Overlord Episode 15 Recap
> Overlord Recap
Feng and Carpenter Tan, disguised as officers, searched for Long Aoyi, holding her portrait. Carpenter Tan worried about potential danger and their disguise being exposed, but Feng reassured him, stating she had observed the patrols and this would be the final one for the night. They soon overheard Qiyan, impersonating a Xinsilu helper, telling a guard he was new to Silver City and transporting urgent goods to Persia. He then presented a customs pass.
Feng recognized Qiyan’s habit of putting his hand on his waist when talking, indicating he carried a dagger. They then saw Qiyan and the White Hair Gang attempting to transport silkworm eggs out of the city. The leader of the White Hair Gang, San Ge, noticed they were being followed. He ordered Qiyan to leave with the goods while he confronted Feng and Carpenter Tan. Outnumbered, Feng and Carpenter Tan were in danger, but Yan Bin suddenly appeared, saving them.
Yan Bin recognized Feng as being from Wuyun Pavilion. After moving to a safe place, they exchanged information. Carpenter Tan realized the unusual number of soldiers on the street was due to Li Qingliu’s disappearance. Yan Bin showed them Li Qingliu’s cold silkworm jade pendant, which had been found at a steamed bun stand. Feng smelled sulfur on it, a scent characteristic of soil around a tombstone.
Combining this with Yan Bin’s knowledge of ancient tombs in Silver City’s northwest, Feng concluded that Li Qingliu was likely at the Liu family’s old kiln workshop. Feng insisted on accompanying Yan Bin, believing Li Qingliu's disappearance was linked to Long Aoyi. Meanwhile, inside the kiln workshop's water room, Long Aoyi had been bitten by a Poecilotheria ornata spider on her neck. Li Qingliu, worried about muscle necrosis, quickly sucked out the venom.
Long Aoyi was both angry and embarrassed by his actions. That night, Long Aoyi experienced nightmares of her family's massacre, crying out for her "Dad" and thrashing in her sleep. Li Qingliu woke up, felt her forehead, realized she was feverish from the spider venom, and covered her with his jacket. The next morning, Hu Laosan, a kiln worker, arrived early to request a drink from Brother Zhansi, who was proudly showing off his newly distilled liquor.
Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi woke up to intense heat, realizing the kiln workshop had begun firing. Li Qingliu called for help and banged on the sealed door, but the workers outside, focused on their tasks, could not hear them over the noise and continued adding fuel. As the temperature rapidly increased, Long Aoyi began removing her clothes, eventually wearing only her undershirt. The walls became scorching hot, and she struggled to stand, feeling breathless.
Close to collapse, she expressed her last wishes, including for Li Qingliu to tell her mentor about hidden money and advise Xiaoqin that Yan Bin, though not handsome, was reliable. She also revealed a dowry she had prepared for Xiaoqin. Li Qingliu vowed not to let her die, telling her to hang on.
He tried to keep her awake by talking, even teasing her about her past interactions with Prince Zhao and her close relationship with Second Master, comparing it to their current situation to provoke a reaction and keep her conscious. He spotted smoke from the water room, confirming where they were. He urged Long Aoyi not to give up, saying he did not want to die yet.
Long Aoyi eventually succumbed to weakness, almost fainting, but Li Qingliu caught her and carried her on his back, enduring the burning ground as they waited for rescue. Just as they believed they had no chance of survival, Feng and her group arrived and broke open the door to the water room, rescuing the dazed Long Aoyi and Li Qingliu. Upon seeing their disheveled state, Feng was outraged, accusing Li Qingliu of taking advantage of Long Aoyi.
She repeatedly slapped Li Qingliu, leaving his lips red and swollen. Yan Bin, struggling to contain his laughter, discreetly gave money to the kiln workers, instructing them to keep what they had witnessed a secret. He then led Li Qingliu away. Back at the Xinsilu Silk Store, as Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi changed clothes, servants gossiped about their wet clothes, missing outer garments, and Li Qingliu's swollen lips, leading to rampant speculation about what had transpired.
Their shared ordeal had transformed their relationship; their previous animosity was replaced by a strange mix of shyness and newfound understanding. Xiaoqin was relieved to see Long Aoyi safe. Yan Bin then informed them that Feng and Carpenter Tan had gone ahead to track Qiyan and the White Hair Gang, who were likely transporting goods out of the city.
Li Qingliu quickly ordered Yan Bin to prepare horses, and he and Long Aoyi set off to pursue them, leaving Xiaoqin and Yan Bin to follow. Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi found Qiyan and the White Hair Gang. They hid and observed, noting Qiyan’s plans to trade silkworm eggs with a Persian merchant in the suburbs. The merchant arrived with a mute slave and a cart filled with official silver.
Qiyan expressed concern that the official silver would be easily traceable by the government, but the impatient White Hair Gang leader insisted on quickly completing the deal. Qiyan reluctantly agreed to proceed. As Qiyan produced the silkworm eggs and customs seal, Du Changfeng suddenly appeared with his soldiers, surrounding everyone.
Realizing Du Changfeng had betrayed him, Qiyan, enraged, lunged at Du Changfeng, who fatally stabbed him with a swift, expert "knife hand" move that even Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi struggled to identify. Du Changfeng then used his authority as commissioner to arrest the White Hair Gang, despite Li Qingliu's protest that Qiyan was a key witness for multiple cases.
Du Changfeng then brought forward an arsonist from the silk store fire, who confessed that Qiyan had masterminded the theft of gold thread, the arson, and the framing of Long Aoyi, all to obtain the customs seal for smuggling silkworm eggs. With Long Aoyi's innocence now confirmed, Du Changfeng announced the cancellation of her arrest warrant and promised to release Second Master Lu, who had been imprisoned for obstructing official duties.
He also assured them that the government would continue to investigate related cases. Du Changfeng returned the customs seal to Li Qingliu. Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi both felt that Du Changfeng's convenient timing and easy dismissal of them indicated a deeper conspiracy. In reality, Du Changfeng had earlier arranged for the Persian merchant to pretend to buy silkworm eggs to lure Qiyan out, then killed him to prevent him from speaking. With Qiyan dead, many leads were lost.
Du Changfeng, scheduled to report to the capital, considered Long Aoyi a persistent threat. He ordered his men to keep a close eye on her and eliminate her when the time was right. Back at the Xinsilu Silk Store, Du Xiaoxian offered to host a "dinner for comfort" for Li Qingliu, which he declined. At Wuyun Pavilion, Long Aoyi was embroidering a spice sachet.
She remembered Xiaoqin's advice to include a strand of hair, finding it a bit "creepy" and deciding not to. Li Qingliu arrived at Wuyun Pavilion, but, feeling awkward, asked Feng to call Long Aoyi out. He invited her to his "dinner for comfort" at the Xinsilu Silk Store as a gesture of gratitude. Xiaoqin, following Long Aoyi’s instructions, politely refused the invitation, stating that Long Aoyi was busy discussing the autumn market rules with her gang's executives.
Long Aoyi's true intention was to observe Li Qingliu's reaction to being rejected, believing he rarely experienced it. Xiaoqin, having seen through Long Aoyi's facade, playfully accused her of liking Li Qingliu and using the "playing hard to get" strategy, which she admitted learning from Feng. Long Aoyi sighed, lamenting that Qiyan’s death at Du Changfeng’s hands had complicated her pursuit of the truth, making her suspect Du Changfeng was involved in a larger scheme.
She resolved to face challenges as they came. Meanwhile, Du Xiaoxian, upset by Li Qingliu's continued interest in Long Aoyi, was advised by her maid, Xiaoyue, to change her approach. Xiaoyue suggested befriending Long Aoyi to showcase Du Xiaoxian's own virtues to Li Qingliu and create a "fair competition," believing Long Aoyi, a "wild girl," could not compare to Du Xiaoxian's talents in the arts. Du Xiaoxian found this advice sensible.
