The Journey of Chongzi Episode 16 Recap
> The Journey of Chongzi Recap
Wen Zi discovered irregularities in the Wen family’s account books, noting her Aunt’s unclear records and Wen Yu’s excessive spending. She decided to reclaim control of the family store, but before she could act, Uncle Wen rushed in with grave news: Mr. Wen was dying. Rushing to her father’s side, Wen Zi was overcome with grief. Mr. Wen, on his deathbed, urged her not to be too sad, acknowledging that his time had come.
He revealed that the pendant she wore had been found in her swaddling clothes, suggesting it held clues to her true identity, and expressed his hope that she would uncover her origins. He confessed to seeing that she was no ordinary girl, different from others, and worried about the Wen family’s future without her.
Mr. Wen knew her Aunt and Wen Yu treated Wen Zi poorly, and he implored her to take charge of her own life, assuring her that she must take care of herself after his passing. Wen Zi, heartbroken, promised to fulfill his wishes. As he breathed his last, her Aunt and Wen Yu burst into the room, feigning sorrow. Alone in the ancestral hall, Wen Zi mourned her father.
Meanwhile, in her chambers, Wen Yu was already admiring her engagement gifts. Her Aunt had been busy plotting, convincing Mr. Wu that Wen Zi was a mere foundling, while Wen Yu was the true legitimate daughter. To secure the match, her Aunt promised Mr. Wu free rein to take any of Mr. Wen’s valuable antiques and paintings as Wen Yu’s dowry, knowing he was heavily indebted to the Drunken House and suppressed by his brother.
Soon, carts of family treasures were being loaded. Uncle Wen tried to intervene, but Mr. Wu, asserting his future status as the Wen family’s son-in-law, refused to back down. Wen Zi confronted him, accusing him of plundering her father’s estate so soon after his death. She declared the marriage invalid. Mr. Wu, in turn, insulted her as a "wild girl" and offered to take her as a concubine instead.
Her Aunt then stepped in, claiming Mr. Wu was simply helping to move “sundries,” further infuriating Wen Zi. Her Aunt openly dismissed Wen Zi’s ties to the family, calling her an outsider, and ordered her men to burn Mr. Wen’s cherished books and paintings to demonstrate her authority. As Uncle Wen and Xique bravely tried to protect the family’s belongings, they were brutally beaten. Witnessing their suffering, Wen Zi’s pendant dropped, unleashing a surge of evil breath.
Her eyes turned sharp, her face darkened, and she floated mid-air, striking down all the assailants like a demoness. Uncle Wen quickly grabbed the pendant and pulled a dazed Wen Zi away from the chaotic scene. They fled into the forest and watched as her father’s funeral procession passed. At Mr. Wen’s tomb, Wen Zi bid a final farewell, expressing her inability to protect the family as he had wished, but vowing to live on her own terms.
Uncle Wen blamed himself for the loss of their estate, but Wen Zi comforted him, believing her destiny was not to be ordinary. She announced her decision to seek Nanhua Mountain, hoping to learn spells and become strong enough to protect those she cared for. She also wished to confirm if the sage in the portrait, whom she believed she had met as a child, was truly as magnificent as legends claimed.
Uncle Wen, now convinced of her extraordinary nature, encouraged her journey, promising to remain at her father’s tomb. With a tearful goodbye, Wen Zi set off alone. The mountain paths were confusing, and Wen Zi found herself lost, eventually encountering Wang Yue, who had been observing her. Wang Yue cryptically suggested taking a small path to Nanhua and a big one to Shanyang.
Recalling her father’s warnings about human deception, Wen Zi chose the large path, only to find herself back where she started, realizing Wang Yue had not lied. She regretted not listening to him. Meanwhile, Wang Yue, watching from afar, smirked, certain she would soon have a good master. Soon after, Wen Zi was ambushed by demons and nearly succumbed, but Luo Yinfan appeared just in time, saving her.
He apologized for his delay, suggesting he wished he could have spared her the ordeal. Waking in a secluded courtyard, Wen Zi saw Luo Yinfan nearby, serene and ethereal in white. His presence felt strangely familiar and comforting. Realizing he was Sage Chonghua, she immediately proposed to become his disciple. Luo Yinfan noted her resemblance to his previous disciple, remarking, "Before, you were Chongzi, and now you are Wenzi."
He initially refused, stating that the immortal world demanded sacrifice, but Wen Zi, unwavering, argued that his initial questions showed he implicitly approved. She pledged to give up everything, including her freedom, to follow him. Moved by her determination, Luo Yinfan accepted her. As she performed the ritual, Yunji arrived with medicine. Seeing Wen Zi, Yunji was visibly startled by her striking resemblance to the former Chong Zi.
She confronted Luo Yinfan, urging him not to make the same mistake, fearing public censure. Luo Yinfan, however, brushed off her concerns, stating it was his decision and that Wen Zi was merely an ordinary person he rescued. To further prevent complications, he subtly used a spell to alter Wen Zi’s appearance. Yunji, unable to sway him, expressed her profound disappointment, warning that such a secret could not be hidden forever in Nanhua.
Luo Yinfan simply replied that he had his own methods. He then reassured Wen Zi, telling her to disregard Yunji’s words and to trust and obey only him from that moment on. A shimmering wooden bridge then appeared across a lake, leading directly to the Nanhua mountain gate. Luo Yinfan took Wen Zi’s hand, and they walked toward the distant immortal mountains, their silhouettes long in the twilight.
Upon their arrival at Nanhua, Luo Yinfan immediately announced his new disciple to Min Yunzhong and Yu Du in Liuhe Hall. While initially pleased, their smiles vanished when Luo Yinfan declared he was renaming her "Chong Zi." Min Yunzhong was aghast, strongly advising against using such a controversial name, but Luo Yinfan was resolute, insisting his disciple must bear that name. The others were left stunned and uneasy.
As Luo Yinfan led Chong Zi away, the other disciples watched with a mixture of curiosity and envy, sensing the Sage’s special affection for her. Even Yu Du, despite his powers, could not discern Chong Zi’s true origin, only noting she seemed like an ordinary child without any malevolent aura. Meanwhile, Qin Ke, who had been in secluded cultivation since the original Chong Zi’s death, was greeted by Sima Miaoyuan upon his emergence.
She informed him of Luo Yinfan’s new disciple, also named Chong Zi. The news briefly sparked his anger, but he quickly regained his composure, dismissing it as a mere coincidence of names. He advised Sima Miaoyuan not to dwell on the past, suggesting she too might benefit from seclusion. Luo Yinfan brought Chong Zi to Zizhu Peak and into Chonghua Palace. Chong Zi noticed a sword nailed above the main hall’s door, sparking her curiosity.
Luo Yinfan then settled her in the side hall, where she found a room thoughtfully prepared with paper-cut figures of them on the doorframe and a perfectly fitted set of clothes, marveling at her master’s foresight. Luo Yinfan instructed her to meet him in the main hall in two hours.
