LayarHijau – The drama The Journey of Legend (赴山海), starring Cheng Yi, officially aired its final episode on Thursday (Sept 26) for VIP viewers. The finale immediately drew attention as three characters played by Cheng Yi all met tragic fates.
(Warning: This article contains spoilers about the ending)
The first character to die was Li Chenzhou, the leader of the Quanli Gang. Despite being renowned for his extraordinary martial arts, he had already been poisoned beforehand. While trying to save General Wu, he fell into a trap. Li Chenzhou ultimately died in the arms of his wife, Zhao Shirong (Ding Xiaoying), who had also been fatally wounded by betrayal. The heartbreaking scene of the couple dying together left a lasting impression on viewers.
The story then shifted to the sacrifice of Xiao Qiushui. He successfully mastered the fifteenth and ultimate level of the Wuqing Tianshu manual, which gave him the power to defeat the main antagonist, Xiao Kaiyan (Zhang Xiaocheng). However, the technique slowly consumed his body. During the victory celebration, Qiushui quietly passed away while still clutching a wine bottle. Tang Fang (Eleanor Lee), who loved him deeply, could only weep as she realized his passing.
Meanwhile, the modern-day character Xiao Mingming also met a tragic end. He had discovered that his boss, Li Nan (Li Xinze), was a national spy. Their quarrel in the real world pulled them both into the world of the novel. Li Nan transformed into Xiao Kaiyan, while Mingming became the hero. When Xiao Kaiyan was killed, Li Nan in the real world also died. Not long after, Mingming succumbed to his severe wounds as well.
Tragedy extended to Xiao Qiushui’s family. His sister, Xiao Xueyu (Gulinazha), was forced to marry Xiao Kaiyan. She planned to kill him on their wedding night, but the plan failed and she was strangled to death instead. Xueyu tightly clutched a symbol of heroism she had intended to pass on to Qiushui, but she never had the chance. Qiushui could only grieve while embracing his sister’s body.
Toward the end, the drama introduced a mysterious scene. After Xiao Mingming’s death, a shadow of Qiushui dressed in white and carrying a sword appeared, walking alone in the novel’s world. This sparked fan speculation: was it a sign of Qiushui’s rebirth, a reset of the fictional world, or merely Mingming’s final vision before death?
The bleak ending stirred heated debate among netizens. Although The Journey of Legend achieved strong ratings, many criticized its storyline as being excessively cruel to viewers. Nevertheless, Cheng Yi’s multi-role performance won widespread praise for leaving a profound impact through the tragic destinies of his characters.
