Dance of the Phoenix Episode 20 Recap
> Dance of the Phoenix Recap
The Holy Sovereign's promise to Jun Linyuan, allowing Feng Wu to become his spiritual consort if she recovers her Phoenix Blood, effectively stripped Zuo Qingluan of her arranged marriage opportunity. This setback was a bitter pill for Zuo Qingluan, a highly acclaimed goddess of the Celestial Palace, who had been raised with immense expectations. Her master had recently chided her for making mistakes in practice, urging her to be the Celestial Palace's best disciple to bring it glory.
Her junior sister, Zhao Ge, also expressed concern for Zuo Qingluan, reminding her that the Palace leader had placed high hopes on her. Later, Holy Queen Gao confronted Zuo Qingluan, reflecting on her sudden fall from grace and comparing it to Feng Wu's years of suffering after Zuo Qingluan took her Phoenix Blood. Holy Queen Gao pragmatically stated that in this world, nothing is inherently destined for anyone; it belongs to whoever can seize it.
Zuo Qingluan, in turn, declared she would never again allow anyone to take what was hers, readily aligning herself with Holy Queen Gao and admitting that her motivation was not love for Jun Linyuan, but simply the thrill of winning. Meanwhile, Feng Wu's spiritual companion, the Colored Phoenix, sensing intense vibrations, urgently conveyed a warning. It predicted the imminent appearance of the second Star Shard and foretold that significant events were about to unfold at Junwu Academy.
Emphasizing the accuracy of its intuition, the Colored Phoenix urged Feng Wu to remain highly vigilant and offered its assistance should the need arise. As the annual Lantern Festival approached, Zhao Ge suggested that Feng Wu write a letter to Jun Linyuan, just as she planned to write to Xuan Yi. It was customary for women to send such invitations, and a man's attendance signified mutual interest.
Despite Jun Linyuan's public declaration for Feng Wu, she had yet to formally express her feelings. However, upon seeing a large stack of letters already on Jun Linyuan's desk, Feng Wu felt disheartened, believing her own would be lost among them, and decided against sending one. Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Ge, in her haste, inadvertently placed her letter intended for Xuan Yi into a book on his desk which actually belonged to Feng Xun.
Discovering the letter, Feng Xun mistakenly believed Zhao Ge was infatuated with him. Puffing with pride, he boasted to Jun Linyuan and Xuan Yi about his undeniable charm, blissfully unaware of Xuan Yi's growing jealousy and silent frustration. Jun Linyuan, however, was too preoccupied with Feng Wu's apparent lack of interest in writing to him to pay much mind to Feng Xun's boasting.
Despite Feng Wu’s recent attempts to distance herself and then an improvement in their relationship after practicing sword fighting together, she remained "neither hostile nor friendly." Concluding that he needed to be more direct, Jun Linyuan resolved to seek her out himself. Feng Wu, meanwhile, decided to stay in, citing unfinished herb preparation, and encouraged Zhao Ge to enjoy the festival with Xuan Yi.
Later that evening, Feng Xun, dressed in new clothes, excitedly arrived at the festival to meet Zhao Ge, assuming she had been waiting for him. Zhao Ge, bewildered, tried to explain her confusion. Just then, Xuan Yi also appeared. Feng Xun, completely oblivious to Xuan Yi's true intentions, cheerfully welcomed him and suggested they all enjoy the festivities together.
As Feng Xun became engrossed in the lively atmosphere, Xuan Yi subtly drew Zhao Ge closer, their unspoken feelings for each other becoming increasingly evident amidst the bustling crowd. Jun Linyuan's plan to meet Feng Wu was abruptly interrupted when Zuo Qingluan stopped him, informing him that the Holy Sovereign had collapsed. Rushing to the Junwu Divine Hall, Jun Linyuan found Holy Queen Gao and Dean Ning already present.
Dean Ning publicly assured everyone that the Holy Sovereign was merely overworked from fasting and meditation. However, a discreet exchange of glances between Dean Ning and Jun Linyuan hinted at a more serious underlying issue. Jun Linyuan used the pretense of escorting Dean Ning out to speak with him privately. During their private conversation, Dean Ning revealed that the Holy Sovereign's spiritual energy was mysteriously dissipating due to an external force. This was a rare and alarming condition.
While he needed to consult ancient texts for confirmation, Dean Ning suspected the presence of the Spirit Waning Herb, a rare plant from the West Region known to cause such symptoms if ingested. This implied deliberate harm against the Holy Sovereign. Dean Ning advised Jun Linyuan to stay by the Holy Sovereign's side until he awoke, to prevent any further attempts on his life. Unknown to them, Zuo Qingluan had secretly overheard their entire conversation.
Holy Queen Gao, upon learning that her long-term scheme had been compromised due to Cailin’s carelessness, acted swiftly and ruthlessly. She confronted Cailin, reminding her of their three-year-long arrangement and her true allegiance. Cailin tearfully confessed that the Holy Sovereign, eager to enhance his cultivation, had insisted on taking multiple "elixirs" at once, and she had failed to stop him, leading to an accelerated effect that exposed the plot.
Enraged that her plan, which was designed to manifest slowly over three to five years without a trace, was ruined, Holy Queen Gao had Gao Wei execute Cailin, making it appear as a suicide. She then produced a forged suicide note, implicating Cailin in a conspiracy with external forces to poison the Holy Sovereign and suggesting an accomplice within Junwu Academy. Jun Linyuan immediately doubted the credibility of a mere maid orchestrating such a complex plot.
However, Holy Queen Gao, asserting her authority, dismissed his skepticism and commanded Gao Wei to assemble all cultivators of Senior-rank spiritual practitioner and above in Xuanwu Hall for questioning, ostensibly to uncover the deeper conspiracy. She then instructed Jun Linyuan to remain by the Holy Sovereign's side, while she would handle the rest.
Zuo Qingluan, who had lingered, claimed she was staying out of concern for the Holy Sovereign and to assist Jun Linyuan, a move clearly intended to keep an eye on him. Jun Linyuan, giving her a cold reception, tried to dismiss her, but Holy Queen Gao insisted she stay. After Holy Queen Gao left, Zuo Qingluan made it clear to Jun Linyuan that they had their own tasks and would not interfere with each other. This exchange confirmed Jun Linyuan's suspicion that Zuo Qingluan's true ambition extended beyond simply becoming his spiritual consort.
