Wulin Heroes Episode 16 Recap
> Wulin Heroes Recap
Upon returning to their room, Bai Yue attempted to give Ye Xi sobering tea, but she drunkenly insisted on wine, specifically cross-cupped wine, hoping for eternal companionship. Bai Yue instead offered her herbal wine, detailing its ingredients: dried orange peel, goji berries, lucid ganoderma, poria, and aged ginseng root powder. As Ye Xi clung to him, she noticed his rapid heartbeat and teased him about it.
Outside, Yang Ke misinterpreted the situation, worrying that Bai Yue was "a lamb entering a tiger's mouth" and in danger from the drunken Ye Xi. Uncle Hui corrected Yang Ke, stating Bai Yue was the "tiger," but then wondered what was happening inside given the commotion. Meanwhile, Ye Xi pulled open Bai Yue's robe and pressed the root mark on his back.
The contact triggered her memories of saving him in an ancient tomb by giving him half of her roots, which explained why she hadn't fully recovered after waking up. She also understood that her headaches were linked to his injuries and that her touch on the mark made him itch. She tried to guide him in a breathing exercise he once taught her, but he furiously told her to stop.
Believing she had a cure, she threw a mix of Trogopterus droppings and Evil Ginseng into his mouth. Enraged, Bai Yue grabbed her by the neck just as Uncle Hui rushed in to intervene. Bai Yue kicked both Uncle Hui and Yang Ke out before realizing that the herbs, being incompatible with ginseng, had indeed suppressed the itching, making him understand the connection between his discomfort and her.
The next morning, Ye Xi approached Bai Yue and quoted a poem from the ancient tomb: "Uphill grow trees where boughs grow. My heart goes to you, yet you don't know," but he feigned ignorance. Puzzled that he, as the Valley Lord, had never seen the words on the jade coffin, she went to the Underground Palace to investigate.
Bai Yue followed, revealing that Fenghua Valley itself was a mausoleum and the jade coffin was in a sealed forbidden area, which he had only partially reopened after becoming Valley Lord. As Ye Xi questioned him further, an injured Yang Ke was thrown into the chamber, reporting that martial artists, led by Tang Huan, had invaded Fenghua Valley, breaching their defenses and destroying the Buddha Tower with Thunderbolts.
Uncle Hui explained that Tang Huan had rallied various sects under the pretext of "killing the witch." Ye Xi blamed herself, believing Tang Huan knew the entrance because she had brought him there. Uncle Hui reassured her that an attack was inevitable, as many had long coveted the valley's secrets. Urging them to escape, Bai Yue reminded Ye Xi of Fenghua Valley's second rule: "Fight if you can win, flee if you can't."
He instructed Uncle Hui to save the most important secret books or burn them. During their escape through a complex network of secret passages, Ye Xi insisted on bringing a unique wooden artifact. She worried for Uncle Hui and Yang Ke, but Bai Yue promised they would reunite. Apologizing for the destruction, Ye Xi was comforted by Bai Yue, who dismissed the lost treasures as "worldly possessions" and joked that their pursuers would soon be distracted by infighting.
That night, resting by a fire, Ye Xi questioned why Bai Yue had done so much for her without asking for anything in return; he simply replied that it was what he wanted to do. He then spoke of the woman he had been searching for—a slender figure in a red dress who had saved him in the ancient tomb—and declared he would search no more, as she was already by his side.
Ye Xi then revealed her secret: the "thing" inside him was part of her, which explained his rapid healing and how a poison from a past drug test had been cured. She clarified it had been dormant until her touch reactivated it, causing his intense itching. Unfazed, Bai Yue stated that human companionship was more valuable than eternal life.
After Ye Xi explained her past relationship with Tang Huan was merely misplaced kindness, Bai Yue gave her a sandalwood hairpin he had made to replace one she had lost. The next day, they were pursued by "Searching Bees" from the Five Poisons Sect. Ye Xi effortlessly incinerated the swarm with fire, revealing one of her "God-given skills" and vowing to protect him at all costs.
Bai Yue sternly made her promise never to make such a vow again, insisting that she must protect herself above all else and only use her powers when absolutely necessary to avoid future trouble. He speculated that Tang Huan had mobilized these unorthodox sects to find a legendary scripture rumored to grant power over life and death, which they believed Bai Yue and Ye Xi possessed.
Soon after, a group of martial artists confronted them, demanding the Scripture of Materia Medica. Noting Ye Xi’s improved skills, they suspected she was a witch. Ye Xi charged, declaring that while she rarely harmed people, she would kill anyone who tried to hurt Bai Yue. During the fight, Bai Yue was injured while protecting her from a sneak attack. After they escaped to a riverbank, Ye Xi prepared to treat him, but he had forgotten his medicine.
He dismissed her offer to find herbs, stating the Five Poisons Sect's poison was too complex to cure in time. Realizing his martial arts were strong enough to have avoided the blow, Ye Xi questioned why he let himself be injured. He evaded the question, speaking fatalistically of death. Ignoring his protests, Ye Xi tore open his shirt and used her own power to forcibly expel the poison from his body.
