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TL;DR Version
DFQC tries to get Orchid to leave before the war. Chang Heng reveals her true identity and that DFQC massacred her people. The Great Turtle tells her it’s not her destiny to marry DFQC. DFQC has her imprisoned and tells her his plan has been to sacrifice her and revive Chi Di Nu Zi all along. Orchid holds onto her love for DFQC and refuses to leave him.
Recap
The ladies of the Moon Tribe are preparing for Orchid’s wedding when Jie Li comes in. When Orchid wants to make her a wedding dress she gets mad and leaves. Orchid chases her and Jie Li tells her to stop being nice since she’s only ever used Orchid for money. Orchid calls herself a willing victim. Jie Li thinks Orchid and Shang Que are idiots.
Orchid goes to get DFQC’s measurements for his wedding clothes. He’s concerned about the coming war and wants Orchid to go back to Chang Heng and Shuiyuntian. Orchid refuses and talks about their wedding in a few days. She hugs him and he won’t hug her back at first, but she convinces him that Cangyan Sea is her home, and they have a real hug.
DFQC sits by her side while she sleeps. Her possessed Bone Orchid wakes her, but DFQC isn’t there and she walks into blackness hearing creepy voices. Wan Qing/Chi Di is there, and she warns that the loss of Orchid’s life means the gain of Chi Di Nu Zi’s.
When the sleeping Orchid cries out. DFQC grips her hand and evil spirit from the Bone Orchid enters his eyes.
He is in a strange, horrible place facing Evil God Tai Sui. The god says this is DFQC’s darkest place and refuses to identify itself. It digs into DFQC’s lies to Orchid and the hopeless situation. It promises a way to save both Orchid and his people.
DFQC wakes to find Orchid holding his hand. She tells him about her dream of Wan Qing/Chi Di, but he lies about his dream.
Chang Heng shows up to take Orchid away. He wants to tell her who she really is but she just wants to be DFQC’s wife. He whisks her away to the ruins of the Xilan Clan and tells her that she’s the Goddess of Xishan and DFQC killed her people. Orchid only cares about her love for DFQC.
Touching one of the Xilan Ruins sends her to see the Great Turtle. It tells her it’s not her destiny to marry DFQC, but when she protests, it sends her back because it’s too soon.
Chang Heng can’t convince her to leave with him, so he lets her go. Shang Que reports to DFQC that Chang Heng took Orchid. DFQC isn’t worried, he knows that Chang Heng will let her go and she will return. They were best friends and Orchid was the woman he was going to marry.
A crazy upside-down camera angle is a visual warning of what is to come. DFQC tells Xun Feng that he’s decided to sacrifice Orchid. She’s grabbed by Xun Feng and some guards and taken to faux-Siming Hall as a prisoner. She refuses to believe this is on DFQC’s order.
In Shuiyuntian, Chang Heng contemplates his armor. He remembers confronting Xun Feng, who told him Orchid will be a sacrifice. He remembers Rong Hao’s declaration that this is all inevitable.
Orchid refuses to give up her belief in DFQC even as Xun Feng and the guards destroy her flowers, including the orchid she gave DFQC. Jie Li sneaks in dressed as a guard, and Orchid begs her to help her escape. Jie Li remembers her promise to Rong Hao’s henchwoman.
Jie Li leads a tied-up Orchid outside but is stopped by Shang Que. She knocks him out with magic and the henchwoman shows up. Jie Li tricks the henchwoman into handing over the antidote for Shang Que. When Jie Li and him escape, Orchid is revealed to be an illusion.
DFQC is in the scary, red chamber of his father, thinking about the impossible choices his father faced. He suddenly finds himself in front of Tai Sui again. The Evil God claims DFQC summoned it because he knows it’s the only choice. DFQC slashes with his sword and gets back to his chamber.
Orchid shows up, and he keeps her away with the sword. She’s horrified because she recognizes the evil spirit in it. He says he’s going to use it to free his soldiers. Xun Feng shows up and he hates the idea as much as Orchid.
Orchid can’t believe that DFQC is treating her this way and knows he’s lying. He doubles down, saying this is his plan all along, and he’s using Bone Orchid to revive Chi Di Nu Zi. She remembers her dream. She’s heartbroken because he’s breaking his promise not to lie. She dares him to turn around and say it to her face.
Thoughts
This episode is A Lot. Back when I watched this show when it was airing I think I was so nervous about the ending living up to the rest of the drama that I never fully understood what was going on here. In my defense, a Giant Turtle only occasionally shows up to make great proclamations and it’s hard to track all these things.
And really, I think this episode could have used some breathing room. We just saw Orchid getting physically tortured, and now she’s getting emotionally tortured. I guess that’s the point. Orchid thinks she’s found her true home and true role, as Moon Queen in the Cangyan Sea. Even if it means dying, she’s found her place in her world. But dying is too easy it seems. DFQC’s personality doesn’t make it any easier. She still has tests to survive.
One thing I’m confused about is, when did that confrontation between Xun Feng and Chang Heng happen? Before or after Chang Heng met with Orchid? I’m guessing after since Chang Heng never brought up Orchid sacrificing her life with Orchid herself. Still, it felt awkwardly placed in the episode.
I love the Chi Di Nu Zi dream sequence. Setting two actresses in pitch black with creepy voices is a nice way to create atmosphere while keeping the budget down.