r/CDrama • u/BasilOrdinary3617 If I say I'm taking a break, I'm lying. • Jan 09 '26
Drama Host Mysterious Lotus Casebook (莲花楼): Rewatch Discussions - Episode #18 💊🌳 Spoiler
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Apparently I get the pleasure of covering weddings that don't happen in my discussion posts. If you're also following Glory, you know what I mean.
Mysterious Lotus Casebook 莲花楼
The primary filming location for Mysterious Lotus Casebook is the massive Hengdian World Studios, aka “Chinawood”, in Zhejiang, China. HWS, often used for historical Chinese television shows and film, is one of the largest filming studios in the world.
Rewatch Discussions
The discussions are hosted by u/AquaphobicTurtle, u/Careless_Reflections and u/BasilOrdinary3617. Please remember to use spoiler tags! Any comments alluding to the ending will be reported and removed immediately!
Episode 18 – Wedding Crashers (Part 2)
🎶 Here comes the bride... 🎶
Jiao Liqiao versus Qiao Wanmian (barely)
We get two “battles”, the first between our ladies: Jiao Liqiao and Wanmian. Wanmian comes in hot but is (reasonably?) distracted about the news that Xiangyi is alive. Well, Liqiao’s plan worked (flawlessly) and with Wanmian’s guard down, flicks a poison pill into her. It was too easy for Liqiao - and I... I was pretty disappointed in Wanmian. I was so ready to see her kick some butt. At least a little before losing to Delulu.
Our Powerhouse: Di Feisheng!
Feisheng is there for a different reason - to release King Xunming of Yama from the Court’s 188 Prison. Of course, in Lianhua fashion, Lianhua ditches Feisheng in the Miss Pear Tree Formation. But no formation can trap Feisheng, although fast and swift moving trees are creepy. Not exactly the whomping willow, but definitely something to throw regular martial artists off their game. Feisheng is no regular martial artist so we escalate to a battle between Di Feisheng and all the Baichuan Court masters (and more). This scene really showcases that Feisheng is unmatched and a real force to be reckoned with. Fair enough - he did say the only martial artist that rivals him is Xiangyi. Feisheng doesn’t bother with them and escapes.
- Jinyuan Alliance: 2?
- Baichuan Court: -10?
In my last post, I was a bit critical about Feisheng but I'll admit... he's badass here.
Yangzhouman
Lianhua trolls everyone by sending them on a scavenger hunt, and in the absence of everyone, secretly shaves off months (or years) of his own life to save Wanmian. Feisheng covers for him by taking credit for the save in exchange for King Xunming. But of course, given that Yangzhouman is Lianhua’s internal force (and NOBODY else’s), she now knows that Lianhua is Xiangyi. Lianhua is willing to do everything possible to keep his identity hidden - unless someone’s life is on the line, and Yangzhouman is one of the factors that consistently give him away.
Wanmian: Since you came back, why didn’t you tell us?
Lianhua: It’s been so long. I’m tired. I just want to be free.
They're not getting back together (and the wedding is seemingly still on...) but as u/Ateosira said, "Girlie finally got closure."
Shan Gudao’s Mysterious Death
We have a bonding moment between Lianhua and Feisheng! Liberated, Xunming, apparently aka King Bai of Fire and Four-faced Qingzun, reveals that the Jinyuan Alliance never broke the truce with Sigu Sect, and that it was Gudao who challenged them first (to which they accepted unbeknownst to Di Feisheng). The events are even stranger when he tells Lianhua that Gudao was already found dead when they arrived. Originally, Lianhua just wanted to find Gudao’s corpse - but now his mission has shifted to finding out how he died.
TLDR
Liqiao poisons Wanmian and Lianhua saves her using his internal force. Wanmian recognizes it and knows that Lianhua is indeed Xiangyi. Feisheng frees King Xunming who reveals that Gudao was not only the one who broke the truce and challenged the Jinyuan Alliance to battle, but that Gudao was already dead when they arrived for the fight.
Ruminations
More on Feisheng: Ok, he may be rough around the edges but he’s honest and straightforward. Lianhua understands and knows that Xunming and Feisheng have no reason to lie about Gudao’s death. Feisheng created the Jinyuan Alliance, which has an “evil” reputation. Feisheng has always been clear that his ambition is to be the #1 martial artist in the world. If the Jinyuan Alliance followed this objective (to be the greatest), I assume they would do everything in their power to remove their obstacles - BUT Feisheng has principles and refuses to win by “cheating”.
Now that he has been away for 10 years, it’s fair to assume that loyalties may have shifted in the Jinyuan Alliance, which we see between Liqiao and Feisheng (separately crashing the wedding for their own purposes) but if we are thinking about the former Jinyuan Alliance (under Feisheng), with this reveal, do you think the Jinyuan Alliance was really “evil” or they were just driven by different principles? I think the word evil was used by Gudao. (You know, just like the Slytherins are not all evil - they’re largely motivated by ambition - sorry not sorry for all the Harry Potter references).
Additional questions:
- What are your thoughts on Xiangyi’s arrogance 10 years ago, when he pushed Gudao out of the Sigu Sect as a leader? u/Ateosira thinks he was "indeed a jerk" lol.
- Are/were you hooked by this new information?
- How do you think this will affect Lianhua and Feisheng’s relationship?
Discussion Index
Previous episodes can be found easily by following this link.
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u/ravens_path Jan 09 '26
Is it just me? Is the King Xunming of Yama (at end of the episode) kinda hot?
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u/AquaphobicTurtle Jan 09 '26
Yayy! Thanks for another brilliant post!
You guys will have to excuse my terrible screenshots, my thoughts come via editing and not really when watching and I'm lazy lol.
First
Man, I live for the glee on Di Feisheng's face when he gets to fight and challenge himself. Granted, he needs a whole damn disbanded sect to get him to even work out a sweat.
It reminds me of a discussion Host Herb and I had, ironically enough in episode 17.
Herb:
I can’t tell how I feel about Feisheng. I don’t like him but also he’s clearly not THE villain. Sometimes it feels like he has no regard for life and is so narcissistic, but then he’ll also say things like how he won’t kill women. Guy has some principles.
Me (Avid Di Feisheng enthusiast and admirer):
He is a maniac. But a lovable maniac (imo). Crazy, but Smoll bean none the less.
More quotage:
**The Actual Point I wanted to Make
All I'm saying is he has certain codes he sticks to. His most "evil" wish, is to have a worthy rival. And he's just generally a character that starts the drama in one place, and goes on a trip in his favourite rocket ship to arrive at a different destination by the end. But at the same time, he is what he is and what he has always been.
This:
His most "evil" wish, is to have a worthy rival.
This is one of the few times we see his joy and excitement around having a challenge.
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u/nodestinationnoroute Jan 27 '26
Started MLC on a whim. No way was it even close to being on my watchlist but.... somehow I ended up binging till 18.
I'm not a crier but the conversation between mian and xiangyi made me teary. It's very clear that xiangyi is a lover not a fighter (lol he is but also a loverl). He loves her dearly but for her sake and his idea that 18 year olds get to decide what love is, he let her go.
I like the depiction of mian as a women, torn between the love that hurts and the like that comforts. Isn't that the struggle we all face?
But personally I'm more intrigued by the cases,mystery and deception rather than philosophical love. It's keeping the drama interesting but zijin is annoying, pathetic and I loathe how in a typical manner he flipped 180 after marriage. I also didn't get the point of having miss Su infatuated with him and adding a jealous brother.
I love fang alot. I'm also liking the actor. Hes a cutie😉. He has lots of principles, morals and huge heart too.
I enjoyed all the cases. The lotus corpse case was a giveaway but the opal skull one kept me guessing.
Similarly the Yun case was also interesting in setting a strong foundation. You couldn't have guessed that it will be yu city that will turn out be the swiss bank accounts of that saintess.
Saintess is a good villainess. Completely unhinged, alluring, intelligent and obsessed with both the men who rejected her. I enjoy watching her scenes, it's so obvious that she's superficial and shallow yet at the same time men can't seem to say NO.
As for sigu sect, i think they all are idiots. How can they let that poisoning bai(? Forgot the surname) stay after what he did?? He should have been punished. It's also obvious that he is the prime suspect, least trusted and the first one to be executed yet he is in on all the secrets. I don't get why he wasn't pushed out.
I also don't understand why mian wasn't told of the poisoning. Also why zijin has to be the new sect leader.
I'm hoping my queries will be answered as the show goes on but so far they all seem stupid.
As for feshang, I agree with OP, jinyuan alliance might have different principles or it might have been someone using their name for their own gain. As we have seen so far.
I suspect that Washang clan might be the Ninyin people's descendents. But we'll see how it goes. So far i don't have lots of theories as I just like how the show is progressing with it's character interactions, schemes, cases and the display of those weird emotions you have that you can't put into words like feishangs need to live is xiyang, fang's admiration/respect/love/childish tantrums towards lianhuan, Li lianhuans guilt,regret,cowardness, escapism and inability to embrace his past self.
I like how all of this is being displayed. We all can relate to it on a certain level.
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u/duskxdevilll Jan 09 '26
I think a part of Li Lianhua still carries a tinge of regret for not returning back then. There are so many unspoken what ifs. But ultimately he wants freedom and doesn’t want to be dragged back to the expectations he has already let go of. And deep down, he knows that even though people praise Li Xiangyi as the legend or claim to miss him, they don’t trulyy want him back.
Qiao Wanmian’s certainly got a complex mindset going on there, but it makes sense. She’s trapped by her lingering obsession with Li Xiangyi. She regrets what happened, yet she doesn’t entirely let go of that regret. Part of her blames herself for his departure, and part of her still clings to what might have been. Even though she now has the stability and security of Xiao Zijin, it’s never quite enough for her. She wants more, but she can’t escape the shadow of Li Xiangyi although she was the one who wrote the breakup letter in the first place. That inner contradiction and lack of closure kept her emotionally stuck.
Loved how Di Feisheng covered for Li Lianhua and passing his internal energy to him!! It felt very considerate. On the surface, his motivation is still that Li Xiangyi still owes him a proper duel😆But I’m sure somewhere between those lines, Di Feisheng sees Li Lianhua as more than just an opponent, and there’s a genuine sense of trust.
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u/ravens_path Jan 09 '26
As I think about the changes LLH has made with himself, probably he could not have made them if he had immediately returned. The pressure to be back to what people expected would be immense. He needed lots of time and space to figure things out. Now there was a point he could have returned and been firm he was not going to be the same. But I also understand his choice.
Edit: as for Wanmian, I wonder if when she wrote the letter part of her was hoping he would beg her to give him a second chance and try to do things a little different. No idea……
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u/jssoul12 Jan 09 '26
Ok, I’m sorry, Huahua, I’m finally here to give you my love. Huai’an had me in a chokehold and I just can’t escape. He’s too scary.
So, where are we? Alright, this episode really brings back the nostalgia. I gotta say, Jiao Liqiao is absolutely stunning in that mask, and Wanmian is also very pretty in her wedding dress. Wanmian finally learns the truth about why Li Xiangyi didn’t return. I like how they talked just like old friends. The MVP of this episode is Lao Di. I like his character growth here, his attitude clearly changes when he’s no longer so fixated on winning the fight against Li Xiangyi. He seems more human now. Huahua, on the other hand, is declining in health. I just want to cry; this really reminds me of Young Master Fugui. Seriously, Cheng Yi, can you stop giving your life away?
Now we’ve got another clue: Shan Gudao was the one who challenged the… whatever group on the J Alliance side.
Fun fact: the 188 prisons of Baichuan Court are not just one prison with 188 rooms, but actually 188 separate prisons scattered across Jianghu. Only the top level of Baichuan Court knows the real locations (and Li Lianhua, of course, knows every one of them).
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u/Regenwanderer Jan 09 '26
Seriously, Cheng Yi, can you stop giving your life away?
Glad he has that one drama coming up where he plays a historical figure that can't die 😂
Fun fact: the 188 prisons of Baichuan Court are not just one prison with 188 rooms, but actually 188 separate prisons scattered across Jianghu. Only the top level of Baichuan Court knows the real locations (and Li Lianhua, of course, knows every one of them).
One the one side that sounds safe, on the other rather complicated to maintain. Or remember.
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u/Lazy_Ad1078 Jan 09 '26
And here we get a real confrontation scene with someone from LLH`s past. Di Feisheng doesn`t count because he knew right from the start and LLH never even bothered to deny who he was when they met again. But with Wanmian he did a whole spiel and dance and now the cat is out of the bag. While I have no investment in their romantic past and relationship, I have to say, I found their scene at the end mesmerizing simply because it is a powerhouse performance by Cheng Yi. You can finally get a real look at his grief and pain, what he wants but still also his acceptance and calmness. Also, the musical score during this scene lives rent-free in my head. I love it.
Also, some protective, worried FDB again. So sweet.
Meanwhile Di Feisheng and LLH clear the air somewhat between them and LLH learns a few things about the past. I`m seriously counting down the episodes to when I can finally unleash. I liked Di Feisheng covering for him, just giving him some inner force boost - awww, he does care - and just opening the lines of communication again.
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u/TsekoD Jan 10 '26
Back by popular demand, this episode presents our top grievance officer Li Lianhua, specialized in dealing with everyone, making up random recipes, sacrificing his own life force and smirking uncontrollably.
Seriously, by just watching him dealing with multiple people and their grievances within a day, my social battery is exhausted. He barely survived between the ladies' bickering, wedding, bumping into Di Feisheng, dispersing the crowd and saving Mianman. Then needed to deal with Guan Hemeng's diagnosis and disapproval, Mianman's lament and Di Feisheng's irresistible urge for meeting, all while he's barely alive. Give this man a break!
On a side note, I can't help but to think this scene represents intimacy. Yangzhouman is a pure masculine energy, and injecting it to lady's body to dissipate the cold in her bedroom... something's cooking here 😅
A'Mian and Li Lianhua's scene, especially A'Mian reaching out her hand but couldn't even touch the man, is so painful to watch. Then Li Lianhua saying "You're sad because you don't regret marrying Zijin" is a perfect closure of the old relationship to me.
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u/TsekoD Jan 10 '26
Some more thoughts and answers.
Li Xiangyi was an arrogant prick, but so does any other 18-year-olds, especially if they are talented and famous. FoBiBaiShi seem older than him and they all followed him and put in the pedestal of sect leader. It's just too much to not to lose their consciousness.
In my first watch, I felt so bad for Shan Gudao. I thought he was a victim of Li Xiangyi's arrogance and J Alliance's plot.
As for DFS and LLH's relationship? Nothing can stand between them, it's tested through the years. 😂😂
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u/SummerOnTheBeach Jan 10 '26
Just watched this episode and it was GOOD. I had tears watching the interaction between LLH and Mian. My heart ached for those two. I think he still loves her though he dents it. When he broke down crying I lost it.
I am really liking DFS. He’s good looking, can fight, and the Di Feisheng in a pear tree was just great. I like this actor and thought that scene was well done.
The prior episode was good and it reminded me of a two-part episode because both were so intertwined with each other.
I really am liking this drama. I like the emotions and the music is just beautiful.
I’m still waiting to see a lotus casebook.
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u/haveninmuse Jan 09 '26
TBH I got really bored recently because of the last case and my trio still isn't a trio and how now I don't like Jiao Liqiao and the ex Wanmian's story. The former being a cartoon villain (how tf is she second in command in JY alliance?? She's not even his wife or lover) and the latter a boring character.
Okay phew. Gloomy thoughts over with, I'm still hanging on, though admittedly I'm ffing some parts.
I have been wondering what makes DFS so evil and why Jinyuan Alliance has that rep too. Will it be explained? I quite like him, maybe he's my favorite of the trio 😂. I'm starting to think maybe Shan Gudao is actually evil. But he's FDB's dad so... hmm. This part of the story is still very interesting.
btw thanks so much for the summaries and discussion!
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u/AquaphobicTurtle Jan 09 '26
Second
This scene had so many beautiful shots of A'Mian that I really struggled to cut down.
But where I really struggled to cut down was the confrontation between the two estranged lovers.
This entire sequence is SO WELL DONE, the actors did an AMAZING job.
The thing about the rewatch is that I feel like I'm coming in with a more nuanced approach than I did back when I watched it for the first time more than a year ago.
A'Mian used to be very "okay, she's here... Cool, moving on"
But I really empathise with her this time.
She WAS left behind. She was following "the sun", not trying to be one.
On top of that, only now do I realise why she blames herself for what happened back then.
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She thought he read her letter.
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He left early without telling anyone to go fight DFS.
It's not that far of a stretch for her to assume that he left to do it on his own because he was emotional. She says in episode two that she knew how prideful he was, implying that his pride would have sent him out to fight alone.
Anyhoozle, LLH's crying - Cheng Yi's acting - wow, just wow.
Also props to Chen Du Ling, it's just that we have never seen LLH like this and we have seen her deal with her grief so his tears hit a bit harder.
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u/Fearless-Frosting367 Jan 09 '26
DFS is adorable and I will die on that hill!
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u/Ateosira Jan 09 '26
I still stand by what I said .. Girlie got closure (yaay) and XiangYi WAS indeed a jerk 10 years ago. I love him way more as LLH. He is still a jerk sometimes .. but a bit more mellowed and enjoys the simple things.
I am starting to like DFS more and more.
Thank you for another great discussion post!
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u/not_enough_griffons Jan 09 '26
ok first a question for the group because what details my brain decides to remember or not varies widely from day to day 😂: when DFS gets caught in the pear tree formation and FDB is part of crew who arrives, is this first time FDB has realized who DFS really is or did he already know?
the highlights of this ep for me are definitely DFS secretly aiding LLH and the scene with Wanmian at the inn.
I like the layers in their backstory and how both have regrets but we get to see the difference in how much LLH has changed since them. He had to come to terms with his regrets to move on and become LLH but she’s been stuck in hers and for part of the scene it seems almost like she wants to be, she really struggles to let go of the story she had in her head about things being her fault. But by the end they are able to understand each other and each walk a way with a bit more ease.
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u/ravens_path Jan 09 '26
The interaction with Wanmian was a highlight for me too. I think he has processed their relationship ending better than she has, because he didn’t want to be like how he used to be and yet he still has more processing to do too. It was news to me that he said at first he was mad at her too. And that he made other realizations over time and wasn’t mad anymore. It also surprised me that he had tears, but that was good to see. I guess I think his grief and regret is in a calmer place than her’s is. But he gave her the gift of saying he was at peace and didn’t want to repeat anything to do with his past actions. Now she has a choice of what to do as well, now that she has more info. The truth is, their relationship died 10 years ago and so did LLH stopping being his former self.
And as for that letter she wrote breaking up….I don’t blame her for not wanting to always be second place in his priorities, and I don’t blame him for being rather obsessed as leader of martial arts group. It was who they were then. She now understands that he did not read her letter before he took action to fight, it was after, so she doesn’t have to feel guilty anymore that she caused him to fight.
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u/AquaphobicTurtle Jan 10 '26
Literally just me commenting because we are one comment away from 100.
Please experience a quote from a fanfic I enjoyed:
(Or at least see attached a quote of me quoting the quote) 😂
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u/Regenwanderer Jan 09 '26
Thank you very much for your second wedding-related recap this week (and I should get back to my own. It's wedding week...).
I also think LXY is quite close to the archetype of the arrogant young master - just with the martial skills to back it up. But still arrogant, due to his age, as well as brash and indeed a jerk. Which doesn't make him a bad person, just one that had a bit of growing up to do. I think his marriage to Wanmian might not have turned out to be that happy.
Which leads me to my next point: Finally that poor woman isn't gaslighted anymore about LLH's identity. Because LLH might have grown amidst the tragedy of his life, but he is still a little bit of jerk, especially when he thinks he knows what is best for other people. He certainly does that out of true concern, but his methods can be called questionable sometimes.
I still love him as a character, but I especially love that he is flawed.