Episode Summary
Episode 28 reveals Jia Lan's dark transformation into the Black Fox, fueled by absorbing hatred after the destruction of the Yuyao Kingdom. This explains her immense power and the later efforts by Aolai Sanshao to contain her. The episode also touches upon a secret method to break the powerful Yuyao Talisman, a risky endeavor that could unleash chaos. Meanwhile, Qin Lan learns the true identities of "Masked Jiefu" (Wangquan Hongye) and the other masked hero (Li Quzhu), leading to a brief upset. Li Quzhu develops feelings for Qin Lan, who remains oblivious and focused on a childhood crush. Huai Zhu shares a poignant moment with Dongfang Churi, connecting over the memory of her mother. The Masked Group welcomes a new member, Zhang Zheng. Finally, Huai Zhu helps Wangquan Hongye overcome his reluctance to celebrate his birthday, culminating in him presenting her with betrothal letters.
Spoiler Alert
The Birth of the Black Fox: A Tale of Vengeance
We kick things off with a seriously dark origin story for Jia Lan. Even though her physical body was destroyed, her spirit was far from gone. Remember how the old king of the Yuyao Kingdom sacrificed her to seal away Jiu Huo and then paraded around with his all-powerful Yuyao Talisman? Big mistake. Huge. He totally underestimated Jia Lan, whose spirit developed the terrifying ability to absorb hatred. And after she went on a vengeful rampage and slaughtered the entire Yuyao Kingdom in a single night, there was a lot of hatred to go around.
All those wrongful deaths became her power source, making her strong enough to control not just demons, but humans too. She manipulated them into fighting amongst themselves, creating an endless cycle of hate that just kept feeding her. And just like that, Jia Lan completely lost herself, transforming into the fearsome Black Fox. This entity, with no physical form, thrives on hatred and goes about causing widespread death and destruction. This explains that whole business later with Aolai Sanshao desperately trying to keep the Black Fox contained.
The Curse of Yuyao and a Glimmer of Hope?
The evil energy lingering under the altar? That’s the collective suffering of all the innocent people sacrificed by that old king and Beishan Laozu. Now, here’s a little historical nugget: out of the thirty-six rulers of the Yuyao Kingdom, one actually fell in love with a demon woman. This king poured everything into finding a way to break the Yuyao Talisman's hold and even documented the method in a secret chamber.
But there’s a massive catch: if the talisman is broken, the demons who've been enslaved for so long would be unleashed, and it’d be game over for the demon masters. The demons would undoubtedly seek bloody revenge, turning the world into an absolute inferno. The only way to stop this apocalyptic scenario is to eliminate the Black Fox. Wangquan Hongye figures the first step is to identify every single victim buried in that mass grave.
Qin Lan's Emotional Rollercoaster and a Double Identity Reveal!
Meanwhile, our girl Qin Lan is an emotional wreck. She sees how devoted Wangquan Hongye is to her sister, Huai Zhu, but she’s also wrestling with some serious guilt towards her "Masked Jiefu" (Jiefu means brother-in-law, the masked man she admires). She's all tangled up! Li Quzhu, trying to be helpful (and maybe a little smooth), gives her a flower and advises her to just let fate sort things out.
On their last night in the Yuyao Kingdom, Huai Zhu decides it’s time for the big reveal. She tells Qin Lan that Wangquan Hongye is Masked Jiefu! And if that wasn't enough, Li Quzhu is the other masked hero they've encountered. Qin Lan is, understandably, shocked and pretty miffed at first. But her temper is like a summer storm – fierce but quick to pass – so she doesn't stay truly angry about being kept in the dark for long.
A Budding Romance Hits a Snag
Speaking of Li Quzhu, after all their adventures, he’s definitely developed some feelings for Qin Lan. But just as he’s psyching himself up, Qin Lan innocently mentions she has a crush on a childhood friend. Talk about bad timing! Poor Li Quzhu is instantly deflated and loses the nerve to confess. Qin Lan, still endearingly clueless about these romantic undercurrents, cheerfully gifts Li Quzhu a scented sachet, telling him to give it to someone he likes in the future (oh, the irony!). Li Quzhu, in turn, gives her a teleportation talisman – a nifty escape route that can send her ten miles away from any danger.
A Quiet Moment of Grief and Connection
Back at Shenhuo Mountain Villa, Huai Zhu doesn't immediately seek out her father. Instead, she finds solace in the bamboo forest. Dongfang Churi finds her there, and Huai Zhu shares that she saw a vision of her mother while in the Yuyao Kingdom. In a deeply moving moment, she embraces Dongfang Churi, as if on her mother's behalf. Dongfang Churi is overcome with emotion, lost in memories of his late wife, finding a moment of peace in the rustling bamboo.
The Masked Group Levels Up
The Masked Group later convenes at Potian Guan. Wangquan Hongye tries on the new mask Huai Zhu gave him, and let me tell you, he looks every bit the dashing, heroic sword immortal. He then announces a new recruit to their ranks: member number eight, the Black Sword himself, Zhang Zheng! Zhang Zheng is aware of the group's mission to prevent human-demon conflict and dispel the encroaching darkness. It’s a monumental task, but with Qingmu Yuan also part of the team, Zhang Zheng is optimistic about their chances.
Birthday Celebrations and Mended Hearts
Wangquan Hongye’s birthday is approaching, and true to form, he wants nothing to do with any celebrations. Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan try to get Butler Fei to gauge his mood, but it's a no-go. Yang Yitan then has a stroke of genius: enlist Huai Zhu! She gently uncovers the reasons behind Wangquan Hongye's birthday aversion, helps him work through his past pain, and successfully convinces him to celebrate. The whole gang then comes together to give him a proper birthday party.
A Proposal in the Making!
The birthday celebration clearly lifts Wangquan Hongye’s spirits, because he does something incredibly sweet: he presents Huai Zhu with betrothal letters! He tells her that once they’ve dealt with the current crisis (you know, the whole Black Fox situation), he intends to formally propose marriage. And because this is his first time drafting such important documents, he adorably wrote several versions for Huai Zhu to choose from. How sweet is that?!
