The Vendetta of An Episode 23 Recap
> The Vendetta of An Recaps
Determined to expel the Tiemo invaders, Xie Huaian sought out their leader, Wu Zhongheng. Recognizing Xie’s strategic brilliance, Wu hoped to use him to track down the elusive Xiao Wuyang. To intimidate Xie, Wu recounted the cold-blooded path he took to become King. Years ago, Tiemo forces captured a female Huben guard. They hung her from a pole for seven days as bait. While her comrades eventually gave up, one man—Wu—remained patient.
He approached the dying woman, pretending to be a savior and offering her water. Believing he was an ally, she whispered her secrets. Wu then callously hung her back up to die. Using her intelligence, he trapped a hundred Huben elites in a granary in Chen Valley, earning his crown.
Wu noted with pride that Yan Fengshan was the only one to escape that trap, a move that eventually led to the death of Xie’s father, Liu Ziwen, and delayed the Tiemo's plans for fifteen years. As Wu speculated whether the doomed woman was Xie’s mother, Xie’s knuckles turned white with suppressed rage. He claimed his mother was safe in Jiangnan and that he would see her once his task was finished.
Wu then laid out his terms: the lives of Xie's friends and the deposed emperor depended on the death of Xiao Wuyang. Since Xie had already orchestrated the downfall of Yan Fengshan, Wu believed he was the only one capable of eliminating the "King of Death." Xie accepted, demanding his friends be freed once the deed was done.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wuyang had been hiding in Cangshui River for six days, taking refuge in a salt shop owned by Old Sha, a man who once served in the Liu residence. Anticipating the coming struggle, Xiao began hiding swords throughout the area. He sought out a local debt collector named Lu Xiaobing—a man with a ruthless reputation but a sharp mind.
Xiao borrowed money from several counting houses using the "nine out, thirteen back" system, only to hand the funds to Lu as a bounty. He tasked Lu with being his eyes and ears, providing a portrait of Xie Huaian and a specific pair of boots for Lu to wear so that Xie would recognize him. Deep within the subterranean tunnels, Xiao and the old shopkeeper discussed the shifting political tides.
While Old Sha worried for Xie Huaian, still viewing him as the "White Head" child he once knew, Xiao held no such illusions, knowing Xie was perhaps the most dangerous man in the empire. However, the lack of messages from Xie troubled him. He knew that if Xie was late, the situation in the Capital had turned dire, and meeting him would not be simple. Under the watchful eyes of the Tiemo warrior Su Changlin, Xie Huaian entered Cangshui River.
Su conducted a thorough search of Xie before allowing him to proceed. Along the way, Xie cryptically warned Su that he would not live to see the "summit," a threat the warrior dismissed. Upon entering the crowded streets, Xie spotted Lu Xiaobing wearing the boots Xiao Wuyang had provided. He discreetly left a red umbrella near the debt collector as a signal. Lu Xiaobing delivered the umbrella to Xiao Wuyang, who discovered a hidden note within the umbrella ribs.
The instructions were clear: the Tiemo king had arrived, and Xie had provided a method to confront him. Armed and ready, Xiao Wuyang emerged from his hiding spot, cutting through the Tiemo soldiers with lethal precision. Even Lu Xiaobing, recognizing the weight of the moment, joined the fight. As the skirmish intensified, Wu Zhongheng finally stepped forward, ready for the final confrontation Xie Huaian had carefully baited.
