This drama packs a powerful punch from the very first episode with frighteningly intense fight scenes that had me flinching at every viciously lethal sword stroke throughout. The dark and intriguing wuxia plot is like an addictive, multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle that brilliantly seduces with a mysterious backstory and shadowy motives of the key actors. This is a very intelligently written drama that will appeal to engaged viewers who enjoy pulling at threads until all is revealed. 

Be warned - there may be mild spoilers ahead although I will steer clear of major spoilers.

Wen Siyuan, the suzerain of the information broker Shanshui sect is tasked by a gifted itinerant doctor Zuo Qingci to help recover a stolen defense map that was entrusted to marquis Yan. They enlist master thief Su Yunluo/Fei Kouer and the two top disciples of the powerful Zhengyang sect (Yin Changge and Chen Manqing) to aid them in this dangerous quest. It turns out to be a bonding adventure for them that results in a friendship and trust that can prevail over existing loyalties and conflicting agendas. It also drags them into a battle for the throne and reveals secrets relating to a decade old conspiracy involving their elders. 

From the start, that GOT callousness of characters dying at the roll of a dice probably made me protect my heart from caring too much about any of the main characters or couples. My favorite characters are the more peripheral ones - the Ghost Boy and the One True King. All of the characters in this drama are flawed and make mistakes. While Qingci and Yunluo are clearly the leads, there are many important, well developed and well acted roles. Our leads are both single minded to the point of obsession in their goals; Yunluo in a decade long quest to heal her shifu and Qingci initially with Yunluo and later on, with revenge. While I did not enjoy the obligatory angst, the overall progression of this relationship from an unhealthy adolescent infatuation to a mature and sustainable one was well done. Both young actors are charismatic and convincing but it is Zhou Tingwei's enigmatic Wen Siyuan that steals my heart and anchors the entire cast. Romance is not this drama's strongest point but the one between Siyuan and Manqing is sophisticated, witty and laced with just the right amount of spice to make the sparks really fly. The women are strong and independent and have their own agendas that can be higher priorities than love so they don't just meekly fall in with their men's plans. Best of all, they don't bore me with any high pitched squealing. The bro-mance between Changge and Zhuyuan is also very enjoyable although I don't love where the the story goes for both characters.

The real hook of this largely plot driven drama besides the satisfyingly bloodthirsty action is discovering hidden identities, motives and secrets, understanding Qingci's ruthless strategies and his end game and how he adapts when things don't go completely to plan. Which happens A LOT. Because the villains are just that cunning and that much more powerful that sometimes they win. The way tension and suspense is built in this drama is really masterful but can induce stress. The story is brilliantly written but unfortunately flaws and plot holes emerge towards the end. The first arc is really exceptional on all fronts but the excitement and ruthless brutality peaks there although the story continues to be absolutely riveting. From ~ episode 30, the story succumbs to crowd pleasing but unnecessary romantic tropes, some gratuitous deaths and imminent tragedies. While it builds to another climax the ending was only just satisfactory and did not meet my admittedly high expectations. There were too many holes and they unnecessarily wrote themselves into a certain outcome that they did not dare to follow through on with the same characteristic cruelty of the earlier arcs. I am left wondering if their quest was ultimately futile and if the high cost of revenge can be considered justice. To me, the true unsung hero of this story is the One True King who is willing to sacrifice for peace but is not king in name. This is the character that moved me the most. Does the legend of such a noble king make this a very dark wuxia or one that is bathed in bright light?

This is the most awesome wuxia of 2020, flaws and all. I initially considered it a 9.0 due to my high personal enjoyment but objectively 8.5 is more than fair given the messy ending.