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ghost_valley2022-01-21 12:04 pm
shadaras) wrote in ghost_valley2022-01-21 12:04 pm
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[WoH Rewatch] Episode 31
A dramatic rescue, and then lot of plotting and planning!
List of Scenes
Xie-wang talks to a bunch of ghosts, including a captured GX
MHY and FHK talk about MHY’s choice of ally
TC juniors rescue ZZS
WKX makes the most dramatic entrance
WKX and ZZS arrive at Beiyuan’s manor
WKX and Beiyuan chat about ZZS
WKX brushes ZZS’s hair
GX explains how she and CWN decided to leave Qing Feng Mountain
GX talks to WKX about his choice to leave for Ghost Valley
WKX meets Xie-wang at Ghost Valley
Chengling, Xiaolian, and Shen Shen receive the invitation to the Heroes Conference/Exorcism Assembly
WKX and LFM talk about regaining their memories and whether they want to stay in Ghost Valley
Timeline or Something
Who the fuck knows! :D
Even more than most episodes, this one jumps around in time and makes no effort to explain when anything happens. The first scenes are around when the last episode ended. The Zhou Zishu rescue should’ve taken some time to set up, but we don’t see any of it. It probably should’ve taken more than a day for Wen Kexing to bring Zhou Zishu back to Jing Beiyuan’s mansion, too, but this show isn’t going to acknowledge that.
So, y’know, I’m pretty sure the timeline’s made up in this episode and all that matters is the Emotions and Drama of it all. xD If you have better thoughts about the timeline, please share! I just can’t find anything in this episode to hang anything on.
Recap
This episode begins with Xie-wang lying down on a throne. Wuchang Gui comes to report to him about casualties (presumably from Qing Feng Mountain?), but Xie-wang doesn’t care about those numbers. He says that they contributed much, and tells LQQ to give the ghosts their antidotes for this month. LQQ gives one first to LFM, sitting at a table to the side, and then to an anxious Wuchang Gui.
Happy Ghost then leads in GX and CWN on a rope. LFM and LQQ are surprised by this, and immediately move to protect her. Happy Ghost says they can use GX to find WKX’s location, but Xie-wang doesn’t see any need to rush. He has them untied, and says he’s going to talk to GX.
In Qing Feng Mountain, MHY and FHK talk. FHK asks MHY if he remembers the Qing Feng Sword Sect motto, which MHY then says: “A man lives when his sword’s intact. A man dies when his sword breaks. Be righteous | and demolish demons.” (This is a very nice set of four four-character phrases in Chinese! I may have gotten sidetracked seeing what the hanzi subs were: 剑在人在。剑断人亡。匡扶大义。斩妖除魔。)
FHK, now that he knows MHY remembers that, reminds him that Qing Feng Sword sect also has a rule against associating with demons, and says that MHY must explain himself. MHY says he associated with Zhao Jing, Chief of the Five Lakes Alliance, who is not a demon. Zhao Jing is just working with the Scorpion and trying to tame the Ghosts. No big deal. Not MHY’s problem.
FHK laughs and says he can’t give their disciples this explanation, especially not when FHK believes Zhao Jing responsible for Gao Chong’s death. Since Gao Chong gave MHY the glazed armor, FHK thinks MHY should be aware of this as well. MHY cuts off FHK’s speech by showing him the glazed armor he still carries and saying that Zhao Jing resolved the situation ‘today’. MHY says he’s preserving their sect, and thus feels no guilt about any of his actions.
MHY says he’d rather lose his reputation than let his sect die; FHK counters with “I would rather die than act against the principles [of our sect].” FHK goes back to saying that Zhao Jing is working with Ghost Valley. MHY says that while he’s working with Zhao Jing, he has his own plans. FHK asks what he’s planning, and MHY says he wants to become the leader of the martial arts world and exterminate Ghost Valley! Simple plans. Same plan as Zhao Jing, even. MHY frames it as carrying Gao Chong’s burden, though.
FHK says he trusts MHY, and that he’d misunderstood him, and the scene ends.
Tianchuang juniors run through the halls, swords out and faces covered with veils. They enter the room ZZS’s being held in (on the meathooks) and Bi Xingming (who ZZS recognises) cuts him free.
Immediate cut to outside in a forest. The juniors escort a carriage down a path. They are not very subtle. A group of Tianchuang (in full mission uniform) arrive to block their way, led by DPJ. The juniors stand there, swords out, ready to defend ZZS. DPJ grandstands about how ZZS’s fleeing for his life and is nothing without Prince Jin’s support.
DPJ calls out Bi Xingming (the leader of the juniors) as lao-Bi’s disciple (Bi Changfeng was the old Siji Manor uncle who ZZS put Nails into in ep1), and then calls them both fools. DPJ says that all the disciples of the old Siji Manor members were being monitored by multiple spies, and so DPJ has known their plan all along. He gloats about how they never realised that and have brought ZZS into a place where DPJ can “accidentally” kill him without disobeying Prince Jin.
Another disciple unveils his face and says he’s not a fool. He names himself (Cheng Zichen) and his mentor (Cheng Xiu), then says he’s willing to die to protect ZZS. (I think that’s a bit foolish, but it’s very Honor, so he probably doesn’t think so.) DPJ is so down for this, as he orders his men to attack.
WKX, who was clearly waiting for the best dramatic entrance, arrives in a flurry of red robes and deadly fan-throwing. He plants himself between the Tianchuang forces and the juniors as the front line of the Tianchuang fall. WKX tells the juniors to retreat, which they do (except for Bi Xingming). Only when they’ve left does he turn to face DPJ.
DPJ asks who WKX is. When WKX introduces himself, he recognises the Valley Master’s name, but wasn’t expecting him. WKX call it an “awkward situation” for DPJ to use that title out loud. DPJ says he was going to visit Ghost Valley to ask WKX for something, which WKX finds ridiculous. DPJ call him self-centered and ignorant, ridicules the idea he can capture “this prisoner from Jin”, says he underestimated Tianchuang, and says that WKX is alone and won’t stand a chance against the army that’s coming.
ZZS, who also can’t resist a dramatic entrance, emerges from the carriage saying, “Who says he’s alone?” Bi Xingming helps him off the carriage, and then WKX comes to his side. They exchange information about where Chengling is, and since he’s safe ZZS’s willing to fight anything and everything at WKX’s side.
Then fog comes out of the forest, and some laughter, and Tianchuang seems very nervous. DPJ asks WKX what he’s doing. WKX says that he’s the Valley Master, so why would he come here without his ghosts? Then the ghosts attack! It’s very dramatic and also the largest cluster of ghosts we’ve ever seen. Tianchuang retreats immediately. The ghosts bow to WKX.
LFM escorts the juniors through the ghosts and back to WKX and ZZS. Bi Xingming and Cheng Zichen lead the juniors in bowing to ZZS (as zhuangzhu). WKX explains that Han Ying “entrusted him with these children” before he died. WKX says he accepted them without asking ZZS, because this was Han Ying’s wish and now WKX’s as well.
Then WKX himself bows and calls himself the second disciple of Siji Manor, Wen Kexing, and ZZS lays his hand on WKX’s head. There’s a pause before ZZS nods and seems like he might start crying.
Then we cut to WKX and ZZS on a horse, riding up to what the subs tell me is Saijun Mansion (aka, the place Jing Beiyuan’s staying at). CWN and GX run out to greet them, along with a few servants. GX asks if they’re injured, and WKX sas he’s not. ZZS’s surprised to see GX and CWN, and GX says she’ll tell him how they got there later. (JBY and WX arrive in the background.) GX is more upset that Prince Jin hurt ZZS so badly, and promises to get revenge for him.
ZZS and Beiyuan greet each other, and ZZS smiles to see his friend.
WKX paces outside the room where WX is treating ZZS while Beiyuan reassures him that ZZS will be okay. WKX offers to repay Beiyuan, who says that’s unnecessary; he and ZZS were childhood friends, so of course Beiyuan’s going to help him even though ZZS’s been distant and never asked for help.
CWN brings Bi Xingming over, and WKX introduces the juniors to Beiyuan and asks if they can stay at Beiyuan’s place until Siji Manor’s rebuilt. Beiyuan agrees, since he and WX “can be who they are today thanks to Zishu”, and tells WKX to stop treating him like an outsider. He also then tells ZZS that his retainer escorted Chengling to Shen Shen, and asks if they should bring him back now that ZZS is rescued.
WX comes out of ZZS’s room at that moment. WKX gives him puppy dog eyes, but it’s GX who asks if WX can save ZZS. WX nods, and everyone is quietly happy.
Inside, ZZS has a junior and a servant tending to him and brushing his hair. Then WKX comes in and says he’ll take over, so the junior (I cannot do facial recognition; it’s probably Bi Xingming though, based on the costume) lets WKX brush ZZS’s hair instead. ZZS asks how WKX can order the juniors around, and the junior explains that WKX contacted them with a mark Han Ying left, made a plan, and led the juniors in rescuing ZZS.
ZZS tells the junior to call WKX ‘shishu’, and then that he can acknowledge them formally with the rest of the juniors. ZZS asks if WKX’s going to share his burdens in the sect, which WKX, amused, agrees to. WKX dismisses the junior and the servant.
WKX asks why ZZS wasn’t shocked to see him, and ZZS wonders why it would be a surprise; he knew WKX could come for him. WKX smiles, and puts his Plot Hairpin into ZZS’s hair very lovingly.
Outside, Beiyuan and Wu Xi sit at a table with GX and CWN. Beiyuan and WX are delighted by GX, whose willingness to run away with CWN and make him throw away the jianghu rules for her remind them of their own past. Namely the bit where WX kidnapped Beiyuan that one time, which is only gestured at here in SHL.
Beiyuan asks GX how she and CWN managed to run off/elope, and we’re treated to a flashback.
GX is sitting in their little cottage on Qing Feng Mountain at night, presumably a day or two after Zhao Jing sent the Scorpions away and freed the sect. CWN comes to visit. He explains to GX that MHY has allied with Zhao Jing, and GX finds it strange that the Drug Men came and threatened them if that’s the case. GX also tells him that Ghost Valley subordinates were there. CWN tells her that the Heroes Conference is to be held again, and that Zhao Jing must have already subjugated Ghost Valley.
GX doesn’t think that LQQ would betray her people, and so doesn’t think CWN can be telling her the truth. CWN says that FHK told him this, and he seems just as upset about it in his own way. GX stops arguing, because neither of them understand or like this, especially since they’re being told not to look into it more.
CWN reminds GX that they agreed to elope if his shifu and shishu didn’t agree to their marriage. She’s surprised by his suggestion that they run away, and he says he doesn’t care about being a righteous man, and that she’s not evil, and that they should leave the jianghu and do whatever they want. She agrees.
And then they ran away! Back in the present, Beiyuan praises CWN’s sense of right and wrong and GX’s choice of husband. WX asks when Zhao Jing and MHY allied, and Beiyuan confirms that it was from the beginning. Beiyaun also thinks that Xie-wang must be angry about being deceived like this.
Then Beiyuan asks GX how they ran into Ghost Valley and then found Beiyuan and Wu Xi. GX shakes her head, not wanting to say. CWN says that WKX threatened to cut off GX’s tongue if she explains that part. Beiyuan doesn’t push, then, and is just glad they found WKX in time to avoid Beiyuan and WX getting involved in the rescue scheme.
CWN asks GX if WKX needs to return to Ghost Valley. GX says he’ll return after stepping down from the position of Valley Master and helping LFM and her people settle. CWN worries about the timing, since the Heroes Conference (“Exorcism Assembly” here, according to youtube subs) will be gathering near Mount Qingya soon. GX doesn’t care, so long as her sisters in the Department of the Unfaithful are okay.
Inside his rooms, WKX grumbles to himself about not knowing how to fold his clothes as well as GX can. GX herself enters, and WKX offers his lumpily folded robes to her to fix. As she does, he asks if she’s worried. GX turns to him and asks if he really needs to return to Ghost Valley. He says not to worry, and that she only needs to take care of ZZS for him.
GX tells him to stop hiding things from her, and that she brought Xie-wang to him because she thought WKX could make Xie-wang surrender. She says she won’t forgive herself if WKX’s plan gets him hurt, and asks why the ghosts controlled by Xie-wang’s poisons served WKX after their chat. She doesn’t think Xie-wang hates Zhao Jing enough to help his enemy. WKX says GX’s gotten smarter after hanging out with CWN, and she scolds him for changing the topic.
GX asks what WKX promised Xie-wang in order to save ZZS. WKX tells her not to mention his plot with Xie-wang to anyone else, especially not ZZS. GX says she hasn’t, and just wants to know what his plot is, because she’s worried about him. WKX says that Xie-wang is working with him because the plan also benefits Xie-wang, and that’s all GX needs to know. WKX thinks their priority should be ZZS’s healing, and says he’ll come back in time to help Wu Xi remove the Nails once ZZS’s recovered well enough for that.
GX grumbles about how loyal WKX is to ZZS, and he teases her about her jealousy. She asks again for him to promise he’ll come back safe, and he tells her to have faith that he can outfit and defeat Xie-wang.
In Ghost Valley, at night, ghosts beat on ceremonial drums as WKX walks into the great hall. The ghosts greet him.
Xie-wang, on the throne, does not stand until WKX is about a pace away. When he rises, Xie-wang gives a very fake apology for sitting in the one chair in WKX’s hall. WKX says that Xie-wang could be the chief of Ghost Valley if he wanted to be, but Xie-wang declines the offer; he doesn’t want that downfall to be on his shoulders.
They smile at each other, very thinly, and LFM appears to have some opinions.
Elsewhere, Chengling practices his sword techniques. He has a lot of enthusiasm but not much control right now. As he punches the ground in frustration, Xiaolian (who was bringing him tea) tells him to stop and not push himself too hard. Shen Shen then comes and gives Chengling a letter. It’s addressed to Shen Shen, telling him that the Heroes Conference/Exorcism Assembly will be held “on the 15th of this month” at White Deer Town.
Chengling and Shen Shen think about this as a chance to accomplish what Gao Chong couldn’t. Xiaolian asks about the town, and Shen Shen explains that it’s right by Mount Qingya, and Rong Changqing (the first chief of Ghost Valley, who Netflix calls “the Magic Craftsman” but youtube doesn’t) is buried there. The conference is held there to exterminate Ghost Valley.
Chengling asks if Shen Shen is going. Shen Shen asks the two of them, as representatives of the families he’s helping survive, what they want. He also reminds Chengling that, while he doesn’t know what ZZS’s doing, WKX will have returned to Ghost Valley. Chengling crumples the envelope in his fist and the scene cuts.
In Ghost Valley, a girl from the Department of the Unfaithful combs WKX’s hair. When her comb hits a snag, she kneels, terrified and expecting punishment. WKX, after listening to her say she deserves punishment for such a nothing thing, dismisses her. Once she’s out of the room, he sighs about how all ghosts can become human if they find the path back to the human world.
LFM enters the room and begins combing WKX’s hair instead. He calls her Luo-yi/Aunt Luo and asks her why she’s here and not serving her new master (Xie-wang, presumably). She calls him A-Xing and asks him why he’s back here and didn’t leave. He says it’s been eight years since she called him that name, and she apologises for this slip of the tongue. She tells him that Xie-wang used Drunk-Like-a-Dream to restore her memories.
LFM says she remembers that WKX’s parents healed her and consoled her back in Healer Valley. She’s upset she couldn’t save them, but glad that she could save WKX. She strokes his hair and says she didn’t take good care of him. WKX stands and says he’s always remembered her kindness. He then tells her he’s recalled everything too, including all the details about how and why his parents died.
He explains to LFM the specific obsession/regret he forgot. Then he says that he’s been Valley Master for eight years, hypervigilant and focused on death. He wasn’t happy with his revenge, and so he built this murder game. WKX tells LFM about how he set up the Glazed Armor ploy with Hanging Ghost’s body, and we’re treated to a brief flashback from ep1. He says he wanted to burn all the filthiness out of the world, and that the sects deserved to die as much as the ghosts.
WKX talks about the isolation of Ghost Valley, and how all those who seek the Glazed Armor here will die. LFM asks if WKX is planning to die with them. WKX says he didn’t consider other options, or how many innocent people would die from this plan, because he’d been opposed to the whole world.
LFM almost leaves before WKX continues and says that “a man” taught him that “hatred is the same as greediness” in that it causes suffering. WKX says that his parents and LFM tried to save him and keep him from being buried in the past. WKX comes up to LFM’s side and tells her that he’s made a deal with Xie-wang to get them what they both need.
WKX says that tomorrow he’ll ask Xie-wang to remove the poison in LFM and LQQ, and then they’ll be able to take the Department of the Unfaithful away. “As long as we let go of our hatred, we are in the human world,” he says, and don’t need to cage themselves up.
LFM says she’ll give WKX her blessing to make his decisions, as she will make hers. She’s willing to stay in Ghost Valley forever, which WKX doesn’t look too happy about as LFM walks away from him.
General Commentary
A lot happens in this episode! A lot of scenes are missing, either because we aren’t allowed to know Wen Kexing’s full plan yet or because they didn’t have the time to put them in!
We’ll get some more of the Scheme in ep33, but for now this episode is a lot of fragmented scenes full of drama! Which is fine, it means this is a very exciting episode, but it also means that most of my feelings about it are “...okay but I want all the missing scenes!”, y’know?
A lot does happen in this episode, but a lot of it is characters explaining things to us. They spell out their motivations as they understand them, position themselves in alliances, and say what they’re intending to do. There aren’t many obvious holes in these explanations (except where they’ll be filled in later).
I think that the parts of this episode talking about reputation and attachment to sects are fascinating.
Mo Huaiyang wants to become supreme leader of the jianghu. Fan Huaikong thinks that’s a fine goal, even if his methods aren’t as righteous as Fan Huaikong would prefer. Their shixiongdi relationship doesn’t get much screentime, but it’s another relationship to consider if we ever want to compare all the shidi who have vastly different opinions on how to lead their sect than their shixiong/sect leaders.
Cao Weining cares more about Gu Xiang than his sect or reputation. Gu Xiang wants her people to be happy. They’re very sweet! I love seeing them choose happiness over being “good people” or even remaining in the jianghu! I’m also interested in how much Gu Xiang was like “nope don’t talk about this” to Cao Weining with her pointed glances and coughs; I’d love to know how aware Cao Weining is of Wen Kexing’s plots and schemes.
Wen Kexing wants to free the ghosts and let them be human again, which means essentially destroying his sect. Luo Fumeng’s refusal to leave Ghost Valley in the face of that is a surprise to him, since it means she doesn’t want to return to the human world. But considering what happened to her, and how she’s in a position of power in Ghost Valley, that’s not too surprising.
Zhou Zishu and Duan Pengju fit into this too, and are perhaps the most dramatic example since Tianchuang splinters between them and their different approaches to leadership. Duan Pengju cares more about this than Zhou Zishu does, since Zhou Zishu’s too busy wanting to see his shidi again, but it’s fun to mention in context of all the other stuff going on.
…also I find it faintly absurd that the Tianchuang juniors are so chill about the ghosts, but sure, whatever. I can’t actually tell whether or not the juniors recognised Wen Kexing in his Valley Master get-up before he started speaking to them. Bi Xingming says they’d talked and Wen Kexing had made this plan, but he might’ve been dressed less dramatically then.
(Also the idea that Wen Kexing had this whole plan to rescue Zhou Zishu and it didn’t involve him getting Zhou Zishu himself is strange to me! But hey I guess he had to keep the ghosts in line…)
The Exorcism Assembly and Second Heroes Conference sound like the same thing but sort of aren’t, I think? Like, the Exorcism Assembly is where Wen Kexing dies; the Second Heroes Conference is where Wen Kexing revives himself. This has taken me multiple consecutive viewings to actually put together.
I love Wen Kexing’s musings on ghosts being able to become human again if they just find the right path and let go of hatred.
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. What are your favorite theories, headcanons, or fics about the Zhou Zishu rescue plan/missing scenes?
2. When do you think Xie-wang started poisoning the ghosts? It must’ve been before the attack on Qing Feng Sword Sect, but how much before?
3. This episode has so much set-up! I keep thinking of other things that might be interesting to ask questions about and then going “wait that’s really about next episode” (or even two episodes from now). So instead I guess: Look at all the nice shippy content for all the pairings. Look at all the nice juniors. Isn’t this a nice calm before the storm?
Next Time: A nice family dinner! Wen Kexing’s dramatic confrontation and “death” at Mount Qingya! Zhou Zishu is Not Okay! Ye Baiyi attends Zhao Jing’s feast. Some other politics too, probably.
List of Scenes
Xie-wang talks to a bunch of ghosts, including a captured GX
MHY and FHK talk about MHY’s choice of ally
TC juniors rescue ZZS
WKX makes the most dramatic entrance
WKX and ZZS arrive at Beiyuan’s manor
WKX and Beiyuan chat about ZZS
WKX brushes ZZS’s hair
GX explains how she and CWN decided to leave Qing Feng Mountain
GX talks to WKX about his choice to leave for Ghost Valley
WKX meets Xie-wang at Ghost Valley
Chengling, Xiaolian, and Shen Shen receive the invitation to the Heroes Conference/Exorcism Assembly
WKX and LFM talk about regaining their memories and whether they want to stay in Ghost Valley
Timeline or Something
Who the fuck knows! :D
Even more than most episodes, this one jumps around in time and makes no effort to explain when anything happens. The first scenes are around when the last episode ended. The Zhou Zishu rescue should’ve taken some time to set up, but we don’t see any of it. It probably should’ve taken more than a day for Wen Kexing to bring Zhou Zishu back to Jing Beiyuan’s mansion, too, but this show isn’t going to acknowledge that.
So, y’know, I’m pretty sure the timeline’s made up in this episode and all that matters is the Emotions and Drama of it all. xD If you have better thoughts about the timeline, please share! I just can’t find anything in this episode to hang anything on.
Recap
This episode begins with Xie-wang lying down on a throne. Wuchang Gui comes to report to him about casualties (presumably from Qing Feng Mountain?), but Xie-wang doesn’t care about those numbers. He says that they contributed much, and tells LQQ to give the ghosts their antidotes for this month. LQQ gives one first to LFM, sitting at a table to the side, and then to an anxious Wuchang Gui.
Happy Ghost then leads in GX and CWN on a rope. LFM and LQQ are surprised by this, and immediately move to protect her. Happy Ghost says they can use GX to find WKX’s location, but Xie-wang doesn’t see any need to rush. He has them untied, and says he’s going to talk to GX.
In Qing Feng Mountain, MHY and FHK talk. FHK asks MHY if he remembers the Qing Feng Sword Sect motto, which MHY then says: “A man lives when his sword’s intact. A man dies when his sword breaks. Be righteous | and demolish demons.” (This is a very nice set of four four-character phrases in Chinese! I may have gotten sidetracked seeing what the hanzi subs were: 剑在人在。剑断人亡。匡扶大义。斩妖除魔。)
FHK, now that he knows MHY remembers that, reminds him that Qing Feng Sword sect also has a rule against associating with demons, and says that MHY must explain himself. MHY says he associated with Zhao Jing, Chief of the Five Lakes Alliance, who is not a demon. Zhao Jing is just working with the Scorpion and trying to tame the Ghosts. No big deal. Not MHY’s problem.
FHK laughs and says he can’t give their disciples this explanation, especially not when FHK believes Zhao Jing responsible for Gao Chong’s death. Since Gao Chong gave MHY the glazed armor, FHK thinks MHY should be aware of this as well. MHY cuts off FHK’s speech by showing him the glazed armor he still carries and saying that Zhao Jing resolved the situation ‘today’. MHY says he’s preserving their sect, and thus feels no guilt about any of his actions.
MHY says he’d rather lose his reputation than let his sect die; FHK counters with “I would rather die than act against the principles [of our sect].” FHK goes back to saying that Zhao Jing is working with Ghost Valley. MHY says that while he’s working with Zhao Jing, he has his own plans. FHK asks what he’s planning, and MHY says he wants to become the leader of the martial arts world and exterminate Ghost Valley! Simple plans. Same plan as Zhao Jing, even. MHY frames it as carrying Gao Chong’s burden, though.
FHK says he trusts MHY, and that he’d misunderstood him, and the scene ends.
Tianchuang juniors run through the halls, swords out and faces covered with veils. They enter the room ZZS’s being held in (on the meathooks) and Bi Xingming (who ZZS recognises) cuts him free.
Immediate cut to outside in a forest. The juniors escort a carriage down a path. They are not very subtle. A group of Tianchuang (in full mission uniform) arrive to block their way, led by DPJ. The juniors stand there, swords out, ready to defend ZZS. DPJ grandstands about how ZZS’s fleeing for his life and is nothing without Prince Jin’s support.
DPJ calls out Bi Xingming (the leader of the juniors) as lao-Bi’s disciple (Bi Changfeng was the old Siji Manor uncle who ZZS put Nails into in ep1), and then calls them both fools. DPJ says that all the disciples of the old Siji Manor members were being monitored by multiple spies, and so DPJ has known their plan all along. He gloats about how they never realised that and have brought ZZS into a place where DPJ can “accidentally” kill him without disobeying Prince Jin.
Another disciple unveils his face and says he’s not a fool. He names himself (Cheng Zichen) and his mentor (Cheng Xiu), then says he’s willing to die to protect ZZS. (I think that’s a bit foolish, but it’s very Honor, so he probably doesn’t think so.) DPJ is so down for this, as he orders his men to attack.
WKX, who was clearly waiting for the best dramatic entrance, arrives in a flurry of red robes and deadly fan-throwing. He plants himself between the Tianchuang forces and the juniors as the front line of the Tianchuang fall. WKX tells the juniors to retreat, which they do (except for Bi Xingming). Only when they’ve left does he turn to face DPJ.
DPJ asks who WKX is. When WKX introduces himself, he recognises the Valley Master’s name, but wasn’t expecting him. WKX call it an “awkward situation” for DPJ to use that title out loud. DPJ says he was going to visit Ghost Valley to ask WKX for something, which WKX finds ridiculous. DPJ call him self-centered and ignorant, ridicules the idea he can capture “this prisoner from Jin”, says he underestimated Tianchuang, and says that WKX is alone and won’t stand a chance against the army that’s coming.
ZZS, who also can’t resist a dramatic entrance, emerges from the carriage saying, “Who says he’s alone?” Bi Xingming helps him off the carriage, and then WKX comes to his side. They exchange information about where Chengling is, and since he’s safe ZZS’s willing to fight anything and everything at WKX’s side.
Then fog comes out of the forest, and some laughter, and Tianchuang seems very nervous. DPJ asks WKX what he’s doing. WKX says that he’s the Valley Master, so why would he come here without his ghosts? Then the ghosts attack! It’s very dramatic and also the largest cluster of ghosts we’ve ever seen. Tianchuang retreats immediately. The ghosts bow to WKX.
LFM escorts the juniors through the ghosts and back to WKX and ZZS. Bi Xingming and Cheng Zichen lead the juniors in bowing to ZZS (as zhuangzhu). WKX explains that Han Ying “entrusted him with these children” before he died. WKX says he accepted them without asking ZZS, because this was Han Ying’s wish and now WKX’s as well.
Then WKX himself bows and calls himself the second disciple of Siji Manor, Wen Kexing, and ZZS lays his hand on WKX’s head. There’s a pause before ZZS nods and seems like he might start crying.
Then we cut to WKX and ZZS on a horse, riding up to what the subs tell me is Saijun Mansion (aka, the place Jing Beiyuan’s staying at). CWN and GX run out to greet them, along with a few servants. GX asks if they’re injured, and WKX sas he’s not. ZZS’s surprised to see GX and CWN, and GX says she’ll tell him how they got there later. (JBY and WX arrive in the background.) GX is more upset that Prince Jin hurt ZZS so badly, and promises to get revenge for him.
ZZS and Beiyuan greet each other, and ZZS smiles to see his friend.
WKX paces outside the room where WX is treating ZZS while Beiyuan reassures him that ZZS will be okay. WKX offers to repay Beiyuan, who says that’s unnecessary; he and ZZS were childhood friends, so of course Beiyuan’s going to help him even though ZZS’s been distant and never asked for help.
CWN brings Bi Xingming over, and WKX introduces the juniors to Beiyuan and asks if they can stay at Beiyuan’s place until Siji Manor’s rebuilt. Beiyuan agrees, since he and WX “can be who they are today thanks to Zishu”, and tells WKX to stop treating him like an outsider. He also then tells ZZS that his retainer escorted Chengling to Shen Shen, and asks if they should bring him back now that ZZS is rescued.
WX comes out of ZZS’s room at that moment. WKX gives him puppy dog eyes, but it’s GX who asks if WX can save ZZS. WX nods, and everyone is quietly happy.
Inside, ZZS has a junior and a servant tending to him and brushing his hair. Then WKX comes in and says he’ll take over, so the junior (I cannot do facial recognition; it’s probably Bi Xingming though, based on the costume) lets WKX brush ZZS’s hair instead. ZZS asks how WKX can order the juniors around, and the junior explains that WKX contacted them with a mark Han Ying left, made a plan, and led the juniors in rescuing ZZS.
ZZS tells the junior to call WKX ‘shishu’, and then that he can acknowledge them formally with the rest of the juniors. ZZS asks if WKX’s going to share his burdens in the sect, which WKX, amused, agrees to. WKX dismisses the junior and the servant.
WKX asks why ZZS wasn’t shocked to see him, and ZZS wonders why it would be a surprise; he knew WKX could come for him. WKX smiles, and puts his Plot Hairpin into ZZS’s hair very lovingly.
Outside, Beiyuan and Wu Xi sit at a table with GX and CWN. Beiyuan and WX are delighted by GX, whose willingness to run away with CWN and make him throw away the jianghu rules for her remind them of their own past. Namely the bit where WX kidnapped Beiyuan that one time, which is only gestured at here in SHL.
Beiyuan asks GX how she and CWN managed to run off/elope, and we’re treated to a flashback.
GX is sitting in their little cottage on Qing Feng Mountain at night, presumably a day or two after Zhao Jing sent the Scorpions away and freed the sect. CWN comes to visit. He explains to GX that MHY has allied with Zhao Jing, and GX finds it strange that the Drug Men came and threatened them if that’s the case. GX also tells him that Ghost Valley subordinates were there. CWN tells her that the Heroes Conference is to be held again, and that Zhao Jing must have already subjugated Ghost Valley.
GX doesn’t think that LQQ would betray her people, and so doesn’t think CWN can be telling her the truth. CWN says that FHK told him this, and he seems just as upset about it in his own way. GX stops arguing, because neither of them understand or like this, especially since they’re being told not to look into it more.
CWN reminds GX that they agreed to elope if his shifu and shishu didn’t agree to their marriage. She’s surprised by his suggestion that they run away, and he says he doesn’t care about being a righteous man, and that she’s not evil, and that they should leave the jianghu and do whatever they want. She agrees.
And then they ran away! Back in the present, Beiyuan praises CWN’s sense of right and wrong and GX’s choice of husband. WX asks when Zhao Jing and MHY allied, and Beiyuan confirms that it was from the beginning. Beiyaun also thinks that Xie-wang must be angry about being deceived like this.
Then Beiyuan asks GX how they ran into Ghost Valley and then found Beiyuan and Wu Xi. GX shakes her head, not wanting to say. CWN says that WKX threatened to cut off GX’s tongue if she explains that part. Beiyuan doesn’t push, then, and is just glad they found WKX in time to avoid Beiyuan and WX getting involved in the rescue scheme.
CWN asks GX if WKX needs to return to Ghost Valley. GX says he’ll return after stepping down from the position of Valley Master and helping LFM and her people settle. CWN worries about the timing, since the Heroes Conference (“Exorcism Assembly” here, according to youtube subs) will be gathering near Mount Qingya soon. GX doesn’t care, so long as her sisters in the Department of the Unfaithful are okay.
Inside his rooms, WKX grumbles to himself about not knowing how to fold his clothes as well as GX can. GX herself enters, and WKX offers his lumpily folded robes to her to fix. As she does, he asks if she’s worried. GX turns to him and asks if he really needs to return to Ghost Valley. He says not to worry, and that she only needs to take care of ZZS for him.
GX tells him to stop hiding things from her, and that she brought Xie-wang to him because she thought WKX could make Xie-wang surrender. She says she won’t forgive herself if WKX’s plan gets him hurt, and asks why the ghosts controlled by Xie-wang’s poisons served WKX after their chat. She doesn’t think Xie-wang hates Zhao Jing enough to help his enemy. WKX says GX’s gotten smarter after hanging out with CWN, and she scolds him for changing the topic.
GX asks what WKX promised Xie-wang in order to save ZZS. WKX tells her not to mention his plot with Xie-wang to anyone else, especially not ZZS. GX says she hasn’t, and just wants to know what his plot is, because she’s worried about him. WKX says that Xie-wang is working with him because the plan also benefits Xie-wang, and that’s all GX needs to know. WKX thinks their priority should be ZZS’s healing, and says he’ll come back in time to help Wu Xi remove the Nails once ZZS’s recovered well enough for that.
GX grumbles about how loyal WKX is to ZZS, and he teases her about her jealousy. She asks again for him to promise he’ll come back safe, and he tells her to have faith that he can outfit and defeat Xie-wang.
In Ghost Valley, at night, ghosts beat on ceremonial drums as WKX walks into the great hall. The ghosts greet him.
Xie-wang, on the throne, does not stand until WKX is about a pace away. When he rises, Xie-wang gives a very fake apology for sitting in the one chair in WKX’s hall. WKX says that Xie-wang could be the chief of Ghost Valley if he wanted to be, but Xie-wang declines the offer; he doesn’t want that downfall to be on his shoulders.
They smile at each other, very thinly, and LFM appears to have some opinions.
Elsewhere, Chengling practices his sword techniques. He has a lot of enthusiasm but not much control right now. As he punches the ground in frustration, Xiaolian (who was bringing him tea) tells him to stop and not push himself too hard. Shen Shen then comes and gives Chengling a letter. It’s addressed to Shen Shen, telling him that the Heroes Conference/Exorcism Assembly will be held “on the 15th of this month” at White Deer Town.
Chengling and Shen Shen think about this as a chance to accomplish what Gao Chong couldn’t. Xiaolian asks about the town, and Shen Shen explains that it’s right by Mount Qingya, and Rong Changqing (the first chief of Ghost Valley, who Netflix calls “the Magic Craftsman” but youtube doesn’t) is buried there. The conference is held there to exterminate Ghost Valley.
Chengling asks if Shen Shen is going. Shen Shen asks the two of them, as representatives of the families he’s helping survive, what they want. He also reminds Chengling that, while he doesn’t know what ZZS’s doing, WKX will have returned to Ghost Valley. Chengling crumples the envelope in his fist and the scene cuts.
In Ghost Valley, a girl from the Department of the Unfaithful combs WKX’s hair. When her comb hits a snag, she kneels, terrified and expecting punishment. WKX, after listening to her say she deserves punishment for such a nothing thing, dismisses her. Once she’s out of the room, he sighs about how all ghosts can become human if they find the path back to the human world.
LFM enters the room and begins combing WKX’s hair instead. He calls her Luo-yi/Aunt Luo and asks her why she’s here and not serving her new master (Xie-wang, presumably). She calls him A-Xing and asks him why he’s back here and didn’t leave. He says it’s been eight years since she called him that name, and she apologises for this slip of the tongue. She tells him that Xie-wang used Drunk-Like-a-Dream to restore her memories.
LFM says she remembers that WKX’s parents healed her and consoled her back in Healer Valley. She’s upset she couldn’t save them, but glad that she could save WKX. She strokes his hair and says she didn’t take good care of him. WKX stands and says he’s always remembered her kindness. He then tells her he’s recalled everything too, including all the details about how and why his parents died.
He explains to LFM the specific obsession/regret he forgot. Then he says that he’s been Valley Master for eight years, hypervigilant and focused on death. He wasn’t happy with his revenge, and so he built this murder game. WKX tells LFM about how he set up the Glazed Armor ploy with Hanging Ghost’s body, and we’re treated to a brief flashback from ep1. He says he wanted to burn all the filthiness out of the world, and that the sects deserved to die as much as the ghosts.
WKX talks about the isolation of Ghost Valley, and how all those who seek the Glazed Armor here will die. LFM asks if WKX is planning to die with them. WKX says he didn’t consider other options, or how many innocent people would die from this plan, because he’d been opposed to the whole world.
LFM almost leaves before WKX continues and says that “a man” taught him that “hatred is the same as greediness” in that it causes suffering. WKX says that his parents and LFM tried to save him and keep him from being buried in the past. WKX comes up to LFM’s side and tells her that he’s made a deal with Xie-wang to get them what they both need.
WKX says that tomorrow he’ll ask Xie-wang to remove the poison in LFM and LQQ, and then they’ll be able to take the Department of the Unfaithful away. “As long as we let go of our hatred, we are in the human world,” he says, and don’t need to cage themselves up.
LFM says she’ll give WKX her blessing to make his decisions, as she will make hers. She’s willing to stay in Ghost Valley forever, which WKX doesn’t look too happy about as LFM walks away from him.
General Commentary
A lot happens in this episode! A lot of scenes are missing, either because we aren’t allowed to know Wen Kexing’s full plan yet or because they didn’t have the time to put them in!
We’ll get some more of the Scheme in ep33, but for now this episode is a lot of fragmented scenes full of drama! Which is fine, it means this is a very exciting episode, but it also means that most of my feelings about it are “...okay but I want all the missing scenes!”, y’know?
A lot does happen in this episode, but a lot of it is characters explaining things to us. They spell out their motivations as they understand them, position themselves in alliances, and say what they’re intending to do. There aren’t many obvious holes in these explanations (except where they’ll be filled in later).
I think that the parts of this episode talking about reputation and attachment to sects are fascinating.
Mo Huaiyang wants to become supreme leader of the jianghu. Fan Huaikong thinks that’s a fine goal, even if his methods aren’t as righteous as Fan Huaikong would prefer. Their shixiongdi relationship doesn’t get much screentime, but it’s another relationship to consider if we ever want to compare all the shidi who have vastly different opinions on how to lead their sect than their shixiong/sect leaders.
Cao Weining cares more about Gu Xiang than his sect or reputation. Gu Xiang wants her people to be happy. They’re very sweet! I love seeing them choose happiness over being “good people” or even remaining in the jianghu! I’m also interested in how much Gu Xiang was like “nope don’t talk about this” to Cao Weining with her pointed glances and coughs; I’d love to know how aware Cao Weining is of Wen Kexing’s plots and schemes.
Wen Kexing wants to free the ghosts and let them be human again, which means essentially destroying his sect. Luo Fumeng’s refusal to leave Ghost Valley in the face of that is a surprise to him, since it means she doesn’t want to return to the human world. But considering what happened to her, and how she’s in a position of power in Ghost Valley, that’s not too surprising.
Zhou Zishu and Duan Pengju fit into this too, and are perhaps the most dramatic example since Tianchuang splinters between them and their different approaches to leadership. Duan Pengju cares more about this than Zhou Zishu does, since Zhou Zishu’s too busy wanting to see his shidi again, but it’s fun to mention in context of all the other stuff going on.
…also I find it faintly absurd that the Tianchuang juniors are so chill about the ghosts, but sure, whatever. I can’t actually tell whether or not the juniors recognised Wen Kexing in his Valley Master get-up before he started speaking to them. Bi Xingming says they’d talked and Wen Kexing had made this plan, but he might’ve been dressed less dramatically then.
(Also the idea that Wen Kexing had this whole plan to rescue Zhou Zishu and it didn’t involve him getting Zhou Zishu himself is strange to me! But hey I guess he had to keep the ghosts in line…)
The Exorcism Assembly and Second Heroes Conference sound like the same thing but sort of aren’t, I think? Like, the Exorcism Assembly is where Wen Kexing dies; the Second Heroes Conference is where Wen Kexing revives himself. This has taken me multiple consecutive viewings to actually put together.
I love Wen Kexing’s musings on ghosts being able to become human again if they just find the right path and let go of hatred.
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. What are your favorite theories, headcanons, or fics about the Zhou Zishu rescue plan/missing scenes?
2. When do you think Xie-wang started poisoning the ghosts? It must’ve been before the attack on Qing Feng Sword Sect, but how much before?
3. This episode has so much set-up! I keep thinking of other things that might be interesting to ask questions about and then going “wait that’s really about next episode” (or even two episodes from now). So instead I guess: Look at all the nice shippy content for all the pairings. Look at all the nice juniors. Isn’t this a nice calm before the storm?
Next Time: A nice family dinner! Wen Kexing’s dramatic confrontation and “death” at Mount Qingya! Zhou Zishu is Not Okay! Ye Baiyi attends Zhao Jing’s feast. Some other politics too, probably.
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FIWIW, I thought they already knew who he was, and that the Ghosts would be involved in the last stage of the rescue. Which just makes me want all those missing scenes more, because how did they come to that agreement????? I WANT TO SEEEEEEEEEEEEE ...
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Yeah! Same! All the missing scenes! I want them so much!
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Yeah, that was really hot too. The scene also made me laugh at all the restrictions around crowds there must have been, because with the number of TC guards on screen, WKX could 100% have killed them all.
For your questions 1-2, I think it really could have taken an extra episode, because all of that was skipped! This is definitely the first time we heard about it!
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I wish we'd gotten more explanations about the ghosts and poison and stuff; it's just sort of present for this one episode and then dropped.
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I assume part of why the Tianchuang juniors are chill about the ghosts is that Tianchuang are essentially assassins for Prince Jin (plus WKX showing up with HY’s token probably helped).
2) I assume the poisoning started sometime after the ghosts began complaining about the Brochure of Ghosts and ZJ.
3) All the shippy content is delightful! I love that LQQ gives the antidote to LFM first! I love how the script ties WenZhou’s romantic scenes to the plot! CWN and GX are so cute! I’m also delighted by the JBY and WX flirting!
In retrospect I’m curious if the scene with Chengling practicing is before or after the flashback in episode 34.
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Out of all the missing scenes in the entire show, this is the one I most wanted to see!
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True! It's still fascinating, considering how most people are afraid/surprised about them. All the different death-dealing organizations are generally more chill about each other, though, so... I guess that's fair. :)
In retrospect I’m curious if the scene with Chengling practicing is before or after the flashback in episode 34.
I am endlessly curious about all the timelines here, yes.
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It feels likes this was supposed to be at least two episodes if not more. I would so love to see all these missing scenes.
WKX, who was clearly waiting for the best dramatic entrance, arrives in a flurry of red robes and deadly fan-throwing.
His entrance is brilliant; he is gorgeous in this. I am also particularly fond of the red robes he wears in this episode.
…also I find it faintly absurd that the Tianchuang juniors are so chill about the ghosts, but sure, whatever. I can’t actually tell whether or not the juniors recognised Wen Kexing in his Valley Master get-up before he started speaking to them.
My guess is that he presented them with Han Ying's token and appealed to their loyalty to ZZS before mentioning that he also happens to be the Ghost Valley Master. It would have been so great to see that on screen.
3. I love all the shippy stuff in this episode for all the couples.
And of course this is the episode with WKX brushing ZZS' hair and giving him his hair pin. I love the connotations of this (I am told that this is a common Wuxia trope for the morning after the wedding night). Despite knowing that this is also WKX preparing to fake his death and making sure that the precious hairpin is in safe hands, this scene makes me melt with all the feels every time I watch it.
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It feels likes this was supposed to be at least two episodes if not more. I would so love to see all these missing scenes.
Agreed! I wish they'd had the time for them!
My guess is that he presented them with Han Ying's token and appealed to their loyalty to ZZS before mentioning that he also happens to be the Ghost Valley Master. It would have been so great to see that on screen.
Right? I would love to have known how that all went down, and how differently he presented himself to them as the second disciple of Siji Manor vs what we see here as he enters as the Valley Master in bloody glory.
I love the connotations of this (I am told that this is a common Wuxia trope for the morning after the wedding night).
Yes! Same! :D It's so good!