Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Episode 14 Recap
> Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Recap
The Silver Wings Cavalry confirmed Lu Renbing as the spy who switched the route map after finding bluebell ointment and letters in his room. With Feng Ruche's name cleared, Lord Qi Zhenxian intended to send her out of the Dark Winged Forest. However, Feng Ruche expressed her desire to join the Silver Wings Cavalry, which Qi Zhenxian initially rejected, deeming her uncultured and of obscure background.
Du Xianyin intervened, reminding Qi Zhenxian that Feng Ruche had saved her life and requesting a chance for Feng Ruche to repay her. Due to Du Xianyin's plea, Qi Zhenxian allowed Feng Ruche to stay but stipulated that she must first undergo training in the Wuxiang Camp and pass the assessment to officially join. Feng Ruche confidently accepted the challenge. Later, Du Xianyin privately acknowledged Feng Ruche as the true Winged Empress, kneeling and expressing guilt for usurping her throne.
She confessed her reasons for maintaining the deception, hinting at her desire to stay by Yun Muyang's side due to her perceived low status. Feng Ruche, however, was indifferent to the title, stating that the Winged Empress was merely a symbol and that capturing wrongdoers in Nanyu City was more important.
She allowed Du Xianyin to hold the position for now but sternly warned her that if she ever discovered Du Xianyin doing anything evil, she would expose her, no matter the cost. Du Xianyin pledged eternal gratitude. Upon arriving at Wuxiang Camp, Feng Ruche witnessed Fang Qimo's extravagant attempt to woo a woman named Wen Wen, presenting her with a flower called "Allure" and declarations of wanting their moment to last forever.
Lin Yuecong, another camp recruit, angrily interrupted the scene, revealing that Fang Qimo had used the same romantic gestures and words with her, even producing a heart-shaped rock he had given her. Feng Ruche, couldn't help but step forward to defend the women from Fang Qimo's deceitful actions. Lin Yuecong halted the brewing fight, pointing out that brawling on the first day was inappropriate.
After Fang Qimo reluctantly departed, Lin Yuecong introduced herself as the top scorer in the camp test. Upon hearing Feng Ruche's name, however, Lin Yuecong scoffed, disdainfully calling her the "fake empress" and refusing to associate with someone she considered a fraud. On the first day of Wuxiang Camp, Qi Zhenxian introduced the new teacher, Xue Jingkong. Dressed in white, Xue Jingkong made a striking appearance, captivating everyone, especially Feng Ruche, who was surprised to see him.
Feng Ruche, addressing him as "Master," expressed her unexpected joy, imagining that he might have come for her. However, Xue Jingkong remained cold and aloof. He informed the recruits that joining the camp did not guarantee entry into the Cavalry and that "servants are not welcomed here." He then asserted his full authority to Qi Zhenxian and declared his refusal to accept Feng Ruche as a student, stating she was "hopeless" and beyond his teaching capabilities, ordering her to leave.
Feng Ruche, undeterred, questioned his motives, insisting she had not come for him and was prepared to start anew as an ordinary student if he wished to ignore their past. Despite his continued coldness, she refused to back down. Xue Jingkong challenged her, vowing to make her leave willingly within ten days, to which Feng Ruche defiantly replied that she would not budge. Later, in the barracks, the recruits were assigned mixed-gender rooms and minimal bedding.
Lian Yi assured Feng Ruche, who was already facing ostracization, to stay strong. Fellow students whispered about Feng Ruche being the "fake empress" responsible for their loss in Liang City, deeming her bad luck and shameless for staying. They implied she used her connections with Lian Yi to remain. She was forced to take a bed near the latrine, where she found a literacy primer, fueling her determination to succeed. Meanwhile, Xue Jingkong meditated in his room, troubled.
Xing Shangli, communicating through a secret art, sensed his unease, correctly attributing it to Feng Ruche. Xue Jingkong did not deny it, acknowledging his feelings for her but recalling a powerful curse: he might have saved her once, but she was destined to die by his hand. He confessed to pushing her away to protect her from this fate.
Xing Shangli tried to reassure him, dismissing the curse and offering to kill Xue Jingkong himself if he ever truly intended to harm Feng Ruche. Xing Shangli also doubted Feng Ruche's resolve, predicting she wouldn't last three days in the rigorous training and would leave voluntarily, though Xue Jingkong admitted she seemed "a little different" this time. During training, Feng Ruche watched Xue Jingkong patiently guide Lin Yuecong in proper combat techniques, advising her against brute force.
Feng Ruche felt a pang of jealousy and, in frustration, resorted to crude, forceful movements in her own training. In a subsequent paired practice, Feng Ruche was assigned to spar with Xue Jingkong. He was unsparing in his criticism, pointing out her "careless attacks," "loose punches," "weak limbs," and lack of "determination." Feng Ruche, enraged, lashed out, accusing him of being a flirt, no different from Fang Qimo, because he "smiled at new company."
Although Xue Jingkong did not severely hurt her, he dismissed her, saying her rage made her irrational and that such a person would never return from a battlefield. The next day, Xue Jingkong organized a challenge against a strong fighter. Feng Ruche bravely volunteered, despite facing considerable strength disparity and taunts from other students calling her "fake empress." After a grueling fight, she managed to win, earning cheers from Fang Qimo and other recruits.
However, Xue Jingkong stepped forward and exposed a small copper coin hidden in her bracelet, declaring her victory invalid due to cheating and ordering her to leave. Feng Ruche protested, reminding him of their ten-day agreement and accusing him of bias. Xue Jingkong, while conceding to the time limit, shortened their agreement to eight days and insisted that since she cheated, she must face punishment. Concurrently, Lian Yi's investigation into Du Xianyin yielded concerning results.
After some of her dispatched subordinates were attacked, one of them returned wounded and reported that he had traced Du Xianyin's former masters and obtained three portraits, none of which resembled Du Xianyin, confirming her lie about her identity. Lian Yi prepared to present this evidence to Qi Zhenxian, but Du Xianyin's maid, having overheard the conversation, secretly accessed the subordinate's belongings and burned the incriminating portraits.
