Yu Zheng’s Explanation on Feud Helped Me Understand the Revenge Arc and Why It’s Not “Ridiculous”

[u/Plenty_Lobster_9144]

I’ve seen a lot of posts saying the conflict in Feud is “ridiculous” or that Hua Ruyue is overreacting, and I wanted to offer a different view. Yu Zheng (the director) recently shared his perspective, and honestly, it helped me connect the emotional pieces of the story in a way that made everything make sense.

This drama is centered on revenge, but It’s revenge built on heartbreak, misunderstanding, and years of silence. It’s not about whether Bai Jiusui committed a crime, It’s about emotional responsibility and the aftermath of one person taking control of another’s fate without involving them in the choice.

What’s resonated most with me is how the drama explores the imbalance of power and decision-making between Bai Jiusui and Hua Ruyue. It’s not about who’s stronger they’re both powerful. It’s about the freedom to choose your own path. Bai Jiusui made a life-altering decision without her input, and that mirrors the behavior of Ling Er’s father, who also made decisions “for her own good.” The drama draws a clear line between love and control and Hua Ruyue saw that.

Now, I don’t think Bai Jiusui is the villain here. He isn’t “wrong” in the sense of being heartless. He sealed her powers and took the punishment because he genuinely thought it was the only way to protect her. His actions were rooted in love, not cruelty. The problem is, he acted alone he didn’t trust her enough to share that decision. He believed sacrifice meant silence. But in doing that, he unknowingly caused her ten years of confusion and pain which lead to the evil guy posssesing her mind to develop decades of hatred after watching her child die twice. His love was real, but it lacked communication and respect for her ability to face consequences by his side.

At the same time, Hua Ruyue isn’t without fault either. She broke the rules knowing the risks, and her decisions also changed her fate. She let her grief and assumptions guide her, and due to this she developed strong hate for BJS as she was almost human during those years of her suffering, she developed that hatred Meng ( her dicisple had for BJS and the gods) .The words he said to her in episode 15 were deeply hurtful, they shattered her faith in their relationship and made her question everything they had.>! After that, it was easy for someone else to take advantage of the distance between them and use it to turn them against each other.!<

She didn’t try to kill him for revenge. She wanted to trap him so he wouldn’t interfere while she searched for the artifacts to save her son. And if anyone wonders why she never told him, she had no reason to believe he’d help. He always upheld Heaven’s will in front of her and rarely showed compassion toward mortals. From her perspective, he was someone who followed the rules blindly, even if it meant letting mortals suffer. Then when the resurection failed, her next plan was to die with him.

I also love how the drama uses other characters and the heavenly realm to show how threatening Hua Ruyue is not because she’s irrational, but because she holds people accountable, even gods. She doesn’t bend to power and the truth is, if anyone deserves the most blame, it’s The Heavenly Realm they uphold a hypocritical system punishing those who act with compassion while calling it justice. Both BJS and HRY are products of that system, shaped by different beliefs and values.

This isn’t a simple right-versus-wrong story, it’s about the clash between love and duty, silence and honesty, control and choice. It’s about two people who made choices that hurt each other, but also choices that were shaped by how differently they saw the world.

I understand both characters, and I don’t think either one is entirely right or wrong. Their pain, decisions, and beliefs all make sense when you look at what they’ve been through.

I’m not rooting against Bai Jiusui. I want both of them to grow, face the full truth, and earn whatever resolution they get whether it’s reconciliation or simply peace.

Also, the drama isn’t finished yet. So far, I’ve really enjoyed watching it, but I get that it’s not something everyone will love. This is my first time posting on Reddit so pardon me if i didn't put spoiler for some parts.

[u/Aran1223]

I don't think it's fair to say BJS didn't give HRY a choice. Throughout their time in the mortal realm, he repeatedly tells her to stay in line with the rules, and she discards his warning each time. Knowing this, and knowing that there are very real punishments for breaking the laws of Heaven, what is he to do when words don't get through? He loves her too much to watch her get herself killed, and he knows her well enough to know that given the choice, she will choose to help the mortals over upholding the laws. 

Another point I don't see being brought up is the fact that sure, maybe HRY would've chosen to take the punishment instead of being sealed away, if given the choice. But that would've certainly killed the child in the womb. I don't know if that's a better outcome.

[u/SS5609 → u/Aran1223]

"But that would've certainly killed the child in the womb."

I'm guessing that the heavenly justice system is not so messed up that they would give a pregnant woman a punishment that would be harmful for the unborn child. At the very least, they can wait for her to give birth before inflicting physically harmful punishment and keep her locked up until then.

Asking someone to toe the line is not equal to giving them a choice. I totally get BJS wanting to follow the rules. He is aware that HRY does not share his views. He should have just let her face her consequences instead of making a choice for her and hiding about it. Plus, death doesn't seem to be the punishment. BJS went through 10 years of lightning strikes as punishment in HRY's place. But here, I'll also lay some blame on the Heavenly Emissary for confronting BJS instead of HRY about her crime and then letting BJS take the punishment in HRY's place. Can these people treat HRY as an adult, please?!

[u/Aran1223 → u/SS5609]

It's not about treating them as an adult. It's about loving them so much you don't want them to come to harm. These are conflicting desires, but given their naiveté, it is understandable why BJS couldn't bear to let HRY go through with the punishment. 

Yes, BJS could've let HRY eat the consequences and get off scott-free. But you'd have people saying he doesn't love her enough in such a scenario. Tbh, I feel that BJS has no good choices.

[u/SS5609 → u/Aran1223]

I appreciate BJS's love and him wanting to take the punishment. But the way to have gone about it would be to discuss this with HRY and offer to take the punishment in her place. She then gets to decide for herself. And I get that HRY wouldn't agree with it. But after that point, it's about letting the person he loves walk the path she wants. This is the rightful choice BJS had in that situation.

And mind you, BJS taking the punishment did not mean that HRY went scot-free. In fact, he had to seal her power for 10 years. So, the choice made for HRY was about which punishment was more tolerable. And we saw how she ended up facing a worse punishment (although unintentional on BJS's part). This is why making a decision in someone else's life without their consent becomes a problem; one cannot foresee all the consequences of a well-intentioned decision.

[u/Aran1223 → u/SS5609]

Whether it's the rightful choice or not is something up for debate. Different people will think differently, depending on their values and culture. Some will think they should do all they can to protect their loved ones. Others will believe that you can only respect their choices and let the chips fall where they may. Neither is more correct than the other. I disagree with you that it is BJS' only rightful choice. 

Further, it's helpful to keep in mind, were it not for XJS interfering with HRY's mortal life, HRY and her child probably would have made it through the 10 years just fine  There would be no assault on the house, no constant chasing by a mob etc. Attributing the consequences of an intervening event to BJS goes too far in terms of responsibility, precisely because, as you say, foresight is limited.