Episode Summary
Wangquan Zui saves a badly injured Yang Yitan, who cannot clot blood, using unconventional methods. Meanwhile, Jialan traps Wangquan Hongye and Huai Zhu in a mind illusion at Huai Shui Zhu Ting, intending to erase Huai Zhu's love and make her a vessel. Huai Zhu feigns falling for the trap, "kills" Wangquan Hongye in the illusion (after he warns her about Jiu Huo), and then absorbs Jialan's power upon waking. Back in Biluo City, Huai Zhu probes Jiu Huo about his past with Jialan while pretending indifference towards Wangquan Hongye's fate. Jiu Huo recounts a tale of betrayal by Tushan and the Dragon Clan, rescue by Jialan, and capture by the Yu Yao Guo. The search for a missing Jin Chenxi fragment continues, with Jiu Huo threatening Ye Yuan if the escaped Shuizhi Yao isn't found.
Spoiler Alert
Love in Pavilion - Episode 12 Recap & Spoilers
Alright, so we kick things off with Yang Yitan out cold and unable to take his medicine. Wangquan Zui, bless her heart, remembers something from a storybook and tries feeding him mouth-to-mouth. Yeah, turns out that doesn't work quite like in the fairytales. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? She figures since he's badly injured and his consciousness is weak, he might be susceptible to a little mental nudge. Using what seems like a form of mind control (talk about a hidden skill!), she manages to get him to wake up just enough to swallow the medicine. Phew!
But wait, there's more trouble. Even though it's just a small wound, Yang Yitan is bleeding... a lot. Like, it won't stop. Wangquan Zui quickly figures out why – he tells her he has a condition where his blood doesn't clot naturally. Yikes! Losing so much blood leaves him freezing cold, and in a genuinely touching moment, Wangquan Zui holds him close to share her body heat. Aww... or maybe uh oh, depending on how you see these two!
Meanwhile, Wangquan Hongye and Huai Zhu are still trapped in Jialan's twisted game. It becomes clear that Jialan has rigged it so they can't possibly win under the current rules. Thinking fast, Huai Zhu demands they change the game. Jialan agrees (suspiciously easily?) to a contest of speed: who can form hand seals faster. Huai Zhu then cleverly helps Wangquan Hongye, using fire control to snuff out Jialan's seal just as it forms.
Predictably, Jialan throws a fit, accuses them of cheating (pot, meet kettle!), and threatens to poison them both. But then, something shifts. She suddenly recognizes Huai Zhu. Instead of poison, Jialan changes tactics again, transporting them to a different place – which turns out to be the Huai Shui Zhu Ting (Water Bamboo Pavilion). The catch? They have to fight each other to the death. Only the winner gets to leave. The kicker? This place seems significant, but Huai Zhu has no memory of it.
Why the change of heart (if you can call it that)? Jialan reveals her true, sinister goal: she created this illusionary environment specifically to crush every last bit of love in Huai Zhu's heart. Why? To make Huai Zhu an "acceptable vessel." Creepy much?
At first, Huai Zhu actually falls for Jialan's manipulation and prepares to fight Wangquan Hongye for real. This isn't just any illusion; it's a "Mind Illusion." Dying here means your consciousness dies, essentially turning you into a living vegetable. Wangquan Hongye, ever the hero (or maybe just deeply in love?), declares that if one of them has to die, it absolutely won't be Huai Zhu.
He tries to jog her memory, taking her to a spot where they apparently once watched the sunset together. But just when you think there might be a breakthrough... BAM! Huai Zhu catches him off guard and stabs him right in the chest. Ouch! With his last breath in the illusion, Wangquan Hongye gasps out a crucial warning: "Don't believe a word Jiu Huo says."
And just like that, Wangquan Hongye "dies" in the illusion, and Huai Zhu snaps awake back in reality (or... Jialan's reality?). Here's the twist: Huai Zhu didn't actually buy Jialan's act, nor does she trust Wangquan Hongye's dying warning implicitly. She declares she only trusts herself now. Her new plan? Play along and pump Jialan for information. Smart girl.
She gets Jialan talking about her past. Turns out, Jialan originated from the Kuqing Tree (Tree of Suffering/Emotion) in Tushan. The elders there foresaw she was basically "born bad" and tricked her into a magic barrier, promising she could leave if she grew her own Kuqing Tree. Fueled by pure hatred, Jialan grew a black Kuqing Tree and ended up killing a whole bunch of fox spirits in the process. That's when Jiu Huo showed up, rescued her, and brought her to Biluo City for protection.
Having gotten the intel she needed, Huai Zhu does something shocking: she completely absorbs the last remnants or "shadow" of Jialan. Apparently, their demon auras (Yao Xi) are compatible, making for a perfect fusion. Woah! Did Huai Zhu just level up big time?
Elsewhere, the plot thickens around the missing Jin Chenxi (Golden Morning Sun/Dawn) fragments. Ye Yuan has to confess to Jiu Huo that the Shuizhi Yao (Water Leech Demon) – who presumably had a fragment – escaped. Jiu Huo is not pleased and gives Ye Yuan an ultimatum: find the Shuizhi Yao ASAP, or Ye Yuan himself will be used to patch up the Jin Chenxi. Double yikes!
Huai Zhu makes it back to Biluo City safely, her suspicions about Jiu Huo growing stronger. Just like she did back on Xuankong Mountain, she starts subtly questioning Jiu Huo about his history with the now-absorbed Jialan.
Jiu Huo spins quite a tale. According to him, after he brought Jialan to Biluo City, Tushan teamed up with the Dragon Clan to come after him. They managed to steal his Yao Dan (Demon Core). Jialan, in a show of fierce loyalty, single-handedly slaughtered dragons (Tu Long!) to get his core back, saving his life. He claims they became each other's everything after that. But their happiness was short-lived. The Yu Yao Guo (Yao Control Kingdom) coveted Jialan's power to command demons. They captured Jiu Huo, trapping him in their underground palace, and then lured Jialan into a trap there. Jiu Huo clams up when it comes to what actually happened in that palace, saying it's too painful to recall. Hmm, convenient?
To complete her act for Jiu Huo, when he brings up Wangquan Hongye, Huai Zhu acts completely cold and dismissive. She calls him just another blood-soaked human from the Yiqi Alliance who only wanted her demon power, basically saying he got what he deserved by dying.
So, Huai Zhu is playing a dangerous game, absorbing power, gathering intel, and pretending to be ruthless, all while navigating Jiu Huo's potentially manipulative sob story. And poor Wangquan Hongye is "dead" in an illusion, but maybe not really dead? Plus, there's still a missing Leech Demon with a crucial fragment out there!
