The Journey of Legend Episode 23 Recap
> The Journey of Legend Recap
Xiao Qiushui, tracking a man he found familiar, followed him to a secluded courtyard where the man was playing a musical instrument and singing. Xiao Qiushui recognized the tune as "A Laugh Across the Seas." The man, Swordsman Sancai, initially wary, was convinced of Xiao Qiushui's identity as the mysterious figure who had saved him in the past by a secret code: "Asleep in spring, I don't perceive the dawn. Mosquitoes are everywhere.
When I turn over in bed, I crush countless mosquitoes." Xiao Qiushui recalled that this was Swordsman Sancai, a character he had created in his original story as a single, musically gifted individual who served as a Power Gang mole. Sancai revealed that he often heard strange words and melodies in his mind from another world, such as "I hate the 996 work schedule! I want to quit!" , and felt as though this world was a giant book.
He recounted a specific passage he had seen about Xiao Qiushui becoming the martial world's leader. Xiao Qiushui explained that because Sancai was a character he had written, Sancai retained fragmented memories from the other world, but these were fading as Xiao Qiushui’s presence in this world altered the narrative. Feeling a deep connection and loyalty, Sancai declared Xiao Qiushui his "Qiushui gege" (elder brother) and vowed to help him.
Xiao Qiushui then disclosed his plan to seek revenge on the Power Gang, and Sancai, already a mole within the gang, eagerly offered his assistance. Xiao Qiushui then whispered his strategy to Sancai, which involved delivering a "corpse" to Qu Hanshan, surprising Sancai. Following the plan, Sancai brought a bound Xiao Qiushui to Qu Hanshan's mansion, presenting him as a suspicious individual caught lurking outside.
Qu Hanshan, the Sword King, scoffed at Xiao Qiushui, noting that his meridians were reconnected but his martial arts were still weak. Xiao Qiushui demanded that Qu Hanshan hand over one of Liu Suifeng’s men, claiming he had witnessed Liu Suifeng secretly deliver a map to someone in the mansion. Qu Hanshan denied any involvement with Liu Suifeng. When challenged, Xiao Qiushui sketched the map from memory.
Qu Hanshan remained suspicious, accusing Xiao Qiushui of trying to sow discord due to their past enmity from Guangling, where Qu Hanshan had personally severed Xiao Qiushui's meridians. Xiao Qiushui dismissed that grievance as minor compared to Liu Suifeng’s role in his parents' murder. Xiao Qiushui then proposed an alliance: if Qu Hanshan helped him kill Liu Suifeng, he would hand over the Hero Token.
Qu Hanshan doubted Xiao Qiushui possessed such a legendary item, especially given how closely Liu Suifeng had been tracking him. To prove his claim, Xiao Qiushui revealed a closely guarded secret: the Hero Token bore the unique fingerprints of the Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei sect leaders—a detail known to only a select few in the martial world.
He explained that the Hero Token had brought him nothing but calamity, costing him his parents' lives, and thus, he was willing to relinquish it. During their discussion, a subordinate reported the discovery of Kang Chuyu's corpse, revealing a corpse beetle on his body. Qu Hanshan’s men suggested that only the Power Gang leader or Liu Suifeng could control such beetles, leading Qu Hanshan to believe Liu Suifeng had used Kang Chuyu as a spy against him.
This intensified Qu Hanshan's distrust of Liu Suifeng, just as Xiao Qiushui had intended by secretly planting the corpse beetle from Qiu Bo on Kang Chuyu's body. Qu Hanshan agreed to cooperate but demanded Xiao Qiushui first retrieve an item from Ghost King's stronghold in Yimen Town as a token of loyalty. Meanwhile, Tang Fang had returned to the Tang Sect, her mind preoccupied.
Her father, Tang Shun Yao, concerned for their family branch's future due to his lingering illness and the third branch's ambitions, expressed his worries. Tang Fang assured him she would find the Book of Oblivion to cure him and protect their family. Later, she caught Li, their loyal steward, poisoning her father's medicine. Confronted, Li confessed to his involuntary actions, tormented by the betrayal, and then tragically took his own life. From his wound, a corpse beetle emerged.
Tang Fang immediately suspected that Tang Song was using the Power Gang's corpse beetles to control people. Xiao Qiushui and Sancai discussed the new mission. Sancai revealed that the Corpse Beetle King, which they needed to retrieve, was crucial to the Power Gang's control, as it was linked to the "Golden-patterned Better-Dead Pills" (金纹不如死丸) that kept the Eight Kings in check. Possessing it would free Qu Hanshan from his fear of Liu Suifeng.
Sancai also warned that Ghost King was paranoid and preferred feeding live victims to his beetles in "coffin dens," suggesting Xiao Qiushui should proceed alone to avoid suspicion. At Yimen Town, Tang Fang secretly followed Tang Song. She witnessed him meeting with Song Mingzhu, who explained that the Corpse Beetle King's was weakened from laying too many eggs and needed human blood to recover.
Song Mingzhu also clarified that the Golden-patterned Better-Dead Pills were cultivated with the blood of the Power Gang's leader, Master Li, and Shirong, making them controllable only by those two. She warned Tang Song that if the Corpse Beetle King perished, all its larvae would become ineffective. Tang Song, along with his sister Tang Qing, then helped Song Mingzhu prepare to transport coffins containing unconscious civilians to Ghost King’s lair as "nourishment."
Xiao Qiushui, who was also in Yimen Town, spotted Tang Fang and cautioned her not to follow them further, but she persisted. Liu Suifeng was already at the Ghost King's stronghold. He and Ghost King exchanged pleasantries, with Liu Suifeng mentioning the new Xiaoyao Sect leader who dared to challenge the Power Gang. As Ghost King prepared to release the Corpse Beetle King to feed, he detected the presence of intruders.
Xiao Qiushui and Tang Fang, who had been hiding, were forced to reveal themselves. A fierce fight ensued. Tang Fang accidentally triggered a trap, falling victim to Energy-Dispersing Powder. Liu Suifeng confronted Xiao Qiushui and was shocked by his significantly enhanced internal energy. Amidst the chaos, Xiao Qiushui rushed to rescue Tang Fang. Soon after, Zuoqiu and Deng Yuhan arrived and helped free the captive civilians. Ghost King, having been exposed, quickly relocated his operations with the Corpse Beetle King.
Liu Suifeng, still reeling from Xiao Qiushui's newfound power, demanded answers from Song Mingzhu. She confessed that Xiao Qiushui had consumed the Supreme Elixir. Enraged by her betrayal and the secret she kept, Liu Suifeng condemned Song Mingzhu to kneel at Reflection Cliff for seven days without water, offering her only the chance to survive if it rained.
Despite the harsh punishment, Song Mingzhu found a strange solace, believing Liu Suifeng's decision not to kill her directly showed that he treated her differently from others. Later, Xiao Qiushui gathered his allies from the Shenzhou Alliance, including newly joined members Tie Xingyue and Qiu Nangu, for a celebratory feast.
During the gathering, Xiao Qiushui unveiled the Hero Token to Tang Fang, explaining that he had discovered the crystal hidden within a dagger given to him by Madam Wu, which was originally a gift from Master Zhang.
