For such a weepy and painstaking romance, Feud (Lin Jiang Xian) wrapped up with an ending that surprised many—offering something rare in the xianxia genre: a happy ending all around. While you could say it throws away logic—where the time goddess apparently could’ve solved everything and the parallel dimensions and alternate timelines don’t exactly add up—fans hoping for a happy ending definitely got that. Even though the final scene is the usual abrupt ending.
Feud Ending Recap
After enduring trials across multiple lifetimes, Hua Ruyue (Bai Lu) and Bai Jiusi (Joseph Zeng) finally reunite. Hua Ruyue uses the mystical artifact “Time Reversal Dial” to travel back and correct the past—helping Xiao Jingshan’s (Hong Yao) family, hoping he wouldn’t become the big villain. But the time goddess did say it’s all about cause and effect: changing the past might not change the future. And it turns out, those who passed still passed. Hua Ruyue had intended to sacrifice her life as a goddess to stop the endless drought, but her disciple took her place instead. She then finds a purpose for the dial, using it to correct the past for many of the characters we’ve come to know.
Perhaps most awaited is how she will change her past with Bai Jiusi. She goes to find her past self, revealing the truth to clear the misunderstandings between them. Hua Ruyue from the past then gives Bai Jiusi from the past a big hug, reveals she’s pregnant with their child, and tells him not to even think about taking on the heavenly punishment in her place. After everything has been undone, present day Hua Ruyue embarks on a journey to find Bai Jiusi—no matter how long it takes. Her journey takes her to the icy lake where they first met, where Hua Ruyue willingly lays beside Bai Jiusi frozen in time. The time goddess does her magic, allowing Hua Ruyue to finally breach the icy barrier to be with him. A kiss awakens him. Their love tribulation is over. And the ending credits roll.
: What Happens to Hua Ruyue and Bai Jiusi at the End?){kind=link}
Applefish
I quite enjoyed this drama. The ending was perfect, not because the leads get together, but because it wrapped up all the messages it wants to convey to its audiences. The fact that BJS n HRY has the same origin, n their pearls went inside each other, there is always part of them inside each other.
The time goddess only allowed BJS to be revive when HRY used the time dial correctly. She didn’t try to go and correct every mistake to ensure the happiness of her own. She gave each couple a chance to choose to experience the happiness. Since who’s passed, still passed. We can assume that her child still die, her master (the one that gave flower) still die. But at least BJS and her get to be together, experience that first 6yrs of eternal bliss. Her disciple (the little boy she rescued from being bullied) will still giving himself up to create the rain, but he get to enjoy some happiness with her master before she gets killed.
The drama isn’t about achieving the perfect life, just filled with happiness. The drama is about enjoying that little happiness, treasure those happy moments, even though they are little and fleeting and life are still full of pains and sacrifices. It’s a drama that tries to convey themes, ideology, and did so quite wonderfully. The acting from both BL and ZSX were so wonderful, pairing with great music, making the whole experience quite perfect.
mpruel
actually she did saved all xiao jing shan’s family..
Coralie
I see 2 possible endings, neither of which leaves me very satisfied lol.
1) HRY changes events in the past for alternate timelines/worlds. Remember the time goddess mentioned that she’s involved with 3000 worlds or something, so it stands to reason HRY might’ve changed the ending for some of those 3000 worlds, but when she returns, it’s always back to her own timeline. This makes the most sense to me since how can she be in the past and making changes to the previous her, if the future was the same (e.g., villain still made time dial)? Kind of a bittersweet ending as it means she’s changed the past for alternate versions of themselves, but not herself.
2) She made changes, shortened the tortuous reasons for misunderstandings and allowed the past them to really enjoy each other for fleeting moments. However, what’s fated to be, will still be. She didn’t change the cause or the effects, but only the process. Everyone meant to die, will still die. This ending is a cop out, because we never understood what was the cause and effect. She killed Drought Dragon, so it’s fitting if she sacrifices herself as rain for the greater good – that’s cause and effect. They copped that one out too, by letting her disciple take her place. But it’s her karmic good that allows one of her benefitted take the fall for her. So again, that’s cause and effect. But why does Shi An die? No rationale. Why did her master die? No rationale. Very loose end there.
Applefish
I also go with no.2. Partly because I missed the 3000 worlds that the time goddess speaks of. But mainly because this is not marvel n their stupid MCU lol. I believe with the Chinese culture, they don’t believe in multiple timeline lol. At least, not until marvel n their MCU. They believe in fate, what meant to happen, happens.
To answer about Shi’An: why does he have to die? Simple, he was their love tribulation. The hardest thing for any relationship is surviving the death of their child. They clearly love each other, and will die for each other n with each other. But can they stay together n work through the pain of losing a child. The drama is trying to teach you to continue living even though the suffering seems to never end. It’s very easy to break up after experiencing the lost of a child, or end one’s life. It’s much harder to work through the grief together.
You talked about cause and effect. If it just HRY die because she killed the drought dragon then it’s too simple. Life isn’t that simple lol. If she just die like that, then it’s no different than someone killed someone n then got the death sentence. While might be accurate, but also boring lol. The disciple die for her isn’t really a cop out either. She saved him, he took the death for her, bringing the whole cause and effect back. Why did her master die? Because the evil dude was trying to use the master’s death as a way to incite more fight between BJS and HRY?
Coralie
it’s a Yu Mama production, king of plagiarism, I wouldn’t put it past him to copy some parallel timeline plot.
I can see shi an being a love tribulation, but in the form a 3rd party seems non-canonical. usually love tribulation has to do with the person themselves and not due to an external stimuli. rarely do I see love tribulation attributed to a child.
but there was a lot of talk about cause and effect the entire series. when she allowed the slaying of the dragon, she messed with the effect, which in turn causes something else. it follows a logical explanation. and it’s not black and white, which is why her head disciple sacrificed himself instead of her. something has to equal and balance out. the outcome is the same, but the process changed.
her master’s death was just a convenient plot device to allow the story to move forward – it ain’t that deep. shi an was also a convenient plot device to give HRY an excuse to hate BJS. there is no deeper philosophy behind it. y’all give him too much credit.
Applefish
Haha, I actually dislike YZ, n I think it’s the writer not him write this?! (At least I was under the impression that the writer for feud, also write Love&Destiny). I’m not versed on love tribulation so I won’t argue on the canon of things. “It’s rare that it attributed by a child” – because idol xianxia never like to touch the sensitive subject?! Like I said the reason why I think Shi’An is their tribulation is because like in real life, not many couple can survive the lost of the child.
If you want to think of it as a plot convenience, then nothing else to say lol