The Dauntless Youths Episode 24 Recap
> The Dauntless Youths Recap
The princes, confined to the Prince's Guard camp, were restless and bored. Xin Jia openly complained, expressing his strong desire to go out and have some fun, questioning why they still needed to be cautious when the State Preceptor was already dead. Another prince reminded him of Jiang Wenhuan's instructions to remain at the inn before the Zhongli banquet unless it was urgent, and pointed out that Chong Yibiao's strict watch meant no one could leave.
Undeterred, Xin Jia attempted to sneak past Chong Yibiao, who was guarding the doorway. After a playful dash out and back to tease Chong Yibiao, he was firmly sent back, with Chong Yibiao calling him a "stubborn ass." Meanwhile, Jiang Yiyao diligently sought an antidote. After extensive experimentation, she successfully refined blood crystal into a fine powder. This antidote, mixed with her special herbs and General Lin Ying's blood, could suppress the "corpse poison," effectively using "poison to treat poison."
Jiang Wenhuan recalled an ancient prophecy linking the immortal elixir's reappearance with that of blood crystal, confirming its potency against the poison. He then questioned the purpose of the skin drums from Su Village. Jiang Yiyao explained that these drums, made from the skin of the Su clan, functioned like an illusion, capable of controlling people's minds and confusing their senses.
She assured her brother that her newly concocted antidote would calm their minds and keep them clear-headed during the upcoming banquet. Jiang Wenhuan praised her, confident in their preparations. Later, a guard delivered a message to Chong Yibiao from Jiang Wenhuan, instructing him to prepare for the palace banquet. While Chong Yibiao was distracted, Xin Jia, having observed his surroundings, managed to slip out through a hidden passage.
As he wandered through Zhongli, contemplating visiting a brothel and buying some treats, Chong Yibiao's stern warnings echoed in his mind: "All food must be tested with a silver needle. . . You can't get close to strangers. . . Don't provoke trouble." Feeling stifled, Xin Jia then witnessed a man publicly harassing a young woman, claiming her father owed him gambling debts and had stolen from him.
Initially, Xin Jia hesitated, remembering the warnings against meddling, but when the man's cruelty escalated, he intervened. He challenged the man to a gamble, proposing that if he won, the woman would be free, and if he lost, both he and the woman would go with the gambler. Xin Jia won multiple rounds, compelling the gambler to release the woman. He gave her the winnings to help her start anew.
In gratitude, the woman presented Xin Jia with a sachet containing herbs said to ward off insects and plagues, promising immunity to poisons. Xin Jia accepted the sachet but respectfully bid her farewell. Attempting to sneak back into the camp through the same hidden passage late at night, Xin Jia was once again caught by Chong Yibiao. Xin Jia tried to make light of his absence, claiming he only went out for fresh air and met no one.
However, Chong Yibiao detected the unusual scent of the sachet and, finding it on him, summarily discarded it, citing the strict rule against foreign objects during such critical times. Xin Jia, frustrated, vowed to get even with the "heartless, stubborn mule." Meanwhile, Zhong Liyuan met with Fourth (the masked person of Gui Fang). Fourth reassured him that the Prince's Guard was no longer a threat and that Zhong Liyuan would soon reclaim the capital.
Zhong Liyuan expressed surprise at Fourth's true identity and pointed out the many secrets Fourth still kept, especially regarding the so-called "immortal elixir." Fourth dismissed his concerns, emphasizing that with the elixir and the "divine drum," their goal of retaking the capital would soon be realized. Zhong Liyuan declared that he cared little for how Fourth used the monsters, stating his sole desire was to exact revenge on Yuan Yang for the massacre of his family.
The next day, as the princes prepared to depart for the palace, Jiang Wenhuan reiterated the potential dangers ahead and distributed the antidotes and earplugs. He explained that Jiang Yiyao's antidote would protect them from poison and keep them clear-headed, while General Lin Ying's forces were already on standby. At the banquet, Zhong Liyuan extended a seemingly gracious welcome to the princes, toasting their efforts in eliminating the State Preceptor and wishing Zhongli an eternal and prosperous future.
Discreetly, the princes took their antidotes, clearly suspecting Zhong Liyuan's intentions. Jiang Wenhuan, suspicious, asked about Gu Xi's absence, wishing to bid her goodbye, but Zhong Liyuan deflected, saying there was no rush. Jiang Wenhuan then pressed him about the missing skin drums of Su Village and Granny Su, reminding Zhong Liyuan of his promise to assist in the search. Zhong Liyuan, attempting to dismiss the matter, suggested it was closed since the "demon master" was gone.
Jiang Wenhuan countered, emphasizing that the people of Zhongli were also subjects of Shangshan, and with the drum and Granny Su still missing, the matter was far from resolved. Zhong Liyuan, dropping his pretense, mockingly offered his "delicacy," implying they were his "helpless prey." Jiang Wenhuan retorted that indeed, as helpless prey, they found it hard to swallow, and openly branded Zhong Liyuan a "hypocrite."
Zhong Liyuan challenged Jiang Wenhuan's belief that mere words could secure their safe departure, to which Jiang Wenhuan calmly affirmed their preparedness. Zhong Liyuan, now fully revealed, summoned his guards, only to find them intercepted by Lin Ying and the Kun family's old guard. Kunwu declared that while the Kun family served the Zhongli royal house, Zhong Liyuan's self-serving ambition made him unworthy of the throne.
Zhong Liyuan feigned a panicked surrender, promising to reveal all, and then mocked Jiang Wenhuan's "cleverness." Suddenly, Xin Jia and Chong Yibiao collapsed, poisoned. Zhong Liyuan gloated, revealing that the sachet Xin Jia received was poisoned, part of his elaborate trap. He then pulled back a curtain, unveiling the hidden skin drums of Su Village, stating that the princes' meddling had forced his hand.
As he frantically beat the drum, its eerie power began to affect many present, including Lin Ying and his men, despite Jiang Wenhuan's desperate call for everyone to concentrate with their antidotes. Amidst the chaos, Jiang Wenhuan urged everyone to flee. Zhong Liyuan's guards seized Gongsun Wuyu, who was attempting to send a distress signal to the Taurus Army outside the city.
Gongsun Wuyu offered himself as a hostage, appealing to Zhong Liyuan not to make enemies of the dukes by harming the princes, but Zhong Liyuan dismissed it as a bad trade. He ordered his men to kill all but the "important ones," coldly declaring that after them, the King himself would be his next target. As the princes retreated, Lin Ying, under the drum's hypnotic control, attacked Kunwu.
Kunwu desperately tried to rouse Lin Ying by reminding him of his identity as General Lin Ying, the fiercely loyal ninth deputy general of the Kun family army, who had fought alongside General Kun Ze. Lin Ying showed signs of breaking free, asserting that the Kun Army never retreated. Kunwu then produced a Kun family bronze token, which caused Lin Ying to pause, his eyes clearing as he recalled his true mission.
Lin Ying immediately commanded the Kun family soldiers to form a "Kun's Wall" defensive array to cover the escape of Kunwu and the surviving princes. However, their pursuers' weapons were smeared with blood crystal, the bane of the corpse monsters, which would be fatal to the Kun Army. Realizing the gravity, Kunwu urged Lin Ying to escape and live to preserve the Kun Army's hope, but Lin Ying steadfastly refused, sacrificing himself to ensure their safe retreat.
As the remaining princes fled the palace, they were intercepted by another ambush. Jiang Wenhuan bravely stayed behind to cover their escape, accepting his capture so the others could get away. Kunwu and the other survivors eventually reached the outskirts, where Kunwu solemnly buried the Kun family bronze token as a tribute to General Lin Ying's heroic sacrifice. Back with the surviving group, Xin Jia was overcome with guilt, blaming himself for their plight.
Chong Yibiao tried to console him, urging him to remain strong for Jiang Wenhuan. Xin Jia, in despair, wished he had died instead. Meanwhile, Jiang Wenhuan endured brutal torture at Zhong Liyuan's command. Defiant, Jiang Wenhuan scoffed at Zhong Liyuan's methods, daring him to kill him swiftly. Zhong Liyuan, however, revealed his intention to keep Jiang Wenhuan alive, to use him as bait to lure the other princes into a final trap.
Jiang Wenhuan boldly asserted that Zhong Liyuan wouldn't dare kill him, not only for tactical reasons but also out of fear that Gu Xi would abandon him. He scornfully called Zhong Liyuan a "sneaky rat" for his despicable tactics. Zhong Liyuan, infuriated by Jiang Wenhuan's "cleverness," ordered him to be lowered, ominously reminding him that these torture methods were learned from Shangshan, implying Jiang Wenhuan and Gongsun Wuyu would be familiar with them.
Jiang Wenhuan then demanded to know Gongsun Wuyu's whereabouts. Zhong Liyuan replied that Gongsun Wuyu was "well treated" but added that he was unsure if she would survive. Zhong Liyuan further elaborated that his strategy was to break a person's will by targeting their weaknesses, unlike Shangshan's direct torture.
He revealed that he often heard Gu Xi mention Jiang Wenhuan's name and intended to crush Jiang Wenhuan's rebellious spirit, promising to spare his life only to kill his friends one by one, making Jiang Wenhuan suffer a fate worse than death. Jiang Wenhuan, despite his pain, laughed, stating that Zhong Liyuan's hatred wasn't merely due to him being from Shangshan, but rather because of Gu Xi's affection for him.
