Whispers of Fate Episode 13 Recap
> Whispers of Fate Recap
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun finally located Tang Lici, who was injured and pale from a recent battle. Tang Lici confirmed he was a bit tired and inquired about A Shui and Myriad Vault. Chi Yun assured him of their safety and urged him to rest, stating they would keep watch and handle everything. Tang Lici then requested a mere half an hour to recover, which they agreed to provide, taking on the task of guarding him.
Soon, a commotion outside signaled more trouble. A woman, later referred to as Red Fox, appeared with two formidable human puppets, one of whom was identified as a former top assassin associated with the Plum Blossom Mirage technique, long thought to be vanished. The woman, holding a guzheng, addressed Tang Lici, taunting him about his quick escape and stating that while "His Lordship" (implied to be Liu Yan) wished to prolong his suffering, she lacked such patience.
Chi Yun was eager to confront her, but Shen Langhun held him back, insisting that Chi Yun remain to protect Tang Lici as he would be at a disadvantage. Shen Langhun stepped out to face the woman and her puppets, noting that puppets were only half as strong as their living counterparts, though the woman boasted that puppets offered eternal beauty, strength, and immunity to age, sickness, and damage.
Shen Langhun, in turn, declared his loyalty was to whoever paid him, after she questioned if Tang Lici was worth his risk. Shen Langhun engaged the Red Fox and her human puppets, which included "Unbound Orchid," one of the seven experts from the Battle of Tiandu Peak. The Red Fox taunted their bond, calling Tang Lici a hypocrite. After fighting for some time, Shen Langhun began to tire, and Chi Yun took over, risking his life in the fierce battle.
Just as Chi Yun faced grave danger, the half-hour passed. Tang Lici, now recovered, intervened. He dismissed Chi Yun and Shen Langhun, telling them to meet him at an old rendezvous point, but Chi Yun adamantly refused to abandon him, asserting his duty as a bodyguard. Tang Lici then confronted the Red Fox, mocking her use of a tune he himself had composed, which Liu Yan had merely picked up and taught her.
He speculated that Liu Yan was unaware of her assassination attempt, or he would have warned her against such a "clumsy trick" on someone "unbeatable" like Tang Lici. He accused her of pretense when she claimed to protect her "men," then reminded her of her previous defeat even with favorable terrain. Tang Lici defeated her with a single palm strike.
Tang Lici considered capturing the Red Fox to lure Liu Yan, but before he could act, Xi Fangtao, head of the West Palace at the Unfettered Guild, swiftly appeared. Using a sharp hairpin, she stabbed Tang Lici in the chest, acknowledging his previous words about its effectiveness. She introduced herself as Xi Fangtao, head of West Palace at the Unfettered Guild, having met him once before. She announced her intention to take Tang Lici to "His Lordship."
However, before she could depart with the injured Tang Lici, Cheng Yunpao, the Grand Judge and eldest disciple of Camellia Island Master Wei Beiyin—also known as the "Frost Sword" and the second-ranked master in the Central Plains Sword League—arrived, his presence marked by his formidable Earth Sword. Xi Fangtao's associates recognized his superior strength compared to Yu Qifeng. Cheng Yunpao then rescued Tang Lici from Xi Fangtao.
Xi Fangtao later engaged in a conversation with the Red Fox, advising her that simply being good to men was not enough; one needed to understand their desires. She suggested that Liu Yan might resent Red Fox for preventing him from taking revenge himself, and mockingly told her to find another man. Cheng Yunpao interrogated Tang Lici, starting by asking if he killed Fang Zhou, to which Tang Lici defiantly admitted "Yes."
Cheng Yunpao was impressed by his courage, but Tang Lici retorted, "I'm Tang Lici, remember?" Tang Lici also denied any connection to the Yin-Yang Artificer, though he refused to disclose his origins. Tang Lici displayed an uncanny knowledge of Cheng Yunpao's identity, attire, fighting style, and reputation, including the proverb about Puzhu's mercy versus the unyielding "twin swords of the Island." Cheng Yunpao then revealed his additional identity as Fang Zhou's close friend. A flashback provided context to this friendship.
Years prior, Fang Zhou and Tang Lici were shown together. Fang Zhou complimented Tang Lici's progress in music. They received letters from the Central Plains Sword League and Camellia Island, expressing concern about strange phenomena signaling the potential return of the Yin-Yang Artificer. Fang Zhou advised caution regarding the Artificer. In a personal conversation, Tang Lici asked Fang Zhou if he feared him due to his "golden eyes and forehead mark."
Fang Zhou admitted knowing about the mark but insisted it didn't define Tang Lici as the Artificer. He reassured Tang Lici that these physical traits didn't determine his identity. Tang Lici then expressed fear that if others saw his mark and feared the Artificer, their friendship might "just fade away." Fang Zhou confirmed that it would be "gone." This exchange led Tang Lici to declare he had to leave.
Back in the present, Tang Lici used this knowledge to challenge Cheng Yunpao, stating that Cheng Yunpao should know he had lost his memory when he met Fang Zhou. Cheng Yunpao recalled Fang Zhou's letter about taking in a person with "golden eyes and a forehead mark," and his own harsh reply: "if it were me, I would never keep you," emphasizing that anyone connected to the Artificer should be "killed rather than let go."
Tang Lici countered that "all people see is the surface," even Cheng Yunpao, the "famously upright Grand Judge." Tang Lici accused Camellia Island of claiming to punish evildoers on behalf of Heaven, then questioned if Cheng Yunpao had ever mistakenly killed an innocent person.
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun arrived on the scene, along with Gu Xitan and Zhong Mei, who had been searching for Tang Lici and expressed concern that Cheng Yunpao, known for his hatred of evil, would take Tang Lici back to the League for trial. Cheng Yunpao examined Tang Lici, delivering a grim prognosis: he was too severely wounded and beyond saving, like a "lamp whose oil has run out."
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun desperately tried to administer precious life-saving pills, but Cheng Yunpao dismissed them as wasteful. In a desperate act, A Shui stepped forward, cut her wrist, and offered her blood, stating, "I can save him." Tang Lici, who had been in a chaotic state on the brink of death, felt a sudden clarity and a soothing sensation as her blood entered him, miraculously healing his severe injuries.
Upon waking, he immediately confronted A Shui, recalling her similar intervention in the "flower sea" (a previous encounter) and demanding to know her true identity. A Shui maintained that her blood possessed healing properties, making her a "living panacea," and that this was her only secret. She acknowledged his skepticism but pleaded with him to trust that she meant him no harm.
However, Tang Lici, seemingly hardened by the revelation, told her to leave, stating she was "of no use to me now," and he no longer needed her to follow him. Shen Langhun remarked on the miraculous nature of A Shui's blood, pondering the danger if such a secret were widely known.
Meanwhile, Gu Xitan, Zhong Mei, Chi Yun, and Shen Langhun discussed Cheng Yunpao's character, particularly his strong sense of justice and his determination to take Tang Lici to the Central Plains Sword League for trial, knowing the dire consequences given Tang Lici's alleged ties to the Bliss Sect. Gu Xitan revealed Cheng Yunpao's surprising weakness: he was "directionally challenged." Tang Lici, despite his partial recovery, feigned weakness and then a sudden dizziness.
When Gu Xitan rushed to assist, Chi Yun created a diversion, allowing Tang Lici to escape from Cheng Yunpao, who was temporarily distracted. Cheng Yunpao, later speaking to a subordinate, expressed his frustration at Tang Lici's escape, even though he had initially spared him due to Fang Zhou's letter, which had entrusted Tang Lici to his care. Fang Zhou, five years prior, had foreseen his death and designated Tang Lici as the successor to All-Seeing Tower.
Cheng Yunpao maintained that Tang Lici's guilt or innocence must be determined by Master Shao and the League. He also mused on Tang Lici's complex nature: neither entirely good nor evil, but a force that saved the citizens of Sword King City while also causing chaos.
His subordinate highlighted Tang Lici's unparalleled ability to stir up the stagnant martial arts world, having exposed the Unfettered Guild and drawn out Liu Yan in less than a month—an achievement they had failed to accomplish in two years. The subordinate suspected Cheng Yunpao and Tang Lici had made a secret agreement, mentioning "Azure Abode Palace."
Simultaneously, word spread throughout the martial arts world about a warrant issued by the Central Plains Sword League, condemning Tang Lici and his accomplices, Shen Langhun and Chi Yun, as individuals connected to the supposedly deceased Yin-Yang Artificer, sparking fear and outrage among the public.
