The Vendetta of An Episode 22 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recap
As Ye Zheng moved to protect Xiao Wenjing from a group of assassins, he reached for his blade, but his mentor, Zhu Zhilong, blocked his path. Zhu issued a cold warning: if Ye Zheng wanted to survive, he had to stand down. Ye Zheng was devastated to realize that the man he had long regarded as a father was shielding the enemy.
Zhu Zhilong revealed his true identity as a Tiemo operative, explaining that the Tiemo forces were already infiltrating Chang'an and his loyalty belonged solely to them. He mentioned that the memory of his own children, who died years ago in the freezing lands of Tiemo, fueled his decades of service. When Ye Zheng questioned his cruelty toward his pupils, Zhu dismissed the lives of his two adopted orphans as insignificant compared to the glory of the Tiemo cause.
Su Changlin soon arrived on horseback with Xiaoqing, who was unconscious and bleeding out from a back wound. Ye Zheng realized that further resistance would only lead to both their deaths, so he complied when Zhu ordered him to take her back to the Taiyiji Clinic. Zhu Zhilong made it clear that Ye Zheng and Xiaoqing were merely bait to lure out Xie Huaian. Back at the clinic, Ye Zheng spent an agonizing night tending to Xiaoqing’s wounds.
He promised her that once she recovered, he would help her take revenge on Su Changlin. However, Xiaoqing was consumed by despair, questioning if their hearts could ever heal after being betrayed by the master who raised them. Meanwhile, the King of Tiemo held Xiao Wenjing captive. The young prince was shocked to recognize the king as his former teacher from the Imperial Academy, Wu Zhongheng.
The King of Tiemo boasted about his twenty-year infiltration, during which he had befriended powerful elites like Liu Ziwen, General Yan Fengshan, and the State Preceptor Cen Weizong. He mocked Xiao Wenjing’s reputation for cowardice but noted that this very trait made him the perfect puppet for those seeking the throne.
He compared the prince to the late Gu Yu, remarking that brave men who lead from the front are always the first to fall, whereas a coward’s timidity is a unique survival skill. He also revealed that Zhu Zhilong’s presence meant Xie Huaian’s internal defenses had long been compromised. Xie Huaian eventually regained consciousness in his late sister's former residence. Chen Zhiying explained that her people had found him collapsed at Gu Yu’s grave and brought him back.
Having slept for four days, Xie Huaian was struck by the gravity of the situation; with Gu Yu dead, the Baiwenhu Army was in danger of collapsing, and the Tiemo forces were advancing rapidly toward Chang'an. Chen Zhiying offered her support in the fight against the invaders. Xie Huaian then entrusted her with the vital battle report that Gu Yu had died to protect, hiding it within his own body.
He admitted he had no one else to trust with the scroll, which held the key to the empire's survival. Zhiying accepted the mission, vowing to deliver the intelligence to the front lines. Before departing, Xie Huaian returned to his family's old estate. In the silence of the ruins, he saw a vision of his late father, who encouraged him to shake off his exhaustion.
His father reminded him that while his personal vendetta against Yan Fengshan was satisfied, his duty to protect Chang'an from the Tiemo remained. Xie Huaian finally removed the red ribbon he had worn as a symbol of his vengeance, signaling that his private debt was paid. He decided his only path forward was to seek out the Tiemo himself, acting as bait to protect his friends and find an opportunity to deal with the primary Tiemo threat.
Across the city, the King of Tiemo visited a noodle shop run by an old man named Sha. As he ate, Su Changlin arrived to report that Xie Huaian’s friends were under surveillance and trapped. The King ordered Su Changlin to focus on finding Xiao Wuyang, noting that once he was eliminated, the city's defenses would crumble. Su Changlin’s attempt to compare himself to the late Yan Fengshan was met with biting contempt from the shopkeeper.
Sha openly mocked Su Changlin for being worse than a beast for brutally killing the benefactor who had raised him. Ignoring the tension, the King asked Sha to pass a message to his old friend, Cen Weizong (known as Cen Pickles), announcing his arrival in Chang'an. Later, Xie Huaian arrived at the residence where the King of Tiemo was staying—the former home of Yang Chuhao. He found the King sunning a collection of rare books in the courtyard.
The King recalled a question he had once asked Xie Huaian at the academy regarding his future ambitions. Xie Huaian remembered his own answer: in times of peace, he would serve a wise ruler, but in times of chaos, he would eliminate all enemies. Standing before the King unarmed, Xie Huaian stated he was there to trade his life for the safety of his friends. The King remained cautious, acknowledging that Xie Huaian’s intellect and his understanding of his opponents made him far more dangerous than any man with a sword.
