Lost in The Kunlun Mountains Episode 18 Recap
> Lost in The Kunlun Mountains Recap
Ding Yunqi resolved to seek out the Kunlun Mountains. Wu Shuang, while supportive of his mission, intended to no longer press him about marriage. Though he felt a pang of loss and harbored feelings for her despite not wanting to be the Heaven Official, Ding Yunqi decided to postpone further discussions until after the Kunlun Mountains was found. Upon returning to the Mound-digging Sect, Wu Shuang recounted the recent events to her Master, Zhou Qiuhai.
He was delighted to learn that Ding Yunqi intended to open the Kunlun Mountains, as this would necessitate Ding Yunqi becoming the Heaven Official, thereby ensuring his marriage to Wu Shuang in accordance with tradition. Zhou Qiuhai encouraged Wu Shuang not to abandon her hopes for a family, emphasizing that he wished for her to have a home of her own, something he never achieved.
Wu Shuang, however, felt that Ding Yunqi's refusal to become the Heaven Official was tantamount to abandoning her, and despite her Master's urging, she reiterated her decision not to marry him, expressing her sorrow and desire to remain within the Mound-digging Sect, which she considered her only home.
Based on Wu Shuang's descriptions, Zhou Qiuhai suspected that Cui Yanzhi might be a mover, a mysterious sect known for working solely under the direct command of the Heaven Official and leaving no trace. He was told by his subordinate that the connection between Cui Yanzhi and Ding Yunqi was actually facilitated by them, when they provided information about explosives that led Ding Yunqi to her.
Still, Zhou Qiuhai remained wary, noting the movers' secretive nature and the unresolved mystery of a mover's signal flare previously seen. He also linked Cui Yanzhi's sudden appearance after Ding Yuanshan's death to the suspicion of her being a mover, pondering if Wu Shuang had noticed anything. Meanwhile, Ding Yunqi, having procured a signal flare from the Mound-digging Sect and fired it from the clock tower, summoned Sun Sanxuan and Cui Yanzhi.
He revealed to them that he had discovered the Book of Su hidden within the Dragon Sceptre. Both Sun Sanxuan and Cui Yanzhi acknowledged knowing of the Book of Su and its purported record of the Kunlun Mountains' location and opening method, but they were surprised by its concealment in the Dragon Sceptre. Ding Yunqi clarified that while he intended to open the Kunlun Mountains, he would not assume the title of Heaven Official.
Ding Yunqi's primary reason for meeting them was to gather the Soul Pursuit Orders from their respective sects. However, it turned out that their orders were held by their masters. Sun Sanxuan explained that the Gold Touching Sect's Soul Pursuit Order was with his master, Shou Wujiang, who had been missing for over a decade.
Cui Yanzhi stated that her master, Lao Beifeng, the mover, was also elusive but assured Ding Yunqi she could find her and secure the mover's Soul Pursuit Order. They both agreed that the most challenging Soul Pursuit Order to obtain would be that of the Mountain-demounting Sect, as it had been disbanded for many years.
Cui Yanzhi offered valuable information, revealing that the last Mountain-demounting Sect leader, surnamed Hao, was 21 years old when the sect dissolved in the third year of Tongzhi's reign. He had then joined the palace as a guard and later became a eunuch after committing a mistake. Cui Yanzhi suspected that an old eunuch—over eighty years old and having served three emperors while teaching Mountain-demounting martial arts to guards—was indeed the former sect leader, whose age would now be eighty-five.
She promised to compile and provide all her collected research materials to Ding Yunqi. Elsewhere, Luo Yunsong, speaking with He Biao, expressed his desire for immediate revenge for his brother Luo Jiutian, but acknowledged that his current strength was insufficient for such a reckless move. He was particularly perplexed by Cui Yanzhi's presence, as her relationship with Commander Hu was clear, but her connections to Zhou Qiuhai and Ding Yuanshan remained ambiguous.
He noted that Ding Yuanshan even met Ding Yunqi at Cui Yanzhi's residence, further complicating matters. Luo Yunsong concluded that if Zhou Qiuhai and Commander Hu were somehow linked, it would be a force he could not yet contend with. He advised a strategy of biding their time, serving Her Ladyship to gain more power, and regrouping their forces. Only when they were strong enough could they act without hesitation or fear of reprisal.
Chu Fengling approached Ding Yunqi, hoping he would assist her in finding the Kunlun Mountains. Ding Yunqi declined, expressing his bewilderment at her unwavering determination to find it and questioning her true motives. As a friend, he urged her to reveal the truth. Chu Fengling explained that she sought the Kunlun Mountains to prevent further deaths, citing the loss of her second brother and Wu Shuang's near-fatal encounter as direct consequences of its influence.
She intended to find it and hand it over to the nation. Feeling disheartened by Ding Yunqi's firm refusal, Chu Fengling confided in Luo Yunsong, sensing a change in Ding Yunqi and suspecting he wished to search for the Kunlun Mountains alone.
Luo Yunsong cautioned her, pointing out that even if Ding Yunqi were to find the Kunlun Mountains, the issue of its allocation would arise, a matter beyond her control, and that they lacked the leverage to negotiate with him, needing him more than he needed them. Ding Yunqi then visited Zhou Qiuhai to inform him of his father's passing and deliver Ding Yuanshan's final Heaven Official's Order.
Zhou Qiuhai, deeply saddened by the news, expressed regret for not being able to attend Ding Yuanshan's water burial and vowed to uncover the truth behind Ding Yuanshan's actions to clear his name. Holding the Heaven Official's Soul Pursuit Order, Ding Yunqi then conveyed his father's decree: to disband the Penta-sect, requiring all sect leaders to return their Soul Pursuit Orders, thereby freeing all disciples from their restrictive rules.
This declaration enraged Zhou Qiuhai, who accused Ding Yuanshan of being a traitor. He vehemently opposed the dissolution of the Penta-sect, asserting its centuries-old status as a home for countless disciples, and demanded to know who would care for and protect them once it was gone. Ding Yunqi tried to explain that disbanding the sect would allow the disciples to lead better lives, free from the brutal rules.
However, Zhou Qiuhai argued that the "cruel" rules were intrinsic to their mission, a sacred duty to uphold their ancestors' legacy and protect the Kunlun Mountains. He then questioned Ding Yunqi about the fate of the Kunlun Mountains. Ding Yunqi revealed that the Book of Su, now self-destroyed, explicitly stated that the Kunlun Mountains' treasure belonged to all of humanity, "taken from the world, used for the world."
He affirmed his commitment to finding the Kunlun Mountains in accordance with his father's last wish, but not to claim its treasures for himself. As Ding Yunqi prepared to depart, Zhou Qiuhai, unwilling to accept his wishes, commanded his Mound-digging Sect disciples to stop him.
