Rakshasa Street Episode 14 Recap
> Rakshasa Street Recap
Cao Yanbing explained to Xia Ling the structure of the spiritual domain. He clarified that zhenhun Generals and the spiritual domain operate on an entrustment basis, meaning the spiritual domain cannot directly mobilize zhenhun Generals. Zhenhun Generals are solely responsible for their respective streets, some of which may even be unused. In contrast, the Lingjia army is a subordinate force of the spiritual domain, with most of its officers being Messengers and its soldiers primarily Spirit Men.
Xia Ling wondered if streets without zhenhun Generals were left unregulated, to which Cao Yanbing responded that an absence of oversight wasn't necessarily bad; a need for a zhenhun General indicated a troubled area, as some streets remained peaceful for centuries.
Xia Ling commented on the frightening appearance of Luocha Street compared to the serenity of Yulin Street, prompting Cao Yanbing to remark that Yulin Street's peace was only because Northern Division was more formidable than a ghost when he fought. Meanwhile, Zhao Xin, carrying a warrant and a knife for Cao Yanbing, questioned Bai Jingxuan about Cao Yanbing and Xia Ling's whereabouts at an inn. Bai Jingxuan denied knowing them.
Suddenly, Ziwei appeared and pointed Zhao Xin towards the medical center, revealing that she knew the location of the former Luocha Street zhenhun General, Cao Yanbing, who was a wanted criminal of the spiritual domain. Cao Yanbing and Xia Ling arrived at a run-down location that hardly resembled a medical center. Xia Ling expressed doubt that it was the correct place, but Cao Yanbing believed Bai Jingxuan had intentionally given them a misleading address.
As they conversed, a mutated Spirit Man appeared. Soon after, Zhao Xin arrived, confronting Cao Yanbing and reminding him of his past failure to kill him. Cao Yanbing, recognizing Zhao Xin, instructed Xia Ling to pursue the Spirit Man while he engaged Zhao Xin. Xia Ling, wary of the Spirit Man's sharp teeth, hesitated, but Cao Yanbing urged her on, reminding her that she had a guardian spirit.
Xia Ling chased the Spirit Man until a spear thrown by Cao Yanbing startled her, causing her to fall and lose consciousness. She later awoke to find her body dismembered. She desperately called out to Li Xuanyuan, who responded that he sensed no malicious intent. An elderly man then appeared and miraculously healed Xia Ling's severe injuries. In his fight with Zhao Xin, Cao Yanbing's right hand suddenly felt weak.
Zhao Xin revealed that the spear Cao Yanbing had thrown earlier was poisoned. Their battle intensified, with Cao Yanbing summoning his guardian spirit, Xu Chu, to fight Zhao Xin's guardian spirit, Xuanwu Hou Zhang Xiu. Xu Chu decisively defeated Zhang Xiu. Zhao Xin lamented the perceived unfairness of Messengers, where some were naturally bonded with powerful guardian spirits like Xu Chu, while others, despite their best efforts, were only paired with less formidable ones like Zhang Xiu.
Cao Yanbing feigned a killing blow to Zhao Xin, but Zhang Xiu bravely stepped in front of his Messenger to shield him. This act of loyalty resonated with Zhao Xin, who acknowledged the symbiotic relationship between Messengers and their guardian spirits: a Messenger cannot survive in the spiritual domain without their guardian spirit, and a guardian spirit without their Messenger loses their sanity and becomes a beast.
Cao Yanbing elaborated, explaining that a Messenger's soul and a guardian spirit's body are deeply intertwined, and vice-versa. He emphasized that innate talent matters less than dedication, and treating a guardian spirit as a mere tool, rather than a partner, would render even the strongest guardian spirit ineffective. He praised Zhang Xiu as a renowned "Broken Spear General" of the Wei family, offering to take Zhang Xiu himself if Zhao Xin didn't value him.
Inspired by Cao Yanbing's words, Zhao Xin truly embraced his guardian spirit. Zhang Xiu then returned to Zhao Xin, who offered Cao Yanbing the antidote and asked him to retrieve his spear. Cao Yanbing agreed. Xu Chu later informed Cao Yanbing that Xuanwu Hou Zhang Xiu, also known as the "God of spears," was Zhao Zilong's senior, and tragically, Dian Wei's brothers had fallen by his hand. As Cao Yanbing retrieved the spear, he found Xia Ling unconscious.
Another mutated Spirit Man appeared at the entrance. Cao Yanbing pursued and killed him. Xia Ling, now conscious, saw the bloodied Spirit Man and angrily chastised Cao Yanbing for "killing innocent people," calling him a "brute-force maniac." Cao Yanbing countered that a Spirit Man's alienation meant they lost their human status, allowing anyone to eliminate them, not just zhenhun Generals.
He explained that the Spirit Man had attacked him first, making his actions self-defense, and noted the unusual swift recovery of the Spirit Man from its brief mutation. The dying Spirit Man pointed to a piece of paper in Xia Ling's bag. Xia Ling could only recall being startled by the spear and then passing out. Her wound was fully healed.
After burying the Spirit Man, Cao Yanbing examined the mysterious paper, finding it resistant to both fire and water, and impervious to any writing attempts. He concluded that Bai Jingxuan, the one who sent them here, might hold the key to understanding it. Cao Yanbing and Xia Ling returned to the inn, only to find Bai Jingxuan absent. The innkeeper told them that Bai Jingxuan had gone home and provided his address on Qingyu Street.
Cao Yanbing sensed a hidden agenda from the innkeeper, so he waited outside the inn, confirming his suspicions. Xia Ling wanted to stay with him to prevent any further "innocent killings," but Cao Yanbing insisted she remain where she was and avoid interference. Meanwhile, within the Kingdom organization, members discussed the imminent appearance of the no fruit. They mentioned a captured "child" (presumably Bai Jingxuan) who remained silent despite their attempts to extract information.
One of them expressed regret at not eliminating him earlier, considering his perceived disloyalty. However, the leader dismissed his fate as irrelevant now, opting to spare his life for past merits and stating a personal intent to extract the information, assuring that no lies or survivors would emerge from the interrogation. Elsewhere, Taiwei met with Zhao Xin, dispatching him to the human world and expressing curiosity about the world-altering impact of the young individuals chosen by Huangfu Longdou.
In Mingjing village, Northern Division and Nan Yutian prepared for the no fruit's emergence, which Northern Division had awaited for five years to cure Shuier and the villagers; he vowed no one would take it. Nan Yutian planned to deploy the Lingjia army on the night of the Bodhi tree's awakening to ensure its safety, anticipating an attempt by the Tiangang Dragon generals to seize the fruit.
They noted that the destruction of Linhuai earlier had caused the 12 mausoleum trees to enter a new awakening cycle, leading various forces to inquire more. They also acknowledged the problem of Spirit Man alienation and how the spiritual domain established zhenhun streets to contain Spirit Men for their self-destruction.
While the destruction of one or two of the 12 mausoleum trees might not be critical, widespread destruction would trigger spatial upheaval, bringing disaster to zhenhun streets and the human world. Nan Yutian's priority was the no fruit and protecting the Bodhi tree. He believed the Tiangang Dragon generals would only seize the no fruit and not harm the sacred tree.
However, a significant concern remained regarding Cao Yanbing, whose unpredictable nature and power worried them; they feared he might destroy the Bodhi tree, despite his family's history of guarding the spiritual realm.
Northern Division assured Nan Yutian of his confidence in defeating Cao Yanbing, recounting Cao Yanbing's past feat of guarding Luocha Street alone after his guardian spirit died, and noting his current powerful guardian spirit, Xu Chu, a "Tiger General" of Wei Wu, who was considered a "scorching level" guardian spirit, akin to his own guardian spirit, Shi Lingming. News then arrived that Cao Yanbing had been sighted in Yulin Street, prompting them to move to confront him there.
