Love in the Clouds Episode 18 Recap
> Love in the Clouds Recap
Upon returning to the Spirit Well, Ming Yi found Ji Bozai still unconscious. Buxiu informed her that the Netherbeast-Luring Caltrop had been removed, but Ji Bozai's netherbeast core was leaking, leaving him vulnerable to losing his mind at any moment. His body and spirit were weakened, allowing the nightmares of the Sunken Abyss, which he had finally overcome, to return.
Buxiu explained that Ji Bozai had survived being poisoned in the Sunken Abyss due to miasmas and herbs, but it was only after meeting Bo Yulan that he was truly healed. Ming Yi stayed by Ji Bozai's side, comforting him and assuring him he was safe until he finally awoke.
Ji Bozai reflected on his ordeal, noting that Meng Yangqiu had poisoned him with the Netherbeast-Luring Caltrop at Mu Qibai's behest, and Mu Qibai was likely to arrive soon to frame him for keeping netherbeasts. He acknowledged that he was alive because of Ming Yi's intervention. He then questioned Ming Yi, asking if she had doubted his innocence or suspected he might absorb the netherbeast core for personal gain.
Ming Yi's genuine lack of suspicion surprised him, and she affirmed her trust in him, even regarding past accusations about Ming Xian. Ji Bozai also revealed he knew she had entered his Spirit Well and was aware of the Golden Millet Dream hidden within. He probed why she hadn't taken the coveted artifact and why she had used the Graft Spell without concealing her spiritual power as she had before.
Ming Yi confessed that she had grown weary of lying to him and decided to stop. Ji Bozai then asked if she would lie to him again and if her feelings for him were real. Just then, Buxiu announced the arrival of Lord Hanfeng Mu Qibai and Immortal Situ Ling. Recognizing that Ji Bozai still carried netherbeast energy, Ming Yi decided to handle the confrontation, taking Granny Xun with her.
Mu Qibai, observing Situ Ling's uncharacteristic diligence in matters concerning Wugui Sea, questioned his motives. Ming Yi boldly confronted Mu Qibai, accusing him of trying to frame her husband. Mu Qibai, citing the self-confession of the sinner Hou Zhao, claimed he had long suspected someone in Jixing Abyss was raising netherbeasts and now, with Ji Bozai emitting netherbeast energy after Meng Yangqiu's actions, the evidence was conclusive.
When Mu Qibai ordered Ji Bozai's capture, Situ Ling intervened, proposing a re-test with a different Netherbeast-Luring Caltrop, arguing that true netherbeast keepers would carry persistent netherbeast energy. Meng Yangqiu then inadvertently exposed Mu Qibai's manipulation by stating that Lord Hanfeng had warned him not to touch the caltrop, contradicting Situ Ling's assertion that it was harmless.
Mu Qibai quickly silenced Meng Yangqiu with a spell, implicitly signaling Yan Xiao to eliminate him, causing onlookers to worry about Meng Yangqiu's sudden distress. Before Ming Yi could intervene, Ji Bozai arrived, effortlessly breaking the spell on Meng Yangqiu. He calmly touched the Netherbeast-Luring Caltrop, showing no ill effects, then threw it at Mu Qibai. To everyone's shock, demonic marks instantly appeared on Mu Qibai's face, proving that the caltrop had been tampered with.
Ji Bozai explained that he had simply channeled the injected netherbeast energy back into the caltrop, exposing Mu Qibai's trickery. Ming Yi emphasized that her husband was innocent, and the caltrop had been manipulated by Lord Hanfeng to frame Ji Bozai through Meng Yangqiu. Situ Ling offered to take both Ji Bozai and Mu Qibai to the Judgment Hall for a thorough investigation.
Cornered, Shao Qun stepped forward, taking full responsibility, claiming he had inadvertently used a tainted caltrop belonging to the sinner Xun Ming, absolving Mu Qibai. Ji Bozai, however, scornfully commented on Mu Qibai's "dogs," and Mu Qibai, feigning anger, ordered Shao Qun and Meng Yangqiu taken away for investigation. The other immortals apologized to Ji Bozai for their misunderstanding, and Mu Qibai departed with his men, promising to find and punish the "true" culprit.
Feeling unwell from the backlash of the Graft Spell, Ming Yi quickly found an excuse to return to her room, telling Ji Bozai she only needed rest and urging him to resume refining his netherbeast core. Yan Xiao visited Meng Yangqiu in jail, revealing that Shao Qun had taken all the blame, and he was there to release him. Meng Yangqiu, still bewildered, expressed his confusion about the events and his fear of Tianji's unforgiveness.
Yan Xiao informed him that both of them were considered Lord Hanfeng's men, making them Tianji's adversaries. Meng Yangqiu initially protested, believing his connection to Mu Qibai was only distant family ties, but then slowly grasped the extent of his involvement. Realizing Yan Xiao's true allegiance, Meng Yangqiu recalled how Mu Qibai had elevated Yan Xiao from a lowly guard to a medical immortal.
He urged Yan Xiao to abandon Mu Qibai, especially after witnessing Mu Qibai's ruthless attempt to have him killed. Yan Xiao, however, explained his ambition, stating that unlike Meng Yangqiu, who came from a prominent family of wine immortals and could comfortably be a casual immortal, he had no one to rely on and chose to climb higher through Mu Qibai's power, indifferent to how it looked.
A flashback showed a young, bullied Yan Xiao being championed by Mu Qibai, who recognized his medical talent and promised him a path to becoming a medical immortal, cementing Yan Xiao's loyalty. Back at his mansion, Mu Qibai, missing Shao Qun's presence, summoned Yan Xiao and presented him with a bottle of poison, ordering him to administer it to the Emperor. Yan Xiao attempted to dissuade him, suggesting that the ailing Emperor would naturally decline.
Mu Qibai, using the metaphor of a withered elm tree that could not be revived, dismissed Yan Xiao's objections and presented him with a grim choice: save one person now or secure the future of thousands. Meanwhile, Ji Bozai’s netherbeast core was still unstable and leaking. Ming Yi reminded him of the risks of being influenced by the netherbeasts and urged him to hold onto his true self while refining the core.
Inside his mind, the netherbeast tried to tempt Ji Bozai with promises of immense power. Ming Yi, still recovering from the backlash of her Graft Spell, was advised by Buxiu, who called her "Twenty-Seven," to sever their master-servant spiritpact if her condition worsened to ensure at least one of them survived. Buxiu noted that Ming Yi had heroically suppressed the spell's aftereffects to save him, comparing her worsening condition to a "Grief Blossom" losing petals.
Granny Xun then arrived with a tonic, a prescription from Ji Bozai, to help Ming Yi recover. Soon after, Situ Ling visited, bringing Ming Yi a Jade Dew Tonic he had personally brewed. He openly confessed his deep affection, explaining that meeting her had pulled him from a life without hope and that her influence on him was profound. He then requested her hairpin as a memento, which she hesitantly allowed.
Fu Yue, concerned about Situ Ling's safety, reported on Ji Bozai's Spirit Well and the Golden Millet Dream. Believing that a certain individual posed a threat to Situ Ling and had discovered his whereabouts, Fu Yue offered to seduce and kill him. Situ Ling refused, stating it was his own conflict, and instructed her to arrange a meeting for him with Chao Yu for the following day.
Separately, Chao Yu reported to Mu Qibai about Ming Yi's assistance to Ji Bozai's companion beast, carefully omitting Situ Ling's involvement. Mu Qibai, recalling seeing a woman with spiritual veins at Sun Liao's mansion, realized it was Ming Yi. He ordered Sun Liao to capture and torture Ming Yi’s friend, Zhang Tai, using a soul-seizing technique to force her to reveal information. Zhang Tai endured severe torture, refusing to betray Ming Yi.
Simultaneously, Situ Ling met with Chao Yu as arranged, only to be ambushed. Chao Yu, revealing his allegiance to Mu Qibai through a message, physically threatened Situ Ling, declaring his intention to harm Ming Yi to make Situ Ling witness the suffering of the woman he loved.
