The Legend of Taotie Episode 23 Recap
> The Legend of Taotie Recap
After Wan Er self-immolated, the Xunlie Division brought Chen Ze to their office for questioning, asking if he was from Panyun Village. At first, Chen Ze denied it, but when presented with evidence, he had no choice but to admit it. Lu Ying was puzzled. Years ago, Panyun Village had been engulfed in a devastating fire.
Historical records indicated that the fire was linked to a mystical bird that, in a fit of rage, set the blaze after witnessing someone cruelly abusing orphans. Only a handful of people had survived the fire. Lu Ying asked Chen Ze if he had intentionally killed the princess. Chen Ze vehemently denied it, claiming that the princess was the love of his life and that he could never harm her. However, he refused to reveal the full truth.
Wan Er had once told Chen Ze herself that she had taken on someone else’s identity. Now that she was gone, Chen Ze was determined to keep her secret forever. At Tianxiang Tower, Zhu Chengbi called Chang Qing to examine the *Bai Ze Demon Scroll* together. They noticed that more mythical beasts had appeared on it, suggesting that the scroll changed over time.
The *Hibiscus Banquet* Zhu Chengbi had prepared for Wan Er was still untouched, so she invited Chang Qing to enjoy it with her. That evening, Lu Ying visited Qu Yan and mentioned the case he had just reviewed. Qu Yan was shocked to hear that Chen Ze had been imprisoned, as he was the last person involved in the conspiracy that led to her husband and children’s deaths.
Qu Yan prepared wine laced with a sedative and served it to Lu Ying. However, Lu Ying noticed something was off and urged Qu Yan not to recklessly infiltrate the Xunlie Division. Qu Yan then recounted the reason she came to Wuxia City. She and her husband had once pitied Chen Ze, who was an orphan, and couldn’t bear to see him tortured to death. They took him in for the night, but this act of kindness revealed their location.
The next day, Chen Ze abducted her five children and devoured them alive. The memory of this tragedy had haunted Qu Yan ever since, driving her to endure all these years. Zhu Chengbi sensed Qu Yan’s deep pain. After Qu Yan’s heartfelt pleas, Zhu Chengbi prepared another *Hibiscus Banquet* and instructed Yingtao to deliver it to the prison. Unable to resist the temptation, Chen Ze ate the banquet and self-immolated, dying on the spot.
Qu Yan was about to storm the prison to kill Chen Ze herself, but Lu Ying blocked her way, pleading with her not to take such risks. As they argued, they heard Chen Ze’s agonizing screams from inside the prison and realized he was already dead. Qu Yan finally felt a weight lifted from her heart.
She asked Lu Ying to escort her to face justice, but after hearing the full story, Lu Ying encouraged her to leave instead, urging her to let go of the past and start anew with him. Qu Yan saw the sincerity in Lu Ying’s eyes, but before she could respond, three arrows suddenly shot toward her. Lu Ying immediately shielded her with his body, taking the arrows to protect her. The arrows had been fired by Zhao Heng.
After witnessing Wan Er’s tragic death, Zhao Heng had sworn to become Qu Yan’s mortal enemy, vowing to eliminate her completely. Furious at seeing Lu Ying injured because of her, Qu Yan soared into the sky and unleashed a massive fire over Wuxia City, turning it into a sea of flames. From Tianxiang Tower, Zhu Chengbi saw the city ablaze and prepared to reveal her true form to save it.
Chang Qing tried to stop her, reminding her that her body was still recovering and that transforming too often would harm her vitality. Ignoring his advice, Zhu Chengbi ascended into the sky. Before leaving, she told Chang Qing that she had promised Lian Deng to protect Wuxia City, and she intended to keep that promise. Inside Wuxia City, the citizens grabbed basins of water to fight the fire, but the flames were too fierce for ordinary methods to work.
Suddenly, a massive divine beast appeared in the sky. Someone identified it as a *Taotie*. The Taotie blocked Zhuque (Vermilion Bird) from starting further fires and swallowed the flames that had already spread. The citizens knelt in gratitude, offering prayers of thanks. Even Zhao Heng, who was present, was deeply impressed by the Taotie’s majestic form and its dedication to protecting the people of Wuxia City.
In the end, Qu Yan fled to Lian Deng Tower, where she met Lu Ying for the last time. Having avenged her family and unexpectedly found love, she felt her life was complete. She willingly ascended to the heavens to accept her punishment, leaving no regrets behind.
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