The Legend of the Condor Heroes Episode 23 Recap
> The Legend of the Condor Heroes Recap
Ouyang Feng narrowed his eyes, perplexed by Hong Qigong's presence on Peach Blossom Island. Ouyang Ke surmised that Hong Qigong might be there for the Nine Yin Manual. Ouyang Feng gripped his staff, determined to acquire the Nine Yin Manual regardless of who stood in his way. Zhou Botong, who had been hiding and listening, let out a few laughs before running off. Meanwhile, Guo Jing and Huang Rong were enjoying tea together.
Zhou Botong rushed in, relaying Ouyang Feng’s conspiracy. He revealed that Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke did not truly care for Huang Rong, but viewed her as a mere chess piece. Their proposed marriage was a pretense to get their hands on Huang Yaoshi's Nine Yin Manual. Guo Jing, ever straightforward, wanted to immediately inform Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong.
Huang Rong stopped him, cautioning that her father harbored prejudice against Guo Jing and would likely mistrust any information coming from him. Zhou Botong then urged the couple to flee Peach Blossom Island and go as far as possible to avoid Huang Yaoshi's wrath. However, Guo Jing insisted they couldn't just leave, emphasizing the need to warn Huang Yaoshi about Ouyang Feng’s true intentions to prevent him from falling into their trap.
Just then, Ouyang Feng arrived, demanding Zhou Botong appear. Guo Jing and Huang Rong went to investigate. Zhou Botong, unfazed, immediately engaged Ouyang Feng in a fight, having confronted Ouyang Feng earlier for a snake bite and accidentally overhearing the conspiracy. Despite Zhou Botong's improved martial arts, he couldn't gain an advantage over Ouyang Feng. The sounds of their fierce combat, which moved from the ground to the rooftop, attracted Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, and others.
As a rare spectacle, no one intervened. Huang Rong seized the opportunity to tell her father that Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke were actually after his Nine Yin Manual, but Huang Yaoshi dismissed her claims, deeming Zhou Botong's words unreliable. During the fight, Ouyang Feng remarked on Zhou Botong's improved martial arts.
To Ouyang Feng's surprise, this praise troubled Zhou Botong, who declared the fight "not fun at all" and abruptly left, feeling he had mistakenly used techniques from the forbidden manual. Hong Qigong then unexpectedly proposed marriage for Guo Jing. Huang Yaoshi, caught off guard, almost agreed, but Ouyang Feng quickly intervened, stating that Huang Yaoshi had already promised Huang Rong to his nephew, Ouyang Ke, and they were there with betrothal gifts.
Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng, each asserting their right to Huang Rong's hand, became hostile. Hong Qigong instructed Guo Jing and Huang Rong to cover their ears as Ouyang Feng, playing the zither, and Huang Yaoshi, playing the xiao, began a contest of internal energy through music. Guo Jing noticed the music aligning with his heartbeat. During this intense display, Ouyang Ke attempted a sneak attack on Guo Jing, accusing him of faking his profound inner power.
However, Guo Jing, utilizing the "Mutual Hands Combat" technique taught by Zhou Botong, retaliated, severely injuring Ouyang Ke. When Huang Yaoshi inquired about the technique, Huang Rong explained that Guo Jing had become Zhou Botong’s sworn brother after saving him from a poisonous snake bite. Huang Yaoshi expressed his disbelief at their absurd brotherhood. Recognizing the escalating conflict and with two powerful masters vying for his daughter's hand, Huang Yaoshi proposed a compromise.
He announced three tests for the two young men, Guo Jing and Ouyang Ke, declaring that the winner would marry Huang Rong. Ouyang Feng expressed concern about Ouyang Ke's recent injury, but Huang Yaoshi assured them the trials would be fair and take place the following afternoon. Huang Rong, knowing her father's dislike for Guo Jing, worried he would be biased and that if Guo Jing lost, they couldn't be together.
That night, Huang Yaoshi visited his late wife’s coffin, expressing his hope to choose the best husband for Huang Rong. Huang Rong secretly overheard him and prayed for Guo Jing’s victory. The next day, the trials began. For the first test, martial arts, Huang Yaoshi set up an unconventional challenge. Instead of fighting each other, Ouyang Feng would spar with Guo Jing, and Hong Qigong with Ouyang Ke.
The four would fight on peach trees, and the first to fall into the water would lose. Additionally, if either Ouyang Feng or Hong Qigong accidentally injured their young opponent, their candidate would lose. Hong Qigong criticized the rules as "wicked," but Huang Yaoshi defended them, stating he couldn't allow his future son-in-law to be harmed. During the sparring, Ouyang Feng summoned his inner power against Guo Jing.
Ouyang Ke seized the moment to launch a sneaky kick at Guo Jing. Outraged by this foul play, Huang Rong threw silver needles at Ouyang Ke. Ouyang Feng deflected the needles, redirecting them back towards Huang Rong. Seeing Huang Rong in peril, Guo Jing rushed to protect her. At the critical moment, Huang Yaoshi intervened, saving both of them.
Citing the rule that injuring an opponent resulted in a loss, Huang Yaoshi declared Guo Jing the winner of the first round. The second test was on music. Huang Yaoshi explained that his late wife was a music virtuoso and would want a music lover for a son-in-law. Huang Rong protested, pointing out Guo Jing's lack of musical knowledge from growing up in Mongolia. Huang Yaoshi remained firm, stating their son-in-law couldn't be tone-deaf.
Although Hong Qigong attempted to withdraw Guo Jing, Guo Jing insisted on continuing, believing it was a reasonable test given Huang Rong's parents' musical affinity. Huang Yaoshi instructed Guo Jing and Ouyang Ke to beat time with bamboo sticks while he played an ordinary tune, and the one who did it best would win. Ouyang Ke, a music enthusiast, performed well but became so engrossed in the music that he swayed with the rhythm.
Guo Jing, despite his musical ineptitude, focused intently and surprisingly managed to disrupt Huang Yaoshi's intricate rhythm, causing Huang Yaoshi to change tunes repeatedly. Afterward, Huang Yaoshi declared Ouyang Ke the winner. Hong Qigong protested, arguing that Guo Jing demonstrated superior self-control by disrupting the performance, while Ouyang Ke got carried away. However, Huang Yaoshi maintained that while Guo Jing showed self-control, the test was about musical understanding, in which Ouyang Ke excelled.
For the third and final test, Huang Yaoshi presented his late wife’s hand-written copy of the Nine Yin Manual, explaining she had died while transcribing it and it was her legacy. He challenged the two young men to read it once and then recite as much of it as they could, with the one remembering the most winning Huang Rong's hand. Hong Qigong protested, highlighting Guo Jing's poor literacy.
Ouyang Ke, realizing the significance of the Nine Yin Manual, saw it as an unexpected windfall. Guo Jing was astonished to find that the manual's contents were identical to the "Butong Manual" that Zhou Botong had taught him. Fearing Guo Jing's memory might fail him, Huang Rong attempted to distract Ouyang Ke by fabricating a story about the ghost of Mu Nianci, whom Ouyang Ke had previously trapped in a coffin, coming to seek revenge.
Ouyang Ke recited a commendable portion, though with some errors. To everyone's surprise, Guo Jing then flawlessly recited the entire manual. Huang Yaoshi, visibly moved, asked Guo Jing if he possessed Mei Chaofeng's lost Nine Yin Manual. Guo Jing denied any knowledge, claiming he would return it if he ever found it. Believing his late wife's spirit had chosen Guo Jing, Huang Yaoshi prepared to declare him his son-in-law.
However, Ouyang Ke quickly interjected, pointing out that Guo Jing had recited "more" than what was written in the provided book, accusing him of having prior knowledge of the Nine Yin Manual. Guo Jing steadfastly denied it, reiterating that he had only learned the "Butong Manual" from Zhou Botong. As Huang Yaoshi pressed Guo Jing for proof of his innocence, Zhou Botong suddenly appeared, having tied himself up.
Huang Rong urged Zhou Botong to clarify that Guo Jing had not known what Zhou Botong taught him was the Nine Yin Manual. However, Zhou Botong, much to everyone's dismay, asserted that Guo Jing had indeed known it was the Nine Yin Manual and had even begged him to teach it. Hong Qigong, growing increasingly anxious about Guo Jing's future, implored Zhou Botong to speak clearly. Instead, Zhou Botong playfully ran off, challenging them to catch him for further explanation.
The group pursued Zhou Botong to the Qingyin Cave, where they found childish messages scrawled on the walls, including a taunt from Zhou Botong implying he was making Huang Yaoshi "even" for the fifteen years he was imprisoned. Zhou Botong then splashed "footbath water" on Huang Yaoshi and Ouyang Feng before running off again. Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong confronted Zhou Botong once more.
Zhou Botong, unhelpfully, reaffirmed that Guo Jing knew he was learning the Nine Yin Manual and further implicated Guo Jing by claiming Guo Jing had "given" him the second volume of the manual, asserting that Guo Jing had stolen it from Mei Chaofeng. Zhou Botong's erratic statements made it difficult to discern the truth, deepening the mystery surrounding Guo Jing's knowledge of the Nine Yin Manual.
