Recaps

Chen Qi filmed a comic scene in which his character’s failed attempt to murder Madam Wen Yue left him repeatedly stabbed and tangled in snakes. As Nian and Xi made the snake scene more frightening for him, Chen Qi reluctantly tried Hung’s advice and began whistling.

• Chen Qi and Hung’s characters tried to kill Madam Wen Yue to join the Axe Gang, but Chen Qi’s knife bounced into his shoulder and Hung accidentally stabbed him with another.
• Hung threw a knife handle at Madam Wen Yue, then pulled a blade from Chen Qi’s arm and put it back when Chen Qi cried out.
• Hung raised a cage of venomous snakes, causing several snakes to coil around Chen Qi as he tried to crawl away.
• Nian and Xi noticed Chen Qi’s fear of snakes, and Xi remotely made two painted cobras flare their hoods at him.
• Chen Qi swallowed his fear and began whistling after Hung promised that music would keep the snakes from biting.

Chen Qi filmed the fight between Waai Fu’s group and the internal martial arts masters played by the Rat King and The Emperor, while Huai Tianpei arranged for the scene to make his daughter feel the gap in their abilities. The Rat King and The Emperor prepared to show their skill at the Rat Stronghold, as Chongyue remained wary of his missing brother’s plans.

• After Chen Qi and Madam Wen Yue recovered from their two-hour chase, Chen Qi told them the footage was usable and described the next fight scene as a clash between internal and external martial arts masters.
• Huai Tianpei asked Chen Qi to have the Rat King and The Emperor overwhelm Waai Fu in the fight so she would recognize her need to learn internal martial arts from him.
• Chen Qi filmed his protagonist using Buddha’s Palm to expel the snake venom, while the Landlady drew the worst possible lot and Lee’s Axe Gang arranged to hire Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Defect.
• The Rat King and The Emperor appeared as the blind and deaf assassins, and their dialogue introduced Huai Tianpei’s character, the Fire Cloud Evil God.
• After Chen Qi called the take, The Emperor complained that Chen Qi had cut his martial arts performance short, while the Rat King and The Emperor looked forward to showing their fighting skills at the Rat Stronghold.

Waai Fu filmed her defeat at The Emperor’s hands and learned how far her perception lagged behind a true internal martial arts master. The filming moved on to Tai He and the Rat King, whose increasingly genuine fight left Tai He struggling against the Rat King’s speed and power.

• Waai Fu reflected on her earlier sparring match and decided she needed to improve her martial arts without relying on her father, Huai Tianpei.
• The Emperor silently tested Waai Fu with invisible sound-wave attacks, and she failed to notice the first three before reacting to the fourth and collapsing during the staged scene.
• The Emperor warned Waai Fu that her internal martial arts and perception were inadequate, while Chen Qi explained that Xi would add effects to make internal martial arts visible to audiences.
• The Rat King began filming as Earthly Deficient and attacked Tai He after Tai He covered his mouth with black cloth to prevent him from reading lips.
• Chongyue and Huai Tianpei discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the fighters as the Rat King’s Tiger Claw Hand overwhelmed Tai He’s Iron Wire Fist.
• The Rat King targeted Tai He’s unstable lower body and landed a vicious kick.

Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue revealed the power of their martial arts while rescuing Shang Zhong and Tai He from the Rat King and The Emperor. As filming continued, Wei Yenwu prepared to demonstrate Tai Chi for the observers assessing whether Kung Fu Hustle could be released.

• The Rat King and The Emperor overwhelmed Tai He with their zither attacks, while The Emperor broke his Iron Wire Fist and sent him flying.
• Shang Zhong charged the pair with a spear, but they shattered his weapon and knocked him back; Chongyue secretly protected him from serious injury.
• Madam Wen Yue unleashed her Lion's Roar Technique, snapping the guzheng strings and blocking the pair's sonic blades while Chongyue shielded the crew.
• Wei Yenwu landed silently and pinned the Rat King and The Emperor, impressing the martial artists watching the filming.
• Wei Yenwu recognized that Zuo Le, Tai He, and the lurking Sui were observing his and Madam Wen Yue's skills, and he prepared to show the power of the Tai Chi Chen Qi had taught him.

Wei Yenwu and Wenyue demonstrated their formidable martial arts while filming, leaving their friends and onlookers terrified. The second brother chose Huai Tianpei as a potential way to approach Chen Qi, while Wenyue and Wei Yenwu warned Aak and Lee to stay away.

• Wei Yenwu used Tai Chi to deflect the Rat King and The Emperor’s attacks, then defeated them in their staged fight.
• Wenyue unleashed the Lion’s Roar Technique, destroying the Rat King and The Emperor’s ghostly attack and sending them fleeing.
• The second brother decided to use Huai Tianpei as a stepping stone to reach Chen Qi and copy his authority.
• Wenyue and Wei Yenwu confronted Aak and Lee, and Wenyue warned them not to bother the couple again.
• Aak declared that he wanted to become a woman as powerful as Madam Wen Yue.

The emperor of Yan heard how powerful the Lion's Roar Technique was and ordered it and Tai Chi restricted to top martial academy students, then watched Wei Yenwu and Wenyue's plea to end their cycle of revenge. In Lungmen, Chen Qi celebrated the success of "To the Moon," saw that it had won over Rhine Lab figures including Kristen, and learned that Leithania's Twin Empresses wanted to approach him.

• The emperor of Yan learned from Zuo Le and Tai He's report that Wenyue had mastered the Lion's Roar Technique in months and considered using it to prepare against Feranmuts.
• The Grand Tutor warned the emperor that the technique could cause chaos if spread too widely, so the emperor reserved the Lion's Roar Technique and Tai Chi for the top winner of the martial academy's five-year examination.
• The emperor watched Wei Yenwu and Wenyue's filmed appeal to end the cycle of revenge and began considering how to repair his relationship with his older brother.
• Chen Qi received the successful settlement for "To the Moon" and learned that Leithania's Twin Empresses were interested in him and that relations with Leithania were friendly.
• Chen Qi and Saria reviewed Rhine Lab's reactions to "To the Moon," including Kristen's reflection that the film had made her reconsider how to pursue her dream of reaching the stars.

Chen Qi filmed the Fire Cloud Evil God's entrance in Kung Fu Hustle while Saria, Nian, and Xi worried about Second Brother's plan to possess him. Huai Tianpei's performance impressed the crew, and Chongyue went to the set after growing uncertain whether his brother's transformation was merely acting.

• Saria promised to assist and protect Chen Qi, provoking jealous glares from Talulah, FrostNova, Nian, and Xi.
• Second Brother planned to possess Chen Qi during the final fight, when Chen Qi would be too weakened to resist.
• Chen Qi filmed the Fire Cloud Evil God's entrance, and Huai Tianpei appeared in a shabby old-man outfit that surprised the crew.
• Chongyue explained to Nian that the ominous imagery foreshadowed the Fire Cloud Evil God's murderous nature, while Xi resolved to stay with Chen Qi if he survived the danger.
• Huai Tianpei portrayed the Fire Cloud Evil God as a deranged martial arts obsessive, astonishing the crew and unsettling Waai Fu and Chongyue.
• Chongyue left for the set as Aak asked the Fire Cloud Evil God to demonstrate his martial arts.

Huai Tianpei demonstrated the Fire Cloud Evil God's terrifying physical prowess, caught an etched bullet between two fingers, and declared that speed could not be broken. The lesson inspired Great Yan's martial artists, and Huai Tianpei then challenged Wei Yenwu and Wenyue, whose fight with him began as the chapter ended.

• Huai Tianpei endured Big Bob's punches and caught a fired etched bullet between two fingers, then declared that only speed could not be broken.
• Chongyue and the other martial artists took Huai Tianpei's words to heart, while Waai Fu felt encouraged to continue her speed-focused training.
• Huai Tianpei smashed through a wall and confronted Wei Yenwu and Wenyue, who agreed to fight him.
• Wenyue kicked at Huai Tianpei, who caught her foot, then Wei Yenwu kicked him without effect.
• Wei Yenwu and Wenyue built momentum and struck Huai Tianpei together, but he remained standing.

Madam Wen Yue used an ancient bell to amplify her Lion's Roar Technique, overwhelming Huai Tianpei and wrecking the filming set. After the crew recovered and filming resumed, Second Brother hid his injured remnant soul and planned to possess Huai Tianpei while he was vulnerable.

• Huai Tianpei dominated Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue in their staged fight, then endured her unamplified Lion's Roar Technique.
• Madam Wen Yue struck the ancient bell and used it to unleash a Lion's Roar Technique powerful enough to shatter the protections around Huai Tianpei and devastate the building.
• Chongyue confirmed that Saria and he had protected the crew, while Huai Tianpei had suffered only superficial injuries.
• Second Brother retreated with an injured remnant soul and decided to possess Huai Tianpei while he recovered, intending to use him against Chen Qi.
• Chen Qi comforted the shaken crew, and Wei Yenwu praised Madam Wen Yue before the group continued filming.

Chen Qi and the others planned to use the final fight with Huai Tianpei to expose Second Brother’s possession and help Huai Tianpei confront his inner demon. After a half-month recovery, filming resumed with Chen Qi appearing bloodied before Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue.

• Huai Tianpei returned home injured, where Second Brother appeared in his form and urged him to unleash the corrupt martial arts he had learned.
• Second Brother possessed Huai Tianpei and planned to amplify his obsession with mastering martial arts.
• Chen Qi discussed Second Brother’s next move with Chongyue, Wei Yenwu, and the others, then proposed drawing him out during the final fight.
• After the crew and actors recuperated, Chen Qi finished other scenes with Nian and the second unit.
• Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue returned to film the scene in which they rescued Chen Qi, whose face Rob Rata had made look bloodied and severely injured.

Chen Qi fought the possessed Huai Tianpei on the Rat Stronghold set, using his newly amplified strength to defeat the Axe Gang and gain the upper hand. Second Brother pushed Huai Tianpei into unleashing a toadlike martial art, leaving Chen Qi battered as Chongyue recognized the move as a distorted version of the Toad Technique he had created.

• Chen Qi and his allies secretly prepared the Rat Stronghold set to confront Second Brother while keeping Huai Tianpei unaware that he was possessed.
• Chen Qi equipped the [Lost "Sui"] title, underwent a startling surge in strength, and easily defeated the painted Axe Gang members as he practiced his martial arts.
• Chen Qi struck Huai Tianpei and gained the advantage, while Second Brother urged him to fight without restraint.
• Second Brother exploited Huai Tianpei's resentment at being surpassed, deepening his possession until Huai Tianpei's eyes were nearly filled with black energy.
• Huai Tianpei transformed, rammed Chen Qi through nearly ten walls, and began using a toadlike technique that Chongyue identified as unlike the Toad Technique he had created.

Chen Qi used Buddha's Palm to defeat Second Brother's possession of Huai Tianpei and then spared the soul fragment, while his teachings helped Huai Tianpei overcome his inner demon. The martial artists thanked Chen Qi, and Chongyue felt his own martial realm begin to loosen.

• Chen Qi let Huai Tianpei's Toad Technique launch him into the sky, while Talulah held the others back from intervening.
• Chongyue sensed Chen Qi descending beneath a Buddha-shaped cloud and realized the strike reached beyond ordinary martial arts.
• Chen Qi used Buddha's Palm to pin Huai Tianpei and force Second Brother to surrender, then stopped before destroying the soul fragment.
• Second Brother tried a concealed weapon, but Chen Qi's second palm strike destroyed the Rat Stronghold behind him and made Second Brother submit.
• Chen Qi offered to teach Huai Tianpei Buddha's Palm, prompting Huai Tianpei to overcome his inner demon and lose Second Brother's possession.
• Huai Tianpei, Chongyue, and the gathered martial artists saluted Chen Qi, while Chongyue felt his martial realm begin to advance.

After Chen Qi helped Huai Tianpei overcome his inner demon, Wei Yenwu approved of Chen Qi and Talulah’s relationship, while Huai Tianpei and Waai Fu reached a new understanding before he left to travel Great Yan. Chongyue reunited with second brother, who suspected Chen Qi shared a connection with the Sui siblings and asked to borrow his blood.

• Wei Yenwu told Chen Qi that he supported his relationship with Talulah and entrusted Talulah to his care.
• Huai Tianpei told Lee he planned to travel Great Yan, collect martial arts, and take his work to Jade Gate, while Waai Fu accepted his choice and felt proud of him.
• Chongyue spoke with Nian and Xi about their plans to stay with Chen Qi, and second brother appeared to ask for their help concerning Chen Qi.
• Chen Qi explained to second brother and Chongyue that Tathagata was not a name and that Buddha could exist in anyone’s heart.
• Second brother asked Chen Qi for a drop of blood, and Chen Qi realized the Sui siblings might have sensed the Blood of Sui in him.

Chen Qi’s blood test convinced Chongyue, Nian, Xi, and the second brother that he was Sui’s thirteenth fragment, and the siblings welcomed him as family. After Kung Fu Hustle premiered, leaders across Terra watched it to assess Great Yan’s martial prowess, but its opening in Lungmen’s slums surprised them.

• Chen Qi reluctantly gave a drop of blood, and the five drops merged, prompting the second brother and the others to recognize him as their thirteenth sibling.
• The second brother explained his plan to use Sui’s revival as leverage against Great Yan, then left while Chongyue, Nian, and Xi welcomed Chen Qi into the family.
• Chen Qi’s Lost Sui title became a golden honor, and he asked Chongyue to reprise the old beggar for the final scene of Kung Fu Hustle.
• Chen Qi and the crew finished Kung Fu Hustle and released it across Great Yan, while spies sent copies to leaders in other nations.
• Theresis, Manfred, the Bloodborne Archon, and the emperor of Great Yan watched the film to judge Yan’s combat abilities, but its opening in Lungmen’s slums surprised them.

The leaders of Terra watched Great Yan’s martial arts film and saw Wei Yenwu demonstrate Tai Chi before Wenyue unleashed the Lion’s Roar Technique. The roar alarmed the Sarkaz, leaving Theresis and his people worried that Great Yan’s martial art could counter their race.

• Great Yan’s audiences laughed at the film’s portrayals of Wei Yenwu, Wenyue, Zuo Le, and Chen Qi, while the emperor of Yan delighted in the scenes of Wei Yenwu being beaten.
• Waai Fu stepped forward to protect a mother and son from the Axe Gang, introducing the film’s chivalrous heroism to viewers and the emperor of Yan.
• The Bloodborne Archon dismissed Waai Fu, Tai He, and Shang Zhong’s fighting skills until the Rat King and The Emperor defeated them with inner arts.
• Theresis warned the Sarkaz leaders not to underestimate Great Yan, and Wei Yenwu then used Tai Chi to overpower the Rat King and The Emperor.
• Wenyue used the Lion’s Roar Technique to destroy the skeletal soldiers, and the Bloodborne Archon reacted as if facing a mortal threat.
• Theresis and the Sarkaz leaders concluded that the Lion’s Roar Technique could counter their race and that they needed to prepare for Great Yan.

As the film revealed the perfected Lion's Roar Technique and Chen Qi's growing martial power, Great Yan's emperor planned to use amplified Lion's Roar in Mobile Cities while foreign leaders assessed Chen Qi as a potential threat. The chapter ended with Chen Qi unleashing Buddha's Palm, leaving the audience stunned by its immense force.

• Great Yan's emperor ordered ancient bells installed in every Mobile City so they could amplify the Lion's Roar Technique and help defend against Feranmuts.
• Huai Tianpei attacked Wei Yenwu and Wenyue after they spared him, and Chen Qi intervened before Huai Tianpei defeated him.
• Kal'tsit explained to Amiya that the highest martial arts she had witnessed could cut through a building with one sword strike.
• Chen Qi fought the Axe Gang and then faced Huai Tianpei's Toad Technique, prompting officials across Terra to analyze his strength.
• Chen Qi steadied himself in the sky and unleashed Buddha's Palm, whose enormous palm print stunned viewers across the nations.

After watching Chen Qi's film reveal the power of Buddha's Palm and several other martial arts, the Emperor of Great Yan decided to ease surveillance of the Sui and formally reward Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue. A week later, Chen Qi gave Wei Yenwu the Buddha's Palm manual to present to the Emperor in exchange for support, and the imperial decree began conferring titles at Wei Manor.

• Chen Qi's Buddha's Palm and the manuals shown at the end of the film shocked the Emperor of Great Yan, who ordered surveillance of the Sui to end and directed that Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue receive formal titles.
• A week after the premiere, Wei Yenwu questioned Chen Qi about displaying the martial arts manuals and alarming the Emperor.
• Chen Qi gave Wei Yenwu the Buddha's Palm manual and explained that he intended to exchange it for benefits and support from Great Yan.
• A Black Cape summoned Chen Qi and Wei Yenwu to Wei Manor to receive the Emperor's decree.
• Lin Qingyan delivered the decree before Talulah, Chen Huijie, Madam Wen Yue, the Rat King, Lin Yuxia, and the others, and called Wei Yenwu and Madam Wen Yue forward to receive their titles.

Chen Qi traveled to Leithania after the Twin Empresses asked him to help stop the Witch King's remnants from restoring the dead tyrant. He chose to make Look Who's Back to address the crisis, and arrived in the capital to find Rhodes Island already providing support.

• Earl Hyacinth told Chen Qi that the Witch King's remnants were plotting a coup, and that experiments with the Voice of the Mundane could turn its carriers into incarnations of the Witch King.
• Chen Qi agreed to help Leithania, partly because Ebenholz and Kreide could join his film crew, and redeemed the script for Look Who's Back.
• Chen Qi's party reached the capital and met Kal'tsit and Amiya, who had come with Rhodes Island to provide medical aid.
• The Twin Empresses asked Chen Qi and Kal'tsit to help stop the Witch King's remnants, and Chen Qi was asked to propose a plan.

Chen Qi persuaded Ebenholz to play the Witch King in a film meant to expose Leithania’s problems and enlisted Theresis and the Bloodborne Archon to train him. After Ebenholz appeared in full costume, the two Sarkaz immediately recognized that he was not the Witch King.

• Chen Qi explained that his film would use the Witch King’s image to draw out ordinary Leithanians’ grievances and push the Twin Empresses to address the country’s decline.
• Ebenholz objected to portraying the Witch King, but accepted after Chen Qi clarified the film’s purpose and Kreide encouraged him.
• Chen Qi brought Ebenholz and Kreide to Vyseheim, with Młynar agreeing to protect them.
• Chen Qi welcomed Theresis and the Bloodborne Archon aboard his ship to coach Ebenholz in portraying an intimidating ruler.
• Ebenholz emerged in Witch King costume, and the Bloodborne Archon immediately recognized that he was not the real Witch King.

Ebenholz portrayed the Witch King in Chen Qi’s documentary, and Leithanians reacted with curiosity and selfies rather than hostility. The chapter leaves the Twin Empresses confronting the Witch King’s renewed popularity as Chen Qi’s film project continued.

• The Bloodborne Archon offered to teach Ebenholz about the Witch King, while Theresis agreed to teach him a ruler’s bearing; Theresia sent Chen Qi a message offering Kazdel’s last national treasure.
• Chen Qi chose Vina and Eureka to operate cameras for the documentary, and Kal’tsit decided Rhodes Island would follow the crew to provide medical aid and prepare for possible unrest.
• Ebenholz filmed his first scene as the Witch King, and the Bloodborne Archon and Theresis judged that his bloodline helped him capture the role’s presence.
• Ebenholz walked through a Leithanian square, where citizens took selfies with him and joked about the Witch King instead of attacking him.
• An Empress’s Voice agent reported the peaceful reaction to the Twin Empresses, who realized the Witch King’s name had not been forgotten despite their efforts to suppress it.

Chen Qi’s film crew continued filming The Witch King Is Back, with Ebenholz portraying the Witch King after his apparent return to 1095. As the Witch King investigated his unfamiliar surroundings, he focused first on Leithania’s food supply and the country’s changed circumstances.

• The Bloodborne Archon chose to stay aboard the ship while the film was being made, and Chen Qi agreed to let him remain for Ebenholz’s performance training.
• After recovering from his collapse, Ebenholz returned to filming as the Witch King, while Kreide played the protagonist Sawatzki and Maestro Czerny appeared as Sawatzki’s superior.
• Earthspirit’s newsstand owner cared for the injured Witch King, who woke and questioned what year it was before privately considering whether his captors had imprisoned him.
• The Witch King recognized an army energy drink and asked whether Leithania’s bread shortages had returned and officers were reselling supplies.
• The Witch King asked for newspapers, learned Kazimierzian was widely used in Leithania, and began piecing together the aftermath of his death and the Battle of the Four Emperors.

Ebenholz’s Witch King began filming interviews with ordinary Leithanians, whose complaints revealed how abandoned and resentful they felt under the Twin Empresses. The Bloodborne Archon saw a way for the Bloodfiends to secure their future by earning the support of their people.

• Ebenholz questioned Chen Qi about why the Witch King considered the self-serving Green Party useful, and the Bloodborne Archon explained that political power required winning over any available faction.
• The Twin Empresses ordered their agents to watch Chen Qi’s crew and warned officials to prepare for interviews, unaware the film would focus on ordinary people.
• Ebenholz chose a program about current affairs and sensitive issues after criticizing Leithania’s television as dull propaganda.
• Ebenholz and Kreide interviewed a hot dog shop employee, who spoke to the Witch King about low wages, rigged elections, discrimination against Urtica natives, and resentment toward foreigners.
• The employee asked to take a picture with Ebenholz, while the Bloodborne Archon concluded that winning popular support could help protect the Bloodfiends’ place in a restored Kazdel.

Ebenholz's interviews as the Witch King drew out Leithanians' anger and anti-immigrant views, while Chen Qi trained him to use the Witch King's rhetoric to attract genuine supporters. A week later, the Twin Empresses watched the footage and learned Chen Qi's crew might soon expose Witch King remnants, though Ebenholz's growing influence also threatened their rule.

• The Bloodborne Archon watched Ebenholz's first interviews and decided the Witch King's book could help make Ebenholz his successor.
• Kal'tsit explained to Amiya that Leithanians' resentment toward refugees had been suppressed by the Twin Empresses' policies and public moral pressure.
• Chen Qi told Ebenholz to imitate the Witch King's way of speaking so he could draw out people's hidden views and attract Witch King remnants.
• The Bloodborne Archon gave Ebenholz a banned book written by the Witch King and secretly planned to make him Leithania's next Witch King.
• A week later, the Twin Empresses watched footage of Ebenholz using the Witch King's rhetoric to encourage anti-immigrant sentiment and anger at their rule.
• An agent told the Twin Empresses that Chen Qi's group might soon contact real Witch King remnants, whom they could use to root out the movement.

Ebenholz convincingly portrayed the Witch King on a television show, drawing an enthusiastic response and attracting genuine remnants who approached him afterward. He rebuked the nobles for their timid support and demanded to meet their leader.

• Chen Qi arranged a prerecorded talk-show appearance and invited nobles suspected of ties to the Witch King's remnants to watch Ebenholz perform.
• Ebenholz delivered an imposing speech about Leithania's decline, winning over the audience and making some remnants wonder whether the Witch King had returned.
• After the show, two nobles approached Ebenholz and asked whether he was the resurrected Witch King or an impersonator.
• Ebenholz questioned whether they would defy their bloodline, then scolded them for claiming to uphold the Witch King's will while acting timidly.
• Ebenholz demanded that the nobles bring him to their current leader.

Chen Qi learned that Great Yan’s emperor had granted him permission to film there if The Witch King Is Back helped Leithania recover. Xi realized she had fallen for Chen Qi despite learning that he was her younger brother, while the emperor’s decree invited Chen Qi to portray Great Yan’s failings or dangers.

• Ebenholz and Kreide confronted the Witch King’s remnants, and their leader became convinced that the Witch King was returning.
• Ebenholz’s reputation spread through Leithania as he interviewed nobles and officials, while Chen Qi hoped his film would help the Twin Empresses address the anger threatening their nation.
• Talulah told Chen Qi that Chen Huijie and Lin Qingyan had arrived with the emperor’s permission to film in Great Yan.
• Chen Qi visited Nian and Xi in the painting scroll, and Xi remembered his promise to speak up for her and admitted to herself that her heart was in turmoil over him.
• Lin Qingyan delivered the emperor’s decree, granting Chen Qi permission to film Great Yan’s failings or dangers if his Leithania film helped avert disaster.