Love in the Clouds Episode 12 Recap
> Love in the Clouds Recap
Situ Ling returned to his cave in Jixing Abyss, where Fuyue, who had been there as a mole, greeted him. She informed him she had found a suitable place for him to cultivate the Thousand Insect Spell, teeming with blue butterflies, and pledged her unwavering loyalty. Later, Situ Ling arrived back at his cave, having just delivered medicine to Ming Yi. He confronted Fuyue for concealing Ming Yi's marriage to Ji Bozai, feeling hurt and betrayed.
Fuyue confessed she kept the news from him because she did not want him to be upset. Situ Ling revealed that Ming Yi was afflicted with Heavenly Grief and declared his firm resolve to save her, even if it meant abandoning his long-sought goal of acquiring the Golden Millet Dream.
He explained that his aspiration to become a warrior stemmed solely from Ming Yi, who, despite his lack of spiritual veins and the humiliation he endured, had been the singular light in his life. He asserted that Ming Yi’s life held more importance than his own. Situ Ling believed Ming Yi's marriage to Ji Bozai was merely a facade to obtain the Golden Millet Dream and that there was nothing genuine between them.
Fuyue challenged this, implying that Ming Yi would use any means to achieve her goals. Situ Ling then dismissed Fuyue, who, as she departed, pondered whether his past feelings for Ming Xian, once described as admiration and gratitude, had now transformed into something deeper. Ji Bozai awoke late to find Granny Xun and Twenty-Seven waiting. Granny Xun playfully teased him about being a newlywed and offered him nourishing food for his injuries, while Twenty-Seven pointed out it was already evening.
Granny Xun then elaborated on the marriage customs of Jixing Abyss: couples must select an auspicious day and blessed land, make a wish to the starlight for eternal companionship, and, if blessed by a showering of starlight from the Radiant Spirit, carve their names on the Marriage Stone under the witness of mandarin ducks. Twenty-Seven immediately dismissed the marriage as a sham, asserting Ji Bozai would soon divorce Ming Yi.
Granny Xun, however, insisted that Ming Yi was genuinely sincere towards Ji Bozai, a rare quality, unlike others who sought wealth, leverage, or the Golden Millet Dream. Twenty-Seven countered that his and Granny Xun’s loyalty was also genuine, questioning if sincerity was truly so rare. Granny Xun affirmed its rarity, highlighting that only Ji Bozai, Twenty-Seven, and Ming Yi were truly sincere. She then questioned if they could accompany him forever, to which Twenty-Seven insisted he would.
Granny Xun called Twenty-Seven a "silly dragon" and explained that Ji Bozai had lost 21 years to the villains of Sunken Abyss in his quest for revenge, but that life should encompass more than just vengeance. She urged him to embrace the happiness Ming Yi offered, seeing her as someone who could stand by him through thick and thin. Ji Bozai, amused by their bickering, noted how much both Granny Xun and Twenty-Seven had changed since Ming Yi's arrival.
As the Radiant Spirit appeared, Granny Xun interpreted it as a blessing and encouraged Ji Bozai to make a wish with Ming Yi, much to Twenty-Seven’s playful derision. Ji Bozai took Ming Yi to Huansha Market, intending to buy her gifts now that they were married. He lavishly purchased many items, insisting she needed them, even when she found it unnecessary.
Their opulent shopping drew attention from vendors and passersby, who praised them as a "divine couple" and expressed wishes for a love like theirs. Ming Yi, laden with packages and exhausted, eventually complained that Ji Bozai was not helping her carry anything. Ji Bozai, realizing his oversight, apologized. Ming Yi then cleverly requested his help in crafting some artifacts: a Qiankun Pouch by enchanting a small purse and a Thorned Maiden’s Hairpin by combining a hairpin with a dagger.
She explained her need for the self-defense hairpin in his absence. Ji Bozai skillfully created these items, much to Ming Yi's delight, even transforming a scallion pancake into an "unbreakable pancake shield," which she politely declined. Later, as they reflected on their evening, Ji Bozai confessed that he had given much thought to their future and wished for their marriage, initially one of convenience, to become a true union, promising to face all challenges with her.
Stunned by his sincerity, Ming Yi was left speechless. Seeing her inability to respond, Ji Bozai, feigning another engagement, hastily departed, leaving Ming Yi bewildered and unable to stop him. Infuriated by news of Ming Yi's marriage, She Tianlin traveled alone to Wugui Sea to confront her. Upon entering her room, he initially mistook her for Ming Xian and expressed his anger over the wedding.
After recognizing her, he scolded her for years of concealing her true gender with the Veil of Illusion, striking her head despite a past promise not to. He forced her to kneel and revealed that Ming Xin, bearing injuries and carrying the Search Mirror Ming Yi had created, had returned to Yaoguang Mountain, claiming Ming Yi (as Ming Xian) had defected to enemy territory.
Influenced by Madam Meng, the Divine Ruler now suspected Ming Yi of treason, though he hesitated to openly pursue her, fearing it would push her further away. Ming Yi was distraught that her father believed Ming Xin over her. She Tianlin explained the Divine Ruler's difficult position, as a missing and defeated son like Ming Xian was easily cast aside. He assured her of his deep worry, recounting how he faked illness to track her and thwarted Ming Xin's pursuers.
She Tianlin then pressed Ming Yi for the truth about her marriage to Ji Bozai. Ming Yi revealed her plan: she suspected the Golden Millet Dream lay within Ji Bozai's Spirit Well and believed marriage and a heart imprint were necessary to access it. She Tianlin, though exasperated by her unconventional methods, acknowledged her ingenuity. However, Ming Yi confessed that Ji Bozai's cautious nature prevented him from forming a heart imprint, leaving her unable to enter the Spirit Well.
Twenty-Seven loudly reiterated this to She Tianlin, who was already struggling with his hearing. She Tianlin lamented that Ming Yi's plan had backfired, leaving her at a disadvantage. Distraught, he asked about her spiritual veins and the remaining Heavenly Grief petals, learning she had five left. He forbade her from risking her life further, stating his sole wish was for her to live safely.
Moments later, Ji Bozai arrived with scallion pancakes but, finding no one in the room, placed them on the table and left, assuming Ming Yi was with Zhang Tai. She Tianlin and Twenty-Seven emerged from hiding, having observed Ji Bozai's seemingly genuine concern. She Tianlin was enraged, convinced Ji Bozai was truly interested in Ming Yi, and vowed to kill him. Twenty-Seven, however, reminded him of Ji Bozai's superior power and the critical importance of obtaining the Golden Millet Dream.
He also suggested that Ji Bozai might not be responsible for the poisoning. Reluctantly, She Tianlin suppressed his fury, though Twenty-Seven encouraged him to curse Ji Bozai instead. She Tianlin dismissed this, questioning Ming Yi's taste if she had indeed developed feelings for Ji Bozai. Ming Yi accompanied Zhang Tai to the grave of Mu Xinliu. There, they discovered a final testimony from Xinliu’s divine consciousness.
In it, Xinliu expressed profound gratitude to Ming Yi and Ji Bozai for saving Zhang Tai. She condemned Xun Ming's "love" as a facade that not only led to her demise but also to the deaths of other innocent fairies, regretting her inability to avenge them as a mere Jingwei bird without spiritual veins.
Ming Yi reassured Zhang Tai that Xinliu would approve of their actions, arguing that Xinliu, who never knew true freedom in life, would not wish her memory to be exploited for Xun Ming's self-serving narrative. Zhang Tai noted that Xun Ming deliberately omitted Xinliu's surname from her tombstone, a perceived attempt to strip her of identity and claim her entirely.
Ming Yi suggested they honor Xinliu by leaving only her given name, as she likely would not have wished to bear the "Mu" surname.
Xinliu's testimony revealed that Mu Qibai, also known as Lord Hanfeng, committed two grave crimes: first, secretly raising an ancient netherbeast and using a forbidden technique from Hou Zhao, hidden at Dragon Carp Terrace, to feed it with the primordial spirits of innocent people; and second, capturing innocents, falsely accusing them as criminals, and casting them into the Sunken Abyss to refine Heavenly Grief.
The testimony explicitly implicated the Upper Third Realm, including Yaoguang Mountain, Zhushui Spiritual State, and Flowing Wave Gorge, noting that Lord Hanfeng kept a ledger to control his co-conspirators. Ming Yi and Zhang Tai were stunned by these revelations, realizing the Sunken Abyss incident was far more complex and that Mu Qibai's collusion extended to the Upper Third Realm.
Ming Yi then consulted She Tianlin, who was unsurprised by Yaoguang Mountain's potential involvement, speculating that if Mu Qibai sold Heavenly Grief there, her own poisoning (as Ming Xian) could have originated from within Yaoguang Mountain. Ming Yi, trusting Ji Bozai's denial of poisoning Ming Xian, believed Ming Xin and Madam Meng were the prime suspects. She Tianlin dismissed any implication of the Divine Ruler's complicity.
He then offered to return to Yaoguang Mountain to investigate Madam Meng and Ming Xin. Before giving the testimony to Ji Bozai, Ming Yi requested She Tianlin to magically redact any mention of Yaoguang Mountain's involvement. She wanted Ji Bozai to investigate Mu Qibai's crimes without yet knowing the full extent of the Upper Third Realm's collusion, reasoning that Ji Bozai, as a native of Jixing Abyss, would not prioritize Yaoguang Mountain's reputation.
She Tianlin agreed, emphasizing the need for them to uncover the truth independently. Ming Yi subsequently handed the redacted testimony to Ji Bozai. He acknowledged that his previous investigation of Dragon Carp Terrace had yielded no results, realizing Mu Qibai's secrets were far more deeply concealed. Ji Bozai stated that his initial plan was to expose Mu Qibai through the Divine Ruler's mysterious Deep Slumber Sickness and his activities in the Sunken Abyss.
However, the new evidence of raising a netherbeast army with the intent to rebel presented a much graver charge, one that could utterly destroy Mu Qibai. Having left Moonlit Blossoms, Zhang Tai, with Ming Yi's assistance, established a street stall selling unique, handmade hairpins. One day, Princess Tianji, accompanied by her attendant Xiuyun, stopped at the stall. Tianji recognized Ming Yi and questioned why a "warrior's wife" was involved in selling accessories.
Ming Yi introduced Zhang Tai as her close friend from Moonlit Blossoms, explaining that after the incident with Xun Ming, Zhang Tai needed to find a new way to make a living, and Ming Yi was simply helping her. Tianji remarked on Ming Yi's continued association with Moonlit Blossoms. Ming Yi challenged Tianji's prejudice, asserting that someone in her position, responsible for Shouhua Academy, should judge individuals by their character, not their origins.
Tianji conceded her narrow-mindedness and, in a gesture of goodwill, instructed Xiuyun to purchase all the accessories from Zhang Tai's stall. Ming Yi and Zhang Tai were thrilled by the unexpected sales. Tianji clarified that her appreciation was for the beautiful hairpins themselves and confirmed her order for all items to be delivered the following day. Princess Tianji attempted to visit her father, but Yan Xiao barred her way, citing the Divine Ruler's restless sleep.
Tianji accused them of preventing her from uncovering clues about a conspiracy but assured them she would not act rashly, understanding that her father was merely unconscious and a foolish move could worsen his condition. She pointedly asked Yan Xiao if he would betray her and her father to her uncle if he sought their lives. That night, Yan Xiao brought Meng Yangqiu to see Mu Qibai.
Mu Qibai was enraged by Meng Yangqiu's foolishness in publicly spreading news of Ji Bozai's wedding, calling him an idiot. Yan Xiao defended Meng Yangqiu, arguing that someone easily manipulated like him was more strategically valuable than more capable individuals. He also implicitly questioned if Mu Qibai needed to tolerate Meng Yangqiu to secure Yan Xiao's own loyalty, while also emphasizing his unwavering devotion and gratitude to Mu Qibai for his rise from humble origins.
Their heated exchange was interrupted by a flying letter from Lord Chengyun of Yaoguang Mountain, Ming Xin. The letter informed Mu Qibai that Ming Xian's companion beast, a White Cat that had left Ming Xin bedridden for over a month, had now appeared in Jixing Abyss. Recognizing this as an opportunity, Mu Qibai immediately ordered them to capture the White Cat, with Yan Xiao eagerly volunteering for the task.
