On the verge of death, Tang Ruoxuan, clinging to her last breath, informed Xiao Ting that she was carrying his child. "You caused one family to be destroyed, now it's time for you to taste the same fate," she spat.
Xiao Ting couldn't believe Tang Ruoxuan would resort to such ruthless revenge. In a moment of shock, he was tightly held by her, and together they plummeted down the cliff, their lives ending in a mutual demise.
The surviving male and female supporting characters, the second male lead and second female lead, left the martial world behind, their destinies intertwined as they soared through the skies, a pair envied by all as divine lovers.
This story felt rather cliché, merely a quest to find scattered treasure maps, piece them together, unlock the treasure, and save the world.
Many wuxia dramas followed this formula, nothing particularly special.
However, the brilliance of this particular drama lay in its introduction of an unexpected male protagonist, King Abhiro.
He was Xiao Ting, the righteous chivalrous hero who wielded his sword in the martial world, championing the weak and punishing the strong.
He was also Abhiro, the unpredictable cult leader who trampled on human lives, a treacherous and venomous being devoid of humanity.
This extreme split in personality, this stark contrast, and a villain who walked a path of no return, refusing redemption, was an unparalleled existence in domestic television dramas.
The male lead's unique character also made Tang Ruoxuan, his counterpart, the only heroine in a Chinese drama who took revenge by killing the male lead's entire family.
The male lead loved the heroine but did not cease his pursuit of imperial dominance.
The heroine also loved the male lead, treating him with sincerity and deep affection. She even conceived his child. However, upon learning the truth, she did not let love blind her. Instead, she abandoned personal affection for the greater good, sacrificing herself to eliminate the great demon, the male lead, for the sake of all living beings.
A male lead focused on his ambition, and a heroine free from romantic obsession – their characterizations were incredibly compelling.
After this drama aired in the previous life, despite its terribly fuzzy image quality, shoddy costumes and props, garish hairstyles, demonic lighting, and actors' faces appearing dark and sallow,
the unique characterizations of the male and female leads propped up the entire series, becoming an unforgettable classic in the hearts of countless viewers. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
After finishing the script for Tang Ruoxuan, Jiang Ling pondered how she should portray the character.
Many viewers of "The Legend of the Heavenly Sword" and "The Little Fish and Flowers" felt that Xiao Ting should be paired with Jiang Yuyan.
One was the pinnacle of villainous male leads, the other the leader of vicious female supporting characters.
If they teamed up, they could certainly decimate anyone with a protagonist's halo.
Jiang Yuyan's brilliance in "The Little Fish and Flowers" was so profound that audiences suggested changing the drama's title to "The Legend of Jiang Yuyan."
"The Legend of the Heavenly Sword" was similar; Xiao Ting's presence was so overpowering that he overshadowed everyone else.
Had it not been for Tang Ruoxuan's drastic move in the final episode, she too would likely have been forgotten by the audience.
As Jiang Ling considered remaking this classic, she wondered how to portray the heroine, whose character, beyond the upright morals displayed in the final episode, offered little else. How could she act to bring out her personal charm?
After careful consideration, Jiang Ling summarized her approach with four characters: "outwardly gentle, inwardly firm."
The heroine's entire family was murdered, leaving her orphaned and helpless, a delicate lone girl. However, her character was resilient, upholding justice, unafraid of evil, and exceptionally strong-willed.
But how to simultaneously embody this strength and gentleness presented a challenge.
Female gentleness could be categorized in many ways.
In the drama, the heroine's master, Master Ping Jing, was an old fogey akin to Abbess Miejue.