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ghost_valley2022-01-07 11:35 am
shadaras) wrote in ghost_valley2022-01-07 11:35 am
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[WoH Rewatch] Episode 29
Happy new year, welcome to 2022, time to watch everyone be sad!
List of Scenes
WKX does his best to keep Han Ying alive
ZZS realises Tianchuang has arrived
Defending the manor
ZZS pulls WKX away from Han Ying’s body
ZZS sends Chengling and WKX away for their safety
ZZS allows Tianchuang to capture him
GX and CWN realise Qing Feng Sword Sect is under attack and run to help
DPJ chats with ZZS and then burns Siji Manor
ZZS remembers how Tianchuang got its name
CWN and GX enter Qing Feng Sword Sect’s secret hideout
GX tells FHK about Drug Men, and FHK blames Ghost Valley and WKX for this (revealing WKX’s identity to CWN)
WKX dreams of Zhao Jing saving him from bullies, coming to his house, and getting poisoned by his mother
Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi arrive; Wu Xi tells JBY about the destruction of Siji Manor
JBY and WX meet Chengling and knock WKX out so he stops ranting about killing ZJ
CWN and GX don’t talk to each other but do talk to MWX about the sect’s plans
Timeline or Something
There’s basically no reference to time at all. This begins the morning after last episode ended, though! For Zhou Zishu, at least. No idea how long anyone else spent anywhere.
I kind of think that the Zhou Zishu stuff has to take place on a different timeline than the rest of this episode? Like, all the stuff with Zhou Zishu happens in one day, but then there’s travel time for Tianchuang to take him to Jinzhou and Prince Jin, and during that travel is when the Qing Feng Sword Sect stuff happens, because otherwise the travel times make no sense. But there’s nothing explicit about that in the text! So who knows.
Recap
This episode begins with a lovely sunrise. ZZS runs to Ping’an Bank, which is closed.
At Siji Manor, WKX transfers qi into Han Ying while Chengling watches. Neither man seems to be doing great, but WKX is very determined. When WKX pulls his hands away, Chengling hands them little flakes that seem like some medicinal thing and asks WKX if he’s okay. Han Ying adds that he’s worried WKX will overstrain himself, despite WKX’s impressive internal strength.
WKX, exhausted, says he’s doing this because ZZS would be sad if Han Ying died and he doesn’t want that. “I’ll keep you alive at any cost,” he says, which leads Chengling to urge him to rest. Chengling asks if he can help, and WKX says Chengling isn’t strong enough for that yet. This scolding reveals to Han Ying that Chengling is ZZS’s disciple, and Han Ying is very jealous. WKX goes back to helping Han Ying, and Chengling promises that he and WKX will talk ZZS into accepting Han Ying as a disciple once he’s healed.
The sound of horses outside draws Chengling away to go investigate, and WKX regrets having made the fake glazed armor because of how it’s hurt Han Ying.
ZZS, still in town, sees first a mechanical sparrow and then Tianchuang’s lanterns rising in the sky. He correctly identifies this as Bad.
At Siji Manor, a rain of arrows shoots out at a nice turtle formation. (We see no evidence of those shields at any later point, but still!) ZZS watches from some mountain outcropping. He recognises this as Duan Pengju having arrived, and realises that DPJ is waiting for him.
Inside Siji Manor, Chengling is using the mechanical defenses when ZZS arrives. ZZS is proud of him for this, then gives him some directions about which defences to use before he goes inside to check on WKX and Han Ying. Even more arrows fly out.
WKX is cradling Han Ying in his arms, insisting that Han Ying can’t die, when ZZS enters. ZZS is concerned about both of them, and tries to draw WKX away. WKX doesn’t recognise him at first, because he’s so caught up in his healing.
WKX asks where Wu Xi is. ZZS feels Han Ying’s pulse, then asks WKX to set him down. WKX refuses to do so, because if he lets go of Han Ying then Han Ying will slip away completely. WKX goes back to urging Han Ying to wake up, and ZZS says that Han Ying is already dead. WKX does not wish to hear this.
ZZS does take Han Ying from WKX’s arms, though, and WKX cries as ZZS wishes Han Ying a peaceful death. WKX is too weak to stand, and considers Han Ying’s death entirely his fault. He says that Han Ying broke his own heart meridians because WKX didn’t escort Chengling out [of the room? To safety? Hard to tell!], and then gets into his glazed armor guilt.
WKX has another brief flashback to his parents’ death, and to Zhao Jing’s face, and then he falls unconscious. ZZS checks his pulse, finds that his pulse is chaotic and he’s emptied his dantian of qi, which startles him.
Cut to ZZS having put WKX on a bed and Chengling coming in to tell him one of the defences hasn’t been fixed yet. WKX and Han Ying are lying next to each other on the bed, and Chengling sees this and worries about them both.
ZZS asks Chengling not to worry and to listen, and Chengling (correctly) refuses, saying that his dad had the same expression the last time they talked. Chengling would rather die with ZZS than be sent away and have a father (figure) die again and live alone.
ZZS says he’s not going to die, because the people outside are his Tianchuang, sent by his cousin Prince Jin, and they’re only going to capture him. This is not comforting to Chengling, who wants WKX to wake up.
ZZS pulls him away and says he doesn’t lie to Chengling. He also says that WKX overexerted himself to the edge of qi deviation and needs to be taken care of so he doesn’t go mad and/or die. ZZS believes that Tianchuang doesn’t know that there are other people in Siji Manor with him [subs say ‘you’, which is unclear, but it’s 你们, the plural], so he wants to send Chengling and WKX to the adytum (according to youtube subs; netflix just says ‘secret room’). [which, btw, kudos to the translators for finding an English word I didn’t know? Anyway, inner sanctum, connotations of sacred/holy. I think the Chinese word it’s being used for is 密室 (mìshì), which just means hidden/secret chamber?]
Chengling does not like this, but the Tianchuang outside start calling for ZZS because Prince Jin wants to meet him back in Jinzhou. ZZS uses this as proof that he’s just going to be taken and not killed, and charges Chengling to take care of WKX so that they can rescue him after. Chengling is still not happy about it, but he doesn't have a chance to argue more because the scene cuts.
Outside, assembled Tianchuang forces chant asking for ZZS to show up. DPJ is in front. ZZS opens the gates of Siji Manor very dramatically and walks out. He addresses DPJ familiarly but briefly, and DPJ is fake-polite back, telling him that the Nails can be cured and so everyone turned into the living dead by them should be embarrassed.
ZZS comes closer, and asks if it’s true that Prince Jin wants to meet him. DPJ scoffs and implies that he won’t be spared after such betrayal. ZZS smiles and keeps approaching, which scares Tianchuang and makes DPJ order his capture. ZZS doesn’t fight them.
The scene cuts to GX and CWN in the forest! CWN quotes poetry, GX does not really understand. CWN talks about how happy he is with her, and wonders why GX is so worried. One of their songs starts playing, and GX laughs as she compares ZZS, WKX, and Chengling to three grains of corn. CWN offers that they could go to Siji Manor to see them, and GX says she’d rather stay here, especially since WKX hasn’t asked for her to come visit.
CWN says that WKX treats GX as his sister, and would be happy to see them, which GX doesn’t believe. CWN still wants to know what’s bothering GX, but GX can’t explain because it’s the ghost thing. She instead deflects into a different truth, about how she’s unused to being loved and cared for like this and is scared it could be taken away. CWN says it won’t, and they look sweetly into each other’s eyes.
And then the moment’s broken by Qing Feng Sword Sect’s alarm sounding. GX somehow recognises the attackers as the Scorpion’s drug army, and she and CWN run off to see if they can help.
There’s blood on the stone marker for Mount Qing Feng, and bodies. In the sect, everyone’s scared and running because they’re surprised ghosts attacked in the daylight. The disciples learn that the drug men are toxic/have poison in their attacks! Very blood, much death, wow.
CWN and GX enter the sect, and one of the disciples (Weilan, surname not given, I will try not to laugh too much in Guardian-brain) almost attacks them because they snuck up. CWN asks what’s going on, but first GX reminds them that they should go up the hill to where FHK has taken other sect members to safety.
We cut to Tianchuang surrounding a cage on a cart. ZZS is inside! One of DPJ’s subordinates report that the Nails are indeed in ZZS’s body. ZZS stares out at Siji Manor, which has started burning. DPJ gloats, talks about how Siji Manor seems lesser than he expected, and says he knows about ZZS’s trickery. ZZS tells him to hurry it up so he doesn’t get ambushed on the way to Jinzhou. DPJ asks if Han Ying is lying in wait, and ZZS says Han Ying is dead, which DPJ is happy about. Then DPJ says Han Ying led them here, and ZZS praises DPJ’s work as Prince Jin’s henchman.
DPJ reveals Prince Jin’s plan, which ZZS already knew. Then we see flames engulf Siji Manor, and ZZS’s hands tighten in sorrow. He recites the motto of Siji Manor as DPJ laughs. Then DPJ repeats Prince Jin’s orders, and tells ZZS he asked for this by throwing away ten years of Prince Jin’s favor and care. DPJ advises ZZS to beg Prince Jin for his forgiveness when they arrive, then orders his men to move out. (There are noticeably fewer men in this shot than in the one outside Siji Manor’s gates. Maybe DPJ left some men there.)
As Tianchuang travels, ZZS remembers the day Tianchuang got its name. Prince Jin called ZZS’s forces “[ZZS]’s personal army”, and suggested calling it “the Army of Kun.” ZZS instead asked for it to be called Tianchuang, and talked about how all he desires is “to sacrifice himself to bring a ray of sunshine to this dark world” and bring honor to his teachers. Prince Jin praises this name, and this idea. In the present, ZZS thinks about how naive he was at that time, and how poorly his sacrifice turned out.
Qing Feng Sword Sect’s secret hideout in the mountainside is full of wounded disciples when CWN and the people with him enter. They’re shocked to see GX/a girl in general, but that’s less important than taking care of the disciples and asking what’s going on. GX says that she and CWN are fine, because climbing trees was enough to keep the drug men from them. FHK then needs to defend GX’s presence to another disciple, who doesn’t like there being a ~girl~ in the secret hideout; he points out that it’s an emergency, and that GX is CWN’s betrothed, and really safety is what should matter most.
GX realises that FHK is poisoned and offers him some medicine that ZZS had made to counter the drug men. FHK doesn’t take it himself, but asks Mo Weixu to take it to one of the injured disciples. He then asks GX about the drug men, since she knows about them from WKX/her master. FHK thinks it horrendous that Ghost Valley practiced witchcraft [蛊] on living people.
GX is surprised to hear that this is Ghost Valley’s fault, and asks about that. FHK says that four ghosts attacked last night and were repelled by the sect leader, and then this attack followed. GX has a lot of feelings about how much hatred FHK expresses for Ghost Valley. FHK interprets this as fear, and reassures her that she’s safe.
CWN asks where his shifu is, and learns that Mo Huaiyang (the sect leader) went “up the hill” to protect them by fighting drug men. One of the disciples says he disappeared in the brawl, but FHK believes he’ll be fine.
FHK believes that since there are four devils of Ghost Valley, the Valley Master WKX must be here as well. GX winces as this is said. CWN is very surprised to hear that WKX is the Valley Master. He does not reveal GX as WKX’s disciple, but a tear does run down his cheek at this revelation.
In the sad burnt (but not, like, that burnt) remnants of Siji Manor, Chengling (in the safe hideout) watches over WKX and prays to the ancestors of Siji Manor for their safety.
WKX has a flashback! We see him being bullied by the children again, and Zhao Jing rescuing him. This time the flashback continues past Zhao Jing asking if his surname is Zhen. Zhao Jing reveals his name and relationship to WKX’s family. (In the present, Chengling continues tending to WKX.)
Young WKX leads Zhao Jing (who also has at least one retainer with him, just barely glimpsed) to his family’s house, which is honestly a really nice place considering they’re in hiding/on the run. QHZ set them up really well, I guess! He announces that he’s brought his Zhao Jing-bobo home, and his parents are quite surprised about this. WKX’s mom sends him outside while the adults sit and talk.
Zhao Jing asks what happened to Zhen Ruyu, who doesn’t answer. Gu Miaomiao says she’ll make tea while the men talk. There’s a brief interlude of WKX sitting on a swing eating tanghulu; he looks up at a sudden sound. We cut back inside to see a teapot smashing on the ground as Gu Miaomiao yells at Zhao Jing, saying she knew it was him. Zhao Jing says they need to open the Armory, since Rong Xuan has no surviving family and this is his legacy and they don’t want their effort to be in vain.
Gu Miaomiao shouts that Rong Xuan died from a poison only a shameless man like Zhao Jing would own/use. Zhao Jing laughs, agrees that he’s shameless, and then asks what Gu Miaomiao is going to do about it. WKX peers in the door as Zhao Jing asks for the key, saying he’ll leave if they give it to him. If they don’t, he implies that he’d assault GMM at the very least. GMM slaps at him, and WRY moves in Zhao Jing’s way, but Zhao Jing knocks WRY over; he still had martial ability at this time.
Zhao Jing suggests they think it over, since the Yin-Yang Book is in the Armory and could cure WRY and let him return to being a respectable healer. WRY and GMM exchange looks, and then GMM tells Zhao Jing that she’s poisoned him. Cures and poisons are two sides of a coin, after all. GMM says WRY might be injured, and she may be weak, but she can still take a stand against evildoers like Zhao Jing.
Zhao Jing asks for the cure. GMM gives him a vial with three pills inside and tells him to take it, since the poison will give him a painful death once it takes effect. She says friendship means she’s given him the cure for three months, and that she’ll keep giving him the antidote so long as they’re all alive. Zhao Jing takes the antidote, though, and then walks away.
WKX runs to his parents’ side and asks if Zhao Jing is a bad guy, apologising for bringing him home. We then see his parents’ deaths again.
In the present, WKX wakes up, shouting “I’m going to kill him!” while Chengling anxiously tries (and fails) to get his attention. WKX runs out of the hideout, and Chengling chases him.
In the nice pink forests of Siji Manor, Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi arrive. Wu Xi tells Beiyuan that in the remains of Siji Manor, there’s only the charred body of a man. (Han Ying, presumably.) Beiyuan thinks this is impossible, and moves to investigate himself. Wu Xi stops him, saying he’s ordered his man (Ah Qin Lai; I suspect in Qi Ye this is translated as Ashinlae?) to bury the corpse.
Beiyuan refuses to believe that ZZS would die like this, or that Prince Jin would kill him like this. Wu Xi points out that Prince Jin sent someone to kill Beiyuan, so why not ZZS? Beiyuan thinks that ZZS has people, and wants to know how Wu Xi identified the body. Wu Xi then tells Beiyuan, who hadn’t previously known, that Prince Jin killed all the former members of Siji Manor, and that’s why ZZS left Prince Jin.
Beiyuan does not have time to get mad at Wu Xi for hiding this, because they then hear WKX and Chengling yelling in the distance. Chengling is holding on to WKX, refusing to let him run off to kill Zhao Jing. Ping’an identifies them as WKX breaks free of Chengling’s hold and runs off. Ping’an helps Chengling up and introduces him to Wu Xi and Beiyuan, who asks where ZZS is. (Beiyuan also calls himself ZZS’s best friend.)
Chengling explains what’s happened, and asks them to help WKX. Wu Xi runs off after WKX, after a brief sparring match where he tries to calm WKX down, knocks him out. Wu Xi assures Chengling that WKX is fine, and just needs to rest.
Back at Qing Feng Mountain, GX and CWN sit in an empty room together, not talking. MWX brings them food and asks what’s wrong. CWN doesn’t tell him, only asks about what’s going on outside. MWX says they’re at a stalemate; the drug men can’t get in, but they can’t get out, and they’re running low on food. CWN suggests they just go fight anyway. MWX thinks MHY will come with help, and says FHK wants to wait out another day before making their last stand.
MWX says that if it comes to that, CWN should do his best to protect GX and make sure she gets out of this alive. CWN looks at her, sad and confused, and MWX says that FHK doesn’t want their sect to end this generation and that they shouldn’t bring GX into the sect’s troubles. GX says she’s not going anywhere; she’ll fight with them in a last stand if she must, and that she’s fought and killed before.
CWN continues making a sad face, and we end on GX’s unhappy look.
General Commentary
Based on the reaction everyone has to Gu Xiang entering their sanctum, Qing Feng Sword Sect is, apparently, all men. This is fascinating and strange to me. Do any wives they take live in a separate village/down in town, or something?
It’s fun getting such a clear picture that “Wei” is the generation-name of the current generation. It says such interesting things, too, that Mo Huaiyang, Fan Huaikong, and Qin Huaizhang all share a generation name that the Five Lakes Brothers don’t. Did Qin Huaizhang come from Qing Feng Sword Sect? Is it random chance that he matches them? Is there a jianghu-wide conspiracy about the names? Who knows!
I love that despite Cao Weining clearly going “WHAT THE FUCK” and “OH NO” in his head over learning that Wen Kexing is the Valley Master, he says nothing about Gu Xiang’s connection to Wen Kexing. He knows, and Gu Xiang knows, and nobody else needs to know this just now. That’s a lot of strength of will! Such a good heart! I love Cao Weining so much.
Getting to this section of the Qing Feng Sword Sect stuff on a first watch-through was a lot more confusing about who was who, and what was going on. This time, I’m just listening to everyone talk about Mo Huaiyang and making sad faces about what I know is coming.
Wen Kexing’s dedication to keeping Han Ying alive like it’ll prove that he’s a good person is very sad, actually. I know he has a heart, and that he wants to save this person who also did his best for Zhou Zishu, but Wen Kexing goes beyond “trying his hardest” into “if I fail Han Ying I’ve failed everything” and that’s so sad.
I love the flashback to Gu Miaomiao poisoning Zhao Jing. She’s such a badass. I know other things happen in that flashback, but Gu Miaomiao telling him about the terrible death awaiting him is so great. Like, yeah, we see young Zhao Jing revealing his plans! We learn what revenge Wen Kexing has been aiming for this whole time! But my main takeaway is that Wen Kexing got his ruthlessness from his mother just as surely as his healing hands from his father.
I liked seeing Chengling use Siji Manor’s defenses! That was fun. I wish we’d gotten more of it, or at least more interesting things than “Here’s a bunch of arrows!”, but I understand the budget limitations. I’d love fic expanding on that, and showing spiked pits and oil/fire combos and boulders rolling down the mountain or other traps of that sort. But, y’know. Budget.
There’s that mention of Han Ying having broken his own heart meridians. If he hadn’t done that, would he have lived? Or was this his way of choosing a less protracted death? Either way, Wen Kexing is fucked up about it and blames himself for Han Ying making that choice.
Tianchuang is so scared of Zhou Zishu, even now. Watching Zhou Zishu walk towards them and everyone flinch and draw their swords despite Zhou Zishu doing nothing overtly threatening is great.
I’m sad about Siji Manor burning, but also I guess Han Ying gets the biggest funeral pyre this way.
Zhou Zishu had so many ideals when he was young, and it shows in how he thought about naming Tianchuang.
Every time I see Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi I’m like “No you don’t look right”, but I guess that’s the price I pay for having read all of Qi Ye. xD; This is just a me problem, I know. I do love that they’re finally here! And I love Beiyuan calling himself Zhou Zishu’s best friend, and Wu Xi using Zhou Zishu’s name to distract Wen Kexing long enough to knock him out, and that they’re going to be able to help Wen Kexing and Chengling deal with Zhou Zishu getting himself captured.
I also very much love hearing about Prince Jin sending an assassin after Beiyuan; that sounds like it’d have gone poorly for everyone involved.
Also, like, Wen Kexing almost qi deviating because of how much he spent himself on Han Ying and then remembering Zhao Jing? Very fun. Love to see him that fucked up, even as I’m also glad Wu Xi was there to make him not actually qi deviate.
Discussion Prompts/Questions
Please don’t feel limited to these. They’re starting points for anyone who wants them, not the only things to talk about!
1. Everything starts happening a lot now! I know I’m not highlighting everything, so what’s one of your own favorite moments in this episode? For plot reasons, emotional reasons, pure aesthetics… just something you think is cool!
2. Do you have any thoughts on the timeline of this episode?
3. What did you think of Wu Xi and Beiyuan when you first saw them? What do you think now? (If there’s a shift, is it because of thinking about SHL more or because of reading TYK and/or Qi Ye?)
Next Time: Xie-wang’s plans for Mount Qing Feng. Cao Weining and Gu Xiang talk about her past and affirm their feelings. Wen Kexing meets Wu Xi and Jing Beiyuan properly. Prince Jin and Zhou Zishu have a long conversation. Mo Huaizhang and Zhao Jing have a nice chat.
List of Scenes
WKX does his best to keep Han Ying alive
ZZS realises Tianchuang has arrived
Defending the manor
ZZS pulls WKX away from Han Ying’s body
ZZS sends Chengling and WKX away for their safety
ZZS allows Tianchuang to capture him
GX and CWN realise Qing Feng Sword Sect is under attack and run to help
DPJ chats with ZZS and then burns Siji Manor
ZZS remembers how Tianchuang got its name
CWN and GX enter Qing Feng Sword Sect’s secret hideout
GX tells FHK about Drug Men, and FHK blames Ghost Valley and WKX for this (revealing WKX’s identity to CWN)
WKX dreams of Zhao Jing saving him from bullies, coming to his house, and getting poisoned by his mother
Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi arrive; Wu Xi tells JBY about the destruction of Siji Manor
JBY and WX meet Chengling and knock WKX out so he stops ranting about killing ZJ
CWN and GX don’t talk to each other but do talk to MWX about the sect’s plans
Timeline or Something
There’s basically no reference to time at all. This begins the morning after last episode ended, though! For Zhou Zishu, at least. No idea how long anyone else spent anywhere.
I kind of think that the Zhou Zishu stuff has to take place on a different timeline than the rest of this episode? Like, all the stuff with Zhou Zishu happens in one day, but then there’s travel time for Tianchuang to take him to Jinzhou and Prince Jin, and during that travel is when the Qing Feng Sword Sect stuff happens, because otherwise the travel times make no sense. But there’s nothing explicit about that in the text! So who knows.
Recap
This episode begins with a lovely sunrise. ZZS runs to Ping’an Bank, which is closed.
At Siji Manor, WKX transfers qi into Han Ying while Chengling watches. Neither man seems to be doing great, but WKX is very determined. When WKX pulls his hands away, Chengling hands them little flakes that seem like some medicinal thing and asks WKX if he’s okay. Han Ying adds that he’s worried WKX will overstrain himself, despite WKX’s impressive internal strength.
WKX, exhausted, says he’s doing this because ZZS would be sad if Han Ying died and he doesn’t want that. “I’ll keep you alive at any cost,” he says, which leads Chengling to urge him to rest. Chengling asks if he can help, and WKX says Chengling isn’t strong enough for that yet. This scolding reveals to Han Ying that Chengling is ZZS’s disciple, and Han Ying is very jealous. WKX goes back to helping Han Ying, and Chengling promises that he and WKX will talk ZZS into accepting Han Ying as a disciple once he’s healed.
The sound of horses outside draws Chengling away to go investigate, and WKX regrets having made the fake glazed armor because of how it’s hurt Han Ying.
ZZS, still in town, sees first a mechanical sparrow and then Tianchuang’s lanterns rising in the sky. He correctly identifies this as Bad.
At Siji Manor, a rain of arrows shoots out at a nice turtle formation. (We see no evidence of those shields at any later point, but still!) ZZS watches from some mountain outcropping. He recognises this as Duan Pengju having arrived, and realises that DPJ is waiting for him.
Inside Siji Manor, Chengling is using the mechanical defenses when ZZS arrives. ZZS is proud of him for this, then gives him some directions about which defences to use before he goes inside to check on WKX and Han Ying. Even more arrows fly out.
WKX is cradling Han Ying in his arms, insisting that Han Ying can’t die, when ZZS enters. ZZS is concerned about both of them, and tries to draw WKX away. WKX doesn’t recognise him at first, because he’s so caught up in his healing.
WKX asks where Wu Xi is. ZZS feels Han Ying’s pulse, then asks WKX to set him down. WKX refuses to do so, because if he lets go of Han Ying then Han Ying will slip away completely. WKX goes back to urging Han Ying to wake up, and ZZS says that Han Ying is already dead. WKX does not wish to hear this.
ZZS does take Han Ying from WKX’s arms, though, and WKX cries as ZZS wishes Han Ying a peaceful death. WKX is too weak to stand, and considers Han Ying’s death entirely his fault. He says that Han Ying broke his own heart meridians because WKX didn’t escort Chengling out [of the room? To safety? Hard to tell!], and then gets into his glazed armor guilt.
WKX has another brief flashback to his parents’ death, and to Zhao Jing’s face, and then he falls unconscious. ZZS checks his pulse, finds that his pulse is chaotic and he’s emptied his dantian of qi, which startles him.
Cut to ZZS having put WKX on a bed and Chengling coming in to tell him one of the defences hasn’t been fixed yet. WKX and Han Ying are lying next to each other on the bed, and Chengling sees this and worries about them both.
ZZS asks Chengling not to worry and to listen, and Chengling (correctly) refuses, saying that his dad had the same expression the last time they talked. Chengling would rather die with ZZS than be sent away and have a father (figure) die again and live alone.
ZZS says he’s not going to die, because the people outside are his Tianchuang, sent by his cousin Prince Jin, and they’re only going to capture him. This is not comforting to Chengling, who wants WKX to wake up.
ZZS pulls him away and says he doesn’t lie to Chengling. He also says that WKX overexerted himself to the edge of qi deviation and needs to be taken care of so he doesn’t go mad and/or die. ZZS believes that Tianchuang doesn’t know that there are other people in Siji Manor with him [subs say ‘you’, which is unclear, but it’s 你们, the plural], so he wants to send Chengling and WKX to the adytum (according to youtube subs; netflix just says ‘secret room’). [which, btw, kudos to the translators for finding an English word I didn’t know? Anyway, inner sanctum, connotations of sacred/holy. I think the Chinese word it’s being used for is 密室 (mìshì), which just means hidden/secret chamber?]
Chengling does not like this, but the Tianchuang outside start calling for ZZS because Prince Jin wants to meet him back in Jinzhou. ZZS uses this as proof that he’s just going to be taken and not killed, and charges Chengling to take care of WKX so that they can rescue him after. Chengling is still not happy about it, but he doesn't have a chance to argue more because the scene cuts.
Outside, assembled Tianchuang forces chant asking for ZZS to show up. DPJ is in front. ZZS opens the gates of Siji Manor very dramatically and walks out. He addresses DPJ familiarly but briefly, and DPJ is fake-polite back, telling him that the Nails can be cured and so everyone turned into the living dead by them should be embarrassed.
ZZS comes closer, and asks if it’s true that Prince Jin wants to meet him. DPJ scoffs and implies that he won’t be spared after such betrayal. ZZS smiles and keeps approaching, which scares Tianchuang and makes DPJ order his capture. ZZS doesn’t fight them.
The scene cuts to GX and CWN in the forest! CWN quotes poetry, GX does not really understand. CWN talks about how happy he is with her, and wonders why GX is so worried. One of their songs starts playing, and GX laughs as she compares ZZS, WKX, and Chengling to three grains of corn. CWN offers that they could go to Siji Manor to see them, and GX says she’d rather stay here, especially since WKX hasn’t asked for her to come visit.
CWN says that WKX treats GX as his sister, and would be happy to see them, which GX doesn’t believe. CWN still wants to know what’s bothering GX, but GX can’t explain because it’s the ghost thing. She instead deflects into a different truth, about how she’s unused to being loved and cared for like this and is scared it could be taken away. CWN says it won’t, and they look sweetly into each other’s eyes.
And then the moment’s broken by Qing Feng Sword Sect’s alarm sounding. GX somehow recognises the attackers as the Scorpion’s drug army, and she and CWN run off to see if they can help.
There’s blood on the stone marker for Mount Qing Feng, and bodies. In the sect, everyone’s scared and running because they’re surprised ghosts attacked in the daylight. The disciples learn that the drug men are toxic/have poison in their attacks! Very blood, much death, wow.
CWN and GX enter the sect, and one of the disciples (Weilan, surname not given, I will try not to laugh too much in Guardian-brain) almost attacks them because they snuck up. CWN asks what’s going on, but first GX reminds them that they should go up the hill to where FHK has taken other sect members to safety.
We cut to Tianchuang surrounding a cage on a cart. ZZS is inside! One of DPJ’s subordinates report that the Nails are indeed in ZZS’s body. ZZS stares out at Siji Manor, which has started burning. DPJ gloats, talks about how Siji Manor seems lesser than he expected, and says he knows about ZZS’s trickery. ZZS tells him to hurry it up so he doesn’t get ambushed on the way to Jinzhou. DPJ asks if Han Ying is lying in wait, and ZZS says Han Ying is dead, which DPJ is happy about. Then DPJ says Han Ying led them here, and ZZS praises DPJ’s work as Prince Jin’s henchman.
DPJ reveals Prince Jin’s plan, which ZZS already knew. Then we see flames engulf Siji Manor, and ZZS’s hands tighten in sorrow. He recites the motto of Siji Manor as DPJ laughs. Then DPJ repeats Prince Jin’s orders, and tells ZZS he asked for this by throwing away ten years of Prince Jin’s favor and care. DPJ advises ZZS to beg Prince Jin for his forgiveness when they arrive, then orders his men to move out. (There are noticeably fewer men in this shot than in the one outside Siji Manor’s gates. Maybe DPJ left some men there.)
As Tianchuang travels, ZZS remembers the day Tianchuang got its name. Prince Jin called ZZS’s forces “[ZZS]’s personal army”, and suggested calling it “the Army of Kun.” ZZS instead asked for it to be called Tianchuang, and talked about how all he desires is “to sacrifice himself to bring a ray of sunshine to this dark world” and bring honor to his teachers. Prince Jin praises this name, and this idea. In the present, ZZS thinks about how naive he was at that time, and how poorly his sacrifice turned out.
Qing Feng Sword Sect’s secret hideout in the mountainside is full of wounded disciples when CWN and the people with him enter. They’re shocked to see GX/a girl in general, but that’s less important than taking care of the disciples and asking what’s going on. GX says that she and CWN are fine, because climbing trees was enough to keep the drug men from them. FHK then needs to defend GX’s presence to another disciple, who doesn’t like there being a ~girl~ in the secret hideout; he points out that it’s an emergency, and that GX is CWN’s betrothed, and really safety is what should matter most.
GX realises that FHK is poisoned and offers him some medicine that ZZS had made to counter the drug men. FHK doesn’t take it himself, but asks Mo Weixu to take it to one of the injured disciples. He then asks GX about the drug men, since she knows about them from WKX/her master. FHK thinks it horrendous that Ghost Valley practiced witchcraft [蛊] on living people.
GX is surprised to hear that this is Ghost Valley’s fault, and asks about that. FHK says that four ghosts attacked last night and were repelled by the sect leader, and then this attack followed. GX has a lot of feelings about how much hatred FHK expresses for Ghost Valley. FHK interprets this as fear, and reassures her that she’s safe.
CWN asks where his shifu is, and learns that Mo Huaiyang (the sect leader) went “up the hill” to protect them by fighting drug men. One of the disciples says he disappeared in the brawl, but FHK believes he’ll be fine.
FHK believes that since there are four devils of Ghost Valley, the Valley Master WKX must be here as well. GX winces as this is said. CWN is very surprised to hear that WKX is the Valley Master. He does not reveal GX as WKX’s disciple, but a tear does run down his cheek at this revelation.
In the sad burnt (but not, like, that burnt) remnants of Siji Manor, Chengling (in the safe hideout) watches over WKX and prays to the ancestors of Siji Manor for their safety.
WKX has a flashback! We see him being bullied by the children again, and Zhao Jing rescuing him. This time the flashback continues past Zhao Jing asking if his surname is Zhen. Zhao Jing reveals his name and relationship to WKX’s family. (In the present, Chengling continues tending to WKX.)
Young WKX leads Zhao Jing (who also has at least one retainer with him, just barely glimpsed) to his family’s house, which is honestly a really nice place considering they’re in hiding/on the run. QHZ set them up really well, I guess! He announces that he’s brought his Zhao Jing-bobo home, and his parents are quite surprised about this. WKX’s mom sends him outside while the adults sit and talk.
Zhao Jing asks what happened to Zhen Ruyu, who doesn’t answer. Gu Miaomiao says she’ll make tea while the men talk. There’s a brief interlude of WKX sitting on a swing eating tanghulu; he looks up at a sudden sound. We cut back inside to see a teapot smashing on the ground as Gu Miaomiao yells at Zhao Jing, saying she knew it was him. Zhao Jing says they need to open the Armory, since Rong Xuan has no surviving family and this is his legacy and they don’t want their effort to be in vain.
Gu Miaomiao shouts that Rong Xuan died from a poison only a shameless man like Zhao Jing would own/use. Zhao Jing laughs, agrees that he’s shameless, and then asks what Gu Miaomiao is going to do about it. WKX peers in the door as Zhao Jing asks for the key, saying he’ll leave if they give it to him. If they don’t, he implies that he’d assault GMM at the very least. GMM slaps at him, and WRY moves in Zhao Jing’s way, but Zhao Jing knocks WRY over; he still had martial ability at this time.
Zhao Jing suggests they think it over, since the Yin-Yang Book is in the Armory and could cure WRY and let him return to being a respectable healer. WRY and GMM exchange looks, and then GMM tells Zhao Jing that she’s poisoned him. Cures and poisons are two sides of a coin, after all. GMM says WRY might be injured, and she may be weak, but she can still take a stand against evildoers like Zhao Jing.
Zhao Jing asks for the cure. GMM gives him a vial with three pills inside and tells him to take it, since the poison will give him a painful death once it takes effect. She says friendship means she’s given him the cure for three months, and that she’ll keep giving him the antidote so long as they’re all alive. Zhao Jing takes the antidote, though, and then walks away.
WKX runs to his parents’ side and asks if Zhao Jing is a bad guy, apologising for bringing him home. We then see his parents’ deaths again.
In the present, WKX wakes up, shouting “I’m going to kill him!” while Chengling anxiously tries (and fails) to get his attention. WKX runs out of the hideout, and Chengling chases him.
In the nice pink forests of Siji Manor, Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi arrive. Wu Xi tells Beiyuan that in the remains of Siji Manor, there’s only the charred body of a man. (Han Ying, presumably.) Beiyuan thinks this is impossible, and moves to investigate himself. Wu Xi stops him, saying he’s ordered his man (Ah Qin Lai; I suspect in Qi Ye this is translated as Ashinlae?) to bury the corpse.
Beiyuan refuses to believe that ZZS would die like this, or that Prince Jin would kill him like this. Wu Xi points out that Prince Jin sent someone to kill Beiyuan, so why not ZZS? Beiyuan thinks that ZZS has people, and wants to know how Wu Xi identified the body. Wu Xi then tells Beiyuan, who hadn’t previously known, that Prince Jin killed all the former members of Siji Manor, and that’s why ZZS left Prince Jin.
Beiyuan does not have time to get mad at Wu Xi for hiding this, because they then hear WKX and Chengling yelling in the distance. Chengling is holding on to WKX, refusing to let him run off to kill Zhao Jing. Ping’an identifies them as WKX breaks free of Chengling’s hold and runs off. Ping’an helps Chengling up and introduces him to Wu Xi and Beiyuan, who asks where ZZS is. (Beiyuan also calls himself ZZS’s best friend.)
Chengling explains what’s happened, and asks them to help WKX. Wu Xi runs off after WKX, after a brief sparring match where he tries to calm WKX down, knocks him out. Wu Xi assures Chengling that WKX is fine, and just needs to rest.
Back at Qing Feng Mountain, GX and CWN sit in an empty room together, not talking. MWX brings them food and asks what’s wrong. CWN doesn’t tell him, only asks about what’s going on outside. MWX says they’re at a stalemate; the drug men can’t get in, but they can’t get out, and they’re running low on food. CWN suggests they just go fight anyway. MWX thinks MHY will come with help, and says FHK wants to wait out another day before making their last stand.
MWX says that if it comes to that, CWN should do his best to protect GX and make sure she gets out of this alive. CWN looks at her, sad and confused, and MWX says that FHK doesn’t want their sect to end this generation and that they shouldn’t bring GX into the sect’s troubles. GX says she’s not going anywhere; she’ll fight with them in a last stand if she must, and that she’s fought and killed before.
CWN continues making a sad face, and we end on GX’s unhappy look.
General Commentary
Based on the reaction everyone has to Gu Xiang entering their sanctum, Qing Feng Sword Sect is, apparently, all men. This is fascinating and strange to me. Do any wives they take live in a separate village/down in town, or something?
It’s fun getting such a clear picture that “Wei” is the generation-name of the current generation. It says such interesting things, too, that Mo Huaiyang, Fan Huaikong, and Qin Huaizhang all share a generation name that the Five Lakes Brothers don’t. Did Qin Huaizhang come from Qing Feng Sword Sect? Is it random chance that he matches them? Is there a jianghu-wide conspiracy about the names? Who knows!
I love that despite Cao Weining clearly going “WHAT THE FUCK” and “OH NO” in his head over learning that Wen Kexing is the Valley Master, he says nothing about Gu Xiang’s connection to Wen Kexing. He knows, and Gu Xiang knows, and nobody else needs to know this just now. That’s a lot of strength of will! Such a good heart! I love Cao Weining so much.
Getting to this section of the Qing Feng Sword Sect stuff on a first watch-through was a lot more confusing about who was who, and what was going on. This time, I’m just listening to everyone talk about Mo Huaiyang and making sad faces about what I know is coming.
Wen Kexing’s dedication to keeping Han Ying alive like it’ll prove that he’s a good person is very sad, actually. I know he has a heart, and that he wants to save this person who also did his best for Zhou Zishu, but Wen Kexing goes beyond “trying his hardest” into “if I fail Han Ying I’ve failed everything” and that’s so sad.
I love the flashback to Gu Miaomiao poisoning Zhao Jing. She’s such a badass. I know other things happen in that flashback, but Gu Miaomiao telling him about the terrible death awaiting him is so great. Like, yeah, we see young Zhao Jing revealing his plans! We learn what revenge Wen Kexing has been aiming for this whole time! But my main takeaway is that Wen Kexing got his ruthlessness from his mother just as surely as his healing hands from his father.
I liked seeing Chengling use Siji Manor’s defenses! That was fun. I wish we’d gotten more of it, or at least more interesting things than “Here’s a bunch of arrows!”, but I understand the budget limitations. I’d love fic expanding on that, and showing spiked pits and oil/fire combos and boulders rolling down the mountain or other traps of that sort. But, y’know. Budget.
There’s that mention of Han Ying having broken his own heart meridians. If he hadn’t done that, would he have lived? Or was this his way of choosing a less protracted death? Either way, Wen Kexing is fucked up about it and blames himself for Han Ying making that choice.
Tianchuang is so scared of Zhou Zishu, even now. Watching Zhou Zishu walk towards them and everyone flinch and draw their swords despite Zhou Zishu doing nothing overtly threatening is great.
I’m sad about Siji Manor burning, but also I guess Han Ying gets the biggest funeral pyre this way.
Zhou Zishu had so many ideals when he was young, and it shows in how he thought about naming Tianchuang.
Every time I see Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi I’m like “No you don’t look right”, but I guess that’s the price I pay for having read all of Qi Ye. xD; This is just a me problem, I know. I do love that they’re finally here! And I love Beiyuan calling himself Zhou Zishu’s best friend, and Wu Xi using Zhou Zishu’s name to distract Wen Kexing long enough to knock him out, and that they’re going to be able to help Wen Kexing and Chengling deal with Zhou Zishu getting himself captured.
I also very much love hearing about Prince Jin sending an assassin after Beiyuan; that sounds like it’d have gone poorly for everyone involved.
Also, like, Wen Kexing almost qi deviating because of how much he spent himself on Han Ying and then remembering Zhao Jing? Very fun. Love to see him that fucked up, even as I’m also glad Wu Xi was there to make him not actually qi deviate.
Discussion Prompts/Questions
Please don’t feel limited to these. They’re starting points for anyone who wants them, not the only things to talk about!
1. Everything starts happening a lot now! I know I’m not highlighting everything, so what’s one of your own favorite moments in this episode? For plot reasons, emotional reasons, pure aesthetics… just something you think is cool!
2. Do you have any thoughts on the timeline of this episode?
3. What did you think of Wu Xi and Beiyuan when you first saw them? What do you think now? (If there’s a shift, is it because of thinking about SHL more or because of reading TYK and/or Qi Ye?)
Next Time: Xie-wang’s plans for Mount Qing Feng. Cao Weining and Gu Xiang talk about her past and affirm their feelings. Wen Kexing meets Wu Xi and Jing Beiyuan properly. Prince Jin and Zhou Zishu have a long conversation. Mo Huaizhang and Zhao Jing have a nice chat.