An Oriental Odyssey Episode 32 Recap
> An Oriental Odyssey Recap
On the night of their wedding, Zhao Lanzhi stumbled into the room, heavily intoxicated. Princess Ming Hui cautiously asked if he knew who she was, urging him not to mistake her for Ye Yuanan. Zhao Lanzhi, however, scoffed, assuring her that he recognized Princess Ming Hui and would not make such an error. Ming Hui then offered to help him rest, but Zhao Lanzhi pushed her away.
He cynically remarked that he was too honored to be served by a princess and openly confessed his deep distrust of her, stating that he would always suspect her motives and schemes. He declared that he could not consummate their marriage and demanded they live as a nominal couple, never interfering in each other's lives.
Enraged, Ming Hui condemned his audacity to dismiss a marriage decreed by the Empress and defiantly swore that she would never let him go, proclaiming that any hope he harbored for reuniting with Ye Yuanan was futile. She vowed that she had acquired him and would keep him, asserting that this was their inescapable destiny.
After Zhao Lanzhi drifted into a drunken sleep, Ming Hui tenderly caressed his head, whispering possessively that he was hers forever and would never be allowed to leave. Meanwhile, Ye Yuanan and Mu Le were in a cave. Mu Le diligently prepared a bed of straw for Ye Yuanan, urging her to rest. Still fuming, Ye Yuanan bitterly complained about the hard ground and then snapped at Mu Le, asking who had told him to fuss over her.
She clarified that if he hadn't agreed to marry her, she would be comfortably asleep in her own bed at home. She then bit his arm fiercely, telling him he did not deserve her kindness and should abandon her.
Mu Le's heart shattered as he realized Ye Yuanan's declarations of affection were disingenuous, her marriage to him was merely an act to spite Zhao Lanzhi, and her true love, the source of all her joy and sorrow, was still Zhao Lanzhi. Overwhelmed with despair, Mu Le acknowledged that he understood her true feelings.
With a heavy heart, he advised Ye Yuanan to take good care of herself and then walked out of the cave without a backward glance, regretting that he had ever returned to see her. Ye Yuanan, left alone, immediately felt a pang of regret and apologized in a pained whisper. Observing Mu Le's anguish from a distance, Zhenzhen and a mysterious figure on Huodu Mountain concluded that the opportune moment had arrived.
Zhenzhen soon approached Mu Le, revealing that she had been waiting for him since their last separation. After thanking her for saving his life, Mu Le asked what he could do for her. Zhenzhen informed him of her intention to take him back to his homeland, the Kingdom of Suoluo, and then asked if he had ever heard the phrase "Huole De Tuotuo." Mu Le confirmed he knew the phrase but was unaware of its meaning.
Zhenzhen then recounted the extraordinary occurrences he had experienced since losing his memory, describing his superhuman strength and speed, his rapid mastery of combat skills without formal training, and his miraculously self-healing wounds. She explained that he frequently saw visions of another self – a seasoned, invincible warrior, not a slave – which explained his remarkable bravery against countless soldiers on Huodu Mountain.
Zhenzhen then knelt before Mu Le, proclaiming that he was Prince Ying of Suoluo and she was his devoted servant. She revealed that he had traveled to the Tang State on a mission, suffered a severe injury on Huodu Mountain, and forgotten his identity. She also added that she had brought him back to life with a pill.
She then offered him a blue pill, explaining that it would restore his memories as Prince Ying but would also erase all recollections of his time in the Tang State, including the woman who had broken his heart. Without hesitation, Mu Le consumed the pill, instantly recovering his former identity. Prince Ying then commanded Zhenzhen to rise, reminding her that she was not just his servant but a fellow warrior.
Zhenzhen then asked if he now recalled the meaning of "Huole De Tuotuo," to which Prince Ying responded with chilling clarity, "Yes, of course I remember it." Prince Ying, accompanied by Zhenzhen, then stormed Tian Shu's private chambers in the Futu Pagoda. He confronted Tian Shu, who guarded the Nine Star Divine Beads, declaring that he was merely reclaiming what rightfully belonged to them.
Tian Shu resisted, challenging Prince Ying to defeat him and warning that the beads would be useless if not willingly given. However, Zhenzhen held a dagger to Tian Shu's throat, forcing him to surrender the beads in exchange for his life. After they left, Tian Shu quickly dispatched his disciples to inform the Empress of the theft. Furious at the news, the Empress summoned Zhao Lanzhi, Ming Hui, and Ye Yuanan to the palace.
Ye Yuanan, who had been found and escorted from the cave by Palace Guards, was bewildered, unaware of any wrongdoing. Tian Shu, attempting to feign illness by wearing a mask, spun a convoluted tale about drinking snake wine and suffering a rash. The Empress, however, was not amused and sternly ordered him to remove the mask.
After a brief theatrical display, Tian Shu removed it to reveal a perfectly normal face, humorously attributing his miraculous recovery to the Empress's divine power. Growing impatient, the Empress pressed him for the truth about the stolen Divine Beads, eventually threatening to execute him. When Zhao Lanzhi and Ming Hui arrived, the Empress commanded Zhao Lanzhi to kill Tian Shu on the spot.
Tian Shu quickly intervened, asserting that his death would forever seal the knowledge of who stole the beads. The Empress then had Ye Yuanan brought before her and, using her as leverage, ordered Zhao Lanzhi to hold a sword to Ye Yuanan's neck. Under duress, Tian Shu finally confessed that it was Mu Le who had stolen the Nine Star Divine Beads with Zhenzhen.
He admitted his inability to stop Mu Le, attributing Mu Le's power to the protection of the Divine Beads themselves. The Empress, still skeptical, pressed for confirmation, which Tian Shu emphatically provided. She then ordered her guards to search the Ye Mansion for Mu Le. However, the search yielded no results, further fueling the Empress's suspicion that Ye Yuanan and Mu Le had conspired in the theft.
Ye Yuanan vehemently denied the accusations, insisting that Mu Le, merely a horse servant loyal to her, would never commit such a crime and didn't even know what the Divine Beads were for. Unconvinced, the Empress once again ordered Zhao Lanzhi to execute Ye Yuanan. This time, Tian Shu desperately intervened, reasoning that killing Ye Yuanan would make it impossible to retrieve the Divine Beads, as Mu Le only obeyed her.
Zhao Lanzhi echoed Tian Shu's plea, urging the Empress to reconsider. Accepting their logic, the Empress issued a grim ultimatum: everyone present, including Zhao Lanzhi, Ming Hui, Tian Shu, and their respective families and clans, had seven days to recover the Nine Star Divine Beads, or they would all face death. With their lives intertwined, the group had no choice but to cooperate. Zhao Lanzhi immediately launched a city-wide manhunt, arresting antique dealers and jewelers on suspicion.
Meanwhile, a distraught Ye Yuanan wandered the streets, desperately calling out for Mu Le, begging him to return, apologize to the Empress, and clear his name. However, Mu Le was nowhere to be found, and despite all efforts, the search for the missing Divine Beads yielded no results after several days.
