Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Episode 13 Recap
> Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Recap
Feng Ruche, injured from protecting a terrain map entrusted to her by the late Sir Yang Duan, was found by Lian Yi. Feng Ruche confirmed that she carried the map Sir Yang had asked her to deliver. Lian Yi revealed that Qingfeng Apothecary had been exposed and Sir Yang had sacrificed himself to protect Feng Ruche. Lian Yi explained that the map detailed a secret provision line for Nanyu City's army, intended for their attack on Liang City.
Feng Ruche expressed her desire to join the Silver Wings Cavalry. Lian Yi, remembering how Feng Ruche had honored her word to let Lian Yi go previously, welcomed her, stating that if Feng Ruche was sincere, she would be accepted, but if she harbored ill intent, Lian Yi would deal with her personally. Feng Ruche readily agreed. Lian Yi led her troops to destroy the enemy’s provisions but quickly realized they had fallen into a trap and ordered a retreat.
During the battle, Xue Jingkong intervened with his powerful secret arts, saving Lian Yi’s forces. Qi Zhen Xian, the lord of the Silver Wings Cavalry, was greatly impressed by Xue Jingkong's abilities and urged him to stay and assist them in ending tyranny. Xue Jingkong, however, declined, stating his lack of interest in political power and wished to leave. As Xue Jingkong departed, he encountered Yun Muyang.
Qi Zhen Xian, noticing their acquaintance, ordered Yun Muyang to persuade Xue Jingkong to stay. Despite their past grievances, Yun Muyang delivered Qi Zhen Xian's command, leaving Xue Jingkong with the choice to stay or leave. Xue Jingkong ultimately decided to remain. Later, Lian Yi took responsibility for the failed attack on Liang City and offered to accept any punishment. Yun Muyang defended her, attributing the failure to incorrect intelligence.
However, Qi Zhen Xian had Feng Ruche brought in, accusing her of providing a fake map and being connected to Nanyu City. Feng Ruche vehemently denied the charges, explaining that Sir Yang had personally given her the map and that she was seeking refuge, not colluding with Nanyu City. Despite her pleas, Qi Zhen Xian ordered her imprisonment and interrogation under torture. Xue Jingkong, observing this from the shadows, invisibly followed Feng Ruche as she was taken to the dungeon.
Inside the prison, Feng Ruche cunningly distracted a guard, offering him a gold bracelet. While he was attempting to unclasp it as she instructed, she used a trick to render him unconscious. With Xue Jingkong's invisible aid, Feng Ruche easily escaped. As she made her way out, Feng Ruche saw Sir Yang Duan's body being carried away. Realizing that fleeing would only confirm her guilt as a spy, she decided to stay and clear her name.
She then encountered Lian Yi and explained that the map had only left her possession once between Sir Yang handing it to her and her giving it to Lian Yi. When Lian Yi questioned why she had previously claimed the map was correct, Feng Ruche admitted she did not understand maps. She convinced Lian Yi to examine the fake map, on which they detected the distinct scent of bluebell flowers.
Lian Yi explained that bluebells grow in the Dark Winged Forest and their petals can be made into a cream that treats various ailments, including a rash caused by bamboo dust. She wondered aloud if anyone in the cavalry had been using such a cream. Lian Yi, believing Feng Ruche, told her to return to her cell to avoid alerting the real culprit, assuring her that she would handle the investigation.
Back in her cell, Feng Ruche attempted to send a message to Xue Jingkong using a bamboo tube but ultimately decided against it, giving up and going to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, Xue Jingkong was invisibly present in her cell. As she slept, he thoughtfully kept the mosquitoes away from her, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he watched over her.
The next day, Lian Yi visited Feng Ruche, revealing that their investigation showed Du Xianyin was the only person who used bluebell cream. Furthermore, on the day Feng Ruche delivered the map, Du Xianyin had pretended to be resting in her room but was actually elsewhere. Feng Ruche pointed out that this evidence alone was insufficient to condemn Du Xianyin and proposed a plan to expose her.
Lian Yi, impressed by Feng Ruche’s dedication, especially after Feng Ruche expressed her desire to avenge Sir Yang and rectify her own mistake in not understanding the map, told her that if she had to choose an Empress, she would choose Feng Ruche. Lian Yi then intentionally spread false news that the Silver Wings Cavalry would attack Liang City in ten days, hoping to flush out the spy. As expected, Du Xianyin secretly left her room that night.
Lian Yi and Feng Ruche followed her, only to encounter Yun Muyang, who was also investigating Lu Ren Bing. Lian Yi revealed to Yun Muyang that she was there to observe Du Xianyin. Suddenly, a scream came from nearby. They rushed into a room to find Lu Ren Bing attempting to attack Du Xianyin. During the struggle, Lu Ren Bing slipped and fatally fell onto his own blade.
Lian Yi questioned Du Xianyin about her pearls and her secretive behavior, as well as her whereabouts on the eighth day, but Du Xianyin gave vague answers. Yun Muyang, protective of Du Xianyin, prevented Lian Yi from pressing further. Lian Yi confronted Yun Muyang about his unwavering protection of Du Xianyin, expressing her disappointment and finding him unreasonable, especially considering the suspicious timing of Lu Ren Bing's death.
As other soldiers arrived, Feng Ruche was once again taken back to prison. Yun Muyang then searched Lu Ren Bing's room and found a letter detailing Du Xianyin's past as a slave who suffered greatly from age 12. He also found evidence of the false intel about attacking Liang City in ten days, confirming Lu Ren Bing was indeed a spy. Yun Muyang, having seen Du Xianyin at a pawn shop on the eighth day, presented the letter to her.
Du Xianyin confessed that Lu Ren Bing had been blackmailing her with her past, demanding money, which led her to sell her jewelry. She claimed that Lu Ren Bing had attempted to force her to spread fake news, and when she refused, he attacked her.
Yun Muyang, moved by her story, burned the letter and promised to protect her from her past, asserting that he did not care about it and that the Silver Wings Cavalry, along with himself, would stand by her. However, Du Xianyin's internal monologue revealed her true manipulative nature; she was not a victim but the architect of Lu Ren Bing's demise.
She had overheard the commotion outside her room and orchestrated the entire event, including placing oily wax on the floor, to eliminate Lu Ren Bing, who was unwittingly her subordinate, and to gain Yun Muyang's sympathy. Yun Muyang, believing he had uncovered the truth about the spy, informed Lian Yi that Lu Ren Bing was the one who had replaced the map and ordered Feng Ruche to be sent to the Dark Winged Forest. Lian Yi, still suspicious, requested him to wait.
