Twelve Legends Episode 5 Recap
> Twelve Legends Recap
At a class reunion in Beiping, Ye Li Na, who had been childhood friends and middle school deskmates with Jenny Niu, was upset that Jenny, once ordinary-looking, had transformed and now attracted all the male attention. Jenny's beauty was praised, with compliments like "Amazing!" and remarks about her being a "modern woman."
Ye Li Na, feeling ignored despite her elaborate attire, tried to interject, but her classmates teased her for making such a "grand appearance," likening her dress to a "wedding" gown. A suitor approached Ye Li Na, but only to ask her to pass a gift to Jenny, further frustrating her. Later, Jenny's beloved Mr. Zheng arrived and invited her to dance, which she happily accepted. Envious of Jenny's popularity, Ye Li Na confessed her deep affection for Jin Xingjian.
She described him as handsome as Pan An, talented as Cao Zhi, and graceful. His "ice-cold face" was "supremely handsome," and his "charming voice," even when saying "see guests out," was "pleasant." Just thinking of him made her heart pound, and she prayed to Cupid and Yue Lao for their "early union." Jenny, recognizing the object of Ye Li Na's affections, told her about a special "date seed necklace" she wore.
Initially, Jenny claimed it was for "good luck," symbolizing "early union" (a pun on the sound of the date seed). However, as a "modern woman," Ye Li Na scoffed at the "feudal superstition" and pressed for the truth. Jenny then admitted that her newfound charm and Mr. Zheng's affection were entirely due to the necklace, which she received from a master who "cast a spell on it" to solve "lovesickness."
Eager for similar results with Jin Xingjian, Ye Li Na insisted on getting one, and Jenny promised to take her to the master the next morning. The next day, Ye Li Na and Jenny Niu visited the master. After traversing several streets, they arrived at the master's residence, a spacious courtyard. The master, before Ye Li Na could speak, seemed to know why she had come.
Ye Li Na, as a modern woman, openly expressed her desire for Jin Xingjian to reciprocate her feelings, frustrated that her attempts had failed. She described Jin Xingjian as handsome, talented, and graceful, mentioning his surname was Jin. The master confirmed he had "long heard of him" and, noting Jin Xingjian's "youthful refinement" and Ye Li Na's "gentle grace," agreed to "change his rules" for them to form a good match.
He gave Ye Li Na a date seed pendant, instructing her to wear it closely every day and not to "tell a soul," promising it would be "effective" in a few days. Ye Li Na was overjoyed, thanking the master. Back at the Niu residence, Ye Li Na was delighted by her radiant appearance in the mirror, believing the necklace to be "absolutely magical."
The next morning, Jenny, to her annoyance, discovered her new Western dress missing, complaining to Madam Qian that "Ms Ye wore it." Meanwhile, Jin Xingjian and Lord Jia arrived at the Zhang Residence as planned. They found the house in disarray and covered in blood. Lord Jia, alarmed, wondered why no one knew about the deaths if the Zhang family was so prominent. Jin Xingjian, however, grimly concluded that the people were likely dead, adding, "They weren't murdered by humans.
Of course nobody would know," and noted that the incident occurred "not too long ago." He also detected a strange smell and found an object resembling a "date seed" on the floor, remarking that it had a "faeces" smell. Jin Xingjian then asked Lord Jia to help him locate a prominent family in Beiping with the surname Niu, specifically inquiring about a "Ms Niu" who might possess a date seed necklace.
Lord Jia, after noting there were "three or four" such families, agreed to help. Simultaneously, in a cave, a subordinate named Wang reported to Yu Shao Bai, whose portrait hung on a wall, that "It's done." During this time, Lian Xuan continued his routine of delivering food to Ye Ming in the chamber, always attempting to leave quickly. However, Ye Ming was persistent, seeking answers about Yu Shao Bai.
She threatened to falsely accuse Lian Xuan to Jin Xingjian of visiting her daily and expressing "lovesickness" for her, prompting Lian Xuan to label her a "despicable demon." She then pressed him about his relationship with Jin Xingjian, which he described as being "comrades-in-arms" and having "deep friendship." When she asked about Yu Shao Bai, Lian Xuan initially denied knowing him, but then, astonished, asked, "Why do you remember Yu Shao Bai?"
He inadvertently revealed that he had witnessed "stupid Stone" (Jin Xingjian) "wiping off your memory of Yu Shao Bai." Shocked, Ye Ming questioned, "Jin Xing Jian wiped off my memory?" Lian Xuan tried to backtrack, awkwardly suggesting it was "good" she remembered, as she would then know "how Yu Shao Bai treats you." Ye Ming, however, was determined, demanding to know, "Who's Yu Shao Bai? What has he done to me?" Lian Xuan refused, claiming ignorance.
Earlier, Lian Xuan had wrestled with the idea of poisoning Ye Ming to prevent her from causing trouble by remembering things, even recalling Jin Xingjian's earlier punishment for his attempt to kill her. He considered that Jin Xingjian might eventually be grateful, believing "long pain is worse than short pain," but found himself unable to intentionally go through with it.
It was only when he accidentally spilled poison into the soup that he resigned himself, concluding, "If it's meant to be." He presented the poisoned soup to Ye Ming. Ye Ming, sensing the poison, pretended to believe he wouldn't poison her, claiming it would ruin his reputation as a demon hunter. She then threatened to drink the soup, stating she had "a death wish." Lian Xuan desperately intervened, warning that Jin Xingjian would kill him if she died.
Ye Ming seized the opportunity, proposing she would state a claim, and he would answer "true" or "not entirely true." She posited, "Once upon a time, I had a lover named Yu Shao Bai. We were deeply in love. However, later, Jin Xing Jian. . . broke us apart. He even wiped off our memories, isn't that true?" Lian Xuan reluctantly replied, "True. But not entirely true."
Realizing his grave error in revealing too much, Lian Xuan stomped off, cursing his "stupid mouth." He later returned to tell Ye Ming, "Stupid Stone would never hurt you. Yu Shao Bai isn't a good man. That's all I can tell you," adding that if she drank the soup, it would be her own fault. He then secretly watched from a distance, relieved when Ye Ming did not consume the soup.
Simultaneously, Bai Jin Gang, still furious over being humiliated and losing an ear to Jin Xingjian's prank (by carving the word "virtue" with a missing stroke, implying Bai Jin Gang was without virtue), sent his cousin Chen Lei and a group of men to cause trouble at the Hua Xue Gallery. Chen Lei confronted Xiao Pi, demanding to see Jin Xingjian and declaring that the gallery must "cease business" due to a "disturbance" complaint about seal carving.
Xiao Pi tried to explain that Jin Xingjian was not there and no seals were being made, but Chen Lei dismissed him as a "lowly servant" and ordered his men to ransack the place. Amidst the chaos, Lian Xuan, startled by the commotion, tried to escape, jumping over a wall as Chen Lei's men pursued him. Chen Lei eventually called off the pursuit, stating they were primarily after Jin Xingjian.
Xiao Pi immediately ran to find Ye Qingchun, who was tying his tie, and urgently explained the situation. Ye Qingchun swiftly returned to the gallery, bringing along several influential official's wives. Chen Lei, upon seeing the formidable ladies, tried to be respectful, but they ignored him. Led by Ye Qingchun, the wives, pretending to be "exercising" and "boxing" to lose weight after eating too much, proceeded to "beat them up."
Chen Lei and his men were forced to retreat, nursing their injuries. Later, Chen Lei recounted the humiliating experience to Bai Jin Gang, complaining about the wives, who appeared "fresh, generous, and presentable" but "turned into beasts" with their "long, blood-red fingernails," pulling and tearing at them, leaving him "disfigured." Bai Jin Gang was enraged, calling his men "garbage" and "incapable of success but capable of failure."
He then ordered Chen Lei to capture Lian Xuan, not for the previous murder case (which was closed), but to force him to "reveal Jin Xingjian's whereabouts." His plan was to "frame" Lian Xuan as a "bandit," knowing the commander hated bandits, thereby leading to a city-wide manhunt for Jin Xingjian. Meanwhile, Lian Xuan returned to the messy Hua Xue Gallery.
Xiao Pi explained that the trouble was a result of Jin Xingjian "playing a trick on Bai Jin Gang" and that Lian Xuan was safe because his previous case was closed. Relieved, Lian Xuan went upstairs to rest. Sometime later, Jin Xingjian received a phone call from Xiao Pi, confirming that Ye Qingchun had successfully "settled" the matter and that Bai Jin Gang's men "won't be causing any more trouble" for a while.
Dressed to impress in Jenny's dress and exuding "fragrance," Ye Li Na arrived at Lord Jia's residence to see Jin Xingjian. Lord Jia, initially unsure who she was, quickly caught on when Ye Li Na boldly declared herself "Mr Jin's girlfriend." Amused, Lord Jia discreetly left them alone, promising to bring snacks. Under the subtle influence of the necklace, Jin Xingjian initially mistook Ye Li Na for Ye Ming, displaying an involuntary affection towards her.
Ye Li Na, emboldened, reminisced about their movie date (from Shanghai) and eagerly asked if her new dress suited her. Jin Xingjian, however, was primarily focused on the unusual date seed necklace she wore, immediately asking, "Ms Ye, where did you. . . get the necklace?"
Ye Li Na skillfully dodged the question, instead expressing her appreciation for his "caring" and then bombarding him with inquiries about her new perfume, suggesting a rowing date, and even playfully asking if he wanted to kiss her. Despite sensing something was amiss and using his divine eye to see glimpses of Ye Ming in her, Jin Xingjian still accompanied her to the cinema.
At dinner, as Ye Li Na enthusiastically described various dishes and local delicacies like "pastries at Juqing Restaurant and Zhilan Restaurant," "dried fruits from Changsheng Store," and "ice cream at Dong'an Market," Jin Xingjian continued to see glimpses of Ye Ming in her. He pressed her again about the necklace's origin, but Ye Li Na again evaded, ushering him into the movie. Later, she excitedly recounted her "magical" date to Jenny, who noted Ye Li Na looked "slimmer."
Ye Li Na confirmed that Jin Xingjian had inquired about the necklace, but she wisely claimed to have "bought it," not revealing it was from the master. Jenny praised her for being "so clever."
