Yu is a poor general

In this episode, Yin Xue leaves his isolation to help the Chinese army--really to help Ge'er--and Feng'er returns to Flame Villa...

1)The Flowing Fire covers a range of ten miles, and all Yu can do is lecture Ge'er for arriving to help him.  He expresses frustration that they do not know how to counter it.  Ge'er observes wounded men later and this is when we learn that Yu (acting very irresponsibly) did not bring enough medication and it will soon run out--in three days.  When that happens, Niang will likely make her move and only focus on him.  Elsewhere, Hueng, who has his meds, is KO'd by Anye Jue who mocks her from her perch.

2)Ge'er attempts to get the meds, even though Yu has forbidden her, however he locks her pressure points which incapicates her so she cannot go (again, I think this was silly of him).  After he sends her to his tent, he receives a letter from Anye Jue, and she promises the safety of his men if she gives her Ge'er, whom she wishes to teach a lesson for marring her face.  Yu rejects this.

3)Miles away, sensing Ge'er in danger, the ice around Yin Xue cracks and he sends  a firefly to guide Joaqin to the entrance.  The disciples do not want to let him in but when Yin Xue stumbles down the path, they obey him.  It seems Grand Mentor is in seclusion because he used up much of his vitality to save him.  Even though they tell him that he needs to wait 100 years, Yin Xue ignores them and goes with Joaqin--he can barely walk--to save Ge'er.  He tells his disciples that they are the last, and they are to let no one into the mountain.

4)In the middle of all this mess, Yu's top concern is Ge'er's safety, which is not very good for a general or a leader.  His top thoughts should be his men.  Yin Xue, meanwhile, gets to the Eastern Sea very fast and begins to turn the lanterns off.  Niang is confronted by Joaqin and successfully convinces her that he is the one who learned from Yin Xue how to do this.  She flees.  Yin Xue admits that had it been Anye Luo they would not have been able to fool him.  With the lanterns gone, Yu releases Ge'er, who isn't angry merely wants an update.  Joaqin arrived at the camp, and no one saw Yin Xue's face, whom he introduced as the mentor to Yin Xue.  Ge'er goes to greet them, and whether it is deliberate or a result of the frost curse, he ages dramatically, and Ge'er is frozen, like she seems to receognize him but it's clearly not him.  

5)Elsewhere, the Japanese camp is visited by Niang and they are portrayed as violent rude drinkers.  Niang essentially explains that they hit a small ripple in their plans.  The Japanese decide to attack head on and she refuses to go insisting she is not going to her death.  After the general leaves she basically calls them animals.  While the Japanese attack, Ge'er escorts elder and Joaqin away and forces him to take the flame seal for their safety.  'Elder' begs her not to go back but she says she must.

6)Niang watches the battle for quite a while, her plan being to go in after the Japanese have killed a lot of the enemy.  This causes a lot of casualties to the Japanese as well.  The Japanese are ambushed as they retreat and their leader expresses anger towards Niang for only watching.  She finally sends her lanterns back--meanwhile Yu again is only concerned about finding Ge'er.  She is found just as these lanterns descend--however Elder makes it snow, and they win the battle.  Niang wonders if Yin Xue is not dead.

7)Niang reports to Anye Luo that the disciple to Yin Xue has some skills, and Anye Lue basically says his only concerns is to delay Yu long enough for Feng to attack, although killing him would be ideal.  MW, Feng leaves a day earlier, as does Lei and Miss D.  Feng returns, and housekeeper updates him: Flame Lord used this as an excuse to gather Azure soldiers.  He warns him that now it is kill or be killed.  Alone, Feng breaks down in tears as he thinks about killing his mentor and adoptive father (basically) but Anjue Lue's words come back to him along with the anger and his resolve to kill.  He goes to the flame lord, who is praying to the memorial tablets of his parents, and asks him why he has come...

00I gave this episode an 8.5 because I thought some of the characters were poorly acted/written and especially find Yu's character to be very grating. The last bit is clear bias on my part, but the acting could have been better.

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Flowing Fire

In this episode, Flame Lord finally realizes the threat Zhan Feng poses, Master Lei proves he is not just reckless he is also selfish, and Second Madame sends a deadly attack towards the army led by Yu....

1)We begin with Ge'er insisting that she would not object to Yu marrying abroad if the alliance was not a conspiracy, in fact she would like a sister--an admission that clearly stuns Yu, and then she admits she is teasing.  Yu then confirms that she is right and this is a conspiracy.  MW, the emperor meets with his sons and discusses Yu's response, which also includes permission for Yu to lead 100k troops.  Yu must lead the troops because it would appease the people since he is rejecting the offer of peace.  Third prince surprises everyone by supporting this, little do they know he plans to murder Yu.  The emperor announces his royal decree.

2)Back at flame villa, Yu discusses his plans with the flame lord.  The flame lord promises Yu that upon his victorious return he will marry Ge'er (nevermind she never consented, perhaps she should have clarified her relationship with them)  MW, Die Yi in a panic tells Ge'er about the Emperor's decree.  She interrupts the meeting Yu is having with her father in order to explain that Yu cannot go because the humidity is bad for his health and his condition will endanger him.  This clearly bothers Yu as it is like her saying she does not see him as a man, however her father steps in and states that Yu must do this out of duty.  (So I suppose then Anye Luo is doing the divide and conquer)

3) So Anye Yuo plans to manipulate 3rd prince once he seizes the throne after they take out Yu.  He expresses concern that Feng will not follow through; in addition it seems like Evil Palace guy enjoys this control aspect otherwise I do not understand his motivation.  MW Feng'er and Flame Lord have another random fight, and for the first time, Feng's eyes turn red and he seems to be using Dark Palace magics.....he almost kills Housekeeper on accident.  The Flame Lord praises his skill and tells him that when he surpasses him he will surely inherit.  He also encourages him to stop drinking alcohol.  He then plans to send him to Top Blade City since it is the tradition for the bride to visit her family.  He will be gone for a few days.  Alone, Flame Lord acknowledges to himself that Feng has used dark palace magics and expresses sadness at being let down.  However, when Ge'er pops in he does not tell her.  He instead encourages her to follow Yu and help him out as she is worried about him.  He tells her not to worry about him (is he doing this to keep her safe?)

4)Feng goes to his waterfall to brood and Housekeeper appears.  Housekeeper has been acting a little odd lately, so it is no surprise when he tells Feng that he can't defeat flame lord with dark palace skills; however he will help him and having his support will add to the legitimacy of his claim.  He tells Feng that he supports him because he wants something, to be Deputy Master.  He tells Feng they have a lot in common, and Feng gets very mad and says they have nothing in common (I suppose Housekeeper is greedy, but Feng believes he is justified).

5)In a private meeting with Zhongli (Flame Lord does not even trust housekeeper) he orders him to immediately bring back 5000 Azure Hall soldiers and to tell NO ONE of it.  

6)Back in Blade City Miss D learns that Mistress Xiang--the wife of Wu Xia who helped her once--has been neglected because Wu Xia is now obsessed with a pair of twins he purchased.  Xiang says she has no regrets because her marriage rescued her from a life as a maid, but she looks sad.  Master Lei vists Blade City, surprising Wu Xia and friends, and they see him because they are curious about his motives.  Lei arrives and seems interested in building an alliance, and Wu Xia is very surprised to see Phoenix there--as his self-proclaimed concubine (recall she rejected him).  Truthfully, he is using this as a cover to visit Miss D, and Miss D calls him foolish.  He also tells her that she is his future wife, and that he basically does not recognize her marriage to Feng.  He also makes it clear that Phoenix is just a woman who saved his life and has become attached to him.

7)Later, while moping, Phoenix begs Lei to take her around the city.  He tries to make her go away until she hisses at him that he should know his enemy and this is a good excuse to spy and explore.  Wu Xia observes them, and decides that everyone should go.  Over a meal, Lei is outrageous in his staring at Miss D and concern he expresses--very inapprorpriate.  Phoenix flirts with Wu Xia as well.  Later, Wu Xia gets Phoenix alone and does his best to flirt, and tells her that as long as she is patient, he will kill Lei, and then she can be his.  Wu Hen warns his brother that Phoenix is no fool, and Wu Xia says he knows this, however he believes she is loyal to money and that she can be bought.  

8)Afterwards, Phoenix explodes at Lei, and tells him that she cannot believe he is in love with a married woman, but the wife of Feng no less.  She calls him an idiot and tells him to abandon this at once because had she not covered for him by flirting with Wu Xia, Feng might have gotten angry and sliced him to ribbons.  Lei basically tells her to shut up and she slaps him, he calls her crazy and she says she can't believe she followed him here, knowing the danger, so that he could flirt with a married woman--this shows how utterly selfish Lei can be because she isn't wrong he endangered both their lives with his actions.  It seems like he is another one who will learn the hard way lessons.

9)MW, Yu is updated in his war room--they can't attack the Japanese because they are hiding, who knows where.  Yu is trying to figure out a tactic, his doctors are worried about his health, and then suddenly THOUSANDS of Flowing Fire lanterns descend upon them.  Them men go near them to investigate and they explode.  From a safe distance Second Madame and her crew watch this.  Then Ge'er descends through the sky and they part like the red sea.  Yu wants to know why this is--they only part for her.....

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More secrets revealed

This episode was interesting because of Yang Yi.  Poor Yang Yi.

1)We open to the wedding night.  Miss D is seen reaching for her knife, as if she will cut anyone who tries to touch her,and is surprised to see Master Lei there.  He burns her veil, insisting it bothers him so she falls back into her role (they essentially go back and forth trying to one up the other) so she wonders out loud about his clan being responsible for offending the crown.  Their talk turns serious and she admits that she agreed to this marriage because she wants to know who killed Yin Xue.  Master Lei admits that he wanted to stop the wedding, leaving her speechless (does that count as a confession?)

2)A bunch of drunk men try to break into the bridal chamber.  She hides Master Lei under her bedding--under her bed would have made more sense, but then audience we would not have them in the same bed and he would not have an excuse to hide behind her and touch her--Ji then comes to the rescue and reminds them that the bride has a temper so back off, which irritates Miss D.  He gets them to leave with the promise of a round of drinks.  

3)Miss D and Master Lei hang out on the bed and pass their time eating and talking.  The seeds on the bed seem to represent good luck reproducing.  She tells Lei to leave but he instead confronts her and asks her why she did this because Dark Palace is behind Yin Xue's murder--marrying into the flame villa only helps them.  She tells him she has her reasons, but she can;t share them because it involves her brothers.  He promises to help her, then he tricks her AGAIN proving she is adorably (and consistently) gullible (somehow it does not annoy me, perhaps because she is strong but not too strong) and he knocks her down, tells her she is a beautiful bride, and seems ready to kiss her.  Audience, we all know that she could pummel him into oblivion.  She instead puts up a very contrived girlish struggle showing that this is a rare, unprecedented time when a female lead really doesn't mind being kissed in spite of what she says--men of the world watching, if an angel of death chooses not to kill you in a similar situation then I might believe you when you says she may have wanted that kiss--she even puckers up, but he instead tells her that he is happy to know that she is not in love with Feng'er (another confession?) and then he pulls away.

4)Elsewhere, Ge'er hangs out on a bridge looking supremely elegant, and a super drunk Feng'er moseys on up.  Without looking at him she reminds him that he should be with his bride.  He wants to know if she is afraid of him, after all, she seems to have become timid lately--is she afraid that if she comes to his side she won't be able to leave him (what does that even mean?).  She tells him to not provoke her, be direct.  She wants to know if he ever loved Yang Yi, since she was the reason for their broken engagement.  She thought perhaps he wanted power since he decided to marry Miss D but that made no sense, since Ge'er is ranked higher.  So she finally realized, do you hate my father?  Feng goes from drunk to serious really fast, making me wonder if he was faking, and he tells her that isn't the case, that he came here to tell her that she should give up her bid for the villa, and she asks him if the villa is so important, and he says it is his everything.

5)The next morning, Miss D watches Lei sleep and decides he really is attractive.  She slaps him awake and tells him he has to go.  Lei tells her that he will be in the Bamboo palace for a few more days but he cannot stay here.  She asks him why he is never in a hurry to escape when he is in danger and he arrogantly says he always finds a way out, and she makes him promise to stay alive.

6)MEANWHILE Lord Thunderclap is bound in chains, second madame standing over him.  Niang unleashes a ton of secrets after he asks her how a Dark Palace Maid could not be happy in her position.  She tells him she is actually the third lady of Dark Palace, Anye Jue, ergo, she is a witch.  He is surprised, and says evil and good cannot be together, and he divorces her.  He laughs at his lot--the person he has trusted for half his life is his enemy--and says it is all in fate's hands.  He says do what you want.  She tells him out of respect to their marriage she will allow him to die with dignity.  He is about to ask her something but she answers him--she admits she never loved him and merely used him to learn the secrets behind his clans explosives.  He begs her not to harm his son, and she says she won't, since she raised him.  She then orders that the boat be sunk, and that the official report be that assassins did it and that she barely managed to escape and will be seeking out the killer.

7)MEANWHILE Die Yi gets the info from Zhongli, passes it on to her mistress, and Ge'er confronts Yang Yi alone.  She tells Yang Yi that it is foolish to waste one's life on revenge for love, and tells her no one will help her but Ge'er.  She can reject Ge'er's help and not tell her the truth, how she managed to sway Feng, and be at the mercy of the many who want her dead, or she can accept her help.  Ge'er tells her that she knows she has had an extremely painful life--her parents sold her when she was 5, and at 11 she was forced to begin seeing clients in a brothel.  Worse, the pimps were very sadistic and beat her so badly for fun that she nearly died 4 times.  However, at 15, she learned martial arts, as if by magic, she became the owner of the brothel, and those bad men killed themselves. her change in life coincided with the appearance of a veiled woman....HMMM......so Niang helped her.  Ge'er offers her a chance at a new life if she would trust her.

8)Outside, Feng'er arrives with a ton of soldiers but is stopped by Yu's soldiers.  Yu comes outside and let's Feng in, and Feng'er asks for his woman.  Yu says he cannot allow that because she is recovering, and Ge'er is the one who offered her protection.  Feng'er becomes more aggressive and insists that she belongs to him.  Yu is calm and rejects this,and Ji pops in to mediate, saying that everyone respects the rules that the bamboo villa is like the palace, and urges Feng to ask nicely.  L

9)Inside, Yang Yi accepts the olive branch.  She explains that Niang is actually the third mistress Anye Luo and then asks Ge'er if she is aware of the rumors around Fengs' parents death.  The official story that the flame villa pushes is that his father killed himself, and then right after giving birth to Feng, his mother killed herself out of love.  But this makes no sense as Feng Tian was at the top of his game, only thirty, and leading the most powerful pugilist clan.  Yang Yi was told by Niang that the flame lord wanted the villa entirely for himself so he killed Feng'er's parents.  No one dares to question it out loud, but this is the only rational explanation even though there is no evidence.  Because Ge'er believes in her father whole heartedly, Feng left her, and her father all but confirmed his guilt when he chose to leave the villa to her, his blood daughter, instead of the boy he treats like a son, the same guy he only kept around out of guilt.  Naturally Ge'er rejects this as a plot of the Dark Palace and insists that she believes in her father, but even she seems to show, at least on her face, that this is odd.

10)Tension is high between Yu and Feng, but ultimately diffused when Yang Yi and Ge'er emerge.  She seems to have chosen to return to be with Feng.  Feng brings her back and Miss D coldly reminds him that she had better begone in the morning. Feng'er tells her she will be safe here but Miss D says she trusts no one but her sword :D Alone with Yang Yi, he tells her that she will be taken away tomorrow by his men. Yang Yi throws her arms around him and again confesses her feelings and begs him to stay just for tonight since she may never see him again alive but he is stoic and says we were never meant to be and leaves her.  

11)Back in the bamboo villa, Ge'er reveals to Yu what she has learned from Yang Yi, which begs the question, why did Niang heal him?  Yu considers if they should keep Yang Yi on their side, but Ge'er states she is only  a pawn and cannot help them. Plus, she has a promise, and asks Yu to help her.  Alone, Ge'er cannot seem to stop thinking about what Yang Yi said about her father.  A fire breaks out, but Yang Yi is calm.  They use the fire as a fake suicide and Hueng helps Yang Yi escape.  She gets a fresh start and some silver, and the carriage will take her wherever she wants.

12)The next day the soldiers find something that confirms Yang Yi is dead.  He orders his soldiers to bury it.  He then goes to see Yu and it really looks like Feng knows the truth, that Yu helped her escape, but he says nothing.  Ji shows up and states that he and the others support his bid for the villa because everyone doubts Ge'er's ability to lead.  Feng grins and supports him, and so our episode ends...

Closing Words:
I felt bad for Yang Yi.  She was used her whole life, and easily discarded.  The only person who showed her an ounce of respect is the same person she hates.  It really sucks to be helped by your foe, but she wasn't so stubborn that she would follow Feng into death, which I respect her for.

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The new flame leader

This episode kicks off a new arc which I assume will be centered on the flame villa and what the other pugilist clans want.  

1)Ge'er returns to the flame villa and catches up with Ji. She runs into Feng'er and sweeps by him as if he isn't there, a move which I think will really shake Feng up as the only thing worse than hate is indifference.  Ge'er has a private meeting with her father and after a bit of fighting he praises her on improving her skills.  She updates him and he tells her that he will have Housekeeper/godson Yi investigate Thundergate Manor in secret.  Together they pay respects to her Uncle Zhan.

2)Her father asks her if she blames him for consenting to Zhan Feng's marriage. Ge'er gives it some thought and admits she is angry about how easily he did, and she confesses that she worries that Blade City will cause problems since their ideals are so different.  What if this is all a conspiracy?  He tells her that he has always wanted Feng married and that this along with seeing Feng with grandchildren, has been his dream.  He asks Ge'er to smile, to be happy and she promises to smile.  

3)As wedding decorations are quickly put up Feng stares off into space, in a daze, as if he isn't quite aware that this is happening.  In a flashback to his childhood he recalls why Ge'er always wears red--because she wants to be a bride--and here he promised to marry her.  

4)MW, in her room, Ge'er revels in the small luxuries that she could not have while on the road. She catches up with her maids now that she, Xun Yi, and Die Yi are all together again.  Die Yi leaves to meet up with Zhong li (a.k.a. star lord eternal love) a.k.a. Master of Azhure Hall a.k.a. C.I.A and we instantly see that Zhongli has feelings for Die Yi (how and when this happened I don't know the two couldn't be more different) and he is quite awkward about it.  He asks her also about Master Lei, since he is in Ge'er's party as a guard.  She tells him not to worry,and so he trusts her, but he admits his concern about him since Thunderclap has got some problems.

5)Ji (who isn't the brightest, but has a lot of heart) invites Ge'er to a special get-together, disciples only. She goes, and so she, and Yu, and Feng, and Ji sit together.
Feng faces away from Ge'er and Ge'er is seemingly oblivious of the tension, happily talking to Yu and giving him choice morsels.  Ji is aware of the tension and acts.  He challenges Ge'er to a game, whoever wins can ask the loser a question. She loses, and so he asks her if she still has the lotus flower in her heart.  YUP. AWKWARD.  Feng snaps that he is never to mention that again. Ge'er honestly answers that she isn't sure.  She then challenges Feng to a similar game, he loses, and so she asks him about his intentions in marrying Miss D and he says 'for myself' before moodily storming off (this guy seems to play the same character in everything but he does it so well).  As he storms away, she asks him to stop making mistakes, to not upset her father, that Ji is correct--he still has time. Feng asks her if she wants the marriage called off but she does not respond (it could have something to do with Yin Xue....) and so he leaves.     Ji yells at Ge'er to go after him and beg him to call it off but Yu explains that her main concern is mentor's happiness....

6)Alone with Yu, Ge'er gives insight into her actions.  She explains that before her judgment was clouded by her feelings, but now she sees more clearly and she says that everything--Ying Yi, Thunderbreak Manor, the frost curse and now Feng's marriage--all of it seems connected, as if somebody were manipulating from the shadows (Again with the heavy handed statements!). She wants to know who is behind this all.

7)Belatedly, she realizes that her clothes all are red,so she borrows clothes from Xun Di. MW, Miss D prepares to be married and Master Lei gets hammered.  Anye Luo, in a flashback, explains to Feng that he will inherit the flame villa if he marries Miss D because it will benefit the villa.  Back in the present, the uncles and guests arrive (strangely, there seem to be no ladies present, except for maybe two).  An abbot is introduced, and we learn from him that Wu Xia is now a Castellan because following his father's death the title was not to be used for 10 years out of filial piety.  All the uncles agree that with virtuous people like Wu Xia and Feng, the future looks good 0_o

8)That night, Ge'er talks to her father. She seems happy.  She wants to know why her father is in a hurry to see him wed,and he repeats his dream.  And also, he only wants her to be happy.  The newlyweds arrive.  She tells Yu her father's dream, and so she can support this marriage as a result.  WELL.  SOME STUFF HAPPENS>  As they make their final bow, Ying Yi runs up, grabs Feng and begs him not to do this.  Shocking everyone.  She holds up a knife, threatens to kill herself and their unborn child, and then begs Miss D not to do this,and proclaims in front everyone that he is only doing this because she is the mistress of blade city.  OUCH.  Miss D calmly tells Feng to control his woman, and Feng finally remembers he has things called words and uses them to tell Ying Yi to shut up and that it isn't possible.  Housekeeper steps forward and basically threatens to kill Ying Yi, then knocks her out.  Ge'er rushes in and takes custody of Ying Yi and retires.

9)They take Ying Yi to bamboo quarters since it is the safest spot.  Die yi complains about saving her but she insists she has her reasons. She sends her to Zhongli at li at Azhure hall to investigate Ying Yi's background.  Zhongli agrees to do this only after Die yi begs--however she asksed him in a note and he warns her to not write notes again as they are evidence.

10)FLAME LORD ANNOUNCES THAT HIS HEIR IS HIS DAUGHTER.  
FENG IS FROZEN, WU XIA AND WU HEN ARE PISSED, THE UNCLES ARE CONFUSED.

(Although it seemed like it would happen)

11)Feng gets hammered and Flame lord watches him for a bit before retiring.  The looks between the Blade City brothers and Feng are so unsubtle that even Ji notices.  MW, Ge'er issues orders that no one is to go near Ying Yi.  Die Yi predicts that her being announced as next flame lord will cause trouble (very astute) however Xun Di says whatever, its her birthright, we will just roll with it (I am not lying).

12)The episode ends with Miss D sitting in the bridal chamber, alone, in the dark:(

I gave this episode an 8.5 because you can be predictable and do a better job.  Also, the acting was sort of meh.  I thought that the supporting actors could have been better, which was one of Eternal Love's strong points.

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Wrap Up

We are given a solid wrap up of Yin Xue's life and the direction changes towards the upcoming wedding between Flame Villa Feng'er and Top Blade City Miss D.

1)Our episode opens to the supremely evil Anye Luo telling Yin Xue that he should be grateful, that the woman he loves will never forget him once he dies.  He delivers a death blow and then flees the scene, leaving a very distraught Ge'er to find Yin Xue.  Shocked and upset, she takes him into her arms and accuses him of yet again joking, of lying to her, and then insists he tell her what to do so that he can be healed.  Yin Xue seems amused, even as he dies, and his body dissolves, his essence floats up to the heavens, and he is (thinking) he hopes she never forgets him.  She is left holding his clothes.

2)Youqin awakens and finds the hut abandoned, his mentor gone.  Die Yi arrives with soldiers, to find Ge'er inconsolable and shaking back and forth with Yin Xue's clothing.  MW Yu awakens wanting to know where Ge'er is.  He also wishes to thanks the King of Snowy Robe.  However, his men reluctantly tell him that Yin Xue is dead, which shocks Yu.  For the next few days, Ge'er is utterly depressed, still clinging to his clothes (it is somewhat reminiscent of BQ's struggle over Ye Hua's death).  The emperor is updated and he too is saddened to learn that Yin Xue has turned to snow and melted.  He will hold an elaborate funeral and erect an monument in his honor.

3) Everyone @ Blossom House mourns Yin Xue's passing.  Officers from the imperial court bust in and interrupt, insisting (after speaking to third prince) that they are looking for desciple of Thunderclap Sect because they led an attack to kill Yu.  They search Blossom House, but Madame Blossom doesn't seem to mind.  Everyone is leaving in droves now that Yin Xue is gone.  It will close down.

4)MW, Miss D continues to not eat.  She is visted by Wu Xia's mistress and learns the dreadful news that Yin Xue has died.  She is utterly devastated--

==Ahem, so audience, we can all agree that Ge'er has reaped what she has sown, and lost the person she loves the most based on her impulsive actions, afterall, was she not warned by Yin Xue to not get involved in this conflict??===

5)Master Lei seeks refuge at Yu's palace and is able to see Yu only after Die Yi vouches for him, that he was not involved in the attack.  Yu is skeptical of Lei's words but agrees to house him and keep him safe because he is Ge'er's friend.  Yu creepily watches Ge'er sleep, and Ge'er calls out for Yin Xue in her sleep.  She awakens and is terrified when she finds his clothes missing; Die yi explains she only put them up and this calms her considerably.  Yu expresses concern over her, and even gently reminds her that she has not asked about his health (jealous?).  Yu recalls what Yin Xue told him about the Dark Palace using this as a chance to kill him.  Ge'er fills him in on the events of the day, again verifying that Niang was involved in this.  Again it is repeated that Niang has a female senior (?). After this, Yu confirms the events of Yin Xue's death to the emperor however he leaves out the names of the enemies involved.  We also learn that Yin Xue apparently died and descended into heaven to be a deity (?)

6)3rd and 7th prince greet Yu as he leaves the emperor.  7th is polite, however 3rd, as usual, is a complete jerk and is creepily interested in the wedding (recall how he basically admitted to wanting to rape Ge'er and make her his woman).  Yu uses this as a chance to remind his brothers that everything is not always what it seems and that the Thunderclap Sect may not be involved in the attack and he will not be married until Yin Xue's murder is solved.

7)At Blossom House we are again reminded that it is closing and that Youqin has gone missing since his mentor's death.  Ge'er meets with Madame Blossom who reflects on her memories of Yin Xue: she explains that when she was 19, her husband recently dead, she arrived at the brothel because she feared being bullied.  Yin Xue asked her to manage the brothel, and similarly, Youqin was in a bad place when he arrived; he had been taking the imperial exam but was framed for cheating.  He arrived to kill the guy who did it, and Yin Xue told him it was better to triumph over your enemies and have them bow before you instead of killing them.  In this way, it seemed like Yin Xue did not really run a brothel but rather provided hope for lost people.  She said Yin Xue was always travelling and picking up people.  She always reveals that Yin Xue said many times he was an old man and had not died, he said, because he was waiting for someone.  She tells Ge'er that she should not dwell on the dead but live happily and move on because Yin Xue would have wanted that.  Ge'er tells her that while she won't be depressed forever she can't move on, not until she has justice.

8)MW, Miss Phoenix boldly requests an audience with Lei, who tries to make her go away with money. Ge'er listens to their dialogue, and Phoenix insists she wants what they discussed, and he says I can't protect you, let alone myself but she doesn't care (it seems evident that Phoenix is in love with him and is trying to be near him, and Ge'er seems to understand this).  

9)Yu and Ge'er discuss the upcoming wedding.  Ge'er no longer seems bothered by it and is even eager to give her wedding gift.  Yu says he is happy to see her happy and that they can leave at once for the wedding.

10)the episode ends with Miss D sending for her brother, Wu Xia.  She tells Wu Xia that he is right, that she should marry for Blade City, and Wu Xia is over the moon, promising her once flame villa is destroyed she will get a divorce.  Miss D looks DEAD.  

--I gave this episode a 9 because it very nicely wraps up everything

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Confrontations

In this episode we see Senior Yu's dreaded frost curse remove, Master Lei receives a marriage proposal from an unlikely person, and Niang has a violent confrontation with Yin Xue and Ge'er....and Anye Luo finally appears to kill Yin Xue....

1)Yin Xue wakes up to see one of his biggest fantasies come to life: Ge'er is in his bed.  He watches her sleep and when she wakes up (thank goodness there are no silly hysterics) he tells her that she is beautiful like jade.  Ge'er remains incredibly stoic and merely avoids looking him in the eye, and he tries not to laugh as he tells her that he knows he is in her heart, and he never thought the one thing she would fear would be admitting it.  He then uses acupuncture to freeze her and puts her shoes on for her, telling her she should cherish him more because he is the only man who would lower himself to do this.  He then removes the acupuncture, and Yin Xue tells her that it is time to return to Luoyang.

2)MW, Master Lei flees the assassins, and he is badly injured.  As luck would have it, he runs into the Flame Villa marriage gift entourage and hides in a cart, silently swearing to owe one to Ge'er for this spot of luck.  Elswehere, Second Mistress is notified of the failure to detain (or kill?) Master Lei.  Her soldiers admit to feeling uneasy and worried that the Master will be angry he was injured but with confidence she tells them that he has never intervened in the past when she has tried to teach him a lesson (so much for fatherly love).  Niang then reports to the Master that she tried to bring Master Lei back but he fled his responsibilities, which angers his father.  He laments to her that this is his heir, and how much it sucks that their only child--a daughter--died--and Niang merely looks off into the distance looking somewhat out of sorts.

3)MW, at Blossom House Miss Phoenix is stopped by Master Lei.  He offers to give her a ton of silver for her assistance.  She wants to know why he went to her, and he tells her that he likes her temperment and honesty--that she recognized that Wu Xia was scum and would not be taken in by him--and that she is direct.  He also tells her that it is the slick, cunning people he does not like.  This seems to brighten Miss Phoenix up a lot--likely this is the first time someone has honestly told her that they like the personality that everyone else deems rotten and has meant it (i.e. not expecting sexual favors in return).  He asks her to deliver his crest to Ge'er's maid, who recognizes it and goes to visit him.  Master Lei sends Miss Phoenix out, explaining that it is better she know as little as possible for her safety.  Alone with Dieyi, he tells her that Second Madame did this, his father cannot know (which confuses Die Yi but she agrees to be silent) and asks her to tell Ge'er to beware of Niang.  As she leaves, Miss Phoenix essentially tells Die Yi she knows who she is (is she jealous?) before going in to Master Lei.  

4)Master Lei promises to give Miss Phoenix whatever she desires if she agrees to allow him remain with her until he recuperates.  He expects she will ask for money, but Miss Phoenix wants something more.  First she asks if he cares about Die Yi, and all he does is smile, confirming this, so she probably mistakenly thinks he is in love with her.  Then she asks if he is in love with anyone, and he says yes, but she is getting married (Miss D!) and again, Phoenix says this is good.  Because she wants him.  This completely catches him off guard.  Phoenix says she doesn't care if she is not an official wife.  She wants the status that only he can provide.  And she does not care if there is no affection between them.  Lei laments that he has left one trap and entered another...

5)Back in Luoyang, at Senior Yu's palace, Ge'er returns and Die Yi sees her.  She delivers the message that Master Lei wanted, and she promises to go see him after she sees to Senior Yu.  MW, at Blossom House, all the guards drink something, including Die Yi and Hueng (we later learn that this is an antidote).  Niang is updated and receives a report from her spies that Senior Yu is heavily fortifying his palace, and she decides to attack tonight, believing that this is when Yin Xue will attempt to purge Yu of the curse.

6)MW, in an abandoned cabin, Yin Xue, Yu, and Ge'er arrive to begin the frost curse removal while Joakin is outside as guard.  It is a very isolated location.  He tells Ge'er that she cannot let the candles go out because if that happens not even the gods could save Yu.  Back at the palace, Die Yi worries she will not do well (it seems she has been training in martial arts) and she waits together with the two special security guards (Hueng and that other guy).  Yin Xue meanwhile begins to draw the frost out, and everything in the room turns to ice.  He is covered in frost, but has to be doing okay because he manages to wink at Ge'er doing this healing process.

7)Niang and her people arrive to attack.  She is more than okay with going into this hard because Thunderclap Sect will blame, not Dark Palace.  Her lady guard wonders if this might be a trap as they begin to be decimated by Yu's soldiers--and then she is killed.  They completely wipe out Niang's people, and the wave sent to break into Yu's private rooms find only poison gas--they all die.  While checking for survivors, someone drops a bomb and Die Yi and Hueng almost die....Niang is furious.  She tries to find Yin Xue, first going to Blossom House, and then out to the country.....

8)Out in the country, Yin Xue has suceeded in healing Yu.  First Ge'er runs to Yu to ensure he is fine, and Yu thanks Yin Xue.  After seeing he is fine she carefully turns to Yin Xue, and seems uncertain of what to say.  Yin Xue says he is fine knowing that he now has a place in her heart.  She leaves with Yu, who must rest undisturbed for three days otherwise this will all have been a waist, and Joakin will remain behind.  After he sees them off, Yin Xue collapses, and we see that this has taken a HUGE toll on him.

9)Niang arrives (of course) and KO's Joakin before busting inside and finds Yin Xue on the ground.  Yin Xue tries to act calm and collected, discarding the weak appearance of before, however she seems delighted.  Surprisingly, there is a bit of a history with this Niang.....Yin Xue casually discusses Anye Luo, and how everyone knew he was in love with another however this girl stabbed herself in the chest sixteen times....he tells her that he knows who set her senior free and he knows 'all that you craved but could not have' O_o (the more I see him the more I think that Yin Xue really has a DARK history....)

10)Niang accuses him of being arrogant for acting tough when he is very weak, and Yin Xue then calls her and all of her people imbeciles, because all of them are dead but her, and she shrugs this off and states that she could care less.  Then she flips the argument around and asks him why he he won't essentially kill Yu, which would get him out of his way, and make it easier for the girl to love him (I assume because she killed some woman who stood in her way) and Yin Xue cooly says that he isn't that despicable then he freezes her sword, so that she has to drop it but Niang isn't stupid.  She holds her ground and asks him about his gift of foresight and tells him to see if he will die by her hand today and he tells her that he wouldn't let himself be killed by someone so stupid (I kind of choked on laughter).  She then tries to strangle him and he reminds her that even if he would die, the most Anye Luo would do is compliment her and that he will never love her (which only serves to piss her off more)

11)Ge'er shows up and stabs Niang from behind (Ok that makes sense because they couldn't be too far from the castle because Yu would have had to travel back as quickly as possible to rest) and Yin Xue tells her to run.  She engages Niang in a fierce battle, and Niang, weak from the attack, seems to have a very blurry vision.  She can't see well.  However she ultimately seems to come out on top, knocking Ge'er away.  But this only seems to further weaken that mysterious seal (remember way back when Zhan Feng injured her and then Ge'er had a burst of strength...?)  anyways her flame fist is so strong that it seems to burn niang's face.  They take advantage of this distraction and she helps Yin Xue, who can barely walk, run into the woods.

12)Alas, a dark shadow appears and separates them--its the Evil Supreme Master Anye Luo, who promises Yin Xue that he will make Ge'er die a horrific death before giving him what looks like a death punch, and meanwhile Ge'er runs through the woods, calling for Yin Xue...

This episode received a 9.0 for it's pacing, consistency, and continued practice of slowly telling the audience new information in a believable way.  It also brought back in plot lines that are still unresolved, like Ge'er's mysterious power, and forces the viewer to keep watching to get answers.

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More flashbacks, more information

This episode provides more background into Yin Xue and Ge'er's past as well as more insight into the relationships between the siblings at New Blade City.

1)We open to Ge'er who looks wistfully at the wedding gifts in the cave, perhaps thinking about what might have been....Outside Yin Xue plays a sad melody on his jade flute and Ge'er focuses on their mission, asking him where they are headed.  In doing so, she learns that someone is following them however Yin Xue casually brushes this off and tells her that this is his normal ever since he came down from Misty Peak mountain.  She is kind of surprised, especially when she realizes he has been pulling all nighter's to keep watch.

2)They make it all the way to Ping An City and their flatbread stall before Ge'er notices where they are--either she is EXTREMELY distracted or that is a silly plot hole I lean towards the latter--and she asks him about the medicine they are supposed to be getting.  Yin Xue playfully (it seems) tells her that they are here to heal the wound in his heart.  She accuses him of being silly but he says he is 100% serious (and judging by what we know of him, he may seem to be joking but he is a VERY serious person) .  He asks her to stay a few days here with him because it (basically) upset him when she left him here, abandoned him, and besides they have to ensure enough time has passed for Yu to buff up his security because once he heals Yu, he will be at his weakest, and that is likely when their enemies will attack.  Ge'er seems to accept this reasoning.

3)Everyone in the town is over the moon to have them back as if they have not had anything to eat but rocks since they left.  Everyone also assumes they left to get married and have only now returned.  Yin Xue is naturally more than happy to allow them to believe this lie and thanks them when they bless and hope they have a son next year.

4)Neighbors drop off wedding gifts and Ge'er is trying to figure out how to burst their bubble when Yin Xue pulls the woman aside and tells her quietly that because he is a scholar of low birth the flame villa did not approve of their marriage however Ge'er was willing to overlook this.  He tells her it has not been easy for the two of them, and he encourages her to let the other towns people know so that they can be sensitive to their marriage--as she leaves the neighbor tells Ge'er that she doesn't need status and she should cherish Yin Xue, leaving her confused and wondering what nonsense Yin Xue has begun to spread.  Alone, Ge'er pouts and then throws a basket at him him however he easily stops at but seems surprised that he had the power--she wants to know what was said but he dances around the subject....

HOWEVER if they are married, it protects her reputation, I think, and might even get back to Zhan Feng who my readers has all the smarts of a bag of rocks--

5)Yin Xue serves her wine that evening and suggests gently that maybe her temper is improving because she did not flip out when he told the neighbors that they were married.  He points out that maybe she is not that upset with such a misunderstanding, and Ge'er refuses to look at him, so he suggests she is blushing, and she indeed does seem to be blushing and hides her face so that he cannot see her smile (o_0)

6)MW, Miss D is a moping mess.  She has stopped eating.  Wu Xia comes to see her because of this.  She wants to know why he has chosen to align himself with Dark Evil Palace.  Rather than answer immediately, Wu Xia promises her that this marriage that he knows she does not want is only temporary, at east until flame lord is exposed for his evil ways.  In addition, Anye Luo will suffer enormous injuries during the battle with flame lord, and at that time, Wu Xia plans on eradicating the Dark Evil Palace.  Miss D doesn't care about that--she would rather spend the rest of her life locked up instead of marry without love.  Wu Xia then gets on his knees as he asks her to recall how he has sacrificed a great deal to keep Top Blace City on the top following the death of their father.  Could she bare to see their clan fall?  This alliance will help their clan, he insists, and he begs her, telling her that it will crumble without this marriage.  Miss D is made of strong stuff and gets on her knees and tells him that is very nice, but she hopes he will support her because she will not marry him.

7)Wu Xia leaves, angry as he tells Wu Hen that this is his fault for spoiling her.  If she refuses, he will be forced to tie her up and make her marry Zhan Feng....

8)MW, Master Lei arrives in disguise as a Northwestern merchant.  He gets into the city, but is immediately stopped by Wu Hen.  At their villa, Wu Xia's mistress meets him and begs him to stop seeing Miss D because her marriage means that she must be a proper wife and to be seen with Master Lei would be very scandalous.  Master Lei agrees to respect this before leaving.  Wu Xia then appears and congratulates her for a job well done.  She calls him Master but he stops her, telling her that his new title will be Castellan after this wedding (someone is a little power hungry...)

9)On his way out, Master Lei reflects on all of his memories with Miss D and seems to be a bit melancholy.  Miss D continues to sulk, miserable.  And Ge'er is so distracted that she invites Yin Xue to walk with her, in the rain (a metaphor maybe for cleansing/rebirth?)

10)She goes to the spot where Xiao Feng died and thinks of his dead body.  Yin Xue asks her if she is thinking of the dead boy, and she says she is, and that every time she does, she thinks of Feng'er, which makes her extremely upset.  Yin Xue tells her that she did not see him kill the boy--maybe it wasn't him (so he cares a lot about her, that he would defend his rival in love if only to see the woman he loves in less pain....) Ge'er changes the subject and asks him if he is ever serious, and he grins and says when am I not serious--I am always serious--(which I take to be a statement of fact).

11)In a dramatic flashback, we see a woman who looks exactly like Ge'er surrounded by a lot of men.  Yin Xue is there, and she coldly asks him to spare their lives.  He says he will spare their lives if she will kiss him, otherwise he will kill them all.  So she kisses him--and I take it, this is when he first fell in love with her.  (This is a confusing flashback because it isn't clear when this occurred, or if they met once before and she lost her memories....)

12)In the present day, Yin Xue tries real hard to kiss her.  They begin to flirt, and she dances and flits around like a fairy, out of his reach, and he looks EXTREMELY saddened by this and desperate to reach her.  She dances away to a tree, where she falls asleep with a smile on her face.  That night she wakes up and looks around until she founds Yin Xue calmly waiting for her, and he asks her if she was going to spend the entirety of the New Year's Eve sleeping.  

13)They return and the entire town is quiet--however their flatbread shop has the lights on.  Yin Xue tells her to stay close--just in case their is danger.  They arrive and SURPRISE it's a party the town has thrown to honor the New Year and their engagement.  From this point on, she does not deny that he is her husband and even refers to him as her husband, delighting Yin Xue.  Yin Xue eventually plays his zither after the town begs him and he sings a song about a phoenix looking for his lover, and Ge'er seems to be very touched by this song....

14)MW, the flame lord spends the new year with his other two disciples--housekeeper and Ji, and he invites Xun Yi to sit at the table since she is basically like a duaghter and will marry Ji anyways....

15)MW, Master Lei spends the new year getting drunk on his boat when a bunch of shadow assassins appear to kill him...

16)That evening, Ge'er tells Yin Xue that she is reluctant to leave, and he tells her not to worry and to leave with him but she apologizes?  He tells her she never needs to apologize to him.  She asks him then about why he picked her at the Blossom House (she has asked this before) and he tells her that he did not pick her.  He knew she would be there, and he has been waiting ages for her to appear.  She wants to know how long, and he simply says a long time before you were even born.  She then walks away, and he says that he has never lied to her but she still won't believe his words.

17)In a flashback, we see the opening scene.  Ge'er is dead, apparently from her wounds, and a miserable Yin Xue is begging the master of Misty Mountain to save Ge'er's life and to take him back.  His master tells him, rather disdainfully, that the dead girl's last wishes were that he abandon his evil ways i.e. leave Dark Evil Palace, and Yin Xue continues to beg, promising to do anything if he revive her and take him back, and so Yin Xue must undergo a dreadfully painful 100 year long punishment...

18)Yin Xue doubles over in pain and Ge'er hears him, runs into his room, and asks to know what is wrong.  He tells her not to worry, that it is just an old wound that acts up whenever he is cold.  She uses her flame fist to heal him until she can no longer bear the heat--she also hears him insist again that he will not be weakened when he heals Yu however she does not believe him, and then Yin Xue chooses to crawl into her lap and rest his head.  She does not push him away, rather she just smiles and lays down next to him.

(((Soulmates plot))))

I gave this a 9.5 because of the interesting plot and the ways the flirty scenes were carried out--she did not become annoyingly missish and it was nice to see a little more depth to the relationships between Miss D and her brothers.  I am very curious to know more about the past, especially why Anye luo is so evil and his hatred for Yin Xue and the flame lord....and who the HECK was Ge'er??

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A lot of stuff happens

This was a very good episode.  The writing was solid, the characters were consistent.  The pacing was good.

1.We open to a Yu ordering Ge'er and Officer Hueng to leave the palace since he is leaving.  She refuses to accept this order and insists to Hueng that she will figure out the source of her senior's illness.  She also disregards Hueng's (good) advice that she should leave because things are not as they appear in the Imperial Palace and that, basically, there is a lot of intrigue and trickery.

2.Ge'er directly (as is her personality) questions the Royal Eunech about Yu's condition, specifically his recent habits and food choices.  Unsurprisingly, he tells her that he cannot tell her anything about that.  He does relate to her the recent meeting that Yu had with Yin Xue and the emperor, and how his sharp health decline coincides with that.

3.Ge'er goes to Yin Xue and is only able to see him because she uses her authority as the future princess consort (the token that Yu left her).  Yin Xue seems troubled by her appearance however he sees her.  When she enters, his expression changes to his usual smiling, coy expression and he is flirtatious with her, joking light heartedly.  But then she asks him in a direct--and somewhat accusatory way--what he has done to Yu.

4.  This seems to cause a slight change in Yin Xue's appearance.  A somewhat I-cannot-believe-this smile appears and he says, almost to himself, first Yu refused to let you toast to me, and now here you are accusing me without any consideration for your identity (i.e. propriety) you must really care for him.  you must think i tried to hurt him and used healing as a cover.

5.Ge'er quietly tells him that Yu was fine before seeing him.  She grew up with him.  Of course she cares about him.  Yin Xue pulls her close and tells her that he drained his energy to heal him and here you are accusing me.  then he FORCES A KISS ON HER (WTF Yin Xue)  Her orders her to not fight against him and she takes a defensive pose and angrily says that she is terrified her senior will die, that she trusts him (Yin Xue) and came to talk yet all he did was dismiss her questions and (basically take everything as a personal attack) when that was not her goal at all, she just wanted information.

6.Hearing this, he finally tells her that Yu is suffering from the dreaded Frost Curse.  He will die soon (and he clearly could care less).  It cannot be cured because it is a curse.  However she challenges him and states anything can be cured.  This causes that silly smile to come back and he says 'you're so smart' and that he can heal him.  He asks her if she would give up undoing the curse if she knew it would case him harm, and she says without hesitation that she would because no life should be sacrificed for another.  He wants to know if she loves Yu.  She explains that he is like an older brother, he's a good person who has always suffered alone, she apologizes to Yin Xua and he tells her, flatly, to beg him.

7.A part of me kind of likes this part of Yin Xue that is so outrageous--and utterly selfish.  It isn't really clear if he really means this or not.  Or why he needs her to beg because his personality is a little twisted, however, she begs him and he laughingly promises to help.  He tells her that he lied to her, that he followed her in secret to see if Yu truly was sick (so he was jealous basically) and that he had taken his anger out on her earlier when he insisted she toast him, and his anger intensified when Yu stepped in to announce they were engaged.  She explains to him that what Yu did was not that strange because him asking her to toast would have been seen as humiliating Yu--he did that to save face.  Yin Xue acts like she has just taught him some great lesson but audience, we both know he knew exactly what he was doing.

8.He says that he will save Yu if she agrees to go to a special place with him (is there a double meaning here?)  she is no longer mad at him, it seems, and cries in relief.

9.They go to where Yu is and Yin Xue examines the Ice Jade cup.  He reveals it is actually a poisoned cup, and he learns it's appearance coincided with Second Madame's arrival.  Furthermore, since the curse has been passed to Yu, it is now safe and thus cannot be used as evidence.  So they cannot report it (which is what Ge'er wants to do).

10.  Ge'er repeats her promise to Yin Xue which includes after this she will go with him and stay away from the affairs of the imperial court and pugilist world.

11.  Miss D continues to spy and follows servants who are bringing a lot of silver to an undisclosed location.  Alas, she is discovered by Feng'er....

12.  Supreme Master drops a BOMB while casually reclining at his headquarters.  Yin Xue's weakness (he tells Wu Xia) is the one he loves.  It was the same with 'that woman' (WHO??) and is the same now, the current special loved one being Ge'er.  He explains Ge'er could not fall for Yin Xue if he knowingly refuses to save Yu, because Yu is like her brother.  However, once he removes the curse he will be severely weaned, and then they can kill him.  Furthermore, if he let's Yu die it throws the palace into chaos.  Hence it's a case of damned if you, damned if you don't for Yin Xue.

13. This conversation is interrupted when Miss D is brought in by Feng.  Wu Xia begs for her life, and she explains she only investigated what she thought were Blade Guards who might be traitors.  Supreme Master calmly says she is lying and knocks her out, and he tells Wu Xia that now that she has doubts about him she will never trust him, and thus never be one of their people.  Wu Xia pleads for her life, stating he will keep her under lock and key.  He asks Feng'er what they should do, and he says they should spare her.  Supreme Master says that the important thing is controlling her mind, not her body.  He tells Feng he must marry Miss D, and force her to have his child.  In doing so 1) The position of Feng will be strengthened and make it easier for him to inherit the Flame Villa 2) It will be good for Blade City and Flame Villa overall

14.MW, the frost curse turns out to be very difficult for Yin Xue to crack.  He privately attempts to heal Yu but all he is able to do is to temporarily halt it.  Yu awakens, and Yu thanks him for saving his life.  Yin Xue is very direct--I am only doing this for Ge'er--but Yu is gracious and says he should still thank him.  Yin Xue then explains to him the situation (divulging info he has not shared with Ge'er): that this is all a trap set for him.  Dark Palace wants to weaken him, because they know he will heal him if Ge'er begs him.  However, if he lets him die, it would through the imperial palace and the pugilist world into panic/chaos.  Yu wants to know what he plans, and Yin Xue essentially tells him that they will have to be very good actors (I guess he plans on faking like he is weak).  

15. Before leaving, Ge'er tries to return his mother's memento, however Yin Xue insists she keep it and ties it to her waist.

16.MW, Feng must decide what he will do.  He learns at the villa that a letter arrives but its contents are not for his eyes.  It is clear that housekeeper does not trust him. Flame leader has a duel with Feng for funzies, and afterwards Feng tells him that he plans on marrying Miss D and asks for his blessings.  This shocks Flame Leader, who does not believe his (obvious) lie that he loves Miss D.  He knows this would be a benficial match but asks Feng if he is okay with never marrying Ge'er because he cannot go back from this.  He tells Feng that he will regret choosing ambition over happiness, but Feng (although visibly upset) insists he is happy with this decision.

17. Miss D is under house arrest....

18.Flame leader discusses Ge'er with housekeeper and states its a good thing she won't be here for , presumably, this latest round of nonsense and bullets to the heart.  He tells him to prepare engagement gifts.

19.We learn from Jie who states that the wedding is set soon--for Feb 2--and Xun Yi tells him she thought that Feng was to wed Yang Yi.  However, Jie reminds her that this is a beneficial marriage for the two pugilist clans.  Xun Yi expresses her distaste for these kinds of business arrangements.

20. MW, Yin Xue and Ge'er take shelter in a cave during a winter storm.  The flame soldiers who are delivering engagement gifts just HAPPEN to walk by (only in a drama does this happen) and she invites them inside.  And so she learns of Feng's engagement, and she is unhappy, and so Yin Xue is unhappy.

21. Master Lei is very angry to learn of this engagement as well--he hates Feng--and is angry when his father forces him to attend to represent their clan.

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To Luoyang

Here we go, ten episodes in.  Every ten episodes I will do this.  Ahem, in memoriam, gone too soon:

1. Courtesan Feng--murdered by the crown prince
2.Master Xie--head of Thunderbreak Manor, murderer still at large
3.Cui Rui (Xie's son in law)--executed by Zhan Feng after being framed for Master Xie's murder
4.Xiao Feng (Xie's grandson)--murdered by Anye Luo, head of Dark River Palace
5.A number of extras

This Episode Largely closes one chapter and begins another.  Team Fire Daughter becomes scattered as they yet again go in different directions but the anger felt by the senseless murder of the innocent Xiao Feng holds them all together, as do the rest of the events that occurred in Ping An Town....

1. Master Lei gives Dieyi a special seal and encourages her to use it when she is danger--his guards will appear to protect her.  Dieyi wonders why he gives her this special treatment--to an outsider you might think he was romantically interested in her--but he chooses to keep his lips sealed.  I (personally) think they make Dieyi's character a bit immature given the situation they are all in.

2. Master Lei shares what Miss D said Ge'er, also reminding her that they cannot verify it.  Hueng is doubtful that Yu is in danger but Ge'er immediately abandons her plans with Yin Xue to go to the imperial city.  Yin Xue is adamant that she cannot go, forcefully grabbing her and telling her she cannot go.  She is so stubborn that she tells him she will hit him if he does not release her.  This seems to upset him as he asks her, haven't I healed you and help you leave the villa?  Everything will be in vain if you go there because you will become caught up in the imperial conflict.  Ge'er asks him what he is hiding, she says nothing ,he only knows she cannot go there.  She chooses to go without him.

3.Hueng, Dieyi, and Ge'er go in the midst of a snow storm. (It is safe to say that her concern for others, like Senior Yu, makes her reckless.  I think she will learn some harsh lessons).

4.MW, Senior Yu truly looks like he is on death's door.  He learns that 1)taxes have been illegally collected in many places for years and 2) something sinister seems poised to happen (talk about the heavy handed lines)

5.Master Lei then orders his men to clear a snow path, all in the name of brotherly love.  Back in Ping An Town, Yin Xue sits alone, staring at a tea cup, and he looks angry.  He destroys a tea cup with his hand, crushing it.  And that's when Anye Luo makes his dramatic appearance.  There is someone out there even more flamboyant than Yin Xue....

6. Yin Xue asks him in a very bored voice if this time he will die or Anye Luo.  Anye Luo says they are technically from the same clan since Dark River took Yin Xue in after Yin Xue betrayed the Misty Deity clan....hmmmm

7.An epic battle ensues, and it seems like Yin Xue has the upper hand.  Anye Luo leaves, angry, and after arriving at Top City he kills the guards on a whim.  Wu Hen meets him, calls him Supreme Ruler, explains the situation and why they no longer have this city but that there are others, and Miss D wonders what her brothers are plotting since they are not kicking up a fuss over the mysterious deaths of so many guards.....

8.Meanwhile, Flame Lord receives an update from housekeeper.  Feng has passed this test as the information is verified--so Feng tricked flame lord--however Housekeeper still does not trust him.  However Flame leader is pleased with him so far.  In addition, he receives an update on his daughter.  Although she is travelling to the imperial city alone, the fact that Yin Xue is following separately puts him at ease.  However, the report that the Dark Palace has returned does not.

9.Meanwhile, Yu reminisces and we learn of his first encounter with Ge'er and that it was her who taught him how to read lips and her who gave him the courage to speak.  He's known her since he was five.  Anyways, he is very bothered to learn she is on her way--he doesn't want her involved.  Still, she arrives, and eventually gives him her blood to help him, as he is clearly very ill...

10.Yin Xue watches from the shadows.....

The thing I find frustrating is Ge'er's consistent mistrust of Yin Xue.  Or rather, the fact that she cannot fully trust Yin Xue.  However, she barely knows him, and all the people causing the issues/distractions are people she grew up with and has always trusted.  Hence, I can forgive her for that.

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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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WOWZA Does S**t start to get real

This Episode Was FANTASTIC.  Here is my extremely detailed description of what occurred.

1. Our episode begins with Miss D of Blade City being lectured by her brothers, Wu Xia (the leader) and Wu Hen for her actions.  They are very angry that she destroyed the flat bread stall because it served as a clear warning to Yin Xue, whom, we know, they desire to 'possess'.  It clearly tells them that they should escape and are in danger.  Miss D defends her actions, insisting that she did this for the family because it protects them from any consequences that may occur from being caught collecting illegal taxes by the flame villa however they dismiss this.

2.Wu Xia provides important plot information as he reminds their sister why they are enemies of the flame villa.  It is because of their father.  In the past, New Blade City held the title as the most dominant pugilist tribe.  Lie Ming Jing (Flame Leader/Ge'er's father) and his godbrother, Zhan Fei Tian (presumably Zhan Feng's father) defeated their father on the Peak of Mt. Tai (recall that Zhan Fei Tian is very, very dead as Flame Leader prayed before his memorial tablet).  Evidently, they held an illegal match and broke the pugilist rule of one-on-one, overwhelming their father and then founding the Flame Villa with this success.  Their father died of depression, having lost his title.

---Ahem, that would mean the two most powerful pugilist tribes have a lot of personal vendettas against the Flame Villa--

3.Meanwhile, at Thunderbreak Manor, Master Xie patiently tries to explain to Xiao Feng (his grandson) that Miss D actually did a kindness by destroying the bread stall because she was worried about the safety of Team Flame Daughter, however Xiao Feng sees the world very simply and does not understand.   After sending the child to bed, Cao Ren Qiu--son in law of Master Xie and Xiao Feng's father--has an argument with Master Xie.  

4.The issue is rooted in the fact that Cao Ren Qiu believes that Top Blade City will soon take action.  It should be good, as it would provoke the Flame Villa, however, Master Xie sees the heart of the matter: isn't it strange that in spite of their vast intelligence network, which includes the Azhure Dragon Manor, Flame Lord does not know about the illegal taxing?  That would mean that someone is keeping him in the dark, and the only person capable of doing that would be someone close to him, in the high ranks--i.e. one of his disciples.  To expose Top Blade City would be to place Thunderbreak Manor, a pugilist manor which could never hope to compete with these top pugilist tribes, in direct danger (it also fractures this very fragile peace).  Hence, Master Xie's son in law believes they should get out of dodge before they get caught up any more in this mess, but Master Xie believes that to leave would mean to abandon the city and leave its people defenseless, so he chooses to remain behind.

5.Meanwhile, back at the bread shop, Master L uses a whistle for the first time.  It summons his personal bodyguards from the shadows. He gives them commands to remain on guard for an ambush and decides to hang around a little while longer, out of kindness, I assume, to Team Fire Daughter.  At the same time, Yin Xue shoots an ice dagger through the roof of his room and exposes Security Guard Hueng (recall that she works for Prince/Senior Yu).  She manages to dodge it, and then in the blink of an eye, Yin Xue has teleported to the roof, revealing yet another power.  After making it clear he knows who she is, and congratulating her for dodging an attack that only ten people in the world could avoid (she dismisses it as luck but thanks him) he encourages her to guard Ge'er because he can't always protect her.  She promises to do so.

6.The following morning, Xiao Feng is shocked and horrified--he discovers his grandpa sitting in his throne chair, slumped over, dead.  (I think this is an important manner to kill because it sends a powerful message to who finds him--)

7.The Flame Villa is stunned to learn of Master Xie's crude murder, and immediately dispatches Feng'er to investigate.  Flame Lord awkwardly asks Feng to not let him down, and then says that things in the past are complicated, and is about to say something more, presumably about his parents, but decides not to.  After Feng leaves, House Keeper Yi Lang (disciple number 3) wonders if Feng is to be trusted.  Flame Lord doesn't say 'yes'.  He says 'we have no choice but to'.  He then has House Keeper promise to support Feng if he inherits the Flame Villa but makes it crystal clear that should Feng choose to walk a path of darkness, then House Keeper is in no way expected to follow him 0_o.

8.MW, Master Zhongli (the guy who played Star Lord from Eternal Love) reports to Die yi about the incidents in Ping An Town.  Before you wonder how she got there, we then learn that Dieyi has fled the relative safety of Fire Villa to deliver snacks to her mistress and because she is worried for her.  We know this because Xunyi (the other maid) reports this to Jie (recall, he is another disciple) who thinks there is nothing to worry about, showing that he has a lot of heart but is even more dense than our female lead (who isn't really dense, more like not wanting to accept reality).

9.Feng takes his mistress with him, fearing for her safety, and goes to lead the investigation.  MW back at Thunderbreak Manor, Top Blade City has taken over the place and refuses to let the family of Master Xie view the corpse or mourn it, citing that they must protect the crime scene.  However their firm refusal to let the family in is something that even Miss D finds odd (which tells us,, audience, that she is not in anyway privy to the secrets and plots her brothers are planning, maybe to protect her, or maybe because they do not trust her).

10.Locally, the town believes that Top Blade City is behind this murder.  Gossipers share that godfather Tian (that would be Feng's father) died under similarly strange circumstances.  Thunderbreak Manor, everyone concludes, was the least suspicious of the pugilist clans.  Ge'er overhears this gossip, but is distracted by Xiao Feng who arrives, traumatized by the events.  She decides to send a messenger to Senior Yu to ask about this death.   Upon receiving it, Prince Yu gives orders to that a message is to be sent to Top Blade City--no one is to harm Ge'er--which begs the question--how much does Senior Yu know, how involved is he, and can he be trusted??

11.Dieyi arrives and Guard Hueng intervenes, believing her to be an outsider.  Only after Master Li steps in to defend her is she cleared, and Hueng apologizes.  (Which begs another question: how did a woman with no training in martial arts make it to this dangerous place completely unaccounted, on foot, before Feng'er?)
She reports that Feng'er will be investigating this case, and Ge'er's face just falls, and Yin Xue who is constantly observing her, clearly sees this.

12.Feng'er arrives, and Ge'er tries to give him bread.  He accepts it, but is, if anything, frigidly polite.  It is for our female lead yet another confirmation of the truth she is still trying to avoid accepting (and has even been running from) and that is that he truly does not seem to care for her.  Perhaps to break the awkward tension left in his wake, Yin Xue laments the fact that Ge'er forgot to ask for money and gave away all that free bread...

13. Back at Thunderbreak Manor, the son in law of Master Xie gives the coroner's report--that Master Xie died from poisoning, presumably over a long period of time.  Feng examines the body.  He understands that son in law, who has no training in martial arts, could not know the truth, but it is clear that Master Xie died from an internal force attack.  He confronts Wu Xia, who repeats the same thing.  Wu Xia then flips open a fan that say Dark Palace on it, and Feng hesitates, choosing not to report what he truly thinks.  Basically Feng does not confirm or challenge this finding. (Feng is...pro bad guy?)

14. Top Blade City invites Feng to lodge at their home but he rejects it, choosing to stay in the manor.  Extremely pissed, Xiao Feng insists before his father, Feng, and Top Blade City that his father died from internal force and basically states that he hates his father for not knowing martial arts and thus not being able to see this. He also accuses him of being a coward before running off.

15. Xiao feng goes to Ge'er and delivers his report to Team Flame Daughter.  Ge'er is confident that she will able to see the body because Feng would not dare to insult her so in front of the whole clan, in fact, she is confident that the flame villa clan will want her to look at the body.  She will get Feng to acknwowledge the real crime.  Yin Xue reminds her that Feng may not give her a chance.  But she is very confident, asking him to ask her yet again (I have lost track of how often he has asked her this) 'You believe in him still?' Her silence is a yes.

16.MW, Wu Hen carefully tells his brother that Xiao Feng's dad isn't so bad (it is unclear if he is tacitly protecting an innocent bystander or not).  Wu Xia laughs at this and says Feng'er is not stupid.  (It seems like sides are being picked, and Wu Xia is implying that Feng'er wants to be on the winning side?)

17.Elsewhere, Ge'er is stunned as Feng'er adamantly refuses to give her access to Master Xie to pay her respects.  He refuses to look her in the eyes.  It is evident she is disappointed and unable to account for his reasons for choosing to deliberately hide the truth.  Furthermore, Feng issues a blanket decree that no one is to see the body.  Before she leaves, she tells Feng that she trusts him to handle this fairly.

18. Together again, Team Fire Daughter (currently consisting of Master Li of Thunderclap, Dieyi the maid/halfsister of Master Li, Xiao Feng, Guard Hueng, and Yin Xue) discuss this event.  Master Li acknowledges that Yin Xue was in fact correct about Feng.  Yin Xue tells everyone that it seems that the truth is complicated a.  Ge'er STILL defends Feng'er, and again Yin Xue asks her 'You still trust him?'.  She affirms this.  And Yin Xue leaves, slamming every door on his way to his room, so he is clearly angry about her refusal to accept the facts that Feng is not the person she believes him to be.  (it must be frustrating because it is something she has to accept; no one can tell her this).

19.In a clear betrayal of truth, Feng'er has Cao Ren Qiu arrested for the murder of his father in law.  Wu Xia is satisfied with this.  He gives the order that Master Xie's name be slandered and that he be blamed for illegally collecting a tax, and then he calls this karma that he is killed by his own family.  

20.At the episodes end, Feng sits in a room alone. From the shadows a voice gently chastises him for his soft heart and implores him not to forget his father. Feng promises that he will not.  The camera then pans to this guys face--he is a young man....but who could he be....?

This episode was GREAT.

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Meh....

*Sigh* This episode does three things: 1)It brings together Miss D, Master L, Yin Xue and Ge'er after having just been seperated 2)It creates an opportunity for Niang (a.k.a. Second Madame) to be returned to the palace and 3)It shows the leads interacting together as a team in a very husband/wife cutesy way

Needless to say, it is boring.  Hence I gave it a 5 because it was just really 'meh' and not very memorable.

While it showcases a scene or two with Feng'er expressing obvious interest in our female lead, we already knew this.  It introduces nothing new to the plot. It really is just a filler episode that builds a degree of tension.  Should you watch it? Well, it does mention a couple of details, including one of the most heavy handed lines I have heard, but I wonder if the directors were going for the classic 'let's bore the viewers so our big reveal/intense episode has much more of an impact'.   Since we already know intense stuff is coming, they can't really surprise us, but they can try to make it have more impact.

NOW if you are a person who enjoys hardcore fluff, this is for you.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Just isn't my cup of tea.

Summary:

Yin Xue and Ge'er stop at a noodle stand where Yin Xue uses his ice powers to drive away an annoying pair of men who are admiring Ge'er's beauty. He also gets their soup as a result.  They learn from the noodle shopkeeper that Ping An Town is too expensive to buy things because a pugilis is illegally collecting taxes (Ping An Town has traditionally been a free town).

Ge'er decides to make this their next stop.  Yin Xue states how very odd it is that she would reject the responsibility of accepting her father's seal but has no problem meddling in the affairs of others. She also does not have a plan, saying they will figure it out--so this tells us she has a good heart but is impulsive and probably does not consider the consequences.  Luckily she has Yin Xue.

Yin Xue uses his considerable beauty to get free food for them, and eventually decides to purchase a bread stall.  Ge'er learns how to make flat bread and together the two are a pair.

MW, at Azure Dragon Hall (where we see Si Ming Star Lord from Eternal Love!) tracks her movements and reports it back to Feng'er.  At the same time, Officer Hueng finishes up her meeting with Flame Lord who confirms that Yin Xue is a trusted friend, and she relays this back to Prince Yu.

Then, back at Ping An Town, Yin Xue repeats sage advice about beauty and uses it as an opportunity to wrap his arm around her. In fact he often does outrageous things like this --really he is constantly trying to touch her.  She finally asks him why he always stares at her and he honestly tells her that she is beautiful...

Housekeeper of Flame Hall meets with Master Xie and we meet Xiao Feng, his grandson (Master Xie is the Uncle from earlier/the little boy played young Ye Hua in EternalLove). The little boy is tasked with becoming Ge'er's friend in order to spy and report on her movements back to Feng'er.  Meanwhile, the locals are very tight lipped and do not want to talk about who is forcing them to pay this money.

Elsewhere, Prince Yu continues to marvel over his ability to hear. But then he coughs up blood. Niang is arrested, and she maintains her innocence.  Medical Deity cannot make heads or tales of what is ailing him.....

MW Ge'er and Yin Xue open shop, give bread away for free as a promotion, and in general seem to make a good couple.  She seems happy and not focused on Feng'er.  They discuss who could be the culprit, and she says it could be Thunderbreak Manor (where Master Xie/Xiao Feng are from) or Top Blade City.  Yin Xue changes the subject to thanking their supporters and we get a cheesy scene where they give out lanterns, earning more trust of the locals.  In addition, Ge'er continues to show that she cares about Yin Xue's well being, which he basks in flirtatiously, causing her to reel it in or play it down.

Master L returns, eats up the bread and decides to help out and Miss D is grounded by her brother.  

In one of the many 'interlude' scenes that this episode is peppered with (i.e. scenes where Ge'er and Yin Xue are alone together) she talks about her lack of skill in spite of being her father's daughter.  Yin Xue confirms that this is probably related to her having a poor foundation, to which Ge'er replies 'remind me to never seek consolation from you' (that made me laugh out loud; these two are really in sync).  Ge'er then says 'It's almost as if something is blocking my power' (IF THAT ISN'T ONE OF THE MOST HEAVY HANDED PLOT LINES I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS).

MW....
Feng'er learns what Ge'er is up to and is so mad he crumples the letter.  The episode ends with Miss D trashing the stall and Ge'er not convinced that she does not have a reason.  

That's our female lead--always believing in the people close to her!  (How long will that last?)

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Half good,

(This episode is equal parts boring and interesting--it has a couple of really,really interesting scenes) Hence I gave it a 7.0 because I would re-watch it just for those interesting parts.

Security Officer Hueng--Prince Yu's only female guard--meets with Miss Feng as she investigates this case.  Meanwhile, imperial soldiers come for Prince Yu.  The innocent days are over as he is now summoned back to the palace.  He has a private audience with her father and he asks Yu if Ge'er is suitable to be the Flame Master.  Yu says no, but he hopes that one day she will be, and promises to support her.

Just before he leaves we have flashback of toddler Ge'er with Yu, showing 1)he has been disabled for many years and 2)he and her have known one another forever.  She gives him a bell in this flashback, and it is this same bell which she gives him before he leaves, and he promises to write and she promises to visit.  Ge'er doesn't yet realize how complicated his life is....

As he leaves, she wonders if this is is a bad omen.  (YES, THAT IS AN EXTREMELY HEAVY HANDED PLOT LINE.)

Back at Blossom House, Miss Feng meets an official--something she never does--thinking it is the prince or someone related to him.  It is in fact the crown prince,and he has come back to silence her for good. (Confirming, that yes, the prince being asked to return was indeed a bad omen, at least for poor Miss Feng whose only crime was seeking justice for her family).

MW (meanwhile) Ge'er has a few awkward run ins with Feng'er.  She meets with her father and he offers her the flame seal.  She refuses, insisting that one of his disciples should accept it.  Her father seems to be bothered by this but does not force her.  Her reason is that she has never participated in official affairs.

MW crown prince meets with his brother, another prince. They are planning on poisoning Yu using an enchanted cup that looks special.  (The narrative offers no reason for this extraordinary dislike other than the fact that Prince Yu, who is disabled and by default likely excluded from the line of succession, is favored by their father and something of an amateur sleuth)

And Miss Feng is found dead (Body Count 1)

MW we learn that Ge'er can cook.  It makes her seem more feminine and down to earth but also shows that she has a skill to survive when on the road.  Her maids make her promise to not sneak away again.

Now we go to an interesting scene. Why? Because it expands and develops this father-daughter relationship. Ge'er has tea with her father in the now empty Bamboo Villa.  Her father tells her that times will be hard now that Yu is gone.  She asks him if he is proud of her (good line, and I appreciate her directness in asking something that children often wonder of their parents).  He tells her that he is, and wants to know why she would think that.  Ge'er admits that she feared she disappointed him by rejecting the seal(this entire conversation adds more depth to their characters).  Her father tells her not to worry, that he understands why she did that and understands that she will one day lead.  He then asks her if she plans on leaving.  She says yes, and explains she needs to learn how to survive...and it would be good to be away.  She admits she does not hate Feng'er and believes he is most suited to inherit but her father seems to think this is impossible. He refuses to consent to her leaving.

Ge'er goes for a walk and runs into Yin Xue who promises to help her leave if she takes her with him. She agrees.  Yin Xue then meets her father and we learn a few more pieces of information: 1) via flashback, her father while covered in blood in his youth thanks Yin Xue WHO HASN"T AGED A DAY for helping him and promises him his daughter exactly 19 years later (not twenty, but 19) 2)that Anye Luo is going to re-emerge and get revenge on ALL the pugilist sects 3)Ge'er would be safer with him away at Misty mountain so her father agrees.

(see that was the trick of making your target think that they have the power but really they don't i.e. he tricked Ge'er into thinking she had some power...)

So we know that Yin Xue is 1)Immortal and 2)A Master of great power......why is he interested in her? His interest in Ge'er is almost like a fairy tale.

MW back in Luoyang the prince receives the gift from his father, learns that his evil brother is behind it, and is told by said brother to stop investigating or there will be more than a dead courtesan.  He also is directed to a mysterious woman--second wife of the thunderclap clan--who can cure his hearing.  he accepts so as not to be rude.

He tries to reject the medical aid of this woman.  But she is able to convince him because she will tell him why she wants Yin Xue dead.  She tells him that Yin Xue is a 100+ year old monster who hurt her family.  She then teaches his medical doctor the technique and he can hear.  Yu decides to accept her aid so long as she promises no people are hurt and together they can bring one hundred years of peace.

He tells Officer Hueng 1)to stop investigating they will take this slow and 2)to find out about Yin Xue from Mentor and 3)to protect Ge'er (i also just noticed she is ghost queen from eternal love).

MW
Everyone else parts ways. Before she leaves, her father forces her to take the golden seal.  She reluctantly accepts it and promises to return it when she gets back.  Miss D and Master L leave together, and have no real direction; he is just following her. Ultimately they are separated when her brothers summon her and issue a warning for himto stay away. He shrugs this off and speaks to his secret guard who have been secretly watching from the shadows this whole time...

MW--A VERY interesting scene
In the woods, Ge'er gathers wood and admits she has nothing to light the fire.  She then uses her Flame Fist (a.k.a. magic).  But what about food?  WELL Yin Xue causes a bow made of ice to appear and he shoots down a bird in THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.  

Ge'er compliments his bow (yes his bow) and then an extraordinarily flirtatious scene unfolds, in which he tells her he can teach her how to make a bow,she giggles, and then he KISSES HER.

BUT WAIT.

This is all in his head.  Confused by what he has just been thinking about, he wanders off, distracted.

--I will say this, his character is unpredictable for me.  He is coy, I can't tell when he is being truthful, and he is subtle.  Now he is supposedly bad but good....hmmm
-this is the first time we here anyone mention the name of what I assume will be the primary antagonist who, if the bloody flashback of Ge'er's father is any indication, has a good reason for revenge (it would be even more interesting if the puglist league attacked them for no reason)

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What is Going On In Yan Xue's head??

Our episode opens up with Ying Yi and Ge'er having a confrontation outside.  It is instigated by Ge'er.

Essentially, Ge'er challenges Ying Yi's 'innocent' mask and calls her out for hiding her martial arts.  She is very polite about it. Finally, Ying Yi drops the act and says very candidly that Ge'er must hate her.  Well she hates her too because she is the reason why Zheng has hesitated to make her mistress of Maple Hall (his residence), presumably because of his desire to inherit the villa.  After this, Ge'er calmly thanks Ying Yi for 1)making it easier for her to move past this because she never thought that he would have picked a woman like her and 2)asks her how long she thinks she can keep this charade of frail woman up.  She then slaps Ying Yi and calls it a gift because it lets her look like a victim.

Next, we go to Yan Xue who is negatively impacted by something called 'the chill' which comes on the 15th of every month.  This is not explained for the entire episode, and it makes this writer wonder if it is his kryptonite.  WHO KNOWS.  It is vague enough to be interesting but relegated to the realm of plot advancement hence we, the viewer, are left guessing.

While Yan Xue has the doors to his villa shut and he goes to meditate, Ge'er wanders by to chat.  She continues to express a level of trust in him that she does not show others, maybe because he is a stranger, and she doesn't feel like she needs to assume a role i.e. the daughter, the junior, the friend, the master etc.  She tells him that the biannual banquet is approaching (I guess that is why all the uncles showed up) and she is afraid to go because she is afraid she will disappoint her father.  Yan Xue tells her that he thinks she is actually afraid of the truth.  BOLD STATEMENT.

After she leaves, he tells his servant that it will come out (presumably that her relationship with Zhen is over) and he sighs and says that Ge'er is the most innocent in all of this. ALL OF WHAT?

Next, we go to Flame Leader a.k.a. Ge'er's dad.  He is praying before the memorial tablets of two people: Anye Ming and Zhan Fei Tian.  He apologizes and says that he did not raise Zhan well and that it will all be revealed tonight.....

We go to the Biannual Banquet and everyone is having a blast.  Flame Leader is worried because Yan Xue has yet to arrive. He finally does--halfway through--and sits down next to Ge'er.  Then Feng'er arrives with his Mistress.  They sit down.  And flame leader prepares to announce the engagement. Ge'er interrupts him--then tells him to continue.  He announces her engagement to Feng'er.

Feng'er shouts 'NO!' and everyone stops toasting.  He is about to say that he doesn'tlove her but Ge'er rises and says that the truth is that she no longer loves him.  NO ONE believes this, she is clearly trying to help him save face, and then Yan Xue steps in and says that honestly its because she has fallen in love with him and they wish to marry.  Everyone is perplexed but accepts it.

After the banquet, we return to Bamboo Hall and Senior Yu expresses feelings of regret over his injury--so I guess that's real--and his servant encourages him to confess his feelings.  But Senior Yu doesn't feel like he would be anything but a burden--so he is stuck in the friend zone.

The following morning Ge'er goes to see Feng'er.  With a box.  She asks him to say it--that he doesn't love her.  Not only can he not do this, but audience, he actually looks like he is barely holding it together and may cry.  She calls him out on this.  He grabs her and forces a kiss and is a huge ass about it, insisting that he just wanted to try it one more time.  She angrily tells him that they are done, she returns the lotus petals she lovingly kept, and leaves.  Incidentally, this is the same day as the Ninth Festival, and he will deem this a day that his villa will NEVER celebrate(he totally still loves her) which begs the question of WHY he is doing this....I am sure he has an epic reason.

Meanwhile, Yan Xue seems to be following Ge'er's movements and is constantly watching her from the shadows, always wearing the same rather amused face. Readers, I usually can figure a character out early on--we all can--but he has had so little screen time that I cannot understand what motivates him at all....which I am sure is part of the point.

So Maids from Blossom Hall arrive bearing gifts. A lot of them.  Housekeeper interprets this as worrisome because Yu Xan may be up to something, perhaps he will cause them to lose face, but it seems he has this planned out wanting it to be a festival that Ge'er never forgets, her father says.  As his servants decorate his Pear Villa Master Lei of the Thunderclap clan is able to narrow down his sister.--but not before Yan Xue plays a prank on him and gets him to blow pepper in Miss D's eyes--and receiving a cryptic drawing and thinking it is somehow connected to Anye Luo--he doesn't seem pleased and can only watch Ge'er.....

Miss D watches this all, and is surprised when the woman believed to be his sister--Die Yi (Ge'er's maid) doesn't possess a mysterious birthmark, she is shocked that he then says that it must be someone else.  

At the party, everyone in the crew is there (Miss D, Master Lei, the servants, Yu Xan and Ge'er.  Yu is not there).   Master Lei is silly earning some laughs but Yu Xan is very in tune to Ge'er and she is clearly pretending to be having a good time.  Ge'er tells him he caused trouble with the gifts, but he states he sees no trouble because they are to be married.  She says that was an excuse. He says he took it very seriously and this confuses her and she admits that she does not know if he is joking or not (I don't either).

Miss D drinks alone.  Master Lei sits beside her. She calls him out for lying about his sister and making that bit up about a birthmark.  He admits he did indeed lie because initially he planned on learning if his sister was a spy for Second Madame, or using her in some way.  He said that she convinced him that she knows nothing, and he did not want to get her involved because Second Madame is utterly ruthless, and he cannot figure out what she plans to do with her.  He figured it would cause her (his sister) problems.  Miss D seems to accept this.

Alone (well, not really her maids watch from afar) she drinks and admits she wants to know more about him. Yu Xan agrees to answer her questions but she must drink some wine for each question (drinking games).  He also admits to her that he earns no money from Blossom House

Here are her questions:
1)How do you make money? From brothels, salt houses, pharmacies, restaurants--basically anything you can think of
2)Who trained you in martial arts? His mentor.  She says that is too vague an answer so he then says Misty Deity Lineage.
3)Misty Deity Lineage is real??  Yes.  Only those who are destined to be in it can well, be in it and see it.

She wonders if he is a god. He does not answer, instead he gives her an amulet to ward away evil.  She accepts it.  She (drunk) asks him to show her something she has never seen.

He shows her a seemingly harmless lantern. What is it she asks.  He tells her that it is flowing fire, and he has an internal monologue : it is the most beautiful--and deadly thing--there is......

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More secrets revealed, more secrets kept

The episode begins with Yan Xue clearly establishing via internal monologue that he is in love with Ge'er.

 This occurs because she dismisses Yan Xue's words and explains that he cannot understand or empathize with her situation or understand the pain of watching the one you love with another--which is exactly how he feels.  Yan Xue, always wearing the same serene and slightly amused smile, explains to Ge'er that it would be so much easier for her to abandon this relationship instead of attempting to save it, however, she insists she must do her best.  There is always a possibility that Feng'er loves her and has a reason for all of this.  Furthermore, she cannot really hate Ying Mi since she knows now the plight of courtesans.  

Yan Xue tells her that she is silly for baring her heart like this and asks her what she will do if she discovers that Feng'er truly loves Ying Mi.  Ge'er states she will cut him out of her heart (while looking very miserable).

Master Lei interrupts them by reporting to Ge'er that her maids are bullying Ying Mi, causing her to leave.  He then is very direct with Yan Xue (or is he....?) and explains that he is here to cheer and support Yan Xue because he is interested in making the life of his father's second wife as uncomfortable as possible since he does not like her.  He only asks that Yan Xue help him stay at the villa as long as possible.  Yan Xue seems to find this VERY amusing but offers him a pill that will fake symptoms of poisoning for 15 days.  

MEANWHILE<

Ge'er lectures her maids for bullying Ying Mi.  They are defensive, however Ge'er insists that this will make Feng'er hate her more.  She goes to Yang Mi and tries to extend the olive branch and help her.  However, Ying Mi acts oddly, and seems frightened and begs Ge'er not to take away her clothes or punish her.  This confuses Ge'er (and I won't lie me as well) until Ge'er (and myself) realize that Ying Mi is putting on a big act.  Her maids call her out for faking and Ge'er tries to take the clothes from her.  Ying Mi hits a pressure point on Ge'er, surprising her that this 'weak woman' knows martial arts.

Stunned, Ge'er stands there, snapping out of it only when Feng'er steps in and uses martial arts on her maid who tried to intervene (Die Yi), rendering her unconscious.  She glances up to see Senior Yu a.k.a. prince on the bridge.  He shakes his head at her, and she interprets that, I suppose, as keep what you've just learned to yourself.

When Feng'er questions her about this, she only states that she did not push Ying Mi.  He does not believe her since she is trained in martial arts.  He takes her away.  Die Yi is taken into the Bamboo Hall--the only restricted entry residence in the entire villa--and it just so happens that the prince lives there (i think he can walk).  His medicine man takes care fo Die Yi.  

Alone, Feng'er tucks in his mistress and encourages her to rest.  He stares at his hand as if in surprise...

Back at the Bamboo Residence, Ge'er apologizes to her servants for not protecting them and for not believing them in regards to Ying Mi.  Xun Yi states that even if it turns out that after all of this Feng'er had a reason, it wouldn't matter because he doesn't deserve her if he puts his own special interests before her (while this is true, I can only say that when you are in love, it is very easy to allow your personal beliefs and values to be compromised....so I empathize with her).

Afterwards, Feng'er meets with Shifu a.k.a. the head of the flame sect.  He wants to patch things up between him and his daughter because he hopes that Feng'er will inherit his seal.  Feng'er is very cold and only says that he loves Ying Mi and sees Ge'er as a junior (Ge'er observes and hears this) and hopes she too can find love.  Also, if shifu can't accept this then he will just leave, which angers him.

Meanwhile, poor Miss D becomes gravely ill because she was tricked into taking the sick pill by Master Lei who seems to feel bad because he did not realize it would be so effective.  In spite of being aware that they are probably faking, they are allowed to stay.  Miss D forces Master Lei to tell the real reason why he is here.  He finally reveals that 19 years ago his father's second wife 'Second Madame' had a daughter who died.  But she didn't.  She was sent to the flame sect, this would be his half sister, and he wants to find her.

WE ARE GIVEN NO OTHER REASON AS TO WHY HE WISHES TO FIND HER.

Meanwhile, the various Uncles/house leaders in the flame sect arrive with gifts and tribute.  They all gather together to discuss business.  And to congratulate Feng'er.  Senior Yu arrives--despite never involving himself in these affairs in the past--and this causes Ge'er to show up and act as a hostess to diffuse the situation but it only makes it worse.

Feng'er is about to humiliate her and say they are annulled but Yu beats him to the punch, shocking everyone by revealing that he can talk, and furthermore, that HE is actually the one who wishes to marry Ge'er.  

Afterwards, Feng sits in angry moody silence, Yu watches him like he is prepared to take him on, and Brother Jie is rather comical as he sort of says out loud the obvious things that everyone is thinking--that this was an awkward event basically--but completely misunderstands and says Yu must have jumped in for Feng'er's sake (to help him avoid having to basically say he fell in love with another).  Yu agrees that was the reason he made it up, but he and Feng both know he did it for Ge'er.  Feng coldly states that Ge'er can marry whomever she wants wants he annuls the engagement--almost like saying I still have control of this situation.

Meanwhile, Ge'er talks with her maids.  She views the incident as Senior Yu having embarrassed Feng'er in public so naturally tensioins will be high between the two of them.  It seems that no matter what anyone says or does, she shows that Feng is number one in her heart by always defending him.  Which is what love should be like.  Only he really doesn't seem to be doing the same for her.

The episode ends with her being knocked down yet again by Feng'er: she goes to give him an umbrella in the rain, however, he walks back with Ying Mi and then twists the dagger by picking her up and carrying her princess style back without a single word.  

MY question is:
1) What happened two years ago to Feng'er to make him suddenly wish to hurt Ge'er so much and
2)When where and how did Yan Xue ever meet Feng'er or find the time to tall in love with her??

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