The Sun in the Dark Episode 21 Recap
> The Sun in the Dark Recap
Bai Xiaoying brutally killed Elder Zili, intending to intimidate the immortals and demonstrate her power. She arrogantly wished to harm those who had previously wronged her, acting completely unlike her usual self. When the immortal cultivators defiantly declared they would rather die than submit, Bai Xiaoying readily granted their wish, executing Elder Zili. She then stated that as long as they sincerely submitted to her, she would not harm them, but they still refused to become "Night Clan's lackeys."
Bai Xiaoying retorted that she had all the time to wear them down, fearing they would break first. Ye Chenyuan, witnessing Bai Xiaoying's cruelty, experienced a flicker of lucidity. A voice echoed in his mind, urging him to kill her, reminding him of his duty as the Sword Master to destroy the vessel sealing the Night Deity and protect the Three Realms.
Despite the manipulation, Ye Chenyuan had been subtly regaining his memories and had long been feigning full recovery, hoping to lower Bai Xiaoying's guard for an opportune moment to strike. Ye Chenyuan reflected on their past, remembering when Bai Xiaoying declared he would be hers after combing her hair. One evening, he combed her hair, prompting her to reminisce about him saying she should smile, a phrase he now used on her.
She then said that since he had combed her hair, he was hers and must grant her one wish – himself. However, the persistent voice in his head continued to command him to kill her to stop the Night Deity's reign. With growing feelings for Bai Xiaoying, yet torn by his mission and the manipulative voice, Ye Chenyuan secretly decided to act. He used Bai Xiaoying's token to dismiss guards, then urged the imprisoned immortal cultivators to escape.
Though initially wary and calling him Bai Xiaoying's "lackey" and accusing him of setting a trap, they eventually seized the chance for freedom, spurred by one of their own, Immortal Xiyuan, who advocated for a desperate gamble. Meanwhile, Wan Yan found Ye Chenyuan, telling him that perhaps only he could save Bai Xiaoying. Upon Ye Chenyuan's return, Bai Xiaoying discovered his betrayal.
Feeling deeply hurt and betrayed by the one she loved most, she angrily confronted him, asking why he would defy her and accusing him of thinking she was in the wrong. She recalled the immense suffering they had endured at the hands of those he had freed. Declaring she had been too lenient, Bai Xiaoying announced that he would atone for their sins. She then subjected him to a torturous herbal bath, a "grand gift" for his defiance.
When he questioned if this brought her joy, she affirmed it, asserting that everything she did was for him, and despite her sacrifices, he still betrayed her. She sternly warned him that he was hers, and he should never think of defying her again. Bai Xiaoying's actions, seemingly cruel to outsiders, stemmed from her knowledge that her life was nearing its end and her body could not sustain much longer.
She desperately wanted to fulfill her desires in the limited time remaining. She informed Ye Chenyuan that she had arranged for their wedding to take place in ten days. When he stated he hadn't agreed, she flatly told him she was informing him, not seeking his approval. He was given a Weakening Powder, which she assured him would only make him powerless but not physically harm him, promising the antidote after the wedding.
Ye Chenyuan pleaded with her to stop, asking if it was "still not too late," but she refused, declaring it was "absolutely impossible." As wedding preparations continued, Ye Chenyuan, weakened by the powder, attempted to escape. Bai Xiaoying quickly pursued him, demanding to know why he would try to run when he was drugged, questioning if he hated her and despised marrying her. She ominously warned that he would regret it.
Soon after, Yun Ya visited Ye Chenyuan, expressing surprise at his actions and Bai Xiaoying's continued insistence on marrying him despite his defiance and escape attempt. Yun Ya somberly told Ye Chenyuan that his efforts to protect Bai Xiaoying felt like a joke and warned him that he would ultimately harm her. He revealed that Bai Xiaoying had transferred all her power to him to help him recover his souls and spirits, growing weaker herself in the process.
Yun Ya explained that Bai Xiaoying's current behavior—venting, indulging, and retaliating—was a form of self-destruction, driven by desperation and a lack of rationality. He revealed that fate dictated she must die by Ye Chenyuan's hand in every life, and she knew that his full revival would lead to her doom. Thus, her end would be a relief to everyone, and he wouldn't feel guilt.
Yun Ya concluded that for all of this to truly end, Ye Chenyuan himself must vanish from the world. Faced with this devastating truth, Ye Chenyuan took his own life. Bai Xiaoying, returning, found him in a pool of blood. Distraught, she frantically called his name, believing he was joking or punishing her. She apologized and promised to agree to anything if he would just wake up.
But then, her love turned possessive; she declared he wouldn't escape her even in death, vowing to revive him. Indeed, she used her remaining strength to bring him back to life. After his revival, a resentful Ye Chenyuan asked if she was disappointed he hadn't died. He declared he wouldn't give up on escaping her, but Bai Xiaoying insisted she had a myriad of ways to revive him even if he died.
When he asked if torturing him brought her joy, she defiantly said it did, accusing him of hurting and defying her despite her patience. She told him he had crossed her "bottom line" and that she wanted him to remember the feeling that his entire being, including his life, was hers to control. She asserted that without her permission, he couldn't even die. Bai Xiaoying then confronted Yun Ya for inducing Ye Chenyuan's suicide, accusing him of wanting to die.
Yun Ya confessed his madness, driven by watching her and Ye Chenyuan together, and reminded her of his sacrifices for her, including losing an arm and betraying his sect to join the Night Clan. He questioned her heartlessness. Bai Xiaoying coldly stated she had never felt anything for him, so his accusation of heartlessness was baseless. Yun Ya clung to the hope that she was merely controlled by the Night Deity and that she still cared for him.
However, Bai Xiaoying, unmoved, declared that Immortal Yun Ya had gone mad and was no longer fit to serve her. Citing their past mentorship, she decreed that he would spend the rest of his life imprisoned in Yunxiu Pavilion, with anyone defying her order of no entry or exit facing death. Yun Ya continued to call out her name in despair as he was confined.
