Episode Summary
Xiao Yiren's jealousy leads him to make a dangerous deal with a mysterious man in black. Xiao Qiushui survives an assassination attempt by "R" and learns a shocking secret about Li Chenzhou's royal lineage. At the Nantian Dang treasure hunt, Li Chenzhou and Zhao Shirong execute a plan to trap their enemies and reveal their true goal: to fund the Da Xi war effort.
Spoiler Alert
The Family Feud Gets Ugly
So, after a few drinks, Xiao Yiren finally lets his jealousy show. He corners Xiao Qiushui and gets right to it. He demands to know if Qiushui has been hiding the "Book of Forgetful Love." He also asks how Qiushui suddenly learned the skills of eight top masters at Emei Golden Summit.
Qiushui tries to explain. He says some things in the world just can't be explained by common sense. He insists the eight masters wanted to teach him. He was as surprised as anyone. But Yiren isn't buying it. He's convinced Qiushui cheated by secretly reading the forbidden book.
Yiren then accuses Qiushui of abandoning their family's Huanhua sword style. He demands that Qiushui hand over the Changge Sword. Qiushui fires back. He says Yiren isn't capable of handling the responsibility that comes with it. He won't give up the sword unless Yiren takes it from him by force. Yiren knows he can't win a fight, so he gets angry and flips the table.
A Tempting Offer
Later, Xiao Yiren is drinking alone in the courtyard. A mysterious man in black appears beside him. The man preys on Yiren's insecurities. He points out that Yiren is jealous of Qiushui's superior skills and reputation.
Then he makes an offer. He tells Yiren to go to Nantian Dang and retrieve something for him. In return, the man will help Yiren take over the largest sect in the martial arts world and restore the Xiao family's honor. Yiren is skeptical, of course. To prove he's serious, the man in black reveals five foreign masters who will secretly act as Yiren's bodyguards.
The Man in Black Strikes
While walking alone, Xiao Qiushui feels a strange internal energy causing him intense pain. He faints. He wakes up tied up, facing another man in black. The air is filled with Drunken Bone Bewitching Smoke, a signature of the Northern Wilderness. It's clear who his kidnapper is working for.
Qiushui asks why he was taken. The man in black says he plans to absorb Qiushui's internal energy. This would make him invincible and allow him to control the entire Da Xi martial arts world. Just as he prepares to strike, Qiushui breaks the ropes. He reveals he was only pretending to be unconscious. Realizing he's been tricked, the man in black vanishes. Qiushui now suspects this man is "R," the same person who started the rumor that the "Book of Forgetful Love" was hidden in the Hero's Token.
A Royal Secret
Qiushui returns to the Liang residence and finds Sancai. He's too agitated to eat. He tells Sancai that he just met "R" and is certain it's not Liu Suifeng. He asks what other secrets Sancai knows about Li Chenzhou.
Sancai drops a bombshell. Li Chenzhou is the current emperor's younger brother. He is a member of the Da Xi royal family. This news complicates everything for Qiushui. It seems highly unlikely that royalty would conspire with invaders from the Northern Wilderness. Still, he has only met Li Chenzhou once and decides to remain cautious.
The Hunt at Nantian Dang
All the major sects arrive at Nantian Dang for the treasure hunt. The Power-wielding Gang is led by Zhao Shirong and the Blade King. Li Chenzhou is noticeably absent. Liu Suifeng and Song Mingzhu watch from the shadows. Some people are already suspicious of the Power-wielding Gang's motives, but Zhao Shirong assures them Li Chenzhou will arrive shortly.
The area is filled with a thick, dangerous miasma. After crossing a poisonous forest, Xiao Qiushui suggests they stop to study the map. They realize the map depicts a giant dragon. They guess the treasure must be at the "Golden Dragon's Head" and split up to find it.
A Secret Meeting on the Cliffs
That night, Xiao Qiushui walks alone near a cliff. Li Chenzhou finally appears. He explains that his Power-wielding Gang only targets members of the Eagle Whistle sect. Qiushui confronts him about the destruction of the Xiao family.
Li Chenzhou clarifies his orders were to surround the family home, not to kill. By the time his second team arrived, Xiao Xilou and his wife were already dead. He believes there is a spy from the Eagle Whistle sect within the Xiao family itself. He also admits the Power-wielding Gang was responsible for other incidents, but claims someone used a "Thousand Faces" mask to impersonate him and issue the orders.
He says he took the bodies of Qiushui's parents to determine the true cause of death. He found a note with the letter "R" near them. He promises to return the bodies after their business in Nantian Dang is finished. Qiushui is still not fully convinced. He wonders why Li Chenzhou needs all these other sects to find the treasure when his own gang is so powerful. Li Chenzhou just smiles without answering.
Traps and Betrayals
The next morning, the Shenzhou Alliance finds the Dragon's Head. Zhao Shirong suggests the entrance looks dangerous and that Xiao Qiushui should go in first to scout. He agrees. The moment he steps inside, a heavy gate slams shut behind him.
After some time passes with no word, Zhao Shirong orders her men to blast open the wall. The Wuyi sect rushes inside and immediately finds a pile of treasure. As they grab for it, they are all instantly poisoned. The Ghost Blade King realizes it was a trap set by the Power-wielding Gang and confronts Zhao Shirong. She confirms it's payback for two sects that had been secretly attacking their bases. When the Ghost Blade King tries to attack her, she defeats him effortlessly.
The Real Prize
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiushui has found a different, real treasure location. The rest of the Shenzhou Alliance soon joins him. Wary of another trap, Qiushui uses a hidden weapon to trigger a mechanism, setting off a volley of arrows. Once it's safe, his allies move in to collect the gold and jewels.
Li Chenzhou appears once more. He announces that the allied sects can keep ten percent of the treasure. The rest, he declares, will be donated to the Da Xi front lines to support the war effort.
