Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 28 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Hai Yunfan and Wen Bao continued their consultation with Priest Zuo of the Beastmastery Sect. Hai Yunfan was eager to know the best way to subdue Wolf demons, but Priest Zuo stated that his sect excelled more at mastering beasts than at demon eradication and therefore had no specific suggestions beyond letting their Magic Beasts perish together to gain a moment of peace for the human world.
Wen Bao then asked if he could see Priest Zuo's Magic Beast, but Priest Zuo regretfully informed them that his rare ferret, which had been with him for nearly twenty years and was extremely swift, had died just two days prior. He explained that his ferret succumbed to high-intensity training due to his anxious desire to save people from the cunning Wolf demons.
Hai Yunfan was deeply moved by Priest Zuo's apparent selflessness, and just as he began to share information he knew about the Wolf demons, Wang Lu returned and quickly interrupted him. Wang Lu's interruption was meant to prevent Hai Yunfan from inadvertently alerting their hosts. He subtly prompted Priest Zuo to continue his story. Priest Zuo then explained that after his ferret's death, many disciples, inspired by his dedication, donated their own Magic Pets for training.
This led them to establish a secret training base in the back mountain, protected by an anti-magic barrier to ward off Wolf demons. Wang Lu, intrigued, specifically asked for the location of this secret base. Priest Zuo readily disclosed it was in the back mountain and even invited Wang Lu to visit, expressing profound respect for the Lingjian Sect, a "renowned sect" whose ancestors made significant contributions in the human-demon war a hundred years ago.
Wang Lu politely declined the invitation, stating he didn't wish to intrude on a "secret base." Hai Yunfan, however, was further convinced that the Beastmastery Sect was reputable and Wang Lu's suspicions were baseless. After leaving the Beastmastery Sect, Hai Yunfan questioned Wang Lu about what he had truly discovered during his feigned stomachache. Wang Lu revealed he had explored a cave in the back mountain, which was protected by barriers and filled with scarred animals.
He doubted Priest Zuo's explanation that this was a training base for fighting Wolf demons, suggesting it was a cover-up. Hai Yunfan, however, firmly believed in the sect's honorable intentions to protect Jiyang City. Wang Lu then pointed out that the charms he saw on the animal cages were identical to the ordinary marriage charms girls would seek.
Wen Bao remembered that Miao had indeed obtained and drunk such a charm from the Beastmastery Sect on the morning she disappeared, before she transformed into a cat. This connection led Wang Lu to theorize that the animals held captive in the cave were, in fact, girls who had been transformed after drinking the charm water. Hai Yunfan flatly rejected this theory, asserting that the Beastmastery Sect would never engage in such malicious acts.
Wang Lu attempted to obtain a charm himself by pretending to be a "born single" man desperate for a wife, but Priest Zuo scornfully dismissed him, stating that "good men should think about the state" and not seek marriage charms. Unable to obtain a charm, the trio considered other options.
Wen Bao recalled a story his father told him about a renowned busker in Canglan who transformed children into intelligent animals to make money, concluding that only vulnerable individuals like children or young girls could be so easily controlled. Hai Yunfan remained unconvinced, insisting that Priest Zuo appeared to be a genuinely good person. Wang Lu countered that Priest Zuo's "textbook-like" goodness made him suspicious, identifying him as a "hypocrite" whom he inherently distrusted due to his rebellious nature.
Hai Yunfan questioned why Wang Lu was so focused on Priest Zuo rather than the Wolf demons. Their disagreement escalated, and Hai Yunfan, stating he could no longer accompany Wang Lu, decided to leave. Before he left, Wang Lu implored him not to disclose the Xue family's true identity to anyone, especially Priest Zuo. Hai Yunfan expressed his confusion over Wang Lu's protective stance towards the Xues, given his initial dislike of them.
Wang Lu vaguely explained that the "relationship between men is subtle," noting that feelings can change unexpectedly, sometimes leading to conflict even among those who like each other, and sometimes sparks flying from arguments. The two parted ways in frustration. Wang Lu decided to confide in Feng Ling about his suspicions that the Beastmastery Sect was transforming girls into Magic Pets.
Although initially playfully mocking Wang Lu about his "eagerness to marry" and dismissing Wang Wu's capabilities, Feng Ling immediately became enraged upon hearing Wang Lu's theory about the sect. She declared her intent to "ruin Beastmastery Sect" and set off at once. Wang Lu tried to caution her against a direct assault, but Feng Ling, asserting confidence in her own power, went ahead alone.
At the Beastmastery Sect, Feng Ling subtly infiltrated by feigning a desire to seek a marriage charm. The attending priest affirmed the charms' magical efficacy for marriage, and Feng Ling followed his instructions, incinerating the charm and drinking the charm water. Wang Lu, waiting anxiously outside, was relieved when Feng Ling reassured him that her body's unique Restriction made her immune to "third-rate tricks" and that she trusted him to protect her.
Feng Ling then mentioned her upcoming wedding, lightheartedly asking Wang Lu to perform the role of a "send-off girl," a request he playfully rejected. She also expressed concern about Wang Wu's silence, noting that Wang Wu hadn't replied to her messages and wasn't attending her wedding. Wang Lu, also worried by his master's unresponsiveness, sent another message to Wang Wu.
As night fell, Wang Lu, still unable to reach Wang Wu through other means, sent a message via a paper crane, urging her to respond before Feng Ling's impending marriage, though he tried to downplay his concern for her. Meanwhile, Wang Wu was confined within the "Matrix of Coiling" at Junhuang Mountain, able to receive messages but unable to send them. She was perplexed by Hai Tiankuo's actions—providing a crucial clue about Ouyang Shang, yet simultaneously imprisoning her.
Determined to escape, Wang Wu devised a plan: she loudly feigned being humiliated, threatening to use a "photo box" and "flying charms" to spread scandalous "paintings" of herself across Kyushu, warning that the Lingjian Sect's leader and Ouyang Shang would retaliate by destroying Junhuang Mountain if she wasn't released. Hai Tiankuo appeared, revealing he was fully aware of her deceptive tactics.
He explained that her Liumang Poisonous Blood needed seven days within the Matrix of Coiling, combined with Iron Blood, to be completely cleared, which would also significantly enhance her Wuxiang Kungfu. He reaffirmed that Ouyang Shang was indeed still alive in Kyushu, swearing on his cultivation that his actions were solely aimed at finding Ouyang Shang. Wang Wu, though still suspicious, accepted his oath but demanded immediate release for urgent matters.
When Hai Tiankuo refused, insisting she remain for seven days, she escalated her threat to send the photos to the Bureau of Affairs. Hai Tiankuo countered by threatening to visit Lingjian Mountain with marriage proposals himself. Realizing Hai Tiankuo was aware of her array skills and deception, Wang Wu decided to force her escape.
She drastically compressed seven days of cultivation into a single day, successfully clearing her blood poison and greatly increasing her power, but inadvertently summoning a formidable heavenly thunder. Wang Wu intended to use this thunder to shatter the Matrix of Coiling and break free. She succeeded in using the thunder to break the Matrix, overcoming Hai Tiankuo's attempts to reseal it. Hai Tiankuo acknowledged her cunning and power.
Wang Wu again demanded Ouyang Shang's whereabouts, but Hai Tiankuo still refused to disclose it directly, stating it was "not to be spoken." Satisfied with her breakthrough and the confirmation of Ouyang Shang's survival, Wang Wu declared their debt settled and departed, leaving Hai Tiankuo to reflect that her escape, while bold, didn't jeopardize his larger scheme, and she remained unaware of Ouyang Shang's paramount importance to him.
Wang Wu immediately sent a message to Wang Lu, instructing him to prepare Feng Ling for her arrival, leading Wang Lu to believe all would soon be well. In a tavern late at night, a despondent Hai Yunfan drank heavily, with Wen Bao attempting to dissuade him. Hai Yunfan confessed his profound hatred for all demons, a sentiment rooted in his painful experience with his sworn brother, Hai Tiankuo.
He recalled how Hai Tiankuo, once a trusted friend he could entrust his life with, transformed into a "cruel, heartless monster" right before his eyes, becoming indifferent to his desperate pleas. Hai Yunfan contrasted this with Wang Lu, believing Wang Lu wouldn't betray him. He expressed frustration that Wang Lu couldn't comprehend that demons, unlike humans, are inherently evil and uncontrollable once transformed.
He voiced his deepest fear: that Wang Lu would be "seduced by demons" and suffer the same fate as Hai Tiankuo, becoming a monster himself. Wen Bao suggested that Hai Yunfan should communicate these feelings directly to Wang Lu instead of constantly testing their friendship. Unbeknownst to them, Du Songzi was listening intently from nearby.
Unbeknownst to most, Priest Zuo of the Beastmastery Sect was the true culprit behind the missing girls, covertly abducting them and using charm water to transform them into Magic Beasts. His ultimate goal was to collect their Spirit Jade of Magic Pets. A subordinate reported to Priest Zuo that Miao, who had previously been transformed, was now restored to human form.
Priest Zuo, feigning anger, blamed the Wolf demons, while secretly pleased that Wang Lu and his companions from Lingjian Sect were unwittingly helping him combat the Wolf demons, thereby accelerating his plan to gather Spirit Jade. He had learned that Feng Ling, who had recently consumed his charm water, possessed "extremely powerful" spiritual energy, making her crucial for his collection of Spirit Jade.
Meanwhile, after a tender moment with Xue Boren, where she was making shoes for her father Feng Yin, featuring a Chi Dragon embroidery (a subtle sign of her enduring bond with Lingjian Mountain), Feng Ling was left alone.
Xue Boren, discerning her unspoken desire for her Lingjian Mountain family to attend their wedding, promised to take her to visit Feng Yin and Wang Wu after their marriage, stating that his fear of her unhappiness outweighed his fear of Feng Yin's "Star Sword." Shortly after Xue Boren departed, Feng Ling's eyes became vacant, and she began to walk out of the house in a trance-like state, heading towards the Beastmastery Sect.
Alarming, no one around her noticed her alarming abnormality. The following morning, a still-inebriated Hai Yunfan was brought to Wang Lu by Wen Bao. Hai Yunfan tearfully conveyed his deep concern for Wang Lu, expressing his fear that Wang Lu might also be "seduced by demons" and betrayed, a painful parallel to his own experience with Hai Tiankuo. Wen Bao confirmed Hai Yunfan's genuine care for Wang Lu.
Their discussion was abruptly interrupted by a frantic report from Xue Boren's subordinate: Feng Ling was missing, having left through the backdoor in the middle of the night. Wang Lu immediately explained to a distraught Xue Boren that Feng Ling had gone to the Beastmastery Sect as a spy to investigate the missing girls and had, in fact, drunk the sect's charm water.
Furious that Wang Lu had allowed Feng Ling to take such a risk with a sect known for transforming girls into Magic Beasts, Xue Boren quickly rallied his brothers, Zhongren, Shuren, and Chaiqi, to rush to Beastmastery Sect for a rescue. Wang Lu, Wen Bao, and the still-tipsy Hai Yunfan followed close behind. At the foot of Cloud Platform Mountain, Xue Boren’s group, ready to charge, was stopped by Wang Lu, who advocated for a more strategic approach.
Hai Yunfan, using his magic power to sober up, offered his invisibility spell, which could conceal up to four people. Capitalizing on this, Wang Lu devised a detailed plan: Hai Yunfan would lead three others to steal the "Lord Stove" to create a major diversion. Simultaneously, Wang Lu and Xue Boren would use this distraction to infiltrate the training base, anticipating only minimal resistance, and rescue Feng Ling.
Wen Bao was assigned the task of creating an alibi for the Lingjian Sect. Inside the Beastmastery Sect's training base, Priest Zuo was perplexed that Feng Ling had not yet transformed despite consuming the charm water. He fretted over missing the "Seven Evils Day," the optimal time to collect Spirit Jade, when the Wolf demons were weakest. Just as Priest Zuo prepared to take further action, a powerful surge of demonic energy erupted from within Feng Ling.
