Zhang Qingyun's portrayal of Yang Xiao was truly stunning upon his appearance.
Furthermore, his subsequent storyline with Ji Xiaofu was also incredibly captivating.
However, this particular plot segment caused many viewers who had watched "Ye Yu Sheng Sheng" to feel a peculiar sense of déjà vu.
The male protagonist in "Ye Yu Sheng Sheng" shared a similar persona and experience to Yang Xiao, yet Chu He, the protagonist, was completely outshone by Zhang Qingyun.
Indeed, judging "Ye Yu Sheng Sheng" solely on its own merits, Chu He's acting was commendable. But in direct comparison,
Zhang Qingyun delivered a flawless performance of a character that was as graceful as the wind and undeniably handsome, capturing the essence of the role. In contrast, Chu He only managed to skim the surface, failing to convey the deeper character nuances.
"The gap in acting is clear; Chu He is still too green..."
"I never expected a supporting character to have a similar persona to the main protagonist of another show, and Chu He is getting thoroughly outclassed by Zhang Qingyun!"
"Yang Xiao is genuinely cool, and Zhang Qingyun embodied that confidence. In comparison, Chu He's previously praised acting suddenly feels less impressive..."
"Comparing the top traffic stars of the past with the top traffic stars of today, Zhang Qingyun has truly grown!"
As the audience's comments poured in.
The story between Yang Xiao and Ji Xiaofu was drawing to a close.
Time flew by quickly.
Finally!
Zhang Wuji grew up, but not entirely.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
The opportunity to leave Ice Fire Island finally arrived.
Zhang Cuishan and his wife returned to the Central Plains with their son.
"Are they really going to have him act from childhood?"
"Thankfully, as long as the protagonist appears, it's bearable. Even though he's still a child, at least there's a protagonist now!"
"I bet Zhang Wuji will show off at Zhang Sanfeng's centennial birthday banquet!"
"Show off nothing! Although he's been practicing martial arts since childhood, the plot hasn't explained that he's a master!"
"Even if he's not a master, with the Seven Heroes of Wudang and Zhang Sanfeng around, this backing is unbelievably powerful. Guo Jing and Yang Guo express their envy."
"Hey! What's going on?"
Just as the audience was speculating about the plot's direction.
Zhang Wuji was snatched away by the Xuanming Elders.
The plot unfolded so suddenly that many viewers couldn't react in time.
After all, the audience had been waiting for Zhang Wuji to grow up. Now that he had finally left the island and returned to Wudang Mountain, he was immediately abducted?
Judging from the earlier plot, Zhang Junbao at the end of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" had already become a grandmaster, and his relationship with his disciples was so good. With Zhang Wuji having this kind of support, he could basically walk unhindered in the martial world.
Everyone had previously said that Zhang Wuji's starting point was higher than Guo Jing and Yang Guo from the previous two installments, but in the blink of an eye, he was captured.
"Is Zhang Sanfeng going to be the one to rescue them?"
Many people were guessing the next plot development.
At this point, the anticipation for the subsequent events had unconsciously built up significantly. The initial flatness vanished, and the plot, from this moment on, began to exude an inexplicable sense of tension.
Moreover, after Zhang Cuishan brought Yin Susu back to Wudang Mountain, the Wudang Six Heroes, Yin Liting, displayed an unfavorable attitude. While it was explained that this was because his fiancée Ji Xiaofu had been abducted by Yang Xiao, leading to his deep hatred for the Demonic Cult, viewers who had seen Yang Xiao's scene knew that Ji Xiaofu and Yang Xiao were mutually in love.
This was the last episode for today.
The protagonist was captured right after leaving the island.
The plot was still focusing on Zhang Cuishan and his wife.
But the audience's reaction was not as agitated as before.
This was because the anticipation for the plot had already been set, and following the earlier foreshadowing, the audience now felt a sense of impending doom.
However, some casual viewers still felt that the plot was progressing too slowly, stating that if it weren't for Jiangnan's reputation, they would have stopped watching long ago.
With nearly eight episodes aired so far, only Zhang Qingyun, the main actor, had appeared in the promotional stills.
Although Zhang Qingyun's portrayal of Yang Xiao was stunning, and even though his character persona was similar to the protagonist in the rival show "Ye Yu Sheng Sheng," leading to a dramatic contrast in acting skills that crushed its lead actor Chu He,
Zhang Qingyun alone was not enough to make the audience eagerly anticipate the subsequent storyline.
The Centennial Birthday Banquet.
Heroes from the martial world gathered at Wudang Mountain.
However.
To everyone's surprise, these self-proclaimed righteous sects, who had come to Wudang Mountain ostensibly to celebrate the birthday, were actually there to ascertain the whereabouts of the Golden Haired Lion King Xie Xun!
"Holy crap, no way!"
"You call these righteous sects?"
"These people talk about benevolence and righteousness, but their actions are so despicable!"
"Under the guise of celebrating a birthday, they actually came to ask for Xie Xun's whereabouts. They claim to seek revenge, but in reality, they want to snatch the Dragon Slaying Saber!"
"Aren't these people more disgusting than the Demonic Cult?"
"Given Zhang Cuishan's character, he definitely won't reveal Xie Xun's whereabouts!"
"Don't worry, with Zhang Sanfeng here, these trash combined are no match!"
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
This was the premonition of a veteran fan of Jiangnan's works!
Typically, when an author writes such a plot, they would have a more powerful character appear to de-escalate the situation and save Zhang Cuishan, a character built up over so many plot points.
But Jiangnan might very well not do that; he was truly capable of writing Zhang Cuishan to his death!
Indeed, as various sects pressured Zhang Sanfeng.
And knowing that his third brother, Yu Daiyan, had become paralyzed because of his wife Yin Susu.
Zhang Cuishan's mental state collapsed!
"Fifth brother, we've been husband and wife for ten years, and you've doted on me with deep affection. I have no regrets dying today. I hope you will kill me with your sword, to uphold the righteousness of the Seven Heroes of Wudang." Yin Susu sacrificed herself to fulfill this.
But how could Zhang Cuishan bring himself to do it!
"All the sins are committed by Zhang Cuishan alone. A true man takes responsibility for his actions. Today, I will satisfy everyone's wishes."
He chose to bear the burden alone.
Drawing his sword, he drew it across his own neck!
Blood splattered!
He knew his master and fellow disciples would try to stop him, so he committed suicide amidst the guests, not even giving Zhang Sanfeng a chance to intervene!
"Holy crap, you old rascal Jiangnan!"
"This… he's dead already?"
"This is too careless!"
"Damn, I didn't expect them to suddenly pull the rug out from under us!"
At this scene, many viewers were stunned.
Suddenly.
Zhang Wuji's two calls of "Daddy" once again pushed the plot to a climax. It turned out Zhang Wuji was present!
He witnessed his father being forced to his death by the heroes of the martial world!
Zhang Sanfeng took action, saving Zhang Wuji.
Seeing this, the audience's anger slightly subsided.
Although Zhang Cuishan died, at least Zhang Wuji was saved.
Fortunately, the old rascal Jiangnan wasn't so insane as to write the protagonist to his death!
"Wuji, promise me one thing."
"Mom, tell me."
"Don't rush to get revenge. Wait slowly, and don't let a single one of them escape."
Yin Susu's cold voice sent a chill through everyone present.
"Master Kongwen, I will only tell you the whereabouts of Xie Xun. Please lean closer."
"Amitabha! If the female benefactor had spoken a moment sooner, Fifth Brother Zhang would not have had to die."
Yin Susu's lips moved for a moment, but no sound came out.
"I didn't hear anything?"
Master Kongwen was utterly bewildered.
Then, Yin Susu ignored him.
Instead, she turned her gaze to Zhang Wuji.
"My child, when you grow up, be wary of women deceiving you. The more beautiful a woman is, the more she will deceive you."
"I didn't tell this monk; I was tricking him… Look at your mother… she's so good at deceiving people!"
Saying this.
She let out a tragic smile, suddenly loosened her hands, and her body tilted and fell. A dagger was seen plunged into her chest.
To everyone's surprise.
She had also committed suicide!
And she did it right in front of Zhang Wuji!
…