Chinese Drama 2023

Back From The Brink (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

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• Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Romance, Wuxia
• Release Date: 9 May 2023
• Origin: China
• Cdrama: 40 Episodes

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Cast

• Hou Minghao as Tian Yao
• Zhou Ye as  Yan Hui
• Riley Wang Yilun as Bai Xiao Sheng
• Yang Rong as Su Ying
• Chen Xin Yu as Xuan Ge
• Zuo Ye as Feng Qian Shuo
• Liu Yao Yuan as Qingqiu Zhuli
• Liu Yu Feng as Zi Chen / Brother Chen Xing Shan
• Pema Jyad as Fu Yin
• Ken Chang as Ling Xiao
• Kenny Kwan as Chang Lan | Chen Yi
• Tang Hao as Chang Lan [Young]
• Ji Chen as Lu Mu Sheng
• Silvio Sun as Zi Lian

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Quick Precis

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Snippets

• • 1 December 2021: It is a wrap.
  • A Youku production.
  • 22 December 2022: Rumour of 10th January 2023 broadcast.
  • 1 February 2023: Rumoured to broadcast on Valentine’s Day 2023.
  • 4 May 2023: Rumoured to broadcast on 10 May 2023.🤣🤣🤣 Nope it came a day earlier.
  • 9 May 2023: Zhao LuSi gave this drama a shoutout.

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Episode 1

I like it.  It is just the right time to release this drama, right after Till The End of the Moon.

The leads are so young and impossibly good-looking.  Obviously, this is not S+ drama because the effects are not that fantastic but having said that, it is still very enjoyable to watch.

It started with the Dragon King excitedly walking to meet his bride Su Ying, the leader of the Guanhang Sect.

The Dragon King promised a blissful and peaceful life together but then as he hugged her, she stabbed him.

Su Ying told him that she was only after his dragon scales to make an armour for the one she truly loves.

This was what really hurt the Dragon King; he was not the one she loves and had only been using him.

They fought but Su Ying had come prepared.  She was going to extract the Dragon King’s Heart Protective Scale but he removed it first and set it free into the blue yonder.

Su Ying was furious.  The gorgeous Dragon King had turned into his natural state, a dragon.  Su Ying in her fury chopped the dragon and deboned it.  She then scattered the dragon entrails and skeletons into the different four corners of the world.

Meanwhile, a woman had just put a Moses basket with her daughter on it into the river.  She said that the river will cure her daughter of her congenital heart disease.

It so happened that the dragon’s heart-protective scale went into the baby girl’s chest.

A few years later, the girl was living like a vagrant, waiting for any kind of food dropped on the street for her meal.

A kindly immortal noticed her desperate plight.  He pitied her and adopted her telling her that she will have a home at Chengxing Mountain where she will have enough to eat.  She was named Yan Hui.

Twenty years later, Yan Hui grew up into a rather rebellious beautiful girl.  She is a rebel not without a cause.  She champions the underdogs.

And this is how she got into trouble.  Instead, of staying and learning to cultivate at school, she went to the discipline cave to mingle with the underdogs, creatures being disciplined by forced punishment and subliminal procedure. They were treated as an underclass.

An immortal hunter had turned up with new preys which she proceeded to whip when they did not answer her question about the whereabouts of the nine-tailed fox.  When Yan Hui intervened, the immortal just laughed at her and sniggered that she was only a one-crystal disciple.  But when she tried to strike Yanhui, she had an automatic shield which blew everyone in her vicinity into their backside on the ground.🤣🤣

While the immortal was busy trying to compose herself, Yan Hui signalled to the humanoid creatures to leave the cave.

Yan Hui’s master turned up but instead of siding with her, he said that he will punish her.

Her punishment was banishment from Chengxing Mountain.  She was no longer a member of their sect.

She was asked to leave.

She went down to the village and immediately went to look for a job.  Her first job was as a bounty hunter.  She went hunting for a snake man who had stolen a charm.

She managed to track him down but she was assaulted by Tian Yao/Doofus, the dragon king who is now a mortal.

Tian Yao took her to his village.  He realised that she has his Heart Protective Scale but he could not take it out as it has a covering formation.

Episode 2

Yan Hui ended up ‘marrying’ Doofus.  But he told her that he was not going to do anything to her.  The wedding was just to reassure his hard-of-hearing grandma that he was not going to be lonely when she was gone.

Anyway, Tian Yao kidnapped her because he wanted to use her Taoist power to break open the shield of a cave.  He found out that she does not have the power.

He later confessed to her that he was the millennium dragon king.  He had to tell her because it was going to be a full moon which always gives him excruciating pain and they were trapped in a room together, she would obviously notice.  Forewarned is forearmed!

Yan Hui scoffed at his pronouncement; telling him that he was just delusional.  Dragon King, indeed!  The full moon turned him into a wolf-like creature and tried to kiss her.  She called him all sorts of names but then he fainted in her arms after biting her on the lip.

They are just the cutest leads.

Episode 3

Snake Man was able to temporarily break the shield into the cave.  Tian Yao and Yan Hui went inside immediately where they found a sword embedded into a formation.

Tian Yao was able to get the sword out but he stabbed the surprised Yan Hui in the heart, not deep enough to kill her.

Yan Hui was so shocked and of course, annoyed, she picked a rock and threw it at Tian Yao who managed to evade it.

Tian Yao stabbed her again in the heart because she interrupted the ritual of the blood of a Taoist dripping through the sword.

Yan Hui was now really upset but Tian Yao explained that her heart was protected by his heart protective scale, and she won’t die.  All he wanted was a few drops of the blood of a Taoist.

They saw the ground opened up. They both fell into the water beneath.  Tian Yao finally found the dragon bone beneath.  This invigorated him but this was only the starter.  He needed to find his other dragon bits still in three different places.

Anyway, they went back to Madam Xiao, who was so happy to see them back.  Madam Xiao enjoyed a meal with them and made them promise to be good to each other.

Later that night, Tian Yao found Madam Xiao dead in her bed.  He was crying while hugging Madam Xiao when Yan Hui found them.

They later buried her and gave her a good send-off.

They both got very drunk.

They talked about their past.  Yan Hui told him about living on the street until her immortal master found her and brought her to Chenxing Mountain.  He fed her, and taught her to read and write and what is right and what is wrong.  Though he expelled her from the Chenxing, she would always be eternally grateful to him.

Now she asked Tian Yao about his past.  Compared to her experience, Tian Yao was heartbreaking and heinous.  He said that he fell in love with Su Ying and was prepared to give up everything to live a blissful life with her but all along she only wanted his dragon scales for her lover.

Yan Hui was so moved.  She drunkenly promised that she would go wherever he goes, she will always support him.

But under the light of day and being sober, she changed her mind.  But he told her that if he dies she dies too because without him the heart-protective scale will become ineffective.

SuYing was obsessed with Lu Mu Cheng, the one she loves.  Unfortunately for her, he does not remember her at all.  He was devoted to his missing wife.

Episode 4

Yan Hui tried to leave Tian Yao.  Though he tried to convince her to stay, she was still determined to go their own separate way.

As it was another full moon which means Tian Yao was once again vulnerable, Yan Hui took the chance to leave.

But then she felt her heart throbbing insanely.  When she returned, she was just in time to prevent a shibushi (whatever🤣) from chopping Yan Hui.

Now their adventure begins.

They went to the next place where they can find the dragon horn.

It was easy to find because it was already on display for everyone to see.

Both Tian Yao and Yan Hui knew it was a trap.

Episode 5

Tian Yao found out what is guarding the dragon horn.  It was a gold-eating beast.  Unfortunately, every cent of the money they borrowed from Xian Ge was lost in gambling by Yan Hui.

Yan Hui approached the richest guy in town who had a crush on her.  He was willing to give her money.  But he also wanted to marry her.

He knew she would refuse him so he went to a mysterious chemist for some incense to make her fall in love with him.

She took the potion he gave her but the potion works in such a way that the first person she holds will be the person she will fall in love with.

It was of course Tian Yao who she touched as he was trying to stop her from agreeing into marrying the rich guy.

Episode 6

She confessed to him.

Bai Xiaosheng

Xian Ge and young Master Feng are attracted to one another.

Episode 7

Master Yang Pengyao gave Yan Hui the antidote to her love complex.  Tian Yao was slightly disappointed that Yan Hui is over her love for him.

Bai Xiaosheng told Tian Yao and Yan Hui that he knew where the dragon horns were transferred.  It was within the Feng Store.

Feng Qian Shuo, who was grateful to Tian Yao for curing him of a toxic arrow would, gave Tian Yao and Yan Hui a couple of peacock tickets to get into the Arena at the Feng Store.

Bai Xiaosheng was testing how much Tian Yao and Yan Hui care for each other so he sabotaged their visit to the Arena.  He changed the signage to the Arena.

Instead of being merely a spectator, Tain Yao became a gladiator to battle it out with four arms monsters almost 10 times his size.

Episode 8

With Yan Hui’s coaching, Tian Yao managed to defeat his gargantuan opponent.  Unfortunately, this was only the start as Tian Yao was due for another match the next morning.

Bai Xiaosheng was very impressed with how Yan Hui and Tian Yao worked, supported and protected each other.  They passed his test so he was willing to help them out.

Bai Xiaosheng assisted Yan Hui in taking back Tian Yao’s dragon token from the divine hanging tree, which was under formation by the Guangzhou Sect.

Bai Xiaosheng told them that he will help them to reach level 18 underground if they would help him with something.  He needed a pair of lovers for his project.

Tian Yao was rather hesitant but as time is of the essence, Yan Hui agreed to whatever Bai Xiaosheng condition was.

As Bia Xiaosheng was destructing the guards, Yan Hui and Tian Yao rode the elevator to go underground.

They found the door locked and under more formation.  But Tian Yao felt the presence of his horns inside.

Yan Hui tried to help him open the door using her qi but it was so meagre, it did not make any difference.

Tian Yan offered to open her mind so she could finally utilise her spiritual qi.

Yan Hui did not only open the door but also the very rooftop of the Feng Shop.  The prisoners used as gladiators where catapulted into freedom.

Meanwhile, Tian Yao and Yan Hui saw the horn but also Su Ying who was meditating underneath the suspended nine-tailed fox lady, the wife of Lu Mu Sheng.  Su Ying’s astral projection was so strong and fierce, Tian Yan and Yan Hui had to be rescued by Bia Xiaosheng to get away.

Episode 9

Bia Xiaosheng is like Cupid on acid.  He was obsessed that Tianyao and Yan Hui should get on all the time and be a loving couple.  To make sure of this, he gives them a surprise visit any time of the day to see if they were lovey-dovey.  They are so cute and Riley Wang is cute as well.

As the three had become the most wanted on Su Ying’s list, Xiange hid them in her secret underground chamber, which she also used to harbour the dispossessed spirits.

Tian Yao used his strengthening dragon spirit to cure all the wounded spirits/monsters.  They recognised him as the Millenium Dragon King Tianyao, they pledged their allegiance to him.

Meanwhile, Su Ying was trying to feed Lu Musheng the amnesia-antidote pill she managed to create from the essence of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Lu Musheng found out about it and refused to take it.  In her annoyance, Suying dragged Musheng to see his monster wife, who was wild at that moment.

The fox woman bit Musheng on the shoulder but he did not mind.  He hugged her tightly and told her how much he had missed her.

SuYing was now really annoyed so she fell them both on the ground.

Tian Yan told Yanhui that he will confront Suying while she should unlock the dragon horns.

Yanhui told him that her energy is not strong enough. Tianyao tried to unlock her mind energy again but found out that whoever locked it was a grandmaster.

Yanhui said that the only one who locked her spirit was Master Ling Xiao

Episode 10

The situation was serious as Su Ying was feeling betrayed by Lu Musheng who chose his wife over Su Ying.

She thought that the only way was to get the dragon heart-protective scale to get Lu Musheng’s memory back.  So she cast a shield over the town so no one can get out.  She then threw frozen arrows killing many of the monsters.

Those who survived were persuaded to donate their spirit energy to Yanhui so she could break the shield to allow them to leave the Capital.

However, the energy was not enough. Bai Xiao Sheng offered her his energy.  They were just about to transfer the qi but Tian Yao suddenly came between them.

Bai Xiao Sheng was in a way happy because Tian Yao showed jealousy which was his original aim.

Su Ying was becoming uncontrollable so Tian Yao said he was going to destruct her while Yanhui breaks the barrier and take the dragon horn.

Episode 11

Yanhui tried her best but her energy was not enough.  She asked Bai Xiao Sheng to help her unlock her mind’s eye.

Bai Xiao Sheng told her that his transferring some of his energy to her will have a heavy repercussion on her.

Yanhui did not care so Bai Xiao Sheng did as she asked.  Finally, she had unlocked her mind’s eyes and broke the barriers and shield and was able to get the dragon horn.

Meanwhile, Su Ying finally overcome Tian Yao and had him in a stranglehold.  She realised that he did not have the dragon heart protective scale on him.

She then asked everyone who knew where the scale was, otherwise the Dragon King will die.

Yanhui who had turned up bravely answered back that she knew where the heart scale was.

Tian Yao was begging her to stop as she moved a step closer to Su Ying.

Episode 12

Poor Yanhui became rather feral because of the dark energy she imbibed from Bai Xiao Sheng was incompatible with her Taoist energy.  She was behaving erratically.

Tian Yao knew that only if he had his fang will he be able to remove the dark energy from Yanhui.

He gave her a bracelet which serves as a walkie-talkie.  He told Bai Xiao Sheng to look after Yanhui while was gone.

Episode 13

Senior Brother from Chengxing Mountain turned up.  He said that Master Ling Xiao had asked him to fetch Yanhui back.

Yanhui said that she was not going back because the master banished her and no longer a member of the sect.

Senior Master went for a walk in the nearby forest which happened to be the Mystic Forest.

Episode 14

Episode 15

The elves finally accepted that Tian Yao was indeed the Dragon Lord.  Because of his experience from his love of Su Ying they wanted confirmation that he was not going to fall hard for a woman again so they asked him if he likes Yanhui.

In front of her, he said he doesn’t.  This of course hurt Yanhui who realised that she had fallen in love with Tian Yao.

Episode 16

I love this drama and I adore the two beautiful leads.  But what is going on?  The story is too repetitive.

Especially, Su Ying and Lu Musheng’s arc.

Anyway, Yanhui confessed to Tian Yao that she likes him, she really really really likes him.  But he spurn her confession because he does not believe in love and women anymore because of what Su Ying did to him.  Once bitten twice shy!

He told Yanhui that they can never be.  Unfortunately, Yanhui was so in love with him so she refused to take no for an answer and continued to simper and hope that Tian Yao would change his mind.

But he did not, instead, he stabbed her in the chest to pluck out the dragon heart scale from her body because he needed it to save his elves who were kidnapped by Su Ying.

Suying wanted the Dragon heart scale as ransom.

Poor Yanhui did not stand a change, she was just collateral damage as far as Tian Yao was concerned.

He left her on death throes while he hurried away, Tian Yao was a complete beast!

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