The Wolf Episode 5 Recap
> The Wolf Recap
After hearing about the Ma Mansion tragedy, Gu Qingping, the Young Feudal Master of Tongzhou, arrived at the scene. Though it was widely believed that Ma Zhaixing's body had been burnt beyond recognition, he deduced that her personal bronze bell would not have been destroyed by fire.
Upon learning that no one had found the bell, Gu Qingping concluded that Ma Zhaixing was still alive and proposed to search for her to the south, using the Ma Mansion as a central point. Meanwhile, Chu Youwen and his subordinate Wen Yan had moved Ma Zhaixing to a secluded residence. Having suffered a severe head injury and witnessed the annihilation of her family, she had fallen into a catatonic state known as Soul Separation Syndrome.
She was like a soulless puppet, refusing to eat or drink. Even the medically skilled Wen Yan had no definitive cure. News of the Ma family's demise reached the frontier. Ma Jing urged her brother, General Ma Fengcheng, to march to the Imperial City and petition His Majesty for a retaliatory war against the Jin Kingdom. Ma Fengcheng agreed, commanding the army to break camp. This played perfectly into Emperor Chu Kui's hands.
He had long plotted to seize military power from influential officials, and Ma Ying's death provided the perfect pretext to gain the Ma Family Army's loyalty. Satisfied with the outcome, Chu Kui tasked Prime Minister Jingxiang with receiving the returning army, awaiting Chu Youwen's arrival with Ma Zhaixing to solidify his control. As Ma Zhaixing's condition worsened, unresponsive to medicine and unable to swallow even water, Wen Yan suggested a risky, potent remedy.
This method required a crucial ingredient, Usnea, a gentle but effective medicinal herb that could balance the strong medicine and protect her heart. The herb grew on the nearby Xingyue Mountain. Undeterred by rumors of fierce tigers, Chu Youwen went to retrieve it himself and battled two of the beasts. During his absence, Gu Qingping tracked them to their hideout and confronted Wen Yan, mistaking him for an abductor.
The situation was defused when Chu Youwen's men revealed their identity as special envoys of His Majesty, bearing the Dragon Command Seal. Upon his return with the Usnea and some mint leaves, Chu Youwen added the mint to a bowl of gruel and fed it to Ma Zhaixing. She willingly ate and murmured "Father," indicating a desire to return to the Ma Mansion.
Outside the Imperial City, Prime Minister Jingxiang's reception was interrupted when General Ma Fengcheng, suspecting a conspiracy, seized him. He demanded a direct confrontation with Chu Kui and forced Jingxiang to have the Emperor write a blood oath to prove his innocence. Cornered, Chu Kui sent an urgent message for Chu Youwen to return immediately with Ma Zhaixing. However, when Chu Youwen prepared to leave, he discovered that Gu Qingping had already abducted her.
In the wilderness, Gu Qingping revealed his true intentions. He bitterly recalled how Chu Kui had stripped the Gu family of their military power. His plan had been to earn Ma Zhaixing's trust and then use her as a bargaining chip to defect to the Jin Kingdom, forcing the Ma Family Army to surrender alongside him. Believing her to be an unconscious puppet, he consumed a hallucinogenic wine, intending to assault her. Just then, Chu Youwen appeared and attacked.
Though a superior fighter, Chu Youwen was wounded while protecting Ma Zhaixing. Amid the chaos, she regained consciousness and recognized him as her childhood friend, "Wolf Boy." Chu Youwen coldly denied this, asserting their different statuses. That night, he framed the deceased Gu Qingping by planting a treacherous letter and a Jin-exclusive tiger token on his body, making it appear he had colluded with the Jin Kingdom to murder Ma Ying.
Believing the fabricated evidence, Ma Zhaixing was overcome with grief and initially decided to part ways with Chu Youwen to handle her family's affairs. However, upon learning the Ma Family Army was marching on the capital, convinced of Chu Kui's guilt, she agreed to accompany Chu Youwen to prevent a war. Later, overhearing that Chu Youwen was injured, she remembered the scar on Wolf Boy's shoulder and rushed to check.
Finding no scar, she became convinced that Chu Youwen was not him. Meanwhile, the Ma Family Army laid siege to the capital, Suyang. On the city walls, Prince Chu Yougui attempted to placate the enraged soldiers, announcing that the Prince of Bo (Chu Youwen) was returning with evidence of Jin's guilt and urging them to wait. Suspecting a delay tactic, Ma Fengcheng gave an ultimatum: if the Prince of Bo did not appear by noon, the army would attack.
An urgent message by homing pigeon informed Chu Youwen's party that the army was half a day ahead of schedule. Realizing a conflict was imminent, Ma Zhaixing insisted they take a perilous shortcut. Acknowledging her determination and his own ties to the Ma family, Chu Youwen agreed to accompany her.
