A man finds himself entangled in The Eight (Alliance) and is forced to be their leader.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Ou Hao: Hua Min Chu
[Ep1] Hua Min Chu is back from Japan after studying there for three years. He's got this annoying raspy dubbing to prove that he has a Japanese-accented Mandarin. He gets himself involved with The Eight (Wei Ba Hang) who are also on the train carrying out a mission.
[Ep7] Ba Xian tells Hua Min Chu his birth origins. His mother was the Scroll Bearer. She entrusted the scroll and her baby to Ba Xian before she died in the fire. She made the scroll's password his birthday. Watching him grow up (in Zhong Yao's family), Ba Xian understood his mother's hopes in him to change the world. Mom saw that in her baby. I guess all Mom's do........ Obviously it won't be easy. There's an antagonizing force that wants to suppress The Eight within its dark confines so that it can never see the light of day.
[Ep17] It's March 3rd. Xue Feng Ming reaches her destination safely. Hua Min Chu also finds Ke Shu. He updates the crew that there's a bomb where Xue Feng Ming is. More precisely it's under her chair and once her bum lifts from the chair the bomb will be triggered. It's that sore loser General who planted the bomb. Hua Min Chu's team successfully dismantles the bomb to allow Xue Feng Ming to deliver the scroll's message to the public. It's an influential speech from an influential person to convince the military leaders to give up their authoritative power for the people. After she finishes the speech, every leader declares to relent their powers. The sore loser General begrudgingly relinquishes his military powers as well. The crowd cheers. He asks Hua Min Chu what on earth is purpose could be. The answer is simple: Peace.
[Ep20] I don't know how to explain the game Bai Boss and Hua Min Chu are playing because I honestly don't get it. They're debating who's more powerful by using a board game. It's a game of bluff that Hua Min Chu can do whatever he wants. It wasn't a fair game for Bai Boss to begin with. Meanwhile Jue Ye and Ke Shu are saving Xi Shui. However, her cuffs are made from bombs. But Ke Shu can do anything except there's one last bomb that is designated to explode regardless. It doesn't explode in time allowing Ke Shu, Xi Shui, and Jue Ye to run away. If a master weaponry created that trap then it's a fail. Why have a lag time between the bombs allowing the prisoner to escape?
[Ep22] Xi Shui teases Hua Min Chu that there's only one bed. He's panicking. She laughs. She wanted to ease him of his anxieties. It works. Temporarily. D-Day still has to come. Mo Ban's traitor shows up on exam day with a gun. He's challenging the seniors to block his gun otherwise their city will be destroyed by Bai Boss. Ke Shu takes on the duel. When did Ke Shu stop stuttering? However, his dad ties him up to take the challenge for him with his incomplete invention. Is another senior going to sacrifice for the young? Sigh.
[Ep23] Dad is shot. Ke Shu hears everything but cannot see anything. Dad’s incomplete invention is a fail. The bullet went right through his heart. Unfortunate. His death and Hua Min Chu’s motivation catapults Ke Shu to become a hero to save Mo Ban from the traitor and Bai Boss.
[Ep24] Zhang Yao trusts Hua Yu Zhi but soon learns he’s not what he claims to be. He’s working with Fang Yuan Ji to take down Hua Min Chu. Even her loyal butler (Huan Uncle) is his man. I’m more surprised this is how the amazing Liu Er (Zhong Yao) retrieves her information: lurking behind a tree and eavesdropping. Lui Er, I’m disappointed .
[Ep25] Xi Shui is alive but barely. She’s in a coma. Zhong Yao is the one with Hua Min Chu but it’s Xi Shui who consumes his mind.
[Ep26] Hua Min Chu gets a dose of reality from Zhong Yao. He doesn’t like her for lying to him but she’s right. The Eight needs him now that a wannabe The Eight is taking over. If he won’t do it for The Eight, at least do it for Xi Shui. Hua Min Ju snaps out of his slump
[Ep27] Ke Shu really likes Xi Shui. He’s got all these pictures he drew of her. However, the one she loves is Hua Min Chu. Despite him choosing her to die, she’s secretly protecting him. She doesn’t know he wanted to die with her. Xi He is also alive (he was saved by Zhang Yu). Xi Shui is working with him to revive their sect and help Hua Min Chu.
[Ep28] Hua Min Chu’s plan is to disappear without a trace. The entire The Eight is looking for him. Only Zhong Yao knows his plans but because moles are everywhere no one else can know his whereabouts. Xi Shui points a gun at San Ye but he doesn’t know his location either. Hua Gu and Jue Ye are tailing Di Ting people while stealing their information and giving it to Ke Shu to decipher.
[Ep29*] Everyone arrives at Shanghai. Xi Shui and Hua Min Chu reunite. There’s happy tears in his eyes. The Eight reunion commences but the atmosphere is cold. Hua Min Chu doesn’t like being lied to; he’s angry at the other members for not telling him about Xi Shui. Hua Min Chu dismisses everyone but Xi Shui. He wants to know why she didn’t tell him she was better. Xi Shui reveals she lost all her powers; she can no longer protect him. Despite him choosing Zhong Yao, she vows to protect him still. She also thinks he made the right choice in choosing ZY because she can never be like her and motivate him the same way she did. He walks up to her and holds her face as he tells her he never broke their promise of living and dying together (it’s a saying in Chinese that sounds more romantic than how I translated this). He hugs her. She cries and starts hitting him. He smiles because he’s back to the Xi Shui he knows. After almost dying Xi Shui has matured and everyone has taken a notice of this. Hua Min Chu is much happier that she’s back to the girl he knows. She continues to cry. She hates him for leaving without a sound. She cries that she lost everything, she doesn't want to lose him too. He’s holding her and assures her she has him for good. She bites down on his shoulder. Hua Min Chu winces in pain but continues to hold her. She calls him silly for not expressing his pain. He smiles. He tells her if they make up then there was no pain at all. 
[Ep33] The Eight takes on the wannabe The Eight one on one. Fang Yuan Ji needs Hua Min Chu’s (and Xi Shui’s) blood to activate the scrolls. Hua Min Chu knows he needs him alive too so he uses his life to threaten Fang Yuan Ji to make sure Zhong Yao is safe. Fang Yuan Ji also knows he cares for Zhong Yao so he uses her life to threaten Hua Min Chu to work with him.
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] Do I actually understand everything's that's happening? No. But it's still cool. The drama doesn't deal all of its cards in the beginning There's still a lot left to learn and I'm already immersed in this world that The Eight exists in. I'm curious how The Eight came to be, why everyone is so obedient to its rules, what everyone's motives are. I sympathize with Hua Min Chu because he's just like us having no idea why he must be The Eight's Scroll Bearer. The quirks of each character are fun to watch and there's an infinite amount of interactions the drama can create between all its characters whether it's between the silly ones (Ke Shu and Xi Shui), the bickering ones (Hua Gu and Jue Ye), the girl-power ones (Hua Gu and Lady Jin Xiu), etc., etc. I also love the action scenes. They're not made just to look cool. They add more depth to the story and each character's nuances. As for the romance, I can pass on it because the story is that interesting but there are a few scenes between Hua Min Chu and Xi Shui. Hua Min Chu isn't very responsive though. He's got too much on his plate anyways (he just found out his birth origins and now he’s the leader of a notorious allegiance). He also has a sister-fiance. Whatever that means. They're more like family than they are romantic.
[Actors/Actresses] I expected to love Qin Lan and Tan Song Yun in this and I do. I wasn't expecting to fall in love immediately with Gong Wang Yi (Hua Gu) though. [Ending] I'm a little disappointed at how little screen time Qin Lan has.
[Ending] The Eight is disbanded but the way it ended is suggestive that this group can reunite when their country needs them. It kind of feels like a nod to season two if this drama did well
[Review] This drama was an ambitious one. The beginning was enticing and was set on being the next cool thing but the overly complicated plot with all the grandiose messages lacks foundation. There's two main weaknesses: all the ambitious and bold statements that Hua Min Chu makes that have no substance to them; Hua Min Chu's impressive acuity that makes me go wow is he smart but in actuality I don't get how-and-why-that-connects-to-this-and-that. A lot of the weaknesses stem from how packed this drama is with the mere episodes it was given. On one hand I wished it was longer so the individual stories of The Eight members can be fleshed out. On the other hand I really love how short and sweet, and action packed this is. From someone who's not always interested in action packed dramas, the action scenes here were sumptuous to watch. I find myself transfixed to the screen.
Ou Hao: Hua Min Chu
Tan Song Yun: Xi Shui
Qin Lan: Lady Jin Xiu
Network: iQIYI
Mini Recaps
[Ep1] Hua Min Chu is back from Japan after studying there for three years. He's got this annoying raspy dubbing to prove that he has a Japanese-accented Mandarin. He gets himself involved with The Eight (Wei Ba Hang) who are also on the train carrying out a mission.
Hua Gu is a nimble thief who can fight ten against one. She won me over in a second. Lady Jin Xiu is the sexiest and fairest lady alive. With a whisk of her hair she can control men with her fragrant scent. These two are part of The Eight. In the midst of their mission, they find a bomb on the train. It's Ke Shu, the timid nerd, who dismantles the bomb at the last second. He's peers with Hua Min Chu.
There's also Ba Xian (the creepy old man with the creepy black doll) who's part of The Eight.
[Ep2] Hua Min Chu is jailed up for killing a peacemaker who was on the train (someone had used his knife to kill the man). In prison, he meets Qi Ming, a nobleman and a devoted pursuer of Lady Jin Xiu. Zhong Yao uses money to buy Hua Min Chu's innocence. Zhong Yao is the "sister" of Hua Min Chu.
Hua Min Chu somehow becomes the Bearer of The Scroll (The Painting of the Ten Walkers) that everyone wants their hands on. With that title, he gets a plus one bodyguard, Yi Fang, who will protect him and only him at all cost (if other people are dying beside Hua Min Chu, he won't move a finger to help). This man is a textbook bodyguard and also the most capable protector possible.
Xi Shui follows Hua Min Chu home to retrieve the scroll but she recognizes the marking on his back. It's the Seal of the Swordsman, a marking that is exclusive to her YinYang sect. She calls him her "Shi Ge". He has no idea who this crazy lady is. There was a pretty cool scene where a lot of people were hiding in a single tree spying on these two. Xi Shui introduces herself but he doesn't quite understand her dialect and calls her stream water or whatever (because that's what her name sounds like). She tries to show him her marking too that's on her belly but men back then are much more conservative. He's trying to stop her from showing skin and Zhong Yao misunderstands this scene.
[Ep3] Zhong Yao is kidnapped along with Lady Jin Xiu's people. Thus they work together and recruit The Eight members, plus Jue Ye (Mr. Noble).
[Ep4] Hua Min Chu and Lady Jin Xiu take on the kidnapper, Zhang Yu head on. They're playing Russian Roulette (Ke Shu had taught him the ways to cheat in this fatal game). Ke Shu and Xi Shiu are paired up. These two are cute. They're both silly in different ways but Ke Shu is by far the sillier one. These two are to find an underground pathway to free up the hostages. Hua Gu and Jue Ye are another pair. These two always bicker. All the pairs find themselves in a bit of a pickle. It's Ke Shu who's the smartest of them all and manages to follow the plan to bomb up the dungeon creating chaos and saving everyone. However, every member of The Eight are now wanted criminals.
[Ep5] The safest place is the most dangerous place. They hide in the kidnapper's (Zhang Yu) manor. Hua Min Chu excuses himself once he brought them there. However, he cannot leave because he is the "temporary" Scroll Bearer. The meeting cannot commence without him. Thus, he stays and the meeting initiates with Ba Xian's introduction. Everyone's introductions are pretty cool. The eight members are as follows: Ba Xian, Lady Jin Xiu, Hua Gu, Xi Shui, Yi Fang, Zhang Yu (the traitor), The seventh member is a bird. The bird is a stand in because Di Ting’s Liu Er never shows his/her face. The eighth member is none other than Ke Shu. The purpose of the meeting is to disband The Eight in order to reassemble The Eight with a new Scroll Bearer. However, the traitor, Zhang Yu, won't allow it. He delays the disbandment to expose Hua Min Chu's background. Hua Min Chu is the sinful offspring of Yin Yang sect (Xi Shiu's) and Zhang Yu's sect. The sects of The Eight are not allowed to inter-marry let alone produce an offspring. Yi Fang swings his knife to kill Hua Min Chu (he was also his perfect bodyguard just an episode ago). Xi Shui quickly protects him.
Xi Shui mouth feeds him a parasite. It's a pair with hers. Now they cannot be separate for more than a hundred feet. She declares that if anyone touches him, they're messing with her. Ba Xian finally wakes up from his slumber (he was able to sleep in that chaos) and forces the meeting to continue. The scroll is passed on to Lady Jin Xiu who disbands the team and entrusts the scroll to Hua Min Chu. As long as he accepts to be the Scroll Bearer, no one in The Eight can exterminate him. In fact, they'll protect him.
Moments later, the police show up. They only want Hua Min Chu (for killing the peacemaker). Therefore Hua Min Chu agrees to be their hostage. Xi Shui chirps in that she has to accompany him otherwise he'll die if she's too far away.
[Ep6] Hua Min Chu and Xi Shui are on the run. It's Jue Ye's men who save them. They're a bunch of kiddos firing slingshots. Jue Ye is actually pretty cool. He's the acknowledged leader of an entire city, The Forbidden City.
Hua Min Chu is determined to leave this whacko group, The Eight, but each of them get down on their knees begging him to be their leader. They want to be a group to fight for a better world and they want his guidance because he is the Scroll Bearer. Hua Min Chu begrudgingly takes back the Scroll, accepting his position once and for all.
[Ep7] Ba Xian tells Hua Min Chu his birth origins. His mother was the Scroll Bearer. She entrusted the scroll and her baby to Ba Xian before she died in the fire. She made the scroll's password his birthday. Watching him grow up (in Zhong Yao's family), Ba Xian understood his mother's hopes in him to change the world. Mom saw that in her baby. I guess all Mom's do........ Obviously it won't be easy. There's an antagonizing force that wants to suppress The Eight within its dark confines so that it can never see the light of day.
Hua Min Chu always treated Zhong Yao like his sister. It was news to him to learn that she's his fiancé. It's because she claimed to be his fiancé that he was set free from the police (but that doesn't mean there isn't a death warrant on him still). Zhong Yao tells him that their marriage was set by their parents. She had always tried to treat him like her brother but when she reached the age to marry, she finds herself thinking of him as a man. Hua Min Chu doesn't know how to reply her. That's when Xi Shiu walks in in weird clothes. By the way, Xi Shui lied about the parasite. Aw. I liked that idea.
I have high hopes that Di Ting’s Liu Er will be my next favourite character. Even though s/he is still a bird right now. The way the cryptic messages are delivered to each member is intriguing (spilled water, wood typewriter, etc.).
Hua Min Chu takes control of The Eight. His first order to his members are not to kill. Hua Gu points out the only two people he has to worry about is Xi Shui and Yi Fang. Yi Fang says he only kills those who deserve to die but he promises that he'll get Hua Min Chu's permission before he kills. Meanwhile Xi Shui lightly promises she won't poison others with her parasites. Although Hua Min Chu has realized his position in The Eight, he makes his intentions to leave apparent to his members.
Their next mission is to save Zhang Yu from his death punishment. He's a traitor but his sect his innocent.
[Ep8] Zhong Yao senses the distance between her and Hua Min Chu growing farther now that he's The Eight's Scroll Bearer but she's determined to protect him still.
The mission to save Zhang Yu runs into various mishaps but there's at least eight brains to solve this. Zhang Yu is saved after Hua Min Chu creates havoc in the crowd. However, he's kept detained because to The Eight he's still a traitor and a threat.
[Ep9] Hua Min Chu is caught between two women's love for him: Zhong Yao and Xi Shui. Xi Shui asks him if he loves her. He can't answer her. She begs him if he can stop finding the antidote to their parasite. She doesn't want to leave him. She wants to protect him. Her crying makes him cry. Seeing his tears drop, she smiles because he cried for her. She happily skips away but it's only to hide in another corner to cry.
Zhong Yao understands him best and decides to leave. She knows he wants to be with The Eight and help the world.
We finally get to see Di Ting’s Liu Er. It's Zhong Yao. Omg! Now I'm torn. I was ready to love her but now that it's her I feel bad for her. If she's part of The Eight then why did she have to "leave" Hua Min Chu? Because she can't reveal her identity?
Hua Min Chu, Xi Shui, and Ke Shu find themselves in trouble as they're caught by an old man on their way to Kuiming (Xi Shui's hometown). Hua Min Chu's leg almost breaks to save the crew. Xue Feng Ming's people help them. She received a message from Di Ting to receive them but at the most critical moment, she betrays Hua Min Chu and exposes his identity to the officer.
[Ep10] Xue Feng Ming didn't sell him out. She hinted to Hua Min Chu to join her in the play to fool the idiotic officer. They successfully board the train to leave the city. Xi Shui is still completely oblivious to the play they just acted. I can't believe she's the same Tan Song Yun from Under the Power. She's lost all her brains. She doesn't trust Xue Feng Ming at all and will personally test out the wine that she gives Hua Min Chu if there's poison. She also doesn't understand if her words come with good or bad intentions. Hua Min Chu had to shout it in her ear that it was good, lol. Although Xi Shui always makes fun of Ke Shu for stammering but when others make fun of him, she yells at them for him.
They're ambushed on the train. It's always the train. Advice: Never take a train in this drama. The Eight makes their appearance one by one to save them. Hua Gu fights the man atop the train. Yi Fang runs at the speed of the train to save her to save Hua Min Chu. When a knife almost stabs his eye, from his throat he sends out a blade. I assume he stores weapons in his stomach. Yang Zhao Shan (an officer and an acquaintance of Xue Feng Ming) also helps them.
[Ep11] Zhong Yao and Jue Ye visit Hua Gu's master (Lan Ting). The master makes Jue Ye go through various tests that he easily accomplishes but he hasn't noticed that Lan Ting had stole all the buttons to his shirt. Hua Gu is also dressed more feminine. Jue Ye is mesmerized and can barely recognize her. A disciple becomes very jealous of this.
Xi Shui takes Hua Min Chu home. On their way to her village, he sees a flower that reminds him of butterflies (he's thinking of Zhong Yao). Meanwhile, she sees a different flower and makes it into a ring to give it to him because it reminds her of him: calm and decisive. He takes off the ring and warns her that giving a ring to a man (person) has a very different meaning where he's from. She doesn't know what he means. He pats her head and says he'll tell her another time.
When Xi Shui and Hua Min Chu arrive at her home, it's a ghetto cabin with dust and webs covering every surface. Hua Min Chu nods in understanding, heh. He asks her where everyone else is. She stomps on the ground. He thinks she's upset that she doesn't have anyone. The stomp is her telling him her people are under the ground. She takes him to her underground castle but as she opens the secret entrance a mysterious figure is watching their every move.
Xi Shui's disciples arrive to greet her. I'm surprised to see Chen Hao Lan here. Everyone's shocked to see a live male. All the disciples here are female and have never seen a man before. They're all intrigued except Xi Shui's master, (Liu Qing). She wants him killed because he's the sinful offspring. He's also her nephew.
[Ep12] Xi Shui won't let her master kill Hua Min Chu and escapes with him. Xi Shui admits all of her lies: the parasite and him being her "Shi Ge". She did mistaken him as her Shi Gi it's just she never revealed she knew it wasn't him anymore. Her real Shi Ge (Xi He) appears and injures Hua Min Chu. His purpose is to capture Xi Shui back to their sect. He wants to marry her and reestablish their sect back to their former glory.
Ke Shu finds Hua Min Chu. After he wakes up he has another mission to save Xue Feng Ming. It's like Hua Min Chu completely forgot about Xi Shui.
Zhang Yao is visiting Hua Gu's master, Lan Ting. She's the only one who knows of Zhang Yao's Di Ting identity. She consults in her that she suspects Hua Yu Zhi (Hua Min Chu's father) is still alive.
[Ep13] Fang Yuan Ji (the rat) is injured and poisoned by Xi Shui's sect. He requests Hua Min Chu for help. Despite all the things he did to them, Hua Min Chu decides to save Fang Yuan Ji (this rat is approaching them because he has a mission to kill Xi He). Hua Min Chu, Hua Gu, and Jue Ye carry Fang Yuan Ji to Xi Shui's sect to be saved. Xi He is forced to accept the request from the Scroll Bearer because of Xi Shui. Simultaneously as he promises to save Fang Yuan Ji, he poisons Hua Gu and Jue Ye. Hua Min Chu doesn't like the backstabbing and hollers everyone at Xi Shui's sect. Xi Shui had no idea her comrades were poisoned and rushes out with the antidote. The only problem is there's only one antidote. Hua Gu and Jue Ye both refuse the antidote for each other. They inadvertently confess their love, especially when Jue Ye forces the antidote down her throat. The effect of the poison is to be mute forever. Thus, Jue Ye tells her she's pretty no matter what she does before he loses his voice permanently. Don't fret though because somewhere else there's another antidote. They find it and Jue Ye is saved too. Hua Min Chu also forgives Xi Shui (not that she did anything wrong). He tells her he'll still be her Shi Ge and she's all happy again.
Zhang Yao is captured by Liu Qing (Xi Chu's master). It is because of Zhang Yao's mother Hua Min Chu's parents were caught (Hua Min Chu's mom is Liu Qing's sister). Ba Xian knew of this which is why he entrusted Hua Min Chu to Zhang Yao's mother knowing that she will take good care of him because of guilt. Wow, Ba Xian is cruel. Hua Min Chu is forced to learn everything about Zhang Yao's involvement in The Eight and her mother's role in his parents death all in one go by Liu Qing who's captured him as well. She doesn't approve of him as the Scroll Bearer and confiscates the scroll from him.
[Ep14] To free Hua Min Chu and Zhang Yao, Xi Shui vows to her master she will cut all ties with Hua Min Chu. That's not the only ties that are cut this episode. Hua Min Chu draws a hard line between him and Zhang Yao keeping their relationship business only. He's not ready to listen to her yet.
Hua Gu's master (Lan Ting) dies to protect Xue Feng Ming to keep their mission alive. Xue Feng Ming has this scroll that needs to be safe until March 3rd. The Eight needs to protect her to protect the scroll. Before Lan Ting died, she had passed the leadership onto Jue Ye (when she barely even knew him).
Xue Feng Ming's location was supposed to be a secret. Hua Min Chu and Ba Xian suspect there's a mole among them.
[Ep15] Hua Min Chu cleverly sets up a scheme to fish out the mole. At night he tells the crew there is no traitor among them but it's just to assure the rest of the team. He later asks Zhang Yao, Lady Jin Xiu and Qi Ming to meet him. He's unable to confirm who's the spy so he asks all three of them to withdraw from the mission. And that's how we see less of Lady Jin Xiu. She already has so little screen time.
The real spy isn't any of the three. It's the male disciple who likes Hua Gu. His jealously allowed the enemy to manipulate him. Another rotten character appears again: Fang Yuan Ji. He's killed Xi He, killed Xi Shui's master and her entire sect leaving only Xi Shui alive to threaten Hua Min Chu for the scrolls.
Hua Min Chu devises a plan to save Xi Shui. By the way, he still has the flower ring she gave him.
[Ep16] Hua Min Chu risks his life to save Xi Shui. The poor girl has lost everything in a mere day: her home, her master, her friends, her family. Everything. Ke Shu tries to comfort her and buys her favourite foods. He likes her. However, he's kidnapped before he could return to Xi Shui.
Ba Xian reveals to Hua Min Chu that the scrolls are perhaps related to a treasure map which is why everyone wants it.
[Ep18] There's a new mission and a new scroll. It's with Bai Boss. Hua Min Chu is captured because Bai Boss is interested in him as well. Ba Xian saves him allowing him to reunite with Lady Jin Xiu and Qi Ming. They're chummy again, it's like he never suspected them of betrayal or anything. Zhong Yao is missing though.
Hua Gu teaches Xi Shui to be like Zhong Yao to seduce Hua Min Chu (i.e graceful). She hints to Xi Shui to change her wardrobe so she does. Xi Shui's fashion sense is so awful, the store owner volunteers to help her find the perfect outfit. Xi Shui gladly takes the offer but forgets to pay as she runs out realizing she forgot all about Hua Min Chu. Di Ting sends a message to assure them that Hua Min Chu is okay. But he's not? He's captured? Although he is saved later. Is this the real Di Ting? It takes Xi Shui a whole night to walk back to Hua Min Chu in her new heels. It's not an effort gone to waste though as Hua Min Chu smiles at her beauty. His admiration ends abruptly when he finds out she didn't pay. He lectures her making her cry and run off. She drinks and drinks until she's drunk. In the bar, Bai Boss is watching her. Although Xi Shui is drunk she knows Bai Boss has a hidden agenda and pretends to fall for it.
[Ep19] I was going to compliment Xi Shui for being smart for once but she just ends up being captured by Bai Boss and used as a bargaining chip. Bai Boss wants Hua Min Chu to help her buy weaponry from Mo Ban (one of The Eight's sects – Ke Shu's). Except that's going against Hua Min Chu's plan of having The Eight step out of jianghu. Neither is Mo Ban leader being helpful. Or at least that was in the beginning. After Ba Xian's persuasion, Mo Ban helps them save Xi Shui by offering a duel between them. If Bai Boss loses she will not only return Xi Shui but also the scroll they want. Villain, why give them everything they want?
Zhong Yao meets Hua Yu Zhi (Hua Min Chu's father). She was right, he is alive. The father confesses that he wants to protect Hua Min Chu but there's someone who's targeting his son.
[Ep21] Xi Shui is saved and the scroll is in their hands. Xi Shui runs to give Hua Min Chu a hug. There's two sad souls watching them hug: Zhong Yao and Ke Shu. Despite losing, Bai Boss has no intentions of stopping her plans. She'll use force to take over Mo Ban City.
Ke Shu takes Hua Min Chu and Xi Shui to his home. They meet his father and soon learns how his father is ridiculed by Mo Ban seniors. They also try to convince the seniors to prepare for war against Bai Boss but Mo Ban group trusts their impenetrable barriers and plus it's exam seasons. They cannot interrupt The Exams.
[Ep22] Xi Shui teases Hua Min Chu that there's only one bed. He's panicking. She laughs. She wanted to ease him of his anxieties. It works. Temporarily. D-Day still has to come. Mo Ban's traitor shows up on exam day with a gun. He's challenging the seniors to block his gun otherwise their city will be destroyed by Bai Boss. Ke Shu takes on the duel. When did Ke Shu stop stuttering? However, his dad ties him up to take the challenge for him with his incomplete invention. Is another senior going to sacrifice for the young? Sigh.
Qi Ming confesses to Lady Jin Xiu using a movie that he filmed of himself. I honestly don’t know my cinematic history and am to lazy to confirm but was there sound in movies in that time period? Her loyal maid sends away the gullible Qi Ming and uses Lady Jin Xiu’s signature trick on her to make her faint. Jue Ye manages to save her. Another betrayal.
Qi Ming is sent to help Hua Min Chu when he never called him for help. He’s in the midst of boarding Mo Ban people onto the train. It’s the train again ~ Fang Yuan Ji shows up and imprisons all the people on the train threatening Hua Min Chu to turn in the scroll. Yi Fang, the trusty bodyguard, once again appears out of nowhere to save the Scroll Bearer. However, his sister, Jiu Fang has betrayed him and is helping Fang Yuan Ji. This leaves Hua Min Chu all alone to fend off Fang Yuan Ji. He tells Hua Min Chu his father is the mastermind behind all his misfortunes. As if the train hostages aren’t enough to threaten him, Fang Yuan Ji captures Xi Shui and Zhong Yao. Hua Min Chu is forced to choose one to die. He chooses Xi Shui. She takes her fate willingly and plunges the sword in herself telling Hua Min Chu she’ll watch stars with him in their next life. She faints over. However, Hua Min Chu never intended to let her die alone. He replies that he’ll watch it with her and hugs onto a dynamite hoping to bring down Yuan Fang Ji with him. Ah so he chose Xi Shui. He cares more about her than Zhong Yao because from his perspective if he had to take one person to die with him it’d be the woman he loves. Yi Fang and Jiu Fang show up to take their respective teammate to safety. The scroll is now with Yuan Fang Ji.
This is an episode of betrayal. All the traitors gather to form an alternative The Eight. This is The Eight Beta version. Their Scroll Bearer is Fang Yuan Ji. Their goal is to resurrect The Eight instead of disbanding it like Hua Min Chu had wanted.
Qi Miing and Lady Jin Xiu are a team. He doesn’t actually love her. She helped him approach The Eight to steal the scroll. That’s why he’s always popping up here and there. Lady Jin Xiu regrets helping him especially now that Xi Shui is injured. Lady Jin Xiu is doing it purely out of veneration for his family.
He works with San Ye (Zhang Yu) to take down Fang Yuan Ji and Hua Yu Zhi. He teaches Hua Min Chu the ways of cheating in casinos. San Ye also secretly saves Xi Shui but he’s not allowing her to tell Hua Min Chu she’s awake because she is his secret weapon against Fang Yuan Ji.
Hua Min Chu deduces exactly how Hua Yu Zhi knows his every move and has a counter plan. He uses the money he bargained with San Ye to revamp Yi Fang’s bar. Precisely because Hua Yu Zhi knows about this hideout of Yi Fang’s, Hua Min Chu wants to make this place as extravagant as possible.
After retrieving the information he wants, Hua Min Chu seeks help from Yi Fang. Xi Shui is also seeking out for a friend, it’s Ke Shu. He can’t believe his eyes so he squeezes her cheeks to make sure she’s real. He hugs her but she pretends to be a ghost. He jumps back and falls to the ground. Cute. She laughs and now he knows for sure she’s alive and well. He joyfully runs around in circles while tripping here and there. Xi Shui has also found Hua Gu and Jue Ye. She plans to find Hua Min Chu in Shanghai. Meanwhile Hua Min Chu has found the second sacred scroll. It was located in a temple.
She updates him that San Ye saved her and Xi He. In order to find Hua Min Chu at Shanghai, she who’s illiterate and directionally challenged had to draw a map of Shanghai on her arm in order to locate him. He promises her she’ll never have to look for him because he’ll never let her leave him again. The next day he takes her out on a date. These two aren’t afraid of being flirty in front the people who love them (Zhong Yao and Xi He). He's taking her around Shanghai. Xi Shui jumps at the elevator and holds onto Hua Min Chu’s sleeves. He uncurls her fingers to hold her hand. He asks her, “Do you know what’s more important than living?" She doesn't. It is to protect/cherish everything that’s in front of our eyes. Yes, but you need to live to protect. But I get what he wants to say.
Xi Shui and Hua Min Chu take cover from Fang Yuan Ji. It’s the drama’s excuse for them to be extremely close. When it’s clear, she tries to step out from their hiding spot but he pulls her back. He tells her he had believed in their parasite back then. Now it’s her turn, she must believe in the parasite now reminding her she can’t leave him for more than a hundred feet. Jue Ye and Hua Gu are observing them from their hidden location. Jue Ye also takes advantage of their proximity and touches Hua Gu’s shoulders whenever he can.
[Ep30] Hua Min Chu has to leave Xi Shui to go on the mission alone. While she’s sleeping, he asks for her forgiveness because he’s breaking his promise of not leaving her. The next day, news of Zhong Yao’s wedding makes headlines. Her groom is Hua Min Chu.
[Ep31] Xi Shui confronts Hua Min Chu. It’s so obvious he’s not happy about marrying Zhong Yao but he remains silent on his plans. Xi Shui isn’t angry he’s marrying Zhong Yao but angry that he has a plan and she’s not included. Xi Shui runs away. It’s Zhong Yao who comforts Xi Shui. She gives Xi Shui her pair of earrings to comfort her. Why am I getting an ominous feeling?
The marriage is a trap for Fang Yun Ji. Zhong Yao knows the plan but she’s happy she can marry Hua Min Chu even if it’s fake. She tells him she has been waiting for this day for a long time. They’re about to kiss when Fang Yuan Ji interrupts. He takes Zhong Yao to be his wannabe The Eight member. Hua Min Chu faints over from the betrayal. It’s all staged though. Zhong Yao is still loyal to Hua Min Chu; this is all within their plans. Hua Min Chu is perfectly fine. Hua Min Chu waits until everyone leaves to tap Xi Shui’s cheeks. There’s finally a smile on his face. He promises to tell her his plans if she forgives him.
[Ep32] Zhong Yao passed on the leadership of Di Ting to Hua Min Chu. She also tells Fang Yuan Ji his birth origins: Hua Yu Zhi killed his parents. Zhong Yao is playing with fire. Eventually, Fang Yuan Ji suspects Zhong Yao and aims a gun at her. Huan Uncle takes the gunshot for her. Although he's loyal to Hua Yu Zhi, he also can’t let Zhong Yao be injured because she's like a daughter to him.
[Ep33] The Eight takes on the wannabe The Eight one on one. Fang Yuan Ji needs Hua Min Chu’s (and Xi Shui’s) blood to activate the scrolls. Hua Min Chu knows he needs him alive too so he uses his life to threaten Fang Yuan Ji to make sure Zhong Yao is safe. Fang Yuan Ji also knows he cares for Zhong Yao so he uses her life to threaten Hua Min Chu to work with him.
With their blood, the map creates a hologram to the lost treasure. Meanwhile each of The Eight’s member is fighting for Hua Min Chu, each of them admiring their leader as they fight the wannabe The Eight. Am I the only one surprised to know Xi He is actually loyal?
Xi Shui and Hua Min Chu are fighting a losing battle with Fang Yuan Ji. That is until Xi Shui shows her prowess. Her powers are back. Or technically, they were never gone. She slits the ligaments in his armpits rendering his arms limp. That's pretty cool.
[Ep34] Xi Shui isn’t the only one with a hidden trick up his sleeve; Hua Min Chu reveals all his plans step by step at how he outsmarted Fang Yuan Ji at every angle. There is no treasure, there is no blood activation. Fang Yuan Ji goes ballistic. He’s down two arms but his two legs are still quite formidable. Yi Fang, Hua Min Chu and Xi Shui team up for a pretty cool fight scene. Fang Yi dies protecting Hua Min Chu. Aww. I wasn’t expecting him to die :( He’s so loyal to Hua Min Chu, he never went against his orders. He promised not to kill and he really didn’t. I don’t get how Fang Yuan Ji is still alive after having his arm ligaments cut and carotid arteries nailed. Yet Yi Fang is dead. The last blow to take down Fang Yuan Ji is by Hua Min Chu.
Hua Min Chu has successfully converted all the traitors except one: Qi Ming. He’s the real Hua Yu Zhi. Or fake Hua Yu Zhi. It’s him who has been manipulating everyone to betray. Hua Min Chu had figured it all out that’s why he lied to everyone about being the new ruler of Di Ting. It was a ploy planned by him and Zhong Yao. The ruler is Xi Shui. The earrings Zhong Yao gave her is the heirloom of Di Ting. So does that mean only females can be leaders of Di Ting?
The Eight officially disbands. Ke Shu is going to Germany to advance his studies. Jue Ye is the leader of his village with Hua Gu at his side. Zhong Yao and Lady Jin Xiu are free of their duties and plan to travel.
And now, time for our last couple. Xi Shui reminds Hua Min Hu of his promise to her. He remembers to bring her to star gaze. She complains that there should be more. He smiles and kisses her. After the kiss he tells her he planted a parasite in her. It’s a love bug. She can’t be more that hundred feet from him and can only love him. He asks her to be with him forever. She hugs him and shouts “Yes!” She then asks him, “Does that mean you’ll follow me home and give birth?” That earns her a deserving ear pinch from Hua Min Chu. Where’s the marriage proposal and ring he promised to tell her about?
The end.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] Do I actually understand everything's that's happening? No. But it's still cool. The drama doesn't deal all of its cards in the beginning There's still a lot left to learn and I'm already immersed in this world that The Eight exists in. I'm curious how The Eight came to be, why everyone is so obedient to its rules, what everyone's motives are. I sympathize with Hua Min Chu because he's just like us having no idea why he must be The Eight's Scroll Bearer. The quirks of each character are fun to watch and there's an infinite amount of interactions the drama can create between all its characters whether it's between the silly ones (Ke Shu and Xi Shui), the bickering ones (Hua Gu and Jue Ye), the girl-power ones (Hua Gu and Lady Jin Xiu), etc., etc. I also love the action scenes. They're not made just to look cool. They add more depth to the story and each character's nuances. As for the romance, I can pass on it because the story is that interesting but there are a few scenes between Hua Min Chu and Xi Shui. Hua Min Chu isn't very responsive though. He's got too much on his plate anyways (he just found out his birth origins and now he’s the leader of a notorious allegiance). He also has a sister-fiance. Whatever that means. They're more like family than they are romantic.
[Actors/Actresses] I expected to love Qin Lan and Tan Song Yun in this and I do. I wasn't expecting to fall in love immediately with Gong Wang Yi (Hua Gu) though. [Ending] I'm a little disappointed at how little screen time Qin Lan has.
[Ending] The Eight is disbanded but the way it ended is suggestive that this group can reunite when their country needs them. It kind of feels like a nod to season two if this drama did well
Final Review
[Review] This drama was an ambitious one. The beginning was enticing and was set on being the next cool thing but the overly complicated plot with all the grandiose messages lacks foundation. There's two main weaknesses: all the ambitious and bold statements that Hua Min Chu makes that have no substance to them; Hua Min Chu's impressive acuity that makes me go wow is he smart but in actuality I don't get how-and-why-that-connects-to-this-and-that. A lot of the weaknesses stem from how packed this drama is with the mere episodes it was given. On one hand I wished it was longer so the individual stories of The Eight members can be fleshed out. On the other hand I really love how short and sweet, and action packed this is. From someone who's not always interested in action packed dramas, the action scenes here were sumptuous to watch. I find myself transfixed to the screen.
Despite the concept not being materialized to its fullest potential, I do love the idea of this drama. I really loved the episode where The Eight gathered and they each have their specialty. I also loved how a beta version of the team was created. I liked the romance between Hua Min Chu and Xi Shui (and their love bug), The drama wasn't heavily dosed with romance but there was just enough scenes of these two for me to enjoy. Zhong Yao's role is nicely intertwined with their romance and the missions. There’s a lot of bits and pieces I like about this drama but it wasn't able to holistically capture me. It hurts to see the potential drip away.
[Verdict] The concept of this drama is mesmerizing. Unfortunately, its potential wasn't tapped. Despite that it is still a convincing story with stellar action scenes, excellent acting, and a sweet dose of romance.
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