Tiger and Crane Episode 18 Recap
> Tiger and Crane Recap
There are both good and bad people, as there are good and bad demons. However, this fact does not justify Zhi Xie's brutal slaughter of common people and sorcerers. A group of individuals confronts Zhi Xie, proclaiming their steadfast commitment to upholding the mission and dignity of a Royal Sorcerer. Zhi Xie scoffs at their resolve, challenging them to demonstrate how they will protect their so-called mission and dignity.
As their confrontation escalates, Zhi Xie quickly disengages, and the collapsing Yanluo Hall compels them to quickly evacuate. Cheng Jinian urgently informs his father, Cheng Shu, that Zhi Xie is indeed a demon, as numerous witnesses saw him transform into a massive demonic form, leading a horde of demons from Yanluo Hall. Cheng Shu initially dismisses his son’s panic, reminding him of his duty as a royal sorcerer.
Nevertheless, Cheng Shu privately acknowledges that Fulong City is on the verge of a significant upheaval. After the narrow escape, Zhao Xintong and Wang Yuqian depart, leaving Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan to converse privately. Qi Xiaoxuan apologizes to Hu Zi, who confronts him for withholding information, feeling it indicated a lack of trust. Qi Xiaoxuan then reveals a long-guarded secret of the Qi family: the 500-year-old curse of twin primordial spirits.
He explains that one primordial spirit, Qian (who is Qi Xiaoxuan), remains, while the other, Yan, is locked within a Spirit Mirror via a Spirit Locking Ritual. He clarifies that the individual who attacked Hu Zi at the arena was Yan, not himself, as Qi Yanran had deliberately broken the Spirit Mirror, allowing Yan to possess his body.
Qi Xiaoxuan explains that given the complex situation and Qi Yanran's potential to harm Hu Zi after her promotion, advising Hu Zi to leave the capital was the safest option. Hu Zi admits he had sensed Qi Xiaoxuan's feigned coldness that night and never believed he would betray a friend, but the intricacies of the Qi family's situation truly surprised him. Qi Xiaoxuan assures him that Yan has since been sealed.
In turn, Hu Zi confides his own secret: he is the son of a tiger demon, a fact he only fully grasped after Yi Mei instilled the Phurba into him, triggering forgotten memories. Qi Xiaoxuan, however, reveals he already knew, having seen Hu Zi transform into his tiger demon form while Qi Xiaoxuan himself was trapped in the Spirit Mirror during the exam.
He reaffirms their bond, stating that, like Mu Dan who sacrificed herself for him, Hu Zi is a friend he would go through life and death with, and his demonic nature does not change their friendship. Zhao Xintong and Wang Yuqian then rejoin them, playfully teasing Hu Zi about his earlier frustration and debating whether Wang Yuqian’s possession is a crane or a goose. The group discovers that Yi Mei and Zhi Xie are conspiring.
It is revealed that the Second Master had previously found Yi Mei raising demons in Babao Town, and that she killed Ximen Miaomiao to assume her identity in Fulong Capital. This leads them to conclude that Yi Mei was also responsible for the Black Wind incident in Babao Town. Hu Zi recalls that Yi Mei approached him after the exam, offering to help him activate Phurba to enhance his power, which indeed proved effective.
Discussions among the Eldest Master, Jiang Xici, and Hu Zi's group reveal that Phurba possesses three stages—Material, Bodhicitta, and Wisdom—all of which must be completed to unlock its full power to destroy all demons. They deduce that Yi Mei intends to activate Phurba through Hu Zi's body, suspecting that the ten-thousand-year demonic tail within him is the crucial element for its final activation. To thwart Yi Mei's mysterious plan, they resolve to disrupt her scheme by attempting to remove Phurba.
However, they acknowledge the immense risk, as Phurba has already reached its second stage and is deeply integrated with Hu Zi's spirit essences' blood vessels, making extraction life-threatening. At Hu Zi's insistence, Jiang Xici and the Eldest Master reluctantly proceed with the Phurba extraction, despite the clear dangers. Hu Zi, believing his enhanced abilities and "gifted physique" would protect him, urged them forward, driven by the urgency to prevent a potential disaster Yi Mei might unleash.
As the separation skill commences, Hu Zi struggles, and the Phurba inside him actively resists, causing him to become disoriented and hallucinate. Jiang Xici attempts to halt the procedure, confirming that Phurba has become an integral part of Hu Zi's body, akin to an organ. Just then, Yi Mei appears, revealing she came to prevent the Phurba's removal before its final stage could be activated.
Jiang Xici activates the Spirit Locking Formation, a powerful array designed to drain all powers and trap even immortals. Yi Mei’s devoted companion, Xing Zhi, rushes in to save her, sacrificing his life to shield her from the formation. Overcome with grief, Yi Mei blames Jiang Xici for Xing Zhi's death and defiantly refuses to disclose any information.
Hu Zi, recalling his earlier encounter with Yi Mei in a virtual world where she showed him a vision of a broken formation, deduces that her ultimate plan involves using the Netherworld Sea to submerge all living beings. Recognizing Yi Mei's cunning, Jiang Xici dispatches the Second Master to order the Chief Commander to immediately return to Fulong Capital to guard the formations, even if it means defying an imperial edict.
Qi Xiaoxuan is tasked with strictly guarding the imprisoned Yi Mei. Despite these measures, Qi Yanran, having stolen the Space-splitting Blade, successfully breaks the Spirit Locking Formation and frees Yi Mei. Exhausted, Wang Yuqian is encouraged by Hu Zi and Zhao Xintong to rest. Upon returning to the bamboo house, he discovers a bowl of warm osmanthus porridge. After drinking it, he awakens to find Xiao Yunzi.
Initially suspicious of Xiao Yunzi's constant presence and unexpected gesture, Wang Yuqian confronts him. Xiao Yunzi reveals he is a guard from Qianyu State, dispatched by the King to ensure Wang Yuqian's safety. Wang Yuqian expresses his long-standing frustration with his royal upbringing, feeling like a "useless man" confined to the palace and denied martial arts training.
Xiao Yunzi explains that his actions, including stopping Wang Yuqian during the exam, were for his protection, acknowledging Wang Yuqian's current lack of combat skills against sorcerers. He also conveys the King's desire for Wang Yuqian's swift return to Qianyu State, citing the unrest in Fulong Capital, a suggestion Wang Yuqian firmly rejects, unwilling to abandon his newly found friends for a restrictive life. It is revealed that the porridge was personally picked by the King.
Meanwhile, Qi Yanran guides Yi Mei past a formation set by Jiang Xici and her father into a secret room, where Yi Mei takes the Spirit Mirror containing Yan's primordial spirit. Yi Mei then mentions that she was the one who brought back the Qi family's first child with twin primordial spirits many years ago. Jiang Xici arrives moments too late, realizing the mirror is gone.
She implores Qi Xiaoxuan to recover the Spirit Mirror, stressing the dire consequences if he fails. In a separate conversation, Hu Zi, Zhao Xintong, and Wang Yuqian discuss Yi Mei's mysterious escape and impending next move, speculating on her whereabouts. Hu Zi recalls Yi Mei's promise to reveal his mother's location if he helped activate the Phurba. Zhao Xintong then suggests that the seemingly ruined Yanluo Hall, being their former conspiracy ground, might still harbor undisclosed secrets.
The sorcerer army conducts a widespread search for Yi Mei across the city and beyond, but she remains elusive. Meanwhile, Qi Xiaoxuan spots Yi Mei and follows her to a mountain, where he is lured into a courtyard at Yuyang Mountain and trapped by a collection of specialized puppets. Yi Mei appears and taunts him, revealing that these puppets, much like herself, were painstakingly created 500 years ago. Qi Xiaoxuan demands to know her motives for stealing his Spirit Mirror.
Yi Mei responds with philosophical riddles about life and death. Simultaneously, the Commander-in-Chief of Tiangang Hall reports Yi Mei's location to Jiang Xici. Jiang Xici, however, expresses suspicion, questioning his ability to find such an elusive target and implicating him in Yi Mei's escape and the theft of Qi Xiaoxuan's Spirit Mirror, implying he might be an "internal mole." The Commander-in-Chief, maintaining his innocence, warns her that Qi Xiaoxuan is in imminent danger.
This news immediately alarms Jiang Xici, prompting Qi Yanran to sarcastically note that only Qi Xiaoxuan's peril truly captures Jiang Xici's attention. Upon learning Yi Mei's location is a courtyard on Yuyang Mountain in the capital's northwest, Jiang Xici instructs Qi Yanran to inform the Second Master to lead a team there while she and Qi Yanran rush to the location, fearing for Qi Xiaoxuan's life. As they depart, Qi Yanran makes a chilling, sarcastic remark about collecting Qi Xiaoxuan's "silly brother's corpse," highlighting her true intentions.
