Sword Dynasty Episode 3 Recap
> Sword Dynasty Recap
After Ye Celeng, the Director of the Supervision Department, arrives at the Wutong Wine Shop with her subordinates to investigate, Changsun Qianxue deflects her suspicions by claiming that records she keeps are merely wine-making recipes she uses to remind herself of the complex steps, as she frequently forgets them. Ye Celeng departs, still somewhat doubtful.
Ding Ning later emerges and confirms that Ye Celeng came to test him, and Changsun Qianxue then adds that Ye Celeng also tested her, but they both successfully concealed their cultivation as instructed, so Ye Celeng should no longer suspect them. Late that night, Ye Celeng is confronted by Marquis Fang, the formidable leader of the Eleven Marquises, who arrives in a lavish carriage.
Marquis Fang, who was a key figure in the downfall of Bashan Sword Field by jointly impeaching Liang Jingmeng, demands an explanation for the death of Murong Cheng, his prospective son-in-law, whom he had intended to mentor. Ye Celeng, acknowledging his stature, offers to take a sword strike as atonement. A fierce duel ensues, during which Marquis Fang is impressed to discover that Ye Celeng has reached the seventh realm, the Mountain-moving Realm.
Satisfied with the display of her power, he ceases the fight and ensures her temporary safety, leaving Ye Celeng heavily injured and spitting blood. Soon after, Ding Ning approaches the injured Ye Celeng, and she covertly tests him, confirming his rare condition of yang hyperactivity. Back in her chambers, Ye Celeng reflects on the dangerous political landscape of Fengming and her need to appear powerful to survive.
Chen Xuan visits her, warning that Marquis Fang will not easily forget Murong Cheng's death. Ye Celeng reveals that Song Shenshu died from the Nine-death Silkworm. Chen Xuan then links the deaths of Song Shenshu and Marquis Dugu (by Moshi Swordsmanship) to "That Man" and questions if "That Man" truly has a successor.
Chen Xuan offers Ye Celeng a Golden Balm for her wounds, but when she presses him about the identity of the person imprisoned in the water dungeon, he remains silent. Meanwhile, Changsun Qianxue sees osmanthus flowers, which stir memories of Liang Jingmeng. Ding Ning jokingly suggests that Prince Liling might have sent them to court her. Annoyed, Changsun Qianxue reveals that only Liang Jingmeng knew her profound love for osmanthus flowers.
A flashback shows a younger Liang Jingmeng presenting her with the fragrant blooms. Later, Changsun Qianxue visits Liang Jingmeng's former residence and addresses his memorial tablet, remarking that Ding Ning has now taken action, signifying that there is no turning back for them. She asserts that her pursuit of revenge is not for Liang Jingmeng, but for the annihilation of her Gongsun family, a memory she can never erase.
Another flashback depicts her initial encounter with a young Ding Ning, who, having just emerged from his Nine-death Silkworm cultivation, identifies himself as Liang Jingmeng's sole inheritor and reveals his master's instruction to return the Ninth-hell Dark Lord Sword to the Gongsun family should the Bashan Sword Field fall. At the wine shop, Wang Taixu, the leader of Liangcenglou, appears after hours. He explains that his perceived weakness stems from Liangcenglou's struggle with Jinlintang.
Admiring Ding Ning's astuteness, especially in dealing with Prince Liling, Wang Taixu offers him a position as an advisor or partner. Ding Ning, in turn, reveals his fatal yang hyperactivity condition, which limits his lifespan to under thirty, and expresses his urgent desire to join the Minshan Sword Sect for its life-extending cultivation techniques. Wang Taixu promises to help him gain admission to a sect qualified for the Minshan Swordsmanship Tournament, provided Ding Ning helps Liangcenglou resolve its current crisis.
Wang Taixu informs Ding Ning that Liangcenglou's precarious position resulted from the recent assassination of their patron, Marquis Dugu, an opportunity Jinlintang swiftly exploited. Ding Ning analyzes the situation, concluding that Jinlintang's aggression likely involves more than mere gang rivalry, possibly pointing to court officials or new external powers, as Chancellor Li would not concern himself with such minor disputes, and other nobles would be more cautious.
He learns that Liangcenglou had previously decimated Jinlintang's forces, killing 53 men, including six practitioners, while their leader, Tang Que, was absent. Now, Tang Que has persuaded Chubby Zhang of Leiyutang to arrange a negotiation. Ding Ning warns Wang Taixu that this is a trap designed to lure him into a false sense of security, as Tang Que's powerful backer would not concede easily. He insists on accompanying Wang Taixu to the banquet to counter the hidden dangers.
Accompanied by Ding Ning and the skilled practitioner Li Daoji from Baiyang Cave, Wang Taixu attends the banquet at Hongyun Tower. Ding Ning had anticipated the presence of key figures such as Chubby Zhang, his adopted son Zhong Xiu (Leiyutang's strongest practitioner), Tang Mengchen, and Jinlintang's highest-ranking practitioner, Tang Que, who had reached the fifth realm.
Tang Que, after a brief greeting, mocks Liangcenglou's demand for Jinlintang to withdraw from Fengming and insults Ding Ning as a "street boy" and Li Daoji as a mere "fortune teller." Li Daoji confidently retorts that they are more than enough to handle the situation, triggering a violent clash. Li Daoji skillfully repels numerous sword attacks, demonstrating immense power. After their opponents are subdued, Li Daoji mercifully allows Chubby Zhang to leave, stating that enough people have died.
Impressed by Ding Ning's calm and insightful conduct throughout the ordeal, Li Daoji formally accepts him as a disciple of Baiyang Cave, granting him the status of a practitioner. Meanwhile, at court, Maidservant Rong presents Queen Ye Zhen with Chancellor Li's list of candidates for the vacant Eleventh Marquis position, a result of Marquis Dugu's death. Ye Zhen chooses Liang Lian, the commander of the Northwest Wolf Tiger Army.
Upon his return to Fengming, Liang Lian prioritizes silencing Chubby Zhang of Leiyutang and "purging some Fengming natives" before reporting to the palace. Maidservant Rong later informs Queen Ye Zhen about the Hongyun Tower incident, highlighting that a tavern boy and a Baiyang Cave practitioner caused Jinlintang's near extermination. Deeming any surviving Jinlintang members "worthless henchmen," Ye Zhen orders Liang Lian to "locate the whereabouts of that boy" — Ding Ning.
Maidservant Rong further reports that Baiyang Cave continues to withhold its spirit vein and has now interfered in the Jinlintang conflict. Queen Ye Zhen declares that while all cultivation institutions are treasures of Heng, they must remain loyal and not impede the kingdom. She judges Baiyang Cave as "too conceited" and decrees its absorption into the Qingteng Sword School, effectively dissolving its independent existence in Fengming.
She also instructs Maidservant Rong to deliver a stern warning to Liang Lian and Jinlintang to employ "gentler means" in Fengming, emphasizing that local politics are far more intricate than warfare. Ding Ning is then escorted to Baiyang Cave by a Liangcenglou subordinate, who advises him to practice patience.
At the entrance, a hostile crowd of Baiyang Cave disciples, led by the second senior disciple Sun Xing, protests Ding Ning's direct admission without an entrance test, viewing it as a gross injustice. The first senior disciple, Jiang Li, attempts to calm the agitated crowd. Nangong Caishu of the Qingteng Sword School intervenes, sharply criticizing the Baiyang Cave disciples for their infighting and provincial mindset, contrasting it with the discipline of her own school where the headmaster's decision is respected.
Ding Ning accepts the challenge to undergo the entrance tests, boldly stating his unwavering resolve. The first test is the flowstone plate, which requires him to identify five luminous pellets among many rapidly rotating ones, with passing requiring three correct identifications. Ding Ning silently acknowledges this moment as his public debut, a statement of his unyielding purpose after years of hidden suffering.
He astonishingly identifies four out of five pellets in a time significantly faster than the previous record, leaving Sun Xing and the other disciples wide-eyed in disbelief, especially noting his apparent lack of a practitioner's aura. The second test, the perception clay model, is then explained: Ding Ning must perceive the flow of qi within a hollow sword held by the model and pour it out, with success signifying his full admission to Baiyang Cave as a practitioner.
