Ashes of Love 香蜜沉沉烬如霜 - Episode 8 (Recap)

kakashi: I'll have what she's having.
Panda: LOOL, it does look lit.
JoAnne: I don't know, that kind of looks like a hangover in the making.

Episode 8

The two Demon princes are not well: one lost his mind, the other is in a coma, though according to Xu Feng, only a temporary one. That causes a minor diplomatic crisis between Celestials and Demons, but King Biancheng manages to diffuse it by pointing out that the true culprit is the person who freed Qiong Qi. Who might that be? Lord Biancheng investigated and has a lead!  I won't repeat the technical reasoning but he thinks it was a powerful Demon.
Gasps *a powerful demon*? You don't say...
The usual suspects!
Dun Dun Dun. Demon King suspects it might be the Smirker named .... *checking Wikipedia for name* ... Gucheng who is behind it. Yup, he admits it and rants about the Heavenly Emperor and his many failings when they're alone somewhere in the palace. In a nutshell: The Heavenly Clan is suppressing all the other clans. Also: Interesting interior design choices, people.
I can't believe the Demon King was actually smart enough to put 2 and 2 together to get the correct answer. He struck me as a dumbhead. And what's up with Gucheng confessing so readily? I mean, if he had confessed if the Demon Princes had been safe I would not have raised any eyebrows. As it stands now, I wonder what his end-game is. P.S. Demon Clan architecture, costumes etc are always more interesting than boring dayglo heavenly ones. 
At least this time around when we're in the heavenly realm we're spared the plastic flowers. As for Gucheng...I have my suspicions, and for decor I much prefer brighter colors and the warmth of wood.
It comes as a small surprise to us that Gucheng is a piece of SHIT who is plotting to keep the princes half-dead and insane forever. He wants to be ruler of all, that's why. But... he has bad skin, it's his punishment, I guess.
LooooooooooooooL. He is a kinda Hot piece of shit though.
Nah, not for me. Hot would be Mr. Unfortunate Skin Condition, you know, if it weren't for that SKIN.
Xu Feng is back at the inn - he is trying to heal himself. Jin Mi made him medicine... are we sure she's not going to poison him? It's horribly bitter. When he drinks it anyway (gooooood boy), she gifts him a phoenix flower afterwards. Cue de-smudging of her face and putting said flower in her hair ensues. While chewing some raisins against the bitterness, he promises her 1,000 years of cultivation for her help in capturing Qiong Qi. Woot! 
1,000 years of culTivation - is that what the cool kids are calling it these days? These two are so cute tho. The below gif is adorable.
I spend ALL my viewing time mentally translating their conversations to smut.
Hahahahahaha, Phoenix (see below). Afterwards, he sneakily ensures he gets more hugs when she declares his Uncle said she needs to pay back her debt of gratitude by giving hugs (it's a word play).
Cute, Cute, Cute Hamsters.
The way he just smiles and melts in the face of her innocence is irresistible.
When Jin Mi is alone, talking to her plant-friend Rou Rou, she suddenly hears her voice! It seems to be coming from the Cauldron that contains Qiong Qi. Oh yes, sure. Rou Rou is in there! Speaking with an electronically modified voice. You absolutely must go and open the cauldron (which isn't a cauldron at all, by the way), Jin Mi.  
See, sometimes Jin Mi makes me roll my eyes so far back into my head I go blind for 3 days. How could she possibly fall for that? Sigh.
Panda made me snort seltzer out of my nose! 
LOOOOL. She vexes me at times, I can't lie.
And then, Jin Mi gets zapped by green light and the rest is history. Qiong Qi - who used mind-control on her - is free and attacks, but yay, Xu Feng intervenes and puts him back into his box. That was surprisingly easy! Oh, but it's because Xu Feng is smart and used a seal to seal away some of Qiong Qi's powers. Sadly, Xu Feng got hurt by Qiong Qi's poison darts and dies. Hahaha, no, of course not. But he starts looking like this.
Jin Mi is lucky she didn't get hurt (although who are we kidding, nothing can happen to her as we are only on episode 8); and Xu Feng looks highhhhhhhhhhh.
Not your most attractive angle, Xu Feng.
Before he passes out, he remembers a conversation he had with his uncle - who claimed he's in love with Jin Mi and would one day be willing to give his life for her. That day, the fainting Phoenix realizes, is already here. The doctors say he has about three days until he will lose all spiritual powers. There is one antidote though - the Night Vine of Serenity. It is a sacred plant from the Flower Realm that only blooms once every 10,000 years.
You can't lose your powers now GoW! Someone go get that Vine!
If it needs to be blooming and this is the one day that it blooms in 10,000 years I'm going to roll my OWN eyes back in my head so hard I go blind for three days. Snort.
Jin Mi does not know how to conjure it, she has never seen any, but she promises to go to her Realm and beg the chief fragrance woman for it. In the meantime, Xu Feng's condition has to be kept a secret.
Am I seeing a hint of manly five o'clock shadow there? He actually does have really nice features. 
Jin Mi attempts to steal the sacred plant and is caught red handed by the Flower Chief. Oups. Princess Biancheng is with her and without trying to lie, she tells the Chief about Xu Feng needing that plant. Nope, but Flower Chief doesn't give a frack about him losing his powers and gives the order to lock Jin Mi up - and kicks out the Demon Princess. Vicious.
Yes she is very vicious. I am so curious to know the full back story between the Heavens and the Flower realm.
I don't think she's vicious. As she points out, the man isn't going to die - and she's got a vow to uphold.
Jin Mi, who is grounded for an entire month, really, really wants to help Xu Feng. Thus, she gets the Old Carrot to draw her an image of that plant (he has seen it once, haha). Afterwards, she tries to conjure it up. Doesn't work! At the border of the Realm, Night Deity needs to give his brother cultivation, otherwise it's a steep downhill.
I love Night right up until the moment he speaks. His voice lacks a certain...gravitas, shall we say.
Jin Mi is still at it... all through the night. I bet she is. Time is short! But when the thread she uses to conjure plants touches a wound she got during the night, it woooooorks! Those threads were just thirsty, apparently. Escaping her hut with the plant, Jin Mi rushes to Phoenix's side and makes him plant-juice. I bet she does. Phoenix is saved! And... he grabs her hand, awwwwww.

Okay 1. Jin Mi is really powerful isn't she? And 2. These are two are really ridiculously cute. But then I remember my poor Night Immortal and weep.
This is so PRETTY though.
Head Fragrance Chief makes an appearance and is mighty pissed. Phoenix takes Jin Mi's side and says nothing that happened was her fault, if someone needs to get punished, it's him! Chief tells him to stop meddling with her people. But he states: "Immortal Jin Mi is where my heart lies." squuuueeeeeeeee.
He has confessed!
Did you see Night's FACE? and Biancheng's? Meanwhile JinMi is all doot-doo-doo, la-la-la... Clueless!

Comments

Boy, you're so doomed and so cute.Also, this happened quickly. Isn't this drama like 10000 episodes long?
The confession being this early means we are doomed to mega angst, but I will enjoy the cute while it lasts and close my eyes to the incoming shitstorm.
Yeah, we better lay in some extra shitgoggles.