Whispers of Fate Episode 12 Recap
> Whispers of Fate Recap
While Tang Lici engaged Yu Qifeng, Xue Xianzi, A Shui, and Chi Yun spearheaded the arduous task of evacuating citizens from the collapsing Citadel. A Shui expressed her resolve to intervene, but a companion (implied Chi Yun) cautioned that Yu Qifeng's descent into madness could only be halted by Tang Lici. He stressed the importance of trusting Tang Lici despite the overwhelming chaos of the crumbling Tianyan Sword Wall.
Xue Xianzi, taking charge of the southern sector, playfully remarked that he was once again indebted to Tang Lici, attributing his efforts to his "handsome and benevolent" nature. Amidst the pandemonium of falling debris, A Shui, Chi Yun, and Shen Langhun valiantly directed panicked families towards the docks.
A Shui personally aided a lost child, helping to reunite her with her family, while a commander (implied Chi Yun) urgently ordered all available boats to be mobilized due to the massive crowds. A Shui worried aloud that their safety was precarious until everyone had crossed the river.
Tang Lici revealed to Yu Qifeng that Liu Yan had deceived him, orchestrating his demise by triggering the avalanche that threatened the Citadel, considering its destruction a justifiable cost to ensnare Yu Qifeng. Unfazed, Yu Qifeng defiantly proclaimed his unmatched prowess and ownership of the world, accusing Tang Lici of causing the innocent deaths by interfering with the Citadel's affairs.
Liu Yan's taunting voice echoed, asserting that Tang Lici's wounds from the "Infernal Demonic Dance" made him vulnerable to Yu Qifeng's full power while innocent lives were being lost. Yu Qifeng’s desperate efforts to defeat Tang Lici proved futile. Tang Lici explained that Liu Yan's pills had merely transformed Yu Qifeng into a "drug vessel," granting him temporary vitality but no true invincibility.
With a final, desperate move, Yu Qifeng consumed all his remaining evil pills, leading Tang Lici to declare him "beyond redemption." Having ingested a vast quantity of potent pills, Yu Qifeng absorbed the vital energy of countless lives, mastering the "West Wind Severs Wildfire" technique. Liu Yan observed, noting the move's origin in consuming Yu Xuanqing and its resemblance to the Yin-Yang Artificer's swordplay, conceding that Yu Qifeng had finally shown his worth.
He urged Yu Qifeng to unleash the "unstoppable" power, a combination of forces. Yu Qifeng, in a moment of crazed triumph, declared himself able to shatter mountains and invincible. This newfound power reignited chaos, engulfing the Citadel in thick smoke once more. Pu Zhu, unable to tolerate Yu Qifeng's destructive rampage, intervened.
He chanted the "Radiant Art: Divine Radiance," conjuring a colossal rock that halted the fiery projectiles raining down from the Sword King Peak, astonishing A Shui and others as the dark clouds began to dissipate. Liu Yan, witnessing Pu Zhu's intervention, sarcastically remarked that Tang Lici had failed to drive him away, anticipating further drama.
He cynically dismissed Pu Zhu's efforts as naive, convinced that the civilians would not make it across and reiterating his manipulative narrative that Tang Lici brought only destruction. Amidst this, Chi Yun, Zhong Chunji, and Lord Jiang of the Yanmen Order (who arrived to assist at Tang Lici's request) continued their efforts to guide the panicked citizens to safety at the docks.
As Yu Qifeng succumbed further to his madness, Liu Yan, refusing to allow his puppet to achieve ultimate power, triggered Yu Qifeng's self-destruction and absorbed his remaining strength, becoming even more powerful. Yu Qifeng, however, still conscious and enraged, screamed at Tang Lici, demanding to know why he wouldn't die and branding him a monster.
Tang Lici warned Yu Qifeng that while drugs could amplify power, the human body had its limits, and he had been consumed by darkness, urging him to turn back. Confronted by this escalating threat, Tang Lici was compelled to reveal his true identity. He manifested a blinding golden light, astounding onlookers who recognized the Golden Eye Mark and the fire tattoo on his forehead—the unmistakable signs of the Yin-Yang Artificer's heir.
Pu Zhu, saddened, lamented Yu Qifeng's misguided pursuit of power, which led him to betray the Citadel's legacy and his ancestor Yu Xuanqing’s stand against the Artificer. Observing Tang Lici's revelation, Liu Yan seized the moment to expose Tang Lici's long-guarded secret to the entire world, proclaiming that the truth must be shared. The citizens gasped in fear, believing the Yin-Yang Artificer had returned to life. A Shui, witnessing Liu Yan’s insidious maneuver, realized his true agenda.
Tang Lici, severely weakened from subduing Yu Qifeng, retreated to a secluded bamboo house to recover. Pu Zhu personally attended to his injuries, stabilizing his heart and pulse until he was out of danger. Tang Lici expressed his gratitude for Pu Zhu's intervention, acknowledging the extensive displacement and casualties in the Citadel, and the "killing karma" he had accumulated despite defeating Yu Qifeng.
Pu Zhu intended to bring Tang Lici to the League to face a public trial by Lord Shao. However, Tang Lici requested more time, as he still lacked definitive evidence of Yu Qifeng's crimes. During Tang Lici's convalescence, Yu Furen, (Yu Qifeng's successor), arrived at the devastated Citadel and, addressing Lord Shao, Lords Xiao, and Lords Ji, mournfully accused Tang Lici of causing the catastrophe, demanding swift justice.
Gu Xitan and Zhong Chunji vehemently defended Tang Lici, presenting evidence of Yu Qifeng's collusion with the Unfettered Guild and his involvement in the illicit Ape-Ghoul Nine-Heart Pills. However, Yu Furen dismissed their claims, stating that the evidence had been destroyed by fire and accusing Pu Zhu of bias. Yu Furen then skillfully twisted the narrative, suggesting that Lord Yu had sacrificed himself to protect the Citadel from Tang Lici's perceived manipulations.
He emphasized that Tang Lici’s public display of the Golden Eye Mark conclusively proved him to be the Yin-Yang Artificer, responsible for past widespread chaos. He passionately urged Lord Shao to issue an arrest warrant for Tang Lici to avert another disaster. Lord Shao, while cautious and promising a thorough investigation, appointed Yu Furen as acting chatelain to oversee the Citadel’s reconstruction and pledged to assign an assistant to aid him.
Meanwhile, an official mentioned Camellia Island, a place known for imprisoning followers of the Yin-Yang Artificer's Bliss Sect. Later, Tang Lici questioned Pu Zhu about why he had saved him despite witnessing his Golden Eye Mark. Pu Zhu explained that Tang Lici had contained the deadly poison from Yu Qifeng's death site, preventing its spread and safeguarding innocent villagers, thus honoring their original wager.
However, Pu Zhu warned Tang Lici that his vital energy was severely depleted, his self-healing impaired, and a "heart crystal" within him was draining his essence, threatening his life within a year if not removed. Tang Lici thanked Pu Zhu but firmly refused to accompany him to the League to account for his connections to the All-Seeing Tower incident and the Yin-Yang Artificer. He reminded Pu Zhu that his intervention in the Citadel's affairs constituted a breach of their wager.
While Pu Zhu argued that his actions saved countless lives, Tang Lici countered that Pu Zhu had intended to intervene from the beginning, making it part of his calculations. Tang Lici then challenged Pu Zhu's morality, stating that if Pu Zhu truly believed him to be in the wrong, he wouldn't have saved him.
He passionately defended the innocence of those victimized by the pills and the Unfettered Guild, and the heroic sacrifices of allies like Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, Zhong Chunji, Gu Xitan, A Shui, and Fang Zhou. He asserted his fundamental disagreement with Pu Zhu's approach and reiterated his refusal to attend the League.
Tang Lici further explained that the Unfettered Guild's leader had deliberately exposed his Golden Eye Mark to publicly brand him as the Yin-Yang Artificer, aiming to use the League to incapacitate him and ruin his reputation. Submitting to the League, he argued, would only fulfill their adversary’s scheme, and he proposed a new wager with Pu Zhu.
While Tang Lici was recuperating, he was tormented by vivid nightmares, reliving past accusations, seeing visions of himself as "Lici," and hearing warnings to conceal his Golden Eye Mark. In these dreams, he expressed deep regret for not heeding Fang Zhou's words and vowed that no more would die because of him, believing he could save everyone. The next day, the Citadel showed signs of recovery, with people queuing for food and medical care.
Lord Shao expressed surprise at the rapid restoration of order and was introduced to Liu Yan, who had been instrumental in providing medical assistance, organizing shelters, and distributing provisions. Liu Yan, while outwardly humble, voiced his concern that the current peace might not endure. He argued that the root of all evil was the Yin-Yang Artificer, not merely the Ape-Ghoul Nine-Heart Pills.
He recounted the Artificer's deceptive tactics of killing and saving to manipulate people a decade ago, drawing strong parallels to Tang Lici's current actions, who, under the guise of official authority and justice, committed grave offenses. He emphasized that Tang Lici's Golden Eye Mark unequivocally linked him to the Artificer, regardless of whether he was the Artificer reborn. He earnestly requested Lord Shao to issue a martial arts warrant for Tang Lici's arrest.
Lord Shao hesitated, considering Liu Yan's statements as mere speculation that could cause further unrest, stating he preferred not to judge someone he hadn't met. However, an elderly woman stepped forward, identifying herself as the mother of Qin Kunwu, a revered hero who sacrificed his life fighting the Bliss Sect. She emotionally recounted her son's noble sacrifice to secure peace for the martial arts world, questioning if such lives were worth less than Tang Lici's.
She implored Lord Shao not to wait for the Yin-Yang Artificer to return and demand countless more lives. Her heartfelt plea resonated deeply with the assembled crowd, who began chanting "Hunt down Tang Lici! Death to the Artificer!" Faced with overwhelming public pressure, Lord Shao reluctantly issued an immediate arrest warrant for Tang Lici, decreeing "no mercy" if necessary.
