The Moon Brightens for You Episode 35 Recap
> The Moon Brightens for You Recap
Lin Fang woke Zhan Qinghong and led her to a cave where the Nine Stars of the Big Dipper were carved on the wall, notably including two additional hidden stars: Zuo Fu (the Left Assistant) and You Bi (the Right Assistant). Lin Fang theorized that these stars were key to understanding the hidden aspects of the Seven-star swordsmanship. Noticing Jian Ling secretly observing them, they pretended to be interested in picking some Sanqing fruit.
As expected, Jian Ling rushed out, demanding his Sanqing fruit back. Zhan Qinghong, in defiance, swallowed the fruit. To their surprise, Jian Ling reacted not with anger but with praise, explaining that he had deliberately led them there to grasp the Seven-star swordsmanship. He also intended for Zhan Qinghong to consume the miraculous fruit, which would not only rebuild her muscles and bones and regenerate her blood but also enhance her martial arts by over two decades.
Zhan Qinghong quickly grasped the essence of the Seven-star swordsmanship's formulas. Jian Ling then declared he would release them from the valley, but only if Zhan Qinghong could defeat him. Meanwhile, Wen Rou visited Xiahou Ying in prison. Using the pretext of delivering pastries, she passed him a message. During their conversation, Xiahou Ying expressed his belief that he might die and urged Wen Rou to forget him, stating he might not be able to marry her.
He asked her to forget him as his last wish. Wen Rou's message for Huo Yang contained the date "October 16th," but Huo Yang couldn't decipher its meaning and decided to wait for Qiu An's return to discuss it. Shortly after, an envoy from Wulin Rumors delivered a golden hairpin, which Xiao Lan immediately recognized as the one Qiu An had given to Zhan Qinghong.
Seeing the hairpin, Xiao Lan was overwhelmed with emotion, realizing that Zhan Qinghong was still alive. The time for the duel arrived. Initially, Zhan Qinghong seemed to lack confidence, and her sword movements were chaotic, leading even Feng Bufei to believe Jian Ling would surely win. However, Zhan Qinghong employed a clever strategy, counting on Jian Ling's reluctance to harm her.
She used a "self-sacrifice" move, a tactic called "crazy wolf hunting the moon," turning the tables on him and defeating Jian Ling. Jian Ling conceded his defeat, acknowledging that Lin Fang had understood his weakness and had advised Zhan Qinghong to exploit it, combining her fearlessness with his wisdom. He then shared his deep understanding of the Seven-star swordsmanship with Zhan Qinghong, emphasizing principles of fluidity and unity between person and sword.
Lin Fang, in turn, inquired about the consequences of missing a specific formula, learning that it would result in a fatal "weak point" in one's martial arts. Before they left the valley, Jian Ling gifted them a wild ginseng for Lin Fang and a precious sword named Ming Di Liu for Zhan Qinghong. Feng Bufei attempted to follow them out but was stopped by Jian Ling, who intended to keep him in the valley for continued "treatment."
Later, as Huo Yang was sharpening his sabre, Xiao Lan by his side, they were stunned to see Zhan Qinghong and Lin Fang approaching. Xiao Lan rushed to embrace Zhan Qinghong, overjoyed by her return, and the group reunited, reflecting on their changed circumstances. That night, Wen Rou fabricated a story about her mother's illness to trick Wen You into leaving his residence and bringing him to a meeting point outside the city with Lin Fang and the others.
Huo Yang and Xiao Lan, still believing Wen You a traitor, were initially confused to see him and Lin Fang exchange a cordial handshake and smile. Lin Fang clarified the situation, explaining that before the Wulin assembly, he had secretly met with Wen You and Xiahou Ying. Together, they planned to uncover the mastermind behind the current events and their connection to Wang Dun. Wen You agreed to act as an undercover agent within Wang Dun's inner circle.
To facilitate this, Lin Fang planned to relinquish his position as the martial arts leader and release a re-written Seven-star swordsmanship manual with a missing formula, thus luring their true enemy into the open. Lin Fang admitted that while his overall plan was thorough, certain events were unforeseen. Wen You's act of severing Zhan Qinghong's tendons, for instance, was an impromptu decision made to save her life.
Similarly, the arrests of Xiahou Ying and the subjugation of the martial artists to the court were unexpected but ultimately served to protect them. Huo Yang, realizing his mistake, apologized to Wen You. Wen You, accepting the apology, then divulged Wang Dun's complete plan. Wang Dun intended to launch his coup at the Temporary Palace the following day when the Emperor was scheduled to rest there after a heavenly worship ceremony.
Lin Fang outlined their counter-plan: they would arrange for Xiahou Ying's release after Wang Dun departed. Xiahou Ying, with his high prestige among the Imperial Guards, would then lead them to rescue the Emperor. Huo Yang confirmed he had already contacted Luo Wu and other allies as per Xiahou Ying's instructions, and Qiu An had secretly prepared an ambush near Jun'an, awaiting the opportune moment to strike. The greatest current concern, they agreed, was Wang Dun's mastery of the potent Seven-star swordsmanship, which raised doubts about Zhan Qinghong's ability to defeat him.
