The Dauntless Youths Episode 27 Recap
> The Dauntless Youths Recap
Chong Yibiao, curious, questioned Xin Jia about where he found Anashi. Xin Jia revealed Anashi was found in the dense forest near Zhongli's North Gate, a fact that greatly surprised Chong Yibiao. Meanwhile, Jiang Wenhuan was in turmoil, struggling to compose a letter to his brother informing him of Jiang Yiyao's tragic death. He lamented, "Yi Yao died in vain. How can I explain to my brother?
If I can't find out the truth, how can I face him and go back to Donglu?" A Si rushed in, full of self-reproach, wishing she had arrived sooner to prevent Jiang Yiyao's demise. " If only I could come here earlier. Yi Yao, it's my fault," she confessed. Jiang Wenhuan, blaming himself, added, "I'm ashamed to be your brother."
A Si inquired about his injuries, to which Jiang Wenhuan replied that he felt much better after taking the medicine Jiang Yiyao had left for him, realizing that his sister had been diligently preparing an antidote for him before she died. A Si comforted him, promising, "Don't worry. We will find the real killer and give Yi Yao the truth."
Jiang Wenhuan then pondered the deeper mystery: "What kind of undisclosed secret is hidden in this place that makes so many innocent people die? Was Yi Yao's death also related to the fake elixir?" A Si then revealed that her visit to Zhongli was also connected to the elixir. Chong Yibiao, analyzing the medicine residue from Anashi, was perplexed to find it contained the same corpse poison treatment given to Jiang Wenhuan. This deepened his suspicion.
He returned to the site of Jiang Yiyao's death and, while searching through a haystack, discovered Anashi's bracelet. He had also learned from Xin Jia that Anashi was found in a nearby forest, carried by a Gui faction member, leading Chong Yibiao to suspect Gongsun Wuyu. A Si explained to Jiang Wenhuan that after parting ways in Donglu, she had searched for other Tushan descendants in Ningzhou and encountered E Shun, the heir of the Southern Bohou State.
E Shun, who was also investigating the Tushan mystery, knew of a hidden Tushan cave. Together, they explored an abandoned cave, discovering several bronze artifacts and a mummified body, known as a "puppet corpse," wrapped in ropes. Inside its mouth was a half-severed little finger, suggesting its owner might have taken the immortal elixir. E Shun's findings indicated that after the Ningzhou incident, a talented and musically inclined Tushan descendant had fled to Donglu.
Jiang Wenhuan, recalling his master’s words about protecting the people and reflecting on the severed finger, began to suspect Gongsun Wuyu. He was unwilling to believe his beloved master could be the culprit. He visited her, presenting her with the "Qishan Orchid Tune," an ancient lost melody. When Gongsun Wuyu asked where he obtained it, he mentioned A Si brought it from Ningzhou.
He then subtly pressed her, asking why, as someone from Ningzhou, she had never spoken of the Tushan Village tragedy that transformed the region. He also inquired about her missing finger—how and where it was injured, and by whom. Gongsun Wuyu, sensing his persistence, finally conceded, "It seems that if I don't give you an answer today, you won't let it go."
She admitted that she knew more than just hearing about the Tushan Village incident; she had "seen it with her own eyes." Gongsun Wuyu then recounted her harrowing past. Years ago, she and the other Tushan villagers, regardless of age or gender, were captured and forced into a cave to be experimented on for the immortal elixir. All 307 villagers were brutally massacred, except for her.
On that fateful day, she managed to crawl out of a pile of corpses with her newborn child and fled to Donglu. Along the way, she was attacked by bandits, losing her little finger in the struggle. She was eventually rescued by Jiang Wenhuan’s elder brother, the eldest son of the Dongwu Marquis’s Mansion, who took her in and made her a musician.
Her sole driving force to survive was her hope of reviving her child, who had been in a coma since birth. Jiang Wenhuan, deeply apologetic for his suspicions, questioned why she had kept such a painful history secret. Gongsun Wuyu explained that as a Tushan survivor, her identity was shameful, and his brother concealed the truth to protect him when he was young.
She also expressed her deep regret for not wanting to implicate the Dongwu Marquis’s Mansion or Jiang Wenhuan's brother. Jiang Wenhuan retorted that the King, who used people for experiments in his quest for immortality, was the true tyrant, not her. Gongsun Wuyu defended the King, blaming the Ningbo Marquis for the tragedy and the elixir for bringing chaos.
She then declared her intention to return to the capital to reveal the truth about the elixir to the King and clear the Tushan clan's name. When Jiang Wenhuan asked if any other Tushan descendants had escaped, she replied that it was possible. He then revealed that A Si was also a Tushan orphan.
Feigning surprise and warmth, Gongsun Wuyu exclaimed that it was a blessing the Tushan people had not all perished, and eagerly expressed her desire to speak with A Si about their shared past. Later that night, Chong Yibiao confronted Gongsun Wuyu. He questioned the suspicious coincidence of finding Anashi near Jiang Yiyao’s body and the presence of corpse poison medicine in Anashi's dregs. He demanded to know how Jiang Yiyao truly died.
Gongsun Wuyu calmly acknowledged Jiang Yiyao’s unfortunate death but insisted that she died due to an unjust world, not because of a specific killer. When Chong Yibiao threatened to kill her, she asserted, "No matter how much you hate me, you can't kill me now. Because only I can revive Yi Yao." She revealed she possessed the immortal elixir and its crafting method, requiring "blood crystal as a guide, nine tails as a medium."
As a descendant of Tushan, she claimed only she could make it. Chong Yibiao was horrified at the prospect of turning Jiang Yiyao into an undead monster, but Gongsun Wuyu countered, "So what? At least she can be with you forever, isn't it?" She played on his grief, reminding him of Jiang Yiyao's youth and how he couldn't bear to see her become mere bones in a foreign land.
She then cynically recounted Chong Yibiao's own tragic past—his mother's death, his father's hatred, his brother's betrayal, and the loss of his friends—all while he was powerless. She painted Jiang Yiyao as the only one who genuinely cared for him, presenting this as his only chance to bring her back. " Don't you want to try for her?" she pressed. Overwhelmed, Chong Yibiao declared, "Yi Yao, no matter what, I'll bring you back."
Soon after, A Si and her guards were ambushed by assassins, whom A Si quickly dispatched. Jiang Wenhuan arrived and, inspecting a dead assassin's neck, recognized a distinctive mark that was also etched on Gongsun Wuyu's "Haozhong" qin. Jiang Wenhuan, recalling how he had deliberately revealed A Si's identity to Gongsun Wuyu the day before, realized his master had orchestrated the assassination attempt.
The next day, Gongsun Wuyu, accompanied by the Taotie Vanguard Army, grandly announced a royal decree at Zhongli Palace, ordering the immediate massacre of the entire city due to "Zhongli's rebellion." The citizens panicked. E Shun bravely intervened, declaring that while King Zhongli had been tyrannical and executed, the innocent people should not suffer. He asserted that Southern Capital would stand with the people of Zhongli.
However, Chong Yibiao, now allied with Gongsun Wuyu, sided with her, stating, "The king is the Heaven. It's hard to defy the Heaven. If you don't obey, it's disloyalty. Your Royal Highness, please step aside." The other princes present were furious, accusing Chong Yibiao of abandoning his principles and calling him a "despicable man who forgets his duty for profit," declaring their brotherhood with him irrevocably severed.
Just as the Taotie Army was ordered to arrest the "rebel princes," Jiang Wenhuan and A Si arrived. Jiang Wenhuan loudly proclaimed that Zhongli's people were Shangshan's people, and protecting them was loyalty to Shangshan. He ordered the Prince's Camp to form a defensive formation, vowing to protect the citizens and not retreat a single step. Gongsun Wuyu angrily ordered him to stand aside, but Jiang Wenhuan firmly refused, stating, "Master, I'm afraid I can't comply this time."
Gongsun Wuyu, acknowledging their master-apprentice bond, gave him one last chance to reconsider his defiance by morning, or she would show no mercy. Jiang Wenhuan, however, ignored her ultimatum and led the citizens to retreat and fortify their defenses. After this confrontation, Jiang Wenhuan, along with E Shun, connected the dots. The assassin lured out by A Si, whose mark mirrored the "Haozhong qin," confirmed Gongsun Wuyu's involvement.
They deduced that Gongsun Wuyu was indeed a descendant of the Tushan Village, the ancient tribe depicted in the murals. After the Tushan clan was slaughtered for the elixir, she hid her identity and plotted her revenge, aided by the Gui faction. Jiang Wenhuan explained that Gongsun Wuyu, whose birth name was Xuan Yin, had a husband named Haozhong, a Gui Clan noble.
They were a loving couple until the Tushan Village was ravaged, and Haozhong sacrificed himself to save the villagers, leaving Xuan Yin and their child alone. Xuan Yin, carrying Anashi, was saved by Jiang Wenhuan's brother and became a qin teacher at the Dongwu Marquis’s Mansion. Discovering the King’s love for music, she used her exceptional qin skills to rise through the ranks, becoming the Crown Prince Tutor and gaining the King’s trust.
E Shun questioned why, if Gongsun Wuyu sought revenge against the King, she would order the massacre of Zhongli. Jiang Wenhuan speculated it was tied to the immortal elixir. He recalled that A Si had found a severed little finger at the Tushan sacred site in Ningzhou, strongly suggesting it belonged to Gongsun Wuyu. In a moment of solitude, Gongsun Wuyu clutched a mask, mournfully uttering "Haozhong," reflecting on sixteen years of waiting.
She then fell into a memory: pregnant Xuan Yin was cooking while Haozhong meticulously carved the very mask she now held. He told her it was a symbol of his Gui faction noble lineage and that if she or their child ever faced hardship, they should present it to the Gui faction for protection and respect. Xuan Yin, content, told him that with him, they feared nothing.
Their idyllic life was shattered when Shangshan envoys arrived, demanding the immortal elixir, claiming it was a sacred relic bestowed upon the Shangshan ancestors by a Nine-tailed Fox. Haozhong fiercely defended his clan’s ancient oath to keep the elixir from the mortal world, triggering a brutal attack. He sacrificed himself to save the villagers, while Xuan Yin and her child were captured and taken to the Tushan secret cave for elixir experiments.
Xuan Yin managed to escape, eventually learning of the King's passion for music, which she shrewdly exploited to climb to power. Jiang Wenhuan continued his deductions, explaining that the former Ningbo Marquis's failed quest for the elixir and subsequent punishment led him to rebellion, implying the elixir remained in someone else's hands, likely Gongsun Wuyu.
The later control of Zhongli's Su Family Village by the Gui faction, their killings and attempts to recreate the Yousu Divine Drum, pointed to a larger scheme. He noted that the Sheng'an will warned against the reunion of the immortal elixir and the divine drum, prophesying chaos. With Gongsun Wuyu now possessing both, that prophecy was poised to come true. E Shun, grasping the gravity of the situation, asked what purpose such powerful items would serve.
Jiang Wenhuan gravely answered, "Corpse refinement." He explained that the Kun family soldiers who became "Ba beasts" were driven mad by the drum, and the "puppet corpse" in the arena was Gongsun Wuyu's first "Ba monster" created in Tushan, which, without the drum's full power, went berserk and bit off her finger. E Shun expressed shock, realizing that the seemingly kind and gentle Gongsun Wuyu was behind all these atrocities, and asked Jiang Wenhuan how he intended to confront his former master.
