Bloody Romance Episode 9 Recap
> Bloody Romance Recap
At the entrance to Ting Zhu House, Wan Mei appeared to block Cha Luo and Xing Feng, claiming the Prince was unwell and asleep. She insisted she was there on his summons to discuss mission details and that her current attire was a non-negotiable requirement of Ting Zhu House.
When Cha Luo attempted to force her way in, Wan Mei, feigning to relay the Prince’s words, warned that if Cha Luo persisted, Xing Feng might see her beautiful face for the very last time. Though enraged, Cha Luo and Xing Feng were compelled to withdraw. Outside, Xing Feng confronted Cha Luo, questioning why they didn't fight given the Prince's apparent illness. Cha Luo admitted the Prince's threat had genuinely scared her.
Xing Feng then suggested they contact Yue Qingya, the imperial preceptor, as he was "half a hitman" and should be approachable for a meeting. Cha Luo expressed her frustration with their continuous suffering. The next morning, the Prince awoke to find Wan Mei kneeling before him, pleading for Chang An's protection.
Curious as to how she had managed to scare Cha Luo and Xing Feng away, the Prince listened as Wan Mei explained she had claimed he summoned her to "take care" of him. The Prince accepted this, reasoning that Chang An's presence was natural if Wan Mei was attending him. He granted protection to Chang An and allowed them both to leave, even suggesting they use Yue Ying's clothes if needed.
When Wan Mei expressed concern for his well-being, the Prince reassured her, stating he was fine and that he would reward her in three days at Bi An Palace for saving his life. The Prince then revealed a secret to Wan Mei: his eyesight had recovered, a fact known only to him and Yue Ying, and he asked her to keep it hidden, even from Chang An.
Back at their residence, Wan Mei informed Chang An that the Prince had dismissed the case against him. Their conversation was interrupted by Wan Xiang, who, with an air of feigned friendliness, subtly revealed she knew about Wan Mei and Chang An playing on the swing together, an intimate act forbidden to assassins and their shadows. Chang An recognized Wan Xiang's words as a strategic warning rather than a direct accusation.
He impressed upon Wan Mei the immediate need to conceal his assassination attempt wounds by inflicting new, superficial injuries. Unable to hurt him herself, Wan Mei watched heartbroken as Chang An deliberately caused himself more pain, explaining that shadows were hardened to such suffering from the initial beatings they endured upon entering Gui Hua City. Wan Mei then asked if his attack on Cha Luo was solely to help her escape.
Chang An disclosed his true identity as Xie Huan, a former horsekeeper for the renowned Xie family of sword makers. He recounted how Cha Luo had brutally massacred his entire adopted family, including women and children, in pursuit of a "No Word Letter"—an ancient, powerful iron decree once belonging to Empress Wu Zetian.
He explained that his master, Xie Tingyun, had saved him from homelessness, given him a name, and taught him martial arts, making him a true member of the Xie family. Chang An declared that his sole purpose in Gui Hua City was to avenge his family's destruction. Two days later, Wan Mei joined the Prince at the Wang Sheng Pool, which the Prince revealed was built by his mother and mirrored a pool in Xuan Ji Forest in Southern Jiang.
As the Prince played the xiao, Wan Mei, with basic zither skills taught by Chang An, accompanied him. During her playing, deep-seated emotions from her past resurfaced, causing her music to become chaotic and a string to snap. She then fainted. She awoke in the Prince's embrace, who explained he was not romantically inclined towards her but was transferring two powerful "blood witchcraft" artifacts to her, which would increase her power by ten years.
He noted her current weakness, unable to bear even one such artifact. The Prince remarked on Wan Mei's rare combination of soft-heartedness and bad temper. He revealed that his flageolet playing had compelled her to expose her deepest desires, and the fluorescent witchcraft she summoned reflected her longing for power and to "overlook others." Shortly after, Yue Ying arrived, expressing concern for the Prince after Cha Luo's attack on Ting Zhu House.
The Prince explained that Wan Mei and Chang An had bluffed Cha Luo away while he was incapacitated by a heart attack. He then clarified his true motive for bestowing the blood witchcraft upon Wan Mei: to use her as a means to instigate a "civil war" within Gui Hua City, which he believed was the best way to distract Cha Luo. He stated that if Wan Mei failed, he would lose nothing.
The Prince further revealed to Yue Ying that he had discerned Wan Mei's affection for Chang An, a grave felony in Gui Hua City, especially in Cha Luo's eyes. He tasked Yue Ying with investigating Chang An's identity due to his prior assassination attempt on Cha Luo. Yue Ying, observing the Prince's actions, noted his repeated breaking of rules for Wan Mei, which she interpreted as a sign of his deep fondness for her.
She also informed the Prince that her previous investigation of Wan Mei’s blood, prompted by Wan Mei’s unusual ability to attract low-grade witchcraft, had confirmed the presence of "Nine Lives," a powerful mother witchcraft, though she was mystified as to how Wan Mei had ingested it. Concerned for the Prince's deteriorating health, Yue Ying inquired how much longer he had to live.
He stoically replied that he might have five or six years if he avoided anger and rested well, but only three if he continued to exert himself. Yue Ying, consumed by guilt, swore to find the "Nine Lives" to cure him, but the Prince remained resigned, unwilling to harbor unrealistic hopes after months of fruitless searching. The following day, Wan Mei awoke feeling invigorated by the blood witchcraft.
While chatting with Chang An, she reminisced about her impoverished childhood, including humorous tales of catching water snakes and cooking heather flowers and cicadas. She then declared her decision to abandon any thoughts of leaving Gui Hua City, resolute in her desire to remain by Chang An's side to help him fulfill his mission, even if it meant sharing his fate.
Their conversation was interrupted by Yue Ying, who arrived to inform them of a new mission to Southern Jiang, to be paid for by Ting Zhu House. Noticing their closeness, Yue Ying cautioned Wan Mei by recounting the story of Cha Luo's shadow, Xing Feng, who was subjected to an "Anti-sex" witchcraft by Yue Ying's former master, Lan He, rendering him impotent. She warned Wan Mei to be vigilant to prevent Chang An from suffering a similar fate.
Meanwhile, Cha Luo secretly met with Yue Qingya, who expressed his concern about the discreet nature of their meeting, fearing eavesdroppers. He questioned the continued necessity of Gui Hua City's existence, asserting it was merely Empress Wu Zetian's "secret agency" established for the former emperor's amusement. Cha Luo countered that it was the late emperor's unbreakable dying wish. She then asked if Yue Qingya was threatening her, emphasizing the strategic importance of the Prince's residence in Ting Zhu House.
Yue Qingya confirmed that was why he agreed to meet, adding that he always accurately sensed danger, and the Prince posed a significant threat. Cha Luo, desiring directness, demanded to know everything about the Prince. Yue Qingya agreed to gather the information but probed what he would gain.
Cha Luo implied that Yue Qingya knew her true desires, leading him to declare that from that moment, only Chui Xing Tower would remain in Gui Hua City, signifying Ting Zhu House's demise. The Prince, Wan Mei, and Chang An subsequently arrived at the real Death Pond in Xuan Ji Forest, Southern Jiang.
