Overlord Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
> Overlord Recap
Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi, having fallen into what they believed to be a Gu insect cave, survived. Inside, Long Aoyi was distraught, fearing for Li Qingliu's life, but he assured her he was not dead, gently scolding her for holding onto him so stubbornly. She tearfully explained that her life would hold no meaning without him.
Li Qingliu then revealed that he still had an antidote and, despite Long Aoyi's worries about its authenticity, decided to take a chance, confident that with her by his side, his luck would hold. He swallowed the pill. They soon realized there were no insects in the cave, and Li Qingliu discovered a secret passage, leading them to safety.
Meanwhile, Yuan Zai, who had brought Second Master Lyu and his men to the supposed death site of Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi, using Li Zhao’s blood-stained clothes as proof, was about to order his private soldiers to kill Second Master Lyu and others when Long Aoyi and Li Qingliu reappeared, unharmed. Yuan Zai was shocked.
Li Qingliu explained that he had secretly asked Second Master Lyu to monitor Yuan Zai before his wedding, and that Long Aoyi had provided Second Master Lyu with a map of the area. Seeing them emerge, Yuan Zai deduced Li Zhao’s true intentions: he had feigned allegiance to Yuan Zai to expose his secret base, intending to die in the process.
Yuan Zai admitted to killing Li Zhao, claiming Li Zhao was foolish for choosing love over power and for trying to kill him. As Yuan Zai’s private soldiers prepared to shoot, Long Aoyi condemned Yuan Zai for his insatiable greed and disregard for human life, reminding the soldiers that their families, too, would suffer if Yuan Zai continued his tyranny.
Li Qingliu reinforced her words, speaking of the Tang Dynasty’s prosperity resting on its people and accusing Yuan Zai of sacrificing public welfare for personal gain, stating he was upholding justice for the common folk. Seeing the soldiers waver and drop their weapons, Yuan Zai’s authority crumbled. He pushed his subordinate Qin Liang as a shield and fled. Long Aoyi and Li Qingliu pursued him, eventually losing him and splitting up to search.
They entered a peach forest, which Long Aoyi recognized as an Eight Trigrams formation, and she quickly found the exit, leading them to a hidden cave. Inside, they discovered Yuan Zai’s vast collection of fabrics, private salt, pepper, and metal – his true stronghold. Long Aoyi deduced that Yuan Zai had corrupted all supply chains and sought to control water transport, which would plunge the empire into chaos.
Yuan Zai suddenly appeared, remarking on Long Aoyi’s skill in breaking his peach formation. He attempted to bribe her into joining him, promising her anything she desired. Long Aoyi scornfully rejected his offer, questioning why he hadn't fled and instead holed up with his treasures. Yuan Zai confessed he had rigged the entire cave with explosives, threatening to detonate them, causing a blast visible across Chang’an.
His men would then poison all the city’s wells, taking the entire populace with him. Long Aoyi condemned his madness, realizing his extreme hatred for the "lower class" stemmed from his own humble origins and past suffering. Infuriated by her insight, Yuan Zai lunged at her with a dagger, but the White Jade Carp ornament she carried magically deflected the blow, saving her life.
While Yuan Zai was momentarily stunned, Li Qingliu seized the opportunity and fatally wounded him with his sword, leaving the corrupt official to die amidst his beloved riches. With his dying breath, Yuan Zai revealed that Li Qingliu would not get the antidote. Long Aoyi was confused, as Li Qingliu had taken an antidote pill earlier.
They questioned Qin Liang, who confirmed the pill was real but explained that two pills were required to fully neutralize the poison, and Li Qingliu had only consumed one. The second pill, he said, was with Yuan Zai. However, a thorough search of Yuan Zai's body yielded nothing. Despite this setback, Li Qingliu tried to reassure Long Aoyi, saying they would find a cure in Chang’an.
In the imperial court, Second Master Lyu presented Qin Liang, who confessed all of Yuan Zai's misdeeds. Long Aoyi then presented a petition with the fingerprints of Yuan Zai’s private soldiers, pleading for their leniency, explaining they were coerced by money and had vowed to cease their evil ways. The Emperor feigned displeasure, but Li Qingliu stepped forward, defending Long Aoyi and admitting his own supposed fault in the Emperor’s previous illness.
The Emperor then revealed that he had never been ill. He had long been aware of Yuan Zai’s corruption but lacked concrete evidence. Princess Shengping, the true head of Buyu Pavilion, confirmed that it was an intelligence agency she had established for the Emperor and the Tang Dynasty, gathering information from all corners of society.
The Emperor explained he had initially given Yuan Zai a chance for his past services in eliminating corrupt officials but regretted it when Yuan Zai continued to accumulate wealth and power. He had tacitly allowed Li Qingliu to investigate Yuan Zai and faked his illness to lower Yuan Zai’s guard. He commended Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi for their efforts and, with regret, posthumously honored Li Zhao with the title "Mingxin," arranging for his burial in the imperial mausoleum.
Li Qingliu was unsettled by the Emperor's grand manipulative strategy, which encompassed even his own family. Later, Second Master Lyu handed Long Aoyi a grass carp ornament found near Li Zhao's body. Long Aoyi recognized it as a gift she had given Li Zhao, moved that he had kept it all this time.
Li Qingliu and Long Aoyi visited Du Xiaoxian, who, having lost her sanity, innocently inquired about Li Qingliu's identity and Long Aoyi's red dress, thinking she was a bride. Long Aoyi explained to Li Qingliu that Du Xiaoxian no longer harbored animosity towards her but had completely forgotten him, likely as a subconscious coping mechanism to escape her painful past. Li Qingliu remarked that if forgetting him allowed her a simple and peaceful life, it was a blessing.
Back in the palace, Li Qingliu's condition worsened, with the poison spreading throughout his body. Imperial Physicians declared his case nearly hopeless, requiring a miracle. Long Aoyi, heartbroken, refused to give up, vowing to travel to the ends of the earth to find a cure. Li Qingliu, though weak, smiled and agreed, not wanting to disappoint her, but privately accepting his fate. Before his "death," he summoned Yan Bin, his loyal subordinate whom he considered a brother.
Li Qingliu entrusted Yan Bin with a portion of his Silver City properties as a wedding gift for him and Xiaoqin and asked him to promise to take care of Long Aoyi and Xiaoqin after he was gone. Yan Bin, refusing to accept Li Qingliu's impending death, immediately went to fetch the physicians. A few days later, Prince Jun Li Qingliu was officially declared dead from poisoning.
Long Aoyi, through the leader of the Water Gang, delivered the Water Routes Map to the Emperor and then vanished. Three years later, Emperor Daizong passed away, and Crown Prince Li Shi ascended the throne as Emperor Dezong. Another three years passed. In the palace, the Empress Dowager wistfully remembered Long Aoyi, wondering about her whereabouts. Meanwhile, in a bustling town, Xiaoqin competently managed the Qinglong Firm's affairs.
Yan Bin, now with twin children in tow, teased Xiaoqin, having proposed marriage thirteen times without success. He jokingly threatened to "go out and have fun" if she didn't marry him, to which Xiaoqin, despite having been ready to accept, playfully decided to reconsider. Yan Bin then brought the children to a tavern, where they found Long Aoyi and Li Qingliu happily playing a drinking game. The children excitedly greeted their parents.
The couple reminisced about their six years together, starting from their first encounter. Long Aoyi then revealed that she had built a memorial tomb for Li Zhao outside the palace, as she believed he wouldn't like the imperial mausoleum. While tending to the tomb, she discovered the second antidote pill hidden inside the grass carp ornament she had gifted him, realizing Li Zhao had retrieved it from Yuan Zai before his death and left it for them.
This allowed Li Qingliu to fake his death and for them to escape the confines of imperial life and return to Silver City. Now, with their two children and a thriving business, Long Aoyi and Li Qingliu live a joyful and harmonious life, looking forward to possibly welcoming more children in the future.
