The World of Fantasy Episode 2 Recap
> The World of Fantasy Recap
Du Shao Yang observed the lively celebrations of Ling Borough's villagers with a cold, disdainful gaze, his thoughts consumed by Qin Lie, whom he was determined to eliminate. Du Fei, standing beside Du Shao Yang, suggested that the Ling Family was ungrateful and that arresting them all would force their submission.
Du Shao Yang questioned this approach, and Du Fei explained that Ling Borough's people, situated in the harsh northern Chilan Continent, lacked resources and were accustomed to hardship, having little to lose. He warned that direct confrontation would only lead to mutual destruction, and that such people, when pushed to their limit, would risk everything. Recognizing the pragmatism, Du Shao Yang admitted his initial thought was mistaken.
Du Fei then firmly stated that Qin Lie must die, regardless of his involvement in the village massacres. Meanwhile, in the woodshed where he was held, Qin Lie endured Zhuo Qian's persistent attempts to win him over, remaining indifferent until Ling Yushi appeared at the door. He immediately approached her, taking the food she offered, and handed her a wish paper, asking her to burn it. Qin Lie inquired about the situation outside.
Ling Yushi reported that Du Shao Yang seemed unconcerned about the guards, relying entirely on the Zhuo family, but the two Zhuo family members assigned to monitor Du Shao Yang had vanished without a trace, and Du Shao Yang and his subordinates were currently resting. Qin Lie instantly pieced together Du Shao Yang's cunning scheme: the Zhuo family's spies had been eliminated, and Du Shao Yang was likely gathering forces to strike Ling Borough.
He urgently instructed Ling Yushi to find Hua Yuxin, warning him not to act rashly and assuring her that he would find a way to resolve the crisis. He reminded her of his words in the snowy field, "It's useless to worry," and Ling Yushi agreed to follow his instructions. Turning to Zhuo Qian, Qin Lie told her she was a mere pawn and warned her that her men assigned to guard Du Shao Yang had already been killed.
Zhuo Qian, shocked, exclaimed, "What are you talking about?" Before she could fully react, Du Shao Yang appeared and killed her with a dart. Qin Lie emerged from the woodshed to see the bodies. Du Shao Yang confronted Qin Lie, asserting that these people were killed by him. Qin Lie acknowledged that they were killed by a Thunderbolt technique, which he would be framed for.
He recognized Du Shao Yang's larger plot, not just to arrest him for the thirty-three village massacres, but to use the supposed killing of the Ye Family members to force Ling Borough into submission to the Du Family, simultaneously weakening the Ye Family and eliminating Zhuo Qian.
Qin Lie called Du Shao Yang despicable, but Du Shao Yang merely stated that his ambition lay beyond Xingyun Pavilion, and this was merely the first step to help his father secure the master's position. He dismissed Qin Lie's moral judgment, asking if it truly mattered. At that moment, Hua Yuxin arrived, shocked by the sight of the bodies. As Qin Lie warned him, Du Fei, Du Shao Yang's subordinate, moved to attack Hua Yuxin.
Qin Lie used a lightning strike to repel Du Fei, escalating the conflict. Du Shao Yang, with his powerful abilities, quickly incapacitated Qin Lie, pinning him against a wall, and then captured Hua Yuxin. Seeing Hua Yuxin's life in imminent danger, Qin Lie, severely wounded, was forced to accept Du Shao Yang's demand to leave the borough. Du Shao Yang taunted Qin Lie, wishing for his death in the vast, desolate snowfield, his remains lost forever.
Qin Lie, distraught, agreed to leave to save Hua Yuxin's life. Du Shao Yang's subordinate questioned why he didn't kill Qin Lie outright, but Du Shao Yang explained that framing him as a fleeing criminal was more advantageous than leaving no evidence, especially since Qin Lie's severe injuries meant he wouldn't survive the snowfield anyway. He then ordered his subordinate to wait before informing the Ling Family. Ling Yushi, her heart heavy, walked among the moon festival crowd.
Ling Xuanxuan, unaware of the recent events, asked about Hua Yuxin. Ling Yushi, trying to be reassuring, said he was an adult and wouldn't get lost. Ling Xuanxuan then playfully tried to peek at Qin Lie's wish paper, but Ling Yushi, respecting Qin Lie's privacy, kept it secret, saying only the moon knew its contents. Ling Xuanxuan left to look for Hua Yuxin.
Later, as the full moon, a symbol of new hope, appeared in the sky, both the villagers and the solitary Qin Lie, struggling in the snowfield, gazed up. Villagers released lanterns bearing their wishes. Ling Yushi, tears streaming down her face, finally unfolded Qin Lie's paper and read it. Suddenly, Ling Xuanxuan's panicked screams drew everyone's attention; she had found the badly injured Hua Yuxin, confirming their worst fears about Qin Lie's perilous situation in the snowfield.
Elsewhere, Qin Lie, barely conscious, tried to consume the Yixin leaf Ling Yushi had given him, but it was snatched by a mysterious stranger. His vision blurring, he lost consciousness. In Ling Borough, Ling Yushi lay recuperating from her fire poison, which had flared up during the search for Qin Lie in the snowfield. Upon hearing Ling Xuanxuan's return, she disregarded her wounds and sat up, anxiously asking about Qin Lie.
Ling Xuanxuan sadly reported that despite their extensive search up to the Snow Cliff, they had only found another corpse, but it wasn't Qin Lie's. Ling Xuanxuan tried to reassure Ling Yushi that Qin Lie was still alive, but Ling Yushi, knowing the harsh conditions of the snowfield and Qin Lie's grave injuries, understood the slim chances of his survival.
She observed the borough was eerily quiet and worried the political situation had worsened, so she sent Ling Xuanxuan to gather more information. The next morning, Du Shao Yang confronted Ling Cheng Ye and the Ling Family elders. He used Hua Yuxin's testimony of seeing Qin Lie kill Du Fei, and the evidence of Thunderbolt technique used on the Ye Family members, to accuse Qin Lie of their murders.
He relentlessly demanded an explanation from the Ling Family, warning them that the Ye Family would seek retribution. The elders, though not believing Qin Lie was a murderer, admitted he might have been forced to act. Du Shao Yang, acknowledging that his own family had also lost a member, then proposed a solution: a marriage alliance between the Du and Ling families.
Far away, Song Tingyu, the Saintess of Profound Heaven Alliance, examined the Yixin leaf in her hand as Qin Lie lay unconscious on the ground. Her subordinate confirmed the surroundings were clear. Xie Jingxuan, the Saintess of Eight Extremes Temple, noticed Qin Lie stirring. As Qin Lie regained consciousness, he saw his Yixin leaf with Song Tingyu and tried to retrieve it, but was restrained by Liang Zhong. Song Tingyu confirmed Qin Lie's origin from Ling Borough.
Qin Lie, sensing their unknown intentions and hearing the friction between Song Tingyu and Xie Jingxuan, deduced they were hunting Soul Reaping beasts, which could only be subdued by Thunderbolt. He revealed his knowledge of their mistaken path to Snow God Valley, which was north, while they were heading west. Qin Lie agreed to lead them but demanded their help for Ling Borough's crisis.
Song Tingyu, prioritizing the hunt, ignored his request, instead using her magic to heal his wounds and returning his Yixin leaf. Outnumbered and healed, Qin Lie reluctantly agreed to guide them. As they journeyed, Qin Lie's group passed through a desolate village. He realized that Song Tingyu's expedition was responsible for the massacre of thirty-three villages, as explained by Liang Zhong as unavoidable collateral damage during their relentless Soul Reaping beast hunt, also mentioning their heavy losses.
Qin Lie, dismayed by their lack of emotion, offered to help them hunt the beast, especially since he also practiced Thunderbolt. However, he insisted they send someone back to clear Ling Borough's name with Xingyun Pavilion. Song Tingyu flatly refused, stating the beast hunt was paramount, and she could not afford to weaken her forces. Qin Lie, recognizing the ruthless pragmatism of the strong, reluctantly continued to lead.
Back in Ling Borough, Ling Cheng Ye grappled with Du Shao Yang's marriage proposal, unwilling to sacrifice his daughter. He resolved to seek an audience with Ye Yang Qiu, hoping to leverage the rivalry between the Du and Ye families. Some elders cautioned against trusting Ye Yang Qiu, who was known to be just as treacherous as the Du Family.
The news of the proposed alliance spread, and Ling Yushi, realizing the borough's dire situation and Qin Lie's uncertain fate, understood she could no longer wait. She declared she must face the challenges herself. Qin Lie and his party eventually reached Hanji Lake. Qin Lie sensed trouble and alerted them to the presence of a Gold Devouring Black Tortoise beneath the ice. He explained that these creatures, even when dormant, emitted a strong pull towards metal.
Since everyone wore iron armor, they risked being dragged into the lake. He ordered them to remove their armor, saving their lives as they crossed the treacherous ice. However, Xie Jingxuan, in a mischievous mood, deliberately threw an item belonging to Song Tingyu into the lake and then pushed Qin Lie in. Qin Lie, despite his recent injuries, struggled to rescue Song Tingyu. Once safely back on shore, Song Tingyu, without a word of thanks, merely cast a cold glance at Xie Jingxuan and ordered the group to continue their journey.
