Blood River Episode 23 Recap
> Blood River Recap
Su Zhe remarked on the power of the Five-Poison Array, and Bai Hehuai clarified that while usually for trapping enemies, it was now being ingeniously used to counteract poison with poison, a secret technique of her Wen family. Su Muyu admired her cleverness in using it to isolate the floral toxin that had spread across the city. Su Changhe, however, felt the sudden widespread poisoning indicated a master was behind it.
Bai Hehuai concurred, stating only three individuals in the world could create such a pervasive poison. She quickly ruled out her uncle, Wen Hujiu, due to his laziness and alliance with Xueyue City, and Tang Linghuang of the Tang Clan, who only crafted instantly lethal poisons. This left only Luo Yandie, the Poison Enchantress, known for her twisted preference for floral-scented toxins that allow victims to die peacefully in a gentle stupor.
Bai Hehuai noted that the Blossom Ash only suppressed power without killing, suggesting a backup plan was in play, and many skilled fighters, even sword deities, had infiltrated the city. Meanwhile, Night Crow reported to Ji Ruofeng that Lu Yuzhai refused to cooperate in harming his master, Song Yanhui, and would alert him to incoming threats. Believing Liu Yunqi was dead and Jian Shanyue had retired, leaving Song Yanhui isolated, Ji Ruofeng concluded that Wushuang City needed a new lord.
He proposed Jian Wudi, chief of Lunwu Hall, for the position. Jian Wudi, though obsessed with the sword, reiterated his lack of interest in the City Lord title, seeking only to duel the strongest sword deities. Ji Ruofeng promised him the Peerless Sword Coffer and a worthy opponent, Zhuo Yue'an, before offering him a cup of tea. Night Crow watched Jian Wudi drink with a subtle, meaningful smile.
As Jian Wudi made his way, Lord Haoyue, accompanying him, was surprised when Jian Wudi paused at Luoyang Tavern, sensing a formidable sword energy within. Inside, Yan Zhantian, the Furious Sword Deity, wielded his blade, Breaker of Armies. He was trapped by the floral poison but boasted he would break free in four hours and kill everyone. Jian Wudi, intrigued, contemplated giving Yan Zhantian the antidote to fight him at full strength.
Lord Haoyue panicked, reminding Jian Wudi that such an action would ruin their plans. Jian Wudi reluctantly relented and continued on, vowing to fight Yan Zhantian another day. Lord Haoyue muttered about Jian Wudi’s dangerous obsession, before heading off to find Zhuo Yue'an. Lord Haoyue’s attempt to escape was thwarted by Li Hanyi, whose freezing sword energy he immediately recognized.
She confronted him, accusing him of being allied with the poisoner, and aggressively forced him to hand over his supply of the antidote. Elsewhere, Dian Ye, the Flying Tiger General and First Prince Xiao Yong's uncle, arrived at the scene. He called out for Su Changhe and Su Muyu, the current leaders of Dark River, surprising them. Su Changhe deduced that Xiao Yong was using Su Muyu's duel as a pretext to eliminate political rivals and seize Dark River's treasures.
Su Muyu, aware of the manipulation, declared that those who exploit a sword would be killed by it. Su Changhe stepped forward to face Dian Ye, but Su Zhe intervened, offering to fight the general himself to spare Dark River any direct conflict. From a distance, the Prince of Langya and his allies watched, seeing the unfolding chaos as an opportunity to draw more sword deities to Wushuang City, with the ultimate outcome hinging on Su Muyu's choices.
Jian Wudi then directly challenged Su Muyu. Su Changhe, observing the fierce exchange, worried that Su Muyu was outmatched, but Bai Hehuai remained confident. Xie Xuan, sensing the pure and remarkable sword intent of Su Muyu’s blade, also noted the gathering storm. The two swordsmen fought intensely, seemingly evenly matched, with Jian Wudi acknowledging Su Muyu as a formidable opponent, whose sword intent reminded him of his own father, Zhuo Yuluo, the Lord of No-Sword City.
He marveled at the complex range of emotions – anger, defiance, forbearance, compromise, even gentleness – woven into Su Muyu’s technique, wondering at the life experiences that forged such a sword. After a powerful exchange, Jian Wudi declared Su Muyu’s sword, "Rain Surge," a fine blade, but claimed he had gained new insight and would surely win the next phase.
Su Changhe worried that Su Muyu, despite using his strongest strike, had failed to kill Jian Wudi, who still seemed to hold back. As Jian Wudi prepared for a final, deadly strike, Su Muyu warned him that he was on the verge of going demonic, explaining that pushing purity to an absolute extreme leads to corruption. Jian Wudi, however, embraced the demonic path, believing it would make his sword stronger and that a sword, unlike people, would never betray him.
Su Muyu cautioned Jian Wudi that such a path would lead to his death within a year due to a sword intent backlash and reminisced about his own father, who balanced sword mastery with family and duty. Seeing Jian Wudi fully succumb, Song Yanhui arrived and proposed that he and Su Muyu unite against him.
Xie Xuan, sensing the powerful shift, also stepped forward to assist, advising them that a demonic body, though seemingly powerful, had a weak point that could be exploited. Ultimately, Su Muyu, with Song Yanhui’s assistance, delivered the final blow, killing Jian Wudi. Dian Ye, seeing his ally defeated, retreated as Su Changhe warned him to abandon his schemes against Dark River.
Later, Li Hanyi, at Xie Xuan's suggestion, powdered the remaining antidote and, using her Floral Sword Art, dispersed it throughout the city, clearing the floral poison. Xie Xuan then realized that Ji Ruofeng had deliberately orchestrated their presence in Wushuang City for his own hidden agenda.
As the city dwellers recovered from the toxin, Li Hanyi expressed a desire to witness Su Muyu's true sword, recalling his past assertion that his "sword" was a killing tool, not merely a sword, and that its true form would only be seen under his new identity. Su Muyu, having avenged his father and restored his clan’s name without destroying Wushuang City or becoming "another Liu Yunqi," felt his task was complete.
Song Yanhui expressed a wish to spar with Su Muyu again in the future, stating that Wushuang City would one day have an even finer "sword" to meet him. As everyone believed the conflict was resolved, Jian Wudi suddenly reanimated. Bai Hehuai recognized this as the ancient "drugged puppet art" from Xichu, a forbidden technique she knew was passed to her Medicine King Valley but later stolen by her rogue martial niece, Night Crow.
Su Changhe, using "Thirteen Glances Back" to momentarily incapacitate the reanimated Jian Wudi, instructed Su Muyu to strike his heart. Together, they finally destroyed the drugged puppet. However, in the chaotic struggle, Bai Hehuai was poisoned by Jian Wudi's toxic blood, a condition she knew was not easily cured by a simple pill.
