The Wind Blows From Longxi Episode 11 Recap
> The Wind Blows From Longxi Recap
High Tangbing informed Liu Ying that Siwencao Intelligence, in conjunction with the Hanzhong garrison, would launch a large-scale raid on the Wuxian Sect in five days. He stressed that this operation was directly linked to the Wei state's Qingping Plan. Liu Ying listened cautiously, asking if it would affect the plan, to which High Tangbing replied he did not know. High Tangbing, anticipating Li Miao and Yin Ji's downfall, boldly stated that Siwencao Intelligence would soon be his domain.
Liu Ying inquired about Xun Xu, to which High Tangbing scoffed, dismissing Xun Xu as a mere pawn, now useless to anyone. As Liu Ying handled a hot teacup, High Tangbing noticed her reaction and probed, asking if she had developed feelings for Xun Xu, but Liu Ying, about to be arranged by Li Yan's side, merely smiled in response.
He then informed her that Feng Ying, in gratitude for High Tangbing helping him escape, intended to recommend her to General Li Yan. Unbeknownst to Xun Xu, Feng Ying had already made his way to Li Yan's residence. High Tangbing had deliberately withheld this information, and during a meeting convened by Li Miao to discuss the Wuxian Sect, High Tangbing only mentioned the impending raid, keeping Feng Ying's whereabouts a secret from Xun Xu.
During the meeting, Xun Xu detailed the Wuxian Sect's history and structure, stating their numbers were around 10,000. Li Miao, however, countered that intelligence suggested the sect numbered over 30,000, had deeply infiltrated various departments, and was collaborating with Wei's intelligence to execute the Qingping Plan. Li Miao pressed Xun Xu for information about any assets within the sect, but Xun Xu vaguely responded that the inner circle was impenetrable, deliberately holding back critical details.
Li Miao then relayed General Li Yan's order for Siwencao Intelligence to coordinate with General to Suppress the North, Marquis of Village Du Wei Yan, and General to Pacify the North, Governor of Hanzhong Ma Dai, to launch a lightning-fast, three-pronged attack to wipe out the Wuxian Sect, with the primary objective of capturing Sect Leader Huang Yu, dead or alive. Meanwhile, Yin Ji visited High Tangbing, remarking on Xun Xu's unforthcoming behavior at the meeting.
Yin Ji recalled Feng Ying once mentioning that Xun Xu had an operative deeply embedded within the Wuxian Sect's leadership for years, suggesting that Xun Xu might be keeping important intelligence to himself to hog all the credit. At the Wuxian Sect's base, Chen Gong and Elder Qin prepared to test the bamboo kites. Chen Gong noticed loose bindings on Elder Qin's kite and admonished the oversight, quickly re-securing them. Elder Qin, feeling uneasy, opted for the other kite instead.
With their bamboo kites donned, they bravely leaped from the cliff. Below, Zhai Yue watched anxiously for Chen Gong's safety. Chen Gong soared successfully, but Elder Qin's kite faltered, crashing into the cliff face, killing him instantly. With only one bamboo kite remaining, Huang Yu had no choice but to entrust Chen Gong with the perilous mission to place the blueprints at the designated location for Zhulong to retrieve.
Soon after, a messenger arrived with a secret report from Zhulong, warning that the Shu army would launch a three-pronged attack on the Wuxian Sect within ten days, specifically three days from then, when the Qingping Plan was set to commence. As Chen Gong prepared for his mission, Huang Yu, ostensibly to offer comfort, sent two women, Qiuju and Yingchun, to attend to him.
Chen Gong, looking at his wife Zhai Yue, who maintained a composed facade, felt a pang of profound sadness within. To maintain secrecy for the impending military action, Li Miao ordered a strict ban on all fires and loud noises among the troops. Seizing this opportunity, Xun Xu decided to take a desperate gamble. He gathered tung oil and other flammable materials, intending to start a fire to warn the Wuxian Sect.
Later that night, Zhai Yue secretly met with Xun Xu. She gave him a partially burned, coded bamboo slip from Zhulong that Chen Gong couldn't decipher. Zhai Yue explained that the Qingping Plan was set to commence in three days, culminating in Zhulong's appearance. She relayed Chen Gong's plan: he would lead a crack team to infiltrate the head office of the Military Technology Department to steal the blueprints and escape via a bamboo kite.
Crucially, the back door of the head office had a massive lock that needed to be opened from the outside to ensure Chen Gong's escape and facilitate the capture of Zhulong, as Huang Yu's planned escape route was too rigid. Xun Xu assured her that he would manage the back door.
As the plan seemed within reach, Zhai Yue confessed her longing to return home, but Xun Xu firmly instructed his sister to continue her deep cover operation and await his next command, promising they would reunite once Zhulong was apprehended and the Wuxian Sect was eliminated. Unbeknownst to them, High Tangbing had been secretly following Xun Xu and observed their entire clandestine meeting.
Meanwhile, Feng Ying presented Li Yan with an exquisite ancient qin, named "Haozhong," discovered in a confiscated Wei treasure house. Li Yan, being a connoisseur of music, was deeply impressed by the instrument and its storied history, which Feng Ying eloquently recounted. Seizing the moment, Feng Ying artfully praised Liu Ying's exceptional musical talent and courage, recounting how she had helped him escape Nanzheng concealed in her carriage, thus laying the groundwork for her introduction to the general.
That same night, the fire set by Xun Xu at the Temple of God of Mountains near the Wuxian Sect base served as a warning. Responding to the alarm, General Hu Zhong, having received word that someone was alerting the Wuxian Sect, ordered his vanguard to advance at full speed into Immortal Valley, less than five li (approx. 2. 5 kilometers) from the sect's base, and engage the enemy without delay.
Simultaneously, within the Wuxian Sect, a frantic messenger reported the Shu army's encirclement. Huang Yu, taken by surprise, immediately ordered an emergency evacuation. News of the successful breach of the Wuxian Sect's outer defenses reached Li Miao's camp, much to his delight. Li Miao then ordered a reward of one hundred gold for anyone who captured or killed a Wuxian Sect Elder or Jijiu. High Tangbing approached, offering him a celebratory cup of hot tea.
High Tangbing then spoke with Li Miao, bringing up his recent clandestine meeting with Feng Ying. He deliberately ensured their conversation was private, noting the laxity of the guards. High Tangbing revealed that Feng Ying had provided General Li Yan with the incriminating evidence that led to Yang Yi's downfall, and, more disturbingly, that Hu Zhong had been aware of this all along but kept it secret from Li Miao.
High Tangbing then directly accused Li Yan of having cast Li Miao aside as a useless pawn. Li Miao, shocked by the revelation, attempted to draw his sword, but found his body unexpectedly weak and unable to move. High Tangbing calmly explained that he had anticipated such a reaction and had laced Li Miao's tea with an anesthetic. He admitted his archery skills were poor and he couldn't afford to miss his target.
With Li Miao now paralyzed, High Tangbing sinisterly positioned him for an easy shot. Before delivering the fatal blow, High Tangbing, with a chilling smile, proclaimed that the ultimate victory would belong to the great Wei state, and then, with a dramatic flourish, revealed his true identity: "I am Zhulong."
