Till the End of the Moon Episode 21 Recap
> Till the End of the Moon Recap
Pian Ran guided Ye Xiwu to Tantai Jin's living quarters, instructing her to observe him briefly and then return, promising to arrange her transport back to Jing Kingdom. Ye Xiwu agreed, then inquired about Pian Ran's destination, to which Pian Ran replied she was going to check on Ye Qingyu, expressing concern about a possible head injury. Ye Xiwu playfully remarked that Ye Qingyu's head was "already broken" since he liked Pian Ran.
Ye Xiwu secretly watched Tantai Jin, relieved to see his injury was not severe and that he appeared well. However, the sudden cawing of crows inadvertently exposed her presence. Tantai Jin, alerted by the unusual sound, learned from a crow, speaking through one of his soldiers, that the "female devil" who had been constantly sending letters had been sighted nearby. Tantai Jin found Ye Xiwu by the river and happily embraced her after their long separation.
He brought her to his tent to clean up and personally tended to her injured feet, carefully applying ointment and emphasizing the importance of timely wound care in a military camp. Touched by his attentiveness, Ye Xiwu felt a stirring of affection. She asked if he was upset about her secretly coming to the camp. Tantai Jin dismissed her concern, instead accusing Pian Ran of deliberately trying to discourage Ye Xiwu from coming.
When Ye Xiwu, attempting to "play hard to get," suggested she would return to Jing Kingdom the next day, Tantai Jin firmly declared that she was not permitted to leave until her foot had fully recovered. Ye Xiwu playfully chided him for his contradictory demands. Tantai Jin then reassured her, promising he would never abandon her again. At that moment, the Soul-slaying Teardrop within Ye Xiwu's body grew warm.
Later that night, Ye Xiwu confided in Pian Ran about her genuine feelings for Tantai Jin, admitting she might have been "stupid" for pursuing him. Meanwhile, the Sheng King, impatient with the slow progress of training demon soldiers, sought a faster way to defeat Tantai Jin. Fu Yu proposed a powerful conjuration that required the bones of Tantai Jin's closest relative, along with nine pairs of virgin children and a loved one as sacrifices.
The Sheng King readily agreed, ordering the retrieval of Tantai Jin's mother's bones and declaring that Yingxin would be offered as the loved one. Tantai Jin was soon informed that Sheng King Xiao Yi had desecrated his mother's tomb and stolen her bones to use in a death curse. In the Sheng capital, the king's sorcerers assured him that once the ritual was complete, the curse would cause Tantai Jin to die from a sudden illness within three months.
Enraged by the desecration, Tantai Jin immediately mobilized his forces and marched towards Sheng Kingdom. Ye Xiwu, noticing his abrupt departure, sought answers from Pian Ran but was instructed to remain in her tent. Worried, she ventured to Xiao Lin's military camp, where she learned that Tantai Jin's forces were not engaging in battle.
Realizing the potential danger, Xiao Lin urged Ye Xiwu to return to Jing Kingdom and dispatched his elite Dragon Guards to protect Shengdu and the Palace of Sheng. Tantai Jin arrived in Shengdu and confronted Sheng King Xiao Yi, accusing him of using his mother's remains to cast the curse. He condemned the Sheng King for sacrificing his own people for personal gain, likening him to a demon.
Tantai Jin demanded that the Sheng King kneel and apologize to his mother. When the Sheng King defiantly refused and scattered the ashes, Tantai Jin, consumed by fury, killed him. Yingxin, witnessing the horrific act, screamed at Tantai Jin, calling him a monster, and stabbed him with a cursed sword. Tantai Jin, believing this wound settled his debt for her care, then killed her.
In the ensuing chaos at the Palace of Sheng, Ye Bingchang and her maid attempted to escape. When accosted by a eunuch demanding their valuables, Ye Bingchang callously pushed her maid into the path of the eunuch's blade, allowing herself to flee unharmed. Upon seeing Tantai Jin, she recognized his overwhelming power and pleaded with him to take her back to Jing Kingdom. Tantai Jin, after a moment of thought, agreed.
Xiao Lin arrived too late, finding his father dead and his own forces incapacitated. Though heartbroken, he accepted the fate of Sheng Kingdom and was relieved to learn that Ye Bingchang was safe, believing she was forced to go with Tantai Jin and hoping she could reunite with her family.
As Tantai Jin returned to his camp, a crow delivered a report detailing Ye Xiwu's visit to Xiao Lin's camp after his departure and the subsequent encounter with Xiao Lin's Dragon Guards. This information led Tantai Jin to misinterpret Ye Xiwu's actions, suspecting her of treason and believing she had betrayed him out of concern for Xiao Lin. Later, Ye Xiwu confronted Tantai Jin, seeking answers about his actions in Shengdu.
Still angered by the perceived betrayal, Tantai Jin deliberately twisted her questions, implying she was more concerned about Xiao Lin or Sheng Kingdom than him. He then coldly recounted his brutal murders of Sheng King Xiao Yi and Yingxin, claiming he had Xiao Yi dismembered and Yingxin burned to ashes. He further taunted Ye Xiwu, suggesting her visit to Xiao Lin had inadvertently led him to the city, regretting that he hadn't managed to kill Xiao Lin as well.
Horrified and disillusioned by his cruelty, Ye Xiwu declared that she had been foolish to believe she could change his inherently heartless nature and regretted ever staying by his side, stating she would rather feed a dog than him. Hurt by her words, Tantai Jin retaliated, stating his natural "thin affections" meant it made no difference who was by his side.
He then angrily dismissed her, warning her not to be arrogant and that he would not hesitate to kill her if she pushed him too far. Meanwhile, Pian Ran discreetly provided a healing ointment for Ye Qingyu's injuries, instructing the soldier not to reveal its source. She then observed Ye Bingchang visiting Ye Qingyu and was surprised to learn she was his elder sister. Ye Qingyu introduced Pian Ran as his "comrade."
Separately, Tantai Minglang learned of the Sheng King's failure, but viewed the ongoing war between Sheng and Jing as an advantage for his own ambitions. He revealed that the demon soldiers given to the Sheng King were merely a diversion to conceal his true plan: to complete a powerful formation that would transform the entire Southern region into a lethal poisonous fortress, ensuring the eradication of all life, including Tantai Jin.
Later, Ye Bingchang approached Tantai Jin, who appeared weak from the cursed wound he sustained from Yingxin. She offered to leave, but Tantai Jin stopped her, stating that if she wished to repay him, she should stay with him day and night and never leave, as well as prepare a meal for him daily. Ye Bingchang, interpreting this as a sign of his affection and an opportunity for power, enthusiastically agreed.
Internally, she resolved to charm him and secure a formal position, while diligently guarding the secret of her dwindling "love threads," noting she had only one left and feeling relieved it hadn't completely dissipated.
