Blood River Episode 21 Recap
> Blood River Recap
Liu Yunqi, facing Su Muyu, noted the intense killing intent in every move and every sword stroke. He immediately realized that Su Muyu's activities over the years must have been tied to assassination, evident in the pervasive scent of blood on him, a stark contrast to a true swordsman. He accused Su Muyu of being shameless, using a technique akin to a mind-deranging art to provoke his killing urge.
Su Muyu, in turn, felt Liu Yunqi was using his own sword intent to rebuke his father and claim his father was not from a renowned sect, which intensified his desire to kill the old man.
During the fight, Su Muyu recalled his father's words on the Way of the Sword: it must be comprehended by the wielder, with three realms starting from seeing mountains as mountains and ending with seeing them as such again, but the crucial point is to find a justifiable reason to draw one's blade. Liu Yunqi calculated that the stronger Su Muyu's killing intent was now, the more severe the eventual backlash would be.
Su Muyu, discerning Liu Yunqi's ploy to provoke him into using deadly techniques publicly, chose not to fall for it. He resolved to win honorably, using the sword intent his father taught him, to vindicate his father. Meanwhile, Song Yanhui noticed the sword in his own coffer stirring. Before he could react, Liu Yunqi was defeated and fell to the ground. Seeing Su Muyu about to deliver a killing blow, Song Yanhui quickly intervened, though without using his full strength.
Su Muyu knew that if Song Yanhui had struck him then, with his own killing intent already aroused, he would have surely lost. Song Yanhui confirmed he would never take advantage of another's weakness, only asking Su Muyu to spare his master's life. Su Muyu acknowledged Song Yanhui's integrity, but then remembered Liu Yunqi's past atrocity: the slaughter of everyone in No-Sword City, not even sparing children.
Song Yanhui conceded that his master's actions were unforgivable, but as a disciple, he could not bear to watch his master die before his eyes and sought Su Muyu's understanding. He also informed Su Muyu that Liu Yunqi's meridians were severed, and he would only live for a few more days, sustained solely by a thread of internal energy.
Su Muyu understood that for a swordsman, the sword-heart is paramount, and he had already shattered Liu Yunqi's sword-heart, effectively killing him, as he would never be able to wield a sword again. Song Yanhui then explained that many elders had entrusted Wushuang City to him. He proposed a duel with Su Muyu in four days. Su Muyu, using the alias Zhuo Yue'an, accepted, agreeing to fight at the Sword Abode behind Wushuang City.
He declared that if Song Yanhui lost, he would sever the plaque bearing the name "Peerless Under Heaven," restoring No-Sword City's name to the martial world. Hearing that Su Muyu (under his alias Zhuo Yue'an) had defeated Liu Yunqi and agreed to a duel with Song Yanhui, Su Changhe scoffed, calling it foolish for Su Muyu to wait for someone as insignificant as Song Yanhui.
However, he also mused that if this duel helped Su Muyu overcome his inner demons, it would be for the best. Su Muyu saw a vision of his father, who conveyed that he didn't want him to live in hatred and should forge his own path, free from past grievances, much like a new sunrise after the moon sets.
Meanwhile, the Grand Prince schemed to use Su Muyu's challenge to plunge Wushuang City into chaos and seize control of its resources, which he considered a "fat prize" they had coveted for years. He believed the city, ruled by a "madman only craving victory" and a "fool shackled by trifles," was ripe for change, and Zhuo Yue'an's rise provided the perfect opportunity for someone in the court to profit.
The Prince of Langya, aware of a deeper conspiracy, noted that Su Muyu had already informed him of the plot to exploit him. He decided to turn the tables by exacerbating the chaos in Wushuang City, hoping to lure out the true mastermind. His agents confirmed that the senior disciple of the Sihuai City Lord was easily manipulable, and another master had emerged willing to aid them. They also traced Su Changhe's movements, believing he was heading towards Sihuai City.
The Prince of Langya declared that a contest of the Way of the Sword should not lack a living Sword Deity and sent invitations to various Sword Deities to gather at Wushuang City, signaling the true game was about to begin. Baixiao Hall also spread news of Su Muyu's victory over Liu Yunqi and his impending duel with Song Yanhui.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuzhen of Wangchengshan Sect became excited, guessing that another specific Sword Deity would surely attend such a sword-related spectacle, as she was so passionate about swords. Despite his master's initial reluctance to let him leave the mountain, Zhao Yuzhen's master eventually granted him unspoken permission to go, telling him to decide for himself. Elsewhere, Mu Yumo, known as the Spider Woman of the Dark River, intercepted a Baixiao Hall agent.
She stated her intention to get information about Tang Lianyue, acknowledging Baixiao Hall's swift intelligence but also its reluctance to sell certain information due to suspected ties with the Inner Security Division. She threatened the agent, asserting she would find a way to extract the information if it wasn't willingly provided, administering a poison and promising the antidote later.
Back in Wushuang City, Liu Yunqi, on his deathbed, expressed regret to Song Yanhui for confining him to the city and burdening him with its honor and shame, preventing him from being a roaming knight-errant. He acknowledged Song Yanhui was born for the sword and could change everything but lamented the pressure he placed on him, which might have hindered the purity of his sword-heart.
He warned Song Yanhui against the duel, but Song Yanhui revealed his resolve to use the Wither-Bloom Sword Art, a technique that would cost him his life but ensure he would not lose. He viewed this sacrifice as his duty as City Lord to uphold Wushuang City's honor.
Liu Yunqi suggested letting young Wushuang (Song Yanhui's own disciple), who could activate the Peerless Sword Coffer, take his place, but Song Yanhui refused, wanting Wushuang to choose his own path, not walk his master's old road. He believed the city's future belonged to the younger generation. Liu Yunqi accepted his decision, expressing regret for his own lifetime of mistakes and hoping his disciples would not repeat them. He then passed away.
After Liu Yunqi's funeral, Song Yanhui found his disciples, Lu Yuzhai and Haoyue, plotting to secretly kill Su Muyu to aid him. Song Yanhui reprimanded them, ordering them to behave and not harbor such misguided thoughts. When Haoyue attempted to act, Song Yanhui swiftly intercepted him with a single move. Meanwhile, in Sihuai City, various sects and experts were flocking to obtain Wushuang Tokens.
An agent reported that the influx of powerful individuals was creating immense chaos, with many simply bypassing the need for tokens as Wushuang City could not stop them all, foreshadowing an even greater upheaval.
