Bloody Romance Episode 10 Recap
> Bloody Romance Recap
His Highness, accompanied by Yue Ying, Wan Mei, and Chang An, arrived at Xuan Ji Palace, which was built over the profound Death Pond, the very place where His Highness had grown up. He had a vision of his mother, who tasked him with a three-year mission to eradicate the Bloody Lotus Cult, eliminate Yue Qing Ya, and reclaim his throne, warning him that failure would mean he would see her corpse.
Wan Mei found the secluded area beautiful, but Yue Ying cautioned her that the more beautiful a place, the more dangerous it would be. Yue Ying then instructed Wan Mei and Chang An to tie ropes between bamboos in the surrounding forest. Wan Mei, relieved that the mission in such a desolate place likely didn't involve killing, readily agreed, while Chang An promised to ensure her safety.
While securing the ropes, Wan Mei discovered a zither stand made of ancient boxwood. Chang An noted its millennium-old material and intricate design, requiring inner force to play. Believing it belonged to His Highness's mother, Wan Mei playfully plucked a string. Her action, however, inadvertently triggered the Xuan Ji door to close, jeopardizing His Highness's carefully laid plans.
Yue Ying quickly apologized to His Highness for the mishap, but His Highness remained calm, stating it was too late to change anything. He informed Yue Ying that they now had only 24 hours before the Xuan Ji door would seal for a year, and instructed her to prepare while he kept Wan Mei behind to speak with her. His Highness then revealed the history of Xuan Ji Palace, the sacred land of the Bloody Lotus Cult.
It housed not deities, but a "living dead" guardian of the cult's most precious treasure. He explained that every century, by heavenly decree, the Custodian of the Bloody Lotus Cult was tortured into this state, a fate that befell Lan Qin, his own grandmother.
His Highness recounted how his mother, Lan He, was just seven years old when she witnessed Lan Qin's agonizing transformation: three days without water or food, a red bug appearing in her forehead, her hair turning white, and her body becoming immobile before she was placed inside the palace. Lan He spent years thereafter playing her zither by the pond daily, hoping her mother could hear her melodies.
When Lan He was eighteen, her zither playing inadvertently caused the Xuan Ji Palace door to open. She entered, bringing another person with her, an act His Highness lamented as the most foolish thing his mother ever did, as she fell in love and it eventually led to her death.
His Highness then tasked Wan Mei with a new mission: she must navigate the inner Xuan Ji Palace, which was filled with delicate silk threads, to retrieve the Xuan Ji Box from Lan Qin's hands before she fully awoke. He warned her about small bells attached to the threads, which would rouse Lan Qin if touched.
He guided Wan Mei through an initial practice, demonstrating how to use the two blood bugs within her to enhance her agility, explaining their power was equivalent to 20 years of a master's training. Before they entered, His Highness instructed Chang An to protect Wan Mei from the living dead soldiers who would emerge once the door opened, ensuring the mission's success. As midnight struck, Wan Mei and Chang An entered the dark and foreboding Xuan Ji Palace.
Though the silver threads were transparent and only visible by moonlight, Wan Mei accidentally brushed a bell, awakening the living dead guards within. Chang An swiftly engaged the stiff-moving living dead, creating a path for Wan Mei. During the fight, Wan Mei was injured and coughed up blood.
Outside, Yue Ying expressed concern about Wan Mei's ability to complete the task, but His Highness remained confident, asserting Wan Mei's "quick wits when in danger" and her "luck in changing danger into safety," contrasting her adaptability with Yue Ying's stubbornness. Wan Mei, using the techniques His Highness taught her, successfully navigated the silk thread maze. However, in her momentary relief, she slipped and fell into a deep chasm, landing directly in front of Lan Qin.
Lan Qin, with her white hair, was bound to the cliff, holding the radiant Xuan Ji Box. Chang An, still battling guards, threw a tree vine down. Wan Mei grabbed it, supported herself, and took the box from Lan Qin. As she prepared to leave, a single tear fell from Lan Qin's eye. Moved by compassion, Wan Mei impulsively cut Lan Qin's restraints with her sword.
This act fully awakened Lan Qin, who let out a city-shaking scream and lunged towards Wan Mei and Chang An. His Highness arrived just in time, saving them from Lan Qin's overwhelming power. He attempted to destroy the "God Curse" bugs within Lan Qin, which were causing her body to parasitize into blue bones and driving her aggression, but he was overwhelmed and captured.
Just as Lan Qin prepared to strike His Highness, Wan Mei urgently shouted, reminding Lan Qin that His Highness was "the son of Lan He." Hearing her daughter's name, Lan Qin paused, her madness momentarily subsiding. She gently touched His Highness's face, speaking of how she heard Lan He's zither playing every day, even the last one, and how she had endured her suffering because she couldn't bear to leave her daughter motherless.
Wan Mei then gently told Lan Qin that Lan He would not wish for her to continue suffering. Understanding her daughter's true wish, Lan Qin chose to destroy the "God Curse" within herself, ending her long, tormented life. His Highness held his grandmother as she finally found peace. Afterward, His Highness buried Lan Qin, an act that deeply moved him. He then questioned Wan Mei about why she felt compelled to save Lan Qin.
Wan Mei explained it was out of pity, to which His Highness countered that by trying to save her, Wan Mei had inadvertently caused her harm. He emphasized that to truly save those in need, one must first possess supreme power. The next day, on the journey back to Gui Hua City, His Highness insisted on riding in the carriage with Chang An, sending Yue Ying and Wan Mei to drive. He directly questioned Chang An about his origins.
When Chang An was hesitant to reveal his past, His Highness took Chang An's sword and noted a distinct breach on its blade. He deduced that Chang An's sword had fought against the legendary "Gou Yu Sword," a "Sword of the Millennium." He pointed out that while Chang An's sword only suffered a mere breach from the encounter, the Gou Yu Sword itself was "torn into pieces," leaving Chang An visibly stunned.
