Sword Snow Stride Episode 26 Recap
> Sword Snow Stride Recap
After recuperating for several days at the Mansion of Lu, Xu Fengnian and his party prepared for their departure. Qing Niao, a maid who was once a death guard, silently reflected on her unrequited feelings for Xu Fengnian. While many maids served His Highness, Jiang Ni was the only one truly in his heart, and Qing Niao felt she had no right to harbor such feelings given her status.
Later, Xu Fengnian brought up Cao Changqing, a formidable figure known for his exceptional martial arts and chess skills. Cao Changqing, once a renowned celebrity of West Chu, had, after the fall of his nation to Liyang, assassinated over twenty important officials and infiltrated the imperial palace multiple times.
Xu Fengnian believed such a master could protect Jiang Ni, but she vehemently refused to leave, asserting her intention to kill Xu Fengnian herself, despite her deep underlying concern for his safety. They struck a deal: she wouldn't leave if he didn't kill her, and she wouldn't die before she killed him.
As preparations for their departure from the Mansion of Lu were underway, Wei Shuyang drove one of the carriages, and he spoke to Ning Emei, the leader of the Fengzi Battalion, reminding him to remain vigilant about the female assassin they had recently encountered. Meanwhile, Xu Fengnian directly confronted Lu Baijie, the head of the Lu family.
Xu Fengnian accused the Lu family of disrespecting his elder sister, Xu Zhihu, by deducting her expenses and allowing servants to treat her poorly. After being pressed, Lu Baijie dismissed the disrespectful servant. Xu Zhihu acknowledged Lu Baijie's kindness towards her over the years, and Xu Fengnian, appreciative of the Lu family treating his sister as their own, prepared to leave.
Just as Xu Fengnian's party was about to depart, Lu Baijie intercepted Li Chungang, requesting a swordplay demonstration of his renowned "Snakes in Sleeves." Li Chungang agreed, but Lu Baijie, feigning a need to prepare himself, secretly left through a back door with his family retainers, racing towards Baoguo Temple. Xu Fengnian's group proceeded ahead, with Wei Shuyang and Shu Xiu driving two carriages, and Ning Emei's Fengzi Battalion following closely.
Inside one carriage were Xu Fengnian's two Hukui, small tiger cubs. Er'qiao, scared of the Hukui, opted to sit outside with Shu Xiu. Upon their arrival at Baoguo Temple, they noted the unusually large crowd of scholars and literati gathered for the upcoming "About the reign of kings" debate. Near the temple entrance, Xu Zhihu spotted a young girl begging.
Touched by the girl's charm and polite demeanor, Xu Zhihu found she had no money, but Jiang Ni generously gave the girl some coins. The girl, in turn, directed them to a pond in the temple's backyard, where they could enjoy refreshing watermelons. By the pond, Xu Fengnian encountered Chen Xiliang, a poor scholar engrossed in a book. Unlike the pretentious literati, Chen Xiliang displayed refreshing honesty.
He explained that monks allowed the girl to collect coins from the pond, and he shared the poignant story of her impoverished life and paralyzed grandfather. However, the girl's presence angered some aristocratic young ladies, who began pelting her with arrows meant for a pitch-pot game. Chen Xiliang bravely shielded the terrified girl and chastised the bullies.
Unrepentant, the ladies retorted, until Xu Fengnian stepped forward, drew his blade, and cut their arrows, revealing his identity as Xu Fengnian of North Liang. As he prepared to escalate the confrontation, Chen Xiliang intervened, warning that killing them would invite revenge that would endanger the beggar girl. Recognizing Chen Xiliang's wisdom, Xu Fengnian relented, deciding to take Chen Xiliang to the debate and warning the ladies not to cause further trouble, leaving them trembling.
The "About the reign of kings" debate had already commenced. Chen Xiliang dismissed the eloquent but empty speeches of the established scholars as mere citations without practical substance. When he stepped up to speak, his directness incited outrage, but Xu Fengnian, standing beside him with his drawn blade, silenced the crowd. Chen Xiliang passionately argued that virtue must have benefit, and that actions must aid the common people, rather than empty debates that ignore the suffering of the populace.
From a window on the second floor, Lu Baijie recognized Jiang Ni's face, realizing she was the princess of West Chu. Liu Liting's wife, the widow of a man Xu Fengnian killed, then tried to incite Lu Baijie against Xu Fengnian, but Lu Baijie, having used her to gather information, seized her. He then announced to the assembly that Liu Liting's wife had orchestrated the gathering to assassinate Xu Fengnian, ensuring her swift removal.
Once the crowd dispersed, Lu Baijie revealed his true intentions to Xu Fengnian: he demanded Jiang Ni be left with him, in exchange for the Lu family's support for Xu Fengnian's succession in North Liang. Despite the offer, Xu Fengnian steadfastly refused, supported by Xu Zhihu, who vowed to back her brother's choice. Lu Baijie then decided to seize Jiang Ni by force, citing the Lu family's ancestral feud with West Chu.
Meanwhile, the young beggar girl waited outside the temple for Chen Xiliang. Lu family retainers tried to disperse her, but she stubbornly hid behind a stone statue, refusing to leave. Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy emanated from an older man approaching the temple steps. This man, Lu Baijie, the Sword Immortal of Tangxi, effortlessly levitated fallen leaves, transforming them into sharp projectiles that swiftly incapacitated Xu Fengnian's guards.
Xu Fengnian engaged Lu Baijie, deploying his "Snakes in Sleeves" technique, but he was clearly outmatched by Lu Baijie's superior "Turning Water into Sword" technique. As they fought, Lu Baijie, seeing Xu Fengnian was outmatched, tried to negotiate, offering to assassinate Chen Zhiba, one of Xu Xiao's formidable adopted sons, in exchange for Jiang Ni and support for Xu Fengnian's succession. Xu Fengnian refused this offer. Just as Xu Fengnian was about to be overwhelmed, Cao Changqing arrived.
With a single stone, he disrupted Lu Baijie's every calculated move, effortlessly defeating the powerful Finger Profound Realm master. Cao Changqing then knelt before Jiang Ni, immediately recognizing her as the long-lost West Chu Princess, whom he had known in the palace as a child. Filled with outrage, Cao Changqing condemned Xu Fengnian for treating a princess as a mere maid.
As he moved to avenge this perceived slight, Qing Niao bravely intervened but was instantly struck down and rendered unconscious. Xu Fengnian found himself utterly outmatched, his dual blades suppressed as Cao Changqing closed in for the kill.
