When last we left our problematic secondary characters, our 2FL finally made progress with the 2ML and he put a ring on it.
A magic ring that helps her with her magic, kinda
She claims her last weapon, which was apparently a bamboo ladle, was better. She wants to use what the subtitles call his “demon staff” which is super suggestive but refers to his bracelets. The water demon called it a weak weapon but it’s his most prized possession because his sister gave it to him.
He sees himself as a monster whose only reason for living is to support his sister. Miao Miao thinks he should see a therapist. Which is not a word he knows.
Since we’re sharing, Miao Miao tells him about her “dream”. In that dream, everything was ordinary, even her, but all she wanted was to go back. Nothing here felt real.
Today she felt reluctant to leave. She would never see the three of them again and has a sense of belonging. As she cries, she says she’s starting to believe in this world.
Sheng asks if she really didn’t believe in it before. She thought it was absurd. He takes that to mean she wasn’t taking his teachings seriously. She agrees to take them seriously if he calls her Miao Miao. She’ll call him Zi Qi. He gets all soft and reluctantly says her name.
They get back to magic practice and she’s improving. He magics fireworks and watches her enjoy them. The dust demons show 35%.
The next day she learns improving her magic will take years
Miao Miao, who needs to defeat the Resentful Woman to get home, is unhappy with this timeline.
Shengs catches the little Bamboo Demon, Cui Cui, spying on them.
After they left him, Cui Cui’s home smelled of the Mu Family Aura. Other demons started showing up because they hoped to find the Mu heir, rumored to have Yin blood. If they consume it, their cultivation will increase. Cui Cui had to leave to get away from them.
Sheng has Yin blood, which is why the water demon wanted his blood in the last episodes. No one knew about this but Mu Yao and Sheng. They think the rumors come from the Resentful Woman.
That night Mu Yao and Fu Yi discuss how one of them could be the prophesied Heavenly Demon Catcher. They unite over their desire to rid the world of demons. This is not great for Cui Cui or Sheng.
And it’s why Miao Miao doesn’t want to take Cui Cui with her
Our group is going… somewhere. Cui Cui wants to tag along and find his grandfather. A demon catcher took him. Miao Miao can barely care for herself, so she can’t take him.
As they leave, Mu Yao cautions Miao Miao about the bamboo demon and the unpredictable nature of demons. So it’s good Cui Cui isn’t there.
Later, Sheng incinerates the amulet Fu Yi gave her and gives her a very homemade-looking protective sachet.
They stop to spend the night in Zhijing Town
An idyllic village with happy villagers having happy conversations. There couldn’t be anything wrong here.
Miao Miao’s wallet is nearly stolen by a young thief whose father has gone missing and whose mother is sick. Miao Miao takes pity on her and gives her a little money. They’re only there for one night, but the innkeeper warns them from continuing their journey through the Mitu Valley. That’s where the girl’s father and others have gone missing.
Our heroes trace this story of the Mitu Valley to Celestial Official Guo, an Imperial Demon Catcher. This links him to Empress Zhao, who got Miao Miao’s father in trouble. Guo sells useless talismans to the townspeople and tells them not to enter the valley.
Later, they learn the beggar girl is missing and her mom is begging Guo to find her. Miao Miao feels guilty because the girl used the money she gave her to buy a talisman.
Instead of helping, Guo magics everyone with a Worry-Free curse, convincing them she will return in a day. The innkeeper also said his missing wife would be back in a day. So that explains that.
Miao Miao nearly succumbs to the curse but Sheng wakes her and knocks Guo back. Guo claims this is to keep the people from entering the valley. It’s not working. Also, he can’t explain what’s in the valley.
So our guys go to the valley, at night, with a plan to… walk around?
It’s nicely foggy and mysterious. Almost instantly our four lose each other. Miao Miao thinks she’s found the others but they don’t see her. She is transported to a computer screen that says “Mission Failed” and “Game Over”. She can’t go home or back to the demon catcher world.
But in reality, she walks through the fog, mumbling “Let me out”.
Cui Cui, who has been hiding as a bamboo hairpin in her hair, tries to stop her. But she walks into a ball of water that floats upwards. Before she can drown, the sachet Sheng gave her activates, and the ball explodes.
Freed, she looks up and sees spheres of water with dark, human shapes inside.
Sheng is also caught up in a nightmare
He’s a kid, and there’s a nice moment with what could be his mother. Then he’s alone and only taken in by the Mu family because Mu Yao asks. Other kids bully him, take his hairband, and reveal he’s a demon. Older Mu Yao sees him and says he makes her sick.
Miao Miao tries to stop real Sheng from going into the water sphere. She’s pushed in with him. In his vision he’s in his demon form, hears Miao Miao tell him not to be afraid, and sees her.
He uses his fire and explodes the bubble. They float to the ground, him cradling Miao Miao. Nice.
Then he drops her. She tells him his sachet saved her. He almost admits to being scared for her and that she helped him, but goes full Sheng and calls her stupid and tells her not to get in the way.
He notices all the creepy water spheres too. It’s the “Inner Demon’s Curse” a water demon thing because they can do illusions. The demon here is more powerful than the previous one.
Cui Cui has magical communication skills
The little bamboo demon shoots magic roots into the ground, looking for the others.
Fu Yi’s inner demon is himself, reminding himself what he “once did” and calling himself a “swindler”. He’s stabbed in the back by a vision of Mu Yao.
Mu Yao is caught in the nightmare of her family’s death. She gets out easily because this is a frequent nightmare for her. Once free, she spots Fu Yi in a water sphere.
Cui Cui is thrown backward by magic. A magical formation created by a demon catcher and others has trapped in the moisture, strengthening the water demon. Miao Miao uses modern knowledge to “boost” Cui Cui’s signal and he’s able to reach Mu Yao. She’s with Fu Yi, who is out of the sphere but still trapped in a nightmare.
They agree to meet outside the valley. Cui Cui is exhausted, and Miao Miao has him turn back into a hairpin. Before putting him in her hair she promises to help him.
On their way out, Sheng disappears as a teachable moment. Miao Miao is terrified and hugs him. He sincerely apologizes and promises not to lose her by mistake again. She holds his sleeve and when scared, grabs his hand. He keeps a hold of her hand just because losing her again would be a waste of time.
They walk away holding hands. We see Sheng’s favorability going up to 50%.
I love cute and creepy
Miao Miao and Cui Cui are cute. Sheng, now that he’s not killing Miao Miao, is cute.
I’m confused about Mitu Valley. The innkeeper doesn’t mention his missing wife until later when he says she’ll return tomorrow. Our heroes say other people said that about missing loved ones, but I don’t remember that. Did Guo cast Worry-Free on me too?
Also, our heroes were going to travel through the valley, then investigate it, then find the little girl, but when they finally went in I wasn’t sure what they were doing.
Despite my confusion, I liked the Mitu Valley adventure. The brainwashed townspeople are creepy. The (probably not dead) people in water spheres are creepy. I like that it’ll somehow tie to Empress Zhao.
Sheng bursting him and Miao Miao out of the water and floating down was the magical, romantic, swoony moment these shows need. Even if he then dropped her.
I think there’s some nice symbolism in Miao Miao wanting to use her IRL name instead of Lin Yu. It’s like a new level of commitment to the game. She also revealed more truth to Sheng, even if she disguised it as a dream. Sheng has softened but is still very Sheng, which is good. I hate it when they soften too much.
The Yin blood stuff came and went but is nice potential conflict for later. I’m looking forward to other demons attacking Sheng and his demon half being revealed. Grey-haired demon Sheng is always welcome.
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