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Wei Wuxian finds himself pulled into Empathy after locating Nie Mingjue's head. He and Lan Wangji begin to witness the story behind the Venerated Triad's formation.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In addition to seeing the Venerated Triad's backstory, Wei Wuxian is also treated to a memory of his younger self fighting with Lan Wangji over his use of demonic cultivation during the Sunshot Campaign, something that makes him feel ashamed and pondering how he couldn't understand his companion's good intentions back then.
- Adaptational Badass: While Wei Wuxian does Empathy alone in the novel, Lan Wangji is able to put a magical seal on the paperman that allows himself to also join in despite being in a separate location from his companion and Nie Mingjue's head.
- Adaptation Expansion: At the beginning of Empathy there are additional scenes of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arguing on the battlefield during the Sunshot Campaign, something the novel briefly mentions in the narration.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Well, Wei Wuxian in his paperman form anyways. After grabbing hold of the mischievous paperman and transferring his powers to it, Lan Wangji gently wipes off a crumb from its face with his finger while warning him to be careful.
- Alas, Poor Yorick: Jin Guangyao opens up the compartment paperman-Wei Wuxian's hiding in to talk to Nie Mingjue's head, sinisterly commenting that it's been a while and asking him if he's the one who's been staring at him.
- Anywhere but Their Lips: Censorship disallowing any explicit signs of queer romance meant that the Ship Tease moment of the paperman (possessed by Wei Wuxian) playfully kissing Lan Wangji from the novel couldn't be included. This adaptation instead enforces this trope by having the two touch each other's lips with their hands in a fond manner, allowing them to still be affectionate.
- Evil-Detecting Dog: As a spiritual dog, Fairy is able to sense Wei Wuxian using paper metamorphosis (a type of demonic cultivation technique) and barks in the direction of the paperman riding a leaf outside. However Jin Ling is unable to see the paperman and so assumes his pet is just barking nonsense.
- Fake Defector: During the Sunshot Campaign, Jin Guangyao pretended to defect to the Wens and secretly sent the other clans intel. This culminated in him successfully killing Wen Ruohan by stabbing him from behind. Nie Mingjue was still angered by his actions, however, as his former right-hand had also resorted to killing or capturing many of their allies (including himself) during his ruse.
- Good-Times Montage: "Good times" is a stretch since they were in a middle of war, but a Hard-Work Montage of the Venerated Triad together shows a happier time where all three men genuinely cared for one another and lacked the tension that apparently plagued them.
- Gossipy Hens: In the Empathy flashback, a couple of cultivators mocked Jin Guangyao behind his back for being a prostitute's son and unwanted by his father Jin Guangshan. An unimpressed Nie Mingjue interrupted them by breaking down a wall and asked if they came here to fight or gossip.
- Hard-Work Montage: The Empathy portion of the episode includes a montage of the Venerated Triad training, strategising and fighting in battle together during the Sunshot Campaign, showing their teamwork and camaraderie.
- I Hate Past Me: Wei Wuxian sees a younger version of himself in the Empathy flashback of the Sunshot Campaign and is clearly uncomfortable with how ruthless he was when using demonic cultivation.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Qin Su is nothing short of an emotional wreck when she tearfully and hysterically yells at her husband about the contents of the letter she received.
- Interrogating the Dead: The resentful energy of Nie Mingjue's head is strong enough to draw in Wei Wuxian's paperman form and trigger Empathy on him and Lan Wangji (via the seal), allowing them to see his memories of himself and his future sworn brothers.
- Product Placement: After Wei Wuxian transfers his soul to the paperman he spends a moment to admire the cups of Four Seasons Grapefruit, a type of fruit yoghurt drink from the brand Zhenguoli which sponsored the donghua for this season.
- Staircase Tumble: The Lanling Jin Clan's response to Jin Guangyao first attempting to reach out to his father? Kicking him down the Jinlintai stairs. This incident is one of the many things other cultivators like to gossip about him.
- There Was a Door: Despite there being a door (not to mention they were already in an open space since many of the buildings were broken down), Nie Mingjue was so annoyed at the cultivators mocking Jin Guangyao's origins that he approached them by knocking down a wall of the place they were resting in.
- Through a Face Full of Fur: Despite only being a piece of paper, Wei Wuxian manages to blush in his paperman form when held by Lan Wangji (then again he also still has a face and can sweat, so the paperman barely abides by logic in this adaptation to begin with).
- Whole Episode Flashback: More than half of the episode takes place in Nie Mingjue's Empathy, showing his backstory with his future sworn brothers.
- You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: The younger Wei Wuxian angrily referring to Lan Wangji by courtesy name instead of his birth name during Empathy showed his frustration with the latter for persistently asking him to stop using demonic cultivation.
