When last we left our problematic secondary characters, Sheng finally, finally, finally pulled Crescent out of the stone.
We’re still wrapping things up at the Imperial Capital
Like all great evil ladies of Chinese dramas, Dowager gets her title taken away and is confined to the Cold Palace. Mu Yao tells her the Princess wants to visit eventually. The Dowager tells her parents want to show their kids their best sides.
This is relevant since Mu Yao wants to understand her father’s part in everything. He gave the Dowager the Jade Token and said to use it after completing Xingshan Hall. She did, and he suggested she replace her daughter with another child. He also helped her shut the doors and burn everyone alive. He claimed it was because of the danger of the formation.
Fu Yi reminds a teary-eyed Mu Yao that the Dowager isn’t to be trusted. He thinks they should go to his master for answers.
Before that, let’s learn about impending Apocolypse
At the Astronomical Bureau they’re told that when the Blood Moon is in the sky, there are only 3 years left until the catastrophe of heaven. The burden of saving the world is on the Guardian Master, Sheng. Sheng does not want the burden of saving the world.
As luck would have it, the person who knows the most about the catastrophe of heaven is Fu Yi’s master, Wen Xin. No one knows much about him, including Fu Yi, but he lives in Liaoran Valley and never leaves.
So now they HAVE to go to the valley.
Before they can leave, the Marquis wants to see Sheng
He knows that they are half-brothers. Sheng denies it and is not interested in being his older brother. I guess the Marquis knows Sheng is part demon? Word is getting out.
The Marquis understands they share blood but not a sibling bond, and envies Sheng and his found family and freedom. Neither the Marquis nor his father had these things. He gives Sheng the bracelet that belonged to his mother to give back to her.
Sheng throws the Marquis a bone, gracing him with a fist bump before leaving. Miao Miao was spying on them, good girl!
Miao Miao is a little different lately
On their way out of town, Fu Yi remarks on her warnings to him earlier and wonders if she has foresight. Miao Miao says her memory hasn’t been great since Xingshan Hall. Suddenly some bandits show up and cause problems. Sheng wants to murder them. Mu Yao stops him and asks Fu Yi to handle it.
But Miao Miao gets up and blows them all away (literally, not bloodily) with a wave of her hand.
Everyone is impressed. Since she didn’t get Crescent, I’m glad she still gets to be cool. She has fun, showing her powers off to Sheng and insisting she’ll protect him next.
While camping, Fu Yi sends Mu Yao away and tries to get Sheng alone, but Sheng wants Miao Miao and Cui Cui there. Fu Yi puts a talisman on Sheng’s hand so his demon form will not be revealed when they enter the Liaoran Valley.
When Sheng realizes what he said, he’s stunned. Fu Yi says a Mirror Formation at the entrance reflects everyone’s essence as a shadow, it would reveal Sheng’s demon form. Sheng lets him finish the talisman.
Fu Yi understands some secrets are harder to share with people they are closest with. Sheng can’t imagine how he would know. Miao Miao says thank you for Sheng. Who glares at the talisman and… the camera?
They enter Liaoran Valley
One at a time they step on the formation to see their shadow on the stone wall. Fu Yi is first, and his shadow is a child. Mu Yao’s is impressive, dressed like their father with his sword. Cui Cui’s looks like a bamboo forest.
Miao Miao goes, and the shadow is real-life her, in pigtails in front of a computer. No one knows what it means, not even Miao Miao. She’s lost a lot of memories since Xingshan Hall. This must be the cost of the power the game gave her.
Sheng goes up and the shadow just looks like Sheng. Mu Yao is confused, but Miao Miao says it’s because he’s so consistent.
Fu Yi’s master, Wen Xin, appears and demands to know why demons have been allowed to come in. The master rips the talisman off Sheng and sends him back onto the formation.
Now Sheng’s shadow shows his demon form.
Now the only person who didn’t know, knows!
Mu Yao is shocked. Wen Xin encourages her to kill Sheng, providing a sword. Sheng feels he deserves to die for deceiving her and bares his neck. But Mu Yao returns the sword.
She defends Sheng to Wen Xi, saying he never violated her family rules and doesn’t deserve to be judged by an outsider. Sheng cries as she says they should leave the valley.
Wen Xin attacks and Sheng pulls Crescent. There’s a fight, and Wen Xin throws up a barrier to keep anyone from interfering. He sends Sheng flying back onto the formation again, and now Sheng’s shadow looks like the Lotus in his Heart Lake.
Wen Xin looks happy. Sheng looks annoyed.
But the siblings still need to have a talk
Everyone wants to fix things between them, but Mu Yao wants to talk to Sheng alone. Outside, Miao Miao says she thinks Mu Yao is upset everyone knew about Sheng except her. Miao Miao is 100% right, Mu Yao is upset she’s known him this whole time and didn’t know.
Sheng cries, and Mu Yao blames herself for worrying about everything but overlooking him. Now she understands why he behaved as he did and apologizes.
The siblings come out and Sheng indicates to Miao Miao that things are okay. Mu Yao lightens the mood by teasing everyone and admits her prejudice made them lie. Miao Miao sells them as a great team again.
Then they find Cui Cui’s grandfather in the backyard
He’s back there with some other nice demons. No one quite believes it, because the man (who looks perfect for this role) keeps calling Cui Cui by the wrong name. He’s here because Wen Xin rescued him from the demon catcher.
Fu Yi knew he was here this whole time, but Wen Xin told him to hide it.
Wen Xin knows a lot of things, which he tells them over dinner. He knew Mu Yao’s father. He knows that the Astronomical Bureau are idiots, and the catastrophe of heaven is happening in 3 months and not 3 years. This kills everyone’s hunger.
Cui Cui’s grandfather was alive during the last catastrophe and projects his memories for them. There are a lot of people screaming and running. Wen Xin says everyone could have died and the world ceased to exist. Cui Cui’s grandfather projects the Mu ancestor handling it, and everyone is shocked it looks like Miao Miao. Didn’t they see the scroll?
Miao Miao wonders if she and Sheng are meant to save the world, but Wen Xing says only one person can be the Guardian Master. He doesn’t have a lot of hope for Sheng. Heh.
Wen Xin can’t get Sheng to practice, but Miao Miao can. She doesn’t even let him rest when he leans his forehead against hers and talks about going to see the sunset. Sheng being Sheng, he tries to break through the barrier around the valley, without success.
Wen Xin finds him and Sheng attacks him with Crescent, only to get slapped by his sword. Sheng tries to get him onto the mirror formation, but Wen Xin doesn’t let it happen. Sheng wants to know why. But we don’t get to know yet.
I like it when there’s fighting
That dramatic reveal made me press play on the next episode faster than I have in a while with any drama. This was much better than Sheng just telling Mu Yao.
The way the siblings dealt with it was very in character. Mu Yao put on a strong face with everyone but was more vulnerable with Sheng alone. The group dynamics, with everyone wanting to fix it for the siblings when they needed to talk, also felt very real.
Though it’s never stated explicitly, the Dowager must have seen a resemblance between Sheng and her brother. Sheng is her nephew. Does she also know he’s a demon? Mu Yao really is the only one who didn’t.
I love the constant incompetence of the Astronomical Bureau. Three months is very different from three years. Not that either matters to Sheng.
We’re entering the last quarter of the story and I’m not sure where this is all headed. The group and couples are doing great. The Resentful Woman doesn’t feel like a threat, so I’m wondering if she’s even real.
I don’t know how the catastrophe of heaven, Sheng’s new powers, Miao Miao’s new powers, Mu Yao’s Dad, and the fact that none of this is real will all tie together. Fu Yi still has his backstory to reveal.
All I know is Sheng is underprepared. But hopefully, the next few episodes will set more up.
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