Thousand Years For You Episode 18 Recap
> Thousand Years For You Recap
Dengdeng aimed to investigate the last concubine's belongings to understand her daily life. Lu Yan suggested asking those close to her. Before he finished, several elegant women surrounded him, claiming to be the closest to the last concubine and eager to offer their help and even prepare food for the handsome exorcist. These were Chief Bai's other concubines, who soon began bickering amongst themselves, competing for Lu Yan's attention.
Frustrated by the commotion, Dengdeng decided to investigate on her own and stepped out of the room. Outside, Dengdeng met Bai Shiqi, who had been waiting for her. Bai Shiqi apologized for their previous encounter on the mountain road, explaining it was a misunderstanding while seeking her father's help. She mentioned that Gu Beixi had spoken to her, identifying Dengdeng as his friend and asking her to assist Dengdeng in the mansion.
Dengdeng, putting pieces together, quickly realized Bai Shiqi was Gu Beixi's fiancée. Dengdeng praised Bai Shiqi's beauty, suggesting Gu Beixi was not worthy of her. Bai Shiqi confessed her sadness that Gu Beixi seemed unwilling to marry her, and Dengdeng comforted her, calling Gu Beixi an unappreciative "stinky guy." Bai Shiqi then inquired if Lu Yan, who had arrived the previous day, was Dengdeng's husband.
Dengdeng sighed, referring to their connection as a "doomed love," and jokingly called him her "second husband," emphasizing that he was there solely to investigate the case. Dengdeng also cautioned Bai Shiqi that Chief Bai was unaware of his prospective son-in-law's wanted status, which could lead to complications. Bai Shiqi promised to protect Gu Beixi and assist Dengdeng in her investigation, and the two women quickly bonded over their shared, straightforward natures.
Meanwhile, back in their room, a servant was moving a bed for Lu Yan into Dengdeng's room, explaining that Lu Yan would never allow Dengdeng to sleep on the floor. Dengdeng, still upset by Lu Yan's apparent popularity with the other concubines, grew increasingly annoyed. She grumbled about Lu Yan being a "fickle playboy" who "flirts with various women" and "chops and changes so often."
To vent her frustration, she went to the courtyard and began practicing her "ground-rolling monster-catching kungfu" on a sandbag, specifically targeting "fickle playboys." When Lu Yan appeared, Dengdeng challenged him. He easily subdued her using his spiritual abilities, binding her with a bedsheet. He then offered to teach her the Spirit Clan's skills if she would "behave." Dengdeng, prioritizing the investigation, agreed.
Soon after, an officer delivered a message from Chief Bai: Dengdeng had a new partner and only five days to solve the case. Later, Gu Beixi found Bai Shiqi, feeling awkward after learning her true identity. Bai Shiqi explained that she had withheld it because she wanted to continue seeing him and correctly pointed out his feelings for Dengdeng.
She then candidly reflected on their situations: "You like Ms. Yu, but she has no idea at all, and she has her own husband. Me? I like you, but you know nothing at all, either. And you have an interest in another girl, too." Despite the emotional entanglement, Bai Shiqi echoed Gu Beixi's earlier sentiment, expressing her own desire to spend her life with the one she loved.
She warned him to be cautious in the Bai Mansion, as her father would not approve of his "little thoughts." Gu Beixi promised to clarify matters with Chief Bai once he had helped Dengdeng, but Bai Shiqi hinted she hoped he wouldn't rush to distance himself. With Bai Shiqi's help, Gu Beixi met Chief Bai. He immediately revealed his identity, hoping to win favor.
Chief Bai was astonished to discover that the wanted man he had been pursuing was Gu Beixi, the son of his old friend. Instead of anger, he chastised Gu Beixi's family for their lack of correspondence over the years. Gu Beixi, addressing him as "Father-in-law" (a term Chief Bai initially rejected), explained that local factions in Qingquan Town must have intercepted his letters.
Gu Beixi then committed to helping Dengdeng, asserting that the "soldier writ" also applied to him, and he would accept any punishment if they failed to solve the case. He then asked to meet Ms. Bai, the eldest daughter, only to be shocked to learn that Bai Shiqi, who had just led him in, was indeed his fiancée. This realization brought him embarrassment, recalling his earlier words to her. That night, the last concubine's calico cat suddenly appeared.
Lu Yan sensed a living entity within it and attempted to inject energy, but it yielded no response. He tried again, and a faint phantom of the last concubine materialized. She revealed that the missing people in Yingdu were all Spirit Clan members who had lost their energy and could only survive by possessing animals to communicate. She explained that a "spirit worm" from the Mysterious Market, which promised to enhance energy, had recently appeared.
Many Spirit Clan members eagerly consumed it. Initially, it boosted their energy, but soon their bodies weakened, their spiritual consciousness blurred, their energy dissipated, and their bodies became transparent until death. Only a few had learned to inhabit animal bodies. The last concubine confessed she took the worm to maintain her youthful appearance for Chief Bai, stating she bought it from a tavern in the Mysterious Market and did not know its source.
Lu Yan tried to expel the spirit worm but found it resistant; it only entered bodies, never left, and continuously absorbed energy. He worried about the spread of this unusual spirit worm, fearing for the future of the Spirit Clan. To help the possessed Spirit Clan members, Lu Yan created a barrier around the animals, which would slow the worm's consumption of their spiritual essence.
However, they could not leave the barrier for more than four hours without risking rapid demise. Inspired by Lu Yan's abilities, Dengdeng requested to learn his skills to help. Lu Yan agreed, explaining that Yun Xi's spiritual consciousness within her, combined with the nourishment from his energy core, gave her latent energy that she could learn to control. He patiently guided her, comparing the process to training dogs.
After several attempts, Dengdeng successfully manifested a small energy barrier, marveling at her newfound power. Feeling confident, Dengdeng proposed that she remain to care for the animals within the barrier while Lu Yan investigated the source of the spirit worms in the Mysterious Market. Though hesitant about her limited experience, Lu Yan agreed, reminding her to use the hairpin to call him if she needed help. Soon, Chief Bai arrived in the courtyard, furious at the sight of numerous animals.
He accused Dengdeng of gathering them to "cook them in his home" and ordered his men to remove them. Dengdeng frantically explained that the animals were crucial evidence and hosts for the missing Spirit Clan members, whose spiritual consciousness was being devoured by the spirit worms. She recounted how the worms caused their bodies to dissipate and forced them to possess animals.
She assured him that Lu Yan was investigating the source in the Mysterious Market and would soon have answers. Chief Bai, however, dismissed her story as "crap" and mocked her, insisting she was foolish to believe living people could turn into animals. Just as he renewed his order to discard the animals, the last concubine's cat cried out. Chief Bai, recognizing his concubine's beloved pet, ignored Dengdeng's warnings and picked up the cat.
Dengdeng urgently warned him that the cat would die if removed from the barrier. To prove her claims, Dengdeng, after dismissing the other officers, used her spiritual abilities to reveal the last concubine's phantom to Chief Bai, who was utterly terrified and fled. Later, Gu Beixi brought Dengdeng her favorite sticky rice cakes. They observed the Bai Mansion buzzing with preparations for Bai Shiqi's birthday, a fact Gu Beixi was completely unaware of.
Dengdeng advised him not to take Bai Shiqi for granted, especially after he reiterated his intention to break off their engagement. Meanwhile, Chief Bai was seen in the last concubine's room, looking at her portrait and recalling their sweet memories, revealing a surprisingly tender side despite his usual harsh demeanor. Back with Dengdeng, Lu Yan returned from the Mysterious Market with a masked and bound suspect he believed was responsible for the tavern owner's death.
Eager to confront the culprit, Dengdeng ripped off the suspect's hood, only to reveal it was her own father, the Former Chieftain, Paralyzed Yu. A chaotic scene ensued as Dengdeng and her father immediately began to argue. Paralyzed Yu furiously accused Lu Yan of kidnapping him and demanded Dengdeng break up with him, calling Lu Yan a "monster of the Spirit Clan."
Dengdeng, in turn, defended Lu Yan, declaring him "an ancient general from three thousand years ago" who "ate the energy core," asserting their perfect match and claiming her father had to accept the marriage because she had already spent all of Lu Yan's dowry. Gu Beixi attempted to calm Paralyzed Yu, addressing him as "Father-in-law" and tending to his injuries, while simultaneously fueling the argument by "inadvertently blurting out" that Lu Yan had almost killed Dengdeng.
Dengdeng quickly intervened, redirecting the conversation by asking her father why he was involved in the missing person cases. Paralyzed Yu then muttered that it was all because of "spirit worms."
