qing Ci can't hide her identity. She bravely challenges Yin Chang Ge, a Zheng Yang disciple, to battle. She gets to leave to prepare for the battle but she must surrender Zuo Qing Ci in their hands.
[Ep13] The battle condition is that she cannot use Zheng Yang Gong techniques. Su Yun Luo finds Guai Tong Zi (Sun Si Ruo) and he promises to help her because he knows her master. He's practically dying as he transfers all his powers and knowledge of "Gu Yin" to her. He's impressed that her weapon is "Yi Cun Xiang Si" (One Inch of Yearning). A master of weaponry had created it for her. After she learns everything that she can, Su Yun Luo gives him three big bows before she leaves. It's to thank him and to bid farewell. Sun Si Ruo soon dies and Mu Lian sets fire to their house to die with him.
It's the battle. Prior to the duel, she must receive three attacks from Zheng Yan Gong. These cheaters. With that, her ties with Zheng Ya Gong are snapped and she can commence the battle with Yin Chang Ge. She's so awesome with her sword. It sprouts webs like it's a whip. She wins and He Wei Bai is hers. Zuo Qing Ci is still in their hands but she uses Shen Man Qing as a bargaining chip. The previous night Wen Si Yuan had captured her as a hostage (but I think she willingly wanted to help). Shen Man Qing keeps Wen Si Yuan's involvement a secret from her sect to exchange information from him about what she wants to know. But it's just an excuse to keep him with her.
Wen Si Yuan has information on the whereabouts of the last medicine. Despite being broken all over, Su Yun Luo has to find it. Zuo Qing Ci promises to help her but he must listen to him. She cannot use an ounce of cultivation. She nods.
[Ep14] Zuo Qing Ci takes a sleeping Su Yun Luo on his horse to Wu Er Village. He smiles the whole way there as she sleepily leans on him. Bai Mo doesn't understand why he would smile when she's sick. He tells Bai Mo that he'll soon have "Shi Liang", a title to address the master's wife. When Su Yun Luo wakes up she finds herself naked in a bathtub. She doesn't know how she got there, only that Zuo Qing Ci is outside. He fools her that he was going to enter. Still in pain, she forces her injured body to dress herself as quickly as possible. He laughs and calls her a "silly thief" while she calls him a "perverted doctor". He explains that it wasn't him who undressed her and she's relieved to hear that. He takes her pulse and tells her in order to heal, he’ll need to look at her more.
They arrive at Wu Er Village and meet Xie Jiang Er She's the daughter of Xie Li, the master who can cure her and who knows the whereabouts of the last ingredient: Xi Lan Xing Ye. Xie Jiang Er informs Zuo Qing Ci that they're being tailed by Xin Xian Que. They leave a scent on their target to tail them. That night, Zuo Qing Ci is sniffing everywhere including Su Yun Luo's face. He finds the scent in her box that contained He Wei Bai. Although Zheng Yang Gong is trailing them, there's actually another force controlling Xin Xian Que.
Our group finally meets Xie Li to make their request. Zuo Qing Ci wants him to cure her. However, Su Yun Luo chooses the medication over her own life. She faints over and Xie Li admires her determination to save her master that he saves her too. She slept for an entire day and Zuo Qing Ci took care of her for an entire day. He reminds her of the promise she made with him that she would watch fireworks with him.
Later that night Xie Jiang Er asks Su Yun Luo (who's all better now) if men outside their village are all handsome like Zuo Qing Ci. Su Yun Luo gulps and hesitates to answer. Zuo Qing Ci is eagerly waiting to hear it too. She denies it,"they're not all handsome like him." Zuo Qing Ci is all smiles. Xie Jiang Er also asks her wouldn't it be nice to watch fireworks with the man you love. Su Yun Luo's expression is complicated. That’s because Xie Li had given her a condition in exchange for the medication: to kill Zuo Qing Ci.
Zuo Qing Ci gazes at the fireworks: Yun Luo, from now on, you and I will step out of jianghu and protect each other forever. It's his wish and his last effort to change her.
However, Su Yun Luo is pulling her hand back. He confronts her about wanting to kill him. He asks her what he means to her: is he a doctor who can cure her master or a tool she can use and throw away. Neither are things he wants to be for her. There's tears in her eyes as she denies wanting to kill him. There's tears in his eyes too when he threatens her that he's going to leave and she'll never get to save her master. His words are shocking enough that she strangles his neck. She can't commit to kill him though. He then shoves her the kaleidoscope and grits his teeth as he tells her to not regret her decision to not kill him. He's turning to leave but she grabs onto his arm. He taunts her for wanting to kill him again. She doesn't but he's too heartbroken to care. He leaves before the sun rises.
Su Yun Luo packs her bags to leave too. Since she didn't kill Zuo Qing Ci, Xie Li gives her the information she wants. It was a test for her. If she had killed him then she would have failed the test. He also reveals her master's story that he was accused of all his crimes. He and Su Xuan were loyal friends and had wanted to save someone but both ended up either crazy or crippled.
Su Yun Luo gallops on her horse to find the medication. Xie Jiang Er joins her. They're resting for the night and that's when she looks at the kaleidoscope Zuo Qing Ci had made for her. Inside he painted a story. It's the dream life he wanted to share with her: a place where there's mountains and rivers, where she's training from sunrise to sunset while he watches her. A place where there's just two of them living peacefully. Awwwww.
Wei Ning Lord imprisoned Jin An Lord (Zuo Qing Ci's father). They're opposing political figures. It was also Wei Ning Lord's men that had hired Xin Xian Que to tail Zuo Qing Ci. Now that Zuo Qing Ci is left alone without Su Yun Luo's protection, he is vulnerable. He's captured by Xin Qian Que and learns that his family is incarcerated. He's not completely vulnerable though. He manages to poison all their food to make them faint over. He escapes and leaves behind Bai Mo to save his family. Zuo Qing Ci seeks out Wen Si Yuan but he refuses to take part. He has a dangerous mission of his own that he doesn't know if he'll make it out alive.
The plot grows thicker as Wen Si Yuan's background is revealed. It draws more questions than answers. Wen Si Yuan knows Shang Wan, the man Shen Man Qing and Zheng Yang Gong want. Not only that, Wen Si Yuan is protecting him. He spent ten years achieving his current identity and position. He and Shang Wan are loyal to one another and have the same mission. It's also somehow related to Shen Man Qing.
[Ep16] Su Yun Luo also visits Wen Si Yuan. She's trailing Zuo Qing Ci because she knows about his family's current situation from Bai Mo. Wen Si Yuan reminds her to not have feelings. She says she's only repaying Zuo Qing Ci.
Zuo Cing Ci is caught in a political fight. The Emperor and Wen Ning Lord are both recruiting Zuo Qing Ci to their side. Wen Ning Lord is threatening Zuo Qing Ci with his father's life to help him find Emperor Ai (the previous Emperor). The current Emperor wants Zuo Qing Ci to help him instead of Wen Ning Lord. He doesn't want Emperor Ai to be found. The only person who knows of Emperor Ai's whereabouts is Zuo Qing Ci's father. The Emperor's end of the bargain is to save his father's army because that's what his father cares about and Zuo Qing Ci knows it. Unlike his father though, Zuo Qing Ci wants the Emperor to protect his family's life. The Emperor can't guarantee it but he will try.
Su Yun Luo wants to help him. She follows him that night. Zuo Qing Ci knows she's behind him and refuses her help. She insists though. Thus he gives her a mission: retrieve the moon in the water. She knows it's impossible but she jumps in the water anyway. Zuo Qing Ci stops her and calls her stupid. Reluctantly, he lets her help him. He wants her to bring him into prison. She refuses to because it will be dangerous for him. He counters that it's his own life and it's none of her business. This is countering everything he has said before about how his life is hers. Unable to reply, she angrily leaves him.
Su Yun Luo successfully infiltrates the prison allowing Zuo Qing Ci to visit his father. His father is happy just seeing him. Zuo Qing Ci manages to get his father to tell him of Emperor Ai's whereabouts: Emperor Ai is with Su Xuan, Su Yun Luo's master. However, ever since ten years ago with the rumours of Su Xuan's death, Jing An Lord doesn't know where Emperor Ai is anymore.
Time is up and Zuo Qing Ci has to leave the prison cell. Su Yun Luo helps him. She tells him that they need to change clothes (she's in prisoner's clothes and he's in guard's clothes). How they manage to change isn't shown on screen though. In the midst of almost being caught by the guards, she apologizes to him about wanting to kill him. It's dim but I think I see him smiling.
After they escape, Zuo Qing Ci tells her about the fallout with his father. Jin An Lord had used him to pretend to be Emperor Ai. He was taken as a hostage instead of Emperor Ai and almost sacrificed for the country. His father never went back to save him like he promised. Zuo Qing Ci hates his father for that but also knows that he was right in his decision for the country.
Zuo Qing Ci also tells her that he needs to save Su Xuan as well to find Emperor Ai. He reveals to her that he told Wen Ning Lord about Su Xuan's involvement and now they're also after him. It's Su Yun Luo's turn to be mad at him for sacrificing her master for his gains. However, Zuo Qing Ci isn't going to sacrifice his family for her master. Both of them have their priorities and unfortunately they're in direct conflict with one another. It doesn't help that Zuo Qing Ci is still mad at her and Su Yun Luo is now mad at him too.
[Ep17] Wen Si Yuan and Shang Wan put on a show to make the other jianghu leaders believe in Wen Si Yuan's loyalty. After Shang Wan traps everyone, he's chased by Shen Man Qing. Shen Man Qing fights him to avenge her parents. When Shang Wan realizes she's Yong Shan's daughter, he lets her go unscathed telling her that he and his seven brothers (including Wen Si Yuan) were accused of their crimes. The injured Shang Wan isn't able to escape too far when the leaders catch up to him. To keep their mission alive, Shang Wan makes Wen Si Yuan kill him in front of all the leaders. Shen Man Qing watches him die in front of her. She’s not the least bit elated. Wen Si Yuan does his best to control his emotions from seeping through after killing his brother.
Zuo Qing Ci, Su Yun Luo, and Xie Jiang Er are in Xi Nan to find the last medication. Although Zuo Qing Ci and Su Yun Luo are talking to each other, their words are curt, or more specifically, his words to her are terse. Zuo Qing Ci orders Su Yun Luo to enter the lord's manor as a slave. It's a dangerous mission but Zuo Qing Ci is impassive.
[Ep18] Shen Man Qing cares for Wen Si Yuan who's physically and emotionally injured from the death of Shang Wan. She confesses to him but he coldly pushes her away. There's various reasons he'd push her away despite liking her: one, for the mission; two, he blames himself for protecting her and sacrificing his brother.
Su Yun Luo is successful in her mission and allows Ah Lan Duo (the daughter of the Xi Nan Lord) and Zuo Qing Ci to meet. Zuo Qing Ci offers her the antidote to her poison in exchange for Xi Lan Xing Ye that her family owns. Ah Lan Duo adds more to the bargain. She seductively touches Zuo Qing Ci. He's unfazed but glimpses at Su Yun Luo who turned away at their interaction. She offers to help them if they help her save her mother, the Lord of Xi Nan. Her mother is held captive by Chi Ba, that muscle guy who's controlling her sect and enslaving women.
Chi Ba catches Zuo Qing Ci and Su Yun Luo in his manor. To keep their mission hidden, Zuo Qing Ci grabs Su Yun Luo to bed to pretend they're making out. These two can't even look at each other. He tells her to hug him and she does for the sake of the mission. Chi Ba catches this and takes an interest in Su Yun Luo as well. Chi Ba dismisses everyone to take Su Yun Luo to bed.
[Ep19] Zuo Qing Ci assigns another dangerous mission to Su Yun Luo. However, when she easily accepts the task he's angry with her. He drags her out and orders her to withdraw from the plan. She won't listen. The plan continues. Su Yun Luo disguises as Zhu Yan to distract Chi Ba while the real Zhu Yan saves his master which he just learned is his mother and the Lord of Xi Nan who has abandoned him.
Su Yun Luo is shy: I...actually.....do you think your master will keep his promise to heal my master?Zuo Qing Ci is disappointed and curt: No.
Zuo Qing Ci adds that she doesn't have the money and now it's her who's disappointed.
Zuo Qing Ci casually teases her: Unless you agree to marry me —Su Yun Luo quickly interrupts: I'll marry!
Zuo Qing Ci can't believe his ears. He pulls her in for a kiss. Zhu Yan is outside the tent and sees their silhouettes kissing.
Third couple: Yin Chang Ge complains to Xie Jiang Er that Zhu Yan won't talk to him, lol. Xie Jiang Er laughs at him and suggests he and Zhu Yan become god-brothers. Poor Zhu Yan lost his mother and now his crush. At least he gets a soulmate like brother.
[Ep21] Zhu Yan returns to save his master/mother. He realized his mother banished him to save him. When he returns, his mother tells him his father is Mu Xiu. Am I the only one who thought he could have been the lost Emperor Ai? Yin Cheng Ge is used by his uncle (Zheng Yang Gong) and ends up exposing their whereabouts. As a result, Zhu Yan's mother dies. The whole time she's dying, she's only looking at Zhu Yan. What about Ah Lan Duo? Ah Lan Duo also risks her life to protect Zhu Yan from arrow-shooting-umbrellas. She jumps off the cliff to protect their sect's martial arts mantra. Zhu Yan's mother wants to die where his father is, which is below the mountain, thus Zhu Yan throws his mother's corpse down the cliff.
Amidst the fight, Zheng Yang Gong betrays Kou Su Bai and points their sword at her pretending to be the good guys.
Su Yun Luo is severely injured as well. Zuo Qing Ci cries that night because he senses the end to their relationship. He plans to use Xi Lan Xing Ye to save her and he knows Su Yun Luo would never forgive him for using that even if it is to save her life.
Zhu Yan has a very weird dream. He dreams of himself who's not himself. There's an evil demon in his mind holding the sword his father had left him. Does this mean he's going to turn evil? :(
[Ep22] Shen Man Qing refuses to comply with her marriage to Mu Ying. As advised by Wen Si Yuan, she follows her heart and arrives at his place. However, Wen Si Yuan purposely angers her by flirting with another girl. When the sky starts pouring rain, her eyes start pouring tears as well. She crouches on the ground to weep. It suddenly stops raining on her. It's Wen Si Yuan carrying an umbrella over her. He regrets hurting her too and takes her back home.
Zuo Qing Ci asks Su Yun Luo to marry him. She follows her heart and agrees to marry him. I like how sweet and simple she is. The two are soon to be wed but she doesn't know about Xi Lan Xing Ye yet. Meanwhile Zhu Yan is fighting the inner demon in his heart who's telling him to reveal to Su Yu Luo about Xi Lan Xing Ye to stop the marriage.
[Ep23] Zuo Qing Ci makes an early visit to his beautiful bride. This whole wedding is so ominous :( Also... did he forget that he has to save his own family too? He stares at Su Yun Luo lovingly. He's serious as he asks her if she's sincere about marrying him. She tells him no one ever taught her to love but thinking of marrying him makes her happy. He wants to confirm if she's marrying him just to save her master but they're interrupted before she can answer him.
Yin Chang Ge needs another life lesson from Xie Jiang Er. He doesn't know how weddings work so she teaches him. They both kneel and reach up to the second bow. They're so cute, lol. They almost complete the third bow, the final bow, and that’s when she realizes he's pretending to be an idiot to make her marry him.
Yin Chang Ge and Xie Jiang Er's incomplete bows seem to foreshadow Zuo Qing Ci and Su Yun Luo's wedding. They're also interrupted at the third bow. It's the evil Zhu Yan who reveals the truth about Xi Lan Xing Ye. Darkness has taken him over. Su Yun Luo is upset everyone lied to her. She points her hairpin to Zuo Qing Ci's face. There's tears collecting in his eyes as he asks her "Are you killing me?" She's holding back her tears too, "It's you who are killing me." Oof. She leaves a last message for him, "From now on, you and I will no longer have any connection."
For the entire night Zuo Qing Ci combs his books and finally finds a way to save Su Xuan. The antidote for is Zuo Qing Ci himself. Nooooooooo.
Things aren't happy for our third couple either. Xie Jiang Er confesses to Yin Chang Ge about her family background. She's the daughter of a "devil" leader that his sect is against. It's his sect that's truly evil to the bone, killing all the good guys. It was hard for him to accept it but when he finally comes to his senses, she's hiding from him.
Su Yun Luo finds Wen Si Yuan to help her because she's being tailed. Wen Si Yuan reveals his story to her. His entire Yun Dang Seven Heroes' clan was extinguished. His real name is Si Ma Lang. His real face isn't his current face. His wants revenge on Zheng Yang Gong (Jin Xu) and Wen Ning Lord. It's these two parties who killed his brothers and injured Su Xuan and Xie Li. So that's the last puzzle piece that ties all our main characters together for the same motive: to take down Wen Ning Lord and Zheng Yang Gong (plus save Su Xuan).
[Ep24] Zuo Qing Ci finds Su Yun Luo to bring him to her master. Su Xuan is chained inside a cave to prevent his crazy spells from killing the innocent. Zuo Qing Ci asks Su Yun Luo to leave so that he can secretly feed her master his blood. The blood works. It calms Su Xuan. Meanwhile Zuo Qing Ci is having an episode of manic himself. His veins are all darkened. Su Yun Luo hugs him until he's better. Zuo Qing Ci tells her he used the Xi Lan Xing Ye to save her. She cries that she spent ten years to save her master but in the end it's because of her, Su Xuan has no cure. She'd rather die than have this conclusion. To Zuo Qing Ci anyone can sacrifice except her. He asks her what her life used to be like and what has changed. She tells him she's become greedy. He corrects her: it's love. To her, love is greed. Because of greed she lost the only way to save her master. She can't afford to love. She wants Zuo Qing Ci to leave. He holds onto her and asks for one more night. She nods. I'm surprised she really slept next to him that night.
The next morning, Su Xuan disappears. Zuo Qing Ci's blood has powered him up but he's still crazy. He's captured by Mu Ying (the fiancé of Shen Man Qing). Su Yun Luo blames it all on herself for losing her master. If she was the old Fei Kou Er she wouldn't have fallen in love, she wouldn't have saved Zhu Yan, she wouldn't have been injured, and she wouldn't have used Xi Lan Xing Ye. Zuo Qing Ci hugs her and tells her it's not her fault and that he won't let her go. Su Yun Luo rejects him telling him they'll never meet again.
Zuo Qing Ci's master is curing Zhu Yan of his devil. He warns him to stop mastering his dark cultivation. I don't hate Zhu Yan for revealing the truth though. Zuo Qing Ci was digging his own grave. Su Yun Luo was bound to know anyway and I think the sooner the better.
Mu Ying threatens Jin Xu to give him the throne to jianghu with Su Xuan as his chip. Su Yun Luo has a clever counter plan to save her master. Wen Si Yuan tells her she reminds him of someone. It's Zuo Qing Ci. She's more and more like Zuo Qing Ci. Her plan is to work with their enemy's enemy: Wen Ning Lord's people (Shen General). Shen General has his own condition. He wants Su Yun Luo as a hostage so that he can exchange her for Su Xuan from Mu Ying.
[Ep25] Wen Si Yuan's servant girl (Ling Xi) isn't who she is. Just like how Wen Si Yuan isn't who he is. She has a motive and he knows she does, he just doesn't know what it is. There's actually something in this world Wen Si Yuan doesn't know. She assures him their plans do not collide. She's with the Emperor.
Zhu Yan visits his father Mu Xiu (Mu Ying's master). The moment Mu Xiu sees him, he attacks his own son. There's zero ounce of kinship between them. Mu Xiu locks him up in the dungeon. Coincidentally, Su Yun Luo is there and he saves her. While escaping, the two find a hidden pathway. Inside they find a man who looks exactly like Mu Xiu. This is the real Mu Xiu. He's trapped in there because of Jin Xu.
Zuo Qing Ci confirms with his master that it's the medicine running in his blood that can save Su Xuan. He's also voluntold by Wen Si Yuan to locate Su Xuan who's now in Shen General's hands. He's doing it not only to save Su Xuan (to save his family) but also for Su Yun Luo.
Second couple: Shen Man Qing is forced to marry (she's part of the bargain Mu Ying wants, and Jin Xu is very willing to give her up). She's whining to Wen Si Yuan. He tells her they should go on a date instead. Her eyes widen and tears are brimming, she thinks he's saying farewell with this last date. He laughs it off and takes her hand to go on their date. He asks for her permission to steal her on her wedding day. He confesses his love for her and tells her as much about himself as he can. She gives him her permission and tells him he has to arrive on her wedding day. She cries happy tears. Wen Si Yuan better keep his promise...
[Ep27] This whole cave scene is way better watching than me explaining. I'm in absolute disbelief at Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan slashed his sword at everyone: his father, Wen Si Yuan, and Su Yun Luo. I can't even blink in this scene. Zhu Yan has mastered Wan Ning Sword. His hallucination of killing everyone was the last stage. Everyone's still alive. Phew. Su Yun Luo had hallucinations of her own but she won't tell Zhu Yan. It's definitely about Zuo Qing Ci.
Wen Si Yuan doesn't make it in time to stop Shen Man Qing's wedding. He chose his mission over love. Shen Man Qing is stuck marrying Mu Ying. She almost killed herself over it. There have been three weddings in this drama, neither of the previous two finished their third bow. This one's even worse. Shen Man Qing won't bow at all. I don't blame her though.
Mu Ying pretends to reconcile with his real master Mu Xiu in order to kill him. Mu Xiu dies on the spot. Idiot. In his last breath at least he got to hear Zhu Yan call him dad. Will this be the last push to Zhu Yan's path to craziness? With dad’s death, the others find themselves surrounded by Jin Xiu and Mu Ying's men. Yin Chang Ge uses his life to threaten his master to let them escape but Chang Ge still has the traceable scent on him. He soon figures it out and ditches the shawl realizing how dirty and low his master was. The crew reunite with Zuo Qing Ci who has endured quite a bit of physical beating to complete his mission of saving Su Xuan. Su Yun Luo immediately tends to her master ignoring Zuo Qing Ci who's all beaten up.
[Ep29] After a night of drinking and understanding what love is, Su Yun Luo goes back to Zuo Qing Ci telling him that even if it's not her business to mind she will mind anyway. She's using her words on him. She knows it was him who sent Wen Si Yuan to save her in the cave. There was never someone as good as he was to her. She's not going to leave him.
Ling Xi drops off a letter for Zuo Qing Ci from his father and reminds him of the consequences for saving him. That night Su Yun Luo comforts him. She understands that because he's standing at a higher place, the visions he has are grander. It's basically her telling him it's okay if he chose the country over his father. Zuo Qing Ci's cold front melts. He hugs her and cries that he doesn't know what to do. She hugs him back and tells her whatever decision he makes, she will stand by him.
At the last minute when his father is to be beheaded, he makes a speech. Dad's speech promises him that if in the next life they are still father and son, he wouldn't betray him. In his speech he reminds him of his duty as his son (to maintain peace) but that he also wants his son to lead a normal life. Zuo Qing Ci makes the difficult decision. He chooses the country for his dad. This is making me cry. When the men in the crowd make a move to save him, Dad yells that their hearts should be with Jing Bei (their army). His soldiers freeze. Zuo Qing Ci can barely stop his tears. Dad is beheaded. The next second, Zuo Qing Ci's hideout is ambushed by Shen General. Su Yun Luo and Qing General are fending them off. Zuo Qing Ci falls over from heartbreak. Zuo Qing Ci made the same decision he abhorred his dad for: choosing the country over his family :( When he wakes up, Ling Xi had brought his sister to him. It's a short reunion. His sister reminds him that their father wanted him to lead a normal life. However, Zuo Qing Ci vows to avenge his father and help the Emperor find Emperor Ai.
Third couple: Chang Ge promises to marry Jiang Er.
[Ep30] Wen Si Yuan is poisoned by his disciple. The disciple is actually loyal, he was told by Wen Si Yuan to look like he's a traitor to Zheng Yang Gong (because Jin Xu knows Wen Si Yuan's real identity). This gives time for Wen Si Yuan to secretly take Su Xuan to safety. Zuo Qing Ci is using his blood to heal him which also means he's sacrificing his life to save Su Xuan. Meanwhile, everyone else is at Wu Er Tribe (Xie Jiang Er's home) trying to fight off Zheng Yang Gong. Jin Xu thinks Su Xuan is still there. He's not there until he makes an appearance there. Zuo Qing Ci had successfully healed him and he walks in with confidence to battle Jin Xu. Su Xuan saves everyone.
Now that Su Xuan is back to normal, Su Yun Luo finally gets the chance to pour her master tea for the first time in ten years. Tears suddenly pour down and she falls to his knees crying. Aw.
Second Couple: Shen Man Qing learns of Wen Si Yuan's real identity. He's part of the group that killed her parents.
[Ep31] Su Xuan has a talk with Zuo Qing Ci knowing that his disciple likes him. Instead of being the cupid I thought he was supposed to be, he learns of Zuo Qing Ci's identity that he's Yan Zhi. Their conversation is interrupted when Xie Li's injuries destabilize. Zuo Qing Ci examines him and Su Xuan passes him some cultivation to keep him alive. Zuo Qing Ci takes his leave but is stopped by Su Yun Luo. She wants to know why his hair is white and how he saved her master. He won't say a word. He even uses Ling Xi to break her heart. Zuo Qing Ci tells her to let him go because he's tired. He's cold to her because of his poison. His days are numbered. SIGH. Su Yun Luo doesn't leave though; she comes back to drag him to watch the ocean with her. Ling Xi wants to speak but Su Yun Luo glares at her. No one is going to stop her from taking Zuo Qing Ci. Yay.
Second Couple: Shen Man Qing confronts Wen Si Yuan whether he approached her with a motive. He promises he could never hurt her. But she tells him that she can.
Third Couple: Jiang Er pretends to cry after Chang Ge lectures her on using him to threaten his sect. He quickly apologizes and she immediately smiles.
Bromance: Zhu Yan confesses to Chang Ge that he is his sunshine. Zhu Yan wants him to always be his sun. Chang Ge promises.
[Ep32] Su Yun Luo takes Zuo Qing Ci by the ocean to see the sunrise. Now that Su Yun Luo's master is awake she has nothing to hold back. She tells him what she wants: his happiness. She wants to help him accomplish his mission (revenge for his father). She confesses to him, "I love you". He's clearly moved by her words but when the sun rises, his poison is acting up. He can't let her see him withering and dying so he rejects her. SIGH. Later that day she left a message for Bai Mo that she'll be waiting for Zuo Qing Ci by the ocean again because they still haven't watched the waves together. She waits from sunset to sunrise. However, Zuo Qing Ci doesn't make his appearance despite staying up the whole night as well. The next morning he leaves without seeing her at all. He's off to find Emperor Ai. Su Xuan told him he's with Jin Xu. Chang Ge is Emperor Ai? The man who does visit Su Yun Luo near the ocean is Zhu Yan. He too is heartbroken and has decided to succumb to his evil half but he has one more thing he wants to do before turning in his body.
There's another dad dying this episode: Xie Li. :(
[Ep33] Zhu Yan takes her to the lantern festival, the date he had wanted but never got to accomplish until today. He gives her a lantern as a present and tells her he likes her. On the lantern are countless wishes for her happiness. This was the last thing he wanted to do before he turns into a devil to avenge his family.
After Zhu Yan leaves, Su Yun Luo catches a glimpse of Zuo Qing Ci and runs after him. The first moment she sees him, she kisses him. He kisses her back. He then carries her to bed. Although these two did not complete their wedding vows, they do complete this beautiful night. However, the dream shatters for her the next morning. Zuo Qing Ci tells her he poisoned her and she only has ten days to live. He threatens her that she needs to stop Wu Er Tribe from revealing the truth about Jin Xu. She deduces that his reasons for using her is all for Emperor Ai. He needs to help Jin Xu in order to gather Emperor Ai's whereabouts. Feeling betrayed, she asks him what last night meant to him. He doesn't answer. She leaves crying denouncing the end to their relationship once and for all. How many times has she said this? How many times has she meant it? Zero.
[Ep34] Bai Mo's speech made me cry. Bai Mo tearfully accuses Ling Xi for pulling his master, Zuo Qing Ci, into this mess. He doesn't understand what his master has to do with the world. He barely lived ten years ago. Now that he's survived and found his love he has to give up everything including his life for this stupid world. Zuo Qing Ci lectures him that life and death aren't important. It's what you die for that's important. Zuo Qing Ci can't help but care about peace; he can't help but be like his father; he can't help but be Yan Zhi.
Dark Zhu Yan has a deep hatred for jianghu and wants it to disappear. He embarks on his mission to take down the leaders one by one. The first to die is Kou Su Bai, the one who killed his mother.
Zuo Qing Ci's real plans: to make Su Xuan take the poison for Su Yun Luo. Zuo Qing Ci needs Su Xuan to die in order for Jin Xu to turn in Emperor Ai. Zuo Qing Ci purposely made it ten days so that Su Xuan can clear Wu Er Tribe's (and Wen Si Yuan's original sect's) name at the conference first. Because that's what Su Yun Luo would want. Su Xuan is willing to cooperate for the greater good. His only request is for Zuo Qing Ci to take Su Yun Luo away so she can't see his death tomorrow.
There's a hiccup in the plan though. Shen General has kidnapped Xie Jiang Er before the conference to threaten Su Xuan.
[Ep35] Fortunately, Zuo Qing Ci had informed Wen Si Yuan of Shen General's infiltration. Together with Wen Si Yuan, Shen Man Qing and Yin Chang Ge save Su Xuan and Xie Jiang Er. In the process, Shen General dies. The conference is to be continued.
Su Xuan reveals to everyone that it was Jin Xu who killed their master. It was Jin Xu who colluded with the palace (Shen General) in order to be the sole ruler of jianghu. He also participated in the death of Shen Man Qing's entire family to reach his goals. Jin Xu cannot counter the proof so he wants to battle it out with Su Xuan once and for all. His sword pierces right into Su Xuan's heart. Su Xuan did not resist and took his death willingly (that was the plan anyway). Su Xuan uses his last breath and his life to prove that he and his allies were wronged. With his death, everyone turns on Jin Xu. Even Mu Ying, the weasel, betrays him. Despite being alone, Jin Xu wants to start a war with the other sects even if it's a one man battle. Zuo Qing Ci stops and convinces Jin Xu he's already achieved his motives, no need for more unnecessary deaths.
Su Yun Luo faints immediately upon hearing of her master's death. When she wakes up, she uses all her powers which were already weakened to begin with to free her cuffs. She wants to stop Zuo Qing Ci from taking her master's corpse. However, she's powerless. She resorts to begging on her knees. Zuo Qing Ci leaves her request unanswered. He has his reasons for taking Su Xuan's corpse. Su Yun Luo faints over once again.
[Ep36] The poison Zuo Qing Ci gave Su Xuan had actually saved him. It allows him to fake his death. Zuo Qing Ci never wanted or needed him dead. Zuo Qing Ci wanted to fool Jin Xu that everyone who knew about his collusion with the palace and his involvement with Emperor Ai would be dead. The only problem is Shen General's trusty female sidekick is still alive. There's still one person who knows of his crimes and she reports it to Wen Ning Lord.
Zhu Yan is not himself. He's a brainless walking devil who's one purpose is to destroy the entire pugilistic world. Wen Ning Lord offers him his help but first he needs to prove himself worthy of his help. Why does Zhu Yan even need his help? He was fine killing people on his own
Zuo Qing Ci knows Jin Xu's bottom line. Jin Xu cares about his Zheng Yang Gong. As long as Wen Ning Lord is ruling, his Zheng Yang Gong's existence will be threatened because he knows too much. Jin Xu is teetering toward Zuo Qing Ci's side.
By the way, Emperor Ai is a monk.
[Ep37] Zuo Qing Ci convinces Emperor Ai to commit suicide. Su Yun Luo rushes in the room and finds him dead. She tearfully points her One Inch of Yearning at Zuo Qing Ci again and this time she really pierces him. To her, there's just no end to his betrayals.
Zheng Yang Gong is in trouble because Wen Ning Lord thinks they have Emperor Ai. The Lord sent Zhu Yan after their sect (reminder: Zheng Yang Gong is at fault for annihilating his sect and his entire family). Hearing the news, Yin Chang Ge and Shen Man Qing ask Wen Si Yuan for help. He doesn't accept immediately. It's not that he's not willing to help, he just wants to stall time to talk to Shen Man Qing more. Although Shen Man Qing hates Jin Xu, she still wants to protect Zheng Yang Gong. Wen Si Yuan assures her that Zheng Yang Gong will always exist as long as she and Yin Chang Ge are alive.
[Ep38*] Su Yun Luo learns everything from Zuo Qing Ci's poison to all his sacrifices to save her master. Zuo Qing Ci only has half a year left because he used his blood (or the antidote in his blood) to save Su Xuan. He's unconscious and is barely alive after the knife wound she gave him. Su Yun Luo cries at his bedside telling him how much she loves him and how much she owes him. "You have a lot to say but I like hearing you talk." I never thought Zuo Qing Ci was the talkative type but compared to her, he definitely is. "The path that you want to take, I want to be by your side." She blames herself for accusing him when he sacrificed everything for her. She wants him to wake up and smile at her once more. And he does. He must have heard her. However, the moment he wakes up, he has to embark on his mission. He has a very important task to attend to but he wants her to stay behind. She thinks he's still angry at her. He's not, "I never blamed you. I love you." While he's hugging her, he inserts a needle in her that freezes her. Sniffle.
There's many sacrifices made to protect Zheng Yang Gong. Everyone's dying for Jin Xu but he's hiding inside like he's the king or something. What a coward. He really should have just sacrificed himself from the very beginning to apologize to Zhu Yan and save all those innocent lives. In the end Zhu Yan wins. Zheng Yang Gong has fallen but Emperor Ai is nowhere to be found. That is until Zuo Qing Ci shows up and declares that he is Emperor Ai. He's escorted back to Wen Ning Lord by Zhu Yan. Along the way, they're tailed by Su Yun Luo. The needle Zuo Qing Ci inserted in her had no effect, she pretended it did so that he could leave at ease. She never intended to let him take his mission alone.
Su Yun Luo finds him: I spent ten years trying to save my master. For the remainder of my life, I want to use it to save you.
Zuo Qing Ci tells her to leave when the guards come back. She warns him with hostility that he needs to live, he must live.
[Ep39] Zuo Qing Ci is safely (but sickly) in Wen Ning Lord's manor. Su Yun Luo sneaks in as a maid. She knows why he's pushing her away: seeing her will make him want to live and give up on his mission to live with her. He doesn't deny it but he tells her he's bound to die anyway.
Su Yun Luo: If you push me away now then you're admitting that I am your weakness. But I, Su Yun Luo, am not your weakness. Ten years ago I saved you and it is the same ten years now. As long as Su Yun Luo can save Zuo Qing Ci then her living has meaning.Zuo Qing Ci smiles with tears in his eyes: Little fool.
I really like this confession of hers because it's what she felt for him. When she was focused on saving her master she kept pushing him away because he was her weakness, he made her want to live for herself. She couldn't allow that. Having experienced all that, she's able to say exactly the words he wants to hear.
Zuo Qing Ci cleverly sneaks out from Wen Ning Lord's watch to see someone important. Bai Mo looks around telling him Shi Liang (master's wife) isn't here. He calls him silly. I call him smart. The person he's seeing is the Emperor. Zuo Qing Ci shares his plans with him; he wants the Emperor to fake his death.
With only a year to live, Zuo Qing Ci only has half a month left. Xie Jiang Er is dying too because of her heart condition. Yin Chang Ge is sleeping in the same room as her but he's on the floor. That night, she steps out of her bed to sleep with him on the floor. He tells her that this isn't appropriate but she assures him she's going to marry him anyway.
Shen Man Qing is recruited to work for Wen Ning Lord to pacify jianghu. This was all within Wen Si Yuan's plans to spy on Wen Ning Lord. Thus Shen Man Qing has inherited the same fate as her master, Jin Xu. Shen Man Qing bears the hate of all of jianghu. However, Wen Si Yuan reminds her she's not like Jin Xu at all. She was able to forget her revenge to save her master, to save her sect.
Wen Ning Lord forces his daughter to marry Zuo Qing Ci, a dying man. This father. I'm just speechless. Su Yun Luo overhears everything and cries that the love of her life has to marry someone else.
[Ep40] Wen Ning Lord is one step ahead of Zuo Qing Ci. He sends the Emperor to war in order to kill him. Zuo Qing Ci's plan of faking death fails to set in motion. Su Yun Luo accepts the death task instead. She kisses him and he returns the kiss. She assures him what he wants is what she wants. She gives him her candy, the candy that she always eats, before she leaves him.
Dark Zhu Yan catches Su Yun Luo. When he wanted to kill her, the real Zhu Yan wakes up. He lets her go while he still temporarily has control over himself. Off Su Yun Luo goes to inform Wen Si Yuan of Zuo Qing Ci's plans. She is to safeguard the Emperor and allow him to fake his death. She asks Wen Si Yuan for a favour: to protect Zuo Qing Ci once she's gone. Wen Si Yuan refuses to accept the request. He tells her that's her job so she better come back to protect him. Aw.
The long awaited message has arrived. The Emperor is presumed dead. Everyone thinks Su Yun Luo is dead too. Only Yin Chang Ge believes in Su Yun Luo. He assures everyone that she has to be alive. She has always conquered the impossible because she believes in herself. This time is no different.
There's another small obstacle in Zuo Qing Ci's plans. He had wanted to take reign and return the spot to the Emperor once Wen Ning Lord's crimes were exposed. However, Wen Ning Lord is planning to marry his daughter to Zuo Qing Ci, making her the Empress. It won't be simple to return the Emperor his position if there's an Empress.
[Ep41] It's the wedding night. Zuo Qing Ci is sleeping in the bed alone. There's still no news of Su Yun Luo. He's shivering in cold. He's cold, lonely, and heartbroken. Tears. My poor Zuo Qing Ci. At least there's Bai Mo with him. Despite how broken he is, he needs to live to avenge Su Yun Luo. He gets up and walks down the aisle with Wen Ning Lord's daughter. As that is happening, Yin Chang Ge, Shen Man Qing, and Wen Si Yuan infiltrate the palace to save Wei Xi Lord (a key witness against Wei Ning Lord). Zhu Yan stops their tracks and captures Yin Chang Ge. Back at the wedding, Zuo Qing Ci almost completes all his bows. There's one more bow left but he doesn't move. Not until, Su Yun Luo furtively rolls her candy to the floor near him. She's standing in the crowd watching him, assuring him she's alive and well. Zuo Qing Ci is relieved and makes the final wedding bow. He’s married.
Yin Chang Ge is tortured by Zhu Yan's men. Yin Chang Ge tells Zhu Yan that he won’t regret dying for something of worth. His only regret is being unable to see Zhu Yan return to his senses. He confesses he failed as an older brother and was unable to protect him. Nooooo. Yin Chang Ge is going to die.......
[Ep42] Zuo Qing Ci needs Su Yun Luo to testify that he's not Emperor Ai in the ceremony tomorrow. She doesn't want to because that would put him in danger as well. Zuo Qing Ci holds her cheek, telling her there's no other way. She wants him to promise her one thing too: no matter how many days he has left, he must live them to his fullest. She tells him tomorrow night she has a surprise for him. Zuo Qing Ci has one for her too. Please be good surprises! He lies on her thighs and confesses he's afraid of death.
Su Yun Luo; You won't die, I'll save you and bring you to safety. You're not alone, there's us and me. I can be your eyes. I can be your shoulder.Zuo Qing Ci: Yun Luo is my one inch of yearning.
Second couple: Wen Si Yuan, or I should call him, Si Ma Lang asks for Shen Man Qing's hand with only a half bottle of wine. He asks her if she's willing to marry Si Ma Lang. She smiles and reaches out for the wine but he hesitates on giving it to her. He's nervous. He warns her that if she accepts this wine, she cannot turn back. Her smiles become more obvious now as she takes the wine from him. She counter threatens him, "If you dare to not marry me, I'll break your legs." He immediately agrees and brings out a red envelope (his wedding offers/promises). She opens it but he tells her to read it later. It's because he wrote it too well and he's afraid she'll cry. She laughs (with happy tears in her eyes) and kisses him. Fireworks decorate the night sky. Somewhere else, our married man, Zuo Qing Ci is admiring them and is wondering whether Su Yun Luo sees them too. She does.
[Ep43] Today is the day Zuo Qing Ci passes his reigning powers to Wen Ning Lord. However, the Empress declares Emperor Ai is not Emperor Ai. The Empress is actually Su Yun Luo in disguise. Proofs start rolling in one by one to pin Wen Ning Lord for all his crimes. The real Emperor walks in and claims his rightful position. Wen Ning Lord has lost everything in a blink of an eye. In Wen Ning Lord's last ditch effort, he takes Zuo Qing Ci hostage. Despite having a knife at his throat, Zuo Qing Ci stares at Su Yun Luo with a small smile on his lips. She understands what he wants. Su Yun Luo wields her One Inch of Yearning and pierces through Zuo Qing Ci to kill Wen Ning Lord behind him. Zuo Qing Ci had wanted to die in her hands, and he really does.
Shen Man Qing is there because she and Si Ma Lang were protecting the Emperor. Si Ma Lang had stayed behind to fight the enemies telling her to escort the Emperor to where Zuo Qing Ci is, hence why she was right outside when Su Yun Luo carried out Zuo Qing Ci. Before Si Ma Lang shuts the door on her, he promises her he'll be alive to marry her. As Shen Man Qing is escaping with Su Yun Luo and Zuo Qing Ci she looks back at the palace hoping he'll return to her just as he promised.
Five years later. Shen Man Qing is at Yin Chang Ge and Xie Jiang Er's grave. She tells them she's happily married and her husband treats her well. Si Ma Lang is alive! Thank god. As they walk together, they mention Bai Mo. We skip to a scene of Bai Mo talking to a little girl. The girl complains her parents are fighting again because her dad wants to lower the price for patients. It’s Su Yun Luo and Zuo Qing Ci! Their conversation is interrupted when a little boy nearby is caught stealing. Bai Mo helps the boy pay for it. The boy is stealing to save his sick master. The little girl gives him candy and assures him her father can definitely save him. She takes the boy in and we hear Zuo Qing Ci's voice, "Dad pinky promises you. Go get me some of your mother's mooncakes for me first."
The End.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-8)] This is GOOD. I love it when dramas suck me into their world. I'm also a sucker for a group of youngsters on a journey in the pugilistic world. Drama takes itself seriously and there are glimpses of humour. Romance does not take the forefront and I prefer it like this, at least for now. Please stay good.
[Actors/Actresses] I’ve always liked Zhang Yao. I'm liking Zhang Ya Qin more and more. Zhang Yao's Zuo Qing Ci is clever and sincere. Zhang Ya Qin's Kou Er / Su Yun Luo is aloof but loyal. He's not skilled in fighting, but she is. He likes her but she has no time for romance. I'm liking their dynamic so far.
[Episode 15 Update] I am loving this! Wen Si Yuan and Shen Man Qing are perking up. The romance between Zuo Qing Ci and Su Yun Luo is just like the Chinese title; they're one inch of yearning away from each other. They have that delicious tension where they're so close yet so far. The plot is also quickening with Zuo Qing Ci's past being complicatedly interacted with Su Yun Luo's. I can't wait until these two are back to being the perfect A team.
[Behind the Scenes]
[Ending] Happy, I think. There’s Bai Mo, there's Su Yun Luo's candy, and there's a famous doctor who can cure anything. Although we don't see their faces, there's no doubt that Su Yun Luo and Zuo Qing Ci are married and have a daughter. His office is also called "寧世" where 寧 means "rather" and "世" means "world". Together it would mean "Rather than the world". Zuo Qing Ci and Su Yun Luo have stepped out of world affairs and opened a clinic. This was Zuo Qing Ci's only dream that he wanted to share with Su Yun Luo. Looks like it's a dream come true.
Questions I have: How is Zuo Qing Ci alive (but I'm okay not deliberating on this one because I'm just glad he's alive and they have a daughter)? Is Su Xuan alive? How did Wen Si Yuan fight against three people? Is anyone paying respect for Zhu Yan?
Final Review
[Review] Regardless of how the drama ended I was set on giving this a perfect score. It doesn’t deserve any less.
Aesthetics: I love the overall tone; it's a dark ombre colour exuding a romantic yet solemn vibe. Every character has a sense of loneliness with the exception of Yin Chang Ge. Maybe that’s why he’s the sun to Zhu Yan, the darkest character in the drama.
Acting: A wonderfully balanced cast. Zhang Yao has boyish charms and the emotional depth of a man sincerely in love. He also cries a lot in this one! Zhang Ya Qin is an actress I look forward to. She can make me so sad with her crying. Zhou Ting Wei is the veteran here and he certainly stands his ground, switching between cunning and comedic. He’s actually 11 years older than Deng Yu Li. They matched so well, I never questioned the age gap.
Story: There’s two major arcs to this drama: the first half is driven by Su Yun Luo’s mission and the second half is Zuo Qing Ci‘s. The first half is flawless. I call this arc "Saving Su Yun Luo’s Master." The missions had multiple layers; the obstacles felt threatening. Among all that’s happening, the drama doesn’t forget to insert glints of humour. I absolutely love the not-so-coincidental encounters of all our leads and how each of their characters merged into the main story. Everyone and everything had a purpose. Although the focal point was saving Su Xuan, the one who really needed saving was Su Yun Luo; she was a lifeless soul. Her saviour is none other than Zuo Qing Ci who brings life to her. Interestingly, Zuo Qing Ci takes all the initiative in this arc but in the latter arc, it's Su Yun Luo who makes every move to close their distance. This last arc is what I call "“Zuo Qing Ci’s King Making". This half wasn’t as exceptional in comparison to the stellar beginning but it certainly was emotional. I had fun guessing who would be the king. [Spoiler] In the end Zuo Qing Ci becomes the fake king but, to me, he was the true king [/Sp]
Themes [Spoilers]
- One inch of yearning: The one inch between life and death; The one inch between them that is love
I love how Su Yun Luo brings life to Zuo Qing Ci even if it’s in the most dangerous ways. When he was young his will to live had vanished if not for Su Yun Luo. Although it was her who put his life in danger by kidnapping him, but if she had not kidnapped him he would have surely died. Her tears woke him up again ten years later when he was dying from her 'One Inch of Yearning' wound that rendered him one inch from death. He needed that sword wound to make his enemies believe him so that he can continue his mission – a mission that was greater than his life. At the very end, he wanted to die in her hands but it’s precisely because it’s her who’s killing him, he doesn’t die. Or that’s how I’d like to interpret why he can’t die. There’s just no way Zuo Qing Ci can die in her hands and definitely not from her One Inch of Yearning. They have a magical bond that keeps them one inch apart and one inch close. That one inch distance between them is love. That one inch distance keeps them yearning and keeps them cherishing. If Su Yun Luo lives, then Zuo Qing Ci lives. If Zuo Qing Ci dies, then Su Yun Luo dies. His life is hers and her life is his.
- Wedding Bows
The three main girls each had a wedding scene but none of them had the traditional three bows. Shen Man Qing married a man she did not love and didn’t bow a single time. Xie Jiang Er and Yin Chang Ge had a fake wedding scene where he got her to make two of the three bows with him. Their last bow was completed at death when they dropped to their knees and fell forward. It was tragically beautiful. To them, their vows to each other isn’t till death but till death to still be together. Su Yun Luo also never got to complete her third bow with Zuo Qing Ci at their real wedding. When Zuo Qing Ci was forced to marry another, he was stuck at the last bow until he saw Su Yun Luo’s candy and looked at her nod. To me, that was him completing his third bow to Su Yun Luo.
- Family Loss / Loneliness
Zuo Qing Ci was abandoned by his father twice. The first time his father chose to abandon him for his duty; the second time which is also the last time they were separated because of death. At his father’s death, Zuo Qing Ci realized how similar he is to the father he hated. It was heart wrenching. Su Yun Luo’s only family is Su Xuan. For ten years she has been saving him. However when Zuo Qing Ci made her waver, she couldn’t afford that and pushed him away. That is why she knows better than anyone else that he needs her. Wen Si Yuan lost his brothers because of a greedy man’s thirst for power. This connects him to Shen Man Qing who also lost her parents for the same reason. On top of that she had to suffer the betrayal of her master, a fatherly figure to her. Xie Jiang Er’s father died from the same greedy man. Zhu Yan who just reunited with his family lost them before he could even cherish them. His path mirrors that of Zuo Qing Ci: abandoned by his family, loved by his family, and avenges for his family. The only person who was blessed from any of these losses was Yin Chang Ge. Perhaps that’s why he stays loyal, optimistic and sunny throughout the drama, particularly to Zhu Yan.
Overall: An exceptional wuxia series that takes you on a journey of twists and turns. It's a feast for the mind and the heart. At the end you will believe that somewhere, where there are mountains and rivers, lives a Zuo Qing Ci and Su Yun Luo charging pennies and dimes for each patient and being not more than one inch from each other. This one inch between them is love.
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