The Sun in the Dark Episode 13 Recap
> The Sun in the Dark Recap
Chuli learned that the Night Deity resided within her, and the only way to prevent it from harming the human world was for her to die, an extremely cruel solution that would eliminate the Night Deity completely. She questioned if she would vanish entirely and if there was any method to remove the Night Deity from her body. Wan Guchen explained that only the Sword Master wielding the Divine Sword could contend with it.
Chuli realized this meant Wan Guchen would personally have to kill her if she ever lost control. Determined, Chuli declared she would never let her life be dictated by others and refused to believe there wasn't another way to suppress the Night Deity in the vast Three Realms. Wan Guchen agreed, assuring her they would find a solution.
Chuli then remembered hearing about the mystical arts of the descendants of Shennong and those from Kunlun Ruins, suggesting they seek them out. Wan Guchen urged her to heal her injuries first, not wanting to travel with "dead weight," and told her to rest. Alone, Chuli battled the turmoil within her, vowing never to submit. When Wan Guchen returned, he found her slumped over a table.
He rushed to her side, calling her name in concern, but quickly realized she was only pretending and was fine, much to his relief. An elder of the Shennong Clan informed them that while the Fireflow Fungus could suppress demonic energy, it had been extinct for eight centuries. However, he suggested trying the Black River Grass, unique to Kunlun Mountain, as it was known to suppress demonic energy.
Chuli tried the bitter Black River Grass medicine and felt some of the demonic energy within her being suppressed, confirming its effect. However, she noted its minimal impact and inability to provide a complete cure, believing she simply hadn't consumed enough. Finding the medicine unbearably bitter, she playfully asked Wan Guchen to feed it to her, and when he did, she kissed him. She then claimed it made the medicine "not bitter" anymore. She noticed him blushing, which he denied.
Chuli continued to tease him, emphasizing the importance of seizing the moment and enjoying life. Later, they went to a lantern festival. Chuli noticed some candied haws, and Wan Guchen bought her one. As other girls admired Wan Guchen, Chuli asserted that he was hers. She told him to smile and stop frowning, asking if the lanterns or she were unattractive. Wan Guchen, still worried about her recovery, cautioned her against activities that would drain her energy.
Chuli dismissed his concerns, wanting to enjoy herself. Wan Guchen complimented her, calling her an "extraordinarily graceful" immortal who must be very popular. Chuli asked if he had ever fancied anyone before her. He replied, "Yes, you," and when she pressed for a truthful answer, he repeated, "It was still you." Chuli called him smooth-tongued but accepted his answer, finding his mysteriousness intriguing.
Wan Guchen insisted he wasn't lying, stating he had told her he loved her centuries ago, but she had forgotten. He promised to always find her and fall for her again in any lifetime. At the festival, Chuli had a clay figurine made in her likeness. She gave it to Wan Guchen as a memento, revealing her fear that her body might not recover and she might not have long to live.
She told him that if she were truly nearing her end, she would even allow him to love someone else, but on one condition: he must never forget her. She instructed him to keep the figurine safely stored away and not to think of her daily, but to remember her occasionally when he saw it.
Wan Guchen promised not to forget anything that had happened between them and asked her not to make him wait too long when they met again. Wan Guchen suggested they travel to Chaos Valley, believing there must be a way to save Chuli there, affectionately calling her "unique and potent medicine." Just then, Hua Yuying, the Night Clan's Left Envoy, appeared, hailing Chuli as the "Night Deity" and asking her to return to their palace.
Chuli denied being the Night Deity, stating she was just an ordinary Night Clan member without a demonic bone, and refused to go with them. Hua Yuying then revealed the existence of the Asura Spring in Demon Heart Hall, a sacred healing spring of their clan, which could enhance Chuli's power and heal her body, even if she did not wish to become the Night Deity.
Wan Guchen expressed concern, knowing the Night Clan was dangerous, but Chuli decided to go, believing any hope was worth pursuing and that her cultivation level meant she had nothing to fear. She stipulated that Wan Guchen must accompany her and that they must not be separated, to which Hua Yuying agreed. Upon their arrival at the Night Clan stronghold, Chuli was met with everyone kneeling and hailing her as "Night Deity."
She immediately denied it, stating her name was Bai Chuli. Hua Yuying introduced Jiaotu, the Night Clan's Right Envoy, who would escort Chuli to the Asura Spring. However, Hua Yuying intervened, preventing Wan Guchen from accompanying Chuli, explaining that the Asura Spring was a sacred site where outsiders were forbidden. He said he would take Wan Guchen to rest while Jiaotu guided Chuli.
Wan Guchen tried to object, but Chuli reassured him it would be fine and allowed herself to be led away. Inside, more Night Clan members knelt and hailed her. Chuli demanded to know what they were doing and told them to rise. They explained that the Night Clan had suffered centuries of oppression from the Nine Heavens due to a lack of leadership and now, with the Night Deity's return, their power would multiply.
They implored Chuli to lead them against the Nine Heavens. Chuli reminded them that she only came to recuperate and threatened to leave with Wan Guchen if they went back on their word. Hua Yuying firmly told her she could not leave as she wished. Wan Guchen, who had been taken away, was revealed to have been ambushed and poisoned, his power significantly weakened.
He accused them of using underhanded tactics to separate him from Chuli and ambush him, adding that he would not survive the night. He declared that Chuli would never agree to become the Night Deity and attempted to take her away. The Night Clan members stopped him, revealing their intention to empower their clan through Chuli's ascension. Chuli warned them that if she died, they would gain nothing. Suddenly, a child named Ling appeared, calling Chuli's name.
Ling explained that Right Envoy Jiaotu had told her Chuli would return and become the Night Clan's Night Deity, which would give Ling the power to heal her own body. Hua Yuying told Ling that Chuli was refusing the mantle, and Ling tearfully asked why Chuli didn't want to live with them. Chuli demanded to see Wan Guchen. They brought him, unconscious.
Hua Yuying's subordinates immediately recognized Wan Guchen as Nine Heavens' Sword Master and the Night Clan's sworn enemy, advocating for his death while he was unconscious. Chuli fiercely protected him, stating he was under her protection and daring anyone to touch him. The subordinates questioned her authority, stating they would not obey unless she was their leader. Ling pleaded with them not to harm Wan Guchen, reminding them he was a good man who had saved them.
Hua Yuying seized the moment, telling Ling that if Chuli agreed to become the Night Deity, they would spare Wan Guchen. Facing the dilemma of her own predetermined death, Wan Guchen's life, and Ling's hope for healing, Chuli made a difficult decision. She announced her acceptance of the Night Deity position, but with the condition that from now on, everyone must obey her orders, and Wan Guchen must not be harmed.
The subordinates acknowledged her command, but then questioned what to do with Wan Guchen, a member of the Nine Heavens, as his presence might still be detrimental to the Night Clan. Wan Guchen awoke later in an unfamiliar inn, confused about his whereabouts. The innkeeper explained that "strange people" had brought him there the previous night, paid for his stay, and asked her to ensure his safe awakening. Wan Guchen immediately rushed back to the Night Clan hall.
He found Chuli adorned in Night Deity attire, being hailed by the assembled clan. He called out to her, declaring his intention to take her away. Hua Yuying intervened, stating that as the newly ascended Night Deity, Chuli must sever all ties with anyone from the Nine Heavens and that the coronation ceremony must proceed. Wan Guchen confronted Chuli, questioning if she had truly agreed to become their Night Deity. Chuli confirmed her agreement and urged him to leave.
Believing she was coerced, he tried again to take her. Chuli explained that they had exhausted all other options, and this was the only path remaining. She expressed her weariness of clinging to hope only to have it shatter repeatedly, and reassured him that they had promised not to kill him, again telling him to leave quickly.
Wan Guchen refused, lamenting that he had lived for three centuries with similar shattering hopes, and begged her not to become the Night Deity and not to abandon him. Chuli, with a resolute expression, stated her decision was final and warned that if he didn't leave, she "would have no choice but to act" against him. Wan Guchen stood his ground, declaring that he had never retreated from the entire Nine Heavens and would not retreat now.
Chuli desperately warned him that they would kill him, but Wan Guchen replied that without her, his existence held no meaning. As the ceremony proceeded and Hua Yuying announced it was time for the Night Deity to accept the rites, Wan Guchen called out Chuli's name once more. Hua Yuying then directly told Chuli that if she spared Wan Guchen, she would not be able to complete her ascension.
Wan Guchen, unwavering, reiterated that even if it meant death, he would not yield, and without Chuli, his life had no meaning. Hua Yuying swiftly ordered her subordinates to stop them and prevent their escape.
