Episode Summary
Su Muyang is poisoned and reveals the Emperor forced him to act against Li Shuang. A mysterious physician, Mo Yin, cures him with strange bugs and is invited to stay. Jin An learns from Mo Yin that his power, the Jade Exquisite, is slowly killing Li Shuang, his "Blood Master," and their connection might just be an illusion created by the curse.
Spoiler Alert
A Poisoned Prince and a Man with Bugs
You know things are bad when someone starts explaining their tragic royal backstory. Su Muyang gets poisoned, and after Lu Xin works on him with some acupuncture, he finally spills. He tells Li Shuang he never betrayed her. He tried to give up his title as Crown Prince for her. But the Emperor is a cold man. He threatened Li Shuang's life to keep Su Muyang in line. It seems being born into the royal family means you never get to make your own choices.
Outside, Jin An spots a spy. The spy recognizes Jin An as the King of Annan and tries to bolt. Before he can report back to the Yao state, Jin Wujian shows up and kills him.
A New Face in the Mansion
The Man with the Bugs
A new character, Mo Yin, arrives on the scene. He's been tracking someone, but the trail went cold right where the spy was killed. Jin An finds him and smells the same poison that was used on Su Muyang. Jin An tries to arrest him, but Mo Yin is a skilled fighter. So, Jin An transforms into his alter ego, Xuan Yi Ke, and easily defeats him. Mo Yin sees the flame pattern on Xuan Yi Ke and realizes he's a Shadow Puppet. He agrees to go with Jin An without any more fuss.
They get back just as Su Muyang starts coughing up blood again. Li Shuang immediately demands the antidote from Mo Yin. He insists he's innocent but recognizes the poison's formula. He comes from Wuling Mountain, so they figure he must know how to cure it. He pulls out some special bugs. The bugs crawl onto Su Muyang and eat all the poisoned blood. Just like that, the prince is cured. It's as weird as it is effective.
A Failed Test
Li Shuang asks Mo Yin to stay for a few days. She's really just trying to figure out what his deal is. Lu Xin, always ready for a little spy work, volunteers to test him. She's fascinated by his bug collection and his strange medical skills. She tries to slip a laxative into Mo Yin's drink. He sees it coming a mile away and swaps their cups. Lu Xin ends up getting a taste of her own medicine.
We also learn that Mo Yin is Jin Wujian's junior apprentice. Now that Mo Yin is inside the General's Mansion, Jin Wujian is already plotting his next move.
The Shadow Puppet's Curse
Jin An's Dilemma
Jin An is worried. He wants to be strong enough to protect Li Shuang without having to transform into Xuan Yi Ke. He goes to Qiao'er for some training advice. She's not his biggest fan. She tells him he has to beat her in a fight before she'll even consider helping him.
A Shocking Revelation
Mo Yin finds Jin An and gets straight to the point. He asks about the flame pattern. He tells Jin An that the mark is connected to Li Shuang. She is his Blood Master. Jin An immediately gets defensive. He thinks Mo Yin wants to control him or hurt Li Shuang.
But Mo Yin drops a bombshell. He explains that the connection is because of something called the Jade Exquisite. The more Jin An merges with this power, the more it drains Li Shuang's life force. Even if he never lays a hand on her, she will eventually die from the blood loss. Mo Yin says their intense connection isn't real love. It's just a side effect of the Jade Exquisite. He wants Jin An to leave with him so they can remove the cursed object. Jin An refuses to believe him. He's determined to find the person who did this to them in the first place.
