The Legend of the Condor Heroes Episode 36 Recap
> The Legend of the Condor Heroes Recap
Guo Jing and Huang Rong found themselves bound with ropes made of steel wire and cowhide, unable to escape. Yang Kang entered, looking smug, and questioned why they were in Yuezhou. Huang Rong retorted that they were there for the same reason as him. Yang Kang proudly declared he was there to become the Chief of the Beggars Sect, holding up the Dog-beating Staff.
Guo Jing immediately countered that the Staff belonged to Huang Rong and Hong Qigong had not given it to him. Yang Kang simply laughed, asserting that it didn't matter who gave it to him, only that it was now in his possession, making him the next Chief. A servant then handed Yang Kang a painting found on Guo Jing.
Yang Kang's eyes lit up as he recognized "The Wumu Manual," and he quickly sent a message to Wanyan Honglie, informing him of its whereabouts. Upon receiving the news, Wanyan Honglie was ecstatic. He swiftly summoned Ouyang Feng and set off for Yuezhou. Wanyan Honglie's grand scheme was for Yang Kang to first become the Beggars Sect Chief, then immediately orchestrate the relocation of the sect members to the south.
To ensure the Beggars Sect's cooperation, Wanyan Honglie had also invited Qiu Qianren of the Iron Palm Sect to act as a spokesperson. Yang Kang, in a bid to solidify his alliance, offered Ouyang Feng a "gift": Guo Jing and Huang Rong. He explained that Ouyang Feng wanted to kill Guo Jing to avenge Ouyang Ke, and Huang Rong could translate the strange text in the Nine Yin Manual.
Ouyang Feng agreed, stating that once Huang Rong had finished translating, he would kill them both to avenge Ke. Yang Kang then knelt before Ouyang Feng, requesting to be taken as his disciple. Amused by Yang Kang's ruthlessness, Ouyang Feng agreed and proceeded to teach him the White Camel Mountain's most advanced levitation skill, "Thousand Miles in One Moment."
Meanwhile, Sha Tongtian brought Mu Nianci pregnancy tonics and inadvertently revealed that Wanyan Honglie had arrived, and Yang Kang had captured Guo Jing and Huang Rong and presented them to Ouyang Feng, which had led to Yang Kang becoming Ouyang Feng’s disciple. Concerned for their safety, Mu Nianci hurried to find Yang Kang.
When Ouyang Feng confronted Guo Jing and Huang Rong, Huang Rong bravely asserted that Yang Kang was the true killer of Ouyang Ke, and Guo Jing had been framed. However, Ouyang Feng dismissed her words as lies. Huang Rong, desperate, tried to bargain, offering to translate the Nine Yin Manual in exchange for Guo Jing's life.
Ouyang Feng adamantly declared that he wanted both the strange text and Guo Jing's life, menacingly threatening to inflict slow, agonizing torment upon Guo Jing. Yang Kang was discussing plans for the Yuezhou Assembly with several elders when Mu Nianci arrived. She cunningly suggested that instead of letting Ouyang Feng kill Guo Jing and Huang Rong immediately, Yang Kang should keep them alive until the assembly.
Executing them publicly there, she argued, would allow Yang Kang to establish his authority and impress both the Clean Clothes and Dirty Clothes Factions, securing his position as Chief. Yang Kang, finding this idea advantageous, agreed and immediately went to Ouyang Feng. He pleaded with Ouyang Feng to spare Guo Jing and Huang Rong for one more day, explaining his intention to use their deaths to cement his leadership at the upcoming assembly.
Ouyang Feng reluctantly consented, but demanded that their dead bodies be delivered to him by the following night. On the day of the Yuezhou Assembly, Mu Nianci, deeply worried about Guo Jing and Huang Rong, desperately sought a way to save them. Seeing several Beggars Sect disciples outside, she offered them steamed buns. Just as she was about to speak, Wanyan Honglie appeared, forcing her to abandon her direct plea.
Instead, she subtly placed a note inside one of the buns. Later, two disciples discovered the note, which instructed them to inform Elders Li Sheng and Yu Zhaoxing that Guo Jing and Huang Rong were in trouble. As night fell, the annual Yuezhou Assembly began. Yang Kang arrived, holding the Dog-beating Staff, and announced the tragic death of Hong Qigong, claiming he died in Lin'an after being besieged and seriously injured.
He then falsely accused Huang Yaoshi and the Seven Masters of Quanzhen Sect of colluding to kill Hong Qigong to eliminate a rival for the Mount Hua Sword Meet. Despite Elder Lu Youjiao's skepticism regarding Yang Kang's sudden succession, Elder Peng confirmed the authenticity of the Dog-beating Staff, and Yang Kang was formally recognized as the 19th-generation Chief. He then underwent the customary ritual of being spat upon by the disciples, enduring the insults as a test of his leadership.
Next, Yang Kang declared that while the main culprits were still at large, two accomplices had been caught. Guo Jing and Huang Rong, gagged and bound, were dragged onto the altar. Many disciples, incensed by Yang Kang's accusations, clamored for their deaths. However, Elders Li Sheng and Yu Zhaoxing, who had previously interacted with Guo Jing and Huang Rong, intervened, asserting their belief in the two's innocence and pleading for a fair investigation.
Yang Kang, undeterred, proceeded to "interrogate" Guo Jing. He asked if Huang Rong was Huang Yaoshi's daughter and if Guo Jing had learned martial arts from the Quanzhen Sect. Since Guo Jing was gagged and couldn't speak, Yang Kang interpreted his silence as an affirmation, further fueling the crowd's anger and proving his fabricated narrative. Just as the situation escalated, fireworks erupted in the distance, signaling the arrival of Qiu Qianren.
Yang Kang quickly halted the execution of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, ordering them to be held while he, along with several elders, went to greet the distinguished guest. During this pause, Guo Jing looked up at the Big Dipper in the night sky, and combining it with the Big Dipper Formation he had seen at Qu San's tavern, he suddenly had an epiphany and made a breakthrough in his martial arts.
Qiu Qianren, representing Prince Zhao (Wanyan Honglie), presented numerous boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry as gifts to the Beggars Sect. He then proposed that the entire sect relocate to the south, claiming it was for their own good, away from the northern wars. Yang Kang, in perfect sync with Qiu Qianren, readily accepted both the lavish gifts and the relocation proposal. This decision sparked outrage among many Beggars Sect members.
Elder Lu Youjiao, along with numerous disciples, vehemently opposed the idea, arguing against abandoning their northern homeland and submitting to the Jin, their sworn enemies. They accused Qiu Qianren and Yang Kang of conspiracy. Undeterred, Yang Kang reaffirmed his authority. In a powerful act of protest against Yang Kang's collaboration with the Jin and his decision to relocate the sect, Elders Li Sheng and Yu Zhaoxing tragically sacrificed their lives.
They made their solemn stand as loyal citizens of the Song dynasty, choosing death over becoming Jin's lackeys. They also implored Elder Lu Youjiao to save Guo Jing and Huang Rong. Yet, Yang Kang remained resolute, declaring that as the Chief, his word was final.
