*Devy = Devil = Dongfang Qingcang
Quippe: Orchid and Devy finally make things clear to each other in this episode. Not that it can be any clearer than it already is.
Dew: I’m back and ready for another round of “Are you sure you want to kill my people?” “Yes.” “Like, sure sure?”. But not before we say goodbye to happy-go-lucky Changheng and get his brooding but equally attractive immortal version back.
EPISODE 26 RECAP
Possessed by dark magic, Wanqing tries to kill Orchid. Devy escapes from Ronghao’s smoke and comes to save her just in time. He throws a sword at Wanqing, ending her life, then reflects to himself: the trial has failed. You think?
A mysterious immortal attacks them then, Devy tries to fight back but he’s already drained from the fake wedding anticipation poison. Things look pretty bleak for them. But not to worry at all, we have a get-out-of-jail-free card: Orchid is magic! She explodes with light and drives away the dark force.
Go ahead Led Zeppelin Orchid, take it away! *head bangs in Goddess True Form style*
Dayin and Devy recognize that power as Goddess Xishan’s, but Orchid has no idea.
Dayin, who believes that Changheng’s spirit has scattered due to the failed trail, storms in at this time, she wants a piece of Orchid too. But Shangque jumps in to stop her from hurting Orchid and Devy. Is it wrong that I think Dayin should have her chance to break down the Moon Lord tonight too? Who knows, it might knock some sense of urgency into him. Seems like he’s been daydreaming a lot lately.
Ronghao treads softly to his master’s body to close her eyes. Thank you, Ronghao; because those eyes were going to haunt me for the rest of this show.
Devy has to carry Orchid away and hide because she is as weak as he is now. At the same time, Changheng’s soul returns to the Heaven Realm, he is alive! He actually passed the trial.
His real trial was to sacrifice his life to save the one he loves. Well, talk about studying for something that’s not even on the TEST.
He is not injured or weak anymore, just… thoroughly embarrassed by his experience with Devy and Orchid in the mortal realm. He rushes out right away to see how Orchid is doing, though.
The Heaven army is surrounding Orchid and Devy. It looks like the Heaven Lord has upgraded his outfit too. The melting gold has spread to both sides of his shoulders.
And some smoky eyeshadow to match Devy’s black lips, of course. This and his decision to bring his entire army to go against a wounded Devy are secretly a huge compliment, methinks.
The whole army attacks Orchid and Devy at once and Devy notices something critical: He can’t control Hellfire anymore. And it’s not performance anxiety.
Changheng catches up with them and convinces Orchid to go home with him. Hmm, not a good idea. I trust Changheng, but he gives his family more trust than they deserve.
He makes it clear this time where his priority lies: Orchid and her safety only. Hurt her and they’ll also make an enemy out of the God of War.
Heaven Lord’s deal? Kill Devy first and Orchid can go home safely.
Despite being threatened by an entire army, Orchid still finds time to make a long speech about how her days in the Heaven seem like another life now, explaining in detail what she misses about it. This drama just has to walk us through everything, doesn’t it.
No better time for a monologue than when your lover is half dying, your one-sided crush is putting his life on the line for your escape, and the whole Heaven army is just trying to kill your lover and go home before dinner.
In the end, Changheng aids their escape, to the Heaven Lord’s fury. Orchid and Devy get to a safe place, she uses her blood to make him conscious again.
More importantly, his black lipstick is off and I can take him seriously again. Next time, just give me the red-blood-dripping-from-mouth-that-never-iodizes. (Black is his color for everything except the lip. Maybe the Heaven Lord can try it in the next battle.)
When he wakes up, Devy asks Orchid why she saved him. Orchid responds by saying she will get him something to eat, but of course he doesn’t let her go anywhere. It’s clear it isn’t food he wants to eat right now.
They kiss. I wish I could say that this kiss is the highlight of the episode, but Shangque and Jieli arrive at the scene and their reaction kind of steals the spotlight.
They go back to the Moon Realm where they are visited by Changheng.
The boys’ greetings are now just angry eyebrows and constipated faces. No smiles and hand-on-shoulder action here. Someone take me back to the Mortal Realm days.
After threatening Devy that he came to take Orchid away, Changheng tells them he has found a solution to the lost spirits (the immortals that were kidnapped and killed by Ronghao and his assistant lady) that are stuck in between realms: music. The primordial Gods have utilized music to get this kind of job done.
But playing the music takes master skills and now Devy and Changheng must become a boyband duo to save the universe with their rock bangers. No? Common!
Orchid believes that if Changheng and Devy join forces, they might be able to create powerful music that can guide the lost souls to the other world. Devy reluctantly agrees to the plan, he has bigger things in mind, like making sure Changheng knows Orchid is his.
Anyway, Devy and Changheng practice a tune together. They keep clashing and driving Orchid up a wall. At one point, Devy walks out. But he runs into the old grandmother again and she sure puts him in his place. Not by force, but by letting him know that they are carrying out a ceremony to honor the men who have not come back. She also reminds him of the promise he made to bring back the lost soldiers. That’s right, Devy. It has been other people who try to get that job done so far, you need to up your game.
Meanwhile, Ronghao still can’t stop talking to his unconscious Shifu.
This guy has the patience of an alcoholic, dejected double-agent disciple following his master across endless lifetimes and tribulations just to bring her back to life. Wait…