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  • 4/25/2025
Another video in which I am a clown.

** SPOILER WARNING: You’re probably watching this having seen the whole drama. Just in case you haven’t seen all of it, I sometimes make references or hints about things that happen later in the show. (I filmed reactions to this entire series months ago and started editing much later). **

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EPISODE 16 ON YOUKU OFFICIAL CHANNEL:
https://youtu.be/D5RalspHrHg?si=_LcfdJPUOkawceIG

This reaction on Youtube: https://youtu.be/WzAb32Nxbjg

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Transcript
00:00Hello, this is eSoup, aka Specific Soup. I am back with my reaction to Word of Honor,
00:07episode 16. I did sort of a late night running marathon kind of thing, reacting to, I think it
00:14was four episodes in a row. I had a little break between two of them, but it was basically four
00:21episodes in a row. I might do something similar today. Yeah, I don't really recommend this. I
00:27didn't really sleep enough, but it was like, I finished up episode 15, I like went to bed,
00:33and I just definitely didn't sleep very well because it was like, I literally was feeling
00:38tense from just like the experience of the events of the show. And I think what I want to do today
00:46is at least react to enough to hopefully get to an episode where things are slightly brighter,
00:53just a little bit, just a little bit to like get it out of my system because I feel like I have to
00:59get to a point of at least slight reconciliation to just not feel like I'm going crazy. Also,
01:05I'm gonna look up really quick if this has a special edition. Netflix seems to have the specials,
01:11but I want to check anyway. Episode 16 does not have a special version, but episode 17 does have
01:19a special version. So I think at the very least, I'm going to watch those two today. At the very
01:25least, I'm going to get through episodes 16 and 17 because to me, if it has a special cut, that means
01:31there are small scenes that I guess they had to censor for the original release, and then later they
01:39were like, hey, we'll throw this in. So usually it means that there's sweet gay things happening.
01:44So if I know that I'm getting to possibly sweet gay things, by episode 17 at least, then I can
01:51feel okay about this. I could feel okay about my life again. So that's where I'm going. I might react
02:00even more today, but I'm not sure. When I actually think about all of the plot twists and also potential
02:07plot twists last episode, because they could still be spreading lies about Gao Chong that are like part of
02:12the setup, but I'm, I'm not sure. I'm a little bit unsure. I have no idea what to think about him at
02:20this point. I don't know if he really nobly, like, wanted to be a monk and all that, or if he's colluding
02:29with the voice in the sky who's talking about stuff. I, I shouldn't put it off anymore. I'm just
02:37going to get into it. So yep, there's my emotional support coffee and my emotional support leopard who
02:44is going to move while I drink the coffee so I don't spill anything, but I'll need her again in a
02:49little bit. Without further ado, I really don't know how the people were handling it who were doing like
02:54filming one reaction a week or even two reactions a week. I don't know what they were doing after
02:59episode 14 and 15 crying alone in a dark room. I, I don't know. Anyway, let's go. Let's do this.
03:06My thoughts I had earlier about how Chun-Ling will feel.
03:11My thoughts I had earlier about how Chun-Ling will feel.
03:17About who Wen Qixing is are just...
03:36Coming more alive now. Cause I'm like, what is, what is he going to see? What is he going to...
03:45Witness that Wen Qixing has done.
03:50Ooh.
03:59Are we fighting now?
04:03I'm like Wen Qixing, are we fighting now?
04:06Are we finally fighting?
04:14That's a good laugh.
04:15Are we fighting now?
04:16Are we fighting now?
04:17Are we fighting now?
04:18Are we fighting now?
04:21I just don't know who's good and who's evil.
04:25I don't think there's an answer.
04:32Oh lord.
04:33Yeah.
04:34Yeah.
04:35Yeah.
04:36Yeah.
04:37I actually think so either.
04:38Goodness.
04:39Oh, he just cut all their swords.
04:41Oh, he just cut all their swords.
04:42Oh, he just cut all their swords.
04:43Go.
04:44Go.
04:45Go.
04:46Go.
04:47Go.
04:48Go.
04:49Go.
04:50Oh, he just cut all their swords.
04:52Go.
04:53Go.
04:54Go.
04:55Go.
04:56Go.
04:57Go.
04:58Go.
04:59Go.
05:00Go.
05:01Go.
05:02Go.
05:03Go.
05:04Go.
05:05Go.
05:06Go.
05:07Go.
05:08Go.
05:09Go.
05:10Go.
05:11Go.
05:12Go.
05:13Go.
05:14Go.
05:15Go.
05:16Go.
05:17Go.
05:18Go.
05:19Go.
05:20I think that sect was trying to call their clan leader in.
05:25I still don't know what's up with Shen Shen.
05:33Ugh.
05:34Poor Zhao Jing.
05:35Oh.
05:36Well, he's not pretending then.
05:37He doesn't want to actually kill those people.
05:39Oh.
05:40No, I'm sorry.
05:41No, you might be wrong.
05:42You might actually be wrong.
05:43Well, I'm pushing.
05:44I think maybe this is the lesson that you have to learn is that you might be wrong.
05:49Oh.
05:50Oh.
05:51Oh.
05:52Is he gonna have to actually fight?
05:55Oh.
05:56I'm pushing.
05:57I think maybe this is the lesson that you have to learn is that you might be wrong.
06:02Oh.
06:04Is he gonna have to actually fight?
06:07Is he gonna have to actually fight?
06:11Ugh.
06:13No, no, no, don't!
06:15No, he's trying to save him.
06:17Zhao.
06:19We like you, okay?
06:21But we're trying to save Chung Ling over here.
06:25Is he?
06:27Yeah, Gao Chong is trying not to actually hurt anybody.
06:33I feel like I've been duped by this show.
06:40Which is so clever.
06:42We were so quick to stick up for, like, everything that-
06:49Well, almost everything that one Fishing was saying.
06:53Right? Ooh. We didn't stop to think if we should.
06:59Oh.
07:01Oh, he had to really fight him.
07:04You're a good guy. If not, you're a great guy.
07:06I hope you're a good guy.
07:08I'm your little boy.
07:09You-
07:10You-
07:11You-
07:12Ha ha ha!
07:14Ha ha ha!
07:15I love his look with the hat and the veil.
07:21It's very nice.
07:23You-
07:34Is Chung Ling going to see when Kushan can be like, what the heck, dude?
07:38That's his f-
07:42Wait.
07:43Was that Kushan's fan?
07:45Oh, he-
07:47He is protecting Chung Ling.
07:52I-
07:53Giga-
07:54Mmm.
07:55At the end of the day, he still doesn't want his people to get hurt.
08:12Maybe?
08:13Oh.
08:14Tung Ling is gonna be so mad that these people are in danger. I don't-
08:31Oh jeez.
08:32Oh no.
08:33Cause he doesn't-
08:37Oh my god.
08:38Woah.
08:39That was cool.
08:40Cause Chung Ling doesn't want Gao Chong to die.
08:46Or any of these guys to die, really.
08:51Okay.
08:52I love him with the hair down.
08:55He's really in his comeback era.
09:01Oof.
09:07Alright.
09:08Oh, are they gonna smash this down?
09:13Okay.
09:14It's okay.
09:15It's okay.
09:16It's a monument.
09:17We can live without the monument.
09:20Oh, but it's symbolic.
09:22Oh no.
09:23Don't get squished.
09:26Ooh.
09:32I don't know what Wing Cushing feels in this moment.
09:36Oh.
09:38No.
09:39Oh.
09:44Oh.
09:53Ooh.
09:54Oh.
09:56Are these the first people, like, he actually, like, killed killed?
10:00I mean, I understand.
10:01They pose a very immediate threat.
10:05In this situation.
10:07Oh.
10:09Right?
10:11Yeah, like, bro, stop.
10:14Oof.
10:15Two.
10:17Who's out there?
10:19Oh.
10:20I will.
10:22Oh.
10:23Hey.
10:24Oh.
10:26Oh.
10:27Oh.
10:28Oh.
10:29Oh my god.
10:30Oh my god.
10:31Oh my god.
10:32Oh my god.
10:33Oh my god.
10:34Oh my god.
10:36I think he was actually framed.
10:51I think.
11:01And I was thinking about in the episodes where
11:06his daughter is kind of standing up for him
11:08or she's like, well, he's harsh, but he means well.
11:12And it always feels a little like,
11:13well, of course you're going to say that you're the daughter.
11:16But it could be possible that, you know,
11:18she actually was describing his character, like, for real.
11:22That Gao Chong is not, like, a bad guy.
11:26In his position of power, he has to make certain choices
11:30and some of them are, like, really not great for our main characters.
11:33But if he is, like, if all of this is him being framed,
11:38yeah, if all of this is him being framed,
11:39like, absolutely all of it,
11:41which I think Wen Cushing might not know one way or the other
11:45because so many people have been at play in this.
11:47But if all of this is just him being framed,
11:50then ultimately, like, again, it's like,
11:52well, I don't, like, I don't love him.
11:54But ultimately, he kind of is a good guy.
11:57And plus, we at first thought we were supposed to root for Rong Shuan.
12:01And then Wen Cushing was like,
12:03what are you talking about?
12:04That's not my father.
12:05I don't like him either.
12:06Just the moment, I feel like the moment is coming
12:10when Chong Ling is like,
12:11oh, shoot.
12:13This is, like, Wen Cushing's fault.
12:16How do I trust anyone now?
12:18I'm so, oh, I'm so upset
12:20because I can't see how we're, like,
12:22I feel like that is a thing
12:24that has to be dealt with at some point.
12:27And I don't know when else it would be dealt with.
12:38Okay.
12:39Well.
12:43But what if they don't keep their promise?
12:44I sympathize with him
12:55even though I don't think this is
12:57the best idea.
13:02He's too trusting, I think.
13:04Wow.
13:16By the way, someone has Xiaolian.
13:20Where is she?
13:21Tell us where Xiaolian is.
13:24Because those pink and green people have her.
13:26I don't know what they're planning with it.
13:43Yeah, where's your daughter?
13:49Oh.
13:49Shen Shen, just, just do it.
13:58Just do it.
14:02Just do it, man.
14:05Ooh.
14:08What was that?
14:11Did he just knock him out?
14:14And he's like,
14:15sorry, this guy's gonna get in my way.
14:19Just to let Xiaolian
14:22交出琉璃甲.
14:24Is it?
14:37Geez.
14:39Oh.
14:42Yeah, I don't think
14:43this isn't really what
14:44I'm just saying.
14:46What?
14:49I, the one thing is, I should still, I should still consider, okay, what is it, like, why does
14:59Wen Keqing not like Gao Chong? Because if Wen Keqing is also not on the side of Rong Xuan,
15:06then the problem isn't just what Gao Chong did against Rong Xuan. And, and I imagine it just
15:11has to do with instigating the violence that led to his parents' deaths. But I, I'm, I'm curious now,
15:19like, I'm curious now what the original thing that made him want to, like, target him is.
15:31Oh. Oh. That. Honestly, all the respect for him that he did that, I, part of me feels like,
15:47like, that's just what needed to happen, right? I mean, I don't know. Right? Oh.
16:00Oh.
16:03I, I think that really made Wen Keqing doubt his, his, his assessment of him.
16:10Oh, no. Oh, no. Where is he going? What is he doing?
16:16Oh, my God.
16:21Oh, jeez.
16:25Oh.
16:27Oh, what did you do, bro?
16:31Oh, ow.
16:33I'm ramming your head in the-
16:44Oh, my gosh.
16:46I have been tricked.
16:50I have been-
16:51Yeah, sorry, man.
16:54Oh.
16:55Uh, yeah, now we're fighting again.
17:03Oh, my God.
17:07Oh.
17:10Oh.
17:11This is, this is, yeah.
17:18This is where he knew. He effed up.
17:20Are they the-
17:32Oh, the, okay.
17:33The people that left, okay.
17:35I, I thought maybe they were leaving to get their sect leader, but maybe they were just leaving.
17:39The wind something sect? That's the one that's how Wei Ning is in, right?
17:45Oh.
17:52Gentle wind sword.
17:53But which of those might be fake?
17:55Yikes.
18:00Oh, man.
18:05He's like, okay, I'm on guarding the cave duty, because I've been a bad boy.
18:11Oh, this sucks.
18:15Oh, my God.
18:20Chongling, I'm sorry that the man I love did this to you.
18:34Oh.
18:37What are you gonna say?
18:41Oh.
18:45Music.
18:46Oh, my God.
18:50Oh.
18:51Oh, he-
18:52Oh, he-
18:57Oh.
19:02Oh, he-
19:04Oh, he-
19:11Oh, he-
19:20I don't know, I don't know how to explain it the way he, like, he, like, makes an example of things for Wen Cushing in a way that's, like, it's, like, so clearly demonstrative and it's so, and it sounds weird to say this, but it is almost like when you're trying to teach a child something and you have to give them, like, an example of something they would understand and, like, break it down in a certain way that they would get it, but you're still trying to be gentle with them.
19:49And, and I, I know that obviously we're talking about a grown adult, but I think it's been made so clear in the show the way that it's, like, his trauma, I think, like, his trauma, like, reverts him back to childlike emotions and logic, and I also think that when he's having a good time, he, like, reverts back there to, god, okay, this is, like, this sounds so sad, but, like, oh, because maybe the last time that he was, like,
20:19really happy before all the horrible things started happening was, like, presumably when he was a kid. And I feel like Joseph Shue sees that and he, like, knows how to talk to him in that way. Again, obviously, he's not actually a child and he doesn't need to literally be treated like a child,
20:37but there's just something about the way Joseph Shue has, like, done so many things where he kind of, like, set an example for Wen Cushing or, like, just pulls the exact right, like, I don't know, comparison out of a hat to, like, make it make sense.
20:53And he shows so much, it's, like, he shows so much mercy, like, even at this point. He has his moments of being, like, fed up and incredibly emotional about it, but then he, like, comes back and is just, like, so forgiving in a way.
21:11When the stuff happened in, like, episode 14, I, like, kept thinking I was gonna cry and I, like, almost did and then I just, like, didn't.
21:19Because, I don't know, I was just, like, I was feeling my heart rate go up instead of, like, crying.
21:24But now that it's, like, we're a cinch calmer, I'm just, like, okay, I'm crying now. We're just gonna back up a little.
21:33And, and the fact that I think, like, rain in these shows can be so symbolic and not in, like, a cheesy way.
21:41Not just, like, oh, it's thunder and lightning because sad things are happening, but, like, he was standing out in the rain and then Joseph Shue comes out.
21:49Right? Are they both in the rain? They're not totally under the cave thing, right?
21:52Like, watch me eat my words.
21:55I thought they were, like, under the rainfall.
21:57But anyway, because I'm just, like, imagining the thing of, like, joining someone who's out in the rain.
22:04They're in the middle of a downpour.
22:06They've, like, royally, royally messed up.
22:10But you feel, like, for whatever reason or circumstances, they deserve, like, a lifeline, basically.
22:18And you go out and, like, join them in the rain.
22:22And you're just, like, in the rain with them.
22:24They might not actually be getting wet right now.
22:27I can't tell.
22:29I think they are.
22:31I don't know.
22:32They're still under the cave overhang, I think, but it looked like they were getting wet.
22:40But just take my metaphor anyway.
22:42I think it still makes sense.
22:44And I'm thinking about the fact that he could play that song on the flute.
22:48That it's supposed to be that you're kind or you're pure of heart.
22:51Only pure of heart people or something can play it.
22:53And I don't know.
22:55Because I thought, how is that the case?
22:58Was it, like, a trick?
23:00Is he able to do something to still be able to do stuff like that while still being, like, evil?
23:05But maybe the idea is that, like, the childlike innocence at the core of him has kindness.
23:14And he just needs to focus on that and, like, drop everything else.
23:18And he just needs to be able to do stuff like that.
23:48Mm-hmm.
23:48Mm-hmm.
24:02Mm-hmm.
24:09Mm-hmm.
24:10Mm-hmm.
24:15Mm-hmm.
24:16Mm-hmm.
24:17Mm-hmm.
24:18Oh.
24:19Oh.
24:20Oh.
24:21We know things about Zhao Jing?
24:37I knew there was some other stuff going on with him and he kinda worked with- it feels
24:43like it's been a million years.
24:45He worked with some of the Ghost Valley people maybe, I think.
24:50He did something like a little shady, but then also he was trying to help.
24:56He might have been trying to help or do something for the drama lady.
25:00Why am I forgetting?
25:02The drama lady.
25:03I think you know who I mean.
25:04The one who like- he knew her from before, but she had had the soup of forgetting and
25:11so she didn't know who he was anymore.
25:13But I- at that point, it's like all a blur at this point, but I know he was colluding
25:17with somebody to do something, but he also seemed a little bit more humanized because
25:25of his care for the ghost woman.
25:28But now I'm like, are we getting the- the tea that he was doing like sketchy stuff too?
25:36This is so interesting.
25:37Surely- well, I would think Joe Zishu knows at this point that Wen Ka Xing is one of the
25:46people pulling the strings and he's just not saying that, but he's trying to be like,
25:49well, this is what I've observed, blah blah blah.
25:53But I think he must know, but I don't think he knows that he's like the chief.
25:58Mm-hmm.
26:09Mm-hmm.
26:14Interesting, I'm just, I'm keeping some things in my back pocket before I say them.
26:42He's...
26:44I think...
27:13I think this kind of stuff would be his bread and butter from having been in the Window of Heaven.
27:19So I'm not sure, but I think he probably already knows that Wen Ka-Shing...
27:25Yeah, he's already implied that things didn't go the way Wen Ka-Shing wanted.
27:29So I think he knows that he was at least one of the planners.
27:35And he's saying what we kind of figured too, that somebody who worked for him did something different, and that is all it took.
27:45That, or you know, rain, or whatever random event of the day is all it took to mess up his plan.
27:51Hmm...
27:55Don't...
27:57Don't...
27:58Don't...
27:59Don't...
28:00Don't...
28:01Don't...
28:02Don't...
28:03Don't...
28:04Don't...
28:05Don't...
28:06Don't...
28:07Don't...
28:08Don't...
28:09Don't...
28:10Don't...
28:11Don't...
28:12Don't...
28:13Don't...
28:14I just...
28:15I had a thought about the way when Wen Ka-Shing is like...
28:19He's like basically talking to himself about how he has to do more.
28:24Basically when he's saying like, he has to do more to get Zhou Zishu to like, love him.
28:29And it's like, he's gonna have to learn not to see these things in terms of control.
28:35But that's so clearly also like, the trauma brain talking.
28:41That he feels like he has to make sure...
28:44He feels like if he does things right, then someone will love him and like, things will go his way.
28:50And all...
28:51He's seen so much like, greed from people that he thinks like, oh, just these people, I just control them with their greed.
29:05And he doesn't yet understand how that's at odds with like, you know, him caring for Zhou Zishu or Cheng Ling or like, any other person that he decides is like, good enough.
29:19So I don't know if we're really getting reconciliation this episode at all.
29:23But it does...
29:24I...
29:25Regardless of what happens like, right now in the moment, you know, out of necessity, he certainly has a long way to go.
29:32I mean, that's smart.
29:34Why would things kind of go wrong and he just immediately learns completely the error of his ways?
29:40That wasn't going to happen.
29:42He just still thinks that if he controls something differently, that he can fix everything and like, you know, nothing else matters.
29:57Oh, the rain.
29:59Oh...
30:00Oh...
30:21Oh...
30:22I said, do you help me?
30:25If you said, I can help you.
30:29I...
30:30Are you...
30:35You wanna tell him?
30:45Oh.
30:50Okay.
30:51We'll work on that more later.
31:00Oof.
31:02Oh my god.
31:06I swear, every time he's on screen, he gets more attractive.
31:12Oh.
31:15Oh.
31:17Oh.
31:18Oh.
31:19Oh.
31:20Oh.
31:21Oh.
31:22Oh.
31:23Okay, I gotta put my glasses back on this is getting
31:53too much. This is too much. We have been bamboozled and tricked and this is the godfather that
32:03they were hiding. Oh my god. I cannot believe it. They really, they really set us up with
32:12that one. The one brother that you think is a nicer guy and is more trustworthy and he's
32:19working with the Scorpion King and the Scorpion King is calling him Godfather and, and Window
32:26of Heaven has like a record on him and his different names. Are you kidding me? I really
32:33liked you, Zhao Jing. I really think this show is like taking you on a ride where you have
32:39to like learn the same lessons that the characters do. I would say that you have to learn the same
32:44lessons as Wen Kuxing and that's feels like most of it so far, but I suspect that there
32:52are lessons for Zhao Zixu to learn too. And I don't know, I don't know how they will narratively
32:59frame that, but regardless, at least right now it's been lessons that Wen Kuxing needs to learn
33:06and we're just getting slapped on the face for kind of like making the same assumptions
33:12that he did. And it's so complicated because I still think a lot of the people that we thought,
33:18oh, they're not trustworthy. Some of them might still not be trustworthy, but some of them are.
33:24And some of them are, you know, it's complicated. And then there's other people that we were looking
33:29at going like, you're the one good small bean. And then actually they're not. The, the one,
33:34but I, I just hope Tao Wei Ning is a good guy. Like I kept saying, I think he's a little bit like
33:40not good at certain things that he says he's good at, or there might be something he's lying about,
33:46but I don't think he's going to turn out to be bad, bad. That would be an absolute punch in the gut,
33:52but I don't think he's going to turn out to be super bad. But I feel like with almost everyone else,
33:58like anything is on the table, who's good, who's bad, who's who. Okay. Okay. Okay. I just need to
34:05Wow.
34:06Oh, I don't, I don't like either of them now, but I'm so shipping them. I mean, look at that, like,
34:31because the Scorpion King is like, Oh, you did such a good job of tricking Gao Chong. And you just
34:44like know exactly how to read him like a book. And he's probably like admiring that so much.
34:48And I don't even like read AO3, like, to be honest, like for no good reason. Like I never
34:55got super into fan fiction. And I don't honestly know why, but honestly, is there an AO3 tag?
35:02Oh, what didn't go perfectly?
35:14What? Oh, okay. Oh, that was not supposed to happen. Okay.
35:29Okay. You're a living mascot.
35:48Okay. Well, that's okay. God. Why is he so beautiful?
35:55Oh, they did that.
36:07Oh. Oh, my God.
36:13I'm gonna, I'm, you know what? I'm gonna, I'm not, I can't feel bad for shipping, like,
36:19the evil people in the show, because our main guy is evil right now. Okay. Like, let's,
36:25let's be real.
36:29Song Huayren.
36:33Wait, who is Song Huayren?
36:36Who is that?
36:38Huh.
36:41Good child.
36:47Song Huayren.
36:49Who?
36:50Who? Oh, is that, is that the guy that he killed? Who is the son of the other guy?
36:59Ugh.
37:06Mmm.
37:13That's, like, the centerpiece.
37:16Mmm.
37:17Oh, ooh, ooh, ooh, only...
37:34Oh, ooh, ooh, ooh, only...
37:47I feel like he's like, only I know him better than you do, if you know what I mean.
37:57Ooh.
38:01Mm, oh, that weapon!
38:04Whoa!
38:06Oh.
38:11Oh, maybe he was going to say, like, only I can live or something like that.
38:16But how does that weapon work?
38:18It, like, stabs you, but it also...
38:22This...
38:30XR said it's right, right?
38:32It's good that I'm going to die the person of the son of the son of the son of the son.
38:34Otherwise, Yifu, your lulli cape and plan are all in the water.
38:40Okay, okay, I'm wrong, XR.
38:42Sorry.
38:42Oh, my God.
38:48This was...
38:48I don't know what was on my bingo card for this episode, but this was not on my bingo card.
38:55Okay, that's...
39:00Oh, that's not quite...
39:03That's not quite how I would put it.
39:07Yifu's Rebecca's gonna do all...
39:08Yifu's wife's wife's wife's wife's wife's wife's wife's wife's wife's wife.
39:12Mmm...
39:13Mmm...
39:13You're...
39:15...and there's a thing that you should do.
39:17Yifu, you should...
39:17You should...
39:18You should...
39:18...dannyous face as in my backyard.
39:19Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Who's Mooseyuen? Who is that? Who is Mooseyuen? I don't remember this name from before.
39:49I'm scared.
40:19Okay. We're sitting together. Are we going to have another talk? Like a serious talk? Oh.
40:41Oh. Oh. It's like whenever he offers the wine. Excuse me. Oh. Hello.
40:55Hello.
40:59Eh.
41:02Eh.
41:07Hmm.
41:11His disciple. Oh, shut up.
41:21Shut up.
41:34Uh.
41:37Yes, but no. Who are you?
41:42Eh.
41:44Eh.
41:46Eh.
41:51The whiplash of the show is unheard of.
41:56And I don't, I don't understand how they always pull it off.
41:59This show. I just honestly can't believe it.
42:02And I'm saying the show. I mean, props to the director, the crew, the freaking actors.
42:09Um, everyone who worked on it and whoever did like the screenplay, but also obvious mad props to Priest for writing the story that this is based on, uh, Far Away Wanderers.
42:22Because I could tell now that I'm going to have to become a Priest reader because it's just, I don't know, I'm just like, how does this all work together?
42:32How are the, how am I getting, like, so shocked by some of these twists?
42:37And the way that, like, the emotional scenes are delivered is always so good, too, because it's never just, like, someone saying a basic thing.
42:48Like, it's not the first basic cute thing you can think of. It's like, the dialogue is always so, so well thought out.
42:56It certainly is fitting that, like, poetry is such a big theme with Wen Qixing, but with a lot of other characters, too.
43:03Like, poetry and art, I'm rambling, but I just had a big brain moment.
43:08Because I'm like, oh yeah, there's, there's a lot about how poetry and art capture, like, the human experience, especially the human experience with love.
43:18And that has me going, oh, Wen Qixing, like, loves poetry, he's constantly spouting it off.
43:25He's constantly spouting off stuff which, a lot of which is apparently from, like, ancient Chinese love poems.
43:32And he, at the same time, is, like, setting himself apart from humanity.
43:38Like, humans are greedy. There's these very specific sort of places for the humans that he's cool with, but everyone else is just, like, bad and greedy.
43:48But he loves, like, this art form that has so much to say about the human condition, particularly the good things about the human condition.
43:59I am sure that's on purpose, and I'm sure that that's something that he will come to realize as part of, like, you know, learning to be better and, like, understanding humanity and empathizing more.
44:12But that just clicked with me. He is, like, in love with these very, like, these very human things.
44:19But he's also like, humans are terrible, and I'm above them.
44:23And at some point, something's gotta give.
44:26I'm so astounded with the writing in this and everything.
44:30Like, just, I feel like almost everything is so perfectly placed.
44:34And I don't, I don't even feel like I'm watching something that was low budget.
44:40Because even when they do something where it's obviously low budget, I, I don't even care.
44:45And even the blatant product placement is, like, funny instead of being annoying.
44:52And they, they manage to make part of it like a, like, a thematic element with the whole thing with the walnuts and, like, spinning the walnuts around.
45:01And then he, like, you know, crushes them and attacks the guy.
45:04They took the budget they had, and they just went, we are going to squeeze every cent out of this.
45:12And just, like, make it as perfect as we possibly can with what we have.
45:16Okay.
45:17I need to shut up.
45:20But, Jesus.
45:21And I can't.
45:22And I love this, like, weird, like, two catty gays just, like, fighting each other with these guys.
45:28You're a child.
45:35Who is that?
45:42Who is that?
45:44Who is that?
45:49Who is that?
45:54Right.
45:55Who, who, oh, did that?
45:57Awww.
45:58Who are you?
46:01That's the.
46:16That's, that's what's his name.
46:19The, the cabinet.
46:21yes young chief long please let him free all right what the heck are you guys up to for real
46:38oh he destroyed
47:07some of it we think what did you do this for
47:16she did nothing wrong of course i'm gonna go to the next episode and it's gonna turn out she was
47:33doing something wrong i i can't say anything anymore oh geez okay we're doing sketchy stuff now
47:46i can't i i i can't look at this character and i just the scene with him and the scorpion king
48:01and i was like okay i'm just the way that they're talking and the scorpion king is like so freaking
48:10beautiful like i'm just you know making up my own story that they have like a thing but then the
48:18way that they had them like touching each other's hands and like really close and it was it was
48:24really it was like i'm i'm sorry to make the comparison but i like it was really giving me
48:30the same vibes as like in the untamed with mong yao and lan qi chuan where you're like they keep
48:37doing the hand thing and you're like are they really because like was this supposed to be a thing
48:43and then they're totally like flirting with each other and you're like i didn't know this was gonna
48:48be a thing but this is like that times 10 000 because it's the last guy that you expected i'm not
48:56the only person whose brain was like completely broken by this episode right
49:01just no you don't actually care about that
49:14like what if shen chen ends up being one of the people
49:44that our main guys like team up with to save xialing
49:50hello oh my god the umbrella are you kidding me
50:09wait did you really just i know that shen chen just walked away but would people know who you
50:22are sir would people know that you're bad that you're the scorpion king you just like showed up
50:29and just went right up and started talking to him like right there
50:32oh my god
50:34that's right
50:41that's right
50:54that's right he asked that's right
50:58oh
50:58don't be like that other guy oh my oh my god
51:14god
51:15what
51:21yeah
51:23mm-hmm
51:27what
51:34what
51:35what
51:36excuse me
51:52what
52:05what's he gonna do
52:09oh okay
52:11so when cushing has been all about humans being inherently greedy and it's like but
52:19they can be other things too and then this guy who's you know he's not a ghost from the
52:25ghost valley and he seems to be an upstanding dude and then it turns out he's not and he's
52:29like it's not just greed it's also fear
52:32yeah i don't i don't i don't think i'm reading i don't think i'm reading anything into that situation at all right like they're they're they're they're they're like
52:46oh
52:49he really doesn't like how that guy kind of acts like him
53:03but
53:08oh
53:10oh
53:11oh
53:13oh
53:23um
53:25oh
53:26oh
53:29oh
53:34oh
53:37oh
53:38Why do you have a face in the middle of it?
53:40Hey, little boy.
53:41This word in your book is a big laugh.
53:44Wen Ka-sing really doesn't like the people who are kind of like most similar to him.
53:50Because I think Cao Wei-ning has like a way that's kind of similar to him, and he really didn't like him, and he really doesn't like this guy.
53:58Can we- can someone- can someone help out the disabled child in the background?
54:12Can we talk to him and figure out what is going on?
54:15I think here we go again at a campfire, like joking around insulting each other, and meanwhile there's someone that we should maybe be like helping out or paying more attention to.
54:26I know he's sleeping.
54:28But I just-
54:30How do you sleep with these idiots around you?
54:33Okay, no.
54:36Egg?
54:40A-a theater troupe?
54:43Hold up.
54:44Okay, I just- I gotta-
54:46Okay.
54:48Okay.
54:49We need to belong you in cabinet.
54:51Okay.
54:52We need to belong you in cabinet.
54:54Ah.
54:55Yeah.
54:56Oh, he even called him a little i- idiot.
55:11He's the key.
55:12Cause- wait.
55:13Okay.
55:14The- young- young long, I think was his name.
55:17But he said like, oh my father has the key or the device that you need in addition to the glazed armor to open the armory.
55:27But whatever immortal dude is saying he himself, the child, is the key.
55:33Like, did his father go like- that- that feels weird.
55:37If he's- if he's like- he's like being used as like the key in the situation.
55:42Ehhh.
55:43Ehhh.
55:44Ehhhhhh.
55:45Ehhh.
55:46You're gonna mess it up.
55:49Where- oh.
55:50Key to the past.
55:51Ehhhh-
55:53Ehhhhhh.
55:54Ehhhh.
55:55Ehh.
55:56Right.
55:57Ehhhhh.
55:58Ehh.
55:59Ehh.
56:00Ehhhh.
56:01We're gonna keep getting, like, different and refined versions.
56:05And we're gonna get some, we're gonna wanna get some.
56:06Ehhhh-
56:07Ehhhhhh-
56:08Ehhhh.
56:09getting, like, different and refined versions of the story. What- at this point
56:15I can, like, hear it in my head, like, what the- 20 years ago, what is it? Ar-she-Nian
56:20something. Ar-she-Nian something. And, you know, the narration of the first
56:24episode, and then we get some of it again. I think we've had it, like, three
56:30times now, because Gao Chong was telling that story or part of it, and we had Wen
56:36Cushing telling the story, and now we've got the immortal guy maybe telling the
56:41story. So maybe the child is the key, metaphorically. Oh! Oh, that's the ending!
56:47Guys, gals, and non-binary pals, um, I don't think I've ever been so just, like,
56:53twisted and wrung out and, like, slapped by, like, an episode of television before in
57:01my life. And I feel like there's ten things going on at any one time that I
57:07could sit there and analyze or try to figure out, like, what- I'm still- okay,
57:12I'm- I'm definitely going right on to watch the next episode. I don't know how
57:15much further I'll get today. I wish there were more hours in a day, et cetera.
57:24Anyway, um, please tell me you're not the only one who thinks that, um, the Scorpion
57:29King and Zhao Jing are, like, super hot together. It just works. I'm upset about
57:36it, but I know I'm not the only one. Right? Right? Anyway, um, eSoup signing out.
57:45Until next time.