Episode Summary
General Li Shuang is a battle-hardened warrior for the Tai Jin state. During a chaotic border conflict, a bizarre series of events unfolds in the enemy Yao state. A failed magical ritual results in an enemy prince, Duan Aodeng, being implanted with a dangerous power source. This power transforms him into a child with amnesia, and he saves Li Shuang's life during an ambush. She takes the mysterious boy back to her camp, unaware of his true identity, and gives him the name Jin An. He now lives with her, secretly shifting between his child and adult forms.
Spoiler Alert
What You Need to Know
The Setup
We open with a quick, painful flashback. General Li Shuang is having a romantic moment with some guy. They decide to share a birthday since neither knows their own. It's sweet, but her face tells you this memory hurts now.
Back in the present, things are a mess. Li Shuang's state, Tai Jin, is at war with the neighboring Yao state. The whole region is unstable. This is where the real trouble begins.
A Royal Mess
The Consort's Plan
Over in the Yao kingdom, a woman named Consort Qin is up to no good. She tricks the emperor, Duan Aoze, and plans to use a forbidden magic called the "Jade Exquisite" on him. Her goal is to turn him into her personal puppet. It's a classic power grab, and it's super sinister.
A Botched Power Grab
Consort Qin's plan gets interrupted. The emperor's brother, a prince named Duan Aodeng, shows up to stop her. But Consort Qin has backup. A powerful master named Jin Wujian is with her, and he takes out Duan Aodeng easily.
The emperor begs her to spare his brother. This just makes Consort Qin angry. She blames Duan Aodeng for turning the emperor against her. So, she changes the plan. She tells Jin Wujian to implant the Jade Exquisite into the unconscious Duan Aodeng instead.
This backfires. Big time.
The magic doesn't bond correctly with Duan Aodeng. He loses control, kills Jin Wujian and all of Consort Qin's guards, and then the power overwhelms him. He's in agony and falls off a cliff.
An Unlikely Rescue
The General and the Kid
At the exact same time, General Li Shuang is in a tight spot. The Yao army has her surrounded at the edge of a cliff. It looks like it's over for her.
Suddenly, the Jade Exquisite inside the fallen Duan Aodeng senses her blood. It activates. A small child appears out of nowhere and saves her from the soldiers. It's Duan Aodeng, but he's been transformed into a little kid. Li Shuang finds him passed out and is confused. She can't figure out why a child has such a powerful, rapid heartbeat.
Back at Camp
Li Shuang brings the boy back to her camp.He won't say a word to anyone, but he seems to calm down whenever she's around. He has total amnesia. Li Shuang just assumes he's a traumatized orphan of the war, much like she was. Her brother, Li Wei, warns her there might be a spy in the army and tells her to investigate.
The Secret Shifter
Growing Pains
Life in the camp is strange for the boy. Li Shuang gives him clothes that are way too big, and he alters them himself. He tries to lift her sword but can't, which makes no sense to her. She saw him single-handedly fight off a whole group of soldiers. He insists he doesn't remember any of it.
Later, when Li Shuang is on patrol, the boy gets agitated. He looks at his reflection in a river and sees himself as an adult again. The only thing that calms him down is the scent of a piece of candy Li Shuang gave him earlier. He falls asleep.
A New Recruit
The next morning, he's a kid again. He finds Li Shuang and tells her he wants to stay with her. He wants to be one of her soldiers. She agrees and gives him a new name: Jin An.
