Blood River Episode 35 Recap
> Blood River Recap
Zhuo Qing warned Su Changhe that while he had a fifty percent chance of killing Xiao Yong, it would also cost him his own life, a price Zhuo Qing deemed not worth paying. Su Changhe agreed, stating that staying alive was more important, much to Xiao Yong's relief. Su Changhe then expressed his anger, questioning why the Blood River clinic, which he had explicitly told his people to keep open without incident during his seclusion, had attracted such deadly trouble.
He accused them of wrecking their plans. Zhuo Qing claimed it was merely a misunderstanding caused by sudden events, then probed if Su Changhe and Su Muyu had chosen different allies. Su Changhe openly admitted that Su Muyu was unaware of his decision, as Su Muyu remained loyal to the Prince of Langya, a path Su Changhe did not support.
His ambition was to become the undisputed No.1 in the jianghu, a goal he felt the Prince of Langya could not help him achieve, unlike Xiao Yong who had the power to make Blood River the "emperor of the jianghu" by overthrowing the Prince. Xiao Yong, noting Su Changhe's ambition, presented a truth-testing snake, a deadly serpent that would bite if someone told a lie while touching it.
When Xiao Yong asked if Su Changhe would kill Su Muyu should he obstruct their plans, the snake turned red and lunged. Su Changhe crushed its head, warning everyone present not to ask such a provocative question or harm Su Muyu. Xiao Yong accepted his response, stating that their shared enemy was enough, and promised to reveal his plans. As Su Changhe departed, he feigned drunkenness.
His brother, Mu Ciling, noted his changed demeanor, finding him harder to read since his seclusion, and wondered if they should inform Su Muyu. Su Changhe dismissed his brother’s concerns, assuring him he was in control and that his brother could always rely on him. He explicitly told him not to tell Su Muyu about his return, knowing Su Muyu would not agree with his choices, as Su Changhe had his own plan for Tianqi City.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yong was informed that Su Muyu's hideout had been located. He also learned that his general-uncle had been granted imperial authority to hunt down and execute assassins from the General's Residence. Despite his subordinate's apprehension about acting so soon after meeting with Su Changhe, Xiao Yong dismissed their concerns, claiming he, as the First Prince, could not control his general-uncle.
He ordered the hideout's location to be given to his uncle, allowing him to act as he saw fit. At a separate location, Su Zhe completed transferring all his power to Su Muyu, who was "reborn from the ashes" to become more powerful, though Su Zhe himself was severely weakened. Shortly after, the clinic came under attack by numerous assailants, including the Jinwu Guard and other masters.
Mu Qingyang took charge, ordering Su Muyu, Su Zhe, and the physician to evacuate while he stayed behind with Mu Xuewei to hold off the enemies. He asserted his authority in the absence of the Patriarch and Master Su, explaining that if they all fled together, they would quickly be caught. He intended to use a mist formation to make the attackers believe everyone was still inside, assuring everyone he had a way to escape.
Mu Xuewei refused to leave, proclaiming that her poisons combined with Mu Qingyang's formations were peerless. Mu Qingyang corrected her, saying it was "his" pairing with her that was peerless. Facing overwhelming odds, Mu Xuewei suggested Mu Qingyang leave, as her martial arts would only hinder him.
Mu Qingyang, however, proposed they toss a coin: peach blossom for escape and a wedding at the Falling Stars Pavilion before Mu Yumo, or the sword for dying together and meeting in the next life. Mu Xuewei scoffed at his talk of marriage in such a dire situation, but Mu Qingyang insisted. He tossed the coin, and it landed on its side, signifying "turning ill luck to good."
An enemy's voice declared Mu Qingyang a "sacrificed piece," but Mu Qingyang vehemently denied it, vowing to carve a bloody path for Mu Xuewei. The fight intensified, and the air filled with the "Three Thousand Realms" toxin, which turned to mist when exposed to fire, prompting warnings for everyone to cover their faces. Mu Xuewei, seeing Mu Qingyang severely wounded, desperately pleaded with him not to die, promising to marry him if he lived.
In his last moments, trying to make her smile, he confessed his love for her, a love he had held for many years, before collapsing amidst the fire. At the Prince of Langya's residence, Li Hanyi informed him of the previous night's fire in the south-side alley. She also reported that Tang Lianyue and the Spider Woman had left Tianqi, possibly as a diversion.
Li Hanyi warned that someone was spreading "puppet poison" in Tianqi, but stressed that the true threat was the Dragonseal Scroll. She speculated that if the scroll appeared and named the Prince, yet he refused the throne, it could lead to widespread chaos. She highlighted the precarious situation: the Langya army in the south was struggling, the Emperor was gravely ill, Tianqi's main guardians had been relocated, and his own health was compromised.
With the Imperial Assembly drawing many powerful figures to the capital, she doubted he could contain the chaos. The Prince acknowledged that the Dragonseal Scroll was indeed the most pressing issue, but having searched for it for years without success, he would wait for his enemies to make their move. He planned to intercept and destroy the scroll before it could be revealed at the Imperial Assembly, confidently asserting that he, Xiao Ruofeng, could always maintain order in Tianqi.
Meanwhile, Bai Hehuai and others had found refuge back at the He-Yu Clinic, which they deemed the safest place. They worried about Mu Qingyang's fate, but a subordinate reassured them he possessed many lifesaving abilities. Commander Jia Feng of the Inner Security Division arrived with his troops, stating he was there under the Prince of Langya's orders to protect them. He had already sealed off three nearby alleys, preventing the Jinwu Guard or the Court of Judicial Review from entering.
Bai Hehuai, acting as the Miracle Physician, asked Jia Feng to apprehend the son of Li Xian, the Deputy Commander of the Jinwu Guard, to which Jia Feng readily agreed. Later, Su Muyu awoke to the devastating news that Mu Qingyang and Mu Xuewei had stayed behind in the courtyard and "didn't make it back" from the fire. However, no bodies had been found due to the Jinwu Guard's strict blockade, sparking a slim hope that they might have escaped.
Elsewhere, Tang Lianyue and Mu Yumo located Haoyue, but they were ambushed during the interrogation. Mu Yumo was bitten by a tracking spider, realizing it was the same type from Doom Abyss, and the Spider Woman also appeared at the scene. In the attack, Haoyue was struck by a fatal "snake venom," bidding a poetic farewell before succumbing to the poison.
Tang Lianyue then ordered the Inner Security Division to seal off Fengxi Manor, ensuring that those with special identities caught in the attack could not return to Tianqi City. Xiao Yong received reports of the attack on Fengxi Manor, its sealing by Tang Lianyue, and Lord Haoyue's death by snake venom. He showed no remorse, dismissing them as mere "pieces" whose fate did not concern him.
He instructed his subordinate to let others deal with the "hot potato" and experience panic. Later, in a conversation with his general-uncle, Xiao Yong noted the impending Imperial Assembly would gather all their allies in Tianqi. He believed that with a certain "powerful item," it would be the perfect opportunity to eliminate all their enemies.
He interpreted his father's decision not to detain him after their chess game as tacit approval, believing his father was waiting for a decisive battle between him and the Prince of Langya, which would benefit the Emperor regardless of the outcome. Xiao Yong reflected on his father's "suspicious by nature, loving yet ruthless" character, praising him as a "born to rule" emperor.
He then recounted the day his mother died, the cold palace, and the fake mourning, vowing from that day to prepare to "cut off all injustice," reclaim what was rightfully his, and "stand alone at the pinnacle!" Back at the clinic, Su Muyu was given Mu Qingyang's copper coin, a poignant reminder of his presumed death.
Still grieving the lack of bodies, he instructed the Inner Security Division to inform the Prince of Langya that while he would assist him, Blood River had a blood debt to settle in Tianqi and would not leave until it was avenged, asking the Prince not to interfere if their plans diverged. Mu Yumo returned, shaken by the destruction of the courtyard and the Inner Security Division's presence.
Su Muyu explained the ambush, how he and Su Zhe were too weak to fight after Su Zhe's healing, and how Mu Qingyang and Mu Xuewei stayed to cover their escape, but "didn't make it back." Mu Yumo lamented how they once took comrades' deaths for granted, but now everything felt different, questioning how many more would die on their path. Su Muyu then asked about Su Changhe, learning he had already left seclusion.
Mu Yumo realized Su Changhe had not returned immediately, wondering where he went and if he had ever acted independently without informing Su Muyu. She recalled only one such instance: when Su Changhe tried to kill the former patriarch for the Dormant Dragon Sword, and wondered if Su Changhe "has other plans."
