The Untamed Episode 2 Recap
> The Untamed Recap
Wei Wuxian journeyed with a stubborn donkey that would only eat tender grass with dew, forcing him to affectionately name it "Little Apple" to coax it along. While resting at a well, he encountered a group of cultivators discussing why their monster-indicating compasses remained still, despite their proximity to Dafan Mountain. A debate ensued over the quality of the compasses, which were originally designed by Wei Wuxian himself.
Intrigued, Wei Wuxian learned from them that the mountain was rumored to be haunted by a "soul-eater," which had caused several villagers to fall into a soulless state. Continuing his journey, Wei Wuxian came across a young woman, A-Yan, dancing erratically. Her mother explained that A-Yan's fiancé had lost his soul after going into the mountains. A-Yan went searching for him and returned in her current state, constantly dancing towards Dafan Mountain as if possessed.
The family's tragedy was compounded when A-Yan's father also lost his soul and died soon after. Suddenly, cries for help led Wei Wuxian to the group of cultivators from the well, now ensnared in golden Immortal-Binding Nets. A youth in the lavish robes of the Lanling Jin Clan appeared—Jin Ling. He berated the men for damaging his network of over four hundred nets and refused to release them until he had captured his quarry.
Little Apple bolted, revealing Wei Wuxian's presence. Jin Ling recognized him as Mo Xuanyu, who had been expelled from the Jin Clan, and mocked his disheveled appearance, calling him a "lewd thief" and insulting him for his lack of a proper upbringing. Unfazed, Wei Wuxian used a simple spell to immobilize Jin Ling, who furiously threatened to call for his uncle. At that moment, Jiang Cheng—Jin Ling's uncle—arrived.
Not recognizing Wei Wuxian, he chastised Jin Ling for his incompetence and declared that anyone using the Yiling Patriarch's "heretical tricks" should be killed and fed to the dogs. Just as Jiang Cheng prepared to act, Lan Wangji arrived with Lan Sizhui and other Lan disciples. Lan Wangji condemned Jin Ling's indiscriminate use of the Immortal-Binding Nets, arguing that they unfairly obstructed other cultivators in violation of night-hunting etiquette.
After a brief protest from Jin Ling, Lan Wangji summoned his sword and destroyed all four hundred nets with a single stroke of blue light. He then placed a silencing spell on Jin Ling. Though enraged, Jiang Cheng grudgingly conceded and left with his nephew, warning Wei Wuxian not to cause more trouble.
Afterward, Wei Wuxian overheard other cultivators discussing Jin Ling's tragic past: his father had been killed as a result of Wei Wuxian's actions, and his mother, Jiang Yanli—Wei Wuxian's own beloved senior sister—had also died because of him. They noted this was the source of Jiang Cheng's deep-seated hatred for the Yiling Patriarch. Devastated by the realization that Jin Ling was his nephew, Wei Wuxian slapped himself, filled with remorse for his earlier harsh insult.
He lamented that while he thought his heart was stone, he was, after all, only human. The Lan disciples found no trace of any soul-eating creature, but an old grave keeper told them about a "Dancing Goddess" statue in the Tiannv Temple on the mountain peak—a stone that looked unnervingly human and was said to move.
Wei Wuxian noticed the area was thick with dark spiritual energy from numerous cultivators' graves and found Soul-Gathering Grass, confirming the presence of a large burial site which the old man identified as belonging to the long-gone Wen Clan. Meanwhile, in the dilapidated Tiannv Temple, Jin Ling scoffed at the "wild god" statue and defiantly wished for the soul-eating entity to appear before him. Instantly, a nearby cultivator collapsed, and the Dancing Goddess statue began to move.
Wei Wuxian rushed in, shouting that the statue itself was the soul-eater and that it had been granting wishes in exchange for souls. He deduced that A-Yan's father had wished for his daughter's soul to be returned, which the Goddess did, but left A-Yan's spirit damaged, causing her to mimic the statue's dance. Jin Ling's wish had fully awakened it, and it grew into a towering, impervious figure. Unable to harm the statue, Wei Wuxian played his flute, summoning aid.
An eerie wind rose, and with the rattling of chains, the Ghost General, Wen Ning, appeared. The cultivators, merely startled by the statue, were terrified by Wen Ning, whom they believed had been reduced to ash sixteen years ago. While they questioned if he was an illusion, Wen Ning swiftly destroyed the stone goddess. The cultivators then turned on Wen Ning, but Wei Wuxian controlled him with his flute, making him defend himself non-lethally.
As the confrontation escalated, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng arrived. Wei Wuxian immediately changed his tune, ordering Wen Ning to retreat. In that moment of recognition, Lan Wangji strode forward and seized Wei Wuxian's arm. Jiang Cheng, stunned by Wen Ning's return, furiously demanded to know the identity of the flute player. He struck out with Zidian, his purple lightning whip that can forcibly separate a possessing soul from its host body.
To his shock, the whip had no effect, proving Wei Wuxian was not a soul that had taken over Mo Xuanyu's body. A cultivator challenged Jiang Cheng, questioning how he could be so sure the Yiling Patriarch was dead, and reminded everyone that Jiang Cheng himself was said to have delivered the final blow. Overwhelmed, Wei Wuxian gazed at the sky, wishing he could return to Lotus Pier sixteen years ago, even if only in a dream.
The scene flashed back sixteen years. A younger Wei Wuxian was being called by his Senior Sister, Jiang Yanli, for her lotus root and pork rib soup, while Jiang Cheng threatened to unleash dogs to get him out of bed. Jiang Cheng reminded Wei Wuxian of their shared dream to become the "Twin Heroes of Yunmeng," to rival Gusu's "Twin Jades," and their vow that the three of them would never be separated.
Later, the trio arrived in Caiyi Town on their way to the Cloud Recesses for lectures. Wei Wuxian excitedly declared his intent to drink Gusu's famed "Emperor's Smile" liquor. Jiang Cheng, ever the stickler for rules, forbade it, reminding him they were representing the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. Jiang Yanli gently mediated, suggesting they rest first.
Ignoring Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian ran off in search of a tavern, prompting Jiang Cheng to lament to his sister that Wei Wuxian was bound to cause chaos, but she fondly defended his free spirit, noting it was in line with their clan's own teachings.
