Whispers of Fate Episode 18 Recap
> Whispers of Fate Recap
Tang Lici worried that Xi Fangtao had already swayed Palace Master Wanyu. To demonstrate the Zhongyuan Sword League's power, Tang Lici resolved to personally confront Wanyu. He understood Wanyu Yuedan to be a king-like figure, one who would never bow to anyone's will or threat. Wanyu Yuedan had brought the Azure Abode Palace back from ruin, transforming it into a formidable force.
Tang Lici also knew the Unfettered Guild's true strength lay not in open recruitment but in thousands of coerced members bound by the Ape-Ghoul Nine-Heart Pill, making a preemptive strike crucial. Before his meeting, Tang Lici spoke with Shen Langhun, explaining why he sent Ashei away; her unusual blood and lack of martial arts would only increase risks. Shen Langhun pointed out Tang Lici's tendency to gamble with lives but noted he never let anyone come to true harm.
He then questioned if Tang Lici would truly kill Liu Yan, to which Tang Lici retorted, asking if Liu Yan would spare him and reminding Shen that their pact transcended personal feelings. Later, Chi Yun, still perplexed by Tang Lici's plans, received clarification from Ashei.
She explained that Tang Lici might return to the League as an honored guest, not a criminal, as Sword Master Shao admired him, and sending Mr. Cheng, who was poor at reading people, to negotiate was a deliberate choice. Tang Lici securing the Azure Abode Palace as an ally would elevate his status and, crucially, compel Liu Yan to reveal himself. Tang Lici arrived at the Grand Firmament Hall but was blocked by guards.
Steward Bi directed him to the Divine Altar, subtly challenging him to find his own way up. Tang Lici effortlessly conjured a vast sky ladder with his spiritual power and ascended. As he stepped onto the Divine Altar, the bracelet on his wrist reacted, making him wonder if the site was connected to the Celestial Realm. Palace Master Wanyu appeared, acknowledging Tang Lici's ability to reach the Altar and his recent victory at Violet Hall.
Wanyu then pressed Tang Lici for explanations regarding his connection to the Divine Altar and the past. Tang Lici admitted he was mostly ignorant of the Palace's old stories. Wanyu recounted the Azure Abode Palace's origins by the Luo River, its expertise in stellar observation and geomancy, and its role as imperial preceptors. His father, seeking ultimate truth, met a man named Ye Mo, who revealed cosmic boundaries beyond his father's comprehension.
Reverencing Ye Mo, Wanyu's father introduced him to the emperor. Ye Mo, with his "unnatural arts," cured the emperor and brought rain, becoming the new imperial preceptor. However, the Yin-Yang Artificer later framed the Azure Abode Palace for treason, forcing them into exile. Wanyu speculated that had Ye Mo not failed, he would have used the Divine Altar for a grander, more sinister plot, and Tang Lici's arrival echoed that past.
Wanyu directly asked Tang Lici about his relationship with the Yin-Yang Artificer. Tang Lici admitted a connection but firmly denied being the Artificer himself, explaining that the bracelet had been on his wrist since his earliest memories, dating back to the year seven masters surrounded and slew the Yin-Yang Artificer at Tiandu Peak.
Wanyu, still suspicious, then shared an ancient prophecy of a "visitor from beyond the land" who would bring ruin, a prophecy that had manifested with the Yin-Yang Artificer. Wanyu asked if Tang Lici believed in fate and if he was destined to bring another catastrophe. Tang Lici declared he would defy fate, even "shatter the stars," if necessary to prevent such a destiny.
Tang Lici then pointed out that Wanyu, like him, also defied fate, otherwise he would have accepted the Unfettered Guild's offer long ago. Tang Lici discerned Wanyu's deep ambition: to return to the Central Plains, clear his family's name, and reclaim the ancestral preceptor position, an ambition driven by duty to his predecessors, surviving disciples, and future generations.
He told Wanyu that neither the League's offer of justice nor the Guild's promise of martial power truly met his needs, which was why Wanyu had waited for him. Tang Lici offered a compelling alliance: if Azure Abode Palace joined the Zhongyuan Sword League to eliminate the Unfettered Guild, Tang Lici would ensure the Palace regained its former glory and its rightful place as imperial preceptor. When Wanyu questioned his trustworthiness, Tang Lici cited their shared defiance of fate.
As a final assurance, Tang Lici promised to return the Eternal Crystal Casket he had stolen and then submit to Wanyu's judgment, a dangerous promise, as Wanyu observed. Convinced, Wanyu publicly announced the Azure Abode Palace's alliance with the Zhongyuan Sword League against the Unfettered Guild. Upholding the custom of not harming envoys in parley, he allowed Xi Fangtao and her group to leave safely, much to Chi Yun's frustration.
Wanyu clarified to Mr. Cheng that his alliance was not for the League itself, but for Tang Lici, who possessed what Wanyu needed. After the alliance, Tang Lici reflected that his inner strength was only half restored and wondered if his inevitable confrontation with Liu Yan was truly at hand. Outside the Palace, Xi Fangtao dismissed her subordinate Fu Cui's complaints about their humiliation. She calmly stated that buying Liu Yan two days was a worthwhile trade.
Following Wanyu's "courtesy," Xi Fangtao declared they would now respond with "war." Liu Yan soon appeared, announcing, "The show finally begins." He unleashed the Nine-Shift Kirin, a monstrous war-cart that was neither beast nor vehicle, driven by the Artful Rewriter, the world's second-best puppeteer. Liu Yan vowed to destroy all the works left by the Fiendish Artisan, the original architect of the Azure Abode Palace. The Nine-Shift Kirin began its assault, spewing scorching fireballs.
Palace guards sounded the alarm as the gates of the Azure Abode Palace were breached. Tang Lici instructed his allies to retreat to the Grand Firmament Hall while he went to aid Wanyu. Wanyu rallied his forces, declaring that their fight was for justice, for future generations, and for the Palace's return to its rightful place in the court, not as a mere martial sect.
He stressed the historical imperative to win this battle, given the injustice inflicted by the Yin-Yang Artificer. Wanyu expressed his deep concern over the Nine-Shift Kirin and requested Tang Lici's aid, admitting he had no choice but to trust him unconditionally. Tang Lici agreed, asking what was needed. The Palace's Sky Rope, a critical access point, was destroyed, cutting off retreat for some defenders.
The Artful Rewriter then used the Nine-Shift Kirin to extend new ropes, creating a bridge for the Unfettered Guild forces to pour into the Palace. In response, Wanyu activated the Nine-Star Coiling Dragon Array, creating a seemingly impenetrable barrier powered by a god-stone and his Star-Pacifying Dance. However, Liu Yan's soundwave attacks, amplified by the array's horn-like structure, managed to penetrate the barrier, causing internal damage to the Palace's defenders.
Liu Yan himself joined the fray, playing a Pipa, which compelled his pill-fueled soldiers to attack like "zombies." Tang Lici played his flute to counter the sonic attack before confronting Liu Yan directly, vowing that this time, he would not escape. Meanwhile, Xi Fangtao, observing from outside, had identified the three vulnerable "nodes" of the Nine-Star Coiling Dragon Array. These were deliberately designed as weak points by the Fiendish Artisan but were invisible from the outside.
She expertly guided the Nine-Shift Kirin to repeatedly strike these critical nodes, causing the Array to falter. Wanyu suffered internal injuries, his face turning pale from the strain. As the Array threatened to collapse, Tang Lici activated his bracelet, revealing the Yin-Yang Artificer's symbol on his brow. He channeled immense energy to Wanyu, awakening the Divine Altar. Wanyu, using the Star-Pacifying Dance, drew power from the Altar to restore and strengthen the Array into an impregnable defense.
The awakened Altar's Falling-Sky Stone then glowed brightly, debilitating the Nine-Shift Kirin and forcing Xi Fangtao to order a full retreat. Enraged, Liu Yan abandoned his forces and rushed towards the weakened Tang Lici, who, having expended vast energy, fell into an ice lake. Liu Yan ordered his subordinate, Little Red, to finish him.
As Tang Lici struggled in the water, Liu Yan, holding a Dream-Soul Blood-Peach, taunted him, relishing in the sight of Tang Lici's "lies" being exposed and the world seeing his "true face," confidently proclaiming that he was "never wrong."
