The Wolf Episode 27 Recap
> The Wolf Recap
Chu Youzhen, the Fourth Prince, was perplexed by his sudden recall by Chu Kui from the Taibao Battalion, especially with war imminent. He hoped his Third Brother, the Prince of Bo, would finally see him as an adult. Suddenly, he spotted Zhui Ri, recognizing the hawk as belonging to Ji Chong. Ji Chong appeared, stating he had been waiting to ask Chu Youzhen for a favor: to help him save someone.
To Chu Youzhen's shock, Ji Chong then held a sword to his neck, and a group of masked elite Ma Family Army soldiers emerged from the surrounding woods, swiftly encircling Chu Youzhen and his entourage. Ji Chong declared he needed to save Ma Zhaixing, emphasizing that this was a genuine abduction, not an act.
He ordered Chu Youzhen's attendant, Yang Hou, to deliver a message to Chu Kui and the Prince of Bo: if they wanted Chu Youzhen to live, they must bring Ma Zhaixing and Ma Jing to the Mangling area at the borders between Yang and Jin by noon the next day for a hostage exchange. He warned against any trickery or hidden forces, threatening Chu Youzhen's life.
Yang Hou, fearing Chu Kui's wrath for Chu Youzhen's capture, agreed to relay the message and swiftly departed. Once Yang Hou left, Ji Chong retracted his blade. Chu Youzhen angrily questioned Ji Chong's ingratitude, but Ji Chong retorted that it was Chu Kui and the Prince of Bo who were truly despicable and ungrateful.
At the Bo Royal Manor, Ma Zhaixing realized she had fallen into a trap set by Chu Kui from the moment she entered, discerning that her marriage was a means of surveillance. She confronted the Prince of Bo, identifying Mo Xiao and his group as Night Fiends. She demanded to know if he would be Chu Kui's Prince of Bo or Xing'er's Wolf Boy.
The Prince of Bo declared that Wolf Boy was dead, having been driven off a cliff by Ma Jun, and claimed that only as Prince of Bo could he exist. To drive his point home, he took a wolf tooth pendant and shadow play figures, symbols of Xing'er and Wolf Boy, and cast them into a fire, stating that there was no longer Wolf Boy and Xing'er in this world.
Ma Zhaixing, witnessing the destruction of her last connection to Wolf Boy and learning the Prince of Bo was her family's murderer, was overcome with grief and fainted. The Prince of Bo immediately summoned Wen Yan to check her condition. Hai Die explained that while the special incense in the room contained an antidote, Ma Zhaixing had collapsed from profound emotional shock.
Noting that Ma Zhaixing still had residual toxins and could not swallow the medicine, the Prince of Bo administered the antidote to her himself through a kiss, ensuring the toxins were cleared. Afterwards, he instructed Mo Xiao to return her to her cell. He then noticed a perfumed sachet, which Ma Zhaixing must have dropped when she fainted, picked it up, and slowly threw it into the dying embers of the fire.
Later, Ma Jing found a distraught Ma Zhaixing, who tearfully lamented the irreversible loss of her "Wolf Boy." Chu Kui was furious upon learning that Chu Youzhen, the Fourth Prince, had been captured by a mere adventurer and was being used to demand the exchange of Ma Zhaixing. His subordinates urged him to prioritize Chu Youzhen's life over Ma Zhaixing, arguing that the Fourth Prince's life was far more valuable.
Chu Kui dismissed them, then called the Prince of Bo to stay. He reminded the Prince of Bo of his late older brother's sacrifice to protect Chu Youzhen, emphasizing the importance of securing the Fourth Prince's safe return. Chu Kui then commanded the Prince of Bo to take Ma Zhaixing for the exchange, but explicitly ordered him to kill Ma Zhaixing once Chu Youzhen was safely retrieved.
As the Prince of Bo led his forces towards the border, a journey of half a day, they paused for a brief rest. Meanwhile, Ji Chong was informed by his contact in Jin that the Prince of Bo had set out and that the King of Jin would send his Crown Prince as backup for the exchange. Ji Chong expressed satisfaction at this news.
Back with the Prince of Bo's captives, Chu Youzhen, still a hostage, expressed his disbelief and sorrow to his captors that his Third Brother and Father could have been responsible for massacring Ma Zhaixing's family, wondering how Ma Zhaixing could bear such a painful truth. Ma Zhaixing, however, had fallen into a deep despair, refusing to eat for two days.
Mo Xiao attempted to persuade her to consume something, but she remained unresponsive, believing she had lost her most cherished Wolf Boy forever. Seeing this, the Prince of Bo approached her. He declared that her death would be meaningless, that it would not cause him pain, nor would it avenge her family. He provocatively challenged her to live and exact her revenge, to which she finally began to eat.
With Ma Zhaixing now consuming food, the Prince of Bo ordered his contingent to resume their journey, stating they had wasted too much time on her. At Mangling, the designated exchange point at the borders between Yang and Jin, Ji Chong arrived, holding a bound Chu Youzhen, accompanied by a contingent of Ma Family Army elite soldiers. The Prince of Bo also arrived, personally escorting Ma Zhaixing and Ma Jing.
The Prince of Bo, still wary, questioned Ji Chong's intentions, to which Ji Chong promised to reveal his true identity. Chu Youzhen, though a hostage, took the opportunity to apologize to Ma Zhaixing on behalf of his father and Third Brother for the pain she endured, vowing to kill Chu Kui and the Prince of Bo. As they prepared for the exchange, both sides counted down, and Ma Zhaixing was released, moving towards Ji Chong.
Suddenly, from the surrounding mountains, batches of Jin troops emerged, swiftly encircling the fewer Bo soldiers. The Prince of Bo expressed surprise, noting the presence of the King of Jin's Crown Prince. The Crown Prince confirmed his presence was for Ma Zhaixing's rescue and revealed that his younger brother, Prince of Chuan Li Juyao, had also requested his help.
It was then that Ji Chong himself declared, "I am Li Juyao, Prince of Chuan," revealing himself as the King of Jin's son, the fabled young hero who had once commanded battlefields before mysteriously disappearing. Ji Chong then stated his intent to avenge Ma Zhaixing by killing the Prince of Bo. However, Ma Zhaixing interceded, urging him to halt, as Ma Jing was still held by the Bo army.
Despite the Jin soldiers' eagerness to attack, the Prince of Bo countered, threatening that his archers, led by Hai Die and hidden in the valley, would turn the area into an "arrow sea," with the first arrow targeting Ma Zhaixing. He coldly declared his willingness to die if it meant Ma Zhaixing, the Ma Family Army, and the two Jin princes – Li Juyao and his Crown Prince brother – would also perish with him. Considering Ma Jing's safety, Ji Chong (Li Juyao) agreed to let the Prince of Bo leave unharmed, provided his archers also withdrew, ensuring no harm came to Ma Jing.
