Episode Summary
The episode kicked off with Hong Ning, Bai Ling, and Dongxuan Zhenren debating the nature of demons, with Hong Ning defending her demon friends. She also expressed her frustration that Jin Xiu still won't admit he's the "divine big brother" from her past. After a misleading test suggested Lu Jiu was fine, Hong Ning and Bai Ling left, just as the indicator almost failed. Jin Xiu, meanwhile, started searching for them, soon joined by Lu Yao.
Spoiler Alert
So, our trio – Hong Ning, Bai Ling, and the ever-so-serious cultivator Dongxuan Zhenren – are taking a breather when Dongxuan Zhenren gets into this whole debate about demons. He's all like, "My entire cultivation journey has been about slaying evil demons! It's what we do! So, Cangwu Mountain taking in demon disciples? Seriously?" Bai Ling, never one to just nod along, fires back, "And why shouldn't demons be able to cultivate?" Dongxuan Zhenren scoffs, pretty much saying it rarely ends well for them.
Hong Ning, bless her heart, chimes in with her own experience: "Look, I've been able to see demons since I was a kid, and a lot of my friends are demons. They haven't done anything wrong!" This actually gives Dongxuan Zhenren pause. Hong Ning then drops some profound truth: "Mortals are scared of demons, and demons are scared of mortals. We're all just beings, you know?"
Changing gears, Bai Ling asks Hong Ning what the deal was with her and Jin Xiu – did they have a fight? Hong Ning denies any squabble, but she's clearly frustrated. "I'm absolutely sure Jin Xiu is the divine 'big brother' I met all those years ago, but he just won't admit it!" She adds that he seems so warm and inviting, but in reality, he’s impossible to get close to. Dongxuan Zhenren, ever ready to stir the pot, starts to agree and badmouth Jin Xiu, but Hong Ning isn't having any of it and tells Bai Ling to stop him.
There's also some worry in the air for Lu Jiu. To check if he's okay, Bai Ling lights something called "life-and-death smoke." Seeing it burn brightly, she declares Lu Jiu must be fine. With that (false) reassurance, Hong Ning and Bai Ling head off, completely missing the ominous moment when the smoke almost sputters out. Yikes! Meanwhile, Jin Xiu has tasked his disciples with keeping an eye on the mountain while he goes searching for the missing group. He even tries to use the Flower God's power, but no dice. When Lu Yao hears that Lu Jiu and the others are gone, she immediately wants to join Jin Xiu in the search.
The next day, as Hong Ning's group is about to set off again, Dongxuan Zhenren mentions seeing a scorched stone tablet inscribed with "Elong Tan" – which translates to the lovely sounding "Evil Dragon Pool." Bai Ling understandably freaks out. "The Evil Dragon Pool?! That's way too dangerous for us! I need to take Hong Ning back to our Master, like, yesterday!" Hong Ning points out that Bai Ling carrying her would just slow them down, especially since Hong Ning hasn't mastered sword-flying yet. Dongxuan Zhenren offers to look after Hong Ning, assuring Bai Ling she'll be safe with him. So, Bai Ling reluctantly heads off alone.
And who should appear asking for directions to this charming Elong Tan? None other than Bai Cha! It turns out, despite the "evil dragon" rumored to be there, the pool guards the Yin Spring, and water from this spring can make someone remember their past lives. Bai Cha's whole mission is to get that water so Hong Ning will remember him. He even drags a poor toad into the pool with him (talk about dedication!), manages to snag the precious water, and barely makes it out in one piece, muttering about how tough that dragon was and what he had to sacrifice to get away.
Back to Bai Ling – she's busy revising some historical texts when she makes a discovery: Qilin are actually auspicious, benevolent beasts! The Emperor, in his typically enigmatic way, asks Bai Ling if she happened to experience ancient times herself. This question seems to trigger a memory for the Emperor, a flashback to a fairy mentioning that Jin Xiu is protected by a Qilin contract. Intriguing!
Meanwhile, Hong Ning and Dongxuan Zhenren arrive at the edge of the infamous pool. This is where Hong Ning drops a bombshell: she's known for a while that Dongxuan Zhenren is actually a demon. He vehemently denies it, insisting he's an immortal. Hong Ning cuts right to it, asking if he was the one who captured the fox.
Well, Dongxuan Zhenren doesn't take being exposed too kindly and tries to kill Hong Ning! But who swoops in for a dramatic rescue? Jin Xiu, of course! They both end up taking a plunge into the pool. Inside, they find an "Endless Tree" that has the creepy ability to absorb a person's pain. The tree starts feeding on Jin Xiu's suffering, but Hong Ning quickly takes the pain onto herself instead. Jin Xiu then leads her onward. They come to another door, but this one requires happy memories to pass through. Hong Ning gets through without a hitch. Jin Xiu, however, is confronted by a vision of his younger self. Little Jin Xiu innocently asks his older self if their mother, the Empress, came to see him when he successfully bloomed the golden peonies.
The heartbreaking truth is that the Empress never came, not even when Jin Xiu bloomed an incredible eighty-one golden peonies and ascended to the rank of High God. But, to spare his younger self, Jin Xiu lies and says she did come. Little Jin Xiu, however, feels that memory isn't joyful enough to open the door and asks for other happy memories. So, Jin Xiu starts recounting his moments with Hong Ning, and just like that, the door opens for him.
While all this drama is unfolding, Bai Ling, on her journey, gets a bad feeling. She rushes back only to find Hong Ning gone. Lu Yao then finds Bai Ling, and the two decide to search for Hong Ning together. During their search, something astonishing happens: Lu Yao's shadow appears, and Bai Ling is stunned to see it can actually become a solid entity. It seems Lu Yao truly is a deity!
But the episode isn't done with us yet! In a classic cliffhanger, Hong Ning falls, and a black snake appears before her. The snake seems overjoyed, hissing, "Master, you've finally come!"
