1/10 - There is no ignoring that scene transition.

There is no ignoring that scene transition!!!! What was the director thinking. Or the writer. Firstly that was choppy as heck I had to triple check to make sure the player didn't skip. Secondly, other jealous female willing to a kill for a man that has no interest!? WTF. -_-

Speaking of WTF! So Bai Qian's reason for not wanting to be touched by Ye Hua is because she fears she's in the way of the person he really loves!!!!! ARGGGGGGGGGGGH! No. No. No. This man has only mislead and misinformed. Leading her to all kinds of torture. Let's be honest. He lied about keeping her company out there. Omission is a lie. This man took her eyes out himself. Couldn't he have explained everything. Patiently waited to become the head guy and then brought her out? All he had to do was be honest. Period.

Events with my farvorite side story of Feng Jiu and Dijun were lovely. The only saving grace of this episode. Even with the whole chop away stuff. Dijun realizing his full extent of his feelings was moving. You could feel it burning the world down! Sadly he's either afraid or hiding something. Both. So away poor Feng Jiu goes.

I still feel like this is all setup. No meat. During giving birth Bai Qian apparently tries to inadvertently break the seal. So I am right. Her memories and powers are just sealed away. The Ghost Lord says "the seal can only be broken if he dies or she dies." So I assume if Bai Qian dies her powers come back and she lives? Because if she just dies that not really breaking the seal . . .she'd be dead. Which is the foreshadowing I need. Who wants to guess what learning the walk to the evil-drop-off-worm-hole-of-death is for? If it gets Bai Qian back I'm all for it.

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ep 25 spoilers ahead

1. We open up to two births. At the same time Xuan Nu gives birth to a stillborn (and insists that her medicine man use forbidden magic to save it; that it is only asleep) Su Su gives birth to a prince. Li Jing discovers this and Xuan Nu has the power man executed (poor guy/ Li Jing is kind of numb and walks off in a daze). He has a flashback to a conversation with Si Yin. Apparently he believes this is related to him and his wife committing a sin. SO karma.

2.After her labor Su Su shows no interest in the child and continues to be weak and depressed. I think she has already decided her plan of action (I don't want to spoil anything). I also think her heart is completely broken.

3.Meanwhile, Su Jin throws a tantrum in her rooms, convinced that Su Su has the best luck and expresses anger and despair because now that Su Su has birthed a prince, her position is likely to be cemented.

3.YH continues to give Su Su gifts, but she isn't buying his sweet act. She thinks he loves Su Jin and is doing this out of obligation. She begins to memorize the path to the terrace. I think we all know what she is planning. (Side Note: this plot device, of believing the male lead is in love with another, is very prominent in the sequel, pillow book).

4.FJ spies on a conversation that DH is having with the phoenix. She overhears that not only does he not require her to pay a debt but that she has been an inconvenience (ouch). Feeling dejected, she leaves and runs into YH's cousin (the girl also in love with DH) For reasons that make ZERO SENSE this girl chooses to throw her into the pagoda??!! This is one of those WTF moments, the last being, when the celestial emperor found Su Su. Again, WTF? This literally makes no sense. WHY WOULD SHE DO THIS???

5. The scene switches to YH who sees Su Su speaking to the Phoenix god. In typical YH fashion he makes a blunder and asks if she is causing trouble (yet again reaffirming her beliefs that she is a burden). He apologizes on her behalf in spite of the god saying she has caused no trouble. Then he escorts her back to her rooms and she acts a little afraid of him (who wouldn't be?) he tries to comfort her with good news: they will be married soon. she seems to not be excited but says that is nice in a very listless way. And yet again we see another case of YH focusing on his own goals and overwriting/dismissing her feelings (probably thinking that he can make it all better with a ring).

6.DH appears in red flames to rescue FJ. (This is my favorite part in the entire series, seeing Dijun get this angry). He has a fight with the guardian of the pagoda, a horribly rendered CGI monster who is described as 'the terror of the heavens'. My one complaint is that they make him seem weaker than he actually is, both in the series and compared to the novels. FJ tries to help but is knocked unconscious. DH has a strangely excited expression on his face as he takes out this creature (he is supposed to be sadistic in the novel, so maybe he was trying to project that?) I guess he hasn't fought for a while?

7.In the next scene FJ is sleeping in Dijun's private chambers, and he is watching her intently from behind a screen. I call this his 'aha moment' because this is when I think he realizes he is in love with her and thus this changes their relationship. Given who he is, and what he eventually reveals, I am not surprised he sends her away under the excuse 'you have caused too much damage'. He is sending her away I think because he likes her.

8.FJ leaves, returns home all upset, and to distract herself from her depression, she goes to confront the snake who married 2nd prince, causing her aunt to lose face. FJ, having a softer heart than BQ, agrees to accept the cloud fan when offered as an apology (recall BQ gifted this to the snake girl) and admits that she she should be mad at her but seems to accept the apology. She does state that she can't accept an apology for her aunt i.e.speak for her but acknowledges that she earned her respect because she never revealed any of the fox clans secrets.

9.FJ returns home and her father is there to yell at her. Presumably because she ran away without telling anyone for many years and because she snuck in to help DH. END EPISODE.

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