Love and Destiny Episode 4 Recap, Plot

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Jingxiu presented the Heart-Assembling Nail to God of Heavenly Thunder, stating that he had sent men deep into Dark Capital Mountain and finally found it, thus completing God of Heavenly Thunder's task. Pleased, God of Heavenly Thunder invited Jingxiu to stay and drink, offering his best wine. However, Jingxiu soon excused himself, claiming urgent tribal matters. He explained that his country's Master was weak, and he had acquired an illness-preventing bead from the Old Man of South Pole Immortal.

Unfortunately, his subordinate had allowed the bead to be accidentally tainted with death qi on Dark Capital Mountain, requiring Jingxiu's immediate return to warm and nourish it with his spirit so it could be presented as a birthday gift to his ruler next month. God of Heavenly Thunder dismissed his concerns, immediately summoning Fangsheng and ordering him to find Kaiyang and have him retrieve the bead from the Spirit Bird Realm.

Jingxiu feigned modesty, suggesting Kaiyang was too important for such a minor task, but God of Heavenly Thunder insisted it would be Kaiyang's blessing to serve him. Soon after, Kaiyang received the illness-preventing bead from Chibi of the Shanling Tribe. Chibi insisted on escorting Kaiyang, explaining that an enchanted barrier set by ancestors in ancient times made it difficult for ordinary immortals to use their full powers within the Shanling realm. He worried Jingxiu would blame him if Kaiyang struggled.

Chibi had pre-arranged for a message to be sent out to lure Zhonghao. As Kaiyang's carriage reached the border, they were ambushed by Zhonghao and his men, who believed they were attacking Jingxiu's carriage. Zhonghao ordered his men to capture the "rebel." However, Jiuchen intervened, saving Kaiyang, who had been severely wounded in the chest by Zhonghao's Buddha Arrows. Realizing they had been tricked, Zhonghao and his group quickly retreated.

Upon learning of Kaiyang's grave injury and Jiuchen's involvement, God of Heavenly Thunder expressed his anger, attributing Zhonghao's continued existence to the Shanling ruler's gentle nature. He then offered to deal with Zhonghao himself as a repayment for the Heart-Assembling Nail, entrusting the task to Ziguang. This outcome aligned perfectly with Jingxiu's expectations. Leaving God of Heavenly Thunder's palace, Jingxiu and Chibi made their way to Fuyun Hall. Inside, Jiuchen was tending to Kaiyang's injuries.

Lingxi, observing Jiuchen, noted that his cold qi was unstable, surmising it was due to the immense energy expended in healing Kaiyang. Shisan soon announced that State Preceptor Jingxiu was requesting an audience. Jiuchen declined to see visitors and instructed Shisan to deliver the illness-preventing bead to Jingxiu. Jingxiu accepted the bead without apparent displeasure. However, upon opening the box once Shisan departed, the bead instantly disintegrated into ashes. Later that night, Jiuchen's cold illness indeed recurred.

Lingxi diligently tended to him, keeping a brazier of burning Endless Wood nearby throughout the night to combat his freezing condition. She worried intensely, recalling a dream of being thrown into a cellar. Only after Jiuchen's condition gradually stabilized did she finally fall asleep, holding onto his sleeve. Upon waking, Jiuchen remained stoic, only reminding Lingxi that it was her ninth day at Fuyun Hall.

He reiterated his ultimatum: if she failed to return his Immortal Knot by the tenth day, he would hand her over to God of Heavenly Thunder, believing that such an experience would curb her tendency to lie. Panicked, Lingxi returned to her room, ransacking it in a desperate search for the Immortal Knot, though her maid, Huayan, suggested it was not a valuable item and she could simply make another if lost.

Huayan, who was supposed to be serving in the Grand Hall, then arrived and informed Lingxi that Star Lord Siming was present, having been ordered out by Senior Deity. Lingxi, curious, inquired about Siming. Huayan explained that Siming was the main deity of Wenchang Palace, responsible for the destinies, marriages, and fortunes of mortals.

She gossiped that Siming was once a mortal named Han Xin, who, through a stroke of luck, became a disciple of Senior Deity Xianchang and ascended to godhood after several hundred years of cultivation. Huayan added that Wenchang Palace's duties were arduous and never-ending, as they oversaw all aspects of mortal life, making advancement in cultivation difficult, hence most immortals avoided the position.

Meanwhile, Siming explained to Jiuchen that Jingxiu, the State Preceptor of the Shanling Tribe, hailed from the Xuan Bird Tribe, a lineage known for producing skilled tacticians who traditionally aided the Shanling monarchs. However, fifty thousand years ago, during the reign of the previous State Master Yuandu, the Xuan Bird Tribe plotted a rebellion, which was ultimately exposed by the Xuan Bird Tribe Leader's own son—Jingxiu.

Siming revealed that Jingxiu not only betrayed his father but also swore a blood pact to assist the Royal Phoenix Clan, thereby securing his survival at Yuandu's hands. Millennia later, after Yuandu's death from a Heavenly Tribulation, the throne passed to his daughter, Lingyue, and Jingxiu, adhering to tradition, assumed the role of State Preceptor, assisting Lingyue to this day. Siming noted that Lingyue showed little interest in state affairs, entrusting all important matters to Jingxiu.

Despite being praised by the Heavenly Emperor for his loyalty, Jingxiu was not well-regarded by others due to his betrayal and never attended Heavenly Palace banquets. Siming also clarified that Zhonghao was Lieyi's posthumous son, born in the Shanling realm. Like his father, Zhonghao was violent and undisciplined, having led his tribespeople into hiding within the Innumerable Great Peaks. Siming recounted an earlier encounter where he let Zhonghao off, only for him to grow bolder and incite rebellion.

Siming concluded that Jingxiu's outwardly low-profile but internally iron-fisted rule clashed with Zhonghao's arrogant and unbridled nature, forging a deadly enmity between them. Kaiyang directly questioned Jiuchen about whether he suspected Jingxiu's involvement in the recent ambush. Jiuchen, without confirming, warned them that Jingxiu was extremely calculating and scheming, advising them to exercise caution in future interactions with him.

He also pointed out that many notable figures had emerged in the Six Realms during his fifty-millennia-long slumber, implying Jingxiu might not be as significant as he seemed. Suddenly, Yunfeng burst in, exclaiming in disbelief that God of Heavenly Thunder had taken the initiative to approach the Heavenly Emperor to arrange a grand welcome banquet for Jiuchen, inviting all prominent immortals from the Six Realms. Yunfeng expressed concern, suspecting a sinister plot behind God of Heavenly Thunder's unprecedented actions.

However, Jiuchen calmly asserted that what was destined to come would inevitably arrive, and it was better to face it directly. On the day of the banquet, the Heavenly Palace was bustling with activity, with renowned immortals from all corners of the Six Realms gathered. The Fuyun Hall maids gossiped about the numerous female immortals present, many of whom were clearly there for Jiuchen, including Fairy Yuli, the Lord of Heavenly Medicine's daughter.

Unconcerned with the gossip, Lingxi continued her frantic search for the Immortal Knot. Shisan, finding her still searching, instructed her to stop and deliver Jiuchen's medicine to him at the approaching banquet. Upon arrival, a young immortal maid mistakenly assumed Lingxi was a guest and insisted she take a seat, ultimately placing her next to Fairy Yuli. Fairy Yuli, captivated by Jiuchen's presence, expressed her excitement about seeing him again after many years.

The Heavenly Emperor soon arrived, officially commencing the banquet. Fairy Yuli, noticing Lingxi's intense gaze on Jiuchen, asked if she knew him. Lingxi admitted to being merely curious. Fairy Yuli then shared her own cautionary tale, revealing that a single curious glance at Jiuchen years ago had led to her own lifelong regret, and sternly advised Lingxi not to harbor such aspirations, as Jiuchen was beyond the reach of junior immortals like them.

Meanwhile, Ziguang aggressively approached Jiuchen to offer a toast, provocatively mentioning the Heavenly Soldiers who had perished at Dark Capital Mountain and Jiuchen being the sole survivor. Yunfeng, observing Ziguang's insolence, immediately retaliated by bringing up Ziguang's past blunder during a previous moon eclipse: how Ziguang's month-long drunkenness after consuming 20,000-year-old wine from Western Seas Laozu's underground palace had allowed a Formless Beast to escape, leading to the death of 2,000 Heavenly Soldiers under his command.

As Ziguang became enraged, Yunfeng slapped him, calmly stating that Ziguang was not worthy of speaking his name. To de-escalate the escalating tension, Siming and High Immortal Peng deliberately caused a commotion nearby, creating a much-needed diversion. Lingxi, having witnessed the tense confrontation, grew concerned for Jiuchen's health, knowing he had over-exerted himself healing Kaiyang and was now drinking. She discretely approached Jiuchen from behind and handed him his medicine, urging him to drink less alcohol.

Jiuchen, displeased by her public display, quietly instructed her to return to her seat. At that moment, God of Heavenly Thunder seized the opportunity, stepping forward to address the Heavenly Emperor. He declared that after years of fruitless searching for relics from the devastating and mysterious battle at Dark Capital Mountain, he had finally found a valuable item: Yuanzheng's Heart-Assembling Nail. Yuantong immediately recognized it as her elder brother's cherished possession, and Old Madam Yuan wept at the sight.

Suddenly, the Heart-Assembling Nail flew erratically into the air. Jiuchen instantly moved to shield the Heavenly Emperor, while Lingxi, worried for Jiuchen, also stepped forward to assist. Together, they managed to subdue the wayward artifact, but Jiuchen's hand immediately became covered in a layer of frost, a sign of his recurring cold ailment. Lingxi, seeing this, discreetly channeled her spiritual power to help alleviate his condition.

God of Heavenly Thunder, far from being surprised by the Heart-Assembling Nail's erratic behavior, appeared pleased. He audaciously suggested that because the nail, Yuanzheng's natal treasure, attacked Jiuchen, it implied a hidden conflict between Jiuchen and Yuanzheng during their lives. Yuantong vehemently interjected, affirming that her brother Yuanzheng deeply respected Jiuchen, viewing him as a father figure, and Jiuchen, in turn, considered Yuanzheng his indispensable right-hand man.

Yunfeng quickly offered a plausible explanation, attributing the nail's anomaly to the chaotic, death-infused, and demon-laden environment of Dark Capital Mountain, where it had lain for fifty millennia. However, God of Heavenly Thunder persisted in his accusations, demanding to know why the nail targeted only Jiuchen and no other immortals. He then directly challenged Jiuchen, publicly asking if Yuanzheng and the one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers had truly perished at Jiuchen's hands during the battle fifty thousand years ago.

Old Madam Yuan, fueled by years of grief, also stepped forward, asking why her Heavenly Tribe warriors, whose bodies should remain uncorrupted and souls intact after death, had vanished completely in the Dark Capital Mountain battle. She questioned why all the subordinate generals died, yet Jiuchen, their commander, alone survived and had mysteriously awoken after fifty millennia of slumber in the Immortal Sea. Jiuchen, burdened by grief and a sense of duty, finally responded.

He explained that in the Battle of Gods and Demons, he and the Heavenly Soldiers fought shoulder-to-shoulder, trapping the Demon Lord and the Demon Tribe in Dark Capital Mountain. The Demon Tribe then sacrificed their flesh and souls to empower the Demon Lord, unleashing his immense power.

To overcome this, the one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers, with his permission, made the ultimate sacrifice: they burned their own immortal souls, fighting to the death, to finally vanquish the Demon Lord beneath Dark Capital Mountain. When Old Madam Yuan pressed for tangible proof, Jiuchen proudly declared that his word alone served as the undeniable basis for his account.

Before she could press further, the Heavenly Emperor intervened, asserting his full trust in Jiuchen's words and warning Old Madam Yuan against further accusations in the Heavenly Palace, then dismissed Jiuchen to rest.

Episode 3 Recap

Episode 5 Recap