Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Episode 24 Recap
> Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Recap
Princess Bai Lin shared her plight with her older sister, Bai Ying, and Su Mo, recalling how the Qing Clan had rejected her a century ago, calling her an evil spirit and banishing her from Jiuyi Palace. She had been forced to wander the mountain as a bird spirit. When Su Mo expressed curiosity about her century-long survival, Bai Lin retorted angrily that she had been living in a state between ghost and human.
Bai Ying intervened, attempting to de-escalate the tension, but Bai Lin remained resentful, blaming Su Mo for Bai Ying's past humiliation and accusing him of continuing to harass her. Bai Ying clarified that she and Su Mo had formed an alliance with Quanxian to retrieve the Splitting Sword from the Monument of Fallen Tears to restore light to the world.
Bai Lin, familiar with the mountain, then offered to guide them through the forest to the Valley of the Ancestral Kings, warning them of the dangers of Tu Luos. She emphasized her fear of losing Bai Ying again, having only recently reunited with her. Later, Bai Lin continued to express her suspicions about Su Mo, accusing him of having ulterior motives and dismissing his humble background.
Despite Bai Ying's attempts to defend Su Mo and take responsibility for past events, Bai Lin remained stubborn. Feigning an injured leg, she demanded a break, then pointedly made Su Mo fetch water and food for Bai Ying, demonstrating her continued animosity towards him. While Su Mo complied, Bai Ying comforted Bai Lin, acknowledging her suffering. Meanwhile, Zhen Lan, accompanied by Na Sheng and Uncle Xi Jing, arrived at King Qing Jun's palace in Jiuyi Mountain.
Na Sheng commented on the palace's simple appearance. Li Zhu explained that the Qing Clan, though retained by Cangliu, had faced poverty as former nobility. Li Zhu then went ahead to announce their arrival to King Qing Jun, leaving the others to wait. Upon meeting King Qing Jun, he expressed profound surprise at seeing Kongsang people from outside Jiuyi Mountain in his lifetime. He lamented his position as merely a tomb guardian.
Zhen Lan introduced himself as the Crown Prince of Kongsang and presented the decree of the crown prince as proof, prompting King Qing Jun to kneel in deference. King Qing Jun explained that a century ago, a mysterious figure from Cangliu had altered Jiuyi's barrier, effectively imprisoning the clan under the guise of protection, leading to severe resource shortages. He then requested Zhen Lan's promise to pardon the Qing Clan and allow them to leave Jiuyi once Kongsang was restored.
He argued that while Qing Chen had betrayed Kongsang, their descendants were innocent and had endured a century of curses and premature deaths. Zhen Lan agreed, stating that the Qing Clan's contributions would be recognized, and all would eventually be free. As they journeyed on, Bai Ying noticed Su Mo struggling, concerned he was suffering a backlash from his Mirror Technique or reacting to the stronger barrier near their destination.
Su Mo downplayed his discomfort, but Bai Ying offered her help. Later, when Bai Ying's concern for Su Mo became evident, Bai Lin again confronted her sister, demanding to know who was more important: Su Mo or her. Bai Ying tried to explain her mission to free Bai Lin from her bird spirit curse and restore her as a Kongsang princess, while also admitting her own past mistakes.
Unable to get a direct answer, Bai Ying left abruptly to find Su Mo, leaving Bai Lin heartbroken and convinced her sister had chosen Su Mo over her. Bai Lin then secretly sent a signal to her companions. Bai Ying, fearing Su Mo was suffering a Mirror Technique backlash, remembered a special item he had given her. She tapped it three times as instructed, and Su Mo appeared.
She immediately scolded him for using the Mirror Technique again, worried about his well-being. Su Mo explained that he used it to avoid her expending her own healing powers, specifically by using the violet-lipped orchid, especially in the perilous Jiuyi Mountain. They discussed using the item for communication with different tapping patterns in the future. Returning to Bai Lin, Bai Ying found her weeping, believing she had been abandoned.
Bai Lin was relieved to see her sister and expressed her desire to leave Jiuyi Mountain, no longer wanting to be a bird spirit but a princess and Bai Ying's sister. However, Bai Lin revealed that due to absorbing the evil spirits of Jiuyi Mountain and becoming a bird spirit, she could not enter the Valley of the Ancestral Kings. Entering caused her immense pain and made her feel rejected by her ancestors.
She asked Bai Ying to worship their Royal Father on her behalf. Su Mo reassured Bai Ying that perhaps finding the Splitting Sword would lift the bird spirit's curse, but warned her to be careful in the Valley, where her magic would be weakest. Meanwhile, Yan Xi arrived at Tianxiang Tavern and met Madam Tianxiang.
He learned that General Fei Lian of Cangliu was heading to Jiuyi Mountain with Master Lang's command token to mobilize troops and capture Zhen Lan and his allies. Madam Tianxiang urged Yan Xi to find a way to warn and protect the Young Master (Su Mo). Yan Xi then disguised himself as Madam Tianxiang and entered Fei Lian's room to steal the token.
Fei Lian, who was bathing, was visibly nervous, mistaking Yan Xi for the real madam offering illicit services. Yan Xi feigned clumsiness, spilling wine on Fei Lian, then insisted on helping him clean up. While Fei Lian was distracted, Yan Xi successfully snatched the command token. Li Zhu later explained to Zhen Lan and Na Sheng that she was a merperson, a descendant of Quanxian, bound by a spell contract to guard the Kongsang royal tombs for generations.
She could only gain freedom with the consent of the Kongsang clan. Zhen Lan's group and Su Mo and Bai Ying continued their arduous journey through the treacherous terrain, navigating narrow paths with utmost caution. Su Mo and Bai Ying eventually reached the Valley of the Ancestral Kings, where Bai Ying's Royal Father was buried. Bai Lin, unable to enter due to her curse, waited outside.
Inside the Valley, Su Mo discovered a tombstone for Zhu Yan, Princess of the Chi Clan, and another for Crown Prince and Priest Shiying. He also realized this was where Yu Huan had set up a magical formation for him. He revealed to Bai Ying that Zhu Yan was one of his older sisters. He recounted a tragic childhood memory from his youth. He and his companion, A'Nuo, had first met Zhu Yan two centuries ago.
A century ago, A'Nuo was attacked by an ancient nine-headed spirit beast, and Zhu Yan's magic was powerless to save him, leading to A'Nuo's death. Su Mo, who had named A'Nuo as a lifelong promise to his mother, expressed profound sadness and regret over breaking that promise. Bai Ying comforted him, reminding him of his youth and the uncontrollable circumstances. Su Mo also shared that Zhu Yan had taught him Kongsang spells, which later became his means of survival. Upon reaching the tombstone of Prince Bai, Bai Ying knelt, apologizing to her Royal Father and expressing shame for not upholding his trust.
