Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy 九州海上牧云记 - Episode 8 (Recap)

Panda: An action filled episode!
kakashi: And the beginning of Prophesy 1. Or was it Prophesy 2? 
JoAnne:  Now you have me remembering some very cheesy horror movies from the 80s. Tall Man, anyone?
SakiVI: Okay, it's been a while since I watched this.  But I do remember something about a fight.

Episode 8

At the Cave, a furious HeYe tells the other two boys the story of his clan and how he brought upon their ruin. At least he knows that. Han Jiang also tells the sad story of his childhood as an orphan, roaming the streets of Tian Qi and how on his first meeting with his biological dad, he was told to kill himself so as to not fight for the world with Sheng.
I loved to see Hot Dad in the flashbacks!!! And I'm sad about (and for) the boys.
Very sad...wouldn't they be an awesome trio of leaders for the next generation, if only their parents hadn't messed it up?
I like He Ye, but he is an idiot.

HeYe doesn’t really care about anyone else’s hard luck story and his gaze is quite murderous as he says it was the Muru who decimated his tribe.
So, if we were to ask ourselves who has the saddest fate, it probably is He Ye indeed. The others still have parents. He Ye is such a hot head though! 
I'm not sure HeYe has the saddest story:  he knew love and lost it, yes, but the others have had nothing but rejection from infancy.  HeYe's loss is both personal and impersonal - it didn't happen to him specifically because he is himself, but for the other two it is entirely personal.  They aren't being punished, their entire existence is rejected. No matter how bad HeYe has it, no one is telling him he shouldn't have been born.
Just waiting for He Ye to grow up.
 
Sheng then talks about his prophecy and HeYe gets even more pissed that his parents were killed over a secret that is now out and the two affected are now friends.
He has a point. Not that poor Sheng is in any way to blame! But pointless death seems even worse than heroic, meaningful death.
This is true. I did have to remind myself that even if Hot Dad and his tribe hadn't been killed for destroying that other tribe, they would have died for harboring the fugitive from the Muru.  Not sure that it would have mattered whether he shared the secret or not, though.
Being forced to starve for accidentally harbouring a fugitive is what made me angry on He Ye's tribe's behalf.  When they went to kill off another tribe, I didn't feel too sorry for them being condemned to death after that. 
Sheng bows and apologizes to HeYe. He says that he now realizes he cannot escape his destiny as he has unknowingly caused hurt to his friends even before meeting them. He leaves the cave back to the Hunting Ground.
Is Hu Ge going to be there? Haha, lame joke. Sheng's sadness moved me. He looks so defeated. Poor Baby. I kind of feel he had the worst childhood. At least the others had friends. He's always been told he means doom and gloom.
Yes, I feel very sad watching him.  Being disliked for things you can't control is one thing, but he's also feared and he doesn't even know why. He must feel so alone.
Yes, sure, that. 
Su Yu Ning goes to a cliff at night to meet Han Jiang in what is obviously a trap as she gets pushed down the cliff by a masked figure (posing as Han Jiang). Nanku niece steps out of the shadows and smiles to herself for a job well done.
Wow, she murders people now? I say: good riddance, Su Yu Ning, you got on my nerves.
You really think she's gone for good?  No way, I say.  Maybe this is the thing that makes her powerful, in the end.  I'd love that, because I love when the evil person does something to prevent a prophecy from coming true and then it turns out that the thing they do is the thing that brought it into being in the first place.
Su Yu Ning is the fated empress.  She's coming back alive.  
 
At the cave, HeYe bids farewell to Han Jiang (it’s all very dramatic) and says that the next time they meet, they will be enemies. He leaves with the white haired man he met when locked up.
Forehead to forehead touching, throwing cloth into the fire for emphasis... yes, very dramatic. It's also really foolish. Don't be enemies if you like each other!
Maybe when they get older they'll realize they can change things if they try. Or can they?
This show has yet to make me care about their friendship.
Soldiers chase the two of them but the Man set thin, razor sharp wires that behead them. He is a Tian Luo assassin and is from the Wise tribe. He tells HeYe he know he is the iron welder and gives him the ring that made the snares. He also gives him direction to a ship where he will get help with his future blood feud with Sheng.
Cool stuff.
So...the white haired guy is a good-ish guy?  I mean, assassin, but also, helpful so...hmm.  Of these three boys who are all going to be pitted against each other in the story, who is that we think is the good guy?  Who is going to be the bad guy?
The Nanku family, for a start.  Everyone else seems rather grey.
Back at Camp, Sheng wants to pull his dad’s sword to spite the Prophecy. His dad shoves him away and asks where he’s been all night. His excuse doesn’t go well and they get into an argument which earns another slap for Sheng. Dad is furious until Sheng accuses him of using his mum’s powers to attain the throne and then dumping her. Dad denies and tells him to come see him later that night.
The relationship between the two is somewhat strange. The Emperor feels almost defenseless against his son and his accusations.
I think because this man isn't consumed by being The Emperor.  At his heart, he is a man.  A son who tried to do his father's bidding, a husband who gave up his love, in fact, to keep things as they needed to be for the country - and who has felt that guilt and pain ever since; a father who knows he deprived his son of a mother.  This is how I see the Emperor.
He is defenseless against his son's accusations because they're true.
Mr Mo unfortunately has other plans for the Emperor that night and we see just how dangerous he truly is. When he brings out his sword - Moon Soul gobbler (which seals souls), Nanku De realizes too late their plans might not be exactly aligned. But it’s too late as Mr Mo sets fire to his face.
Loved this whole sequence! Mr. Mo's mask, Nanku De's death (that was unexpectedly early!) and the whole dark magic thing. Mr. Mo is SO weird.
I don't 'like' Mister Mo - he's definitely not a force for good - but I really, really like this character within the story.
I love this character.  He does cool stuff that keeps me engaged.
Sheng is brought to the King who tells him that’s where he first met Yin Rong. Sheng unyielding, throws everything bad he has ever heard about his dad at him. The King accepts that he is heartless and tells the true story behind his brother’s abolishment. It turns out it was their dad who drugged him as he didn’t like his temperament. The present King decided not to ever tell him as not to hurt his brother’s feelings and accept all the blame. Awww. He then proceeds to tell him about his meeting with Yin Rong.
Why is everything sparkling in that place? It looks quite magical. Again, the Emperor lets this kid of his be incredibly rude - he has such a soft spot for him! Yes, maybe he speaks the truth, but he seriously has no respect for his father.
Would you have?
Nope.
Muru Shuo while guarding the King spots Han Jiang and chases after him, Shuo tells him he is giving him one last chance to take the Muru name and live abiding by their family values. Han Jiang refuses, calls him a coward and tells him he was mistaken in thinking he was a hero because all he cared about were power and authority.
Ah, it's "confront your father issues!"night.
*dies laughing*
These two dads have been seriously bothersome, though.
The two fight and Muru Shuo almost kills him but Han Shan blocks the killing blow.
YAY for Han Shan!!!!! Muru Shuo is an idiot - he really would have killed his own son?! 
See now, here's where I see weakness; if not outright than at least conflicted feelings and the inability to make a decision. I'm not saying it's not understandable, but Muru Shuo knows the prophecy but (on several different occasions over the years) has waivered between killing Han Jiang and bringing him into the family.  More than anything, his behavior will make that prophecy come true.
I love how Han Shan loves his little brother.
Back to the other dysfunctional father and son, The Emperor says he couldn’t see Sheng earlier when he was growing up, not because he despised him but because he was scared Sheng wouldn’t acknowledge him as his Father. (Yeah, this is dumb.) He says he cares for Sheng and the people of his Kingdom and that’s why he doesn’t want him to be King because of the calamity.
He's a softie. He is doomed.
I like the Emperor.  He's a flawed human, as are we all, but he's an honest and thoughtful man at heart.
You have the hots for him, Jo.
Sheng seems pacified but their tender moment is interrupted by ominous tinkling - Mr Mo arrives.
Mr. Mo quickly becomes a favorite character of mine.
Indeed.  He's fascinating.  Plus I imagine you're thinking about cross-over drama.
The King calls for Muru Shuo who is unfortunately tied up with family matters. The King tells Sheng to run and hide no matter what happens. He also makes Mr Mo promise not to harm Sheng.
That's just stupid. There isn't anything that would keep an assassin from harming someone once the prime target is dead. However - what the Emperor cannot know - Mr. Mo is a Chaos lover and since Sheng promises massive chaos...
I don't like that mask it looks like a bunch of worms.
They draw their weapons and fight as Mr Mo says he won’t kill him by magic (I find that a lie as I think disappearing in smoke is cheating - YES EXACTLY!). The fight is so stunning. Dad is outclassed (what an understatement :) and soon finds himself coughing blood and helpless; sword having flown out of his hands a while back. Sheng having hung around, pulls the sword as Mr Mo is about to cut off his dad’s head, and in an explosion of leaves, flowers and fire (uhm....I giggled), he kills Mr Mo. Dad looks horrified.
So it begins..........
I guess they were trying to highlight the fairy-ness of Sheng's nature and I suppose it's the same here as it is in Western stories...fairies control the natural.  But yes, it looked odd.
Meanwhile back at the astrology room, the Wheel thingie goes absolutely nuts.
Yes, it too, understands that so it begins.................
Two Months later and we are back at Court. Nanku De has been replaced by Nanku Qi (Arch prince Luan conspirator - his face!! I instantly despise him. It's the sneer that's built into his face, I think.) and Court has not been called for the past 2 months. The officials are seated and the Queen is unveiled as the one sitting on the throne to their dismay. They protest and she orders the King brought in and we finally see what has caused the 2 month delay- he is now a quadriplegic.
TT__________________________TT
Hooooo, boy...what happens now? How can he be the ruler, like this?

Comments

So many things in this episode but I have a couple of questions first. If that Old man was so dangerous, how come he was so carelessly restrained? It feels like lazy writing. Maybe he just wanted to hang around for a bit. Or maybe no one knew who he was. Assassins tend not to be widely recognized when they are out and aboutAnd Yu Ning! Sigh. I find it interesting that HeYe asked what the Old man had against Sheng when he has the same reason. Fighting and getting into a feud with someone that directly didn’t harm you is just a vicious cycle. Since the last episode, I have found scenes with the Emperor and Sheng to pack a punch and these were no different. The field one was extra special with the tenderness peeking through until Mr Mo came to be a party pooper. And, Mr Mo is quite savage. I never expected Nanku De to die so soon but he won’t be missed.
Haha, me neither! I thought Nanku De would be the main villain. Guess not :D
Is Mr. Mo really dead? That guy has some magic, I like it! I don't think he's dead at all...
Heye makes friends easily, just like Han Jiang. These two are really alike. It's just stupid to decide to be enemies just because one has Muru-blood. 

Especially when you learn that the Muru don't even like him, and that he refuses to live as a Muru.  Shouldn't they be teaming up in that case?  The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that?
I don't really have any comments on this episode except that I liked the ending.  That was a shocker.