Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Episode 1 Recap
> Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Recap
Many years ago, the Human and Winged Clans coexisted on the vast lands of Lanzhou. After the great war at Sky City, Feng Tianyi, the Winged Emperor, retreated into seclusion with his wife, Yi Fuling. His uncle, Feng Ren, then ascended the throne as the Winged Clan's regent, extending his rule over the Human Clan. Upon Feng Ren's passing, the Winged Clan's imperial line was severed.
During the ensuing chaos, Yu Guocong, a powerful minister, usurped control of the nation, vying for power with Duke Wei Yuanting. Madam Xuan Ji, the Human Clan's State Instructor, stepped in to mediate the disputes, but various regional warlords carved out their own territories, plunging Lanzhou into widespread conflict.
An ancient oracle proclaimed, "Golden wings emerge, an empress appears," leading all factions to tirelessly search for Feng Tianyi's only daughter, who was prophesied to possess golden wings, hoping to control her to command the realm. In Nanyu City, a spirited young woman named Feng Ruche, exhibiting her street performance skills, was harassed by a man named Wei Zhao.
Unfazed, she used a secret technique to play a trick on him, leaving him in an embarrassing state, and deftly stole his valuable pearls. As Feng Ruche fled, Wei Zhao and his servants pursued her. In the ensuing chase, she accidentally inhaled some of her own medicinal powder, blinding herself. Desperate, she stumbled to the entrance of an academy, begging the scholarly Xue Jingkong, who was dressed in elegant white robes, to save her.
Although initially appearing unwilling to help, Xue Jingkong kindly intervened, subtly using his powers to conceal her from her pursuers. After Wei Zhao and his men left, Feng Ruche, still blind, thanked Xue Jingkong, attempting to leave. However, Xue Jingkong informed her that no ordinary physician could cure her eyes, but he could. He confronted her about the poison powder found under her fingernails, proving she was the one who used it.
Feng Ruche lamented the possibility of going blind at just eighteen years old. Xue Jingkong then demanded that she return the stolen items and agree to stay at his academy to learn proper etiquette and turn over a new leaf, promising to heal her eyes if she complied. Though she reluctantly agreed, privately calling him a "stinking old fellow," she handed over the stolen pearls. Xue Jingkong then administered a single drop of medicine, instantly restoring her sight.
Upon opening her eyes, Feng Ruche was astonished by Xue Jingkong's remarkably handsome features, though she quickly called him "ugly" to his face, explaining that her father had warned her that if she called a man handsome, he might become her husband. Capturing a photo of them with her Cinnabar Mirror, Feng Ruche, still accustomed to her wild and unrestrained life, swiftly scaled the roof and escaped the academy, declaring she didn't need his education.
As Feng Ruche attempted her escape, her lightness skill proved insufficient, and she began to plummet. Just as she was about to hit the ground, a magnificent pair of golden wings burst forth from her back. It was her eighteenth birthday, the age when members of the Winged Clan typically manifest their wings.
Surprised and curious about her newfound ability, she soared through the air and, seeing a child about to be struck by a carriage, swooped down to save him. On the street, Bai Dangdang, a man from the Human Clan, witnessed her golden wings and immediately recognized her as the prophesied Winged Empress. He publicly paid homage to her and escorted her to the Imperial Palace.
Inside the palace, Duke Wei Yuanting presented a woman named Du Xianyin, proclaiming her as the new Winged Empress. Du Xianyin, with some hesitation, displayed her own pair of golden wings. As the assembled officials prepared to bow, Minister Yu Guocong dramatically introduced Feng Ruche, asserting that "she" was the true empress. Feng Ruche immediately recognized Wei Zhao in the palace, who promptly began to insult her, calling her a liar and a thief.
Incensed, Feng Ruche retaliated by unfurling her own golden wings. With two claimants to the throne, and the oracle stating that Feng Tianyi had only one daughter, the court was unable to determine the true empress. Madam Xuan Ji mediated the dispute, proposing that both women remain in the palace. She declared that the following day, a Blood Life Instrument would be brought forth to perform a test, which would conclusively reveal the true empress.
Both Yu Guocong and Wei Yuanting publicly vowed to accept the instrument's judgment. Meanwhile, Feng Ruche, awestruck by the opulence of the imperial palace, was attended by a granny who helped her bathe. She questioned the granny about her father, Feng Tianyi, as she didn't recall that name. The granny explained that Feng Tianyi and his wife had adopted new names during their seclusion and that Feng Ruche's Sky Plant Necklace was a token of their love.
During their conversation, Feng Ruche also confessed to the granny her conflicted feelings about Xue Jingkong, whom she secretly found handsome but had called ugly due to her father's "husband" prophecy. The next morning, as Bai Dangdang escorted Feng Ruche to Linyuan Platform, he noticed that the path was incorrect and the guards were strangers. Soon, the escort halted, revealing themselves to be assassins.
Bai Dangdang bravely attempted to protect Feng Ruche, but she, realizing she was the target, unfurled her golden wings to draw the attackers away, urging him to flee. At the same time, Xue Jingkong sensed her peril, and finding a pendant Feng Ruche had dropped, he rushed to her location, arriving just as she was shot down by an arrow. He saved her, but as he did, his left hand became encased in ice, a sign of his uncontrolled powers. Seeing his struggle, Feng Ruche bravely confronted the assassins, but was ambushed and discreetly stabbed in the back.
