An alternate setting, with a mountain of original worldbuilding.
The waters of the Yuluo River are sacred to the people of Yuluo. Drinking from it makes them beautiful, with picturesque brows and eyes, but the people of Yuluo have short lives and none live past thirty. Fu Mingzhen is an outsider. By chance, he arrives here and falls in love with Yujin, ruler of Yuluo. Yet before their wedding, he suddenly seems to go mad and desperately urges people not to drink from the Yuluo River.
This is a grave insult to the sacred water.
After enduring it for a long time, the furious people finally throw Fu Mingzhen into the river to drown. At first, he struggles, but then they tell him, "This is the ruler's command."
He stops struggling.
Slowly, he closes his eyes.
Theme: A faith gone awry
