basking in the sun

stuck on this mountain - my wordy contributions to the woh fandom (though really I write my thoughts in the tags of every post) woh bts - anything and everything behind the scenes woh video - Word of Honor videos (none of these are mine!) woh crack - Word of Honor cracks, gags, and laugh edits incorrect woh - all you who make these are geniuses woh concert - y'all know what this is gremlins - Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun (my tag for "junzhe") wenzhou - do i really need to explain this one?

zhou zishu - wen kexing - ye baiyi - gu xiang - cao weining - zhang chengling - window of heaven - ghost valley - constume appreciation - zhang zhehan -gong jun -

.First post/intro

More tags will be added above as I think of them. This blog's still a baby and I'm still reblogging all the posts I saved in my likes.

I'm still quite new to the fandom so please indulge me with patience as I discover things with glee about the show that have probably long been discovered and discussed already.

Thank you all so much for your patience. My new motherboard finally arrived and I will need some help installing it, but that means the next episode of Whispers of Fate will be coming in less than two weeks. Hopefully one week - it should be pretty straight forward getting it in the tower and setting it up *knock on wood*

It's so difficult watching tlc be in such pain. His lips are colorless. I guess it must feel like getting stabbed fresh all over again? Ugh little fox, WHY DID YOU JUST STAND THERE. Poor shei…I do understand why tlc wants her to keep absolutely quiet about it - it's a vulnerability of his and if it reaches the wrong people that can spell very bad news. I think Shei's wise enough to not take his harshness about it at face value.

Ohhh let's go Shei. tlc's in such pain. Come on, Shei, you may not be able to get a doctor but you can try to take care of him…

Ughhhhhh. Ok, I take back hating her. I don't like her still yet, but that…that sucks

Good for you, deary. Good for you. I'd give you a fist bump and a high five for getting that box but I think you need a hug more (I'm grudgingly wondering this, but did she let him take that box and all its potentially incriminating evidence? I can see her hating the sword king for how her life turned out)

Man, my two favorite foxes are down for the count and WHAT IS SHEI DOING?? WHAT'S IN HER BLOOD?

ugh Isn't my heart hurting enough?

Yeah, tlc definitely didn't murder/want to kill fz. He's way too happy to be seeing him here

OMG… He's trying to bring fz back??? 😫😫 Is that why he wants the scroll thing, not bc his days are numbered like puzhu and ly said? WHAT HAPPENED? He didn't want fz to die, what happened…

…???????????

I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS . I'm genuinely trying not to tear up rn

I don't think he was actually talking with fz, like it was all a subconscious response to what he's wrestling with but it was still so hard to watch. Gosh it tears you up seeing how much fz meant to him

And small aside...*sigh* I get why Shei didn't tell him she used her blood - like, that's some big secret stuff you keep a tight lid on - and I get that she skidaddled when tlc told her too. But nothing good is going to come of tlc thinking that those "pills" are what mitigated that wound waking up. It WILL bite him in the ass if he thinks they're his ace. And I swear if this show does that to him over a stupid pill I'm going to go flip a table and curse it out for going that route. Please let Shei come clean with him sooner than later! This isn't a "no big deal" situation!

Oh tlc don't do that! You know you don't mean that! You're hurt and you're lashing out, stop it! Both of you need to stop it. Cy's right to be upset and confused about the situation, but tlc was trying to speak some hard truths into him and he simply didn't want to hear it. Both of you get your foxtails out of your asses and think straight!

"It's better to let anger fill his mind first. It's better than letting him be manipulated now." sighhh I'm smacking someone with a foxtail. Yes, I know you're right, tlc, and cy is still very impulsive but grrrrrrrrr

He'd better come around or someone smack some sense into him. I'll take either one

(I said it before and I'll say it again - SO hunting down this show's OST when I'm done with it) Little fox 🥺 Why does it feel like his existence just got more dire or something? He "won" the illusion battle, or at least came out on top, but he doesn't look satisfied about it

One, this red lady can f* off and two, it seems I was right. Tlc wants to face ly NOW. Opportunity's here. But PAUSE, hold up, hang on. That was a lot that just happened in that illusion and I need to take a second. I think I have to take back what I said about ly not being insane. He is insane, not in a broken faculties way, but it's like he's stuck in a perpetual loop version of the the denial stage of grief. It's like he's constructed this reality in which things make sense to him for what he witnessed tlc do to fz, and he's clinging to it so hard, he's committing EVERYTHING down to the purity of his soul to deliver "justice" based on THAT reality. And if it's false, incorrect, inaccurate even a little…that can break a man. One of the biggest gut-punches tlc said was that ly can't commit great deeds of good or evil (wow what a punch) and seeing all that DOUBT eat at ly in the moment before he turned on the excuses I suspect he's been using for a long time to ignore the inconsistencies of his reality - that tlc is just manipulating again…sigh. And then the zither, cutting the pipa's strings, ly referring to yyy, if I'm a monster what does that make you, and that last line that fz chose tlc to inherit his legacy…EXCUSE ME WHAT???

And I'm also trying to figure out how I feel about this whole confrontation in the first place. Illusion world or not, they still dueled. It's strange. I guess I was always expecting the show to proceed like two masterplans unfolding parallel to each other, disrupting each other along the way, and then it would climax with their ultimate confrontation in the end, or a series of showdowns. But that's not what happened at all. (Ly said he would kill him now again…in the illusion? Would that have actually killed him?) They each know the other is there, they know they're hunting each other down…it feels like they're now dancing some deadly waltz instead of simply hunting down prey. And is what tlc insinuated true? That ly can't kill a person? I just assumed he has killed plenty of times but we never did see him do it himself…

There's a lot to think about. A lot of things both said, especially tlc, to chew on. Press play and keep watching! Even if I do have to deal with this red lady now 🙄 (maybe it's the way she talks idk)

hehehehe FRICKIN LOVE YOU LITTLE FOX

YES!!!!!! (sorry, I scared my cat when I yelled that) And I'm sorry if I'm upsetting anyone who likes her character but that was SATISFYING

sighhhh Ok little fox, I love you, but why didn't you leave, you idiot, when you heard her say that ly designed the flower thing to trigger your unhealed wound?? Well, I was wondering when tlc would get his first trip-up. I much prefer him just being a badass and continuously outsmarting everyone, but how will this bloody show get me to be worried for him without making him vulnerable? Be vulnerable tlc, just don't be an idiot! (srsly, why did he just stand there?? To see if she was bluffing? To see if there really was something that could hurt him? I much prefer that to him being stupid)

ok what's going down in king-town? It feels weird being back here now, like I can let go of the breath I've been holding. What in the world is this chamber proposition ploy thing tlc had them trigger?

omg that's frickin cy, I can see it now! 😆

Hmm…is this a means to gather economical information? This is a brilliant way to do it, if so

AND THAT'S GU! 😆😆 I seriously didn't recognize him until this screenshot right here. I'm a little conflicted though. This is all quite hilarious, but I really do hope that if these are all honest hard-working merchants that they don't get stung by this. Tlc said no innocents would get killed, but he didn't say used and scammed…

…well that was all preemptive worry for nothing 🫠 I know the captain spoiled their plans and they came to a compromise, but I still can't bring myself to dislike him. Like I said, he seems pretty level-headed and it's refreshing for a neutral non-protagonist.

These four make a good team 😊 I love how on board Zhong and Gu are with this scheming. And I'm loving Shei! She's so smart and quick-thinking, not at all put off by what's happening. "Shei you've learned some bad habits from tlc" haha I think I have to agree and yet it makes me smile anyway! I think she's proud of it. And please, cy, you're one to talk lol

So we get a little more of glimpse into ly's plan. As much as red lady annoys me, I will credit her the loyalty she has towards ly. It's admirable. "This time, I'll make him die while abandoned by all, with no one to bury his bones." There it is. Complete and total destruction of tlc, in life and memory. I really don't understand why he never spread the word that tlc murdered fz! Like I said, it'd be a stellar start to making the whole world hate him. Unless…that doubt tlc mentioned is actually bigger than realized?

grrrrrr I don't want to see tlc hurt, by a big beetle, little beetle or anything else. I know he probably will be, bc drama and tension, but I'm not looking forward to it

Like I said - REALLY liking this captain (Commander Yu, got his name). He's got a solid head on his shoulders to be thinking the way he is. Gosh I just hope he realizes soon that he's being deceived and used too. I don't know who that woman is, but saying that - "you do not trust the sword king?" - what a Low. Hit. If he answered anything other than he did it would've been accounted as treasonous. And you can tell by the way he answered that he's very aware of that. I know his fealty is to the king and so he's on the king's side, but he's not giving any "yes-man" vibes at all, quite the opposite, and I like it. I have no prediction which way he'll go (assuming he's in fact playing a larger role) but fingers crossed

Be careful chi yun...

Oh good he got away *relieved breath* I seriously thought there in between episodes that there was going to be some skirmish that ended up messy no matter which way I imagined it. Enter the next act. I'm cool with you muttering that forboding line, ly, just no clashes with tlc yet. Way too soon

(I've missed this show much how did I survive almost two weeks on ep8s ending)

So tlc went straight to the house ly was occupying. I know he has a grand plan too, but if the opportunity comes to confront ly before he expected to, will he take it? We saw that ly won't jump on sudden opportunities - he did nothing when he saw tlc in the city - that he more so wants his plan to unfold to whatever end he designed. I wonder if tlc is the same way or if he'd say screw it, found you, say your prayers

Sound killing technique. That was the same thing that caused the massacre at the wedding. Hold steady, tlc. I can't tell if he's falling prey to it (despite identifying it instantly) or if he's trying to listen to it. And I know it's the red woman again but I'm just going to grit me teeth through her part and watch

Ummmm. What is this place?

Well nevermind then about no confrontations happening right now. But is this a real place or a mid-like place between mind and body?

.....I am quite tense in my seat rn

be careful little fox

Ok, so it is an illusion. Also not surprised ly had zero interest in listening to tlc about that day. And also KNEW IT. It's not tlc saying that what happened that day isn't what you think, it's the insistence he's saying it with. And yeah, we knew that. I've been saying since I saw it that something is missing, but on top of that missing piece something is STILL missing. It was a betrayal when he killed you when it should have made sense. There's a huge chunk missing! And I agree tlc; ly, don't be a coward and do your dirty work face to face!

AGHHHH I was already yelling it from the rooftops before, but tlc's reaction to being called an inhuman, undying, ungrateful monster confirms to me that he isn't one!

oh hun

OHHHHH I was wondering what delivery of tlc's would get under ly's skin. I know he's lying - he remembers zhoudi tower quite sharply - but it's interesting what reaction he's trying to get from ly. I mean, makes sense why it would tick him off. Zhoudi tower is ly's whole obsession and whole reason for being right now. He would need it to be imperative to tlc too for any of this to mean anything. And ly and fz *did* know about y3, that's without question now. I'm just now VERY curious what in the world tlc did as yyy that had everyone uniting to try to kill him

"You're wrong. What you regret is that to kill me, you've become neither human nor monster." That I absolutely believe is true!! In the glimpses we've had, ly has shown too much subconscious grief and that's what made me feel sad for him - he knows what he let himself become and darling, I don't think fz would approve of you becoming this thing in his name

And oh man, my heart really is breaking for ly right now. How vulnerable he is and confused and uncertain and afraid at thing after thing after thing tlc is stating to him, all of which I suspect is true, isn't it?

(you don't realize how hard it is to write my thoughts down when my eyes are glued to the screen. my thoughts are all over the place)

I LOVE FANG ZHOU SO MUCH 😭 He gave tlc that zither? His zither?

...um...i have a lot of thoughts...

So ly is in the city now. I thought we were entering another flashback at first but he looks way too unhappy and…different from before. I forgot that he was going to be an element here too. The king, tlc, puzhu, xx, the sword alliance, and now ly…what could possibly go wrong

Oh no, another blood pill poisoning? MAN ly is SO hard to read in this scene. I forgot that, of course he would be a master healer (though how complicated is it really to cure the poison you caused?), but he looked…sad, confused, remorseful? Did he forget what it was like or…WHAT IS HE THINKING. From how he's acting when he turns away, it doesn't seem like this was planned.

OH FRICK LY WOULD RECOGNIZE HER WON'T HE??!!! The wedding! Disguised as tlc! She has no idea it was him ordering her to remember his face! Did he see her? Please tell me he didn't see her. Seems like no, that he was too distracted. I don't want anything to happen to Shei! She's been through enough. But she's senses something, the way she turned to watch him go, she senses something.

Ohhhh. So ly DID forget what it was like to help someone heal. Then he said tlc's name, kind of creepily, but he didn't say lici - he said 呵. I caught that, I know what that particle is and means, especially before a name. That was what he called tlc when they were brothers/friends, has to be. And he's whispering it again here. I know I'm zeroing in on something likely very simple, but it's still interesting. It's like ly has a lot of emotional attachment to the past that's burning him. And he just looks so sad 😟

"I wonder what it'll feel like to kill these new friends of yours." Oh shit. He did see and hear. I know cy has no idea who he is but damn it! Is ly insane? Like he's not insane but it also seems like he went off the deep end (dtma)

Oh. they're sitting down again. Good? 😳

Excuse me, what?

……is tlc dying?

How is he dying when he was already dead? Wasn't/isn't he recovering from dying? What is this heart disease? How do you wake up from death only to be dying again? Gosh I already want to preemptively cry, don't you dare kill him!

Oh that's right - does this have to do with the rebirth scroll thing? And I remember something about a bug in the flashback scene of ly killing him.

"Since we are not adversaries, we can cooperate." OH THANK GOODNESS. I really was stressed there for a hot minute lol "It's precisely because I only care about myself." lol I mean you got to give him credit for being honest? He did tell cy that he would be honest with puzhu, and maybe tlc knew better than to even bother trying to manipulate him or lie. It is sad that tlc is so hyper-focused on pure self-interest, but I got to respect his commitment to it.

"If we judge everything by intention, nothing will ever be accomplished." This show has a lot of bangers for lines! Wow. Chisel that one into a stone tablet too now. And I LOVE tlc's argument that when puzhu has no option but to rely on dirty work to find the evidence he needs, then he can count on tlc so he can keep his own hands clean. He's not wrong? Go to the one with a malfunctioning moral compass to dapple in the dark?

OH, that whole fight thing was a TEST? PUZHU!!! Ok, I feel a little better now about it.

…OH THIS WAGER THEY HAVE GOING IS DELICIOUS 😁 Tlc may have elected to be honest with puzhu and not try to manipulate him, but he knows how to tune his strings lol That's a major, hefty wager with both sides difficult to achieve

tlc just waltzing through the city - I really hope he and ly don't run into each other bc that would be BAD - but that child-like song that have playing in the soundtrack is CREEPY

Ohhhhhhh 😟 I was trying to pay attention to what they were saying about that battle, the seven masters, Head Fang - what monster are they talking about they're relieved is dead? yyy? - And then tlc just starts seeing fz 🥺

He didn't want to kill him! I KNOW HE DIDN'T! Or he at the very least regrets it, he's frickin crying man! 🥺😣 This is so hard to watch

WAIT. This is the battle they're reenacting where king and Co. eliminated yinque yinyang!! The dude in the center with the white hair and the that style of dark clothes - that's what I saw in that glimpse of y3 during phoenix lady's flashbacking! So y3 - he - is the one they're all relieved is dead. Seeing a stage play of it must feel a little strange for tlc

And now the sweet summer lady has bumped into tlc. 100% accidental I'm sure 🙄😄 And that little interaction turned dark really fast lol She knows who he is, or at least in relation to puzhu, she must. Where he "instructed" her to stab, that's the place where he has that wound that won't heal, right?

Oh crap, that *was* ly. I was wondering. Kudos to him for not reacting to seeing tlc. But like I've said, we know he's not stupid. He has a grand masterplan of some kind to destroy tlc and being reactive now would ruin it. I wonder what he thinks about tlc being not-dead and all. Hm 🤔

...

This shows version of "magic" is so cool, man. And idk know what needle insanity ly was doing to his wrist but ugh, that looked so awful

Really feeling for shen here. The restraint that must've taken to stand down, and the trust that tlc was telling the truth. I'm kind of surprised he legitimately tried to evade ly, even though it didn't quite work. Good on him. I mean tlc is right - he needs to run. ly is too powerful

I'm a little confused by what I just watched, but…the only thing clear is that ly and tlc both have that self-healing ability. WHICH Shen just referenced the rebirth scroll, and ly said "tang lici's things". The rebirth scroll is the reason tlc (and ly) can self-heal! Of which tlc needs to get all of it back? I wonder why ly calls it disgusting. Because of something about the scroll itself or bc it belonged to tlc?

SHEN DON'T DO IT!! 😳 NO

Ohhh XX is back. I just see him flying through the air and I'm already excited. Also VERY happy (and surprised) to see the captain return, but I do feel a little bad for him since he has to deal with this maniac 😅

…aww, cy, you feeling a little left out of the action? haha It's ok, fox cub, I'm sure tlc will give you plenty of opportunity for action.

Oh boy 😄 XX, what are you doing? lol

HE'S YOUR FRIEND??? I squealed out loud, I'm not going to lie. The show linking up two eccentric crazies? YES PLEASE. (How old of a friend, though? What does he know? 🤔)

I got nothing, I just love this so much 😆🥰

omg cy turning on the full fanboy is so cringe but so hilarious

"If that sworn brother of yours comes looking for you and they join forces, then that fox head of yours will be chopped off again." OK, so he definitely knows a bit. Gosh I love xianzi. Offering to take care of the problem in exchange for clearing out his debt lol They're both little shits. Their bargaining, tlc poking his pride…they're definitely friends.

Alright, that little metal ball is back.

"Scheming isn't needed with a gentleman. Sincerity is all that's needed." I…really like that line, actually. It's certainly opposite of what the king tried to do, and puzhu saw it for what it was almost immediately. Clever fox choosing wisdom at the moment.

Awwww, baby fox wants some part in the action, tlc! "This task is both fun and impressive." Well, cy will unquestionably have a ball with whatever this is going to be haha

I relate to lady Zhong SO hard here 😆 She's so adorable. I'd want to slink away too. They did a good job though? Planted the bait, or the fish in the pond, whatever cy said. Interesting. What scheme are you foxing out now tlc…

…wow, this is puzhu's "pavilion"? 😯 Maybe it's the specific music that kicks in or the serene cinematography they employ, but he is mesmerizing to watch. You wonder what he's doing, what he's thinking…I just need a puzhu ambience in my daily life.

Oh frick's sake another new outfit 👀 *pause for 5 min* gorgeous bastard

Whoa OK. I know I said in a guess way back when that one day puzhu and tlc were going to duke it out, but I never expected it to be so soon and under these circumstances. good grief. (and that was one of the most amazing fight sequences I've seen in a cdrama)

YOU END IT ON PLEASE ALLOW ME TO READ YOUR PULSE??? You can't just cut away after that left field harsh turn!

Ok, I need to pause. Because that was loaded. And I was a little tense in my seat from the moment they started talking. Definitely not a congenial meeting of the minds and I'm still a little baffled why it escalated from 0 to 100 so fast. Granted, we all could kind of predict tlc's answer to Puzhu's demand if he would throw everyone to the wolves to get to that one person but…you didn't let him answer? Not that it might have amounted to anything, but I'm a little annoyed puzhu didn't let him answer before going nuclear on him, or maybe tlc would've just kept silent. Who knows. I love both of them and just want all the characters I love to get along but it makes sense that they don't *sad sigh* They're both powerful but puzhu is right that they are not the same, and I don't think this is anything tlc is unaware of. We've seen him question these moral quandaries before, but the doubt is never enough to turn him away from whatever masterplan he has. And who says it's bad? It only gives that appearance bc tlc is acting purely on self-interest - not to mention he has actually saved people in the process, whether bc of more scheming or bc it was the right thing, who knows. Or maybe tlc's masterplan is awful and will bring down all of humanity, but until you have proof of that, puzhu, I don't think you can treat it like it is. I can't really blame you for the anger and wariness - tlc is frickin powerful and VERY clever - but sometimes I think you need a fox's wiles to lure out the bigger evil. And I DO understand what puzhu was accusing him of, the question of why didn't he help those innocent people earlier when he was capable of doing so, but I also DETEST that argument. Legit as it may be, it's too messy, too many unforeseen variables for it to ever be used as a black and white means of argument.

Ok. I was genuinely stressed out at the start of the episode, stressed that puzhu would fall for the king's ploy. And he did, but I'm not going to give him too hard of a time here, despite my disappointment. I need to remember that while he strives to remain impartial (a very good thing) he also doesn't know anything of what we know about the king yet. And like he said to the king, he only looks at evidence. And the evidence he saw in that jail was a shen-mimic who took off to lead him to the ship. The king made the ploy very straightforward, but I suppose I was hoping puzhu would see through that too. BUT he came around very quickly! I'm not mad at him at all. True to himself, he puzzled it out with logic very quickly and listened to what they said, not just dismissed it off the bat bc 'I saw him do it!!'

And that was a clever little counter-scheme, done by a clever little fox. Of course he was already three steps ahead, probably even when lady Zhong suggested the trial, right? I do question how he knew jq was dead, but it's possible he just knows the king that well.

"When a rat steals food, is it possible for it to be caught by a cat while silmultaneously being trapped in a mousetrap?" Good line! That's a good line! And good point. While I would never doubt Shen's insane talents, it is hard for someone to solidly be in two places at once. I really want Puzhu to just believe him right now but sighhhhhh I suppose I wouldn't like him as much if he were of the inclination to latch to a side so quickly on so little. Sounds like he's willing to talk to tlc more about it at his pavilion though, right?

Interesting. What, is that bead a puzhu-version of an official invitation?

"You still haven't told us about what you and that monk outside were being mysterious about." Cy over here being my perfect mouthpiece again. Thank you, deary. Though I'd be careful complimenting an assassin with an insult if I were you lol

BRING IT ON 🔥 I'm sure something will go wrong, even badly, but I just love watching tlc outsmart the smartest like the clever little fox he is.

Ugh, this cackle-box is back 😑 I suppose I shouldn't have expected he'd be gone forever after the shisun tower incident, but I don't want to see him or that annoying red lady who of course is also here. At least he's not laughing again rn….

And I need to stop grumbling bc their conversation is quite interesting. "you weren't exposed but the king was/why does ly insist on using this fool to deal with tlc?" Three heavy things pulled from that solid exchange: they're watching closely enough to see that the king's ploy didn't work and I have a feeling they oopsie neglected to inform him of that. Two, they can't stand the king (which it is amusing that people on both sides of the aisle don't like him lol) but are still working for him at the instruction of ly. And three, ly is unquestionably the puppetmaster here. Hey king, my dude, didn't you know making use of the illegal services of a dangerous shop doesn't put them in your debt, but you in theirs? By accomplishing your bs through them you've given them infinite blackmail. The question is, how much does the king know he's being used? And what for? I have a feeling he's clueless on both accounts. If he didn't know tlc's the master of the chamber, then there's no WAY he knows about the y3 thing or ly's beef with him.

And I'm just now realizing that tlc being the one who killed fz is NOT a widely-known thing. It is kept top secret, in fact. I knew it before, of course, but a lightbulb just went off. Why not spread the word, ly? With how insanely popular and loved fz was, a sure quickfire way to turn all of the jianghu against tlc is to tell them who murdered your master. Now I can't stop thinking about it! It's never hit me before how ODD it is that no one knows tlc was the murderer when ly would've had all the justification to shout it from the rooftops.

OH PUZHU. Puzhu's entering the scene!!…oh I'm excited now. (only someone like him can make me want to go take a walk out in the rain. tlc likely could too, but you know what I mean) Please blow up the king's scheme. You're a highly revered master, they can't turn you away surely. And who's this pretty lady meeting him in the woods?

All I'm missing is the sound. I know it doesn't matter, but I could watch a three hour youtube video of their petal-version of Go.

That conversation between Puzhu and the lady was packed. Seeking salvation, trying to save those he can with a clear conscience, he made choices he may regret, he always protects the flowers, the question if the one he never meant to harm(???) will die bc of him…there's a lot of layers packed into a few sentences. I really like this lady - they made her mesmerizing to look at, but she seems like a kind, gentle soul too. Whoever plays her is amazing. Can I just get a 12 hr ambient video of them playing Go to have on in the background?

back to carving I see, little fox. Man, he's so beautiful…. (Is the figure he's carving Puzhu? The beads, the staff, the hair, it's hard to tell but it looks very much like puzhu did in the forest) I'm so curious about these little wooden figurines...

Hahaha the sword-king is so pissed. I really don't blame him though, this is disastrous for him.

Oh gosh this frickin lady is here now too 🙄🙄🙄 I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I can and am annoyed by it. Puzhu has officially arrived according to the guest book…good, good.

"the one to stand trial […] will be tang lici." Aaaannnnnd there it is. F you. You know what? You're going to be called 'king' now. Plain old king. You don't deserve to be called sword-king. And now you're trying to pull in Puzhu to be your calling card, except I have a feeling he's not going to be of that much help to you in the end, your majesty. He already knows you're misleading him. As important as this conversation is, THIS is what I'm latching onto: "I've fallen into the trap set by the emperor's uncle, the Master of Wanqiao Chamber"….tlc is the emperor's frickin uncle?? Or is he referring to the previous master (that does legit mean that sometimes). But tlc mentioned a foster father…QUESTIONS. (don't tell me anything)

"I will question Jiang Qingyu now." oooohhhhh I LOVE YOU PUZHU. If I didn't before I officially do now! "aside from tang lici, the only other person with such reach and resources is you" BAM

Chi yun what are you going to try to do you little shit? 😄 And tlc already knows!!

I love these two SO much

...GU! Mr. Gu. I got his name!

Frickin. Called it.

This is probably the worst place to say this (another thing I was thinking about), but I actually do like the king as an antagonist. Not "like" as in rooting for or approve of, but "like" because of things like this reaction of his right here:

Relief. Not a smirk or a cliched chuckle, worried relief. So many shows, books, movies, etc. seem to believe that in order to make their antagonist powerful and hard-to-beat, they have to be impervious to fear and failure, never be confused or uncertain. Make them always obnoxious in their confidence. And that makes them SO aggravating and/or boring to watch (often unwatchable), let alone bother to keep up with. But as corrupt and infuriating as the sword-king is, as much as I really want him to just get his comeuppance, he so far has had realistic, genuine, human reactions, from fear to rage to confounded and so many more. When he appears on screen I'm not tempted to fast forward, I don't feel the need to roll my eyes, groan, and get ticked off bc I feel like I'm wasting my time having to watch him. They wrote him well. He's not some flat one-dimensional cardboard cutout villain and it's NICE.

I love their little exchange here. Both expressing quasi-concern in their own unique ways (and little fox, shut up lol You're the richest dude in existence it sounds like, so 50 thousand taels of gold I'm sure is nothing) Whether it's genuine concern or concern based in their self-interests (probably the latter) remains to be seen. I REALLY hope that Shen will stay around and they keep working together, especially if cy gets thrown into the mix.

I'm smiling that lady Zhong was so excited to see tlc. I don't know why. At least he knows he's got a solid friend in the city, or at least a solid ally. Or rather two of them with new blue boy (what's his name??? I know I say don't tell me anything, but someone tell me his name please. The blue boy moniker belongs to the dead guy)

OH such satisfaction!! HAHAHAHA

Ok, even though I know I was hoping the sword-king would show a little diplomatic grace, I suppose I can't be surprised that he didn't, that he went straight for the well-spoken accusations. That didn't bother me, but the yes-men did. 🙄 Why are there always such obnoxious, single-minded, never-think-for-themselves, lemming-like yes-men surrounding the powerful people? They'll jump from hot to cold, left to right, white to black and back again in a heartbeat with no conscious thought, all that matters is that it's what the king is currently saying. Yes, I know this mirrors our world since the dawn of time but these frickin turds drive me NUTS. Rant done. That said:

tlc's finger-wagging cracks me up 🤣 Please please put him in his place, little fox. Verbally, with a flick of your finger, a foxtail on a stick I don't care.

"why not hold a public trial for Jiang Qingyu?" Oooooooh. Lady Zhong you just said the perfect thing. Tlc's look of approval proves it, and even without that, the man in question is dead. At sword-king's hands. Good on tlc btw for calling out the sword-king on his lies, in front of his own subjects to boot. I am still willing to give you a chance sword-king, but you're really blowing it. Especially when you just willy nilly accuse our little fox like that. Finger-wag indeed.

That one person in the crowd does have an excellent point: tlc is involved and he's not some random shlub from the country, not some nobody, but the master of wanqiao chamber. That's a high office of a highly political (imperial) figure and that definitely can't be brushed under the rug.

…And the theme music kicks in :D

A little fox is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. (Of course you did, tlc, of course you did lol)

*random insert of me drooling over his wardrobe but I LOVE the asymmetry of that outfit*

And the sword-king's statement, "Those with purpose always arrive at the right time"…kudos to him for a killer line, but this one's loaded. It can be a proverb in itself, we definitely know it's applicable to tlc, and I think sword-king is applying it to tlc too right now. With good reason lol you should be wary of tlc being here, your majesty

Hold on.

Guys…did fz let tlc kill him? I can't imagine why, but I keep remembering now the look on tlc's face. I screenshot it for my review, that's why I remember it so well! THIS ONE:

That look on his face… Did he not want to kill him? He believes he's a monster because of it, and he kept the name fz gave him. That's not a small thing! He took his heart. Why did he need his heart? And did fz know about y3 and tlc? It doesn't make sense that he would, but it makes even less sense that he wouldn't, which is why I'm obsessing with this scene now. Unless the y3 thing happened after tlc died, but that can't be right either because tlc said that ly has the rebirth scroll thing that belonged to him, which means he had to have had it before he died, had to have had it at zhoudi tower. And that scroll thing was original to y3 so whatever happened with y3 and tlc had to have occurred before he woke up in zhoudi tower. Right?

I feel like I can watch him all day man just doing mystic magic stuff with that ambient music playing. What is he doing?

This is so beautiful and so weird.

A@(#&%@)&#RIWEJF#($

wtf…..WAS I RIGHT????? OR PART RIGHT?? Or something of what I said in that theory is right????? I almost didn't publish that theory bc I thought it sounded too outlandish

Sword phoenix lady took one look at tlc or at the seal on his head, saw yyy, basically said holy crap you're still alive, I'll just kill you here in this place between life and death! I haven't watched anything more yet - still trying to process what I just heard. Watch watch watch

OH THE FRICKIN THEME MUSIC KICKED IN YEEEAAAHHHHH

And tlc is an official shit-stirrer. They weren't expecting this in the slightest, sword-king wasn't expecting it, I certainly wasn't expecting anything of epic proportions to be happening already

"An outsider broke in/Sword-king, you must punish them and teach that person a good lesson."

Ohhh, please please please do so sword-king! You have my full support teaching this intruder a lesson! And why do I have a feeling that lady Zhong knows who it is? lol she's looking way too excited for them all to go and find out. Sword-king talks a good talk (he really does. He knows exactly what to say to sound magnanimous and logical, all the while upholding his own image. pro politician) but his face is telling me he does NOT want to go see who's causing a flaming bird to fly around his city. I don't think he knows it's tlc, but like everyone is reiterating, it has to take someone powerful to pull that off in that sacred place and this intruder did something sword-king couldn't manage to. But that's the downside to building up this specific image of yours, my dude; when it comes to a confrontation of power, you really can't reject it without looking like a coward or weak. I might feel sorry for him but he built this corner he's backed himself into (I don't even know what the blazes is going to happen and I already know it ain't going to be good for him lol) Yes, let's go!

(I'm pausing again bc my mind still can't wrap around the yyy/tlc angle. I know I just need to keep watching and I'm anxious to get back to the duel phoenix lady and tlc are duking out to get some answers, but my mind is spinning with questions. Is it like I said in the theory, or is tlc y3 reincarnated? Bc now I'm thinking about that flashback and how tlc was SO confused waking up and looking so lost….I need to learn ancient Sanskrit, what did that name mean he gave fz? Does tlc not remember anything? But that can't be true bc, despite how confused tlc was upon waking, a lost memory was never implied anywhere yet, present day or flashbacks. But this can't be a true reincarnation anyway because SURELY with how prominent y3 was in his life people would've recognized tlc's face, or at least sword-king would have. Except it is the same face, he just had white hair before? Does this mean he died twice? There's something not-simple about this, but omg my mind is still spinning. Don't tell me anything!)

"I'm stopped here again." Interesting. So sword-king has tried (maybe multiple times) to do exactly what tlc did (without effort hehe) and still can't. Hmm. "the sword essence is dangerous/please turn around" Yeah, he's a little occupied at the moment…

*back to phoenix lady and tlc...*

Wow, so it seems phoenix lady is backing down a bit out of respect to fz? Every time I keep hearing someone talk about fz it makes me sadder he's dead. Anyway, she's respecting fz's choice to take tlc as a disciple and so isn't going to try to thrash him… did fz know about this, about y3??? And is she now granting him the opportunity to try to master the fire thing?

Um…don't…just don't

GO SHEN MY BEAUTIFUL ASSASSIN!! And you're straight up attacking the sword-king hahahaha badass (on a technical note, I know cg in these shows can be laughable, but I have to give credit the effects artists for the detail they focus on - ever since that one guy said that the sword-king's phoenix fire is darker, I've been paying attention to both and sure enough, it is indeed a darker fire. It's done in such a subtle, satisfying way. good job guys. There's a lot of cg in this show that's actually really good and gorgeous)

AND TLC MASTERED THE FIRE??!!!!

Oh yeah, sword-king is not happy. Back down now inferior pup. (love that crown btw, it's gorgeous)

*enter floating down tlc* Oh little fox, you are such a diva lol (lady Zhong did know, didn't she? She's not surprised in the slightest when tlc appears)

So unhappy hahahahaha

chi yun, you are looking FINE in your new wardrobe, deary 😄 Even if you're stuffing your face. Kudos to him for acting like the spoiled little brother we know he is and not some paid-and-bought servant. Servant has his own servers now haha. I mean, if he were truly nothing but a servant to tlc we all know he would've simply grafted cy into the service on the ship. But I'm stating the obvious - this is the loudest unspoken thing in the show so far lol

ANOTHER OUTFIT CHANGE DANG IT pauses for 5 minutes 👀 …gorgeous bastard…

"Any word from my foster father?" Foster father. Interesting. Only more questions, but interesting. Ok. That explains the imperial connection somewhat, at least short of him being directly of royal blood

I really like how much he's looking after Shei. He really owed her nothing, but he cares to the point of protecting her and offering her a more permanent job in the chamber? (which a through-and-through monster wouldn't do, hun, just saying). What's that look he gave her? Seeing her in a new light for how splendidly she's dressed? I think he does appreciate that she can understand him so well. She states what he's thinking more than she asks, and is right most of the time.

And I'm frickin here for it 😎 omg…whatever spectacular showdown tlc is going to make happen in this city is going to be amazing, isn't it?

Xue Xianzi. What the.... Ok what the heck 😆😆😆 There is no amount of gifs or images I can set here to do this guy's introduction justice lol! I already took a liking to him for his own apparent eccentricity and the fact that he's willing to put the sword-king in his place with his bs, but this??? You're wacky and I love you already, xx. I don't know what he's doing by pretending (so badly) that he lost, but yep, took me 20 seconds to hook me on him. I think you have the right of it lady zhong. He's here to stir up trouble. I hope so. With tlc coming to stir up his own trouble, that should end well.

HE IS SO BEAUTIFUL

Had to get that out. That said, gosh I love these two working together and I haven't even seen them working together yet. And back when tlc said he wanted shen to find someone it sounded pretty plain and run-of-the-mill, but now it doesn't seem like it's going to be anything like that at all. "to rattle the grass and scare out the snake." hmm

lol I love how it cut straight to tlc with the whimsical music as soon as the guy said anyone outside of the allied guilds needs an invitation. The musical queues in this are cleverly done

Gosh I love these two so much!! They're both terrible, incorrigible, horrible. "How big a scene should I make?" tlc egging him on by questioning his capability

And who is this dashing angry-looking fellow in red storming up? .....Though I judged him too quickly. He's shockingly impartial to the matter of a fight happening with his men. Courteous. And then tlc slowly, gracefully sets his tea down and stands up. 😁 (and I'm with chi yun. I'm getting pretty used to his cryptic song but "I'm too early" makes no sense)

I know it's small, but I loved this little exchange of glares. It confirmed for me two things that I kind of already knew anyway: Tlc's name is well known but his face isn't (except when ly is parading around as him) and two, the air he gives off is enough to set the warning bells off in strangers' heads to not f* around with him

Wanqiao Chamber ship…is that the chamber they said last episode that became the most wealthy in the region after yyy's death? (don't tell me anything) My guess is yes, based on how generous they're being with those pearls (I'll take some? 😏)

WAIT WTF???????

Just…??????????????????????? My brain can't get passed wtf. Just wtf. I had to pause the show, trying to process this

I'm sure this captain is just a minor character for this small part here but I really do like him, purely for how impartial he seems and, you know, not having a stick up his rear end like so many of these types of characters do. The quality of a story, imo, heightens enormously no matter the medium when you have solid minor characters. They may be insignificant but they still carry weight and give life to the story. This captain's definitely one of them here.

I had to pause again. So wait, hold on. He's the frickin master of wanqiao chamber, which belongs to the brother-in-law or something of the emperor. Imperial. That raises some major questions, tlc, that I'm not going to highlight right now. But in the history lessons they didn't say that King and Co. allied with wanqiao chamber to defeat yyy, only that it became the wealthiest in the region right after. I'm thinking out loud here bc I'm wondering if sword-king actually knows who he is beyond his name, like actually knows him. Because it didn't seem like it in their confrontation or in any of the stuff sword-king said afterwards (and tlc telling the guard to tell sword-king he's eccentric - no shit - as an explanation for the squabble, that wouldn't be necessary if they knew each other). Which if that's the case…hehehe I have a feeling that the sword-king is about to be very triggered, confused, pissed off or all three. Make my day, hun, make my day (Need more popcorn)

"He's showing off again" hahahahaha yeah he is, just a little bit

LOL chi yun wins the award for 100% most relatable character. I am so him in every single reaction to this floating ballroom of a ship (and tlc's adorable little smile as he's watching cy enjoy himself 😍)

Ok yeah the "too early" thing makes sense. Yep yep, got it.