The Untamed Episode 39 Recap
> The Untamed Recap
Wei Wuxian confronted Xue Yang in the thick fog, accusing him of a litany of cruelties. He recounted how Xue Yang had betrayed Xiao Xingchen's kindness by turning living people into puppets, deceiving the blind cultivator, turning Song Lan into his current state, and not even sparing the young girl, A-Qing. Xue Yang, seemingly amused, scoffed at Wei Wuxian's disgust, questioning why Wei Wuxian would then beg him to restore Xiao Xingchen's shattered soul.
He bitterly declared that since Xiao Xingchen aspired to be a virtuous man, he would deliberately ruin that dream. Wei Wuxian then pressed Xue Yang on his reasons for killing Chang Ping. Xue Yang vehemently stated his intent to wipe out the entire Chang clan, leaving nothing behind. Wei Wuxian employed psychological tactics, arguing that Xue Yang, known for ruthlessly exacting revenge, would not have waited so many years for such an act, implying he was avenging someone else.
He further questioned why Xue Yang chose the agonizing Lingchi punishment, used Frostwork instead of his own sword, and gouged out Chang Ping's eyes to mimic Xiao Xingchen's blindness. Xue Yang dismissed these inquiries as irrelevant. As Xue Yang tried to launch a sneak attack, Wen Ning swiftly intercepted him. Wei Wuxian continued his taunts, speculating that Xue Yang must have had help restoring the Stygian Tiger Amulet and questioning where his "friend," who was skilled at acting, was now.
As Xue Yang remained silent and concealed in the dense fog, Wei Wuxian discerned the distinct tapping of A-Qing's bamboo pole, realizing she was subtly guiding them to Xue Yang's location. He swiftly instructed Lan Wangji to strike towards the sound. Furious at A-Qing's betrayal, Xue Yang lunged at her and fatally stabbed her. Simultaneously, Lan Wangji seized the opportunity, severely wounding Xue Yang and severing his left arm.
As blood gushed from Xue Yang's wound, a mysterious Ghostface Man descended from above, swiftly snatched the Stygian Tiger Amulet from Xue Yang, and disappeared into the fog. Wei Wuxian remarked that despite his successful stabs, the man still escaped, concluding that he and Xue Yang were allied and served the same master. Lan Wangji observed that the Ghostface Man's swordsmanship, though rooted in the Lan clan of Gusu, incorporated techniques of the Jin clan of Lanling.
At that moment, their junior disciples arrived, and Song Lan, having regained his consciousness, rose to his feet, his eyes burning with rage. As the mortally wounded Xue Yang collapsed, his mind flashed back to his final, distorted interactions with Xiao Xingchen. He remembered taunting Xiao Xingchen, offering to tell him how he lost his finger.
He recounted a harrowing childhood memory: at seven years old, desperate for candy, he was lashed by a man in a cart, Chang Cian, who then drove the cart's wheels over his left hand, crushing his bones and turning one finger into a bloody mess. Xiao Xingchen angrily confronted Xue Yang, unable to comprehend how a single broken finger justified wiping out the entire Chang clan of over fifty people.
Xue Yang coldly countered that his own finger was his, while those lives were merely others', thus no number of lives could compensate for his suffering. When pressed about why he destroyed the White Snow Pavilion and blinded Song Lan, Xue Yang twisted the blame, accusing Xiao Xingchen of meddling and hindering his revenge.
He sneered that Xiao Xingchen should have listened to his mentor, Baoshan Sanren, and remained on the mountain if he was so incapable of grasping the ways of the world. Disgusted, Xiao Xingchen lunged at Xue Yang, who mocked him, declaring his hatred for "righteous" people like him. He then cruelly revealed the truth: the "evil corpses" they had been fighting were all living villagers whose tongues he had cut out.
He graphically described their terror, which Xiao Xingchen, having sacrificed his own eyes, could neither see nor hear. Horrified, Xiao Xingchen cried out that Xue Yang was lying. Xue Yang confirmed his deception, noting that Xiao Xingchen had believed his lies but now refused to believe the truth. He then challenged Xiao Xingchen to fight the person standing behind him.
Hearing the familiar clang of a sword, Xiao Xingchen trembled as he identified his friend's sword, Fuxue, realizing Song Lan had been turned into a puppet. Xue Yang relished Xiao Xingchen's despair, branding him a failure who brought his misery upon himself. Overwhelmed, Xiao Xingchen collapsed, pleading with Xue Yang to let him go. In utter despair, with blood streaming from his empty eye sockets, Xiao Xingchen picked up Frostwork and slit his own throat.
Xue Yang was initially shocked, but his immediate thought was to turn Xiao Xingchen into a subservient puppet to keep by his side. He cheerfully began preparing a summoning ritual, even setting out a meal. However, when he snapped his fingers, Xiao Xingchen remained lifeless. Xue Yang knelt down, realizing in horror that Xiao Xingchen's soul had completely shattered, rendering him beyond resurrection.
Like a child who had lost his most cherished candy, Xue Yang wailed in profound grief, his pleas and threats met with silence. The flashback ended. Back in the present, Xue Yang lay dying, clutching the last piece of candy Xiao Xingchen had ever given him. Seeing him, the enraged Song Lan raised his sword and fatally impaled him, finally ending his life. Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and the junior disciples buried A-Qing.
In the Coffin Town, they found Song Lan standing solemnly beside Xiao Xingchen's body. Wei Wuxian handed the Spirit-trapping pouch containing Xiao Xingchen's fragmented soul to Song Lan. Unable to speak, Song Lan expressed his gratitude by inscribing on the ground with his sword that he would now roam the world with Frostwork, exorcising evil as if Xiao Xingchen were by his side.
As Song Lan departed, Wei Wuxian sadly reflected on the two cultivators, "Xiao Xingchen, the Moon in Breeze," and "Song Zichen, the Gentry Despite Frost," wondering if they would ever reunite. Following the Blade Spirit's persistent guidance, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji located a black coffin secured by a Suppressing Circle. They opened it to discover a well-preserved headless corpse.
At that moment, the Blade Spirit finally transformed into the recognizable form of Baxia, confirming the corpse to be that of the long-missing Nie Mingjue. Leaving the tragic town, the group arrived in Tanzhou. Lan Sizhui, lost in thought while looking at a toy, mentioned to Lan Jingyi that he could not recall anything before the age of three.
Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian spotted a small boy at the market, which reminded him strongly of Wen Yuan, stirring a deep sense of melancholy. He then bought a rabbit lantern with Lan Wangji. Upon returning to their inn, they learned Lan Xichen had arrived. Lan Xichen gravely confirmed their discovery of Nie Mingjue's headless corpse.
Wei Wuxian then brought up the Ghostface Man, whose swordsmanship incorporated both Lan and Jin clan techniques, and who had tried to prevent them from finding Nie Mingjue's body. He suggested the culprit must be intimately familiar with the secrets of the Nie clan, have close ties to the Lan clan, and a complicated history with Nie Mingjue himself, implicitly suspecting Jin Guangyao.
Lan Xichen vehemently dismissed this, asserting that Jin Guangyao had been with him almost constantly, planning the upcoming Cultivation Conference. He argued that Jin Guangyao showed no signs of cultivating the difficult Transportation Technique required for a Portal Talisman, nor did he exhibit the subsequent energy drain. Wei Wuxian retorted that Lan Xichen was aware of who the most suspicious person was but refused to admit it.
Lan Xichen acknowledged this, admitting he trusted what he had seen of that person over the years, despite public misconceptions. Their conversation was interrupted by junior disciples arguing. One angrily condemned Xue Yang and then railed against "crooked heretics" like Wei Wuxian, asserting they should all be killed. At this, Lan Xichen gently addressed Wei Wuxian as "Childe Wei," telling him not to take the words to heart and openly acknowledging his identity. Wei Wuxian apologized for his deception.
Lan Xichen revealed he had only just confirmed it, likely by observing Lan Wangji's behavior. Wei Wuxian then urged Lan Xichen to deeply consider the implications of the Blade Spirit's reappearance at Mo Manor, emphasizing that it was no coincidence.
