Lost in The Kunlun Mountains Episode 16 Recap
> Lost in The Kunlun Mountains Recap
When a cigarette vendor's unusually loud calls signaled trouble, Ding Yunqi remained calm at his residence as Commander Hu and his men stormed in. Commander Hu, who was soon to be transferred to Fujian to oversee military affairs, claimed he was paying a return visit. He acknowledged Ding Yunqi's unique and colorful abode, then introduced himself to Sun Sanxuan, recognizing him as the Head of the Gold Touching Sect.
Commander Hu revealed his extensive knowledge of the Penta-sect, even detailing Ding Yuanshan’s full name, ancestral home, birth year, and his lineage as the 27th Kunlun Heaven Official. He provocatively suggested that Ding Yuanshan might be hiding in the Kunlun Mountains. Ding Yunqi challenged Commander Hu, asking if he was truly there to search for someone, or for the Kunlun Mountains itself.
Commander Hu declared his promotion and offered assistance to the Penta-sect if they ever visited Fujian, but also thinly veiled a threat by offering to send his men to help Ding Yunqi. Ding Yunqi politely refused, assuring him the Penta-sect was capable of managing its own affairs. As Commander Hu spoke, Sun Sanxuan, on Ding Yunqi's instruction, launched the Gold Touching Sect's signal flare. Soon, signal flares from various locations, including near Commander Hu’s headquarters, lit up the sky.
Commander Hu was visibly shaken, realizing the vast number of Penta-sect members present in Shanghai, and quickly ordered his men to withdraw. Elsewhere, Wu Shuang initially believed the flare from Ding Yunqi's bell tower meant he was in danger, but Zhou Qiuhai explained it was a bluffing tactic to display strength. Wu Shuang then noticed a purple signal flare and questioned Zhou Qiuhai, who vaguely dismissed it as an optical illusion.
Both Zhou Qiuhai and Sun Sanxuan recognized this as a flare from the Moving Mountain sect. Sun Sanxuan later questioned Ding Yunqi about the purple flare, feeling he was being kept in the dark, but Ding Yunqi deflected the question. Unbeknownst to them, Cui Yanzhi had also launched her sect's signal flare from near the bell tower, and she worried that Zhou Qiuhai might recognize it.
Despite the underlying tensions, Sun Sanxuan noted Zhou Qiuhai's unexpected support, acknowledging him as a righteous man for helping them boost their presence. Cui Yanzhi received an encrypted message, a two-line poem, confirming Ding Yuanshan’s arrival. She immediately put her men on high alert and personally went with Cui Yi to pick him up. Due to numerous spies around Ding Yunqi's building, Cui Yanzhi sent a rickshaw to fetch him.
Ding Yunqi, understanding the gravity of the situation, told San Jin he hoped there would be no more fireworks that night. Upon meeting Cui Yanzhi, Ding Yunqi quickly grasped the urgency, and she confirmed that his father, the Heaven Official, had returned and wished to see him immediately. Ding Yunqi was then led to Ding Yuanshan, who was severely injured.
Ding Yuanshan explained that he had been gravely wounded months ago and had been recuperating on Chongming Island, completely unaware of happenings in Shanghai, including Ding Yunqi’s newspaper notice seeking him. He had struggled to return to Shanghai simply to see his son. Observing his father’s wounds, Ding Yunqi was filled with both sorrow and anger. Meanwhile, Cui Yanzhi had extensive security measures in place around the building, deploying informants and armed men.
Ding Yuanshan then revealed the truth about the Kunlun Mountains. He confirmed its existence as the repository of the Penta-sect’s centuries of wealth, guarded by successive Heaven Officials. However, the secret of its location was lost after the 20th Heaven Official died suddenly, leaving a six-year-old son. Despite generations of search, including his own lifelong efforts, it remained unfound.
Ding Yuanshan confessed that he despised the Penta-sect, even more so than Ding Yunqi, and his greatest wish was to find the Kunlun Mountains, distribute its treasures to those in need, and then disband the Penta-sect entirely. Ding Yunqi was taken aback, realizing he had gravely misunderstood his father’s intentions for years.
Ding Yuanshan recounted how he thought he had found a clue and sought assistance from a provincial military governor who appeared to be a patriot, as the task of opening the Kunlun Mountains was too immense for one person. For safety, he entrusted the Dragon Bone and Dragon Sceptre to Sun Sanxuan. However, the governor proved to be cunning and cruel. Upon finding an entrance, Ding Yuanshan realized it was not the Kunlun Mountains.
Yet, consumed by greed for the treasures within, the governor ordered the tomb blasted while Ding Yuanshan was still inside, leaving him severely injured, though he miraculously escaped. Ding Yunqi pressed him for the governor’s identity, but Ding Yuanshan, citing exhaustion, deferred the conversation. Following this intense discussion, Ding Yunqi sent San Jin to summon Sun Sanxuan, Wu Shuang, and Luo Yunsong, hoping his father could clear up any misunderstandings.
San Jin first informed Wu Shuang, then went to Luo Yunsong’s residence, but he was not home. San Jin left a message instructing him to go to No. 9 Hengshan Road. When Wu Shuang arrived, Ding Yuanshan recognized her immediately. Wu Shuang formally saluted him as Heaven Official, but Ding Yuanshan insisted she address him as "Uncle Ding."
He reminisced about wanting her to stay with their family when she was a child, but Zhou Qiuhai, her master, refused to part with his favorite disciple. Ding Yuanshan advised Ding Yunqi to be understanding towards Zhou Qiuhai, acknowledging his dedication to the Penta-sect's rules. Ding Yunqi then relayed Luo Yunsong's accusations: that Ding Yuanshan had killed his parents and six-year-old sister twenty years ago, with "willow catkins" found on his mother's body.
Ding Yuanshan vehemently denied the charges, stating he had never killed anyone in his life, let alone a child. He wondered who could have so painstakingly framed him two decades prior and cautioned Ding Yunqi to be careful. Meanwhile, Luo Yunsong, accompanied by He Biao and Chu Fengling, visited Luo Jiutian’s grave. Luo Yunsong poured alcohol for his deceased brother, promising to renovate the grave and find a new, auspicious burial site.
Chu Fengling, standing before the tomb, tearfully vowed that she would make those responsible for Luo Jiutian’s death pay. Back at Cui Yanzhi's residence, Ding Yuanshan sensed his end was near. He presented Ding Yunqi with the Heaven Official's token. Ding Yunqi immediately declared his unwillingness to become the Heaven Official. Ding Yuanshan assured him that he would no longer force him, but reminded Ding Yunqi that as the last descendant of the Ding family, he bore its responsibilities.
He then recited the Ding family ancestral teachings, emphasizing loyalty, serving the people, and upholding righteousness without coveting wealth, even to the point of self-sacrifice. Ding Yuanshan entrusted the family's legacy to Ding Yunqi, assuring him of his pride and support for whatever path he chose. He shared his two greatest regrets: failing to find the Kunlun Mountains to return its wealth to the people, and failing to disband the Penta-sect to free its members.
In his final moments, he appeared to see his deceased wife, commenting on her red dress and her enduring beauty, before passing away peacefully. He died before Luo Yunsong could arrive. Following Penta-sect tradition, Ding Yuanshan was to be water-buried. Cui Yanzhi explained to Ding Yunqi that this custom originated from the Penta-sect’s history of grave robbery, preventing their remains from being disturbed by vengeful spirits. The deceased, placed on a raft, would be set adrift and then ignited.
This ritual brought back painful memories for Ding Yunqi, who recalled his mother's own water burial. Cui Yanzhi revealed that it was a centuries-old Penta-sect rule for a Heaven Official's wife to "return to the mountain with the water" when her son turned eight. Ding Yunqi's mother had willingly consumed "The Penta-sect Xiaoyao Beverage," a highly poisonous concoction, before embarking on her final journey. As part of the solemn ceremony, mourners chanted invocations for the Heaven Official’s ascent.
Cui Yanzhi then instructed Ding Yunqi to ignite his father’s raft, sending his soul back to the Celestial Mountain, as the chanting continued, wishing Ding Yuanshan a peaceful journey. Ding Yunqi ignited the raft, sending his father off.
