Word of Honor Episode 33 Recap
> Word of Honor Recap
Liu Qianqiao, disguised as Duan Pengju, reported to Scorpion King that Zhao Jing, without hesitation, pledged to handle everything perfectly to secure his alliance with the Window of Heaven and uphold the reputation of the Five Lakes Alliance. Scorpion King questioned whether Zhao Jing's words were truly spontaneous or came after some struggle, but Liu Qianqiao, still in disguise, stated that the test was entirely superfluous, as Zhao Jing's true treacherous nature was already abundantly clear.
Later, Scorpion King, acknowledging his own misplaced trust in Zhao Jing, ironically called Liu Qianqiao a "Fanatic" for her lingering hope. Liu Qianqiao admitted she wished to give Zhao Jing and herself one last chance. Moved, or perhaps simply seeing an opportunity, Scorpion King decided to make one more "superfluous action" for her benefit. He presented Liu Qianqiao with two complete antidotes for the Slave Voodoo, along with the recipe for a monthly maintenance cure.
He told her he was fulfilling her long-standing wish to free Yu Qiu Feng, deeming Yu Qiu Feng's position as Mount Hua Sect leader insignificant. Scorpion King offered these as a "wedding gift" if Yu Qiu Feng chose to abandon his leadership and elope with her.
He then gave Liu Qianqiao a critical choice: either fully free Yu Qiu Feng with the complete cure or use the monthly Slave Voodoo to keep him eternally subservient to her, emphasizing that she deserved to make her own choice after a life of suffering. Liu Qianqiao found Yu Qiu Feng and pleaded with him to run away with her.
Yu Qiu Feng, however, deflected, bringing up the imminent Heroes Conference and feigning willingness to escape, but using their shared Slave Voodoo affliction as an excuse, claiming they would both die within a month without the cure. Seeing through his cowardice, Liu Qianqiao proposed they at least spend a month together.
She desperately tried to convince him of the extreme danger posed by the Ghost Valley and the high likelihood of their demise in the upcoming battle, urging him to escape with her to cherish their remaining time. When Yu Qiu Feng continued to make excuses, fearing the consequences of fleeing, Liu Qianqiao, her resolve hardened, declared she would leave that very night and gave him a final chance to join her.
Yu Qiu Feng, now visibly panicked, begged her not to leave, revealing his true fear that Scorpion King would not spare him. Liu Qianqiao retorted that she had offered him a choice, implying he had made his. Finally, heartbroken, she told him she no longer wished to hear his words. She handed him the complete Slave Voodoo cure, urging him to take it and flee White Deer Town, reiterating the genuine danger of the Ghost Valley.
She then returned a fan, a cherished memento of their past, signifying the complete end of their relationship. Yu Qiu Feng, concerned only for his own survival, asked if there were more cures and if she had taken one herself. Liu Qianqiao, her voice filled with sorrow, declared that his words made her sacrifice worthwhile, and tearfully severed their ties. She then dramatically tore the fan into pieces, vowing to forget him forever.
Yu Qiu Feng, devastated, watched her depart, reciting a poem about eternal longing, before reluctantly taking the antidote. The Heroes Conference officially commenced, with martial artists from various sects gathered. Shen Shen proposed electing a leader to guide the assault on Ghost Valley, nominating Master Ci Mu of the Shaolin Temple, praising his virtue, martial prowess, and Shaolin's prestige. Master Ci Mu, however, humbly declined, stating that his monastic vows precluded him from leading such a violent endeavor.
Zhao Jing then stepped in, proposing Mo Huai Yang, leader of the Gentle Wind Sword Sect, citing his past as a champion and his presumably advanced martial arts from secluded practice. Zhao Jing argued that the leader should be chosen based on martial skill.
Mo Huai Yang, in turn, rejected Zhao Jing's nomination, instead emphasizing that a leader for such a large-scale mission against Ghost Valley required not only virtue and prestige but also strong leadership, strategic acumen, and battle experience. He then declared Zhao Jing, the Chief of Five Lakes Alliance, to be the most suitable candidate, a sentiment echoed by many in the crowd.
They agreed that martial prowess should be the deciding factor and proposed a public duel, with the winner becoming the martial arts alliance leader. The crowd enthusiastically supported the idea. Zhao Jing and Mo Huai Yang exchanged formal greetings, and as their duel began, the onlookers expressed surprise at Zhao Jing's unexpected martial skill, noting he was holding his own against the formidable Mo Huai Yang. Suddenly, Zhou Zishu descended onto the stage, deriding the spectacle as "ridiculous."
He challenged Zhao Jing's right to stand there, asserting that a martial arts leader must possess both virtue and talent. Zhou Zishu then began to expose Zhao Jing's past, revealing his humble origins as a servant's son and how he cunningly manipulated his way into the Five Lakes Alliance by becoming the foster son of the Tai Lake Sect leader after the legitimate heir's suspicious death.
Zhao Jing's followers in the crowd tried to silence Zhou Zishu, but he pressed on, detailing how Zhao Jing had secretly poisoned Gao Chong's sword during a sparring match with Rong Xuan after the armory was built. This led Gao Chong to falsely believe he had harmed Rong Xuan, causing Rong Xuan to go mad and die.
Zhou Zishu highlighted that Gao Chong died with regret, unable to clear his name, and that the "five sons" of the alliance subsequently fractured, living in sorrow, all due to Zhao Jing's machinations. He challenged the heroes to consider if they would accept such a disloyal and immoral man as their leader. At that moment, Mo Huai Yang's disciples rushed to his aid, as he had been injured. The crowd condemned Zhao Jing's "sneak attack" with a hidden weapon.
Zhao Jing, dismissing the accusations, brazenly claimed Zhou Zishu was an "accomplice of Chief of Ghost Valley," recalling how Zhou Zishu had protected Wen Kexing previously. He then falsely accused Zhou Zishu of launching the hidden weapon that injured Mo Huai Yang. Ignoring Zhao Jing's attempts to deflect blame, Zhou Zishu identified himself as the leader of the Four Seasons Manor and challenged Zhao Jing to a duel.
Just then, Wen Kexing dramatically appeared, questioning who had declared the Four Seasons Manor doomed. The crowd was stunned, having believed him dead after his fall from the cliff. Wen Kexing then offered to fight in Zhou Zishu's stead. A voice from the crowd immediately identified Wen Kexing as the "Chief of Ghost Valley." Wen Kexing acknowledged his name but claimed to be "Wen Kexing of the Four Seasons Manor," implying it was merely a shared name.
Zhao Jing scornfully dismissed this, accusing Wen Kexing of treating the heroes as fools and insisting he was the true Chief of Ghost Valley, as recorded in the "Ghost Book." Wen Kexing countered that the "Ghost Book" was Zhao Jing's creation, and an unjust man like him could easily frame someone. Shen Shen then proposed bringing forth the three "betraying ghosts"—Impermanence Ghost, Black Grim Reaper, and Happy Ghost—to identify the true Chief.
Zhao Jing presented them, but to his utter fury, all three ghosts, secretly instructed by Scorpion King, feigned ignorance and denied knowing Wen Kexing. Another voice from the crowd further undermined Zhao Jing, reminding everyone that the Chief of Ghost Valley, Wen Kexing, was supposedly killed at White Deer Cliff and his body was still at the Five Lakes Alliance stronghold, questioning if Zhao Jing was deliberately misleading them. Zhao Jing, realizing Scorpion King's betrayal, was consumed with rage.
Wen Kexing, to definitively prove his identity, borrowed the White Cloth Sword from Zhou Zishu and performed the "Eighteen Moves of Qiuming." The crowd immediately recognized it as the unique martial art of Zhen Ru Yu, the Divine Healer from Healer Valley, demanding to know Wen Kexing's relation to him. Wen Kexing's tone turned bitter as he questioned why they remembered his father now, yet were absent when Zhen Ru Yu was persecuted, stripped of his martial arts, and murdered.
Elderly Nun Zhi Yin of the Emei Sect demanded a direct answer, and Wen Kexing confirmed Zhen Ru Yu was his late father. Zhao Jing immediately interjected, calling it "bullshit" and pointing out Wen Kexing's earlier claim of being surnamed Wen. Wen Kexing clarified that his father's original surname was Wen, changed to Zhen by the Healer Valley Chief, but he reverted to Wen after his father was abandoned by the sect.
He then addressed Elderly Nun Zhi Yin directly, recounting how Emei female knights had sewn him a patchwork cloak as a baby, a deeply personal detail that startled her. Zhao Jing quickly interrupted, warning her not to be confused and insisting that the upright Zhen Ru Yu could not have sired such a "vile son." Zhao Jing further accused Wen Kexing of orchestrating the ghosts' betrayal as a trick.
Shen Shen then blamed Ghost Valley for his brother Gao Chong's unjust death and claimed Wen Kexing had already stolen four of the Five Lakes Alliance's Glazed Armor pieces and was now targeting the last one. Wen Kexing sharply silenced Shen Shen, stating he was unworthy of calling Gao Chong "Big Brother."
Zhao Jing then dramatically turned on Shen Shen, accusing him of colluding with Ghost Valley to murder Gao Chong, leak the Glazed Armor secret, kill Ao Laizi of the Mount Tai Sect, and kidnap Gao Xiaolian to force Gao Chong's suicide. Shen Shen vehemently denied these accusations, calling them "nonsense." Suddenly, Gao Xiaolian appeared, denouncing Zhao Jing's words as lies.
She recounted Zhao Jing's rise to power, how he, a servant, had manipulated his way into the Tai Lake Sect by caring for its leader after his son's death. She passionately demanded to know why Zhao Jing hated her father so fiercely, not only taking his life and position but also utterly discrediting him.
She suggested it was because her father had witnessed Zhao Jing in his "miserable" and "humble" state decades ago, noting that all who knew Zhao Jing in his early days had tragically died, questioning if these were mere coincidences. Zhao Jing weakly tried to dismiss her claims. Zhang Chengling then stepped forward, introducing himself as the son of Zhang Yusen, and presented a letter his father had written to Ye Baiyi before his death.
The letter explicitly stated that Rong Xuan's madness 20 years ago was caused by Zhao Jing secretly poisoning Gao Chong's sword during their sparring, leading to a chain of tragedies and ultimately making Zhao Jing responsible for the "thousands of casualties in the battle of Mount Qingya." Zhao Jing, feigning hurt, dismissed Zhang Chengling as "talking nonsense."
Wen Kexing then intervened, sarcastically asking Zhao Jing how it felt to be "unable to speak in self-defense," reminding him of how he had slandered Wen Kexing's own father with partial truths. Gao Xiaolian then presented Deng Kuan, the elder disciple of the Yueyang Sect, who was believed to have committed suicide.
She recalled how Deng Kuan had publicly accused her father at the Mount Jun Heroes Conference, forcing her father to die to prove his innocence, and questioned his subsequent disappearance. Deng Kuan, still disoriented, cried out, "Zhao Jing set me up!" and expressed remorse to his master. Gao Xiaolian explained that Deng Kuan had been captured by Zhao Jing and brainwashed with "occult tricks" to falsely accuse her father, and despite their efforts, he had not fully recovered.
She concluded by declaring Zhao Jing the "evil backstage manipulator" and the "shame of the martial arts world." Gao Xiaolian, identifying herself as a powerless woman who risked her life to expose Zhao Jing, appealed to the heroes to uphold justice. The crowd, now fully enraged, erupted with chants of "Kill him, kill him, kill him!" Zhao Jing, facing universal condemnation, stubbornly refused to admit defeat.
He lunged his sword at Gao Xiaolian, but Wen Kexing swiftly blocked him, effortlessly knocking Zhao Jing to the ground. Zhao Jing still refused to confess, making a desperate lunge at Wen Kexing with his sword. Wen Kexing held his sword to Zhao Jing's throat, intending to take revenge for his parents. The crowd roared its approval. Zhao Jing, with a defiant laugh, admitted to making a "wrong move" but declared he had not truly lost.
He boasted of manipulating the entire martial world for over two decades, turning it "upside down," and claimed to have lived "freely and died gloriously," feeling no regret. He warned that killing him would only ensure they "all live under my shadow." Wen Kexing, unfazed, vowed to make Zhao Jing "wish you were dead" before wounding him.
Immediately after, Scorpion King approached the incapacitated Zhao Jing and forced a pill into his mouth, explaining that since Zhao Jing was so good at talking and could easily sway him, he "shouldn't speak" anymore, condemning him to a life of silence before telling him to "rest well." Wen Kexing then returned the White Cloth Sword to Zhou Zishu, gently suggesting they "go back home."
He promised to explain everything once they were home and accept any "punishment or reward" Zhou Zishu deemed fit. Wen Kexing, smiling, confessed this was the "happiest moment" of his life, playfully asking Zhou Zishu not to beat him there. Zhou Zishu, with a fond smile, agreed to "mark it on the book first." Zhang Chengling, having witnessed everything, greeted his "Master" and "Uncle Master," and Zhou Zishu affectionately called him a "little idiot," telling him, "Let's go back home."
As they prepared to leave, Mo Huai Yang suddenly blocked their path, identifying Wen Kexing as the "Chief of the Ghost Valley" and challenging his departure. Zhou Zishu immediately confronted Mo Huai Yang about his disrespectful address.
Mo Huai Yang argued that while Zhao Jing's demise was deserved, the true purpose of the conference was to "crusade against this Chief of the Ghost Valley," demanding Wen Kexing account for the "public indignation" and accusing him of being shameless for not admitting his identity. Wen Kexing, with a slight smirk, finally admitted, "I'm the chief of the Ghost Valley," explaining he was "just kidding" earlier to facilitate Zhao Jing's public judgment.
Elderly Nun Zhi Yin was outraged, but Wen Kexing apologized, stating the deception was necessary for his plan. He then declared that his entry into Ghost Valley was "due to all of you" in the martial arts world, sarcastically asking Elderly Nun Zhi Yin if it wasn't ironic for her to call his father "Benefactor" now, and questioning the whereabouts of the Emei Sect and his father's other friends during his family's time of crisis.
Mo Huai Yang interjected, asserting that Zhen Ru Yu's fate was a consequence of protecting Rong Xuan and hiding the armory's secret, and declared his intention to "settle scores" with Wen Kexing. At that moment, Ye Baiyi suddenly arrived, asserting his authority by stating that anyone wishing to challenge Wen Kexing must go through him first, emphasizing that it was "not your turn" to settle scores.
The martial artists eagerly welcomed Ye Baiyi, urging him to lead them to "wipe out the Ghost Valley." Ye Baiyi confirmed his intention to "definitely" destroy Ghost Valley, ominously declaring that "everyone of the Ghost Valley is doomed to die."
