Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Episode 18 Recap
> Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Recap
Zhen Lan sought out the High Priest to uncover the truth behind the Wind Falcon's destruction. The High Priest, though groggy, recounted seeing a dragon-shaped shadow heading towards Jing City, which then met another from the military camp. Together, they broke through a powerful barrier and flew to Jing Pagoda.
He added that this force seemed to originate from the "dark side of the moon," possessing the power to change fate, a claim Zhen Lan dismissed as increasingly sinister and nonsensical. Zhen Lan was left to ponder whether he was responsible for the lightning and thunder that accompanied the event, or if this mysterious force had brought them.
Meanwhile, Fei Lian reported to Yu Huan that the fire at the Cangliu Military Camp was extremely strange; they could not extinguish it despite their best efforts, and it caused heavy casualties. He noted that the camp had extensive water defenses, yet all the water was used up, and the Wind Falcon Storehouse was completely incinerated before the fire inexplicably put itself out.
Fei Lian then handed Yu Huan a stone he found under a water jar in the burned-down storehouse. He also mentioned that black smoke had broken through Jing City's strong wards and flown towards Jing Pagoda, but he didn't know who resided there, as his uncle had never allowed him to visit. After Fei Lian departed, Xiao arrived and expressed concern upon seeing Yu Huan's grievous blood pact wound. Yu Huan then asked Xiao if he knew about this technique.
Xiao recognized it as a Quanxian defense mechanism, meant to protect its user during a calamity, usually at the cost of the other party's life. He was surprised Yu Huan had survived. Yu Huan believed Xiao should know about the stone Fei Lian found. He also realized Master Peng must be aware of his blood pact wound, which left him perplexed as to why Master Peng allowed it to happen and why Master Peng was so suspicious of him.
Soon after, Xiao delivered a letter to Yu Huan from his older sister, Yu Zhu, warning him to be extra careful as Master Peng was displeased about losing military authority. Feeling deep remorse for bringing Na Sheng to Master Peng for a hostage exchange, Ning Liang went to Na Sheng with a dagger, offering her life as penance. She then gave Na Sheng her necklace, declaring that her life now belonged to Na Sheng.
Though Na Sheng declared she had not forgiven them, she eventually accepted the necklace under Ning Liang's persistent insistence. Na Sheng also consoled Ning Liang over Han Zhou's death, urging her to move forward and be happy, as Han Zhou would have wished. Zhen Lan suspected that Su Mo had been secretly assisting them. Just then, Bai Ying awakened and thanked Zhen Lan for saving her. However, she was visibly disappointed that Su Mo had not appeared to rescue them.
Zhen Lan promised Bai Ying that he would question Su Mo for a clear explanation before the full truth was known. In the Cangliu camp, Master Lang and Master Peng had a heated argument over their recent failure. Master Lang accused Master Peng of making arbitrary decisions that led to Cangliu's calamity and sought to strip him of his command authority.
Master Peng angrily lashed out at Yu Huan for the failure, but softened when he learned that Zhi Zhe had treated Yu Huan's blood pact wound, an opportunity Master Peng had never had in decades. He instructed Yu Huan to recuperate well, claiming to know Yu Huan's every thought since he joined them at fifteen. After two days, Su Mo finally awoke, his consciousness having been torn, but the backlash from the Splitting Technique was temporarily suppressed by Master Si.
He inquired about everyone and was saddened to learn that Elder Yu and Han Zhou had both perished. Just then, Zhen Lan and Bai Ying arrived seeking an audience. Despite his extreme weakness, Su Mo insisted on getting up to meet Bai Ying, firmly resisting Master Si's attempts to stop him. Upon seeing him, Bai Ying expressed worry about his condition, sensing his injuries.
Su Mo, however, quickly feigned that he would explain Na Sheng's situation later and departed, attempting to conceal his fragility. Zhen Lan, realizing Su Mo had been helping them, pursued him for answers. Su Mo, without admitting it directly, requested Zhen Lan not to inform Bai Ying about his involvement or the forbidden technique he used, fearing it would cause her undue worry for his health.
Ning Liang and Yan Xi then came to Su Mo to admit their guilt for taking Na Sheng to exchange for hostages, which led to Master Peng's betrayal and the loss of many lives. Su Mo, however, did not harshly blame them, merely advising Ning Liang to act less impulsively in the future.
Yan Xi also informed Su Mo that Bai Ying had asked about his injuries as she left, prompting a faint smile on Su Mo's face, realizing her concern for him. Su Mo later gave instructions for Elder Yu and Han Zhou to be posthumously recognized as Quanxian Warriors and given water funerals. Ning Liang reaffirmed her commitment to protect Na Sheng, having earned her forgiveness by giving her necklace.
Su Mo permitted Ning Liang to stay with Na Sheng but reiterated his warning about impulsiveness. Yan Xi also asked Su Mo if they should reveal that Su Mo himself had burned down Cangliu's military camp, but Su Mo told him to keep it quiet for now. Red Yuan observed that Zhen Lan had been avoiding them recently and believed that Su Mo and Bai Ying's relationship should progress.
She felt that emotions couldn't be deceived and that certain matters should be addressed sooner rather than later. Worried about Bai Ying, Su Mo sought out Xi Jing for information. Xi Jing revealed that Bai Ying had already guessed about Su Mo's cultivation of the forbidden technique and urged Su Mo to speak his mind to her directly, as keeping things bottled up was incomprehensible to Xi Jing.
He also shared that Bai Ying's spiritual consciousness had again been harmed by sunlight during a recent battle. Back in his chambers, Su Mo consulted Master Si about how to resolve Bai Ying's sensitivity to sunlight. Master Si explained that the Kongsang princes had sacrificed half their spiritual consciousness to fulfill their wishes, and suggested that transferring half of someone else's spiritual consciousness to Bai Ying could cure her.
However, he questioned who would be willing to make such a sacrifice. When Su Mo considered offering his own, Master Si informed him that as a merperson, he could not directly transfer his spiritual consciousness to a Kongsang person. Several elders of Quanxian arrived to apologize to Su Mo for their unauthorized decision to allow Elder Yu to take Na Sheng for a hostage exchange with Master Peng.
Su Mo did not chastise them, acknowledging the severity of the Cangliu's ruthlessness. The elders expressed their renewed loyalty and commitment to the Land-Sea Alliance, recognizing that only through unity and following Su Mo's lead could they return to the Biluo Sea.
