Introduction
The Seven Relics of Ill Omen is an intriguing pastime drama because of the various adventures that the characters have to go through, including their past, and the mysterious vibe of the dangerous relics.
There are six cases in this drama, although there are seven relics. The last one is seen in a showdown with the final villain, thus not a separate case. Because of the mysterious nature of the cases, this recap is only to introduce the cases for viewing’s companion. Minimal spoilers as the cases are revealed, but I will put necessary spoilers in tags. I let you enjoy finding out more about the details by watching the drama!
Drama Info
Drama title: The Seven Relics of Ill Omen (Native title: 七根心简 )
Alternative title: Qi Gen Xin Jian, Seven Heart Tablets
Genres: Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy
Aired: Jun 8, 2025 - ?
Episodes: 32 | Duration: 45 minutes
Director: Tsai Yueh Hsun ( 蔡岳勳 )
Screenwriters: Li Qian ( 李倩 ), Xiao Zhi Yao ( 肖志瑶 ), Dai Zheng Yang ( 戴正阳 ), Chang Le ( 常乐 )
Adapted from the novel "Qi Gen Xiong Jian" (七根凶简) by Wei Yu (尾鱼).
Where to read the English translated novel: MyDramaNovel
Where to watch: Youku, Youku (YouTube)
OSTs:
Trailer:
Synopsis
In ancient times, a mysterious substance descended upon Fengzi Ridge. Capable of parasitic invasion, it twisted the human heart and lured its host towards evil. Now, these relics of omen have reemerged, unleashing a series of bizarre and gruesome murders.
Five ordinary yet passionate young people — Luo Ren, Mu Dai, Yi Wan San, Yan Hong Sha, and Cao Yan Hua —are drawn into this crisis through their own fateful encounters. They form the Phoenix Squad and embark on a perilous quest to subdue these seven omens. Amid life-and-death trials, Luo Ren and Mu Dai heal each other’s wounds and form a genuine bond that transcends friendship. Through a long and arduous journey fraught with danger, the five overcome relentless challenges, and their friendship is tested and deepened in the fires of adversity (Source: MyDramaList).
Characters
The relationship chart above may look complex, but believe me, once you watch the drama, it’s not complicated at all. The first case introduces the key supporting characters who also show up in other cases. In each case, the supporting characters introduced are only related to each main character whose background is given attention. I put which main character is related to each episode on the case recap below.
Main Characters
Song Wei Long ( 宋威龙 ) as Luo Ren
Luo Ren was once a mercenary, making a living amidst gunfire and chaos, accumulating rich combat experience and a calm, decisive personality.
Luo Ren has a complicated background, born into a family full of mysteries.
His uncle’s mysterious death in the Fishing Line Puppet case became a significant driving force in his quest for the truth.
Liu Hao Cun ( 刘浩存 ) as Mu Dai
Mu Dai was abandoned by his biological mother at a young age and grew up in an orphanage. He was later adopted by his foster mother, Huo Zi Hong, and trained in martial arts by Mei Hua Jiu Niang, developing exceptional lightness skills and combat abilities.
Due to childhood trauma, Mu Dai developed three personalities. The main personality (Bright Mu Dai) is calm and resilient, the Pocketty (Little Pocket) personality is playful and cute, and the Dark Mu Dai personality is aloof, harsh, but more powerful. These personalities alternate in her life, influencing her behavior and decisions.
Ao Rui Peng ( 敖瑞鹏 ) as Jiang Zhao / Yi Wan San
Yi Wan San, originally named Jiang Zhao, hails from Wuzhu Village and is called “Yi Wan San” (translates to “Thirteen Thousand”) because he owes a debt of thirteen thousand yuan.
In his childhood, his mother encountered an accident at sea, and he tried to rescue her but was stopped by his clan members. This incident had a profound impact on him.
Wang Yi Ting ( 王奕婷 ) as Yan Hong Sha
Yan Hong Sha comes from a family of treasure hunters and is a geological genius. Her family once thrived, but later experienced a decline.
To find her missing uncle, Yan Jiu Xiao, she joined the Phoenix Squad. She serves as the economic pillar of the team, providing necessary resource support.
Zhang Yi Chi ( 张亦驰 ) as Cao Yan Hua
Cao Yan Hua was originally a street pickpocket, skilled in lock-picking and tracking. He became involved in the Seven Relics of Ill Omen incident after stealing Mu Dai’s wallet, and from then on, his fate changed.
He comes from a remote village in Yunnan, where his family exerted a lot of pressure on his marriage, which is one of the reasons he chose to escape.
Supporting Characters
Yang Hao Yu ( 杨皓宇 ) as Shen Kun
Shen Kun’s true identity is a descendant of Laozi’s direct disciple, bearing the mission of a thousand-year legacy.
His personality is enigmatic and unpredictable, always using “the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed” as an excuse to hide his true thoughts and actions. However, at critical moments, he demonstrated a profound understanding of ancient secrets and sealing techniques, providing crucial guidance and assistance to the Phoenix Squad.
Case Recap
Case 1: Fishing Line Puppets (Episodes 1 to 6)
Fate hangs by the line. Only courage can cut the ties.
This story begins on a winter night twenty-two years ago at Luoma Lake. A man came to his ex-lover’s house and massacred her family. He used the fishing line to pierce the joints of the victims’ limbs, hanging the bodies inside the house to create a terrifying family massacre. The woman escaped the tragedy by switching identities with her sister and, after tracking the man, pushed him into a reservoir. Although he was presumed dead, the man reappeared years later.
Mu Dai was investigating an old case for her adoptive mother when she met Luo Ren and Cao Yan Hua. The latter stole her wallet and someone else’s, and with her martial arts skill Mu Dai was able to catch Cao Yan Hua and tie him up on a pole, haha. Cao Yan Hua then told Mu Dai that a strange man, Luo Ren, was watching her. Mu Dai decided that she could make use of Cao Yan Hua’s skills so she asked him to join her following Luo Ren to a house. However, Luo Ren managed to escape.
We were introduced to Jiang Zhao, too. Mu Dai called him Yi Wan San because he worked at her adoptive mother’s bar as a bartender to pay off his debt of thirteen thousand yuan. Cao Yan Hua, who came from the countryside, ended up working at the bar and became Jiang Zhao’s roommate. Later, the two became friends and helped Mu Dai and Luo Ren with the case.
After fighting with Mu Dai, Luo Ren admired her martial arts skills. He decided to work with her since they were investigating the same case. He revealed to her about his uncle’s death which had a connection to the Fishing Line Puppet’s case and caused his cousin (his uncle’s daughter) to go crazy. He told Mu Dai that her adoptive mother might hold an important clue about the case.
How is Mu Dai’s adoptive mother related to the case (Major Spoiler!)
She was supposed to be the victim in this case, the killer’s former lover.
In this case, Mu Dai also consulted with Shen Kun, an expert in supernatural phenomena. He’s also an avid fan of KFC. Not Kentucky Fried Chicken, but Korean Fried Chicken, lol.
Case 2: Immortals Leading the Way (Episodes 7 to 10)
Let go of the past and remain true.
>> This case is related to Jiang Zhao/Yi Wan San <<
By the end of Episode 6, we found out that even though the thing that caused the murderous intent seems subdued. However, according to Shen Kun, it was not an evil relic itself but a visionary message of a row of beasts that looked like house ridge beasts. According to traditional feng shui concepts, placing mythical animals on rooftops will help dispel evil spirits.
For this second case, the team went to the remote Wuzhu Village, Jiang Zhao’s hometown. At first, Luo Ren took Jiang Zhao back to follow the lead. Coincidentally, Mu Dai was hired by the Yan Family for their daughter Yang Hong Sha, who would also go to Wuzhu Village looking for her missing uncle.
What happened to Yang Hong Sha’s uncle?
They found him dead in Wuzhu Village, killed by a giant clam.
Wuzhu Village turned out to be empty. The story says that a boy (was it Jiang Zhao?) burned all the clams on shore so they didn’t come back and the village lost their main occupation which was pearl hunting. People said that the village was now hunted. However, it seemed the village was not completely empty. There was someone, or something dangerous out there…
Mu Dai also found out that she had multiple personalities, which concerned her since she had a crush on Luo Ren.
By the end of the second case, Yang Hong Sha gave the name of the group “Phoenix Squad”.
As a side note, I’m relieved that the first case with Luo Ren’s cousin Luo Ping Ting closed by the end of the second case.
Case 3: Rough Amber (Episodes 10 to 15)
Greed runs as deep as the abyss. Endless craving leads to utter loss.
>> This case is related to Yan Hong Sha <<
The third case started with a mysterious mission for Mu Dai to accompany Yan Hong Sha and Yan Shu Shang, Hong Sha’s grandfather, to a jungle area. It was mysterious because Old Yan didn’t want to tell the girls where they went. Mu Dai secretly sent coordinates and pictures to Luo Ren. She also informed him about her seeing a person carrying a broom that looked like “qian tian po” aka “sky sweeper”. Meanwhile, Luo Ren, Jiang Zhao, and Cao Yan Hua saw visions of wells in the middle of a jungle. Thinking that the girls might be in danger, the boys decided to follow them.
Luckily when Old Yan’s team got lost in the jungle, they met a local boy Zha Ma who took them to his village. From Zha Ma, they also learned about “savages” who seemed to roam around the mountain where the team would go tomorrow. Old Yan didn’t believe the so-called myth and insisted on entering the mountain.
However, the deeper they went into the heart of the jungle, the more they saw those creepy qian tian po… and ferocious savages! The girls believed the qian tian po had anything to do with one of the relics of the omen. While fighting a savage, Mu Dai pulled an amber pendant off his body. The boys finally joined the girls. This was fortunate since the savage seemed following Old Yan. It turned out, he was at the same place twenty years ago and held hidden secrets.
In this episode, we also saw love bloom between Luo Ren and Mu Dai.
We also saw the Dark Mu Dai personality show up during critical situations. This personality is cold and cruel, she was able to win over the bad guys fighting her in the past when her life was hanging by a thread. Dark Mu Dai seemed to have taken over the original Mu Dai’s personality. This Dark Mu Dai mocked the relationship between Bright Mu Dai and Luo Ren.
Case 4: Evilness in the Wind (Episodes 16 to 19)
Greed runs as deep as the abyss. Endless craving leads to utter loss.
>> This case is related to Mu Dai <<
Mu Dai’s adoptive mother admitted her into a mental health facility for psychiatric treatment but she ran away. While boarding a train back to her hometown in Lingui City, Dark Mu Dai saved a girl, Zheng Li, who was almost sexually assaulted. After knowing Mu Dai didn’t have a family or a home, Zheng Li took her to stay with her and her aunt Zheng Sui Yu. Auntie Zheng ran a hotpot restaurant, so Mu Dai got a job as a dishwasher. She also became a bodyguard for the restaurant to scare off bad guys.
Zheng Li helped Mu Dai find her family background online and ran across weird horror tales of the spooky statue of The Flying Horse and a beautiful woman wearing red clothes and red shoes. Mu Dai felt familiar with the red shoes, was that woman her mother? At night, after work, Mu Dai went to the area where she used to live and even checked out The Flying Horse statue. The next day, Mu Dai didn’t remember she went there at night. Worse, she was accused of killing a man by pushing him off the bridge. Better though, she reunited with Luo Ren, who was looking for her. Jiang Zhao, Yan Hong Sha, and Cao Yan Hua also went to meet them after Jiang Zhao and Cao Yan Hua started having visions of the next relic of the omen. The rest also found out that Mu Dai had a multiple personality disorder and had to bear with Dark Mu Dai’s personality.
Some revelations in this case, spoilers below:
Is The Flying Horse statue really spooky?
No. The area was abandoned along time ago. It was ‘spooky’ because the high wind in the area was used by the carrier of the relic of the ill omen to spread the bad influence to people visiting the area.
Who was the beautiful woman wearing red clothes and red shoes?
Yes, she was Mu Dai’s mother. She was the carrier of the relic if the ill omen, so she stayed young as she was back then when Mu Dai was small. She left her daughter at a welfare home because she realized she would endanger her daughter.
Did the real Mu Dai return?
Yes, after her past with her mother cleared up.
While the Phoenix Squad dealt with the relics of the ill omen and the people influenced by them, the enthusiastic Shen Kun traveled far to Xiagu Pass following the path of the ancient hero Great Virtuous One Bo Yangzi who sealed the meteorite that bore the relics. He stopped by Yin Village and was shocked to find out from the head village that there were seven relics of the ill omen! So, three more to go…
Case 5: Mystery in Cao Village (Episodes 20 to 24)
Danger for a loner, hope for a team.
>> This case is related to Cao Yan Hua <<
Cao Yan Hua got a wedding invitation from his cousin Cao Qing Shan. He was reluctant to go back because he ran away from home. With the encouragement of the Phoenix Squad, he finally returned home. However, the night before he departed, Jiang Zhao found a mysterious message in the cousin’s letter. Cao Yan Hua had to investigate that mysterious message. His home village was in a remote area and there was no internet service. After two days there was no news from Cao Yan Hua, Jiang Zhao reported to Luo Ren about the mysterious message.
Jiang Zhao and Mu Dai went to the village to ‘attend’ the wedding, but Cao Yan Hua was missing. His cousin thought that because his betrothed from the past also came back, so he went hiding. Mu Dai saw the bride and she was rather fearful and had abuse marks on her face. Then everyone in the Phoenix Squad went missing when Yan Hong Sha came to the village. To find them, she had to disguise herself to avoid the villain’s suspicion. The Team dealt with smarter villains at this time. The Phoenix Squad’s friendship also got closer, and their bond was what saved everyone.
Everyone pitched in money to help Cao Yan Hua buy gifts for his parents
Case 6: Phantom Leopard (Episodes 27 to 30)
Fear is a brand seared into your soul. Flee, and it becomes an eternal wound, Fight, and it becomes a badge of growth.
>> This case is related to Luo Ren <<
The previous case actually ended in Episode 24, and the Phoenix Squad left the Cao Village. Episodes 25 and 26 seem like interlude episodes before we enter the last case. In these episodes, we learned about Mu Dai’s Plum Blossom Sect and her master Mei Hua Jiu Niang, Liu Ren’s mysterious background, and more about the relics of the ill omen that were investigated by Shen Kun.
Luo Ren’s past. Song Wei Long looked good in dark roles!
The villain in this case was connected to Luo Ren’s past in a foreign place called Heisha, an influential and powerful woman named Leopard. Luo Ren was disturbed when his old friend Aoki informed him that Leopard crossed the border and hunted him down. His friends, especially Mu Dai, were in danger.
Master Mei Hua Jiu Niang passed on an ancient treasure made by a master craftsman to Mu Dai. The craftsman was a good friend of the ancient hero Great Virtuous One Bo Yangzi. This treasure was also a map and a key.
This case was more dangerous than the previous ones. Leopard not only had the relic, but she was also backed by her people. Some innocent people died or were injured because of it.
Final: Showdown (Episodes 31 to 32)
The last two episodes are the showdown with the final villain who was the host of the seven relics. It turned out that the Phoenix Squad were chosen people since ancient times, as hinted in Episode 28. The five heroes and heroines from several hundred years ago sealed the seven relics of the ill omen by sacrificing their lives. Will the Phoenix Squad go through the same route to sacrifice their lives? Just watch!
I can’t believe it… the chicken is their savior??? Long live Cao Fang Fang!
Conclusion
This is an interesting drama. It’s different because of the adventure genre that is full of mystery and action. The plot is a bit confusing because of the censorship that butchered down the episodes planned. The individual cases are intriguing, but the last two cases of the Leopard and the final villain are a bit let down. Nonetheless, it was entertaining enough while I watched it when it was airing. Their friendship is gold!
Ending Spoilers
How is the ending?
Happy ending. They celebrated their victory with a hotpot and the featured image in this article is their group photo.
What happened to the seven relics of the ill omen?
The Phoenix Squad sacrificed by letting them become the hosts of the relics. However, their blood is immune to the demonic power. So, basically, they trapped the relics within their own bodies as long as they lived.
What happened to the final villain?
Once the seventh relic that was inside the final villain’s body moved out, he became very old, weak, and then died.
