Sword And Beloved Review

Sword And Beloved (天地剑心) is a manhua adaptation and related to 2 other earlier dramas. Hence, fans of this series will definitely have a certain level of expectations for this drama especially when the male lead is none other than Cheng Yi. As I have watched the prequel to this story, it is only natural to continue on with the saga. Unfortunately, this ends up being more of the same for a fantasy trope involving humans and demons. Maybe I have watched one too many C dramas that many of them are beginning to seem similar in one way or another. Whatever it is, below is my Sword And Beloved review.

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 36
Type: Fantasy
Aired: October 2025
Images credit: iQIYI Facebook

The Cast Of Sword And Beloved

• Cheng Yi as Wangquan Fu Gui
• Li Yi Tong as Qing Tong / 12580
• Guo Jun Chen as Quan Ru Mu
• He Rui Xian as Long Wei Yun
• Ken Chang as Wangquan Hong Ye
• Tan Kai as Quan Jing Ting
• Fan Ming as Fei Ye Ye
• Yan Yun Jing as Feng Ting Yun
• Wang Hong Yi as Qing Cheng / 12581
• Chang Hua Sen as Fan Yun Fei
• Zhang Kai Ying as Li Xue Yang

Main Characters

Wangquan Fu Gui

Fu Gui is the Soldier of Yiqi Alliance which is a coalition of sects responsible for killing demons. He is the son of the Chief of Wangquan Manor. Fu Gui is a lonely soul who is bound by duty to carry out missions for the Yiqi Alliance. He has strong cultivation and martial arts skills. He leads a solitary and controlled life which revolves around training and slaying demons as instructed.

Qing Tong / 12580

Qing Tong is a little spider demon of Silk Cave which is under the control of a cruel Madam Yin. 12580 is her code name as one of the many spider demons of the cave. Although Qing Tong is just a spider, she is smart and can think on her feet. She is also kind and cheerful. Qing Tong is the name Fu Gui gave her after she has taken human form.

Supporting Characters

Quan Ru Mu

Ru Mu is Fu Gui’s cousin brother. Although he spent most of his years in the Western Regions, he shares a close bond with Fu Gui. Ru Mu is an easygoing and chatty person. But he hates and distrusts his father.

Long Wei Yun

Wei Yun is a dragon demon. She appears as fierce and ruthless on the surface but is actually a softhearted demon.

Wangquan Hong Ye

Hong Ye is Fu Gui’s father. He is a strict father who is cold towards his own son. Hong Ye is the Chief of Wangquan Manor as well as Yiqi Alliance. His wife died after delivering Fu Gui and he still pines for her. Hong Ye is a man who has gone through immense pain and heartbreak.

Quan Jing Ting

Jing Ting is Master of the Western Regions. He is a member of the Wangquan family but was caught practicing forbidden spells and exiled to the frontier by Hong Ye in the past. Jing Ting is a revengeful and ruthless man who is driven by selfish personal interests. Ru Mu is his son but they do not get along.

Fei Ye Ye

Fei Ye Ye is the steward of Wangquan Manor. He has a soft spot for Fu Gui and tries to protect him as much as he can.

Feng Ting Yun

Ting Yun is Hong Ye’s disciple and a member of Wangquan Manor. She has feelings for Fu Gui but knows it is one-sided. Ting Yun is straightforward but righteous and sensible.

Qing Cheng / 12581

12581 is Qing Tong’s younger brother. He is a little spider demon like Qing Tong. Qing Cheng is his given name after acquiring human form.

Fan Yun Fei

Yun Fei is the 2nd Prince of Corsac Fox State in the Western Regions. He is the heir but has no interest to rule. Yun Fei is innocent and has a pure heart.

Li Xue Yang

Xue Yang is the General of Li Army in the Western Regions. She is a responsible commander who helps to keep the region peaceful.

Synopsis

Fu Gui leads a regimented and lonely life as the Soldier of Yiqi Alliance. His duty is to slay demons as ordered. Fu Gui has no freedom but has been willing to listen and do as told as part of his duty. He also needs to train to achieve the highest level of power. Along comes a little spider demon who has been forced to spy on Fu Gui. He finds her amusing and lets her hang around knowing that she is harmless. Fu Gui also ends up saving Qing Tong’s life and transforms her into human form. Her company helps to break the monotony of his rigid life.

But in a world where humans and demons are not supposed to co-exist, Fu Gui begins to have stirrings of what his life purpose should be. He breaks free of the chains that have tied him throughout his life to experience life on his own. However, unbeknownst to Fu Gui and Qing Tong, an evil force outside the boundary is planning a comeback to rule the world. At the same time, Fu Gui’s powers become a worry for leaders of the Yiqi Alliance due to the prophecy that he will switch over to the dark side. With challenges coming from both ends, Fu Gui and Qing Tong have to risk their lives to stop the evil force from taking over the world with her hatred.

Sword And Beloved Ending & Recap

Final Battle

Sword And Beloved has a sad or open ending depending on your own interpretation. In order to kill Lady Black Fox, Fu Gui pretends that he has been consumed by hatred and uses his body as a bait to lull the demon into thinking he is willing to be her vessel. His pretense begins in Episode 34. Fu Gui also needs 4 items to be able to kill the demon. One of them is the Black Grief Tree seed which Qing Tong has refined. However, extracting it from Qing Tong would kill her. Qing Tong knows the pain Fu Gui is going though to make that decision. So, she willingly offers to let him extract it out of her and dies in Episode 35.

In Episode 36, Fu Gui breaks the barrier (which fulfills part of the prophecy) that confines Lady Black Fox and flies to meet her in a final duel. With the 4 items, Fu Gui burns his life to unleash the strongest power to kill Lady Black Fox. Then, he infuses Qing Tong’s Grief Tree seed with the last of his powers for it to grow into a big love tree which blesses both strong and weak. Before Fu Gui dies and fades away, he is happy that he fulfilled his duty to kill the demon. His only regret is towards Qing Tong. He hopes they could cut all ties that hold them back and keep each other company in a brighter world.

Wrap Up

After the final battle with Lady Black Fox, the Wangquan Sword is lost with Fu Gui’s death. Ting Yun follows Hong Ye’s wish that there is no longer a need to have Wangquan Manor if the Wangquan Sword is lost. Thus, she decides to break the Wangquan surname into Wang and Quan. The Wangs will guard the Central Plains while the Quans will be based in the Western Regions. Ting Yun will change her surname to Quan.

Yun Fei and Xue Yang remain a happy couple. They tell the young demons the story about Fu Gui. Yun Fei is deeply respectful and touched by Fu Gui’s selflessness and sacrifice.

Qing Tong is back to being a little spider demon as she hangs around her Grief Tree. The drama ends with Qing Tong turning around when a voice that sounds like Fu Gui calls out her name.

When Did The Leads Get Together?

Fu Gui and Qing Tong did not officially get together although they do miss each other. They also enjoy each other’s company.

Is There Any Breakup?

There is no breakup since Fu Gui and Qing Tong are never officially a couple. But they are separated from each other in Episode 18 when Qing Cheng takes her away on the sly. Qing Cheng also lies to his sister that Fu Gui is dead in Episode 20 as he doesn’t want her to go back to Fu Gui. But Qing Tong has her doubts. She gets the confirmation that Fu Gui is still alive in Episode 23. This is when she overhears Lady Black Fox mentioning Fu Gui while refining a seed that is connected to the Black Grief Tree.

Qing Tong goes to look for Fu Gui then but stops herself from appearing before him in Episode 25. This is because the Black Grief Tree seed inside her could connect to the Lady Black Fox. Hence, she is afraid Lady Black Fox could sense Fu Gui which will put him in danger. They meet again in Episode 26 while investigating the death of a Yiqi Alliance leader.

Is There Any Love Triangle?

Ting Yun has feelings for Fu Gui and she tells him so in Episode 8. This is despite knowing that he doesn’t like her. She does so to voice her frustration over his attention towards Qing Tong. Ting Yun believes Fu Gui shouldn’t get involved with Qing Tong because the latter is a demon and the relationship will bring him trouble. However, Ting Yun did not report them to her master despite being tempted to do so. She sincerely cares about Fu Gui and decides to just let go.

Qing Cheng is very possessive of Qing Tong and extremely jealous when she falls for Fu Gui. He is influenced by Lady Black Fox’s clone and turns to the dark side. So, he lies to Qing Tong that Fu Gui is dead in Episode 20. She is angry with him when she finds out Fu Gui is still alive in Episode 23. This causes Qing Cheng to further cooperate with Lady Black Fox to keep Qing Tong and Fu Gui apart in Episode 24. He does so through devious schemes and to force Qing Tong to choose between him and Fu Gui.

Qing Cheng’s crimes are exposed in Episode 26 but he refuses to listen to Qing Tong to purge Lady Black Fox’s clone from his body in Episode 27. In Episode 29, Qing Cheng wants to extract the Black Grief Tree seed from Qing Tong and implant it into his own body so that he could be strong to make her stay by his side. But Qing Cheng didn’t realize doing so would kill Qing Tong. He is moved when Qing Tong wants to use the seed to perish together with him as she has never thought of abandoning him. He then kills himself and takes the dark clone along.

What Happens To Quan Jing Ting?

Quan Jing Ting has been relying on Lady Black Fox’s powers to help him get revenge against Hong Ye. In return, he must push Fu Gui towards darkness. He frames Hong Ye and instigates others to challenge Hong Ye’s leadership of Yiqi Alliance in Episode 15. He then takes over as the new chief and imprisons Steward Fei and Hong Ye.

In Episode 17, Fu Gui returns to save his father. He fights with Quan Jing Ting and the duel exposes the latter as Lady Black Fox’s minion. Fu Gui’s power strikes Quan Jing Ting and destroys his cultivation. Quan Jing Ting then collapses and loses all his powers. He tries to make peace with Ru Mu by claiming that he was possessed by Lady Black Fox for all the bad things he did in Episode 18. But Ru Mu isn’t convinced.

Ru Mu takes his father back to the Western Regions in Episode 20 and hands him over to Wei Yun to do as she wishes in Episode 21. Qian Jing Ting asks Wei Yun to kill him but she lets him go. Ru Mu then throws him into the dungeon. However, Quan Jing Ting is just pretending to have repented. He still wants Lady Black Fox’s help to regain his powers in Episode 23. The plan to enable Lady Black Fox to regain her full power fails in Episode 29 but he is given another chance in Episode 30. In return, he must help Lady Black Fox to sow hatred in Fu Gui.

Quan Jing Ting kills Ru Mu after absorbing Wei Yun’s powers in Episode 33. This sparks off hatred in Fu Gui who then kills Quan Jing Ting in his fury during their duel in Episode 34.

Who Is Lady Black Fox?

Lady Black Fox’s story is narrated by her clone to Quan Jing Ting in Episode 13. She was born in the Grief Tree of Tusahn and predisposed to darkness and death. The Tushan Sect elders’ divination revealed that she was born from the world’s hatred which makes her an evil being that will bring destruction. So, they confined her and gave her a seed of the Grief Tree. If she could grow it, they will consider freeing her.

Lady Black Fox used her own hatred to nurture a huge black Grief Tree. She found that her own strength grew with the tree. From then on, she started gathering hatred in the world to feed this tree until Hong Ye and his friends came from outside the boundary to try to destroy it. Most of his friends and his sister were killed by Lady Black Fox through mind control. Only Hong Ye and Li Qu Zhuo survived. Fu Gui’s mother, Huai Zhu, helped Hong Ye to pull off the Heaven And Earth Strike to break the tree. This cut off Lady Black Fox’s power source and destroyed her body which just a single wisp of hatred left.

Lady Black Fox hibernated and slowly absorbed the world’s hatred through the broken Grief Tree. She has now awakened and her resurrection enables her clones outside the boundary to be revived. These clones include Gu Kui and Gui Feng.

Grief Tree

The background to the Grief Tree is explained when Qing Tong visits Tushan in Episode 23. Tushan Rong Rong tells Qing Tong that the Great Grief Tree of Tushan is the source of all Power of Love in the world and all its seeds were born from it. Many years ago, Tushan Rong Rong had scattered the seeds in various places with the hope that they will grow so that the Power of Love can be connected into a net.

However, the seed that Qing Tong obtained after she entered the Space of Joy and Sorrow to increase her cultivation powers was stolen by the previous Qianji City Lord. The latter had used humans and demons to refine the seed. Hence, they died with resentment which was absorbed by the seed which then turned from one born from love to hatred. The seed became a Black Grief Tree seed which is why Qing Tong could see and hear the Lady Black Fox when she is refining it.

Ru Mu And Wei Yun

Ru Mu tells Fu Gui about his past with Wei Yun in Episode 15. His father had toyed with Wei Yun’s mother and then tortured her until she died. Quan Jing Ting wanted her dragon scale. He scraped it off to absorb its powers so that his hand would be impervious to all weapons. Then he cut off her horns before she died. As Wei Yun wanted her mother’s remains, she kidnapped the young Ru Mu. She thought Quan Jing Ting will give her back her mother’s remains in exchange for his son. But Quan Jing Ting couldn’t care less about Ru Mu. Hence, Wei Yun got stuck with him. Ru Mu also didn’t want to leave her as he hated his father and had nowhere else to go.

Ru Mu followed Wei Yun for 10 years and fell in love with her. Eventually, he stole back her mother’s remains for her. But the remains contained her mother’s last memories as well. Thus, Wei Yun saw how her mother was tortured and died. She wanted to absorb the Dragon Clan’s orb relic to obtain the power to get her revenge. Ru Mu willingly allowed her to use him to absorb the pain during the process. However, during the fight with Quan Jing Ting, she was unable to fully control the orb’s powers and went berserk. Quan Jing Ting escaped as Ru Mu stopped her from turning demonic. As a result, Ru Mu was injured while Wei Yun collapsed when the orb was forced out of her body.

The injured Ru Mu used up all his spiritual powers to save Wei Yun and then fell unconscious. Consequently, his meridians were damaged and he has been lengthening his life with potions. By the time he woke up, Wei Yun has left.

Reunion

Ru Mu meets Wei Yun again in Episode 17. But she feels that what his father did to his mother is something that cannot be bridged between them. Hence, they should part ways. She also doesn’t want to owe him for damaging his meridians to save her life and hence, hopes to find a cure for him. But he recovers after Fu Gui is forced to remove his sword meridian by the leaders Yiqi Alliance. Fu Gui instructs for it to be secretly transplanted into Ru Mu in Episode 18.

When Ru Mu goes back to Western Regions on a mission for Yiqi Alliance, he goes to see Wei Yun again in Episode 21. He tells her that she doesn’t have to worry about him anymore as he is cured. But he won’t pester her any longer as he has decided to take over Fu Gui’s role to be the Soldier. He hopes that Wei Yun can be strong and free. Wei Yun also feels that forgetting each other is the best for both of them.

However, they reunites when Ru Mu risks his life to save Wei Yun who has been captured by Gulizan to absorb her dragon powers in Episode 27. They become a couple in Episode 30 after Ru Mu confesses that he made a mistake in leaving her earlier while Wei Yun has already long fallen for him. In Episode 32, Quan Jing Ting captures Ru Mu to force Wei Yun to let him absorb her dragon powers. Ru Mu dies after being stabbed by his father while trying to bring Wei Yun to safety in Episode 33. Wei Yun chooses to die to be with him by turning herself into dusts at his grave.

Yun Fei And Xue Yang

Yun Fei has once saved Xue Yang but the latter has no idea of his identity as she was half-conscious then. Furthermore, Yun Fei was then in his fox form. For Yun Fei, he has been attracted to Xue Yang from the start. He is persistent in wooing her with his clumsy and silly ways in Episode 22. She isn’t amused initially but his persistence gradually thaws her heart. Yun Fei also wants to be strong so that he could help and protect Xue Yang.

In Episode 23, Xue Yang learns that Yun Fei was her savior after seeing him dueling with a demon which is picking a fight with them. She agrees to his proposal after his numerous tries and they have their wedding in Episode 24. However, Yun Fei’s father knew Xue Yang is a descendant of the tribe that defeated the Dragon Clan 1,000 years ago and has the dragon spine in her. He sets them up during the wedding ceremony and extracts the dragon spine from Xue Yang and implanted it into Yun Fei. This is to enable Yun Fei to achieve True Dragon Power.

With both the orb and dragon spine inside him, Yun Fei should have turned ruthless and killed off Xue Yang. But he could hold himself back due to his pure heart and love for her. Xue Yang doesn’t blame Yun Fei and they become a loving couple.

Other Key Events

• Madam Yin owes a debt of gratitude towards Fu Gui after he helped her to lift her husband’s seal in Episode 15. She thought her husband had been killed by Hong Ye in the past.
• Steward Fei dies in Episode 17 after using all his powers to break out of Quan Jing Ting’s capture so he could see Fu Gui for one last time.
• Fu Gui offers to sever his sword meridian in Episode 17 to appease the Yiqi Alliance sect leaders. They are afraid the prophecy that he will switch over to Lady Black Fox’s camp will come true. With Fu Gui’s powers, he could break the boundary to enable Lady Black Fox into the circle. His meridian is removed and he is exiled to the Western Frontier in Episode 18.
• Qing Tong increases her powers in Episode 22 after successfully passed the Space of Joy and Sorrow test in Episode 21. It is a risky technique that tests one’s love.
• Hong Ye relinquishes his position as Chief of Yiqi Alliance due to failing health in Episode 30 and dies in Episode 32. He has a heart-to-heart talk with Fu Gui and makes peace with him before he dies. He says that he doesn’t hate Fu Gui but himself for his many failures and regrets.

Sword And Beloved Review – More Of The Same

First of all, I think it would be better to watch Love In Pavilion first before diving into Sword And Beloved. This is because there are quite a lot of references to the earlier drama. There are even footages from there that were cut and included in Sword And Beloved. This is unlike Blood River whereby the story could stand on its own although it also has earlier productions that are related to it.

Basically, Sword And Beloved is a continuation of Love In Pavilion. It is a story of the next generation of the Wangquan family. The male protagonist’s relationship with his father and life path that was chosen for him have a lot to do with what happened in the earlier drama. So, if you haven’t watched it, some things will seem vague and I think it would also be harder to appreciate certain aspects of the story in the beginning.

This strong connection to Love In Pavilion is both a boon and a bane. A boon because it also gets to ride on the popularity of the prequel. There is an anticipation that there will be a continuation of the story when Love In Pavilion ends. But it is also a bane for Sword And Beloved because it means we are now faced with more or less the same thing when it comes to the villain!

Same Villain

In both Love In Pavilion and Sword And Beloved, the villain is the same. It is this black smoky fox demon which can’t help being evil. She is resurrected in this latest drama and goes about instigating hatred and getting people to cross over to the dark side. Same appearance, same hatred, and same need to kill her off. So, what do we end up with? Another journey of a protagonist who is destined to put an end to an evil demon which is on the verge of breaking free. You can say that it is typical xianxia and fantasy trope for C dramas. From The Legend Of Shen Li to Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact, sealing or killing evil demonic forces is pretty standard fare for this genre.

Thus, when the villain is exactly the same as the previous drama, it becomes an added drawback. Too many similarities mean any originality or freshness is lost on the audience. To me, it is like watching round two of the same fight. The main players may have changed but the rest feels somewhat similar. It doesn’t mean that it is terribly boring but neither does it offer anything more to make you feel that it is a worthy sequel.

Apart from the black fox, the other villains are also typical characters motivated by jealousy and revenge. There are not standout characters that will evoke your sympathy. In fact, they can be pretty annoying with their obsessions. When the plot and characters don’t impress, you might think the romance could be something to look forward to. Unfortunately, I doubt so.

He Is Her Savior

Perhaps the problem with Sword And Beloved is the title itself. It carries a connotation of romance. Hence, you would start this and anticipate a touching love story. But if you think that way, you will be sorely disappointed. Our hero here is the heroine’s savior. She starts out as a weak little spider demon. And when I say spider, she is literally a spider which is created with CGIs. The guy then saves her and turns her into human form. She is forever grateful and devoted to him from then on.

Therefore, there is this huge power imbalance at the start of their relationship. You will get the feeling that she sees him more as her savior, teacher, and/or master rather than romantic partner. There is admiration, gratitude, and warmth. There is love but it is a kind that doesn’t really inspire a feeling of romance. It may be strong, loyal, and enduring but it is definitely not passionate and heartfelt like how a good romance should be.

To be fair though, it could be the producer’s intention not to make the drama so romance-centric. So, the feelings between the male and female protagonists is not deeply explored and made stronger to the viewers. They are left to be companions rather than lovers. Thus, I’m not sure if the “romance” in Sword And Beloved is going to satisfy viewers. To me, it is a wasted opportunity as the plot has room to turn this into a truly heartbreaking drama. But it ends up being tepid and passionless.

Multi-Couple

There are 2 other couples apart from the main leads in Sword And Beloved. This means the screen time is split among them especially in the second half of the drama. Thus, the main couple’s story gets neglected as the attention switches elsewhere. In fact, the leads get limited screen time in some episodes with the new subplots taking over.

The good thing is that the 2 other couples provide the entertainment and comedy when the main couple fails to inspire. The second couple’s storyline is interesting and unique but the ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea. You can even say that their ending is pointless and unnecessary. The third couple is a fun one that switches the vibes of the drama when they appear. You will sense the change which may not suit the drama’s overall feel but it provides a diversion from the horrible villains nonetheless.

The bad thing is these other couples end up overshadowing the main one. Generally, we don’t watch a drama for the side couples. So, when they grab more attention than they should, the drama loses its main attraction and falters which is what happens to Sword And Beloved. Add in the average chemistry between Cheng Yi and Li Yi Tong, it is hard to feel really invested in their relationship as you watch.

My Verdict – Forgettable

Sword And Beloved is another uninspiring drama by Cheng Yi after The Journey Of Legend. I don’t blame him though as the script is the main culprit here. The plot is unoriginal to begin with and the villains are annoying and tiresome. The drama actually starts off quite well as it lays the foundation to the protagonists’ background and duty. I think the most intense and complex emotions are within these first dozen episodes. Thereafter, the drama starts to go downhill with the villains never-ending schemes and the same obsessions being repeated over and over.

As a result, the drama becomes largely forgettable. Unless you really want to have closure to the saga and see the ultimate evil demon being blown to smithereens after Love In Pavilion, then there is no compelling reason to spend your time on this one. The romance isn’t there, the main couple’s chemistry lacks sparks, the plot is standard xianxia fare, and the antagonists are cliche one-dimensional characters.

Therefore, I would give a score of 7/10 for this Sword And Beloved review. There is really nothing beloved about this drama even if you are a Cheng Yi fan. He has much better works to offer from his long list of projects. This one disappointingly falls flat and his character is written in a way that lacks the intensity and passion to make the story come alive. Even with an experienced co-star in Li Yi Tong, nothing much can be done when they are given a mediocre script to begin with. So, I guess skip this one if you wish as you won’t be missing much.

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