Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 3 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Wang Zhong reflected on his life by Wang Lu's side, constantly being called stupid and ordered around. He wondered if he was destined to be a servant forever. Zhu Qin fueled his discontent, pointing out Wang Lu’s friendliness towards Hai Yunfan while treating Wang Zhong dismissively, asking if he truly wished to remain an errand boy his entire life. Wang Zhong's deep-seated desire to distinguish himself was ignited.
Wang Lu, unaware of the full extent of Zhu Qin's manipulation, later commented that the Peach Blossom Village test wasn't about intelligence but emotional quotient, and that its designer was likely unpopular within the LingJian sect. Days later, the hidden issues in Peach Blossom Village came to a head. The village head was preoccupied with domestic disputes, leaving village affairs neglected and the villagers increasingly agitated. Wang Lu and his companions decided it was time to act.
Hai Yunfan had already discovered the root of the problem from Ms. Liu. He revealed to Wang Lu that Ms. Liu had intentionally burned down her own house to secure a stay at the village head’s home, hoping to marry her cousin, the village head. This led to a fierce rivalry between Ms. Liu and the village head’s wife, leaving the village head in an awkward position.
Hai Yunfan suggested a simple solution: rebuild Ms. Liu's house so she would move out. However, Wang Lu dismissed this, stating it only treated the symptoms and not the underlying cause. As Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan discussed a more comprehensive solution, they noticed Zhu Qin eavesdropping. Seizing the opportunity, Wang Lu deliberately stated that to truly "conquer" the village head, they needed to steal his chamber pot. Zhu Qin fell for the trick, ending up carrying the foul-smelling pot.
Wang Lu then playfully called Zhu Qin a cheater. Soon after, Hai Yunfan announced his departure, having received the village head's promise to be the first to leave Peach Blossom Village. He congratulated Wang Lu on his wisdom, knowing Wang Lu could have left on the first day if he hadn't been aiming for a "perfect completion" due to his self-proclaimed OCD.
Before leaving, Hai Yunfan subtly warned Wang Lu about Wang Zhong, cautioning that despite his name meaning loyalty, he possessed a rebellious spirit and was becoming increasingly restless, suggesting he might not remain loyal. Meanwhile, Wang Zhong continued to meet secretly with Zhu Qin, divulging Wang Lu's thoughts. Zhu Qin, seizing the moment, further provoked Wang Zhong, implying Wang Lu was burnt out and deliberately hindering Wang Zhong's path to cultivation to keep him as a servant.
Upon returning to his residence after seeing Hai Yunfan off, Wang Lu, recalling Hai Yunfan's warning, contemplated if his own "too aggressive" demeanor had caused Wang Zhong to feel ill-treated. He resolved to be kinder and even prepared strategies to share with Wang Zhong. However, Wang Zhong was already packing his bags, determined to leave. He confronted Wang Lu, asking if Wang Lu truly intended to ruin his future and keep him as a lifelong servant.
Wang Zhong accused Wang Lu of never treating him as a person and of being cruel due to vanity, emphasizing how important it was for him to cross the Golden Bridge to prove his cultivation potential. Wang Zhong performed three deep kowtows: one for Wang Lu’s act of adoption, one for his education, and a final one for bringing him to the Golden Bridge. He declared their relationship severed.
Wang Lu, realizing someone was waiting for Wang Zhong outside, asked if that was the case. Wang Zhong confirmed that someone else valued him as a person. Wang Lu was resigned, knowing some people simply cannot be kept, lamenting that seven years of loyalty could be so easily swayed by an outsider's words. Despite his earlier intentions of sharing strategies, he let Wang Zhong go. With Wang Zhong gone, Wang Lu could finally focus wholeheartedly on his own quest completion.
He spent a month meticulously preparing, connecting all the seemingly independent tasks within Peach Blossom Village into a cohesive narrative, with the ultimate goal of uncovering the true hidden character. The next day, he set his plan into motion. He began by assisting Mrs. Huang, whose task had supposedly already been completed by another entrant. Wang Lu then took the water to Scholar Huang, whose own task had also been finished by a prior entrant.
Wang Lu completed a difficult couplet for Scholar Huang, impressing the teacher who regretfully admitted he had already taken a final disciple. Wang Lu then used Scholar Huang’s "unwashed sweat towel" to trade for Ms. Fang’s homemade steamed pork slices with rice, revealing Ms. Fang’s secret affection for Scholar Huang. Spectators watched in amazement as Wang Lu systematically completed all "120 chain of quests" in the village. Finally, he summoned the last hidden individual, confirming her identity as Wang Wu.
Wang Wu revealed her final test was simple: make her happy. Wang Lu, without hesitation, presented her with a Xiaoyun coin. Though fleeting, a genuine smile appeared on Wang Wu's face, forcing her to acknowledge that he had passed without cheating. As he prepared to leave, Wang Lu, sensing Wang Wu's underlying melancholy despite her playful demeanor, shared a story.
He spoke of meeting a "fairy lady" who, despite noting his incredibly low cultivation potential, had inspired him to persevere, promising success through hard work. Wang Wu was thoroughly amused by his embellished tale. She then hinted that the upcoming trials would be significantly more challenging, advising him to be cautious. She admitted her anticipation of seeing him again on the mountain, noting that the LingJian sect had not seen anyone as interesting as him in centuries.
Meanwhile, Hai Yunfan, who was the first to successfully navigate Peach Blossom Village and received the Tame Head Scarecrow as a reward, had been traversing the treacherous Ice Wind Valley for over ten days. His journey was difficult but manageable thanks to his prize and natural talent, impressing the observing Elders and Sect Leader. During his journey, he encountered Zhu Qin and Wang Zhong.
Zhu Qin, trying to assert dominance, praised Hai Yunfan's early departure from Peach Blossom Village but subtly mocked his slow progress in Ice Wind Valley, then attempted to coax him into a team, hoping to seize his Magic Treasure. Hai Yunfan politely declined, citing fatigue, and rebuffed Zhu Qin's demands for his reward.
Their standoff was abruptly interrupted by a fierce Moon Rhino, an exotic Category Three Ninth Rank monster from the Western Continent, equivalent in power to a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. Hai Yunfan used his Tame Head Scarecrow multiple times, shrinking the beast, but it only momentarily reduced its power before it surged in strength, enraged.
The observing Elders and Sect Leader were perplexed by the monster’s sudden power increase, quickly realizing that Wang Wu, the only one aside from the Sect Leader with such authority, must have tampered with the Ice Wind Valley’s settings. Wang Wu appeared, confirming her modification. She explained her new "more people means more power" mechanism, arguing it was a "humane" design to prevent human wave tactics and added a new layer to the Immortal Path.
The Elders were furious, pointing out that ordinary mortals couldn't possibly gain cultivation so quickly and were now at an impossible disadvantage. Wang Wu, however, confidently stated that someone would certainly pass. Just then, Wang Lu arrived in the Ice Wind Valley, having secured a perfect completion reward from Peach Blossom Village. He immediately spotted Hai Yunfan in peril and rushed to his aid.
The Elders were aghast to see Wang Lu wearing the Cloud Treading Boot, a Category Five Magic Treasure, and wielding the Star Sword, a Category Six Magic Treasure that belonged to the Sect Leader. These priceless artifacts should not have been randomly given to an uncultivated outsider. As the Elders fumed and prepared to confront Wang Wu, she subtly slipped away. Wang Lu, with a single powerful swing of the Star Sword, defeated the Moon Rhino.
A flash of white light enveloped him, and to his surprise, he found he had instantly passed the entire level, realizing the sword was no ordinary weapon, though it immediately broke after the feat. Wang Wu reappeared, furious, scolding Wang Lu for single-handedly destroying the Ice Wind Valley, Red Ridge Mountains, Nether World Path, and Cyan Cloud Canyon, effectively clearing four major checkpoints and allowing everyone behind him to pass.
Wang Lu, initially amazed by his own power, quickly learned from Wang Wu that his extraordinary feat was due to a hidden perfect completion reward: the Sect Leader's Golden Seal, which allowed him to temporarily wield the powerful Star Sword. Wang Wu, overjoyed at retrieving the Golden Seal, was quickly dispossessed of it by the Sect Leader.
The Sect Leader lambasted Wang Wu for her "design flaw" in Peach Blossom Village, detailing the extensive damages: four major realms severely damaged, the Star Sword utterly ruined, and its spirit Silver Frost severely injured, and the Cloud Treading Boot severely impaired, its spirit Lv Yun'er having sealed herself, totaling two hundred thousand top-grade Magic Stones. He announced that Wang Wu's salary would be forfeited for the next twenty years to cover the cost.
Wang Wu theatrically threatened to become a bandit, to which the Sect Leader ironically offered to provide her with a "permission document for robbery." Summoned for an emergency meeting at Cloud Hall, Wang Wu initially refused but quickly complied when threatened with further salary deductions for tardiness. At Cloud Hall, the Elders announced an additional test for all successful entrants: they must pass through the Universe Speculum, a device that would reveal their true qualifications and Magic Root. Hai Yunfan and the other entrants were confused by this unexpected additional test, while Wang Lu confidently mused over which master he would choose.
