Ever Night Episode 21 Recap
> Ever Night Recap
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Yan Se and Liqing Shan arrive at Ning Que's small study, deeply impressed by the calligraphy adorning its walls. Yan Se praises Ning Que as a rare talent in both calligraphy and talisman-drawing, becoming certain he is the one responsible for the "Blossom in Nirvana" calligraphy. Liqing Shan notes the familiar style, which reminds him of characters in the Emperor's Imperial Study.
They immediately proceed to the Imperial Study, where Yan Se examines the calligraphy and visualizes Ning Que's intense, greedy focus while writing it. Yan Se declares that Ning Que is undoubtedly the author and expresses an urgent desire to recruit him before the Academy does, intending for Ning Que to inherit the legacy of the south branch of Haotian Taoism.
Aware that Ning Que is currently climbing the mountain for the Academy's trial, Yan Se hands his personal token to Liqing Shan's subordinate, authorizing them to use the full authority of the south branch to retrieve Ning Que, even if it means confronting the Academy. Yan Se emphasizes that he has waited eighty years for such a successor and that anyone who stands in their way can be killed.
Ning Que reaches the Gate of Firewood, where he must memorize the four characters carved by the Sage, "君子不器" (A gentleman is not a vessel). The words are profoundly difficult to remember for anyone below the upper Stage of All-Seeing. Despite Yu Lian's repeated prompts, Ning Que struggles to retain the final character, "器" (vessel). In a moment of desperate ingenuity, he carves the character onto his palm with his fingernail and traces it with his own blood.
This unconventional method allows him to pass. While some find his method clever, Jun Mo dismisses it as a shameful trick, prompting a quick defense from Sang Sang. Jun Mo then reveals that Ning Que is not the first to use this tactic; the First Brother resorted to the same method for seventeen years when he lacked the necessary cultivation to open the gate conventionally.
As Ning Que begins his ascent up the final twelve steps, Long Qing, who had already reached the top, suddenly collapses. The climb becomes an unprecedented mental challenge for Ning Que, stirring up a flood of painful childhood memories. Chen Pippi and Jun Mo observe him, discussing the psychological trial he must confront. They note that if he cannot overcome his inner demons, his only alternative would be to "kill" his way through.
During the arduous climb, Ning Que is tormented by visions of the massacre at his general's mansion, led by Xia Hou. Meanwhile, the Sage sits by a lake, patiently waiting for Li Manman (the First Brother) to roast a fish. The Sage remarks that Ning Que is undergoing a profound soul-searching ordeal and needs to endure it a little longer. Ning Que successfully climbs the twelve steps and reaches the top, where he finds Long Qing unconscious.
After a brief surge of satisfaction, Ning Que also collapses from exhaustion. The Sage, having finished his fish, confirms to Li Manman that he made his choice for a successor fifteen years ago and is now waiting to see if Ning Que can truly reach him. When Ning Que awakens, he finds Long Qing is already conscious and waiting, stating that he desires a fair contest, not a victory gained while his opponent was incapacitated.
Yu Lian appears, giving each of them a bamboo sheet. She warns that the final stretch is the most difficult trial of all and that continuing forcefully could cause irreversible harm. She instructs them to crush the bamboo sheet if they cannot go on, which will signify their elimination. As they proceed, Ning Que confesses his envy of Long Qing's noble lineage and innate talent. Long Qing once again expresses his admiration for Sang Sang.
He then enters an illusionary realm where he is questioned about his past actions. Long Qing steadfastly maintains that he has never erred, believing that any deaths he caused were justified. He boasts of being "Haotian's favorite," a beacon of "unlimited light" with an unshakeable heart. Meanwhile, Ning Que finds himself in a world of darkness, facing an illusion of the Sage, who confronts him with a choice between light and darkness.
When forced to relive the choice he made fifteen years ago, Ning Que once again steadfastly chooses to protect Sang Sang and Zhuo'er. Challenged on his pragmatic worldview, Ning Que retorts that he relies on "taller guys" to shoulder heaven-and-earth burdens and that his choices are his own business. Ning Que emerges into a luminous world, only for an illusionary Sang Sang to appear and ask him to choose again.
He immediately identifies her as an impostor, reasoning that the real Sang Sang trusts his judgment and would never force a choice upon him. He points out the differences: the real Sang Sang has a dark complexion and carries a black umbrella, she secretly hides money, and her tone when calling him "Young Master" is habitually disdainful.
The enraged impostor brandishes a saber, but as Ning Que presses her, the illusion shatters, revealing a tree from which half of a water ladle hangs. Elsewhere, Long Qing's illusion presents him with his beloved Lu Chenjia. Believing it necessary to uphold his "righteous path," he kills her. He then kills an illusion of Ye Hongyu in the same manner.
Convinced he has vanquished his inner demons, Long Qing strides forward, only to discover an image of the imprisoned High Priest of Light, Wei Guangming. Realizing his journey was for naught, an enraged Long Qing collapses. He awakens later to find Ning Que already holding the water ladle half. Yu Lian formally declares Long Qing eliminated and announces that the Sage has chosen Ning Que. The senior brothers of the Academy enthusiastically congratulate their new junior brother.
Overwhelmed and exhausted, Ning Que faints. Meanwhile, Liqing Shan informs the Emperor that Ning Que, a royal dark guard and survivor of the Spring Breeze Pavilion incident, is the masterful calligrapher. Liqing Shan suggests that with Yan Se's training, Ning Que could become a great Talisman Master, prompting the Emperor to request a meeting. At the Academy, Yan Se arrives just as the result is delivered.
He tries to snatch the bamboo tube to see the name first, but an announcer intercepts it and publicly declares Ning Que the victor. Princess Li Yu is ecstatic, while State Preceptor Cheng Lixue is furious, suspecting foul play and demanding an investigation. Yan Se also protests loudly, asserting that a mere soldier like Ning Que is unfit for the Second Floor, clearly intending to claim the prodigious young man for his own sect.
