The Legend of the Condor Heroes Episode 18 Recap
> The Legend of the Condor Heroes Recap
Guo Jing, after using his "Divine Dragon Swishes Tail" technique, was accused by Beggars Sect disciples of disgracing their sect. Huang Rong quickly realized it was all a misunderstanding. Master Li and Master Yu of the Beggars Sect, along with Ms. Cheng, explained that several girls had gone missing in Baoying recently, and after Ouyang Ke appeared, they had gathered their disciples to set up an ambush.
Ms. Cheng, a martial artist from the Quanzhen Sect, revealed that Ouyang Ke had visited her pawnshop and shown his true colors as a wicked lecher. Everyone present agreed to teach Ouyang Ke a lesson. Huang Rong then proposed a plan: she would disguise herself as Ms. Cheng and allow Ouyang Ke to abduct her.
She anticipated Ouyang Ke would act at midnight using sleeping gas, but she would counter it by holding camphor in her mouth and holding her breath. She instructed Guo Jing, who possessed excellent levitation skills, to follow her closely and leave marks for Master Li and the Beggars Sect disciples to track.
At Ouyang Ke's hideout, the Baoying Ancestral Hall, Huang Rong told Guo Jing to hide outside a window and attack Ouyang Ke from behind when she made her move, while Master Li and the others would ambush from the door. However, Ouyang Ke had already anticipated their arrival, expressing his delight that the "beggars" were coming for his "hungry snakes."
Realizing her plan had failed, Huang Rong watched as Ouyang Ke ordered his men to suspend her, preventing any sneak attack. Unable to wait any longer, Guo Jing burst in to save Huang Rong, only then did Ouyang Ke realize he had kidnapped the wrong person. Guo Jing and Ouyang Ke engaged in a fierce battle. Ouyang Ke mocked Guo Jing for only knowing fifteen palms of the Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms.
Suddenly, chicken bones began flying from an unseen source, hitting Ouyang Ke. Huang Rong immediately recognized Hong Qigong's unique "weapons," confirming his presence. With Hong Qigong's unexpected arrival, Guo Jing and Huang Rong were relieved. Huang Rong and Hong Qigong bantered, exchanging insults directed at Ouyang Ke, calling him "Little Venom" and comparing the chicken bones to leftovers for dogs. Ouyang Ke, not wanting to appear weak, subtly accused Hong Qigong of bullying the young.
Huang Rong seized the opportunity, suggesting that to maintain Hong Qigong's esteemed status and avoid personally engaging with such a "sly dog," he should take Guo Jing as a disciple and teach him the final three stances of the Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms. That way, Guo Jing could fight Ouyang Ke. Hong Qigong, after some feigned reluctance and a complaint that it was a "win-win" for everyone but him, agreed, admitting he was too tempted by Huang Rong's cooking.
Guo Jing immediately knelt and formally became Hong Qigong's disciple, promising to risk his life to uphold his master's honor. Hong Qigong warned him that if he lost, their master-disciple relationship would end. Hong Qigong began teaching Guo Jing the final three stances, unconcerned about Ouyang Ke watching, stating that true martial arts talent was key.
Huang Rong soon realized that these last stances were built upon the previous fifteen, making it impossible for Ouyang Ke to learn anything just by observing. Ouyang Ke tried to provoke Guo Jing, mocking his slow comprehension. Hong Qigong, however, encouraged Guo Jing, reminding him that talent isn't everything and that often the "hardest tasks are accomplished by dumb people," advising him to be patient.
Eventually, Hong Qigong urged Guo Jing to fight Ouyang Ke, confident that even with partial understanding, he could succeed. Guo Jing defeated Ouyang Ke, who fled in disgrace. Huang Rong then insisted that Guo Jing kill Ouyang Ke, but Hong Qigong intervened, stating he needed to "give Old Venom a chance to save face" and instructing Ouyang Ke to tell his uncle that "the Old Beggar's disciple taught you a lesson."
Afterward, Huang Rong, with her characteristic wit, persisted in asking Hong Qigong to accept her as a disciple too. Initially, Hong Qigong refused, citing her father, Huang Yaoshi's equally formidable martial arts and his concern about offending him. But Huang Rong cleverly argued that if he truly didn't fear her father, he should take her on, and she would even defend him if her father picked on him.
Wearied by her relentless persistence, Hong Qigong finally relented, and Huang Rong gleefully bowed to him as her master. Meanwhile, Yang Kang encountered Liang Ziweng, who informed him that Wanyan Honglie was worried about his disappearance and had sent search parties. Yang Kang vehemently rejected Wanyan Honglie's concern, declaring himself "Yang Kang," a commoner of the Song, and Wanyan Honglie his mortal enemy.
He prepared to kill Liang Ziweng, but Guo Jing and Huang Rong arrived just in time, stopping him. Guo Jing warned Liang Ziweng with a threat of the Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms, causing him to flee. Yang Kang explained that Liang Ziweng wanted him to return to Wanyan Honglie, which he had refused. Guo Jing commended his decision.
Yang Kang then learned that Hong Qigong had taken Guo Jing as a disciple and completed his training in the Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms, and congratulated him. As the three continued their journey north, Huang Rong reminded them to hurry to pursue Wanyan Honglie. Elsewhere, the Mongolian delegation was ambushed by Wanyan Honglie's forces. Hua Zheng was injured and became separated from Tolui and Master Jebe, who barely managed to escape.
Guo Jing, hearing the sounds of battle, quickly recognized Tolui and Master Jebe approaching, being pursued. With Guo Jing's intervention, the tide of the battle turned, and Wanyan Honglie was injured and forced to retreat. Yang Kang immediately gave chase. Guo Jing had no time for pleasantries with Tolui, quickly explaining that he needed to kill Wanyan Honglie, who had murdered his father. Tolui informed Guo Jing that Hua Zheng had been injured and lost during their escape.
They briefly parted ways, with Tolui and Master Jebe going to find Hua Zheng, while Guo Jing and Huang Rong continued the pursuit of Wanyan Honglie. Yang Kang's pursuit of Wanyan Honglie led him to the ancestral hall where Ouyang Ke had imprisoned Mu Nianci. In the dim and silent interior, Yang Kang confronted Wanyan Honglie, demanding to know what had happened in Niu Village eighteen years ago and how Yang Tiexin died.
Mu Nianci, hidden inside a coffin, heard Yang Kang's voice. Yang Kang accused Wanyan Honglie of ordering Duan Tiande to kill his real father, Yang Tiexin, to satisfy his selfish desires, expressing sorrow for his mother's death, who lived for eighteen years with her husband's murderer. He declared himself Yang Kang, son of Yang Tiexin.
Wanyan Honglie admitted his role, explaining his love for Yang Kang's mother, and then challenged Yang Kang to kill him, using emotional manipulation and questioning his resolve. He spoke of the joy of Yang Kang's birth and how he had raised him for eighteen years, contrasting it with Yang Tiexin's brief presence in his life. Wanyan Honglie promised Yang Kang a powerful future, offering him control of the world.
From the coffin, Mu Nianci desperately urged Yang Kang not to be swayed by Wanyan Honglie's "sweet words," reminding him that Wanyan Honglie was his enemy. Yang Kang, however, found himself torn, unable to kill the man he had believed to be his father for so long, especially after Wanyan Honglie had risked his life to save him from a tiger six months prior. Soon after, Guo Jing and Huang Rong arrived at the ancestral hall.
Yang Kang tried to mislead them, claiming he hadn't found Wanyan Honglie and that the hall only contained coffins, urging them to search elsewhere. But Huang Rong, sensing something was amiss and noting Yang Kang's strange demeanor, insisted on checking the coffins herself. As Guo Jing opened the coffins, apologizing to the spirits within, Huang Rong eventually discovered a trapped Mu Nianci.
Despite the reunion, Yang Kang showed no joy, his face stiff with discomfort, knowing Mu Nianci had heard his entire conversation with Wanyan Honglie. Guo Jing and Huang Rong left to continue their search, leaving Yang Kang and Mu Nianci alone. Mu Nianci confronted Yang Kang, expressing her disappointment and accusing him of lying, believing he was now fully embracing his identity as the Jin Young Prince.
Yang Kang, feeling misunderstood, tried to explain his emotional conflict, recalling how Wanyan Honglie had saved him from a tiger, and asking what she would do in his place, a man who had raised him for eighteen years. He claimed he no longer cared for luxury but couldn't bring himself to kill the man who had been a father to him. Later, when Guo Jing and Huang Rong met up with them, Huang Rong keenly observed the tense atmosphere between Yang Kang and Mu Nianci.
