Tiger and Crane Episode 8 Recap
> Tiger and Crane Recap
The Royal Sorcerer exam was fast approaching, and Jiang Xici, concerned about potential unrest in the capital, instructed a subordinate to examine recent cases. His aim was to uncover the origins of missing sorcerers, their past associations, grudges, and any demons they might have subdued, hoping to find crucial clues. Meanwhile, Qi Yanran expressed her frustration with Qi Xiaoxuan, lamenting that he always had support and seemed untouchable by even Fulong Law.
She believed their "Grandma" showed him undue favoritism, even paving his way to become the Royal Sorcerer Commander-in-chief. Challenging him, she declared that their true strengths would be revealed on the battleground during the upcoming exam. Amidst this tension, Zhao Xintong revealed that Qi Xiaoxuan, whom she referred to as "Ice Cube," had been punished and was reflecting on his mistakes in prison, a turn of events that greatly worried Hu Zi.
Manzhu Shahua from the Yanluo Hall's Siyin Lineage gathered the sorcerers-in-training to educate them on the institutional structure of the Fulong Capital. She explained that the Tiangang Hall was responsible for maintaining civilian peace and eradicating demonic bandits, while the Disha Hall focused on solving complex cases and gathering evidence. The Yanluo Hall, where she served, was charged with drafting laws, overseeing, and punishing criminals.
Manzhu Shahua emphasized that the Yanluo Hall was also the custodian of the most extensive and complete compendium of all demons and magical artifacts across the three great nations, housed within its Collection Pavilion and accessible only to Royal Sorcerers. This revelation sparked Hu Zi's keen interest in joining the Yanluo Hall to research the origins of tiger demons, particularly the White Tiger and its legendary nine tails, a topic he pressed Manzhu Shahua on.
Later, finding Manzhu Shahua's lecture on the Elder Council tedious, Hu Zi secretly slipped away, intending to visit the Collection Pavilion. Wang Yuqian, like a persistent shadow, followed him. Despite Hu Zi's initial annoyance, Wang Yuqian proved instrumental by incapacitating a guard with a brick to acquire suitable attire, allowing Hu Zi to enter the pavilion while Wang Yuqian kept watch.
Inside, Hu Zi sought the "Collection of Demons across Ten Thousand Years," learning that the Wolf Demon King had been slain five centuries prior, with no wolf demons supposedly remaining. This made him question the identity of a black-robed figure who had summoned a pack of wolves ten years ago.
He also found a brief entry about the nine-tailed tiger demon, noting its bloodthirsty and destructive nature, and that it had been banished into the Netherworld Sea by ancestor Qi Wuji five hundred years ago, its primordial spirit supposedly destroyed. Qi Xiaoxuan soon discovered Hu Zi in the Collection Pavilion, scolding him for trespassing and ordering him back to class. Exiting, Hu Zi angrily blamed Wang Yuqian for failing to spot Qi Xiaoxuan approaching.
Shan Cha, having prepared pastries for Hu Zi, was abducted by an unseen assailant as she left his room. The following day, Cheng Jinian exploited the incident to malign Hu Zi, asserting that he saw Shan Cha enter Hu Zi's room the previous night and implying impropriety.
Cheng Jinian then dramatically revealed that Hu Zi possessed a ten-thousand-year demonic tail and had recently transformed into a demon in the Tiangang Hall, suggesting Hu Zi was the culprit behind Shan Cha's disappearance. Qi Xiaoxuan intervened, confirming Hu Zi's demonic energy but clarifying that the demonic tail was an outside implantation, not inherent to Hu Zi. He explained that he had brought Hu Zi to the capital specifically to cleanse him of this implanted power and clear his name.
Qi Xiaoxuan urged everyone to set aside their suspicions and unite in the search for Shan Cha. Despite an exhaustive search, even extending to a dilapidated temple, Shan Cha remained unfound. Zhao Xintong admonished Hu Zi for his lack of discretion, arguing it had brought trouble upon him, but Hu Zi remained adamant that only by finding Shan Cha could he prove his innocence.
Later, Qi Xiaoxuan received a report detailing the disappearances of several folk and bounty sorcerers, noting their commonality as independent practitioners of magic. When his subordinates suggested the Ghost Market as a potential lead, Qi Xiaoxuan dismissed them, intending to investigate alone. However, Hu Zi, having overheard the discussion, pressed Qi Xiaoxuan for details about the Ghost Market, learning it was a vast underground black market where transactions forbidden by Fulong Law transpired.
Despite Qi Xiaoxuan's initial reluctance to involve them due to safety concerns, Hu Zi, Zhao Xintong, and Wang Yuqian insisted on accompanying him, believing their help could expedite the search for Shan Cha and clear Hu Zi's name. Qi Xiaoxuan eventually relented, but only after securing their promise to strictly obey his commands while in the unpredictable environment of the Ghost Market. The group arrived at a nondescript, seldom-used entrance to the Ghost Market, which initially unsettled Wang Yuqian.
Once inside, they found themselves amidst a bustling, shadowy marketplace where various illicit dealings took place, most notably the widespread trade of Red Pearl powder. Wang Yuqian explained that this powder, ground from stolen and refined Red Pearls, induced hallucinatory states in its users and was strictly forbidden in Qianyu State, yet it thrived in Fulong's black market. Hu Zi questioned why the Three Main Halls did not enforce the law, given that Red Pearl theft was a grave offense.
Qi Xiaoxuan clarified that the Elder Council's policy was to allow merchants to seek out the elusive Red Pearls for profit, with the officials poised to intervene only after the pearls had been located and gathered, a strategy that inadvertently contributed to the Ghost Market's enduring prosperity. Their investigation then led them to Wanchun Pavilion, which Qi Xiaoxuan revealed to be the most well-informed establishment in the entire Fulong Capital, despite its outward appearance as a brothel.
It was a clandestine hub for intelligence, gathering information on everything from royal court intrigues to street-level conflicts, and entry required all visitors to surrender their weapons. Inside Wanchun Pavilion, unbeknownst to them that Shan Cha had already met a tragic end, the renowned courtesan Mu Dan captivated the guests.
She presented a challenge to those seeking her attention: to revive a withered branch of the unique Udumbara flower, also known as the "flower in the mirror, moon in the water." After a flower merchant's attempt with "sweet dew" failed, Qi Xiaoxuan stepped forward. He recounted the Udumbara's legend, explaining that it blossomed from a beautiful woman's tears shed for her fallen husband and only bloomed under moonlight.
Using a bronze mirror to reflect the moon's light, he then added that the flower also required human blood to truly blossom, performing an action that caused the seemingly lifeless branch to bloom spectacularly. Impressed, Mu Dan invited Qi Xiaoxuan to a private meeting. During their conversation, Mu Dan, aware of Qi Xiaoxuan’s reputation and recent release from imprisonment, deduced that a significant case must be at hand.
She challenged his assertion of peace in the capital, revealing her knowledge of the increasing number of missing sorcerers and the resulting public anxiety. When Qi Xiaoxuan offered her money for information, Mu Dan declined, stating her disinterest in wealth and playfully proposing a night together as her condition, though she soon clarified it was a jest and invited him to simply sit and talk. Meanwhile, Hu Zi, observing an old woman who claimed to resolve doubts, approached her, seeking answers to his own troubled mind.
