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ghost_valley2021-11-12 01:16 pm
shadaras) wrote in ghost_valley2021-11-12 01:16 pm
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[WoH Rewatch] Episode 23
List of Scenes
Shen Shen leaves in search of Xiaolian
ZZS asks GX if WKX’s ever had problems like this before
Flashback to young WKX in Ghost Valley
WKX wakes up and talks to ZZS about wanting revenge
Xie-wang talks to LQQ in a cell and attempts to recruit her
GX and WKX talk about WKX’s past and GX’s future
WKX talks to CWN about his intentions towards GX
Zhao Jing tells Xie’er about his plans to set the jianghu against Ghost Valley
WKX “sells” GX to CWN/hands her off in preparation for marriage
Zhao Jing and Xie-wang plan the book of ghosts
Timeline or Something
This episode’s events take place over like two days. There’s a lot of discussion of the past, though, since this episode cares about Wen Kexing’s childhood and youth.
Recap
Shen Shen walks out of the rundown building ZZS just kicked him out of. Chengling follows, saying he’ll escort Shen Shen out, and asks about Shen Shen’s injury. (He’d gotten hit with a Scorpion dart last episode, and also ZZS just hit him to keep him from waking WKX up.) Shen Shen says he’s fine, and that “The things I owed the Wens are much more than that one palm.”
Chengling, a bit awkwardly, asks where Shen Shen is going. Shen Shen says he’s got to find Xiaolian, and Chengling reassures him that ZZS thinks Xiaolian won’t be hurt. Shen Shen says he needs to protect her, in a way that makes it sound like he’s hanging his mental health on being able to protect some descendant of his sworn brothers. Shen Shen urges Chengling to be a good disciple and make up for some of how Shen Shen’s generation failed both QHZ and WRY.
Shen Shen says he’ll bring Xiaolian into his own sect (Mount Dagu) once he finds her, and then says that he wants Chengling to protect her if Shen Shen himself dies. Very morbid. Far too much responsibility for a teen. Chengling agrees, of course, because he’s a good kid. Then Shen Shen takes his leave.
GX tends to WKX. ZZS comes in and asks her if WKX’s ever had this (coughing up blood and falling unconscious) happen before. She says he hasn’t, but that when she was a child, WKX “always stayed in bed because of the illness”, though he hasn’t done that since she’s grown up. ZZS asks when GX began serving WKX (as long as she can remember) and then asks when WKX entered “there” (meaning Ghost Valley, and GX has to know that). GX looks away and asks, “Where?” and ZZS doesn’t pursue the topic further.
ZZS tries to send GX away to get some rest, saying he’ll take care of WKX, but GX doesn’t want to leave WKX. Still, after a little more coaxing (about how CWN is alone, and how ZZS really will take care of WKX), GX agrees—so long as ZZS tells her as soon as WKX wakes up.
ZZS sits down on the edge of WKX’s bed and takes his hand.
The camera zooms in on WKX’s face, and we enter into his flashback-nightmare!
Young WKX kneels in the great hall of Ghost Valley, and the old Valley Master hits his face with a switch. WKX apologises for making a mistake, and the old Valley Master tells him about how only the most vicious and powerful people can survive here, and survival means killing.
Then he hits WKX again, and says “All humans are afraid of pain, yet you’re not. And you enjoy it. Then you’ll live, and they’ll die.”
The old Valley Master continues talking about how hard it is for WKX to survive Ghost Valley as a kid, but that he’ll train WKX because “I have faith in you”. WKX politely says he’s grateful for this. The old Valley master outright says that it’ll be up to WKX to see if he can become the next leader of Ghost Valley. (This gives me such Star Wars Sith vibes: the master trains the apprentice, knowing that the apprentice will attempt to take over as soon as they become powerful enough.)
And then the old Valley Master hits WKX again and walks away, leaving WKX kneeling there. Young WKX clenches his hands into fists, looking determined.
The flashback ends and WKX opens his eyes. He and ZZS acknowledge each other, and ZZS keeps hold of his hand as WKX sits up. We learn that WKX’s been unconscious for “a day and a night”, and ZZS urges WKX to try using his “internal breath” [内息], since ZZS can’t figure out what’s wrong with him and therefore can’t/won’t prescribe medicine. WKX says it’s not a big deal, but his internal breath might have “gone sideways”.
Then WKX asks about Shen Shen. ZZS says he chased Shen Shen away. When WKX asks why, ZZS goes off on a long explanation of how Shen Shen was “muddled and selfish” but didn’t deserve to die, and that Shen Shen and his brothers had been tormented by their conscience all these years. WKX’s surprised that ZZS thinks everyone has a conscience, and says that he should’ve killed Shen Shen for daring to ask about his parents.
WKX sort of tries to get up, but he doesn’t seem to have the strength. ZZS grabs him and (according to both Youtube and Netflix’s subtitles) tells him that Zhao Jing poisoned his parents, and everyone else “had their reasons” (implied: for not helping WRY and GMM).
(The comment about “according to the subtitles” is because, when looking at the hanzi, I don’t know where the “your parents” bit of ZZS’s translated speech comes from; the hanzi are just like “the guilty one who used poison is Zhao Jing” (归根结底有罪的是下毒的赵敬), and based on what ZZS knows I’d assume it should be about Zhao Jing’s poisoning of Gao Chong…)
WKX’s upset that ZZS’s saying nobody can avoid suffering, because “Didn’t my parents have theirs?”. And we’re back to “the bad can be forgiven, but the good deserve to die?” and the unfairness of that, as WKX says ZZS can be a bodhisattva if he wishes but WKX would rather be the king of hell (the same phrase, I’m pretty sure, as used in his flashback) than “be bullied this way”.
ZZS says he’s sorry, and he shouldn’t have made decisions for WKX about such personal matters, but that he doesn’t want “to see more sins in [WKX’s] hands”. WKX says “Forget it”, and then talks about killing Shen Shen being too easy, and that Shen Shen may as well live and see what happens to the rest of the Five Lakes Alliance. ZZS promises that when WKX’s fully recovered, he’ll go with WKX to take revenge on Zhao Jing. WKX nods and smiles a little.
Then WKX says he’s fine, just a little thirsty, and tells ZZS to serve him. ZZS laughs a little, then stands and pours him tea. When he brings it to WKX, ZZS teases him about bringing jiu instead, but WKX takes the bowl and drinks with a laugh.
WKX says that they have to wait until ZZS is cured to go seeking revenge. He continues straight on into talking about how the Five Lakes Alliance are a bunch of traitors and Zhao Jing is a ruthless ruffian; they can keep watching the dogfight and enjoy the show for a while.
GX enters, and is delighted to see ZZS awake. She knocks ZZS out of the way in order to tell WKX how worried she was and ask after him. WKX says he’s fine, she’s just noisy. ZZS says he’ll leave them and check on Chengling’s cooking. WKX watches him go with a smile.
Once ZZS leaves, GX hesitantly asks about WKX again, and he says “It’s because of the Meng Po Soup” and the scene ends.
LQQ and LFM are in a Scorpion holding cell. LFM continues calling out for Zhao Jing. Xie-wang watches, considers that “Zhao Jing” isn’t an uncommon name and that it might be a coincidence. Unfortunately, ZJ’s own actions of sending Lovelace after LFM make him believe there’s a connection anyway.
Xie-wang enters the cell and tells LQQ to move aside so he can examine LFM’s pulse. After some hesitation (and a threat), she does. Xie-wang asks if LFM’s condition is because of the Meng Po Soup; LQQ says it isn’t, and that LFM’s soul-dissociation/illness is unrelated.
Xie-wang asks how to cure the Meng Po Soup’s effects, and LQQ tells him that she didn’t drink the Meng Po Soup and didn’t want to join Ghost Valley (but she had no other choice). When LFM saved LQQ and brought her to Mount Qingya, WKX made an exception for her. When pressed, LQQ says she didn’t drink it because she thinks remembering will help her avoid making the same mistake.
Xie-wang correctly asks why she went back to YQF anyway, seemingly baffled. LQQ compares herself to a gambler who always loses but is still addicted to the game. She says she would’ve let Lovelace kill her and lost everything, but then Xie-wang saved her instead. Xie-wang wonders how someone like her could’ve lived in Ghost Valley.
Xie-wang asks about the name “Department of the Unfaithful”, and LQQ explains LFM’s reasons for the name (men are unfaithful, women are ill-treated) and her goals. Xie-wang laughs at the idea that unfaithfulness is gendered. He thinks everyone fails people, and is failed by them.
Xie-wang says he’ll give LQQ an opportunity: If she pledges loyalty to him, he’ll give her anything she wants (even YQF). She just has to give him the recipe for Meng Po Soup, and then he’ll set her free. Before LQQ can respond, Xie-wang walks out of the cell, leaving LQQ to consider this bargain.
GX continues tending to WKX. She asks him why he drank the Meng Po Soup upon entering Ghost Valley, since he was only seven or eight. WKX says that people didn’t want him to remember something, but he let them down. GX’s confused as to how he could remember something, and WKX calls it “a blood feud that I can never forget”.
Then WKX says that when he was young, he often “had strong headaches, vomited blood, and fell into comas” (as he just did here), and it was the price of fighting the Meng Po Soup. He thinks that all the talk of the past has made him relapse, and says that he’s gotta get revenge on his foes before such things drive him to madness and/or death.
WKX reassures GX that before that happens, he’ll make sure she’s taken care of. GX protests that she’s angry, not worried, and wants him to tell her things so she can help him. WKX says he doesn’t need her help, and asks if she loves CWN. GX tries to change the topic, but WKX doesn’t let her. He says that if she doesn’t love CWN, he’ll kill him, which sets GX stammering.
WKX takes this as a “yes”, and tells her to go back with CWN to Qing Feng Sword Sect tomorrow. WKX says that Mo Huaiyang is skilled and crafty, so his sect should stay out of the turmoil and she’ll be safe there. GX asks if he’s leaving her. WKX says that he’s chosen to walk a path to hell, and that she has a chance to return to the mortal world. He also says that he may not like CWN, but CWN is easy to manipulate and GX should be safe with him.
GX then tells WKX that CWN thinks Gao Chong gave the glazed armor to the Qing Feng Sword Sect, and she’s been staying with CWN because she wants to find the glazed armor. She starts crying as she says she doesn’t know why she has ~feelings~ for CWN anyway. She asks him to spare CWN’s sect, and apologises for asking and not wanting CWN to hate her and not wanting bad things to happen to him.
WKX looks at her, and sighs, and tells her it’s okay and doesn’t deserve so many tears. GX finally admits she’s afraid, and pulls away to poke at the fire while talking about how ghosts and humans can’t walk the same path. She’s worried that she’ll hurt him, because that’s all GX knows and she’s hiding so much, and that CWN will hate her once he finds out even though he’s too kind to kill her.
WKX says he’ll kill CWN’s family if he dares fail GX. GX says she’s worried she’ll fail CWN, not the other way around. She says she’s more scared the nicer he is, because everything might melt away like a snowman WKX made for her when she was young. GX asks what WKX would do if ZZS figured out who he was (trying to get him to understand her worries), and WKX shows some signs of panic and tells GX to drop the topic. He tells GX that she’s the Heartless Amethyst Fiend, and shouldn’t be so sentimental.
GX continues crying anyway, of course, because she can’t be honest with CWN the way she wants to be. WKX, also looking sad, says he thinks she can keep hiding it from CWN, he won’t do anything to Qing Feng Sword Sect, and that she shouldn’t get involved in any of Ghost Valley’s affairs anymore. GX asks if he still needs the glazed armor. WKX sighs, and says he doesn’t; the glazed armor was just a cover.
CWN is in the kitchen chopping vegetables for food. He appears to have actual cooking skills, unlike Chengling (who’s helping him). WKX appears out of nowhere in front of him, and CWN asks how he’s doing. WKX tells CWN to come with him, because they need to talk. CWN does, leaving Chengling all alone in the kitching and worried because he doesn’t know how to cook.
In the courtyard, CWN asks what WKX wanted to talk to him about. WKX tells him that he raised GX from when they were both children in an inhumane place. CWN says that GX told him about this already. WKX continues, saying that he’s been a bad example for GX, and that GX isn’t his servant; she’s just grateful to him and calls herself his servant because of that. WKX says that really, she saved him and kept him human. He’s very awkward about saying this.
WKX says that GX is like his little sister, or maybe his daughter. He says he’ll repay those who have been kind to him with his life, and GX is among those people. WKX says he’s starting to think he might be able to reach his dreams, and that he wants GX to have a better life and live happily as a normal person, and asks CWN if he can give that to her. CWN says that of course he can.
WKX asks CWN to never betray GX, to protect her, take care of her, make her happy, and keep her safe. CWN swears an oath that he’ll never fail GX. WKX warns him that they haven’t known each other long, so GX might not be what he expects, and is like “I didn’t expect you to swear that, but since you have...” and then says he’ll tear CWN apart if he hurts GX.
CWN is not put off by any of this, and says he’s liked GX and wanted to cherish her since they first met. He’s delighted that WKX is allowing this. He also says he’d kill himself if he failed GX, which might be going a little far but is definitely in line with WKX’s dramatics, so WKX’s happy to hear that.
ZZS comes out of the building and teases WKX about being a protective father-in-law, because (as WKX comments) of course he was eavesdropping. ZZS then says that he’ll take care of WKX if WKX’s mean to CWN, so long as CWN takes care of GX. Then CWN heads off to prepare for his departure with GX tomorrow.
ZZS asks WKX why he’s in such a rush to send GX (and CWN) off, and why he’s entrusting GX to CWN. WKX responds that he’s got someone taking care of him, so he’s gotten into matchmaking. ZZS responds by asking WKX to be his matchmaker.
Chengling arrives, and says that CWN has been away from the kitchen too long, and asks WKX what to do about a burnt pot. WKX smiles, and says CWN’s going down the mountain for good food, so Chengling shouldn’t worry about it. WKX then tells ZZS that they won’t have a tranquil life with this kid of theirs causing trouble.
WKX takes the gourd jar ZZS’s drinking from and steals a swallow. He then spits it out and asks if it’s jiu or vinegar, and wonders how ZZS can drink such a thing. (He’s lost his sense of taste to the Nails; that’s how.) ZZS takes the gourd back, and laughs after a moment, saying he can’t get good jiu out here, so WKX will need to suffer for now. He says he’ll dig up jiu that’s buried in Siji Manor’s plum forest, once they get there.
Chengling’s excited about there being a plum forest, and ZZS is happy to start talking about Siji Manor and what it’s known for as this scene ends.
Zhao Jing reads a letter attempting to convince him to eradicate Ghost Valley. Xie’er enters. Zhao Jing praises him for how Xianxia Sect was dealt with (youtube’s subs are also calling it this now!) and tells Xie’er (and the viewers) that the survivors ran to Shaolin Temple to beg its leader, Ci Mu, for justice. Zhao Jing is delighted that Ci Mu caved and sent the letter he’s been reading, which calls all sects to join together in a crusade.
Zhao Jing is happy to go off on how all the sects are hypocrites for only acting against Ghost Valley when they’ve been personally wronged; they didn’t help out “back then” (against Rong Xuan) but now they’re calling for action. Zhao Jing says he’ll only join in if they show their sincerity. Xie’er doesn’t understand, and Zhao Jing waved it off as him being young and not having experience (despite him following this up by saying Gao Chong was the same).
Zhao Jing says that nobody powerful attended the first Heroes Conference, because the Five Lakes Alliance were the only ones who’d been hurt. The eight major sects didn’t attend. Greed and desire for benefit brought those who did attend. So now, it’ll only work if justice can be upheld and there’s obvious benefit to those who help. Which means, of course, Zhao Jing needs to set up something tempting with both those qualities.
Back in the woods, GX leans against the manor’s door while CWN fusses with horses. (When did they get the horses? They weren’t part of CWN’s preparations; they were there when he left to begin those!) CWN tells one of the horses to eat well so it can carry “[his] A-Xiang”. GX takes offense to being called his, and tells him to take one of the horses and leave on his own.
CWN wonders why GX is angry at him, and she says she’s not; she just wants to follow WKX. CWN apologises and says he was wrong. GX says CWN is an upstanding young master and she’s a wild girl, so they live in different worlds. WKX asks who said she was a wild girl, and arrives (with Chengling and ZZS following him) in his delightful cherry-blossom robes. WKX says that GX’s his girl, and wonders if he’s rustic, which makes GX giggle.
WKX asks if CWN has his purse, and when CWN says he does, WKX puts his arm over GX’s shoulders. He says he’ll sell GX to CWN (pretty cheaply), which GX understandably is annoyed by. CWN has no idea what to do with this form of teasing, especially when WKX says that ZZS is worth the same amount as GX. (Chengling thinks this is hilarious, though, which really says he’s been around these two and their sense of humour a lot.)
GX appeals to ZZS to talk sense into WKX, and ZZS says he can’t. WKX takes GX by the shoulders and pushes her in front of CWN, saying he’ll give her to CWN for free. This does shut GX up. CWN says he’s never seen GX as a servant, and thanks WKX for entrusting GX to him. He says that he’ll go through all the proper marriage procedures (including the dowry) once he’s told his shifu.
Chengling says the dowry should be provided by the family of the bride, and GX shoves at him, saying he knows nothing, and then runs back into the house. There’s a moment of silence, as we see ZZS and WKX’s faces, and the scene ends.
In Yueyang, Zhao Jing asks Xie’er to help him compile a book of the ghosts and distribute it across the jianghu. Xie’er asks why they’re doing this, since they’re allied with Ghost Valley. Zhao Jing tells him it’s because Shaolin Temple is calling for a crusade, and also these ghosts aren’t useful anymore, so it’s the perfect time to drive them into a trap.
Zhao Jing also points out that once the ghosts lose his protection in the jianghu, they’ll have no choice but to return to Ghost Valley. Xie’er asks if the ghosts will speak against Zhao Jing, but Zhao Jing waves that worry aside; nobody would believe them, especially since the idea that Gao Chong collaborated with ghosts is still in the air.
Zhao Jing wants to find someone who can provide evidence that Ghost Valley is framing the Five Lakes Alliance and use that to clear the air and make them the victims again. Then Zhao Jing can leverage that to gain honor and lead everyone to eradicate Ghost Valley.
Xie’er praises this plan, and Zhao Jing praises his sweet tongue. Then Zhao Jing silently wonders what happened to Lovelace, since he hasn’t heard from him yet. He thinks Lovelace has gone to ground since he realised something was wrong, but doesn’t think it matters since soon he’ll have all the sects hunting the ghosts for him.
General Commentary
The stuff with Zhao Jing in this episode is so easy to forget about on a first watch. On this rewatch, however, it’s so clearly all setting up the Second Heroes Conference. Using Xianxia Sect to get Shaolin Temple (one of the most respected sects in the jianghu!) involved in the Ghost Valley matter, sending out the book of ghosts… It’s all calculated to stir up emotions and violence and bring about a slaughter and power grab on his part.
There’s also so much with Xie’er and the ways in which he doesn’t want to admit that his Thing with Zhao Jing might be a losing game, but the way he reacts to Liu Qianqiao really feels like he’s parsing her story through the context of his life and seeing too many echoes for comfort.
But there’s also… Okay, so, in the scenes where Xie’er and Zhao Jing are talking, there’s a shot where Xie’er is framed as if he’s in a cage (and the first shot we have of him when he talks to Liu Qianqiao is also through the bars of the cell). And then, later, he’s staring out the door and then Zhao Jing walks past him and closes it. The whole thing is rather subtle! Unless you’re looking for visual markers, it’s not particularly noticeable. It’s probably even less noticeable if you don’t know Xie’er’s full arc/story and what you might be looking for!
All the family feelings with Gu Xiang and Wen Kexing! They care about each other so much! They want the best for each other!
The vulnerability in Wen Kexing’s face and body and words as he talks to Cao Weining about Gu Xiang is somewhat overwhelming. He almost never shows this side of himself to anyone. And yet! For Gu Xiang, he will. Even so, he does his best to keep his expressions more controlled when Cao Weining can see his face, because that level of openness is still too much for him.
I’m really not sure what to make of Wen Kexing’s framing of selling Gu Xiang to Cao Weining. Like, yeah, he isn’t really requiring money in return. And it’s a joke, probably a way of pretending other emotions so that he can let go of Gu Xiang at all. But the way this is done makes it seem like Gu Xiang hasn’t really agreed herself, despite being the centerpiece of the whole scene. It’s got to be hard on her to love two people so deeply and not be able to stay with both of them, but I wish we’d been given a little more of her coming to terms with accompanying Cao Weining now. (I suppose that’s what fanfic’s for, but! Still!)
Watching all the little signs that Zhou Zishu is losing his senses is very sad but also much easier on a second go-through when you know it’s happening. The pauses and hesitation and things he doesn’t say (the secret he’s still keeping from Wen Kexing) are so very sad.
Discussion Prompts/Questions
1. Wen Kexing and the old Valley Master! The flashback we’re shown of them in this episode, combined with what else we know about their interactions, paints such an interesting picture. The old Valley Master had to know he was training up someone who wanted to kill him, and yet he took Wen Kexing in personally. What do you think of that?
2. Gu Xiang and her feelings about Cao Weining and Wen Kexing! As much as she protests she’s a heartless ghost, she cares so much. And they both care about her so much, too. Please share thoughts/feelings about Wen Kexing telling Cao Weining he can marry Gu Xiang, and the whole bundle of emotions all three of them have about this!
3. Zhao Jing and his plots and schemes are starting to build towards the show’s climax. The seeds are planted now. But, too, the seeds have been planted for Xie’er’s betrayal as he realises that Zhao Jing will discard any tool no longer useful to him. Do you have thoughts about either of them and their plans?
Next Time: Siji Manor! GX learns that there’s a book of ghosts! WKX has a nightmare-flashback to when he entered Ghost Valley! Midnight sleepover bonding times! ZZS talks about Tianchuang and we get a bunch of flashbacks! YBY shows up for a hot second too at the end.
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1. I'm kinda wondering though if he was (falsely) expecting that WKX would be broken enough to just...not ever do anything. Obviously the Valley Master is known to be a short violent life, but he could have also been thinking that training up such a young kid would help preserve his own for a while longer, that WKX would be something of a body guard.
2. GX has so many pre-wedding jitters, and that's completely understandable. I get the impression she only has a very basic understanding of what marriage means, and possibly a lot of that came from LFM and LQQ, who have ambivalent feelings about it at best. WKX is not much help there either. This might be her first serious relationship, she doesn't really know what she's getting into even though she wants it, and human feelings are scary! And making choices is scary too, because they didn't really have choices in Ghost Valley. This is where the selling her off joke comes in, I think. She's paralyzed by having the option to just go for what she wants, so WKX turns it into a silly roleplay where she can pretend she doesn't have a choice. That probably feels safer because she trusts him implicitly. That's how I read it, at least!
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1) I’m not sure. Part of me wonders how serious the former Valley Master is being about training WKX, or if he’s using it as an excuse to punish him.
2) They all care so much! And like besides GX dealing with her feeling for CWN and WKX, she’s also dealing with her feeling re: being a member of the Ghost Valley and the possibility of being part of the Jianghu (which WKX is also grappling with). Also Chengling I love you, but you could’ve chosen a better time to tease Gu Xiang.
3) It’s interesting that ZJ haa similar plan as WKX re: dealing with his enemies (manipulate them to fight against each other). I think the affinity Xie’er feels with LQQ may be part of why he’s starting to doubt ZJ. It’s interesting the Xie’er and WKX end up using ZJ plan of getting one of the Ghost Valley to give a false account against him.
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1. It's super unclear, right? But that just means it's rich fodder for all the fans who wanna explore that period of time. :)
2. Yes, agreed on all of that! It's great. <3 And Chengling teasing at an inappropriate time... well, his mentors aren't great about that, and he is young still... :)
3. Yeah! I love Xie'er and LQQ's relationship. It's so strange and fraught but also she's one of the closer things he has to a friend? I feel bad for both of them. xD;
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