The Journey of Legend Episode 27 Recap
> The Journey of Legend Recap
In the aftermath of the cliffside battle, the eight masters, despite their lifelong animosity and exhaustion, passed on their internal energy and unique martial arts to Xiao Qiushui. Each master, in their final moments, insisted he receive their legacy, some hoping he would avenge them, others simply to pass on their knowledge and see whose martial arts were stronger. Xiao Qiushui, overwhelmed, initially resisted their desperate efforts.
One Wudang master, gravely wounded, struggled to impart his final words, urging Xiao Qiushui to endure. He declared that while Xiao Qiushui might not be a Taoist disciple, he was the only hope for Daxi's martial world against the encroaching Power Gang, a responsibility Xiao Qiushui solemnly accepted. After their passing, Xiao Qiushui reflected on these masters, acknowledging that despite their diverse origins, their shared dedication to martial arts transcended their differences.
He wished for them to find peace in the afterlife, free from worldly factions and able to spar purely for joy. He then laid his eight mentors to rest. Shortly after, Liu Suifeng stumbled upon their graves, perplexed by their demise and curious as to the events that transpired.
Xiao Qiushui, recalling the sword scabbard from Xiao Xilou and the mysterious "R" mark he had found on it, confronted one of the Twin Swordmen, who had also fallen off the cliff, asking if it was his and if he had left the mark. The Twin Swordsman confirmed the scabbard’s ownership and was surprised Xiao Qiushui recognized the symbol.
He then recounted how his dear friend's sect had been annihilated merely half a month prior by a traitor collaborating with outsiders, using the very same "R" mark. He confessed his ignorance of the mark's origin, urging Xiao Qiushui to tell him. Xiao Qiushui informed him it belonged to a shadowy organization within the martial world, possibly allied with the North Wasteland.
Zhang Canjin, in his final moments, marveled at gaining such a talented disciple in Xiao Qiushui, especially after decades of bitter rivalry with the other masters. He expressed his weariness with life, stating he could not live alone when the others had passed, and eventually succumbed, joining his companions on their journey. Meanwhile, on the Emei Golden Summit, Zhao Shirong proclaimed her victory over five challengers, inviting others to surrender.
Zhichen, the esteemed leader of the Emei sect, stepped forward to accept Zhao Shirong’s challenge, amidst onlookers who noted her formidable skill but also her rumored old ailment, fearing she was overexerting her internal energy. As their fierce duel reached its climax, Li Chenzhou made a dramatic entrance, his striking resemblance to Xiao Qiushui causing gasps among the crowd. His Power Gang followers greeted him with reverence.
Zhichen recognized Li Chenzhou and confronted him, demanding his purpose, while others remained fixated on the uncanny similarity between him and Xiao Qiushui. Li Chenzhou then unleashed his Thousand Kalpas Finger, a formidable technique that Abbess Zhichen immediately recognized. She revealed to the stunned crowd that this skill allowed Li Chenzhou to control their meridians, effectively holding their lives and deaths in his hands.
Unwilling to yield, Heavenly King Zhu loudly offered the Supreme Elixir to anyone brave enough to strike down Li Chenzhou. Li Chenzhou, with a smirk, elaborated that their predicament stemmed from their inferior internal energy, and the Supreme Elixir supposedly offered a way to break free. He challenged the assembly to choose between trying to kill him or seizing the elixir for their own survival.
Xiao Yiren, realizing he could not be controlled if he were to rebuild the Xiao family, resolved to obtain the elixir. However, Xiao Qiushui arrived, warning his brother that the Supreme Elixir was fake, a deadly poison crafted by Shao Liulei to exact revenge on Heavenly King Zhu. Xiao Yiren was stunned, but despite the warning, many sect leaders, desperate for a cure, continued to fight over the elixir.
Those who consumed it soon collapsed, dying from the poison, proving Xiao Qiushui’s words true. Abbess Zhichen watched the tragedy with profound sorrow, lamenting that people often found lies more palatable than harsh truths. She criticized their greed and infighting, reminding them that she had gathered them to unite against the evil Power Gang, not to squabble over treasures. Xiao Yiren then asked Xiao Qiushui how he possessed such knowledge about the elixir.
Zhao Shirong interjected, revealing that Xiao Qiushui had, in fact, consumed the "real" Supreme Elixir much earlier during an extraordinary adventure. Li Chenzhou then declared that with the elixir gone, only one path remained for their survival and demanded the Hero Token from Xiao Qiushui. Xiao Qiushui, filled with righteous fury, accused the Power Gang of annihilating his family and the 127 members of the Huanhua Sect, vowing to avenge them all that very day.
Their battle raged, Li Chenzhou acknowledging Xiao Qiushui’s proficient use of Wudang's Tai Chi Swordplay but critiquing its lack of refinement. Onlookers questioned how Xiao Qiushui had mastered both Shaolin and Wudang martial arts. Li Chenzhou eventually gained the upper hand, almost striking a fatal blow but stopping abruptly. Zhao Shirong solicitously offered Li Chenzhou a cloak, advising him to wear it to ward off the mountain chill.
Li Chenzhou acknowledged Xiao Qiushui as a rising star in the martial world, declaring he would spare his life for now. Xiao Qiushui fiercely retorted that if he wasn’t killed today, the day would certainly come when he would be the one to kill Li Chenzhou, a challenge Li Chenzhou readily accepted. Li Chenzhou then inquired about Xiao Qiushui’s true purpose in coming to Emei.
He cryptically stated he had always pursued a single objective, before presenting Xiao Qiushui with a jade pendant and instructing him to use it in conjunction with the Hero Token. As the two artifacts were combined, they projected a hidden map. Li Chenzhou explained that the map depicted treasures and martial arts manuals plundered by the North Wasteland during their invasion of the Daxi Era.
These treasures were intercepted by General Wu’s forces, hidden in Nantiandang, and later re-concealed by Yan Kuangtu, who engraved the map onto the Hero Token for General Wu, intending for Old Madam Wu to pass the secret to the General. This vital secret, however, was misunderstood by opportunists who erroneously linked the Hero Token to the legendary Book of Oblivion.
Li Chenzhou then announced his intention to travel to Nantiandang in three days, inviting any survivors who wished to join him, adding a stark warning that those who refused could expect to die on the Golden Summit. Abbess Zhichen, though acknowledging the tragedy of Daxi's lost treasures, cautioned Xiao Qiushui not to fully trust the Power Gang.
Li Chenzhou then declared that he had lifted the Thousand Kalpas Finger from most individuals, reserving its lingering effects only for those he deemed "useful." He reiterated the meeting point at Nantiandang’s entrance in three days. Before departing, Li Chenzhou directly addressed Xiao Qiushui, promising to return his parents' bodies after the upcoming mission.
He also dropped a bombshell, claiming that the Power Gang was not responsible for his parents' deaths, adding that Xiao Qiushui would eventually discover the truth himself. Later, Sancai and other companions lauded Xiao Qiushui’s heroic display at the Golden Summit, though they regretted Xiao Kaiyan’s absence and observed Xiao Yiren’s lingering discontent. Xiao Qiushui confided in a senior figure, expressing remorse for failing to kill Li Chenzhou and almost causing the ruin of the martial world.
The senior, however, reassured him that he had performed admirably by saving as many as he could, recognizing the distinct martial arts Xiao Qiushui had employed, specifically mentioning Tieqi, Yinping, Muye, Fanhua, the Twin Swordmen, Suiyu, and Canjin. Xiao Qiushui confirmed these were indeed the skills passed on by the eight masters.
The senior then declared himself a "cripple," entrusting the future of the martial world to Xiao Qiushui, who tried to reassure him, but the senior pressed him for a promise. Sancai then inquired if they were truly bound for Nantiandang. Xiao Qiushui affirmed their need to go, citing the widespread control of Thousand Kalpas Finger and Li Chenzhou’s promise to return his parents’ bodies.
One companion questioned whether Xiao Qiushui believed Li Chenzhou’s assertion that the Power Gang was innocent in his parents’ deaths. Xiao Qiushui responded that he trusted no one on this matter and was determined to uncover the truth himself. He mused that Li Chenzhou had the opportunity to kill him outright, recalling his earlier suspicion that Liu Suifeng, due to his false "Lucky Bag" identity, might be "R."
He pondered if Li Chenzhou himself was "R," having instructed Liu Suifeng's actions. Xiao Qiushui then articulated his theory: that "R" deliberately disseminated rumors about the Book of Oblivion being in Li Chenzhou’s possession to incite chaos and ultimately dismantle the entire martial world. When Deng Yuhan and Zuo Qiu struggled to comprehend, Xiao Qiushui offered a simplified analogy about constantly moving forward on life's path.
Xiao Kaiyan noted that his older brother, Xiao Yiren, had been noticeably despondent since his return from the Golden Summit, mentioning the circulating rumors that Xiao Qiushui had mastered the Book of Oblivion. Xiao Yiren vehemently dismissed these as baseless. Xiao Kaiyan advised Xiao Yiren to be patient, reminding him of Xiao Qiushui’s inherent respect for his elder brother. Given Xiao Qiushui’s newfound prominence, Xiao Kaiyan suggested leveraging his achievements to revitalize the Xiao family.
When Xiao Yiren hesitated, unsure how to approach Xiao Qiushui, Xiao Kaiyan hinted that perhaps Xiao Qiushui already wished to entrust the Changge Sword to him but needed a subtle invitation. Accepting this, Xiao Yiren arrived at the Liang Residence to find Xiao Qiushui and his companions. He commended their success in destroying twelve Power Gang outposts while the main forces were at the Golden Summit.
Xiao Qiushui then began to recount his "bizarre" experience, explaining how, after the eight masters tumbled down the cliff and continued their intense sparring, they unexpectedly bestowed upon him their lifelong martial arts and unique skills amidst the chaos. His companions were astounded, declaring that Xiao Qiushui now possessed the combined powers of eight grandmasters and looked every bit a sect leader. Xiao Qiushui humbly brushed off their compliments.
Later, Xiao Yiren approached Xiao Qiushui directly, asking if he intended to remain estranged from the Xiao Villa following Xueyu's wedding. He admitted his resentment over Xiao Qiushui’s secrecy regarding the Hero Token but acknowledged the gravity of their situation and conceded that Xiao Qiushui's growing independence was natural.
Xiao Yiren expressed his desire to clear up all misunderstandings and invited Xiao Qiushui to the villa that very night, adding that Xiao Kaiyan, having recovered from his illness, also wished to see him. Xiao Qiushui readily agreed, emphasizing the importance of brothers uniting and discussing matters with common enemies at hand. That evening, the three Xiao brothers – Xiao Yiren, Xiao Kaiyan, and Xiao Qiushui – gathered under the moonlight.
Xiao Yiren offered Xiao Qiushui some precious bamboo leaf tea from their family's old backyard, a rare treat he had saved for this occasion. Xiao Kaiyan then presented Xiao Qiushui with a cherished embroidered item of their mother's, adorned with his favorite camellias, a found memento from tidying the villa. Xiao Yiren reiterated his sincere hope that this gathering would be a candid exchange to resolve all their previous misunderstandings, a sentiment Xiao Qiushui warmly reciprocated.
They then shared a drink, an act of familial reconciliation. Xiao Yiren, still perturbed, asked Xiao Qiushui to honestly explain the source of his new profound energy and martial skills. Xiao Qiushui reiterated the tale of the eight masters imparting their powers to him at the Golden Summit. Xiao Yiren, however, found it hard to believe, questioning why these strangers would bestow such powers upon someone they barely knew.
Xiao Qiushui affirmed his sincerity, stating he would not fabricate stories to deceive his family and reminding them that the world held many unfathomable occurrences and extraordinary individuals. Given the perilous situation, Xiao Yiren then cut to the chase, directly asking if Xiao Qiushui had secretly studied the Book of Oblivion.
