The Untamed Episode 23 Recap
> The Untamed Recap
Wen Ruohan, bewildered when his puppets outside fell silent, rushed out to find Wei Wuxian playing his flute, Chenqing. Astonished, Wen Ruohan demanded to know where Wei Wuxian had obtained his Yin Iron and what power could possibly control it. Wei Wuxian revealed a spiritual tool he named the Stygian Tiger Amulet, which he had just refined after his "death" and was unlike anything anyone had seen.
Enraged, Wen Ruohan grabbed Wei Wuxian's throat, but the Amulet unleashed its immense power, causing the puppets to collapse. Before Wen Ruohan could react, Meng Yao emerged from behind and fatally stabbed him through the chest. With Wen Ruohan's death, triumphant cheers erupted as everyone celebrated the victory of the Sunshot Campaign, watching as the sun, the symbol of the Wen clan, finally set.
Inside the palace, a barely-alive Nie Mingjue awoke and, upon seeing Meng Yao, furiously grabbed his saber to attack. Lan Xichen swiftly intervened, explaining that Meng Yao had feigned allegiance to Wen Ruohan, providing them with the Wen clan's tactical map and creating the opportunity for the assassination. Still skeptical, Nie Mingjue lowered his saber.
Lan Xichen further explained that Meng Yao had been their secret intelligence source all along and had also saved his life when he escaped the Cloud Recesses. Convinced, Nie Mingjue finally set aside his suspicions. Wei Wuxian awoke after a three-day slumber to find Jiang Yanli by his side. She tenderly advised him to heed Lan Wangji's warnings about the Stygian Tiger Amulet, cautioning him that its overuse would deplete his spirit.
Wei Wuxian was touched to learn Lan Wangji had visited daily to play his guqin, which he acknowledged had helped soothe his mind and aided his swift recovery. Just then, Lan Wangji arrived and, without a word, began playing a melody to calm Wei Wuxian's spirit. Though Wei Wuxian felt refreshed, Lan Wangji remained deeply concerned, fearing the Stygian Tiger Amulet's evil nature would corrupt Wei Wuxian's mind.
Their discussion was interrupted by a commotion outside, where cultivators were aggressively rounding up Wen clan remnants. Clan Leader Jin Guangshan arrived, eager to capture them. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue argued that the common Wen clan members did not deserve death, but Jin Guangshan insisted, citing the danger of a missing Yin Iron shard. He argued that capturing the remnants was necessary to locate it before it fell into the wrong hands.
Jin Guangshan then announced that Meng Yao was his long-lost son, now formally recognized and renamed Jin Guangyao. Jin Guangyao proposed a solution: execute those who had shed cultivators' blood, but confine the powerless—the old, weak, and young—to Qiongqi Path, a secluded and defensible ancient road. His proposal was accepted. Troubled by the moral ambiguity, Wei Wuxian questioned who was truly good or evil. Lan Wangji, still worried, urged him to study the "Cleansing" music score to control his mind.
Wei Wuxian revealed he had forged the Amulet from a Yin Iron sword he found in the Slaughter Xuanwu's cave, expressing frustration at Lan Wangji's perceived lack of trust. Lan Wangji reiterated that this was not an orthodox path and could lead to a loss of control, but Wei Wuxian asserted he was not Wen Ruohan. Suddenly, sounds of a massacre echoed nearby. Jin clan cultivators were indiscriminately slaughtering unarmed Wen clan members, including the elderly, women, and children.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji rushed down to intervene, combining their flute and guqin to play "Rest in Peace," a melody to soothe the souls of the deceased. Meanwhile, in a solemn ceremony, Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, and Jin Guangyao became sworn brothers, pledging to uphold righteousness and protect the common people. That evening, the major clans gathered for a celebratory banquet in Nevernight. Jiang Cheng was honored as the new Clan Leader of Yunmeng Jiang.
Jin Guangyao, now titled Lianfang-Zun, was widely praised and, alongside Nie Mingjue (Chifeng-Zun) and Lan Xichen (Zewu-Jun), became known as one of the Three Zuns. Wei Wuxian, despite his critical role, remained quietly in the background. During the banquet, Nie Mingjue refused to take Wen Ruohan's main seat, prompting Jin Guangshan to rearrange the seating.
Wei Wuxian subtly asked Jin Guangyao about the flexible saber he used to kill Wen Ruohan, but Jin Guangyao dismissed it as an inauspicious weapon he had since discarded. Later, Lan Wangji again urged Wei Wuxian to practice "Cleansing," which Wei Wuxian playfully dismissed as stubbornness. Citing his long friendship with the late Jiang Fengmian, Jin Guangshan formally proposed that his son, Jin Zixuan, and Jiang Yanli rekindle their engagement to unite the families.
Jiang Cheng hesitated, knowing his sister still had feelings for Jin Zixuan but fearing that agreeing now would make the Jiang clan seem opportunistic. Before he could decide, Wei Wuxian stepped forward and politely declined the proposal on their behalf.
