Episode Summary
Xiao Qiushui is consumed by guilt over his parents' deaths, but Tang Fang offers her support. His brother, Xiao Yiren, tries to reclaim old lands and rent to rebuild the sect, causing conflict with other clans and Xiao Qiushui, who collapses from the stress. After being rescued by Liang Dou, Xiao Qiushui learns from new allies that the story's plot can be changed. Spurred by a letter from his late father, he claims the legendary Changge Sword, becoming the new leader of the Huanhua sect and vowing to stay in the world to seek revenge.
Spoiler Alert
A Hero's Guilt
The episode kicks off with Xiao Qiushui at his parents' graves. He's completely broken and blaming himself for everything. Tang Fang finds him there. She tries to tell him it's not his fault and that she'll use her Tang Clan connections to find a way to heal him. He's not having it, though. He feels like a total failure who got his parents and sect members killed. He tells her to leave and go back to her own family.
While he’s deep in his guilt, Xiao Qiushui spends three days and nights carving memorial tablets for every single member of the Huanhua sect who died.
The Brothers Are Not Alright
The two Xiao brothers are handling their grief in very different ways. It’s causing a serious rift between them.
Xiao Yiren's Power Play
Xiao Yiren is all business. He wants to rebuild the Huanhua sect and fast.He calls a meeting with all the local sects in Jinzhong. He reminds them about a century-old deal. The Xiao and Tang families let these sects use their land for free to keep peace in the region. Now, Xiao Yiren wants the land back. He also wants them to pay a hundred years' worth of back rent.
Naturally, the other sects are not happy. Some claim they already paid rent to the Tang Clan. Others are angry that he’s going against his father's wishes. The meeting ends with Xiao Yiren giving them a two-week deadline.
A Painful Confrontation
Xiao Qiushui witnesses the whole thing. He tells Xiao Yiren that their father would never strong-arm people like that. This is the last straw for Xiao Yiren. He explodes and puts all the blame for their parents' deaths squarely on Xiao Qiushui. Already weak and now emotionally shattered, Xiao Qiushui collapses. Luckily, Liang Dou is nearby and carries him to his home to recover.
A Glimmer of Hope
Xiao Qiushui is out cold for two days. When he wakes up, Liang Dou tells him he can stay as long as he needs. He gets some unexpected visitors. A group from Guangling shows up. They came to thank him. Because he exposed Qu Hanshan's betrayal, they were able to prepare and fight off an attack.
Then, a letter arrives from Old Madam Wu. She has cleared the general's name and also won a major battle. Xiao Qiushui realizes this is a huge deal. In the original story, this victory wasn't supposed to happen yet. This means the plot can be changed. He has a chance to change his own fate.
The Guangling sects also brought a ton of wood and stone to help rebuild the Huanhua sect. They even offer to join the sect, but Xiao Qiushui tells them he isn't the leader. He does, however, invite them to join the Shenzhou Alliance.
The Leader Rises
Xiao Xueyu finds a way to treat Xiao Qiushui's injuries. She manages to heal about forty percent of his meridians. It's not a full recovery, but it's enough. He immediately starts forcing Zuo Qiu and Deng Yuhan to practice sword fighting with him.
Seeing that he's in a better state of mind, Liang Dou gives him a letter. It's from his father, Xiao Xilou. He wrote it before the attack, knowing he probably wouldn't survive. The letter explains he sent his sons away to save their lives. He also wrote that the Changge Sword—the sword of the Huanhua leader—would find its own master.
Liang Dou convinces Xiao Qiushui that he needs to step up and lead. Thinking about all the people who died, he agrees. He returns to the sword chamber and places his own broken sword into a special formation. Just as his father's letter hinted, the legendary Changge Sword appears. He takes it and officially becomes the new leader of the Huanhua sect.
Just then, the Magic Tome system appears. It gives him a choice: leave the story or stay in this world for good. He thinks of everyone who died for him. He decides to stay. He's going to get revenge for every single one of them.
