Episode Summary
To please Du Niangzi, Baimu Yaojun speeds up the construction of the Zhaixing Lou by kidnapping locals, causing panic. Sisters Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan arrive in the deserted region and are attacked by spider demons at a seemingly open inn. Qinlan is captured, but Huaizhu is rescued by a mysterious, powerful swordsman wearing a smiley-face mask (Jian Xiansheng). They team up, infiltrate the Zhaixing Lou, rescue Qinlan, and defeat Baimu Yaojun and Du Niangzi with help from other masked allies. However, their mission to retrieve Baimu Yaojun's demon core is interrupted by the arrival of the far more powerful Nanchui Poison Emperor, Huandu Qingtian, forcing Jian Xiansheng to hold him off while the others escape.
Spoiler Alert
"Love in Pavilion" Episode 1 Recap & Spoilers: Masks, Mayhem, and Mysterious Swordsmen
Alright, so Episode 1 throws us right into the thick of it. We've got this demon dude, Baimu Yaojun (Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord), who's majorly simping for Du Niangzi (Poison Lady). To impress her, he's building this massive Zhaixing Lou (Star-Picking Tower). Problem is, he's impatient. He tells his minion, Guimian Zhu (Ghost-Faced Spider), to finish the 10-day job in just five days. How? By kidnapping more humans for forced labor, naturally. This has the whole Nanchui region terrified, with people vanishing left and right.
Enter our heroines: Dongfang Huaizhu and her younger sister Dongfang Qinlan, the ladies of Shenhuo Shanzhuang (Divine Fire Mountain Villa). They're heading to Luliu Mountain in Nanchui for their annual herb-gathering trip. They stop at a town they usually rest in, but whoa – it's completely changed from last year. Deserted, crumbling buildings, cobwebs everywhere... looks like a ghost town. Except for one inn, the one they always stayed at, which is creepily lit up and seemingly open for business. Red flag, anyone?
Despite the obvious bad vibes, the sisters head inside. The innkeeper blames the disappearances on a powerful local demon and claims the place is safe thanks to leftover magic items from demon slayers. Riiight. Huaizhu, being the sharp one, immediately clocks the waiter's stiff movements – dude's clearly a demon who just learned how to walk upright. She doesn't waste time and attacks! Turns out, Guimian Zhu (maybe the innkeeper, maybe hiding) was ready and blocks her move.
Qinlan jumps into the fray, holding her own against a smaller spider demon with her skills and cool Fa Qi (magic weapon/artifact). But she's no match for the big Guimian Zhu, who grabs her by the throat. To save her sister, Huaizhu is forced to drop her flute weapon. Big mistake. Guimian Zhu pulls a fast one, sneak-attacking Huaizhu from behind and knocking her out cold. Just as the spider demon is about to finish the job, a powerful wave of Jian Qi (sword energy) blasts through, and Guimian Zhu, realizing it's seriously outmatched, wisely bails.
Huaizhu wakes up somewhere open and safe. Her rescuer? A tall, imposing figure... wearing a goofy smiley-face mask. Seriously. Despite being the legendary "Sword Master" (Jian Xiansheng), the mask is just silly, and Huaizhu politely asks him to, uh, turn around. He notices her using Shen Huo (Divine Fire) and guesses she's from the Dongfang Spirit Clan. He seems to want to ask for something but chickens out and just snips off a lock of her hair before zooming off on his sword. Okay, weirdo.
Huaizhu isn't letting him get away that easily. She catches up and proposes a team-up: he knows the general area where the demons are hiding, but she knows exactly where her sister Qinlan is being held (presumably via some sisterly connection or magic). He agrees but lays down three conditions (the classic Yue Fa San Zhang). Deal!
They quickly locate the Zhaixing Lou, but it's protected by a thick, purple Du Zhang Jinzhi (poison mist barrier). Mr. Smiley Mask unleashes a badass move called Yi Jian Po Yun (One Sword Breaks the Clouds), slicing clean through the toxic fog. Huaizhu is stunned by his power and starts wondering who this guy really is. His answer? "Just a swordsman who likes cute masks." Suuuure.
Inside a cave prison near the tower, they find and rescue Qinlan. Just then, three guys from the Yiqi Meng (One Qi Alliance) show up and start dissing the "Masked Group" (Mianju Tuan). Perfect timing! Two other masked figures, Li Zizai and Li Quzhuo, appear, beat the Alliance guys senseless on Smiley Mask's orders, lock them in the cell, and then free all the captured townspeople. Efficiency!
Now it's time for the boss fight: Smiley Mask and Huaizhu versus Du Niangzi and Baimu Yaojun. Huaizhu takes down Du Niangzi pretty handily (go Huaizhu!). Baimu Yaojun unleashes his Baimu Jin Yan (Hundred Golden Eyes), each supposedly holding 100 years of power. Sounds scary, but Smiley Mask casually uses that lock of Huaizhu's hair he snipped earlier to somehow break the attack! (Okay, maybe the hair-snipping wasn't totally random?)
We get a quick backstory dump: Turns out Du Niangzi's clan stole some special Jinsi Nanmu wood (used for coffins) from the Nangong family. The Nangongs retaliated by slaughtering her people at the Zhaixing Lou site. Baimu Yaojun's whole tower/kidnapping scheme is revenge – he's been killing Nangong disciples and hanging their bones as wind chimes in the tower. Yikes. Smiley Mask's actual mission here is to take Baimu Yaojun's Yao Dan (demon core) to save the Nanchui region.
But just when you think things might wrap up... BAM! A new challenger appears: Huandu Qingtian, the Nanchui Poison Emperor! This guy is clearly way, way stronger than Baimu Yaojun. Smiley Mask's sword shatters just blocking one hit.
Huandu Qingtian starts throwing down devastating techniques, messing with their Qi Mai (energy channels) and unleashing poison gas. Things look dire. "Fourth Brother" Li Quzhuo quickly sets up a Jian Zhen (sword formation). Smiley Mask manages to forge a Ling Jian (spirit sword) and breaks through Huandu Qingtian's Xuanwu Zhi Wei (Black Tortoise Position/Defense?). With a path cleared, he yells at Li Zizai and Li Quzhuo to grab Huaizhu and get the heck out of there!
