A League of Nobleman Episode 24 Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
Zhang Ping awoke in Lan Jue's mansion, agitated and determined to seek revenge on the Empress Dowager for his master's death. Lan Jue restrained him, urging him to recover, acquire a formidable weapon, and spend five to twenty years training, emphasizing the impossibility of a lone person challenging the well-equipped Imperial Guards and the Empress Dowager.
Zhang Ping initially felt a sense of despair, believing neither he nor Lan Jue could accomplish this task, recalling his master's fate and Mr. Jinghu's years-long quest for vengeance for the Moluo villagers. However, his resolve hardened. He declared he could achieve vengeance, but not in Mr. Jinghu's manner. Instead, he would return to Moluo Village to uncover the complete truth and then seek retribution for his master and his people on his own terms.
More than three months later, Zhang Ping was deep in the southern forest, desperately searching for Moluo Village. Despite days of searching, he couldn't find the entrance and eventually collapsed from exhaustion in the dense woods. Meanwhile, Lan Jue, aware of Zhang Ping's mission and concerned for his safety, had sent people to investigate Gu Qingzhang (Peizhi).
His men reported that Mr. Gu primarily went out to gather herbs in the mountains or tend to his garden in the southern suburbs, having no contact with suspicious individuals. Upon learning Gu Qingzhang was collecting herbs for treating burns, Lan Jue found his recent actions too coincidental, especially in light of what Zhang Ping had said.
Troubled, he visited Gu Qingzhang, admitting he couldn't ignore either Zhang Ping's words or the fact that Gu Qingzhang had been preparing burn medicine. He wanted to resolve his confusion by asking directly. Gu Qingzhang countered that he wasn't as detached from worldly affairs as Lan Jue seemed to believe, asking why else he would have gone to the capital to take the imperial exam ten years ago if he were truly unworldly, suggesting Lan Jue didn't truly know him.
Lan Jue reflected on his first meeting with Gu Qingzhang, recalling how deeply Gu Qingzhang seemed to understand him even then, which now led him to suspect that Gu Qingzhang might have come prepared years ago. In the forest, Wang Yan discovered the collapsed Zhang Ping, noting he was burning hot and suffering from miasma. Zhang Ping woke, surprised to see Wang Yan. Wang Yan questioned why Zhang Ping was in the south instead of the capital.
Zhang Ping explained he was searching for Moluo Village to find answers to everything that had happened. Wang Yan said he had been lost in the forest for days without seeing any sign of the village, though Zhang Ping insisted the Court of Judicial Review archives placed it there. Zhang Ping then asked why Wang Yan wasn't at the front lines with the Emperor.
Wang Yan explained their army's dire situation: despite having more soldiers, they were suffering from miasma due to the southern climate and were locked in a bitter stalemate with the Nandong forces. He had been leading a vanguard unit to scout but, like Zhang Ping, got lost and was ambushed by the Nandong, resulting in many casualties among the remaining soldiers.
Wang Yan offered Zhang Ping some of his remaining food and water, overriding the objections of his soldiers who noted their dwindling supplies. Zhang Ping, however, declined, eager to continue his search for Moluo Village and not wanting to be a burden. But before he could leave, they were attacked. Wang Yan quickly urged Zhang Ping and his men to flee.
In a dazed state from the miasma, Zhang Ping recalled childhood memories and directed them towards a waterfall, repeating "The waterfall." Seeing no other option, Wang Yan led them into the waterfall. They found a cave hidden behind it, concealed from their pursuers. Wang Yan noted they hadn't been discovered, but Zhang Ping was unable to speak. Deciding the situation outside was unknown, they resolved to rest in the cave for the night.
Wang Yan acknowledged that Zhang Ping had saved them and wondered how he had known about the hidden cave, speculating that he must be close to reaching his home. The next morning, Zhang Ping woke and emerged from the cave. Before him lay the ruins of Moluo Village. He walked alone into the deserted settlement, seeing the skeletons of the villagers who had perished years ago standing before him.
Standing by the Sacred Lake, the sight of the water triggered a vivid memory, a "Mirror Flower Water Moon" illusion, of his childhood. He saw himself as a young boy, Kuruo, with his mother. She told him that having been baptized by the Sacred Lake's water, she could now teach him how to use magic.
They played together, and she taught him to calm his mind, close his eyes, and listen to the sounds of nature to master his water vessel. She explained that the water vessel was used to cure the 'heart sickness' (心病) that people developed from keeping their suffering inside over time.
When young Kuruo asked if everyone had heart sickness, his mother confirmed it, revealing she had one herself, hidden beneath the water's surface, which he would learn about when he mastered the magic. She described their village and the lake as the purest place in the world, urging him to feel his true heart there. The memory concluded with his mother announcing she had something to do in the Capital City and was going there. Although she hadn't planned to take him initially, young Kuruo clung to her, unwilling to be left behind, and ultimately went to the Capital City with her.
