Song of the Moon Episode 7 Recap
> Song of the Moon Recap
Bai Feng, harboring resentment due to unrequited love, found Liu Shao near Lu Li, who was resting, and attempted to sow discord between them. She claimed that everyone in Marquis Wuyang's Mansion knew Liu Shao's spiritual powers conflicted with his, making her a malefic in his life.
Bai Feng further asserted that Lu Li was a cold and greedy man who would abandon Liu Shao once her usefulness expired, dismissing her as someone who only tried to "buy him" with money. Liu Shao fiercely defended Lu Li, explaining that despite his talk of money, he wore cheap clothes and ate simple food, hoarding his savings. She expressed her trust in him, stating her father taught her to judge people by their hearts, not just their appearance.
Liu Shao also subtly reminded Bai Feng of a previous threatening encounter with her at the Pearl Pavilion. Unbeknownst to Liu Shao, Lu Li overheard her impassioned defense, which deeply moved him. He resolved not to disappoint her and decided he must find the King Herb as quickly as possible. Lu Li and Liu Shao ventured to the Pearl Pavilion to confront the Master of Herbs, whom they had previously encountered.
They found him and tried to coerce him into surrendering the King Herb, offering him two "choices," both involving the immediate surrender of the herb, or else they would "cook" him. The Master of Herbs, defiant, asserted that he had lived in the Pearl Pavilion for thousands of years and would never bow down to anyone, challenging them to eat the King Herb and choke.
Noticing a familiar hairpin in his possession, Liu Shao recognized it from a portrait in the "Spiritual Plant Treasure Codex" depicting a beautiful woman wearing it. When Liu Shao snatched the hairpin, the Master of Herbs became enraged, threatening them with dire consequences if it was damaged. Seeing his genuine distress, Liu Shao and Lu Li pleaded with him, explaining their desperate situation involving Ao Hen and the need for the King Herb.
The Master of Herbs then proposed a deal: if they could help him leave the Pearl Pavilion, he would give them the King Herb. Lu Li immediately agreed, asking how he had come to be imprisoned. The Master of Herbs recounted his story from a thousand years ago when he, bored with his immortal existence, traveled to the mortal world.
He encountered a woman, Ling Xueyang, on a moonlit night, who appeared troubled and was about to throw herself into a lake. He saved her, and she invited him to meet her at the Pearl Pavilion the following day. When he arrived, Ling Xueyang, revealing herself to be the current Marquis Wuyang and Lord of the human world, confessed that her suicidal act was a ploy to approach him.
She then trapped him within the Pearl Pavilion's barrier, declaring her need for his King Herb to draw the Moon Sword and gain immense power to protect mortals from demons and immortal restraints, particularly against a powerful drought-causing monster. Despite her intentions, the Master of Herbs gradually grew accustomed to her presence, observing her daily tasks. Over time, a deep affection blossomed between them.
He felt a warmth he had never known in his thousands of years of solitude, feeling like a true person, not merely a plant. He almost gave her the King Herb to ease her worries, but a moment of hesitation became their eternal farewell. Before departing for a great war, Ling Xueyang gave the Master of Herbs the hairpin, instructing him not to open the box until she was gone.
Legend held that Ling Xueyang perished in battle, sacrificing herself to defeat a drought-causing monster, causing snow to fall for three days as the world mourned her. The Master of Herbs expressed deep regret for not giving her the King Herb, believing it might have saved her. Hearing his poignant tale, Lu Li and Liu Shao were visibly moved. Lu Li speculated that Ling Xueyang had given him the hairpin as a token of affection, knowing she might not return.
Liu Shao concurred, adding that while possible, the hairpin might also be connected to the barrier, and that Ling Xueyang, knowing her impending death, would not have wished to imprison him further; the hairpin was likely her last memento. The true barrier, Liu Shao realized, was the Master of Herbs' profound attachment to Ling Xueyang. Confronting the uncertainty of their own future, Liu Shao asked Lu Li if he would face Ao Hen with her if she were banished.
Lu Li vowed to accompany her as far as he could, and then, expressing his newfound understanding of Ling Xueyang's desire for power, promised to become strong enough to protect Liu Shao from anyone and anything. Meanwhile, Bai Feng, observing the growing bond between Lu Li and Liu Shao, harbored malicious intent. She sought out Ao Hen, offering to help him seize Liu Shao's divine essence in exchange for strength comparable to his own. Ao Hen agreed.
Bai Feng then borrowed a potent demon fire from Ao Hen, which could burn living things for seven days without extinguishing. During the preparations for the annual Double Ninth Festival demon-banishing, Bai Feng approached Du Mingchong, subtly manipulating him by highlighting the Marquis Wuyang's relentless pursuit of power and implying that if Lu Li presented the King Herb first, Du Mingchong's future in the mansion would be jeopardized.
She assured him she would handle the risky parts of her plan, only asking him to distract the other disciples from the Pearl Pavilion, promising him credit if successful and no blame if it failed. Having secured Du Mingchong's cooperation, Bai Feng placed the demon fire into the demon-banishing lights.
She then assigned Liu Shao the task of placing these lights throughout the seemingly deserted Pearl Pavilion, claiming it was precisely because no one usually went there that it needed extra precautions against hidden demons. Liu Shao, though wary and sensing something amiss, complied. As Liu Shao and the Master of Herbs were together in the Pearl Pavilion, the demon fire ignited, quickly spreading throughout the building.
The Master of Herbs frantically urged Liu Shao to escape, explaining that the enchanted fire was impervious to water and would burn for seven days, and that he himself could not leave the Pearl Pavilion's boundary, even if he could repel the flames. However, Liu Shao, realizing the true nature of the hairpin, confronted him, accusing him of knowing it was the key to unlocking the barrier yet valuing the memento more than his own life or freedom.
The Master of Herbs, deeply distressed, snatched the hairpin back, tearfully stating that it was the last thing Ling Xueyang left him, and without it, he felt he could not live, as leaving the Pearl Pavilion would mean never feeling her presence again. At that critical moment, Lu Li, having learned of the fire and Liu Shao's presence, rushed into the burning Pearl Pavilion despite warnings of the danger.
He reached Liu Shao and, combining his spiritual power with hers in a way that amplified their mutually exclusive energies, successfully extinguished the rampaging demon fire. In that powerful instant, the Master of Herbs seemed to see Ling Xueyang, finally releasing his millennia-long obsession. He acknowledged that he could still feel her presence in the vitality of the world she had protected. His hair turned completely white, a physical manifestation of his release, but he declared himself still handsome.
Keeping his promise, he presented the King Herb to Liu Shao and Lu Li before departing for his Immortal Palace, stating that all good things must end, but they might meet again if fate allowed. Soon after, Marquis Wuyang returned to the mansion and immediately convened his disciples, demanding an explanation for the Pearl Pavilion fire. Du Mingchong attempted to downplay it as a routine accident, but Marquis Wuyang had already ascertained it was demon fire.
Seizing the opportunity, Bai Feng admitted the fire was indeed demon fire and immediately pointed suspicion towards Liu Shao. She claimed that the "grass demon" (Master of Herbs) was found at the scene and likely caused the fire to escape, then asserted that Liu Shao had a close relationship with him and had received the King Herb from him upon his departure.
Liu Shao angrily refuted the accusation, and at Lu Li's subtle signal, she dramatically presented the retrieved King Herb to Marquis Wuyang. Seeing the long-sought King Herb, Marquis Wuyang was overjoyed. He immediately declared that the recovery of the King Herb outweighed the fire incident, credited Liu Shao with a great accomplishment, and dropped any further investigation into the burning of the Pearl Pavilion.
