EPISODE 35 & 36

The following is a semi recap plus review plus opinion on the specific episodes, emphasising more on the review than the recap. Spoilers alert and highly opinionated. Read at your peril.

I am afraid Bai Zihua will not appreciate all your effort. When he wakes, I wonder... what sort of punishment he will mete out on you... - Shan Chinqiu [Episode 35]

If Honourable Superior dies, you will have nothing to live for. I am just a rock, even if I am to compare myself to dusts, I am not much bigger. Without my existence, the world is still the same. No one will feel sad at my passing nor care. Honourable Superior is different. His very wellbeing is linked with the fate of the immortal sect and the fate of all the sects! - Shuo Feng [Episode 36]

I finally caught up with the latest episode!! Exciting 2 episodes, lots of revelation, and an end to many things, from lives to poisoned state (hurray!!) to perhaps the realm of men! But first, one final look at the poisoned state of shifu #7 (Episode 35);

Can you believe it? 7 long episodes... technically 8 episodes long because he was still poisoned in Episode 36 until half way but he looked better in episode 36 after trio combo power to give him a momentary control over his poison thanks to Mo Yan, SXM and ZX and guess who he spent his very LAST day of mortality on? HQG, and rescuing her. Joke is she rescued him.

Anyway let's recap episode 35 first, which is the start of the many deaths of characters we are familiar with.

9th level of the pagoda, Smaug's evil albino twin appeared, Shuo Feng nearly killed, they couldn't get near the ruler and  DFYQ was in the way of the dragon when browless woman, Lu Qiao flew to protect him and got squeezed by the dragon and was mortally wounded when HQG realised her blood could drive the dragon back and some blood and the dragon was back in the hole. Lu Qiao meanwhile laid in the arms of DFYQ and even in death she never betrayed his identity. HQG tried to help, thinking maybe her blood could help her but Lu Qiao weakly said it was of no use, it was all too late. They can't go back to the Pavilion place because it was an act of futility. Lu Qiao before her death made a strange confession;

I have liked you from the first day we met...but I resisted because I was afraid you will drag our Master Pavilion into trouble...

And DFYQ looked guilty, not crying since he can't be seen crying over someone he is not supposed to be close to anyway and Lu Qiao said a lot more but mostly having no regrets serving her master, being by his side, and even dying was nothing to her because to be able to serve him was a blessing to her and that was enough. Before her final breath she looked at DFYQ and gave him a pouch thing and said to please give it to her master, and she meant him and DFYQ knew who she meant and then she died a happy woman. Everyone was sad, none more than HQG because she is nice. The sect people arrived but well, they escaped using inkpot. The sect leader chased to the roof and suddenly SQM appeared and even told a lie when he was told HQG just stole the ruler and SQM was saying good, his sister is doing what he asked her to do. Why SQM? Why say such a lie?

And whilst shifu is most certainly dying, and time is running out, HQG, DFYQ and SF all STOPPED and had a funeral, stayed at pavilion place for a day  before continuing their journey to find SQM because he has the last 2 items; umbrella and the cauldron. I mean come on, so urgent, they STOPPED for a day. Shifu didn't have  a day left!! Anyway DFYQ will stay back but the truth was he didn't want to be seen near SQM and he also slyly said to himself;

BZH, I will see how you wriggle yourself out of this mess. I want to see how your right is right, wrong is wrong will hold up in this mess!

Did he not know HQG will be the one who suffer the consequence? Everytime I want to like DFYQ, he will do something so damn selfish. Still hate him.

Meanwhile, shifu still on ice bed, in coma. The one tasked with looking after him is not Shiyi but Li Meng and Mo Yan pushed past him into the cave because he heard BZH fainted and to his shock found BZH on the bed and once he touched his wrist and all he knew BZH was poisoned and the poison had entered his bones. Since urgent, SXM,  Mo Yan and ZX combined power and gave BZH their internal energy and he woke up looking less than dead. Mo Yan asked him what happened but all BZH was willing to say was it was the cauldron's poison and the rest didn't matter anymore.  BZH said he was dying (as he had been saying for the past god knows how many episodes) and this time he forcefully asked Mo Yan to takeover the sect leader position.  Mo Yan angrily said even if he had to search the world, he will find him the antidote. Meanwhile he will takeover and BZH was to rest.

Pause!

You know, I don't like Mo Yan but I get where he is coming from. He doesn't want BZH to be distracted. It is like you have a son who is so talented, so good, you want him to study and make something out of his life. You wouldn't want him wasting time with girlfriends and video games. That's how Mo Yan is, as the parent. I never thought of his as malicious or evil, just too stubborn and dead set in his ways, much like BZH. Yes his intense dislike of HQG is worrying but I think he sees HQG as a distraction and unworthy of BZH's effort, and no more. If such a case, Chang Liu should ban female disciples, especially cute ones and have a higher standard in accepting disciples. Anyway,  I wonder if Mo Yan knew what was happening to BZH, I do think he would have gathered all the deity items himself and make sure it is safely opened and safely sealed. After all, from day 1 this series have been telling us how important BZH is so weighing against BZH dying and world going kaput and BZH not dying and the items safely used and sealed, I think Mo Yan would have taken the risk. A pity no one discussed anything with anyone, starting with HQG who is reckless and does things her way when if a choice is presented to Mo Yan and SXM, I believe they would have done the same but better management so to speak.

Continue.

I can't remember when was this scene but shifu was absolutely ready to die and he was hugging the flower and ZX lost her patience and angrily and tearfully scolded him for pretending he didn't care, but he did, he cared for HQG and all he did for her and so please stop pretending not to care. She told him the truth about the pills and so he hugged the pill bottle as he cried and she said all that is not to make him confront his feelings for HQG but rather he was so prepared to die, he had given up on life and this was ZX way of saying if he had truly given up he wouldn't have done all that for HQG who was very important to him and so he must live on and fight for survival whilst she and Mo Yan and SXM think of a way. After she left, he planted the flower onto the ground and told the plant as if to HQG that he had done all he could, now the flower had to survive on its own and no matter what, find its own way. Kinda symbolic. Truth is, whilst I should feel sad over him crying and all, I felt very annoyed at how weak BZH was...

I felt the poison so affected his state of emotions he became Bai Zi Tiantian Ku. I can't stand it! I CAN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good for ZX putting some fighting spirit in him but I think she wasted her breath because.. well let;s continue.

HQG went to SQM's place only to learn SQM given the umbrella to SCQ for  cultivation at the Eastern Sea. Interestingly SQM didn't seem to care for the umbrella, he even joked he had to stay under the hot glaring sun without the umbrella and how hard is was! Is SQM that not ambitious? Ahhhh SCQ will answer that question later. And so HQG left to Eastern Sea.

Meanwhile BZH left Changliu  (that's why ZX was wasting her breath) and he dropped by to find SQM to find where is HQG and SQM told him she is at Eastern Sea and BZH flew off, leaving SQM rather angry. And I am sure SQM felt why so many visitors when ZX dropped by looking for BZH and he told her BZH went to Eastern Sea to look for HQG who was looking for SCQ. That was unintentionally funny. And she too flew off and SQM left in a huff. The ugly dude with the scars on face sent a message via bird that he just grabbed mid air to SCQ saying;

Be prepared. BZH is on his way to you!

NMT was having a funeral, buried her dad, reluctantly made the sect leader and swore she will bring HQG to his burial ground and kill her. She was also given the forbidden kung fu manual her father absolutely refused to let her see and well, you know what will happen right? She decided to learn because she wanted to kill HQG and avenging for one own's murdered father's death is more important than causing chaos to the world and going against heaven's will just by learning from the forbidden kung fu manual. Typical. Expected that. And I doubt the kung fu will be any better. Boring kung fu even in episode 35.

HQG and SF found SCQ who at first absolutely refused to give up the umbrella even when HQG delivered SQM's message. See! See! NO ONE ever listens to SQM, ever! He asked for the rest of the deity items in exchange for the umbrella and HQG called him insane and she absolutely refused to do so. But suddenly, amidst standing on high rocks in the middle of the volatile Eastern Sea, he suddenly agreed and gave up the umbrella on the pretense that well, SQM said so, he will obey except he didn't have the cauldron, that was with ZX. HQG didn't have much time to think more and quickly left to find ZX only to be intercepted by her halfway in the middle of the sea (serious!) and ZX said she was looking for BZH who was looking for HQG because he knew HQG was stealing deity items (but not why!) and HQG looked worried and she asked ZX for the cauldron and ZX softened when she told HQG she knew why HQG was stealing the deity items and she gently asked HQG;

Are you sure this is what you want to do?

Because even ZX knew BZH wouldn't be able to protect her, stealing deity items and opening the seal is considered a crime worse than genocide because the possibility of the Demon God being reborn is the ultimate genocide so to speak. HQG nodded, she wasn't afraid, she was ready and so ZX handed over the cauldron and HQG left hastily with ZX looking on emotionally. Like how she is not worthy for BZH's love perhaps for not having HQG's guts?

HQG stopped at an island in the middle of Eastern Sea with SF and laid out all the items on the ground and she looked at SF asking him now what? SF looked reluctant, he looked stony but sad and he looked at HQG and asked her if she has really decided this is what she wants to do and she said yes, for shifu yes this is what she will do. And he thought for a while and he solemnly said to her;

Qiangu, remember your decision today. In future, no matter what difficulties you will face, never ever give up. Don't ever regret this.

HQG said she won't, and SF he did some phew phew phew stuff at the items and suddenly HQG felt something was not right... something was definitely not right and she told him to stop and he looked at her and he explained by ripping off his clothes where his chest bears a strange mark ...

And this is where Episode 36 begins with a very long dialogue.

SF asked for HQG's jade that she wore on her neck and he explained that jade was Yan Shui Yu and HQG shocked asked who he was and this was what SF said;

I am no one. I can't understand at the beginning why I had to go to Changliu, why I met you, until later when you told me your plans to steal the 10 magical deity items, then I realised, for millions of years it has been predestined that my very existence is to assist you to fulfill your mission...

WHAT? Longer explanation...

SF explained he was indeed born from a rock. He had no parents, no family, no memories, no background, no past. All he knew was one day he just existed. He was actually a piece of Yan Shuiyu that was broken from the whole jade but he knew his very existence is tied with the gathering of all the 10 items in that when the 10 items are gathered, that will be the day he will cease to exist. The only way Yan Shuiyu could be whole again and power reactivated is why gathering all 9 items and then he himself merge back with the jade and become one with the jade again, as a whole. He was prepared to sacrifice himself but HQG suddenly refused to let him do it. For a girl who would go to great lengths to save her shifu, she stopped at sacrificing SF and she thought there must be another way, let's go back to Changliu and tell the elders, etc etc but SF told her another long explanation which was the quote of my choice of this episode.  To SF, his existence meant little to the world but his sacrifice will save the most important (and handsomest!) immortal ever, to which the world can't live without. But HQG refused to let SF become that sacrificial lamb and told him he had friends, and he had NMT waiting for him, he can't leave, she won't let him, she held onto him tightly and said there must be another way, there must be but SF's mind was set, he must be one with the jade again because in the light of all things in the order of the world, BZH was more important. He said sadly;

I never understood why people unrelated to the other will want to sacrifice themselves for that person until.. I met you and saw how you're willing to do all you can for Honourable Superior. Then I realise by my sacrifice, Honourable Superior who can't die will be able to live and for that, my existence would have meant something and I have done my part

So SF pushed HQG away and phew phew phew and as she ran to grab him he disappeared into but a memory and reappeared as an apparition of sort which I am not sure if she saw him and left a message in a conch and asked HQG to deliver the conch to NMT as it contained his last message to her. Before he dissipated into thin air, he asked HQG for a favour;

NMT is not an evil person, she is just full of pride and a lonely person. If she ever hurt you, please for my sake, please forgive her

Even to death he still can never get the real NMT huh? And so he disappeared and became that jade and HQG grabbed the conch and then the jade and for the first time in a long long time, she cried her heart out, tears and all.

Pause.

Yes she did cry. Got tears.

Continue.

What a long scene. When I was watching it I was losing my patience but as I recap this, suddenly I feel perhaps my impatience was unjustified. This was SF's big sacrificial moment, his big sacrifice and he deserved his moment in the limelight. The things he said, he felt himself so unworthy in the likes of such important people like BZH but the truth is SF is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle. Without him there is no Yan Shuiyu and without the jade, BZH is definitely doomed. So SF has undervalued his own value in the ways of the world. Even a piece of rock has its uses.

Anyway, when SF was talking to HQG, BZH actually was flying and found them but was intercepted by SCQ who captured BZH who was too weak to fight back.

She quickly flew to find her shifu at Changliu and couldn't find him there and  Mo Yan naturally wanted to capture her and Shiyi still had the mind to ask her to explain herself over NMT's dad's death but she didn't have time and told them she was going to Eastern Sea to save shifu. Mo Yan quickly gathered everyone and said he will act as temporary sect leader and gather everyone and go to Eastern Sea for Operation Capture HQG and Save BZH and he told Shiyi to send a letter to NMT to meet them there. And we have a scene of everyone gathering to move forward to Eastern Sea and I am SHOCKED to see Tang Bao not even protesting and saying 

NO! MY MOTHER IS NO THAT SORT OF PERSON!!

Not once. I am shocked!!

Meanwhile we see 2 missing person who now reappeared; MXL and Qingshui. MXL found out about HQG's big mess thanks to Shiyi who sent him a message to send help to save HQG and MXL immediately got ready with his troops and he looked at QS and said HQG is in trouble he had to save her and QS smiled and said she will go with him. 

HQG reached Eastern Sea, not so volatile anymore and SCQ was there waiting for her. She screamed at him;

WHERE IS MY SHIFU?!? GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!!

The price? All the deity items. HQG refused and cast some spell on SCQ trying to make him tell her where her shifu is, problem is SCQ was smarter. He told his goon to hide BZH somewhere even he wouldn't know and then he killed that goon. So he didn't do. And SCQ reminded her BZH could have a week to 2 weeks tops to live but because he had used all his power fighting him and looking for HQG to which SCQ even felt like shedding a tear at their dedication for one another, he had less than a day to live and time.. is running out. Give up the items or he dies! But hey SCQ, even if she gave up the items, you wouldn't be able to tell her where he is anyway!! Smart plan eh?

Anyway, HQG was very angry and repeatedly cast more spells at SCQ who was wriggling in pain as he grabbed his head and HQG kept asking where is her shifu and SCQ sudddenly seemed like to have lost control of his mind when he was scolding someone and he was in fact scolding SQM as he revealed his anger at SQM for not doing his duty as Holy Ruler and to release the Demon God and get something the Viki translation calls The Great Energy Desolute Power. No idea. Anyway, he bitterly scolded SQM for being without ambition, for being soft, that he wanted A, and SQC did his best to get him A, when he wanted B, SCQ got him B but SQM was weak, ungrateful, bound too much by his love for his sister and then for HQG and SCQ hated HQG because he felt HQG made SQM weak. If that is the case, SCQ said he could be a better Holy Ruler and will want to take the Power for himself and cast off SQM!! Ahhhhhh... real ambition revealed or just angry words?

HQG couldn't believe what she heard and said to SCQ that if he dared hurt SQM she will kill him. And she thought for a while where is her shifu, where is the last place she will look and ah ha moment came and she flew off and SCQ laid on the rocks and said to himself;

I thought I was the biggest fool in the world... apparently there is another bigger fool than I am...

What he meant was of course someone who was willing to do anything for their master. I think what he said were just angry words at SQM, I believe he is faithful. He is just Mo Yan but more sinister in his purpose and to SCQ and Mo Yan, HQG is the nuisance. Even Lu Qiao felt that way about HQG as she saw HQG as an obstacle to the well being of the Master Pavilion. Same thing.

HQG swam deep under sea...

and here I am totally lost. How did she know where to find BZH? Was told the sea is the deepest part so maybe she figured he must be hidden in the deepest part. She used the Pearl to find her shifu as in the picture below! Ahhhh I see...  Errr  back to her just knowing because the Pearl's function is not for that reason. The longer explanation is in the novel and is obviously censored because involved Dragon King....

She knows it is the Eastern Sea because the dude has been guarding it for hours. Then she spends hours searching for BZH by upturning the seabed to find him in a clam. It is better explained in the novel since it was the demonic mermaid who hid him and the safest place for is the Eastern Sea bed. HQG was supposed to fight a heated battle with thousands of seafood soldiers as she disturbed the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea but oh well, SARFT doesn't like them so we just get a version where HQG just finds him. [Thanks to Elizabeth]

Anyway she swam there, literally...

And found him unconscious on a clam shell under a huge bubble and in coma and may I repeat.. DYING!

She rushed to him, felt his face and he was I supposed cold or whatever. She held the jade and asked Shuo Feng for help, hope it works and placed it on his forehead and shifu floated up and phew phew phew thing to his foreheard and voila! Cured! No more poisoned but still in coma!

HQG took him to the surface, not wet by the way and laid shifu gently on the ground and was touchy feely and was so happy shifu no more looking like he had just stayed away for the entire World Cup season!

SCQ appeared and HQG returned the umbrella and HQG thanked the Jade and told SF to reappear since everything is ok now but SF didn't reappear. SCQ used her compassion and love for SF and tricked her into dropping a drop of blood onto the jade, saying that will be how SF will return since SF was separated from the jade and had its own mind. Instead of reappearing, suddenly the jade and HQG was flung into the sky and as a big void appeared in the sky amidst dark clouds and all, HQG screamed in pain as the deity items flew out from her stomach and she flung back down onto the ground and SCQ laughed madly as he screamed 

THE DEMON GOD IS REBORN!!! THE DEMON GOD IS REBORN!!!!

 HQG knew she was tricked. She was so desperate for SF to come back to life she did not listen to her own instinct that SCQ could not be trusted.  She was saying it was just 1 drop of blood and in disbelief too and SCQ said he also couldn't believe one drop was enough to open the seal. HQG asked why SCQ lied to her, why and SCQ said;

Don't you realise by now who you are? Ahhhhh but one person knew your real identity.. BAI!ZI!HUA! Oh he knew. The only reason Shuo Feng existed was because during the battle to seal the Demon God, you were there with the Gods to fight the Demon God and the Yan Shuiyu passed through you and shattered and a piece fell off and became Shuo Feng. Don't you know who you are by now? You.. are a descendant of the Goddess Nuwa!

HQG was like what? And I was like Huh?

Ok not so huh because I already knew. Pause.

There is a huge significant change here.

SCQ did say HQG fought with the gods. Previous life I suppose. I don't know because the original story is HQG was one of the gods and she sacrificed her life to seal off the Demon God. She was the last god to die, therefore the last god. There were I think 6 realms and Gods were one of them and gods died out so missing 1 realm. She reincarnated, hence the specialness of her blood and her status. Flowers die not because of her blood being poison but I read because they were not worthy to  be touched by her blood. She was so special, so holy so to speak. She reincarnated with the dormant god powers.

Now by saying she is descendant of Nuwa which China's SARFT allows because they don't believe in Nuwa, it changes everything. Is there reincarnation? If not, how will it affect the ending where HQG did reincarnate? Will her body be suspended as a change of plot? I don't know. So bear these in mind. And ignoring all that, did it mean she reincarnated from being Nuwa's descendant? What? I don't get it! How does it work? Thanks SARFT for screwing an illogical story and making it even more illogical! At least when Fresh Guo Guo wrote it it was within logic of her own universe. Now? No logic. Anyway just bear in mind HQG is special because she was descendant of Nuwa. And how many times Wallace Huo has been romancing Nuwa's descendent? And Nuwa descendant never had a happy ending by the way.

Sigh... total screw up! And kinda downgraded. God was infinitely more powerful than Nuwa descendant.

Anyway where was I? HQG in shock looked at her sleeping shifu and gently asked;

Shifu, you knew all along? Why didn't you tell me? Why?

How shifu knew? When they were in the cauldron, when her eyes turned purple, remember? Anyway she was very sad, because she knew she have disappointed her shifu and she was sorry and knew this was the end of things. She had helped to reopen the portal to the Demon God world and Demon God has been reborn.

Meanwhile, Mo Yan and gang had a handful stopping everyone who was greedy for power from killing each other. All of them wants the Power and whilst they were being sucked into the void, they helped one another but when it was done, they fought one another. Mo Yan to his credit was not seduced by the power so greed wasn't his problem. HQG knew she made a big screw up and flew with fainted shifu and was intercepted by ZX who was looking for BZH. She handed over BZH to ZX and told her this;

Here, you can take shifu now. I have successfully gathered all the deity devices and therefore I have succeeded in my mission for the Holy Ruler

ZX was like what did you say? HQG said unemotionally;

Remember to tell shifu that part.

ZX didn't understand why HQG needed to tell such a  life but to HQG she knew this was the perfect lie. She knew she would put her shifu in a difficult position and knew she screwed up and so now anted to distance herself from her shifu and so admitted to working for SQM. She vowed to fix things since she was the cause of the mess. ZX knew it was a lie and she said;

Are you not afraid your shifu will not forgive you for this?

But to HQG she simply said it doesn't matter anymore. As long as shifu is fine, she is happy. As long as shifu lives, it was worth it. HQG plans to enter the void and put things right. And as she took one last look at her shifu, she said to herself;

I am sorry shifu. I promise, I will fix this mess even if it means that I will break into a million pieces.

She flew away.

ZX sat alone with ZX, she said almost to herself with a tinge of admiration that she thought she should be happy but she felt she had led a pathetic existence. Whilst HQG who was small and weaker compared to her was busy finding ways to save BZH and now fix the mess, she was always complaining, crying, self pity and putting herself in such a state. It was always just about herself. She looked at the dark skies and cried for BZH to wake up, crying things are a mess, a mess indeed when BZH woke up calling HQG's name and when he sat straight up he realised he was no longer poisoned. I wonder did he realise how he was saved? I think at some point he would have. Anyway BZH asked what was happening, where is HQG and all ZX can do is look at the dark skies and BZH looked at the dark skies and knew there was trouble brewing as ZX cried all things are too late, too late.

HQG intercepted the fighting good sects and saved  them and flew to the ground begging them to stop fighting. Told them to unite and not be wicked. Did they listen? Nope. NMT wanted her dead and suddenly SQM and SCQ and gang flew down (so beautiful) and warned everyone not to hurt HQG and he told HQG to do what she must and pushed HQG away as SQM prepared himself for a huge battle but SCQ was saying just 7 days more and they can reap the benefit of the power but SQM didn't quite care for that. As SQM became battle ready, HQG flying up above stopped and looked at everyone, and to SQM, Tang Bao, her fellow friends and Yun Yi who was there also and looking at her anxiously and HQG said to everyone not to kill each other for the power and that this was her goodbye and as Tang Bao cried for her not to go, HQG turned back and flew towards the void and to many, certain death...

Next episode, we shall meet the most talked about character we have yet to see; the Demon God.

Not much comment. Just happy shifu is no longer poisoned, but he awakes to such a messy messy messy world. Even ZX isn't so upbeat anymore. But it wasn't HQG's fault entirely. First, SCQ tricked her. He used her love for SF and tricked her. If HQG did not use her blood to open the seal, even if saving her shifu, demon god won't appear. But she was tricked. I was saying in a forum if it was Mo Yan, SCQ wouldn't be able to get Mo Yan to spit a speck of saliva, more so a drop of blood! So what will shifu do? Ahhhh... worse to come but to BZH, tough love is still love. 

Anyway in these 2 episodes we have some beautiful men but these 2 takes the credit..

Gorgeous!!

But my vote goes to Zhao Liying's HQG in the final scene, I thought she looked pretty with the gentle breeze and all even if she was flying to her doom when she created a doomed scenario from doing doomed stuff. Lots of doom.

Last but not least ... let's rejoice over shifu's no longer poisoned state!!