A Forbidden Marriage Episode 8 Recap
> A Forbidden Marriage Recap
Wang Yue had fallen into a trap, and Yang Qing, in an attempt to rescue her, also ended up caught. Mingyang, who had been with them, found himself captured alongside them. Upon regaining consciousness, the three realized they had been taken to a remote fortress. Mingyang was puzzled by Yang Qing's actions, observing that he could have easily avoided the trap but chose to follow them in.
Yang Qing, however, explained his reasoning, stating that the fortress's complex Seven Killings Formation at the entrance indicated the captors did not intend to kill them, and therefore, someone would surely come to investigate. He planned to capture this person to uncover the fortress's secrets without further conflict. Wang Yue, however, playfully dismissed his elaborate explanation, insisting he entered the trap because he wanted to save her.
Yang Qing simply replied that her happiness was all that mattered and proceeded to investigate the fortress. As they explored, disguised among the fortress's inhabitants, Yang Qing noted that the well-organized defenses, with numerous watchtowers and patrols, suggested these were not ordinary bandits but martial artists. While observing their surroundings, they discovered three different classes of meals being prepared in the kitchen.
The lowest quality food—rice bran and rotten leaves—led them to suspect that the kidnapped children were being held there. Yang Qing then entrusted Mingyang with the Skylark Whistle, a signal to summon Yunmen disciples for assistance. Initially, Mingyang was reluctant to involve other righteous sects, but Wang Yue persuaded him to comply. Yang Qing and Wang Yue discovered clues related to children in a large room.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuanxuan heard the signal from the Skylark Whistle, realizing Yunmen disciples were approaching. Desperate to conceal her involvement with the fortress, she quickly devised a plan to pretend to be a victim. When Yang Qing and Wang Yue encountered her, she immediately pointed at Mingyang, falsely accusing him of kidnapping her and demanding a ransom from her father. Wang Yue defended Mingyang, stating he had been with them throughout. Yang Qing questioned what truly happened.
Lu Xuanxuan then launched into a fabricated story, claiming she was trying to help Yang Qing and Wang Yue escape by luring away Fire Hall Master but was instead attacked and held captive. She concluded that only Shengyue Sect would stoop to such acts. Mingyang angrily refuted her accusations, but Wang Yue intervened, explaining that Lu Xuanxuan was merely emotional. Yang Qing then tasked Mingyang and Wang Yue with searching other rooms and ensuring Wang Yue's safety.
Despite Lu Xuanxuan's emotional account, Yang Qing harbored doubts and continued to observe his surroundings. He soon discovered the fortress was deserted. Lu Xuanxuan, feigning helplessness and fear, tried to delay Yang Qing's departure, confirming to herself that the kidnapped children, whom she referred to as "goods," should have been safely moved by now.
When Yang Qing and Wang Yue found fresh wheel tracks, confirming the children had been transported away, Yang Qing instructed Wang Yue to stay and protect Lu Xuanxuan while he pursued the abductors. Meanwhile, Yunmen disciples, who had been summoned by the Skylark Whistle and were initially lost in a bamboo forest, heard the cries of children. They quickly located the carriage transporting the children.
Seeing the Yunmen disciples, the kidnappers tried to flee with the carriage, but Yang Qing intercepted them, apprehending one of the men. Lu Xuanxuan, feigning concern, offered to assist in interrogating the captured man.
She directly accused him of being instructed by Shengyue Sect, and under her intense questioning and veiled threats of Biluo Valley's interrogation methods, the man eventually "confessed" that the kidnapped children were indeed the missing ones and that Shengyue Sect had ordered him to sell them for profit. Lu Xuanxuan, unsatisfied with the mere confession, then invoked the man's family, questioning his conscience and implying his loved ones would suffer consequences for his heinous deeds.
Overwhelmed and desperate to protect his family, the man declared he acted alone and took his own life by throwing himself onto Lu Xuanxuan's sword, begging for his family to be spared. Yunmen disciples found this sudden confession and suicide suspicious, but Lu Xuanxuan attributed it to his fear of Biluo Valley's methods. This calculated act by Lu Xuanxuan effectively destroyed direct evidence and further implicated Shengyue Sect.
A Yunmen disciple reported to Yang Qing that the captured man, Cao Fei, had confessed to kidnapping children for profit under Shengyue Sect's orders before committing suicide by falling onto Lu Xuanxuan's sword. The other men in black they captured also took their own lives. Nine children were rescued, though most remained unconscious.
Yang Qing, still suspicious of the convenient confessions and suicides, dismissed the motive of mere profit as a "cover story" and decided to await the children's awakening for more reliable clues. Lu Xuanxuan then presented a piece of cloth bearing Shengyue Sect's Blood Moon mark, claiming it was further evidence of their guilt. Mingyang, however, vehemently denied that Shengyue Sect would engage in such despicable acts, accusing Lu Xuanxuan of continuous deception and framing.
Yang Qing mediated, reiterating that a piece of cloth proved nothing and that the children's testimonies were paramount. He then instructed everyone to rest before returning to the city and escorting Lu Xuanxuan back to Biluo Valley. Later, Mingyang informed Yang Qing that Wang Yue was attempting to cook for him, warning that the kitchen might be in chaos. Wang Yue expressed embarrassment over her culinary struggles but also her desire to be helpful.
She discussed the case with Yang Qing, agreeing that Lu Xuanxuan was highly suspicious and suggesting that Chief Lu of Biluo Valley might be the true mastermind, to which Yang Qing concurred, noting that the lines between good and evil are not always clear. Feeling inadequate without martial arts, Wang Yue proposed accompanying Yang Qing back to Yunmen to learn light-body techniques so she could better assist him.
Mingyang, clearly displeased by their closeness, interrupted their conversation, presenting a fish he had caught for them. Yang Qing then instructed them to finish eating and prepare to return to the city. In a separate development, Yuan Yingxing found himself caught in an ambush. Yao Fu appeared to rescue him from Biluo Valley's Mist Formation, urging him to trust her.
However, Yuan Yingxing, still harboring deep resentment from her past betrayal, rejected her help, accusing her of being insincere and even calling her "cheap" for meddling. Yao Fu admitted to her past betrayal but emphasized that she never wished him dead. She pointed out that Jin Buhuan, who was supposed to be helping him, had instead pushed him deeper into the trap, suggesting Jin Buhuan was the real traitor.
Despite Yao Fu's persistent warnings and attempts to lead him to safety, Yuan Yingxing, consumed by anger, stabbed her. Yao Fu, enduring the pain without complaint, continued to urge him to escape before Jin Buhuan arrived, but Yuan Yingxing simply told her to be silent and asserted that his affairs were none of her concern. Meanwhile, Ling Yin and Lu Xuanxuan encountered each other again, leading to a heated exchange of words.
Afterward, Ling Yin complained to Yang Qing, asserting that despite her tireless efforts in curing the Yunmen disciples, he was now planning to return to Yunmen without her or Mingyang. Yang Qing expressed his gratitude but explained that they had been away for too long and that given the historical animosity between Yunmen and Shengyue Sect, and Ling Yin and Wang Yue's connections to the latter, it would be inappropriate for them to continue traveling together.
Jiang Yan, defending Ling Yin, offered her a place in Yunmen, but Ling Yin dismissed it as a strategic "tactic" to achieve their own goals. Wang Yue, having overheard the conversation, stated she understood Yang Qing's difficult position and accepted his decision to part ways, wishing him a safe journey and hinting at a future reunion. Ling Yin then revealed to Wang Yue that her acceptance was merely a "playing hard to get" tactic. Ling Yin then invited Wang Yue to let her treat a wound, calling her a fool.
