Song of the Moon Episode 21 Recap
> Song of the Moon Recap
For three consecutive days, Liu Shao dedicated herself to practicing the Ice Spirit in the back mountain, aiming to balance yin and yang energies to cultivate the Weirui Grass. She planned to entrust the completed herb to Wan Sui before leaving, but her plans were disrupted when Immortal Master Wanwu was found unconscious, the victim of an attack. The murder weapon, a jade hairpin, was recognized by Zhuo Qiuxian as an item Shang Yurong had given to Liu Shao.
Shang Yurong initially feigned ignorance, claiming he had given the plain hairpin away and couldn't recall to whom. However, Zhuo Qiuxian revealed she had personally witnessed him give it to Liu Shao, leading her to accuse Liu Shao of attempting to murder Immortal Master Wanwu. Zhuo Qiuxian speculated that Liu Shao, having been humiliated and driven away from the Immortal Palace, harbored resentment and sought revenge. She immediately ordered Liu Shao’s arrest.
Luo Ge sacrificed a thousand years of his spiritual power to heal Immortal Master Wanwu, who, upon waking, expressed concern over Luo Ge’s immense sacrifice but gratitude for his rescue. Immortal Master Wanwu then definitively accused Liu Shao of the attack, asserting that he sensed the attacker possessed the Sun Spirit and even swore by his thousand years of cultivation that it was her. This unwavering testimony forced Luo Ge to seemingly accept the accusation.
Unbeknownst to Immortal Master Wanwu, the Sun Spirit he detected was merely a fragment given to Bai Feng by Fu. Bai Feng later confessed to Fu that she used this fragment to impersonate Liu Shao, ensuring Immortal Master Wanwu would misidentify his assailant. She revealed her motive stemmed from deep resentment towards Liu Shao, feeling Liu Shao had disrespected her brother, the Demon King, by not returning his affections. Fu implied that this act also served his own grander objectives.
With the Immortal Master's direct accusation and the hairpin as evidence, Liu Shao’s denials seemed futile. She desperately argued that anyone could have impersonated her, but Zhuo Qiuxian countered by stating that only Liu Shao possessed the unique Sun Spirit, a point corroborated by Immortal Master Wanwu. Feeling cornered and wronged, Liu Shao directly appealed to Luo Ge, asking if he believed her.
Luo Ge, however, stated she needed to give him a reason to believe her, which deeply disheartened Liu Shao. She bitterly contrasted his response with Lu Li’s unwavering trust, concluding that since Lu Li was gone, Luo Ge neither loved nor trusted her.
Zhuo Qiuxian then invoked the Immortal Palace's strict laws: causing severe injury to an elder meant execution by Heavenly Punishment at the Land of Heaven's Punishment, a sentence overseen by Palace Wuxie that would also allow them to retrieve Liu Shao's Sun Spirit for a new host. Luo Ge, unable to bear the thought of such a brutal death for Liu Shao, intervened.
He changed her sentence to the Icy Nightmares, a torment where the victim dies painfully in a dream, with their divine spirit shattering after twelve hours. Liu Shao, in utter despair, sarcastically thanked Luo Ge for this "grace," stating that with Lu Li gone, nothing mattered to her anymore. Bai Feng observed that Luo Ge's new punishment was even crueler than her own previous one. Bai Feng, having witnessed Luo Ge’s harshness towards Liu Shao, felt a sense of vindication.
Fu then pressed her to continue helping him acquire the Moon Sword, which he intended to use to split the Four Seasons Monument and release the Moonlight God’s demon heart. When Bai Feng hesitated, Fu subtly threatened to reveal compromising information to Luo Ge if she refused. Meanwhile, Luo Ning learned of Liu Shao's predicament and immediately sought to intercede with Luo Ge, but found herself trapped by a ban Luo Ge had placed on the palace gate.
Desperate, she called out to Fu for help. Luo Ge did not truly believe Liu Shao was the assassin. He had assigned Shang Yurong to investigate, and Shang Yurong reported that no one had seen Liu Shao leave the back mountain for the past few days, suggesting her claim of staying there to practice was truthful. Shang Yurong also believed Liu Shao's nature prevented her from such an act, suggesting she might have been manipulated by dark magic.
Luo Ge admitted he had chosen the Icy Nightmares punishment precisely to buy time, hoping to find evidence of her innocence before her divine spirit shattered in twelve hours. He declared he wouldn't let her die. While discussing the situation with Shang Yurong, Luo Ge experienced a sudden pain in his heart.
This triggered vivid memories of Lu Li’s past interactions with Liu Shao, including moments where Lu Li promised to always believe her regardless of what he saw or heard. Emerging from this trance, Luo Ge instinctively declared his belief in Liu Shao. Capitalizing on Luo Ge's preoccupation, Fu decided it was the opportune moment to break through the spiritual barrier. He proceeded to forcefully gather water energy to breach the enchantment, a method he knew would severely injure him.
He then exploited Luo Ning's concern, feigning injury and claiming he was hurt while attempting to break the ban Luo Ge had placed on her. Luo Ning, feeling guilty and desperate, fell for his deception. Under his subtle guidance, she was prompted to summon the Bone-Corroding Harp, an artifact she believed was broken and locked away, to heal him.
Fu confirmed to her that the Harp belonged to her and would respond to her will, suggesting that he had remembered some details from their past lives. Wan Sui rushed to Palace Chonghua, forcing his way past guards who tried to prevent him from entering, to deliver the now-matured Weirui Grass to Luo Ge.
He explained that Liu Shao had spent the entire three days in the back mountain, tirelessly practicing the Ice Spirit to cultivate the grass for Luo Ge, enduring immense suffering to harmonize the yin and yang energies. This confirmed Liu Shao's earlier claim that she had not left the back mountain, effectively proving her innocence in the assassination. Realizing Liu Shao's sacrifice and remembering her heartbroken plea for his trust, Luo Ge was overcome with guilt and determination.
He immediately raced to Palace Wuxie to halt the execution. Zhuo Qiuxian attempted to stop him, dismissing Wan Sui's testimony due to his closeness with Liu Shao and insisting that Palace Wuxie's rules dictated Liu Shao remain in their custody for execution. Shang Yurong tried to explain the situation to Zhuo Qiuxian, but she remained rigid in her adherence to the rules. Zhuo Qiuxian informed Luo Ge that Liu Shao was already deep within the nightmare, beyond self-awakening.
She would surely die from her divine spirit shattering in one hour unless someone woke her. Despite Zhuo Qiuxian’s warning that entering the nightmare could be futile and dangerous for him, and Shang Yurong's attempts to persuade him otherwise, Luo Ge ignored them. He directly used his divine spirit to enter Liu Shao's dreamscape, finding her by the Moon River.
She was desperately pulling a small boat towards the shore with a rope, her hands bloody, determined not to lose the person on the boat. Luo Ge called out to her, urging her to wake up and not lose herself to the nightmare, warning that she would become a nightmare herself if she didn't awaken. Liu Shao, distraught, pleaded with him not to abandon her, indicating her deep-seated fear of loss.
Luo Ge recognized that her suffering stemmed from her unwillingness to lose the person on the boat, confirming it was Lu Li she sought to bring back, even if in vain. Liu Shao's internal conflict continued, stating she loved Lu Li because he believed her, unlike Luo Ge, even though she knew they were the same person. Luo Ge swiftly cut the rope and embraced Liu Shao, urging her not to lose her sanity.
Liu Shao initially struggled, biting Luo Ge's neck, but in that moment, she seemed to regain a measure of clarity. She tearfully accused Luo Ge of never truly believing her, echoing their earlier confrontation. Overwhelmed by her words and the pain in his heart, Luo Ge repeatedly asserted that he was indeed Lu Li, attempting to bridge the gap of her distrust and confusion.
Liu Shao, softened by his embrace, admitted she didn't want to leave and wished to stay by his side forever, expressing concern for his safety. Luo Ge reassured her they would stay together. When Luo Ge attempted to dispel the nightmare, he discovered its true form was Lu Li, who was the very source of Liu Shao's torment, representing the person she desperately clung to in her despair.
As Lu Li and the boat sank beneath the water, Luo Ge realized that this 'Lu Li' was not only Liu Shao's nightmare but also his own repressed inner self, the part he had tried to avoid confronting. In this profound moment of self-acceptance, Luo Ge, unknowingly, became afflicted with the Soul-Devouring Spell that had been on Lu Li. He held Liu Shao tightly, fully embracing his identity.
He assured her that whether he was Luo Ge or Lu Li, he was one and the same person, deeply in love with her, and would never let her go again. He declared that from that moment on, Luo Ge was Lu Li, and he would stand before her, trust her, and protect her, acknowledging that this love was an inescapable bond.
