Transcription
Hello everyone, welcome to the book club. Today, I want to share a story that many people have heard, but perhaps not in its entirety. It is the greatest adventure story in Western literature, the Odyssey. The Odyssey can be said to be one of the oldest Western folk art works. The story mainly tells of the Greek hero Odysseus, after the end of the Trojan War, striving to return home. In the process, he faces mortal dangers and countless difficulties. It can be said to be the most exciting epic in Greek mythology. Now, let me take you all on a journey through Odysseus's extraordinary adventure.
The story takes place around the 2nd century BC. The location is the small city of Troy. The Greek coalition besieged Troy for 10 years but could not conquer it. Finally, it was all thanks to our hero today, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. He came up with a brilliant plan: the Trojan Horse. Greek soldiers hid inside the wooden horse, and with a pincer attack, they finally captured Troy. The story begins from the moment the war ended.
Odysseus, filled with the joy of victory, had only one thought in his mind: home. He, along with about 600 brothers, set off from Troy, preparing to cross the sea and return to Ithaca in western Greece. Logically, this journey should have taken only a few weeks. But fate played a trick on him. Their first stop was a place called Ismaros. The people there were allies of Troy. Because they had won, they became a bit arrogant and decided to lead their troops to attack this city and plunder its resources. They easily broke into the city, plundered a lot of silver, treasures, and women. Odysseus, as the commander, originally rationally told everyone to quickly get on the ships and leave. But his subordinates, after that, had a party on the beach to celebrate. As a result, some of them went to a neighboring village to rescue their allies. The next morning, the reinforcements attacked. The Greeks, who had not yet left, were immediately counterattacked. Both sides engaged in a fierce battle on the beach. Although Odysseus successfully retreated in the end, he lost 6 brothers from one ship. This was the first setback after Odysseus left the battlefield, and it came at a heavy price. With heavy hearts, they set off again. On the sea, the wind whipped up their troubles. They were forced to stay by the shore for two days, waiting for the storm to pass before continuing. But the nightmare was just beginning at this moment.
While Odysseus was experiencing hardships at sea, we shift our focus back to his homeland, Ithaca. A crisis was also brewing there. As Odysseus had been missing for a year, and there was no news, everyone believed the king was dead. The power vacuum led to greed. Local and foreign noble youths, a total of 108 of them, pursued power, forcibly occupied the palace, and nominally they were supporting the queen, intending to make her the new queen. In reality, they wanted to divide Odysseus's vast wealth. These scoundrels partied daily in the palace, ate Odysseus's cattle, and even forced the queen to live in a state of distress. Facing these unruly people, Penelope showed amazing resilience and wisdom. She announced to the suitors that as long as she finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes, she would choose a new husband. But every night, she would secretly unravel the shroud she had woven during the day. This successfully bought her three years, preserving her name. And Odysseus's son, Telemachus, was only a young man in his early twenties at the time. His personality was relatively weak. He could only watch his inheritance being plundered, but was powerless. He could only pray daily for his father's return. Ah, this is why Odysseus had to return home, not only for survival, but also to save his impoverished and broken family.
Let's return to Odysseus's journey. When the fleet rounded Cape Malea and prepared to turn towards Ithaca, a strong north wind blew them off course. For nine days and nine nights, they landed on a mysterious coast called the Land of the Lotus-Eaters. The scenery here was very peaceful, even eerily peaceful. The ferocious monsters on the island, on the contrary, were very kind, only their eyes were a bit vacant. Odysseus was cautious. He did not send his entire army but sent three subordinates to explore. When these three explorers went to the village, the locals offered them a special fruit. This fruit was sweet and delicious. In reality, it was a potent intoxicant. As soon as the subordinates ate it, a magical effect occurred. All their memories of home, wives, and children became blurred. Instead, there was an extreme sense of peace and laziness. They no longer wanted to return to the sea, no longer wanted to toil, but only wanted to stay on this island, eating lotus every day, forgetting the past and the future. Odysseus, seeing his scouts missing, went to find them himself. When he saw the state of his subordinates, he immediately understood the horror of this island. It did not kill the body, but destroyed the will. For a hero, forgetting his mission was more terrifying than death. Odysseus showed his decisiveness as a leader. He completely ignored the resistance of his subordinates, dragged them back to the shore, tied them under the seats with ropes, and ordered the other sailors to immediately set sail, not to look back.
After leaving the Land of the Lotus-Eaters, they entered uncharted territory and arrived at a smoky, wild, and savage island: the Land of the Cyclops. The place they arrived at was inhabited by a race called Cyclops, who lived a primitive, wild life in caves. Odysseus's curiosity led him into extreme danger. They first landed on a nearby uninhabited island and caught many goats. They could have left after feasting, but Odysseus insisted on going to the opposite island to see if anyone lived there. He took his 12 most trusted subordinates and a jar of excellent wine gifted by Maron, and sneaked into a giant cave. They entered and found it full of cheese and lambs. His subordinates suggested stealing some cheese and lambs, but Odysseus refused. He wanted to see the inhabitant and wait until dusk to return. It turned out to be the son of Poseidon, the giant, monstrous Cyclops Polyphemus. This giant was as tall as a mountain. He blocked the entrance to the cave and then picked up a boulder that dozens of people could not move and slammed it shut with a bang. Odysseus and the others were terrified.
When the Cyclops returned, he asked who they were. Odysseus immediately stepped forward and politely said he was a Greek warrior, hoping for the host's hospitality. To his surprise, the giant did not listen to the gods or follow rules. He let out a cold laugh, grabbed a Greek soldier, and tore him apart like two puppies, eating him alive, bones and all. Odysseus and the others were so scared that their souls almost left their bodies. They hid in the cave. After eating his fill, the giant fell asleep. Odysseus, who had originally wanted to kill him, thought of a plan. He realized that if they moved the boulder blocking the entrance, and the giant woke up, they would all be trapped and die. So, Odysseus, enduring immense grief and fear, waited until dawn to begin an extremely daring escape plan.
The next morning, the giant ate two more men for breakfast, then moved the boulder and rushed out, blocking the cave entrance again. At this time, Odysseus discovered a giant olive wood club on the ground, long and thick. He ordered his subordinates to sharpen the wood and set it on fire. When the giant returned at night and ate two more men, Odysseus knew the time had come. He took the jar of excellent wine and said he wanted to treat the giant to a drink. This wine was usually diluted with water, but the giant drank it in one gulp and found it incredibly delicious. He drank bowl after bowl until the world spun. The giant happily asked his name, saying he would give him a gift. Odysseus cunningly replied, "My name is Nobody." The giant laughed and said, "Nobody, my gift to you is that I will eat you last." After saying this, he passed out. Odysseus immediately woke up his brothers. They took the sharpened wood, heated it until it glowed red, and with courage, they all rushed forward, thrusting the burning wood into the giant's blind eye. They then forcefully twisted it. The giant let out a terrible scream and cried for help. The other Cyclops nearby heard the sound and came to ask, "Polyphemus, are you trying to harm yourself?" The giant cried from inside, "Nobody is hurting me! Nobody is killing me!" The people outside thought he had gone mad and left.
Odysseus had succeeded in the first step. What came next? He tied the sheep together, told one subordinate to hide under the belly of the middle sheep, and he himself held onto the belly of the largest sheep. When dawn broke, the giant felt each sheep's back and let them out. He completely failed to notice the escape. Odysseus's pride made him unable to resist going to the cliff and taunting the blinded giant. "Do you think eating people is good? I will punish you!" Hearing this, the giant became furious and threw a mountain top into the sea, creating a huge wave that crashed onto the shore. Odysseus's subordinates begged him to be quiet, but he refused to listen. He wanted to leave a name for himself. So, he shouted, "If your father or anyone else asks who blinded you, it was Odysseus, the son of Laertes!" It was this sentence that made the giant know who his enemy was. The giant immediately prayed to his father, the sea god Poseidon, saying, "Make Odysseus never reach home! Even if he reaches home, let him return late, with all his brothers dead, and let him face disaster!"
Carrying this curse, he drifted to the island of Aeolia. There, the god of the wind, Aeolus, lived. He hospitably entertained Odysseus for a month. When he was leaving, Aeolus gave him a gift: a leather bag, containing all the winds that would hinder navigation, to send them directly home. Odysseus sailed for nine days and nine nights. Finally, he saw the smoke of cooking fires on the shore. At the moment of seeing home, Odysseus was too tired and fell asleep. His foolish subordinates saw the leather bag and thought it contained gold, silver, and jewels gifted by the wind god. So, while Odysseus was asleep, they secretly opened the bag. But it was precisely because of this that all the winds were released, forming a super storm that blew their ship back to the island. Odysseus woke up to see this and wanted to jump into the sea to commit suicide. They went to beg Aeolus again. Seeing their misfortune, Aeolus concluded that they were hated by the gods and immediately told them to leave. And so, they missed the best chance to return home.
Tragedy continued to unfold. After leaving the island of Aeolia, Odysseus's fleet lost the mysterious wind that had supported them for days and arrived at the land of the Laestrygonians. Here, there was a seemingly perfect natural harbor, with calm winds and tranquil waters. Except for Odysseus, who, out of his own caution, anchored his ship outside the mouth of the harbor. The captains of the other ships, seeking safety, anchored their ships deep inside. This would seal their doom. Their reconnaissance team quickly discovered that the inhabitants here were not ordinary humans, but giants. The local king, upon seeing outsiders, immediately swallowed a scout without a word. The remaining scouts, terrified, fled. The king shouted and summoned the legendary giants to the cliff edge to hunt their prey. The giants, looking down from above, threw huge rocks into the ships below, which were instantly shattered. The giants then picked up the Greek soldiers like fish and ate them for dinner. Odysseus witnessed the entire massacre from the harbor. He cut off the heads of his men and, with the remaining ship and a few dozen survivors, escaped from this land of death. In just one day, he went from an army to a survivor with only one ship.
The survivors, having narrowly escaped, were deeply traumatized. They drifted to Scheria, the territory of the Phaeacians. Here, they collapsed and cried until Odysseus hunted a wild boar and shared it with everyone to eat, only then did they slightly recover. To ascertain whether the island was dangerous, Odysseus divided his men into two teams, drawing lots to decide which team would explore. As a result, his relative Eurylochus led 22 people to set off. Odysseus stayed to search and discovered a magnificent palace made of stone. Strangely, outside the palace were many lions and wolves, which did not attack people but seemed like pets, wagging their tails and acting friendly. They heard beautiful singing coming from inside the palace. The gatekeeper, lowering his guard, opened the door and invited them in as guests. Everyone was mesmerized and followed them in. Eurylochus, however, felt something was wrong and hid by the door to observe. The sailors who entered the palace were transformed into pigs by Circe, who laughed and said she would feed them cheese and wine. Little did they know that the wine contained a strong hallucinogen. After the sailors had eaten and drunk their fill, Circe transformed them all into pigs and drove them into a pen. Although their appearance had changed to pigs, their consciousness remained human, causing them immense suffering. Eurylochus, witnessing everything, was shocked but determined to save his brothers. He took his weapons and entered the forest. Just as he was about to reach the palace, Hermes appeared and stopped him. Hermes warned Odysseus that he could not defeat the sorceress Circe with brute force alone. He gave Odysseus a magical herb called moly and taught him how to use it. He also instructed him that when Circe failed, he should immediately threaten her and force her to swear an oath that she would never harm him again, before accepting her hospitality.
Odysseus drank the potion and was completely unharmed. When Circe tried to transform him, Odysseus drew his sword and threatened her, forcing her to swear an oath. Circe recognized him as the hero of prophecy and invited him to share a meal. Odysseus forced her to swear an oath to the gods, and then they became lovers. Afterwards, Circe arranged for Odysseus's brothers to be restored. But Odysseus insisted that if his brothers were not returned, he would not leave. Seeing that he was still concerned about his brothers, Circe took the potion and removed the spell from the pigs. The brothers were transformed back into humans, even younger than before. Odysseus called back the men waiting by the sea and brought them all into the palace. They were entertained and lived a life of feasting and revelry, seemingly forgetting their past.
The suffering, and also forgot about returning home, was Shi Ming. Time, they lived in the warmthless Xiang for a full year, until one day, his subordinate finally couldn't bear it and reminded Aodesi, "If you still remember Yi Sha, it's time for us to leave." Ran woke up, and that night he begged Hei to let them go. Haha, there was no fuss, but he told him a cruel piece of news: they couldn't go directly home, they had to go to Jie first. When Ke Zi, they had to find the deceased Yan Jia Tiyia to clarify the route back to Xiang and the need to go to the dead. Aodesi and his subordinates were all terrified and collapsed. Because mortals going to Jie always had only one option: to accept reality. Facing the sky, he woke everyone up and announced their departure. When everyone thought they could finally return home, they learned that the destination was hell. The entire army fell into panic, but they were already prepared. The next stop was the entrance to the bright world of the world. The fleet, trusting the north wind, sailed across the vast ocean until the edge of where people lived. That place was shrouded in thick fog and darkness, and the sun never reached it. Following Hei Yi's instructions, they found the entrance to the bright world, the place of A Ke He and the other two rivers. Aode, carrying a black sheep, dug a desolate λη. He first sprinkled colored barley flour on the dead, and then, with the help of his subordinate, he held the black sheep and personally slaughtered it. The fresh blood flowed into the pit, and the blood instantly attracted countless figures from the depths. There were men, women, old, and young, all wanting to drink the blood to regain their memories and abilities from their previous lives. Aodesi guarded the blood pit with his sword, preventing ghosts from appearing. Following the blood, the soul of Yan Xiya finally appeared. After drinking the blood, he revealed Aode's fate. He warned that although Hai Cai had signed the Fang Bai ຽ捞, Xiu still had a chance to return home, with only one condition: when they reached Teli Ji and pressed down, they must absolutely not harm the divine bull of God. If they couldn't resist their appetite and killed the bull, the ship would be destroyed, and only one person would survive to return home. There would be a bloody battle waiting for him. After the elders retreated, Aodesi finally saw the soul he most wanted to see and feared seeing: his mother, arranged by An. At that time, his mother was still healthy, and he had no idea his mother had passed away. After drinking the blood, his mother recognized her son and told him that his wife Pei, although suffering, was still loyal because she missed De Xiu too much. She died of longing. The shadow of Aoxu Kong. Mother explained that after death, bones and desires disappear. Souls are like dreams. This powerlessness of being separated by yin and yang made Xiu completely collapse. After his mother left, as more and more terrifying bells surged, Aodesi, who had been beaten by Erfu, released monsters. Therefore, he immediately ordered his subordinates to board the ship and escape. They returned to the island first, bid farewell to the goddess again, and prepared for new challenges. Xia Ke Lin taught Si in detail how to avoid the monsters that would come next. The first hurdle was the sea sirens. They had human heads and bodies, sitting on the grass of Yushan, using their starry eyes like the sky to lure sailors, revealing everything the listeners wanted to know, making them busy, and finally dying on the sea. To teach them, they had to seal the ears of all subordinates, but if they wanted to hear themselves, they had to have their subordinates tie them up and bind them to the fence. No matter how they struggled and begged for help, they could not be unbound. The fleet suddenly stopped on the sea, and the sea was eerily calm. All of De Xiu's subordinates were stunned. He himself was tied to the fence. For the lustful Aodesi, this kind of torture was more unbearable than anything. He was possessed and moved his body, his eyes wildly uy ể n, and he struggled to break free, but his subordinates couldn't hear him and only saw Aodesi go mad, so they tied him even tighter and sailed away from the range of the stars to safety. The sea sirens faced two cruel situations. Ahead was a sea vortex. On one side was a giant whirlpool called Kadis, which swallowed seawater every day, and any ship would be sucked to the bottom and shattered. On the other side, on the cliff, there was a mountain peak, inhabited by a green-headed sea monster called Shifula. Kane had warned that the whirlpool side would be the entire army, and the sea side would lose 6 people. Between the two evils, they had to choose the sea side, and absolutely not try to fight, because ơ i La was immortal. Aodesi did not tell his subordinates that 6 people would die, fearing they would be so scared that they would not dare to dig. He commanded them to escape and sail towards the cliff. When everyone was staring at the terrifying whirlpool, Shifula suddenly extended 6 necks from the cliff and snatched away the 6 strongest sailors on the deck like lightning. Aode looked back and saw his 6 brothers struggling in mid-air, flailing their limbs and shouting Aodesi's name for help. Aodesi watched them being dragged into the mountain and eaten, completely powerless. This was the most painful and heartbreaking moment of his entire journey. In order to save the fleet, they bit their teeth and accelerated towards this deadly sea area to escape the monster's gaping maw. Aodesi and his soul were still unsettled. They were heading towards a bright and sunny place called Ke Li and the divine bull. Aodesi remembered the warnings of Yan Jiaruixi and Nu Wu Hei Yi, absolutely not to land on this island, otherwise they would die. So he ordered the ship not to sail past this island, but his subordinates had reached their limit. Oulesi expressed to everyone, "You sleep like this, De Xiu, you are doing well, but we are flesh and blood. We have dug for so long, and the ship has experienced so many terrifying things. You still want us to continue sailing in the dark. What if a storm hits? We just want to eat a peaceful meal on shore and sleep for a night." The other crew members also complained. Facing the situation, De Xiu had to compromise, but he asked everyone to swear to heaven that no matter how hungry they were, they were absolutely not allowed to touch any cows or sheep, only to eat the cold food they brought. Everyone swore. They landed on the beach and had dinner, and then mourned for the 6 brothers who died in the monster's mouth before falling into a deep sorrow. But man is not as good as heaven. As they landed, a strong south wind began to blow, making it impossible for them to go out to sea. The storm blew for a full month without stopping. At first, there was still cold food and red wine brought by Hei Yi on the ship, and everyone behaved themselves. But as the days passed, the food finally ran out. Hunger began to gnaw at everyone. They tried to catch birds and fish, but they could only barely survive, their bodies emaciated. One day, Aodesi went alone to the depths of the sea to find a way out. Perhaps he was too weak, he actually fell asleep. At this time, the master of Luoshi gave a fatal speech to the others, saying that the most tragic death was for brothers to die. Why don't we X the most beautiful cows of the Sun God, and beg for forgiveness? If we can return to Yisa, we will build a great temple. If we die at sea for killing cows, it is better than dying. This made everyone lose their minds. They immediately reported the cows, killed several of them, and used the best meat as sacrifices. The remaining meat was used to... A terrifying anomaly appeared. The skinless cow hides crawled on the ground. The burning beef made sounds like live cattle. De woke up and looked, the aroma of meat filled the air, and he roared in despair, "It's too late!" The Sun God Helios knew that the mysterious bat had been killed and was furious. He complained to Zeus, the king of the gods, "If you don't punish these deceitful Greeks, I will no longer shine on the earth." To maintain order, after 6 days, the storm stopped. Deshou led the group who had eaten the divine cows on the ship. As they sailed away from the land where only sky and sea remained, a dark cloud suddenly covered the ship, and a bolt of lightning accurately struck the ship. The violent tremor severed the skull of the escaping sailors. All the round bodies were thrown into the sea and floated. They all drowned, fulfilling the prophecy of the entire army. Deshou, who was not poisoned and had not eaten the divine cows, grabbed the broken fence in the chaos and tied them together to form a raft. He was afraid of being on the raft and drifting further. What was worse was that the wind changed direction and blew them back to Kabu Di's great ship. As the wood was sucked into the abyss, De grabbed a branch of a tree on the cliff and fell into mid-air. He hung there for several hours, waiting for the whirlpool to spit out the raft before letting go and falling onto the raft again, escaping the sky. After nine days and nine nights of drifting at sea, the dead Aodesi was taken to Ji Dao, where the beautiful goddess Ka lived. He was madly infatuated with her. In the following long 7 years and months, he was imprisoned on this beautiful island. Although he had the goddess's favor, inexhaustible delicacies, and even eternal promises, his soul was empty. Every night he slept with the goddess, but every morning he sat on the rocks, looking at the sea and weeping. In his heart, there was only Yisa. Until the eighth year, Aodesiu's guardian goddess Na took advantage of the sea god Poseidon's travel and went to Kema Si to order Ka to release him. She couldn't stand the temper of the male god who could casually get involved with mortal women. The god had to be restrained, but he didn't dare to resist. He personally made a raft. On the fifth day, he took the three cold foods and the raft given by the goddess and set off alone. He was hit by Poseidon, who had returned, and his raft was destroyed. Kai's head was helped by the newly arrived people of Feike. The sin of the people of Feike was Feike. Hukesi Aodesi told King Aiyikios of the country about his 10-year experience. The king was moved. He gave him a large amount of gold and jewels, even more than what he had looted in Troy. The king sent the most outstanding sailors and magicians to send him home. This ship was so fast that even Ying couldn't catch up. De Xiu fell into a deep sleep on the ship. This was a sleep of complete relaxation, a sleep that looked at all the suffering. It was the best sleep he had had in 20 years. When the ship arrived, the exhausted sailors gently carried the broken Aodesiu onto the beach and placed him under an olive tree along with his belongings, then quietly left. When Xiu woke up, because he hadn't returned for too long, and Athena had put a layer of mist on him to protect him during the gamble, he couldn't recognize his homeland. He thought he had been tricked and sent to the wrong place. He despaired and lamented his fate on the beach. Until Athena appeared as a young shepherd. A stranger stepped on the land under his feet. It was the rocky but beautiful Yisa. De Si heard this name and was so excited that he almost cried out, but he remained vigilant and did not immediately reveal his identity. At this moment, his wandering finally ended. When he knew he had truly arrived in Dalia, Ya Dian Na was shocked. The goddess praised his vigilance and removed the mist. She said that if Si returned as king, he would be pursued by 108 suitors. Heaven used wings to make his originally built muscles wither, and his skin became dirty, his clothes torn. What the family saw was a crippled old man in ragged clothes. Ya Dian Na could only say, "First, find a loyal servant to raise him." At the same time, the god went to Sparta to find his son Te. Although Aodesi was eager to see his son, he understood that he had to. He dragged his feet and walked towards the shepherd's hut. At this moment, he put down the king's profession and used his most skilled weapon to prepare for guerrilla warfare against the enemy. Aodesi arrived at the shepherd Oumai'e's place. The sheepdog barked. Aodesi cleverly sat down and put down his weapon. The shepherd rushed out and drove away the dog, saving the old man. Although Ou Mai'e didn't recognize the smelly person in front of him as his master, he still showed great hospitality and warmly invited Hei Yi into his house, laying out sheepskins for him to sit on. Ou Mai'e kept sighing that good people are gone, and his master left without leaving behind orphans and widows to be bullied by suitors. Every day, he killed a large number of livestock and squandered his family's fortune. De Shou tentatively said, "Perhaps your master will return soon," and even swore that De Xiu would return before his resources were exhausted. But the shepherd shook his head, thinking that these were just good words from Hei Yi to trick him into eating. Even so, he didn't drive Hei Yi away and even gave him his own bed to sleep in. Te was deeply moved. He confirmed that even after 20 years, he still had absolutely loyal allies. The scene shifted. Aotesi's warning avoided the pursuers. He landed safely at sea. He didn't go home directly but first came to the shepherd's hut. When he saw the shepherd and the old Hei Yi eating breakfast together, he treated them very politely. Even though his house was occupied, he was still worried that he couldn't entertain his guests well. After that, Tes asked the shepherd to go to the palace to report his safety. Inside, only the father and son remained. Na again told Aodesi, "It's time to see your son." The goddess waved her hand, and Aodesi instantly transformed into the image of a tall and majestic king. Te Lang was startled to see the old Hei Yi in front of him suddenly change. He retreated and said, "I am not a god, I am your father. You are Te Limasi, who was specially established for me." Te Limasi was stunned until Aodesi explained it was Athena's power. The two sons cried bitterly. At this moment, the 20-year separation was filled. After recognizing each other, the two sons immediately sat down to discuss revenge. Da Ma Si listed the names of the enemies, the noble suitors from various sins, a total of 108 people, plus their servants and followers. The enemy's forces were vast. How could Ma Si and two people deal with several people? De Xiu said firmly, "We have the backing of the gods." It was enough. De Si formulated a meticulous plan. First, Aodesi would transform.
The returned clothing was brought in by the official Zhu. Second, no matter how the suitors insulted them, even if they vomited, they had to endure it and could not fight back. Third, when Odysseus was given provisions, only two swords, two spears, and a shield were left for the two of them to use. Fourth, absolutely no one could be told that Odysseus had returned, including after the mission, because Odysseus wanted to personally deal with everyone's grievances. The dog, Argos, was lying on the ground, drawing his attention. This dog was a hound that Admetus had personally raised. Back then, he was the fastest and fiercest dog in the land, but after his master left, he was abandoned by the servants and left uncared for. Although Argos was so old that he could not even be recognized, this dog, relying on his keen sense of smell and intuition, immediately recognized the man in black before him as the master he had waited for for twenty years. He was unable to get up and could only weakly wag his tail to express his welcome. Seeing this scene, Odysseus could not help but secretly shed tears, but for the sake of the greater good, he dared not go closer. Aunt Shi saw her master for the last time and was willing to close her eyes and die peacefully. What did Aunt Shi teach with her life? Carrying this heavy emotion, Odysseus stepped over and entered the hall occupied by the enemy, beginning his path of revenge. Odysseus entered the banquet hall in disguise, facing the suitors in black. The tribe was not united, but instead extremely aggressive. They attacked him, even picking up a chair and throwing it forcefully at Odysseus, hitting him in the back. Odysseus endured it, like a rock, unmoved. Li Ma Shi watched his father being beaten and was heartbroken, but remembered the instructions to remain silent. He noticed this outsider and, seeing the man in black at night, wanted to ask if there was any news of her husband. In the fire-lit, magnificent hall, they sat opposite each other, but before her was her husband. She cried to the man in black, explaining how she had used the strategist's cunning to delay the suitors and had even seen Odysseus before, describing the three-buttoned robe he wore back then in such detail. Believing it to be true, she was even more comforted. He told her not to cry, and promised her that Odysseus was already very close and would return when the moon was named. These words gave the queen in despair a last glimmer of hope and also prompted her decision to hold the competition the next day. The next day, Penelope took out Odysseus's bow and announced to the suitors that whoever could string this bow and shoot through the twelve axes lined up in a straight line would marry her. The suitors all tried, thinking it would be easy, but they didn't know it was a gift from Apollo to Odysseus, and ordinary people couldn't move it. The first person, red-faced, couldn't pull it open. The second person used fire, but still failed. One by one, they succeeded in becoming embarrassed and losing face. At this moment, Odysseus stepped forward and said, "Why don't you let this old man try?" The suitors immediately scoffed, but Telemachus took the opportunity to order the guards inside to seal the doors and the other guards to seal the hall doors. The hall had already become a sealed chamber, and a battle was about to begin. Odysseus gently touched the bow. He strung it effortlessly, and the bow emitted a clear, melodious sound. All the suitors turned pale. Just then, a thunderclap sounded from the sky, indicating approval. Odysseus sat on the stool, propped the bow on his knee, and shot through the twelve holes like a laser, without touching any of the metal. He turned to Li Ma Shi and said, "The guests have not disappointed you. It is now time to prepare the meal." He then revealed his true identity and returned to his kingly appearance. His first shot was aimed at the leader An Lushi, who was drinking. The arrow pierced the wine, and when all the suitors reached for their weapons, they discovered that all the weapons in the hall had disappeared. Odysseus shouted, "You dogs! Did you think I would never return to my home and eat my livestock? Now is your time of death." Suddenly, Li Ma Shi and two servants joined the battle. Four people fought against a hundred. Athena's arrows were extremely fierce, causing all the enemies' spears to be deflected. Odysseus and his companions were like eagles entering a flock of sheep, and all the suitors were killed. After the battle ended, Odysseus executed the traitors who had betrayed their master and colluded with the suitors. He then used fire and water to cleanse the great hall. Penelope excitedly ran up to tell the bad news, but she couldn't believe it was a trick of the gods or another deception. She went downstairs and saw Odysseus, covered in blood. She remained calm and observed, wanting to test if this person before her was truly her husband. Li Ma Shi pretended to be a stone, but smiled and said, "You can have your wish." After changing clothes, she sat down, and Odysseus brought out the bed for her to sleep on. "This is a trap!" she immediately retorted excitedly. "Who can move that bed? That bed was made by me with my own hands from an olive tree trunk. The tree that forms the bed legs is an Ulu tree, and unless you have the strength of an Ulu tree, it cannot be moved." Upon hearing this secret, which only the two of them knew, Penelope's composure finally broke. She rushed forward and hugged Odysseus's body, her coldness melting away because she had been deceived. At this moment, it was as if the tears of a goddess washed away the twenty years of dust from Odysseus's body. And Odysseus's embrace filled the emptiness in Penelope's heart. That night, they sat on the olive tree with its roots encircling the earth. Odysseus told her about every life-or-death moment of his battles with monsters, and Penelope told him about every fear he faced in the public eye. This was not just a conversation between a couple, but a connection of souls. The goddess Athena watched this scene, deeply moved. To compensate for what they had lost, Athena ordered the goddess of light, Eos, not to hold back her golden chariot, but to pull back the night and let the dawn sweep in. This night was incomparably long, just like their longing, boundless. During this divinely blessed time, the king and queen of Ithaca finally found ninefold peace. The reason this story of Odysseus has been passed down for nearly 3000 years is not only because it is a brilliant story, but also because of its profound depiction of mortals fighting against fate. Odysseus could have chosen to stay on the goddess's island and live forever, but he refused. He chose to return to protect his home, full of danger, rather than embrace an immortal, unaging, uninjured new world. He showed us with his actions that the weight of life is not in its length, but in the connections and love between ourselves and others. Each of our lives is actually a battle for ourselves. On this journey, we will encounter people who will make you lost, poisonous eyes that will make you fearful, or storms that will stir up your courage. But as long as we learn the loyalty of Admetus, do not forget who we are, and do not forget the Ithaca in our hearts, no matter how difficult the road is, we will eventually be able to pass through the darkness to our own destination. This episode ends here. If you like the content, please like, share, and subscribe to my channel. Remember to turn on the notification bell. Your support is what keeps us going. See you in the next episode. Goodbye, goodbye.