Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Episode 28 Recap
> Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities Recap
Upon discovering the whereabouts of Qing Chen and Yu Huan, Su Mo ventured alone to eliminate them, with Bai Ying following close behind due to her concern for his safety. Su Mo confronted Qing Chen, who scoffed at Su Mo's continued resilience despite their previous encounters. Su Mo expressed his desire for Qing Chen's death, rejecting Qing Chen's offer of the Six Directions Seal in exchange for his life.
As Yu Huan stepped in to assist Qing Chen, Qing Chen desperately appealed to his niece, Bai Ying, questioning her loyalty since they shared Kongsang blood. He accused Bai Ying of using Su Mo's power to find the Six Directions Seal, just as Qing Chen himself had once manipulated others. Meanwhile, shortly after Su Mo and Bai Ying departed, Zhen Lan's group found themselves surrounded.
Zhen Lan quickly realized that Qing Chen was merely a decoy to draw Su Mo away. He instructed Xi Jing to protect Na Sheng and lead the others to safety, emphasizing that Kongsang people should not fight each other. Li Zhu, Qing Jun's former maid, urged the Qing Clan fighters to recognize Qing Yuan as their true king, rather than continuing to follow Qing Chen's orders, which had only led to oppression by Cangliu.
Xi Jing introduced Zhen Lan as the Crown Prince of Kongsang, but the soldiers were skeptical, demanding proof of their identities. A soldier questioned why the sacred Heavenly Ring, traditionally worn by the Crown Prince, was in Na Sheng's possession. Na Sheng declared her intention to prove Zhen Lan's royal lineage. She suggested that Zhen Lan use the Heavenly Ring, hoping that the power of Kongsang's ancestors would manifest.
As Zhen Lan called upon his ancestors for strength, the Six Directions Seal, released by Su Mo elsewhere, appeared, granting him royal power. Witnessing this divine manifestation, the Qing Clan soldiers knelt before Zhen Lan, acknowledging him as their Crown Prince. Zhen Lan vowed to live up to their trust. As Su Mo continued his assault on Qing Chen, Yu Huan tried to protect Qing Chen, revealing that Lord Zhi Zhe had never intended for Qing Chen to survive.
Qing Chen, distraught, insisted that Cangliu's success was due to him and Zhi Zhe would not let him die. Bai Ying demanded to know Zhi Zhe's identity and why Qing Chen betrayed Kongsang, which led to the demise of her father and Kongsang. Qing Chen revealed Zhi Zhe as the master of Cangliu and claimed Kongsang's downfall was a 7,000-year-old destiny, accusing them of being short-sighted.
Su Mo fiercely rejected this notion, declaring that he makes his own future, then stabbed Qing Chen. In his dying breaths, Qing Chen taunted Su Mo, warning him that his efforts would lead to regret. He revealed the true cost of reopening Wuse City: Bai Ying would turn to ash.
Qing Chen explained that the six princes who once sealed 100,000 Kongsang citizens in Wuse City were cursed not to live under the sun, and reopening it would mean their complete annihilation, a truth that Bai Ying and others had hidden from Su Mo. Zhen Lan arrived, trying to silence Qing Chen, but Qing Chen insisted it was all recorded on the Monument of Fallen Tears.
Su Mo, horrified, pressed Bai Ying for the truth, but her silence confirmed Qing Chen's words. Enraged by her betrayal, Su Mo killed Qing Chen and stormed off. Bai Ying chased after him, explaining that she had planned to tell him everything after their mission was complete. Su Mo accused her of not loving him and merely using him. Zhen Lan intervened, urging Su Mo not to misunderstand Bai Ying.
However, Su Mo, feeling manipulated by everyone, turned his sword on Zhen Lan. Bai Ying immediately stepped in front of Zhen Lan, asserting that she could not allow the Kongsang Crown Prince to be harmed, as it would jeopardize the survival of all 100,000 citizens. Overwhelmed by anger and despair, Su Mo departed, with Bai Ying following him, leaving Zhen Lan to grapple with the heavy revelations.
Xi Jing, Qing Yuan, and Na Sheng later found Zhen Lan deep in thought. They confirmed the grim truth about the six princes turning to ash upon the reopening of Wuse City. Zhen Lan expressed his disappointment at being kept in the dark.
Na Sheng questioned the purpose of such a sacrifice if everyone was to perish, but Xi Jing clarified that their previous sacrifices to live in Wuse City were meant to free Kongsang, and Qing Yuan added that perhaps this was the ultimate worth of their sacrifice. Qing Yuan, burdened by regret, admitted that everything that happened began because of him and his inability to use the Power of Heaven sooner.
Su Mo encountered Tu Luo, who, along with her companions, was waiting for him to fulfill his promise to return them to Biluo Sea. Tu Luo's companions, quoting her, mentioned that fulfilling this promise would require a great deal of his strength. As Su Mo reflected on his promise to Tu Luo, he also remembered Bai Ying's words about her own impending disappearance, realizing that fulfilling Tu Luo's wish early would mean Bai Ying would disappear a day earlier.
His internal monologue revealed his regret over not understanding Bai Ying's unspoken truths, acknowledging his own greed for her affection that had made him unwilling to face harsh realities. Meanwhile, Fei Lian brought a severely injured Yu Huan back to safety. Upon regaining consciousness, Yu Huan's primary concern remained Su Mo's whereabouts. He recognized that with Qing Chen dead, their forces were depleted, necessitating a new strategy to capture Su Mo.
Separately, Xiao sought out Xiang to discuss how to aid Young Master Su Mo, but her underlying worry for Yu Huan was evident. Xiang, sensing Xiao's emotional entanglement, cautioned her against letting her feelings for Yu Huan lead her to betray their own people, reminding Xiao of the suffering inflicted upon their compatriots by Cangliu. Xiao, though acknowledging the atrocities, remained conflicted.
Xiang firmly declared that she would not send reinforcements for Yu Huan and Fei Lian, viewing them as disposable pawns in Cangliu's internal power struggles, and advised Xiao to proceed with caution. The Qixing Lamp continued to consume Li Zhu's life force, causing her hair to turn white, which worried Zhen Lan and his companions. A Qing Clan guard reported that King Qing Jun had died in the main hall, leaving their army leaderless amidst Cangliu's advancing forces.
The guards implored Zhen Lan to take command. Zhen Lan, now empowered, declared that with both Qing Chen and Qing Jun deceased, and the Qing Clan soldiers having pledged allegiance to Kongsang, he would restore order. He instructed Qing Yuan to reclaim his ancestral territory, Jiuyi Mountain. Despite Qing Yuan's disinterest in power, he accepted the temporary command, promising to lay down his life for Kongsang.
Zhen Lan then used his imperial power to fortify Qing Yuan's sun-blocking cape, extending its effectiveness. Furthermore, Zhen Lan, acting as Crown Prince, abolished all oppressive rules against the Quanxian in Jiuyi Province, prohibiting the selling or forced labor of merpeople and declaring their complete freedom.
Zhen Lan told Li Zhu she was free to leave Jiuyi, but Li Zhu chose to remain and assist Qing Yuan, citing her limited lifespan from using the Qixing Lamp and her desire to make her own choice to follow Prince Qing. Qing Yuan and Li Zhu bid farewell to Zhen Lan. As they departed, Na Sheng commented that Zhen Lan's actions were surely a plan to allow Qing Yuan to reclaim his heritage.
Zhen Lan revealed his hope that Qing Yuan, who despite his impending fate of turning to ash had never truly owned anything, would, in this single lifetime, experience love. Back in Jiuyi, Qing Yuan respectfully told Li Zhu that she did not need to serve him as a maid. He expressed regret that his condition, half-dead and unable to be under the sun, might prevent them from exploring the world together.
Li Zhu, however, assured him that her freedom was not about location but about where her heart belonged. She confessed that for the first time in her life, she could choose her own path, and despite having only "the lifetime of half a lamp," she was willing to spend it with him. Qing Yuan then presented her with a memento from his mother, a gesture sealing their burgeoning affection as they fell deeply in love, accepting their shared, fleeting destinies.
