Five Kings of Thieves Episode 10 Recap
> Five Kings of Thieves Recap
Huo Xiaoxie and Shui Yao'er leave the Water King Residence after the failed wedding ceremony. To avoid being found by the Water King, Shui Yao'er takes Huo Xiaoxie to hide in a secluded courtyard. She tells him to stay there, promising to bring him food and to pretend she isn't there to prevent her father from taking her back. Huo Xiaoxie assures her he doesn't feel troubled being with her.
Shui Yao'er asks him to take good care of himself and promises to wait for his return. Huo Xiaoxie plans to focus on preparing for the Three Fire Gate Tasks, believing it is essential for finding a way to cure Shui Yao'er's illness. Meanwhile, Zheng Zedao feels utterly humiliated and like a global joke after his bride was taken. He is found drinking alone in the street.
Lin Wan finds him and urges him to stop drinking, noting it's bad for his health. Zheng Zedao laments that she is the only one who still cares. Lin Wan tells him that his current pain is only temporary, though he insists he cannot overcome it. She expresses her admiration for him, recognizing that despite his privileged background, he is an ambitious young man dedicated to his ideals and not someone who would become self-destructive.
Zheng Zedao is deeply touched, stating he never expected to find someone who truly understands him. Back at the Water King Residence, the Water King looks into the Linglong Mirror, questioning if he made the right decision by allowing his daughter to follow her heart. Elsewhere, Mr. Zhang feels that Zheng Zedao's humiliation makes him reckless, which could be exploited.
A plan is devised, seemingly by Mr. Zhang's associate Mr. Zhou, to fake Shui Yao'er's kidnapping to lure the Water King out into a trap. The Three Snakes receive a letter informing them that Shui Yao'er has been kidnapped by Mr. Zhang. Water King and Zheng Zedao immediately set out from the city to find her. Lin Wan finds Shui Yao'er safe and realizes Mr. Zhang faked the kidnapping to lure Water King.
Shui Yao'er and Lin Wan rush to follow them. Mr. Zhang confronts Water King, accusing him of stealing Jiao, to whom Mr. Zhang claims he was betrothed, and getting her pregnant. Water King confirms that Jiao was pregnant, but reveals she was poisoned by a "Cold Poison" Mr. Zhang put in the water.
He tells Mr. Zhang that Jiao knew he had the antidote but refused to seek him out, enduring the poison even unto death, because she did not love him at all. Mr. Zhang dismisses this as a lie and calls Water King a traitor. He also mentions he has made arrangements with someone and has an ally waiting at the Three Fire Gate Tasks competition. Water King and Zheng Zedao fight against Mr. Zhang.
As Mr. Zhang attacks Water King, Zheng Zedao tries to block, but Water King pushes him aside and is stabbed himself. Seeing Water King injured, Zheng Zedao realizes the five-element families will soon arrive. Thinking quickly, he tells Mr. Zhang he learned a secret about the Holy Cauldron's whereabouts from Water King and lures him away from the fighting. Once separated, Zheng Zedao uses a dagger hidden in his sleeve to stab and kill Mr. Zhang.
Seeing Mr. Zhang is dead and fearing confrontation with the arriving five-element families, Mr. Zhou and his men retreat and escape. Shui Yao'er arrives at the scene and finds her father dead. While mourning, she blames herself for running away and for not being skilled enough to save him. Zheng Zedao tells her he killed Mr. Zhang by tricking him with the Holy Cauldron secret and that Mr. Zhou escaped.
The Three Snakes try to comfort Shui Yao'er, reminding her of her father's love and the sacrifices he made for her, including searching for someone with a "fire and water" pulse to help cure her illness and caring for that person for her sake.
They give her a letter from her father, in which he reflects on his past attempts to save her life, admitting he was selfish for not prioritizing her feelings, and stating that now that she is grown, he and her mother would do anything for her happiness. The Three Snakes emphasize the importance of the Water family lineage and that she must survive to carry it on.
Accepting this responsibility, Shui Yao'er tells Zheng Zedao that she has decided to marry him after her father's burial. Zheng Zedao is surprised but then asks how he is different from Huo Xiaoxie. Shui Yao'er reiterates that she must live for the Water family. Huo Xiaoxie comes to the Water King Residence to pay his respects. Shui Yao'er refuses to see him, ordering the Three Snakes to turn him away.
She asks Lin Wan to tell Huo Xiaoxie to leave Wangjiapu, stating her decision to marry Zheng Zedao for the sake of the Water family is final. The Three Snakes attempt to force Huo Xiaoxie to leave, threatening him, but he insists on seeing Shui Yao'er. Jin Pan finds Huo Xiaoxie and tells him that the only way he will have a chance to be with Shui Yao'er is to obtain the Holy Cauldron.
Together, they begin searching for the five-element ancestral land. Using a map, they analyze the layout of Wangjiapu, noticing its correspondence to the Eight Trigrams, and deduce the likely underground location of the ancestral land by correlating significant points like a well and a spring with concepts of "living" and "dead" doors derived from the trigrams and symbols on the map. They find the entrance and descend into a vast, tomb-like structure.
Upon entering the ancestral land, Huo Xiaoxie and Jin Pan find many other participants already gathered. Some voice disapproval of certain competitors, including Gui Long. Yan Jingtian arrives and speaks with Huo Xiaoxie privately. Yan Jingtian explains he has been tied up within the ancestral land recently and asks about the events at Water King Residence. Huo Xiaoxie expresses concern that Mr. Zhang's death might not end the threat from the Japanese Dark Dragon Gang.
Yan Jingtian assures him he will handle those external matters and tells Huo Xiaoxie to focus entirely on the Three Fire Gate Tasks. Yan Jingtian then announces the rules to all participants. The first task tests knowledge of the five elements and eight trigrams.
The second task is based on luck and involves retrieving one of four scale shards from the Tomb Beast guarding the ancestral land within a time limit; only the four individuals who acquire a scale will advance. He recounts the history of the Holy Cauldron, how it was sealed here after being stolen, and how the Wood family elder who sealed it became the Jade Pearl, which was recently used to open the ancestral land.
He reveals that the Fire King and Wood King have already entered deeper into the ancestral land but have not yet emerged. Yan Jingtian warns the participants that very few have survived exploring the ancestral land in the past and offers them a chance to withdraw. Despite the grim warning, no one quits, stating their resolve to obtain the Holy Cauldron.
After the rules are announced, a cook named Pang Haowei, who introduces himself as "Fatty," appears and tells everyone he is in charge of their food and supervision for the next two days, specifically emphasizing that they should not harm each other. He serves a meal. Zheng Zedao offers a toast with water to the others. As they eat, some participants discuss forming alliances or how to share the Holy Cauldron if found.
Gui Long challenges others to fight for the limited spots immediately. Pang Haowei advises those with less fighting skill to stay out of the way. Shortly after eating, the participants begin to feel drowsy. They one by one collapse and fall unconscious.
