Twelve Legends Episode 26 Recap
> Twelve Legends Recap
Lu Tian Jiao was deeply enchanted by Mr. Mo, a handsome and powerful figure in her dreams, preferring to remain asleep forever than to wake. In one such dream, as she shared a romantic moment with Mr. Mo by the sea, she was interrupted by Ye Ming. Lu Tian Jiao angrily accused Ye Ming of shamelessly seducing her fiancé, Mr. Mo.
Ye Ming retorted that a fiancé means little, and many men have mistresses, even suggesting that Lu Tian Jiao might end up as one herself. As their argument escalated into a fight, Mr. Mo intervened, displaying his ability to levitate, which greatly impressed Lu Tian Jiao. Mr. Mo then declared his profound love for Lu Tian Jiao, calling her his "moon on a night of spring," "summer breeze," "flowers," and "honey," wishing their moment on the beach could last forever.
However, Ye Li Na's calls from reality eventually jolted Lu Tian Jiao awake. Distraught, Lu Tian Jiao immediately asked for Mr. Mo and tried to take medicine to return to her dream, but Ye Li Na stopped her. Lu Tian Jiao then confessed that she wasn't crazy but deeply in love with someone she met in a continuous dream.
She explained how she and Mr. Mo met on the first night, became acquainted on the second, and eventually got engaged on the third, yearning to be with him constantly. She revealed that her family disapproved and constantly prevented her from sleeping, even threatening to send her to a hospital, which forced her to resort to alcohol and medicine to induce sleep. She expressed fear that the "other woman" she saw in her dream would steal Mr. Mo away.
Ye Li Na suggested Lu Tian Jiao might be possessed by an evil spirit or even a ghost, but Lu Tian Jiao dismissed the idea, stating no ghost could be as handsome and charming as Mr. Mo. She even declared that she would accept him even if he were a male fox demon. Meanwhile, Ye Ming and Jin Xingjian sat watching the rain. Ye Ming voiced her deep desire to recover her lost memories, feeling incomplete without them.
Jin Xingjian proposed seeking a legendary thousand-year-old divine beast known as the Dream Eater, which feeds on human dreams and can manipulate them. He speculated that if the legend was true, the Dream Eater might be able to restore Ye Ming's memories, as dreams are essentially woven from memories, implying the beast would have access to them.
Ye Ming recalled having repeatedly dreamed of Yu Shao Bai, even after her memories of him were supposedly erased, suggesting the Dream Eater might be involved in facilitating those dreams. Jin Xingjian mentioned hearing reports from Nanjing of people suffering from "hysteria," sleeping for months without eating, which he believed was connected to a Dream Eater. With this lead, they decided to travel to Nanjing.
Elsewhere, Lu Tian Jiao's Third Lady attempted to send her to an asylum, despite Li Ma's desperate pleas. En route, Lu Tian Jiao feigned illness to create a diversion and managed to escape her captors. As Jin Xingjian and Ye Ming traveled by train to Nanjing, Ye Ming, unfamiliar with the modern world, described the train as a long, "people-eating snake."
Jin Xingjian was amused by her rare smile, commenting that he was unaccustomed to it, but that didn't mean he disliked it. That night, Lu Tian Jiao sought refuge from the rain in a dilapidated temple. Overwhelmed by despair and a sense of injustice from her family, who she believed wanted her out for her inheritance, she drank heavily to force herself back into her dream. There, she was pursued by a terrifying female ghost.
Mr. Mo appeared just in time, skillfully using his powers to drive the ghost away and comforting a terrified Lu Tian Jiao. She begged him to let her remain in the dream forever. Mr. Mo, however, gently refused, explaining that he could not bear for her to lose her life because of him, as he would become a sinner. He then gave her a specific address in reality, urging her to remember it carefully.
Upon waking the next morning, Lu Tian Jiao followed Mr. Mo's directions to a well-appointed house, but he was nowhere to be found. Determined, she forced herself to sleep again and found Mr. Mo in her dream, waiting for her. He confirmed the house was hers to occupy for as long as she needed, stating it was his way of atoning for the trouble he had caused her.
He advised her to look under the bed for a chest containing enough money to sustain her for one or two years, suggesting she find her own path or return home if all else failed. He then abruptly declared he would no longer appear in her dreams and urged her to forget him and live a good life. Lu Tian Jiao was devastated by his sudden departure, feeling abandoned and betrayed.
Soon after, Ye Li Na, Jin Xingjian, and Ye Ming arrived at the house. Earlier, Ye Li Na had visited the Lu family mansion in search of Lu Tian Jiao, only to be told by the Third Lady that she had run away, making Ye Li Na suspect the Third Lady was deliberately hiding her.
Jin Xingjian, having heard about Lu Tian Jiao's dreams, had deduced that "Mr. Mo," being a Dream Eater, would likely remain close to Lu Tian Jiao because he enjoyed feeding on her dreams, so they followed the clues to find her. Upon seeing Ye Ming at the house, Lu Tian Jiao immediately accused her of being the "other woman" who caused Mr. Mo to break up with her.
Ye Ming denied knowing any Mr. Mo, explaining that the image in Lu Tian Jiao's dream was merely an illusion. Jin Xingjian, observing this, commented that "Mr. Mo" must indeed have known Ye Ming for her image to appear in the dream.
Lu Tian Jiao then tearfully recounted her painful family history – her mother's early death, her father's frequent absence, her stepmother's (Third Lady's) constant animosity, and her brothers' unchecked debauchery, contrasting it with her own ostracization and attempts to be driven out, simply for wanting to sleep. She expressed her longing for a loving family like Ye Li Na's and reiterated her desire to live in a happy dream world over her harsh reality.
Jin Xingjian then explained that the Dream Eater, though having a physical form, consistently alters its appearance in dreams, making its true form rarely seen in reality. He proposed a plan: for Lu Tian Jiao to induce a lucid dream and feign suicide, believing that if the Dream Eater genuinely cared for her, he would reveal himself to save her. Lu Tian Jiao agreed.
She entered a dream, tearfully calling out for Mr. Mo, recounting her lonely past where she felt unloved and his broken promise of true affection. When he didn't appear, she threatened to end her life. This forced Mr. Mo to rush out, attempting to stop her. Lu Tian Jiao seized the opportunity and grabbed him, realizing his timely appearance confirmed Jin Xingjian's theory and exposed his true concern for her.
Lu Tian Jiao awoke to find a bizarre, pig-like monster on her bed. Jin Xingjian confirmed that this was the true form of her "Mr. Mo," the Dream Eater, now trapped within an enchantment he had placed at the door. Ye Li Na, disgusted by its appearance, loudly suggested killing and cooking it to ensure it wouldn't escape. Under this explicit threat, the timid Dream Eater was forced to transform into his human guise, revealing a disheveled and frightened man.
He confessed to being a simple dream-eating demon, drawn to Lu Tian Jiao's sweet romantic dreams. He admitted to using minor magic to encourage her to sleep and dream more frequently, allowing him to feast. When Jin Xingjian asked why Ye Ming's image had appeared in Lu Tian Jiao's dream, the Dream Eater hesitated, fearing for his life and the survival of his dwindling clan.
Under further pressure from Jin Xingjian, he reluctantly mimed the "one-eyed general," explaining that he had once encountered this "one-eyed general" (implied to be Yu Shao Bai from a past life) while foraging for food, who then forced him to perform a favor.
