Chinese Drama Love’s Rebellion Episode 1 Recap & Spoilers

The recently premiered Xianxia Chinese drama Love’s Rebellion, starring Zhang Linghe and Jing Tian, released its first set of episodes on July 31, 2024. As seen in the official trailer, the drama follows the story of Nan Yan (Jing Tian), who crosses paths with Ji Yang (Zhang Linghe), the immortal monarch, while looking for an herb. Episode one focuses on Nan Yan and Ji Yang’s first encounter. 

In this episode, Nan Yan, a disciple of the Lunar Sect, keeps her fellow disciple, Chu Jing, captive in a pot after he tries to set fire to her yard in her absence. Chu Jing had tried to destroy the Vermilion flowers Nan Yan had been cultivating for two years. Enraged, she tortures him with her pet scorpion. She is not afraid even when other disciples come to rescue him. But it was soon revealed that Nan Yan was not trying to harm him. In fact, poison from the flowers was sucked into his bones, and she used the scorpion to take it out. 

Love’s Rebellion episode 1 spoilers

The next scene takes viewers to the Xiagu Street Market. Rumors have started to spread that Lord Shao Cang or Ji Yang has escaped from the Soul River. He is a notorious and ruthless ruler who apparently killed a bunch of his disciples. Meanwhile, Nan Yan wanders into the market and crosses paths with Ji Yang, but the duo fail to notice each other. 

Ji Yang reveals that the Premier of the Great Path Sect, Ying Zewei, his master, banished him from the sect after convicting him of killing his disciples. He never committed the crime, but Zewei misunderstood him since the murderer used his technique. Then, Ji Yang was kept in the Soul River’s underwater prison. Now, he has been searching for the long-lost Seven Sins Manual. Meanwhile, Zhu Sui, the sect’s judicial aide, along with his army, has been looking for him. They use special kinds of beetles to track his scent. 

Why does Jing Tian keep Zhang Linghe tied up?

Then in the episode, Zhu Sui reaches the temple of the holy master Ji Ming. The latter defeated a powerful demon lord, and this temple is a shrine for him. While scavenging through the temple, Zhu Sui and his men hear a ghostly voice coming out of Ji Ming’s statue. The voice asks them to leave immediately. It is, in fact, Ji Yang who hid inside the temple and pulled the prank to drive Zing Sui away. 

Further into the episode, Nan Yan reaches the filth valley to look for a precious herb. She notices some disciples of the Evil Path Sect torturing a follower of the Great Path Sect. Fearing for her life, she decides to lay low but is soon discovered. She tries to run but fails. Ji Yang, waiting outside the filth valley, observes the entire thing and decides to help her. He takes the evil disciples out but soon passes out from exhaustion. 

What happens in Love’s Rebellion episode 1’s ending?

Nan Ya discovers him lying down on the grass. After checking his vitals, she carries him to her house. After regaining his consciousness, Ji Yang finds himself tied to her bed. Nan Ya reminds him that she has saved his life and offers him to be her medicine tester. On many occasions, Ji Yang tries to escape, but Nan Ya catches him. 

Further into the episode, Nan Ya seems to be possessed. When Ji Yang confronts the entity, it introduces itself as the Karma Talisman. But Ji Yang recognizes that it is the manual he has been looking for. He enters Nan Ya’s consciousness to confront the manual. It reveals that it can’t escape Nan Ya’s mind and offers him the formation formula. Ji Yang decides to stay with her until he recovers the manual. 

Love’s Rebellion is available to stream throughout the week on iQIYI and MGTV.