Episode Summary
Xiao Beiming is abducted by the villainous Old Bug, whose goal is to cure Xiao's poison to prove his superiority over a rival before ultimately killing him. After Zhong Xueman cleverly foils his initial plan, Old Bug resorts to a life-threatening procedure that leaves Xiao Beiming alive but in a deep coma. In a final twist, Old Bug escapes capture by poisoning Zhong Xueman and framing her for a murder, leading to her arrest and a tense jurisdictional dispute.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with Huo Dairong being drugged and Xiao Beiming getting kidnapped. Zhong Xueman quickly identifies the culprit as the notorious Old Bug. True enough, Xiao Beiming awakens to find himself in a derelict house, his pressure points expertly blocked, rendering him immobile.
Meanwhile, the Emperor is furious with Zhuge Kongyun for losing the Night Devil, and Zhuge vows to track down Old Bug within three days to redeem himself.
Back in the abandoned house, Xiao Beiming observes Old Bug meticulously preparing herbs. He quickly deduces the man's complex motive: Old Bug doesn't just want to kill him; he wants to cure the poison afflicting him first. This is all part of a twisted rivalry with his senior brother, the one who created the poison. By developing an antidote, Old Bug intends to prove he is the superior practitioner. He confirms Xiao Beiming's suspicions, revealing his deep-seated jealousy and his ambition to become the undisputed leader of both physicians and poison masters by creating a "divine medicine."
Just as things seem dire, Zhong Xueman, lured to the house by a young beggar, is knocked unconscious and captured by Old Bug. When she awakens, she learns of Old Bug's new plan: to use her "clean blood" as the key ingredient for the antidote. Xiao Beiming vehemently refuses, but is helpless. Thinking fast, Zhong Xueman taunts Old Bug, claiming that a simple blood transfusion would be an unworthy victory over his rival. Her psychological trick works, and Old Bug, driven by his ego, devises a new, far more dangerous plan.
His new method involves transferring the poison from Xiao Beiming directly to Zhong Xueman. As a twisted gesture of gratitude for being his test subjects, he agrees to answer three of Xiao Beiming's questions. Through this, we learn that Old Bug has never actually seen the true face of the Night Devil. He then begins the terrifying procedure: completely destroying Xiao Beiming's meridians to purge the poison, with the intention of rebuilding them later—a technique with an almost zero survival rate. Zhong Xueman can only watch in horror as Xiao Beiming endures excruciating pain before passing out.
Just as Old Bug triumphantly discovers that Xiao Beiming has survived the ordeal, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo burst in, subduing him and rescuing the comatose Xiao Beiming. Tong Shuang recognizes the "Golden Needle Meridian Alteration" technique, knowing that while it can cure the poison, no one has ever woken up from it.
The plot thickens when Zhong Xueman, desperate for answers about the Night Devil, confronts the captured Old Bug alone. He tricks her into moving closer, poisons her, and escapes his bonds. After knocking her unconscious, he sets a fire. When Zhuge Kongyun's men finally arrive, they find Zhong Xueman standing dazed next to a burnt corpse.
The Dark Detective Camp immediately arrests her for murder. However, Fang Zheng is suspicious, arguing that a true killer wouldn't linger at the crime scene. A tense standoff ensues between the two factions over her custody, with Fang Zheng ultimately relenting on the condition that Zhong Xueman remains unharmed until he can find evidence to prove her innocence.
