In the intricate world of The Journey of Legend (赴山海), a simple act of offering medicine reveals a profound emotional chasm within the heart of a powerful man. Liu Suifeng (柳随风), the formidable deputy leader of the Power Gang, receives the same healing pill from two different women. His reactions, however, could not be more different. This stark contrast is not a matter of protocol or rank, but a window into a soul divided between duty and a lifelong, unrequited devotion. The pills become symbols, one rejected with coldness, the other accepted with a silent, aching reverence, telling a story of love, memory, and the shadows of the past that dictate the present.
Song Mingzhu's Offerings
Song Mingzhu (宋明珠), known as the Red Phoenix, is a lethal and devoted subordinate. As a key operative under Liu Suifeng's command, her loyalty is absolute. Her role extends beyond that of a mere follower; she is also one of his mistresses, a relationship built more on utility and command than genuine affection. When she presents him with the precious Shisong Wan (石松丸) out of concern for his feigned injury, she expects, at the very least, acknowledgment.
Instead, she is met with harsh dismissal. Liu Suifeng coldly refuses her gift, chastising her for overstepping and instructing her to focus solely on the tasks he has assigned. His words are designed to wound, to reinforce the professional distance he meticulously maintains with her. There is no warmth, no gratitude, only the impatience of a master toward a servant who has momentarily forgotten her place.
This treatment underscores a painful truth for Song Mingzhu. In Liu Suifeng's world, she is a tool, a possession whose feelings are irrelevant. Her offerings, though well-intentioned, are an unwelcome reminder of a connection he views as purely transactional. Her devotion is met not with reciprocity, but with contempt, highlighting the cruel efficiency with which he segregates his emotional life.
Zhao Shirong's Unseen Shadow
The dynamic shifts entirely when Zhao Shirong (赵师容), the wife of gang leader Li Chenzhou (李沉舟), offers the same pill. Her status as the gang leader's wife demands a certain level of respect, but Liu Suifeng's reaction is rooted in something far deeper than protocol. His gaze holds a complexity that speaks of a history unknown to her, a secret buried for a lifetime.
Years ago, when Liu Suifeng was a destitute and abused young beggar, a moment of kindness altered the course of his life. A young noblewoman, Zhao Shirong, stopped her servants from beating him. She did not look at him with scorn or pity, but declared he was a young man of future ambition. Her words, "He will be a man of ambition and character!", became his mantra. She offered him clean clothes and a chance, a memory he clung to as he vowed to become someone worthy of her.
He transformed himself through immense struggle, becoming the powerful and feared Liu Suifeng. Yet, when he finally returned to find her, she was gone, having left her aristocratic life behind. He searched, only to discover her later as the beloved wife of his closest ally and leader, Li Chenzhou. She did not recognize the man he had become, forever cementing her status as his ultimate, unattainable Bai Yueguang (白月光).
A Heart's Hierarchy
This hidden history explains everything. For Liu Suifeng, the two women exist on opposite ends of his heart's spectrum. Song Mingzhu represents the present, a relationship of convenience and command. Her persistent devotion is something he takes for granted, an always-available comfort he can accept or reject on a whim. He feels no need to cherish her gestures because she is already his.
Zhao Shirong, however, is the sacred past. She is the inspiration for his entire identity, the reason he fought to become powerful. Her slightest gesture, even a polite offering of medicine driven by her role as the leader's wife, is a treasure. Accepting the pill from her is the closest he can ever come to receiving her affection. It is a symbolic connection to the only pure moment in his harsh life.
This internal hierarchy dictated his ultimate fate. His love for Zhao Shirong transformed into an unwavering, loyal service to both her and Li Chenzhou. He never betrayed them, even when suspected of disloyalty. He ultimately sacrificed his life to protect hers, dying with his secret intact. The man who coldly spurned one woman's care spent a lifetime honoring another's forgotten kindness, a testament to the enduring power of a single, compassionate act.
