Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Episode 20 Recap
> Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Recap
Zhen Lan met with Xi Jing to discuss meeting the mysterious figure from the Water Mirror. Zhen Lan confirmed that the strange eyes he saw in the mirror belonged to the black-robed person Su Mo had mentioned. He described the voice he heard as deep, sinister, and old, suspecting it belonged to someone hiding behind Cangliu who possessed extensive knowledge of Kongsang.
Xi Jing worried it was a trap, especially since Zhen Lan had sought out Su Mo but couldn't find him at the main camp. Zhen Lan explained he felt compelled to go to solve mysteries, and with Su Mo unavailable, he asked Xi Jing to accompany him, emphasizing the danger of going alone. Zhen Lan then inquired if Xi Jing's master had left behind a Jade Bone Paper Umbrella, capable of resisting spells and concealing its user.
Xi Jing confirmed its existence and agreed to retrieve it. Zhen Lan outlined their plan: upon reaching the pagoda, he would seek out the mysterious figure, while Xi Jing would go to the library to search for the second volume of the Dark Golden Classics, which would be crucial for unsealing the Six Directions Seal.
When Xi Jing suggested waiting for Bai Ying, Zhen Lan rejected the idea, stating he didn't want her to revisit painful memories associated with that place. As Xi Jing went to fetch the umbrella, Zhen Lan encountered Na Sheng and Yan Xi. Seeing Na Sheng diligently studying spells, Zhen Lan decided to encourage her. Na Sheng, feeling confined from constant practice and pursuit, asked Zhen Lan if there were any fun activities in Jing City.
Zhen Lan told her about the Flower God Festival happening that day, explaining that it was an event where people gathered to view the rare blooming of the Flower God Tree and make wishes, creating a lively atmosphere. Na Sheng, surprised the festival still existed after 100 years, eagerly decided to attend and invited Yan Xi.
Yan Xi initially hesitated, citing his duty to protect her from danger, but Na Sheng insisted on witnessing the unique blooming of the ancient tree, so Yan Xi reluctantly agreed. When Na Sheng asked if Zhen Lan would join them, he replied that he and Xi Jing had other matters to attend to.
Upon hearing that Bai Ying would also be attending, Na Sheng, realizing Zhen Lan's intention to meet Bai Ying at the festival, promised to ensure Bai Ying's safety. Zhen Lan, in turn, told Na Sheng to be careful and not cause any trouble, trusting her and Yan Xi to look after Bai Ying. Xi Jing then returned with the Jade Bone Paper Umbrella, which Na Sheng was curious about, but Zhen Lan simply called it a secret.
Later, Na Sheng, eager to go to the festival with Bai Ying, attempted to tell Ning Liang about it so that Su Mo would also be informed. However, Yan Xi stopped her, revealing that Zhen Lan had specifically instructed her to invite "only" Bai Ying, as he wanted to meet Bai Ying alone at the festival.
Bai Ying arrived shortly after, and Na Sheng informed her that Zhen Lan had asked them to take her to the Flower God Festival and that he would meet her under the Flower God Tree. Zhen Lan and Xi Jing proceeded to Cangliu, using the Jade Bone Paper Umbrella for invisibility. Zhen Lan reiterated their plan for Xi Jing to search the library for the Dark Golden Classics while he sought out the mysterious figure.
They were spotted by Shi Peng, who looked intently but could not see them due to their invisibility. Zhen Lan, led by Yu Zhu, met the mysterious figure. The figure, whose face was concealed by a hat, greeted Zhen Lan. Zhen Lan demanded the figure reveal his true identity, but the figure responded that even if he did, Zhen Lan wouldn't recognize him.
The mysterious figure revealed his extensive knowledge of Yunhuang, including the fact that Zhen Lan's ring was still with the girl from the Central Plains. Zhen Lan, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, questioned how the figure knew Kongsang's techniques like the Jing Lake barrier and Golden Formation, and how he could use the Water Mirror, a power usually exclusive to a Kongsang High Priest.
The figure stated he used it in the same way Zhen Lan did, leading Zhen Lan to suspect he was not from Cangliu. The figure then declared himself the most powerful person in Yunhuang, dismissing Zhen Lan as a tyrannical devil. Zhen Lan countered that the true most powerful figures in history were the Heavenly King and Queen Bai Wei.
Hearing Queen Bai Wei's name, the figure reacted with visible pain, stating that this "pathetic emotion" was the very reason he had returned to the land. Zhen Lan watched, confused, as the figure seemed to speak to himself about his "descendants." Meanwhile, at the Flower God Festival, Na Sheng and Yan Xi explored the bustling streets. Bai Ying, alone, bought a pouch, thinking it could be an apology gift for Su Mo.
She waited on the bridge, hoping he would appear. In her mind, she envisioned an encounter where she apologized to Su Mo for making him wait and promised never to do so again, vowing to follow him wherever he went, reflecting her deep longing for his presence. When he didn't appear as she imagined, she left the bridge. Shortly after, Su Mo arrived on the bridge, saw her, and followed her as she was purchasing a wishing tablet.
Earlier, Ning Liang had urged Su Mo to attend the festival, reminding him that Han Zhou had always wished to return to Biluo Sea and make a wish under the Flower God Tree. Su Mo found Bai Ying as she was purchasing a wishing tablet. Bai Ying, though happy to see him, concealed her excitement. She asked why he was there, and he replied he came to see if the hundred-year-old Flower God Tree had bloomed.
Su Mo told her his wish was for Kongsang's people to awaken and for Quanxian to return to Biluo Sea, asking if she didn't have her own wish. She asked him in return. Su Mo shared his hundred-year-old wish: to take her to Biluo Sea, to witness its endless waters and skies and listen to the constant waves, asking if she was willing. After she bought a wishing tablet, they went to hang their wishes together.
Suddenly, Su Mo was afflicted by a backlash from his Mirror technique. Bai Ying immediately offered him draba nemerosa grass, which she had prepared in advance, explaining it could suppress the backlash. Su Mo realized she had gathered it when he waited for her all night, acknowledging that she did it because of him. Bai Ying confessed she was angry not that he practiced the Mirror technique, but that he had hidden his actions and allowed others to misunderstand him.
She apologized for not telling him about her own secrets sooner and thanked him for saving her and their people. As Fei Lian and Yu Huan, who were also in Jing City, approached their location, Bai Ying and Su Mo quickly sought refuge on a rooftop. Su Mo asked if she still wanted to see the Flower God Tree bloom. She hesitated, thinking of Na Sheng, but then expressed her desire to stay with him longer.
He mentioned hearing her by the riverside, saying things she couldn't voice, and offered to listen if she was willing to speak. Below, the Flower God Tree bloomed, filling the streets with joy. Su Mo asked Bai Ying if it was beautiful, and she confirmed it was always beautiful. He then asked if she wanted to see an even more beautiful sunrise.
Despite Bai Ying's concern about being burned by sunlight, Su Mo promised to protect her and ensure they left before daybreak, asking her to trust him. As they watched the sunrise, Su Mo gently placed a light-shielding bead on her, assuring her that from now on, she could cry or smile as she wished, and he would always be there to listen, promising she would never be alone again.
Bai Ying thanked him, to which Su Mo responded that she had thanked him many times already, adding that she had been the unforgettable light of his past hundred years. Back at Cangliu, the mysterious figure revealed to Zhen Lan that Zhen Lan was his descendant. Zhen Lan, reeling, questioned how he could be a Kongsang person and yet aid Cangliu in destroying Kongsang and its Power of Heaven.
The figure then sensed Xi Jing's presence, dismissing the disciple of the Holy Sword Sect as having little power. He scornfully called Zhen Lan and his people fools, labeling Kongsang his most failed project, yet they remained stubbornly obsessed with it. He noted that Zhen Lan must have exhausted considerable power to connect the Water Mirror.
The figure reasserted his ancient claim as the most powerful being in Yunhuang, surpassing even the Heavenly King and the Emperor of the Sea, and certainly Zhen Lan. He condemned the Kongsang people as stubborn, stupid, and hopeless. Zhen Lan affirmed his identity as the Crown Prince of Kongsang and heir to the Power of Heaven.
The mysterious figure then declared Zhen Lan to be Kongsang's sole hope, his descendant, and commanded him to go to Jiuyi to find answers within the Dark Golden Classics. He made Zhen Lan promise to restore Kongsang to the sun, before throwing him off the platform. Zhen Lan later met with Xi Jing, eager to hear what he had discovered. Xi Jing began to recount his experience searching the library and his encounter with Shi Peng.
