Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 8 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Colonel Yu secured Pei Xijun in a room, ordering the door to be tied shut with cloth, convinced that a frail girl would be unable to escape and would not require constant guarding. Before this, he had attempted to justify his abduction of her by claiming he was ensuring her safety on the dangerous road, a pretense Pei Xijun vehemently rejected. Separately, Colonel Yu’s soldiers attempted to seize chickens from the inn’s coop for their meal.
The innkeeper, Liu Shiba, desperately tried to dissuade them, arguing it was too late to prepare fresh chicken and he already had meat stewing. His pleas were ignored, and he was beaten by the soldiers as they proceeded to take the chickens. Inside the secured room, Pei Xijun observed that the windows were nailed shut, trapping her. Suddenly, Lu Lingfeng appeared, having cut the rope that held the door shut.
Pei Xijun was overjoyed, exclaiming she was unsure if she would ever see him again if not for her abduction by the "bastard colonel." Lu Lingfeng chastised her for sneaking out of Chang'an, fearing for her father’s worry, but Pei Xijun insisted she had left a letter and her father would understand. Their reunion was cut short by a giant python attacking them.
Lu Lingfeng fought the serpent, and with Pei Xijun’s quick action of tossing him a dagger, he successfully killed it. After the danger passed, Lu Lingfeng acknowledged that Pei Xijun had saved his life, and they both realized the python was likely the "unclean thing" Liu Shiba had warned about earlier.
Despite Liu Shiba’s repeated warnings about the right main room being haunted and the site of past deaths—the reason the inn was abandoned—Colonel Yu, enjoying his meal and drinks, insisted on taking it, claiming that alcohol would deter ghosts. Meanwhile, Lu Lingfeng found Xue Huan, who had been tied up, and freed him. Soon after, Cui Wuji, an eight-rank assistant of county magistrate from the prestigious Cui family of Qinghe, arrived at the inn.
He immediately dismissed the notion of the inn being abandoned, citing the lit lamps and presence of horses. Cui Wuji acted with immense arrogance, refusing to have his "noble horse" tied with ordinary ones and brushing off Colonel Yu’s attempts at courtesy. He openly declared that not "just anyone" could share a table with him and demanded the right main room for himself, dismissing Liu Shiba's warnings about its haunted nature.
When Colonel Yu tried to assert his claim to the room, Cui Wuji challenged him, reminding him of the Cui family's superior status even over ministers. Colonel Yu, intimidated by Cui Wuji's powerful lineage, reluctantly conceded the room. His subordinate questioned his forbearance, but Colonel Yu simply replied, "His surname is Cui," indicating his fear of the noble family's influence.
Xue Huan expressed profound gratitude to Lu Lingfeng and requested to become his disciple, aspiring to emulate his ancestor, Xue Rengui, and restore his family's glory. He revealed that Pei Xijun had deliberately tricked him into leaving Chang'an to find Lu Lingfeng, believing only he could help fulfill Xue Huan's ambition. Lu Lingfeng, concerned for Pei Xijun's safety, ordered Xue Huan to take her back to Chang'an.
Xue Huan, now regretting their perilous journey, confessed his fear, especially after their encounter with Colonel Yu, and echoed the suggestion to return. However, Pei Xijun refused, stating she would only return if Lu Lingfeng personally escorted her, or at the very least, if she could meet Su Wuming before departing the following morning. Su Wuming woke in a cold sweat from a disturbing dream.
Finding Lu Lingfeng absent from their room, he went to search for him, eventually discovering Colonel Yu and his men in the main hall. Upon learning that Su Wuming was the new Military Commander of Nanzhou and had previously served as a sheriff in Chang'an, Colonel Yu, who harbored ambitions of securing a post in the capital rather than continuing his arduous provincial training, compelled Su Wuming to drink with him and share gossip about Chang'an.
Lu Lingfeng soon returned, furious to find Su Wuming drinking with the man who had kidnapped Pei Xijun, and declared his intention to kill Colonel Yu. Colonel Yu, realizing Pei Xijun had escaped, quickly fabricated a story, claiming he had rescued her from her servant, Xue Huan, whom he accused of attempting to sell her to human traffickers. Despite Lu Lingfeng's vehement denial and assertion that Xue Huan was merely a child, Su Wuming, attempting to avert bloodshed, interceded.
He apologized for Lu Lingfeng's "reckless" misunderstanding and, feigning acceptance of Colonel Yu's story, urged Lu Lingfeng to temporarily back down. Colonel Yu then noticed Cui Wuji's room was silent and decided to check on him. He concluded that Cui Wuji, a coward, must have overheard the commotion and fled, opting not to pursue him further.
Rejoining Pei Xijun and Xue Huan in their room, Su Wuming declared that the Gantang Post was dangerous, filled with treacherous people, and urged them to leave immediately. Just then, Colonel Yu and his men arrived, demanding to see Su Wuming's official certificate. Su Wuming refused, explaining that as a Military Commander, his certificate was meant for the prefectural governor of his appointed state, not for a chance encounter with a Colonel.
Colonel Yu, despite being a higher-ranking official, had no authority to demand it. Infuriated, Colonel Yu falsely accused Lu Lingfeng, who was armed, of being a dangerous fugitive and ordered his men to execute them on the spot. Lu Lingfeng, despite a previous injury, quickly shielded Su Wuming, Pei Xijun, and Xue Huan, pushing them back into the room.
He then instructed Su Wuming and Xue Huan to barricade the door and protect Pei Xijun while he confronted Colonel Yu and his armed forces outside. Colonel Yu, observing Lu Lingfeng's injury, ordered his men to use a "wheel-battle" tactic to exhaust and eventually kill him. During the intense fight, Pei Xijun rushed out of the room and was instantly seized.
She quickly announced her identity, revealing herself as Pei Xijun, daughter of Pei Jian, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, from the influential Hedong Pei family. She declared she did not want to see any more bloodshed, especially not Lu Lingfeng, whom she had once loved, die before her eyes. She explained her flight from Chang'an was to elope with Lu Lingfeng, but she now believed he was a "bloodthirsty killer" only interested in her family's wealth.
To Colonel Yu, she presented a proposition: as her father controlled official appointments, if he ceased the attack immediately and escorted her back to Chang'an by morning, she would personally ensure he received a coveted position in the capital, freeing him from his provincial training duties. She further bolstered her credibility by revealing her knowledge of Lu Lingfeng's injury, explaining it was sustained from killing the "Ghost Four" in Chang'an, who were renowned masters.
Colonel Yu, swayed by the prospect of advancement and impressed by her knowledge and aristocratic demeanor, apologized for his earlier actions and ordered his men to stand down and allow Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming to leave. Su Wuming, seizing the opportunity, reinforced the idea of a peaceful withdrawal, noting Pei Xijun's stated intention to no longer "cling" to Lu Lingfeng. As Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming left the inn, Su Wuming explained his true plan to Lu Lingfeng.
He feared that Lu Lingfeng, consumed by his past grievances and anger, might go on a killing spree, leaving no path to redemption. Pei Xijun's dramatic intervention was a calculated move to buy them time. Su Wuming revealed that Colonel Yu had previously kidnapped another woman before Pei Xijun, only to throw her off a cliff when Pei Xijun's beauty caught his eye. This act of murder, combined with Pei Xijun's abduction, would be sufficient to convict Colonel Yu.
Su Wuming planned to report the crime to the authorities, and with official backing, Lu Lingfeng, using his skills as the former General of the Imperial Guards, could then capture Colonel Yu alive. Su Wuming instructed Lu Lingfeng to remain hidden near the inn to protect Pei Xijun. They had a pre-arranged signal: if the light in Pei Xijun's left main room went out, it meant she was in danger, and Lu Lingfeng was to immediately rescue her.
Su Wuming then departed on a white horse to report the crime at Gantang County. The following morning, Su Wuming returned to the inn with Sheriff Su of Gantang County, who was his relative. He informed Lu Lingfeng that Pei Xijun's room light had remained on throughout the night, indicating her safety, and that he had secured his luggage and books.
Together with Sheriff Su, they entered the inn, only to find Pei Xijun and Xue Huan safe and sound, but Colonel Yu and all his men had vanished without a trace. Lu Lingfeng then approached Pei Xijun, asking how her night had been.
