I Will Never Let You Go Episode 24 Recap
> I Will Never Let You Go Recap
Hua Buqi and Dongfang Divine Doctor shared a meal at Zuiyitai, a renowned restaurant in Suzhou. Hua Buqi expressed her delight with the cuisine, particularly the fish and sticky rice with lotus root, a sentiment echoed by Dongfang Divine Doctor. They found a surprising camaraderie, bonding over their shared appreciation for food and even discovering a mutual skill in cooking "Beggar's Chicken," leading Dongfang Divine Doctor to propose a cooking competition.
Originally, Dongfang Divine Doctor had instructed his attendant to spread news of Hua Buqi's presence to attract the Zhu family aunties and cause trouble for her. However, during their delightful meal, he had a change of heart and ordered his attendant to stop the aunties, declaring that Hua Buqi was "exactly my type" and no one should disturb their enjoyable time.
Hua Buqi, however, remained uncertain of his true intentions, wondering if he was interested in her appearance or her identity as the granddaughter of the House of Zhu. Xiao Xia suggested he liked her. More than anything, Hua Buqi wished Chen Yu would simply tell her that he liked her. Meanwhile, Chen Yu brought Medical Sage Yi from Jingzhou to his manor to treat the Seventh Prince.
After examining the Prince, Medical Sage Yi diagnosed him with the "Golden Needle Life-Extending Method," a technique that had severely depleted the Prince's vital channels. He explained that a dangerous procedure involving cutting open the flesh to remove the golden needles, followed by the use of thousand-year ginseng and snow lotus, could prolong the Prince's life by two years, but he would remain bedridden.
Despite the high risk, Chen Yu was prepared to proceed, but the Seventh Prince refused, stating he would not endure such pain nor live without dignity. The Seventh Prince then revealed to Chen Yu that he had not arranged a marriage for him to avoid tying him to the capital. Chen Yu confessed his affection for Hua Buqi, revealing that he knew she was not the Prince's daughter and was, in fact, still alive.
He explained that he had opened her grave to find it empty, surmising that she faked her death after discovering her true parentage and fearing the Prince's reaction. The Seventh Prince was visibly thrilled by the news of Hua Buqi's survival. He proceeded to divulge the full Biluotian prophecy, stating, "This dynasty will end on the Fifth Emperor. The one who obtains the treasure of Biluotian will run the world, then activate the holy item and sacrifice the Saintess.
The treasure will then forever disappear from this world. From then on, the world will have its peace." He explained that the original Saintess of Biluotian fled upon hearing this prophecy. The entrance to Biluotian was guarded by an enchantment, requiring a map to enter.
People from Biluotian, including Ah Fu and his sister, were searching for the Saintess with a map but were attacked by a mysterious person who took half of this map and attempted to eradicate everyone within Biluotian. Ah Fu and his sister managed to escape, using Ah Fu's knowledge of the terrain. However, Ah Fu's sister's Biluotian identity was eventually exposed, leading to her capture by the Emperor.
Ah Fu himself was severely injured but was rescued by the Seventh Prince, who had since used Ah Fu to search for the Saintess and the remaining half of the map. The Saintess' bloodline is continuous; therefore, as Xue Fei was a Saintess, so too is Hua Buqi, which was why the Seventh Prince had kept her in his manor.
He revealed that the Emperor guarded against him due to his long-held ambition to usurp the throne, not because of Ah Fu's identity. He justified his desire for power by criticizing the current Emperor's rule as chaotic. He further explained that only with the Saintess holding the holy object and both halves of the map could the Biluotian treasure be unlocked.
Chen Yu was deeply shaken by these revelations, especially learning that his father's love for Xue Fei was secondary to his ambition. The Seventh Prince admitted that while he loved Xue Fei, romantic feelings were inconsequential compared to his imperial aspirations, and Xue Fei's death—after overhearing his conversation with Ah Fu, giving birth, and losing too much blood—was her fate and a necessary sacrifice.
Chen Yu questioned the true importance of the throne, but the Prince passionately defended his ambition for power, admiration, and security. The Prince then urged Chen Yu to retrieve the holy object hidden in his study's secret room, stating that with Hua Buqi, the object, and the complete map, the world would be his.
However, Chen Yu vehemently refused, vowing never to use Hua Buqi as a tool or allow her to suffer further, especially after her early life as a beggar, which he attributed to his father's schemes. He declared his desire for a peaceful life, leaving the Seventh Prince to lament that sacrifice was essential for true power.
Following this confrontation, Chen Yu immediately ordered the recall of all personnel investigating Hua Buqi, leaving only Han Ye in place with strict instructions to feign ignorance should the Seventh Prince inquire. Chen Yu then made his way to his father's secret study, located the hidden room, and retrieved the holy object. There, he read a letter from the Seventh Prince confirming his plan to sacrifice Hua Buqi, and also read the Biluotian prophecy again.
Reaffirming his vow to protect Hua Buqi from becoming a pawn, he attempted to destroy the holy object with his sword, but the blade shattered against it. Unable to destroy it, Chen Yu resolved to sink the holy object into the deepest part of the ocean, ensuring no one could ever find it. Meanwhile, Liu Mingyue, leading the Seventh Prince's men, faced challenges as they questioned her chosen route, suspecting she was leading them towards Lingqiu instead of Biluotian.
Under pressure and threats of execution for disloyalty, Liu Mingyue admitted she needed to attend to "business" in Lingqiu, negotiating for time before she would guide them to Biluotian. Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Jiufeng, impatiently waiting in Lingqiu, sent his own men to investigate Liu Mingyue's delay. Ah Fu, observing both groups, instructed his own men to shadow Xiao Jiufeng's people and to test Liu Mingyue, improvising if discovered.
Liu Mingyue encountered Ah Fu's disguised men, who were acting as tea traders, and attempted to subtly test them with a name, but they maintained their cover, further fueling the Prince's guards' suspicion. Later that night, Liu Mingyue met with Xiao Jiufeng at Jiufu Inn. She explained her predicament: the Prince's men were extremely cautious, only consuming their own provisions and obtaining water on their own, making it impossible to poison them.
She also voiced her suspicion about the "tea traders," fearing the Seventh Prince might be following Xiao Jiufeng. Xiao Jiufeng, acknowledging the possibility, devised a plan. He described a remote path where water would be scarce for three days. He would establish a food stand there, and Liu Mingyue would lure the Prince's men to drink water, which would be poisoned. If the "businessmen" reappeared, it would confirm the Prince's hidden backup.
Xiao Jiufeng stressed the importance of poisoning all of them for safety, rather than risking any escaping to report back. The next day, Liu Mingyue led the Prince's guards to Xiao Jiufeng's makeshift roadside shop. The shop owner, a subordinate of Xiao Jiufeng, demanded upfront payment.
Initially, the guards adhered to their strict policy of eating their own food, but as thirst grew, they eventually gave in and demanded food and water from the shop, having observed Liu Mingyue consuming it without ill effect. Xiao Jiufeng revealed his cunning method: he had laced the wine and food with two different poisons that canceled each other out when consumed together, rendering the victims unaware until it was too late.
He and Liu Mingyue then confronted the incapacitated guards. To ensure their cooperation, they revealed that the guards' families were being held captive at Mingyue Villa and threatened to harm them unless the guards agreed to cooperate and perpetuate a lie to the Seventh Prince. The desperate guards, fearing for their loved ones, reluctantly agreed. Ah Fu, hidden in the shadows, witnessed these events, finally recognizing the mysterious man as Xiao Jiufeng.
He followed Xiao Jiufeng to a secluded cave, which he instantly recognized as the entrance to Biluotian and the very place where half of his map had been stolen years ago. Ah Fu's men reported back that the "businessmen" had not shown up, believing Ah Fu had been overly cautious, but Ah Fu knew better. With the Prince's guards now compromised, Liu Mingyue returned to her quarters, guarded only by her loyal confidant, Hei Yan.
Liu Qingwu, who had been secretly tracking Liu Mingyue, saw this as her opportunity. Under the cover of night, Liu Qingwu poisoned Liu Mingyue. As Hei Yan rushed in to aid her master, Liu Qingwu's subordinates engaged him, allowing a severely poisoned Liu Mingyue to make a desperate escape. Simultaneously, Ah Fu and his subordinate, Mu Tou, stealthily infiltrated Xiao Jiufeng's cave.
Ah Fu discovered the other half of the Biluotian map near a bed, but in doing so, he accidentally triggered a hidden trap, unleashing a volley of arrows. Mu Tou was gravely wounded in the attack. Mu Tou, unwilling to burden Ah Fu, urged him to flee with the map and even gave Ah Fu his sword to fight Xiao Jiufeng while he remained behind to hold him off. Ah Fu, with a heavy heart, entrusted his sword to Mu Tou and made his escape with the precious map.
