Overlord Episode 35 Recap
> Overlord Recap
Long Aoyi confronted Yuan Zai, accusing him of her master's murder and vowing vengeance. Yuan Zai's men were also present, and he demanded the Water Routes Map of Qinglong Firm and the Coiling Dragon Stick from her. Long Aoyi countered that her life was insignificant, questioning what he offered in return, to which Yuan Zai coldly suggested her life. He then revealed that if she surrendered the items, he might prevent Prince Jun's marriage.
He recounted how Li Qingliu had repeatedly refused the union, enraging the Emperor to the point of collapse. Li Qingliu only relented when Yuan Zai's men presented a piece of Long Aoyi's dress, implicitly threatening her safety and forcing his hand. Long Aoyi scorned Yuan Zai for his deceptive loyalty and ruthless nature, noting his easy manipulation of even royalty. She offered to hand over the items only if he explained why he killed her master, Fengge.
Yuan Zai calmly explained his past, revealing that her master, Fengge, was his fellow disciple under Jiuyuan, a revered Taoist master from Tianlao Mountain. Jiuyuan, an expert in divination, created a unique "Kanyu Mind Art" to foresee events and understand human intentions. Before their graduation, Jiuyuan gave each disciple a carp jade pendant: Yuan Zai received a black one, and Fengge a white one.
Yuan Zai had intended to serve the Tang Dynasty with Fengge, using their talents for its prosperity. However, he overheard Jiuyuan privately confiding in Fengge that he feared Yuan Zai's intense ambition for power might lead him astray. Jiuyuan's divination showed that the "black carp" would disrupt order, and only the "white carp" could counter it, ensuring the black carp's eventual downfall.
Despite Fengge's reluctance to engage in court politics or oppose Yuan Zai, Jiuyuan insisted she keep the white carp jade pendant to balance Yuan Zai. Disturbed by this revelation, Yuan Zai left the mountain without a word, severing ties with his master and Fengge. After establishing himself in court and accumulating significant power, Yuan Zai admitted he never forgot Jiuyuan's prophecy. He searched for his master and Fengge, only to find his master had passed away and Fengge had vanished.
He confessed that the assassination attempts on Long Aoyi in Chang'an were his doing, initially intending to kill her. However, upon discovering her romantic involvement with Li Qingliu, the newly recognized Prince Jun, he saw an opportunity. He realized that this affair created a significant weakness for Li Qingliu that he could exploit.
Yuan Zai kept Long Aoyi alive to observe her abilities and use her as leverage against Li Qingliu, noting that her presence was causing further turmoil for Prince Jun within the court. He then declared that Long Aoyi had served her purpose and was now expendable, with no way to alter her fate. Realizing the gravity of her situation, Long Aoyi tried to escape Yuan Zai's grasp.
She acknowledged his seniority but insisted her master would not approve of her surrender. Yuan Zai ordered his men to pursue her, and despite a brief capture, she managed to scream Li Qingliu's name for help. Simultaneously, at Prince Jun's mansion, Li Qingliu and Du Xiaoxian were about to complete their wedding ceremony. Li Qingliu heard Long Aoyi's distant cry and attempted to leave immediately.
Du Xiaoxian, distraught, desperately held him back, tearfully accusing him of years of neglect and public humiliation, particularly by abandoning her mid-ceremony after all her devotion. Li Qingliu apologized, admitting his failure. Driven by despair, Du Xiaoxian revealed her knowledge of Consort De's repeated attempts to poison Li Qingliu, which her agents had thwarted.
She then presented Li Qingliu with a cup of poisoned tea meant for the Crown Prince, forcing him to choose between drinking it and staying or leaving and facing dire consequences. Without a moment's hesitation, Li Qingliu drank the poisoned tea, definitively ending his relationship with Du Xiaoxian. As he left, the Grand Consort ordered Second Master Lyu and the guards to protect the Crown Prince.
Yuan Zai arrived, immediately accusing Du Changfeng and his daughter of attempted murder against the Crown Prince and executing Du Changfeng on the spot. Witnessing her father's brutal death and Li Qingliu's abandonment, Du Xiaoxian succumbed to madness, repeatedly calling for her father and asking if she looked beautiful in her wedding gown. Yuan Zai then humbly reported to the Crown Prince that his secret guards had been protecting him, and the Crown Prince praised his vigilance.
Du Xiaoxian was subsequently taken away by Yuan Zai's men. Yuan Zai's guards seized Long Aoyi and brought her to a remote area. Li Qingliu, having shaken off Du Xiaoxian and the wedding, tracked her down and found her regaining consciousness. As they faced Yuan Zai's men, Li Qingliu urged Long Aoyi to escape, but he was suddenly ambushed by Li Zhao.
Li Zhao took Li Qingliu hostage, instructing Long Aoyi to meet him alone with the Water Routes Map and the Coiling Dragon Stick. As he departed, Li Zhao left a map for her. Long Aoyi, heartbroken, decided to go alone, clutching the map. Following the map, Long Aoyi arrived at a desolate location, finding Li Qingliu, Li Zhao, and Yuan Zai present.
Seeing Li Qingliu's injuries, Long Aoyi's heart ached, and she demanded his release, offering the items she had brought. Yuan Zai calmly stated Li Qingliu was free to leave, though he doubted he could. When Long Aoyi pressed for an explanation, Yuan Zai revealed that Li Qingliu had consumed poisoned tea intended for the Crown Prince during his wedding, a sacrifice made to sever ties with Du Xiaoxian. Li Qingliu confirmed he was fine and urged Long Aoyi to flee.
Yuan Zai then warned that Li Qingliu would soon die without an antidote, presenting a single pill. To save Li Qingliu, Long Aoyi agreed to the exchange but, as a precaution, threatened to set fire to the gasoline-soaked bag containing the map and stick if the antidote wasn't real. Yuan Zai relented and gave her the antidote.
During the confrontation, Long Aoyi questioned Li Zhao's alliance with Yuan Zai, warning about the public suffering if Yuan Zai controlled the water transport. Li Zhao retorted, accusing her of being the true disappointment to the Emperor for defying his marriage decree and causing his collapse. He then confessed his deep resentment, lamenting that he had loved Long Aoyi first, long before she even knew him, but her heart had already belonged to someone else.
He observed how Li Qingliu had become a prince and Long Aoyi had entered the palace, while he remained unchanged, still metaphorically standing in Silver City on the day she smiled at him in her flowery dress, yet never receiving a glance back.
Feeling overlooked and dismissed by everyone—his father, officials, and Long Aoyi—he declared his intention to seize power, become the center of authority, and reclaim everything he had lost, ensuring no one would ever look down on him again. After receiving the items, Yuan Zai outlined his grand strategy: utilizing the newly discovered copper and iron mines and his network of corrupt officials, he planned to smuggle goods internationally, ultimately monopolizing Tang commerce.
Li Qingliu vehemently condemned his actions as jeopardizing the nation. Ignoring his words, Yuan Zai ordered his men to throw Li Qingliu into the "Myriad Gu Worm Pit." At the last moment, Long Aoyi bit Li Zhao, rushed forward, and grabbed Li Qingliu's hand, holding him as he dangled over the precipice. Enraged and heartbroken, Li Zhao urged her to let go, explaining the pit was filled with deadly poison.
He promised to plead with Yuan Zai to spare her life if she released Li Qingliu. Long Aoyi refused, begging Li Zhao to help them. He angrily declined, blaming Li Qingliu for his mother's death and for "stealing" Long Aoyi, and warned that Yuan Zai would also kill her. Li Qingliu, struggling, told Long Aoyi to let go so she could live, but she insisted they would die together.
With a pained expression, Li Zhao gave them a final push, sending them both plunging into the abyss. Yuan Zai then approached Li Zhao, congratulating him on his assistance and reiterating his promise of the throne after the Emperor's demise, fulfilling Li Zhao's mother's dying wish. Li Zhao then feigned a bow, only to attempt to stab Yuan Zai. However, the attack failed as Yuan Zai was wearing body armor.
Yuan Zai denounced Li Zhao as a "blind fool in love" and useless. Yuan Zai moved to deliver a fatal blow, but Wu Lin, Li Zhao's loyal attendant, suddenly rushed in, taking the stab and dying in Li Zhao's arms. Enraged by Wu Lin's sacrifice, Li Zhao confronted Yuan Zai, but Yuan Zai fatally stabbed him from behind. Yuan Zai's attendant was ordered to dispose of Li Zhao's body and bring his robe back to the palace as proof.
As the attendant dragged him away, a dying Li Zhao caught sight of Long Aoyi's white carp pendant, which had fallen into the grass. Memories of Long Aoyi flooded his mind: the time he gave her a carp, her teasing him about his unspoken feelings, and their shared "brotherhood liquor" where she suggested they could still be friends if not lovers. With a faint smile, Li Zhao passed away.
Just then, Xiaoqin and Second Master Lyu, leading a search party for Long Aoyi, were heard approaching. Unable to complete the burning of the body, Yuan Zai's attendant fled the scene.
