Sword Snow Stride Episode 29 Recap
> Sword Snow Stride Recap
After leaving Yangzhou, the horse team headed directly for Mount Longhu. Along the way, they unexpectedly encountered Xuanyuan Qingfeng, a familiar face from Xu Fengnian's three-year tour. Xu Fengnian immediately hid in his carriage, recalling how Wen Hua's inappropriate compliments about Xuanyuan Qingfeng's "hips being suitable for childbirth" had led her to chase them through the streets, forcing Old Huang to carry them away. Jiang Ni, misunderstanding his hiding as a sign of past romantic entanglements, teased him about it.
Despite his initial apprehension, Xu Fengnian instructed Grandpa Wei to discreetly follow Xuanyuan Qingfeng's group. He explained that the Xuanyuan Family of Jiangdong, based in Mount Hui, commanded the world's waterways and had a centuries-old foundation, with the formidable Xuanyuan Dapan, a practitioner of the Celestial Realm, as their Old Ancestor.
Xu Fengnian mused that Xuanyuan Qingfeng's choice to travel by horse instead of boat suggested a strained relationship with her father, a dynamic that could potentially be advantageous to him. Xuanyuan Qingfeng, the only daughter of Xuanyuan Jingcheng, the eldest son of the family, was known for her free-spirited nature from years of wandering the martial world.
Though her father, Xuanyuan Jingcheng, was the rightful heir, he preferred reading in the Cangwu Library to martial arts, leading to him being disregarded by most of the family. Consequently, many younger disciples had abandoned his branch to align with the flourishing second and third branches. The second son, Xuanyuan Jingyi, was a reclusive figure, rarely appearing and only obeying the Old Ancestor.
In contrast, the third son, Xuanyuan Jingxuan, was ambitious and a martial arts prodigy, nearly reaching the Grandmaster realm, thus dominating the family affairs for years due to the first branch's perceived weakness. Meanwhile, at a crossroads, Zhao Kai encountered Yuan Tingshan, a retainer of the Xuanyuan Family. Yuan Tingshan, under orders from Xuanyuan Jingcheng, had already ambushed Xuanyuan Qingfeng, killing her entourage and attempting to prevent her return to the mountain.
Seeing the confrontation, Xu Fengnian signaled Shu Xiu and Ning Emei to intervene. They swiftly incapacitated Yuan Tingshan, but Zhao Kai's Golden-armor discreetly dragged him away. Zhao Kai then approached Yuan Tingshan, who initially refused his offer of alliance. However, upon learning Xu Fengnian's true identity as the heir of North Liang, Yuan Tingshan, fearing retribution, agreed to cooperate with Zhao Kai in an assassination plot against Xu Fengnian.
As Xu Fengnian's party resumed their journey, Xuanyuan Qingfeng joined them, having abandoned her initial plan to catch a legendary thousand-year salamander at Mount Longhu. She openly mocked North Liang's perceived attempts to meddle in Mount Hui's affairs. During a break, Li Chungang observed Xuanyuan Qingfeng secretly meeting with Yuan Tingshan.
It was revealed that Xuanyuan Jingcheng had ordered Yuan Tingshan to stop his daughter from returning because the Old Ancestor, Xuanyuan Dapan, intended to summon her to Wending Pavilion for "direct instruction." Though Xuanyuan Qingfeng viewed this as a tremendous opportunity, her father's profound anxiety and desperate attempts to obstruct her return, as later hinted by Xuanyuan Jingxuan's taunts about Xuanyuan Jingcheng's wife and her restricted residence, suggested a much darker purpose behind the Old Ancestor's summons.
Soon after, Xuanyuan Jingcheng and Xuanyuan Jingxuan set out on a large boat to meet Xuanyuan Qingfeng. As they traveled upstream, Xuanyuan Jingcheng subtly noticed a young man with extraordinary "bones" fishing from a bamboo raft. This youth was Xu Longxiang, Xu Fengnian's younger brother. Xuanyuan Jingxuan, however, dismissed the sight. Xuanyuan Qingfeng then boarded their boat, bidding farewell to Xu Fengnian.
Upon seeing Xu Longxiang, Xu Fengnian excitedly waved, and with Li Chungang's help, used the "Snakes in Sleeves" technique to gracefully glide onto the bamboo raft. Xuanyuan Jingxuan, initially mistaking Xu Fengnian for a sycophant, was surprised to realize his true identity. Xuanyuan Jingcheng, though feigning indifference, continuously cast deep, knowing glances at Xu Fengnian, which the latter noted with intrigue.
Later, Xuanyuan Jingyi, who rarely left his reclusive practice, appeared to welcome Xuanyuan Qingfeng, emphasizing that the Old Ancestor had summoned her to Wending Pavilion the very next day. The group eventually arrived at Xiaoyao Temple on Mount Longhu, where Xu Fengnian joined Zhao Xituan, one of the four Longhu Arch-Taoists, in cooking fish. Li Chungang praised Xu Longxiang's innate talent, noting his "Diamond Realm" potential and predicting invincibility if he reached the "Void Realm."
However, he warned of a "heavenly calamity" if Xu Longxiang were to attempt the "Celestial Realm." Zhao Xituan assured them that Xu Longxiang was cultivating the "Big Dream of Spring and Autumn" heart arts, which could help him endure such tribulations. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ni emerged from the carriage, revealing she had been hiding there all along.
