Whispers of Fate Episode 27 Recap
> Whispers of Fate Recap
Years ago, a memory shows Fang Zhou diligently guiding a young Tang Lici in studying the Three Character Classic and practicing writing his own name. That warm moment of a happy past stands in stark contrast to Tang Lici's current predicament. He has ventured to Mount Baojing to find Shi, who secretly went there to retrieve a rare herb for Tang Lici's ailment.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan, misled by Fang Pingzhai, learns Tang Lici's location and is told it's the opportune moment to eliminate him. Believing the worst of his old friend, Liu Yan pursues Tang Lici, and their confrontation escalates into a fierce battle amidst the perilous terrain of Mount Baojing. During the struggle, Liu Yan plummets into a deep ravine.
Tang Lici attempts to rescue him with his Crimson Silk, but Liu Yan, still fueled by resentment and misunderstanding, defiantly rejects his help. Without hesitation, Tang Lici leaps into the abyss after him. Despite Liu Yan's past betrayals and attempts to harm him, Tang Lici's long-standing friendship compels him to act. Trapped deep within the ravine, they find their powers severely diminished by a mysterious barrier.
Tang Lici observes the incessant, swirling air currents and surmises the presence of a powerful wind vortex below. He proposes a desperate plan: he will venture into the vortex, sealing it temporarily with the resonating waves of his flute. Then, they must combine their inner strengths, utilizing the Crimson Silk and the rebound from a Sonic Execution, to propel one of them out. He insists that Liu Yan take the chance to escape first.
Liu Yan, hearing Tang Lici address him by his familiar childhood name, "Yan," and noticing the weakness in his flute playing, realizes the severity of Tang Lici's internal injuries and the depth of his unwavering trust. Overwhelmed, Liu Yan sets aside his suspicions and fully cooperates. When the moment comes, Tang Lici exerts his remaining power to launch Liu Yan out of the ravine, while he himself plunges further into the depths.
Unsure if he will survive, Tang Lici urges Liu Yan to meet him at the All-Seeing Tower in half a month. Filled with dread and concern, Liu Yan rushes to the All-Seeing Tower to wait for him. After an unknown period, Tang Lici awakens at the bottom of the ravine, surrounded by vivid memory fragments. He witnesses the tragic story of Ye Mo, who would later become the feared Yique Yinyang.
Ye Mo, originally from the Celestial Realm, accidentally landed in the Gumo Kingdom and fell deeply in love with Princess Xiya. The Gumo King, however, harbored dark intentions. He fabricated a plague, coercing the compassionate Ye Mo to use his purification abilities in a ritual. As Ye Mo poured his life's cultivation into the ritual, the King attempted to steal his essence and celestial body. Fortunately, a mystical bracelet on Ye Mo's wrist, a gift from Xiya, protected him.
Enraged by the betrayal, Ye Mo killed the treacherous King. Fearing his wrath, the Gumo people bound Ye Mo to an iron pillar and burned him for three days and three nights. His regenerative powers kept him alive through agonizing cycles of decay and healing, a fate worse than death. Princess Xiya's belated arrival, three days after the torment began, was the final catalyst.
Consumed by rage and despair at the betrayal of all humanity, Ye Mo unleashed his full power, annihilating the entire Gumo Kingdom and transforming into the terrifying Yique Yinyang. Tang Lici realizes that Ye Mo, the Yique Yinyang, was not born evil but was a victim of the Gumo people's wickedness.
He reflects on his own fortune, having been found by Fang Zhou and raised in the All-Seeing Tower, which allowed him to retain his identity as Tang Lici, unlike Ye Mo's tragic transformation. Upon Tang Lici's return, he finds Shi under the care of Shui Duopo, a reclusive healer. Shui Duopo is revealed to be Princess Xiya's personal handmaiden and the sole survivor of the Gumo Kingdom.
She regards Tang Lici with deep suspicion, confessing her fear that he, being of similar celestial origin as Ye Mo, might one day succumb to darkness and become another Yique Yinyang. She sternly informs him that she has no intention of curing him, recalling how Princess Xiya's compassion led to disaster. Tang Lici counters, asserting that everyone deserves to live and that his experience in the ravine made him realize his worth.
He then reveals that Fang Zhou's heart crystal now resides within him, meaning that to let Tang Lici die would also mean the demise of the virtuous Fang Zhou. Convinced by this revelation, Shui Duopo relents. She provides Tang Lici with three pills, each capable of restoring his strength and temporarily extending his life. However, she warns him that after the third pill, no power will be able to save him.
As a condition for the cure, Shui Duopo insists on accompanying Tang Lici back to the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance to monitor his condition. At the Alliance, she meets Shao Yanping, whom she playfully chides for looking older than herself despite his respectful address. Meanwhile, Zhong Chunji is summoned to the imperial palace.
The Empress discreetly observes a butterfly tattoo on her back, a long-held secret mark, and overcome with emotion, confirms Zhong Chunji is her long-lost daughter, Princess Langya. The Emperor, overjoyed, bestows lavish rewards. Shao Yanping is granted five hundred gold taels, a barrel of pearls, and the prestigious title of "Princess' Mentor." Tang Lici is honored with the title of "Royal Advisor."
Moved to tears by finally having a mother, Zhong Chunji later returns to the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance and graciously thanks Tang Lici for his instrumental role in reuniting her with her parents. Despite her newfound royal status, she requests to remain at the Alliance as the Head of Shanfeng Hall, preferring to assist Shao Yanping rather than reside in the rigid imperial palace.
She distributes thoughtful gifts to her friends: a precious Purple Prime gem for Shen Langhun's Seven-Gem Verdant Hairpin; a length of deep red silk for a wedding dress and a pair of matching bracelets for Chi Yun; and other gifts for Shi and Gu Xitan. As Zhong Chunji celebrates, Gu Xitan, watching her from a distance, feels a bittersweet pang, sensing a growing chasm between them and believing he is no longer worthy of her. Other developments unfold.
Fang Pingzhai notes Liu Yan's increasingly erratic behavior since his return from Mount Baojing and his meetings with Tang Lici, prompting Fang Pingzhai to accelerate his own plans. Investigations reveal that the mastermind behind the Unfettered Guild is a figure known as Gui Mudan. Tang Lici recalls an encounter in Sanqin where a puppet-like young man, whose voice matched Gui Mudan's, rescued Yu Qifeng. Similarly, Chi Yun reports encountering a puppet giving orders to the Artful Rewriter.
Captured Unfettered Guild members corroborate this, stating Liu Yan frequently meets an opera performer he calls "Master Gui." For his crucial part in the princess's rescue, Wanyu is appointed Imperial Astrologer and departs for the capital. Lastly, Tang Lici's adoptive father cautions him against getting too entangled with princes from the former dynasty.
