Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 2 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Half a year before the tryouts, Wang Wu encountered Wang Lu and his servant, Zhong, in Wang Family Village. At the time, Wang Lu was deliberately destroying the numerous award cups he had won, explaining to Zhong that too much honor could become a burden, and breaking them was necessary to move forward in life. He also expressed uncertainty about his future path, indicating he didn't want to pursue an official career as it meant working for others.
Wang Wu, sensing the aura of her Senior Brother, discovered a Myriad Year Darksteel nearby. Disguising herself as the River Lord, she attempted to trick Wang Lu into giving her his iron statuette, even offering him a golden or silver one instead. Wang Lu, however, consistently insisted on his iron statuette. Frustrated by his stubbornness, Wang Wu resorted to a magical display of power.
Instantly recognizing her immense power, Wang Lu quickly changed his tune, declaring that anything lost in the river, or even not lost, belonged to her. Pleased, Wang Wu revealed herself as a Lingjian sect member and offered him one wish in exchange for the Darksteel. Wang Lu asked to cultivate. Wang Wu warned him that his aptitude was extremely low, with only a "one in a hundred million" chance of success.
Undeterred, Wang Lu boldly declared that even with such slim odds, he would succeed if she took him to the mountain, promising to show the immense power of wisdom and vowing never to give up until the very end. Impressed, Wang Wu smiled and departed, leaving him a unique admission ticket to the tryouts. The scene then returned to the present, with Wang Lu, Hai Yunfan, and Zhong trapped in the quicksand of the Golden Bridge trial.
Wang Zhong panicked, but Wang Lu calmly explained that any movement would only cause them to sink deeper. Hai Yunfan confirmed this, noting that self-rescue was impossible; escape required external force, such as stepping on another person. Wang Lu then instructed Hai Yunfan to step on him, offering himself as the "sacrifice" for their escape. Wang Zhong protested, but Wang Lu reassured Hai Yunfan to be gentle. Hai Yunfan discovered two stone tablets nearby: "Kill to survive" and "Share hardship."
Hai Yunfan, now understanding that the quicksand test was designed to promote cooperation, chose "share hardship" and stepped on Wang Lu, allowing himself to escape. Wang Lu and Zhong then awoke to find themselves safely passed through the test. The Lingjian sect disciple overseeing the trial explained that because Hai Yunfan chose to "share hardship" and had already progressed to the next stage through a different path, Wang Lu and Zhong also passed.
This seamless teamwork between Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan, however, stirred a seed of jealousy within Wang Zhong. The disciple then informed them that while they would normally join the Xiaoyao Peak as outer disciples, this year there was an additional inner-sect test: the Cloud Painting, a dangerous challenge where their lives were irrelevant. Wang Lu confidently proclaimed himself a "Golden Finger" at passing trials, unconcerned by the danger.
The disciple, noting Wang Lu's unusual confidence, offered a cryptic hint: "No arrow turns back once shot, and every blade of grass and tree is fate." Wang Lu and Zhong soon reached a cliff. Wang Zhong, scared, suggested they were lost, but Wang Lu, recalling the hint, confidently explained it was an entrance to a "dungeon." He stepped forward, stating that there was "no 'if'" on the path of cultivation. From a distance, elders Hua Yun and Liu Xian observed.
Hua Yun marveled that Wang Lu had navigated the Cloud Painting in just two hours, a feat previously only achieved by Sect Leader Feng Yin. Liu Xian then discovered a new, unplanned section of the tryout: Peach Blossom Village, designed by Wang Wu. Liu Xian was furious and tried to cancel it, but it was already too late. Upon entering Peach Blossom Village, Wang Lu immediately recognized it as a role-playing game-like challenge.
He explained to Wang Zhong that they would need to constantly interact with villagers to gather information and complete hidden tasks to advance. The village head welcomed them warmly, claiming Wang Lu was their first guest in 300 years. Inside the village, Wang Lu, Hai Yunfan, and Wang Zhong encountered Zhu Qin, the Seventh Prince, who tried to intimidate Wang Lu, showing off various powerful charms.
However, Wang Lu, knowing that the village head had declared Peach Blossom Village a "peaceful place" where violence was forbidden, instead loudly called for help. A black-clad figure, who Wang Lu recognized as a "Skeleton Guard" from a "main city," quickly appeared and disciplined Zhu Qin. Later, Sect Leader Feng Yin confronted Wang Wu about unilaterally changing the tryout rules.
Wang Wu defended her new mission, arguing it tested "EQ" and "social interaction" for cultivation, complaining that the elders didn't understand her. Despite her pleas and feigned sadness, Feng Yin refused to pay for her "useless work" and warned her against further disruptions. Afterward, the black-clad figure reappeared to Wang Lu, attempting to trick him into giving up his Xiaoyun coin, claiming it was part of a "love line" game.
Wang Lu, however, saw through her ruse, realizing the figure was Wang Wu in disguise and that the coin was very important. He successfully prevented her from taking it, much to her annoyance. Wang Lu and his companions then tried to gather information from the villagers but found them ignorant of anything beyond their daily routines. They did, however, befriend Wen Bao, the son of the Imperial Preceptor of Canglan Kingdom, who was seeking a team.
Wang Lu initially refused to team up with Wen Bao, predicting that Wen Bao, being "pig-headed but brave," would eventually trigger a significant plot event and return. Meanwhile, Wang Zhong secretly met with Zhu Qin, who subtly began to sow discord. Zhu Qin expressed sympathy for Wang Zhong, questioning if Wang Lu intended to keep him as a servant forever, despite Wang Zhong's talent, which was proven by passing the Golden Bridge.
He suggested Wang Zhong deserved to be an equal. Wang Zhong, feeling increasingly marginalized by Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan's closeness, was swayed by Zhu Qin's words. Later, as Wang Lu was discussing their next steps, he noticed Wang Zhong's distraction. Wen Bao then burst in, excited, with a large quantity of special desserts from Ms. Liu, who thought he resembled her deceased brother.
Wang Lu immediately recognized Ms. Liu as a controversial figure known for "seducing men everywhere" whose house was recently destroyed, forcing her to live with the village head. He also recalled her flirting with the village head during dinner, much to his wife's anger, and Wen Bao confirmed a recent loud quarrel between the two women.
Wang Lu concluded that solving the conflict between Ms. Liu and the village head's wife was the key to restoring the village head's authority and preventing chaos in the village. He identified this as at least an "A-level Task." Wang Zhong eagerly volunteered to undertake the task, feeling he had learned enough from Wang Lu, but Wang Lu dismissed him, assigning Hai Yunfan and Wen Bao to it instead.
Hai Yunfan noted that others were already adopting their strategy, but Wang Lu was unconcerned, stating that more people participating in this stage would be beneficial. Later, as Wang Lu waited for Wang Zhong to return, Wang Zhong confronted him, accusing Wang Lu of trying to ruin his future and keep him as a servant, despite Wang Zhong's own potential to cultivate. He declared that Wang Lu had never treated him as a person.
With a kowtow, Wang Zhong stated he was repaying Wang Lu's kindness for adopting him, declaring their relationship officially severed. As Wang Zhong packed his bags, Wang Lu asked if someone was waiting for him outside. Wang Zhong confirmed that indeed, "someone "does" treat me as a person," before departing. Wang Lu was left to reflect on how seven years of loyalty had amounted to less than the influence of an outsider.
