Episode Summary
The New Year arrives, but celebrations are overshadowed by personal turmoil. Zhong Chunjie confesses her feelings to Tang Lici, who rejects her by revealing he lacks human emotions. During a festival, Tang Lici shares a bittersweet moment with A'Shui before preparing for his final plan. He reveals to Shui Duo Po that he will sacrifice himself to resurrect Fang Zhou by returning his "heart crystal." He then walks into a meeting at Zhaodi Lou, fully aware it's a trap.
Spoiler Alert
A Quiet New Year, A Loud Confession
New Year's Blues
The episode kicks off with some medical news. The divine doctor, Shui Duo Po, gives A'Shui a check-up. She finds something pretty serious. A'Shui has a condition called "heart-withering disease." It's also connected to her amnesia. Shui Duo Po asks if A'Shui remembers anything strange happening to her. Or maybe eating something she shouldn't have. A'Shui draws a complete blank. Honestly, she doesn't seem too bothered by what she's forgotten. She's content with her life right now.
Everyone else is getting ready for the New Year. People hang red lanterns and put up decorations. A'Shui is busy making special pastries as offerings. We see Chi Yun sneak a few of the offerings for himself. He also brings some to Shen Langhun. In the Central Plains, it's a custom to honor deceased relatives. So, Shen Langhun sets up a small altar with candles. He's there to mourn his late wife.
Tang Lici's Rejection
Zhong Chunjie also returns to the Central Plains Sword Association. The place is full of festive cheer, but she's just feeling sad. She's about to turn thirty. She wants to find someone and settle down. That someone, in her mind, is Tang Lici.
You can see why she feels this way. He's the one who has saved her when she was most helpless. He pulled her out of that lake. He was also the one who reported her back tattoo to the palace. That single act is what led to her current peaceful life. So, she decides to shoot her shot. She goes to Tang Lici and lays her feelings out on the table. She asks him how he really sees her.
His answer is brutal. He tells her he's always just seen her as a great female warrior. That's it. Zhong Chunjie is clearly hurt. Tang Lici then tries to explain himself. He says he's from another place entirely. He doesn't possess human emotions. The only reason he can function in society is because Fang Zhou taught him how.
The Last Festival
A Wish on the River
The New Year's temple fair arrives. Tang Lici does something completely out of character. He actually takes Xiao Shi and A'Shui to the market. He sees other people releasing flower lanterns. So he buys one for A'Shui. They both write down their New Year's wishes. A'Shui wishes for everyone to be happy and for Fengliu Hall to finally be destroyed. Tang Lici gently reminds her to make a wish for herself. She then writes a new wish. It's for Tang Lici to always be healthy and safe.
They place the lantern in the river. It floats for a short distance, but then the flame goes out. A'Shui looks so disappointed. Tang Lici can't stand it. He subtly waves his sleeve. In an instant, all the lanterns on the river that had gone out suddenly relight. A'Shui is happy again. You can see the sadness in Tang Lici's eyes, though.
The Final Goodbye
That night, Tang Lici gives A'Shui a gift. It's a wooden sculpture that he carved himself. The sculpture is of her. He is clearly preparing to say goodbye. Before they go to sleep, his apprentice and friends all wish him a "Happy New Year." He just smiles and nods in return.
The Sacrifice Play
Tang Lici's Plan
Late that night, Tang Lici knocks on Shui Duo Po's door. He gets straight to the point. He tells her he is going to Zhaodi Lou tomorrow to save Fang Zhou. He needs her to perform a critical task. After he removes Fang Zhou's "heart crystal" from his own abdomen, she must place it back inside Fang Zhou's body. This will resurrect him.
Shui Duo Po is completely shocked by this plan. Her entire opinion of Tang Lici changes in that moment. He tells her his mind is made up. She shouldn't try to persuade him otherwise. She just needs to do as he says. He has one final instruction. If Fang Zhou is revived, she must tell him that Ghost Peony is the real mastermind behind Fengliu Hall.
Walking into the Trap
The next day comes. Tang Lici goes to Zhaodi Lou, just as he planned. Liu Yan is already there, waiting for him. Of course, this meeting doesn't go unnoticed. Xifang Tao spots Liu Yan's movements. He immediately runs to report everything to Ghost Peony.
