The Legend of Taotie Episode 33 Recap
> The Legend of Taotie Recap
Cui Yan returned with Yao Pengju, accompanied by Xu Ruoxu and Yuan. Previously, Zhu Chengbi had agreed to hand over the Mystical Bee to Zhao Heng for him to use, and Zhao Heng had secretly made Yuan, the Mystical Bee, his shadow guard. Now, it finally came into play. Zhu Chengbi asked Yao Pengju in detail about what had happened while obtaining the antidote in the Northern Di.
Upon hearing that Yao Pengju was discovered as soon as he entered the room, Zhu Chengbi publicly pointed out that the shadow guard named Tan Yilu had not been truthful. His identity was unclear, and he could have been the source of many past dangers. Zhao Heng had long harbored suspicions about Tan Yilu's true identity. When Zhu Chengbi proposed a way to uncover it, Zhao Heng agreed to use the Mystical Bee to probe Tan Yilu’s memories.
Chang Qing opposed taking this risk, but since Tan Yilu was Zhao Heng’s man, no one could object further. The Mystical Bee quickly retrieved Tan Yilu's memories, revealing that he was a spy sent by the Northern Di. He had meticulously concealed himself by Zhao Heng’s side and committed numerous heinous acts, including poisoning the Golden-Winged Bird. Zhao Heng confronted Tan Yilu, asking why he had done this.
Tan Yilu explained that his father had once led the Northern Di army into battle, only to be devoured by the Golden-Winged Bird. Later, the Northern Di ruler, dissatisfied that their people had been harmed by a bird, ordered the entire Tan clan to be flayed alive. One sympathetic general secretly hid the young Tan Yilu, sparing him from punishment.
Tan Yilu admitted to all his actions without hesitation and even attempted to persuade Zhao Heng to seize the throne or rule the Northern Di as king. Zhao Heng immediately used Puppet Threads to strip Tan Yilu of his martial abilities, rejecting his treachery outright. The news of Tan Yilu poisoning and injuring the Golden-Winged Bird quickly reached the palace, enraging the emperor.
To stabilize military morale, the emperor issued an edict to punish Zhao Heng, execute Yao Pengju, and kill the Golden-Winged Bird. When Yao Pengju heard the decree and saw the bird that had once fought alongside him like a comrade, he couldn’t bear to kill it. He cut his palm, publicly tore apart the blood pact he had made with the Golden-Winged Bird, and urged it to return to freedom, never to come back again. Zhu Chengbi was overcome with guilt.
She regretted not being more cautious in checking the antidote. Now that the Golden-Winged Bird was gravely weakened and everyone was implicated, Zhu Chengbi felt she bore an unshirkable responsibility. Noticing Zhu Chengbi’s weight loss, Cui Yan urged her to eat well and take care of herself. Zhao Heng, punished for his failure to oversee the battle, was ordered to confinement for one day. Yao Pengju, loyal to the court, was met with harsh penalties, stirring outrage among the soldiers.
However, Yao Pengju instructed his subordinates to forbid anyone from visiting him in prison. Late at night, many of Yao Pengju’s subordinates gathered outside the prison gates. Since their general had prohibited visits, they pleaded with Chang Qing to visit him on their behalf. Zhu Chengbi, meanwhile, went to the prison and, through the Mystical Bee’s memories, discovered that Zhao Heng was half-demon. She asked Zhao Heng if he regretted ordering Tan Yilu to commit so many evil deeds.
Zhao Heng explained that, as a prince, many of his actions had been forced by circumstances. Zhu Chengbi smiled faintly, stating that one’s identity was not an excuse for wrongdoing. Moreover, Zhao Heng had sacrificed so many lives without feeling a shred of guilt. Her words carried no condemnation of Zhao Heng’s half-demon identity but instead critiqued his methods of handling matters. Zhao Heng realized his previous views were entirely wrong.
He had always despised his mixed heritage, but Zhu Chengbi clearly never cared about it. When Chang Qing met Yao Pengju, Yao was still concerned about the soldiers outside, worried that his death would destabilize their morale. He hoped Chang Qing could console the soldiers and assist Zhao Heng in driving the Northern Di army out of the kingdom.
Additionally, Yao Pengju requested that if Chang Qing ever saw the Golden-Winged Bird again, he would talk to it, urging it to live freely and not remain attached to him.
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