Summary of the story
Here's a possible rewrite: Shan He Ling, also known as Word of Honor in English, is a webdrama adaptation of Tian Ya Ke, a danmei wuxia novel written by Priest. The show gained immense popularity both domestically and internationally, possibly due to its main genre, which is widely popular and often used by Chinese television production companies to make money. However, it could also be due to its well-written and captivating epic jianghu story, which follows the journey of heroes in the pugilistic world and their romantic relationships. Fans of classic wuxia stories, whether in movie/drama or novel form, would quickly notice the similarities between this drama and Jin Yong's works, particularly Xiao Ao Jiang Hu, or The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The show features appearances and mentions of orthodox sects such as Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, the Beggar Gang, and the Five Mountains Sword Alliance (especially the Huashan, Taishan, and Hengshan Sects), but most importantly, the premise is similar: these orthodox sects (along with those under the Five Lakes Alliance) are self-righteous, hypocritical, and power-hungry as they compete tirelessly for a treasure that can make the owner tian xia di yi, or the number one in the (pugilistic) world. This treasure is usually a certain gongfu manual or weapon, but in this drama, it's the Glazed Armor, which is the "key" to an armory containing the secret gongfu of all sects in wulin.