Introduction
The episodic recap only covers the main topic(s) of each episode. It serves as a guide for readers who want to rewatch certain episode(s), and it doesn’t replace the thrilling watching experience or spoil the juicy details. Part 1 covers Episodes 1 to 20 of Moonlight Mystique ( 白月梵星 ).
Episode Recaps
Episode 1
The first episode sets the stage by introducing the following leading characters:
Bai Shuo: When she was young, she and her sister Bai Xi were saved by Purple Moon Deity Jing Yuan. Bai Shuo promised to practice immortality to repay his kindness. Since then, despite being ridiculed by people, she sets her life goal to learn about gods, demons, and immortals. Shaman Sun Guan Zhu told her that the owner of the new brothel Unbridled Pavilion is an ‘immortal envoy’.
Fan Yue: Of course, the brothel owner is none other than our Male Lead, Polar Realm Demon King, and Master of the demon sect Bright Moon Palace. Fan Yue came to the mortal world, stole the damaged Desireless Stone, and tried to reactivate it. The Stone belonged to the belated Moon and Stars Goddess Xing Yue. With his loyal generals Tian Huo and Zang Shan, Fan Yue opens the brothel to gather Five Human Contemplations: Love, Hate, Killing, Greed, and Kindness.
Chong Zhao: The keeper of Desireless Stone, Lanling Sect, is the real immortal envoy. The head disciple of the Sect is Chong Zhao. Ironically, he is also Bai Shuo’s adopted brother. Bai Xun adopted the orphaned Chong Zhao to replace Bai Xi who was taken away by a Taoist monk. Bai Xun wants to marry Bai Shuo to Chong Zhao when they’re adults. Chong Zhao never told Bai Shuo that he is an immortal from Eternal Race.
Fu Ling: Another demon sect that has been at odds with Bright Moon Palace is Cold Spring Palace, led by Master Zhen Yu. The second master is Fu Ling. Cold Spring Palace also wants to snatch Desireless Stone from Fan Yue.
The episode ends with Bai Shuo accidentally touching Desireless Stone and it reacts! Since then, Fan Yue has taken an interest in her as to why the divine Stone reacts to a mere human.
Episode 2
Desireless Stone not only reacts to Bai Shuo but also recognizes her as its master. When a demon attacks Bai Shuo, it enters her body and a divine power counterattacks the demon. Bai Shuo is transported to Lunar Hidden Sea. There she meets a man who looks like her savior, but before she can talk to him Fan Yue appears. He wants to kill her but the Stone attacks him and one of his Seven Star Soul Burning Seals breaks out. The fourth star went out and after three stars out he will die. Fan Yue lies to Bai Shuo that he knows her benefactor, he is trapped in that Sea, and Bai Shuo should go with him to rescue her benefactor. Although she’s still suspicious of Fan Yue, she agrees to leave with him in three days, which is after her father’s birthday.
Episode 3
Cold Spring Palace spreads Nether Poison around Ning’an to create chaos and frames Fan Yue as the mastermind. The Poison causes people to become madmen and zombies. When Bai Xun is bitten and becomes a madman, Bai Shuo goes to find Fan Yue for the antidote. She also finds out that Chong Zhao, who is at Unbridled Pavillion fighting Tian Huo and Zang Shan, is immortal.
In this episode, Fu Ling meets Chong Zhao when he takes the wounded her to a physician, not knowing that she is a demon. If only he knew that earlier she attacked his adopted sister and was counterattacked by Fan Yue! Fu Ling falls for Chong Zhao at first sight. Since then, she also started rescuing Chong Zhao.
Desireless Stone also starts giving its owner visions of the future.
Episode 4
The witty Bai Shuo lets herself be bitten by a madman, so Fan Yue has to give her an antidote. He can only give her Ghost Grass as a temporary relief. It has to be nurtured by human blood to grow and bloom. Bai Shuo self-mutilates herself and loses a lot of blood to the point of fainting. She vaguely felt the silhouette of Fan Yue rescuing her similar to the one of her benefactor. Her father is healed.
But Fu Ling doesn’t stop there and spreads a rumor that Ning’an City Governor Bai Xun is holding the antidote from people. When people demand poison from Bai Xun, Bai Shuo confesses to hr Ghost Grass. Bai Xun understands that the Grass is like a bottomless abyss where life is exchanged for life. On his birthday, father and daughter have a heart-to-heart talk. He confesses he knew that the Purple Moon deity saved her, but since he is the city lord he cannot let people trust and worship supernatural beings. Bai Xun drugs his daughter to sleep, burns the Ghost Grass, and is ready for the final battle to protect the city.
Episode 5
This is one of the saddest scenes, thanks to Bai Lu’s acting. Bai Xun, who is poisoned again, realizes that his death is near. He, who believes that the deities exist, prays to them to save the people in exchange for his life. He committed suicide right in front of his daughter. Bai Shuo, heartbroken, wails and screams she will kill everyone. But Bai Xun, between his last breath, shakes his head. Kindness, the first Contemplation, is absorbed by Desireless Stone and emits a divine power that catapults Bai Shuo into the air, stops everyone from fighting and heals the people.
The unconscious Bai Shuo came to the Lunar Hidden Sea again and met her benefactor. She begged him to resurrect her father, but he said only she could do it when she became strong, by gathering the five contemplations of Desireless Stone. She’s back to reality with hatred and anger during the mourning and funeral, and even cuts ties with Chong Zhao! Bai Shuo vows to be self-reliant and strong. No longer depends on heartless demons, detached immortals, and powerless humans.
Cannot help admiring Bright Moon Palace with its colorful architecture. Who said a demon's place has to be dark and gloomy?
Episode 6
Fan Yue takes Bai Shuo to Bright Moon Palace to train her so she can take revenge on Zhen Yu and Fu Ling in the future. But during the training, Bai Shuo is impatient and hurts herself. She can’t practice demon cultivation because of Desireless Stone, so Fan Yue takes her to Lao Gu, a Millenium Mysterious Turtle from Lanling Sect. The master alchemist and healer becomes Bai Shuo’s teacher to make elixirs and divinations.
Episode 7
The phone date between Bai Shuo and Fan Yue is so cute!
Chong Zhao volunteers to be punished and exiled because he failed to protect Ning’an City. During the exile, the seducer Fu Ling visits him and tells him that the death of his parents Chong Tai and Meng Ning, who were supposedly killed by a demon, is suspicious.
Episode 8
Next, Desireless Stone seems to direct them to the mysterious Yi City, so Fan Yue and Bai Shuo go to the desert to investigate. After being stucked in a sandstorm, they find the hidden city and meet King Hua Lin. The King opened the Wutong Martial Arts Contest which was cancelled for seven years. Yi citizens, who have been looked down upon by the demons and the immortals, are not happy with the event. But the demons and immortals are not in harmony either. During the clash between the citizens and the visitors, Bai Shuo cures a child with her elixir and gets a heart flame. Whoever gets three heart flames is the final winner. The contestants are not happy that a human wins the heart flame. Bai Shuo and Fan Yue are also suspicious of how she easily wins a heart flame and they suspect that it’s a trap.
Episode 9
Two interesting things were found in Yi City. First, there is a monster lurking at night in Yi City for seven years, but nobody wants to talk about it. Second, Fan Yue’s guard Tian Huo is the Yi City Princess Hua Hong! She left the city seven years ago because of her mother Queen Mei Han’s death. She severs ties with her father King Hua Lin and her brother Prince Hua Yong.
At night, a lurking monster wakes up the contestants and leads them to the Yi Clan cemetery. The second heart flame shows up and everyone tries to snatch it. The noise wakes up a thousand-year-old cemetery guard. Tian Huo tries to fight the attacking guard but he turns young and a contestant Bei Chen recognizes him as his Kun Lun sect’s hero Rong Xian. The angry Rong Xian sends Fan Yue, Bai Shuo, Bei Chen, and the young master of the Fox Clan Mu Jiu into the Realm of Resentment from a thousand years ago while trapping the rest in the sand. They meet Ling Long the Saintess of Fox Clan. Bai Shuo is her sister A Wu. Fan Yue and Bei Chen are their servants A Qi and A Wu. Mu Jiu is a Kun Lun disciple who later meets the young Rong Xian who is about to meet Ling Long for peace negotiation between their clans.
Episode 10
Through Bei Chen, Bai Shuo learned about the tragic love story between Kun Lun Rong Xian and Fox Clan Ling Long thousands of years ago. So automatically they tried to make the ill-fated lovers not fall for each other. But falling in love they did, and even got married and lived for three years in seclusion.
The not-so-righteous Kun Lun Sect calls Rong Xian back from seclusion and manipulates his mind, so he goes on a killing spree in the Fox Clan and kills his pregnant wife. When Rong Xian regains his coherence, he is so heartbroken and vows revenge upon his own clan.
Episode 11
Mu Jiu and Bei Chen witness Rong Xian’s and realize the legend they learned from their respective clans is wrong. Fan Yue uses his mana power to resurrect the baby under Bai Shuo’s request, then they take the baby to Rong Xian. His sanity returns and he takes the baby away. His resentment disappears, and everyone is released from the trap. The second heart flame appears and flies into Mu Jiu’s hands. A lot of contestants are unhappy that Mu Jiu, who secretly sneaks in to join the contest, is the chosen one.
The Resentment Realm is another scheme from King Hua Lin and Zhen Yu to deplete Fan Yue’s power who passes out later. Bai Shuo uses elixirs to treat him. Fan Yue wakes up, but he loses his memory and only knows her as a kind woman who saves his life. He becomes sweet and clingy, so she calls him Mu Mu.
Episode 12
Tian Huo finally tells Bai Shuo what happened seven years ago. The vitality of the Yi city comes from the Yi King’s Sword, and the King needs to use his blood every ten years to revitalize it. Seven years ago, Tian Huo’s mother Queen Mei Han was sacrificed by her husband and the people during a famine. Tian Huo was furious and wanted to destroy the king’s sword but failed. She was expelled from Yi City.
Tian Huo confronts her father but the monster saves the King. It turns out that it is her brother Prince Hua Yong. Seven years ago, when Tian Huo wanted to destroy the Sword and was wounded, Hua Yong used his spiritual bones to save her. He got the backlash of the Yiwang Sword and turned into a monster. A human by day and a monster by night. His father uses his blood every night to turn him back into a human. That’s why he needs the Desireless Stone to heal Hua Yong. However, Tian Huo and Bai Shuo still feel something is fishy. Hua Yong who is back normal overhears the convo between his father and Deputy General Wu Zhao. It turns out his father wants to make his son a deity with the help of Zhen Yu.
Episode 13
Because Bai Shuo saves his life when threatened by Fu Ling, Mu Jiu gives her the second heart flame and promises to help them rescue Hua Yong. The contestants are invited to the King’s banquet during Fenlan Festival. Before the banquet started, Fan Yue and Bai Shuo lit up sky lanterns along with their wishes together. Fan Yue apologizes to Bai Shuo as Fan Yue and gives her a farewell kiss as Mu Mu.
At the banquet, after a speech that causes uproar from the immortals and demons, King Hua Lin invites them to burn sycamore branches together to create the third heart flame. The guards surround them, but Bai Shuo, Fan Yue, and Chong Zhao escape to the underground. Tian Huo distracts her father by snatching the heart flames and flees to her mother’s courtyard. In there, father and daughter talk. King Hua Lin planned a fake sacrifice of her mother but she ended up dead. Turns out it was Wu Zhao’s doing and he has planned a power siege by allying himself with Cold Spring Palace.
Episode 14
Fu Ling, who captures the runaway trio, makes Bai Shuo choose either Fan Yue or Chong Zhao to be released. She chooses Fan Yue. The scheme of making Hua Yong a deity is fake. Instead, after killing Wu Zhao, Cold Spring Palace wants to make Hua Yong a killing machine. When the monster attacks Bai Shuo, Fan Yue’s Seven Star Soul Burning Seal flashes, restores his memories and explodes demonic power to stop Hua Yong. The second contemplation, Killing, was absorbed by Bai Shuo’s Desireless Stone. The Yi City starts shaking because the Yi King Sword is out of its holder. Finally, Bai Shuo succeeds in putting it back and the Sword turns into a ring and recognizes her as its owner.
Yi City is back to normal. Prince Hua Yong wants to make Bai Shuo the City leader but she refuses as she wants to save Fan Yue who now only has two stars left. Tian Huo tells the background of Fan Yue’s Stars. After his clan is annihilated, Fan Yue learns about every demonic power in the world and they clash with each other. When all stars are out, he will perish. Tian Huo also assures Bai Shuo that Fan Yue is a compassionate leader and cares about her. Fan Yue wakes up, he remembers everything during amnesia, including Mu Mu. The group is back to business in Unbridled Pavilion with one additional member: Mu Jiu. He falls in love with Tian Huo at first sight in Yi City and follows her to Unbridled Pavillion.
Episode 15
After Bai Shuo chooses Fan Yue, Fu Ling takes Chong Zhao back to Cold Spring Palace and imprisons him in the dungeon. Lanling Sect concludes that Cold Spring Palace holds a deep secret and decides to make Chong Zhao their spy.
After learning that Bai Shuo often has nosebleeds after returning from Yi City, Fan Yue asks her teacher about it. Lao Gu guesses that her human body cannot withstand the power of Desireless Stone. Good news! Fox Clan’s most precious Weak Water Stone can suppress the backlash. Fan Yue asks Tian Huo to talk to Mu Jiu about his clan’s treasure. Mu Jiu asks her to marry him and he will give her any treasure she wants.
At this time, Mu Jiu is called back by his aunt Chang Mei, Master of Fox Clan at Jing You Mountain. Chang Mei wants to make him a leader. She asks Fan Yue to consider marrying Tian Huo to Mu Jiu because Mu Jiu will be a weak leader if she’s gone and with the support from Bright Moon Palace, the Fox Clan will be saved. Fan Yue agrees to support the Fox Clan but asks for Weak Water Stone in exchange.
Episode 16
Chang Mei agrees to hand over Weak Water Stone. However, the truth is, Weak Water Stone was lost 800 years ago and the Emotion Tree, the Fox Clan support system, has been depleted since then. Chang Mei wants to use Fan Yue’s power to revive Emotion Tree and gives him a fake Weak Water Stone.
While searching for the Stone, Zang Shan is swallowed by Emotion Tree. Everyone agrees that what happen to Zang Shan is suspicious since the Tree attacks strangers. Bai Shuo received the Contemplation vision where she saw Fan Yue being swallowed by the Tree. Fan Yue still wants to reveal the Tree’s secret and sends Bai Shuo back to Unbridled Pavilion since her body can’t hold the Contemplation power, but Bai Shuo drugs Zang Shan and returns to Jing You Mountain. While walking in the forest, she bumps into Chong Zhao who wants to take her away. Fan Yue sees them hugging, is very angry and the two argue.
Episode 17
Mu Jiu and Chang Mei make a bet that if Tian Huo agrees to marry him in three days, Chang Mei will release him to be a leader. Tian Huo agrees to a fake marriage to help Mu Jiu. Chang Mei gives her wedding clothes to Tian Huo through Bai Shuo. The latter takes the chance to tell the Master about her experience in Resentment Realm where she met Ling Long, Rong Xiao, A Wu, A Qi, and A Ba. But Chang Mei doesn’t accept Bai Shuo’s explanation.
At night, Fu Ling tricks Fan Yue into Emotion Tree so Chong Zhao can take Bai Shuo away. Bai Shuo remembers her Contemplation vision so she begs Chang Mei to take her to the Tree. True enough, Fan Yue is sucked in by the tree. She tries to rescue Fan Yue and gets hurt. Her blood flows into the tree and it starts to regain vitality and releases them. However, a tree spirit attacks them. Chang Mei chases Fu Ling and when the Master corners the demon, Chong Zhao saves Fu Ling and takes her away. Fu Ling is flattered but Chong Zhao firmly says he doesn’t have feelings for her and only loves Bai Shuo. Fu Ling is heartbroken. Chang Mei sees her lover A Qi’s figure and chases him to the Tree but it’s Fan Yue in disguise. From Elder Chang Wu, Bai Shuo deduces that A Qi is buried under the Emotion Tree.
Episode 18
Chang Mei admitted to what happened 800 years ago. Weak Water Stone was missing and the Emotion Tree started drying up. A Qi took the initiative to sacrifice himself to replenish the Emotion Tree. After his spiritual power depletes, the Tree starts swallowing foreigners. Chang Mei begs Fan Yue to let Bai Shuo use her blood to summon A Qi’s spirit, but in fact, she wants to sacrifice Bai Shuo to solve the Emotion Tree crisis.
At Mu Jiu and Tian Huo’s wedding, the Fox Clan house arrests Mu Jiu, and Chang Mei curses Tian Huo. Chang Mei still wants to make her nephew a leader, so her agreeing to their wedding is fake. When Mu Jiu finds out what his aunt did to Tian Huo, he reluctantly agrees to be a leader in exchange for Tian Huo’s release. But many Fox Clan members disagree with his accession to the throne. Zang Shan helps him escape to find his bride. When he finds her, they hug and confess their feelings.
Episode 19
Bai Shuo follows Chang Mei to the Tree and finds out that Mu Jiu is Ling Long and Rong Xian’s son. Chang Mei explains that Mu Jiu was born very weak, so she took Weak Water Stone and put it into Mu Jiu’s body. The Emotion Tree withered so A Qi sacrificed himself. The Tree swallowing people was not caused by A Qi’s resentment but by her guilt. Elder Chang Wu, who was A Ba a thousand years ago, chose to sacrifice himself for the Emotion Tree to protect the secrets of Mu Jiu and the missing Weak Water Stone.
Fu Ling damages Emotion Tree again, assassinates Elder Chang Sheng, and stirs anger within the Fox Clan by blaming Chang Mei and Bright Moon Palace. Chang Mei promises to use herself to repair the Emotion Tree because she no longer has the will to live. She confesses everything to Mu Jiu, including being Ling Long and Rong Xian’s son. When Mu Jiu finds out that his aunt wants to sacrifice herself for the Tree, he decides to take responsibility.
Episode 20
Mu Jiu approaches Fan Yue to trade Weak Water Stone (thus his life) with Fan Yue’s protection to his aunt. He also apologizes and says goodbye to Tian Huo. Bai Shuo has a vision about Mu Jiu and looks for him but is attacked by Fu Ling who is jealous that Chong Zhao loves Bai Shuo. Bai Shuo resists desperately with the dagger given by her sister Bai Xi. Fu Ling sees flashbacks. She starts having splitting headaches and flashbacks after she is attacked by evil insects developed by Chen Yue, the third master of Cold Spring Palace.
Meanwhile, Fan Yue helps Mu Jiu to take off Weak Water Stone. The latter breathes his final goodbye to Tian Huo, dissipates, and turns into spiritual power to rejuvenate Emotion Tree. When Tia Huo mourns Mu Jiu under the Tree, she finds a cute little fox figurine. Weak Water Stone enters Bai Shuo’s body and restores her health. The third Contemplation is Love and it unites with the other Contemplation in her body. Mu Jiu shows up in a vision and encourages Bai Shuo to continue to fight against fate, and Bai Shuo cries bitterly in Fan Yue’s embrace.
Conclusion
Curious to know how this drama ends? Read the second part: Moonlight Mystique: Recap Part 2 (Episodes 21 to 40 + Special Episode)
Related Article: Moonlight Mystique: Drama Details and Character List
