The Wolf Episode 2 Recap
> The Wolf Recap
Wolf Boy, driven by his animalistic instincts, sensed an impending threat and followed its trail to the Ma Manor. There, he caught sight of Commandant Xiahou Yi's intention to use a captured beast for medicinal purposes, stating the animal's life would not have been in vain if it could treat his illness. Soon after, chaos erupted within the manor as news spread that Commandant Xiahou Yi had been assassinated.
Feudal Master Ma Ying rushed to the scene to find the room in disarray, with what appeared to be claw marks from a fierce beast. Housekeeper Wang Xiang, who was present, confessed that he had witnessed Commandant Xiahou Yi fighting a "wolf monster," describing how the commandant was swiftly strangled. Wang Xiang blamed himself, believing that his act of catching a young wolf for Xiahou Yi's blood remedy had attracted the "wolf monster" from Langshou Mountain.
While the others readily concluded it was the work of a mythical wolf monster, Ma Ying, after his own assessment, deduced that the culprit was not a beast but rather a "wild man"—a young, human-like individual whose movements were remarkably wolf-like. Concerned about the swift arrival of Emperor Chu Kui and the potential repercussions for the Ma Family, Ma Ying immediately ordered Adjutant General Ma Fengcheng to mobilize the Ma Family Army to search for and apprehend this formidable individual.
Ma Zhaixing returned to the manor to find it in a state of high alert, its atmosphere heavy with tension. Adjutant General Ma Fengcheng informed her of the grim news: the "wolf monster" from Langshou Mountain had killed the commandant, and they were tasked with the killer's capture. Ma Zhaixing vehemently denied Wolf Boy's culpability and rushed to reveal the truth to her father.
She confessed that the "wolf monster" was a myth she had fabricated, having used a hypnotic incense—which she secretly learned to make from Housekeeper Wang Xiang—to create illusions and protect the wolves from hunters. She tearfully admitted that Wolf Boy was her friend, a boy raised by wolves whom she had intended to introduce to her father. Her brother, Ma Jun, enraged by her deception, moved to strike her but was stopped by a sharp rebuke from their father.
Feudal Master Ma Ying, though furious himself, set aside the matter of the fabricated rumors, emphasizing that Wolf Boy was now an imperial criminal. Ma Zhaixing pleaded with her father, asserting Wolf Boy's inherent innocence and begging him not to send troops, as he had only just begun to trust humans. However, Ma Ying, backed by witness testimony, questioned if she could truly guarantee Wolf Boy's beastly instincts were entirely suppressed.
He sternly chastised Ma Zhaixing for her reckless actions: spreading rumors that caused widespread panic, abusing public trust to mislead her brother into sealing off the mountain, and now causing a death that implicated the Emperor's sworn brother, potentially bringing "fatal calamity" to the Ma Family. He declared his intent to capture Wolf Boy alive, promising justice if he was innocent but vowing to make him pay with his life if guilty to clear the Ma family's name.
Despite Ma Zhaixing's desperate pleas, Ma Ying ordered her confined to her room. With an injured foot, Wolf Boy fled up Langshou Mountain, carrying a young wolf pup. However, his bloodied footprints left a clear trail for the Ma Family Army. To protect his pack, Wolf Boy first secured the pup in a hidden spot, then deliberately led his pursuers in the opposite direction.
His attempt to divert them led him into a hunter's net, leaving him suspended from a tree. Adjutant General Ma Fengcheng and his troops quickly located him. As guttural wolf howls filled the air, a pack of wolves converged, appearing ready to defend Wolf Boy. Unfazed, Ma Fengcheng ordered his men to prepare a fire attack. Recognizing the overwhelming odds, Wolf Boy commanded his pack to retreat, choosing to surrender.
As the troops transported Wolf Boy back to the manor in a sturdy wooden cage, Ma Fengcheng expressed a mix of awe and regret, noting Wolf Boy's extraordinary ability to command wolves and his selfless loyalty. He believed that, were it not for the murder, Wolf Boy possessed the qualities of a "first-class general."
Meanwhile, Ma Zhaixing, distraught over Wolf Boy's capture, learned from her maid, Xiao Feng, that Emperor Chu Kui was rapidly approaching Kuizhou City and had ordered Wolf Boy's capture, even permitting lethal force. Blaming herself for the fabricated "wolf monster" rumors and for bringing Wolf Boy down the mountain, Ma Zhaixing was convinced of his innocence, believing there was a deeper, unknown reason for Xiahou Yi's death.
Desperate to protect him, she enlisted Xiao Feng's help to escape the manor and intercept Wolf Boy. Upon hearing Ma Zhaixing's distinct bronze bell, Wolf Boy, despite his captivity, unleashed a burst of superhuman strength, tearing apart the hard wooden bars of his cage. The sudden escape sent the surrounding civilians into a terrified frenzy. Wolf Boy seized the opportunity to flee, meeting Ma Zhaixing on the mountain slope.
Seeing his bloody, injured state and knowing the relentless pursuit closing in, Ma Zhaixing abruptly shifted her demeanor. She callously insisted he leave Kuizhou City and Langshou Mountain immediately, brutally renouncing their friendship by declaring, "From this moment forth, we have nothing to do with each other anymore!" She called him a "monster," regretting their friendship and claiming she only wanted a novel "playmate."
When Wolf Boy, hurt, insisted he was human and that she trusted him, she escalated her cruelty, threatening to have his wolf family captured if he didn't leave. As Wolf Boy turned to leave, heartbroken, Ma Zhaixing cast the wolf-tooth necklace he had given her into a lake, severing their bond. Wolf Boy later retrieved the necklace from the depths, clutching it as he retreated. After her agonizing encounter, Ma Zhaixing returned to the Ma Manor, utterly devastated.
While attending to her, Xiao Feng complained of a nauseating smell from the kitchen, which Ma Zhaixing identified as "Li Hu," an herb used in the meals the previous day. This sparked a crucial realization. She recalled that Commandant Xiahou Yi's last meal included both Li Hu and ginseng soup. Though individually harmless, Ma Zhaixing deduced that their combination, when administered with precise pharmacological knowledge, could disrupt blood flow, rendering the victim powerless.
This confirmed her suspicion that Xiahou Yi's death was a calculated murder. At that moment, Emperor Chu Kui arrived at the Ma Manor to personally investigate. Intrigued by reports of Wolf Boy's incredible strength, he expressed a desire to meet him. Ma Zhaixing seized the opportunity, boldly interrupting her father to proclaim Wolf Boy's innocence.
She explained her theory: the assailant used the Li Hu and ginseng to incapacitate Xiahou Yi before strangling him, then fabricated wolf claw marks to frame the "wolf monster," which ironically led to Wolf Boy's implication. She proposed that the murderer, skilled in pharmacology, must be someone within the Ma Manor. Emperor Chu Kui was impressed by her astute deduction. Just as he was about to give orders, Housekeeper Wang Xiang stepped forward and confessed to the murder.
Wang Xiang revealed that he harbored an irreconcilable grudge against Xiahou Yi, who, during the fall of the previous dynasty, had betrayed a promise of amnesty and massacred the entire former royal Li Clan. Wang Xiang admitted his plan was not only to kill Xiahou Yi but also to implicate the Ma Manor. Ma Zhaixing was stunned by the revelation. Ma Ying, mortified, apologized to the Emperor for harboring a fugitive.
While holding Ma Ying accountable, Emperor Chu Kui highly praised Ma Zhaixing for her intelligence. Realizing Wolf Boy had been gravely wronged, Ma Ying, filled with remorse, immediately instructed Ma Zhaixing to stop her brother from pursuing Wolf Boy. Ma Zhaixing promptly set off. As she journeyed, Wolf Boy, still on the mountain, heard her bell. He paused, clutching the retrieved necklace, his heart torn and hesitant to approach her after her harsh betrayal.
Back at the manor, Ma Ying offered Wang Xiang a final cup of wine, telling him to "go off peacefully." Wang Xiang accepted, but not before revealing that Ma Ying had once saved Princess Pingyuan and her unborn child, hinting at a deeper, unrevealed connection to the former dynasty.
