Sword Dynasty Episode 6 Recap
> Sword Dynasty Recap
Ding Ning wrote a letter to Zhangsun Qianxue, found in the wine shop. In it, he informed her that he wouldn't be returning due to the upcoming Sword Sacrifice Trial at Qingteng Sword School. He explained that the trial's winner would receive the Green Jade Amber, an item beneficial for her Natal Sword practice, and he vowed to do his best to acquire it.
He concluded the letter by reminding her to eat her porridge and not to worry about him. Meanwhile, Liang Lian expressed his frustration over recent setbacks and the blatant provocation from Ye Celeng, further complicated by Chen Xuan's intervention. His strategist, Qi Pomo, advised him to temper his anger, suggesting that Chen Xuan's appearance was opportune. Qi Pomo explained that Liang Lian's previous actions against Liangcenglou, perceived as using official power for personal vendetta, had already displeased Queen Ye Zhen.
Further conflict with Ye Celeng would only exacerbate the situation. Qi Pomo deduced that Queen Ye Zhen summoned Liang Lian back not just to confer a marquis title, but to counterbalance King of Heng's decision to recall Ye Celeng, maintaining a delicate power dynamic within the court. He emphasized that while the court needed powerful figures like Liang Lian and Ye Celeng, it would not tolerate them becoming overly ambitious.
Liang Lian acknowledged that both he and Ye Celeng were connected to Liang Jingmeng, making them objects of suspicion. Qi Pomo urged Liang Lian not to engage Ye Celeng, as her downfall would destabilize the balance and put him at a disadvantage. He asserted that Liang Lian's power was his true foundation in Fengming.
He further suggested that by rendering meritorious service, Liang Lian could secure a position to guard an area outside the Pass, even if the marquis title proved elusive. Qi Pomo then revealed that Bai Shanshui of Yunshui Palace was expected in Lion Lane, noting that the royal court had long pursued the Gushan Sword Manual, proposing that securing the manual would be a sure path to the marquis title.
Liang Lian concurred, deciding to focus on obtaining the Gushan Sword Manual. Officer Bai reported to Queen Ye Zhen that while Liang Lian had already sent men to ambush in Lion Lane, only traces of Yunshui Palace members were found, not Bai Shanshui herself. Observing Liang Lian's eagerness for merit, Ye Zhen acknowledged the value of the Gushan Sword Manual and instructed Officer Bai to also leak the information to Ye Celeng.
Her aim was to have both forces pursue the manual, allowing her to benefit from their efforts. Meanwhile, King of Heng, surprised by the involvement of two teams, asked about the necessity of such an elaborate operation for the Gushan Sword Manual. Queen Ye Zhen explained that possessing the manual would provide King of Heng with a powerful advantage to rule the world, especially since the states of Xian, Mo, and Li also coveted the treasure.
The King then reluctantly agreed not to surrender it. She further revealed that she and Chancellor Li had recommended Liang Lian to replace Marquis Dugu. She reminded the King that the recent deaths of Song Shenshu and Marquis Dugu were attributed to Liang Jingmeng's martial arts, confirming the existence of his disciple. King of Heng, proud of his advancement to the eighth realm, dismissed any fear of Liang Jingmeng or his disciple.
Ye Celeng questioned the accuracy of the intelligence regarding Yunshui Palace members in Lion Lane. Her subordinate confirmed that Liang Lian's men were indeed investigating there, driven by the Queen's recent displeasure and his urgency to gain merit. Ye Celeng speculated that Yunshui Palace members must have appeared in the area. She expressed deep suspicion of Liang Lian's true intentions regarding the Gushan Sword Manual, noting that its power could destabilize the entire dynasty.
She believed that among many opportunities to redeem himself, Liang Lian's choice of this particular pursuit indicated an underlying ambition and malevolence, labeling him as untrustworthy. She instructed her subordinate to maintain close surveillance on Liang Lian. At Jiujiang Prefecture Hall, Liang Lian received a report that Fan Zhuo, a Yunshui Palace member, routinely dined across the street at a specific hour, and an ambush was prepared.
Liang Lian commanded his forces to await Bai Shanshui's appearance before initiating any action. During this time, Fan Zhuo, sensing an imminent threat, engaged in a fierce battle with the ambushers. Bai Shanshui then arrived, rescued Fan Zhuo, and urged him to flee. They separated, with Liang Lian's forces and Ye Celeng's squad in hot pursuit. Bai Shanshui scornfully taunted Liang Lian about allowing a significant criminal to escape.
While Liang Lian attempted to capture her, Ye Celeng also tried to intercept Bai Shanshui, even proposing a private discussion about the Gushan Sword Manual once they evaded the soldiers. Bai Shanshui rebuffed Ye Celeng, labeling her a mere pawn of King of Heng, to which Ye Celeng retorted that her loyalty was solely to the Kingdom of Heng. Displaying remarkable agility, Bai Shanshui swiftly escaped through the water, declaring Ye Celeng's efforts to be in vain.
Ultimately, both Liang Lian and Ye Celeng failed to apprehend Bai Shanshui, who managed to observe the unfolding chaos from a distance. After Bai Shanshui's escape, Qi Pomo cautioned Liang Lian that apprehending Fan Zhuo alone would not avert royal punishment for letting a major criminal slip away. He advised Liang Lian to release Fan Zhuo, suggesting it would create a "way out" for him.
Qi Pomo reminded Liang Lian of their arduous ascent from their humble beginnings outside the Pass, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance and charting their own course. Liang Lian, reflecting on Qi Pomo's prior lessons, conceded that if the marquis title remained elusive, it would be more prudent to focus on his own interests rather than a thankless endeavor. He agreed that freeing Fan Zhuo would indeed provide him with an alternative path.
The merchant's eldest daughter inquired about Bai Shanshui's preferred buyer for the item in her possession. Bai Shanshui replied that the buyer was secondary; her satisfaction stemmed from the current chaotic state of affairs. She noted Liang Lian's decision to release Fan Zhuo, which she found increasingly intriguing. When pressed about her motives for sowing discord, Bai Shanshui asserted she sought no personal gain.
With the Kingdom of Qian irreversibly fallen, her sole delight was in unsettling the leadership of Heng. She confirmed her intent to proceed with the transaction but, upon being asked for a price, indicated that the Gushan Sword Manual was coveted by more than just Zhao Si, implying a preference for the highest bidder. She complimented the merchant's daughter on her quick grasp of business. Later, the merchant's daughter pressed Zhao Si for details on her alleged bargaining chips.
Zhao Si revealed that while paying respects at her junior fellow disciple Zhao Zhan's dwelling, she uncovered the secret of the Gushan Sword Manual that he had pursued for three years. She recalled Zhao Zhan's instruction to collect his belongings upon his death, which she now understood was a coded message to retrieve a hidden item. She confirmed this item constituted the third clue to the manual.
Asked why she didn't appear for the transaction despite her powerful leverage, Zhao Si explained her hesitation stemmed from an inability to ascertain Bai Shanshui's current loyalties. Zhao Si then questioned how the merchant's daughter knew about the Gushan Sword Manual being held in the Dafu Water Dungeon, where King of Heng had been interrogating a pivotal prisoner for a decade regarding its whereabouts.
The merchant's daughter cryptically added that the prisoner was an old member of the Bashan Sword Field, a detail Zhao Si was better off not knowing. The marquises convened, and one of them urged Marquis Fang to appeal to the King about the widespread rumors of Liang Jingmeng's disciple, especially after Marquis Dugu's death by Liang Jingmeng's swordsmanship, which suggested the disciple was active in Fengming.
They lamented their past decision to eliminate Liang Jingmeng for Heng's stability, now fearing retaliation from his returning disciple, citing Marquis Dugu as a stark warning. While one official tried to downplay the disciple's threat, others emphasized their own unease despite the King's power, questioning how they could find peace when the court failed to apprehend the killer, further fueling widespread panic. Upon achieving the eighth realm, King of Heng received congratulations from Chancellor Li and other officials.
He declared his awareness of Liang Jingmeng's disciple and his utter lack of fear. A minister echoed this sentiment, highlighting Heng's decade of peace and the King's recent breakthrough as reasons to dismiss the disciple as a minor threat. However, he tactfully raised concerns about public unease caused by the disciple's direct targeting of Marquis Dugu, which evoked past events.
The King then sharply rebuked the eleven marquises present, questioning whether their gathering truly reflected concern for the populace or merely their own self-preservation. He reminded them of their past complicity in forcing him to kill Liang Jingmeng, and how, after a decade of enjoying peace and privilege, they now panicked over a single disciple, accusing them of orchestrating a veiled coup.
The marquises, in unison, denied any such intent and knelt before him, which the King then permitted them to rise from. Ye Celeng formally reported her and Liang Lian's failure to apprehend Bai Shanshui, requesting punishment for her lapse. King of Heng, already apprised of the situation by the Queen, acknowledged that both Liang Lian, who had laid an ambush, and Ye Celeng, who had pursued Bai Shanshui, had ultimately lost track of the criminal. Ye Celeng confirmed this account.
The King then declared Ye Celeng innocent, recognizing her efforts in the pursuit. However, he ordered Liang Lian to be flogged eighty times for his part in alarming the criminal. The news of Liang Lian's severe punishment, eighty flogs that left him severely wounded and covered in blood, quickly spread throughout the city's wine shops, becoming a popular topic of discussion among the townsfolk. A subordinate reported to Liang Lian that Bai Shanshui had been seen near the fish market.
Despite being injured from his flogging, Liang Lian immediately rushed to the location. There, he encountered two individuals appearing to be Bai Shanshui. His subordinate advised caution due to Liang Lian's vulnerable state. The real Bai Shanshui quickly took the impostor, who was revealed to be Zhangsun Qianxue, and left after a brief exchange, highlighting Zhangsun Qianxue's comparative lack of skill. Liang Lian and his subordinate later deduced that the first individual was an impostor, her swordsmanship being less refined.
They speculated that Bai Shanshui's appearance, without attacking Liang Lian, who was in a weakened state, suggested she might have "saved" him by removing an impostor too weak to genuinely harm him. The subordinate posited that Bai Shanshui acted to prevent someone from falsely implicating her in a conflict with Liang Lian.
Seizing this opportunity, Liang Lian decided to leverage the "favor" from releasing Fan Zhuo to arrange a meeting with Bai Shanshui, hoping to uncover the identity of the person who sent the impostor. Later, Zhangsun Qianxue confessed to Bai Shanshui that her impersonation was an attempt to demonstrate her animosity towards Heng, although she admitted to underestimating Liang Lian's strength even while he was injured.
She thanked Bai Shanshui for her intervention, to which Bai Shanshui remarked on Zhangsun Qianxue's persistent but clumsy nature. Zhangsun Qianxue then pressed for the Gushan Sword Manual clue. Bai Shanshui revealed that her own clue was incomplete, with a crucial part remaining in Liang Jingmeng's possession. She clarified that despite his death, his disciple, who was responsible for the deaths of Marquis Dugu and Song Shenshu, must now hold that part of the clue.
Bai Shanshui agreed to trade with Zhangsun Qianxue once she successfully obtained the clue from the disciple. Frustrated at her efforts yielding no immediate results, Zhangsun Qianxue complained. Bai Shanshui offered no further information on the Gushan Sword Manual but invited Zhangsun Qianxue to seek her out at the fish market for other potential business. King of Heng expressed his gratitude to Queen Ye Zhen for her stewardship of court affairs during his recent practice retreat.
Ye Zhen, in turn, conveyed her joy at his advancement to the eighth realm and affirmed her ambition to reach the ninth realm alongside him, vowing eternal unity. At the Qingteng Sword School, as disciples gathered for the Sword Sacrifice Trial, Xie Changsheng inquired about Ding Ning, who had famously achieved "half-day Truth of Mystery."
Sun Xing, however, scoffed, attributing Ding Ning's early success to mere chance and asserting that rapid enlightenment did not guarantee swift advancement to the second realm's qi refining stage within a month. Sun Xing then provoked Xie Changsheng into a bet, with Xie Changsheng wagering 300 gold that Ding Ning would indeed achieve qi refining within a month.
Suddenly, Xie Rou, Xie Changsheng's elder sister, appeared, reprimanding her brother for his extravagant gambling and using his original, less sophisticated name, "Changsheng." Xie Changsheng clarified that he had changed his name to "Changsung" because he found "Changsheng" too rustic. Xie Rou then disparaged Ding Ning as a mere "tavern boy from the streets." She provocatively declared that if Ding Ning truly managed to refine his qi within a month, she would agree to him becoming Xie Changsheng's brother-in-law.
When pressed on her vow, Xie Rou, upholding her family's reputation for integrity, firmly stated she would honor her word and marry no one but Ding Ning if he succeeded. Xie Changsheng was visibly stunned by his sister's declaration. Ding Ning and Jiang Li finally arrived. Ding Ning confirmed his identity, and Jiang Li proudly announced that Ding Ning had already broken through to the second realm, achieving qi refining in an astonishing ten days.
Overjoyed, Xie Changsheng immediately began hailing Ding Ning as his "brother-in-law." Ding Ning, taken aback, dismissed the idea as a joke. Xie Rou, however, insisted she was serious and acknowledged her own impulsive vow. Ding Ning countered that a relationship required careful consideration, and given their lack of prior acquaintance, a casual bet should not dictate such a serious commitment, especially considering the prominence of the Xie family and potential familial disapproval.
Xie Rou, undeterred, stated she would secure her family's consent, emphasizing that the ultimate decision rested with Ding Ning. Ding Ning firmly rejected the proposition, declaring it impossible and inappropriate, insisting that the impending trial was his foremost priority. Xie Rou, with unwavering resolve, declared that while he could refuse to marry her, she would never refuse to marry him. A delighted Xie Changsheng dubbed this surprising turn of events their "meeting gift."
As the trial commenced, Nangong Caishu pointed out He Zhaoxi, a highly talented and exceptionally diligent martial artist who dedicated nearly all his time to cultivation, advising Ding Ning to avoid him if possible. She then presented Ding Ning with a Golden Elixir, a potent medicine from her father, capable of boosting him to the late-medium grade of the second realm. However, she cautioned him to use it with extreme care due to its potential adverse effects. Ding Ning expressed his gratitude.
