Till the End of the Moon Episode 5 Recap
> Till the End of the Moon Recap
Tantai Jin realized he could harness the power of demons. He understood that as long as they couldn't kill him, their power could be his to use, experiencing for the first time what true power felt like. With this newfound ability, he decided it was time to live a different life. Soon after, Ye Xiwu came to visit Tantai Jin, wondering if he still harbored suicidal thoughts after his nightmare.
Tantai Jin initially considered using Ye Xiwu to test his new powers. However, upon seeing the wound on her palm, he was reminded of the dream where she had taken away his dagger, causing him to abandon the idea of harming her. Ye Xiwu, for her part, resolved to prevent Tantai Jin from attempting suicide again, planning to appeal to his emotions and reason. Meanwhile, Pang Yizhi observed Xiao Lin's preoccupation and understood his affection for Ye Bingshang.
However, he warned Xiao Lin that, as the Sixth Prince, a marriage with General Ye's daughter, whose family held significant military power, would likely incite much suspicion. Xiao Lin acknowledged the difficulty but affirmed his decision. Soon after, Ye Bingshang regained consciousness, and Xiao Lin rushed to her side. Having endured the succubus's ordeal, Ye Bingshang confessed her deep love for Xiao Lin, expressing regret for not having spoken sooner and quoting a poem about eternal devotion.
Xiao Lin reciprocated her feelings, assuring her, "I'm also in love with you." He promised to be responsible for their love and provide her with a proper status, telling her to recover while he made arrangements. To lift Tantai Jin’s spirits, Ye Xiwu took him to visit Ye Bingshang. However, they encountered Xiao Lin, who asked to speak with Ye Xiwu privately.
Xiao Lin informed her that the succubus crisis had clarified his feelings for Ye Bingshang, and he intended to ask the Emperor to grant their marriage. He urged Ye Xiwu to accept this reality. As Li Susu inhabiting Ye Xiwu's body, she couldn't explain the original Ye Xiwu's past affections for Xiao Lin. She simply promised that from then on, they would maintain a clean separation and not interfere with each other's lives.
Xiao Lin then brought up Tantai Jin, explaining that he was a hostage from Jing Kingdom, and his life was intrinsically tied to the fate of Sheng. Should anything happen to Tantai Jin, it would provide Jing Kingdom with a pretext to wage war against Sheng.
Given Sheng’s recent decline in military strength, such a conflict would be disastrous for the nation and its people, as well as for the Ye family, whose men would be sent to the front lines. Ye Xiwu assured Xiao Lin that she would keep a close watch on Tantai Jin. Overhearing their conversation, Tantai Jin misunderstood Ye Xiwu's intentions, believing her concern for him was solely to protect her family.
He also realized that Xiao Lin’s childhood kindness stemmed from a similar desire to safeguard Sheng Kingdom. Ye Xiwu then "confessed" to Xiao Lin, admitting that she hated Tantai Jin more than anyone, even wishing he had never existed. However, she affirmed that she would not let him die, though she also stated that genuinely caring for him was impossible for her.
Hearing Ye Xiwu's seemingly honest words, Tantai Jin perceived her previous actions as mere pretense, believing she was no different from anyone else who acted out of self-interest. Xiao Lin approached the Sheng Emperor, openly confessing his love for Ye Bingshang and requesting a sanctioned marriage. He explained that his affection for her was spontaneous and without logical reason, contrasting it with his typically rule-abiding nature. The Emperor agreed to consider the matter.
Not long after, an imperial edict arrived, bestowing upon Ye Bingshang the title of Side Concubine to Prince Xuancheng, a new title granted to Xiao Lin. Although the Emperor had granted the marriage, he remained wary of the Ye family’s military influence, which was why Ye Bingshang was designated as a side concubine rather than the principal wife. Ye Bingshang was deeply saddened by this decision.
Despite years of diligent study and meticulous conduct, she felt she had been defeated by the rigid distinction between legitimate and illegitimate birth. Vowing to herself, she determined that she must eventually become Xiao Lin's legal wife. Knowing that Ye Bingshang would be heartbroken by the imperial edict, Xiao Lin hurried to the Ye residence to comfort her.
He openly acknowledged her disappointment and sorrow, revealing his awareness of the cold treatment she had endured in the Ye family and the grievances she harbored. He reassured her that her desire to be his legal wife was a natural expression of love, not an excessive ambition.
Xiao Lin promised that the position of his legal wife would always be hers and vowed to give her a wedding as grand as one for a principal wife, pledging to share all joys and hardships with her. On the day of Xiao Lin's grand wedding, Tantai Jin attended the banquet, intending to seize the opportunity to exact revenge on those who had bullied him since childhood.
His targets included individuals like Emperor's Son-in-law Gao Jie, Marquis of Jinling Qiu Yu, Princess Yongxing’s son Cheng Peng, Ye Zeyu, Prince Wuning Xiao Liang, and even Ye Xiwu. Prince Wuning Xiao Liang arrived at the banquet, first bullying a commoner family outside before encountering Tantai Jin. He immediately began to mock Tantai Jin, relishing in his perceived misfortune regarding Ye Bingshang marrying Xiao Lin. Fearing Tantai Jin might lash out, Ye Xiwu quickly retorted, calling Xiao Liang's mouth foul.
She later advised Tantai Jin to ignore Xiao Liang, dismissing him as a despicable person. Pang Yizhi presented Xiao Lin with a wedding gift from the Xiaoyao Sect leader: a Heart-guarding Scale. Ye Xiwu recognized it as a chest scale from the dragon race, known for its exceptional toughness and ability to ward off evil. As the auspicious time arrived, Xiao Lin and Ye Bingshang began their grand wedding ceremony.
Simultaneously, Tantai Jin unleashed a spell, summoning blood crows to attack those he sought to harm. The crows swarmed the guests, specifically targeting the noble young men who had tormented Tantai Jin over the years, pecking and injuring them, including Xiao Liang. Amidst the chaos, Xiao Lin escorted Ye Bingshang to a side hall, entrusting her with the Heart-guarding Scale for protection. He then left to safeguard the other guests.
Ye Bingshang was terrified and pleaded with him to stay, questioning if others were more important than his new wife. However, Xiao Lin insisted he couldn't abandon the wedding guests, his guards, and his servants, promising her that she would be safe and to wait for him. Ye Xiwu used a charm to rescue her injured brother, Ye Zeyu. She then urged her father to take Ye Zeyu and leave the chaotic scene.
Despite her brother's pleas to prevent her, Ye Xiwu decided to return to the mansion to search for Tantai Jin, concerned that if anything happened to him, they would all be doomed. Ye Xiwu found Tantai Jin in the courtyard, using her sword to drive away the blood crows. Initially, Tantai Jin misconstrued her actions, believing she intended to kill him.
However, when he saw her place herself in front of him, shielding him from the attacking crows, his heart stirred with an unfamiliar emotion. He couldn't comprehend why Ye Xiwu, who had repeatedly claimed to despise him, would risk her own life to save him. She then retrieved the Heart-guarding Scale from Ye Bingshang and returned it to her with a sarcastic wedding wish, using up her last charm in the process.
Observing the aftermath of the attack and reflecting on his own powers, Tantai Jin realized that the demonic energy he had absorbed would eventually deplete. He mused that if he could cultivate and practice like Xiao Lin, he wouldn't have to rely solely on devouring demons to maintain his strength.
Meanwhile, the Sheng Emperor ordered a thorough investigation into the strange crow attack, noting that while the demonic creatures were fierce, no one had died, suggesting a puppet master behind the chaos. Tantai Jin confronted Ye Xiwu, asking if she had specifically returned to save him. Unable to reveal her true intentions as Li Susu, she feigned affection, claiming she liked him and that saving her husband was only natural.
She even joked about their relationship evolving from initial dislike to fondness, as often happened in stories. Tantai Jin, unfamiliar with the concept of love, asked Ye Xiwu for a definition. She explained it as wanting someone to live, desiring to be with them, and feeling joy at their presence and worry in their absence. Despite her explanation, Tantai Jin deemed love as insignificant when compared to power.
Instead, he asked Ye Xiwu to teach him how to draw charms, suggesting it would allow them to spend more time together and enable him to protect those he cared for, much like she had protected him. Ye Xiwu, surprised by his desire to protect, agreed on the condition that he promised to live, as she had no desire to risk her life for him again.
However, when Tantai Jin requested to learn the crow-repelling charm she had used, Ye Xiwu refused, citing its danger and stating that she would never teach him a charm that could kill, especially given his identity.
