Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 31 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Nine-tail fox Feng Ling, having revealed her true form, injured Wang Wu and Wang Lu, mocking their concern as hypocritical. Wang Lu questioned if she could truly abandon the years spent with Wang Wu and Leader Feng Yin at Lingjian Mountain. Despite recalling their shared past, Feng Ling’s deep-seated hatred persisted, and she continued her attempts to kill them. She declared that she hated hypocritical humans and that her enemies must pay their blood debts.
Leader Feng Yin then intervened to stop her. Feng Ling confronted Feng Yin, accusing him of locking her in Lingjian Mountain for thirty years and merely pretending to be a loving father. Feng Yin admitted that initially, he was wary of her reverting to her demon form and escaping. However, he gradually forgot her demon nature and came to see her truly as his daughter.
He reminisced about their time together, teaching her martial arts and life lessons, and seeing her laugh and play. He urged her to remember these countless moments, not just her hatred. Wang Lu reinforced this, reminding Feng Ling that he and Wang Wu always regarded her as Feng Ling, a kind lady, a bestie, and a friend.
Feng Yin stepped closer, reiterating that he didn't care if she was human or demon; she was always his daughter, the "little Ling" who loved riding on his back and eating cake. As Feng Yin reached out to comfort her, Feng Ling struck him, causing his precious glasses to fall and break.
This reminded them both of a past incident when a young Feng Ling had accidentally broken his glasses, and he had lovingly repaired them with her hair tie, treasuring them ever since. Amidst Feng Ling's tears, Feng Yin took the Zhen Yuan Ci and stabbed himself, offering his life as atonement if she believed the Five Sects were responsible for her suffering.
Feng Ling, heartbroken by Feng Yin's self-sacrifice and remembering Xue Boren's death, finally understood that her deepest desire was simply to live an ordinary life with Xue Boren, free from hatred and harm. She cried, bid farewell to Feng Yin, and, in a profound act of self-sacrifice, expelled her demon core, offering it to the critically injured Xue Boren. Xue Boren, revived by Feng Ling's demon core, embraced her.
Feng Ling, smiling, transformed back into her human form and fainted in his arms. Xue Boren acknowledged that revenge only begets more suffering, expressing regret that if he had encountered the Lingjian Mountain group earlier, the outcome might have been different. He promised Feng Yin he would care for Feng Ling for the rest of their lives. To commit to a truly mortal existence with Feng Ling, he then destroyed his own demon core, becoming an ordinary human.
Inspired by their eldest brother's devotion, Xue Boren's three brothers also destroyed their demon cores, vowing to live as ordinary humans alongside them. The five of them then departed together from Jiyang. Back at Lingjian Mountain, Wang Wu wept, heartbroken by Feng Ling's departure. Wang Lu tried to console her, suggesting that a peaceful, ordinary life might be Feng Ling's true desire. Wang Wu expressed regret, wondering if a different outcome could have been achieved if she had done more.
Later that night, Hai Yunfan confronted Wang Lu, asking when he knew about Feng Ling's true identity as a Nine-tail fox. Wang Lu admitted he knew since Master Zhifeng's arrival and had intentionally kept it from Hai Yunfan due to his strong hatred for demons. Wang Lu highlighted Feng Ling's past kindnesses, from helping them pass tests to teaching them martial arts and protecting them during their travels, and even how she didn't kill them despite her transformation.
He questioned if these genuine emotions meant nothing compared to Hai Yunfan's abstract concepts. Hai Yunfan, however, was unyielding, stating that his deepest feelings were hatred for demons. He explained that Wang Lu hadn't experienced the despair of family betrayal or the helplessness of holding a loved one's body in blood. He believed that while Feng Ling might have stopped killing today, there was no guarantee demons wouldn't return in the future. Wang Lu noted Hai Yunfan's strong obsession.
Hai Yunfan affirmed it was his path and announced his decision to continue his training alone, not returning to Lingjian Mountain with Wang Lu. Wang Lu was saddened but did not stop him. As Hai Yunfan traveled alone, he encountered Du Songzi, who, noticing Hai Yunfan's solitude, praised his talent and courage in fighting demons.
Du Songzi attempted to recruit him into the Shengjing Sect, highlighting Lingjian Sect's perceived indecisiveness regarding demons and arguing that Shengjing Sect's demon-slaying philosophy and cultivation methods were a better fit. Hai Yunfan politely declined, affirming his loyalty to Lingjian Sect for saving him in the past. He also expressed suspicion about Du Songzi's persistent efforts, recognizing that Du Songzi had been waiting for him since early morning with ulterior motives.
When Hai Yunfan voiced his suspicions about Du Songzi's intentions to harm Lingjian Sect, Du Songzi, no longer hiding his true colors, immediately attacked him. Meanwhile, Feng Ling, Xue Boren, and his three brothers were traveling peacefully outside Jiyang City. A man in black suddenly appeared, expressing surprise that Feng Ling, even without her demon power, could maintain her human form.
He revealed his intention to take her and restore her Nine-tail fox powers, dismissing her desire for a peaceful life as childish. When Feng Ling refused, the man in black attacked, severely injuring Xue Boren and his brothers, who, now ordinary humans, were defenseless. The man in black, uninterested in a prolonged fight, swiftly abducted Feng Ling and vanished. Back at Lingjian Mountain, Feng Yin was distraught. Wang Wu consoled him, acknowledging his grief but also playfully teasing him.
She then revealed that during her investigation into the destruction of the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, she discovered the assailant used "Chazi Yanrong," a secret technique of Shengjing Sect, implying their involvement. Suddenly, Feng Yin sensed Feng Ling was in grave danger. Wang Lu rushed in, leading them to the location where Feng Ling and the Xue brothers had been attacked. They arrived to find all four Xue brothers dead, and Feng Ling was nowhere to be found.
