Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Episode 23 Recap
> Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Recap
Zhen Lan and Na Sheng were intercepted by Li Zhu, an attendant at Jiuyi Palace, who admonished them for trespassing into Queen Bai Wei's cenotaph. Once she understood their intention to pay respects, Li Zhu guided them inside. She explained that the bamboo house served as the tomb's outer appearance, meticulously constructed by the Heavenly King to replicate Queen Bai Wei’s former residence, where they had spent their childhood and teenage years before becoming rulers of Kongsang.
Na Sheng, idly wandering, discovered a conch shell. Li Zhu hastily warned her not to touch anything, and Zhen Lan quickly took the conch to prevent any mishap. Upon holding it, Zhen Lan heard faint echoes of Queen Bai Wei and the Heavenly King’s past. He discerned from the sounds that the conch was a gift from Chunhuang, the Emperor of the Sea, indicating a significant connection between Queen Bai Wei and Chunhuang.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhen Lan secretly instructed Na Sheng to distract Li Zhu while he searched for the Water Dispelling Pearl. Zhen Lan entered another room and found a coffin containing Queen Bai Wei's wedding robe, but the Water Dispelling Pearl was missing from the phoenix crown. He noticed traces of a spell on the crown and surmised a greenish-skinned woman's hand had taken it. Just then, Li Zhu, hearing a noise, entered the room.
Zhen Lan quickly feigned a backache, pretending he had accidentally tripped into the coffin. Li Zhu cautioned him about the numerous dangerous mechanisms within Jiuyi Mountain, designed to prevent burglary, and asked them to wait outside so she could tidy up before leading them to Jiuyi Palace.
Zhen Lan, still believing the Water Dispelling Pearl was somewhere on Jiuyi Mountain, told Na Sheng to send a message to Qing Yuan, a distant relative of the Kongsang Qing clan, to come and assist them, as Qing Yuan was knowledgeable about mechanisms. Using the Heavenly Ring, Na Sheng transmitted the message to Qing Yuan in Wuse City.
Meanwhile, Yu Huan's older sister, Yu Zhu, expressed her strong disapproval of him going to Jiuyi Mountain, citing the Qing clan's lingering resentment towards Cangliu and Yu Huan's recent blood pact injuries. Yu Huan, however, insisted that Lord Zhi Zhe trusted him, unlike Master Peng who had ignored his blood pact, and that he was the only Cangliu person who could enter the Jiuyi barrier without losing half his magic.
He was determined to seize this opportunity given by Zhi Zhe. Yu Huan’s words were overheard by Shi Lang, who then urged Fei Lian to follow Yu Huan to Jiuyi, monitor his actions, and seize any opportunity to claim credit. Fei Lian was reluctant at first but eventually agreed under pressure, secretly hoping he might be able to assist Yu Huan if he encountered danger.
From outside Jiuyi Mountain, Yan Xi observed Yu Huan and Fei Lian entering the barrier and covertly followed them, attempting to send a warning message to the "Young Master" but found his Sound Pearl malfunctioning due to the mountain's strong barrier. Su Mo continued his journey with Bai Ying, plagued by the backlash from the Mirror Technique.
Bai Ying used the last of their ting grass to suppress his pain, worried about their dwindling supply, which could only be found on snowy mountain cliffs. Su Mo then recounted to Bai Ying how he had gained the Mirror Technique and his powerful abilities. A century ago, exiled from Yunhuang, he had sought power. Desperate and near death in the desolate Jiwei Valley, he heard a mysterious voice offering immense strength.
Despite the warning of severe backlashes and continuous pain, Su Mo accepted, driven by his unwavering goal to lead his people back to the Biluo Sea, even if it meant defying destiny. He endured rigorous cultivation in the valley, emerging with the Mirror Technique and returning to Yunhuang. Bai Ying expressed concern about the Mirror Technique's powerful backlash, especially with the scarcity of ting grass and the strong barrier on Jiuyi Mountain. She advised Su Mo not to use it.
They also discussed a book, "Forbidden Techniques," in Kongsang’s library that documented the Mirror Technique, which Su Mo found peculiar since he learned it far from Yunhuang, a detail Bai Ying explained by clarifying that the library was initially exclusive to the Heavenly King. To enter Jiuyi Mountain, they planned to draw out and capture the elusive Tu Luo. During this, Su Mo captured a small Tu Luo, who manifested as a child.
Ya Ran, the leader of the Tu Luo, then appeared, demanding the child's release. She remarked on Su Mo's striking resemblance to an "old acquaintance" but quickly distinguished him, stating that her acquaintance "never used force against them." After the Tu Luo departed, Su Mo speculated they were merpeople, puzzled by their current Tu Luo form, while Bai Ying expressed inexplicable guilt over the Tu Luo's persistent attacks on her, despite never having met them.
They continued through the misty forest, feeling lost and unable to find a way out. Su Mo believed the Tu Luo were responsible for their predicament and would reappear. He decided to search for an exit alone, asking Bai Ying to wait. Shortly after Su Mo left, Ya Ran attacked Bai Ying.
Ya Ran vehemently expressed her hatred for the Kongsang, particularly the Bai clan, blaming them for the destruction of Quanxian and the sealing of the Biluo Sea 7,000 years ago. She acknowledged Su Mo as the Emperor of the Sea and stated her people had transformed into Tu Luo and waited for his return to retrieve the Splitting Sword and rescue the Dragon Deity, all while planning revenge against Kongsang. Su Mo quickly returned and rescued Bai Ying.
During the skirmish, Bai Lin, Bai Ying’s younger sister, also appeared and sustained a minor injury while helping. Su Mo, surprised to see Princess Bai Lin there, questioned her presence. Bai Lin explained she had been on Jiuyi Mountain for over a century. After Jing City fell, Prince Qing Chen had brought her there, saving her life. He later died, and his heirs suffered from a curse from Kongsang ancestors, supposedly for their betrayal.
Bai Lin herself had accidentally absorbed an evil spirit from Jiuyi, transforming into a bird spirit, and had been wandering the mountain ever since, rejected by the Qing clan. Bai Ying was deeply moved to reunite with her sister, while Su Mo harbored some doubt about Bai Lin's fantastical tale. Upon arriving at Jiuyi Palace, Yu Huan presented medicine, a token from Lord Zhi Zhe, to King Qing Jun.
Qing Jun, the current King of Jiuyi, who had ascended to the throne after the descendants of Prince Qing Chen passed away shortly after ascending the throne, attributed this to an ancestral curse for their clan's betrayal of Kongsang. Qing Jun, loyal to Cangliu since they spared his clan, apologized for the trespassers and offered his assistance. Yu Huan revealed that Zhen Lan, the awakened Crown Prince of Kongsang, sought the Six Directions Seal and the Splitting Sword.
He asserted his authority, demanding that all forces on Jiuyi Mountain follow his commands. Qing Jun publicly complied, ordering his generals to welcome Yu Huan. Privately, however, Qing Jun told an attendant to ensure all reports went to him first, indicating his own hidden agenda or resistance against Cangliu's full control. Later, King Qing Jun met with the Temple Guardian Lord, who admonished him for speaking too freely, reminding him of his status and the implications of his words.
The Temple Guardian Lord then took away the medicine that Yu Huan had delivered, reinforcing Qing Jun’s position as a puppet ruler who had been controlled by poison, despite his outward compliance and hidden intentions.
