Word of Honor Episode 30 Recap
> Word of Honor Recap
Scorpion King and Evil Bodhisattva had surrounded the Gentle Wind Sword Sect, where the remaining disciples, along with Cao Weining and Gu Xiang, were hiding in a cave. Evil Bodhisattva expressed concern about Mo Huai Yang bringing reinforcements, but Scorpion King, dismissively, stated they would eliminate anyone who dared to interfere. To lure the hungry disciples out, he instructed his men to fan the smoke from their roasted meat towards the cave entrance.
Inside the cave, Cao Weining offered food to Gu Xiang and, with much hesitation, questioned Wen Ke Xing's true identity, struggling to reconcile his image as a kind individual with the rumor of him being the chief of Ghost Valley. Gu Xiang, sensing his inner conflict, asked if he would kill her if she were truly a "lonely ghost from Mount Qingya" who had inadvertently come to the human world and deceived him.
Cao Weining firmly declared that if she were a Ghost Valley spy who had deliberately infiltrated his sect to harm his brethren, he would kill her. However, he immediately vowed to then take his own life to accompany her, promising they would be together in the next life, where he would protect her from all hardship. Deeply moved, Gu Xiang embraced him and tearfully recounted her past.
She explained that she had been in Ghost Valley since childhood, one of many children kidnapped by the old chief for his evil cultivation. She survived only because Wen Ke Xing, then a young teenager, pleaded for her life, keeping her as a "living toy" and promising to eventually lead her to the human world.
Gu Xiang further revealed that Wen Ke Xing later orchestrated a bloody coup, killing the old chief and replacing all the Ten Devils, earning him the name "Wen the Lunatic." His true purpose in ordering the ghosts to retrieve the Glazed Armor, she explained, was a pretense for his deep-seated revenge against the wicked of the world.
Cao Weining was stunned to learn that Wen Ke Xing had been kidnapped to Ghost Valley after his parents' deaths, and despite drinking the Water of Lethe to erase his memories, his unwavering resolve had allowed him to secretly harbor his hatred for years. Meanwhile, Wen Ke Xing awoke, having been treated by Jing Bei Yuan and Da Wu. Upon learning that Zhou Zi Shu had been taken to Jin, he was desperate to rescue him.
However, Jing Bei Yuan cautioned that they were severely outnumbered, and Zhou Zi Shu was likely already in Jin, making a direct rescue attempt exceedingly difficult. In Jin, Zhou Zi Shu was brought before Prince Jin by Duan Peng Ju. Prince Jin, adopting a facade of old friendship, used Zhou Zi Shu's former sword to cut his bindings and invited him to share a jar of aged wine from Qingluan Courtyard, reminiscing about their decade-old pact.
Zhou Zi Shu somberly observed that none of their old companions remained: Yun Xing was exiled, Qing Luan committed suicide, Prince Qi was poisoned by Prince Jin, and Jiu Xiao fell in battle. Only he and Prince Jin were left. Prince Jin, with feigned regret, urged Zhou Zi Shu to rejoin him, offering to forgive their past grievances. Zhou Zi Shu rejected his offer, accusing him of hypocrisy.
Prince Jin then questioned how Zhou Zi Shu had managed to circumvent the Nails of Seven Torments, even deceiving Duan Peng Ju. Zhou Zi Shu clarified that he hadn't avoided the punishment but had endured it in an agonizing, prolonged manner, inserting one nail every three months over 18 months.
This allowed him to adapt to the pain and retain some martial arts, ensuring he upheld the rules he himself had established for his men, believing he couldn't face his fallen brothers in the afterlife if he made an exception. Prince Jin dismissed his suffering, arguing that such sacrifices were necessary for his grand vision of a peaceful world.
Zhou Zi Shu furiously overturned the wine table, condemning Prince Jin's ambition and asserting that his brothers died for Prince Jin's selfish desires, not for any righteous cause, citing Han Ying's death as a prime example. Enraged, Prince Jin disparaged Han Ying as a "cheap orphan slave" and mocked Zhou Zi Shu for defending him.
Zhou Zi Shu retorted that Han Ying was also a human life, only twenty-two years old, and reminded Prince Jin of the countless lives lost for his supposed "righteous path." Their argument escalated, with Prince Jin dismissing Zhou Zi Shu as a "commoner." Overwhelmed by anger, Zhou Zi Shu placed his dagger at Prince Jin's throat.
When guards rushed in, Zhou Zi Shu struck Prince Jin with the Freezing Aroma Palm, a unique Four Seasons Manor martial art, causing him to cough up blood and collapse. Severely injured, Prince Jin ordered his guards not to kill Zhou Zi Shu. Outside the cave, Scorpion King's Drug Men maintained their siege. Suddenly, Mo Huai Yang arrived, accompanied by Zhao Jing.
Upon seeing Scorpion King, Zhao Jing angrily slapped him, branding him an "unfilial rascal" and ordering him to withdraw his "disgusting monsters." Scorpion King was utterly disheartened, finally understanding Zhao Jing's betrayal. Mo Huai Yang demanded an explanation for the siege and the deaths of his disciples. Zhao Jing, feigning complete ignorance and profound shame for his "son's" actions, promised a satisfactory recompense.
Mo Huai Yang, holding three pieces of Glazed Armor, made it clear that mere apologies were insufficient for the lives lost. He reminded Zhao Jing of their covenant and what was expected. Zhao Jing, eager to secure the Glazed Armor, agreed to Mo Huai Yang's unspoken demand, promising to personally deliver Scorpion King's head once their plans were fulfilled. Meanwhile, Duan Peng Ju relentlessly tortured Zhou Zi Shu, attempting to force him to heal Prince Jin.
He revealed that Prince Jin's injury from the Freezing Aroma Palm had severely damaged his heart meridians, condemning him to be bedridden for life, and emphasized that only Zhou Zi Shu possessed the knowledge to cure it. Duan Peng Ju threatened Zhou Zi Shu with a brutal death, including being drawn and quartered, if he refused to cooperate.
Zhou Zi Shu, however, remained resolute, stating that his own death would ensure Prince Jin's demise, as he intended to wait for him in the netherworld. He had no desire to save the man who had destroyed his life and those he cherished. Realizing Zhou Zi Shu's unwavering defiance, Duan Peng Ju left him to suffer, hoping time would eventually break his will.
