Guardian Episode 23 Recap
> Guardian Recap
Arriving in Subterrane to investigate the Karma Brush, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei found themselves in the middle of a succession ceremony. To Zhao Yunlan's surprise, the chosen successor was An Bai, one of the youths who had recently confronted him. An Bai and his two friends had been sentenced to death by the manipulative regent for a murder case. During their execution, An Bai bravely stepped forward, offering to sacrifice himself if his friends were spared.
This display of courage caught the attention of the incumbent Lord Earth, who, nearing the end of his own life, overruled the regent's objections about An Bai's common background and selected him as the successor. Later that night, Zhao Yunlan questioned Da Qing about his earlier hostility toward Shen Wei. Da Qing admitted to recovering fragmented memories suggesting Shen Wei was untrustworthy and harbored secrets, including knowledge of Kunlun.
Zhao Yunlan acknowledged Shen Wei was hiding things, recalling how Shen Wei had clumsily broken a voice recorder to prevent him from hearing about Kunlun. Despite this, Zhao Yunlan affirmed his trust in Shen Wei, believing his friend was carrying a heavy, silent burden. He resolved to wait for Shen Wei to reveal the truth on his own and permitted Da Qing to monitor him.
Da Qing’s surveillance led him to a grand hall where Shen Wei stood before a colossal pillar imprisoning the malevolent Night King. The defiant villain declared his intent to settle things with Shen Wei, claiming his actions were for the good of Subterrane. As Da Qing listened, a masked assailant lunged at him with a dagger. Shen Wei swiftly saved Da Qing, but the attacker, whose body was as hard as steel, managed to escape.
After this, Da Qing's doubts about Shen Wei vanished. He chose to trust Zhao Yunlan's judgment and made a pinky promise with Shen Wei, vowing to always support Zhao Yunlan. Soon after, the incumbent Lord Earth was found dead, stabbed through a vital organ. The regent immediately accused the missing An Bai and ordered him hunted down. Zhao Yunlan, however, suspected the regent’s two-faced aide, the deacon.
The Black-Robed Envoy brought the deacon in for interrogation, who confessed to murdering the Lord Earth because the old man had "seen something he shouldn't have." He also admitted to being the masked attacker, revealing his psychic ability to harden his body like steel, and that he was serving a "greater master," the Night King. Having failed his mission, the deacon committed suicide in a flash of light.
Zhao Yunlan recovered a file from his body revealing that the Karma Brush can erase traces of Dark Energy and enhance its user's abilities, making it untraceable by conventional means. An Bai, for his part, immediately regretted being chosen. He learned that the role demanded endless, tireless work that had turned previous Lords Earth into haggard old men in a few years. Despite his reluctance, the regent pressured him by reminding him that his friends were still accused of murder.
To save them, An Bai accepted the burden and was crowned the new Lord Earth. Ironically, the two friends for whom he sacrificed his freedom were soon swayed by the Night King and pledged their allegiance to him. Meanwhile, a shadowy group continued their plotting.
One female member was focused solely on her own revenge, while another key figure, who was being tempted to use the Karma Brush for revenge over the loss of his wife and unborn child, was being manipulated. After returning from Subterrane, Shen Wei insisted on staying with Zhao Yunlan. In the middle of the night, Zhao Yunlan found Shen Wei in the kitchen, pale and in pain, a bloodied dagger on the floor.
Zhao Yunlan realized with horror that Shen Wei had used his own life force to counteract the "erosion" afflicting him. Shen Wei admitted his energy system was severely damaged and that he had to undergo a painful, continuous process of replacing his energy. As Zhao Yunlan's eyes filled with tears, Shen Wei simply stated that this was a life he was repaying to him.
Separately, Guo took a day off to visit his parents' graves, reflecting on his efforts to do "meaningful things," and also visited Granny Li's grave. Elsewhere, Doctor Jin comforted his colleague, Wei Lan, who was guilt-ridden over a patient's death. Later, Doctor Jin was seen struggling with someone, urging them to "let go." Amidst these events, Zhao Yunlan received an urgent call from the Marine Administration about an emergency at Longcheng Hospital.
