A Forbidden Marriage Episode 12 Recap
> A Forbidden Marriage Recap
Yang Qing celebrated Wangyue's birthday, toasting her and wishing her well. Wangyue, inwardly pleased, decided that from then on, August 15 would officially be her birthday, ensuring Yang Qing would never feel deceived. She told him she wished to celebrate all future birthdays with him and then, probing his sincerity, asked if there was anything he wanted from her. Yang Qing, after some hesitation, confessed he was wary of being completely honest, but Wangyue urged him on.
He then posed a challenging question: who would she choose between the Shengyue Sect and him? Wangyue initially made a lighthearted complaint but, realizing he simply wanted her affirmation, quickly declared she would choose him. Yang Qing pressed further, asking if she would save him or Yuan Yingxing if they both fell into a river. Wangyue, after a similar playful complaint, stated she would save him.
Satisfied, Yang Qing then added that if Wangyue and Yao Fu fell into a river, he would save Wangyue first. Wangyue reciprocated, saying she would save him first. Satisfied, Yang Qing praised her cleverness and encouraged her to eat. Meanwhile, Yao Fu had brought Yuan Yingxing to Biluo Valley for Chief Lu's 50th birthday celebration, an event Yuan Yingxing scornfully dubbed "hypocritical."
Yao Fu cautioned him about the many masters present in the valley, stressing the need for strategy over direct confrontation. Yuan Yingxing, annoyed, questioned if she was "telling him what to do." Undeterred, Yao Fu insisted he stay close and avoid wandering off, warning him of potential repercussions. Later, she instructed him to remain confined to their room while she scouted the dungeon, explaining that his presence would easily draw unwanted attention from the gathered sect leaders.
Yuan Yingxing, feigning disinterest, told her he was tired of her "nonsense." Yao Fu promised to return with information about the dungeon's location, assuring him she would then lead him to rescue his people, provided he stayed put. Yao Fu then met Sect Leader Feng Xingyun and Yang Qing. Feng Xingyun was visibly relieved to see her safe and sound after her long absence from Yunmen.
Yao Fu quickly excused herself, claiming an appointment to guide a junior sister in swordsmanship. Feng Xingyun, though concerned for her rest, allowed her to depart. He then turned to Yang Qing, urging him to finalize his marriage to Yao Fu. Yang Qing firmly stated he was not considering marriage, dismissing the idea as a joke.
Feng Xingyun argued that their shared upbringing made them a "perfect match" and even brought up Yao Fu's "sacrifice" in infiltrating the Shengyue Sect and nearly marrying Yuan Yingxing. Yang Qing, however, reiterated that he had no romantic feelings for Yao Fu and questioned the tradition of marrying solely for social status. Abandoning the marriage topic, Feng Xingyun reminded Yang Qing of the critical importance of keeping the Alliance Leader's Tokens' issue secret until after the next day's banquet.
Yang Qing confirmed his understanding. Elsewhere, Lu Xuanxuan informed her father, Chief Lu, that she had personally seen both the Sun Blade and Moon Blade. To avoid marrying Jin Buhuan, she falsely claimed that Yang Qing, smitten with her, had eagerly shown her the Alliance Leader's Token after a "small trick." Chief Lu expressed skepticism but mused that Yang Qing's sudden change in demeanor might be due to Biluo Valley's rising power.
Jin Buhuan, present at the conversation, interjected, swearing he had seen the Shengyue Token—which was the Moon Blade—at the Shengyue Sect. Chief Lu, puzzled, questioned if there could be two Moon Blades, while Lu Xuanxuan accused Jin Buhuan of lying to incite conflict between her father and Yunmen. Jin Buhuan again insisted on his claim. Suddenly, Yuan Yingxing appeared, wielding the Moon Blade. He disparaged Biluo Valley's reputation for traps and martial arts as "nothing special."
Chief Lu recognized him, expressing disappointment that Yuan Yingxing was still alive. Yuan Yingxing retorted by demanding the immediate, unharmed release of his disciples, threatening to "bathe your Biluo Valley in blood" if his demands were not met. A fierce battle erupted. Despite the intricate mechanisms in the room, Yuan Yingxing remained unscathed and severely wounded Chief Lu.
In a desperate move, Chief Lu activated the "Star Formation" and later deployed the "Falling Geese Formation," using a "Rotate the stars, and switch the formation to break through" technique to launch a surprise counter-attack. This injured Yuan Yingxing, who was forced to flee. Lu Xuanxuan rushed to her father's side, while Chief Lu angrily blamed Jin Buhuan for his earlier false report of Yuan Yingxing's death.
Chief Lu immediately ordered a "complete lockdown of Biluo Valley," forbidding anyone from leaving, certain Yuan Yingxing was still within its confines. Yao Fu found the severely injured Yuan Yingxing and brought him back to her room, calling his name anxiously. As he lay unconscious, she considered taking the Moon Blade for her own healing. Yuan Yingxing suddenly awoke, immediately hostile and suspicious, demanding to know her intentions.
Yao Fu defended herself, asserting that if she wished him harm, she wouldn't have gone to such trouble. Yuan Yingxing, however, scorned her "meddlesome nature" and "pitiful expression," declaring himself "sick of seeing it" and expressing a desire to "tear off that face of yours." Yao Fu, despite his contempt, tried to explain her concern: the lack of a widespread search for him after his rampage was "suspicious" and likely "a trap."
Yuan Yingxing dismissed Biluo Valley as "nothing to fear," but Yao Fu reminded him that the four major sects were also present. She urged him to wait until the guests left Biluo Valley before acting. Yuan Yingxing retorted that they were "never on the same path," questioning her use of "we," and told her not to meddle. Yao Fu defiantly asked who else would care for him, insisting he heed her advice if he truly wanted to save his people.
Yuan Yingxing then blamed her for his current "helpless situation," prompting Yao Fu to exasperatedly promise to make amends for the past. She gave him an ultimatum: either leave Biluo Valley or stay in her room. She vowed to guard the door, saying he would have to "step over my dead body" to get past her.
The next day, Chief Lu gathered all the sect members and, standing before the bodies of his fallen disciples, announced Yuan Yingxing's intrusion and the massacre of his followers, appealing to the assembled heroes for help in catching him. Feng Xingyun then questioned why Yuan Yingxing, who was initially captured, had suddenly reappeared.
Chief Lu then admitted his earlier mistake in allowing Yuan Yingxing to escape while being escorted and apologized for concealing the information, accepting responsibility for the casualties, and renewing his passionate appeal to the assembled heroes to help him avenge these "innocent souls." Yang Qing, however, intervened, stating that Chief Lu's losses were "the price he paid for keeping the information of Yuan Yingxing to himself." He suggested they first subdue Yuan Yingxing and address other matters later.
Feng Xingyun then asked Chief Lu for a plan to lure Yuan Yingxing out. Chief Lu proposed a "fight fire with fire" strategy: executing some of the more than twenty Shengyue Sect members imprisoned in the dungeon, including high-ranking hall masters and Guardians, to honor the dead and force Yuan Yingxing's appearance. Yang Qing vehemently opposed this, asking, "Chief Lu, why massacre the innocent?"
He argued that imprisoning the Shengyue Sect members was for reform, not to justify their execution, and highlighted that the real issue was the long-standing animosity between the two factions, not constant evil acts by the Shengyue Sect. Wangyue, witnessing the exchange, silently condemned Chief Lu's "extraordinary hypocrisy" and secretly vowed to protect her Shengyue Sect members.
As the crowd chanted support for Chief Lu, Yang Qing called for order, explaining that the dungeon could only be opened with the Sun Blade, and asked Feng Xingyun for help. Feng Xingyun expressed reservations about the potential for further bloodshed but ultimately agreed to Yang Qing's request to hand over the Sun Blade. As Yang Qing retrieved the Sun Blade, a sudden flute melody filled the air. Wangyue and Ling Yin immediately recognized it as Yuan Yingxing's.
Ling Yin covertly warned Wangyue that only those who had practiced the Shengyue Sect's mental techniques could resist the flute's power, cautioning her not to reveal her true allegiance. Everyone present, except for Yang Qing, was visibly affected by the powerful music. Yuan Yingxing appeared and engaged Yang Qing in combat. During their fierce exchange, Wangyue unexpectedly stepped in, shielding Yuan Yingxing from Yang Qing's attack.
Heartbroken, Yang Qing angrily confronted Wangyue, accusing her of having multiple lovers within the Shengyue Sect. Wangyue denied Yuan Yingxing was her lover but affirmed his identity as Yuan Yingxing. When Yang Qing questioned why she saved him, she simply stated she was performing "one good deed a day." As Yang Qing repeatedly ordered her to move, she refused, continuing to protect Yuan Yingxing.
Just then, Yao Fu arrived, helping Yuan Yingxing and Wangyue to escape, with Yang Qing secretly trailing them. Later, in a more secure location, Yuan Yingxing lay severely injured, with Ling Yin and Wangyue by his side. Yao Fu was also present, but Ling Yin remained openly hostile, suggesting Yuan Yingxing kill her for the harm she had caused.
Yuan Yingxing, however, intervened, stating that Yao Fu was "still useful" for navigating their escape from the four major sects, and instructed Ling Yin to take her away. Wangyue objected, reminding Yuan Yingxing that Yao Fu had once "killed me once and used dark magic to cloud my mind," but Yuan Yingxing insisted. Once alone with Wangyue, Yuan Yingxing affectionately pulled her close, expressing how much he had missed her.
He recounted his past: falling off a cliff, losing his martial arts, and being mistaken for Yang Wangyue. Wangyue, relieved he was safe, then gently pushed him away, reminding him she was grown up and he couldn't treat her like a child anymore, hinting that Yang Qing had taught her this boundary. Yuan Yingxing teasingly asked if Yang Qing was the reason for her changed demeanor and if she blamed him for his past neglect.
Wangyue denied blaming him, stating that everyone has their own destiny and she couldn't keep him tied to her. She then asked him to "restore our Shengyue Sect," but insisted on taking revenge on Yao Fu. Yuan Yingxing acknowledged her growth and asked her to join him in rebuilding the sect. Wangyue, however, said she first needed to find the Sun Blade to rescue their imprisoned Guardians.
Yuan Yingxing promised to help her obtain the Sun Blade but warned her to stay away from Yang Qing. He then urged her to rest, and he fell asleep. The next morning, Wangyue awoke to find Yang Qing standing guard outside her room. She confessed her true identity as a member of the Shengyue Sect, apologized for her deception, and asked if she could take Yuan Yingxing, offering to pay any price or accept any punishment.
She then stated that they were "not suitable to be together," citing his belief that "good and evil cannot coexist," and declared she would "never betray the Shengyue Sect," suggesting it was best for them to part ways. Yang Qing, however, surprised her by calmly stating that he did not oppose her returning to the Shengyue Sect and had no intention of severing ties between them.
He explained that he now viewed the Shengyue Sect differently, seeing it as a necessary refuge for those with nowhere else to go in the martial world, despite its issues with lack of disciple discipline. He believed that many conflicts were rooted in old grievances, not current evil deeds. Yang Qing even suggested that Yuan Yingxing's earlier attempt to marry Yao Fu was a genuine effort to find a path to reconciliation for the Shengyue Sect.
He expressed a desire to speak with Yuan Yingxing about the possibility of peace between Yunmen and the Shengyue Sect, admitting he had been working on a solution. Wangyue was visibly touched by his words. Yang Qing concluded that there was still a "possibility" for them. Wangyue, feigning indignation, playfully accused him of ignoring her because he found her troublesome.
Yang Qing conceded that reconciling the sects was indeed "troublesome," but Wangyue, now overjoyed, decided she was "not leaving" and declared her love for him, vowing to stay. As they shared a tender moment, Yang Qing playfully commented on her disheveled appearance from their escape, and Wangyue teased him for ruining the romantic mood.
