Ever Night Season 2 Episode 29 Recap
> Ever Night Season 2 Recap
Chen Pipi knelt sadly at Zhishou Temple, praying to Fuzi to protect Tang State and the Academy, and longing for his eldest senior brother, second senior brother, third senior sister, and Tang Xiaotang. Ye Qing, who was about to depart for Qingxia, advised Chen Pipi to stay in the temple and abandon his futile efforts, as Tang's downfall was already sealed.
Meanwhile, in the Tang palace, foreign envoys provocatively declared that the world was crusading against Tang, and fighting would lead to destruction, while surrender offered a slim chance of survival. Young Li Hupo, with his mother Xia Tian hidden behind a screen for support, bravely declared that Tang would fight. Xia Tian encouraged him to trust Tang, the Academy, the Tang Army, and his people.
Though worried for the innocent civilians, Li Hupo promised to govern benevolently, reduce taxes, and let the people live in peace after the war. Xia Tian was deeply moved by his compassionate heart, praising him as a good king. Li Hupo then asked for Ning Que, learning he had returned to the Academy to visit his senior brothers and sisters. Later, Xia Tian and Li Hupo sat on the steps, where Xia Tian peeled pine nuts for him.
Li Hupo recalled his father, Li Zhongyi, often doing the same for his mother, and vowed to be there for her, a gesture that brought Xia Tian to tears. Back at the Academy, Ning Que found the back hill empty. He eventually met his Third Sister Yu Lian, Fifth Brother Song Qian, and Eighth Brother by the river. They were delighted to see him.
Ning Que learned that Chen Pipi had returned to Zhishou Temple, and the other disciples had gone to defend Tang's territories. He realized that even those who had never left the back hill were now forced to join the front lines. Ning Que revealed his primary purpose in returning was to retrieve the formation key. Yu Lian produced it, explaining that the key had several cracks that were continually expanding, indicating that the God-Startling Formation might have been deliberately damaged.
She urged Ning Que to repair the formation quickly, as it was Tang's last defense, and gave him a detailed map painstakingly drawn by Slow Li to aid his efforts. During a court session, Zeng Jing reported the dire war situation: multiple nations were attacking Tang, with cultivators like Qi Nian from the Xuan Kong School, Divine Adjudicator Ye Hongyu, and Sword Saint Liu Bai from the Southern Jin Sword Pavilion joining the fray, causing alarm among the officials.
Li Hupo quickly silenced them. Zeng Jing continued, noting the positive news that Chao Xiaoshu had assembled a volunteer army with the Brave Cavalry soldiers and local people in the northern borders, slowing the enemy's advance and buying precious time for the capital's defense. When an official criticized the Academy for its perceived inaction, Ning Que, who had just arrived, stepped forward.
He declared that the Academy had its own principles, affirming its unwavering commitment as "Tang's Academy" to protect Tang and that they would never abandon their duty out of fear. Ning Que then requested a private discussion with Li Hupo, who adjourned the session. Ning Que immediately led Li Hupo and Xia Tian to the God-Startling Formation's control room. He activated the formation with the key and showed Li Hupo a map drawn by Slow Li.
Li Hupo noticed that the marked locations on the map perfectly matched the weak points of the God-Startling Formation. Xia Tian surmised the map was drawn by the Academy's masters. Ning Que passionately explained that while many in Tang doubted the Academy, they were unaware of its silent contributions.
When cracks appeared in the formation key and the formation began to weaken, Slow Li worked tirelessly for over ten days, traversing every corner of the entire city, searching for anomalies in the Heaven and Earth Qi, marking them, and proposing solutions. However, Slow Li's plans could only slow the formation's decline, not resolve the fundamental issue, necessitating an urgent search for the root cause.
Xia Tian suspected He Mingchi's involvement, which Ning Que conceded was possible but unlikely given the extent of the damage. Fearing for Xia Tian's safety, Li Hupo suggested she seek refuge at the Academy's back hill, but Xia Tian refused to leave him, proclaiming that with Ning Que and the Academy, the capital would remain an unbreakable city. Ning Que then recounted the deployment of the Academy's disciples.
Before leaving, Slow Li had gathered them, advising non-Tang disciples to return to their home countries to avoid fighting their own people. However, they all insisted on staying, considering the Academy their true home and expressing willingness to follow Jun Mo to the battlefield.
Slow Li then assigned Third Sister Yu Lian, Fifth Brother Song Qian, and Eighth Brother to remain at the Academy to guard the formation key against Xiong Chumo, while the other disciples (Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh) followed Jun Mo to Qingxia. Slow Li, preferring to fight alone, departed separately. Everyone prepared separately and set off the next morning.
True to expectations, Xiong Chumo and his West Ling cavalry soon arrived at the Academy, with Xiong Chumo proclaiming that its beauty would soon be no more. Fifth Brother Song Qian and Eighth Brother calmly sat by the river, playing chess and activating the Cloud Mist Grand Formation. Xiong Chumo effortlessly dispelled it, mockingly acknowledging their chess mastery and noting that their game was missing ten pieces, deeming their efforts insufficient.
He boldly declared his intention to take the formation key, break the God-Startling Formation, control the Academy, seize the capital, and destroy Tang, thus realizing the long-cherished wish that countless Taoist sages over thousands of years had failed to achieve. Song Qian and Eighth Brother defiantly stated that their presence alone was sufficient to "entertain" him. Xiong Chumo, however, warned them that they were overconfident and risked losing their lives in vain.
Meanwhile, Qi Nian infiltrated a Tang army camp, incapacitating soldiers with his psychic power. Slow Li arrived too late to stop him but, enraged and recalling Jun Mo's teaching on striking the enemy's weakest point with full force, he struck Qi Nian with his wooden dipper, targeting his head, Qi Nian's life gate. Qi Nian collapsed, fatally wounded. Chen Mou, the Hierarch of Zhishou Temple, appeared, observing Slow Li's uncharacteristic act of killing.
He taunted Slow Li, questioning if the benevolent teachings of Fuzi had truly been abandoned. Slow Li retorted, implying Chen Mou's rapid pursuit of power had led to instability. Chen Mou boasted of crossing the Fifth Stage in three days. The two agreed to a "War of No-Distance" and instantly vanished. Later, Slow Li found a wooden stick left by Fuzi. Chen Mou remarked that even with it, Slow Li could only hold on for another seven days.
Slow Li dismissed the notion of destiny, asserting that he and his fellow disciples would not let the Academy fall, as their master was fighting in heaven. Back at the Academy, Song Qian and Eighth Brother continued their defense against Xiong Chumo, manipulating their chessboard to unleash massive falling rocks. Xiong Chumo, however, effortlessly shattered the rocks, severely shaking Song Qian and Eighth Brother.
He mocked them as "fools obsessed with chess" and "animals" who could not withstand him, reiterating his certainty that the Academy and Tang State would perish. He proclaimed that the long-cherished wish that countless Taoist sages over thousands of years had failed to achieve would be completed in his hands, making him the greatest Hierarch of the world of Light. Xiong Chumo then warned the severely shaken Song Qian and Eighth Brother that such overconfidence would lead to their demise.
