Five Kings of Thieves Episode 12 (Ending) Recap
> Five Kings of Thieves Recap
After three hours of searching, Huo Xiaoxie and Jin Pan found another scale shard. Zheng Zedao also appeared, asking Jin Pan to part with his scale. Suddenly, Miss Flower and Yen Chong arrived and attempted to seize Jin Pan's scale shard. Flower stated they were only cooperating temporarily with Jin Pan and could handle the situation themselves. A struggle ensued, but Miss Flower and Yen Chong proved no match for Jin Pan.
Admitting defeat, Flower announced they would leave to practice and return later. She then decided she no longer wanted the Holy Cauldron and declared she was heading to the main hall. Yen Chong agreed, saying he had already obtained what he desired, and they left together. With only four people remaining, they discussed the mysterious deaths. Huo Xiaoxie proposed a shocking idea: the murderer was one of the "corpses."
Following his intuition, they discovered Liang Ba washing his hands in the only water source in a cave. Huo Xiaoxie revealed that he had placed oil on the rock wall, which anyone searching near it would inevitably touch. Liang Ba, having found a scale shard and killed others to keep it secret, had been pretending to be dead but had to come wash off the oil to avoid detection.
Huo Xiaoxie explained he suspected a corpse was the killer because all the other bodies had been hidden. He accused Liang Ba of killing Red Clown and staging the incident. Liang Ba acknowledged Huo Xiaoxie's intelligence. Huo Xiaoxie expressed regret for the lives lost, but Zheng Zedao told him not to blame himself, saying he had done his best and fate determined the rest.
Huo Xiaoxie wanted to capture Liang Ba alive, but Zheng Zedao swiftly ended his life by breaking his neck, stating that grand ambitions require bold actions and anyone standing in his way must die. He took the scale shard. However, Huo Xiaoxie still suspected another killer, noting that Sickly had died shortly after Liang Ba attacked Ruoyun. Zheng Zedao gave the scale shard he took to Ruoyun, acknowledging Huo Xiaoxie's role in uncovering the killer.
Jin Pan and Ruoyun then went off to find the final scale shard, quickly locating one after paying respects to a statue. Ignoring Huo Xiaoxie's distress over Liang Ba's death, Zheng Zedao placed his scale shard into a fire basin, causing him to disappear. The others followed suit, placing their scales into the basin, and were transported to another space.
This new area resembled the initial hall, but two skeletons lay on the steps, dressed in the attire of the Fire King and the Wood King. Ruoyun speculated that these two leaders had sacrificed their life energy to activate the Holy Cauldron of Five Elements. A large, shimmering cauldron then materialized, rising and rotating. A fierce guardian beast emerged from the cauldron and descended the steps, enveloping both Huo Xiaoxie and Zheng Zedao in a beam of light.
The light held Huo Xiaoxie and Zheng Zedao motionless. Ruoyun was unsure what was happening, but Jin Pan explained that the Holy Cauldron selects its destined owner, and they had been eliminated from the trial. He suggested they leave the space and wait outside for good news from Huo Xiaoxie. Outside, at Wangjiapu, Jitian of the Dark Dragon Gang arrived with Chiyo Uno, their foremost martial arts master.
They issued a challenge: if Chiyo Uno was not defeated within one day, all members of the five-element families would have to kowtow to the Dark Dragon Gang. News of this provocation reached Mr. Yan and Black Whipper. As chief of the Fire family, Mr. Yan felt he must respond to defend their honor. Black Whipper tried to stop him, warning him he would be marching to his death.
Mr. Yan insisted that a principled man must act when their name is being tarnished, regardless of death. When Black Whipper asked about her, Mr. Yan declared his love, promising, "If there's another life, I promise I'll marry you," repeating it at her request. Chiyo Uno, impatient, challenged them to face her together. Tragically, despite their combined effort, both Mr. Yan and Black Whipper fell to Chiyo Uno's blade.
Meanwhile, Mr. Three tried to prevent Wan from going to the challenge ring where people from the Fire and Wood families had gathered, but she insisted she had to see the Japanese challenger for herself. Within the light beam from the guardian beast, Huo Xiaoxie found himself in an illusion confronting a manifestation of his darker self, who taunted him about his failures, his inability to protect those he cared about, and his destiny to become a demon.
The figure dared him to kill him, asserting it would be an act of self-destruction and that he should just accept his fate. Huo Xiaoxie refused, drawing strength from the idea that preserving the world is the responsibility of everyone, including the common people. He saw visions of himself as a child, struggling to understand how he had reached his current path and questioning if he had gone wrong. Meanwhile, Zheng Zedao also experienced a trial within the illusion.
This trial led him to a realization of his own unworthiness. He chose to leave the illusion and returned to Wangjiapu. Huo Xiaoxie continued his internal struggle within the illusion. An illusion of Shui Yao'er appeared, questioning his motives for seeking the Holy Cauldron and suggesting he merely wanted to possess her. Huo Xiaoxie asserted his desire stemmed from their mutual love.
Shui Yao'er then explained the cauldron's true significance: it holds the nation's destiny and requires a destined, virtuous, and capable guardian who must revitalize the five-element families. She asked if he was ready, and he pledged his best. Finally, she presented a test: he must kill her, using her heart's blood as a sacrifice to gain the cauldron. Horrified, Huo Xiaoxie refused, unable to harm the woman he loved.
When she insisted, warning he would be trapped, he realized she was an illusion, a part of his heart, just as the other self was a part of his body. He vowed not to harm her but to protect her. Choosing virtue, Huo Xiaoxie wounded himself instead, offering his own heart's blood. Zheng Zedao returned from the illusion to the ring at Wangjiapu, intervening as Miss Wan prepared to face Chiyo Uno.
Despite his weakened state, he insisted he would handle the fight. He challenged Chiyo Uno, dismissing her as a clown compared to the skilled individuals in the five-element families. As they fought, Zheng Zedao was injured. Just as Chiyo Uno prepared to finish him, Huo Xiaoxie arrived, now empowered by the Holy Cauldron. Huo Xiaoxie stepped forward to face Chiyo Uno and unleashed a powerful attack, severely injuring her and leaving her unable to stand.
Jitian, seeing Chiyo Uno defeated, ordered their retreat. The crowd cheered for Huo Xiaoxie. Shui Yao'er was present and happy. Zheng Zedao, reflecting on his illusion, confessed he had seen his younger self and realized he had wronged others and himself, acknowledging his mistakes. He thanked Huo Xiaoxie for his influence and asked Wan to take care of him. Huo Xiaoxie, acknowledging Shui Yao'er, asked her to wait for him. Chiyo Uno demanded Huo Xiaoxie hand over the Holy Cauldron.
He refused, stating its significance was beyond her understanding. Jitian offered Huo Xiaoxie wealth, women, and power if he joined the Dark Dragon Gang. Huo Xiaoxie countered that he desired the splendid rivers and mountains of China to remain Chinese, something the Dark Dragon Gang could not offer. Multiple duplicates of Huo Xiaoxie appeared, astonishing his opponents. Huo Xiaoxie declared the fight over and ordered Jitian and Chiyo Uno to leave, which they did. The people celebrated Huo Xiaoxie's victory.
Shui Yao'er approached him, telling him she knew he would be a great hero and expressing her joy that they could finally be together. They shared how much they missed each other. Huo Xiaoxie commented that it was finally over, but Shui Yao'er replied that perhaps it was only the beginning.
