[WoH Rewatch] Episode 26

[shadaras]

List of Scenes
Flashback to young WKX being bullied
WKX gives Chengling early-morning martial arts advice
Wuchang Gui and his ghosts leave their alliance with Xie-wang and Zhao Jing
Xie-wang gets the recipe for Meng Po Soup
ZZS talks to Ping’an and learns about JBY and WX’s plans to come visit him (also gets YBY’s letter saying when he’ll arrive)
ZZS explains to Chengling and WKX who JBY and WX are in the briefest way possible
WKX talks to his ghosts and learns about the brochure of ghosts
WKX returns to Siji Manor and learns that nobody can make dinner except him
LQQ swears her loyalty to Xie-wang again, and he tells her that Meng Po Soup and Drunk-Like-a-Dream have the same base ingredients and so DLaD can heal LFM
GX and CWN reach Qing Feng Peak and meet Fan Huaikong
Xie-wang asks Zhao Jing about his past with Luo Fumeng
Zhao Jing tells a long story about his past and his feelings for Xie’er and how special Xie’er is
LFM asks Xie-wang how that conversation went and tells her version of the story
WKX, ZZS, and Chengling eat dinner and think about how YBY’s arriving tomorrow
WKX sneaks out of Siji Manor into the nighttime woods


Timeline or Something
We move from… whatever time it used to be… to directly before the Winter Solstice! So like December 19th/20th.

I have no idea what time it last was or how much of a jump that is! But this episode takes place over a couple days at least, I’m pretty sure, even if it’s extremely unclear how many. Over a week, probably at least two, since Xie-wang was given the recipe for Meng Po Soup near the beginning of this episode and used what he learned from that to medicate/help LFM for a week.



Recap

We begin in a flashback! Young WKX is showing off his puppy, Yiguo, to some other village boys. Unfortunately, they wanna take Yiguo from him, so WKX is backed against a wall and the puppy stolen from him.



And then! A man comes by and claims the puppy from the bully, sending all the kids off. The man returns Yiguo to WKX and asks if his family name is Zhen. The flashback ends as WKX denies this. During this whole bit, we do not see the man’s face. (Though, as a rewatch, we now know it’s Zhao Jing.)

WKX wakes up and wonders why drunk-like-a-dream (which is burning as an incense by his bed) gave him such weird dreams.

WKX goes out into the courtyard (not appearing to put on any more clothes) and finds Chengling practicing his martial arts. Chengling says he’s been up for a while because he’s been having bad dreams (about Ghost Valley and how people they’ve hurt have suffered) and can’t sleep well. He wants to get better at martial arts so that he can destroy Ghost Valley. WKX tells Chengling he can’t become a master overnight, then that he’ll give Chengling some off ZZS’s incense that’ll help him sleep better.



Then WKX starts giving Chengling advice about how to do martial arts better. ZZS appears and teases WKX about how he’d previously said he wouldn’t teach Chengling.

Before they can get into flirting, someone knocks at the manor’s door. Chengling goes to answer, and receives a letter from YBY, sent with a Ping’an Silver Manor messenger.

Cut to Xie-wang’s lair. Wuchang Gui and all his people are there, and Hei Wuchang is grumbling about the Brochure of Ghosts and how difficult it’s making things for the ghosts. Xie-wang attempts to pretend he has no idea what’s being discussed, which makes Wuchang Gui mad. At which point, Xie-wang suggests they just find/make good disguises to hide themselves. Or that this is just good for their reputation.



Wuchang Gui correctly points out that Zhao Jing is being a dick and cornering them. Du Pusa laughs at the ghosts calling someone else despicable. Wuchang Gui says he’s leaving, and he and his people will find somewhere else to live. Xie-wang keeps his people from being threatening, and says that the ghosts are free to go.

Once the ghosts leave, Du Pusa asks what Xie-wang and Zhao Jing are plotting now. When Xie-wang rebuffs her, she instead offers him LQQ’s message about how to make Meng Po Soup.

At Ping’an Silver Manor, ZZS, WKX, and Chengling ask for the message sent to them. They’re seated, and then Ping’an himself shows up to say hi to ZZS and deliver the message, which startles ZZS. (Ping’an says he isn’t running this, just “overseeing the 56 manors of the central plain for Qi Ye”, which is basically running it. There are four or five in Nanjiang, led by Ru Yi, so he’s definitely not running the whole thing.)



ZZS’s surprised that Qi Ye/Jing Beiyuan could own a business about money, and Ping’an says that they’re really an information-gathering service for Da Wu/Wu Xi. He also says that they use the mechanical birds ZZS taught him to make.

Then Ping’an says that JBY is coming to Kun (the region they’re in), and ZZS’s surprised again. Ping’an is surprised by his surprise; he’d assumed ZZS sent YBY to talk to WX. ZZS Isn’t happy that JBY and WX are coming to see him, and Ping’an tries to reassure him that JBY’s bringing bodyguards and that Kun is out of Prince Jin’s reach.

WKX finally asks who they’re talking about, and is quickly (by Ping’an) informed that ZZS and JBY are lifelong friends. Ping’an scolds ZZS for not talking to JBY more and not even asking him for help directly, then gives him YBY’s letter. ZZS reads it, WKX and Chengling peering over his shoulder. It reads “You jerk” [I can’t read the hanzi well enough to figure out what that says]. ZZS shakes his head, then pulls out the second piece of paper; it says that YBY will be there for the winter solstice, and will want dumplings.



ZZS asks Ping’an about that second message, and learns that JBY and WX are collecting medicine in Nanjiang, but YBY wants to come see ZZS sooner. ZZS thanks Ping’an, Ping’an leaves, and the scene ends.

Outside, the three of them are having tea (ZZS even appears to be munching on some seeds!) and Chengling asks ZZS for some exposition about who Da Wu and Qi Ye are. ZZS grumbles that if he’d known YBY was going to talk to Da Wu, he would’ve told YBY not to bother. WKX then joins in asking about who Da Wu and Qi Ye are, which means that ZZS actually answers.



ZZS says that they’re his friends from Jin. They used to work for Prince Jin, but then got disappointed in him and left for Nanjiang. WKX accepts this, then asks if they can heal ZZS. Since Wu Xi is a very good healer and knows Nanjiang’s secret techniques, while JBY is a cautious man, ZZS thinks that them coming means they believe there’s a chance. This pleases WKX, who wonders why ZZS didn’t ask earlier. ZZS says “I didn’t want to live,” which silences everyone for a moment.

Chengling asks why YBY cursed ZZS in his letter. WKX explains that YBY’s annoyed that Da Wu, who YBY had to put effort into meeting with, owes ZZS a favor, which made YBY into a kind of errand boy. There’s a pause, and then Chengling says that it’s all good so long as ZZS gets healed.

The conversation peters off, and WKX spots a lady across the way. (ZZS had also been looking that direction, so he probably saw her too.) WKX excuses himself from the table, saying he needs to look for someone who can repair QHZ’s painting. ZZS tells him to come back quickly, because they’ll need him to cook dinner.

The next scene is WKX following that woman (Yun Zai, once of GX’s girls) into a big cave with a lot of women from the Department of the Unfaithful, as well as scattered other ghosts (in their ghost robes but without the masks). WKX is in full Valley Master attitude. One of the ten devils, Ghoul, explains to WKX that things have been hard recently (which is why so many people are injured).



WKX asks to see the brochure of ghosts, and is given a copy. He examines it and sees his own face and name there, as he’s told that every sect has a copy of the brochure by now, so the whole world is chasing the ghosts.



WKX asks who among the devils still exists, and Ghoul is surprised WKX doesn’t know; he’d assumed that WKX had ordered the destruction of various sects and thus caused the brochure to be made.

WKX asks specifically about LFM, and is told that nobody’s heard from her or LQQ since the Heroes Conference, and that the Heroes Conference is being planned again. WKX is not thrilled by this. Ghoul’s happy he’s back, though, and says they should return to Ghost Valley to prepare their defenses. At that, WKX’s face looks about as trauma-frozen as when he’s having flashbacks.



The scene cuts to WKX’s return to Siji Manor. Chengling runs and hugs him, and says that he’s starving. ZZS says they couldn’t even make noodles, then asks if WKX found a painter. WKX takes a moment to remember his lie, then says he didn’t. Then, to distract/move on, he asks if he should teach ZZS to cook. ZZS says no, he’s too much of a nobleman for that (with a quote). There’s a bit more bantering before ZZS walks away, and it feels like he knows some of what WKX’s up to.

Chengling asks if anything’s wrong, and WKX says it’s getting dark (the sun’s setting) and quotes some poetry about a sunset. Then he takes Chengling off to make dinner.



LFM lies in bed next to an incense burner. Xie’er and LQQ chat. LQQ says she wants to keep serving Xie-wang, which surprises him. All she wants in return is for LFM and YQF to go free. He doesn’t care for this argument; he says he’ll promise not to kill them, but won’t release them just based on her words. If she proves herself useful, he won’t mistreat her, though.



He praises her for telling him about the Meng Po Soup, and says he learned that it’s made from the same root ingredient as drunk-like-a-dream. Xie-wang says that Meng Po Soup is made of “seven kinds of poisonous insect” and Nepenthes, a flower that grows near Siji Manor. Then he says “If you add seven kinds of scented flower to it, drunk-like-a-dream is made” (it’s a bit unclear if the ‘it’ in this sentence is Nepenthes or Meng Po Soup).

Xie-wang says these two drugs are two sides of a coin, and that Meng Po Soup can be counteracted by drunk-like-a-dream. He’s given LFM incense of drunk-like-a-dream in order to unlock her mind, and says LQQ has returned at a good time; LFM’s been in the medical room for seven days, and should be waking up soon. He’s looking forward to knowing the truth about LFM and ZJ’s connection, and is telling himself that LFM will clear ZJ’s name.

GX and CWN travel along a nice forest trail. They’re nearly at Qing Feng Sword Sect! It’s in a pretty deserted area, GX says. They run into Fan Huaikong (and Mo Weixu, CWN’s shixiong, as well as an assortment of other disciples), and CWN’s delighted to see his shishu again. FHK says CWN’s back just in time for the spring festival. CWN wants to know how everyone is, but FHK wants to know about Gu Xiang.



GX introduces herself. MWX is delighted, and guides her through introductions to the rest of the group. Fan Huaikong asks CWN where he found GX, because she’s foolish (as is CWN). Some of the other disciples ask CWN if GX is his fiancee; she denies it, but that doesn’t dissuade anyone. Even FHK agrees. They’re all a nice teasing family, and FHK says that they came here to meet CWN and GX and take them to a small house on the mountainside.

CWN’s confused, because GX should be able to live with him on the mountain/in the sect itself. FHK explains that Mo Huaiyang, the sect leader, has just sealed off the sect, so they came down to greet GX and CWN specifically. CWN attempts to ask why, but is cut off; he accepts this. The scene ends as they’re led off to see the little house meant for them.



In Yueyang, Zhao Jing talks with his flunkies. He tells lao-Sha (the guy with the shaved sides of his head) to deal with Eagle Claw Clan and Mount Hua Sect. A few of his other men are also in the hall. Xie-wang slips in, hiding behind some dividers. Zhao Jing notices him, and then dismisses his men even though he clearly had more to talk about.

Xie-wang approaches Zhao Jing, and gets scolded for coming to the front hall. Xie-wang points out that these flunkies know who he is anyway. Xie-wang cuts Zhao Jing off, and asks why Zhao Jing won’t let him stand at Zhao Jing’s side now. When Zhao Jing says things still aren’t settled, Xie-wang asks when they will be, then calls Zhao Jing out on trying to evade him with the same kind of poison words as he gave Ghost Valley.



Zhao Jing switches tactics, asking Xie-wang what’s wrong and attempting to comfort him, but Xie-wang doesn’t accept this. Zhao Jing doubles down and tells Xie-wang that he was wrong and Xie-wang is very good and has been such a big help, so Zhao Jing feels in his debt. It’s very effective manipulation. Zhao Jing calls Xie’er his “closest kin” and the only one Zhao Jing could entrust his achievements to. This time, when Zhao Jing hugs Xie’er, he doesn’t resist.



But even so, after Zhao Jing tells Xie’er not to hurt him like this, Xie-wang asks why his yifu lied to him. Zhao Jing asks what he lied about, and Xie-wang pushes him away. This is, he says, about when Zhao Jing said “If you don’t fail me, I won’t fail you”, and Xie-wang hands Zhao Jing a handkerchief. It’s LFM’s, and it startles Zhao Jing because his writing is on it. Xie-wang says YQF gave him the handkerchief, and the scene ends.



GX and CWN eat with FHK and MWX. FHK asks GX what sect she belongs to, and she says she’s not part of any sect; her master just taught her a few things. GX says her master is a recluse who won’t let her say his name, in order to avoid saying Wen Kexing’s name.



She continues answering questions about her past/family, and we learn that CWN is an orphan too. FHK thinks it very proper that she and GX are a match, and says he’ll find a good day for their marriage once the mountain is no longer sealed. CWN asks why the mountain’s sealed. FHK doesn’t answer.

Back in Yueyang, Zhao Jing tells Xie’er that he did have an affair with LFM. At that time, he says, she was “the princess of Neon Palace” and he was a poor lad. Her family disapproved of him, but they did love each other. At Xie’er’s prompting, Zhao Jing says he failed LFM because of “that vicious Li Yao”. Xie’er says “Yimu?” and Zhao Jing is immediately angry because he’d told Xie’er not to call her that (Yimu is normally the correct term for one’s Yifu’s wife, though) because “she’s just a bitch” who has done Zhao Jing wrong.



Zhao Jing says Li Yao was from a noble family and loved him, and he’s to blame for not refusing her. Li Yao, he says, blackmailed him with her knowledge of his involvement in the World’s Armory, and that’s why Zhao Jing didn’t marry LFM. Zhao Jing presents himself as a very pathetic man who didn’t want to get his friends in trouble, so he capitulated.

Xie’er asks if he knows that LFM killed everyone in her sect the day Zhao Jing got married. Zhao Jing replies that he found her after that and sent her to Healer Valley for treatment. He also says that LFM hurt him during that time, and that’s why he can’t progress in martial arts. He says he’s ruined her life, and acts like he’s very sad about this. He calls it his most painful memory and his biggest shame.



Xie’er kneels in front of Zhao Jing, eating up Zhao Jing’s trust in him. Zhao Jing says he’d planned to keep this secret forever. Zhao Jing also says that if he’s confiding in Xie’er, he should tell Xie’er this too: Zhao Jing’s the one who killed Li Yao. Xie’er says he assumed so. Zhao Jing continues talking about how he used to be such a good boy, and now he’s murdered so many family members and will never be forgiven. Since nobody has held faith with him, he feels like he should return the favor and fuck everyone else up too.



Zhao Jing reaches forward to cup Xie’er’s face in his hands, and says that what little affection he retains is all for Xie’er. He calls this “the last piece of pure land of my life” and asks Xie’er to guard it (this relationship) well and not abandon it. Xie’er takes Zhao Jing’s hands and starts crying a little. He says that this is his fault for asking, and he won’t ask again. Zhao Jing again says that Xie’er’s the only one he has, and adds that he’s the only one Xie’er has.



The scene ends, and we move to Xie’er walking outside, repeating “If you don’t fall me, I won’t fall you” to himself in a way that’s rather reminiscent of LFM’s repetition.



Back at Xie-wang’s manor, LFM is awake and LQQ and Xie-wang enter her room. LFM tells LQQ not to call her ‘master’. She then addresses Xie-wang, and asks how it went and if he found an answer. Xie-wang repeats what Zhao Jing told him about Li Yao’s blackmail, and LFM laughs. She says he’s making up stories, and that her father threatened Zhao Jing first.



LFM asks why Zhao Jing framed Li Yao, and Xie-wang says it’s because he killed her. LFM doesn’t seem surprised by this. She calls Li Yao a stupid girl, and a rival in love, but not someone she hated. LFM says that if she’d married Zhao Jing, she’d be the one dead in the ground instead. LFM says she gave up everything for Zhao Jing, but he went for a noble girl instead. LFM’s dad blackmailed Zhao Jing, and offered him leadership of the sect, which was why Zhao Jing was going to marry LFM.

And then Zhao Jing conspired with “traitors of our palace” and killed everyone in her sect instead. On their wedding day. This is the first time LQQ had heard it wasn’t LFM’s fault. Xie-wang, on the other hand, says that the past can’t be verified and nobody has proof; he just wants to know why Zhao Jing spared LFM and kept that handkerchief.



LFM says Xie-wang doesn’t understand Zhao Jing at all. She says he’s proudest of his ability to fool people, and he keeps trophies from each of his plots. She specifically names his master’s ring and the sword that poisoned Rong Xuan as two trophies Zhao Jing should have. LFM challenges Xie-wang to go check for himself, and says there should be something of Li Yao’s in his treasure room; likely a love token. She then says that Zhao Jing has given Xie-wang a special token of sincerity too, and Xie-wang brings a hand up to his chest where the piece of glazed armor hangs on a hidden necklace.

At Siji Manor, ZZS, WKX, and Chengling have tea. Chengling says that the next day will be the winter solstice, and wonders if YBY will arrive on time. Chengling asks if they should make dumplings like YBY asked. WKX laughs about how Chengling only thinks of food, and Chengling says it’s fine that he does, and it’s all very nice and domestic.



WKX does agree to go buy ingredients for dumplings, and asks if there’s anything else he should get. ZZS is surprised WKX’s being nice to YBY for once, and WKX says that it’s the least they can do, even if (as ZZS says) they’ll need to make a lot of food to fulfill YBY’s appetite. ZZS suggests that WKX get some good jiu too.

ZZS sends Chengling off to bed, then tells WKX to get some rest too. WKX suggests drinking together, and ZZS says “nah” for once, since they’re going to “have a great battle” soon and need their rest. WKX laughs at this, and tells ZZS to go to bed first. This comes off as such flirting, even if it is about YBY.

WKX, left alone at the dinner table, is contemplative. He walks through Siji Manor with a cloak on, looks back once, and then leaves through the front door.





General Commentary

I love starting to hear about Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi. I adore them. I mean, a lot of that is from reading Qi Ye, but there’s also a lot of neat stuff here that I didn’t remember! Zhou Zishu teaching Wu Xi to make the mechanical messenger birds that Tianchuang uses, for instance! That’s so much fun! And the way Ping’an calls them “lifelong friends” is very sweet, and makes me wonder if Zhou Zishu and Jing Beiyuan interacted as kids (before Zhou Zishu’s dad died and Qin Huaizhang took him in).

Also I just enjoy that these banks are just a front for a giant spy network. And that Ping’an says they’re gathering information for Wu Xi, not for Jing Beiyuan.

I really like seeing how conflicted Wen Kexing is about the ghosts. Someone else suggests that they go back and defend Ghost Valley and crush the sects, and Wen Kexing just looks fucked up about it. He’s got this life with Zhou Zishu and Chengling! He’s walking on the path to the mortal world! And then his ghost-life has to crash back into him and remind him of the revenge he’s seeking and the death he’s enmeshed with and how he can’t talk about that with his living family.

It feels pretty clear to me that Zhou Zishu knows some of what’s up. He recognised Yun Zai, I suspect, and definitely knew that Wen Kexing had slipped away for business that had nothing to do with looking for a painter. (Do you think he also did that?) The ways in which Zhou Zishu isn’t stopping Wen Kexing from living this double life, but is just waiting for Wen Kexing to actually talk about it… it’s really neat! Very kind of him! They’re so lovely together.

The phrase “princess of Neon Palace” is really interesting, considering that Luo Fumeng is contrasted with Li Yao by everyone saying that Li Yao is the one of noble birth. Looking at the actual hanzi/Chinese words (霓光宫的少宫主), I suspect that “princess of Neon Palace” is probably not the best translation of her title? Even though gongzhu is usually ‘princess’, I suspect here it’s more “palace leader” in the form of “sect leader”, with LFM as the sect leader’s daughter. (Secondary question: how did they get to ‘neon’? 霓光 doesn’t seem to mean that…)

Anyway most of my feelings about this episode are about Zhao Jing and Xie’er.

Zhao Jing is incredibly good at manipulation. Xie’er’s doing pretty well at threading the needle through all that in order to get the information he wanted, but he still wants to believe Zhao Jing in a way that makes it hard for him to see Zhao Jing’s lies. I mean, even knowing that Zhao Jing is lying, he’s still really good at making a listener have emotions about the story he’s weaving; Xie’er has many fewer defenses.

I adore the way Luo Fumeng asking Xie’er “How did it go?” reframes the Xie’er/Zhao Jing scene. It wasn’t just Xie’er’s idea to do that; Luo Fumeng had to have given him the idea, had to have given him that handkerchief. And then she follows that up by giving her side of the story! Even if Xie’er’s right that neither of them have proof, exactly, of their side, Luo Fumeng has a lot less to gain by lying to Xie’er right now.

I have this very specific memory of listening to Luo Fumeng’s conversation with Xie’er and realising that the show is intentionally and explicitly paralleling Xie’er with the women who have loved Zhao Jing (and been ruined by him). Especially when she mentions the trophies, and that Xie’er should have a token too.


Discussion Prompts/Questions

1. The flashback with Wen Kexing and Yiguo! Do you remember your first feelings about it? How different are those feelings now?

2. How does Luo Fumeng know what trophies Zhao Jing has? Did he have them even when they were engaged?

3. In a non-Zhao Jing topic: Gu Xiang and Wen Kexing are both trying so hard to keep their partners from knowing about the brochure of ghosts. Thoughts about those respective dynamics and how the secrets are starting to leak around the edges?


Next Time: YBY arrives! NI BU PEI! Also some other things, like GX and CWN being domestic, WKX in a bathtub, and Xie-wang telling Zhao Jing that GX and CWN are at Qing Feng Sword Sect.