More Mystery Abounds

Another Great Episode of Intrigue.  Again, here is my detailed summary.

1. We open to the bread shop.  Yin Xue is sulking and refusing to join the others.  Ge'er is defensive regarding her choice to still have faith in Feng'er.

2.The townspeople are suddenly celebratory.  It seems that they fianally know who has been forcing them to pay these taxes (I thought they knew already).  Top Blade City soldiers announce that the real culprit is Cui Rui, the son in law to Master Xie.  Not only did he poison his father, but Thunderbreak Manor were the tax collectors.  Master Lei wishes to know if Ge'er is still confident in her trust in Feng'er.  She answers that now she is unsure.  Lei is clearly displeased with her answer, and perhaps frustrated because the evidence seems to indicate that he is, well, a scumbag.  In addition to Lei's displeasure, Security Guard Hueng remarks that it is incredibly strange and suspicious how all of the evidence has neatly been tied up, as if they are being pacified.  Finally, Ge'er decides she needs to talk to Feng'er.  Her goal is to check the corpse.  After all, why stop her.

3. Ge'er arrives and Uncle Murong comes out to greet her.  He appears uncomfortable.  He discourages her from saying anything in front of the others to question Feng'er's authority because, I assume, it would be bad for their image and communicate that the Flame Villa is not unified or their people capable.  Ge'er states while she won't do this she still has questions for him.  

4. Xiao Feng liberates his father who was badly tortured into confessing.  He tells his father they must escape because he will be executed.  His father believes it is wrong to flee because it admits guilt but with his life on the line, what other choice do they have?  Ying Yi (the mistress to Feng'er) watches them flee and then returns to Feng's side, nodding her head to communicate that the father and son have escaped.

5. Ge'er, meanwhile, questions Feng.  She wishes to see the evidence.  He shows her poison, as well as the coroner reports and the signed confession of Cui Rui.  He also brings in guards who testify to hearing them argue the night of the murder and that this was a regular occurrence.  She is skeptical, and accuses him of promoting a one sided murder story after he tells her that Cui Rui destroyed the body.   Her uncles are offended because to accuse Feng is to accuse them, and by extension, the Flame Villa.  Feng tells her he will teach her a lesson for her behavior.  She whips out the flame seal and he is shocked she has it, and demands to speak to the witness.  Unfortunately, he has escaped.

6. Feng turns the tables on her completely, asking her if this is her way of getting revenge for the cancelled engagement.  In spite of her denials, he plays the victim and says he will obey her because she has the flame seal and promises to bring justice, but he appears like someone who has been wronged.  Ge'er returns to Master Lei and reports all that has happened, and Master Lei is furious---how could someone who does not even know martial arts escape Feng? It was clearly staged, and it is evident that Ge'er did not even think of this (nor did I).  He must have staged it!  Which means that Feng means to get rid of ALL the evidence.

7. Feng easily catches Cui Rui.  He drags Xiao Feng from his father, but he still sees the soldiers murder him even as his father begs for his life and says he is innocent.  Xiao Feng accuses Feng'er of killing his father, though he says he did not, but Xiao Feng says he gave the order, he is the murder, and he will get revenge.  That is when that strangely gentle voice whispers that Feng is too soft hearted.  A shadow appears, and the next thing we know, Xiao Feng is dead, shocking Feng, who asks him why 'He' i.e. The Big Bad, could not spare a child.  The Big Bad smiles and says that he spared him from a life of hate.

8. Feng picks up the lifeless body and this is how Ying Yi finds him--and she clearly seems to feel bad for him--and also how Ge'er finds him (no explanation is given as to how she found them so easily).  Ge'er is absolutely shocked.  She asks why he would kill a child.  Then she pulls out a whip and challenges him to a duel.  Feng tells her she is not his match, and she invites him to find out.  A battle ensues, and she seems to be holding her own.  She hits him hard, knocking him back and temporarily stunning him.  Ying Yi shields him with her body.  Before she is hurt, he spins, and knocks Ge'er back so hard that she coughs up blood, just as Master Lei, Dieyi, and Hueng arrive.  They are all visibly shocked.

9.They take her back to Yin Xue, who is clearly surprised--and worried--for her.  He takes her to his room and puts her to sleep, healing her.  Elsewhere, Feng wonders how Ge'er had a huge spike in power (PLOT SIGNIFICANCE??) when she should be weak.....HMMMM.  Thunderbreak Manor goes to Top Blade City, its disciples are scattered, and Miss D overhears her brothers say that Prince Yu is soon to die....she is also nearly caught spying but Wu Xia's mistress masks her presence.  It seems she owes Ge'er for saving her life and would like to repay her.

10.After she awakens, Ge'er is inconsolable.  She sobs in Yin Xue's arms and apologies for being weak, for being useless, and wishes she were stronger.  She asks him to help her become stronger, and Yin Xue is clearly feeling her pain because he is miserable BECAUSE she is miserable.  He promises her that no one will ever hurt her because he will always be on her side (Interesting--are they soulmates?).  After she falls asleep he has an internal monologue and says that now that there is a crack in the seal (presumably caused by her fight with Feng'er) all he can do now is delay the inevitable.....(so she is probably a super saiyan?)

11. A group of women wearing the same costume of Second Madame Niang (except there's is red, not black) arrive in the city.  They go directly to the bread shop, but on the way, a group of townswoman ask about their lanterns.  They tell them, after they ask about the lanterns they have, that only members of Dark Palace can make them.  This is interesting, because Yin Xue made it....hmmmm.....these ladies arrive at the bread shop with medicines from Supreme Master for Ge'er, and when Yin Xue asks them, they confirm that Anye Luo is out of seclusion.  This greatly disturbs both Hueng and Master Lei who wander off but confuses the maid Dieyi.

12. After she asks them, Master Lei tells Dieyi that the truth is too unbelievable for her to accept.  She challenges them to try her, so he tells her that there is a rumor in the pugilist world that Flame Master used Dark Palace to kill his godbrother Zhan and become the master of Flame Villa.  She rejects this so Master Leii pretends it is a joke.

13.Yin Xue visits Ge'er, who looks miserably glum as she says she wants to go home.  He asks her if she plans to beg her father to re-investigate.  She says yes.  He then says what can you do without any evidence?  And her response is what choice do I have.  She then admits to thinking Top Blade City is behind the murder in spite of having no evidence.  Yin Xue cautions her to not make a move unless she is certain, and to wait for an opportunity because there will always be one.  This does not make her happy, so he invites her to Misty Deity Lineage to train.  Because he is it's master/head.  This surprises her, and she basically agrees.

14. The group puts Xiao Feng's body to rest. Master Lei invites her to his manor but she rejects it saying she will be going to Misty Lineage, and this surprises him because he doesn't think she will find it.  They return to Thunderbreak Manor so that Xiao Feng's ashes can be interred, and are stopped by Top Blade City.  Miss D agrees to let them in if they defeat her.  Angry, Master Lei accepts her challenge.  As they fight, she tells Master Lei to tell Ge'er that her senior is in danger of dying soon.  This surprises him, he loses the fight, but she still accepts the ashes.  The episode ends....

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