❤️ Quick Answers — Romance Check
- Happy ending? No.
- Main couple together at the end? Not as a living couple.
- Breakup? No confirmed formal breakup.
- Major separation? Yes, including death.
- When official? No clearly established dating milestone.
- First proper kiss? No verified proper lip kiss.
- Engaged or married? Neither.
- Final status? Qing Tong returns in spider form, while Fugui sacrifices himself. No confirmed living reunion.
👀 Should You Watch It?
If you enjoy fantasy adventures, tragic heroism, and sacrifice-heavy storytelling, Sword and Beloved might appeal to you.
But if you're looking for a romance where the main couple survives and gets to enjoy their relationship, this is not that drama.
Biggest drawback: The ending doesn't deliver a conventional romantic happy ending.
My verdict: 3/5. Watch for the fantasy storyline and Cheng Yi's character, not for a guaranteed happily-ever-after.
My Review ❤️
I finished Sword and Beloved, and I'm giving it 3/5.
My biggest problem? The ending is not good. 😭
We spend 36 episodes following Wangquan Fugui and Qing Tong, only for the finale to revolve around sacrifice instead of giving them a proper happy future together.
Fugui is a powerful swordsman raised to see demons as enemies. Qing Tong is a spider spirit who gradually changes the way he understands the world.
Their relationship becomes part of Fugui's journey toward independence, compassion, and freedom.
But when the final episodes arrive, saving everyone comes at a terrible personal cost.
And that ending? Yeah, I'm not calling that a happy ending. 🙄
Does Sword and Beloved Have a Happy Ending?
No. Sword and Beloved has a bittersweet ending. The main couple does not finish together as a living couple.
In Episode 35, Qing Tong sacrifices herself during the confrontation with the Black Fox.
In Episode 36, Wangquan Fugui defeats the enemy but sacrifices his own life in the process.
Qing Tong eventually returns in spider form, while Fugui's remaining spiritual power disperses.
The ending contains spiritual and symbolic elements connecting them, but it does not establish that both characters survive and resume a normal romantic relationship.
Main couple together alive? No.
Ending classification: Bittersweet Ending.
Do They Break Up?
No formal breakup is confidently established. The couple experiences major separation, including sacrifice and death. Forced separation or death is not the same thing as a confirmed romantic breakup.
The couple experiences substantial separation because of family obligations, supernatural conflict, and other plot developments. The ending creates the most significant separation through sacrifice and death.
Relationship Timeline
Episodes 1–3
Fugui meets Qing Tong, discovers her identity, and helps her.
Episodes 9–14
Their emotional attachment develops.
Episode 18
Fugui loses his sword abilities and is exiled, contributing to a major separation.
Episode 25
Qing Tong secretly returns to see Fugui.
Engagement
None.
Marriage
None.
Episode 35
Qing Tong sacrifices herself.
Episode 36
Fugui defeats the Black Fox at the cost of his life.
Final relationship
Not together as a living couple.
Not married and not reunited as a living couple. Qing Tong returns in spider form; Fugui sacrifices himself.
💗 Shen Zhiyi's Drama Reality Check
- 💕 Romance
- Important emotional connection, but an unconventional romantic progression.
- 🔥 Chemistry
- Restrained and emotionally focused rather than physically passionate.
- 💋 Kissing
- No reliably verified proper lip kiss between the main leads.
- 🤗 Skinship
- Limited physical affection, including embraces and moments of closeness.
- 🌶️ Spiciness / Adult Intimacy
- No verified sexual intimacy.
- 🚩 ML Red Flag
- Fugui generally demonstrates compassion and protectiveness, although supernatural conflict complicates his actions.
- 👑 Female Lead Competence
- Qing Tong demonstrates courage and agency, including making consequential decisions.
- ⏱️ Romance Timing
- Emotional attachment develops early, but a formal relationship milestone is unclear.
- ❤️🔥 Relationship Payoff
- Emotionally significant but without a conventional romantic happy ending.
- 💔 Breakup
- No formal breakup confidently established.
- ⏳ Separation / Conflict
- Substantial separation, supernatural manipulation, and final death-related separation.
- 💍 Final Relationship Status
- Not married and not reunited as a living couple. Bittersweet Ending.
- 📖 Plot
- Fantasy adventure exploring prejudice, duty, family control, compassion, freedom, and sacrifice.
- 🐾 Animal Harm
- Qing Tong is a spider spirit who dies and returns in spider form. No specific dog or cat harm verified.
⚠️ Content & Victimization Warnings
- Violent fantasy battles and injuries.
- Torture and physical punishment.
- Character deaths and self-sacrifice.
- Coercion and manipulation.
- Disturbing possessive and pseudo-sibling romantic implications involving Qing Cheng and Qing Tong.
- Major emotional distress and tragic finale.
- Supernatural/spider-spirit harm.
Where to Watch Sword and Beloved in the USA
Official iQIYI International listing checked October 8, 2026: Sword and Beloved has 36 episodes, Mandarin audio, and advertised English subtitles. Some episodes are marked VIP. Current U.S. account playback, full-series subtitle and audio menus, and individual paid or free episode access were not tested. Check episode access in your own U.S. account before subscribing.
iQIYI: Official listing; U.S. access not confirmed.
iQIYI
View official iQIYI listing- U.S. availability
- Official listing; U.S. access not confirmed.
- Subtitles / Audio
- English subtitles advertised; full coverage not verified. Mandarin audio listed; playback continuity not verified.
- Access
- Some episodes are marked VIP; individual paid or free episode access not tested.
- Availability checked
- (listing)
Source / check details
Official iQIYI International listing checked October 8, 2026: Sword and Beloved has 36 episodes, Mandarin audio, and advertised English subtitles. Some episodes are marked VIP. Current U.S. account playback, full-series subtitle and audio menus, and individual paid or free episode access were not tested. Check episode access in your own U.S. account before subscribing.
Playback was not independently tested.
- Listing:
- Subtitles:
- Audio:
Final Verdict
Sword and Beloved — 3/5 ⭐
Status: Finished
The ending is not good. 😭
It's a fantasy story involving love, sacrifice, and duty, but it does not provide the conventional romantic happy ending that some viewers will be expecting.
If you're watching mainly for romance and want the main couple alive and together at the end, consider yourself warned.
Sword and Beloved promotional artwork. Source: iQIYI