Episode 13 Quick Recap 


Not surprised when Yuan Ling tells her that his younger brother failed to secure the key evidence to prove his innocence, Qing Chen jokingly declares that if he loses his life because of the 5th Prince’s death then she will die as well.

Yelping in surprise as Yuan Ling grabs her hand then bites hard, Qing Chen quickly realizes what Yuan Ling discovered. A bit sheepish, Qing Chen asks “When did you find out?”
Still holding Qing Chen’s hand, Yuan Ling asks a question of his own “When did you untie the connection between our lives? When I fainted that day? When I woke up, all the poison in my body was gone. Did you transfer all the poison to yourself?”


Instead of answering Yuan Ling’s question, Qing Chen is more worried about him and demands “What are you planning to do? Now that you are sure our lives are not tied together, are you going to put yourself in danger?”
Not answering Qing Chen’s question either, Yuan Ling asks “Why are you still helping me so much when our lives are no longer tied?”


Not buying Qing Chen’s standard answer of hoping he would eventually help her people, Yuan Ling steps dangerously close to Qing Chen and demands “What give you the guts to repeatedly lie to me?”
Not backing down, Qing Chen firmly declares that for the sake of her people she would use anyone, including Yuan Ling himself and if the cost is her own life then that’s alright.
Countering Qing Chen’s words, Yuan Ling declares “The one I want to save is not just the sorcerers.”
Allowing herself a small smile as Yuan Ling walks away, Qing Chen whispers “…and the people of this world.”

Paying Yuan Zhan a visit, Yuan Ling doesn’t beat around the bush but reveals that he knows Yuan Zhan has the evidence he has been searching high and low for. Surprised when he realizes that Yuan Ling is more concerned with using the evidence to get rid of corrupted officials than clearing his own name, Yuan Zhan falls silent as Yuan Ling leaves after saying he will let Yuan Zhan decide how to use the evidence…and thus his fate.

Stumbling out of the cottage later that night, a drunk Qing Chen sits down next to a seemingly relaxed Yuan Ling. Puzzled by Yuan Ling’s unconcerned attitude even though he could be facing death the next day, Qing Chen asks how he could be so calm.

Even more puzzled when Yuan Ling replies that after spending so many years on the front lines he has long since stopped caring about dying, Qing Chen leans close and asks “Have you never had some thing…or some person that made you not want to leave this world? Something or someone that causes you to not gamble your life so easily?”


Amused by Qing Chen’s question, Yuan Ling is in the middle shaking his head when Qing Chen suddenly throws her arms around him. Speechless as Qing Chen tightens her hold on him when he chides “You are drunk. Wake up! ” Yuan Ling resorts to forcefully pushing Qing Chen off by grabbing her neck. Finally sobering up as an exasperated Yuan Ling shakes her gently and demands “Who are you really?!” Qing Chen mutters to herself “Shoot! Why did I drink?! What if he discovers the truth!” Hiding a small mischievous smile, Qing Chen throws herself at Yuan Ling again and yells “Daddy! I miss you so much!” Resigned to having Qing Chen hang on him, Yuan Ling complains “How can you mistaken me as your father?”

Fortunately, Yuan Ling’s gamble pays off. Yuan Zhan steps forward with the evidence which reveals Imperial Concubine Yin and her family’s many evil deeds including killing her own son. Through all the things Yuan Ling has done to protect his mother, the 5th Prince’s son also realizes that Yuan Ling is not the killer and steps forward to testify against his grandmother (Imperial Concubine Yin). Least we start thinking Yuan Zhan is really the good guy now, through a conversation Yuan Zhan has with Imperial Concubine Yin’s brother we find out that Yuan Zhan had tampered with the evidence he submitted to the emperor so that while the Yin family did lose some people in the corruption scandal he managed to preserve the core members. Visiting his mother who has been banished, Yuan Zhan promises to be the head of the Yin Family and to protect it. Satisfied, Imperial Concubine Yin swears that she will not see Yuan Zhan again until he has ascended to the throne.

Episode 14


Qing Chen pays Yuan Zhan a visit to tell him that she is leaving. Surprised when Yuan Zhan grabs her arm and asks her to stay by his side, Qing Chen wonders again why Yuan Zhan is so different than the evil 7th Prince she knew before.

Qing Chen sneaks back into Mingyi Tower late at night and was able to find a scroll that describes the flower inside her as the “Life Flower”. To add a sense of doom to the whole story, the scroll also warns that whoever casts the “big” spell will pay a heavy price physically, be it a body that is always sick or worse, to live like one is dead.

Unbeknownst to Qing Chen, the other sorcerers she misses so much is actually hiding right underneath Mingyi Tower. Sensing the sorcerer’s stone near by (the one in Qing Chen’s possession), Elder Tao Yao (the most senior female sorcerer, the one that is in love with Qing Chen’s master) orders the other sorcerers to go up to the ground level to see who the intruder is but our heroine ended up missing her old friends by seconds.

 

Yuan Zhan informs Qing Chen there has been target killings in the city and all the victims were the girls that were abducted by Bi Xue Ge before. (Remember the girls from episode 9 that were supposed to be sold off to the brothel) Suspecting the dark sorcerers to be the ones behind the killing, Yuan Zhan asks Qing Chen’s help to track them down and promises again that he will dig into the abductions.

Seemingly putting all the bad blood behind them, Yuan Ling chats with Yuan Zhan comfortably as the two brothers reminisce how each of them met our heroine.  With a hint of envy in his voice, Yuan Zhan says “For Qing Chen to be willing to do so much for you, it really makes one envious.” Thoughtful, Yuan Ling replies “Qing Chen always manages to surprise me. I have to be on high alert when I am with her but I actually find it enjoyable. I guess this could be fate.”  With a smile, Yuan Zhan counters “I guess my meeting with her could be fate as well then. The memory of my first meeting with her is still vivid in my mind.” Quite agreeable, Yuan Ling replies “You have spent so much time with her. The flowers here are all witness to that, so it should be me that is envious of you.”

Hmm…what a weird conversation between the two brothers that are destined to be competitors for our heroine’s love. 

In the middle of the two brothers’ conversation, a servant suddenly rushes in, obviously flustered. Exchanging a meaningful look with Yuan Zhan when the servant informs them that the 12th Prince, Yuan Li is back, Yuan Ling listens with a sinking feeling as the servant continues to say that 12th Prince has gone to his house. Giving a Yuan Ling a look of pity as he watches our hero jumps up and rushes out of the door, Yuan Zhan yells “Good luck! Last time he came to my place, he almost tore apart my yard.”

The 12th Prince is the emperor’s youngest son that has been living in a Buddist temple due to his unstable mental condition. Despite his act of being a complete innocence who has no interest in anything but playing around, Yuan Li is not as innocent as he appears but judging by the fun budding romance between him and his bodyguard I think he will be more of a comedic character instead of a villain.

Episode 15

Qing Chen shows up at Sky Dance Brothel and convinces Wu Ping Ting, the dark sorceress of the Bi Xue Ge to take her in. Knowing that Wu Ping Ting doesn’t trust her story of wanting to become a dark sorceress, Qing Chen is nonetheless able to survive in the Sky Dance Brothel safely thanks to the help Yuan Zhan gives her secretly. Worried about the danger Qing Chen is in, Yuan Zhan repeatedly tells Qing Chen to be careful and to place her own safety above all else.

 

Enlisted by Qing Chen to help her figure out who is really behind the dark sorceress, Yuan Ling shows up at Sky Dance Brothel as a customer only to be surprised when he sees Princess Duo Xia already there …also as a customer. Protesting his innocence when Qing Chen dryly remarks that Princess Duo Xia is there for him, Yuan Ling promptly explains that the Princess is supposed to marry the crown prince. Coming up with a plan to get rid of Duo Xia so they could get back to the business at hand, Qing Chen has Yuan Ling challenge the princess (who is dressed up as a man) to a game of letting Qing Chen draw on their half naked body. Rather competitive in nature, Princess Duo Xia almost started to take off her clothes but Yuan Ling stops her and tells her that he was only joking.

Left on their own once Princess Duo Xio leaves, a huffy Qing Chen not so gently helps Yuan Ling put back the clothes he took off. Noticing Wu Ping Ting spying on them, Yuan Ling abruptly pulls Qing Chen into his arm and flirts with her in order to fool Wu Ping Ting.

Thanks to more help from Yuan Zhan, Yuan Ling takes Qing Chen up to a mountain to meet with Elder Mo (the one that is over the divination department for the emperor but actually secretly works with the hero to save the sorcerers) but he was absent when they got there. Looking up at the sky, Yuan Ling invites Qing Chen to admire the moon with him but Qing Chen replies “Only if you can bring me the stars.” Promptly agreeing to Qing Chen’s request, Yuan Ling surprises her with a box full of fireflies he has caught. Laughing in amazement, our two leads share a special moment…until Elder Mo and Elder Tao Yao showed up to spoil it.

Not daring to trust Qing Chen’s assertion that Elder Xi Xie is her master at first, all of Elder Tao Yao’s doubt fades away when she sees Qing Chen’s golden butterflies and realizes that Qing Chen is the Sacred Sorceress they have all been waiting for. Concerned about her still missing master and the pressing matter of clearing her people’s name, Qing Chen convinces Elder Mo to tell the emperor about the two stars prophecy so that they could get the emperor to leave his palace then use that chance to regain the emperor’s trust.

(Remember the two star prophecy that predicts when the two stars (the stars in the sky representing our two leads) meet big changes will come? The prophecy is also another reason the two leads can’t be together.)

Episode 16

After a girl in the brothel collapsed and fearfully talks about poisoned thrall fighters, Qing Chen decides to investigate but falls into the trap Wu Ping Ting has set for her. Trap in an underground secret chamber, Qing Chen sends her golden butterflies out but is puzzled when there is one wall that cannot be penetrated by the butterflies.

Realizing there is a heavy dark sorcerer spell guarding that particular wall, Qing Chen realizes that it must be used to imprison someone very important. Unbeknownst to Qing Chen, that very important prisoner is none other than her master.

We finally find out that the 9th Prince, Yuan Ming is behind the dark sorcerers in this time line and thus the one Wu Ping Ting answers to. (In the original time line, Wu Ping Ting worked for the 7th Prince, Yuan Zhan) Still bitter after losing, Feng Xian Wu, the woman he loved, Yuan Ming vows to fulfill Xian Wu’s life long wish of finding her little sister that was kidnapped years ago. Twisted by his bitterness, Yuan Ming listens as Wu Ping Ting reports that none of the girls they kidnapped is Xian Wu’s little sister then nonchalantly orders Wu Ping Ting to turn all the girls into their poisoned thrall fighters (which means they will be fighters without their own thoughts, can’t feel pain, just fighting machines).

In the mean time, Yuan Ling and Yuan Zhan have figured out that all the girls that have disappeared came from families that were suspects of the Feng family’s kidnapping case. Intrigued once they realize all the girls were 21 years old, the same age the kidnapped little girl (Xian Wu’s sister) would have been if she lived, the two brothers suspect that the kidnappers must be trying to find someone.

After hesitating for some time, the emperor finally agrees to Elder Mo’s suggestion of leaving the palace in order to personally perform a ceremony for the sake of the two star prophecy. Ordering Wu Ping Ting to send out all the poisoned thrall fighters to ambush his own father, the 9th Prince gleefully explains to a puzzled Wu Ping Ting that while he doesn’t expect the assassination to succeed but the ambush will make the emperor even more fearful of sorcerers, thus ensuring Mingyi Tower will never be able to clear its name.

Alarmed after receiving a message from Qing Chen (via the golden butterflies) informing them that Wu Ping Ting is shipping the poisoned thrall fighters out from the secret underground chambers, Yuan Ling and Yuan Zhan quickly figures out that the emperor is in danger. Worried about Qing Chen’s safety, Yuan Ling and Yuan Zhan decide that one of them will go help the emperor while the other will go rescue Qing Chen.

 

Unaware that her brothel is being surrounded by soldiers, Wu Ping Ting confidently confronts Qing Chen believing our heroine has been fed the poison pill that suspends her power. Taken back once she sees that Qing Chen has somehow avoided ingesting the pill, Wu Ping Ting begins to blow a whistle to wake up the poisoned thrall fighters.

ps. It should pretty obvious by now but for the sake of my sanity, my quick recaps don’t try to cover everything in an episode. I get wordy on describing scenes I love but might leave out quite a bit of other plot points that I am not as interested in (such as the crown prince’s secret love affair and the hero’s mother) or stuff most viewers would understand just from watching the show without recaps (such as the fun scenes between the 12th Prince and his bodyguard).

 

 

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