Dance of the Phoenix Episode 24 Recap
> Dance of the Phoenix Recap
Zuo Qunluan meticulously cultivated Zhao Ge's doubts about Feng Wu, observing that Feng Wu seemed more lively and open now compared to her past self who kept everything hidden after her father's death. Zuo Qunluan suggested that the many incidents Feng Wu had experienced since coming to the Capital seemed orchestrated rather than coincidental. If the current Feng Wu was indeed an imposter, all these "coincidences" would make sense, implying someone was secretly guiding her for unknown motives.
Zuo Qunluan pressed Zhao Ge to consider that if Feng Wu was a fake, the real Feng Wu's fate—whether she was alive or dead—remained unknown. This line of reasoning finally swayed Zhao Ge, who confessed to seeing Feng Wu talking to the Dragon Phoenix Spirit Ring on her chest.
Zuo Qunluan, seeing her plan unfold, then instructed Zhao Ge to take the ring to an old fairy on Baiding Mountain, a place also known as The Purgatorial Place, located outside the Capital. This old fairy, known for her high spiritual power, specialized in casting out demons and could verify the ring's origin.
Zuo Qunluan emphasized the gravity of the situation if Feng Wu truly was an imposter, hinting at far-reaching implications, and sternly warned Zhao Ge to keep their scheme a secret. This entire setup was a trap concocted by Zuo Qunluan and Holy Queen Gao. Holy Queen Gao had promised to spare Zhao Ge, who was her junior sister's child, but harbored no such mercy for Feng Wu, wishing for her permanent removal.
To ensure no loose ends, Holy Queen Gao also dispatched Lord Demon to Baiding Mountain with orders to "net them all" and kill Feng Wu on the spot if she somehow managed to escape. Meanwhile, Yu Mingye, upon learning of Feng Wu's peril, found himself in a conflicted position.
Lord Demon, his father, reminded him of his past failures due to his feelings for Feng Wu, warning that if his "sympathy" jeopardized their plans again, he would become an "outcast" and neither the Darknight Court nor Lord Demon himself would forgive him.
Yu Mingye, trapped by his lineage and unable to defy his father, lamented that love was "the hardest thing to control in the world" and resigned himself to his "destined fate" as a villain, forever separated from Feng Wu. Feng Wu, having learned from a guard that Zhao Ge had inquired about directions to Baiding Mountain, grew deeply concerned for her friend's safety.
The guard warned her about the mountain, which was said to confine a thousand-year-old Demon Wolf subdued by Mu Jiuzhou, a beast too powerful for anyone else to approach or defeat. Feng Wu hastily made her way there. Before leaving, she instructed Feng Xun to return to the academy and check if Zhao Ge had come back.
If not, Feng Xun was to inform Jun Linyuan that her Dragon Phoenix Spirit Ring was missing and ask him to keep an eye out. Feng Xun found Zhao Ge absent from the academy and relayed the information to Jun Linyuan and Xuan Yi, warning them about the high-ranking spirit beast on Baiding Mountain. Jun Linyuan, realizing the potential danger, declared that they must go and investigate immediately.
Upon reaching Baiding Mountain, Feng Wu found Zhao Ge, not in danger, but in the company of a humanoid demonic beast – a "Wolf Girl." To Feng Wu's surprise, Zhao Ge was bandaging the Wolf Girl's arm and seemed to understand her. Zhao Ge explained that she was a "beast-speaker," capable of understanding the Wolf Girl, who was a thousand-year-old white wolf spirit and had actually saved her.
The Wolf Girl, now trusting Feng Wu as Zhao Ge's friend, transformed into a gentle human form. Feng Wu, noticing the Wolf Girl's old wounds, offered to gather herbs to help heal them. Zhao Ge returned the Dragon Phoenix Spirit Ring to Feng Wu, sincerely apologizing for her earlier suspicions.
Feng Wu, understanding Zhao Ge's predicament, forgave her, saying that since she herself had kept secrets, they were now "even," and encouraged Zhao Ge to always ask her directly if she had doubts in the future. The Wolf Girl reacted strongly to the sight of the Dragon Phoenix Spirit Ring. Zhao Ge translated that the ring belonged to Mu Jiuzhou, who was Feng Wu's master. It became clear that Feng Wu had been communicating with her master through the ring.
Zhao Ge then translated the Wolf Girl's tragic story. The Wolf Girl admitted to having committed "wicked things" but explained the circumstances. She was a white wolf that had cultivated for a thousand years to finally achieve human form. Out of curiosity, she disguised herself as a maid in the Capital's Shen's Mansion. There, she fell in love with Young Master Shen, who taught her to read and write, introducing her to a "new life."
Even after she revealed her true identity, he remained devoted to her. Soon, she became pregnant with his child. However, their forbidden love was discovered by the Shen family, who vehemently opposed it. She was banished, but Young Master Shen secretly promised to meet her at a pavilion on Baiding Mountain in three days. She waited, day after day, for three months, but he never came.
Believing he had regretted his promise, she returned to Shen's Mansion to see him one last time before leaving forever. Instead, she found him dying by suicide, having been confined and unable to keep their appointment. In his last moments, he expressed deep regret for not being with her but found solace in seeing her one last time before dying "without regrets."
Overwhelmed by grief and loss, the Wolf Girl went on a violent rampage, thus becoming the infamous thousand-year Demon Wolf. Mu Jiuzhou later subdued her on Baiding Mountain but, seeing she was pregnant, spared her life. Now, the Wolf Girl lived with her two cubs, the fruit of her love, wishing only to raise them. Moved by her story, Feng Wu went to gather herbs to help the Wolf Girl heal.
As Feng Wu left, Darknight Court forces, including Yu Mingye, were already on Baiding Mountain, setting up a trapping formation to prevent Feng Wu and Zhao Ge from leaving. Jun Linyuan, Feng Xun, and Xuan Yi, having arrived, witnessed the ambush. Feng Xun expressed disbelief that Yu Mingye would target Feng Wu.
Jun Linyuan decided to distract Darknight Court's forces, engaging Yu Mingye, while Feng Xun and Xuan Yi would rush into the mountain to find Feng Wu and Zhao Ge. In the cave, Lord Demon seized the opportunity while Feng Wu was away. He incapacitated Zhao Ge and the Wolf Girl, then cunningly transformed into Feng Wu's likeness. The Wolf Girl, before losing consciousness, saw "Feng Wu."
When Feng Wu returned with the herbs, she discovered Zhao Ge and the Wolf Girl unconscious, and one of the Wolf Girl's cubs tragically dead. The Wolf Girl awoke to see the real Feng Wu holding her deceased cub. Mistaking Feng Wu for the killer, the Wolf Girl, consumed by rage, unleashed her power and attacked Feng Wu. Feng Wu frantically protested her innocence, but the Wolf Girl was inconsolable.
Just then, Feng Xun and Xuan Yi arrived, seeing the chaos. They quickly restrained the enraged Wolf Girl, who, despite being partially restrained, still possessed immense spiritual power. Recognizing the danger, Feng Xun urged a swift departure, emphasizing that the Wolf Girl's power far exceeded any demonic beasts they had previously encountered. They quickly decided to leave the cave with Zhao Ge and Feng Wu for their safety.
