Episode Summary
This episode finally laid out the entire four-year-old tragedy. We learn that Liu Yan's interruption led to Fang Zhou's death, and his misunderstanding was cemented when he saw Tang Lici performing a desperate act to save his friend's essence. Now, A'Shui knows her true identity, and Tang Lici has a new lead on where Fang Zhou's real body might be.
Spoiler Alert
The Flashback We've All Been Waiting For
So, Tang Lici is back at Zhaodi Lou. You can tell just being there is tearing him apart. The show finally gives us the full flashback to what happened four years ago. It’s the day everything went wrong.
Tang Lici and Fang Zhou were in the middle of a critical ritual. They were using the Rebirth Method. This was their last shot to save Fang Zhou. But of course, the timing couldn't have been worse. Liu Yan showed up early. He walked in and saw them. He thought Tang Lici was absorbing Fang Zhou’s life force.
A Horrible, Horrible Misunderstanding
Liu Yan immediately tried to stop it. He grabbed Tang Lici. This interference caused a massive backlash. The ritual was completely shattered. Fang Zhou coughed up blood and collapsed. Tang Lici knew they had failed. He screamed at Liu Yan to let go. But Liu Yan was convinced Tang Lici was killing his brother.
Tang Lici shoved him away. The energy in the room exploded. The blast threw Liu Yan clear out of the room. When Tang Lici came to, he crawled over to Fang Zhou. But it was too late. Fang Zhou was gone. Tang Lici just held him and broke down.
Then he remembered one last, desperate option. He could save Fang Zhou’s "Heart Crystal" by storing it in his own body. Just as he cut into Fang Zhou’s chest to retrieve it, Liu Yan woke up. Liu Yan saw it all through the window. He saw Tang Lici cutting out his brother's heart. Then he passed out again. You can’t really blame him for thinking the worst. It looked exactly like a murder.
A Moment of Hope, Then More Lies
Back in the present, Tang Lici and Liu Yan are face to face. For a second, it seems like they might actually fix things. Liu Yan is starting to believe he might have been wrong. He asks Tang Lici where he hid Fang Zhou's body.
Tang Lici uses his power to reveal an ice coffin. Liu Yan rushes to it, crying. He was like a father to him. But after a few moments, he realizes something is wrong. The person in the coffin isn't Fang Zhou. It’s a fake. An illusion.
Liu Yan snaps. He thinks Tang Lici is lying to him again. He had just promised to give Tang Lici his half of the Rebirth Method if he could save Fang Zhou. Now, Liu Yan feels like a complete fool. He storms off, vowing to master a more dangerous power. He is dead set on killing Tang Lici.
A'Shui Remembers Everything
This was a huge reveal. A'Shui finds a small wooden doll of Fang Zhou. Tang Lici had left it for the doctor, Shui Duo Po. The sight of it triggers her memories.
We learn that Fang Zhou is her older brother. Ghost Peony is the one who erased her memory. He planted her by Tang Lici's side as a spy. He also told her that Tang Lici was her brother's killer.
She is furious. She goes to find Tang Lici and get revenge. But she finds him stumbling home, completely broken. He keeps muttering that he's the one who killed Fang Zhou. Seeing him in so much pain, her heart breaks. She can't bring herself to confront him.
New Battles and a New Lead
The fighting kicks off again. Fengliu Hall attacks the Central Plains Sword Association. Tang Lici isn't focused on the battle, though. He has one goal. He wants to kill Ghost Peony and avenge Fang Zhou. Liu Yan is also on his own mission. He's risking his life to learn some dark arts, all so he can kill Tang Lici.
During the fight, Pu Zhu is badly injured and poisoned. Xifang Tao arrives with the antidote. She also brings a critical piece of information. She tells Tang Lici that Ghost Peony got his hands on an ice coffin three days ago. He's taking it to the Sky-Reaching Pillar in Bodhi Valley.
This is the first piece of good news for Tang Lici. If Ghost Peony has the real coffin, then Fang Zhou might still be alive. He has to get to that pillar.
The Truth Finally Comes Out
Shen Langhun has been watching Tang Lici fall apart. He knows his friend isn't acting like himself. He's usually calm, but now he's impulsive and reckless. He finally confronts Tang Lici and asks what is going on.
Tang Lici tells him everything. He reveals that he's been keeping Fang Zhou's Heart Crystal alive inside his own body. He's been feeding it with his own blood for years. This is the source of his constant abdominal pain. Shen Langhun is stunned by the sacrifice. He's also incredibly angry at Liu Yan for misunderstanding so badly for so long.
