Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

[The author's interpretation of the plot of the TV series "Chinese Paladin 3" belongs to Lin Yuan. The author's point is that the plot of "Chinese Paladin 3" largely matches the TV series; readers shouldn't nitpick the details.]

The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3 was released on time tonight.

If viewers could enjoy the sweet moments of "Vegetable Tooth Pig" and occasionally scroll through "Hua Ying Potato" memes during the first twelve episodes, then from the very beginning of this episode, Lin Yuan completely unveiled the tragic undertones of the entire series.

This episode focuses entirely on Xu Changqing's first incarnation—Gu Liufang.

The Miao Lantern Festival is a sea of ​​lights, bustling with activity.

Sixteen-year-old Zixuan, wearing a mask, got separated from the Holy Maiden and, in her panic, accidentally grabbed another figure wearing a horse mask. She reached out and removed the other person's mask, directly meeting Gu Liufang's warm and clear eyes.

The young man who came from afar to cultivate Taoism had handsome features, and he immediately made the girl's heart flutter.

In the following days, Zixuan took Gu Liufang to explore the mountains and rivers of Nanzhao. They walked through rainforests and stopped by streams. She told him the legends of Miao territory, and he patiently taught her to read and recite the Book of Songs. Gu Liufang, who had always been devoted to Taoism, for the first time cast aside the constraints of strict rules and indulged in this carefree time.

On the day of parting, Zixuan chased after Gu Liufang, who was about to embark on a long journey, her gaze unwavering: "I don't want to ask about any grand rules or regulations, I just want to ask you, are you willing to marry me? If you are, then don't become a nun."

Gu Liufang sighed softly: "You are still young, and may not understand the weight of love."

"I understand! I know my own heart!" Zixuan refused to back down. "Are you afraid? Are you unwilling to give up everything at the Taoist temple?"

Seeing Gu Liufang remain silent, Zixuan turned around and shouted loudly towards the open field, "Gu Liufang, I love you! Gu Liufang, I love you!"

The shouts shattered Gu Liufang's defenses. He stepped forward slowly, his eyes filled with emotion: "If your feelings remain unchanged after three years, I will come to marry you."

Zi Xuan's eyes lit up instantly: "It's a deal! Three years from now, at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, I'll be waiting for you!"

At this point, the comment section was still filled with pink bubbles:

"Holy crap! Is it this sweet even in the first life? That masked kill was absolutely amazing!"

"I'm totally blown away by Wallace Huo's looks! Gu Liufang and Xu Changqing are completely different characters—one is gentle and refined, the other is restrained and abstinent!"

"This is true love! I was rolling on the floor laughing at the scene where they confessed their love!"

However, before the audience could even savor the sweet moments, the plot took a sharp turn for the worse, delivering a devastating blow to everyone.

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Liufang arrived at the foot of Nanshan Mountain as promised, but he had already been deceived by his master and believed the lie that Zixuan had died of illness. He was filled with dejection. Suddenly, a figure flashed through the woods. The person was wearing the same horse mask from back then.

Gu Liufang was shocked and quickly caught up. Zixuan took off her mask, her eyes filled with three years of pent-up grievances and longing. Her tone was reproachful: "You've been three whole years late, without a word. I thought you had long forgotten our promise."

Gu Liufang quickly explained the whole story of how his master intercepted the letter and lied about her death. With the misunderstanding cleared up, all the pent-up longing surged up, and the two embraced tightly.

"This time, I will never be separated from you again," Gu Liufang whispered his promise. "I want to leave the monastic life, I want to marry you, and we will grow old together, hand in hand."

The two returned to the Xuandao Temple together, where Gu Liufang faced his master and frankly confessed his feelings. His master was furious and insisted on placing him under house arrest, absolutely forbidding a Taoist disciple from falling in love with a descendant of Nuwa.

Zi Xuan, waiting anxiously outside, set fire to the Xuandao Temple in an attempt to help Gu Liufang escape. Little did she know that this temple was built by the imperial family, and arson was a capital offense.

Taking advantage of the chaos within the Taoist temple, the two fled in panic, pursued relentlessly by a group of Taoist priests and government soldiers. After fleeing all the way, they were eventually forced to a precipice, with no way out but a sheer cliff in front and pursuers behind.

The mountain wind howled, and Zixuan's face turned pale: "It's my fault. I started this fire. I'll go back and confess, so you won't be implicated."

Gu Liufang gripped her hand tightly and shook his head: "At this critical moment of life and death, why should we distinguish between you and me?"

He looked up at the sky and said softly, "Zixuan, do you still remember the legend of Nuwa and Fuxi? Heaven, if you grant us the right to stay together for life, then let the clouds in the sky gather; if not, then let all the clouds disperse."

The wind rises and the clouds drift away, the drifting clouds disappearing in all directions.

Zi Xuan stared blankly at the sky, her voice filled with sorrow: "Even the heavens are unwilling to grant us our wish."

Gu Liufang turned to look at her, his eyes filled with unwavering determination: "I don't care what fate holds. My desire to stay with you will never change."

With tears in her eyes, Zixuan intertwined her fingers tightly with his and whispered her wish: "To hold your hand and grow old together."

Gu Liufang gazed deeply at his beloved and smiled slowly. The two stood side by side on the edge of the cliff, then leaped, plunging hand in hand into the deep valley below.

The scene abruptly ended, and in the black screen, the background music "Promise Not to Love You" slowly began to play, its ethereal yet despairing lyrics instantly piercing the hearts of every viewer.

The entire internet exploded with comments at that moment!

"Holy crap!!! He jumped off a cliff?! He jumped off a cliff in his very first life?!"

"Lin Yuan, are you poisonous?! I was just about to enjoy some sweets, and you feed me poison?!"

"I felt like I was suffocating the moment the clouds in front of me cleared up! God, are you not giving me a way out?!"

"Holding hands and growing old together, then jumping off a cliff together... Lin Yuan, you truly deserve to be called the Great Demon King of the Knife World!"

"I burst into tears! Gu Liufang, are you out of your mind? Even if you're resurrected, you'll still be tormented by this bastard director in your next life!"

On the bay window, Gu Zhiwan hugged a box of tissues, tears streaming down her face like beads from a broken string, her nose turning red from crying.

Lin Yuan walked over with a water glass, sighed when he saw this, and handed over two tissues: "I told you to prepare an extra pack of tissues."

Gu Zhiwan took the tissue and wiped her eyes, glaring at him fiercely. Her voice was thick with a nasal tone: "Lin Yuan, tell me honestly, were you a psychopath when you were writing the script? What did that Taoist temple do to deserve this? Did you have to drive two people in a relationship to the brink of suicide?"

Lin Yuan sat down beside her, slowly sipping his water: "If she didn't jump off the cliff, how could Zixuan wait for three lifetimes? If she didn't jump off the cliff, how could Xu Changqing's sense of destiny in this life be fully realized? This is called tragic aesthetics, do you understand?"

"I don't know anything! The entire internet wants to march to your doorstep and deliver wreaths to you right now!" Gu Zhiwan sobbed, handing him the tablet. "Look at the comments section yourself, see how much you've tormented everyone!"

Lin Yuan glanced at the screen, and wow, the trending topics list was completely dominated by this episode:

#Gu Liufang and Zixuan jump off a cliff# (Breaking news)

#Lin Yuan, you have no heart# (Breaking News)

#First Life as a Suicide Pact# (Hot)

#Address for sending razor blades to Lin Yuan revealed# (Trending)

The comments section was a chaotic mess, with netizens throwing around rants and jokes:

"Tonight's episode of Chinese Paladin 3: First three minutes: Wow, so sweet! Five minutes: Why are they locked up? Ten minutes: Holy crap, they're being chased! Fifteen minutes: God, why are you scattering clouds?! Twenty minutes: Everyone jumps off a cliff! Audience: ???"

Lin Yuan: I heard you guys want to see a sweet romance? Here we go! In three minutes, we'll send them straight to the underworld!

"Just a passerby, could you tell me if this director named Lin Yuan used to be a butcher? His knife skills are too precise! Every cut hits right where it hurts most, right to my heart!"

"Please, Tianxing Entertainment, lock Lin Yuan up! Don't let him touch the keyboard anymore! If he keeps writing, the Chinese cotton towel market will be in short supply!"

In the Tianxing Entertainment office, Fei Zhao stared at the skyrocketing data, wiping away cold sweat as he called Lin Yuan: "Director Lin, the power of your first life's knife was too great. The Weibo server crashed again for five minutes. Now the whole internet is looking for your home address. You'd better wear a helmet when you go out these days."

Lin Yuan held his phone, looking at the neon lights reflected on the river outside the window, his tone still calm: "What's the panic? This is only the first life. When Lin Yeping comes out in the second life, they'll know what true despair is."

Fei Zhao on the other end of the phone gasped, "...You're a real jerk! But speaking of which, this episode's viewership has broken our Tianxing's all-time record. Not only that, Huo Jianhua and Tang Yan's popularity has skyrocketed; Huo Jianhua gained two million followers on Weibo overnight!"

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "As expected. If the character's fate is clear and the actor performs well, the audience will naturally accept it."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yuan turned to look at Gu Zhiwan.

Gu Zhiwan stared blankly at the screen showing Gu Liufang and Zixuan falling off the cliff, muttering to herself, "Three lifetimes... I've waited for three lifetimes. If we still can't be together in the end, I'll really beat you to death."

Lin Yuan walked behind her, gently ruffled her hair, and said in a deep and gentle voice, "Don't worry, other people's stories are full of regrets, but our story won't have those."

Gu Zhiwan looked up and met Lin Yuan's clear and firm gaze. The sadness she had just felt from the heartbreaking plot instantly dissipated. She smiled through her tears and took Lin Yuan's hand, rubbing it against her cheek.

"At least you still have some conscience."

As night deepened outside, a river breeze blew through the French windows, lifting a corner of the curtains.

Meanwhile, online, the celebrations and tears surrounding "Chinese Paladin 3" continue to spread wildly.