Episode Summary
Jinxiu, already suspecting the truth about his parentage, willingly agrees to have his divine bones removed, a task the Empress assigns to a shocked Kunlun, who also harbored suspicions. After a poignant farewell where they reminisce, Kunlun performs the painful procedure, and Jinxiu is banished to the mortal realm. As a collective punishment, all peonies are forbidden to bloom. Muxian awakens and, despite her weakness, sets out to find Jinxiu. Lujiu also defies Luyao to search for Jinxiu, recalling Jinxiu's past kindness. Meanwhile, the Empress pressures Kunlun to take the Emperor's seal, but he refuses on principle, supported by Luyao. Jinxiu's loyal attendants, Baiyu and Mokui, choose to stay with him in his mortal state. Muxian encounters a reincarnated Lemon Spirit and K, who don't remember her, while fleeing heavenly soldiers. Her search for peonies leads her to Dragon Bone Cave, where she finds Baiyu and Mokui in their original forms.
Spoiler Alert
So, Jinxiu, bless his heart, wasn't even surprised when the truth bombs started dropping. He already had his suspicions. Without much fuss, he kneels in the main hall and basically says, "Yep, take my divine bones." The Empress, cold as ever, agrees. And who does she task with this gruesome job? None other than Kunlun! Talk about a punch to the gut. Kunlun is visibly shocked, but here’s the kicker – he also suspected Jinxiu wasn't the Empress's biological son. After all, they've been brothers for millennia; you pick up on things. The Empress, with a chilling "you hid it well," says that since they're brothers, Kunlun doing the deed would somehow make it less painful for Jinxiu. Riiight.
Kunlun approaches Jinxiu, asking if he’s really sure about this. Jinxiu just tells him to get on with it. Then, we get a bittersweet flashback moment. Kunlun recalls burning a hole in the divine punisher's robes when they were kids, and Jinxiu took the blame, earning a beating from their father because, of course, no one believed Kunlun did it. Jinxiu remarks that it was always obvious when Kunlun was behind any mischief. Jinxiu then asks Kunlun to share some happy memories. Kunlun confesses he always wanted to do things to impress Jinxiu, not for their parents' approval, but for Jinxiu's. Oof, my heart.
The deed is done. Kunlun removes Jinxiu's divine bones, and Jinxiu is set to descend to the mortal realm via the Transformation Pool. But the cruelty doesn't stop there. Because of Jinxiu's "crimes," his entire clan is punished – all peony flowers in the world are now forbidden to bloom. Shaoyao is frantic, refusing to believe their revered deity could do such a thing, and the Flower Goddess is MIA. The Plum Immortal Envoy (or Plum Immortal, if you prefer) sternly warns Shaoyao not to even mention the Flower Goddess to anyone.
Meanwhile, Muxian wakes up, still weak. Baicha is there, advising against going out. But Muxian is determined to find Jinxiu. Baicha tries to reason with her – no one knows where Jinxiu is, so where would she even look? Muxian, however, is resolute: she'll find him no matter what. Baicha can't stop her.
Lujiu also finds out about Jinxiu and is dead set on finding him. Luyao tries to stop him, arguing that Jinxiu is not the same person anymore and they shouldn't get involved, especially since the Northern Immortal Realm needs Lujiu. But Lujiu isn't having it. He recounts how he was just a three-tailed fox, locked up by the King who hoped he'd grow nine tails. When he didn't, he was thrown into the Qilin Cave. Back then, Lujiu says, they didn't call him family. Now they do? He declares that Jinxiu was the only one who never looked down on him and tells Luyao not to stand in his way.
Over in Zhongtian, Luyao arrives as the Empress pressures Kunlun to accept the Emperor's seal immediately. Kunlun refuses, arguing that with their father unconscious, it would be opportunistic. The Empress then tries to guilt-trip him, saying he should think about Luyao and not let her follow him without a proper title. Luyao, however, stands by Kunlun's decision. The Empress scoffs, saying that even if Kunlun doesn't take the seal, he'd still intervene if the three realms were in trouble, accusing them of just being afraid of criticism. Kunlun firmly states he has his principles.
Back with Jinxiu, his loyal attendants Baiyu and Mokui find him. Jinxiu, now a mortal, tells them there's no point in them staying with him. But they refuse to leave, declaring that where Jinxiu is, they will be. Muxian, on her search, notices all the peonies have withered. She then stumbles upon Lemon Spirit and K protecting a rabbit spirit from heavenly soldiers who are trying to kill them, even the little ones.
Muxian helps Lemon Spirit and the others by knocking out the heavenly soldiers with a spell and leads them to safety. She’s overjoyed to see Lemon Spirit and K, exclaiming that they've truly reincarnated. However, they don't remember her at all and tell her to keep her hands to herself. When Muxian asks what’s going on, Lemon Spirit explains that heavenly soldiers are trying to capture them, showing no mercy even to children.
Muxian continues her search for blooming peonies up a mountain and stumbles upon the Dragon Bone Cave. Inside, she finds Baiyu and Mokui, who have reverted to their original forms.
