Tiger and Crane Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
> Tiger and Crane Recap
Master Qi, ill and bedridden, cruelly ordered his ten-year-old son, Qi Wushuang, to be abandoned outside their family home, blaming the boy for his mother's death and his own illness. Servants, following these harsh commands, left Qi Wushuang to fend for himself against a pack of ferocious wolves. Fortunately, Qi Wuji arrived just in time, shielding his younger brother.
Qi Wuji apologized to Wushuang for failing to protect him and declared to their father that if Wushuang were cast out, he would leave with him. He comforted Wushuang, promising to heal his legs so they could travel the entire world together. For the first time, Wushuang experienced warmth and hope, contrasting with the harshness he had known since birth.
Qi Wuji then confronted his father, who vehemently disowned Wushuang, labeling him a "scourge" who had brought nothing but misfortune to the Qi family. Qi Wuji firmly defended Wushuang as his brother, refusing to give up on him. Determined to find a cure for Wushuang's legs, Qi Wuji decided to leave home and seek a legendary divine island, Peak Valley, rumored to hold remedies for incurable diseases. On their journey from a small town's dock, they met Ye Kongming.
She purchased an accessory for a doll, and Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan recognized the doll itself as the true form of Yi Mei. Ye Kongming expressed her desire to join their arduous journey to the legendary divine island, insisting she could help Qi Wuji care for Wushuang, despite Qi Wuji's reservations about the dangers ahead for a young woman. As they continued, they encountered a disturbing sight: numerous sick individuals.
Among them was Wang Qianyu, who introduced himself as the founding emperor of Qianyu State. Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan also noted Wang Qianyu's striking resemblance to Wang Yuqian. He explained that a rapidly spreading epidemic, causing fever, fatigue, and death within three months, was ravaging several towns and threatened to engulf the entire continent. Wang Qianyu himself had fallen ill and could no longer journey to the divine island.
He humbly pleaded with Qi Wuji and Ye Kongming to seek medicine for the suffering people on the island. Qi Wuji, in turn, reassured the desperate crowd that he would indeed seek an elixir from the deities once they reached the divine island. Finally, the group arrived at Peak Valley, a place Qi Wushuang had only heard of in legends. Upon arrival, Ye Kongming was deeply saddened to discover that Qi Wuji and Baihu (White Tiger) were in love.
There, Qi Wushuang sensed Ye Kongming's distress, who confessed the pain of unrequited love. Misunderstanding her words, Qi Wushuang, who had developed feelings for Ye Kongming due to her perceived kindness, bravely confessed his affection, noting her uniqueness and how she, unlike others, did not shun him. However, Ye Kongming immediately rejected his advances, bluntly stating that her affection and care were solely for Qi Wuji, his brother, and not for Wushuang himself.
She admitted she only approached him because she wanted to be with Qi Wuji. This devastating revelation intensified Wushuang's deep-seated feelings of abandonment and loneliness, a sentiment noted by Hu Zi. Despite this profound emotional blow, Qi Wuji continued to reassure Wushuang that everything would get better and that he could change his own destiny. Together, they finally reached the Mountain God.
Qi Wuji first pleaded for the healing of his brother's legs, then, moved by compassion, also requested the Mountain God to save the people suffering from the epidemic. The Mountain God, acknowledging Qi Wuji as the only one to wish for the common people, offered him a single choice: heal Wushuang's legs or eradicate the epidemic. Without hesitation, Qi Wuji chose to eradicate the epidemic. This decision shattered Qi Wushuang. Feeling utterly betrayed and abandoned, he cried out, "Why?
Why did you abandon me too? You lied to me! You all lied to me!" Overwhelmed by hatred for his fate, his crippled legs, and everyone around him, Wushuang's immense resentment caused him to transform from a human into a fearsome demon. He seized the Phurba, slew the Mountain God, then mercilessly consumed Qi Wuji's body and soul, taking on his brother's form.
Proclaiming himself the world's only god, Qi Wushuang, now the Demon Emperor, unleashed a torrent of destructive legendary flames, transforming the Peak Valley into the desolate Netherworld Sea. Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan finally understood the profound source of Qi Wushuang's five centuries of resentment. They confronted him, explaining that while he saw the evil inflicted upon him, he failed to see the devastating consequences of his actions for the world.
They challenged his assertion that Qi Wuji had abandoned him, proposing a re-enactment of the fateful choice. In this recreated moment, Qi Wuji once again prioritized the common people, but this time, he added a heartfelt promise to his brother: he would still find a way to heal Wushuang's legs, even if it meant sacrificing his own, and would be Wushuang's legs until then.
Hearing these words, Wushuang's heart, burdened for five hundred years, was finally unburdened, and his resentment vanished like the wind. With the resentment dispelled, Hu Zi and Qi Xiaoxuan used their divine powers to purify the legendary flames, causing the waters of the Netherworld Sea to clear. Far away in Fulong Bay, soldiers and common people cheered joyfully as they witnessed the purification of the sea.
With Peak Valley restored to its former glory, Hu Zi chose to remain there, dedicating himself to guarding the spirits of the heroes who had fallen. He bid a heartfelt farewell to Qi Xiaoxuan, Xiao Yunzi, and the others as they boarded the Chenghuang, acknowledging the vast distance and uncertain future of their reunion. Back on the mainland, Changdaqiong and the Jinhua sisters trio became pillars of the Royal Sorcerer corps for Fulong State.
Qi Yanran continued to honor her grandmother's memory, while Wu Lidan placed Zhao Xintong's memorial tablet in the Yangming Hall. Cheng Jinian and Ya were together, with Ya rigorously pushing Cheng Jinian through training. An elderly fortuneteller, using runes, told Qi Xiaoxuan that his story with Hu Zi was not yet over, and they would surely meet again. She also mentioned that while Peak Valley could grant any wish, it was difficult to find, though people were already recruiting to embark on new voyages to seek it.
