Dance of the Phoenix Episode 8 Recap
> Dance of the Phoenix Recap
Zuo Qingluan, under the guise of teaching Feng Wu sword skills, subtly probed her. Feng Wu, however, showed no signs of resentment despite her futile attempts at cultivation. Instead, she apologized for wasting Zuo Qingluan's time, remarking that she must truly lack talent to not even learn a single move. Seeing this, Zuo Qingluan was finally convinced that Feng Wu had indeed lost all her memories and cultivation base.
Shortly after, Zuo Qingluan's Master from the Biluo Palace summoned her back to the Capital to meet an important person. Zuo Qingluan expressed her inner thoughts, believing Feng Wu to be a hindrance to her goals, and departed, leaving Feng Wu alone by the river. Feng Wu, lamenting the difficulty of cultivation, tried to summon her Colored Phoenix, but it ignored her.
Jun Linyuan, who had come looking for her, mocked her for her slow progress, stating she would "never be able to master it" if she continued practicing that way. Despite his harsh words, Jun Linyuan demonstrated some swordplay and even took Feng Wu flying with his sword. Their moment was interrupted by Qiu Ling, who arrived in a panic, exclaiming that Feng Yiran had arranged a marriage for Feng Wu.
Feng Wu, furious, rushed back to the estate with Qiu Ling to stop Feng Yiran's absurd plan. Upon Feng Wu's return, Feng Yiran initially feigned apology to Feng Wu's aunt for Feng Liu's past transgressions, presenting gifts and speaking of his father's instructions to care for them. He then revealed his true purpose, stating he had found a "good match" for Feng Wu. Feng Wu confronted Feng Yiran, asserting that her marriage was "not up to you to decide."
Feng Yiran tried to justify his actions, but Feng Wu defiantly declared herself the rightful heir of the Feng family and warned him against making decisions for her. Feng Liu then arrived, criticizing Feng Yiran for being servile and shaming the Feng family. She challenged Feng Wu to a duel, citing family rules and questioning Feng Wu's status as heir, demanding the Phoenix Sword if Feng Wu lost. Feng Wu accepted, despite having no spiritual power.
Feng Xun and Xuan Yi attempted to intervene but were stopped by Feng Yiran, who insisted it was "the Feng family's business." Xuan Yi urged Feng Xun to remain calm, suggesting they only intervene if Feng Wu was truly in danger. As Feng Liu attacked Feng Wu with murderous intent, shouting "Go to hell!" , a half-drop of Phoenix Blood belonging to Mu Jiuzhou suddenly manifested within Feng Wu, and the Phoenix Sword responded to its call.
With a single swing of the sword, Feng Wu struck Feng Liu, who fell to the ground, spitting blood. However, Feng Wu also coughed up blood and collapsed. Feng Xun and Xuan Yi, who had witnessed the event, discussed how bizarre it was. They speculated that Feng Wu was actually Feng Xiaowu, a fact they believed she had been hiding, and noted the strange energy she exuded during the fight, remarking that it felt like "someone else" was present.
They resolved to question her once she awoke. After a brief unconsciousness, Feng Wu regained awareness and slipped away to Old Man Ba's residence. Old Man Ba had successfully refined the Nine Transformation Spirit Restoration Pill and presented it to Feng Wu, who dutifully consumed it. Just as she finished, Yu Mingye suddenly appeared. He addressed her as "Feng Xiaowu," revealing he knew her true identity after learning it from Jun Linyuan.
Feng Wu realized that Jun Linyuan had long suspected her, but with the pill now consumed, there was no turning back. Jun Linyuan then arrived, confirming he had suspected Feng Wu was Feng Xiaowu for a long time. He stated he wasn't angry about the stolen Celestial Fruit since it was already consumed, but he pressed her about her relationship with Darknight Court.
Feng Wu denied any connection, but with Yu Mingye present and openly showing concern for her, she felt unable to explain herself. Yu Mingye, seemingly deliberately, flirted with Feng Wu and then took her away right in front of Jun Linyuan. Infuriated, Jun Linyuan suffered an onset of the Loveless Insect Venom and retreated to the riverbank to heal himself. Evading Jun Linyuan, Feng Wu and Yu Mingye encountered a young boy being bullied.
Yu Mingye urged the boy to "be strong enough" to resist, as "the strong prey on the weak." Feng Wu, however, offered a different perspective, explaining that strength should be used "to create and protect things we cherish most," and that if "violence is met with violence, we'll be the same as people we hate."
Hearing this, Yu Mingye was lost in thought, flashing back to when he was forced to kill his childhood companion, Xiaokong, to secure his position as heir of Darknight Court. He questioned for the first time whether his power had been properly used. After comforting the boy, Feng Wu felt a summons from the Colored Phoenix and quickly bid farewell to Yu Mingye.
The Colored Phoenix informed Feng Wu that while her Master was in a deep sleep, his subconscious had protected her when she was in danger. It then revealed that it had used its own spiritual energy to clear her meridians, making her a junior-rank spiritual practitioner. Feng Wu was thrilled to learn she could finally resume cultivation and one day become a Great Spiritual Master again.
She playfully imagined using her power for mundane tasks, prompting the Colored Phoenix to warn her against abusing it. Meanwhile, Yu Mingye encountered Jun Linyuan by the river. Jun Linyuan, agitated, demanded to know Feng Wu's whereabouts. Without using their spiritual powers, they engaged in a physical brawl. After several rounds, both were bruised and locked in a stalemate. Only after Yu Mingye confirmed that Feng Wu had safely returned did they release each other.
Observing Jun Linyuan's intense concern, Yu Mingye concluded that he had strong feelings for Feng Wu. He then provocatively stated that since their engagement was not publicly known, everyone assumed it was broken, making Feng Wu a free woman, and declared he would win her affections. Later, when Feng Xun mentioned Feng Wu, Jun Linyuan's Loveless Insect Venom acted up, causing him to warn Feng Xun never to mention her again.
Back at the Feng family, Feng Yiran and Feng Liu were determined to see Jun Linyuan punish Feng Wu for stealing the Celestial Fruit. However, Jun Linyuan had no such intention, understanding she only sought to regain her cultivation. Since the fruit was meant as a birthday gift for the Holy Sovereign, he asked Feng Wu to conceive a suitable gift as "compensation."
Feng Wu proposed "collecting wishes" from the common people, having them write birthday messages to be carried to the Capital by carrier pigeons. The initiative was widely popular due to Feng Wu's good reputation. The Holy Sovereign was delighted by the heartfelt gift, spending the entire day reading the notes. Feng Wu later apologized to Jun Linyuan, who told her he'd be glad "as long as you stay away from Yu Mingye."
