No Boundary Season 1 Episode 5 Recap
> No Boundary Season 1 Recap
Duanmu Cui returned to her residence, her hairpin transforming back into a fragment of the Penglai Drawing, which she then stored in her Qiankun bag. Wengu, upon seeing her, immediately asked about Zhan Yan. Duanmu assured him that Zhan Yan would awaken soon. Wengu expressed his surprise at the Penglai Drawing manifesting as a hairpin, given that it had been lost after being granted divine status. He also noted that the recent demonic disturbances were likely connected to the drawing.
Duanmu admitted her ignorance of the Demon Clan's true intentions, especially since the drawing seemed useless to them, but she fearlessly declared she was not afraid. Wengu, however, urged her to be cautious due to the Demon Clan's vicious nature. Shortly after, Duanmu noticed Hong Luan looking unwell. Hong Luan tried to brush it off, but Wengu revealed that Hong Luan had bravely risked her life to protect Zhan Yan's life lamp.
Duanmu, grateful, told Hong Luan to rest and said she would handle everything else. Meanwhile, Meng Die awoke to find her eyesight restored. Wengu explained that it was due to Mirror Spirit's sacrifice of 900 years of cultivation. Overwhelmed with grief, Meng Die cried, wishing for Mirror Spirit's return rather than her sight or dream. Duanmu comforted her, advising her not to harm her newly restored eyes and suggesting that Mirror Spirit might return someday.
Clutching Mirror Spirit's mirror, Meng Die vowed to cherish her sight and await his return. Later, Wengu confronted Hong Luan, telling her to leave Xihualiu for violating its rules. Hong Luan pleaded to stay, describing the Ninth Hell as a brutal place devoid of seasons, flowers, or light, where demons constantly fought and killed each other. As a weak peach demon, she wouldn't have survived if the Ninth Hell's seal hadn't loosened.
She confessed that her greatest fear was losing what she had gained. Softened by her plea, Wengu agreed to let her stay and provided her with medicine for her recovery. Back at Wengu’s medical hall, Liu Da Mei's sisters and Madam Jiang regained consciousness, disoriented but relieved to be awake. Madam Jiang fondly recalled a dream of sweet words and Zhan Yan marrying. They all expressed gratitude to Duanmu for her help.
However, the Baiwen Bookshop owner’s young son remained unresponsive, his spirit still trapped within his heart knot. Suddenly, a distress call arrived: Zhan Yan's body was showing signs of decomposition. Duanmu and Shangguan Ce immediately rushed back to the residence. Meanwhile, in his illusory dream, Zhan Yan chose to visit his parents, where his mother had prepared a meal.
Despite hearing Shangguan Ce's urgent calls, he decided to finish eating, gently telling his mother he was now 25 and Qifeng City's chief constable, assuring her of his well-being. Shangguan Ce, blaming himself, worried that Zhan Yan was lost in his dream, wondering why his condition worsened when others had recovered. He tearfully pleaded with Zhan Yan to wake up, reminding him of his promise to protect Qifeng City.
Duanmu then leaned closer to Zhan Yan, demanding he fulfill his third condition by waking up immediately, threatening to take over Qifeng Prefecture if he refused. Zhan Yan’s finger twitched, signaling his awakening, but Duanmu mischievously pretended he was still asleep to tease Shangguan Ce. When Zhan Yan finally opened his eyes, he reached out and pulled Duanmu into an embrace as she turned to leave.
Shangguan Ce requested that Zhan Yan remain at Xihualiu for a few more days to fully recuperate under Wengu's care, assuring Zhan Yan that the Marquis and he would manage affairs in Qifeng Prefecture. Duanmu jokingly agreed but informed them of the daily charges. Shangguan Ce was left to ponder if she was serious or just jesting, questioning the extent of her familiarity with Zhan Yan.
Wengu offered Zhan Yan a bitter medicine for recovery, hinting that Duanmu might have added extra bitter herbs, but also provided a candy to ease the taste, explaining that assisting Duanmu with all her concerns had become a habit. Duanmu then personally prepared a meal for Zhan Yan, fulfilling a small wish, and insisted that Hong Luan join them at the table, emphasizing equality in her residence.
Zhan Yan found Duanmu’s cooking almost inedible, despite Hong Luan’s diplomatic assertion that it was "quite tasty." Exasperated by her culinary failure, Duanmu dramatically discarded a "magical spatula." Suddenly, a fire erupted in the kitchen, caused by Xiao Hei. Zhan Yan instinctively grabbed a bucket to fetch water, but Wengu swiftly conjured a downpour, extinguishing the flames and leaving Zhan Yan comically embarrassed with his empty bucket.
Meanwhile, in the Ninth Hell, Hong Luan reported to the Elder about Mirror Spirit's death and how the Penglai Drawing fragment had fallen into Duanmu Cui's hands. The Elder, angered by Duanmu Cui's repeated interference, reminded Hong Luan that Duanmu Cui was the one who had defeated Chong City. He stressed the urgency of collecting all fragments to open the Ninth Hell seal and free the Demon Clan.
Hong Luan expressed her difficulty in getting close to Duanmu due to her Samadhi Fire and the fragment being secured in her Qiankun Bag. The Elder devised a plan: to weaken Duanmu Cui’s powers, making her vulnerable, and then seize the fragment. He promised to aid Hong Luan in this endeavor. That night, Hong Luan approached Duanmu Cui, feigning a desire to wash her clothes to "cleanse bad luck" from the dream world.
Duanmu found Hong Luan's thoughtfulness endearing but declined, stating that immortals cleanse themselves naturally. Hong Luan persisted, and as she attempted to touch Duanmu's Qiankun Bag, the holy relic repelled and injured her. Duanmu explained that the Qiankun Bag, crafted by Lao Jun, was deadly to the Demon Clan, and recognized Hong Luan's attempted deception without malice. She then allowed Hong Luan to wash her clothes.
The next morning, Duanmu Cui found Zhan Yan practicing martial arts and challenged him to a sparring match. As they sparred, Duanmu observed his sword, Ju Que, feeling a sense of familiarity she couldn't quite place. Zhan Yan explained it was a gift from Lord Jiang, an ancient military treasure.
Their sparring was interrupted by Zhang Long and Zhao Wu, who reported a new case: another person had drowned in Yuexin Lake, their body covered in peculiar blisters, causing widespread panic in Qifeng City. Duanmu jokingly suggested Xihualiu should handle such "ghost-catching" business, but Zhan Yan dismissed the idea of ghosts and led them to investigate the body. Initially, the coroner attributed the blisters to mosquito bites, but Zhan Yan found a crucial piece of evidence on the deceased.
Duanmu used a spiritual item to reveal a lingering demonic presence on the body. Zhan Yan decided to move the patient to Wengu's medical hall for proper care. At the medical hall, some commoners expressed their prejudice against Xihualiu, but Zhan Yan quickly defended Duanmu Cui, declaring her an honored guest of Qifeng Prefecture. Wengu examined the patient and confirmed it was poisoning, though the exact toxin remained unknown.
Hong Luan then presented candied fruits, a gift from the victim’s family, which Zhan Yan immediately recognized as a significant clue. The family reported that a peddler from Yuexin Lake had given them the sweets. Following this lead, Zhan Yan and Duanmu Cui headed to Yuexin Lake. As they passed a theatre built by the philanthropist Yuan Bin, Duanmu became contemplative while watching a play.
She asked Zhan Yan if all mothers would sacrifice everything for their children and wondered why some mothers would abandon them. Zhan Yan responded that motherly love was innate, and those who abandoned their children must have had compelling reasons. Duanmu remained thoughtful, questioning if such difficult circumstances truly justified their actions. Shortly after, as a couple near them discussed the peddler’s candied fruits, Duanmu spotted a Demon Clan member and immediately, she and Zhan Yan pursued.
