Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Episode 15 Recap
> Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Recap
Si Shi, a divine master, revealed to Su Mo that seven thousand years ago, during the eve of Quanxian's destruction, he performed a divination foretelling the appearance of the next Emperor of the Sea in seven millennia. This prophecy, he explained, marked the beginning of Su Mo's pain, and for him, everything would begin after the end.
Su Mo, reflecting on this, realized that Na Sheng's earlier divination was not mere childish fancy, but that his own fate had been etched onto the Wheel of Life. To accomplish his task of unsealing Kongsang's Crown Prince Zhen Lan, Su Mo learned he needed to enter the Ghost and Deity Abyss. Si Shi clarified that a formidable barrier, erected by the Heavenly King of Kongsang, blocked entry, and only the Heavenly Ring could unlock it.
Su Mo thanked Si Shi for his guidance. Meanwhile, within Cangliu, internal power struggles simmered. Master Peng reprimanded General Fei Lian for deploying the army without authorization, failing to capture Na Sheng, and losing numerous Wind Falcons. Another of the Five Masters defended Fei Lian, arguing his actions were an attempt to pursue the Heavenly Ring owner and the Emperor of the Sea, and to rectify Yu Huan's previous blunders by capturing the Heavenly Condemned person.
Master Peng lamented the blow to Cangliu's military prestige. Later, Yu Huan, despite his imprisonment, submitted a report pinpointing Jing Lake as the escape route of the Heavenly Ring owner and the Sea Emperor. This raised questions among the masters about how Yu Huan acquired such information while incarcerated.
The same master explained that Yu Huan had set up a barrier in Taoyuan Province, blocking all water routes, and almost succeeded in capturing them before they mysteriously escaped to Jing Lake. After much debate, a Master concluded that despite the losses, Yu Huan's strategic planning and Fei Lian's execution constituted significant military achievements. He ordered the release of both Yu Huan and Fei Lian.
Bai Ying, poring over ancient texts, discovered details about the forbidden "Mirror Technique" from the Yunhuang Records. She realized this technique, while offering the miracle of healing injuries, also carried a severe backlash. Excessive injuries or evil energies, she read, could allow malevolent thoughts to control the body, resulting in "incomparable Yin evil" and a threefold increase in backlash power. She worried deeply, wondering if Su Mo was practicing this dangerous art.
Yu Zhu met secretly with Master Peng, questioning him about his meeting with Lord Zhi Zhe. She revealed that Lord Zhi Zhe had speculated about an alliance between the land and sea but had expressly forbidden her from sharing this information with the Five Masters. Master Peng was puzzled by Zhi Zhe's secrecy and instructed Yu Zhu to keep the alliance a secret and to observe Lord Zhi Zhe more closely.
He also commanded her to send Yu Huan to him immediately upon his release, questioning where Yu Huan had learned Kongsang's spells. Later, Master Peng, reflecting on Yu Huan's audacious plan orchestrated from prison without his prior knowledge, recognized Yu Huan's profound scheming and ambition.
He was particularly concerned about Yu Huan's ability to erect the barrier in Taoyuan Village using Kongsang's magical techniques, a feat requiring immense power, and wondered if Yu Huan had secretly met with Lord Zhi Zhe. His subordinate suggested that Yu Zhu would not have revealed such a meeting, as Yu Huan is her younger brother.
Na Sheng expressed her desire to learn magic from Xi Jing, believing her status as the chosen one of the Heavenly Ring would enable her to quickly master powerful spells. Her goal was to protect herself and others, unseal the Six Directions and Dragon Deity Seals, defeat Cangliu, and eventually fly off together with Yan Xi forever or swim with him to the Biluo Sea.
Xi Jing, while supportive, cautioned her that mastering such magic to travel "1,000 miles a day" typically required many years of cultivation. Na Sheng, however, was confident in her innate talent. Among the Quanxian elders, many expressed distrust of the proposed alliance with Kongsang, fearing it was a deception designed for revenge, given their 7,000 years of grievances.
Elder Quan voiced concerns that Su Mo's recent battle had exposed their main camp, making the alliance a potentially risky move rather than a path back to the Biluo Sea. He suggested further discussions and deploying a spy to Cangliu. Ning Liang, recalling the horrific tortures endured by their people in Cangliu prisons, vehemently agreed with the elders' skepticism, stating she would never trust anyone again.
Yan Xi, however, staunchly defended Su Mo, reminding Ning Liang that he had known Su Mo for 100 years and would follow him without question. He dismissed the elders' concerns as mere gossip, asserting that Su Mo's decisions were to be trusted. Their disagreement escalated, with each accusing the other of changing. Ning Liang later confided to another person that Yan Xi's impulsive nature remained unchecked.
After making contact via a sound pearl, Bai Ying met Su Mo by the lake. She conveyed Zhen Lan's concern for Su Mo's spiritual consciousness, which had been severely damaged in the Taoyuan Village battle. Bai Ying then directly confronted Su Mo, asking if he was cultivating the Mirror Technique, having deduced it from his past actions and research into forbidden arts. She warned him of the severe backlash and potential for evil thoughts to control his body.
Su Mo admitted to using the technique, explaining his need to maintain an appearance of strength to his people. Bai Ying offered an alternative, slower healing method using orchids and her swordmaster's technique, which would avoid the backlash. She pressed him, asking if he would cease using the Mirror Technique if there were no alliance.
Su Mo promised to use it only as a last resort, explaining that he kept his condition secret from his people, who had endured centuries of torment and deserved a healthy and strong Emperor of the Sea. Bai Ying then shared an urgent development: to unseal the Six Directions Seal in the Ghost and Deity Abyss, Na Sheng was required because the barrier responded to the Heavenly Ring.
However, Na Sheng, being from the Central Plains, lacked the necessary magic to survive underwater. Su Mo agreed to discuss this with Zhen Lan. Later, Zhen Lan, troubled by the barrier in Taoyuan Village, consulted the High Priest. He found it suspicious that Cangliu could deploy "Kongsang ancestor's water prison technique."
When Bai Ying returned, she reported Su Mo's analysis: the Six Directions Seal within the Ghost and Deity Abyss had created its own barrier, requiring Na Sheng and the Heavenly Ring for activation. With Na Sheng unable to enter the water, Zhen Lan and the High Priest searched for a solution. The High Priest recalled the "Water Dispelling Pearl," a precious artifact once owned by Queen Bai Wei, which allowed her to traverse deep waters without fear.
However, he struggled to remember its exact location. Meanwhile, Fei Lian's subordinate, Xiang, a fellow Quanxian, found Xiao at the Wind Falcon Storehouse. Xiang revealed that she had used her willpower to break through Cangliu's mind-control technique and remained in the Cangliu troops to send news to the main camp. She urged Xiao not to seek death for Ting's sake and asked him to work with her to leak Cangliu's machine and technique secrets to Quanxian.
Xiao, having recovered his memory, revealed to Yu Huan that he had killed his own sister, Ting, and therefore felt he could not return to Quanxian. He expressed his willingness to continue serving Yu Huan, stating that his life was in Yu Huan's hands. Yu Huan accepted this, ordering Xiao never to die without his permission.
In Cangliu, Nan Zhao mockingly greeted Yu Huan upon his release from prison, subtly implying Yu Huan's supposed "hardships" were due to immoral indulgences, and questioning his decision to bring Xiao back. Later, Master Peng summoned both Yu Huan and Nan Zhao, seeking their strategies against the Land-Sea Alliance. Nan Zhao proposed a direct, brutal approach: kill merpeople in the city to provoke the Quanxian army and draw out the Emperor of the Sea, then eliminate him.
Yu Huan countered, warning that such actions would only strengthen the Kongsang-Quanxian alliance and that Cangliu still underestimated their combined power. Nan Zhao accused Yu Huan of cowardice due to his past defeats, prompting Yu Huan to assert his willingness to personally confront the Emperor of the Sea.
Back at the Quanxian camp, a sound pearl from Han Zhou, their spy in Jing City, delivered a message: Master Peng had gathered merpeople in Jing City and invited the Emperor of the Sea to an alliance meeting. Elder Quan immediately suspected a trap, fearing for Su Mo's safety and believing Cangliu intended to harm him.
Su Mo, however, mused that Cangliu might be attempting to win Quanxian over to their side against Kongsang, having witnessed the Emperor of the Sea's power. Elder Yu suggested that allying with Cangliu to pressure Kongsang into releasing the Dragon Deity could be a viable alternative. Ultimately, Su Mo affirmed the priority of rescuing their captured people and accepted the invitation.
He assigned Yan Xi to accompany him to the meeting, while Ning Liang was instructed to remain at the main camp. Yu Huan, planning to capture more merpeople to use as bargaining chips for the upcoming negotiation, set out for the city and arranged for Xiao to accompany him. However, Nan Zhao found Xiao at the Wind Falcon Storehouse.
Nan Zhao informed Xiao that Master Peng had ordered him to serve in the main hall during the Emperor of the Sea's visit, explicitly stating that merpeople should be present to serve. He leered at Xiao, implying that as a beauty, Xiao should serve the Emperor well, and perhaps be taken away by him. Yu Huan, witnessing this, remained silent. When Xiao looked to Yu Huan for instruction, Yu Huan simply told him to "Do as he says."
Nan Zhao then challenged Yu Huan, asking if he had "other ideas" regarding Su Mo's arrival, to which Yu Huan stoically replied, "No." Separately, Bai Ying visited Na Sheng and Xi Jing. Na Sheng happily shared her progress in practicing magic. Bai Ying then relayed the news about the Ghost and Deity Abyss: Na Sheng would have to descend with Su Mo and learn underwater techniques, as the barrier required both the Heavenly Ring and the Emperor of the Sea.
Na Sheng initially objected, preferring Yan Xi to Su Mo, whom she called "Brother Ice Cube." Bai Ying insisted Su Mo's power offered greater safety. To address Na Sheng's inability to swim and the limited duration of Su Mo's Water Avoidance Talisman, Bai Ying promised they would find a "precious pearl" that would allow her to safely navigate underwater. Na Sheng, delighted at the prospect of treasure, expressed her excitement. She then asked Bai Ying to bring Zhen Lan next time, as she missed his company.
