Side Story of Fox Volant Episode 30 Recap
> Side Story of Fox Volant Recap
As Hu Fei rushed back to the room, he found Ma Chunhua collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath with a pale face, clearly showing signs of poisoning. Without hesitation, Hu Fei hid the golden pot that had contained the ginseng soup, picked up Ma Chunhua, and drove a carriage out of the king's residence. The royal guards pursued them for a short distance but couldn't catch up.
Fu Kangan immediately ordered his soldiers to seal off the capital and search the entire city for Hu Fei. Although Zhou Tiejiao and his subordinates sensed there was more to the situation, they had no choice but to follow orders. Zhou Tiejiao's subordinate commented that something was going on at the king's residence and was ordered to investigate. Meanwhile, other officials also noted sounds coming from the king's residence and were sent to find out what was happening.
A guard informed Official Fu that Madam had gone missing, and another reported that Hu Fei had killed some personal guards and escaped. Fu Kangan declared that Hu Fei had trespassed the king's residence with malicious intent and commanded his men to apprehend him immediately, offering a substantial reward for his capture. Zhou Tiejiao and another official discussed the strange turn of events, noting that Hu Fei should have been regarded highly for protecting Ma Chunhua.
However, the official acknowledged that in the officialdom, not everything is as it seems, and advised Zhou Tiejiao to simply fulfill his duty. Cheng Lingsu, examining the golden pot, determined that Ma Chunhua had been poisoned with arsenic and strychnine. Ma Chunhua was barely clinging to life. Lv Xiaomei suggested giving her the Seven Pistil Chaenomeles sinensis, but Cheng Lingsu refused to administer medicine without knowing the exact poison.
Cheng Lingsu then gave Ma Chunhua a medicinal pill that could sustain her for two hours and prepared to perform acupuncture, cautioning that Ma Chunhua's body must not be moved for the next 24 hours, or her life could not be saved. Just as Cheng Lingsu was about to begin, Zhou Tiejiao and his soldiers arrived, searching the house. Hu Fei and Cheng Lingsu managed to escape through a back door, avoiding detection by the officials.
Lv Xiaomei, disguised as a night watchman, assessed the situation in the capital, finding patrols were tight everywhere. She skillfully misdirected a group of soldiers searching for Hu Fei by telling them someone had run in another direction. Lv Xiaomei reported back to Hu Fei and Cheng Lingsu that the capital was swarming with guards, the city gates were sealed, and Fu Kangan had even mobilized the army to catch Hu Fei.
She feared they would be caught if they kept hiding. Cheng Lingsu, spotting a large mansion with "Huaquan Sect" written on it, suggested they hide there, believing the capital's guards, who "flatter the superior but trample the commoners," would likely act perfunctorily when searching wealthy and powerful residences. Hu Fei agreed, and they quickly scaled the wall into the mansion.
The Huaquan Sect, a prominent northern martial arts school renowned for its "48 styles," had suffered a decline in prestige due to centuries of infighting among its five branches: Yi, Cheng, Xing, Tian, and Ya. With the World's Sect Leaders Gathering approaching in the capital, the Huaquan Sect decided to elect a Chief Sect Leader through a martial arts contest that very night.
Ji Xiaofeng of the Tian Branch intended to win, hoping to unite the sect under a single leader and prevent further internal strife. He advised his disciples to challenge others first to ascertain their strengths before he would make his move, explaining that he would wear a mask to ensure his plan was foolproof. As Ji Xiaofeng, now masked and ready, passed by a rockery, he encountered Hu Fei and was acupointed.
From inside the rockery, Hu Fei and the others heard drums and saw many disciples gathered outside for the contest. Cai Martial Uncle announced the rules: the most powerful martial artist, regardless of their branch, would become the Chief Sect Leader. Hu Fei realized that saving Ma Chunhua required a secluded and undisturbed environment for the 24-hour acupuncture treatment.
Seeing the ongoing martial arts contest, he decided to win the position of Sect Leader, believing he could then command the disciples and secure the necessary conditions for Ma Chunhua's recovery. Despite only having grasped a superficial understanding of Huaquan techniques, Cheng Lingsu encouraged him, reassuring him that his superior martial arts would suffice to impress the crowd. Hu Fei, now masked and adopting the name "Cheng Linghu," a disciple of the Tian Branch, stepped onto the stage.
Meanwhile, Zhou Tiejiao led his soldiers into the Huaquan Sect's mansion. Cai Martial Uncle cooperated, allowing them to search. Lv Xiaomei worried they would be discovered, but Hu Fei resigned himself to fate, and Cheng Lingsu echoed that they would face it together. After a thorough search, the soldiers found no fugitives, though Zhou Tiejiao seemed to notice something amiss at the rockery before deciding to ignore it and lead his men elsewhere.
Cheng Lingsu then remarked that this was the safest place since the guards would not return after already searching it. Elsewhere, Zhou Tiejiao searched a quiet alley. He noticed a shop with lights on but no signage. Upon investigation, he discovered it was a coffin shop run by Murong Jingyue and Xue Que. Unbeknownst to him, Shi Wanchen was hidden inside one of the coffins, pretending to be a corpse.
Zhou Tiejiao and his men searched the premises but found nothing suspicious, and eventually departed. After they left, Shi Wanchen emerged from the coffin. On the stage, Hu Fei easily defeated several challenging disciples, astonishing everyone with his advanced martial arts. After numerous rounds, it became clear he was poised to become the Chief Sect Leader.
However, Cai Martial Uncle, observing Hu Fei's movements, recognized that although his techniques resembled Huaquan, they lacked its true essence, making him certain Hu Fei was not a genuine disciple of the sect. Hu Fei tried to argue, claiming his unique interpretation of the art, but Cai Martial Uncle was unconvinced and challenged him to perform the fundamental "Yilu Huaquan" to prove his identity.
As the situation grew tense, Cheng Lingsu glanced at Ji Xiaofeng, who had been listening from the side. Having earlier given him a pill to help with his internal injuries, which he had incurred when he used internal force to unblock his acupoint, she now knew he was their only hope. Ji Xiaofeng, restored, came forward to vouch for Hu Fei.
He claimed that Hu Fei was his father's star disciple, having been with the Tian Branch for twelve years, and performed a flawless "Yilu Huaquan" on Hu Fei's behalf. Cai Martial Uncle, left with no alternative, led the disciples in acknowledging Hu Fei, under the guise of Cheng Linghu, as the Chief Sect Leader of Huaquan Sect. Hu Fei, concerned for Ma Chunhua's safety, quietly asked Ji Xiaofeng to find a secluded room for Cheng Lingsu to perform the acupuncture. Ji Xiaofeng then dismissed the gathering, promising to discuss plans for the upcoming World's Sect Leaders Gathering the following night.
