Tiger and Crane Episode 15 Recap
> Tiger and Crane Recap
A routine patrol took a terrifying turn when the sorcerer in charge was suddenly possessed. He violently killed two of his subordinates, his voice chillingly muttering, "Sacrificing souls, it will never end." Meanwhile, Qi Xiaoxuan found himself in a solemn chamber with his Grandma, contemplating a large, ancient barrier, which he then realized was a ship's bow.
His Grandma revealed it was the bow of a legendary ship that, five hundred years prior, carried the sorcerer army to safety, escaping the Dianfeng Valley. The ship itself was crafted from the very bones of the Demon Emperor; their ancestor's slaying of the Demon Emperor had tragically triggered the widespread overflow of the Netherworld Sea. Upon their return to the mainland, the ship was dismantled, with only its bow remaining under the protection of the Qi family.
When Xiaoxuan questioned why their ancestor did not return with the others, his Grandma, feeling weary, instructed him to release the Eldest Master. From within a mirror, the Eldest Master explained that during the Netherworld Sea's devastating overflow, the Legendary Ship had to set sail prematurely to evade the rampant evil spirits. The ancestor, to protect everyone, ensured others boarded but was unable to board himself.
The crack on the mirror was left when the ancestor threw the mirror onto the ship. Fortunately, the ancestor's child, along with Ye Kongming's child, were safely brought back, marking the first individual in the Qi Sect to possess two primordial spirits. The weight of this legacy filled Qi Xiaoxuan with complex emotions as he gazed at his own reflection. Back at the Sorcerer's Inn, the atmosphere was tense.
The inn worker informed Hu Zi, Zhao Xintong, and Wang Yuqian that they had to vacate the premises by midnight, as ordered by the Tiangang Hall, despite their earlier agreement to move the next morning. Most of the unsuccessful candidates had already left, even the injured carried out on stretchers. Wang Yuqian expressed disgust at the situation, but Hu Zi, disheartened by Qi Xiaoxuan's earlier actions, dejectedly agreed to move, advising against confronting them immediately.
While Wang Yuqian and Zhao Xintong began packing, Hu Zi stepped out briefly. Determined to fight for her sect's honor, Zhao Xintong secretly made her way to Fame Hall, a place where her Zhao Sect once held a rightful position but had been expelled after her father chose to leave the Tiangang Hall. There, she confronted Wu Lidan, accusing him of manipulating the Royal Sorcerer Exam into a farce.
She defiantly declared her resolve to ensure the Zhao Sect's return to Fame Hall. Though initially ordered to be apprehended for trespassing, Wu Lidan surprisingly ordered her release. After an arduous night, the trio struggled to find new lodging, as every inn they approached refused to accommodate them. Wang Yuqian suspected Qi Yanran might be behind the widespread refusal.
Eventually, they stumbled upon an abandoned mansion in the suburbs, which, despite its disheveled appearance, Wang Yuqian optimistically declared a potential "heaven" after a good cleaning, having already brought an excessive amount of everyday items, including a pickling jar, a special barbecue grill, and other peculiar necessities, much to Zhao Xintong's amusement. Meanwhile, in Fulong City, a clandestine meeting took place between Yi Mei and a black-robed man at a humble noodle stall.
The black-robed man ominously reported that his "wolves" had been unleashed, stating that everything was ready and they just needed to wait. He predicted that within five days, these "wolves" would devour the capital's faith in sorcerers, turning them into public enemies. Yi Mei, in turn, assured him she had her own arrangements for Hu Zi, expressing a wistful attachment to the noodle stall, which she lamented she would soon no longer be able to visit.
Later, gathered around a crackling fire in their new, temporary home, Hu Zi, Zhao Xintong, and Wang Yuqian discussed their future. Wang Yuqian, burning his written work, declared that Qi Xiaoxuan no longer deserved to be his protagonist, having lost faith in him. Zhao Xintong, however, remained resolute in her ambition to enter the Tiangang Hall, believing in its underlying noble origins despite recent disappointments and the disheartening recent conduct of the Tiangang Hall officials.
It was then that Hu Zi, mustering his courage, made a startling confession: he believed he might truly be a demon. He revealed that a demonic tail in his body was inherited from his mother, a tiger demon, and he was only recently recalling memories that linked him to it. He admitted his fear of their reaction and his reluctance to share this secret earlier. To his surprise, neither Zhao Xintong nor Wang Yuqian were afraid.
In fact, Wang Yuqian, having hunted countless demons, found it hard to believe Hu Zi was one, given his lack of other demonic traces, and even humorously suggested Hu Zi stick to being human. Hu Zi explained he still lacked clarity and intended to visit Yanluo Hall to research tiger demons.
Both Zhao Xintong and Wang Yuqian, unwavering in their friendship, immediately offered to accompany him on his quest to find his mother, affirming their commitment to stay with him in the capital. Back in the city, the investigation into the deranged sorcerer continued. Initial findings, as noted by Qi Xiaoxuan, suggested the cause was not a typical demonic possession, as the sorcerer showed no physical injuries, only a complete loss of sanity and an overwhelming desire to kill.
Qi Xiaoxuan’s Grandma expressed deep concern, fearing the involvement of Wicked Spirits from the Netherworld Sea. She warned that if her suspicions were true, the situation was dire, potentially dooming not just Fulong but all three main states. Qi Xiaoxuan vehemently urged that the Elder Council not suppress such a critical matter, and his Grandma agreed to secretly dispatch messages to Qianyu State and Julun State to forewarn them.
Meanwhile, Mo Guzi paid a visit to Miaomiao, expressing concern for her health and noting a change in her voice. The "Miaomiao" he encountered, who was in fact Xing Zhi in disguise, struggled to recall specific details about their shared past and internal lingo, like "smashing food" meaning feeding cats, leading Mo Guzi to sense something amiss. " Miaomiao" curtly dismissed him, urging him to learn to take care of himself.
The very next day, two more sorcerers from Disha Hall, who were supposedly reliable messengers, went mad in the crowded streets, brandishing their swords and attacking innocent people. Hu Zi, Zhao Xintong, and Wang Yuqian, witnessing the chaos, quickly intervened and bravely subdued the deranged sorcerers. Just as Qi Xiaoxuan and his Royal Sorcerers arrived on the scene, Hu Zi and his friends, perhaps deliberately avoiding any interaction with Qi Xiaoxuan, quickly departed.
The new incidents intensified the conflict within the higher echelons. During a heated meeting, the Elder Council and Commander-in-Chief Qi Yanran prioritized protecting the Tiangang Hall's reputation over publicly acknowledging the threat to citizens' lives. They decided to suppress the truth, labeling the possessed sorcerers as "deranged" and initiating a private investigation into the cause. Qi Xiaoxuan, who held a lower rank and little sway, vehemently protested this decision, arguing that people's lives were far more important than reputation.
However, Qi Yanran sternly rebuked him for overstepping his bounds and ordered the two subdued sorcerers to be taken away. This infuriated Qi Xiaoxuan, who condemned the Elder Council's attempt to cover up such a severe matter. Mo Guzi, meanwhile, found himself increasingly disturbed by Miaomiao’s behavior. Her sudden agreement with the Elder Council's decision, which she had previously opposed, heightened his suspicions. He directly confronted her about how much she had changed.
Later, Mo Guzi secretly observed "Miaomiao" meeting with a black-robed individual. Confronting the black-robed person, whom he recognized, Mo Guzi demanded to know their identity. At that moment, "Miaomiao" appeared and urged the black-robed figure to leave. Mo Guzi, now certain, declared, "You're not her." The confrontation quickly turned violent as Mo Guzi attacked the impostor. Realizing the impostor was not Miaomiao, Mo Guzi declared, "You're not her!" The impostor then revealed herself to be Yi Mei.
Despite her initial attempts to deceive him, Yi Mei admitted her skill at acting and Mo Guzi’s sharp intuition for discovering her true identity. Yi Mei lamented that Mo Guzi, a captain of considerable capability and a man of deep affection, particularly for the real Miaomiao, was now dead, killed by Xing Zhi.
Jiang Xici, meanwhile, instructed the Disha Hall Second Master to discreetly investigate Yi Mei's mysterious activities of raising demons, recognizing her as a respected sorceress across the continent, yet baffled by her involvement in such nefarious practices. Later, Yi Mei sought out Hu Zi, feigning concern over recent events and Qi Xiaoxuan's attack on him.
She subtly reminded him of their differing identities – his as one with a demonic tail, and Qi Xiaoxuan's as a Royal Sorcerer, implying they were on different paths. Yi Mei then began guiding Hu Zi toward activating the Phurba's second stage, known as the Bodhicitta Phurba (Enlightenment Level). She explained that to achieve this, he would need to relinquish his "most important thing."
Hu Zi entered a deep meditative state, experiencing vivid illusions of his past: childhood games, his grandmother patching his clothes, villagers ostracizing him as a "jinx," and tender moments with his ailing mother, who promised to always stay by his side. He saw a gateway, tempting him to stay in this peaceful illusion with all his loved ones. Witnessing Hu Zi's trance-like state, Wang Yuqian and Zhao Xintong became concerned, fearing he was losing himself to a dangerous illusion.
Just as Wang Yuqian contemplated seeking a physician, he seized his Brick and, in an act of desperation, slammed it onto Hu Zi's head. The sudden impact jolted Hu Zi from the illusion. He broke free, realizing the falsehood of his dream and reaffirming his commitment to his path in the outside world, telling his loved ones in the vision that he would find them.
When he fully awoke, he asked Wang Yuqian if he had hit him with the Brick, which Wang Yuqian confirmed was his action, prompted by Zhao Xintong's idea. Remembering Yi Mei's earlier warning about the capital's special situation, Hu Zi decided against revealing the Phurba's activation, simply stating he had been "practicing some mental methods" to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
