Rakshasa Street Episode 5 Recap
> Rakshasa Street Recap
Cao Yanbing confronted the Ghost-Talisman Master, demanding to know his true identity. The Ghost-Talisman Master replied that his identity was not important, but his words about the Linghuai Tree were entirely truthful. Dissatisfied, Cao Yanbing attempted to force a confession, but he was no match for the Ghost-Talisman Master and was soundly defeated. Later, during dinner, Cao Xuanliang openly admired the Ghost-Talisman Master, proclaiming him the first person he'd seen defeat his brother.
Cao Yanbing, however, attributed his loss to a previous battle, claiming he was still recovering and had lost his sense of taste, defiantly declaring that another fight between them was inevitable. Despite his earlier defeat, Cao Yanbing again challenged the Ghost-Talisman Master, only to lose a second time. This time, he seemed to acknowledge the Ghost-Talisman Master's honesty and asked about retrieving the Linghuai branch.
The Ghost-Talisman Master stated that it was not yet time for Cao Yanbing to know its whereabouts. He warned that although Cao Yanbing had defeated Shimazu Yoshihiro in the previous night's battle, Shimazu Yoshihiro's Requiem Master had not participated. Imagining facing three Guardian Spirits like Shimazu Yoshihiro, Cao Yanbing would have no chance of success. He emphasized that embarking on such a journey now would not only fail to retrieve the Linghuai branch but also cost Cao Yanbing his life.
The Ghost-Talisman Master had his own reasons for helping Cao Yanbing, which he was not yet ready to disclose. The Ghost-Talisman Master then outlined two crucial steps for retrieving the Linghuai branch. First, Cao Yanbing needed to significantly enhance his power, particularly in his command over his Guardian Spirit.
While Cao Yanbing's combat prowess as the Requiem General of Luocha Street was exceptional, the Ghost-Talisman Master explained that battles between Requiem Masters are ultimately contests between their Guardian Spirits, a crucial weakness for Cao Yanbing who had rarely summoned his. The Ghost-Talisman Master offered to help with this. Second, they absolutely had to bring Xia Ling along on their journey.
Cao Yanbing vehemently disagreed with the second condition, but the sudden activation of his General Chain compelled him to rush to Luocha Street. Meanwhile, Xia Ling was at odds with her mother, who was pushing her into arranged blind dates before she had even graduated from college. Her parents voiced concerns about the high cost of city living, urging her to return to their hometown for a stable job.
During this discussion, Xia Ling's father mysteriously vanished while they were passing by Luocha Street. Realizing her father had been taken by Anomalies after seeing the house number, Xia Ling and her mother ventured into the Spiritual Domain to find him. Inside, her mother was overwhelmed and fainted from fright. Xia Ling found herself under attack by Anomalies and desperately called for her Guardian Spirit, forcing Li Xuanyuan to temporarily break the Lock Chain to save her.
Just as Xia Ling was in peril, Li Xuanyuan manifested, briefly overcoming the Lock Chain to save her. He explained that the chain prevented him from appearing freely like other Guardian Spirits. Xia Ling was struck by his handsome appearance. After Li Xuanyuan vanished again due to the Lock Chain's power, another group of Anomalies surrounded Xia Ling. Her attempts to summon Li Xuanyuan again proved futile. Fortunately, Cao Yanbing arrived just in time.
With a single command, his Guardian Spirit Xu Chu appeared, scattering the Anomalies and rescuing Xia Ling and her parents. Cao Yanbing returned to his courtyard, injured, a sight that surprised Cao Xuanliang. After ensuring Xia Ling's parents were safe, Cao Yanbing erased their memories of the harrowing events. He then attempted to erase Xia Ling's memory, but inadvertently entered her spiritual space. Inside, Li Xuanyuan intervened, preventing Cao Yanbing from altering Xia Ling's memories.
Li Xuanyuan argued that Xia Ling, as a Requiem Master, had the right to choose her path between the human and spiritual realms, and he would sever any ties that tried to pull her back against her will. He clarified that he had not interfered the first time Cao Yanbing attempted a memory wipe on Xia Ling because he had just awakened, and Xia Ling was in immediate danger, having inhaled the air of Zhenhun Street, which activated him.
Seizing the moment, Xia Ling slapped Cao Yanbing. Back at the courtyard, Cao Yanbing complained to the Ghost-Talisman Master about Xia Ling's helplessness and the limited use of her Guardian Spirit, lamenting that he had to rescue and protect her. He questioned the wisdom of bringing such a vulnerable person on their journey. The Ghost-Talisman Master reaffirmed his decision, stating that Xia Ling's Guardian Spirit was incredibly powerful, despite being restricted by the Lock Chain.
He promised to personally train Li Xuanyuan to overcome this limitation, reassuring Cao Yanbing that he shouldn't worry about it. Cao Xuanliang enthusiastically supported this plan, but Cao Yanbing remained unconvinced, citing the Lock Chain as a persistent problem. That night, Xia Ling entered her spiritual space in her sleep, where Li Xuanyuan appeared. He remarked on her striking resemblance to Mo Wen Yuan Xiang, his former love, even noting the same unique jasmine scent.
He recounted his past, beginning his story. Centuries ago, he was dispatched by his master, Wei Shi, to the Mo Wen family, an ancient lineage renowned for crafting spiritual artifacts, to acquire a powerful tool. There, he unexpectedly met Mo Wen Yuan Xiang, a beautiful and captivating young woman who was Xia Ling's ancestor. Despite some initial distance, he was drawn to her distinctive jasmine fragrance. They soon fell in love.
Their happiness was cut short when Mo Wen Yuan Xiang contracted a severe illness that baffled all the era's renowned physicians. Li Xuanyuan knew that his master's artifact, "Cool Breeze and evil spirits," held the key to saving her. To obtain it, he even fought his fellow disciples. Master Wei Shi, though initially reluctant to let him use the dangerous artifact, warned him that while it could revive the dying, it also carried an extremely perilous fate.
However, witnessing Yuan Xiang's deteriorating condition, Li Xuanyuan, despite his master's warnings, declared his unwavering resolve, vowing to die with her if he couldn't save her. Master Wei Shi, seeing his disciple's determination, agreed to assist him. Li Xuanyuan embarked on cultivating the Pure Yang Inorganic Work, a secret technique of their sect, which required him to absorb the malignant aura from "Cool Breeze and evil spirits" and transmute it into true qi within his own body.
His master had warned him that failure meant death, and even if he succeeded, he would only have ten days left to live. Li Xuanyuan survived the ordeal, spending what little time he had left in blissful days with Yuan Xiang, without revealing his impending death. On the ninth night, as he planned to quietly depart, he heard the sound of bells and fainted, only to awaken in the medicine refining cave.
His master revealed that they had underestimated Yuan Xiang's illness; even Li Xuanyuan's sacrifice and mastery of the Pure Yang Inorganic Work had only temporarily suppressed her condition. With his own life rapidly fading, Master Wei Shi used the Lock Chain to seal Li Xuanyuan's heart meridian.
There was only one final way to save both of them: Li Xuanyuan had to fully absorb "Cool Breeze and evil spirits," transform into an Anomaly, and become Mo Wen Yuan Xiang's Guardian Spirit.
