Word of Honor Episode 2 Recap
> Word of Honor Recap
Wen Ke Xing watched Gu Xiang struggling in a fight, commenting that while she looked sweet, she was quite fierce. He noted her poor martial arts and sense, telling her to stop being an embarrassment. He then apologized to the opponent for his maid's rudeness, who in turn said the apology was undeserved.
Later, Zhang Cheng Ling, a young master from the Mirror Lake Sect of the Five Lakes Alliance, approached the disguised and sickly-looking Zhou Xu, recognizing his martial arts skills. He introduced himself and generously offered his name card, inviting Zhou Xu to Mirror Lake Manor for rest and healing if he was injured or ill. Despite his servant's caution, Zhang Cheng Ling insisted on upholding the righteous code of helping others.
Zhou Xu thanked him, and Zhang Cheng Ling then hurried off to buy pastries for his mother. Observing this, Wen Ke Xing recognized Zhou Xu's unique footwork as the Swift Moving Steps of the Four Seasons Manor and concluded that Zhou Xu was a "variable" he needed to investigate. Zhou Xu overheard children singing a folk song about the Five Lakes Alliance vying for supremacy and the Glazed Armor.
He reflected on the martial arts world's fleeting peace and the alliance's ambition, believing they didn't deserve such power and would only bring disaster. He also found Zhang Cheng Ling's naivety reminiscent of his own deceased junior, Qin Jiu Xiao. Wishing to go to Mirror Lake Manor, Zhou Xu sought a boatman. The boatman, upon being woken, demanded an exorbitant three mace of silver. Zhou Xu agreed without hesitation.
Suspicious of Zhou Xu's frail appearance, the boatman accused him of planning to cheat him and refused the business. Wen Ke Xing then appeared, offering to share a ride. However, the boatman, annoyed by Wen Ke Xing's pretentious manner, quickly pulled Zhou Xu into his boat and departed, leaving Wen Ke Xing to muse that Zhou Xu was indeed a "variable."
Upon arriving at Mirror Lake Manor, a scenic place akin to a paradise, Zhou Xu rushed off the boat, forgetting to pay. The enraged boatman cursed him for "riding and dashing." Amused, Zhou Xu made good on the accusation by swiftly disappearing into the manor's peach forest. Wen Ke Xing, who had followed, ambushed him. After a brief exchange of blows, Wen Ke Xing, impressed by Zhou Xu's elegant footwork, invited him for a drink.
Zhou Xu curtly refused, demanding to know Wen Ke Xing's true purpose for following him before leaving. Inside the manor, a butler informed Zhou Xu that the head of the Mirror Lake Sect, Zhang Yu Sen, had long withdrawn from worldly affairs and forbade his three sons from getting involved in martial arts disputes. Zhang Yu Sen expressed indifference to who claimed the title of Wulin's supreme leader.
His eldest son, Zhang Cheng Feng, mentioned a new, unsettling verse to the children's song that hinted at the Glazed Armor, but was cautioned by his father. The butler also mentioned that Zhang Cheng Ling had given a name card to Zhou Xu, whom he perceived as a beggar. Consequently, Zhang Yu Sen instructed Zhang Cheng Feng to keep his younger brothers on the island.
Zhou Xu was provided a woodshed for lodging, which he accepted, but requested his wine gourd be refilled. Meanwhile, a report reached Jin Wang about the children's song spreading in Jiangnan and that the spy tracking Zhou Xu had lost his trail. Jin Wang ordered a thorough investigation and a continued search for Zhou Xu. As midnight approached, Zhou Xu's Nails of Seven Torments began to inflict excruciating pain.
While attempting to heal, he heard screams and discovered the Mirror Lake Manor engulfed in flames. He saw figures in "ghost masks" burning and pillaging, realizing it was the Ghost Valley from Mount Qingya. He also spotted a mechanical sparrow, indicating the presence of a Window of Heaven spy. Prioritizing saving lives over his own agony, he found that most of the manor's residents, primarily servants, had been brutally killed. Zhang Yu sen and his two elder sons were captured.
The boatman was protecting Zhang Cheng Ling, and as they tried to escape, Zhou Xu intervened, covering their escape by boat. From a distance, he noticed Wen Ke Xing calmly observing the chaos. Zhou Xu brought the injured boatman and Zhang Cheng Ling to a deserted temple.
The boatman, named Li, explained that Zhang Yu Sen had once saved his life, and he had spent three years as a ferryman outside the manor, waiting for an opportunity to repay the debt. He urged Zhang Cheng Ling to go to Tai Lake and seek out Chevalier Sanbai or any member of the Five Lakes Alliance. Zhang Cheng Ling refused to leave them. Zhou Xu, needing about 15 minutes to recover from his internal injuries, was severely weakened.
Suddenly, the Hanged Ghost, one of the Ten Evil Ghosts from Mount Qingya, burst in, demanding the Glazed Armor. The boatman bravely fought the Hanged Ghost to buy Zhou Xu time, but was overpowered. The Hanged Ghost then moved to attack Zhou Xu, but Zhang Cheng Ling shielded him. Just then, Gu Xiang arrived, engaging the other ghosts. The Hanged Ghost used the distraction to attack Zhang Cheng Ling, but the boatman shielded the boy and was fatally wounded.
As Gu Xiang became surrounded, Zhou Xu, though exhausted, forced himself up to help, driving off the remaining ghosts before nearly collapsing. Wen Ke Xing then appeared and caught him. Gu Xiang, now free, swiftly subdued the Hanged Ghost, denouncing him for daring to "do evil in front of me." The boatman, dying from blood loss, was briefly sustained by Wen Ke Xing's internal force.
With his last breath, he asked Zhou Xu to promise to deliver Zhang Cheng Ling safely to Zhao Jing of the Five Lakes Alliance. He then made Zhang Cheng Ling bow to Zhou Xu, declaring that the boy must listen to him from now on. The boatman called Zhou Xu by his assumed name, "Zhou Xu," which means "willow catkins," and sternly warned him against breaking his promise, vowing to curse his ancestors from the Netherworld if he failed.
With these final words, the boatman passed away. Zhou Xu buried the boatman. Meanwhile, Deng Kuan, a disciple of the Yueyang Sect, arrived at Mirror Lake Manor to find all the boats destroyed and the boatman's entire family dead. At the temple, Zhang Cheng Ling, exhausted from his injuries, struggled to stay conscious. Wen Ke Xing and Gu Xiang prepared some food.
Gu Xiang offered a bun to Zhang Cheng Ling, but he refused, prompting her to chide him for being ungrateful. Wen Ke Xing then spoke, praising Zhou Xu's honorable commitment by reciting a passage from Sima Qian about ordinary individuals keeping their promises even unto death, highlighting Zhou Xu as a true gentleman. Wen Ke Xing then offered to treat Zhang Cheng Ling's wounds, but Zhou Xu, wary of his intentions, refused.
When Wen Ke Xing pressed him, Zhou Xu confronted him directly, telling him to state his malicious intentions plainly instead of acting, and to stop pressuring them if he was not an enemy. A tense silence followed as Wen Ke Xing dropped his hand.
