Legend of Awakening Episode 22 Recap
> Legend of Awakening Recap
Lu Ping confronted Yan Xifan, who had betrayed him under the influence of the Shanhai Gang. Xifan revealed that the Shanhai Gang had reminded him that Zhaifeng Institute was destroyed because of Lu Ping, and that capturing the awakened one would bring peace. Lu Ping urged Xifan to regain his senses, reminding him that it was the Shanhai Gang that truly destroyed Zhaifeng Institute.
As Fire Division members approached to apprehend Lu Ping, Yan Qiuci, Xifan's father, unexpectedly arrived and intervened. Yan Qiuci was injured, and they had to rest on the spot. Zhou Youlong, the Fire Division Master, was frustrated, but Xifan stopped his men from pursuing, stating he didn't want his father involved. Feeling responsible, Lu Ping expressed his guilt over his master Guo Youdao's sacrifice and Xifan's current predicament.
Qin Sang comforted him, explaining that Guo Youdao and Xifan's actions were to provide Lu Ping an opportunity to grow stronger, not to live a life of regret. She urged Lu Ping to become powerful enough to rescue Xifan, who had been bewitched by the Shanhai Gang.
Speaking with Yan Qiuci, they learned that Xifan had been in secret contact with his father and had provided information about E'zhou, but his impulsive attempt to assassinate the Shanhai Gang leader led him into their trap. Yan Qiuci had followed to prevent further disaster. Yan Qiuci noticed Xifan's dramatically increased cultivation, reaching three forces in just a few days, describing it as a "crooked means."
Lu Ping immediately identified this as the Method of Xi Sui, a Shanhai Gang technique used to rapidly boost combat power, and explained that the gang desired his innate ability of six forces to create more powerful operatives. Yan Qiuci recognized Lu Ping’s weapon, The Horn, and remarked that it was a case of "like father, like son."
This revelation led Lu Ping to discover that his father was none other than Leng Xiutan, the leader of the Seven Peaks of Big Dipper Institute. He then realized that the familiar tune of The Horn was one his mother, Shao Yinchu, used to sing to him. Lu Ping knelt before the memorial tablets of his parents, Leng Xiutan and Shao Yinchu.
Yan Qiuci recounted the tragic history: Leng Xiutan and Shao Yinchu were once revered five-forces cultivators, a legendary couple in the martial arts world. Lu Ping, born with the rare ability of six forces, was a "hundred-year awakened one," and it was this power that drew the Shanhai Gang's malevolent gaze. During that time, Big Dipper Institute was a dominant force, its gates always open for martial arts duels.
On the day of the tragedy, Xifan's mother was gravely ill, keeping Yan Qiuci at home, while Chu Min and Guo Youdao were away on training. The Shanhai Gang infiltrated Big Dipper under the guise of a duel, leading to the destruction of Qisha Institute by fire. Lu Ping’s parents were killed, and two other junior disciples, Liu Song and Lyu Chenfeng, went missing.
Everyone believed Lu Ping had perished, but he was captured by Shanhai Gang and later rescued by Guo Youdao, who, for unknown reasons, never revealed the truth of Lu Ping's past. Lu Ping expressed his despair, naming himself "Lu Ping" (meaning smooth path) in hopes of a peaceful life, only for his life to be filled with the most hardship.
When Chu Min attempted to explain, Lu Ping angrily cut her off, questioning why she chose to speak only now after years of silence. Li Yaotian admitted that the "Seven Stars Incident" had decimated Big Dipper's peak masters, and they dared not investigate further, fearing what they might uncover and their inability to fight back. Lu Ping, enraged, accused Li Yaotian of feigning ignorance to protect Big Dipper.
Yan Qiuci further fueled the tension, implying that there were "skeletons in the closet" and accusing Liu Song, Chu Min’s former lover and the one in charge that day, of allowing the Shanhai Gang into the mountain. Chu Min vehemently denied this, stating Liu Song was kind and innocent, and that he was already dead.
Overwhelmed with anger and disappointment, Lu Ping confronted the Big Dipper leaders about their inaction regarding the Shanhai Gang's atrocities, their blood feud, and the kidnapping of his brother. Declaring his inability to respect such a cowardly sect, Lu Ping severed all ties with Big Dipper, vowing to seek revenge on the Shanhai Gang alone. Qin Sang immediately followed Lu Ping. Other disciples from the Fifth College also attempted to leave, but Li Yaotian stopped them, issuing a stern warning.
Li Yaotian then lashed out at Yan Qiuci, blaming him for the chaos his revelations had caused. Chu Min confronted Yan Qiuci, accusing him of manipulating Lu Ping to lure out the Shanhai Gang and rescue Xifan. Yan Qiuci openly acknowledged this, questioning Chu Min's lifetime of evasion and asserting that confronting the enemy head-on was the only solution.
He confided in the spirit of Guo Youdao, wondering if keeping Lu Ping in the dark for three years had been the right decision. Yan Qiuci then informed his guard that he intentionally revealed the truth to Lu Ping. With the complex situation in E'zhou and the Shanhai Gang’s trickery, he had to involve Big Dipper to ensure Xifan’s safe return, especially since someone in Shanhai Gang had mastered the Essence Soul and was controlling Xifan, rendering him emotionally detached.
Lu Ping and Qin Sang arrived at Breeze Mansion, where Su Tang and Mo Lin tried to prevent their entry with flimsy excuses. Lu Ping pushed past them and found Qin Qi inside, who immediately ridiculed Lu Ping for allowing Qin Sang to associate with "punks." Lu Ping calmly suggested that Qin Qi's presence indicated he was there to discuss strategies against the Shanhai Gang, rather than to exchange insults.
Lu Ping explained that after its failure in Kaifeng, the Shanhai Gang had infiltrated E'zhou to sabotage the peace talks between Shuo and Tan, a move that would benefit the Liu clan of Hedong, an outcome neither Lu Ping nor Qin Qi desired. With Xifan now under the Shanhai Gang's control, Lu Ping stated their objectives aligned: Qin Qi wanted to capture the gang members, and Lu Ping wanted to save his brother.
Qin Qi warned Lu Ping that their cooperation was purely transactional, and once the matter was resolved, the Longjie Army would no longer trouble him. He then insisted on taking Qin Sang back. Though Qin Sang was reluctant to leave Lu Ping, Lu Ping persuaded her to go with her brother, citing her status as a mission family member and the inconveniences of staying at Xu Weifeng's residence.
Qin Qi further warned Lu Ping against "harassing" Qin Sang, making it clear he disliked Lu Ping and their closeness, but emphasized that their alliance was a matter of circumstance to prevent greater losses. After Qin Qi and Qin Sang departed, Lu Ping explained to Su Tang and Mo Lin that his alliance with Qin Qi was a temporary measure to leverage the Longjie Army's strength, accelerating their efforts to save Xifan and confront the Shanhai Gang.
Mo Lin continued to express jealousy over Su Tang’s fondness for Xu Weifeng. Lu Ping, however, remained focused on finding Xifan, stating that some problems, like Mo Lin's, must be solved by oneself. Meanwhile, at Tingsong Villa, Yan Xifan, now a key figure for the Shanhai Gang, adopted an arrogant tone that irked Zhou Youlong, the Fire Division Master. The Shanhai Gang leader, however, admonished Zhou Youlong to treat Xifan with respect.
Xifan pressed the leader to reveal his true allegiance, but the leader vaguely stated it was the "orthodox Dan" and that Xifan would know more "when the thing is done." The leader pondered the strategy of "killing with a borrowed knife," an idea from a friend in E'zhou.
Xifan warned the leader about his father's impending arrival, but the leader dismissed the concern, confidently asserting that Xifan was the Achilles heel for both Yan Qiuci and Lu Ping, making them easy targets once their weakness was identified. Concurrently, at E'zhou Post, the envoys from Shuo and Tan began their peace talks.
Mr. Xia and General Qin from Shuo expressed their dissatisfaction with General Xu, the Tan deputy, for his late arrival and the heavy presence of Tan soldiers, viewing it as a slight and a sign of distrust. General Xu Tianbing retorted, mocking General Qin's limited victories against him in past battles, further escalating the underlying tension between the two sides.
