The Journey of Chongzi Episode 7 Recap
> The Journey of Chongzi Recap
Luo Yinfan learned that Chong Zi had left Nanhua Mountain, a revelation that both surprised and angered him, filling him with an ominous sense of foreboding. He was informed by Mu Yu, who had been sent by Councilor Sage Min Yunzhong to tell him to retrieve Chong Zi from Yingzhou. Luo Yinfan questioned why Chong Zi had descended the mountain.
Mu Yu took responsibility, explaining that he thought Chong Zi's recent progress in magical skills made leaving the mountain to gain experience a beneficial endeavor. However, Luo Yinfan expressed deep concern, stating that he couldn't find Wan Jie in Yingzhou and warned Mu Yu that if anything happened to Chong Zi, he would hold Mu Yu accountable. Luo Yinfan then left, traveling day and night to meet Chong Zi.
Meanwhile, Chong Zi was bored in her room at the Changyuan Inn. She apologized to Qin Ke, feeling guilty for involving him in her unauthorized trip, but Qin Ke reassured her that he was willing to help and she shouldn't feel guilty. Chong Zi then suggested going out to buy gifts for her Master and Councilor Sage, hoping to appease their anger.
Qin Ke understood she couldn't stay still and directed her to Shuixin Pavilion in the south, a place known for its excellent spiritual landform where immortals often cultivated their energy. Qin Ke, however, could not accompany her as he had to receive Luo Yinfan.
Before she left, Qin Ke gave Chong Zi a special incense stick made by Kunlun Sect, explaining that if she infused it with her spiritual power, any immortal within a one-li radius (approximately 500 meters) would detect it, offering a means of protection. At Shuixin Pavilion, Chong Zi found the spiritual energy incredibly abundant. To her surprise, she encountered Wan Jie and Gong Keran.
Wan Jie, seemingly distressed by Gong Keran's injuries from being whipped by the immortal sects, asked if she still refused to go with him despite how they had treated her. Gong Keran defiantly asked where they could possibly go. She told him that if he truly wanted to save her, he should die. She questioned if Wang Yue, the Demon Lord, knew his thoughts and warned him that without Wang Yue's acceptance, he would face utter destruction.
Gong Keran firmly stated they could never revert to their past relationship, reminding him that three thousand of her peers had died because of him. Wan Jie argued that they were still alive, but Gong Keran countered that she was no longer the same person she used to be, and he was no longer her senior. She expressed that dying with the others might have been preferable to seeing him "neither human nor ghost."
As Gong Keran continued to reject Wan Jie, declaring that she loved "Chu Bufu who died for righteousness, not you," and that he needed to die to become Chu Bufu again or forever remain Wan Jie, Chong Zi, who had been eavesdropping, discreetly activated the special incense Qin Ke had given her. Wan Jie noticed her. Chong Zi, referring to him as "White-Robed Brother," revealed herself as "Little Chongzi," expressing confusion when he didn't seem to recognize her.
Wan Jie, now aware of her identity, was surprised to find her as Luo Yinfan's disciple. Chong Zi passionately argued that he couldn't be her heroic "White-Robed Brother," but rather the Demon King who had killed him. Wan Jie challenged her to explain the difference between them. Just then, Luo Yinfan arrived, rescuing Chong Zi.
Wan Jie mocked Luo Yinfan for his unusual display of emotion for a disciple, also suggesting that Luo Yinfan and Chong Zi's connection was due to him. He warned Luo Yinfan that no matter his efforts, Chong Zi's inborn evil breath meant she was destined for a different path. After this exchange, Wan Jie took Gong Keran and vanished. Turning to Chong Zi, Luo Yinfan's demeanor was stern as he commanded her to kneel, his anger palpable.
Chong Zi tried to explain her actions, but Luo Yinfan cut her off, refusing her excuses. Qin Ke stepped forward, taking responsibility, but Luo Yinfan dismissed him. Mu Yu also pleaded for Chong Zi, noting her lack of immortal bones and the damp ground. However, Luo Yinfan was resolute, ordering Chong Zi to remain kneeling until she fully understood her mistake, and forbade anyone from accompanying her.
He then sent Qin Ke to his own master for punishment and admonished Mu Yu, reminding him that he had kept Chong Zi isolated to protect her from evil influences and expressed his disappointment in what had happened, reiterating the serious reasons he had taken her as a disciple. Mu Yu acknowledged that Chong Zi could not afford to be in danger but also conveyed Chong Zi's genuine longing for Luo Yinfan.
Chong Zi, though suffering from sore knees after just one day, didn't regret coming down the mountain. She felt her concern for her Master was not wrong, but was more troubled by his coldness than the physical pain. Mu Yu visited her the next day, secretly applying medicine to her knees and reassuring her of Luo Yinfan's affection despite the punishment. Chong Zi, in turn, expressed her willingness to endure the suffering to show her sincere desire to see him.
Later that night, Luo Yinfan watched Chong Zi from a distance. He admitted to himself that he was more afraid than angry—afraid she would become like Wan Jie, afraid she would leave him. Eventually, Chong Zi collapsed from exhaustion. Luo Yinfan rushed to her aid and carried her back. Upon waking, Chong Zi found Luo Yinfan before her. She apologized for her unauthorized descent but insisted she didn't regret it, as she missed him terribly.
She explained that during her punishment, she felt no resentment, only remembering his kindness and their time on Zizhu Peak, and confident that he would never abandon her. She even presented him with immortal fruits from Shuixin Pavilion, intending to make them into lanterns for his desk. Luo Yinfan, moved by her sincerity, affirmed its value above all else.
Chong Zi then made him promise to take her with him wherever he went, vowing never to let him save the world alone. Luo Yinfan simply called her "silly." Elsewhere, Wan Jie told Gong Keran that she was safe and free to leave, promising not to reveal her whereabouts. Gong Keran, however, responded that the isolated location was merely suitable as her "exile place."
Wan Jie argued that since she had left the immortal sect, their relationship shouldn't end this way. Gong Keran asserted the fundamental difference between immortals and demons and dramatically cut a lock of her hair, declaring that as long as he remained a demon, they could never be together. Heartbroken by her rejection, Wan Jie sought out the Demon Lord Wang Yue, asking for a way to remove his demon core.
Wang Yue warned him that the process would be excruciatingly painful and would strip him of all his powers, leaving him unable to practice any magic and existing outside the realms of both immortals and demons. Undeterred, Wan Jie accepted these terms. Wang Yue agreed to help, but only on the condition that Wan Jie first complete a task for him. Back at Chonghua Palace, Luo Yinfan did not explicitly mention further confinement for Chong Zi.
However, Qin Ke was confined for violating rules. Mu Yu also suffered severe punishment; Councilor Sage Min Yunzhong had him whipped, suspended from his position as chief disciple, and ordered him to reflect in Patriarch's Hall. Yan Zhenzhu later informed Chong Zi of these punishments. Chong Zi, feeling immense guilt, believed she should have been punished instead.
Yan Zhenzhu explained that as Luo Yinfan's disciple, Councilor Sage Min Yunzhong could not punish her directly, but needed to make an example, so he punished his own disciple, Mu Yu. Yan Zhenzhu advised Chong Zi not to intervene further. Despite Yan Zhenzhu's advice, Chong Zi felt compelled to help. She visited Qin Ke, bringing him cakes and apologizing for implicating him. They made a pinky swear to always support each other.
Qin Ke, concerned for Mu Yu, gave Chong Zi some Feather Cream, a potent medicine for activating blood and removing stasis, as Councilor Sage had forbidden any medicine for Mu Yu. Chong Zi, though initially fearful of the Tianmo Token, which was kept in Patriarch's Hall, bravely went there, reassuring herself that the token was sealed and just a piece of scrap metal. As she arrived, Mu Yu emerged from the hall. Chong Zi tearfully apologized for causing his punishment.
Mu Yu, his gaze gentle as ever, dismissed it as a minor, temporary setback, and advised her not to anger Luo Yinfan again. Chong Zi offered him the Feather Cream, insisting she hadn't stolen it. Mu Yu told her to take care of herself and return to Zizhu Peak before Luo Yinfan found out, also advising her to avoid Patriarch's Hall to prevent further accusations. Chong Zi, touched, asked why he was so kind to her, feeling undeserving.
Mu Yu simply replied, "Because you're Chong Zi." Returning to Zizhu Peak, Chong Zi immediately confronted Luo Yinfan, asking if her "White-Robed Brother" was Chu Bufu, a name she had heard Gong Keran mention to Wan Jie. Luo Yinfan curtly asked where she heard the name and dismissed its relevance to her. Chong Zi, however, insisted on a connection between Wan Jie, Chu Bufu, and her "White-Robed Brother," noting Wan Jie's familiar appearance.
Luo Yinfan abruptly cut off the conversation, instructing her to rest and announcing that starting tomorrow, she would remain on Zizhu Peak in secluded cultivation to improve her temper, effectively confining her again. Days later, Yan Zhenzhu visited Chong Zi, who complained about her confinement and Luo Yinfan's silence. Yan Zhenzhu explained that Luo Yinfan had told everyone Chong Zi was in secluded cultivation and not to be disturbed.
Chong Zi then revealed she had met Wan Jie at Shuixin Pavilion and felt he strongly resembled her "White-Robed Brother." She also sensed a past connection between Luo Yinfan and Wan Jie, though Luo Yinfan always grew angry when she brought it up. She wondered if "White-Robed Brother" was still alive.
Yan Zhenzhu finally revealed the truth: Wan Jie's surname was Chu, and before he became a demon, he was Chu Bufu, the renowned chief disciple of Changsheng Palace and indeed Chong Zi's "White-Robed Brother." Chong Zi was shocked that they were the same person. Yan Zhenzhu recounted seeing Chu Bufu ten years prior at the Meeting of Immortal Sects, describing him as handsome, elegant, and universally admired for his gentleness.
She then reluctantly shared the story, considered a taboo: after Luo Yinfan obtained the Wufang Pearl, Chu Bufu led three thousand disciples to transport Nilun's Sword to Nanhua Sect for purification. However, all three thousand disciples died overnight, the sword vanished, and then Demon King Wan Jie appeared, rumored to have killed his peers to steal the demon sword.
Chong Zi vehemently refused to believe this, recalling Chu Bufu's kindness to her as a beggar, convinced there was a hidden motive. Yan Zhenzhu conceded there might be a reason, explaining that Wan Jie was later pursued by Changsheng Palace, and Gong Keran was implicated because she and Chu Bufu were a couple in the Immortal World. Chong Zi realized Changsheng Palace might have used Gong Keran as bait to lure Chu Bufu/Wan Jie.
Overwhelmed, Chong Zi asked Yan Zhenzhu to leave her alone for a while, who promised to investigate further. Later, Chong Zi discovered a mirror in her room, recognizing it as Qinghua Palace's most precious treasure. She immediately suspected Zhuo Hao had sent it.
