Plum Blossoms Fall Across the Flute

In Plum Valley in the Northern Frontier, Li Feng is the disciple adopted by the grandmaster Su Mumei. He always carries a cracked white jade flute, and a plum-blossom mark rests over his heart. He is the orphaned heir of the Marquis of Anping. Years ago, the marquis's entire household was wiped out after a jealous chancellor, who held power over the court, framed them. As she lay dying, the marquis's wife entrusted her swaddled infant to Su Mumei, and his true identity was kept hidden for years.

When they are attacked at a hot spring, Su Mumei takes an arrow meant for Li Feng and is gravely wounded. Seeking a life-saving medicine, Li Feng falls into enemy hands and is imprisoned in the chancellor's dungeon. The chancellor recognizes him and subjects him to every kind of torment, driven by a twisted obsession. Su Mumei and his junior fellow disciple Wen Zhiyu join forces with the marquis's former retainers and risk their lives to rescue Li Feng, bringing the blood-soaked family vendetta to light.

A reckless assassination attempt fails, costing an innocent songstress her life as well. Unwilling to drag his friends and mentor into danger, Li Feng endures the agony of reshaping his bones and disguising his appearance, becoming Qingyun, a peerless dancer. Using himself as bait, he maneuvers around the chancellor.

Su Mumei grows suspicious of Qingyun because of the small details in his mannerisms. After probing him several times, he inches closer and closer to the truth. When the chancellor invites Qingyun to a banquet at his residence, the final reckoning approaches. Fearing for his master's safety, Li Feng drugs Su Mumei and knocks him unconscious, then leaves a keepsake and bows in farewell. Hiding feelings he cannot speak of, he steps alone into the tiger's den.

At the banquet, he uses a sword dance to set a deadly trap. With poison on his lips, he takes his enemy down with him, successfully killing his nemesis, but the poison gravely wounds his soul.

With his vengeance complete, Li Feng falls into an endless sleep. Su Mumei takes him back to their old courtyard, where snow falls and plum blossoms bloom. The turmoil of the mortal world has finally passed, leaving only unspoken devotion and a vigil with no end in sight.

Theme: Hatred cannot heal every wound, and victory in revenge often comes at a terrible cost. People struggle against the shackles of fate and face impossible choices between love, hate, and justice. Beyond the satisfaction of vengeance, there is also patient protection and silent devotion. The story also reflects on the devastating tragedy brought about by obsessive fixation.