Decent but not great, lead couple had no chemistry

Decent, but not an great series that really tugs at any of my emotions or lingers long after I've finished the series. Seems they didn't have much budget for a star power cast.

Pros:
- I only watched it for the ML (Chen Xing Xu) because I loved him in Goodbye My Princess and the recent modern series My Boss. He just stood out so much compared to all the other leads and support characters.
- The storyline had such great potential - but the cast seemed to fall a bit flat.
- One of the few scenes that tugged at my heartstrings was when the ML was portraying the La Mu shard (fire demon) went to make peace w/ the villagers who misunderstood and accused him - he showed up w/ such hope, innocence and kindness but instead they attacked him. That broke my heart - and Ye Tan's reaction of pity and heartache for him. That was so sad.
- The scene of Man Man's death was really sad. I like her character and the funny, loyal friendship/sidekick relationship w/ Ye Tan was cute.

Cons:
- The lead couple Ye Tan and You Qing had little to no chemistry at all, which is crucial for this type of storyline of undying devotion/sacrifice for love (such as Ashes of Love, Ten Mile of Peach Blossoms, Love & Destiny).
- The cast was weak, no star power. I watch a LOT of dramas and I didn't recognize any of the lead or support actors (other than the ML Chen Xing Xu). The Heavenly Emperor was one of the worst, his acting was just awful, he literally had ONE facial expression the entire series!
- The two FLs (the sisters Ye Tan and Qing Kui) did not have the screen presence that these lofty roles required to captivate the audience - their acting wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Qing Kui character was renowned for her beauty and gentle kindness - while the actress did portray the gentle kindness part, but she did not embody stunning beauty. She looked more like an actress that would play a 2nd or 3rd support role.
- When the ML was playing the womanizer shard, he came across as super gay/feminine rather than a womanizer/playboy.

OST - just ok, not memorable

Re-watch - nah, not worth the time

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Song Zu Er (FL) the only redeeming quality

I don't understand the rave reviews and high scores this drama got. It was very draggy where it feels like you're watching the same scene/plot on repeat. The only redeeming quality and why I watched until the end (with a LOT of skipping) is because of Song Zu Er. She is one of the best young actresses with such a range in genuine acting - adorable, witty, fierce, emotional, heart-wrenching...she nails it every time in every series I've seen her in.

I just could not get into the male lead and his hair. This is the first time I've seen this actor in a series, and he was not good...not terrible, but not good. He had zero chemistry w/ the FL.

I did not root for anyone or any couple in this series other than the FL and her father. All the supporting characters and their storyline were uninteresting.

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Boring had to drop it

I started this series because I like the FL Zhao Li Ying (Prince Agents) and Luo Jin (Princess Wei Young). While this is a far departure from typical dramas of the city life, the village life is still an intriguing plot/storyline to explore. However this series was painfully boring. Aside from the FL who did a good job, every other character was so annoying and boring to watch. I just could not get into this series at all. Made it to episode 5 (with lots of skipping) to when Luo Jin finally makes an appearance. But even then, his appearance did not make the series more engaging.

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