Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 25 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Wang Lu, ever suspicious of Xue Boren’s intentions towards Feng Ling, found every detail within Xue Mansion questionable. He immediately suspected a sinister plot when Wen Bao went missing one morning, only for Wen Bao to suddenly appear, shattering Wang Lu’s elaborate theories of abduction. Wen Bao explained that he was simply lost in the vast garden all night after following a captivating smell of meat.
Wang Lu then suspected the maid Lihua’s advice to stay indoors and have her lead the way was a tactic to confine them, but Lihua promptly asked them to go to the market for wedding preparations, dispelling that particular concern. Meanwhile, Wang Wu, after being ambushed and wounded, was rescued by Hai Tiankuo. Though Hai Tiankuo claimed to be a close brother of her senior brother Ouyang Shang, Wang Wu remained distrustful.
Hai Tiankuo revealed he knew she had mastered the Wuxiang Sword to its 108th level. He then pressed Wang Wu for information about the black-clad assailant. Wang Wu recounted how the assailant used various unique skills from different sects—including the Kunlun Sect’s Shadow Doppelgänger, the Shengjing Sect’s Flying Flower Command, Junhuang Mountain’s Six-Pronged Light Cage, and the Wanfa Immortal Sect’s Doppelgänger Puppet—before ultimately using the Shengjing Sect’s secret skill, Chazi Yan Hong (Swirl), in a critical moment.
Wang Wu noted that fewer than ten people on the entire Kyushu Island could perform this technique, implying the assailant was from Shengjing Sect. However, Hai Tiankuo suggested the assailant might be a mole from another sect aiming to stir conflict between Shengjing and Junhuang, indicating a need for broader discussion with other elders. He departed, telling Wang Wu to recover and that he desired to be gentle with her, which Wang Wu scoffed at, still considering him an "idiot."
After leaving Wang Wu, Hai Tiankuo encountered Xu Zefang, who had just emerged from six months of secluded practice and learned his brother, Xu Jingtian, had died at Hai Tiankuo’s hands. Xu Zefang accused Hai Tiankuo of killing his brother and demanded an explanation, stating that the Xu family had served Junhuang Mountain for centuries. Hai Tiankuo responded that Xu Jingtian had indeed violated military discipline, and he had simply applied the military law.
Xu Zefang declared a duel to avenge his brother, refusing to kneel to someone he deemed despicable. During their intense battle, Xu Zefang, though talented, was clearly outmatched by Hai Tiankuo. Still, he pressed his accusations, claiming Hai Tiankuo was disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unjust, and that the true leader of Junhuang Mountain, Lord Kuqin, would return from his travels to avenge him and his brother. Hai Tiankuo, disappointed by Xu Zefang’s unyielding prejudice, decided to reveal the truth.
He showed Xu Zefang that his parents were actually killed by an unseen assailant that night, not by him, and that he had allowed the false rumors to persist because revealing the true events would cause greater chaos in the unstable world. Realizing the truth, Xu Zefang humbled himself, pledging unwavering loyalty and acknowledging Hai Tiankuo’s heavy burden. Unbeknownst to them, Wang Wu had been secretly listening to their entire conversation.
She learned of Ouyang Shang’s imminent return and resolved to uncover the full truth before leaving Junhuang Mountain. Meanwhile, Wang Lu, Hai Yunfan, and Wen Bao were dining in a Jiyang restaurant when they overheard talk of wolf sightings and wolf demons in the city. Wang Lu found this unusual, especially given Xue Mansion's ability to serve meat when the rest of Jiyang was strictly vegetarian.
Suddenly, a distressed woman, accompanied by officers, burst in, accusing Wang Lu and his companions of abducting her daughter, Miao. Hai Yunfan recalled Miao as the girl they had argued with the previous day for worshipping ants. The mother presented Miao's handkerchief, found near their house, as evidence. Hai Yunfan noted its peculiar, strong scent and the presence of animal hair, though an officer dismissed it as dog hair from a local dog.
Despite their claims of innocence, the officers initially considered Wang Lu and his friends prime suspects due to their recent altercation with Miao. However, upon learning that Wang Lu and his friends were guests of the influential Xue Mansion, the officers' demeanor immediately shifted to deference.
They then confessed that they were hesitant to classify Miao's disappearance as a missing persons case because Jiyang had been plagued by a series of disappearances of young, unmarried girls over the past six months. Adding Miao to this list would bring severe punishment upon them from their superiors. Wang Lu immediately sensed a deeper secret hidden within Jiyang City.
Upon their return to Xue Mansion, Wang Lu keenly observed the maid Lihua repeatedly touching the door knocker in the same manner as Xue Boren, a small detail that deepened his suspicion.
Inside the mansion, Wang Lu noticed a pervasive uniformity: the begonia flowers that should have withered from the previous day's wind were still perfectly in bloom, a stone he had kicked aside in the path had returned to its original spot, the number of butterflies remained consistently at three (two yellow, one blue), and even the caged bird's chirps were the same four notes, three long and one short, every day.
Hai Yunfan, prompted by Wang Lu, also became aware of these unsettling repetitions. Even the servants greeted them with identical smiles and gestures daily, like pre-programmed puppets. Spooked by this eerie, unchanging environment, they decided to feign losing something and went outside to test their theory. As Wang Lu predicted, upon their return, everything inside the mansion had indeed reset to its original state.
Wang Lu sought out Feng Ling, subtly trying to make her see the abnormalities in Jiyang and Xue Mansion. However, Feng Ling, deeply enamored, misunderstood his attempts as an effort to dissuade her from the marriage. Though distracted by her love, she patiently answered his questions.
From Feng Ling, Wang Lu learned that the Xue family's prosperous business was making balms for young girls, and the four Xue brothers possessed an unusually sensitive sense of smell, capable of distinguishing the faintest odors. This fact immediately connected with the peculiar scent Hai Yunfan had noted on Miao’s missing handkerchief.
Feng Ling also revealed that the Xue Mansion had a secret chamber where the balm recipes were stored, a place she was forbidden from entering, a detail that greatly piqued Wang Lu’s interest.
