The Untamed Episode 37 Recap
> The Untamed Recap
Wei Wuxian gathered the juniors within a strange house, explaining that while there was no immediate danger, the place felt peculiar, and they needed to be cautious. He declared his intention to prepare glutinous rice porridge for detoxification, instructing Lan Sizhui to fetch water and Jin Ling to clean up, despite Jin Ling's complaints about the messy task and the unpleasant smell.
Lan Sizhui astutely deduced that it was the glutinous rice itself, a folk remedy, that held the curative properties, prompting Wei Wuxian to confirm his need for a kitchen in a populated house. Wei Wuxian then questioned how the juniors had all converged on Coffin Town.
They explained they had been tracking an elusive entity that left trails of dead cat corpses, leading them separately to Yueyang, where they discovered they were all pursuing the same mystery before being directed to Coffin Town by a hunter. Wei Wuxian immediately suspected that someone had deliberately orchestrated their arrival to unite them with him and Lan Wangji, possibly the individual responsible for the restored Stygian Tiger Amulet, who he believed might currently be in Coffin Town.
Once the glutinous rice porridge was ready, Wei Wuxian had Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling distribute it to the poisoned individuals. The juniors winced at its extreme spiciness, prompting Wei Wuxian to explain that the intense heat would induce sweating and speed up their recovery. Suddenly, a strange thudding sound echoed from outside. Wei Wuxian subtly peered through a window, then dramatically feigned shock, drawing the attention of the curious juniors.
As they looked out, they saw a frail, blind girl with blank eyes, leaning on a bamboo cane, and spitting blood. Wei Wuxian encouraged them to observe closely, framing it as an exercise for their cultivation. The juniors described her: a slender girl of about fifteen or sixteen with an oval face, comely features, and a small fox carved on her wooden hairpin.
She was dressed in rags like a street beggar, clearly blind and mute, using the bamboo pole as a blind cane. They also noticed unsettling black marks on her neck. Wei Wuxian affirmed her pitiable state and confirmed she had been following them, but dismissed the juniors' suggestion that she might be the "Ghostface Man" due to her vastly different movements.
Concluding that the blind and mute girl was silently seeking their help, Wei Wuxian watched as she continued her desperate tapping. Just then, a blind man stumbled through the toxic fog outside. Despite the obvious danger of the poisonous mist, the juniors debated whether to help, with one urging Wei Wuxian to rescue him.
Recognizing the urgency, Wei Wuxian swiftly performed the "Summoning of Painted Eyes," reciting an ancient incantation to bring the man safely inside while commanding the summoned entities to eliminate any other external threats. The juniors recognized the man's distinctive sword, Frostwork, and identified him as Xiao Xingchen. Wei Wuxian immediately administered the glutinous rice porridge to Xiao Xingchen. However, their brief reprieve was shattered as hundreds of puppets surged forward, filling the street and threatening to breach the house.
As Wei Wuxian prepared to draw a talisman, Song Lan suddenly crashed through the roof, enraged and attacking them fiercely. Wei Wuxian noticed the tell-tale black marks of a puppet on Song Lan's neck. He quickly played his flute, Chenqing, and Song Lan's frenzied assault abruptly ceased, allowing the juniors to bind him. Upon closer inspection, a junior was horrified to discover that Song Lan's tongue had been removed, lamenting the viciousness of such an act.
With Song Lan secured, Wei Wuxian examined him, discovering two long black nails embedded in his head, chillingly identical to those he had removed from Wen Ning. Unable to communicate through speech, Wei Wuxian asked if any of the juniors had studied "Inquiry." Lan Sizhui volunteered, confirming he had his guqin and that Hanguang-Jun himself had praised his proficiency, asserting that summoned spirits could choose not to answer but could never lie.
Wei Wuxian instructed Sizhui to ask Song Lan his name and who had harmed him. Sizhui successfully ascertained Song Lan's identity. Then, to everyone's collective shock, Sizhui relayed Song Lan's answer to the second question: he had been harmed by Xiao Xingchen. The juniors found this revelation impossible to reconcile with the legendary deep friendship between Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, but Sizhui confidently reaffirmed the accuracy of his interpretation.
Wei Wuxian then instructed Sizhui to ask Song Lan who controlled him. Sizhui's face paled as he relayed the chilling answer: "The one behind you!" Simultaneously, the supposedly unconscious Xiao Xingchen's lips curled into an evil smile, and he snapped his fingers. Song Lan immediately broke free from his bonds, roaring as he lunged, placing his sword against Wei Wuxian's throat.
Realizing the immediate danger, Wei Wuxian calmly ordered Lan Sizhui to lead the other juniors outside, emphasizing that he would remain behind to confront the imposter. Once the juniors were safely gone, "Xiao Xingchen" dropped his pretense, revealing himself to be Xue Yang. Xue Yang mockingly acknowledged Wei Wuxian's earlier performance, then admitted he had seen through Wei Wuxian's disguise from the moment he heard his flute and had orchestrated this entire charade.
He confessed to creating all the puppets in Coffin Town using the Stygian Tiger Amulet and having a "friend" keep Lan Wangji occupied. Xue Yang cut to the chase, revealing his true purpose: he wanted Wei Wuxian to help him restore a heavily fragmented spiritual cognition, contained within a Spirit-trapping Pouch. Wei Wuxian examined the spiritual cognition and declared it almost entirely gone and impossible to restore, as the person was clearly dead and lacked any will to survive.
Xue Yang's demeanor immediately shifted, becoming menacing. He angrily demanded that Wei Wuxian somehow revive the spirit, threatening the juniors if Wei Wuxian refused. He argued that since Wei Wuxian supposedly "revived" Wen Ning, he should be able to do this as well, dismissing Wei Wuxian's correction that Wen Ning was never truly dead.
Wei Wuxian observed that Xue Yang remained as vicious as ever, despite his handsome appearance, and openly questioned why Xue Yang, a known delinquent, was now pretending to be a virtuous cultivator. Xue Yang admitted to feigning injury and using Frostwork to gain sympathy, explaining that Xiao Xingchen's good reputation made it easier to win trust. Wei Wuxian then confronted Xue Yang, asking if he was responsible for the long black nails used to control Song Lan and Wen Ning.
Xue Yang confirmed it, further revealing he had secretly hidden a piece of Yin Iron before the Nevernight campaign—not the Chang clan's, which he dismissed as too weak to possess such a powerful artifact. He clarified the full prophecy of Yin Iron, adding that "All the energy of the four directions belong to Xuanwu."
He then revealed Wei Wuxian had inadvertently stumbled upon the last Yin Iron shard sealed within a sword inside the Slaughter-Xuanwu, which allowed Wei Wuxian to create the Stygian Tiger Amulet. Xue Yang knew about all five shards and mockingly suggested that everyone mistakenly believed Wei Wuxian had stolen his Yin Iron and forged the amulet.
Xue Yang then chillingly confirmed his responsibility for the massacre of both the Chang clan and Snow White Pavilion, stating he never exaggerates when he promises to wipe out an entire clan, including their pets. Just as Wei Wuxian was seething with anger, Wen Ning burst into the room, fiercely engaging Song Lan in battle.
Xue Yang, ever the opportunist, took advantage of the distraction to ambush Wei Wuxian, intending to incapacitate him and force him to repair the spiritual cognition. He dismissed Wei Wuxian's protests, suggesting they work together. Their struggle was interrupted as Lan Wangji suddenly appeared, having dispatched Xue Yang's "friend" outside. Lan Wangji confronted Xue Yang, who, still holding Frostwork, demanded it back, only for Lan Wangji to retort that he didn't deserve it.
Lan Wangji then commented on Xue Yang's sword, Jiangzai (Looming Disaster), stating its name perfectly matched him. With Lan Wangji now fighting Xue Yang, Wei Wuxian realized they were no longer needed there. He quickly gathered the juniors and instructed them to follow the unique tapping sound of the blind girl's bamboo cane, explaining that she had been trying to guide them out of the city all along.
He reassured the hesitant juniors that the blind girl was attempting to save them, not lead them into danger. As they departed, Wei Wuxian left Lan Wangji to handle Xue Yang. As they followed the blind girl, the juniors expressed confusion about Xue Yang's presence and the earlier deception. Wei Wuxian briefly clarified that the person Lan Wangji was currently fighting was Xue Yang, who had been impersonating Xiao Xingchen.
The blind girl led them to a Coffin Home, a place where unclaimed bodies are temporarily stored. The juniors were wary, questioning its safety from puppets and the girl's sudden disappearance. Wei Wuxian observed the silence, concluding the area must be clear of puppets. The blind girl reappeared, guiding them to a particular coffin and tapping it urgently with her bamboo cane. Wei Wuxian cautiously opened the coffin, discovering to his astonishment the genuine corpse of Xiao Xingchen inside.
The blind girl broke down into pitiful sobs. A junior suggested using "Inquiry" to understand what had transpired, but Wei Wuxian dismissed it, believing the answers would be too complex and difficult to interpret from a spirit. Instead, he proposed a more direct, albeit dangerous, method: Empathy.
Despite warnings from a junior about the inherent risks of such a "wicked trick" and the possibility of not returning, Wei Wuxian deemed it necessary due to the time constraint and their need to reunite with Lan Wangji. He instructed everyone to prepare to begin the Empathy ritual.
