Episode Summary
In this episode, a wounded Tang Lici is protected by his friends but is ambushed first by Red Fox and then by the deadly Xifang Tao. He is saved by Cheng Yunpao, an old friend of Fang Zhou's, to whom Tang Lici confesses to killing. On the brink of death, Tang Lici is once again saved by A'Shui's mysterious blood.
Spoiler Alert
A Desperate Holding Pattern
So, Chi Yun and Shen Langhun finally find Tang Lici. He's not in good shape. You can tell he’s seriously hurt. Strange noises keep coming from outside the door. Tang Lici knows Liu Yan won't give up that easily. He tells his friends he needs an hour. Just one hour to rest and recover his strength. Chi Yun and Shen Langhun immediately understand. They become his personal bodyguards.
The Puppet Master Arrives
Just as you’d expect, trouble comes knocking. Red Fox shows up with a couple of cronies. These aren't just any thugs, though. They are "Ren Kui," former masters from the top of the martial arts world, now turned into mindless puppets. Chi Yun wants to go out and handle them himself. But Shen Langhun stops him. He points out that Tang Lici is still vulnerable. Shen Langhun decides he will go out and face Red Fox himself.
Red Fox brought her zither. She specializes in deadly sound attacks. She starts playing, her music a constant provocation. Shen Langhun holds his own for a few rounds. But it's three against one. He starts to get tired. You can't keep that up forever.
Down to the Wire
Chi Yun sees his friend struggling. He can't just stand by. He jumps into the fight to help Shen Langhun deal with Red Fox. It was a close call. Chi Yun almost dies for his trouble. The tension is just brutal. Finally, the hour is up. Tang Lici has recovered his energy. He gets to his feet.
He ends the fight almost instantly. One clean palm strike sends Red Fox crashing to the ground. What follows is a clash of true power.
An Old Song and a New Wound
Red Fox tries to use her sound attack again. Tang Lici just scoffs at her. He tells her she’s an amateur playing a master’s game. He wrote the song she's using. Liu Yan must have found it and taught it to her. It’s just a cheap copy.
Tang Lici figures this whole assassination attempt wasn't Liu Yan's idea. She wouldn't send Red Fox on a clear suicide mission. Red Fox might be the weaker fighter, but she fights with desperation. That makes her dangerous. The battle took a lot out of Tang Lici. They both end up wounded. He could have killed Red Fox. Or he could have captured her to set a trap for Liu Yan. But then someone else appears. Someone far more ruthless. Her name is Xifang Tao.
A Surprise Attack
This Xifang Tao is unbelievably fast. In a flash, she’s on him. She plunges a sharp hairpin deep into Tang Lici’s chest. His healing ability is already weak from the last fight. This new injury is bad. He’s bleeding a lot. Xifang Tao is about to drag him off to see Liu Yan. But then, a savior arrives. Cheng Yunpao, the star pupil of Island Master Cheng, swoops in and gets Tang Lici out of there.
A Confession and a Collapse
So why did Cheng Yunpao save him? It turns out he was good friends with the late Fang Zhou. Fang Zhou once wrote him a letter. He told Cheng Yunpao about saving a man with a golden mark on his forehead. At the time, Cheng Yunpao advised against bringing this person back to the island.
Tang Lici gives a cold laugh. He talks about how people let prejudice blind them. Fang Zhou told him to hide his mark. But he had to reveal his true form to save the city. Now the whole world criticizes him for it.
Cheng Yunpao has been with his master for years. He doesn't know how his friend Fang Zhou actually died. Tang Lici looks him right in the eye. He says, "I killed him." Then he just collapses.
A Glimmer of Hope
Cheng Yunpao’s martial arts are about on par with Tang Lici's current, weakened state. He sees Tang Lici’s rebellious spirit but also his righteousness. He feels a strange sense of kinship. He remembers a letter he received from Fang Zhou five years ago. In it, Fang Zhou said he didn't have long to live. He asked Cheng Yunpao to look after Tang Lici if something happened to him.
So, Cheng Yunpao won't let him die. But when he checks Tang Lici’s pulse, his face falls. He tells the arriving Chi Yun and Shen Langhun that it's over. Tang Lici's life force is gone. He's beyond saving.
Just then, A'Shui shows up. In a shocking move, she cuts her own wrist. She feeds her blood to the dying Tang Lici. He was already fading into darkness. But her blood is like a fresh breeze clearing away storm clouds. The world becomes clear again. The burning fever in his body subsides.
He wakes up and the first person he sees is A'Shui. He’s suspicious about who she really is. A'Shui insists she knows nothing. She only knows her blood can keep him alive. Tang Lici decides not to press her. This woman has now saved his life twice. He lets it go.
