Episode 22 Discussion

So it does look a bit like the Empty Fort Ruse to lure Wufeng to attack. All these attacks always take place at big events - weddings, funerals and ascensions!

But it looks like there is a double misdirect so I can’t tell if the playing field is skewered one way or the other.

Oh my, didn't expect the showdown starts here. This is so exciting! It's an ambush within an ambush within an ambush!

I agree, such an awesome episode! It also took care of everything I thought was dumb/didn’t seem to make sense before (Gong family infighting, sacrificing guards to make swords, some seeming plot holes) and it all turned out to have been super smart and not what it seemed! Very satisfied with the turn of events. Such a brilliantly written series!

 maryxiah:

This episode is breathtaking, briliant, and also heartbreaking. It's packed with relevation, confrontration, poignant moments. I broke down during Xiaohei's backstory scene, the way he strive to make his father proud, while his father silently supported him. I suppose this is why he's very in tune with Zishang, because they both share the same kind of burden and they understood each other. Even Jin Fan's death didn't hurt me the way Xiaohei's story did. 

I'm so proud that Ziyu was willing to put down his ego and reached out to Shangjue to protect Gong's family. I guess this is why previous episodes felt so disjointed, they were building up to this revelation and I think it paid off really well. I did wonder why everyone was so immature so as to support Ziyu breaking Weishan out of the prison, but this was a really briliant setup, I'm almost in tears. I think I need a moment before I continue to the next episode. I don't think I can take more emotional punch.

Yeah Xiaohei is a tragic figure. I was so sad both father and son died. I guess there goes the Hua clan line.  I did have a feeling they would use some version the empty fort strategy on Wufeng at some point and I really love the way it was done. It didn't stack the odds in their favour bc Wufeng was not entirely fooled either but at least the Gong family came out stronger for it.

 lagmonster:

The only thing that confused me about this episode was who killed Han Ya Qi? Elder Yue and Jin Fan were fighting him and SGQ but it didnt show who mortally wounded him. Seems like Elder Yue was too weak to have done it due to no internal force and Jin Fan was chasing SGQ?

I need to rewatch it but didn’t Zishang shoot him? 

 maryxiah:

No, Zishang tried to shoot Qian but she managed to evade in time. I guess he was wounded off screen by Jin Fan because in the initial fight, Elder Yue was fighting Qian and Jin Fan fighting Han Yaqi.

That's really strange way to do it. I mean I kind of would have liked to see him killed. I wonder if Qian actually wounded him and they cut that bc it was too evil.

 maryxiah:

Maybe they just don't think it's worth spending much screentime on him, especially considering they have to work with only 24 episodes, not that I'm complaining because I do prefer tighter storyline, than spending time on unnecessary fillers, except Jishang's scenes, she's my happy pill.

Well it could have just been a 2 minute shot, seems kind of lame to kill him offscreen. In any case, you are right, its not that big a deal.