Tiger and Crane Episode 20 Recap
> Tiger and Crane Recap
Wu Lidan found himself in a dire situation, exhausted after all his subordinates had perished. He was confronted by a demon he had personally imprisoned in the Demon Burning Pagoda, who bore a deep grudge and threatened to kill him in retaliation for past actions. The demon boasted about absorbing sorcerers' spirit essences to gain power. Just as the demon was about to strike, Zhao Xintong appeared and swiftly ended its life, saving Wu Lidan.
Hu Zi once again encountered Qi Xiaoxuan, who was possessed by Yan. Hu Zi angrily demanded that Qi Xiaoxuan be returned, but Yan only mocked his loyalty to Qian. When Hu Zi praised Qian's virtues, Yan challenged him to denounce Qian as a hypocritical villain. Hu Zi complied, only for Yan to attack him, declaring his intention to kill Hu Zi.
Hu Zi fell into a virtual world where he witnessed the deaths of Zhao Xintong and Wang Yuqian, and was horrified to see Qi Xiaoxuan as their killer. When Hu Zi demanded an explanation, Qi Xiaoxuan accused him of being the true demon and the root of all calamity, claiming Hu Zi himself was responsible for their deaths. Overwhelmed by despair but still resisting the manipulation, Hu Zi collapsed but then struck back at the illusionary Qi Xiaoxuan.
After eliminating the figure of Qi Xiaoxuan in the virtual world, Hu Zi was shattered to discover he had attacked Qian's primordial spirit. Overcome by grief and despair, he lashed out, stabbing his own demonic tail with the Phurba. This act caused him to abruptly awaken in reality, where he saw Qi Xiaoxuan walking away. Enraged and filled with a desire to kill, Hu Zi summoned the Phurba and launched himself towards Qi Xiaoxuan.
The power of the Phurba overwhelmed Qi Xiaoxuan, who was forced to vomit blood and told Hu Zi that if he wanted to find Yan, he should go to the Black Water Pool to collect Yan's body. As Hu Zi prepared to deliver a fatal blow, Yi Mei suddenly materialized behind him, seizing the activated Phurba. She declared that with the Phurba fully activated, Hu Zi had served his purpose and was no longer of any use to her.
With a single powerful strike, she sent Hu Zi flying onto the rafters, leaving him severely injured. As Yi Mei departed, taking Qi Xiaoxuan with her, Hu Zi fell from the rafters. However, his fall was cushioned by the sudden appearance of the Ten-Thousand-Year Tiger Demon, his mother, who manifested in her true form to break his impact.
Cheng Jinian seized this opportunity to incite other sorcerers, falsely accusing Hu Zi of colluding with the White Tiger, claiming the White Tiger was responsible for bringing endless calamities five hundred years prior. Wang Yuqian, attempting to protect Hu Zi and his mother, led them to a dilapidated temple for refuge. However, Cheng Jinian then ordered the sorcerers to surround the temple and set it ablaze.
Zhao Xintong arrived and confronted Cheng Jinian, arguing that they should prioritize helping the displaced civilians and dealing with the rampant demons instead of engaging in internal conflict. She reminded them that Hu Zi had been helping people and that the White Tiger had saved Hu Zi from Yi Mei, refuting Cheng Jinian’s accusations. Her impassioned plea resonated with many, and they decided to assist the suffering populace. Seeing his support wane, Cheng Jinian reluctantly retreated.
Meanwhile, Qi Yanran fiercely confronted Yi Mei, seeking vengeance for her grandmother, but Yi Mei effortlessly overpowered her. Yi Mei then revealed that all answers regarding the Qi Family's centuries-old curse lay beyond the Netherworld Sea, on Peak Valley. With her intentions clear, Yi Mei summoned the Ancient Dragon of Mount Kong, a mythical beast she had cultivated for centuries, and departed with Qi Xiaoxuan.
As they flew, Yi Mei spotted the White Tiger below and, despite acknowledging its loss of divine powers, deemed it useful and captured it into a bottle. Following these harrowing events, Hu Zi was found in a deep coma, his spirit seemingly shattered by the recent ordeal and the renewed separation from his mother. The Fulong Capital bore the scars of widespread death and destruction.
Though the demons had temporarily retreated, the surviving populace was left to mourn countless losses and nurse their wounds. In the Tiangang Hall, elders convened to address the catastrophic situation. Reports confirmed that the Chief Commanding Master Qi Zilu had perished alongside the bandit leader Zhi Xie in the Netherworld Sea, and Jiang Xici, Chief of the Disha Hall, was murdered by Qi Yanran and Yi Mei.
Additionally, the commanders of the Red and Blue Camps, Tie Lie and Miao Yin, had sacrificed their lives, while Qi Xiaoxuan, now controlled by Yan, had defected, fleeing with Yi Mei on the Ancient Dragon. The elders were bewildered by the betrayal of such esteemed figures and distressed by the complete decimation of the Three Main Halls' elite forces.
Faced with the immediate crisis of the four camps and 12 teams being leaderless, they resolved to inform the Emperor and urgently devise a plan to restore order. To fill the critical leadership void, the Elder Council convened a meeting, summoning numerous Royal Sorcerers to the Tiangang Hall.
They announced the appointment of new camp commanders: Wu Lidan was named Commander of the Black Camp, the Jinhua sisters trio were jointly appointed as Commanders of the Blue Camp, Xiao Yunzi became Commander of the Red Camp, and Chang Daqiang was assigned Commander of the White Camp.
Despite Zhao Xintong's significant contributions and the praise she received for her bravery in Fulong City, she was merely presented with a reward of silver and silk, without being assigned any official position or real authority. The Elder Council then declared a devastating loss: Chief Commanding Master Qi Zilu had heroically died stemming the Netherworld Sea, and the Chief Steward was also killed by Yi Mei.
They announced a new acting commander-in-chief was needed, praising Cheng Jinian for his bravery in defending the Tiangang Hall and appointed him to the position. However, this decision was met with immediate and strong opposition from the newly appointed camp commanders. They deemed Cheng Jinian unqualified. Although Wu Lidan abstained from the vote, the other commanders firmly rejected Cheng Jinian's appointment.
Wang Yuqian, citing his extensive knowledge of the Fulong Law, stated that if the Chief Commanding Master's position was vacant, the commander-in-chief should be recommended by the four camp commanders. Faced with such unanimous objection, the elders conceded, reluctantly appointing Zhao Xintong as the temporary acting commander-in-chief, with the caveat that her suitability would be re-evaluated later.
Following her appointment, Zhao Xintong was approached by Wu Lidan, who thanked her for not opposing his abstention from the vote regarding Cheng Jinian's appointment. Zhao Xintong clarified that her actions were solely based on her principles, not a favor, and sternly warned Wu Lidan that if he ever committed unlawful acts, she would personally eliminate him. Cheng Jinian's father, Cheng Shu, and Uncle Zhou secretly advised Cheng Jinian, who was furious about Zhao Xintong's temporary promotion.
They suggested that Zhao Xintong, by taking the leading role, would become an easy target and pave the way for Cheng Jinian's eventual ascension. Meanwhile, Zhao Xintong, determined to resolve the crisis at its root, proposed a bold plan to the elders: to gather all Royal Sorcerers within seven days and lead them across the Netherworld Sea to Peak Valley to capture Yi Mei.
She explained that Yi Mei's actions and the destruction of the Red Pearl Formation had already led to the complete inundation of the low-lying State of Julun and severe damage to the high-terrain Qianyu State, warning that the entire continent would eventually be submerged if the source of the problem was not addressed. However, the elders strongly disagreed with her plan, viewing it as too risky and premature.
They argued that their immediate priorities should be settling refugees, rebuilding the capital, and repairing the damaged formations in Fulong Bay, rather than embarking on a perilous offensive. Despite their rejection of Zhao Xintong's proposal, the elders remained cautious. Cheng Jinian then seized the opportunity to approach them with a "shocking secret."
He falsely accused Hu Zi of being the offspring of the Ten-Thousand-Year Tiger Demon and alleged that Hu Zi had secretly learned martial arts from Yi Mei, implying he was complicit in the chaos that had engulfed Fulong City and was colluding with Yi Mei. Convinced by Cheng Jinian's fabricated claims, the Elder Council immediately ordered him to lead sorcerers to arrest Hu Zi and imprison him.
