No Boundary Season 1 Episode 16 Recap
> No Boundary Season 1 Recap
Duanmu Cui and Wengu went shopping. At a doll-hooping stall, Wengu offered to hoop a doll for her, but Duanmu Cui wanted to show her skills. She successfully hooped a doll, asking "Am I good, Zhan Yan?" before quickly correcting herself with "Wengu. . ." Later, she found a doll and asked Wengu, "Is this doll cute?" Wengu affirmed it and bought it for her.
Suddenly, Duanmu Cui became sad, saying she was "not an abandoned kid who needs a doll's company," to which Wengu replied, "I never thought of abandoning you. But, I'm not the most suitable man to be by your side." As they walked, Duanmu Cui spotted a thief stealing a sugar figurine and chased him down. While apprehending him, a demon appeared, taunting her about Zhan Yan having broken her heart.
Duanmu Cui retorted, stating it wasn't the demon's place to harm him. The demon then threatened her with the Elder of the Ninth Hell, but Duanmu Cui fiercely declared that as long as she was in Qifeng City, none of them could act audaciously and she would throw them back to the Ninth Hell. Meanwhile, Zhan Yan had been working feverishly, clearing years of backlog cases in Qifeng City.
His subordinates worried about his health, noting he worked from morning till night, including reading scrolls, and barely ate. Duanmu Cui also often stayed out late, following Zhan Yan and catching demons that tried to harm him. Lady Jiang, too, observed that Zhan Yan was constantly cooped up in his study, worried that he was "obviously hurt physically and mentally" from his recent breakup.
Lord Jiang acknowledged Zhan Yan's diligence, but Lady Jiang felt it was more than just hard work, commenting that Zhan Yan, despite his silence, was "the most affectionate man." Lord Jiang advised against trying to arrange a new marriage for Zhan Yan, believing the young couple would "figure out their own minds," and Lady Jiang agreed, sensing "that they still missed each other." One evening, Duanmu Cui visited her usual dumpling stall.
Although she initially claimed not to be hungry, the owner offered her a complimentary bowl, thanking her for catching demons every night. Duanmu Cui was surprised when the owner knew she disliked spring onions and preferred vegetarian dumplings. The owner simply said, "If one has a heart, one naturally knows." After Duanmu Cui left, Zhan Yan appeared at the stall.
His subordinate asked why he didn't tell her that he cooked every bowl of dumplings for her, to which Zhan Yan replied that if he did, "I might not even have the chance to cook her a bowl of dumplings." He continued to secretly follow and protect Duanmu Cui. At Wengu Medical Hall, many people came to seek treatment for cat scratches.
A patient commented on the demonic nature of the cat, suggesting it might be from the Demon Clan, but Wengu advised against jumping to conclusions. Suddenly, a dark energy from a patient's wound surged into Wengu, causing his dragon scales to appear. Jiang Mo, disguised among the patients, secretly acted to expose Wengu's dragon scales. The frightened patients recognized him as a demon and panicked, shouting "Doctor Wengu is a demon!"
Jiang Mo seized the opportunity to incite the crowd, claiming Wengu had used demonic poison and urging them to corner him. Duanmu Cui arrived amidst the chaos, pushing through the angry crowd and telling Wengu, who felt hideous and ashamed, that they needed to leave. She whisked him away from the mob and back to Duanmu Residence.
There, Wengu explained that a "demonic poison" had entered his body while treating a patient, making him lose control of his mind and emotions. He lamented that he, a semi-demon who had cultivated for a thousand years to become a high immortal, was now "back to his original form" and would be rejected by Penglai. He felt he had implicated the Xihualiu Sect and offered to turn himself in for judgment.
Duanmu Cui firmly refused, asserting, "You belong to Xihualiu Sect. I won't hand you over to anyone for judgment. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." She further reassured him that she didn't care about his past or whether he was a mortal or a demon, only his present self. She declared her unwavering trust in him and vowed to protect a soldier like him.
Wengu was deeply moved, recalling that Duanmu Cui had spoken the same words a thousand years ago, and thanked her. Duanmu Cui, sensing something suspicious about the whole affair, told Wengu to rest, promising to handle everything, hinting that she suspected the Ninth Hell. Duanmu Cui pondered the odd circumstances, suspecting a connection to the Ninth Hell.
Separately, Hong Luan confronted the Demon Clan Elder, who admitted to using a spell to make Wengu go berserk, but assured her it wouldn't be fatal. The Elder revealed his true motive: he would only provide the antidote if Wengu submitted to him, otherwise, Wengu would die from the madness. Meanwhile, Jiang Mo, having orchestrated the incident, gloated that Qifeng City's people were now wary of Wengu, facilitating the downfall of Duanmu Residence.
He also reaffirmed his primary goal to retrieve the Penglai Drawing fragments from Duanmu Cui and instructed someone to keep a close eye on Hong Luan, sensing she harbored ulterior motives. Zhan Yan and Duanmu Cui jointly investigated the deceased victims, confirming they had all been afflicted by a demonic poison, just as Wengu had been. The public's anger mounted, and large crowds gathered outside Qifeng Prefecture and Xihualiu Sect, demanding justice.
Zhan Yan instructed his subordinates, Zhang Long and Zhao Wu, to bring Wengu in for questioning, but Duanmu Cui fiercely intervened, challenging Zhan Yan, "How dare you, Zhan Yan? Try me." Zhan Yan, realizing her resistance, decided to go himself. As the crowd chanted for Wengu's death, Wengu emerged, agreeing to go with Zhan Yan to the court, believing Zhan Yan would prove his innocence. Duanmu Cui, still protective, insisted on accompanying them to ensure Wengu's safety.
At the public trial, with Lord Jiang presiding, Duanmu Cui was quick to defend Wengu, claiming he was at Duanmu Residence all night recovering from an injury caused by Qifeng Prefecture's incompetence, and that she was his alibi. Zhan Yan questioned her statement, reminding her that she was with him the previous night, prompting Duanmu Cui to heatedly retort that she was "investigating" and had no intention of being "lovey-dovey" with him.
After Lord Jiang intervened to restore order, Wengu corroborated Duanmu Cui's alibi, stating all Xihualiu members could testify. Zhan Yan, however, pointed out that Xihualiu's testimony alone wouldn't be credible due to their affiliation. He then revealed Wengu's injuries, which displayed symptoms identical to the deceased victims, suggesting Wengu himself might be a victim. When Duanmu Cui attempted to leave with Wengu, Zhan Yan insisted they stay until the case was solved.
Duanmu Cui accused him of "looking for trouble," and after another intervention from Lord Jiang, declared she was an "unrelated" party and departed, despite Zhan Yan's attempts to stop her. Zhan Yan pulled Duanmu Cui aside, urging her not to interfere with the investigation. He worried that the entire incident was a trap specifically "targeting Xihualiu," or even her. Duanmu Cui, however, dismissed his concerns, believing she could handle it herself and did not wish to "owe" him.
Wengu then informed Duanmu Cui that he had promised Lord Jiang to remain at Qifeng Prefecture until the case was resolved. Duanmu Cui, though reluctant, eventually agreed, warning that if anything happened to Wengu, she would "tear the prefecture down." Zhan Yan continued his relentless investigation, working through the night, much to the worry of his subordinates and the continued disappointment of Lady Jiang, who had remarked that he was clearly hurt.
Zhan Yan, however, merely stated that he had disappointed Duanmu Cui first and that her reactions were justified. He instructed the guards to treat Wengu with respect. Meanwhile, Hong Luan spoke to her subordinate, expressing concern for Xihualiu Sect's precarious situation. She reassured her subordinate that she would protect both her and Wengu. Alone, Hong Luan worried about Wengu's worsening condition from the demonic poison, fearing he wouldn't survive the night in jail.
Disguised in black, Hong Luan infiltrated Qifeng Prefecture's jail, injuring a guard. Wengu initially refused to leave, convinced his escape would further tarnish Duanmu Cui's reputation. Hong Luan revealed the situation was a "trap," prompting Wengu to realize she held key information and to ask if the Ninth Hell was behind it. Before he could get more answers, Hong Luan forcibly took him away.
Zhan Yan, investigating the victims, discovered they had all been scratched by animals before falling ill and seeking treatment at Wengu Medical Hall. He deduced that finding the animal responsible would lead to the truth. When he went to question Wengu, he found the jail guard injured and Wengu missing. The black-clad assailant had left a Xihualiu Sect token at the scene, instantly making Duanmu Cui the prime suspect in the jailbreak and murder.
The public outcry was intense, leaving Zhan Yan at a loss for how to protect Duanmu Cui. Despite the mounting evidence against Duanmu Cui, Zhan Yan firmly declared her innocence to Lord Jiang, pleading for time to personally investigate and clear her name. Lord Jiang granted his request. Zhan Yan then went to Duanmu Residence to enlist Duanmu Cui's help, informing her of Wengu's abduction from jail and the injured guards.
Upon seeing Wengu's blood, Duanmu Cui grew frantic, convinced he was captured, and immediately set out to find him. Prefecture guards tried to stop her, citing her murder and jailbreak suspect status, but Duanmu Cui, furious that Qifeng Prefecture had failed to protect Wengu and now tried to impede her, declared she would be ruthless if they blocked her path.
Zhan Yan tried to reason with her, warning her not to fall into a trap by harming others, and urged her to go with him instead. Duanmu Cui pushed him aside, injuring him, and escaped. Duanmu Cui soon found Wengu with Hong Luan, who was attempting to give him medicine. Wengu, disoriented, recognized Hong Luan's involvement with the Ninth Hell and accused them of trying to force him back. Duanmu Cui quickly took Wengu back to Duanmu Residence.
However, Wengu's injuries and the demonic poison were severe, and Duanmu Cui, unable to identify the poison, found herself helpless to treat him. She decided against seeking help from Penglai, fearing it would put Wengu in further jeopardy due to his exposed demonic identity. Meanwhile, Zhan Yan's actions came under scrutiny. Lord Jiang, having observed Zhan Yan's deliberate leniency towards Duanmu Cui, questioned if he had intentionally allowed her to escape.
Zhan Yan admitted that Duanmu Cui, being fiercely loyal, would not have waited for interrogation with Wengu in trouble and accepted full responsibility. Lord Jiang then ordered Zhan Yan to recuperate and stay out of the case. Despite his injuries, Zhan Yan, through careful observation of the evidence left at the jailbreak scene, found a peculiar peach blossom branch.
When his subordinate noted its unusual resilience to fire, Zhan Yan realized its significance: Hong Luan's true form was a peach blossom, and any blossoms planted by her would not wilt even if broken. This led him to the shocking conclusion that Hong Luan was the black-clad assailant, an "internal mole" within Xihualiu Sect, and that Duanmu Cui was now in grave danger. He immediately set off despite his injuries.
