Si Feng and Wu Tong fight their match in the tournament, but it doesn’t turn out the way that anyone wanted or expected. Once Si Feng gets back to Lize Palace, Yuan Lang leads the elders in demanding his punishment, while the Palace leader tries his best to delay the proceedings.
Recap
Xuan Ji shifts in her sleep next to Si Feng, who is wide awake, and grabs his arm to use as a pillow. His eyes widen even more when she turns toward him and throws her arm and leg around him in an embrace. He knows she can’t sleep here the whole night, and carries her back to her own room and bed.
Xuan Ji clings sleepily to Si Feng’s neck as he puts her down in her bed, murmuring, “Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone.” He smiles down at her, then gently frees her arms from around his neck.
The Tianxu demon finds the lake that hides Shaoyang’s secret domain and tries to break in, but is unsuccessful. His attack activates the spirit stone in the Shaoyang halls and wakes the torch dragon. The demon leaves just before Hao Chen and Chu Lei show up to investigate the disturbance. They decide to have Lu Yang, one of the sect members, reinforce the protections later.
Shi Feng, the Xuanyuan disciples, defeats a Fuyu Island disciple in his next match after initially appearing to be at a disadvantage. Dongfang Qing Qi, the Fuyu leader, looks unhappy that his sect lost. He remarks that it’s strange how strong Xuanyuan sect has been this year.
Wu Tong and Si Feng’s match is next. Ling Long and Xuan Ji cheer loudly for Si Feng. Wu Tong looks toward his sect leader and frowns, remembering how he was told that if he doesn’t win the tournament, then he doesn’t need to bother returning to Dianjing Valley. Wu Tong had promised he would win.
Si Feng uses his signature skill of summoning multiple swords to destroy Wu Tong’s sword. Unwilling to lose so easily, Wu Tong conjures his lightning magic and and aims it toward Si Feng. Si Feng is ready to defend himself, but Chu Lei disperses the spell with a wave of his hand, reminding Wu Tong that using spell work is forbidden. Dongfang Qing Qi speaks up, saying that Si Feng is clearly the winner since Wu Tong committed a foul. Wu Tong’s master, the Dianjing leader, angrily calls Wu Tong useless, saying he has no need for a disciple like him.
Wu Tong begs for a second chance — he wasn’t defeated by Si Feng; he hasn’t lost yet. But his master declares that Dianjing has lost this round, then angrily departs his seat. Ling Long verbally mocks Wu Tong for refusing to gracefully acknowledge his loss. Wu Tong gets angry and Xuan Ji tries to get Ling Long to stop taunting him, but Ling Long refuses to stand down.
Wu Tong says that he’ll make Ling Long shut up and charges at her with his sword drawn. Xuan Ji throws herself in front of her sister and gets stabbed in the chest as all three of them are thrown into the water.
Wu Tong tries to pull his sword back, but Xuan Ji grips the blade with her hand, holding it in place in her chest. Her eyes open and she looks straight at Wu Tong, letting go of the blade. The voice in her head says, “You’re too arrogant. Why don’t you try dying too?” Her eyes close again.
Si Feng dives into the water to try and save Xuan Ji.
Wu Tong makes a run for it through the forest, chased by a large group of Shaoyang sect members. He’s bleeding from several wounds and manages to kill many of the people following him, but there are still more.
Ying Hong tells Xuan Ji’s anxious friends and family that she should be okay. Ying Hong was able to use her abilities to protect Xuan Ji’s heart, but Xuan Ji is still unconscious.
The Shaoyang sect loses Wu Tong in the woods. Chu Lei declares that all exits must be closed. Wu Tong must not be allowed to escape. The Dianjing sect leader is quick to try to separate himself and his sect from Wu Tong. He officially denounces Wu Tong and declares him an enemy of all five sects. Fugitive posters are put up all over town and sect members patrol the streets, searching for him.
Si Feng visits Xuan Ji, who is still unconscious. Earlier, Yuan Lang had called him out for withdrawing from the tournament for a woman. Si Feng had a reasonable excuse ready, saying it would be immoral of him to not recognize that Xuan Ji was nearly killed because of him. Yuan Lang had laughed and reminded him that he is the Lize leader’s protege. If he wants to throw away his chance of redemption for losing his mask, that’s his call.
Xuan Ji starts to look distressed in her sleep. She dreams of fighting against soldiers in a battlefield. Then the battlefield is empty and she alone stands in the dust. Who are you? She asks in her dream.
Si Feng pulls out a leaf and plays a few notes to try to soothe Xuan Ji. It seems to work and she calms down. Si Feng silently wonders if she’ll wake up in time for him to say a proper goodbye before he has to leave for Lize Palace. If he could see her smile one more time, it would give him the strength to bear any hardship.
He gently takes Xuan Ji’s hand to tuck it under her covers, right as Hao Chen and Ying Hong walk in. Hao Chen clears his throat. Si Feng stands and greets them respectfully, then takes his leave. Hao Chen watches him leave with a pensive look after commenting on how out of the ordinary it is for a Lize disciple like Si Feng to be so attentive toward Xuan Ji. Ying Hong and Hao Chen check on Xuan Ji’s vitals. Ying Hong finds it exceptional how quickly Xuan Ji has recovered.
Si Feng runs into Yuan Lang, who tells him he should pack and be ready to go. Si Feng tries to convince him to stay for a few more days, until the closing ceremony, but Yuan Lang sighs that there’s no point. Xuanyuan lucked out with their disciple as the winner and Lize lost their chance because of Si Feng. But he also says that Si Feng isn’t his problem anymore — as the Lize leader’s personal disciple, he’s his problem to deal with.
Si Feng visits the comatose Xuan Ji one last time. He tells her that he’ll remember their promise to meet again in four years. No matter what, no matter how difficult it will be, they will see each other.
Ling Long and Min Yan show up and ask if he’s really leaving. Si Feng gives Ling Long a magical bell that can be heard across any distance and asks her to give it to Xuan Ji when she wakes up. Ling Long laments that they haven’t caught Wu Tong yet and that Si Feng won’t be able to see him brought to justice. Si Feng thinks that the response to Wu Tong has been extraordinary — he’s just a normal disciple, yet this incident was enough to unite the five sects in a quest to apprehend him. Si Feng is worried that if Wu Tong is pushed too hard, he might do something extreme, and reminds Ling Long and Min Yan to take care of themselves.
Back at Lize Palace, Si Feng is brought before the Palace elders in chains to receive his punishment. The Lize Palace leader tries to advocate for Si Feng’s punishment to be waived, but Yuan Lang accuses him of favoritism and points out that losing a mask wasn’t Si Feng’s only crime. He suggests that Si Feng had a relationship with Xuan Ji. After all, Si Feng was the one who said the words “deep friendship.” Si Feng acknowledges that his feelings for Xuan Ji were more than just friendship. He refuses to hide it.
The Palace leader’s eyes widen. Furious, he raises Si Feng up with glowing bands of energy and demands that he admit his wrongs. Si Feng stays silent. Yuan Lang leads the other elders in calling for Si Feng to be put through the Thirteen Tribulations, the ultimate punishment for Palace members who break the rules.
The Palace leader tells them to shut up. Si Feng is a once-in-an-era talent who is supposed to inherit the Lize Palace leadership. Are they willing to risk losing him to the Thirteen Tribulations, which few people have survived? Yuan Lang points out that if he can’t survive the Thirteen Tribulations, would he really be such a special person? As the sect leader, he also shouldn’t break precedent.
The Palace leader declares that Si Feng should be thrown into the dungeons for the night. They can reconvene tomorrow.
Si Feng’s very spacious and nice-looking cell is right next to Liu Yi Huan’s. Liu finds it interesting that Si Feng is in the dungeons. Isn’t he supposed to be the golden boy of the Palace? Liu finds that something seems different about Si Feng. He opens up the bars between their cells — turns out it was just a glamour — and hops over to Si Feng’s side. He tells Si Feng that he’s figured out all the tricks in the prison and has even dug his own escape tunnel underneath.
Si Feng knows that Yi Huan probably slips out to see his daughter often. He thinks it’s more telling that Yi Huan could escape, but doesn’t. It’s because of his daughter, right? Si Feng heard that the previous sect leader made Yi Huan swear an oath on his daughter’s life, and that’s why he’s let himself be jailed for all these years.
Yi Huan sighs heavily, then changes the topic back to Si Feng. What happened to his mask? Who removed it? A man or a woman? Are they pretty? He pulls out a bottle of alcohol from his sleeve and pours a shot for Si Feng.
Si Feng sets aside the cup — he grew up frequently encountering Yi Huan in the dungeon and knows all about how he tricks people into drinking with him. But he also acknowledges that Yi Huan is the only person who has talked to him about the outside world. Now he finally understands a bit of what Yi Huan meant when he said that relationships are the most complicated but also the most enjoyable.
Yi Huan knows that with Si Feng’s status, it’s unlikely he’d be punished for losing his mask. If he fell in love with a girl, though, that’s another matter. He warns Si Feng not to let the elders know about his feelings, but it’s too late. Si Feng isn’t willing to lie to his teacher and is willing to accept the punishment of the Thirteen Tribulations. Yi Huan thinks he’s being naive — no one survives the Thirteen Tribulations. He suggests that Si Feng should use his tunnel to escape. But Si Feng doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life on the run. If the Thirteen Tribulations has a way out, he will take it.
Xuan Ji dreams again of being in the immortal realm — this time, several soldiers are trying to wrestle her under control using chains of lightning — then wakes up, starving. Ling Long hurries out to get the adults. Xuan Ji thanks Min Yan for rescuing her, thinking that he was the one who dove in. Min Yan starts to correct her, but is interrupted by the appearance of Xuan Ji’s father, accompanied by Ying Hong and Hao Chen.
After the adults leave again, Xuan Ji asks Ling Long where Si Feng is. Ling Long tells Xuan Ji that she slept for so long, Si Feng is long gone. But once she’s fully recovered, they can go visit him.
Chu Lei sighs heavily and Hao Chen guesses that he’s worried about Xuan Ji. Chu Lei shares that one of his biggest worries is who will take care of protect Xuan Ji. He’s only so harsh on her because he wants her to be able to learn enough skills to protect herself. Hao Chen tells Chu Lei that his own teacher, Heng Yang, has taken an interest in Xuan Ji and wants to take her on as his own disciple. Xuan Ji’s nature makes her especially suited for an isolated place like Xuyang Peak.
Ling Long and Min Yan tell Xuan Ji about how her father was more worried about her than anyone else when she was unconscious. He even managed to unite the five sects in search of Wu Tong, though no one has found him yet. Ling Long talks about how she’ll take her revenge on him if she ever sees him. Xuan Ji says that it’s probably best to leave someone like Wu Tong alone. Who knows what he might do when pushed? Ling Long and Min Yan teasingly note that Si Feng said the exact same thing.
Xuan Ji frowns when she finds out that Si Feng withdrew from the tournament because of her.
Xuan Ji is summoned to see her father. When she finds Hao Chen also there, she worries that she’s caused trouble again, but is stunned when she finds out that Heng Yang wants to take her on as a disciple. Has he gone senile in his old age? Hao Chen explains that her lack of six senses is something that makes her special. It doesn’t mean she’s incapable, it just means that they have to find the right way for her to harness her abilities. Xuan Ji remembers that Si Feng once said the same thing to her. She smiles and accepts the offer to go to Xuyang Peak.
Si Feng rings his bell to communicate with the one he gave Ling Long. (It’s basically a cell phone, except magic.) Ling Long picks up and tells him that Xuan Ji has woken up, but is with their father. Ling Long will tell her that Si Feng called when she gets back. Si Feng asks her to have Xuan Ji call him once she’s better.
Commentary
For a moment, I was a little worried that Xuan Ji was going to wake up with no memory of Si Feng. Thankfully, that’s not the case, though I can’t help but feel like some sort of big misunderstanding or miscommunication is about to happen…
I was a bit confused by what happened in the water when Wu Tong stabbed Xuan Ji. I rewatched a few times, but it didn’t get any clearer to me! Why did she intentionally grab the blade and hold it in place? Wu Tong had to struggle to pull his blade away. Who was the voice talking to? I assumed it was Wu Tong, but could she also have been talking to herself, for whatever reason?
The Drama Llama 