Shitu lian means 'master–disciple romance'. In Chinese web fiction a teacher falling for a student, or the reverse, is one of the most dependable forbidden-love setups, because the master stands in the place of a parent and the bond breaks the rules of the sect. It lives most comfortably in xianxia, where the master is also a figure of power. The Journey of Flower, adapted from a web novel, is its standard example.
Dramas
Where it comes up
Ink & Immortals
The Journey of Flower: the 2015 hit that turned a xianxia novel into a 20-billion-view franchise
Master-disciple forbidden love, a demon god, and a heroine who ends up carrying the world's power in her own body — the 2015 Hunan TV drama that became the first Chinese series past 20 billion online views.