In this episode, we get our first look into the political turmoil that is brewing on the horizon of immortal realm. The pacing of this show has been pretty zippy so far, and I like it. Not a lot of filler, every scene has a purpose, and I like our new demon prince Li Jing (Vin Zhang). I’m getting used to the dubbing and made it past the first appearance of a CGI beast. It’s a solid start!
Recap
The golden lotus that Si Yin has befriended was a gift to Mo Yuan from his father, who told him to look after the flower until it cultivates into a human.
Mo Yuan tells Ling Yu, his ninth disciple, that he plans on going into seclusion for a few weeks. Ling Yu is now in charge of keeping an eye on Si Yin. Si Yin’s task of sutra copying is busy-work Mo Yuan assigned to keep her occupied for at least a few weeks. But Si Yin manages to convince Ling Yu to sneak out with her to Qingqiu to attend the birth celebration of the Fox Monarch’s first grandchild.
On the way to Qingqiu, they are ambushed by some masked bandits. They fight off a number of the men; the rest suddenly commit suicide upon hearing a sound. Ling Yu and Si Yin make a run for it but are soon surrounded by guards from the Demon Clan and encounter their monarch, Qing Cang. Qing Cang was pursuing the bandits – who were part of a rebel force – and is glad that they’re dead. He declares that anyone who stands in the way of his uniting the world will suffer the same fate.
Si Yin lies that they are Zhe Yan’s followers from the Ten-Mile Peach Grove and as such, have no stake in the conflict between the Celestial, Demon, and Devil Clans. She and Ling Yu hope to be on their way, but Qing Cang insists that they return to his palace with him.
Qing Cang takes a liking to Ling Yu and wants to adopt him as a godson. The offer is a trap; there’s no way to back out without offending the demon lord. Si Yin tries to find a way out, saying that they have to check with Zhe Yan first, but Qing Cang reveals that he’s known their identities this whole time – he knows they’re Mo Yuan’s disciples. He has them each placed in solitary confinement.
The Celestial Monarch’s second son arrives in the Demon Realm, bearing gifts to Qing Cang. Qing Cang is done being a vassal of the Celestial Clan and sends him away without inviting him in.
The Celestial Monarch is concerned that Qing Cang could cause trouble. Long ago, the God of Creation gave the Donghuang Bell to the Demon Clan in order to achieve peace between the clans. The bell possesses the power to destroy worlds and Qing Cang could use it to wage war against the Celestial Clan. The Dong Hua Emperor, whose voice holds the most sway in the Celestial Clan (he once ruled the world than gave up his title when there was finally peace), seems unconcerned, but prompts the Celestial Monarch to think about allying himself with the Fox Clan. The Celestial Monarch decides that an alliance through marriage with the Fox Clan would be the best way to strengthen the Celestial Clan in these tumultuous times.
Si Yin and Ling Yu have been gone for over a week. Die Feng, the head disciple, has chosen not to interrupt Mo Yuan and inform him of their disappearance, but he is worried because Si Yin is due to go through her tribulation soon, which could be dangerous. He leaves the second disciple in charge of Kunlun and takes some other disciples to go search for Si Yin and Ling Yu.
Si Yin is tired of being a hostage – first to Yao Guang, now to Qing Cang – but has no access to her powers in the Demon Realm and no way to escape. Fortunately, Yan Zhi, Qing Cang’s daughter, has taken a liking to her and sends her a bird. Si Yin follows the bird and runs into Qing Cang’s second son, Li Jing, by a pond. The demon prince seems generally uninterested in his father’s power-hungry antics and was MIA from the dinner festivities, preferring to spend his time lounging around with women instead. (It was also the anniversary of his mother’s death.)
Li Jing wants to exchange clothes with Si Yin, but Si Yin resists. They struggle and fall into the pond, which helps hide them from some guards passing by. Si Yin is afraid she’ll drown because she has no abilities here, but Li Jing uses his own powers to help her breathe.
When they get back onto dry land, Si Yin finds out that Li Jing is Qing Cang’s son. She tries to run away, but Li Jing stops her and they end up falling into an awkward embrace while making intense eye contact. Si Yin admits that she’s Mo Yuan’s disciple and surrenders to Li Jing, but he has no interest in capturing her. Instead, he covers for her when some guards try to take her away. Li Jing guesses that Si Yin is the man his sister has her eye on. He decides that he’ll help her by personally escorting her back to wherever she came from.
A guard reports to Li Yuan, Qing Cang’s eldest son, that Li Jing and Si Yin have been hanging out and drinking together all night. Li Yuan decides to keep it a secret for now; he plans to use this information later after their father starts his war against the Celestial Clan.
Yan Zhi finds Li Jing in Si Yin’s room. Si Yin is passed out – Li Jing says he gave Si Yin enough alcohol to knock her out for at least a couple of weeks. Yan Zhi asks if he’ll help her get Si Yin out of the Demon Realm. She knows that they could never actually be together because Celestial Clan and Demon Clan members are forbidden from marrying, and she’s afraid her father would kill Si Yin if he found out that she liked her. Li Jing is of the mindset that it shouldn’t matter who she loves and agrees to help – he got along well with Si Yin and doesn’t want her to die here.
At Qingqiu, the Fox Clan’s second son’s granddaughter is born and the whole clan celebrates. She bears a red birthmark on her forehead that looks like a fengwei (“phoenix tail”) flower, so they name her Bai Feng Jiu.
Some time later, Si Yin wakes up from her alcohol-induced coma. A pair of maids send away the guards at Si Yin’s door and tell her that Li Jing wants to meet her at a pond.
The Drama Llama 