Episode 24 recap: King Xun Nan was determined to reclaim Jiuling. Jiuling and her martial brother, Rong Yu, faced each other in battle.
Jiuling bid farewell to Rong Yu, explaining that once they hit the official road, she and the Emperor would travel day and night. However, Rong Yu, as a traveling sorcerer with the army, didn't need to rush. Despite her concerns for his safety, Rong Yu refused to listen, claiming that he was not her soldier. Just then, He Shan hurriedly arrived, and Jiuling's worries were finally put to rest.
After three years, Emperor Shao Di personally led an expedition, fighting for three months to reclaim four cities. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and agreed to a ceasefire for several months. Jiuling told the Emperor about General Yan's rescue mission during their fierce battle in Xun Nan. King Xun Nan sat in his tent, drinking alone, unaware of why Jiuling would like a fool and how he could be defeated by a fool.
King Xun Nan resolved to defeat Jia Lin in order to take Jiuling away. The Emperor asked Jiuling what she planned to do after the war in the southern frontier. The Emperor intended to appoint her as Grand General, allowing her to do whatever she pleased, even becoming a little overlord as she did in the past. However, Jiuling refused the title of Grand General, expressing her desire to buy a small house in the southern frontier and live there leisurely.
The Emperor asked her about Rong Yu. He knew that Jiuling hadn't forgotten about him. Just then, Wang De Quan came to report that Master Rong, the head of the Astrology Pavilion, had been abducted on the street. Upon hearing this, Jiuling immediately went out to search for him. At that moment, Rong Yu had been taken away by an old woman—who happened to be Jiuling's master—to Wuhua Mountain.
When Jiuling saw the token left behind by the woman, she knew her master had come. The master led Rong Yu through the mountains and forests, but Rong Yu couldn't keep up with her pace. Helpless, the master gave him some pills to strengthen his body. Jiuling finally caught up with her master and Rong Yu. The master was angry to see Jiuling choosing someone as weak as Rong Yu as her husband. Learning that Jiuling and Rong Yu had already separated, the master prepared to teach Rong Yu a lesson, but Jiuling quickly intervened.
The master didn't want to witness a conflict between Jiuling and her martial brother, so she went to persuade King Xun Nan. However, King Xun Nan stubbornly refused to listen to the master's advice, so she had no choice but to seek out Jiuling instead. The master informed Jiuling that she had implanted a special poison-resistant elixir in her body, making her almost immune to all poisons, but the elixir could never be produced again.
After several days of fierce fighting, the final battle for the last city was in a deadlock. The Emperor and Jiuling's master anxiously awaited news.
At this moment, a subordinate came to report that Jiuling had achieved a complete victory, and Ma Lan Mountain had been captured. While the master was delighted, she couldn't help but feel helpless at Rong Yu's indifferent demeanor. Rong Yu talked about the grudge between his father and a martial arts expert, which angered the master. She blamed herself for interfering in the relationship between herself and the late Emperor due to a remark from the Astrology Pavilion.
Jiuling joyfully ran to the master, who had come to disturb Rong Yu again. She apologized to Rong Yu and persuaded the master to leave, saying that she would take Jiuling to attend the victory celebration banquet. Zhan Ping had already guessed who the martial arts expert Rong Yu mentioned was. Jiuling got heavily drunk and stumbled over when she heard Rong Yu playing the qin. Seeing the injury on Rong Yu's hand, Jiuling affectionately wanted to kiss it. Rong Yu, feeling embarrassed by her behavior, quickly stood up. Jiuling spoke her mind, saying that she liked Rong Yu, liked that silly person who was always by her side, and that she didn't want to burn down his Astrology Pavilion. She was more heartbroken than anyone else, but she had to do it.
Hearing Jiuling's heartfelt words, Rong Yu felt immense tenderness for her. He deeply kissed Jiuling on the forehead and covered her with his own clothes. The master, watching from a distance, felt comforted in her heart. When Jiuling woke up, she saw that the master had left a letter for her. Not wanting to witness a confrontation between them as martial siblings, she decided to leave first.
The next day, the Emperor summoned everyone to discuss matters. Jiuling noticed that Rong Yu looked unhappy. The Emperor hurriedly persuaded them to focus on the discussion. Rong Yu analyzed the situation they were facing and believed that Wutu was the final battle between Jia Lin and Xun Nan, a battle of life and death. Xun Nan's army was at the city gates, and he wanted to have a talk with the defending general, He Jiu Ling. Jiuling firmly stated that there was nothing to talk about between them. Xun Nan tried to persuade Jiuling to stop being stubborn, but Jiuling declared that they no longer had a martial sibling relationship. Thus, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle.
In the chaotic streets, Zhan Ping saw the injured Cheng Bi and kindly brought her back. However, Cheng Bi intended to assassinate Rong Yu. At that moment, the war cry resounded, and Jiuling saw a message from the sky, realizing that he had succeeded on his end.
This drama is one of the few that made me cry the most. I felt so sorry for the characters in their 90s, especially the transformation of the male lead in the later episodes. It was heart-wrenching to know that they hadn't even met yet.
I cried my eyes out. There were very few sweet scenes between them after they regained their consciousness, and the reunion was too short, which was a bit regrettable. I hope the two of them can have more romantic moments together.
Song Yi Ren's crying scenes were well done. After briefly looking at the male lead's other co-stars, I feel that his chemistry with Song Yi Ren is the strongest and most genuine. It's just a pity that there were too few sweet moments.