The Journey of Chongzi Episode 32 Recap
> The Journey of Chongzi Recap
Yin Shuixian’s love for Xueling deepened over time, yet whenever she expressed her feelings, Xueling dismissed them as childish play. She confided in a millennium plum tree, hoping it would keep the secret of her desire for an eternal bond with her master. One snowy day, Xueling found her by the tree, playfully chiding her to return indoors and behave, still unaware of her true affections.
Meanwhile, Leng Wanli, having tirelessly worked to become the chief disciple of the Tianshan Sect, approached Xueling to declare his love for Yin Shuixian and seek permission to marry her. Xueling, seeing that both his disciples had grown up and reached an age for marriage, told Leng Wanli that he would not interfere if Yin Shuixian consented.
When Yin Shuixian learned of Leng Wanli’s proposal, she confronted Xueling, questioning why he would ask her to marry her senior when he knew her heart belonged to him. She confessed her long-held feelings, lamenting that he always perceived her as naive. Xueling, trying to rationalize, explained that he saw her and Leng Wanli as compatible, but Yin Shuixian insisted that he only cared about the Tianshan Sect, continuously diminishing her importance in his heart.
She accused him of seeing her as a burden, eager for her to marry and stop "pestering" him. Convinced he detested her, she declared her intent to leave Tianshan. Xueling, startled by her resolve, quickly stopped her, insisting he never saw her as a burden and that she needn't marry if she truly didn't wish to. He then softened his stance, asking her to stay by his side. Overwhelmed with joy, Yin Shuixian kissed him.
Heartbroken and confused by Yin Shuixian’s rejection, Leng Wanli drowned his sorrows in drink. Stumbling through a plum forest, he discovered carvings on a stone beneath a millennium plum tree: "Master & Shuixian, always and forever." The realization of Yin Shuixian and Xueling's secret passion consumed him with fury. He immediately reported Xueling's "indecent" conduct to Lord Lan.
Lord Lan was aghast, chastising Xueling for being distracted by personal affairs when the demon Ni Lun had already shattered the Qingshan Sect and was likely targeting Tianshan next. Yin Shuixian interjected, defending Xueling's dedication to Tianshan and asserting that their relationship would not tarnish the sect's name. She boldly proclaimed her love for Xueling. Xueling, however, silenced her, acknowledging Lord Lan’s concerns.
To safeguard Tianshan’s reputation and focus on the imminent demon invasion, Xueling announced his decision to expel Yin Shuixian from the sect, promising to address their situation after Ni Lun was defeated. Yin Shuixian was devastated, but Xueling's resolve was unyielding. He explained that Ni Lun had cultivated a Celestial Demon body, and while Tianshan was a major sect, few possessed deep magical abilities.
He himself needed to cultivate the final level of Falling Plum Chant alone, and her presence made him unable to concentrate. With a heavy heart, Yin Shuixian departed Tianshan. During his perilous cultivation, Xueling reached the cusp of mastering Falling Plum Chant but suffered a severe injury, his spirit energy running wild and damaging his meridians.
The demon horde, led by Ni Lun, launched a ferocious attack, aiming to breach the barrier of the six realms from the seabed of Wanyu Sea directly into Tianshan. Xueling realized the battle would be grim and could only stall for half an hour. He ordered Lord Lan and the others to swiftly seek reinforcements from Changsheng and Nanhua. Yin Shuixian, having returned, defiantly questioned why Xueling always had to be at the forefront, implying others were useless.
Lord Lan reproached her, but Xueling intervened, clarifying he was merely buying time for reinforcements, and asked Lord Lan to not fault Yin Shuixian as she was no longer a Tianshan disciple. Xueling then confronted Ni Lun’s thousands of demons alone, vowing to eradicate them all. As the battle intensified, Ni Lun taunted Xueling, stating he had reached his limit.
Seeing Xueling in dire straits, Yin Shuixian desperately cried out, warning him not to use the Illusion Stone, which would devour his immortal soul. However, with reinforcements still absent, Xueling knew he could not wait any longer. Declaring his duty to Tianshan, he activated the Illusion Stone, sacrificing himself to protect the sect. In his final moments, Xueling looked at Yin Shuixian and uttered his last words: “Shuixian, in this life, I am sorry for you only.”
Yin Shuixian knelt in the snow, weeping for her master. Chong Zi, upon hearing this tragic history, finally understood Yin Shuixian’s profound hatred for the Tianshan Sect and her transformation into a demon. She wondered how Xueling, whose immortal soul was devoured by the Illusion Stone, could have reappeared in the Mortal World alongside Yin Shuixian.
Later, Wang Yue appeared to Yin Shuixian, mockingly recounting how Xueling fought alone against Ni Lun, abandoned by his fellow immortals who never sent the promised reinforcements. Yin Shuixian, however, defended Xueling's righteous nature, asserting he would have fought valiantly regardless of aid. Wang Yue then offered to revive Xueling, but only if Yin Shuixian agreed to a condition. Without hesitation, Yin Shuixian accepted, vowing to do anything to bring her master back.
Wang Yue explained that Xueling, being a half-immortal, possessed an indestructible body, with a remnant of his soul still bound within it. Yin Shuixian's task was to steal his body, after which Wang Yue would restore his soul. With the help of Mengji, Yin Shuixian successfully retrieved Xueling's body.
Wang Yue resurrected him, but Xueling's soul was severely damaged, and he had lost all his memories, returning as a mere mortal who required Yin Shuixian’s cultivation and spiritual energy to sustain his life. In return for reviving Xueling, Yin Shuixian pledged her loyalty to Wang Yue and joined the Demon World as a Protector. When Xueling finally awoke, disoriented and unaware of his identity or past, Yin Shuixian introduced herself as his wife.
In the years that followed, Yin Shuixian remained devoted to Xueling, but his memories eventually returned. Confronted with the truth—that his disciple had become his wife and that she had embraced demonhood to save him—Xueling struggled to accept it. He acknowledged her immense sacrifices and suffering but asked for time to process his new reality. Distraught, Yin Shuixian sought solace with Chong Zi.
She revealed that she had always seen Chong Zi's unspoken yearning for Luo Yinfan, especially on the night of Chong Zi's wedding. Yin Shuixian reminded Chong Zi that Luo Yinfan's extraordinary devotion and actions for her had often astonished the six realms, and she urged Chong Zi to acknowledge and cherish her feelings. Chong Zi admitted her fear that Luo Yinfan’s impulsive decision was merely an illusion, worried about being abandoned again.
Just then, a message arrived from Luo Yinfan, inviting Chong Zi to meet him at Xichun Restaurant in three days, where he promised a future devoid of titles, only Luo Yinfan and Chong Zi. Concurrently, at the Ancestral Hall, Luo Yinfan announced his decision to resign from his positions as immortal sect chief and Nanhua Protector, intending to dedicate himself to cultivating the Mirror Heart Skill and living with Chong Zi.
Min Yunzhong and Yu Du were stunned, pleading with him not to abandon his duties and risk chaos in the six realms. Luo Yinfan firmly stated that the stability of the six realms over centuries was a collective effort, not solely his, and pledged his assistance should the immortal sect truly need him. Min Yunzhong accused Luo Yinfan of succumbing to "delusional thoughts" for Chong Zi, warning of catastrophic consequences for immortal practitioners.
Luo Yinfan countered that delusion itself was a form of practice and should not be confined by worldly definitions; accepting it naturally and letting it run its course was the true path to mastering the Mirror Heart Skill. With that, he left, proclaiming he was no longer Nanhua Protector and would bear all consequences alone. Before Chong Zi's departure, Tian Zhixie confronted her, trying to dissuade her.
He questioned the worth of abandoning the Demon World for Luo Yinfan, speculating about future betrayals and the immortal sects' vicious attempts to tear them apart. He warned that she might ultimately sacrifice herself to protect Luo Yinfan. Chong Zi, though acknowledging the validity of his warnings, declared her intention to take this gamble. She then released Tian Zhixie from his duties, asking him to forget her.
Tian Zhixie, however, promised he would never forget her, affirming her eternal status as his Young Master, even as Chong Zi resolved to forget everything in the Demon World. Meanwhile, Min Yunzhong and Yu Du fretted over Luo Yinfan’s decision. Ting Xue arrived, revealing that Luo Yinfan had been afflicted by Heart Poison, a fact she learned from her close association with Miss Zhuo, who had been researching its antidote.
Min Yunzhong realized that Luo Yinfan’s unusual behavior stemmed from this external influence. He concluded that as long as Chong Zi was alive and the Heart Poison lingered, they were powerless. Ting Xue argued that Luo Yinfan’s righteous character wouldn't allow him to forsake the six realms for a demon. Min Yunzhong then presented Yu Du with a vial of Tears of Phoenix, an elixir capable of making one forget their deepest love.
He proposed using it to make Luo Yinfan forget Chong Zi, believing this was the only way to restore him to his former "invincible" self, as Heart Poison only ravaged those with love in their hearts. Though Yu Du expressed hesitation, Min Yunzhong reassured him, promising to take full responsibility, and reiterated that Nanhua and the immortal sects could not afford to lose Luo Yinfan.
Resolved, Yu Du joined Luo Yinfan to bid him farewell, subtly adding the Tears of Phoenix to his wine as they toasted. Unbeknownst to them, Wang Yue discussed Chong Zi’s fate with Tian Zhixie, observing that despite her past suffering, Chong Zi readily forgot it all for a mere gesture of affection from Luo Yinfan. He mused that Chong Zi was stubbornly heading for another heartbreak, and that some things were destined from the moment she left.
Wang Yue believed that an emotionally desperate person could only awaken to reality on her own, otherwise, she would face a blind alley. Tian Zhixie, though wary of Wang Yue's words, warned him against manipulating Chong Zi, threatening severe consequences if he interfered. Wang Yue promised not to act, asserting that destiny would unfold regardless.
