Ever Night Episode 31 Recap, Plot

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Ning Que sought out his Second Brother, Jun Mo, for a parting gift. Instead of a physical object, Jun Mo offered a riddle: "Vast and mighty, boundlessly wide, soaring to the heavens, so delightful. What is this thing?" After Ning Que's incorrect guesses, including "shit," "will," "courage," and "dream," Jun Mo advised him to find the answer through proper cultivation in the Badlands and to return safely.

Meanwhile, the Sage noted that Li Manman would give Ning Que the gift he most desired. As Ning Que prepared to depart, he visited Blacky, the temperamental horse from the Yulong Gang. Brother Chang, its caretaker, warned of the horse's difficult nature but assured Ning Que that, per the missing Brother Chao's instructions, his affairs were the gang's affairs.

Aware of the dangers of the Badlands from his time in Weicheng, Ning Que expressed confidence but worried about his maid, Sang Sang, during his indefinite absence. Brother Chang promised to ensure her safety. Though they had agreed she would not see him off, Sang Sang rushed to Ning Que, tearfully insisting he take her protective big black umbrella. Ning Que comforted her, urging her to be strong and wait for him at home.

As he departed, both were overcome with emotion, thinking of their shared past, and Ning Que silently vowed to return. The Academy disciples gathered for their journey. Cao Zhifeng addressed them, stating that while the Badlands were harsh, they were the best place for cultivation. He reminded them that they represented the Academy and the State of Tang, competing with elites from other institutions, and commanded them all to return alive. At Huashan Yue's command, the contingent set off.

Concurrently, Wei Guangming arrived in the Tang capital, his presence immediately triggering the Vermilion Bird on Zhuquetian Street, a powerful spiritual phenomenon. Yan Se instantly sensed his arrival. Li Qingshan, the Tang Preceptor, wanted to alert the Emperor and dispatch the Imperial Guard, but Yan Se warned that no force could stop Wei Guangming.

Demonstrating this power, Wei Guangming effortlessly breached both Yan Se's God-Startling Formation and a formidable Formation of Capturement set by the Hierarch, continuing his advance into the city. The Sage also sensed Wei Guangming's arrival but declined Li Manman's suggestion to return and help. The Sage's priority was finding the Butcher and the Drinker, two survivors of the last Eternal Night, believing they held the key to preventing the next one.

He dismissed the concept of the "Son of the Lord of the Deceased," which Wei Guangming was obsessively searching for, as a foolish fabrication. While Li Qingshan tried and failed to locate Wei Guangming, the Emperor of Tang ordered the powerful intruder to be found. In the Badlands, the confident Huang Ren had achieved consecutive victories. However, their Third Elder worried about the State of Tang's true intentions.

Recalling that the Huang Ren had broken a past agreement with Tang, and fearing their invincible cavalry, he resolved to travel to the Tang capital to negotiate, prepared to assassinate the Emperor only if talks failed. As Ning Que's group journeyed on, Mo Shanshan and the disciples from Mochi Garden also made their way to the Badlands. A month passed.

In the capital, a lonely Sang Sang kept house at the Old Brush Pen Shop, often talking to herself as if Ning Que were there. On his journey, Ning Que thought often of Sang Sang and home, especially as he and a companion gazed at the distant Minshan Mountain, where he and Sang Sang had grown up. After a month of inactivity, Wei Guangming remained in the capital.

Li Qingshan and his subordinates deduced that Wei Guangming hadn't found his target. They managed to pinpoint his location to a vicinity of three Sectors and, noting signs he might be preparing to leave, began surveillance, careful not to alert him. Riding in a snowy mountain range, Ning Que inadvertently stumbled upon Mo Shanshan of Mochi Garden as she was preparing to bathe in a hot spring. Her disciples quickly surrounded him.

Claiming to be a Tang man named Zhong Dajun, Ning Que profusely apologized, insisting he was only admiring the scenery and had seen nothing. Recognizing her as the famous "Book-Addict," Ning Que was relieved when she accepted his explanation and his fake name. In the capital, Wei Guangming was eating on the street when his bowl was knocked over. Sang Sang, who was buying food nearby, offered him some of hers.

As he ate, Wei Guangming sensed an extraordinary quality within her and began to follow her discreetly. After eliminating pursuers who were tailing him, he lost track of Sang Sang and decided to wait for her near the cloth shop where he last saw her. Back in the mountains, Mo Shanshan's disciples, eager to sample Tang cuisine, pressed Ning Que to cook for them.

Claiming he was a terrible cook, Ning Que offered them osmanthus cakes as an apology and used the distraction to escape. The Huang Ren Third Elder successfully reached the Tang capital, and Xu Chongshan arranged a clandestine night meeting with Empress Xia Tian. The Third Elder, addressing her as his "Godfather," condemned her for abandoning the Demonic Cult for a life of luxury.

Xia Tian retorted that her life had been difficult and that she'd been unable to fulfill her original mission to assassinate the Tang King because she couldn't bear to see him die. When the Third Elder declared his intent to finish the job, Xia Tian vowed to protect the King at any cost. He threatened to expose her identity as the Saint Virgin of the Demonic Cult, but she was unfazed.

The Third Elder relented, demanding instead that she persuade the King to grant the Huang Ren a path to survival. Xia Tian agreed to try but insisted the final decision was the Emperor's. The Elder decided to remain in the capital to await her answer, prompting Xia Tian to instruct Xu Chongshan to watch him closely. Unbeknownst to them, Li Mingchi observed their secret meeting with great interest.

Episode 30 Recap

Episode 32 Recap