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ghost_valley2021-10-01 03:03 pm
shadaras) wrote in ghost_valley2021-10-01 03:03 pm
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[WoH Rewatch] Episode 17
Youtube says that ep17 is one of the special versions but I have absolutely no memory of what the special bit of this episode is! Perhaps I will figure it out while watching. Perhaps I will not. (It’s probably in the final scene, where WKX is drunk and ZZS puts him to bed? I have done exactly zero research but that feels right…)
List of Scenes
GX cares for CWN, then talks to YQF and LQQ
Tao Hong and Lv Liu try to decide what to do with Xiaolian
ZZS and WKX bicker about Chengling’s training as they travel
Zhao Jing (and Xie-wang) talk to Wuchang Gui and his faction
Wuchang Gui and his faction privately discuss Wuchang Gui’s goals
YBY gives a history lesson about QHZ and Long Que’s relationship to WKX and Chengling (with ZZS also there)
Zhao Jing promises the assembled Five Lakes Alliance that he’s going to be a good leader
ZZS’s group continues travelling
Zhao Jing confronts people who left the Alliance, and Xie-wang kills their leader
Chengling continues practicing at an inn, and ZZS and WKX give him contradictory advice. It’s revealed he’s got protag-grade meridians.
Zhao Jing makes Xie-wang jealous and tells Xie-wang to do as he’s told
WKX and YBY drink more, and WKX asks YBY how old he is
ZZS makes WKX go to bed, and WKX tries to get him to promise not to die soon
Timeline or Something
Several days have passed since the Heroes Conference. Several more days (at least) pass during this episode! Travel does that.
Recap
It’s dawn! Probably. CWN wakes up, very worried and relieved to find GX there and also fine. GX tells him he’s been unconscious for a few days, and advises him to rest. He’s been having nightmares about not being able to protect GX, though, including one that’s basically quoting from their extra in TYK (CWN fails to protect GX, dies, and waits at Naihe Bridge for GX, who comes far sooner than he expected). GX asks if he’s cursing her, and CWN denies it.
Then he asks about Xiaolian, and GX tells him she’s been kidnapped. GX prevents him from running off immediately to rescue Xiaolian, and CWN asks who saved him. GX tells him the half-truth that YQF saved him, then goes and gets more medicine for him.
Outside CWN’s room, GX finds both LQQ and YQF. She tells them that he’s fine. We learn that they’re at a side residence of Mount Hua Sect (YQF’s sect). YQF leaves. GX grumbles at LQQ, because LQQ had corrected her pronunciation of a word, and LQQ tells GX that GX isn’t a good match for a nobleman (CWN). GX says nobody’s a match for her, and LQQ agrees and tells her to rest and wait.
GX asks LQQ how she got YQF to agree to help LFM. LQQ says she told YQF she’d help him get revenge for Yu Tianjie’s death in exchange. GX is suspicious of him for this, but doesn’t follow up her suspicions.
The scene changes to Tao Hong and Lv Liu with their prisoner, Xiaolian. She’s not responding to Tao Hong’s efforts to feed her, and Tao Hong is very frustrated. Among other things, she doesn’t understand why Huang He is keeping Xiaolian prisoner. Lv Liu is a bit more practical, acknowledging that now that they’ve gone down this path, there’s no backing out.
The scene changes to Chengling practicing his martial arts as he walks behind ZZS and WKX’s horses. Behind him, YBY lounges on a carriage. (Where did they acquire the horses and carriage? Who knows. It’s a pretty image, and useful for the story, so we do not question such things.)
WKX takes the opportunity to flirt with ZZS by fanning him. Chengling tries to beg for WKX’s assistance, and instead simply gets scolded by ZZS for not working hard enough. ZZS implies that he wants Chengling to get strong enough to protect himself even when ZZS’s gone, and outright asks WKX if he’s interfering because he wants Chengling to be his disciple too. And then, after mentally comparing WKX to a wronged wife, ZZS wonders what WKX’s planning.
At Yueyang, Zhao Jing and Xie-wang are playing go when Luo Qiaohan leads in Wuchang Gui, Lovelace, and Happy Ghost. Zhao Jing happily greets the ghosts, and Wuchang Gui praises him. (He also greets them as “Zhao-xiong” [since ZJ called the ghosts -xiong as well] and “Xie-wang”.)
They make it clear that Zhao Jing and Wuchang Gui schemed together to plan the events of the Heroes Conference. Xie-wang remains quiet as Zhao Jing and the ghosts exchange courtesies and discuss how Gao Chong pretended to destroy the Glazed Armor. Zhao Jing also tells the ghosts to make more of an effort to find Hanging Ghost, and leave the Five Lakes Alliance to him.
Wuchang Gui takes this opportunity to confirm that there are five pieces of Glazed Armor, which all should’ve been with the Five Lakes Alliance, and thus WKX was lying about Hanging Ghost stealing a piece WKX owned. Zhao Jing tells him basically “mind your own business” and the scene cuts.
The camera rocks back and forth, as it enjoys doing during ghost-centric scenes. Wuchang Gui, Lovelace, and Happy Ghost discuss what they’ve been doing, and how they’ve been doing so much work and gained nothing. Happy Ghost calls Zhao Jing and Xie-wang “mad” [fengzi], and Wuchang Gui says “How could they come up with this plan if they aren’t mad?”
Happy Ghost listens to this, and realises that Wuchang Gui wants to become the Valley Master. Lovelace asks what the point is, since it’s basically asking for death. Wuchang Gui elaborates on his plan, which seems to be letting all the ghosts out of ghost valley to play in the human world again. All the ghosts begin laughing in delight over this idea.
Wuchang Gui continues enticing them by telling them about the Yin-Yang Book that’s hidden in the World’s Armory, and how that could cure Happy Ghost’s laughing problem.
In their laughter, the scene changes back to the woods. ZZS badgers WKX into going to find food with hiim, and tells Chengling to keep practicing. YBY and WKX manage to bicker some more.
That evening, WKX attempts to serve ZZS food first, but YBY snatches the bowl away. ZZS gives the second bowl to Chengling, and tells him to feed it to Long Xiao. The third bowl, ZZS accepts.
WKX asks ZZS why he calls Long Xiao “Young Leader Long”, and YBY starts answering for ZZS. This includes a line that youtube translates as “Qin Huaizhang and Long Que were like Damon and Pythias”, which is a reference I had to look up. In the Chinese, it looks like he’s calling them “shēngsǐ zhī jiāo” (生死之交), which I feel like could’ve just been translated as “sworn brothers” or “friends in life and death” the way dictionaries are telling me? And which would’ve been less confusing? (Netflix says “QHZ and Long Que swore to live and die together”, for reference.)
YBY’s point is that Long Que and QHZ were good friends (and so of course ZZS is being respectful to the son of his master’s good friend). YBY also says that QHZ introduced Long Que to Rong Xuan, but he calls Rong Xuan “that brat” and leads WKX to ask what YBY’s relationship with Rong Xuan is. YBY calls WKX an old lady and a busybody for asking.
ZZS asks, instead, how YBY knows the answers they need are in Longyuan Pavillion. YBY tells him that “except for the one who started the whole thing” (presumably YBY himself), Long Que is the only insider of that group still alive. Chengling comes back and asks who Long Que even is, prompting ZZS to explain that QHZ and Long Que were sworn friends (“mònì zhī jiāo” (莫逆之交) doesn’t need a weird reference, apparently!) and that the “superficial knowledge of mechanics” Siji Manor teaches originated in Longyuan Pavilion.
Long Que used to visit Siji Manor frequently in ZZS’s youth, and then suddenly stopped for no reason ZZS was aware of. ZZS says there was a misunderstanding between QHZ and Long Que, so QHZ only realised something was wrong when he received a distress letter from a mechanical sparrow (which we’ve seen Tianchuang use). At that point, QHZ started searching around Shu (the region Longyuan Pavilion is in) for Long Que, but Longyuan Pavillion was hidden too well and QHZ couldn’t find it.
ZZS has tried to search out Longyuan Pavillion before (rumours call it a moving fortress, apparently! which just makes me think of Howl’s Moving Castle…), but even Tianchuang couldn’t find it. YBY says Tianchuang was useless, as are both ZZS and WKX, but calls WKX’s soup “acceptable.” WKX wonders how YBY’s survived this long without being strangled to death, and YBY laughs as he says “because I’m good at martial arts”.
The scene changes to Yueyang, where Zhao Jing takes what used to be Gao Chong’s place at the front of the hall. Many sect leaders are gathered here today. Zhao Jing asks about the leaders of two sects (Jujing Gang and Purple Wave Cove [later, Golden Tiger is added to the list of sects who’ve left]), and is told they’ve left the Alliance. He seems rather unsurprised by this. Some of the other sect leaders are upset, but then one brings up how Gao Chong collaborated with Ghost Valley and that it’s understandable people would leave after such a betrayal.
Zhao Jing puts a stop to talk of if Gao Chong was working with Ghost Valley, acting like a good loyal brother. Quite a hypocrite, considering he’s the one who collaborated with Ghost Valley to kill his sworn brothers!
Various people list off who’s died from Ghost Valley’s attacks recently, calling it Ghost Valley’s revenge for Gao Chong’s death. Since words claiming such were written on some corpses, that’s not a bad assumption to make. It’s also something Zhao Jing wanted to have happen, though whether the ghosts or the scorpions carried out these killings is a bit unclear.
Zhao Jing humbly talks about how they need to work together to survive this trial. He asks everyone to trust him, and says he’ll do his best to protect the reputation of the Five Lakes Alliance. Everyone rallies behind his words, and the scene ends.
Back with WKX and ZZS, we’re back to travelling and training on the road. YBY flicks a nut at the rear of ZZS’s horse, startling it into a run and dragging Chengling (still tied to a rope ZZS’s holding) along for the ride. YBY laughs, and WKX calls him disrespectful. They trade insults, and WKX asks if YBY’s old enough to be calling WKX a kid. This is all very silly, considering that half of WKX’s insults involve calling YBY old-something-or-other.
The scene shifts to Jujing Gang’s hall, where the sect leaders who left the Five Lakes Alliance have gathered. Jujing Gang’s sect leader (Wang Moxuan, we learn a little later) calls Zhao Jing “unambitious and weak,” insults his leadership abilities and says he’s dooming the Alliance.
Battle sounds come from outside. Scorpion mooks open the door and stand on either side of it, creating a passage for Zhao Jing and Xie-wang to dramatically enter. There are even some Yueyang disciples trailing behind them (as well as Du Pusa and Qiao Luohan). Zhao Jing is dramatically (but in a political fashion) upset about how he’s been insulted. The people in the hall recognise how the Scorpion is standing with Zhao Jing, and Wang Moxuan comments on how “the rumours are true” about this.
Zhao Jing’s response is that the Scorpions are part of the Five Lakes Alliance now. Wang Moxuan refuses to collaborate with the Scorpions, and calls for his guards to escort everyone out. Nobody comes, because they’re all dead. While Zhao Jing talks politely with Wang Moxuan about how Jujing Gang is splitting from the Alliance, Xie-wang strolls past them. When Wang Moxuan dares them to kill him about it, Xie-wang does. Very quietly, with a tiny knife in his back.
Zhao Jing is upset about this! Xie-wang calmly says that Wang Moxuan asked for it. This does not make Zhao Jing any happier. Some of it seems performative (“I thought you had reformed yourself”), but it’s always hard to tell with Zhao Jing. Zhao Jing orders Xie-wang to leave, and the scene ends on him bowing and agreeing.
Chengling has Wolong nuts! He offers some to YBY, who takes them and asks if he’s being lazy. Chengling returns to practicing. They’re now at an inn, so he’s doing this in a courtyard with a sandbag while ZZS watches and WKX and YBY drink and eat together. ZZS disrupts his practice by flinging another nut at him, and Chengling stumbles. When Chengling protests that this wasn’t his mistake, ZZS still scolds him as if it was.
WKX scolds ZZS for using Wolong nuts like this, and Chengling complains that the sandbag is too heavy. WKX says that his master (his dad) was quite nice in comparison to how ZZS’s treating Chengling. YBY laughs at the idea that a father could teach a son (unsurprising, considering his experiences with Rong Chongqing and Rong Xuan) and says ZZS’s attitude is much more proper. WKX asks who YBY’s taught, and YBY goes quiet and melancholy for a moment before he responds. (Doesn’t want to talk about Rong Xuan. Unsurprising.) They return to drinking.
ZZS tells Chengling to gather his qi in his dantian, and WKX tells him to spread it throughout his limbs, because these two are delightfully contradictory teachers. Chengling continues doing his best as ZZS and WKX continue instructing him and telling him to stop listening to the other one.
When Chengling collapses, they both go to grab him. YBY taunts them about driving their disciple to death. WKX realises that Chengling’s meridians are much wider than average, and ZZS says that they’ll take more time to fill up (for him to improve) as a result. Chengling has no idea what’s going on, and YBY thinks this is a fascinating gift to give a clumsy child.
YBY says he’s seen better, and then makes another sad face (about Rong Xuan, probably) and tells WKX to come drink with him some more. ZZS’s almost nice to Chengling about his training, too, and about offering him a break soon.
The scene changes to Zhao Jing sitting around while an underling of his (Wuyang [we aren’t told his surname]) files his nails for him. He’s contemplating why YQF helped Xisang Gui out, and asks Wuyang about “the girl who helped him” rescue Xisang Gui. Wuyang says he doesn’t know much, but she seemed to be around 20, and then apologises to Yifu for not carrying out his commands personally. Zhao Jing is very nice about how Wuyang’s Scorpions didn’t succeed at their task, and talks about how Wuyang has done very well at getting “the leader of Yueyang’s” trust and helping Zhao Jing out.
Xie-wang comes in, complaining about tasks he’s been given to do (setting up Zhao Jing’s room?), and then his eyes land on Wuyang and his tone gets noticeably frostier as he asks Zhao Jing who this is. Zhao Jing dismisses Wuyang first, then tells Xie’er he can do what he wants about decorations; Xie’er will stay in that room, and Zhao Jing will stay in this one.
Xie’er is unsurprisingly upset about this. Zhao Jing takes the opportunity to monologue about how well his pretense of being into expensive stuff has worked to bring him into a place of power, and how he doesn’t need to pretend anymore. Xie’er agrees, but still continues begging. Zhao Jing takes offense, telling Xie’er that he dislikes Xie’er’s “impetuosity and distracting thoughts” (lack of focus). He tells Xie’er to complete the tasks he was ordered to do.
Back with ZZS, WKX, and YBY, it’s now night and WKX and YBY seem to have been drinking together this whole time. They banter, and YBY calls WKX’s mouth big, something that WKX feels a need to ask ZZS’s opinion about. WKX stumbles around, drunk, as he says his mouth is actually just the right size. ZZS tries to ignore him.
WKX instead goes to bother YBY more, staring intently at YBY’s hair until he finds some gray strands. YBY snatches his hair away to look for the same, then calls WKX dramatic. WKX asks YBY how old he is, and YBY says he can’t remember but could’ve died long ago. WKX makes an impressive puppy-dog-eyes face towards ZZS at this.
This time, when WKX stumbles out calling for ZZS, ZZS comes and tells him to go to bed. WKX complains, but does walk off. YBY comes over to ZZS and asks why he doesn’t want to live. He comments on how the Nails haven’t been troubling ZZS as much lately, and calls it a countdown because ZZS’s organs are weakening and thus won’t make him suffer.
“Many people who deserve to die in this world are doing everything possible to survive,” YBY says, and then asks again why ZZS wants to die. ZZS replies, this time, saying that his only choices are to live peacefully or die peacefully. He walks away after telling YBY that nobody can make him take a third path. YBY murmurs to himself about how silly QHZ’s disciple is, then asks (Rong) Changqing if they were as silly when they were young.
ZZS enters WKX’s room, where WKX is sitting on the floor drinking yet more. WKX looks up at him with a truly glorious smile and invites him to drink.
ZZS stops him, and their hands linger on the wine jar for a while as WKX gazes up at ZZS. ZZS asks what he’s looking at, and WKX reaches up towards him. (I realise, in this rewatch, that their postures and expressions here are surprisingly similar to the point in ep35 where WKX’s been sliced and almost killed by Xie-wang under the tree.)
WKX asks if it hurts, and ZZS steps away and turns his back to WKX. WKX, after a moment, starts talking about how it’s been so many years and he’s so happy to have met ZZS, so can ZZS please not die? ZZS says he’ll try his best, and WKX begs him to turn around and say it again. ZZS does not, saying he doesn’t want to look at WKX and his pretentious actions and lies. WKX says he’s scared, and ZZS asks if that fear is really about ZZS continuing to live.
ZZS asks if WKX’s pitying him or humiliating him. WKX doesn’t respond, and ZZS turns and walks towards the door. WKX calls out for him not to leave. ZZS, who just crouched down at the table, says he’s not leaving. He pours some tea, saying “When you’re sober, I’ll punch you in the face.” And then he offers WKX tea and tells WKX to stop brushing him off with fake actions.
WKX takes the cup of tea, so their fingers touch, and says the actions aren’t fake. ZZS grouchily tells WKX he deserves to be beaten up, then drags WKX upright and puts him to bed.
He says “Life is short. You shall cherish it more.” And then tucks WKX in and says he bets WKX will open up to him one day.
WKX takes this as opening up his heart, which is probably intended despite the innuendo reading, and ZZS says that he can only help WKX after seeing it.
ZZS leaves then. The final shot of the episode is WKX worrying that ZZS won’t like him after he opens up.
General Commentary
Between Song Huairen and this Wuyang kid, I am glad my general “Xie’er totally isn’t Zhao Jing’s only (adopted) kid” attitude is correct. I hadn’t remembered the details, but I did recall the vibe!
Though, y’know, part of that vibe is also Xie’er’s possessive jealousy whenever one of the other youths Zhao Jing takes in shows up. Considering what happened to Song Huairen, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wuyang also died at Xie’er’s hands eventually. (I don’t recall seeing him again.)
I love the scene where Chengling is being given two conflicting instructions. It’s so very delightful. It’s also a scene that sticks in my mind from the TYK version, more than the SHL version, simply because I read it first. I also remember, after first reading it, having an extended discussion with two of my aikido friends (who got me into danmei to begin with) about the difficulty and benefit of having multiple sensei (or, in this case, shifu). It really is hard to follow two similar-yet-distinct sets of guidance at once! But, similarly, once you understand both you can combine them and use them both and that’s often stronger in the end.
Gu Xiang and Cao Weining aren’t in this episode much, but the emotions they present are devastating nonetheless! Moreso when one knows how their story ends, but it’s also one of the earlier scenes where their mutual care for each other is so clearly evident. Gu Xiang is worried about him! It’s very sweet, seeing Cao Weining’s open-heartedness and care rubbing off on her.
Every time we learn things about the previous generation I’m delighted. In this case, we get to hear just how close Qin Huaizhang and Long Que were, and it’s so much fun. Also very sad! Both Qin Huaizhang and Zhou Zishu looked for Long Que for so many years, while he was trapped down there, and couldn’t find him because Longyuan Pavillion is just too good at hiding itself.
And then there’s Wenzhou, there at the end.
Zhou Zishu doesn’t like being treated like he’s fragile and dying! It’s so much of what he’s protesting against whenever Wen Kexing starts crying about how he’ll be dying soon. But once they’re over that bit, Wen Kexing still gets what he wants as far as reassurance that Zhou Zishu intends to stay with him. (And take care of him!)
But, y’know, there are still secrets that haven’t come out yet. I’m looking forward to the unraveling of Wen Kexing’s secrets that’s coming up pretty soon! And also all the absolutely ridiculous flirtation between the two of them.
Discussion Prompts/Questions
1. More little tidbits about the past! I love hearing more about the prior generation, and Ye Baiyi slowly explaining himself. What do you think about Qin Huaizhang and Long Que’s implied relationship here? Or about the things Ye Baiyi isn’t saying about himself and his own relationship with the Rongs?
2. I’d forgotten that the Scorpions were officially part of the Five Lakes Alliance group at this point. I really wish we’d gotten to see the scene where that was announced! What do you think of Zhao Jing and the way he’s balancing his true schemes and his public persona (and slowly blending the two)?
3. And, of course, an open invitation to talk about all the wenzhou feels in that last scene!
Next Time: Entering Longyuan Pavilion! That’s it. That’s the episode. It’ll end with meeting Long Que.
List of Scenes
GX cares for CWN, then talks to YQF and LQQ
Tao Hong and Lv Liu try to decide what to do with Xiaolian
ZZS and WKX bicker about Chengling’s training as they travel
Zhao Jing (and Xie-wang) talk to Wuchang Gui and his faction
Wuchang Gui and his faction privately discuss Wuchang Gui’s goals
YBY gives a history lesson about QHZ and Long Que’s relationship to WKX and Chengling (with ZZS also there)
Zhao Jing promises the assembled Five Lakes Alliance that he’s going to be a good leader
ZZS’s group continues travelling
Zhao Jing confronts people who left the Alliance, and Xie-wang kills their leader
Chengling continues practicing at an inn, and ZZS and WKX give him contradictory advice. It’s revealed he’s got protag-grade meridians.
Zhao Jing makes Xie-wang jealous and tells Xie-wang to do as he’s told
WKX and YBY drink more, and WKX asks YBY how old he is
ZZS makes WKX go to bed, and WKX tries to get him to promise not to die soon
Timeline or Something
Several days have passed since the Heroes Conference. Several more days (at least) pass during this episode! Travel does that.
Recap
It’s dawn! Probably. CWN wakes up, very worried and relieved to find GX there and also fine. GX tells him he’s been unconscious for a few days, and advises him to rest. He’s been having nightmares about not being able to protect GX, though, including one that’s basically quoting from their extra in TYK (CWN fails to protect GX, dies, and waits at Naihe Bridge for GX, who comes far sooner than he expected). GX asks if he’s cursing her, and CWN denies it.
Then he asks about Xiaolian, and GX tells him she’s been kidnapped. GX prevents him from running off immediately to rescue Xiaolian, and CWN asks who saved him. GX tells him the half-truth that YQF saved him, then goes and gets more medicine for him.
Outside CWN’s room, GX finds both LQQ and YQF. She tells them that he’s fine. We learn that they’re at a side residence of Mount Hua Sect (YQF’s sect). YQF leaves. GX grumbles at LQQ, because LQQ had corrected her pronunciation of a word, and LQQ tells GX that GX isn’t a good match for a nobleman (CWN). GX says nobody’s a match for her, and LQQ agrees and tells her to rest and wait.
GX asks LQQ how she got YQF to agree to help LFM. LQQ says she told YQF she’d help him get revenge for Yu Tianjie’s death in exchange. GX is suspicious of him for this, but doesn’t follow up her suspicions.
The scene changes to Tao Hong and Lv Liu with their prisoner, Xiaolian. She’s not responding to Tao Hong’s efforts to feed her, and Tao Hong is very frustrated. Among other things, she doesn’t understand why Huang He is keeping Xiaolian prisoner. Lv Liu is a bit more practical, acknowledging that now that they’ve gone down this path, there’s no backing out.
The scene changes to Chengling practicing his martial arts as he walks behind ZZS and WKX’s horses. Behind him, YBY lounges on a carriage. (Where did they acquire the horses and carriage? Who knows. It’s a pretty image, and useful for the story, so we do not question such things.)
WKX takes the opportunity to flirt with ZZS by fanning him. Chengling tries to beg for WKX’s assistance, and instead simply gets scolded by ZZS for not working hard enough. ZZS implies that he wants Chengling to get strong enough to protect himself even when ZZS’s gone, and outright asks WKX if he’s interfering because he wants Chengling to be his disciple too. And then, after mentally comparing WKX to a wronged wife, ZZS wonders what WKX’s planning.
At Yueyang, Zhao Jing and Xie-wang are playing go when Luo Qiaohan leads in Wuchang Gui, Lovelace, and Happy Ghost. Zhao Jing happily greets the ghosts, and Wuchang Gui praises him. (He also greets them as “Zhao-xiong” [since ZJ called the ghosts -xiong as well] and “Xie-wang”.)
They make it clear that Zhao Jing and Wuchang Gui schemed together to plan the events of the Heroes Conference. Xie-wang remains quiet as Zhao Jing and the ghosts exchange courtesies and discuss how Gao Chong pretended to destroy the Glazed Armor. Zhao Jing also tells the ghosts to make more of an effort to find Hanging Ghost, and leave the Five Lakes Alliance to him.
Wuchang Gui takes this opportunity to confirm that there are five pieces of Glazed Armor, which all should’ve been with the Five Lakes Alliance, and thus WKX was lying about Hanging Ghost stealing a piece WKX owned. Zhao Jing tells him basically “mind your own business” and the scene cuts.
The camera rocks back and forth, as it enjoys doing during ghost-centric scenes. Wuchang Gui, Lovelace, and Happy Ghost discuss what they’ve been doing, and how they’ve been doing so much work and gained nothing. Happy Ghost calls Zhao Jing and Xie-wang “mad” [fengzi], and Wuchang Gui says “How could they come up with this plan if they aren’t mad?”
Happy Ghost listens to this, and realises that Wuchang Gui wants to become the Valley Master. Lovelace asks what the point is, since it’s basically asking for death. Wuchang Gui elaborates on his plan, which seems to be letting all the ghosts out of ghost valley to play in the human world again. All the ghosts begin laughing in delight over this idea.
Wuchang Gui continues enticing them by telling them about the Yin-Yang Book that’s hidden in the World’s Armory, and how that could cure Happy Ghost’s laughing problem.
In their laughter, the scene changes back to the woods. ZZS badgers WKX into going to find food with hiim, and tells Chengling to keep practicing. YBY and WKX manage to bicker some more.
That evening, WKX attempts to serve ZZS food first, but YBY snatches the bowl away. ZZS gives the second bowl to Chengling, and tells him to feed it to Long Xiao. The third bowl, ZZS accepts.
WKX asks ZZS why he calls Long Xiao “Young Leader Long”, and YBY starts answering for ZZS. This includes a line that youtube translates as “Qin Huaizhang and Long Que were like Damon and Pythias”, which is a reference I had to look up. In the Chinese, it looks like he’s calling them “shēngsǐ zhī jiāo” (生死之交), which I feel like could’ve just been translated as “sworn brothers” or “friends in life and death” the way dictionaries are telling me? And which would’ve been less confusing? (Netflix says “QHZ and Long Que swore to live and die together”, for reference.)
YBY’s point is that Long Que and QHZ were good friends (and so of course ZZS is being respectful to the son of his master’s good friend). YBY also says that QHZ introduced Long Que to Rong Xuan, but he calls Rong Xuan “that brat” and leads WKX to ask what YBY’s relationship with Rong Xuan is. YBY calls WKX an old lady and a busybody for asking.
ZZS asks, instead, how YBY knows the answers they need are in Longyuan Pavillion. YBY tells him that “except for the one who started the whole thing” (presumably YBY himself), Long Que is the only insider of that group still alive. Chengling comes back and asks who Long Que even is, prompting ZZS to explain that QHZ and Long Que were sworn friends (“mònì zhī jiāo” (莫逆之交) doesn’t need a weird reference, apparently!) and that the “superficial knowledge of mechanics” Siji Manor teaches originated in Longyuan Pavilion.
Long Que used to visit Siji Manor frequently in ZZS’s youth, and then suddenly stopped for no reason ZZS was aware of. ZZS says there was a misunderstanding between QHZ and Long Que, so QHZ only realised something was wrong when he received a distress letter from a mechanical sparrow (which we’ve seen Tianchuang use). At that point, QHZ started searching around Shu (the region Longyuan Pavilion is in) for Long Que, but Longyuan Pavillion was hidden too well and QHZ couldn’t find it.
ZZS has tried to search out Longyuan Pavillion before (rumours call it a moving fortress, apparently! which just makes me think of Howl’s Moving Castle…), but even Tianchuang couldn’t find it. YBY says Tianchuang was useless, as are both ZZS and WKX, but calls WKX’s soup “acceptable.” WKX wonders how YBY’s survived this long without being strangled to death, and YBY laughs as he says “because I’m good at martial arts”.
The scene changes to Yueyang, where Zhao Jing takes what used to be Gao Chong’s place at the front of the hall. Many sect leaders are gathered here today. Zhao Jing asks about the leaders of two sects (Jujing Gang and Purple Wave Cove [later, Golden Tiger is added to the list of sects who’ve left]), and is told they’ve left the Alliance. He seems rather unsurprised by this. Some of the other sect leaders are upset, but then one brings up how Gao Chong collaborated with Ghost Valley and that it’s understandable people would leave after such a betrayal.
Zhao Jing puts a stop to talk of if Gao Chong was working with Ghost Valley, acting like a good loyal brother. Quite a hypocrite, considering he’s the one who collaborated with Ghost Valley to kill his sworn brothers!
Various people list off who’s died from Ghost Valley’s attacks recently, calling it Ghost Valley’s revenge for Gao Chong’s death. Since words claiming such were written on some corpses, that’s not a bad assumption to make. It’s also something Zhao Jing wanted to have happen, though whether the ghosts or the scorpions carried out these killings is a bit unclear.
Zhao Jing humbly talks about how they need to work together to survive this trial. He asks everyone to trust him, and says he’ll do his best to protect the reputation of the Five Lakes Alliance. Everyone rallies behind his words, and the scene ends.
Back with WKX and ZZS, we’re back to travelling and training on the road. YBY flicks a nut at the rear of ZZS’s horse, startling it into a run and dragging Chengling (still tied to a rope ZZS’s holding) along for the ride. YBY laughs, and WKX calls him disrespectful. They trade insults, and WKX asks if YBY’s old enough to be calling WKX a kid. This is all very silly, considering that half of WKX’s insults involve calling YBY old-something-or-other.
The scene shifts to Jujing Gang’s hall, where the sect leaders who left the Five Lakes Alliance have gathered. Jujing Gang’s sect leader (Wang Moxuan, we learn a little later) calls Zhao Jing “unambitious and weak,” insults his leadership abilities and says he’s dooming the Alliance.
Battle sounds come from outside. Scorpion mooks open the door and stand on either side of it, creating a passage for Zhao Jing and Xie-wang to dramatically enter. There are even some Yueyang disciples trailing behind them (as well as Du Pusa and Qiao Luohan). Zhao Jing is dramatically (but in a political fashion) upset about how he’s been insulted. The people in the hall recognise how the Scorpion is standing with Zhao Jing, and Wang Moxuan comments on how “the rumours are true” about this.
Zhao Jing’s response is that the Scorpions are part of the Five Lakes Alliance now. Wang Moxuan refuses to collaborate with the Scorpions, and calls for his guards to escort everyone out. Nobody comes, because they’re all dead. While Zhao Jing talks politely with Wang Moxuan about how Jujing Gang is splitting from the Alliance, Xie-wang strolls past them. When Wang Moxuan dares them to kill him about it, Xie-wang does. Very quietly, with a tiny knife in his back.
Zhao Jing is upset about this! Xie-wang calmly says that Wang Moxuan asked for it. This does not make Zhao Jing any happier. Some of it seems performative (“I thought you had reformed yourself”), but it’s always hard to tell with Zhao Jing. Zhao Jing orders Xie-wang to leave, and the scene ends on him bowing and agreeing.
Chengling has Wolong nuts! He offers some to YBY, who takes them and asks if he’s being lazy. Chengling returns to practicing. They’re now at an inn, so he’s doing this in a courtyard with a sandbag while ZZS watches and WKX and YBY drink and eat together. ZZS disrupts his practice by flinging another nut at him, and Chengling stumbles. When Chengling protests that this wasn’t his mistake, ZZS still scolds him as if it was.
WKX scolds ZZS for using Wolong nuts like this, and Chengling complains that the sandbag is too heavy. WKX says that his master (his dad) was quite nice in comparison to how ZZS’s treating Chengling. YBY laughs at the idea that a father could teach a son (unsurprising, considering his experiences with Rong Chongqing and Rong Xuan) and says ZZS’s attitude is much more proper. WKX asks who YBY’s taught, and YBY goes quiet and melancholy for a moment before he responds. (Doesn’t want to talk about Rong Xuan. Unsurprising.) They return to drinking.
ZZS tells Chengling to gather his qi in his dantian, and WKX tells him to spread it throughout his limbs, because these two are delightfully contradictory teachers. Chengling continues doing his best as ZZS and WKX continue instructing him and telling him to stop listening to the other one.
When Chengling collapses, they both go to grab him. YBY taunts them about driving their disciple to death. WKX realises that Chengling’s meridians are much wider than average, and ZZS says that they’ll take more time to fill up (for him to improve) as a result. Chengling has no idea what’s going on, and YBY thinks this is a fascinating gift to give a clumsy child.
YBY says he’s seen better, and then makes another sad face (about Rong Xuan, probably) and tells WKX to come drink with him some more. ZZS’s almost nice to Chengling about his training, too, and about offering him a break soon.
The scene changes to Zhao Jing sitting around while an underling of his (Wuyang [we aren’t told his surname]) files his nails for him. He’s contemplating why YQF helped Xisang Gui out, and asks Wuyang about “the girl who helped him” rescue Xisang Gui. Wuyang says he doesn’t know much, but she seemed to be around 20, and then apologises to Yifu for not carrying out his commands personally. Zhao Jing is very nice about how Wuyang’s Scorpions didn’t succeed at their task, and talks about how Wuyang has done very well at getting “the leader of Yueyang’s” trust and helping Zhao Jing out.
Xie-wang comes in, complaining about tasks he’s been given to do (setting up Zhao Jing’s room?), and then his eyes land on Wuyang and his tone gets noticeably frostier as he asks Zhao Jing who this is. Zhao Jing dismisses Wuyang first, then tells Xie’er he can do what he wants about decorations; Xie’er will stay in that room, and Zhao Jing will stay in this one.
Xie’er is unsurprisingly upset about this. Zhao Jing takes the opportunity to monologue about how well his pretense of being into expensive stuff has worked to bring him into a place of power, and how he doesn’t need to pretend anymore. Xie’er agrees, but still continues begging. Zhao Jing takes offense, telling Xie’er that he dislikes Xie’er’s “impetuosity and distracting thoughts” (lack of focus). He tells Xie’er to complete the tasks he was ordered to do.
Back with ZZS, WKX, and YBY, it’s now night and WKX and YBY seem to have been drinking together this whole time. They banter, and YBY calls WKX’s mouth big, something that WKX feels a need to ask ZZS’s opinion about. WKX stumbles around, drunk, as he says his mouth is actually just the right size. ZZS tries to ignore him.
WKX instead goes to bother YBY more, staring intently at YBY’s hair until he finds some gray strands. YBY snatches his hair away to look for the same, then calls WKX dramatic. WKX asks YBY how old he is, and YBY says he can’t remember but could’ve died long ago. WKX makes an impressive puppy-dog-eyes face towards ZZS at this.
This time, when WKX stumbles out calling for ZZS, ZZS comes and tells him to go to bed. WKX complains, but does walk off. YBY comes over to ZZS and asks why he doesn’t want to live. He comments on how the Nails haven’t been troubling ZZS as much lately, and calls it a countdown because ZZS’s organs are weakening and thus won’t make him suffer.
“Many people who deserve to die in this world are doing everything possible to survive,” YBY says, and then asks again why ZZS wants to die. ZZS replies, this time, saying that his only choices are to live peacefully or die peacefully. He walks away after telling YBY that nobody can make him take a third path. YBY murmurs to himself about how silly QHZ’s disciple is, then asks (Rong) Changqing if they were as silly when they were young.
ZZS enters WKX’s room, where WKX is sitting on the floor drinking yet more. WKX looks up at him with a truly glorious smile and invites him to drink.
ZZS stops him, and their hands linger on the wine jar for a while as WKX gazes up at ZZS. ZZS asks what he’s looking at, and WKX reaches up towards him. (I realise, in this rewatch, that their postures and expressions here are surprisingly similar to the point in ep35 where WKX’s been sliced and almost killed by Xie-wang under the tree.)
WKX asks if it hurts, and ZZS steps away and turns his back to WKX. WKX, after a moment, starts talking about how it’s been so many years and he’s so happy to have met ZZS, so can ZZS please not die? ZZS says he’ll try his best, and WKX begs him to turn around and say it again. ZZS does not, saying he doesn’t want to look at WKX and his pretentious actions and lies. WKX says he’s scared, and ZZS asks if that fear is really about ZZS continuing to live.
ZZS asks if WKX’s pitying him or humiliating him. WKX doesn’t respond, and ZZS turns and walks towards the door. WKX calls out for him not to leave. ZZS, who just crouched down at the table, says he’s not leaving. He pours some tea, saying “When you’re sober, I’ll punch you in the face.” And then he offers WKX tea and tells WKX to stop brushing him off with fake actions.
WKX takes the cup of tea, so their fingers touch, and says the actions aren’t fake. ZZS grouchily tells WKX he deserves to be beaten up, then drags WKX upright and puts him to bed.
He says “Life is short. You shall cherish it more.” And then tucks WKX in and says he bets WKX will open up to him one day.
WKX takes this as opening up his heart, which is probably intended despite the innuendo reading, and ZZS says that he can only help WKX after seeing it.
ZZS leaves then. The final shot of the episode is WKX worrying that ZZS won’t like him after he opens up.
General Commentary
Between Song Huairen and this Wuyang kid, I am glad my general “Xie’er totally isn’t Zhao Jing’s only (adopted) kid” attitude is correct. I hadn’t remembered the details, but I did recall the vibe!
Though, y’know, part of that vibe is also Xie’er’s possessive jealousy whenever one of the other youths Zhao Jing takes in shows up. Considering what happened to Song Huairen, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wuyang also died at Xie’er’s hands eventually. (I don’t recall seeing him again.)
I love the scene where Chengling is being given two conflicting instructions. It’s so very delightful. It’s also a scene that sticks in my mind from the TYK version, more than the SHL version, simply because I read it first. I also remember, after first reading it, having an extended discussion with two of my aikido friends (who got me into danmei to begin with) about the difficulty and benefit of having multiple sensei (or, in this case, shifu). It really is hard to follow two similar-yet-distinct sets of guidance at once! But, similarly, once you understand both you can combine them and use them both and that’s often stronger in the end.
Gu Xiang and Cao Weining aren’t in this episode much, but the emotions they present are devastating nonetheless! Moreso when one knows how their story ends, but it’s also one of the earlier scenes where their mutual care for each other is so clearly evident. Gu Xiang is worried about him! It’s very sweet, seeing Cao Weining’s open-heartedness and care rubbing off on her.
Every time we learn things about the previous generation I’m delighted. In this case, we get to hear just how close Qin Huaizhang and Long Que were, and it’s so much fun. Also very sad! Both Qin Huaizhang and Zhou Zishu looked for Long Que for so many years, while he was trapped down there, and couldn’t find him because Longyuan Pavillion is just too good at hiding itself.
And then there’s Wenzhou, there at the end.
Zhou Zishu doesn’t like being treated like he’s fragile and dying! It’s so much of what he’s protesting against whenever Wen Kexing starts crying about how he’ll be dying soon. But once they’re over that bit, Wen Kexing still gets what he wants as far as reassurance that Zhou Zishu intends to stay with him. (And take care of him!)
But, y’know, there are still secrets that haven’t come out yet. I’m looking forward to the unraveling of Wen Kexing’s secrets that’s coming up pretty soon! And also all the absolutely ridiculous flirtation between the two of them.
Discussion Prompts/Questions
1. More little tidbits about the past! I love hearing more about the prior generation, and Ye Baiyi slowly explaining himself. What do you think about Qin Huaizhang and Long Que’s implied relationship here? Or about the things Ye Baiyi isn’t saying about himself and his own relationship with the Rongs?
2. I’d forgotten that the Scorpions were officially part of the Five Lakes Alliance group at this point. I really wish we’d gotten to see the scene where that was announced! What do you think of Zhao Jing and the way he’s balancing his true schemes and his public persona (and slowly blending the two)?
3. And, of course, an open invitation to talk about all the wenzhou feels in that last scene!
Next Time: Entering Longyuan Pavilion! That’s it. That’s the episode. It’ll end with meeting Long Que.
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Gu Xiang and Cao Weining are so sweet together!
Between the Water of Lethe, the Apollo mention in episode 3, and Damon and Pythias reference here, the translators apparently really like using Greek mythology.
1) YBY definitely seems more comfortable talking about Rong Xuan than Rong Changqing.
2) The Scorpions are basically ZJ's Tianchuang.
I kinda love how irritated Wuchang Gui, Happy Ghost, and Lovelace are with ZJ! Besides what he tells to two of them here, I'm kinda wondering if Wuchang Gui's goal is as much to avenge the previous Ghost Valley Master as it is to usurp WKX and return to the human world.
3) I'm not sure if ZZS quite realizes yet that while WKX may be hiding certain information from him, WKX's not being anything other than genuine w/r/t his feeling for ZZS. I love that even though ZZS is still irritated at WKX, he pours him tea and tucks him into bed!
no subject
Between the Water of Lethe, the Apollo mention in episode 3, and Damon and Pythias reference here, the translators apparently really like using Greek mythology.
I prefer references to Greek mythology to using Biblical references, and those are probably the two most well-known mythologies in Western cultures (so I get why the translators are using them!), but... sometimes they're a bit obscure. xD;
YBY definitely seems more comfortable talking about Rong Xuan than Rong Changqing.
But only in the abstract, either way; as soon as he might need to talk about his personal connections to them, he closes off again.
I kinda love how irritated Wuchang Gui, Happy Ghost, and Lovelace are with ZJ!
Yes! I love all of that!
I'm not sure if ZZS quite realizes yet that while WKX may be hiding certain information from him, WKX's not being anything other than genuine w/r/t his feeling for ZZS.
I don't think he does. I remember seeing, a long while ago, some meta about how like... ZZS's very honest about his identity but hides his emotions, while WKX is very honest about his emotions but hides his identity. And I think they keep throwing each other off and miscommunicating because they expect/want the other's honest to be shown in the same sphere as their own.