A Forbidden Marriage Episode 21 Recap
> A Forbidden Marriage Recap
In the main hall, Lu Xuanxuan declared that exposing Wangyue was a victory for the righteous sects. She boldly called for Yunmen disciple Yang Wangyue to be brought before all the martial arts sects, stating she had a major announcement to make. A Yunmen disciple escorted a confused Wangyue to the hall, where Sect Leader Feng Xingyun deferred to Lu Xuanxuan. Lu Xuanxuan, with an air of triumph, revealed Wangyue's identity as the Saintess of the Shengyue Sect.
Wangyue initially denied it, but Lu Xuanxuan presented her evidence, challenging Wangyue to explain why she had spoken up for the Shengyue Sect in Yangliu Town, her suspicious involvement in the missing children's case, and her close ties to Shengyue Sect's Fire Hall Master Mingyang and Water Hall Master Lingyin, whom she claimed was her cousin.
The other sect leaders demanded an explanation from Yunmen, questioning its ties to the Shengyue Sect and whether the proposed peace talks were truly impartial. Feng Xingyun asserted that all Yunmen disciples underwent strict scrutiny and that no one with an unclear background could enter. To prove her claim, Lu Xuanxuan introduced a test using vicious rove beetles, known to only spare those who have lived on Mount Yin, the Shengyue Sect's stronghold.
When the beetles did not bite Wangyue, her identity as the Shengyue Saintess was confirmed. Feng Xingyun immediately ordered her capture and imprisonment in the Seclusion Valley. Following the revelation, rumors quickly spread among the sects about Yunmen's alleged ties to the Shengyue Sect. Feng Xingyun confronted Yang Qing privately, who admitted he knew Wangyue was the Saintess.
Yang Qing confessed his efforts to facilitate peace between the Shengyue Sect and the major sects were for the benefit of the Central Plains martial world, not solely for Wangyue, though he also admitted he truly could not let her go. Feng Xingyun, however, saw Yang Qing as bewitched and gave him an ultimatum: marry Junior Yao Fu in three days, or Wangyue would be killed.
Yang Qing refused to marry Yao Fu, declaring Wangyue as the only woman he would marry and offering to take any punishment himself rather than abandon her. Meanwhile, other sect leaders gathered outside Yunmen, demanding answers from Feng Xingyun. Some called for Wangyue's immediate execution.
Yao Fu stepped forward to calm the agitated crowd, arguing that killing Wangyue during the Yunmen Grand Ceremony would provoke Yuan Yingxing, the leader of the Shengyue Sect, who was already contemplating retreating to Mount Yin. She recounted her own experience of being relentlessly pursued by Yuan Yingxing after she had once killed Wangyue, warning them of his merciless wrath. Lu Xuanxuan, undeterred, declared she would personally kill Wangyue.
Feng Xingyun intervened, promising a thorough investigation and announcing his intention to negotiate with Yuan Yingxing. Lu Xuanxuan and her father, Lu Jin, dismissed this as a tactic to protect Wangyue, given Yang Qing's obvious feelings for her. To quell the suspicions, Feng Xingyun publicly announced that Yang Qing and Yao Fu would marry in three days, with Yunmen's Alliance Leader's Token as a witness.
This news caused Lu Xuanxuan to become distraught, but it temporarily eased the tension among the other sect leaders. Privately, Lu Xuanxuan seethed, vowing to unseat Feng Xingyun from his position as alliance leader, while her father Lu Jin berated her for letting her personal feelings interfere with her mission. At the same time, Ling Yin and Mingyang learned from townspeople that Wangyue's identity had been exposed and she was imprisoned.
Yuan Yingxing also received reports of Wangyue's capture and the announcement of Yang Qing and Yao Fu's wedding. Yang Qing knelt before Feng Xingyun, pleading for him to revoke the marriage order, but Feng Xingyun insisted on it to preserve Yunmen's reputation. Later, Yao Fu found Yang Qing and urged him to accept the marriage. Yang Qing expressed confusion about her willingness to marry him, given her known affection for Yuan Yingxing, and suspected she had an ulterior motive.
Yao Fu cunningly suggested that the wedding day, with its large crowd, would be the best opportunity to rescue Wangyue. Despite this, Yang Qing remained firm in his refusal. Determined to free Wangyue, Mingyang and Ling Yin disguised themselves as Yunmen disciples and infiltrated the Seclusion Valley. They were stopped by Jiang Yan, and a fight ensued in which Mingyang easily overpowered him. Ling Yin, concerned for Jiang Yan, stopped Mingyang from causing further harm.
Yang Qing arrived and, using Feng Xingyun's stolen token, opened the gate to Wangyue's cell, allowing her friends to enter. Inside, however, Wangyue refused to leave. She explained that she trusted Yang Qing to convince Feng Xingyun to reconcile the sects and that leaving now would only bring further blame upon him. Frustrated, Ling Yin and Mingyang departed. As they left, Ling Yin checked on the injured Jiang Yan, which visibly annoyed Mingyang.
He pulled Ling Yin away, asserting she was his woman, but Ling Yin teased him, saying his performance would determine her decision. After hearing that Yang Qing's wedding to Yao Fu had been publicly announced, Ling Yin and Mingyang returned to the Seclusion Valley. This time, armed with the news of his apparent betrayal, they successfully convinced a heartbroken Wangyue to escape with them. Meanwhile, Yao Fu brought Yang Qing to Langhuan Pavilion.
Using the Fusheng mind-control spell, she made him agree to their marriage and manipulated him into showing her the Alliance Leader's Token. Dressed in their wedding attire, Yang Qing retrieved the box containing the Sun Blade. Just as Yao Fu was about to take it, Wangyue, accompanied by Ling Yin and Mingyang, burst in. Under Yao Fu's command, the mind-controlled Yang Qing attacked them, declaring that harming Yao Fu was like harming him.
A hurt and confused Wangyue pleaded with him to remember her. As Wangyue called out to him, Yang Qing momentarily broke free from the spell's grip and urged her to flee. Ling Yin and Mingyang quickly escorted Wangyue away, while Yao Fu began to experience severe headaches as the Fusheng Spell started to backfire. With the Sun Blade now missing, Feng Xingyun angrily confronted Yang Qing and Yao Fu.
Yang Qing took responsibility, but Yao Fu tried to deflect blame, suggesting his lingering feelings for Wangyue had made him weak. Feng Xingyun chastised them both and ordered Elder Shen and Junior Wang to pursue Wangyue. He then publicly canceled the wedding, citing Yao Fu's sudden illness, and confined her to her room to keep the theft a secret.
At the aborted ceremony, a triumphant Lu Xuanxuan announced that the "witch" had escaped and used the Sun Blade to free Shengyue Sect prisoners from Biluo Valley. She declared that Biluo Valley would no longer trust Yunmen and vowed to retrieve the "witch" and the token herself. Amidst the chaos, Yang Qing stepped forward, took full responsibility, and pledged to retrieve the Alliance Leader's Token, "no matter what it takes." Elsewhere, Yao Fu continued to suffer from severe headaches, realizing the Fusheng Spell was backfiring.
