Qing Luo Episode 23 Recap
> Qing Luo Recap
Shangguan Jin called forth a contingent of men in black. However, Qingning's brother, Prince Qingheng, was already present, accompanied by Situ. Situ revealed that he had, at Ye Xiudu's instruction, informed Qingheng of Shangguan Jin's treacherous alliance with the Xiuluo Sect and his nefarious plans, leading Qingheng to realize he had been misled. Qingning chastised Shangguan Jin for his scheming, pointing out that her brother would not tolerate his collusion or her kidnapping, and defiantly questioned his reliance on numbers.
Shangguan Jin, overconfident, scoffed, believing he held the upper hand due to his superior forces. Qingheng, now enlightened, declared Shangguan Jin disqualified from the contest for colluding with the Xiuluo Sect, creating an epidemic, and using external forces, offering him a dignified death if he surrendered. Unwilling to yield, Shangguan Jin held the Duanyu bird hostage, threatening to harm it.
Yu Qingluo warned him against it, but he callously declared he would not be lonely in the nether world with Nan Nan as his companion. Shangguan Jin then proposed a duel with Ye Xiudu: if Ye Xiudu won, he would receive the Duanyu bird and Shangguan Jin would withdraw from the Four Kingdom Contest; but if Shangguan Jin won, Fengcang Kingdom would forfeit, and Ye Xiudu would have to swear to the heavens that he would never marry Yu Qingluo.
Jin Liuli protested this unfair wager. Shangguan Jin defiantly stated that what he could not possess, no one else would. Ye Xiudu accepted the challenge, assuring Yu Qingluo that he would not lose. The duel commenced, revealing Shangguan Jin's true proficiency with a bow and arrow, a skill he had deliberately concealed.
He gloated about the Ye family's Life-killing Sword Arts being unimpressive and boasted that his father, not the Tianyu Kingdom, had shot Ye Xiudu's father down seven years ago during the Four Kingdom Contest with the Shangguan family's golden arrow. He further revealed that his father was also responsible for poisoning Fengcang Kingdom by colluding with the Xiuluo Sect. Enraged by these revelations, Ye Xiudu attacked fiercely but was gravely wounded by an arrow, collapsing to the ground.
Recalling his father's tragic death and his vow to master the Life-killing Sword Arts to protect his family and restore the Ye family's honor, Ye Xiudu stood up, his face grim. He proclaimed that the debts for harming his child, harassing his wife, and insulting his father would all be settled that day. Wiping the blood from his mouth and blindfolding himself, Ye Xiudu unleashed the full power of the Life-killing Sword Arts. Shangguan Jin fell, critically wounded.
In his dying moments, he maliciously ordered Shuang Ke to burn the Duanyu bird, hoping to drag Nan Nan to the grave with him. Then, with a twisted smile, he divulged a final secret to Ye Xiudu: Ye Xiudu was Nan Nan's true biological father, and that Ye Xiudu was the only person in the world who could save Nan Nan's life, but at the cost of his own.
Shuang Ke carried out the order, burning the Duanyu bird until only a single feather remained. Enraged, Ye Xiudu killed Shangguan Jin. Jin Liuli then swiftly killed Shuang Ke. Distraught, Yu Qingluo worried that Nan Nan would not survive without the Duanyu bird. Ye Xiudu comforted her, urging her not to lose hope and suggesting that winning the final and obtaining the second volume of the "Shennong Pharmacopoeia" might provide a cure.
He vowed to save Nan Nan, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. The first round of the Four Kingdom Contest concluded, with Jinglei Kingdom and Liuyun Kingdom eliminated. Fengcang Kingdom and Tianyu Kingdom advanced to the final. Later, Ye Xiudu visited Yu Qingluo. He shared what he claimed was good news: Nan Nan could be saved.
He falsely told her that Shangguan Jin had lied, and his inquiries revealed that Duanyu birds always appear in pairs and could be found on Mount Meng, where hundred-leave grass grows. Yu Qingluo was relieved and believed him. Meanwhile, Situ tended to Ye Xiudu's arrow wound. Ye Xiudu inquired about Nan Nan's poisoning. Situ confirmed it was "Duanyu Hong," a severe poison usually treatable with Duanyu bird blood. He then revealed an alternative: a "blood exchange" method.
However, this method required the blood of the poisoned person's direct male relative and came at the ultimate cost of the donor's life, thus confirming Shangguan Jin's dying words. Ye Xiudu then shared the second piece of good news with Yu Qingluo: Shangguan Jin's arrow had unexpectedly restored all his memories. He tenderly adjusted her earring, reminiscing about a past moment, solidifying his regained memories for Yu Qingluo, who was overjoyed.
As Ye Xiudu and Yu Qingluo prepared to depart for Mount Meng, Ye Haoran assured Ye Xiudu that he would diligently train the Night Guard and care for Nan Nan, whose medicine was ready. Jin Liuli, however, was nowhere to be seen, observing them from behind a screen. On their journey, Ye Xiudu presented Yu Qingluo with three wish tokens, telling her to write down her desires and he would fulfill them, urging her to simply be happy.
In a maple forest, he returned her dagger and taught her a sword art for self-defense, instructing her to protect herself should he ever be absent. They hung a token on a maple tree, signifying their eternal love. Later, by a river, Ye Xiudu played a melody on a leaf, and Yu Qingluo placed another token on a stone, declaring it their "love stone."
Under the starry night sky, Ye Xiudu pointed out Vega and Altair, explaining their annual meeting at the Qiqiao Festival. He expressed his desire to be with her every moment, unlike the separated stars, wishing for them to be nameless stars, embracing each other and living happily every day. Yu Qingluo asked for a ring, to which Ye Xiudu replied he had left it in their room but promised to give it to her upon their return.
She then secretly slipped the last wish token into his hand. Back at the pavilion, Jin Liuli appeared troubled. Ye Haoran approached her, concerned. Jin Liuli confessed that Ye Xiudu was Nan Nan's biological father, and he already knew, having sought confirmation from her the previous day and asked her to keep it from Yu Qingluo.
She also revealed that the trip to Mount Meng was a pretense to comfort Yu Qingluo, and Ye Xiudu intended to use the blood exchange method, sacrificing his own life for Nan Nan's. Jin Liuli lamented the bitter fate of the sisters. Ye Haoran, understanding his brother's unyielding character, knew he could not be dissuaded.
He expressed his empathy, stating that as a father, he too would protect his child without hesitation, and suggested they simply be happy for the couple, trusting they would be alright. Yu Qingluo, meanwhile, fervently prayed for the successful discovery of the Duanyu bird and for their family of three to remain together forever, cherishing the Mount Meng journey as the happiest day of her life.
Upon reaching the mountain summit, Yu Qingluo spotted a white bird and, in her excitement, rushed towards it. Ye Xiudu, with a heavy heart, knocked her unconscious, murmuring an apology for his actions. Yu Qingluo awoke in a room to Jin Liuli informing her that Ye Xiudu had used the blood exchange method to save Nan Nan and was now in a coma. Yu Qingluo rushed to Ye Xiudu's side.
Situ regretfully informed her that despite all his efforts and the use of all the Duanyu bird's feathers, he could not wake Ye Xiudu, fearing he might not survive the day. Yu Qingluo, heartbroken, clutched the wish token and a ring, desperately reminding Ye Xiudu of his promises: that Nan Nan would be their child, that he would fulfill her wishes and ensure her happiness, and that he would never leave her, always being her exclusive Night Guard. She tearfully questioned why he was breaking his solemn vows.
