The Legend of Taotie Episode 1 Recap
> The Legend of Taotie Recap
The gluttonous beast Taotie, known for its insatiable appetite, accidentally wandered into the human realm, living freely without restraint. Eventually, Lian Deng, a monk, moved Taotie with compassion, but this inadvertently opened the Heaven-Connecting Gate. This led to an alliance between the armies of the Black Ridge King and Qiongqi, who aimed to dominate the human world. Lian Deng and Taotie personally led troops to a fierce battle outside Songyang Gate. The battle was perilous.
Even though Taotie was incredibly powerful, the enemy forces outnumbered her by tens of thousands. Struck by countless arrows, Taotie was severely wounded. Upon hearing that Lian Deng had sacrificed his physical body to transform into a protective tower, she fell into despair. Reminiscing about the days when they fought side by side, her grief consumed her. Without hesitation, she detonated herself, ending her life.
Five hundred years later, in a resplendent mansion known as Tianxiang Tower, Chang Qing was painting a portrait of Zhu Chengbi. Zhu Chengbi, who had been without fresh delicacies for days, lay idly, dozing off out of boredom. Curious about Chang Qing’s painting, she leaned over to take a closer look, but Chang Qing intentionally concealed the canvas. Just as Zhu Chengbi was about to snatch it, a visitor arrived at the door.
At that moment, Zhu Chengbi, who had been lamenting the lack of fresh ingredients, was greeted by a male guest, Gao Zong. Gao Zong brought in a large water tank, inside of which was a stunning mermaid. Zhu Chengbi immediately grabbed her chopsticks to sample the fish, only to find the flesh bitter and far from sweet. Puzzled, she questioned Gao Zong, who revealed his backstory with the mermaid.
Recently, Gao Zong had encountered a beautiful woman by the sea, who left him utterly captivated. Unable to forget her, he returned to the riverbank daily in search of her but found no trace. Determined, Gao Zong jumped into the river, prompting the mermaid, who had been hiding behind a rock, to reveal herself and save him. From then on, Gao Zong and the mermaid lived together, even renting a small courtyard by the river to enjoy a tranquil life.
Unfortunately, fortune turned against Gao Zong, and after squandering his wealth, he could no longer provide for their livelihood. Desperate, he spent his days wandering between pawnshops. Frustrated, he returned home one day, accidentally spilling the tea the mermaid had brought him. The hot tea scalded the mermaid's wrist, causing her to reveal her true form and flee to the courtyard pond, thus exposing her real identity.
Overcome by greed, Gao Zong learned from a friend that a powerful court official, Master Jia, had a penchant for eating rare fresh fish. He decided to offer the mermaid as a tribute. Surprisingly, when the mermaid learned of her husband’s plan to sell her, she agreed willingly. When she was brought to Tianxiang Tower, though she wasn’t forcibly restrained, Zhu Chengbi still found the fish meat bitter and unpalatable.
Together, Zhu Chengbi and Chang Qing questioned the mermaid and Gao Zong about their relationship. The mermaid explained that she had once seen Gao Zong release a flower carp back into the river. Later, when his ship was caught in a storm and overturned, she saved him without hesitation. Zhu Chengbi remarked that wealth often conceals a person’s true nature, but adversity reveals it.
Gao Zong, who was willing to trade his wife for benefits, was by no means a virtuous man. At this moment, the Langya King, ruler of Wuxia City, arrived at Tianxiang Tower to pay a visit. Initially, Zhu Chengbi had declined to see anyone, but the sudden presence of an extraordinary fragrance compelled her to run outside.
Related Posts
