Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 16 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Wang Lu's father, Wang Fugui, dragged him back towards their home, but once out of sight of the villagers, they dropped their act, finally reuniting as father and son. Wang Lu’s mother also emerged, overjoyed to see her son after years, and the family was together once more. Wang Lu soon realized that none of the fifty-plus letters he had sent home over the years had been received.
He surmised this was Qianling Sect's doing, blocking communication to better indoctrinate the villagers. Wang Lu's mother confirmed that Wang Village had changed drastically since Wang Xiaohu brought Mr. Zhou to the village. The villagers, desperate for a chance at immortality, had become obsessed with cultivation, tirelessly donating their blood for the "holy water," which they couldn't afford to buy.
This belief in Qianling Sect was so deep that villagers were easily swayed into thinking Wang Lu was a demon, especially remembering a jinx falling when he was born and his odd behavior as a child. The village chief, Wang Qinian, declared he would stop Wang Lu if he truly was a demon.
Mr. Zhou, a Two Stars Envoy, took advantage of this sentiment and, fearing Wang Lu’s power, secretly sent a distress signal to call for two Four Stars Envoys while villagers, at the suggestion of a fellow villager, went to subdue Wang Lu's three companions who were staying at the village chief's house. Wang Lu's friends were offered copious amounts of wine, eventually becoming too drunk to resist as the villagers tied them up.
Back at his home, Wang Lu’s parents asked him to show off his immortal cultivation. Wang Lu eagerly summoned his Black Frost Sword, Liang Qiu, who appeared rather fiercely, startling his parents. Wang Lu quickly calmed the sword spirit, reassuring his parents that she was just "a little girl who doesn't know how to behave."
Before he could go find his friends, a crowd of villagers gathered outside his home, shouting for Wang Fugui to hand over the "demon" Wang Lu. Wang Fugui tried to explain that Wang Lu was a true disciple of the Lingjian Sect, not a demon, but his words fell on deaf ears. Mr. Zhou arrived and demanded Wang Lu surrender and confess to insulting Qianling Sect. Wang Lu consulted Liang Qiu, who firmly stated that "the flagitious should be executed."
With that, Wang Lu and Liang Qiu merged, becoming one with his sword, and defeated Mr. Zhou and his Four Stars Envoys. Meanwhile, at the village chief’s house, Hai Yunfan, Liuli, and Wen Bao woke up. Realizing that Wang Lu might be in trouble, they quickly broke free from their bindings, leaving the startled villagers behind, and rushed to Wang Lu’s aid.
As they arrived, Mr. Zhou, seeing the tide turn against him, resorted to taking Dogwa, a young boy from the village, hostage, demanding Wang Lu hand over his magic treasure. Wang Lu was about to comply, but Liang Qiu intervened, forcing Mr. Zhou to release the child. Wang Lu spared Mr. Zhou, sending him back to Qianling Sect with a stern warning: if they caused any more trouble, he would personally raze their sect to the ground.
Dogwa’s mother, witnessing the whole ordeal, finally realized Qianling Sect's true nature and expressed immense gratitude to Wang Lu, acknowledging him as a good person, not a demon. That evening, Wang Fugui and his wife warmly welcomed Wang Lu’s friends into their home. Wang Lu proudly introduced Wen Bao, son of the Canglan Kingdom’s Master; Hai Yunfan, the Second Prince of Junhuang Mountain, who spoke highly of Wang Lu's excellence; and Liuli, his powerful senior fellow disciple.
Wang Lu declared that from now on, his home was also their home. Wen Bao then inquired about their next steps. Wang Lu explained his strategy: he had let Mr. Zhou go so that he would return to Qianling Sect and instigate them into attacking, thereby bringing themselves to Wang Lu. Mr. Zhou reported back to He Yun, a Six Stars Envoy, informing him of Wang Lu’s power and his connection to the Lingjian Sect.
He Yun, recognizing the formidable reputation of Lingjian Sect, decided against rash action, speculating that someone else might deal with Wang Lu for them. Meanwhile, Wang Lu spoke with Dogwa, who told him that his sister, Xiao Lan, had disappeared after Mr. Zhou arrived in the village. Wang Lu promised to help find her, and Dogwa gave him a special whistle, a token of their promise.
Dogwa’s mother also came to apologize to Wang Lu for misunderstanding him earlier, thanking him for saving her son and urging him to expose Qianling Sect’s deceit to restore their village. After three days with no sign of Qianling Sect, Wang Lu grew impatient and decided to take the initiative. He aimed to locate and dismantle their headquarters.
His team captured Wang Xiaohu, who confessed that he was forced into Qianling Sect and didn’t know the headquarters' location, as only Four Stars Envoys and above were privy to such information. However, he revealed that He Yun, a Six Stars Envoy, resided in Wuhou County and would surely know. Wang Lu released Wang Xiaohu with a final warning. Upon arriving in Wuhou County, Hai Yunfan attempted to use his aura-reading technique, but found the spiritual energy extremely turbid.
Wang Lu explained that the area was an ancient battlefield where the Immortals Union and the demon clan had once fought a devastating war, leaving behind a lingering chaotic aura. This made it impossible to locate the Six Stars Envoy using their usual methods. Suddenly, a large crowd rushed past, shouting about the arrival of "Saintesses." Wang Lu's team followed, discovering that "Saintess" referred to a group of young women, not just one.
During a display involving hallucinogenic smoke and butterflies, one of the Saintesses' veils slipped, revealing her to be Xiao Lan, Dogwa’s missing sister. To Wang Lu's dismay, she appeared brainwashed and did not recognize him, her childhood friend. Just as Wang Lu had predicted, He Yun, the Six Stars Envoy, also appeared, delivering a sermon. When a villager misbehaved, He Yun punished him by banning him from the sect, but Xiao Lan intervened, prompting He Yun to show mercy.
He then directed those seeking holy water to register. Recognizing the large crowd made a direct confrontation risky for both their team and the villagers, Wang Lu decided on a new plan to approach He Yun: blood donation. He clarified they would use chicken blood instead of their own. Wen Bao struggled to kill a chicken, and Hai Yunfan was reluctant, so Liuli stepped forward, using Kunshan Sword to swiftly slaughter the chickens, much to Liang Qiu's annoyance.
As villagers rushed to take the chickens for themselves, Liuli became upset, wanting to eat the chickens she had killed. Wang Lu promised her a beggar's chicken after they dealt with the Six Stars Envoy. He then proposed they split up: Hai Yunfan would prepare beggar's chicken for Liuli, while Wang Lu and Wen Bao would go to the Red Building to "donate blood," noting they would need to cut in line before the chicken blood dried.
