An Oriental Odyssey Episode 25 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
In prison, Princess Minghui taunted Zhao Lanzhi, stating that her backer was so powerful even the Empress couldn't afford to offend him. Zhao Lanzhi immediately deduced it was State Preceptor Tian Qiao. Minghui confirmed his guess but mocked him, asserting there was nothing he could do. Zhao Lanzhi declared his immediate goal was to escape, which Minghui deemed impossible.
Soon after, signal flares appeared outside, and Zhao Lanzhi proudly informed Minghui that he had anticipated her unreliability and had planned all along, using her to locate the bandits' lair. The government army launched an assault on the mountain lair, and Ye Yuanan successfully rescued Zhao Lanzhi. Zhao Lanzhi revealed his plan to Minghui, stating her betrayal had inadvertently helped him locate the lair.
He then ordered Ye Yuanan to protect Minghui, despite Ye Yuanan's visible disdain and desire to harm her. Zhao Lanzhi captured the bandit leader, He Zhun. Defeated, He Zhun, lamenting his ruined wedding day, declared his intention for Minghui to join him in death, and drew a knife, attempting to kill her. Zhao Lanzhi bravely intercepted the knife, taking a poisoned hit himself.
Seeing Zhao Lanzhi wounded, an enraged Ye Yuanan immediately killed He Zhun and then lashed out at Minghui, blaming her for Zhao Lanzhi's injury. Upon returning to the military camp, Zhao Lanzhi, Ye Yuanan, and their troops discovered it had been brutally attacked. Many soldiers lay dead or wounded, including Zhao Lanzhi's trusted subordinate, Xiaohu, who was fatally injured. With his last breath, Xiaohu revealed that Mu Le was responsible for the assault.
Overwhelmed by grief and rage, Zhao Lanzhi swore to avenge Xiaohu's death. Meanwhile, Mu Le, returning to his own lair, was devastated by the sight of the massacred bandits, including his "Big Brother," and vowed revenge against Zhao Lanzhi, letting one soldier go to deliver this message. A doctor informed Zhao Lanzhi that the dart wound contained a potent viper venom.
Although most of the poison had been removed, some remained, and due to scarce medical supplies, he advised Zhao Lanzhi to return to Luoyang for complete recovery. However, Zhao Lanzhi adamantly refused, insisting he would not leave until all bandits were eradicated. Ye Yuanan tried to persuade him, suggesting they could return after he had recovered, but Zhao Lanzhi accused her of defending Mu Le and demanded to know her true feelings for him.
Ye Yuanan dismissed his suspicions, stating that Mu Le was merely a servant who had betrayed her, and her concern was solely for Zhao Lanzhi's well-being. Princess Minghui, held captive in the military camp, refused to eat or drink. With Zhao Lanzhi incapacitated, Ye Yuanan took charge and confronted Minghui. She harshly chastised Minghui for colluding with the bandits, reminding her that Zhao Lanzhi had spared her life.
When Minghui inquired about Zhao Lanzhi's injuries, Ye Yuanan sarcastically retorted that he wouldn't dare die before her. Ye Yuanan then physically forced food upon Minghui, reminding her that the soldiers had saved it. Minghui defiantly threatened to have Ye Yuanan and her family killed once she returned to Luoyang.
Unfazed, Ye Yuanan listed Minghui's past misdeeds and warned her that, far from the capital and with Zhao Lanzhi injured, she was free of scruples and couldn't guarantee what she might do if provoked. Despite the humiliation, Minghui remained defiant, vowing that Ye Yuanan would pay for her actions. After the attack, Mu Le encountered Zhenzhen at the bandit lair. Zhenzhen questioned why he remained when he had no strong ties to the Huodu Mountain bandits and they had disbanded.
Mu Le explained that although he wasn't from there, the bandits had treated him with kindness and respect, unlike those who had previously mistreated him. Now that these kind people were dead, he felt a deep need for revenge against those responsible. He clarified that he didn't intend to fight the entire army, but rather to take one specific life, a task he felt he could manage alone. Concerned for Ye Yuanan, Tian Shu secretly arrived at the military camp.
Despite Ye Yuanan's initial scolding about the danger of Zhao Lanzhi capturing him, Tian Shu insisted he had come to help, having foreseen her troubles. Moved by Ye Yuanan's tears over Mu Le's betrayal and Zhao Lanzhi's illness, Tian Shu promised to cure Zhao Lanzhi first.
He then entered Zhao Lanzhi's tent, despite Zhao Lanzhi's disdain for his presence, and astutely diagnosed the severity of his condition, including the internal pain and a black line on his arm that, if it reached his palm, would indicate imminent death. Ye Yuanan, seeing the line had already reached Zhao Lanzhi's wrist, grew frantic.
Tian Shu revealed the poison was from a "Bijin Snake" unique to Huodu Mountain and could be cured by transfusing blood from a local villager who had survived a bite from the same snake. Zhao Lanzhi agreed, and Tian Shu quickly administered the cure. However, Tian Shu issued a strict warning: Zhao Lanzhi was not to use martial arts or internal force for several months, or his life would be in grave danger.
Soon after, a soldier, spared by Mu Le, returned to the camp with a challenge from Mu Le: a bloody battle would ensue in three days. Enraged and determined to avenge Xiaohu, Zhao Lanzhi declared he would await Mu Le and take his life, regardless of whether he was human or monster.
Ye Yuanan, having been instrumental in saving Zhao Lanzhi's life, asked for one favor in return: that she be allowed to handle Mu Le when he arrived, keeping Zhao Lanzhi out of the conflict. Zhao Lanzhi accused her of defending Mu Le despite his destructive actions and threats. Ye Yuanan asserted that as Mu Le was her servant, she would take responsibility for his misdeeds and ensure he was brought to justice without either of them getting hurt.
She reminded Zhao Lanzhi of Tian Shu's warning about not fighting and called him narrow-minded for only seeing her concern for Mu Le, not her concern for him. Unable to fight himself, Zhao Lanzhi reluctantly agreed to her terms but warned that he would never forgive her if she allowed Mu Le to escape. Ye Yuanan pressed Tian Shu for a strategy to handle Mu Le.
Tian Shu, noting Mu Le's childlike innocence and stubborn single-mindedness in wanting to kill Zhao Lanzhi, whispered a plan to Ye Yuanan, who found it excellent. Following this, Mu Le attempted to infiltrate the military camp but fell into Ye Yuanan's trap. She confronted him about his actions, reminding him of his past role and questioning his intentions.
Ye Yuanan then offered Mu Le three chances to challenge Zhao Lanzhi within three days, with each capture by her reducing one opportunity. Having caught him once, she stated he only had two chances left, and if she caught him a third time, he would have to return home with her. Later, Mu Le was caught a second time by Ye Yuanan, with Tian Shu's help, leveraging Mu Le's reluctance to harm her, despite Zhao Lanzhi's attempt to intervene.
Mu Le accused her of trickery, but Ye Yuanan retorted that deception was fair in war and pointed out his reluctance to harm her. Mu Le, now with only one chance left, vowed not to miss it. Disheartened by his repeated captures, Mu Le sat by the lake. Zhenzhen observed that he was inherently kind-hearted and incapable of true villainy, suggesting he had come to Huodu Mountain by accident, driven only by anger over past humiliations.
Mu Le insisted he still had one chance left and would not miss it, declaring he would rather die than fail. Zhenzhen silently agreed that death might be preferable to living a life of such misery. Ye Yuanan consulted Tian Shu again, expressing her worry about capturing Mu Le a third time, fearing he wouldn't be tricked again and might become uncontrollable in a "crazy fit."
She affirmed that she would not allow Zhao Lanzhi to kill Mu Le, nor vice versa, and if execution were necessary, she would carry it out herself. She mentioned an incident where Mu Le, in a transformed state, developed strange scales and became powerful enough to deflect arrows. Tian Shu found this intriguing and reassured her that Mu Le was not like General Guo, who lost his humanity under a spell.
He pointed out that Mu Le's deflected arrows were headless, indicating he had no intention to kill, and thus Ye Yuanan shouldn't worry about him being a monster. Confident in Mu Le's nature, Ye Yuanan then received two new methods from Tian Shu to deal with him. Meanwhile, Princess Minghui managed to sneak out of her confinement. She secretly observed Tian Shu in the camp, recognizing him from General Guo's residence.
Her curiosity was piqued when she noticed he was wearing two Nine Divine Beads, prompting questions about how he acquired them and his true identity. Later, Zhao Lanzhi visited Minghui, offering her military rations and explaining that most of the bandits were eradicated. Minghui, however, remained defiant, asserting that once they returned to Luoyang, he wouldn't be able to imprison her. She then asked about his wounds, and Zhao Lanzhi informed her that he had largely recovered thanks to a "master," whose identity and background he did not disclose.
