Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Episode 1 Recap
> Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Recap
In a village burdened by heavy pearl taxes, a young girl named Ye Haishi prepared to dive into the sea from a small boat carrying her father, Uncle Zhu, and Uncle Jin. Her father tied a rope around her waist, urging her to find a mermaid and bring her up to get luminous pearls, which were crucial for paying the year's tributes.
Despite her fear, Haishi bravely proclaimed she was the best swimmer in the village and dove into the ocean. Underwater, Haishi was mesmerized by a beautiful merfolk. After the merfolk helped her surface for air, Haishi excitedly tried to tell her father what she had seen, but he suddenly grabbed her from behind, attempting to strangle her. The merfolk, who had been smiling, watched in horror and then grief as the father seemingly sacrificed his child to make it cry.
As tears streamed from its eyes, they turned into precious luminous pearls that fell into the sea. Overjoyed, Uncle Zhu and Uncle Jin jumped into the water to collect them. In the struggle, Haishi bit her father's hand, and the blood spreading in the water attracted danger. A massive wave crashed down, followed by a swarm of sharks that devoured her father, Uncle Zhu, and Uncle Jin. Haishi, however, was pulled to safety by the merfolk.
She awoke alone on the boat, surrounded by a few luminous pearls. That night, soldiers surrounded Haishi's village, demanding pearls. The villagers could only offer low-quality ones. Just as Haishi's mother was pleading with the officers, Haishi arrived with the luminous pearls. The greedy officer seized the pearls and, breaking his word, ordered his men to burn the village and capture everyone to be sold as slaves. As villagers scattered, Haishi and her mother were pursued by soldiers.
Just as Haishi believed her end was near, the soldiers were struck down by a black-clad youth. Meanwhile, a man in a green robe, wearing a cold mask, calmly picked up a luminous pearl to examine it. The masked man asked for her name and offered to take her to the capital. When Haishi asked if he could protect her mother and the villagers, he promised that no one would bully them again.
Haishi agreed to go, and he then presented her with a choice: as a girl, she would have safety but little else; as a boy, she would gain much more, but not absolute safety. Haishi immediately declared she wanted to be a boy. The masked man, Fang Jianming, then instructed the youth, Fang Zhuoying, to ensure the villagers' safety and have his secret agency, Jifeng Pavilion, investigate the corrupt soldiers and track down the pearls.
Unbeknownst to Haishi, her protector was the Commander of the Secret Force, a man feared by all court officials. On their journey, they passed a hunting ground where Emperor Di Xu had been ambushed by remnants of Prince Yi's forces. Fang Jianming rushed to protect the Emperor, shielding him as an arrow struck Di Xu. Due to a unique bond between them, the poison on the arrow transferred from the Emperor to Fang Jianming, who collapsed in pain.
Seeing Di Xu, Haishi was filled with rage, recognizing him as the cause of her village's suffering and her father's death, but Fang Jianming subtly stopped her from acting. They rushed back to the capital, Tianqi, where imperial physicians saved Fang Jianming's life. Filled with gratitude, Haishi pledged herself to him, bowing to him as her master. She took the name Fang Haishi and began living at Jifeng Pavilion.
Fang Zhuoying warmly welcomed her as his younger brother and gave her a fishing shuttle from her mother, assuring her that her family was well. Ten years passed. Emperor Di Xu continued to neglect his duties, entrusting most affairs to the loyal Fang Jianming. Fang Haishi, now a skilled young woman presenting as a man, spent her days training and her nights waiting for her master's return from his frequent missions.
Elsewhere, General Su Ming, while hunting Prince Yi's remnants, learned from a captive that Fang Jianming was not dead as he believed. The informant revealed that Fang Jianming had caused the death of Su Ming's father by ordering an early encirclement in a past battle. Enraged, Su Ming vowed to avenge his father. Back at Jifeng Pavilion, Fang Haishi prepared a nourishing soup for a recently injured Fang Jianming and boldly requested a post in the palace.
Fang Jianming again refused, telling her she was still too young. To test their skills, he pitted Haishi and Zhuoying against each other in an archery contest. Haishi cleverly won by shooting Zhuoying's arrows out of the air. Observing her trickery, Fang Jianming admonished her, stating that integrity is the foundation, not just skill, and that she should focus on mastering the basics. Zhuoying later confirmed to Haishi that her master's words meant she was still not qualified for palace duty.
