Moonlit Order Episode 9 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
Feng Zuoren dreamed of her childhood, recalling a moment with a young master who had given her a token, saying, "Take it. We'll each keep one piece. And we'll always recognize each other." She heard him urge her to "Stay alive." She awoke to find herself in Xue Hexu's arms, who was unconscious. As she gently placed his head on her lap, he opened his eyes, causing her to blush and quickly turn away.
She then teasingly asked him if his method of rescuing someone always involved removing his clothes. Xue Hexu simply told her to get up, and she noticed he was burning with fever. He explained that he had to save her, for she would surely die otherwise, adding, "I owe you this much." He said he hoped her brilliant mind could devise an escape plan if he kept her alive.
Feng Zuoren then expressed concern he might die, but he assured her he was only suffering from a fever and was fine. She playfully retorted, "What if I hit my head and lost my brilliant mind to devise an escape plan?" He accused her of faking sleep, which she denied, assuring her, "I'm not so fragile." Upon recovering, they searched for a way out. Feng Zuoren inquired about Xue Hexu's injury, and he confirmed he was fine.
He observed that the miasma was rising, urging them to seek higher ground. He also noticed that the pond's water level had receded last night but had now flooded back, concluding, "This means it connects to the outside." He handed Feng Zuoren a torch and instructed her to use it to ward off miasma if it approached, as he would scout ahead. He told her to wait for him.
As time passed without his return, Feng Zuoren called out Xue Hexu's name repeatedly. Growing desperate, she muttered that he must have left her, lamenting that after all these years, she still held expectations for others, calling herself pathetic. Just as despair set in, Xue Hexu emerged from the water, and Feng Zuoren, relieved, called him "clever." He then asked if she thought he would abandon her and leave her behind.
He revealed he had found an underwater passage and would lead her out. Xue Hexu told Feng Zuoren to take a deep breath and dive with him. As they navigated the underwater passage, Feng Zuoren struggled, not being a strong swimmer. Her foot became entangled in submerged vines, causing her to pass out from lack of air. Xue Hexu rescued her, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to revive her. Once she regained consciousness, an awkward silence settled between them.
Feng Zuoren acknowledged, "You did that to save me." Xue Hexu clarified his intentions, stating, "I didn't save you to confuse you or make you owe me. I just want you to know that you can trust me from now on. I won't abandon you. I'll always stand by you." Feng Zuoren dismissed his words as "nonsense," but Xue Hexu confessed, "I don't know why. You want to kill me, yet I keep saving your life."
He recounted his father's words: "People only act recklessly when they have feelings for someone." Feng Zuoren lightheartedly suggested his mouth "should be sewn shut" for "teasing his stepmother." He responded, "I like you, too." However, Feng Zuoren firmly declared, "My heart is taken." Xue Hexu noted the cold and offered to gather firewood to warm her before they returned.
Xue Hexu then asked if the "someone" whose heart Feng Zuoren's belonged to was the Young Master, questioning why he hadn't come to save her. Feng Zuoren revealed he was dead, emphasizing, "No one in this world treats me better than him." She recalled her childhood when she was about to be sold, described by a man as "worthless," before two officials purchased her for "four wen." The Young Master then took her under his wing.
He once took her swinging and taught her about kites, explaining, "A kite must fly against the wind" to go high, and that he would always hold the string. He added that he couldn't go outside because his guards and mother told him "only home is safe." Later, as a young girl, Feng Zuoren proudly showed the Young Master her embroidery. Suddenly, their home was attacked. Hiding in a cabinet, the Young Master told her, "We've been betrayed.
Feng, we can't trust anyone anymore." As the attackers found them, she, terrified, bit his hand as he instructed. He was then dragged away, and Feng Zuoren saw a spray of blood, leading her to believe he had been killed. Feng Zuoren buried the Young Master. A man (implied to be Emperor Jia) then approached her, telling her, "The dead can't return to life. Do you know why you lost him? It's because you weren't strong enough.
You must become the strongest to avoid being hurt." From that day, Feng Zuoren underwent brutal training. She was told to drink "water only after training," and that "the weak don't deserve to live." She was trained in an arena where "anyone who steps out dies immediately," and "only the strongest one will survive" to become the successor, the Lord of the Xue Guardians.
This position promised an escape from being "beaten like stray dogs, beggars, or livestock," and the chance to become "His Majesty's confidants." Through fierce combat, Feng Zuoren emerged victorious, becoming the new Lord Xue. Her first act was to declare, "The former commander is dead. I am the new commander. Heed my order. End the internal battles. Right now. Violators will be executed."
Later, she confronted another individual, thanking them for "clearing all obstacles" for her and stating, "You should've died long ago." Reflecting on her past, Feng Zuoren acknowledged, "Though His Majesty rescued and cultivated me, still, I was betrayed by my sworn comrades. Thus, I'll trust no one ever again. I must grow strong to avoid any harm." She lamented her inability to repay the Young Master's kindness.
Xue Hexu, however, challenged her perspective, questioning Emperor Jia's true intentions: "He was kind. But are you sure His Majesty meant to cultivate you? If he truly cared about you, would he have let you become ruthless and devoid of emotion?" Feng Zuoren countered, "Without His Majesty, I would have died."
