Ch. 121Dreams and Faith! / A Pair of Bickering Sweethearts?
Chapter Summary
Key Plot Points and Events
- Bingtang Lingxin and Ling Feng share an emotionally charged farewell. Lingxin clearly understands that they cannot be together, though she hides her sorrow behind a composed, considerate demeanor.
- Ling Feng embraces her, reassuring her that they will always be friends and that modern communication means they may meet again. Lingxin asks him to accept her sword as a keepsake, but disappears immediately after handing it over.
- Ling Feng discovers through Destiny Sign that the sword is the Flower Shadow, an unbound Epic one-handed sword. It is an ancient weapon worth an enormous fortune and was once the personal sword of the Hua family’s first patriarch.
- After binding the sword, Ling Feng learns that bound items can automatically return if lost. He realizes this explains why his Astral Mark Necklace always reappeared.
- Ling Feng returns to the inn, where his younger sister Ling Luoluo catches him and hugs him to sleep. The next morning, he suffers from the resulting back pain.
- Because of the recent danger and turmoil in Chongming City, Ling Feng’s group decides to return home. Su Xiaoxiao plans to study magic more seriously, while Zhao Ping is eager to escape and later confront his parents about their attempts to arrange a fiancée for him.
- On the train back, Ling Luoluo sits with Ling Feng, while Zhao Ping sits beside Su Xiaoxiao so he can learn more about magic. Ling Luoluo expresses her unwavering devotion to Ling Feng, regarding him as her home and guiding “faith.”
- The group encounters a young woman who recognizes Su Xiaoxiao. Ling Feng uses Destiny Sign to identify her as Nan Muya, a nineteen-year-old girl with a distinctive, cute appearance.
Character Developments
- Bingtang Lingxin: Her restrained affection for Ling Feng becomes unmistakable. Though inexperienced with love, she is deeply attached to him and struggles with the possibility of separation. Giving him the Flower Shadow Sword becomes an indirect expression of her feelings.
- Ling Feng: He begins to recognize the depth of Lingxin’s emotions and is visibly shaken by her sadness, though he still treats their relationship as friendship. He also gains a powerful and valuable weapon, further benefiting from his Destiny Sign abilities.
- Su Xiaoxiao: Her experiences in Chongming City motivate her to improve her magical abilities. She resolves to study seriously after returning to Yanjing.
- Zhao Ping: After witnessing magical and martial combat, he becomes determined to learn magic. He also plans to resist his parents’ pressure regarding marriage.
- Ling Luoluo: Her attachment to Ling Feng is emphasized. She is happiest simply by staying near him and views him as the center of her life and sense of belonging.
- Nan Muya: She is introduced as a new character connected to Su Xiaoxiao, though the exact nature of their relationship remains unknown.
Significant Themes
- Unspoken love and separation: Lingxin’s inability to directly confess her feelings creates a bittersweet farewell, with her actions conveying what she cannot say aloud.
- Friendship versus romantic attachment: Ling Feng insists on their friendship, while Lingxin’s emotions suggest that she wants something deeper.
- Faith and home: Ling Luoluo’s devotion portrays Ling Feng as her emotional anchor and symbolizes the importance of companionship and belonging.
- Growth through experience: Su Xiaoxiao and Zhao Ping both respond to recent events by seeking greater strength and knowledge.
- Fate, inheritance, and hidden history: The Flower Shadow Sword connects Ling Feng to the forgotten history of the Hua family and demonstrates how Destiny Sign links present events to buried secrets.
- Identity and appearance: Ling Feng humorously complains that his unusually beautiful appearance attracts attention from both girls and boys, conflicting with his desire to maintain a low profile.
Important Character Interactions
- Ling Feng and Bingtang Lingxin: Their embrace and farewell reveal Lingxin’s suppressed feelings and Ling Feng’s conflicted concern for her.
- Ling Feng and Ling Luoluo: She catches him returning late, hugs him to sleep, and later sits happily on his lap during the train journey.
- Zhao Ping and Su Xiaoxiao: Zhao Ping uses the trip home to question Su Xiaoxiao about magic, showing his growing admiration for magical power.
- Ling Feng and the Flower Shadow Sword: Ling Feng binds the weapon and learns more about its properties through Destiny Sign.
- Nan Muya and Su Xiaoxiao: Nan Muya recognizes Su Xiaoxiao on the train, setting up a new relationship or possible conflict for the next chapter.