Sword Dynasty Episode 28 Recap
> Sword Dynasty Recap
Bai Shanshui approached Zhangsun Qianxue, asking if she still sought revenge for Ye Celeng's death. Zhangsun Qianxue immediately accused her of eavesdropping, to which Bai Shanshui admitted she had only overheard the latter part of their discussion. Zhangsun Qianxue conceded that her current cultivation was insufficient to defeat Ye Zhen. Bai Shanshui then suggested that if Zhangsun Qianxue truly desired vengeance, she should seek the Gushan Sword Manual from Ding Ning.
She went on to reveal that Liang Lian was the true perpetrator behind Ye Celeng's death. Later, Jiang Li, Xie Changsheng, Xie Rou, and Nangong Caishu confronted Ding Ning. Xie Changsheng complained that Ding Ning always tried to handle matters alone and leave them behind. Jiang Li admitted he was the one who had overheard Baili Suxue's conversation, which revealed Ding Ning's plans.
Ding Ning explained that Martial Uncle Baili Suxue would manage Baiyang Cave, and proposed that they all join the Xie family's merchant caravan the next day for mutual support on their journey. He expressed his profound gratitude and bowed in thanks, which prompted Xie Changsheng to remark that Ding Ning had changed. Meanwhile, Chen Xuan, feigning loyalty, met with Ye Zhen. Ye Zhen noted his presence confirmed her suspicions regarding his true intentions.
She then expressed her suspicion that Zhangsun Qianxue and Ding Ning had a close relationship and inquired if Chen Xuan remembered Ding Ning, who had gained the Life-sustaining Magic Art. Chen Xuan asked if she intended for him to kill Ding Ning. Ye Zhen revealed her suspicion regarding the true identities of Ding Ning and his aunt, particularly since his aunt possessed the Ninth-hell Dark Lord Sword during the prison break.
Chen Xuan reaffirmed his previous use of hypnosis, which had shown Ding Ning to be an ordinary young man, and admitted he had not closely observed the aunt. Ye Zhen dismissed his previous findings, noting that Ding Ning and his aunt had been absent from Fengming for a while. She tasked Chen Xuan with uncovering their truth and retrieving the Life-sustaining Magic Art.
Ding Ning's group traveled with the Xie family's merchants until they reached a crossroads, where they parted ways. As they continued their journey, Xie Rou expressed her fatigue. Suddenly, they saw Fengwu soldiers pursuing a woman who cried for help. Jiang Li and Xie Changsheng immediately intervened to rescue her. The woman, Wu Lianzi, explained that the Fengwu army had brutally burned her village and slaughtered her clan to cover up their atrocities, chasing her ever since.
She expressed her desire to return to Fengwu and asked if she could join them. Ding Ning agreed, though he discreetly observed a distinct tattoo on her arm, which led him to suspect she was concealing crucial information. Back in Fengwu, the King received an urgent report that the Heng army had crossed the border at an unexpected speed.
Zhan Mohe, the National Teacher, advised the King to abandon their alliance with Xian and align with the Heng, arguing that Heng's victory was assured after the Lushan Alliance Meeting. The King, however, vehemently rejected this counsel, emphasizing the Heng's cruelty and Fengwu's unwavering loyalty to its allies. He ordered Zhan Mohe to drop the subject. Shortly after, Zhan Mohe was informed that the cavalry dispatched to capture Wu Lianzi had encountered Heng practitioners, who took her away.
Initially ordering her immediate retrieval, Zhan Mohe then changed his mind and decided to send a letter to the Heng army commander. An unarmed Fengwu practitioner delivered Zhan Mohe's letter to Yuan Zihan. The message from Zhan Mohe stated that the Fengwu King was too stubborn to recognize Heng's inevitable triumph. He offered Fengwu's map and battle plans in exchange for a fiefdom once Fengwu was conquered.
Pleased, Yuan Zihan, disregarding Yuan Zichu's objections, ordered his army to encamp and rest. He then explicitly ordered Marquis Liang not to inform Crown Prince Yuan Zichu about the letter. Yuan Zichu confronted Yuan Zihan, questioning the decision to halt their march when speed was vital in warfare. Yuan Zihan dismissed his concerns, claiming the soldiers, and he himself, needed rest. Yuan Zichu insisted on pressing forward, warning that delays would allow the enemy to prepare.
Yuan Zihan sternly reprimanded him for contradicting his commander and threatened military punishment for future insubordination. Later, during a celebration, Zhu Yuan secretly cast a spell on Liang Lian, making him susceptible to Yuan Zihan's will. Yuan Zihan then explicitly ordered Liang Lian to eliminate Yuan Zichu, suggesting it would pave his way to becoming Crown Prince. Under the influence of the spell, Liang Lian agreed. Ding Ning's group found lodging at the Daoyue Inn.
Xie Changsheng, after spending a significant amount of money, learned about Wuchou Town to the east. It was described as a ghost town, abandoned after a perpetual, impenetrable fog descended upon it, making it impossible to see. Ding Ning decided they would investigate Wuchou Town the next day. Wu Lianzi reacted with visible alarm, exclaiming, "No! You can't go!" That night, Wu Lianzi secretly fled while everyone was asleep. The next morning, Ding Ning and his companions discovered her absence.
Ding Ning surmised that the Fengwu soldiers' persistent pursuit meant she held crucial information. They resolved to find her. Yelü Canglang rallied his Fengwu troops for a perilous surprise attack deep behind enemy lines against the Heng army. Yuan Zihan, feigning conciliation, apologized to Yuan Zichu for his earlier harshness and stressed the importance of unity. He then proposed sending a small team to scout ahead, and Yuan Zichu volunteered to lead the vanguard.
Yuan Zihan cautioned him to be discreet and take minimal men to avoid detection. Yuan Zichu assured him of success and departed. Yuan Zihan watched Yuan Zichu leave, murmuring about their "last meeting," clearly indicating his ambition for the Crown Prince position. Yuan Zichu's vanguard was ambushed by Fengwu forces, resulting in heavy casualties. Yuan Zichu, wounded by an arrow, fell amidst the dead. A lone surviving deputy general was sent back for reinforcements.
Meanwhile, Zhangsun Qianxue arrived in Fengwu, seeking information about the Heng army's position. At an inn, she encountered Bai Shanshui, who was also hunting Liang Lian to avenge Fan Zhuo and other Bashan Sword Field traitors. They decided to join forces. Later, they discovered the severely wounded Yuan Zichu among the corpses on the battlefield. The surviving Heng deputy general reported the ambush to Yuan Zihan.
Yuan Zihan ordered Liang Lian to lead the "Tiger and Wolf Army" to rescue Yuan Zichu, instructing the deputy general to guide the way, but then gestured to Liang Lian to kill the deputy general to ensure his silence. Under Zhu Yuan's curse, Liang Lian followed Yuan Zihan's insidious command to eliminate both Yuan Zichu and the messenger. As Zhangsun Qianxue, Bai Shanshui, and Yuan Zichu heard approaching hoofbeats, Yuan Zichu believed they were reinforcements.
Zhangsun Qianxue and Bai Shanshui quickly concealed him to observe. They watched in horror as Liang Lian and his troops arrived and systematically executed the remaining wounded Heng soldiers. Bai Shanshui was enraged and moved to intervene, but Zhangsun Qianxue restrained her, emphasizing that their vengeance was not to be taken out on the innocent Yuan Zichu. Liang Lian's soldiers reported that Yuan Zichu's body was not found, leading Liang Lian to realize the Crown Prince must have been taken.
He reiterated his determination to kill Yuan Zichu and ordered his troops to pursue. Zhangsun Qianxue and Bai Shanshui, carrying Yuan Zichu, fled the scene. Yelü Canglang, returning victorious to Fengwu after the ambush, unexpectedly encountered Wu Lianzi, who was still fleeing. They embraced joyfully. Wu Lianzi tearfully recounted how National Teacher Zhan Mohe coveted a sacred artifact, slaughtered her Wu clan, and had been relentlessly pursuing her.
Yelü Canglang, though relieved to see her, was skeptical of her accusations against the National Teacher. He instructed her to return to camp, settle down, and then "think carefully about what exactly has happened." He also referred to her as "Saintess." At this moment, Ding Ning's group arrived. Yelü Canglang initially mistook them for Heng enemies and prepared to attack. Wu Lianzi quickly intervened, explaining that they had saved her life, thus defusing the confrontation.
Yelü Canglang allowed Ding Ning's group to depart, but warned them not to cross paths again. He then ordered his men to provide a docile horse for Wu Lianzi and ensure her well-being. Ding Ning's group feigned their departure but then secretly followed Yelü Canglang's army, suspecting that Wu Lianzi was not a traitor and that there was a deeper truth to uncover.
Back in the Heng imperial court, a grim report arrived: Crown Prince Yuan Zichu, leading the vanguard, had been ambushed by Fengwu Prince Yelü Canglang, resulting in the annihilation of his entire vanguard and his own death from exhaustion. The King of Heng was consumed by rage upon hearing the news of his son's death. He immediately issued an imperial edict, declaring his personal command of the army to attack Fengwu at midnight that very night, vowing to raze Fengwu to the ground.
