A hero’s journey begins with a box (and ends with a box?).
Notable Actors/Actresses
Notable Actors/Actresses
Zeng Shun Xi: Wang Xiao Shi
Yang Chao Yue: Wen Rou
Liu Yu Ning: Bai Chou Fei
[Ep1] Prologue: Wang Xiao Shi meets a storyteller who sings about heroes. One of the heroes in the song is the corpse that’s in his box.
Our story begins ten years ago. Wang Xiao Shi carries another box. Another dead body? No, it’s the key to the succession of The House of Sunset Drizzle, one of the two factions, ruling jianghu. They run on the code of chivalry. The other faction is Six and a Half Hall. They revolve around money.
Wang Xiao Shi (whose name means Little Rock) has orders from his shifu to give the box to only Su Meng Zhen but he gives the box to an old man! Oh, but the box is empty. Our smart Little Rockie emptied the contents from the Little Box to a Little Pot. He fooled the entire world! Shock.
Wang Xiao Shi has a weapon called 相思刀輓留劍 (Longing Sabre and Retainment Sword). It’s also from his shifu. It is both a sword and a blade. It means yearning for someone and wanting to hold onto someone. Isn’t it romantic? Cue romance between Wang Xiao Shi and Wen Rou (whose name means gentle and soft but she is anything but gentle and soft). His shifu had told him that whoever he uses the weapon for, their fate will be intertwined forever. And he uses it! For Wen Rou.
[Ep3] What was in the box that was in the pot is now given to Su Meng Zhen. It’s a letter. He glares at the messenger. Wang Xiao Shi stares back, unfazed. A stare down! Su Meng Zhen asks, “Let’s be friends?” Okie-dokes!
[Ep5] The Master dies. Su Meng Zhen succeeds the House of Sunset Drizzle. This upsets Lei Sun, leader of Six Half Hall. Lei Sun is also the father of Lei Chun (Tian Chun's real name) who likes Su Meng Zhen. They had an engagement. Oh and Lei also has someone imprisoned in the well.
[Ep6] Wang Xiao Shi is kept hostage by a courtesan (Zhu Xiao Yao) who seems smitten with him. Once he’s free, he’s caught again but this time by the palace. Minister Fu Zong Shu has arrested him and Bai Chou Fei. The palace and Six Half Hall are allies, I assume.
[Ep7] Bai Chou Fei is at his breaking point. His starvation almost turned him into a cannibal. They hang on until Su Meng Zhen saves them (which they don’t know yet). Di Fei Jing catches them at the gate and offers them a coveted spot in Six Half Hall. Our boys decline. Di Fei Jing admires that.
[Ep8] Wang Xiao Shi had lied to his shifu (also his adopted father, Wang Tian Liu) that he has no memories of when his parents were killed. He knows what the murderer had said. It was the same line he heard from Fu Zong Shu but it wasn't him. Could it be Lei Sun? Speaking of which, Lei Sun is here to kill the boys. They’re saved by Wo Fu Zi who is helping the boys as requested by Su Meng Zhen.
[Ep10] Su Meng Zhen says Di Fei Jing cannot be killed. He will somehow be useful. It’s intriguing how Di Fei Jing mingled in Six Half Hall when he’s not a Lei. The first task for the sworn brothers is to save Long Xiao Qing (who rebelled against Su Meng Zhen, but his heart is loyal to the sect) and kill the traitor Li Nian Tang. Wang Xiao Shi will do the saving. Bai Chou Fei will do the killing.
[Ep11] While Wang Xiao Shi is doing the saving, Zhu Xiao Yao plays qin. Surprisingly, her qin is a bow! She can strike an arrow from it! Cool. She actually works for Su Meng Zhen. That's cool too. I'm liking her more. Everyone's task is accomplished, but Su Meng Zhen wants to save a mute boy. They sit and wait until sunrise while their killers are on standby with their swords, waiting for a chance to kill. The boys don't understand what they're all waiting for. Neither do I. Su Meng Zhen says when the sun rises, no one can kill (Wtf?). Sun rises. Lei Sun retreats. The mute boy is saved. He may know something about Youqiao Bloc (qiao = bridge),which seems to be a covert liaison bridging jianghu (Six Half Hall) and the palace.
Fang Ge Yin. His name is mentioned. (He’s most likely dead. I think.) Show hints that he could be Wang Xiao Shi’s father.
[Ep12] Wang Xiao Shi saves Fang Ying Kan from the water. He's Wen Rou's fiancé. Related to Fang Ge Yin perhaps? Now Wang Xiao Shi falls into a well. Guess what, It's that well with the imprisoned man. He's Guan Qi. He's Lei Sun's brother-in-law and therefore Lei Chun's uncle. Wang Xiao Shi frees him. Oh but was it a coincidence that he fell into that well or did Fang Ying Kan deliberately lead Wang Xiao Shi there? Now this might be interesting. Is he from Youqiao Bloc?
[Ep13] Guan Qi (who’s pretty good looking after he trims his whiskers) was imprisoned by Lei Sun and Fu Zong Shi and now they shake in their pants – well, the latter is. They think it’s Su Meng Zhen who ordered Wang Xiao Shi to release Guan Qi. No. Wang Xiao Shi is just about as sharp as a marble. Witty Bai Chou Fei tries to save his team but offends Lei Sun. He’s about to die but Lei Chun (daughter) saves Bai Chou Fei. Di Fei Jing also convinces Lei Sun to spare Bai Chou Fei. Previously, Su Meng Zhen had offered an alliance with Di Fei Jing to recapture the bloodthirsty Guan Qi.
Wen Rou wrestles on the street as entertainment for Fang Ying Kan so he will tell her about Wang Xiao Shi’s whereabouts. Remember: she can’t fight. Girl is so brave and admirable here! He’s thoroughly amused and then reveals Wang Xiao Shi is at the courts. How did he predict Guan Qi’s course? Guan Qi had delivered Wang Xiao Shi to the courts in a coffin. He’s alive and dying because he’s tied up with bombs. He runs around asking the guards not to run away from him (and his explosives). Y’know, Wang Xiao Shi, the guards are a bit sharper than you. He dunks himself in water and manages to save himself and escapes. As for Guan Qi, he’s at the courts to take revenge on Fu Zong Shu. Oh right, this is why Fang Ying Kan knew.
[Ep14] Little Marble, I mean, Wang Xiao Shi saves Fu Zong Shu (???) and then endangers his own life. Di Fei Jing saves him from the incendiary. Then Wen Rou carries him all the way back home. Wang Xiao Shi promises to avenge Wen Rou for the humility and pain that Fang Ying Kan put her through. Oh boy. Wang Xiao Shi, worry about that empty skull of yours first. Wang Xiao Shi gives Wen Rou a present: a necklace. The pendant is a ‘Little Rock’ (marble? Lol) embossed with a little swallow. They hug. Bai Chou Fei and Su Meng Zhen join the hugging party.
Fan Ying Kan visits. Wang Xiao Shi is angry that he set him up to release Guan Qi. When stupid people are angry, it’s exasperating. And why is no one blaming Wang Xiao Shi??? Fang Ying Kan is here to ‘apologize’ and appear pitiful. The reason that he released Guan Qi begins with his godfather: Fang Ge Yin (Oh, alive?). He’s missing and it’s related to Bridge (Youqiao) Bloc. Fang Ying Kan wants to take down Bridge Bloc and asks the three sworn brothers for an alliance. When Bai Chou Fei asks for their benefit in helping, Su Meng Zhen is disappointed. The House of Sunset Drizzle does not operate like a business.
Su Meng Zhen and Lei Sun team up (which is pretty neat) to get Fu Zong Shu to bait Guan Qi.
Wo Fu Zi decides to be a hero and challenges Guan Qi. It looks like a death match.
[Ep15] Wo Fu Zi is dead. Pinned upright. Killed by Guan Qi. Little Marble, look at what you’ve done.
Here’s our team to defeat Guan Qi: Su Meng Zhen, Lei Sun, Bai Chou Fei, Di Fei Jing, Zhu Xiao Yao. Interestingly, Di Fei Jing is a powerful leftie. He gave a near fatal blow not with his right hand that holds the sword, but his left hand that is gloved. Even more interesting, Zhu Xiao Yao saves Guan Qi. She’s like Houdini, disappearing with him. It was Guan Qi who protected her and raised her. The little kid who accompanies her is Xiao Shuang, the son of Guan Qi. Now she also owes Su Meng Zhen. The only thing she can return it with is her life.
[Ep16] The big secret that Guan Qi knows is that Bridge Bloc and Six Half Hall are war profiteering, aiding the North in attacking their own country. Wang Xiao Shi frees Guan Qi because our Little Rock is pure and cannot be consumed by revenge. Guan Qi is crippled, though. Ah, but Bai Chou Fei isn’t that pure. He kills Guan Qi (to avenge Wo Fu Zi). Guan Qi says his last words to Bai Chou Fei: “Your look in your eyes looks like mine.” Consumed by evil.
[Ep17] The godfather (who I assume is Fang Ge Yin, which means he’s not missing and not dead) refuses to see Fang Ying Kan (stepson), but coincidentally meets Wang Xiao Shi. Our Little Rock COMPLIMENTS Fang Ge Yin’s (?) calligraphy. It’s beautiful because it’s ugly to the max. Only someone extraordinary could produce extraordinary shit. Checks out.
Bai Chou Fei confesses to Lei Chun and is rejected. He learns his love rival is Su Meng Zhen.
[Ep18] Fang Ying Kan said he wasn’t even a toy because he doesn’t make his owner happy. But this episode we learn that he lied about everything. All these years he has been concealing his amazing skills (so that no one thinks he’s a threat). Also, he wanted to use Guan Qi to take down Fu Zong Shu or Sun Lei so that he could join Bridge Bloc. He has a greed for real power and now he tempts the vulnerable Bai Chou Fei who’s jealous jealous jealous of Su Meng Zhen.
[Ep19] Lei Mei is a spy for Su Meng Zhen. She wants revenge on Lei Sun for her father’s death.
The godfather, who is also the prime ministe is the big boss of Bridge Bloc(?).
Sworn brothers are over! Bai Chou Fei was saved by Su Meng Zhen but he would have rather died from Di Fei Jing’s sword. It’s a humiliation for him. Will Bai Chou Fei work with Fang Ying Kan.
Lei Chun begs Di Fei Jing to help her save Su Meng Zhen, but for Di Fei Jing, protecting her family takes precedence. It was Lei Sun and Lei Chun’s mother who saved him from dying on the streets. Di Fei Jing locks her in her room, but then someone frees her. Who? Will she be able to save Su Meng Zhen? Who is the masked man in the alley?
[Ep21] Three things happen to Lei Chun. 1) She’s raped by the masked man. BAI CHOU FEI?! Despite the trauma, her priority is saving Su Meng Zhen. 2) But it’s her father who dies. 3) She’s betrayed by Di Fei Jin who is like a brother to her. He killed her father.
But wait! Di Fei Jing did not kill Lei Sun. He wanted to fake Lei Sun's death because even if they kill Su Meng Zhen, Bridge Bloc will annihilate him. Then Lei Sun asks Di Feng Jing what’s most important to him. Peace in jianghu? Six Half Hall? Or is it Lei Chun? He says it’s Lei Chun. Could he like her romantically? Lei Sun believes in Di Fei Jing. Now he can screw fake-death and kill Su Meng Zhen.
I’d rather 2 and 3 be true, and not 1. She was attacked in an alley because of you men (father, brother/lover) who proclaimed to love her D:
P.S. I refuse to believe Liu Yu Ning signed himself up for a rapist role and if it’s not Bai Chou Fei, then the only other guy is Fang Ying Kan.
[Ep22] Lei Mei tries to kill Lei Sun, but fails. He tells her he won’t die by her hands. Because he dies by Su Meng Zhen’s hands. Technically, Lei Sun pulled Su Meng Zhen’s sword into his own body. He wanted his daughter to witness her lover killing her father. Her father is the reason for her demise.
Lei Chun’s second task is dangerous. She plans to go alone. Or is she? She plays her qin where Bai Chou Fei can hear, which tugs at his heart strings. When he finds out about her mission, he decides to be her bodyguard. Lei Chun is purposely appealing to Bai Chou Fei. It was her father’s dying words: “Do not take revenge for me. If you have to (geez), seek for Bai Chou Fei.”
The Prime Minister lies to Wang Xiao Shi that Zhuge Zheng Wo is the leader of Bridge Bloc. That name cannot be more righteous, lol. Once Wang Xiao Shi kills Zhuge Zheng Wo, The House of Sunset Drizzle will be annihilated. It’s INCREDIBLE that Wang Xiao Shi knows to ask for evidence first.
[Ep25] Wang Xiao Shi plans to kill Prime Minister Cai. He doesn’t know if he’ll make it back alive. First, he pretends to kill Zhuge Zheng Wo to fool Fu Zong Shu. This fool fell for the same trick twice.
[Ep26] Wang Xiao Shi learns that Mr. Thirteen is the one who killed his mother. Too bad Little Rock is unable to kill him, but he manages to kill Fu Zong Shu by batting a Chinese chess piece (相 ≈ Prime Minister) that cracks his skull. Su Meng Zhen sends Wang Xiao Shi to safety and plans to take the blame for the murder but Bai Chou Fei protects Su Meng Zhen. As vice president, Bai strips Su Meng Zhen of his presidency to take the imprisonment for Su (who’s taking it for Wang Xiao Shi). Why can’t Little Rock take responsibility for his own crime? Is he even our ML?? And why is Lei Chun arresting Bai Chou Fei and imprisoning him? Does she represent the palace now? Is her connection with Prime Minister Cai out in the open?
Currently, Lei Chun is the goddaughter of Prime Minister Cai, making her the god-sister to Fang Ying Kan (who has replaced Fu Zong Shu). If FYK did what I think he did, then gross. And he’s following Lei Chun around.
Off topic, does anyone know why Su Meng Zhen keeps his head down like Di Fei Jing?
[Ep27] The brothers are all suffering. 1) Bai Chou Fei is tortured by Prime Minister Cai (which was uncomfortable to watch; too much suffocation). He’s forced to take these pills that make him hallucinate and it turns out his biggest fear is Wang Xiao Shi’s death. 2) Su Meng Zhen is ill, like always. 3) Wang Xiao Shi is on the run, travelling jianghu with the girl he loves, enjoying syrup on a hairpin (hygiene -> window -> out), and meeting a new guy Qi Shao Shang, an ally. Yep. Clearly, Little Rock is suffering. Qin Shao Shang is a guard and he deliberately loses to Wang Xiao Shi to free him. These two were so fast at fighting, you can’t even see it.
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| Because I just want a picture of Di Fei Jing |
[Ep29] Wang Xiao Shi is alive. Duh. Everything is intact, just face a few scratches on the face. There’s no way out other than up, but climbing up is impossible. He finds a skeleton, which peculiarly makes him dream (of his father.?). The man in his dream says there’s a type of powerful move that comes from a sabre that’s not a sabre, and a sword that’s not a sword. Oh will you look at that! Our Little Rock has a sabre-sword. Then he hears a voice calling him. It’s Wen Rou shouting from above. But whether she shouts or whispers, he can hear her. Distance does not matter. Alas, the power of echos! Her voice is raspy because she suffered an injury while escaping from Fang Ying Kan which then makes sense that she’s yelling. Will she bleed to death (when she isn’t even the one who fell of the cliff)?
[Ep30] No. Wen Rou refuses to bleed to death! She returns to the tent to tear the sheets in order to make a rope. And this explains the random tent, but seriously, that cloth is just enough for like a two story building. Down below, Wang Xiao Shi masters the sabre/sword technique thanks the skeleton. Then he climbs up that two-story building of a cliff. Or maybe that rope just has very strong elasticity and can stretch double its length. So it’s like a four-story cliff?
Fang Ying Kan on a horse is slower than Wen Rou on foot and injured (walking back and forth to make the rope). Nothing beats main character halo. Fang Ying Kan makes his way down the cliff. There was another entrance! I knew I couldn’t trust Wang Xiao Shi’s intelligence in finding another way out. He visits the skeleton. It is Fang Ge Yin (godfather numero 2!). He yells at the skeleton for staring at him. “When you were alive, I could kill you, now that you’re dead, what is there to be afraid of? I can still kill you.” Sure. But he can’t. Not because he “can’t” but because he’s guilty. He bows to the skeleton. He feels guilty, but he has crossed the Rubicon. He must kill Fang Ge Yin’s son.
Wang Xiao Shi and Wen Rou are in wintry weather. Are they flying? How does weather change like that? They're a pair of lucky ducks as they're saved by Wang Xiao’s Shi’s shifu (Wang Tian Yi).
Bai Chou Fei has succumbed to evil (after he was convinced that Little Rock died). The signature of evil must be ugly hair. He kills his teammates. Will he kill Zhu Xiao Yao too?
[Ep31]
[Ep32]
[Ep33]
[Ep34]
[Ep35]
[Ep36]
[Ep37]
[Ep38]
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-12)] I’m underwhelmed. Plot progresses very simply: the contents of a box is delivered; a succession happens; three guys are now sworn brothers. It feels like things happen because it needs to happen. Am I still in setup phase or is this how drama will roll from now on? This style of wuxia is my least favourite – the heightened, exaggerated way of speech and the style of comedy.
I was incredulous when a “fight” ended because of a sunrise.
Romance is boring (but it’s not the focus). Liu Yu Ning could be better.
My favourite thing about the drama so far is the music and the pretty scenes. :/
Ugh.
I don’t want to give up on it yet, though.
I find the end of Ep12 a little interesting. Did Fang Ying Kan (Wen Rou’s fiance) deliberately lead Wang Xiao Shi into the well to free Guan Qi? Also, Ep11 hinted that Fang Ge Yin (a man we never see, only mentionned) could be WSX’s father. So I was thinking WSX and Fang Ying Kan could be cousins.
[Actors/Actresses] Zeng Shun Xi and Liu Yu Ning have collaborated once before in Ultimate Note.
I find the end of Ep12 a little interesting. Did Fang Ying Kan (Wen Rou’s fiance) deliberately lead Wang Xiao Shi into the well to free Guan Qi? Also, Ep11 hinted that Fang Ge Yin (a man we never see, only mentionned) could be WSX’s father. So I was thinking WSX and Fang Ying Kan could be cousins.
[Actors/Actresses] Zeng Shun Xi and Liu Yu Ning have collaborated once before in Ultimate Note.
This also has the same director as Rattan.
Update: I almost missed another connection. Both Chen Chu He (Baron Chen) and Liu Yu Ning have played Hei Yan Jing (Sunglasses) in the Tomb series.
[Dropped (Ep30)] Story goes from point A to B with no logic in between. I’ve lost curiosity for the drama but since I’m near the end I may finish watching it (without the recaps). Although this is wuxia-like, the wuxia I was waiting for was something like Love in Between or even Listening Snow Tower.
I think I’m different from other wuxia folks. I care less for the fight choreography. I like wuxia for the teamwork and the adventure. It’s also the reason why I like these non-wuxias: Douluo Continent, The Dark Lord, The Taoism Grandmaster, etc. I’d choose a drama with a good story and crappy fighting over a poor story with amazing fighting hands down. And well this drama has neither.
P.S. Main characters should be Su Meng Zhen, Lei Chun, and Bai Chou Fei. Wang Xiao Shi and Wen Rou are so boring.
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