An Oriental Odyssey Episode 24 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
He Zhun recalled Mu Le's recent transformation, where Mu Le's eyes had glowed yellow and he had exhibited extraordinary strength, leading many to fear him as a monster. However, He Zhun saw Mu Le's power as a great asset, believing that if harnessed, it could make them invincible against Zhao Lanzhi and the imperial army. He Zhun went to find Mu Le and brought him back to the mountain stronghold.
Mu Le was relieved that the bandits did not reject him for his unique appearance and became even more loyal to the Huodu Mountain community. He toasted his new brothers, declaring that despite his strange appearance, he understood right from wrong and would remember their kindness forever. He pledged his loyalty, vowing to be shattered like a glass if he broke his word.
Mu Le then offered strategic advice, cautioning his fellow bandits that despite their recent victory, it was precisely the time when Zhao Lanzhi would plan a counterattack, as their enemies would likely be celebrating and lowering their guard. He stressed that Zhao Lanzhi, though brave, was brilliant and not reckless. Inquired if there was another path up the mountain other than the one they had blocked, He Zhun confirmed there was.
Mu Le immediately led his men to set an ambush along that route, where they soon encountered Zhao Lanzhi's forces. During the skirmish, Mu Le pursued a fleeing soldier who, to his surprise, turned out to be Ye Yuanan. She had ridden swiftly to the military camp after dreaming of his death, only to be told he had become a bandit. Confronting him, Ye Yuanan angrily questioned why he had turned into a bandit and killed people.
Mu Le countered, asking if the soldiers in the army had ever treated him as a brother. When Ye Yuanan tried to hit him, Mu Le stopped her, expressing concern that she would hurt her hands. He then declared his freedom as a bandit, claiming he loved his new life. Ye Yuanan insisted he return to the military camp with her, but Mu Le refused, pushing her hand away.
He confessed that he didn't want to go back precisely because of her, specifically because he didn't want to see Zhao Lanzhi due to her. He then brought up the night he had kissed her, asking if she had told Zhao Lanzhi. Ye Yuanan, with complex emotions, denied it, claiming she had almost forgotten about it. Mu Le did not believe her, asserting she was pretending to be muddled.
He expressed that while he might be less than a feather in her eyes, she was his everything. He added that he could endure anyone else bullying, hitting, or cursing him, but her hurting his heart made him feel like the entire world was lost. Moved by his words, Ye Yuanan pleaded with him to return to the military camp, offering to explain everything to Zhao Lanzhi. However, Mu Le cried and fled, declaring he would never go back.
Dejected, Ye Yuanan returned to the military camp and informed Zhao Lanzhi that Mu Le refused to come back. Zhao Lanzhi was furious, stating that Mu Le was "looking for his own death." Meanwhile, Mu Le drowned his sorrows in drink, confessing to He Zhun that he was in love with Ye Yuanan. He Zhun, empathizing with Mu Le's heartbreak, shared that he too had fallen for a beautiful girl whose name he didn't even know.
He was confident, however, that she would seek him out because he possessed something she desperately wanted. The State Preceptor, concerned about the search for the Nine-Star Heavenly Bead, questioned Ming Hui. She reported that Zhang Dahu had given the bead to He Zhun, his rescuer, at Huodu Mountain. Upon learning that Zhao Lanzhi was currently tasked with suppressing the bandits there, the State Preceptor deduced that Zhao Lanzhi was likely facing a tough battle.
He instructed Ming Hui to go and assist Zhao Lanzhi, promising to request a reward for her from the Emperor and Empress. However, he then clarified his true intent, explaining that Zhao Lanzhi, being a confidant of the Empress, was a potential threat, and commanded Ming Hui to eliminate him after she retrieved the Divine Bead.
While Zhao Lanzhi was fretting over a shortage of army provisions, Ming Hui arrived with a cart full of food, ostensibly sent by her brother but personally delivered by her. She deliberately mentioned to Ye Yuanan how Zhao Lanzhi had cared for her in a bamboo hut, causing Ye Yuanan to bristle with jealousy. Ye Yuanan, suspecting Ming Hui's ill intentions and disliking her "hypocritical face," challenged her to a martial arts match.
Zhao Lanzhi intervened, forbidding any private fights in the military camp and urging them to resolve their differences in Luoyang. He later explained to Ye Yuanan that he found Ming Hui suspicious and mysterious, and after probing her multiple times, he felt she harbored a secret, possibly connected to national affairs, which prevented him from acting rashly.
Though Ye Yuanan remained unconvinced, Zhao Lanzhi acknowledged that Ming Hui had solved their immediate food crisis and planned to send her back to Luoyang. However, Ming Hui proposed a deal with Zhao Lanzhi. She claimed that He Zhun had taken something of hers, and if Zhao Lanzhi did not interfere with her reclaiming it, she would help him defeat the bandits on Huodu Mountain.
Mu Le experienced another nightmare, dreaming of "fish scales" and wondering if it was his homeland and why he had left it. He discussed the army's ongoing siege with his fellow bandits, expressing concern about their dwindling food supplies and the need to quickly repel the enemy. Just then, a horse was startled, and Mu Le witnessed a young girl calm it with a remarkable ease.
When the girl turned, Mu Le felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her in his dreams. Learning her name was Zhenzhen and that He Zhun had rescued her from the woods half a year ago, badly injured and barely alive, Mu Le approached her. He discovered he could understand her horse-whispering, and noted their similar experiences of amnesia, with him even forgetting his own name.
Zhenzhen seemed startled by his words, and a white-clad figure, seen before, briefly appeared and gazed at her. After Mu Le left, Zhenzhen whispered "Huole de Tuotuo" to herself as she watched him go, a white-clad man again appearing momentarily before her. Later, Mu Le sought He Zhun to discuss strategies for withdrawing the enemy.
But He Zhun, having received a letter containing a bead flower and a mushroom-shaped canopy from Ming Hui, excitedly rushed off to meet her, interpreting the items as a message for a romantic rendezvous. He Zhun found Ming Hui in a decorated cave. After some flirtatious banter, Ming Hui offered him wine. As He Zhun drank, the wine took effect, leaving him feeling drunk. Suddenly, Zhao Lanzhi and his soldiers appeared, arresting He Zhun.
He Zhun, realizing he'd been betrayed, accused Ming Hui of setting a trap. Zhao Lanzhi, believing he had captured the bandit leader, prepared to lead his men to conquer Huodu Mountain. However, this was a double-cross: Ming Hui had conspired with He Zhun, informing him of Zhao Lanzhi's plans beforehand in exchange for the Nine-Star Heavenly Bead. He Zhun's men then ambushed Zhao Lanzhi, turning the tables and capturing him.
He Zhun, enraged, was about to kill Zhao Lanzhi to avenge his fallen brothers, but Ming Hui intervened, advising him to keep Zhao Lanzhi alive as leverage for negotiations with the Imperial court. Pleased with Ming Hui's crucial assistance, He Zhun willingly gave her the Nine-Star Heavenly Bead. However, as Ming Hui prepared to leave, He Zhun changed his mind. Admiring her cleverness and beauty, he seized her, demanding she return to Huodu Mountain to become his wife.
Ming Hui adamantly refused, even threatening suicide with a candle holder. He Zhun, though initially forceful, paused when he suspected she had a lover. Unable to compel her, he ordered his men to imprison her. Thus, both Zhao Lanzhi and Ming Hui found themselves in the same prison cell. Seeing Zhao Lanzhi, whom she had used as bait, Ming Hui felt a pang of guilt but maintained a defiant facade.
Zhao Lanzhi, observing her, continued to probe, asking about the item she so desperately sought from the bandits, its connection to Jiang Ren and her past actions, and the identity of the powerful individual supporting and coercing her. Ming Hui, scoffing at his interrogation in their dire situation, warned him that the person behind her was someone he, the entire Imperial court, and even the Empress, could not afford to provoke.
