Whispers of Fate Episode 15 Recap
> Whispers of Fate Recap
After days of travel, Tang Lici, Chi Yun, and Shen Langhun rested in a forest, enjoying a barbecue. Their conversation turned to the mysterious Azure Abode Palace and its connection to the notorious Yin-Yang Artificer. Centuries ago, the Wanyu family, experts in celestial phenomena, geography, and Conjuration, served as Preceptors under the old dynasty. Thirty years prior, Preceptor Wanyu Moru introduced a talented young man, the self-proclaimed Yin-Yang Artificer, to the emperor, praising his ability to bring peace.
This individual, a master of martial arts, eloquent speech, and illusions, quickly gained the emperor's deep trust. However, the Yin-Yang Artificer soon betrayed Wanyu Moru, framing him for treason and usurping his position. He then misled the emperor into pursuing immortality, amassed power, and plunged the world into chaos by spreading evil pills, eliminating rivals, and building four Celestial Pillars with blood.
Disheartened by these events, Wanyu Moru left Jiangnan and rebuilt the Azure Abode Palace in a secluded location, becoming a secretive organization. Chi Yun wondered how they would reach the Azure Abode Palace, noting the south route was fraught with pursuers, and the west route, through the Skeleton Desert, was considered impassable. Tang Lici, however, revealed a hidden cavern beneath Sprout Peak that led directly to the Grand Firmament Hall, a path only he knew.
Chi Yun was concerned that with the Yin-Yang Artificer's grudge against Azure Abode, and Tang Lici having previously stolen a coffin from there, going back would be suicide. Tang Lici playfully questioned if Chi Yun had ever considered he himself might be the Yin-Yang Artificer, to which Chi Yun replied that even if so, he wouldn't be a world-wrecker, and found Tang Lici's Golden Eye Mark rather dashing.
Tang Lici, still recuperating from an injury, had Chi Yun help him craft an elaborately carved walking stick for the journey, asserting that as the lord of Myriad Vault, he couldn't use just any ordinary stick. Meanwhile, Liu Yan sought to bolster his forces. He traveled with Hong to the Fallen Petal Garden, the abode of Gui Mudan, to meet Artful Rewriter.
Gui Mudan, contemplating the nature of pets as safe companions for the fragile, acknowledged Artful Rewriter was in her backyard but warned that he was eccentric and wouldn't obey her. Liu Yan then confronted Artful Rewriter, a master mechanist second on the Mechanism Rank, whom Liu Yan knew had built Gui Mudan's Fallen Petal Garden and Jade Peony Tower as payment for the Unfettered Guild to kill the top-ranked Fiendish Artisan.
Liu Yan provoked Artful Rewriter by asserting he was still only second best, even with Fiendish Artisan dead. Enraged, Artful Rewriter threatened Liu Yan, stating he could trigger the Myriad Hex Pins embedded in Liu Yan's body with a flick of his finger due to the surrounding lodestones. Liu Yan countered, pointing out that Artful Rewriter's inability to surpass Fiendish Artisan was why he had him killed.
Liu Yan then offered a path to becoming the true number one: destroying all of Fiendish Artisan's works. Artful Rewriter, intrigued, asked about Fiendish Artisan's most unique creation, and Liu Yan revealed it was the Azure Abode Palace. Artful Rewriter agreed to work with Liu Yan. At the same time, Pu Zhu, in meditation, was visited by Shao and Cheng Yunpao.
They informed him about the Unfettered Guild's increasing strength, with members like Liu Yan, Xifang Tao (the mysterious mistress of the West Wing), and even the puppet-controlled Kuanglan Wuxing, one of Tiandu Peak's top seven. They sought Pu Zhu's help to eradicate the Guild's strongholds. Shao also tasked Cheng Yunpao with capturing Tang Lici, who had escaped from his custody, emphasizing Tang Lici's formidable power.
Cheng Yunpao suggested focusing on the Unfettered Guild instead, but Shao insisted that he knew Tang Lici's whereabouts. Shao then presented Cheng Yunpao with the Tai'e Sword, a valuable treasure of the Zhongyuan Sword League, as a gift from his mentor, Jiang Nanfeng, for protection, and promised additional assistance. Cheng Yunpao reluctantly accepted, questioning why a public warrant was issued if Tang Lici's location was known.
As news spread, various martial artists, including A Shui, converged on the southern route to Azure Abode, hoping to capture Tang Lici and gain glory. Cheng Yunpao, assisted by A Shui, found Yu Furen and other martial artists, also seeking to avenge the Sword King's death by capturing Tang Lici. Cheng Yunpao questioned the sudden exposure of Tang Lici's whereabouts, suggesting it might be a deliberate leak by the Unfettered Guild.
Yu Furen, in turn, challenged Cheng Yunpao for bringing A Shui, whom he called the Yin-Yang Artificer's minion, and implied the Sword League might be shielding the Artificer. Cheng Yunpao clarified A Shui was a key witness, not an accomplice. Yu Furen refused to travel with them and departed. Tang Lici, Chi Yun, and Shen Langhun continued their journey, arriving at a vast, desolate desert.
Tang Lici revealed a hidden desert ark, which he had used on his previous visit to Azure Abode. He warned Chi Yun not to touch anything on board. As they navigated the desert, they were attacked by the Rock-Armor Deity, a stone giant known for hurling stones at intruders. Tang Lici assured his companions he would "greet" it, implying familiarity, and it would let them pass. However, Chi Yun's playful interference caused the ark to crash.
Despite the setback, Shen Langhun noted they had reached the glacier, bringing them closer to their destination. The landscape transformed into a frozen expanse of ice and snow. Chi Yun marveled at the beauty but disliked the absence of shadows, which Shen Langhun noted made hiding difficult. Cheng Yunpao suddenly appeared again, demanding Tang Lici surrender for trial. Tang Lici, citing his injuries, entrusted Chi Yun with handling Cheng Yunpao and returned the Fire Bead to Shen Langhun.
Shen Langhun explained they were on the Sky River, made of "ice that never sinks," and its floes only converged into a stable path for one day every three months. Tang Lici warned against attempting to cross before the ice fully solidified, as the water was lethally cold. Cheng Yunpao, despite being warned by Shen Langhun and his own disciple that his powerful internal energy would crack the still-forming ice, insisted on attempting to seize Tang Lici.
Shen Langhun highlighted that only Chi Yun's lightness skill allowed him to move safely on the treacherous surface, making him seemingly invincible for the moment. Recognizing the danger, Cheng Yunpao grudgingly agreed to wait, but warned Tang Lici he couldn't escape him for long. Tang Lici then suggested they all travel together to the Azure Abode Palace, which was nearby. As they proceeded, the ice beneath Tang Lici, Chi Yun, and Shen Langhun unexpectedly split.
Tang Lici, separated from his companions, asserted he could handle the situation and that the Azure Abode Palace Master was merely inviting him as a guest. He then plunged into the icy chasm. Without hesitation, A Shui leaped in after him. Below, within a vast ice cave, lay a hidden palace. Palace Master Wanyu, informed of the two intruders, chuckled, saying he would only meet Tang Lici if he survived.
Inside the chilling depths, Tang Lici handed the only Fire Bead to A Shui, knowing it would protect her from the penetrating cold. A Shui eventually found Tang Lici, who was observing delicate Ice-flame Begonias, beautiful yet deadly flowers that stored intense cold. He explained that touching them or causing loud sounds would make them burst, releasing a fatal cold poison. A Shui, eyes red, confessed she was only worried about his safety. Tang Lici, however, questioned her true motives.
He speculated whether she had known his fall into the Sky River was intentional, designed to elicit his protection and gain his trust, a tactic reminiscent of Liu Yan. He pressed her for her true identity and purpose, noting the unusual "bond" her blood had with him, a cure that worked only on him, which he felt was too much like Liu Yan's calculated schemes. A Shui, however, reiterated that she simply wanted to save him.
Palace Master Wanyu appeared, exchanging hostile greetings with Tang Lici. Wanyu, demonstrating the profound-ice chill's lethality, proposed a wager: if Tang Lici won, he would grant an audience; if he lost, A Shui would die. Tang Lici accepted the challenge, declaring he would leave with A Shui alive. As they continued through the palace, A Shui suggested resting due to the increasing cold. Tang Lici urged them to find an exit quickly.
A Shui offered to return the Fire Bead to Tang Lici, but he refused, explaining it could only protect one person effectively. He stressed that he hated to lose, and her death would mean his defeat. A Shui then reminded him that she had his blood, implying it offered her a form of protection. Meanwhile, Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, and Cheng Yunpao arrived at the entrance of Azure Abode Palace.
Cheng Yunpao formally requested an audience with Palace Master Wanyu, but received no reply. Chi Yun suggested simply entering, noting their different purposes – he and Shen Langhun were seeking refuge and should be polite, while Cheng Yunpao was there to make an arrest. Cheng Yunpao told him he didn't owe an explanation, and they continued to wait. Deep inside the palace, Tang Lici acknowledged Wanyu's skill in refining the profound-ice chill.
They encountered more traps, including an ice wall made of frozen air, which blocked cold from escaping, intensifying the chill. Acknowledging Wanyu's clever design, A Shui realized they were trapped unless the wall was broken, but doing so would release a dangerous wave of cold. Tang Lici reminded A Shui that her Fire Bead would protect her from the cold, and when she asked about his safety, he simply told her to mind her own business.
