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| Gong Jun & Peng Xiaoran To Promote Blood River (Tales of Dark River) in Changsha Ahead of October Premiere |
The countdown is on for one of the year’s most hotly anticipated historical dramas. Gong Jun and Peng Xiaoran are officially confirmed to appear in Changsha on 25 September 2025, where they’ll join the taping of Hello Saturday to promote their upcoming series Tales of Dark River (aka Blood River).
Fans are buzzing with excitement, as the promotional schedule usually hints that a premiere is just around the corner.
With the drama already set for an October release on Youku, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
What’s Tales of Dark River All About?
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Tales of Dark River (Blood River) brings to life the world of the secret assassin organisation known as the Dark River, a shadowy network formed by the Su, Xie, and Mu families.
At the centre of the plot:
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The Grand Elders fall fatally ill from a mysterious poison.
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Rival families seize the chance to rebel.
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Su Mu Yu (played by Gong Jun), head of the Spider Shadow guard, has no choice but to protect the Elders.
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To save them, he enlists the help of the divine healer Bai He Huai (Yang Yutong) from Medicine King Valley.
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Chaos erupts as assassin clans clash, and loyalties are tested to the limit.
The series is based on Zhou Mu Nan’s (周木楠) novel Tales of Dark River (暗河传), and promises a dark, high-stakes narrative filled with intrigue, betrayal, and emotional weight.
The Cast Line-Up
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Gong Jun as Su Mu Yu (Main Role)
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Peng Xiaoran as Mu Yu Mo (Main Role)
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Chang Hua Sen as Su Chang He (Main Role)
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Yang Yutong as Bai He Huai (Main Role)
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Snow Kong Xueer as Mu Xue Wei (Main Role)
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Zhang Shi An as Tang Lian Yue (Main Role)
With this ensemble, the show has already drawn plenty of early attention.
Air Date & Episode Count
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Platform: Exclusive to Youku
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Episodes: 40 in total
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Release: October 2025 (exact date expected soon)
What makes this drama stand out is its speed: filming wrapped in October 2024, and it obtained its distribution licence just a few months ago.
Few historical dramas manage to air so quickly after wrapping.
For context, Love in the Clouds is another big-budget drama moving at a similar pace, also slated for early October.
As with any major Chinese historical release, fans are already split into camps:
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Those who will only watch if Gong Jun is in it.
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Those who will only watch if Peng Xiaoran is in it.
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And, of course, the cautious camp who will only touch it if the ending is happy.
Whichever side viewers fall on, the buzz is undeniable, and the September 25th Changsha event is expected to kick off a massive publicity wave.
Promotions like this are more than just variety show appearances—they usually mark the beginning of an all-out marketing push leading into premiere week.
Given Youku’s October investment promotions and the intensity of recent fan discussions on Weibo, it’s safe to say Tales of Dark River will dominate headlines this autumn.