Thanks @ibisfeather for recommending this cdrama. I’m enjoying it because of the heroine, Ming Yi, played by Lu YuXiao. She’s both funny and unconventional at conniving her way out of trouble. Although she must masquerade as a fairy, she isn’t a boring damsel-in-distress like that Esther Yu’s character in “Love Between the Fairy and the Devil.” It helps too that she’s much prettier to look at than Esther Yu.
Here are the details if anybody else is interested in joining me and @ibisfeather in this cdrama.
Cast: Lu YuXiao (“Perfect Match,” the 3rd daughter) and Hou MingHao (never heard of him before)
Episodes: 36. As of 10/11/25, there are 9 episodes out already on Netflix; 10 elsewhere
Airs everyday
Network: Youku
Where to Watch It: Netflix
Genre: Xianxia
Here’s the synopsis of Episode 1 from Netflix with my commentary. Spoilers.
Episode 1. “Ming Xian, in disguise, loses the Qingyun Martial Arts Tournament and suspects someone poisoned her. To find the antidote, she assumes a new identity.”
My commentary.
Ming Xian is the alias of Ming Yi. Since she was born a female, her mother disguised her as boy with a magic enchantment. This is so she could fight in the tournaments and earn the approval of her father, the emperor, and be named Crown Prince. Unlike in the “Legend of the Female General” however, Ming Yi had a veritable masculine appearance as Ming Xian.
She’s currently 20 years old, and she’s been winning the tournament for 7 consecutive years, since she was 13 years old. Because she not only loses the tournament to an unknown warrior but also damages her “spiritual veins” – which is the source of her supernatural power – she must leave her home, the Yaoguang Mountain, before those people coveting her position assassinate her.
Note: I’m sure when it becomes known that both she and her mother/the empress, have been deceiving the emperor, they’ll both be executed, too. So, I think it’s not just maternal love, but also self-protection that compels her mother to banish her from the realm.
Her prime suspect of course is Ji Bo Zai (JBZ), the new warrior, from the Jixing Abyss.
Lol. The name of his home should alert us that there’s a contrast between the two main protagonists being set up.
Ming Yi = Female. Royal class. Daughter of the emperor of the Yaoguang MOUNTAIN. Seven-time winner. Always lived by the rules of sect.
Ji Bo Zai = Male. Unknown parentage. Former prisoner from the Jixing ABYSS. Upstart. Rule-breaker.
I’m sure we’ll find out that they have more in common than we think. For one, the survival of their sect/clan is unfairly placed on their shoulders. For another, their existence depends on keeping life-long secrets.
Ming Yi suspects JBZ of purposefully damaging spiritual veins because he defeats her in a very unconventional method. He transported her into his “Spirit Well,” a desolate place blanketed by snow, where her powers are restrained. (I have to make a mental note here to decipher what snow symbolizes for JBZ.)
She thinks he poisoned her with “Heavenly Grief” during their combat, and she must get the antidote from him so she can return to her original powerful self and reclaim her position as “Crown Prince” in her father’s court.
The “Heavenly Grief” has an interesting curse attached to it, so I’ll transcribe the long speech before I forget the parameters of the curse.
Ming Yi’s Master: The poison in you is called “Heavenly Grief.” For those with spiritual veins, it destroys them. For those without, it grants them. From now on, don’t use your spiritual veins again, or the poison will only spread faster. This mark is called the “Grief Blossom. When all seven petals fall out, your primordial spirit will be burned out. So, within a year, you must find the antidote, “Golden Millet Dream,” and take it to restore your spiritual veins, or you will die. Since the poison came from Ji Bozai, he may hold the Golden Millet Dream. Go to Jixing Abyss and find him. Once I get rid of your pursuers, I will come to you.
That’s why Ming Yi, with her spiritual animal/helper/sidekick in tow, ends up working at the Moonlit Blossoms brothel. She’s seeking the antidote from JBZ who likes to hang out there. She’s only got a year to live and the year will be shortened whenever she uses her power.
I’m sure, at the beginning, she believed her mission to be easy. But it’s proving difficult for her because:
One, while JBZ frequents Moonlit Blossom, his own Wugui Sea residence is locked up tighter than Fort Knox. She needs to search every inch of Wugui Sea — including his “Spirit Well” — to find the antidote.
Two, while JBZ presents himself as a social butterfly, in truth, he singles out no one and is suspicious of everyone. She needs to win his trust.
To me, watching her connive and scheme is the fun part of this show because, for the most part, he knows what she’s up to, for instance, when she deliberately trips to fall into his arms or cries crocodile tears to get his pity.
It’s also entertaining when they come up with the same idea, e.g., burning the pavilion to spare themselves from spending the night together and pretending to be a jealous girlfriend to get rid of the unwanted spies.
But as in all enemies-to-lovers plots, I’m looking forward to seeing who falls for whom first. In Episode 10, we’re introduced to the tagline of the series, “Whether you have true feelings for me or not, you’re the only one I love.” I’m betting on JBZ to feel keenly the impact of those words and to undergo an emotional transformation before Ming Yi does.
Episode 2
The synopsis of Episode 2 from Netflix with my commentary afterwards. Spoilers.
My commentary.
Throughout this episode, we see instances of Ming Yi’s quick thinking, like:
1. She hides in the pavilion which houses the kitchen, and she pretends to prep scallion pancakes for JBZ’s breakfast. Coincidentally, the wooden plaque/sign hanging over the doorway reads, “Shedding the Old and Embracing the New.”
2. After getting kicked out of Wugui Sea, she orders her sidekick, 20/7, to alert Lord Hanfeng of her banishment. Lol. She’s counting on Lord Hanfeng to quickly send two female replacements which will then force JBZ to reconsider and take her back in. “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” Despite being suspicious of her, JBZ prefers her to the two minions of Lord Hanfeng.
3. She pretends to be a difficult and jealous girlfriend to kick out the two new handmaidens and Doctor Yan.
Note the meta humor in the scene. Dr. Yan reassures Ming Yi that she doesn’t have to worry about the two fairies stealing her spotlight. And as soon as he says, “spotlight,” the klieg light shines brightly on Ming Yi and JBZ, as if they’re performing on stage before the others. This is the director’s way of saying that everybody knows that Ming Yi is putting on an act in order to get the intruders out of Wugui Sea. The two fairies and Dr. Yan have no choice but to leave after Ming Yi’s convincing/not-so-convincing display of jealousy. Even Dr. Yan claps with fake approval. Once the uninvited guests leave, the spotlight dims on the Ming Yi and JBZ.
4. JBZ tries to fluster her, but she brazens it out.
JBZ: When I was asking you questions just now, your breathing was a mess.
MY: (laying her hand on his chest) You are the one who’s in a mess.
5. She dares him to walk away from him, but not before flashing a purse before him.
She wants him to believe that she’s a petty thief who wants to gain access to his manor only so she can steal gems and jewelry from him. Then, she gives him a sob story that she’s penniless. This way, he won’t suspect her of going after the “Golden Millet Dream” antidote.
6. She studies the “Dual Cultivation Manual.”
Lol. This is obviously a manual about leveling up in the bedroom, like the “Kama Sutra” or “Joy of Sex.”
Other Highlights of this episode.
1. She tells him that scallion pancakes are her favorite. I’m not sure whether she’s lying or not. But he’ll remember this.
2. She finds her magical fan named “Embers” in JBZ’s chamber. The fan protected her from being killed by JBZ during the tournament. She suspects JBZ of keeping it like a trophy.
@pcml, thank you for opening this thread!
Funny and conniving is a good description of Ming Yi. Although MY was born a girl, she has lived as a man, so it feels as if being a pleasure-house fairy is not only the princess’ disguise but also the warrior’s.
The actress, Lu Yu Xiao, has been brilliant so far. I didnt watch Perfect Match but she was Daughter #3?
Meanwhile JBZ is in disguise as a habitue of the Moonlit pleasure-house, a great floating building somewhere above Jixing Abyss.
Both warriors, now both in disguise, and both with secrets to hide from everyone else (except from the white cat and the ivory dragon!).
Odd you should mention LBFAD, apart from the convention that chinese ‘fairies’ are insanely silly, because that show shares the art director of this one, Dan Chang Bin. Not sure if the whole ‘look’ is the AD purvey, in historicals the AD’s role is more obvious, but the fantasy world is so de[pendent on believable visuals..
Dan Chang Bin has done five shows: LBFAD, A New Life Begins, Guardians of the Dafeng, A Dream Within A Dream and this. I havent seen Dream, liked GUardians a lot, and watched the abhorrently saccharine New Life all the way through, probably only for Bai Jing Ting’s elegant profile but maybe the art direction also kept me captive.
Here in LITC the nobles in the J-Abyss get around from place to place in their own little boat taxis and I am loving the light on the water framing many of the better couple scenes here. Beautiful architecture in each mansion, CGI used for the right reasons.
I just finished ep9.
“spotlight”! LoL
Hou Ming Hao is a 28 yr old workhorse ML in Cdrama, but all on iQiYi only shows, 17 main leads in seven years not counting a few support/guest roles. Also known as Neo.
I have only seen him in “Back from the Brink” where he actually plays the human form assumed by a wounded dragon, but I found him memorable and have looked for him ever since.
That show, BFTB is one of my secret tacky favourites, it is a show where the CGI budget was squandered on the dragon scenes, and the human HMH wanders around with Zhou Ye (of the Female General) in tow through sparse woods with augmented foliage.
It’s my first time watching Hou Ming Hao. I found his big eyes off-putting at first (like Dilraba Dilmurat’s eyes) but I’m slowly getting used to them.
Don’t know much about the art director either.
All I can say for now is that I appreciate that the director didn’t make the dark scenes become too shadowy that I can barely see anything. I hate it when I can’t make out the either the background or foreground. It helps when the director adds props like lamps, candles, white garment, or the reddish glow of magic emanating from the fingertips to provide a small but natural-looking source of light in the scenes.
Episode 3.
The synopsis of Episode 3 from Netflix with my comments afterwards. Spoilers.
My comments.
1. While it’s true that Ming Yi is eavesdropping on JBZ’s conversation with Lord Hanfeng, JBZ doesn’t know that Ming Yi deliberately pounds on the floor to help him get out of Lord Hanfeng’s interrogation.
Lord Hanfeng (aka Mu Qibai) is trying to force JBZ to join him in his Grand Ambition to rule over the other realms.
MQ: If everyone can have a miraculous encounter like you, wouldn’t it be only a matter of time before Jixing Abyss can rule the Six Realms? If you know something about the Golden Millet Dream yet won’t share with other people, won’t that make you a wanted criminal of Jixing Abyss?
To rescue JBZ, she sacrifices her reputation as she pretends to be a wanton fairy.
2. Ming Yi realizes that she isn’t the only one seeking the whereabout of the Golden Millet Dream (GMD). MQ has a nefarious need for it.
3. Ming Yi also helps JBZ by getting him to kill one of the seeker bugs left by MQ. He left the bugs to search for the GMD in Wugui Sea. Naturally, she keeps one alive for her own use.
4. I was laughing at their couple body search. While she’s groping him all over to see if he has the GMD on his body, he’s feeling her back to see if she has “nails” on her body. Supposedly, fairies with spiritual veins have “soul-hiding nails” planted in them when they’re born to seal their spiritual veins.
5. He doesn’t trust her, so he hands her over to his housekeeper to continue testing her loyalty. But his plan backfires on him when Ming Yi keeps disturbing from his important mission at hand, i.e., discovering the murderers of his former master.
Ming Yi’s strategy is twofold. One, she knows that he’ll be easily swayed by her tears and, as a result, feel guilty for distrusting her when all she wants to do (allegedly) is to treat him with sincerity. And two, she also that sometimes the best way to resolve a difficult issue is to confront it decisively…or in her case, to blow it up, literally. The cake she’s baking explodes, covering herself and his housekeeper in flour. Of course, afterwards, she softens the blow by gifting the housekeeper with her favorite pastry.
To be honest, I like these scenes because they show how calculating and wily Ming Yi can be.
Episode 4
The synopsis of Episode 4 from Netflix with my comments following. Spoilers.
My comments.
The plot thickens.
1. A new chief of the Judgment Hall is installed. I’m guessing that the Judgment Hall is their version of the Dept of Justice. The previous chief, Hou Zhao, went missing because JBZ is secretly holding him captive. Meanwhile, Lord Hafeng or Mu Qibai has been interim chief.
2. Dr Yan, MQ’s sidekick, spitefully informs Princess Mu TaiJing (TJ) that JBZ is no longer available to be her future consort as he’s taken Ming Yi as his woman. TJ then kidnaps Ming Yi to confirm her relationship with JBZ.
3. Ming Yi is about to make a deal with TJ for her escape when she spots JBZ lurking outside. She quickly changes her tack and declares herself in love with JBZ. Lol.
MY: I’m sure we can come to an agreement on the terms for me to leave Ji Bozai. (spotting his shadow) That’s what you expect me to say, right? It’s true that a man’s worth pales in comparison to this sea of riches or even my own life. But ever since Ji Bozai rescued me from that hellish Moonlit Blossoms, I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with him.
JBZ: (frowning)
MY: (continuing) I’m deeply in love with him. I’d die for him.
TJ: Then so be it. You can die for all I care!
Lol. He rushes in to save her in the nick of time and declares her as his woman. Before leaving with Ming Yi, he warns them not to harm Ming Yi again.
JBZ: If anyone dares to harm my Ming Yi again (raising her hand), even if it’s the Emperor himself, I’ll kill whoever does.
I’m sure he knows that Ming Yi is lying about being “hopelessly in love with him.” Nevertheless, her words made his day seem brighter. That’s why he doesn’t mind accompanying Ming Yi to the dock to bid her visiting friend farewell.
MY: You didn’t have to send her off with me.
JBZ: Well, she’s a friend of the mistress of Wugui Sea. It was her first visit. I can at least observe that courtesy.
MY: (complimenting him) As expected of the man of the household.
JBZ: (smiling) Today has been good.
MY: What makes today good?
JBZ: Umm…The weather. The weather’s good.
MY: Good? It looks like it’s about to pour.
JBZ: I’d say thunder’s on the way, too.
To me, this scene marks the point when a) he no longer sees her as a nuisance, and b) she’s growing on him.
4. On their way to Lord Hanfeng’s banquet, Ming Yi asks him about the fan “Embers” that she saw in his chambers. She wonders if it’s a treasured gift from a fairy. To her surprise, he candidly tells her that it was Ming Xian’s weapon. She wants to know if he’s keeping it as a trophy.
JBZ: He really is, as the rumors claim, an incredibly gifted warrior. At one point, I thought he might even defeat me. But for some reason, his spiritual power seemed to fail all at once. I could hardly draw back my own power then and almost killed him. Luckily, his weapon saved him. I kept it. I thought I’d return it if we met on the battlefield again.
Hearing his candor, Ming Yi begins to question whether the Heavenly Grief poison came from him.
5. At the banquet, Ming Yi saves JBZ from being trapped again by Lord Hafeng. This time, Lord Hafeng probes JBZ’s relationship with the deceased Bo YuLan who was last known to possess the Golden Millet Dream. Ming Yi creates an incident, giving her and JBZ to quit the banquet early.
This reminds me of the banquet scene in “Legend of the Female General” when the heroine rescues the hero by using her martial arts disguised as clumsy moves. In this series, Ming Yi fakes a clumsy damsel to stop Lord Hafeng from prying and allow JBZ to get the last word in.
JBZ: Lord Hafeng, you’re mistaken. What I did just now was to protect the one I love. Should you find your true love one day, you’ll understand. We won’t be staying in this dull place crawling with scoundrels. Farewell
6. The highlight of this episode is the plan that Ming Yi and her spirit animal 20-7 conceive to open up his “Spirit Well” where the antidote is supposedly hidden. Only somebody sharing JBZ’s “divine consciousness” can open his Spirit Well. If she was still the seven-time tournament winner, Ming Xian, she could fight JBZ and enter his “Spirit Well” in battle. But as Ming Yi, there’s a faster and simpler method to share his consciousness. She merely has to wed him and form a heart imprint through the Marriage Stone in order to share his divine consciousness. After doing that, she can gain access to the Spirit Well and retrieve the antidote.
Note: as for their separation when it’s time for her to return to Yaoguang Mountain, all they need to do is to erase each other’s name (I guess) from the Marriage Stone.
7. But first, in order to get him to marry her, she must earn her affection.
To me, the plan is too convoluted. It’s probably easier just to tell him the truth that she’s Ming Xian.
A more general question for anyone lurking about the use of rings in this show…. (magic rings not pc3’s wheelhouse I would imagine)
I am puzzled by the use of rings and can only guess that it is something more current in gaming. JBZ turns his inwards or outwards…when? I havent been able to catch up. I have asked on the comment pages but no one picked up on it, so far.
Later on in ep9, Lord Hanfeng has a special control ring made of something organic and thorny, to control the netherbeasts with, so I am guessing the rings are used in some form of controlling spells?
Some of the men also have nice little discreet sword brooches which come apart (for the purposes of poisoning?).
ep12-14
We are at the 1/3 mark, as good a time as ever for romance to start to blossom..
Some lovely scenes in 12 and some cute ‘family comedy’ as the moth housekeeper, the dragon companion, or the white cat and the suddenly-arrived Master of MY try to puzzle out the reality of MY+JBZ’s ‘fake’ marriage.
ep13, HMH will break your heart.
ep14, HMH will make your belly ache with laughter.
conclusion, HMH haas a depth and range known to his QiYi fans but not to me, at least until now.
Speaking generally, this is one of the best fantasy shows I have seen in many months.
I am rewatching episodes before the sun has set on their day of airing.
Stunningly beautiful, charming and emotionally involving.
Hou Ming Hao turns out to be a great actor; he builds the character slowly but powerfully.
@ibisfeather
Will transfer your recent posts to a new Eps 11 to 20 openthread when I get home.
Yes, so far there’s no dull moment in this cdrama.