Guardian Episode 10 Recap
> Guardian Recap
Zhao Yunlan woke with a severe headache to find they had all been drugged. Zhu Hong, who was only mildly affected, confirmed that others like Lin Jing, Da Qing, and Shen Wei's students were still unconscious. Zhao Yunlan immediately suspected Wang Zheng. Shen Wei then appeared, explaining that he had not consumed the water Wang Zheng offered. He reasoned that Wang Zheng, a member of the Hanga tribe, had likely intended to sacrifice herself to ensure their safety.
As they discussed the situation, an intense earthquake shook the village. Shen Wei deduced the tremor was caused by dark energy, suspecting that Subterraneans were hiding nearby. Despite the new danger, Zhao Yunlan felt the urgency to find Wang Zheng and set out with Chu and Changcheng, instructing Zhu Hong to remain at the inn and watch over Shen Wei, whose unnatural calm he found deeply suspicious.
Meanwhile, Wang Zheng was confined within a desolate, icy cave, tearfully gazing at her lover, Sang Zan, who was encased within a massive ice formation. An unseen voice revealed that Wang Zheng was merely a lure to draw others to the cave, identifying Sang Zan's icy prison as the Mountain-River Awl itself. Back at the inn, a distrustful Zhu Hong attempted to use a hypnotic snake technique on Shen Wei, but her power proved insufficient.
The spell backfired, rendering her unconscious, and Shen Wei seized the opportunity to transform into Mr. Black and depart to aid Zhao Yunlan. Zhao Yunlan led Chu and Changcheng through the treacherous terrain. Initially disoriented, Zhao Yunlan drew upon his knowledge of Hanga tribal customs, specifically their reverence for the "Mountain Soul" and the principles of Robra Magic.
He deduced that the three altar locations formed a symmetrical, equilateral triangle, confirming their target using a rag left behind by Wang Zheng. Upon reaching the cave, Chu forcibly opened the entrance, revealing a horde of monstrous sarcomas. These creatures were fierce, and their deafening shrieks caused tremors akin to the earthquake they had experienced earlier. Zhao Yunlan, prioritizing Changcheng's safety, sent him back. Just as the situation escalated, Mr. Black arrived, providing crucial assistance.
He observed that the sarcomas were vulnerable to light and fire, and that their fatal spot was on their heads. Zhao Yunlan attempted to use his father's Dark Energy Gun, but Mr. Black explained that his own powers were significantly limited on the surface due to gravity and the interference of a powerful hallow—the Mountain-River Awl—complicating their search.
Undeterred, Zhao Yunlan activated the Longevity Sundial, using its resonance to pinpoint Wang Zheng's exact location, despite Mr. Black's warnings about the potential for a dark energy backlash. They finally located Wang Zheng, who was inexplicably bound to the Mountain-River Awl. The surrounding area was deserted, and her strange, unblinking expression raised immediate suspicion.
Mr. Black, sensing a trap, cautiously approached and questioned her identity, specifically how she, known to have died a century ago with the Hanga tribe, was now working for the Special Investigation Unit. Wang Zheng, with an unsettling tone, began to narrate her past, revealing her true Hanga name: Ge Lan, daughter of the tribe's former patriarch. She recounted her first encounter with Sang Zan, a slave she found distinct from the others, unmasked and possessing a fierce, independent spirit.
Sang Zan revealed the dark truths of their society: her brother, the patriarch's son, had whipped Sang Zan's brother to death, and her father, the patriarch, desired Sang Zan's sister, leading to her demise. Sang Zan asserted that prolonged power corrupts, transforming rulers into monsters, and passionately declared that every individual should have the right to self-determination. Initially disbelieving the accusations against her family, Ge Lan was nonetheless captivated by Sang Zan's revelations and fostered a unique friendship with him.
Sang Zan eventually ignited a slave rebellion, leading his people to overthrow the oppressive nobility. He personally slew Ge Lan's father and brother, ascending to leadership. As the new patriarch, Sang Zan abolished the aristocracy and slavery, vowing that every Hanga would live with dignity. Despite Sang Zan's profound affection and protection for Ge Lan, the newly liberated Hanga people harbored deep resentment towards her, seeing her as a symbol of the old regime and fearing she would seek vengeance.
They demanded her execution. Sang Zan, unwilling to sacrifice Ge Lan, resolved to abandon his position and flee with her. However, their escape plan was betrayed. Ge Lan awoke the next morning bound, facing execution, with Sang Zan chained nearby, forced to witness her impending death. She realized with crushing despair that the very people her love had liberated now sought her demise. After Ge Lan's death, Sang Zan was consumed by inconsolable grief.
The unseen voice confirmed that the Mountain-River Awl, unlike the Longevity Sundial, could not restore life; its power was only to forcibly extract a deceased person's energy form and preserve it, without guaranteeing the return of their human shape. In his despair, Sang Zan buried Ge Lan beneath the vibrant flowers where they had first met. From that day forward, Sang Zan transformed, his heart consumed by a vengeful hatred for those who had caused Ge Lan's death.
Listening to the tragic tale, Mr. Black remarked that if his own beloved were to be killed because of the very rules he had established, he would harbor a greater hatred for those perpetrators than for any past oppressor.
