Introduction
In this final part of the episode recap article series on the thrilling The Demon Hunter’s Romance (无忧渡). We read the dangerous journey of Xuan Ye, Ban Xia, and others in the Underground City in The Demon Hunter’s Romance: Drama Recap Episodes 17 to 26. This part includes the showdown of the villains and the couple’s fate related to Carefree Land. How will this drama end?
Drama Recap Episodes 27 to 36
Episode 27
Xuan Ye uses a secret technique to swap the five senses with Zi Kong. He sees Sima Ling Ying and unties her and tells her to escape. Meanwhile, Zi Kong almost killed Chi Xue. When they’re back, Xuan Ye says that he blocks Zi Kong’s eight major acupoints and sets the place on fire after Ling Ying escapes.
Ban Xia tries hard to make Li Xian cancel the engagement. She bought hypostasis water from Chi Xue, and even learned the incantation from Chi Xue. She takes Li Xian far to the wilderness near a lake and tells him about her mental disease. When Li Xian says he’s okay with Ban Xia’s condition, she puts the hypostasis water on his eyes so he can see demons. The only demon shows up is the cute fish demon Xuan Ye threw a long time ago. When the fish demon approaches Li Xian, he passes out!
When Xuan Ye hears that Ban Xia bought hypostasis water, he figures out what she’s up to. He’s very angry at Ban Xia when she and the unconscious Li Xian come back home late, because she puts him in danger by letting him see demons. Ban Xia argues, “If a person doesn’t know what kind of situation he’s in, and doesn’t understand what he’s facing, he can’t make choices that follow his heart.”
Li Xian comes to Ban Xia’s house in the morning. Ban Xia thinks he would reject her now, but on the contrary, he really admires what Ban Xia has gone through, hahaha! When Ban Xia explains that there are scary demons out there than the cute fish demon, Li Xian says that he passed out yesterday out of excitement to see what Ban Xia sees.
Chi Xue, who investigates Xing Xian’s case, reports that both deceased men like to drink at Liushui Pavilion, a drinking place. Xuan Ye then goes to that place to find out if anything or anyone is suspicious. He locks eyes with Chi Lian. Xuan Ye is suspicious of him, so he tries to talk to him, but Chi Lian doesn’t want to talk much. Xuan Ye bumps into Ban Xia and Li Xian. Li Xian knows Mr. Bai/Chi Lian, so he takes Xuan Ye and Ban Xia to see him. The one who opens the door is Xing Xian. She plays the qin upon Xuan Ye’s request. Ban Xia doesn’t see a demonic shadow, and Li Xian (who knows about music) states that he feels a femininity in the play.
When asking around for the missing Ling Ying, he finally finds her passed out on the street. He brings her to Xuan Ye. After examining her, Xuan Ye wants You Huang and Chi Xue to get out of the room. It turns out Ling Ying faked her fainting, lol. She tells Xuan Ye how she encountered Zi Kong and how powerful the demon is. Since Xuan Ye doesn’t accept her help to send government’s troop to catch Zi Kong, in turn she asks him for help… for You Huang!
Xuan Ye then tells You Huang that Sima Ling Ying is poisoned and someone with great Yang energy has to take care of her for 21 days and not leave her alone, no matter sleeping, drinking, or eating. He suggests You Huang to take her to his home, lmao! When You Huang picks her up, she winks at Xuan Ye to Chi Xue’s surprise!
Chi Lian tells Xing Xian about Xuan Ye’s suspicion of him. Especially with the two murder cases, it’s easy to connect them with a demon. He asks Xing Xian to impersonate him, playing the qin at Liushui Pavilion. Indeed, his precaution is true, because the next day, when Xing Xian as Mr. Bai/Chi Lian plays the qin, Xuan Ye is already there staring at her!
Episode 28
Ban Xia is at the market with Ting Zhou when she suddenly sees a white crow on the shoulder of her neighbor, Mrs. Cui. She follows her, and Mrs. Cui is pushed by a thief who stole her purse. Mrs. Cui almost falls off the bridge, but Ban Xia saves her. She runs to Xuan Ye to report that the person intended to die can be saved. However, she almost falls off the railing if Xuan Ye doesn’t hold her. Now she sees the white crow on her shoulder. Xuan Ye says it’s a curse and can only be removed if they can draw a weapon that can destroy casualties. Ban Xia stays with Xuan Ye, until his sword draws itself, then he kills the white crow spirit. However, one of its feather is still alive!
Ban Xia finds that Xuan Ye’s sword is cracked. Xuan Ye explains that there are five swords in the Hidden Dragon Case. He has used Greedy Wolf, Mountain Shaker, and Fire Swords before. There are two more swords, Real Felicity and Origin Returning. He used Real Felicity to kill the white crow.
Xuan Ye challenges Chi Lian in the woods. He also guesses that he is hiding Xing Xian in his form at his house. Xuan Ye asks him to leave Guangping. They don’t know that Li Xian, Ban Xia’s fiancee, overhears them!
As this is the ending of the Snake Demon’s saga, I put this image below as an appreciation of Chi Lian’s kindness and beauty. Too bad, he met such an ungrateful person!
Episode 29
Zi Kong didn’t die. He’s saved from the fire by some villagers. However, Xuan Ye manages to block his acupoints so he can’t perform incantation.
I will summarize the scenes of Chi Lian and Xing Xian. While Xing Xian impersonates him/Mr. Bai to play the qin at Liushui Pavilion to avoid Xuan Ye, a messenger from the palace comes and asks Mr. Bai to play at the royal banquet. After the encounter with Xuan Ye, Chi Lian is ready to leave Guangping and live in seclusion. He doesn’t care about fame and fortune. Xing Xian becomes greedy and wants to be Mr. Bai. She prays to Faen Temple for Chi Lian to die. Chi Lian can hear her wish. Before their departure, they had dinner, and she poisoned his wine. Chi Lian confesses that he actually fell for Xing Xian since she saved him a long time ago.
That Li Xian is hilarious! Remember, he overheard Xuan Ye talking to Chi Lian? He gets enlightenment that he needs to make Xuan Ye his master! So, he breaks off his engagement with Ban Xia. In turn, he asks Ban Xia to help him talk to Xuan Ye to take him as his master. Although Xuan Ye is reluctant, Ban Xia begs him to accept Li Xian as his student.
While seeing Li Xian off to go back to his hometown before he returns to Guangping to be Xuan Ye’s disciple, Xuan Ye and Ban Xia see Mr. Bai, or more correctly, Xing Xian, with the royal messenger’s entourage. Before their meeting, Xuan Yue had already told Ban Xia everything about Chi Lian and Xing Xian. Xing Xian concocts a fake story that her husband is good, but the snake demon killed her husband and forced her to take his appearance. She kills him. Xing Xian says that Chi Lian’s body is now in a box. However, when Xuan Ye and Ban Xia check the box, the body is missing. Xuan Ye says that Chi Lian practices asceticism and is devoted to Buddhism, so he doesn’t have a demon trace on him (that’s why Ban Xia cannot see a snake shadow on him), so he won’t die. He just faked his death to release Xing Xian. We see later Chi Lian ride a horse alone on a beaten path with his loyal butterfly.
After several days eating only porridge, Sima Ling Ying couldn’t hold herself anymore and stole some real food. You Huang catches her. He complains that she fakes her illness so he will marry her, but he reasons that he likes Ban Xia because they were engaged in the painting world. Just in time that Wen Jian comes and announces that Xuan Ye and Ban Xia will get married, lol!
Ban Xia is not happy hearing the news that she’ll marry Xuan Ye, since he hasn’t proposed yet. Xuan Ye explains that he talks to her father, and her father swiftly looks for an auspicious date with the city clerk, so Wen Juan hears about it. Xuan Ye then proposes to Ban Xia with his style, serious yet sincere. Later at night, they have a short roof date. No, not sitting on the roof a la wuxia or xianxia, but with stools, they exchange gifts. She shares with him dates bought by her dad, and he gives her an heirloom from his mother.
Episode 30
Aha, the black panther brother finally arrives in Guangping. He sings a tune with his magic flute, and Xuan Ye becomes a black panther. He knocks Chu Xie out and leaves Ganshan Clinic after leaving a big hole in his window and a mess in the room. Xuan Ye wakes up with a dead deer next to him (his black panther form attacked it) and Zi Kong. Zi Kong tells him (and us) about Carefree Land, which is the origin of demons. He’s Man Ying, and Zi Kong is his half-brother. They’re from the Mystic Black Panther Clan, who safeguard the Land. Xuan Ye doesn’t believe him, but Zi Kong says Xuan Ye can feel it. The Carefree Land’s gate will open soon, so Xuan Ye has time to finish his business in Guangping. Zi Kong says if Xuan Ye’s family and friends know that he’s a demon, how will they treat him?
Xuan Ye goes home pretending not to know anything. But he keeps thinking about Zi Kong’s words. His friends gather at the Clinic to make decorations for Xuan Ye and Ban Xia’s engagement: Ban Xia, Chu You Huang, Sima Ling Ying, Chi Xue, Ting Zhou, and Wen Jian. Xuan Ye looks tired so Ban Xia tells him to rest and gives her a kiss on the mouth.
At night, Xuan Ye becomes a black panther again and jumps through the window. Chi Xue sees him in his black panther form and follows him. He scares the crap of the night watch, and disappears. The whole of Guangping is shocked by this beast. Xuan Ye doesn’t appear on his engagement day. Everyone thinks he and Chi Xue go to hunt this demon. However, when Ban Xia finds out the demon is a black panther, she remembers the shadow behind Xuan Ye after “Mirage” attacked his bracelet. She knows Xuan Ye is watching her, so she tells him that she already knows who he is. Poor Ban Xia, this scene is heartbreaking, when she apologizes and cries in the rain. She’s afraid Xuan Ye will leave her if she tells him that he’s a demon. Xuan Ye, who’s hiding in the dark, can’t do anything. The next day, a letter comes from Xuan Ye, annuling their marriage.
Episode 31
The next day, Xuan Ye can’t control himself anymore, and Chu Xie is with him. Zi Kong comes and wants to take him back, but Xuan Ye refuses. Zi Kong lets him go, but he warns Xuan Ye about people’s reaction when his identity is exposed.
Xuan Ye comes home and pays his deceased parents and brother homage and bids farewell. He doesn’t want to be a demon hunter anymore, and he leaves his Hidden Dragon Case. Ban Xia has gone home with her parents. Chu Xie wants to accompany him, even though Xuan Ye might be out of control and harm him. While walking, they hear people are panicking because of the black panther demon. Zi Kong scares kids by changing into one and abducts a child. Since Xuan Ye disappears, the Governor of Guangping has to invite another demon hunter, which is Jiang Shang Yun, and his apprentice Xue Qiao. Xuan Ye knows Zi Kong does it on purpose, so he and Chu Xie search for Zi Kong. Xuan Ye finds him, but since he doesn’t bring his sword anymore, he can only avoid him. Of course, Zi Kong easily subdues him. At this time, Xuan Ye becomes a black panther, and two of them chase and fight each other. It’s Zi Kong’s trap, because he changes back to human form and escapes after telling Xuan Ye that he wants to teach Xuan Ye that demons and humans can’t get along. Chu You Huang, the demon hunters, and the constables arrive and fight Xuan Ye. Chu Xie comes to save Xuan Ye from the demon hunter’s attack, and he dies, turning back into a white rabbit. You Huang sees that and is confused because Chu Xie is shielding the black panther. Xuan Ye is captured.
Ban Xia wakes up on the way back to Nanyang. She’s panicking because she can’t leave Xuan Ye. She runs away from her parents with an excuse to go to the bathroom, hitchhiking a haycart back to Guangping. Wen Jian is very angry that the demon hunters killed Chu Xie, but You Huang reasons that the Governor hired the demon hunters to do their duties. You Huang himself, feel strange as to why Chu Xie sacrifices his own life to protect a black panther demon. When the demon jumps on him, he feels its eyes are familiar. Ban Xia arrives at Guangping and hears from Wen Jian that Chu Xia has died and the black panther demon has been captured.
Xuan Ye is put in a big cage. The public is enraged and throws things at Xuan Ye. Ban Xia braves herself and apologizes to Xuan Ye in front of the cage, and she also gets hit by public rage. Ban Xia wants to release Xuan Ye. She grabs a sword and cuts the wooden lock, and Xuan Ye is free. Xuan Ye looks at Ban Xia to signal her to climb onto his back, and together they escape. Zi Kong watches everything, and he realizes Ban Xia was the little girl his brother saved.
The coolest escape ever!
Xuan Ye and Ban Xia have a chance to escape to the forest. Ban Xia tells him about the boy who saved her in the past, and she knows he was Man Ying. She offers her hand to him, and Xuan Ye does the same. The peace is cut short by their hunters. The constables shoot arrows at Xuan Ye, although Ban Xia is in their way, and she gets hurt. You Huang orders everyone to stop when Ban Xia yells that he is Xuan Ye. But the demon hunters disobey him and draw swords at him. Right on time, Uncle Shen shows up! He cast a spell, and the black panther demon returned to be Xuan Ye. Everyone is shocked, but still wants to capture Xuan Ye. Uncle Shen subdues everyone and takes Xuan Ye away. Ban Xia passes out.
Zi Kong, who witnesses everything, releases the child. Ban Xia is imprisoned, but she doesn’t want to say anything. You Huang and Wen Jian protest to the Governor for Ban Xia’s imprisonment, but Ban Xia released a demon in front of the public. Ling Ying comes to the rescue, stating that as the Judicial Review Commissioner, she has the right to review the case by releasing Ban Xia secretly.
Ban Xia wakes up with Ling Ying and You Huang around, and asks Ling Ying to go to the Underground City to find Xuan Ye. Xuan Ye wakes up at Uncle Shen’s place. Uncle Shen explains that he knows who Xuan Ye is and has observed the situation in Guangping. Also, that Xuan Ye’s bracelet drawn by his father is a protection to cover his identity.
Episode 32
Uncle Shen explains that 12 years ago, when Xuan Ye’s father went to rescue him in Underground City, the father found an injured Xuan Ye. The little boy had amnesia. The father didn’t expect Xuan Ye to be a demon because of his strong power. The father raised him for four years until one day he found out while they went demon hunting together for the first time. The father put on the hypostasis water and saw Xuan Ye as the black panther demon. He created the Peerless Bracelet to hide Xuan Ye’s demonic form.
Uncle Shen asks Xuan Ye about his future plans. Does he want to be a human or a demon? While he’s contemplating, he gets unexpected guests, Ban Xia, You Huang, and Ling Ying. They also brought Chi Xue in a box. Ban Xia and Xuan Ye hug each other.
Uh oh… we know now that Uncle Shen is up to no good based on his convo with his subordinate. They want to use Xuan Ye to cure Uncle’s illness. Luckily, they don’t know that Zi Kong is Xuan Ye’s biological brother. Uncle Shen tells his subordinate to just kill the other black panther.
Ban Xia comforts Xuan Ye, who feels guilty and bad for Chi Xue, especially since he never treated him nicely when he was alive, in comparison to what his father and mother did. However, Chi Xue stayed loyal to him till the end. Ban Xia also confirms that she’ll stay by his side. They hug each other again.
Sima Ling Ying feels suspicious of Uncle Shen. She tells You Huang that because of her gut feelings that were always right, she was promoted to be a Commissioner.
Ban Xia and Xuan Ye also try to connect their childhood story after both fell off the cliff. They guess there must be a connection somewhere in Underground City to Carefree Land. Xuan Ye tells Ban Xia what Uncle Shen told him. Now he understands why his father didn’t teach him how to become a demon hunter and forbade him from entering the Underground City. Before death, his father advised him not to hate demons since not all of them are bad.
Jiang Shang Yun and Xue Qiao’s powers are disabled by Xuan Ye and You Huang, and let go. However, later, Uncle Shen’s subordinate killed them. Uncle Shen also killed Song Qi (the city guide) by throwing him into a pool full of piranha demons.
Xuan Ye decides he can’t keep hiding and wants to leave Underground City. At this time, he wants to see Ban Xia’s parents in Nanyang to explain what happened. Uncle Shen can only let him go, and wants to capture Zi Kong because he guesses Zi Kong is Xuan Ye’s relative. On the outskirts of Guangping, Xuan Ye and friends buried Chi Xue. He asks for a private time with Chi Xue, so they let him be alone, but he knows Zi Kong is hiding. Zi Kong reminds Xuan Ye of his duty in Carefree Land. Xuan Ye will be the next clan leader appointed by their old father to lead the clan, guard the Realm Gate, and recover the Carefree Herb that withers year by year. Since Xuan Ye doesn’t remember those things, he drives Zi Kong away.
A tribute to Chi Xue
You Huang takes Xuan Ye and Ban Xia to his old house in the countryside, since he’s unclear about the situation in Guangping. You Huang and Ling Ying go shopping to buy necessities for the house.
Episode 33
Zi Kong is chased by Uncle Shen’s lackeys. He’s able to escape but drops the flute he used to control Xuan Ye. When Uncle Shen sees it, he’s happy because it’s the Bone Flute of the Mystic Panther Clan that can reveal and confuse the demon clan. He uses the flute at night to disturb Xuan Ye. The next day, when Xuan Ye wakes up. Ban Xia tells him that she found him sleeping outside last night, so she dragged him back in. However, something else happened last night that made her wake up screaming. We will see again the next night. Yes, Xuan Ye becomes a black panther. Last night, he was just scared her. This night, he’s actually uncontrollable and hurt her. When Xuan Ye wakes up in the morning, the house is in a mess, and Ban Xia passes out. Xuan Ye investigates the forest and finds the broken chain of the flute. He decides to leave Ban Xia with Ling Ying and You Huang. Xuan Ye retrieves the Hidden Dragon Case once again to hunt down whoever hurt Ban Xia. He joins Uncle Shen. Ban Xia will go home to Nanyang.
Ban Xia made Xuan Ye a black panther doll
Zi Kong is badly hurt after fighting Uncle Shen’s lackeys. He goes to Ganshan Clinic, but it’s closed down. He’s so weak that he almost falls when a passerby bumps into him. Fortunately, Ling Ying sees him. She knows now that he’s Xuan Ye’s brother. Zi Kong collapses in front of her, so she brings him to You Huang. Ban Xia is just about to take off to Nanyang. They tie Zi Kong and interrogate him. He doesn’t know who attacked him, but there were many of them, and they were strong. He only knows they’re from Underground City and their leader is old and sick. On the other hand, Xuan Ye is coaxed by Uncle Shen to hunt and kill Zi Kong. Xuan Ye thinks that Zi Kong controlled him again last time to hurt Ban Xia. Zi Kong tells the group about what he saw in Underground City. A bone cleansing pool that supposedly can change demons to humans, but the demons end up dead. Ban Xia suddenly remembers that Uncle Shen asked Xuan Ye if he wanted to be a demon or a human. The trio, Ban Xia, Ling Ying, and You Huang decided to go to the Underground City. Wen Jian stays in Guangping, so if they don’t return, he can lead a rescue mission. Zi Kong wants to join them and he actually recuperates and can easily untie himself!
Episode 34
The group goes to the Underground City and fights Uncle Shen’s people. Aha, apparently Xuan Ye is not stupid. He figures out that Uncle Shen is up to no good. The broken pieces he found in the forest are the Eight Pillar Sect token and the Underground City pass. Since he started suspecting Uncle Shen, he checks the in and out record of Underground City and finds out Song Qi (the City Guide) never left, so he is killed. He also knows the two demon hunters are paid by Uncle Shen to capture demons and sell them to him. Therefore, the demon hunters are killed, too.
A great showdown in the cave where the Bone Cleasing Pool is. Uncle Shen’s subordinate is killed by Ling Ying after he badly injured You Huang. Zi Kong sacrifices himself to protect his brother. Before death, Zi Kong entrusted the Mythical Black Panther Clan and Carefree Land to Xuan Ye. Uncle Shen told how he found out about Carefree Land from little Ban Xia, who was captured by a child trafficker. He saw that Ban Xia was pulled into Carefree Land and followed her. Xuan Ye draws the last sword, the Origin-returning sword, to kill Uncle Shen because the Carefree Land Realm Gate is about to open. After his death, the Underground City collapses. Ban Xia tells Xuan Ye to go to Carefree Land and passes out.
Episode 35
The Origin-returning Sword has a side effect, which returns everything to the origin as if things never happened. That means there is no more Xuan Ye. No one remembers him. The episode starts with Ban Xia jumping into the water to rescue Xing Xian, who jumps into the water to kill herself. When Ban Xia is in the water, she hears a man’s voice. After rescuing Xing Xian, Ban Xia and Xuan Ye go to the market and bump into Zhi Zhi and her friend, but Zhi Zhi and Ban Xia don’t know each other. Zhi Zhi gives them pears, lol. Earlier, Zhi Zhi says to her friends that Ji Li used to like pears (in fact, Ji Li didn’t like pears in the original arc).
This Ban Xia lives in Guangping with her parents. They live next to Ganshan Clinic, which is run by the Jiu Family. That is Xuan Ye’s adopted parents and brother. Chi Xue is there, too, and he doesn’t call Ban Xia her name but Man Ning’s cousin-in-law. Tang Ru Yun (Ban Xia’s mother) and Hong Ning (Xuan Ye’s adopted mother) are good friends and neighbors. When she heard that The Ju’s eldest son is engaged, she was shocked. Ting Zhou reprimands her for her surprise, as if she likes the Ju’s son. They talk about Man Ning, who’s married to her cousin. It’s Uncle Jiu (not Xuan Ye) who discovered that Man Ning is a demon. Mrs. Jiu gives Ban Xia a book to recite an incantation that helps her sleep. When she sleeps, she dreams about a man walking away, and she can only see his back.
The next day, Ban Xia goes to Liushui Pavilion to meet Xing Xian, who divorced her husband. Now she plays the qin for a living, and the owner of Liushui Pavilion, Mr. Bai (Chi Lian), helps her. Ban Xia goes to the noodle restaurant. Suddenly, she sees someone who leaves the restaurant from the back, who looks like the man in her dream (Xuan Ye). She uses the pick-up line: “Have we met before? You look familiar,”-type, and even makes Xuan Ye piggy-back her home when she falls and sprains her ankle. His name is Man Ying, and he’s leaving Guangping. Ban Xia tells him, she has dreamed many times about a man whose height and build look like his.
Man Ying leaves and is stopped by Chi Xue on the street. Chi Xue and Physician Jiu (Jiu Cang Ming) met Man Ying in the Reunion Inn to fight the puppets. Man Ying wore a mask, but Chi Xue could smell him. Man Ying treats Chi Xue a lot of food, even buys him good clothes. Aah, he remembers! When Chi Xue died last time, he regretted not feeding him much and buying him new clothes! Now he is even buying grilled venison, Physician Jiu’s favorite. Man Ying sees Chi Xue, his ‘father’, and his ‘brother’ eat with a smile. Yes, Man Ying remembers everything now!
I’m confused about things going back to the origin, starting when? It seems to be before Xuan Ye met Ban Xia in Carefree Land because of the following scene. Although, as a small boy, he has memories of Ban Xia. The little Man Ying chases a blue butterfly all the way to Guangping and sees the little Ban Xia with her parents. He followed her home and saw her practicing martial arts. The same with now, 12 years later, when The Realm Gate opens, the adult Man Ying watches Ban Xia practicing martial arts. He’s curious what her life looks like now if they’ve never met. In Guangpin, Man Ying stays with Zi Kong. Zi Kong teases him that he still thinks about “that woman” and advises him to take her to Carefree Land, so when the Gate is closed, she won’t be able to leave.So, Zi Kong also remembers things, although he also started all over again as a young boy? They want to collect more moon bugs, and the ones they can’t collect are in the Ganshan Clinic with Physician Jiu. Turns out, Physician Jiu gives him the moonbugs. He knows Man Ying is a demon from Carefree Land because he accidentally sucked into the place when looking for his junior brother. In the previous life, Uncle Shen is the one sucked into the land. Physician Jiu knows why Man Ying is collecting moon bugs.
Ban Xia bids farewell to Man Ying as he says he won’t come back to Guangping.
Episode 36
During the festival, Ban Xia sees Man Ying and Zi Kong walking through the crowd. She follows them, but they disappear. Right that time, an old man is selling trinkets. One of them is the Echo Conch she bought before in Underground City, where she recorded her journal. All memories are flooding in, and she remembers Xuan Ye. However, Ting Zhou doesn’t remember him.
Man Ying and Zi Kong go to the Underground City, which is now just a long cave, but the Bone Cleansing Pool is now just a swimming pool. Ban Xia still remembers the way to go to Carefree Land, goes to Underground City too, gives all her money and jewelry to the ferryman. She finds Xuan Ye/Man Ying and hugs him.
Now that they reunite, Xuan Ye/Man Ying fills Ban Xia in on what happened to the demons they encountered before. Ban Xia thinks the Real-Felicity sword makes him forget everything. Since Man Ying knows ahead some demons will harm people, he eliminates them early. He killed Mirage. He found Man Niang, but she escaped and married Ban Xia’s cousin. He killed Chi Wang Chuan, so Ji Li ages instantly and left the dance troupe. The constable who died in the Reunion Inn is still alive, since Feng Wu Niang is killed by her puppet brother Qing Shan, and Qing Shan is killed by their father Feng Tian. The cat demon Nine Lives sacrifices its life again for Feng Tian. Uncle Shen is just an ordinary demon hunter as he didn’t go to Carefree Land. As for Ban Xia, she’s more like He Que Lian, lives ordinarily, can’t see demons anymore, goes to school, learns martial arts, and horse riding.
They spend a good time in Guangping, at places they’ve been before, for example, Liushui Pavilion, and meet Mr. Bai. Because people look for Ban Xia (when she’s gone AWOL to Underground City), she invites Wen Jian, You Huang, and Sima Ling Ying for a meal as a thank-you gift. Ling Ying is transferred to Guangping, she’ll marry You Huang. Everyone just introduces themselves, even Ban Xia doesn’t acknowledge knowing Ling Ying from the Capital. It seems You Huang and Ling Ying are an item now, although they still fight like a cat and a dog.
While they’re having a party, Jiu Cang Ming stops by. He asks about Xuan Ye’s identity. The Real-felicity sword cracked when Xuan Ye was in the Clinic, so it must be used either by him or Xuan Ye. Father and son reunite. Xuan Ye kowtows to his father three times and leaves. He gives a wedding gift to Sima Ling Ying and Chu You Huang. After they’re gone, Ban Xia and Xuan Ye walk side by side. He tells her about Carefree Land and his duty as the heir of the Mystic Black Panther Clan to guard the Land. His biological father has passed away. He cannot be with Ban Xia. She cannot leave Guangping because her parents are away. What a heartbreaking farewell. Ban Xia sees Xuan Ye off to the Underground City, and both cry miserably. THE END.
Conclusion
What a sad ending (to me)! I’m so heartbroken and pissed off. Especially after reading the chief screenwriter Zhao Na’s post on Weibo that she intended to end the story with a happy ending, but was rejected by the production company/iQiyi. The novel itself hasn’t finished yet (source: The Actual Ending Intended for The Demon Hunter’s Romance by the Scriptwriter).
I usually wait for a drama to finish airing before watching and writing about it, no matter how popular the drama is or the actors are. However, this drama is an exception. I started watching and writing the articles while it was airing, because I was so happy that the leading actress Song Zu Er was back.
This is a cute fan art for the consolation of the ending.
Related articles:
The Demon Hunter’s Romance: Drama Info and Recap Episodes 1 to 6
