Sword and Beloved Episode 32 Recap
> Sword and Beloved Recap
Wangquan Fugui accompanied his father, Wangquan Hongye, to the serene Bamboo Pavilion by River Huai. Wangquan Hongye explained that this tranquil place was where he and Dongfang Huaizhu first met in Nanchui and fell in love. He fondly described Dongfang Huaizhu as a free-spirited woman of strong character, unlike typical women who excelled in domestic arts. She was skilled in fighting and enchanting, despite her self-deprecating remarks about her lack of conventional talents.
He recalled his own mask being "ugly" and how Dongfang Huaizhu had crafted the beautiful Jinlan Mask for him with her own hands. Their joyous time together was brief. Wangquan Hongye recounted his crushing defeat beyond the circle, which resulted in the loss of his Heart of Sword and the decimation of the Yiqi Alliance's elites.
He then revealed that Dongfang Huaizhu, risking her life, gave birth to Wangquan Fugui, intending for him to be raised as a Soldier to safeguard peace and prevent the Black Fox's resurgence. However, her dying wish was that if Fugui ever desired to leave, he should be allowed to go. Wangquan Hongye expressed his deep regret for failing to be a proper father, admitting that his role as Alliance Chief had made him narrow-minded and biased.
He questioned if he was truly the "great hero" Dongfang Huaizhu once called him. Tearfully, Wangquan Fugui affirmed that in his mother's heart, his father was indeed a great hero. He explained that he had willingly embraced the path of a Soldier, following his father's Way, but later discovered his own distinct path.
Although his departure from Wangquan Manor had been resolute, he ultimately returned, believing that by upholding his own Way, he could guide his father back from any misguided steps. He acknowledged that heroes can err and age, but his father's Heart of Sword had always remained true. Wangquan Fugui had realized through his experiences in the outside world that merely "letting go" was not the ultimate solution.
Wangquan Hongye, despite wishing for his son to "let go," was met with Wangquan Fugui's conviction that he was still the sword, forged to protect the world. Wangquan Fugui stressed that without eradicating the threat beyond the circle, true peace within could never be achieved, and the sacrifices of his father and the Mask Group elites would be in vain.
He concluded that his father's Heart of Sword, though it may have led him astray, was never fundamentally wrong in its aspiration to protect the world. Overwhelmed, Wangquan Hongye admitted he had selfishly wished for Wangquan Fugui to live as he pleased, but Wangquan Fugui firmly stated that embodying his father's will was his true desire. Wangquan Hongye then informed his son that his time was near, and he was ready to join Dongfang Huaizhu.
He requested to be buried beside her. Before sending Wangquan Fugui away, he made his son promise to return alive. Wangquan Hongye then asked for solitude, stating his weariness. After his father passed, Wangquan Fugui buried his parents together. He stood before their grave, making a solemn vow to inherit their unwavering will and the strength they bestowed upon him, to completely eradicate the Black Fox from the world and restore peace.
As Wangquan Hongye succumbed, he experienced a final vision of Dongfang Huaizhu, who urged him never to give up on finding his Heart of Sword, reminding him he was always her great hero. He responded that he had indeed found his Heart of Sword, and that Wangquan Fugui had united with his Way, signifying his own final triumph in this world. He proudly proclaimed that their son, Wangquan Fugui, was unparalleled.
Upon returning to Wangquan Manor, Wangquan Fugui was presented with his father's belongings. A subordinate revealed that Wangquan Hongye had secretly crafted small gifts for Wangquan Fugui before each Bamboo Forest Sword Contest, expressing his deep desire for Wangquan Fugui not to be a Soldier and his own regret for his choices.
The subordinate handed Wangquan Fugui a box containing the strategy to eliminate the Black Fox and a map of the world beyond the circle, explaining that Wangquan Hongye had intended these to be given to him at the right time. Wangquan Fugui was profoundly moved, feeling the depth of his father's unspoken love, and vowed not to disappoint him.
He then addressed the disciples of Wangquan Manor, announcing his father's last wish: no elaborate funeral or mourning, but instead, a unified Heart of Sword to forever protect humanity. The disciples echoed his sentiment. Feng Tingyun stepped forward, declaring her voluntary adoption of the surname Wangquan, pledging to inherit her master's will, and immediately depart to guard the border, ensuring the Black Fox would not wreak havoc within the circle.
She emphasized that the Mask Group's original mission, initiated by her master, would now be continued by them. Wangquan Fugui also entrusted a junior with letters to the Mask Group's esteemed families, intending to reveal the truth of their past defeat beyond the circle, resolve old grievances, and invite them to join Wangquan Manor in the fight against the Black Fox. Qing Tong approached Wangquan Fugui, offering him food after his sleepless night.
Observing him studying a scroll, which detailed four ancient primordial powers needed to defeat the Black Fox, she noticed he was particularly focused on the "Grief Tree seed." She realized this might refer to the one within her and silently resolved to stand by Young Master Wangquan Fugui in any circumstance. She later informed him that she would return to Qianji City the next day, as Little Bun needed her there.
Qing Tong reiterated her unwavering commitment to him, acknowledging his tendency to internalize his sorrow, and pledged to walk alongside him until his Way was complete. While teaching children, she reaffirmed her determination to protect the beautiful world around her. The scroll Wangquan Fugui was reading described the four essential treasures: Wangquan Sword, Purest Sun Flame, Grief Tree seed, and Water-Control Orb.
The Wangquan Sword, the strongest treasure of the Wangquan family, when wielded with its essence, allowed "man-sword unity" to cut fate and slay evil. The Purest Sun Flame, a secret art of the Dongfang family, could incinerate all evil and destroy the Black Fox's vessel. The Grief Tree seed, from Tushan, contained profound power of love, capable of anchoring causality through threads of emotion.
The Water-Control Orb, a sacred relic of the Dragon Clan and the source of water, could be obtained only by the purest and most single-minded, granting mighty dragon power to seal origins and imprison evil. The scroll concluded by emphasizing the difficulty of gathering these four items, but affirmed it as the sole method to definitively destroy the Black Fox, and that only Wangquan Fugui possessed the ability to succeed, urging him to return safely.
Meanwhile, Long Weiyun awoke to find Quan Rumu gone, but a note left behind promised he was getting her favorite date cake and that they would go to Tushan together. She smiled at his playful words. In town, Quan Rumu bought the date cake and a red veil, happily imagining Long Weiyun wearing it.
However, his joyful reverie was interrupted by a Quan family servant who urgently informed him that the Old Master, Quan Jingting, was gravely ill and wished to see him one last time. Rumu rushed home to his father's bedside. Quan Jingting, feigning weakness, sincerely pleaded for Rumu's forgiveness, claiming to have one last unfulfilled wish. As Rumu's emotions were stirred, Quan Jingting's eyes turned menacing. He suddenly exerted force, seizing and restraining Rumu, his face twisting into a sinister grin.
Rumu, shocked, questioned how his father, whose cultivation had supposedly been abolished, could possess such malevolent power. Quan Jingting laughed triumphantly, mocking them for their foolishness in not utilizing the Myriad Blight Formation. He then pondered what else of Rumu's could be "worth his effort." Back at their home, Long Weiyun, who had prepared a feast, worried why Rumu had not returned. The door burst open, and Quan Jingting entered, exuding a chilling aura.
He immediately challenged Long Weiyun, telling her that Rumu's life was now in her hands. When she demanded to know what he had done to Rumu, Quan Jingting commanded her to seal her demon power and accompany him, or Rumu would suffer excruciating pain. He then magically displayed Rumu's agony before her eyes. Long Weiyun, calling him a "beast" for harming his own son, furiously resisted.
Quan Jingting callously asserted that his son existed solely to serve him, otherwise, his life was worthless. He explained that dragon demons, despite their cruel nature, were fiercely devoted in love, becoming "tamed" once they fell, allowing their beloved to control their very existence. He referenced Long Weiyun's own mother, who had willingly allowed him to sever her horns and strip her scales.
Quan Jingting then threatened that any attack Long Weiyun launched at him would be directly borne by Rumu. He dared her to strike. Long Weiyun, seeing Rumu's torment, threatened to make Quan Jingting pay with his life if Rumu died, but Quan Jingting defiantly stated he would let Rumu die. As Rumu cried out in anguish, Long Weiyun, desperate, cried "Stop!" and, confronted with Quan Jingting's threat to make her watch Rumu suffer a torturous death, reluctantly sealed her demon power.
