Whispers of Fate Episode 17 Recap
> Whispers of Fate Recap
As night descended upon the Azure Abode Palace, Cheng Yunpao, Tang Lici, and their allies discussed the peculiar rules of engagement. Cheng Yunpao had earlier explained to Gu Xitan that his pursuit of Tang Lici outside the city was a strategic ruse, devised by himself, Master Shao, and Mr. Puzhu, to use Tang Lici as a bargaining chip to gain an audience with Master Wanyu.
Tang Lici was merely a catalyst, setting the stage for Cheng Yunpao to enter the palace. Tang Lici himself acknowledged that he had deliberately made himself a target, luring the Unfettered Guild and other swordsmen, to pressure Master Wanyu into aiding the Zhongyuan Sword League. He suspected that Master Wanyu had taken in the Unfettered Guild members precisely because Tang Lici’s extreme tactics had caused displeasure.
Master Wanyu, in a conversation with Bi Lianyi, indicated that he judges both outcomes and methods, and sought an ally who could not just follow rules but effectively exploit loopholes. He deliberately separated everyone into individual rooms within the Violet Hall, which contained 3,600 chambers but was patrolled by only sixteen guards. This, Tang Lici deduced, was a test.
The "no fighting" rule was not a restriction but an opportunity; if one could act without being detected by the patrols, it wouldn't count as a violation. Master Wanyu wanted to see which faction could discern the true intent, take charge, and demonstrate rapport among allies. The side with fewer casualties at the end of the night would be deemed the winner.
As the evening drums signaled nightfall, Tang Lici warned his allies that Xi Fangtao would be the most formidable opponent. Cheng Yunpao, fearing the Unfettered Guild's intentions, decided to scout, urging Gu Xitan to stay put. However, concerned about Cheng Yunpao’s notoriously poor sense of direction, Gu Xitan soon followed him. Unbeknownst to them, Master Wanyu was observing from afar, noting that six individuals had already left their rooms.
Tang Lici and Shen Langhun learned that Xi Fangtao had headed west and Fu Cui east. They decided to split up, with Tang Lici pursuing Xi Fangtao and Shen Langhun tracking Fu Cui according to their plan. Meanwhile, in their shared room, Chi Yun reassured A Shui that he would prioritize her safety, regretting a past mistake at the Sword King Citadel.
He understood that with both sides on the move, their rear positions were most vulnerable, and vowed to protect her. Cheng Yunpao, having lost his way, unexpectedly encountered Xi Fangtao. She flirtatiously engaged him, causing him to blush, and then swiftly stole the Tai'e Sword—a valuable token of the Zhongyuan Sword League. Tang Lici intervened, informing Cheng Yunpao that undetected actions were not considered rule violations.
He instructed Cheng Yunpao to join Chi Yun and Gu Xitan to preserve their strength while he undertook the task of retrieving the Tai'e Sword. Master Wanyu, reflecting on the current state of the martial world, expressed that true alliances are formed with those who can establish rules, not merely follow them. He spoke of individuals who could utilize loopholes to survive and eventually become rule-makers themselves.
Elsewhere, Bai Suche confronted Yu Furen, insinuating that Yu Furen was doubting her own father's past allegiance to the Unfettered Guild and his involvement in the Ape-Ghoul Nine-Heart Pills. Bai Suche ominously detailed the consequences: the collapse of the Sword King Citadel, the destruction of the Tianyan Sword Wall, and Yu Furen's father's death at Tang Lici's hands. She provocatively asserted that "a misdeed unknown is no misdeed at all" before attacking Yu Furen, highlighting the Unfettered Guild's ruthless philosophy.
Shen Langhun, Chi Yun, and Gu Xitan successfully ambushed Fu Cui. As Fu Cui tried to seize A Shui, the three heroes quickly overpowered him. When palace guards approached, Shen Langhun and Chi Yun cleverly feigned injury, making it appear that Fu Cui was the aggressor. The guards, believing Fu Cui had initiated the fight and violated palace rules, immediately apprehended and imprisoned him.
Chi Yun and Shen Langhun were pleased with their success, noting that Tang Lici's plan to target the "most naive" opponent had worked. However, the tables turned quickly. Xi Fangtao, using Bai Suche as bait by applying her distinctive perfume to her, lured Chi Yun into a room and had him acupunctured. Tang Lici, tracking Xi Fangtao, arrived to find the real Bai Suche but Xi Fangtao herself had vanished.
Realizing he had fallen into a trap, he soon confirmed that A Shui, Gu Xitan, and Yu Furen had been abducted. Despite having captured Bai Suche, Hua Wuyan, and Qingchan Niangzi, and secured Fu Cui's imprisonment, Tang Lici acknowledged that Xi Fangtao, by acquiring the Tai'e Sword and capturing three of their people, now held the advantage. Undeterred, Tang Lici quickly formulated a new strategy.
He deduced that Xi Fangtao would hide her captives, including A Shui, Gu Xitan, and Yu Furen, in the most unlikely place—Cheng Yunpao’s room—exploiting Cheng Yunpao's poor sense of direction. Shen Langhun, heading to Cheng Yunpao's room as per Tang Lici’s revised instructions, was ambushed and paralyzed by Xi Fangtao.
She then tried to sow discord by revealing to Shen Langhun that Tang Lici had never truly intended to kill Liu Yan, calling Shen Langhun a mere puppet in Tang Lici's game. She took a wooden bell from Shen Langhun. Just then, Tang Lici, alerted by the unique sound of the wooden bell which only he could hear, arrived at Cheng Yunpao's room. He confronted Xi Fangtao, remarking that "the finest hunters disguise themselves as prey."
Tang Lici quickly overwhelmed Xi Fangtao, reclaiming the Tai'e Sword and acupuncturing her, effectively capturing her in Cheng Yunpao's room. With this, the Tai'e Sword was returned to the Zhongyuan Sword League, and Tang Lici's side had achieved a decisive victory. As dawn broke, Master Wanyu announced he would grant an audience to only one representative.
Tang Lici deferred to Cheng Yunpao, stating that he was merely the introducer and Cheng Yunpao, as the envoy of the Zhongyuan Sword League, should meet the Master. Cheng Yunpao met Master Wanyu and presented the Tai'e Sword, recounting the history of the Wanyu lineage's exile due to the Yin-Yang Artificer's schemes, and appealing to their shared history and the current threat of the Ape-Ghoul Nine-Heart Pills.
He urged Master Wanyu to ally with the League for the sake of the common people. Master Wanyu, however, found his offer disappointing and summoned Xi Fangtao instead. Outside, Tang Lici explained to Cheng Yunpao that alliances required an exchange of mutually beneficial conditions, suggesting Cheng Yunpao consider what Master Wanyu truly desired. Cheng Yunpao then realized Master Wanyu's primary ambition was to return to the Central Plains.
Xi Fangtao, in her meeting with Master Wanyu, offered a staggering one-third of the martial arts world under the Unfettered Guild's unified rule if the Azure Abode Palace joined them, promising absolute autonomy within their designated territory. She argued that aligning with the Zhongyuan Sword League would keep Master Wanyu constrained by old grudges, whereas joining the Unfettered Guild would allow him to dominate a vast territory and restore his family's honor.
Master Wanyu, however, remained impassive, dismissing her with a promise of a reply later. Following these meetings, Fu Cui was released, while Cheng Yunpao was denied another audience with Master Wanyu. Tang Lici explained to A Shui that Master Wanyu would not ally with the Zhongyuan Sword League because they couldn't offer him what he truly wanted.
He characterized Master Wanyu not just as a master, but as a true "king" – one who refuses subservience and, when strong, would seek to command the world. He observed that the Azure Abode Palace, which had been destroyed under Wanyu Moru, was now poised for rebirth under Wanyu Yuedan.
